Adventures of a Swing-state Voter - "And I can get pizza a dollar a slice" edition

Election season is speeding towards us as both Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle made trips to Iowa this week.

Michele spoke to 400 supporters in Des Moines, while Barack went to Iowa City to speak to college students about student loans.

John Boehner threw a fit. 

"Pathetic" said the Orangest man in congress.  How dare the President go to a swing state and speak about an issue that resonates with voters (especially a base in need of energizing).

"Why can't Obama just only got to Alaska and talk about gun control", Boehner would whine.

It's a smart move though.  I don't know that Obama will have a close election, but it's a no brainer to try and get the 20-somethings excited again.

Obama was as hot four years with the college crowd as was Bob Marley, the Grateful Dead, and Breakfast at Tiffany's-era Audrey Hepburn.  Still, you have to keep the flame going.  Jersey Shore was red hot a few years ago, but you don't hear as many people saying "GTL" these days.

Obama's visit comes after his appearance on Jimmy Fallon in which Barry Hussein slow jammed the news.

Barack met  five students individually after he spoke,  About fifteen Tea party/Ron Paul supporters showed up to protest.

The biggest line of the day had to be the revelation that the Obamas had only paid off tier student loan eight years ago. "“We only finished paying off our student loans about eight years ago,” Obama said. “Think about that. I’m the President of the United States”

In other news out of the Iowa state, a western state GOP candidate for Congress said that Obama didn't love America.

Since it's hard to tell when I am using hyperbole (and who would be dumb enough to question a President's patriotism), here's the exact quote: "He’s willing to turn the country against itself even though it won’t make a difference. So that’s bad leadership. I have a hard time thinking that he loves this country if he’s willing to turn them against themselves for his own advancement.”

Oh, and what is that act of traitor-ism?  Military strategy?  Individual Rights?

No, Obama hates America because he is trying to pass the Buffet Rule- which states anyone making over a million dollars a year would be taxed at thirty percent,  

Books: April edition

A Lucky Child: A Memoir of Surviving Auschwitz as a Young Child- by Thomas Buergenthal - I strongly recommend this book.  I would guess that 'another' book about the Holocaust would cause many to roll their eyes.  However, this book works on a lot of levels.  Buergenthal says he waited so many years to write this memoir, because otherwise he would have had a hard time telling it or trying to keep it from being an angry rant.

The story of course tells the story of a dark time in world history.  Then again, it's surprisingly uplifting.  The ten year old Tommy has to do some pretty amazing things to survive. It's sad, of course; but I still think it could be read by the squeamish.  You also don't need to know anything about World War 2, though of course, WW2 buffs will recognize dates and locations.

Tommy is a lucky boy because he gets to go to Auschwitz, which seems amazing, but is explained out.  It is a story of human rights, but to a certain extent it's an adventure story too.  This is a book that has pretty much universal acclaim on Amazon.  It is a fairly quick read and Buergenthal is an excellent storyteller.  Even if you don't think you would like this type of book, it is worth picking up, because everyone will be able to take something out of it.

Bicycle Diaries- by David Byrne - When I saw this book reviewed in the local newspaper I knew I had to read it (Not because of the review- though the reviewer thought it was excellent, but because David Byrne on a bike telling stories was too good to pass up). 

it is an excellent book, though.  You don't have to be a fan of Byrne's music (You will forget it's even him at times), though you might enjoy some particular moments- like when "Burning Down the House" gets played at the Filipino karaoke he's attending.

There's so much more to this than a simple blog.  Byrne visits London, Manilla, Berlin, San Francisco, New York, Sydney, and Istanbul.  It's a serious work of Social Studies- and you get plenty about art, sociology (Jared Diamond's work is mentioned), history (the pieces on Marcos are fascinating), creativity (creativity in the second world, creativity and commercialism), interesting people (Survival Research Lab) and a lot more.

Byrne is unmistakeably "green", though it's good to hear well-spoken arguments about being "eco" that aren't preachy.  There's a lot to take in here, and everyone will learn something from this book.  it also is a fairly short tome. 

I would certainly recommend it to the frequent visitors here, and will be recommending it for awhile. 

Amazon is filled with angry reviewers who expected a book about bicycle trails in major cities.  You will get a little in this book about that, but you will get more a story of the Cities that he visited (the evolving world of suburbia and how it changes everything around it).