(family and friends cheer the riders on as they ride into closing ceremonies)
Last weekend Dee, myself, and a ton of other people welcomed more than 2,000 riders from the AIDS Lifecycle ride into Los Angeles for the completion of the week long ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles to raise $10.5M for AIDS research, aid, and education. Participating this year was our very own Agent Mike.
Watching more than 2000 people ride in on bikes was impressive and the ceremonies to follow were moving. Between the videos of the ride and the speakers speaking on the state of AIDS in the US, there weren't many dry eyes in the crowd. With the many other things going on in the world, we often tend to forget the things that aren't in our face all of the time. Although it is not often in the news, AIDS is still a big problem facing people all over the world. Hearing people talk about AIDS in a very personal way, seeing flags dedicated to those affected, and all of the HIV positive participants (the positive pedaler holding the flag to the right) helped to remind those at the ceremony how real it all still is, and how much more of a problem it is in these economic times (government is looking to cut AIDS funding as a way to save money). It seemed, from all of the riders, that the experience was a very positive one. In speaking with mike, and watching the closing ceremonies, it made me really want to participate in the ride next year.
So in short, congrats to Agent Mike, and the rest of the 2000+ riders in your 545 mile journey through california and in raising so much money in such hard times, the feat is impressive to say the least!
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.
(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.
I think people are too quick to judge Twitter. For most tweeters (people who use twitter), yes, it is nothing more than Facebook status messages. For news organizations, blogs, and websites, it is the Newsboy of the new century. In Newsies they had the time it took for someone to pass by them to sell a paper, in twitter, they have 140 characters. It was said by Jack, in the movie, "headlines don't sell papes, Newsies sell papes!" This holds true for blogs and news feeds on twitter as well. A publication's ability to generate traffic via twitter is based on their ability to generate interest in 140 characters or less.
People are so quick to jump on the next hottest thing in hopes of being on top of what's hot, and for a lot of people that's Twitter. But though there are people quick to jump on every new bandwagon, there's even more people just as quick to jump on the hater hearse (Officially coined CollectiveCo 2009, I googled it). I think that it is a little premature. While I agree with some points against the usefulness of a message conveyed in 140 characters and the lack of manners some seem to demonstrate in public (it's quite a bit like texting), they might want to ponder the importance of twitter as a tool to spread ideas. Yes, it may have been a flop as a tool to generate questions for Jimmy Fallon to interview Cameron Diaz, but it's a great tool to find out quick news headlines from the BBC, get music selections by the likes of Q.Tip and ?uestlove, or get pics from a friend.
Now don't get me wrong, do I want to shoot myself from boredom when someone tweets "eating"? Maybe, but hell, I think I am guilty of the same things and much of this is due to the fact that twitter isn't an established medium. It's not a chat program, it's not a social networking site, it's not a blog, it's not Posterous (I just learned about this one today from Rainn Wilson, it's perfect for you Crackberry and iPhone addicts). The thing about twitter is that it is so vague. The very basis and reason for many people's gripes (the brevity of 140 characters) is exactly what allows it to stay versatile. Twitter will be tough to define or confine into a category such as blog or social networking site. People complain about Twitter but what they should be complaining about is the people they follow. Because twitter is different things to different people, find people that use it how you use or find useful and follow them, if you can't find them, try to redefine the way twitter is used (or better yet, don't even mess with it).
As I mentioned in my post about my plunge into twitter, ?uestlove had coined twitter as the new blog, and in a way he's right. For many people who DO blog, it's the medium for things that are not blog worthy, the one sentence epiphany that's not worth flushing out into a post, the cultural observation while sitting on a bus, the quick message to a friend, or the outreach for another person's opinion (usually for a quick response). Due to the fact that the internet is almost everywhere now (including our phones), Twitter enters into unknown territory as a medium (I won't even say what type because I am unsure). Twitter is somehow information and communication all at the same time, all while not being too time consuming for our increasingly busier lives.
A good friend of mine passed this along to me today and it reminded me a lot of something I remember from a while back:
While much of youtube's bandwidth is used on funny TV clips, clips from people with too much time on their hands, and random funny stuff, every once in a while you will find some really good original content on there. While, youtube is usually thought of as a giant waste of time, it also serves as an outlet for people without the connects, know-how, or, in some cases, the want to get their art or personal projects out for people to see them. While some will become internet phenomenons, others will just be shared with friends and enjoyed by the random passer by.
10 Design Rules of Dieter Rams from Braun in the 60's:
• Good design is innovative. • Good design makes a product useful. • Good design is aesthetic. • Good design helps us to understand a product. • Good design is unobtrusive. • Good design is honest. • Good design is durable. • Good design is consequent to the last detail. • Good design is concerned with the environment. • Good design is as little design as possible.
now what kinda self proclaimed "pretentious-cool-guy trendy-hip-new-innovative-design-tech-pop-music-political-social-super-blog" would we be if we didnt pay some type of tribute or homage to one of the great industrial designers of this century ..DIETER RAMS.... and his basic rules of design that every "so-called/wannabe-photoshop-fashion-intrawebz-design-nut" out there should memorized wait...no... scratch that.... they should have it tattooed on their foreheads! so that every it will always be on their mind!! and shall never forget!!!
now to truly join the elite ranks of those "blogs/websites" truly in the "kNOW" consider this blog entry as our official ... "We have arrived! Sorry we're late!"
more after the jump....
Ok i have a confession to make. I originally had this post geared toward a "design snob hater-ish" type point of view... But as i finished a few rough draft lines and constantly erased and re-written many sentences, phrases, lines, paragraphs etc..
i finally stopped and said to myself... this isnt the way i want this entry to go down...
and instead of just being the usual pretentious "I'm better than you and you suck" kinda blog entry... i want this post to be more of a tribute to great design and just a simple reminder to people that Dieter Rams had it right.... he broke it down very easily for anyone to understand...(KISS) and I believe that great design can come from anywhere and anyone....
I guess id go as far to say that i have a true design fetish... where my daily life is consumed with the obsession of deciphering and understanding what really makes a 'great design' a 'great design'. and only wish that one day the things i design have a spot in this great universe... and wether im at work or at home... i find myself looking at all the great ones who did it before me, sit back and think.. how the hell did they do that? and then look around me... and ask.... what the hell are some yall thinkin??!??
i may be late on this.. but this pic is so awesome i just had to add it here.... i think most of us here at the collective are also slaves as well!!!
im sure most colleges around america look like this ... so next time you are sitting in soc 101.. take a look around... and see if your face just gets a little more tanned from those little glowing APPLES...
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.
Social Networking is nothing new to the internet but ever since the sale of Facebook and Myspace for more money than I would EVER know what to do with, next to buy a country, everyone wants some of that pie.
I've been hearing about Twitter for a while now but never though much of it (as if a facebook and myspace weren't enough). Then, while listening to Talk of the Nation: Science Friday on NPR, they were talking about how they were twittering and people were asking questions via twitter. This made me a bit more curious, but not enough to join. Then a couple weeks back I was watching the video above and when asked what 2009's big blog will be, ?uestlove responded with Twitter is THE blog for 2009 because of the ADD society and people needing everything quick and right now. Then just this last weekend I'm at my homegirl's house and notice she has twitter so I open it up to take a look and basically it is facebook updates....THAT'S IT. You can post no more than 140 characters, no pictures, no embedding, no hyperlinks, no bells and whistles, it's just news feeds from whoever you choose to follow. Depending upon who you follow you can get anything from the news (NPR shows are on there), to a link to a funny video to "I just worked out" (from one of your friends).
On top of that. Twitter can be done from your mobile phone. Twitter was actually the first source to know that the roots tour bus got in a wreck a while back (?uest twittered from the ambulance). So I figure, what the hell, let me see what this is all about, if it's whack I can drop it. So if you care to join in, create and account, find me, and let's see what's up!
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.
About a month ago I got into a nasty accident that has resulted in me being on a liquid diet for about 2 months and unable to work for the time being. This means 2 things: I have gotten pretty creative with smoothies and soups, and I watch more TV than I would like to admit.
On the surface, these two things seem completely separate, but after 2 weeks of eating through a straw, even Homer Simpson chowing down on some fried chicken can make your mouth water. Around this same time, you begin having what I call SNACK ATTACK!! This is the complete yearning for something crunchy, sweet or savory, and all too satisfying. By week 4, an ad for a "complete pot roast" microwave dinner that doesn't look fit to be sold at Walmart can begin to look like a gourmet meal.
Knowing this, channel flipping can prove to be an excruciating task but Vicodine gives me a short attention span so I don't have much of a choice. One thing is for sure, the food network is off limits. Personally I have never been big on the food network or travel channel which is surprising since I love to cook almost as much as I like to travel. I think the reason is because I don't like cooking like Rachel Ray and I don't like travelling like Samantha Brown. But channel flipping through different times of day has led me to discover many new shows I wasn't aware of. One which I have become a big fan of is No Reservations.
No Reservations is a travel and food show by Anthony Bourdain, a long time cook, writer, and traveller from New York. What sets this show apart right from the start is its parental warning at the start (at least for some shows). If this doesn't set the tone of "This isn't your average travel show" (or show how conservative US TV censorship is), I don't know what does. What I enjoy the most about this show is that it focuses on the local life and the unbeaten path. Bourdain goes to many countries that most people wouldn't, such as Laos, and when he does go to a big cities, he ventures into the backstreet local markets and small towns just outside the big cities. He talks with a variety of people, from local film makers and musicians, to researchers, to cultural icons, to local icons. While the show is a travel shows and he talks about things to do and places to go, the focus is on the food.
While I have been sitting at home and healing, this show has been a blessing and a curse. While I enjoy watching the show with his witty and insightful documentation of far off places I wish to visit someday, my mouth can't help but water as he wanders down the spice market in Egypt, downs fresh oysters in homemade hot sauce on the beach in Jamaica, or chows down on a spicy local taco after a night of drinking in South Beach, Florida. Bourdain gets hope from the locals in finding the best places to eat, but what I enjoy the most is when he is invited to eat a meal with a local family. He is able to see who in the family cooks, what they eat, and their local dining traditions.
Bourdain shows an appreciation for the cultures and people that are different than his own and is genuine in the way he interacts with each human being he meets (or atleast acts like it on TV). His ability to show the inner beauty, if not, simply, the beauty that most pass over, in a country along with his knowledge of food and willingness to try new and differeent things makes this show great. While I am not one to sit down and follow a show, I always check to see if No Reservation is on when I sit down to watch TV.
(How can you not be envious of a spread like that?!)
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
Author and Documentary Film maker Michael Moore (best known for his controversial films Faranheit 911 and Sicko) has come out with a new documentary film called Slacker Uprising. This film is about a national college tour he put on in 2004 to get young people to vote Bush out of office. The film is about his tour and the problems that came up (the show was canceled at a dozen or so campuses).
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.
This isn't anything new actualy.. its been floating around the intrawebz for a while now... and i was reading on NPR's site and i found this neat article on it.... CLICK HERE.... The article reminded me of "Alternative Bike" cultures and todays youth so i figured why not and blog about it here to the ¢ollective.... i love bikes obviously.. and SCRAPER BIKES are just as bad ass...one could pay homage to the scraper bike which originate from the mean streets of OAKLAND where hyphy, going stupid, dumb, and thizzing is a way of life.
Now as we go from the west ... we gotta represent the east.. .and in NEW YORK... they answer the Scraper bike with their very own "Stereobike"...This leads us to the documentary ive seen a while ago called "MADE IN QUEENS" about the east coast and their "alternative" bike culture...With the main focus being about "Stereobikes" and their influence on a group of Trindadians from Queens and their life growing up on the streets of New York. These bikes are basically bikes with crazy ass sound systems that would post most cars to shame. read on!
click here for more info on MADE IN QUEENS! If its one thing that links the two coasts, its street culture and this bike movement we are seeing from all around the world. from your hipster fixed riders, to your scrapers in oakland, to booming systems in new york... it is obvious that biking and bike culture and its influence on todays youth is a force to be reckoned with, people have really taken something that is really considered timeless and historic and incorporated it, influenced it, and evolved it into their very own lives and culture which is relevant to their everyday life.
now im not in the middle of building anything like a scraper or a stereo bike.. but i do applaud the efforts these kids are making in trying to do something positive and fun with their time and friends, rather than to be out there running the streets and causing ruckus, drugs, etc.....
It's been a little over 3 months since California lifted a ban on gay marriage and guess what, the world isn't over! (surprising isn't it you conservative you). The world hasn't exploded, the oceans haven't caught on fire, and last time I checked, the sanctity of marriage has not been lost. My parents still love each other and their marriage has not lost any of its meaning in the past 3 months. While conservative groups fight to reverse the decision of the courts, they fail to realize that by saying that marriage is between a man and a woman and that a family is man, woman and child (or children), that they are alienating a large group of people and also taking away the rights to and, if nothing else, the title of "family" from many single parent and alternative households.
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!
Aaron Draplin is my new hero! for all graphic artists, designers, pretenders, wannabees and everything else in between... this is for you... With art and design and time and technology constantly evolving... hell...especially at such an alarming rate... its very easy to forget about tradition, classics, and history and its importance/influence in present day design and art and even leading into the future.
As a fan or timeless design, i applaud Draplin in this little trailer he calls, "Why America is Fucked", and he addresses the current "tragic" state of art and design... pretty much everyone including their momma and any kid armed with a laptop and photoshop ... heck even ms paint... is now a webdesigner... clothing designer... artist..... etc.....
well just check out the video.. get a laugh here and there and see the severity of the situation...i feel that Draplin's video does provide us with an interesting discussion to a bigger story... is our world is doomed not only in just graphical art??. as people and technology goes forward and moves on and expand into the future... it seems that to make room for progress we simply rip anything down that has any historical or cultural content and forget about our past....
btw.... "looooooll at blippo bold.... remind me to use that font in something soon!!!! LULLZZZ"
for more information check out their site by clicking the pic below
On Sunday Afternoon, the Gumball 3000 rally rolled through San Diego for it's 3rd stop on the Rally. Most of the cars were exotics which makes sense since the entry fee is $100k+ (seemed to be a lot of snooty British people). Because there were so many nice cars, even the two Prosche Carerra GTs got lost in the sea of money. The cars that stuck out were the different ones such as the 5&A Dime car (above) which they are racing WITH the bike on top, and the skater Sal Barbier's car (below) which was beat to hell, complete with the Mexican blanket across the back seats. I wish I had caught a picture of the whole car and I wish I could have seen what was inside the hood! Among my other favorite standout cars was the super stealth Ford GT40: Some Crazy European Import (the center one) And this chromed out (yes the whole car, not the wheels) Lambo that some Sheik was driving, hopped out in robe and everything. And of course Symbolic Auto in SD had to bring some heat so they dropped of a Bugatti just to show off All in all, it was an interesting spectacle to ride down and see although the Juxtaposition of a a homeless person digging through the trash right next to the chromed out Lambo was a lot more interesting to look at and think about.
Ahh yes. Brazil and Japan... Two very different countries...Far apart, many thousands of miles away from each other. On different continents...But...Two very great countries...each with tons of great contributions to our world/life/planet/mankind/etc... you get the picture... For example, Brazil has blessed with pleasures such as us with lush rain forests, great soccer, and Carnival. And Japan providing us with fuel efficient cars, Nintendo, and Ninjas.
So where am i going with this? Well lets just imagine for a second... What if we take two great countries such as Brazil and Japan and take their people and mix them together? What would we get? Well guess what... You dont have to imagine any longer... I am here to show you what we will get... first off we would get a whole new category of great food... Japa/Brazil cuisine....
but more importantly ... Some of the most beautiful women to ever grace this earth..... ahhh yesssss.... click for more ... and yes of course pics....
(NSFW...well kinda... i had to blur out the naughty bits... but just play it safe...and proceed with caution)
Ok so whats so special about all of this? well let me break it down... I know there are tons of exotic mixes in this world... of course... but i would never thing that there were so many Japanese people in Brazil... actually i didnt even know that the largest concentration of japanese people outside of Japan is in Brazil... thats right!!! not the united states!!! wow!
and when i think of brazil.. im sorry i just dont think of japan.... i think brazil.... and booty.... and i dont think japanese and booty... well sometimes i do... ok fine.. i just think about booty... but here are some pics to show you how great this mash up can be...and dat booty... and trust me its alot better than your mommas meatloaf.....
and i could just sit here and explain to you more about Japan and Brazil and how their cultures etc collide.. but let me not bore you with regular details... read that crap for yourself... ima just let the pictures do the talking...
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.
(family and friends cheer the riders on as they ride into closing ceremonies)
(Agent Mike makes it home)
