Skip to content

Category: Politics

US Politics are Sexy: Obama is unprepared for Office

Published by NiteMayr on July 30, 2008
I’ve been shy to post very much about the coming US election, mostly because I no longer have a dog in that fight.  I’m not really in the Tank for Obama; I think he’s a good guy but still really a “Politician” Politician, who would sell out his own morals for votes.  I’m not really saying that as a negative; it’s probably a virtue in a politician.   However, I’m infinitley more interested in Obama than I was in Hillary or McCain.  Both of the latter candidates strike me as people who could be trusted to simply enact their own personal policies, whereas Obama appears to blow with the wind, which (as Bill Clinton showed) can make for a memorable and light presidency.
All that said; I don’t dig on the “Obama is too new to be President” arguments; thus I present this compelling argument from a Digg comment I read today.
Wartyboskfapped
2 hr 44 min ago
Obama is definitely more qualified to be President than George W. Bush was, and is definitely more qualified to be President than McCain. How so? Well, on the former point, one only has to look at Bush’s history to have that question answered. If Bush was qualified for the job, then Obama certainly is. On the latter, one only has to look at McCain’s lack of grasp of economics & foreign policy, & his continued blunders, plus his rather shady history in the Keating 5.

Obama has served 11 years in elected office, including 8 years in the Illinois Senate and 3 years in the U.S. Senate. He is the only candidate to begin a presidential bid with experience at both the state and federal levels. He brings more elected experience to his presidential campaign than Ronald Reagan (8 years as California governor), Perot (zilch), George W. Bush (6 years Texas governor), Hillary Clinton (7 years as senator), John Edwards (6 years as U.S. senator), Giuliani (8 years as NYC mayor), Mitt Romney (4 years governor). Obama has much more foreign policy experience than either Bill Clinton or Ronald Reagan had when they were elected.

But if the best candidates are those with the most experience, then you surely believe that Strom Thurmond should have become president.

Remember: The three presidents who historians consider the greatest of all time (Lincoln, Washington, and FD Roosevelt) all had much less legislative experience Obama. Abraham Lincoln served but a single term in the United States House of Representatives and less time in the Illinois Senate. Even Eisenhower had virtually no political experience.

Experience? 30 years in the senate will not necessarily mean you will make good decisions on foreign policy, or will choose smart, pragmatic advisors/cabinet members. There are few people with more experience in public life over the past 40 years than Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld – and George W. Bush was around politics his entire life. Have they done a decent job? Do you trust ’em? If so, you’re a chump.

You and your Flying Purple Pony can get stuffed

Published by NiteMayr on July 28, 2008

Did Muslims react so strongly because they did not understand or believe in freedom of speech? Gallup’s data, which demonstrate Muslim admiration for Western liberty and freedom of speech, indicate otherwise. The core issues of this apparent clash, or “culture war,” are not democracy and freedom of expression, but faith, identity, respect (or lack of it), and public humiliation. As France’s Grand Rabbi Joseph Sitruk observed in The Associated Press in the midst of the cartoon controversy: “We gain nothing by lowering religions, humiliating them and making caricatures of them. It’s a lack of honesty and respect.” He further noted that freedom of expression “is not a right without limits.”

Islam and the West: Clash or Coexistence?

I’m focusing on this last quote; from Grand Rabbi Joseph Sitruk; it’s fairly naive to ask a religious authority about how people should talk about religion in the public square.  What do you imagine the Grand Rabbi will say about religion;  that satire is satire and we should accept the clowns with the accolades?  No.  Simply no.  Like the Pope or the GRand Vizier, the religious authority is going to fall on the side of the religious without fail.  Therefore there opinion; however florid, is moot and accepted as supporting religion without inquiry.

The “Cartoon Debacle”  highlighted something that I hold dear; the ability (and lack thereof) to laugh at oneself.  It’s a hard pill to swallow when someone makes fun of your hero; it’s even harder when that hero is your personal savior.  This I get; but when someone lampoons my heroes (even the ones that I adore) I don’t feel compelled to violence (any more).  If it is funny; I laugh.  If not, I fume and maybe even give back an indignant remark; but that’s about it.  It seems that people can get very huffy about their heroes, personalizing anything about said heroes as an individual slight.  Not only does this show a shocking lack of character, but it demonstrates a lack of  development on par with serious emotional developmental issues.

Notice that (any more) I dropped in there?  That’s because it USED to be that one could goad me into a tear-stained fury just by making fun of the music I liked.  I hadn’t developed the emotional coping mechanisms that would allow me to separate myself from my interests.  This is probably the kind of lack of development that leads to violent reactions to parody.  I don’t know; I’m not a psychiatrist.  I’m just a Blogger.

That being said; it sucks that people (as a group) can be so easily led to outrage. We all have to just lighten up and tackle real issues and outrages when they come up.  Right?

More Boring Canadian Politics

Published by NiteMayr on July 28, 2008

“An election will come between now and October 2009,” he said on CTV’s Question Period on Sunday.

“(Calling an election) is a decision that belongs to me, that’s true … I will choose a good moment.”

—Celine Dion on Calling an Election

Stephane Dion continues to play coy rather than stating the facts.  Things aren’t bad enough to call an election, when things are good people vote for incumbents.  In this case “The Tories”.  If Stephane would just drop the act and state that he knows there is no point in calling an election; as his team would just lose.  The general populace is nothing if not forgetful, the years of peace and prosperity under the Liberals are too easy forgotten it seems; lost in the dust of minor controversy.

American Politics are Sexy

Published by NiteMayr on July 24, 2008

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger plans next week to slash the pay of more than 200,000 state workers to the federal minimum of $6.55 per hour to help ease the state’s budget crisis, according to a draft executive order obtained by The Chronicle on Wednesday.

Schwarzenegger’s staff would neither confirm nor deny that the governor plans to issue the executive order, but sources said he could take action as early as Monday. The state, facing a projected $17.2 billion budget deficit for the fiscal year that began July 1, has not approved a budget.

You see, WOW!  The Governator is going to actually destroy the earning power of thousands of people.  That’s some exciting politics,  it would only be more exciting if he announced it while “California Uber-Alles” was playing in the background.

It's hard to write about Canadian Politics

Published by NiteMayr on July 24, 2008

Some days, when I’m not writing about Miniature Popes and Singing Peas I look at the Google News Page for inspiration;  I’d like to write more about Canadian Politics but it’s far too dull and I simly can’t get excited about it.

For Example:  Dion sensing mood for an election

I hoped initially that this was going to be about Celine Dion and quietly replaced all of the references to Stephan to Celine in my head; thus:

OTTAWA–Canadians are increasingly in the mood for a federal election this fall, says Singer Celine Dion.

“More than before,” Celine Dion said yesterday when asked what he was hearing on the road about voters’ desire to go to the polls. “We have seen over the winter and the spring, more and more interest for federal politics and more and more appetite for an election.”

But it may be another election – the U.S. presidential contest – that will also help the Liberals in any electoral battle here, Celine Dion says.

Now we’re getting somewhere; you can actually imagine that animate skelton crooning these lines out on stage, butchering the English language while she belts it out.   That would make the whole idea of anyone named “Dion” running for Prime Minister that much more exciting.  He’s just not that much of a character.  Which is a detriment in politics (if one was to ask me).

Stephen Harper angries up my blood when he ISN’T the prime minister because he gets to say and do outrageous crap.  As Prime Minister, he has his cabinet to do that for him.  Sure, he has a shocking lack of humanity and the look of a “true believer” that is equal parts unnerving and creepy; but let’s face it being in the public eye has really mellowed him.  He’s no George Bush Jr. He’s George Bush Juniors monkey.

Mike Meehan, I saw your articles on the Vanguard News Network

Published by NiteMayr on July 15, 2008

Mike Meehan of “The Republican song” fame is a proud Republican.  He’s also a Canadian.  Expect A floppy head appolexy when it comes out that the billboard that misidentifies The World Trade Center being destroyed as a Democrat failure was sponsored by the same guy that wrote:

Why is so healthy, rational, and enlightened an outlook as racism smeared as “hate”? To prefer one’s family to the neighbors is not hate. To prefer one’s friends to strangers is not hate. To prefer Ireland to France is not hate. I prefer Whites to other races, but that fact alone does not mean that I hate other races.

or some gems like

If, however, the Catholic Church, the federal government, or the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society established a colony of Papuans, Aborigines, Pygmies, Bushmen, or Martians on my block, and I had to live in close proximity with them and, worse yet, subsidize them with my tax dollar then I probably would start hating them.

From another paper:

If there were a New Israel on the North American continent (no doubt on the East Coast), it would lessen direct Jewish power over Whites, but it would not stop the Jews from broadcasting filth and promoting decadence among us. Furthermore, why provide the Jews with another sovereign territory from which they can plot their global swindles and to which they can flee when their victims rise up against them?

Now, here’s the thing; I don’t know for sure that this is the same “Mike Meehan” so I issue this challenge.  Would the Mike Meehan behind these posts on the Vanguard News Network step up and make themselves known?

Ed Kruk Loves America Like Hong Kong Loves tibet

Published by NiteMayr on July 14, 2008

My name is Ed Kuck and I am the web master of this website that has received so much attention in recent days. I am 70 years old and a veteran with more than 20 years of service in the United States Air Force. I have been married to my lovely wife, Rumpa, for 35 years. Rumpa was born and raised in Thailand and became a United States citizen after we were married. Together we have two bi-racial children of which we are very proud. One is honorably serving our country while our youngest is still in high school.
Hey Ed,  from my count, you married Rumpa when you were 35.  From age 18-35 you had ever opportunity to marry an American Woman!  What was wrong with America then?  Huh?  35 years ago, A Thai woman?  Probably met during that long forgotten conflict in Asia?  Why were you in Thailand?  And why did she leave when democracy came to Thailand?  Don’t you love Democracy?  Ed?  Do you REALLY love America, or do you just live there for tax purposes?

According you Ed, this isn’t Racist: “Obama loves America like O.J. loved Nicole”
When I put up the controversial slogan on my website, it didn’t even dawn on me that the comment could be perceived as racist. When I first saw the slogan, the thought that immediately came to mind was that this was a statement about love and hate. I found that icon during a time when I was watching Reverend “God Damn America” Wright on television. I was angry that a Presidential candidate who professes his love for America had been sitting through 20 years of sermons by a man who said, “the United States brought on the 9-11 attacks with its own terrorism,” “America’s chickens have come home to roost,” and “the government lied about inventing the HIV virus as a means of genocide against people of color.” How could you love America and sit through that garbage? I love America, and darn it, I would have stood up and walked out! Obama refused to denounce his Pastor until his polling numbers started to take a nose-dive.

So, something some Pastor said justifies your attack on Obama, not anything Obama said or did.  Just something his Pastor said.  I imagine that your friends in the Republicans should be expected to expel you from the group now?  I mean, you said bad stuff and married a foreigner, clearly they should publicly denounce you!

I have always had a diverse group of friends over the years and have never looked at them as black, white, red, yellow, green or any color of the rainbow. I have a good friend named Tom Inge. Tom is an African-American and a Pemberton Twp. Republican Councilman. Tom can’t get his restaurant open in our town because the Democratic Planning Board members are prejudiced against him. I don’t know whether it is because of his race or because he is a Republican, but I do know that he is both, and he is being screwed. Why doesn’t the press cover this story? Probably because he is a Republican.

Ah, the good old, “I have a black friend” defense.  The corollary to “I’m friends with lots of black people” as if any of that proves that you are no racist.  Why not be honest and sa:

“I thought it was funny, they are both black and I don’t like either of them and I wanted to associate Obama with a murderer in the sense that I think he would murder america”

Instead we’re treated to this shameful song and dance where you use your kids, your wife and your friend Tom as a kind of shield from criticism.  You Coward.  You weak 70-year-old coward.  You weren’t even infantry, you killed people from the sky.  Now you’re old and weak and looking for an out when you are caught making a shameful joke on behalf of your organization.  Man up and admit to what you intended.

So while I do apologize for offending anyone by the icon, I am more sorry that my family and friends had to endure such a traumatic experience because the PC police assumed that I was a racist. This is why I thought it was best to call my Municipal Chairwoman yesterday and resign my post as a committee-member. I think too much of the good people in the GOP to let the Democrats smear them because of my mistake.

This website always was and will continue to remain my own personal website, and I will put on it whatever I please!

If you don’t think your family and friends can take the heat, don’t make inflammatory statements on their behalf.  On that note, let me state that I am sure that I speak only for myself and not anyone else on this Blog.  Unless otherwise noted, I’m the person in charge of the keyboard.

Who knows if this will remain up, but if it does here is the link to the Eds website:

http://homewebs.net/pem/

The Nerd Frog March

Published by NiteMayr on July 11, 2008

I know that Karl Rove is kind of the Nerd Ascendant, a nerd who overcame Nerd Rage, got the Jock Assholes on his side and rose to a position of nearly untouchable privilege.  It still kinds wanna see him go down though.  He always comes off like he’s really ahead of the game, when all he really is doing is hiding behind his Jock Asshole friend and calling the other kids names.  In any other situation he’d be doing 3-10 in the Pen and we’d all be talking about the Political Machievelli of Wormsuch or something.

He (Karl Rove) is just riding the wave of his friend’s popularity to the end, using all of his hard won Jock contacts to the very end.  For that, I kind of admire him, he overcame his Nerd impulses and got in good with the Frat-Boys and the Jock Assholes.   That’s something that most Nerds will never manage, the real crossing of the aisles from Nerd Nobody to Jock’s Friend.

But, Yes SUH, I want to see him Frog Marched in front of the Congress and forced to, under oath, lie to the whole world about what he has done in office.   You think he’ll tell the truth?  This is all theatre so he can say, “I don’t recall” over and over.

You’d think the American Public would wake up and start voting with their heads some day and finally elect a third party in serious numbers.

Anyway, Go Karl.  Prove your innocence by running from testimony and acting like anything you have to say bears any value to the security of the US of A.

My Friend ruined "The Big Toy"

Published by NiteMayr on July 10, 2008

This used to be my playground

The liability panic is adult nuttiness except when it’s not. It’s a fairly raw issue in Greenwich, where, for instance, a doctor was awarded $6.3 million a few years back when he broke his leg in two places while sledding with his 4-year-old son.

Build a Wiffle Ball Field and Lawyers Will Come

My friend Bryan Solgoode ruined the Big Toy for us all.

It feels good to say it out loud.

He was my friend and all, but only after the fact.  He wasn’t my friend when he did it.  It was his fault though, or more correctly, it was his mother’s fault for raising him as a crybaby.  Bryan could probably crush your dreams of fatherhood with a stern look these days, but when he was young you could bring him to tears with a strong word.  Thus Bryan destroyed the fun of childhood by being a giant slobbering wimp.

In the picture linked to this story, you see an open, vacant lot where a gigantic three tier, rope bridged behemoth of awesome once stood.  It had swings, and ladders and sand and tire swings and a tower.  Three stories tall!  An amazing “Big Toy” by any accounting.  I wish I had a picture of it to show you, but the fun police tore it down after Bryan “Big Baby” Solgoode fell off of it and hurt himself (through his own misadventure).

This was one of those Big Toys that would be called an attractive nuisance these days and be shut down so as to avoid lawsuits from crazed parents.  I mean, they didn’t even have to pay for medical bills, he didn’t die!  Years later, when involved in fights that cost a kid the use of his kidneys, Bryan didn’t have his legs cut off, did he? Nope, but because Bryan fell off of the biggest and best big toy in Kincardine, we all lose out.  We keep losing out when something cool or fun is closed to avoid lawsuits.

Where does it all end?

Note:  Bryan Solgoode is not his name, I changed it, for FEAR OF BEING SUED.

Review: Wanted (the movie) Vs Wanted (the comic)

Published by NiteMayr on July 10, 2008

Disclaimer: I am a fan of comics, a serious fan of comics and overall a fan of the WANTED comic.  My opinions are going to be skewed and should not be taken as the sanction or prohibition of a sane reviewer.

EDIT: Check out a graphic representation of why The Comic is Superior

Let me first state three impressions I got from this film overall, the director loves slow motion, Glass breaks into little squares when people run through it and script consistency was not job #1 when the final shooting script was used.

For example, we are treated to a superhuman display of speed and agility by someone who were are initially led to believe is one of only two people with said magical skills in the movie.  However, later in the film it is revealed that this person is not one of the two.  While it is demonstrated that “Sloan” has some skills, only James McAvoy’s character is supposed to be in possesion of said magical killing abilities.  Why then in the twist do we find out that the character of the dead man is not whom we are told he is, thereby negating the “only two people” line from earlier?  Perhaps I misheard it?

Angelina Jolie can look as if she wants to eat children if she holds her head a certain way, in the first scene with Angelina Jolie she makes a kind of concerned/concentration face that lets me fully believe that she is a hardened comic villain.  It’s too bad the story strays so far from the comic, as her character is totally wasted. (literally)

I am aware that Mark Millar was enthusiastic about the film; but this is one of those situations where the creator and the fans might have to disagree.  “Wanted” the film is a great ation film, but the loss of the “evil” parts of Wesley’s training and the total loss of the wanton violence and wonder of the Super Villains makes the movie less entertaining than the book.  I like the movie, but loved the book.

I didn’t think “Wanted” was horrible, and enjoyed the action, but won’t recommend it over the book.    If you are in the mood for a hard action movie with a great deal of visual flair, by all means, check it out.  If you are a fan of the book, don’t go into it expecting too much.