Vice Presidential Debates . . . A joke

So, we just put Aidan down for bed and we turned on the Palin/Biden debate. Not that Vice Presidential debates really matter but . . . what a joke. First. I thought debates were intended for candidates to discuss current issues that our country faces and how they would attack them or solve them. This is not what happened tonight. First of all, Palin flat out refused to answer questions and stay on topic. Instead she decided to create and spread lies about Biden and Obama's voting record. Why is she getting a positive response for this? I do not get it.

4:51 AM - 1 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Contributing to History

So this acquaintance that I have at school said to me today, "I don't like Howard Zinn, I don't think he has contributed anything to History." I was shocked. Not mad, just shocked. When I asked him why, I was even more shocked at his answer, or non-answer. Then I started thinking about it. What has Howard Zinn contributed to history? The only way that I could some it up into one word, as if that is even possible in the first place, is dialogue. In my oppinion, what Howard Zinn has contributed to History is a dialogue about the forgotten or minimally represented. For example, the Haymarket Affair/Riot (depending on what perspective you veiw the incident), which was briefly mentioned in one of my history courses. Zinn's interpretation of the incident places the event in a broader subject, the 19th century industrial revolution and the suffering it caused the working class. He brings in the socialist movements, anarchist movements, temperance movements, etc... A different dialogue.

When people close their minds, limit themselves from attempting to understand the unorthodox, that is what scares me. It is difference that makes this country what it is. If we were to only persue certain avenues and not the rest, we would be lost.

11:04 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Let them go all the way to mars or beyond the milky way.
Current mood: amused

When the name Imam Ruhullah Al-Musavi Al-Khomeni (or Imam Khomeni) is vocalized, we, or at least I (due to watching to many anti-terrorist movies as a kid) initially think of a villian. The American media, as we all know, wants us to think of certain people as being bad. Therefore, they choose to not tell the whole picture. Well, here is a interesting quote from Imam Khomeni (the Iranian Shaw who came to power after the 1978-79 Iranian Revolution): "As the imperialist countries attained a high degree of wealth and affluence-- the result both of scientific and technical progress and of their plunder of nations of Asia and Africa-- these individuals lost all self confidence and imagined the only way to achieve technical progress was to abandon their own laws and beliefs. When the moon landings took place, for instance, they concluded that Muslims should jettison their laws! But what is the connection between going to the moon and the laws of Islam? Do they not see that countries having opposing laws and social systems compete with eachother in technical and scientifc progress and the conquest of space? Let them go all the way to Mars or beyond the Milky Way; they will still be deprived of true happiness . . . and be unable to solve their own social problems. For the sollution of social problems and the relief of human misery require foundations in faith and morals; merely acquiring material power and wealth, conquering nature and space, have noe effect in this regard."

The man's got a point!

10:07 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Smearing Poop in the Spirit of the American Revolution!

I read this in a History book, so it must be true!  According to an American Revolution Historian, sveral forms of colonial resistance existed prior to the actual revolution.  The usual forms of resistance existed, you know, economic boycots, etc.  But, there also existed a unique form of colonial resistence called the Hillsbourough Treat!  It was a very special way in which those opposed to the British parliament and later King, The Patriots, intimidated those colonists who were still loyal to the British constitution.  Patriots would go around their towns and ask their neighbors to sign petitions that declared their alleigance to the patriot cause.  Here is where it gets good.  If a neighbor wouldn't sign the petition, one of two actions were taken to "punish" the unloyal neighbor.  The first action was that the unloyal neighbors name would be published in a pamphlet which would then be hung in a local tavern.  Tavern goers would then get wasted and go this persons house and beat them up.  The second action, this is the best part, was the Hillsbourough treat.  The Hillsbourough consisted of smearing poop on the unloyal neighbors house.  So, if you make me mad and wake up with poop all over your house, you know that I did it in the spirit of the American Revolution! 

1:20 AM - 3 Comments - 6 Kudos - Add Comment

Gus Van Zant needs to stop.

So I had the weekend free from doing any school work, spring break, and I was looking forward to watching some movies with Stef.  I really wanted to watch Good Night and Good Luck but Tower did not have it in stock.  So we rented Dirty Filthy Love (great movie highly recomended), The Corpse Bride (Very good) and Last Days(Gus Van Zants version of Kurt Cobains final days of life).  We started the night off with "Last Days."  We should have learned our lesson after watching Elephant.  Similar to our experience with Elephant, We waited for a long time befrore something happened that was interesting.  Basically, I waisted two hours of my precious spring break watching this movie.  Gus Van Zant, if I ever see you in person . . . I am going to ask you to stop making movies.  Because they suck! 

8:08 PM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Too many papers to write!

I've got too many papers to write and not enough time to think about going back to Japan this summer with Stefanie.  That's not true.  Even though I should be writing ananlytical papers about what common themes do the French and British share in their colonization of Egypt, and how trade and commerce played a significant role in developing the American West, and the emergence of a working class in Japan after the Meiji Restoration of 1868, all I think about is going back to Japan and having one of the best friends I've ever had, meet for the first time, two more of my best friends that I've ever had.  But as Billy brag said, "If that's all I gotta worry about, I'm in trouble."  So, In August, Stef and I will be flying to Japan, we are going to go visit Hiroshima on August 6th (for those of you that know anything about World War II you know what day that is) and participate in a ceremony dedicated to peace.  Well, If that's not living, I don't know what is.  Peace. 

9:17 PM - 2 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment