Quote

"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." - Abraham Lincoln

Two Nations Under God

What was remarkable about John McCain's speech at the convention was that any time he even suggested the idea of bringing people together across party lines, the crowd always seemed to go a little cold. After several nights of the usual attack speeches, McCain, who can appeal to Americans on both sides, seems to be an outcast in his own party for suggesting unity.
This is in drastic contrast to Obama whose message of one country has drawn so many supporters from both ends of the spectrum. It's this positive message that has drawn me to support him.

In the past several days the Republican party seems to have gone right back to the "win by dividing" strategy that has come to define them for many years now. Gone are the days when the core message is smaller government, less burdensome taxes, free choice without government meddling, and market driven economics...all sound platforms. Now it seems those who hold these ideas as the true definition of the party have been pushed to the fringes.
The driving force of religious orthodoxy and the values narrative has taken over the party completely. And if you're not on board, you're the enemy. These were never McCain's primary messages, but with the selection of Palin and the stirring up of the sceptics, he appears to be buckling under the thumb of the religious base that drives the party. Today's McCain seems different from the McCain of six months ago.
I find this politics of division to be dangerous. It was the driving apart of ethnic and cultural groups for political gain that destroyed Yugoslavia. We've had many years of the politics of division. Is it possible for America to have it any other way?

What Palin Brings

Who knew that while the Republicans were criticizing Obama for being a "celebrity", all they really wanted was one of their own.

Daily Show

Why is a comedy show the only show that rolls old video tape to reveal the contradictions? Sometimes it's the best way to the truth.

Republican National Convention

Is it just me, or did several of last night's speakers mock Barack Obama for doing community service?

China Beach

Not the old China:

Sarah Palin's Convention Dilemma

Looks like team McCain operatives have raced to Alaska, yanked the hockey stick out of Levi's hands, thrown him on a plane to St. Paul, and spruced him up for a possible family appearance tonight. Sounds okay to me. There's only one problem. When an arena of Republicans stand and cheer those crazy out-of-wedlock teen pregnancy kids, guess what they're going to look like?
Hollywood Liberal Democrats.
The kind of people who gush over movies like Juno and think Roman Polanski should be let back into the country. What's next? A Republican Lesbian Wheelchair parade?

Bristol Palin

Is it fair to a pregnant 17 year old going through an intensely personal family experience to shine such a media spotlight on her? No. Is she fair game in the middle of a heated election year? Unfortunately, yes. And the GOP can thank Karl Rove because it's right out of his playbook.
This kind of thing can happen to any family regardless of status or politics. The stroke of misfortune is that for the past ten years the Republican party has been presenting itself as the party of morality and family values and using it as a bludgeon against their enemies. They have been talking down to Democrats suggesting that the entire party is immoral, Godless, and lacking in family values. None of this is true. But now that the teen pregnancy scenario is not working entirely in their favor, they're claiming "personal private issue". This is a great hypocrisy. The Republicans will blame the media as usual, but what would Rush Limbaugh have done if it were Chelsea Clinton ten years ago?

Can Termites Solve The Oil Problem?

This article says so:
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200809/termites

Yee Mee Loo

In Chinatown Los Angeles - this is the only photo I've been able to find, taken sometime in the 40's, of one of L.A.'s great lost bars. Yee Mee Loo was closed in the early 90's and torn town for a mini mall that to this day is only partially occupied.
Stepping into the place was like going back in time. The small jukebox on the wall played mostly 40's music, and it felt like you were in some tiny bar on Okinawa during WWII. The elaborately carved back bar was a work of art, and I've heard it was bought by a Chinese restaurant out in Montrose, CA.
It was the kind of dark little watering hole where whoever you were having a drink with might confess something they never told you before. Then you could go next door and eat some ribs and shrimp toast. A real lost treasure.

Tales Of The Arrested

Courthouse Confessions is a great blog that chronicles the daily stories of the arrested at a New York City courthouse.

Stuff That's Probably True

Eclipses are overrated. Solar...lunar...they're not that great.

BBC 1974

This short video from the BBC is called "Jumping on Eggs", but it's more like skimming eggs. Still entertaining.

Clown News

A former Pentagon worker now clowns at places like Walter Reed Army Hospital. From the article:

"She’s careful with the balloons around some, though. They pop. “So you can imagine the trauma that could bring up, especially if you’re a patient just back from Iraq or Afghanistan. So we’re careful. We ask. Or we just do magic tricks,” she says."

Full piece here.

Video

I like this video.


Getting chased by Jacob's Bronco in my go-kart from skaw on Vimeo.

Photo

Muto

by BLU.

MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

Avalanche!

And protection against.

Obama Reagan

First Obama seemed kinda like Kennedy. Then a little bit like Lincoln. But could it be that he's most like...

Photo

Photographer Rachel Graves is doing some interesting work. This is from a series called Fragments.
The images are manipulations of family photos taken over the years that address the relationship between photos and memory. Worth a look.