The Year of the Angry Woman?

Since my turns at the computer are fewer these days and seldom seem to correspond with my energy and inspiration level, I am going to indulge myself in a little political analysis.

I live in Georgia, and our gubernatorial (not "goobernatorial") race pits a former congressman against a former governor.  It has not garnered a lot of interest - due in part to the fact that national politics have been on the forefront.  Besides, Georgia governors tend to be uninspiring.
Don't get me wrong, I have liked some of them - liked them a lot.  I even liked the governor that is now leaving office (the first Republican governor of Georgia since Reconstruction).

Anyway, being that I am something of a conservative policital junkie, I am surprised that I have apparently missed something this year.

It appears - judging from the ads put out by former governor Roy Barnes, Democrat, - that I was completely oblivious to a hotly trending constituency.

One year some time back, it was the "Year of the Soccer-Mom", remember that?  Another time it was the "Reagan Democrats" or the perpetually illusive (and fickle) "Independents" that seemed to be the groups to market toward.

Roy Barnes, Democrat, -adroit political  avante-guard that he is -has apparently jumped on a  burgeoning NEW trend!

He is marketing his ads to "angry, bitter, women".

I must confess that I have not seen any television ads (except portions of a questionable TV ad that included some doctored video) - all of my experience with Roy Barnes, Democrat, ads have been on the radio. 

In one a frustrated woman talks about some bill that Nathan Deal had voted against that was supposed to protect rape victims.  She ends by declaring that she can "never forgive him" for that.

Another ad features yet another woman - a STRONG woman - that is barking orders to mousy men in her office, she decries Nathan Deal's business acumen in very demanding tones.  For a moment, I felt I needed to apologized for something ... being a man, I guess... then I teetered between the idea of sending flowers or getting her a cup of coffee.

In another ad two women whisper about their votes and then how one will manipulate her unsuspecting husband into voting for Roy Barnes, Democrat.

At best, these ads have left me ...uninspired.  At worst, they prompt me to become uninvolved, to stay home with my vote.

As I was going over these thoughts, I heard an ad from a campaign in Florida, our neighbors to the south.

Refreshingly, it said, and did - what ads should do. 

It inspired me.  It almost made me want to move to Florida - just so I could vote.

See what you think.


Vote.

Please Buy My Kid's Popcorn

It's that time of year again.
Not unlike the Girl Scouts and their ubiquitous cookies - the Cub Scouts are putting on their annual fundraiser - Popcorn!

Since I believe the Judeo-Christian work ethic is one thing that makes this country great, I like the fact that the boys are required to do the lion's share of the work with this fundraising effort.

AA has jumped whole-heartedly into the sales effort; he has boldly gone door to door in a couple of neighborhoods as I stood just behind him.  Further, he has displayed a sales savvy that would make my Dad quite proud (as it does me).

In spite of all this effort and a pretty strong sells record, he is still short of his goal of winning a cool crossbow that shoots marshmallows ( no young lad should be without).

So I am responding in typical American capitalist parent fashion -by asking you to consider buying some popcorn from the boy.

A large percentage of the sales go into local scouting  and a portion to his particular Pack.

If you'd like, go to AA's link and look around.

If, for no other reason, consider the great annoyance he could wreak on our household with that marshmallow pelting crossbow!

On Multi-Tasking

I don't multi-task.

Ask anyone.  Ask the myriad of women that I work around (multi-tasking seems to be a trait of particular interest to women for some reason).  Ask my wife.  Even ask my middle school teachers ... they would have told you - like they told my parents during the parent-teacher conference - "he doesn't budget his time well".

Since I already know that doing multiple things at one time is, for me, a hopeless endeavor - I have decided to embrace my single-mindedness.

In recent months I have even seen some endorsements of the low-productivity, low effeciency lifestyle.

At one point I attended a work-life balance type of class at work.  It was aimed specifically at multi-tasking. 
That's where I learned that I am right and the other 98.3% of the population are wrong:  the instructor demonstrated how that "multi-tasking" is actually "Switch-tasking".  He said that we actually have to stop thinking about one duty in order to start the other.

Most people to whom I have attempted to explain this - remain in their state of frenzied unbelief.

I'm not surprised that I do not produce many converts.  I guess the same skills that go into making one a successful multi-tasker, would also be required to make one a successful evangelist.

Ironically, I am learning that my children have great confidence in my ability to do many things at once (probably got this from hanging around their mother).  They have an amazing ability to find me the moment I sit down for a quiet moment of activity that requires my total concentration - and throw in new tasks for me to complete.

It is as if they feel sorry for me for having nothing particularly active to do. 

Like right now for instance, as I have stolen away for a quick visit to blogland - I have heard numerous requests and comments and instructions.

I would go into detail about what they said ...

...unfortunately I don't multi-task.

Here's a Keeper!

Judging from the new Stats  button that Blogger provides, a lot of you start there anyway, but just in case you haven't read R.'s latest post on God's Design Not Mine, you need to see it.

It features my boy and like him, its a keeper.

http://godsdesignnotmine.blogspot.com/2010/10/my-little-comedian.html

Some Political Intellectual Honesty

It was "Spirit Week" last week at the kid's school, in preparation for homecoming.  Monday was to be 80's Day and the students could dress "like they did way back in the 1980's". 

After reeling from the effects of having my personal sensitivities insulted - I joined in the brainstorming to help Ab and AA decide what to wear.

This coupled with the fact that I was mentally fatigued from a couple of weeks of non-stop activity - led me to spend my Saturday morning on the couch in front of the television. As you know we don't get real TV but now have Netflix on our television and I ran across a PBS Documentary on Ronald Reagan.  I thought it might serve as a refresher course on 80's fashion - it was also an excuse to relive some of what I consider to be our "glory days" as a country.

The segment that I watched ran through until the point of Reagan's first term that parallels with our present administration's first term . . .and thus evoked some political intellectual honesty.

I remember 1982 and 1983.  I was beginning to believe in our country again and had a new sense that just maybe our best days weren't  behind us; but things had actually gotten worse.  President Reagan's popularity had waned and he was poised to lose the gains he had made in the Senate during the previous election.

The documentary pointed out that about this time Reagan, who had enjoyed an enormous surge in popularity after a failed assassination attempt, quipped that maybe he should go out and get himself shot again.

I remember

 that real estate still wasn't moving, interest rates and gas prices were still high and jobs weren't that plentiful.  Reagan kept saying we had to wait, it would take time for the fixes he had put in place to take effect.  Sure enough - in time they did and we enjoyed the greatest peace time economic boom in U.S. history.

This is where the political intellectual honesty comes in:  our current president has enacted a whole bunch of legislation aimed at fixing our economy and at this juncture they appear to have only made things worse.  So -being intellectually honest - I have to admit that this administration appears to mirror Reagan's.  

That frightens me a little because I believe that most everything thing this president and the Democrat majority in congress has done has been anathema to the Constitution and to good judgement.  What if, like Reagan, Obama found a resurgence in the polls and was able to stick around another term? 

It all boils down to the things I know as truth - the policies of this administration have run counter to the inspired traditions or our founders and the Constitution they put in place.  Those policies may continue to remain in force and succeed politically - but I know that they will ultimately fail and with them our nation.

That is why I think the November 2nd election is so pivotal.  It should be first addressed with great prayer - for ultimately God will rule the day - but it should also be addressed with our participation.  Beyond that, if major changes come about after that first Tuesday in November, it must only be the beginning.

Oh by the way, 80's Day turned out just fine.