The Official White House Photostream's photostream
This Photostream provides an amazing look behind the scenes of President Barack Obama during his tenure of Presidency. Amazing what this photographer can catch with just 1 shot moments, no lighting, and no setup. Alot of these images are very powerful, and i think due to the improvisation of every photo it brings it that much more to life.
I can really appreciate all that Obama and his staff are doing to find new media outlets to spread the message. Its very effective in involving the people around America and giving us these type of insights on how our administration works. This type of marketing takes some of the edge off what was once known as the all powering Government.
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Official White House Flickr: A Behind The Scenes Look @ OBAMA
Is Global Warming Really THAT Important?
(Photo courtesy of NOVA's newest documentary Extreme Ice,definitely check it out for the photography if nothing else)
To be honest, I never thought I would utter the words in the title...EVER. I am a self-proclaimed environmentalist and take climate issues (notice how I stay away from "climate change") very seriously. The title has to do with the front page article in the New York Times Magazine, The Global-Warming Heretic.
The article is about the background and global views of Scientist Freeman Dyson, one of the most liberal (he has an Obama sticker on his car), intelligent, and outspoken scientists AGAINST the threat of global warming being the biggest issue facing society today believing that "all the fuss about global warming is grossly exaggerated." He believes that much of what is conveyed in media like The Inconvenient Truth is propaganda that is blinding us from looking at the facts and information.
I won't get too deep into his beliefs (I do not know him personally and they are now 2 times removed as I am basing them off the article) but Dyson believes that Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere could actually be beneficial for the earth by serving as a nutritional source for certain plants and that any excess carbon could be dealt with using carbon hungry trees. He is concerned with the "enormous gaps in our knowledge." Much of our data (especially that used by Gore) relies heavily on computer generated models and calculations rather than known facts. His biggest problems with these models seem to be that they are over simplified, they do not take into account the biology and chemistry of the atmosphere as a whole. As an engineer who was worked with computer models, I know one of the downfalls is we (as people) tend to use computer models as fact when they are doing what we think they should be doing, and fiction when they are doing something we didnt expect (especially in the face of many unknowns).
The article in the times was well written and pretty long, it spanned the history of Dyson, where he had worked, and what experiences helped him draw his knowledge. But with all those words on the page, VERY few of them focused on what he thought was MORE important. They did grace over his views on coal, both as a horrendous polluter and a catalyst for movement from poverty to the middle class in developing countries like China and India. They also quoted him as saying that we would be "better to attack the real problems like extinction and over fishing." But those 3 things, as well as his views on nuclear weapons were about the extent of the discussion (and the brevity of the discussion was honestly lost in the word count).
I guess what I take issue with the most in the Times article is it treats the issue like a black and white situation, which is how the issue is generally treated. Much of this is probably due to the fact that this scientific issue has become a political one, and politics in America, in recent history, has moved from a "democracy" of open discussion, understanding, and working together, to one of being right or wrong, no in-between. Much time was spent on why Dyson didn't believe the facts and how he came to become a scientist, but little was spent on what issues he DID feel was important. By not spending a decent amount of time on Dyson's view of what IS important, it prevents us from opening up a dialogue that might lead to an understanding on what should be our priorities and how to move forward to fight global warming.
I myself believe global warming is happening and believe it is an issue that my generation needs to take very seriously. I don't often get into discussions about the facts because the truth is, I do not know them like the back of my hand and I will admit that a lot of my views are based on what I feel and the information I have received from sources I trust (Dyson would say this is one of the problems). I will however talk about the causes because whether or not you believe in it, the causes are all problems for everyone, no matter who you are. We can't drive SUVs for the rest of lives, hell, we can't drive hybrids for the rest of lives, because oil is FINITE. We need to move to alternative fuels so we can save 
oil for the things that can only be done with oil (until we come up with a better technology of course). Not only is oil a global warming issue, but it is a political one as well and sooner we rid our selves of our dependency on oil, we rid ourselves of out dependency on other countries.We cannot continue to consume at the levels that we are consuming. We need to stop buying pallets of water at the store on a weekly basis (the only thing better than recycling or reusing is not consuming) and eating out as often. We have miles of open spaces across the globe, but there is no reason to fill them with trash. Not to mention many of the products we consume are also made from FINITE materials such as oil.
There is no one solution to any global issue we face, whether it be global warming or poverty. To take on something like global warming we need multiple approaches including education, regulation, a change of lifestyle, technological advancements, solid and reliable research, affordable renewable energy, an ability to prioritize, and more. It's not going to be easy, and it's not going to be quick. But until we can stop treating this like a right and wrong issue (and excluding the opposite side from the discussions at meetings and conferences) and opening up a dialogue among people with different, educated, opinions, issues such as climate change and its causes are never going to be solved properly.
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Filipino War Veterans From WWII Getting The Credit They're Due
If you live in San Diego (especially South East SD), there is no hiding the Filipino presence in our armed forces, but some might not be aware that this has been the case all the way back to WWII. In WWII, veterans from the Philippines helped the U.S. defeat Japan in the Pacific. These veterans were promised citizenship and veterans benefits for their aid but Harry Truman (in 1956) signed a law stripping these brave men (and their families) of their citizenship and thus their benefits.
Though some were able to fight for their citizenship back, it wasn't until this year (over 50 years later) that they have received any money or compensation for their bravery. Written into the Stimulus Bill is $198 million for these old fighters from the Philippines (I bet they are throwing some great parties to celebrate!). Although the actual pay off is relatively insignificant ($15K for citizens, $9k for non-citizens) compared to the hardships they have faced in the past half decade, what's almost more important than the money is the long overdue credit and acknowledgment for the brave people of the Philippines who helped Americans in their time of need.
While many are arguing that this has nothing to do with stimulus and shouldn't be in the bill, I might argue the opposite. While it is important to stimulate the American economy at this time, it is equally important to stimulate the American spirit, whether that spirit be black, brown, white, orange, green, or rainbow.
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Wait Wait Don't Tell Me-An NPR Reality Check
Wait Wait Don't Tell Me is probably the best radio show on the weekend (at least in San Diego). For those of you who don't know what it is, think of it as The Daily Show meets Jeopardy meets Real Time with Bill Maher. You have got the quiz show of Jeopardy, the humor, wit, and sarcasm of The Daily Show and an intelligent, humorous panel of people like in Real Time.
By listening to the Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, you can learn a good amount of what went on in the world over the past week (some of it you probably didn't want or need to know, but it's funny none the less) while laughing almost the entire hour some shows. Besides providing an hour of infotainment, this show (and the other shows like it) provides an important service to it's listeners, SARCASM.
I might be a little biased (I got a crash course early on in Sarcasm and the like due to my mom being Australian and my dad being the King of BS) but I believe Sarcasm is an important tool for someone to posses. While it can provide entertainment at someone else's expense, possessing it also creates small voice of doubt in our heads, a useful doubt. This doubt causes us to question anything that doesn't sound plausible, or anything that might be too good to be true.
It used to be that on April fool's day, newspapers would go to great lengths to publish satirical stories of aliens landing and the like (think terrible tabloids but more believable) that would be sprinkled in with the rest of their news. As time has progressed, this tradition has become less prominent as people have become more and more dependent on being fed information without question. We, as a general public, tend to take the information that is fed to us without question, especially if we decide a source is trusted. Even growing up in the intelligent, sarcastic household I did, I find myself guilty of this more often than I would like to admit. This belief and following of information closely mirrors the partisan politics we have witnessed in recent history, and our overall rejection of the unfamiliar and outright acceptance of the comfortable can be dangerous.
The ability to question ourselves and others is an important ability to have in life and it is shows like Wait, Wait, Don't Tell me that help to not only lighten the mood of the news and world around us, but help put into perspective the information that we receive on a daily basis.
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Barack Obama. That's My President!
I couldn't agree more Dee. There is not much more to be said that hasn't been said by every person the media. On November 4, 2008, I witnessed what was the most significant event of my generation. Electing an African-American as President of the United States was truly historical. It forever changes how we talk about the impact of the struggle for civil rights. While it does not come anywhere near ridding the US of the ugliness that is racism, it does change the meaning of "you can be anything you want when you grow up."
While the historical significance of this election is huge (1st black Presidential elect, 1st woman to come that close to being the nominee, 1st Woman Vice-Presidential nominee, most uneducated person to ever be nominated for Vice President, l-o-n-g-e-s-t e-l-e-c-t-i-o-n r-u-n EVER), what was just as important was how the election was won.
Obama revolutionized the way a campaign is run. Early on he described how he would run his campaign and he was told he would fail with his tactics. Through his experience in grass-roots organizing, and understanding of the younger generations, he was able to organize support in ways no one had before. Obama was able to take a generation with apathetic tendencies and get them excited about a candidate and a cause. He utilized the internet, facebook, youtube, and most importantly, the energy and support of the people who believed in him.Obama raised far more money than had ever been raised and he did it in ways never done before, through a lot of small contributions. I, who never thought I would give money to a politician, gave more money than I thought I would ever be willing to and it was the best investment I ever made (so far it's doing better than my Roth IRA).
Obama branded himself early on. His message of change was so powerful and effective, that every single candidate on the left and the right adopted it and abused the hell out of it all the way till the end, everyone was all of a sudden "the real change candidate." Using simple words such as "change," "hope," and "yes we can," while never dumbing down his message or his eloquence, allowed him to speak to a a diverse country of people and be received well.
While he might have wavered on his policies or changed his view with the changing times (he WAS running for almost 2 years), Obama never changed his message. With so much money and so many opportunities to attack the right, Obama refrained (for the most part). He stayed true to how he believed a campaign should be run and it paid off. Obama showed that not only could you win an election running a positive campaign, but that you could win a campaign having expectations for the ctizens of the United States. Rather than appeal to the lowest common denominator, he appealed to the ideals and goodness of the American people. He promised to work for the people if they would work for themselves.
Obama proved that a black man could become president. He also proved that a young, intelligent, educated, respectful, idealistic dreamer could also become president. Not only did he win the election, he killed it. No one I talked to could remember an election being decided by around 8pm pacific time. He used his knowledge of the electoral college and ability to move people, young and old, to show the world how you not only win an election, but get people excited to work for you and with you, and move forward during these trying times.
Congratulations to President-Elect Barack Obama, I have never been so proud to say that I am an American. While I am proud of you and the way your ran your campaign, I am equally proud of the American people, WE did it.
Now stop reading this blog and go do something for your community, he may not be president yet, but it's never too early to start helping out.
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Yes. We. Did.
Well, damn... isn't the ¢ollective a day late and a dollar short...
I'm on my way out, but our blog definitely needed to be updated with Tuesday's monumental moment:
I'm still at a loss for words. We still have a long road ahead of us... but damn, didn't this moment feel. so. damn. good?!
Check this out too.
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Art For Obama
Without the ability to make, what they thought to be, a significant individual contribution, 5 artists (Ahndraya Parlato, Elizabeth Moy, Gregory Halpern, Whitney Hubbs, and Dru Donovan) came together and formed Art For Obama.
Art for Obama is an online auction of photographs from over 50 artists. All proceeds go to MoveOn.org to support the Obama campaign as there are limits on proceeds to an individual candidate. The above shot is one of the shots for sale. You can peep a couple more after the jump but check out the website for all of the photos.
Shout out to Mike for the heads up
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I Can't Handle 4 More Years Of The Same...
Tonight was the Vice Presidential Debate between Senator Joe Biden and Governor Sarah Palin. I thought Joe Biden was Strong and Palin held up better than I expected. Random ramblings of off-topic talking points and inappropriate winks aside, the thing that got to me the most about Palin was her use of the word "Nucular."
As a person who works in the science field and would consider myself half-way intelligent, I have cringed every time, in the past 8 years, that Bush has used the word "nucular" instead of the proper word "nuclear." It doesn't help that Bush seems to give a stupid grin whenever he mispronounces a word or misspeaks, but every time he says the word "nucular" he appears even less intelligent (if that's possible). It's one thing to pronounce a word like "potato" differently because of your accent or drawl but when you begin saying "nucular" you are cognitively changing the word and it makes you sound ignorant.
Now while Palin is trying to appeal to Joe 6-pack with her winks and referencing her middle-class status, which is questionable, I strongly believe that it is possible to do this without sounding ignorant. I believe you can be elite enough to run a country and still be able to empathize and understand what the lower-middle class American goes through, whether or not you were in their situation or not.
With Bush, it's been 8 years of no science (in government or schools), actually, more like 8 years of an eradication of any scientific consideration or thought. For me, "nucular" was just the icing on the cake of why I didn't like Bush. 8 year's has been plenty of scientific ignorance, I don't know if I can handle 4 more, the only positive thought that I can think about McCain getting elected is that at least he pronounces the word correctly. That being said...
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SLACKER UPRISING - A New Film by Michael Moore
Moore has released the film for free download to anyone in the US and Canada as thanks to his fans for their support over the years and to try to get more young people out to vote for this years election. Moore stated on the website:
"You have my blanket permission to share the movie with your friends, to set up screenings in your communities or theaters, to show it on your campuses -- all at no charge. I encourage you to rally voters with it, to raise funds for your favorite candidates, to air it on your local cable access channels or web broadcasts."
I encourage you to download and check it out but most of all, register to vote, get your friends to register, and then get them to register THEIR friends. This is not vote or die but as a young person, your decision to vote this year will effect your quality of life, quite possibly, more than any other decision you have made in your life thus far.
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Gay Marriage and Beyond
(Ronaldo Schemidt / AFP - Getty Images file)Many studies have shown that kids growing up in same sex households are no worse off than those who grow up in more traditional families. Look at the Tanners for instance, they did a fine job raising 3 young women in a house full of men! Even with the research (and 8 seasons of proof), the various organizations against Gay Marriage have come up with Prop 8 which would amend the CA constitution to ban gay marriage.
The original title of the Proposition was a "limit on marriage". The Attorney General Jerry Brown changed the title to "eliminates (the) right of same-sex couples to marry." Although the opposition to Gay Marriage has fought against this title saying it's biased, after losing two appeals, they have dropped the challenge. Although they would argue the title goes too far, I would say it's just right. I think the original title is an absolute farce. Now that I am 21, I really enjoy drinking beer. I can drink as many as my body can handle but there is a limit on how many I can drink and still drive home. Limits like this are imposed so I don't kill anybody or myself. While my rights as a citizen have not been taken away, I am limited in my actions while intoxicated. So while I can't drink and drive, I can still go out, I can experience all the same rights and responsibilities as everyone else. I think this is the most important point, a limit suggests one gets to keep their rights and responsibilities. By banning Gay Marriage, you take away a large group of people's rights and responsibilities. You take away their right to be treated equally among their peers, to be with the person they love legally, and for the child to be taken care of by the second parent if something were to happen to the other.
It's all nice and good that some companies are recognizing and supporting long term partners or that civil union status is being granted so that certain benefits can be shared, but as long as we prevent a group of people from being able to experience the same quality of life and rights as from the majority, we will continue to perpetuate the "separate but equal" stance that America seems to have been built on (from the physical slavery we enforced in our past, to the economic slavery so many Americans experience on a daily basis today, to the blatant laws that prevent same sex couples to marry).
I am personally very proud that I live in a state that has gone against the norm to provide rights to a greater majority of its citizens. My hope is that California's willingness to do this will rub off on other states and eventually the US as a whole. If we can keep providing rights to all citizens in the US and treating each other respectfully and equally, we can start moving towards a way of life closer to the American Ideal. What troubles me the most is how so many people don't care. It doesn't seem to bother them that the person sitting next to them in class, the good friend they have had since high school, or the cook at their favorite restaurant, will never experience the same rights that they have. Empathy aside (because a lot of people don't seem to have it these days), a lot of people fail to see the further reaching implications of such legislation. The same people who are trying to end or prevent gay marriage are the same people who are trying to end the sexual and health rights of heterosexual individuals. As Dan Savage so bluntly (and MAYBE a little vulgar) puts it at the end of one of his articles:
"The GOP's message to straight Americans: If you have sex, we want it to fuck up your lives as much as possible. No birth control, no emergency contraception, no abortion services, no lifesaving vaccines. If you get pregnant, tough shit. You're going to have those babies, ladies, and you're going to make those child-support payments, gentlemen. And if you get HPV and it leads to cervical cancer, well, that's too bad. Have a nice funeral, slut."
In that same article, he references an excellent article written by Russell Shorto that details the conservatives' war on contraception. There are many more freedoms that we, as heterosexuals, stand to lose if these groups against gay marriage start to gain more ground. It's easy to not care about gay marriage if it doesn't affect you or someone you know, but how would you feel if they began to take away a woman's right to choose? How would you feel if they took away the morning after pill, the HPV vaccine, birth control or Condoms? This may be a little extreme but if it was up to some of these "family" groups, that's the way it would be. Imagine where we would be if abstinence only education was the only thing offered in schools? If you don't think your vote counts for president or that it doesn't matter who it is, remember who appoints judges and other high ranking officials, as well as the "experts" to work for them. Under Bush, we spent $204M on abstinence only programs in the U.S. and we also put a clause on the money that we sent for AIDS relief for other countries that a certain amount should be spend on abstinence only education as opposed to condoms, drugs, and safety education.
This concept may seem a little farfetched and a little off topic to some but the two are more related then you think. So if you don't vote or voice your opinion for the rights of others this November, do it for yourself!
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Is Hip Hop Going Back To Its Roots?
Not at all, but there has been a recent surge in socially conscious and political hip hop lately. It's not that odd that NAS's new album is full of some good joints like Hero, Sly Fox, and Black President, especially when you have production and writing help from the likes of Dead Prez. But yesterday as I was flipping through the channels, I caught a new Big Boi music video ft. Mary J. Blige, Somethings Gotta Give.
Not that I don't expect Big Boi to put out good and thoughtful music, but I was surprised to see BET giving it some air time and trying to push it on 106&Park (granted the people were cheering more when they heard who he was doing his club joints with). It really shows a difference (no matter how long it might last) in the music industry lately, musicians in the mainstream are starting to actually care and try to take action about the state of America
We saw something similar 4 years ago when diddy started the Rock The Vote campaign, but that was pretty useless. More people were interested in picking up a shirt than actually voting. I think the difference now,besides the fact that our situation is even WORSE than 4 years ago, is that there is a presidential candidate that our generations can believe in. In 2004, many people were voting for Kerry because he was the lesser of the two evils, not because he was n amazing candidate. Now, with a new "hope" for "change" (with Obama), many people see the opportunity for a better future. Even thought I know Marco Polo will beat out Big Boi's new joint on the charts, I just hope that the good music keeps coming!
But never burn the bridge,
Each one teach one,
If you lend a helping hand,
You may never need one
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Why I like Obama
I’m not gonna talk like I have been down with Obama since the start. I had been hearing about Obama for a while and then I finally started to learn about him in his article in GQ (September 2007). Not that he was my man then, but I definitely took an interest.
Once the campaigning began and sides were beginning to be chosen, I had a decision to be made (for me it was between Edwards, Clinton, and Obama). I’ll be the first to admit I don’t know the ins and outs of Obama’s policies but my choice was Obama for many reasons. I think Obama is charismatic and has the ability to move people into action more than any other candidate. I like that he’s young and that he IS more in touch with my generation than any other candidate (you can’t hate on that, there’s a lot of people who like McCain for the same reason). Obama has worked for community organizations and understands the importance and impact of individuals and grass roots organizations on the community. Overall, I think Obama has the greatest ability to infect change, to inspire people to live up to their potential and to try to make the change they want to see, as opposed to waiting for someone else to do it.
Now since becoming the presumptive nominee, Obama has been far from perfect, hell, he’s even been quite human. He has tripped up a couple times, misspoke and there are certain policies I don’t agree with (of all the things you choose to highlight in keeping from no child left behind, a useless program, you keep standardized testing?! Really?!). But through it all, I still see the man I supported from the beginning (I sound like I’m writing wedding vows). The reasons I stated before are still the same reasons that I support him to this day, regardless of how he messes up.
I think, as Americans, we are hoping to elect a president who will step up and make all the change we will need. While we sit back in Starbucks and talk on our iPhones, somehow the President will solve the credit crisis, pull the country out of debt, pull out of Iraq while keeping the peace, provide health care for everyone, end our dependency on foreign oil, and give us $600 every time we’re down. America has become too complacent as the “world’s greatest nation” and we, frankly, have gotten lazy. The truth is, no matter who we elect, it’s not going to get your friend out of debt, keep your neighbor in their house, or give your baby cousin the education they need to be successful in life.
We, as Americans, need to start caring again. We need to protect our own, and by that I mean our communities, both on the local and global level. We need to think of the impact of our decisions when it comes to things such as education, dividing up city spending, and speaking out against injustice; Get out to vote! On the global level, we need to think about our impact on global warming, the drinking water supply, implementing legitimate green energy (forget ethanol, it does way more harm than good) and reducing the amount of waste we have. We need to start being proactive in our decisions, taking some time out of our busy lives to slow down, appreciate what we have, and give what we can to those in our communities. Volunteer our time and money to local organizations and global issues.
I think Obama has the greatest ability to move people. I think he’s a positive person to have in charge of this country that might allow us to rebuild the international bridges we have burned over the past 8 years. What we need to realize that if we want to be the world’s greatest nation, “we the people” are going to have to work just as hard as the guy we elect.
OBAMA ‘08
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Tomatos: The New "Made in China"/Spinach/Mad Cow Disease....
As officials try to pinpoint the origin of a massive salmonella outbreak in tomatos, everyone is warning to stay away from all types of tomatos except cherry, grape, homegrown, and cooked tomatos, as well as tomatos with the stem left in.
To be honest, I have not been cognitive of what I eat lately due to working on the road and not having as much control of the food I put in my body but I do notice "we are not selling anything with tomatos in it" signs at many of the places I go. This is all very reminiscent of the E. coli infected spinach from two years ago and the crazy cows that seem to pop up every once in a while. I didn't let these affect me too much in the past and I won't let them affect me now, but then, I shop a little different than most people.
As population grows and the demand of food has gone up, the markets are dominated by giant, international corporations with many levels and many suppliers of their produce. The more extensive and complex a supply chain becomes (usually to cut cost), the harder it is to enforce quality control, and hold people accountable for their products. This is apparent whenever there is lead paint found in children's toys. Who do you blame? I personally think the company is to blame, know your product, be responsible for it. The companies of course will blame the people who assembled it, who will blame the people who made the parts, who will blame the......see where I am going with this? Atleast with a man-made product, you usually have some sort of trail of documentation to follow, but finding a farm in a country the size of the U.S.? We are spending a pretty penny to find that one out I can only imagine.
The main problem with buying produce from a big chain is when I go and buy a Washington Apple, I don't know whether it came from Farmer John or Philip Morris. There's no accountability for the food you purchase from you local major chain. Don't get me wrong, I buy food from these places when I have to but I usually search for an alternative.
What's the alternative? One of the things I enjoy most about the
If you are too busy to make it to the farmer's market, I would suggest joining a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program. You sign up for food (they have different sized packages) to be delivered or for pick-up (depending on the program) on a regular basis. Again, you know exactly where the food is grown, it changes seasonally (a good challenge for aspiring cooks), and it provides high quality food to your table with little effort from you.
So let me guess, food is too expensive at the farmer's market? It is 
true that the farmer's market can be more expensive than big chains but the cost is marginal in the long run. With gas prices going up, the cost of transportation will increase at a much higher rate for food that travels longer distances, we might start to see farmer's market's get even more competitive. Besides, why don't you skip on the frappacinnos and start brewing some organic coffee at home or riding your bike or walking more places? If you choose to cook more often, you will make up the extra cost in the money you're saving by staying at home to eat.
"But the food doesn't look as nice!" While the food at the farmer's market won't shine in bright lights, it also won't fill your body with the waxes, pesticides, and chemicals sprayed on the food, do you really want to be eating all that? Besides, from my experiences over the years, farmer's market produce proves to be much more flavorful and enjoyable. Don't believe me? Walk down the isles and take some free samples, I bet you forgot what fruit tastes like.
Don't know where to start? Why don't you check out Local Harvest or use trusty old Google. If you live in a big city, you are BOUND to have a Farmer's Market or CSA near you. At least try it out for a little bit, if you don't like it, you are no worse off.
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PUFF DADDY DID NOT CHANGE HIS NAME! GO OUT AND VOTE! lolz
Lols i woke up seeing this all over the place.. Puff daddy did not changed his name! who the hell cared in the first place... but then again he goes on his youtube page to send this personal message to the people! and better yet...he says even crazier things!
lool at all these quotables! "im rich bitch"..."i can call myself whatever the fuck i want"..."go out and vote"..."i make hit records and hot clothes"
ok i dont want to take anything away from diddy ima fan... well more like puff daddy and ma$e days... and even though i love to hate him... i cant... haha... now im sure some other colleagues here on the blog will have other opinions of diddy.. but hell.. ima just say it.. DIDDY you the man!!!
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2¢: “This is our moment.”
After an undoubtedly long and arduous primary season, the verdict is finally in. Tempers flared, punches were thrown (some below the belt), and blood was shed… but in the end, after all the votes were counted (and yes, Michigan and Florida, they were), Barack Obama is the Democratic Presidential nominee.
As a believer of Barack and an avid follower of the election, it has been mentally and emotionally exhausting. The highs of Iowa and the February streak were soon followed by some big losses and deflating controversies. Though it certainly proved to be a challenge staying above the fray, Obama kept on the high road by running a dignified and respectful campaign centered around hope and progress rather than preying on people’s ignorance and fear. As exemplified by the monumental speech he gave addressing the Rev. Wright flap, Obama had clearly chosen to put his stake in his belief that the American people were sophisticated and thoughtful enough to be treated like adults and that they would understand that almost nothing in the world is, for lack of a better term, purely black and white. He bet on the American people and he won.
Like so many others, I thought it was in Hillary’s and the Democratic Party’s best interest that she gracefully bow out when it became clear that Obama’s lead was insurmountable. It irked me to no end how comfortable she was with the fact that her chance of winning depended on the superdelegates overruling the will of the people. But I tried to give her the benefit of the doubt anyway. After all, perseverance and belief in oneself are traits we can all admire. But as the election dragged on and she refused to concede even after all the votes were in, those admirable traits gave way to downright lunacy and narcissism. By all accounts, Barack clinched the nomination last night and she STILL couldn’t admit defeat and throw her support behind her party’s presumptive nominee. Isn’t it exactly that kind of disregard for reality that has gotten us into the mess we’re in now? It just defies reason. Maybe she’s trying to stay long enough to recoup some of her campaign’s $20 million debt? Who knows. Let's hope it's true that she saves face on Saturday.
Ever since it started looking like Obama had the nomination locked up, I’ve been back and forth over and over again about whether or not I thought Hillary should be his running mate. For a long time, I thought it was a good idea. I mean… I’ve had plenty of criticisms of the way Hillary has run her campaign. She and her staff resorted to lying, manipulation, fear mongering, and other sneaky tactics that come with a scorched-earth battle plan. But, however marred her image has become by her misguided and damaging campaign strategy, Hillary has had a political career to be proud of. She has done great work in the name of equality and justice for all (especially in regards to healthcare). Not to mention, as she certainly wasn’t too shy to remind us last night, she has 17 million passionate supporters that can help the Dems bury McCain in November. Hillary has served her country well and I believe that she will continue to… but it’s clear to me now that it’ll just have to be from somewhere other than the White House.
It’s truly unfortunate that Hillary made a dream ticket impossible. It could have worked… but too many things were said and done by her and her inner circle that run contrary to Obama’s central tenet of changing the system. If these primaries have reminded us of anything, it’s that the Clintons are masters of old-style Washington politics.
Mere months ago (it seems so much longer, though, doesn’t it?) Hillary was practically already considered the presumptive nominee. Nobody could have guessed that the charismatic yet relatively unknown young black senator from Illinois would overcome the Goliath that is the Clinton political machine. Some said he was too inexperienced to win. Some said he was overly idealistic and naïve. Some said he was too black. Nevertheless, some believed. But now isn’t the time for “I told you so.”
On the contrary, now is the time for “we’re on the same side.” Sure, some are deeply hurt that their candidate didn’t end up on top. A lot of women in particular feel betrayed by a country that claims to view them as equals, and understandably so. It really is sad that a country that so highly regards itself as just and fair-minded has yet to elect a female president. Those women should take solace in the fact that Hillary really could have been the one. Yes, there were sexist forces in the media and elsewhere that were working against her, but not so much so that she wasn’t a legitimate contender for Leader of the Free World. Ultimately the fault was her own, not her gender’s. Though she clearly made great strides on behalf of gender equality, she just wasn’t quite the right candidate for the moment… but we now know that the time is near.
Save for a few particularly scorned supporters, I do believe that most of Hillary’s side will come around and realize that Obama is a far better choice than McCain. After the dust settles and the pain subsides, they’ll realize that, among other things, the next President will likely nominate at least one Supreme Court Justice that will either uphold or overturn Roe v. Wade. Though some have sworn never to support Barack, I have no doubt that with clear minds they’ll recognize their folly in time for November. As Obama supporters, we must help them along and not deride them for not being on Obama’s side sooner. They had as much a right to support Hillary as they do to have a change of heart.
Though the next challenge for Obama will certainly include differentiating his policies from McCain’s (and boy are the contrasts stark), his success lies in his ability to unify and highlight people’s similarities. Looking to November, what he needs to do is to simply continue doing what he has been… reminding people that we all ultimately want the same things. He also needs to continue inspiring people to expect more from their government and to expect more from themselves.
The most amazing thing about Obama is his uncanny ability to bring out the amazing in the American everyman. As he has acknowledged time and again, change takes time and hard work. Progress won’t magically come if we get him into office. It’ll require a little bit out of all of us. So let’s get to it, people! We’ve got work to do.
MP3: Kidz In The Hall ft. Bun-B and Talib Kweli - Work To Do (Obama for America Remix)
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The Savage Love Cast
As many of my peers, I spent many of my teenage years, falling asleep while I listened to Dr. Drew and Adam Carola dish out relationship, substance abuse, and sex advice on Love Line. Due to the inadequate nature of Sex Ed in schools, most of us learned about sex through this show (and of course whatever was on our TV, movie, or computer screens). I used to think the show was great, it was funny and very informative.
Around the time I went off to college, I stopped listening to the show just because I stopped listening to the radio all that much (thank you Napster et al.). As I graduated and moved into a job in the "real world," I started podcasting at work. I listen to a lot of NPR and am a religious follower of This American Life. Dan Savage, a contributor to the show, has to be one of the more insightful and entertaining people on the show (see his segment in What I learned from TV). Through the show, I learned that Dan was a sex advise columnist for The Stranger. He writes a column called Savage Love and does a podcast as well.
After listening to every episode he has posted up until now, I have found that his Savage Lovecast, as he calls it, is as insightful and even funnier than his appearances on This American Life (thanks to the FCC rules not applying to podcasts). Dan's liberal views on sex and relationships are more down to earth and realistic than you will here on most advice columns. The one thing I have come to realize is that when you compare the two shows (Love Line and Savage Love) the differences are much like the views on sex between liberals and religious conservatives (bare with me here, I am about to make some generalizations). The conservatives say to stay away from birth control, abstinence is the only way and no one should be having sex. The liberals on the other hand say, abstinence is the only way to prevent pregnancy or STDs, but if you are going to have sex, use protection. Love Line tries to draw a distinct line of what is acceptable and what is not as well as what works and what doesn't (much of it dictated by Dr. Drew's own clinical views) He often says to stay away from non-monogamous relationships and other situations that he is not familiar with. Dan, on the other hand, tends to give his opinion on the issue but then take the approach of, "well, me saying don't do it is not going to stop you, so if you are going to do it, here is how to keep yourself safe both physically and emotionally." If that wasn't clear, here's an SAT example:
Being a homosexual male who is active in his community and promotes a sex positive environment around him allows Dan to tackle subjects comfortably that other advice columnists might shy away from. Dan is able to talk about things without becoming uncomfortable and his high threshold for what many people might consider taboo allows him to interact comfortably with people about their situation and make them feel somewhat normal, or at least human.
To try to sum up Savage love is next to impossible (in fact I think the SAT analogy says it all) so I would definitely recommend podcasting him and taking a listen for yourself. While some homophobic people might find it uncomfortable to listen to at first, I would encourage you to listen what he has to say, who knows, maybe some of his intelligent views might get through that thick skull of yours.
**Edit (5/31)
My friend mentioned I was maybe a little unfair on Dr. Drew. I personally enjoyed listening to Dr. Drew and Adam Carolla for many years and do believe that they provide a great service to the youth of America. I think that Dr. Drew has probably helped countless amounts of people, especially when it comes to drug addiction, STDs, and sexual abuse. I think he has a loyal following that really listens to the positive things he has to say. I guess as I have grown and changed, my tastes, opinions, and views have as well. Besides, Dr. Drew is no Dr. Laura, now there's one crazy lady. Ok, enough of the hate, on to other things.
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This American Life LIVE
TAL started doing a TV show on Showtime last year. On May 1st, they did something new for the show where they did a live broadcast to theaters all over the US (as explained in the video above). They showed clips from the upcoming season as well as never before seen footage and answered peoples questions. The whole show was 2 hours long and it definitely kept me entertained the whole show.
The most interesting and entertaining segment of the whole show to me was the "Talk with an Iraqi" segment. In it, an Iraqi, who goes to school in the United States but was in Baghdad during the invasion, goes and sets up a booth in different cities and towns in the south and talks with people about the Iraq War. It was a very candid and sincere look into the Iraqi war through the eyes of many American people. The commentary by the Iraqi was very insightful and put many of the comments made into a different perspective. They posted one of the more interesting clips of it on their website.
I bought the Season 1 DVD the next day and from what I have watched so far, the TV show is proving to be as thought provoking, intelligent, respectful, funny, and humbling as the radio show. If you haven't checked out the radio or TV show, you should definitely do so, you can podcast it for free. Enjoi!
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The Olympic Torch Relay in Retrospect
While the Olympic torch relay has hit an all time high, so has the protests and the controversies over both the Olympic Games and the torch relay itself. Politics and human rights aside, I think the torch relay getting to the top of Everest is very impressive.
Over the years, the torch relay has become a big spectacle seen as a sort of goodwill gesture, an opportunity for sponsorship and advertising, and a chance for a regular person who is lucky enough to be selected, to be apart of the Olympic games. All throughout the festivities though, very few mention the origins of the torch relay itself.
The Olympic flame was brought back as a symbol for the modern Olympics in 1928. The actual idea of the torch relay didn't come around until the Berlin Olympics in 1936...under Hitler. Hitler used the relay as propaganda for the Nazis. He wanted to show the connection between a classical, Aryn Greece, and his Germany. I think it is safe to speculate what the torch runners looked like at that time.
For those who aren't aware, the Berlin Olympics was the one where the late,great, Jesse Owens took home four gold medals and Hitler refused to even shake his hand. The BBC held back Harold Abrahams, the legendary runner that the movie Chariots of Fire is based on, from being their track correspondent because he was Jewish and they "didn't want to offend the host country." America also held back some of the runners in their relay team because they were Jewish.
Some might say that it is a great thing that we have taken something that was originally created with bad intentions and turned it into a positive thing but I just find it interesting how we have turned a blind eye to it for so many years. Maybe we shouldn't be so surprised that there is controversy over who is hosting the torch relay when the torch relay has been so controversial from the start. But hey, who am I to judge, I should just sit back and not think about it like most other Americans, it's getting closer to the days when I stay up late or wake up early to catch the good sports.
I need to find someone with TiVo.....
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