Kebap, Our Love Hath Endeth

One of the small joys that I discovered upon initially moving to Europe was the Döner Kebap. For you non-Europeans, the Kebap is an extremely popular fast food dish located...everywhere. Essentially, it is a sandwich on pita bread made from sliced meat (chicken, turkey, lamb...never pork) that is cooked on a vertically mounted rotating spit as shown below.

It is then stuffed with your choice of veggies and sauce (non-spicy or spicy, neither of which are spicy). The end product is this delicious sandwich:

Now, you Europeans may say "oh my dear, those are rubbish". Well, for an American in the land of endless pork and schnitzel, it is a nice change from the local dishes. For me and my distaste for most pork, it has been a lifesaver during lunchtime. I love them so dearly, that I was considering opening up a Döner Kebap in the US since there are so few (none) in the Detroit area.

Unfortunately, this steamy love affair had cold water poured over it this weekend when I came down with a terrible case of food poisoning stemming from my treasured Kebap. After spending hours on the bathroom floor, I fear that Kebap will not have the same appeal to me anymore.

This is a disappointment on more levels than can be imagined.

Ron Paul's Second Opus

The Ron Paul bunch are at it again. This time, though, the commemorative theme is a little less violent and much more appropriate, given the nature of the campaign. Supporters of the dark horse candidate of the year have organized another money-bomb, in remembrance of the 234th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. The last "money bomb" independently organized by Trevor Lyman commemorating Guy Fawkes' Day, netted $5.4 million in that single 24 hours period. Again, Lyman tries to recreate his successes with similar tactics.

But the Tea Party is a much finer and appropriate example of the themes behind Paul's campaign for the Presidency. His view that government is an impedance to a fair market and an enabler of an unfair market is inline with those of John Hancock and Samuel Adams (who had their own interests in mind) during their stoking of the public frustration. Also, the concept of non-violent protest displayed during the real Tea Party (no other property was damaged, only the East Indian tea) also steps to the tune with Paul's more conservative-libertarian views. Also, Paul's continuous invocation of the Founding Fathers themselves in speeches and writings makes this a far more appropriate commemoration than the capture of a Catholic rebel in England bent on destroying Parliament.

The original Tea Party went on to spark the American Revolution. Whether the current Tea Party can spark another one remains to be seen.

4:00ET - Paul has raised over $3.5 million today. It looks like it may exceed the original record-breaking fundraising day, but not by much.

Understanding Clinton

Bill, that is.

Clinton was on the Charlie Rose Show on Friday night talking about Hillary, Obama, and what it takes to be the Democratic Party nominee. In short summary, what in the world is Bill Clinton thinking? On the one hand, he is saying that Obama's half term in the Senate isn't enough to qualify for President, yet Clinton's one term is enough. On top of that, we should consider her "mistakes" during that one term as some sign of wisdom or experience? But that in regards to Dodd, Biden, and Richardson this "wait your turn" mentality and high-level experience is suddenly less important?

She hadn't held elective office before the year 2000...anywhere. Any policy decisions she has made has been as an aide or appointed official to somebody close to her. Before her Senate tenure, she hasn't been responsible to any electorate for her actions or policy implementations. This is all disregarding the "mistakes" that even Bill alludes to in his Rose interview

To suggest that Obama is somehow ineligible because he hasn't waited his turn in the political machine is outrageous. I think more and more people are realizing how much we need to get away from this sort of claptrap. Furthermore, it shows quite a bit about a campaign when the best tactic is wishing the other candidate away.

Now, to be fair, I understand that Bill undoubtedly has a horse picked in this race, but maybe he should just stay out of it if he has to resort to this type of idiocy if he wants Hillary to actually win. But, somehow, Bill always forgets that we have all seen him full of shit before.

Introduction

I am a 30-year old engineer from Detroit, Michigan who currently resides in Central Europe. I have deep interests in politics and culture, especially since moving overseas nearly 8 month ago. During American presidential election seasons, I tend to become fairly obsessed with politics to a degree that may be slightly unhealthy. I also serious concerns about the economic and political direction of America and Michigan for the current and future generations. I am highly unpartisan in my thinking, but have some strong idealogical beliefs that may come to light from my writing.

My goal for this blog is to channel my ideas and analyses about current issues into a forum that may want to listen. This will save my friends and family much grief. Thanks, and I hope you will enjoy.