It’s been a long time… an atheist’s thoughts on death.

How to explain my absence in a few fragments…

I got a huge design contract which kept me busy up until last month. But just before New Year’s…

My father died.

I know I’ll never be the same. I’m sure that joy will be able to break through my sorrow eventually, but for now…

See, this is where I envy the religious. For them, it’s not over. For them, there’s this great big reunion and everything is made right in the end. But that’s just not how things work. Believe me, if there was ever a time that I wished heaven existed, it would be now.

But even in my lowest lows, I just can’t force myself to believe. Never could. Look, I didn’t choose to be an atheist, I was simply born this way. This isn’t some attention thing, or some type of rebelling, I’m just being honest with myself. I’m not saying that theists are not being honest with themselves, what’s true to one, is not necessarily true to another. What I mean is that you either believe or you don’t. You can lie and say you believe all you want, but if you doubt it, I’m sorry brother, but you’re one of us then.

…

I came across a people magazine article yesterday quoting Denzel Washington on John Travolta. Travolta’s son died around the same time my father did and it made me feel better knowing that someone else was still struggling with a loved one’s death. Perhaps I had been too hard on myself? Or I have a selfish bitch of an ex-friend that thought her wedding engagement is more important than my father having died, literally hours before… but that’s another story and I digress.

Anyhow, this is what struck me though. Like, why do theists get upset over death if they believe in places like heaven? I understand the shock thing, but its not final for them. For me, one of the most difficult things to accept is that I will never see my father again. I will never talk to him again, we’ll never watch The McLaughlin Group together again, he’ll never get to walk me down the aisle… he can’t peak down from heaven to check up on me either. He’s dead. And that’s it. But theists… they have heaven. They have gods and all sorts of fun stuff. They have the grand reunion. Ultimate closure.

I don’t understand how death could be so upsetting to them. I’m not trying to be a dick, I just honestly don’t understand. It’s only a temporary thing from that frame of mind, right? If it’s temporary, then there’s still something left. There’s still something there. I swear I’m not mocking! Damn, I would be so grateful if that actually was the case. I would even be happy for the lucky guy that gets to escape this strange state of existence we call “life”. Whatever that means…

All I know, is that we are so so small. Watch Carl Sagan’s Cosmos. We are really small. And we’re only here for such a small amount of time. Life, as we know it, has only existed during the last slice of history. We are barely a blip in the entirety of the cosmos.

The universe is so massive, we really do appear insignificant. But at least we’re a part of it. I know that my molecular material is the same stuff that makes stars. And that goes for everyone here. Even assholes like Rush Limbaugh and Dick Chen have the same elemental make-up.

I suppose that’s comforting… somehow? Maybe i’d feel warmer and fuzzier if I didn’t have a mental image of Limbaugh…

meh,

REAL Republicans admit Palin is a poor choice

Transcript:

Chuck Todd: Mike Murphy, lots of free advice, we’ll see if Steve Schmidt and the boys were watching. We’ll find out on your blackberry. Tonight voters will get their chance to hear from Sarah Palin and she will get the chance to show voters she’s the right woman for the job Up next, one man who’s already convinced and he’ll us why Gov. Jon Huntsman. (cut away)

Peggy Noonan: Yeah.

Mike Murphy: You know, because I come out of the blue swing state governor world: Engler, Whitman, Tommy Thompson, Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush. I mean, these guys — this is how you win a Texas race, just run it up. And it’s not gonna work. And —

PN: It’s over.

MM: Still McCain can give a version of the Lieberman speech to do himself some good.

CT: I also think the Palin pick is insulting to Kay Bailey Hutchinson, too.

PN: Saw Kay this morning.

CT: Yeah, she’s never looked comfortable about this —

MM: They’re all bummed out.

CT: Yeah, I mean is she really the most qualified woman they could have turned to?

PN: The most qualified? No! I think they went for this — excuse me– political bullshit about narratives —

CT: Yeah they went to a narrative.

MM: I totally agree.

PN: Every time the Republicans do that, because that’s not where they live and it’s not what they’re good at, they blow it.

MM: You know what’s really the worst thing about it? The greatness of McCain is no cynicism, and this is cynical.

CT: This is cynical, and as you called it, gimmicky.

MM: Yeah.

Now I got some shit from quite a lot of people when I shared my initial reaction to McCain’s Token Woman VP Nomination. Not so much in these blogs, but in other forums. I was told I was bringing in my “preformed opinion”, and was personally attacked when I said this was a poor choice. That this was a gimmick, a gambit, the most cynical and offensive nomination I have ever seen…

But here you have actual CONSERVATIVES making those same exact judgments. Now, I want to know if people are going to start questioning Peggy Noonan’s education. Are they going to question the political persuasion of REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST Mike Murphy?

Sarah Palin is a bad choice. You don’t have to be a Democrat in order to see that, believe me. In a fair and just world, this would ruin McCain’s chance of winning. In a sane world, people would think…

Hey, why didn’t he actually research his choice for VP? Is he usually this careless in making decisions?

There’s a reason people are bashing John McCain. Thanks to the digital age, one can see McCain provides a lot of material. And you know what? He deserves it. When you’re running for president of the United States, you have to be on point, at all times.

ESPECIALLY if you happen to follow “Duh-duh-Dubya”!!!

Wah! You just worship Obama cause he’s a great speaker, and has millions of followers, blah blah blah… did you know he’s a Muslim too?

First of all, it would be fucking nice to have the leader of my country to be able to complete a fucking sentence. I don’t know, I kind of miss that after these past 8 years. Millions of followers? Gee, I wouldn’t go that far, but the fact that he’s popular means that people like him. People vote for who they like more. That’s the point. Complaining that you are losing is… well… just that, I suppose. (Yeah, that sentence was doomed a long time ago, ha ha) Then of course, is the cherry of the “argument”. Some email rumor or complaint about religion, either the Muslim lie or the Rev. Wright propaganda. Same GOP talking point routine. The only thing that changes are the variables. It’s getting a little old… LIKE MCCAIN!!!

ha ha, I kid you old people. 😉

Anyhow, the religion arguments are ridiculous to me considering what Sarah Palin has to say to her church, or what John Hagee has to say about Catholics, or what Jerry Falwell’s beliefs are… since McCain had no problem speaking at Liberty “University”.

But I’m digressing.

My point is that McCain has a long record of the choices he’s made. That’s how we judge people. And when someone makes a questionable choice, people are going to speak up. You may not like what’s being said, but that doesn’t mean the person saying it is necessarily a jerk.

I’m an asshole, so I don’t count. (ha ha)

But even assholes can be right. And once courageous men can fall… Randy “Duke” Cunningham, anyone?

I stand by my first impression of Sarah Palin. And as more information comes to light, I’m actually shocked that I wasn’t flat out wrong. In fact, it seems like she is even WORSE that I thought! I now know that I’m not the only one who sees her nomination as a cynical sexist gambit. I’m not the only one insulted by it. And I sure as hell am not the only one that sees through this bullshit.

I’m really hoping my generation pays attention. Look, I don’t think Obama’s gonna “save our country”. I don’t think ANY politician can do that. I just think this country is sinking. And sinking FAST. I see McCain as an accelerant to the process. I don’t think he’s evil, I just think he makes poor decisions. Sarah Palin was the last straw for me. I mean, it’s quite obvious he didn’t do his research. If that’s not worthy of a disqualification, then I don’t know what is. People can deny it all they want, but the fact remains the same. McCain was not up to the simple task of finding a decent candidate. Period.

I’m not saying that Obama could stave off the impending decay. I just think he won’t fuck things up as much as McCain would. I’d rather have a smooth talker at this state. Mad countries hate us, and a smooth talker will get us more than a bristly curt old man.

oh, NOW Republicans want privacy… how convenient…

Did you know that we’re not supposed to criticize any Republicans, ever? For some reason, the holier-than-thous feel that whenever they make a mistake, they should be instantly forgiven and the whole incident swept under the rug.

Sarah “Token Woman” Palin’s 17 year old daughter had some anti-Republican premarital sex, and got herself pregnant. Palin had to release this info to combat rumors that her youngest child, Trig, might have been Bristol’s. So, how do you combat a rumor that your unwed teenage daughter didn’t give birth to 4 month old Trig? You do it by saying:

oh yeah? How can Trig be her son when she’s 5 months pregnant?

So now that “TW” Palin announced her personal failure of abstinence-only education, we’re supposed to respect the privacy of her failure to lead as a moral mother.

During the Clinton years, the Republicans set a new precedence concerning the privacy of politicians and their families by viciously attacking the Clintons. I was in high school at the time, not too concerned with politics in general, and even I remember jokes made at Chelsea Clinton’s expense.

In fact, it was John McCain that told one of the more popular jokes about Chelsea. To whom did he tell this joke? Not to his “cunt” wife (his words, not mine), not his children, not his aides, staff, friends…

No, John McCain found that joke worthy of speech material for a fund-raiser. Business as usual, ey Johnny Boy?

And we all know that it was ok with the Republicans to screech about Bill Clinton’s affair on a regular basis. But when David Vitter was caught, oh then we’re supposed to respect their privacy? What makes the Vitter situation really laughable, was that during the Monica Lewinsky affair, Vitter’s wife said:

“I’m more like Lorena Bobbit than Hillary,” … If he [Senator Vitter] does something like that, I’m walking away with one thing, and it’s not alimony, trust me.”

Then when her man’s fetish for hookers & diapers was revealed, she apparently hid all her knives.

Scroll to 1:34 to see blazing hypocrisy.

How about all the other trumpeters of “family values” and Clinton denouncers who overwhelmingly were adulterers themselves? I see no one holding back in their attack of John Edwards and his infidelity. And I’m not saying that anyone should, but…

Why is it ok to pry into the sex lives of Democrats, but when the tables are turned, all of a sudden, everyone is supposed to give the Republicans some privacy?

So now that Bristol (Myers Squibb???) Palin is knocked up, nobody’s supposed to talk about it?

Nope, its called precedence. Sorry Bristol. I feel bad for you on many levels. (Only a Republican would name their daughter after a pharmaceutical company.) It’s not fair that she’s going to have to be in the spotlight, but the Republicans set that precendent in the 90s. And what makes it even more of a story, is that it is the Republican party who touts the morals that would actually denounce you. (Ok, that’s not fair to all Republicans. I mean the Religious Right Repubs.)

This was the party that found Monica Lewinsky more important than actual dealing with issues that affect their constituents. This was the party that insisted on dividing this country over stupid non-issues like abortion or gay marriage. This was the party that touted “family values” yet lusted after destroying the families of anyone left of Ann Coulter. It was around this time that I really thought about some quote Nietzche made…

Something along the lines of… beware of those who are quick to punish…

Anyhow, I blame these people with the rapid degeneration of our nations politics. They impeached a president over lying about a blow job, but defend to the death, a man who lied us into the worst foreign policy move in the history of America’s existence.

The current “Republicans” care way more about image than anything of actual substance. They are a party governed by convenience.

Why bother vetting a VP choice when we can just throw a woman up there to git dem Hillary votes?

If it was a party of actual knowledge and substance, they would have noticed how offensive the Sarah “Token Woman” Palin nomination would be to anyone with a functioning brain. Of course, the right did their typical dance of calling the choice “brilliant” just because a Republican made it. Everyone else thought… “wtf?”

Now that all the fuck-ups of the past decades of conservative rule are coming to light, now that people are starting to see that these guys are the BIGGEST hypocrites… Now, they ask for privacy? After 8 years of dismantling our civil rights, after decades of constant insults and ridicule for our “questionable morals”. Now they want us to give them the respect they would NEVER give to us?

Wow.

Talk about presumption…

Do you know what I call people like this? Stuck up. People that demand respect they don’t give you; think they are better than you. And these guys had the nerve to brand liberals as elitists! You know how to tell where the Republicans really stand? Take a look at what they denounce. Why else do you think there’s practically a Republican sex scandal coming out every other week? That’s why I hate the current stock of Republicans more than I hate the Democrats. And as bad as I feel for Bristol Palin, its really not that much. She should be thanking her lucky stars that her mom’s a Republican. They’re the ones who do the real mud slinging anyways. Democrats, overall, have too much empathy to sink to that.

If she was Obama’s daughter, that would be the end of his campaign. If she was a Democrat, the Republicans would be calling everything into question. That’s their MO. There would be all these “experts” commenting on urban lifestyle, or some other bullshit. They would find a way to mention it in every public appearance, on all talk radio, on their blogs, and the rest of their noise machine. Anything to win, right guys?

Like I said, a party of convenience. Remember the “nuclear option” the Repubs wanted to introduce a few years ago? They wanted to get rid of the filibuster. Cause being in charge of all 3 levels of government, just wasn’t quite enough power huh? Part of me was hoping it would go thru, because anyone with a brain saw that their reign would not last too long. They’re way too greedy for that.

But alas, they caught a break and it didn’t pass. Just like how Bristol will probably get a huge break. She’s lucky her mom’s a Republican.

let’s chalk another one up for abstinence only education!

Oh my. Sometimes I wonder if this whole life thing is a morality test. Like, if I make one too many jokes about easy targets…

Well, I’m sure I’ll get mine someday as well.

Speaking of getting some…

That Bristol Palin… Taking an example from the Jamie Lynn Spears, “How to make your mom look ridiculous” technique, and done got herself pregnant as a teen. Oh, an UNWED teen…

Man, does that crack me up a little. Cause it sure is nice to watch some Conservatives wring their hands trying to not admit that their ideas were…like usual…

WRONG!

I mean, talk about total Moral EPIC FAIL!!!

See, that’s what so god damn funny about these wannabe political types. They think knowing just one religion makes them qualified statesmen. So they talk about abortions, gays, abstinence. They make up some shit to scare the little children. And think they should be praised for their delusions! Unfortunately, Americans got Puritans in their blood, and tend to promote morons cause they have some uncanny ability to not be as ashamed as they should for their overwhelming lack of a single coherent thought.

You know the kind. The ones that are all high and mighty. They have a stupid idea, that doesn’t make any sense and usually relies on keeping information from people.

Like how Bush dragged our country into Iraq.

Or how millions of future Bristol Palin’s are kept in the dark about birth control.

Makes sense. These people think they should be praised for “Dark Ages” morality.

Aye, there’s the rub!

What is it with some people who are not only wrong about mostly everything, but they expect to be praised for making a mistake and continuing in that same direction. Just like how the Republican Yes Men will sing a song in unison, praising the “values” of young Bristol. (Damn, I got over a decade on this girl and think I’m too young for a baby!)

They’ll tote some made up values to cover up their own disgust. Cause according to the conservative stance on issues like these… sex is only for procreation, and is to be between husband and wife. That whole marriage thing. Oh, but they won’t slam Bristol. She’s the daughter of a Republican. Only Democrats are “fair game”.

I feel bad for this girl, I really do. But damn. Didn’t her mother teach her anything? I’m not for waiting til marriage, but at least use some protection! And she’s still in high school.

Yeah, I think this reflects poorly on Momma Sarah. I mean first off…

What kind of “mother” waits to give a speech after her water broke… then takes an 8 hour min flight to Alaska? All this while KNOWING she was gonna have a special needs child! Then, she wants to run for Vice President? Shit, I refuse to get a pet cause I have a full time job! If your child goes out and has a child herself at way too young an age, most likely, Mom, you fucked up!

Take care of your fucking kids first! Damn, obviously something is fucked up. Why else would her teenage daughter be out there having unprotected sex? Oh yeah… abstinence only.

How can you talk about family values when apparently, you don’t seem to want to spend any time with them? People like her spend more time lecturing about the evils of dancing, than seeing that her own kids are probably wanting some fucking attention.

She probably named her kids such ridiculous odd names so she’d be less likely to forget their names!

Ha ha, and to think that John McCain tried to compare Barack Obama to Britney Spears, when his VP’s daughter was emulating Jamie Lynn Spears!

and the fembot/stepford wife award of the day goes to…

Cindy McCain!

Best Part

STEPHANOPOULOS: But she has no national security experience.

McCAIN: You know, the experience that she comes from is what she’s done in government, and remember, Alaska is the closest part of our continent to Russia. It’s not as if she doesn’t understand what’s at stake here.

maybe you prayed too hard…

Yeah, cause I’m sure that’s what god wanted…

Though I myself am an atheist, I can’t help but chuckle at the irony of this.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/08/mccain-hurrican.html

Now what I want to know is… what’s the radical right’s spin on it this time. I mean, now it looks like the torrential downpour is happening during their convention. So what does Stuart Sheppard think now?

Does he think this is a message from god? Or since it doesn’t suit his selfish desires, perhaps he’ll just write it off as a coincidence?

I mean, who are they going to blame for god’s wrath this time? Is it the gays, lesbians, abortionists? And these guys have the nerve to claim liberals blame America first!

I fully believe that THESE are the actual people who are fucking up America. They are so divisive, and come on, they are CLEARLY INSANE!!!

What more proof do you need? Besides, Falwell wasn’t raptured like he said he would be, he just dropped the fuck dead. And then a million angels got their wings… ha ha

No seriously though, why doesn’t anyone ever point out how childish, selfish, and irrelevant these “religious” snake oil salesmen for what they are? They’re either plain morons, or political operatives.

A lot of these people should have their non-profit status revoked. And as a side note, Robertson and Falwell should be kissing our Constitution’s ass for being secularist. Cause who knows, maybe their beliefs aren’t in the majority either? Douchebags…

These people are fucking relentless. And they’ve injected non-issues into politics, so now we all ever talk about are their stupid irrelevant personal issues, and never about real things, like the budget or who are we secretly bombing this week…

Gay marriage and abortion are irrelevant issues when it comes to an election. Can we please vote on something that actually matters?

Special note for the religious folk…

Look in a mirror, and see how selfish you are being with your vote. Not all religious folk, but many wish to impose their religious beliefs into our government. They want the non-believers to be forced to live the way they want. Some people have been accustomed to receiving special privilages for so long, that whenever the playing field is leveled, they cry “persecution”. Shut up. You’re not being persecuted. And your false cries weaken the arguments of those who actually HAVE been persecuted. (Like Jesus)

That’s not fair and you know it. Nobody is forcing anyone into same sex marriage and if you don’t want an abortion, then don’t get one. This ain’t China, son. Also, the politicians know that you will vote for anyone who merely says they are anti-choice. So most likely, the very person you’re voting for is probably lying about their real feelings on abortion just to win.

And everytime, you stupid one issue people deliver. You make me fucking sick. So go, pray for rain… pretend that god likes you more than the dude sitting next to you… that god actually cares about your stupid petty childish problems… Damn… what about enjoying the life god gave you, instead of demanding he do this or that for you… Yet, I’m the heathen?

don’t use my gender as a pawn

People can make all the excuses they want, but the bottom line remains, that John McCain purposely chose Sarah Palin because she is a woman.

Not because she’s the most qualified.

Make no mistake about it. That is flat out sexist.

Voting for or against someone based on their gender is sexist.

It is so painfully transparent that a huge factor in McCain choosing a female VP, is because he wanted to snag some of the angry Hillary supporters.

Now how is that sexist?

Its based on the assumption that Hillary Clinton voters only supported her because she is a woman. This move insinuates that is was Hillary’s gender, not her policies, experience, nor her intellect, that attracted so much support. Its insulting to most Hillary supporters (cause there really are people in every group), its insulting to women, and its also insulting to men… who are smart enough to realize that McCain’s camp is banking on them to vote with their penis instead of their head. Why else choose someone as ridiculous as Palin? The number one first comment that I’ve heard out of EVERY man I heard support this “move” has been on her appearance.

If I hear one more man comment on her appearance, as if someone’s physical appearance has an impact on their actual character, I think my head just might explode. And I hope my brain splatters over some sexist pig, in the hopes that my vitriol might burn some fucking ignorance out of them.

How many of you have ever been sexually harassed by a boss? Let me tell you from multiple experiences. It was not fucking cool. Every single time, it was from a man who could fire me in an instant. I can’t even begin to count the multitude of instances I had to fucking endure. By the way, it’s real easy to say lawsuit, but I obviously put up with it cause I needed the money, or I was too young to realize it.

Do you understand how demeaning that is?

So when I see something like this, a move specially reserved to use my gender as a pawn, it infuriates me.

The choice of Palin is extremely fucking shallow. And to see people bending over backwards trying to say that its a brilliant move…

Correction:

It’s a desperate, shallow move. It’s a gambit.

I can’t believe I used to respect this man. I really did. I gave McCain a standing ovation, when he called out Falwell and Robertson as “agents of intolerance“. But then he started kissing Falwell’s ass cause he wanted to court the Radical Christian vote. I still respect his service to the military. But his lack of support on the GI Bill… yet another vote that McCain missed. I’m not enjoying making these criticisms of McCain. This is more out of sense of being betrayed, or outright conned.

As of late, I’ve come to see how superficial McCain really is. The “maverick” thing, is a marketing technique. I bet a lot of you would be surprised that he actually voted Republican, 88.3% overall. And its also true that he voted in agreement with Bush Jr., 90% of the time.

Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice…

This man does not shoot from the hip, otherwise he wouldn’t have to say that he does all the time. Overcompensating, anyone?

This is all calculated bait and switch. I got a lot of shit for it, but I knew Bush was a con from day one. And I’ll take a lot of shit now, but I won’t shut up about it.

McCain is not who he says he is. It’s one thing to change your mind. In fact, I tend to applaud it. But I despise it when it’s done for swaying votes, not out of change of heart.

It is because I no longer trust McCain, that I am highly suspicious of his VP choice. And I think I am not mistaken in the underhanded insult by such a choice. I mean come on, another beauty queen?

Another one?

Or how about this one?

Seriously, what is it with John McCain and trophy women? Not only is the choice shallow, but its superficial as well. Choosing a weak running mate who just happens to be pretty is not a coincidence. Given his triple choice of beauty queens, one can understand why it looks like a cynical and highly dickish move.

Don’t get mad at me cause I can see the patterns. They are on full display for all to see, and we have this thing called “a google“. Trust me, its kind of a big deal.

Please please please…

Just because people say something, doesn’t mean its true.

“i ain’t ever votin fer a n****r”: why is this election so close?

Ah, the end of August… the Democratic National Convention is wrapping up, and you can practically see the inner racists bubbling to the top.

“Oh shit! I didn’t think he’d actually make it this far…”

Right now, the presidential election should not even be close.

NOT EVEN CLOSE!

It should be painfully obvious that Obama blows McCain out of the water. On so many levels.

He’s smart. Remember what it was like to have a smart president?
McCain is a luddite. That’s bad business, period. Meanwhile, Obama knows more about modern tech than I do. And I sorta work in computers and am under the age of 30. That’s fucking impressive.

STOP BEING STUPID. The rest of the world fucking hates us. Normally, I wouldn’t give a shit. But now that religious fanatics (other than the ones already living here) are actively trying to kill us, um, I’d like the cooperation of the rest of the world. I’d rather just be defending against some radical groups than everyone else. Don’t you think the average Iranian would be less likely to hate us if our President DIDNT make jokes about bombing them?

How could anyone possibly vote for someone who’s kind of ok with the hellish 8 years of this Bush administration? Shit, McCain voted what… 90 something % alongside the “president”? AFTER all the shit Bush did to McCain in the 2000 primaries? That’s not a maverick, that’s not a leader, that’s a BITCH.

Older people, I’m sorry but anyone who doesn’t know what google is, has no business being the leader of even a girl scout meeting in today’s world. No seriously. That’s enough of the idiots and luddites. McCain can’t quite grasp “the google”, huh? So, basically everyone reading this blog has a better understanding of the internet than someone running for the most powerful position on the planet. And apparently, a lot of you people are ok with that?!?!?

How out of touch do you have to be? It’s not like google is brand spanking new, its TEN YEARS OLD!!! Shit, maybe if he googled more often, he would have realized that the Anbar province “successes” happened BEFORE the surge. I’m sure he hates youtube. I mean, didn’t he realize that all those video clips from prior years would come back to haunt him? I mean, the Republican party had the nerve to call John Kerry a flip flopper! Not only is he ignorant of “the google”, unaware of how friggin popular youtube is, and you think this guy is going to make an educated decision on net neutrality?

You want to see out of touch?

Now I assume he’s talking about immigrants and jobs going overseas, but let’s look at the example he gave. $50/hour to pick lettuce? Sign me up! Shit, I’d LOVE to make 100K by picking lettuce. I mean, it won’t make me $5mill, which is what McCain thinks is rich, it won’t buy me 7, 8, 9, or 10 houses.

What ever happened to decent character analysis? Seriously. Why doesn’t anyone else seem to question this man’s integrity about… caving into Bush, caving to the religious right, trying to cave to the extreme right. yet somehow gets away with the misleading nickname, “maverick”?!?! How is that not a perfect example of OPPORTUNISM or LACK OF INTEGRITY!

Obama should be kicking his ass up and down the electorate…

but he’s not…

Last night I got to witness a perfect example of how friggin racist even democrats are. I was over my boyfriend’s friend’s apartment last night. The 3 of us were gathered to watch the convention. Our host gets a phone call from one of his friends. This guy, let’s just call him “Strom”.

Back in 2004, I used to hang more with “Strom” cause I was cool with his girlfriend. Back then, I was an assistant director for MoveOn.org’s GOTV campaign. Yeah, I was kinda high up there. But anyhow, I was touring the country before being finally stationed in Florida. Before I left, “Strom” and my friend made a little care package for me. All anti-Bush, anti-Republican stuff.

Shit, even after I returned from the great stolen defeat, for the past few years its been,

“Yo, wtf is up with these Republicans? Why are they so fucking stupid? How could anyone vote Republican?”

His words, not mine.

So now, after 8 years of bashing Bush and being all about the Democrats… now that Obama is the nominee…

“Eh, I’ve been leaning more towards McCain.”

“What? WHY?”

“Michelle Obama’s speech had racial undertones, I didn’t see it, but my dad told me”

Then I remembered. Oh yeah, his girlfriend doesn’t like black people. Which is funny because she’s a Pakistani Muslim. Oh NORTH Pakistan, my bad… she’s LIGHTER.

The two of them really are similar in that aspect. I’ve heard them numerous times insinuate that black people are somehow “different”. Or “not as smart”. They take the false Duke rape allegations, and condemn an entire tint of skin because of it.

Kinda like McCain calling all Asians “gooks”.

It’s weird. Growing up realizing that, “yeah… mad people are racist…friends and family”

But living in NY made me really think otherwise.

“Oh at least here, in the city, people know better…”

Nah man, it’s everywhere. And you know what, a lot of hipsters, yuppies, yupsters, liberals are fucking racist too! It’s a soft kind. They know to speak PC, but its the type of white dudes that talk differently to black dudes. Like all black people are “hood”. That sort of shit…

I think a lot of closet racists didn’t think Obama would really get this far. Oh sure, mad people say they’ll vote for Obama, but let’s see how they really are once they go to the voting booth. I bet you they don’t even realize their racism. That or spoonfuls of denial and self forgiveness. They’ll come up with some stupid made up thing, like saying Michelle’s speech was filled with “racial undertones”. Yet when asked to clarify, it’s always some pathetic excuse that makes no sense.

Christ, these are people who have been against the Iraq invasion since day 1! How could you POSSIBLY be for McCain if you disagree with this war? That makes no sense.

Honestly, I think a lot of people have an inner redneck that feels Obama is too “uppity” and should be “put in his proper place” or some shit like that. I’m not saying all McCain supporters are like this. But Obama should be kicking the shit out of him right now. And I really can’t see any other reason why.

The McCain Mirage

The following is the first image that came to mind when John McCain won the Republican candidacy.

It’s definitely one of my better caricatures, in my “not-that-humble” opinion. I understand that people can lose their cool. Believe me, with a pen name like “angrygirl”, I am all too familiar with the many different types of rages that boil within. If you’re gonna be a crochity old man, then at the very least, make sure you direct your indignation to those worthy of it!

Personally, I think my drawing captures the essence of McCain way more than his melodramatic soldier story. If McCain was a Democrat, you can bet your ass that not only would his military service be attacked, his patriotism would be questioned as well. It amuses me that he complains of the imaginary media bias favoring Obama, considering the free passes he’s be given.

Keating 5, anyone?

People would be burning Obama effigies if he showed even the slightest empathy with the plight of the Palestinians. Yet, people seem to have no problem with McCain speaking at Jerry Falwell’s Liberty “University”, despite having condemned him only a few years prior.

Man, this guy has really created an alternate version of himself. I love how he fronts like he’s some “maverick”, when really, he’s just another opportunistic detached douchebag. He’s not the man he pretends to be, and by a long shot. If you gave an honest assessment of this man’s real character, you’ll see that he’s only a maverick of appearances. Not of actual substance.

People’s candid moments speak volumes.

Lets take a look at some mature, maverick foreign policy…

Yes, that’s the “best” candidate the Republican party has to offer. It amazes me that people have finally realized how bad it is to have a moron in office, yet they see no similarity in someone actually JOKING about BOMBING a country that is already at odds with us. Great show of diplomacy, asshole. I’m sure the Iranians can’t wait to sign a peace accord with us now!

McCain seems unable to provide consistent answers so his handlers have ended that whole “Straight Talk Express”. Isn’t that what he was campaigning on? Shooting from the hip? Guess that was also part of the McCain Mirage. Cause when he shoots from the hip, he can’t even tell you how many houses he owns.

WOW!

In a time of foreclosures and the mortgage crisis, McCain can think only of how popular Obama is, yet can’t tell you how many fucking houses he owns? And we’re supposed to believe he’s an accurate representative of the American people?

Well, he might be callous enough for the role. I mean, below is McCain celebrating his birthday with “President” Bush. Oh, by the way, that was the day of that whole Katrina disaster. Nothing major, just poor black people. I mean, God obviously didn’t like them in the first place, ain’t that right, spiritual advisor to McCain?

Mccain ate cake, while New Orleans drowned

Oh but I kid you, red blooded America… At least he wasn’t playing the fiddle while Rome burned…

A modern day Nero, Bush putzes around while celebrating McCain's birthday.

Speaking of Bush, did anyone else lose respect for McCain for how he pussied out when Bush attacked him in the 2000 primaries? The real maverick thing to have done would be to continue running as an Independant, and stand up for being real, not for caving in to the typical political slander. Nope, McCain, like so many abuse victims, came to admire his tormentor.

Think about this, 5 years of torture in Vietnam, and you retain your loyalty. (Despite making 32 propaganda videos for the Communists. Yeah I know he was tortured, but if you consider Bush’s new definition, then McCain may not have been tortured.) Yet being a Republican senator has you, taking back the true statement of Jerry Falwell being an “agent of intolerance” by speaking at a “university” that bans interracial dating? Is being a Republican senator that torturous?

Damn. I’m of mixed ethnicity… Half Italian and half Chinese, which reminds me…

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/hongop.shtml

So, not only has he joked about bombing Iran, apparently he neglected to make the distinction between those who tortured him, and all Asian people in general. Ok, so only HALF of me is insulted, the other half is disgusted.

Why? Cause I know that most people think, “well that’s not me, so I’m cool with him”.

Uh, an injustice to one group of people is an injustice to all. It’s an insult to the very idea of freedom and equality, and I for one, do not trust an individual who is so quick to categorize an entire nationality, let alone have their finger on the red button. I would never give someone who jokes about bombing another country the responsibility of having their “finger on the red button”. But I’m just a lowly voter. Neither party really addresses any of my real concerns.

But damn, can we PLEASE stop voting for the asshole, just because he’s good at playing dress-up?

goodbye blue monday… my return to the middle class

black pinstripe pants… CHECK

button down doucher blouse… CHECK

shoes that aren’t sneakers… CHECK

glasses… CHECK

briefcase with no contents of general importance… CHECK

************************************************************

Ah yes, my friends, I have once again re-entered that highly sought after financial status of “not as broke”. Being that I was a “genius” in choosing to major in Fine Arts, that is QUITE an accomplishment. That, and the fact that I’ve never had the slightest interest in heroin or crappy indie rock… (see previous entry for my thoughts on indie rock)

I had worked the corporate gig a few years back. Well, sort of corporate… I never really had to dress like a douche except for meetings with clients. God I always hated those…

This job is different. I have always done more of the creative/graphic side of things, now, I’ll be doing mostly coding and other techie stuff. I’m kinda stoked. I like being one of the few female techies. I’m proud of myself for getting a traditionally male job.

So today I had to go down to my new impending job and fill out some paperwork and get a photo ID so I can enter the damn building. I felt like a republican today. I kinda looked like a Jehovah’s Witness with my dark slacks and white striped douche blouse. Perhaps I’ll post a picture of my new ID. I have my hair tied tightly back, and boy, do I look like a major douche. But hey, I’m in cognito! When I got home, I rang the doorbell instead, just to teasingly proselytize my boyfriend.

“Hey baby, how’d work go?”

“Did you hear about the Good News?”

“Huh?”

“That Jesus, Our Lord & Saviour, has died for our sins!”

::door closes::

Ha ha, kidding.

Anyhow, I definitely had a good time joking about “stock options” and “401k’s”. I gotta fit in any way I can. I made a huge mistake at my last job, being so openly rebellious and anti-corporate douchebaggery. One should never give anyone a reason to be considered a target. This time, I figure I’ll try to be one of the squares. Besides, I get to move up a tax bracket again. I can dress like a douche for the cash.

Bleh, I think I’m so smart… let’s put that to the test. If I really am as intelligent as I conceitedly think I am, I should be able to manage this new temp gig and see if it’s worth going into a permanent position. I should be able to pass off as a typical corporate slave, with a little self control in keeping my big opinionated mouth shut!

Whoa. I’ll be getting a steady paycheck again for a little while. Being a freelance artist definitely has its perks, but freelance anything means there will be rough times. There’s no avoiding that. Every once in a while, a kick ass job comes along meaning I only have to work a few months out of the year.

I hope I can maintain the discipline of the modest lifestyle I’ve grown accustomed to. I truly value the freedom that goes along with sporadic employment and meager funding. Plus, when you’re broke, it’s easier to tell who your real friends are, but I digress…

It’s also been a childhood dream to be working downtown NYC’s financial district. I never dreamed that I would be working “in computers”, yet there I was this morning. Wearing snarky glasses, dressed like a douche, with briefcase in hand. One of these days, I’m going to walk up and down Wall Street, shouting into my cellphone to some imaginary call,

“I SAID SELL, GOD DAMN IT!!!”

or

“YOU’RE FIRED!!!”

Even though I’m a web designer, nobody would know anyways! Besides, I now have the douche uniform, so nobody’d suspect a thing. When in Rome…

Speaking of, I should practice my watercooler talk.

“So how about those Mets/Yankees/Knicks/Jets?”

Ugh… this shall be an interesting experiment. I like to view “work” as a means to pay for my next trip to Amsterdam, Hawaii, or where ever my heart desires. Hmm. I should buy a book on learning Dutch…

IK SPREEK GEEN NEDERLANDS!!!