BeefHarbor

New year, same old shit.

2011-09-01T22:54:00.060-05:00

Well, I'm now a Junior, a CA in the dorms again this year, and I just turned 21. So things haven't been too bad lately. I haven't blogged in months, mostly because I don't want to just whine about my life lately, or to be petty and complain about any individual. But honestly I'm pretty fed up. I've been pretty kind, and respectful through a lot of things this year, only to continuously have someone's happy new life shoved back in my face, and I'm getting pretty fucking tired of it.

I haven't devoted blog posts for the sole purpose of making you feel like garbage, and I don't even talk badly about you behind your back, yet I always seem to get pegged as the bad guy. Well I'm not. The bad guy doesn't care about people or peoples feeling and the bad guy isn't honest. I was. Today was just another example. I posted a tweet saying that some days I really hate people. You assumed that it had to be about you because I saw you while I was getting some lunch, and I'm obviously so obsessed that I must be making some passive aggressive hateful stab at you. It couldn't have had anything to do with the idiot I was stuck next to in my previous class who spent the entire period referring to various historical leaders as "gay" and making it clear every ten minutes that he didn't care about this class and that he was only taking it to fill a requirement. Or the two shrill freshmen girls who bitched for 20 minutes about how awful their roommate was and how much better they were than her, while I was forced to wait silently behind them. It had to be about you. Because obviously I couldn't have my own life anymore. Not that you bothered to ask me about the tweet. I must just be on the attack and trying to hurt you. For future reference, just because you think someone is going to hurt you, or say something honest to you, doesn't give you the right to launch a preemptive strike to bring them down first. It shows how little you really think of me to believe that I must still be pining over my past failures, and believing that my life revolves around you and your continued presence in my life, as much as I may have wanted it to at one point. I'll admit I wasn't happy to see you today. It brought up way too many feelings again, and even more regret. Maybe if you'd been honest with me once or twice things would be different now.

You're probably going to read this and be upset by it. It wasn't my intention, even though you seem to think that everyone you hurt only wants to bring you down. I've always wanted you to be happy. Admittedly I had hoped in a different way, but happy just the same. I was happy once. But alot has happened since then. Maybe it would be best if you'd just leave me alone. Shouldn't be hard for you. I'll try to do the same. Just remember that I didn't burn these bridges.

Edit: A lot of this was written in an angry, frustrated vent... I might end up trying to reword things later when a clearer head prevails.

tired.

2011-06-12T02:00:00.001-05:00

I want to break things. I'm so fed up with everything. I felt like I could start a fight tonight, and I don't fight. But I can only take so much shit before I'm gonna snap. I'm not OK. And I'm fed up with people who think they know better than I do and think that they can make me feel better. I'm sick of putting time and heart and feelings out there and into something only to be spit on. I'm really tired of having this dragged on where you tell me you care but do everything to show the opposite.
Most of all I'm tired of never being good enough, because at some point it's not about you, no matter how much you say it is, and it becomes very clear that it's about me.

Igpay Atinlay Ostpay

2011-04-12T21:49:00.000-05:00

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My Weekend of Firsts

2011-04-12T00:50:00.001-05:00

So yesterday morning I returned to Brookings at 3AM from the Arrowhead Model United Nations Conference in Sault Saint Marie, Michigan. It was roughly a 15 hour ride there and back in a fleet of vans which carried the 72 of us. I'd never been to Michigan before but it really was beautiful country. It's nice to drive around on roads with more things to see than flat nothingness. South Dakota is pretty in the seasons, but right now its dirty and brown, seeing as we're stuck in between the white and the green. On Friday night myself and 11 others put our passports to use when we crossed the bridge into Canada. I had never been out of the country so I was pretty excited to head over the border. It took us an hour to get through customs on our way into Canada, but once we were through, we made our way downtown.
Sault Saint Marie, Ontario is about 3 times the size of it's Michigan counterpart, and we started at a pool-hall bar where I had my first legal drink, which was pretty cool. We bar-hopped for the next couple hours before returning across the border, this time crossing in 5 minutes!

The convention continued and I had a lot of fun, I even managed to stop a fight from breaking out between a ridiculously cocky representative of Honduras who couldn't seem to understand that everyone was playing a part in their representation of their countries. North Korea needed a friend, and a big bearded Ireland representative fit the bill. The last night in Michigan, our commencement speaker was the former President of Ireland. Because we were the delegation from Ireland, we got to meet her and I even shook her hand! We chatted briefly, and she told us that Ireland's main focus in the UN is peacekeeping forces, which is what my resolution was all about! On our way home, I got to see Lake Michigan, we dodged a Tornado warning, and I even tried my first KFC double down, which wasn't all that good in my opinion. Many hilarious stories and jokes told later, as well as dealing with the shocking antics by crazy Bill, the driver of the second van in our little caravan until we eventually arrived home. It was a great trip, and I have a lot of fun spending time with some good friends. And now, I'm glad to be home!

My Twisted Sense of Honesty

2011-04-01T18:38:00.000-06:00

I'm a firm believer that honesty is the best policy. I try to be honest with everyone, even if the honest things I say won't have a positive outcome for me. I believe that it's good to be honest about what you want, and what you want out of life. Yet even with my firm belief in honesty, I can't seem to stop lying to myself. I guess part of me doesn't want to accept my numerous failures, and by pretending that maybe, one thing that I care about, or one thing that might actually make me happy, is remotely possible for me to have.

This ability to lie to myself isn't only rooted in what I tell myself, but also in what others tell me. I'm not the only honest one out there. Everyone knows what they want, but I'm so fed up with not being that, I'm willing to pretend that I want the same thing, or that I can just change to fit the bill... but I never quite fit.

Part of my problem is that I have no interest in settling for less than the best. I know the best when I see it. I know it might be hard for you to understand why, but it's not for me. You're going through a tough time, and I know what it's like. Maybe not on quite the same scale, but I know. I know the fear and the loneliness and the detachment. I know the loneliness the most.

Don't hate someone for loving you, when you're afraid of being loved.

Reality

2011-03-29T15:00:00.000-06:00

So I'll start with the obvious. I've neglected this blog for the past year or so. I've gotten busy with other things, and writing my opinions and feelings often falls to the side as unnecessary. I want to make it more of a priority, so I decided to start by revamping the look of my page. I liked the look of my page, but I decided it was too simple, and not really keeping up with what you can do on blogger as far as templates go, so I hope you like the looks of it. I tried to keep some of the color choices the same but I think that it looks more professional and smooth now.

For quite awhile, I've had it set up so that facebook would post my blog postings as notes on facebook, but after this post I'm going to remove that setting. I'm thinking I'm going to move away from just politically focused writing, and while I want to express myself, I don't need everyone and their cat to read it. If someone wants to see what I have to say, they can go to my actual page instead of having it just pop up on their newsfeed.

Sophomore year has been... I guess the best way to describe it would just be that it's been a big year for me. It hasn't been a phenomenal year, but it hasn't been completely horrible. I've had a lot of great days, and a fair number of pretty awful ones. I've been challenged in so many different ways this year, and it's really helped me learn who I am and what I want out of life. I feel like I've grown through so many things like having a responsibility in my job, leadership, making some amazing new friendships in my co-workers among others, looking for and wanting to believe at times that I can find love, falling out with friends for stupid reasons or for almost no reasons at all, seeing death and how it's affected me, trying to define where my faith is, and most importantly, just trying to figure out what I really believe in.

I don't know where I'm going, but I do know where I've been. I'm going to keep being honest with people, especially the people that really matter to me in the hopes that I'll find a few more answers.

I've got more things I'd like to say but I don't really know how to say them, so this will do... for now.

Second Semester Sleep-Talking Roommate

2011-02-07T00:20:00.001-06:00

Well folks, it's way overdue, but a couple different conversations lately have made me realize I realllly needed to post this! It's been far too long, and too much humor was hidden away on my computer. So here it is, without further ado! If you remember, I liked to see if I could keep Aaron talking when he would start so I would goad the conversation, so it led to some interesting conversations.

JAN 26

Please and Thank you love me.

JAN 27

(exasperated) Yeah Yeah yeah yeah. Okay, Okay, we will definitely, definitely keep that in mind.

JAN 29

I'm fine. Idk what her problem is. No big deal.

FEB 3

SHHHHHHHHHH,

Me: sorry

Ok, ok. Go away.

FEB 5

IN CHINESE ACCENT. Ohmygoshthassso funny. Haaaah. Thatssofunny.

FEB 10

Yes Ma'am, Yes Ma'am, I entirely agree.

FEB 11

Did you win? Did you win? Oh.

FEB 11

I'm doing good! I'm doing good. (begins humming Battle Hymn of the Republic while adjusting his pillows)

FEB 17

It was crazy, she, like she found out she was a cousin or something. She was a P*****, P*****, (Name Hidden) idk how to pronounce it. the family was P****, she was a math teacher. It was weird she moved to town with her family a couple years ago. They were really mysterious. She told me she was a real estate agent, and then she told someone else she was something else. They were just really weird and secretive like that. Yeah. Anyway I found she was from around here originally.

Me: was she hot?

Oh like super hot. Super hot.

Me: So you would have dated her?

In a Heartbeat. ........Half a heart beat. But you know you I can't do much in half a heart beat these days.

Me: So did she have any siblings?

Idk man. I think so.

Me: How about cat's? Do you have cats?

Yeah a couple. Idk where they are tho.

Me: Hey Jeff just called! We gotta go man!

No.

Me: no seriously we gotta go!

NO.

Me: get up!

no.

Me: come on man get up time to go!

NO!

FEB 22

OH! (Begins snapping, several times)

FEB 27

Oh its nothing. I just got a text from a girl on our worship team who got her fingers crushed or something. No big deal.

Me: do you need to go pick her up or anything?

No no no. Nothing like that.

Me: your're sure she doesn't need to go to the hospital?

I'm positive blake.

FEB 28

Rut Roh.

Uh Oh.

Ha. Ha.

Traffic Fuck.

Me: What's a traffic fuck?

It's like a cluster fuck, with traffic.

Mar 28

What's going on?

Grandma!

Me: How's your grandma?

she's fine, but my computer.

It's all messed up.

I don't know what's wrong with it.

Mar 30

dangit.

Me: What

The files, they're upstairs, and they're messed up

APR 1

*BELCHES*

Now what did you have to say?

APR 5

(Laying on his stomach, lifts himself into pushup position Starts singing about loving someone or something... stops and looks around.)

Me: Seriously?

Me: Seriously Aaron?

....Sorry...

APR 8

Yeah yeah, yeah yeah yeah

MAY 4

..and then stop at the Church, and that's about it.

That's enough singing.

I've heard enough.

Me: That's good

Yeah they put salt on the floor. Like ice salt. and You know how tough it is to clean that stuff up.

It sticks to everything.

The Truth.

2010-11-03T15:10:00.000-06:00

Obama didn't split the country in two. Fox News does that all by itself.

All it takes is enough screaming, racism and bullshit tears to convince "Real Americans" that Obama is evil. There is no difference between the Tea Party and the Republican Party. The tea party just gives them a platform to be racist and hate spitting without tarnishing the ever-so-shiny coat of the GOP. The reason democrats haven't been able to get much done is because the republicans stick their heads up their asses and drag their feet on every single issue that comes up and would look good for Obama. That way, when it comes time for elections they can whine and cry and point their finger at the Democrats saying, look how they failed, look how they couldn't get anything done, look how the programs they passed are so full of crap. This crap is pushed into any worthwhile bill so that even the best bills would be bogged down. I have no faith in anything that the Republican Party does or says. It is a party of hate, a party of the rich, and a party of elites bent on keeping everyone else down while they look at the people from their pedestal and let the jobs, "trickle down" like the bullshit from their trousers. - BeefHarbor

New Bumper Stickers!

2010-07-19T00:05:00.000-05:00

Recently Designed some Bumper Stickers! Consider buying if it interests you!

http://www.zazzle.com/i_get_my_comedy_from_fox_news_and_my_news_from_bumper_sticker-128445628958793298

Teabaggers Pick A Strange Time to Get Mad

2010-04-05T18:36:00.007-05:00

I found the following post at the blog of Yellowdog Granny. It makes a whole lot of sense and I think it deserves to be repeated again and again. The more people that read it, the better off this country will be. It points out just how strange the current teabagger rage over health care reform really is. Here is the post:

You didn't get mad when the Supreme Court stopped a legal recount and appointed a President.

You didn't get mad when Cheney allowed Energy company officials to dictate energy policy.

You didn't get mad when a covert CIA operative got outed.

You didn't get mad when the Patriot Act got passed.

You didn't get mad when we illegally invaded a country that posed no threat to us.

You didn't get mad when we spent over 600 billion(and counting) on said illegal war.

You didn't get mad when over 10 billion dollars just disappeared in Iraq.

You didn't get mad when you found out we were torturing people.

You didn't get mad when the government was illegally wiretapping Americans.

You didn't get mad when we didn't catch Bin Laden.

You didn't get mad when you saw the horrible conditions at Walter Reed.

You didn't get mad when we let a major US city, New Orleans, drown.

You didn't get mad when we gave a 900 billion tax break to the rich.

You didn't get mad when the deficit hit the trillion dollar mark.

You finally got mad when the government decided that people in America deserved the right to see a doctor if they are sick. Yes, illegal wars, lies, corruption, torture, stealing your tax dollars to make the rich richer, are all okay with you, but helping other Americans. . .oh hell no!

Health Care Reform Facts

2010-03-23T23:17:00.000-06:00

This weekend the most substantial human rights legislation passed the house and was signed into law on Tuesday by President Obama. There's been no lack of bullshit from the Republicans about this legislation, or "Socialism" as everything the Democrats do now is pegged, saying that it will kill people, and ruin our American way of life. However, the apocalypse isn't coming any time soon. So here, I'm posting the FACTS about the healthcare legislation which come from The Washington Post, CBS News, and CNN.

EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY:

No more lifetime/annual caps. This means that if you’re really sick, like cancer or HIV, your insurance company cannot deny you more coverage once they’ve already covered a certain dollar amount.

Children under 19 cannot be denied coverage for a pre-existing condition.

If you are under 26 and labeled as a DEPENDENT by your parents, you will be able to stay on their coverage regardless of if you’re in school. This doesn’t mean that just being 26 and having parents that are covered gets you covered. You must be filed in their taxes as a dependent.

More money for old people. $250 a month will be given to certain senior citizens to help them pay for prescription medicine. This will not carry over the years because the new bill will cut the costs of prescriptions drugs down entirely.

Insurance companies can no longer drop you when you get sick. Before, insurance companies could drop you from their plan if you got very ill (cancer, HIV, lupus, etc) on the basis that you would be too much of a risk/too expensive. They can no longer do this.

Early funding is being provided to form community health centers. These will include medical, dental, and vision for people in communities (rather than visiting a busy hospital, or going around to multiple specialists).

Tanning beds will now be taxed. While you aren’t being taxed for it, the companies that provide the beds will be, which in effect will likely raise the cost of tanning beds. The sun is still free!

Free preventative care. This includes things like breast and cervical cancer screenings.

EFFECTIVE OVER THE YEARS/2014:

Mandated Coverage. Ya gotta buy it, folks. However this will be subsidized for poorer people and families.

Medicaid will be expanded.

Tax credits will be given to families to help offset the cost of health care premiums. The tax incentives include tax breaks for families which vaccinate their children and for adults who go to scheduled annual appointments (this is all I could gather from the news, if anyone knows further please let me know.)

The deficit is expected to be reduced by $43 million over the first ten years. These numbers are only projected though.

Coverage would be expanded to the 32 million currently uninsured people.

Illegal immigrants will still not eligible to be covered by Medicaid.

Help for those with pre-existing conditions. Millions of Americans are denied full or partial health care because of a pre-existing condition. A pre-existing condition does not always mean born with it, but if you had cancer before you got insurance, an insurance company can label cancer as pre-existing and deny you coverage. But not anymore. Note that insurance will, in 2014, cost more for people with a pre-existing condition. However you cannot be denied coverage because of it.

What about all that abortion stuff? Do I have to pay for other people’s abortions? Will I still be able to get one?

No, and yes. An amendment was made yesterday to guarantee that federal funds would not be used in abortion coverage costs. However individuals will have the opportunity to pay extra for a plan that would cover abortions.

Federal funding will cover abortions only in cases of rape, incest, or health of the mother.

So there it is folks. THE TRUTH. Don't buy into the Fox News Bullshit, or the crap that the republicans who don't know what they're talking about spew.

http://thesangfroid.wordpress.com/2010/03/23/whats-in-the-new-health-care-reform-bill/

Most "tea party" followers are baby boomers reliving the '60s -latimes.com

2010-02-27T15:18:00.000-06:00

This was too fantastic not to post. Plus, the blog has been looking a bit barren lately!

A poll debunks assumptions about the movement, showing that it's largely middle-class, college-educated, white and male.

Oceans of ink, terabytes of blog space and an eternity of television time have been devoted to the latest object of media fascination, the "tea party" movement. Now (finally!), a poll conducted by CNN gives us some hard data on the Tea Party Nation.

Neither "average Americans," as they like to portray themselves, nor trailer-park "Deliverance" throwbacks, as their lefty detractors would have us believe, tea partyers are more highly educated and wealthier than the rest of America. Nearly 75% are college educated, and two-thirds earn more than $50,000.

More likely to be white and male than the general population, tea partyers also skew toward middle age or older. That's the tell. Most came of age in the 1960s, an era distinguished by widespread disrespect for government. In their wonder years, they learned that politics was about protesting the Establishment and shouting down the Man. No wonder they're doing that now.

Look closely at the tea partyer and what you see is a famil- iar American genus: a solidly middle-class, college-educated boomer, endowed by his creator with possessions, opinions and certain inalienable rights, the most important of which is the right to make sure you hear what he has to say.

The tea party is a harbinger of midlife crisis, not political crisis. For men of a certain age, it offers a counterculture experience familiar from adolescence -- underground radio, esoteric tracts, consciousness-raising teach-ins and rallies replete with extroverted behavior to shock the squares -- all paid for with ample cash.

The partyers are essentially replaying the '60s protest paradigm. (We're aging boomers ourselves, so we know it when we see it.) They fancy themselves the vanguard of a revolution, when in fact they are typical self-absorbed, privileged children used to having their way -- now -- and uninhibited about complaining loudly when they don't. It's the same demographic Spiro Agnew called "an effete corps of impudent snobs who characterize themselves as intellectuals."

In a flashback of "turn on, tune in, drop out," the partyers reject mainstream culture, don the equivalent of Che T-shirts that say "Don't Tread on Me," and join sects with trippy names like Oath Keepers, Patriotic Resistance and Freedom Force. Instead of getting themselves "back to the garden," they get off the grid and, like the Bill Ayers crew, indulge in fantasies about armed rebellion against the establishment.

But the (often-overlooked) truth about the '60s is that the great accomplishments we associate with the era -- civil rights, putting a man on the moon -- were made not by boomers but by the generation born before World War II, which accepted shared sacrifice and saw it as an expression of their belief in duty, honor and country, not as socialism.

At Woodstock, Haight-Ashbury and the marches on Washington, the boomers socialized rather than sacrificed. They made great theater, and the media couldn't resist them. It still can't.

The tea partyers' pictures and sound bites are so good, no one cares that their math doesn't add up: Cut taxes and the deficit but keep your hands off my Medicare; do something about jobs but don't increase spending. Everyone understands it's about something deeper.

Ah, tea partyer, we know ye well. One of your signs says "Listen to ME!" That's all that's ever really mattered -- the original "me generation" grabbing the spotlight and the world's attention by whatever means necessary. The rest, whether beads, bell bottoms or birther slogans, is just a means to the same end.

Source:
Most 'tea party' followers are baby boomers reliving the '60s - latimes.com

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My Sleep-Talking Roommate

2009-12-15T21:41:00.002-06:00

So this was my first semester of college. I was extremely excited. I was looking forward to the change of scenery, new friends and the whole "college experience". I was also excited to spend the year with my roommate, whom I've been friends with for several years and was from a town 40 miles away. Well I can comfortably say that it has been an enjoyable semester, and while there have been ups and downs, entire experience has been very positive. Aaron and I have gotten along well, even if he has to deal with my taste in movies and my general clutter, yet one thing I hadn't foreseen, was Aaron's tendency to talk in his sleep. I started writing things down a few weeks into school, sadly, having forgotten and missed several funny things in those early days. A little while later I began to put dates to these conversations. Finally I began to experiment with his sleep-talking state. What follows is my list of these statements in it's entirety.

The things Aaron said are just the regular sentences, while my statements are in parentheses, and other bits of information are noted by *stars.*

------------

Oh my God! I'm so sorry! Oh my gosh you have no idea how embarrassed I am, like seriously I'm so....*realizes that he's still in bed*.
(You're crazy man.)

IT wasn't me! Keep talking, sorry, wasn't me keep talking.

Its a great year, I'm really looking forward to it. And to see you! Now that I'm closer!

Vocal music at the church!?

OCT24
Uh Huh. Ok, I don't know about the dates right now, but can you email the dates to me? .... Okay... um ... Ok we can talk later.

OCT24
*panicky*... Get them off!.... What?!... k just go..

OCT27
Stop, Stop, Let's go back through that part but louder.

OCT27
NO NO NO NO NO NO.... The snowflakes are going through the porcelain!. It's gonna get cold in here.

NOV2
Did I forget Fame last night? At 46444.... I need food to see them.

NOV2
Hi! How are you? It's been so long since I've seen you, it's sad.

NOV4
HEY, will you hold on for a second? I'll be right back.... WHOA!!!!

NOV10
Sitsup and points at the TV where i'm watching a movie. OH NO!
(What?)
The boards! They're coming out!
(You were sleep talking again Aaron.)
No I wasn't.
.......
Yes I was.

NOV10
Did you dig through all the stuff to find it?
(Yes. Dig through what to find what?)
I don't know......*Snore*

NOV10
I eat at the penetentiary alot. It's for my mom. We eat there pretty often. I know. Don't judge me. It's nice I don't know what you're talking about.

NOV13
Oh yeah! Yeah, she with uh... I think.. uh.. I think she's with a Britton boy now... Nice gal.. real nice.

NOV13
SHHHHH! What the heck was that?

NOV16
Hahahahaha... *sigh*

NOV18
I love this song.
(Yeah?)
(sits up) OH sorry! I'll turn it down, it's so loud and you're trying to sleep.
(Turn what down Aaron?)
The music, I.... oh.. It was just playing in my head... I thought..... the ipod.. sorry, nevermind.

NOV24
Hey, Hey hey, Hey, Hey That's what I'm taking. Hey. That's exactly what I'm taking. Hey. It's nothing to worry about. Hey. Hey. It's fine.
(Are you talking on the phone?... hey... Aaron?... you awake?)
Sorry I just got a text from my friend who's gonna be in intermediate algebra, and I'm just like it's not a big deal, I'm in it too, but she's just freaking out. I don't know what her problem is. It's not a big deal I'm gonna be in it too. But she's just freaking out. I don't know.
(So you called her back?)
No she just texted me.
(But then why were you talking?)
What are you talking about?
(You were just talking out loud. Did you call her?)
No I wasn't talking to her. I don't know what you're talking about.
(Ok Aaron.)
**I asked Aaron the next day who he got the text from, and he didn't recall any of it. He checked his phone and there was no text. Basically the whole thing was a dream and I just joined in. This would probably have to be about the most complete conversation we've had while he was asleep so far.**

NOV24
You do what you can...

DEC5
I'll go around the world!

DEC13
How was Mom thinking?

DEC14
I have one of these emails!

So there it is. Many people have been looking forward to this post for a long time. I plan to do a follow up next semester. If you enjoyed this, share the link with a friend!

It isn't easy being Pro-Palin.

2009-12-04T23:13:00.000-06:00

Found this video the other day. Thought it really captured the intelligence and careful, well studied understanding of Sarah Palin's supporters.

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20091207/palinfans_video

Lost

2009-11-26T18:18:00.000-06:00

Found this great little story... Thought I'd post it!

A woman in a hot air balloon realized she was lost. She lowered her altitude and spotted a man in a boat below. She shouted to him, “Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don’t know where I am.”

The man consulted his portable GPS and replied, “You’re in a hot air balloon, approximately 30 feet above ground elevation of 2,346 feet above sea level. You are at 31 degrees, 14.97 minutes north latitude and 100 degrees, 49.09 minutes west longitude.

“She rolled her eyes and said, “You must be an Obama Democrat.”
“I am,”replied the man. “How did you know?”

“Well,” answered the balloonist, “everything you told me is technically correct. But I have no idea what to do with your information, and I’m still lost. Frankly, you’ve not been much help to me.”

The man smiled and responded, “You must be a Republican.”
“I am,” replied the balloonist. “How did you know?”

“Well,” said the man, “you don’t know where you are or where you are going. You’ve risen to where you are due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise you have no idea how to keep, and you expect me to solve your problem. You’re in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but somehow, now it’s my fault.”

A WWII Veteran's Stance on Gay Marriage

2009-11-22T14:59:00.000-06:00

I stumbled upon this today and was compelled to share it with others. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

It's not much, but it's a post.

2009-11-13T15:57:00.002-06:00

So I thought I would blog more when I got to college, yet I have found myself preoccupied with having a life! I do have a few college themed posts coming up, but until then, I thought I'd just post this lovely image that made me smile.

Farmers Union Spirit

2009-08-10T15:05:00.002-05:00

In case you don't get the Union Farmer, this is the article I wrote which is featured in the most recent edition.

Every June, a diverse group of teens from across South Dakota converges upon a small camp nestled in the Black Hills. These teens begin their journey to camp on two buses, one each from the north and south. Up until each bus reaches the hills, their trip is a swift one, crossing the state, with the customary McDonalds lunch stop, and many long conversations between friends who take advantage of the time to catch up since seeing each other at the last state camp. But eventually, after several hours on the road, the buses arrive at the foot of a winding two-mile stretch of gravel leading to Camp Placerville. Thus begins a busy but educational week.

One of our biggest and most rewarding projects begins right at the beginning of camp with the formation of our 5 different cooperatives: The Co-op Store, The Daily Newspaper, the Insurance Co-op, the Credit Union and the Coffee Co-op. Another highlight of the week includes Tour Day, which took this year to a Radio/Television Station in Rapid City, Mini Golfing, The Presidential Wax Museum, and Mount Rushmore. And of course state camp wouldn’t be state camp without Theme Dances, Cooperation Games, Campfires, and singing our favorite camp songs!

I’ve been going to Farmers Union camps since I was around seven or eight years old, and I can definitely remember not being extremely confident in myself or comfortable around so many crazy, singing, chanting people. But one thing that stuck in my mind through all my years attending district and local camps was constantly hearing about how great Farmers Union State Camp was. Back then I can remember thinking of this camp as essentially the Holy Grail of camp experiences, and each year I grew more eager to get to be a part of it. Through my years at district camps, I made many friends, some of whom I would serve on the Junior Advisory Council with many years later, and with whom I made memories that will last forever. It has been these friends who I believe have been one of the biggest benefits of being involved with the Farmers Union Youth Program. They have shaped my beliefs, my sense of humor, and who I am as a person.

Farmers Union and its youth program have had such a tremendous impact on my life and I could never thank this great organization and it’s staff enough. I look forward to being involved with the Farmers Union for the rest of my life, and I know that because of the education program, many kids who come after me will do the same. If you have children or grandchildren who haven’t yet attended a district or state camp, strongly encourage them to do so! It has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Hi, I'm a Mac.

2009-06-28T22:19:00.003-05:00

Wow. It's been quite a while since my last post. I'm fairly disappointed in myself over that fact, but I've definitely been busy. Graduation, camps, work, and everything else in between have seriously been cramping my time to do some writing, but here I am.

This is my first post from my new Macbook! So far I'm loving it. Everything is just so, integrated! And as Martin Luther King Jr. would say, "It's all about the integration."

As for graduating from high school, I'm couldn't be more excited. Every day I find something new that I'm glad I won't have to deal with! I'm beyond ecstatic to be going to SDSU in the fall. So many great friends will be there, and I've got a great room-mate!

On an un-related note, I'm recently addicted to twitter. Follow me @BeefHarbor

Not much else to say right now, but I'll try to post again soon.

- B

A Conversation With Myself

2009-03-15T16:54:00.004-06:00

Shortly after joining facebook, curiousity got the better of me, and I searched for my own name. In the facebook universe, there are five people with listed profiles who share my name, so naturally, I added the Blake at the top of the list. I didn't think much of it at the time, and it wasn't until roughly a year later, last night, I noticed that he was online. As far as I know, we have no relation, at least, not a close one. I'm sure if you went back in our family tree, you might find that we are, but essentially, we're not. For your convienience, I have numbered the two Blakes as 1 and 2. I am number one, and the conversation that ensued was as follows:
Blake 1
Good morning Blake ******!

Blake 2
still night time to me bro
thats gotta sound weird saying that

Blake 1
I suppose it is. It's 1:15 here
haha yeah quite weird

Blake 2
how's the fam?

Blake 1
even more wierd seeing status updates with my name
oh they're great

Blake 2
been a while since the last family reunion

Blake 1
That it has.

Blake 2
ever heard of anyone else named blake ******, or u think its just the 2 of us?

Blake 1
I searched on facebook, and theres like 3 or so

Blake 2
including us?

Blake 1
yes
5. I just checked

Blake 2
those other 3 guys r probably pretty cool

Blake 1
I have a feeling they're some of the coolest.

Blake 2
if they put us all in one room together the world would probably end

Blake 1
We should.
An epic gathering of Blake ******s.

Blake 2
how many people does it take to start a country?

Blake 1
Land.
I don't believe the population matters.

Blake 2
wrong word
how many people does it take to start a nation?

Blake 1
There was this country called the principality of sealand, and it was just an old oil drilling station. But it was sold.

Blake 2
the land comes after
im sure we could buy a corner of new zealand or something for a reasonable price

Blake 1
Sounds fantasic. Land in south dakota would probably be cheaper tho, however, the united states government doesn't take lightly to succession.

Blake 2
it would only be 5 of us

Blake 2
its not like every christian man in america wants out

Blake 1
yeah.
It reminds me of a Family Guy episode

Blake 2
yeah, what did he call it

Blake 1
Petoria!

Blake 2
petoria or somethin...?
hah, im not even a huge family guy fan
ive seen that one though

Blake 2
oh wait, ur actually from south dakota?

Blake 1
Did you think that was a joke?

Blake 2
i thought u were just pickin a random place in america

Blake 1
haha nope

Blake 2
i didnt know there were people in south dakota, i thought there were just mountains and bugs

Blake 1
(Facepalm)

Blake 2
u know i was kidding, right?

Blake 1
I've heard of the mythical people who don't realize that south dakotan's drive cars and have tv and internet.
haha i hoped as much

Blake 2
wait wait
ur tellin me that u have tv and internet too?
i suppose u have houses too
i knew there were people in south dakota, but come on

Blake 1
nope, we live in teepees and sod houses

Blake 2
and ur communicating with me through some special ancient telepathic voodoo trick, too right? like im not crazy or anything

Blake 1
totally. the smoke signals travel long distances
Buffalo dung burn long time.

Blake 2
i think i'll visit south dakota someday
sounds like a lovely place

Blake 1
it is nice. I like living here.

Blake 2
and i've heard property is cheap

Blake 1
yes. quite. the cost of living is much lower
I just got back from DC, which is a huge price increase for everything.

Blake 2
im from NYC, u don't have to tell me about prices of everyday items

fortunately south florida is much cheaper

Blake 1
i'd believe it.

Blake 2
probably relatively the same prices as u
how much was gas last time u drove past one?

Blake 1
ha. gas is like two something...

Blake 2
in ur horsedrawn buggy

Blake 1
the horse produces its own gas.

Blake 2
does ur horse ever provide the gas station with its gas?

Blake 1
nope, natual gas doesnt work for cars, they need gasoline

Blake 2
i didnt know that gas stations in south dakota sold gasoline

Blake 1
well, they used to just sell seeds, and hay, but they've been upgrading.

Blake 2
primitive...

Blake 1
Yeah, but i've heard about this new thing called fire! it seems to be all the rage. The wheel just came out last week, and i'm thinking of saving up enough corn and cattle to trade for one

Blake 2
good for you
its nice to know this information is being leaked to you
how you're getting it i have no idea

Blake 1
The underground railroad just hit south dakota. They've brought alot of info. I can't believe you've been keeping all these slaves. Long live the freedom train.

Blake 2
YOU HAVE BLACK PEOPLE TOO?

Blake 2
do they interact with you?

Blake 1
They play sports with us!
They're really good tho.

Blake 2
i hope you don't let them play basketball

Blake 1
We did.

Blake 2
uh oh
i hate to tell you this...
but south dakota is pretty much screwed as far as basketball and most other major sports goes for a long time

Blake 1
We have no major sports teams, so I think it's going to be an improvement.

Blake 2
do u play with coconuts or rocks?

Blake 1
Are you suggesting that coconuts migrate?

Blake 2
you had already implied that your people had means of trade

Blake 1
I had to ask, that was an obscure reference to monty python and the holy grail.

Blake 2
dont think ive ever seen that movie

Blake 1
shame, great flick.
well i should probably go.

Blake 2
is that the one with a guy with a wheelbarrel full of dead people at the beginning saying "bring out your dead"?

Blake 1
yeah!

Blake 2
oh, ok.. i have seen that then
have a good night man

Blake 1
you too! I might post this convo on my blog.

Blake 2
haha
cool with me
later bro, BLAKE POWER!

Blake 1
Amen brother, Amen.

Valentines Day

2009-02-12T21:21:00.002-06:00

Valentines Day is less than 48 hours away, and I can't say enough to explain why I hate it. Now the view that I have may be a limited one, as a single person, and as someone who has never been in a relationship on Valentines Day, but if you're not a couple caught up in the rampant consumerism inherent in your "I Love You - Chocolates" and You're My Everything - Flowers", and you happen to be alone this Valentines Day, you realize what a crock is. Valentines day, for the single, is just a chance to show everyone how alone you are.

Some of us are never the object of affection. So to have a day where everyone else is given smiles, kisses and candy,and we receive a sharp kick in the pants (Usually in the metaphorical sense, but sometimes literally.) is near cruelty. Valentines day, in the most basic necessity for those untethered by someone who cares about them, is a day for everyone to see just how alone you are, and in your loneliness, you can feel more pathetic, worthless, and alone.

Until the next time I'm pissed off about something,
B.

Thursday

2009-01-29T16:49:00.003-06:00

Happy Thursday Everyone.

I should have probably posted on the 20th, seeing as it was the day that Barack Obama was inaugurated our 44th president, but as is typical for me, life shoveled some crap my way, so to try and be excited about everything would have been grossly overshadowed with my dismal mood.

However, the inauguration went off without serious problems, and some friends were even there to see it! I'm looking forward to the t-shirt they got me!

Life's been sub par at best lately. I've been pretty fed up/depressed over everything for a good week now. I had fun with the one act play this week, but I'm glad it's done too. Basketball is going well, and with the recent victory over Ipswitch, we're feeling pretty positive.

I have a few things to be thankful for. Timing. This week has been alot easier for me than it would have, even if absence makes the heart grow fonder.

I've been listening to alot of music lately. It just helps me to shut everything out. I heard the song "What Hurts the Most" by Rascal Flatts on the radio yesterday, and while I'd heard the song many times before, it never fit like it does now. I'm not trying to sound like some emo tho... so enough of that.

Until next time,
-B

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-28T15:50:00.002-06:00

It's pretty sad that in my last post, I made a resolution to blog more. Yet, here I am, over a month later, finally writing another post. I suppose I'd have to say i just got busy. Basketball season started, and classes were getting more and more hectic, so the blog was pushed to the wayside. Another excuse is that my life itself has been much more positive and exciting, so venting hasn't been my priority.... But it's Christmas vacation, and I'm back.

I got 5 new books for Christmas, and a 25$ gift card for Barnes and Noble.

The Five Books are:

Catch-22 - Joseph Heller
I've wanted to read this for a long time. It's one of those books that, "Change the way you see the world"....

Say It Like Obama - Shel Leanne
The title is pretty much self explanatory, it tells how to use oration to motivate and inspire.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard - J. K. Rowling
Do I really need to explain this one? I'm a Potter fan through and through. It's pretty much manditory that I read this.

Blindness - Jose Saramago
This was made into a movie recently.. but I didn't see much about it after it came out. A city is hit with an epidemic of "White Blindness" and one woman is spared. Jose Saramago won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1998.

It's Kind of a Funny Story - Ned Vizzini
I don't know a lot about this one. It caught my eye in Barnes and Noble, so I snapped a picture of the cover, I do this to remember books.

A few more notable gifts include:

The Dark Knight DVD

A sweet Converse Duffle Bag

Obama Calendar

GIFT CARDS!

and one of my personal Favorites.....

A T-Shirt that Says BEEFHARBOR!

So with some pretty cool gifts, great food, family around, and the occasional text that made me smile, I'd say this was a pretty great Christmas!

Thankful

2008-11-23T18:22:00.005-06:00

Thanksgiving is around the corner, and seeing as I haven't posted in awhile, I thought I'd recap a few things to be thankful for.

POLITICS

TED STEVENS LOST! - The incumbent senator from Alaska, who has been in the senate for over 40 years and and was recently accused of fraud, has lost his senate race after a recount!
MINNESOTA RECOUNT - The numbers are dwindling for Norm Coleman, the incumbent republican senator from Minnesota. This is good news for Al Franken and the Democrats, who are only two seats shy of winning a "super majority" of 60 senate seats for a filibuster proof majority.
DASCHLE CHOSEN! - Former Senator from South Dakota Tom Daschle was chosen as Health and Human Services Secretary by Obama!

Economy

IT COULD BE WORSE - It's gonna get worse... but its not there yet! (This was the best I could do.)

My Personal Life

Less than 6 months of High School left!
We're going to State Oral Interp in Sturgis!
Basketball Season is starting soon!

I'd be kidding myself if I didn't admit that there are somethings that we aren't thankful for.

So....

"Joe the Plumber" is writing a book... God Why?
Nobody seems to agree on what to do about the "Big Three" auto companies. Personally, I think we need to bail them out, because we can't afford to lose them completely. But I'm not too sure what I think of Chrystler. They're a private company.... so should they get the public's money?
Twilight.... Need I say more? ( I say this in jest. I haven't read the book or seen the movie so I can't really judge!)

The Problem with Capitalism

2008-11-14T15:53:00.001-06:00

Socialism has been a big word this year.

The argument has been that socialism is an evil system, and that, “Mighty Capitalism,” must always prevail. However, is this really the case?
When you look at the capitalist nations of the world, how are they doing these days economically? Most anyone who has not been living under a rock for the past year could tell you that few are in great shape. Yet, when you look at China, a socialist country, you will notice that they’re doing pretty well. So what is the beef with socialism?
The argument is that with socialism, you have less control over business. The government controls the industries, keeps the wealth from being concentrated in small chunks of the population, and evens it out so that everyone is closer to being equal. As opposed to Capitalism which is somewhat like an, every man for himself philosophy which gives everyone the chance to be successful, or in the poorhouse.
Capitalism isn’t without its faults, however. One argument against capitalism that is quite valid is that when the market falters, everyone suffers, even the people who haven’t invested any money in the stock market, but when the market does well, the only people who profit are the people who’ve invested. Where is the fairness in that?
Now I’m no socialist, and I do believe that Capitalism is much better than socialism, but both have faults along with their positive sides. The best thing we could do, would be to combine aspects of socialism with capitalism, to form sort of hybrid of sorts, Sopitalism or Cashalist if you will. It could incorporate the strengths of the regulations on healthcare and infrastructure of socialism, with the free market and freedom to work hard and succeed of capitalism, America could truly put itself back on top.

November 10th Resolutions

2008-11-10T22:26:00.002-06:00

New Years is still almost two months off, and I figured, why wait? I might as well start now and hope to better myself. So here they are, a simple seven. I may add to the list at some point, but I doubt it. If someone has a better one or something to add feel free to comment. Yet here they stand.

1. Have more "silent freak outs".

2. Smile More. I think this would help me a lot.

3. Try not to get attached. Attachments make failures more pronounced. This goes for people and possessions.

4. Listen to more music. Music is such a beautiful escape from everything. Even the simple oldies of "Power of Love" by Huey Lewis and the News, have been able to console me for days upon end.

5. Read more Non-Fiction. Right now i'm reading "The Year of Living Biblically" by A. J. Jacobs, and its really good. On second thought... it doesn't neccesarily need to be Non-fiction, just books that truly provoke thought and broaden my view of life.

6. Blog more. This almost goes without saying, but I need to blog at bare minimum, once a week. I'd prefer to do it more, but the posts wouldn't have much meaning or substance, especially now that the election is over.

7. Go for walks. Silent and alone. For exercise and to process everything that I think about throughout the day.

Blogging is like confession to the world. Truth is Marching.

Yes We Did.

2008-11-05T20:48:00.002-06:00

Words cannot express the sheer thrill of watching Barack Obama get elected last night. I know that it will be a part of history that I will be telling my children about some day. I and a few friends stayed up to see history in the making. As state after state turned blue it almost felt surreal, and I had to wonder, is this really happening? Did America actually make a decision that the world respects? A few pinches later, the resounding answer was, Yes. The election was an absolute blowout of epic proportions. I heard analysts saying that some day people will refer to American politics as Pre-Obama and Post-Obama. I read about the cheers of the people of the world who saw this as their election too, because they wanted to be able to see America as a place of hope, something they haven't done in years.

Aberdeen American News Can No Longer Be Completely Trusted.

2008-11-02T22:37:00.002-06:00

Much to my dismay, the Aberdeen American News endorsed John McCain. It was sad to see a paper which I respected stand beside the garbage that has been coming out of the McCain-Palin camp for this election season. To take it even further, they neglected to say why John McCain was the better candidate, and instead chose to paint Barack as an eloquent shell of a man with no redeming qualities or ideas, besides his ability to speak.
It was to be expected I suppose. South Dakota hasn't voted for a democrat in 44 years. They didn't even vote for George McGovern in '72, and he was from South Dakota! I'm tired of such sad blindness. Therefore, BeefHarbor officially endorses Barack Obama for President of the United States.

Truth is Marching.

2008-11-02T00:26:00.004-06:00

I've been thinking about a lot of stuff lately. I can't narrow said "stuff" down to anything more specific than "stuff", but it doesn't mean that the aforementioned "stuff" is any less confusing or frustrating to the average teenager than other "stuff" that might be on the atypical teen mind. I see people making choices around me, choices that will affect them for the rest of their life. Not just physically, but emotionally, and will even affect the way people around them will see them. At times I feel like I may be getting left behind, as a piece of discarded furniture from their lives which at points may have involved me. These are people I've trusted, admired, and maybe even harbored a slight to moderate affection for, but who have chosen a new path, and one that I cannot, or will not follow, even if I would wish to.
Some times I think a rare one has changed. That they've seen something better. This hope of a better direction ends up as a cold slap to the face. It's as if they're saying, "Ha! As if taking the road less traveled by is worth it! Acceptance by all and no fear of rejection is a far more cuddly security blanket than that of self respect and true appreciation from friends."
So many people see the world with their eyes shut. They refuse to see people for who they are, or to see the difference between such simple things as right and wrong. These people still believe that possibilities are endless, yet they've already closed so many doors for themselves.
I heard someone say today, that "Life is a journey, and it takes getting to the end of this journey to realize that the journey itself was the most important part." When you finish your journey, do you want to look back on it and regret it all? I've recently made a more conscious effort to leave fear and and maybe even reason at the door in some situations, all in the hopes that by taking a chance, it may just pay off. Admittedly, these chances haven't paid off, and have caused more frustration and disappointment than if I'd left some things unsaid, but I maintain that such things have been right to attempt. Regret is a painful demon to live with. It tears at you until it is satisfied, and such demons have a hefty appetite. Time may heal all wounds, but the ones that cannot be seen cannot be healed by conventional means.

Blogging is like confession to the world. Truth is Marching.

Only Poll That Matters

2008-10-28T18:05:00.004-06:00

While hilarious, John McCain was right when he said that the only poll that matters is the one on election day. I read today that Barack is up ten points in Nevada, which is good. I think i'll put my prediction map on here soon... just to see how close I am!

10 Days

2008-10-25T17:53:00.005-05:00

There hasn't been a lot of juicy stuff for me to talk about lately, so here's a recap of the goings on: there's been some big endorsements, some campaigning, Obama visited his ailing grandmother, and the stock market is still rocky. The big day is fast approaching and I'm pretty excited. I've found myself lately in heated debates with people I know well, and some I don't know at all. For me, that's what the entire election has been about. Passion. Passion for change, passion for leadership, passion for a positive standing in the world.
I read probably around a hundred political articles a week, on all sides of the spectrum. From Baldwin to Barr, McKinney to McCain and everyone in between, I look for things that stand out. Some of the most frequently repeated statistics I've found, are the world polls for who they want to see win the election, and if the election were held today worldwide, Obama would win in an exponential landslide. I think that deep down, even when so many in the world have a negative view of the United States, they all know, and long for, the beacon that the USA has been in the past. The flame that has been held here for centuries has considerably dwindled in recent years, but the world sees this as the opportunity America needs to redeem itself. The Iraq war was a huge blow to the world's view of America, so it's no surprise that it's a big reason for the support, but the economic crisis having affected the entire world, has also shaped the view of the candidates globally.
I read recently in Readers Digest that of 15 major countries around the world, America was the only country with over 25% supporting John McCain.
Well Barack may have the lead for now, but I don't want to get too optimistic. There's still a lot of time left. I just hope that America makes the right choice, not just for ourselves or our own personal beliefs, but for the sake of the world.

Endorsements

2008-10-19T12:33:00.002-05:00

You may have heard that Secretary General Colin Powell just pledged his support for Barack Obama. I think that's pretty big news! I decided to put together a small list of other people and organizations that have endorsed Obama, mostly ones that I've heard of and/or respect and like.

Will Ferrel
J. J. Abrams
Bill Maher
Jack Black
Morgan Freeman
Samuel L. Jackson
Will Smith
George Lucas
Steven Spielberg
Michael Jordan
OK Go
Stephen King
The PC guy from the Mac Commercials (John Hodgman)
Christopher Buckley
Tim Johnson
Jimmy Carter
Bill Clinton
Al Gore
J. K. Rowling
The Boston Globe
The Denver Post
The Los Angeles Times
The New Yorker
The Washington Post
The Seattle Times

That's only a tiny fraction of the massive list. I got these from Wikipedia.

Sign From God?

2008-10-18T00:44:00.002-05:00

I was on facebook this evening, when suddenly a captcha popped up to verify that I was a real person. I assume it was because I put this blogs' URL in the status update, so it was making sure I wasn't some spammer. But I found that the captcha seemed to be telling me something.....

Debate Update

2008-10-17T23:24:00.002-05:00

So the final presidential debate just took place a few days ago, and the fur flew.

It was without a doubt John McCain's best debate thus far. He was aggressive, which is what he needed to be, but I think his aggression may have come across quickly as anger. And while Obama was on the defensive for a while, he pulled himself into a comfortable stride, leaving McCain nipping at his heels.

Time (A Facebook Status Update)

2008-10-17T22:55:00.005-05:00

Blake is watching time stand still. 6:27pm - 13 comments

Mat at 7:18pm October 17

What does it look like?

Blake at 9:44pm October 17

a bunch of clocks. with no batteries.

Mat at 10:19pm October 17

good answer, although the fact that you were able to witness this phenomenon contradicts the initial claim

Mat at 10:20pm October 17

lol wut

Blake at 10:22pm October 17

not quite... time was standing still..but there were just alot of battery-less clocks in the area when time stopped.

Mat at 10:23pm October 17

If time was standing still then it would be imperceptible to humans due to the fact that it takes a small amount of time for images to even reach our eyes

Blake at 10:29pm October 17

time stood still around me... or maybe it would be more accurate to say that my perception was increased due to an increased speed at which my body functioned, thus giving the perception, due to my ability to see and do more things in greater detail in a short amount of time, that time was indeed standing still.

Mat at 10:31pm October 17

speed relies on time

Mat at 10:32pm October 17

so really what you are saying is that time slowed down

Mat at 10:33pm October 17

or i suppose it would be possible that you speeded up

Blake at 10:37pm October 17

speed doesn't rely on time, speed relies on action, time is just a concept of keeping track of how long ago things happened and how much longer one must wait to do others. I suppose that when in relation to speed via distance, time may come into play when referring to a timeframe of action, of course, if i go down this path, speed doesnt really exist either, its just also a concept of how long it takes to do something, which in turn relies on time. So in that aspect i suppose speed relies on time. But my argument is this: To the Flash, time around him would have to seem slow, things around him stay the same and in the same place while he was able to move around them freely? Isn't he going faster, yet in the same amount of time?

Mat at 10:49pm October 17

Well it's not really fair to use a fictional character as an example, but I see the flash in much the same way as I see a beam of light. Although they seem ubiquitous to the naked eye they are still bound by the laws of physics, and therefore can only travel at a finite rate. I am not honestly sure what you are asking in your question, but its time for me to go find something else to do. Thanks for providing me with a distraction for about an hour, its been fun.

Blake at 10:49pm October 17

It has been fun for me as well. I may post this on my blog.

-----------

Blake not actually watching time stand still, but because he is moving really fast, everything else around him has the appearance of being slowed down to a halt. 10:51pm - comment

Smear Campaigning Should Be Beneath John McCain

2008-10-11T15:09:00.001-05:00

Fantastic article... and the ironic part..... it's from Fox News!

FOXNews.com - Smear Campaigning Should Be Beneath John McCain - Opinion

William Ayers and voter fraud. Cindy McCain on the attack. Say it ain’t so, John.

The economy is in a tailspin, and so is John McCain. Our retirement plans and college savings accounts are shrinking, and McCain is shrinking right with them. He’s not just on the verge of getting clobbered in the election. He’s on the verge of becoming an object of utter ridicule. It isn’t pretty to watch. Even for a Democrat.
It’s bad enough that 100 percent of the ads McCain is running are negative. That’s a sign of a campaign in free fall, with nothing affirmative to say and nothing positive to offer; a campaign that can’t win with the support it has now, that needs to find some way to move voters out of the other guy’s camp.
What’s worse is the content of the negative ads. They aren’t about policy and issues. They aren’t about what’s wrong with Obama’s economic plans, much less what’s right about McCain’s. They aren’t about why Barack Obama would be a bad president, much less why McCain would be a good one.They’re screaming bloody murder that Barack Obama left a phone message two years ago for a guy who engaged in radical activity when Barack Obama was 8 years old and living in Indonesia. Ayers, who is a neighbor of Obama’s, even had some kind of meet-and-greet for him 13 years ago, when Obama was running for state Senate, making him one of about a million people who’ve opened their homes and their checkbooks to the guy.

Imagine that. We’re in the midst of an international economic crisis and the McCain folks are trying to make hay out of what a guy who hosted a reception for Obama 13 years ago was doing 20 years before that.
Is William Ayers the best the McCain camp can do? The ads claim that Obama’s relationship with Ayres is somehow proof of his dangerous ambition. But it’s McCain’s blind ambition, or his campaign’s bad judgment, that is painfully on display in the newest ads.
U.S. Senator John McCain tried to use his influence to help a crook named Charlie Keating, one of the worst of the saving and loan robbers, a man who ripped off everyone in sight, including American taxpayers. That’s OK. Forgive and forget. But serving on a foundation board with a guy who engaged in radical politics decades ago? That’s a voting issue? Desperate. Dumb. You want to convince voters that you’re totally out of touch with their lives, and their fears, this is the way to do it.
I have always respected John McCain, even if I did not always agree with him. I respected him when, in the wake of his role in the Keating Five mess, he stood up to support reform of the system of campaign finance that gives crooks like Charlie Keating more influence than they should ever have. I respected him for standing up against the politicization of judicial appointments, and for standing up to the talk show hosts who have so cowed Republicans to try to do something sensible and fair on the immigration issue.
I especially respected him in 2000, when he should have been the Republicans’ nominee but for the dirty tricks of the Bush campaign. He was done in by an ugly smear campaign. Now he’s trying to run one.
It should be beneath him. There’s a reason McCain didn’t raise Ayers’ name once in the three sometimes stultifying hours of one-on-one debate between the candidates thus far. It would have made him look small and silly. It does now.
It’s also a waste of time. This isn’t that kind of election. This is the kind of election where worrying about Willie Horton would be a luxury for most people, let alone William Ayers. Does McCain not understand that? Is he really so out-of-touch? Being out of touch in the midst of a crisis that is destroying our economic security is a whole lot worse, politically speaking, than being on a foundation board with a '60s radical.
Then there’s voter fraud, which seems to be Item No. 2 on the Republican talking points, right behind William Ayers. John McCain should be so lucky that voter fraud could be a decisive issue. He’s looking at being humiliated, not being robbed.Obviously, voter fraud is a bad thing. Election officials should do everything they can to make sure that this is a clean and fair election. But elections are a little like criminal trials. Defendants deserve a fair trial, not a perfect one. Perfection is not a realistic standard. You don’t need a perfect trial to have a fair result. Ditto for elections, especially those that are not going to be decided by razor thin margins.
If ACORN gave a guy cigarettes to register to vote more than once, by all means, punish ACORN and the guy. By all means, scrutinize suspicious entries on the voter rolls. But let’s get serious. This election is not going to be decided by people voting early and often, or by scamsters selling out for cigarettes.
It’s going to be decided by millions of Americans who are worried about gyrations in the market, not in the voter rolls. John McCain and his supporters should be focused on what they’ve got to offer to legitimate voters who are legitimately worried about their economic futures, not about votes for cigarette scams.
Finally, there’s the matter of the wives. You don’t need to read the polls, or even follow the collapse in the Dow, to know which way the political wind is blowing.
Just listen to the wives. Michelle Obama is the model of good will. Was she offended that John McCain called her husband “that one”? She barely even heard. She was paying attention to the undecided voters. She doesn’t let phrases bother her. Her husband likes and respects John McCain, and always has. Do you know what confidence sounds like? It sounds like that.
Cindy McCain is another story. Accusing Barack Obama of endangering her son by voting against one of the military funding bills doesn’t make all that much sense, given that her husband also voted against one of the funding bills, in his case because it included a timeline for withdrawal. It sounds mean-spirited, and desperate.
It’s one thing to lose an election. That happens to half the people who get as far as McCain and Obama have. It’s another to lose your integrity in the process. John McCain has worked long and hard to build a reputation as a man of honor, a man who puts country first. He’s in danger of losing all that in the process of losing this election.
It’s too bad, not for Democrats, but for a decent man. And it’s a waste, given that McCain’s best shot, his only shot, is to prove that he is up to the challenges America faces right now.
Just when he needs to be big, he has never seemed smaller.

Republicans

2008-10-10T15:18:00.001-05:00

This is definitely not true of all republicans.. but it was too funny for me to not post it!

That one.

2008-10-09T23:25:00.005-05:00

So I have a few things to talk about.

The Debate
Why is liberal used like an insult?
Obama Stuff is here!
Mask
Victory Imminent

Ok, first the debate. I found it to be for the most part pretty boring. I'll admit I hoped to see a few more verbal punches thrown to keep it interesting, but it was pretty mellow. The strangest comment obviously would have to be "That one." It admittedly bugged me, but John McCain's inablilty to even look at Obama showed a lack of confidence and strength to even consider running this country. Its sad if you can't even look your opponent in the eye. It showed that he's scared. Scared that people have actually been listening, scared that young people are caring like never before, with the majority backing Barack, scared that he's slowly starting to realize that he's not the right guy for this country.

Second, and I've heard it said alot lately, and it just makes me wonder why it's seen as a bad thing, to be called liberal, McCain says it almost daily that Barack is too liberal for this country and that he has the "most liberal voting record of the senate".

Third, finally, after wating for over a month, my Obama apparell arrived. The buttons are all really nice, and the t-shirt is of great quality. I'll post some pictures up her sometime soon.

I bought an Obama mask last weekend up in Fargo, and today for SuperHero Day, I dressed as my hero, Barack Obama. Pictured are myself and Taylor.

And finally, I have to say that I don't believe that there is any way that Barack could lose this election. People see what needs to be done, they see who we don't need and who's failed policies haven't worked, and they see that fundamental change is necessary to bring us out of this downward spiral, and to repair our standing in the world. If you look at Yahoo.com's political dashboard, you can see that even in some republican strongholds, people are starting to take notice, and realizing what this country needs.

Updates....

2008-10-07T17:04:00.001-05:00

So a month after placing an order on democraticstuff.com and after multiple emails and attempts to call with no response, I got a notification of a shipped order. Keep in mind that this order was supposed to take a week and a half tops. I have a feeling that when a certain report was filed with the credit card company to flag the order, suddenly getting my order to me was a priority, not before.
Well it's homecoming this week, so after dressin' tacky yesterday, and headin' out in my best western wear this morning I must admit that i'm dissapointedly going to miss tonights debate. I'll tape it, but it's just not quite the same. However, I suppose that my senior year coronation is a fairly good excuse to miss it. If I'm right, and I'd like to assume I am, Barack will do what he always does, and tonight McCain will step up his attacks on Barack's character and insult him over his past aquaintances. I read recently that during one of Governor Palin's speeches, after repeatedly saying that Obama worked with terrorists, people in the crowd shouted for his death. Its crap like that, that you can expect from the GOP. It's just sad that even one of McCain's advisors said that if they don't attack Obama's character and the people he's met in his life, they won't stand a chance of winning the election. But Obama knows what the election is really about, and its good to know that for once, the right man will become president in November.

Thank God for that.

Dumbing down the GOP

2008-10-06T20:39:00.003-05:00

This is a great article that really sums up what is wrong with Sarah Palin.

Sarah Palin's debate performance should signal the beginning of the end of her fad. But for the moment it is worth looking at the meaning of her nomination, without the protective varnish of what conservatives usually dismiss as political correctness.
Why should we pretend not to notice when Gov. Palin's ideas make no sense? Having said last week that "it doesn't matter" whether human activity is the cause of climate change, she said in debate that she "doesn't want to argue" about the causes. It doesn't occur to her that we have to know the causes in order to address the problem. (She was very fortunate that moderator Gwen Ifill didn't ask her whether she truly believes that human beings and dinosaurs inhabited this planet simultaneously only 6,000 years ago.)
Why should we ignore her inability to string together a series of coherent thoughts? As a foe of Wall Street greed and a late convert to the gospel of government regulation, along with John McCain, Palin promised to clean up and reform business. But when her programmed talking points about "getting government out of the way" and protecting "freedom" conflicted with that promise, she didn't notice.

Why should we give her a pass on the most important issues of the day? Supposedly sharing the fears and concerns of the average families who face the burdens of mortgages, healthcare and economic insecurity, Palin simply refused to discuss changes in bankruptcy law and proved that she didn't know the provisions of McCain's healthcare plan.
All the glaring defects so blatantly on display in her debate with Joe Biden -- and that make her candidacy so darkly comical -- would be the same if she were a hockey dad instead of a "hockey mom." In fact, the cynical attempt to foist Palin on the nation as a symbol of feminist progress is an insult to all women regardless of their political orientation.
There was a time when conservatives lamented the dumbing down of American culture. Preservation of basic standards in schools and workplaces compelled them -- or so they said -- to resist affirmative action for women and minorities. Qualifications mattered; merit mattered; and demagogic appeals for leveling were to be left to the Democrats.
Not anymore.
Actually, the Palin phenomenon is the culmination of a trend that can be traced back to Dan Quayle, the undistinguished Indiana senator whose elevation onto the Republican ticket in 1988 had nothing to do with intellect or experience and everything to do with the youthful appeal of a handsome blond frat boy. (That was how Republican strategists thought they would attract female voters back then, which must be why they believe Palin represents progress.) Quayle too was unable to articulate, let alone defend, the policy positions for which he was supposed to be campaigning. He too had to undergo the surgical stuffing of stock phrases into his head as a minimal substitute for knowledge and thought. And in the same sad way, he too benefited from the drastically reduced expectations applied to anyone whose inadequacy is so obvious.

Quayle deserved more pity than scorn, however, because he seemed to know that he was fighting far above his weight class. Palin evokes no such sympathy, with her jut-jawed, moose-gutting confidence in her own overrated "common sense" and her bullying insistence that only "elitists" would question her expertise.
As Biden showed quite convincingly when he spoke about his modest background and his continuing connection with Main Street, perceptive, intelligent discourse is in no way identical with elitism. Palin's phony populism is as insulting to working- and middle-class Americans as it is to American women. Why are basic diction and intellectual coherence presumed to be out of reach for "real people"?
And why don't we expect more from American conservatives? Indeed, why don't they demand more from their own movement? Aren't they disgusted that their party would again nominate a person devoid of qualifications for one of the nation's highest offices? Some, like Michael Gerson and Kathleen Parker, have expressed discomfort with this farce -- and been subjected, in Parker's case, to abuse from many of the same numbskulls whom Palin undoubtedly delights.
The ultimate irony of Palin's rise is that it has occurred at a moment when Americans may finally have grown weary of pseudo-populism -- when intelligence, judgment, diligence and seriousness are once again valued, simply because we are in such deep trouble. We got into this mess because we elected a man who professed to despise elitism, which he detected in everyone whose opinions differed from his prejudices. That was George W. Bush, of course. Biden was too polite and restrained to say it, but the dumbing down is more of the same, too.

Calm Before Storm

2008-10-04T22:53:00.002-05:00

So Barack is up in the polls, he's leading in the swing states and he and Joe have won the first two debates. But its about to get negative out there with the desperate Republicans itching to take back some ground. When asked when he'd take the gloves off, McCain replied, "How about Tuesday night?" Rumors coming from the republican party indicate that some very negative and personal ads are on the way. Desperation is a stinky cologne.

I have to say that I too have been having what feels like the calm before the storm. I know whats coming, even though I know the challenges it will pose, mostly challenges for myself. I rushed into something and now I regret it, especially thinking about the same old dreams. Even if these dreams don't come true, i've realized that time is running out to take these kind of chances.

If you're readin this.... thanks. You might be the only one.

Nader hurting McCain???

2008-10-04T19:09:00.001-05:00

This made me smile...

CNN Fla. poll: Nader hurting McCain???
By George Bennett Wednesday, October 1, 2008, 04:27 PM
It’s usually Democrats who are distressed by perennial minor-party presidential candidate Ralph Nader because the liberal consumerist is seen as siphoning votes from the Democratic presidential nominee.
But a new CNN/Time/Opinion Research poll suggests Nader takes votes from Republican John McCain in Florida rather than Democrat Barack Obama.
Asked about an Obama-McCain matchup in a poll taken Sunday through Tuesday, 51 percent of likely Florida voters favor Obama and 47 percent favor McCain.
When minor party candidates such as Nader, Bob Barr and Cynthia McKinney are thrown into the mix, Obama still gets 51 percent and McCain’s percentage drops to 43 percent. Nader polls 3 percent in the survey.

VP Showdown

2008-10-03T16:27:00.002-05:00

Last night the first and only debate between the Republican vice presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, and Democratic vice presidential candidate, Joe Biden, took place. This debate was a source of concern for many members of the Republican party, who feared a continuation of the embarrassment and lack of knowledge Governor Palin recently showed in interviews with Katie Couric. From stating that her foreign policy experience was strong due to Alaska’s close proximity to Canada and Russia, to inadvertently agreeing with Barack Obama’s stance on Pakistan, a position that John McCain strongly disagrees with. However the Republican Party was able to breathe a sigh of relief when the debate was over. It seems that during her three days in Arizona undergoing intense debate training, Mrs. Palin was able to memorize her “facts” well. However, while she didn’t make outright statements showing her lack of experience, she repeatedly chose not to not answer some questions and instead would state that she wanted to talk about something else. That in itself showed, in this voter’s opinion, a stark lack of knowledge, and an inability to give any examples as to how John McCain’s policies differed from that of President Bush.
Joe Biden on the other hand, having the experience of 30 years of senate work under his belt, showed time and time again that with his experience and knowledge of the facts America would be in good hands under an Obama-Biden administration.
While Palin resorted to using her drawl with a barrage of “Darn Right’s” “You Betcha’s” and hockey and soccer mom lines to push home that she was one of, us normal Americans, Senator Biden was willing to admit that he’s better off than a lot of Americans now, but became choked up when he spoke about knowing the difficulties of raising two kids on his own, referring to the death of his wife and daughter and the injuries his two sons obtained in a car accident in 1972.

In conclusion, Palin did what she was supposed to do. That being, repeat the same sound bytes we've been hearing throughout this election from John McCain, and try not to look stupid. Well even if she didn't say anything outright stupid, it was still obvious that she didn't know what she was talking about.
Biden on the other hand, like Obama before him, came off as comfortable and with a greater understanding for policy and the difference between right and wrong. Again the Obama-Biden ticket won this debate, and are just one step closer to winning the most important election the nation has faced in decades.

The Debate

2008-09-27T12:39:00.004-05:00

I like millions of Americans, watched the first debate between Barack Obama and John McCain last night. I knew that foreign policy was McCain's strong suit, but I knew Obama could hold his own.

And I was right.

I admittedly think that the debate was fairly even, and that both stated their positions and plans quite well. But I believe that with Barack's confidence, his knowledge on everything thrown at him, and his ability to refrain from resorting to the half truths and boldfaced lies that John McCain resorted to repeatedly, he definitely came out on top. I'm not the only one that thinks so either, with CNN stating immediately afterward that around 39% of undecided voters believing that Barack Obama won the debate, as compared to roughly 24% for John McCain, and 37% saying it was a tie.

Time magazine issued an article online grading the two on their performance. I thought it really hit the mark.

They gave John McCain : B-
And they gave Barack Obama: A-

One thing that stood out to me, was how often John McCain said that Barack Obama doesn't understand. The simple fact is that it's not that Barack doesn't understand, its that he doesn't agree with the failed policies of Bush, and the policies that John McCain favors.

Another thing I loved, was when McCain attacked Obama over cutting costs, saying that he would consider a spending freeze on everything but our veterans, the military, and certain entitlement programs. Barack responded with the genius line of, "The problem with that, is that John is trying to solve a problem with a hatchet, where you need a scalpel."

Overall the debate started a little slow, but it gathered some steam as time went on. I'm looking forward to next thursday's debate between Biden and Palin.

Update: Obama Stuff still hasn't arrived. I ordered it from democraticstuff.com if you plan to buy something political, I wouldn't recommend it be from them. They have a great selection, but the amount of time its taken for the order to get to me is downright ridiculous.

I'm a little confused.

2008-09-23T20:50:00.001-05:00

I read this and found it interesting....

I'm a little confused.
Let me see if I have this straight.....

If you grow up in Hawaii, raised by your grandparents, you're "exotic, different."

Grow up in Alaska eating mooseburgers, a quintessential American story.

If your name is Barack you're a radical, unpatriotic Muslim.
Name your kids Willow, Trig and Track, you're a maverick.

Graduate from Harvard law School and you are unstable.
Attend 5 different small colleges before graduating, you're well grounded.

If you spend 3 years as a brilliant community organizer, become the first black President of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law professor, spend 8 years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, become chairman of the state Senate's Health and Human Services committee, spend 4 years in the United States Senate representing a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran's Affairs committees, you don't have any real leadership experience.

If your total resume is: local weather girl, 4 years on the city council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000 people,20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people, then you're qualified to become the country's second highest ranking executive.

If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years while raising 2 beautiful daughters, all within protestant churches, you're not a real Christian .

If you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, and left your disfigured wife and married the heiress the next month, you're a Christian.

If you teach responsible, age appropriate sex education including the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the fiber of society.

If , while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with no other option in sex education in your state's school system while your unwed teen daughter ends up pregnant , you're very responsible.

If your wife is a Harvard graduate lawyer who gave up a position in a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family's values don't represent America's.

If you're husband is nicknamed "First Dude", with at least one DWI conviction and no college education, who didn't register to vote until age 25 and once was a member of a group that advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA, your family is extremely admirable.

OK, much clearer now. It's as clear as mud.

Funny Political Pics

2008-09-22T21:43:00.005-05:00

Enjoy!

Why I Won’t Vote for John McCain--From a Fellow POW | The LA Progressive

2008-09-21T19:27:00.007-05:00

I love this article.

Why I Won’t Vote for John McCain--From a Fellow POW | The LA Progressive: "Why I Won’t Vote for John McCain

August 25, 2008

Phillip Butler, PhD –

John McCain is a long-time acquaintance of mine that goes way back to our time together at the U.S. Naval Academy and as Prisoners of War in Vietnam. He is a man I respect and admire in some ways. But there are a number of reasons why I won’t vote for him for President of the United States.

When I was a Plebe (4th classman, or freshman) at the Naval Academy in 1957-58, I was assigned to the 17th Company for my four years there. In those days we had about 3,600 midshipmen spread among 24 companies, thus about 150 midshipmen to a company. As fortune would have it, John, a First Classman (senior), and his roommate lived directly across the hall from me and my two roommates. Believe me when I say that back then I would never in a million or more years have dreamed that the crazy guy across the hall would someday be a senator and candidate for president!

John was a wild man. He was funny, with a quick wit, and he was intelligent. But he was intent on breaking every USNA regulation in our 4-inch thick USNA Regulations book. And I believe he must have come as close to his goal as any midshipman who ever attended the Academy. I could tell many midshipman stories about John that year and he unbelievably managed to graduate though he spent the majority of his first class year on restriction for the stuff he did get caught doing. In fact, he barely managed to graduate, standing fifth from the bottom of his 800-man graduating class. I and many others have speculated that the main reason he did graduate was because his father was an admiral, and also his grandfather, both U.S. Naval Academy graduates.

People often ask if I was a Prisoner of War with John McCain. My answer is always “No, John McCain was a POW with me.” The reason is I was there for 8 years and John got there 2 ½ years later, so he was a POW for 5 ½ years. And we have our own seniority system, based on time as a POW.

John’s treatment as a POW:

1) Was he tortured for 5 years? No. He was subjected to torture and maltreatment during his first 2 years, from September of 1967 to September of 1969. After September 1969, the Vietnamese stopped the torture and gave us increased food and rudimentary health care. Several hundred of us were captured much earlier. I got there April 20, 1965, so my bad treatment period lasted 4 1/2 years. President Ho Chi Minh died on September 9, 1969, and the new regime that replaced him and his policies was more pragmatic. They realized we were worth a lot as bargaining chips if we were alive. And they were right because eventually Americans gave up on the war and agreed to trade our POWs for their country. A damn good trade in my opinion! But my point here is that John allows the media to make him out to be THE hero POW, which he knows is absolutely not true, to further his political goals.

2) John was badly injured when he was shot down. Both arms were broken and he had other wounds from his ejection. Unfortunately, this was often the case; new POW’s arriving with broken bones and serious combat injuries. Many died from their wounds. Medical care was nonexistent to rudimentary. Relief from pain was almost never given and often the wounds were used as an available way to torture the POW. Because John’s father was the Naval Commander in the Pacific theater, he was exploited with TV interviews while wounded. These film clips have now been widely seen. But it must be known that many POW’s suffered similarly, not just John. And many were similarly exploited for political propaganda.

3) John was offered, and refused, “early release.” Many of us were given this offer. It meant speaking out against your country and lying about your treatment to the press. You had to “admit” that the U.S. was criminal and that our treatment was “lenient and humane.” So I, like numerous others, refused the offer. This was obviously something none of us could accept. Besides, we were bound by our service regulations, Geneva Conventions, and loyalties to refuse early release until all the POW’s were released, with the sick and wounded going first.

4) John was awarded a Silver Star and Purple Heart for heroism and wounds in combat. This heroism has been played up in the press and in his various political campaigns. But it should be known that there were approximately 660 military POW’s in Vietnam. Among all of us, decorations awarded have recently been totaled as follows: Medals of Honor – 8, Service Crosses – 42, Silver Stars – 590, Bronze Stars – 958 and Purple Hearts – 1,249. John certainly performed courageously and well. But it must be remembered that he was one hero among many - not uniquely so as his campaigns would have people believe. Among the POWs John wasn’t special. He was just one of the guys.

John McCain served his time as a POW with great courage, loyalty, and tenacity. More that 600 of us did the same. After our repatriation a census showed that 95% of us had been tortured at least once. The Vietnamese were quite democratic about it. There were many heroes in North Vietnam. I saw heroism every day there. And we motivated each other to endure and succeed far beyond what any of us thought we had in ourselves. Succeeding as a POW is a group sport, not an individual one. We all supported and encouraged each other to survive and succeed. John knows that. He was not an individual POW hero. He was a POW who surmounted the odds with the help of many comrades, as all of us did.

I furthermore believe that having been a POW is no special qualification for being President of the United States. The two jobs are not the same, and POW experience is not, in my opinion, something I would look for in a presidential candidate.

Most of us who survived that experience are now in our late 60s and 70s. Sadly, we have died and are dying off at a greater rate than our non-POW contemporaries. We experienced injuries and malnutrition that are coming home to roost. So I believe John’s age (72) and survival expectation are not good for being elected to serve as our President for four or more years.

I can verify that John has an infamous reputation for being a hot head. He has a quick and explosive temper that many have experienced first hand. Folks, quite honestly that is not the finger I want next to that red button.

It is also disappointing to see him take on and support Bush’s war in Iraq, even stating we might be there for another 100 years. For me, John represents the entrenched and bankrupt policies of Washington-as-usual. The past 7 years have proven to be disastrous for our country. And I believe John’s views on war, foreign policy, economics, environment, health care, education, national infrastructure and other important areas are much the same as those of the Bush administration.

I’m disappointed to see John represent himself politically in ways that are not accurate. He is not a moderate or maverick Republican. On some issues he is a maverick. But his voting record is far to the right. I fear for his nominations to our Supreme Court, and the consequent continuing loss of individual freedoms, especially regarding moral and religious issues. John is not a religious person, but he has taken every opportunity to ally himself with some really obnoxious and crazy fundamentalist minister. I was also disappointed to see him cozy up to Bush because I know he dislikes that man. He disingenuously and famously put his arm around the guy, even after Bush had intensely disrespected him with lies and slander. So on these and many other instances, I don’t see that John is the “straight talk express” he markets himself to be.

Senator John Sidney McCain III is a remarkable man who has made enormous personal achievements. And he is a man that I am proud to call a fellow POW who “Returned With Honor.” That’s our POW motto. But since many of you keep asking what I think of him, I’ve decided to write it out. In short, I think John Sidney McCain III is a good man, but not someone I will vote for in the upcoming election to be our President of the United States.

by Phillip Butler, PhD

Doctor Phillip Butler is a 1961 graduate of the United States Naval Academy and a former light-attack carrier pilot. In 1965 he was shot down over North Vietnam where he spent eight years as a prisoner of war. He is a highly decorated combat veteran who was awarded two Silver Stars, two Legion of Merits, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Heart medals. After his repatriation in 1973 he earned a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of California at San Diego and became a Navy Organizational Effectiveness consultant. He completed his Navy career in 1981 as a professor of management at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. He is now a peace and justice activist with Veterans for Peace.

Swing Vote

2008-09-20T22:14:00.003-05:00

So you might have heard about the movie, Swing Vote. I saw it last night for the first time, and again this evening, and I loved it. For those of you who don't know anything about it, the basic premise is of a man named Bud, from the little town of Texico, New Mexico. When election time rolls around the two candidates are in a dead heat, and as a result of losing his job, Bud goes to a bar, and gets drunk. This is to the dismay of his daughter,Molly, who begged him to be at the polls. So while she waits, she sees a chance to just go in and vote for him. But when the voting machine malfunctions, the vote isn't cast, and Molly flees. Well it turns out, that the race has ended in a dead even vote, and that the winner of New Mexico will win the election and Bud's vote is suddenly important. Bud finds himself in a political whirlpool, where he's constantly being pushed and prodded to vote for one of the candidates, personal morals and beliefs are cast aside by both the republican and democratic candidates, and it becomes an all out bend-fest to impress Bud the most. I highly reccomend this movie to anyone, but especially anyone who enjoys politics!

I purchased Obama's new book today, Change We Can Believe In, and while I haven't read it all yet, it's obvious to me just how important it is for people to read this book. If you have doubts or questions on his policies, they're covered in here. It also includes 7 key speeches from this 2008 campaign, including my personal favorite, his "Yes, We Can" speech, that he gave at the New Hampshire Primary night.

On a less political note, I also got Brisingr today, and so far its pretty awesome!

Until next time,
-B

Back on top in the polls

2008-09-18T18:53:00.002-05:00

Well the latest polls are in, and guess who's back on top? You guessed it! Obama! It goes to show that America's brief flirtation with Sarah Palin, and the brief belief that she actually had what it took to run the country have fallen. It was inevitable. McCain is trying to tell people that Obama is using the economy as a vessel for political gain, but anyone who has paid any attention could tell you that Barack has been talking about the economy for a long time. Now that we're seeing more of the problem in Wall Street with the collapse of some huge corporations, people are starting to take notice that, hey, Barack has the right idea!

Registered Democrat

2008-09-17T13:20:00.002-05:00

Today marks a big day in my life. I officially registered as a democrat, and can now vote in elections. I'm really excited.

I haven't posted on here for a week! That surprises me, but I've been dealing with a lot of stuff lately, and have been really busy!

Update on my Obama purchases, so far they have not arrived, but it will probably be a few more days.

I've decided to start a project. I want to have everyone in my grade that is going to be 18 before the election, registered to vote. At the same time, while I'd love to see them register as democrats and vote for Obama, that is completely up to them, but if I can get them registered, and to the polls on election day, I'll feel pretty good about that.

I once heard that people are 50% more likely to vote for the rest of their life if they vote the first time they have a chance. I don't know if that statistic it true, but it sounds pretty good!

Lets go to the Movies!

2008-09-10T23:56:00.004-05:00

So you've probably heard about this whole, "Lipstick Pig" business.

What can I say. Stuff like this doesn't surprise me. Of course John McCain sees it as sexism, when he can make it look like Barack is insulting his VP choice. But when he says it about Hillary Clinton's health care plan, its obviously no big deal.

Now that I covered a little of the recent politics... here's my actual post.

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So I haven't posted anything for a couple days... and I had to think about what I wanted to talk about... and I decided on something a little simpler than politics....

Movies. I love movies. I don't consider this the list of my favorite movies of all time... although alot of them are, but I just wanted to talk about these movies and what I liked about them.

To start this informal list off, I'm gonna get this one out of the way, but it deserves to be mentioned.

Batman: The Dark Knight - This movie knocked me out of my seat and came back for seconds. From the moment it started, I knew that it was something different. The scope, the sheer magnitude of the world that I found myself immersed in made the story so real that I truly did believe Gotham was right there in front of me. I can't talk about this movie without mentioning him, even if I'm unable to do him justice. Heath Ledger, sad to say, but I agree with the critics who've said that it was a performance of a life time. Chillingly powerful, and captivatingly convincing, he showed the darkest side of humanity, in its worst form.

Independence Day - One of my favorite movies ever. When movie hero's come to mind, my first thought is of Will Smith, and in this movie he began his ascent to the top. While obsolete now, the effects are nevertheless dazzling and this is a movie I never grow tired of.

Heavyweights - This 1995 Disney film is possibly my favorite of all time. Its difficult to explain why, to someone who's never seen it, but something about the idea of a camp for overweight teens going to a camp where stashing candy and other snacks in your cabin is commonplace, where go-carts and "The Blob" are pastime activities and where even a geeky kid gets a girl, hits home with me. Ben Stiller has an interesting performance in this as well as the psychotic camp director, which only makes the struggle for freedom between the heavyweights and the counselors that much more entertaining.

Boondock Saints - If you have not seen this movie, I recommend it along with the others on this list. Clever, original and artistic are three words that come to mind when I think of this film. The combination of their calling to rid the world of mobsters and criminals, and the conflicting views of the FBI agent who believes what they are doing is right, gives light to the multifaceted beliefs of everyone.

Into the Wild - After I saw this movie, I literally wanted to pack a small bag and start walking. I wanted to see the country as Alexander Supertramp had seen it, and to experience all that the world had to offer, without the fear of bills, duties and other worries of the real world. Gripping and compelling, I saw him as the free spirit that most don't have the courage to allow themselves to become.

Breakfast Club - If this movie doesn't capture the essence of social clicks in high school, few others can. While the groups represented had obviously were the pinnacle of the stereotypical, "geek", "jock","criminal" etc. it still showed that the groups we surround ourselves with do not define who we are as a person, but that we have more in common than different, and given the chance, we can see that in each other.

Its getting late.. So I'd better hit the hay!

-B

Why I'm a Democrat

2008-09-08T16:34:00.004-05:00

I thought this was cool.... I think this is pretty correct, seeing as this is how I see myself.

Your Vote Score: 15% Republican, 85% Democrat

You fit well with the Democrat party, and you should almost definitely vote Democrat this election.

In fact, you're so strongly Democrat, a political career (or at least some activism )may be in your future.

Should You Vote Republican or Democrat?

After I took the quiz, I thought about why I'm a democrat, (which everybody should do no matter the party), and really its the same reasons that most people side with either party.
Granted these are just my opinions but:

Abortion - I don't believe that anyone you could talk to would say they are "Pro-Abortion" but I can't accept a flat all encompassing ban on all abortions without consideration for victims of rape and incest. I don't believe in the casual abortion, but the republican view is just too unrealistic, and unforgiving.

Gay Marriage - I cannot, with all logical thought and personal belief, accept that homosexuality is not as natural as heterosexuality. It is seen with every species in existence around the globe. I do not believe that these people, because they have been born different, should be treated as second class citizens.

The Iraq War - Should NEVER have happened. Lies, manipulation of the facts and feeding off of the gung-ho lets get the baddies attitude of America post 9/11 led to this ridiculous and uncalled for war which took the lives of now over 4000 American soldiers.

I don't really feel like covering any other subjects right now that fit my personal beliefs.. but if someone is interested just post a comment asking me about it and I'll reply.

I saw this and found it hilarious.....

Another great video, this time with future VP Joe Biden.

An Inconvenient Truth

2008-09-07T16:43:00.006-05:00

This afternoon I had the chance to watch "An Inconvenient Truth", the documentary on climate change and global warming. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I knew about global warming, and I knew it was a serious problem, but after seeing it, it only pushed further home the reality and seriousness of the issue. The world is in trouble. Serious trouble. I took it, as with many things, in a political sense. I compared what needed to be done, with the two candidates we have to choose from. On one hand, you have John McCain. John McCain promises to drill for more oil on U.S. soil, which in a fiscal sense, may seem like a good idea, but only if you are looking at a very small part of the picture. In addition to our freedom from dependence on foreign oil, and the decrease in gas prices, we will also see an increase in travel, due to more money in the pockets of Americans. More travel in turn means more burning of fossil fuels, and with cheaper gas, the American populace will be less likely to demand more fuel efficient cars and higher standards on emissions. That outcome doesn't sound too positive to me.

On the other hand, we have Barack Obama. Barack has stated on numorous occasions that drilling is not the right choice. He has spoken for some time on the necessity of higher fuel efficiency standards and higher emissions standards. Also as important are his plans for the way we fuel our country.

Coal, when burned the way our grandfathers have, is a dirty cancer upon the earth. But with current technology, we can burn coal cleanly, and more efficiently. This is good news, due to the fact that the United States has 300 years worth of coal.

Wind Energy, is the cleanest, most inexhaustable source of energy possible. Under Barack's plan for America, wind energy would become a staple in American energy. It has been proven that a one million dollar wind turbine, pays for itself in 10 years. After that, its all profit.

Nuclear Energy, has also been proposed now by the Republican candidate saying that he'll get them going all over the country, as if they could be built over night. But the current republican administration has failed to give us nuclear power already, despite the fact the country of France, (Yeah, France.) has been using nuclear power for years, and that 80 percent of its power comes from it. The main argument against nuclear power is saftey. And its opposition likes to point at the Chernobyl incedent in Russia as a "forewarning" of sorts against nuclear power in our country. What's commonly "forgotton" is that Chernobyl was no accident. At the plant in Chernobyl, the reactor was placed under the worst possible conditions, and pushed to its breaking point. In that aspect, they succeded.

Finally, a source of energy that hits close to home for many in the Midwest, Ethanol.
John McCain has voted, numorous times against ethanol. This is a man who, in his acceptance speech for nomination as Presidential candidate for the republican party, stated that he wanted to make us energy independent. Yet this man voted against, let me repeat that, AGAINST, a renewable source of energy that helps create jobs and helps promote farming for the U.S. I personally take this as a sign that John McCain does not want this country to be energy independent, but only oil independent.

How do you think Barack Obama stands on the issue of ethanol?

-B

Something Interesting

2008-09-07T12:51:00.006-05:00

I'm and avid stumbler. StumbleUpon has killed so many hours for me, its ridiculous. My most recent stumble, is about Sarah Palin. Now I don't want this to seem like a totally anti-Palin Blog, but I found this article interesting, and it does show yet another reason to not be a big Palin fan.

The Actual Article can be found at http://www.monkey.org/~ethan/2008/09/worth-mention.html

Most people had never heard of Sarah Palin when she was named Republican VP nominee. But I’d been hearing her name all too often, because I belong to a group called Defenders of Wildlife–and in her time as governor of Alaska, Palin has used her position as governor of Alaska to ruin the Alaskan wilderness in every way she could.

Her most recent “victory” came on August 26 when Alaska’s voters defeated Measure 2, an initiative that would have banned hunting wolves from airplanes for sport.

Palin organized a campaign against Measure 2, and funded it with $400,000 of state money. For most of us, the idea of zooming around in a private airplane over snowbound wilderness just for the chance to spot a terrified wild dog and blow it apart with a high-powered rifle is insane. But there’s a whole culture out there in love with the idea. Palin did her part by playing the tired old Alaskan pioneer card, saying that lower-48 naysayers who dared to object to the idea of divebombing wildlife didn’t “understand rural Alaska.”

Alaska isn’t really very hard to understand. It consists of a minority that loves the wilderness and an overwhelmingly Republican majority that wants to squeeze all the cash it can get out of the state before the oil dries up, the fish die out, and the wildlife disappears. Nowhere else does the Republican formula of manipulating the suckers by playing on their silly hatreds and even sillier vanities play out more clearly than in Alaska.

...
Perhaps the saddest aspect of Palin’s disgusting record on environmental issues is the fact that it’s hardly even being mentioned in the debate about her nomination. Most of the focus, for an audience of suckers weaned on celebrity gossip, seems to be about her mothering skills, her daughter’s pregnancy, and whether she was Miss Congeniality or just a runner-up in some beauty pageant. The fact that she makes her living helping to wipe out whole species, poison productive watersheds, and play to the stupidest great-white-hunter fantasies of her constituency hardly even seems worth a mention.

Today Marks Eight Weeks until the election. I can't help but fear for a nation that out of apathy or lack of knowledge about these candidates, could elect someone other than Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

Obama Stuff

2008-09-06T22:09:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned earlier, I'm purchasing a heap of Obama stuff. I'm pretty happy with the site I found, so if you want to get a good deal as well, check out: www.democraticstuff.com Its Great! Buttons are only a dollar! Or get a personalized button with your name for 5$!

A couple other websites I should mention, include: www.moveon.org and http://www.changethethought.com/free-obama-for-america-posters/ they're both great!

At MoveOn.org, you can sign up for a free Barack Obama button and sticker, and at the other website, there are 5 awesome posters you can download and print off for yourself, like this one!

This is a video that shows just how rediculous the media has been on the side of Palin.

And Finally, one of my favorite Obama videos ever.

Order Up!

2008-09-06T16:28:00.001-05:00

I'm pretty excited. I'm about to put in an order for ~~9 13~~ !14! new Barack Obama buttons, a bumper sticker, and a new Obama t-shirt. This is of course in addition to my three buttons, two t-shirts, two curb signs, three rally signs and two books on him. I might be going over the top, but the way I'm looking at it, I've never really been into pro sports, or anything of that nature, so Barack Obama is a cause I find myself drawn to. It's nice to have that hero, someone to support and defend, and to believe in.

It's not really common, for people my age in this area to be into politics.... not many friends of mine are. I have a feeling that when they see me wearing an Obama button or a shirt, or reading his book, some of them are thinking, "That's weird. People his age shouldn't be into politics." But I figure if they didn't find me weird before, they didn't really know me, and thus didn't really matter in my life.

I saw the movie "Mamma Mia" last night. In all fairness, I like musicals, so I may have enjoyed it more than others my age, but while the songs were not that of my generation, the story was fresh, and the music sure kept you awake, I found myself laughing at many points along with the mainly senior citizen audience at its often, innapropriet but cute humor.
I give it an 8/10.

-B

Palin.

2008-09-05T17:03:00.000-05:00

Palin. It seems like a lot of people I've talked to like her. However, they're only taking her at face value, which truthfully, her face isn't too bad! But besides her face, I'm not impressed. What bothered me the most was the unceasing attacks on Barack Obama. Throughout his entire campaign, Barack has never resorted to insults, or demeaning the other candidates' service to their country. But Starting with Giuliani, the insults came flying. Mocking him for starting as a community organizer in Chicago being one of the most ridiculous parts of their childishness. If everyone judged presidential candidates on one of their first positions, I doubt the Republican party would be extremely proud of their, PTA board member, running for vice president.

Its nice to say, that Palin is experienced by promoting the fact that Palin was the Mayor of the second largest city in Alaska, and that she was a Governor who fought "Corruption" and "Unnecessary Spending". When the truth is, that town had 9000 people, she was only Governor for 2 years, and that the job of a Governor is to make the State they govern a better place and save some money while giving the people what they need.

Pitbull indeed, but i'm not too sure about the lipstick.

Blogging Eh?

2008-09-05T16:00:00.000-05:00

I've never been interested in blogging really.... but I've been beginning to realize recently that while I have a lot opinions on things, I don't get to talk about them as much as I might like. At this point in time I think that my blog will mostly be comprised of my opinion on political issues, opinions of books, and movies, and anything else I really feel like talking about. I don't expect it to be read. ~~But I like the idea of putting it out there, and dropping my fish of input into the internet sea, hoping somebody might hook it.~~

After I finished typing that line, I realized how stupid it was. So forgive me, if you managed to stumble upon this measly little blog.

-B