my life, my thoughts, my world.

Magliocchetti closing shop may be a sign of change. I’d advise one stay tuned to this if for no other reason than to see how the current Congress reacts to investigations into ethics abuses by members of the current majority party. One can only hope the same fervor is applied within ranks as it is across party lines.

Climate change heretics or rational thinking from a genius of science. CAUTION: Incredibly long read (8 pages).

Not looking good in Mexico. Many of Mexico’s government institutions are just as corrupt as the cartels, making this an interesting battle to say the least. I’m still planning to spend a month there this summer.

Suggestion that more government is the answer. Decide for yourself.

Bad news for Iraq I’m afraid. This is definitely not what is needed to secure anything that resembles lasting peace, or even provide for the possibility of such a thing. Even worse, there is apparently now neo-Zarqawism. It would appear that the bomb we dropped on him didn’t vaporize his influence.

Twitter and Politicians? While I use the social-networking medium myself, I know if I’m tweeting, I’m generally not paying too much attention. Hopefully, our members of Congress are all paying as much attention as humanly possible right now.

More unconstitutional legislation is surprising from such a scholar of constitutional law. Well, it would be surprising if it were not for the tremendously consistent pattern for circumventing that document.

Tuition freeze talks in Texas. That should be well received by college students across this state. Fortunately, I don’t have to worry about such things.

The longest week I think I’ve ever had, as a civilian, is nearing its end. Between Sunday night and Thursday morning I put in some 65 hours at work, managed to finish my homework and even made it to all of my classes.

Right now I hope I end up sleeping all weekend, but chances are that doesn’t happen. Several future projects, both at work and in my own personal ventures, are still up in the air. I have a newsletter to build, an article to write, a VA meeting to attend, two tests for which I should study and a protest poster project to complete.

Look for a few changes to my web presence in the not-too-distant future as ajmartinez.com is now mine. This domain will be gone when its registration expires, as will the photography domain. Everything will be consolidated to ajmartinez.com by November, and I will redirect my old domains accordingly as soon as I’m ready to go live with the changes.

For my experience from the conference, click here!

For the last month or so I have threatened to roll out a new format for my sharing of news. As there is no time like the present, I think I will go ahead and roll out the basic concept now. Previous posts here have uncovered my desire for my friends, family, and people in general to read the news. In the past I have typically relied on posting links on my Facebook profile, or spamming Twitter with links to stories I feel might expand the horizons of anyone that might bother to read. That has been rather cumbersome, and even flat out annoying at times, so it is time for some of that change we keep hearing about so often.

Right now, I will stay away from any commitment to update on a daily basis. Having quite a bit on my plate at the moment, that seems a fairly unrealistic goal. What I will do, is post at least one roundup per week. In this roundup, I will link to major stories from local on up to international media outlets. My responses to the articles will be short and simple, form your own opinions and exercise your mind some. At some point, I hope to make this a daily installment. For now, I am going to take things one step at a time.

There is something wrong with a society so quick to blame others before accepting any share of the blame themselves.

It seems to be a major staple of political discourse in this nation, and throughout the world, that one must always blame problems on those that came before. At the same time, it seems expected that those addressed by politicians ignore any instances of the very same politicians acting in the ways they so venomously condemn. This problem exists across the full political spectrum here in the United States, and frankly makes me ill.

Most damaging to the future of society in general, is the way this repudiation of personal responsibility has become the means of operation for all people. Late to work? Run a red light? Fail to pay your taxes? Recently gone on a kill-crazy rampage? Not to worry, you are not responsible for any of your faults. Unless of course you are unable to come up with someone else to blame. Fortunately, in modern society you get ample experience dodging responsibility as soon as you first leave the home and begin interacting with others. Fail to heed those lessons, and you will be met with the harsh reality of a responsible life. You may even make some mistakes. The horror.