David Horsey is funny

For more, check out his website or visit the Seattle PI (duh).

the snow and other things

i like these comics above, i recommend checking both these sites: asofterworld and xkcd, recently referred to me by a grad school pal. funny (mostly, sometimes)

for crying out loud, i cannot think of anything to blog about for the life of me. oh, i could write about the snow. about how i got caught biking in the snow for the second time this winter. but that is just lame.

my friend steff, of mindy's blog's fame, recently discovered the new digs. welcome, steff. that makes two of ya.

yes we can!!

alright folks, for those of you as bummed out as i am about hillaryland's win last night in new hampshire, take 13 minutes to watch Obama's speech from last night.  of course, it is inspiring, it would be surprising if it wasn't.  if you want the shortened version, go to Obama's website and watch the piece they edited together.  

now, i also heard him on npr this morning responding to a challenge that he wasn't offering any new or specific policy proposals that set him apart from the other Dem contenders Clinton and Edwards.  his response was brilliant.  i can't find the audio over on npr, or the transcript, so let me paraphrase a bit.  he basically said, look, there are numerous policy papers and groups who work with all the candidates to put forward a progressive policy agenda, but what we need right now is not technical.  what we need right now is leadership, someone who can build a new and lasting coalition of power to get an agenda passed.  and that that was what his candidacy is really all about, new leadership, and in my eyes, actual leadership.  think about it, how does hillary lead when there is such a strong, albeit undeserved, anti-hillary sentiment?  and i don't even mean just among voters, there are colleagues of hers in the house and senate who won't work with her because her last name is clinton.  Edwards, who i really do admire and whose policies i do believe are the most progressive, is not trying to repair the divisiveness in the country.  that is not part of his rhetoric, just the opposite he is standing up as the one who will fight the powerful interests.  and while in my heart of hearts, i want the moneyed interests to get the hell out of policy-making, i just do not see that happening under our current capitalistic society.  in our society, money means power.  to change that requires revolution, not another rich white guy.  and the way i look at it is, if we can believe Obama's rhetoric of change, and we believe that he has the genuine support of voters--as opposed to the washington establishment--then i feel he is in the best position to change the bullshit that goes on in DC on the regular; namely: corporations writing laws.  while Edwards talks passionately about what the actual problem is, i believe Obama is the only one who will actually have the political capital to do anything about it.  

i read comic books

i read comic books.  it is true.  i am 27 years old and i probably enjoy comics more now than i ever have in my life.  truth is, there are just as many comics out there meant for adults as there are for kids.  i like comics because of the fun escapist story lines, metaphors showing us how fucked up the real world actually is, and/or the artwork -- sometimes all of the above.  some of the artwork in comics is as good as any medium you will see.   and with commercial appeal too boot.  anyways, the whole point of this post was to say that 2007 brought me back to comics when i re-read the watchmen, dark knight returns, and the complete one volume edition of bone.



in 2008, i plan on reading the sandman.  if you have a copy i can borrow, let me know. 

GOBAMA GO!!!

in celebration of Obama's inspiring win in iowa, i went back and watched where it all began, the 2004 democratic keynote address that propelled Obama to stardom.  i've been pulling for this guy since this speech, the most inspiring thing I have heard in my short lifetime.  this is the second half of the speech, building up to the big finale, you can youtube the whole thing if you care to.  



new hampshire could be interesting.  if independents decide to vote in the dem primary, will they go for Clinton as they did in '92, or will they break for Obama like they did in the Iowa caucuses?  do young people even live in new hampshire?  because i think this story of Obama bringing out all these new voters will catch fire on college campuses as the more casually interested hear about this guy who other young people are excited about.  Hillary can have her elderly women, if Obama can bring new voters out for an exciting and historic presidential election in 2008, that experience could lead to many new lifelong voters.  which would be a good thing.  and i personally think that the significance of our first black president will have a stronger more lasting impact than any single "more progressive" policy Edwards might have any hope of passing if he wins.  crotchety old white rich guys in congress can block just about anything they dont like.  but they cant deny the impact of a black leader and role model, not just for young people of color, but at least as importantly for young whites.  i think that young white kids need to see a powerful and successful black role model that challenges the stereotypes, biases, and prejudices that are bred into us by our parents and society.  i do not feel at all bad about admitting that race is incredibly important to me in this election, because i truly believe we still live in a racist land.  some people don't accept that and my response is that they are ignorant or naive or both.  ergo, i think supporting Obama is the most progressive stand i can take in this election.  

PS -- not to mention the fact that he was against the war from the start.  Edwards was not.  and for that matter, Edwards has been all over the map on a lot of stuff.  i believe he is passionate about poverty, that is why he will make a wonderful labor secretary in obama's administration.  

PPS -- i do not think he will accept second fiddle again.  nor do i think Obama would if Hillary were to get the nomination, i reckon he'll stay in the senate where he could challenge her again in four years if she ends up shitting the bed.  or he could just run for governor of IL in 2008, which he probably would/could not do from a VP post.  

PPPS -- Dan Balz blogging at WaPo thinks Clinton could face more trouble in new hampshire by comparing demographics between Obama voters in IA and the potential NH dem primary electorate.  Good stuff, basically says there more independents and younger voters in NH, and very well educated, all groups who favored Obama over Clinton in Iowa.  

happy new year

today i am hung over but excited for the new year.  2008 has the potential to rival 2006, which was a pretty good one in my book.  2007 was great too, but '06 was a classic.  as you can see i shaved meself a 'hawk yesterday.  some people wear goofy hats on new years eve, so i thought i would wear a goofy hairdo.  thing is, i look pretty damn good with this hawk.  like a complete and total poser ass chump, to be sure, but pretty damn good nonetheless.   

after an evening of vodka, whiskey, and some good snacks, we hiked over to a park to watch the fireworks.  nice show they put on, although there was a computer glitch which delayed things a bit.  the PI has a story on that if interested.  i am not.  but the picture (below) they took is purdy.  

a lot of people want to know my resolutions for the year.  i mean a LOT of freakin people.  well this year i think i will try to rock a little harder, a little more often.  i'll go to more shows, maybe like one a month.  and i will rock.  

another is i will befriend michael cera.  his current writing partner clark is a douche and is really holding him back.  clearly, i am way funnier.  or maybe michael cera is the douche, and that clark is funny.  regardless, they suck together.  i resolve in 2008 to break them up.  

Recommended reading

Some great satire by Seattle resident Neal Starkman in the PI.

Everything I know I learned since Jan. 20, 2001
NEAL STARKMAN
GUEST COLUMNIST

Being a Christian is the best. It's not really OK to be a Jew unless you live in Israel, the Promised Land. Mormons should learn how to be more Christian. Everyone else should convert or die.

The U.S. does well when huge corporations are allowed to do whatever they want. The more we can make rich people richer, the better it will be for everybody:

Rich people hire everyone else to work for them, making our economy robust.

Rich people got rich because of the free market system and their own individual efforts, for which they should be rewarded. Those people who aren't rich have only themselves to blame.

People in high office -- like the president and the vice-president -- have difficult, complicated jobs. If they forget to do stuff, or if they cut corners here and there, or if they tell a white lie now and then, that's OK, because the important thing is for them to protect us not only from bad things but also from thinking about bad things, unless they feel we need to. The only thing a president shouldn't do is to have sex with someone who's not his wife -- because that's a betrayal of the American people's trust.

Scientists' opinions are neither better nor worse than anyone else's.

Just because someone doesn't use big words or make sense a lot of the time doesn't mean that that someone isn't smart and kind and doesn't have our best interests at heart.

If people disagree with you, the only reasonable explanation for their behavior is that they're traitors. Sometimes they know this and sometimes they don't.

If you have nothing to hide, it shouldn't matter who listens to your phone calls or looks at your bank statements or follows you around the block in a van that says "ClearTone Cell Phones" or talks to your neighbors about who's been visiting you on Tuesday evenings under the guise of "playing poker." Only criminals would object to any of those things.

If you live in an area that's prone to a natural disaster like a fire or a flood or an earthquake or a hurricane, you shouldn't expect the federal government to take care of you when your neighborhood gets destroyed. Next time you'll think more carefully about where you're going to settle down.

Some people in the world are envious of everything we have -- computers and cable TV and cool-looking clothes and the Super Bowl and especially our freedoms. They'll do anything to destroy us, because if they can't have those things, they believe that no one should. These people are probably dark-skinned. That doesn't mean we should be suspicious of everyone who's dark-skinned. Still.

The immigration problem is the most critical issue facing Americans today, except maybe for those terrorists who are envious of us -- unless they're both illegal immigrants and terrorists, which is more common than most people think.

The fall of communism is the best evidence that providing everyone in this country with free health care is doomed and in any case gives drug addicts and slugabeds free handouts and no motivation to succeed on their own merits.

Democrats block progress at every turn, either by spending beyond our means, taxing beyond our means, preventing the administration from doing what's right, or just kind of being obnoxious. They should go away and let Republicans fulfill their mandate.

God speaks to the president, which is really fortunate, because otherwise people might have stronger arguments against what he does.

Neal Starkman lives in Seattle.