Tuesday, September 30, 2008 | by nathan

Why I’m Voting For Obama (Part 2)

So, unless you’re one of the innumerable idiotic college freshman who just read The Fountainhead for the first time and suddenly feel the need to tell every single person you meet about this new "Objectivism" you’ve just discovered and how you now plan to give your life for no man, and to ask no man to give his life for you, I think the last week makes it pretty hard to believe that completely unregulated capitalism is any more of a raging success than communism was. Like anyone who didn’t study philosophy just for the tail, I tend to think the best answer lies in the middle, in moderation. Should we be bailing out Wall Street? My populist sensibility tells me no; my common sense tells me that maybe creating another Depression just to make a point isn’t the best idea either.

The thing is, I think that all the major crises facing us now are facets of the same problem: the economy’s gone to shit because for almost 30 of the last 40 years, people have been ruling this country who believe that if you’re poor, if you’re struggling, it’s because you’re an idiot, or irresponsible, or unwilling to work hard. Also, incredibly, these same people believe that businesses should be able to pay their workers whatever they feel like paying them without regard to whether or not said pay amounts to what we in the compassion-based community refer to as "a living wage;" that is, enough money to have the neccesities of life and not to have to choose between, say, food and medicine or shoes for their children.

I’m voting for Barack Obama because he believes that the people who are the backbone of this country, the root of its greatness, are the hardworking people in the lower and middle classes. These are the people who show up for work every single day, often at shitty-ass, soul-sucking jobs, or even more remarkably, at jobs they love but that will never make them wealthy. People who were born rich and privileged (say, George W. Bush and John McCain) do not understand these people, because they’ve never really had to work hard for anything they’ve ever gotten. Barack Obama does understand them. And he has a plan that will put them first:

Tuesday, September 30, 2008 | by nathan

I Still Do This

Monday, September 29, 2008 | by nathan

Weekly Reader: 29 September 2008

FIRST, A META NOTE FOR WHICH I APOLOGIZE:

So, I’ve decided to try something new. I really, really like my Weekly Links. Like, really, really like them, mostly because I consider them an extension of part of the reason why this website exists. See, when I started this blog, like all the other bloggers who are blogging their blogs, I was having all these feelings, and creative urges, and I wanted to write on the internet, dammit. Then I learned how to take good photographs, and then it turned into a whole thing. But ANOTHER part of the reason I love having this site is that I can share things that I love with the world – hence the "Currently Listening" and "Currently Reading" widgets on either side of us. I have a folder in my bookmarks of wonderful things on the web that people send me – hilarious or touching or crazy stuff – and it’s so deep that probably 75% of it will never make it into my sidebar. So, in an effort to force it down your throat, and also to force myself to do this every Monday, I’m changing its name to Weekly Reader (in honor of one of my favorite things from elementary school), and starting a category to make it easier on myself to keep all this collected and to make sure you see some of this wonderful material. If you find something on the web that I should bring to everyone’s attention, please send it to me, especially if it’s something embarrassing about Sarah Palin. And now, without further ado:

29 September 2008

HuffPo: Top 10 Reasons Why Sarah Palin Will Cancel the Debate

Number 10: Suspicious Russian tourists spotted across the Bering strait in Dezhnevo

20 Baby Products You Absolutely Need

"Raising a baby is a tough gig. "Experts" declare at every turn that the wrong decisions on nutrition, napping or enrichment will render your child emotionally barren, homeless, sexually deviant and, worst of all, short. It’s no wonder child rearing products are such a huge industry. Here are 20 products perfect for developing little tykes … into adults who want to murder their parents."

Old Creepy Ads

A delightful collection of actual advertisements that, um, defy explanation. Remember: Thorazine for control of senile agitation. "Give me a calmative!"

Bzzzpeek!

A wonderful (albeit flash-based) website that shows you how animals sound in other languages. As you might expect, cows in Germany sound super-gay, but susprisingly, in South Korea they sound like Charlie Brown’s teacher.

Ripples!

A piece of web and QuickTime genius: a long video of people getting punched in slow-motion. Keep bookmarked to watch at work.

20 Greatest Sci-Fi TV Shows of All Time

Spoiler Alert: Lost is NOT number one. Worst. List. Ever.

Monday, September 29, 2008 | by nathan

Oh Yeah.

This photo of my little brother was taken probably 20 years ago, and I still feel secure in telling you that everything you need to know about his personality, how great and funny and straight-up weird he is, can be gleaned from this photo.

Saturday, September 27, 2008 | by nathan

Dude, Check Out What We Did Last Night!

We totally went to see Alison Krauss & Robert Freaking Plant at the Oklahoma City Zoo Amphitheatre! Brian met me there after work and we tailgated – he went to a sushi place near his office and got us sushi, then to a liquor store for some Sapporo; it was a wonderful date. I was determined to sneak my nice camera in to the show despite the fact that the gate security were patting everyone down. I managed to do it, though I won’t tell you how. Sure am glad I dared to try, too, because, dude, check these photos out below.

And if you haven’t heard Raising Sand, the album that Alison Krauss & Robert Plant released last year, you absolutely should; it’s mind-blowingly good. Here, in fact, before you look at my photos, watch this video:

Friday, September 26, 2008 | by nathan

Sam Fridays: A Conversation With My Dog

The other day I let Sam go outside, and promptly realized there was good garden photography to be had; I ran back inside for five seconds to grab the camera. When I came back out, this happened:

Hey Sam, whatcha doin there?

Hey, where’d you go?

I was getting worried. I couldn’t see you and thought maybe you’d ceased to exist. Then who’d feed me?

Oh, calm down. I went inside for five seconds to grab the camera. Look – the broccoli’s blooming! I wanted to take pictures!

Whatever. I don’t care about the broccoli.

Aw, come on, Sam, don’t be like that. Want me to scratch your belly?

Why that would be simply marvel… NO! I cannot be bought with promises of belly scratches.

In fact, look! Look at this! I’m rolling around in the grass, which I will then track into the house! You’ll have to sweep it up! THAT’S WHAT YOU GET.

Now quit that, Sam. Quit it right this minute.

Fine. But I’m still mad at you.

Oh, come on, Sam. Don’t be mad. Want to come inside and eat a piece of cheese?

Oh, all right. I can’t stay mad at you.

…aaaand scene.

Friday, September 26, 2008 | by nathan

Turtle

Thursday, September 25, 2008 | by nathan

Dude, Don’t Eff With David Letterman

Thursday, September 25, 2008 | by nathan

Little SOBs

These little SOBs are all over my yard every year, and while they bloom, they’re always all over my dog. Hundreds of plants, every year, little SOBs sprouting up everywhere and I hate, hate, hate them and would buy a car* for whoever could tell me exactly how to get rid of them.

*We’re talking Matchbox here, people; I’m not made of money.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008 | by nathan

White Rose

The subject matter is a bit hackneyed, I’ll admit, but this sure did make for a great black and white photo. This is one of my favorites, ever.