Ideals what a novelty

From a speech given
Oct 29, 2007
St. Anselm's College, Manchester, N.H.

The long slow slide of our democracy into the corporate abyss continues unabated regardless of party, regardless of the best interests of America.

We have a duty -- a duty to end this.

I believe you cannot be for change and take money from the lobbyists who prevent change. You cannot take on the entrenched interests in Washington if you choose to defend the broken system. It will not work. And I believe that, if Americans have a choice, and candidate who takes their money -- Democrat or Republican -- will lose this election.

For us to continue down this path all we have to do is suspend all that we believe in. As Democrats, we continue down this path only if we believe the party of the people is no more.

As Americans, we continue down this path only if we fail to heed Lincoln's warning to us all.

"At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected," he asked, "if it ever reaches us it must spring up amongst us. It can not come from abroad. If destruction be our lot -- we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of free men we must live through all time or die by suicide."

America lives because 20 generations have honored the one moral commandment that makes us Americans.

To give our children a better future than we received.

Read the full speech here

I dont think they would have cared

If you were a touring band oversees would you be curious if there were any of your countrymen in the audience. I'd ask every night but apparently none of the bands last nite were'nt interested. I felt bad though masquerading as a kiwi so I didnt respond to "Are you ready Auckland" etc. Not that I usually respond to things like that. Seems like an easy rally cry, I mean everyone one in the audience is from around the place your playing. Why not go out on a limb and yell something about vegetarianism or capital gains tax.

The show was really good, in that none of the bands made me want to leave. Rise against was the highlight of the night. You should go see them in Japan because thats where they are going next.

Killing time until my flight, I wonder if theres a place that sells burritos. Thanks Auckland, your mundane existence was a nice break from my own rote day to day.

Auckland Takes it To the Max

So Today I rode this bike I rented from like the most hippyiest dude I ever talked to and rode around waiheke island out in auckland bay. It was like kelly's or middle bass island in lake erie except instead of glaciers its geologic origin involves volcanoes. There were vineyards wineries and beaches. It seemed like canada and the tropics as the foliage varied from palm to conifers There were some sweet trails but mostly I stuck to the roads, the steep winding roads. Like everything else in this hemisphere the bikes brakes were backwards with he rear tire on the left. Nearly killed me. I dont know if that was by design or hippy influenced. When i made it back to the rental stand some other throwback chatted me up about math, time descarts and russell. ( English major + weed) 30 years = Awesome bike rental conversationalist.

Right now its saturday night and its pouring outside. I guess tonitie I have to hang out in the hostel bar because theres no way I am heading back out on the streets. Last night I did and met some Irish girls in an Irish bar imagine that. Two of them left me and their friend to talk to some irish guys for like 2 hours then spoent the rest of the night complaing about talking to the the irish guys for so long. Speaking of hostel bars I am shocked that so many hostel staying backpackers bring drinking clothes. I mean like heels and dresses or dress shoes and button up shirts.

Tommorrow is Taste of Chaos Day!!!!!!!! Its going to be so good unless someone on stage says rockland or worse rauwkland which would ruin the concert for me. I hope rise against doesnt judge me for wearing shoes that were made in Thailand.

I walked around Auckland today. Not that many touristy sites to see. I am going to try to get on a ferry to the bay islands tomorrow and then on Sunday its Taste of Chaos Day. Have a good weekend.

I saw old stuff this weekend

St Kilda had old stuff. You can see it too at picasaweb. I also tried to go to a show this weekend but It got late and I got lost.

I am getting ready to fly to New Zealand but i dont know what im going to do there. Kill time like I do everywhere else. Still havent gotten MAtlab back so no worky.

Two people read this. Good for you. Its like a game for me to guess which two. You can go prisoners dilemma style and rat each other out in the comments.

Am i posting this ironically?

Hipster Olympics

Dont Touch Our Inter-Webs

The blogonauts over at dailykos have spoken and they demand that At&t Pay for their misdeeds. Dodd shoots up based on his position on telco amnesty for spying on Americans. Im sure this poll is like the least scientific and representative one one available. It voluntary and on the internet. But 12,000 democracy nerds might hold some kind of sway.

This is getting interesting as comcast the crappy cable company available in Blacksburg was charging money for taps. They also have been blocking p2p traffic which means i cant download Ubuntu in VA.

The company that refused to wiretap, Qwest is not available where I live. They are claiming that because of that they have been blackballed on government contracts.

Just because your buddy is a cop doesn't mean when you get to break the law. Go to aclu.org to spam your representatives in Congress. Hopefully someone will find a way to sue, unfortunately it wont be brought to court till well after Bush is out off office.

Im carving a pumpkin!

I am going to miss Halloween and its misogynistic costumes.

PS i also miss New Jersey

Setting Myself Up

John Edwards is the coolest. Platitudes aside in addition to his health care plan which is my personal favorite among the dems, He announced some federal government reforms today. So if you are a member of the proletariat (you probally are) give them a read.

The best part in my opinion is the plan to use public funds for senate and house races. That way lawmakers can read the laws there passing and maybe a book or two rather than attending some pancake dinner put on by Lockheed Martin.

Wow imagine that!

Hey you should read this too.

turns out contraception prevents unwanted pregnancies.

Over My Med Body

The part where he explains less than than stellar coverage done by medical school on the subject makes me wince a little. I mean he's a OBGYN and it seems like contraception was like a handout day in class.

Mitt Romney vs Cthulu

Mitt Romeny pledges to protect you from scary things.



Read this about the paranoid delusions of those in the conservative movement who fear Bearded men coming to take our freedoms away so better they take them away to protect us.

Im not saying radical Islam doesn't exist. I'm not saying they don't want to kill Americans. But will someone over there in the conservative universe explain to me the mechanics of how the inevitable Islamic subjugation of America is going to take place.

Other Stuff:

Concert on Friday: Music Good, Cliquey hipsters bad.
Party on Saturday: Conversation Good, Sleeping til Noon Bad.

Getting Lost

Brother can you spare a Melway. Every weekend I go to a show and every weekend I end up at some gas station trying to figure out where the hell I am. Google Maps is all good until the street changes names. i get lost running errands for work too. The only thing that saved me yesterday was seeing the Target Logo in the distance on the side of the Mall that is near where I work.

Like all jobs I have taken my current exploits has become interesting, wait the other one, tedious. I have proved that I am good at counting things and putting them in boxes. We are almost done and begin shipping product on Tuesday. Then I get to go to New Zealand.

This weekend is wide open. Its supoosed to be rainy and crummy so I am planning on doing indoor things like concert going. I ll rant on monday about the musical stylings of Eat Laser Scumbag, Group Seizure, The Trophy Wives, The Losers over at the Old Bar in Fitzroy.

Malaise and Short Shorts

Its a hemisphere in mourning as both Australia and New Zealand lost there first elimination games in the Rugby world cup. If you are wondering what Rugby is its like if football wasn't designed to sell beer. Australia lost to England because they could keep from fouling them in front of there goal posts. I believe New Zealand lost because they were dressed in All Black and the sweltering welsh heat was to much to bear. By the way the world cup is being held in France but some of the games are being played in wales which makes me think if it were held in Great Britain games wouldn't be played in Wales. Maybe they would be crafty welsh double dipping on Rugby.

Now my melancholia stems from other sources than international sport. The only prescription was five seasons and two vignettes of Daria which I watched over the past week. Because mtv is lame for too many reasons to list here they have not released Daria as a dvd box set. My fix was supplyed by vintage video captures from 1999. You young punks today have it so good with your radeon all in wonder cards HD rips. Back in my day we watched 196 kbps real media rips encoded on ISA wintv cards download over 36 kbbs modems advertised as 56k. Watching the show was a documentary in the decline of MTV as the closing credits of Daria slipped from obscure and interesting music like Cake before they blew up to voice overs promoting fanatic and buzz clips of Lifehouse. There were so edgy they couldn't be gap or American eagle they shopped at both. I'm hanging by a moment waiting for Daria to come out remastered.

Another good salve for the rash of isolation is screaming perpetual adolescents. Continuing my trend of exploiting the urban setting of my residence I took a drive up the street to Fitzroy north of Melbourne's CBD. At a place called the Evelyn Hotel I saw the Amity Affliction. The show was pretty good. My only complaint is this band called deez nuts who disparaged melody for rapping over derivative punk riffs managed to incite a piss poor mosh pit that devolved into one guy kicking people. So on the oft chance deez nuts obsessively Google them selves and Lifehouse you suck. If you have to ask people to mosh its because your music is neither rhythmically persuasive and moving. You suck and I hope you get that hat broken in.

I am a poor poster

So week number whatever in Australia.

Nerd News

I put Ubuntu back on my computer after flirting with Debian since something broke in California. Ubuntu just gets more attention meaning it works with out me having to hack through unstable. If you like tv check out Miro and Bit torrent Rss Feeds

Keeping Busy

The Rugby and AFL finals occured over the weekend and I went over sombebody's place and watched them. One on Saturday on Sunday. It totally killed my laundry throughput and both games devolved into blow outs but its nice to be not in my apartment. If anyone in blacksburg actually reads this thing consider potentially running with me when I get back. I have been getting into it and would like to continue.

Work

I had a slow week or two here. I tried to get back into my research but my Matlab License ran out. I emailed about it like a month ago and no one got back to me.

Politics

General rage and disappointment. Mike Gravel was on the news hour on pbs and announced an effort for a national sales tax which I like. Too bad he wont get any play on the majors. Heres hoping Iowans like Edwards then at least health care will get a chance to become a single payer system. Clinton and Obama have plans that are not as ingenious as Edwards in their design to transfer Health Care in this country to a Universal Single Payer System.

Okay maybe my next post will be more coherent. Perhaps a treatsie on why conservative groups on facebook are so small.