Autumn in the burbs

Literally Take on Me

Still my favorite 80s music video/song.

Terrorist Fist Jab Doll

One of the more irritating aspects of this campaign season is the unable-to-die rumor that Obama is a secret/overt Muslim. Other than there being no evidence to make this assumption, it is highly racist. If Religilous taught me anything, it is that no religion is holier than thou.

A local Fox affiliate discovered a secret plot to convert our children to Islam by "spouting more hate than love" stating that "Islam is the light."

I am guessing it would be loved filled if it stated "Judeo-Christian values are the light"

Either way, it is a creepy doll.

Hypocrisies of the McCain Campaign

• Proudly declaring he is a maverick despite supporting very un-maverick issues like off-shore drilling, gas tax holiday, tax cuts for the wealthy, the Wall Street bailout, and voting with Bush 90% of the time.
• Palin criticizing Biden for being old.
• McCain criticizing Obama for being inexperienced.
• McCain criticizing Obama for being a cult of personality (i.e. Paris Hilton) when Palin is nothing but a personality.
• McCain, being the ultimate defender of campaign finance reform, accepts federal financing but funnels money from the GOP to his campaign through a loophole.
• McCain, declaring he is a new kind of politician, suspends his campaign to single-handily fix the financial crisis in the ultimate display of political theater of 2008.
• McCain casting himself as the man of the people when he was born into affluence and Obama worked his way from the bottom.
• Palin/Guilliani mocking Obama's time as a community organizer as RNC members waved signs promoting "Service."
• McCain often declaring terrorism to be the ultimate existential threat to America and then irresponsibly picks Palin who by any objective measure is well below par concerning international experience.
• McCain saying he is running an open campaign and yet will not release his health records and his wife's financial history to the public.
• McCain criticizing Rev. Wright when he openly accepted the support of an anti-Catholic minister who declared that the Holocaust was part of God's plan for the Jews and Palin being exorcised by a witch-doctor.
• Flip-flopping on tax cuts for the wealthy and the "Agents of Intolerance" for no apparent reason other than it being politically advantageous.

You know who's a maverick?

Mel Gibson in 1994's hit movie Maverick! I remember renting the VHS and watching this pop westerner multiple times. But all I remember is Gibson playing a high stakes porker game on a steam boat, declaring that the Jews control Hollywood, and referring to Jodie Foster with some disparaging sexual comment.

Emory's bid for school spirit

The Back Door Insult

In the second season finale of 30 Rock, Jenna introduced the idea of the back door compliment. This is when you indirectly brag about yourself. Her example, "I just can't watch American Idol because I have perfect pitch." It is therefore fitting that Palin picks up this strategy from Tina Fey's co-star (who, like Palin, also is a vapid celebrity). In this case, Palin reversed the concept into the Back Door Insult. As in, I gave you the utmost respect, Mr. Biden, when you supported John McCain on such and such. Or I respect your record of disagreeing with Senator Obama on such and such. This came off, at least from my perspective, snarkier and more sarcastic than anything the GOP railed against Gore in the 2000 debates and contradicts her self-professed small town, gee-golly values.
Unfortunately, I must admit that Palin, having set the expectations so unbelievably low for her performance, came out successful. It is going to be more difficult to argue that she lacks the brain function to be VP. She proved she can BS and lie with the best of 'em and even throw in some gratuitous folksiness.