WARNING:

So I bought a lamp today. Nothing too fancy. Well, it kind of feigns fancy, but really cost me 25 bucks at Wal-Mart. Anyway, as I sat in my desk chair putting it together, I casually glanced at the "Made in China" emblem on the bottom. "What else is new?" I thought. Then, as I went to plug it in, I saw another tag that was a bit more... disconcerting? It reads (I kid you not):

"WARNING: This product may contain chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm. Wash hands after use."

(The other side had the same warning in Spanish.)

That's right people. Don't sweat the cigarettes, Chinese lamps are the real killer.

Now, seeing as I have absolutely no understanding of the intricacies of lamp manufacturing, I have really no way of knowing whether this warning is merely a reflection of the increasingly paranoid society we live in where virtually everything causes cancer, or if there is some legitimacy to the claim, in which case I should probably be washing my hands right now.

What I did find interesting, and would like to address, is that the warning only acknowledged that the "State of California" found my lamp to be dangerous. What about the other 49? Are we too wrapped up with whether or not we should teach intelligent design to actually pursue scientific frontiers? Did we do the research and decide that my lamp is in fact not dangerous? My guess is we didn't actually do any research on lamp. Which brings me to my next point.

Why can't we be more like California?

Can anyone think of a time in U.S. history when scientific research had more potential? Be it stem cells or alternate fuel sources, most of the country, no thanks to our current administration, is simply not paying attention.

Seriously, when President Bush threw a hissy fit over stem cell research, California persevered and continued to foster the research.

Currently, there is the seemingly endless debate in congress regarding offshore drilling. Republicans say we need the oil to keep gas prices down until we come up with a permanent energy solution. Democrats say that feeding our "addiction to oil" will only postpone the vital reasearch that needs to happen immediately.

Can you blame the blues?

The way things seem to be going now, anything that might make alternate fuel sources seem less urgent is something that should really be avoided. If all those free market republicans really hold to their beliefs, than they should understand that it just might take five dollar per gallon gasoline to get hydrogen fuel cells out of the lab and onto the street.

That's all for now.

Lets put our heads in the sand and get pissed!

As the news outlets dance around the DNC like kids in a candy store and Hillary officially endorses Obama with apparent enthusiasm, you really just can't miss stories about angry Clinton supporters.

Huh?

Dear Angry Clinton supporters,

We understand your pain. We know your pissed that Michigan and Florida got nixed in the primary process and we know you were all super pumped about a female democratic nominee. And we know the disappointment you must have felt when your sure thing got eclipsed by a junior senator from Illinois. But seriously, you've had your time to grieve. Get over it/yourselves.

There virtually no legitimate way for a progressive voter to choose McCain over Obama if they had previously backed Clinton.

Do none of you remember the Clinton - Obama debates? It was like watching a lunatic debate himself (or herself). The only moments highlighted in the news were witty little sound bits that, while entertaining, were pretty much irrelevant to any sort of issue-oriented debated.

Be it the economy, the war, gay rights, abortion, or pretty much anything else, Obama and Clinton held pretty much the same views and still do.

Sure it was touching (albeit moderately alarming) to see your unfettered devotion to your candidate during the primaries when you all boldly announced "if Obama gets the nomination, I'll vote for McCain," but really, that whole shindig is over and done with. We let you slide before because we thought you were only halfway serious, but now its time to jump back on the bandwagon and stop whining.

That's all for now.

Kickin it up a notch

Though I doubt that more than a few people have actually looked at this blog, it's getting back in gear for my journalism class. Most of the future entries will focus on the national elections and probably touch on a few other unrelated bits. Enjoy and feel free to tack on responses to any of my posts.