The Cosmopolitan Blog

In a recent post, I promised that I would try to be fair, and not be the typical opinionated blogger. If i can post about McCain, then i can post about Obama, yes? I’ve spent enough posts expressing my dislike for the former, so here’s me acknowledging the faults of the latter. So you have serious issues with Barack Obama? OK, let’s address them.

Issue 1: Bill Ayers.

1. CLAIM: Supposedly, Obama and Ayers are friends. Ayers is the guy who bombed a bunch of public buildings, so is guilty of national terrorism. Therefore, since 1+1=3, Obama is also a terrorist.
2. FACTS:
   • Obama met Ayers at a general meeting on school reforms for their neighborhood.
   • Then, some years later, Ayers hosted a “coffee” meeting in the neighborhood for Obama’s democratic race kickoff.
3. CONCLUSIONS:
   • Does this mean that Obama and Ayers know each other casually? YES… and we all know that a politician controls every person he meets casually
   • Was it dishonest for Barack to spin it as “he’s just someone in the neighborhood”? YES
   • Is it a good excuse to say that Obama was only 10 when Ayers bombed The Pentagon? NO, I too believe that once a terrorist, always a terrorist, and I definitely think that someone who blew up anything is a national terrorist.
   • Does this mean that Obama and Ayers stay up nights discussing Ayers’ proudest moment when he blew up the Pentagon? NO
   • Does this automatically make Obama a terrorist? NO, this is simply a political tactic called “guilt by association”

COSMOCHICK’S RANT:

Guilt by association is simply a political tactic, believe me my Republican friends, I’m really not trying to con you when i say this. Does McCain believe that Obama is a terrorist? NO, of course not. He simply wants the general public to hear the soudbite (Barack, Ayers, terrorist), because he KNOWS that it’s all it takes for the general public to then blow it out of proportion and run leaps and bounds with it. Especially when you put it in the mind of you’re average Middle American who then combines it with another soundbite he’s heard (Barack, Hussein, Muslim), and now he becomes a Muslim terrorist.
See how easy this is? Oh, and just in case you’re a tad smarter than the average Joe-6-pack and you don’t believe that this makes Obama a terrorist, then for you smart person, all McCain wants to do is put doubt in your mind as to Obama’s honesty and transparency throughout his campaign.
I’ll say it again, guilt by association is a VERY dicy game to play. You want to take all those skeletons and bring them out of their closets? Really?? REALLY?? Seriously, please think long and hard about this before answering. If you want to bring the skeletons out of Barack’s closet, and there will be some, maybe even lots, then let’s take a look at McCain’s closet too, yes? And then it’s just a questions of who’s list is longer, that’s all, no one comes out pretty in this one.

Next Issue: ACORN.

Ok, i’m no financial expert. Seriously. I fell asleep in finance class in college. BUT i will say this. I have stocks and i understand enough to sort of kind of know what i’m doing. And, like the rest of the investors in the world, it’s REALLY scary to see the stocks plumet. I actually have stocks (small numbers, no need to try and figure out how to rob me, you’d be disappointed) in 2 different markets, the DOW and the Tokyo Stock Exchange. And trust me, seriously, you need some serious stomach to watch your stock price plumet. One of my stocks has reached 1/2 the price i bought it at, the other is so close to 0 it makes you want to puke. And these are not volatile companies, any more solid and they’d be government stocks (haha, i see the irony in this now…).

But if you’re smart, and if you’re in your mid-30s like me (the age part, not the smart part), you technically don’t have to worry. You hold on tight and ride it through, it’s a fact, there’s peaks and valleys in finance, and you just wait it out. Just as sure as they fell, they will rise again. And you know what, i have time, i’m not a trader, i can hold on to these stocks for a long time, i know i made a wise choice, and i KNOW they will bounce back. (no it’s not faith, it’s ecconomics, that’s the class i WAS awake for, lol).

But you know what scares me? It’s those people who are maybe 1-2 years away from retirement. This money was supposed to be part of their financial livelyhood. And now, while they can stick it out for a little while, no one can say HOW LONG it will take for the stocks just to get back to what they were, let alone make you money again! And that’s horrible. I can imagine the millions of smart wise investors, who spent their whole life educating themselves, finding strong solid ways to invest in their family’s future, and UGH, now this.

For those who can afford to wait, I promise you, we’ll be ok, just hang in there. For those who were counting on this money today or tomorrow, I am so very sorry, this is bad, it’s very bad. Hang in there. I pray for you.

…On a lighter note, Ali Velshi of CNN said it’s ok, it’s gonna get better from here, and he had proof of this… and you know that if Ali Velshi says it, then it’s gotta be true!

There was a time when the world’s favorite cliché of Americans was those funny Jay Leno-style interviews where he’d walk around the streets interviewing average americans, and 1/2 of them wouldn’t know the answers to basic questions such as “Where is Canada”, “Give me the name of a country beginning with ‘u’”… Then, well, the myth was broken when others starting posting YouTube videos showing that there were stupid people everywhere, not just in the US.

But now, the new cliché is a scarier side of the supposed ignorance in Middle America. It’s that somewhere, in the middle of the country, those who stay away from mainstream TV, those white, middle aged men and women listen and believe every rumor and negative rhetoric that comes their way. I’m talking about the negative rumors on Barak Obama. Those who won’t vote for him because he’s black. Those who believe that because his middle name is Hussein, it automatically means that he’s Muslim, and therefore that he’s in bed with terrorists (cuz we know that every Muslim is by default, a terrorist).

The problem is this: they hear soundbites of negative rhetoric, and then, in their heads, they magnify it. They can’t see, for example, that Barak’s association with Fannie May is no more disproportionate than McCain’s. The are not people who base themselves on facts. Really, they don’t. I’m not saying that if they did, McCain would suddenly appear evil. No, no, i’m sure they would still support McCain, and they should, if that’s what they believe in. But read, research, find out the truth. Don’t believe a website, just because it claims to know more about Barak Obama than even the government.

I’ll stop. A picture is worth a thousand words. A video is worth, well, a lot more. So judge for yourself. This is how we see you, America.

Oh, yeah, McCain’s halted campaign really was a heroic move!

• Wed: big announcement, campaign on hold “until we agree on a bailout plan”, oh, and let’s cancel the debate…
• Thurs: McCain is in DC, not in the bailout plan committee, nor bringing any useful info to the meeting with Bush
• Fri: still no bailout plan, but McCain’s campaign back on, and debate back on too…

If this isn’t proof of how erratic this man is, then I don’t know what it. Just like Sarah Palin as choice of VP, he had met her ONCE before.

On a separate note: did you know that a Senator who’s been in a lengthy stay in hospital due to a brain hemorrhage, has still managed to put in more Senate votes than McCain???? Ok, granted, Obama is no3 on the most missed Senate votes after McCain and brain-hemorrhage-guy, but still… Anyway, thanks to Stonecipher for the info!

Yeah, yeah, i know, i said i’d stop ranting about McCain. I will. In fact, I want to address Obama’s faults too, and I will, in my next post. In fact, one of the comments on Stonecipher’s post states that everything us pro-Obama folk say is always assuming “…Guilty until proven innocent. If that’s the attitude you want to take towards politicians, fine, so long as you bring the same skepticism to bear on both candidates.”… totally agreed.

McCain’s main slogan is “Country First”. Ok, can you then explain to me why, a man who puts his country first, would offer his country someone like Sarah Palin as an alternative to him, should he pass away?

Seriously, Palin? That’s the best he found?

1. Foreign Relations Experience: she sees Russia from her window, and she got her first passport sometime last year so she could visit Kuwait (ah, yes, most important that we visit our buddies in the Middle East that have those oil we so depend on).
2. Economy Experience: she thinks that the point of the bailout package is to encourage health reforms… oh, and she ACTUALLY approved the road to nowhere (the one that was supposed to lead to the bridge of the same name) for $223 million in federal funding: this road, ladies and gentlemen, is actually 3 miles of road, with no stops in the middle, and that leads you to a dead end!!
3. General Experience: none, in fact, McCain has no faith in her abilities whatsoever, he won’t let her speak to the press (why? because they were so mean to her the first time around, boo-hoo!), he won’t let the press hear what she says in her 7-minutes with each world leader a few days back (in a few minutes, you’ve hardly gotten past “how old are your children” with Karzai or “waow, you’re so gorgeous i could hug you” with Zardari of Pakistan).

Oh, and way to go, McCain, did you really think she was gonna get you the woman vote? She’s the one who doesn’t even think that an abortion is justified EVEN in cases of rape or incest. Even McCain thinks it’s justified in those cases!

Don’t kid yourself, people, this man is erratic and makes decisions on the fly: Sarah Palin was one of those decisions, just like the decision to stop his campaign so he could “heroically” work on the bailout plan. Did i mention he’s not even ON the committee that’s working on it? All he’s doing is using his Washington connections to push Republicans into approving the plan… Hearing the news this morning, it’s not been very successful though.

This is a joke. Wake up people!! This is, I hope my last rant on McCain. From now on, all my energy (thought, writing) will be put into supporting Obama.

ok, so we all know that not an ounce of truth exists in the political and election process. Everything we hear should be taken with a pinch of salt, speeches embellish the truth, advertisements tell downright lies, and everyone spins everything.

But, when we, the common folk, hear the truth from our own ears, then don’t insult us by telling us something different. Here’s what i’m outraged about this week: a few days ago, a reporter asked McCain how many houses he had. McCain DIDN’T hesistate, DIDN’T “um” and “ah”, and just replied “well, i’ll have my staff get back to you”. Does that mean that he doesn’t know how many houses he has? NO! For the love of all that’s holy, don’t make the man more senile than he probably already is! He said that because he was trying to give a safe answer. He KNOWS how many different houses he owns that he spends time living / vacationing in, he’s not that stupid (insert funny joke about current US president here).

No, but seriously. He answered that because he probably also has a few investment properties, and didn’t want to be accused of lying if he didn’t give an accurate figure. Imagine the scandal if he had only counted the x number of houses he actually lived in and omitted the investments, the Dems would have had a field day saying he was trying to hide something.

So stop calling McCain “the person who can’t even remember how many houses he has”. Every major network has called him that this week. HE KNOWS, LET IT GO ALREADY. This is the type of silliness i expect from the late night shows, this is the type of lies that i expect from advertising from the opposing party. This is NOT the type of statements i want from my major news sources. I heard what McCain said, so do interpret it for me.

Do i think McCain should be president? No. Do i think he might, on occasion, be forgetful? Yes. But i also think he gives us plenty of material for criticism, so can we please leave the man alone when he didn’t, for once, do anything wrong?

Well, what a morning! I’m preparing breakfast and watching CNN as i do most Saturdays, and it’s just 1 bad breaking news after another: an American tourist is killed in Beijing, a bus-load of kids is killed in Texas, the Russians have invaded neighboring Georgia, Bernie Mac dies at 50 (totally didn’t see that one coming!) and John Edwards confesses to having an affair based on an investigation from the National Enquirer!

Um, hold up, can we spend some time on that last one please? The National Enquirer????? Since when do celebrities confess to something uncovered in the worst of the worst gossip rags? lol, ok, i’m over that one now.

I have to say though, I am SO tired of us getting shocked and exhasperated everytime it turns out that a politician has had an affair. You’d think after the 3rd one, we’d get bored, wouldn’t you? I mean, seriously, we got the mother-load with Bill Clinton, you’d think anyone after that was just inconsequential, no? Why does this stuff still make the headlines at the same level as a bus-load of kids killed in a bus crash?

Ok, look, i work in marketing, and one of the things you do in marketing is identify trends. And i think it’s safe to say, that, over the years, the trend seems to be that politicians are just like the rest of us, ALL OF THEM. Why do we we think that, just because they’ve chosen to be our representatives in government, they will be exempt from such temptations?

And i know many disagree with this, but, ok, so the man was having marital issues and strayed. Does this now annul everything he’s done in his political career? Hearing the anchors this morning, this will RUIN his career. Why? I mean, it’s our own fault if we thought he was THAT saintly that he was above human temptation, because then we’re only gonna hurt ourselves when we find out he isn’t.

And you know what, i’d much rather know that he’s human, because then i can relate to him a lot better. And if his vice is cheating on his wife, that makes him a normal red-blooded male, who, it’s good to know, is interested in women, which beats the alternative of us finding out he’s molested a child or raped a teenager, yes?

So let’s get some perspective here, people. John Edwards is still the same John Edwards some of you supported all these years and hoped would make the White House. He’s the same man, with the same dedication to his country. But, for reasons that we will never know, his marriage was going through troubles and he screwed up. It happens. Don’t read into it, this doesn’t allow you to predict whether or not he’d screw up in his career, we don’t know that, he could very well screw up in his career without having an affair.

UGH, this is a very frustrating morning, maybe i’ll just go back to bed. And, um, seriously? Bernie Mac passed away?? Now that’s sucky, he was so funny!!!

“There are 6 billion of us, we all come from unique places with unique ways of looking at the world, we don’t always agree, but for a few shining weeks we set it all aside, we come together to stand and cheer and celebrate as one. We forget all the things that make us different and remember all the things that make us the same.”
~ Visa Commercial, Morgan Freeman’s voice

So China is hosting the Summer Olympics and this is hugely controversial. Why? Because they have violated human rights, because of the torture of the Tibetan people, because of their history of repressiveness, because of their continued disregard for environmental issues? But the choice was made, and China was awarded the hosting contract anyway. Shouldn’t the discussion have stopped there?

But the controversy grew hotter. So, just because the host country is a so-called despicable member of this planet, then the world’s best athletes should not be allowed to accomplish their dream and take part in the biggest sporting event in the world? People are against the event, because they believe that focusing on China, means focusing on its wrongs and takes away from the spirit of the Olympics. But doesn’t considering boycotting the event send out exactly the same message?

Then later, we spent time focusing on which countries’ leaders would or would not show up, and we criticized them if they did (Harper, Canada) and we criticized them if they didn’t (Bush, USA).

So now, here we are, and Beijing just put on a spectacular opening ceremony, the magnitude of which can’t be described by any superlative i know, and it seems like most athletes showed up (even though there are a few sad stories like the Sudanese athlete who’s visa was revoked days before the start of the Olympics), and yet somehow, people just can’t seem to let it go.

So i’d like to offer some perspective.
A. We protest that China shouldn’t host the Olympics, but then neither should the US, since both countries are guilty of stripping civilians’ liberties (think Patriot Act and Guantanamo), polluting the world, and invading countries uninvited (think Iraq, Vietnam…)

B. We protest because Communist China keeps their population in poverty, but do they, really? I mean think about where China was 100 years ago! They have progressed by leaps and bounds. This is a country of over 1 billion souls for goodness’ sake, and moving a country like that into the modern era WILL have it challenges. They have a huge way to go, agreed. But think about it. This is the first generation that has 100% access to the outside world, from financial means to travel to information sharing on the Internet. This is the generation that will demand China progress into the 21st century, they will know what their rights are, they will see what the rest of the world is doing and demand that as their baseline, and then change and progress will come from the bottom up.

C. We protest because China is trying, with these Olympics, to dazzle us and make us forget their crimes and their history. Um, but isn’t that the point of hosting the Olympics? You’re given a noble challenge and a chance to show your country off in a new light and highlight what it’s capable of. You give a huge boost to your economy and tourism, improve infrastructure, create jobs, and put a spotlight on yourself, for the good and the bad, forcing yourself to play on the world stage. Ok, so the investments probably mainly benefited Beijing, while we heard reports of water being routed away from farms towards the cities. But this only happened in China? You don’t think that the leaders of every host country has made decisions that weren’t for the benefit of the general population?

Bottom line: the Olympics were created as a way to bypass politics, to bring together the best athletes in the world, to give the common person a dream and a goal to reach to become to best in their field, irrespective of beliefs, religion, wars and their government’s opinions. So be critical of China, sure. But be equally critical of every other country, and realize that boycotting the event or banning a country from attending will never bother the country’s leaders but will most definitely shatter the dreams of courageous souls who have put it all on the line for their dream.

Hey, you knew a rant on this blog was a long time coming… i haven’t posted anything of substance for a month now, and now i rambled on a bit. So sue me!

What makes large tragedies tragic are the personal stories behind them. On 9/11, i remember being glued to the television in Boston, watching these images all day, and never really being able take it in. It wasn’t until a few days later, that i heard the story of the small company (20 or so) in one of the towers. I work in a 20-something person company, so i know how quickly a place like this becomes like your family. The company owner had gone golfing that morning. Everyone else had gone to work. He was saved. They weren’t. In one moment, he had lost his entire family. There are no words for a story like this. It’s only when i heard that story that the pain became real and i balled uncontrollably for a long time.

Today i was watching a documentary called “at the moment of impact” about one of the worst plane crashes in Montreal in 1963, killing 118 people. At the start, we’re told the story of the “Murray Hill Limousine Service” of Montreal, who prides itself for always getting their passengers to the airport on time. That day, drivers remembered it for the worst traffic jam throughout downtown Montreal had ever known. One of the drivers was carrying a coach of 18 people to catch the 6.30pm plane to Toronto, and he used all his skill to get the passengers to the airport on time. He even used the incoming traffic lanes when he could. He got them to the airport at 6.10. The airline, hearing that 18 people had made it, agreed to keep the gate open. The driver of the limo was so happy, partly because of the generous tips his 18 passengers had given him in recognition for his efforts. 23 minutes later, all his passengers were dead.

The story of the CEO in New York, the story of the Murray Hill limo driver. These are real personal tragedies that happen everyday, and that we rarely hear about. A pain that cannot be described in words. It makes you grateful for everything you have. Every morning, when i wake up, i spend time thinking of the things i’m grateful for, i try to find something unique everyday. On days where i can’t, these are the kind of personal stories that help me remember.

This is very cool. I should have blogged about this ages ago. Basically, this website: Giveaway of the Day, every day, advertises a new software, and for exactly 24 hours, you can download it for free. No strings attached. No trial period. No adware or spyware. Honest to goodness free software. And yes, it’s a 100% legal. My best advise is subscribe to the RSS feed. That way, every day, you’re told what the software of the day is. If you’re interested, you go to the website and download it. If you’re not, you don’t do anything.

They encourage word of mouth, so here’s me doing my part. Because the more people come and download the free software, the more companies will be willing to do this for the free exposure, right? I mean the thinking is, if i like a publisher’s software, i might now know his name, and even though i got his first product free, i might return to him for my future needs. Waow, a situation were everyone’s happy, how great is this?

Check it out, seriously: http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/
This is the link to the RSS feed: http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/feed/

…If you’re wondering why i put it in “The ‘isms’ I believe in” category of the blog, it’s because, in this case, the ‘ism’ I believe in is free-ism