Sweeping Healthcare Reform Passes in the Face of the “Party of NO”

Late last night, in a historic vote of 219-212, the House of Representatives passed a sweeping health care reform bill that will completely restructure the healthcare system in our country. Generations of presidents, congressmen and representatives have failed to pass reform until now. Tonight, the House of Representatives did it… and they did it without a single Republican vote. For months, Republicans have been threatening Democrats with having to “live with their decisions come November.” Tonight, 219 Democratic representatives stood up for what they believed was right without worrying about the toll it may take on their political careers should the Republicans once again gain the majority. Both parties made a decision tonight and they are each going to have to answer only to history.

Democracy is defined as “a government by the people”; A “rule of the majority through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections.” Tonight was proof that our government still works, despite all efforts that have been made to halt it in it’s tracks.

In November 2008 our country voted. We voted for a new President and new representatives. The people came out in record numbers and put President Obama and enough Democrats into the House and Congress to get things done. The people spoke. You may not have voted this way… but you lost.

Since the day the election results came out, the Republicans have been the “Party of NO.” The scary truth is that Bipartisanship may actually be dead. The problem is, Republicans killed it. This country was founded on the idea of people with differing opinions coming together, talking things out, and getting things done to make this country better for its people. Republicans have become so caught up in the political game that they have forgotten why they’re even in office. There is no interest in getting anything done. In fact, the goal is to make sure that nothing positive gets done so that they can take back “power” as soon as possible. Specially coordinated efforts were made across the country to disrupt healthcare debates to the point that they had to be shut down. They have continually positioned themselves as the victims who aren’t given a chance to speak or aren’t invited into the discussions. They have  fired up a their base with scare tactics to convince them that their basic freedoms are being stripped away from them.  Over time, they are going to find it difficult to continue to play this game. As the issues change from healthcare to jobs, to the war, how are they going to manage to continue to convince their base that all of these plans are evil?

At this point, I just wish we could call a spade a spade. Why can’t Conservatives just come out and say what they really feel. It is not secret that the vast majority of them feel that the only thing the Government needs to do is lower taxes. Anything beyond this is Socialism. If this is how you feel then that’s fine. You have a right to your opinion and your vote counts as much as anyone elses. However, you need to realize that there are people that don’t agree with you. A lot of them. Millions of them.  There are people that suffer every day. There are people that work their entire lives to climb up the socio-economic ladder and never get to the point that they can afford healthcare on their own… and there are a lot of them. Millions of them. You sit at home and watch as FOX News convinces you that we are so far removed from the morals our country was founded on. Think of the Statue of Liberty and the patriotism it excites in each of us… Do you know what is written on it’s base? “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

I hope that time and reflection can bring the Republicans back down to Earth. We can only be judged by future generations. History will tell the story and we will all have to live with the decisions we make today. When the smoke clears though, I believe the story will be that on March 21, 2010, the Democratic leadership stood up to the corrupted healthcare industry and the Republican party and passed legislation that laid the groundwork for a complete restructuring of the healthcare system. On March 21, 2010, Our country spoke, and chose its people over profit.

Google Takes War with Microsoft to the Streets (Literally)

A Brief History

Since storming onto the internet search engine scene in 1998, Google has been a constant thorn in every competitors side. In the early years, Yahoo! was the main player and the biggest opponent. At this time, Microsoft had MSN Live Search and wasn’t focusing intently on the search engine market. As the dot-com bubble burst, however, Google took a major stand, gaining a vast majority of the market-share and overtaking Yahoo!.

Google, however, was not satisfied with only the search engine crown. Over the past few years, as Microsoft focused on it’s battles in the video game console and portable music player worlds, Google continued to chip away at the mega-giant.

In 2006, Google announced their “Google Apps” product; A free software suite that works inside your web-browser and that would compete directly with Microsoft’s “Office” product. In the same year, Google purchased the online video site Youtube for $1.65 billion, single-handedly taking over the internet video world. Barely getting a jab in, Microsoft released Windows Live Search, their follow-up to MSN. It was still no match for Google.

The War is Upon Us

In September 2008, Google struck again with the release of their own internet browser, Google Chrome to take some of the market-share away from Microsoft’s Internet Explorer.

In recent months, the internet war has exploded and neither Microsoft nor Google are pulling any punches.

June 3, 2009 – Microsoft releases it’s new search engine “Bing”, replacing Windows Live Search. Although it has its flaws, early reviews are strong.

July 7, 2009 – Google announces plans to release an open-source operating system, Google Chrome OS, based on it’s web browser and a Linux platform.

July 13, 2009 - Microsoft announces intention to release a free online version of their Microsoft Office Suite to contend with Google Apps and keep people buying their products.

July 29, 2009 – Taking it back full-circle, in hopes of eating into Google’s internet search market-share, Yahoo! makes a deal with the devil, signing a 10-year deal that will replace Yahoo!’s search engine with the engine used in Bing.

August 3, 2009

Google has literally taken the war to the streets, announcing their “Go Google” advertising campaign. Their plan is to run actual billboard ads (yes, on the sides of highways) in Boston, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco. The ads will be changed each day and will focus on highlighting the frustrations that come with using Microsoft’s Office. Google hopes to push users and companies into making the switch to their Google Apps product, taking a major piece of what has always been Microsoft’s pie.

While I’m not entirely sure how effective this “old-school” strategy will be in converting customers, it’s definitely a bold move. Google is known for their search engine and Microsoft is known for their software. Each now have both hands in the others pot. This is a no-holds-barred brawl and there is a lot at stake. As valiant as Microsoft’s recent attempts have been, Google is looking Brock Lesnar at UFC 100. They’ve got Microsoft down, and without a major swing in momentum, they’re ready for the ground and pound.

THE FUTURE MAY BE BITTER-TWEET FOR MICROSOFT

While I’m not a big fan of Twitter personally and don’t really see a future in it long term (more on this in a future post),  there is no denying it’s impact on the internet and social networking community over the past few months.  Twitter’s membership and popularity have grown exponentially since the early months of this year. Millions of daily posts create an immediate need for a comprehensive built-in search engine. Rumors have already surfaced involving talks between Twitter and both Google and Microsoft. At the end of the day, it will probably come down to money.

If Microsoft can acquire Twitter and do something with it, it may be just what they need to pull them close to Google. If by some chance Google manages to acquire Twitter, however, they would be setting themselves up to deliver the knock-out punch. They would get the girl, retain their belt, and send Microsoft back to the locker-room to nurse their wounds and focus on Xbox 360 and Project Natal until they are ready for a rematch for the “Internet Championship”. While this is surely far from over, the only thing that’s for certain is it’s going to be fun to watch.

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Birthers, Bigots, and Budweiser: America’s Ridiculous Obsession with Barack Obama

With so many issues facing our country today, it is a shame that President Obama has to take time out of his day to meet for “happy hour” with Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates and police Sergeant James Crowley. It is a shame that racial tension still exists in this country to the extent that it has fueled such major controversy in recent weeks.  Racism is an issue we should all be concerned with. What beer Barack Obama drinks, however, is not.

Two years ago it would have been unfathomable for a mainstream news source such as CNN or MSNBC to make a story out of Obama’s beer choice; but they have. They have because this is a new time and this is a new president. This is a president who has Twitter, and a Youtube channel. This is a president that gets on television to sell every idea he has to the American public and to tell us every time he changes his socks.

To an extent president Obama did this to himself. His experience as a community organizer gave him the skills he needed to win the election using every possible means to connect with voters. But when does it end? When do we say enough is enough? When do we step back and realize that we are facing major issues and that what matters here is the presidents policies, not his personal preferences or personal life.

I don’t care what church he goes to, what beer he drinks, how he works out, what school his kids are going to, what his middle name is, what his wife wears, what color his skin is, or where his dad was born. I only care that he wants what is best for this country and that he’s doing everything he can to make it happen.

The past decade has torn our country apart. Things got pretty brutal during the election, and nobody has seemed to snap out of it. Not the media, not the public, not even the president. The election is over. Obama won.

To the President. Mr. President, stop campaigning! Stop telling us what you’re doing every minute of every day and DO IT. Not everybody is going to like you and not everybody is going to agree with every policy you make or propose. That’s why we have an election in the first place. You won. I appreciate you trying to bring everyone together, but your approval rating is dropping.  I think it’s time to switch game plans.  Just do what you do and if it works, nobody will have anything to say about it.

To the bigots. I’m disgusted that I share the same sky as you. No matter what news article I’m reading or video I’m watching, you never fail to leave a comment that single-handedly sets our country back 150 years. If you don’t like Obama’s policies, I can certainly respect that. I don’t like some of his ideas either. To make the issue about race though and to say the types of things that I see every single day being said is not OK. It’s beyond freedom of speech. It’s hate speech. You are not a true American and your beliefs are not the beliefs that this country was founded on. You make me sick.

To the “Birthers” and to the king of the birthers, Lou Dobbs; Get a life. How many times do your questions have to be answered and your theories disproven before you shut up and crawl back into whatever hole you came from? Even Bill O’Reilly and Ann Coulter have stepped up and said how ridiculous of an accusation this is. Obama is a natural-born American citizen with a legitimate Hawaiian birth certificate. He was born in 1961, two years after Hawaii entered the Union. It’s indisputable fact. If you really need to stoop this low for ratings Lou, I feel truly sorry for you. You and your “birthers” are sorely mistaken and misinformed at best and ignorant sore losers at worst. I’m going with the latter.

To the Obama-Maniacs. Chill out. I know that you’re excited, but we have a lot of work to do. I get almost as frustrated as I do with the racists when I see people walking around in Obama apparel who probably couldn’t break down Obama’s stance on a single substantial issue. I can’t even walk through the mall these days without seeing concession stands filled with Obama merchandise.

My biggest concern is that we’re treating the President less like a politician then like a celebrity, and everyone knows how American’s treat their celebrities. We are notorious for building people up and tearing them down. While this is never a good habit, doing so has much less of an impact on the world when the target is Britney Spears. The president is getting it from all sides. Those who hate him will always hate him, but those who love him may do just as much or more damage. We need to back off him a bit and give him the time and the opportunity to be the President of the United States and to do his job.

In case you’re wondering, Barack Obama “likes Bud-Light”. Did we really expect Obama, who lives in the media, to be stupid enough to say his beer of choice was Heineken or Sapporo?

TV Review: “The T.O. Show”

For newly signed Buffalo Bills wide reciever, Terrell Owens, this has been an extremely eventful off-season. He was released from the Dallas Cowboys, signed with the Bills, moved to Los Angeles, and filmed an entire season of his very own reality show. While it may be too early to tell what this will do for his career, the first episode didn’t set the bar very high.

The format of the show reminds me of every other beefed up  “reality show” on Vh1 and Mtv right now including ‘Runs House’ and ‘Gotti’s Way’. . The show follows Owens, his two female publicists, and his bodyguard and best friend Pablo. His publicists believe that he needs some time to rediscover “Terrell and not T.O.” What better place to just lay low and soul search than Los Angeles!?

It doesn’t take much to realize that anything resembling an intriguing story-line is going to involve Owens struggles with himself. It’s clear that he has some real personal demons he is fighting. He’s in his mid-thirties, single, coming to the end of his football career and is looking toward the future.

T.O. has said many times that he feels he has been misrepresented in the media. He wants people to get a true glimpse into his life and who he is. The problem is that this medium and format doesn’t feel authentic. The show itself feels less like a documentary about his journey to find himself and more as a giant publicity stunt to give him a boost before he starts his “post-sports” career somewhere in the entertainment industry.

The previews at the end of the first episode show a variety of clips involving his friends and issues that in no way involve Owens. While following one of the most interesting athletes in the world is intriguing, I could honestly care less about the trials and tribulations of his “entourage”.

Viewers spend the majority of the hour-long show watching Owens “act a fool”, usually shirtless, while his publicists do their best to ruin his fun. As a side note, Owens is a ridiculous physical specimen, though it is hard to believe he got his rock-hard physique by working out in the pool with those $20 colored bands my Mom uses.

The single shining star in the show is Terrell Owens ex-fiance, actress Felisha Terrell. To put it plain, she is smoking hot. I wouldn’t be surprised if this show has a more positive impact on her career then it does Owens. We are told that they dated for several years and were engaged. Owens couldn’t remain faithful and the relationship ended. I found myself wanting to throw something through the television screen as I watched Owens hookup with his real-estate agent and dance with a girl at a club who looked like she just walked off the set after being denied a clock by Flavor Flav.

This could be a great opportunity for T.O. to show his true colors and set the stage for whatever comes next in his life. Unfortunately, from the first episode, it doesn’t feel as though Owens fully-embraced the opportunity. It comes off as a semi-scripted and forced trashy reality show. Funny enough I find myself rooting for Owens, as he really is a likeable guy. Who will win out in the battle between Terrell and T.O.? Perhaps the real question is, will anybody be watching when he figures it out?

Film Review: Bruno

Director - Larry Charles

Writers - Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines

Starring - Sacha Baron Cohen

English comedian, actor, and writer,  Sacha Baron Cohen, responsible for the the 2006 box office hit and cultural phenomenon, ‘Borat’, is back this summer for round 2. This time he plays Bruno, a flamboyantly gay Austrian fashionista and TV personality. During the filming of an episode of his fashion-talk show Funkyzeit at a fashion show in Milan, Bruno has a major wardrobe malfunction as his cutting-edge “Velcro Suit” gets stuck on the clothes hanging in the back for the models. Bruno fights with the rack, covered in clothes, and stumbles onto the runway. He tries to stand up and play it off but is quickly escorted away by security. Bruno is shunned by the international fashion community and fired from his job on Funkyzeit. In a desperate career move, Bruno decides to venture to America, where he will seek to become “The most uber-famous gay Austrian since Schwarzenegger”.

Lets start by getting the obvious out of the way. Everyone wants to know how this film is stacking up against it’s predecessor, ‘Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.’ While it does fall far short of the ideal followup, the likelihood of Cohen striking gold twice in this manner is simply impossible.  The idea of an out-of-this-world character traveling across America, making a mockery of people can only work so many times before people start to recognize him and suspect something is up. While following the same general “mockumentary” format as ‘Borat’, ‘Bruno’ feels much more scripted. The editing is tighter, the story seems much more structured, and often times it feels like the “unsuspecting victims” may be in on the joke.

We follow Bruno as he heads to Hollywood in pursuit of fame. Along with him is his “assistants assistant”, Lutz, the only person in the world who thinks higher of Bruno than Bruno himself. It is obvious from the moment that we meet him, that he is going to be his sidekick and love interest. Together they are dedicated to traveling to America to make Bruno famous.

Where Borat seemed to be a naive and ignorant foreigner with good intentions, Bruno is a much less-likable character. He is an arrogant diva and almost acts as the antagonist throughout. This time, the film is less about what Cohen can corner people into admitting they’re thinking, and more about the “victims” reactions to his lewd antics and over-the-top, flamboyantly gay behavior.

‘Bruno’ is meant to be a social commentary on homophobia  and the desperate lengths people are willing to go to in pursuit of fame. For the most part I think Cohen may have crossed boundaries and missed the target. Many of the scenes are so raunchy and pornographic that even the most open-minded and tolerant person can admit that at times, it’s a little much. Often times the audience is laughing less at the jokes and more from being extremely uncomfortable with the fact that they are sitting in an auditorium with 200 strangers, watching a three-story closeup of Bruno’s penis (uncensored) “wagging and spinning” to techno music. This is the type of film that pushes the boundaries of the ratings system as it somehow managed an “R” rating instead of an NC-17.

While more scenes in ‘Bruno’ feel scripted than in ‘Borat’, those that aren’t are much more uncomfortable. Bruno pushes people to a point where his safety seems in question. In one such scene, he travels to the “Middle Earth” (the Middle East) in an attempt to try to get himself kidnapped by terrorists. He thinks this will get him on the news and thus make him famous. Bruno sits down with a leader of the terrorist group Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade who are responsible for countless suicidal bombings in Israel and asks him why Osama Bin Laden “looks like a homeless Santa.”

In another scene, Bruno brings his new “Gayby” (according to the infants shirt) to a “Jerry Springer-esque” show. He sits down and explains that he got his child from Africa by “swapping him” for a limited-edition U2 iPod. He only compounds his problems by explaining to the all black audience that he decided to name his child “OJ” because he wanted a “traditional African name.”

Some of the funniest scenes come when Bruno comes to the realization that in order to be famous, he has to be straight. We follow him as he visits a swinger party, joins the National Guard, goes on a hunting trip with rednecks, and has a session with a “gay converter”, all in an effort to become straight “like Tom Cruise, John Travolta, and Kevin Spacey.”

In what is probably the most shocking scene in this film, Bruno interviews parents who are auditioning their infants to be in an extremely controversial photo-shoot with “OJ”. The role will involve the infants dressing in a Nazi uniform and pretending to push another baby into an oven. Bruno asks whether the children are “ok” with “bees, wasps, and hornets”, “dead or dying animals”, “rapid acceleration”, and “lit phosphorous”. It is incredible to watch as parent after parent explains to Bruno that their infants are perfectly comfortable with all of these things. When told that the ideal candidate will weigh 20lbs, the mother of one 30lb.  infant agrees to have the child undergo liposuction if she’s not at weight on time. This is a sickening scene, but one that drives Cohens point home more in the style of ‘Borat’. It is incredible to watch as these twisted parents show that they will go to almost any length to get their children on the path to fame. If the entire movie were this way, ‘Bruno’ would be another Grand-Slam.

For a group of people who aren’t squeamish and are extremely open-minded, there are some gut-bustingly funny scenes that make going to this movie a really good time. To those who are a bit more conservative, however, Bruno perpetuates wildly flamboyant, sexually irresponsible negative stereotypes and takes them to a whole new level. Even if a closed-minded individual makes it through the film without storming out, Bruno’s wild antics and sexually provocative scenes are likely to keep most homophobes feet planted firmly on their side of the fence.

Fat People… Help Yourselves!

No, I don’t mean to the buffet table. I mean literally, help yourselves!

Let me start by saying that I realize not all obesity is caused by over-eating. This article is not for those people. Let me also say that I completely understand the “addictive” qualities of food. I don’t have an addictive personality, but the closest thing I have to an addiction is to food. I also understand that we need to eat to live, so while an alcoholic can choose to abstain from drinking for the rest of their lives, this is not an option for a “grub-a-holic”. The problem I have with obesity though is that it doesn’t happen overnight.  In order to become obese, you have to consciously and consistently make bad decisions with regard to your health and nutrition.

If you put all fad-diets aside, it has been proven time and time again that the best way to stay healthy is to eat healthy and in moderation while maintaining some sort of physical activity a few times a week. It is simple math… If you take in more calories then you expend, you will gain weight. Expend more then you take in and you will lose weight. In short, shut your mouth and move your butt!

I went to Arbys today for lunch (I never claimed to be a saint). I sat down in my booth with my Market Fresh Turkey Sandwich & a Sweet Tea. After unwrapping it I noticed a woman, barely able to fit into her booth, sitting down to a tray full of food. Fried Potato Bites, Mozarella Sticks, Curly Fries (all being dipped in Ranch Dressing), a Beef & Cheddar Sandwich and a Vanilla Milkshake. Watching her eat her meal was like watching someone slowly commit suicide and enjoy every minute of it. It’s like a drug addict.

Why are we killing ourselves? Why are we the fattest country in the world when we know exactly how to fix it? Better yet, if we know it’s wrong and we know it’s bad for us, why are we passing these habits down to our children? Is it out of pure laziness because we don’t want to cook? Pure selfishness because we want to eat the meal ourselves, so why not have the kids tag along?

We’ve all heard enough about the big Fast Food chains over the past decade to

know that they’ve been put through the ringer. Most of them offer healthy alternatives to the traditional fast food meal (ie – burger, fries, soda). Nobody is forcing you to go to McDonalds, and they’re certainly not forcing you to order the #1, superize with a vanilla shake.

So my question to you is… what do you think about our obesity problem in this country? Do you think it is fair that the public pays higher premiums to offset the costs associated with overweight people and the vast medical issues that stem directly from obesity? How about the classic airline example? Do you think it is fair that on many airlines, overweight people can get a second seat, for free, simply because they are overweight?

Stereotypical Stereotypes

Main Entry: ²stereotype

Function: noun

1: a plate cast from a printing surface

2: something conforming to a fixed or general pattern ; especially : a standardized mental picture that is held in common by members of a group and that represents an oversimplified opinion, prejudiced attitude, or uncritical judgment

Ok, so clearly we are talking about the second definition here. Almost any aspect of a person can form a stereotype. This includes race, gender, nationality, sexual preference, age, income, occupation, style, musical taste, etc. When discussing stereotypes, the biggest problem I have is that we have come to a point where we as a society have said, more or less, that we should not stereotype people, without taking the time to discuss where the stereotypes come from or why they exist in the first place.

Lets start with something almost anyone can relate to. Age. Can you remember back to when you were a teenager? Anywhere typically from the time you were allowed to start going places on your own (even though your parents would have to drop you off and pick you up) until sometime in college… You would go to the mall with your friends, or to the movies, and if there was no adult with you, people would just treat you differently. Hesitantly. In stores, it seemed eyes were always on you, and you were always asked if you needed help, but not in a nice way… More in a “I just want to let you know I’ve seen you” type of way. At the time, this infuriated me to no end. Clearly they thought I was going to steal something  just because I was a teenager. I had never stolen anything in my life, and had no intention of ever stealing anything.  I was being stereotyped.

What I failed to realize at the time, is that they were stereotyping me for a reason. Take a look at the first sentence of the definition above… “conforming to a fixed or general pattern”. While I may not have been the type of person who would steal something from the store, I looked and acted like the type of person who had stolen in the past. My point is, while many people don’t fit into stereotypes, they exist because society has noted and sorted people who fit into general patterns of behavior.

Now, I believe strongly in “not judging a book by its cover.” Each human being on this planet has the ability to be completely unique and to make their own decisions. Each of us face hundreds, if not thousands of decisions (however big or small) that help to shape us each and every day. The problem is that often times, we choose to fit neatly into the stereotypes the world has set aside for us. As long as we keep doing this, and allow other people to keep doing this, it will never change.

Let me take this a step further, without straying too far from the original example. I used to work for a “big box” consumer electronic retailer for a few years back in college. This is the type of store where the “Security Guard” stands at a part of the store watching a monitor of multiple cameras throughout the store, in order to prevent theft. I was standing and talking with one of the security guards one day when a young, black man walked in. He had baggy jeans and nice sneakers and a loose-fitting, plain white t-shirt. To my dismay, the security guard immediately panned to him and stayed on him, watching from different angles for 10 minutes straight. I continued my conversation with the security guard but couldn’t help but be slightly put-off by the fact that he was watching this guy so intently while there were over 100 people in the store. Just as I was about to say something, I saw the security guard begin to zoom in. The young man had a CD case in his hand, and was cutting the sticker-edge with a small knife. He then popped the CD off of the back-plate, slid it through the slit, and put it in his pocket! Unbelievable! I was about to rip my buddy a new one for stereotyping, when this kid had come in and fallen perfectly into the stereotype. Not only did he fall into it, but he perpetuated it. My anger turned immediately toward the thief for almost making me look like a fool. If you are a young, educated African American, this should infuriate you even more. These are the types of people who are holding our society back from making progress and accepting everyone despite our differences.

This is just an example, and that this goes for all types of people and all stereotypes. The point is, judging people without knowing them is wrong. However, as long as we continue to act in ways that fit into the stereotypes that society has created for us (and really, that we have created for OURSELVES), they will never disappear, and we can’t expect people not to believe them. We have to wake up and realize that most stereotypes exist because at least to a degree, at some time, they are true. It hurts to hear, and it may not be true for YOU, but it is something we all need to be aware of and nothing will change until we admit it to ourselves and take the necessary steps toward progress.

If you are often falsely stereotyped, it is your job to change the world’s point of reference one person at a time, starting with yourself. Don’t fall into negative stereotypes and don’t allow friends to perpetuate negative stereotypes. Stop blaming society and the people doing the stereotyping. It is not their fault that they are ignorant. It is only natural for a person to use a frame of reference they are familiar with when they are viewing the world. It is our job, in our generation, to change the frame of reference and to stop expecting it to happen on it’s own.