You can’t deny that the way the mainstream media is handling the ACORN tape scandal [LINK to YouTube search] is a bit…odd.
Lets face it, it’s not secret that ACORN is a shady organization whose ties to the democratic party hurt, but didn’t hinder President Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential bid. Evidence of the organization’s dealings has been known, again, since 2008 and these series of videos obviously prove that.
However, my post isn’t about the video itself, because in the end, I really don’t care what ACORN does. They didn’t invent voter/tax fraud and they aren’t the first to do it. My post is more about what the media didn’t see.
Last night, Jon Stewart made a very good point regarding this story. The media totally didn’t see this coming and ultimately got “scooped” by two students with $3,000 and a hidden camera. In their coverage of this, it’s apparent that they aren’t pleased.
Other than FOX News, who is flaunting this with their usual swagger, I have had to do more foraging than normal on the interwebs to find some stuff about this.
I really don’t think this has to do with bias, it is pretty well known that ACORN will show you various ways to declare your Ecuadorian sex slave as a dependent in your tax forms. But rather, I think the media realized that this whole “citizen journalism” is a pretty large gorilla in a very small room.
As a current student journalist and writer, I think that this is good for us, the little guys who put together a 12-page paper three times a week or update a blog. It evens the playing field a bit for us, and lets us know that just because we don’t have the vast resources of some of the bigger players doesn’t mean we can’t get things done. But this is also good for the media, the big dogs who we one day aspire to work for.
In the end though, people like us want to work for a big player one day. Entering the jobs of writers and editors with this mindset will put a fire under our asses to get the big stories and not get scooped by a bunch of kids. I think this is a great wake-up call for not only mainstream journalists but those who aspire to be mainstream journalists. We will have to comepete.
At WWDC, Apple made a note that MMS would be coming to the iPhone, well…to every iPhone except those on AT&T.
With the end of summer, the deadline imposed by AT&T, rapidly approaching I have yet to be able to send and receive video and pictures on my device. So I decided to take matters in to my own hands…here is what I asked @ATTNews last night.
@ATTNews Guys the summer is almost over. Where is MMS for the iPhone? I can order pizza to my GPS coordinates but I can’t receive pics?
I’ll keep tweeting until I get an answer…or MMS, whichever comes first. I am starting to think that an update opening MMS up for AT&T will be announced at the iPod event on September 9th that I keep hearing about.
If only Verizon had an iPhone…I’ll keep you posted
According to CNN this morning, model Liskula Cohen sued Google for the identity of a commenter who defamed her on a Blogger site. Here is a quote from the CNN’s Newsroom blog:
Cohen went to court after a user of Google’s blogging service, Blogger.com, created a site called “Skanks in NYC.” The blog featured photos of Cohen with insulting captions. The judge ruled that Google had to turn over any identifying information it had (in this case an IP address and an e-mail address) on this blogger, and Google has complied.
After Don Lemon read a few comments on the air (one of those comments being mine, many thanks to Don) he asked a question that I think sums up this entire situation. Does “hatespeak” count as freedom of speech?
The argument in this case is that the blogger’s comments about Cohen are defamatory, and they are. According to Gawker, the blog “Skanks of NYC” labeled Cohen as well, a New York City skank. I would quote the blog, but I don’t quote gossip and smut.
Americans today throw freedom of speech around heavily. However, we can’t pick and choose what we are free or not free to say. When white supremacists spew ignorance and hatred, they have a right to do it. In the end I disagree with it, I criticize it, but I will not challenge their right to be stupid.
I once had a high school teacher who would pretentiously quote Voltaire every time students disagreed with each other, and it rings true now:
“I may not approve of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
In actuality, that was said by Evelyn Beatrice Hall in “The Friends of Voltaire”, but that’s neither here nor there.
In the end, freedom of speech is a take it, or leave it issue. People will hate and defame, but in the end unless they have definitive proof, most people are smart enough to dismiss it. If you want to live in a country where you are free to say whatever you want, you need to be able to take the good with the bad.
This ruling is going to set an ugly precedent for the Internet. This is a huge set back for the blogging community, who is heavily based on opinions and Op-Ed commentary. I have a feeling this is going to be the first of many.
You know, I am all for the Second Amendment, but what the hell is this? According to basically every major news outlet, people are going to health care town hall meetings brandishing 9mm handguns and, as of late, AR-15 assault rifles.
I really don’t get the correlation between health care and second amendment rights, unless they are talking about how Obama’s Public Option plan will cover gun shot wounds.
I am not really surprised, however seeing how heated these rallies and town halls are getting, is this really a good idea? I find it hard not to imagine a worse case scenario where different groups of protestors clash in a hail of gunfire started by those in the crowd with high power assault rifles.
Oddly enough, the Secret Service seems cool with it? Here’s a interview with a Secret Service spokesman from CNN:
U.S. Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan acknowledged the incidents in New Hampshire and Arizona, but said he was not aware of any other recent events where protesters attended with open weapons. He said there was no indication that anyone had organized the incidents.
Asked whether the individuals carrying weapons jeopardized the safety of the president, Donovan said, “Of course not.”
The individuals would never have gotten in close proximity to the president, regardless of any state laws on openly carrying weapons, he said. A venue is considered a federal site when the Secret Service is protecting the president and weapons are not allowed on a federal site, he added.
A lot of people are forgetting that the problem is not that he is open wielding and firearm near the president. The Secret Service obviously has Obama so locked down that they are cool as cucumbers.
Local police forces in the area are in a unique position here as well. These protestors are obviously protected by the law, and confiscating, detaining, or arresting these individuals would only add fuel to the fire. However they still have to consider the safety of the crowd.
The problem here is that people are walking around with these things in high traffic areas no doubt steeped in heated political debate. Frankly, I don’t trust people enough to be responsible and, most importantly, calm. This is trouble waiting to happen.
According to CNN.com, the Senate today voted to no longer fund the F-22 fighter program, effectively capping the amount of fighters to be built at 187 planes. Here is an excerpt:
WASHINGTON (CNN) — The Senate voted Tuesday to block expansion of one of the country’s most controversial and expensive defense programs, the F-22 fighter jet program.
The vote gave the White House and Pentagon a key victory over congressional supporters of the F-22, many of whom represent states and districts where jobs are tied to the production of the jet.
The vote, which stripped $1.75 billion for an additional seven F-22s from the fiscal year 2010 budget, was a reversal of an earlier Senate committee decision to include money for the program. The change came in a response to strong pressure from President Obama, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and several key senators who argued that the additional planes are not needed or wanted by the military.
The 58-40 vote, which did not break down along typical partisan lines, was the culmination of a classic confrontation between the president and Congress over who is the best judge of the country’s military needs.
The reason a lot of senators are a big fan of this aircraft are twofold. First, the aircraft keeps a lot of people employed as it relies on parts and labor from 44 states, which keeps constituency pockets filled, and senators and local reps happy.
The second reason they give is that the aircraft will serve as a defense not so much for our wars in Afghanistan and Iraq but against more challenging enemies that could pose a threat in the future, such as China or Russia…or Britain. Seriously you never know.
Look, at this time spending cash on defense may look like, as President Obama said, “an inexcusable waste of money”. However, I think this specific program is vital not only for the reasons listed above but also because this aircraft contributes to this country’s image.
The F-22 keeps America safe and employed, and in the end isn’t that a good thing?
This can get confusing. Anyway it seems Jon Gosslin has found a new flame to fill the void left by Kate.
Her name is Hailey Glassman, she is 22 years old, she is kind of hot, and she is the daughter of the plastic surgeon who performed Kate’s tummy tuck procedure. If that’s not enough, according to HuffPost she is also his “business partner” and the two plan on designing a line of children’s clothing. Jon’s already got the divorced dad thing down:
Get your ear pierced. Check.
Buy and wear a large amount of Ed Hardy t-shirts not knowing that no one wears that atrocious nonsense anymore. Check.
Secure a young girlfriend with questionable morals and parade her around town. Double Check.
Who’s side am I on? Well it would have to be Jon’s and here is why. First of all Kate has basically belittled and demeaned him over the course of the entire show. I don’t know if it’s because of the cameras being around (because as we all know people tend to be different when the cameras are on) or what but she was an unnecessary bitch. Second of all lets face it, the guy really didn’t want eight kids. That’s not to say he doesn’t love them, but lets be logical here, unless you are the OctoMom who wants eight kids?
I am a product of a divorced family, so trust me if anyone can say this its me. Every divorce isn’t mutual, there is always someone to blame. Here there are two people to blame; TLC for basically making every facet of this family’s life public, and Kate for letting it get to her head.
I read somewhere that Jon wants full custody of all the children. If he does I hope he doesn’t market them like Kate did and just lets them be kids.
Chris Brown released a public apology regarding the incident that landed Rhianna in the hospital and him in a jail cell. Please do enjoy:
This is obviously an attempt to salvage his already shattered career. Chris Brown made the mistake of hitting a woman, especially a well known singer such as Rhianna, and thinks this YouTube apology will suffice. I think not. People who beat women to me are less than scum, and should be treated as such. Five years probation is too light of a penalty, which seems to be the norm when celebrities break the law.
During times of economic difficulty it isn’t unnatural for companies to tighten the belt. Lay off workers, cut salaries, reduce work weeks, there are many options for ailing companies. Recently I have been reading (and hearing) stories of companies who continue to perform very well, but are still making drastic cuts in overtime, salaries, and bonuses.
I spoke to someone the other day who was talking about how their employer was cutting all overtime and bonuses while the company continued to post excellent numbers. The overall sentiment at her office was that the owners had lost portions of personal money and are simply reacting to it by improving profits at the cost of their employee benefits.
I have always been a believer in the idea that “if you take care of your employees, they will take care of you”. During and after the 2008 presidential elections, small and medium business owners were constantly discussed as one of the most important groups of people in America.
However, small business owners have a tremendous amount of freedom when it comes to how they handle their businesses. Most of the time, that’s a good thing. Considering a good amount of successful small business owners provide their employees good health care, bonuses and incentives. On the other hand, that could be a bad thing.
Back when I entertained the idea of being a business major my financial accounting professor stressed the importance of a business owners obligation to keep their personal finances separate from their business’.
I am sure Neitzche would scold me for my “slave moralist” view, or Limbaugh would call me a socialist, but I think my point is reasonable. Whether you like it or not, a business may legally belong to one person, but in a way it belongs to everyone who works for it. These people feed and support themselves and their families with what they earn there. All the accomplishments and accolades are earned as a whole.
In times like these most people tend to huddle together. Some would rather see a 10% cut in salaries rather than watching a few esteemed co-workers walk away. Greed was what got us in to this mess in the first place, and people realize that.
We can’t afford to see hard working employees get cut due to the misfortunes of a few. If you lost money because of a few investments that went south, that is unfortunate. But don’t make your employees feel it as well.
When Apple dropped the iPhone 3GS I quickly sprinted to my nearest computer to see if I was eligible for the subsidized price. I was not.
I was okay with it, I actually was saving up to buy a Nikon D60, however out of curiosity I went to the Apple site and checked my eligibility and it now says I can purchase an iPhone 3GS despite my upgrade date not being until March 2010.
I might go snag one next month, we’ll see. But I just thought I would pass this along on the off chance that AT&T has decided to be cool and maybe let everyone with a 3G upgrade at a reasonable price.
So I was playing Xbox Live’s “One vs. 100″ for the first time tonight. One of the questions was “Which state recently passed a bill that would allow people to carry weapons inside what?”. I can’t remember the choices exactly, but what I do know is that the answer is “a bar”.
According to Associated Press, the state of Arizona has indeed passed a bill allowing people to carry concealed weapons inside a drinking establishment.
The Arizona Senate has given final approval to a bill that would allow people with concealed weapons permits to carry a gun into a business that serves alcohol.
The 19-8 vote completes legislative action on the bill and sends it to Republican Gov. Jan Brewer. She has not said whether she will sign it, but she has long been a supporter of gun rights.
You know, I got a weird look for sarcastically shouting “Yeeeah go red states!” on this one. What the hell is this? I mean seriously folks, it’s getting REALLY hard to defend this party. I know that most conservatives right now are going to “stick to their guns” on this one, but deep down I am sure they know how God damn ridiculous this is.
Drunk people are quite a handful…but in Arizona they’re armed.
Pardon my lateness of this post, life has been a little hectic. Anyway, incase you haven’t been following this who Letterman vs. Palin fiasco I will bring you up to date. On “The Late Show w/ David Letterman” Letterman made a joke about A-Rod possibly impregnating Sarah Palin’s daughter while at a Yankee game. Here’s what he said…
“One awkward moment for Sarah Palin at the Yankee game: During the seventh inning, her daughter was knocked up by Alex Rodriguez.”
Now most people that night I am sure heard that and thought that Letterman was refering to Palin’s 18-year-old daughter Bristol, who had a son out of wedlock. But Sarah Palin, realizing the amount of media coverage she could get by faking outrage quickly claimed otherwise, saying that her younger daughter…umm Billow? Willow? Whatever.
Letterman quickly apologized and made it clear that this was in reference to Bristol, however Sarah Palin will clamp on to the media spotlight for as long as possible, continued to press the issue. This led to Palinites leading a protest outside of Letterman’s studio. But as you can see in this video, the protests took a turn for the worst.
The protests were charged with hate. These people are shouting Letterman is a pedophile, and throwing rather brash insults to his wife and family. Never have I seen so many people so outraged over nothing in my life. The man made a joke that was misunderstood and now you are calling his son a bastard and his wife a slut.
Weigh in on this in the comment section, or drop me a tweet @jlv0628.
I’ve always said that AT&T isn’t the shining star for customer service or appreciation, however given the fact that they hold the cell phone that I must own, it is something that I tolerate. AT&T, much like the other cell phone companies, would much rather piss you off than actually help you. Since the iPhone was released, AT&T has held the exclusive right to sell the device within the United States. Up to now AT&T has had its ups and downs, but for the most part they were doing okay. They took care of first-gen users by allowing them to move up to the 3G at the given price, but basically everything else that you experience is all Apple. But like I said, that’s up to now.
Yesterday Apple released the new iPhone 3Gs, a faster, more feature rich edition of the iPhone 3G that is making Apple fanboys drool world wide. Voice Command (finally), Compass (umm finally?), 3.0MP Auto-Focus camera with video and video editing, faster processor, 7.2MBps HSDPA, it’s awesome. To be honest, I am trying real hard not to like it, because I am as poor as a internet blogger/student can be. I was thinking of selling some stuff but I am holding off…because I want to see what AT&T will do.
When the iPhone 3G was released, AT&T (whether at the behest of Apple or not) took care of first generation iPhone users by allowing them to upgrade to the 3G with the new customer price of $199 and $299 respectively. This was a great move on both Apple and AT&T’s part because this opened up ownership of the new device to the group of people who are guaranteed to buy it again. Rather than sulking away, waiting for the upgrade eligibility day to come, these people are out buying the iPhone 3G for a reasonable price. However, I was rather surprised to see that AT&T is not doing the same thing this time around. Instead, AT&T is insisting current users under contract must pay anywhere from $399 to $699 for their 3Gs. Awesome job AT&T, shut out a solid consumer base who just so happen to be your loyal subscribers.
Though the best part of WWDC today was Apple going ahead and pressing on with the release of the iPhone 3.0 software and the iPhone 3Gs despite AT&T not being ready to support two of it’s key feature, MMS or data tethering. As I read that during the live blog I was reading I was not only proud of Apple, but pretty happy with how embarrassed AT&T should be. At the time of a major product launch, and a major software update, AT&T cannot support MMS? Something that it supports on its other devices. Some have their guesses as to what it may be, but AT&T are sticking by their guns for now and saying that MMS is to be expected by the end of summer. As far as data tethering is concerned, AT&T has said that it will support it, but has given no definitive timeline.
This years WWDC was a great show for Apple, but a wake up call for AT&T. Rumors have been swirling around for quite sometime that Apple has been shopping a custom iPhone to Verizon, and perhaps thats a good thing. That, coupled with the increasing number of iPhone users taking their software unlocked phones to T-Mobile (and T-Mo welcoming them with open arms) should be a wake-up call to AT&T. Go out of your way to get new customers sure, but don’t forget the ones that pay the massive bill every month. Compliment the quality products you carry with quality service and support.
Dog abuser Michael Vick is now out of prison and back on the streets according to ESPN. I think Michael Vick is a scum bag really, got nothing more to say. This post was solely intended to post that hilarious Family Guy video about him. Enjoy…
Sorry, I couldn’t think of a better title for this post.
Anyway, I am not really surprised Apple has chosen WWDC to not only be their main gig, in terms of iPhone announcements and development details. I think the iPhone has sort of surpassed the “MacWorld Expos” and the “Apple Town Hall” type announcements. The iPhone itself has become a development platform on it’s own, running a mobilized version of OS X. Since its debut, the iPhone has evolved slowly as Apple released it grip gradually and started letting developers in. Proof positive that whenever you let developers in, things turn out pretty awesome. With the World Wide Developers Conference on the horizon, we have a lot to look forward, in both hardware and software.
Software-wise we are looking at the new iPhone 3.0 update. It’s been in beta since earlier this year and already we are expecting a lot of updates that bring it up to par with what the Palm Pre will be offering when it’s released from June 5-7 (according to the New York Times). MMS, a full phone search feature, cut & paste, are just a few features in the massive update. The update will also allow for features such as turn-by-turn navigation (along with some hardware help, we’ll get in to that later) and much more. Lastly, this update will activate the long awaited Push Notification Service that Apple has kept locked up for quite sometime.In fact the notification server is now also in beta testing today along with a new Associated Press app. I guess they were too scared to test it with a Twitter app, we would no doubt be having more “fail whales” than normal.
Critics, myself included, argue that this update is a long time coming. That this is an example of Apple’s stubbornness to satisfy its loyal consumer base and that nothing happens unless Apple absolutely HAS to do it. I have said numerous times on this site that I love phones like the Palm Pre, because it reminds Apple that they are not invincible. Either way, change is coming to the iPhone…sooner or later it always does and it always will. I have always said that features such as MMS and copy & paste WILL come, it’s only a matter of time and motivation.
On the hardware front we have…umm, rumors. New camera with on phone editing capabilities that will shoot video? Better processor and larger memory and storage space? Probably. A lot of rumors are swirling around. However, I am fairly certain that Apple will release some new hardware to go along with 3.0. Don’t be surprised if it’s awesome too. Given the way things are going in terms of screen technology, we might see some OLED action with our new iPhones. Who knows?
WWDC will be on June 8th and the keynote address will be on the same day, given by Phil Schiller.
According to both the New York Times and Politico.com President Obama is set to announce new mileage standards tomorrow. The new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards are going to incorperate California’s strict standards for fuel mileage and emissions. The ultimate goal is to achieve 34 mpg by 2016.
Look, lets be realistic. This is a great thing for the Obama Administration to do. Automakers are fully capable of achieving these levels of fuel efficiency in most of their models. However, I think President Obama needs to be more aggressive when it comes to this, especially when it comes to the American auto makers. Demand hybrid vehicles in exchange for bail out cash, enact a “gas guzzler” tax accross the board on any vehicle that does not conform to the new standards (cause frankly, if you are buying a $230,000 Italian sports car, you can afford the gas guzzler tax), push for alternative fuels and cellulosic and sugar based ethanol, and much more. But none the less, this is a great step forward.
Today, as I was browsing my Facebook inbox I received a link from my friend that I found particularly disturbing, but sadly not surprising. According to Newser.com, a pastor in Baltimore, MD had a man killed in order to collect on the man’s various life insurance policies. Did I mention the victim was disabled and mentally challenged? Here’s the story:
(Newser) – Baltimore police say a pastor has admitted to killing a mentally disabled and blind man to collect on his life insurance money, theBaltimore Sun reports. Charged yesterday, Kevin Pushia, 32, confessed to hiring a hit man with $50,000 in church funds to kill Lemuel Wallace—one of several mentally challenged people who have listed Pushia as an insurance beneficiary.
Police found Wallace dead in a park bathroom. Following a tip, they searched Pushia’s townhouse and saw a note on a calendar: “L.W. project completed.” They also uncovered six insurance policies in Wallace’s name worth $1 million. Police are seeking other possible victims in Pushia’s alleged scheme. “We’re all kind of in shock,” said a former co-worker.
Let me just say that as of late, my faith in humanity is slowly dwindling to nothingness. This is a perfect example of how the people everyone looks to for spiritual guindance, are in need of some themselves. To be honest, makes me wonder about the foundations of all religions themselves.
If we look to man to be our intermediary with God, as in we go to church and listen to someone who says they are speaking “God’s word”, we seek advice from these people when it comes to our spiritual progression, who’s to say they are right? Human fallibility is understood, but for those whose convictions are not as strong as others and require help and leadership, can they really rely on pastors and priests who commit heinous acts like these? Shit like this is indicative of the times we live in. Comment in with thoughts…
Here is a video from CNN yesterday that we talked about on PantherWire this morning. Here, Kyra Phillips is discussing a new factor that she will be judging Barack Obama after his first 100 days in office. Topic: “Swagga”
WTF CNN? It’s not like you ran out of news today? We have swine flu, Obama’s budget plan, Chrysler flushed down the bankruptcy toilet? Did you really compare Barack Obama to Lando Calrissian? TO SHAFT?!
However the best part of the clip has to be TJ Holmes trying not to be offended by the segment as a whole. Anyway, you can check it out while I look for another television news source that hasn’t completely lost it’s mind. I’m running out of options…
An Air Force One back up plane “buzzed” over Manhattan yesterday, effectively freaking out the townsfolk below. Here is the scoop according to CNN:
NEW YORK (CNN) – A White House official apologized Monday after a low-flying Boeing 747 spotted above the Manhattan skyline frightened workers and residents into evacuating buildings.
The huge aircraft, which functions as Air Force One when the president is aboard, was taking part in a classified, government-sanctioned photo shoot, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
“Last week, I approved a mission over New York. I take responsibility for that decision,” said Louis Caldera, director of the White House Military Office. “While federal authorities took the proper steps to notify state and local authorities in New York and New Jersey, it’s clear that the mission created confusion and disruption.”
Witnesses reported seeing the plane circle over the Upper New York Bay near the Statue of Liberty before flying up the Hudson River. It was accompanied by two F-16s.
According to officials who knew about the planned flight, they needed new file footage of the President’s plane flying in front of the Statue of Liberty. President Obama is said to be furious about the incident, and though FOX News is pretty adamant about blaming this whole thing on Obama himself, I think common sense should show that the President really does favor micro-management for things like this…even if he does have a Blackberry.
As if a low flying 747 wasn’t enough, it was being tailed by two F-16 fighter planes who looked like they were escorting a wayward airliner rather than taking pictures of Air Force One…Two (?) with their polaroids onboard cameras. Here is what May Bloomberg had to say about the whole thing:
The incident outraged many New Yorkers, including Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
“First thing is, I’m annoyed — furious is a better word — that I wasn’t told,” he said, calling the aviation administration’s decision to withhold details about the flight “ridiculous” and “poor judgment.”
“Why the Defense Department wanted to do a photo op right around the site of the World Trade Center defies the imagination,” he said. “Had we known, I would have asked them not to.”
Next time, I hope the Dept. of Defense decide to fly the God damned plane over a field or something and not over a crowded city who was attacked by flying commuter planes eight years ago.
So there is this big thing going on about Miss California’s comments regarding gay marriage at the Miss USA pageant. Perez Hilton posed the question to Carrie Prejean about whether or not she thinks that states should follow Vermont’s example and pass legislation allowing gay marriage. Here’s what she said:
“I think it’s great that Americans are able to choose one or the other,” Prejean responded. “But in my country, and in my family, I think that I believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that’s how I was raised.”
I would link to Perez Hilton’s reply, but I try to keep TJZ as classy as possible.
Look, whether I think Miss California was right is irrelavent. The point is that she was asked her opinion and she replied with that, her opinion. Perez Hilton, I don’t think, should be making any comments about another person’s belief. Frankly, Perez Hilton is the reason bloggers in general aren’t taken as seriously as we should. Because for every solidly written, reputable blog, there is another that seeks to copy and imitate the trash that Perez Hilton peddles. The man is lower than a super market tabloid. Further more, I don’t consider him any sort of educated representative for the gay community.
Gay people I have asked to comment on this have told me that though they do not agree with what Miss California said, they defend and understand her right to say it. Perez Hilton is most likely using this as publicity for his website.
A large amount of people are outraged by the fact that President Obama shook the hand of Hugo Chavez. But really, partisan bullshit aside, what would one hve him do?
For those of you who may not live in Miami, or are not well versed in Latin American politics, Hugo Chavez is a big anti-American douche and communist dictator. The man is complete scum, but should that mean that formality and human decency should just fly out the window? They are both heads of state, imagine what would have happened if Obama had declined to shake his hand, or worse, slapped him in the face with a cold salmon.
Barack Obama is president of the United States, at a time where America’s standing with the global community is beginning to diminish due to our worsening economic situation and the fact that we are in debt up to our eyeballs. America has always wanted the world to conform to it rather than it to the world, and this situation is reflective of a new direction in American politics. We have lived eight years under the auspices of The Bush Doctrine and look what that has gotten us? We have lived eight long years without diplomacy that the sight of it gives people the creeps.
Yes, Hugo Chavez is an ingnoramus, a tyrant, a coward, and a feind, but should Obama’s perogative really be to give him more kindling for his fires of hatred towards America? No. He handled him professionally and as a head of state should treat another head of state regardless of their differences.
Steve Jobs leaves for six months and this thing comes out?
Seriously Apple, no buttons?! What’s next? No, seriously I have no witty remark, no guess as to what could be next? Oh wait, it talks to you? Wait, so does my Nano…and that has a screen, and buttons! Apple is taking this simplicity shit to a whole new level. Eh, what am I saying? Of course I am going to buy this. I am an Apple nerd, and just because Dear Leader is recovering at home, doesn’t mean I should stop now.
This thing is…I guess…pretty cool. Though I really don’t like the fact that it puts all of the control in the headphones, basically forcing people to use Apple’s headphones instead of the ones they prefer (*cough* Bang & Olufsen A8’s). But it’s nice to see that for only $80 you too can have the most overly simplified flash MP3 player on the market. A think digital screen would have been nice…but hey what can I say? Apple likes to fool you with “implied simplicity” sometimes. Let’s see…
I’m back guys, sorry for the long absense, FIU Student Media keeps me busy. Anyway let’s get to it:
According to FOX News, Levi Johnston and Bristol Palin have called off their engagement. As all of you no doubt heard, during the election it was revealed that Bristol Palin was pregnant with the child of fellow student (and douchebag) Levi Johnston. Here is a quick excerpt from the article:
The teenage daughter of former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and her fiance have broken up just over two months after the birth of the couple’s child.
People.com reported Wednesday that sources said the split between Bristol Palin, 18, and Levi Johnston, 19 occurred a few weeks ago, and Johnston confirmed to the Associated Press that he and Bristol mutually decided to end their relationship ”a while ago.” He did not elaborate.
Palin said in a statement to the Associated Press that she is “devastated.”
First of all I would like to be the first to reply to this by saying I told you so. And contrary to what people say (“I didn’t want to say I told you so…”) I did.
Does this run contrary to my personal beliefs? Yes. Is this, in my opinion, the wrong thing to do on his part? Absolutely. I don’t know about him, but true gentlemen don’t pull that shit. Then again, one can’t expect a 19 year old to act like one. However, if you honestly thought that was going to last, you are crazy.
This kid went from banging the governor’s daughter to being thrust in to a full on political shit storm. The GOP’s PR team turned him from a long-haired, whiskey drinking, 18 year old kid and tried to mold him in to a model citizen, father, and apparently model from a Brooks Brothers catalog, and they failed as I knew they would.
In the end, Levi Johnston isn’t just “the queer that knocked up Palin’s daughter” as my friend Joel (who was the one who emailed me the story) put it. In fact she is kind of hot and most importantly a woman, so he is far from a queer. He is a guy who had a night of passion with a girl and paid a WAY bigger price for it. You can’t put this amount of pressure on an 18 year old and expect him to cope. And with the intense scrutiny from Palin, the GOP, and the media, well that just makes it even worse. I would gladly argue that if his ex-mother in law weren’t pursuing a massive political career, he wouldn’t feel so pressured.
And now, that the sensation that is Sarah Palin is slowly fading, does it really come as a shock that this child wants out of a situation he was no doubt forced in to for the sake of a, now failed, political campaign? The answer is invariably no.
Is this the end of the world for either of them? No. There are plenty of kids being raised by single moms, and the turn out okay (At least, I hope I turned out ok).
Bristol Palin has the benefit most single moms out there (my mom included) don’t have. She has money, fame and a stable family to give her support. Levi will be okay too, I am sure he will get to see the kid and play a role in his life. Sadly, seperated families are a reality we see in society today. Though I don’t think it is great, I by no means a hopeless situation for anyone. A marriage where one person feels forced, will only mess up that kid even more than Sarah Palin will. Leave a comment, let me know what you think.
The GOP had their response ready to go last night after Barack Obama’s address to congress. Sarah Palin had a great speech…wait what? Bobby Jindal? GOP has had a fit of genius and decided to go with a viable, credible candidate to be the face of their party. Good job GOP…good job.
In News, Politics on February 23, 2009 at 11:22 am
Since the election of Barack Obama, and even during most of the election season, MSNBC has seemed to have this sort of love affair with our new president. MSNBC’s attempt to become the voice for this administration is so obvious that it borders on indecent. Chris Matthews said one that he ”I felt this thrill going up my leg,”. Now, slightly homosexual comments aside, MSNBC is now worthless to me in terms of media objectivity.
Oddly enough, I have noticed that with either extremes, CNN has become much more middle of the road, especially with all this twittering and i-reporting stuff. With MSNBC and FOX at either extreme. Look, bottom line is, all this Obama pandering isn’t doing anyone any good. If media outlets like MSNBC continue to kiss ass and talk about how Obama makes their legs feel, to what end does that help.
We, the Media, have an obligation to bring an unbiased perspective to you, the reader/viewer/consumer/person. Does it inform you when Chris Matthews goes on a rant about how great Obama is? No. Does it help you when Rush Limbaugh starts going nuts telling everyone how much he dislikes Obama, and how he wishes he could fail? Negative.
If MSNBC wants to be a news leader instead of the lapdog of an administration, they need to hold this administration accountable for everything, and not let one thing slide. I am not going to go as far as saying that FOX does this, as FOX usually pulls a lot of stuff out of their ass (and their top two pundits are egotistical blowhards who refuse to hear anyone over the sound of their own uninformed, biased opinion) but at least they are…doing something?
Folks, I find myself usually disagreeing with Al Sharpton. That guys plays the race card better than anyone else. But this time…I am on his side. How is this NOT racist? Please somebody explain this to me. The New York Post has lost it’s motherf***in’ mind. Eh, then again this is the Post…
Today the market reacted to Tim Geithner’s New Bank Rescue plan…by dropping 382 points (or 4.6%).
Geithner outlined the plan today. CNN Money did a great job summing it all up so I’ll post an excerpt:
Testing the health of big banks to weather an even deeper economic downturn. Geithner said the Treasury will “stress-test” the biggest banks and provide capital to those that need it, as the nation sinks deeper into its worst recession in decades.
He said the stress test will apply to institutions with more than $100 billion in assets – a list that comprises 13 banks, from giant JPMorgan Chase (JPM, Fortune 500) to Cleveland’s KeyCorp (KEY, Fortune 500), according to a report from analysts at the Stanford Group in Washington.
Analysts say big U.S. banks could use at least $1 trillion in new capital as job losses mount and more borrowers default on mortgage, auto and credit card loans. But Geithner said the administration won’t ask Congress now for more money – raising the question of how much capital it actually expects to provide.
Making credit more available to consumers and businesses. The Treasury will provide $100 billion in seed money to expand the Federal Reserve’s Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility, in which investors in bonds backed by credit card and other loans can swap those bonds for Treasury securities, enabling them to get additional financing.
The move – which could create as much as $1 trillion in financing for consumers and businesses – shows the government is eager to bolster the capital markets, which provided a large percentage of funding for consumer loans before the bond markets seized up in late 2007.
Creating a private-public partnership to take toxic assets off banks’ balance sheets. Policymakers believe clearing bank balance sheets of badly deteriorated loans and securities is a prerequisite for restoring the normal flow of credit into the economy. Geithner said the plan will aim initially to use public financing to create as much as $500 billion in private sector buying capacity, with the prospect of an expansion to $1 trillion down the road.
Observers say drawing private capital back into the market is a key objective of any workable plan.
“Because the new program is designed to bring private sector equity contributions to make large-scale asset purchases, it not only minimizes public capital and maximizes private capital,” the Treasury Department said in a fact sheet about the plan. “It allows private sector buyers to determine the price for current troubled and previously illiquid assets.”
It remains to be seen, however, how the administration can break the stalemate between banks that are holding troubled assets at one price and investors who would buy only at a lower one.
Addressing the housing crisis. The Fed and Treasury will commit $50 billion to reduce mortgage payments and establish loan modification guidelines. Firms that receive federal aid will have to commit to participate in foreclosure mitigation plans, the Treasury Department said.
Am I optimistic? Not really. These banks are basically walking zombies. They are poorly capitalized and illiquid. Further more, the amount of money in this plan seems to be bit inadequate, given the fact that yes, we are talking about a large group of banks, not just one or two. However [which I will detail in another post] it does have a few strengths, but I think Geithner really didn’t go in to very much detail, so I am not going to outwardly condemn this plan either.
Let me know what you guys think. Will it work? Will it not? Leave a comment.
You know, I think Joe Biden is a cool dude. And if you don’t like Joe Biden well you can go sit on a tack. But like most people, Joe Biden has his faults. One of Joe Biden’s major fault is the fact that he has more friends in the RIAA and the BSA than a pro net neutrality guy like myself would want. Sadly, his scumbag friends are now full fledged scumbag government employees.
According to CNET, President Obama, Mr. Net Neutrality himself, is filling the Department of Justice with the RIAA’s best and brightest. The DOJ’s latest acquisition is Associate Deputy Attorney General Donald Verilli. His list of legal douchebagery includes shutting down Grokster, filing a lawsuit against Google and YouTube on behalf of Viacom, and suing a woman by the name of Jammie Thomas, who was accused of sharing 24 songs on KaZaA to the tune of $220,000. Yep that’s right, for 24 songs. Fortunately the judge threw out the verdict based on misleading jury instructions given by the RIAA. The RIAA I believe is still in the process of appealing the decision.
Gizmodo(one of my favorite tech blogs, props to you guys) sums up the rest of the new appointments quite nicely:
This follows up the naming of Tom Perrelli, from the Perrelli Family, as associate attorney general, the third-in-command post at the DoJ. Perrelli was and probably still is the favorite lawyer of the RIAA, suing people and companies left, right, and center in the name of the recording gang. He will be in charge of the DoJ’s civil, antitrust, and civil rights division.
But don’t go away, because there’s more. Who is the deputy attorney general, the second in command at the DoJ, do you ask? Mr. David Ogden, who-according to his previous job’s biography-represents “media and Internet industries, as well as major trade and professional associations.” He also as “part of the department who successfully defended the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act before the U.S. Supreme Court.”
Not enough? Don’t worry, because the VP has otherfriends in other places. Take Neil MacBride, another associate deputy attorney general, who previously was an aide to Biden himself. MacBride was the king of the legal hill at the Business Software Association. As the BSA’s antipiracy enforcer and general counsel, MacBride oversaw the creation of the program that rewarded people for phoning tips about suspected software piracy.
Honestly, all that net neutrality, “I love the Internet”, “come check out my Facebook” bullshit Barack Obama fed us during the election is very much going out the window with these sharks on the government payroll. Obama was notorious for proposing less restrictions for Internet and less power for the RIAA during the election. As soon as he mentioned that the joyfest in the tech community was heard far and wide. But with Joe Biden came a strong foothold for the likes of the RIAA to use to propagate their bogus agenda.
Take the RIAA’s case against Jaimme Thomas. Is $220,000 fair for sharing 24 songs on a P2P network? Do you think in times of economic strife it’s important for an organization such as the RIAA to start coming after individual citizens for large sums of money on the basis that quite possibly, MAYBE, someone could have downloaded one of those 24 songs? Her case for appeal was central on jury instruction No. 15, “which told jurors that she could be found guilty even if it couldn’t be proven that anyone actually downloaded the tracks she was sharing.”
Am I surprised? Hardly. I know how politics works, and regardless of the administration, the political party, or the person in charge, the RIAA will lobby, and make campaign contributions and buy politicians left and right. Barack Obama, sadly, is no different.
My worst fears have come to fruition. According to a Politico.com article yesterday, Samuel Joe “The DouchebagPlumber” Wurzelbacher was invited to give his “input” at the Conservative Working Group meeting on capitol hill. This is usually organized and attended by congressional aides…who are dumb enough to apparently like Joe The Plumber.
My God people…
Is this it? Is this what the GOP considers an valuable opinion? Is this who they want the face of their party to be? Joe The Plumber is like Sarah Palin except he’s not a governor. Republicans of the world, if you enjoy being the minority in the government, if you enjoy having a democrat in office, keep listening to pompous, self-important like Joe the Plumber, who lack understanding and ability to progress.
The Republican Party is a sinking ship, and they look to a [unlicensed] plumber for input on a stimulus package. That speaks volumes on the mental state of the GOP.
So after doing some soul searching, the GOP decided to revamp it’s website. Look familiar? Yeah…this is the new changified GOP website, GOP.gov. We got a couple of RSS feeds, some lame YouTube videos, and a bunch of other crap in what I like to call ‘”Barack New Roman”. New look, same crappy taste? Is this a move in the right direction for the GOP in terms of reaching out? Or is this just a shiny new wrapper on the same crap. What do you guys think? Drop me a comment. Also check out the original story over at Ars Technica for details and specifics on how they designed it.
It was today that Denny’s made good on their Super Bowl promise, to give out free Grand Slam breakfasts from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Lines headed all the way out to the parking lot at over 1500 Denny’s locations showed just how poor America truly is. According to CNN:
“Some patrons were still wearing their pajamas and slippers, and strangers were crowding together into booths, CNN affiliate KSL-TV in Salt Lake City, Utah, reported.”
You see that? You see what a free meal can do? It can bring strangers together, and for one moment ignore the fact that the entire country is going to shit around them. Just sit down, eat some pancakes that are remarkable uniform in both look and taste and ignore all the politics, all the depressing news and strife and just be people.
I for one think that this is something Denny’s should be proud of. Let’s face it, no one is giving anything away like this for a while. And no doubt, this type of thing helps people out. Today a friend of mine was sitting in a booth at Denny’s enjoying a free grand slam with a single dad and his son and a philosophy professor.
“You couldn’t beat it. I mean it was a beautiful, beautiful breakfast. It was fit for a queen or a king,” diner Annah Shoffner told CNN affiliate WNCN-TV in Raleigh, North Carolina.
I definitely think that we will see more example like this as time passes, and as things continue to get worse. Much like the stories of hope during the depression, I think this is a story of hope fitting to our time. My hats off to Denny’s and their CEO Nelson Marchioli. Today Denny’s has set it self apart from all the IHOPs, Waffle Houses, and Perkins, my hats off to them for doing something great at a time where people need it the most.
Joe Biden apologized today for the first absolutely hilarious, yet mildy inappropriate comment he made about John Roberts. Here’s a excerpt from CNN:
An aide to Vice President Joe Biden tells CNN he called Chief Justice John Roberts last week to apologize for a light-hearted remark he made over the flubbed Inauguration Day oath of office.
“My memory is not as good as Justice Roberts, Chief Justice Roberts,” Biden said last Wednesday, as he asked for a copy of the oath he was using to swear in senior members of the White House staff.
Several staffers reacted to the comment with groans and laughter, though President Obama, standing next to Biden, did not crack a smile.
Another great thing is that this not only gave us a view in to the Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory that is Joe Biden’s mind, but we did get to see Barack Obama’s STFU face. And it is priceless.
Come on guys, this is Joe Biden at his best. Where most people think that this is Joe Biden’s flaw, I disagree. Joe Biden is one of my favorite democrats because he lives off the cuff and basically says what other people are thinking. Frankly in the dull world of politics, soaked in formalities and “ho hum” pleasantries, Joe Biden is REAL.
Barack Obama has potentially eight years in office, can you imagine what Joe Biden could say (or do) in those eight years. I personally can’t wait. Keep up the good work Joe.
Well, the end of the world being 12/12/2012 is starting to sound quite reasonable now.
Sarah Palin decided she’d up and form a political action committee to fund and support political candidates who share her views on politics. Here is an excerpt from CNN’s Political Ticker:
WASHINGTON (CNN) –Sarah Palin has launched a new political action committee called SarahPac, signaling that the Alaska Governor intends to remain a player in national politics even after her failed bid to become the country’s first female vice president.
“SarahPac will support local and national candidates who share Gov. Palin’s ideas and goals for our country,” says the PAC’s Web site, which promises that Palin will be “a strong voice for energy independence and reform.”
So basically, if you are a self absorbed individual who doesn’t read anything, doesn’t know how to answer questions, suffer from delusions of grandeur and want to run for a political office, Sarah Palin will give you other people’s money to do it.
I think she is starting to amass her clone army. Someone notify the Jedi Council.
The other day I found myself in a heated discussion with one of my friends about bloggers and the media, spawning from this post I wrote here. He argued that most bloggers are idiots and write whatever the hell they want and make broad accusations on baseless arguments, citing the example of how the blogosphere went nuts after someone thought that Sarah Palin’s baby wasn’t her baby. Being a blogger myself I quickly came to the defense of blogging community. Soon after that, he basically dismissed everything I had accomplished in the past 10 months by saying that I wasn’t a blogger I was just “some dude who writes stuff on the internet and doesn’t even get paid”. Knowing full well what this website has done for me, and the things I have accomplished because of it, it’s quite an offensive thing to say. Especially coming from a friend. But as soon as it all wore off, it got me thinking…
In the past two years, bloggers have been getting major amounts of respect from the media. And while yes, anyone can be a blogger and write whatever it is they want, it is still a respectable format for those who normally wouldn’t be heard to voice their opinions. Sure, we have a few people who do write off the wall, crazy stuff, like Sarah Palin’s baby conspiracy. I chose not to but hey, if someone thinks it’s a valid concern, who am I to say no? Now, if you want to write that stuff on your blog, knowing full well it’s highly speculative and debatable then that is up to you. It’s your right, you can say whatever you want..The media knows this. They do filter what they collect from the blogosphere to an extent. I don’t remember a single mainstream media outlet reporting the allegations that Sarah Palin’s kid wasn’t hers.
However, seeing as bloggers are rapidly becoming fixtures of the media, I think we owe it to our readers to be some what objective. We need to hold ourselves to a higher standard because we are now at the forefront of this sort of Media 2.0 revolution. We must remember that in this environment we can, and in fact should be held accountable for our words, even if the only one holding us accountable is ourselves. I put that in bold face because I think it’s important. If nothing else I want you to take that with you. The media is held accountable every day for things they say, and even though the blogging community tends to be out on its own (for now), my question is, given the current state of affairs should we be any different?
We are witnessing the media and the Internet slowly become one. I mean turn on CNN and you’ll see it. Rick Sanchez looks to Twitter, Facebook, and Blogs for live, on-air feedback. CNN as a whole looks to it’s iReports for on the spot reporting as soon as news breaks. Print publications look to blogs for great writers who can contribute and keep their print publications competitive in a world where print media is fading.
Another thing that hit me hard is the “…and doesn’t even get paid” part. I promise you, the day The Jorge Zone starts making money, is the day I stop writing for it. This definitely isn’t what I intended it for. This is a launching point, something that will lead me to something else, something to get my name out there and make my mark. If you are a blogger who wants his blog to make money, then might not happen. I don’t do this for the money, and that is the reason why 99% of the stuff I write here is QUALITY. I do it because I LOVE to do it, and if you blog because you love to write and you want readers then your blog will be successful. Just because we may not get paid, doesn’t make this any less of a profession.
I have noticed in the short time that I have been doing this is that you can either be a blogger, or “some dude who writes stuff on the internet and doesn’t even get paid”. I am a blogger, and The Jorge Zone is A BLOG. My track record on this site speaks for itself. Do I expect someone who doesn’t do this to understand the difference? No. But at the same time I think the burden is on ourselves to establish that credibility. We need to form our reputation not as individuals on the Internet, but as a community. Wea are voices once lost in a crowd but now given a stage to speak, and an audience who listens. We are tomorrows journalists, writers, poets, and authors. The blogging community, whether you respect it or not, whether you like it or not is definitely here to stay. But the least we can do for you, the reader, is to class it up a bit.
So now that the inauguration is over, and the only thing George W. Bush is running is a tractor on his ranch we, collectively as a nation need to take a deep breath and a couple of steps back. Sure Barack Obama is a cool guy. I mean come on he is a president who has a cool website, he uses a blackberry, and he is determined to change government and fix everything the Bush Administration has messed up in the past eight years.
But I think right now we as a nation (and by that I mean the people, the media, etc.) have lost a lot of objectivity and perspective. You’re probably saying “Oh Jorge probably lost his remote and his TV is stuck on FOX News again…” but I promise you if that ever happened I’d just unplug my TV. But lets face it, we are all SO jazzed that tomorrow Obama can light a kitten on fire and we wouldn’t think much of it.
But he is a politician. And all I know is that usually when someone new comes in to power, I tend to aim my expectations very low. So that way, when they do f**k up, I won’t be so disappointed. I am sorry, but the past couple of years have only fueled my distrust in politicians. So aim low America! If Barack Obama saves this nation it will rock extra hard, and if he turns out to be like all the others, well at least you didn’t have your hopes up.
I promised myself I wouldn’t post about Sarah Palin anymore, but after this video from a new conservative documentary, it’s on like donkey kong. Watch this video…and then we’ll discuss. I am sorry to expose you to nine minutes of Sarah Palin, but it’s for a purpose:
Sarah Palin is blaming media’s bias for the fact that her ticket lost the election. I was going to let this video go by, considering it’s basically the same song and dance this woman likes to perform every time she is in front of a camera, but this time around she decided to spew her ignorance about bloggers, and well that just doesn’t fly with me. Just to refresh your memory, here is what she said:
“It’s a sad state of affairs in the world of the media today, mainstream media especially, if they are going to rely on anonymous bloggers for their hard news information. Very scary.”
See what Sarah Palin doesn’t understand is that the phenomenon that is blogging has taken us in to a sort of “Media 2.0″ situation. The blogging community has become so vital to mainstream media, because it gives the mainstream media something that it cannot achieve on it’s own, omnipresence. Currently with the help of bloggers, Twitter, Facebook, iReport, the media has an unbelievable reach, and it gives people like me, a common ground with mainstream media.
Sure, anyone can be a blogger, and anyone can spew misinformed ramblings on the internet for all to see. So I’ll give that to Palin, frankly I thought the rumors about her child not being hers were a bit much. But to say that it’s a “sad state of affairs” that bloggers are regarded and acknowledged by the mainstream media is just ignorant. Frankly, I as a blogger couldn’t let that slide.
The rest of the video speaks for itself. From the fact that she thinks people like Katie Couric and Tiny Fey exploited her (one mocked the ridiculousness that is her and the other just asked her questions…like a reporter should do) to her comparing a vice-presidential nomination to Caroline Kennedy’s Senate seat (come on…) just proves that Sarah Palin lives in her small, narrow world. Katie Couric might not be the center of the universe Sarah, but neither are you.
In the end, this documentary asks the question “How did Obama get elected?”. Where Sarah Palin is quick to cite the media’s “bias” towards Obama, she is ignoring the rather large gorilla in the room. Obama won this election partly on his own merit, his superbly run campaign, and his excellent election staff. But the major factors that secured the election for Obama were the Bush Administration’s gloriously awful track record for the past eight years, the GOP’s inability to provide an adequate candidate in this election, and Sarah Palin. If Palin is all the GOP has for 2012…then that is indeed a sad state of affairs.
I can’t stop watching this video. Whether you like George Bush or not, you have to give it to him…the man is quick. In fact I am fairly positive that if he had just dodged shoes his entire presidency, his approval rating would be higher.
My thoughts and prayers are with the lovely Dana Perino right now, who is recovering from a black eye after a reporter shoved a microphone in it. And also with the Secret Service agent who was no doubt fired for allowing not one, but TWO shoes to be thrown at the President. If I were Barack Obama now, I’d be slightly worried about my Secret Service detail.
Today is one of those just nationally boring days. Where the nation units to be bored together as a people. I am epically bored today. Nothing really interesting to write about. Nothing too important going on. It’s quiet more or less everywhere you go. Even the press is bored today and the proof is on the homepage. CNN is the most bored of all, with headlines like:
Tim Russert died today from a heart attack. I am really taken aback by this. He was an exceptional journalist, and he was always fair and to the point. I have enjoyed his various interviews and to me, Meet the Press is a cornerstone in network news programming. He will definitely be missed.
This was on Larry King last night. Everytime I watch this I can’t stop laughing. In fact, I used to sort of, in a way believe that there might be alien life out there. Now, I don’t. Supposedly this dude was catching a guy staring into his house. Long story short, it’s an Alien. Let me not ruin it, enjoy the video. Have we run out of news?
Sorry, but I think I had to eventually. Plus it’s slow around the office so I have time to do write it all out. Before I go on, I want to make a couple of things clear about how I feel, that way you can get a better idea from where I am coming from. I am not affiliated with any party. I believe that political parties skew the fact that one should be voting for a candidate and for the good of the nation and not for the good of the Party. George Washington made a great point in his 1796 Farewell Address. Among other things, he warned against bitter partisanship, and urged men to turn away from division and serve the common good together. That being said, seeing as political parties have become a integral engine in our politcal system, and the fact the politcal candidates align themsleves to these parties based on what they believe, it can be hard to overlook them. Also, my personal and political beliefs are influenced by my faith in God. So when I choose a candidate, I keep my faith in the front of my mind. I completely ignore party affiliations. I look instead at each of the candidates themselves. Issue by issue, what do I agree with, what do I disagree with. Making that informed decision in line with what I feel and believe is important to me. Doing this helps me not only to know the beliefs of the candidate I decide to support, but also on those I don’t support. It all comes back to that informed decision. Cause instead of knowing where one candidate stands, I know where they all stand. And like I learned watching G.I. Joe, knowing is half the battle.
I think in this country, it’s particularly difficult to be a political candidate. Poltics have evolved in so many ways. The way it was done in the 1980’s and the 1990’s is so different than it is today. The Internet 2.0 revolution put a lot of power in everyones hands, not just prospective candidates for office. Look at this very blog for example. I, a lowley business major from Miami can reach anyone around the world basically when ever I want. I joke sometimes and say this is my little corner on the Internet but it’s true! So many YouTube videos and news stories go viral everyday and are seen by millions of people. With things like YouTube ushering in a “Video On Demand” era, everything is front of us for the taking. We have no excuse not to be informed. I can literally go from watching CNN on my TV, then get the streaming news feed on my laptop, and text and video updates on my iPhone. This carries over to campaigns as well, allowing candidates to reach people with the same effect the media can. The YouTube and MySpace debates were the first of their kind, full internet debates. This jump in technology has broadened the media’s reach.
However, the media particularly mainstream outlets, like CNN, MSNBC, etc., are not judging each candidate for their policies or beliefs. Instead these candidates are literally placed under a magnifying glass for their actions and past. Every thing that can be spun in a negative light is, and everything that can be taken out of context will be. A perfect example of this is the situation in which Barack Obama was criticized for not wearing the signature American Flag lapel pin. It seems as though this pin comes in the politician orientation kit (along with a coaster, a free t-shirt and a coupon for a medium, one topping pizza from Pizza Hut). The media billed him as unpatriotic for not clipping on the infamous pin that has adorned the lapel of every political figure since the invention of the camera. I, as a voter, and a person who loves this country, really couldn’t care less. I don’t think a man has to wear a pin to be considered a patriot or a good candidate. But the media, in its need to make nothing in to something, really leaned on the issue. So what happened? Next time we see the Senator, he is proudly wearing his lapel pin. I am sure he sleeps with it now too. Or how about when he called that reporter sweetheart? Come on really? In the context that he used it how is that sexual harassment? The nice elderly lady who I see on cash register #6 at Publix every week calls me sweetheart. Should I be offended? That’s the media again, taking nothing, and turning it into something to throw out there. What a great story it would be if a presidential candidate made a sexist comment? (I wish there was a font for sarcasm…)
Another thing is that I feel pretty bad for John McCain. He is without a doubt my favorite Republican. The man was a Navy pilot, who was shot down in combat, survived as a P.O.W., fought cancer and won 3 times, and is an accomplished Senator and family man. But I think McCain is being over shadowed and under appreciated for a few reasons. First, being more or less the official nominee for the Republican party, John McCain can now start campaigning against his Democratic competition. But sadly, he doesn’t know who that competition might be. And again, back to the media coverage. The battle between Obama and Clinton is taking up the media’s attention span. Even FOX News, a news channel that I would venture to say leans to the conservative end, put Obama and Hillary battles before anything McCain has to say. Secondly, when they do talk about McCain, it’s usually about how old he is. Ok, he is old. Big deal, obviously the man takes care of himself. He is in perfect health and willing and able to lead this nation. Get off it. There have been other old presidents too. Finally, I think that John McCain is campaigning for a party who has been the recipient of its fair share of controversy. Having voted Republican since I was able to vote, I am willing to admit, that the Bush Administration has made its fair share of mistakes, some larger than others. John McCain has to work hard to win over those people within his own party who have lost faith in the leadership. Which will be difficult.
Hillary Clinton scares me. Now, let me make something clear. The reason I don’t like Hillary Clinton is not because she is a woman. I am all for a woman president or an African American president. Either would definitely be a major step forward in our growth as a nation, it really would. But she comes off as calculated, it’s pretty obvious. Every time another candidate says or does something that makes the media go ballistic, there’s Hillary, five minutes later with her response, that is just dripping with this holier than thou smugness. I feel like she lacks sincerity, come on, at least fake it or something. Actually, she does fake it, and you can tell which is the worst part. Of course I know she is just playing the political game like everyone else, but she does it with this sick enjoyment. Great example of that here. Besides, if I were her, I would have stepped down with dignity a long time ago. Give it your all sure, but now what she is doing is diverting the country’s attention from the main event, a politcal debate from both sides of the aisle. She went from the determined candidate to the last person who just won’t leave after a party.
Anyway, I have been working on this for way to long, so I am going to wrap it up. Vote. Vote for someone YOU want. Don’t vote because you are loyal to any particular party, or because your mom told you who to vote for. Make that informed decision and I promise you, you will feel great about it. Your vote is the greatest right you have as an American, don’t just give it to anybody. Peace out.
This is my last Friday before I go back to work. A part of me is sad I won’t be able to sit around all day and watch FOX Business (two words: Shibani Joshi). But a part of me is happy I won’t be able to sit around all day and watch FOX Business. Going back to work is nice too, I mean aside from the money I actually would rather be productive somewhere other than my house. I got a cabin fever that is making me crazy. I am going to go to the Apple Store today and pick up my laptop which is finally back from whatever magical factory Apple send computers to be repaired. I like to think it’s like Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory except you can’t eat anything. BTW I can’t find a good picture for this post…sorry
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At WWDC, Apple made a note that MMS would be coming to the iPhone, well…to every iPhone except those on AT&T.
According to 
You know, I am all for the Second Amendment, but what the hell is this? According to basically every major news outlet, people are going to health care town hall meetings brandishing 9mm handguns and, as of late, 
When Apple dropped the iPhone 3GS I quickly sprinted to my nearest computer to see if I was eligible for the subsidized price. I was not.
Sorry, I couldn’t think of a better title for this post.
According to both the 
So there is this big 
I’m back guys, sorry for the long absense, 
