Besides the good music, the large cavernous dance floor in the main room, and a friendly bartender who knows us by name, I have to admit one other thing which makes Simon and I go to The Deen on a weekly basis: the women. Week after week, it’s never the same. I can honestly say that I haven’t seen the same pretty faces more than twice. Which could be good or bad depending on how you look at it. But my point is, it’s a visual smorgasbord that constantly changes.

And I have a theory about that. I think a lot of people choose The Deen to be their first clubbing experience. And every week, there’s people turning 18. Therefore, there’s this weekly infusion of new faces. Of course, that probably means that you can call me a lecherous perv who likes looking at girls who had just turned legal, and you would be right.

However, no one has ever put it into words like this girl last night. So there she was dancing with her bunch of friends, and wearing a bright pink halo on her head. She looked too young to be having a hens night so I had guessed she was celebrating her birthday. Our eyes met and she sidled up to me and started dancing very provocatively.

She was cute so I happily obliged and we started talking.

Is it your birthday?
Yeah.
So how old are you today?
18. How about you?
Add about 20.
38?!
34.
Hahah! What ARE you doing here?!

Why, to perv at you pretty young things of course. Heh. Her question threw me off guard briefly but I quickly regained my composure and continued dancing. I had never let my age and fear of looking like a dirty old man get in the way of my partying because the music is what draws me and the eye candy is a bonus. That is, I won’t go to a club where they don’t play the music that I like, even if a lot of pretty girls go there.

And even if I do look at women, I’m not the lecherous type who just stares and gawks. I don’t touch unless they touch first, and I don’t do pickup lines. Therefore I don’t come across as sleazy. But still, am I too old to party? Ask me again in another 10 years.

(via Boing Boing)

That Alaska is close to Russia is the basis of Sarah Palin’s claim to Americans that she’s hip to this foreign affairs business. The first time we’ve heard of this was when she was being interviewed by Charlie Gibson.

GIBSON: What insight into Russian actions, particularly in the last couple of weeks, does the proximity of the state give you?

PALIN: They’re our next door neighbors and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska.

ABC News: EXCERPTS: Charlie Gibson Interviews Sarah Palin

And when Katie Couric interviewed her, she was asked to expand on that statement.

Katie Couric: You’ve cited Alaska’s proximity to Russia as part of your foreign policy experience. What did you mean by that?

Sarah Palin: That Alaska has a very narrow maritime border between a foreign country, Russia, and, on our other side, the land-boundry that we have with Canada. It’s funny that a comment like that was kinda made to … I don’t know, you know … reporters.

Couric: Mocked?

Palin: Yeah, mocked, I guess that’s the word, yeah.

Couric: Well, explain to me why that enhances your foreign-policy credentials.

Palin: Well, it certainly does, because our, our next-door neighbors are foreign countries, there in the state that I am the executive of. And there…

Couric: Have you ever been involved in any negotiations, for example, with the Russians?

Palin: We have trade missions back and forth, we do. It’s very important when you consider even national-security issues with Russia. As Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where do they go? It’s Alaska. It’s just right over the border. It is from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right next to, they are right next to our state.

New Sarah Palin Clip: Keeping An Eye On Putin - Couric & Co.

Yes, Tina Fey did not have to stretch too far for comedic effects. Sarah Palin is just funny already, even though it’s inadvertent.

The jokes write themselves really. In fact, this has now become THE joke of the election and it’s taken a life of its own.

I found some great ones from a post at Gawker. Here’s a few of my favourites:

• I have played literally thousands of hours of Halo, so I have valuable military experience.
• I had this cab driver once who was from the south of India. I talked to him for, like, ten whole minutes and WOW I have such great foreign policy experience. I’m totally ready to be VP.
• I can see billions of stars in the night sky, which is comforting, as it makes me very prepared for the aliens bent on our destruction.
• I go to Taco Bell for lunch pretty often, so I am the Ambassador to Mexico, si?

Gawker | Cartoons: You Can See Russia From Parts Of Alaska

Can’t wait to watch tomorrow’s debate and hear the waffle from Sarah Palin’s mouth. Oh, and Joe Biden might be good for a few funny ones too. He once said these things:

• A man I’m proud to call my friend. A man who will be the next President of the United States — Barack America!
• You cannot go to a 7-11 or a Dunkin’ Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent…. I’m not joking.

About.com - Funny Quotes by Joe Biden

Awesome. I can’t wait to read the political and humour blogs the next day too. It’s gonna be bumper issues everywhere.

Steve Webel @ flickr

In the dating game, there’s nothing worse than that sense of limbo, not knowing where you stand, and the constant wondering about what you did or didn’t do, did last night go well, and is the feeling mutual. Among the things that can create that sense of limbo are the missed phone calls and messages.

It’s bad enough that guys have the stupid rule of not calling too soon, and girls have the stupid rule of not returning his calls and messages too eagerly. If either one is made to wait too long, that feeling of a crush can quickly turn resentful. And this can easily happen through no fault of either one.

In the din of a club or a bar, and in an intoxicated state, numbers can be said and keyed in wrongly. So when either one calls or messages to a wrong number, and the wrong number didn’t pick up or reply back, the eager person may feel like the other person is playing a waiting game and that they are being mind-fucked.

That’s why when I get a mysterious voice-mail or text message that read and sound like it’s from a person who likes another, I’d usually text back and say that they may have gotten the wrong number. That way at least they know it’s a wrong number and that mind games are not being played.

Of course, a wrong number could have been given out intentionally and one person is definitely being played. That can’t be helped. However, there’s a chance that it is a genuine case of miscommunication. So, and because I know that sense of limbo very well and I hate it, if I can help someone else not feel it, I would. I like to think of it as a random act of kindness.

My friends in my immediate circle right now are all people whom I’ve met whilst out clubbing. And most times, I don’t see them till the weekends. During the week we may have instant message chats but we don’t meet up or have deep-meaningfuls.

It had got me thinking about the depth of these friendships. I had worried if that is all there is to them? We mostly only meet up for drinks, dancing and laughter - should I be expecting more from these relationships, and should I be doing more to deepen our friendships? As we age, and if our bodies dictate that we can’t club as much anymore, would I still see them or have anything to talk to them about? Would I gradually lose these friendships?

But what happened this year had allayed these fears of mine. I’ve gotten closer to these friends. We talk a whole lot more and about other things besides music and clubbing. We have met up for lunches and dinners, and I’ve visited their houses. I’ve seen their faces away from the disco lights and luckily for me, I like what I saw in the broad daylight and even better is that they feel the same about me.

I’ve also realised that friendships can develop over time. What may start out as something shallow may deepen. Though I also know that some friendships would stay shallow and possibly fade away over time. Or people change which is inevitable. But having a common interest, even when it’s as frivolous as clubbing, is what brings people together. How we maintain that bond then is entirely up to ourselves. Deepening and strengthening that bond may take effort but it’s a reward unto itself, and a mighty satisfying one at that.

Ever wondered what it’s like taking Ecstasy? Well wonder no more! Funny man Pablo Francisco, he of the movie voice fame, describes in vivid detail about the time when he took two. With his vocal impressions, physical mannerisms and his profuse sweating, he really makes the story come alive. For those of you who’ve tried it before, you’d love this. And for those of you who haven’t, don’t do what Pablo did.

Mitsubishi makes these? No wonder they sell so many cars!

Still on US politics …

Say what you want about Clinton’s philandering ways, the guy is intelligent. Like, really intelligent. Kinda makes you wonder if he was still President, how would he have reacted to 9/11; Afghanistan would have been invaded and rightly so but the mess of Iraq may have been avoided and the world would have been such a different place today. And it’s a shame that Al Gore never got to continue that sense of an intelligent and sensitive White House.

But I’ve digressed.

The above two videos show Clinton explaining the current US financial crisis in such lucid and yet layman terms that even the most non-economically minded can understand it. The one big thing that I took away from that interview above was what he said about needing to grow the real economy, and that “making money from money” is not a viable long term growth strategy. Basically, an economy can only grow in a sustainable way via tangible goods and services, and via investment in knowledge and technology, and not from derivatives and speculation.

And while we are on the US economy, did you hear about McCain suspending his presidential campaign so that he can be in Washington to help pass the bill to rescue the US financial sector? And that he would also like to postpone his debate with Obama because of this?

Puzzling through another McCain surprise - Decision ‘08- msnbc.com
First Debate Up in Air as McCain Steps Off the Trail - NYTimes.com

Then he had also used the same excuse to back out of a scheduled interview with David Letterman, but he was caught lying because it turned out that he was down the road from Letterman being interviewed by Katie Couric. Oh man, David was peeved.

(via Defamer)

If he’s not careful about things like this, McCain can undo all that momentum he’d gained when he chose Sarah Palin as his running mate. Maybe not amongst the hard core Republicans and conservatives, but it may sway the people who haven’t made up their minds. And that could be where the race is won or lost.

I admit to not knowing much about both presidential candidates of the United States. And even though I consider myself a left-centrist, I don’t have preferences for either one. I know John McCain to be a one-time POW in the Vietnam War, that even though he’s a Republican he didn’t agree to everything George Bush said or did, and that generally he seems like an intelligent person in his interviews. Likewise for Barack Obama, I think he gives very effective and inspiring speeches, and is equally intelligent and calm when sharing his thoughts.

But for a while there, it felt like the Democrats was getting all the media attention because they were being revolutionary: Hillary Clinton could become the first female US president, and Barack Obama could become the first black US president. It seemed like the Republicans just couldn’t get equal media air time because their candidates just didn’t inspire our imaginations like the Democrats did.

That was until McCain picked Sarah Palin as his running mate. I thought that was a master stroke by the Republicans. Suddenly everyone was curious about this photogenic woman who went from the mayor of a small town in Alaska to become its governor, and now to become the potential vice-president of the United States. Suddenly, the media was interested in the Republicans again.

In my opinion though, she would have never been considered as a potential VP if it weren’t for Hillary Clinton clearing the way first. But that’s another story. My bigger question is this: is Sarah Palin really the best VP candidate that the Republicans have?

Like it or not, American still leads the way and almost everything that it does or happens to it, affects the entire world. Just think of the current financial crisis, and what’s still happening in Iraq and Afghanistan. After the George Bush years, isn’t it prudent to want someone with better experience and perhaps a bigger world view sitting in that office?

McCain gives me confidence and feels to me very presidential. Sarah Palin? Not so much. So the thought of her potentially becoming US President is a little bit unsettling. Legitimate questions should be asked of and about this woman. Questions such as her Christian conservative thoughts, her legislative experience, her world knowledge, her thoughts on abortion and sex education.

However, when these questions were asked, conservative types thought them sexist and demeaning.

Therefore it is good to have someone like Jon Stewart compare and analyse how these same conservative types were questioning Hilary Clinton and the Democrats in general. It puts it all in very stark perspective.

Saturday Night Live did a similar and a very funny take on sexism with Tina Fey as Sarah Palin and Amy Poehler as Hillary Clinton whose character says sarcastically,

“An issue which I’m frankly surprised to hear people suddenly care about.”

Due to McCain’s age - he will be the oldest President ever, you have to treat Palin’s potential ascendancy seriously. The conservatives, if they really are patriotic should stop attacking the perceived liberal media bias and start asking Sarah Palin hard and difficult questions themselves. To let her off easily would be sexist and patronising.

In an earlier post, xtralicious has posted about these same thoughts of mine, and in greater detail especially about Sarah Palin’s stance on a variety of issues. It’s a good read, so check it out.