Things I Think Are Kinda Cool

OK, on first glance NY governor candidate Jimmy McMillan (from the ‘Rent Is Too Damn High’ party) might seem a bit…different.   But once you listen to him present his platform, you’ll forget all about Cuomo, Paladino, and the rest of those jokers.   Not only does Jimmy hate those ‘damn high’ rents (they ARE damn high!), he’s also a staunch advocate for eating three full meals a day (‘breakfastlunchanddinner’).  No more skipping breakfast, ya heard!?!

-via Boing Boing

The other things I love about Jimmy McMillan:
- He believes in Shoe Marriage, a hotly controversial topic this election cycle
- He follows the #1 rule of Karate experts:  Thou Shalt Not Talk About Other People On Stage
- His winning smile!

Frustrated with the partisan bickering that’s jamming up our government and putting the political process on hold, artist Jeff Gates started the “Chamomile Tea Party” in an effort to calm down the hostilities.  He tapped into his designer instincts and created some old-school WWII-era-inspired propaganda posters to try to convey some of the issues Washington is currently facing.  Here are some of my favorites, along with the original WWII-era posters he used as inspiration:

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-Download these images, print them out, and plaster them around your town.  (via HuffPo)

Want to get in on the oil-spill-action but worried you’re too far away from the Gulf?  Don’t worry…now you can experience your own oil disaster right now on any website you want.  Just type in your favorite URL on InstantOilSpill.com, sit back, and watch your screen slowly fill up with disgusting, planet-destroying oil…good times!

-via Huff Po

‘Look what I found in the Women’s Studies section!’

-via Reddit

Prepare to be bombarded with an onslaught of ‘Decade Retrospectives’ over the next few weeks – most people are already considering the years 2000-2010 to be the most depressing and awful decade in the history of the US.  Good times!

Newsweek beat most other news outlets to the punch and has already produced a video highlighting the biggest events of the past decade.  Besides the invention of the iPod and ‘Lord of the Rings’ sweeping the Oscars, it’s an incredibly gloomy stroll down memory lane.  Enjoy!  Bring on the ‘teens!

-via @artglobe

Notice anything strange about Obama in each and every one of the photographs taken at the reception he held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art this week? The video below is concrete proof that Obama-bot has taken over. Woah.

Barack Obama’s amazingly consistent smile from Eric Spiegelman on Vimeo.
-via Neatorama

Ted Kennedy had the first Congressional website.  Enough said.

-link via Slate

This photo was taken at the protest outside yesterday’s New Hampshire town hall.  Check out the sign the guy in the middle is holding up.  Classic.

-via Democratic Underground

Two other favorites of mine:

Stimulate This!

You’ve probably heard news reports over the past few weeks about the Obama administration’s “Cash for Clunkers” program.  In a nutshell, Americans can trade in their gas guzzling, inefficient cars for a rebate towards a new, more energy efficient auto.  The rebate amount varies between $3500 and $4500 depending a few factors…but the bottom line is that as long as the clunker can run and the new car has a better fuel efficiency, you’ll be eligible towards a rebate.  Already, the $1 billion allotted for the program has almost dried up, so the government is currently in the process of approving another $2 billion (the bill was already approved in the House – now it’s up to the Senate).

Many opponents have tried their hardest to find fault with the program, but after a few weeks, it’s biggest critics are changing their tune.  Diane Feinstein, who was initially skeptical that the fuel-economy requirements of the program were too lax, was just quoted in Time Magazine, saying ”this program has done much better than we ever thought it would for the environment”.   And as the vote to extend the program is now in the Senate, the NY Times reports that even Senator Jim DeMint, who has been one of the most vocal opponents, said he would not use his power to block replenishing the program’s funds.

I can tell you from personal experience that this program has had a huge impact.  This past weekend, I was in DC visiting my friend TJ, and we spent a chunk of time looking for a new car.  The dealership we ended up at was packed with people…not just browsing the lot, but actually driving out in new cars.   The refreshingly trustworthy and honest salesman we worked with said that since the program was announced, the influx of customers has been overwhelming.  There was definitely a buzz in the air.  I saw an incredibly diverse group of people crammed in the showroom…grannies, young people, huge families, 1st-generation immigrants, business executives, etc.

It’s about time we heard some good news related to the Great Recession and the stimulus that was intended to create some tangible results.  Hopefully this is just the beginning…

Above image courtesy of www.chunkypita.com