Sarah Palin is an unprepared dope, aka Why not vote for McCain

When Matt Damon said that Sarah Palin is like a really bad Disney movie, I thought that is as far as one can get in terms of metaphors of a bad VP nominee. Nope. Bill Maher totally speaks my language when he says that Sarah Palin is an unprepared dope and that she should hand out peanuts on a Delta Air flight.

From a point of view of an open-minded European who studied in the U.S. and has a first-hand experience with ordinary Americans of all ages, I think I can articulate two more politically correct reasons why voting for McCain/Palin will have disastrous consequences for the U.S.

1.

She really believes everything she has read, or was read to her, in the Bible. She does seem to think that the world was created 5,000 years ago, “with a talking snake in the garden” [Maher]. What America needs now is a president who will focus on normal problems of normal people. There is a saying in the Czech regional politics: a sidewalkthat needs to be repaired is not blue [color of the Civic Democrats], nor orange [Social Democrats], nor red [Communists] nor black [Christian Democrats]. Therefore, voters should NOT focus on her personal values, but on how she listens to theirs. It is time to stop pointing out the FACT that she is “a good Christian”… An atheist president can be a better president for religious people than the other way round. A religious president can have his or her country doomed just because of what he or she read in the Bible at the age of six. Sure, Obama might believe in God too, but he is not a Bible boy.

2.

No doubt that women in politics do make a difference. No doubt that they can enforce legislation and other forms of the decision-making process that men would never enforce. But that can work only on certain levels. Angela Merkel is the Chancellor of Germany that has a male president. There are dozens of female MEP’s [Members of the European Parliament]. BUT they are all a part of the whole political “machinery”.

President Palin, who will indeed have the nuclear codes [Damon] will be “the most powerful person in the world”. She will HAVE TO meet world leaders who think women have fewer rights than dogs, she will not be credible, she will not be able to convince slightly less powerful MEN, e.g. the president of Iran. So, simply and pragmatically speaking, she is no use to the international politics already…

Outlaw road race in progress in the Czech Republic. Police: We can not do much

Arrogant rich SOB’s try their fast expensive cars on the main Czech D1 freeway, the spine and spinal cord of the Czech road transportation. The Cannonball-Run-like race ends in the city of Kromeriz, where the racers are expected to turn around and go back to Prague.

The Czech police say they are not preparing any special measures. There is no way their cars would be able to measure themselves with those involved in the case. So no high-speed chases. No roadblocks. All they can do is fine the fast shitheads and give them a ticket that also serves as a subpoena to a traffic offense office that processes he traffic violations.

Yeah, right. I am sure the Cannon Ball-ers will go there. The reason why they decided to race here is that almost nothing can happen to them. In some European countries people who drive way too fast have their cars CONFISCATED.

Porn instead of news servers?

Governor of the Czech National Bank and former Finance Minister discussed the U.S. bank crisis on TV tonight. Both men said they are certain that the primary effects of the U.S. bank crisis would not affect Czech banks. However, some secondary effects might occur, meaning that some  exporters will lose their markets in Western Europe, as a result of which their solvency potential in terms of bank loans will decrease…

The bad news is almost everywhere and ordinary people probably know there is nothing they can do to affect it. Is it just me, or does browsing through porn sites instead of scanning news servers over and over start to sound like a really good idea?

I Would Vote For Obama. If I Was An American…

In terms of Czech politics and its right and left, I am definitely “right” (this level of politics is represented by the Civic Democrats – this link is in Enlish…).

But in terms of the American politics, I would vote for Obama. Just like I would have voted for Clinton…

And it is not just because John McCain is old. Or that his running mate is a very bad pick, on which I agree almost 99 percent with Matt Damon (on the situation of Sarah Palin “facing” Vladimir Putin, or whether she really thinks that “dinosaurs were here 4,000 years ago” because “if John McCain dies in office, which is more than likely, she will have the nuclear codes”).

I agree with Fareed Zakaria who says that Palin is utterly unqualified to be the vice president, in terms of foreign policy…

McCain thought he had chosen someone who will make him look good in the eyes of “normal people”. The Putin comment has made Palin totally unqualified to be a leader of anything but a small-town fire station that puts out small kitchen fires and saves kittens from tall trees. That is all she is capable of doing…

I hate the thing that the Republicans are totally incapable of the separation of church and state. I am afraid that GWB’s foreign policy has been largely discussed with what he calls God, and that Palin will do the same thing, and she will call it foreign policy proficiency.

And even though I think that everybody is responsible for their own destiny [with some individual exceptions], I think America does need a little “Democrat treatment”. If you don’t like your job, don’t strike, but ask for a raise and if you don’t get it, find a new job. That’s what I think the Republicans [wealthier Americans, generally speaking] would say…

But at this point, what the the Republicans are doing is a certain form of socialization of economy. The only thing that is left to make them remain Republicans is that it is not guaranteed the profits from the 700bn recovery plan will become the state budget income item…

Why So Many Czech (Pre)Teens Like Miley Cyrus

Several Czech music hit charts place Miley Cyrus’ hit Seven Things second or even as Number One. And since it is a generally known fact that Czech teen boys would not bother sending votes to a chick they do not know (and will never meet in person), I think it is safe to say that 99 percent of the votes come from girls aged 12-17.

Being a rebellious teenager is very hard in this country. If you hear life stories of celebrities in the U.S. who “left home when they were 16 and have been on their own ever since”, that can never happen in the Czech Republic. And 99.9 rebellious girls are half brats, half bitches. Czech teens can only dream about the level of independence (not the actual one, but the theoretical one).

It is a combination of many factors that makes families closer even after kids graduate from high schools. A rebellious teenager who acts like a big mouth when taking to her father/mother [depending on whom she hates more] can graduate from a high school, but then she either goes to a university that is heavily funded by the people she hates, or she stays home, having found a job that no way in hell allows her to find her own place to live — considering the recent development on the real estate market.

Miley Cyrus is everything Czech girls are not. Sure, the question is whether she would be Miley Cyrus the star, had there not been for the Achy Breaky Guy Billy Ray. I dare to say that given the she is an American and she has a pretty good voice and looks, she would succeed anyway.

A typical Czech teen rebel would bitch about her parents and curfews and related issues [teens are not allowed to drive here...], but she would not find a part-time job and she would always beg for more money beyond her usual allowance on the same day… Miley is a “perfect” opinion leader for such girls. Please note I am not saying “role model”, because that would be inaccurate, considering Czech girls…

They might JUST like the music…somebody might argue. Nope. When it comes to U.S. stars and their Czech teen audiences, nobody JUST likes the music.

Fiream sale restriction is not a solution

The recent shooting in a school in Finland in which a crazy man, former student, shot ten people raised a debate on gun sale regulation and the related legislation. Not just in Finland. Czech newspaper Mlada fronta DNES ran a story about the possiblity of the same happening here, under the headline How close are we from a school massacre?

The answer is simple: any school in any country under any regime and under any gun-related legislation can experience this, so all schools in the world are doing pretty much the same.

Anyone who wants to use a gun to commit a crime will obtain one no matter what. If a killer wants to make a statement and kill himself (herself) after he has shot ten people, it can very well be legally owned yesterday-purchased gun.

Killers who do not want to kill themselves afterwards will probably steal a gun, or they will use one that has never been used so that the police have no bullet in their evidence. In the USA, the NRI lobby is quite loud. In the Czech Republic the hunting union is similar to NRI. Many people do have their shotguns registered, but many do not.

Shooting in schools is a tragedy, but nobody should blame the guns. Thousands of single one-victim homicides are committed with guns every day and nobody says anything about gun sale restriction. So the claim that it should be done as a result of a mass murder is understandable from a human point of view, but not from the practical one.

If there is anything that should change, though, is the death penalty law. In such cases when the mass murderer’s identity is obvious, there should be no regular trial. If the person is caught, there should be a speedy trial and chair. A person who is known (for 100 percent) for killing people, should have no rights under the Miranda principle. Let alone the fair-trial constitutional issues…

I know, I know: some studies have proven that the existence of death penalty does not have a positive effect on crime statistics. I beg to differ. Strict laws are effective. Take Singapore, for instance…

Czech military records and files are still in Slovakia

THE CZECH DAILY WORD EXCLUSIVE

arFormer President Vaclav Havel, current head of state Vaclav Klaus, top Czech politicians. All of them served their mandatory army service (one or two years) during the pre-1989 communist era Czechoslovakia.

Their military records were stored and filed in the archives in the town of Trnava, Slovakia. The country split up. But the archives did not. And so, among the files of ordinary people nobody really cares about, there are files on our political leaders. Stored in a foreign country…

I did a news story on this issue a few years ago when I worked for this TV station. And according to my recent information nothing has changed.

The reason why this should concern people is simple. When it comes to politicians, the files might include special training data which might contradict the politicians’ current opinions and policies and decisions.

The shelves are more than 36 kilometers long, I found out back in 2001 when I did the story. The Czech Intelligence Agency, BIS, is said to have acquired all such files for their agents, operatives, and other employees. And professional soldiers who have served for a longer period of time than since 1989 have their own files, too…

Seven ways to say Secretary

If English has taught Czechs anything, it is that one can make things sound “better” than they would in Czech. Names of professions and corporate speak are a perfect example. HR specialists, I am sure, know best.

Take secretary, for example.

During the pre-1989 communist Czechoslovakia, a secretary was a girl, or a middle-aged woman, whose primary task was to prepare black coffee for “mister director” [pan reditel]. Oh, and she had to know how to type.

2008 secretaries run entire offices and they have way more sophisticated tasks. Please keep your blowjob upon request jokes to yourself. Many secretaries these days hold B.Sc. or M.Sc. degrees in (macro/micro)economy or business administration.

And the job ads have to appear accordingly…

So we no longer say secretary [sekretarka]. We use English terms instead:

• Executive Assistant
• Chief of the Office of the General Manager
• Personal Assistant
• Main Office Assistant
• Assistant to CEO
• CEO Office Manager
• Front Office Executive

Please note these terms were seen or heard in the Czech Republic and some of them might have been make up, by literally raping of English. If you think some of them do not exist in native-English-speaking countries, I think it illustrates the absurdity even more…

Businessmen forced to take down the Star-Spangled Banner at military show

Several businessmen who put up their booths at the NATO DAYS military show in Ostrava, Czech Republic were forced by the organizers to remove (take down) American flags from their posts, according to TV NOVA evening news broadcast [link to be provided soon]. Among the businessmen were a donut salesman, or a military souvenir vendor, or a re-enactment fan who had his military jeep on display.

Journalists tried repeatedly to call the organizers to ask for statement but they would always hang up on them.

I don’t get it… why would they want anyone to remove/take down a U.S. flag during a military show? If they had a legitimate reason [which I doubt], they should have named it… At least nobody would think they are assholes. Like yours truly…

The Czech euthanasia controversy: Upper House says no

The Czech Senate [upper house of the Parliament, 81 Senators] rejected the draft bill on legalizing euthanasia.

Among the people who oppose it is the Health Minister Tomas Julinek, whose arguments are hugely inconsistent.

He says I can not imagine preparing laws the purpose of which is to improve the public health and at the same time accepting such a thing as euthanasia.

Well, I admit he does what he says, but when it comes to strict protection of public health, it is not as hot as he says — with his efforts. I don’t remember him introducing a bill that would forbid smoking in ALL public places.

Another minister argued, generally speaking, that legalizing euthanasia goes against the “right to live”.

Now, this is a load of crap. You DO have the right to live, but if your expectations are nonexistent when it comes to LIFE, and if you are told so by doctors, you have to right to jump under a train, or off a bridge. How does it make euthanasia different? Well, at least you can die with some dignity.

The euthanasia law is one out of few that are, let’s say, individual-specific. Meaning that the law would regulate individual behavior that does not affect the rights of anyone but that particular person. So why not?