This video just made the wildfire rounds of the Internet, and the reviews. . . let's just say "scathing" would be a civil way of putting it. Featuring a group of grade school kids called "Sing for Change," (their YouTube page says, "Light, hope, courage and love shine through these non-voting children who believe that their very best contribution to the Obama campaign is to sing,") the video shows an original ditty sung by the kids.
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The DrudgeReport linked to the video with the headline "Obama Kids Sing for Dear Leader" a nod to North Korean propaganda. Wonkette was even less kind, and though Gawker called them "creepy kids" they added this visceral rant:
The thought that an actual Obama supporter would round up a few dozen kids in the name of producing such nauseating vacuous reverse propaganda is too depressing, so let's just assume this is the diabolical work of some NRA-funded 527.
The video brings up a host of questions to be sure: Is it okay to use kids in a political campaign? Is this propaganda? Is the video even watchable? The comments on the YouTube page point to a strong distaste for seeing kids put in this position. Does it make you want to hit "stop"?
A judge in New York City has thrown out a lawsuit alleging that "Ladies' Night" pricing at bars and nightclubs discriminates against men. The lawsuit was brought by an attorney known for his fight against gender-specific constructs like suing Columbia University for its Women's Studies department. (Have you heard the one about the Men's Studies department? It's called "History." But I digress.) Now the gender-equalizer is taking his fight to the $3 cosmo.
The judge tossed the case saying that bars and nightclubs have a right to price their product any which way they'd like because they're not acting as representatives of the state. The attorney's case tried to prove that through the state-run liquor license program, it does just that. After losing, he called the judge a feminist and said that the toss-out was right on par with the deeply embedded gender discrimination in tons of American institutions.
It makes one wonder if this crusading lawyer has ever gotten his hair cut or clothes dry-cleaned. I reckon he makes back the difference in "Ladies' Night" at the bar right there . . .
Does any gender preference signify discrimination? Drinks aside, is the lawyer fundamentally wrong?
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While election day is still 35 days out (who's counting?) today marks the day Ohio residents can start casting their ballots. The opening of the flood gates comes just a day after Ohio courts ruled that new voters can register and cast an absentee ballot on the same day. Both candidates have been in the state, raising a little Buckeye and enthusiasm for their campaigns ahead of bringing on the vote. If you're holding a ballot in your hand and you're still not sure, Google has a rad (yep, I said it. Rad.) tool to help you search quotes from the candidates by subject. Go play and learn!
Ohio isn't the only state allowing early voting. States like IA, VA, NV, NM, and NC, all allow early and absentee voting. For some, the question isn't when to vote, it's are they registered — for a bunch of reasons. In Houston, some groups are calling for an extended deadline following Hurricane Ike — lots of voters are more worried about where to sleep, than if they're registered.
Are you similarly concerned about the deadline to register, and whether you are or not? You're in luck! The deadline is quickly approaching — check out the list from Rock the Vote to see when your state falls. Saturday, October 4 has deadlines for RI, SC, and WA. Put it on your list of things to do! Think you might be registered but want to check? VotePoke will tell you.
We are t-minus four days (including today) from the Vice Presidential Debate starring Joe Biden and Sarah Palin, and the anticipation is mounting like a bull moose in season. And stacked equally as high as that anticipation? Criticisms waged against Palin's performance thus far.
From the skewering "Bono, King of Ireland" sketch on SNL ripping her Katie Couric interview to conservative columnist Kathleen Parker's call late last week for Palin to excuse herself from the race, the idea is in the wind. Here's Parker's reasoning:
My cringe reflex is exhausted. . . Only Palin can save McCain, her party, and the country she loves. She can bow out for personal reasons, perhaps because she wants to spend more time with her newborn. No one would criticize a mother who puts her family first. Do it for your country.
Added to that view is the revelation this weekend that some would look askance at — the proximity Palin puts to humans and dinosaurs — then the noticeable absence of Palin post-debate, and the tour of moms and coffee shops the campaign has dispatched her on. Is the campaign having second thoughts as well?
Whatever happens, Palin might have something exciting to look forward to on Nov. 4 — JC Penney has a registry for Bristol and Levi with their wedding date listed as that very day. Should that be the only big event for Palin that day?
What's organic, from northern Chile, rich, full-bodied, and listed on the McCain campaign stationery? Nope, it's not Sarah — it's Palin Syrah (no relation, of course.) The red wine carries the vintner's name and "describes a ball that was used in an ancient game played by the Mapuche, a group of people indigenous to central Chile."
Not surprisingly in our all election attention span, the similarity is making it both a hot and drop-it-like-it's-hot commodity. Staunch Obama supporters won't swill a drop of it saying, "'Oh, I don't want to drink that. That's too close,'" according to one wine bar owner. But McCain/Palin fans are snapping up the $13 bottles for their GOP-themed parties.
And what does a Palin taste like? According to the distributor, "The wines are outstanding. Very rich, full-bodied. There's nothing political about the wine in any way." Would the name stop you from indulging or encourage you to say cheers?
