The Race

I've heard a lot of people talking about how excited they are about the possibility of having the first African-American president (a term that's been oddly transplanted and politically-correctified, I think - I hear people here using the term "African-American" to describe people who have never even been to the US). And I have to admit... as a guy who has a lot of human-rights activist friends, but still falls a little right of center, even I find Obama pretty compelling.

The funny thing to me is that I have yet to hear one Caucasian refer to Obama as "our" candidate in quite the same way (with the possible exception of Josh). But his mother is white, right? I kind of think that if people of African ethnicity can embrace him as representing them, then a few more people of European descent should be willing to do the same. Why is it that someone who is half-African can be African enough to satisfy people who share that, but half-Caucasian isn't enough for the white folks?

In any case, I'm not voting. But I will be watching.

Is That.......? Uh... Never Mind

It's because I love the earth.


I have a habit of shaking my hands rather enthusiastically after I wash to try to get the water off... I use fewer paper towels that way. The problem is that, in summer when I'm wearing light dress pants ("trousers" for those in the UK), those water drops that go flying everywhere make spots on my pants. And those spots really show up.

Really, really show up.

And, as a result, every time I walk out of the bathroom, it looks very much like I've urinated on myself. But I've been doing better on containing that the last couple of weeks, and I'm pretty proud of that.

I think that perhaps now I'm ready to consider that career in politics that I had been putting off.

A Bit Off

So, the potato gets a year.

Child labor gets a day.


I think we may have missed something.

Republicans

I'm watching a bit of the debate for the republican presidential candidates. I'm not really a republican - I'm not even American (don't tell them), but it's pretty interesting. Here are my impressions.:

Keys - has yet to actually answer a question. He may not be an idiot, but it's not helping his case when it doesn't seem that he's able to actually link up a (long-winded) response with a question. He's much more interested in talking about how his ideas are all being oppressed. I gotta admit, I don't get it. I mean, he's on TV, talking about whatever he wants to talk about. I wish my ideas were that oppressed.

Giuliani - comes across as legitimate. I can't help but like him.

McCain - good, well spoken and intelligent. Just gives the impression of a man who should be in charge.

Huckabee - doesn't seem to have much to say... nice sentiments, but vaguer than... something really vague. Like, a really vague kind of pudding or something. Likes his pet phrases ("weapons of mass instruction", "I can't part the red sea, but I can part the red tape", "we're a polarized country, and that's led to a paralyzed government"), so I guess he'll get votes from people who are into that. I don't have anything to say about what kind of people those would be. I wouldn't have guessed, though, that he's been a state governor for 10 years.

Tancredo - tough to understand... may have some good stuff to say, but he's not a great speaker.

Hunter - okay, I guess, but seems like he's more about good stories than principles, like McCain and Guiliani project.

Thomson - reminds me of a football commentator. That's not necessarily bad, I guess. Just depends what you're looking for. I did find it a little odd that he seemed to think that NAFTA was only between the US and Mexico.

Romney - seems to know his stuff, but just comes across as a little too polished, somehow. Maybe it's just because I'm Canadian.

Paul - everything he says makes it sound like he's trying to pick a fight. There's a fine line between determined and pissed off, guy, and nobody is going to want to listen to that for four years. Is he really that angry? I think he may need someone to help him.

They're all following similar conservative themes... freer market forces, enhanced security, less tax, smaller government. But at least they've admitted that global warming may actually be happening, and that people may even be contributing to it.

Meet The Press