Recap of College Football’s First Big Day!

It’s that time again! Back to college football, the mascots, the fight songs, the Cinderlla stories (too bad Appalacian State couldn’t make it two years in a row), the upsets, the painted faces, the tailgate parties. It’s a great time of year for football fans around the nation!

So how did this year’s first weekend of college football start out? Quick recap of the biggies..

(1) Georgia 45 – Georgia Souther 21 (no surprises there)

(2) Ohio St. 43 – Youngstown St. 0 (embarrassing that Ohio St. plays Youngstown at all)

(3) USC 52 – Virginia 7 (Go Trojans! – I’m a biased Southern California native, what can I say!!)

(4) Oklahoma 57 – Chattanooga 2 (Isn’t that kind of weird to put on your resume? B.A. from Chattanooga?)

(5) Florida 56 – Hawaii 10 (that’s a long way for the Rainbows to travel to get stomped)

(6) Missouri 52 – Illinois 41 (too close for comfort)

(7) LSU 41 – Appalacian St. 13 (no Cinderella sequel)

(8) West Virginia 48 – Villanova 21 (nice game by WV QB White – 5 TDs today…settin’ some records early)

(9) Clemson 10 – (24) Alabama 34 (UPSET OF THE WEEK – ROLLLLL TIDE!!!!)

(10) Auburn 34 – Louisiana-Monroe 0 (snoozefest)

There you have it folks, the first week of football wrapped up in a nice little bow for your reading enjoyment! Two weeks til the BIG GAME – Ohio St. v. USC! Email The Block FM and tell us your predictions….buzz@theblockfm.com!

Our Special Labor Day Show! Listen and Weigh In!!

Tim and I will be having a special Labor Day show for you on Monday morning at 9am on KYHY 92.5FM! Here’s what we’ll be discussing!

• Should guys let their girlfriends decorate their bachelor pads? Word on the street is that Tony Romo, QB of the Dallas Cowboys just bought a (hideous) house in Texas and is planning on giving Jess free reign to re-decorate. Yikes. Good idea or recipe for disaster? Let us know what you think! Email us at buzz@theblockfm.com.
• The new fall season of TV is starting tonight! Check out Gossip Girls, the new 90210, and listen to what Shannon Doherty had to say about Tori Spelling’s tell-all with Entertainment Weekly. We’ll be talking to Matt Roushe, TV Guide the Magazine analyst and critic, for all the inside info!
• The MLB’s new instant replay rules…they are dumb.
• Recap of the amazing Democratic National Convention and an introduction to the Republican’s VP pick, Sarah Palin. Yikes. Email me your best political comments – cassie@theblockfm.com

CHECK IT OUT! 9-10am! Orrrrr, download our podcast at THE BLOCK’S INCREDIBLE WEBSITE!

I HATE KATE

A few weeks ago we had a GREAT band on our show, I Hate Kate and for all you that fell in love with them like we did, we have exciting news!

THE SONG “ALWAYS BETTER WHEN I’M WITH YOU” IS GOING TO BE OUR INTRO SONG!!!

Check them out on myspace… Just go to our myspace, http://www.myspace.com/theblockfm, and look in our top friends. Listen on monday and tell me what you think – Tim@theblockfm.com

Penny War is what we need!

Since the beginning of all this mayhem, I have said on multiple shows that we should be able to vote Penny War style in our national elections. After news broke of McCain’s HORRIBLE running mate, I immediately went to my Crackberry and emailed any and every Republican that I unfortunately had in my phone book. They all responded with the same feelings “horrible choice”, “I am thoroughly disappointed” etc, etc. When I asked them what they were going to do, however, they all firmly stood behind McCain. But, when I asked about their thoughts on the Penny War idea, there was FINALLY something we agreed on.

This is what boggles my mind. Our country is in shambles, we have had 8 years of a terrible President, yet the McCain (AKA McBush) supporters are going to vote strictly because they do not like Obama. HELLO! If our voting system was done in a way that you can turn your vote into a CANCELLATION of a vote for one party, those that feel it is the less of two evils can eliminate “the evil” instead of voting for a moron just based on party lines.

Meanwhile, I think Obama should have picked me for his running mate. I was Student Government President at my High School of 2500 students (Close to Alaska, right?) and never tried to get rid of a staff member for breaking up with one of my friends.

No Way, No How, No McCain,

Tim

For the “Family Values” Party, this is a Joke

The Palins have five children. They are  Track, 19; Bristol 17; Willow 14; Piper, 7, and baby Trig, who is 4 MONTHS (yes, months) old and suffers with Downs’ Syndrome.

Now, I’m all for mothers working and being strong and all that jazz. But, people, this is a mother of an infant. An infant with disabilities. Andinfant with special needs. Especially from his mommy.

Soooo, for the family values party, I have a question: How does Sarah Palin potentially being the VP of the US and traveling around the country for the next few months to campaign and then traveling around the world as our representative make you feel? How does it forward your agenda?

You think that Sarah Palin is going to have baby Trig in arm this whole time? Or is baby Trig going to be passed on to daddy (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, just not what the Family Values party has advocated over the years and not what I, even as a progressive woman, think is best for children. There is something irreplaceable about a mother’s rearing of her children)? Or maybe baby Trig will get a great Washington DC nanny. So however you slice it, Sarah Palin, as VP with five kids who are ALL at critical ages and in need of their mother’s devotion and attention, is really flying in the face of the whole family values agenda. I consider myself pretty liberal, and yet, this reeks of irresponsibility to me.

Will the REAL Hillary Clinton Please Stand Up

…if the hope for John McCain is to get women to vote for him who otherwise supported Hillary Clinton – if anything could get Hillary Clinton campaigning in full force and fury…this is it. She likely would have campaigned hard, but it’s in Hillary Clinton’s best interest to be the leading voice for women, and the leading woman candidate for president in the future, so having another woman as the potential Vice President (and potential President) is a significant challenge to that. The Republicans just opened Pandora’s Box and brought Hillary Clinton roaring to Barack Obama’s side on the Democratic train. And Bill Clinton, too…

…Hint: some women did vote for Hillary Clinton solely because she was a woman. But most women voted for Hillary Clinton because she was a Democrat, as well as a woman, who stood for important Democratic values they seriously believed in….

-Robert J. Elisberg, “The Worst Vice Presidential Nominee in US History”

As a woman, as a progressive, and as someone who does have high hopes for one day seeing a qualified, dignified, experienced, incredible woman in the White House, I am calling the true, sincere, trailblazing Hillary Clinton to please stand up now and speak out loudly against this insulting choice that John McCain has provided for his Presidential ticket. For Sarah Palin to get on that stage and dare to even compare herself to the likes of Hillary Clinton is embarrassing. Yes, Hillary Clinton did put major cracks in the glass ceiling for us women, but Sarah Palin is NOT the one to break on through to the other side. We are not looking for a beauty-pageant winning, gun-toting, mayor of a village in Alaska to step foot in the White House for us. God, I gag saying this, but Condolezza Rice puts Sarah Palin to shame. I swear to God, McCain thinks we’re all stupid. Hillary, I’m telling you, I’m having my people call your people, and you better get out there after this RNC and start pounding the pavement teaching everyone what it means to be a progressive and qualified woman.

Barack Obama always needed Hillary’s (and Bill’s) support. Now he needs Hillary’s voice to speak out for women all over the country (all over the world for that matter) and say “Yes, women can do this job, I showed that by garnering 18 million votes, but it’s not just ANY woman. It’s the CORRECT woman. And Sarah Palin being a heartbeat from the White House is not the CORRECT choice. It’s not the smart choice, it’s not the feminist choice. It’s an irresponsible choice.”

So Hillary, step up to the plate, do what you said you would do and support Barack Obama with every fiber of your being, sister, and show the world what a truly qualified woman you are for the job of leading this country! And while you’re at it, tell the PUMA’s to get their act together.

I swear people, it gets stranger and stranger every day.

Getting to Know…Sarah Palin

Another Alaskan for Obama tellin’ it like it is re: Sarah Palin. Thanks to John Nail for the info..

1. She is presently under investigation in Alaska for abuse of power
2. She strongly supports big oil (her husband even works for an oil company)
3. She stands for everything that Hillary Clinton stood against
4. She is adamantly opposed to reproductive rights for women
5. She has no federal or international experience & has only been mayor of a small town and a beauty pageant winner.
6. She believes global warming is a farce
7. She believes creationism should be taught in public schools
8. She supports drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and anywhere else big oil wants
9. She supports Pebble Mine which will destroy the richest salmon run in the world
10. She supports aerial shooting of bears and wolves in Alaska and is a lifetime member of the NRA
11. She is pro-war

A Perspective From an Alaskan Native re: Sarah Palin

This is from a blog about Alaskan politics and I thought that it offered an interesting perspective on the whole Sarah Palin for Republican VP thing. It’s pretty interesting. Oh, and the picture at the bottom…priceless.

“Is this a joke?”  That seemed to be the question du jour when my phone started ringing off the hook at 6:45am here in Alaska.  I mean, we’re sort of excited that our humble state has gotten some kind of national ‘nod’….but seriously?  Sarah Palin for Vice President?  Yes, she’s a popular governor.  Her all time high approval rating hovered around 90% at one point.  But bear in mind that the 90% approval rating came from one of the most conservative, and reddest-of-the-red states out there.  And that approval rating came before a series of events that have lead many Alaskans to question the governor’s once pristine image.

There is no doubt in my mind that many Alaskans are feeling pretty excited about this.  But we live in our own little bubble up here, and most of the attention we get is because of The Bridge to Nowhere, polar bears, the indictment of Ted Stevens, and the ongoing investigation and conviction of the string of legislators and oil executives who literally called themselves “The Corrupt Bastards Club”.

So seeing our governor out there in the national spotlight accepting the nomination for Vice Presidential candidate is just downright surreal.  Just months ago, when rumors surfaced that she was on the long version of the short list, she was questioned if she’d be interested in the position.  She said she couldn’t answer  “until somebody answers for me what is it exactly that the VP does every day. I’m used to being very productive and working real hard in an administration. We want to make sure that that VP slot would be a fruitful type of position, especially for Alaskans and for the things that we’re trying to accomplish up here….”

There is no doubt that Palin has fierce territorial loyalties.  When elected governor there was much concern because she came right out and said she would favor her own home town of Wasilla (where she was mayor) and its surrounding environs collectively known as “the Valley” while leading the state.  And it’s obvious from her statement that Alaska was on her mind when accepting the VP nod (see my emphasis above).

So what is it that we’re “trying to accomplish up here”?

• Palin is currently in the middle of a controversial gas pipeline project in Alaska.  She’s favored the ‘Trans Canada’ proposal that will run the pipeline through Canada, in effect shipping US jobs over the border.  Many Alaskans, including former governors, have favored the “All Alaska Route”.
• She is also sueing the federal government over listing the polar bears as a threatened species.  The science was even compelling enough to convince the Secretery of the Interior that the bears needed to be listed.  But acknowlegement of this issue, and the potential disruption to development on Alaska’s oil-rich north slope spurred Palin to attempt to stop the listing.
• Does she want to open ANWR?  Yes.  Every politician in Alaska wants to open ANWR.  It’s basically a requirement if you ever hope to get elected for anything.  Even Mark Begich, the progressive Democrat running against the indicted Senator and Alaskan institution Ted Stevens, is pro-drilling.  That’s the sea we swim in up here.  There are a few anti-drilling folks, but you have to look hard to find them, and work hard to have them admit it.

Will all this wash with voters in the ‘Lower 48′?  Time will tell.

18 Million Cracks in the Glass Ceiling

It was obvious anyway, but became beat-you-over-the-head-with-a-two-by-four obvious when Palin referenced the ‘glass ceiling’ line, that this choice is a blatant pander to women.  I would like to believe that women will actually feel insulted by this.  Yes, it would have been historic if Hillary had gotten the nomination.  It was historic that she made it as far as she did.  Yes, it would be great to have a woman in the oval office, or in the VP slot if they are the right woman…a woman who got there with her own drive, grit, determination, intelligence, skill and merits.  When you’re hand-picked by a man to win votes simply because you are a woman, that doesn’t count, and it doesn’t break any kind of ceiling.  Would we have had a Stan Palin as our VP pick?  No.  So choosing a woman because you think her gender will get votes is insulting.

Governor “Squeakyclean”….or not.

Another focus of Palin’s introduction today was her reform image.  Listen to John McCain and you’ll hear about a maverick reformer who took on big oil, took on corrupt Alaska politicians, and whose ethics are unquestioned.

Alaskans really want to like Sarah Palin.  In a state where corruption is the rule, and the same faces keep recycling over and over and over again like a bad dream, a new face, with a promise of reform seemed like a breath of fresh air.  Palin defeated incumbent governor Frank Murkowski (father of Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski who he appointed to his own Senate seat when he was elected governor) because he was such an obnoxious, bloviating, downright BAD politician.  This staunchly republican state voted with relief, not having to cross over and vote Democratic, but still able to get Murkowski the hell out of office.  In the general election Palin swept into office running against a former Democratic governor, Tony Knowles, who was capable but came with baggage.  And he represented to Alaskans more of the same, tired old-style politics, and special interests that we have come to loathe.

So, if McCain had made his selection six months ago, the squeaky-clean governor meme would have made a little more sense.  But, Sarah Palin is currently under an ethics investigation by the Alaska state legislature.  The details of this investigation read like a trashy novel, and I suspect that the players will soon have newfound celebrity on the national stage.  I’ll try to explain for all you non-Alaskans who suddenly have good reason to want to know more about Sarah Palin.  For those of you not interested in trashy novels, feel free to skip ahead.  Here it is…what we in Alaska call “TrooperGate”.

Sarah Palin’s sister Molly married a guy named Mike Wooten who is an Alaska State Trooper.  Mike and Molly had a rocky marriage.  When the marriage broke up, there was a bitter custody fight that is still ongoing.  During the custody investigation, all sorts of things were brought up about Wooten including the fact that he had illegally shot a moose (yes folks this is Alaska), driven drunk, and used a taser (on the test setting, he reminds us) on his 11-year old stepson, who supposedly had asked to see what it felt like.  While Wooten has turned out to be a less than stellar figure, the fact that Palin’s father accompanied him on the infamous moose hunt, and that many of the dozens of charges brought up by the Palin family happened long before they were ever reported smacked of desperate custody fight.  Wooten’s story is that he was basically stalked by the family.

After all this, Wooten was investigated and disciplined on two counts and allowed to kept his position with the troopers.  Enter Walt Monegan, Palin’s appointed new chief of the Department of Public Safety and head of the troopers.  Monegan was beloved by the troopers, did a bang-up job with minimal funding and suddenly got axed.  Palin was out of town and Monegan got “offered another job” (aka fired) with no explanation to Alaskans.  Pressure was put on the governor to give details, because rumors started to swirl around the fact that the highly respected Monegan was fired because he refused to fire the aforementioned Mike Wooten.  Palin vehemently denied ever talking to Monegan or pressuring Monegan in any way to fire Wooten, or that anyone on her staff did.  Over the weeks it has come out that not only was pressure applied, there were literally dozens of conversations in which pressure was applied to fire him.  Monegan has testified to this fact, spurring an ongoing investigation by the Alaska state legislature.  But, before this investigation got underway, Palin sent the Alaska State Attorney General out to do some investigative work of his own so she could find out in advance what the real investigation was going to find.  (No, I’m not making this up).  The AG interviewed several people, unbeknownst to the actual appointed investigator or the Legislature! Palin’s investigation of herself uncovered a recorded phone call retained by the Alaska State Troopers from Frank Bailey, a Palin underling, putting pressure on a trooper about the Wooten non-firing.  Todd Palin (governor’s husband) even talked to Monegan himself in Palin’s office while she was away.  Bailey is now on paid administrative leave.

As if this weren’t enough, Monegan’s appointed replacement Chuck Kopp, turns out to have been the center of his own little scandal.  He received a letter of reprimand and was reassigned after sexual harrassment allegations by a former coworker who didn’t like all the unwanted kissing and hugging in the office.  Was he vetted?  Obviously not.  When he was questioned about all this, his comment was that no one had asked him and he thought they all knew.  Kopp, defiant, still claimed to have done nothing wrong and said to the press that there was no way he was stepping down from his new position.  Twenty four hours later, he stepped down.  Later it was uncovered that he received a $10,000 severance package for his two weeks on the job from Palin.  Monegan got nothing.

After extensive news coverage about all this nasty behind-the-scenes scandal, which is definitely NOT squeaky clean, Palin’s approval ratings fell to 67%, still high, but a far cry from the 90% number that’s being thrown around so glibly by the Republicans today.  Alaskans are quickly becoming disillusioned once again.

“Executive Experience”

Before her meteoric rise to political success as governor, just two short years ago Sarah Palin was the mayor of Wasilla.  I had a good chuckle at MSN.com’s claim that she had been the mayor of “Wasilla City”.  It is not a city.  Just Wasilla.  Wasilla is the heart of the Alaska “Bible belt” and Sarah was raised amongst the tribe that believes creationism should be taught in our public schools, homosexuality is a sin, and life begins at conception.  She’s a gun-toting, hang ‘em high conservative.  Remember…this is where her approval ratings come from.  There is no doubt that McCain again is making a strategic choice to appeal to a particular demographic – fundamentalist right-wing gun-owning Christians.  And Republican bloggers are already gushing about how she has ‘more executive experience’ than Obama does!  Above is a picture of lovely downtown Wasilla, for those of you unfamiliar with the area.  Behind the Mug-Shot Saloon (the first bar I visited when I moved to Alaska long ago) is a little strip mall.  There are street signs in Wasilla with bullet holes in them.  Wasilla has a population of about 5500 people, and 1979 occupied housing units.  This is where your potential Vice President was two short years ago.  Can you imagine her negotiating a nuclear non-proliferation treaty?  Discussing foreign policy?  Understanding non-Alaskan issues?  Frankly, I don’t even know if she’s ever been out of the country.  She may ‘get’ Alaska, but there are only a half a million people here.  Don’t get me wrong….I love Alaska with all my heart.  I’m just saying.

I, and all Alaskans will be interested to see how this whole process unfolds.  This is definitely a gamble for McCain, and in my humble opinion, a gift to Obama and to Joe Biden who just got thrown a big hunk of red meat for the vice presidential debate.

F*cking Morons

Ok so it’s taken me until almost 11pm to cool down. I have been outraged and unable to sit down long enough to gather my thoughts into one coherent message. But I’m going to try now. I’m pissed at a lot of people today. Here’s the list.

1. John McCain: Do you think all women are brain dead? Do you think they are all dumb as hell like your bimbo wife? It sure as hell seems like it. You think that just because you pick someone with a vagina that all the feminists who wanted to see Hillary in the White House will just automatically line up to vote for you? Seriously, this is the most disrespectful thing I’ve ever seen from a Presidential nominee. To choose someone who has NO federal political experience, who you have met only ONCE before, and who has less experience than my 14 year old sister when it comes to foreign policy is a slap in the face to educated, politically savvy women around the country. How scary would it be if McCain kicked the bucket while in office. Yeah, God forbid, but it could happen, people! He is 72 and he’s had four bouts with cancer! This isn’t some young, healthy dude. So great, imagine that. Sarah Palin taking the oath of office to be our Commander and Chief. Well, at least we know she could go to the front lines and hunt some….moose for the troops.Just because your plastic Barbie doll wife and Sarah Palin share in common the winning of beauty pageants (which still blows my mind, by the way. How did THAT happen?!) doesn’t make her fit to be the Vice President of the United States of America. And just because she is a woman, does not mean that she is Hillary. For the love of God, I can’t believe I even have to write about these two women in the same sentence. Hillary Clinton is a trailblazer, a progressive, a thinker, a stateswoman, one of the top minds in our country. Sarah Palin is Rush Limbaugh with a uterus. Sarah Palin can’t hold a candle to Hillary Clinton. So John McCain, thanks. Thanks for proving to the world that you are a f*cking moron, once again.
2. Sarah Palin: For this woman to accept the nomination for Vice Presidential Candidate for the United States of America is egoism on 157 levels. She has no experience that makes her qualified for this job. She has never dealt with foreign policy. She governs the most detached and isolated state in the US besides Hawaii. She is only in her first term as governor and her only other political experience was serving as the Mayor of an Alaskan town of about 5,000 people. I’m sorry Sarah, but I was the President of my University that had more people than that. And the budget that I oversaw was probably bigger than yours. But I’m not accepting the Republican nomination for VP of the US.She is pro-guns, pro-creationism being taught in our schools, and pro-drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve. She is a mother of five children, but chooses policies to adopt as her own that will harm her children’s future immeasurably. Plus, this is just a personal pet peeve of mine, but the chick can’t speak the English language properly. Is anyone else irritated that every -ing word that she says she abbreviates? Huntin’, winnin’, speakin’, tourin’, challengin’, fightin’, flyin’, votin’….Sarah Palin, I have an abbreviation for you….you are a F*CKIN’ MORON!
3. P.U.M.A.: Ok seriously, I love progressives. I love people that think long-term. I love people with vision and determination to make the world a better place. I feel an affinity for the progressive agenda and its policies. Therefore, I usually vote Democrat. I don’t vote Democrat on party lines but because of issues. I don’t vote for candidates because they are pretty or handsome, ugly or too fat, too skinny, or balding. I don’t vote for candidates because of their age or their gender. I try, with all my human capacity, to vote for issues and for candidates who will lead us into the future with positive goals and inspiration. Ok, so during the Democratic Primaries, I voted for HilHil. I thought she was the best candidate for the job, but this didn’t mean that I was anti-Barack Obama. In February, on that particular Super Tuesday, I supported the candidate that I felt was the total package. I still think HilHIl would make an awesome President. But, as time went on and I learned more about the candidates, I realized that there really wasn’t much difference in the candidates in terms of their policy choices, and some of Barack Obama’s ideas really resonated with me. I was disappointed because I felt that HilHil was kind of railroaded by her own campaign. I thought her managers and staff made some really stupid decisions that probably cost her the nomination. I mean, if HilHil would have spoken and looked and acted like she did on Tuesday night of the DNC, I think she probably would have won. But c’est la vie, Barack Obama took the nomination.So I riveted myself to the tv this past week and really watched the DNC. And you know what I saw? I saw happiness, I saw hope, I saw a microcosm of America really believing that they could partake in the democratic process and look to a future where their voice would be heard and heeded. And HilHil gave an amazing speech, telling us all of her commonalities with Barack Obama and how we MUST vote a progressive candidate into office, for the safety, security and sanctity of our nation.It’s not about party unity. Screw the political parties. That’s stuff of the past. Even Barack Obama doesn’t give a crap about political parties. It’s about issues. It’s about our future. It’s about our children and their children. It’s about the rest of the world. It’s about your health and your retirement and your financial security and your personal safety and your fundamental rights as a citizen of this country.

   It’s NOT about gender. And I am SICK AND TIRED of these dumbass PUMA’s or whatever the hell they want to call themselves, threatening that they are going to vote for John McCain to “teach the DNC a lesson.” Cry me a f*ckin’ river you idiots. You think that this primary was rigged? Are you serious? Ok, even if it was, so what are you going to do? Give your vote to the party that made caging lists of Florida democrats in 2000 and stole the election in the Supreme Court? You’re going to give your vote to the party who again made a mockery of our democracy in 2004 by disenfranchising hundreds of thousands of voters in Ohio who would have changed the course of our history? Yeah, that’s a great idea! Go for it girls.

   You women who call yourselves PUMA’s (Party Unity My Ass) are an embarrassment to women, especially to educated women who actually use their brains to make decisions. You are just as sexist and just as bigoted as the men who wouldn’t think of voting for Hillary because she is a woman. So you’re going to throw your support behind John McCain simply because he chose a person with the correct anatomical structure for you? Are you kidding me?! This has seriously got to be some sick joke that the Republicans are pulling on us. I swear, I think that the PUMA’s really are Republican women who are trying to confuse and conspire against us. I just cannot conceive of a woman dumb enough to throw her support behind a man (John McCain) and a woman (Sarah Palin) who are anti-choice, anti-gay rights, pro-guns, pro-drilling in ANWR, pro-war, pro-nukes, anti-Islam (and any other weird religion with “brown” people in it), anti-middle class, anti-public education, anti-Social Security, pro-torture….do I need to keep going? If you want to vote for a woman, and that’s alllll you care about, fine, write in Hillary’s name if it helps you sleep at night. But for God’s sake, don’t let me read another blog on your idiotic website about how McCain is going to get your vote. PUMA’s you are f*cking morons!

We Cannot Turn Back with so Much Work to be Done

Tonight, 28 August 2008, history was made and history was honored. On the 45th anniversary of the famous “I Have a Dream” speech presented by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., tonight marked the first time in this nation’s history that a man with African roots has been nominated by one of the two major parties to be its candidate for President of the United States. We are well on our way to making Dr. King’s dream a reality.

But, as Barack Obama so eloquently stated tonight, we cannot turn back now…not when there is so much work to be done. While Dr. King’s dream, that the future generations would judge each other not by the color of their skin but on the strength of their character, is tonight one step closer to being realized, we still face racial, ethnic, religious, economic, and social barriers that threaten the very foundations of our American democracy.

We have been suffering for the past eight years under an administration that has no consideration or respect for the Constitution of the United States that our forefathers gave their blood, sweat and tears to frame and bring to life.

We have been suffering for the past eight years under an administration that is more concerned with lining their pockets and the pockets of their corporate friends than helping bolster the middle class, the stabilizing force of our economy.

We have been suffering for the past eight years under an administration that has completely rejected the assertions of our first great President, George Washington, and the words agreed to by all civilized nations and memorialized in the Geneva Convention with their inhumane treatment and blatant torture of prisoners of war and enemy combatants.

We have been suffering for the past eight years under an administration that has lied to each and every one of our citizens when we asked for justification for making the grave decision to invade a sovereign nation, Iraq, that knowingly used faulty and insufficient intelligence to persuade you and your political representatives that this war was necessary, and that has willingly allowed our men and women of our honorable armed services to die, to be irreparably injured, and to be forever emotionally scarred and traumatized for absolutely no legitimate reason.

We have been suffering for the past eight years under an administration that put a Senator’s birthday party celebration as a priority over leading our nation’s federal disaster relief agencies to assist in the evacuation and protection of an entire region battered by one of the strongest and most fierce hurricanes to ever reach the Gulf Coast.

We have been suffering for the past eight years under an administration that has squandered the budget surplus left by Bill Clinton’s administration and has successfully tied the noose of staggering national debt around our necks and the necks of generations to come.

We have been suffering for the past eight years under an administration that has laughed in the face of our civil liberties and fundamental rights, spying on us, wiretapping our phone conversations, taking our citizens into custody without charge for indefinite periods of time, putting fear into our hearts and hardship into our lives. The freedom to assemble, the freedom to speak our mind, the freedom to worship, the right to vote, these have all been jeopardized by this administration one way or another.

We have been suffering for the past eight years under an administration that has placed no value on education and self-improvement. When we listen to our President speak, we should all be moved, inspired, awe-struck. Admiration for our President’s personal, professional, and academic achievements should flow easily. We should not all be able to relate to our President, for our President should be, after all, the President of the United States because of his unique abilities, not because of his commonalities with every man and woman in the country. When we listen to our President, we should feel that we need to constantly improve ourselves, our work ethic, our skills, our understanding of the world, the way we express ourselves. The President should instill a sense of wonderment in the hearts and minds of the people. But we have suffered eight years under an administration that made it simple for us, that dumbed it down for us, that treated us like children, that did not ask us to improve or to transcend, but rather just asked us to go shopping.

We have been suffering for the past eight years under an administration that shown us nothing but failure after failure after failure. John McCain has supported this administration’s failure after failure after failure. John McCain is just more of the same. We need change….drastic change. Barack Obama offers a rebuttal and a fresh change to each and every error that we have suffered under the Bush administration.

Tonight, Barack Obama took the stage to accept the nomination for his candidacy for President of the United States for the Democratic party. He did so after a week-long masterpiece of a convention with amazing branding, the newest and best technologies, and some of the most well-respected and well-spoken people in our country giving speeches supporting his candidacy. Who would ever dare to follow the likes of Caroline Kennedy, Ted Kennedy, Michelle Obama, Joe Biden, Bill Richardson, Dick Durban, Al Gore, Hillary Clinton, and President Bill Clinton himself? Who? Barack Obama. That’s who.

Strength. Poise. Character. Sincerity. Deep understanding and respect for the Constitution. Patriotism. Intelligence. Eloquence. Presence. Depth. Morality. Humility. Compassion. Fearlessness. Courage. Determination. Loyalty. Devotion. Patience. Charisma.

They are words that have been used in the past to describe our greatest Presidents, such as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln. Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy. They are words that have been used to describe historical legends, such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. DuBois. They are words that we should all aspire to adopt as part of our repertoire of character traits. They are words that should describe every President this country elects. Sadly, our current President cannot claim any of these traits. John McCain can claim few of them. But these are all words that describe Barack Obama.

If there is a sign that change is needed, I believe you can find it among the youth. And the youth have spoken loudly and clearly. I pray that they use their vote as their loudest and most clairvoyant statement come November 4. All those high school and college students, all those young professionals that, as Joe Biden so truthfully told us tonight, eat cold pizza and sleep on the floor, have come together to form a movement for change and a collaborative effort to elect Barack Obama as their President to lead them into the future.

These students and young people are the future of this country. We have the most at stake because we will be living far into this country’s future, far past the administrations of George Bush, far past the administrations of Barack Obama. We have the most to gain. And we have the most to lose. All those Baby Boomers out there, all those retirees out there, the youth of America is asking you to stand with them on November 4 and vote for their future. Eight years is enough. We cannot turn back when there is so much work to be done.

Barack Obama’s candidacy has been one for the history books. The convention this whole week looked like America – men, women, children, teens, every race, every religion, every end of every political, social, and economic spectrum came to watch, to listen and to support Barack Obama for President. As the CNN cameras panned over the audience, I saw at one point two Sikh men waving American flags and moving to the sounds of Bruce Springstein’s “Born in the USA.” I saw a disabled US Army veteran and amputee in a wheelchair holding up a Barack Obama poster with the words “Change We Can Believe In” emblazoned on it. I saw young students and elderly. I saw women and men of every walk of life. This Convention was a microcosm of our beautiful and diverse nation.

In support of this diversity, the delegates chosen to represent the 50 states at the Convention were similarly representative of the nation’s population. Of the delegates, 5% were Asian/Pacific Islander, 12% were Latino, 6% were LGBT, 24% were African American, 4% suffered with disabilities, and about 51% were women. This Convention, from beginning to end, was a display of the movement that Barack Obama’s candidacy has produced among the masses of our nation.

Barack Obama’s speech tonight was presidential. As he tackled each contentious issue, took on each attack that had be levied against him, and explained clearly his policy objectives, I could not help but be reminded of the great Muhammad Ali and his famous quote, “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” This is exactly what Barack Obama did tonight. He did not rebut John McCain’s attacks with in-kind negativity. He did not barrage the audience with accusations or defensive mechanisms to deflect criticism. Instead he used the ancient art taught by martial arts masters of absorbing the attacker’s energy force from his blows and using it against him. Never could anyone suggest that Barack Obama’s speech tonight was defensive or negative. On the contrary, he was able to maintain his theme of hope while at the same time challenging effectively and efficiently each criticism that the McCain campaign has attempted to stick to Barack Obama.

Tonight, Barack Obama did not deliver merely a speech. He composed a symphony and conducted it tonight with mastery. At times becoming impassioned and quickening his delivery to rally excitement among the listeners and at other times slowing and allowing his voice to decrescendo to a low and soulful tone to allow the audience to grasp the strength and depth of his words, Barack Obama delivered the performance of a lifetime tonight. He was formidable yet uplifting, brazen yet honorable, deliberate yet dignified, brilliant yet accessible. Tonight, Barack Obama showed that he has what it takes to be presidential.

Tonight, Barack Obama renewed his commitment to the people of the United States of America. Tonight, I renewed my commitment to support Barack Obama.

All I have to say is…

I LOVE BARACK OBAMA!!! His speech was so amazing tonight.

His family is so kind and what America and the rest of the world needs to see.

Two things that he said about Mccain that need to be put to print:

-Mccain voted for 90% of the time with Bush-8 years is enough

-”Our Economy has made great progress under Bush”-How many foreclosures are there in your neighborhood?

VOTE BARACK OBAMA!!!!!!!!!!! WE LOVE HIM AND YOU SHOULD TOO!

Happy weekend! Go Obama,

Tim

The Best of the DNC…so far

Michelle Obama tells us not to accept the world as it is. We know what the world should look like. Barack Obama can help us get there.

Ted Kennedy talks of a New Hope with Barack Obama

Hillary Clinton supports Barack Obama and shows her strength and class. The time is now to unite! A single party with a single purpose! Go HilHil!

Bill Clinton praises Barack Obama’s decision-making, instinct, and VP selection.

Joe Biden explains Barack Obama’s Presidential qualities.

CHANGE AMERICA! Vote Obama/Biden on November 4, 2008!

Why Hot-Shots Like Obama

Here are a number of well-knowns at the DNC and why they are making Barack Obama their choice in ’08:

McCain’s Insane “Spiritual Guide”

Sooooooooo we’re supposed to have separation of church and state in this country….riiiiiiight?! I thought so. So what gives? Why is it OK for our Presidential hopefuls to meet at a evangelical church and answer questions about their belief in evil and their ideas about Jesus Christ?! I am ALL for freedom of religion and for spirituality! Anyone who knows me knows how big a part my religious beliefs are in my own personal life. And yes, my religious beliefs do impact my political beliefs when my political beliefs are based on morals and values. But I’m not running for President. And I’m just not comfortable with all this theological jargon that is interwoven in our political system.

On a related note, we went through all these crazy days hearing of Barack Obama’s insane pastor, Rev. Wright, and how his rhetoric from the pulpit was extreme and possibly anti-American. Ok, we know the press loves this kind of stuff and eats it up…sooooooo, why are they ignoring McCain’s insane spiritual guide????!!!! No, I’m not talking about Rev. John Hagee (another friend and endorser of John McCain and firm believer in God’s wrath on New Orleans for its “homosexual sins” culminating in Hurricane Katrina), I’m talking about Rev. Rod Parsley.

Parsley has called on Christians to wage war against Islam, which he considers to be a “false religion.” I find this personally highly offensive – and whether or not you are religious, whether or not you are Muslim, if you live in this country and believe in our Constitution and Bill of Rights calling for Freedom of Religion, you will understand and appreciate that this guy is seriously RIDICULOUS.

But what’s astonishing is that John McCain actively (and received) Parsley’s endorsement in the presidential race. McCain has called Parsley “a spiritual guide” – that’s scary to me. It should be to you, too.

Since the media won’t question McCain about his Islamaphobic, insane, vicious, bigoted, narrow-minded, hostile, anti-Consitution, arrogant pastor, it’s up to YOU to forward this video to your family, friends, and colleagues or simply share the link to this blog. It’s easy.

BE THE CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE IN THE WORLD! FORCE OUR POLITICIANS TO UPHOLD THE CONSTITUION AND THE BILL OF RIGHTS! ASK THE TOUGH QUESTIONS! DON’T STOP UNTIL YOU GET ANSWERS! VOTE OBAMA IN 2008!

Thanks to xtrekker for the heads up on this one! Keep ‘em comin’!

Meet Joe Biden

First of many posts about the Obama/Biden ticket for the Democratic Presidential campaign this year. Today, I’d just like to start by introducing Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.) to all the readers out there who might not know his personal history. It’s pretty poignant (and strategically very advantageous, to be politically callous and analytical). Check it out…

Joe Biden comes from a strong Irish-Catholic background. Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania to blue collar parents in a blue collar neighborhood, Biden grew up with the ethics of hard work and the values of a strong education. His parents loved for him and his siblings to discuss politics and current events at the dinner table, so Sen. Biden has been immersed in the news of Washington from childhood.

It seemed he was destined to enter politics – at the young age of 29, he was elected to the Senate. It was no ordinary Senate campaign. Young Biden was running against a strong Republican incumbent. But his campaign was fueled by the love, devotion and loyalty of his family. His sister was his campaign manager. His brother managed his fundraising. And his parents were his strategic team. Through all the struggles, he came out on top, only to be soon thereafter confronted with the most traumatic and transformational experience of his life.

One of them, Beau, is now the Attorney General of the state of Delaware and a Captain in the United States National Guard. He will be deploying to Iraq this coming Autumn and will be voting for his father and Barack Obama from the war zones.

Biden is no re-married to a wonderfully bright, strong woman, Jill Biden, who is an educator with very passionate opinions regarding our country’s public school system. She will be an asset to the Obama/Biden ticket, as she is a working mother who many women in this country will respect and relate to (horrible grammar, ending on a preposition! What would by AP English teacher say?! Yikes.

Now that you have been introduced to Sen. Joseph Biden, the man, let’s see what he had to say during his first speech as the Democratic Nominee for Vice President of the United States of America…check back tomorrow for the video feed!!

Theme parties

So this past weekend I went to a 60′s theme surprise party. If you’re going to have a party, add a theme and you got a bash. I told you to email me (tim@theblockfm.com) and we thank everyone for there ideas… Check back later today for some CRAZY ideas we found!

Here is my great costume!

Happy Monday,

Tim

The “Straight Talk Express” has Derailed

McCain’s biggest strength…

McCain is trying to convince the American public that he is the best candidate for President because of his unique strength on issues of national defense. Wellllllllllll, that might be a bit hard to sell after the American public sees this video. Check it out…

Brace Yourself – McCain is Set to Unleash His….Technology Policy?

Republican Presidential hopeful, John McCain, is just a week or so away from releasing his proposed technology policy for the future. There are about 16 things wrong with that sentence. John McCain himself admits that is does not use a computer, although he insists he is familiar with the internet. Yet, he will shortly be telling us, Gen Y, the bloggers, the net nerds, the wizards of cyberspace, how HE thinks we should move forward with technology.

So since McCain obviously does not himself understand the net, where is he getting his information to establish his new policy? Is he traveling to college campuses and asking students how the internet impacts their studies? Is he discussing net neutrality with the gurus of Google? Is he asking web developers and graphic designers how the internet works? Is he holding a forum with the country’s most prominent bloggers to understand how information is disseminated across the www? Nope. Nope. And nope. He’s establishing his technology party with the CEO’s of the telecom industry, including Verizon, AT&T, and ComCast – all three of which have been found to have violated the sanctity of free access to information on the net by engaging in some sort of censorship.

Examples:

• Verizon refused to allow a text message from NARAL to be sent to their members, stating that it contained ‘unsavory’ and controversial material.

• AT&T censored a web-casted Pearl Jam concert when the lead singer shouted out anti-Bush statements.
• Comcast not only was caught illegally blocking file sharing by its customers, but has a history of blocking political ads on its cable service that criticize politicians company executives have given money to.

So these are the companies that McCain is going to help with his technology policy. Why? Money. Dollars. Dinero. Moola. Scratch. Cash-ola. A lot of it.

U.S. Telecom Association president and CEO Walter B. McCormick Jr., Sprint CEO Daniel R. Hesse, and Verizon chairman and CEO Ivan G. Seidenberg have each raised between $50,000 and $100,000 for McCain’s campaign. AT&T executive vice president for federal relations Timothy McKone has raised at least $500,000. Alison H. McSlarrow and Kyle E. McSlarrow, both of whom work for cable and telecom interests, have raised more than $50k for McCain.

So basically McCain’s technology policy will have absolutely nothing to do with what is good for America, what is good for you and me, what is good for Gen Y, what is good for the future. It will have everything to do with what is good for McCain’s buddies who have raised money for him and who now are owed favors.

Crony capitalism at its best.

This is What Your Brain Looks Like on…Cellphone Radiation

So this got me to thinking about all the thousands of HOURS that I have spent talking on the phone and what the crazy microwaves are doing to my brain. So now when I say my brain is fried….maybe it really is.