dcioppand: i think we need this for 39 methyl

watchthesky84: ha! yes.
watchthesky84: i like this:


dcioppand: HA


many, many, many more here.

the gays are none too happy with president elect Barack Obama:

Barack Obama’s choice of a prominent evangelical minister to deliver the invocation at his inauguration is a conciliatory gesture toward social conservatives who opposed him in November, but it is drawing fierce challenges from a gay rights movement that – in the wake of a gay marriage ban in California – is looking for a fight.

Read the rest of the article here.

true story

read one of many corresponding articles here.



:::edit:::

Arce11o: i think it's funny that the article pointed out that, in ARAB culture, throwing a shoe at someone is a sign of disrespect

Arce11o: is a sign of endearment in other cultures?

watchthesky84: hahaha

watchthesky84: well, you know what it means when it happens in america

watchthesky84: "sweet! new pair of shoes!"



:::edit 2:::
per my office manager's request, go here. trust me. hilarity will ensue.

and, while we're defining things...

turns out, it's got LOTS of definitions:

mar⋅riage

   /ˈmærɪdʒ/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [mar-ij] Show IPA Pronunciation

–noun

1.	the social institution under which a man and woman establish their decision to live as husband and wife by legal commitments, religious ceremonies, etc.

2.	the state, condition, or relationship of being married; wedlock: a happy marriage.

3.	the legal or religious ceremony that formalizes the decision of a man and woman to live as husband and wife, including the accompanying social festivities: to officiate at a marriage.

4.	a relationship in which two people have pledged themselves to each other in the manner of a husband and wife, without legal sanction: trial marriage; homosexual marriage.

5.	any close or intimate association or union: the marriage of words and music in a hit song.

6.	a formal agreement between two companies or enterprises to combine operations, resources, etc., for mutual benefit; merger.

7.	a blending or matching of different elements or components: The new lipstick is a beautiful marriage of fragrance and texture.

8.	Cards. a meld of the king and queen of a suit, as in pinochle. Compare royal marriage.

9.	a piece of antique furniture assembled from components of two or more authentic pieces.

10.	Obsolete. the formal declaration or contract by which act a man and a woman join in wedlock.

---

Origin:
1250–1300; ME mariage < class="ital-inline">mari(er) to marry ¹ + -age -age

also...


(side note: the saddest thing i have ever seen. please note the first ad listed when dictionary.com is asked to define "marriage.")

just for shits and giggles:

PDF, and the ability to read one.

the invisible knapsack, part: 2

another PDF file, found while trying to find the last one i posted.

This article is based on Peggy McIntosh’s article on white privilege and was written by a number of straight-identified students at Earlham College who got together to look at some examples of straight privilege. These dynamics are but a few examples of the privilege which straight people have. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer-identified folk have a range of different experiences, but cannot count on most of these conditions in their lives.

i don't entirely agree with ALL of the points listed (i can't possibly be the only person who's ever been asked to represent the entire heterosexual population, can i?), but again, another good read; can be found here.

the invisible knapsack

this is an article a coworker gave to me a few months ago that i've been meaning to post:

Through work to bring materials from women's studies into the rest of the curriculum, I have often noticed men's unwillingness to grant that they are overprivileged, even though they may grant that women are disadvantaged. They may say they will work to women's statues, in the society, the university, or the curriculum, but they can't or won't support the idea of lessening men's. Denials that amount to taboos surround the subject of advantages that men gain from women's disadvantages. These denials protect male privilege from being fully acknowledged, lessened, or ended. Thinking through unacknowledged male privilege as a phenomenon with a life of its own, I realized that, since hierarchies in our society are interlocking, there was most likely a phenomenon of while privilege that was similarly denied and protected. As a white person, I realized I had been taught about racism as something that puts others at a disadvantage, but had been taught not to see one of its corollary aspects, white privilege, which puts me at an advantage. I think whites are carefully taught not to recognize white privilege, as males are taught not to recognize male privilege. So I have begun in an untutored way to ask what it is like to have white privilege. I have come to see white privilege as an invisible package of unearned assets that I can count on cashing in each day, but about which I was "meant" to remain oblivious. White privilege is like an invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, maps, passports, codebooks, visas, clothes, tools , and blank checks.

the author, peggy mcintosh, goes on to list "daily effects of white privilege" in her daily life, some of which are even mildly amusing (#46, "I can chose blemish cover or bandages in "flesh" color and have them more or less match my skin," for example). all in all, it's a great read, and something to definitely be considered.

warning, it's a PDF file. i don't know why you need to be warned about this, but i figure i'll cover my bases, just in case.

i promise that, eventually, i will move on to posting about other subjects. for now, though, please watch the following video--it's an excellent discussion between jon stewart and mike huckabee about the subject of gay marriage. both men make good points and frankly, if you're going to argue your point on the subject, you should get to know the opposition and understand where they're coming from. this has been a mission of mine for quite some time and, while i will continue to argue that things like semantics and "what God says" are not solid points against homosexuals getting the same rights as we heteros when it comes to legally binding unions with the people we love and the rights promised therein (what whaaaat not dropping the "M" word!), i feel like i maybe understand the opposition a little bit better. which you have to do to win--am i right?

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Mike Huckabee Pt. 2

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

in closing, i'd like to give a shout out to my future husband, jon stewart, for being a great ally and making me wish, once again, that i was smarter than i am. oh, well.

also a head-bob to Marriage Equality RI for bringing this particular clip to my attention. keep fightin' the good fight, boys and girls.

note: not meant to incite riots

ps? it wasn't ONLY the mormons, guys. educate yourself on the opposing side here.

re: the article i just posted

here's wikipedia's page on the fourteenth amendment, just in case anybody was curious after that last article...

a day without a gay

My battle for marriage equality began in 1990, after my partner, Brian Binder, and I had a commitment ceremony...We...registered as domestic partners and entered into every possible form of legal recognition available at the time. A few years later, Brian was visiting his parents in Nevada to inform them that he was giving up his battle with AIDS. Something went horribly wrong, and he was rushed to the hospital. I flew there immediately. As his caretaker, I knew his medical condition and had been involved in every medical decision. We had shared the joy of making a commitment to one another and the pain and suffering of a horrible disease. But when I arrived, I was told I could not see him because I was not "family" and because my legal documents were valid only in California. Even as I heard him calling out my name, they refused to let me see him because we were not married.

Brian died in 1992.

Today's the day, folks, don't forget. Read the rest of the CNN.com article here.

Alongside a Nativity scene at the Legislative Building in Olympia, Washington, a sign put up by an atheist organization celebrates the winter solstice. But it's the rest of the sign that has some residents and Christian organizations calling atheists Scrooges for attacking the celebration of Jesus Christ's birth.




...really? ...seriously?

read the rest of the article here.


:::edit:::
Sean, who sent me the above article, on the subject:

RedRumCroW: I don't understand why people don't take advantage of Christmas, even if you don't believe in God, you get days off of work and lights are pretty, so shut the fuck up and lay on your couch for the day
RedRumCroW: spend some time with the people you want to be around, hey its on us.

final thoughts...

in light of the whole prop 8 thing, and all of the violence and anger it has incited, i thought i'd post this:



not to sound like a kindergarten teacher or whatever, but two wrongs don't make a right; vandalizing mormon churches is not going to get prop 8 overturned and it's certainly not going to change anybody's mind when it comes to supporting giving anybody's rights back. fight back in a positive way: call in gay to work (or just call out sick, for my fellow heteros) on december 10th, and spend your day volunteering at any number of volunteer events around the country (click here to find one near you!). can't miss another day of work? i hear ya! we can help, too--just don't buy anything, spend money, or support the economy on december 10th. one day won't destroy the economy, but it will raise awareness that we are serious about getting these rights for our friends, neighbors, parents, brothers and sisters. according to day without a gay, in california alone, gay marriage would have contributed over $300 million and raised over 2000 jobs in three years. NPH may have had a point!

let's make our voices be heard, guys. stop the hate.

also...

my fiance's friend posted this on the facebook about a month ago; both gentlemen are mormons (please refrain from throwing things--they're a kind, gentle people. i swear.), which maybe makes it more interesting that either would find this clip important. without further ado...



read stephen's note further regarding this issue here (and check out how brillz the fianz iz by peeping the comments!). if you have trouble viewing it (ie, are not facebook friends with him. or, for that matter, with me [wtf are you waiting for?]), leave a comment and i'll post it.

i heart jack black. and NPH.

yes, we did.

courtesy of MoveOn.org--check out how to get your free Obama: Yes We Did sticker (that's right! FREE!) here.

!

quote of the day, part 2!

"I hope this works. I'll be really embarrassed if it doesn't."
Barack Obama, to a poll worker as he fed his ballot into a machine.

just in case...

just in case anybody actually does read this blog and needs some help finding out where to cast their vote (for whoever you choose):

http://www.voteforchange.com (yes, it's obama's website, but it's a pretty non-partisan tool :-p)

http://vote411.org/pollfinder.php (league of women voters)

if you're not into using the internets to figure this out, feel free to call

877-US4-OBAMA (which is 877-874-6226--and yes, again, it's an obama campaign funded thing, but they're only there to help you figure out where you should go to vote, not who you're voting for)

or, look up your local elections office and ask them! they should know where to direct you. and are not at all affiliated with obama, or women voters, if that's your issue ;)

and vote, dammit! vote! vote! vote!

barack the vote

to anybody reading this, or still reading this, or reading it for the first time (let's be honest, was anybody EVER reading this?):

today is the day.

i started getting choked up getting ready for work, this morning. to graduate college, i had to write a thesis about a social movement in the state i grew up in, and i chose to write about a black student movement that happened 13 years before i was born at the school i was attending. the students only wanted more representation in the student body, faculty, staff and administration. they fought for change, and in 37 years, the black student population at this particular university went from less than 1% to 13%, 10% higher than the population in the entire state.

37 years later, i'm going to go to the polls and vote for a black man to be president.

america can be annoying, and america can be embarrassing. i will absolutely be the first to admit it. but 50 years ago, barack obama would have had to walk in a separate door to enter a building. and he would have had to drink at a different water fountain. he would have had to sit at the back of the bus--not because the cool kids were back there (which is why i always wanted to sit at the back of the bus), but because that was where people who looked like him had to sit. and because of his skin color, 50 years ago, in the united states of america, barack obama would have had a helluva time even registering to vote.

and today, we will find out if he is going to be our next president.

what an amazing place.

this is going to be big, i hope i don't have to tell you.

today, we make history. in the land of the free, and the home of the brave.

quote of the day

"rosa sat so martin could walk. martin walked so obama could run. obama is running so our children can fly."
-Jay Z

NUMB3RS (...sorry.)

Interestingly enough, what with the numbers in this morning, 62% of men have a "favorable opinion" of Sarah Palin, whereas only 53% of women showed similar results. Similarly, 23% of men have an unfavorable view of Sen. John McCain's running mate, while women stood fast at 30% (which is, admittedly, not very high, but still, interesting, no?). 57% of males believe Palin to be qualified; only 43% of women agreed and, in fact, 55% of women felt Palin is not qualified. And, in the end, 50% of people (read: men AND women) agreed that Palin is qualified to take over as president if something happens to good old Johnny McCain, whereas a whopping 70% of those polled say the same for Democratic VP nom Joe Biden.

Some more numbers follow after the jump.

this just in...

Apparently--according to CNN.com--McCain has inched ahead of Obama in national polls, but Obama has a steady lead in the most recent Electoral College estimates.

Forgive me, but it's always seemed to me that, if one candidate is deemed the favorite (read: winning in national polls), they ought to be the one the Electoral College goes for. I mean, I'm sure by now it's no secret which candidate I favor, but numbers are numbers.

Oh well. Anyway. Read the story here if you're interested.

P.S. This part cracks me up: "Although polls across the country are open on one day, the election is not a national poll but a series of 51 state-level elections that decide the members of the Electoral College."

Come on, CNN.com. Really?

definition of the day (?)

mav·er·ick Audio Help /ˈmævərɪk, ˈmævrɪk/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[mav-er-ik, mav-rik] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation

–noun

1.	Southwestern U.S. an unbranded calf, cow, or steer, esp. an unbranded calf that is separated from its mother.

2.	a lone dissenter, as an intellectual, an artist, or a politician, who takes an independent stand apart from his or her associates.

3.	(initial capital letter) an electro-optically guided U.S. air-to-ground tactical missile for destroying tanks and other hardened targets at ranges up to 15 mi. (24 km).

---

[Origin: 1865–70, Americanism; after Samuel A. Maverick (1803–70), Texas pioneer who left his calves unbranded]

—Synonyms 2. nonconformist, independent, loner.

"McCain Silences Critics With Perfectly Executed Cartwheel"

This is, quite possibly, the best thing I have ever seen:



Thank yous go to The Onion.

LONG post

I know this is a bit long, but my mother just forwarded this to me and I thought it was an important thing to post:

Palin: wrong woman, wrong message ...

By Gloria Steinem
September 4, 2008

Here's the good news: Women have become so politically powerful that even
the anti-feminist right wing -- the folks with a headlock on the Republican
Party -- are trying to appease the gender gap with a first-ever female vice
president. We owe this to women -- and to many men too -- who have
picketed, gone on hunger strikes or confronted violence at the polls so
women can vote. We owe it to Shirley Chisholm, who first took the
"white-male-only" sign off the White House, and to Hillary Rodham Clinton,
who hung in there through ridicule and misogyny to win 18 million votes.

But here is even better news: It won't work. This isn't the first time a
boss has picked an unqualified woman just because she agrees with him and
opposes everything most other women want and need. Feminism has never been
about getting a job for one woman. It's about making life more fair for
women everywhere. It's not about a piece of the existing pie; there are too
many of us for that. It's about baking a new pie.

Selecting Sarah Palin, who was touted all summer by Rush Limbaugh, is no
way to attract most women, including die-hard Clinton supporters. Palin
shares nothing but a chromosome with Clinton. Her down-home, divisive and
deceptive speech did nothing to cosmeticize a Republican convention that
has more than twice as many male delegates as female, a presidential
candidate who is owned and operated by the right wing and a platform that
opposes pretty much everything Clinton's candidacy stood for -- and that
Barack Obama's still does. To vote in protest for McCain/Palin would be
like saying, "Somebody stole my shoes, so I'll amputate my legs."

This is not to beat up on Palin. I defend her right to be wrong, even on
issues that matter most to me. I regret that people say she can't do the
job because she has children in need of care, especially if they wouldn't
say the same about a father. I get no pleasure from imagining her in the
spotlight on national and foreign policy issues about which she has zero
background, with one month to learn to compete with Sen. Joe Biden's 37
years' experience.

Palin has been honest about what she doesn't know. When asked last month
about the vice presidency, she said, "I still can't answer that question
until someone answers for me: What is it exactly that the VP does every
day?" When asked about Iraq, she said, "I haven't really focused much on
the war in Iraq."

She was elected governor largely because the incumbent was unpopular, and
she's won over Alaskans mostly by using unprecedented oil wealth to give a
$1,200 rebate to every resident. Now she is being praised by McCain's
campaign as a tax cutter, despite the fact that Alaska has no state income
or sales tax. Perhaps McCain has opposed affirmative action for so long
that he doesn't know it's about inviting more people to meet standards, not
lowering them. Or perhaps McCain is following the Bush administration
habit, as in the Justice Department, of putting a job candidate's views on
"God, guns and gays" ahead of competence. The difference is that McCain is
filling a job one 72-year-old heartbeat away from the presidency.

So let's be clear: The culprit is John McCain. He may have chosen Palin out
of change-envy, or a belief that women can't tell the difference between
form and content, but the main motive was to please right-wing ideologues;
the same ones who nixed anyone who is now or ever has been a supporter of
reproductive freedom. If that were not the case, McCain could have chosen a
woman who knows what a vice president does and who has thought about Iraq;
someone like Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison or Sen. Olympia Snowe of
Maine. McCain could have taken a baby step away from right-wing patriarchs
who determine his actions, right down to opposing the Violence Against
Women Act.

Palin's value to those patriarchs is clear: She opposes just about every
issue that women support by a majority or plurality. She believes that
creationism should be taught in public schools but disbelieves global
warming; she opposes gun control but supports government control of women's
wombs; she opposes stem cell research but approves "abstinence-only"
programs, which increase unwanted births, sexually transmitted diseases and
abortions; she tried to use taxpayers' millions for a state program to
shoot wolves from the air but didn't spend enough money to fix a state
school system with the lowest high-school graduation rate in the nation;
she runs with a candidate who opposes the Fair Pay Act but supports $500
million in subsidies for a natural gas pipeline across Alaska; she supports
drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve, though even McCain has
opted for the lesser evil of offshore drilling. She is Phyllis Schlafly, only younger.

I don't doubt her sincerity. As a lifetime member of the National Rifle
Assn., she doesn't just support killing animals from helicopters, she does
it herself. She doesn't just talk about increasing the use of fossil fuels
but puts a coal-burning power plant in her own small town. She doesn't just
echo McCain's pledge to criminalize abortion by overturning Roe vs. Wade,
she says that if one of her daughters were impregnated by rape or incest,
she should bear the child. She not only opposes reproductive freedom as a
human right but implies that it dictates abortion, without saying that it
also protects the right to have a child.

So far, the major new McCain supporter that Palin has attracted is James
Dobson of Focus on the Family. Of course, for Dobson, "women are merely
waiting for their husbands to assume leadership," so he may be voting for
Palin's husband.

Being a hope-a-holic, however, I can see two long-term bipartisan gains
from this contest.

Republicans may learn they can't appeal to right-wing patriarchs and most
women at the same time. A loss in November could cause the centrist
majority of Republicans to take back their party, which was the first to
support the Equal Rights Amendment and should be the last to want to invite
government into the wombs of women.

And American women, who suffer more because of having two full-time jobs
than from any other single injustice, finally have support on a national
stage from male leaders who know that women can't be equal outside the home
until men are equal in it. Barack Obama and Joe Biden are campaigning on
their belief that men should be, can be and want to be at home for their
children.

This could be huge.

...and there you have it.

how it all started

I'm not sure how many of you regularly watch The Colbert Report, but just in case you don't, here's some news: the whole "Sarah Palin for VP" idea came from some college kid living in his mom's basement.

No, I'm not kidding.

Blogger Adam Brickley first suggested the idea around the beginning of 2007. You can read his blog--which has been updated often, and is already boasting an entry today--here.

And I know, I know...but here's the clip from Colbert:



Mr. Brickley makes his appearance at around 5:50 in that video.

yes, another one.

Not to post two Daily Show clips in a row, but I just found this--Mike Huckabee is quite hilarious in this clip, I think, so I figured I'd post it:



I know it looks like the same video I just posted below, but watch it--I promise it isn't!

thank you, daily show.

old, but still funny

This is from a few months ago...

another one

The Huffington Post has posted a really good article regarding Sarah Palin:

Did Sarah Palin wrongfully push to have her ex-brother-in law fired? Was she really against the "Bridge to Nowhere?" Did she really sell Alaska's plane on eBay, or just list it on eBay? Did she actually have any substantial duties commanding the Alaska National Guard? The correct answer to all these questions is: who cares? Which isn't to say these aren't valid questions, or that Palin and the McCain camp aren't playing it fast, loose, and coy with each of them. The point is that Palin, and the circus she's brought to town, are simply a bountiful collection of small lies deliberately designed to distract the country from one big truth: the havoc that George Bush and the Republican Party have wrought, and that John McCain is committed to continuing.

Read the rest of the article, titled "Sarah Palin: A Trojan Moose Concealing Four More Years of George Bush," here.

"no thanks"

Oh, Sarah.

Sarah, Sarah, Sarah.

Didn't your mother ever teach you that lying is wrong? And the thing about lying is, the truth always comes out. Just like it did when you told us you said "no thank you" to the "bridge to nowhere" a week ago, and then the media and blogosphere sniffed around and showed that you did, in fact, support said bridge.

An article on the Huffington Post discusses further:

Though Palin did abandon her onetime support for the bridge after winning Alaska's governorship, she did so only after federal dollars dried up. Moreover, she kept the federal funds already given to Alaska. Yet Palin still continues to use the line in each and every stump speech. In response, the Obama campaign is turning to humor. "On the same day that dozens of news organizations have exposed Governor Palin's phony Bridge to Nowhere claim as a 'naked lie,' she and John McCain continue to repeat the claim in their stump speeches. Maybe tomorrow she'll tell us she sold it on eBay," said Obama campaign spokesman Tommy Vietor.

Read the rest of the article here.

tshirt of the day

bumper sticker of the day

quote of the day

“I believe John McCain chose Gov. Palin because he truly believes that women who supported Hillary — an experienced, brilliant, life-long public servant — would vote for him because his Vice President has two x chromosomes. McCain’s selection of Governor Palin is a transparent and irresponsible decision all in the name of trying to win this election. John McCain has served this country. No one in this election is denying him that. But his selection of Governor Palin has demonstrated that he is willing to put his desperation to win this election above the welfare of the American people."
-Barbara Streisand

word of the day?

"There oughta be a word," Comedy Central's Indecision 2008 declared on Thursday, for "a last minute VP choice that brings a modicum of energy to an otherwise dull campaign."

Possible choices:

Apallin

Palindrom

Palin Pump

Check out the rest here.

quote of the day

"Let me offer an advance warning to the old, big spending, do nothing, me first, country second Washington crowd: change is coming."
-John McCain, at the RNC, on Sarah Palin

lies, lies, lies

Not to continue to attack the republican candidates, but honestly, guys? Hasn't the blogosphere proven already that the truth always comes out? The GOP convention was guilty time and time again for stretching the truth, and flat out lying in various speeches. Couldn't they just hire a fact checker?

Read more here.

who to believe?

Apparently it's being reported that Sarah Palin had an affair with her husband's business partner (...first mate?...). McCain's camp is threatening legal action, which blogger Perez Hilton says "makes her look guilty." The Enquirer was, apparently, the first news source to break the story, and as Hilton points out, has been right before about politicians having affairs.

My question is, does this matter? I mean, extramarital affairs used to matter to Republicans, but I maintain that, while I wouldn't want to date/marry Bill Clinton, he made a great president and sure, doing the nasty (allegedly) in the Oval Office isn't exactly kosher, he still managed to ride out eight years pretty successfully. And he was the H.B.I.C.; Palin would only be VP, so really, doesn't it matter even less?

Well, anyway. Read the two articles regarding the subject here and here.

Thank you, Perez

According to Perez Hilton, "The factually inaccurate and exaggerated speech bashing Barack from the lipstick wearing pit bull delivered at the RNC convention on Wednesday inspired 130,000 donors to give money to the Obama campaign." Apparently donors pledged $8 million in in only 24 hours to Barak Obama's campaign, and the senator has nobody but Sarah Palin to thank.

Read the rest of his post here.

quote of the day, part 2

"Isn't it cute that Obama thinks he can be president? Isn't it cute that all those people are dumb enough to believe that just because his mouth makes pretty sounds, he'll make a good leader?"
Huffington Post Columnist Seth Grahame-Smith on McCain's new perceived campaign strategy.

Read the rest of his article here.

quote of the day

"I told the Congress, "Thanks, but no thanks," on that Bridge to Nowhere."
-Sarah Palin, RNC speech

the REAL question

There are lots of different ideas of what counts when deciding who to vote for in the upcoming election. Whose policies do you agree with? Who will fight for what you believe in? Whose picture will look better, someday, on a one-dollar bill?

But there is one question that, above all, is inarguably the most important:



Whose kid is cuter?

According to Gonzalo Cordova of Indecision 2008, it's an easy question to answer. "The Obama girls have the whole cute kid sitcom thing going," she says. "For a second, I thought I was watching Nick at Nite." But on Palin's youngest daughter giving newborn Trig (no, I'm not kidding, kid's name is Trig) a "spit shine," she has to admit, "On a scale of one to ten, that’s really fucking adorable."

Read the rest of the article here.

the daily show gravytrain will stop eventually...

...But not todaaaay!

"I want a leader I can identify with. Like me. Or worse."
-Rob Riggle, The Daily Show

i <3 the daily show

...I'll just let this one speak for itself.

upon further investigation...

The Onion has some pretty hilarious and great profiles of the two main candidates. Snippets and links below:

Barak Obama

Odds Of Pop-Locking During Inauguration: 1 in 12

Key Issues: Abortion: Did some crazy shit in the '80's, not going to lie.

Difficulty Catching A Cab: Moderate

John McCain

Thoughts On Torture: Doesn't support stuff he couldn't handle

Key Issues: Climate Change: Is against any kind of change at all.

Where He'd Be If Not Running For President: Dead

Check out their profiles (along with all of the "third party" candidates, as well as former potential candidates) here.

courtesy of the onion

see more of The Onion's thoughts on Nader (including "best muppet impression") here.

quote of the day, part 3??

"I love those hockey moms. You know, they say the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull? Lipstick."
-Sarah Palin, RNC acceptance speech

turncoat?

This article is the first I've read about an issue that concerns me greatly--if you know me, you've heard me go off on this before, as it's something I worry a great deal about. Read on...

yes, virginia, there is

It's popular opinion that there is "no such thing" as a black republican. I found this article that proves otherwise--and also offers interesting discussion of what those African-American conservatives' feelings are about the upcoming election.

Lenny McAllister, a black conservative blogger from North Carolina and a self-described "hip-hop Republican," told CNN that being able to recognize Obama as a historical figure, yet not support his candidacy from a policy perspective was a mark of progress. "When we're able to do that comfortably in an accepted fashion in America [is] when we'll be able to grow and move forward as a country and move past the wounds that we've had from race relations throughout the country," he said.

The whole article is pretty good stuff, I suggest giving it a gander here.

follow-up

...This article, on the other hand, mostly praises Palin's speech, with one or two minor exceptions:

The Obama campaign dismissed Palin's speech as "well-delivered" but said it was "written by George Bush's speechwriter and sounds exactly like the same divisive, partisan attacks we've heard from George Bush for the last eight years."

but all in all, it's a glowing review of Sar-Bear's acceptance speech. Check it out here.

debate over Palin

This article, just published on CNN.com, has some pretty interesting points for/against Palin's candidacy; it's clearly leaning in one direction, but does offer up at least a little bit about both sides:

"She came in with bats swinging and hit a home run with me," said iReporter Barbara Grant of New Haven, Connecticut.

vs.

Green Party supporter Rick Seno sees Palin as "the female Republican version of Barack Obama." The Dallas, Texas, resident said he noticed several similarities between the two politicians as Palin delivered her convention speech. "She's a talented speaker. She gives a great speech. She has the ability to capture people's attention and give them hope and make them excited," he said. "But when it comes to her record and her lack of experience, she is equally unprepared to be in the White House."

vs.

James Martin of Mooresville, South Carolina, described Palin as "nasty, crude and totally unacceptable as VP." He was especially offended by the "cheap shots" she took at Obama and Democratic running mate Joe Biden.

Give it a read for yourself here.

bridge to drama

uh-oh, Sarah...

food for thought

Found at DailyKos.com:

Flee the Press
by georgia10
Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 09:00:35 AM PDT

It's been five days now and John McCain has not allowed his vice-presidential pick to be interviewed by the press even once.

If the McCain-Palin ticket is about "tranparency" and "reform," why are they so afraid about letting Sarah Palin talk to the press?

Oh, that's right. Because as a result of John McCain's two-minute "vetting" process (Rush Limbaugh loves her, so it's a go), reporters (and bloggers, for matter) have undertaken the real vetting process. And if John McCain is so intent on keeping his vice-presidential pick away from questions, well, what does that have to say about how she might answer?

If you'd like to comment directly to georgia10, go here.

to be fair

CNN.com just posted a VERY good article on why Sarah Palin is not the devil and might just be the girl for the job of being "one tumor away" from being president (too soon?).

Truth is, we all know a Sarah Palin. They're the ones who organize the picnics, coach the hockey teams, run the condo association, put together the Town Budget, supervise the courts and the police and the highway crews, even the power grid.

Read the rest of the article here.

just...in case

Listen, I know you're probably all not as dumb as I am, but I keep hearing this word "vetting" being thrown around re: Sarahface, and I finally figured I'd cave and check out the definition. Turns out, it's not referring to people going around, helping sick animals:

vet1 noun, verb, vet·ted, vet·ting. Informal. –noun

1.	veterinarian.

–verb (used with object)

2.	to examine or treat in one's capacity as a veterinarian or as a doctor.

3.	to appraise, verify, or check for accuracy, authenticity, validity, etc.: An expert vetted the manuscript before publication.

–verb (used without object)

4.	to work as a veterinarian.

And there you have it! Well...it...and a bunch of definitions that DO refer to people who, 'yknow. Help...sick...animals.

Biden reacts!

...isn't that a snappy little title? It sounds pretty dramatic, but really it mostly relates to a list I posted earlier from Indecision 2008.

Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden praised his Republican counterpart's acceptance speech as "incredibly well-crafted and delivered," but said Sarah Palin's rhetoric lacked substance. "I didn't hear the phrase 'middle class.' I didn't hear a single word about health care. I didn't hear a single word about helping people get to college," Biden, a U.S. senator from Delaware, told CNN's "American Morning" Thursday.

Not exactly a gripping article, but interesting that it relates to a goofy earlier post. Read on.

flop your vote?

This is easily one of the weirdest things I've ever seen.

i GUESS we can talk about him...

The Onion is a great read, every time, and you should absolutely bail on me right this minute to check in on them and make sure they're doing a stellar job, as they always do.

...Still there? Neato.

Right now I'm most amused by their latest article on McCain:

"John McCain is one of only two men who has a chance to become president of the United States of America, and by running an entire 600-word article about him, we are acknowledging that we are aware of that fact," a statement from the newspaper's editorial board read in part. "Even though we are certain that the presence of Sen. McCain's name and image on the front page will result in a decrease in reader interest, sales, and web traffic, running this story was, regrettably, the right thing to do."

The article is on the front page of their website, under "recent news," with the title "Top Story On John McCain Run Out Of Obligation."

Awesome.

quote of the day, take two

“She does herself a disservice to even mention it, really. When I hear a statement like that coming from a woman candidate with any kind of perceived whine about that excess criticism, or maybe a sharper microscope put on her, I think, ‘Man, that doesn’t do us any good, women in politics, or women in general, trying to progress this country.’ I don’t think it bodes well for her.”
-Sarah Palin, on Hillary Clinton's complaint of sexism running rampant in the election proceedings

In a parallel universe...

(here's the transcript for those of you reading at work who can't just, y'know, watch youtube videos all day)

strategery

I searched and searched and could not find a video of this skit (namely because it's been taken off of youtube), but I did find the transcript:

Announcer: Live, from the Clark Athletic Center at the University of Massachusetts, the first Presidential Debate. Here is moderator, Jim Lehrer.

Jim Lehrer: Good evening. I'm Jim Lehrer. Welcome to this, the first of three debates between Texas Governor George W. Bush and Vice-President Al Gore. Now, let's meet the candidates. [ Gore and Bush step out, shake hands, then stand behind their respective podiums ] Before we begin, I have been asked by the Bush campaign to announce that, for the next three hours only, viewers in the states of Michigan, Missouri and Pennsylvania have the option of free Pay-Per-View, courtesy of the Republican National Committee. On Channel 62, "The Perfect Storm", with George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg, the film Mike Clark of USA Today called "The perfect movie". On Channel 63, the grandeur beauty and savagery of ancient Rome came to life in "Gladiator" with Russell Crowe. [ Al Gore sighs ] "Gladiator. A hero will rise." Care for something just a bit naughty? On Channel 64, ten Penthouse Pets join forces with ten Playboy Playmates to find the perfect Hustler centerfold, in "Miss Killer Body 2000". Contains nudity. [ George W. Bush nods his approval ] With that out of the way, let's begin the debate. Mr. Vice-President, during this campaign, you have frequently called the Bush tax plan a "risky scheme". Why?

Al Gore: [ speaking slowly and in broken syllables ] Well, Jim.. Governor Bush and I have two ve-ry diff-er-ent plans to of-fer tax re-lief to American families. In his plan, the wealthiest 1% of Americans would receive nearly fif-ty per-cent of the ben-e-fits. My plan, Jim, is diff-er-ent. Rather than squand-er the su-plus on a risky tax cut for the wealth-y, I would put it in what I call a.. "lock-box."

Jim Lehrer: Governor Bush, your response?

George W. Bush: I don't know what that was all about.. but I'll tell you this: "Don't Mess With Texas!"

Al Gore: I didn't mess with Texas!

Jim Lehrer:Governor Bush, I listened very carefully to the Vice-President's remarks, and I honestly do not believe he messed with Texas. Now, Governor Bush..

Al Gore: [ interrupting ] Jim. May I ust say that in my plan, the "lock-box" would be used only for Social Security and Medicare. It would have two different locks. Now, one of the keys to the "lockbox" would be kept by the President; the other key would be sealed in a small, metal container and placed under the bumper of the Senate Majority Leader's car.

Jim Lehrer: Governor Bush, the next question is for you. Two weeks ago, at a meeting of the Economic Club in Detroit, you said the following: "More seldom than not, the movies gives us exquisite sex and wholesome violence, that underscores our values. Every two child did. I will." What did you mean by that?

George W. Bush: [ clears throat ] Pass.

Jim Lehrer: Perhaps if you could see it on a monitor?

[ the exact phrase appears on the monitor for Bush to read ]

George W. Bush: [ reads monitor ] Pass.

Jim Lehrer: Really? No idea what that could mean?

George W. Bush: Could be.. education?

Al Gore: Jim? I believe what my opponent in-tend-ed to say, was that all too often the ex-plic-it sex and whole-sale violence in films undermines our values.

George W. Bush: [ snaps finger ] Bingo! That was it! That was it!

Al Gore: I happen to agree with Governor Bush on that, and I commend him for it. But let me add something in my plan. The "lock-box" would also be camoflauged. Now, to all outward appearances, it would be a Leatherbound edition of Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas. But it wouldn't be. It would be the "lock-box".

Jim Lehrer: Governor Bush, this question is for you, and it concerns foreign policy. Last week, in Serbian elections we saw the apparent defeat of President Slobodan Milosevic by challenger Vojislav Kostunica. Yet, Milosevic refused to step aside. As President, would you apply pressure on Milosevic, and openly aid Kostunica and his Novia Serbskaya party? Or, by working with neighbors, such as Karadon Ragonovic of Croatia, Istivan Kajnoinsy of Hungary, or Anton Paslagaros of Greece?

George W. Bush: [ clears throat ] Well.. first of all, I think that any instability in that first country that you mentioned, is troubling.. and clearly the second guy who you spoke of, he beat the first guy. Now, personally, I favor seeking the diplomatic help of the person I'm gonna call "Guy #3". But I'm not going to pronounce any of their names tonight, because I don't believe that's in our national interest.

Jim Lehrer: Vice-President Gore?

Al Gore: Jim, let me here tonight issue a warning to the enemies, or potential enemeies, of the United States: you may think you know the location of the "lock-box". Maybe you do. Or maybe that's a decoy. Or a dummy "lock-box". Only the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, myself and Tipper are gonna know for sure.

Jim Lehrer: Which beings us to our final question. Governor Bush, both you and the Vice-President have offered plans to provide prescription drugs for the elderly. What makes your plan superior?

Al Gore: Jim, I'd like to interrupt here and answer that question as if it were my turn to speak. Jim, let me tell about a friend of mine. [ holds up a picture of an elderly woman ] Her name is Etta Munsen. She's 94, she's a widow living on Social Security in Sparta, Tennessee. Etta was born with only one kidney. She also suffers from poilo, spinal menengitis, lung, liver, and pancreatic cancer, an enlarged heart, diabetes, and a rare form of styctic acne. Now, several recent strokes, along with an unfortunate shark attack, have left her paralyzed and missing her right leg under the knee. Just last week she woke from a coma to find that, due to a hospital mix-up, her left arm had been amputated, infected with syphillis, and then reattached.

Jim Lehrer: Mr. Vice-President, we are short of time..

Al Gore: As you can imagine, Jim.. Etta's prescription drug bills are staggering. They run to nearly $113 million a day! And she tells me that some weeks she has to choose between eating and treating her Lyme Disease. Now, under my plan, Etta's prescription drugs would be covered. Under my opponent's plan, her house would be burned to the ground. And that is wrong. That is just wrong!

Jim Lehrer: Governor Bush? Response?

George W. Bush: I believe that some of those figures may be in-ock-urate.

Al Gore: Jim, what you just heard from my opponent is an attack on my integrity and my character. And I will not reply in kind. Instead, I will take those remarks and tuck them away, away in a tiny "lock-box", where all bad thoughts go.

Jim Lehrer: Well, that brings us to the close of tonight's debate. Each candidate will now give a brief closing statement.

Al Gore: Jim, may I make two closing statements?

Jim Lehrer: I'm afraid not. In fact, we are almost out of time, so I will instead ask each candidate to sum up, in a single word, the best argument for his candidacy. Governor Bush?

George W. Bush: Strategery.

Jim Lehrer: [ stunned ] Vice-President Gore.

Al Gore: "Lock-box".

Jim Lehrer: This concludes the first debate. Thank you, and "Live, from New York, it's Saturday Night!"

Possibly the greatest SNL skit to date (although I'm sure you all remember this one fondly--but IN YOUR FACE, it's not a skit, it's a "digital short." BAM!).

quote of the day

"Barack Obama gets it."
-Joe Biden, potential future Vice President

Random...

...but funny.

Palin's speech

Here, courtesy of the New York Times, is the transcript of Sarah Palin's speech last night at the RNC.

And Here, courtesy of Comedy Central's "Indecision 08" website, is a list of 17 or so words not included in her speech (I say "or so" because one could argue that things like "brother-in-law" are more than one word).

Did anybody read all of that garbage about how the speech was originally written for Mitt Romney somebody more masculine than Palin? I mean, first of all, it's not like anybody writes their own speeches. That's why they employ speech writers. Come on. Second, forgive me, but don't you think every speech a potential presidential speech writer has written up until now would have been written for a man? I'm a girl and at least a moderate feminist and all that, but it's not like history repeats itself in terms of sexism or anything. Finally, honestly, how effeminate/masculine can a speech really be?? It's not like, if Romney were delivering it, he'd be talking about bitches and hoes, but since Palin's the one speaking, she's going to talk about knitting and nail polish.



:::edit::: uhh, she did too say "economy," "nuclear," and "talking snake."

...Just kidding about that last one.

re: gas prices

Listen, guys. I don't know if you know about this. I'm perhaps a tad behind on reporting it, but I just think it's really important that everybody educate themselves about the issues and this one is a pretty big deal. I mean gas prices have been coming gradually (read: agonizingly slowly) back down, but there's limited relief in sight. Take this as a warning...

Gas prices have gotten so high that P. Diddy


(just in case you forgot what he looked like)

has vowed to stop flying his private plane, and is in fact flying commercial. Don't believe me? Check out his youtube video diary. Diddy is so poor due to the rising gas prices, he cannot afford to fly his jet from New York to LA, now that it's over the affordable price of $200,000 per flight.

I'm...sorry. I can't type anymore. It's hard even for me to take this seriously.

it's funny because it's true

random thought

Does this election remind anybody else of a particular episode of Will & Grace?...




:::edit::: just for posterity's sake...

SCENE V: Will's Apartment
(WILL and GRACE are home.)

GRACE: Uh... So, listen, I need a check.

WILL: What for?

GRACE: Judy Green. She's running for city council, and I think we should support her.

WILL: But we're backing Ted Bowers.

GRACE: Well, I found out a few things about him that makes me think I should support the other candidate.

WILL: Like what?

GRACE: Like he's running against a woman.

WILL: So? Who is she? What do we know about her?

GRACE: She's a woman.

WILL: And?

GRACE: And she's Jewish.

WILL: And?

GRACE: And she's a woman.

WILL: So what? What are her positions?

GRACE: I don't know. She's Jewish. She probably just lays there. Come on. Write the check!

WILL: I am not gonna write you a check. That would just cancel out the check you wrote me.

GRACE: I know. That's why I've already stopped payment on mine. Now, come on. Make it payable to "Judy Green for City Council."

WILL: All right. Is a zillion dollars enough?

GRACE: Come on! Women need a voice on the city council. I mean, 50% of the population is women.

WILL: So, one could argue that 80% of the population is gay. [BEAT] They just don't know it yet. Anyway, this is not about statistics. This is about who has the better candidate.

GRACE: Well, what makes you think that you have the better candidate?

WILL: Grace, he's gay.

GRACE: Well, mine's a woman and Jewish. That makes two victims to your one.

WILL: Since when are you so Jewish anyway? You're about as Jewish as Melanie Griffith in A Stranger Among Us.

GRACE: Well, you're about as gay as Tom Sellick in In and Out.

WILL: I am plenty gay.

GRACE: When was the last time you had same-sex sex?

WILL: I'm choosy!

GRACE: Ha! You're straight! Go watch a basketball game!

WILL: Yeah? Well, you're barely a woman. You pee standing up!

GRACE: Hey! There are a lot of diseases you can get from a toilet seat!

WILL: Our own?! [POINTING TOWARDS THE BATHROOM.]

GRACE: Well, I never thought that I would hear this from you! You hate women!

WILL: Well, you hate gays!

[WILL AND GRACE EXIT TO THE WRONG BEDROOMS, SLAMMING THE DOORS.]

[THE DOORS OPEN SUDDENLY AND THEY SWITCH ROOMS.]

WILL: My room.

GRACE: Whatever.

[THE DOORS SLAM.]

STOP MAKING IT SO EASY

...sweet lord, Sarah.

hilarious

following up on the "emo for obama" button, are these buttons:


...to answer your questions, here.
also, yes, that is Doogie Howser.



:::edit::: also found: "Banjos for Obama," "Unemployed for Obama" (featuring The Dude), "Bald and Beautiful for Obama," "Impersonators for Obama," (featuring a picture of those fake-sideburn Elvis sunglasses), and "Whale Watchers for Obama." Several more to be found if you've got the time to poke around...

way to go, BO

Obama's reaction to this is pretty fantastic:

Q: Governor Palin and her husband issued a statement today saying that their 17 year old daughter Bristol who is unmarried is 5 months pregnant. Do you have a comment?

A: I have heard some of the news on this and so let me be as clear as possible. I have said before and I will repeat again, I think people's families are off limits, and people's children are especially off limits. This shouldn't be part of our politics, it has no relevance to governor Palin's performance as a governor or her potential performance as a vice president. And so I would strongly urge people to back off these kinds of stories. You know my mother had me when she was 18. And how family deals with issues and teenage children that shouldn't be the topic of our politics and I hope that anybody who is supporting me understands that is off limits.

(also, how did it take me until just now that Barak Obama's initials are the same as the acronym for Body Oder? Eww.)

quote of the day

"This election is not about issues."
-Rick Davis, McCain's campaign manager
(allegedly)

does want

how to win the female vote

McCain: ask some chick from Alaska to be your VP. A phone interview and 15-minute one-time meeting should be all it takes to determine that she's the one.

Obama: Rail McCain for his ideas about overturning Roe v. Wade. That'll...win...some...ok, buddy, come on. Talk about negativity. I thought we were making changes and being hopeful and positive?

Jeeze.