The Despotism of a Two Party System

I've always bitched about having a two party political system in this country, and how limited it makes our options. In addition it creates this very strong political machine, that will enact it's will regardless of what the people want. It turns out I'm not the only one, or even anywhere close to the first:

The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty.

Without looking forward to an extremity of this kind (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight), the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it.

It serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which finds a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another.

--------George Washington, 1st President of the United States

9:57 PM - 4 Comments - 8 Kudos - Add Comment

Music

I have always loved music.I grew up with a family immersed in music.My mother is from Salzburg which is a city that has produced some of the best musicians in the world.I grew up playing the piano quite horribly under my mother's expert tutoring.Regardless I wasn't blessed with the gene.My sister plays cello nationally in many symphonies, but to me it was just another of my mother's absurd demands.At least at the time.Of course now I regret my confrontational nature towards music.My musical stature not withstanding I do remember being hypnotized by the music my mother would play.She was a huge Vivaldi fan but nothing could take away from the beauty she saw in the traditional German composers she had grown up with.I was raised with all the greats.I remember coming home as a kid, sweaty from a day of fussball and bike riding, to hear some of the most  beautiful compositions ever written filling my house with this certain sense of peacefulness.Even in my short attention span filled childhood the music had a calming affect over me.Instantly I reverted to this imaginary world situated completely in my mind.The music would put me in a trance. It seemed it was invevitably Wagner and Beethoven that had this affect over me. Recently I came across this song on youtube.It brought back this train wreck of memories so quickly I almost cried.I remember this song so well.I remember whenever my mother would put the record of Beethoven's 9th symphony I would clammor to the record player and put my hands on the speakers so I could feel the vibrations while it played Piano Concerto Number 5. The song made chills run down my spine as cliche as that may sound. I remember almost crying at the young age of 8 and not knowing quite why I was feeling that way.I think Beethoven once said that music enabled action.Such a simple statement means so much to me now. Music forces you to confront certain emotions. It works so many little actions in your mind that are completely out of your control. When i think of music I am thinking of an emotion, and i am thinking of Piano Cocerto Number 5.
Piano Cocerto Number 5

8:22 AM - 2 Comments - 8 Kudos - Add Comment

Conversations with my Sister

On Saturday as I was biking through the absolutely beautiful Marin headlands, I decided to stop at one beautiful vantage point where I could see the a really majestic lagoon from the top of some cliffs. My sister had called while I was riding so I sat down and took a breather as I returned her call.

We talked about my youngest sister's upcoming wedding, our flight arrival times, and just a general update on our lives. As we were talking I brought up the fact that I was sick of the bullshit chain emails our father sends us. The usual round of trite propaganda, from some random, republican asshole that sees his chain letter as some sort of pseudo celebrity. She remarked that she couldn't understand why I didn't like reading them.

First of all I tried to explain that they are predominantly lies or half truths propagated by conservatives.She asked how I knew they were lies?My response was Snopes. She then remarked that Snopes probably had a liberal bias. I tried somewhat futilely to explain that Snopes was not a political organization.She couldn't fathom that they wouldn't have a political bias one way or the other. I then explained that even the authors of some of these chain emails have recanted their original statements.She stated there is no way I could know that for sure.

Finally I just felt like the discussion was ruining the absolutely amazing weather and view, so I told her I was getting another call and needed to go. I then came to an important conclusion about the modern day conservative.They are completely sure of their political ideology, because they refuse to even listen to reason, or accept an opinion different than their own.They lack a simple human emotion, and one severely lacking in politics in general.Empathy.

Isn't a lack of empathy a characteristic of a sociopath?Not to say that I think my sister is a sociopath. I love her to death, but having a lack of empathy is easy when you don't see the results of your vote. When you don't have to see innocent children killed by an errant bomb due to our aggressive foreign policy. When you have financial security, and don't have to witness a poor black family in Georgia struggling on minimum wage, and trying to pay doctor bills for their children because Bush vetoed the Peachcare Children's Heath Plan.They don't have to witness the painful emotional turmoil a soon to be teenage mother, lacking any support; goes through when deciding what to do with an unwanted pregnancy. These are things that conservatives don't have to witness secluded away in their bubble of ignorance, conformity, and wealth of pleasant distractions.

I really hope this doesn't make me sound like a bleeding heart liberal, but man I am truly amazed at some of the ignorance I am witnessing recently. You would think an unpopular war, a failing economy, a weak dollar, the largest deficit in history, rising gas prices, eroding of civil liberties, bad environmental policies, etc etc etc would actually make people realize that neo-conservativism is a flawed ideology. I guess that would make too much sense....

7:21 PM - 12 Comments - 17 Kudos - Add Comment

The Death of America

Right when i start to feel optimistic about politics from such characters as Ron Paul, and Barack Obama, this sense of realism sits in.This sense that politics are politics as usual, and that no one leader can foot the blame.We are living in a country with a flawed system.PERIOD. That no matter how much idealism you bring to the table, our political machine will turn you up and spit you out until you are clothed only with only the truth, which makes a somewhat horrific bedfellow in political thought. Regardless of who the media cheerleads unto the public eye, they are all the same horrific entity. A creation of our selfish, political thought.Where power, not empathy is the rule of the day. You know you really have to admire the conservatives for their backbone and ability to create a fascist republic below our very noses.

So I am sitting here drinking a beer and pouring out one for my homie, the 4th amendment, which was tragically shot down with the help of spineless Democrats, and spiteful Republicans.A founding tenant of this country died today, with the passage of FISA, by BOTH parties.We have seen a real defining moment in this country, and nobody seems to give a shit. We have seen states amend their constitution to take AWAY rights of an individual in such things as gay marriage, and we have now seen our federal government follow suit with such things as the Patriot Act and now FISA.

The American public, well at least the small minority that actually cares what happens in this country; is crying out for a leader. Someone to take a stand against such autocratic abuse by our government.Yet not a soul will stand up and take this stand of leadership.Instead we are faced with a candidate who is basically a carbon copy of Bush, and a candidate that is pandering to get votes at the cost of his own integrity.I have had it.I refuse to vote for either.Instead I will just resign myself to my fate, and pray that cooler heads prevail after this country is destroyed, and they have that absolute power which they so desire.

8:11 PM - 11 Comments - 10 Kudos - Add Comment

WHAT THE FUCK???????

These people actually exist? (It's work safe)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-q4MDQ0cDI

2:50 PM - 8 Comments - 8 Kudos - Add Comment

The Gas Tax

GOD Hillary Clinton disgusts me.Are the American people so fucking stupid they buy her bullshit?This new gas tax freeze is the latest in a string of bullshit tactics she is using to win votes.I can barely see I'm so pissed off by her arrogant stupidity. This artice gives a great breakdown of what exactly her proposals would do: http://www.newsweek.com/id/134856/page/1

By the way, why do we even care about this Reverend Wright bullshit?I noticed when i pulled up Google News they had THREE SECTIONS devoted to articles about the Reverend Wright.Apparently the story has hurt Obama in the polls. Please tell me how this guilt by association would make someone not want to vote for him?When i was growing up my parents had us in mass often, but i couldnt tell you much at all about the preists we dealt with. It's like juding me by the dry cleaner i use.GOD politics make me mad in this country.You know if people researched the issues, and were able to see through the smoke and mirror tricks nobody in their right mind would vote for people like Hillary Clinton, or McCain.

2:31 PM - 9 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

The Interview

Let me just start by saying my current job isnt that bad.It really isnt.I’m writing for a new magazine, that gives me a lot of different tasks to complete that do nothing but help me in the long run.I’m learning the in’s and out’s of the internet startup world, as well as magazine publishing.It has been a great experience at times, and for the most part the more experienced writer’s and editors, have helped me learn tasks that were somewhat new to me.So i guess your waiting for the big BUT.BUT i am facing one of the problems of a startup.Low pay, and a lack of hours.Some weeks we are waiting on developers, so we arent writing.I have had to subsist my income with a night job.A task i do not enjoy whatsoever.Working from 9am to 12am isnt really what i envisoned with my life.All with no health insurance.Yeah.So regretfully i am on the job search once again.

So the first job i applied to was a job with Pearson Education. They make a majority of the textbooks that are used in english language schools across the globe.They are actually the largest publisher of english language books, and also own many subsidiaries such as Penguin books.I honestly didnt expect to hear back from them but i figured that i should at least try, because the company, and the position interested me.Amazingly i heard back from them almost immediately.So today i had an interview.

I got a little intimidated when they sent me the itinerary for the interview.It was 3 HOURS!First i interviewed with the HR director for the San Francisco branch of Pearson.Then i interviewed with the Acquisitions Editor i would be working directly underneath.Then i interviewed with the Associate Editor i would be replacing due to her recent promotion.These were very intense interviews in that there was a lot to absorb about the company, the position, and the staff i would be working with.I was in a daze.The staff was GREAT.They were all very friendly, easy to talk to, and yet extremely professional, and knowledgable about the publishing industry, and the competitive textbook publishing market.I usually do great in interviews, especially ones as high pressure as this one.I think i really did great.I asked all of the right questions, i talked at length about the web development, and freelance pieces i have written.I made self-deprecating jokes at just the right moment.I am very excited about this job.The benefits were amazing.The pay was great.They actually have a gym and showers, in the office so you can work out before or after work.The building was beautiful, and if i got the job my office would have views of the bay, the bridges, and coit tower.This is my wet dream of a job.Working with quite possibly the most respectable publishing house in the english language, having a real office, having a gym in the office, amazing health care, dental, stock options, 401k, etc. So basically i did well in the interview, and my hotel sales background actually helps with this position, as most of the editors have worked in sales.So if you feel like doing your good deed for the day, just will me getting this job.I will be eternally grateful, and so will my body.Working 80 hours a week isnt fun anymore.......

8:38 PM - 6 Comments - 5 Kudos - Add Comment

Marriage Lottery

http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/03/17/mccartney.mills/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

I opened up my gmail this morning at work, and as usual check all of the top news stories.At the top of the list was this little gem of an article. A truly sad statement, on the materialism, and complete lack of any sense of reality by the elite of this world.The estranged wife of Paul McCartney, famous solely for that reason, well and her lack of a right leg, has been awarded 50 million for absolutely no fucking reason.She will also be awarded a salary of 1.2 million a year, and 5 million to purchase property in London.That doesnt even figure in the fact that she also gets a 70,000 dollar check a month in child support.What really stood out was this quote from her:

"The judgment included £35,000 ($70,000) a year for the couple’s 4-year-old daughter, Beatrice. Mills said she was unhappy with that amount because it isn’t enough for school tuition, private security, or first-class airfare.

"He likes her to fly five times a year on holiday," Mills said of McCartney. "It’s £17,000 for two people return (round-trip) first class, so that’s obviously not meant to happen for her anymore. It’s very sad."

Is she fucking kidding?No because she gets even more illogical with this statement:

In a television interview last year, Mills said she had endured "18 months of abuse, worse than a murderer or pedophile."

Say what?What the fuck is wrong with this woman?She has more money than 99 percent of the world’s population, and she is complaining because 70,000 a year wont cover airfare?Then open your fucking purse you greedy bitch.You just won the goddamn marriage lottery.I subsist in one of the most expensive real estate markets on goddamn chump change, basically living paycheck to paycheck, and peg-leg has the nerve to complain after just getting a settlement that will ensure she never has to work another day in her life, and all for just fucking a former Beatle??????

Can SOMEONE PLEASE explain this absurdity to me?I was so angry when i read this i wanted to punch her in her stump.

7:02 PM - 8 Comments - 12 Kudos - Add Comment

Nice Op-Ed Piece

Ok by no means am i a Glen Beck fan but for once he got it right.As they say a broken clock is right twice a day.This is a good op-ed piece:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/03/14/beckfloridamichigan/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

9:57 AM - 9 Comments - 11 Kudos - Add Comment

Reflections on San Francisco

I guess i can officially call myself a local now, although i still dont know if i truly feel like a San Franciscan.Then again i have moved so much from such a young age, i dont know if i would really say that i feel any kind of connection to any place i live.I make it my home although any sort of spiritual connection to the land is lost on me.Thoughts like that start putting me into some categories i would rather not venture into.I dont want to start listening to World Music and burning incense.

I have to say that i enjoy living here for the most part, although it has its obvious flaws, like most cities.I thought i would list out some of the stranger, or at least different things about San Francisco.

Where are the black people?I swear sometimes, if i see a black person i like stop and stare as if waiting for something magical to happen.I think i am kind of ambivalent about it, but going from the south which is at least half black, to a city where there are no black people is kind of strange.

The weather here SUCKS.At first the mildness of the weather was great.Sunny days,  cool nights, etc. Now that the winter has hit i am definitely singing a different tune.It's basically rain every fucking day.I dont even both checking the weather reports anymore.You can pretty much count on rain EVERY MOTHERFUCKING DAY.It is depressing as shit.It's like cold enough where there should be snow on the ground, yet instead the sky just shits on you all fucking day and night.Then god forbid it doesnt rain one day it's still wet in all the parks, because the sun never dries anything here.I am starved for some sunshine right now.I dont think i have experienced being "hot" in this city yet.It is always either cold as shit, or mildly cool.

Hella.I still have yet to say it but i had a dream where i said it and i woke up sweating.Everyone here uses it in so many contexts, yet it still sounds odd to me.The day i use it in a sentence will be the day i will feel as if i have truly become a local.Some common uses: "It's hella cold out here today" "The writing for the television drama 24 is hella tired"

I am getting really sick of tacos.After about a month of eating tacos three times a week, just the sight of one makes me queasy.They are just so damn cheap and easily available.Remind me to never move to Mexico.

Other than these flaws, i am enjoying the city and doing ok.Financially i am still struggling pretty hard, but i guess i kind of expected that from the beginning.The startup i work for cut hours until they launch because the advertising revenue obviously isnt going to be coming in yet.The editor at my work is really draining everyone, due to his completely unorthodox style of management.(ie. Yelling and emotionally degrading his employees) But i am writing, and building up a decent porfolio of published articles, so i hope to be able to use this job as a stepping stone towards bigger and better things.I had to take a second night job to make ends meet, and its getting kind of stressful.I really hope to find a decent full time job sometime soon, so i can have a regular schedule and finally be able to buy better food to subsist off of, rather than the 2 dollar tacos that i somehow always find myself stuffing into my gullet with a mexican fresca, in between jobs.

My job is now expanding into an arts and culture blog so we will be interviewing artists, directors, musicians, etc. in the coming weeks, which i am very excited about.I always wanted to do something related to music journalism, so i hope to take full advantage of any of these side projects related to the magazine.I am going to try and get an interview with MSTRKRFT in a couple of weeks, when they come through for the San Francisco Noisepop festival.

So i miss my family and friends, and this city can be entirely stressful at times, but i am trying to remain at least optimistically pessimistic so things arent that bad.

8:52 PM - 6 Comments - 6 Kudos - Add Comment

Rant on 24

Am i the only one that thinks 24 is a terrible fucking show?The premise is great.Everything takes place in realtime.There is intrigue, politics, military scandals, global policy jibes, etc. I SHOULD love this show.But i find the writing to be terrible.Shitty subplots that exist solely to keep certain non-important characters in the main plot.But in reality their characters are so entirely boring, mundane, and predictable.I find myself watching it and yelling at the screen, "What the fuck are you thinking!!!????" Especially the subplots with his daughter and wife.Blech.I can't begin to describe how much i hate this show.But for some moronic reason i continue to watch it.I think its just because i want to find out what the fuck happens at the end.I think i should just skip to the last episode.I feel like its torture to watch any more episodes.For instance.Why does the girl go back to her kidnapper?Why does the wife get OUT OF THE FUCKING CAR to see if the people chasing her are still chasing her?Why do the hitmen hesitate to kill the wife because of a rent-a-cop checking her house because of the alarm?Why does the intern kill the Bosnian hitman?I mean it makes absolutely no sense.I say let the writers continue to strike if this is the stupid shit they are coming out with.

8:21 PM - 4 Comments - 6 Kudos - Add Comment

My New Favorite Film

Absolutely brilliant romantic comedy.On par with Before Sunset:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8raqLzb3rQ

7:42 PM - 6 Comments - 8 Kudos - Add Comment

Asian Drivers

Fuck me, an Asian driver is going to be the death of me.There i said it.I try to refrain from being a bigot on weekdays, but seriously?What the fuck?Whenever i have had a serious close call with a driver, or have been run off the road, it has been an asian driver 99.9% of the time.The worst part is when you yell at them they seem so apologetic.Then it makes me all introspective and feeling guilty.Just 30 minutes ago i was biking up Potrero Road, and this black Mercedes whips in front of me and then slams on the brake.So i skid my bike to the side then whip around the car yelling profanities the entire time and getting ready to spit a big wad of gelatinous Joshua DNA all over their windshield when i see the cutest, little Chinese lady give me an awkward, apologetic smile, and i was instantly stopped in my tracks.In more ways than one.Then the little angel on my shoulder says, "Seriously, you are such a bigot.Just look at her?". Then im all like, "What?I have Asian friends.Seriously!".

But in more positive news i have found a secret way to get to my job in SOMA from the Mission.If i take 18th street until i can go no further east, and whip north, its awesome.Im riding along the bay, there is very little traffic, and i get to cross that cool little bridge right by AT & T Park.My office is right next to the baseball park, so im there in no time with significantly less stress, and few Asian drivers.

8:46 PM - 11 Comments - 11 Kudos - Add Comment

Man this is fucked up

I had always said that it would be really interesting to have a reality show that really fucked with someone's head.I mean controlling someone's entire environment with them having no idea what was real, and what wasnt.I mean pushing the boundaries to see how much the human mind could take.Of course the Japanese did it like 10 years ago:

http://www.quirkyjapan.or.tv/nasubi.html

4:27 PM - 12 Comments - 12 Kudos - Add Comment

Things i like, and things i dont.

So if you dont value my opinion then this really isnt the blog for you.

I was kind of holding off on endorsing any canidate, or really professing for one, because i still wasnt sure who i would vote for, nor was i certain on what each one represented specifically.Now that i have read through all of the canidate's websites, i have come to these conclusions.

Huckabee: JESUS FUCKING CHRIST this guy scares the shit out of me.Seriously.I read over his ideas on the issues and it was basically a laundry list of everything that is wrong with the republican party.Intolerance, fascist immigration policies, repeal of Roe vs. Wade, amending the fucking constitution for get this: outlawing gay marriage (btw has the constitution ever been amended, other than Prohibition, to take away rights from individuals?Wont this be a precedent, and on something as silly as the sexual preferences of a citizen?), and expanding our military into even more nation building situations. (Because we have such great luck with that.) BTW he is a former Baptist minister.If you have ever been to a Baptist church you know how fucking scary those people are.I still get chills from my one experience with that.And can you imagine having a president named fucking Huckabee?It makes him sound like a fucking hick.

Ron Paul: So this is the only canidate that i actually donated money to.Im not on the whole crazy, youtube bandwagon.Anyone whos known me for awhile knows, Ive been a registered Libertarian since i could vote.Ive been really excited about his canidacy.I just really dont think he will win the nomination of the Republican party due to its courting of evangelicals.Ill be the first to admit that some of his policies, are a little more than radical.But his heart is in the right place, and people need to realize that the President isnt the Emperor.We do have checks and balances in our government, and that only the most important issues will really be enacted by Ron Paul.For instance pulling out of Iraq, backing the dollar with the gold standard to prevent it from becoming the new peso, and cutting all corporate subsidies, and stopping corporations from having all of the rights of a citizen.I just hope he runs as an independent if he doesnt win the nomination.And i think its really fucked up that they have already started to censor him.For instance not letting him in the debate, but letting others who arent polling as high as him.(cough Guilliani cough).

Hillary Clinton: She fucking scares me.I am amazed at some of the people i meet here that are supporting her canidacy.Are they out of their fucking minds?You might as well hand over the reigns to GW for four more years.She is just as much a part of the whole military industrial/corporate/health care mafia that Bush is in.One of her major campaign contributors is the perscription drug lobby.If you want to coast along with the same status quo we have dealt with the past 8 years then i guess she is your canidate.

John Edwards: I really didnt support his canidacy in the last election.I thought he wasnt genuine.He just seemed to be courting middle america with his folksy wisdom.To me he seemed like the Democratic version of Bush.But i think he has run a really great campaign lately, and his platform is the best out of all the canidates.Cutting corporate welfare, and corporate government influence.A single payer health care system.Feeding money into the middle class.Rebuilding New Orleans like it should be.Supporting sound enviromental policies.Other than Ron Paul this is one canidate i have faith will build a better America if elected.(god that sounds cliche, but its true) At this point i think this is who i will vote for.

Obama: So i really like his whole fresh outlook perspective, and i think he has a real genuine sense of wanting to change things.But he is still too vague on the issues.There are too many instances of him voting "present" instead of yes or no when he was in the senate.It seems fishy.As if he is trying to please everyone, and appeal to everyone.He is very charismatic.But he doesnt support universal health care (a big issue with me), gay marriage, or abortion rights.I mean maybe he does have an opinion on that, but his website is too vague to figure it out.

Mitt Romney: He looks like that guy from the music video in the 80's.Max Headway or something?He is horrible in the debates.Another scary republican canidate.

Guliani: He is so irreleveant and moronic i dont even really feel the need to explain why he has no fucking chance.

Also something i have noticed.Do you realize that in polls the general public has stated that their major points of interest in the presidential campaign are health care, jobs, the failing economy and dollar.Know what the debates cover?Fucking terrorism, torture, and who is more fucking devout.Will the fucking media wake up and pose some real fucking questions?These guys are coasting by answering questions about their personal life.I mean we might as well be asking them what their favorite color is.

Anyways if anyone has any opinions or want to say who they are voting for im genuinely interested.It seems in San Francisco, everyone is voting for either Hilary or Obama.

6:50 PM - 21 Comments - 15 Kudos - Add Comment