Author: tychay

light writing, word loving, ❤ coding

On Proposition 8

In my state Propsition 8 will try to amend the constitution to eliminate gay marriage. It will most likely pass.

I would normally use this as a launching pad into the utter stupidity of direct democracy. It is a shame that I can vote on propositions that can pass with a slim majority and have the force of a constitutional amendment.

But then others might say that, of course I’d have this view against Prop 8, I’m from the only part of the state that is opposed to the measure or some other assorted ad hominem.

In reality, I think that this shows how far I’ve come.

Continue reading about Teh Gay after the jump

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To that seven-year old Muslim-American kid

I’m also troubled by, not what Senator McCain says, but what members of the party say. And it is permitted to be said such things as, “Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim.” Well, the correct answer is, he is not a Muslim, he’s a Christian. He’s always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer’s no, that’s not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president? Yet, I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion, “He’s a Muslim and he might be associated terrorists.” This is not the way we should be doing it in America.

I feel strongly about this particular point because of a picture I saw in a magazine. It was a photo essay about troops who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. And one picture at the tail end of this photo essay was of a mother in Arlington Cemetery, and she had her head on the headstone of her son’s grave. And as the picture focused in, you could see the writing on the headstone. And it gave his awards–Purple Heart, Bronze Star–showed that he died in Iraq, gave his date of birth, date of death. He was 20 years old. And then, at the very top of the headstone, it didn’t have a Christian cross, it didn’t have the Star of David, it had crescent and a star of the Islamic faith. And his name was Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, and he was an American. He was born in New Jersey. He was 14 years old at the time of 9/11, and he waited until he can go serve his country, and he gave his life.

—Colin Powell endorses Barack Obama on Meet the Press

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Revisiting Saddleback

I haven’t watched any the presidential debates because I sort of like my LCD television set and don’t want to damage it just yet by throwing things at it. Plus, other people do a more amusing analysis by counting tongue juts and generating word clouds.

This explains why I’m furiously googling what the hell a “Joe-the-Plumber” is (not that it mattered).

It also explains why I base my opinion on word-based transcripts and not strange body language.

And it occurred to me just how different the transcripts on McCain’s end seemed between this and the Saddleback Forums. You remember that? It was the debate at a evangelical Christian megachurch in which to be fair the same questions would be asked of both candidates with the latter being in a “cone of silence” which McCain won handily.

Continue reading about On comparing Saddleback to the debates after the jump

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Paul Krugman wins the Nobel Prize

It has always amazed me the competency gap between the liberal columnists and the conservative and moderate ones on the New York Times. The gap widened today as New York Times columnist, Paul Krugman, has won the Nobel Prize in Economics.

For the last four years on this blog I’ve been quoting him profusely.

Congratulations!

(Here is an column he wrote three years ago about the housing bubble that was pilloried by the right wing echo chamber.)

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Bring Tina Fey to Michigan!

Last week, McCain pulled out of Michigan, the state parties’ reactions there is highly amusing…

The Republican party there is apparently petitioning for Sarah Palin to visit Michigan in an attempt to prevent McCain from giving up on them.

The Democratic party there decided to “help” their brothers out by petitioning to bring actress Tina Fey to Michigan.

Continue reading about Tina Fey/Sarah Palin CNN video after the jump

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What we’re being protected from

The commenters on Balloon Juice get funny when they get angry.

For instance, this article where John concludes, “And let me be clear, once again, the [Dirty Fucking Hippies I derided and mocked as delusional] were right.” In this case, it turns out the terrorist surveillance watchlist is being abused in the exact same ways they were abused in the sixties.

But the kicker is when a commenter writes:

But that’s not the worst of it. What’s really bad is that our law enforcement can’t take this terrorist watch list seriously. If cops are going in to monitor Quakers and Sierra Club meetings, the list isn’t worth a damn. What are we being protected from? Hiking and oatmeal?

Yep, that’s what I’m afraid of—hiking and oatmeal! 😀

And don’t even get me into Shredded Wheat. That shit gives new meaning to “ashes in our mouth.”

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Netflix rationalization

Got this in the inbox today:

Netflix raises rates for me

Yes, because Blu-Ray costs more, Netflix going to charge more. Makes perfect sense right?

Wait a minute! What about the much vaunted scratch-resistance with Blu-Ray coatings such as Durabis?

I’ve noticed I’ve had to clean 1 out of 10 discs and about 1 out of every 30 discs are busted, damaged, or unreadable. If we assume discs are rented an average of once per week, that means that a regular DVD disc lasts about a half year in circulation before it needs to be either taken out and a new one purchased.

What’s next? If I put newer releases on the queue I’ll have to pay a $1 more also?

I mean. Fine, Netflix, raise my rates a dollar, but don’t give me the bullshit.

Posted on by tychay 1

Keating Economics

Disclaimer: I’m going to issue a non-apology for all my political articles of late. If it makes you feel better, I’ve only been posting about a tenth of the political articles that I’ve started writing and I’ll soon return to my regular rare political rant blog after this cycle is over. I’m just wrapped up in what will certainly become the most important single political event of my generation. Remember that the singular reason I started blogging almost four years ago was because of politics. You may not agree with me, but realize the motto of this blog:

Write to create context for another to think.

Last Friday at work someone asked me why I seemed in uncommonly good spirits. I replied: “Because the electoral map finally looks like a disaster for McCain.” After a dalliance into spin and absurdity, I thought I had a right to be pleased that reality, as it were, was on the march. “The only problem,” I said, “was this means McCain’s campaign will be forced to get ugly fast.”

I was sick over the weekend and yesterday, so I didn’t realize I had been right until this morning. This bothers me because spite works in spite of the myth that Americans dislike negativity. I have a Pavlovian response bourne from experience that the Democrats will snatch defeat from the jaws of victory once more by not addressing the negative campaigning with some negativity of their own or try to defeat the absurdity of the claims with logic. It seems every two years my co-workers can hear me yell randomly, “Fucking Democrats think that voters are Vulcans.”

Continue reading about political strategery after the jump

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