For the Cause

So I used to not like Obama because people followed him so unwaveringly…so cultishly….

Then circumstances started to change and it became a matter of not voting FOR Obama, but voting against McCain.

But now. Now. The koolaid is kicking in.

If supporting Obama means shaking your hiphop rappin’ bootay the way we did tonite … for reals… then I’m a lifer. Let’s re-look at those term limits. I can’t go back.

Let’s just face it….McCain will never….never…have this kind of cool factor.

What is this? Why, my beloved Obama finger-puppet, proudly displayed as I “wave my hands in da air” to the evening DJ’s rap-sody. I don’t think Cindy & John are bringin’ down da house in quite this way…do you?

When ivory towers lead to barbed-wire fences


I’ve noted elsewhere how we as humans have our limits when it comes to outrage. Sometimes God blesses us with humor to let off the steam; other times, maybe it’s just a reprieve from thinking about the issue.

When it comes to Gitmo, I’m rather sad to say the latter situation applies, and the reprieve is for tragic reasons. We simply don’t hear about Gitmo because:

1) Other tragedies have grabbed our attention (economic collapse, campaign smears and the like); and
2) W…yes, we can add this to the 3,846* other tragedies left in his wake:

“It is part of a broader strategy not to make difficult decisions about Guantánamo and leave it to the next president.”

— Vijay Padmanabhan, an assistant professor at Cardozo Law School who was until July a State Department lawyer with responsibility for detainee issues

I wonder if the detainees think of this “broader strategy” every morning when they wake up.

*count as of 11:39:43 PST 10 October 2008

Laughing when you’re not supposed to

Financial meltdowns. Political campaigns. Global warming. Laughter feels like a guilty indulgence. Or is my remorse stemming from the fact that some of the things that have made me laugh the hardest recently may prove offensive?

But share I must. So, if you are easily offended, please stop here and just scroll down to the end of this post to watch the video. For the thicker-skinned, I’m publicly disclosing 3 items which unfailingly tickle me to the core…regardless of how many times I view…and view…and view them….:

  1. This repulsive portrayal of the male fantasy world (watch the Ferrino Mizzoni clip). Why, then, as a female, do I relish watching it? A Rebounder’s Delight (credit to my friend Amit – he’s really quite talented don’t you think??).
  2. This deliciously funny satire of Linden Labs’ bizarre yet incomprehensibly popular Second Life virtual world. Don’t get me started on how weird it is. I feel free saying this because all Second Lifers are IN Second Life and quite unlikely to be reading this “real” life blog. Of course, that means you readers out here in the real world have likely never ventured in to Second Life and will likely miss the humor… I personally only have because I interviewed there (I swear!).
  3. This I PRAY soon-to-be dated depiction of Sarah Palin’s Facebook page. Every detail is exquisite.
  4. ADDENDUM FROM 8/3/09 (couldn’t post as a video clip due to NBC litigiousness): http://www.tmz.com/2009/05/10/justin-timberlake-mother-lover/

I thank God that the human species has been specially endowed not only with reason, but with humor. I also believe that, when we get to those infamous “ledge” moments, comedy can kick in beyond our control, overtaking us as an evolutionary survival mechanism.

Such subsummation by laughter is most perfectly depicted in one of my favorite scenes, appropriately (given this electoral season we find ourselves in) from “The Candidate”…if you have ADD, fast-forward to :45: