This is nice to see

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE57C07920090813

Glenn Beck is a motherfucking douchenozzle.

Cheney

I've always believed this, but I'll say it again...Cheney is such a motherfucking douchenozzle.

A Bad Memory

I am back. I had a great time hanging with the JLK, then spent the weekend in BigNearbyCity while Mr. Phizz was away so I wouldn't die of loneliness. I hung out with friends, went to museums, and ate dim sum. I went shopping, spoke with my best friend IN PERSON, and it was just awesome. And now Mr. Phizz is back, and all is well. It's a good reminder that the Internet is just the Internet. I have a Real Life to attend to.

Anyhoo, recently an incident which occurred to me as a very small child came roaring back to me, for some reason. And it makes me sad, and it makes me mad. Because it has to do with some pretty heinous behavior directed at a child for her race.

I won't even pretend to know what it's like to be a different race. I only know what it's like to be mine, and it's not ALWAYS a picnic, though I will fully acknowledge that I believe it is a lot easier than being, say, black in America.

But when I was a little kid, I believe I was all of seven, a few things happened with a neighbor of mine. This man was father to two of my friends from across the street, and he always seemed pretty gruff and not especially friendly. But he was an adult. And adults always know what they are doing (that's what my seven-year-old self thought, anyway).

One day I was talking to this man for whatever reason, somehow the subject turned to presidents. I was probably telling him we were learning about presidents in school. He said to me, "Do you want to know who the greatest president in the history of America is?"

I surely did. I had a thirst for knowledge back then that kind of blows my mind right now.

He told me Harry Truman.

I tucked that piece of knowledge into my brain.

In school, I think the question was raised of who the greatest president was. Lots of people raised their hands, including me. I wasn't called on, but I was appalled to hear that no one said Harry Truman. After all, an adult had told me so. I didn't know what he had done and I had never heard of him before, but an adult had told me so. Therefore, everyone else had to be missing something, he must be greater than Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt...even though I had heard of those guys.

A few weeks later, his overstimulated son beat me up. He was a boy, and he wanted to fight, not because he was mad at me, but because he wanted to. He explained that he and his friend fight all the time and it was fun. I didn't want to fight. I had never been in a physical fight with anyone. He fought me anyway. My new pants got grass-stained. My head slammed into the wooden fence. I cried.

I ran across the street with two other neighbor friends (who were white boys) to "tell." I told him that his son had beat me up, my pants were ruined, and that he hit my head against the fence.

This man looked down at my little tearful self and said, "Well, what do you want me to do about it?"

I was shocked, I didn't know what to say. I explained again that his son had beat me up, had hurt me. He repeated, "So....WHAT do you want me to do about it??"

After a little while, it was clear he was not planning to mete out one iota of punishment, nor was he remotely sympathetic. Writing this is bringing tears to my eyes from the recollection. That this man could be such a jackass to a tiny little seven-year-old is beyond me. Even my other friends were surprised. I remember clearly, one of them said to console me, "He's not a very good father." The injustice was apparent to them, as well. They, like me, didn't know why he acted that way.

These are all just memories. I don't have a whole lot of memories from when I was this age, but these are very, very clear.

When I got older, I suddenly thought back to these events, and it struck me that this guy was probably anti-Asian. Probably, more specifically he was probably anti-Japanese but had never bothered to realize which Asian nationality I was, because I'm not that one. Not that how he acted would be ok if I were. After I got older and got a more complete vision of what all the Presidents were known for, I realized this: Harry Truman is known for his "The Buck Stops Here" sign, his excessive swearing, and dropping the Bomb. You know the Bomb I am talking about. Can you think of anything else you could possibly know about Harry Truman that would stand out?

Who knows. Maybe the guy hated little kids, except his own. Maybe he wouldn't have punished his son if he had beaten up anyone, whether they were Asian or not. Maybe he was just in a bad mood. But a large part of me, when you put it together with a lot of things I vaguely recall from childhood, feels sure that he just didn't like Asian people.

It still amazes me though, that he would treat a child the way he treated me. Well, suck it Mr. X. I rock.

To think that these days, this shit is probably happening to little Arab girls around the country breaks my heart.

Sean Hannity Sucks

I basically want to kick him in the nuts.  Repeatedly.

For now, that is all.

In which I declare Rush Limbaugh to be a DOUCHEBAG

Read this.

It makes the Republican Party even more pathetic in my eyes than it was before. Which is saying a lot.

But seriously - I do have *some* conservative ideals, however, it is my opinion that the best of those ideals have been totally hijacked and bastardized by the GOP. Personal responsibility doesn't mean shit to the GOP (unless you're poor - then you're responsible, not only for your own actions, but for being poor). Neither does fiscal conservatism (though in times like now, I do believe in spending from the top to spur the movement of money through the economy).

Bottom line: The Republican Party sucks, is pathetic, and Rush Limbaugh is the scum of the earth. It does my heart good to see them floundering as they are, and to see them groveling at the knees of someone so disgusting as Limbaugh. That's a losing team right there, and they can't even get that through their thick heads. Yes, the 20-some% of people who STILL think Bush did a good job might love you, but....um....methinks that isn't a good political strategy.

But don't mind me. Carry on, GOP. Carry on.

what...a....joke

http://sarahpac.com/

On my little gmail webclips, I saw this link.

I thought - what...a...JOKE.

Naturally, I went to the website and it's all flash, no substance. It's a pretty website, but basically there is NO CONTENT. All it basically says is "give us money and Sarah can continue to find creative ways to fuck things up." There are basically two pages. One page is a "about us page" which is a bunch of rhetoric garbage.

Another page of FAQs has only 4 questions, and consists of Sarah Worship and rhetoric.

It's a joke. There is a "contact us" page and I almost want to email and say, "You're kidding right?"

Bah. I wish she would GO THE FUCK AWAY.

I am crying

I am so, so, so, so happy. This is so amazing. I am crying.

Good-bye W. You will not be missed.

Morgan Freeman and David Palmer

I'm not white. I am also not black. As a non-black person, I never expected to feel the overwhelming emotion that I felt Barack Obama was elected president that was rooted in our...shared-non-whiteness. It's unbelievable. It gives me hope for my children, who will grow up in this nation being, also, not white.

I was trying to convey to Mr.PhizzleDizzle last night how historic this is in my mind, as a citizen of this nation who is not white. I had tears welling up in my eyes, and I explained that, unlike him, our children would not be white and this could mean so much to their sense of possibilities.

The funny thing is, he said it really hit home for him when I said, "You know when you watch those movies where Morgan Freeman is president, and you think, 'oh that's nice....this must be *the future*, where we've achieved some sort of utopia only conceivable in movies - we no longer have to think like that." And then we simultaneously brought up the show 24, where David Palmer, a black man, is president. And how, when you watch the show, you're like, "oh what an interesting premise, one that's totally not rooted in the realm of real possibility."

Well....those days are over. It will no longer be a Hollywood pipe dream to have a black man as the POTUS. It's reality. Thank the Flying Spaghetti Monster that I've been able to witness this in my lifetime - in my youth, at that.

Ok, I think I'm done waxing poetic about Barack Obama, I'm beginning to feel like a broken record. But I'm just so damned excited.

This morning...

I woke up, rolled over, and my first thought was "Obama is the next president."

Already the day is looking good!

PhizzleDizzle wept.

At 11pm tonight, I sat on my couch and wept.

With joy.

NANOBAMAS!!!!

Dude, these are awesome.

http://gizmodo.com/5076317/nanobama-barack-obama-in-nanotubes

As a Technical Person...

I am not usually inclined to actually get involved in technology policy. I just want to do my experiments. Technology Policy sounds like a misnomer to most techno-geeks because, honestly, we just want to play with our toys.

But in the last several years, I have noted that the highest levels of government are FUCKING CLUELESS about some basic stuff and made some horrifically bad decisions, like using Diebold machines or employing RFID in our passports. I called my bank recently and told them to give me another card without RFID in them, because I'm a computer scientist and there is no way I'm using that card, and they capitulated. I dont' even want my credit card information broadcasted on RFID, you think I want that shit broadcasting off my passport? Yeah right.

If I were a technology advisor to the government, I would have laughed in their faces and told them to try again. Seriously, even as a 23 year old baby PhizzleDizzle wannabe I knew these ideas were stupid.

So, I saw this article recently about Obama's likelihood of creating a CTO-like position in the cabinet to advise technology issues. I think this is a great idea. We are becoming ever more dependent on technology in our lives, and if Bush can create a Homeland Security department, surely we can have a Technology department to make sure stupid shit isn't done.

I personally think Ed Felten would be awesome. Ed Felten is a huge rockstar. He was a government expert witness for the Microsoft Anti-Trust trials. He and his graduate students have proved time and time again that Diebold machines can be hacked in 5 minutes or less. He is basically, a techno-god. So, he would have my vote.

Anyway, I know it's a little late to be waxing about reasons to vote for Obama, but I think this is one of them.

VOTE TODAY!!!

Don't forget!! Exercise your rights as a citizen!!! :)

The Lengths People Will Go To To Spread Lies...

astounds me.

Check this out: some crazy lady who loves John Bolton claims that Barack Obama is, in fact, an illegitimate love child of Malcolm X. Great Flying Spaghetti Monster, what a scandal!! Riiiiiight.

Here's what Gawker and some other dude have to say about it.

Seriously, people. Stop with the ridiculousness. It's not going to work. And if it does, I'll be seriously fucking-ass disappointed.

At the same time, it's like all these claims that he's a Muslim or an Arab. Intended to scare "certain people", but to the rest of the population it's like, WHO CARES. What's so wrong with being Arab, Muslim, or even the son of Malcolm X?

I had a whole post about the job search in my head, but this is what inspired me to put "pen to paper."

Muffins and Voting

If you think my title is a non sequitur, it is. I just feel like talking about two totally different things.

MUFFINS

Last night I made pumpkin spice muffins, 12 mini ones and 6 full size ones. They were delicious. I think Mr. PhizzleDizzle ate 2 large and several small just last night, and then more for breakfast today. This makes me happy. I have plenty more pumpkin to make more too. I have never been a very talented baker (Asians don't really bake - and who to learn to bake from but your mom? If your mom doesn't bake, you are shit out of luck, like me), but these were quite good and I am feeling super badass.


VOTING

Procrastinator that I am, I registered to vote today, the very last day you are allowed to do so. No, it is not because I am a bad citizen and have not exercised my right before, it is just that since moving to this state, I had not registered and there were no elections so I just never did, until now.

Anyway, there were a few signs of the sad state of our society. I go to register, and I am paired with a very friendly young lady (god, did I just say that? that means I'm old. shit.) who filled out my forms. A few things to note:

1) She asked me whether I wanted to register with a party of be unaffiliated. I ask, "What does that really mean?" What I am looking for are implications of being registered or not. Like, black-box wise, what does that mean. Does that mean I get literature? Does that mean they will call me all the time asking for donations? What does that mean?

The girl thinks I am asking about what it means in a much simpler sense, "Well, there's the Republican Party...."

I am thinking to myself, "omfg, I know that." Like, either she's crazy, or the people that come in are just that uneducated, or I don't know.

So then she thinks that I think that if I register as a member of Party X, I am required to vote straight ticket come Election Day. Good god, I know that's not true. Do people think that's true? Then what the fuck is the point? Jesus Louisus, we need a national Civics class or something. Damn.

So she asks the lady next to her, who appears to be a veteran of voting affairs. She assures me that I can vote any way I want on Election Day regardless of how I affiliate myself.

I assure her that I understand that, but I want to know what the implications are. She says, they might send you literature.

I consider political literature to be propoganda and I prefer to find my own information, so I said, forget it. I am marked down as unaffiliated.

2) Then she has to take my previous address from which I was a registered voter. She does not know the Postal abbreviation for this state, which is fine. I don't know all of them either. Then, the older lady said, "State X? You mean Biggest City in State X?" *turns to girl* "You'll have to put that down."

Girl thinks that Biggest City is actually another state, and asks me what the code is for that. OMFG. I said, "No, I was not in Biggest City, I was in Small Town." I know that what they're after is just my frickin address, and old lady is just crazy. So I'm like, lemme just tell you my address.

The thing that drove me crazy was this totally weird concept of cities, states, and other such domains being equivalent, or they couldn't tell them apart, or what. It was just insane. This made me sad.

3) Finally, I am asked to look over my form before I sign it.

I notice that in the area where you are supposed to check your affiliation, it tells me that the only way to vote in primaries is to be affiliated with that particular party. Well, if there is a primary in the future, you better be damned sure I want to vote in it. On top of that, that's the kind of relevant info I wanted to know when I asked about it in the beginning. Like, the MOST important thing. Jeeza Louisa. So I'm like, well I change my mind then. This would have been helpful to know before, put me down as Party X (as if you can't guess what I put).

So, in the end, I am registered. I am going to exercise my right to vote. However, while taking part in this glorious privilege of ours, I am saddened to know that people are that fucking stupid. Either the Election people were stupid, or they come across so many stupid people that they are forced to conclude everyone is stupid and go down to stupid levels. Because I never meet anyone who assumes I'm that stupid, not even troll-y male professors. They at least give some benefit of the doubt, like that I know that there are two (major) fucking political parties in this country, and that gosh golly, we are allowed to vote however we fucking choose on Election Day.

god save us.

I love public television

It seems like the only news that really seems honorable anymore....

Currently watching "Torturing Democracy" (documentary about how the US made the shift to allowing horrible interrogation methods). It's incredible, to watch, and is making me feel so dirty, sad, and aghast.

As the election approaches...

the more I feel this way.

I am so afraid that it won't actually happen, I'm afraid to believe this nation is really capable of electing a black man as president, but I so hope hope hope it will happen! Because I just think of him as a man, the better man, to do the job. And I think Michelle Obama is the cat's pajamas.

Live Blogging the Debate - In Which I Grow More Annoyed with McCain

"I'm so proud of her". What is McCain, Palin's father?

"Bresh of freth air". Hahaha.

Who the hell is Joe? Good god, stop talking about this Joe the Plumber, Joe the Rich Guy, Joe the shut-the-hell-up.

"Pro-abortion"?? Who the fuck is pro-abortion in this country? I don't think anyone is pro-abortion. What a smearish term. No one is pro abortion.

Stop fucking saying pro-abortion! There is no goddamned 'pro-abortion movement' in America. What the fuck kind of people do you think walk around encouraging people to have abortions? Lame.

I like this idea of the tax credit for college tuition in exchange for service. I had a similar idea myself a few years ago that all college grads either do teach for america for a year or military or peace corps. I never thought people would go for it though. America is too individualistic, "whateva, whateva, I do what I want!" But the tuition tax credit is a good incentive.

McCain, didn't your mother teach you not to interrupt? You've interrupted Schieffer and Obama a number of times now.

When did I get so annoyed with you? I think when you picked Sarah Palin.

Before her, and your desperate disgustingness in mongering and slinging ads and rallies lately, I actually considered voting for you. I thought to myself, this time around, I'm going to have to take a close look at your voting records, etc. But that door has been shut.

I'm so anxious for Nov. 4, it's not even funny. Seriously.

GOBAMA!

Politics, Running, and My Dad

I've noticed many of my posts are kind of stream-of-consciousness. As I externally examine my "blogging process" what I will often do is make a title, and then proceed to write about something else entirely, and then eventually get around to the subject I originally intended. And then I might go back and alter the title so that it works.

Today, I am trying to make the title match before I start, but I have already failed and done exactly what I just described. HAHA!

Anyway, today's subjects are 3 (tenuously) related things.

1) Sarah Palin makes me want to poke red-hot poo-laden pokers into my eyes.

2) I read in Runner's World yesterday that she has done a 3:59:56 marathon. This IMMEDIATELY made me consider running a marathon for the sole purpose of kicking her ass, even though I have never done more than a half marathon. But the thought is percolating...Anyone else want to join the "Beat Sarah" brigade?

3) Yesterday my dear father called me to ask how I felt about the economy. What could I say? It sucks. Mr. PhizzleDizzle and I have lost a crap ton of our meager savings, though we are "staying the course" and riding it out. My dear wonderful dad then launched into a tirade about W, and how much he's a blithering idiot and how the damned GOP has fucked up all this shit. I am so glad. If my parents were Republicans I think I'd want stick red-hot poo-laden pokers into my eyes. Again.

4) I've been wondering this for days now - what the hell does it mean to "field dress a moose"? Seriously, who the hell cares if this is something she can do? Because I don't even know what poo it means.