Advise Needed

I am still unsure what I want to do with my degree and graduation is coming up. So, I asked Career Services what my career options were as an English major. I was given a two page list which, believe it or not, included Financial Analyst, Traffic Director, and Artist among other absurd options. In discussing this with a friend at work, I realized that a BA in English is really not going to do that much for me. It's more like a starting point, but I wanted to be finished. I suppose I chose the wrong degree program for a person who only has time and money to get at Bachelors degree. It sure would have been nice if an advisor had actually advised me when I started my college career.

Countdown

According to backwardsbush.com, we only have 273 days left of the Bush presidency. I have a feeling that 1-20-09 is going to be a bigger party than New Years. I know I'm going to start planning my No More Bush bash now.

Economy in the Crapper

My father-in-law went to Sam's today just to stock up on paper goods. I took it as a kind of metaphor for the economy. His theory is that it will soon be so bad that toilet paper, Kleenex, and paper towels will be unaffordable so when no one else can afford to wipe, he'll have it made. It's comical but, at the same time, it's a possibility. With the price of necessary commodities rising every day, we should all be looking for ways to save. The Euro is up and the Dollar is down and it's beginning to look grim.

War, What is it Good For?

Since the Presidential election is getting enough attention, I would like to switch my focus this week. According to icasualties.org, the fatalities of US soldiers has now reached 4,018; not to mention our wounded and those killed and wounded from other countries. It seems as though the fighting will never end. Consider the words of Thomas Jefferson:

As to myself, I love peace, and I am anxious that we should give the world still another useful lesson, by showing to them other modes of punishing injuries than by war, which is as much a punishment to the punisher as to the sufferer.

Has history taught us nothing?

More Trash Talk

I am convinced that the mud-slinging by the democratic candidates is weaking their chances at winning the election. These two candidates are taking the focus off of the issues and just bickering like children. In the meantime, John McCain is looking like the good guy. Why do politicians focus on bringing down the opponent instead of building themselves up? Haven't they learned that the American people don't want a whiney president?

Is Religion a Presidential Qualification?

There has been a lot of talk about religion in the Presidential primaries. Mormonism, Islam, and Christianity have all had there turn in the spotlight. The American people were unsure about Mitt Romney and it seemed as if his political platform was overshadowed by his Mormon beliefs. An article on TIME.com stated that “although Mormons are known for family centeredness, hard work and clean living, many Americans remain suspicious of them… A poll conducted in June by the Los Angeles Times and Bloomberg found that 35% of registered voters said they would not consider voting for a Mormon for President. Only Islam would be a more damaging faith for a candidate…”

That is the problem Barack Obama is facing. There are emails and articles all over the internet about possible Muslim background. An article on World Tribune.com says that the Clinton campaign was determined to prove that the madrassa he attended was “espousing Wahhabism.” Of course, they still have proven nothing. American’s are also concerned about the statements Obama has made about his childhood: “In ‘The Audacity of Hope,’ Mr. Obama says, ‘I was not raised in a religious household.’ He describes his mother as secular, but says she had copies of the Bible, the Koran and the Bhagavad Gita in their home.” Wouldn’t it be an advantage, when running a country full of people with different beliefs, to have some understanding of those different religions?

In a country that claims to believe in religious tolerance and bases its government on freedom of church and state, why are the religious beliefs of a candidate so important?
The Constitution clearly states: [N]o religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.
We may not require a religious test, but our voting habits clearly support it.
Why are we so determined to have a Christian President? Do we really think that Christian’s make better decisions?