Asymmetric Asymmetric 38 years in the making, I present Asymmetric. I have sections for movie, book and television reviews; moderate political commentary; Catholicism and religion; Cuban music; tech reviews; military stuff; and some things I think are funny. Enjoy Articles
Howard Zinn People's History special on the History Channel
2009-12-14 07:26:00 tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.nelsonguirado.com/index.php/r eviews/2009/12/13/howard-zinn-special-on- pbs';tweetmeme_service = 'bit.ly';I haven't seen the special on the History channel (because the man doesn't want Cuban people to know the Truth! [just kidding]), but I've read most of the book upon which it's based. Reading Howard Zinn is like listening to eulogy, in reverse. Imagine going to a funeral and hearing a somber gentleman recount the times the recently departed Mr. Jones looked down Mrs. Smith's blouse and took peanuts from the Ralphs display instead of how Mr. Jones' cared for his ill wife for forty years and donated million of dollars to cancer research. That's what Howard Zinn (Hitchens does this as well in God isn't Great) does in the People's History of the United States: He picks what he perceives as the worst parts of American history and shoehorns it into his Marxist boot to create a narrative that reads: America started off as an evil conspiracy amongs... More About: Television , Special , History Channel
The Lovely Bones: Latest theologically incorrect movie?
2009-12-12 08:39:00 tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.nelsonguirado.com/index.php/r eviews/2009/12/11/the-lovely-bones-latest -in-theologically-incorrect-movies';tweet meme_service = 'bit.ly'; Description of The Lovely Bones , from Wiki: In 1973, Susie Salmon (Ronan) is murdered by a neighbor, George Harvey (Stanley Tucci), a serial killer of young girls and women. She finds herself in 'the in-between' a Heaven-like place, observing her family as they grieve for her. She also watches her killer who, having covered his tracks successfully, is preparing to murder again. Susie struggles to balance her desire for vengeance on Harvey and her desire to have her family recover from their loss. The name for that "in-between" is "Purgatory."* I haven't seen the movie, but if Susie watches in agony, then her experience in the description can be a kind of spiritual cleansing ("burning anger," perhaps). Reading the description got me to thinking about how Hollywood sometimes fudges afterlife orthodoxy for cinem... More About: Movie
Debate on Same-sex marriage at Huntington Park High School
2009-12-11 20:41:00 tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.nelsonguirado.com/index.php/E ducation/2009/12/11/debate-on-same-sex-ma rriage-at-huntington-park-high-school-1'; tweetmeme_service = 'bit.ly';Our debate on Wednesday, December 9th was a great success primarily- in fact, almost exclusively- due to the hard work of the participating students. They chose a topic a couple of months ago and under the direction of the captains, Priscilla for the affirmative and Mabel for the negative, proceeded to do all of the research, studying after school and during some lunches. The auditorium was 3/4 of the way full with maybe 20 classes and 500 people attending. Brett Flater, the coordinator of the Los Angeles Metro Debate League (LAMDL) scored the event. He's still tabulating, but said that it was close, a sign of a good debate. The only issues was a delay caused by the microphone volume. That glitch robbed the students of their prep time and each teams' final rebuttal. Riot, from my fourth period class took v... More About: Marriage , School , High School , Park
Mid-quality pen comparo: Parker Jotter versus Sheaffer Sentinel
2009-12-10 18:09:00 tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.nelsonguirado.com/index.php/c omiendo/2009/12/07/mid-quality-pen-compar o-parker-jotter-versus-sheaffer-sentinel' ;tweetmeme_service = 'bit.ly';My Parker on the left. The Scheaffer's in the middle, and my wife's Parker is on the right. There's something about fine or semi-fine craftsmanship that attracts me, even if the extra care with which something is made is useless. For example, watches are essentially disposable. The cheaper quartz and digital watches are actually more accurate and rugged than Omegas or Rolexes, but I'd prefer the latter because...I don't know, craftsmanship. It's somewhat different with knives, as the material with which they're made is important. Still, there's an element of useless craftsmanship with that as well. It's not just guys, either. Women prefer a quality purse, even one many times more expensive, than one of slightly lesser quality. Anyways, since I discovered them in high school, I've always been partia... More About: Versus
A useful social media calendar from Yovia and network versus independent bl
2009-12-08 08:58:00 tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.nelsonguirado.com/index.php/t echreviews/2009/12/07/a-useful-social-med ia-calendar-from-yovia-and-network-versus -independent-blogs';tweetmeme_service = 'bit.ly';I must have done something to get on Yovia's mailing list because I get an email from them every couple of weeks. I decided to follow a link from one of those messages the other day, just to see who the heck they were. It turns out that Yovia's a "blog network," a collection of blogs centered around one master blog that aggregates the posts from all of the member blogs. This is different from Google's Blogger or Wordpress where blogs are completely separate from each other. Joining a network seems like a good way to get people to see your blog immediately. A blog completely separate from all other blogs, like Asymmetric, has to wait to show up on search engines and acquire links while weblogs on a network get instant eyeballs. The downside to a network is that you can't build your own do... More About: Social , Media , Internet , Blogging , Network
Asymmetric abandons Stargate Universe
2009-12-07 06:21:00 tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.nelsonguirado.com/index.php/r eviews/2009/12/06/i-must-abandon-the-star gate-universe-that-sucks';tweetmeme_servi ce = 'bit.ly'; I hadn't regularly watched a TV show in probably 18 years (Cheers? A-Team?) when a fellow soldier approached me in Iraq with the Stargate SG1 season-one DVD box. "You look kind of bored. Check this out." Hook, line, and sinker. I eventually watched every episode, sticking with the series through several "jump the shark" moments: the loss of Daniel Jackson, "Space Race" (second worst episode after the one where the kids lose their memory), the introduction of supernatural elements like "ascension," the Ori thing that never really worked. Through all of that, the show maintained its sense of humor, great characterization, and solid story lines. Stargate Atlantis was a great show through and through. Loved every episode. Because my wife and son shared my enthusiasm, Stargate means family, hot chocolate, fun, domestic warmt... More About: Television , Universe , Asymmetric
Tiger Woods-Elin in prenup negotiations
2009-12-06 23:23:00 tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.nelsonguirado.com/index.php/a symmetric/2009/12/04/tiger-woods-elin-in- prenup-negotiations';tweetmeme_service = 'bit.ly';Today: According to reports, Tiger Woods ' prenup would have guaranteed Elin $20 million after 10 years of marriage. But she could get a $5 million payout instantly. I guess flowers won't work this time. I see marriage going in this direction, transforming into a mere business transaction, once we toss all of the religious/cultural baggage overboard. I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing. The combination of no-fault divorce and community property/alimony is untenable: It should be one or the other. Imagine a guy or girl getting married, working hard for the other spouse, and then their spouse deciding to split. Pre-nups are one response. SHARETHIS.addEntry( { title : 'Tiger Woods-Elin in prenup negotiations', url : 'http://www.nelsonguirado.com/index.php/a symmetric/2009... More About: Culture
The first day of Army basic training
2009-12-04 17:28:00 tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.nelsonguirado.com/index.php/M ilitary/2009/12/04/the-first-day-of-army- basic-training';tweetmeme_service = 'bit.ly';Embedded video from CNN Video I saw this story on CNN. I went through that. I'm glad I did: It's always interesting to be placed in a new situation, and basic training was definitely that for me. I feel that the Army taught me a lot. Not just about rifles and tactical movement, but about people. Stressful situations expose character, positive and negative, and the Army does cause that stress. At the same time, the quicker ones figure out that the Army isn't like the first year of law school: They'll do everything possible to keep you there. I look back at some of the things and laugh, or wince. The awe we felt at the sight of officers and drill sergeants; How much we cared about shining our boots and keeping quiet. Anyways, I'll write a little more about it later. SHARETHIS.addEntry( { title : 'Th... More About: Training , Basic , Basic Training
Hellboy Arm Wrestler
2009-12-04 07:24:00 tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.nelsonguirado.com/index.php/c omiendo/2009/12/03/hellboy-arm-wrestler'; tweetmeme_service = 'bit.ly'; Wow. That dude's lucky there's such a thing as arm wrestling. The only better match between a sport and an individual would be a game called "making an ass of yourself" and Joe Biden. Here's the Hellboy character. My friends say the comic is good. The second movie was pretty bad. SHARETHIS.addEntry( { title : 'Hellboy Arm Wrestler', url : 'http://www.nelsonguirado.com/index.php/c omiendo/2009/12/03/hellboy-arm-wrestler'} , { button: true } ) ; Original post blogged on b2evolution.
NAACP condemns Tiger Woods for racism
2009-12-03 23:42:00 tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.nelsonguirado.com/index.php/c omiendo/2009/12/02/naacp-condemns-tiger-w oods-for-racism';tweetmeme_service = 'bit.ly'; At a news conference today, NAACP president Benjamin Todd Jealous lashed out against Tiger Woods for revelations that Tiger Woods was managing multiple extramarital affairs at the time of his car accident last week. "Tiger Woods has been a disgrace. A whole parade of women and not one sister. I mean, put all of those hos' behinds together and you barely have one decent booty. The NAACP calls on Tiger Woods to choose an African-American as his next mistress or we will take action." Asked to elaborate, Jealous said, "We will call on every black man in America to boycott golf. When ratings plunge, we'll see how loud Tiger roars." Immediately after the press conference Obama offered to personally mediate the dispute: "The days of the old divisions are over. This is a huge challenge, but one on which people of good will can find c... More About: Racism
Asymmetric operative outed by Tiger Woods crash
2009-12-02 11:17:00 tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.nelsonguirado.com/index.php/c omiendo/2009/12/02/asymmetric-operative-o uted-by-tiger-woods-crash';tweetmeme_serv ice = 'bit.ly';One of my best celebrity journalists, Rachel Uchitel, has been outed as such by recent events. Her effectiveness seriously compromised, I had to let her go today. The people here at Asymmetric (well, person, two cats, and a dog), wish her well. Rachel, here holding sophisticated hidden microphone, will be missed. SHARETHIS.addEntry( { title : 'Asymmetric operative outed by Tiger Woods crash', url : 'http://www.nelsonguirado.com/index.php/c omiendo/2009/12/02/asymmetric-operative-o uted-by-tiger-woods-crash'}, { button: true } ) ; Original post blogged on b2evolution. More About: Crash
Sampa Community Educational Project
2009-12-02 04:57:00 tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.nelsonguirado.com/index.php/r eligion/2009/12/01/sampa-community-educat ional-project';tweetmeme_service = 'bit.ly'; One of my most annoying traits is verbally assaulting foreigners (there's a word you don't hear anymore) with questions. Thaddeus Mensah was one of my unfortunate victims a few weeks ago. Mr. Mensah's from Sampa, Ghana (below). He and his friend Alex Obroni run a charity in Ghana called Sampa Community Educational Project , Thaddeus here in the US and Alex in Ghana. They build schools and do other good works. My view on foreign charity: Generally speaking, a dollar to a person in places like Africa means a lot more than it does to somebody in Los Angeles. Here, it's the difference between a single and double Whopper. Over there, it's the difference between eating for a week or starving, going to school or staying illiterate. Patriotism is important and there's a utilitarian dimension to helping one's neighbor first, but we s...
Little Green Footballs: The dumbest most over-rated blog ever
2009-12-02 04:13:00 tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.nelsonguirado.com/index.php/t echreviews/2009/12/01/little-green-footba lls-the-dumbest-popular-blog';tweetmeme_s ervice = 'bit.ly';I've criticized Little Green Footballs a couple of times (here and here), but I've mostly ignored Charles Johnson's blog because 1. Johnson used to be my boss at Pajamas Media and 2. I would glance at it about once a year. I didn't read LGF because it always seemed the shallowest of popular blogs. Compare LGF to a blog like Powerline, and you'll notice that while the smart folks at Powerline offer smart commentary; LGF, at least from the posts I've read, gives us little more than "Look at this!" extended tweets, with zero original thought or analysis; self-promoting nothings; and bad music. That he would only allow people to register on certain weekends and the rich-mistress-hand-me-down "open threads," was obnoxiously self-aggrandizing to me ("self" is the operative word here). Johnson's thoughtless stream of anti-... More About: Internet , Blogging , Blog
Read my Twitter for Obama speech commentary.
2009-12-02 03:07:00 tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.nelsonguirado.com/index.php/a symmetric/2009/12/01/read-my-twitter-for- debate-commentary-1';tweetmeme_service = 'bit.ly';Twitter is a better forum for this stuff. Here. SHARETHIS.addEntry( { title : 'Read my Twitter for Obama speech commentary.', url : 'http://www.nelsonguirado.com/index.php/a symmetric/2009/12/01/read-my-twitter-for- debate-commentary-1'}, { button: true } ) ; Powered by b2evolution. More About: Commentary
Why don't restaurants stock coffee lids?
2009-12-01 02:12:00 http://www.nelsonguirado.com/media/Cigare ttes_And_Coffee .mp3tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.nelsonguirado.com/index.php/m usic/2009/11/30/why-don-t-restaurants-sto ck-coffee-lids';tweetmeme_service = 'bit.ly';After eating, I always ask for a coffee to go. It keeps me busy in between texting and browsing the internet while I'm driving (just kidding- very dangerous- don't do it). Anyways, about half the restaurants don't have the kind of lid that you can keep on as you sip your coffee. I really dislike having to take out my Leatherman to open a slit in the plastic containers designed for soda. This rule doesn't discriminate, from the most expensive restaurants to the mom and pop meat loaf dives, it's always 50%. Considering that many people probably finish their meal with coffee and a large percentage of them probably like to do as I do, and that coffee lids are available at Sam's Club or Costco for about 40 cents a ton; there's really no excuse not to have them. Please, coff... More About: Pop , Restaurants , Soul , Classical
Review: Motorola Droid: The physical extention of electronic desire
2009-11-30 07:00:00 tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.nelsonguirado.com/index.php/t echreviews/2009/11/29/review-motorola-dro id-the-physical-extention-of-desire';twee tmeme_service = 'bit.ly'; There will come a day when people call their friends and keep to-do lists with an implanted chip activated by brain waves. Until then, we're stuck with the squarish apparatus you might be staring at right now. The best of them may well be the new Motorola Droid. Decision process: 1. I had the opportunity to steal an upgrade slot from my daughter (shhhh). 2. I have Verizon, so my choices were limited. 3. Blackberry phones won't download Army emails and have poor browsers. The Storm, my previous phone, doesn't have a physical keyboard. The Storm 2 is worse than the original Storm- the screen feels flimsier. The Tour 9630 has a keyboard, but the browser and Army email issues remain. 4. The HTC Imagio is an interesting device with more software options than the Google. I was and remain weary of the Micros... More About: Computers , Electronic , Review , Physical
Mamas, Papas, peace, love, sex drugs, Rock and Roll, and incest
2009-09-23 13:16:00 Very ungroovy SHARETHIS.addEntry( { title : 'Mamas, Papas, peace, love, sex drugs, Rock and Roll , and incest', url : 'http://www.nelsonguirado.com/index.php/m usic/2009/09/23/mamas-papas-peace-love-se x-drugs-rock-and-roll-and-incest'}, { button: true } ) ; Original post blogged on b2evolution. More About: Peace , Love , Drugs
Why Honduras needs a nuclear weapons program
2009-09-22 01:54:00 It's clear that to get any respect from the Obama administration, a nation has to brutally suppress demonstrators, illegally pursue a nuclear weapons program (preferably both), or place nuclear weapons next to staunch allies (article headline should read: "Russia finally stands up to Poland"). All Honduras did was follow its constitution and, at the same time, resist a malevolent America-hater like Hugo Chavez and his stooges across America including, apparently, in the Obama White House. Now, through pressure from the U.S., Honduras has allowed the president who attempted to ram through an unconstitutional referendum back inside the country. Strangely, few, if any leftists cheered when this tiny nation attempted to resist American pressure. TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - Honduran de facto ruler Roberto Micheletti said on Saturday the United States has revoked his visa to pressure him to step down and reinstate exiled President Manuel Zelaya, who was ousted in a June military coup... More About: Europe , Nuclear , Latin America , Weapons
De-teching my life
2009-09-21 15:42:00 Sometimes the amount of stuff people have dilutes the joy each individual item brings to them. I'm attracted to shiny, beeping things like Eliot Spitzer is to hookers, and bask in the glow of LCD light like George Hamilton does UV radiation, but I had so much tech that those square things with all of the buttons seemed like a bother rather than a help. It was especially annoying tripping over something you didn't use when a minute earlier you were writing checks to the credit card company (I have the Amazon card so that every once in a while I can buy something else I don't need). As much as cluttered life is suffocating, cleaning and consolidating is refreshing and invigorating. Mrs. Asymmetric and I have been selling much of our technology. I started by getting rid of the Onkyo stereo amplifier and Polk speakers that dominated our living room. If you have small kids, you know that listening to finely-reproduced music in the setting it's due is nearly impossible. The TV spea... More About: Life , Gadgets , My Life
Essay topic of the day: Inter-frater PP
2009-09-21 04:17:00 A Wolfeboro, N.H teacher asked this question: "If you knocked your brother down, would you urinate in his mouth..?" It really irks me when teachers oversimplify complicated moral problems. Without the context of the situation, it's virtually impossible to answer in either the affirmative or negative. Assuming, however, that the knocking-down was intentional and for good reason- say as recompense for an uninvited reception of bodily effluence- then the action would be just- an emanation for an emanation, to paraphrase an ancient legal code. Excepting tit-for-tat retaliation, urination should be used rarely, if at all. Not to say that it should be ruled out a priori- the threat of being peed-on has a deterrent effect. Neither, however, should one use such a messy option without first escalating gradually through less severe options like the "noogie," the "pantsing," and "wet willy." Urination is always wrong in casual horseplay. I think that the pee-ee is entitled to adequa... More About: Inter , Topic , Essay
Thoughts on ACORN scandal
2009-09-20 00:28:00 Thoughts on ACORN: 1. A few employees doing wrong things doesn't mean that ACORN is a bad group. It's hard to have 100% conscientious employees. Maybe the guerrilla reporters just found four or five bad employees (in a row). 2. It wasn't corruption, however. The worker who accepted underage prostitution as a swath of the American mosaic didn't ask for anything in return or even seemed shocked by the whole thing. Perhaps the ACORN ethos of helping people help themselves (to your tax money) overwhelms other considerations. Or, maybe they're just used to dealing with these kind of people in the same way that West Virginia doctors are used to treating people for Opossum poisoning and San Francisco surgeons see gerbilectomies as routine procedures. 3. The problem with ACORN for me is that it's a federally funded group that exists to promote a left-wing agenda. It's like a left-wing faith-based organization. Come to think of it, community organizers are like lefty missionaries,... More About: Scandal , Thoughts , Domestic
Brother can you spare a dime
2009-09-19 22:36:00 http://www.nelsonguirado.com/media/Brothe rCanyouSpareaDime-bingcrosby.mp3My favorite columnist, Mark Steyn, mentioned "Brother , Can You Spare a Dime" in his National Review column, which I've posted below. Steyn contrasts the lyrics of the song with the modern British attitude towards work. What the singer of "Brother" wants is the ability to work again, the "restoration of dignity," while the modern British dole-takers wish to avoid work. The song was written at a time when calling somebody 'non-productive" would produce shame within the target. Today, for many societies, producing is optional, if not a bad thing altogether. Why should people produce in the first place? Isn't production a source of pollution? People have always had a sense of societal obligations between ruler and ruled, classes, Church and state. These change over time. Brits may have, at one time, cared about the glory of the empire or spreading their beliefs around the world. The able-bodied were expecte... More About: Pop
Notebook Odyssey, Dell coupon, and Latitude E6400 review
2009-09-18 22:33:00 Dell E6400 in black When my Lenovo T61's screen and motherboard went out two months after the warranty expired, I faced a number of laptop decisions. The first one was how much to spend. I could have gotten a cheap laptop that would have done 99% of the tasks I performed. Or, a high-quality, mid-priced computer. I consider the T61 I had such a computer. I could have had another T61 or the thicker R61 at the Lenovo outlet for under $600.00. Or, a very nice computer like the Dell Precision M6400 or Dell XPS. Concerning things tangible, I place my laptop right under my family and above my car and pets in importance so I wasn't going to get the cheapest computer. My financial situation prevented a luxury purchase. Mid-level it was. I entered with some non-negotiables: 1. 14" Matte (non-glare) screen. This is the right size for me. I don't understand the Rube Goldberg fascination with shininess. It's distracting in all but the perfect conditions, like watching a DVD in the d... More About: Computers , Notebook , Review , Dell , Coupon
Who's better: Beyonce or Taylor Swift?
2009-09-18 04:48:00 OK. Let's decide. I usually never watch contemporary music videos, but I have to admit that about half of Beyonce 's sixty million youtube views for "Single Ladies" are mine. Kanye is correct: the video's brilliant. Instead of special effects or a mini-movie, we have in "Single Ladies (Ring on the Finger)" music stripped down to its bare essence: the stark, black and white filming; bare stage; and long camera shots aim to eliminate distractions from the music and dancing, both of which are magnificent. The only flashiness occurs towards the end when Beyonce inexplicably waves a robotic hand. 0" height="339">Beyonce Single Ladiesby slylad No small part of the video's appeal is that Beyonce is also nearly in her bare essence. She and her co-performers are beautiful. They dance in a feminine style: sexy, but not raunchy. No tattoos. Best of all, no men. This video would make a highly accurate heterosexuality test. Next is Taylor Swift. She's very attractive as well. Wholesome ... More About: Music
Free market Education from Center for freedom and prosperity
2009-09-16 03:59:00 To think that some people pay for education. Hmmm, if I weren't working for the government, I'd be doing something important like...full-time blogging. More below. I have a policy of not posting things I see on the big con-blogs (like The Corner in this case), but the dude asked me to because he relies on viral marketing. SHARETHIS.addEntry( { title : 'Free market Education from Center for freedom and prosperity', url : 'http://www.nelsonguirado.com/index.php/a symmetric/2009/09/15/free-market-educatio n-from-center-for-freedom-and-prosperity' }, { button: true } ) ; Powered by b2evolution. More About: Freedom , Economy , Market
Happy 100th birthday Huntington Park High School!
2009-09-13 06:02:00 The High School where I teach (and love doing so), Huntington Park , celebrated it's 100th year today. I couldn't make it because I had Army drill today, but I heard from one of my colleagues that the Centennial celebration was a great success, . SHARETHIS.addEntry( { title : 'Happy 100th birthday Huntington Park High School !', url : 'http://www.nelsonguirado.com/index.php/E ducation/2009/09/12/happy-100th-birthday- huntington-park-high-school'}, { button: true } ) ; Original post blogged on b2evolution. More About: Birthday
How they made Stonehenge and my next projects
2009-09-12 22:30:00 It's inspiring when people spend their own time to help humanity understand its past. In fact, watching this guy move those huge stones motivated me to figure out some other mysteries. This weekend, my brother-in-law and I will go over to the quarry at Irwindale and recreate one of those Easter Island thingies- Maori, I think. During my vacation in December, I plan on renting leasing some cheap land, maybe an old Circuit City or something and burning one of those Nazca crop shapes into the ground. I'm also watching the extended Blu-Ray of Mel Gibson's Apocalypto to figure out how those wily Mayans knew about JFK's death. Hopefully I'll get to finishing it in a couple of years, around Chikchan 14th or thereabouts. Amazon.com Widgets SHARETHIS.addEntry( { title : 'How they made Stonehenge and my next projects', url : 'http://www.nelsonguirado.com/index.php/c omiendo/2009/09/12/how-they-made-stonehen ge-and-my-next-proj... More About: Projects , Made
Not all pro-choice people are homicidal maniacs
2009-09-12 03:29:00 I'd like to be the first to say that I know many pro-choice people who are respectable members of the community. It would be completely unfair for I or any other pro-life person or group to use this horrible incident- where a pro-choice person decided to kill a gentleman he didn't know only because the gentleman wanted to protect unborn babies- to perpetuate a stereotype of the pro-choice as fanatics or homicidal preachers of hate in order to score cheap political points. You can be pro-choice and completely sane: it's just a different point-of-view that we should engage in good faith. Nor do I think that the pro-choice philosophy necessarily leads to violence and hatred. I'm sure Planned Parenthood, the Huffington Post, and other pro-choice organizations would have nothing to do with this man and are busy writing up condemnations as I type. (CNN) -- Authorities have charged an Owosso, Michigan, man with two counts of first-degree premeditated murder in the Friday shooting... More About: People , Choice
Should Joe Wilson apologize to Obama- Greg Brady lies
2009-09-10 17:57:00 Should Joe Wilson apologize? Let's see: 1. Obama is essentially, though not technically lying. The health care plan isn't "designed" to cover illegal immigrants, but it probably will, as congress refuses to take steps to stop verification. There won't be anything called "death panels," but government will decide "best practices." Government will include abortion coverage as sure as I'm typing on my school's Lenovo R61. Thus, Obama invokes the Greg Brady "exact words" defense, wherein one can use syntactical analysis to overwhelm the author's intent or craft a phrase in such a way to mask one's meaning. Greg gets grounded It’s right for people to point this out. However, right in the middle of a speech might not be the best time. If the public allows the shouting down of controversial presidential statements, it may set an unpleasant precedent. On the other hand, Obama indirectly called Joe Wilson a liar, first. 2. Obama abuses his joint-session address privi... More About: Domestic , Lies
Review of Obama's school speech
More articles from this author:2009-09-09 02:36:00 - When I'm not blogging, I'm a high school teacher. I decided to show Obama's speech in my class. Why, if I mostly disagree with the president? First, he's the president of the United States and deserves some attention. Second, it wasn't a federal mandate, in which case I would have resented the imposition. Third, Americans have precious few unifying events and non-political presidential speeches can be one of them. The speech itself was a triumph- Obama at his best. The theme was perfect, even conservative. It was a speech that could have been delivered by any president in our history, proof in itself of its non-partisan nature. The liberal stereotype is that kids can't learn because of some material deprivation. Obama said that no matter how much we spend on education, it's the kid who has to allow the knowledge to enter his brain. Learners are the final barrier to knowledge, so to speak. This is something I've been saying to my classes for years ("you have this... More About: Review , School , Speech 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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