Discriminating Irreverence

A New Home

2009-12-27T00:43:00.000-06:00

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http://tifft.tumblr.com/

Oh how quickly things "Change"

2009-02-11T15:37:00.003-06:00

When most people hear the title "politician," it automatically triggers the classification of "liar" in their heads. This year we elected someone who was out to "change" politics and Washington itself. President Obama laid out several of these tenants on his transitional website "change.gov."

On ethics reform, the President says the following (from: http://change.gov/agenda/ethics_agenda/):

End the Practice of Writing Legislation Behind Closed Doors: As president, Barack Obama will restore the American people's trust in their government by making government more open and transparent. Obama will work to reform congressional rules to require all legislative sessions, including committee mark-ups and conference committees, to be conducted in public. By making these practices public, the American people will be able to hold their leaders accountable for wasteful spending and lawmakers won't be able to slip favors for lobbyists into bills at the last minute.

How very inspiring this sounds; it's almost intellectual sensuality.

But today, interesting news comes out: (http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=30667)

Republicans have caught the Democrats in a midnight “stimulus” power play that seeks to cut Republican conferees out of the House-Senate negotiations to resolve a final version of the Obama “stimulus” package. Staff members from the offices of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) met last night to put together the “stimulus” conference report.

They intend to attempt to shove this $1.3 trillion spending bill through in the dead of the night without Republican input so floor action can take place in both chambers on Thursday.

What will "The Change we Need," "the one," "our hope for the future," do now?

Unless our new President comes out against the actions of the party he leads; it would seem the "messiah" has no problem lying about ethics reform. How very ironic.

1 Peter 2:2-3

Fitting Prose

2009-01-27T23:10:00.002-06:00

This seemed to be quite appropriate for our time...

"Perfection, of a kind, was what he was after,
And the poetry he invented was easy to understand;
He knew human folly like the back of his hand,
And was greatly interested in armies and fleets;
When he laughed, respectable senators burst with laughter,
And when he cried the little children died in the streets."
-W. H. Auden, "Epitaph on a Tyrant"

-@

The Time has Come

2009-01-20T15:53:00.002-06:00

Obama, has been elected and we have paid for his coronation.
His speech was post-historical, leaving nothing to be remembered.
Now we shall see what actually transpires.

Let us see how Mr. "Hope" desires to use his new power.
His honeymoon with me ended on "So Help Me God"
Gentlemen, the game is afoot.

[Also: You can see Rahm Immanuel is being as classy as could be reasonably expected on this "historic" occasion]

Seriously SNL!?! Seriously!?!

2008-10-23T21:02:00.005-05:00

If you haven't been watching the best show on television (The Office), you probably know nothing of the SNL Thursday half-hour "elections special."

Or should I say, half hour democrat commercial.

The first bit was "Pres. Bush" endorsing Sarah Palin and John McCain. Which was literally near verbatim one of Obama's latest YouTube spots. Bush: "When you see this face and all my policies think of John McCain."

The rest of the episode rested on an "economic adviser" screaming "fix it" (a repeat joke from last week), Andy Samburg vomiting on people, and comedicly drab "news updates;" all to fill time between McCain/Palin slams.

At the very beginning, I thought it would be interesting to see how many times the name of a democrat was used. Not just Obama or Biden, any democrat. The answer?

Not Once.

No jokes, no mention, no nothing.

It was absolutely pathetic. What happened to the election comedy genius that existed in past years? I still can recite the parody Al Gore "lock box" monologue. They creatively slammed everyone, Bush and Gore--and it was hilarious. They have completely bastardized any reputation built on the true comedians of SNL past. Who were mostly liberal, but still saw that nobody is above comedy and satire. Apparently these mediocre hacks, who call themselves comedians, are concerned more with 100% biased coverage, than with what they became famous for doing.

Being Funny.

Although, from looking at their non-political material, it seems even this small request escapes these "comedians."

-@

Newest design at zazzle:

Whew, it's been a crazy couple months

2008-10-17T12:18:00.008-05:00

Hey everybody!

So much has happened in the past two months. VP selections, political conventions, 4 debates, crazy classes, tests/mid-terms, papers, et al. I won't attempt to give a blow by blow of the past months, but I have been doing well; working hard at school, diving into the political season (as much as I can), and thoroughly enjoying my current fall break.

On the political front (the only one that matters for the next couple weeks), things are getting heated. Let me just say, I love Joe the Plumber. He brought out of Obama what years of campaigning and 3 debates could not. One phrase, "we need to spread the wealth around to give the people below you a fair shake." Sounds great, unless you actually think about it. Fairness? It's the government's job to make things fair eh?

Let's look at it like this. I work my butt off to get a good grade in one of my several collegiate classes, sacrificing some television, socialization, and entertainment to attain my grade. However some of my classmates "were busy" playing video games, partying, sleeping, etc. which "prohibited" them from working as hard on the class. Mid-terms come by, I get an A, my "busy" (slacker) classmate gets a D. Now, getting a better grade will usually open more doors for opportunity than getting a poor grade. So, to give people below me a "fair shake" why don't we give some of my points to the other guy and give us both a C+. Wouldn't that be fair?

Screw fairness.

We all started at the same point, I worked harder, I got a better grade.

That's justice.

If I received only the mean grade from any of my classes I would never score higher than a C, why work hard? If a university did this to any of us, we would all be up in arms! I would see status messages, be tagged in notes, asked to join groups, and sign petitions, all to change the policy. However, this is the exact same argument Barack Obama and the democrat party has employed regarding economic policy.

Same logic, same reasoning, same outcome. No outcry.
It's Communism with a happy face and academic articulation.

In other news, I've turned my love for Politics and Photoshop, and need for money, into a fashion venture. Get the latest designs at http://www.zazzle.com/atifft

The Craziness of School

2008-08-20T10:13:00.004-05:00

Hey Guys,

School is in full swing, and things are going great! I survived and grew greatly during our RA training and now classes are just starting to get down and dirty. This year I'm taking:

Elementary Statistics
Principles of Psychology
Modern Humanities
American History
Earth Science
Heath and Physical Education

Yeah, all Gen Eds. But I actually tend to enjoy them; there definitely is a saint out there who did a great job instilling that whole "loving learning" thing into me. :)

I'm hoping to get more time to blog over the weekend, perhaps make some comments about Obama's VP choice.
By the way, Michael Phelps is the man! He made the Olympics worth carving out time. The Chinese might have the corner on the "looking good while jumping in water" market, but once you get in the water, it's USA all the way!

-@

Goodbye Texas

2008-07-31T11:48:00.002-05:00

The car is packed, my stereo is gone, Kati is finally done packing, and I'm minutes away from heading back to Okie-land. I'll see ya'll later.

Goodbye Texas!

-@

China Wins Gold for Playing the World

2008-07-30T00:39:00.004-05:00

This out today from Agence France-Presse (AFP):

China will censor the Internet used by foreign media during the Olympics, an organising committee official confirmed Wednesday, reversing a pledge to offer complete media freedom at the games.
"During the Olympic Games we will provide sufficient access to the Internet for reporters," said Sun Weide, spokesman for the organising committee.
He confirmed, however, that journalists would not be able to access information or websites connected to the Falungong spiritual movement which is banned in China.
Other sites were also unavailable to journalists, he said, without specifying which ones.

What? A Communist regime goes back on their word, restricting speech and press rights of foreign journalists? Noooo.

Of course this news comes out less than 10 days before the start of the Olympics, making it too late for real action to be taken. I think it's worth considering a change in US policy for involvement in future Olympic games. Guidelines that we establish saying, "meet these or we will pull out." Our lack of involvement would greatly reduce the legitimacy of any future game. Is it too much to ask that we have the games in countries that embrace the ideals of freedom, equality, and competition that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) tout?

In other news, my room is filling with empty liquor boxes.

Because I'm headed back to school. What? Why did you think I would have the boxes? It turns out, Liquor stores have an abundance of empty, decent quality, cardboard boxes (They also have colorful decoration). :) I leave for Tulsa on Thursday, RA training starts on Sunday, and Freshman Orientation is the 8th-10th. Woo Hoo!

-@

Ode to a Goatee

2008-07-27T10:07:00.005-05:00

We had good times together, from the beginning in Richmond to the crazy class in FL. Then as time went on you really grew on me, and I became quite attached to you. You complemented my glasses well and further enhanced my "beatnik" image. At National Convention you almost became a personality yourself, setting off my "curmudgeon" performance and giving us the resemblance to that head Kirstin brought. You looked really cool while we were chillin' at the beach and went very well with my Tux at the premiere. But as the days until August drew ever smaller we knew it couldn't last forever, the day would come when the sacrifice must be made. Dress code at ORU didn't have the same feelings toward you that I did and it demanded our separation. When that fateful moment came, I knew it wouldn't be the same. My face will be smooth as I rebulid my groove. Goodbye my goatee, it was fun for a time, you know I will miss you as I try to rhyme.

-@

It's all for the troops cameras.

2008-07-25T23:38:00.007-05:00

B. Hussein Obama wrapped up the German leg of his Rock 'n Roll World Tour with the much anticipated speech in Berlin. A mediocre speech at best, including his claim to not be coming as a candidate or American citizen but a "citizen of the world," this along with his "memory line" plagiarized from Bono at Live8. The speech has been torn apart and analyzed by many sources more thorough than I.

As we all know, actions speak louder than words, and Obama made one decidedly telling action in Germany. It was planned for Barry to visit the wounded soldiers at the Landstuhl Military Hospital, but he decided to cancel the trip. This from Jonathan Martin at Politico:

"We made it clear to him that campaign staff and press would not be permitted to accompany him," Morrell said of Obama. "We relayed those ground rules. They made a choice based upon the information we relayed to them. It was their choice. We had nothing to do with it."

Military personnel at Ramstein Air Force Base, where the senator was to fly into, had already made arrangements to accommodate Obama's traveling press pack and campaign staff while he visited the wounded troops, Morrell said.

Obama wants to visit the troops, but wait, no cameras or press?!? Well, he just became busy, didn't want visiting the troops to be seen as a campaign event. (It didn't stop him from visiting the Wailing Wall and bringing campaign signs along) You can't have a show without the band and roadies! (photographers and press) What good is the trip with out pictures?

I find it simply disgusting that Obama obviously will make it a priority to speak for 200,000 Germans but not take time for the soldiers who have sacrificed their very bodies for our country. It shouldn't factor that he can't bring the press along, these men and women sacrifice to enable Obama to make his world tour in peace and security. But they don't matter, it's all about the show.

I guess we shouldn't be surprised, why should a "citizen of the world" care about American troops.

-@

Breaking TeenPact News:

2008-07-24T22:44:00.005-05:00

For my TeenPact readers out there we have some breaking and happy news this evening.

There has been an official and public announcement of "Courtship" between Jonathan Morris and Abigail Schmidt.

According to an email sent late this evening, "This process was begun about a month ago, through talking with one another and our parents, all of whom gave their blessing for us to mutually pursue God's perfect will for our lives." Also revealed were some future plans for Jonathan to relocate to Guam next June, "Helping Abigail and her family with the school that is being started on the island."

We here at C.P.A.L. wish Jonathan and Abigail all the best and encourage you all to, as they put it, "Continue to pray for us as we seek to bring the truth of the light of Christ to young people, and encourage our fellow believers as they walk in the Lord."

You can keep up with Abigail and her family at Abby's blog: http://abby1211.blogspot.com and Jonathan at his blog: http://ragamuffin4199.blogspot.com/

-@

FLASH: OBAMA PHOTO-OP AT WAILING WALL

2008-07-23T22:30:00.003-05:00

Hot off the presses at The Drudge Report:

OBAMA VISITS WESTERN WALL IN OLD CITY JERUSALEM... ARRIVES AT 5:08 AM LOCAL TIME [10:08 PM ET]... SUNRISE... SHOUTING MAN: 'JERUSALEM IS NOT FOR SALE, OBAMA'... MOB SCENE... CHAOS... BOWING HIS HEAD IN PRAYER... PLACES NOTE IN WALL... POSES FOR PHOTOS... LOTS OF SHOUTING... LEAVES 5:20 AM... DEVELOPING...

This is simply a showcase horribly poor taste. To use a landmark as somber and sacred as the Wailing Wall for a political photo-op (complete with campaign signs in Hebrew!) is a disgrace.

This certainly won't help with those who perceive Obama as being a "closet Muslim."

-@

Viva La Vinyl

2008-07-23T19:40:00.007-05:00

The latest record comes out, the order is placed, anticipation builds, until the day finally comes when a flat, square, "capitol records" box shows up in the mail. The recipient excitedly cuts open the package to find the long awaited platter. The Beatles, Elton John, Pat Boone, all names you might expect to see, and all names you will not find on this record. They have been replaced by a simple "Viva La Vida," the apt new title for the latest offering from Coldplay.

Yes my friends, I bought the latest Coldplay album, officially titled "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends," in sheer vinyl glory. I have become part of the resurgence enjoying Coldplay in all its 33 1/3 rpm glory.

There is something to be said for music you can hold, art you can touch. We have grown to take in music as a passive exercise in our busy society, listening while doing other things, completing other tasks. Music should be digested like any art form, pondered, considered, and critiqued. For me, having it in Vinyl only helps with the process.

I'm not going to deny that simply using iTunes would be far easier and probably give a better sound quality. It's hard to beat typing in the song you want and pushing the space-bar; however the extra effort required for the vinyl, brings a deeper appreciation of the music itself. You also get the huge booklet of photos and album art, words for the songs, etc. (Actually, in my case, it came with a surprise CD copy as well) The sound itself is different, more earthy and tonal, than its digital counterpart.

My current (modern) vinyl collection is still small, but it includes:
-"Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends" by Coldplay
-"Fix You" (45 Single) by Coldplay
-"St. Elsewhere" by Gnarls Barkley
-"Whistle for the Choir" (45 Single) by The Fratellis

Grab an old turntable and some records, you'll enjoy it, and its slightly addictive.

-@

Is it sexism or do you really just suck?

2008-07-22T20:59:00.003-05:00

To properly write this post I had to turn on some KT Tunstall music, but any angsty chick-power music would work.

Katie Couric is in the news again today, surprisingly not because of her historically low ratings. For those of you who are still spending your mornings watching the "Today Show," befuddled by the location of America's "perky" morning personality, she moved to CBS's Evening News. This is probably the main reason you have never seen her; Jesus could make an appearance on the CBS Evening News and people would only find out after Drudge, the major networks, and YouTube grabbed it.

The Israeli news outlet, Haaretz, caught up with Couric in Israel, where she is happily fulfilling her role as roadie for the Obama Rock 'n Roll World Tour (Coming to a major photo-op near you!):

"It's also true I'm not doing today exactly what I've been brought to do, and that my chance to express myself is fairly limited in the 22-minutes format, but I still enjoy my work, I think it's important and fascinating, and do believe we can make a change with time, bit by bit."

It's nice to see the Couric sees the news as expressing herself, merely reporting the news would be as outdated as a pair of '07 Chanel stilettos.

"Unfortunately I have found out that many viewers are afraid of change. The glory days of TV news are over, and the media landscape has been dramatically changed. News is available now for everyone, everywhere, all the time, and everybody fights for the last pieces of the shrinking pie."

To which I say: heck yeah! Welcome to the new media Ms. Perky.

"The corporate pressure and the ratings terror are intensifying all the time, and the situation is not simple. I find myself in the last bastion of male dominance, and realizing what Hillary Clinton might have realized not long ago: that sexism in the American society is more common than racism, and certainly more acceptable or forgivable. In any case, I think my post and Hillary's race are important steps in the right direction."

Oh yes, so much sexism. And the brave warriors are Hillary Clinton (Senator, Presidential Hopeful) and Katie Couric (News anchor with historically low ratings). Forget Geraldine Ferraro (Actual Dem VP nominee), Sandra Day O'Conner (SC Justice), and Condoleezza Rice (Sec. of State); they weren't part of the "important steps in the right direction," you two really have the "important" roles.

I think it has become too common in our society these days to blame everyone but ourselves. Perky's ratings are in the can and the Bill-lover lost the nomination because of sexism, people draw a cartoons making fun of B. Hussein Obama because of racism, and someone looks at a flaming homosexual differently because of homophobia.

It's not the fact that someone in pink capris with a tight I *heart* boys shirt and red lipstick, along with a beard and harry legs, looks kinda strange (for those of you who miss sarcasm, I was describing a homosexual, not the average female in the Democrat party; although the two are frequently confused). Or the fact that a presidential candidate will be made fun of no matter his skin color, shoe size, or iTunes playlist. Or the inability of the Hillster to crank out as much propaganda as the B. Hussein camp. Or even the cold hard truth, even the older demographic, still watching the evening news, prefers someone with a personality; a basic human feature not employed by Couric since she left the "Today Show."

It's not sexism Katie, people just aren't that into you.

(whew, back to Coldplay)
-@

The Beginning.

2008-07-21T17:54:00.000-05:00

For several years I have made fleeting attempts into the blogosphere. Most of these attempts were based on a strange desire to write, a passionate political situation, or even that youthful sense of a massive repression of rights. But these were all as the flame of burning paper; igniting bright and hot for a short time, leaving nothing but flaky ash.

Those who know me personally usually have first hand knowledge of my abundance of opinions. From politics to movies, music to technology, and sports to photography; I'm not one to sit quietly when there is a good chance for input. I feel a need to share my opinion and report what I see.

The more time goes on, the more I realize the great need for this aspect of my life. Pointless, yet fun, family newspapers, gave me the start. I moved onto school papers, my own website, and yes Xanga as well. After the advent of Facebook, my time has been occupied looking at pictures and reading status messages. This has yet to satisfy my insatiable desire to write and to write I need a proper tool for writing. Facebook is not that tool.

If I lived in the colonial times I would be a pamphleteer, in the late 1800's I would've aspired to be a newspaper reporter-but this is the future. I am a blogger.

-@
Aaron Tifft