Why This Election Should Be A Landslide: Episode 3

The Road to Oktoberfest

In the months leading up to my time here in Italy I've been talking about Oktoberfest. It was the one trip that I had to do, not just for the beer. I could drink beer anywhere. Oktoberfest isn't about the beer, but the mobilization of thousands of people of all colors and nations converging in one place to have a good time.

Upon arrival in Italy, it seemed like everyone was a skeptic about making the trip to Munich for Oktoberfest. Everyone had an alarmist mentality. They would warn me of extremely expensive hotels, airfare and train tickets. With all the skeptics you might have thought that a trip to Munich was impossible. Yet, it seemed like everyone around me was going. They were getting there by bus, train and plane. They found transportation and some even found accommodations as late as a week in advance.

Maybe it was the fear of missing out on something I had anticipated for so long, or the frustration of letting the skeptics and alarmists rob me of my hope. But as I sat at dinner with friends on Wednesday night I made the final decision that I was going to find a way to Oktoberfest.

It turns out by that point (Wednesday night) the trains and planes were completely booked. About 20 hours later I was in a parking lot learning how to drive stick shift in a Fiat Panda. And just hours after that a friend and I were on the road to Munich-- windows rolled down, "Hotel California" blaring from the little blue Panda as we raced down the Autobahn.

Rule #20

The "O.K." hand gesture is not universally accepted

The Arancino

Two weeks ago on an overnight train to Sicily I met a guy who told me not to leave without trying an arancino. He described them as "fried, breaded balls of cheesy risotto with a meat and cheese center". My eyes lit up as I quickly began to aggressively interrogate him about. From that point on I was on a mission to find them and learn as much as I could about them.

That weekend I had the privilege of sinking my teeth into one of the greatest fried inventions I've ever tasted (topping the deep-fried Snickers).

These little orange balls that actually get their name from the Italian word for orange (arancia) were amazing. They are a popular Sicilian snack that are usually stuffed with either beef and ragu sauce or proscuitto and butter. Both were equally delicious.

Why This Election Should Be a Landslide: Episode 2

He's breaking out the big guns!

President Clinton has stated that he will join Senator Clinton and begin campaigning for Senator Obama following the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting on September 23rd and 24th.

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Tu, Forse Non Essenzialmente Tu

Great track by Rino Gaetano. The title translated means "You, but not essentially you"

Why This Election Should Be A Landslide: Episode 1

Here is some special commentary. Notice how Keith uses real quotes, real clips from the Republican National Convention (RNC). These things actually happened and he is commenting on them, explaining how and why the actions of the Republican Party and John Mcain are related to the comments he is making.

It seems like a pretty simple concept to grasp, yet so many people have trouble distinguishing good argumentation that is delivered with emotion from talking points and ideas like "Obama is a terrorist because he was born a Muslim.. blah blah blah...once a Muslim always a Muslim". These things are not one and the same. Some people even try to "argue" that "Obama doesn't love America because there's no flag on his airplane".

Something that is always important to me is understanding things in many ways, from many angles and perspectives.

I don't disagree with every Republican. Nor do I agree with every Democrat. I've said before that you can't feel strongly about something you don't know much about. When it comes to politics people tend to forget this and pretend that a handful of issues completely define a political party. The truth is that In fact, the two-party system naturally tends to cater to those with centrist preferences. Many Americans are torn between the social polices of one party and the economic policies of the other. Simply put, things are never black and white (no pun intended).


Enjoy this clip and the posts that will follow. I can only hope to provide information so that you too can more confidently support the candidate who will best serve you.... and for all but 2% of America I'll give you a hint as to who that will be... his name rhymes with "Yo Mama".

My Current TV Debut! (where's my 30 seconds of applause?)

I haven't really watched TV in nearly two years. With the internet and DVR I've lost the urge for good ol' channel surfing. Of course, I tune in for sports events (e.g. Superbowl, Olympics, US Open, college football) or special programming like the State of the Union Address and the season finale of Entourage.

However this past summer I was introduced to Current TV. My brothers were huge fans and when I was home for the summer I got hooked. They don't have commercials, a majority of the programming is created independently by users and broadcasted via the website Current.com. What I like best is the catchy electronic beats they play in the segues. In all seriousness, the channel is a gem because it is far removed from its large cable television competitors. Its not CNN or CNBC and sure as hell isn't Fox.

Current TV thrives on viewer feedback and in return have engineered a unique product. What you watch is what you create, what you think, and what you (primarily young adults) have asked to see. Think of it as the youth of the world's answer to tainted mainstream media torrent. If you can remember what watching MTV used to feel like before TRL, then you'll be pleasantly surprised when you tune in.

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And watch this clip of Current News featuring my commentary! Woo Hoo! BYRONTOSAURUS!

Wow

The ugly reality of today's politics is that most people who try to justify their support for the Republican presidential candidate do so by putting down the opponents rather than supporting their own. Republicans at the National Convention chanted "Zero! Zero! Zero!" referring to Senator Obama's "executive" experience. Their are a dozen things one could say to criticize this year's Republican Presidential Nominees but that wasn't the focus in Denver last week. No one in the fully packed stadium even thought of Mcain in the moments before Senator Obama spoke. They didn't need to. In my eyes the show that the Republican party put on earlier this week was beyond aggravating, but disheartening. Sarah Pailin's speech was the ugliest thing I've ever seen muttered from an ex-beauty queen's mouth. She showed me a candidate full of hate, with an outlook on politics that is frankly dangerous for the future of America; the type of politics that brews hate, strikes fear and will continue to let our country down.

While republicans chant "Zero!" they overlook the blunder of the first executive decision made by their "Maverick". If Mcain's strength and leadership allowed for a woman like Sarah Palin to enter the national spotlight then what else can we expect from him if he is elected president?


More to come on the bizarre argument for Mcain's "Economic Policy"...