Oh Bloody 'ell

I stayed up extra late tonight to watch the State of the Union for two reasons:
1) I believe it is important when we are given the rare opportunity to actually watch our leaders speak that we do so.
2) For the past 5 years I have taken this opportunity to yell at some sort of screen and threaten to move to another country and now that I have done so I still want to yell at the screen.

So here is my running commentary on the speech (our younger viewers may want to cover their ears I have trouble being "couth" during these events):

• Hey wait, I thought there were supposed to be nine justices
  
• "Mr. Speaker the President of the United States?"
• Bush, "I will say lots of words that don't really mean anything"
• Palestine is conspicuously missing from that list of democracies isn't it?
• The stream I have is a bit blurry but I swear I just saw someone reading the paper
• Can just for like one hour we not be proud of killing people. I suppose that because we don't live in an idealized world sometimes it is in everybody's best interest that it be done, but nobody needs to be proud of that.
  
• Did he just advocate "peaceful change"?
• AHHHHHHH! No! Bad Patriot Act! NO!
• Permanent tax cuts? Uh what?
• Is there such thing as sarcastic applause?
• Zero emissions coal plants? Research into rainbow powered cars?
• I am so glad someone has finally thought to focus our education curriculum on math and science. Those humanities have never contributed to societal growth anyway.
• Did he really ask them to outlaw human-animal hybrids? Were his speech writers high when they wrote this?

Ok, so he just talked for a little less than an hour and didn't say any more than 5 minutes worth of anything. I truly do believe this man isn't stupid, he does lack certain presidential qualities like public speaking skills which make him appear dumb. I don't think he is a bad person, just a misguided one. But it is speeches like tonight's that make me want more. We are indeed a great nation, and we live on a beautiful planet and I have been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to see and explore both, and we all deserve a president and a world leader who inspires us to be as great as we are and strive to live up to an even greater ideal.

So there you go. Not the most aggravating of his speeches, but, you know, still nothing special. Boo!

Rely not on the teacher/person, but on the teaching.
Rely not on the words of the teaching, but on the spirit of the words.
Rely not on theory, but on experience.
Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it.
Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations.
Do not believe anything because it is spoken and rumored by many.
Do not believe in anything because it is written in your religious books.
Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders.
But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and the benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.

- The Buddha-