Ok, didn't manage to catch all of the debate, but I saw a large portion of it.
I'm firmly of the belief that the system for political debates is kinda retarded. Arguing a point with limited prep time and only 2 minutes to speak is crazy nightmare.
But onto the debate itself.
All of the analysts are saying that Romney won the debate. Mainly in that he gave the impression that he was giving concrete details, while he in fact was disagreeing with himself all the time.
Example:
Obama says that his medical plan is exactly like the one Romney used in Massachusetts.
Romney responds that no their plans are totally different because his was a bi-partisan effort.
Obama responds that regardless of who made it, the two plans are the exact same formula, with a couple additions.
Romney changes the subject to complain that medical care should be the problem of the state, not the federal government.
Obama rolls his eyes.
This is something that has been bugging me for the last fifteen years that I've actually paid attention to politics.
Republican candidates always say that they want LESS Federal control, MORE state control, LOWER taxes, but HIGHER spending.
Taking the first two under examination, the Republican party doesn't actually have a good record with those two concepts. Every time we get Republicans in power, they want to Increase Federal control (Hello? Patriot Act?) and try to take the power away from the states by trying to enforce morality/religion. I'm sure I could come up with better examples, but I'm tired.
Second part they actually keep their word on, but it's fiscally insane. You can't reasonably spend money that you don't have. Hence why every time we get a Democrat in office, they have to reduce their spending and increase taxes to pay for the debt of the previous administration.
Romney is doing the same thing in his campaign.
He's talking about reducing taxes again but keeping the budget basically the same, so yet again, more debt. It's like giving a teenager a credit card with $100 in the bank and no spending limit. You hope that they will be smart enough not to spend more than the $100 they have, but with no limit they are spending like crazy. And given our financial crisis, that's fucking insane.
But the whole concept of putting the power back in the states, yes, it's permanently part of the platform, but they'll never actually do it. More control for the states requires more money for the states. So either Federal taxes need to go down so State taxes can go up, or the federal government needs to give a sizable percentage of their earnings to the states.
So yeah, much of the debate was simply massive research and math failures.
But I am looking forward to the VP debate. Mostly to see what crazy shit Paul Ryan will say.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Wedding tips from a veteran Best Man.
Ok, I've done the best man gig twice now, and there are a few things that I have discovered about weddings that I think everyone should know about.
1. Weddings are a much bigger pain in the ass than you think.
Consider all of the details of your perfect wedding. The type of flowers you want, the dress, the color theme, the reception. It's lovely isn't it?
Now consider the other things. The invitations, the thank you cards, the seating arrangements, the photographers, the DJ, the back seat bridesmaids. Shit goes from lovely to horrifying really fast.
Simple tip: Focus on simplicity. The wedding is going to be inherently complicated, so try not to add more complication to your plate.
2. There is going to be drama.
Without fail, someone is going to be pissed or emo about your wedding. If you're very lucky it won't be one of the people actually getting married. But the best thing you can do is to assign a bulldog on the bride and groom's side. The groomsman bulldog basically acts as a bouncer. His job is to kick drama out the door to make sure it doesn't fuck with you. The bridesmaid bulldog has the job of trying to catch the drama before it becomes unmanageable. These people have a rough job, make sure to do something nice for them.
3. Make sure you keep your wedding gift registry in the price range of your guests.
If most of your friends are poor, make sure you give them cheap options. They feel obligated to give you something, but don't try to break the bank.
4. Be ready to compromise.
As part of the process you may feel like everyone is trying to influence your decisions, and when you are in the planning phase you should tell people to go fuck themselves. It's your wedding, do it how you want. However, as you get closer and closer to zero hour, be ready to ditch your elaborate plans when they become too convoluted or too costly to keep. Yes having the bride and groom arrive in carriages might be awesome, but not cheap, and if the church has no ability to handle horses, you're kinda stuck.
5. Be willing to delegate, and be ready for the consequences of that delegation.
Firstly, don't try to do every little thing yourself. Yes you may have a special way you want the napkins folded, but teach it to someone else and let them do it. However, don't get pissed off if they don't look exactly the way you want them. Yes within reason, but they are trying to help you, don't get pissed at them.
6. Avoid having too many chiefs.
You need one master plan, and for everyone to follow that, don't let other people try to influence your plans or to try to turn your wedding into their ideal wedding. Fuck those people.
7. Clearly define everyone's roles. The first time I was a best man I had no idea what to say for my toast. The second time I wasn't notified that I was the best man until the day before the wedding. Fortunately I managed to pull together an awesome speech the second time, and the first time I managed to pass it off to someone who did know what to say. But think clearly, people don't automatically know what you want them to do at their wedding. Do you want a bachelor party? Should the speech avoid any specific topics? Should the bridesmaids attempt to match accessories? Important details to remember. You can always pass the buck to someone else, but you do need to make sure that person knows what you want.
8. Make sure to take time to enjoy yourself.
Weddings are a stressful time for the couple in question. If you don't focus on your own happiness then the beginning of your new life together is going to be a constant reminder of one of the most stressful days of your life. Take naps, cuddle, remind eachother why you are doing this. And get good and drunk at the reception. Unless you really want that wedding night sex to be special, expect your wedding night to be spent passed out from exhaustion.
9. Skip the wedding night sex.
Unless you are getting a quick civil service, you are going to be entirely too wiped out to perform properly in the bedroom. Just go to sleep, and try to impress eachother the next day when you are less tired.
1. Weddings are a much bigger pain in the ass than you think.
Consider all of the details of your perfect wedding. The type of flowers you want, the dress, the color theme, the reception. It's lovely isn't it?
Now consider the other things. The invitations, the thank you cards, the seating arrangements, the photographers, the DJ, the back seat bridesmaids. Shit goes from lovely to horrifying really fast.
Simple tip: Focus on simplicity. The wedding is going to be inherently complicated, so try not to add more complication to your plate.
2. There is going to be drama.
Without fail, someone is going to be pissed or emo about your wedding. If you're very lucky it won't be one of the people actually getting married. But the best thing you can do is to assign a bulldog on the bride and groom's side. The groomsman bulldog basically acts as a bouncer. His job is to kick drama out the door to make sure it doesn't fuck with you. The bridesmaid bulldog has the job of trying to catch the drama before it becomes unmanageable. These people have a rough job, make sure to do something nice for them.
3. Make sure you keep your wedding gift registry in the price range of your guests.
If most of your friends are poor, make sure you give them cheap options. They feel obligated to give you something, but don't try to break the bank.
4. Be ready to compromise.
As part of the process you may feel like everyone is trying to influence your decisions, and when you are in the planning phase you should tell people to go fuck themselves. It's your wedding, do it how you want. However, as you get closer and closer to zero hour, be ready to ditch your elaborate plans when they become too convoluted or too costly to keep. Yes having the bride and groom arrive in carriages might be awesome, but not cheap, and if the church has no ability to handle horses, you're kinda stuck.
5. Be willing to delegate, and be ready for the consequences of that delegation.
Firstly, don't try to do every little thing yourself. Yes you may have a special way you want the napkins folded, but teach it to someone else and let them do it. However, don't get pissed off if they don't look exactly the way you want them. Yes within reason, but they are trying to help you, don't get pissed at them.
6. Avoid having too many chiefs.
You need one master plan, and for everyone to follow that, don't let other people try to influence your plans or to try to turn your wedding into their ideal wedding. Fuck those people.
7. Clearly define everyone's roles. The first time I was a best man I had no idea what to say for my toast. The second time I wasn't notified that I was the best man until the day before the wedding. Fortunately I managed to pull together an awesome speech the second time, and the first time I managed to pass it off to someone who did know what to say. But think clearly, people don't automatically know what you want them to do at their wedding. Do you want a bachelor party? Should the speech avoid any specific topics? Should the bridesmaids attempt to match accessories? Important details to remember. You can always pass the buck to someone else, but you do need to make sure that person knows what you want.
8. Make sure to take time to enjoy yourself.
Weddings are a stressful time for the couple in question. If you don't focus on your own happiness then the beginning of your new life together is going to be a constant reminder of one of the most stressful days of your life. Take naps, cuddle, remind eachother why you are doing this. And get good and drunk at the reception. Unless you really want that wedding night sex to be special, expect your wedding night to be spent passed out from exhaustion.
9. Skip the wedding night sex.
Unless you are getting a quick civil service, you are going to be entirely too wiped out to perform properly in the bedroom. Just go to sleep, and try to impress eachother the next day when you are less tired.
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