A fog examined

Driving home tonight was made much more exciting then normal by an unusual amount of fog. As I drove down the road, it seemed to come at me in small surging wisps and in long hanging clouds. The road would be visible one moment, almost completely concealed the next, then visible through a soft layer of fog again. It kept one guessing, and made you alert. My feet were a little closer to the pedals, my posture, more prone. I didn't know what to expect, and moment after moment was a surprise.

It was oddly analogous of the primary. It kept us guessing all week, then it kept us watching all night. For me, it is a unique election. This is only my second time being able to vote in a presidential race, but its not the second campaign I've followed. My family has always been at least moderately aware and active in politics, and I've spent several evenings huddled close to the TV, watching results pour in. But this one is different for me. For the first time, I wasn't rooting for the candidate my parents were rooting for. My candidate (Ron Paul) wasn't even considered a serious contender. And different also this year is my following of the democrats primary as well. I never thought I'd say this, but I think I got more into the democratic ABC debate then the Republican one. Even though I dislike both candidates policies, I have found myself rooting for Obama to get the nomination on the Democratic side. I had a horse in both races. I was happy when he came in first in Iowa. I was overjoyed when people started talking about Hillary falling fast. And so, I was hoping for another victory by him tonight to balance out the bitter taste of McCain taking the state I love and giving the most American, constitutionalist candidate I know less then 10 percent. Afterall, if I was to have to pick between the two democrats running, I would feel safer with Obama. Clinton is, as a friend has recently put it to me, "a very oldschool, power play, family connection kind of candidate". I want to see her loose. I want her to see that no one is owed the presidency in the United States. At least Obama brings a freshness to the table. But no; in my great state, Obama has lost narrowly to Hillary.

Though a somewhat discouraging end to my otherwise pleasant day, I have hope for the rest of the campaign. The race is really wide open, on both sides. And so the tightness of the race, like the fog- though it confounds us and frustrates some- it makes the ride a heck of a lot more exciting.

Here's to a great 2008 everyone.

(And I'm sorry my first post in over a month had to be about Politics. )

What world?

Just thought you'd all like to know- the world is coming to an end, just FYI.

Heres what I know- I'm trying to stay up on things, but I don't know everything, so feel free to correct or add something in the comments.

Hamas captured two Israeli soldiers and demands they be negociated for Palestine prisoners of war (AKA Terrorists/suspected terrorists). Israel of course says something to the effect of "like heck we will" and says that it will only accept no-condition release of their prisoners. Hamas keeps trying to talk about a deal, but apparently Israel has stopped listening:

And started bombing. If theirs one thing that I admire about Israel, its that, holy cow, they don't mess around when it comes to standing up for themselves. They hit a bunch of Hamas, Hezbollah and Lebanese targets including crucial structures like bridges and the runways:


My dad works for an company that has a lot of people in Israel and he said that they can't reach most of them because the reserves are being called up. He's heard that Israel claims they will take Lebanon back 20 years. It appears that they are well on their way- They took out an airport and allegedly Lebanon has no fixed-wing aircraft left. But that hasn't stopped them from retaliating:


Lebanon has been firing missiles over the border into Israeli towns all day, including one that has made it all the way to the coastal town of Haifa- no one died in this particular hit (though several were injured badly) but apparently it is a big deal- its the farthest rockets have ever gone from Lebanon.

Israel of course has only increased their attacks and their scope. Today they came back to the airport and shot missiles and machine gun fire into the fuel tanks to finish it off:
Things are getting very serious. Israel has says it is a war (key word) that they did not want to start, but that they will finish. They have cut off Lebanese ships in the ports and isolated Gaza, which means they basically can't get supplies in and out. Israeli aircraft have dropped leaflets all round Lebanon telling citizens that it is in their best interest to get as far away from Hezbollah people and buildings as possible. Over 120 rockets and mortars have been fired from Hezbollah into Israeli towns. The Lebanese continue to protest and say that they can't be held responsible for Hezbollah because politically it is to hard to crack down on them and to dangerous. Israel of course basically doesn't care about how hard it is, they (along with the US) just want them to do everything they can to shut the terrorists down.

Of course, this is not even looking at Iran or N. Korea's situations... My, what exciting times we live in!

And I know I have some readers who aren't that political, but this affects us directly in a way everyone can relate to: the black gold we all have come to know and love, Oil. It is going up, up and up. I predict prices will be probably at least $3.20 by tomarrow, maybe higher. The whole bombing thing really effects the supply side of things.

(BTW I'm not depressed or anything, I'm just fascinated. And I am gratefull to everyone for your comments in the previous post; my chin is indeed "up" and I am doing fine. :) Thanks!)