Socialist.
A word that rings with negativity. Designed to invoke negative imagery when spoken, and stuck like an ugly red bow onto the name "Barack Obama" by the McCain political campaign. The advantage of attaching a bow onto something is that you don't need to know what the present actually holds inside. Facts, content, the truth about someone, is completely irrelevant, as we decide between which gift to open November 4. Will it be the box, a little battered by time, perhaps looking a bit like it's been sitting in the closet too long, but wrapped in amazing Red, White & Blue gaudy patriotic colors? Or will it be the shiny new box, the one that seems like it actually has something new inside?
Perhaps it's the holidays that causes me to utilize the "present" metaphor, but it doesn't change that ugly words are being used to try and denigrate Obama's campaign.
Terrorist.
A dark black stain splashed onto Obama's record. However, the stain didn't seem to exist prior to the campaign...a complex chain of events and misdirections have allowed McCain's attack dogs to slander their opponent even further. But truth doesn't matter. Sound bites do.
How many read the headline without reading the article? How many will see the quick note on a news website, without checking the facts? Sitting around the clichéd water cooler, it's easy to posit "Obama's a ____________" without having to explain the history behind the statement.
Muslim.
And there are some marks that in no way should be regarded as pejorative. Soldiers. Doctors. Lawyers. Workers. Americans. All share the Muslim faith. While Obama is not a Muslim, to associate him with that faith is being regarded by many Americans as a horrific taint, a smear.
Why use ten words when you can use one? Why describe millions of people, when one simple word will define them all? Let's make the sounds gentle and easy on the soft ears of American voters. We don't want them to have to listen to more than three seconds of definition, let's just give them one word at a time.
I'm not asking voters to pick a side, I'm asking voters to give their candidates a few second more of their time. Those people that only read the labels and grab for the package that looks nicest on the outside may realize that they may not get what they want.
Personally this year I'm hoping for a brand new clean suit shirt...as opposed to say, a pair of old itchy socks. I got that the last few years, and frankly, I've had enough.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
September 28, 2008 - Motivation.
Life and what we accomplish can be defined by three simple questions and three very common answers.
1. What do we want?
Answer: Something.
2. When do we want it?
Answer: Now.
3. How are we going to get it?
Answer: Not my concern, but if you'd be so kind as to leave it on the doorstep, I'm sure after I've had my coffee I'll go right out and drag it inside.
Dreams and desires exist in every single person; the ranges of which vary from the wealth of kings to an extra sugar packet. A simple dream for one may be the lifelong goal for another. And of course, desires always make for good conversation. At least, we always think so when telling the neighbor, "Oh yes, I've got big plans for **goal/accomplishment/large electronic device** and as soon as **slight obstacle** pays off/is paid off, then me and the **wife/dog/iPhone** will be completely **set/happy/drunk**."
It's a horizon, and we often stare off, hoping it will come closer to us, hoping that for once, the sun will listen to our protests, and hold off on setting on another day no closer to our aspirations. Most of us will curse the sun, curse the horizon and probably curse me for pointing these things out.
At the end of the day, we are the ones who must take the step forward.
How we push ourselves is our choice, but finding that motivation is the key to crossing the finish line. Is it a spark of competition? Is it the fear of disappointing all those watching us? Is it the desire burning so strong we must proceed?
The struggle with discovering one's motivation to continue after failure, or even to press forward in times of stress is difficult...and personally I think...pointless.
Wait, hear me out before running for your **antidepressants/alcohol/more humorous website**.
Some people get caught up in the search for motivation, the search for "why". Deep down, we all know what we want. Deep down, there is something we desire that for whatever reason we have pushed aside, ignored, or boarded up and locked away, because simply thinking about what we cannot have is too painful to bear.
The search for why is pointless because we are given opportunity, we are given resources, we are given love and support, and we are given time. We have hands, we have minds, we have an entire world. So don't ask yourself "Why?" Don't even ask yourself "Why not?"
Ask yourself "How?"
All of a sudden, you may find you have created the motivation you've been looking for all this time, simply by asking the right question, and hopefully, finding the right answer.
---
P.S. Forgive the rant, I've cluttered up an entire page with sentences that could simply have been spelled out by saying, "I can get what I want simply by focusing on how to get it as opposed to pondering over where I'll find the motivation to get it." I know this is the 10,000 piece puzzle, simple on the outside of the box, but a complicated mess if you get into it, but I hope that I've at least put forward one good idea. At the very least, I'm motivated to do so.
1. What do we want?
Answer: Something.
2. When do we want it?
Answer: Now.
3. How are we going to get it?
Answer: Not my concern, but if you'd be so kind as to leave it on the doorstep, I'm sure after I've had my coffee I'll go right out and drag it inside.
Dreams and desires exist in every single person; the ranges of which vary from the wealth of kings to an extra sugar packet. A simple dream for one may be the lifelong goal for another. And of course, desires always make for good conversation. At least, we always think so when telling the neighbor, "Oh yes, I've got big plans for **goal/accomplishment/large electronic device** and as soon as **slight obstacle** pays off/is paid off, then me and the **wife/dog/iPhone** will be completely **set/happy/drunk**."
It's a horizon, and we often stare off, hoping it will come closer to us, hoping that for once, the sun will listen to our protests, and hold off on setting on another day no closer to our aspirations. Most of us will curse the sun, curse the horizon and probably curse me for pointing these things out.
At the end of the day, we are the ones who must take the step forward.
How we push ourselves is our choice, but finding that motivation is the key to crossing the finish line. Is it a spark of competition? Is it the fear of disappointing all those watching us? Is it the desire burning so strong we must proceed?
The struggle with discovering one's motivation to continue after failure, or even to press forward in times of stress is difficult...and personally I think...pointless.
Wait, hear me out before running for your **antidepressants/alcohol/more humorous website**.
Some people get caught up in the search for motivation, the search for "why". Deep down, we all know what we want. Deep down, there is something we desire that for whatever reason we have pushed aside, ignored, or boarded up and locked away, because simply thinking about what we cannot have is too painful to bear.
The search for why is pointless because we are given opportunity, we are given resources, we are given love and support, and we are given time. We have hands, we have minds, we have an entire world. So don't ask yourself "Why?" Don't even ask yourself "Why not?"
Ask yourself "How?"
All of a sudden, you may find you have created the motivation you've been looking for all this time, simply by asking the right question, and hopefully, finding the right answer.
---
P.S. Forgive the rant, I've cluttered up an entire page with sentences that could simply have been spelled out by saying, "I can get what I want simply by focusing on how to get it as opposed to pondering over where I'll find the motivation to get it." I know this is the 10,000 piece puzzle, simple on the outside of the box, but a complicated mess if you get into it, but I hope that I've at least put forward one good idea. At the very least, I'm motivated to do so.
Friday, September 26, 2008
September 26, 2008 - The Presidential Debate
Who won the debate?
In a match where some punches were pulled, others were glancing uppercuts, but none seemed to be the knockout blow. Even debate helmsman Jim Lehrer urged the competitors on, insisting they direct their responses to one another as opposed to the blind cameras. Not to say some blows weren't landed; Obama sharply criticized McCain's tired politics and a faithfulness to the Bush Administration Johnny M couldn't seem to distance himself away from enough, while John McCain seemed to stress that Obama's plans would merely result in emptying the pockets of America.
Points, arguments, attacks, the only true way to measure the debate is by content. What did each potential candidate bring to the table fresh that wasn't repeated a mere 15 seconds earlier? Some answers became tired, repetitive...and were there a drinking game tied to the number of mentions of "cutting spending" by McCain, I would be far beyond the ability to write out this blog, or even a coherent sentence.
You cannot fault either candidate for mispronouncing a name, or forgetting a word here and there. What you can fault them for, are blatant lies, and lining up a pathway that will send our country into utter turmoil. There is only one candidate tonight who outlined a road that is different than the one we have been traveling. Both purported change, one represented it.
It's our tax money, where do we want it to go...into programs that reduce the cost of health care and gasoline, or into the pockets of the wealthy.
In a match where some punches were pulled, others were glancing uppercuts, but none seemed to be the knockout blow. Even debate helmsman Jim Lehrer urged the competitors on, insisting they direct their responses to one another as opposed to the blind cameras. Not to say some blows weren't landed; Obama sharply criticized McCain's tired politics and a faithfulness to the Bush Administration Johnny M couldn't seem to distance himself away from enough, while John McCain seemed to stress that Obama's plans would merely result in emptying the pockets of America.
Points, arguments, attacks, the only true way to measure the debate is by content. What did each potential candidate bring to the table fresh that wasn't repeated a mere 15 seconds earlier? Some answers became tired, repetitive...and were there a drinking game tied to the number of mentions of "cutting spending" by McCain, I would be far beyond the ability to write out this blog, or even a coherent sentence.
You cannot fault either candidate for mispronouncing a name, or forgetting a word here and there. What you can fault them for, are blatant lies, and lining up a pathway that will send our country into utter turmoil. There is only one candidate tonight who outlined a road that is different than the one we have been traveling. Both purported change, one represented it.
It's our tax money, where do we want it to go...into programs that reduce the cost of health care and gasoline, or into the pockets of the wealthy.
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