Entries tagged with "politics"
In which I get all boring and political and make fun of abbreviations
posted by srah on May 13, 2008 6:22 PM
Tags: politics, study abroad
Three days ago, I sent a personalized form message through my professional association's website to my state senators asking them to support the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act, which, to boil it down, would establish a foundation with the goal of increasing participation in (and funding for) study abroad and increasing diversity both in study abroad destinations and in the demographics of study abroad participants. This bill has been working its way through the system for a while and will expire if it is not passed by the Senate this year. This morning, I received a reply from...
Srarold and Kumar Go to the Grocery Store
posted by srah on February 21, 2008 5:46 PM
Tags: barack obama, boys, kal penn, politics
Kal Penn and some guy I've never heard of are travelling around Ohio universities this week, trying to convince young people to vote for Barack Obama. When I got the notification that he was coming to The University I Work At, my initial reaction was (direct quote from my Facebook profile): KAL PENN! KAL PENN IS COMING HERE! I think he's coming to meet me and marry me and this whole Obama thing is just a cover. KAL PENN! Then once I calmed down and thought about it, I was conflicted because I hate it when celebrities get political. I...
Wheeee! Politics just got easy!
posted by srah on August 16, 2007 5:54 PM
Tags: election 2008, politics, voting
Boing Boing posted a link this week to a chart of 2008 presidential candidates' stances on various issues. Bah. It is too early for that nonsense and chaaaaarts are so haaaaaard to reeeeeead. What's that? There's an online quiz? Well, why didn't you say so? My top 3, apparently: Kucinich - 28 pointsOnce again, Kucinich comes in at the top. He will never ever win, but he keeps trying. You go, little gnome! I voted for him in the Michigan Democratic primary three and a half years ago. Yes, it was a throwaway vote (If I remember correctly, Kucinich came...
Gaseous matters
posted by srah on September 14, 2006 12:14 PM
Tags: election 2006, gas prices, michigan, ohio, politics, voting
Seen yesterday whilst pursuing my HIGHEST STEPCOUNT DAY EVER: Many people have suggested that lowering gas prices is a ploy by the GOP to entice people to vote Republican this November. I, myself, do not think Oh my, such good prices on gas! Thank you, Ken Blackwell! Clearly the price of this gas is thanks to YOU! Here is my vote!. Who does that? If that's actually the case, then I'm mostly just disgusted that the Republican party thinks so poorly of us. I will take my cheap gas, thank you, and drive to the polling location where I will...
O downtrodden minority!
posted by srah on April 6, 2006 6:16 PM
Tags: politics, second amendment, the university i work at
It's Conservative Week at The University I Work At. Here, have a squirt gun to celebrate your right to bear arms. Yippee! In other news, it is Communist Party Week in China. Wait, every week is Communist Party Week in-- Oh....
Attention-seeking much?
posted by srah on March 29, 2006 8:17 AM
Tags: israel, middle east, politics, sharon stone, travel
It turns out that Sharon Stone, who followed us around Israel and stayed in two of the same hotels we did, was not doing so in order to stalk study abroad advisors, but because she wants to make out with everybody in the Middle East, and especially more women if ya got 'em. Dammit! I thought it was us. In other Sharon Stone-related news: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!...
Someone told me nothing's happening at the zoo
posted by srah on February 21, 2006 4:56 PM
Tags: detroit, michigan, news, politics, zoo
I lived in Michigan for the first 26 years of my life and I went to Detroit for three things: hockey at Joe Louis Arenathe North American International Auto ShowDetroit Zoo When I came to Detroit for these events, my family and I often made a day of it, eating dinner in Greektown or somewhere else in the city. But if the idiotic Detroit City Council gets their way and closes the zoo, I will be 33% less likely to a) go to Detroit and b) spend money there. (Actually, I haven't been to a hockey game in years, so...
60% of Michigan voters can bite me
posted by srah on November 3, 2004 7:35 AM
Tags: marriage, michigan, politics
Screw you, Michigan. And screw you, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, Oklahoma, Ohio and Utah. In Michigan, this piece of shit says that "the union of one man and one woman in marriage shall be the only agreement recognized as a marriage or similar union for any purpose." (emphasis mine). Way to go, America. Who needs civil rights, anyway? I don't know how someone could justify voting for something that so blatantly discriminates. In other news, it looks like we're up for four more years of the rest of the world hating us and our president trying to convince us...
Me so political!
posted by srah on November 2, 2004 1:11 PM
Tags: politics, united states
"A Washington Post analysis of 11 swing states found no less than 33 different combinations that would result in a 269-269 Electoral College tie. Under the 12th amendment to the US constitution, in case of a tie, the House of Representatives chooses the president. Because Republicans will probably control the House, President Bush would be likely to win. But the Senate chooses the vice-president, making it theoretically possible that Mr Bush could be saddled with John Edwards as his second-in-command." - BBC News - Q&A: What if there is no clear winner? Ha! Vive la cohabitation, suckahs!...
'T'es pour Bush, toi? Non, c'est un gros connard, lui!'
posted by srah on July 12, 2004 10:16 AM
Tags: election 2004, marriage, politics, voting
November is setting itself up to be quite a month of negativity as I find myself voting against things instead of for anything. I hate having to do that. I wish I liked Kerry at all....
Special skills? I ain't got no stinkin' special skills
posted by srah on March 15, 2004 8:21 PM
Agency initiates steps for selective draft Uh... hockey is good. Mounties are neat. I hear they have excellent maple syrup in Canada. Too bad I don't like maple syrup. Or cold. Or curling. Mightn't one draft-dodge just as well in France? [via niobeweeps]...
Ah, William Hung. You are a household name.
posted by srah on February 9, 2004 8:41 PM
Tags: american idol, american idol 3, politics, tv, wesley clark, william hung
... in our household anyway. (During a discussion of the Democratic candidates) me: The thing about Wes Clark is, he has no political experience. Dad: Yeah, and he has no professional training of singing....
I am tempted to vote for the CWDHFNFLN...
posted by srah on February 7, 2004 12:44 PM
Tags: election 2004, politics, voting
Voting stresses me out. At the insistence of a friend, I applied to vote in the Michigan Democratic Caucus. So I've spent the past week (well, mostly this morning) trying to figure out who I'm going to vote for. The letter I received along with my ballot asks for contributions to the Michigan Democratic Party and informs me that by requesting this ballot, I have "taken the first step to defeat George W. Bush!" While I'm all about getting that wang out of office, I wish there were a way to rephrase that so that it wouldn't be so negative....
The full extent of my political involvement
posted by srah on January 20, 2004 9:08 PM
Tags: george w bush, politics, state of the union
I hereby vow to donate $5 to Dubya's campaign fund if the State of the Union address begins: "My fellow Americans, the state of the union is... it sux0rs." And he has to pronounce it "sucksors" or it's a no-go. Update (21:12): Sucks to be you, Georgie! Them five bucks is gettin' spent on bubble tea!...
'They don't have anything. They come from the MOON!'
posted by srah on January 17, 2004 9:43 AM
Tags: george w bush, politics, united states
"A national mission to a far-away place where glory awaits and no rebel movement lurks will help Americans forget about the continuing problems in Iraq and portray the president as a peaceful visionary." - "World press pans US Mars shot" I am constantly amazed by the numbers of people who don't realize that Bush has made a laughingstock of our country and driven our already arrogant and ignorant reputation further into the ground. The sad thing is, you can't just tell them this. You can't just inform them of what he's done, because they don't care. These are the same...
It's notta tumah
posted by srah on October 8, 2003 12:27 PM
Tags: arnold schwartzenegger, politics
I don't know anything about California. I've never lived in California. All I know is, when I hear Governor Schwartzenegger*'s voice on the radio, it makes me giggle. How can anyone take him seriously? I can't get past the voice enough to actually listen to what he's saying. Mummy says I shouldn't take him less seriously because of his accent. Am I one to take people less seriously because of accents? I don't think so. My grandma and ex-boyfriend and loads of my friends from Albion have accents. I like accents. Sometimes I think I might be more likely to...
Deedle dee dee dee dee dee dee dee
posted by srah on August 29, 2003 2:10 PM
Tags: george w bush, politics
You can't tell, but I'm singing the banjo song from Deliverance. I quite like this video, although I'll warn you that it's over ten minutes long. [sort of indirectly via RoboRanch]...
Just stop trying to talk politics, you ignorant slut
posted by srah on March 28, 2003 2:05 PM
Tags: politics, united states, war
If the US can decide that the UN is no longer effective and can ignore it, why can't Iraq ignore the Geneva Convention? We don't want to let them sink to our go-it-alone cowboy level? Is that it? I don't want anyone to suffer or die, but it seems to me we are setting a bad precedent and playing do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do....
It is at times like this that I wish my camera was digital
posted by srah on March 27, 2003 5:28 AM
Tags: assistantship, france, politics, strike, united states, war
Or is it were digital? I started my 10:00 class with a whopping four students and was explaining the rules of the game we were going to play, when I was interrupted by an invasion. Hundreds of students from neighboring high schools descended on Valéry Larbaud to encourage them to join in their "strike for peace". My students watched out the window and we talked about how, de toutes les façons, ça sert à rien to go on a strike for peace in France, which is not even at war. George Bush is not going to suddenly change positions after...
Buy French
posted by srah on March 16, 2003 10:12 AM
Tags: france, politics, united states
"I'm buying this because it's French." I would do so myself to make a point, but I don't think it would make much of an impact, given the circumstances. So instead I have to encourage you, the reader. Ignore all this ridiculous boycott nonsense and go out and try some Nutella, Cantal, Côtes du Rhone, or Evian, eat some Dannon yogurt or put some Michelin tires on your car. Tell them srah sent you and stand back and watch as they are... unimpressed....
Have a crush or want to crush?
posted by srah on March 16, 2003 3:51 AM
Tags: assistantship, politics, war
Anti-war protests followed me around all day yesterday. I was invited by one of my students and I was going to go but then Renata and Jennifer went to the Puy de Dôme and I didn't want to go all alone and American. So I walked past and observed from the outside and tried to do some shopping downtown but whenever I exited a store, they seemed to have congregated right there. I think they reeeeeeally wanted me to join them but were too shy to tell me....
The Onion makes me laugh so hard I cry
posted by srah on January 18, 2003 10:33 AM
Tags: george w bush, politics, the onion
I am not the most up-to-date on current events, but sometimes no one can say it quite like The Onion......
Ça craint
posted by srah on December 9, 2002 10:28 AM
Tags: assistantship, bowling for columbine, michigan, movies, politics, united states
I went, yesterday afternoon, to see Bowling for Columbine all by myself. Renata and Jennifer had gone to the Gorge de Sioule or however you spell it, but I'd had a headache and research/blogging to do at the cybercafé so I stayed behind. I discovered that Bowling for Columbine was being shown in VO. I was thrilled and ready to go tell all of my students on Monday, and it occurred to me that before I went and recommended it, I should probably see it. So I went and bought a ticket. It could have had something to do with...
The Lady and the (Little) Tramp
posted by srah on October 24, 2002 12:33 PM
Tags: charlie chaplin, movies, politics, quote
This afternoon, I went to see Le Dictateur, the French-dubbed version of Charlie Chaplin's talkie The Great Dictator. I had never seen one of Chaplin's films all the way through and was quite impressed, as were the two other spectators in the enormous screening room. Chaplin played Adenoid Hynkel, a dictator who was meant to resemble Adolf Hitler, and a Jewish barber with amnesia, who had just been released after 20 years in the hospital for an injury received during WWI. There was, as could be expected, a case of mistaken identity, so that the barber had the opportunity to...
Representative of my country
posted by srah on October 7, 2002 6:24 AM
Tags: assistantship, politics, united states, war
I'm not a Good American. I'm sorry. I'm not going to take the easy way out, and I'm not going to wave my little flag. I'm going to tell the truth, even when trying to explain, slowly and clearly, to my students. In the end, I sound negative and like I have nothing to do but complain about my country, but I think they should know the real me, and not the easier-to-explain version of the world. I don't like Señor Arbusto, I don't think we should go to war, I think the United States did not react in the...
Disaster's in the air
posted by srah on August 28, 2002 8:35 AM
Tags: george w bush, politics, september 11, united states
It keeps coming and coming. We should attack Iraq. We should do it now. We shouldn't wait for support. Who cares if no one else agrees. We're America. We'll whup 'em like Daddy did and be out by Christmas. Etcetera etcetera etcetera. I think we're setting ourselves up for even bigger trouble. Instead of learning from September 11, we're making the same mistakes and worse ones on top of them. I'm glad I'll be out of the country, but I wish I could take the rest of you with me. Be safe while I'm gone, you guys....
Freedonia's going to war
posted by srah on August 27, 2002 8:35 AM
Tags: george w bush, politics, war
I fully support our president's idea to go to war with Iraq. I am behind him 100% on that. Go ahead, Señor Arbusto. It's a good idea. I'll make you a special jacket with a bullseye on the back. But don't get lonely, now, because what I don't support is you taking anyone with you. If you want to declare war, go ahead. But you'd better get Congress' permission before you declare that the United States are at war with Iraq. Otherwise, that's not how the United States works and we will have to overthrow your dictatorship. Bye....
Extra! Extra! America Not Perfect
posted by srah on August 21, 2002 8:44 AM
Tags: movies, politics, united states
There are some "anti-American" elements to an upcoming French film about September 11. I thought the USA was a happy fairyland and never did anything wrong. What a shock. I must go lie down now....
Another six Dingellful years
posted by srah on August 7, 2002 11:10 AM
Tags: election 2002, michigan, politics
Michigan preliminary primary results are in. John Dingell is 76 years old. For heaven's sake. At least he has a comical name....
Here is a really extensive...
posted by srah on January 22, 2002 9:44 AM
Tags: politics, united states
Here is a really extensive parody of the White House website......
