absterisms 2010: a mean little fart.

art by tina berning

that's just... wrong

where's my vote?

congress is taking too long!

state of the us nation

remember when obama's inauguration

felt like this?

and the 44th US president felt like the new era?

felt like things like race and youth and politics and some newfangled ideas that affected the rest of the world as well were finally coming together...

but...

what's going on now? are americans happy?

noynoy and binay?

Gibo Teodoro for President? His take

Highlights of the Philippine Star Villar Profile:

ADVISORS:
Economic: Joey Salceda, Chavit Singson (?!), Peter Favila.
Foreign Affairs: I have some experience and constitutional knowledge on that.
Security & Peace: I have a clear idea where we're headed.
Politics: Partymates.
Media: Mike Toledo.
Health: Esperanza Cabral, Francisco Duque.
Education: Jesli Lapus (this guy isn't even making it to the meaty parts and he's already a fail. I can honestly say that this guy is not doing much for education except take credit for projects that started way before he came and effed things up even more. Bologna Accord may not have been his doing but not flagging it? Big FAIL.)

Environment: Tony Oposa (mini-save. Atty. Oposa is great!)

ECONOMY/TRADE/FINANCE:

• Will increase FDI and local investments with long-term plans, peace and order, easy to follow policies, reward investor friendly LGs.
• No model for economic development. Philippines is unique.
• To lower power cost and improve energy security, firms should be allowed to import generation units tax-free, wave penalties for firms with own generation units, discover alternative resources, look into nuclear energy, but not BNPP.
• Alternative energy policy can be pursued in the long-term.
• Communications, all-weather roads in growth regions, more air and sea ports will be infrastructure priorities, funded through BOT.
• New taxes and priority tax policies: excise, specific and consumption taxes, but not income and corporate taxes.
• Agriculture, post-harvest facilities as complement to agrarian reform are priority economic sectors for development.
• Agriculture, marine resources, mineral resources are sectors to be protected/subsidized.
• Tourism, Education, services like lawyering are sectors to be liberalized.
• Foreigners should own land for certain residential, some tourism, industrial and commercial land but not agricultural, mineral or marine resources.
• Middle class to be expanded through quality jobs and more services.
• No open pit mining.
• Make us an investment destination, reduce cost of doing business, improve communications and transport facilities, ease tax rates, high-quality qorkforce, review tax incentives.
• Subsidize farmers, establish post-harvest facilities, easier access to markets, irrigation.
• Ports of entry should cater to cruise ships.
• Make beneficiaries agro-entreprenuers. Mechanize, go slow on acquisition.
• Give leeway to corporations as long as they disclose material information.
• Incentivize customs service to stop smuggling.
• Allow government employee-inventors to keep ownership of invention and charge royalties.
• Institutionalize role of Anti-Money Laundering Council and enforce law.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS:

• China, Japan and the US are vital to the Philippines. But also Middle East, EU and Australia.
• Economically, China is a big trading partner, big source of potential tourism and foreign investments. In security, they have spent a massive amount on unlimited military build up and no clear intentions on foreign security policy.
• No travel for first 6 months.
• Strengthen ties with EU, South America. Revitalize the BIMP-EAGA (?).
• Pursue claim on Spratlys due to baselines law.
  

ENVIRONMENT:

• Relocate informal settlers in vulnerable areas, provide employment opportunities in those sites to deal with extreme flooding. Construct a Paranaque spillway to drain Laguna de Bay. More elevated mass transport systems like the LRT or MRT in case of evacuation.
• Implement Clean Air Act. Institute lifestyle changes. Have SWM. No open dumpsites.
• Map the remaining natural forests in the country. Logging ban for natural forests, regeneration of trees in wooded areas.
• Implement an old law that each barangay should have rain water catchments.

HUMAN RIGHTS:

• focus on crime prevention and solution.
• Remove internal security from the AFP. Sustained deterrence against insurgents.

NATIONAL SECURITY:

• Peace in Mindanao must be solved under local circumstances, like the local peace and order councils, because each area has distinct customs and traditions.
• Communism is legal but can't advocate with funs.
• Additional funding to maintain AFP capability upgrade/modernization.
• Give president discretion for term of AFP chief.
• Dismantle private armies.
• US military aid is important.
• Closer military alliance with as many countries as possible.
• Military should not intervene in political issues.
• Private watchdogs in AFP.

EDUCATION/CULTURE/ARTS/SPORTS:

• introduce literacy in preschool, including in native tongue. P1.5 billion a year in teacher training. Set up special student loan fund in SSS.
• Additional years.
• Do away with degree consciousness for promotions. (?? I'd rather have a manager with a Master's than one with none at all)

HEALTH CARE:

• Universal participative healthcare.
• Respect moral choice but government must help support the choice.
• Promote medical tourism.
• Provide incentives for local medical manufacturers.

JUDICIARY:

• Restore definition of judicial powers under old Constitution.
• GMA should not appoint CJ.
• Provide judiciary with more resouces by appointing qualified appointees.

CORRUPTION: full disclosure of any transaction except on national security. Create a culture and attitude against corruption in bureacracy.

STANDS ON:

Cha-cha: Yes, if transparent, constitutional convention.

VFA: continue.

Right of reply: some sort of reply.

Death penalty: against.

Divorce: already in Muslim laws.

Marriage expiration: that's crazy.

Gay rights: should be talked about objectively.

Manny Villar for President? His take

Highlights of the Philippine Star Villar Profile:

ADVISORS:
Economic: Romy Bernardo, Felix Medalla. Respects Pepe Diokno.
Foreign Affairs: Lauro Baja, Garry Laurel.
Health & Environment: Former health secretary Quasie Romualdez.

ECONOMY/TRADE/FINANCE:

• Will focus on agricultural sector because 70% of the poverty-striken are in agriculture.
• NFA should be redefined.
• The Philippines has liberalized too quickly.
• We can be self-sufficient in rice. Can repair the existing irrigation system.
• India and China are economic models for the Philippine economic development. Wants an entrepreneurial revolution.
• For so long as the standard on mining and exploitation of natural resources is the same as developed countries, no problems with this.
• To bring down power costs and boost energy security, must attract more foreign investments in power. Remove what cartels there are and welcome all investors.
• OFW deployment both a boon and a problems. Investments must be made to create jobs and bring back our workers.
• Foreigners shouldn't own land.
• Will not promise to bring down or raise taxes.
• Plans for infrastructure: road interconnection of NLEX and SLEX.
• Raise revenue by efficient tax collention and fight smuggling.
• Implement existing laws to fight money laundering.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS:

• China and the US is a balancing act for most important ally.
• Will visit Saudi Arabia first, though ideally the U.S.
• Won't travel extensively.
• RP should strengthen ties with ASEAN.
• The Philippines can stand for human rights but to strengthen ASEAN, you must also respect the views of its members (i.e. policy towards Myanmar).
• Current policy of fear towards RP ties with US which should be removed.
• Not do anything drastic towards removing US troops in Mindanao.

ENVIRONMENT:

• Will clear the waterways in Metro Manila. Dredging, relocation, reforestation, plant trees. Tap the NPA for a plausible working arrangement for reforestation.
• Very aggresive on logging/agroforestry.
• Victims of climate change. Be more aggressive on this.

HUMAN RIGHTS:

• Modernize the AFP and PNP. Make it clear that we won't tolerate human rights abuses.

NATIONAL SECURITY:

• Bring peace to Mindanao by strengthening the AFP, improving the Human Development Index, continuing the peace process.
• The problem of the NPA will be solved through economic development.
• Longer term for AFP chief.
• US military aid should be reviewed. National interest should be the primordial interest.
• When political leadership betrays public interest, should the military intervene? will fall on side of stability.
• Will stop corruption in PNP/AFP through transparency in public bidding.

EDUCATION/CULTURE/ARTS/SPORTS:

• Education needs additional funding. Universities should compete with the best in the world. Address low literacy rate.
• Add an additional year in grade school, focus on primary education.
• English should be the medium of instruction.
• Arts and culture should be a priority. Sports development will be a priority.

HEALTH CARE:

• Health needs reforms. Focus on medicines, modern equipment. Free healthcare to Filipinos.
• Build more hospitals on government land to keep doctors, nurses, health care professionals home. Doctors should be pulled out of the salary standardization law.
• Subsidize medicines to bring down cost.

JUDICIARY:

• Next president should appoint the new chief justice. If GMA does it, will toss it to SC.

CORRUPTION: an economic problem.

STANDS ON:

Cha-cha/shift to parliamentary system: if you're going to do it now, against it. But during the next term of the president? for it. Indifferent towards constitutional convention or constituent assembly so long as its done properly. But against not including Senate.

Federalism/decentralization: What is important is the leader, not the systm.

VFA: continuing review. No more Daniel Smith cases.

Reproductive Health bill: against it only because it should not be put into law. Up to the person. Opinion is that population is not a liability.

Right of reply: against.

Death penalty: against.

Divorce/Marriage expiration: against.

Gay rights/gay marriage: human rights are important but divisive matters are not a priority.

Prosecuting GMA: leave it to judicial system

gross

wear black. justice for mindanao.

i'm there.

My politics, for now

A few days ago, Mar Roxas stepped down from his dream of becoming the President of the Philippines in 2010 to back Noynoy Aquino.

I feel like history was made in that press conference. At first, I was shocked. I thought about the length of time he had indicated his desire to run for the presidency. I thought about the money he spent on ads that both earned the appeal of some and the ridicule of others. I thought about Noynoy Aquino and about his relatively unrippled role in his political history. I thought it should have been Noynoy backing Mar as the Liberal Party standard bearer.

But the idea started to set in my mind and I thought, "wait." That Mar stepped down felt like a new concept. I may be young but I am pretty sure this is the first time in a long while someone stepped away from power to back a candidate who came from nowhere. It put credence to Mar's statements that he loved the country and would make the necessary sacrifice for the Philippines, including himself. For most trapos, the necessary sacrifice would be to put themselves up as president, rather than to step away from it and stand behind someone else. Yung tipong, "mahirap maging pangulo pero gagawin ko para sa inyo". And then they rob you and your ideals blind.

Detractors have come out saying Noynoy's banking on his last name and the fact his father was a martyr and his mother a democratic icon and hero for the world. They're saying he has nothing to show for and that he has been too quiet, that we need a President who has fire and passion and pizzazz. They're saying his retreat is gimmickry (really, Malacanang, after the SONA and now this? You're degrading the Palace to potshots and insults. You want to call a gimmick a gimmick, how'd that Unity Walk on the beach turn out for you?).

But know what I'm feeling, a 22 year old Filipino already half disillusioned by our country's politics? I'm feeling hope. It's not quite the hope Barack Obama spurred in his nation that led to him being the first black (among others) President of the United States. It feels like a slow but sure trickle in your bones that maybe this changes the turn of the tide. The proof is in candidates laying down their own aspirations to back Noynoy's campaign, from Among Ed, Grace Padaca, Jojo Binay, Kiko Pangilinan. It's in people finally saying that with GMA's rather formidable forces and resources at her disposal, reform stands in uniting behind one person. It's in Noynoy taking his time to think about the charge people are putting upon him, saying only one definite thing; that if he decides to run this late in the game, it's not going to be a traditional campaign, indebted to wealthy businessmen and politicians before he could even be elected, but a people's campaign to spur him on. It's in the Liberal Party showing promise of becoming an actual party, choosing for the party, for their standards, and their idea of what's good for the people. In short, we're looking at decisions that seem to be coming from an actual party, much like the ones in the U.S. or Europe, not one based on coalitions and divisions and popularity contests. I feel like the decision of Mar to back Noynoy was a practical decision of whether Noynoy has more of a mandate from the people than he does, whether the path to step down is the path to reform, whether Noynoy with the backing of his party and good men will finally bring us back to life, whether stepping down will further unify groups outside the Liberal Party and form a solid opposition front.

The things I've been thinking about before I myself make my decision in May 2010 about my vote will be this: if he decides to run, is Noynoy his own person or is he relying on his last name. Does he have the qualifications to run? Will he in the end, disappoint us by falling into the traps traditional politics have set out, such as graft and corruption?

Admittedly, I know next to nothing about his political background as a representative of Tarlac. I'm basing much of my thoughts right now to the newspaper, to impressions, to what smart people are discussing. But I'm thinking that he is endowed with a last name that brings to mind some of the greatest struggles and triumphs of the nation. And yes, he can rely on it, but why not? We have a government that relies on political dynasties as the fuel of their coalitions. How can these people not rely on THEIR last names? We can turn their pointing fingers back to them. Did GMA not also rely on the strength of what her father had done as president? Is Imelda not hoping her son, named after his father, can follow his legacy as well? Unlike them though, Noynoy has a last name that did more good than bad for the country. Ninoy Aquino died for us, a time I never made it into existence to, but one that set the stage for a democracy I could be born into. Cory Aquino was a saint of our times, proving to the world that peaceful revolution was possible, that laying rosaries and linking arms with nuns and people and students was possible to stop tanks and soldiers from bloodshed. The name brings hope and thousands upon thousands of mourners to lay their respects to both such people. Ninoy's death triggered our anger, his wife brought together the people, and his son can maybe, just maybe, get us back on track without the hardships of martial law and fledgeling democracies their lifetimes had to face.

At the very least, I feel like we have a candidate who is not the lesser evil, more like an unknown good. We may not be sure of his track record and his experience, some say, is not enough. Well, Cory was a housewife, an introvert who quietly supported her husband's campaigns, until his death and people's anger made the decision for her that she was being called. If Noynoy hears that calling, more than GMA has heeded it, more than Erap has listened to the masa, then he is even more indebted to us and responsible to us than anyone else has been.

A large part of our votes falls upon blind faith. When 2004 came around, we voted GMA in (or I think we did... who knows with Garci in position?). We are not sure how things might turn out in the six years one is President. We have an idea but we can never be sure, much as we are constantly shocked at repetitive issues from the Hello, Garci scandal, ZTE deal, expensive dinners, boob job booboos. We think there can never be a lower low, but than there is. So I place a lot of faith in clean hope, on hope that isn't "Well, I hope she's not a worse choice than the other guy... at least she IS a politician and not an actor", on feeling like the tides may turn when egos are small and sacrifices for the good are made. And I'll pay attention to that when I decide my vote.

love michelle obama!

michelle obama's official white house photo

Yup, they have no relation AT ALL to sasha and malia obama

Why would you think that? Ty Inc., creator of the Beanie Babies, just happened to pick those names, since they are "beautiful." Here, let the flack sort this out for you:"There's nothing on the dolls that refers to the Obama girls," Lundeen said. "It would not be fair to say they are exact replications of these girls. They are not."

Dan Akroyd's Irwin Mainway couldn't have said it any better himself. We're certain Ty Inc. will patiently deny that these "TyGirlz Collection" dolls are at all related to the Obama family as many times as it takes, in front of as many reporters and cameras as necessary, possibly thousands upon thousands of times. For the sake of accuracy, of course, so that no one gets the impression these are OBAMA FAMILY DOLLS, despite the remarkable similarity. Since that's not what these are. Not SASHA AND MALIA OBAMA in doll form. Nope.

and it begins

President Barack Obama's Inaugural Address

US Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Jan. 20, 2009

Full transcript as prepared for delivery of President Barack Obama's inaugural remarks on Jan. 20, 2009, at the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.

My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many.

They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met. On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn. Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort - even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.

To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages.

We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment - a moment that will define a generation - it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Lego inauguration

obamanation

p.s.: i am not a complete and total fan of obama (i have my criticisms, too). i'm just jealous i have to take my theo and legal writing midterms while people can watch the inauguration. humph.

jan. 20 '09

it's jan. 20 and time for the real thing (p.s. fake obama is pretty cute!)

kennedys and obamas

i don't know if i'm being a worrywart but there's something about the obamas that remind me a lot of the kennedys. both presidents were charismatic, young, both had strong first ladies. both were supposed to be different from their time, heralding a new age. they weren't mavericks but they were and are something.

the party i worry about is some idiot will try to kill obama (god forbid). and there is a strong risk of that.

but you know what, i really hope not. obama is the embodiment of the american dream. america is supposed to be this mix of cultures and races, maybe more so than any other country. and now their president is the epitome of the american dream.

it's funny how i talk more about obama than i do my own president. maybe because he does bring hope and the concept of change in a world where it's the way the game is played that's important. he makes it admirable to be a politician again.

-----------------------------------

disclaimer: i know i make some pretty broad statements. but this isn't meant to be a research paper, just my own opinion. bear with me. 

The Obamameter

one of Obama's speeches left after a rally

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/

Click the link for a record of the promises Obama made and how well he's doing keeping it. It's about 500 but since he's only just started, i hope you're not expecting too much! still, it's interesting to see if his Presidency will be historic only for being the first African-American President or if history will be made for other things, good things and promises he kept.