This...THIS RIGHT HERE...is why I love Nick Jr!!

Oh geez...my stomach is still hurting from laughing so hard at this. I SWORE I had heard this before, but never saw it again. Then, just now while I was on the computer, I heard this clip in the background. I immediately hit youtube looking for it, and SUCCESS!! I know I have a "unique" sense of humor at times, but if you don't find this funny as hell, there's got to be something wrong with you. lol Wait until it reaches 1:30 and be prepared to laugh. lol

I Needed This Day So Bad

Those of you who read the blog that I wrote just last night are aware of how discouraged I am right now. I'm not enjoying myself in Bakersfield at all, and I was very depressed last night because I saw no light at the end of the tunnel. After writing that blog, I made up my mind that I was going to go spend the day in LA today. I asked Raena if she wanted to go, and she said no. I didn't care. I was going to go regardless. I'd take Michael with me if I had to, and she could have the house to herself for the day. But I needed to do something for me, and I was going to do it and nothing was going to stop me. I had to find SOME way to cheer myself up.

When she woke up this morning, Raena, still seemingly in a poor mood, said that she had changed her mind and was down with going to LA if I wanted to. That was fine with me. She could come if she want. If she did have an attitude, I was not going to allow it to bring me down and ruin my day. I had too much riding on it. I had reached my lowest point. I had to find a way to pick myself up. So, after packing up every thing we would need, we headed toward Los Angeles at about 11:45 am. I can say in all honesty that not only was today the best day I've had since I left Detroit, it was one of the best days I've had in YEARS.

I had a friend who lived in Hollywood, Jeremy. He said he was free for part of the day and would be cool with meeting up with me and showing me around a bit. I headed straight for Hollywood, specifically, Hollywood Blvd. Now, I have been to LA and Hollywood before. I was young at the time, but old enough to remember it. However, you all must keep in mind that this is the life I always envisioned for myself. As a kid, I was too young to appreciate it. After years of studying film, Hollywood, TV, and music...I knew this was what I wanted. I still don't know in what capacity, but I know now for sure that is the life for me. It was magical. As you can see in the pictures I uploaded, I got to walk around and take pictures of places I have always dreamed of being. I got to walk along the walk of fame and snap pictures of the stars on the ground that represented all the greats.I got to see the Kodak Theater and the Chinese Theater. I got to go in a ton of cool gift shops and get some great souvenirs. Basically, I got to spend my day taking in every bit of the atmosphere that I one day hope to immerse myself in. It was everything I've ever wanted and dreamed of.

Everything just seemed to go right today. In my previous blog, I had talked about how I was discouraged because I couldn't go to LA because our car seemed to struggle to get through the hills. Apparently, it was because of the fact that our entire lives were packed in the car on the way here. The entire trunk was full, as was the entire front of the car, save for my seat, Raena's, and Michael's. Today, with no load, the trip was a BREEZE. I was immediately in a better mood because now I knew that I could go as often as I like, with respect to the cost of gas. Secondly, Jeremy told me that he lives by himself and he's cool with me crashing over at his crib sometime. He's currently working on the new prequel to "The Da Vinci Code" and he said if I come on a Friday after he gets off work, maybe he can introduce me to some people in the biz. It's nothing special, but I GREATLY appreciate the gesture and it was wonderful just to hear. I'm COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY JEALOUS of him. Third, I got a free ticket to see Bill Maher!!!!!!!!!!!! I've always wanted to see him live. Now, on Thursday, I can go to Hollywood and see him rehearse for his show!!

Surprisingly, the thing that really sent the day through the atmosphere was the time we spent at Raena's aunt's house. She lives about 6 miles from Hollywood Blvd, so it was no big deal to go visit. Normally, I HATE being around other people's family. I ESPECIALLY hate it the very first time when I don't know them. Her aunt and cousin were sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo nice. I was so comfortable there, they were so cool. We were there for 4 hrs, and I didn't look at my watch once. I can't stress how unusual that is for me. I'm EXTREMELY anti-social, but I really enjoyed myself. We all talked, her aunt cooked, Jr seemed to love them. Everything went perfectly. To top it all off, her aunt likes Michael so much (and he likes her) that she said she'd try to make sure she was available to watch him so I could go see Bill Maher. That's an amazing gesture to make for someone you just met. But we were all so comfortable with one another, and I'm very thankful for that.

Overall, today was just a wonderful day. I have hope again. I can go to LA. I can visit Jeremy. I can go to a club in HOLLYWOOD of all places! I can have fun. I can meet people in the movie biz (possibly). Whenever I want, I can go spend time in a place that I've always dreamed of being. I can be around people who are living the life I want to live, and hopefully that will motivate me. I'm going to try to go see The Tonight Show, The Price Is Right, Real Time with Bill Maher, and any other show that comes to mind. I'm going to try to do it up as much as I can. Then, to top it all off, I feel as if I have more family out here. I just met Raena's aunt, but she's such a genuinely kind and enjoyable person that I'd happily welcome her into my life. I really enjoy meeting cool people. So as you all know, I really needed today. Hopefully now I can drag my heart of the mud and, as Renaldo recommended, focus on my hope for the future. Peep the pics, and I'll be sure to keep you all updated with all that is going on with me out here, because I know some of you have to be worried about my mental state. lol

I hope this isn't true, but I wouldn't be surprised if it is.

Alaskans Speak (In A Frightened Whisper): Palin Is “Racist, Sexist, Vindictive, And Mean”

September 5, 2008

by Charley James –

“So Sambo beat the bitch!”

This is how Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin described Barack Obama’s win over Hillary Clinton to political colleagues in a restaurant a few days after Obama locked up the Democratic Party presidential nomination.

According to Lucille, the waitress serving her table at the time and who asked that her last name not be used, Gov. Palin was eating lunch with five or six people when the subject of the Democrat’s primary battle came up. The governor, seemingly not caring that people at nearby tables would likely hear her, uttered the slur and then laughed loudly as her meal mates joined in appreciatively.

“It was kind of disgusting,” Lucille, who is part Aboriginal, said in a phone interview after admitting that she is frightened of being discovered telling folks in the “lower 48” about life near the North Pole.

Then, almost with a sigh, she added, “But that’s just Alaska.”

Racial and ethnic slurs may be “just Alaska” and, clearly, they are common, everyday chatter for Palin.

Besides insulting Obama with a Step-N’-Fetch-It, “darkie musical” swipe, people who know her say she refers regularly to Alaska’s Aboriginal people as “Arctic Arabs” – how efficient, lumping two apparently undesirable groups into one ugly description – as well as the more colourful “mukluks” along with the totally unimaginative “f**king Eskimo’s,” according to a number of Alaskans and Wasillians interviewed for this article.

But being openly racist is only the tip of the Palin iceberg. According to Alaskans interviewed for this article, she is also vindictive and mean. We’re talking Rove mean and Nixon vindictive.

No wonder the vast sea of white, cheering faces at the Republican Convention went wild for Sarah: They adore the type, it’s in their genetic code. So much for McCain’s pledge of a “high road” campaign; Palin is incapable of being part of one.

Tough Getting People Who Know Her to Talk
It’s not easy getting people in the 49th state to speak critically about Palin – especially people in Wasilla, where she was mayor. For one thing, with every journalist in the world calling, phone lines into Alaska have been mostly jammed since Friday; as often as not, a recording told me that “all circuits are busy” or numbers just wouldn’t ring. I should think a state that’s been made richer than God by oil could afford telephone lines and cell towers for everyone.

On a more practical level, many people in Alaska, and particularly Wasilla, are reluctant to speak or be quoted by name because they’re afraid of her as well as the state Republican Party machine. Apparently, the power elite are as mean as the winters.

“The GOP is kind of like organized crime up here,” an insurance agent in Anchorage who knows the Palin family, explained. “It’s corrupt and arrogant. They’re all rich because they do private sweetheart deals with the oil companies, and they can destroy anyone. And they will, if they have to.”

“Once Palin became mayor,” he continued, “She became part of that inner circle.”

Like most other people interviewed, he didn’t want his name used out of fear of retribution. Maybe it’s the long winter nights where you don’t see the sun for months that makes people feel as if they’re under constant danger from “the authorities.” As I interviewed residents it began sounding as if living in Alaska controlled by the state Republican Party is like living in the old Soviet Union: See nothing that’s happening, say nothing offensive, and the political commissars leave you alone. But speak out and you get disappeared into a gulag north of the Arctic Circle for who-knows-how-long.

Alright, that’s an exaggeration brought on by my getting too little sleep and building too much anger as I worked this article. But there’s ample evidence of Palin’s vindictive willingness to destroy people she sees as opponents. Just ask the Wasilla town administrator she hired before firing him because he rebelled against the way Palin demanded he do his job, or the town librarian who refused to hold the book burning Walpurgisnach Mayor Palin demanded.

Ironically, Palin was pushed into hiring the administrator by the party poobahs who helped get her elected after she got herself into trouble over a number of precipitous firings which gave rise to a recall campaign.

“People who fought her attempt to oust the librarian are on her enemies list to this day,” states Anne Kilkenny, a Wasilla resident and one of the few Alaskans willing to speak on-the-record, for attribution, about Palin. In fact, Kilkenny actually circulated an e-mail letter about Palin that was verified and printed by The Nation.

For good measure, Palin booted the Wasilla police chief from office because, she told a local newspaper, he “intimidated” her.

Running on Extreme Fringe Evangelical Views
Sarah Palin drew early attention from state GOP apparatchiks when, during her first mayoral campaign, she ran on an anti-abortion platform. Normally, political parties do not get involved in Alaskan municipal elections because they are nonpartisan. But once word of her extreme fringe evangelical views made its way to Juneau, the state capitol, state Republicans tossed some money behind her campaign.

Once in office, Palin set out to build a machine that chewed up anyone who got in her way. The good, Godly Christian turns out to be anything but.

“She’s doesn’t like different opinions and she refuses to compromise,” Kilkenny notes. “When she was mayor, she fought ideas that weren’t hers. Worse, ideas weren’t evaluated on their merits but on the basis of who proposed them.”

Sound familiar? Palin may well be Dick Cheney’s reincarnate.

Something else has a familiar Republican ring to it: Her tax policies, and a “refund surpluses but borrow for the future” attitude.

According to Kilkenny and others in Wasilla as well as Juneau, Palin reduced progressive property taxes for businesses while mayor and increased a regressive sales tax which even hits necessities such as food. The tax cuts she promoted in her St. Paul speech actually benefited large corporate property owners far more than they benefited residents. Indeed, Kilkenny insists that many Wasilla home owners actually saw their tax bill skyrocket to make up for the shortfall. Two other Wasillian’s with whom I spoke said property taxes on their modest, three bedroom homes rose during the Palin regime.

To an outsider, it would seem hard to do, but an oil-rich town with zero debt on the day she was inaugurated mayor was left saddled with $22 million of debt by the time she moved away to become governor – especially since nothing was spent on things such as improving the city’s infrastructure or building a much-needed sewage treatment plant. So what did Mayor Palin spend the taxpayer’s money on, if not fixing streets and scrubbing sewage?

For starters, she remodelled her office. Several times over, as a matter of fact.

Then Palin spent $1 million on an unnecessary, new park that no one other than the contractors and Palin seemed to want. Next, Sarah doled out more than $15 million of taxpayer money for a sports complex that she shoved through even though the city did not own clear title to the land; now, seven years later, the matter is still in litigation and lawyer fees are said to be close to at least half of the original estimated price of the facility.

She also worked hard to get voters approval of a $5.5 million bond proposal for roads that could have been built without borrowing. Anchorage may not be the center of the financial universe but, like good Republicans everywhere, Sarah Palin knows how to please Alaskan bankers and bond dealers.

For good measure, she turned Wasilla into a wasteland of big box stores and disconnected parking lots.

Sarah Barracuda
En route to the governor’s igloo, Palin managed to land what Anne Kilkenny says is the plumb political appointment in the state: Chair of Alaska’s Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (OGCC), a $122,400 per year patronage slot with no real authority to do anything other than hold meetings. She took the job despite having no background in energy issues and, as it turned out, not liking the work.

“She hated the job,” an OGCC staff member who is not authorized to speak with the news media told me. “She hated the hours and she hated what little work there was to do. But she couldn’t figure out a way to get out of the thing without offending Gov. Murkowski” and the state Republican Party regulars, some of whom were pissed off they didn’t get appointed.

But ever the opportunist, Palin quickly concocted a way. First, she waged a campaign with the local news media claiming that the position was overpaid and should be abolished – despite the fact that she lobbied Murkowski hard to get it. Then, mounting what she saw as a white horse, Palin raised a cloud of dust by resigning from the OGCC and riding away with an undeserved reputation as a “reformer.”

But when a local reporter dared to suggest that the reformer Empress has no clothes, Palin tried to get her fired.

“She came at me like I was trying to steal her kids,” said the targeted reporter, who now works for an oil company in Anchorage. “I heard she had a wild temper and vicious mean streak but it’s nothing like you can imagine until she turns it on you.”

Not surprising since some of her high school classmates still openly call her “Sarah Barracuda,” Kilkenny insists.

Still, as a Republican Party hack Palin managed to get herself elected running under the false flag of a “reformer.”

And what did she bring to the job? No legislative experience other than a city council of a village of 5,000 people, which is smaller than some high schools in Chicago. Little hands-on supervisory or managerial experience; after all, she needed to hire a city administrator to run Wasilla. No executive experience, except for almost being recalled as mayor. A philosophy of setting public policy based on one word: No.

And what has she done since winning the job?

According to Kilkenny, nothing. Well, nothing other than suggesting the state’s multi-multi-million dollar, oil-generated surplus be distributed to residents and finance future state needs by borrowing money. Gee, doesn’t that sound precisely what George Bush did with the surplus he inherited from Bill Clinton in 2001 and we all know in what great shape Bush’s economic policies left the nation.

It may explain why, when asked by reporters, including me, what she thought about Palin being picked to be McCain’s running mate, her mother-in-law replied with a sardonic, “What has Sarah done to qualify her to be vice president?” Of course, when the woman – said by many I spoke with to be well-respected in Wasilla – was running to succeed Palin as mayor, Sarah refused to endorse her, so that may explain the family tension.

As Governor, Palin gave the legislature no direction and budget guidelines, according to the chair of a legislative committee. But then she staged a huge grandstand play of line-item vetoing countless projects, calling them pork. “They were restored because of public outcry and legislative action,” the aide said. “She vetoed them mostly because she had no idea what they were or why they were important.”

But it was enough to get the McCain, who is mostly unobservant of the world around him anyway, to think Palin has a reputation as being “anti-pork”.

In fact, Juneau observers note that Palin kept her hand stuck out as far as anyone for pork ladled out by indicted Sen. Ted Stevens. She only opposed the “bridge to nowhere” after it became clear that it would be politically unwise to keep supporting it, these same insiders assert. Then, Palin fell back on her old habits and publicly humiliated him for pork-barrel politics.

As for being “ready on day one” to be commander in chief, despite the repeated public claims she’s made, the Alaska National Guard commander said that, “she has made no command decisions, other than sending some troops to help fight a few brush fires and march in parades at county fairs.”

“Sambo Beat the Bitch”
“Palin is a conniving, manipulative, a**hole,” someone who thinks these are positive traits in a governor told me, summing up Palin’s tenure in Alaska state and local politics.

“She’s a bigot, a racist, and a liar,” is the more blunt assessment of Arnold Gerstheimer who lived in Alaska until two years ago and is now a businessman in Idaho.

“Juneau is a small town; everybody knows everyone else,” he adds. “These stories about what she calls blacks and Eskimos, well, anyone not white and good looking actually, were around long before she became a glint in John McCain’s rheumy eyes. Why do I know they’re true? Because everyone who isn’t aboriginal or Indian in Alaska talks that way.”

“Sambo beat the bitch” may be everyday language up in the bush. Whether it – and the outlook, politics and worldview Palin reflects when she says such things in public – should be part of a presidential campaign is another thing altogether. The comment says as much about McCain as it does about Palin, and it says a lot of things about Americans who overlook such statements (as well as her record) and vote anyway for McCain.

by Charley James

Am I The Only One Who Suspects This Election May Be Fixed?

Not one to be quick to buy into conspiracy theories, I have always been hesitant to believe the phrase "Presidents are SELECTED, not ELECTED." At the same time, I've never underestimated what the government is capable of. I just never wanted to believe that, as much as we talk about how important it is to vote, that in reality, our vote doesn't matter. It is an incredibly depressing idea that, despite the fact we live in a so-called "democracy," our fate is entirely out of our hands. If the powers that be want something to happen, they will make it happen. There is nothing we can do about it. Why would anyone WANT to believe that?

Unfortunately, with every passing day, I become more and more cynical ... and I was cynical enough to start. Every day, the Republicans strategy seems more and more foolish, ineffective, and obvious. It has become painfully clear that they offer no real changes from the failed Bush policies, so they have shifted their strategy to highlighting things that are completely irrelevant and have nothing to do with whether or not one would make a good President. For instance, McCain continues to talk about his time as a POW. We can all acknowledge that his efforts during Vietnam make him worthy of our respect, but how do they make him worthy of being our nation's leader? He rarely speaks of what he will do to improve the economy, the environment, health care, etc. Instead, he spends his time attacking his opponent and touting his war accomplishments, thus deflecting attention away from the fact that he offers no change. More importantly, this strategy also deflects attention away from the fact that his VP choice was completely horrible.

This is a perfect segue into the issue that confuses me the most. How are the Republicans getting away with their blatant hypocrisy? How is this race still so close? How come these OBVIOUS atrocities are not being pointed out in the media? Let's start with Sarah Palin. As I mentioned in a previous blog, the Republicans started their attacks on Obama by saying that he was young and inexperienced. Then, they select a hockey mom from Alaska as their VP. They talked about Obama's lack of foreign policy experience, yet they select a VP who didn't get her passport until 2007. The Republicans would NEVER have let this sort of foolishness fly if the Democrats were doing the same thing. If the Dems selected a VP like Palin, would they accept "He/She is tough because he/she has 5 kids!" as a reason to justify the person's lack of experience? Of course not! Yet, they continue to use this same poor reasoning to justify their abysmal selection. Even worse, this sorry attempt at covering her inadequacies is not being pointed out either by the Dems or the media. It is also no secret that the selection of Palin was a feeble attempt to pander to the Hillary Clinton supporters and try to win them over to McCain's side. How come nobody is pointing out that Palin stands for everything that Clinton opposed? Palin is a gun-toting conservative. She's a religious nut that thinks invading Iraq was an order from God, and is opposed to abortion in all cases, including rape and incest. Why is this not all over the news? The Clinton supporters would probably stick with Obama, that's why.

Secondly, let's look at the fact that her 17 year old unmarried daughter is pregnant. Conservative Republicans would NEVER stand for this! Yet, for some reason, they are reaching for reasons to justify it. "It's so great that she's not aborting the baby!" If Obama had a pregnant unwed 17 yr old daughter, they would be going to town. On a side note, I am disappointed in the Democrats that they are not doing just that. Yes, Obama has been more aggressive. Yes, he has attacked the Republicans and forced them to have to answer to their mistakes. Yet I am still disappointed that he has not gone hard at them on their hypocrisy.

This is an excerpt from Levi Johnston's Myspace page. Levi Johnston is the father of 17 yr old Bristol Palin's baby.

"I'm a fuckin redneck who likes to snowboard and ride dirt bikes. But I live to play hockey. I like to go camping and hang out with the boys, do some fishing, shoot some shit and just fuckin chillin I guess. Ya fuck with me I'll kick ass."

Do you think that if Barack Obama had a 17 yr old daughter who was pregnant by a thug who had words like this on his Myspace page, that the Republicans would let this slide? Why aren't the Dem's pointing these things out? Why do the polls continue to show an increase in McCain's support, despite these things?

This brings me back to my opening point: Are elections fixed? Everything SHOULD be shaping up for the Democrats to win this year. The Republicans have nominated an old man, a man who would be the oldest President in history to start a first term. He appears to embody all of the characteristics of President Bush, a man who, when it's all said and done, will probably go down as one of, if not the worst, President in history. They have nominated a woman who, were the Democrats to nominate someone similar, would certainly spell doom. To top it all off, they are facing a man who is probably the most popular Presidential candidate in history. Yet, somewhere, there are McCain supporters quietly lurking. Somehow, the polls remain even. All of this seems to be very similar to how Bush got elected and re-elected. To this day, I can't find very many serious Bush supporters. He is ridiculed throughout the media and all across the country. Comedians, actors, musicians, talk show hosts...they all seem to agree that Bush is, and always has been, an awful President. Yet, somehow, the man was elected...twice! Now, we have a similar situation in which it seems as if everyone is a Barack Obama supporter. He's the most popular politician in history, yet today it was reported that McCain actually took the lead in the polls. Where are all these McCain supporters? Have any of you ever met one?

If McCain is elected, I will seriously have to rethink everything I thought I knew about this country and politics. I will seriously become concerned for my personal well-being because I will know for sure that we the people have no power. If the government wants something done, they will do it, and that is a grim and terrifying thought. The statement is thrown around a lot, but I'm really starting to feel that if McCain is elected, it would probably be a good idea to move to another country, because something is, as they say, "up."

Political Thoughts and Musings

For starters, respect is due to Barack Obama for making history in officially becoming the first black person to be the Presidential nominee for a major political party. He further solidified his place in history by delivering a marvelous acceptance speech that proved why he should indeed become the next President of the United States. The purpose of this piece, though, is not to discuss the obvious. There are a few non-Barack related situations that need to be brought to light.First and foremost, why are the staunch Hillary Clinton supporters so fucking stupid? I wanted this piece to sound as professional as possible, but my anger with her die-hard supporters prevents me from being able to find any other way to describe them. Where does one begin? My problems with Hillary Clinton's campaign are numerous. She stayed in the race long after she should have withdrawn. She selfishly dragged Obama's name through the mud, saying that McCain would make a better President than he would. She put herself and her foolish pride ahead of the Democratic Party. Despite all of this, many of her supporters stood by her side, claiming that they would not vote for Barack, and may even vote for McCain. They claimed Barack had yet to "win" their vote, and needed to prove to them that he would make a good President. Apparently, for these so-called "democrats," McCain had done just that.Tuesday night, Hillary Clinton took the stage at the Democratic National Convention. We all knew she was going to implore all of her supporters to vote for Barack, it was only a matter of how passionate she would be about it. While the speech was good, it seemed as if she spent more time outlining how awesome of a President she would have been, rather than building up Barack's credentials. She did the bare minimum. The funny thing about it was all the respect she got after the speech, respect that, to me, was not deserved. She did what she was SUPPOSED to do. What did they expect her to say? "You know what? Fuck Barack!" She didn't say that, so now she deserves praise? Anyway, I digress. I do not hold this against her. I understand why she did it. I just felt that this should have been enough for the Hillary supporters. I was wrong. It seemed to have had the effect that I was hoping it would not. The first person they interviewed after the speech was a black woman. She was a delegate and Hillary Clinton supporter, who was near tears. "That was a Presidential speech! Tell me that was not a Presidential speech! And we're supposed to just SWITCH!?!?!" She said she would no longer vote for McCain, but that Obama still needed to win her over. She added that her entire voting life, she had been a die-hard voter. She voted every year, and implored her friends to do so as well. Now, she was considering not voting. For real? Really?? Just because your candidate didn't win? I don't understand her supporters. What is going on in their stupid, tiny, and feeble minds? This is important! This is no time to act like a child! Our country's future is at stake! How can they treat this as if it's a minor decision? They're acting like it's a family squabble in which being petty will have no serious repercussions. To have no better than reason to vote for McCain than "My guy didn't win" is petty, stupid, and insulting to all intelligent women because it plays directly into the idea that women think with their hearts, not their brains. To top it all off, when I watched The Daily Show later that night, he had on a bunch of Clinton supporters who are trying to start a "Vote McCain" movement. Don't believe me? Check out their websites:

http://www.democratsformccain.com
http://www.hcsfjm.com

The letters in that second address stand for "Hillary Clinton Supporters For John McCain." Disgusting.
After Obama's historic speech last night, I feel that Clinton's supporters should be won over. He did everything right. He told them about Barack Obama the person, not the politician. He gave them a glimpse into his life and the people who molded him as a person. He directly outlined all of his plans and policies, while comparing them to (and tearing down) McCain's. Only time will tell if it worked, but the Clinton supporters have given me no reason to believe that they have the mental capacity to, well, think and chew gum at the same time.
Then there is today's big announcement. John McCain has chosen Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. To me, this could not have been a much worse decision, or a much better decision, depending on your outlook. We all know that the number one criticism of Barack Obama is that he is too young and inexperienced. McCain then goes and undercuts his own message by selecting a running mate who is younger and more inexperienced than Barack. People have also questioned Barack's foreign policy experience. Obama then went and selected the head of the Foreign Relations Committee as his running mate. What did McCain do? He selected a woman who has probably rarely been out of her state, much less out of the country. This was all done in an attempt to win over the female Hillary Clinton supporters. It is now completely obvious that John McCain is not only senile, he is also painfully stupid.
This decision shows that he thinks very little of not only the Clinton supporters, but the average woman as well. Does he think he will win over votes merely because Palin is female? Palin has some credentials, but Hillary Clinton she is not. This choice may or may not sway the women, but it is blatant pandering and, if I were an intelligent woman, I'd be incredibly insulted that this old fart thinks he can win me over by selecting any old woman as his running mate. Now I know some people may say that she is not running for President, she is merely the VP. Barack is running for the highest office. This would be a slightly credible argument if it were not for the fact that McCain once played foosball with Jesus' step daddy. McCain has a history of health problems and would be the oldest President ever to be voted into his first term, should he win. If something were to happen to him, this woman with far less experience than Obama, would then be President. How would the Republicans look then? Additionally, they are using the same arguments to support their decision that they would refuse to accept to support ours. They are talking about how even though she may not be experienced, she is tough, and has kids, and blah blah blah. Would they have accepted that if we used those same reasons to justify Barack's so-called lack of experience? I doubt it. The funniest thing is, they want to act like what Barack says about Bush and McCain being the same isn't true. But doesn't this remind you of when Bush named Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court, just because they were buddies? She had not even served as a judge before! Now, McCain goes and does the same thing, naming an inexperienced woman as his partner for a high office.
All in all, it has been a very interesting past couple days. Many speakers at the DNC were excellent, and have got my attention, should they choose to run in the future. Clearly, after such a great convention, the Republicans are throwing up that last Hail Mary pass in a desperate attempt to win over anybody they can. Ironically, they may win over some Clinton supporters, but will probably lose far more of their current supporters in the process. To me, this is a move that shows that the Republicans feel their chances are slimming. They are doing everything they can to eek out every measly vote possible, but they know their time is up. As Barack said, it is time for the Republicans to own their failures.

Obama/Biden 2008!

I Will Not Miss This

I'm tired of the people who tell me "When your son starts walking around on his own and isn't paying attention to you anymore, you will miss this time." I'm tired of hearing "When your kid is embarrassed by you, you will miss this time." I'm tired of "When your son is independent, you will miss this time when he is dependent on you." I respectfully disagree. Those who say that do not understand what I'm going through. I will NOT miss this time.
Yes, there are some things I will miss. I will miss the times when he smiles at me. As angry as I get at him, I forget it all when he smiles at me. I almost cry. It feels so good, especially now that I know he is smiling AT ME and not just making a random facial expression. I will miss when he reaches to touch my face. I will miss when he lays on my chest and looks around. I will miss being able to tickle him and make him laugh.
There are, however, far more things that I will NOT miss that ultimately will lead to me eagerly saying "farewell" to this time of my life. I will NOT miss reaching insane levels of anger on a daily basis. I have a bad temper, and many things send me from 0 to 60 immediately. However, I've never gotten as angry as I get dealing with him. I will NOT miss getting angry at my son. I will NOT miss every day being harder than the last. I will NOT miss getting no sleep. I will NOT miss constantly having to entertain in order to prevent tears. I will NOT miss constant crying. I will NOT miss constant spitting up that people consistently tell me is normally. I WILL NOT MISS PEOPLE TELLING ME THIS SHIT IS NORMAL. I will NOT miss feelings of guilt for being angry over something I can not control. I will NOT miss the feelings of confusion over what is causing my son's frustration. I will NOT miss feeling lost and alone on what to do to fix it. I will NOT miss incompetent doctors who do NOTHING to help me. They can burn in hell. I will NOT miss constantly scouring the internet for new ideas on how to help him, then, becoming hopeful that I have found something that may help him, only for him to spit in my face. I will NOT miss fixing one problem, only for another to arise. I will NOT miss the feeling of "when it rains, it pours." I will NOT miss the constant self-loathing and hatred I have for myself when I look in the mirror because of all the weight I've gained during this time. I will NOT miss being able to do nothing to help myself lose weight because I have no time or money to eat healthy. Then, when he finally goes to sleep at night, I can't work out because I'm physically and mentally exhausted. Losing weight the first time was the hardest thing I'd ever done. It is now the second hardest, and I don't know if I can do it again. I will NOT miss that feeling of helplessness. I will NOT miss this vicious cycle. I will NOT miss spending most of every single day feeling miserable, for a few fleeting moments of joy. I will NOT miss the feelings of guilt for feeling this way.
I love my son so much. He's my best buddy. I know he loves me too. I think what makes all this so hard is that I don't FEEL like he loves me. How could he do this to someone he loves?? I know he doesn't do it on purpose. It just feels that way sometimes. I'm just looking forward to the day when he can appreciate all I've done him. I just want one day, one day, when we can get along as father and son. One day in which I feel I haven't fucked up as a parent and raised a spoiled and bratty baby who is only satisfied when things go his way. One day where I can rest. One day that signifies the end of days I won't miss, and the start of ones I will cherish.

Is Being A Parent Really Hard? Or Do I Have The Most Difficult Child In History?

I am a lost father. I hate to use cliches, but I am at my wit's end. My son is 5 months old and has been a terror since birth. I know. I know. Most of you who have had difficult babies are probably thinking you know what I'm going through. I beg to differ and challenge anyone to prove that their baby is worse-behaved than mine. lolHe started by sleeping for no more than 2 hrs at a time during the night. Now, at 5 months, he still has yet to sleep the night. In order to quell any thoughts that I may be utilizing poor strategy in regard to getting him to sleep, I will tell you all what I do. He usually gets tired around 8 pm and goes to sleep. I will "wake him," so to speak, at around 11pm to feed him. He rarely fully wakes up, though. I give him 7 oz of formula, mixed with 4 and 1/3 tablespoons of rice cereal. I warm it up as well. He still wakes up at 4 am. He wakes up for good around 7. This I have become accustomed to. I feel he won't be doing this much longer, and I can deal with once per night. Any advice on getting him to sleep through the night will still be appreciated.By far, his favorite activity to do throughout the day is cry. Yet, I don't feel he has colic. He appears to be either spoiled or restless. Yes, sometimes he is hungry or needs to be changed. Yes, sometimes he is simply tired. I still wonder though, is it REALLY necessary for him to SCREAM as a sign of sleepyness? But I digress.Most of the time, he seems to be crying for one of three reasons. 1.)Just because. 2.)He's sick of doing whatever he is doing. 3.)To piss me off. My son has the attention span of well, a baby. lol My best friend has 4 kids. He recently had twins. His twins will sit in their car seat for long periods of time and simply sit and stare. They will fall asleep in their car seats, and they sleep through the night. My son, as previously mentioned, does neither. He feels the need to "alert" me of his sleepyness, via screaming. He also wakes up through the night.He won't do ANYTHING (except cry of course) for more than 10-20 minutes at a time. He won't play with toys. He won't take pacifiers. He won't watch TV. He won't sit in his car seat. He won't play with his activity games. He won't sit in his swing or bouncer for more than 30 minutes. All of these activities lead to crying within 20 minutes. The crying only stops when I pick him up. Needless to say, I can't walk around and carry him all day. I rarely find time to cook, nap, clean, or even use the bathroom. Sometimes he cries just because I left the room. The only reason I can even type this is because he's asleep now, after an hour of inconsolable crying. He seems to grow tired of doing anything, then cries to let me know he wants to do something else. He constantly needs to be entertained. He will SCREAM, as if he's pain, then become silent once I pick him up. It's flattering and angering at the same time.I am riddled with guilt as well. His behavior and my personality don't match. I am a logical thinker. For me, every effect should have a logical cause. His behavior is illogical. I can't figure it out. He appears to cry for no logical reason, and it INFURIATES me. I get so angry. I would never do anything to him, but I have a bad temper and little patience. So he can upset me very easy. I love him so much though. So when he's calm, I instantly feel incredibly guilty for being so angry at him. After all, he IS just a baby. To top it all off, his mother (as well as my friends) act like I'm over reacting and that tons of kids are this way. Really? REALLY!!??! I have trouble believing all parents go through this. I have personally seen and talked to several parents (friends and family) who have had things much easier than I do.Please forgive the length of this, but I needed to vent. I don't know what to do anymore. I never thought I could "meet my match" in an infant, but it appears I have. I'm out of answers and ideas. I think I'd be happy if someone convinced me that their baby was as bad, or worse, than mine. Then, I wouldn't feel so alone in this.

Homosexuality in Hip-Hop

DISCLAIMER: I have no problem with gays, or homosexuality. I have a problem with fakeness and followers. So this blog is in no way intended to bash gays, but to bash the people who are truly gay (or gay acting), yet pretend they are the exact opposite and try to separate themselves, and hate on, the gays who are open about it.
For years, hip-hop has always been an aggressively testosterone driven industry. From the gangsta rap era of the 90s to now, rappers have always felt the need to show how "manly" they are. They are angry and fearless. They will kill cops, you, or failing that, your mother and kids. They've had numerous sexual conquests, and should they catch you with your guard down, your woman could ... strike that, WILL be their next conquest.
So how did they progress from "COP KILLER! FUCK THE POLICE!!" to "I swag it out, uh, felt my swag/ The shoes match the hat, the hat match my bag"? When did the focus shift from attempting to achieve Chamerberlain-esque numbers of sex partners, to making sure your rag was made by Louis Vutton? Have any of you noticed that rappers now promote the same brands as the women on Sex In The City? All of this under the guise of (I'm assuming) attempting to prove how much money they have. Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.
Now, since hip-hop has such a strong influence on black culture, we've got young black men dressing like...well, bitches. It all started with Cam'ron. Before him, a black man would have never been caught wearing pink. Seriously, PINK. Think about that fellas. Imagine how you would have reacted if you saw a guy in the mall wearing a pink t-shirt in 1997. If it was gay then, why wasn't it gay when Cam'ron did it? He's a rapper, that's why. And, unfortunately for us, young black men worship anything these stupid fucks do. All of a sudden, you find guys justifying the wearing of pink. "It works for some guys."
"If you wear a pink button up with a blah blah blah... it can look nice."
"Light skinned guys can pull it off."
To this day, I can mention the increase in pink purchases as a sign of the gay turn that hip-hop has taken and I have friends who will defend it. Let me make this perfectly clear: IF YOU STARTED WEARING PINK AFTER THE RAPPERS DID IT, YOU ARE A BITCH. YOU ARE A WORTHLESS FOLLOWER WITH NO INDEPENDENCE OR YOUR OWN SENSE OF STYLE. IF YOU NEED A RAPPER TO TELL YOU WHAT'S COOL TO WEAR, KILL YOURSELF.
Let's move up to 2007, when gay fashion really got it's moist and clammy hands around the throat of hip-hop. Playaz Circle came out with a song called "Duffle Bag Boy" (many people for some reason mistake this song for being made by Lil Wayne, eventhough he doesn't rap on it. Usually rappers rap on their own songs.). There was nothing wrong with this song, per say. It's mostly about keeping drugs and money hidden in a duffle bag. Nothing gay about that. Unfortunately, all the closet rappers took this as an opportunity to admit that, they too, have "bags." And not only do they have "bags," but their bags match their outfit!
This poses several "problems." First, isn't "bag" what women call their purses? (For that matter, what is the difference between a bag and a purse? Is it the cost? If it's Louis Vutton it's a bag, if it's from JCPenney it's a purse? lol) Secondly, how convenient that rappers dropped the vital "duffle" part of the word, and nobody bats an eyelash? We're supposed to ASSUME that they're still talking about dufflebags? So now they've been given a pass to freely talk about carrying "bags," no longer specifying whether or not we're talking about a dufflebag, a fanny pack, or a purse. Finally, once they were allowed to talk about carrying bags, now they talk about their bags matching their outfit. Matching your accessories with your outfit? What's next? Pearls? Now, T.I. has an entire song devoted to his ownership of designer rags. But is that gay? Of course not! Why? Because it's T.I.
So, let's look at the progression. We've gone from rappers who, in the late 90's, could usually be found in all black Dickie outfits, with a fitted hat reppin' their hometown, to rappers who are potentially wearing pink shirts, with designer head gear and "the bag to match."
In closing, let me point out the effect this has had on our youth, in all of it's gay irony. A forum that I frequent has an entire section dedicated to fashion. Guys will go in this forum and talk about the newest stuff in "hip hop" fashion. I have to clarify it's hip hop fashion, lest these guys appear to be gay. lol They will talk about the jeans Young Jeezy was wearing in his latest video, or the t-shirt that Kanye West was seeing wearing at the VMA's.
From the main page of this forum, there are various links that take you to separate sections. Usually they are the 5 most recent threads in about 8-10 different section. I saw a thread about Nas' haircut, and clicked on it. It took me to the fashion section, or as they call it, the "dress code" section. In this thread, the threadstarter made a post basically saying that he thinks Nas has the nicest fades of anybody in the rap game. Immediately following, there is a great number of posts in which people are saying this guy is gay for complimenting another guy's haircut. I decide to browse the section, and I find numerous threads in which the threadstarter is called gay. They typically revolve around a rappers haircut, line up, or how he shaves his beard. I started a thread in that section in response to all the gay accusations that are thrown around so much. Here it is, unedited, in its entirety:
I saw a thread on the main page from this section talking about Nas fades. For some reason, I check out the thread, and mad niggas in the thread is callin the thread starter gay and sayin the topic is homo. I see another thread talkin about chinstraps, with the same result. Puttin whether or not the topic is gay to the side, yall don't see the irony in all this shit? A bunch of niggas who devote an entire section of the forum to talkin about fashion and go there to discuss it daily, wanna be quick to call someone else gay?!?!?!? I got no beef with this section. I'm sure it's plenty of cool cats who come in here to ask questions or to get some advice. But it doesn't seem suspicious to yall the most "gay" threads take place in this section? You don't see people in the sportscenter section getting accused of gayness all the time. I'm just sayin. Personally, I think a lot of yall are such followers, that yall just wear and do whatever a rapper tells yall to do. Yall don't think whether or not the shit the rapper is saying might be gay. Rewind 10 yrs. Would niggas be wearing pink? Hell naw. But a rapper says it's OK, so now they do. Sounds kinda gay to me. Now you got rappers talkin about matching shit to their "bag." I don't care what the fuck is in the "bag," matching hats and rags with your bag? Isn't "bag" what bitches call their purses? And niggas are lettin rappers get away with all this gay shit just cuz they rappers. This nigga T.I. got a song about designer rags. lol But it's OK cuz it's T.I.



I've received no responses. lol Case closed.

The White Man's Fashion Sense

I want everyone to close their eyes and imagine a world without black people. I'm sure a lot of you probably pictured a world with a lot less crime, spacious prisons, and no more Churches or Popeyes Chicken. Now close your eyes again and imagine the same world, this time, pay close attention to what all the white men are wearing. You saw one of two things. 1.) White men in polo shirts with the collars popped, cargo shorts, and sandals. 2.) Confusion and nudity.
As Paul Mooney once said, black people are the most copied people in the world. This could not be more evident than in the fashion sense of the white man. It seems that, like chameleons, they adapt to their surroundings, especially if they are surrounded by black people. God forbid there are no black men to be found! The white man is lost, and is left with no other option than to go out in the summer wearing a hoodie and shorts!
"Where did all the black guys go?!?! Ah geez...what am I gonna wear today!?! OK Taylor, you can do this, just talk yourself through it! Let's see, it's 90 degrees outside, so maybe I should dress appropriately for hot weather. I should put on a t-shirt and shorts...but gosh darnit, it looks so cool to wear a hoodie with shorts...I gotta do what's fashionable. Hoodie it is! After all, my upper body is always much colder than my lower body."
Then of course there is my favorite look: the douchebag. It starts at the crown, with the hair greased up to be as spikey as possible, lest someone attempt to pat them on the head. It is followed by the smedium sized yellow or white polo shirt, with the collar popped. The sleeves absolutely can not come past halfway to the elbow. If they did, we wouldn't be able to see the barbed wire tattoo going around the bicep. Then you have the cargo shorts, either brown or camouflage, with all the pockets packed to capacity. Finally, they top it off with the sandals, usually without socks, because after all, why WOULDN'T we want to see their feet? The highest quantity of douchebags can typically be found in cities such as Novi and Livonia.
Fortunately for the white man, black people do still exist. They can continue to come to us for guidance on how to talk, what kind of music to listen to, and how to dress. I, for one, am relieved. I wouldn't want to live in a world with a bunch of confused and naked white men.

My Proposal For a New Democracy

Recently, I've been pondering the entire concept of a democracy. It's a wonderful concept that, in theory, should work quite well. It seems rather simple: We the people vote for who, or what, we like. The things that we vote on range from the insignificant ("American Idol"), to of the utmost importance (the Presidency). Yes, it can be brought into question whether or not the United States has ever really had a TRUE democracy, but that is not my point. My point is, or should I say "My question is...," are we really even worthy of a true democracy? Do we deserve it? Are we ready for it?
To put it quite simply, the average American is too stupid. We prioritize the wrong things. Let us look at the general election of 2000. Now of course, we all know that George W. Bush did not win the popular vote, but let's ignore that and focus on the fact that, yes, he was elected. We can save the debate on the Electoral College for another time. There are a number of reasons that Bush got as many votes as he did. 1. People vote based on their interests. Those people who Bush's policies benefited made sure to get out and vote for him. 2. Old people vote, much more than young people. They made sure to get out and vote for one of their own. 3. In addition to young people NOT voting, minorities tend to not vote as well.
However, one very important, frequently overlooked, reason that Bush got so many votes is religion. He made it a point to make sure it was known that he was a Christian, and people eat that shit up, ESPECIALLY religious people. They saw a fellow Christian, and gosh darnit, that's all they needed to know! To hell (no pun intended) with his policies, they knew that, come Sunday morning (and probably ONLY on Sunday morning), their President was going to be worshipping the same God they worship.
This leads me back to my main point: The average American is stupid. If one were to make a list of all the things that make up a great President, why should "Digging the same Jesus as me" even be on the list, much less at the top? What about jobs, taxes, national security, foreign policy, health care? What about intellect? Shouldn't those things be more important? This is why, for America, democracy simply is not working. We're too stupid to make the right choice.
Don't care for my President example? Let's look at another example, which is simpler, to which anyone can relate. Not too long ago, Major League Baseball and the NBA (and maybe the NHL, I'm not sure), adopted a policy in which the fans vote for the starters of their respective all-star games. At first, it seemed like a good idea. After all, the all-star game IS for the fans. So how come we never get it right? Every year, the fans vote in the biggest names. On numerous occasions, the fans have voted in players who are injured, haven't played a game all season, or are having a poor season, just because that guy is a big name player. It can even be argued that this yearly "faux pas" is as bad, if not worse, than our Presidential voting record. All kinds of people vote in Presidential elections, including people who know nothing about politics or what each candidate stands for. The people who vote for all-star games are supposedly fans of that particular sport! You don't see people who know nothing about sports voting for who makes the all-star team.
Not being one to simply complain without offering solutions, I have a suggestion. The system of a democracy, in and of itself, is a pretty good system. We need to change who we allow to participate in that system. Therefore, I am officially starting the movement to implement a minimum IQ requirement that must be met for any American citizen to partake in ANYTHING that affects other citizens. It's for the safety and well-being of our country, since we clearly can not handle it ourselves. Think of it as a nationwide "You Must Be This Tall To Ride" rule. All citizens will be required to take an IQ test. Your results will determine what aspects of life in which you will be allowed to participate. There will be a minimum score required to do such things as obtain a driver's license, vote, and speak in public.
My plan will benefit me, I mean us, in a number of ways. It will make it so that we no longer have to deal with poor drivers while I am on the road. We will no longer have to make me suffer through watching all-star games with teams comprised of replacement players. Most importantly, we will no longer have to deal with mentally-challenged Presidents (there will be a minimum IQ requirement for that job too), or Mayors who end up in jail. Thank you.