The Hope of Nader

Ralph Nader has tossed his hat in the Presidential arena for a third time. Some say that this is for the good and some say it's for the bad. A "Spoiler" some call him. Some incorrectly say that a vote for Nader is a wasted vote (a truly wasted vote is a vote that wasn't cast) as he has no hope of being elected president...

No hope? On the contrary, Ralph Nader's entire life has been fueled by hope and hope is what drives his campaign. It was hope for a better America that drove him to fight for legislation that has made our lives livable. He was instrumental in implementing the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Whistleblower Protection Act, Mine Health and Safety Act, Consumer Product Safety Act, Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) and dozens of other essential laws that impact our daily lives. He has started or helped start over fifty organizations that provide hope for Americans such as Congress Watch, Clean Water Action Project and Freedom of Information Clearinghouse. The man's hope has provided us essential laws that allow us freedom and safety and yet he has never been elected to a governmental position.

He hopes that people recognize all his accomplishments. He also hopes that voters recognize that he actually practices what he preaches. He doesn't own a car because he feels it would be hypocritical since he's taken on auto companies and big oil. He buys his off-the-rack suits for $90 because he has preached for both individual and governmental fiscal responsibility. He hopes that voters will recognize that he has been the candidate for real change long before Obama wrote, "The Audacity of Hope". He hopes that although he has never been elected in a government election, that people will recognize that he has more legislative and political experience then the ex-first lady/carpet-bagger senator offered in Clinton. He also hopes that people will remember that a position challenging wars can be just as patriotic as supporting wars. Unlike McCain who has based his whole campaign on his personal war achievements and current support of the Iraq war.

So, what if the planets align and people decide not to vote for the lesser of two-evils and actually vote their convictions? Let's say that a shocked congress that is afraid of losing their own jobs to an independent get behind President Nader. His vision, his hope is now being parlayed into Presidential action. What would it look like? Well, we now have the secured borders that we hoped for and NAFTA has been revised to be fair to all three countries not just two. Corporations that ship jobs overseas no longer receive goverment tax breaks and grants. Our economy is flourishing as we now operate under a philosophy of "Fair Trade" and not a "Free Trade".
We are now the leader in environmental technology which has created thousands of high-paying tech jobs while drastically curbing our CO2 emissions. With the implementation of "Universal Health Care" all Americans have health care and the burden is now lifted off of U.S. corporations, allowing them to become more competitive in foreign trade. The nation's collective psyche is less strained now as it watches it's soldiers permanently returning from the Iraq war. We now no longer have troops in Iraq, Bosnia and...ah, fuck it. Maybe it IS too much to hope for...

At Last! last.fm!

Boy, I sure like music. Do you like music? Wow, really?--then hold my hand and let me take you on an e-ticket ride! The name of the ride is www.last.fm where we can gorge ourselves on tons of free music!

In all seriousness, last.fm is a great place to be. Just enter a band, album or song in the search bar and you'll see a list of possible matches. Make a selection and then you'll be directed to the bands page with a list of songs. Just press the link and you've got yourself the tune! It's that easy. Most songs are the full length and only a few are the 30 second demos. There are also links to vendors if you wish to purchase the cd.
Best of all, you don't have to download any goofy software to be able to listen. You don't even have to enable 'cookies'. What's also nice is that they list bands that are in the same genre as the one you have selected. My musical tastes are all over the map and I have found every band that I did a search on. Another good sight for exploring new music is Pandora.com which will play music streams based on your musical tastes/preferences.

So set aside a few hours, keep your hands inside the car at all times and take last.fm for a ride!

Verdict? last.fm rocks!