I’ve just finished watching the inauguration speech. It was fucking awesome.
It was one of those times where you realise that although they’ve had a bad eight years, America is still one of the greatest countries on Earth. Despite the relative youth of their country, they’ve contributed so much to the world in the shape of technology, science, culture and most importantly, the sacrifices they made in securing the freedom of Western Europe at least three times. And the iPhone.
I was so impressed with the mention of putting science back on the map and investing money into stuff like broadband availability. Two things that really have been neglected under George Bush. Especially stem cell research or anything else that offends the Church.
- In the words of Peter Griffin: “Why aren’t we funding this?!”
However I can’t help feeling like I’ll miss old George. He did the best job he could under incredibly difficult circumstances and I’ll challenge anyone to say that they could do a better job. Because you probably fucking couldn’t.
Obama mentioning the use of “soft power” to win people over, saying that from the biggest capitols to the smallest villages, America will be their friend was also an awesome point. Coupling that with the whole “however, if you do try and destroy our way of life we will fuck you up” part was a great way of saying that although diplomacy is the primary option he isn’t gonna shy away from parking a Carrier Battle Group off of your coast.
We look back at old-school pirates now so fondly. Jack Sparrow, yo-ho-ho and so on when at the time they were considered to be as much of a threat to world harmony as modern day terrorists.
It got me wondering if in say, 200 years time we’ll all be watching films about the crazy high-jinks of old Osama Bin Laden and his band of merry men. Reminiscing about the good old days when terrorists weren’t bad people per se, just trying to make a bit of money on the side while blowing your shit up.
GET ANGRIER! Call them liars, because that’s what they are. Sarah Palin didn’t say “thanks but no thanks” to the Bridge to Nowhere. She just said “Thanks.” You were raised by a single mother on food stamps — where does a guy with eight houses who was legacied into Annapolis get off calling you an elitist?
And by the way, if you do nothing else, take that word back. Elite is a good word, it means well above average. I’d ask them what their problem is with excellence. While you’re at it, I want the word “patriot” back. McCain can say that the transcendent issue of our time is the spread of Islamic fanaticism or he can choose a running mate who doesn’t know the Bush doctrine from the Monroe Doctrine, but he can’t do both at the same time and call it patriotic. They have to lie — the truth isn’t their friend right now.
Get angry. Mock them mercilessly; they’ve earned it. McCain decried agents of intolerance, then chose a running mate who had to ask if she was allowed to ban books from a public library. It’s not bad enough she thinks the planet Earth was created in six days 6,000 years ago complete with a man, a woman and a talking snake, she wants schools to teach the rest of our kids to deny geology, anthropology, archaeology and common sense too? It’s not bad enough she’s forcing her own daughter into a loveless marriage to a teenage hood, she wants the rest of us to guide our daughters in that direction too? It’s not enough that a woman shouldn’t have the right to choose, it should be the law of the land that she has to carry and deliver her rapist’s baby too? I don’t know whether or not Governor Palin has the tenacity of a pit bull, but I know for sure she’s got the qualifications of one.
And you’re worried about seeming angry? You could eat their lunch, make them cry and tell their mamas about it and God himself would call it restrained.
There are times when you are simply required to be impolite. There are times when condescension is called for.
- I’m genuinely considering contributing money to Barack Obamas campaign.
As strange as that may sound to you, it sounds equally as strange to me. I live in the UK. I’ve never had any desire to give any money to a British political party, and often wondered what it is about either the politician or the party that makes people take the time to donate their money in the first place.
Yet I’m toying with financing the campaign of a politician in another country who although on the world stage will make decisions that may slightly affect me or the UK, won’t change anything with regards to how much council tax I pay, when my bins are emptied or how much funding the NHS gets. The day to day things that genuinely influence my life.
The final question about why I want to donate money can me summed up by asking “is it my respect for Barack Obama or my absolute terror about Sarah Palin getting into power that’s driving me to reach for my bank details?”
Its not that I’m shocked or anything. Just amazed that it’s actually been proved.
Fall Out Boy’s last US tour was sponsored by Honda. Thats fine, it lowered ticket prices for everyone and we all knew full well that the band themselves don’t drive Hondas as everyone in a rock band clearly has a Ferrari parked next to their guitar shaped swimming pool. Even drummers.
I can just about cope with touring bands being sponsored by car firms, festivals being sponsored by energy drinks/beer/mobile phone networks etc, and I’d always suspected that 50 Cents penchant for Crystal champagne was down to how much of it he got free as opposed to its ability to get you shitfaced. But to have it actually laid out infront of me that “aspirational” brands pay record labels to insert their product into a song just kills any remaining sympathy I have for both the brand itself and the label. Let alone the artist that actually agrees to it.
I hate the music industry sometimes.
On the flipside, I had one of those moments this evening. I was travelling home listening to The Gaslight Anthem wearing my aviators, cresting the brow of a hill driving into the autumn sunlight as the chorus of “The Patient Ferris Wheel” kicks in. Amazing.
The more I hear and read about Sarah Palin the more worried I get that she’ll actually be elected as the Vice President, or God forbid, McCain dies and she becomes the leader all 51 States of America. (Great Britain being the 51st)
Ironically I actually quite like George Bush. The man clearly isn’t as stupid as we all make him out to be, the prime evidence of this is that he is the most powerful man in the world. The rest of us aren’t. Are we?
However, things in the world aren’t quite as they should be. Major American banks are declaring bankruptcy, the Chinese hold most of Americas debt and the rest of the world kinda hates everything American that isn’t a Big Mac or made by Apple. So it stands to reason that its probably time for a change of government.
John McCain seems like a sensible chap. Former POW, he’s gonna be fairly grounded and although he has a few questionable beliefs like being anti stem cell research and Christian he’d probably do ok as President. My problem lies with Sarah Palin. The fucking retard of a woman wants to teach fucking CREATIONISM in schools. Thats like fucking teaching “Jack and Jill Went Up the Hill” in History class!
I will stop there though as someone has completely condensed what I’m trying to say into one fairly scathing rant about her. And that person?
In starting this blog I generally thought the topics I’d be writing about would mostly be music related. Alas, as I’m sure you’ve guessed by the title of this post this one it isn’t going to contain any spoilers for the new Metallica album or complete songs from “Chinese Democracy” Unfortunately I’ve been beaten to the punch on that one anyway.
So I’ll apologise in advance for anyone searching for music posts on a blog called Albumbyyear, but honestly were you genuinely thinking this would have anything to do with music? Hmm??
Anyway.
Over the past few days I’ve literally encountered EVERY furious motorist in the south of England. Even today I’m there pootling along in the fast lane with a car infront of me doing 70 and lo and behold, inches from my rear bumper is some dude in a massive 4x4 going ballistic because I’m not getting out of his way.
Now three things annoy me about this. Firstly I can’t go any faster because of the chap infront. Secondly he got even more angry when I brake tested him and finally, he looked like the single most boring bastard I’ve ever seen. Genuinely I would bet my iPhone on him being in a massive rush just so he could get home, microwave a pizza for one and get World of Warcraft fired up so he can finally get that sword with an extra hitpoint.
Its fine being in a rush, as long as you actually have SOMETHING to do when you get home apart from cracking one out.
