Thursday, December 27, 2007

Vote Reep


Wednesday, December 26, 2007

This Year, Aim Low!



The subtext of every one of my New Year's Resolutions is "low standards."

I remember the great George Jefferson, portrayed by the man who made the role famous, the great Sherman Helmsley.

Middle-aged and a successful business owner, George found a list of goals that he had written as a kid. All things he wanted to accomplish by the time he was like forty. I think he was about to turn like forty or something. One of the items on the list was to be able to bench press his own weight.

After struggling, feeling inadequate, turning his inadequacy into anger projected at his maid, Florence, who humorously stuffed his anger right back in his grits, George decided that he weighed ninety-eight pound when he wrote that list.

He could easily bench press ninety-eight pounds. And he did it!

That's what I'm talking about: Low standards.

Do more or do less. Just do it in a way that your results meet you expectations. Occasionally make your standards so low--like "waking up"-- that you can't help but impress yourself.

Let me make this personal, for the ladies.

My New Year's Resolution this year is not to cook more or to be a Vegetarian.

My New Year's Resolution is to buy one Vegetarian cookbook. Bam. Easy.

Take it easy this year, everyone. The world will probably end in 2012, anyway.

Monday, December 24, 2007

This Jew’s First (and Only) Christmas

I don’t think Christians have any idea of what it is like to be a Jew as Christmas approaches.It is like being single on Valentine’s Day. Actually, it’s like being dumped on Valentine’s Day and then finding out that nearly everything is closed so that people can go home to screw all night.

read more | digg story

Sunday, December 23, 2007

The New Music Industry for Dummies and Smarties Too

Someone who has see it all, David Byrne of Talking Heads explains how to survive making music in the new millennium.

read more | digg story

Why did Albert Einstein hate freedom?

A new book reveals the 22-year effort by FBI director J Edgar Hoover to get Albert Einstein arrested as a political subversive or even a Soviet spy.

I like to think Hoover couldn't stand old Al's rampant heterosexuality.

read more | digg story

Friday, December 21, 2007

I endorse Hillary!

But I'd be very happy with Obama or any of the Dems in this order.

1. Hillary
2. Obama
3. Biden
4. Richardson
5. Dodd
6. Kucinich
7. Edwards
8. Gravel

Saturday, December 15, 2007

A Solution to the California Budget "Crisis"

Though some feel that California's budget crisis was bound to happen, I think this could be the perfect opportunity to take back California.

Instead of rampant budget cuts, I think this is our chance to both get universal health care and address the continuing civil rights crisis that is our educational system.

Here's the solution I'd suggest:
We as Californians agree to a 1/4 percent sales increase in exchange for a 1/4 percent income tax increase for our wealthiest corporations, like Google, and individuals, like Google employees.

We could then engage on an active program to become a national leader in health care and education to go along with our forward thinking in researching embryonic stem cells and fighting the climate crisis.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

It Was In His Nature Not To Call Me Beautiful On My Birthday

Placebo was the drug that made everything normal. That’s what people had been saying for decades, and scientists and journalists and housewives had spent all that time trying to figure out what it did to make everyone so OK. They could only agree on what normal was—a general willingness and ability to work and love in an unobtrusive way.

read more | digg story

Saturday, December 08, 2007

I just figured it out


Hanukkah is a Jewish conspiracy to make us look less cheap. 8 crazy nights of gifts, bitch!

Jews are so smart.

Happy Chanukahs!

Thursday, December 06, 2007

Biography for 
Jason “Former Child Star” Sattler

Date of Birth
7 August 1982, Lochinvar, New South Wales, Australia

Height
5' 8" (1.73 m)

Mini Biography
Jason Sattler grew up on her parents 170 acre farm in the Hunter Valley town of Lochinvar with her 3 brothers and younger sister. Jason started modeling at age 13 because she was "bored". Her first acting job was at age 15 on the Australian Broadcasting Commission series "Children's Hospital" (1997) playing a quadriplegic.
IMDb Mini Biography By: mirrabooka2004@yahoo.com.au

Trivia
Learnt to drive at the age of 12.
Has been a vegetarian since the age of 13.
Plays piano and guitar.
Her parents split up when she was 16 years old.
Has trekked across Morocco, Brazil, Italy and France.
Favorite actresses are Cate Blanchett and Samantha Morton.
Was considered for the role of Briony - 18 years old for Atonement (2007), but bailed out due to scheduling conflicts with Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007).
Good friends with Rose Byrne.
Ranked #80 on Maxim's Hot list 2007.
Served as a judge at the The Reel Deal Short Film Festival on August 11, 2007 at the Revesby Workers' Club in Sydney, Australia.
After reaching the final of a competition by "Dolly" magazine, she worked as a model for a while.
Born as second of five children, she has three brothers and a sister.
Served as judge of the Myer Fashions on the Field event at the 2007 Melbourne Cup.


Personal Quotes
"The hardest part is getting your clothes off at first in front of the people who haven't seen you naked before. The first time you get nude in front of someone, it's hard, and then it's, 'Well, you've seen everything now; it's OK, we can shoot the rest of the day'."
"I like doing my own hair and make-up because it's me."
"I think as a child you know when it's time for your parents to split. You realize they love each other, but they're not in love with each other. And I think as a child it's much better for your parents to split than for them to stay and have dysfunction within the family."
"Whenever I am acting, it's everything, you know. If I'm researching a role, I'm completely consumed in that and, between action and cut, I live in this suspended time. It's a really amazing experience and the only other thing I get it from is music."

How to Succeed on the ACT Essay Section

You get 30 minutes to write your essay for the ACT. This should be the perfect amount time to allow you to brainstorm for 4-5 minutes. You will then crank out a 5-paragraph essay in 25 minutes.

Here’s what a prompt will look like:

Educators debate extending high school to five years because of increasing demands on students from employers and colleges to participate in extracurricular activities and community service in addition to having high grades. Some educators support extending high school to five years because they think students need more time to achieve all that is expected of them. Other educators do not support extending high school to five years because they think students would lose interest in school and attendance would drop in the fifth year. In your opinion, should high school be extended to five years?

In your essay, take a position on this question. You may write about either one of the two points of view given, or you may present a different point of view on this question. Use specific reasons and examples to support your position.

The beginning of that top paragraph is like what the SAT has in the box in its prompt, a discussion of the issue. The last line is the key. That’s what you have to answer.

Here’s what your first paragraph needs:
1. Although__________ - Give a concession to the other side.
If anyone surveyed the Class of 2009, of which I’m a member, and asked, “Would you like to spend an extra year in high school?” I think the pollster would get a unanimous answer of NO! No kid wants to admit they need more schooling or seasoning before they go out into the “real world.”
2. Your thesis or answer to the prompt.
However, since technology and the media are advancing so rapidly in the twenty-first century, students now need a year of extra schooling in an area they that interests them.
3. Lay out your reasons/examples.
By giving students a chance to focus and train in the field that most interests them, they will become more interested, competent and patient. These qualities will make them better workers and citizens in general. (Each of these concepts in bold will become body paragraphs.)


Each body paragraph should:
1. Have a topic sentence that connects back to your thesis.
If students were able to pick a “major” for their last year of high school, they would become increasingly interested in school.
2. Show with evidence— a fact, story or quote.
My best friend Kyle nearly dropped out of school in the ninth grade. Kyle wasn’t lazy or disruptive. He was bored. He was already in Trigonometry…. (Go on to tell the story of how his math teacher sensed his disinterest and taught him computer programming.)
3. Explain with commentary—This shows that… or This is important because… Think those beginnings but don’t write them.
Once Kyle’s Math teacher started letting him work on computer programming, he became one of the most active and involved students on campus. If Kyle had left, he would have never taught five other kids how to program in C++. (And go on explaining why the evidence is important.)
4. Transition sentence
Once students are inspired, they will be able to more fully develop their skills.


The conclusion does matter on the ACT, so definitely write at least a line or two.
You may want to include:
1. One or two sentences that tie all the reasons/examples together with your thesis.
If Students get excited about what they are learning while developing the skills and maturity to perform in the workplace or in college, an extra year of high school is well worth it. This idea will also help schools look at students as individuals.
2. One sentence that connects your ideas to a larger issue.
By asking a year more from students and then giving them skills that will benefit them their entire life, high school will give every individual student a better chance of succeeding and improving our entire society.

Monday, December 03, 2007

For Everyone Who Has Ever Been Tricked By a Amway Distributor

Reminds me of the girl I had a crush on throughout middle school. I ran into her again when we were 21. She invited me over for dinner, flattered me for fifteen minutes then asked me, "So, you must be great at door-to-door sales?"

read more | digg story

Three Personality Types of Highly Unsuccessful Indigent People

1. The Meth Addict
He or she loves meth, would do meth all the time if they could. Favorite McDonald’s food: Filet O Fish. Favorite sexual position: In the shower making someone gag. Most Annoying Open Scab: Hard to pick.

2. The Tired Guy
Loves meats. Hates vegetables. Decent at X-box.

3. The kids with no dads.
Hooker or Pimp, every one is looking for a family.

Saturday, December 01, 2007

Giuliani's Nosedive is Great News for Democrats



For the first time, it really seems like Mike Huckabee could win the Republican Nomination.

Huckabee is the only GOP candidate with any nuance on the complicated immigration issue that could turn the GOP into the national party of Pete Wilson.

I like Huckabee a lot. I just wish he didn't buy into the pro-life/pro-death penalty dichotomy that makes every Conservative look inauthentic.

I also think Mitt Romney is the John Edwards of the Republican party. Too pretty. A little too good to not appear condescending.

So, the good news is that Huckabee and Clinton would be the most progressive race in decades. Huckabee is a progressive when it comes to civic responsibility and pride in government. He'll also be able to battle Hillary without looking like a cad, too.

But, right now I don't think he can beat Clinton.

You can’t overlook the importance of the running mates. Two pro-life men running against Hillary and Wesley Clark, who I predict will be her running mate, will have a hard time winning more than 30-38% of the female vote.

I think we can’t overlook the importance of a running mate.

Right now, the ticket I think would have the best shot against Clinton/Clark is Giuliani/Huckabee. They could get more than that 30-38% of females and have a chance.

But I also think the biggest story right now is that we’re in the middle of major Giulani nosedive. I wouldn’t be surprised if Rudy weren’t looking for a way out of this race that will save face. I’m not saying that’s what he did in 2000. But I think he knew he was smart not to not go against Clinton while he wasn’t 100%, something the Edwards family hasn’t ceded.