Back when this blog was still a little toddler, I mentioned in an old post the prospects of a Presidential wannabe named Barack Obama, comparing him to as "if Tiger Woods ran for office."
Over a year later, I find myself owing the man an apology. Tiger Woods may be filthy rich and a great athlete, but after putting them side by side - Tiger Woods really ain't shit standing next to Obama; Now arguably the most powerful man in the world and who I'm pleased to say is the 44th President of the United States.
While you may not agree on his foreign policy plans or his ideas on universal healthcare reform, there's no denying he brings a glitz and glamor to the Presidency that previously, for many years now, was defunct of any style.
Of course, many former presidents brought their own personal charm to the administration, and no disrespect to them - But after 8 years of living with a President (Bush), whose coolest moment was probably dodging a pair of shoes being thrown at him, Obama's beginning of a new Camelot definitely becomes a refreshing makeover.
His current status as the coolest kat on the planet was solidified during his inauguration, as Obama, the young, charismatic, community organizer from Chicago, danced with his wife in elegant fashion, all while Beyonce serenaded them with his classy song choice of "At Last."
Even in his college years, Obama was apparently still one of the coolest kids in the room.
-My professor repeatedly goes to our site as an example during my Information Retrieval class. Hopefully, he'll go Tuesday morning and see this awesome picture. CoolKidsRoom as an example would be more appropriate for a class called "Lazy Ass Motherfuckers Retrieval".
-It's the end of Week 3 and I'm in danger of failing two of my four classes. I'm like the Chargers though, finish strong and look better than I am with what was really just a mediocre performance.
-One of the great AIM profile quotes I've ever seen: "there's only one 'return' and it's not of the king, it's of the jedi" (from Clerks II)
-One line that struck fear into my heart as I read it: "AzNBiGTyMeR has entered the server."
-The thing that kept ruining the inauguration for me: every time Obama stepped out of a car, walked outside or stepped to the podium, I'm terrified someone's going to shoot him.
- Over at Not So Small Talk, Kristine tussles with the moral pressures of the Catholic church.
- And at X-tra MEdium, Raf posted a few videos from ABS-CBN's Speak-Out series on Filipino identity. Ray posted one of the same videos here, but there are interesting points made on the comments section over there.
- Finally, at Waltonesque, Kuya Justin landed an EXCLUSIVE interview with the three biggest names from New Edition: Ralph Tresvant, Johnny Gill, and of course, Bobby Brown. The interview covers what brought the three together again and some words of advice for future R&B acts. That is some real access right there, you made it bro!
To: Lance, Nazer, Adonis and affiliates From: Just ray
I wasn't sure where to post this, but after reading lance's recent post I felt it made sense to put it here immediately after. I won't pretend as if I know a lot about politics, but in a lot of ways I do keep myself informed of generally whats going on. Quite honestly i don't think i have to flat out say who i will be voting come november. My background alone should give a reasonable answer to the question of "who are you voting for?" That being said, a McCain presidency truly scares me. Especially lately with all the ignorance and pure hatred that is directed towards Obama.
Truth is the stigma towards obama has always been there, news casters and political experts can argue that race has not played a factor in this election. But thats all bull shit, because it clearly has played a large factor at least in my eyes. I wont quite get into all that, but if you want to hear what i think just ask me another time.
What i really would like to get at is the fear that comes full circle all across the board. It is obvious that recent ads about Obama and Ayers clearly instilled fear into blue collar white America. Even watching the video below, where the elderly woman says she has been reading about Obama and he is "an arab" scares the shit out of me. There is kind of a dual reaction i think to all of these things. The fact that people can actually begin to believe that Obama is in fact a terrorist puts chills down my spine. It also just shows the stigma to folks of middle eastern heritage. As if the big bad "arabs" are out to get you. I know what we could do lets tell are children stories that arabs hide in your closet while you sleep and under your bed too!!!
Folks like to talk about the civil rights movement and equality between all people as if everything is all good now. As if after the 60s and 70s we all of a sudden started holding hands and singing a whole new world together. Lets be real for a second folks. Race is an issue as of today so stop acting like it isn't. I do however give McCain a bit of credit for "defending" Obama. ALthough it was just a bit to late for all of that. Fear and racism have a sort of snowball effect. Picking up every ignorant person along the way and fusing them with stupidity.
The main thing that bothers me really is the fact that everyone seems to put a lot of pressure on Obama. Obama promises change through out his speeches, however even if he were to become president the responsibility doesn't solely rely on him. We as a nation have to take action ourselves. We can't expect him and his administration to carry all the weight. We have to lighten the load and do our parts as well. For fear of getting to carried away and ranting for way to long heres a new piece from your friendly neighborhood poet- Nicotine, Fear and Solidarity
A lot of people ask Why it is that I smoke And I know That it is a bad habit That I need to kick
But personally I’m not quite ready yet,
See while I’m slowly killing Myself grit after grit
I would rather be inhaling the Nicotine Rather than drowning in the Hatred
That lingers in the air And comes and goes like the wind
And can damage your soul The way earthquakes Damage the earth Like some form of Cruel and unusual Punishment
Punishing my future children For simply being themselves
And I am greatful for every scar On my skin Because it reminds me That I am capable of feeling something
Something rather than being numb Numb to my senses Numb to the pain that motivates Me in every single solitary way
And as my heart grows heavy I hope for a better day But the truth is I’m walking towards it, but every step I take it seems even farther Away….
We fear the unknown We fear the other And it has us questioning
Lost human connection Through conversation Leave it all up to text messaging
I hate that even though My ancestors are island people I am generalized as being Chinese or Mexican
The media fuels the flame Towards chinky eyes And brown skin
While magazine covers Encourage our beautiful women To be thin
While fox news criticizes A black candidate On the basis of his name
Quick to jump the gun Point a finger And redistribute The blame
Blame the government All you want
When universally as a Whole we could care less About our health
So fuck those Who claim their Down for redistribution Of wealth
When we as a people Can hardly organize And redistribute ourselves
When shit goes down We look to the highest On the ladder
Instead of standing at the bottom Looking each other and asking What the hell really matters?
To afraid to dialogue With one another, When we need to Figure out what’s been wrong all along
Fighting a war on terror In the name of god
Muslims against prejudice all praise due to Allah
Its not that I don’t support our military troops, But even more I support our underprivileged Illitary youth
Some complain that We have hardly have classes Addressing people of color
Even though the support Is hardly their from my Sisters and my brothers
While our parents Only solution Is to pray for peace
When it seems as though It becomes so helpless That God needs to bend his knees And start fucking praying for me
I am positively Desperate for A more positive me
But were too intimidated Of our potential as a collective Afraid of what we could possibly be
We as a people need to Educate, organize and mobilize In solidarity
Fuck relying on the few When what we need Is many
Fuck mountains out of mole hills Cuz all we doin’ is digging Holes we can’t get out of Because shits too deep
Fuck dodge commercials Because a ignorant white girl Told me and my friends “Go back where you came from This is my country”
Fuck hiding behind the crosses We wear around our necks Because it wont protect us from The monsters in our sleep
I hope for the day I can stop worrying That my children Will be called, CHINKS GOOKS BITCHES HOS NIGGAS SPICKS BEANERS DIKES MONKEYS FAGGOTS As they walk down the street
Give me a call when your ready to make a REAL change Because for now leave me alone and let me smoke my cigarette in PEACE.
This was just this past Friday. It's somewhat hilarious and somewhat disturbing. Some of the press drew the conclusion that this kind of sentiment from McCain supporters is the result of the recent ads like this one, highlighting Obama's relationship with domestic terrorist Bill Ayers.
However rooted in truth the ad is, (and I have no doubt that it is indeed quite truthful) the tone of the commercial inspires fear. The kind of fear that causes that embarrassing town hall clip from last Friday.
I understand the campaign is trying to swing voters, and quick snippets that show Obama and terrorism go hand-in-hand may accomplish that. But if you run the rest of your campaign on fear, and attempt to gather the momentum of an angry mob, you might as well can these kinds of rallies and town hall functions where your supporters will make asses of themselves.
I know that a lot of McCain supporters are not like the ones in that CNN video, but at the same time, it's those kinds of people honestly scare the shit out of me.
This election is by far the most fascinating one of our young lifetimes and I was a lot more undecided than most people (hell, it took me two years to declare a major remember?). If any of you guys are still undecided or need that quick rundown of some of the bigger (and not so big) issues, I'll try to have a Candidate Dealmaker/Dealbreaker post by the end of the week.
Guys, I would just like to say Congratulations. Yesterday was the first time since the day this was born that all four of us posted something. I predicted Bukkake and you guys gave it to me...fuck that came out wrong.
I get jealous of Nazer sometimes when he talks about what he's doing in school because it's always interesting. In contrast, I know that what I'm learning is usually relatively boring and not something I want to post on the internet. I finally found something worth sharing though.
As most of you know, my major (as of now) is Informatics. Yeah yeah, I love making fun of how even I'm not even sure what it is, but without going into too much detail, it's the study of computer science, information technology (IT), and their effects on society. So I get a lot of technical stuff (a little math, and some programming and project development) as well as something of a social science education spinkled in.
One of the things we looked at briefly last quarter was the notion of Net Neutrality. The prospect of ISPs(Road Runner, Cox, etc.) having influence on where I'm surfing by speeding up or slowing down certain sites based on their business relationship (ie. how much money they're getting) is absurd.
The internet is a unique platform, and one of its greatest attributes is the fact that there are so many options for so many tasks. For searching, we get to pick Google, Yahoo!, Dogpile or one of the many other options. For blogging there's Blogger, LiveJournal, and Xanga, amongst others from an endless list. This kind of freedom should be a given for a medium that has thrived on the creativity of otherwise lesser-known individuals (like me and my three friends here, ok, more like the guy who made YouTube), and right now, a lot of companies are working towards eliminating that freedom.
The Net Neutrality issue is heating up a little bit with the looming election. McCain is skeptical on it, seemingly going back and forth, and Obama and Clinton have gone out of their way to support Net Neutrality.
My boy, BaROCK, supported neutrality in an interesting, and relevant way though. For two candidates with similar platforms, it's these kind of little things that make the difference for me.
So here it is, Obama's PODCAST and transcript on Network Neutrality.
Today marks a pivotal moment for the democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Four states, Ohio, Texas, Rhode Island, and Vermont, are holding their primaries today, and since the race is so close, every single delegate matters. Lets get started then...
A Political Booster Pack: Series 3 Democratic Doomsday: Who Will Be Victorious
BARACK OBAMA: The man with the momentum. Since Super Tuesday, Obama has won 11 straight contests, giving him the lead over Clinton. When many considered Obama out, this second wind really changed the minds of many political analysts, and made this race so much more entertaining. Something about Obama has caught the eye of young voters, and ideas of change lead his campaign. Even republican candidate John McCain has made comments against him, which allows many to assume that Obama will win the nomination. With 1,369 delegates, Obama hopes his momentum continues to stand strong.
HILLARY CLINTON: On Super Tuesday, Clinton won many of the larger states that have more delegate counts, but as the journey went on she's hit a sort of slump. She has lost 11 straight contests to Obama, but everyone should note that these losses were for the most part by small margins. Clinton has made recent remarks saying that it takes more than speeches to change America, and says that she has the experience needed to really make a difference. Clinton holds strong amongst Latino voters, so her presence in Texas is incredibly vital for her campaign. With 1,267 delegates, these four states are make or break for her, and analysts say that if Obama's momentum continues today, she will eventually lose the nomination.
No matter what candidate your rooting for, things are really going to heat up. Stay tuned to your local news stations all day for coverage on these events.
This is not so much of an endorsement for the rockstar Barack Obama, but mainly because I thought this poster just looked pretty cool. It’d probably make a nice t-shirt too.
Top-notch propaganda! While I haven’t thrown my full support for any one candidate just yet, I see the same imposing image in poster and sticker form all over campus; when I walk to class, when I buy food, when I smoke, when I take a leak, when I take a shit – So slowly but surely, I’m being effectively brainwashed by the Obama campaign.
I’m actually glad that OBEY is apparently rooting for Obama; he seems much more compatible with their style of artwork compared to the rest of the candidates. I highly doubt the same poster with Mitt Romney/Nathan Petrielli’s face on it would have the same, inspirational effect. That’d just be fucking creepy.
SUPER fucking TUESDAY was yesterday, essentially narrowing down the list of plausible nominees for both parties. My dumbass however, failed to put the spotlight in my starter kit on two Republican candidates who are currently, now front-and-center in the Presidential race. So, for all you conservatives out there…
A Political Booster Pack: Series 2 Conservative Edition! Collect them all!!
MITT ROMNEY: Supposedly, his supporters claim he is the reincarnation of former President Ronald Regan, something Republicans can feel all warm and giddy about as they wet their beds at night. An experienced businessman, Romney has led and invested in many successful companies, and also took over and saved the 2002 Winter Olympics from financial disaster. He also has a younger brother named Peter, and apparently has the ability to fly.
He was also a former governor of Massachusetts, and himself being a Mormon, that has to count for some shit for being able to run a state filled with crazy Irish Catholics. His critics, however, often point out his willingness to adapt his position on certain issues depending on what state he’s campaigning in. The current host of Def Comedy Jam, D.L. Hughley, jokingly mentioned Romney, saying “I thought the movie ‘Transformers’ was about a robot, but apparently it’s about this motherfucker here!”
JOHN MCCAIN: He is quite literally the walking dead, as this guy is fucking 70 years old already. Regardless if he can manage to live past the primaries, he is the closest thing to Rambo you’ll ever see for a Presidential candidate.
A former Navy pilot, McCain grew some balls of steel after he fought in Vietnam, where he was shot down and forced into a POW camp where he was beaten, starved, and tortured before being released after 5 fucking years. If one can imagine, that’s like being trapped forever in a Pho restaurant without ever eating the delicious PHO, and the waiters despise you because you asked for a fork. Now that’s some shit.
Once regarded as the ‘maverick’ within the party for his liberal tendencies, he is currently the front-runner for the Republican nomination and supporters argue he is the best hope for Republicans come November, whether facing Hillary or Obama.
McCain, suffering after years without eating any Pho.
fucking posers.
**In other news, the rockstar Obama is in close pursuit of the Clinton political machine, and things can get decisively nasty for Democrats as the final primaries wrap-up.
John McCain after the New Hampshire primaries in 2000
An interesting topic that's floating in the air of this political war is something that I've had a growing interest in, which is the fact that young voters are beginning to really show up and share their voice. With the children of baby boomers beginning to take their first steps into the political world, reports everywhere show that people of our generation are starting to vote. In New Hampshire today polls were actually running out of ballots, which is a clear sign that with things like stronger media coverage and the internet, people are becoming more aware and more involved in our America. So all of that aside, lets take a look at the primaries so far.
THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE
In Iowa, Obama took a huge lead with 38% of the total votes, with Edwards in second with 30%. Clinton took 3rd place with an extremely close 29%. These results really stirred up the democratic world because Obama came out on top with such a big lead above the other candidates. With these results its easy to assume that Obama would be the primary democratic candidate for the 2008 presidential race.
But in New Hampshire today, the results of today's polls are coming in, and with 21% of the current results, Clinton is currently in first place, imitating her husband and making a big come back from Iowa. Obama holds second for now, and Edwards is in third. I'll update these numbers when the full results are in.
So when Edwards and Clinton seemed out of the race by some, Clinton comes back and takes the lead, so it's once again an even battle. Edwards seems to have finished 3rd today, but if you know you're voting democrat, keep a close eye on these three names, because this race is extremely close.
THE REPUBLICAN SIDE
In Iowa, Mike Huckabee took the lead with 34%. Romney came in second with 29%, and Thompson came in 3rd with 13%, and then John McCain in fourth with 13% as well. Huckabee's huge lead came as a great shock to the republican party, and had crowds really speculating about what would happen in New Hampshire and beyond. Other notable candidates Ron Paul and Rudy Giuliani closed with lower numbers, but it's still too early to rule these guys out.
In New Hampshire today, with 21% of current votes in, John McCain holds the most votes with 37%, and it's predicted across the board that he will take first place in New Hampshire. Romney came in second again with 29%, and Huckabee came in third with 12%. Republican candidates have already made calls to McCain congratulating him on his win. Once again I'll update these numbers once the full results are in
So like the democratic side, the primary candidate is still really up in the air. Many are speculating that if Romney doesn't take a lead somewhere soon, he will be looked over as the primary candidate, but it is in fact still really early.
So keep an eye out for the rest of the caucuses. Develop a good understanding of each of the candidates, focus on the issues, and make sure to vote later this year. Potential group blog topic: Who Will You Vote For? Tune into CNN for prime, up to date news coverage, and if you don't want to do that, then just read this blog, I'm sure we'll be updating on things like this in the future.
UPDATE on 1/8/08 7:47 PM: The Associated Press has just projected that Clinton would take the victory for New Hampshire. With 71% of the votes in, Clinton leads with 40%, Obama in second with 36%, and Edwards in third with 17%. On the republican side, with 67% of the votes in, McCain holds his victory with 37%, Romney with 31%, and Huckabee with 11%. The candidates on the Republican side have spoken, all declaring that its still early in the race, and with 48 states to go, everyone seems hopeful that they can take the lead candidate spot. John Edwards has spoken on the Democratic side, giving a speech about many individuals in America who deserve better, and focused on issues, stating that he's still eager to make a come back in the future.
UPDATE on 1/8/08 8:22 PM: Hillary Clinton just finished giving her victory speech, with an unexpected win in New Hampshire. She focused on being one with the people of America, and many are declaring that this is the first time that they've seen her act genuine. Tears aside, fact is that this race is much closer than it was only a few hours ago. Obama gave his speech prior to Clinton's, speaking on unity in America, focusing on young voters and stating that when he is president, he would do what he could to change America. In New Hampshire, with 82% percent of the total votes in, Hillary Clinton is the projected winner with 39%, Obama in a very close second with 37%. On the Republican side, with 80% of the votes in, McCain is the projected winner with 37%, with Romney in second with 32%, and Huckabee in third with 11%, with Giuliani not far behind with 9%. After the results of Iowa, the political community has really been shaken up with the extreme comebacks from Clinton and McCain. This race just got much more interesting.
Yeah, yeah, even though the primaries aren’t taking place for several more months and the actual presidential election isn’t for another year, I felt it was a suitable time for an update on all the oh-so exciting political action so far, especially with the remaining plausible candidates narrowing down or getting weeded out.
Sadly, I do admit; I guess I consider myself a political junkie, cursed with a fascination for politics and law and all that other “crap” that probably isn’t all-too attractive for a guy my age. Still, the process, the issues, the laws, and all the other-related crap interest me.
Regardless of any sort of interest, I still believe that it’s important for even us “kids” to be socially aware, to be knowledgeable, and to be conscious about what’s going on in the world. It’s arguable though, that our little San Diego bubble is distant from the subject matter – and in a realistic perspective, we could care less.
However, to deny the enormous impact the new President will have in our daily lives, and how his (or her..) administration’s decisions will trickle down and affect us in one way or another, is simply being borderline ignorant. Or at the very least, at least know that there will soon be a new President.
While trying to be as non-subjective as possible, here’s a few of the front-runners (note: this could obviously change) that are the favorites to replace George Bush and his 8-year reign. No doubt, their faces will plague your television, the internet, and will continue to haunt you as election day draws closer.
The Democrats:
Hillary Clinton.
Obviously, if you’re not ready for a woman to hold possibly the most powerful position on Earth, or if you’re simply a male-chauvinistic pig like A.C Slater, then Hillary isn’t for you.
She is well qualified regardless, and albeit her political career is full of controversy, she is the current favorite to carry off with the Democratic nomination, although she faces a difficult uphill battle to make it to the White House. I personally wouldn’t mind seeing a woman in power, and females already hold an enormous power over guys anyhow, so nothing new… As a bonus, Hillary is basically a 2-for-1 deal, with former President Bill Clinton also by her side as the First Lady..Man..Husband.. or something. (If your memory if vague, just try and remember how happy you were growing up and how things were in the 90’s.)
Or, you could just watch this Family Guy clip for some help.
BarackObama.
Obviously, if you’re a Neo-Nazi or in the KKK, or for some reason just don’t like black people, then Obamaisn’t for you. And no, that's not Obama in the picture, but his hottie-sidekick, Obama Girl, who was featured in a popular youtube video in support of him, complete with a catchy tune.
Its important to note that while he’s identified as African-American, he is also considered not African-American at the same time. Confusing?? Look at it like this; his father is an African immigrant, his mother is white, and he didn’t exactly grow up somewhere like in Atlanta doing the A-town stomp. I think of him as if Tiger Woods ran for office. Nevertheless, he’s a likable guy, represents progression, and would fair well in international relations, especially in the Middle-East. Plus, he has hotties like Obama Girl backing him up. Good deal.
The Republicans:
Mike Huckabee.
To sum it up, this guy has been lights-out so far, becoming more and more popular with conservatives, and one of the top favorites for the Republican nomination or as a perfect running-mate for Vice-President. Opponents are desperately trying to find dirt on the guy or waiting for him to fuck-up soon. He’s charming, has personality, and actually has a sense of humor that is desperately needed.
Hell, even Chuck Norris openly endorses the guy. Now that’s cool.
“Chuck Norris doesn't breathe.. he holds air hostage.”
Rudy Giuliani.
Dubbed “America’s Mayor,” and if I’m not mistaken, Giuliani is the leading front-runner to win the Republican nomination according to the latest polls. On a strategic standpoint, Giuliani is the best hand for the Republicans to play – his moderate to liberal viewpoints, his similarities with Democrats on certain issues, and his reputable history of being mayor of New York City, would effectively split the Democratic vote, giving an edge to the Republicans if things get decisively tight.
Sadly, he is an evil Yankees fan, and an unfaithful one at best according to this clip, though he covers himself here pretty well.
There are other potential Presidential nominees for the Republicans and Democrats, respectively, which ive failed to mention, including Mitt Romney, John McCain, and John Edwards, and many others who probably won't make the cut in the long run. Oh well.
On a side note, its important to remember that while personality is an important aspect to look at, its the issues, (yeah right who really does that) and how each candidate puts their take on it, which should take precedent over everything else. (ideally) So whatever matters to you - focus on that, and cross your fingers and hope that these candidates keep their promises. (HAH!)
