Take Two!

So, I’ve been thinking. I do want this blog to get going again, but it’s going to take all of us. I’m more than willing to post my thoughts and what not, but I don’t want it to be the only one. That gets pretty boring pretty quickly. And I don’t want to assign days to people or something like that (though, by all means, if you want one, nab one! Make it a regular thing, and see what comes of it!), but please, guys, feel free to make posts and speak your mind and converse and talk and all that! =D

There are an awful lot of potential topics this week. There’s the New Jersey shooting today (but I haven’t had a chance to read or watch much on that, so), or the texting teen in New York that fell down a manhole (and the fact that the family is now planning to file a suit), or the Sotomayor hearings (though be on the lookout for that next week!). . .but I managed to limit it down to three, somehow. Oh yes, I surprise even myself. And I don’t even go on tirades against nationalized health care (it’s coming!) or the climate bill—which may not have the votes to get through the Senate, even with Franken’s rise to prominence.

TOPIC 1: As I’m sure you’re all aware, Al Franken is now a senator. That’s right, the former SNL writer. How does he become a senator? Well, thank you Minnesota. He’s already cracked a couple of jokes, including one today at the end of Sotomayor hearings. I don’t know about you guys, but it bothers me less that he’s a senator, and more what he may bring the table. While I don’t doubt that I have some issues with his stance on things, that’s not what I’m talking about. If he goes around cracking jokes all the time. . .it will frustrate me beyond belief. Especially if there’s a CNN article on every single one. Maybe I’ll just go read Fox News. . .

But, honestly, I don’t know if the problem would be with me or Franken. If I was a senator, I’m sure I’d be the kind to get real tired of Franken’s jokes—and, to be true, I’d probably get tired of anybody who was real lax and easy going about it. Until I was that way myself, at which point, I’d get frustrated with anybody who was uptight. So I’m guessing a lot of the problem is more with my perception than Franken. Though if I was in the middle of questioning who will almost undoubtedly be the next US Supreme Court Justice, I know I’d take it seriously, and get upset at any laughter. Because that’s how I am. Though I’m sure part of that, too, is also because I don’t like Sotomayor so much. But I digress.

I’m not sure if you all heard it, but Franken did move up to be chairman of the Judiciary Committee today—the fastest rise of any senator. Ever. Bar none. Thankfully, it was just because the chair’s microphone was broken, and Franken offered to change seats for the remainder of the opening statement. He wasn’t in the seat for long, and the microphone was fixed. So it was the quickest rise and fall of a senator. Ever. Bar none. We’re talking minutes here!

TOPIC 2: I want to get away, for a bit, from politics and news and CNN and Fox News and the Senate and yes. Musical obsessions.

I was thinking about it the other day, and while I’m sure many of you guys have been through the same thing. Music tastes change, but really. Mine have been kind of extreme. Feel free to chronicle your own, if you so want.

Anyway, if we were to go back five years, which I guess would put me the summer after eighth grade, I was still listening to country. Which I find amusing, because then, I hated it, and now, I don’t love it, but there are artists and songs that are pretty good. Just gotta be willing to listen, y’know?

Then, if we skip ahead a summer, I think I was just getting into softer rock—Coldplay, namely. I think. I could be wrong. I’ve been wrong before. Then the summers after that, to Rise Against, then Atreyu and Underoath, then back to Rise Against and Trophy Scars. I mean, talk about full circle. Then down to indie levels, where my most two listened to artists right now are easily Bright Eyes (his lyrics don’t cease to amaze me) and Elliott Smith (he allegedly committed suicide by stabbing himself in the heart. Twice. I mean, really!?). Of course, there were always other musical interests in there: Streetlight, Brand New, Blue October, so on and so forth. But. Funny how times change.

TOPIC 3: Oh, you guessed it. The pitbull with lipstick or whatever she calls herself now. I think it was two Fridays ago, now, that she announced she was resigning as governor. A year and a half before the end of her term.

There’s an awful lot of speculation over the motivation of her move. Because, I mean, no one saw it coming, at all. A lot of people think she’s gearing up for a 2012 push for the White House, or opted out because there was so much money to be made.

One thing’s sure—I don’t buy what she said. Because she decided she wasn’t going to run again, she didn’t want to be a lame duck governor. I mean, really? That’s your excuse? That’s like W. quitting in January of 2005 because he didn’t want to be a lame duck president—it’s not acceptable. It’s just. . .irresponsible. You were elected to serve the slot for the prescribed time—unless you really cannot do so, you should make every effort to serve your civic responsibility. Yes, it would have been difficult for her, with all the ethics complaints and yada yada, but that’s part of it. Deal with it, and keep going. Easier said than done, I realize, but regardless. She put herself up for the part; don’t just remove yourself because the going gets tough.

I’m of the personal opinion that she left because Alaska, in case you have not noticed, is not the political limelight of the nation. She wants to be front and center, and the showpiece for the Republican Party. Except, now, I’m not sure that Republicans are comfortable with her as the showpiece. She’s sloppy about her work, not real articulate, and just doesn’t come off as someone who knows just what she’s talking about. I supported her, sure, in September, October, and November, but now, I think it’d be a good time for her to shut up a bit, and learn some more. She’s too concerned about herself to do the party any good.

And if she did indeed quit for the 2012 bid, what was she thinking? Much easier to launch a campaign from the governor’s mansion—even if it’s Alaska—than as a private citizen. It’s like she’s already going into campaign mode (which, coincidentally, Obama never left). Except, the thing is now, no Republicans running (NJ and VA) and her to come speak for them—she’s too polarizing—so she’s left to go work on her book. As a conservative myself, I’d like for her to go back up to Alaska, do what she can, and come talk when she’s relevant again. I have no desire to hear about or from her.