Something Leftish

2009-08-20T18:26:00.001-07:00

A Post-Modern Powerup

2009-04-25T18:38:00.000-07:00

When you think of power-ups you think of oompf. If you are playing Zelda and you get the hookshot, you are able to attack, stun and pull yourself over wide precipices. If you get the leaf in Mario 3 you can make a little Italian fly and if you drink a potion in Final Fantasy a tiny bit of your life is restored.

The power-up is what makes games a little extra fun. We enjoy seeing power-ups sprinkled throughout the game as rewards for our hard work, they are instant and noticable changes to the nature of your gaming experience. In life there are no such power ups, save maybe drugs (which aren't really upping your life in any real way to begin with).

But when I think of a great power-up, I dont think of a leaf or a bottled fairy or a pac-man power pellet. When I think of a great power-up I think of the Mario Kart Star. The star in Mario Kart is unique in that it doesn't really give you anything. Yes you're speed increases, but only slightly. But it doesn't make you jump, it isn't a massive boost, and it doesn't serve as a projectile weapon.

The Mario Kart Star just ... makes everything alright. It let's you just "be." And when you think of the star as a concept for life, a momentary glowing barier that keeps out opponants and lets you just roll though the world smoothly...now that is a power-up.

We live our lives trying to just be and it's not an easy thing to do. With the Star power-up you become a more confident, less distracted. It doesn't make anything come out of you and it isn't primarily a tool for attacking, it is a state of existence power-up, maybe the only one of its kind.

When you have the star it makes you just want to be a better competator. It isn't a flamboyant power-up, it isn't extroverted, attack based or violent. It is a reminder to do better, to focus in and to just enjoy the ride.

Great Idea

2009-04-16T12:20:00.000-07:00

toothpastefordinner.com

History of my Blog

2009-04-14T12:01:00.001-07:00

The big 3 hunge is coming up.

Paul Rudd is the World

2009-04-13T17:57:00.000-07:00

The Brave and Organized Scientist

2009-04-07T10:22:00.000-07:00

"Your friends have voted on your strengths and weaknesses"
(Via Facebook)

STRENGTHS:

most organized
bravest
best scientist

WEAKNESSES:

most athletic
best to be stuck in handcuffs with

LET'S just assess a few things here. One: my friends are fools. These strengths are completely inaccurate. I am neither organized, scientific or brave. I suppose there have been instances in my life where I have demonstrated some bravery- I once picked up the poop of a dog that was not my own. I can also be organized at times as well, for example I check my Twitter Karma, polish my action figures and comb the loose hairs of my beard every day. The science strength really throws me though because I am the person who passed grade 10 science by doing an experiment on "The Sogginess of Cereals". I think I received the credit for bribing my teacher with some leftover Muslix.

Now, let's look at my weaknesses- I am rarely ranked as athletic. Now, I bike every day, I do 20 minutes of Wii Fit cardio, I am the only person I know to have completed the 100 day pushup challenge and I am not overweight; even though statistically I live in the most obese town in Canada. Still, I suppose my Facebook photos rarely flatter my ever hardening pectorals.

Handcuffs..well this is just depressing. People don't want to be stuck in handcuffs with me. Let's be serious though- if you are going to be captured and placed in handcuffs with someone, wouldn't you want the brave and organized scientist on your side to get you out of the disaster in an organized fashion?

I just want to know what the spandex feels like

2009-04-05T04:18:00.000-07:00

I suppose I don't see anything wrong in being treated like an asshole when I go into American Apparel. It was my fault anyhow, I was wearing dark green and navy. I thought though, that maybe this time I would get a melancholic smile or something because I had on a hoody and skinny jeans- but no. Next time I'll wear my new pink cords and a sparkly dress shirt. I need to lose like 20 pounds and give off an air of gauntness. I'll probably have to straighten my hair as well and pretend to be as detached from emotion as possible. Then they will accept me.

EXPERiMENTS in ALTBEAT: Y/Gen Lament

2009-04-03T07:51:00.000-07:00

Moving makes the mind go funny...you never really know how important the internet is to you until you're cut off from it. Can't explain the anger that went through me when our ISP botched the install. A week without highspeed- I'm addicted. I'd like to see if there's any research out there on internet addiction..I feel it would almost be wrong to google for the information, I should just call some prof, like you would in the old days, ten years ago. SEO culture is ruining our ability to search for things authentically...I miss the days when digging for information was hard, when a scrap of info felt rare. I guess I'm being nostalgic because I think my generation is the one that's gonna feel it the most- we were born into a world that used the word NERDS in a negative way, and now we're moving full force forward into the world's new store, the app/prog/browser store and we don't give enough of a shit to look back. Why do I feel like i neede spellcheck? Twitter is a cult movement and we're pushing it forward because we want to be on the crest of a new wave, we want to be forefathers of an electric country, we want netizen power, we want our gods to be anonymous and our Sunday service to be open source. No stopping now though because we're addicted to the point of blind ignorance. ZuckerB's cocky Billgatsing changed the rules and the your are forming celebrity community cults that companies haven't yet found a way to exploit. I miss the days when jump was the A button and people would twist their heads in confusion at the word "download". I'm 26.

I'm Moving

2009-03-27T18:13:00.000-07:00

Yes, I bought a HOUSE and have a mortgage now and am at last enslaved by the norm. I suppose what's to follow is the great churn of adulthood wherein I succumb to severe depression, crippling debt and chemo on all of my motivations. Thankfully my new house is close to a Burger King...I'll eat myself old.

FPS Geezer

2009-03-23T17:32:00.000-07:00

First Person Shooters are making my blood pressure go up. I just purchased Killzone 2 and after playing it for about an hour I just feel stressed out and fatigued. I strain to aim at this little enemies and they don't die right away. I feel kind of nervous when blood clouds around my stream of vision. It is a hard task. It is deep and engrossing and like a real job.
Yet I watch my brother breeze through these things like a pro, killing endless cpu's and moving forward. It makes me wonder if my 16 year old brother and I were fighting side by side in a real war- which of us would survive?
So I guess this is why I am probably too old for these games. I'm 26 and I feel out of touch with the current status quo in electronic violence. I still have three days to exchange the game, maybe I'll downgrade to Animal Crossing.

Change is Good, Restrictions Are Better.

2009-03-23T06:48:00.000-07:00

Facebook needs to stop giving so much cred to their users. I see the sense behind giving people input, but it doesn't take a fool to know that the first impressions of any mass group are never truly accurate. People had like 3 days to play with the new facebook and 2 weeks to read up on the changes and noone really complained then. People hated the new facebook layout from last year too...internets people hate everything that is new. I am all for the change, not because I like it any better but because it is evolving within the norms of social media.

That being said, it is also copying Twitter, which I find hilarious. Blatancy is such a hideous thing on the internet, since we are use to subtle changes- a new app, a new side feature. If anything, copying is more of a turn off to me than the actual layout change. Still...micro-blogging is clearly our future. Who knew that it was 160 char. limitations we needed to spark a revolution in socializing? Restrictions are so seductive, limited space in an unlimited format. Love.

Blink to Rec.

2009-03-23T06:26:00.000-07:00

I want to be an eyeborg.

In CANADA, the country where I live, there is a man making a documentary with his eyeball. The ball is une prosthetic and will video tape all he sees. He is experimenting to see if he can capture reality in a new way by eliminating a camera crew from his docu.

His main quest: To see if he can find out if we're sleepwalking in an Orwellian society. I would gladly and literally give my right eye for the chance to have an eye camera...this is unharnessing some power.

INFO

Poly-Addictions

2009-03-22T17:00:00.001-07:00

SIGH. I am suffering from some major addictions right now. My novel progress has slowed and I am returning to insomnia.

>Twitter- Is something I just can't get enough of. Externally it seems like such a stupid thing; a micr0-baby-blog where you post your thoughts, seems like facebook-lite. But using it is a different experience. I'm convinced most people are in it for a soapbox effect, it seems like having followers is actually more important than having a message. That being said, it is nice to hear people's opinions and ideas as well as receive breaking news before it breaks from anywhere else ALL in semi-real time.

>Skins- This british show that is part gossip girl, part OC, part Hills and then something else all together. I knew I was going to adore the show when I saw a poster for Fellini's 8 1/2 in an opening shot. I like shows that go to extremes and this one gives me the same kind of rush I get from 24, only in on a more social level. I don't want to use the word raw, but I do.

>Lux/Cribbage Delux- 2 iphone app games that are totally addictive. Cribbage is addictive in itself, but playing a game that is smoother than Yahoo crib is so refreshing. Lux is just like Risk and some games the computer plays dumb while other times the computer plays brilliantly. I am debating getting the 8 dollar upgrade.

>Persona 4- Adult PS2 game, horror/mystery. It's half linear and half jap-cheesy, but at the same time it is engrossing and the day to day time passage system is addictive. I don't love the mechanics of the game, but there is something that makes me just want to keep pushing through. It might also be the only pro-LGBT game I've ever played.

ANYWAYS, what suffers from this is my writing and blogging. God knows I'm hanging on to Slate and Huffington like they're IVs. This has been a poor man's March Break. :S
Next Month: PS3.

Workout for Twitter Addicts

2009-03-17T08:01:00.001-07:00

Use this workout if you are:

- stuck to your computer for most of the day Tweeting.
- surrounded by Big Mac wrappers
- gargling with bacon grease

10 Twitterers I would Follow to the Ends of the Earth

2009-03-16T05:18:00.000-07:00

There are some people I can live without on Twitter, that is to say, about 80% of them. It is a hard world to wade through and sometimes I imagine who I would save if the twitterverse began to die away.

So, I think about my values as a spectator. When I'm using Twitter I look for two things in a poster:

A) That they are offering me some kind of useful or valuable information about the world. OR

B) That they are entertaining the hell out of me.

Therefore, I've compiled a list of the top 10 Twitterers that I would follow to the ends of the earth...my desert island tweeters if you will.

10) Popurls Always great links on a range of topics...never uninteresting.

9) jdickerson -One of the best political analysts around with a great sense of humor as well. He works for Slate and his podcast is great too.

8) mojojuju - I'm not sure if he is 1 part nerd 2 parts funny or 2 parts nerd 1 part funny. Great tweets all around.

7) zeldman - Pure hilarity.

6) Oblique_Chirps - Sometimes these tweets make me more neurotic, sometimes they make me less neurotic.

5) the_gman - Always posts great articles, very informative guy.

4) stejules - Another great social media article aggregator.

3) Mashable - Probably the crown prince of social media. I love him with fealty.

2) hodgman - Obvious one...very funny. How could you live without the man who made people turn on PCs?

1) stephenfry - Always entertaining, he has to top the list. He is a loyal tweeter, he puts his all into his posts and he consistently grinds out both entertaining and informative goodies for all his fans.

I'd like to hear the lists of others.

How to do a Clickabout on Twitter

2009-03-15T06:25:00.000-07:00

I have really started getting addicted to Twitter. I feel like one of those husbands who goes through a midlife crisis...this blog is my wife and twitter is the sassy little bitch in her 20s, brainless and carefree.

Anywhoo, one of my favorite things to do now is go on a Clickabout. I used to do this on google and wikipedia, but with twitter, a clickabout is more personal and esoterically informative.

Essentially, a clickabout is clicking a link on a page, reading for 20 seconds and then clicking a link to a new page. It is kind of like swinging through vines in a jungle.

The way to do it through twitter is by clicking either on links embedded within tweets, OR, the best thing to do is click through peoples followers. Remember you only get 20 seconds per page. It's a great way to learn things and also find random twitter friends you might never have found.

My advice would be to start with a big name, like stephenfry or laughingsquid and then work your way through the jungle harmony of tweets. Great way to spend a lazy Sunday.

Flight of the Conchords goes Korean

2009-03-06T16:04:00.000-08:00

Thank you for my own nostalgic purposes....This is EXACTLY like a Korean Noreabong.

This is Not a Pyramid Scheme

2009-03-06T13:41:00.001-08:00

First things first: This is NOT a pyramid scheme. This guy is totally legit, just sign up and in a few weeks you could be earning some serious.....

....wait, nope. Actually this is a pyramid scheme, this is more of a pyramid scheme than the actual pyramids.

Let's be clear about something: I know that money is tough to come by in the US right now, but really its not just the bank's fault, it's not the government's fault completely either. The level of national debt has been catching up to the US's GDP dramatically in the last 20 years. This means the biggest part of the problem is the consumers as well- people are living beyond their means.

To quote:
"From 2000 to 2008 it (individual debt) just goes, like a hockey stick, it goes dramatically upward....it hits 100% GDP. That is to say, consumers currently OWN 13 trillion dollars when the GDP is 13 trillion. That's 100 trillion OWED by individuals. That's a ton." - David Beim

He goes on to say the only other time this happened was in 1929.

More can be heard here.

A Viable Option

2009-03-04T10:32:00.001-08:00

toothpastefordinner.com

Yes.

2009-03-01T18:20:00.001-08:00

more music charts

Meta-Mascot

2009-02-27T11:57:00.000-08:00

Orwell on Tea

2009-02-26T18:05:00.000-08:00

The Milk Schools...
"One should pour tea into the cup first. This is one of the most controversial points of all; indeed in every family in Britain there are probably two schools of thought on the subject. The milk-first school can bring forward some fairly strong arguments, but I maintain that my own argument is unanswerable. This is that, by putting the tea in first and stirring as one pours, one can exactly regulate the amount of milk whereas one is liable to put in too much milk if one does it the other way round." ~ A Nice Cup of Tea, 1946

2009-02-22T09:54:00.000-08:00

I don't really understand why Synecdoche, New York isn't nominated for a single Oscar. I thought the movie was Charlie Kaufman's best to date. It was at least the most authentic film he has made. Every scene in the movie is like a short vignette that as a whole progresses from neurosis into a truly deep picture of the human condition.

It takes a lot of the ideas from Adaptation and expands on them. I think it is hard to make a movie that is terribly depressing, surrealistic and comedic all at the same time and end up with something devoid of bathos. I don't get it.

Anywhoo, I guess being nebbish is out this year and being a Hindi gameshow winner is in.

Viagra + Politics = Brilliance

2009-02-15T06:25:00.000-08:00

I love Mexico. I love Mexican culture, I love their diarrhetic cuisine and I love their history. Nothing about Mexico ever really surprises me, and I think that they are truly one of the most passionate and innovative nations in the world- a well kept secret.

Now they have outdone themselves. The Mayor of Mexico started giving out free viagra this week as part of his re-election campaign.

"Everyone has the right to be happy," Mexico City's mayor, Marcelo Ebrard, told the New York Times.

THIS, is the kind of political innovation we need in the US and Canada. Here is a man who is uninhibited by the norms of political chivalry, handing out the magic blue pill. Everyone knows that old people are the most loyal of voting demographics...

Brilliant. Hard shelled taco.

New Simpson's Opening

2009-02-14T19:13:00.001-08:00

Wow- gutsy.

An Excellent Assessment of the Recession

2009-02-11T18:43:00.000-08:00

First of all, just as the best cure for a hangover is not to drink so much, the best cure for a recession is a recession. It is time to sober up and return to free market sanity, risk and reward, supply and demand, without political intervention. Politicians are good at catering to the needs of special interests, but very bad at determining what needs to take place in the market. Government should stick to punishing fraud and enforcing contracts. When they use the tax code, bureaucratic departments and their manipulative rules and regulations to dictate social and economic behavior, we end up with distortions and malinvestments. Bailing out banks, continuing failed Fed policies and strapping the taxpayer with toxic debt will worsen the pain, and punish the innocent. - Ron Paul

The full article is over at the Free Liberal.

Iraq is now a Leading Cause of Obesity

2009-02-11T08:07:00.000-08:00

"The number of troops diagnosed as overweight or obese has more than doubled since the start of the Iraq war, yet another example of stress and strains of continuing combat deployments, according to a recent Pentagon study."- USA Today

This is really very un-spartan of the US. What are they eating over there anyways? I would love to see the makeup of one of these obese soldier's daily meals.

"Overweight/obesity is a significant military medical concern because it is associated with decreased military operational effectiveness," the study says.

No way! Welcome to the number one reason for police ineffectiveness as well!

Full article

Castro's Bizarro Rahm Emanuel Article

2009-02-11T02:56:00.001-08:00

This is hilarious. It's an editorial about Rahm Emanuel written by Fidel Castro...BIZARRE

Reflections of Fidel

Rahm Emanuel

WHAT a strange surname! It appears Spanish, easy to pronounce, but it’s not. Never in my life have I heard or read about any student or compatriot with that name, among tens of thousands.

Where does it come from? I wondered. Over and over, the name came to mind of the brilliant German thinker, Immanuel Kant, who together with Aristotle and Plato, formed a trio of philosophers that have most influenced human thinking. Doubtless he was not very far, as I discovered later, from the philosophy of the man closest to the current president of the United States, Barack Obama.

Another recent possibility led me to reflect on the strange surname, the book of Germán Sánchez, the Cuban ambassador in Bolivarian Venezuela: The transparence of Enmanuel, this time without the “I” with which the German philosopher’s name begins.

Enmanuel is the name of the child conceived and born in the dense guerrilla jungle, where his extremely honorable mother, Colombian vice presidential candidate Clara Rojas González, was taken prisoner on February 23, 2002, together with Ingrid Betancourt, who was a presidential candidate in that sister country’s elections that year.

I read with much interest the abovementioned book by Germán Sánchez, our ambassador in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela who, in 2008, had the privilege of participating in the liberation of Clara Rojas and Consuelo González, former National Assembly deputy, from the FARC, the revolutionary army of Colombia, which had taken them prisoner.

Clara had remained in the hands of the guerrilla forces out of solidarity with Ingrid and was with her throughout six years of difficult captivity.

Germán’s book is titled The Transparency of Enmanuel, almost exactly the same name as the German philosopher. It didn’t seem strange to me; in thinking about how his mother was a brilliant and very cultured lawyer; maybe that was the reason she gave her child that name. It simply led me to remember the years of isolation in prison that I experienced after my almost-successful attempt to take over Cuba’s second-largest military fortress on July 26, 1953 and to seize thousands of weapons with a select group of 120 combatants willing to fight against the Batista dictatorship imposed on Cuba by the United States.

Of course, it was not the only objective or the only inspiring idea, but what is certain is that after the triumph of the revolution in our homeland on January 1, 1959, I still recalled some of the German philosopher’s aphorisms:

“A wise man can change his mind. A stubborn one, never.”

“Do not use others as a means to your end.”

“Only through education can a man finally be a man.”

This great idea was one of the principles proclaimed from the initial days following the revolutionary triumph, on January 1, 1959. Obama and his advisor had not been born or even conceived. Rahm Emanuel was born in Chicago on November 29, 1959, the son of a Russian immigrant. His mother was a human rights advocate named Martha Smulevitz; she was sent to prison three times for her activities.

Rahm Emanuel joined the Israeli army in 1991 as a civilian volunteer during the first Gulf War waged by Bush Sr., which used missiles containing uranium that caused serious illnesses in the U.S. soldiers who participated in the offensive against the Iraqi Republican Guard in retreat, and in a countless number of civilians.

Since that war, the peoples of the Near and Middle East have consumed a fabulous amount of weapons, which the U.S. military-industrial complex launches onto the market.

The racists of the extreme right might be able to satisfy their thirst for ethnic superiority and assassinate Obama like they did Martin Luther King, the great human rights leader which, while theoretically possible, does not appear probable at this time, given the protection surrounding the president after his election, every minute, day and night.

Obama, Emanuel and all of the brilliant politicians and economists who have come together would not suffice to solve the growing problems of U.S. capitalist society.

Even if Kant, Plato and Aristotle were to resuscitate together the late and brilliant economist John Kenneth Galbraight, neither would they be capable of solving the increasingly more frequent and profound antagonistic contradictions of the system. They would have been happy in the times of Abraham Lincoln —so admired, and rightfully so, by the new president — an era left far behind.

All of the other peoples will have to pay for the colossal waste and guarantee, above anything else on this increasingly more contaminated planet, U.S. jobs and the profits of that country’s large transnationals.

Fidel Castro Ruz

Febrero 8, 2009

5:16 p.m.

Welcome to the Animal Collective Bandwagon

2009-02-08T11:49:00.000-08:00

Oh hello everyone, welcome to the Animal Collective bandwagon. I'm glad you could hop on. Do you remember me? I'm the guy who was telling you about 5 years ago to check out this band.
"Oh they're too weird and inaccessible for me," you said and rumpled your noses up. Back to Sufjan Stevans it was for you.
And now look...you're here, you're all jumping on board because suddenly weird an inaccessible is cool...thank god for Heath Ledger's Joker and Weezer's Pork and Beans video, or else you might not have made it aboard. Do yourself a favor and go back to Sung Tongs and Feel and get a real taste of what you missed out on...perhaps the most emotional experiment in sound since Beethoven symphonized the Book of Genesis.
I supposed you're tired from all of the Arcade Fire you've been swirling around to, so just sit back, relax and enjoy the freak.

The Dark Knight

2009-02-07T19:15:00.000-08:00

2009-02-04T16:05:00.000-08:00

I've been busy with other blogs.
Some thoughts on what is going on in the world:

Canadian Politics: Good start from Iggy, though he has set a dangerous trend for the MPs. Still, he's better than Dion.

Stimulus Package: Obama has been betrayed, Nancy Pelosi is a blinking fool (she blinks too much, seriously). The plan won't pass.

Phelps and the Bong: What a waste of time for journalists. A step back for the US.

Daschle: Is a sissy. So much for health care.

Executive Pay Caps: Only half a mill a year? Are you crazy Obama?

Winners of the Week: The Republicans.

Losers: For the hundred thousandth week in a row, the people.

This is so Great

2009-01-25T15:48:00.001-08:00

The (classified) bill we should all be afraid of because it is (classified) f*ing frightening

2009-01-17T14:20:00.000-08:00

Life in Gaza

2009-01-14T09:05:00.001-08:00

From Newsweek...

2009-01-14T08:58:00.001-08:00

# Government steals its tax revenue from citizens.

# Government increases the national debt through deficit spending.

# Government prosecutes an unnecessary war, one of the most expensive endeavors that can be undertaken, and further increases the debt.

# Government chooses to mask this fact by artificially lowering the interest rate using the Federal Reserve.

# Financially marginal citizens attempt to buy houses at low interest rates, perhaps that are out of their price range.

# Lenders become apprehensive to loan to marginal borrowers.

# Government guarantees bad loans.

# Lenders make lots of bad loans, based on the guarantees.

# Government steps in to “save” lenders and companies from bad decisions by “bailing them out.”

# Politicians further propose to “save” citizens that borrowed too much by renegotiating their mortgages.

Christmas Break

2008-12-17T18:37:00.001-08:00

Harper, Dion, Layton and Michaëlle Jean have All Lost This Battle

2008-12-05T15:14:00.000-08:00

"In the 21st century, in Canada, the way to fight for your political life is apparently to demand the Queen BANISH your enemies! Oh, Canada, come on." - Rachel Maddow

THIS week didn't go well. It didn't go well for Harper, because he has been severely wounded politically. His credibility gave way to cowardice and slyness and his maneuvering has stalled any economic progress as well as set a highly dangerous parliamentary precedent.

The Liberals and NDP have not come out of this without some cuts either. They may have divided the country by pushing this issue in the way they did. Instead of stabbing Harper in the back with a surprise vote, which would have achieve their goal rather then put them on crash course for an election, they decided to make this more of a 5 cent drama than an actual stance on change.

The Governor General also hasn't come out of this in a nice way. Michaëlle Jean decided to continue her vacation upon hearing of this little crisis. I'm sure she (like most Canadians) thought it would fizzle out before we had to get the monarchy involved. Yet, when it blew up she still continued her trip around Europe while Canadians were forced into uncharted territories. Furthermore, when she did arrive she sided with the Prime Minister and placed a precedent on parliamentary democracy that is so unsuited for our style of government that it makes me want to throw tea into the Halifax harbor. And to top it all off...she placed no actual stipulations on the Prime Minister. She should have forced him to work out a plan with Liberals and the NDP at the table.

Who has come out of this on top? The Bloc. They have successfully placed their fingers around the nipple of a coalition with all the potentialities of a Quebecois purple nurple should the plan go through and Dion becomes Prime Minister. Even if Harper gets his way, he has been defibrillator of the separatist movement in his defense of this coalition and thus divided the country and weakened his own party. Slide the chips over to Duceppe.

What should happen now?

The Tories should create a new economic team bring in Liberals and NDP to top spots. It should be a grand, public gesture to the coalition filled with "We were wrong and we do need you during this crisis" rhetoric.

The Liberals should accelerate their leadership selection process. Obviously the last one didn't work, so it is time for a change. It is clear who will win the race anyhow. Either way, the party is flat lining until Ignatieff...I mean...someone other than Dion is at the helm.

The NDP should come out with a new economic package and plan, something that is easy for people to understand and that reflects a balance between healthy stimulus and frugality.

The Bloc should do nothing but sit and watch the national parties continue to tear each other apart.

Lastly, Michaëlle Jean should resign. She has but one job in this world and at the most critical time for her to be present for her people she wasn't. She has weakened Canadian democracy and weakened the office of Governor General by not taking this issue seriously.

Let the planning for New Year's Resolutions begin...

Harper needs to Obamafy, it's not Baraket Science

2008-12-03T12:12:00.000-08:00

This is an excellent point...but does Harper have the restraint to make it?

Where the Tories might find a receptive audience is by emphasizing the dangers of an unstable and experimental government at a time of global economic crisis. They should be arguing, above all else, that this is no time for a prime minister and his cabinet to be learning on the job; no time for a government being pulled in three very different directions; and yes, no time to be disproportionately advancing the interests of one province over the other nine.- Adam Radwanski

Harper needs not to look back 6 weeks at his own election, but rather look back 6 weeks at Obama's election. What was Obama doing? He was arguing that it was time for stability, unity and bi-partisanship. Harper should come forward with a proposal to reach out to the coalition and build a new economic vision for Canada. If he doesn't make this point, Dion will make it for himself.

Gilles(ette) - The Best Quebec Can Get

2008-12-02T17:50:00.000-08:00

Gilles Duceppe, someone needs to take this man to a fancy strip club in downtown Montreal and buy him a drink, a dance and a cab. It's hard to believe that Quebeckers aren't carrying him through the streets right now cheering his name.

Think about it, he has managed to get the separatist party into a (probable) governing coalition running the country. This has got to be the ultimate achievement, outside of actual separation from Canada. And the best part is, it's even good for federalist Quebeckers, because they have all the power and are still part of Canada.

Sure, Gilles signed on for 1.5 years, but that was as short as the others would allow in order for it to happen. Don't be fooled, once that 1.5 year deal expires, he's going to make it very, very hard for the NDP-Liberal coalition to continue in power without giving a little extra sumthn' sumthn' to Quebec, all quebeckers, not just the Bloc. That's the beauty of the bloc, no matter if you support them or not, everyone in la belle province benefits from what they have pulled off.

Once that deal expires, Gilles is going to take Layton and Dion by the balls and mutter in an evil French accent

"Listen here boys, this is how it's gonna work from now on... "

"Or we could always arrange to have you go back to being the opposition, if thats what you would rather".

2008-12-02T17:14:00.000-08:00

Unless you voted, you can't complain or take any side at all in the coalition issue....which is 40.9 % of people.

The Risks of Coalition

2008-12-02T15:19:00.000-08:00

Q: In the game of Risk am I allowed to secretly team up with another player to attack an opponent?

A: Yes.

Q: Am I allowed to discuss this openly with the players?

A: Yes.

Harper: Umm..Excuse me, excuse moi...you...you can't do that, it's cheating.

Q: What do you mean?

A: He means that it isn't fair. He has the most territories controlled on the board.

Q: So? Is there anything in the rules about fairness?

A: No.

Q: Exactly.

Maybe this feels so wrong because it just seems like such an unbelievable kick in the junk. It isn't fair, I agree. But it is democratic- supra-democratic. This is what America wishes it could do with its legislative body. As a Trudeauian, I can feel the hot bleeding pain of a deal with the Bloc; but haven't we as a country been making asshole deal after asshole deal with the separatists since 95? It is just their support, not a marriage. The agent of power will always be acceptance of the unholy.

The bottom line of it all is that if Harper does stay he is like the guy who puked all over the couch at the party but doesn't clean it up and keeps on drinking. Nobody likes that.

I don't see any pretty way out of this for the Prime Minister. The parliamentary Risk taker has just been out rolled.

The Chicken's Head is Off

2008-12-01T14:26:00.001-08:00

What is going to happen here? The chicken's head is off, but where the hell is it running?

I will be looking for answers in the coming months...

Is the Green Shift back on? Is the senate about to be re-stacked? Will Belinda Stronach come out of retirement? Cretien is laughing mightily!
People are worried, people are losing jobs and so on and so forth...but what about on the other side? Is this going to lead to some kind of violence? Could we actually get to see what we have been dreaming about, a new Canadian Heritage Minute commercial? Will Harper's tear ducts at last wake from their deep slumber? What are the ramifications of this stimulus package? Have the Seperatists pulled a trojan horse into the cabinet? What happens if Dion does well, will he throw his hat into the leadership race?

Most important of all: Is this the end of Stephen Harper?

I always thought the civil war would be French vs. English....but it could actually be Alberta vs. The Dream Team....

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2008-12-01T13:56:00.001-08:00

I never thought that for Christmas we would lose both Bush and Harper. Aurevoir Conservatives!

Merci Beau-coup: Harper's Roshambo

2008-11-28T18:24:00.000-08:00

The real Green Shift is here and it's got nothing to do with the environment and everything to do with everyone's favorite subject: Stimulation.

I have never seen Harper so miffed. This is a fascinating little day. A junta was just the kind of curve-ball this country needed to wake it up from disinterest in politics.

I can see the ethics behind trying to take down the government, but the timing seems off. I was just getting over the Dion shit storm and now he could take the whole rodeo. Imagine what would have happened if Dion had stepped down. This whole thing is a coup via terminal entity.

Some good things that may come of this are a few unsung liberal heroes getting a more firm stance on the public stage. For example, Brison could emerge from this a stronger choice for leadership. More importantly the entire career of Harper could be on the line with this move.

On the other hand, a coalition with the Block will essentially mean a stimulus package for the separatists as well. I would welcome an NDP run environmental portfolio, but wince at the thought of them controlling la grande purse.

However, the worst part of all of this is that Harper was playing a chess game, and he lost- now he is going to play a game of "I'm going to kick you're fucking ass if you try to fuck me". His power may be shaken, but it most certainly is not lost, and may be truly exercised for the first time. We are going to see some hard and fast punches in the coming week. The Torie machine is going to threaten, coerce and terrorize every vulnerable MP in the country and flatter with passion every single fence-sitter.

This is either going to be a war of finesse or a chainsaw massacre.

Popcorn's in the microwave.

A Nice Perspective

2008-11-26T17:05:00.000-08:00

The New Progressive Movement

2008-11-24T16:59:00.001-08:00

Sam Stein credits the uncredited aides to the Democrats: The Neo-Progressive Movement:

"Groups like Progressive Accountability, CAP Action Fund, NationalSecurity Network, Women's Voices Women's Vote, Brave New Films andothers (many of them unions), went largely unheralded during theelection cycle. But behind the scenes, they put in place a system thatchurned up opposition research, helped influence the media, charted outthe electoral landscape, and was often seamless in delivering amessage. In short, they beat the GOP at its own game."

Article

The Future of the GOP

2008-11-22T13:41:00.001-08:00

The future of the GOP will be nothing but Palin or a Palin-like character...the think tanks, the journals the institutions are all centered under the wing of a character candidate wearing some evangelical/hometown garb.

Oh I love this. . .

2008-11-22T12:55:00.000-08:00

The gift that keeps on giving!

IBD's Obama Checklist: The Heat is On

2008-11-20T18:38:00.001-08:00

Taxes

• Give a tax break to 95% of Americans.

• Restore Clinton-era tax rates on top income earners.

• "If you make under $250,000, you will not see your taxes increaseby a single dime. Not your income taxes, not your payroll taxes, notyour capital gains taxes. Nothing."

• Dramatically simplify tax filings so that millions of Americans will be able to do their taxes in less than five minutes.

• Give American businesses a $3,000 tax credit for every job they create in the U.S.

• Eliminate capital gains taxes for small business and startup companies.

• Eliminate income taxes for seniors making under $50,000.

• Expand the child and dependent care tax credit.

• Expand the earned income tax credit.

• Create a universal mortgage credit.

• Create a small business health tax credit.

• Provide a $500 "make work pay" tax credit to small businesses.

• Provide a $1,000 emergency energy rebate to families.

Energy

• Spend $15 billion a year on renewable sources of energy.

• Eliminate oil imports from the Middle East in 10 years.

• Increase fuel economy standards by 4% a year.

• Weatherize 1 million homes annually.

• Ensure that 10% of our electricity comes from renewable sources by 2012.

Environment

• Create 5 million green jobs.

• Implement a cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

• Get 1 million plug-in hybrids on the road by 2015.

Labor

• Sign a fair pay restoration act, which would overturn the Supreme Court's pay discrimination ruling.

• Sign into law an employee free choice act — aka card check — to make it easier for unions to organize.

• Make employers offer seven paid sick days per year.

• Increase the minimum wage to $9.50 an hour by 2009.

National security

• Remove troops from Iraq by the summer of 2010.

• Cut spending on unproven missile defense systems.

• No more homeless veterans.

• Stop spending $10 billion a month in Iraq.

• Finish the fight against Osama bin Laden and the al-Qaida terrorists.

Social Security

• Work in a "bipartisan way to preserve Social Security for future generations."

• Impose a Social Security payroll tax on incomes above $250,000.

• Match 50% of retirement savings up to $1,000 for families earning less than $75,000.

Education

• Demand higher standards and more accountability from our teachers.

Spending

• Go through the budget, line by line, ending programs we don't need and making the ones we do need work better and cost less.

• Slash earmarks.

Health care

• Lower health care costs for the typical family by $2,500 a year.

• Let the uninsured get the same kind of health insurance that members of Congress get.

• Stop insurance companies from discriminating against those who are sick and need care the most.

• Spend $10 billion over five years on health care information technology.

The Hillary Choice requires Obama's Voice

2008-11-19T17:42:00.001-08:00

Anyone with any kind of experience within the Democratic party is going to have worked with Clinton. It is not a Clintonian invasion of the white house, rather a return of the centrists to the executive branch. Now as for Hillary herself, I thought Obama should have picked her for VP (and if he had he would have saved us from witnessing the drama of Sarah Palin). I think Hillary would have been a good President- naturally she would have and almost was. The bronze metal is still worth something, right? Obviously if her supporters thought she could be president she can pull off the job secretary of state.

Or can she? The hard-line argument seems to be "Hillary heavily criticized Obama's foreign policy experience in the primaries." This is a false argument because her stance was warped because she was running against him. Look at what running against Obama does to a person- John McCain basically whored himself out to the neo-cons with hopes to win a Rovian majority. Obviously, her stance can be- must be not as diametrically opposed to Obama's as it seemed back then

The real argument I think is this: Is Hillary able to swallow enough of her Clinton pride to speak as the voice for Obama? Surely she will be able to promote his international agenda, but will she be able to bring the nuances Obama needs in dealing with his foreign colleagues? This is a prickly posting for him. Her role as a diplomat is excellent externally, but with Hillary one often wonders what she is capable of in the realpolitik world of behind the scenes foreign relations.

“It takes America’s friends and adversaries about five minutes tofigure out who really speaks for the White House and who doesn’t...If a secretary ofstate falls into the latter category, he or she will have little chanceof doing effective diplomacy on a big issue. More likely, they’ll beplayed like a finely tuned violin or simply taken for granted.” Aaron D.Miller

Obama's Panda

2008-11-17T17:27:00.001-08:00

Nice Article by Scott Malcomson over at Huffington Post on the prediction of the post-Bush economy. The boil of it is:

"Beattie told two fascinating stories about China. One was that, whenthe developed economies coordinated a rate cut a few weeks ago, theydid not tell China; and China quickly then made a cut of its own. Thesecond story had to with Pakistan's President Zardari desperatelytraveling the other day to China, cap in hand, in hopes of avoidingrecourse to the International Monetary Fund for a bailout. The Chinese,frequently accused of a stony-faced nationalist mercantilism proudlyignorant of the needs of others, refused to help, despite long ties toPakistan. China insisted that the bailout be done under IMFsupervision. China would help; but it wouldn't undermine the system,even if that system was not, at present, treating China very well."

Full Article

New Book

2008-11-17T17:04:00.000-08:00

HUCKABEEE!

Depression Economics Solution: Money Nuke

2008-11-14T06:10:00.001-08:00

PAUL Krugman has a nice depressing little Op-Ed piece in the New York Times today on Depression Economics. In the article he calls for a 600 billion dollar stimulus package to help curb the recession. What are Depression economics?

      "By that I mean a state of affairs like that of the 1930s in which the
     usual tools of economic policy — above all, the Federal Reserve’s
     ability to pump up the economy by cutting interest rates — have lost
     all traction. When depression economics prevails, the usual rules of
     economic policy no longer apply: virtue becomes vice, caution is risky
     and prudence is folly."

His predictions forecast cutbacks in business investment, job cuts and heightened contractions amidst a potential 8.5 % unemployment rate. His call is not for caution but rather for a bold administration to throw a huge 600 billion bucket of water on the fire. In essence Obama needs a luftwaft stimulus.

Ron Paul on values of the GOP 4.0

2008-11-12T17:00:00.000-08:00

A great discussion with Ron Paul found here. This is conservatism I can tolerate.

His radical? vision for the Party:

• Limited government power

• A balanced budget

• Personal liberty

• Strict adherence to the Constitution

• Sound money

• A strong defense while avoiding all undeclared wars

• No nation-building and no policing the world

(for more see Current Canadian Prime Minister)

Michael Steel is Brilliant!

2008-11-11T17:08:00.001-08:00

Michael Steel, former Maryland Lt.Governor had a nice bit in the Wall Street Journal today (I accidentally read it). He went on about how the Grand Old Party has lost its cool factor- namely whatever the hell it was Reagan brought to the table. Steek says:

"Our challenge lies not in beating Democrats, but in uniting around amessage that solidifies our ranks and attracts new people to our cause.We have to listen to what Americans are telling us about their hopes,desires and needs, and then translate that message into proposals formeaningful action squarely grounded in values we Republicans havealways stood for."

Yes, it is time for the Republicans to be trusted again. They need to abandon their new found roots in evangelical hick politics and return to being what they are classically best at: acting like a smooth white asshole that can charm one's pants off.

This is what we want, we are dying for it. In Canada that is exactly what our Prime Minister is...the type of Conservative that can smile at you almost sincerely and at the same to bank on your hard work. The Republicans need to come back to the intellectual center, however when they do this I suspect they will also return to more calculated ways of profiteering for the wealthy.

Inheritance

2008-11-09T03:50:00.000-08:00

Dear Santa Palin

2008-11-08T05:42:00.000-08:00

For Christmas I would like the following things:

1. Please make my wish come true and work to help Senator Ted Stevens to be re-elected despite his recent convicion.

2. Please make my wish come true and force Stevens to resign from his seat.

3. Please resign from your own seat as Governor and go for the vacant seat of Ted Stevens. (Make sure you go through the process legally Santa Palin).

4. Please take your Alaskan hillbilly family to Washington and fight for the cancerous neo-conservative agenda for the next four years.

5. Please find in yourself the confidence to run for President in 2012 against Barak Hussein Obama.

6. Please let yourself be humiliated on a national stage once more as a foolish, unintelligent, and disastrous choice for a leader so as to continue to undermine the right wing of your party.

Thanks so much Santa Palin, I will be sure to leave out a glass of milk and some wolf meat for you on Christmas Eve.

~ Frank

The First Joke..

2008-11-07T17:22:00.000-08:00

In a comment about speaking with all of the living presidents for advice:

"I have spoken to all of them who are living, I didn’t want to get into a Nancy Reagan thing about doing any séances," Barak Obama.

Oh Reaganism, you can't stand up against one of Obama's practical and esoteric jokes!

Obama's Coalition

2008-11-07T16:27:00.000-08:00

AS the dust settles on this election and the drunken buzz wears off I find myself wondering what kind of coalition Obama has come out of this election with- if any. A new class of people brought the President to power, three groups of people that compromise what I would describe as the "fickle" segment of the population pie. But, can the youth vote, the Hispanics and the women voter coalition sustain their political lusts throughout an Obama administration? I can see his appeal to these groups as a candidate, as a figure of ideal- but as an actual administrator he will have to continue to wow under the pressure of an very, very leaky boat.

What seems to be increasingly apparent is that after all of Obama's work to portray himself as more than just the "black" candidate, the voters (and CNN) appear too overly besmirched with the bold fact that they chose an African American for a President.

And true, it is an amazing thing- this is perhaps the first time in Western-European history that any man of African decent has lead the most powerful country of the first nations. He has defied and shattered a millennial old tradition of non-Caucasian ethnocide.

However, it is not the time to jump on Obama for the fact of his historical achievement. It should not be a moment to point in awe of a man who crossed a seemingly impossible line. Rather, now is the time to be happy if not joyous for the fact that a brilliant, tactical, wise and kind man has taken the helm of the world. He is not a character of himself, he is not the mouthpiece of an establishment. What Barak Obama represents is not a historical racial breakthrough in American history but instead a maturity breakthrough in American politics.

This is the ideal which he needs to convey to his new coalition if he is to remain relevant: that he brings into the White House a fresh, modern and desperately needed responsibleness. The era of Reagan tax cuts, defense spending and small government turned out to be brats in a schoolyard. So too, the FDR era of big government and social spending and New Deals are not means to a political path as the country strains in such a different way these days.

Now is the time for responsibleness for Obama. He must take an honest look at the pot's that are boiling over in the kitchen and figure out which meals he's going to cook. His era must be a third and unseen path, a new left of center form of leadership, one that works toward the common good as opposed to the common greed.

It is in the issues of health care, human rights and the environment that Obama found his coalition and it is therefore in those issues he must first lay stake. He will have to rebuild the economy through upward mobility, through middle class benefits and programs and strive to be a kind of massive pan-American community organizer.

For Change to be the new mantra of Washington, Obama will have to weave the sense of the word into each and every of his actions as President. Only then can the new coalition remain united.

The Rules on the Bus go Round and Round...

2008-11-06T14:47:00.000-08:00

It is interesting to note that a little over 30 years ago in the same park that Obama gave his victory speech Martin Luther King Jr. had a march. In the march in Chicago someone threw a brick at King's head. Less than half a century later, a black man was elected president in that spot.

2008-11-05T17:01:00.000-08:00

From XKCD

Hilarious Obama Quote

2008-11-05T14:52:00.001-08:00

From Newsweek...

When he was preparing for them during the Democratic primaries, Obama was recorded saying, "I don't consider this to be a good format for me, which makes me more cautious. I often find myself trapped by the questions and thinking to myself, 'You know, this is a stupid question, but let me … answer it.' So when Brian Williams is asking me about what's a personal thing that you've done [that's green], and I say, you know, 'Well, I planted a bunch of trees.' And he says, 'I'm talking about personal.' What I'm thinking in my head is, 'Well, the truth is, Brian, we can't solve global warming because I f---ing changed light bulbs in my house. It's because of something collective'."

This could have beaten Obama

2008-11-05T14:45:00.000-08:00

See HERE

November Men

2008-11-05T07:12:00.000-08:00

The World is Happy

2008-11-05T02:32:00.001-08:00

I just wanted to say something to all the something rightish people out there, specifically the Evangelical and ultra right Republicans: Ha.

Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha.

We've been noisy these last few years, but by God we've been patient (and held a sense of humor). For the record, now that we can all hide behind Obama, I would like to say (while peeking around his now ominous character) that the last 8 years have been all your fault righties. Every last second of it. The war, the death of millions, the environmental crisis, the recession, the human rights violations...all-your-fault.

Let me add: if Obama has any stubles, that too is also your fault. Completly. Now instead of bringing about change he instead has to clean up your mess which looks like the bathroom of a Texan MacDonald's.

In the meantime, it's YeeHaww for everyone else. Today the world is happy, and that is a truely amazing thing to know.

PRESIDENT OBAMA

2008-11-04T18:36:00.000-08:00

Welcome to your future...

Bill Ayers speaks....too late...or too early

2008-11-04T17:10:00.001-08:00

"Pal around together? What does that mean? Share a milkshake with twostraws?"Ayers said. "I think my relationship with Obama was probablylike thousands of others in Chicago. And, like millions and millions ofothers, I wish I knew him better."

Even if he Catches the Toss...

2008-11-02T17:47:00.001-08:00

This is all that matters...

2008-11-02T16:18:00.000-08:00

Watch from east to west...Virginia is the first biggie. Obama has the rest of the Kerry/Gore states and Ohio is tilting for Change too. If VA goes blue then you can go to bed early on Tuesday.

Funny

2008-11-02T16:07:00.000-08:00

It's interesting how this campaign began with a fractured Democratic party because of Hillary, and it is ending with a fractured Republican party because of Palin.

What it Means to Be a Republican

2008-11-02T07:51:00.000-08:00

I found this online earlier this morning and it gave me a laugh-

Jesus loves you, and shares your hatred of homosexuals and Hillary Clinton.

Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him, a bad guy when Bush's daddy made war on him, a good guy when Cheney did business with him, and a bad guy when Bush needed a "we can't find Bin Laden" diversion.

Trade with Cuba is wrong because the country is Communist, but trade with
China and Vietnam is vital to a spirit of international harmony.

The United States should get out of the United Nations, and our highest national priority is enforcing U.N. resolutions against Iraq.

A woman can't be trusted with decisions about her own body, but multi-national corporations can make decisions affecting all mankind without regulation.

The best way to improve military morale is to praise the troops in speeches, while slashing veterans' benefits and combat pay.

If condoms are kept out of schools, adolescents won't have sex.

A good way to fight terrorism is to belittle our long-time allies, then demand their cooperation and money.

Providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy, but providing health care to all Americans is socialism. HMOs and insurance companies have the best interests of the public at heart.

Global warming and tobacco's link to cancer are junk science, but creationism should be taught in schools.

A president lying about an extramarital affair is a impeachable offense, but a president lying to enlist support for a war in which thousands die is solid defense policy.

Government should limit itself to the powers named in the Constitution, which include banning gay marriages and censoring the Internet.

The public has a right to know about Hillary's cattle trades, but George Bush's driving record is none of our business.

Being a drug addict is a moral failing and a crime, unless you're a conservative radio host. Then it's an illness and you need our prayers for your recovery.

Supporting "Executive Privilege" for every Republican ever born, who will be born or who might be born( in perpetuity.)

What Bill Clinton did in the 1960s is of vital national interest, but what Bush did in the '80s is irrelevant.

2008-11-01T20:25:00.000-07:00

Get the latest news satire and funny videos at 236.com.

Palin's Medical Records

2008-11-01T20:21:00.001-07:00

My theory...is that Palin hasn't released her medical records because she has an STD. I'll just throw it out there. I mean, I have nothing against wolf hunting beauty queens that are married to secessionists- it's not that. It's just that she has a lot of kids and according to this week's New Yorker, evangelicals get busier than other Americans; so it isn't totally improbably that Palin may have picked something up along the pipeline.

What else could be the reason for her keeping her medical records from the public?

Here is a list of runner-ups:

-   Botox
-   Liposuction
-   Abortion
-   Botched Bi-Lateral Oophorectomy

McCain's End Game (Update)

2008-11-01T18:31:00.000-07:00

It looks as if the legitimate pollsters around the country are all fighting back and pushing the accuracy of an Obama 10-12 point spread. Even his most brilliant strategy fails...

Sarkozy calls Palin (Prank)

2008-11-01T16:17:00.000-07:00

2 Canadians actually get through a prank call to Sarah Palin pretending to be Sarkozy.

Hope

2008-11-01T12:49:00.001-07:00

As voters go to the polls in 3 days America finds itself suffering from three highly inter-related crises.

The economic recession.
The failure of the war in Iraq.
The loss of its international reputation.

The financial system is failing to repair, the war on terrorism is being lost and the world looks upon the US as an almost moronic classmate in the globalized classroom. As the world moves forward, the US spins its tires in the mud on wheels both foreign and domestic.

It will be the challenge of the next President to pull the country out of the mess; a challenge that either candidate will struggle to succeed in. This campaign has been both exciting albeit predictable. My hopefuls for both tickets were McCain and Obama, however the McCain of 2008 has made a key error in his campaign: he has pandered to the base of his party.

Once more, McCain has become a prisoner- this time of the Republican Party itself.
The problem with this, is that by focusing all of his efforts on energizing a sub-sect of his party that won the 2000 election for Bush he has alienated the moderate conservatives of the country. The new-millennial election was a time for evangelicals and Rovian politics. But now as the US still feels its way through the dust stomped up by George Bush, the voters needed to be compelled by a different sort of Republican- the kind of Republican that John McCain was back in the 2000 primaries.

The current incarnation of McCain is a phony- a man who has abandoned the very ideals that would have won him this election in exchange for a base that no longer has the power (and barely ever did) to win an election. What was needed was the centrist McCain, the McCain that was against the psychotic religious right and pro-global warming.

The Palin pick showed just how desperate McCain was to have the right-wing accept him. I believe that McCain is less like Bush than Obama puts on, but I also believe Sarah Palin is more like Bush than anyone in the media is able to elucidate.

It is in this paradigm shift that McCain has lost the election. He has used old crutches of the far right and the tools have collapsed beneath him. For betraying his maverick essence he stands to lose this election and lose it shamefully.

Therefore, it will hopefully be Obama to carry the torch through America's dark future. He may have little experience, but he is a miracle man- he began this campaign with nothing and by his brilliance alone he was able to slay the two great American dragons of Clinton and Neo-Con.

Thus, experience may not be what the country needs; rather it is in need of a man who can use sober minded intelligence and personal magnanimity to pull itself out of defeat. Obama is winning because he has shown this characteristic to voters and because as President he stands to embody these traits.

No one will be able to do a perfect job in the coming years, the road ahead is covered in pitfalls. But even so, it is not in McCain or the hands-off government approach that the Republicans embody that will bring change. Rather, it will and must be the audacity of hope that mends the nation.

Burn....

2008-10-31T18:43:00.001-07:00

Obama is on fire in Indiana tonight...he says McCain is going as George Bush for Halloween. SLAM

McCain's End Game...

2008-10-31T16:40:00.001-07:00

McCain's endgame is not another roundabout with Joe the Plumber nor is it specter of socialism- those are the mere wings on his final swoop upon Obama. The real strategy as I see it, is an attempt to sway momentum by making it appear to voters that the polls are evening out.

On the stump, McCain has been toting higher numbers in the poll while a Fox News poll released yesterday hints that Obama now has only a 3 point lead (47-44).

The problem is, is that (As Andrew Sullivan points out on his blog) the data is skewed. When compared to Fox's previous poll, the numbers show in the sampling that less democrats and Obama supporters were polled while more Republican and McCain supporters were polled. Fox put a fat kid on the teeter-totter.

Anywhoo, the key here is that this is a notion that plays more subtly yet resonates at a deeper level than symbols like Joe the Plumber or socialism. By promoting a loss in Obama's momentum, McCain is able to play on the subconsciousness of the voter- and more specifically the subconsciousness undecided voter.

The symbol of "catching up in the polls" is the strongest of all political symbols, and it may just be the strategy McCain needs going into the election. A last minute pendulum swing could grab.

Keep your eyes on Virginia....

Important and Funny; more funny than important

2008-10-29T14:33:00.001-07:00

Oh my God...

2008-10-28T14:40:00.001-07:00

The Bradley Effect

2008-10-27T17:31:00.001-07:00

From Wikipedia-

"The Bradley effect, less commonly called the Wilder effect,^[1]^[2] is a proposed explanation for observed discrepancies between voter opinion polls and election outcomes in some American political campaigns when a white candidate and a non-white candidate run against each other.^[3]^[4]^[5] Named for Tom Bradley, an African-American who lost the 1982 California governor'srace despite being ahead in some voter polls, the Bradley effect refersto an alleged tendency on the part of some voters to tell pollstersthat they are undecided or likely to vote for a black candidate, andyet, on election day, vote for his/her white opponent.

The theory of the Bradley effect is that the inaccurate polls have been skewed by the phenomenon of social desirability bias.^[6]^[7]Specifically, some white voters give inaccurate polling responses forfear that, by stating their true preference, they will open themselvesto criticism of racial motivation. The reluctance to give accuratepolling answers has sometimes extended to post-election exit polls as well. The race of the pollster conducting the interview may factor in to voters' answers.

Some analysts have dismissed the theory of the Bradley effect as "baseless",^[8]while others argue that it may have existed in past elections, but notin more recent ones. One analysis of 133 senate and gubernatorialelections between 1989 and 2006 suggests that "before 1996, the mediangap for black candidates was 3.1 percentage points, while forsubsequent years it was -0.3 percentage points."^[9]

Anyways, God hope this doesn't happen...then again how could it in the States?

In other, unrelated news Amazon posted this....notice anything odd?

2008-10-27T16:36:00.001-07:00

"It's not the votes that count but the vote counters."

The Right Wing is on Fire, Literally

2008-10-26T05:45:00.001-07:00

Watching the far right-wing of America devour itself has been the most wonderful sight of the weekend.
The Telegraph reports:

"Aides to George W.Bush, former Reagan White House staff and friends of John McCain have all told The
Sunday Telegraph that they not only expect to lose on November 4, but
also believe that Mr Obama is poised to win a crushing mandate.They believe he will be powerful enough to remake the American political landscape with even more ease than Ronald Reagan did in 1980."

On the stump, republican senators, pundits as well as McCain are all talking about the potential of a filibuster-proof senate. They are literally whining about loosing the ability to keep talking so as to oppose reforms.

If I was McCain I would be out campaigning for balance in the country. He could say Obama is swinging the political pendulum too far left for the country to handle. He needs to play on those fears that every American shares, the fear that socially progressive ideas combined with the unfaltering wisdom of a President can turn a country from defeat into success. Or not...

I mean, do people look back on FDR's presidency with fear and terror? He was a massive socialist and took great pains (just like Obama) to restore the middle class. Roosevelt is only considered one of the three best presidents ever, but he also steered America through both a financial and military crisis. On the level, New Deal ideology is just what the country needs right now, and it isn't going to be found in the neo-con playbook of John McCain

A Constipated Existence

2008-10-23T14:59:00.001-07:00

JOE the plumber be damned. Think of this...

In our world, 80 percent of illness is caused by our most natural creation. A single gram of this substance can have within it 100 worm eggs, 1000 parasite cysts, 1 million bacteria, and ten million viruses. A flec of it will poison a glass of water or plate of food.

Your shit is deadly.

The new book "The Big Necessity" by Rose George is my new bathroom break book. It is a brilliant study of human waste. Its literary importance is vital reading for anyone interested in the future of the environment as well as health.

ONE often wonders...as a product of the universe; what is it we actually give back to our creator? I am often left wondering if there is anything that we as humans produce that is of substantive value to the world. I mean, as a species we are essentially imbalancers. We don't live in any sort of symbiosis with our world, we take far more than we give. Unlike animals we consume more than is necessary for survival and even worse- we produce more goods than possible for us to consume.

At best, we are shit making machines. We wake up, we consume, we shit it out, we consume again.

All of our most consummate creations like love, kindness, education and happiness are all wonderful feelings- yet at the end of the day, all of those sentiments simply encourage us just to keep on with our lives and contribute to the cycle of shit-creation...Our destiny is and can only be to destroy this planet we have somehow inherited.

Now, I'm not trying to be atheistic here or cynical. I have long since submitted to this blissful futility. Consider me rather, a committed destroyer (all be it small-time thug in the dark world of human destruction) sitting back on his pile of junk admiring the stench.

We are polluters.

Look for example at a toilet. Its function: to capture our excrement. The toilet, often appropriately named "American Standard" is the most true symbol of our species I have ever known. It is a machine, which is filled with the most pure substance we have: water; clean drinkable water. And we take this water and fill it with our filth. Every day, many times.

So think for a moment...what do we give to existence?

A quote from Rose George's Book:

"It may in fact be the foundation of civilization: What is toilettraining if not the first attempt to turn a child into an acceptablemember of society? Appropriateness and propriety begin with a potty.From this comes the common claim, usually from sanitation activists,that the toilet is the barometer of civilization. How a societydisposes of its human excrement is an indication of how it treats itshumans, too. Unlike other body-related functions like dance, drama, andsongs, wrote the Indian sanitarian Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, "defecationis very lowly." Yet when discussing it, he continued, "one ends updiscussing the whole spectrum of human behavior, national economy,politics, role of media, cultural preference and so forth." And that'sa partial list. It is missing biology, psychology, chemistry, language.It is missing everything that touches upon understanding what thedevelopment academic William Cummings called "the lonely bewildermentof bodily functions."

Or you can buy it here.

The Most Qualified VP Pick in the History of Human Democracy

2008-10-22T15:54:00.000-07:00

McCain on Palin:

"My question is, ‘What’s their problem?’ She is the most popular governor in America…because she’s not known, or she hasn’t been to a Georgetown cocktail party, or maybe some in Manhattan — I think she’s the most qualified of any that who has run recently for vice president, to tell you the truth."

To tell you the truth...the Straight Talk Express is shoveling horse shit. How can she be the most popular governor in America and he'd never met her until 2 months ago.

Also, here is my reaction to Palin's 150,000 dollar shopping spree:

To me it's not how much she's spent, but the tacky shit she's bought with the money.

Since When is Spreading the Wealth Bad?

2008-10-21T15:22:00.000-07:00

The future is coming....

MCCAIN is on the rampage over class warfare with Obama's "spread the wealth" comment. This ingrained fear of socialism that the Republican party has is so foolish, it is a wonder it stands to argument anymore. Being a Canadian it is hard to buy these ridiculous tropes about socialism being a bad thing. Seeing as my country is run by a most conservative leader yet we have "socialist" things like health-care and well funded educational programs...our firemen are also pretty tough.

What Obama is aiming at isn't socialism; he isn't a pinko in disguise, rather he is trying to inject a much needed dose of social democracy into the country to try and cure it of class warfare, not create it.

And if there is class warfare going on, Warren Buffet says "It's my class, the rich class, that’s making war, and we’re winning.”

The era of Reaganomics is coming to an end for the Republicans and the wealthy war mongers in the class struggle that have for so long benefited from those policies are about to lose some footing along the battleground.

For the economy to survive what the world needs is a baby-boom of consumers as well as home grown producers. So why then is it wrong to spread the wealth? The wealth needs to be spread because the fat kid on the other side of the teeter-totter is making all of our asses ache.

A Wolf you can't Hunt

2008-10-20T15:33:00.000-07:00

THE endorsement from Colin Powell (and I still think it should be pronounced Col-IN not Col-ON) is not a racially motivated argument- it is a stance against what common sense has been aching for; an attack on Sarah Palin's qualifications. However it was that she was chosen for VP and then miraculously found a way to "electrify" the Republican base is still beyond me. She has had one moment and only one moment in this campaign and that was her speech at the Republican convention. Other than that she has been nothing short of a complete disaster.

Powell's belief that Palin is not up to the task of VP is about as burning a refutation of the McCain ticket as you can get. If he could sell us the Iraq war, surly he can sell the American people a double digit Obama lead in the polls (not that he needs it).

Only in the red states...

2008-10-18T07:04:00.000-07:00

2008-10-16T13:01:00.000-07:00

The Liberals need an Enema

2008-10-16T12:26:00.000-07:00

Issue politics didn't pay off. The Dion gamble has at last toppled and the Liberals have to once again re-assemble some new adversary against an even more powerful Harper.

The Dion choice didn't work out because

1) The environmental issue was new, fresh and hot-button 2 years ago, but Dion failed to make the issue relevant to this election.

2) Dion was not Trudeau. He wasn't even Chretien. He lacked the communication skills to win over Canadians, his English remained basic, his odd mix of temper and meekness made him look unreliable.

3) We didn't get to know him, we didn't get to empathize with him and he didn't explain his plan to us efficiently. For the man who wrote the Clarity Act, he was about as clear as taco-shit in toilet water.

What the party needs (and has needed from the start) is someone who can come off as more dynamic and more trustworthy than Harper. Of the options on the table for all the parties, Harper does seem to have some kind of meek luster, yet it can't be that hard to outshine him...his eyes are that of a cold dead reptile.

So the question now for the Liberals is not "who will best represent this year's hot issue?" but rather who can make the God-like Harper look mortal again?

My guess though, is that he Liberals may shift to a new topic- maybe they could take a cue from Obama and nominate Ignatieff...or the wiser move (in my opinion) would be to pull Frank McKenna out of political retirement and let him wave the red at the bullish Prime Minister (that was, I know, one metaphor too much).

2008-10-15T02:11:00.000-07:00

The Canadian election brought me zero surprises. Ill timed, well run by the tories and hopefully the death rattle of Dion. All is as t'was before.

McCain Ad

2008-10-13T16:55:00.001-07:00

Saragogue

2008-10-13T11:59:00.000-07:00

Porn of Poke?

2008-10-09T09:15:00.000-07:00

An Internet connection changed what it meant to be a thirteen-year-old boy. Just as Al Gore made his final welds on a series of tubes that is the World Wide Web, entrepreneurial men were taking advantage of young ladies willing to undress for compensation. ICQ was an afterthought to the possibilities contained within the web for any teenage boy and so it has been since its inception.
Until now – That’s right, facials are out and facebook is in.
This story, first reported on Reuters online last week, was something I had missed. Somehow, in the mix of news feeds, digg posts, friendfeed headlines and podcasts I neglected to witness Internet history, I didn’t even get a twitter update. If all this isn’t making sense to you, you’re not alone.
Basically when the Internet began and started to pick up speed, it quickly became an outlet for pornography and naughty behavior. Adult magazines became adult mega sites, VHS gave way to DVD and DVD quickly gave way to buffering and streaming video. Yes I know a great deal about porn, I’m a serious writer – Research is key. Yet for the first time in the Internets history, more people are using the web for something else – social networking.
Why does this matter? Besides the obvious relief parents around the world are sighing, consider these stats and keep in mind they’re from 2006:
- 89% of porn is created in the U.S.
- $2.84 billion in revenue was generated from U.S. porn sites in 2006
- $89/second is spent on porn
- 72% of porn viewers are men
- 260 new porn sites go online daily
Now, this article is not about the objectification of women or anything pro or con about the merits of porn. Quite seriously, I am not a scholar and have no educated stance on the morals or injustices surrounding the porn industry. Instead my interests lie in social networking and Internet behavior.
Consider, for a moment, the above figures. First off, it’s safe to assume these numbers have grown but shockingly social networking is bigger in terms of overall use and traffic. That is astounding. An industry that when compared with internet porn is still in it’s infancy has just surpassed the naked giant on the popular pole. (yes, pardon the puns)
If you are under 25 you know a million plus social networking applications available on our phones instantly are changing the way our age demographic communicates, What’s scary however is that large corporations are beginning to understand this reality as well. We’ve all noticed the increasingly invasive advertisements on facebook, spawning in fact a new trend of “facebook suicide” where users actually kill themselves off electronically with the click of a mouse.
As noted before, scholars and politicians much brighter than I have debated the merits of access to pornography and the rights of it’s characters and creators. Porn is tied so perfectly by many to things like teen pregnancy, the moral decay of society and a host of other not so popular social issues. Again, I don’t have a stance other than to ask the question, what will be the moral and social implications of a society spending more time tagging each other than watching two or three people do the same.

Thoughts?

Oh If you become VP...

2008-10-08T12:46:00.000-07:00

2008-10-03T02:10:00.001-07:00

Few people picked this up last night during the debate, but Palin called him "Obiden".

Analyze with Intelligence

2008-10-01T02:40:00.000-07:00

Failout Limmerick

2008-09-29T16:05:00.000-07:00

Pelosi and Bush sitting in a tree fuck-ing up the economy...
These are the real losers of the day.

This argument that Palosi hurt the republicans feelings with her "partisan speech" is hilarious. Who thought all of these white men were so sensitive to a woman's scorn...If they can't take criticism from a female, then maybe Palin is more of a gimmick candidate than first thought...

What Does the Economic Crisis in the US Mean for Canada?

2008-09-29T12:07:00.000-07:00

IN CANADA our banking system is highly regulated and hardly involved in toxic mortgage backed securities. We have a very strong dollar, and a confidence in our economy. However, just as Golem takes the ring into the lava with him, when the US falls- it may be us who they hold in their palm.

Canada's global store has but one preferred customer and it is the US. An American recession means a great deal to us as our economy is directly tied to the success of the US's economic confidence. For example, we easily stand to lose some lumber sales from out west and more than a few Ontarian auto sales because of the level 5 shit-storm blowing through Wall Street.

To be a bit more specific, Canadian stocks fell their steepest in 8 years today with the rejection of the bailout in the US. Specifically, stocks in energy saw a huge plummet. EnCana, Canadian Natural Resources and Suncor all posted losses. Banks like Royal Bank and Manulife also saw market values decline along with dozens of other major national corporations that have ties in US investment.

HOWEVER, despite all of this, our economy remains stable as America does it's impression of a pig choking on its own crap. There is a chance (small one) that the federal government could cut interest rates to stimulate the economy should the effects of today's Wall Street plunge wobble our boat.

Politically this should all play well of the Conservative campaign, due to the fact that voters think of Harper as a kind of Billy Bishop in the war on deficits. Hurrah for a majority government....

Economic Fascism and Other Conspiracy Theories over my morning coffee...

2008-09-29T03:30:00.001-07:00

THE critics of the newest bailout plan (and there are a lot of them) seem to all be suggesting one thing at this point in the game: that a bailout is exactly what is wrong with the entire problem. conspiracy

The cash infusion into Wall Street with simply, and only benefit special shareholders and bank creditors. In the end the suffering will all fall upon the taxpayer.

Furthermore the current plan rewards the people who created the sawdust assets, holds no punitive provisions or regulation schema, and goes in the exact opposite direction of every single model solution from other countries that have dealt with this sort of problem before.

For example when this happened in Scandanavia, the government used controlled investments into the banking system as opposed to the purchasing of toxic assets. This worked.

The problem as is, is that the bailout plan is like giving heroine to an addict on the first day of rehab. It is not aimed at healing the fundamentals of the problem in the US at all.

MY THEORY, albeit a crackpot one, is that the US let this problem fester for so long until the banking system collapsed, and now when there are no options left on the table the government walks in with a gun to the head of the congress saying "give us 700 billion dollars or the world will end." From there (and this could have been planned) the government will use their newly socialized economy to smuggle cash into shell companies owned by the political parties and funnel other bonuses into federally regulated earmarks.

That's economic fascism.

Sigh, at least the surge is still working...