Obama Impersonation

Story of Stuff

I was just running through a few emails and came across link from Caleb Walker.  It's a little video called Story of Stuff. This is a video that not only should everyone see, but they should watch it at least once a week to combat the constant brainwashing that we receive in this country.  The kind of brainwashing constructed by our friend Victor LeBeau

“Our enormously productive economy…demands that we make consumption our way of life, that we convert the buying and use of goods into rituals, that we seek our spiritual satisfaction, our ego satisfaction, in consumption…we need things consumed, burned up, replaced and discarded at an ever-accelerating rate.” – Victor LeBeau, Retail Analyst Post WW II

who I guess we could refer to as the father of consumptionism.  I particularly enjoyed the notion that our national happiness peaked in the 1950's and also the part about Planned Obsolescence and Perceived Obsolescence and that 99% of what is produced is trashed in six months.  So, next time you're in the mood for shopping, maybe you should take twenty minutes, watch the video and ask yourself, "do I really need this?" 

A-political

So I feel like I've been posting a lot of really politcal, sorta serious type stuff lately. So, I thought I'd put something up that's just plain old fun. In the tradition of Rube Goldberg, here's a little good, clean, subway fun. It's called The Machine. Enjoy.

The Machine from mudlevel on Vimeo.
Also, if you're wondering what Banksy has been up to, look no further. His newest feat is The Village Pet Store.

Brilliant...enough said.

Hedge Fund Manager: Goodbye and F---- You - News Blog - Daily Brief - Portfolio.com

Howard Zinn breaks it down.

Spend the Bailout Money on the Middle Class
This is a great explanation of what's going on with our economic "bailout" aka corporate welfare and a great reminder that our "big government" truly does work for the corporation and not the populous.  And if you were wondering what latent racism was up to, here's a nice little article from the Times. 

Truly Frightening

DISCLAIMER: What you are about to see will possibly scare the living crap out of you. For all of the debates, discussions, interviews, vetting, it doesn't hold a candle to downright stupidity and assumption. This people are picking their President not based on policy, not based on temper, negotiation skills, foreign policy...any policy for that matter. They are picking the white guy and his running mate. And why? Because he's not black, and he's definitely not a terrorist. And the scariest part...I'm pretty sure this footage is from Pennsylvania. My state. Please, if you're watching this. Vote. Vote for the real reasons, not latent racism, fear, or stupidity. Vote Obama.

So Funny I almost peed

The Great Schlep from The Great Schlep on Vimeo.

A little wisdom on the Daily Show

I though her last comment on the show was incredibly well put. Hopefully Obama was listening and he'll step it up a little.

something to fall asleep to...

Metamorphosis from Glenn Marshall on Vimeo.

don't forget to....

The deadline to Register in Pennsylvania is October 6th. So if you haven't, Do it NOW!

From the Campaign Trail.

A little something to make you smile. 

refreshing insight

during a presidential season it's easy to get jaded by all the spin and rhetoric being hurled at us and generally flying right over or right around our heads. I have to give a nod to Caleb Walker's last post about two of the current candidates and the reference to how really ridiculous things have gotten pertaining to simple lack of thinking for oneself. Just as a side note, after reading this post I overheard someone outside a certain local watering hole actually say to one of his friends (in some type of political/argumentative context); "You're a fucking Obama, man!"

This is what we're up against people. Read more...here

Or if you're link-disabled. Here's the whole darn thing.

I’m a little confused. Let me see if I have this straight.

--

If you grow up in Hawaii, raised by your grandparents, you’re "exotic, different."

Grow up in Alaska eating mooseburgers, a quintessential American story.

—–

If your name is Barack you’re a radical, unpatriotic Muslim.

Name your kids Willow, Trig, and Track, you’re a maverick.

—–

Graduate from Harvard Law School and you are unstable.

Attend five different small colleges before graduating, you’re well grounded.

—–

If you spend three years as a brilliant community organizer, become the first black President of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law professor, spend eight years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, become chairman of the state Senate’s Health and Human Services committee, spend four years in the United States Senate representing a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran’s Affairs committees, you don’t have any real leadership experience.

If your total resume is: local weather girl, four years on the city council and six years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000 people, 20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people, then you’re qualified to become the country’s second-highest ranking executive.

—–

If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years while raising two beautiful daughters, all within Protestant churches, you’re not a real Christian.

If you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, and left your disfigured wife and married the heiress the next month, you’re a Christian.

—–

If you teach responsible, age-appropriate sex education, including the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the fiber of society.

If, while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with no other option, in sex education in your state’s school system while your unwed teen daughter ends up pregnant, you’re very responsible.

—–

If your wife is a Harvard graduate lawyer who gave up a position in a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family’s values don’t represent America’s.

If your husband is nicknamed "First Dude," with at least one DWI conviction and no college education, who didn’t register to vote until age 25 and once was a member of a group that advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA, your family is extremely admirable.

—–

OK, much clearer now.

good advice

every once in a while i'll bookmark something then completely forget about it.  this is one of those times. 
10 Unbeatable Tips for Overcoming Micro-Addictions | Zen Habits

Nike Windbreaker Critcal Mass = Death of Counterculture?

Okay, so here's a complete bite off BikeSnob's last posting, but the only reason I'm doing it is to illustrate a previous post of my own regarding hipster culture and particularly the trend of fixed gear bicycles and their involvement in the trend/anti-trend of the hipster-nation, death of counter-culture that is now upon us.

Nike Windrunner Ride L.A. from Veesh on Vimeo.
I find it hilarious that a bunch of "i don't like to use the word 'hipster' because, cause, uh..." types would knowingly engage is a shameless, Nike marketing promotion for, of all things a new windbreaker! Maybe it was really cool, maybe I'm wrong, and the only way anything cool/good happens is through corporate sponsorship. Are we all just selling out? I mean, I like certain brands just as much as the next guys, but c'mon, a Nike sponsored fixed gear critical mass? What's next a Hummer sponsored alleycat? See for yourself. And thanks to BikeSnobNYC for the tip off.

driving distracted

Upon BikeSnobNYC's request, I am sharing the following PSA. Enjoy

the next big thing...

deepLocal
although clearly in it's infancy, this looks like it could grow to be pretty cool, and definitely advantageous to Pittsburgh, much needed endeavor to court and maintain a population of people under 40.

Hipsters...caught on tape.

This is a pretty good analysis of the current hipster epidemic. Told from the obviously anti-consumer perspective of any decent adbusters article.

a little friday morning bike porn.

Okay. This is just about the coolest thing I've ever seen. It's definitely topped the list for today, and possibly the week. Enjoy

Beverly Hillbillies

Rising Oil Prices Swell Profits at Exxon and Shell - NYTimes.com

Does anyone else see a problem with this? Personally, I can't wait til we run out of oil!

Pittsburgh Wiki and Richard Chen

My experience has led me to believe that Pittsburgh has a demoted sense of self-worth. And to be completely honest I think it had lasted quite effectively until a few years ago with the Steelers won the SuperBowl. Finally, the dam broke and Pittsburgh has realized that it may actually have something very unique to offer the rest of the country. Courtesy of PopCity, two articles have demonstrated, at least to me, that Pittsburgh is on the up and up. Apparently, there is a new restaurant being open by Richard Chen called Richard Chen's Pan Asian Cuisine. This guy is a pretty big deal, he's the Exec. Chef of the Wynn Hotel in Vegas and he's bringing in Simon Lewis from the UK to "...be part of Pittsburgh's restaurant scene." In other Pittsburgh news, check out the Pittsburgh Wiki. An interesting Wiki concept to focus on traffic and transportation issues throughout the city. All this leads me to think it may be worth sticking around for a while.