OBAMA!

After this I promise I will return to music and stop going on about politics. But, to quote Bill Bradbury, Oregon’s current Secretary of State, “the world is different tonight.” Let’s hope that different means better.

Glem ikke at stemme

This post probably doesn't apply to about half of you, but for those who, like me, live in the US of A -- please remember that tomorrow (Tuesday, November 4th) is election day, and you had better vote. If, also like me, you live in Oregon, where we vote by mail, please don't mail your ballot now; it won't arrive in time. Instead, take it to one of the drop boxes listed here.

This election cycle, I haven't really been very active or vocal with politics; I did a lot more in 2004, when I wasn't even old enough to vote. However, I feel that this may be an even more important election than the last one, and so, even though an mp3 blog probably isn't the most appropriate venue, it's my venue, and I can say whatever I like, so I'm going to talk about politics for a little while now.

I'll be brief, though. I'm only going to discuss the presidential race. Even if you don't cast a vote for anyone or anything else, please make the effort and vote for a new President of the United States. It is worth the effort of filling in a bubble, pressing a button, or punching out a chad (punch it all the way), so that the country will maybe not embark on a nuclear war or escalate in Iraq, so that I (and numerous others) can maybe afford to have and be able to acquire health insurance, so that the world's most militarily powerful nation can have a vice president whose most compelling political credential isn't the fact that she can see Russia from her house. (I mean, has anyone ever thought of this -- Sarah Palin's neighbors can probably see Russia from their houses, too. Does that make them qualified to be Vice President of the United States? No it does not.)

I shouldn't have to say which candidate I'm endorsing. It should be incredibly obvious who everyone's choice should be. But forty percent of the American public is still saying, in polls, that they plan on voting for John McCain, and a small segment of the population is still undecided. So I'll make an endorsement, but first I'll say this -- no one we elect is going to be perfect. No one is going to fix everything that is wrong with America. But, given a choice between working on digging out of the hole or miring further in, why, oh why, would anyone choose to get worse when there's the opportunity to do better?

Please, when you vote for President of the United States, make the better choice -- the intelligent choice -- the right choice. Vote Barack Obama.

Ikke mere kæledyr

If one of the CD players hadn’t stopped functioning halfway through, this could have been my best show yet. Even so, it will, I think, go down in history due to my playing the Spot Magazine “Everything Pets” underwriting spot back to back with the community calendar advertising (unbeknownst to me) a Halloween showing of the film adaptation of Pet Sematary. Oh yes.

I also talked a bit about some interesting articles published in the most recent issue of a magazine I don’t usually (okay, ever) read, the American Conservative. (You, too, can join in doing something completely in contradiction with all previous political activity -- read the articles starting here.) Anyway, the editors asked eighteen contributors to write short essays on who they’re planning to vote for and why. If the results of this “survey” -- of people, remember, whose opinions are recognized by the readers of a nationally circulating magazine, and who are considered far enough to the right to be allowed to write for it -- are at all indicative of how the upcoming election will turn out, well, I’d say that’s very good.

A recap of what I said on the show: Of the eighteen, four were so displeased with their options that they plan to abstain from voting entirely. Two others, who plan on giving their votes to write-ins, might as well. Four more votes will go to third-party candidates. That leaves eight, and five of eight American conservatives support Obama. (PS -- the three who plan to vote for McCain are all reluctant.) Again -- oh yes.

Here is the playlist, which was mostly normal but with a vampire song and a mention of pagan holidays thrown in, just in case.
1. Hate to Say I Told You So – the Hives (SV)
2. Minua Ollaan Vastassa – Regina (F)
3. Blah Blah Blah – Say Hi to Your Mom
4. Current Acids – Shout Wellington Air Force (DK)
5. Piazza, New York Catcher – Belle & Sebastian
6. King Canute – the Kabeedies
7. Invisibility Trick – Stars in Coma (SV)
8. Le Beat’s on Fire – epo-555 (DK)
9. Mouth – No and the Maybes (DK)
10. I Wish You’d Stay – Club 8 (SV)
11. How Did We Forget? – El Perro del Mar (SV)
12. Leaving You Behind – Hello Saferide (SV)
13. Asleep – Juni Järvi (SV)
14. Locked in Tight – the Flaming Stars

--DL--
Ashtrays Podcast (31. oktober 2008)