Josh Sowin is the web developer behind desiringgod.org. I was reviewing some of his work when I came across this essay he posted regarding our charge to be a literate people. Excellent thoughts.
Okay…this is most definitely a fake, but it’s astounding:
Baldwin Bro, Stephen, recently stated his radical disdain for Barack Obama. Claiming that if Obama won, that Baldwin would leave the country. At this point, it’s unclear if this is a threat or a promise from Stephen.
I’ll never forget my good friend Johnny V who introduced Stephen to a crowd of 20K as “Billy.” Priceless.
As far as I’m concerned, adios Stephen –– as long as Alec is back on 30 Rock this fall, all’s good in the neighborhood.
SEED 3 Sketchnotes: First Spread
Originally uploaded by Mike Rohde
How would you like it if you had notes like this for every meeting or conference you sat through? Love it.
Click here to see all the pages.
He was a brilliant satirist, and unflinchingly so. Known best for his “Seven Words” (a wickedly good commentary on taboo), I choose this clip as my tip of the cap to George:
There I am….right in the middle of a total stranger’s photo, at the last Obama rally in Indy before the Indiana primary.
Not only did I manage to get within about 100 feet of the stage, but I got to see Stevie Wonder perform, and most importantly, I got to hear Barack Obama live and in person.
He spoke for nearly 45 minutes, more or less covering all the same ground that any presidential hopeful does on the campaign trail. In other words, I didn’t hear anything new. And that’s not a bad thing.
I support Barack Obama not just because I think he’s equal to the task and a better option than any other recent or current candidate, but because of what doors it opens for the future of US government in 2012, 2016, 2020 and beyond.
As the first black president of the US, it would be a miraculous step forward. And I’m certain that’s been covered to the nth degree. And maybe it’s a pipe dream for me to think about the state of things in this country improving across the board. But trying to improve beats caving to the momentum of a very flawed system.
Stanley Kubrick said, “The cliché is the context.” It always is. But if enough people tire of the surroundings, a major makeover is bound to happen or else you get the hell outta Dodge.
In spite of the critical differences I see between Obama and other options, he’s still a member of the Democrat Party, which is roughly half of our tired and contrived political system. So, I see Barack working within the cliché. Trying to start an Exodus to some place new and fresh.
Such efforts always meet opposition. Even when Obama locks up the nomination (soon and very soon), and the in-fighting amongst the Democrats quells, there’ll be a litany of reasons why he’s purportedly not fit for leading the country. I just can’t fathom it being any contest between him and McCain.
I respect McCain, and marvel at what he’s endured. But at his core, I sense a LOT of anger, bitterness, resentment, and other curmudgeonly plaque.
Whereas, with Obama, I find HOPE. The man not only talks of an idyllic America, but has the chutzpah to point us towards the right bearing on the horizon.
Hope is something we can’t work hard enough at chasing. I’m convinced of it. As a magnet for cyncism, I need all the hope I can get. I can’t help but think that Kubrick was also once told that you can’t polish a turd. He replied with, “Ah, but you can if you freeze it first!” I’m just naive enough to think that this one guy and the team he brings around him can put creative thinking and integrity behind our governmental processes.
And that’s why I’m getting behind Obama. As he was leaving the platform, I meandered closer and as Barack was waving to the crowd, I caught a glimpse of him from about 20 feet away. He had a set to his jaw and slight furrow in his brow that said he meant it. I recognized it as the look of a leader that’s got game. Serious game. And we haven’t had that in a long time.
If found this amazing time lapse video at Vimeo.com. Combines two fave geek passions of mine: baseball and digital cinematography.
Another Day at Fenway - Panning Time Lapse - HDTV from Tom Guilmette on Vimeo.
Last week I was in Mexico, working on one of our travel programs. We were with a group at the Fairmont Mayakoba south of Cancun near Playa Del Carmen.
And on Saturday, I ran into Seal. He was by himself (sorry…no Heidi Klum), evidently there to sing for some other event. When I told Kim, she asked me, “Was Heidi with him?” I told her, “If she was, I’d have said I met Heidi Klum, not Seal!”
I was at the main entrance when Seal was leaving the property, and when he pulled out his iPhone…
ERIC: So…how do you like your iPhone?
SEAL: You know, it’s not bad for a first generation product…do you have one?
ERIC: No…I’m waiting for the 2nd gen. (which is what you say when you can’t justify buying an iPhone no matter how bad you want one.) Rumor has it that it will be released in June.
SEAL: Oh, I don’t know that.
ERIC: Yeah, June is what they’re saying.
SEAL: Right, right. As a phone it’s not bad…I actually PREFER my Blackberry, but it doesn’t integrate as well with my computer…Are you a Mac User?
(Yes. Seal asked me this, unprovoked)
ERIC: Oh, yes…diehard Mac User.
SEAL: It’s simply amazing how well it integrates with my Mac.
ERIC: And it’s only going to get better with the 2nd generation iPhone and beyond. Somewhere around here our conversation was interrupted.
Yes…I geeked out for about 90 seconds with the man behind some of the most beloved anthems from movies like Batman Forever (Kiss from a Rose on the Grave) and Space Jam (Fly Like an Eagle). But of course, he’s best known as Mr. Heidi Klum.
And so, with deep affection and keeping with my desire to put art in front of you, I give you a Muxtape of Seal’s best hits.
As much time as we spend making money, spending those hard earned dollars, managing our finances, and trying not to think about the struggle for the legal tender, I find myself craving art of some sort. I need time for the creative stuff. Time for craftsmanship, for narrative, and poetry.
A chance to see what others have made and be inspired to put something new into the world myself. I’m going to try to start drawing attention to those things that catch my ear, my eye, my guts, and put them here for us all. Check out this amazing video and song, written and made by Fredo Viola: