In search of the center?

I'm constantly on the lookout for truly unbiased reporting and political coverage. I am currently screening about 15 political podcasts, visiting various political blogs, and many mass media websites looking for anything that consistently delivers news and commentary not from talking points. I understand that people observe things from a point of view so they are naturally going to be predisposed towards one way of thinking. But it just gets old and I get tired of watching it, especially if it seems centralized where everyone is saying the same crap. Current things on my mind to illustrate this. (full disclosure, I am pro-Obama, but this race would be a lot more interesting if he ran against 2000 McCain, whom I found a far superior candidate than 2008 McCain)

Obama's nomination speech
It was a good speech. The visual of an African American being nominated as the presidential candidate with a legit shot was incredible. But I'm not sure that there will be much text from the actual speech that will be remembered. It served two purposes: (1) to give details to Obama's policies he'd like to enact and (2) to try an paint the two sides of this election as they would want us to see it (basically McCain = Bush and Obama = change). While I thought it was fairly effective in that manor, I don't believe that there was the oratory that accompanied it that we will remember for generations (nor do I think it needed to, the above subjects do not lend themselves to lines that withstand the tests of time, they are written for the moment).

Most of the initial commentaries about the speech were favorable, even from some of the Right hosts. But now there seems to be camps were Left writers are declaring its greatness (although most are just happy to see Obama showing he's willing to fight McCain) or Right columnists decrying it for not being as good as MLK's "I have a dream speech" or for not overtly referencing it (one of my podcasts, can't remember which on or I'd link it). I personally appreciated the subtle subtext as not to beat you over the head with the obvious.

In the end the speech was effective, it was good, now I'm interested to see more.


Sarah Palin's Nomination

I'll admit freely, that my first reaction to this, even though I was at least familiar with the name due to all the aforementioned podcasting, was "that was a mistake." I've been trying to find information about her, but I really don't get it. I think she helps a lot with the Republican/Evangelical base, but I'm not sold that she will help with Hillary supporters. As the Daily Show noted, she is in every way Hillary's ideological opposite (other than "internal plumbing"). I think the best McCain can hope is that they don't vote/organize for Obama.

But it's really interesting once again how ideology determines what one is willing to legitimize for someone you support vs someone that you oppose. I call this the "What if Bill Clinton had done (fill in Bush mistake/overreach here)?" You see this all the time with scandals, where it's okay/not as bad when my side does it and it is the end of the world/you sleep with the devil if the other side does it. It all wears me out.

Now I believe that it is fair to criticize Obama on experience because he is so new, and pert of his task is to convince voters that his judgment trumps his lack of experience. As little experience as Obama has, I would say it is more relevant on the national/international stage than Palin's. When they first made the announcement, I literally heard a supporter point to her (1) governorship (fine) (2) mayoral experience (still fine) and (3) her PTA experience (what?!? really?),

I went to one Right political blog and found this "Tale of the tape" between Barack and Palin. Come on, this is just ridiculous. First of all, there's just problems with math (mayor 1996-2002, then the next item declares mayor for 10 years). Then there's omissions (ignore's Obama's first job in private sector with Business International Corp; gives Palin credit for going to Kuwait to visit National Guard troops, but not Obama who spent a week going through all of these same places, visiting soldiers, draining 3s, and then got himself stuck in a damned if he did, damned if he didn't pickle on visiting the soldiers (for future reference, always err on the side of visiting soldiers); downplays work in Senate). I'm going to stop, but it just illustrates how people are willing/desire to only hear the views that already appeal to their own biases.

In the end, reading about Palin, I still think that it is a long shot. It totally takes away the experience line of attack. She genuinely seems to be a reformer and quite effective. Unfortunately, it appears that she took over a corrupt system with a constituency and other newly elected officials that were open to these changes. It is noted that she works well in bipartisan manners. Somehow I believe working with Dems from Alaska probably more like Governor of Montana (although I hope she's this entertaining), less like Dems from California or the northeast.

Interestingly, she gets credit for killing the bridge to nowhere, but I seem to remember the Federal government cut the funding first, leading to much hilarity. Evidence indicates that it was really more a lack of funds thing that killed it, not because it was a waste of money.

On an aside, on Left Right and Center on Friday, the Left wing rep compared her fight for Alaskan oil rights and more cash for residents to socialism. Actually, how is not socialism, someone explain this to me (I'm looking for the business major here, t).

Are you ready for some football?

Well it's about that time again. For those of you who don't know, I have a second profession (seen in the background below). Have two games every weekend from now until the end of October, should be fun. The last two years I've had a week off in the middle for a wedding out of town, but this year I don't get any breaks. Be interesting to see if it gets tedious. Applied for college last year, I'll get observed this year and we'll see if I get invited to move up for next season. Maybe one of these days I'll work with my brother in a college game...



On a related note, UL opens their season on Sunday vs UK. All I have to say, there are some many questions on both sides of the ball for both teams that this game is impossible to call, and may be the sloppiest game ever. Weren't we in the Orange Bowl 2 years ago?

Go Cards!

This looks very disturbing...

So I was at the store today, and saw this:



Chocolate Skittles. I have no idea on how this can possibly be good, and I have no intention of trying it. Really?!? Who's the marketing genius behind this one? The thing that works the best for Skittles is the fruity flavor with the chewiness (spelling?). I cannot think of any imaginable way that the experience with a chocolate flavor can be even swallowable (just making up words now).

On a related note, it did remind me of this linked post from thesupernicety. Probably one of my favorite non-t blogs ever.

Daily Show vs Colbert Report

I'm absolutely amazed that these shows are as funny as they so consistently. I think that John Stewart does an amazing job delivering punchlines that you sometimes would almost rather cry about. The NY Times had a great article about the show last week. Worth the read if you missed it. It made me dig up the old episode from which he is obviously trying to suppress his rage with the subject at hand (Cheney) but still manages to do a better interview than most professional journalists that I hear on a daily basis.



The past week has seen this gem... "Oh war, you're just God's way of teaching Americans geography."



I love The Colbert Report for the fact that Colbert stays in character no matter how absurd. It's amazing. This Threatdown was great, by Number 3, j and I were in tears.




Check out my poll, and vote for your favorite.

I love the interweb...

Although you do make me waste too much time...

I found this while on the NYTimes website the other day. The most recent article about renouncing his Star Wars fanhood is pretty spot on. But I then became somewhat addicted to the site as I read some previous articles because the guy has some fairly similar tastes in movies, I relate to being on the East Coast after growing up in the South/Midwest city that is Louisville (he's from St Louis), and he is a huge St Louis Cardinals fan.

I would like to point out that I do have to disagree slightly on The Phantom Menace in that the fight scene at the end between Darth Maul and Obi-wan and Qui-Gon saved the movie during the immediate aftermath because it remained the best fight scene in all 6 movies.

He writes for a website, and I've read a couple of his blogs. This one in particular is interesting because I largely had the same experience with "Rocky III" and "Tron;" and I rarely find anyone who references "The Last Starfighter." I will argue that "the Great Muppet Caper" has withstood the test of time for me. Maybe it's because my love for the simple humor of the Muppets (similar to my love for Homer Simpson), but I still love this movie.

Finally, I found this post from the first month of his blog with is absolutely hysterical if you go all the way to the end (and you are a St Louis fan)...