I just got in contact with a girlfriend I had when I was 16-17 years old. Turns out she lived here in Norway for 14 years and has two kids who were born here. She’s back in Buffalo now. A part of me wished she still lived here. It would be nice to have more American friends to hang out with. 

I have been purposely staying away from politics lately. I don’t want to to know anything more until january 20th. Given the last 7 years and 10 months I dread to read what Bush will leave as a final fuck-you to the country. 

I also have been sleeping 16-17 hours a day. It is as if I have been switching to hibernation mode. Sleep, go to work, sleep… I am just going to let it keep happening. If the body speaks you gotta listen.

There was a time when writing came so easy for me. It seemed like anything I wrote about was worth writing about. As much as I try, now, I am fighting for every word. That’s why I am here now. I can’t imagine this happening to someone who writes for a living. It must be a nightmare when your source of income dries up. Every word you read here has been written, erased and rewritten. 

Obama has been bouncing around in my brain a lot lately. One thing I joked about, in my last post, was all the expectations so many have for him. We’re all very aware of the problems the US faces now. I really think the majority of the country thinks this all will be fixed quickly. I have a feeling there will be a lot of disappointed people.

Related link: White House 2

Obama and His Family During the Celebration

I am extremely pleased that Barack Obama won the election. I stayed up as long as I could, but fell asleep before the results. I woke up, opened my laptop in bed, read the results and cried. It was as if a valve, that had been closed for 8 years, had been opened. For the first time in my life I feel hope. 

 Being a Generation X’er, I, honestly never believed the future  was bright, full of promise and hope. I feel hope, ironically, since I live in Norway, now. I really feel like the regular, average, everyday American will benefit greatly. 

 I come from a generation of cynics. Do I really believe all will be great, the world will embrace peace, the sick will be healed and the US will become a land of true happiness?  Yes, yes I do.

I am really trying to get in the writing mood again. I decided to post regardless of what was going on in the brain. This is leading to some interesting posts. The last one is a good example. I already have different feelings about it. 

I am really worried that McCain may take this election. I decided to visit some very red state websites to see what was going on there. I swear they, minus the typical talking points you hear daily, sound very confident. I felt like commenting and challenging many of the bullshit comments, but decided against it. If they don’t get it yet, well… you now the rest. 

What really disturbs me is all the videos I have seen from the people entering the McCain/Palin rallies. They are so ignorant. All the debunked shit still flies out of their mouths. Little do they know that they are supporting people who are not looking out for their best interests at all. 

The scariest thing is, many of them look like normal, everyday people until they open their mouths.

I watched a recorded copy of the third presidential debate yesterday. I was shocked. I have not read or heard anything about it but, I would put a large amount of money on McCain being on some sort of speed. His actions and reactions were that of someone who was pumped full of something. His tongue and eyes gave the impression of someone who was borderline out-of-control. 

When you look at his inability to stay still, his constant interruptions, and strange faces, anyone who has tried any form of speed, will tell you he was on something. I wish I could see his pupils better. If you contrast McCain to Obama you can see a visibly hyper McCain. 

BTW. If you ever want to download youtube videos, you can. 

Drag this GET YOUTUBE VIDEO to your bookmark bar . When you are on a video you want to keep,  simply click on the bookmark and then right-click where it says download as Mp4. Simple!

I just sat down, on the couch, with a cold glass of Estrella, a Spanish beer brewed in Barcelona. 

The amount of hatred perpetuated by the McCain/Palin team is fascinating. 

Here we have the results of 8 years of failed policy. People are hurting. Two + wars being waged, economy in the crapper…  More will be hurting as time goes on. People have a ton of repressed anger building up inside of them. Now we have two ‘mavericks’ who are literally hosting hate rallies across the US. And who do they hate?  ”That guy!” 

Now wait a minute. They do not get to get angry. They wanted this. They voted for the people who did this! They have no right to be angry. None. 

Is it possible to teach morons that their pain is self inflicted?

Further reading

NYT

CNN

Kicking, Screaming, Gucci, Little Piggy.

The last few days have been busy. Going back to work after a 10 day vacation is like a sprint after laying on the couch. Actually, that’s what I did before Monday. We had rain pretty much everyday. It put me in hibernation mode early. I have a shitload of wood to split, a pile of papers to grade, a car getting a new engine next week, a full week of work and today is Amanda’s birthday. 

 Now we have the second debate between Obama and McCain. I want to see it live. I just can’t keep my eyes open that late. Curse this primitive time system! The communists have won again! I am going to do my best avoid the news until I watch a reprise. 

One of the beautiful things about living out in the country, and working in the city, is the podcasts. I usually keep it straight, hardcore NPR. This American Life, this week, posted a great podcast about the economic situation the country is going through. I’ll tell you what. If you want to understand the shit-storm, listen to it before it disappears! I won’t spoil the end for you either. I’ll give you a hint though, (in a Homer Simpson whisper) “We’re getting screwed!” Correction, your getting screwed.

Evolution?

Please let me know if you thought Palin did well in the debate. Please tell me so I can cross you off my Christmas list and put you on my fucking idiot list. 

I have one idea why the polls are so close. Follow me…

“Remember, 50% of the country is below average.”  Makes sense doesn’t it? The Idiocracy is currently at 50%. If the smart people fail to bear more children than the idiots in the next 10 years, we could be looking at a jump of 5%  or more. That could tip the scales of the US elections of the future  and eventually lead to our demise. That’s why this election is so important. 

As far as my opinion of the debate? I had a much different  reaction than most. I looked at the debate as a whole, and how it looked to others around the world. How about, instead of asking who won, we address the fact we had someone on stage who didn’t fuck-up and, therefore, was a success? Is this where we are headed? Smart people around the world, I can guarantee, would say Biden won. He answered with substance, not catch-phrases and mumbled, mixed-up sentences. But now people around the world see the country’s reaction to the debate and the say, “Huh? THAT many people liked her?” I know I did. 

You see, I am not inundated by the media from the US. I get to see and read multiple opinions about what is going on in the US. I can choose what to think. I see that what happens in the US effects people around the world. I see what the world thinks about the US now. Many Americans have no fucking clue. I would guess that is the connection to the polls. 

In the US you will hear (over and over):

“The Surge worked.” Ummm, no it fucking didn’t. We just started giving money and arms to everyone NOT to fight.  In addition, we shouldn’t be there in the first place. 

“We need to drill more.” Umm… no you don’t. It won’t make a lick of difference for many many years, if it ever does. 

“Clean coal.”  Oxymoronic. Total, utter bullshit. There is no such thing. 

” They hate our freedoms.” Really? David Cross can clear that one up for me.

“Rescue package.” Pleeease! Rescue package? Is this Go Diego Go? How about calling it “Put more burden on Americans, already struggling, to keep the wealthiest 1% rich and in control package.” It sounds less dire now doesn’t it? Also, regarding our current financial crisis. Did we cut spending and hold those who caused the mess accountable? No. We borrowed MORE money. Happy Birthday Kids! Someday all of this will be yours!

“Joe-Six-Pack is Mr EveryPerson. We need a regular guy in office. ” I don’t know about you but I would rather have a strong, intelligent, well-educated person looking after things. Who wants the guy who gets into fights in the end-zone, because someone doesn’t have the same jersey on, running the country? 

Norway looks better every fucking day.

I am sitting here trying to kill time before the Joe Biden, Sarah Palin debate. I really wish that it was on a little earlier. Waiting until 3am to see a political debate is painful. If it was a football or hockey game I could understand. 

I am thinking about getting a dog. I think 5 years is long enough between the last. The problem is I am not sure I can go through losing one again. I have been debating getting another labrador, but I know there are lots of mixed pups and older dogs who need homes too. The selling point for me will be how it will all work for the kids. 

Funny Dave Letterman top 10

Stewart and Colbert

If I had been posting, daily, since I started in 2003, I think my head would have exploded. The level of ridiculousness that I have witnessed across the pond blows my mind. The Daily Show had a great excerpt (skip ahead to 6:46) last week with John Oliver and John Stewart. They were discussing what could possibly be left for Bush and company to screw up? They seem to always find something don’t they?

I am surprised that I haven’t heard too many people reference the late Molly Ivins’s book Bushwhacked. From what I remember, reading it 5 years ago, she said a lot of this stuff was going to happen. Education, cronyism… etc. She wasn’t psychic. She was just telling what happened to Texas. Sigh. Miss that lady. She would be hilarious right now. 

  I am spending the night adding old blog entries. I can see that I was quite a prophesy when it came to the future as well.