Election Day Article

"A Date With Scarcity" by David Brooks

I really liked this article. I heard David Broder speak in Madison a month or so ago at a lecture series titled "Getting to Purple" hosted by the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters*. In his lecture, Broder echoed a few of his (i.e. Brooks') points, primarily his characterization of the Baby Boomers:

"The baby boomers, who entered adulthood promising a lifetime of activism, have been a politically undistinguished generation. They produced two presidents, neither of whom lived up to his potential. They remained consumed by the culture war that divided their generation."

The points in the article that stood out to me:

1) "...today is not only a pivot, but a confluence of pivots." (Referencing the end of an economic era, a generational era, and likely a political era)

2) "We’re probably entering a period, in other words, in which smart young liberals meet a stone-cold scarcity that they do not seem to recognize or have a plan for."

Happy Voting!


*some of you may have met its Executive Director this summer, tehe

Open letter to Obama

Dear Obama,

Remember Harry Potter III: The Prisoner of Azkaban? Well, back in the eighties, the Potter family was protected from Voldemort by the fidelius charm. The location of their house was hidden in the soul of their friend Peter Pettigrew. It was physically impossible for Voldemort to find the Potter home, until Peter Pettigrew flip-flopped over to the dark side and told Voldemort the secret. Then Voldemort triumphed!!

Okay, Obama, stay with me on this BOMBSHELL: Osama bin Laden is using a fidelius charm. That's why America can't find his cave-palace! But all you have to do is find his personal Peter Pettigrew, and torture the living shit out of him. Start with Osama's childhood friends, paying special attention to those who can shape-shift into animals of dubious moral character, (such as rats, weasels, sharks, crows, bugs, etc....)

You only have a week, Obama, but you must successfully complete this quest if you'd like my vote in the coming election.

Thrill, baby, thrill,

Ricky

Funny Political Joke

Q: Why hasn't Kurt Vonnegut endorsed Obama for president?




A: Because Kurt's lost touch with reality.

feed the barracuda

i know this has already been said over and over, but sarah palin is quite clearly unqualified, unaware, and unable to come up with her own thoughts. besides the glaring gaffes of not knowing what the bush doctrine is or how to pronounce "nuclear", her interview with abc's charles gibson showed us how she was obviously being fed lines to say ...over and over:

"GIBSON: What if Israel decided it felt threatened and need to take out the Iranian nuclear facilities?

PALIN: Well, first, we are friends of Israel, and I don’t think that we should second guess the measures that Israel has to take to defend themselves, and for their security.

GIBSON: So if we didn’t second guess it and if they decided they needed to do it, because Iran was an existential threat, we would be cooperative or agree with that?

PALIN: I don’t think we can second guess what Israel has to do to secure its nation.

GIBSON: So if it felt necessary, if it felt the need to defend itself by taking out Iranian nuclear facilities, that would be all right?

PALIN: We cannot second guess the steps that Israel has to take to defend itself."

wow. Gibson tries to get her to actually answer the question in her own words, but she does nothing but read off her mental cue cards. and to think she's just another face cancer case away from being the person in charge. *shudder*

also: the women of the band heart are super-pissed at palin's use of "barracuda" as her theme song. "Sarah Palin's views and values in NO WAY represent us as American women ... The song 'Barracuda' was written in the late '70s as a scathing rant against the soulless, corporate nature of the music business, particularly for women. (The 'barracuda' represented the business.)"

irony plz?

unDEAD unDEAD unDEAD.... undead.

When Senator McCain or Governor Palin talk on the TV, I turn the volume way low and just play Bauhaus over them.

THE BATS HAVE LEFT THE BELL TOWER

THE VICTIMS HAVE BEEN BLED
RED VELVET LINES THE BLACK BOX
BELA LUGOSI'S DEAD
UNDEAD UNDEAD UNDEAD

McCain Speech

I don't feel qualified to offer political analysis, but I must say it is exciting to be able to choose between two excellent presidential candidates. In 2004, I chose the least worst.

Pull out all the stops in combating the energy crisis? Increase the child tax credit to help families? Build education options to hold failing schools accountable and ultimately increase their effectiveness? Use decades of experience with war and foreign policy to work toward an enduring and stable peace? Put aside differences and build consensus to move the country forward? Pretty difficult ideals to ignore!

I certainly agree with any candidate who promotes an enabling government rather than a dictating government. There is no substitute for hard work and responsible living. Dare I say these ideals are incompatible with whining and complaining? I never though I would consider John McCain endearing. I don't mean to say that my vote is decided, but tonight McCain made a very strong case for himself.