The Conundrum of the Anti-Gay Hypocrite

Yesterday evening, I went on this rant about Alabama attorney general Troy King about his anti-gay views. Now his bashing of gays and lesbians is all fine and dandy to me, given his First amendment rights, but apparently he forgot about his own homoerotic desires- as several reports from two years ago point out.

But the point in general is that these anti-gay types- politicians, televangelists, and their ilk- talk of the "evils" of homosexuality, but then find themselves eating their words- so to speak- when they go to some gay bar and fellate some hot piece of man meat in the bathroom stall. Now, in the case of Mr. King, apparently the alleged lover's wife caught them in bed doing the back door dance.  Yes, this incident happened two years ago, but the point is it's a nice way to show that you're anti-gay, Mr. King. That makes gay rights supporters, such as myself, dance in glee when these hypocritical jackals get trapped in their own lies.

This video rant is just like this blog- basically unfiltered, on the fly, and definitely uncensored.
 

Copyright 2010 by Darren W. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.
wix.com/dwastudios11/dwastudios

There's a Stranger In My Bed

Anteus Magee, 28, reportedly broke into a woman's home in Roseville, California- just outside Sacramento- and climbed into the bed next to the woman. The woman woke up suddenly at around 2:30 AM this morning and found a man next to her. Magee ran, but was later caught by authorities, and is facing charges of sexual battery, burglary, parole violation, and failure to register as a sex offender.

When I first read this, I thought, something fishy is going on here. After all, there seemed to be no sign of a break-in, right?  And perhaps the woman forgot that she had invited Magee over, then when he got amorous, she screamed. Yeah, very unlikely that she would panic if she had let him sleep with her., Likely, the woman may have left her windows open- it has been a bit warm down there (in contrast to what this author- along with his fellow Portlanders and Seattlelites- had to go through over the past couple of days. Oh, it's been a bit warm. As for dry, however, I can hardly tell...). But this still gives Magee no excuse to break into the woman's home.

It's so wonder his fool didn't get his nads blown or cut off.

Copyright 2010 by Darren W. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.
wix.com/dwastudios11/dwastudios

The Sony Handycam NEX-VG10. This One's Mine

Interchangeable Handycam Camcorders | Sony | Sony Style USA

Never before have I become extremely excited over a product such as the Sony Handycam NEX-VG10 interchangeable lens camcorder. From all of the videos I've watched over the past couple of months- many from Swiss-based videographer Charles Michel, but also from the Sony and Sony Style websites themselves- I've been nothing short of impressed at the sharp quality in video and sound the NEX-VG10 has.

Just take a look at this video from Michel's Video Academy, based in Zurich, Switzerland:

Charles Michel Videoacademy/You Tube

Now I have the urge to head to Zurich for the 2011 Streetparade. You can use this puppy for nature videos, news journalism, and perhaps even doing student films. It works very well in low light- though if you need a bit of extra light, the NEX-VG10 has dual accessory shoes that take video lights, external mics, and more. In short, I'm picturing using this at the 2011 Mardi Gras, and even the weekend urban jungle that is the Portland, Oregon city center.

The NEX-VG10 will be out later this month. You can count me among the crowd that's in line.

Copyright 2010 by Darren W. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.

Jesus Commands You To Burn the Koran

This is a report from last night's ABC's "Nightline", where Terry Jones, the pastor of Dove World Christian Center in Gainesville, Florida is preparing for a Koran burning, which is scheduled for this Saturday- on the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Now, I don't have to agree with this guy- who does, with the possible exceptions of neo-Nazis, Ku Klux Klan members, and the fan bases of Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck?- but unfortunately, he does have the right to burn the Koran, thanks largely to the First Amendment. Jones has received death threats over this, but he remains bound and determined to create an inferno made of wood and over 200 copies of the holy book of Islam.

I can't help but wonder if Muslims across the world were to plan a mass burning of the Christian Bible- no matter the translation. Of course, if Muslims do burn the book many Christians believe is inspired by God- and here on good ol' American soil nonetheless- just imagine the outrage that would be expressed. Picture the cross burnings, and mosques being destroyed (and you can thank the KKK, Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, Terry Jones, and their rabid fan bases for this...okay, maybe Mr. Beck and/or Ms. Palin may be among the voices who are telling Pastor Jones not to go through with this, though I sure as hell can't tell, given their lack of responses thus far). Kristallnacht would have nothing on the rampage that would ensue if Muslims burned the Bible here in the U.S. Okay, I may be exaggerating a bit on the aforementioned, but still, some nutcases who identify as Christian would be on a hunt until every Muslim is either hunted down, or deported.

And why the fuck would this church even carry the name "Dove"? Given that some of the members openly carry firearms, it's so wonder the church logo doesn't have a dove with a Glock in its beak. Yes, the members- all two of them- does the speaking of tongues and play the "in the fire of the Holy Spirit" dance (or whatever those conniptions they go into are), but I see them as some little church- and pastor Jones- as entities who are nothing more than some hideaway social club. One that denies membership to anyone who isn't white, Christian, and members of the National Rifle Association. Now I'm not saying that the Dove Christian Center and its members are racist, and I'm not even saying that they're xenophobic or even Islamophobic, though I'm having a hard time telling that. All I can say is that when this conflagration takes place Saturday, many folks will no doubt pray that pastor Jones would only jump into the fire. But then, he'd only be a martyr. Damned if you do...

Copyright 2010 by Darren W. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.

State Police Release 911 Call Made By Omar Thornton - Video - WFSB Hartford

State Police Release 911 Call Made By Omar Thornton - Video - WFSB Hartford

I listened to the 911 tape in its entirety. The operator tries to reason with Omar, telling him to surrender peacefully. Now listen carefully at around the 3:51 mark of the video provided by WFSB (just click to the link above to watch this). I believe that's when Omar Thornton shot himself dead.

I don't buy the story that Omar, who shot eight people before killing himself, was the subject of racism. Of course, every workplace has its share of racist knuckleheads of all stripes, but likely, such conduct gets dealt with one way or another. Whatever problems Thornton had at the job, he should have dealt with them in a more reasonable manner. He did talk to his supervisors about some racist graffiti he saw in the men's room, but knowing that the supervisors didn't deal with it, he should have went to some kind of state agency- or somewhere- and told them about his problems.

Co-workers, I understand, describe him as someone who stayed to himself, and at times disgruntled. Of course, the video evidence of him stealing beer from the warehouse doesn't help his case any. As far as this goes, his argument of being racially targeted is flushed down the loo by such evidence. What I think is that Mr. Thornton himself was the racist, and that many of his co-workers had tried to reach out to him. Now understand that I don't work for Hartford Distributors, and I can't speak for them. Nor did I know Mr. Thornton, obviously, so again, his stories of racial harassment may have had merit. Otherwise, he just simply used the race card, and subsequently a bullet to his own head, as excuses not to face up to the discipline he had just faced.

I'm sorry, Omar Thornton, but I just can't accept your soliloquy about being treating bad on the basis that you're black. As I- an African-American- has said often times, playing the race card is a good way to lose an argument.

Copyright 2010 by Darren W. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.

Appeal Filed Over Gay Marriage Ruling In California - cbs2.com

Appeal Filed Over Gay Marriage Ruling In California - cbs2.com

Man, I don't know what will it'll take to get those who are dead against same-sex marriage to get the message that they're worried about nothing. Proposition 8, the ballot measure that was passed in 2008 to ban same sex marriage in California was overturned by a federal court yesterday, but these so-called evangelistic terrorists still think that if gays and lesbians were allowed to marry, the San Andreas fault will be so pissed that the Big One finally happens. Never mind that the ground and just about everything else is still standing in Massachusetts, and in one of the most conservative states of the Union- Iowa. My take is that if same sex marriage were allowed, these crybaby types will lose their spouses to their one and only true love, that true love being of the same sex. Of course, that won't be the case in many instances, but in many others, hmmm...

Eventually, this will reach the Supreme Court of the United States, and if those justices- including the just confirmed Elena Kagan- say that gays and lesbians have the same rights, let's just say that every Pat Robertson and Rod Parsley will attempt to incite a riot and shit tons of bricks. Hey, that's all they're good for these days, stirring up shitstorms and just being stupid.

Of course, me? I'll just walk my gay friends down the aisle and watch them say "I do."

Copyright 2010 by Darren W. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.

Shooting in Hartford

This morning in Manchester, Connecticut- just outside Hartford- Omar Thornton, a 34-year-old African-American worker for Hartford Distributors, reportedly walked into work this morning and shot numerous people. The latest report (as of press time, 2:10 PM Pacific/5:10 PM Eastern) says that nine people, including Thornton himself, are dead. Thornton was reportedly asked to resign from his job after being caught stealing beer. Some people described Thornton as a loner, and disgruntled, while Thorton reportedly told his supervisors that he was racially discriminated, after seeing racial slurs and a noose at the workplace.

I can't help but wonder if Thornton himself had used the race card to escape the fact that he was in trouble for committing acts against the company, namely theft. Was he wongly accused of theft? Did his co-workers use racial epiphets against him? Or was Thornton just someone workers couldn't get along with? I'm not buying the racial discrimination story, to be honest, but if evidence of such does come to light, then Hartford Distributors must own up to the problem and deal with this. Otherwise, all I'm seeing is just one pissed off man who took lives for no apparent reason.

Copyright 2010 by Darren W. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.

Building a Great Website

I'll admit that I haven't been doing a lot of blogging as of late- that is, unless you count my Facebook and Twitter rants. But I've been busy over the past couple of days working on a new website, courtesy of the folks at Wix.com. Wix allows commoners- such as myself- to build websites. Without costing one red penny. So, the site I'm building now will eventually have photos and video, plus I'll feature some art work- paintings, sculptures, and other pieces of art. The site looks a little out of sorts right now, but when everything falls into place, this will turn out to be a great site. It'll take time, but I'm getting somewhere at least.

The name DWA Studios is the name of what will be a video production entity- before the year's out, I'll have the name incorporated.

Copyright 2010 by Darren W. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.

And I Thought the 2000 Presidential Election Was Chaotic

In the United Kingdom, there is no clear majority in the just concluded elections. The Conservatives, who got the most votes at 306, were 20 short of being the outright ruling party. The Labour Party, which the current Prime Minister Gordon Brown is a member of, has 258, and the Liberal Democrats got the smallest number of the major three party, with 57. This is the first hung parliament in 36 years, and things will get very interesting over the next several days. I've been watching the coverage from the BBC, and right now, I'm learning that the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats are talking about a deal of power-sharing- a coalition government, actually.

Think that'll work here in the States? I know, dumb ass question. But I can't help but wonder, perhaps even picture a 2012 presidential election where neither the Democratic candidate, the incumbent president Barack Obama, nor the likely Republican candidate, Sarah Palin, will get the required 270 electoral votes. Especially given if several "third-party" candidates run, and given the fact that both American major parties are drawing the ire of the tea party movement, that could very well be the case. Call me crazy, but I think the madness of 2000 will have nothing on the forthcoming 2012 elections.

I do know that the idea of doing a coalition government will not wash with the Democrats and the Republicans.

(C) MMX, by Darren W. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.

Too Early To Call It a "Relationship" - Darren W. Alexander's MySpace Blog |

Too Early To Call It a "Relationship" - Darren W. Alexander's MySpace Blog |

Normally, I wouldn't talk personal business here at this blog. But I never did follow any rules- I don't think there were any (at least in the days when this blog was called "The Alex Chronicles" and "The View from Planet Alex").

Recently, I began a new relationship- even though it's only three days, for all intents and purposes, I suppose I can call it one. I won't divulge much at this point, and any updates will be on my blog at MySpace.

So, go ahead and read the entry. It could last- or I may be looking for someone new. Only time will tell.

(C)MMX, by Darren W. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.

Comcast Buys Watchtower

On Thursday, Comcast- who is already buying a majority stake in NBC Universal- announced that it has bought the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society, the corporate arm of the Jehovah's Witnesses faith. The deal was approved by government regulators last week.

Comcast CEO Brian Roberts and Watchtower president Don Adams (no relation to the late "Get Smart" actor) jointly announced that with the power of Comcast behind the Watchtower name, the quest for world domination is fully within reach. "Who better to reach customers than the Jehovah's Witnesses?," Roberts said. "They knock on doors, and sell Watchtowers and Awakes- now part of the Comcast stable. and now, they also will tell you when you cable bill is late. It really saves us from mailing those pain in the ass notices."

Adams went on to say that with the deal, "This makes the (Watchtower) Society more open to everything. Every idea. Every person we reach."

Among the proposed changes the new Comcast-Watchtower deal are:

•  allowing women and openly gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and crossdressing persons to lead congregations,
• changing the names of the two main magazines: "The Watchtower" will keep its name, but will drop the "Announcing Jehovah's Kingdom" subtitle. The Watchtower symbol will also feature the NBC peacock  prominently inside the symbol. Also, the format would change to that of Comcast cable listings and profiles on stars on the NBC Universal TV networks. "Awake" would become "NBC Awake", and would feature stories from NBC's "Today" show,
• congregational meetings will become more entertaining, and the religious aspect would become optional, as opposed to the stiff and formal settings that now take place.
• Many of the Kingdom Halls would be renamed "Comcast Halls". several others will keep the "Kingdom Hall" name, except now, the Kingdom Hall name is trademarked by Comcast. Furthermore, some Comcast/Kingdom Halls will serve as broadcast facilities, mainly for NBC news programs.
• At the 2010 District Conventions, across North America, big name pop stars, such as Rihanna, Kelly Clarkson, and Taylor Swift will perform at several venues (of course, venues and dates are still being negotiated at this time). Also, "Today" will broadcast from at least two convention sites.

Except for making programming better, there should be no noticeable changes, Adams says. Adams will be vice chairman alongside Roberts, and is in the running for running some of the NBC Universal networks and NBC-owned TV stations.

(C) MMX by Darren W. Alexander.

All Rights Reserved.

Who Wants To Be a Viral Rapist?: Controversial Game Causes Uproar

There is a video game that's on the viral sites that allows players to sexually assault young teenage girls, and even their mothers and female siblings and other relatives. It's called RapeLay, and- understandably- womens groups are up in arms over this. What kind of message does this bring to players- and those who are registered sex offenders, and even those who are suffering from sex addiction? Obviously, the manufacturers of this game didn't stop and think about the unintended consequences, otherwise, the thought would have never occurred to them to release it.

You can say that this game goes too far- and I think that it does. Unfortunately, however, the manufacturer is within its rights to create this-although Japan censors sexual content (genitalia is obscured), themes and ideas are left unregulated. Here in the U.S., I have to wonder if the gaming industry would allow such a game- such as RapeLay- to be released (even in adult media stores, such as Fantasy For Adults, a local adult novelty store chain here in Portland, Oregon, for example). Even if that's not the case, it can be found found online- one can just Google it, and find a list. It's pretty damn troubling to find that a game like this exists, but what more can feminist groups do? If they force the game manufacturer to stop release, these same womens groups could run the risk of getting sued by the game makers. On the other hand, stopping the game may help stem the tide of sexual assaults around the world. But as with everything, there is no easy answer, is there?

To see the CNN story, just click on the title.

(C) MMX, by Darren W. Alexander.
All Rights Reserved.

Obama- Not Just a Target of White Supremacists, Chapter Two

Obama's Safety: Hate Groups Thrive Amidst Town Hall Health Care Debates - ABC News

You would think that we as Americans would care about our health. Here in Portland, Oregon, where I live, we're fucking health nuts (well, many of us, anyway). Everywhere I go, I can't walk one-quarter of a block- let alone a mile or two- without seeing someone jogging or riding a bike. Hell, you can even ride your bike on three of the four Interstate highways (5, 84, 205, 405) in town (the Stadium freeway- I-405- is the lone holdout, though who knows? Perhaps they'll find a way to build bike paths on that 3-mile stretch. Of course, they'd have to negotiate some engineering on the double decker Fremont Bridge...). Anyway, I'm straying from the subject at hand.

It appears that the passage in the House of the Health Bill has gotten a lot of groups riled up. Of course, this vitriol against the 44th president has went on long before he decided to work on health care. Our friends in the white supremacy movement think that having a "nigger" in the White House will cause the sky to collapse. What with their Second amendment rights seemingly under threat- at least, according to them, anyway- and the fact that he's running the country (in the ground, they think...), their racial existence is under threat. Then there is the tea party movement, which reportedly welcomes the neo-Nazis, Ku Klux Klan, and John Turner society types. They see the health care reform as something that come from Russian icons Lenin and Stalin. Hell, they even have the audacity to make Obama look like German chancellor Adolf Hitler- as if Barack is Adolf's long-lost brother (of course, Barack had hidden from the Aryan public for awhile- lest Dolfie-baby's message gets lost over the fact that he would have a black sibling born 16 years later...). Cue the Russian national anthem (Cold War-era version).

You'd think that in the 21st Century, we'd be long past the racial arguments, and that everyone would get along fine. Of course, that could only happen in the Andromeda galaxy, because it sure as hell isn't happening here in the Milky Way. I'm not one to play the race card, but I'm beginning to wonder if race relations have really evolved- or are some of these factions are making attempts to regress back to the 1950s America. Some folks are upset because blacks, Asians, Arabs, and Latinos- and in a large sense, women- are in position of power politically, industrially, and even financially. Some are upset that these aforementioned groups are doing well, mainly through hard work and persistence, while these complainers and haters aren't going anywhere. I don't know if the people who play the blame game have simply given up on their dreams, but perhaps if they would just stop their bitching, and start chasing their dreams and making them into reality, maybe we wouldn't have this conversation.

Of course, all of this is lost on the white power and tea party types. Let's find H.G. Wells, so we can send these folks back to the 1950s- just so they can leave the rest of us alone.

(C) MMX, by Darren W. Alexander

All Rights Reserved.

Obama- Not Just a Target of White Supremacists

I've wrote in a private entry this morning that white supremacists are reportedly jumping on the tea party bandwagon. After all, the change that President Barack Obama is working to bring is apparently too much to stomach.

But in an article on the website, News One- which deals with news and issue involving African-Americans- one man, Jay Martin- who (like this blogger) is African-American- thinks that Obama should be assassinated. I wonder if every white supremacist in America is reading this (I have the link to this story. Yeah, I'm running the risk of tipping those knuckleheads off, but the rest of the world deserves to see the story, too...). Martin apparently wants to shoot the president himself over accusations that Obama is part of a "new world order". Hmm...sounds like a term tea party types and white supremacists use quite obsessively. But Martin used Twitter to rant, and I looked at his page (thanks, News One), he mentions that he was frustrated. Aren't we all, sometimes? Yes, the president sometimes frustrates me, but I criticize him in a constructive and rational manner. Unlike the two aforementioned groups, I must say.

But I'm sure that a few tea party members are seeking to recruit Mr. Martin. After all, they do need to make the tea party movement a bit more "colorful", I suppose.

(C) MMX, by Darren W. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.

Corey Haim 1971-2010

One of the stars of 1980s film and TV, Corey Haim, has died at 38. It's been widely reported that Haim had suffered from flu-like symptoms, and was rushed to Providence St. Joseph Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. There were reports stating that Haim may have accidentally overdosed on prescription medications, but until the LA County coroner's office confirms this, it's only speculation.

Haim came to fame in the film "The Lost Boys", where, alongside Corey Feldman, he fought off vampires (one played by Kiefer Sutherland), and "Lucas", where he played the title character. Haim suffered from chemical dependency issues over the years, and both his career, and his longtime friendship with frequent co-star Corey Feldman, were strained.

Haim was 38.

Updates can be found at CNN, and ET Online about Haim's untimely death.

(C) MMX, by Darren W. Alexander
All Rights Reserved.

What Now, Senator Ashburn?

Last week, California state senator Roy Ashburn, R-Bakersfield, was arrested on suspicion of DUI. He had reportedly left a Sacramento gay nightclub, Faces, in a state-owned vehicle, and had another man inside. The man was not a state employee.

Today, on Bakersfield's KERN radio, Ashburn came out as a gay man. This is interesting, given that he has consistently voted against gay rights over his 14 years in state politics- eight in the California senate, and six in the state assembly . Ashburn told KERN's Inga Barks that he voted the way his constituents wanted him to vote, and the votes never reflected his own views. Ashburn serves in the largely conservative 18th Senate district, which includes Kern and san Bernardino counties (just outside Los Angeles). He's term limited, and Ashburn himself has mentioned that he will not run for any further public office.






The large question is  this: will he embraced the very people he vilified- the lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender (LGBTQ) community- or will he be shunned? Yes, he's slowly embracing his homosexuality, and to be sure on how I feel about this, he has my support in his efforts. His constituents, on the other hand, may not be so supportive. First off, he's a married man with four children, and i pretty much know how they're taking the news. He believes himself a devout Christian, which means that his fellow parishioners are either praying for him, or taking steps to excommunicate him. Either way, you have what is essentially a volatile situation. I'm very interested in how the intervening period will play out, but whichever way this goes, senator Ashburn will likely learn from this, and become a better person.

(C) MMX, by Darren W. Alexander.
All Rights Reserved.

What More Can Be Done About the John Albert Gardners?

John Albert Gardener III has been charged with murder, with a special allegation of rape or attempted rape, and a count of assault with intent to commit rape, in connection with the disappearance of Chelsea King. She was last seen alive Thursday, and although a body had been found yesterday, there is no positive identification that it is indeed Chelsea. Gardner has pled "not guilty", and is due to return to court on March 9. There may be special circumstances where Gardner may face the death penalty.
I watched some footage on NBC San Diego, and several folks suggest that sex offenders be microchipped, and even do a "one-strike-and-you're-out" law. The microchipping idea sounds like it could work, except I have a bit of an issue with that, and other methods used to keep sex predators and other criminals in line. Oh, I believe that these will work, mind you. But here's my issue: no matter what method law enforcement uses- be it microchipping, ankle bracelets, GPS tracking, and what have you- some criminals are very clever. If they're hellbent on committing henious acts, no kind of method will stop them. Some of these cretins won't even give a rat's ass that they're being tracked, and even revel in being caught. In the case of microchipping- which, again, I find a noble idea- what's to say that those chips won't get damaged. Believe me, if a criminal can find a way to get rid of tracking devices, he/she will utilize that shortcut.
Then, there's the issue of privacy. The American Civil Liberties Union will say that it's an invasion of privacy. Which begs the question: how can we keep an eye on people like John Gardner? Must we listen to experts, such as the psychiatrist who suggested that Gardner be locked up for up to 30 years (when Gardner served time for raping a 13 year old girl ten years ago), and follow through with that? Perhaps videotape every move? Of course, these jackals do deserve some kind of privacy- after all, we don't want to look at them every second, 24/7/365.  There are no easy answers to this.




 (C) MMX, by Darren W. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.

Emotions High In Chelsea King Case

Days ago, Chelsea King, 17, went out for a morning jog. John Albert Gardner, 30, a registered sex offender in the state of California, reportedly raped and subsequently murdered Chelsea- although, there is no confirmation as of yet that the body is that of Chelsea's.
Enter the community of Rancho Bernardo, where the suspect's parents live. A neighbor discovered a message, "Chelseas blood is on you, move out" on the parents' garage door. On the NBC San diego website, a video shows a confrontation between a man and the two men who painted over the message. Click here to: http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local-beat/Neighbors_Confront_Men_Painting_Over_Vandal_s_Threat_San_Diego.html for the video.
No doubt emotions are high in this case, and I mourn with victim's family over this loss. Their young daughter's life has likely been taken, and if Mr. Gardner has indeed killed Chelsea, he must pay for his crime. But unfortunately, any kind of retaliation against the family of Gardner's will only make matters worse- the older man who confronted the two painters could have hurt himself in the end, by facing assault- and even murder, if so decided to commit that act- charges. I know that this is not a popular idea, given the high emotion of what has likely transpired, but everyone needs to take a step back, wait for the facts to surface. Yes, be angry- in fact, be extremely angry over this young woman's kidnapping and apparent death! I know I am. But rash reactions, and getting into altercations aren't the way to memorialize Chelsea.


(C) MMX, by Darren W. Alexander.
All Rights Reserved.

Damned If You Do...

It appears that President Obama can't seem to catch a break.

Ultra-liberals say that he's not liberal enough. Ultra-conservatives say that he's too liberal.

Last night's State of the Union address is usually one event where the president lays out his plans for the coming year and beyond. Obama stated that bringing jobs back is job one, that the party's over for Wall Street, and that he's starting to mean business. But the Huffington Post's Arianna Huffington says that the speech was too "paint-by-poll-numbers". Fox News' Kevin McCullough says that the speech- and Obama himself- was too arrogant and defiant.

I thought these folks wanted more definace and attitude from our 44th Chief Executive. This comes to show that this president has gotten a bit sick and tired of trying to please everyone. Sure, he'll continue to work for the American people, but on his own terms, and in his way. And when those jobs start coming back to America, they'll be wanting to fellate him- or prepare volleys of accusations (of too much Affirmative Action and playing favorites, etc.).

Perhaps we would have been better off  electing that fossil John McCain into office- but then you'll hear accusations of creating the third term of George W. Bush. Like the title says...

(C) MMX, by Darren W. Alexander
All Rights Reserved.

What Will Apple Release?

It's that question I ask yearly when Apple does one of its "surprise" events: What will Steve Jobs and Company release this time? You've heard the news about the people from Cupertino releasing a "tablet Mac", one that will revolutionize mobile computing, and- in some cases- be a standard bearer for all others to follow. Reportedly, the screen will be 10-11", have a virtual keyboard, and even be used for gaming (hey, all work and no play makes Darren a dull guy...). I checked on my Facebook page Saturday afternoon and saw that a local BMW dealership had "jumped the gun" on what the tablet will look like. Don't believe me? Click here to: http://www.kunibmw.com/MiscPage_9. I'm not buying this hype, mainly because the person who provided this dealership a picture may not even have the picture right. And as I said on my Facebook page Saturday, Apple may not even release the damn thing. So, I'm going to wait until Steve Jobs hits that stage at the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco, California, and physically shows us what Apple has created.

I'll be back this afternoon to give you my thoughts on this.

(C)MMX, by Darren W. Alexander
All Rights Reserved.

Why I Voted No On Measures 66 and 67

Today, here in Oregon, we voters are deciding on whether to approve Ballot Measures 66 and 67, which upon passage, will authorize the $733 million (USD) tax increase that the lawmakers in Salem approved last summer. Measure 66 will tax individuals who make $125,000 or more, and couples who make $250,000 or more. Measure 67 raises the corporate minimum tax from the current $10 annually, to $150 annually. Proponents say that this money will go for education, social services, and public safety.

However, I beg to differ.

• We're in a recession, and it's not a good time to raise taxes right now. Not with so many people out of work. Oregon has the second highest unemployment rate (Michigan, at 14.6%  has the highest rate. That number is the December rate )
• Salem has been doing an effective job playing around with taxpayers' money. Did you know that our state police force has been decimated, and that there are less than five cruisers at one given time on Oregon highways. Which means that if someone drives drunk, someone else will become a casualty.
• The middle class- which 66 and 67 purports to help- will suffer in the end, mainly because the costs will trickle down to anyone who doesn't live in the West Hills or (Portland suburb) Lake Oswego.
• State lawmakers gave themselves a pay raise. In the tune of $259 million (USD).

This is why I voted against both measures. Because if the state- and particularly the current governor, Theodore Kulongoski (or as some of us call him, "Tax-and-Gouge Me", or "Governor Colonoscopy")- keeps treating using our money for trips to Vegas and those mini mansions, instead of lowering the unemployment rate, Oregon's going to hell in a handbasket. Besides, I think the talk of schools having to cut the number of days in the school year, and social services being cut is just overstated. There is always a way to keep services afloat, and school years intact. 

Raising taxes is not the way. 

(C) MMX by Darren W. Alexander

All Rights Reserved.

Massachusetts Senate Race Close

The free-for-all that is the US senate seat to replace the late Edward Kennedy's senate seat has already turned into a fiasco.

Democrat Martha Coakley has alleged that ballots were tampered with, and she has asked state attorney general William Galvin to look into the matter. Meanwhile, the race, according to sources- including CNN- is a close one, with Republican Scott Brown holding a lead over Coakley. What's really at stake is the domestic agenda of President Obama, most notably, the health care fight that continues. If Brown wins, the Democrats in the Senate will be one seat short of avoiding any fillibusters. This means that the Democrats will have to step up their game, especially given the fact that many are facing challenges in efforts to get re-elected this year.

(C)MMX, by Darren W. Alexander
All Rights Reserved.

Who's a Blockhead, Rush?

Pat Robertson's comments about Haiti were bad enough. Now comes Rush Limbaugh. You know, that bloated fat fuck who recently had a heart attack, and praised the hospital and health care that he so much hates. Here on MSNBC's "Countdown with Keith Olbermann", Olbermann rips Robertson for his asinine comments, and Rush for saying that President Obama is using the Haiti disaster for political gain, and- wait for it!- elevating the black-skinned among us:


MiniRtist/MSNBC/YouTube


MSNBC/Hello Walter Sobchak/YouTube

What gets me is what Rush says about Obama's responding to the Detroit terrorist wannabe. Yes, it took three days for the president to respond, and yes, he seemed pretty irritated that he had to respond. What president- Republican or Democrat- wouldn't be? Rush and Pat are just mad that the Haitian people were dealt with a double whammy- poverty was rampant before Tuesday's earthquake claimed an estimated 50,000 or more lives. It's "Shame on President Obama for wanting to show compassion." Bah humbug, Rush and Pat. This shows that you're damned if you do, damned if you don't. Now, say that a Republican president were in office- say, President John McCain. How would he respond? Promptly? Or like his fellow Republican, George W. Bush, who took three days to respond to the devastation that New Orleans suffered under Hurricane Katrina nearly five years ago? I almost think that Rush should have died of that heart attack, but then he'd be a martyr for the conservative movement. Like I said, "you're damned if you do, damned if you don't."

(C)MMX, by Darren W. Alexander.
All Rights Reserved.

Pete Carroll Reportedly Going To Seattle Seahawks

I'm still hyperventilating over the news that the USC Trojans head football coach, Pete Carroll, may have signed a deal to be president and head coach of the Seattle Seahawks. This comes after Jim Mora was fired from the Seahawks, after posting an 5-11 season. Somewhere, my friend David Schreiber- a USC alum- is blowing a gasket (and demanding to St. Peter and the Deity that he come down and smack some sense into Carroll). Yes, he's worked with several NFL teams- including a season of head coaching the New York Jets (He was fired after posting a 6-12 record). He's very tenured at the University of Southern California, with consistently winning seasons.

The story is still developing, so stay tuned.

(C)MMX, by Darren W. Alexander
All Rights Reserved.