Moderation in politics is dying, or why I'm considering registering Republican

This blog post on the ideology of our nation's Governors is really interesting. He assigns each Governor a score of zero (liberal) to 100 (conservative). He then looked at exit polls for each state and gave the state an ideology score.

As I expected, most current Democrat governors are more moderate than current Republican governors. I didn't expect it to be this extreme though:

Unlike for the Democrats, there is almost no ideological diversity within the group: essentially all of the current Republican governors are quite conservative, taking moderate positions on at most one or two issues. Also unlike the Democrats, there is no correlation between the ideology of the governors and the ideology of the states. Whether you have a Republican governor in a fairly liberal state like Maine, a moderate state like Ohio, or a conservative one like Idaho, his agenda is likely to be highly conservative.

And then he really threw me a curve ball:

 The closest thing to an exception — the outlier in the chart — is Gov. Gary R. Herbert of Utah, who shares some of the moderate tendencies of his predecessor, Jon M. Huntsman Jr.

I guess I need to stop complaining about him so much. I just hope the fact that he is more moderate than the state is as a whole doesn't mean the same thing that happened to Bob Bennett will happen to him.

In fact, this is another reason I'm considering registering Republican in time for primary season 2012. Utah GOP has this insane rule that you have to be registered Republican to vote in the Republican primaries. I will register Republican if it means I can place a vote for Huntsman against Romney (assuming Huntsman is still in the race), for Hatch against Jason Chaffetz or whatever Tea Party candidate runs again him, and Herbert if a Tea Party candidate runs against him.  This is big. I never thought I would vote for Hatch or Herbert. But if I have to register Republican and embrace the moderate ones, I think I'll do it- at least in the primaries.

Thank You, Harry

via across the stars

I have to say that I am so glad the last movie came out when it did. Yes, I am sad that there aren't any more books and movies to look forward to. However, this movie's release timing was just perfect for me.

The week before the movie came out was the worst of the six week long flare-up. I was in so much pain. Honestly, being preoccupied with all things Harry Potter helped me get through it. I watched one movie a day leading up to seeing Deathly Hallows Part 2. I started rereading the book as well. I talked about it with friends. I started a Harry Potter board on Pinterest. Go take a look at it and come back. Here are my favorites:

via deviantart

Wouldn't a Harry Potter Guess Who? game be awesome? It looks like the link is a bit of a dead end and doesn't actually have the artwork download, but maybe someone else will do it.

via Chicago Scooter Club

I love this picture. The first movie may be cheesy, and these four actors needed time to grow into their role and learn stronger acting skills, but they sure succeeded. Chris Columbus did a terrific casting job.





Yes, I'm aware that I am a nerd. But at least I was a nerd not thinking as much about the pain she was in. Really, I can't put into words what the whole 10+ year span of Harry Potter books and movies movies have meant to me, but just in that week before the 21st it meant the world to me.

Play or Communism?

My sister and I have had a six month membership to the Discovery Children's Museum, and have been to its current Play exhibit twice.  From that link:

“Play” is a family-oriented interactive traveling museum and science center exhibition that uses larger-than-life clubhouse-style games to explore how people connect socially through play.

Six giant all-body interactive game experiences allow visitors to literally step into the action, alone or with others, to experience a wide range of social dynamics, such as collaboration, teamwork, tolerance, empathy and group perspective. “Play” is designed to help children and adults explore relationships and social engagement as relate to their daily lives and to larger communities and environments.

• “The Collective Experience’ - a pool table surface with a set of nine giant billiard balls visitors can move, each ball creating its own musical tone, which synchronize with others to create a complex composition

• “The Will of the Group”- a foosball table that allows visitors to step into the role of players’ positions to explore the importance of individual expression and respecting the will of the group

• “The Power of Many”- a unique bowling experience, where visitors move together down the alley to achieve different outcomes; the experience demonstrates the power of group support and overcoming challenges as teams

• “Sum and Sum” - a full set of giant, soft-play dominoes encourages creativity and active play, with everyone working together to create buildings, forts and mazes or playing a simple version of the domino game; the activities are designed to promote cooperation and skills

• “Counterpoint”- a giant backgammon board that emits different tones when stepped on, represents the balance and movement found in music to explore how dialogue, like a melody, is achieved in responding to the actions of others; with success, the melody can become a polyphonic symphony

• “One Message” - a giant game die comes to life, with voices communicating strikingly similar proverbial messages shared by many cultures; on each face, the dots (or ‘pips’) vocalize the medley of voices from past generations and varied languages around the world

I was shocked to read this letter to the editor in the Salt Lake Tribune accusing the exhibit of having a "political agenda" because the different games require children to work together, therefore reeking of collectivism and to take it a step further, communism. Here's the text of the letter from that link:

After visiting the Discovery Gateway children’s museum, I was shocked that its new exhibit, “Play,” is lined with political agenda. The exhibit, which “uses larger-than-life clubhouse-style games to explore how people connect socially,” features giant group games: dominoes, backgammon, bowling, pool and a strange robot funhouse — all requiring children to collaborate.

The exhibit was bizarre, like Alice in Wonderland, but the kids had fun. However, when my friend pointed out an exhibit description on a wall, I realized this was a politically charged exhibit focusing on the “collective experience.”

Collectivism has reared its head in ugly forms, such as communism, socialism and fascism. It seeks to make the individual unimportant and instead makes collective decisions for the group. Kind of a one-size-fits-all policy.

Collectivism is currently showing its face in our government as it attempts the redistribution of wealth, common property ownership and controlling business and health care. This dangerous philosophy seeks to destroy diversity of lifestyle and opinion. Collectivism is the antithesis to celebrating diversity, loving one another and practicing social tolerance.

I’m furious that our county Zoo, Arts and Parks tax dollars are funding exhibits like this, with so damaging a political agenda.

 

Seriously? (Imagine that in the voice of SNL Weekend Update's Seth Meyers or Amy Poehler.) Like I said, I've been there twice now. I've never seen anyone else other than myself (and my sister and Mom yesterday when I pointed it out) read the sign up explaining the exhibit. Even if a child read it, really? You really think they would come to the point you're claiming they would? That's absolutely insane. I used to be as right-wing as they come (I can show you an old journal if you'd like- hey, that might be a funny post!) but this is just going too far. No child is going to get what you're inferring.

RA

It's been a long, hard six weeks. Sometime in early June, my joints started hurting all over, all the time. It's only started to ease up this week.I don't like to feel like I'm begging for sympathy, so I've only told a handful of people outside of family. After two blood tests, it's been decided that I have Rheumatoid Arthritis.

It makes sense. My dad has it. I've know for a few years that I have bursitis, something that often goes hand-in-hand with RA and can become chronic when combined with RA. Even when I was at my lowest weight since high school three years ago before being pregnant, I couldn't run more than one mile.

It's really hard to have such an invisible problem. Other than slight swelling that is usually only visible to me, I look like I should be fine. Therefore, I tried my hardest to act like I was fine (to most people). I popped Ibuprofen like it was candy. I didn't tell my boss, which led her, understandably, to wonder why my writing wasn't so good this month.

I'm adjusting though. I'm eating foods and take supplements known to help (and thinking of trying an elimination diet), I've set up a chiropractic appointment and should be getting a specialist referral in the next week or so. I'm trying to get more sleep and take better care of myself.

Another part of my action plan is to keep doing the things I enjoy- like blogging. I didn't want to complain about the pain, but I should have kept blogging about about other things- like Brayden's birthday, Harry Potter, and politics (of course).  I think I'll backtrack and write about it all anyway. It's like therapy, and I think my personal writing helps me with my paid writing as well.

I will start posting my random musings again tomorrow hopefully. I don't want this post at the top of my blog for long. I want to get back to being my nerdy, all over the place self.