Unless you were living under a rock this week, you probably know that the Obamas has made the move to D.C., though, not yet into the White House. With the inauguration in less than 2 weeks, everyone is curious about how the Obamas will adapt to living in the White House .. and what dog they are going to freaking get!
The Daily Show did a great bit about the question on everyone's mind, featuring Anderson Cooper:
Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
The Puppedential Debate with Anderson Cooper
Thursday, November 6, 2008
CNN, I Don't Like You As Much Because of Your Election Coverage, but Thanks for All the Fish, kbai
A friend of mine emailed me the following video:
Apparently it's sort of a parody of TI's song, "Whatever You Like" (which I've never heard before, nor am I interested in hearing). What made me post about the video is the fact that it makes me feel absolute.. nothingness. Well, I lied. It made me dislike CNN a bit more.
I can only imagine what sort of innane block of stories CNN was airing, to include such a bit. Sure, this was aired a week or so before election night. Is it pro-Obama or McCain or neither? I can't tell, but the kids who are singing the Obama bit do seem to have more pizazz .. but nonetheless, it doesn't make me feel as proud as I did on election night when Obama was elected FTW, nor does it make me dislike McCain any more or any less.
I'm guess I'm just wondering why this video has over 1 million views, why CNN aired this particular video, and if any of these kids have any idea as to what they are performing about.
I'm glad that the election is over for multiple reasons: seeing a historical event in our nation's history, no longer seeing McCain awkwardly campaign with that beeyotch from Alaska (will she disappear now?), and especially NOT SEEING THOSE WEIRD HOLOGRAM GRAPHICS (really, Will.I.Am?) AND STUPID ELECTION COVERAGE STORIES ON CNN.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
An Election of Hope
Where to begin? I've struggled to write this quite a bit.
The scope and depth of this election extends so much that it would be foolish for me to think that I can cover it in a few paragraphs. I'm just one kid from Jersey. Late into the night of November 4th, 2008, as a group of friends and I were flipping through election coverage, we saw Jon Stewart announce that Barack Obama had won the presidency of the United States of America. We quickly changed to CNN to confirm and then to FOX News to remove all doubt...and then joy. High fives were given all around, bottles were popped, phone calls and texts were made.
For us and for most of liberal America this was vindication. In 2004 we saw how President Bush used fear to win an election. We've seen how this Republican administration has scared Americans into thinking that war can be rejustified if the original motive doesn't fit, that torture is acceptable under the "right" conditions, that everyone who disagrees with America hates America, that this as good as the USA can and will ever be. Perhaps worst of all, they divided the country by allowing the demonetization of liberalism to be propagated. In doing so, a rift the size of the Grand Canyon was made between conservatives and liberals. This election was the hope of the end of this. The hope that America can discuss issues such as health care, rights for all, abortion, etc... without questioning the patriotism or faith of the other side.
I don't want liberals to view this as their opportunity to punish conservatives. Although it is highly unpopular, the Bush administration has done many good things that we can all be proud of. I also believe wholeheartedly that John McCain would have made a fine president.
However, I do believe America made the best choice. Barack Obama. A half black, half white, All-American man who was elected not because of the color of his skin, but for the merit of his character and his ideas. We've come a long, long way baby. The first time I heard Barack Obama was during his speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. In that speech he talked about hope. "Hope -- Hope in the face of difficulty. Hope in the face of uncertainty. The audacity of hope!" At the time I thought that someday he'd have a bright future in the Democratic party, but I had no idea how bright a future it would be and how quickly it would come. When he announced his candidacy in 2007 most people didn't give him an iota of a chance to win his party's nomination let alone the presidential elections. Unfazed, he continued to inspire people with an ability to speak unmatched by any of his counterparts. He convinced people with a set of ideas and plans that spoke directly to a hurting country.
An election based on the audacity of hope that started on a cold day in Chicago fittingly ended on a cold night in Chicago with the belief that together YES WE CAN change for the better.
Barack Obama is not the Messiah, however. Though I'm excited for the time being, once he's in office, I want him to be held accountable. I want him to be criticized when he errs. I expect him to do right for this nation. After all, this election was never about him.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Vote Vote Vote!
Hey there, I hope you know what today is! I mean, the writers of this blog have only been talking about it for months, here and here and here. So. I hope you went and voted, or are planning to. I did something I don't do ever - I woke up super early to go vote at 6:30. You know, when it was kind of still dark out. I NEVER wake up that early, unless I am absolutely forced to. Today, I did it willingly. That's how important this election is, and I wanted to be part of a history in the making. Whatever the results may be, we'll either have the first African-American President or the first woman Vice President. These are exciting times.
* Know your polling location, don't show up at the wrong place. Polls close at 8PM for NJ folks, 9PM for NY, so plenty of time to vote.
* But don't just vote for the sake of it. Know your candidates and where they stand on issues. There are also other races at stake too- Senate, House, Gov. Brush up on the local races and the candidates before you go.
* Record turnouts are being expected for this election, which is simultaneously exciting and interesting since the US isn't exactly known for high voter turnouts. For me, perhaps it was cause I was there at 6:30AM, but I was in-and-out in 5 minutes. For my manager, she waited in line for an hour and a half. Be prepared for the unexpected. Bring a book or two and expect to wait in line. Remember, history in the making!!!
* Don't ever tell me your vote doesn't matter, it does. You should be honored to exercise your right to be heard, don't waste it. Oh, and don't forget to collect your 'I Voted!' sticker (I forgot to ask for one...) and get your freebies!
So... Happy Election Day! The editors of Life in Boxes and friends will be gathering to watch the elections coverage unfold. FYI, elections results will start coming in at 6PM ET, when media outlets begin receiving vote counts from the state precincts with the earliest poll closing times. This will continue into 1AM ET, when the last states close their polls (ahem, Alaska, ahem). It's gonna be a long and exciting night. That's what she said.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Website of The Day
Electoral-Vote.Com provides readers with daily updates on the latest poll data. I know many of you are skeptical about polls, but following them can be quite addicting. If you like statistics and politics (might be talking to two people), than check this site out.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Really, Sarah Palin??
The big buzz in the "liberal media" world today is Politico.com's article on the Republican National Committee having spent more than $150,000 for VP candidate Sarah Palin and her family during this campaign. According to financial records, the RNC footed bills from Saks Fifth, Neiman Marcus, Barney's, and Bloomingdales, among others, as well as from high-end baby store Pacifier, suggesting that even the littlest Palin got the ultimate treatment during the campaign so far. Really?
Right, cause every other plain-Jane hockey mom can afford to have a wardrobe/hair/makeup bill that costs more than some people's houses. Let's see, you guys want to 'relate to 'real' Americans?' How about you not spend $3,500 on a jacket that will be worn half a day before being tossed for another?
Obviously, the RNC's strategy for Palin is this: looking good and being able to change your outfit two, three times a day takes front seat to... being coherent, informed, and capable of being the second in command. Oh, well I mean, I guess it all makes sense. It's a distraction point, right? Be pretty, and no one will know that you don't know what the hell you're talking about.
Here's the kicker though. In response to the obvious backlash to all of this, Tracey Schmitt, a spokesperson for the John McCain and Sarah Palin campaign said: "With all of the important issues facing the country right now, it's remarkable that we're spending time talking about pantsuits and blouses. It was always the intent that the clothing go to a charitable purpose after the campaign." ARE YOU EFFING KIDDING ME? Yes, with all the important issues facing the country right now, you're damn right we're spending time talking about the exorbitant amount of money your party has spent making Palin look like the Caribou Barbie she is, even if the clothes are being donated to charity (a BIG FAT PUH-LEASE on that front, btw). In the collapse of the economy and during the beginning of a probable recession, it boggles my mind that the RNC went ahead and did something SO SO stupid, WHEN, the campaign is based on appealing to the average Joe-the-plumbers of middle-class America.
I'm all for women in power, and despite our differences, I wanted to like Sarah Palin, I really did. But just when I think she can't possibly sink lower, she does. All I know is, her and her Brady Bunch of a family need to go back to Alaska and continue leading quiet lives after November 4th. It was nice knowing you, Sarah Palin, you're done.
"Doh" Of The Day
When asked what the vice president does by a third grader Sarah Palin responded by saying that the vice president is the president's "team mate" but also "runs the Senate" and "can really get in there with the senators and make a lot of good policy changes." Once again, although the VP is the president of the senate, the only power the position has is to cast a tie breaking vote if necessary. The VP does not run the senate.
A Palin spokesperson that she was merely trying to explain the role of the VP in a way that a third grader could understand it. Now if we could only get a third grader to explain it in a way that Sarah Palin could understand it.
The gaffes aren't only coming from the republican side but from the democrats as well. Recently, Joe Biden was quoted as saying "Mark my words. It will not be six months before the world tests Barack ." Oh, Joe. You got two weeks till E-Day and you resurface the whole inexperience issue. With VPs like these two who needs attack ads?
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Screenshot of the Day: Oh Really??
Taking cue from SNL's Weekend Update:
John McCain and his VP running mate Sarah Palin are currently running ad campaigns that include their favorite slogan, "The Original Mavericks."
OH REALLY?? The ORIGINAL MAVERICKS? Um, wasn't the original maverick someone named Samuel MAVERICK?
OH REALLY?? The ORIGINAL MAVERICKS? Um, wasn't the original maverick someone named Samuel MAVERICK?
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Joes, Joes Everywhere ..
After watching last night's final Presidential debate, a lot of us are wondering who this "Joe Plumber" is. But while everyone was talking about Joe the Plumber, I was wondering why are there so many effing Joes mentioned in this race to the White House: at the one and only Vice Presidential debate, there was that one Joe [Biden], the Democratic VP hopeful .. then we recently met Joe Plumber, the average American example who Obama and McCain would like to sway .. but what about a Republican's Joe?
Anyway, here's something a friend of mine posted on Facebook about "Joe Republican" .. I'll warn ya'll, it's pretty left-sided, but definitely an interesting read:
Joe gets up at 6 a.m. and fills his coffeepot with water to prepare his morning coffee. The water is clean and good because some tree-hugging liberal fought for minimum water-quality standards. With his first swallow of water, he takes his daily medication. His medications are safe to take because some stupid commie liberal fought to ensure their safety and that they work as advertised. All but $10 of his medications are paid for by his employer's medical plan because some liberal union workers fought their employers for paid medical insurance - now Joe gets it too.
He prepares his morning breakfast, bacon and eggs. Joe's bacon is safe to eat because some girly-man liberal fought for laws to regulate the meat packing industry.
In the morning shower, Joe reaches for his shampoo. His bottle is properly labeled with each ingredient and its amount in the total contents because some crybaby liberal fought for his right to know what he was putting on his body and how much it contained.
Joe dresses, walks outside and takes a deep breath. The air he breathes is clean because some environmentalist wacko liberal fought for the laws to stop industries from polluting our air.
He walks on the government-provided sidewalk to subway station for his government-subsidized ride to work. It saves him considerable money in parking and transportation fees because some fancy-pants liberal fought for affordable public transportation, which gives everyone the opportunity to be a contributor.
Joe begins his work day. He has a good job with excellent pay, medical benefits, retirement, paid holidays and vacation because some lazy liberal union members fought and died for these working standards. Joe's employer pays these standards because Joe's employer doesn't want his employees to call the union.
If Joe is hurt on the job or becomes unemployed, he'll get a worker compensation or unemployment check because some stupid liberal didn't think he should lose his home because of his temporary misfortune.
It is noontime and Joe needs to make a bank deposit so he can pay some bills. Joe's deposit is federally insured by the FSLIC because some godless liberal wanted to protect Joe's money from unscrupulous bankers who ruined he banking system before the Great Depression.
Joe has to pay his Fannie Mae-underwritten mortgage and his below-market federal student loan because some elitist liberal decided that Joe and the government would be better off if he was educated and earned more money over his lifetime. Joe also forgets that his in addition to his federally subsidized student loans, he attended a state funded university.
Joe is home from work. He plans to visit his father this evening at his farm home in the country. He gets in his car for the drive. His car is among the safest in the world because some America-hating liberal fought for car safety standards to go along with the tax-payer funded roads. He arrives at his boyhood home. His was the third generation to live in the house financed by Farmers' Home Administration because bankers didn't want to make rural loans.
The house didn't have electricity until some big-government liberal stuck his nose where it didn't belong and demanded rural electrification.
He is happy to see his father, who is now retired. His father lives on Social Security and a union pension because some wine-drinking, cheese-eating liberal made sure he could take care of himself so Joe wouldn't have to.
Joe gets back in his car for the ride home, and turns on a radio talk show. The radio host keeps saying that liberals are bad and conservatives are good. He doesn't mention that the beloved Republicans have fought against every protection and benefit Joe enjoys throughout his day. Joe agrees: "We don't need those big-government liberals ruining our lives! After all, I'm a self-made man who believes everyone should take care of themselves, just like I have."
Monday, October 13, 2008
[Feature] The Liberal Media
The presidential election is only a few weeks away and the Obama/Biden ticket has opened a 6%-8% lead in most polls; of course, the McCain camp is working hard in order to make up this difference. One claim coming from conservatives is that the "liberal" media is not going after Obama as tough as it should be. The notion that the media gives liberal candidates a break and unfairly criticizes conservative candidates has been claimed by conservatives as far back as the Nixon presidency.
Is it true?
A 2004 study by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press found that more journalists share liberal points of view than conservatives points of view. According to the report, 34% of national journalists consider themselves liberals while only 7% of national journalists consider themselves conservatives. Although the study does not show any evidence that a journalist's political point of view affects his ability to be objective, it does lead to speculation about the fairness in the media. The following appeared in an article in Accuracy In Media, an organization that monitors the national media:Conservatives justify their belief that a liberal media bias exists by arguing that journalists are liberal, and that their ideology affects how journalists cover the news. For example, a survey in 1992 showed that 89% of Washington, DC, journalists voted for President Clinton in the 1992 Presidential election. These results may explain why throughout 1992, the Center for Media and Public Affairs (CMPA) found that more than 70% of the networks' sound-bites about President Bush were negative, whereas the majority of sound-bites about Governor Clinton were positive.
The liberal media argument could be used in order to gain political advantage even in cases where there is no evidence of a bias media. Eric Alterman of the nation writes that during the 1992 election Rich Bond, the chairman of the Republican Party at the time, said "There is some strategy to it [bashing the 'liberal' media].... If you watch any great coach, what they try to do is 'work the refs.' Maybe the ref will cut you a little slack on the next one."
The liberal media argument has been used before. In those cases the groups making the allegations were less than reputable. For example, during the civil rights movement, some white southerners accused the media of being too liberal. Clearly, unlike some of those southern whites, the Republican party has nothing but the best intentions for the future of the United States. However, I do feel that accusing the media of being liberal is a losing argument for a public figure. Why would you call the guy who's going to write about you a jerk? I understand that the media should be as objective at possible in most cases, but I also know that it is possible for personal bias to leak into one's professional work.
There are media outlets that tend to be liberal (NBC) and there are those that tend to be conservative (FOX). I believe that there are others that are attention whores and will do anything for ratings (CNN). Is the media liberal? It probably trends that way, but it is not nearly as bad as some conservatives make it out to be.
Sources:
Bottom-Line Pressure Now Hurting Coverage, Say Journalists
What Liberal Media?
New Evidence of Liberal Media
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Become a Budget Hero
With the country at the state it's currently in, you've probably thought to yourself, "Hell, I can run this country better than this!"
Well, you can kind of try to prove that with the flash game, Budget Hero.
Basically, you are able to decide how you want the government budget to look like. You can take away or give services as you please, which affects how big the government becomes and how much debt the country has. Obviously, the more government welfare plans you add, the bigger and more expensive government will be. If you cut all discretionary spending, you'll end up with more surplus and small government. After you decide how you want to set the budget, it simulates how well your budget perseveres through a span of 10 years.
The game obviously has certain flaws. Like, no repercussions for getting rid of all military spending or cutting all school aid. But it's a good time killer and can help you figure out what kind of government you think would be best for the country.
Kill 15 minutes, play the game.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
PSA of the Day: Don't Vote
Last week I wrote about registering to vote, and how you should go do it, if you haven't already.Well, I've got some major Hollywood celebrities backing me up on this one. In one of the cooler celebrity endorsements I've seen, a who's-who of big stars make the plea- Register and vote. All the celebs bring their own style and sensibility to the message, some are funny (Jonah Hill, Sarah Silverman), some are more serious (I'm talking to you, Halle Berry!). The video is worth it for Courtney Cox-Arquette's Friends joke alone. Watch it, pass it on, register, vote.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Email of the Day: This is Your Nation on White Privilege
Whilst talking politics with one of my bosses, he shared an email he had received from a relative. I know, I know .. email chain forwards are a bit 90's, but this particular email made a lot of interesting points, and I figured hey, politics will pretty much be on everyone's minds for the next few weeks to follow, in hopes that voters will be armed with some knowledge.
THIS IS YOUR NATION ON WHITE PRIVILEGE (UPDATED)
September 13, 2008, 2:01 pm
By Tim Wise
For those who still can’t grasp the concept of white privilege, or who are looking for some easy-to-understand examples of it, perhaps this list will help.
White privilege is when you can get pregnant at seventeen like Bristol Palin and everyone is quick to insist that your life and that of your family is a personal matter, and that no one has a right to judge you or your parents, because “every family has challenges,” even as black and Latino families with similar “challenges” are regularly typified as irresponsible, pathological and arbiters of social decay.
White privilege is when you can call yourself a “fuckin’ redneck,” like Bristol Palin’s boyfriend does, and talk about how if anyone messes with you, you'll “kick their fuckin' ass,” and talk about how you like to “shoot shit” for fun, and still be viewed as a responsible, all-American boy (and a great son-in-law to be) rather than a thug.
White privilege is when you can attend four different colleges in six years like Sarah Palin did (one of which you basically failed out of, then returned to after making up some coursework at a community college), and no one questions your intelligence or commitment to achievement, whereas a person of color who did this would be viewed as unfit for college, and probably someone who only got in in the first place because of affirmative action.
White privilege is when you can claim that being mayor of a town smaller than most medium-sized colleges, and then Governor of a state with about the same number of people as the lower fifth of the island of Manhattan, makes you ready to potentially be president, and people don’t all piss on themselves with laughter, while being a black U.S. Senator, two-term state Senator, and constitutional law scholar, means you’re “untested.”
White privilege is being able to say that you support the words “under God” in the pledge of allegiance because “if it was good enough for the founding fathers, it’s good enough for me,” and not be immediately disqualified from holding office--since, after all, the pledge was written in the late 1800s and the “under God” part wasn’t added until the 1950s--while if you're black and believe in reading accused criminals and terrorists their rights (because the Constitution, which you used to teach at a prestigious law school requires it), you're a dangerous and mushy liberal who isn't fit to safeguard American institutions.
White privilege is being able to be a gun enthusiast and not make people immediately scared of you.
White privilege is being able to have a husband who was a member of an extremist political party that wants your state to secede from the Union, and whose motto is “Alaska first,” and no one questions your patriotism or that of your family, while if you're black and your spouse merely fails to come to a 9/11 memorial so she can be home with her kids on the first day of school, people immediately think she’s being disrespectful.
White privilege is being able to make fun of community organizers and the work they do--like, among other things, fight for the right of women to vote, or for civil rights, or the 8-hour workday, or an end to child labor--and people think you’re being pithy and tough, but if you merely question the experience of a small town mayor and 18-month governor with no foreign policy expertise beyond a class she took in college and the fact that she lives near Russia, you’re somehow being mean, or even sexist.
White privilege is being able to convince white women who don’t even agree with you on any substantive issue to vote for you and your running mate anyway, because all of a sudden your presence on the ticket has inspired confidence in these same white women, and made them give your party a “second look.”
White privilege is being able to fire people who didn’t support your political campaigns and not be accused of abusing your power or being a typical politician who engages in favoritism, while being black and merely knowing some folks from the old-line political machines in Chicago means you must be corrupt.
White privilege is when you can take nearly twenty-four hours to get to a hospital after beginning to leak amniotic fluid, and still be viewed as a great mom whose commitment to her children is unquestionable, and whose "next door neighbor" qualities make her ready to be VP, while if you're a black candidate for president and you let your children be interviewed for a few seconds on TV, you're irresponsibly exploiting them.
White privilege is being able to give a 36-minute speech in which you talk about lipstick and make fun of your opponent, while laying out no substantive policy positions on any issue at all, and still manage to be considered a legitimate candidate, while a black person who gives an hour speech the week before, in which he lays out specific policy proposals on several issues, is still criticized for being too vague about what he would do if elected.
White privilege is being able to attend churches over the years whose pastors say that people who voted for John Kerry or merely criticize George W. Bush are going to hell, and that the U.S. is an explicitly Christian nation and the job of Christians is to bring Christian theological principles into government, and who bring in speakers who say the conflict in the Middle East is God’s punishment on Jews for rejecting Jesus, and everyone can still think you’re just a good church-going Christian, but if you’re black and friends with a black pastor who has noted (as have Colin Powell and the U.S. Department of Defense) that terrorist attacks are often the result of U.S. foreign policy and who talks about the history of racism and its effect on black people, you’re an extremist who probably hates America.
White privilege is not knowing what the Bush Doctrine is when asked by a reporter, and then people get angry at the reporter for asking you such a “trick question,” while being black and merely refusing to give one-word answers to the queries of Bill O’Reilly means you’re dodging the question, or trying to seem overly intellectual and nuanced.
White privilege is being able to go to a prestigious prep school, then to Yale and Harvard Business School (George W. Bush), and still be seen as an "average guy," while being black, going to a prestigious prep school, then Occidental College, then Columbia, and then Harvard Law, makes you "uppity" and a snob who probably looks down on regular folks.
White privilege is being able to graduate near the bottom of your college class (McCain), or graduate with a C average from Yale (W.), and that's OK, and you're still cut out to be president, but if you're black and you graduate near the top of your class from Harvard Law, you can't be trusted to make good decisions in office.
White privilege is being able to dump your first wife after she's disfigured in a car crash so you can take up with a multi-millionaire beauty queen (who you then go on to call the c-word in public) and still be thought of as a man of strong family values, while if you're black and married for nearly 20 years to the same woman, your family is viewed as un-American and your gestures of affection for each other are called "terrorist fist bumps."
White privilege is when you can develop a pain-killer addiction, having obtained your drug of choice illegally like Cindy McCain, go on to beat that addiction, and everyone praises you for being so strong, while being a black guy who smoked pot a few times in college and never became an addict means people will wonder if perhaps you still get high, and even ask whether or not you may have sold drugs at some point.
White privilege is being able to sing a song about bombing Iran and still be viewed as a sober and rational statesman, with the maturity to be president, while being black and suggesting that the U.S. should speak with other nations, even when we have disagreements with them, makes you dangerously naive and immature.
White privilege is being able to say that you hate "gooks" and "will always hate them," and yet, you aren't a racist because, ya know, you were a POW, so you're entitled to your hatred, while being black and noting that black anger about racism is understandable, given the history of your country, makes you a dangerous bigot.
White privilege is being able to claim your experience as a POW has anything at all to do with your fitness for president, while being black and experiencing racism and an absent father is apparently among the "lesser adversities" faced by other politicians, as Sarah Palin explained in her convention speech.
And finally, white privilege is the only thing that could possibly allow someone to become president when he has voted with George W. Bush 90 percent of the time, even as unemployment is skyrocketing, people are losing their homes, inflation is rising, and the U.S. is increasingly isolated from world opinion, just because white voters aren’t sure about that whole “change” thing. Ya know, it’s just too vague and ill-defined, unlike, say, four more years of the same, which is very concrete and certain…
White privilege is, in short, the problem.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Who do you support?
The historic '08 elections are... a month and some days away. If you are over 18 and are not registered/planning to vote, please re-think it. We live in a country where every citizen is given the right to have a voice and a say on how things are run, and you're throwing away that opportunity? I don't care if you live in a state that already swings heavily towards one party; every vote counts. Have you never seen Swing Vote?? (Yeah, me either. =P) Registration deadlines vary by state; NY is 10/10, NJ is 10/14. If you haven't already, register at Rockthevote.com.
But, even more importantly, do some research before you vote. Don't support a candidate because you think it's the "cool" thing to do, or cause your friends are, or cause the writers of this blog tell you to. These elections are exciting because so many issues are on the line- economy, Iraq, health care, immigration. You must have an opinion on one thing or another, no? To see where you stand on these issues and which candidate most matches your philosophy, take this quiz: Match-o-Matic. You get a series of statements made by either McCain or Obama, and you click on the one you agree with. They don't tell you who said what, which makes the quiz even more interesting. When the faces and names are taken away and you are left with just philosophies, you might be surprised at what you think you believe in, but actually do instead.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Why I Hate People: Reason #908
What's red, white, and blue all over?
An unfortunate pooch was displayed rather "patriotically" outside of the Republican National Convention. Poor pup, it has no idea how ridiculous it looks, being seen at at the Republican Convention :(
(But in all seriousness, who does that to their dog?)
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Douche Bag of the Day: Jack Cafferty
Oh, Jack Cafferty. You had me at the WB11 News at 10, when I usually tuned into your local news and such, after a riveting episode of Dawson's Creek. And when you made the big move to CNN? I was out celebrating and tried to tune into CNN's American Morning. But now .. now, I think I might've lost some respect for you.
Yeah, you know what I'm talking about: your little commentary on the Democratic National Convention in terms of the Clintons is shameful to read:
The Beverly Hillary-billies come to Denver. If you look closely this week, you might catch a glimpse of Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention in between appearances by the Clintons. Hillary Clinton is doing her dead-level best to take title to Obama's moment in the sun. She lost. He won. She and her family will be everywhere...And as an enticement to cough up some bucks, Bill Clinton sent an e-mail to potential contributors promising a memorable week with his wife. (Insert your own joke here) He said, "You'll get to see Hillary speak on Tuesday and Barack Obama -- the next president of the United States -- on Thursday. And I hear Hillary and you will have a chat -- I'll make sure I stop by." Makes you want to borrow money against your house, doesn't it? How gross.Um, first off, what the eff? Whatever happened to political unity? Seriously, at a crucial time when the Democrats need to pull together and unite to win the White House, are you seriously going to be making fun of the Clintons?
And you, sir, seem to have quite a history when it comes to sounding "gross." Saying that China was run by "a bunch of goons and thugs." Way to be tasteless.
I mean, as long as you don't mind sounding like a complete jerk, then please, carry on.
Douche bag.
DNC Drinking Game!
I don't really drink, but I think drinking games are hilarious. The Democratic National Convention is in full swing in Denver, and let's see...
Take a shot everytime:
Game over, you're dunzo. ;)
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Why I Hate People: Reason #1,309
At the Republican state convention, a booth hosted by Republicanmarket was selling a pin Saturday that says: If Obama is President... will we still call it the White House? (trailblazersblog)
This is too disgusting to believe. But even more terrifying than that is the fact that I could believe it. No good, Republicans, no good. Way to move backwards in time, you old dinosaurs!
Friday, June 6, 2008
An Open Letter to Hillary Clinton
Dear Hillary,
So. What a year 2008 has been, huh? A black man and a woman, both vying for the Democratic nomination, why movies are made of stuff like this. And did you ever think in your life, during your years as dutiful First Lady and wife to Bill, that you'd be the one making history? But alas, after a long fight, in which you probably stayed in the race a little too long, you are finally expected to concede defeat and endorse Obama on Saturday. When you do, I hope that you will be at a peace of mind knowing that you fought a noble fight. Take the high road and don't be like me, bitter about the next 4 years, as it really can't be good for your health.
Life is going to be pretty rough for you in the coming weeks, as every single political commenter/blogger is going to analyze every single aspect of your campaign to figure out what you did wrong, where you lost momentum, and why you lost the Democratic nomination despite being the frontrunner early on. I hope you can take a mini-vacation or something (Puerto Rico perhaps???), before sitting down to think about your 'next steps.'
The truth is, the odds were always stacked against you, even when you were the frontrunner. The fact that you're a strong, smart woman with opinions and an agenda (and I use that word in the most positive way) makes you a bitch. You stand up for the things you believe in, and that makes you abrasive and un-feminine. Remember when you got all teary eyed the day before the New Hampshire primaries? That just made you too emotional and incapable of running the country, not to mention totally 'manipulative' for using waterworks to appeal to the sensitive voters. You know this better than me for sure, but we live in a world where it is just so darn hard for women to be in power, because double standards and labels keep us at bay time and time again.
You're also one half of a political powerhouse, best known as 'Billary.' As charming and intelligent as your husband is, he was always going to straddle that line between being your biggest cheerleader and the biggest political liability of your campaign. Because face it, you have as many passionate detractors as supporters, and so does your husband. Put you two together, and well, you're a pretty powerful but polarizing duo.
You've always been a politician, from your 8 years as a Junior Senator of New York, to your 8 years as the First Lady of the US, as well as your terms as First Lady of Arkansas. A pretty extensive resume, I would say, totally making you capable of making the big-time decisions that are going to affect the citizens of this country, as well as our standing with the rest of the world. That's a lot of experience that sadly falls short when compared to, oh, say, charm, talk, and pretty political packaging.
It just wasn't your time. It probably isn't ever going to be your time, honestly. This is how I felt when Michelle Kwan (one of the best figure skaters in the world ever) lost out on the gold medal at the Winter Olympics, twice, to two newer, less experienced skaters who got really lucky at the right time. In all fairness though, of course Tara Lipinski and Sarah Hughes were just as talented to win the gold medal. So as much as I don't particularly care for Obama, he has always been a formidable opponent. I will say, he really does believe that he can change the country, so good for him. And I say that without a hint of irony. I respect the passion he has lit in even the jaded of voters, and I wait for him to prove my suspicions about him wrong.
But I digress, this letter is about you. I can't even begin to tell you what it would've meant for women all over the country and the world to have a woman as President of the free world. And when I say things like that, I automatically get labeled as a hard-core feminist, which frankly is insulting to my intelligence. I don't support you because you're a woman or because you're a fellow Wellesley alum. I support you because of your platform, your ideas, your ambition, and your experience.
To me, you are the epitome of what it means to be a strong woman. No one wants to live their life in the glaring light of the media (unless your names are Paris, Lindsay, Heidi or Spencer), and you've handled yourself with grace despite being subject to countless and endless scrutiny and sexist remarks on everything from your looks, to your hair, to your laugh, to the way you talk. All I have to say on that matter is, if the same hateful racial remarks were made about your opponent, well, there would be hundreds of protests and debates about how un-progressive we've become since the civil rights movement. Everyone's so careful to tiptoe around the race card for sure, but the bitch card will always be whipped out and thrown down without a single thought. That makes me so sad.
I am going to conclude with this. You are the best candidate we have for President. I firmly stand by those words. I'm not excusing the mistakes that were made during your run for office, the sometimes-slimy and hardballing way you fought to prove your point or bring your opponent down. And let's not forget the embarrassing 'sniper-gate'. But I don't really think anyone can doubt that you were unfortunately caught in a media and political environment that was just too unwilling to forgive, too unwilling to let you be both a woman and a Presidential candidate, and too ready for you to make the next wrong move.
I can only hope that maybe one of the 'changes' Senator Obama talks of is to start the process of undoing the hundreds of years of misogyny women have endured. He's going to have to work to earn my respect, and for that to happen he (or even Senator McCain) will need to start instituting more policies that benefit women and families, as well as appointing more women in his administration as a public and much needed declaration of endorsing women in power. And perhaps by the time Chelsea decides to run (Chelsea Clinton, 2032!), the political and media landscape will be a much fairer place to her and to women everywhere. Now that is a change I wish to see.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Guess Who [I Hate]?
Julia: I don't know why, but I just really dislike ______ _____. It's like the really smooth-talking guy in high school who everyone has a crush on .. but we all know that he's just trying to get into every girl's pants. In that sense, I don't really trust him.
Jen: Like John Smith*. I NEVER got everyone's obsession with him. I'm like he's alright looking..now he comes to my church, and even my best friend (who LOVED him) was like, hmm, I don't know what I saw in him.
A smooth talker, liked by a good number of people .. who could it be?
Last night was a huuuge letdown with Hillary Clinton and her means of dealing with her demise (aka pretty much ignoring Obama's win and leaving her fate open-ended), and hearing Barack Obama speak before sleeping really irked me. I swear, something about the way he speaks really makes me not want to trust the guy. And a note to all those Obama supporters, whether you really believe in his eloquent speeches or not: STOP SHOVING DOWN YOUR OOZING PSEUDO-SUPPORT FOR HIM DOWN MY EFFING THROAT! Geez, in case you haven't figured it out yet, it just makes me dislike the man even more.
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