Presents

"From a commercial point of view, if Christmas did not exist it would be necessary to invent it." ~Katharine Whitehorn

Present shopping is both fun and stressful. Part of you feels happy to know you are getting things for other people and that they will enjoy receiving them and the other part of you feels obligated to not forget people and make sure you have something for everyone on your list. It is hard to be thoughtful, but not let that get in the way of at least getting something. Then there is the money that it costs. I helped my older sister buy some presents online yesterday since I get free shipping. I feel like I'm always advertising for free for Amazon, but with free shipping and no taxes, most of the time it is a great deal. I like buying things online.

Today is Friday and I'm very ready for the Holiday break. A lot of people will be off Monday on, but I'll be working on Monday and Tuesday. I decided to take Christmas Eve off and then my holiday begins. Not too bad, just two days of work when I get back. I'll probably use this weekend to fight the crowds and pick up presents to finish up my shopping.

So I was thinking the other day: So isn't saying "Happy Holidays" kind of like saying "good morning" to a person on their birthday?...they don't turn to you and tell you that you are waging a war on their birthday, but usually just say thank you. I get those Merry Christmas email forwards from family that act all offended at the use of Happy Holidays.

Pew Poll: "Incompetent" Word Most Associated With Bush
I'm kind of surprised that "dishonest" and liar when down. Check out "Christian." Do you see that Mom?

I agree with this post : This encapsulates every frustration I've felt over the last eight years.
1. Republicans ask for the absurd, threaten nuclear/economic Armageddon if there's no action.
2. Democrats cower in fear.
3. We try to talk some sense into them.
4. We get scolded for being unserious, and wanting the terrorists to win/people to lose their jobs. 5. Democrats promise oversight!
6. We roll our eyes.
7. Democrats cave on every single point, but pretend to win anyway.
8. We wonder what we ever did to deserve this sorry bunch of representatives.
9. Republicans do whatever the hell they want.
10. Democrats pretend that no one could've ever predicted Republican outrages and express "outrage". Sometimes, they even write a sternly worded letter!
11. We make "no one could have foreseen" jokes and wonder what we ever did to deserve this sorry bunch of representatives.
12. Rinse, lather, repeat.
So you either tear your hair out and go mad at the rank idiocy of it all, or you laugh. And let me tell you, the number of times we've gone through this crap makes laughing about it increasingly difficult.

There seems to be so much much violence in Mexico over the drug trade. Mexico's Drug Wars Have Killed 7,000 In 2 Years. In reading more about this I learned that Mexico: 13,500 Police Didn't Finish Elementary School . Wow I have to say. What does it take to have to carry a gun then? I'll keep that in mind when I go visit on this break.

I got a Christmas bonus this year. I was very thankful because I was short on bills and I needed some help with the credit I'm racking up on presents. I'm not going overboard or probably even on board, but it is hard when you have such a large family. Either way, I was pretty blessed.

I want to talk about secret santa's. There are many forms of the tradition, sometimes you get just one gift and others you get multiple small gifts and then a big gift at the end. Most the problems encountered in early versions were fixed when they instituted prices for the gifts to avoid people spending too much or too little. Then people got more creative and started to use price ranges which I feel are better. For example, sometimes you have the person that will spend $10 and say well it was $20, but it was reduced, so I'm really getting you a $20 present and following the rules. I think that is messed up and this type of thinking just takes the whole spirit out of the exchange. I'm digressing. My main point of all this being, some people really put their hearts into this and go all out in thoughtfulness. Others, not so much. Some people are just lazy about it, giving gift cards or worse coffee mugs. If it is optional, why not just not play. If it is not optional, why not just try a little. I've heard so many horror stories that really turn people off what can be a really fun tradition.

Next time, white elephants and my view that 80% of the gifts should be comparable so that people are trading for more thing than just the top ones. Though I'm sure that is why they have a three times trade per gift rule usually.

respect

My Rock Band

"It's $10 cheaper than the other versions of Rock Band, but given all the missing content, that difference in price ultimately doesn't add up to a better value. If all you have is a PS2 and you desperately want to play Rock Band, you'll still get a great game if you go this route. " - Random Part of Review of Rock Band

Rock Band 2 for PS2 is being released today, but I get a head of myself. A few years ago Rick was up in Austin visiting and we dropped by one of his friend's places to hang out. They were playing a game I had never seen before. It was called Guitar Hero and was played with this plastic guitar with different colored buttons. I gave it a shot and sucked tremendously at it. I had a great time watching everyone play and it seemed really cool and really fun. I never did play again though, but thought I would like to.



Then, recently, Erika got the Wii and with it, Rock Band, another music game which included a guitar, drums and a mic. I gave it a shot and played the drums while she played the guitar. I wasn't very good at first, but kept practicing on easy until I got the hang of it. We started a world tour and had a blast. She was a lot more advanced than I was so I decided that practice would be needed. I thought the game was only available for the PS3 so I thought about getting that and the game, but it proved to be very very expensive. Then I found out there was a version for PS2 so I ordered it. It is a lot cheaper now that it has been out over a year.





It came in yesterday, and hence this entry. I was excited, now I could practice and be able to play on medium or maybe even hard next time I played for AAA on the Wii. Well on our first day, Abram and Rino were around so they joined in on guitar and vocals and we started playing. It is an enjoyable game. Even Jess got into the mix picking up on guitar when Abram stepped out. I still don't know how to play guitar, but really enjoy the drums. They may look easy, but I think are pretty hard. A little more practice and I think I will be ready. I will tell you, I was impressed with how well Rino did at the vocals. He was getting great scores. I feel like I would be too embarssed to try even in privacy.





Now I'm sure the novelty will wear off soon and I'll just have some fake instruments sitting by my TV collecting dust, but in the mean time I want to enjoy them as much as possible.

we will beat it

In My Shoes

"The worst is a wall that is silently put in place by a person because of unmet expectations." - Unknown

It is Christmas time. And I have to say it really feels like it and not just because of the Christmas music playing on my satellite radio. Maybe it is the extremely cold weather as of late. Maybe it was helping Erika put up her Christmas tree that really got me into the spirit. I still have a lot of Christmas shopping to do, especially for all the kids. My plan right now is to go home the 23rd late and be back in Austin the 28th. I feel like there are a lot of things I would like to do, but so very little time to do it. Either way, this is my favorite part of the year.

Here is a Christmas gift/bday primer for Marty: (for family who weren't going to get me a present, but now feel a bit more obligated to do so.) - Pooche Cafe - Bark to Work Legislation: I read this comic everyday and have been waiting for this book. I should of bought it for myself a while back, but the economy, you know. Any Pearls before Swine comic books. Work shirts and ties. A money clip, boxers, one of those cool pull up bars from TV, makers mark, a keyboard, guitar strings, an inauguration ticket to DC, work socks, Diesel jeans or books. I'm sure I'll think of more and come back and update. I wonder if you need a family to do a family newsletter? Maybe I should start with Christmas cards first. I get very few Christmas cards from people, which as a ratio to what I send is pretty impressive. I guess it tells you about the stage in life you are at.

I had mentioned that I was going to read Flowers for Algernon. I finished it in two days, almost one, but I had go to bed for work. It is weird how much time I spend watching TV. I just turned it off and read for a few hours and it felt good. My stress levels went down and I felt more productive. So I found out there was a movie called Charly in 1968 based on the book. It may have gotten the Academy Award for best actor, but I was not too happy with it. They decided to do a social commentary for their time that is no longer relevant. I sometimes feel like Charlie on his downturn, each day wondering if I'm getting smarter or dumber.

Barack Obama is TIME Magazine's Person of the Year.

I am very happy about this. I know, he was a shoe in (pardon the pun), but it doesn't change the fact that he has a huge mess to clean up and a lot of high hopes riding on him despite that. I wish my subscription wouldn't have run out. Damn you internet for making magazine articles outdated.


I have been impressed with Texan in the City and how she puts together a lot of short blog thoughts on a more regular basis than longer ones over a longer period of time. I need to start doing that. Thanks for giving me updates to read. I also need to find a good blog to follow.

Conservatives Use Auto Rescue To Engage In Union Busting Campaign:
As Rachel Maddow said in one of her shows, “Senate republicans are on an ideologically driven union-busting adventure,” “the American economy as a whole be darned.”

Right now this issue is driving me the most crazy. Did Congress try to get workers in the banking industry to get a pay cut to help line the pockets of the executives? No one is complaining that they make too much.

Mike Tyson: Then and Now

So I'm looking at the Tyson pictures and it makes me feel bad about myself. Him I don't much care for. I don't want to be that 41 yr old Tyson who clearly has the knowledge and will power to be shape, yet let's himself go in such an embarrassing way. I can always lose it later one might think, but it isn't that easy and its an easy brain trick to eat that unhealthy meal. Self image really affects how you feel about your place in the world. I think it changes everything. If you feel good about yourself, you feel good about a lot of other things in your life. But seriously, he really is a fat fuck. He might be making a come back fight I hear, that would be interesting.

Since I'm on this topic: 10 Things Science Says Will Make You Happy
My favorites are: avoid comparisons and spend money on others. I was expecting a bit more from the article though.




The Shoe Heard Around the World: Late Night Comics Take:


I really wonder what the world would be like if the shoe actually hit him. Would it be as funny? more funny? People shouldn't throw things at President Bush, they should go through the legal process and prosecute him for the crimes of his administration. I'd rather have a fair and open legal process than some angry person's shoe. But watching Conan dodge all those shoes is priceless.

Inspirational Speeches from the Movies in Two Minutes : Need a little pick me up for the day?

Did you know that Romantic Comedies Ruin Your Love Life: Study? I wonder if that is why I'm a crappy boyfriend or if it is just my being inconsiderate, not thoughtful and selfish. Well, I don't think I'm that bad.

the pizza toppings

Travel

“Your intellect may be confused, but your emotions will never lie to you.” - Roger Ebert

My Thanksgiving 2008 pictures of my family visiting are up. I apologize for pictures taken at a diamond angle, I just collected everyone's photos (my camera is broken) and my nieces' idea of taking pictures at creative angles may not have worked out too great. I need to get a digital camera soon. I wish there was a way updating my flickr account would also update my myspace and facebook pictures as well.

I finally went to get an oil change on my new car. I had been putting it off for a long time, and guess what, when I got there I found out I didn't need one. For some reason my car only needs one once a year. That was a waste of my lunch break. A good lesson learned. The BMW dealership was pretty far from my work.

I don't have much to say about the Oscar de la Hoya fight (if you can call it that). I wonder if he knew he would perform that badly. MMA is much more exciting and this helped remind me why. I would really like to learn to fight and I don't worry much about the damage to my brain, but moreso about what happens to your ears. I guess it is watching for me.

I'm not going to complain about the BCS because I think that Texas should of beat Tech. I think we should have a playoff, even if it is a weak, top four teams play and the winners play an extra game. It is just one more game. Obama can you get on that after you fix the economy, war, immigration, healthcare and education. Thanks.

Tivo now has this cool feature were I can watch my instant view Netflix movies on my TV. I don't know how much I will use it, but the idea is pretty awesome. I really do hope they expand their selection.

Video: This is a really touching video. I bet my dog would be that awesome. They say the other dog survived, but I don't really believe that.


I'm trying to get back to reading again. I'm starting with the audiobook The Audacity of Hope. Each day I listen to it, everything that is happening seems to make more sense. I didn't think I could become a bigger fan of the president elect, but I am. Though I do wish he would pick more progressive members for his cabinet. I also planning to read "Flowers for Algernon" which Erika recommended. That one I'm going to read read and not just listen to.

Here is an interesting post by my friends out at The Martian Cat Problem: Last Word on Expelled: My favorite part:
One intelligent commenter on Ebert's review put it more eloquently than I can:

As a devout Mormon with a PhD in genetics, I am always amazed at the anger that evolution evokes in some people or why they think that learning evolution is so dangerous to faith. Personally I think that religion that cannot handle truth gained from looking at the world around us is denying the most important works of God. The Bible is a short and incomplete book that does not attempt to explain orchids or dinosaurs or many other things.

I've rented Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial to watch again. I have yet to see Expelled and I should watch it to hear the "world is flat" side so I'll get that too.

Who says boys are not influenced by their big brothers. Here is a picture of one making what I think is a ridiculous pose just to be like his older brother. It makes you wonder how their other decisions affect the younger ones as well and other ways they try to act like them other than silly poses. I should know what that hand signal means, but I I never put in the effort to find out.

On a final note.
Jessica Alba Airbrushed Thinner for Campari

Humm...and we wonder why people have body image issues. She is not on my list of the most attractive actresses, but she did look great without the airbrushing.

thoughts lie, a lot

Thanksgiving in Austin

"The most important thing to remember is this: To be ready at any moment to give up what you are for what you might become." - W.E.B. Du Bois

This was a good Thanksgiving. Abram and I had the whole family up here in Austin to visit. My Dad, Mom, my sister Ana, Michael, Sarah, my sister Eliza, her husband Gil, Tori and Celeste and Bekkah and Jamie. They all stayed at our house which made for a really packed house. They got in on Wednesday night we all gathered around the TV and watched a video of my college graduation. In our own way it was a way for Vero to be there with us too. There was a lot of bonding time over the weekend.

Thanksgiving morning Ana woke up at 5am and started the turkey. I had been feeling sick so I slept in. My mom made breakfast, but I tried to save room since I knew a big meal was coming. By the time we were all ready to eat we had a large turkey, a ham and all the usual sides. The meal was good, but I wish I saved some room for pie.


I got my father an early Christmas gift, a digital camera. He has been taking lots of pictures on his picture phone and I figured this way he could save and print out the ones he wanted. He liked the camera very much. I actually need a new digital camera, but I'm waiting to pick the right one.

After the game Ana and her kids headed out to the UT v. A&M football game tailgate. The kids were really excited about their first college football game. I stayed at home and visited for a while longer. Abram and I then took Bekkah and Jamie to the tailgate party so they they can get a feel for what a college game is like. They seemed to like it, we even gave them a tour of the area including walking all the way up to the stadium, one which we, unlike Ana, did not have tickets for. Once we got back to the tailgate Ana had great news, she got an extra ticket to the game. Bekkah took it and headed off with them while Abram, Jamie and I went home. They had an amazing time at the game as Texas beat on A&M. We watched it in high def nice and warm at home. We also played a lot of darts on the dart board we finally got up.

Friday my family had planned to go to Dallas, but decided to stay another day. We had another good breakfast, I could get really get used to having breakfast when I wake up. I've always been very pro-college so I thought it would be nice to take the kids to Texas State or UT to see the campus. We compromised and took them down to the drag to do some shopping. So much UT stuff, so very much. The kids even got some stuffed Bevos. After we ordered pizza and wings and watched movies at home.

Saturday everyone cleaned up and took off for home. I spent my time sleeping and trying to suck the last few moments of rest out of my vacation which went by way too fast. Sunday night Abram put together a live music night at his bar and I went by to support and enjoy the music. The acts were good and they got a decent crowd for a Sunday.

This week I have a trial, something I'm excited about. I think it will go well. Welcome December. My favorite month of the year.

I've been worried a lot about thie economic crisis, but it can't be all bad news: Tough Times Could Lead to Sex Boom.

Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story : I watched this Frontine documentary on PBS and found it so interesting. “This finely crafted political biography dissects and explains the nastiness of US politics during the past three decades like nothing I have read or viewed. It nails down every claim it makes…it will make you seethe. Don’t miss this documentary.” – David Zurawik, Baltimore Sun YouTube Trailer.



I've had a lot of thoughts on my mind. Sometimes it is hard not to take things personal., but I usually take things personal. I know not everything is about me, but there has to be something to say for how people treat you or what they are willing to do for you. Let's go way back. So in high school there was no option to stay home as to not to leave my current girlfriend to go to college, even if I did, there was no doubt should would be leaving in a years time. There was nothing to take personal there, but at the time it seemed like a hard decision. Then in college when I was dating a girl who lived in San Antonio, she considered transferring to a school in NY to be closer to me. It is easy to promise something rather than actually do it and that proved to be the case. It wasn't the best thing for her. After graduating from college, my girlfriend at the time was willing to move wherever I moved and I the same. That really meant a lot. Ironically we decided on DC because I had a job offer there. She found a job so that we could be there together. When my offer fell through, now I was the one moving to DC without a job because she was already going to work there originally for me. At the end of the relationship I was moving to Miami for law school and she told me she wanted to move there too, but she had been at her job for so many years and was starting to work her way up. There was no way she could abandon her job now. She just couldn't and I understood. Ironically, the deal breaker was a year later when I was living in Miami and we were apart. I asked her to move to Miami now, knowing full well that I would be moving to DC, but just to see if I was worth moving for, to see how serious she was. This time it was that she had a new job (less than a year after not being able to leave the old one for me)and there was no way she could quit the new job and pick up and move. That really was the deal breaker, I just wasn't worth it and it was over for good. (It was more complex, but this was the part about being willing to move.) I moved up to DC after like I had planned, but she was now in my past. Then in DC there was a girl I dated who I would ask to move to Texas with me once I graduated. She rejected that idea, probably because she had an aversion to Texas, but once again it was clear that I was not worth moving with. There was no way she could leave her job and other excuses I forget now. There were other deal breakers in that one, but I never forgot that, even later when I found out she moved out of the country for someone else it became more clear. I wanted to be in Texas and made plans to move to the Valley in my next relationship since I thought it would reflect what I thought she meant to me. I had it all planned out, even everything I owned made it home. She was worth it. That sacrifice wasn't enough I guess and while in Austin for the summer we parted ways after waiting for so long for me to finally make it home and give it a real shot. Here I tried to show someone they were worth it, but it blew up in my face, luckily before I made the move. So, the moral of the story is whether I need to stop valuing or judging a person's feelings by what they are willing to sacrifice or do for the relationship (here in the context of being willing to move). Also, does not giving up something to be with someone truly reflect on how much you care? There are a lot of cases where it is best for both of you to do what you need to pursue your own dreams. I don't know why this all came back, but it did. The past doesn't predict the future, but it does have lessons.

hate it when I make people upset

Home Videos

Now you'll never see
What you've done to me
You can take back your memories
They're no good to me
And here's all your lies
You can look me in the eyes
With the sad, sad look
That you wear so well
- All American Rejects - Gives You Hell

I should get back to writing more regularly now that it is post election. I've had to significantly decrease my news watching/reading. Baby steps. I'll start off with a few articles I've found interesting and have been collecting. Don't forget my shared articles on the left hand column either.

Why Are Women Always Colder Than Men?: I'm like a furnace.

1-Cent Debt Paid In Full, Threat Of Lien Dropped: ATTLEBORO, Mass. — A 74-year-old blind woman's 1 cent debt to a Massachusetts city has been settled.

Man's Best Friend Is Now A Cat: Mr. Fulrath is one of a growing number of single -- and yes, heterosexual -- men who seem to be unabashedly embracing their feline side. Indeed, it seems that man's best friend is no longer a golden retriever, but a cuddly cat named Fluffy. I'm just always ahead of my time. Koki and Mia do make it easy. But don't forget about Max, if he were an indoor dog, he might be a better pet.

Going Solo in the USA: Here are some great stats:
Top Ten "Solo Cities:"
3. NYC -- 39.8% single
6. LA -- 37.7%
8. Miami -- 36.9%

Top Ten "Least Single Cities"
1. McAllen, Texas -- 23% single
7. El Paso, Texas -- 28.4% single


I thought this was hilarious: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/11/19/83752/177/912/663183
Results: Testing the "Lieberman Effect"
Yesterday I got stopped for speeding. I told the cop he was a terrorist sympathizer who wants America to fail. He let me off with a warning. I complained. He took back the warning and let me go after giving me his handcuffs as a gift.
Yesterday my neighbor loaned me his leafblower. When I was done with it he asked for it back. I told him to go screw himself. He said I could keep the leafblower forever and apologized for bothering me.

Vice President Cheney and former Attorney General Gonzales indicted in Texas.: A South Texas grand jury has returned multi-count indictments against Vice President Dick Cheney and former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on charges related to the alleged abuse of prisoners in Willacy County’s federal detention centers. They should be indicted for many reasons, but I had no clue about this one.

I won't try to catch up on everything because that would be too cumbersome. Right now all I can think about is Thanksgiving. My family is coming up to Austin and we are going to celebrate it at my house. Abram has hosted a thanksgiving before, but I haven't. There will be turkey, the Cowboy game and UT game. It should be a good time. I'd be headed home for Christmas this year.

I picked up a new series to my already ridiciously long tv show watching list. Erika had been telling me to watch Brothers and Sisters, but I was so far behind that I never did. Finally I decided to give it a shot. I acquired the first 3 seasons (season 3 is in progress) and over a period of two weeks I watched so many episodes back to back. The last time I did that was for Sopranos and then for Firefly. This week I finally became current on season 3 and am all caught up. I like the series and am glad she urged me to check it out. I also have plans to see Twilight this weekend, so we will see how that recommendation goes.

Right now I'm drowning in student loan debt. I worked really hard to get back on track and not default on any of my student loans. So here is how it breaks down, I have one for $650 one for $530 and one for $225 oh and another for $50. That is a grand total of $1455 give or take a month. The new one of $530 just showed up. Maybe if I hadn't defaulted for a year and kept better track on who I owe for what it wouldn't have been such a big surprise. I also think I'm just paying interest right now. I have consolidated in the past. That is quite a chunk of change each month. One day I hope to not stress about it, but right now it really limits my options. I just had to complain out loud because I think it sucks.

Abram found a video of my college graduation party at Cornell. It was filmed the night before I graduated. We had a few families at my house, including Juan's family and Herbert's family. Jorge wasn't there. There was BBQ and dancing and Abram even took a video tour of the surrounding area. It felt surreal to be watching it. It was one of the last times my entire family was together. Veronica wasn't a main focus in the video, but just seeing her and seeing smile and laugh brought back so many memories. It was hard to watch, but also very cathartic. At one point Herbert, Juan and I talked about what we learned from each other. From Juan I learned that no matter what you set your mind to, if you work hard you can achieve it. It is one thing to believe that, but quite another to see it in action. From Herbert I learned that you don't always need a plan. As long as you have a large goal in mind and work towards it, you just have to have faith that it is going to work out. We also talked about our friendship being stronger than distance, that no matter how many years past, we would still be great friends and pick up right where we left off. That has seemed to be the case. One thing we were wrong about was attending the FIFA World Cup in 2006. By this time we imagined we would all be millionaires and could just take a month off to visit Europe. Maybe FIFA 2010.

day by day

Yes We Can!

"You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime -- two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century." - President-elect Barack Obama on November 4, 2008

He did it! We did it! Obama has been elected the 44th president of the United States. You will not believe how amazing I feel. There is so much that could be said and so much that has been said. I won't repeat all those historic things today, I just needed to quickly document this moment for myself. As I was watching the results in my makeshift Alaniz Election Center (two TVs and beer) I was ecstatic to find out the news. Things will not be easy, but to know that our leaders motives are honorable and that gives me such encouragement.

About 8 years ago I went into the 2000 election thinking I was maybe a republican, having never really put much thought into it. It wasn't more than a few months before the 2000 election that I started to look into it and found out that republicans did not stand for me. I still had pent up irrational dislike of democrats and didn't think I could vote for Al Gore, a man who I deeply admire today. I abstained from voting in a sense and voted Nader (which I don't regret since I voted in NY). That night I turned on CNN on my 13in TV in my dorm room and watched the results come in. It was now Wednesday morning and there was still no winner and I was still in front the TV. This went on for weeks. As the recount went on and ultimately went to the Supreme Court, I became more democratic by the moment. By the end of that decision, I was now a liberal Democrat choosing to be informed on the issues and not just buy the standard Republican talking points. It was just the way the Republicans went about that entire process that really sealed it for me. Each day as Bush ran our government and country into the ground my passion grew and I developed a strong interest in what was going on in Washington. In 2004 things were dire, we were now in war based on lies and ignoring the real threats to our nation. We needed a change, and even voting in Miami Dade County wasn't enough to help Kerry stop the nose dive Bush's administration had put us in. The next four years I followed even more closely all the decisions being made and as the primaries approached, looked at all the candidates who were vying to be president. I wanted to have hope again, and not that gilded hope I had as a child under Reagan, but one for a country that cared about the working class and the poor as much as its corporations. I may have voted in Texas this time, but I'm proud to be part of Obama's popular vote count and so happy that he is going to be the next president of the United States. If my progressive ideology is wrong, well let me be proven wrong over the next four years because I have already seen the conservative ideology not only be proven wrong, but hurt America.

I have a million thoughts about this election, how it was run on both sides and this new "center-right" conservative propaganda trying to be sold to the American public (as opposed to the clear mandate for progressive change). I'm sure they will come up as things go on, but for right now, I'm emotionally drained from this political addiction and just want to relax, enjoy my own life and remember that more information doesn't given me any greater control.

hope there is something I can do to help

Hiatus

Away for a while

Maverick he is not

"It doesn't work to leap a twenty-foot chasm in two ten-foot jumps." - American proverb

There is still the financial crisis going on. Of course Conservatives try to dodge responsibility for financial crisis by blaming poor people, minorities.

The Labor Department announced that 159,000 jobs were lost this past month, marking the 9th straight month of job losses. Three-quarters of a million jobs have been shed so far this year. “September’s job losses were much more severe than predicted by Wall Street economists.”

There is a lot of talk and reviews from the VP debate Thursday night, nevertheless, I'll offer a few quick thoughts on why I feel Palin Survived, But Biden Won. I will admit the low expectations really paid off for Palin. All she had to do was not embarass herself and we would be impressed. And since there were no real follow up questions asking for examples or for her to really think, she could really stick to her talking points and set memorized speeches. I for one was not impressed with the gimmickry of her folksyness. It really was so transparent that she had a set of answers to questions and she would say them even if those questions were not asked. Isn't that against the spirit of debate. I will give her that she did a great job looking straight into the camera, almost as if she had previous experience working for local tv. I hung on ever Biden word, but I have heard that people felt he was boring but right while she was more exciting, but wrong. It wasn't boring for me and I felt like he should of called her on her shit more rather than just ignorning her lies and attacking McCain. (Biden referenced McCain 62 times. Palin mentioned Obama 18 times.) You can do both I think. I loved how she justified doing no more interviews, you know because the "media filter" is what is making her look dumb. You know those gotcha questions from the voters and all. Biden loved to use the word "fundamental." VP Debate: Biden - “How Different Is John McCain’s Policy Going To Be Than George Bush’s?”: How is that not a fair question to be asking? Is it because it is looking backward? Speaking of, this is a pretty good video where Sarah Palin Channels George Bush. We have been sold these goods before. I hope the trends continue Obama's way. Oh, here is my favorite comment: Eugene Robinson: "Exactly an hour into the debate, Joe Biden began an answer by saying, "Facts matter, Gwen." To him, maybe. To Sarah Palin, maybe not." The Politico had an article that said a lot of what I was thinking, "there were white-knuckle moments along the way: questions that were answered with painfully obvious talking points that betrayed scant knowledge of the issue at hand, and sometimes little relevance to the question that had been asked. " But she did say, "darn right" in such an adorable way.

I love the foreign policy experience. In an answer to questions about her foreign policy experience ahead of tonight’s make-or-break vice presidential TV debate, her aides listed numerous contacts with foreign officials - including Britain’s ambassador to Washington, Sir Nigel Sheinwald. However the meeting never occurred. Officials at the embassy swiftly contacted the McCain-Palin campaign to inform them of the discrepancy. A British Embassy spokesman said the error arose after Sir Nigel’s name was listed among those who had attended a US Governor’s meeting in July. So her aides used a list with the names of guests at a meeting Palin was at in an attempt to show her foreign policy experience, but that list had an error on it. You can see Russia and this guy was maybe at the same place you were...that is amazing foreign policy experience.

In other random news, I ran across this pet related article: Couple splits up - pet custody battle begins : This is a pretty interesting article. Who would of thought this was an area of law that I could go into? I wonder if you can go into a relationship where a person has a pet already and then after get custody of that pet?

it's getting better

They Do

"We know what we are, but know not what we may be." - William Shakespeare

This weekend was Jorge and Michelle's wedding in California. I was honored to be one of the Groomsmen. I purchased my suit, booked my hotel and took my flight to LA on Thursday night. I left town during ACL here in Austin, which I heard was fun. It was a memorable time.

Jorge is my good friend from college, the same place he met Michelle his Junior year. It has been a pleasure to watch them grow from just meeting to getting married. Jorge is the first of our group to get married, so this is uncharted territory.

Thursday night, Efrain picked me up from the airport. He was a great host while I was visiting. We headed back to his place to watch the Dodgers celebrate winning the pennant on TV. We picked up some late night food and I crashed out on the living room floor. I was still wearing my work clothes and everything, but I was so very tired. Ef is currently working for Apple which is really impressive. He likes it a lot. He is Jorge's best friend growing up and was very much ready for his best man duties.

Friday morning, I woke up really early and tried to adapt to the time difference of being on the West coast. Efrain drove us up to Los Olivos where the wedding was going to be. I met his friend Stephanie who was his plus one for the trip. We stopped off in Santa Barbara for lunch. The route was very scenic and the ocean view was beautiful. We arrived at the rehearsal at Crossroads just as it was finishing up. It had been a while since I had seen Jorge and Michelle. Michelle looked great, it must be all the crazy running her and Jorge do. Herbert was there with his fiance Carolina. It was the first time I got to meet her. She was very nice and we would come to hang out a lot more as the trip progressed. We got to scope out where the wedding would be. It was at this place called Crossroads, I think a winery, under this beautiful oak tree. It was actually two oak trees that twisted together to make one. It made for quite a sight.

From the rehearsal we took off to the wine tasting at Firestone. This winery was very nice and the tour was interesting. This is where we met up with everyone. I got to meet the bridesmaids and old friends I hadn't seen in years. There were Jorge's med school friends and some of his LA friends like Fernando and Claire. They both graduated from American Law and live in DC. We hung out one time before I moved to Miami and it had been like 4 years since I had seen them. I also got to meet Tex and her boyfriend, Michelle's high school friend. She was a really cool down to earth girl who was one of the bridesmaids. I guess I met lots of new cool friends, like Katie who is Jorge's med school friend. She is getting married in 6 months. The one thing I will tell you about everyone I met was how accomplished they all were. So many doctors (med school friends) and Phds and all kinds of impressive professions or tracks. We ended up staying for the two scheduled wine tastings. It was at this point I found out that my digital camera was broken. I think it had some water damage. I wasn't able to take pictures of the trip, but I'm sure there will be so many.

From there we went to the Hotel to check in. We stayed at the Marriott, which was a bit pricey I have to say. I watched the beginning of the presidential debate before we headed out for the dinner. Here we met up with more friends and I got to see Maria and Clay. They live in LA. I hadn't seen them since they visited DC. There was an open bar which is always good. As the night closed down, it was time for an afterparty. Since I was still on Central time, I decided to pass and instead hitched a ride to the hotel and crashed out. I missed out on what I hear to be an interesting situation which ended with everyone in the hotel bar. Everyone had a great time I hear.

Saturday morning, the big day! We had our continental breakfast (what does that even mean?). Now there was a huge concern that our grey suits would not match. I felt that we were told to get "grey" whereas everyone else said it was "charcoal grey," which in my opinion is actually black. I actually found a charcoal grey suit I really liked, but thought that there was no way I could get away with wearing it since it was so dark. In the end we all ended up matching well with our cornflower blue ties. (a shade of light blue with relatively little green compared to blue I read.) That was a much discussed topic. Ravi had a pretty cool cornflower blue turban too. So we started the day by taking Jorge to a wine testing at Ef's favorite place to get some drinking in before the wedding. It was a very nice winery even though I'll admit I don't know much about wine nor do I yet have much interest in it. I was educated while on the trip though. The plan was to go and get dressed after, but we found out we forgot something very important...the rings. They headed back to pick them up while we all finished a bottle we had purchased. Oh, quick note, on the way over, we passed the Hitching Post from the movie Sideways. That was pretty cool.

After, we all went to the house that Jorge's family rented and got dressed and took pictures. We all got in the limo once we were done and headed to the wedding at Crossroads. It was this moment that Juan Carlos' presence was truly missed. I wish he could of made it, but he had two exams that weekend. We arrived at the wedding site. Jorge wasn't as nervous as I thought he would be. After more pictures, we got ready for the big moment. I was second in line and my bridesmaid was Michelle's friend Bender. Noe was first in line with the two flower girls, a punishment for making Jorge walk alone at his wedding. The ceremony was held under this large oak tree and there was a cool breeze. As I walked in, I was to hug Jorge or do something creative, I went with the hug. I thought everyone would be creative so my embrace would look more heartfelt. Well it didn't work out that way, everyone else gave hugs too, well except Ravi who did an awesome shoulder bump with Jorge. Norm was going to do one too, but that didn't happen. Then came in the best man Efrian (with the rings safely in his pocket). Michelle was escorted by her parents and looked truly lovely...and more than that, just genuinely happy and excited. The ceremony wasn't too long and Jorge never laughed which I had a feeling he might do cause it doesn't that when he gets nervous. They make a very good couple.

After exchanging vows and rings they were now married. So grown up they seemed. It was such a nice ceremony. We then headed out and to the open bar before the reception. Here I ran into Adri who I had not seen since college. Her husband Gil wasn't able to make it. They currently live in Dallas. She had exciting news, she is going to have a baby. I'm so very happy for them.

The reception started and my groomsman duties were now over. I went to my table to sit with Herbert and Carolina. Michelle's dad made a toast and speech, followed by Michelle's sister and then Efrian's best man speech. Ef did a great job and the speech was pretty funny. After was a photo slide show to Beatles music which was very nice.

The rest was your run of the mill wedding reception. The DJ wasn't too great, but considering the crowd, I guess playing Celebration and Grease type songs was ok. We lifted Jorge up in a chair and then after just lifted him up and threw him into the air, pretty high I might add. It was fun. Michelle was lifted up in a chair as well. Everyone had a good time. I drank Pacifico since it was Jorge's favorite beer and one of the few things he actually requested be at his wedding. I think it was Herbert who was drinking wine and said I was an idiot for drinking something I could drink anytime. I don't know, I mean I was introduced to that beer because of Jorge so it felt right drinking it at his wedding.

After the reception, we all headed to the hotel bar which was closed. We had them open it up and had our small after party there. A lot of people were done and just called it a night before even getting there. A few of us went to hang out in Norm's room where Ef was talking to one very, shall I say determined, woman. This made for a funny story when another friend went on and on about his love for puppies and his instantaneous conversion to any interests she seemed to mention. I was tired and called it a night from there.

Sunday morning I wasn't hungover which is a good feeling. We all met up at the brunch and goodbyes were shared. We then headed on a long road trip back to LA where we stopped in Hollywood for a bit at Stephs place to eat and watch the Cowboys play. After, Ef drove me to LAX and I arrived home at almost midnight. I always find it interesting when I wake up in one state and go to bed in another. It was nice to be back home, but I'm going to miss everyone. The trip went by so very fast. I'm glad I went.

And that is the end of my subjective summary of the weekend.

I'm going to miss Jasper

Don't Cancel the Debate

“It is better to debate a question without settling it than to settle a question without debating it.” - Joseph Joubert

I'll be real quick with my news update, so I've talked about the Rachel Maddow Show and how I think she has a great show and is very intelligent and well informed. Imagine a world of intelligent educated leaders and the same from our media. I ran into this well done in depth article discussing Rachel Maddow and her rise: How Maddow Is Rewriting The Rules Of Cable News. It is a read, but well worth it.

I watched the Debate last Friday between Obama and McCain. I think Obama did great, but it is interesting how McCain loves to repeat, "he will raise your taxes," "spending," "earmarks," and "maverick." Who Won The Debate? Reviews Go To Obama

Tina Fey is the best. This was pretty funny.

CNN Laughs It Up Over Sarah Palin Interview

So I have been doing some TV watching. My shows are back and my TiVo is working overtime. I was watching Greys when I noticed that a character from another show was guest staring. I went to look up Journeyman and found out that it had been canceled. That sucks, I mean you invest yourself into a season of a show and then it is gone. I like when they cancel after a few shows rather than a whole season on even two. I figured I'd look an see what else had been canceled and to my dismay, one of my favorites, October Road was canceled after its second season. Now that made me pretty mad. I read that they are going to do a 15 minute finale for the fans that will be on the DVD, but there were so many unanswered questions.

At least I'm happy to be able to watch How I Met Your Mother and Heros. I don't think Fringe will make it, but I'm checking it out right now. Still not sure where I stand on True Blood either. I guess we will see.

Can't wait for the VP debate

Too Much

"Then, without realizing it, you try to improve yourself at the start of each new day; of course, you achieve quite a lot in the course of time. Anyone can do this, it costs nothing and is certainly very helpful. Whoever doesn't know it must learn and find by experience that a quiet conscience makes one strong." - Anne Frank

I've taken a hiatus from blogging. I'm talking way too much about politics. I figured I'd do a quick update post in case you were missing me. So let's start off with this economic crisis.

With ‘fundamentals are strong’ comments, McCain borrows Hoover’s Depression-era rhetoric.

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) continues to insist that the “fundamentals of our economy are strong.” As Eric Rauchway notes in the American Prospect, McCain’s response to this economic crisis is reminiscent of President Herbert Hoover’s “do-nothing” response to the Great Depression. On October 25, 1929, a day after what is now known as Black Thursday, Hoover declared:
"The fundamental business of the country, that is the production and distribution of commodities, is on a sound and prosperous basis."

8 Ways You Should Never Apologize : "A bad apology is worse than no apology." Here are some parts of the article I found interesting.

1. The Blame Shifter: Witness the number one worst way to say sorry of all time: “I’m sorry you feel that way.” Interesting game plan—blaming the person you’re ostensibly making amends to for getting rightfully pissed off at your horrendous behavior. If you’re not sorry for your actions, don’t apologize.
2. Lady Liquor Made Me Do It: So you had a little too much to drink at a friend’s birthday party and ended up making out in the bathroom with the bartender. When your boyfriend finds out, it’s probably best to just own up to the mistake rather than say, “But I was drunk!” Those five shots of tequila only gave you the courage to do something stupid and regretful, it didn’t actually do it for you.
3. It’s All In The Genes: What I wouldn’t pay to be a fly on the wall the first time some cheater tries to use the new study showing that some men have a genetic predisposition towards non-monogamy. Sorry ladies, so far there’s no equivalent study for us female types, so don’t even think about it.
4. Forcing Forgiveness: “You have to forgive me—you must!” Demanding absolution is possibly more annoying than your original sin. This is a lose/lose.
5. The Big But: An acquaintance’s wife apologized for sleeping with a coworker with the caveat, “But he came onto me!” So obviously she had no choice but to cozy up. Oh, please. Inserting the word “but” into any apology immediately negates it.
6. The Sympathy Bid: A boyfriend once “apologized” for standing me up by ruefully rambling on about how his tragic childhood left him ill-equipped to deal with obligations. What this had to do with blowing off dinner still eludes me. You’re supposed to be making a plea for forgiveness, not hosting a pity party for one.
8. Skirting the Issue: “I’m sorry I hurt your feelings,” is not the same as “I’m sorry I cheated on your with your best friend, in your bed, while you were at your uncle’s funeral.” Though either way you phrase it, I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for forgiveness on that one.

Report: One in 10 Hispanics questioned by authorities about immigration status. - I'm one of those one in ten. Airports and checkpoints especially.

So I just finished paying a debt that I owed. It feels good to have that taken care of. I appreciate that there are people in this world that are willing to help you out in hard times and that believe in you.


Jorge and Michelle's wedding is getting closer and closer. I have my suit now, so everything is falling into place.

danger is my middle name - like poncho

McCain/Palin: Bridge to Nowhere 2008

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." - Gandhi

Thursday night I passed on watching football and stayed in to watch McCain's nomination acceptance speech at the RNC. His personal story is amazing and every time you hear it, you can't help but know that there is no way you can understand what it was like for him as a POW. His story, however, isn't what I'm voting on, it is his policies and ideology. I thought it was interesting how Bush was never named in the speech and appreciated him taking some responsibility for the last 8 years, but there were no new ideas. It was the same Republican talk we have heard for years. I don't understand how he will be different and how he will cause his party to be different. Remember when America was promised, "Compassionate Conservatism"? That worked out great. What about the working class? Will tax cuts to the rich help them out?


I've been citing a lot of news articles this week, which has been mainly what my entries have consisted of, but I'm just sharing the news I have found interesting along the way. I'll probably get back to blogging about cats and movies soon enough. Note, I try to cite everything I'm including and use different colors as to give the true authors credit.


Jeff Toobin Rips McCain Speech: "Shockingly Bad": Shortly after McCain's speech wrapped up, Toobin told Wolf Blitzer:

I thought it was the worst speech by a nominee that I've heard since Jimmy Carter in 1980.

I thought it was disorganized, themeless, I thought it was very, very boring until the end when he started talking about his personal story, which is, of course, remarkable and always important to hear. I personally cannot remember a single policy proposal that he made because they had nothing connecting them. I found it shockingly bad.

Wallter Reed background at speech: I can't wait to see Colbert's new green screen challenge. This really did brighten up my day. The close-up at the podium made it appear to be a giant green screen, but the arena audience was treated to a much different image. It turns out the green screen was only part of the story. And what building could possibly deserve such a prominent role as the main backdrop of McCain's nomination speech? According to TPM readers, it is Walter Reed. As in Walter Reed Middle School in North Hollywood, California.

Here is the Walter Reed Medical Center:

You have to love the religious right and the awful things they pray for: Theocrats to pray for McCain’s death: I on the other hand would be praying that he not have to give up the presidency if elected, even though there is a 1 in 3 chance it will happen. Talk about an undemocratic way of becoming President. I don't want an evangelical zealot as our president.

That said, at least two people have written in recent days that hope that McCain/Palin are elected so that they can pray for God to crush John McCain and to elevate Sarah Palin to her rendevous with destiny.

Antiabortion militant and all-round theocratic activist Jay Rogers of Florida, whose blog is calledThe Forerunner, writes:

Pray for John McCain's salvation and speedy death.

And then there is this guy, a self-described Christian Reconstructionist:

McCain's VP choice, Sarah Palin, suddenly made me want to vote for him, as long as the LORD smites him while he's in office. She's consistently conservative on all the issues, and if she's good enough for The Forerunner, she's good enough for me. The Forerunner agrees with me that McCain must be smitten, as well, so I'm obviously not alone in my viewpoints.

McCain's Neverending War in Iraq: His Judgment on Display. This video gives a good overview in McCain's own words on why I disagree with him.





I can't wait for the debates.

first weekend

A Task From God

"It doesn't work to leap a twenty-foot chasm in two ten-foot jumps." - American proverb

I rarely write two entires in one day, much less about the same issues that I discussed in the previous entry, but this is too important to stop sharing. I'm not saying this is my task from God, but for the record Palin thinks the War in Iraq is a Task from God.


It is important for the public to know that Palin raised taxes as governor, supported the Bridge to Nowhere before she opposed it, pursued pork-barrel projects as mayor, tried to ban books at the local library and thinks the war in Iraq is "a task from God."


This isn't nit picking, these are just examples of the lack of vetting and terrible judgment of the McCain campaign. You can't pick an ultra-right conservative who wouldn't be on anyone's short list of the people who should run the most powerful country in the WORLD. I thought McCain loved America as much as Obama does? (sarcasm of course since no one should attack a person's patriotism.) In respect to the Media attacks, I do agree with Klien statement that "the attempts by the McCain campaign to bully us into not reporting such things are not only stupidly aggressive, but unprofessional in the extreme."

Then there is the claim of sexism whenever a person question's the Palin choice. They call the party who stands up for women's rights sexist, the party that almost democratically elected a female presidential nominee instead of appointing one. I wasn't a sexist for supporting Hillary, but am now for opposing Palin? If I were a conservative I'd be upset that of all the women fit to serve, ie Kay Bailey Hutchison, Condoleezza Rice or Elizabeth Dole, they pick a person who hasn't been vetted by the public. I disagree with them on the issues, but at least they are fit to serve.

I just keep learning more and more as the hours go on. And now John McCain peddles “Alaska is close to Russia” nonsense. Really? I understood hearing that attack on my intelligence by the Republican talking heads, but by the candidate himself? She hasn't left the country in a year and is now an expert on foreign policy. He also says she was the commander of the Alaskan National Guard. Sarah Palin has NOTHING/ZERO/ZILCH/NADA to do with “commanding the Alaskan National Guard.” It’s a nice-sounding talking point, but it is a bald-faced LIE.

Community Organizers Respond To Palin’s Attack, Cite Civil Rights Movement:
– Community Organizers of America: The last thing we need is for Republican officials to mock us on television when we’re trying to rebuild the neighborhoods they have destroyed. Maybe if everyone had more houses than they can count, we wouldn’t need community organizers. But I work with people who are getting evicted from their only home. If John McCain and the Republicans understood that, maybe they wouldn’t be so quick to make fun of community organizers like me.

Then there was The Republicans’ Fear of Community Organizers:
Or how about Susan B. Anthony? [..] She also actually thought it would be a good idea for women to vote. Now that’s a radical! Just look at what she wrought.
Then there’s Cesar Chavez, a man that’s some sort of inspiration to millions of immigrants. [..](W)hat about Martin Luther King, Jr? I guess Sarah Palin must have contributed a lot more to society than him. [..]
And last, but not least, there’s this guy. Lived a long time ago. Said a lot of radical stuff and got everybody all fired up.

Negative works: Poll: Democratic bounce gone, race tied. Hopefully this time the truth will win out.

Now I'm off to watch McCain's speech.

vote

Donation for Change

"I cannot say whether things will get better if we change; what I can say is they must change if they are to get better." - Georg C. Lichtenberg

All that is on my mind as of late is politics. It is part of being a political junkie or at the least caring about the future of this country. I feel like we are getting tricked again the way we were tricked in 2000 and 2004 by Karl Rove and the Republicans. How can one party have control over Washington for 7 of the last 10 administrations including the last 8 years and tell us that Washington is broken and they are the ones to fix it. Republicans had control over the white house and congress when Bush came into office and got to do as they pleased and now we are paying for those decisions. Nothing trickled down and deregulation led to Enron and the mortgage crisis. Then you hear Republicans attack the Democratic do nothing congress and I want to go insane. Without 60 votes they can't do anything in the Senate and for whatever reason Democrats still bend to the will of Republicans out of what must be fear (ie wiretapping and drilling.) We need new leadership.

I watched Wednesday night with much anticipation for the Palin speech. Wow, what a hit job that was. Aside from the fact that disagree with everything Palin stands for, and the fact that 80% of what she was saying were falsehoods, distortions and lies, she was one shrill, sarcastic mean Tracy Flick (movie Election) type person. My stomach literally hurt while watching the speech, I wasn't inspired, I was scared that we might have a president who believes in creationism, thinks global warming is natural and whose experience doesn't match up to anyone who ran in the primaries on both sides. One who is willing to say anything just to divide America and win the election. It was sharp I admit, but really McCain...what happened to you?

Today for the first time in my life, I donated money to a campaign . I went online and sent $25 to Obama to help fight for a better country. Last night was the last straw. Update: Obama Raises $8 Million After Palin Speech

Barack Obama's camp issued a statement in response to Sarah Paln's speech:
"The speech that Governor Palin gave was well delivered, but it was written by George Bush's speechwriter and sounds exactly like the same divisive, partisan attacks we've heard from George Bush for the last eight years."

Jim Manley, Reid's press secretary, told CNN. "Shrill and sarcastic political attacks may fire up the Republican base, but they don't change the fact that a McCain-Palin administration would mean four more years of failed bush-Cheney policies."

Jon Stewart Hits Karl Rove, Bill O'Reilly, Dick Morris On Sarah Palin Hypocrisy:

While Rove recently praised Palin's experience as the mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, Stewart showed video of Rove trashing Virginia Governor — and former Richmond Mayor — Tim Kaine's executive experience, listing all the cities that are bigger than Richmond and calling such a pick "political."
Then, after recent video of O'Reilly describing Bristol Palin's pregnancy as a family issue, Stewart showed a clip of the Fox News host blaming Jamie Lynn Spears' parents for her teenage pregnancy.
Finally, after showing video of Dick Morris complaining about the rampant sexism in the media coverage of Sarah Palin, Stewart unveiled a clip of Morris saying that Hillary hides behind the sexism defense, and that anytime "the big boys" pick on Hillary, "she retreats behind the apron strings."

As far as the Media goes: the Politico Apologizes To Sarah Palin On Behalf Of Elite Media: my favorite part of the article below. If only the media would fight back and actually do their job.

On behalf of the elite media, I would like to say we are very sorry. We have asked questions this week that we should never have asked. We have asked pathetic questions like: Who is Sarah Palin? What is her record? Where does she stand on the issues? And is she is qualified to be a heartbeat away from the presidency? We have asked mean questions like: How well did John McCain know her before he selected her? How well did his campaign vet her? And was she his first choice? Bad questions. Bad media. Bad.

---

Fourth, we should stop making with all the questions already. She gave a really good speech. And why go beyond that? As we all know, speeches cannot be written by others and rehearsed for days. They are true windows to the soul.Unless they are delivered by Barack Obama, that is. In which case, as Palin said Wednesday, speeches are just a “cloud of rhetoric.”

---

Fifth, we should stop reporting on the families of the candidates. Unless the candidates want us to. Sarah Palin wanted the media to report on her teenage son, Track, who enlisted in the Army on Sept. 11, 2007, and soon will deploy to Iraq. Sarah Palin did not want the media to report on her teenage daughter, Bristol, who is pregnant and unmarried. Sarah Palin thinks that one is good for her campaign and one is not, and that the media should report only on what is good for her campaign.

not second

Executive Experience

“Men’s natures are alike; it is their habits that separate them.” - Confucius

This week I'm watching the Republican National Convention. It is only fair to hear both sides, even if you think one side is hateful propaganda.

Scholars: Palin Least Experienced Person On Major-Party Ticket In Modern Era - Can I be VP too? I mean I guess if Brownie can run FEMA and Harriet Myers can be nominated to the Supreme Court, why not me or Palin?

I think it is sad to see how the Republicans bite their tongue and then start spinning praise for a woman that a lot of them, like America, do not even know.

Suggests Choice Of Virginian Tim Kaine Would Be An "Intensely Political Choice" That Ignores Responsibilities Of Presidency I don't like Karl Rove, nor do I agree with him or his tactics, but to show the hypocrisy of the Republican party look at how Karl Rove singled out Virginia governor Tim Kaine on Face The Nation as a possible VP pick for Obama.

"With all due respect again to Governor Kaine, he's been a governor for three years, he's been able but undistinguished," Rove said. "I don't think people could really name a big, important thing that he's done. He was mayor of the 105th largest city in America."
Rove continued: "So if he were to pick Governor Kaine, it would be an intensely political choice where he said, `You know what? I'm really not, first and foremost, concerned with, is this person capable of being president of the United States."

Yes, the real problem with Tim Kaine is that he's only been governor of a large state for three years, and before that, he was only the mayor of a mid-size city. This, of course, made him "undistinguished," unprepared for national office, and the very idea of putting him on a national ticket was practically ridiculous. Enter Palin.

The talking point about "executive experience" is laughable and "the largest state" with the 47th largest population makes me wonder if they respect our intelligence...oh and AK is close to Russia and thus equals foreign policy experience makes my head spin.

Here is Liberman's glowing endorsement of Palin at the RNC.

Mitchell: Do you feel Sarah Palin is qualified to be commander-in-chief if, God forbid, something should happen to John McCain?
Lieberman: Well, you know….let’s assume the best. John’s in great shape, he’s gonna be the president and let’s assume that nothing bad will happen. Why should we? But if it does…yes, she’ll be ready.

Palin Slashed Funds For Teen Mothers: Kids may be off limits, but earlier this year Palin used her line-item veto to slash funding for a state program benefiting teen mothers in need of a place to live. These issues affecting all kids don't have to be ignored. You don’t have to pass judgment on a 17-year-old to pass judgment on these unrelenting policymakers.

Church Website's Palin Video Page Shuts Down - Sounds like senior Pastor Ed Kalnins from Palin's church thinks I'm not going to heaven. In one of his sermons from 2004 -- after Palin left the church -- he suggested heaven wasn't necessarily in the cards for anyone who voted for Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass. Sadly I might think that he shouldn't go to heaven for voting for Bush, but guess what? That is God's decision, not his or Robertson or Haggees.

How Not To Multi-task: Work Simpler and Saner - This is a good article to read if you are one of those people who thinks multitasking is the best approach to getting things done. I still do it all the time, but am working to try to plan better to avoid it.


Study: Cheating Husbands Have A Variant Gene - I haven't read this article yet, but I'm planning to. It looked very interesting.

trust