Best Posts of 2008

In 2008, the Associated Peace's inaugural year, I have published 65 posts. Sure, there have been some weak moments and a few jokes in bad taste, but overall I am proud to say that this blog has been committed to serious, balanced, and unbiased editorials.

Just look at the press I've been getting!

This strange couple put posters near their bed:

This is an actual poster I saw:
And these are actual bumper stickers:



This is a real photo of President Bush, no editing:

It's amazing what one little blog can accomplish in a few short months!

As a tribute to myself, here is a list of my favorite blog posts from this year, in reverse chronological order:

No, Not Fonzi - The Fonz weighs in on the SEC's fraud woes

Poll Trolls - Who knows what about the elections

Black vs. Red - A melodramatic essay on Thanksgiving

A Day Without Gays - My view on gay marriage

Obama Nation - Written about an hour before he won

Abomination - Going against my principals...as a matter of principal

Mad Libs - Crazy fill-in-the-blank fun with government

Greenfleece - Me ranting about GreenPeace

Democrats against the enviroment - Kennedy and Kerry and GE

Arousing Housing Carousing - Understand the economy

Frankly

Sixty Minutes did a nice piece about Congressman Barney Frank recently, and I recommend checking it out:

Barney Frank 60 Minutes Video

As much as I disagree with Frank's views on housing and the economy, you have to admit he is a sharp cookie. His no-nonsense approach to politics is really in line with my own. In the video, notice how Frank emphasizes compromise and criticizes Washington politicians who love to just waste time.

He may not share my views, but at least he is not full of B.S. Right on!

I lied, I'm a loser

I lied. I didn't think that New Hampshire Governor John Lynch would be seeking federal funding to help with the ice storm cleanup, but he is. Tisk!

No, not Fonzi

Ponzi scheme: A fraudulent investment operation that involves paying abnormally high returns to investors out of the money paid in by subsequent investors, rather than from the profit from any real business.

-Wikipedia

Was anybody surprised that the S.E.C. missed Bernard Madoff's multi-billion dollar Ponzi scheme even when it had been under their nose for years?

Maybe somebody should tell them about Social Security.

Fonzi says:
That Ponzi guy is whack!
But Social Security is totally cool!
Ayyyyyyyyyyyyyy!

Poll Trolls

A couple of weeks ago there was some controversy about a Wilson Research poll which tested 1000 McCain and Obama supporters on some basic campaign facts. The poll was originally conducted only on Obama supporters. Since the results showed a poor knowledge of campaign trivia, the supposition was made that Obama supporters were ignorant. However, Wilson repeated the poll on both Obama and McCain supporters and the results were identical.

As it turns out, both McCain supporters and Obama supporters had trouble on certain questions. Based on the full poll data and cross tabs, here is my analysis of the poll:

What McCain supporters knew that Obama supporters did not

• 64% of Republicans knew that the Democrats already controlled the Senate before the election.
  
  Only 38% of Democrats knew that.
  
  
• 50% of McCain supporters knew that Barack Obama had said his policies would bankrupt coal companies and make energy prices skyrocket.
  
  Only 14% of Obama supporters knew that. 24% of them though McCain had said it.
  
  
• 48% of McCain supporters knew that Barack Obama had claimed to have campaigned in 57 states.
  
  Only 24% of Obama supporters knew that.

What Obama supporters knew that McCain supporters did not

• 
  

What both Obama supporters and McCain supporters knew

• McCain could not remember how many houses he owned (about three-quarters of McCain and Obama supporters knew this)
  
  
• The Republicans spent $150,000 on Sarah Palin's clothing (about 80% of McCain and Obama supporters knew this)
  
  
• Sarah Palin has a pregnant teenage daughter (95% of McCain and Obama supporters knew this)
  
  
• Joe Biden said that Barack Obama would be seriously tested in his first six months in office (just over half of McCain and Obama supporters knew this)
  
  
• Barack Obama said the government should redistribute wealth (about 80% of McCain and Obama supporters knew this)
  
  
• Barack Obama reportedly started his political career at Bill Ayers' house (86% of McCain supporters and 68% of Obama supporters knew this)
  
  
• John McCain was involved in a 1980's savings and loans scandal (about half of McCain and Obama supporters knew this)
  

What neither Obama supporters nor McCain supporters knew

• Sarah Palin did not actually say that she could see Russia from her house (about three-quarters of McCain and Obama supporters believed she had said so)
  
  
• Joe Biden was forced to drop out of a 1980 campaign because he was found to have plagiarized a speech (only about one-third of McCain and Obama supporters knew this)
  
  
• Barack Obama won his first election by getting all of his oponents kicked off the ballot (only 29% of McCain supporters and 13% of Obama supporters knew this)

Nice Ice

I've started to do some research regarding the ice storms that hit Western Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire. Both Governors Deval Patrick of Massachusetts and John Lynch of New Hampshire have declared states of emergency and deployed the National Guard.

To begin, I'd like to commend the leadership of my governor, Deval Patrick, during this catastrophic storm. As is documented in the news video below, Patrick was on the scene today assessing the situation first hand. It is obvious that he has a good understanding of the needs of the area and is addressing them. Would Mitt Romney have trekked out there all the way to Fitchburg for the afternoon? You can decide that for yourself.

That said, I am upset that Deval Patrick will be asking for federal funding to aid with the storm clean up. The last newscast I saw reported that the total for the cleanup could be seven million dollars. Does the governor of Taxachusetts really need to go begging to our broke federal government for a few million dollars? I haven't heard any reports yet that tax-free New Hampshire will be picking Uncle Sam's pockets.

I am going to keep an eye out for this. It won't surprise me if New Hampshire doesn't seek federal funding at all. Still think Massachusetts needs income tax?

I lied, I'm a loser

I lied, I'm a loser.

I've been thinking about it, and I wish to revise the statement I made a few months ago in my post Watch the Debates.

Don't watch the debates next time.

After reading a few good books, I began to realize that presidential debates are just a stage where Democrats and Republicans pretend to disagree with each other.

Read Obama Nation for some more on this issue.