Sean Lindo

We need a hero. We live in a world where the entertainer is more sought after than the teacher, the football team is more popular than the debate team, and our children would rather imitate a pop star than a composer. America is sorely in need of a hero. When the two candidates are compared beyond any policy or past association, only one inspires our nation as well as the world. If you think for one minute John McCain and Sarah Palin can deliver our country and world from the brink of financial disaster and war, I desperately urge you to sit down and think about international events that have transpired over the past several months. If you think they can bring this country together I desperately urge you to study the demographics. A President and Vice President will not deliver this country from anything. However, we the people, can. Only one candidate challenges us to put our differences aside and fight together and fight hard to right our country. Barack Obama and Joe Biden can do nothing alone. Unless we come together, the country will be no better in 4 years than it’s been in the last 8. Tomorrow you all have the opportunity to start something great. Tomorrow you can claim your own stake in history—but keep in mind tomorrow is only the beginning. After tomorrow, criticize government after criticizing yourself. Criticize government after exhausting every option explicitly laid out in the Constitution. Don’t wait for Barack Obama to change this country, get out there and do it yourselves. We need a hero and we need one now. Any one of you can get out there and be that hero. Start tomorrow. Make the actions of your Representative and Senator transparent, make your local officials answer to your demands, and make your school board listen. Nothing ends with an Obama administration, but it all starts with you.

It’s been more than a few days since I last posted. For the first time in my academic career, classes are unusually hard. I suppose you pay for a glamorous major such as CS. Anyway, things have managed to screw up even more since the last time I posted. Obama still has no experience, McCain is still a jerk, and Palin is still an idiot., along with the Senate and House. Oh, and Bush is still being completely ignored by us and the world. I can’t believe such an unbelievable amount of crap managed to make it into that bill. Money for wooden arrows for children? NASCAR? Wait, NASCAR? Can you think of a bigger fucking waste of fuel? How nice of the American people to gratefully open their wallets and pocketbooks to bail out these assholes. I’m not even surprised the White House shoved this down our throats like they did. It must be W’s last stand, if he doesn’t have an even bigger f-up tucked away for us. So, like I touched on earlier, Palin is an idiot. Anyone can memorize a list of talking points the night before a debate. She reminded me of a kid cramming for a midterm, except she failed and got owned by the professor. Of course, not everyone feels that way. You should see the videos of Palin supporters in a nearby St. Louis arena incessantly mocking Biden and laughing and cheering while he discussed the deaths of his wife and daughter. There’s nothing like a Budweiser guzzling Republican jackass to spark off a 1000 world post (who I encounter frequently in Carrollton for wearing Georgia Tech apparel. If I see one more camouflaged UGA hat…) I’m becoming increasingly convinced the McCain ticket is attracting some dangerous individuals. Their newest campaign strategy reeks of hatred and they’re whipped their constituents into a cult-like fervor. America is a consumer state, and you don’t really need to know what you’re consuming as long as the ad is good enough. That’s what Palin is to me – a product, an image, smoke and mirrors. The same can be said of Obama, but not to such a commercialized extent as Palin. He may be about ideals and such, but Palin is built to appeal to Christian zealots and middle class zombies alike. She scares the shit out of me. Lucky for us, Obama can mail it in from here and come out on top. Theoretically at least. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear of some funny business going on with the votes.

10/14

Yeah, I said I’d update, but things have been relatively slow on the campaign trail. Palin’s Troopergate saga is destined to blow over and I doubt Obama or Biden will do much about it. Had it been Obama or Biden, McCain’s Mobs would be loading their guns up as we speak. Speaking of mobs, good job to McCain for defending Obama. Unfortunately for him, it was a classic Catch-22. If you don’t correct the woman, you’re admitting Obama is an “arab”. If you correct her, you risk inciting the masses. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.

…And yes there is some funny business going on with the votes. Something reeks behind ACORN, and it’ll come out sooner or later. I don’t think voter fraud occurs unless you actually vote. They must have a sophisticated fake ID operation going on, but voting officials may be tipped when a Mr. Mickey Mouse shows up at the booth.

In other news, I’ve let Todd Palin slip by my smartass sarcastic radar. He’s next.

Any progress made by Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton is dangerously close to extinction. Sarah Palin, while kind spirited, is pushing women back further and further. Senator McCain was at fault for making such an irresponsible choice for VP, and she was at fault for accepting. Her interviews make it painfully clear she is ill-suited for the job. She has been mocked unmercifully and one can’t help but to feel bad for her. She has a special needs child, one in Iraq, and another is pregnant. Sarah, your job right now is being a parent. Shame on those who label this notion as sexist. I’m not saying she can’t perform her duties, I’m just saying something has to give. Either her health will falter from stretching herself so thin, her family life is falter, or she won’t be doing her job to it’s full capacity. I sincerely believe the matriarchal role is integral to the success of a family, perhaps even more than a male. Call me what you want, but I feel bad for this woman, and I believe McCain screwed up her life by offering her the nomination.

It’s entirely plausible to believe McCain’s selection of Palin was political acrobatics. Should they be elected, what will he do with her? Traditionally, the Vice President is a close confidant of the President. Will the cabinet respect her? The Senate? Other countries? She simply invites too many questions and a mockery has been made of any political credibility she had, and who knows where her confidence is these days. Every facet of her being has more or less been picked apart. To make matters worse, I hear she isn’t too popular back in Alaska either. The McCain campaign has invaded Alaska and it’s not easy to get in touch with the candidate. Her approval ratings have dropped from 80% to 68%. However, I’m sure she won’t have trouble finding work if they don’t win. I’m just concerned with her confidence and her public image. First introduced as a strong willed woman, her own campaigned has turned her into a dainty flower. No VP candidate I can think of has been handled as she has. She’s being managed more tightly than Joba Chamberlain. I mean, seriously, if they knew she didn’t have the kind of experience needed for the job, why didn’t they start grilling and educating her immediately after the convention?? That has to upset those who want to see her win. Call Hillary what you will, but when she enters any room she commands respect. Had Palin run as a Representative or Senator of Alaska and been elected, there’s no doubt she’d be a deadly force to Democrats come 2012.

I think the only way out now is if Biden says some really insensitive things tonight and paints his campaign in a negative light. However, the media is friendly to Biden because they know him, and he knows them. He’s said his fair share of stupid things this season, but the media venom is reserved for the newcomer who’s campaign kept her away.

Dissing the media was a bad, bad move.

Don’t expect much resistance tonight in the “Showdown after Sundown”. Any senators speaking out against the bill have been holding out in private. Now that house leaders have had a couple days to twist arms and deliver threats, expect the House to pass the bill tomorrow as well. The FDIC cap has been raised to $250,000 from $100,000. I expect this to energize consumers into trusting their banks and moving money from the mattress to the bank. The new provisions will probably find those 12 voters in the House and pass this bill, ridiculous sum of money be damned. In my opinion, the addition of tax breaks for renewable energy and deductions for solar panels are huge. The problem is, mainstream America doesn’t have the disposable income to buy solar panels (different post, different time). There is also a provision that forces insurance companies to cover mental illness as they would physical illness. The insurance complex of this country is FUBAR but I’m sure this is a moral victory for the many Americans affected by mental illness or illness of a loved one. I can’t say for sure if constituents are still blasting away at their Representatives. A CNN poll of 31,471 has 64% stating the Senate shouldn’t pass the updated poll tonight. However, that is a highly inaccurate measure.

I would like to see the talking heads push on how this will keep those from losing their house. I’ve also heard Bill Clinton sway voters a bit by stating how this isn’t the Wall Street as before. Yeah yeah, hell if I trust anything he or anyone else says. I want to know why $700 Billion is a good number (it’ll be higher if the revised bill passes), how this will punish Wall Street, how this will help voters, how much we can expect to make in the end, and how we’re getting this money back. The momentum of this new bill may be hard to stop, but don’t get me wrong, I’m still pissed at the notion of borrowing from foreign banks. After figuring out how to resuscitate the housing market, we need to formulate plans to take care of the national debt and our energy plan.

Now that this crisis is almost averted..

Energy needs to be the next issue garnering national attention. If the commercials from Big Oil are truthful, their R&D departments better be rolling in cash and pumping out some new developments soon. The people have finally woken up, even though it took dipping in their pockets to get them there. Let’s introduce this big issue while news outlets still have everyone’s attention.

Edit: It’s looking more like $850 Billion now.

     First things first. I must indulge in child-like finger pointing and name calling before we get into the serious stuff. Bernanke, you are an idiot. Here’s a short, highly satirized version of what he wanted in the Bailout Bill: “I want 700 Billion dollars then I want you to get out of my way. No oversight please, just go about your lives while I play real life Monopoly. Here’s to a free get out of jail card!” (sadly, it’s not that satirized). Thankfully some statesmen out there had common sense and forced some congressional oversight into the bill. This is all very Dr. Evil-esque, and doesn’t Paulson look like some villain you’d encounter in City of Heroes?

      Anyway, here’s the gist of it. The government is broke. They don’t have $700 Billion, but we do. Has a national vote been instituted to see if the nice taxpayers would like to loan Wall Street $700 Billion? Didn’t think so. Unfortunately for newly weds and newly grads, credit is hard to come by these days. That means driving that car you got for your 16^th birthday and moving into his bachelor pad are givens until the credit freeze thaws over. The Bailout Bill was supposed to be the sun, but a dramatic House vote took care of that. Personally, I think the Bill was reckless and rushed to begin with. It’s denial also ushered in a 778 point drop in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, it’s biggest one day drop in history (-7%). Without further ado, here’s what the almighty House beat down today:

• $700 Billion to be disbursed in stages (also making Paulson and Bernanke the most powerful men in America)

• The Treasury would be allowed to take ownership stakes in companies that partake in the plan.

• The government buys assets that have some value. Later on, they sell them and make some money back. If there is a net loss 5 years after the bill is enacted, the President must propose legislation to get that money back.

• Because the government owns troubled loans, they have more power to review them on a case by case basis and modify them.

• Limiting executive pay and golden parachutes, but not if executive contracts of participating companies already have golden parachute clauses built in (they just can’t write new ones and get away with it).

• Two separate oversight boards made up of various chairmen, and the second made up of economic experts appointed by House and Senate leaders.

• An insurance policy with risk-based premiums paid for by the industry.

      Did I mention this money is coming from foreign banks?

      There you have it, a somewhat complete list of what we could have expected from this bill. Expect some cosmetic changes to occur before the House meets again Thursday. There’s a good chance a slightly revised version will pass then. I just feel as if the taxpayers are on the hook here. Enough alternatives have not been given fair airtime. A gun was put to our heads and threats uttered unless this bill was passed. I for one, don’t appreciate being threatened in that manner, but one has to search the annals of the Internet to find an alternate to a Trillion dollar proposal.

Here is a link to David Sirota’s “5 reasons the bailout bill shouldn’t pass”

http://www.alternet.org/workplace/100700/

(He also says “without further ado”!!)

It’s a great read, btw, to hell with this Bailout Plan. Bring on part deux please.

“While other southeastern states were asking for help with gas shortages, Gov. Sonny Perdue waited a week before requesting a waiver freeing up extra gas for Georgia.”

http://www.wsbtv.com/automotive/17578885/detail.html

     This campaign is getting out of hand. As if we don’t have enough to worry about, McCain’s political circus show is surely enough to induce fatigue in even the most stalwart voter. There is a marked difference in his speech and demeanor between now and before the campaign started. Let’s face it. He’s old and this is taking an obvious toll on him. However, he did perform well in the debate, fatherly condescending aside. McCain has earned his retirement more than anyone I’ve seen. I don’t understand what he needs to prove to this country. He surely isn’t the maverick he once was. I’m also sure he hasn’t toured all 12 of those houses yet. Seems like a good time to visit them. I’m also skeptical until I see those health records he still hasn’t produced. Age is a factor, race is a factor, and gender is a factor. It’s nice and San Fransisco-in to say they aren’t, but that’s also stating the Spanish don’t like cigarettes. With that in mind, who the hell is Sarah Palin? Call me what you will, but this woman has no business in the vicinity of a presidential campaign. She’s wildly inexperienced, as evidenced by the 3 formal interviews she’s done. There’s a scandal with a certain trooper back home, she has a special needs newborn, and her teenage daughter is pregnant. I’m not being sexist, I’m telling you this woman has no damn place near a presidential campaign, even “intellectual Republicains” are questioning her credentials. If McCain knew this before picking her, he’s either going senile or this is a clear political stunt, much like putting his campaign on hold to “address the dire issues of the economy”. Come now, he wasn’t attempting to save anything but his campaign, which turns out to be in vain as Obama once again has pulled ahead in the polls. Of course, stubborn mainstream Republicans will sooner tell you “Palin has energized the base” than admit John McCain is the ringmaster of the absurd. Now, I’m not a complete liberal fool. I have venom reserved for Nancy Pelosi. After giving Wall Street a trillion dollars, she looks into a camera and tells them play time is over. Screw Wall Street and screw you too Pelosi. We shouldn’t be talking about a bailout plan, we should be taking up pitchforks and torches. The American people have been robbed blind. Citizens months away from retirement have had their dreams snatched from them. Way to fucking go assholes, you ruined the country along with our democrat can do Congress.

    Honestly, I could care less about the Celtics winning the NBA championship. I don’t like Boston fans, and I hope it rains on the parade. The front office bought their way to a championship and that’s final. Superteam assembled and all, the Celtics still managed to screw up series against the Hawks, Cavs, and Pistons. The Hawks shouldn’t be taking any teams to 7 games, yet the Celts almost found themselves upstaged by a sub 500 team. Perhaps I’ll go as far to say I hate the Celtics and I hate what they stand for.

They exhibited sloppy play, horrendous field goal percentage by so called shooters, and proof that you can buy anything in America. Case in point? They did NOTHING last year, now all of a sudden the bandwagon is so laden the wheels are falling off. I don’t know if the Celtics are that good, or if the Lakers are that bad. Trust me, the Lakers proved they did not belong in any of those games. No respectful NBA team blows huge leads on a WORLD stage. I’d rather watch John Terry miss a million more penalty kicks than watch Kobe and Co. perfect the Art of The Choke.

I’m sure many older readers that watched the Lakers and Celtics games of old enjoyed the pre-series hype and symbolism. However, the pageantry is lost on me. After all, we all like to see a team fall before we see them succeed. Perhaps I’d be less bitter if the Celts were bounced by the Pistons, vowed to work hard in the offseason, and came back next year. I like to see team chemistry and fan loyalty prevail. However, this whoring of the Lakers Celtics days of old makes me sick. There’s a good reason why plenty of fans are skeptical of this all too convenient matchup. Or it’s an elaborate ruse set up by Tim Dounaghy.

Furthermore, I’m not that comfortable with KG winning a championship. Sure, people are going to rejoice that he’s reached the promise land after many, many years of service to the NBA. However, he carries a sneaky tendency to shrink away when the stakes ramp up. For example, he was hovering around the 3 point line for a good bit of the series. Somebody needs to put it in his head that he is not a shooting guard. His wingspan is freaky, he’s tall, and probably stronger than most. I sure as hell wouldn’t fight him. Why he doesn’t hang around the hoop and play above the rim is more than beyond me, but congrats to Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. If there’s anything young kids can take away from this series, it’s that you can play through anything. At any rate, congratulations Boston on your achievement, and Kobe, well, at least you aren’t Ohio State.

First off, what he did was morally wrong and against the law. Given the scale of the crime, I believe Vick deserves to go to jail and he doesn’t deserve to play football in Atlanta again. That’s the extent of it. In a society and glamorizes war, professional wrestling, boxing, UFC and its counterparts, boxing, and the killing of animals for sport, it’s absurd to crucify this man over dogs. But in a country where dogs are elevated to a human level, behavior like this is expected. To be a country that prides itself on Christian values, I have seen no Christian values extended to Vick. I have seen no offers to help, I have seen no embracing the enemy. I have seen the behavior of a country that believes in an eye for an eye. The media has precipitated a kind of mob mentality and has aided in the removal of Mike Vick from our society. The people turned their back on him and the NFLPA turned their back on him as well. Public outrage such as this should be reserved or serial killers, rapists, child molesters, etc. PETA has made an example out of Mike Vick because he is high profile, not because of his race. People are threatening to kill him and it sickens me. Anytime an animal is placed above fellow man, it sickens me. Enough is enough. Let the man do his damn jail time and leave him alone. Feel free to disagree with me, remove me, curse me out, whatever. I’m not moving off my point. Get back to me when they tell me Mike Vick hung, shot, or electrocuted another human.

When I run, half the time I think I’m running from something. My fears, my desires, my failures, and my problems chase me. But they are no match for my running shoes. They lose themselves to the forest creatures on the nature trail I run. I even lose myself to the absolute primal urge to run. To run until my lungs give out and the gods themselves come down and breathe life into me. Satan tans in my wake and fuels his hatred watching me because I’m that damn fast. Pretty soon, I’ll be running down lions and giving chase to cheetahs on the African plains. So if you see me around campus, come and get it.