Oh my, did I conduct a faux pas? I didn't recognize a congresswoman. Well, to be fair, she's not my congresswoman. Apart from my congresswoman, and a few other names within NY, I can't be expected to know all 435 U.S. Representatives, can I? CAN I?

I didn't find out until after I met her and she had left. Other than her well-done makeup, she was unassuming and dressed non-representatively. Although the Great Seal of the U.S.-emblazoned folder should've gave it away...

( Read more... )

Hehe, Weiner.

Remember when universal banks were against the law lol? They should totally do that again. Don't hate because you want a one-stop shop for commercial banking and investment banking. I guess it makes me socialist that I believe more government regulation is a good thing? Because we all know how great individuals and individual corporations are at regulating themselves. And you know how you do a really great service or make a really great product? NICHE. NOT swiping everything under the sun remotely related under the umbrella. Yeah, okay, I'm pretty sure I'm drunk on my own sleep so, so long, suckers.

US Passports not printed/assembled here in the US.

What. The. Fuck. Among the last things I'd expect for something to be outsourced is a federal document like a passport; thanks for going beyond my expectations, guys! The article is all kinds of fun: chip assembly by Dutch people, then shipped to Thailand to be further outfitted with a wire, before coming back here. Not to mention the social instability of the latter, and the fact that China stole their (Dutch company not-so-Smartrac) technology. Oh, and the passports are blank, so they don't have your info, they can just totally BS it anew!

Let's not get into how the Government Printing Office is earning an incredible profit from the exorbitant prices despite the illegality, how the GPO willingly decided to outsource the blank passport cover assembly, or how the profits are funding their happy fun bonuses and trips. Let's.

I still I have my old, pre-RFID passport, even though in the photo I look like a drug addict.

Many years ago, I strongly supported Eliot Spitzer solely for his fighting for environmental protection. I was rather lukewarm about his bid for gubernatorial office, and his actual governing I was and am not hugely a fan of. (It feels like Pataki > Spitzer) Now... wow. My faith has been restored! Wait.

I think I need more details before I start wagging my finger furiously and going shame shame shame. Was he one of those types who only wanted to wear the girl's stilettos and be tickled with a feather? Nonetheless, I'm still disappointed (yet unsurprised) in this whole affair because it feels like a blight on New York State. It's almost as if I myself called up a prostitution ring to negotiate prices. >_>;;<_<

So who thinks that press conference with Spitzer's wife by his side is reminiscent of McGreevey's?

( Winner of Ladies Figure Skating )

Edit: What is wrong with all these gold-winning U.S. athletes (from any year) that seem to not know the national anthem? It's so pathetic. I see many people from other countries mouth along, even partially, and NBC shows those award ceremonies way less than when the U.S. wins gold. I don't know why I'm surprised, most people I've known don't know it either. I know it's long, but man, if you know all the words to some rap song, learn the first verse of Star-Spangled Banner. It's probably one of the few things that ties everyone together rather than split them apart. (Damn, I sound like a hippie. A federal hippie.) We should have random testing. Some government guy will call you up and ask you to at least recite the anthem. If you pass, you get a cookie. If you fail, something will happen to you. You won't know when or what, but by God, it'll happen. >/