Recently McCain anounced his choice for a running mate: Sarah Palin. I obviously don't know her and until now hadn't even heard of her. I'm sure I'm not alone in this though, even among Americans who will actually be asked to elect her.
Personally, and I know this matters nothing, but I think she was a mistake. One of McCain's supposed strengths is that he doesn't play the political game, yet that is exactly what this is. The sad thing is that the Reps don't have any women in the party prominent enough to nominate over this relative political neophyte.
So not only is McCain playing at politics with the selection, he cut off at the knees his main attack on Obama; his lack of experience. McCain, if elected, will be the oldest person ever elected president. One heart beat from the big chair is a person with zero national political or foreign policy experience. At least Obama has a couple of years in Washington under his belt.
This will be hammered home time and time again and rightfully so. McCain is a heart attack waiting to happen and putting this woman in position to run the country is foolish and again goes against what McCain argues he is about. He says that he wants to change the mentality of 'me first and country second' but in making this selection has done exactly that. By pandering to female voters (any of whom vote for McCain simply because he chose a female VP candidate is a moron) he has put himself and his political aspirations ahead of the well being of the country.
McCain, should have done what he argues that he does; put country first. If that meant picking Romney, then pick him and stand your ground on the principle of doing what is best for the country, taking the high road and not pandering and playing the political game.
But, nope, McCain in one action has proven that much of what he has been saying for many years is little more than hot air.
Foolish, foolish choice.
***
On a completely different note, I was wondering:
If you are offered only a penny for your thoughts, why is that we give our two cents worth?
Just curious.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
South of the ...?
Well the Democratic National Convention is in the books and the Dems should be riding high. That is of course until the Republican National Convention next week. I can't help but wonder if these things are really worth the trouble and expense. I mean you get a bunch of card carrying Democrats or Republicans in one building and tell them how great their party is for four solid days, of course your going to do well; your preaching to choir.
I made a point of listening to the speeches by Hillary and Bill Clinton as well as Barack Obama's. I listened to an excerpt of Biden's, but I find the man rather un-impressive. After these speeches though, it's hard not to admit that both Bill and Barack are quite talented orators and rhetoricians. I wonder if America will fall in line though with their other similarities to the ancient Romans, who cast derision on the Greeks for their focus on and successful rhetorical skills. Will Americans begin to dislike Obama due to his ability to deliver a speech?
I figure I'll toss it out there now; I think Obama's pick of Biden was a bad one. He brings nothing to the table. He was a safe pick and nothing else. As for his supposed foreign policy experience that we keep hearing about, it would be interesting to see how he has faired in that realm over his several decades in Washington. Of course I have no doubt that the Republicans will do their best to attack it. That of course does not mean that we can take their opinion on it as being truthful. All one need do is remember the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth debacle to see how far some Republicans will go to smear a political foe.
At this point though, I find myself rather disinterested in what happens in this election. McCain seems like nothing new and while Obama talks a good game, it's hard to see how things will work out in reality. Unfortunately its always easy to talk of bi-partisan, multi-national diplomacy in a speech, but sometimes the real world can really kick the snot out of such dreams and plans. One only needs to look at the previous Clinton presidency to see that. I remember that one of his main political promises was universal health care. Still not a reality. And as for foreign relations, Clinton found it hard to swim those waters as well; getting tied up in Kosovo and Somalia but then doing nothing in Rwanda. It's a hard course to follow, especially when one is setting such lofty goals.
But a the very least one can always look for other entertainment during an election and the folks at JibJab are at it again. One can hopefully remember such gems as:
So now it's time for the 2008 election and they've started it off with a bang. Enjoy!
I made a point of listening to the speeches by Hillary and Bill Clinton as well as Barack Obama's. I listened to an excerpt of Biden's, but I find the man rather un-impressive. After these speeches though, it's hard not to admit that both Bill and Barack are quite talented orators and rhetoricians. I wonder if America will fall in line though with their other similarities to the ancient Romans, who cast derision on the Greeks for their focus on and successful rhetorical skills. Will Americans begin to dislike Obama due to his ability to deliver a speech?
I figure I'll toss it out there now; I think Obama's pick of Biden was a bad one. He brings nothing to the table. He was a safe pick and nothing else. As for his supposed foreign policy experience that we keep hearing about, it would be interesting to see how he has faired in that realm over his several decades in Washington. Of course I have no doubt that the Republicans will do their best to attack it. That of course does not mean that we can take their opinion on it as being truthful. All one need do is remember the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth debacle to see how far some Republicans will go to smear a political foe.
At this point though, I find myself rather disinterested in what happens in this election. McCain seems like nothing new and while Obama talks a good game, it's hard to see how things will work out in reality. Unfortunately its always easy to talk of bi-partisan, multi-national diplomacy in a speech, but sometimes the real world can really kick the snot out of such dreams and plans. One only needs to look at the previous Clinton presidency to see that. I remember that one of his main political promises was universal health care. Still not a reality. And as for foreign relations, Clinton found it hard to swim those waters as well; getting tied up in Kosovo and Somalia but then doing nothing in Rwanda. It's a hard course to follow, especially when one is setting such lofty goals.
But a the very least one can always look for other entertainment during an election and the folks at JibJab are at it again. One can hopefully remember such gems as:
So now it's time for the 2008 election and they've started it off with a bang. Enjoy!
Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!
Saturday, August 23, 2008
The journey has begun
Well here I sit, in Suncheon, South Korea.
I made it.
After years and months of wondering, questioning and worrying I'm finally here.
Having gone through a specific recruiter, Canadian Connection, I was lucky enough to have an orientation period before being thrust into my new life as an ESL teacher. My first week was spent in Gwangju where a group of 50 or so of us were given classes in traditional Korean music, reading Hangul, as well as what to expect in the classroom. We had a number of western teachers come in and speak with us about gender issues, teaching fellow teachers, and the specifics of teaching in either elementary or secondary classes. We were also provided with the opportunity to visit a traditional Korean village, a Buddhist temple and the Gwangju National Museum. All in all, I would say that it was a good way to start the year.
After a couple of days though, the urge to get into town and away from the artificial situation that we had been placed in (being in Korea but only seeing westerners for the majority of the day). On Monday I made my first venture into Gwangju. A group of us went together to a nearby Home Plus (the Korean Wal-Mart from what I can tell). It was made readily apparent that not only was I no longer in Canada but even though I was here to teach english, learning Korean was going to be essential.
I had gone to Home Plus to get a travel alarm clock, some shorts and a couple of shirts that I could wear while playing volleyball. First, a friend and I got lost. We couldn't find the electronics section for the life of us. We made it from ground level to the basement parking garage two levels below and from there to the upper parking garage three levels above ground level. We eventually found what we were looking for but not speaking any Korean meant that we couldn't ask someone where to go. We tried a few times about various things but were left with blank faces and a lot of shrugs. At one point a young woman selling me an alarm clock couldn't stop laughing due to the fact that she couldn't tell us about batteries. We made it there and back, but it would have been nice to be able to speak with the people, even if only a little. Apparently Sucheon city hall offers free Korean lessons that I figure I'll take advantage of. I won't become real proficient with the language, but at the very least I should learn enough to get around comfortably.
The people have been nice. One Korean gentleman stopped me and some friends while at the Buddhist temple so that he could take a photo of us all together in front of the temple. We didn't ask and while he didn't speak english, or we Korean (we could say hello and thank you by that point), a wonderful photo of the four of us was taken. It felt good to be able to at least thank the gentleman for being generous with his time.
By the end of oriention though, it was good to get out and start living in Korea. It was a good way to introduce me to Korea, I was able to try out Korean food, see some of the country side, visit Gwangju and even stay busy playing volleyball each evening. But after a week, the dichotomy of being in Korea but being surrounded by westerners felt too odd. It was time to leave but it was a good experience.
The one thing that I will have to get used to, and that worries me is Korean food. I've been trying new things, especially kimchi, which is the national dish of Korea. Korean's are very particular about foreigners liking their food. They feel that if you don't like their food you don't like them. For me the problem is that their food is really spicy. Then there are the stories of being taken out to dinner by your principal and being given octopus tentacles (freshly chopped from the body) to eat, while they stick to your face. That is an experience I am not looking forward to. On the bright side there is soju, which goes really well with orange juice and man is it cheap. You can buy a bottle for about a dollar.
So far so good.
I made it.
After years and months of wondering, questioning and worrying I'm finally here.
Having gone through a specific recruiter, Canadian Connection, I was lucky enough to have an orientation period before being thrust into my new life as an ESL teacher. My first week was spent in Gwangju where a group of 50 or so of us were given classes in traditional Korean music, reading Hangul, as well as what to expect in the classroom. We had a number of western teachers come in and speak with us about gender issues, teaching fellow teachers, and the specifics of teaching in either elementary or secondary classes. We were also provided with the opportunity to visit a traditional Korean village, a Buddhist temple and the Gwangju National Museum. All in all, I would say that it was a good way to start the year.
After a couple of days though, the urge to get into town and away from the artificial situation that we had been placed in (being in Korea but only seeing westerners for the majority of the day). On Monday I made my first venture into Gwangju. A group of us went together to a nearby Home Plus (the Korean Wal-Mart from what I can tell). It was made readily apparent that not only was I no longer in Canada but even though I was here to teach english, learning Korean was going to be essential.
I had gone to Home Plus to get a travel alarm clock, some shorts and a couple of shirts that I could wear while playing volleyball. First, a friend and I got lost. We couldn't find the electronics section for the life of us. We made it from ground level to the basement parking garage two levels below and from there to the upper parking garage three levels above ground level. We eventually found what we were looking for but not speaking any Korean meant that we couldn't ask someone where to go. We tried a few times about various things but were left with blank faces and a lot of shrugs. At one point a young woman selling me an alarm clock couldn't stop laughing due to the fact that she couldn't tell us about batteries. We made it there and back, but it would have been nice to be able to speak with the people, even if only a little. Apparently Sucheon city hall offers free Korean lessons that I figure I'll take advantage of. I won't become real proficient with the language, but at the very least I should learn enough to get around comfortably.
The people have been nice. One Korean gentleman stopped me and some friends while at the Buddhist temple so that he could take a photo of us all together in front of the temple. We didn't ask and while he didn't speak english, or we Korean (we could say hello and thank you by that point), a wonderful photo of the four of us was taken. It felt good to be able to at least thank the gentleman for being generous with his time.
By the end of oriention though, it was good to get out and start living in Korea. It was a good way to introduce me to Korea, I was able to try out Korean food, see some of the country side, visit Gwangju and even stay busy playing volleyball each evening. But after a week, the dichotomy of being in Korea but being surrounded by westerners felt too odd. It was time to leave but it was a good experience.
The one thing that I will have to get used to, and that worries me is Korean food. I've been trying new things, especially kimchi, which is the national dish of Korea. Korean's are very particular about foreigners liking their food. They feel that if you don't like their food you don't like them. For me the problem is that their food is really spicy. Then there are the stories of being taken out to dinner by your principal and being given octopus tentacles (freshly chopped from the body) to eat, while they stick to your face. That is an experience I am not looking forward to. On the bright side there is soju, which goes really well with orange juice and man is it cheap. You can buy a bottle for about a dollar.
So far so good.
ga sa ham ni da
I guess it's my cynical or self-effacing or self-deprecating nature that leads me to constantly question my place within the group. I know from past experiences that it's possible to be part of a group, all while not being a valued member of the group. High School taught me that quite well. Ever since I can't help but constantly wonder what it is that people think of me; whether they genuinely like me or simply tolerate me. All too often I assume the latter. That is why I was very touched by the support and well wishes of those who I call my family and friends.
I wanted to take this moment to thank each of you for your generosity, love and support over the years. All of which made this moment in my life, my adventure in Korea, possible.
As such I would like to thank:
Mom and Dad
Terri and Tom
Danielle and Jamie
Mark and Kathleen
Alanna and Fran
Clarke
Derek and Sam
Tom
Your encouragement and support has meant a lot.
I love you all.
I wanted to take this moment to thank each of you for your generosity, love and support over the years. All of which made this moment in my life, my adventure in Korea, possible.
As such I would like to thank:
Mom and Dad
Terri and Tom
Danielle and Jamie
Mark and Kathleen
Alanna and Fran
Clarke
Derek and Sam
Tom
Your encouragement and support has meant a lot.
I love you all.
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