A Comprehensive Look at Why Bush Sucks

Now, I don't think that Bush is evil, I don't think he has some sort of vast corporate-military-oil conspiracy or anything like that. I just think he's wrong for this country.

a) Iraq. Bush said we were going in because there was a threat to national security because Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. There aren't any. So why are we there? I understand that Saddam Hussein was an evil dictator, violated human rights, etc etc, and I'm glad that we got him out. I don't think we did it the right way. We now have this chaotic mess on our hands. You'd think that if we were to overthrow someone's government we should at least get the clear support of their people first. We rebuilt Germany and Japan after WWII, so it's not like the US is incapable of rebuilding nations, but we have to do it with a willing populace. (Another thing that can be said of Germany and Japan is that they were already Westernized nations, with strong industrial bases and an educated middle class, which helps a lot.) Also, if we were truly so noble-minded, why Iraq? Why not Sudan, or Liberia, or East Timor? If we're trying to be the humanitarian police of the world, it's funny that we only help people when it's expedient.

b) Gay marriage. Ok, with the economy like this, and terrorism, and rising health care costs, our biggest problem is that two people want to get married? Sanctity of marriage what? We'll protect the sanctity of a drunk Britney Spears getting married overnight in Vegas, and Anna Nicole milking an old geezer out of his money? Unless the government has some magic powers to discern whether one marriage is abusing the sacred institution, and another is truly blessed, it should just butt out of the whole "moral authority" business completely. The government marriage license exists to help people planning to live together for life acknowledge their legal realities. Just because gay marriage is banned doesn't mean gay live-in lovers will suddenly stop having to worry about where their property goes when they split up, or how to file a joint tax, etc. The government marriage license exists for pragmatic, not moral purposes. A marriage license doesn't mean that you truly will love each other until death do you part, that God smiles on your union. It's just a piece of paperwork giving you certain legal rights and responsibilites that go with your new position. If your church, synagogue, mosque, temple, coven, cult, or family refuses to marry a gay couple on moral grounds, I respect that decision. But something like that is not the government's job.

I don't see what banning gay marriage is supposed to do, other than look good to religious conservatives. What, will gay people stop being gay because they can't get married? It's silly. Another thing, what about hospital rights? A gay man or woman is denied access to his/her lover in the hospital because he/she isn't technically "family"... now that's just ridiculous! A hospital patient should have the last say in who he/she wants visiting. It's a highly personal decision and the President, the Senate, the House and the Supreme Court can just stick their laws where the sun don't shine, for all I care. It's a free country, and if a dying man in a hospital wants to see, his HAMSTER, for God's sake, then no law, come hell or high water, should keep him from it.

Even if you did oppose homosexuality on a moral ground, which is a personal opinion, I don't see how this justifies amending the Constitution. The Consititution is what prevents presidents from gaining too much power, by setting a groundwork for what, except in dire circumstances, cannot be changed. I don't see the erosion of the Constitution as a good thing.

In conclusion: Bush is dead wrong.

c) Stem cell research: Guh? Suppose you believe that life starts at conception (which I don't). Fine. The embryos are already dead, though! It's not like you're killing them when you extract stem cells. If you are so pro-life, ban the fertility clinics that create and destroy unused embryos in the first place, not the scientists trying to do find ways to alleviate suffering. Besides, not all stem cells are embryonic; there are also bone marrow stem cells, for example. Anyway, I've posted my opinion on fetuses elsewhere.

Conclusion: Kerry rocks.

d) Tax cuts for the rich: In theory, this should work to stimulate the economy. In practice, it doesn't. It's extremely difficult for the government to time economic policies precisely, because first, once the information is available, the situation has likely changed. Then there's the time that it takes to pass legislation, and then there's the time it takes for the legislation to take effect. So by the time fiscal policy enacted, it won't help anymore. Besides, while I'm not a communist and actually like the idea of people who earn their money keeping it, rich people manage to worm out of many taxes anyway. For example, normal people earn a revenue, and then are taxed from that, leaving the remainder to pay their expenses. But if you put all your personal assets in a corporation, you're allowed to use your revenue to pay your expenses first, and then are taxed on the remainder. Also, if your personal assets are in a corporation they can't be confiscated to pay off debt. Or, if you trade a piece of real estate for a piece of real estate worth more, the tax on your gain on the sales of the first piece of real estate is delayed, meaning that if you keep trading for bigger pieces, you can delay paying your real estate taxes indefinitely. Sneaky! Stuff like that!

People who take the brunt of the conflicting 'tax cuts for the rich/ free market' and 'wealth distribution' ideals are the upper middle class. Kerry is going to cut taxes for the middle class, and it's about frickin' time.

e) Bush's policy of abstinence only education: Teens need to learn about safe sex. This is common sense. Teens will not stop having sex because you refuse to acknowledge that they are. They need to learn how to have sex responsibly. If they have it pounded into their heads that they're evil if they have sex before marriage, the ones that have already had sex won't listen to anything else you say, the ones that plan on having sex won't listen to anything else you say, and as adults if they actually do believe that sex is evil, they'll have a hard time surviving in a sexually responsible manner once they have sex. And of course there's the Christian overtones. Many of the abstinence only programs are overtly religious (nothing wrong with that, but not something that should be funded by public schools) and promote tired gender stereotypes, like, "Boys want sex but are less emotionally mature," or "Girls are more vulnerable." Not exact quotes, but you get the idea.

f) Military service:

Kerry won three Purple Hearts, which demonstrates courage, decisiveness and grace under pressure. It doesn't conclusively prove that he has the qualities of a president, but it certainly doesn't hurt. Bush joined the National Guard during the Vietnam War. Nothing wrong with that, but he never did his National Guard duty! Conveniently, the records went missing. Also, his family had an "understanding" with the Army. Bush got out of serving because he was going to business school, which is an excuse that won't appeal to all the men and women who joined the Army because they couldn't afford college. There's a reason most of the people getting shot are working class boys and girls. Using privilege to get out military service is a flagrant display of arrogance and elitism.

Also, if you promote yourself as a wartime president you should have credentials to back it up. If you didn't have military service, fine, but you shouldn't have tried to worm out of it and covered it up. And if you *did* do all that sneaking, you should at the least have the good graces not to criticize a rival who actually served his country the hard way.

g) Accessories:

John Edwards: Born in a working class family, first in his family to go to college, graduated 3rd in his class in college and within the top 10 in his class at graduate school. Great reputation as a trial lawyer in malpractice suits. Smart, ambitious, charismatic, and a fighter for the injured against giant corporations and organizations. (good) Singlehandedly raised health care prices in South (North?) Carolina with the cost of the malpractice verdicts. (bad... I guess? But if there weren't malpractice it wouldn't cost anyone.)

Dick Cheney: Tough as nails, smart as hell (good), CEO of Halliburton, a company which is (quite coincidentally, we're supposed to believe) the one contracted to export oil from Iraq and is making a killing (bad), supports amendment against gay marriage despite having a lesbian daughter who conveniently keeps very very quiet and out of the public eye and a wife who disagrees on that issue (v. bad).

Hmmm.

Teresa Heinz Kerry: Spent her early years in Mozambique and South Africa, would (technically) be the first African-American first lady. Doesn't take @#%$.

Laura Bush: Librarian. Ex-schoolteacher. Wallflower.

h) Dubya: Had an alcohol problem until age 40. Not.. during college or, "in my young days." Until he was 40.

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Kerry is dumb because:

a) What the heck is that, "Keep jobs in America" crap? What are you going to do? Subsidize companies that don't outsource? That hardly seems like good incentive.. oh, and hurray for keeping prices artificially high and most likely causing many companies to go bankrupt because of the cost of labor. Hurray for discouraging investment overseas (creating job opportunities, modernization, training and infrastructure in countries that would otherwise be economic cesspools). Hurray for starting up another brand of "made in America" jingoism that will no doubt cause even more racism towards Indians and other Asians. GOOD FOR YOU, JOHN KERRY! -_-

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I still think Kerry wins.

Otakon 2004

Went with T and Mehmet. Got lost on the drive to Baltimore on Friday, as T was trying not to take the highway. It took us several hours to get there, but fortunately the Baltimore Convention Center is not too hard to locate. Baking in a midsummer noon stew, you could smell the line of otaku stretching several blocks down Pratt Street even before you could see them, and you could see them from quite a ways. Stood in line for an hour or so, in air conditioning because I'd pre-registered, mercifully. It felt a bit like an airport (maybe what the UMBC Commons were supposed to be, with more success), from the lines to the row of registration booths, the cosplay security officers from some anime I've never seen pacing around like the real thing, and even down to the people holding arrival signs for other people they intended to meet up with.

Did not know what to do once I got in; ambled around for a bit, peering into panels and videos that'd already started. The panels are not that great. By the time I got in, the seats would be full and the mikes not working so that you couldn't hear the panelist. It didn't matter too much because the panelists, unlike your teachers, are offered the position because of their position in the anime industry, not great lecturing/presentation skills. So what you'd get is a response that's completely incoherent:

Panelist: *mumble mumble thump* Yes.. to answer your question, I'd like to refer back to what Yuki said, about orange eggs.

Audience: (laughter)

I don't get panels.

Sat in for some AMVs and a few fan-trailers. Some of these were pretty good, like a Fight Club trailer set to Pokemon, a Trigun AMV to "Ice Ice Baby," and some Furi Kuri AMV which actually, convincingly, managed to be wistful and sad. This is a miracle, considering the actual anime was loud, outrageous, and seizure-inducing. But most of the AMV's were bad. Little did I know that they were the "Overflow Videos," aka the Contest Rejects. This would be what I'd be doing most of the day, with the exception of getting lost and taking pictures of people in cool costumes.

The intimidating thing about Otakon is that, unlike Rennfest or Gettysburg or other nerd Mecca's, most events are screenings and so have set start and end times. At Rennfest you could drop in on a minstrel here, an acapella group there, a jester here, a juggler there, all punctuated by casual shopping that would bore the daylights out of Jeremy. Gettysburg was a big battle every four hours interspersed by long periods of nothing - mostly browsing, eating, stopping to peer at musicians as you walked by, and talking to re-enactors about 19th century "life." At Otakon though, if you don't get to a certain room by 11 o'clock, the screening starts without you, and the next screening is at twelve. Or, it would happen that you would make it in time and watch 10 minutes of the 11 o'clock screening, not like it, leave, and have nothing better to do for the next fifty minutes, since all screenings basically start at the same time (on the hour). Consequentially, Otakon requires a bit of planning, knowing what activities you will be attending, where you will be when. I did not, so I spent my time drifting from room to room patching together fifteen minute sequences like a cinemetic anime quilt. I'd move from a comedic moment from the middle of some 26 episode series to an action sequence in a 2 hour movie to a completely random scene involving high school girls in short skirts and robots. It's a bit like when you find you've killed three hours watching cable tv by flipping the channel every five minutes.

Went to the Dealers, a giant basement room essentially converted into a bazaar. Got myself a Slime from Dragon Warrior. Still, you can't spend a lot of time looking at merchandise because, unlike Rennfest where there's a lot of cool handicrafts, the extent of anime mechandise originality goes as follows: DVDs. Manga. Soundtracks. Action Figure of Anime Character. Plush Doll of Anime Character. Tote Bag with Anime Character on It. T-shirt with Anime Character On It. Mug With Anime Character On It. Wallscroll with Anime Character On It. Repeat.

I have certain series loyalties, but no loyalty to the big swarming entity that is "anime" in particular. It's like asking me if I like "movies." The answer would be.. yes. But I'm not going to buy a shirt because it has someone from a movie in it. And also, just because I like Full Metal Alchemist doesn't mean I'll buy some shirt with Edward on it. I don't even find those things particularly interesting to look at.

Watched Princess Mononoke at night on a lush silver screen, love it to death. Still, not a kid's movie, that.

Had dinner at the Inner Harbor food court, and on my way out, ran into Janis and Jessica sitting at an outdoor cafe. Small world.

Back at Otakon, went to the video game room, a giant basement room like a ginormous LAN party, with projecting screens everywhere, arcade consoles, and DDR. Played some Soul Calibur, got my butt kicked, decided it wasn't worth waiting in line to play a game I get owned at.

Saw some of Otaku Idol, which wasn't good enough to be good or bad enough to be funny, and some of the yaoi panel. Like all panels, it was boring, but maybe because we came in late, and there were no visuals, like powerpoint slides or videos, only handouts.

Bumped into some people Mehmet knew, and we decided to crash at their hotel, the Radisson not too far away. Me and T checked out the Otakon Rave, and then we stood in line for "I Dream of Mimi," a hentai. We butted in line with the people we knew, and talked about how astonishing it was that it was so easy to see familiar faces. During this time I was looking at the girl standing next to me, who turned out to be a Jennifer from RM, who took ceramics class with me in 10th grade and also was dating Matthew G. Small world.

The hentai was running late, so we in line started rioting and chanting, "Hentai! Hentai! Hentai!" until we were finally let in.

"I Dream of Mimi" is a hilarious hentai about this high school computer nerd who buys a supposed PC from a bum on the street (don't ask why) only to find out that it's a non-refundable sex android. Thus begins a string of "Insert your data in my front disk slot!" and "Oh yes! Enlarge my memory!" jokes that will procede for the next three episodes, including busty American "Nacintosh" virtual fembots who like "installing Japanese fonts."

I must admit though, it does get me thinking about Jeremy, a "hardware engineer," in a new light.

Stayed at the Radisson, eight people to a room. It was extremely hot with the air conditioning on, until we opened the window. The ice vodka with Red Bull chasers helped, but I still insist that chilled or no it tastes like rubbing alcohol. Did some dubious things in the bathroom that tasted like dirt. I don't see why people consider this to be their idea of a good time, except that we are young, and should do something subversive to show that we are alive. Some young people hitchhike across Europe, some climb mountains, some express their vibrancy through their music or art - but for the rest of us who haven't got their physicality and spirit, we sit in bathrooms laughing at things that aren't funny as shadows of people who actually live.

Got lectured on it by T, who said that since my mom had trusted her to be my guardian on this trip, I shouldn't do anything dumb because she'd have to bear all the responsibility. I thought about this more and decided that this was a breach of my mom's trust in me as well. It doesn't matter that nothing happened to me, but it was, in principle, a breach of trust, and I stayed up a while after that feeling guilty.

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Woke up. Saturday. Ate at Burger King across the street from the Convention Center, stole T's hash browns, went back to Otakon. There are otaku everywhere. It must be terrifying to normal people. Apparently Burger King ran out of food a few years back when they didn't know that there was a con. Anyway, we went to the Convention Center and ambled around for a bit, hanging out in Charles Street Lobby, a beautiful windowed place surrounded by fountains, and a photographic agora for cosplayers. Cosplayers are extremely friendly, and most, if not all, are game to you calling them to pose for a photo. All about the Convention Center, otaku hang about everywhere, curled up in crevices, sitting on the floor leaning against walls, reading manga or playing cards, standing absently strumming guitars, or standing in corners holding up signs (Mostly, "Free hugs!" "Glomp me!" or some variation. There's also, "Death to Hugs!" as a counterrevolution). The pulse of activity procedes so naturally that you forget it's only a few days each year, a conglomeration of misfits, foreigners and tourists, and it seems instead, as you walk through the airy and open corridors, that you're in some giant nerdy city alive with hubbub, that this is one day of many in a teeming metropolis.

I tried to find a place to get a refund for the ticket Jeremy never used. In any case, I was interrupted by a bunch of people I've met online, namely Dr. Lighthead, Sakaki22, CyKairus, and Cookirini from Mobius Forum. Dr. Lighthead called me on my cell, and Sakaki held up a sign. These are all screen names. Real names are irrelevant. For those of you who've never actually met someone you knew online, I shall answer the great question: Yes, you still answer and address people by their screen names, even if it's something that you'd never dream to have someone actually call you by in person. It just seems more natural that way. It actually wasn't awkward at all.

Spent a bit of time with Sakaki (who was dressed up as Squall) in the Dealers, writing funny signs. By the yaoi section he wore a sign reading, "Looking for other MALE Final Fantasy Lead. Inquire within." A Black Mage asked, "Within what?" and then ran away, frightened, as Sakaki tried to give him a hug. So it went. I have pictures.

Met up with Cookirini, who was playing cards with her sister, and we all decided to eat at the Hard Rock Cafe, on the Inner Harbor. I was the only local, and I knew how to get there from the Convention Center (It's not that hard). Dr. Lighthead, despite being from Bowie, didn't. It took a while to guide him. I must express my admiration for Sakaki, who, dressed as Squall, slogged through the crowded thoroughfare of Baltimore in a leather jacket and leather pants, with straps and buckles. In July.

Hard Rock ended up being very loud and expensive, and the food wasn't great. Because we couldn't actually talk to one another, we took out a piece of paper, scribbled on it in pencil and passed it back and forth in a sort of proto-chat. Even after having met one another IRL, it seems that text is always the default.

I was terrified by how much money I'd spent. If you think about it, $50 is not a lot to spend in the course of two days, including hotel fees, but it was terrifying for me to suddenly discover that, out of my wallet, I was down fifty or so. It's not something that happens to me often. Even though I live "independently" at school, I still have rent paid for me, food paid for me, tuition paid for me. I spend money maybe once a week or so, on a movie or coffee, but I never calculate how much that is; just what I consider to be "reasonable" pocket change, and my wallet magically replenishes itself when I visit my parents. My parents had always complained I didn't know the cost of things.. I thought this charge was ridiculous, because I know that a movie is like $9.00 at night ($6.00 matinee), a meal is between five and ten, bus fare is $1.10... but in the end, the accusations turned out to be true. When I was given $60 to spend on everything it all disappeared and I don't know where it went. If you count and list and scrutinize, you see it, leaking out of your pocket bit by bit so you didn't notice. Gas money here. Money for a toothbrush. Money for dinner. Money for breakfast. Money for lunch. Money for a souvenir. Money for a hotel. And then you look in your wallet and say, "Where did my money go?" In my mind, though I know it isn't so, dental hygeine has always been free. Rides have been free. A place to stay at night has been free. A bed and a bathroom and someone to drive me places have been free for me so long that though I knew abstractly that someone somewhere pays, I never had thought about it all too much. It's a very cold shock. Though it's not as if I spent an unreasonable amount of money this year, next year, I shall plan.

Went back to Otakon, parted ways with everyone to wander on my own. Was depressed, went to the bathroom, somehow managed to clog it, felt terrible and fled the scene as water flooded the floor. Still feel badly about this, though nobody knows it was me. Ala anime quilt fashion, saw a bit of Lady Snowblood, a corny kung fu movie, and went to the first half hour of an anime doll panel. Then, went to see the first three episodes of Initial D, which cheered me up considerably. Went to see some of the Saturday Night fansubs, though I couldn't hear much in the echoing vault, and then went to the car.

Mehmet took the last of my money for parking and gas.

Lightning streaked across the sky horizontally, like the arcs of crawling electricity in Frankenstein's lab, and I had a feeling I wouldn't be coming back. I told T and Mehmet that if we weren't coming back that I'd call and find a hotel, and they could go home.

T said, "We are coming back tomorrow."
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Due to thunderstorms, could not come back the next day.