Hmm, been meaning to stick more politics and such in here lately, and this seemed like as good of time/subject as any, so here's a bit I wrote up.

Ok, so the Primaries end on Super Tuesday tomorrow. Now's as good of time as any for me to do this: This is what I think of the candidates and the election in general.
First off, the republicans:
I was really pulling for Ron Paul at the beginning, 'cause he was just so different from the others. Anti-War, anti-PATRIOT Act, etc. I actually liked him more than any other candidate, despite how much his opinions differed from mine. Sadly, I knew he never had a chance, as he's not in the machine, nor does he appeal to the masses.
Of the three front-runners, Huckabee was my favorite, and I was hoping he would win. I disagreed with him more than Ron Paul, but he really seemed sincere in what he believed, and didn't seem like he would walk in corrupt and greedy, and walk out even more so. That is, until that whole rape-parole thing. Now, I don't have a problem that he pushed for a rapist's parole, he had a job with decisions and that's the one he made, even if it was a mistake, and it was years ago. What I have a problem with, was the fact that a man well over 30 acted like he was 10. If you did something wrong, and it's tossed at you later, the mature and intelligent thing to do is admit you made a mistake, and say you won't do it again, not deny it even happened, or especially claimed that your subordinates forced you to do it. That got me to swing over to the next best guy: Mitt Romney. Now, I disagree with alot of his ideas, but I could live with it, the president isn't just about policy. What has bothered me though, is his self-contradiction, where he said he would try and get out of Iraq with "Secret Timetables". That's something I would support. The fact that he said it and denied it later when it was brought up puts him in a negative light though... Overall, Romney just seems like he gets it, and has stated that he is pro-choice to a good degree (though he's "flip-flopping" on that...)
McCain pulled forward recently, and after careful consideration, I've decided I could live with him as president too. He has gone against Bush a few times, though he has gone with him, mainly he is against torture and seems to be empathetic toward soldiers, having been wounded and captured in Vietnam. I still don't agree with alot of his policies, especially the ones on the Bush tax-cuts, which I didn't like, and his economic policies (Trickle down doesn't line up with Smithsonaian Capitalism, nor do I think it really works in this day and age, and a rich person should know that) he also does have a willingness to go across party lines, rathar than Huckabee, who would likely stick his fingers in his ears and accuse 80% of other officials of being "unchristian" or something like that (sorry, he just isn't holding any flags when it comes to uniting everyone, only bible-thumpers) Romney though seems to be capable of inter-party cooperation too, so I'm not sure if that affects the decision between those two.
Overall, I guess I'd say that I would like to see a McCain/Romney ticket there, and hope that if they win, they keep it sound and reasonable, and don't blow up the hemisphere.

Next, the democratic party: My favorite was Grovel, who was anti-machine, anti-corruption, etc., all the things I wish could win (but won't, the parties are political machines, and the whole system is corrupt) I knew he couldn't win though, he was against the machine and was kicked out of the debates for saying something true about Hillary that she didn't want to be said.
As for the front-runners: I was really pulling for Edwards, he might have been a great president, but really, I don't think he could have won. He couldn't even win his home-state in the last election, and though I have to cut him slack for being with that dead-beat Kerry, he just doesn't have the momentum going for him. He would make a good vice-presidential candidate though, he's intelligent and reasonable, and knows what he's talking about. I also think he gives good speeches, always a plus. Now, of the remaining two: Obama is the only one I like. Obama is intelligent, reasonable, and most of all: Admits his mistakes and weaknesses. This is KEY in a president, as once you get into that position of power, all your faults have a chance to shine. A president who doesn't admit and recognize his mistakes and shortcomings won't just make big mistakes, but will keep making them and insisting they are not mistakes at all. Namely, Bushes greatest shortfall is that he not only does not admit, or even know about his mistakes and shortcomings, and will even insist that there is nothing wrong, and the worst thing of all is that he has few qualities to cover for them (though you can't blame an alchoholic who's never had to be responsible, or even do work other than looking like a good son on camera in his life. Sorry, little rant there) I'd also note that Obama would be least likely of the three to create division, he's not the kind of guy to suddenly start calling all the republicans idiots, or veto everything because his party doesn't agree. Obama seems like he could work well across party lines, and get what needs to be done, done, without alienating members of the houses. Another good thing about Obama, is the kind of campaign he's trying to run. If you look, during the debates, he doesn't insult or yell, and keeps all his messages positive. This is something that our political system has sadly lacked, and is probably what causes alot of the division and contempt we see today. He's trying to make a change here that I really hope takes hold. Now, many people have noted that Obama is not the most experienced. That is true, he is also the least corrupt, and hasn't fallen into the same old habits that all the other candidates have. And to make up for his lack of experience, he is likely to surround himself with advisors who know what they are talking about, and avoid mistakes when it really matters, and if he does make a mistake, he is most likely to recognize and correct it, and even learn from it in the end. That's VERY important in a president, or anyone who lacks experience. Now, I still don't agree with Obama on everything, but I still think that Obama has a great surplus of character and would make a great president, possibly the best one in a decade. (please note I did not mention the fact he was black. I don't CARE that he's black, it's irrelevant. Also, Obama is NOT a Muslim. While there is nothing wrong with that, he simply isn't, he is a protestant, a baptist if I remember, and religion is not relevant anyway. The founding fathers were a mix of religions, though mainly Deists such as Jefferson, one of our greatest presidents in my opinion.)
Now Hillary is a bit of a... I don't know the word... I know that when a female debates and is assertive and intelligent, it is simple human nature, regardless of beliefs, to see her as being mean and snotty. This was how she was coming off to me. I also know that sometimes it seems that a woman is acting... "prissy" or "ditsy"... Hillary comes off as a silly-schoolgirl at times. Anyway, before I continue, I must say: the fact that Hillary is a woman would not affect her presidency. She can be tough on terrorism, she can listen and learn, she can make well thought decisions, and YES, we would still be taken very seriously around the world, perhaps more now that we have shown a woman can be president in this country. I also don't disagree with her policies so much. That said, after careful consideration, I have decided that Hillary is a B****. When you pretend that it is a man behaving as she has, in a manly fashion, that man is easy to dislike as well. Her attitudes and mannerisms come off as worse to me than any other candidate, she hides behind her husband who yells and gets angry and acts irrational for her, she acts as if other candidates are not valid at times, and most of all: She keeps changing her position. While changing your position is ok, the way she does it hurts her already poor sincerity appeal even more. I mean, at the beginning of the Iowa Caucuses, she was running on the premise that she was an old and experienced candidate who knew the field and could continue past policies well. By the end of the night, her campaign slogan had become "time for a real change!". If she deviates at this level, how can we expect her to be a consistent president? I know this sounds weird, but sometimes a leader ha to go against public opinion and do what they think is best (no Bush, I mean for the COUNTRY, not your interest groups), ask this to Lincoln, he was hated as a president for what he did, he barely won his second term, and that was because the other party was so divided, and his had quick political wit. But now, because he made decisions based on what he thought was the best thing to do, he is remembered as one of the greatest presidents. Many of the decisions that were made in the past that we feel were the right move today were politically harmful to the ones who made them. How can a candidate who only does what will help them politically do the right thing when the time comes?
So: on the side of the Democrats, I would have to say, Obama is #1 by far, though if Edwards were still in, he'd be a second choice.

Now, after careful consideration, of all parties, the current one I want to see as president is Obama, and I think he can really win. After him, I guess I wouldn't mind McCain and Romney, and Hillary would also be a good president, despite my objections about sincerity and such. And overall, I would have to say my main thing in this election is NOT policies, they come and go, it's about character and the reasoning behind those policies. We need someone who can bring about a change, we need someone who really cares, or at least will make decisions like they do, we need someone who isn't going to cater to one group of people, someone who can go across party lines and not create division and deadlock, we need someone who really understands the issues at hand, and is strong and cunning in trying to deal with them. I see Obama as meeting all these standards. And that is what I have to say about the election right now.

I'll follow this one up later, that's all I have to say for now...
EDIT: oh, and another note: if anyone comments, please critique my writing... I know I got a little rambly here, and I know I made plenty of mistakes in formation and such.

Tags: analysis, democrat, election, opinion, politics, republican, vote
Current Mood: contemplative

Your Boy Side
[] You love hoodies.
[X] You love jeans.
[X] Raccoons are better than Rats.
[] It's hilarious when people get hurt.
[X] You've played with/against boys on a team.
[] Shopping is torture.
[X] Sad movies suck.
[ ] You own an X-Box. (don't play enough video games to)
[X] Played with Hotwheels cars as a kid.
[ ] At some point in time you wanted to be a firefighter.
[] You used to be obsessed with Power Rangers. (that was inspired by Flash Gordon)
[X] You watch sports on TV. (soccer)
[ ] Gory movies are cool
[ ] You go to your dad for advice.
[] You own like a trillion baseball caps.
[ ] You like going to football games.
[ ] You used to/do collect baseball cards.
[X] Baggy pants are cool to wear.
[X] It's kinda weird to have sleepovers with a bunch of people. (quite a sexual situation to put yourself in)
[X] Green, black, red, blue, or silver are one of your favorite colors.
[X] You love to go crazy and not care what people think.
[X] Sports are fun.
[ ] Talk with food in your mouth.
[X] Wear boxers.

Total = 12 points

Your Girl Side
[ ] You wear lip gloss.
[] You love to shop.
[ ] You wear eyeliner.
[X] You have some of the same shirts in different colors.
[ ] You wear the color pink.
[] Go to your mom for advice.
[ ] You consider cheerleading a sport.
[ ] You hate wearing the color black.
[X] You like hanging out at the mall.
[X] You like getting manicures and/or pedicures.
[X] You like wearing jewelry.
[ ] Skirts are a big part of your wardrobe.
[ ] Shopping is one of your favorite hobbies.
[ ] You don't like the movie Star Wars. (love it)
[X] You are/were in cheerleading, [u]gymnastics or dance[/u]
[X] It takes you around 1 hour to shower, get dressed, and put on make-up and accessories. (I'm slow at it, I take my time)
[X] You smile a lot more than you should.
[ ] You have more than 10 pairs of shoes.
[] You care about what you look like.)
[X] You like wearing dresses when you can. (occasionally, if it looks good)
[ ] You like wearing body spray/perfume/cologne. (YUCK! >..<)
[ ] You wear girl underwear. (hey! that was one time!)
[ ] Used to play with dolls as little kid.
[X] Like putting make-up on someone else for the joy of it.
[ ] Like taking pictures of yourself with your cell phone/camera when you're bored.

Total = 9 fabulous points!

Don't I feel sexy now?!

Tags: random crap
Current Mood: amused

Yesterday my brother and is friends went on a cruise, so I went along. It was a small Sea Escape one that had been converted from some German ship in the 70s by the Greeks (as usual). We went out for about 7 hours and didn't get that far south before we turned around. I did a little, they had a few movies playing (none of which I watched) and a band on the back where the pool was (I should have brought something to swim in, the rocking of the ship was sloshing the water back and fourth, hee hee...) I did a little Karaoke and drank a couple Pina-coladas, then we ended the day with a funny magician (I forget his name... -..-;;;). Anyway, I spent alot of time on that cruise just laying around drinking pina coladas, and walking around aimlessly (which was fun). I found out something really fun to do: go to the top deck of the ship and get to the front or back, then, wait for the other side to go down in the rocking motion, and run that way. That was awesome, though, now that I think about it, that wasn't too smart I guess.... ^..^;;
Anyway, when it ended, I noted that it was inly a dhort drive on the highway from the house. I felt the circular rocking motions for the rest of the day, and that was really trippy when I went to sleep.

Anyway, the reason I haven't been around lately was that I had alot of work, and I was also involved in a haloween/acting event that took up alot of time. But I had alot of fun.

Now... That Raccoon game is coming along well right now, I like the progress I'm making (though the sprites could be easier to make... -..-;;
That's about it. The End! (tine for bed, I'm tired...)

Current Location: Home as usual...
Current Mood: tired
Current Music: "Believe in Myself"(Theme of Tails) playing in my head...

Hmm... Don't have much time to post, haven't had time to do much of anything lately...
Ok, so, What's big right now:
I'm Making a Sidescroller! So far, the Working title is 'X the Raccoon' (he'll get a name) I'm going for a Sonic-the-Hedgehog-like look/feel, but it will be more of an Action-Adventure, and he won't run as fast, or go through any loops or anything. It will also be alot darker and probably be around the level of an E10+ game. Anyway, here are some samples of my graphics so far:

This is off the sprite sheet for one of the supporting characters, Spike the Hedgehog. No, not all the sprites are this size, just this pose one, but his are half this size. (yes, I stole the proportions that are used from Sonic the hedgehog, because 1. That would give it the same feel and 2. those look like they are about the right size to be small and fit nicely on the screen, yet have nice amounts of detail, even at 2x.


This is another one. I'm sorry, but his pose here made me think of him saying this. Anyway, this will not appear in the game, and in fact, the sprite has changed since I made this. in fact, all of the stuff I'm posting has changed a bit.


Some items and symbols that will be important later in the game, as they mark some signature things of the main character.
Note: in case no one got this, all of that material is Copyrighted to me. so there.

---

Ok, so, Therianthropy. I've noticed lately that I feel like I identify as a Were-Raccoon, rathar than a literal raccoon, if anyone can understand what that means.... it's kind of like saying "I identify as a Fox-Therian" or "I'm a Deer-Person". I also note that I don't think of myself as a "Were-Dragon", more like "Dragon Minded", and I am starting to think that Horse is a Totem. So that's the Therian News.

Tags: game, raccoon, therian
Current Mood: productive

I was less than enthusiastic when I heard about Sonic from the fuckos in Programming the other day... Sadly, it appears that Sonic, the hedgehog, will now be in, not just a collaboration, but a NENTENDO Franchise game. I mean, first Olympics, now Smash bros, I fear the end of the rapidly degrading Sonic series, which has been going down fast since SA2 came out (yes, I'm saying that sonic Heroes was utter SHIT)... I would hate to see Sonic and Mario actually teaming up in some shitty franchise game, though inevitable... *sigh...*
Oh well... This does sadden me... just like when I heard that Gordon R. Dickson had died... but this time: there is no chance for someone fresh to pick it up, there will be no idea of a person picking up a pen and writing "The return of the Dragon Knight"... Sonic the Hedgehog, is dead...
Really though, when I think about it, I really don't have much to weep about. It is really the characters I will so much miss, as it's not like I play video-games too often. But still, it saddens me that there will be no more Tails picking up Sonic and carrying him, no more emerald searches with Knuckles... at least, it won't be anything like Sonic Adventures 1 and 2.
At the same time, I have reasons not to be sad: SEGA's little blue hero was awesome, making him a real challenge to compete with once I make stuff in the industry. Sonic, though an honorable and likable competitor, was quite a formidable foe. So, rathar than mourning the impending death of my once glorious heroes, Sonic and Tails, I shall look to the future with hope that I may one day write something to replace them in their empty place of glory. Though Sonic and Tails will always have a place in my heart, as my heroes...
(damn, that was a corny ending...)

Tags: depressing, faschism, franchise, future, nentendo, sonic, tails, the end of sonic, video-games
Current Mood: depressed
Current Music: "it doesn't matter, now what haven't, I will never, give up the fight!"