[Anne Bryant-Hamon]

Originally posted by Rick Mullin:
...wherever it came from, Karl Rove wants us to look at that picture.

Why is that Rick, is he about the business of orchestrating a nuclear war with Russia while we're all worried about the pretend election? Is that what you mean (sort of)?

[Donna English]

Originally posted by Jerry Glenn Hartwig:


And frankly, I don't care what the rest of the world thinks. Our political and economic situation does not depend on what 'they' think of the average America. Our opinion of them doesn't influence the world situation.

Or are you worried about what people shooting guns in the air and screaming 'Death to the Infidels!' think of us?

Let her family have fun their way and you have it your way. And hope no one finds fun photos of you - now that you've declared yourself an indeppendent and placed yourself in the public spotlight - and starts posting them on the net for propaganda purposes.

You're joking right? Even in the tiny world of Eratosphere it matters what others think of your public persona when it comes to their regard, their respect for and their responses to your actions (posts). The pose she's striking in that photo reminds me too much of those Death to the Infidels screaming gun wavers you mention. I don't like her way of cutting loose and having fun. And I don't like the idea that she has the potential to force me to go her party.

[James Wilk]

Originally posted by Jennifer Reeser:
James, bless you for posting those additional links. I followed the investigative trail posted below the photo on the first page, and came up with what was allegedly the original picture, before it was altered:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/doctorcasino/208036176/

"And I would have gotten away with it, too, if it weren't for you meddling kids and your stupid dog"

Mystery solved.

Jim

[Anne Bryant-Hamon]

Originally posted by Jennifer Reeser:
James, bless you for posting those additional links. I followed the investigative trail posted below the photo on the first page, and came up with what was allegedly the original picture, before it was altered:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/doctorcasino/208036176/

Jennifer,

Good investigative journaling. I did find the photo suspicious. It is hard to believe anything we see any longer.
It's easy to crop off someone's head and attach another face to a body with photo shop.

Spin, spin, spin.... I think we're all going to fall off the earth!

[Jennifer Reeser]

Jim, Anne -- LOL. I have no official press release on the Palin thing. But that picture left me just aghast!

Jenn

[Jerry Glenn Hartwig]

Anne

Ignore the tongue in cheeck comments, and you're intelligent enough to know which is which.

I meant the President tossing people into the fire: putting them in positions of responsibility in no wwin situations. Anyone given responsibility for the withdrawel from Iraq is going to be in a no win situation. They'll be damned if they do and damned if they don't.Whether it's a Dem or a Rep in fire won't make a damn bit of difference.

Yes Anne, I'm a major cynic. (Although I don't see how you can criticize me for not caring who wins and simultaneously call me a "Bushie".) You don't know how damned cycnical I am. I merely call it realistic *grin*.

Anne, a political election is nothing more than groups of people trying to elect the person who will do what they want. Pure selfishness. *shrug* When people tell me they're doing something for the good of others, my first thought is; Yea right - they fooling themselves or trying to fool me? If I thought Obama could get the troops out of Iraq faster than McCain, he'd have my vote. He may even believe he can do it.

I like some things about McCain and some things about Obama. Both would do a satisfactory job as President, imo. Neither is going to get us out of Iraq quickly.

There's a lot about Palin I like. She's untried - true. If she turns out to be a total screwup as VP will that matter? No. The system will act as a buffer. Same for Biden.. But I don't expect that.

I don't have any qualms about Biden as VP either.

Nope. It doesn't much matter which one wins, to me. My only relief is Clinton is out of the running, and that feelings due more to her husband than her. Fair? No, but I try for honesty. Hillary woundn't have made a bad president, either, I suspect.

I guess I think people place too much importance on Presidents. They're biggest power comes from whom they appoint to positions of authority and responsibilty.

I worry more about them, but generally a President's choices are vetted by the Party, which tends to limit one man's power. It's also why we have three divisions to the government.

[Rick Mullin]

In answer to Anne's question about why photos like this play into the hands of the Republican machine--They are an enormous distraction. There are only so many minutes in a day and so many days before Nov. 4. McCain's pick of Sarah Palin rocked all boats. She kind of has to be who she is and fade back for Obama and everone else to take care of real business.

[Jerry Glenn Hartwig]

So 'slander' is an appropriate word, since people were going off half-cocked (pardon the pun) without there being any basis of truth.

THAT, Anne, is what scares me.

People ignorantly accepting whatever they wish as 'truth' merely because it matches what they already believe.


[This message has been edited by Jerry Glenn Hartwig (edited September 02, 2008).]

[Jerry Glenn Hartwig]

Even in the tiny world of Eratosphere it matters what others think of your public persona when it comes to their regard

When it comes to a group of people -take the Sphere, for example - there is a group of people here whose poetic opinions I respect. Ia sk them to look at what I write aand give their honest opinions, and I will do the same in return. I don't have to like them, or agree with them. I can joke around on GT with a lot of them.

As for their personal lives: that has nothing to do with poetry. Their poilitical views: nothing to do with poetry. A person signing on here may be a saint or a murderer - how do we know?

Other than the poetry, it doesn't much matter what people here think of me. I try to be honest and fair in my opinions and comments - what more can you ask of me? There are some whom I call friend and would be disappointed if they thought poorly of me. But I expect most people to take their friends as they are - human beings.

This is not meant to diminish others as people - no one's more or less important than anyone else in my book - but I realize you can't please everyone, so I don't try, and I'm not disappointed when others think poorly of me *shrug*.

That's life. Spend too much time worrying about what others think and you'll spend less time thinking, yourself.




[This message has been edited by Jerry Glenn Hartwig (edited September 02, 2008).]

[Jerry Glenn Hartwig]

And I don't like the idea that she has the potential to force me to go her party.

And don't you feel ashamed you were drawing conclusions about someone who wasn't even in the photograph?

Try thinking before you jump to conclusions: check for facts first.

Your automatic reaction to an unsubstantiated piece of information scares me, Donna. Kind of like the response to early WMD reports.

"Ohmigod-she-has-a-gun-and-she's-gonna-force-me-to-go-to-her-party!"

I doubt she'd want you at her party - or Party - anyway.

Maybe you ought to apologize to her.



[This message has been edited by Jerry Glenn Hartwig (edited September 02, 2008).]