Saturday, October 25, 2008

Wassup Boys 8 Years Later

LinkCharles Stone was a film director who found success through Music Videos and short films, but is probably best known for his commercial that he directed and starred in for Budweiser, for the SuperBowl game, along with his friends - the infamous "wassup" .

Now he revisits his boys 8 years later in a video for change.




The Original 8 Years ago

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The GOP becoming the Party of the Ignorant

Sarah Palin gave her first "policy" speech yesterday on one of her future platforms to focus on special needs children. I use the word "policy" very loosely. It was yet another emotional speech about how Palin understands and knows what she would do, just because she has a child with Down's Syndrome and because her sister has a child with autism. Parents have children, but that doesn't make them Pediatricians.

So I hardly see how this will make her an expert on Special Needs Children, particularly given her own relatively short experience as a mother of a special needs child, and the fact that it doesn't appear she seems to have done any research on the educational support that special needs children may require to help improve their motor skills and neurological development.

She didn't lay out any specific policy on research, education, or funding. It was all about prayer and how "In a McCain-Palin administration, we will put the educational choices for special needs children in the right hands their parents." - in other words you're on your own to deal with your own problems.



Then comes the most outrageous line, where Palin brings up spending or earmarks on a study about Fruit Flies.
Where does a lot of that earmark money end up anyway? […] You've heard about some of these pet projects they really don't make a whole lot of sense and sometimes these dollars go to projects that have little or nothing to do with the public good. Things like fruit fly research in Paris, France. I kid you not.
By this very statement, she displays her ignorance once again. If she cared so much about special needs children, and the challenges that parents face, she may want to know about the types of research that are being carried out to understand the protein deficiencies that lead to neurological conditions such as autism.

[S]cientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine have shown that a protein called neurexin is required for..nerve cell connections to form and function correctly.

The discovery, made in Drosophila fruit flies may lead to advances in understanding autism spectrum disorders, as recently, human neurexins have been identified as a genetic risk factor for autism.

Professor Meyers, a Biologist with the University of Minnesota had this to say:
Yes, scientists work on fruit flies. Some of the most powerful tools in genetics and molecular biology are available in fruit flies, and these are animals that are particularly amenable to experimentation. Molecular genetics has revealed that humans share key molecules, the basic developmental toolkit, with all other animals, thanks to our shared evolutionary heritage (something else the wackaloon from Wasilla denies), and that we can use these other organisms to probe the fundamental mechanisms that underlie core processes in the formation of the nervous system — precisely the phenomena Palin claims are so important.
This is truly becoming the party of the "know-nothing". I have said it before, and I'm going to say it again - what does McCain and Palin have against science? Why do they paint any spending on science as wasteful?

They take great delight in valuing "gut thinking" more than intellectual discourse. What's worse is that they don't care that they are ignorant. Facts don't matter - only emotion. Any attempt to appear thoughtful or intellectual is just ridiculed with disparaging comments about "elitists".

The GOP Party needs to take a good long look at it's platform and rethink the future of their party as noted by several conservatives such as Peggy Noonan, Kathleen Parker, Christopher Hitchens, Christopher Buckley, Ken Adelman, Susan Eisenhower, Charles Fried, Colin Powell, and many others. McCain and Palin, along with their supporters, are in denial in their ability to attract a majority of Americans to their party if they continue this path of creating a more narrow party.

It seems increasingly apparent that the only people left who support McCain and Palin are either rabid Christian fundamentalists, ignorant or uninformed voters, or straight out racists. Having seen and heard the comments coming out of the mouths of the McCain/Palin supporters, it's just too much for anyone with a modicum of reasonable intelligence to tolerate.

Check out the Las Vegas Sun, where they have a video of a McCain/Palin Rally, in which the paper describes the "anger, fear, and racism" that is occurring more frequently at Palin's Rallies.
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Thursday, October 23, 2008

Soundbites I never want to hear again after Nov. 4th

This election year has been fraught with soundbites, and here are a few that I hope I never have to hear again after Obama gets elected on November 4th!

  1. "Drill Baby Drill"
  2. "One heartbeat away from the presidency"
  3. Pitbulls (with or without lipstick)
  4. "Hockey mom"/"Soccer Mom"/"Wal*Mart Mom"
  5. "Joe Six-pack"
  6. "Joe the Plumber"/"Sally the hairdresser"/"Bob the Builder"/etc
  7. "Nobama"
  8. "Maverick"
  9. "I know how to [fill in action]"
  10. "Pro America"/"real America"
  11. "Anti-America"/"fake America"
  12. "Bridge to Nowhere"
  13. "reach across the aisle"
  14. "country first"
  15. "My Friends"
  16. Any phrase with a suffix "-gate" (lipstick-gate, trooper-gate, Neiman-Marcusgate)
  17. "POW"
  18. Any phrase with "moose" or "caribou" in it (Mooseburger, Caribou Barbie)
  19. "Straight Talk"
  20. "Surge"
  21. "Hail Mary Pass"
  22. "gotcha journalism"
  23. "Eastern Media Elite"
  24. "Main St"
  25. "Washington Outsider"
  26. "game changer"
  27. "in the tank for"
  28. "executive experience," especially in context with small town mayors
  29. Any phrase using "Elite" incorrectly
  30. Any phrase using "Socialism" incorrectly
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Comedians for Obama

Of all the endorsements that Obama has received, some laughs can be had by some comedians and entertainers who endorse Obama.

Ron Howard has a hilarious clip bringing back the "Fonz"

See more Ron Howard videos at Funny or Die


Then we have Larry David airing his nervousness about election night. Here I am with Larry David - I am so nervous and I can't wait for Election Night to be over, and to know that Obama has won by a landslide!
I can't take much more of this. Two weeks to go, and I'm at the end of my rope. I can't work. I can eat, but mostly standing up.....Five times a day I'll still say to someone, "I don't know what I'm going to do if McCain wins." Of course, the reality is I'm probably not going to do anything. What can I do? I'm not going to kill myself. If I didn't kill myself when I became impotent for two months in 1979, I'm certainly not going to do it if McCain and Palin are elected, even if it's by nefarious means. If Obama loses, it would be easier to live with it if it's due to racism rather than if it's stolen. If it's racism, I can say, "Okay, we lost, but at least it's a democracy. Sure, it's a democracy inhabited by a majority of disgusting, reprehensible turds, but at least it's a democracy." If he loses because it's stolen, that will be much worse. Call me crazy, but I'd rather live in a democratic racist country than a non-democratic non-racist one.
Even Al Bundy gets on the Obama bandwagon as he shows how Al the "Shoe Salesman" could save more in taxes under Obama than McCain.




And of course we can never get enough of how cool Obama is, as he shows he can be a better dancer than John McCain.

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Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Palin's Fashion Faux Pas!

Yesterday, the story broke out on Politico, that the RNC has spent more than $150,000 to dress Sarah Palin and her family.
According to financial disclosure records, the accessorizing began in early September and included bills from Saks Fifth Avenue in St. Louis and New York for a combined $49,425.74.

The records also document a couple of big-time shopping trips to Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis, including one $75,062.63 spree in early September.

The RNC also spent $4,716.49 on hair and makeup through September after reporting no such costs in August.
While clothing shouldn't be an issue, the fact is Palin has been campaigning to the "Wal-Mart" moms and hockey moms. I don't know about you, but I don't know any Wal-Mart mom wearing Valentino or Manolo Blahniks!



Apparently there are some really pissed off Republicans!

In contrast we have the Obamas discussing Barack's frugal shopping habits:




In addition, Barack Obama has been teased about his lack of interest in fashion, and how old his clothes are. Check out his shoes, which have been re-soled repeatedly due to the amount of time he's spent pounding on the Campaign Trail.

Michelle Obama appears on the "View" in a chic, but inexpensive dress from "White House/Black Market". Within days, there was a huge demand for this dress that caught everyone's attention.

Below we see Michelle Obama in a dress from H&M ($34.95)

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Monday, October 20, 2008

Fate

I saw this commercial, and I thought it was an interesting take on fate.

It makes you wonder what paths people choose to take and how our lives can intertwine for a brief (adversarial) moment...
.....Or it could just be another commercial to emphasize the Nike Brand.



It's accompanied by a beautiful remix of Ennio Morricone's L'estasi dell'Oro, which adds a nice touch.
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Vote for Change

Nice upbeat video by MC Yogi taking the words right out of Obama's mouth why he is the right choice:

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McCain: "Please sir - can I have some more?"

This weekend was quite the blow for McCain. First, Colin Powell announces his endorsement for Barack Obama. Then he learns that the Obama Campaign had raised $150 MM in donations. Then we find out that McCain has apparently send a Fundraising Letter to Vitaly Churkin, the Russian UN Ambassador, asking for a contribution to the McCain Victory Fund

This is really quite sad, McCain is reduced to begging campaign funds from the Russians! Naturally, the response back was a big "nyet"!
"Russia officials, the permanent mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations or the Russian government do not finance political activity in foreign countries,'' Russia's mission to the UN said in a statement about the letter, which was addressed to Vitaly Churkin, the Russian ambassador.
So whatever happened to the "We are all Georgians now" ?? Did John McCain throw them under the bus in his quest for the Presidency?

Of course Presidential Campaigns are barred from accepting foreign contributions. If this was a mistake,it's one stupid mistake. How on earth could the Russian Ambassador's address have made it into a contributor database?
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Sunday, October 19, 2008

Colin Powell Endorses Obama

Colin Powell came on MtP, and finally ended months of speculation as to who he would endorse for President.

His words were very powerful, and very direct with regards to his reasons:
On the Obama side, I watched Mr. Obama and I watched him during this seven-week period. And he displayed a steadiness, an intellectual curiosity, a depth of knowledge and an approach to looking at problems like this and picking a vice president that, I think, is ready to be president on day one. And also, in not just jumping in and changing every day, but showing intellectual vigor. I think that he has a, a definitive way of doing business that would serve us well. I also believe that on the Republican side over the last seven weeks, the approach of the Republican Party and Mr. McCain has become narrower and narrower. Mr. Obama, at the same time, has given us a more inclusive, broader reach into the needs and aspirations of our people. He's crossing lines--ethnic lines, racial lines, generational lines. He's thinking about all villages have values, all towns have values, not just small towns have values.

I'm also troubled by, not what Senator McCain says, but what members of the party say. And it is permitted to be said such things as, "Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim." Well, the correct answer is, he is not a Muslim, he's a Christian. He's
always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer's no, that's not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president? Yet, I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion, "He's a Muslim and he might be associated terrorists." This is not the way we should be doing it in America. I feel strongly about this particular point because of a picture I saw in a magazine. It was a photo essay about troops who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. And one picture at the tail end of this photo essay was of a mother in Arlington Cemetery, and she had her head on the headstone of her son's grave. And as the picture focused in, you could see the writing on the headstone. And it gave his awards--Purple Heart, Bronze Star--showed that he died in Iraq, gave his date of birth, date of death. He was 20 years old. And then, at the very top of the headstone, it didn't have a Christian cross, it didn't have the Star of David, it had crescent and a star of the Islamic faith. And his name was Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, and he was an American. He was born in New Jersey. He was 14 years old at the time of 9/11, and he waited until he can go serve his country, and he gave his life. Now, we have got to stop polarizing ourself in this way.

Elsheba Khan at the grave of her son, Specialist Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan.
He and three other soldiers, including a corporal from Washington Heights, were killed in Baquba after a bomb detonated while they were checking abandoned houses for explosives. They served in the Stryker Brigade combat team of the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division, based in Ft. Lewis, Washington.


Mr. Khan graduated from Southern Regional High School in Manahawkin in 2005, and enlisted in the Army a few months later, spurred by his memories of the 9/11 terror attacks. "His Muslim faith did not make him not want to go. It never stopped him," his father, Feroze Khan, told the Gannett News Service in a story printed shortly after his death. "He looked at it that he’s American and he has a job to do."

This is what I find most troubling about some of the extreme right wing Republicans. They casually link Terrorist to all Muslims, and the uneducated and uninformed voters are making the connection, just as the irresponsible GOP party members are hoping for. In their minds Muslim=Terrorist.

Mr. Khan served his country bravely, and he died for our country, and these despicable individuals are belittling Muslim and Arab Americans in this country, by promoting these racist attitudes. They are shamelessly stepping on the principles upon which our country has been founded, and what many soldiers have given their lives and limbs for.

Ever since, the Clarion Fund started distributing DVDs of movie called "Obsession" about extreme fundamentalist muslim suicide bombers, there have been a rash of violence and vandalism that have been popping up. I find it disgusting, that in this country, there are those out there who would automatically judge and terrorize other Americans, simply because of their religion or ethnic background. They do this out of cowardice, fear, and most of all because they are simply ignorant.

The GOP are indeed playing with fire if they continue these divisive tactics. It is true they are becoming more and more narrow in those who they consider part of America and their party. This is why they are losing. People are rejecting the direction and the hijacking of the Republican Party to the far right. If they are not careful, they will soon truly resemble an extreme Christian Fundamentalist version of the Taliban.
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Obama the Poker King Champion


The Obama Campaign has just announced that they have raised
$150,000,000 +
in the month of September !!!


  • Over 632,000 new donors.
  • 3.1 million total donors.
  • More than $150 MILLION.
  • Average contribution for the month was under $100.
  • Average contribution for the entire campaign is around $86.
Obama's campaign has been set up for success since the beginning. They learned from past campaigns what NOT to do. If they had opted for Campaign Finance, they would have lost against the rich Republican Party, and their unethical Swift Boating 527s groups. This is a lesson that Obama learned from the Kerry Campaign.


They've been playing their game their way. His entire Campaign has been run and executed like a tight ship. For 20 months, Obama has been running a multi-million dollar operation. If his leadership during this campaign has been this freaking awesome - can you imagine what he could do with the Presidency???

By the way, according to this photo, we now have evidence of Obama's ability to use his Jedi mind tricks and levitate oranges. (just kidding)


From what the delusional redstate bloggers are saying - clearly Obama is buying the presidency and that all of the money comes from commies - seriously when will they get psychiatric help???






Also in other campaign news, since Michelle Bachmann spoke out on Hardball on Friday, Oct 17th on her "anti-American" McCarthy speech, her opponent Elwyn Tinklenburg (yes that's his name!) has reported raising nearly $500,000 in 24 hours! Moreover, it looks like Bachmann has a late challenger from her own party. Some Republican candidate just registered as a write-in on the MN-06 Ballot for her district, because he was embarrassed that this woman was representing the Republican Ticket!

The Democratic National Convention has reported raising $50 Million for the month of September.

This reminds me of the night that Sarah Palin made her snide and sarcastic speech at the Republican National Convention, Obama ended up raising $10 million just in one night, due to the many pissed off Democrats, like myself, who watched her hateful speech.

At least we know that Republicans are good for one thing, pissing off Democrats to the extent of contributing money to their opponent's campaign! I have never gotten over the swift-boating and smearing that they have done to John Kerry. Republicans have shown they will lie and fight dirty to win. They will divide this country into Patriots vs Commies (read Liberals), Red State vs Blue State, Christians vs heathens/baby killers (again read liberals). They can try to spread lies and fears about muslims and minorities, but it won't work.

Now McCain's Camp is having massive robo-calls spreading lies about Obama and ACORN, as well as spreading fear about Ayers/Terrorist connections.

This is having an effect on some lunatics out there, who are easily swayed by fear.
Police in Caledonia are investigating the assault of a campaign volunteer as she was canvassing for Senator Barack Obama Saturday afternoon. In an exclusive interview with 12 News, 58 year-old Nancy Takehara of Chicago says she was going door-to-door when she came across a disgruntled homeowner.

“The next thing I know he’s telling us we’re not his people, we’re probably with ACORN, and he started screaming and raving,” Takehara said. “He grabbed me by the back of the neck. I thought he was going to rip my hair out of my head. He was pounding on my head and screaming. The man terrified me.”

This election, Democrats refuse to let Republican tactics go unanswered, we want our country back. We want this to be for all of Americans - not just the top 1%. We want to change the reputation of America, and turn our backs on torture. We want our democracy to MEAN something, and not just empty gestures or flag pins.

Obama and his Campaign team has done this by campaigning on policy, never on smearing character like the Republicans like to do. They don't whine about the media and try to work the refs when the Media says or prints things that are not true - Rush Limbaugh, Ron Fournier of AP, everyone at Fox News in particular.

NOT ONCE has Obama ever questioned McCain's patriotism or his service to his country. McCain never wears a flag pin, yet no one would dare say - why isn't he wearing a flag pin? Obama gets accused of his lack of patriotism for not wearing a flag pin, EVEN WHEN he is wearing a flag pin. I was literally floored in the last debate, when some Republican surrogate was complaining about this, when Obama was clearly wearing one.

I am tired of elections being about small things, instead of the real issues at hand. I've never donated before in any election, but this time it's different. I can only leave this post with this great video of why Barack Obama's message resonates with so many people.

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