Strange Days

Apparently, there was nothing and no one for whom to vote on Tuesday. I made a comment about not knowing anything about voting this year and was chastised on Facebook and heard nothing but crickets on Twitter. But there was no voting here.

I drove by the church where we normally vote and it was dead. No flags. No signs reading "Vote Here." Nothing. It's as if COMO was in a strange alternate America where voting doesn't happen.

Admittedly, I don't read the paper enough, but I don't remember anyone saying anything about not voting. Even the schools were out like last year for voting day. No one told me that there would be no voting on the first Tuesday in November.

Why was there nothing on a ballot of any kind here in COMO? What does this say about our right to vote? What does it say about the times in which we live?

I don't know for sure. I assume there were no tax hikes or school issues due to the crummy economy. We are only one year removed from a pretty big election year in '08. I guess there were no decisions for COMO-ians to make this year.

It's probably for the better. We have our mayor for at least another year. The schools are still working on regaining the public's trust. Oh, and we didn't get the opportunity to take away any one's civil rights..well, not since '04.

Still, I feel we missed out. I had no chance to exercise my right to vote like so many others on Tuesday. Maybe next year.

Re-Views of the News

Every Wednesday evening in our home, we listen to a local radio show called Views of the News. There are several reasons for this. First, we are nerds, especially when it comes to the news and media. Second, the #1 journalism school in the country resides here. It would be foolish not to tap that resource once in a while for some insight into the news media. Third, it's on after Marketplace and therefore isn't bad, classical music.

Normally, I find Views to be a nice diversion from daily life, sort of a throwback to radio talk shows (sans irate callers) of yesteryear. The topics are timely but benign for the most part. However, tonight's show sort of rubbed me the wrong way.

Before I go on, it should be noted that I in no way am attacking the hosts, producers, or KBIA. We all work for the same employer and that would be against certain policies. What I am doing is respectfully disagreeing. Moving on to the topics...

The first topic was the #balloonboy story of Falcon Heene and his fictitious balloon ride through Colorado airspace. The story was one of those classic cable news fiascoes where all news around the world stops as the newscast is hijacked by [enter random, extraordinary event that has no consequence for the rest of us and really just appeals to the voyeur inside all of us here]. I followed it on Twitter, trying to concentrate on my work but not succeeding (extending my day unfortunately).

The View's take - aside from simultaneously blaming the media and audience for indulging in such voyeuristic garbage - was that the key difference between the online media and traditional media (read "newspapers, radio, and TV") was that traditional journos think it most important to check all the facts first before reporting while the online media just get the story out there and check facts later.

They're wrong.

I blog and Tweet from time to time. While I am in no way a reliable source of information, I do understand the thinking and motivation of the citizen journalist and online media. The idea is simple, really. Put it out there. Someone in your network will repost or comment. Someone else will Google it or look it up through other means. The facts will pour in. The errors will be corrected. Through collaboration and audience participation, the narrative will be pieced together. We no longer live in a time where we wait for the evening news or morning newspaper to get the story. We watch it and participate in it as it unfolds.

The second story didn't allow me to come down from the outrage over the first misinterpretation.

Earlier this week, the fabulously infamous Yes Men pulled another great hoax on the United States Chamber of Commerce. It seems that the merry pranksters posed as Chamber spokesmen and declared that the Chamber was reversing its stance on climate control legislation. (The actual Chamber was and is against such regulations.) Of course, the Yes Men were exposed but not before they exposed the chamber for its idiotic stance. (Now you know where I stand on the political spectrum.)

Once again, the View had it wrong.

The three, wise professors thought it a travesty that these Yes Men continue to pull hoax after hoax on poor corporations and the federations that represent them. Their claim is that these deceptions do nothing to solve national and global problems. In fact, it's claimed that the Yes Men actually harm those they want to stand up for and turn public sympathy to the bad guys/multi-national corporations.

Brought into the conversation was the screening of The Yes Men Fix the World at last year's True/False festival. At least one of the View's hosts was in attendance for that showing of the film and he was appalled at the reaction of the audience who cheered for the Yes Men as they lied to and manipulated the media, corporations, and various other power brokers into falling for their entertaining pranks.

I was there too, but I had a different take as I do about this past joke played on the Chamber. What the Yes Men do is important, inspirational, and effective. It's important because it exposes wrongs committed by those in power against the powerless to an enormous audience. The film and this week's stunt inspire people by showing them that we don't have to take what corporations or the traditional media are shoving down our throats. And yes, it is effective. People are duped, even the victims. However, I seem to remember the victims of the tragedy in Bhopal and those left homeless in New Orleans due to the the re-purposing of their homes appreciated the Yes Men's work in standing up for them while exposing the truth about their situations. These people usually figured it was a hoax from the beginning, but they understood what the Yes Men were out to accomplish. Again, truths were revealed through their work of deception.

That brings me to an interesting topic in the worlds of both traditional journalism and community/citizen/guerilla journalism: truth.

There is no one, essential truth. Because a journalist checks all the facts and asks all the questions she can think of doesn't mean she'll only report the truth. That is one version of the truth, no matter how thorough or ethical a journalist may be. The truth is not as simple as right or wrong. In every story, there are many truths. Each blog, newspaper article, Tweet, evening news report, vlog, etc. holds some truth. Traditional journalism does not control the market on truth. Sure, they have the training and resources to gather most of the truth, but they can never have it all.

The one part of the program I agreed with came from former host and current guest Rod Gelatt. Now, as the amateur that I am, I will attempt to paraphrase Dr. Gelatt's sentiment. He talked about how journalism and the media will change, so the students should be prepared to change their view of what it is they are training to do or plan to do in the future.

This is something the media is not doing: adjusting to change. Newspapers are dying because they were unwilling to change how they delivered information when they had a chance. Now, the New York Times is laying off its reporters. Radio and TV are jokes. Radio is becoming so homogenized that we might as well only have a handful of stations for the entire nation. And TV is all about ratings and being sensational. To counter any argument about TV journalism, all I have to do is point at Fox "News."

The media's future is online. The future is talking with communities, not about them or at them. The future in media is in collaboration. There is no more banking system where the newspapers, TV networks, and radio stations hold all the capital to divvy out to the masses as they see fit. There are many more truths out there than traditional media is willing to accept at this point in time.

At this point, I could get more revolutionary, but that would get away from my original intent just to review a radio program. I just wanted participate in the conversation instead of passively accepting the stories and opinions shared on KBIA's Views of the News. So, there you have it.

Views of the News can be heard every Wednesday evening after Marketplace on 91.3 KBIA here in COMO.

Something Not Worth Mentioning

The STL Rams are mired in a bit of controversy recently. It seems one of the members of a prospective owners group is the issue. I won't mention said prospective minority owner by name, because that's what he wants me to do. Well, not me specifically. Really, he wants people and the media to talk about him because that's publicity that he could use.

Actually, the controversy isn't so much about who the guy is, rather than some of the things he has said. The man in question is a conservative radio talk show host. As Colin Cowherd put it on his radio show yesterday, this pundit deals in "affirmation, not information." The people who listen to conservative talk radio or Fox "News" don't do it to get new information or insight. They give their time to hear someone say what they're thinking. Sure, some would argue that these conservative commentators are sexist, racist, classist, or [insert your favorite "-ist" here], but that's just what the audience wants to hear. Middle-America needs their daily affirmation.

The biggest problem with the prospective minority owner is that the racism inherent in his daily rants don't jive with the 65-70% African-American representation in the NFL. I don't think these players would really skip a paycheck in protest, but it could cause some problems for the team in the future. It will be hard to convince certain free agents to sign with the Rams or for some fans to continue to support the team. This one member of the owners group might do more harm than good.

Personally, I don't care what this particular individual has to say about anything. I don't listen to him and his brand of hate speech. He doesn't have any kind of influence over anyone that matters. Sure, there are a lot of misguided people out there who think he's great, but they'd have the same views he's on the radio or not.

Besides, there is freedom of speech in this country. He's allowed to voice his opinions on air no matter how insidious. You don't have to listen. I don't listen to it. If the first amendment doesn't protect Louis Farrakhan, Larry Flynt, and the subject of this post, then it won't protect any of us. So, he can say what he wants. Hell, he can own any team he wants. I don't care.

All of this controversy only draws attention to the controversial figure. Folks will tune in to his radio show to see what all the hub-bub is about. They'll buy his books and visit his website. This issue is a ratings bonanza. I don't know if he really wants part ownership of the Rams, but he surely does enjoy all the attention.

Of course, I will be surprised if the NFL allows him into their rather exclusive club. They do have an image to uphold. Why involve someone as divisive as a conservative radio talk show host? The NFL is making so much money that they don't need him.

Again, I don't care what the Rams or the NFL do. I'd prefer ignoring the whole thing. That's exactly what one prospective owner of the St. Louis Rams doesn't want us to do. He likes the attention.

Update: Since beginning this post, it was announced that the group looking to purchase the STL Rams has dropped the blowhard in question. Carry on.

Miscellaneous Miscellany

I have been terrible at keeping up with this blog lately. Between work and an incredibly busy 13-month-old child, I just haven't had time for this blog or any others. So, here's some miscellany from the last week or so...

• As previously mentioned, I had the week to myself. What does a man (stereotypically) do when he's on his own? He watches Monday Night Football, I guess. I watched Brett Favre's triumphant match-up versus his old team while eating hot dogs and baked beans and enjoying a couple of Bell's Octoberfests.
• I never get out to see movies these days, but I was able to catch Michael Moore's latest, Capitalism: A Love Story. I realize folks are tired of Moore's shtick, but this was maybe his most straightforward film ever. Also, Moore was finally able to follow up his acclaimed debut, Roger and Me. I walked out wishing we in this country could get over our hangups over socialism. Capitalism isn't working...well, for 90% of us anyway.
• The Decemberists played their outdoor show inside the luxurious Blue Note last week. Opener Laura Veirs was pretty good. The Decemberists were fine, but some enjoyed it more than I.
• I pulled a 12+ hour day on Thursday. That's all I'll say about that.
• Friday was an extended happy hour-kind-of-thing. I met friends at Sycamore for the always-delicious Founders Curmudgeon. This is the most vanilla olde ale I've ever tasted. That's a good thing. I followed that up with some beers, conversation, and a bánh mì at the 'Tag/Uprise. The night ended at Broadway Brewery where the beers are still a work in progress, but suspect it will only get better.
• On Saturday, I did what I normally do which was watch my Buckeyes. This time they put a whooping on an undefeated Wisconsin team while gaining half as many yards and having the ball for a third of the time. How does a team do that? Watch.
• That same evening, I brewed my third batch of beer. This one is a barley wine called Never Forget 9/11 - more for Lucia's birthday than for the other 9/11 you're never supposed to forget. The ABV will measure in somewhere between 9% and 11%. I've been planning this beer for a while and finally got around to brewing. It's so sticky and even the first bits of it taste good.
• R and Lu returned from their adventures in Michigan. The best part was that Lucia reached for me right away and gave me the longest hug ever. It was nice.
• I am a lifelong Browns fan. That's not easy to put into print these days. Of course, they won their first game this Sunday (over the 1-4 Buffalo Bills) by a whopping 6-3 baseball score.
• This guy makes me think all the time.
• And this time he made me think about this blog and what I'm doing with it.
• This blog made me think what I do is worthwhile. It's picked up where Bathysphere left off. Read A Ravenous Horde now.
• Columbus Day came and went. Does anyone celebrate Columbus Day anymore? Why? What did he do that's worth celebrating? And don't tell me he discovered America as if there were not already people living here or others who crossed the Atlantic before him.

I think that's all for now. Tell me what you want in the comments. I'll try to do better. I swear.

Lucia's History Lesson: Labor Day (Community Organizer #7)

Happy Labor Day, all. This is Peter McGuire. He brought Labor Day to the US.

Besides this holiday (and the accompanying three-day weekend), labor unions brought us weekends in general. Don't forget that.

For more pieces in the Community Organizer Project, click here.

A year ago, we were convinced that Lucia would arrive on Labor Day. I thought that would make a funny anecdote. Instead, she was born an even more momentous occasion.

Either way, she should know that this little break early in the school year came from labor unions. Her grandparents and father have been proud union members. It's part of who she is whether she joins a union or not.

living in misery, episode 3: Sotomayor, Tim Raines, and Splintered Baseball Bats

Does religion make us dumber?

I don't mean to offend with such a provocative title, but I'm really curious about this phenomena. It seems every time I encounter someone citing the Bible or using their religion as justification for their actions and opinions, I am struck at how simplistic their arguments seem to be. On top of that, they often leave no room for humor or critique. This does not apply to everyone who practices a religion, but I've noticed it a lot lately from the religious folk I know.

Recently, I've participated in a couple of debates online on various issues. Each of them involved others' religion in some way. And each of the discussions broke down in their own way due to those beliefs. It's as if any intellectual discussion ended as soon as someone pulled the God card.

The first happened as a friend posted a piece he wrote on his blog concerning gay marriage. My friend is pretty moderate with left-leaning tendencies. He proposed a somewhat benign option of creating civil unions that provide the same rights as marriage, keeping religion out of it. While the discussion barely went anywhere on his blog, the response on Facebook was a whole other issue. Friends commented nearly 100 times on the topic. Not all the comments were directed at gay marriage, but most of them were.

One guy, let's just call him "French," took it upon himself to represent the crazy wingnut, ultra-conservative, religious viewpoint. He basically went with the "Bible says it's wrong, so it's wrong" argument. When my friend's mom, who happens to be in the clergy, refuted French's assertions of biblical gay bashing, French was nowhere to be found.

Later, that same night, a woman from my hometown, we'll call her "Marla," posted a blog post of her own, giving away t-shirts that proclaimed "Baby Hugger/Love the People Then Trees" pitting anti-choicers versus environmentalists. The comments were all simple and supportive of the cause. When I threw in some dissent, Marla left an angry comment on my blog, not really addressing the message within my comment. I was commenting on the lack of compassion shown for the living while fighting for the "rights" of the unborn. Of course, due to my own crudeness, I came across as cruel and my message was lost in the shuffle.

Either way, Marla is a published author and not a dumb person. However, I can't help but wonder how she missed the subtext of my argument. I've read some of Marla's posts before and they are overly simplified takes on marriage, motherhood, and zoos. And the comments...Don't get me started on her readers' comments. There is rarely open and honest dialogue on Marla's blog and there certainly is no parting from the company line. It's all "Great post, Marla!" and "What a wonderful thought!" and "And Jesus said unto them ..." It's as if Jesus pulled the backbones and original thought from their good Christian bodies.

My third example was a much tamer one. An older brother of a high school buddy, let's call him "Michael," posted a question wondering what should be done about so many young people leaving the church after they leave their parents' homes. I suggested that they take a more constructivist approach to teaching religion and that the main goal is to simply hope your kids are happy. The tone of the conversation was of mutual respect and intellect, until...The discussion then turned to quotations as Micheal threw some Bible words at me, stating that basically, we can't be happy without God. Meh. I responded with some thoughts from His Holiness the Dalai Lama about happiness and compassion, pointing out that we were not so different in our views.

His response? Crickets.

A day later, he changed his status to include a Bible verse, another very popular tactic of my Facebook friends from the Godville in which I was raised. They love to update their statuses with long-winded words from King James and his revisionists. If I want to know what the Bible said, I'll read it myself. I'd rather know what's on your mind.

Why does open, honest debate end with a Bible quote? Why won't people address real and important issues by hiding behind their religion? Where is religion's sense of humor or room for critique?

I don't mean to only pick on Christians. Other religions do their share of dumbing things down. Take some Zionists for example. I don't honestly know where I stand on the Israel/Palestine situation. I do know that it's a mess of biblical proportions, making it a rather complex issue. However, my experience is that those of the Jewish faith who claim to be Zionist have a difficult time objectively discussing Israel/Palestine. Sure, there is a ton of history and even more emotion involved, but there is still a little room left for debate. I'd love for a Zionist to address this issue in my comments, but I doubt there will be much of a debate. More than likely, I will only offend them.

Another, more severe example is Islamic extremism. Here you have people who have suspended rational thought in order to give their lives for their religion. It's one thing to give your life to your god metaphorically as many good Muslims have done, but it's a whole other deal to take other lives in the name of that same god. I don't mean to associate extremists with peaceful practitioners, but the lack of intelligent thought in all these groups is disappointing. Besides, there are plenty of examples of extremists from other religious backgrounds. That's not my point. The point is that there's a lack of rational, intellectual thought and discussion when religion is involved.

I am regularly disappointed by those in the limelight who suspend discussion with a Bible verse. Athletes can only praise god when they win championships, but they could share a lot of insight as to the struggles for a ring. Politicians might even be worse as they cut off social discourse with their religious beliefs. Even our own president, whom I consider to be one of the smartest men of our time, closes discussion with his religion. President Obama is somewhat limited in the debates over gay marriage and abortion due to his faith. (That's Christianity, not Islam in case you missed that last fall.)

What's most disappointing is that religion should be a highly intellectual practice. Religions are philosophies and histories of humankind that deserve more critique, debate, and dialogue than they are currently receiving outside the seminary. This might have a lot to do with why I don't practice any religion. I don't know whether there is a higher power or not. I turned from religion when I witnessed its hypocrisy left unchecked.

I really don't mean to offend, but I understand if you're offended. Instead of ignoring this post or un-friending me on Facebook, engage this conversation. Prove me wrong. I want to hear proof that your religion does not preclude you from this debate. Am I way off base? Do you have examples of why I'm wrong?

Or, do you agree with me? Do you know of examples like the ones I described above that prove my point? Share.

I'd love to read your thoughts in the comments. I am open to debate. I am willing to see other perspectives. Are you?

Reason #6 Why I Live in Misery: Cynthia Davis

Here in Misery, we only care about unborn children. Once you’re birthed - preferably through a scheduled C-section - you’re on your own. Nowhere is that more apparent than in our state legislature where Cynthia Davis is chairperson for the House Special Committee on Children and Families. She thinks the summer program that gives out breakfast to poor children is a waste of taxpayer money and that “[H]unger can be a positive motivator.” Nice. I hate this place.

Here’s a Kansas City take on the whole thing. Plus, check out some videos below. You have to watch the Olberman clip all the way through to hear him bash Davis, but it’s worth it. Oh, and feel free to sign a petition to remove her from her chairmanship, because you never know when she might make that run for federal office.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Tip/Wag - Cynthia Davis & Fox News
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Jeff Goldblum

It's the Economy, Stupid

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See Cartoons by Cartoon by John Darkow - Courtesy of Politicalcartoons.com - Email this Cartoon

You'd have to be living in a cave not to know that our economy is in the crapper. Jobs are disappearing left and right; the stock market is in shambles; foreclosure rates are on the rise; and certain states who will remain nameless can't even find the funds to pay state tax returns. (We're still waiting.) You don't have to be Ben Bernanke to know that things are bad.

Now, I'm no economist (read: "I'm a blowhard with an opinion and a blog."), but it seems to me that there are some simple ways in which we should view this financial crisis. These are just a few of my opinions on the economy.

Don't just throw money at the problem.
This goes from the top-down. Instead of the federal government throwing wads of cash at financial institutions and auto makers, maybe they should try policing the greedy, multinational corporations. That and they could just let the businesses built to fail do that which they were intended (make a profit for a select few, while creating substandard products and high-tailing it to Mexico before declaring bankruptcy).

The idea of spending our way out of the hole even prevails throughout the not-so-rich, AKA 95% of us. Somehow, it's believed that spending more money, adding to our debts will be best for the economy. Isn't that how we all got into this mess? If you know that you can't afford that $300k home even though the lender wants to lend you three times that, don't buy it. Just because your neighbor has leased Hummer doesn't mean you need one as well. We will not spend our way out of recession.

Not everybody lives in the poor house.
Folks forget that there are still a select few that own most of the wealth. Actually, I often hear that 5% of our country's population owns over half the wealth. I'm sure those folks are not hurting nearly as much as your neighbor or yourself. Sure, some real estate guy somewhere lost a million dollars last year. Of course, he's worth nine or ten million, but whatever.

There is still a disproportionate amount of wealth controlled by a small number of people. I'm not saying that all of Terrell Owens' $8 million has to go to the poorest of the poor, but why can't he make $100,000 to play football so that a few people could make $30,000 a year building homes? What is Bill Gates really going to do with $58 billion? He can't give it all to education...or can he?

The Boomers are screwed.
Our parents bought into the myth that their pensions and Social Security would carry them into the sunsets of their lives. As it turns out, they're lucky if they don't have to be greeters at Wal-Mart for the remainder of their time on Earth. Don't get me wrong. I feel sorry for Baby Boomers, including my own folks. They believed in the false promises of their financial stewards in the boardrooms, on the trading floor, and in Washington. I don't know that I'll be able to afford retirement, but at least I don't have false hope.

Capitalism is fine. Democracy is fine. Together, they don't work.
Some economist or Libertarian will jump all over me for that statement, but it's true. Capitalism doesn't work without governmental oversight. You'd think that a government for and by the people would be able to keep the capitalists under control, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Once corporations were granted individual rights, our demise was underway. It takes a fool not to realize that those with more resources can afford more influence. The evidence is in the last 200 or so years. Why else would so few own so much of the wealth?

Soemthing has to give. Some sort of balance has to be maintained. Our present pace cannot be sustained.

The end of the Big Three is not the end of the world.
Now that Obama and Congress have thrown so much at Detroit, there's no way they'll let them fail. However, if one, two, or all three car makers closed their doors, someone will fill the gaping hole in the market. Without Fords or Chevys to purchase, consumers will look for something else. Here comes a Hyundai or Toyota with a suitable alternative. With the increased demand, factories will need to be built. That will create jobs and there are a few out-of-work auto workers out there who'd gladly take those jobs. Sure, $100 an hour might be out of the question, but it will be something. (Also, some CEO might not make millions of dollars for running the company into the ground.) Besides...

Buying local doesn't mean the same thing in every market or industry.
One way I see us getting out of this mess is to return to buying locally. Local food producers will become more attractive as they can cut shipping costs and provide a higher quality product. Little DIY economies that are both self-sufficient and humble are popping up everywhere, filling the void of corporate0induced hegemony. The money people spend on local businesses goes right back into the community, improving life for all.

Now, buying local does not mean that only American-made cars or something of the like. Corporations don't count as local, no matter where you live. Corporations are bigger than the borders in which we perceive contain them. Chrysler is bigger than Detroit. Anheuser-Busch (rather InBev) is bigger than STL. These corporations don't put as high a percentage of their profits into their local communities as their Mom-and-Pop counterparts no matter how many hospital wings or parks they build.

I'm OK with individual welfare, not corporate welfare.
It would really be OK with me if our government started helping people pay their mortgages, put food on the table, and provide a decent education for the people of this country rather than shell out billions to wasteful and greedy corporations. Why do we continually expect that corporations know better how to handle our tax dollars than individuals? I'm sorry but I trust that single mother of three who somehow balances her minimum wage income to provide the necessities for her kids than that corporation who wastes money on corporate jets and bonuses for executives who cut hundreds of jobs.

People regularly criticize individual welfare programs, but they don't realize that our government passes out way more money to failing corporations than we do to individuals. Skip the middle man. Give the assistance to the people.

War is expensive.
One of the biggest expenditures (both human and monetary) of the past eight years has been war. It would be way cheaper to send negotiators and humanitarian aid to trouble spots around the globe rather than tanks and soldiers. Kill them with kindness. It's cheaper.

Greed really is the root of all evil.
In the end, most if not all of our problems are based in greed. Why do some people need two houses? Why does a corporation have to dominate every other company in their industry? Why does a corporate chain have to wipe out the competition in every town?

I could go on. I could actually cite my arguments. However, this is is not the beginning nor the end of the discussion. What do you think? Am I way of base? Do you have better ideas or thoughts? Please share. Be civil. I can handle critiques, not rudeness.

(BTW-The comic above is drawn/written by my neighbor. He has a pickup truck that he keeps debris in the bed so that no one will ask to borrow it.)

The Day in Teabagging and Other Political Rants

I haven't done many political posts since the election. I felt that Obama's victory did all the talking for me. However, when a bunch of right-winged nuts decided to tea-bag Tax Day away, I knew I had to comment. To do this, I've opted to simply comment on some of the things I witnessed today and the days leading up to all the tea-bagging.

With protests, come signs. And the signs for the tea-baggers were particularly offensive. Case in point:

Yes. You read that sign correctly. It says, "The American Taxpayers Are The Jews For Obama's Ovens [sic]." Where does one even begin with this one? This takes the whole "you're a Nazi" political argument ten-thousand steps too far. Really? The struggles of American taxpayers (he meant upper-middle class white people) are the equivalent of Hitler's genocide of 17 million Jews? Really? That leads into this sign and the corresponding report below...
I love how the guy holding the sign uses the classic third-grade argument of "because he is" when explaining to the reporter why he thinks Obama is a fascist. I guess I would say is touché...That and Barack Obama could be many things to many people, but I don't think "fascist" could be an accurate descriptor. According to Wikipedia, a fascist "is intended to mean 'oppressive', 'intolerant', 'chauvinist', 'genocidal', 'dictatorial', 'racist', or 'aggressive' – all concepts that are at least loosely inspired by the ideology of actual fascism." While one may not agree with our president's policies, it would be difficult to prove that he is any of these things, including a "fascist".

Earlier this week, I posted the following video on Facebook...



It is hard for me to believe that someone at Fox News or in one of the various right-winged PAC's behind the tea-bagging failed to realize just what "tea-bagging" actually is. That's just the beginning of the jokes. Just do a search on Twitter for the tag "#teabagging" and let the hilarity begin.

My friends at South DeCola posted this comic and a couple of other comments on the day's events.


For a good round up, check Triumph the Comic Dog's Twitter feed. I finally had to turn the Twitter off today so I could get some work done. I read more sexual innuendos involving teabags, balls, and nuts than I care to count.

What really gets me about the whole tea party thing is how misinformed it is. Most of the people at these protests are getting a tax cut. In fact, I'd bet more than 90% of the protesters are getting an Obama tax cut since 90% of the entire population qualifies for said cut.

And what do they want the government to do with their taxes? Start an endless and costly war under false pretenses? Continue to allow large corporations to reap the benefits of a rather forgiving tax code wrought with many loopholes allowing them to escape paying their share? Run up the greatest deficit in US history after starting with the greatest surplus? Oh wait, that was the last guy.

Do they want our bridges to continue to crumble along with schools, social security, and our health care system? Come on. Tea-bagging Day was the biggest joke since two terms of George W Bush.
______________________________

Since I'm on the subject of right-winged nut jobs, I'd like to address all the gay marriage bashing going on now that the "gay agenda" has garnered some victories in Vermont, DC, Iowa, and even COMO. The video I posted here popped up and I felt as though the flood gates were going to open with anti-gay sentiment, but all the tea-bagging caused the wingnuts to forget this fight. I mean, who could concentrate on gay couples getting married when there's all that rampant tea-bagging going around. I know I wouldn't be able to concentrate.

Thankfully, someone did a spoof on the anti-gay marriage video. Enjoy.

Running on Empty

I never realized it would be so hard to keep up with the blogging after the kid was born. Sure, I thought that it would slow, but this is ridiculous. I don't think I posted one proper piece all last week. I've had several things started, shelved, and lost due to timeliness. That doesn't even mention my lack of posts on all my other blogs.

It's not just the time we have to spend with Lucia. Oh no. It started with the birth itself. The two weeks off work put me so far behind that I've never caught up. Additionally, I can't use the evenings or weekends to get caught up. Now my life consists of baby, work, eat, sleep. That's it.

Here are a few things about which I have been thinking.

There's the politic.

I am tired of the Left. Sure, I will still take a leftist political stance. I don't plan to vote for a Republican until they get out of our bedrooms, leave women's bodies alone, and give up on the trickle down theory, but I digress.

I am tired that the Left is picking at every little decision Barack Obama has made or could potentially make. Progressives have this annoying habit of constantly critiquing their own leaders and policies, never accomplishing anything except to undermine their own causes, doing the Right's work for them.

Look, Barack Obama is as politically left as we're going to get in the next eight years. Deal with it. Anything is better than what we've had to endure over the past eight years. Plus, Obama has a friendly Congress and the potential to appoint three Supreme Court justices. Lay off him for a second. Let's celebrate his victory and see what happens.

In the meantime, subscribe to his Fireside Chats, brought to by YouTube.


There are jock straps.

Ohio State has had a rather successful season besides their inability to return to the national championship. They could potentially win a share of their fourth straight Big Ten championship. They have discovered a bona fide star in Terrelle Pryor. Sure, everyone knew that he would be good, but not this soon. Now begins Michigan week. Nothing else matters if they don't beat Michigan.

Speaking of Michigan week. One of my faithful readers is a Michigan man. I was wondering if he would like to place a friendly wager on the game. I'm thinking that for a week the loser will post the logo for the winning team. What do you say, GE?

Oh, there is a football team in COMO as well. Mizzou just clinched the Big 12 North. That means they will get a chance to play Texas Tech or Texas in a couple of weeks. Some prize, huh? It's sort of like last year's game in which the Tigers got a chance to lose to Oklahoma for the second time in one year.

Of course, there is a difference this year. Mizzou has won the North easily. They will crush Kansas next week. The KU game was the major focus of their season last year. This year, they can focus on pulling off the upset, sort of like Kansas State did several years ago in upsetting OU.

There is always music.

I don't have much new music on which to report. However, with December quickly approaching, a favorite feature from last year will return. In case you missed it, I posted the top 31 albums of 2007, one album for each day of December. This year, I will raise the stakes and add another album, making it the top 32 of 2008. Look for my first post on the first of December. Each post will be 32 words long and highlight one song from the albums as well as include my own patented rating system.

Be sure to check and see how much my top ten has changed since the middle of the year. You can look here. (Don't bother with the comments.)

And there is the baby.

Lucia will celebrate her first Thanksgiving in true comoprozac/R-style. A lot will be posted on the festivities. So, I will just leave you with this image of Lu in the T-day onesie her auntie bought for her. (Sorry for the crustiness and general bad mood of the baby.)

Fuck yeah!

After eight years of stolen elections, deceit, and incompetence, we have a president that we can be proud of. I don't have much more to say about it. Thank fucking god we got this one right. It's about fucking time! (Sorry for all the f-bombs.)

All I have to say is thank you.

Did you vote yet?

Obama at Mizzou

OK. So, I didn't actually see Barack Obama last night, but I certainly could hear him. Let me explain...

We met friends at Shakespeare's for some pizza (and beer, thanks Joe). Since two of us were babies, we opted to watch the happenings from the Jesse Hall steps. Even if we couldn't get past the ridiculously long lines to see Obama, we would at least be able to hear him speak.

Then something strange happened. The security just started letting everyone through. We saw our chance and walked in. It wasn't long before we hit a wall of people. There was no seeing the stage, so we shifted back a bit to watch the giant projection screen.

A little before his scheduled time of 9:30, Obama arrived. He pronounced the state's name as "Missou-rah" which made people go crazy. Obama gave a 30-40 minute speech, using all his regular talking points and one-liners. It was sort of like a rock concert. You had heard it all before, but there was something different in seeing it live.

Apparently, Obama will be back in Misery this Saturday with a visit to Springfield. This state is becoming hotly contested. The polls are very close. It goes back and forth every day. While some envy us for getting all this political attention, don't. All it really means is that after two years of campaigning, the people of Misery have still not made up their minds. The candidates have to come to us. They don't call it the "Show Me State" for nothing.

Here's a really bad video to prove I was there last night. Ignore the lame "political" commentary.

Obama at Mizzou from comoprozac on Vimeo.

In case you missed it...

No lunch break is too important not to post these. They are the four parts of Barack Obama's TV special that aired last night. We hope to see him in-person tonight on campus. More on that later.

The Obama Effect?

There's talk of an "Obama Effect," much like the infamous Bradely Effect, hitting the airwaves and internets. The thinking is that McCain will miraculously overcome his 6-7 point deficit (according to RealClear averages) on election day and edge out a win. Right-wing pundits - who will remain nameless - feel as though the vast majority of undecideds will go McCain next Tuesday.

Talk about the soft bigotry of low expectations. Even when Obama holds a commanding lead in the polls, people still think he can't win. It's as if the Republicans are banking on racism to get their guy in the White House.

It looks to me that Obama has it in the bag as long as marginalized voters turn out. Oh, and he needs the lazy vote to turn out as well. By "lazy" I'm referring to college kids, hippies, hipsters, etc. A good turnout next Tuesday should spell victory for Obama.

In the meantime, I will have to see if it's viable for us to sneak out of the house with the baby for Obama's rally here in COMO. She may have to forgoe her bath, sleep, and warmth to see the next president of the United States.

Hopefully, I'll have more on that later this week.

Pass it on: Vote

The Truth About Acorn

I had five minutes between checking emails and filling out expense reports to post this. Spread the word on Acorn. My feeling is the more people who vote, the more accurately the votes represent the will of the people.

That is all.

Blog Action Day: Ending Poverty

Like I said before, I don't have any time to blog, but this is important. Today is Blog Action Day. The goal is to get as many bloggers as possible to post something on ending poverty. Check out the site, read some of the other blogs, and do one thing to fight poverty today. That could be a blog post, sending a link to ten people you know, making a donation to a charity that combats poverty, etc. Just do one thing today to fight poverty.

That is all.

(Picture courtesy of Wikipedia)

Who is Barack Obama?

Lately, the McCain/Palin camp has gone on the offensive, asking, "Who is Barack Obama?" Apparently their confusion over their opponent's identity has caused Obama to open a six point lead in the polls. It's a rather curious strategy to admit one's ignorance.

Where have these people been the past four years? (Or 20 years.) Did they not pay attention when Obama spoke at the 2004 DNC? Do they not read newspapers? Have they not read his books?

Well, I would like to help John McCain and Sarah Palin. I would like to tell them a little about the Senator from Illinois. This way, they can realize who they are up against.

First, the Republicans should do a little research on the internets, or system of tubes. That's what you call a "Google," my friends. If they had, they would have stumbled upon Barack Obama's Wikipedia entry. There they could have discovered that Obama did such dastardly things as edit the Harvard Law Review, registered voters, taught Constitutional law, and married Michelle, his spouse for the past 18 years. They would have also discovered that Barack Obama has a political record. It's not as long as McCain's or Joe Biden's, but he's also a little younger than those guys.

Barack Obama is not a terrorist or even terrorist sympathizer. I mean, palling around with political extremists is not the best way to win a major, national election. Ask Sarah Palin. She's all BFF with some Alaskan separatists and she's going to lose this election.

Barack Obama is not Muslim. Of course, I think it would be cool if he were, but that's because I understand that Muslim does not equal terrorist. As far as morals and religious beliefs, Obama is a devout Christian who has not succumbed to dirty politics as some would suggest.

Why doesn't anyone ask about McCain's morals and ethics? Wait. I will. Is McCain an ethical/moral man?

Answer:


What else might one want to know about Obama? Well, he is black, in case you were unaware...all you color-blind folks out there. His father was from Kenya and mother from Kansas. Some people think this is a liability. These talking heads often cite the "Bradley Effect" in their reasoning. Others see things differently.

Of course, this election is about the issues. Many people claim that Obama does nothing more than talk pretty. It has been suggested that he has no ideas on policy. This misunderstanding by the McCain folks could have been avoided had his campaign known how to Google Obama. They would have stumbled upon his website, which comes up right after the news on Obama leading the polls. (Heck, even Fox "News" knows about the polls.) If they (or you, undecided Missourian voter) were to look at Obama's website, they would come to the realization that Barack Obama does have some solid ideas on how to fix the mess in which we find ourselves. Not everyone will agree, but he does have some ideas that are, in fact, easier to nail to the wall than Jello.

Actually, the one issue that comes up in every presidential election is taxation. People want to know about Obama's tax plan. OK. Here it is: 95% of those making less than $200,000 will not pay a penny more in taxes. Check out this calculator that will tell you how much you will have to pay under Obama's plan. How will he pay for this tax break? He'll tax the rich and it's about time.

I think I know who Barack Obama is. I also know is who John McCain, Sarah Palin, and their supporters are and for what they stand.

I don't have time to get into McCain. A lot has been written about him already. So, check out The Real John McCain. Luckily, this site is mostly made of videos, so you don't have to read what someone else has to say about McCain. You can hear the Senator speak for himself.

OK. What about Sarah Palin? Who is she? Well, for starters, she is one of the most popular governors in the country. (Of course not everyone in Alaska feels that way.) She has her own scandal ending in a "-gate" during her short time in office. Did I mention that she's a crazy Bible-thumper?

You all know these things about the GOP ticket. They either bother you or they don't.

The real discovery for me has been the result of the original question: Who is Barack Obama? It is unbelievable the vicious lies and hate-speech that is being passed off as political campaigning these days by McCain/Palin. What's worse is how their supporters are taking the GOP's fear-mongering and running with it. Don't believe me? Watch...

Then, read it here.

I guess if you're scared of losing the election, you have to make everyone else just as scared using lies and innuendo. And what we fear the most is the unknown. So, McCain and Palin have raised the stakes with their nasty campaign strategy to spread rumors and lies about Barack Obama. The maverick is desperate.

If you want people to see the real Obama's, send them this video and be done with it. If they want to believe the shit the Right is shoveling, let them. Obama doesn't need their votes anyway.