McCain's Mansions

I'm still not 100% sure on the exact number of houses and automobiles the McCain family owns, but regardless of a 1-2 car/ house variation (depending on the source,) the numbers are still staggering. The following is an excerpt from an article that appeared in "Businessweek," and was posted on businessweek.com on September 22.

“According to Newsweek, the McCain’s have a 2005 Volkswagen convertible in the garage along with a 2001 Honda sedan. There’s a 2007 half-ton Ford pickup truck, a vintage 1960 Willys Jeep; a 2008 Jeep Wrangler; a 2000 Lincoln; and a 2001 GMC SUV. The McCain’s also own three 2000 NEV Gem electric vehicles, which are golf-cart like vehicles popular in retirement communities. Gem cars are made by a company owned by Chrysler. McCain…..Nine homes and 14 cars…….”
In this video, the McCain’s are sighted as owning at least 6 homes nationwide. Further, the story of one American woman who lost her home due to the failing economy is simultaneously interwoven into pieces of McCain’s speeches on the “financial responsibilities” of Americans, and other issues he himself couldn’t possibly be more removed from in his every day.

I definitely wouldn't go as far as to say that you should vote on this issue alone, but it's pretty alarming no matter what your affiliation.McCain makes a comment in this video that lumps the gigantic, monopolizing bank monsters and the small business owners (and middle- class lenders,) into the same category. What horse shit. Let us please at least attempt to agree on one issue here: big banks and small borrowers are NOT the same thing.

Bill Maher

This Bill Maher skit is pretty dead- on. He starts with his always- amusing "New Rules" segment, and then transitions into a hypothetical back- and forth between supposed Obama/ McCain supporters, in which Americans from each political camp send in letters to their parties opposing candidate. It's basically a forum for Maher to poke fun at the inadequacies of each candidate respectively. It's good for a laugh no matter who you plan on voting for in the upcoming election, although I must warn it's a bit more "Obama friendly."

Lite Mind Exercise

I draw, I doodle, eat "brain foods" and exercise. In fact I do a lot of the recommended activities on the Lite Mind "120 Ways to Boost Your Brain Power" list. I was feeling pretty confident until I ran across # 79: "do one thing at a time," at which point I felt both guilt and fear course my veins. I knew immediately it was the one I had to do.

I myself am a glutton for multitasking, and for this I totally blame my Mother. In my own sick little mind, I'm not being productive unless I'm breaking myself under the effort of attempting to complete at LEAST 3 or 4 different tasks at the same time.

I'm the person who likes to talk on the phone while cleaning up my room, cooking dinner, doing laundry, and attempting to get ready for some random social occasion. Rarely do I work on anything that involves a computer (a paper, online research, etc,) and not spend my time clicking between at least 4 windows: 1. Pandora, 2. Facebook, 3. Some news source (msn,cnn,etc,) 4. Whatever homework I should actually be focusing my full attention on. In fact, the more I write about this, the more debilitated by the multitasking disease I am beginning to sound...

It was interesting to read that it actually takes about 20 minutes to focus your brain on a task, and that it takes even longer when you're attempting to complete more than one activity at a time. This explained a lot to me about my own productivity....or lack thereof. This is obviously problematic for me, and others who operate in a similar way. The logical part of "me," knows full well that I'm spreading myself far too thin when I embark on 5 projects at once rather than just one. However, it seems as though the challenge of completing more than one task in the same amount of time drives me to repeatedly implement this vicious cycle.

Lite Mind recommended doing the following to eliminate multitasking:

1. Break the work down (into more manageable pieces.)
2. Clear up your schedule (prioritize so you get the truly important things done.)
3. Cut out distractions (like, the other 5 things you're doing..)
4. Finish one task before moving to another (know exactly what "done" entails for each project.)

I did all of these things while creating this blog to see what the outcome would be. This required the following on my part:

1. I retreated to the media lab, where distractions would be minimal and the environment would encourage my focus so long as I was choosing to do so.
2. After several minutes of procrastination, I begrudgingly closed my facebook, myspace, news, and pandora accounts so that I could focus strictly on my blog.
2. I decided I'd be "done" with this particular task only once I had completed a thorough response to the mind exercise on multitasking, and posted it on my blog.
3. I began...

I found that not only was this one of the easiest blogs I've ever written, but that reading on the lite mind website required much less time and attention than my online readings normally do. More often than not, I find myself reading, then re-reading a piece of material several times because I'm so distracted by the orgy of activity I have distracting me on 4 or 5 computer windows. This time however, I read the exercises once, and then immediately began responding by writing this blog.

I have to admit, there is something to this kind of simplification. It's alluring no doubt, the idea of getting twice as much done in the same amount of time. If you're really honest with yourself though, and you do a real inventory of your productivity when you multitask, you may find that just like a lot of others out there all you're really doing is a half- ass job at a bunch of different stuff. I plan on making a REAL attempt to re-frame the way I look at everything I have to get done in a given day from now on. One thing at a time, the best that I can do it. What doesn't get done, well...there will always be something.

Hmmm..

Before anyone challenges this, I'm aware this is but a portion of a larger interview. HOWEVER, it is alarming to me that after being encouraged several times to provide the name of even ONE media publication from which Palin has dutifully received information leading up to her Vice Presidential nomination, she was unable to do so. I mean in all actuality, she could have fired off something completely random, anything. Hell, she could have lied (it's not like politicians don't do it,) and offered up something credible but completely untrue. The fact that she had nothing at all says something to me. Just look at Katie Couric's face during this little exchange, she's scared..I'm scared. Matt Damon makes a valid point, and I too desire to know whether or not Palin burned books, or believes dinosaurs roamed the earth 4,000 years ago....go Mavericks.

Jesse the Ladybug

Here is the link to my interactive narrative project from class. I really, really did NOT think I had the patience to do something like this. I'm aware it's not exactly a masterful work of art, but I'm proud of the fact that I finished it, and for the help I had through the process.

Glosoli

Sigur Ros has been a long time favorite of mine. An Icelandic group, they make beautiful music, and equally beautiful videos. This one, "Glosoli," has a real Peter-Pan/ eternally young dynamic to it, without giving the impression that any deliberate imitation is taking place. I think I choose now to post it because I'm pretty tired of the world we're living in and what we've managed to do to it. The world created here looks like a bit less of a headache..yay escapism! It's mystical, sweet, and will put a smile on your face. Unless you're an asshole. Hah, kidding...

Politics of Preschool

I laughed my ass off when I saw this video. It's simple, funny, and manages to boil the entire seemingly complex and daunting world of adult politics down to a few simple concepts which can apparently be mastered by kindergarteners. No surprises here: it’s all based on carefully pre-meditated sabotage, manipulation, charm, and persuasion. Oh yes, and resources.. in this case- a really, REALLY awesome toy.

I Love Lists

This video isn't anything paradoxical, but it's still funny. It just seeks to expose yet another of America's favorite pastimes: "the list." It's fairly accurate if you ask me, whether it's fun to have to admit or not. Embarrassing as it may be, I know I love certain lists I keep. Just creating them sometimes gives me a false sense of security that I won't be forgetting to do the "important things," and they also yield a sense of accomplishment when I'm able to cross something off of them. Lame? Maybe so- but if you are willing to do an honest inventory of your own life, I'm willing to bet you would find a little list or two of your own. But don't worry, it's cool...we're all list keepers here.