A Note in the Margin

Be forewarned, this will be a political discourse / raving.  It will be about Obama, health care, and the genuine decline of humanity in general.

The other day a co-worker of mine was on one of his usual anti-Obama rants, a habit which I’ve found to be increasingly annoying and certainly not a topic of discussion for the workplace.  I’m honestly still not convinced that this “Obama-hatred” is not just veiled racism.  Anyway, back on point: yesterday a conversation ensued where he/she decided to comment on his epic struggle against socialism and Obama.  I tried to stay out of it, thinking it prudent to not begin a political debate in front of customers.  But I couldn’t, so I made the (what I think to be) valid point of noting that garbage pick-up is socialized, along with a lot of other things.  His reply to me was that he didn’t feel he (being a working class person) should have to pay for some “bum who does nothing” to go to the hospital and receive care.  I let the conversation go at that, because it was beyond inappropriate for the workplace.  However, having time to reflect, I realize my answer is this: Yes, sir, yes you should pay for his health care.  Just like someone who works even MORE than you should pay for YOURS.  And so forth.  Thinking more about this, I am truly dismayed at this display of selfishness.  When did our society become so “me, me, me” all the time?  To the point that we’d let someone else die so we can keep our money?  Yes, co-worker, we should help each other, and no, not because it will make us feel good or out of some misplaced obligation, but because we are (presumably) intelligent human beings who understand the idea of compassion.

If we don’t understand this fundamental concept, then we should just give up, donate our brains to science, and de-evolve into single cell organisms again, because we are wasting our time.

/end rant.

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” I should like to help everyone if possible, Jew, gentile, black man, white. We all want to help one another, human beings are like that.  We all want to live by each other’s happiness, not by each other’s misery. We don’t want to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for everyone and the earth is rich and can provide for everyone. “   – Charlie Chaplin from The Great Dictator

new News and neat Mario shtuff

So our Govenor (unfortunately) decided to disappear for four days and tell no one of his plans to go…. hiking?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/22/mark-sanford-disappeared_n_219139.html

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And then we have some really bitchin’ Mario art.  Especially check out Anthony Jones’ hyper-realistic Mario interpretations!

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A new dawn for America…

Part 1:

 

Part 2:

 

Also, check out www.whitehouse.gov — it’s been remade by the new administration.  Apparently President Obama is putting all Executive Orders, etc. online for everyone to read AND is also going to have weekly “podcasts” EVERY Saturday morning.  More importantly, “non-emergency legislation” will be published online for five days so that we, the American public, can comment and give our thoughts on it, before it passes.  That is absolutely amazing!

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“ Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek. ”

- President Barack Obama

CHE Trailer

more about “JoBlo.com Videos: CHE Trailer“, posted with vodpod

New trailer for Steven Soderbergh’s CHE.  This is only a trailer for Part 1, THE ARGENTINE, which is being released in theaters next week.  Part 2, GUERILLA, will be released in limited release that same weekend (for Oscar consideration) and the two will come out in wide release January 9th.  I’m still a big fan of this movie, and of the man himself.  I believe this wonderful artwork by “Latuff” sums it up nicely.  Reprinted without permission, but much thanks.

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And also, Lego Wedding Rings.  A very special thanks to Steve for this. (Click me)

Congratulations Barack Obama!

My heartfelt congratulations to Mr. Obama, the newly elected 44th President of the United States! I feel that now I can once again proudly call myself an American.  Thank you.

www.cnn.com has all the details, in case your cave doesn’t have internet access… it’s ok, mine doesn’t.  Free net rules.

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“I’ve opposed the Clone Wars from the beginning, and became a commander in the rebels forces.” -  Lando Calrissian

Vote for… Lando?

more about “Vote for… Lando?“, posted with vodpod

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In all seriousness, go out and vote, whoever it’s for.  I’m obviously for Obama, if you didn’t get that from my previous posts.  But at the bottom line, you just need to go out and vote.  You don’t have many rights, but you do have this one.  So go exercise it.  Look, celebrities think you should vote.

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“Lando’s not a system, he’s a man… Lando Calrissian!” – Han Solo

John McCain vs….. Paris Hilton?

So, GOP Presidential Nominee John McCain (why did I even say that, like you don’t know who that is?) released this attack ad against Obama (click here) – which basically compares him to a celebrity like Britney Spears or Paris Hilton.  So what does Paris Hilton do?

This:

EPIC.

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“It’s like these guys take pride in being ignorant. They need to do their homework!”

- Barack Obama

Man on Wire

This photograph was taken on Wednesday, August 7, 1974 as French daredevil Philippe Petit crossed the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center just because he could.   Petit spent forty-five minutes walking back and forth, kneeling, hanging by his feet and playing other games while thousands of people stopped in their tracks and a traffic jam developed below. Construction workers cheered. Office workers cheered. Even the police cheered. Petit himself said he was laughing with joy, up there in the breeze. “I was dying of happiness,” he said. Then he turned himself over to police.

Flash forward to the year 2008 and we have this, “Man on Wire” – a documentary about the event.  The only film I’ve ever seen to score 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.com.  Crazy, I know?  I would love to see this movie.  I’ll be keeping my eyes open for it.

If you’re looking for more info on this event, wikipedia has the hard and fast facts-filled version here.

Please read through this article by Pierre Tristam – it compares with beautiful social commentary the then-and-now concepts of “freedom” and “security”.  The comparisons may surprise you.  They certainly got me thinking.  Rest in peace, World Trade Center.

            

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 “If I see three oranges, I have to juggle. And if I see two towers, I have to walk.”

  – Philippe Petit

displaced New Yorkers

They’re everywhere here in Columbia, SC. I love talking to them, they speak so fondly of their earliest memories of the city and their lives there.  A gentleman today was telling me of the first time he realized he had a photographic memory.  He had fallen asleep in his High School history class.  The teacher suddenly called on him to answer a question.  Awaking from his slumber, he not only answered the question correctly, but could also tell him what page number in the text book the answer was on.  I can barely remember what I did 5 minutes ago, let alone 50 years.  Awesome.

Speaking of NYC, here’s an interesting article about 2 people who both, in the same day, July 5th, climbed the New York Times building to protest.  One is the french Spider-Man, Alain Robert and the other, just some bored Brooklyn guy, Renaldo Clarke, protesting Malaria.  Then today, AGAIN, another NY Times climber, protesting (what else?) the war.  And Bush.  And he has his own crazy conspiracy theory, which you can read about here on his fashionably designed website (which I only post b/c of the sheer laughability of it).  You can also check out his new (see: old?) book, with equally fashionable design. 

Note: sarcasm – a sharply ironical taunt; sneering or cutting remark.

updated: Thank you for this, Mr. Martin.  I’m glad we feel the same way.

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“If he wants to climb something, he can climb the walls inside his jail cell at Rikers.”

- Councilman Peter Vallone

proud to be a South Carolinian?

SC Plans Christian License Plate

Proud to be Unconstitutional?  I’m buying a “Proud to be Daoist” license plate ASAP.  Andre Bauer – put your 4 grand towards helping the sick and homeless and keep your “Christian values” to yourself.  Some of us are trying to eat here.  Geez. 

Sidenote:  Don’t get me wrong, I respect Christianity very much.  I also respect most religions.  Something I feel that a lot of Christians don’t do.  And it’s important.  So is using $4,000 to help people who need it.  Just saying.  Think about it. 

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“Well man, could it be that the girls and boys are trying to be heard above your noise? And the lonely voice of youth cries: “what is truth?”"

- “What Is Truth” – Johnny Cash