Yes, it has been a while since I've posted, last month in fact--but not all of that was my fault! I've been without an internet connection for nearly a week. While my brother-in-law was gone on a trip something happened to the network connection and none of us present knew how to fix it. It wasn't until yesterday that it was completely operational and the wireless network was back up.
Of course if this happens again I'll be sure and drop by the library with my laptop so I won't be completely internet starved, but that completely escaped me this time for some reason. Oh, on that note I recently saw that my old home library (in Orange County) now has free wireless internet. *sigh* Of course it happened after I moved, ;-).
Now I'm going to take my job more seriously than the ADOT employee represented at the right did--as soon as I can find my job that is. I went back for a second interview at Western Southern, but before I get into that I should mention the other job prospect I had. The copier place, remember? Well last weekend (a week ago, not two days ago) I recieved a letter that must have been mailed right after I left the place thinking that they would call me back in for another interview as they said they would. Instead the letter said they'd already hired someone else for the position. Ah, oh well...
Now back to WS. The second interview went well, but as always I'm not necessarily the best judge--especially since I'm not sure how I compare to the others that have been interviewed. However, a couple days later I went in to HR again (I've had to pay for parking garages three times now, not my idea of fun certainly, I'm used to suburban Southern Cafornia where every place has a free parking lot attached, not downtown with only paid parking) to take a test. It was fairly similar to tests I've taken with temp agencies before, reading comprehension, filing (i.e. numerical and alphabetical order), and a bit of math.
The math threw me, not because I couldn't do it, but because I've not done it for so long. I haven't had a real math class since my senior year of high school (Pre-Calculus) and even there we didn't do too much basic math. On the test I had to convert fractions and decimals to percentages and vice versa--like I said, not difficult, just unfamiliar without a calculator--but I managed to get through, ;-). The reading comprehension was also unusual--instead of generic passages they were insurance documents--not a problem really (reading comprehension never has been), but it threw me for a second. So things are going well there, except that I've not heard back yet--so I'm continuing with other options of course.
Yesterday somebody from UPS called me about the part time loading job that I'd applied for. Honestly I would rather not work at UPS, it is a great place, but I don't want the outside job here in winter country, but if I have to and can I'll do it part-time while I look for something better. But they've not contacted me again so I'll see. Well that is enough about work, yes I'm looking, yes I'm still hating it, but no I've not found anything yet.
On to a subject that I don't think I've touched on much in my blog, politics. Now I might digress into
this subject on more than one occasion, but for this instance I'll try to limit myself to one issue and its perephiry, then see where I might go from there. Now my bachelor of arts degree was not only in History, but also Political Studies, so this post shouldn't really seem unusual for happening, just perhaps so long in coming, ;-).One of the issues consuming the collective interest of the media (don't forget the word media is plural) today is the Muslim cartoons first published in a Danish newspaper months ago. I've posted much of this on a private forum, so if you're active there then please forgive me this repetition.
First of all I believe that publishing those cartoons comes entirely under the auspices of free press/speech and that the Muslim world is overreacting.
Okay, first the right to a free press should be explored. Under this blanket right (especially as outlined in the US Constitution) is the right to publish what the majority like and what the majority doesn't like. If you want the right to freely state your beliefs then you must give the right to opposing viewpoints. So to address some of the Muslim reaction I don't have a legal problem with their idea to publish a series of anti-Holocaust cartoon series. Sure, I might have a personal problem with it since the Holocaust did happen, but on a legal level Muslims definately have the right to publish such things, just as the Danish cartoonists had the right to publish their illustrations. Furthermore I'd like to take a pot shot at the idea of "hate speech" here. I think that such legislation is stupid and frankly pointless. You can't really define hate speech--it is highly subjective, and I'm incredibly dubious that such distinctions are truly Constitutional. So saying that we're hypocritical because we have hate speech laws isn't a valid criticism in my mind because I'd say scrap such laws.
Now, I might personally object to the Holocaust cartoons, and that is certainly my right to do so. However, it is a right that should be limited to private individuals and private groups. What I object to primarily is that Muslim nations are cutting off diplomatic ties and embargoing trade. I think the problem is that the Muslim fundamentalists control many Muslim nations, which are theocracies. They can't separate religion and government. Furthermore many of these fundamentalists (also usually known as Al Qaida diehards) have undue influence (like Hamas) and so are able to whip up such intense reaction. I really don't think that all of this protest movement is really grassroots--I think it has been orchestrated from on high. Why is it so big now months after the cartoons were first published?
But back to the comingling of religion and government. I believe that part of the problem with the Muslim world is that everyone there doesn't understand the separation between press and government. There is no true Muslim democracy or republic. A few are close, Pakistan (I think, though I'm not sure how close to a dictatorship they are), Iraq, and Afghanistan--but the rest are all absolute monarchies or dictatorships. There newspapers don't publish anything that the Mullahs or the government don't approve. So perhaps many of these "protestors" don't realize that the Danish government is merely enforcing freedom of the press when it refuses to act--it isn't endorsing or rejecting the cartoons themselves.
Okay, let me make this personal. I'm a fundamentalist Christian (meaning that I believe the entire Bible, I don't pick and choose, it is all true--I don't say literally true, since some parts like Psalms are say poetry, not literal history--but every word is true and accurate) and I'm opposed to abortion--I believe that abortion (voluntary that is, not an accidental miscarriage) is murder of an unborn child--not the excising of a part of a woman's body. Therefore I fully support the boycotting and picketing of abortion clinics. This is our right here in America where we can peacebly assemble and have freedom of speech/press. However, I wholeheartedly condemn those that kill abortion doctors. This is also clearly murder and two wrongs don't make a right.
It is the bombing of Scandinavian (and other European) embassies and the death threats that I find the most offensive and overreactive. But I'm not calling on the American government to send troops in to shut down these protests and invade these Muslim nations so that they can't offend Danish interests. I'm not calling for my government to cut off all trade and diplomatic ties with these nations. I'm just merely a passive supporter of the "buy Danish" campaign I've heard something about.
~Matt
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