73 Nixons - Poor Little Johnny McCain

Hey Readers!

Yeah...so the debate the other night...BORING. The only memorable thing was when McCain referred to Senator Obama as, "that one". We really don't think he meant it as a racial slur, it was just a way of disrespecting him. Like most of the McCain camp's recent moves, it backfired.

Throw in McCain's stage roaming, obvious disdain, and rampant jaw clenching and we saw a little bit behind the curtain. One gets the feeling Senator McCain feels as if he somehow has earned the office of the President. that he deserves it, and that the thought of even having to deal with Obama, much less lose to him, just turns McCain's stomach. 

The days following the debate saw angry, angry rallies for McCain/Palin. It was reported that people were screaming, "terrorist!", "off with his head!", even "KILL HIM" referring to Obama. Wow. Only after numerous calls from the talking heads in the media for McCain to curtail some of this hate did he do something.

An older lady, disheveled and seemingly a little medicated or confused stood up and told McCain, "...i don't trust him [Obama]...i read...he's an Arab..." Wow. To his credit, McCain immediately grabbed the mic and "corrected" her. Upon further thought, the whole thing seemed almost staged, but we'll give them the benefit of the doubt.

Poor little Johnny though...people at his own rallies are now booing him when he says civil things about Obama. There is such an underlying vibe of anger...even hate towards Obama from these crowds. Scary. The implications are there...draw your own conclusions. This is 2008, right? Wow.

Poor little Johnny. Everything he does now seems to backfire. 

November 4th is still a long way off senator. Maybe if you actually talked about the issues...

--the Nixons

73 Nixons - Presidential Debate Tonight [10 07 2008]

Hi.

Tonight should be another barn burner. Obama versus McCain. Four weeks to election day. Fresh off one of the most watched and analyzed VP debates in recent history we get back to the actual presidential candidates.

When they shake hands, McCain should say, "Hi terrorist. Can I call you terrorist?" You know, to set up the zinger to come later a la, "can I call you Joe?" leading up to, "say it ain't so, Joe!"

They should have plenty to talk about...

The stock market closed today at 9,447. A 5 year low. DO NOT EVEN CHECK YOUR 401K. You will not be happy. Do not cash it in though. The whole point of the 401k is long term. If you are close to retirement...well, timing is everything isn't it?

The "war" drags on in Iraq. McCain and Palin keep talking about "winning". What is it exactly that we as a nation are trying to "win" in Iraq? [side note: McCain was a POW, yes. and they don't let us forget it for a minute. We as a nation should applaud his dedication and service. This however does not make him a hero, and it certainly does not pre-qualify him to be the President...]

How is bringing home our troops "losing"? They have fought valiantly and sacrificed so much. Bring them home, so we can say thank you to their face and not to their widow.

To all of our armed forces worldwide, the Nixons would like to say THANK YOU!!!!!!!! You work and risk your lives everyday for everyone of us whether we deserve it or not. THANK YOU!!!!!!

And did we mention that the stock market closed at a 5 year low? We are on the edge of a global economic disaster. You can forget about any tax breaks for the next 4 years. Throw out any campaign promises regarding the economy. But rest assured that we will hear plenty of them tonight.

The truth of the matter is that the next couple of years are going be dictated by circumstances, not by rhetoric and empty promises. This could be the depression that our grandchildren hear about and don't relate to the way we didn't relate to our grandparents stories of the depression of the 20th century.

The Nixons think it will be OK, and we will avoid a full blown depression, but we tend to expect the best. You should too! A lot of this economic crap is psychological snowballing, so stay positive!!!

Blah blah blah. Watch the debate tonight. PS, it's more fun to watch it at a bar or with a group consisting of people from both parties. Very interesting indeed.

talk soon,

-the Nixons

73 Nixons - Palin Around With Terrorists

Beloved Readers.

It’s “time to take the gloves off,” Mrs. Palin said.

“Our opponent … is someone who sees America it seems as being so imperfect that he’s palling around with terrorists who would target their own country,” she said, referring to Bill Ayers.

Mr Ayers was the co-founder of a group called the "Weather Underground" that was labeled a domestic terror group by the FBI. This was in the 60's. Most men in power at that time wore 3 piece suits, cut their hair into flat tops, attended church religiously (ha) and...The point is, anyone that questioned the government were labeled as terrorists.

This group did and/or planned some horrible things. Yes. Obama was 8 years old at the time. Obama has condemned the actions of Ayers, and many media organizations have discounted any ongoing relationship between the two.

Mrs. Palin went on, “I get to bring this up not to pick a fight, but it was there in the New York Times, so we are gonna talk about it,” she said. “Turns out one of Barack’s earliest supporters is a man who, according to the New York Times, and they are hardly ever wrong, was a domestic terrorist and part of a group that quote launched a campaign of bombings that would target the Pentagon and US Capitol. Wow. These are the same guys who think patriotism is paying higher taxes.” [wasn't the NY Times that paper that had that reporter who admitted to making up stories?]

Wow indeed. Please remember, that Obama's plan raises taxes on the wealthy, while McSame's plan cuts taxes to the wealthy and increases taxes for the middle class. Another re-run of the Reagan era "trickle down" economics. And didn't that work well?

Sorry readers, our objectivity in this election is waning as we are exposed more and more to the lies and hypocrisy of the McSame/Failin ticket. Are the Obama people lying to us? Probably. But the intention seems less...evil.

We will never fully endorse any candidate that isn't named Nixon. And we are not endorsing Obama. We are simply pointing out some things about the campaigns that seem odd to us.

When Obama accuses McSame or Failin' of something that outrageous, we will happily point it out. We promise.

-the Nixons

73 Nixons - Why is Michael Vick in prison?

Hello Animal Lovers,

Chris Rock asks an interesting question in his new HBO special. Why is Michael Vick in prison? Well, for animal cruelty and killing animals, of course. But...

How many wolves would have been shot if Sarah Palin had her way? FROM A F*CKING HELICOPTER? Have you seen pictures of her are where she's posing for a picture, holding the head of a dead animal? An animal she shot from a safe distance with a high powered gun? And she is a Governor and Vice Presidential candidate.

Michael Vick had relatives, living in a different state than him, running a dog fighting club in a house that he happened to own. Please don't misunderstand, we do not condone dog fighting. But how is that different from "sport" hunting? I'm sure the wolves, caribou, moose, and other animals murdered, excuse me "hunted" by Sarah Palin would say there is no difference.

So when people in the South, black and white, speak of dog fighting as part of their culture, part of their heritage, they are dismissed as ignorant bumpkins. When rich folks put on fancy outfits and shoot at animals with assault rifles (from helicopters) it is called a sport.

Are we missing something? Or is this one of the clearest examples of institutional class ism, if not outright racism, we've seen in a long time? Why aren't people talking about this?

C'mon people, talk about this.

FREE MICHAEL VICK! or,

IMPRISON SARAH PALIN!

whaddya think? Hmmmm?

-the Nixons

73 Nixons - VP Debate. Who Won?

Hey Hey Hey,

Nixons here.

So what did you think?

The debate was riveting. The reaction was even more interesting. The Republicans somehow twisted reality around to the point that they believed Palin won simply because she didn't completely fail as everyone expected. Man, talk about the theory of success via lowered expectation!

As if, simply because she managed to keep talking, keep winking (were we the only ones who found that disingenuous and annoying?) and didn't run off the stage in a fit of tears that she won this debate.

Far from it amigos. Watch it again. We counted only one time that she even attempted to answer the question offered. It seemed as though she had a list of speeches memorized. She would scan what Biden or the moderator were saying for key words, and then launch into one of her canned answers/mini speeches. Perhaps the Nixons are "old school" when it comes to the spoken language, but if one was to transcribe word for word some of her answers one would find that some of her mini speeches were catch phrases swirled around dangling participles, tense disagreements. Hell, just plain filler.

Yes, Biden is a career politician. We couldn't help but think how much he probably wanted to just pat her on the head, give her a donation for the PTA, and send her off to get the mini van washed. We assumed that he would play it safe. Everyone was expecting (this debate was really about expectation wasn't it?) him to come off condescending. In his own surprise performance, he was patient, attentive, overly respectful really. So many he times he could of pounced on her shaky statements with such ease and shredded her. But the fact for Biden was that he couldn't really win by winning as he would be seen as "mean" or chauvinistic. "Typical beltway politician" they would say. How long has McSame been in the Senate now? We're not sure, but we're pretty sure we've seen pictures of him riding a dinosaur into D.C. Ha. See what we did there?

In his own shining moment however...when Palin tried to play the "I'm a mom with a special needs child...the one who knows about sitting around the kitchen table making hard decisions...you know, something a heartless career politician like Biden could never relate to" bull sh*t...Biden, choking slightly on the memory of it, reminded her that much earlier in his life his wife and two of his children had been killed. That he had to sit at the kitchen table with his two surviving sons and figure out how they were going to make it back from that hell; both financially and emotionally. I'm sorry, but that is the first and probably the last time that we cried during a debate. Damn you Biden!

Call him lawyerly, call him a career politician, but that was one of the most "human" moments the Nixons have ever seen from a politician.

Keep your fake winks Mrs. Palin. In fact, keep your "betchas", your lame hockey mom references, and your annoying Minnesota via Canada accent too. We grew tired even of the timbre of your voice by the end. We kept thinking, "too bad Tina Fey couldn't just play this part for you. Her imitation of you is much more palatable than the real you."

-the Nixons

73 Nixons - 2008 Presidential Election. Racism, sensitivity, and our own dream.

Ha.

Got your attention with that one?

So...er, um...guess we're not supposed to even talk about this stuff. But yeah...

This election is about a lot of things. The economy. The war. The future.

But it is also about race. There, we said it. It was almost about gender. Don't give up Hillary! Palin is making you look better and better every day. Your time will come.

We in the U.S.A. like to pretend that so many things have changed. And to be fair, a lot of things have. But damn this is a racist country.

All the, "...he'll be shot..." or, "...I just don't think when people close the curtain and go to vote, that they will vote for a black...uh...African American..." talk really got us thinking about "America" in 2008.

First of all. Sad as it is that is necessary to say this; shouldn't it really be about who the best person for the job is? "bleeding heart liberal", says our mom's voice in our head.

Second, and this is sort of off to the side, but is "African American" really the term we settled on? Do we need a term for people? Would Dr. King or Malcom want to be called African American? or just American? Light skinned people aren't called "Northern European Americans". Sigh...even now...here come the thoughts: "should we be typing this?" "are we being sensitive or correct enough?"

Third, leading up to the VP debate there has been talk that the moderator may not be able to be objective. You know, because she is...uh...of a darker skin tone. F*ck, this is getting uncomfortable! WHY?!? Anyway...We've watched many many debates in our time, and no one ever questioned a light skinned moderator's objectivity because the candidates were light skinned. "oh, but she is writing a book about African Americans in politics, and Obama is in the title." So what? She's not able to fairly moderate a debate because...huh?!?

Watch Chris Rock's new HBO special. True comedy is riddled with truths. In a very interesting twist, the show is edited together from shows held in NYC, London, and Johannesburg. It is interesting to see the reactions to his jokes in very different countries. The "white" people sitting in the legendary Apollo Theater seemed to laugh just a little more nervously than their counterparts in other countries. I won't attempt to re-tell any jokes. Somehow it just doesn't feel like it would be OK; or as funny. Sigh. Just watch it. It is funny as hell. Somehow he forces you to look at your own ass and then makes you laugh about it. He doesn't stop with racism either, he gets into gender issues pretty deep also. It's a date movie!

Malcom had an insight and a beautiful anger. Dr. King had a way with words and a dream.

We in no way attempt to compare ourselves to these historical heavy weights. But we too have a dream. That someday we'll be free to love and hate each other...to marry and divorce each other...to help and hurt each other...to have beautiful and ugly children together...to look at two children playing together and not marvel at a "black" and "white" child playing together...but just see two kids playing together so we can concentrate on more important things; like keeping women in their place. JUST KIDDING. ha ha? Ha?

Then we could dream about cooler, more important things. Like legalizing...well, that's another post isn't it?

-the Nixons

73 Nixons - VP Debate. OH BOY!

Readers.

It's only hours away. The showdown. The proverbial moment of truth. Palin v Biden. Biden v Palin. One on one. Mano a...mana...?

Who are you rooting for? Who do you secretly, or not so secretly, want to see fall flat on their face?

We're staying neutral. We try to report angles and observations, not opinions. Except, of course, for our well documented love for one Richard Milhous Nixon. History will prove us right about NIXON!

But man (woman) are we looking forward to this debate! Not since "gridlock!" and, "...you sir, are no Jack Kennedy" have we been primed for a vice presidential debate like we are for this one. This is almost to super bowl party level. We swear to...well, whatever...we swear we've bought tortilla chips, queso dip, and a twelve pack of fine German lager for this one. The Nixons prefer St. Pauli Girl should you be the gift giving type.

Katie bar the door and if a frog had pockets...sorry, we went all Dan Rather there for a second.

Please check back with us tomorrow, post debate, for our take on the festivities. And then, for the love of Pete, leave us a comment. Let us know you care. Sheesh. Would it kill ya to leave a damn comment?

-the Nixons.

73 Nixons - Sarah Palin

Hi.

Wow.

Have you seen the Sarah Palin interviews that Katie Couric did on CBS? [note: we watched them on youtube. we can't stand CBS]

It has to be painfully obvious that this person is not qualified for global politics. Is she an over-achiever? Oh hell yes. This is a Miss Alaska runner up who somehow managed to be elected governor of Alaska.

But watching these interviews...one just cringes as you watch her flounder so completely. Her lack of experience [hey, where have we heard that phrase before...OH YEAH, McSame has been shouting that about Obama for months...], her lack of intelligence, her lack of knowledge of world affairs, her seeming lack of "think on your feet" ability was all exposed like scurrying bugs on the underside of an overturned rock.

The Nixons were never super enthused by McPain, but this choice of VP reveals itself to be more baffling every day.

Too bad they couldn't have waited to announce her until about a week before the election. As much as they prepped and sheltered her, it only took about a week for her complete lack of qualification to become apparent.

The upcoming Palin/Biden debates could be a train wreck. Do not miss that one. But then, McClaim could just "suspend" the campaign for some reason or another the day of that debate. Or watch, there will be some "family emergency" or they will play the "i have a special needs child" card.

They will try something to bail her out. In the very least, expect some last minute protocol or ground rules changes within days or hours of that debate.

We sure hope that debate actually happens, because it will be interesting to see how she reacts under that kind of pressure. We actually want to see how Biden handles it too. Too smug, and she wins no matter what. And don't even come off as sexist or chauvenistic!

And now we wait...

-the Nixons

73 Nixons - More Cool TShirts

more from our good friends at T Shirt Hell...

73 Nixons - $7,000,000,000 Bailout

Hello.

Let me ask you this? When they're spending our tax money to "bail out" these financial institutions, are they also bailing out the homeowners who now face foreclosure? Technically, all tax payers are bailing out these institutions, so we should own part of these institutions.

Now, the Nixons turned down several no-money-down, so called "arm" loans over the last 5 years. No matter how much money the mortgage broker (who's smug now?) qualified us for, and it was a lot, we couldn't get over the feeling that the whole deal just didn't make sense. adjustable mortgage rate? Scary. Paying nothing but interest for the first 5 years? Scary. Assuming that home prices would continue to go up at the rate they had been going up? Stupid.

One mortgage broker tried to allay our fears by telling us 1, that we'd actually make money on the tax breaks and 2, that with the assumed increase in value of the home we could get out or refinance a couple years down the road and make a profit! Sounds too good to be true! And it was, wasn't it?

How much has the US spent on the Iraq war? Perhaps all the Publicans scrutinizing and debating this bailout bill want to think about that right now. By some accounts, the Iraq war will have cost us more than 3 TRILLION dollars. The Dubment could have bought out every mortgage in America. FREE HOMES FOR EVERYONE. How would that be for the economy if suddenly we all owned our own homes? And really owned them, with no mortgage?

As a side note...less than 3,000 people died in the attacks of September 11. As of today, more than 4,000 American troops, and tens of thousands of Iraqi's have died in the occupation, excuse us, the "liberation" of Iraq.

So really, Mr. Bush has killed more Americans than any follower of Bin Laden.

Deal with it, it is the truth.

Got something to say? Leave a comment. Do it. You're so smart, share some of that wisdom, smarty pants.

-the Nixons

73 Nixons - Presidential Election - Funny T Shirts

Hey,

Saw these on t-shirt hell . Funny stuff. Leave a comment. Damn.

-- e73

73 Nixons - Which Vice President Do You Want For President?

Homey's,

Overheard: "...it's really Palin versus Biden...McCain died 4 months ago and Obama will be dodging bullets from day one..."

So...yeah...you have to admit, there is some rationale behind this bad tasting joke. McCain would be the oldest president at the time of election. Remember how old Reagan seemed after just a few years in office? McCain would be older than Reagan at the time of Reagan's election. I'm not saying he's old, I'm just sayin'...

As for Obama dodging bullets...hmmm...awkward alert! I don't think we're supposed to talk about that, are we? I mean, somehow it just feels dirty. But then racism in America is one of this country's dirty little secrets. We're moving on.

For the sake of argument, let's just say that in January, 2009 both Obama and McCain have been abducted by beings from another dimension and are lost forever.

Who, in your mind, do you see as the President of the United States of America? Is it Palin? Biden? Biden? Palin? Hmmmmmm?

Leave a comment!

Personally, I'm voting for one Richard Milhous Nixon.

--e73

narf narf

73 Nixons - We're not a PC

Websters,

Windows quickly abandoned the Jerry Seinfeld ads after an unusually swift and negative response to the campaign. We thought it was funny!

Here's one we didn't see on TV, did it (or a shorter version) ever make it to broadcast?

long ad

And now they have their, "I'm a PC" ad. It starts off with a guy that looks like the PC character in the Mac ads saying he has been made into a cliche. Then they go through a bunch of shots of "regular" and "cool" people all proclaiming that they are a "PC", or "I'm a PC and this is my office" is what the cool marine biologist on his ship at sea says.

We like this campaign, too. Mac creates this cooler-than-you and this you are a part of a small club of cooler-than-you vibe. But the truth is that the majority of the world, even some "cool" people, uses PC. This is sad, but it is undeniably true.

What would be really cool is if they could build an operating system that worked. That worked with you instead of against you. How about that, Windows? You've got a stronghold on the world. Instead of tacking on another layer of "fixes" to an inherently flawed OS, take 2 years and start over. You have talent, Windows. Now use it. Let's see what you're made of. Quit jealously making fun of Macs and truly compete. It is so easy for Apple to paint you as a cliche, because you are a cliche.

There...you have been challenged.

We are NOT a PC.

still crushing on our new Mac,

--the Nixons

poliphobic

73 Nixons - What A Computer Should Be - Update

Readers.

Just to let you know...the love affair with our new macbook continues! My oh my do we love that machine.

Now, the PC's we use at work seem even more useless and painful. I'm considering even using my cherished new friend at work...nah, hell no. If the people who decided to "save money" buy purchasing PC's want us to flounder in inefficiency while doing their bidding, so be it.

We'll be home to our beloved macbook before you know it. To snuggle, to surf safely and effortlessly, to CREATE.

-the Nixons.

poliphobic

73 Nixons - Getting Old List

1. You getting old.
   
2. Your parents getting old.
3. Your relationship getting old.
4. Your spouse or partner getting old.
5. Your pet getting old.
6. Your genitals getting old. [not even trying to be funny. it really is sad. or, well, so we've heard...]
7. Your blog getting old.
8. This list is getting old.
9. One more...
10. Number 10 is old.

-the Nixons

poliphobic

When The Child Becomes The Parent a.k.a. Oh Mommy - You So Crazy

So...readers, it has happened. I am officially the parent, and my mother has become the child.

The woman who once protected me,  who fed me and wiped my butt, who gave birth to me for crying out loud is fast approaching helplessness.

Funny, not ha ha funny, but punch in the face funny is the fact that just as I begin to get a handle on my life, just as I finally begin to feel like I have some modicum of control, then the parent starts to go.

This isn't fair, I don't even have any children yet! But there is really no choice, is there? Even if you didn't like mommy for whatever reason, what kind of person doesn't take care of their aging and often ailing mother? 

Throw some incapable or irresponsible siblings into the mix, and you've really got something new to keep you up at night. Let's see...paid off credit cards, got a decent paying job, healthy relationship and then BAM! Here comes momma with a stack of bills and "laundry list" of health problems. Oye. Aye dios mio. Sacre Bleu. Sh*t. F*ck.

Maybe this should have been title, "oh Life - you so crazy."

e.73

poliphobic.com

Bringing Back the Lame List

Expressions no one should say any more, ever:

1. "Let's not, and say we did."

2. "Don't go there."

3. "Been there, done that." [equally annoying: "been there, got the t-shirt"]

4. "What can I do you for?"

5. "Not"

6. "That's what she said."

7. "Off the hook" [or: "off the chain"]

8. adding, "-izzle" to words [i.e. "bring back the lame lizzle"]

9. Calling something "gay".

10. a classic, that came back in sarcastic form, but really should be retired, "working hard, or hardly working?"

-NixonA

http://www.poliphobic.com 

When Should You Quit Your Job?

Hiyo,

What up netbitches? So the question for today is, "when do you quit your job?"  You know, if you have a job. I mean, it is a little strange that you're up reading this so late at night. I kid, I kid.

The next time you walk into your job, pay attention to the reaction your mind, body, and spirit has as you walk in the door.

Does your mind instantly begin to fill with dread? Do you suddenly become aware of a knot in your neck, does your stomach gurgle and burn, does your head throb? 

Do you let out a deep, long sigh?

That's when I first began to contemplate a change. I had already begun to do the ALARM-OH-SH*T-OK-NOW-I'M-AWAKE-F*CK-I-DON'T-WANT-TO-GO-TO-WORK waking thought every weekday morning. But I had for so long really loved my job, that I could easily talk myself back into it..."people would kill to have your job"..."you're so lucky to even have a job with this economy"...blah blah blah f*cking blah.

But after months of this self administered morning pep talk, it finally happened. As if I was outside of myself and watching...almost in slow motion I "watched" as I opened the door to my offices I walked as if I was walking to my execution, and then I let out a long, deeeeeep sigh. I felt a thick, heavy wave of depression wash over me.  What's the deal, McNeil? I was just in a good mood 10 seconds ago! It wasn't even depression really...it was a feeling of utter hopelessness. I felt completely hopeless. That is when I knew.

So listen to your body. Listen to the little you inside of you. No status, no amount of money is worth making the little you suffer. Be happy as often as you can. I'm not saying go in tomorrow and tell your boss to eat sh*t and die. [oh reader, wouldn't that be almost worth it?] But make a change. Make a plan and follow through. Do it. You can do it. I don't even know you, but I bet if you really make up your mind you'll know what to do and you will do it. Life is too short. Don't waste another day.

It's a corny old saying, but there is wisdom in this: "do what you love, and you'll never work a day in your life."

=Nixon7.3

go here

Live Anywhere In The World...

...all right, readers. This is the bonus post for the day.

Open book quiz, answers are for you. Really, the point is to get you thinking. We all belly ache about this and about that...but do we ever do anything about it? Complaining is easy. Action is the hard part. Ever drive across the country, pass through some town where the sign says, "population 103" and you think to yourself..."who the hell would live here?"...and, "why don't they move?"

If money was not an issue, and you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? Would you like to live out in the middle of nowhere, away from people? on the beach? in the gritty, drug, crime, and culture soaked downtown of a "real" city like NYC? The beaches of The Phillipines, where if you're not kidnapped for ransom you can live like a king with very little money?

Leave a comment, and answer the d*mn poll to the right. Jeez, I type my fingers to the bone for you people, is it too much to ask that you leave a comment or vote in the poll?

-the Nixons

[people we like]

What A Personal Computer Should Be.

Hello Crazy World.

Hold on to your hats readers, the Nixons bought a new machine last week. A Macbook to be precise.

OH.

MY.

GOD.

I am in Love. Not that first sex afterglow kind of love, but the real thing. I smile just thinking about how my life has changed.

Let me go back in time...to the first time the Nixons used a "personal computer"...it would have been 1981 or 1982. My 2nd grade classroom in San Diego, California had just received a shiny Apple II computer. We loaded in our 51/4 inch diskette and proceeded to play Oregon Trail...for a grade no less! I remember fondly the II, the IIc, the IIe. I remember the first Mac. I remember thinking, what the hell is this "mouse" for? Oh, but the colors. Really, until then you had green letters, or amber letters. And then came Mac...

The Nixons decided to forget about computers for a while. We were no professional graphic designers and the "internet" was still just a nerdy thing that computer science geeks at major universities used to share databases. Then came the mid 90's...the Nixons, tired of working for a living as an electrician decided to go back to school and become an audio engineer. My wife at the time decided she was going go back to school and become a graphic designer. Of course, all the software we needed only ran on Mac's. Our schools only taught on Macs, so we bought a Mac. It was an awesome machine even then. Two years go by, and armed with couple of AAS degrees in audio engineering, the Nixons were off to find their first "cool" job! How surprised were we when they asked how proficient the Nixons were with computers! Why, we rule, of course! "How good are you on a PC?", they asked. Lying through our teeth, they were told we could practically be an IT guy. Long story short, the Nixons got the job, learned how to use a PC as we went, and thus began going over to the dark side.

Pro audio software began to appear for PC. The price difference began to get farther and farther apart. The Nixons used PC's at work, and at home. The graphic designer wife and our shared mac were long gone. We were lost. Updating drivers, regular crashes, being riddled with spyware and phishing files began to become "normal". And this went on for almost a decade. And then it happened...the quirky PC died. And hard. We left the side panel off while trying to work on it, a cat chewed through a bunch of wires, and that was it. Game Over. Time to start shopping for a new PC, a laptop this time was the thought. But something happened on the way to the market.

Oh, the Nixons began to look at the Apple Store online. We began to remember. Like a prisoner, smelling free air for the first time in 10 years, we began to see the light again. Using a computer didn't have to be like tying 10 cats together and calling it a dog. It could be easy. It could be fun. The f*cking thing could just work.

Did we spend more? Yes. Does that make the Nixons some artsy, mac-snob homos now? Again? Maybe. But think about this the next time you buy a PC and spend the whole night "setting it up", and the next few days getting it to work with your printer, to recognize your camera, to move your iTunes...we took the new Macbook out of the box, turned it on, answered 3 questions in a setup dialog, and that was it.

It powers up in seconds. The internet is...just there. No connecting, no system preferences, no hassle. Just click on the icon, and you are there. We moved a 15,000 song iTunes library, had it organized, and had our 3 iPods (the Nixons like music!) set up within 20 minutes. 19 of those minutes were copying the 100gB of files over. Now how do you think that would have gone if we were trying to switch from PC to Mac? Shudder...

So that's it. If I seem like I'm gushing, it's because I am. I am LOVE. You can't explain to someone really. They just have to know.

A Mac will be the best machine you'll ever own.

It's everything a P(ersonal) C(omputer) should be.

-the Nixons.

Been a long time...

Hello Faithful internet.

Have you missed me? Well, I've been here all along. What? I'm weird? No, you are the weird one internet...

You're always there, but only on your terms. You have limitless potential, but you have become a wasteland of porn, hate, and misinformation. You can be a powerful tool for keeping people connected, yet they "connect" in isolation.

I see your effect everywhere in modern society. Politeness, grammar, consideration for others, and even shame are being replaced with rudeness, IM jargon, self obsession, and entitlement.

Oh internet...how did we ever live without you? I can't remember anymore. I better look up "life before the internet" on wikipedia.com. Hmmm, wiki comes up blank...almost as if it doesn't know there was a time before the internet. Or maybe, the internet is re-writing history. Think about it. Those of us born before the internet are dwindling. Soon, no one will remember...

Oh internet, you so crazy...

Nixons

Libertarian Nominee Bob Barr We Can All Relax Now

Well friends, we can all relax now. The Nixons have been so caught up in this exciting nomination process for the Democratic Party that we completely forgot about The Libertarians!

What the hell were we thinking? Here we were, worried that the Dem’s were wasting their time dividing the party over two non electable candidates. Worried that recent Democratic ineptness at winning Presidential elections would result in another 4 years of, “…I will never surrender in Iraq…” (presumptive Republican nominee John McCain, May 2008)

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Mr. Bob Barr…your next President of the United States of Dream On!

Wait…who? Bob Barr is a former Representative from the great state of Georgia who officially left the Republican Party in 2006. If he is known for anything, it is his involvement in the impeachment of Bill Clinton.

The good news for Democrats: This year the novel 3rd "party" nominee might actually steal Republican votes instead of Democratic. Also, Barr has been quite vocal in his opposition to Bush’s war in Iraq.

"We're not in this race to make a point, though a very important point will be made," Barr said. Well done, sir.

Go get ‘em tiger!

Pixie Dust and Politics

Now we’re re growing body parts?!? I’ve seen a story pop up in a few places about a study being done on returning Iraq war vets…The Pentagon has reportedly dedicated $250 million to this research. So they spend how many billions to get your arm blown off, and then a few million to try and grow it back? But I digress…

Anyway, this “pixie dust”, as they’re calling it, is derived from stem cells found in a pig. The theory is based on the regenerative capabilities of the Salamander. The “stump” is cut open, this dust is spread in, and the wound is sewn shut. The idea is to stimulate the cells into growing again by using the stem cells.

Imagine what wonders we could unlock if our politicians legislated with their supposed intellect and not with their bible. Free Stem Cells in ’08!

NASA has landed a rover on Mars. Again. People are starving to death and killing each other right here on Earth, but we can spend how many billions sending a robotic camera to another planet? Sweet. I’m sure the people in Myanmar are very impressed with pictures that look like Death Valley at sunset.

In politics today…aw forget it. I can’t pretend to be excited anymore. Yes, duh duh duh dubya will be out soon. For that the Nixons are grateful. Out soon only to be replaced, I fear, by McCain. First, the dem’s seemed to have lost all perspective on what an American really looks like and thinks with; overweight, poor, and not with their brain…Second, they’re hopelessly dividing the party through this protracted nomination battle. And Third (this goes back to point 1), do they really think when the general election comes that Americans, the same Americans THAT RE ELECTED DUBYA, are going to elect a woman or a dark skinned man whose name says Hussein right in it to the office of The President?

The Nixons are very open minded. You might even say we’re “liberal” (blecch) or “progressive”. The Nixons would love to see a woman, a muslim, a dark skinned man or woman, hell…anyone besides a wealthy, old, bible thumping white dinosaur in the White House.

But The Nixons are not typical. The Nixons do not belong to the NRA, have not recently lost their cushy union job to “those damn immigrant foreigners”, do not attend church, and DO think for themselves.

All the republicans have to do is stir up any religion related issue and the bible thumpers get out and vote en masse for whichever candidate looks and sounds the most like them. Don’t believe us? How many gay marriage initiatives were put on the state ballots in “swing states” for the 2004 election? Enough to drive record voter registration drives among “religious groups”. Enough that Bush lite was re elected. Neither Hillary or Obama fill match that description for at least 51% of the voting population in this country. That may be an ugly truth, but it is the truth…The Republicans, if anything, are very good at winning presidential elections.

And one more thing for you fans of war...McCain said in a speech today, "...i will never surrender in Iraq..." Heck, let's just re elect Dubya. why not? FOUR MORE YEARS! FOUR MORE YEARS! FOUR MORE YEARS!

Practice acts of random kindness,

The Nixons

addicted to oil gas prices up it's 1978 all over again

Hi Gang.

What if we actually started car pooling? What if people finally gave up their 8 MPG monster SUV's? What if we didn't care how much gas cost because we rarely had to purchase it?

Not to be preachy, but...ride the bus one day a week. Live closer to your work. If you own two cars, could one of them be a hybrid or at least something that got 30+ MPG?

for the record, The Nixons live two blocks from their job, within walking distance of restaurants and grocery stores and rarely drive their car...it gets 34 MPG.

We've never been into the whole hippie preachy thing. We eat meat and watch sports...Even now, we are still hesitant to post this...but we're getting sick and tired of the big news story EVERY F-ING MORNING being about how gas has gone up ANOTHER few cents over night. Oil is HOW MUCH PER BARREL?!? I don't know about you, but we've never bought a barrel of oil.

Let China and India use all the oil up and pollute their air. It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that the oil supply in the world will run out. And probably quicker than you might realize.

We in this country were once leaders and visionaries...it is time to be that again. We've been to the moon. Can't we live without using so much gasoline? People in Europe have been paying $7+ dollars a gallon FOR YEARS. That is why they drive those little cars that we like to make fun of. But those little cars get 45 MPG.

Oh how funny we must look to them...driving our gargantuan SUV's...and how ridiculous we must sound complaining about $4 a gallon gasoline.

Just think about it...

The Nixons

Robots Hanson Robotics Flying Cars Jetsons

Um...people...robots are here. I'm not talking about a toy dog with a lot of tricks, or even Honda's cute little ASIMO. Though that little fella is damn cute...

Check this out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kThr6CMLrvg&feature=related

Hanson Robotics is making these robots that stress human-like movements and appearance. They have invented a kind of skin that flexes and "emotes" in an almost life like manner. It is still very much like Disney animatrons, but oh my... there is something exciting and creepy about it. When they combine their fake skin and facial expressions with the movement, "intelligence", and functionality of ASIMO type machines...watch out. Have you seen ASIMO run yet? Check it out. It won't be long before these are as commong in our homes as remote controls for our televisions.

So let's see...we've cured impotence, have many options for balding, been to the moon, and now these robots...If we could just find a reasonable solution to our addiction to fossil fuels...

This is their Zeno "machine": http://www.zenosworld.com/

WOW,

the nixons