photgraphy quote

from an interview with Neil Gaiman; I thought some of my photographer friend, especially C&M, might enjoy it.

"This is how you can tell a real photographer: mostly, a real photographer does not say 'I wish I had my camera on me right now'. Instead a real photographer pulls out her camera and takes the photograph. "

if there was any doubt that this week's alert was political...

Pre-9/11 Acts Led To Alerts
Officials Not Sure Al Qaeda Continued To Spy on Buildings

Most of the al Qaeda surveillance of five financial institutions that led to a new terrorism alert Sunday was conducted before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and authorities are not sure whether the casing of the buildings has continued, numerous intelligence and law enforcement officials said yesterday.

more at the Washington Post

who can be elected? part I

A post yesterday about write-in candidates and a post today about eligibility to be a state's representative in federal government got me thinking about two issues.

To what extent do people still feel it is important for the president to be a "natural-born citizen" of the United States? To me, someone who is a naturalized citizen and has resided in the country for many years is liable to be just as loyal and devoted a servant of the people and devoted to the interests of the nation as a whole as any person who was born to citizens of the Untied States or to parents who happened to be in the U.S. at the time he or she was born.

And how do people feel about the 22nd Amendment? I loathe all term limits, as I feel it cuts at a fundamental right, that of citizens to elect whoever they see as the most qualified and able person to perform an office. Alexander Hamilton made some cogent arguments against such a limitation in The Federalist Papers. I'm inclined to agree with him.

Comments?

who can be elected, part II

The other half of this pondering is that, while the Constitution requires that candidates for the presidency be both natural-born citizens and residents of the US for at least 14 years, it requires candidates for the House and Senate to have been citizens for 7 or 9 years, respectively, and residents of the state they are elected to represent at the time they are elected. I haven't checked all states' election laws, but I would assume that, those requirements being delineated in the Constitution, no state is allowed to add extra conditions except those that directly relate to the process of election (collecting of signatures, etc.)

To me it's very odd to require residency in the United States for the executive, but not to require residency of any time in the state represented for a senator or representative. These legislators are supposed to be carrying the interests of the state and its inhabitants, their constituents, with them when they go to the nation's capitol to transact legislation. If a representative or senator have come only recently into a state, how can it be thought that he or she will have a proper understanding or sympathy for the issues and concerns of its citizens? I would prefer that the Constitution require these legislators to be US citizens, yes, but that they also have lived some years (more for the senators than the representatives, perhaps, because they are thought to be the more senior and state-representative house) in the state where they run for office. That would limit the ability of a national party to place a candidate they wish to ensure being elected into a "safe" seat, but that's fine by me.

Comments?

too funny!

( More medical cost BS )

bank robbery, an old story

So, I mentioned in a community the story of the time I was involved in a bank robbery, and I was told I couldn't just make a throwaway comment like that and not explain. So here's the story (as I recall it; redactrice may remember things I don't. ( Read more... )