Things I Think Are Kinda Cool

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)

‘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

BRAIN: Can you believe it’s already been a year since Obama was elected? Time really flies.

YOU: Yup. Just think about a year ago…

BRAIN: I am – it was a galvanizing time of hope, togetherness, and positive energy.

YOU: It was HORRIBLE – it was a world without Susan Boyle, ‘Cougar Town’, Hailey Glassman, Balloon Boy, Carrie Prej—

BRAIN: SHUT UP!!! — Sorry…I didn’t mean to yell. Just do me a favor and read these articles.

YOU: OK, Mr. Sensitive…jeeez…

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* Arianna Huffington profiles David Ploufe’s new book “The Audacity to Win”, and urges Obama and his team to be loyal to the themes of the grassroots movement which got him elected. What happened to the promises of sweeping change that got millions of new voters off their couches and into voting booths a year ago? – Huffington Post

* A new interview with Al Gore touches on a wide range of topics, including: his guarded optimism about the climate crisis, his frustration towards the growing influence of lobbyists in Washington, and his candid thoughts about Obama’s ubiquitous media exposure – Salon

* You can learn a lot about our collective consciousness by typing in a few letters in the Google search bar and seeing the most common searches pop-up thanks to “Google Suggest”. Slate digs deeper and points out some interesting (and hilarious) trends. – Slate

* To say that Obama has his hands full with precarious foreign policy situations would be the understatement of the century – Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran…Leslie Helb gives a brutally honest and eye-opening status report, as well as some tough-love advice – Daily Beast

* Why are kids fascinated with magic tricks, and why are they so eager to figure out the secrets behind them? An MIT professor of cognitive science explains how kids are hooked once their expectations about the physical world aren’t met. -Slate

* Melissa Harris-Lacewell explores the deepening racial divide among Obama supporters. If his black supporters continue to become even more supportive, while at the same time more pessimistic about the country, how will this affect his presidency? – The Nation

BRAIN: WAKE UP!

YOU: Huh?  Oh, sorry.  I actually wasn’t sleeping – I was thinking.

BRAIN: About what?  The fact that we could have used the economic bailout money to cure several deadly diseases worldwide?  Or were you considering what a nuclear-armed Iran would mean for the rest of the Middle East?

YOU: Not exactly.

BRAIN: So…what then?

YOU: Um…which one of the new playmates on “The Girls Next Door” I like best.

BRAIN:  Ugh.  Read these articles NOW.

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* The financial bailout will cost us lucky taxpayers over $4 trillion.  Did you know for less than $300 million we wiped Smallpox off the planet?  And for $5 billion we put a significant dent in Polio?  Imagine what we could do with $4 trillion (after we paid out the AIG bonuses, of course).  - Salon

* The Obama administration is starting to give subtle signs that they won’t be able to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.  So, how will this actually reshape the Middle East?  Hint:  it doesn’t look good.  - Slate

* Some schools in France are experimenting with the idea of paying students for attending class.  It worked for a few schools in the US…will it work abroad, or does it conflict too severely with France’s egalitarian ideals? – Time

* Sure, humans fight, cheat, and destroy each other…but it might actually be true that we’re biologically and evolutionarily hardwired to be empathetic, kind, and full of warm fuzzies.  - Slate

*  Cristina Nehring writes an incredibly thought-provoking article about what she calls the “New Erotic Fundamentalism”, and argues convincingly that we’ve all been a bit too hard on hopeless romantic Mark Sanford.  - Truthdig

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

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