Saw the world turning in my sheets And once again I cannot sleep

Another great Sarah Palin video! XD

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1831461

They sent out a few hundred absentee ballots with the name "Barack Osama"....

http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=728326

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/catalog.gsp?cat=546834

:O

"After all there is an element in the readjustment of our financial system more important than currency, more important than gold, and that is the confidence of the people. Confidence and courage are the essentials of success in carrying out our plan. You people must have faith; you must not be stampeded by rumors or guesses. Let us unite in banishing fear. We have provided the machinery to restore our financial system; it is up to you to support and make it work.

"It is your problem no less than it is mine. Together we cannot fail."
-Franklin D. Roosevelt, The Fireside Chats, On The Bank Crisis, Sunday, March 12, 1933


"In our efforts for recovery we have avoided on the one hand the theory that business should and must be taken over into an all-embracing Government. We have avoided on the other hand the equally untenable theory that it is an interference with liberty to offer reasonable help when private enterprise is in need of help. The course we have followed fits the American practice of Government - a practice of taking action step by step, of regulating only to meet concrete needs - a practice of courageous recognition of change. I believe with Abraham Lincoln, that "The legitimate object of Government is to do for a community of people whatever they need to have done but cannot do at all or cannot do so well for themselves in their separate and individual capacities."

"I still believe in ideals. I am not for a return to that definition of Liberty under which for many years a free people were being gradually regimented into the service of the privileged few. I prefer and I am sure you prefer that broader definition of Liberty under which we are moving forward to greater freedom, to greater security for the average man than he has ever known before in the history of America. "
-Franklin D. Roosevelt, The Fireside Chats, On Moving Forward to Greater Freedom and Greater Security, Sunday, September 30, 1934


"And I am concerned about the attitude of a candidate or his sponsors with respect to the rights of American citizens to assemble peaceably and to express publicly their views and opinions on important social and economic issues. There can be no constitutional democracy in any community which denies to the individual his freedom to speak and worship as he wishes. The American people will not be deceived by anyone who attempts to suppress individual liberty under the pretense of patriotism.

"This being a free country with freedom of expression --especially with freedom of the press, as is entirely proper -- there will be a lot of mean blows struck between now and Election Day. By "blows" I mean misrepresentation and personal attack and appeals to prejudice. It would be a lot better, of course, if campaigns everywhere could be waged with arguments instead of with blows.

"I hope the liberal candidates will confine themselves to argument and not resort to blows. For in nine cases out of ten the speaker or the writer who, seeking to influence public opinion, descends from calm argument to unfair blows hurts himself more than his opponent.

"The Chinese have a story on this -- a story based on three or four thousand years of civilization: Two Chinese coolies were arguing heatedly in the (midst) middle of a crowd in the street. A stranger expressed surprise that no blows were being struck by them. His Chinese friend replied: "The man who strikes first admits that his ideas have given out."

"I know that neither in the summer primaries nor in the November elections will the American voters fail to spot the candidate whose ideas have given out."
-Franklin D. Roosevelt, The Fireside Chats, On Party Primaries, Friday, June 24, 1939


"America's own rightful place in the world depends in large part upon how fully these and similar rights have been carried into practice for all our citizens. For unless there is security here at home there cannot be lasting peace in the world. One of the great American industrialists of our day -- a man who has rendered yeoman service to his country in this crisis -- recently emphasized the grave dangers of "rightist reaction" in this Nation. Any clear-thinking business men share that (his) concern. Indeed, if such reaction should develop -- if history were to repeat itself and we were to return to the so-called "normalcy" of the 1920's -- then it is certain that even though we shall have conquered our enemies on the battlefields abroad, we shall have yielded to the spirit of fascism here at home."
-Franklin D. Roosevelt, The Fireside Chats, State of the Union Message to Congress, Tuesday, January 11, 1944

^_____^

Sooooo.... Does anyone want to go to a Ren Fair next weekend, in CT? http://www.ctfaire.com/connecticut_renaissance_festival/index.php

Or to Canada for Halloween to visit Miikah/Robyn? XD;

I am probably going to do one or the other by train, or both if someone wants to tag along!

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/10/earth_from_above_comes_to_nyc.html
About 38 aerial shots of different places all over the world, really really amazing stuff.

http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/vp-debate-open-palin-biden/727421/
The SNL sketch from Saturday night, on the Biden/Palin debates.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/05/AR2008100502175.html
How Obama might get to put THREE new people on the US Supreme Court (if he becomes President)! Hopefully it'll be a Democratic House so this can really happen!

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/10/06/afghan.saudi.talks/index.html?eref=rss_world
The Taliban is cutting ties with Al Queda! Peace talks in Afghanistan.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/06/AR2008100600847.html?hpid=topnews
And the DOW sinks below 10,000 today, the first time since 2004 :\

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27038533/
Finally an article on the financial crisis from an actual economist organization.

Congressman for the 21st Congressional District of New York (Albany & Rensselaer counties, and surrounding areas), Congressman Michael McNulty, http://www.house.gov/mcnulty/
(To find out who your House Rep is, if you don't know your full zip code +4, you can find it here on the USPS's website: http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/welcome.jsp, then go to House.gov)
Congressman McNulty was reelected two years ago and has been in the House since 1988 (for the 23rd), he's been the House Rep for the 21st since 1992, when the 21st was created. He would of course up for Reelection this November (but is retiring). I have not been able to find any information on anyone that might be running against him.
Do you folks have any ideas?
Turns out that McNulty is retiring. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_elections,_2008
"New York's 21st congressional district: Incumbent Mike McNulty (D) announced in October 2007 that he is retiring after 10 terms. This predominately urban district includes the cities of Albany, Schenectady, Troy, Amsterdam, Green Island, Gloversville and Johnstown. John Kerry won by 54% to 44% here in 2004 (CPVI=D+8). In something of a surprise, Former state Assemblyman Paul Tonko won the Democratic primary over Tracy Brooks, a former top aide to U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton. Schenectady County Legislator Jim Buhrmaster, a businessman from Scotia, is the Republican nominee."
Paul Tonko: http://www.paultonkoforcongress2008.com/ (wear sunglasses)
Jim Buhrmaster: http://www.jimbuhrmaster.com/

Currently the local State Senator position for the 43rd District is Vacant. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_State_Senate
http://www.senate.state.ny.us/senatehomepage.nsf/senators?OpenForm (if you live in New York State, you can find out who your Senator is here)
I can't seem to find any information on who is running for this seat and if it's up for a vote in November.

My New York State Senators are Hillary Rodham Clinton & Charles E. Shumer
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?State=NY
I also can't seem to find any information on what is running against them, or when their terms are up. No terms are up for New York state.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_elections,_2008

Why is it so hard to find information on Politicians running for positions that aren't the President of the United States? I wish it didn't always come down to Wikipedia :\

So the debates were last night and I am glad to see most of my friends page watched them! ^_^

I agree with doxamully in saying that I am hoping that soon I can be proud to be an American Citizen, in this time period, again. I am proud of my country's past, of our accomplishments, but as it stands as a nation in the present, I have just been filled with disappointment for eight years.

Last night I was really glad to see that Governor Sarah Palin wasn't completely and utterly owned & obliterated by Senator Joe Biden, I didn't want to have to feel sorry for her. A few points that really tickled my fancy or ticked me off:
1) Palin saying, "Now Senator Obama and Senator O'Biden..." (And seeing Biden with his shit-eating grin after she said it)
2) Senator Biden saying, "So you're going to have to place -- replace a $12,000 plan with a $5,000 check you just give to the insurance company, I call that the ultimate bridge to nowhere."
3) Sarah Palin crossed the line when she said, "I know education you are passionate about with your wife being a teacher for 30 years, and god bless her. Her reward is in heaven, right?"
4) Palin saying McCain is a Maverick about 500 times.
5) Palin, "there are real changes going on in our climate. And I don't want to argue about the causes. What I want to argue about is, how are we going to get there to positively affect the impacts?" Okay, does anyone else have a problem with this?

On the subject of Gay-Marriage and Same-Sex unions that was discussed and mostly agreed upon by both parties. I know some people are going to want to bite my head off...
But I agree with them.
I am a firm believer in the separation of Church and State, the people of this country have the freedom to choose a religion or lack there of. I don't think the government has any right to tell a religion how to conduct itself, and on the idea of Marriage, the religious side is totally a traditional religious rite (Notice I said "rite" and not "right").
The government does have a responsibility to acknowledge that people under same-sex unions have the same rights as people under heterosexual unions, and then leaving the hokey religious side to the religious preference of the couple. I am sure there is a religion out there that is cool with the Same-Sex marriages, and if I am in one that isn't and I want to marry a woman, if it's that important to me, I will either take it up with my own church or find a new one.

This is like the government's stance on the Nation Endowment for the Arts (NEA I think?), the government gives a certain amount every year to this organization. Some people have big issues with it, because of the kind of art that comes out of it, some of it extremely controversial. But if you agree that people should be able to create art and that the goverment should put money into Art, can they say what is and is not art? I don't think any of us can put a solid definition in art that we could all agree on, and I don't have the right to tell someone who just made a painting with their own feces, that that isn't art.

[edit] A good article on fact checking from the debate, from the AP.

I can't wait! 9pm ET!

http://www.debates.org/pages/news_041007.html

Fun Sarah Palin articles:
http://www.slate.com/id/2201158/
http://www.slate.com/id/2201342/

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/9/28/203016/697/536/613742

:(

http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1845116,00.html?imw=Y
From Time.com
"I reached this conclusion after watching the foreign-policy portion of her disastrous Sept. 25 interview with Katie Couric. A number of commentators, including The Atlantic's James Fallows and Slate's Christopher Beam, have said that Palin resembled, in Beam's words, "a high-schooler trying to BS her way through a book report," which is an insult to both high-schoolers and B.S. Palin's answers were hesitant, convoluted and at times — like when she appeared to suggest that Vladimir Putin might be preparing a one-man airborne invasion of Alaska — downright loony."

Aaaand another classic SNL:

"Comment here and re-post a blank one on your own journal... if you feel like it :)"

01) Are you currently in a serious relationship?
02) What was your dream growing up?
03) What talent do you wish you had?
04) If I bought you a drink what would it be?
05) Favorite vegetable?
06) What was the last book you read?
07) What zodiac sign are you?
08) Any Tattoos and/or Piercings? Explain where.
09) Worst Habit?
10) If you saw me walking down the street would you offer me a ride?
11) What is your favorite sport?
12) Do you have a Pessimistic or Optimistic attitude?
13) What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator with me?
14) Worst thing to ever happen to you?
15) Tell me one weird fact about you.
16) Do you have any pets?
17) What if I showed up at your house unexpectedly?
18) What was your first impression of me?
19) Do you think clowns are cute or scary?
20) If you could change one thing about how you look, what would it be?
21) Would you be my crime partner or my conscience?
22) What color eyes do you have?
23) Ever been arrested?
24) Bottle or can soda?
25) If you won $10,000 today, what would you do with it?
27) What's your favorite place to hang out at?
28) Do you believe in ghosts?
29) Favorite thing to do in your spare time?
30) Do you swear a lot?
31) Biggest pet peeve?
32) In one word, how would you describe yourself?
33) Do you believe/appreciate romance?
34) Favorite and least favorite food?
35) Do you believe in God?
36) Will you re-post this so I can fill it out and do the same for you?

First is a bit written by Aaron Sorkin, Obama talks to fictional President Bartlet from the West Wing:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/21/opinion/21dowd-sorkin.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
(if you don't want to log into the nytimes [can use bugmenot if you want] you can read it here: http://heidi8.livejournal.com/950026.html?style=mine)

Second is a letter from Ann & Nancy Wilson of Hart, to John McCain, for using their song "Barracuda":
http://pics.livejournal.com/photosinensis/pic/000phg7p

Two great things for today to make us Liberals smile :)

OBAMA What would you do?

BARTLET GET ANGRIER! Call them liars, because that’s what they are. Sarah Palin didn’t say “thanks but no thanks” to the Bridge to Nowhere. She just said “Thanks.” You were raised by a single mother on food stamps — where does a guy with eight houses who was legacied into Annapolis get off calling you an elitist? And by the way, if you do nothing else, take that word back. Elite is a good word, it means well above average. I’d ask them what their problem is with excellence. While you’re at it, I want the word “patriot” back. McCain can say that the transcendent issue of our time is the spread of Islamic fanaticism or he can choose a running mate who doesn’t know the Bush doctrine from the Monroe Doctrine, but he can’t do both at the same time and call it patriotic. They have to lie — the truth isn’t their friend right now. Get angry. Mock them mercilessly; they’ve earned it. McCain decried agents of intolerance, then chose a running mate who had to ask if she was allowed to ban books from a public library. It’s not bad enough she thinks the planet Earth was created in six days 6,000 years ago complete with a man, a woman and a talking snake, she wants schools to teach the rest of our kids to deny geology, anthropology, archaeology and common sense too? It’s not bad enough she’s forcing her own daughter into a loveless marriage to a teenage hood, she wants the rest of us to guide our daughters in that direction too? It’s not enough that a woman shouldn’t have the right to choose, it should be the law of the land that she has to carry and deliver her rapist’s baby too? I don’t know whether or not Governor Palin has the tenacity of a pit bull, but I know for sure she’s got the qualifications of one. And you’re worried about seeming angry? You could eat their lunch, make them cry and tell their mamas about it and God himself would call it restrained. There are times when you are simply required to be impolite. There are times when condescension is called for!

Ahhhh!! Friday & Saturday, Great Big Sea, Enter the Haggis! Ahhhh!!

http://www.irish2000fest.com

Come with me O.O