Friday, October 31, 2008

Making it rain...in the desert

Obama's Arizona strategy,

"Pride comes before the fall" or "the best defense is a good offense?"

I can't really decide. Maybe he just wants to dominate the last few news cycles before the election? But, will it look arrogant to undecideds? (all 12 of them)

I was already turned off by his $4 million TV spot the other night; a tactic reminicent of Ross Perot's infomercials in the 1992 election.

(which I attempted to find and link on this post, until I realized that the internet barley existed in 1992; if you google Ross Perot infomercials the first hits are Geocitites and Encarta.)

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Hail Hitler and Vote for Obama

If this isn't the most counter-intuitive, fucked up piece of journalism you've read in a while, I want to know what is.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

...and not just because the Alaskan viaduct is a death-trap.

Here is an intriguing and expressive idea from a guy I don't often agree with.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

An Attempt at Understanding

I would like, sincerely, to hear from both Democrats and Republicans in my age group.

What are the issues that lead you to support the McCain / Palin ticket or the Obama / Biden ticket?

Are you a fiscal conservative? A social one? A Liberal?

Are you in favor of universal healthcare in the U.S.? Are you in favor of limited or expanded gov. roles?

How do these ideals find their way into your lives? What measures do you believe McCain or Obama will take to defend these interests? Why do you feel Obama or McCain (or Palin / Biden)is a threat to these interests?

I'm obviously pro-Obama, but I'm asking these questions out of honest interest, not to ambush your responses with my own rebuttals.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Let's Talk About Hope


I was pleased with the outcome...


Lake Washington



Two decent photos I took during summer on Lake Washington.  


Also, here are some better ones taken by my buddy Jon Steinberg on a different day.





(Mt. Rainier)


















Start Here,

I can't help but feel amazed, and somewhat overwhelmed with new technology these days. I fancy myself to be a pretty tech-savvy guy, but it seems that lately I can't even keep up with the levels of connectivity that are now possible.

This, if it works as it is supposed to, seems really big (thanks to Ali for the heads up). I know this isn't a new idea, but I'm just starting to cope with the pros and cons. Once they start selling discounted textbooks, you would never have a huge backpack of books to carry around. The environmental impact could be huge (paper saving); especially in terms of periodicals. Newspapers are a colossal waste of material; they are usually read once and discarded, and moreover, often overprinted. The cell-phone style connection makes it easy enough for adults to understand; no messing with wireless networks and keys means my parents could probably cope with it. The melding of hand-held technology and the world of literature might be enough to bridge the gap with younger generations who find reading cumbersome. The only foil I see to this plan so far is the library. I would immediately plan to buy this as a Christmas present for my dad (who reads far more than he should given his neurotic worldview), but he gets all of his books from the lib at a fraction of the price it would cost to buy them on the device.


My recent Mac purchase has allowed me to video-conference with my parents, sister, and three of my best friends on a regular basis (probably too regularly upon reflection of a Saturday night conversation). Again, its not new, but I found myself caught off-guard by the ease of use, quality of communication, and the feeling of actual interaction you get from both hearing and seeing a person on the other line. Granted, I'm easily amused by many things, but video conferencing is awesome for families and friends seperated by long distances.

Feelings of inadequacy often characterize our parents' relationship with technology, and its been one of my favorite things to hold over their heads. It's something I had yet to experience until recently; its not nearly as funny as I thought.

Cheese-Grease (leftovers)

...here are some jams that come out today...

...I'm going to do my best to replicate the pumpkin on the right tonight over some beers...

...and Andy has very clearly articulated my feelings towards UofM fans here...