Since my iPod is still in need of a tune-up and my computer at work lacks a CD-ROM drive I am left listening to internet radio via Windows Media Player. I've latched onto BBC News as my primary station, only aborting when I need to study the Visual C++ book because I can't listen to people talk and read at the same time. For whatever reason unlike NPR the BBC people don't bore me to death when speaking, most likely related to their British accents. News junkie that I am, I greatly appreciate being plugged in all day long to world events.
Speaking of those events, if you were unaware the Dutch massively shot down the EU constitution Wed 63% (No) -37 (Yes) with a 67% voter turnout. While the Dutch govt handled the defeat better then the French just about everyone admits that solid of a defeat was shock. The general consensus is that the political elites within the various European governments have totally and completely ignored and lost touch with the general populace and now the populace is voicing their unhappiness over it. French President Jacques Chirac is at an all time low approval rating of 24%. That makes Bush's approval rating look heavenly and casts serious doubt on Chirac's tenure in office, although at least from what I understand his coalitation is holding and after he creation of a new Cabinet his position is safe. His chance of re-election are about the same as W's though. I guess he didn't realize that using anti-American stances would only keep his pull numbers up when nothing was going on at home. Perhaps the next person in will focus more on helping France then hating America.
The major curiosity for me is how the political elites are taking this. Rather then admitting defeat and going back to square one they seem to be pressing on. Funny how politicians work isn't it? They can't just say "we were wrong" even when everything says they were. In fact they seem to be attempting to press on even when it seems the people, who they theoretically serve, are giving an obvious, overt dissapproval for such actions.
The EU Constitution is essentally legally dead as all 25 countries need to ratify it. At the moment its record is 10-2 (Latvia's parliment having ratified it today). Britain is leaning more and more towards not voting at all. The Brits were originally expected to be the breakwater that stopped the constitution from making it through. Now, however with the issue in doubt so early there is likely to be very little support to even put the issue up for a referendum in the Euro-skeptic nation. Ironically many of the leaders who supported it are on the way out: Chirac and Gerhardt Schroeder (Germany) are both doing badly in polls and local level elections. Tony Blair says he will step down either at the end of this term or some point in it meaning 3 of the majors head of state who support the constitution will be gone.
Food for thought anyhow.
They raised tutition and cut our UW budget more in another moment of financial brightness by our state government. Seriously, could these Senators balance their own checkbooks? You don't make cuts on one end and charge people more for those reduced services at the same time (and how many years have they done this to us?) It seems more and more that the parties are so set on their own idealogies they aren't even aware of what's good for the people. They just blindly follow their beliefs and are dragging the helpless constituents with them. Next election we should all write in someone who isn't in a party and see how the parties take that!
Well I am off to go attempt to find and watch friends of mine go play base or soft ball (can't remember which). Wish me luck in not getting lost :D
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