Hot or Not?

http://gawker.com/5615573/republican-babes-are-smokin-hot-dems-are-definitely-not-says-minnesota-gop?skyline=true&s=i

I was reading one of my favorite blogs today, Gawker, and on the top of the main page, there was a link to some video made by the Minnesota GOP. First, I should have stopped right there because when I saw a poorly photo-shopped picture of Rosie O'Donnell's head of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's body, it wasn't going to be anything to be taken very seriously. I was wrong! The point being made by the video was deadly serious, whether or not American politics come down to voting for the attractive person or the intelligent person (not that they are mutually exclusive)

The first message given in the video was "America: vote Republican because our women are hotter" You have to be fucking kidding me! I don't care about how hot Republicans may or may not be because voting based on personal appearance stopped happening when people stopped being teenagers, or at least that's what I thought. Listen, I get that the GOP is in the political wilderness after a trouncing in 2008, but this route that you're going isn't growing the base.

Let's get one thing straight, any partisan shill who is attractive is still a shill and their long legs, double D's or fluttering eyelashes won't block all that bullshit coming out of their mouth. Any network that calls on a pundit who relies on their good looks, limited analysis and certain talking points should be wary of their intentions because the job of a pundit is different than that of a scholar or journalist. Pundits are called to explain events through the lens of their political affiliations and/or organizational associations and they are not held to an obligation of impartiality. Time and time again, they have proven that they know so little about so much. This is not solely a Republican problem, but it seems that the GOP calls on their bench of pundits more often!
Should I watch Megyn Kelly or Fox and Friends rather than Rachel Maddow because Rachel Maddow is not conventionally "pretty"? Fuck no! The factual errors and added commentary which doesn't add to informing their viewers makes the show almost unbearable to watch. News shows should inform people about issues that are very dense and complex, not be about some icy blond that barely understands what she's reading off the teleprompter.

Back to the ad, this ad is a bunch of bullshit! Calling people that you can't attack on legitimate issues ugly is fucking childish and shows that you shouldn't be allowed to have any responsibility until you start acting like adults. Also, for a party that adheres strongly to the ideology of family values, there is quite a bit of objectification of women. The ad doesn't talk about the various qualifications of the women featured, like Michelle Malkin who is a graduate of Oberlin or Ann Coulter who has a law degree from the University of Michigan, instead, the Minnesota GOP has shown that they don't really give a shit about what these bitches have to say! They're hot and that's all that matters!

One last note about the use of an ad populum attack, having a popular TV show is nice, but if you keep pandering to visceral reactions of unstable, fearful or ignorant people, then it doesn't make you right, it makes you irresponsible. In these uncertain political and economic times, establishing straw man arguments and stoking fear over immigrants, people of color, and greater uncertainty in the future doesn't help anyone, except you and your fucking meaningless ratings. SUCK ME BILL O'REILLY!

Gays are Icky?

So, I want everyone to remember the name Ike Skelton (D-MO) The representative of the 4th Congressional District in Missouri is the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and was one of the most important voices in the discussion regarding the crafting of DADT (Don't Ask Don't Tell) in 1997, which disallows open homosexual behavior among all ranks in the United States military. This man, Ike, told reporters yesterday that he opposes the overturning of DADT because the topic of homosexuality is not "family-friendly"

I don't even know where to begin on that! His exact words to the press were:

"What do mommies and daddies say to their 7-year-old child?" Skelton asked journalists at a media breakfast. "My biggest concerns are the family."

This ignorance about how homosexuals interact with straight society is confounding. His biggest concern is the family defined within a socially conservative framework, and it consists of one (presumably) heterosexual male and one (presumably) heterosexual female parent along with any number of children ranging from 1 to ∞. The biggest disservice to our families is to not discuss sexuality and sexual orientation in a frank and serious manner. The world is full of people who are different than one another, and to be able to function in that world, we have to be aware of difference amongst ourselves. Families have homosexual members and that will not change in the forseeable future, ignoring their identity can be devastating. To deem the topic of homosexuality unfit for discussion because of your sensitivities is not helping anyone, and insults the intelligence of everyone around you.

Ike Skelton, you're a grown man. I didn't think that you are willing to accept the dismissal of qualified Soldiers, Airmen, Marines, and Sailors so that our military can be cleansed of homosexual elements. But, you are. Get over yourself, and don't let other people suffer because you are too afraid that you might catch the gay.

Break

I am still on vacation from college, and I am coming up to the last few classes in my undergraduate career! I just registered for the foreign service exam online, and am confused whether or not I actually am on the list... or whatever they use to know that I am interested in taking the exam. The foreign service exam seems pretty intense, perhaps I should have bought the study guide that is available on the website, how convenient. 

I am going to take some summer classes, so that I can graduate and get on with the rest of my life! It's not going to be just a few classes either, I have to take 4! Well, I should meet with my advisor to check my progress and make sure everything is alright. 

The inauguration is coming up, and as much as I would love to go and see it firsthand, DC is going to be packed and frigid. All the bridges leading into and out of the city are shut down on the day of and the days preceding the event, only available for foot traffic. Metro, which can only handle 125,000 people an hour is going to be inundated with millions of people (it is estimated) I'm going to pass on the chaos, though I have young, strong legs and a good bladder! 

I can bring snacks and be in a warm place at my house or go to my church if I want to socialize. Plus, I can see Obama close up!

Stat, Sarah Palin, and other craziness

I have not sent my news out on the internets for a while, and thought that I should. There is a lot of hub-bub surrounding John McCain's vice presidential nominee, Sara Palin. She looks like Tina Fey, and Ms. Fey did a very good job imitating her on Saturday Night Live. After eight years of gut checks and their disastrous results, I think that there should be "safer" choices and more aforethought. 

I am NOT being sexist. As a young woman, it scares me to see a woman who threatens to usurp rights availed to women through great sacrifice and effort. Mrs. Palin has experience as a mayor, governor, mother and wife, but I do not think that those experiences lend themselves to qualifications to become president (if required to do so) It has been revealed that John McCain has spoken, in the past that he "was not a governor for a short time, or a mayor for a short time" That means, he assumes that the relative inexperience of Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee in those capacities do not lend themselves to qualifications for president. 

My dad says not to sweat her because she is the vice presidential candidate, but with the chance of John McCain dying while in office (assuming he gets elected) because of his on-going battle with cancer, that will put her in the hot-seat. Meh, I'm voting for Obama anyways. 

Yesterday, I had a very relaxing Sunday full of awkward conversations with my parents about my future, procrastinating, and smoking weed. But, I eventually got around to do my statistics homework, and tomorrow I'll have to read for my labour economics class. Somehow, I forget to check updates for my classes on my computer while I'm in front of it. Interesting how people can avoid work while they're on a machine that helps them with it. Yay! Class doesn't start until 12:30 tomorrow, and I get to play soccer at 6.