Friday, January 2, 2009
Long time no see...
Just telling my imaginary audience that I am still alive. There is only one computer between my on-line poker playing brother and my Drudge Report loving dad, and I have discovered that I have allowed my ass to become fat and have been either working out or whining about how sore I am.
Resolutions are for the depressed.
Happy New Year!
Friday, December 12, 2008
Roundabout Rants II
A test of faith?
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
I take back everything bad I said about William Shackleford...
He has taken it upon himself to move his relatively-popular (especially in relation to my) blog from Typepad to Soapbox and has opened up his blog, The Rural Democrat, to people of all shapes and beliefs. Personally, I think that The Rural Democrat will be overrun by bloggers from the left and the right tearing at each other's throats, and forcing Willy to lay an authoritative smack-down, but the site is meant to serve as medium for us to express our concerns about Eastern Kentucky and I hope it can stay that way. Anyway, here is to the best of luck and god bless the mountains.
I am at an end...
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
What a douche bag...
This ass-hole was already on his way out. Now he has to bring us down a bit with him by pimping out bama's vacant seat. This has jaded whoever gets the seat and might even discourage future star-democrats from accepting the post immediately and, instead, they will wait for the general election.
It makes sense now to give the seat to disabled Iraq war veteran and current Illinois Veterans Affair director, Tammy Duckworth. Thus, creating a media sensation that would destroy any controversy sparked by conservatives. Let her keep the seat warm for the less vociferous version of the Jesse Jackson's.
Update: It appears that Jackson was candidate #5, so ignore everything I say from here on out. That could be even more damaging to Obama, considering the work he did for the campaign.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Rather than work on my political theory take-home final...
This is good. His blog provides me ample posting opportunities about issues that I am fairly informed about and he has a reading viewership that isn't just made up of progressive, or liberal bloggers that prop each other up. I will have to fight the good fight and it will be difficult; but, on the bright side, it will give me opportunities to rant on my own blog when creativity fails me.
Despite what I said about him before (I take back half of everything I said), he has noble causes and is an active citizen for Appalachia, which makes it unable to hate the man.
I look forward to productive arguments in the future.
And so that my post title has some relevance and so that I can brag on myself... For my political theory class, I am having to compare the ancestor worship of Confucius to the modern individualism of John Locke, and I came up with what I think is a unique comparison: R2D2 and C3PO. I am really proud of myself right now.
Update 7 hours and five beers later: I have finally finished my essay. I think it may be the most entertaining political theory paper ever, if not the best. We'll skip the meat and jump right to the conclusion to give you an idea of how it went:
So, in a nutshell, R2D2 displayed the teachings of John Locke’s self-primacy-based individuality and C3PO’s inability to disobey his master’s commands displayed the teachings of Confucius, and Jesus Christ would have been the Emporer—unwavering in his rule, and making all of his Sith followers miserable.
Don't blame me. I didn't teach the class (or give the Sermon on the Mount--which is brutal and doesn't reflect any form of Christianity I see today, except for maybe the Quakers. They at least make themselves as miserable as possible).
Roundabout Rants
Hillary's replacement?
“I’ve just been given the appointment of U.S. diplomat.... My title is public diplomacy
envoy for women’s health issues, and I just got back from a four-country European tour of duty. I believe next I’ll be sent to the Middle East.” Also an anti-cancer activist, Drescher has been considering a run for office. “I’ve been very successful in getting a bill passed in Washington,” she said. “I was thinking I’d take the next four years to lay some groundwork, but I’m throwing my hat in the ring."
I don't know if that makes her a viable candidate for the Senate, but it makes her more qualified to run than an unlicensed plumber... so let's at least give her a book deal.
Obviously C-SPAN is a big supporter of the Nanny's candidacy as she is guaranteed to to bring at least a .1 spike in their ratings and steal some of the day-time viewership away from Judge Judy; but, my question to you, dear imaginary audience, is it all really worth bringing back that laugh?
Sunday, December 7, 2008
This is funny...
It should be a crime against humanity that this woman is a stay at home mom while we are subjected to the local bush-league journalism and op-eds of the Grayson Jornal-Times and The Morehead News.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Title deleted
I still don't understand how someone can be a "champion" of Appalachia and justify mountain top removal, while failing to recognize the exploitation of the coal miner.
If anyone in my imaginary audience frequents this site, be sure to check out the link. Hopefully, it will dissuade you from visiting it again.
Update: Ironically, my last response has been deleted off the posts...
Here it is: I have no doubt that I would get knocked out if I said that to a coal miner. There is no prouder people than those who place Appalachian traditions and values rather than retreating to the money being offered from urban life, especially coal miners. God knows I couldn't mine coal.
But thanks for making my argument for me. I am sure your step-father didn't choose that line of work; rather, he put supporting his family over his own health, and, thus justifying my allusion to slavery.
I realize you can't kick me off because that would be one contradiction too many, even for you.
Don't worry, though, because of your inability to make an argument or act like a responsible blogger in your failure to support any of your claims (instead of relying on petty name-calling and personal testimony), I don't really see how The Rural Democrat can be of any benefit to me.
Speaking of name-calling, I still feel the need to call you a jackass.
Update two: I AM SO ANGRY!!!! All capital letters for seriousness (see how upset I am). Why can't I chalk it up as a moral victory, like Professor Caric? I really want to break something. Preferably something that would make a loud noise and not hurt my hand.
Update three: Action had to be taken. So I created a bogus email account and sent The Rural Democrat an email calling this so called "shack" (though I doubt any relationship to "outhouse" or The Shaquille O'Neal) a jackass and I registered the site for a whole lot of news alerts so that they will either become educated or have their email runneth over.
That not being enough, I decided to repost what I wrote above under a fake pseudonym, Garrett II, so that my identity would not be detected. It worked, but he deleted the response again. Let me remind you that this post started out criticizing the DailyKos for censorship.
I hate hypocrites, so tomorrow... more email registrations.
And, finally, an announcement to my imaginary audience, NO ONE WHO POSTS ON MY BLOG WILL BE CENSORED (except for my mom).
Just putting this out there...
Friday, December 5, 2008
Palin or Huckabee? The best (worst) of two worlds (that are the same)
Are they serious? Hasn't the right learned their lesson from November's ass-kicking?
Not according to right-wing talk radio who still blame McCain for losing the election because of his failure to appeal to conservative values. And, apparently, not according to registered republicans either. As a result, we have Pitbull Palin and Pastor Huckabee (alliteration has failed me) with a fairly significant early-lead over the only true republican candidate, Mitt Romney. Here is to hoping that Rush Limbaugh decides to pull an Al Franken and make things interesting.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
An apology to my imaginary audience
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Empowered!
I had been dreading my girlfriend's formal all week. Well, dreading is probably not the right word... I was nervous about formal and wasn't looking forward to it, to say the least. This semester I have become somewhat reclusive, focusing on my schoolwork and seeking refuge in the doldrums of political non-fiction. I managed to finally finish 1776 and reread Chomsky's Hegemony or Survival, (take that, Dad) and am currently reading Freidman's Hot, Flat, and Crowded, which is about as bad as a sequel as Leprechaun 2: Back to Da Hood. The point is that I haven't spent much time homing in my drunken social-skills this semester and feared that I may be a bit rusty. This isn't the point of the post so I'll get to the end: I was wrong. I had great time and discovered that drunken-socializing is a lot like riding a bike--you never really forget how to do it. Or maybe there is no such thing as drunken social-skills because you always forget them the next day.
Back to topic:
Alex and I were in Speedway getting her a Coke to mix with her drink and I had to get my daily caffeine-fix. As we were checking out, a Morehead officer (who I have never seen) looked at me and said, "You're the guy who wrote that letter, aren't you?" At first, I was confused. Then I realized he was talking about THE letter (another shameless plug). At first I didn't really know what to say. I almost lied. I don't think my gut-reaction to lie was a result of fear, but more of a natural tendency to not tell the truth. I think it is a survival instinct.
But then my sense of pride kicked in and I was like "Hell, yeah! I wrote that letter," but I think that sense of pride actually came out in a feeble, "Uh... ye.... yes. I think so." (Dammit.)
He joked that he was hanging out at Speedway and not BP (at least they are being fair to local gas stations, now). He said that he personally wasn't too upset about the letter, but that there were other officers who were "really angry over it."
YES! In your face, The Man.
Since then, I have fallen a bit and am on cloud five or six; but, now when I float, I have to make sure to stop at all stop signs and observe all the air-traffic laws.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Put the students first
Huggy Bear: Dig this man. Someone once said: "To err is human, to forgive divine."
Hutch: Tch. What idiot said that?
Huggy Bear: I believe that was God - the greatest mack of all.
MSU students don't get the greatest education. Some can...MSU has the resources and some very gifted faculty, so if a student pushes himself or herself hard enough, they can come away with a degree and be just as prepared for a career as someone graduating from a more prestigious university. But there is a general feeling of defeat shared by the student body and, in part, the faculty. MSU has a very difficult time retaining talented professors, as they are lured away by money or prestige. No department knows this any better than the Government Department. In the few years that I have been here, one professor was fired, one arrested, and two have left to "greener pastures." It isn't that the professors remaining aren't skilled scholars; in fact, it is exactly the opposite. The professors in the government department are some of the most-skilled, dedicated professors Morehead has to offer. There just isn't enough of them. Which brings me to the case in point:
Morehead State might have the opportunity to bring one of those professors back.
Professor Noelle N'Diaye was arrested last year for possession of crack cocaine and and child endangerment. There were also rumors that her friendship with some of her students jeopardized her professionalism and ethics as a professor.
She has suffered the public humiliation of her peers, students, and community and has to live with the fact that she failed the black community in helping perpetuate racial stereotypes in a predominately white community, and failing to uphold the standards that she taught in her classes.
But more than anything, her crime should serve as a warning to the rest of drug-afflicted Appalachia. No one is immune to addiction. Professor N'Diaye is an intelligent, driven civil servant and was the last person anyone thought would fall to addiction.
But the past is the past, and we are in the present. She has completed her rehabilitation with full cooperation and has recommitted herself to her family and her faith. She is not being charged with a felony and is serving no time because the courts don't see a point in further punishing a repentant woman who has all the characteristics of an ideal citizen and is a benefit to the city of Morehead.
Why isn't Morehead State seeing it, too?
Professor N'Diaye made students passionate about learning. She made them passionate about government and empowered students to become better informed, more-aware citizens. More importantly, she made students feel like they mattered.
Drugs are a horrible thing, and Professor N'Diaye sacrificed her career and her reputation because of it; and in doing so, she made us realize the pervasiveness of addiction and served as a warning to her students.
I admittingly do not know all of the circumstances leading to Professor N'Diaye's firing, nor do I know if she would be willing to come back to MSU; but, I can speak for myself, and I would be more than willing to accept Noelle N'Diaye back into the Morehead State community and would be thrilled to have her teaching classes again. I strongly believe that no matter what her actions were that led to her dismissal, it cannot compare to everything that she has to offer Morehead State students and the Morehead State community.
If Morehead State can let bygones be bygones and put the education of its students first, it will do everything in its power to allow Professor N'Diaye back into a classroom.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Barack Obama is a better man than I (am)
I get it, Barack Obama is a great man, capable of not only removing the knife out of his back, but also capable of forgiving the man who stabbed him. But, honestly, how do we know the Lieberman won't do it again? Personally, I have always found Lieberman to be a little stab-happy. How can someone go from the democratic VP candidate to a possible republican VP candidate?
I am a huge believer in tit-for-tat. Let us throw Lieberman under the same bus he tried to throw Obama under. We can wheel and deal for the other votes.
Bob Cesca says it for me on the Huffington Post.
The only other argument is that Lieberman brings democrats one vote closer to the magical 60.
I understand why that is important, but my question to you, imaginary readers, is if we demoted Joe like we ought to, would he really would jump ship? (I am stealing this from myself in a previous response to the issue) Because I don't think so. The republican ship is sinking and (I know I should stop with the boat references) though he is the galleys, jumping ship would be the equivalent to walking the plank.
He may be an independent (LMAO), god bless him, but he is still a liberal.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Joe the Tool
"The party should remember that they are conservative Republicans — that has been forgotten. They no longer hold to their ideals. They blow with the wind on just about every public opinion poll. So they are not right-wing; they are trying to show that they’re middle or even left-of-middle sometimes. You have to remember two years ago, the Democrats loved John McCain. That is not what this is about. If you’re a party, you have to stick to your ideals. The frontrunners in the Republican Party have definitely seem to forgotten that. Governor [Bobby] Jindal of Louisiana seems to have the right idea. We have got to get back to the grassroots of the Republican Party and not apologize for being conservative."
Is he serious? Which way was the wind blowing this year, because I thought it was blowing right, right? Actually, if you look at a map, Sarah Palin is on the geographic left, so maybe that's what he meant.
Monday, November 17, 2008
The unofficial petition to keep Lunsford from running in 2010
The bottom-line is that we need fresh blood. I am thinking along the lines of a Jack Conway--he is a pretty face and well-spoken--or a Ben Chandler, who hasn't yet began to rot. Personally, I like Conway, but Chandler has been down this road before.
This election fell short of a record-voter turnout, percentage-wise, but more Kentuckians casted their vote than ever in history. Hopefully first-time voters enjoyed their first taste of democracy and will turn out again in 2010, but we don't need to help Bunning out by letting Lunsford buy his way into another election.
Underdog Fave: Paul Patton. Bill Clinton has shown that the American public is down with adultery. I don't think it is en vogue yet in KY, especially in the dirty south--where any chance of a democrat in the senate lives and dies (I've given up on North Kentucky, why doesn't Cincy just annex it already). Despite a dirty secret and the standard preferential treatment to his buddies, Patton is a likable candidate that would remind us of the good ol' days. Plus, I can only imagine how pissed my dad would be if Patton became a US senator.