Your Daily Mindjob
This is my personal blog where I'll offer up some political straight talk as well as thoughts on technology and pop culture. That should give me plenty to talk about. The world can give you one heck of a mindjob. Think like me and get your daily dose.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Be Ready for Post-election Humor

If and when John McCain loses the election, comedians should take this one tip.

Write jokes related to Joe the Plumber.

Imagine every joke you possibly can about Joe the Plumber dealing with a campaign that got completely flushed down the toilet.

Plungers, toilets, pipes, and butt-cracks, oh my!

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Louisiana Family Forum Sends Out Propaganda & Lies

I received a piece of Louisiana Family Forum propaganda today in the mail. They tried to legitimize it by printing it in newspaper format. Even the type of paper it was printed on appeared similar. The unsuspecting reader may interpret this piece of propaganda as legitimate news.

The front page compares Obama/Biden and McCain/Palin on mostly social issues. The entire column next to Obama/Biden was filled with the word "No" and of course, the McCain/Palin side was flooded with the word "Yes." So much for educated critical thinking. Oh wait, these idiots rely on "faith" and an imaginary friend.

Upon turning the page, I found similar comparisons between other candidates running for Louisiana Office. What stood out was that on more than one occasion, many Democratic candidates had "unknown" positions. For instance, they seem to think that Mary Landrieu's stance on prostitution is "unknown." Give me a break.

For a group pushing good family values, they sure do like to deceive. I burned the damn thing. I hope they taste the same flame when they all burn in Hell for these sins. Dirty Christian Conservatives really take the cake. This is just one more example of how low so called "Christians" will go to push an agenda. If you align yourself with an organization as devious as the Louisiana Family Forum, you should rethink your religious commitments. These people are in no way, shape, or form, good people and you should reconcile to cut all ties with them.

What do you expect? It's Louisiana after all. These backwoods evangelicals wouldn't know right from wrong if Jesus himself came down and ripped them a new one for lying in his name.

Lie away you filthy bastards. I'm onto your BS and I'm going to knock you around every time you send me this crap in the mail.

Let me suggest one more thing. If you want to turn your backs on science, then I highly recommend you stop going to the doctor to fix your ailments. Stick to prayer and see how far that gets you. The more you try to chip away at what science stands for, the more likely it is that the quality of health care and technology in this country will crumble like dirt in your hand. You are in essence, paving the way towards the United States of Dumb.

(http://lafamilyforum.org/)

Send all complaints to
Louisiana Family Forum
655 Saint Ferdinand St
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
or call them up
(225)344-8533

Read more about these nutjobs at Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana_Family_Forum

The LFF is also a huge Bobby Jindal supporter. I have encountered a phone survey from the LFF with questions geared towards socially conservative issues and whether or not I held a favorable opinion of Bobby Jindal.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Tom Sawyer Stuck, Thanks Chuck!

In last night's episode of Chuck, the game Missle Command was brought back to into the spotlight. In order to reach the Kill Screen and prevent WWIII, Chuck learns that the game follows along with the song Tom Sawyer by Rush. That song is now stuck in my head.

In some small way, I should offer my sincere thanks. After the 25th anniversary of Michael Jackson's Thriller, I couldn't stop listening to that song. Now I have transitioned into a Rush kick. I don't know if this is a good thing.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Gas Prices: Something to watch for

Gas prices are dropping to under $3 all across the country. I have yet to hear a clear reason as to why the prices are really dropping. Not long ago, we were faced with a supply issue related to hurricanes in the Gulf. Many stations were bone dry after a brief panic. Now that the economy is tanking, what is up with gas prices?

[conspiracy theory]
Since Bush & Co. caters to big oil, I would not be surprised if he nudged a few of his buddies to stop gouging so much. Pick a reason that makes sense for you. Explanations are endless.
[/conspiracy theory]

Big Oil has always fallen back on the supply & demand defense when confronted with accusations of price gouging in light of record breaking profits. Many said that because high prices would reduce usage, eventually demand would drop and in turn, prices would follow. Is that what we are seeing? The cycle, according to Big Oil, will continue because when prices drop, demand will suddenly spike and drive prices up again. If supply & demand really is behind all of this, I would expect to see this trend. If this trend does not play out, I will be left scratching my head and back on the price gouging bandwagon.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Teen shot while TPing a house

This story is why I'm not sold on the notion of using guns to protect your home and property.

I heard it on the local news and don't know all of the specifics. I'm not sure what town this occurred in either. Here's what I do know.

A few teens were toilet papering some guy's house. It was very early in the morning. The home-owner thought they were trying to break into his garage. Well he grabbed a shotgun and fired away. He hit a 14 year old in the chest, abdomen, and lower extremity. At this point, there is no information about what charges are going to be pressed.

I understand the need to protect yourself and your home. The problem is, people with guns are arguably a little on the trigger happy side. Gun enthusiasts always boast that they are responsible with their firearms. It's not the firearm that worries me. It's the brain of the guy or gal holding the firearm that seems to be the problem. Fear dictates your perception. Plain and simple. It sounds as though this home-owner wanted to shoot first and ask questions later.

I've been TP'd before. Kids scatter when you turn on the lights. I never got the impression anyone was breaking into the house. We let the dog loose. We might grab a kid by the collar and call his parents. What we didn't do was fire away into the night at anyone.

If gun enthusiasts weren't so damn trigger happy, I wouldn't be so supportive of gun laws. If I'm not sure and I'm holding a gun, I err on the side of caution. Of course, I'm not trigger happy.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Another Rumor to Debunk: Obama Voting Present

I see this point being used by the McCain campaign and his Conservative supporters. The supporters like to say that Obama voted "present" the majority of the time he was in the Senate. This rumor is based on a number floating around out there. I'm pretty sure the number they use is 130.

What they forget to tell you is that out of over 4000 votes, Obama voted present 129 times. According to FactCheck.org, his "present" votes only account for about three percent of his voting record.

Where did you learn math? Redneck Institute for the Dimwitted? Explain to me how three percent is considered the most of anything?

I have two links for you to read. Of course, I am assuming you learned how to read at a different school. I sure hope your reading comprehension is better than your skills in mathematics.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/01/24/fact_check_obamas_present_votes/

http://www.factcheck.org/askfactcheck/how_many_times_did_obama_vote_present.html

Thursday, October 2, 2008

The VP Debate: Biden vs Palin

Man oh man. Okay, let's keep the analysis simple.

Sarah Palin did better than I thought she would as far as getting words out of her mouth. She started out nervous as hell. She was gasping for air and swallowing like she was trying to force as many words across her tongue as possible.

Then there were the questions she did not answer. Instead of answering the question asked, she tried to respond to Biden's criticisms. She completely forgot to go back to the question. She fell back to party line banter. Taxes this and taxes that just like I figured she would. She would run down bullet points and lacked direction many times. I did not hear clear plans. I heard key words and phrases, but no real specifics. When she did give specifics, she was on the defensive. Many times, she was unable to refute attacks. She survived the debate, but did not win. Like the campaign trail, she spoke to the Conservative base. She was unable to convincingly portray her team as the Maverick Team. She kept using the word, but it did not stick. Palin also took a jab at the media in order to appeal to the Conservative base. Sorry toots. Cry me a river.

Can she stop calling it "eye" raq and "eye" ran?

Biden was also speaking a little too fast. He would say words and kind of muddle through without trying to annunciate. He was still able to focus his criticism on McCain. His answers and understanding of the intricate detail of the problems this country faces illustrate the experience this guy has. He didn't need many zingers to bust her balls. Of course, the Bridge to Nowhere jab was well placed. He was able to refute many challenges Palin brought at him, especially with regard to taxes. He clearly pointed out that anyone making under $250k would not see a cent in tax increases and then refuted the attack related to small business. Palin tried to spin it so small businesses would be hit with tax hikes and Biden was able to point out that the vast majority of small businesses still fall under the $250k limit. Biden was also able to shoot down the notion that McCain is some sort of maverick. There were times when Palin tried to drive a wedge between stances Biden has taken in light of Obama's own votes, but he didn't answer those attacks. Maybe he should have. Biden spoke to middle America and hopefully they believed in what he had to say.

Biden won the debate, but Palin proved she wasn't going to freeze up. She did fall back to party line. She is too partisan for reform. Her idea of reform is going to be the same as what Mitt Romney proposed in his RNC speech. They want to rid government of Liberal policy. The middle of the road is not her plan, nor is it the target for McCain. Let's face it. Liberals are just better at compromise.

According to ABC News, Biden talked for 40 minutes and 26 seconds. Palin talked for 40 minutes and 59 seconds. Both had instances where they needed to wrap up, but I think Palin was the only one to get called on time.

Edit
It seems Americans on the internet are no more informed than Sarah Palin.

General McKiernan is who Palin was talking about. She repeatedly called him McClellan.

Talabani also seems to be off the radar screens of Americans.
Jalal Talabani is the Iraqi President.
Nouri al-Maliki is the Prime Minister.

It's so nice to see we have an informed electorate.

VP Debate Predictions

There is no doubt all eyes will be on Sarah Palin tonight in the VP debate. Support behind Palin has been slipping away over the last few weeks. Many are expecting to see her ass get handed to her by Joe Biden. Hard core Republicans say she will win, and perhaps that only has to do with their blind and somewhat arrogant support behind her. Americans have a hard time differentiating between the reality of what will happen and what they want to happen.

Let me first start out by saying I am in the group that wants to see her ass get handed to her. I am behind Biden all the way. That being said, there are a few realistic points to consider. All of these things are rooted in her recent behavior and comments.

Based on what we saw at the RNC, I expect Palin to lie through her teeth. That's right. This woman has lied on numerous occasions about everything under the sun. Even Andrew Sullivan, widely seen as fairly conservative, has called attention to these lies and has even made attempts at asking for the truth from the campaign. Whether it's taxes or the war, she will lie right to the camera.

As I'm writing this a McCain ad just came on tv talking about this past week. He says Republicans have blamed Democrats and Democrats have blamed Republicans. Well soldier boy, we'll see more of that tonight. Biden is going to smack Bush Republicans around like red-headed step-children and Palin is going to blame Liberal ideology for the downfall of society (in not so many words). Get off your high horse. It's starting to chafe your backside old man.

The difference between this debate and the RNC will be that Sarah Palin does not have the added benefit of a teleprompter telling her what to say. Her Sports Journalism degree via education from six different institutions is not going to do her any good in this setting. It is my understanding that in the VP debate, each candidate has five minutes of talk time for each question. Even if they were only given two minutes as the Presidential candidates were provided, I will make this prediction. She will either talk over her mark if given two minutes or fall well short of the five minute mark. She simply does not have enough experience or charm for that matter to talk for five minutes, even if she is a woman.

Biden does have a history of talking too long. I am not worried about his ability to fill in the blanks. He also knows how to kick somebody's ass. Pundits have said Biden must find a healthy balance between attack and restraint so as to not look like he's beating up on a "poor woman" or coming off as disabled or unarmed. Biden has been participating in debates throughout this entire campaign season, so he's ready. No question there.

My advice tonight:

For those who still think Obama does not have a plan, listen to Biden without your smug discontent and irrational hatred you have for Liberals. You might actually hear a plan once your ears decide to work.

For those expecting Palin to flounder, don't be surprised when she does her best impression of Captain Kirk. Even though her twangy accent is obnoxious, her choppy speech pattern is going to make her very difficult to listen to for any extended period of time.

Whoever thinks Palin is telling the truth no matter what needs to visit Factcheck.org BEFORE the debate to fill in some blanks, especially with regard to taxes. Obama is going to lower taxes for 95 percent of working families and FactCheck states that over 80 percent of tax payers will see tax breaks.

Biden better be ready to point out every instance where this little bitch decides to lie to America. Palin is going to come off snarky like that annoying ex-girlfriend.

That is all. Enjoy the show. I'll pop the popcorn.