What makes this especially funny–and sad–is its honest depiction of an embarrassingly large slice of Americana (yes, Midwest and South, I’m talking about you).

america · dennys · fat · lazy · obama · obese · the onion · united states · usa

The road not taken
The Economist, March 21, 2009, pg31

I recently wrote about home ownership and how the recession has the power to change America’s landscape. These changes should be encouraged and accelerated.

Recession and Geography
Brent Danley, The Rhetoric, February 22, 2009

The essay I read today in The Economist magazine only strengthened my opinions about both home ownership and health care. Both issues are devastating our economy and weakening our chances to grow and lead.

“Mobility is part of the American dream”, the author writes. And I agree. People should move to where the work is and where they will be able to find employment that will best utilize their talents and skills. Unfortunately, policies of past administrators have succeeded in promoting home ownership as the new American Dream. The consequences of this short-sighted idealism should be obvious to even the casual observer.

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america · economy · government · health care · home ownership · insurance · mobility · policy · united states · worker

Today Kirsten and I performed one of our basic democratic duties; we voted. Voting absentee on our own terms was a much better way to go than waiting until Tuesday and standing in line with everybody else. We sat alone in the conference room at City Hall in Saco, Maine and filled in the bubbles on our ballots. It was fun.

Kirsten and I in front of Saco City Hall just after voting.

Kirsten weighs the pros and cons of the candidates’ positions on critical issues.

November 2008 ballot

2008 · america · maine · saco · usa · vote

I love Matt’s passion. This would be funny if he were trying to be funny, but it’s awesome because he’s truly angry. Me, too.

I think candidates should be disqualified (by the voters, of course) if they believe dinosaurs and humans existed simultaneously or that the entire earth was flooded to the mountain tops or that evolution is “just a theory”. We need intelligent leaders, not credulous nincompoops.

2008 · america · campaign · election · matt damon · president · sarah palin · united states · usa · vice president