Today's rant is brought to you by closed minded idiots. And I'm not talking about me. You've been warned.

I've seen a couple rants this week about Christmas from Anna and Lisa. I've left comments on their blogs that sum up my feelings, but that's not the can or worms I want to open up today.

We've been having another heated debate over at the Amazon discussion board. One person started a discussion of Al Gore's announcement that he wouldn't be running in two years and asked for speculation. My "friend" mh29255 decided to get involved. Now, he's the guy from that evolution debate several weeks ago who thinks I'm an idiot because I don't believe in evolution. Well, he jumps in and starts making all kinds of inflammatory statements. After several posts about the 2000 election, he posts this:

Bush did well in rural (redneck) areas, Gore did well in urban (intellectual) areas of the nation.

May not seem like much, but when you read it in context, he's calling everyone who voted for Bush stupid. Thanks, buddy. Needed that. But this quote quite a few posts later has to take the cake:

Also, who is more likely to be intolerant of other's people's beliefs or a racist: someone who is college educated or a gun-toting, rural fundamentalist?

That sounds pretty intolerant and stereotypical to me. Yet he (or she) obviously thinks he knows everything and is right about everything. Watching this guy is amazing. And if you try to call him on it, he ignores any points you've made and tells you you're wrong and stupid for believing what you believe. Now, personally, I hold onto my beliefs pretty strongly. And if you disagree with me, you're wrong. :) But I always try to discuss them in a calm manner without insulting the other person.

Frankly, I've been noticing something. Liberals are cutting Bush no slack. He can do nothing right. Conservatives think he's basically doing a good job. Yet, with Clinton, it was the other way around. Seems we're flip flopping all the time, and no one is taking the energy to try to see what these people are really doing. I think that scares me more then anything else.

BTW, on Gore not running again. I turned on C-Span when I was home at lunch yesterday. (It's channel 3 for me). There was some woman calling in in tears because Gore had decided not to run in 2004. All I could think was, "Please. There are plenty of other people waiting to run. Was he really THAT special?"

And, a quick weather report. Partly cloudy all day. The promised second wave of rain never materialized. Considering all the flooding and beginning of mud slides, that's probably a good thing.