Breaking News!

Obama calls Kanye West a jackass! I can't imagine how much that one stings.

Also in the news, although it's a little old, Kanye West loves fish sticks!

Really?

I was always told that if I didn't have anything nice to say, I best not say anything at all. Apparently a lot of Israelis want Obama to (perhaps) violate that rule and speak to them directly. Here, have some commentary on the piece:

This policy of ignoring Israel carries a price. Though Mr. Obama has succeeded in prodding Mr. Netanyahu to accept the idea of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, he has failed to induce Israel to impose a freeze on settlements. In fact, he has failed even to stir debate about the merits of one: no Israeli political figure has stood up to Mr. Netanyahu and begged him to support Mr. Obama; not even the Israeli left, desperate for a new agenda, has adopted Mr. Obama as its icon.

Ah, yes, because everyone around the world is supposed to adopt Obama as its new icon for peace and change. I forgot about that one.

In Mr. Netanyahu’s narrative, the president has fallen under the influence of top aides — in this case Rahm Emanuel and David Axelrod — whom the prime minister has called “self-hating Jews.” Meanwhile, Mr. Netanyahu is the defender of national glory in face of unfair pressure, someone who sticks to the first commandment of Israeli culture: thou shalt never be the freier (that is, the dupe).

Kudos for using the word 'dupe.' Just because someone wants to see peace in the Middle East and understands that BOTH sides have to give up some stuff (Palestine being the only side that's really given up anything to date) doesn't make them self-hating Jews. It makes them Jews who understand that what Israel and supporting countries have done the people of Palestine is terrible.

A Jerusalem Post poll of Israeli Jews last month indicated that only 6 percent of those surveyed considered the Obama administration to be pro-Israel, while 50 percent said that its policies are more pro-Palestinian than pro-Israeli. Less scientifically: Israeli rightists have — in columns, articles and public statements — taken to calling the president by his middle name, Hussein, as proof of his pro-Arab tendencies.

Shouldn't the focus be on what is pro-peace and not pro-Israel? If you want a pro-Israel political ally, you really aren't going to get one anytime soon, at least in the United States.

Fourth, as far as most Israelis are concerned, Mr. Obama has made a mistake in focusing on a settlement freeze. For starters, mainstream Israelis rarely have anything to do with the settlements; many have no idea where they are, even when they’re a half-hour’s drive from Tel Aviv.

Oh good, so then it isn't just the United States that fails to get any news whatsoever from the Palestinian side of things due to bias media and suppression? How do you not know about problems in your own holy land? Wow.

In other related news, I bought a book about the conflict the other day, thinking that it would be informative, only to find out that it is very pro-Israel. I don't really have anything wrong with that point of view (when it's not extremist) but the world cannot ignore the atrocities being perpetrated on the Palestinian people - Arabs and Christians, women and children, young and old.

Is It Safe?

There are times where we have to ask ourselves if we're ready for what's about to happen. Are we prepared for the way Iran will look in a day, week, month, even year?

Certainly, some seem to think that Obama winning the US election has had a hand in what's happened in Iran. I would not object to that statement at all.

Communications are down in Iran again, surprise surprise.

Also, if you can stomach seeing reality, you should watch this video. It's easier to understand the pictures sometimes than the words.

I realize that I'm almost exclusively citing Andrew Sullivan's Daily Dish. It seems to be the only place where Twitter and more news/analysis come together.

CNN Fail

Epic fail, in fact.

Yes, let's mention that there seems to be something violent going on in Iran, but not pay that much attention to the problem. Let's cut to Obama's press conference on health care, where he won't even touch upon this more pressing issue. Let's show Robin in the morning skydiving like an idiot without a care in the world except about her own safety.

Shouldn't we be able to expect more from our press? We have people over there who are more than willing to share their story. Someone tell them about Twitter already.

Manditory Health Insurance?

Don't worry, there are hardship waivers. But what will President Obama define as hardship?

This may be a bit on the selfish side, but we can take a look at my family and examine all the things that I would define as hardship.

My step-dad, back in December, had a toe amputated. Now, not only is his paycheck cut in half by his ex-wife and the remainder in half by the IRS (he's not the brightest crayon in the box), but now we have to pay off these fees. My sister's seizure has cost a lot of money so far, with the upcoming MRI and EEG sure to add to the total. My mom has too many credit cards as it is and has trouble paying the bills, to the point where she does so every other month too often. Add in that mix a crappy paying job for both of them, without proper benefits, treatment, or reimbursement of mileage, and this is a recipe for disaster.

Now, if my family doesn't quite qualify for governmental assistance in any way and we're barely scrapping by, how fair is it to demand that we get health insurance and not let us have a hardship waiver? Most of the people without insurance, I would gather, do not do so out of hatred of their family, but because of their financial situation.

Happy 200th Post!

Obama is set to give a speech in Egypt on Thursday. It should be an interesting show, since he is thought to be focusing more on the Israel/Palestine crisis than addressing the Muslim world.

The president will be walking a fine line between reassuring Israel that America will remain a guarantor of Israeli security and between sounding a warning that he is getting impatient with the slow movement toward Palestinian statehood.

Also, if this is really the deadliest battle between Palestinian Authority forces and Hamas in two years, that's really not that bad.

Random News Anyone?

Sorry for my long absence again. It's becoming apparent that I won't really be blogging on a regular basis until after finals, so the first part of May or so.

Kurt Cobain has been dead for 15 years now. It's hard to imagine that someone who was gone before my sixth birthday would have such an impact in my life. Call me a conspiracy theorist all you want, but I'm not entirely convinced that his death was a suicide. On my to-do list once I return to visit my family and friends in the Northwest? Visit and write on Kurt's bench.

If you are a House fan or fan of Kal Penn, you should now this. I won't explicitly say it, since there would be spoilers to the show, but if you want to read (and, again, spoilers!), click here.

Also, Obama wants to eliminate the conscience rule for physicians. This means better access to reproductive health care for women, but less of a choice for providers to refuse services. Some people aren't so happy.

The Rock Obama

The episode of Saturday Night Live this past weekend had some good gems.



I especially loved the chair bit there.



I think this would be awesome. Imagine Obama talking to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and talks go south. :)

It's Christmas Morning!

Well, maybe not exactly.

But it is Inauguration Day! Woohoo!

Since you guys know I can't really keep anything serious, I grabbed some of my favorite silly Obama videos to share with y'all.

If you haven't watched Alphacat's impersonation of the 44th President, you are missing out. He's hilarious.





If those ones aren't stuck in your head, this one will be.



And I can be a little serious today, I suppose.

Finally - The Prevention First Act

With the inauguration of President-elect Obama quickly approaching, it is time to turn our attention to the many problems that need to be fixed both in our country and our world.

For eight long years, abstinence-only education has been the norm and the only federally funded sexual education program. As a result, unexpected/teen pregnancy and STI rates have greatly increased. However, with the change in leadership here, Congress is already planning to back comprehensive sex ed in order to educate the masses about birth control and more. The link embedded in the title of this post goes directly to the NARAL site's explanation of the Prevention First Act. Here are, without much explanation on my part, the goals for the act:

• Help Women Obtain Family-Planning Services.
• End Insurance Discrimination against Women.
• Provide Compassionate Assistance for Rape Victims.
• Improve Awareness about Emergency Contraception.
• Reduce Teen Pregnancy.
• Fund Honest, Realistic Sex-Education Programs.

While these all help everyone in the long-run, they're most important for people stuck in poverty. Women in the middle and higher classes have a better chance of having enough money (as odd as I know that might sound to some) in order to visit the doctor, obtain proper health care, or have access to family planning materials. Planned Parenthood is very popular because of the anonymity and low cost of services. Hopefully, with this act, they'll get more funding and be able to function much better.

I Do Solemnly Swear

Ah, yes, the Presidential Inauguration. The time is near. Personally, I'm excited. It doesn't seem as though others share my enthusiasm.

While I do think that the group has a valid point {why should everyone be forced to use a semi-religious oath?}, I really don't see the big problem. Atheism is a belief system, just like Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Paganism, Zoroastrianism and any other -ism you wanna throw in there. I'm sure that if there was a Buddhist President they would not force her *hint hint* to say "so help me God" on the end of her oath or to have any religious figure there. While the inauguration is viewed by millions in person, on the tele, and over the internet, it is mainly a ritual for the President (elect) to express his feelings for his/her country and newly elected position. If Obama wants to have a priest there as a part of this momentous and special day for him, why not let him? If someone else wanted Tony Robbins or some other motivational speaker, I'm sure that would be allowed. And, weird as it might be for some, if a person wanted the Dalai Lama there, I'm sure there wouldn't be a lot of objection.

Why, then, is the atheist group so obsessed with not allowing a freedom to Mr. Obama?

My thinking is that many people see others expressing their religion as a push for others to believe the same way. Sure, I might not like that my family is all Mormonism, all the time {yes, even more than the BYU channel}, but do I have the right to ask them to refrain from expressing their beliefs when I'm around? Absolutely not. According to the First Amendment:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

While that might only really apply to Congress and the legislative wing of the government, we also have EEOC and other laws allowing people to express their religion without fear of persecution as long as they also respect the beliefs of others. Going along with that, why can't the atheists in this group be okay with Obama's expression of his religion and be fine with the difference from theirs?

Why can't any group in the world be perfectly content in the fact that other people believe in different things and not force those same people to conform to their belief system?

If we could fix that problem, I think we might actually achieve world peace.

I Believe in Harvey Dent (Barack Obama)

I bought The Dark Knight yesterday. It was a necessity - I own pretty much every other Heath Ledger movie and every superhero movie. Besides, this movie was the most amazing thing I've ever seen. It's a cinematic masterpiece that will be very hard for the next Batfilm to top.

I've always likened Gotham City to Chicago. Maybe it's because of the few areas of Chicago that've been on the news, or because I think it's worse than Milwaukee... or even because I hate the Cubs. I don't really know. After watching the news coverage of Gov. Blagojevich's poor decisions, I put in my new lovely movie and began to watch.

I realized how much my respect and admiration for Obama was like Gotham City's citizens and their trust in Harvey Dent at the begining. Now, I only equate Obama with the Dent of the first half of the film, so don't think I'm going to start bashing the man that I voted for. The idealism that Obama represents, the ability to rise above the crime and slum and be a role model for people... I am in awe of them.

Obama had not yet spoken out about Gov. Blagojevich when I planned my post, so I wondered how he might react, given his former comment that it would be innappropriate to comment at the time he was asked to. There are so many good speeches and sayings that Dent participates in in the film.

It doesn't really have that much bearing on the situation at hand, but I think it is important these days to remember that the night is darkest just before the dawn, that the hardest parts in life come before things get really good. Obama is the hero that this country deserves right now, the person that we need to help get things fixed. And I think it's pretty cool that my favorite politician and movie kind of line up.

Forgive Me Father, For I Have Voted...

Father Jay Scott Newman from St Mary's Catholic Church in Greenville, South Carolina, is requesting that people who voted for Barack Obama do penance before taking communion again:

Both Obama and Joe Biden, the vice president-elect, support legal abortions. Obama has called it a "divisive issue" with a "moral dimension," and has pledged to make women's rights under Roe v. Wade a "priority" as president. He opposes a constitutional amendment overturning the Supreme Court decision.

At issue for the church locally and nationwide are exit polls showing 54 percent of self-described Catholics voted for Obama, as well as a growing rift in the lifestyle and voting patterns between practicing and non-practicing Catholics.

In a letter posted on St. Mary's Web site, Newman wrote that "voting for a pro-abortion politician when a plausible pro-life alternative exists constitutes material cooperation with intrinsic evil."

Catholics who did so should be reconciled to God through penance before receiving communion, "lest they eat and drink their own condemnation," Newman wrote, echoing a I Corinthians admonition for anyone who partakes "without recognizing the body of the Lord."

The response from parishioners has been supportive by a margin of 9 to 1, Newman said. He also cited Scripture in urging parishioners to pray for Obama and cooperate with him wherever conscience permits.

I can understand that church's stance on abortion interfering with the political stance that many people take. However, when most people vote for a politician, they do not do so based on one single issue. I'm sure that many Catholics who voted for Barack Obama do not like his stance on abortion, but agreed with his plans to fix the economy, Iraq, and other issues. Doing what is best for the country is not grounds for penance.

It seems like the majority of the Catholic Churches aren't too happy about this, especially given the fact that Biden is a Catholic himself. But really, the biggest issue, the article says, is that mass-attending Catholics voted for McCain - who opposed abortion. Those who don't attend mass... well, you can guess.

One of the commenters have listed the Rev. Newman's email address, which I'll list here only for posterity's sake: jayscottnewman@mac.com.

This Is Your Victory

I'm reminded of the famous Goonies line "This is our time, it's our time down here."

I don't know whether it was because I knew I got to see Theron or because I knew Obama was president-elect, but I was eager to wake up this morning, to greet the sun with a cheery smile and not one of those classic "five more minutes" routines.

I know, deep down in my heart, that this is what our country needs. Hopefully other people will realize that soon too.

For a fun audio slideshow, via CNN, click here.

President Obama

:)

I am so excited for what the next four years (maybe even eight) will bring.

Theron says there is voting fraud going on, since he "didn't know wisconsin had 84 million voters."

But I am too happy to write more about anything. So I am going to go enjoy the rest of my happy election night and get ready to see my honey tomorrow :)

Peace & love y'all!

Rock the Vote!

Vote. Do it. Everyone who's anyone is doing it. *peer pressure*



NOTE: If the video isn't done loading onto youtube, I am sorry. I have to run, so check back in a bit to see if it works then.

<3

Fried Obama?

I just saw this on CNN and it really got my goat.

Some Republican party member put up some of these fun fake bills. Notice anything wrong with them?

The biggest opponent to these fake bills? Another Republican party member, who cites these racist remarks as a big part of why more African Americans do not join the Republican party, even if it's mostly what they believe in.

The husband of the woman who has been distributing them says they're not racist at all, asking if spaghetti and meatballs are racist too. Their daughter says it's not racist because it's just food and she eats chicken and ribs and watermelon. She wants to know who decided that these are stereotypes, because it certainly wasn't her.

Amazingly enough, I eat ribs and chicken too! Yet, I still find this racist... Hmm I wonder why. Let's see here... We have fried chicken, ribs, watermelon, koolaid, Obama as a donkey, and these are all on food stamps. Tell me how this ISN'T racist.

(For more on the actual story, go here. As a note, I am an Obama supporter because I believe in him, his plans, and that he is the lesser of two evils. However, if I was not an Obama supporter, I still would believe this is racist. This is not me trying to get pity votes for him or anything else along those lines. This is simply me trying to show that race is still a big issue in the U.S. despite years of 'acceptance and equality.')

One Day More

In high school, awebunch of my friends (and my sister!) and I were in Les Miserables. While everyone ended up getting bronchitis and, in fact, being miserable, it was one of the funnest experiences of my life. SO, imagine my happiness while surfing Funnyordie.com (run by Will Ferrell and his friends - think YouTube but all comedy) today and finding this lovely video.

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

I'm spreading it around like wildfire. Palin as Madame Thenardier is amazingly awesome. Honestly, I think this is the best video since... umm... the press conference over Yost getting fired yesterday?

Politico!

Okay, so I had a million pages to read over the weekend in between working and all that fun stuff. Funny enough, part of my homework was to look up things about women in the news. I decided to look around the election areas to find some issues that obviously exist and are being pushed in everyone's face.

I think it's interesting to note that, in just about every teen pregnancy, we always get mad at the girls - like they could've done something to fix it... I really hate this double standard crap.

We were comparing issues that Palin and Clinton have been faced with in this campaign in my American women history class today, and comparing those to any issues that Obama and McCain have faced so far. Obama was criticized for the church that he attends and Rev. Wright's views. Palin's (former, but only because of her move to Juneau) church has some issues too. Sure, some people might see Obama's church as racist. I see Palin's former church as sexist and ignorant. Oh, and ignore the errors in the article... :)

If you don't like McCain, you can look up some of his short-comings here. However, if you have issues with Obama, click here.

EDIT: If you want information on the misconceptions surrounding Palin, here's yet another page from factcheck.org that Theron found.

You can expect to see more frequent blog postings as I nail down a real schedule here... Ohhh bad pun wording by the religious studies major...

Joe Biden!

When the Presidential race started earlier this year, I was cheering on Delaware Senator Joe Biden. During the debates he continued to impress me with the answers he gave. I was sad when he left the race, but knew that I would see him again as Obama's VP.

Biden understands that we can't just pull out of Iraq right away, that it needs to be done carefully and in stages, otherwise chaos will ensue in that region... again. He grew up a regular middle-class kid and has worked so hard to get where he is. He brings a huge amount of experience to the Obama ticket.

He can be quite wordy, which takes away from what he has to say. However, being the same way, I know that he doesn't mean to. He just is trying to fit so much information into everything he says - both in order to get hiss ideas/answers out there and to seem smarter.

All in all, I think Biden was a great choice for VP. I'm excited for them to get into the White House and make some much needed changes.

It'll be interesting to see who McCain chooses as his VP.