Internet Election, Bias Election

Since we’ve become so technologically advanced, it seems that a lot of focus us placed on advertising the candidates for our next upcoming election online. It seems that facebook and myspace jabs have replaced actually debates and town hall meetings. I get it, we need to cater to our youth, but we need to inspire our youth to care, not to make a decision based on popularity.

I praise both McCain and Obama for getting online, being on those mediums but how much relevant information can really be passed on through the internet? Things get skewed, misinformation runs rampant and mostly, you’ll get bashed horribly if someone doesn’t like you. There are two campaigns going on here, one that’s going on in the real world where people are willing to go hear these people speak and one online which is more of shitfest of one candidate going against each other, online you can pretend its anonymous and shift blame, you can call people names, call them out period and blame the intern who did it, the supporter who wrote the blog etc but to what end.

Palin’s family is too riske for someone that’s supposed to be conservative, she doesn’t help people that have special needs when she has a special needs child, her son is on drugs, she cheats on her husband. McCain cheated and left his wife for a hot(yeah…not really hot) but younger woman and moved on with his life, he reiterates over and over again that he was in the military and that he was a prisoner of war; his wife has too much money, they have too much houses.  Obama is black, inexperienced…did I mention black? Bi-racial, his pastor is a radical racist who is having an affair, his wife is too tough and calls him out during his speech, he’s too viral, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Biden, that guy? that’s who their choosing?

It’s all bullshit. People see what they want to, predjudices and bias exist only if we allow it to. There shouldn’t be Black, white, female, male, old or young questions. There should be questions about our social security, our health care system, our economic recession, the bringing our troops home, the over all value of our dollar, the price of gas still being high when the price per barrel is cheaper….we need to be asking questions about our future instead of bickering about the classifications of the people running.

I don’t care if their democratic or republican, if they can take us there, if they can help heal our country from the idiocy that has befallen it for the past 8 years.

Use the internet for good, explain your policies in detail, let us know why you would be better, how our country can be better and we’ll stand by you.

While my personal choice if Obama this election, I do not feel like I should be judged, belittled or called names for my personal decision. I feel the same way about any one else’s.

 

Anastasia R.

Sarah Palin’s No Call, No Show

Photo credit: AFP/Getty Images

Well the latest in Palin news is that she will not be on the talk show circuit like everyone else. So far she has not done any solo appearances nor is she attempting to put herself out there like McCain has, I think the Republican party surmised that if she is kept hush hush then maybe those in the know would forget about the whirlwind that is Palin-gate.

First Oprah came out and said that she would not have Palin on the show, stating that she would not help platform her in any way shape of form (we all know about the oprah cult) but based on everything going on, she would love to interview her after the election. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/sep/07/uselections2008.sarahpalin1

Then, everyone notices that she’s no where to be found at all unless she’s very close to the bosom of McCain. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/09/sarah-palin-w-1.html

Repubs are scared that she would be torn to shreds by people who know what they’ve been trying to supress about her, I dare her to get on a reputable show, no BS, no drama and talk and be interviews, not with questions her party asked them to ask but with questions the world wants to know the answers to.

 

 

Anastasia R

Gaming: A study on its effect on culture

Since I’ve been playing Halo (3, going on 4 years) I’ve been plagued by a lot of issues namely from non gamers who really believe, deep down in their hearts that video games have contributed to violent outbursts in children/young adults.

Now. I’m not saying that video games haven’t upped the exposure of violence but like with movies and music, games do come with a rating. If your child is under 18 and playing a rated M (Rated M for Mature), then it’s not the fault of the Game Makers and they should not be held accountable when your underage child plays a video game and acts out (Children sometimes can not tell the difference between real and fantasy and the lives maybe blurred), what I’m trying to say is check yourself.

Example 1. If you child drinks underage, gets drunk and gets alcohol poisoning, would you sue the beer company? Example 2. If your child sneaks and gets into a movie that features cursing and your child starts cursing, do you sue the makers of the movie? Same logic applies here.

I’m tired of the blame game. The latest strand of idiocy arises from this article: http://www.wdtimes.com/articles/2008/09/05/news/news3.txt. There’s a couple of things wrong with this article and I’d be delighted to point them out.

1. An 11 year old boy decided to skip school and there was no one to do anything about it.

2. He owned a .22 calibre rifle

3. He plays halo, a game that’s rated M17 which means for mature audiences, recommended for ages 17 and up.

4. He owned a gun, but was not taught how to properly use a gun. He took the magazine out but did not eject the round that was already in the chamber.

I can not believe that journalists and even the parents are even encouraging and goading the media and the community at large by stating that he skipped school to play halo and was continuously playing halo. Uh, the parents shouldn’t have allowed the game and should have paid a bit more attention to the gun they had lying around in the house. The kid could have been trying to recreate what he saw with his parents while they were casually shooting around.

I’m tired of people using video games, music, movies and everything but themselves as an excuse for why they are not good and attentive parents. I’m not saying that my mom knew everything I did, but if it was something as intense as playing a video game, she made damn sure she did her research, she would have spent an afternoon at the gaming store finding out everything about the thing before it even set foot in the house and it would have never set foot in the house since I was underage anyways.

We need better parents, more initiative and to follow the ratings. Stop scapegoating! I’m sorry that your son passed away, but don’t play the blame game.

I am, going to play some halo tonight. Anyone getting on Live?

P.S. for entertainment purposes only: http://www.break.com/index/blame-halo-3.html

 

Anastasia R, gamer girl

Palin can not use Barracuda

So, a few news sites are reporting that Sony BMG and Universal Music Publishing sent a cease and desist letter to the Republican party asking them to stop using “Barracuda”, The band Heart’s 1977 hit song. While it may have fit in with Palin’s high school nick name and the reputation she is attempting to create for herself (pit bull with lipstick on) it seems that Heart is not comfortable with her using that song to try to create that illusion of herself.

It’s crazy to me that an older band like Heart would forgo any type of recognition with today’s “youth” and yesteryear’s fans by asking them to stop using their music. Fancy a rock band standing up for themselves.

In a quote from the two female members of the band as reported by Entertainment Weekly

Sarah Palin’s views and values in NO WAY represent us as American women. We ask that our song ‘Barracuda’ no longer be used to promote her image. The song ‘Barracuda’ was written in the late 70s as a scathing rant against the soulless, corporate nature of the music business, particularly for women. (The ‘barracuda’ represented the business.) While Heart did not and would not authorize the use of their song at the RNC, there’s irony in Republican strategists’ choice to make use of it there.

Hilarious.

Sarah Palin’s Party Animal

I hate to spread a negative image of this mother’s of two…but her Mother is in the spotlight and well, they should have tried to get these things under control. If it was Obama’s daughters (if they were older) it would have been all over the news from day one. Going to parties and hanging out with friends is no problem, but drinking underage and lewd conduct while you have two kids (well, now) is a bit over the top especially given the spotlight that your Mom is thrown into.

I’m starting to feel bad that this is coming to light, surely a few pictures and a few reports doesn’t make you  party animal and a bad seed but constant talk does make one wonder.