Saturday, November 22, 2008
Project Direct short film
I discovered the Project Direct short film contest on Youtube a week or two ago and came up with the story over the course of a few days. I asked two of my friends, one of them a fellow Youtuber, to participate in the video and they did. The entire shoot took between ten and thirty minutes.
Thoughts? Comments and ratings on the video's page would be greatly appreciated.
Saturday, November 08, 2008
Puppies!!!
This has been flying around the interwebs over the last few days and I just had to post it here. It's a live webcam feed of 6 Shiba Inu puppies. Are they adorable or what?
Puppies!
Puppies!
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
In Regards to the Election-Fest (a Friend's note)
I'm a huge tool for posting this facebook note, but I need to get some feelings off my chest. I did in fact vote for Barack Obama, but this little diddy I've written is not to sway anyone's opinion on our current president. Rather, a reaction to some disturbing, racist, and closed-minded shit I've scanned over on my news feed. Enjoy :D
First off, everyone needs to chill out about BOTH Obama and McCain. Obama's presidency is not going to bring forth muslim propaganda, domestic terrorist attacks, the resurrection of Karl Marx and Stalin, or waves of zombie-ninja pedophiles. And if for some reason he IS in fact a socialist, or brings forth socialist fiscal policies to our country, who the fuck cares? Socialism, in small doses, may be what the economy needs (temporarily) to get its feet back on the ground. So let go of fucking Joe the Plumber, and see that our country is so fucked up, everyone has to pay to help restore it. And for people my age who are complaining about high taxes. YOU DONT PAY TAXES! YOU'RE 18!
And for the Obama fans who are stoked as hell, don't bad mouth people who were for McCain. He may not have been my choice (or the country's choice teehee) but he was far from being as bad as people made him out to be. He was a great man that unfortunately had to sell out his former moderate beliefs to gain support of the republican base. In short, he's not the antichrist; he was just a pushover with the antichrist as his running mate. And if he had won, who knows? Maybe McCain would have returned to his centrist politics since he no longer has to appeal to the republican base. It's not likely, but it's possible.
Anyway, if you've read this far you're probably like "Ok, Stephen Hilger? What the fuck is your point?" Well, I guess this is more of a response than an argument. Basically, if you were for McCain, bite your lip, stop saying racist garbage about our president, and support the country that you're apparently proud of unconditionally. And if you were for Obama, don't rub it in McCain-iacs faces. No matter who won this election, the next four years in this country are going to be fucked up. But the simple fact that candidates were ready to face the problems ahead, and didn't deny they existed like our last president, is a good sign.
So yea. Stop saying garbage. Open up your minds. And accept history.
And besides, no president can match Teddy. He had fuckin boxing matches in front of the White House!
First off, everyone needs to chill out about BOTH Obama and McCain. Obama's presidency is not going to bring forth muslim propaganda, domestic terrorist attacks, the resurrection of Karl Marx and Stalin, or waves of zombie-ninja pedophiles. And if for some reason he IS in fact a socialist, or brings forth socialist fiscal policies to our country, who the fuck cares? Socialism, in small doses, may be what the economy needs (temporarily) to get its feet back on the ground. So let go of fucking Joe the Plumber, and see that our country is so fucked up, everyone has to pay to help restore it. And for people my age who are complaining about high taxes. YOU DONT PAY TAXES! YOU'RE 18!
And for the Obama fans who are stoked as hell, don't bad mouth people who were for McCain. He may not have been my choice (or the country's choice teehee) but he was far from being as bad as people made him out to be. He was a great man that unfortunately had to sell out his former moderate beliefs to gain support of the republican base. In short, he's not the antichrist; he was just a pushover with the antichrist as his running mate. And if he had won, who knows? Maybe McCain would have returned to his centrist politics since he no longer has to appeal to the republican base. It's not likely, but it's possible.
Anyway, if you've read this far you're probably like "Ok, Stephen Hilger? What the fuck is your point?" Well, I guess this is more of a response than an argument. Basically, if you were for McCain, bite your lip, stop saying racist garbage about our president, and support the country that you're apparently proud of unconditionally. And if you were for Obama, don't rub it in McCain-iacs faces. No matter who won this election, the next four years in this country are going to be fucked up. But the simple fact that candidates were ready to face the problems ahead, and didn't deny they existed like our last president, is a good sign.
So yea. Stop saying garbage. Open up your minds. And accept history.
And besides, no president can match Teddy. He had fuckin boxing matches in front of the White House!
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
A Very Emotional Piece (from Talking Points Memo)
I Didn't Vote For Obama Today
November 4, 2008, 9:37AM
I have a confession to make.
I did not vote for Barack Obama today.
I've openly supported Obama since March. But I didn't vote for him today.
I wanted to vote for Ronald Woods. He was my algebra teacher at Clark Junior High in East St. Louis, IL. He died 15 years ago when his truck skidded head-first into a utility pole. He spent many a day teaching us many things besides the Pythagorean Theorem. He taught us about Medgar Evers, Ralph Abernathy, John Lewis and many other civil rights figures who get lost in the shadow cast by Martin Luther King, Jr.
But I didn't vote for Mr. Woods.
I wanted to vote for Willie Mae Cross. She owned and operated Crossroads Preparatory Academy for almost 30 years, educating and empowering thousands of kids before her death in 2003. I was her first student. She gave me my first job, teaching chess and math concepts to kids in grades K-4 in her summer program. She was always there for advice, cheer and consolation. Ms. Cross, in her own way, taught me more about walking in faith than anyone else I ever knew.
But I didn't vote for Ms. Cross.
I wanted to vote for Arthur Mells Jackson, Sr. and Jr. Jackson Senior was a Latin professor. He has a gifted school named for him in my hometown. Jackson Junior was the pre-eminent physician in my hometown for over 30 years. He has a heliport named for him at a hospital in my hometown. They were my great-grandfather and great-uncle, respectively.
But I didn't vote for Prof. Jackson or Dr. Jackson.
I wanted to vote for A.B. Palmer. She was a leading civil rights figure in Shreveport, Louisiana, where my mother grew up and where I still have dozens of family members. She was a strong-willed woman who earned the grudging respect of the town's leaders because she never, ever backed down from anyone and always gave better than she got. She lived to the ripe old age of 99, and has a community center named for her in Shreveport.
But I didn't vote for Mrs. Palmer.
I wanted to vote for these people, who did not live to see a day where a Black man would appear on their ballots on a crisp November morning.
In the end, though, I realized that I could not vote for them any more than I could vote for Obama himself.
So who did I vote for?
No one.
I didn't vote. Not for President, anyway.
Oh, I went to the voting booth. I signed, was given my stub, and was walked over to a voting machine. I cast votes for statewide races and a state referendum on water and sewer improvements.
I stood there, and I thought about all of these people, who influenced my life so greatly. But I didn't vote for who would be the 44th President of the United States.
When my ballot was complete, except for the top line, I finally decided who I was going to vote for - and then decided to let him vote for me. I reached down, picked him up, and told him to find Obama's name on the screen and touch it.
And so it came to pass that Alexander Reed, age 5, read the voting screen, found the right candidate, touched his name, and actually cast a vote for Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
Oh, the vote will be recorded as mine. But I didn't cast it.
Then again, the person who actually pressed the Obama box and the red "vote" button was the person I was really voting for all along.
It made the months of donating, phonebanking, canvassing, door hanger distributing, sign posting, blogging, arguing and persuading so much sweeter.
So, no, I didn't vote for Barack Obama. I voted for a boy who now has every reason to believe he, too, can grow up to be anything he wants...even President.
The article.
November 4, 2008, 9:37AM
I have a confession to make.
I did not vote for Barack Obama today.
I've openly supported Obama since March. But I didn't vote for him today.
I wanted to vote for Ronald Woods. He was my algebra teacher at Clark Junior High in East St. Louis, IL. He died 15 years ago when his truck skidded head-first into a utility pole. He spent many a day teaching us many things besides the Pythagorean Theorem. He taught us about Medgar Evers, Ralph Abernathy, John Lewis and many other civil rights figures who get lost in the shadow cast by Martin Luther King, Jr.
But I didn't vote for Mr. Woods.
I wanted to vote for Willie Mae Cross. She owned and operated Crossroads Preparatory Academy for almost 30 years, educating and empowering thousands of kids before her death in 2003. I was her first student. She gave me my first job, teaching chess and math concepts to kids in grades K-4 in her summer program. She was always there for advice, cheer and consolation. Ms. Cross, in her own way, taught me more about walking in faith than anyone else I ever knew.
But I didn't vote for Ms. Cross.
I wanted to vote for Arthur Mells Jackson, Sr. and Jr. Jackson Senior was a Latin professor. He has a gifted school named for him in my hometown. Jackson Junior was the pre-eminent physician in my hometown for over 30 years. He has a heliport named for him at a hospital in my hometown. They were my great-grandfather and great-uncle, respectively.
But I didn't vote for Prof. Jackson or Dr. Jackson.
I wanted to vote for A.B. Palmer. She was a leading civil rights figure in Shreveport, Louisiana, where my mother grew up and where I still have dozens of family members. She was a strong-willed woman who earned the grudging respect of the town's leaders because she never, ever backed down from anyone and always gave better than she got. She lived to the ripe old age of 99, and has a community center named for her in Shreveport.
But I didn't vote for Mrs. Palmer.
I wanted to vote for these people, who did not live to see a day where a Black man would appear on their ballots on a crisp November morning.
In the end, though, I realized that I could not vote for them any more than I could vote for Obama himself.
So who did I vote for?
No one.
I didn't vote. Not for President, anyway.
Oh, I went to the voting booth. I signed, was given my stub, and was walked over to a voting machine. I cast votes for statewide races and a state referendum on water and sewer improvements.
I stood there, and I thought about all of these people, who influenced my life so greatly. But I didn't vote for who would be the 44th President of the United States.
When my ballot was complete, except for the top line, I finally decided who I was going to vote for - and then decided to let him vote for me. I reached down, picked him up, and told him to find Obama's name on the screen and touch it.
And so it came to pass that Alexander Reed, age 5, read the voting screen, found the right candidate, touched his name, and actually cast a vote for Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
Oh, the vote will be recorded as mine. But I didn't cast it.
Then again, the person who actually pressed the Obama box and the red "vote" button was the person I was really voting for all along.
It made the months of donating, phonebanking, canvassing, door hanger distributing, sign posting, blogging, arguing and persuading so much sweeter.
So, no, I didn't vote for Barack Obama. I voted for a boy who now has every reason to believe he, too, can grow up to be anything he wants...even President.
The article.
HISTORY!
It has been made.
We now have a black President.
Congratulations, Senator ... I mean, President Barack Obama!
We now have a black President.
Congratulations, Senator ... I mean, President Barack Obama!
Calling Election 2008
I'm watching the results as they in with a hallmate, Brandon. We've been flipping between CNN and MSNBC. We're now watching Indecision 2008 on Comedy Central.
CNN: Hi-tech holograms and Wolf Blitzer.
MSNBC: Gangster suits, touch screens, Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow, and Chuck Todd.
Comedy Central: Stewart and Colbert.
CNN: Hi-tech holograms and Wolf Blitzer.
MSNBC: Gangster suits, touch screens, Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow, and Chuck Todd.
Comedy Central: Stewart and Colbert.
Rock the Vote, Damn It!
Today is November 4th, 2008. Today, we, the United States, will elect a new president. The choices: a black guy or an old white guy. Let's look at their running mates: a younger, old white guy or a right-wing outsider woman.
I voted already via absentee ballot. I chose "That One". I'm proud of my choice.
Folks, go vote.
I voted already via absentee ballot. I chose "That One". I'm proud of my choice.
Folks, go vote.
Monday, November 03, 2008
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