Guess what? Today is my birthday. What did you get me?

[NOTE: Opinions expressed in this journal are mine alone, and are not meant as an inflammatory gesture, but to stimulate necessary discussion about otherwise ignored topics.]

So while this post isn't timely at all, the subject matter it relates to is. Before reading further I implore you to read Hilrack Obinton by m-scott-hay.

I just wanted to focus on what makes Barack Obama such a unique, and quite possibly terrifying individual. As we're all very familiar with Hillary Clinton and John McCain, it seems we don't know all that much about Sen. Obama. So lets talk about him.

I offer you this quote from Obama, delivered in his keynote at the 2004 Democratic National Convention (as seen on his Wikipedia page):
"The pundits like to slice-and-dice our country into red states and blue states; Red States for Republicans, Blue States for Democrats. But I've got news for them, too. We worship an awesome God in the Blue States, and we don't like federal agents poking around in our libraries in the Red States. We coach Little League in the Blue States and, yes, we've got some gay friends in the Red States. There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and patriots who supported the war in Iraq. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America."

Before he delivered that speech, no one even knew who he was. After that speech, we haven't forgotten him once. Since then we've heard much about his exploits, including his trip to Kenya to meet his ancestral family. He's in the news, he's in magazines. He's a bigger celebrity than Paris and Brittany. A new face for a new age, and this was 4 years ago.

There is a little bit of everything in this man. Black father, white mother. Daddy was a muslim, mommy a christian. His father was recruited to fight for colonial England in the first world war, and his grandfather on his mother's side was a veteran of the second. Barack Sr. became an atheist just before he moved to Hawaii, while Barack Jr. is a member of The United Church of Christ which is very liberal about it's own rules and seems to have questionable opinions about Israel. In fact, he's already aired his own past out in two books, Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance and The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream, leaving little question as to what he's all about. Or does it...

I can think of another time we saw a man like this. A great orator who drew crowds a delivered a message to the people that they'd been longing for. A message of hope, of pride restored. He spoke of rebuilding their nation and reestablishing their place on the world stage. He even wrote a book about his past. That man was Adolf Hitler. You might recoil in disgust that I would make such a leap, but look at the basics here.

We're run down, the people are not happy. The government doesn't help us, the world frowns upon us and expects of us things we just can't afford. Reparations in a sense for years of being everyone's big brother, they want us to sell out, or get the hell out. We've lost our identity, and our respect amongst the other nations. Even our allies distance themselves. We're alone and in trouble.

So how perfect that just when we need hope for the future a man comes along to offer it. Not just hope, but change. Turn the page. A new chapter in history. Why not let this gifted man who rallies us in speeches usher in a new age for all Americans?

Because too much change is dangerous. No one knew a thing about Hitler and were all too eager to put him in power, and he was a crazy drug addict. Barack Obama isn't crazy at all, but he is cunning, and he is smart. He might be the best thing ever to happen to us, but he could also certainly be the worst. So take the time to learn about him, and his past, before you let yourself get swept up in the momentum.

Edit 3/15/08: Holy cow, 6000 page views! Not bad for a guy who doesn't post a damn thing, eh?

But I never did like this holiday.

I just watched the first episode of the new season of LOST. If you watched it too then you know that there was a split in the survivors between Jack and Locke. I know I'd choose to go with John, as I know I'd feel a bigger need to know what the island was all about than to return, at least right away. So I ask, who would you choose?

How are you all holding up so far in '08? If your like me, you were tired of the race for president years ago when it got started, and can't honestly wait till the end of the year when it's just friggin' over with. And yet, you have to consider that very fact, that at the end of this year there will be a new President (Ok, year and a couple weeks, who cares.) Great, right?

I won't predict the future, but I can tell you this much. The status quo will end. And I don't mean just the Bush status quo, I mean the "Politician" status quo. The next president won't be someone we can't identify with. It's going to be someone we can all look at and go, "Hey, that guy is real, he's one of us, he knows what it's like to be an average guy on the street making ends meet." The next president is going to be someone you could find yourself easily meeting in a shop or restaurant and having a 3 hour conversation with. The status quo of a government that is above and beyond us will end.

Is that good? Honestly, no. The government does need to have an objective role in our lives in order to effectively do it's job. The government we've got now is just that (see Hurricane Katrina relief efforts for an example of what I mean). The government we'll get next year though will care about us, a lot. It will be there with us every day, holding our hands on all issues because that's what America feels it needs for itself. It's scary to do things for yourself, so let government cater to my every need.

What is about to ensue is political armageddon as government goes from a leadership role to a "sunshine-up-the-ass" role of a flowery daycare provider. Change is what the president will bring, be it Obama, Clinton, Romney, Huckabee, or McCain (if he manages to last that long). Of these candidates, the one who most represents a person of the people will win, regardless of what they know or what they're running on. The president can't represent the last 16 years of political crap though, as the public has grown weary of it.

Most troubling though is how much things like YouTube are affecting this race. Equal airtime doesn't apply there, and opinion is really relegated to mob rule. And if you've spent any time there, you know the mob is run by idiots who feel they "need" to exercise their right to vote, to do their duty for America. This is how the system has been failing for years.

Folks, lets avoid this armageddon by giving this some serious thought. If you want to vote, then by all means vote, but if you really care that much take the time to actually study and learn the candidates. Don't just vote party lines, don't just vote because they have the one issue that you like most, and for God sake don't vote because someone is more attractive or sounds better. Hitler still sounds great if you don't know what he's really talking about.

That said, I know all too well how America works. We're screwed.

And thanks to m-scott-hay for putting me in a political ranting mood.

Edit 1/10/08: Kudos to me for actually having a journal entry anyone actually "cared" about!

Edit 1/30/08: Worth mentioning but not really as a seperate journal entry; I see today that Sen. Edwards and Mayor Giuliani are bowing out. Funny how it's boiling down to something akin to an old school vs. new school brawl on each side of it.

... ABC is showing last season's finale of LOST tonight at 8 in preparation of the season premier tomorrow. Tired of politics? Life got you down? Then get your mind of things by watching some freaky damn island out in the pacific mess with people! Does a soul some good!

In the future:
-I'll update my desktop again for something Valentine's Day related (Not Faye Valentine again, but something along those lines.)
-Expect a new journal entry concerning my lovely new iPod Touch and how much you freaking need one.
-Likely no new submissions at all as far as written work.
-I'll have nothing good to say about Valentines Day. I can't stand lovey-dovey masturbatory bullshit hollidays. ... and yes I AM bitter because I don't have a girlfriend, so bite me.


As I go, I would like to mention briefly I was recently turned onto a site called Last.fm. It's a great site for music enthusiasts, as it can keep track of your listening habits and "scrobble" them to the site, generate recent played tracks, even show you your weekly and overall top artist charts. Best of all, it can recommend music based on your tastes. Go have a look if you like (I wouldn't recommend downloading their scrobbling agent for Macs. There are better options like Menuet, TotalTunes Control, or ScrobblePod. Go to MacUpdate and search for "last.fm" and see what works for you.) You want to see my stats, go here!