Election 2012-Meet the Candidates

     Election season is upon us once again, so before the rigmarole of commercials and attacks gets into full swing I thought it would benefit the audience to do a brief introduction to each candidate. I advise that you ignore all political ads and debates this season and base your election decision solely on this article (and possible future installments) because of it's in-depth, yet easy to understand analysis and neutral stance on each candidate.

Mitt Romney

     Mitt Romney is a businessman and politician who unsuccessfully ran for president in 2008 where he was defeated in the Republican primary by John McCain. Romney is best known for being simultaneously opposed to and supportive of almost any stance on virtually all issues. This paradox has been the greatest strength and weakness of hopeful as he is considered the front runner for the GOP nod while also being the most hated man on the ticket. In order to win the nomination Romney must be able to get more delegates than the other contenders this election season.

Ron Paul

     Ron Paul is everyone's favorite always outrageous Libertarian candidate who hopes to take his outside-the-box views and ideas all the way to the White House. While Paul's base appears to be outnumbered by some of his opponents he actually carries a noteworthy amount of the independent vote. Paul's greatest strength in the election is the "just crazy enough to work" mentality, appealing to the masses who are tired of "business as usual" politics in Washington. In order to have a chance of facing Obama in November Ron Paul needs to get his base out to the poles during the primaries, while at the same time getting other candidate's bases to vote for him as well.

Rick Santorum

     Rick Santorum was virtually unknown before throwing in his hat for the Presidency, and is now best known for people not knowing who he is. In fact, some believe Rick Santorum is not a real person at all but is actually an idea created to fill what some would call a void of true Conservatives on the Republican ticket. That is the only information that could be found on Mr. Santorum. In order to win the election Santorum needs to convince the voters that he does in fact exist, and that they should vote for him.



Newt Gingrich

     Newt Gingrich is what many would call the "establishment" Republican running on this year's ticket. Gingrich has been in politics almost all of his life, beginning in Kindergarten when he successfully ran for class president. Gingrich's greatest strength lies in the striking similarity he shares with Dwight Schrute, a character from the U.S. version of the television show The Office as seen in the picture below.

     The undeniable likeness to this quirky, yet lovable character could be his greatest strength as it may cause voters to associate their love of Dwight Schrute with Gingrich, or could prove to be a disadvantage as it may render the electorate unable to take him seriously. Whatever the case Newt's fate will be tied to the amount of votes he receives, therefore he needs to get as many as possible.

Barack Obama 

     If you are not familiar with Barack Obama you are probably using a computer for the very first time. Congratulations! Be that as it may, Barack Obama is the current President of the United States, and is running for re-election in 2012. Since taking office Obama has taken Washington by storm, with the following list highlighting some of his accomplishments:

1.

     Whether you love him or hate him Obama's key to victory lies in in ability to repeat his performance of 2008's election where he received more electoral college votes than his opponents. It is also worth noting that Obama's win in 2008 was historical in the fact that he was the first ever man to become the 44th President of the United States.

     I hope this helps in your decision making process when it comes to who will be the victor this coming November. Please stay tuned, as we at A Mind On Display just may formally endorse a candidate in the coming months. Thank you and have a blessed day!

For parents thinking of decorating their kid's room with owls...

     Lately America has taken a renewed interest in owls as a decorating theme, primarily in children's rooms. On the surface owls appear to be adorable creatures, with their large eyes, small beaks, cute little ears (with bows for females), and cartoon-like features. They can also be easily altered and applied to almost anything you need to complete your theme (such as pillows, blankets, attire, or even cakes as pictured above) seemingly making them the perfect choice for your little ones. While I'm sure most parents have nothing but good intentions when choosing this as their children's room or party theme the truth is that while adults see owls as pictured above, to children owls come across more like this:

     That's right, in reality owls are one of the most deadly and horrific creatures in all of God's creation. Born and raised to be a bloodthirsty killer the owl lives solely to murder. Some scientists suggest that owls will continue to kill throughout the night even after they are no longer hungry while other studies have concluded that the owl actually gets pleasure from murder through a release of endorphins upon spilling the victim's blood. One fun fact that has recently made headlines in the conservation world is that owls actually think of creative and different ways to slaughter their prey while attempting to maximize the pain inflicted on their victim. With all this reality in your face it makes the owl seem a little less cute, but wait...there's more.
     Owls are not only known for their cold-blooded murder, but are also synonymous with stalking. While prowling at night the owl will often stalk it's prey, staying just close enough to be menacing but barely out of reach. Their "hooting" is also a form of psychological torture they use on the creature they are stalking and intend to murder. If an owl sets it's eye on a beast too large for it to overtake (such as a buffalo) it will sometimes stalk for several days or even weeks, constantly "hooting" at it while taking opportunities to swoop down and claw, gouge, or bite the creature. The intention is to so severely torture the animal that it can no longer withstand the pain and eventually runs itself off a cliff. Afterward, instead of eating the beast the owl will simply stand over the corpse and, for several hours, let out a noise that has been described as an eerie laugh. Pretty twisted in this bloggers opinion.
     In the past 12 months the amount of decor sold that is owl-themed has risen 38.045% while the number of night terrors reported in children has gone up 38.038% in the same time span and with these revelations about the true nature of owls it's no surprise. I also think it's worth mentioning that in many Eastern religions the owl represents pure evil. I'm not trying to tell you that you are evil or wrong if you choose to use owls as the theme of your child's room, but if you do I would advise setting up a trust fund for a therapist instead of college. Thanks and please re-post this on your own Facebook wall! Good day to you all!

Why are they famous? Kate Gosselin

     Earlier today as I was catching up on the latest headlines I saw an article pertaining to Kate Gosselin. I almost clicked on the news story, but suddenly I realized something: I do not care. Kate Gosselin was thrust into national super stardom in 2005 because of her extraordinary amount of children (twins followed by sextuplets) and has since remained in the spotlight. But why? Although I think spending time addressing this woman is wasted time indeed, I have always been perplexed by America's fascination with her, therefore I am compelled to find out exactly what makes her qualified to be a celebrity.

Many, many children:

     Kate's fame and financial successes can be directly attributed to her brood of children. No one can argue that Kate Gosselin would not be a household name aside from them. Now, however, Kate has been eclipsed by the infinitely more irresponsible Duggar family who boasts 19 kids (and counting), therefore the luster and intrigue of her (small by comparison) family is simply non-existent. No one can dispute that 19 is more than 8, and whether or not you agree with this totally out of control and ridiculous amount child-bearing, the fact remains that in today's America 8 children is simply not celebrity material. To be honest I am greatly shocked and surprisingly proud of Kate for not trying to get pregnant again in order to attempt to maintain her throne of celebrity child-rearing.

Crazy Spoiled brat:

     Ever since Jon & Kate Plus 8 took to the air Kate has presented herself as a woman who knows what she wants and is strong enough to take it (from her feeble husband at the time, since then from all of America). Translated this means she is a spoiled brat who just yells a lot until she gets what she desires. She also appears at times to posses inferior intelligence and is possibly mentally unstable. As embarrassing as it may be, these are normally celebrity-worthy traits, but Kate again is overshadowed by so many others who have been doing it longer and better. Brittney Spears, Paris Hilton, and all of the Kardashians are just a handful of names that instantly come to mind when thinking of famous brats, morons, and psyhcos. Again, Kate is a second-tier crazy celebrity at best, living always in the shadow of those who have greatly out yelled, out screamed, and generally out done her in every category.

     Now that I have studied and written it out I am convinced more than ever that Kate Gosselin is not worthy of any media attention and therefore will be getting no more of mine. I realize that, ironically enough,  upon publication of this very story #KateGosselin will no doubt be instantly trending worldwide on Twitter, but after that dies in the next month or so I hope you all will devote your celebrity worship to someone who has earned it a little more. Thanks for your time and have a blessed weekend.

Tips to Avoid Facebook Abuse

     In the new digital world Facebook seems to be the hub of everything and everyone. In fact, many of you were probably directed to this very blog through Facebook by myself or a very considerate friend. Some people, however, have taken the privilege of Facebook and turned it into a burden to others with their continual digital faux pas. Here are some simple rules to follow when taking advantage of Facebook (or any other social media). *Note-This is NOT directed at a specific individual but is based on extensive research so please do not humiliate yourself by trying to call me out or get mad at me about it if you happen to be a violator of the forthcoming suggestions.

1. TMI

     One of the most overused and abused aspects of Facebook is the status update. This tool is to let your friends know what's going on with you, but is not meant to divulge your deepest darkest secrets or what is happening to you minute by minute. And please...no one ever wants to know about any aspect of your (or anyone else's) sex life. Don't get me wrong, if you need to share something as a prayer request or perhaps because people really need to know about it that's great, but most of the time matters pertaining to health (physical or emotional) or finances probably would be better left to face-to-face conversation with people you are actually close to.

2. Roller coaster

     One thing I can't stand and I have heard others complain about is the "roller coaster" Facebook poster. This is when an individual takes their emotional instability and converts it to digital format through Facebooking about it. Here is an example of a day in the life of a "roller coaster" Facebook status updater.

7:06 am-Just woke up happy as a clam!
7:28 am-Out of cereal, why did I even get out of bed.
8:15 am-I just passed by a cute member of the opposite sex. Great day!
8:58 am-Pulled in the parking lot and had to park 3 rows back. Wish I was in a coma.
9:30 am-Hazelnut coffee is back in the machine! I'm in love!
10:23 am-I'm heartbroken :'( My boy or girlfriend of 3 days dumped me.

     Anyway, you get the point and I'm annoying myself just typing this so I will not finish the rest of the day. Again, there is a time and a place for posting about emotions and I am not saying you should never let the world know how you are feeling (I certainly have), but please don't overwhelm us with overdoing it.

Negative Nancy

     Unfortunately most of the people who need to see this one have been defriended by me so that probably won't happen, but nonetheless, please refrain from bogging down the information feed with constant complaining. I realize there are plenty of things to get upset about but when you post every situation that bothers you hour by hour it just makes people want to hurt you. Again, don't take offence to this if you complain on Facebook sometimes (after all, some would consider this post complaining) but please use discretion when complaining. No one wants to hear about how homicidal you are because you got a Diet Coke from the machine when you clearly pushed the Coke button.

     If you know someone who needs a lesson in Facebook manners please direct them here in a subtle manner to avoid offending them. A good tactic is to blame-shift such as "Hey, check out this blog so-and-so really needs to read it!" when all the while they are the person that needs the education. This will help you avoid a potentially uncomfortable situation while still exposing them to this useful information! Thanks for your time and have a blessed evening.