Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Calling in favors

I need all of you to send out your thoughts and prayers for my buddy Asim. He'll need them right now.

:(

I'm sorry, Asim. Better fortune.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

He's done a great job on you, you know

"He's done a great job on you, y'know. Your self esteem is like a notch below Kafka's."
- Manhattan

I don't have self esteem issues. I don't have any self esteem, so how could it be an issue?

...what? What's that look for?

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Just a parting shot

On one last note about politics, I give you the lyrics to Chuck Brodsky's song "He Came To Our Town", the greatest song about politics ever. It sums up the whole thing perfectly. It's only half as awesome without the music, but it'll have to do.

He Came To Our Town

He came to our town for maybe an hour
The streets they got swept and they planted some flowers
Babies he kissed and to the people he waved
And he stopped at a Civil War general's grave

He struck just the right pose, he hit just the right chord
When he spoke of the family, and then of the Lord
He addressed the concerns of the common man
And he spoke of the glory of this mighty land

He had just the right color and his smile was fixed
His wardrobe assembled from a bagful of tricks
And he had gobs of make-up that were caked on his face
Starch in his collar, every hair was in place

His wife stood beside him, his daughter did too
Behind them, a flag with the red, white, and blue
Balloons from the rafters they fell to the floor
Oh, happy days were gonna be here once more

He said all the right words, he quoted Bob Dylan songs
He sounded hip even though he quoted them wrong
His closets were cleaned and his history revised
So his record would be spotless in most people's eyes

He could sell you a war and he could revoke your rights
And still come off as your friend in the camera lights
And he'll run negative ads if he has to to win
He'll go back on his word and he will shed his old skin

I was not touched by this guy in the least
He was no savior nor was he the beast
But I have to admit that they staged a good show
It was all reminiscent of four years ago

When he came to our town for maybe an hour
The streets they got swept and they planted some flowers
Babies he kissed and to the people he waved
And he stopped at a Civil War general's grave

After an hour they whisked him away
Things went back to normal, it took two or three days
The homeless returned to living outside
And the flowers that they planted they all wilted and died

He came to our town for maybe an hour
The streets they got swept and they planted some flowers

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Let's take him out back

[Sydney is unaware the President is listening]
Sydney Ellen Wade: Your boss is the chief executive of fantasy land!
President Andrew Shepherd: Well, let's take him out back and beat the shit out of him!
- The American President

Well, the election is upon us. I shall try to avoid partisanship (*cough*GO OBAMA*cough*), but I hope everyone got out there and voted. I'm curious to see what the voter turnout will be. I voted this morning. I've been looking forward to it, even avoiding early voting because I want to be part of the event. I'm proudly wearing the sticker. It's amazing the power a sticker can have. I've become more and more interested in politics as I've gotten older. Part of it is the natural sense of civic duty that comes from aging. Part of it comes from the fact that my source of income is dependent on federal funding. I'm not above my wallet. Less wars, more sciences please.

A rotator in my lab is hosting an election returns party tonight (a Dip for Obama party...). I'm not going. For one, I'm not particularly fond of this person. She comes off as very girly girl, very flibbertigibbet, and I don't like that personality type. I could be wrong. This is once again me avoiding a possibility of meeting new people. Shut up, I don't want to hear it. And for two, my mother is going to call tonight to discuss the results, which I can't really do at a party. Plus it would cut into my WoW time.

So I'm going to follow my election night tradition (at least I'm making it my tradition). I'm going to watch the election results while drinking Jim Beam rye whiskey (that stuff'll put hair on your chest) until I get bored and play WoW with the election results in the background. There is only so much fun I can have with this. It just won't be the same without James, Matt and Tasha. Some of the best fun of my life hanging with them watching election results and debates.

I miss you guys. I really miss you guys.

Besides, we won't know the results for sure until tomorrow morning. And, in the end, whoever wins president, it won't really matter. And that's a good thing. Those founding fathers were really damn smart. While some of the specifics may need to change, the underlying principle behind our system of government is built to make sure that no single person can really screw up this country that much. Division of power, checks and balances. Sure the president is the single most powerful person in the country (ok, outside of Bill Gates. And Tom Brady. And Alan Greenspan. But you get my meaning) but he/she isn't all powerful. I love this country.

Oh, and Blue/Kev, just to prove I'm not completely a partisan, I didn't vote democrat down the line. I voted for the libertarian gubernatorial candidate and a couple republican local offices. A judicial seat, the coroner, couple other places.

*walks away humming the Battle Hymn of the Republic*