09/08/2005

These Are The Times…

by Matthew Edward Hawkins

I know all I talk about is video games and movies and cartoons and stupid shit from the internet and all sorts of other trivial stuff, but its not as if I’m completely oblivious to the rest of the world. I haven’t really addressed what’s going happening down south, and on purpose, simply because… let’s face it… what else needs to be said at this point? I’m confident that we’re all on the same page by stating that the situation in Louisiana is beyond horrific, outrageous, hopeless, sad, and even embarrassing. In particular, our government’s complete and utter failure when it came to helping its people when they needed help most. But again, we all know this, right?

I bring this all up because of a lengthy conversation I had with Katie last night. We both feel that now more than ever, there’s undeniable proof that Bush is an incompetent and irresponsible leader, across the board, as illustrated by this terrific graphic from the Daily Show last night:

BTW, as sick as I am of everyone using the tragedy to further their own selfish political agenda, you just can’t separate what happened and politics I’m afraid. But I did express my concern over the crippling amount of apathy that the people in this country seem to have, which lead to a man which everyone hated back into the office last election, and how everyone’s prediction of impeachment and the such are completely unfounded.

Needless to say, I was livid to read in the papers this morning that some gallop poll revealed most people do not object to the way the federal government is handling the crisis, despite the resounding amount of evidence, such as the poor response time, the inane degree of political pride (if someone offers help, especially if you can’t seem to get your shit together, you take it, period) the finger pointing (which is covers up with a “this isn’t the time for finer pointing” mantra no less), or the condescending remarks (particularly from the First Lady). I guess people really don’t give a shit these days…

I recently got into an argument with someone who was understandably fed up with all the bullshit that our government give us, to the point that this person stated: “Fuck it, it doesn’t matter anymore”. And when I told this person that it’s precisely the reaction that “they” want you to have, to not feel as if anything is possible and to just sit at home and stew and not do anything. This was met with a mocking response of “okay, what do you suggest then?” I conceded that protesting and most other forms of public outcry is rather pointless (especially in this day an age where everyone has there own little soapboxes in the form of LiveJournals and other devices in the vast, and deafening sea). My answer: just fucking vote. Go out there and choose the person who you feel best represents your views and concerns. That’s it. And then tell three people to do the same. Then have them tell three people each. And so on.

This was met with a “that’ll never work” kind of response, based on the fact that one has to actually do something. Gee, just bitching and complaining alone doesn’t work! I guess the idea of having to get off your fat ass for democracy to work is just too much for some folks. I even made further concessions, by stating that its true, politics at a nation level is indeed a lost cause, since its ultimately dictated by forces that we have no influence over (oil companies as an obvious example). Which is why I’m such a strong believer in following local politics. Its not just the President we should be just worried about, but the mayor and other local representatives… they’re the one who’s decisions impact one’s life most directly. But again, that’s even more work. Guess its just easier to just bitch and complain than to do the research and be pro-active.

Anyway…
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Here are those pics that I mentioned before, of some of the stuff that MK & I got at the Japanese supermarket last weekend…

Fist off, some panda cookies that caught MK’s eyes:

And here’s some cookies I picked out simply because it has some of the cutest packaging ever:

Some menacing hot potato chips that MK picked up:

Here’s some packs of stuff that we had no idea what the fuck they were about, we just knew that we had to get them. They turned out to be collectable magnets with some hard candy. I think they give advice on etiquette:

A while back I mentioned my love for pro-wrestling. Well, naturally, it extends into the realm of MMA, or mixed martial arts (Jason and I are are hardcore Pride fans). So of course, a small MMA toy was a natural choice:

MK on the other hand was “awestruck” by the small collectable furniture sets. Like lots of little collectable toys and figures from Japan, the contents of the box is total random:

Thankfully she got the hipster living space that she really wanted:

And I finally got a bottle of Pocari Sweat, which I’ve been meaning to check out for years now:


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So… do you want tomorrow is? Six years ago yesterday, the Dreamcast was released, which not only provided some truly classic games via cutting edge (and dirt cheap) technology, but was also Sega’s last hurrah.

Unfortunately, I’ll be out of town all weekend for a wedding (seems like everyone’s getting married these days), so I won’t be able to play my DC, though I’ll try to sneak in some Jet Set Radio, Soul Calibur 1, Sega Rally 2, Street Fighter 3: Third Strike, Crazy Taxi, Power Stone, Space Channel 5, Rival Schools, Ikaruga, and Rez (give or take a game or two) later tonight. And I highly suggest others to do the same as well.

Plus, this just give me another reason to show off this favorite pic of mine:

Oh, also tomorrow is Joe’s birthday. And again, I’ll be unfortunately out of town to celebrate. Anyway, if you’re reading this, HAPPY BIRTHDAY PUKEBOY!!!

  • Jason

    Many do not know what they think they know about American politics and law. However, people seem to know when they’re being screwed. Whether or not they plan to do anything about it depends entirely upon their ability to recognize the issue and to resolve problems. Voting is key, many times in our history has the vote fluctuated as a result of popular influence. http://www.nationmaster.com/country/us/ is a good resource for basic stats.

    Voting for “who will probably win anyway” is pure apathy, get a spine, research the candidates (local and national) and vote your conscience. No vote is wasted becasue the politicians are sweating every vote they get and as soon as they see fall-off in their tally they magically begin to change their position on certain policies.

    Read the laws. You’ll begin see how f’d up things truly are and how your politicians are taking advantage of you — legally.

  • john

    Hey, you, go play your Dreamcast online.

  • David Goldstein

    For those who feel thaqt voting, and getting others to vote, is not enough, you can always take it a step farther. Contact the local office of the political party for which you are registered, and find out what you would have to do to run for an office currently held by someone supporting the problem policies.

    -David

  • David Goldstein

    I should also point out that every member of the House of Representatives is up for re-election every two years. The voting records for all of them are supposed to be part of the public record. Find out who is there from your district. If they’ve missed a lot of votes, or missed important votes, or have voted for things you dislike and against things you would have wanted… I know it’s a full year off, but remember to VOTE AGAINST THEM.

    In the meantime, also remember that Mayor Bloomberg is up for re-election THIS YEAR. The New York Primary Election is THIS TUESDAY, September 13. Whichever party you are a member of, remember that the Primary decides who is on the final ballot in November.

    -David

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