Tonight...

So the day is finally upon us. In a few hours we'll know who the next president is. Kind of intense. I'm scared Obama might lose but if he does I really hope McCain returns to the old well respected senator and not the guy saying whatever he can to get a vote. He used to be an awesome dude and if he wins, I'm hoping that he is satisfied and stops being a dick. Just a couple things I wanted to mention

- I didn't get a sticker this morning when I voted which is pretty sad.
- I felt kind of giddy after connecting the arrows next to Barack's name
- My dad just became a citizen last year after 35 years in this country and never thought the first time he would vote would be for a black president
- If Barack wins, I can't wait for the extreme white racists start going crazy
- I hope it doesn't take all night to figure out (i'm already kind of tired)

Anyways, I'll talk about the Iverson trade next time. Too many thoughts right now to go over it. As always, go big or go home. If you haven't done so yet, get out there. You still have a couple hours to get your vote in. As long as you are in line before it closes, they have to let you vote.

-M, p, z & shredder

oh ps - this was awesome. so glad i was at state for this

Govt. 101...

With the election only a short 10 days away, it still amazes me how little people know. Not just about the candidates, but about government in general. This is one case where I don't entirely blame people. Sure it is up to every person to take a sincere interest in the way government works, but if you don't want to there's nothing anyone can do to make you. But, they can make you learn about it in school. I think the last time we learned about government was in 8th grade. I was 13. I couldn't vote for another 5 years. Why on earth was that the last time they tried to teach me about government.

You know what I was doing when I was 13? Playing Magic: The Gathering. It's absurd to think that I would pay enough attention to retain all that information years later when it was my time to vote. Why do I even need to know that in 8th grade? Not that I am opposed to teaching government at an early age. I think the early you start doing it the better. But it's not really as simple as addition. It should be taught early and then built upon for years in high school and then really focused on wen you are 17 or 18. Senior year of high school should be spent talking about lobbyists and special interests and where money is spent and how to figure out which candidate is right for you. You can't expect to learn everything you need to know about voting just by listening to a couple people argue about issues for a few months. I need to know where money is going and why I should vote a certain way on a certain issue. For as little as America knows about the rest of the world, we also don't know anything about our own country. We are a nation filled with people who just don't care and even worse, are allowed to vote based on nothing.

Sure voting is a right, but it should be treated as a privilege. People should not be allowed to vote based on some inherited view of politics for what their uncle or some random person thinks. It should be based on your own principals and thoughts. I know too many people who are voting for Obama but have no idea why. They say they want change but don't know which Bush policies they want changed. They'll say, "I like his ideas on health care," but have no idea what those ideas are. I have made it a point over the last year to involve myself in this election and learn all I can about the candidates. It started before the primaries and I made a serious effort to learn about every democratic candidate I could. Unfortunately Michigan didn't have a Primary so my effort was somewhat fruitless. But the point is that I still don't know everything I should. I can't imagine trying to jump in this late and decide.

To nutshell a little bit, I think people are idiots and many don't deserve to vote or don't know enough to. Also, I'm scared McCain might win. I'm out. Go big or go home.

-M, p, z & shredder

Crazy Lady...

So SNL spoofed that crazy lady from that video I posted a couple days ago. It's ridiculous. You've probably already seen this but if you haven't, watch the original first. Kristen Wiig continues to crack my sh*t up.



Go big...

-M, p, z & shredder

Joe Somebody...

Really? Joe? If that old creepy dude calls me 'my friend' one more time, I might punch him square in the nose. He's not my friend. I have friends who are republicans. He is not one of them. That debate last night continued to reveal McCain to be a crotchety old man who doesn't understand what he's doing. He keeps on attacking Obama like a 12 year old would. I'm sure if he spent more time explaining his plans, people would listen more. Instead he's always trying to poke holes in Obama's ideas and 'record' but Barack always seems to have the right thing to say back. If it comes down to a war of words Obama is gonna take it. Unfortunately it doesn't. It comes down to crazy people who think Palin would be good for the country. Regardless, I'll stop talking about politics for a second.

Has anyone been watching TV lately? Not the news but programming. I haven't really but I have seen some good ones. If you aren't a fan of Chuck and didn't heed my advice from last year, it's a good show so check it out. It's on right before Heroes (which I haven't seen yet this season but I hear it's better than last (thank god for Tivo)). Also FX has a show on wed nights called Sons of Anarchy. It's not bad. Sort of Sopranos meets Biker Gang. I don't remember exactly the state their from but I think it's in New Mexico maybe? It's on wed nights and it's worth a watch if you're bored. Grey's is actually pretty good so far this year. Not ridiculous but better than last season. Other than that I have seen nothing. What's good? Anything new? I'm boycotting that show "The Mentalist" because it is essentially a rip-off of Psych (best show on tv period) only it doesn't look like it's funny. My hatred of CBS grows stronger by the day. Despite my pleas and amazement, Two and a Half Men continues to dominate. It's people like that that make me think McCain is going to win.

Still no luck on the permanent job front. I've been applying to Nonprofits and Productions companies still. I guess wherever I get a job first will determine my life. I'm just sort of going with it. Catering will have to make do for now but I would really prefer a full time gig with benefits and a salary. Also, I'm working on some new scripts so if anyone has any ideas or wants to collaborate let me know, I need someone to bounce ideas off of.

Anyways, I guess that's it. Go big...

-M, p, z & shredder

White People...

Brown Guy posted this on the book and it sort of represents why I'm scared why Obama might lose. People honestly think like this and it's scary. I love how being a Muslim is equated with killing and bombing. Americans are awesome.



-M, p, z & shredder

ps - little bit of shocking news, Terrance Howard will not be returning to do Iron Man 2. Not exactly sure why yet but sources say it was financial issues along with other things. I hate when characters get replaced (except Maggie for Katie in Dark Knight). Luckily he's being replaced by Don Cheadle who is one of my favorite actors. It's strange, I don't like characters changing but the one thing I was mildly disappointed with was the character of Col. Rhodes. Hopefully Cheadle can make me forget all about Howard. I'm hoping Cheadle turns into War Machine and that he looks like this...

Octoberfest...

Sorry I haven't blogged in a bit. If you recall I was reliving my youth back in Lansing for homecoming. I've never actually been to homecoming when I didn't already live in Lansing so it was always more of a home-staying. But it was an awesome drunken weekend and state won again and is finally ranked. This season is going kind of awesome so far (fingers crossed) and I'm kind of jealous of other schools that get to have a good football team ever year. Although a lot is to be said about rooting for a bad team forever and being there when they are good. Not that they have won anything or whatever, and we have been ranked at least a few years since I've been a fan, but not usually 6 weeks into the season. I tried to make a documentary about the weekend and homecoming and I tried to capture what it was like but it turned out pretty bad. Essentially it started out the way subarau diaries starts out but then rapidly evolves into me being drunk and/or tired and getting drunk for almost all of it. I'll still try and piece something together because there are some funny parts but it's kind of silly.

Other than that I have pretty much lost all respect of McCain. As I pointed out before, he is senile, but now he's added crotchety, creepy and liar to that list. Did everyone watch the debate last night? He was pretty much hunched over, stiff and creepy throughout the whole thing. Whenever someone asked a question he sort of waddled over and got uncomfortably close without touching them but kind of like the close-talker in Seinfeld and then would spout off some contorted lie about Obama and what he wants to do. I think there were maybe 3 times when Barack stopped Brokaw from talking and pretty much said McCain can't get away with saying what he just said. Overall I thought Obama did great and was very clear and calm and I think any undecided middle class voter would be an idiot not to vote for him. I do think somehow McCain held his ground a little bit and through his bitter old man routine, got through to some republicans.



Sarah Palin is a hot mess though. Seriously. Aside from accusing Obama of hanging out with terrorists in his spare time, she is lying about all of his plans and what he wants to do. I don't see how she or McCain can constantly keep trying to tell people that he is going to raise their taxes. It's absurd. It seems more absurd than usual. Blatantly lying to people by telling half truths is always how you win elections but Palin is like a bench player talking trash during a championship series; they really have no idea what is going on or how to play the game but they feel like they are the truth.

Anyways not a whole lot is going on otherwise. It's kind of silly. I need to do something. I'm still applying to non-profits and have found some really good ones and I'm hoping to hear back but chances are I'm not qualified. I promise next blog I'll talk about something other than myself. I'm out. Go big..

-M, p, z & shredder

Bailout...

I'm not that financial savvy (and please correct me if I'm wrong), but from what I could tell the $700 billion bailout yesterday would have been a good thing. Right? I mean the sole purpose behind it was to help people out in the long run. I don't know all the details to it because the bill was 104 pages long, but from what I gather it was supposed to help people to spend more thus nourishing the economy. Some people would have preferred the money went straight to the people to rejuvenate the economy themselves, but the problem I have with that is that it wouldn't do any good. Most people, myself included, would take that money and spend it on paying off their debts. Mortgages, loans, credit cards, bills. That's what I would do and that doesn't really help the economy.

The bill would have made it easier for people to get things like cars, homes, groceries or whatever, despite poor credit. It also did not bail out top execs and high grossing companies. It seemed like a good thing despite an increase in taxes. Now I don't make a lot or at least I don't plan on making a lot so any more taxes is really gonna dip into any disposable income I might have. But the whole point of this is to increase the ability to spend. People aren't going to spend unless a bailout happens (again correct me if I'm wrong) so why didn't this pass?












It didn't seem to be just one party, though there were more Republicans who opposed it than Dems. I think I read that members of the House were worried that if they voted for the bailout their constituents would not reelect them. How selfish and cowardly can people be. They are elected to make these tough decisions. That's the reason people vote for them; to do the right thing. How can it be that they are worried about themselves and not the welfare of the people they supposedly represent.

Hopefully another bill comes up, one that is a little easier for people to digest because if it doesn't who knows what will happen. Obviously I don't know what it was like before the Depression, but if the fear mongers are right and we are headed toward another Depression, it would suck that it happened because people were too scared to pass a bill. I don't condone bailing out these companies that don't care about people and exploit every penny they can out of us, but sometimes you just gotta say what the f*ck.

Anyways, that was just on my mind so I thought I'd see what other people think. I'm not sure exactly what needs to happen but something does because from what I learned in my couple years as an Econ major, we are not headed in the right direction. I would not be surprised if we went into another Depression. It's been heading that way for years and it seems like all it needs is another big thing to happen (or not happen) to make us fall into a Depression. High prices, low wages, no jobs, no credit, foreclosed houses, etc. I mean if that doesn't say Depression I don't know what does.

Go big

-M, p, z & shredder

oh ps - remember just a few weeks ago when McCain said the economy was healthy and in fine shape. God help us if he wins...

McCain is Senile...

It happens to a lot of old people. They start to lose their memory. They start to remember things differently. They are unable to answer questions that they are asked and instead go off on some tangent about nothing related. It's like on the Cosby show when Dr. Huxtable would try and tell a story about something but inevitably it would end up about his days at Hilman and when he was a kid. So it doesn't strike me as odd that it happened to McCain. He's an old dude and that's what happens to old people. They lose their minds. You ask them a simple question and you get a ridiculous answer.



I stole this from that guy over at the Revue but it's worth a repost.



Recently though, he has gotten out of control. Remember back in 2000 how McCain wasn't crazy? I remember thinking that I hope Gore wins, but McCain isn't the worst that could happen. That was almost a decade ago. Since then he crossed into his 70's and lost his mind. This guy is over 70 years old. I don't even want my parents to work in the yard too long or do anything too stressful because they're old and they are a decade younger than McCain. He has gone senile. He forgot everything he used to stand for and has lost all of his principals. I used to respect him. Remember when people wanted him to come over to to the Democrats? People thought he could transcend party lines. But he stayed on the Dark side. He's kind of like Darth Vader. He used to be good but then got too tempted by power. Then he became everything the Sith represented: power crazy and loyal to people who only cared about money and power. Right now he is at the point where he cuts off Luke's hand. He's got Han Solo frozen in carbonite and we are all just shocked at what is happening. Hopefully the rest of this election process goes like Star Wars did and the good guys win, but so far we haven't gotten to the good part when he comes to his senses and he throws the Emperor (George Bush) into the main reactor of the Death Star.



Anyways, I'm out. Go big.

-M, p, z & shredder

Uh...Um...

I can't speak for everyone here, but I can remember growing up and being told not to use the word 'um.' Not like it was a bad word, just that it made a sound that evokes an absence of thought. By saying 'uh' or 'um' you were decreasing the value of your words. I used to agree with this theory. It sounds silly coming out of my mouth. Mostly because I don't have a simple 'uh' or 'um.' I tend to say, "ummmmmmmmm uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh." Basically I sound like an idiot.

Never before has someone made the words 'uh' and 'um' sound so smart as when Barack Obama does it. It's actually strangely refreshing to hear those forbidden public speaking words. I have grown so used to the idiotic chuckle of Bush that I forgot what it was like when someone important speaks. W literally turned my brain into a bowl of broccoli and cheese soup. But hearing Obama use the words 'uh' and 'um' brings tears to my eyes. To think that there is actually someone out there who doesn't have every thing planned out is incredible. Someone who actually thinks about the words that are going to come out of his mouth. Listening to him answer questions is real. He takes his time to think about it and answers them with careful insight. As opposed to Bush who would make a joke about something that could possibly be slightly related and then move off topic.

Also, with less than 55 days to go, this election is getting real. I can't wait for the debates and I especially can't wait for the VP debate. Actually any debate. McCain is considerably outmatched when it comes to being able to answer questions and provide a real answer other than quoting some stump speech and Palin is gonna do about as well against Biden as I would. It's going to be interesting.



Is it just me or was he almost Michael Douglas a la The American President here. I feel like Obama has almost covered all of these areas in the last week or so. He's said about McCain recently, "It's not that he doesn't care, it's that he doesn't get it." "Let's talk about the issues." "Say what you want about me..." It's like the Obama camp called in Aaron Sorkin to write a few things down for them but Sorkin just told them to watch his movie...



Anyways, I'm out. Go big.

-M, p, z & shredder