Presidential Candidates

Because you asked me-

Barack Obama -
I hope he really is a good person. I like that he is starting to show some backbone. I haven't seen that before. No, I don't like him automatically because I'm a so-called "liberal"(and what's wrong with that?) and he's black. And yes, in good ol'America (where the tree limbs are still bent from the memories of so many lynchings), he is considered black by all parties despite the creation of a story by major networks saying something to the contrary...that black people don't think him black enough. This is one of those stories that they can publish without evidence at all. Think about it: If most "black" people in fact just love love love Obama, and the news media got the story wrong...who's to say? The media powers today can say practically anything they like and get away with it. Including the national networks saying that Obama is risking his life in running for president...that someone might kill him. Are they trying to suggest something to their audience? Afterall, there are lots of reasons why candidates might be assassinated (ex. Senator Robert F. Kennedy) and yet they never do say such things about other candidates.

Hillary Clinton - I liked her and respected her plenty right up until she voted to go to Iraq. It's not like everyone did. And somehow she just doesn't seem to cut it anymore...even her excuses for having voted to give Bush that power seem paltry and leave me unsatisfied that she is the strong and more importantly moral person I would like in the office. None of that is why I am under no circumstances voting for her to be the democratic nominee...I'm just sure that there is no chance in hell that she would ever be elected president by this country over a white male unless he were some long-haired hippy and that of course rules out any republicans. Any republican would be more acceptable to the country than electing a b****(their words, not mine) like Hillary. Sorry, the country is still sexist as heck and I won't pretend otherwise like those people who pretended that Ralph Nader might get elected and voted for him, thus getting the rest of us stuck with Bush in power all this time.

Edwards and Others -
So far, the likeliest candidate I've heard of is John Edwards and I can only assume that the corporate media is just filling airtime right now with the other two until we get tired of them and then they will bring out Edwards and/or others to take over the spotlight. By the way, if we are allowed to dream...I'd like to see candidate Dennis Kucinich as president any year, but especially now.

Hilarious

Knights of the Star Trek Table

I love Mash-ups and this one is as smooth as any I have seen yet.




"The crew of the starship Enterprise perform a rousing rendition of the Monty Python classic in this inspired mashup."

Crusades II: See It Again for the First Time

I respected McCain a great deal for coming out strongly against the Bush Administration's/US Military's policies of torture. He was in many ways a lone voice among the Republicans and, though he was harshly criticized for it, he stood up and did the right thing. He restored in me some hope that people, on both sides of the political spectrum, might sometimes stand up for what is humane, what is right (something we see so rarely from prominent politicians of any ilk).

For this reason, I'm very disappointed now to hear that he would support sending over 21,000 more of our young and largely underprivileged sons and daughters (sisters, brothers, fathers, and mothers) to not only join the ranks of the many soldiers who have died there already, but to continue the inhumane occupation of the country and commit further acts of violence against the Iraqi people. Didn't we learn anything in Vietnam? We won't "win" against guerrilla tactics...against a community who has nothing to lose and everything to gain in fighting back against oppression.

To add salt to the wound, McCain, Lieberman, and other bedfellows, elected theoretically at the behest of the electorate but salivating over a GOP presidential nomination next year, have completely disregarded the wishes of the American People in pursuing this policy of maintaining and even drastically expanding our occupation of Iraq.

I can only hope that people speak as strongly for positive change with their vote in 2008 as they did this past November. We desperately need to move toward becoming a much more forward thinking, compassionate country if we want to survive as a nation (and as members of a viable planet).

Evolution Video

This is a interesting video on Evolution.

My Name is Yu Ming

This wonderful film is just chock full of content. It speaks to so many realities of the world today. Sad and somewhat humorous too. Have a look!

You've heard that saying about books and their covers?

This has got to be one of the funniest videos I've seen in a while, even if slightly predictable...See LadyJane at Atomfilms.

I wish I could embed this, but no such luck...

This is a wonderful video of Death Can for Cuite's song "Summer Skin."

The Life of a Cell

Click on the title of this post to see an absolutely remarkable video depicting the myriad of processes going on inside a human cell. It is POSITIVELY BEAUTIFUL. Am sending this along to my friends right away...especially the science teachers.

John Wayne's real name anyone?

John Wayne was born Marion Michael Morrison. No wonder he collected dolls and had the following opinion of the Euro-American genocide of Native Americans:

"I don't feel we did wrong in taking this great country away from them. There were great numbers of people who needed new land, and the Indians were selfishly trying to keep it for themselves."

He's so Cute! You guess which one I'm talking about. Hint: I hate Elmo.

Wayne Brady is so very talented. I miss his talk show (and I normally never watch talk shows).********

Don't Diet, Sleep

Here, via 1stParagraph, is a great incentive to get your beauty sleep, so important to your overall health. Hint: Click on the title of this post.

I love this video by Pink...silly unpopcultured me, I thought this was Gwen Stefani at first and wondered where the social consciousness was coming from. I've never heard Pink before but just might have to give her a try after watching this music video.

Stupid Girls

They got pretty wild in the 50s too! If you dare, check out this automotive commercial from that era when everyone was, ummmm...stiff.

Suggestive Commercial

Liberation of the Mind -

I teach because I want to show children that learning can be a dynamic, fun experience that adds color to their universe. That learning should not be equated to the stark environments and bureaucratic systems within which schools exist but is a freeing force that opens up so many new possibilities in life and empowers us to accomplish whatever we choose in life.
In one sentence, I teach because I want my students to take a moment out from under the influence of so many large power brokers in society, to pull out the headphones, turn off the commercial television, and see their own power to control their own destinies and shape their worlds.

It's late and not Christmas anymore. Even if you stay up, apparently you can't take the day with you.

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Dear Drew Bailey,

I have a crush on you. Scratch that - have had a crush on you for some time now. You were such a captivating reporter a few years ago and now I find out that you work for/run a division of the state department! Wow. Clearly I was right about you. You will likely be press secretary or some such illustrious profession in the near future. I'll be following your ascent to greatness.

-Looney2000@irrational.com

I started out really really wanting to teach. I wanted to use my creativity, humor, and compassion to make a positive change in my students' lives. I also love my subject, mathematics, and knew that there aren't a lot of role models for kids showing them that women and minorities really can be successful in math and thoroughly enjoy math. I know as a role model that I have had a positive effect on many of my students. However, it has taken so much energy and time to learn how to be anywhere close to effective as a math teacher and still parents and students constantly look down on teachers and treat them in degrading ways. Moreover, I have learned after all this time that the way to be a more successful teacher is to be all about organization (a lot of secretarial work is involved really) and relatively serious presentations, rather than being more laid back which is my style of presentation (I like whole group discussions generally but this doesn't always work well with middle school groups who hate math and want to give you a hard and harder time). I am feeling less and less that creativity has much of anything to do with it really. Certainly not the kind of creativity that I excel at and I think I want to return to one of the design fields that I was initially interested in right after college. I am very disappointed that teaching was not what I thought however and very disappointed with the rigidity of the school system and of a negative school culture that teaches kids that school is a looming behemoth, a gray prison that you should use all your energy to resist passively and aggressively. Another reason I am leaving is that my colleagues recently argued that it was necessary to serve kids soda with pizza and that we should charge kids to come to an in-school holiday party.

Illogic sometimes seems to just creep in and rules where angels fear to tread.