Yesterday when I was up town I met the local National candidate, Malcolm Plimmer, and he said John Key (leader of the National Party) was coming to Palmerston North. So I went down to the Terrace End shops this morning at about 9am to wait. There were quite a few assembled there including the media, National supporters, and Labour protesters. Just after John Key arrived I got to shake his hand! I told him I was voting National for the first time tomorrow. It was great to be able to meet him. I would like to have gotten a photo with him but he had so many people to meet. He spent about half an hour or so greeting people and walking into shops. I followed him around and took a few photos which you can see here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/zl2fox/JohnKeyVisitsPalmerstonNorth#
Now about the Labour protesters. They were idiots. They were saying that Key is the anti-Obama. Now that really pissed me off. I'm a huge supporter to Obama and they were saying that John Key is totally opposed to him. Key is promoting change in New Zealand, just like Obama was in the States. Can't Labour see that red is also the Republicans colour and communist colour!! The protesters were shouting when Key was trying to speak. How rude! Labour are getting desperate now (just like the Republicans were). There was almost some violence:
http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/newsdetail1.asp?storyID=147509
I was brought up in a Labour family but I feel it's time now for me to vote National. We need a change in this country as 9 years of Aunty Helen is far too long! So why else am I voting National this time around, especially as I'm currently a single father on the DPB? Here are some reasons:
-Lower taxes
-Faster broadband
-Getting people off welfare and into jobs
-Cracking down on violent crime
We do not want another 3 years of the same - a Labour led government. Helen Clark is one of the reasons why NZ is in an economic crisis now, and an experienced business leader like John Key will really help the country! Labour and the Greens want to get together. Can you imagine the Greens in government?! We'll all be riding horses and hugging trees! Hell!
So tomorrow please give two ticks to National. If you want change in this country then voting National is the best way - any other will be a wasted vote.
For more information see:
http://www.national.org.nz/
Friday, November 07, 2008
PRESIDENT OBAMA!!!!
Two days later I'm still in a buzz about the tremendous and historic win this week of Barack Obama - now the new President of the United States of America! I watched the coverage on CNN from midday our time (6pm EST) right through to 5pm (11pm EST) when the announcement was made. I jumped for joy! It was so emotional (I nearly cried :-) And then an hour later Obama's amazing speech to 100,000 people or so in Chicago. I have never seen anything like that in my life! It was incredible!
I was getting a bit worried earlier on in the vote counting when a few states started going to McCain. But of course the rural votes were coming in first and they usually go Republican. It was funny when Utah results came in and Wolf Blitzer said that was no surprise and the Utah is one of the most Republican states in the country. But when Obama started winning states such as New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Florida I was much more confident. And then California put him over the top! Obama currently has 349 electoral votes and McCain only 163, so in the end it was a thrashing!! (I thought it would be much closer).
As I said this is an historic moment in history. Barack Obama is the first African-American president - and just 40 years ago blacks in America will still being segregated against. I hope the redneck Republicans in America can accept him and won't try and assassinate him. Now here's something that is quite amazing - the new president is African-American, the majority leader of the senate is a Latter-day Saint (Harry Reed), and the speaker of the house is a woman (Nancy Pelosi). It was great to see Democrats increase their lead in the senate and the house too.
I hope those Republicans keep quiet now and let President-elect Obama do his job. I've been watching a little bit of Fox News and they are not happy at all that Obama won. They are still putting a negative spin on him. Republicans can be so nasty (did you know the day before the election some of them were saying Obama killed his grandmother!)
It was a great day for the Democrats, and great day for America, a great day for the world, and a great day for me!
For more results see:
http://edition.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/
YES WE CAN!
I was getting a bit worried earlier on in the vote counting when a few states started going to McCain. But of course the rural votes were coming in first and they usually go Republican. It was funny when Utah results came in and Wolf Blitzer said that was no surprise and the Utah is one of the most Republican states in the country. But when Obama started winning states such as New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Florida I was much more confident. And then California put him over the top! Obama currently has 349 electoral votes and McCain only 163, so in the end it was a thrashing!! (I thought it would be much closer).
As I said this is an historic moment in history. Barack Obama is the first African-American president - and just 40 years ago blacks in America will still being segregated against. I hope the redneck Republicans in America can accept him and won't try and assassinate him. Now here's something that is quite amazing - the new president is African-American, the majority leader of the senate is a Latter-day Saint (Harry Reed), and the speaker of the house is a woman (Nancy Pelosi). It was great to see Democrats increase their lead in the senate and the house too.
I hope those Republicans keep quiet now and let President-elect Obama do his job. I've been watching a little bit of Fox News and they are not happy at all that Obama won. They are still putting a negative spin on him. Republicans can be so nasty (did you know the day before the election some of them were saying Obama killed his grandmother!)
It was a great day for the Democrats, and great day for America, a great day for the world, and a great day for me!
For more results see:
http://edition.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/
YES WE CAN!
Saturday, October 25, 2008
TV Guide TV ratings are rubbish!
I always knew that the "Top 10 TV" listed in the TV Guide each week (listing the Top 10 watched TV programmes of the week) was rubbish, especially of the bias towards TV One programmes, but now I am totally convinced! New Zealand's Got Talent is a show on Prime TV at the moment and I was sure it would be in the Top 10 this past week. I know heaps of people that watch this programme. But I had a look at page 60 of the TV Guide that came out a couple of days ago and New Zealand's Got Talent is no where to be seen in the Top 10! So yes, the TV ratings in the TV Guide are a load of rubbish (and I've never been surveyed my whole life!)
Thursday, October 23, 2008
If you're a Mormon you don't have to vote Republican
It’s now less than two weeks away to what I would say is the most important election so far this century – the 2008 US Presidential Election. Even though Obama is leading in the polls it’s not a for-gone conclusion and a lot can happen over the next couple of weeks. This blog entry mainly goes out to all those Latter-day Saints (Mormons) in the States. You don’t have to vote Republican!! And here are a few reasons why you should vote Democrat.
For some strange reason LDS believe they have to vote Republican to maintain a good standing in the church. Utah (which contains about 58% LDS) is probably the most Republican state in the country. Here are a couple of examples of that. In 2004 71.5% of Utah voted for Bush (in some counties up to 89%); and back in 1992 we know that Bill Clinton easily won that election but Utah voted him 3rd behind George Bush and Ross Perot!!
I’m LDS and a Democrat, and a huge supporter of Obama. I just do not like Republicans at all. I feel they can be quite mean and nasty about things. They believe in guns and war, while Democrats care more about things such as the environment and those that are in need. You just need to watch Fox News to see how nasty Republicans can be.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is NOT a Republican church. (Perhaps members think they need to vote Republican because of what they stand for such as “family” values – hey what about guns and war??). The church reaffirms itself as being politically neutral. Here’s a statement released by the First Presidency last month:
http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/news-releases-stories/first-presidency-issues-letter-on-political-participation
Although I would love to know who the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve vote for!
There’s quite a bit out there about LDS members who are Democrat. First there’s a woman named Heather who talks about her “conversion” to Obama:
Why I (Heather) support Barack Obama...and some interesting links
http://www.zerendipity.org/2008/09/why-i-heather-support-barack-obamaand.html
Why I Support Obama--the Specifics
http://www.zerendipity.org/2008/09/why-i-support-obama-specifics.html
Bruce Young is a professor of English at BYU University (in Provo, Utah) and is also a Democrat. His blog can be found at:
http://bruceyoung-election2008.blogspot.com/
He says this:
“Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ("Mormons"). The Church is officially neutral in politics and has in fact affirmed that both major parties espouse principles in harmony with Church beliefs. Yet many Latter-day Saints, especially in Utah, are convinced that only one party (Republican) and only one political philosophy (conservative) harmonize with their religion. As a Latter-day Saint, I intend to challenge that view and argue that Latter-day Saint beliefs are compatible with candidates and positions that some of my co-religionists would refuse to even consider.”
He explains why LDS vote Republican and why he is a Democrat and why he supports Obama. He also has a lot of interesting links to other sites on this issue. He says:
“By the 1990s, Church leaders were concerned about the exclusive identity of the Church and the Republican party in many members' minds. Elder Neal A. Maxwell encouraged a younger General Authority, Elder Marlin K. Jensen, to hold an interview with the Salt Lake Tribune to explain why he (Elder Jensen, who is a Democrat) believed being a Democrat was compatible with being a faithful member of the Church.”
GOP Dominance Troubles Church
http://www.kevinashworth.com/ldr/268/gop-dominance-troubles-church
http://www.utahcountydems.com/content/view/178
He goes on to say:
“Also during the 1990s, Gordon B. Hinckley, the president of the Church, made statements encouraging political diversity in the Church. Unfortunately, such statements seem to have had little effect. In fact, at the time, Republican leaders in Utah tended to react with disbelief even to suggestions coming from Church leaders that faithful Church members could appropriately and enthusiastically support the Democratic party.”
Transcript: National Press Club Q&A with President Gordon B. Hinckley, March 8, 2000
http://english2.byu.edu/faculty/youngb/pres-hinckley-politics.htm
As you may know Harry Reid is the U.S. Senate Majority Leader, a Democrat, and a Latter-day Saint. He says "I am a Democrat because I am a Mormon." Here is the transcript of a speech he gave at BYU in October 2007:
http://english2.byu.edu/faculty/youngb/reid.pdf
Here’s another interesting site to look at - Can LDS Members be Democrats? It also has such topics as Why I am LDS and a Democrat, I am a Democrat because I am a Mormon, and Why Mormons should vote Democratic (this is particularly interesting):
http://www.cachedemocrats.org/about%20us/LDS_democrats.htm
Barrack Obama gave a talk in his church on Father’s Day this year. It’s a very good speech and I can’t see anything in there which would conflict with the teachings of our church
Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: Apostolic Church of God
http://www.barackobama.com/2008/06/15/remarks_of_senator_barack_obam_78.php
So in summing up I support Barack Obama. I do not want to see another four years of failed Bush-type politics. Yes, John McCain is not George W Bush but you need to remember he represents the Republican Party, the same party Bush is from! Obama will bring a new change to the United States and to the world as a whole, which is desperately needed! So if you are a Mormon reading this and you live in the States then please consider voting for Obama, and believe it or not you will still be considered a faithful Latter-day Saint and will not lose your salvation for voting for a Democrat!
For some strange reason LDS believe they have to vote Republican to maintain a good standing in the church. Utah (which contains about 58% LDS) is probably the most Republican state in the country. Here are a couple of examples of that. In 2004 71.5% of Utah voted for Bush (in some counties up to 89%); and back in 1992 we know that Bill Clinton easily won that election but Utah voted him 3rd behind George Bush and Ross Perot!!
I’m LDS and a Democrat, and a huge supporter of Obama. I just do not like Republicans at all. I feel they can be quite mean and nasty about things. They believe in guns and war, while Democrats care more about things such as the environment and those that are in need. You just need to watch Fox News to see how nasty Republicans can be.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is NOT a Republican church. (Perhaps members think they need to vote Republican because of what they stand for such as “family” values – hey what about guns and war??). The church reaffirms itself as being politically neutral. Here’s a statement released by the First Presidency last month:
http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/news-releases-stories/first-presidency-issues-letter-on-political-participation
Although I would love to know who the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve vote for!
There’s quite a bit out there about LDS members who are Democrat. First there’s a woman named Heather who talks about her “conversion” to Obama:
Why I (Heather) support Barack Obama...and some interesting links
http://www.zerendipity.org/2008/09/why-i-heather-support-barack-obamaand.html
Why I Support Obama--the Specifics
http://www.zerendipity.org/2008/09/why-i-support-obama-specifics.html
Bruce Young is a professor of English at BYU University (in Provo, Utah) and is also a Democrat. His blog can be found at:
http://bruceyoung-election2008.blogspot.com/
He says this:
“Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ("Mormons"). The Church is officially neutral in politics and has in fact affirmed that both major parties espouse principles in harmony with Church beliefs. Yet many Latter-day Saints, especially in Utah, are convinced that only one party (Republican) and only one political philosophy (conservative) harmonize with their religion. As a Latter-day Saint, I intend to challenge that view and argue that Latter-day Saint beliefs are compatible with candidates and positions that some of my co-religionists would refuse to even consider.”
He explains why LDS vote Republican and why he is a Democrat and why he supports Obama. He also has a lot of interesting links to other sites on this issue. He says:
“By the 1990s, Church leaders were concerned about the exclusive identity of the Church and the Republican party in many members' minds. Elder Neal A. Maxwell encouraged a younger General Authority, Elder Marlin K. Jensen, to hold an interview with the Salt Lake Tribune to explain why he (Elder Jensen, who is a Democrat) believed being a Democrat was compatible with being a faithful member of the Church.”
GOP Dominance Troubles Church
http://www.kevinashworth.com/ldr/268/gop-dominance-troubles-church
http://www.utahcountydems.com/content/view/178
He goes on to say:
“Also during the 1990s, Gordon B. Hinckley, the president of the Church, made statements encouraging political diversity in the Church. Unfortunately, such statements seem to have had little effect. In fact, at the time, Republican leaders in Utah tended to react with disbelief even to suggestions coming from Church leaders that faithful Church members could appropriately and enthusiastically support the Democratic party.”
Transcript: National Press Club Q&A with President Gordon B. Hinckley, March 8, 2000
http://english2.byu.edu/faculty/youngb/pres-hinckley-politics.htm
As you may know Harry Reid is the U.S. Senate Majority Leader, a Democrat, and a Latter-day Saint. He says "I am a Democrat because I am a Mormon." Here is the transcript of a speech he gave at BYU in October 2007:
http://english2.byu.edu/faculty/youngb/reid.pdf
Here’s another interesting site to look at - Can LDS Members be Democrats? It also has such topics as Why I am LDS and a Democrat, I am a Democrat because I am a Mormon, and Why Mormons should vote Democratic (this is particularly interesting):
http://www.cachedemocrats.org/about%20us/LDS_democrats.htm
Barrack Obama gave a talk in his church on Father’s Day this year. It’s a very good speech and I can’t see anything in there which would conflict with the teachings of our church
Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: Apostolic Church of God
http://www.barackobama.com/2008/06/15/remarks_of_senator_barack_obam_78.php
So in summing up I support Barack Obama. I do not want to see another four years of failed Bush-type politics. Yes, John McCain is not George W Bush but you need to remember he represents the Republican Party, the same party Bush is from! Obama will bring a new change to the United States and to the world as a whole, which is desperately needed! So if you are a Mormon reading this and you live in the States then please consider voting for Obama, and believe it or not you will still be considered a faithful Latter-day Saint and will not lose your salvation for voting for a Democrat!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
How confident are you about the future of the US?
This is from the Cafferty File on CNN:
http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2008/09/15/are-you-confident-about-the-future-of-the-us-economy/
The responses to the question "How confident are you about the future of the US?" are very interesting:
Cindy from North Carolina writes:
Jack, I am scared to death. I am so scared that my children will not have a real prosperous future. I am saving for college but will my children be able to get a job in the U.S.? I have my kids studying French and Spanish because I don’t know if my kids will be able to survive in the place were they were born and raised.
Beverly writes:
I will not be confident about the future of this country until after the election. I am so afraid that the racism that permeates this election will make people vote for McCain just to keep an African-American out. You news people seem to be afraid to say this out loud. I, as an African-American female, know the signs. As bad as this economy is, if a white man was running against McCain, it would be all over.
Kevin from Anchorage, Alaska writes:
If America is dumb enough to elect another “Conservative”, hands-off, no-regulation Republican who abuses the power of the Presidency, we’re screwed.
Mary from Maryland writes:
Americans are not as stupid as Washington seems to believe. Our economy is in grave danger putting the global economy in dire straits. We can thank the greedy, corrupt, got-to-have more corporate hogs and the politicians they lobby and buy.
Jane writes:
I have never been so frightened for myself, my family and my country. Bush just skates along and doesn’t seem to understand what he has done or caused, by his non-compliance with any of our rules or regulations. He is absurdly ignorant and has no conscience whatsoever.
And now to add my bit. I agree with the comments above. With the way America and the world is now, Americans would be absolutely stupid to vote in another Republican president!
http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2008/09/15/are-you-confident-about-the-future-of-the-us-economy/
The responses to the question "How confident are you about the future of the US?" are very interesting:
Cindy from North Carolina writes:
Jack, I am scared to death. I am so scared that my children will not have a real prosperous future. I am saving for college but will my children be able to get a job in the U.S.? I have my kids studying French and Spanish because I don’t know if my kids will be able to survive in the place were they were born and raised.
Beverly writes:
I will not be confident about the future of this country until after the election. I am so afraid that the racism that permeates this election will make people vote for McCain just to keep an African-American out. You news people seem to be afraid to say this out loud. I, as an African-American female, know the signs. As bad as this economy is, if a white man was running against McCain, it would be all over.
Kevin from Anchorage, Alaska writes:
If America is dumb enough to elect another “Conservative”, hands-off, no-regulation Republican who abuses the power of the Presidency, we’re screwed.
Mary from Maryland writes:
Americans are not as stupid as Washington seems to believe. Our economy is in grave danger putting the global economy in dire straits. We can thank the greedy, corrupt, got-to-have more corporate hogs and the politicians they lobby and buy.
Jane writes:
I have never been so frightened for myself, my family and my country. Bush just skates along and doesn’t seem to understand what he has done or caused, by his non-compliance with any of our rules or regulations. He is absurdly ignorant and has no conscience whatsoever.
And now to add my bit. I agree with the comments above. With the way America and the world is now, Americans would be absolutely stupid to vote in another Republican president!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
New Zealand's Got Talent!!
I hope you got to watch New Zealand’s Got Talent on Prime TV on Monday night. What an excellent show. At last a show where anyone can participate – any age, any act! (Not like that pathetic NZ Idol where it was only a certain age group and only singing). There were all sorts of acts on Monday night’s show – some good and some really terrible of course! You may have thought that they rushed through some of the acts and didn’t show enough of them, but don’t worry, we will see a lot more of the acts that got through to the next round, in fact if they go further we will see a LOT more of them! I really hope this will be a successful show and be on again next year, and the year after, etc.
For more info on NZ’s Got Talent check out:
http://www.nzsgottalent.co.nz/
http://www.myspace.com/nzsgottalent
And as for the other new show, the NZ version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire - who cares! It’s filmed in Australia with an Australian audience, and it’s hosted by Mike Hosking – was Jason Gunn busy that week?? And what about that guy last night who only won $8000. His last question about how many NZ Prime Ministers was there in the 1980s was easy! Where do they get those contestants from?
For more info on NZ’s Got Talent check out:
http://www.nzsgottalent.co.nz/
http://www.myspace.com/nzsgottalent
And as for the other new show, the NZ version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire - who cares! It’s filmed in Australia with an Australian audience, and it’s hosted by Mike Hosking – was Jason Gunn busy that week?? And what about that guy last night who only won $8000. His last question about how many NZ Prime Ministers was there in the 1980s was easy! Where do they get those contestants from?
Thursday, September 04, 2008
The DNC and the RNC
It’s convention time in the United States in the build up to the presidential election this November. First of all the Democratic National Convention was held last week in Colorado. What an amazing spectacle it was. I have never seen anything like it. The speeches were incredible – Michelle Obama, Ted Kennedy (who has recently had brain tumor surgery), Bill Clinton (Bubba), Hillary Clinton, Al Gore (who used to be the next president of the United States), Joe Biden, and of course the man himself Barrack Obama! (The messiah??). His speech was absolutely amazing – and then the fireworks! I thought we were back in Beijing again! If that speech doesn’t inspire the American people I don’t know what will:
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/08/28/dnc.main/index.html
Just one side thing I’ve noticed about the Democratic ticket. Let’s take “Obama – Biden”, and add a couple of letters in and you get “Osama Bin Laden”! Is this intentional, or just a coincidence? I thought it was quite interesting that I spotted this so I did a search on Google to see if any one else had spotted it, and guess who had spotted it. Yes, you’re right, Fox News (more about them later). Check this out:
http://buzzfeed.com/nickdouglas/fox-obama-biden-osama-bin-laden-coincidence-t
And now onto the Republican National Convention this week in Minnesota. It’s definitely not the spectacle that the DNC was last week. It may be because of Hurricane Gustav which turned out not to be “the mother of all storms” as was predicted. I saw Laura Bush and Cindy McCain speak on the first day of the convention and I thought I was watching a telethon for hurricane relief rather than a political convention! The hurricane hadn’t even struck at that stage! George “Dubya” Bush and Dick “Shotgun” Cheney decided not to show up at the RNC (which must have been a huge let down for the organizers). They instead decided to respond to Hurricane Gustav (I guess making up for their pathetic response to the much more severe Hurricane Katrina three years ago). At the convention they were saying "We are Americans first, Republicans second" - translation - "If you're not a Republican you're not an American".
The speakers at the RNC so far haven’t exactly been inspiring. Yesterday Joe Lieberman spoke – oh whoopee! He was the running mate for Al Gore in 2000 and now he’s a Republican! They also had Bush speaking by satellite from the White House – what, couldn’t he even bother to show up there? Today is Mitt Romney, so I think it will be good to watch “Mitt the Mormon” – I actually like him believe it or not. And then the long awaited talk from VP nominee Sarah Palin (who? – exactly!)
Guess what, I’m currently watching Fox News and they have a countdown timer to Palin’s speech this afternoon! Good grief! And they for real? Fox News has been really painful during the RNC. They are just praising the Republicans so much. “Fair and Balanced” – yeah right! And as for their contributor Karl Rove – probably the most evil man alive! I’m going to stick with Wolf Blitzer in The Situation Room in CNN. Oh, yesterday I saw a musical interlude during the RNC, and yes, you guessed it, country music! And I saw people in the crowd with cowboy hats – hell, how painful!!
Now onto this Sarah Palin, the VP nominee for the Republicans. Before McCain announced her on the weekend I had never heard of her at all. McCain has been talking about the lack of experience of Obama, but I’m sure Palin has far less experience (by just being governor of Alaska). This will either be a really good move for the Republican ticket or a disastrous move. She will attract those Democrats disgruntled with Hillary not being nominated, or the white men from the south won’t want a woman in the White House. For example:
“I’m voting for McCain”
“OK, why’s that? Because of his experience? Because he’s a war hero?”
“No, cause he’s white, and a man”
It was revealed this week that Palin’s daughter is pregnant and unmarried. I know that’s not a big thing in this day and age and we shouldn’t attack people’s families, but this has got to be a big thing for the Republicans, especially those “Christian Conservatives”. All I know is that Sarah Palin’s voice sounds like a chainsaw cutting through metal!
I was asked the other day why I was a Democrat being a Latter-day Saint. As everyone knows Utah is the most Republican state in the country (considering 58% of the state are LDS). Congressman Jim Matheson is actually a Democrat and LDS and from Utah (amazing but true!) I really agree with what he said in an article in Deseret News:
"As Mormon Democrats, we share a strong sense of duty to family and community."
(http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,600108572,00.html?pg=1)
Harry Reid is a well know Democrat as he is the Senate Majority Leader, and also LDS. I also agree with what he said in that same Deseret News article:
"I believe strongly that Democrats have many of the same issues at heart as do membership of the church… as a party, we believe it is our moral responsibility to care for the less fortunate and for one another."
The Democrats definitely do that, the Republicans don’t. It’s very hard for me to understand why so many Mormons are Republican (a party that favours war and guns!)
The previous president of the church, Gordon B Hinckley, was asked this once: "Given the platform and positions taken by the Democratic Party, can you be a good church member and a Democrat?"
He answered: “Yes, I think so. I don't know why you couldn't. It depends on what you believe as a Democrat in terms of some things. There are some things we don't subscribe to. We've got lots of Democrats in the church, lots of them, and they are good people. I don't worry about that too much.”
(http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976791034)
He's right you know. We don't always support ALL the policies of the political party we support.
So come November I’m putting my full support behind Obama and Biden. It’s what America needs – it’s what the world needs. If Americans vote in McCain as president then I’ll finally be convinced that America is full of idiots! (Let’s hope not…)
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/08/28/dnc.main/index.html
Just one side thing I’ve noticed about the Democratic ticket. Let’s take “Obama – Biden”, and add a couple of letters in and you get “Osama Bin Laden”! Is this intentional, or just a coincidence? I thought it was quite interesting that I spotted this so I did a search on Google to see if any one else had spotted it, and guess who had spotted it. Yes, you’re right, Fox News (more about them later). Check this out:
http://buzzfeed.com/nickdouglas/fox-obama-biden-osama-bin-laden-coincidence-t
And now onto the Republican National Convention this week in Minnesota. It’s definitely not the spectacle that the DNC was last week. It may be because of Hurricane Gustav which turned out not to be “the mother of all storms” as was predicted. I saw Laura Bush and Cindy McCain speak on the first day of the convention and I thought I was watching a telethon for hurricane relief rather than a political convention! The hurricane hadn’t even struck at that stage! George “Dubya” Bush and Dick “Shotgun” Cheney decided not to show up at the RNC (which must have been a huge let down for the organizers). They instead decided to respond to Hurricane Gustav (I guess making up for their pathetic response to the much more severe Hurricane Katrina three years ago). At the convention they were saying "We are Americans first, Republicans second" - translation - "If you're not a Republican you're not an American".
The speakers at the RNC so far haven’t exactly been inspiring. Yesterday Joe Lieberman spoke – oh whoopee! He was the running mate for Al Gore in 2000 and now he’s a Republican! They also had Bush speaking by satellite from the White House – what, couldn’t he even bother to show up there? Today is Mitt Romney, so I think it will be good to watch “Mitt the Mormon” – I actually like him believe it or not. And then the long awaited talk from VP nominee Sarah Palin (who? – exactly!)
Guess what, I’m currently watching Fox News and they have a countdown timer to Palin’s speech this afternoon! Good grief! And they for real? Fox News has been really painful during the RNC. They are just praising the Republicans so much. “Fair and Balanced” – yeah right! And as for their contributor Karl Rove – probably the most evil man alive! I’m going to stick with Wolf Blitzer in The Situation Room in CNN. Oh, yesterday I saw a musical interlude during the RNC, and yes, you guessed it, country music! And I saw people in the crowd with cowboy hats – hell, how painful!!
Now onto this Sarah Palin, the VP nominee for the Republicans. Before McCain announced her on the weekend I had never heard of her at all. McCain has been talking about the lack of experience of Obama, but I’m sure Palin has far less experience (by just being governor of Alaska). This will either be a really good move for the Republican ticket or a disastrous move. She will attract those Democrats disgruntled with Hillary not being nominated, or the white men from the south won’t want a woman in the White House. For example:
“I’m voting for McCain”
“OK, why’s that? Because of his experience? Because he’s a war hero?”
“No, cause he’s white, and a man”
It was revealed this week that Palin’s daughter is pregnant and unmarried. I know that’s not a big thing in this day and age and we shouldn’t attack people’s families, but this has got to be a big thing for the Republicans, especially those “Christian Conservatives”. All I know is that Sarah Palin’s voice sounds like a chainsaw cutting through metal!
I was asked the other day why I was a Democrat being a Latter-day Saint. As everyone knows Utah is the most Republican state in the country (considering 58% of the state are LDS). Congressman Jim Matheson is actually a Democrat and LDS and from Utah (amazing but true!) I really agree with what he said in an article in Deseret News:
"As Mormon Democrats, we share a strong sense of duty to family and community."
(http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,600108572,00.html?pg=1)
Harry Reid is a well know Democrat as he is the Senate Majority Leader, and also LDS. I also agree with what he said in that same Deseret News article:
"I believe strongly that Democrats have many of the same issues at heart as do membership of the church… as a party, we believe it is our moral responsibility to care for the less fortunate and for one another."
The Democrats definitely do that, the Republicans don’t. It’s very hard for me to understand why so many Mormons are Republican (a party that favours war and guns!)
The previous president of the church, Gordon B Hinckley, was asked this once: "Given the platform and positions taken by the Democratic Party, can you be a good church member and a Democrat?"
He answered: “Yes, I think so. I don't know why you couldn't. It depends on what you believe as a Democrat in terms of some things. There are some things we don't subscribe to. We've got lots of Democrats in the church, lots of them, and they are good people. I don't worry about that too much.”
(http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976791034)
He's right you know. We don't always support ALL the policies of the political party we support.
So come November I’m putting my full support behind Obama and Biden. It’s what America needs – it’s what the world needs. If Americans vote in McCain as president then I’ll finally be convinced that America is full of idiots! (Let’s hope not…)
Thursday, August 21, 2008
TVNZ stuffs up Olympic coverage yet again!
As we know state broadcaster TVNZ has the rights to cover the Olympic Games from Beijing this year. But so far their coverage has not been that terrific. They had yet another slip up of a very important moment last night:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/event/story.cfm?c_id=502&objectid=10528186
Tom Ashley, in the boardsailing, won New Zealand’s 3rd gold medal at these games. He won it just before 7pm last night, but of course that’s when TV One have to have their One News broadcast, followed up Close Up, hence no live coverage of a “golden” moment in New Zealand sporting history! In fact TV3 announced it before TV One did!! Campbell Live announced it just after 7pm. I bet TV3 are laughing their heads off right now about this! (Why did TV One need to continue to have its full One News and Close Up programmes during the Olympics?)
So why didn’t TV One show it live? Why didn’t they break away from their wonderful (I’m being sarcastic) One News? Oh hang on; TVNZ said they did screen it live - on their Freeview channel! How pathetic! Only about 5% of the country has Freeview (and by the way it’s not free – you need to pay a few hundred dollars to get it set up – that’s why I don’t have it). TVNZ promised four channels of Olympic coverage this year, which included one Freeview channel and two Internet channels (so only one channel really for most of New Zealanders – I haven’t even bothered checking out their Internet channels; even though I have broadband it’s no where near fast enough for this). TVNZ promised that all the important moments would be live on TV One. So far this has not been the case. This is our tax payers money at work people!
I’m just so glad Sky TV have the rights to Olympic coverage in 2012. They’re going to have 3 or 4 channels of live coverage!!
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/event/story.cfm?c_id=502&objectid=10528186
Tom Ashley, in the boardsailing, won New Zealand’s 3rd gold medal at these games. He won it just before 7pm last night, but of course that’s when TV One have to have their One News broadcast, followed up Close Up, hence no live coverage of a “golden” moment in New Zealand sporting history! In fact TV3 announced it before TV One did!! Campbell Live announced it just after 7pm. I bet TV3 are laughing their heads off right now about this! (Why did TV One need to continue to have its full One News and Close Up programmes during the Olympics?)
So why didn’t TV One show it live? Why didn’t they break away from their wonderful (I’m being sarcastic) One News? Oh hang on; TVNZ said they did screen it live - on their Freeview channel! How pathetic! Only about 5% of the country has Freeview (and by the way it’s not free – you need to pay a few hundred dollars to get it set up – that’s why I don’t have it). TVNZ promised four channels of Olympic coverage this year, which included one Freeview channel and two Internet channels (so only one channel really for most of New Zealanders – I haven’t even bothered checking out their Internet channels; even though I have broadband it’s no where near fast enough for this). TVNZ promised that all the important moments would be live on TV One. So far this has not been the case. This is our tax payers money at work people!
I’m just so glad Sky TV have the rights to Olympic coverage in 2012. They’re going to have 3 or 4 channels of live coverage!!
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