I sat down and watched the news yesterday for a couple of hours. I haven’t done that in…well, ever. I flipped between CNN and Fox News and actually sat and watched Bill O’Reilly. It was torture, absolute torture to hear O’Reilly speak. But I was really curious as to what people are really listening to.

And it’s scary that people are listening to all the bull-crap.

I have come to the conclusion that the era of independent thought is over. What these networks do is…do the thinking for you. I barely saw any news being reported, in the classical sense of giving you information as objectively as possible. These are all opinions, told very loudly. They scream. They talk non-stop. They scold. They have flashy screens and charts and tables and LIVE software. They tell you what you should think. Every time they show a video clip of a politician talking, they have a dozen people spinning it out of context, and then have a chat room going on the right side of the screen, news ticker on the bottom, breaking news flashes…OH.MY.GOD. I’m surprised I didn’t get a seizure. I’m really happy that I watched the debate on ABC, where they just. showed. the. debate. I later saw that Fox and CNN and who knows what other networks, have a gazillion nifty high-tech RIDICULOUS stuff showing you what OTHER people think. That’s the problem. There’s no way of objectively listening for yourself, and forming your own thoughts and opinions. That’s why I love the Daily Show and Colbert…

People should really stop watching TV and listen to what other people think BEFORE they listen to the source. Go watch a video of a candidate talking, then form an independent opinion, and go listen to the blah blah blah afterwards so you are able to differentiate what is rubbish and what is information.

Anyone who has the guts and patience to be an opposition leader in Singapore deserves respect. 

SINGAPORE, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Singapore’s veteran opposition politician J.B. Jeyaretnam died early on Tuesday due to heart failure, state radio reported.The 82-year-old politician died at a local hospital, 938 live radio quoted Ng Teck Siong, a close friend and chairman of Jeyaretnam’s new political party, as saying.

Jeyaretnam recently formed the Reform Party to challenge the more than 40-year rule of the People’s Action Party, which was founded by former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.

The first opposition member to break the ruling party’s grip on parliament 27 years ago, he was unable to contest the 2006 general election after he was made bankrupt in 2001 for failing to pay S$265,000 ($193,700) in defamation damages to then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong. He was discharged from bankruptcy in May last year.

The PAP has ruled Singapore since independence in 1965. It won 82 of 84 seats in a May 2006 election and has never lost more than four seats in any election. 

Hmm…sue your opposition for slander…in courts where the judges are appointed by you…then reduce them to bankruptcy…after which the constitution says you can’t run for office! Ingenious! Obama…I have a plan for you. Oh wait, it wouldn’t work here because, for all its flaws, America has more political freedom. 

The more I listen to Biden, the more I like him.

Check out this video of him talking on 9/10/01 showing true insight. Reminds me of the time, a few months before 9/11, my political science 1 professor told us that something very significant will happen very soon that will change the course of how America acts in the world.

I really like his answer on the issue of abortion.

He’s done dozens of interviews, tough and easy. He’s put himself out there. He’s had many derided gaffes, but IMO, he’s the true straight talk express.

Palin is incredible material for comedians – they don’t even have to write much! You can take Palin’s words almost verbatim and TA-DAH! It’s funny.

I wondered whether this is a Karl Rovian ploy to reduce expectations for the debate. Today I read that even the Obama team thinks so. The Republicans are masters at winning elections, not matter how slimy (re: Bush’s 2nd term), so anything is possible, really.

I really really tried to listen to the debate with an objective ear. I am obviously for Obama already, but I really wanted to hear McCain argue out his points clearly and try to convince me.

But he ended up sounding like a long-winded grandpa recounting story after story that didn’t quite seem to answer the questions given to him. Obama on the other hand was surprisingly specific. He was incredibly confident, held his own, was witty when he needed to be, and a, dare I say, charming. On the other hand, McCain looked like he was about to have a heart attack anytime, and what was up with his eyes? McCain seemed to like to throw out pure and simple lies or exaggeration right in front of Obama’s face, which led to Obama too politely telling him that he was wrong. Obama was polite, looking at McCain, agreeing when he needed to and laying out why he disagreed when he did. McCain looked like he was about to explode in anger anytime, didn’t look at the camera nor Obama, and I was seriously feeling fearful for his health.

I give McCain his specific reference to various foreign countries he has been in; Obama couldn’t seem to follow up with any of his own. But my world view corresponds more closely, not exactly, with Obama’s, not McCain. Fact of the matter is, going into Iraq was a big mistake…not only a big mistake, but a poorly handled mistake. And McCain supported the war, Obama didn’t. Obama seems knowledgeable about world politics and I like his view on diplomacy. But that’s just me.  

I thought Obama was respectful to McCain, and he could have low-blowed him SO much more…but he didn’t.

This is all so exciting…and I don’t even get to vote in this country! Bah!

Those are my first thoughts. Round 1 goes to Obama…hands down. He came in much more well prepared for the debate, whereas McCain relied on old stories and talking points.

I couldn’t help but think about something an African American friend said to me once. He said that growing up, his mom always told him that he couldn’t just be as good as the white guy…he had to be twice as good as him to get the same job, the same position. I kept thinking about that tonight. Obama was spot on, well prepared, well executed. McCain just kinda floated through the thing, bringing up his experience (which we all respect, but I find it weird that when something goes bad like the economy right now, McCain’s “experience” in creating in some ways this mess just magically disappears), old stories, fluffy talking points with not much relevance, statistics, specifics, and not really being a good debater in bringing up his opponent’s specific points to…debate. I couldn’t help but wonder If the tables were turned, I think the general media would have slaughtered Obama’s performance for being ill-prepared.

Right now, I’m just fascinated by this train wreck.

She is just one “the Iraq” close to being another Miss South Carolina.

Seriously. This is a basic question that any politician should at least form an opinion about right now, even if an undecided opinion, to have some knowledge about the various views on the government bailout.

She is SO LUCKY that there is a major economic crisis going on right now, otherwise this would be headline news. I’m doing my best to spread to word about what an imbecile she is.

You can put lipstick on an imbecile…it’s still an imbecile.

Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert: Mock the Vote

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Forget the two presidential candidates: The most prominent person in this election right now is Sarah Palin. With the attention she’s getting, you’d think she was running for president.
JON STEWART: Everyone likes new and shiny. We’re bored. What’s great about that is [Democratic VP candidate Joe] Biden is an absolutely eccentric character. That’s how powerful Palin’s story is — it has cast the first African-American presidential nominee, the oldest [non-incumbent] presidential nominee, and a really wild cork vice presidential candidate completely out of the picture. The press is 6-year-olds playing soccer; nobody has a position, it’s just ”Where’s the ball? Where’s the ball? Sarah Palin has the ball!” [Mimes a mob running after her.] Because they can only cover one thing.

Why do you think some people embraced her as a folk hero?
STEWART: I keep hearing that she’s ”like us.” There’s this idea that people who hunt and have ”good” values are somehow this mythological American; I don’t know who ”this” person is, I’ve never met them. She is no more typical ”us” than I am, than Obama is, than McCain is, than Mr. T is. If there is something quintessentially or authentically American about her, I sort of feel like, you know what? You ”good values people” have had the country for eight years, and done an unbelievably s—ty job. Let’s find some bad values people and give them a shot, maybe they’ll have a better take on it.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Is this election any different from the last two you covered?
JON STEWART: I was convinced an Obama/McCain campaign would be measurably different on almost all standards. And to watch it become Bush/Kerry, Bush/Gore, has been one of the most dissatisfying experiences.
STEPHEN COLBERT: That means it’s not an Obama/McCain campaign. It’s a Guys Who Work for Bush/Guys Who Work for Kerry campaign. Both sides have people who are just smart enough to know ”We need to tweak this dial right here,” so of course voters are divided 50/50 between the parties. When the 2000 election was down to 14 voters in Boca deciding the whole thing, I thought, ”Wow, that’s great! It really is a political science! They’ve found a way to put electrodes in people’s hands, and a probe up their butt, show them images, and say ‘See how they respond!”’
STEWART: That’s why you think to yourself, ”Hey, couldn’t you guys tie for $10 million, instead of a trillion? Does it really cost that much money to tie?”

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Do you think anything will change if the Democrats control the White House and both houses of Congress?
JON STEWART: Look at what they promised when they took over Congress. I’ve never heard such hardcore rhetoric. ”The era of the blank check is over! And we will send a sternly worded memorandum — nonbinding — to somebody at the White House. Not necessarily the inner executive circle, we certainly don’t want to offend, but…” And then they got in and were like, ”Really, you want to eavesdrop? Okay, we’ll let this one go. But this is the last blank check! Unless you want another. But let me say this: The next one will not be blank, because we’ll just write in the memo line. Can we write in memo? Would you be bothered by that?”
STEPHEN COLBERT: One of the things I love about my character is I can make vast declarations and it doesn’t matter if I’m wrong. I love being wrong. So my character can tell you exactly what’s going to happen: The Democrats are going to change everything. We’re going to have gay parents marrying their own gay babies. Obama’s gonna be sworn in on a gay baby. The oath is gonna end ”So help me, gay baby.”
STEWART: Then they’ll head right over to the abortion mixer. There’ll be a dance, and then there’ll be a little tent set up outside, just in case anybody wants an RU-486.

There are a lot of issues in this election. The biggest one right now is the economy.
STEWART: We were in this huge credit crisis, out of money. Then the Fed goes, We’ll give you a trillion dollars, and all of a sudden Wall Street is like, ”I can’t believe we got away with it!” Can you imagine if someone said, ”I shouldn’t have bought that sports car because it means I can’t have my house,” and the bank just said, ”All right, you can have your house. And you know what? Keep the car.” [He throws up his arms joyfully and shouts] ”Yeaaaaah, I get to keep the car! Wait, do I have to give the money back?” ”No, it doesn’t matter.” ”Yeah, I’m gonna get another car! I’m gonna do the same thing the same way, except twice as f—ed up!”
COLBERT: The idea that Lehman Brothers doesn’t get any money and AIG does reminds me very much of ”Iran is a mortal enemy because they have not achieved a nuclear weapon. But North Korea is a country we can work with, because they have a nuclear weapon.” The idea is, Get big or go home. How big can you f— up? Can you f— up so bad that you would ruin the world economy? If it’s just 15,000 who are out of jobs, no. You have to actually be a global f—up to get any help.

Ok, I have to admit…I’m really fascinated by Palin. I keep wanting to watch videos of her…it’s like watching a car wreck, or a freak show. She is SO inept to be a vice-presidential candidate, words deny me. Just watch this video:

Watch CBS Videos Online

What was McCain thinking???

Bush says last night:

“I’m a strong believer in free enterprise, so my natural instinct is to oppose government intervention,” he said. But “these are not normal circumstances. The market is not functioning properly.”

It is beyond me that they can nationalize the finance industry like that in a heartbeat, but any word on providing more health insurance for the citizens of this rich, powerful country, the Republican accuse people of being “socialist”. Bush has shown NO leadership in this entire debacle. NONE at all.

Worst. President. Ever.

Wow. Watch from 5:00 onwards.

“I’ll try to find you some and I’ll bring ‘em to ya!”

*PALM ON FACE*

As a comparison, here is Joe Biden:

Come ON…there is no comparison really!