Ye Olde Swimming Hole

current, insightful, yet nostalgic

Saturday, May 27, 2006

Justice for Corporate Corruption

Former Enron Big dogs Kenneth Lay and Skilling were found guilty on several counts and will likely spend the rest of their lives in prison. While it's sad they made very poor choices, it's good to see justice will be served.

The two could still do some good for society by humbly and penitently admitting their guilt with it's attending greed and apologizing for harming and in some wrecking peoples' lives.

Thursday, May 25, 2006

Horse Racing

I was impressed with Barbaro's win in the Kentucky Derby. Then it was sad to see him break down in the Preakness. It's interesting how attached we can get to an animal we have no connection to. It looks like he will pull through though.

Friday, May 12, 2006

Ford Promotes Graffiti



In a new advertising campaign for its Focus, Ford is promoting graffiti. (The picture to the left is from an official Ford Web site. Notice how the text glorifies crime) It's too bad that an American institution like Ford would promote anti-social behavior that destroys neighborhoods and leads to worse crimes.

Ford encourages people to "express themselves," a common phrase used by taggers to justify their crime. There are plenty of ways for people to "express themselves" without dirtying neighborhoods with graffiti. It's a bad problem and they're adding to it.

I expect better from Ford. I usually buy American cars to support the U.S. auto industry. I imagine many Americans do the same. We don't appreciate their support of antisocial behavior.

Email Ford and tell them you don't appreciate them encouraging this kind of behavior. While this campaign may help their bottom line (which needs it badly), it leads to graffiti, which hurts your property value.

Friday, May 05, 2006

Cry Me a River


Speaking of America, Jon Stewart recently said:
If it's so blessed, why did God put all of the oil under people who hate us?
Of course, he's a comedian, so he's just joking. Or is he? This statement, joke or not, epitomizes the dangerous attitude some Americans have today about the state of our country. We do have difficulties to work through, but to make statements like this shows gross ingratitude for the wonderful country we live in and the blessed lives we live.

What's most disturbing is that this attitude discounts all the blood, sweat and tears our forebears put into making this country what it is today. We have oil problems now, so cry me a river. Would we trade our situation for that of any other country?

Again, people tell jokes, but let's not let them change our attitude and affect our gratitude for this great land God has blessed us with. Comedians come and go, but America will remain.

Thursday, May 04, 2006

Is Abu Musab al-Zarqawi a Real Terrorist?

I keep writing about major news networks running with terrorist VNRs and today I was glad to see CNN ran a response to the rat in Iraq's latest news release. Evidently Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has no clue how to shoot a gun. A video discovered shows him fumbling with a machine gun that he obviously does not know how to shoot. Anyone with experience with firearms can clearly see he has know idea what he is doing and is uncomfortable with the gun he's shooting.

What is interesting here is that this even more puts these terrorist videos into the category of staged, fake news, which the mainstream media and journalism societies purport to disdain so much. Hopefully they will think twice next time before given a terrorist a forum to spread his statements unconstested to a huge audience.