H.R. Porter

Ska skriva lite om Barack Obama och mina tankar om honom och visa varför han inte är erfaren. Jag ska vara något sånär objektiv och hellre använda andras ord än mina. Ska bli roligt att se om jag lyckas, jag är ju trots allt en högljudd supporter av John McCain och det republikanska partiet i allmänhet.

- Obama 2004

Året är 2004 och prat har redan börjat om valet 2008 och flera olika namn kommer fram om vilka som skulle kunna ställa upp på demokraternas sida. Namn som Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Al Gore och den unga och okända Barack Obama är på tapeten.

Obama håller en presskonferens på TV. Mitt minne är inte helt säker på om det handla om enbart presidentvalet (han har precis vunnit, med stor marginal, platsen som "junior senator" från Illinois) eller om det handla om annat med men han får iallafall en fråga som undrar om han kommer att ställa upp i valet om fyra år. Detta är före Obama ens tillträtt sin tjänst i amerikanska senaten (han tillträdde sin post den fjärde januari 2005) och han sitter nu i staten Illinois senat vilket han gjort sedan 1997. Svaret på hans fråga lyder ungefär; "Jag tror starkt på att man ska veta vad man gör när man söker ett jobb. Och jag tror att om jag skulle ställa upp så skulle jag behöva börja nu, utan att ha tjänstgjort en enda dag i senaten. Vissa skulle kunna göra och tycka det är rätt men jag är inte en av dem".

- Obama 2006

Vi hoppas fram två år tiden och dags för ännu en presskonferens men denna gång med ett helt annat budskap. Han börjar prata om att han tänkt länge och noga hur han på bästa sätt ska kunna ändra landet och för fram sitt kända budskap om "Change". Han har fått många förslag från kollegor, vänner och andra om att han ska ställa upp och han har bestämt sig för att ställa upp. Detta endast två år efter att han sa att han inte vart redo om han inte började då. OM HAN INTE STÄLLDE UPP TVÅ ÅR FÖRE HAN TILL SLUT STÄLLDE UPP. Två år ger visst en massa erfarenhet...

- Andras ord om Obama och hans erfarenheter

Vi skippar republikanernas ord eftersom dem förstås alla trycker hårt på att han saknar erfarenhet. Vi vänder oss istället mot hans kollegor i senaten och andra politiker från hans egna parti. Vi börjar med hans största motståndare i primärvalen; Hillary Clinton.

Hillary drar ofta upp under primärvalen (då demokraterna avgör vem som ska bli deras presidentkandidat om ni inte visste) att Obama saknar erfarenhet. Hon påpekar ofta att han endast tjänstgjort en kortare tid i senaten (se datum ovan) och att detta inte räcker, "inte ens" i kombination med hans år i staten Illinois senat. Hillary tycker alltså inte att han är redo för att bli president. Hennes ton ändrades dock efter att hon förlora och det stod klart att Obama skulle bli demokraternas presidentkandidat och inte hon. Men märk väl att efter att hon förlora vart det fortfarande spänt mellan dem två och hon försökte fortfarande få extra kandidater för att vinna demokraternas nominering. Nu är det dock bara Obama som gäller för henne.

Sedan har vi Hillarys fru, före detta president Bill Clinton, som borde veta ett och annat om att vara president efter att ha vart just president i USA i åtta år; max antal år en president får sitta. När hans fru var den som vart Obamas motståndare så vart han förstås inte försiktig med att prisa Hillary och precis som dem flesta påpeka Obamas saknad av erfarenhet. Efter att Hillary dragit sig ur racet för demokraternas presidentkandidat så är han med i en intervju, eller om det vart presskonferens, där dem diskuterar just Obama och om han är redo att bli presidentkandidat. Bill försöker stödja honom men det märks tydligt att han har lite problem med det hela och han säger inte om Obama är redo eller inte utan han låter det vara obesvarat. Läser man mellan raderna så blir det rätt så klart att han inte tycker Obama är redo. Han säger något i stil med; "när valde vi senast en president med ett års erfarenhet?" Hur tolkar ni det? Jag vet hur jag tolkar det iallafall och många andra tolka det på samma sätt, inklusive majoriteten av media. Han säger även i samma intervju att presidentjobbet är inget man kan lära sig samtidigt som man är det, det är för krävande för det. Summa sumarum; Bill tycker inte att Obama är redo men precis som sin fru så lovprisar han nu Obama.

En annan av hans rivaler i primärvalen, senator Joe Biden, är även han känd för att ha yttrat rätt så starka ord om Obama och hans erfarenhet. Särskilt under en debatt mellan demokraternas kandidater så kommer detta upp. Biden får frågan; "du har sagt att han [Obama] kan mycket väl bli redo men just nu är han det ej. President över USA är inget jobb där man kan lära sig på jobbet". Biden säger rakt ut följande; "jag står fast vid det jag sagt". Detta är bara ett av dem exempel då Biden sagt att Obama saknar erfarenhet och inte är redo att ta över världens största ekonomi och krigsmakt.

Men vänta nu... Joe Biden... Låter inte det namnet bekant? Det borde göra det; Biden blev nämligen Obamas VICEPRESIDENTSKANDIDAT! En av Obamas största kritiker blev hans VP-kandidat! Trots all kritik? Ljög Biden alltså tidigare? Eller talade han sanning men börja ljuga när han fick den posten av Obama? Vilket som så är det ett tecken på att Biden inte är ärlig; han kan inte stödja honom samtidigt som han inte gör det så något måste vara falskt.

Varför valde då Obama honom som sin VP-kandidat? Kan det vara så att Obama, som fått kritik för bl.a. att han saknar utrikeserfarenhet, valt Biden av tre skäl;

1. För att glädja dem tradiotionella demokraterna som styr partiet (dem politiker som faller innanför hans kategori av människor som behöver hans medicin; "Change") och
2. För att Biden är ordförande i "Senate Committee on Foreign Relations" och
3. För att lugna demokratiska och oberoende (independent, ca. 60 % av USA registrerade väljare) väljare att han kanske inte har nog med erfarenhet men det har hans VP.

Jag tror dessa tre skälen är dem skäl han gick efter när han valde Biden. Här har vi alltså tre kända demokratiska namn som ingen gillade idén att någon med så lite erfarenhet kunde komma så långt i  primärvalen och till slut vinna dem.

För skojs skull kan vi ju kolla vad Biden, senator med många år under sig, säger om Obamas motståndare; John McCain. En intervju före han blev Obamas VP-kandidat kommer dem in på vad Biden tycker om McCain och Biden svarar; "jag skulle vara hedrad att ställa upp med eller emot honom för att landet skulle bli bättre av det." Mycket fina ord om McCain må jag säga. Biden och McCain är bra vänner, det kan inte förnekas, så bra att Biden, trots att han är demokrat, skulle utan problem kunna ställa upp som McCains VP-kandidat. Detta vart förstås före Obama valde Biden som sin VP-kandidat men det säger en hel del om Biden och vad han tycker om Obama om han hellre ställer upp med sitt partis motståndare.

Nåväl, här har ni mina tankar och andras ord om Obama och hans kandidatur. Bedöm själva vad Ni tycker, trots att vi i Sverige inte får rösta. Kolla faktan innan ni bestämmer Er. Alltid!

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Nedan följer längar till YouTube-klipp där ni hör utdrag från intervjuerna och presskonferenserna jag nämnt i min text. Varför jag valde YouTube? I dagens samhälle är det tyvärr så att om det inte finns på YouTube så finns det inte alls men visst, det finns mycket gott med YouTube med.

Obamas egna ord; "jag är inte redo";

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BnLozS-TnM

Hillary om Obama;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVGWPPuihQ8

Bill Clinton och Joe Biden om Obama; (obs. videon är mixad med musik och ljudeffekter, vart den bästa jag hitta just nu. Tror ni att det är ihopklippt så går det säkert, garanterat, att hitta en bättre version om ni inte tror på denna. Så det så.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMYty1PgHEg

Biden om Obama och McCain;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpjAs4vtc1w

Dearest Sister,

It's time for another letter from your brother living in the Big City and rumbling with the Bright Lights. Yes, it sure is a big city for someone like me and there are times I feel really lost in the rat maze and in the interactions between people. But there might be someone who might just be crazy enough to be interesting enough to try to get to know. No, I won't say more about that, not now, let us see what happens first.

So let us instead wonder into the grim reality and outlook for my current life, the one before the trip over the pond that is. The last two weeks have been nightly contests in Lack of Sleep and I, the only contender, has been crowned Winner and automatically Looser as well. This night I slept two hours before rushing of to school to write a grueling four hour test. Sleep really is a precious commodity and I'm not wealthy enough to buy it. But then again, the old saying; "no rest for the wicked" still applies to me, ey?

Money. Money is always a problem; you can't have too much, can you? Or I guess you can, I'd like some more money but not to much; I don't want to get spoiled like the rest. Well, I got my expenses for the coming month, and some for this month too. Next month will be two weeks in America as you know and it would usually mean that I would have two "free" weeks where I would spend nothing of the incoming funds from CSN but alas, there are a lot of expenses still. Two new courses mean a lot of new books and together they will run me up at least 1300 SEK in bills. Maybe more, I'm still not sure so I'll wait and see. Then there's the inevitable rent that will be drained from my account together with the telephone bill. When I get back from the U.S. I will also have to get my a new bus card as well. These three are monthly expenses I must always endure, no matter what. Then there will be four train tickets to be paid for. One to you and the Killer and back as well. Then I'll book the tickets for the holidays as well and of course back too. When we see the Killer we will also need a place to stay at and I'm making the final preparations on that but you won't have to pay for that; your big brother must be good for something, ey? Ho ho, ain't I the funny one today?

Then there's nicotine- and booze money to be paid too. All these vices stack up and make a hefty sum to be cut from my spending money. But without vices what would we be? Or as some smart man said; "if I remove all my daemons my angels might leave too", or something to that effect. True enough, it works for me and I guess it worked for him too.

But enough of these Dire and Grim news, there are Bright Spots ahead as well.

First, I had my second to last (my second, ho ho) test before I board the plane for the U.S. today so another burden off my shoulders and passed onto the teacher who will have to read through it all. 18 pages the final result landed on and written by my hand it will feel like at least twice that much. But then again, no rest for the wicked, and maybe the teacher is wicked so there might be some kind of Justice in the World after all.

On Friday I'll do my last test and it doesn't worry me too much, it doesn't cause me to loose sleep at least (not that there is a lot of sleep to be lost of course, but that's not the point). After that test it will be time for a party of sorts or at the very least some reason to get blindly and madly drunk for an evening or two. Oh yes, I must value those moments; seize them by the throat.

Now you might wonder how I can afford to drink when I just talked about Dire and Grim days ahead. But let me explain it to you, at least I'll try.

You see, I'm not as poor as I make it sound. Financially I have always lived within my means and never had to depend on friends or parents to afford to live. More than that, I have always had money left over to do things I like and I like to... You know me. Booze money, that's what the left over are used for. It will surely be a Sad State of Affairs when this wino can't get a bottle of Kentucky bourbon and still have enough money to buy food too. So don't worry, I'm not desperate or crazed; at least not concerning my choices between booze and food.

Is there something else that I might add on a happy note? Hm... There might be but I really can't remember what that should (could? Would?) be. Well, I'll get to it some day, we got all the time in the world, right?

Just got back from taking a smoke (a Lucky) but before you start off I want to make it clear that I do this rarely and that I use more snus than smokes but some time one must make a choice and guess I just did. At least for this day. Well, enough of that. I got my coffee now, my third cup, and also the mailmen brought me my Dangerous Goods Certificate. Not worth a whole lot but at least some sign of progress, ey?

Let us end this letter now, shall we. We can't go on forever and you got things to do. Just remember that the Wild Boar stalks Only at Night. Also, my love for you is greater than my love for any woman.

Love,

Henry Ray

Dearest sister Lynn,

I have many reasons and apologies to why my letters have been scarce lately but I shall not dwell too long on them. But let me at least make some sort of case for myself so you don't think of me as a mean ol' brother.

Lately sleep has been scarce and nights are filled with terrible dreams combined with episodes of sleep walking that greatly disturb me. This in combination with the fact that my personal life, my Way of Life if you will, demands a busy schedule and thus the need for sleep is put aside for other needs; lewd or not. My day is filled with long and incredible periods when coffee and huge intakes of nicotine are necessary which is the two ingredients that keep me awake even as I write this letter. No rest for the wicked, ey?

So disturbed is my sleep pattern and so full my calendar that I have not even been given a proper chance to watch the first VP debate in the upcoming U.S. election but fear not; I have merely put it aside, I will finish what I started. Maybe even tonight with the grace of God but that's still in the future of this day.

I'm glad to inform you that I'm almost complete with my preparations for the upcoming trip to Los Angeles, Las Vegas and San Francisco and only a few chores are left before the big Day. My passport arrived yesterday and as usual my picture looks horrible and extremely tainted; just like it's supposed to be. I'm waiting for my international driver's license though; let us hope that it arrives swiftly. Time will tell. I have also mapped out points of interest for the trip and there will be souvenirs and keepsakes for you, yes. A grace not many will have since I'm not the type of person that collects crap to give to others, you certainly know that. Also there will be pictures of the said points of interest and you'll be surprised to hear of them later; let it be a secret just what twisted places I mean to visit.

I will also book my train ticket to the Killer in late November where we shall meet again, it has been some time since we last saw each other; a fact that I regret terrible but the world has a way of disagreeing with me and my plans. But fear not, we'll meet then and Raise Hell, just like Ol' Times. Never has the world seen a more able and strange pair of siblings than us but that is large to be blamed on conditions beyond our control. Rest assures, I'm still in decent mental shape and so are you I hear. All is good then.

But now I got to sprint, I can hear the callings of the likes of Ricky Nelson and his "Mad, Mad World" but you'll always have that special place in my heart! So long,

Yours Sincerely and Forever

Henry Ray

Dear Heleanore,

I beg you to believe my apology when I say that I'm truly sorry for the time delay on my part to finally sit down and write you a letter but believe me also when I say that there are circumstances that affect my letter frequency.

First an update of my doings since the last time we wrote to each other; that sounds like a fair start, ey? Well, if not then you have to way to stop me except from not reading the rest of the letter and burning the piece but then again, you wouldn't do that, you're too kind. Maybe too kind but let us leave that for more competent judges, shall we?

Well, college has taken up a lot of time which has made my spare time somewhat precious and to be able to accommodate my style of life I have had to make hard choices between lots of different activities. Lately a lot of the focus has been on hard drinking, studying, reading, and writing and now I have the luck to allot myself time to write this letter to you. Yes, Heleanore, my time is so precious that the days before this I've been prone to very late nights with very little sleep when I finally get to bed and this has created combat fatigue to me which manifests itself in many different ways. The past 5 days I've averaged around 4-5 hours each night and that's after days full of mental activities that took their toll too. But then again, I wouldn't have it any other way since sleep is just a waste of time and wasting time must be Sin, ey? You might see from my rambling in this letter that my mental faculties have been greatly affected and my skill of language and writing has soon deteriorated to the same levels of the Gibraltar monkey, or at least some distant cousin to the this particular species.

The lack of time also makes reading hard as I mentioned before and it leaves me with great malice being forced to admit like this that the days of a good couch, a beer and a book are long gone, at least for now. No, no couch for this H.R. Porter. Instead I'm forced to steal time whenever I can find it; on the bus, before and between classes, in the toilet and while cooking. Yes, it sure is a sad state of affairs for me right now especially when I got such a Charming, Witty and Sincerely Enthralling book to read. But alas; these are the times we live in.

But let us not stray into that right now, let us instead give you a somewhat accurate update of my Wild Boar Adventure; no small adventure I can assure you of.

The Wild Boar Episode began one day last week when I was returning from college and stooping with fatigue I paid little attention to the world around me until I heard the bushes shake and quiver suddenly. I turned around and only five meters away from me I saw this Ancient Beast, the Wild Boar, and it saw me as well. For a brief moment our eyes were fixed and we were looking at each other like two lovers or something more sinister. Then the Boar charged at me with a speed that truly was frightening. It went straight for me legs and with an instinctual piece of movement I waited until the last second before I rushed the great pig and jumped and I landed on its back, facing backwards! I had barely landed before I rolled of the beast and fell on the dust with an upheaval so Porterian in spirit and figure that it made me chuckle. This smart and almost perfectly graceful chain of moves saved my left leg from becoming the latest victim in our countries War against Pigs. Yes, Heleanore, you can now proudly tell your family that a Hero of no small stature can be found amongst your dearest friends. But there was no time for joyous displays since the slow brute had now turned around and once it saw me again it was ready for another charge. Quickly, oh so quickly, my mind raced and I found myself a weapon in a fallen oak branch. I picked it up and with seconds to spare I was ready and with the grace of the child of a matador and an ice skater I moved away, whirled and landed the thick side of the branch square on the back of the Boars head. The beast fell down and it didn't get up any more; its heart sure fell silent for ever.

I won't bother you with details of what happened to the Mighty Boar or how I was cheered as the Savior of Easter Blackwood but then again, you can be sure of one thing and that is that all celebrations had that Porterian touch that saved me earlier. It's hard to put it in writing and I hope that I'll be forgiven for this lewdness but the Gyre Turns, ey?

With no more words or tall tales I aim to end this letter while trying to have at least some saving grace; where it's found in this letter God only knows.

‘Til we meet again

Yours forever,

Dr. H.R.P.

I'm back to my old habits here at Blackwood tonight. It's not as late as it usually is when the need comes but hey, It comes and goes. No control there.

It's been a windy day here at Blackwood and the trees outside my window bend with it and make that reassuring sound that tells me that everything is alright, or at least it will be soon. I can lay awake at night for hours and just listen to that sound. A sounds more beautiful than any piece of music or more soft and subtle than any woman's whispering in my ear. The wind has that everlasting voice that can be soft and quiet just before it reaches its crescendo and rips through your skin like the surgeons scalpel. Opposites and ambivalence they intrigue me.

I have a strong belief in the institution of marriage. I believe that two adults can find that special someone to spend the rest of their life with in happiness. I don't believe that all adults are suitable for marriage, no; there are cases when people are just meant to live alone for most of their life. Alone. That word doesn't fit in that sentence. You don't have to marry someone to be not alone, that's true.

That part was rather strange, ey? How did we go from my love of wind into the truths about marriage? Maybe it has to do with love albeit two different kinds of love. Well, let us not dwell on marriage or love right now; both those things are out of my grasp anyhow. No, let us instead move into something else.

But what? That's the immortal question when you sit down and try to open up. This is my diary or at least as close to one that I'm ever going to get. The Raven Archives are more than just failed attempts at writing (according to the few that have tried to read it); it's my child, the only one I'll ever father.

Jesus, like some backwards Nazi I'm sticking to the same tune over and over and never see the car before it hits me. Sudden death, no chance for paroll. Not for me at least but that's the way it's supposed to be since it gives me the satisfaction of moving on from joint to joint and where I wind up that's where I am.

But make no mistake, I'm here and that's where I'll stay until my questions are either answered or eliminated by the Higher Echelon. How's that for a conspiracy involving your own faithful doc? Well, only time will tell but my passing will be swift if not clean. But that's also a story for the historians to write since a dead man tells no tales. So, let us mourn the passing of an Era. A silent prayer or thought for the death of Innocence and Joy. No more shall humans see the world in all its beauty but instead see the Greed and Corruption.

No, that won't happen, I'm sorry. Sorry because of the Dupes and Brutes that keep us back. Sorry because my voice doesn't matter since it's never heard. Never heard, ey? That's a truly depressive and suicidal thought for a writer. Thank God I ain't one then. Keep up the blasphemy, maybe some one will come to your rescue.

No? I'm still here? Well well, you can't have it all, can you?

Dr. H.R.P.

If you would meet a ghost and she smiles at you; would you fall in love?

"An immoral man in a moral world" or "a moral man in an immoral world"

Which is worse? I've always viewed myself as a moral man in an immoral world but due to circumstances out of my control I have always been seen of others as an immoral man in a moral world. Now on paper the differences between those two extremes are rather small and insignificant but to me they are two sides of the same sword; a sword wielded with caution.

Is the person or is the world Corrupt, Rotten and Greedy? That is basically what it all boils down to after long periods of thinking. Is still see myself as a moral man in an immoral world but since I'm not viewed like that by others I have instead chosen to embrace their view of me, warp it up and make one king size dilemma for them; I'll be the immoral man in a moral world but times ten. Instead of just playing along your views I'll take them and twist them even more so you barely know the Monster You created. Yes, siree, out of the clay comes not a pot but a weird structure unknown and unseen with only a few characteristics of the clay it was and with even fewer similarities with the pot you thought it was. An ugly brute if there ever was one. The roles are reversed and my being forces you to revise your image and your life instead. The hunter becomes the hunted, ey?

Cheap is talk but so is an all you can eat buffet but that doesn't mean that you should all talk. No, not at all. I'm always seen as the quiet and shy man when it comes to social contraptions since I choose not to talk as if talk was really cheap. Instead you talk like that, you dispense frivolous words and sentences and make them your truth since it's cheap and you loose nothing, ey? But what if you are actually loosing something with each ill planned word? Think about that and rejoice no more. Before you open your mouth and utter those words wouldn't it be better if all of us actually thought through and planned ahead? Talking is the only area where it is not a sin to plan ahead.

Planning ahead is bad for you but let us not touch that tangent right now.

But now I'm writing crap again as a professional writer I must avoid that at all cost, right? If that didn't make you smile I don't know what. I'm not a professional writer nor do I have any intentions to become one. You can't be a winner and be any good at the same time. You can't be part of the establishment and be trusted. You most be a looser and an outcast, oh yes. Those are qualities I strive for to have one day. Why you ask (or not, the point is moot when you read this)? Because only then do I know that I can respect myself and my writings for what they are to me; and no one else. And judging by the fact I'm treated by fellow "writers" as well as friends and loved ones I must be on the right path which fills me with joy and puzzlement for the future to come. But the right path is undoubtedly the Right Path. Simple logic, ey? It is that therefore it must be That. Capital Letters Make All The Difference. Enough of that, I'm not interested in that right now.

"Ride the Highway ‘til it Ends"

Dr. H.R.P.