Debate night

In honor of the Presidential Debate to be held in less than an hour from now, I have decided to post some links to some of my favorite political Web sites and blogs. Some are from the right, some are from the left, some are just funny. So while the heat is on in Miami tonight, check out these fun spots.

Instapundit.com
Glenn Reynolds, law professor at the University of Tennessee, is a well educated political pundit with no credentials other than the record he has set for himself. He leans right, but he's not afraid to say it like it is when both sides goof up. This site is a recent find of mine.

The Shape of Days
The Shape of Days will be doing a live blogcast of the debate tonight. This guy is also a recent discovery, but he's okay. He has some pretty funny one-liners, and his talk of the "pajamahadeen" blogging community makes me laugh. The current comments about John Kerry's tan making him look like an Oompa Loompa are hilarious.

Mallard Filmore
Mallard Filmore is one of the few conservative political cartoons around. It's not vicious and it usually just pokes fun at society. The political statements it makes are gentle, as is the humor.

The Boondocks
Oh, man, I love The Boondocks. I really don't agree with cartoonist Aaron McGruder's political and social views very often. But this strip is funny. There was one a few weeks ago that made fun of the anti-piracy ads they run before movies that made me bust out laughing so loud that my cubicle neighbors at work were alarmed. I probably lean right, so I read the left to balance me out.

The Drudge Report
I really started watching the Drudge Report when Matt Drudge had the video of Howard Dean's "scream heard 'round the world". His blend of politics and random trivia interest me.

Fackcheck.org
The Annenberg Political Fact Check is a nonprofit, nonpartisan group that checks all the numbers, statistics, and facts that are thrown out there in the political scene. They analyze each ad run on TV and every statement made by both presidential candidates. You'd be surprised how many numbers you hear are exaggerated or plain false. I found this site after hearing an interview on NPR with the director, Brooks Jackson.

The New York Times Online
Last, but certainly not least, is the best newspaper (in my opinion) on the web. I really do think the Times' Web site is superior to all other papers, especially because it's free with registration. Of particular interest this political season is the 2004 Election Guide, an interactive graphic that lets you see past elections, current trends, etc. You can even predict the outcome of Nov. 2, find information on House, Senate, and Governor races. It puts politics in its correct perspective: just a big game.

I got wasted

I was recently reminded by a glance at §åû®µ$'s blog of the rampant addiction problem sweeping the young adult population of the United States. It is particularly problematic among the male population, although it affects some women as well. The first instances of use (and abuse) usually occur in high school, although many start earlier. But experts agree that this condition reaches its most debilitating levels during college years, especially among fraternities and other similar organizations. No, ladies and gentlemen, I am not talking about alcoholism. I am talking about Halo.

For a year or two after its release I abstained from this electronic addiction. It really wasn't that hard of a choice, since neither I nor any of my roommates had an X-Box. Nor did any of them have it on their PC. So I lived in blissful peace, satisfied with the occasional game of MarioKart64 or Super Smash Brothers on the N64. Although you could say my Starcraft addiction (an ongoing and habit which perhaps merits its own posting at a later date) increased during this time period, I still hadn't made the jump the more addictive stuff.

Then one fateful night Mynamyn and her husband invited me over for a Halo party. I underwent all the internal turmoil and anguish of a kid offered his first joint. "Well, I dunno, I'm not sure that's something I wanna do." They were pro's, they knew how to handle lukewarm resistance like the weak lines I was giving them. "Well c'mon over anyway," they said. "We've got plenty of food and you don't have to play, you can just hang with everyone else. We've got two X-Boxes hooked together so there will be eight spots. If you feel like it, you can jump in on. If not, just enjoy our company." They knew they had me at the mention of food, but they continued to assure me that it would be cool, so I consented.

I showed up at their apartment and it seemed like good, wholesome fun. There were nice people there that I hadn't met before along with some old friends. "Hey, we're so glad you could make it!" they said. I naturally went straight for the food and then sat on one of the couches next to Mynamyn while she casually showed me how the controls worked. They then played a multiplayer round and it looked like lots of fun. (Of course it looked like fun! People don't fork out a couple hundred bucks for a boring game.) Then, as I was finishing up my chips, she casually made the pitch: "We've got another controller. You want in on this next one? You can be on our team." Like a weak, amoral fool I caved and reached for the controller.

My first couple rounds were probably like the first few puffs of a cigarette. It was hard, there were too many buttons, I got wasted over and over again, and the directional controls weren't inverted. But then I switched the controls to inverted and got the hang of how to aim and I suddenly found myself screaming "WHAT NOW FOOL?" when I finally blew Mynamyn's husband's brains out. I was hooked the first time.

Fortunately, I have been able to diagnose my problem early and take the necessary measures to escape this addiction. I am currently undergoing treatment for Halo addiction. In addition to this treatment I am attending Haloholics Anonymous and I have started the first step of this 12-step program, which is to admit that I have an addiction to this game. My sponsor has suggested that I avoid other games like Starcraft and N64 for a while so I don't slide back into the old habits. I've been doing really well, I haven't played N64 or Starcraft for a month or two and I've been Halo-free for almost 6 months now. I was lucky because I caught the problem early enough; others aren't so fortunate. I hope my story inspires others to take account of their addictions, realize they are powerless, and take the first steps to do something about it.

Awe, who am I kidding. I can’t wait to play Halo 2.

The Blog Phenomenon

The recent news scandal at CBS has made me reconsider the way blogs affect society. During the initial 60 Minutes broadcast right-wing blog sites began posting conspiracy theories that called into question the validity of the documents used by the CBS news team to call into question the President’s service record. Later that evening a blogger known as Buckhead proposed the theory that a 1970’s era typewriter could not have produced the exhibited documents. Although this was later proven as false, the suspicions of these lone individuals was enough to start a chain of events that made headlines everywhere. First powerlineblog.com linked to Buckhead’s comments, and then Matt Drudge’s drudgereport.com (arguably an overgrown blog) linked to the Power Line site. By the following day the scandal was in the headlines of the Washington Post and ABC News. The fallout, including Dan Rather’s on-air apology and links made to the Kerry campaign, has created quite a stir in an already feisty campaign season.

The political and ethical ramifications for the media and campaigners aside, I am fascinated by what one person’s words in cyberspace can cause. Like most people, I first saw blogs as little more than a public online journal with little use other than to keep in touch with people or perhaps find others with similar views. Instead it has become a phenomenon and a viable political and social force. Why haven’t similar Internet mechanisms such as chat rooms or instant messaging had such an effect? The answer I’ve come up with is that a blog turns everyone into a journalist. The particular flavor of the blog varies: some resemble newsletters, some gossip columns, some movie reviews, some editorials, some all of the above. But whatever the formula there are suddenly thousands of people out there making their voice heard, even if it’s only to the empty ears of the Internet. And now I’m one of them.

My Fair Verona

I think everyone should spend some time in Washington, particularly in the fall. I’ve been here in the spring (it rains a lot) and in the summer (it rains a lot), but I really think I like the city in the fall the best (it rains a lot). The rain may be a bit of an exaggeration, but we’ve had the remains of four different hurricanes come through town over the last month and a half so it’s very much a part of living here. Washington is somewhat of a microcosm of the United States, concentrated and amplified. Everything that is intrinsically American exists here in potent quantities. Love it or hate it, this is America.

Washington is a melting pot from all over the world. I live less than three blocks from a dozen different embassies. Walking out of my building I hear Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin, Cantonese, Portuguese, French, Italian, German, Japanese, and who-knows-how-many other languages that I can’t even identify. All races and ethnicities mix so that I can’t quite say what “normal” is anymore. Frankly, I’m not even sure if such a vague notion exists here. We’re all very different but we can all say we belong here.

Washington exemplifies the American capitalist hyper-consumer ideology. My first few days here I took a stroll across the river into Georgetown to see the shops and restaurants. I stopped in a store to take a break from the smothering August afternoon heat and I took a look around the shop. I liked the cashmere sweaters and the dress shirts, but $300 seemed a bit much for a sweater and $150 is probably out of my price range for a shirt. I have purchased suits for less. The whole area screams consumerism and large chain stores like Gap and Ralph Lauren and Barnes & Noble elbow local shops for room and street front space. The sidewalks are crowded with students, tourists, and a man playing a saxophone on the street corner with the case open for change. This is America, with all its gaudy, gritty glory.

Nowhere is the security paranoia stronger than it is in D.C. While walking the streets you can see one or more police car at any given moment. I pass through a metal detector and two separate security checkpoints just to get into the building where I work. Overly large flowerpots and other not-quite-subtle decorations serve as barricades around every large building, streets are blocked off, and security guards are posted outside of every entrance of every building on Capitol Hill. Here in Washington we proclaim ourselves free while making sure a pair of nail clippers doesn’t enter the building.

The city itself is American, with buildings sprawling and packed together at the same time. I love the buildings I see on my way around town, although I confess a predisposition towards neoclassicism. The Capitol, Union Station, the view of the Jefferson Monument as I cross the Potomac on the Metro. Marble and granite sit side-by-side with glass and metal. Something is always under construction as new buildings go up, up, up (but not too far up because there is a height restriction). The Mall and wide parks spread these edifices apart, giving the city needed breathing room. I appreciate the good fall weather most when I’m practicing the art of strolling through the shady parks and plazas of my fair Verona.

I really do think everyone should come to experience Washington. But not right now. This fall it’s mine.