Tea Party!

(One of the things I’ve done since coming back, besides attempting to overcome jet-lag and contracting a cold virus, is catching up on half a year’s worth of news. And of all the newsworthy events, Ron Paul’s campaign is at the top of my list. I’m captivated not only by the man’s beliefs, but by the amount of energy the American people have generated in showing their support.)

Today is the Ron Paul Tea Party, a campaign fundraising event that has been creating completely by the general public, with a goal to drastically increase Paul’s donations through the internet. it’s currently 7pm EST, which means there is 5 hours left before midnight. I have my fingers crossed – Ron Paul is going to cross 4 million in one day… again!

I have previously not been too active in politics, but after listening to his positions, I feel almost as if I had an obligation as a patriotic American to do my part to push for his candidacy. This man may just be what our country desperately needs right now.

Go Ron Paul!

-edit- nevermind, he’s crossed $6 million – this now officially surpasses John Kerry’s record of $5.7 million one-day fundraiser in 2004. What a Revolution. May the energy continue!

Al Gore is a genius

I can’t believe Al Gore actually won the Nobel Peace Prize. Correct me if I’m wrong, but all he has done is fly around in his jet to feed biased statistics to the masses. Oh right, and he made a movie with highly skewed facts, so skewed in fact, that a London judge ruled that the film contained major errors that it should not be shown in schools as a documentary, and that it was “politically partisan, containing serious scientific inaccuracies and ’sentimental mush’.”

There needs to be boundaries to these things. The Inconvenient Truth won an Oscar, which is more fitting an award. But the Peace Prize?! Can he really be lined next to Mandela? the Dalai Lama? Mother Theresa?! What has Al Gore done to bring peace to the world? The award should clearly have been given to George W for bringing peace to the Middle East.

Wow. After a failed presidential campaign, the man went on to win an Oscar AND a Nobel Peace Prize. Now that’s what I call a smart politician.

Ahmedinejad’s visit to New York

Just because I’m living on the other side of the world doesn’t mean I don’t keep up with news from home. In fact, I become even more diligent to make sure I am caught up with all the happenings. It’s like that in New York; time is warped there. You can’t never guess how much can happen within the span of a few months. Such as, closings of a few much loved restaurants and establishments. Such as, news that a recent ex has just been engaged. But nevermind all of that; today’s news about Ahmedinejad speaking at Columbia trumps them all!

Here are a few memorable quotes from the event, accumulated from various news sources:

“The truth is, the Holocaust is the most-documented event in human history. Will you cease this outrage?” – Bollinger

“Frankly, and in all candor, I doubt that you will have the intellectual courage to answer these questions. I do expect you to exhibit the fanatical mind-set that characterizes everything you say and do.” – Bollinger’s closing

“Given that the Holocaust is a present reality of our time, why is there not sufficient research that can approach the topic from different perspectives?” – Ahmadinejad

“I know there’s time limits, but I need time,” he snaps. “A lot of time was taken from me!” – Ahmedinejad

“We are a peaceful loving nation. We love all nations!” – Ahmedinejad

“I think you could answer that with a simple word, Yes or No.” – Bollinger when asking about Ahmedinejad’s plans to ’squash’ Israel.

“In Iran we don’t have homosexuals like in your country. We don’t have homosexuals. In Iran we do not have this phenomenon, I don’t know who told you that we have it.” — Ahmedinejad

“From this platform I invite Columbia faculty members and students to come to Iran and speak with professors and students. You’re officially invited.” – Ahmedinejad

“To those who believe that this event should never have happened, that it is inappropriate for the university to conduct such an event, I want to say that I understand your perspective and respect it as reasonable It is an experiment, as all life is an experiment. This is the right thing to do and indeed, it is required by the existing norms of free speech, of Columbia University and of academic institutions.” – Bollinger

mft #4: The Economist

The creator of the Big Mac index! The Economist is by far my most favorite current events periodical. Although written by an editorial team, the magazine presents a unified voice and is consistent in its support of free trade, its span of global topics, and most importantly, its dry British humor. I also love that the writers offer intelligent viewpoints supported by cold hard facts, without feeling obligated to cover middle ground to appease the masses. Such as from a recent article on Belgium:

“If Belgium did not exist, would anyone today bother to invent it?”

fantastic.

A copy of the latest issue, and a cup of coffee – these are what Saturday mornings are made of.

you can find it at: bookstores, news-stands, www.economist.com