This is a new weekly column where WHayes and your commander-in-chief smartblackboy go back and forth over the sweet meats of life.
SmartBlackBoy: I can't get Lady Gaga's Paparazzi song and performance out of my head. There is a moment where she is heartbreakingly vulnerable and vacant all at the same time that makes me want to cream my pants. Seriously has there been a better mainstream pop star divette who is so alluring weird?
SBB: Fuck that. Go call your leading behavioral psychologist, take a snap shot of Lady Gaga's face right after she is done playing the piano, and right before the fake blood comes out - and ask them what emotion is on her face. Face sequencing is 98% accurate and my favorite PhD candidate said the emotion was vulnerability.
I hate how our modern world cowers behind the veil of "ambiguous subjectivity". Sure not everything is "black"and "white" but not everything is subjective either. There are rules, mores, decorum, and manners. The guy interrupting the Presidents speech was rude and should apologize for being rude. Hell Kanye West was rude and DID apologize for being rude. If a negro wants to prance around and wear white lace panties on his face - that is post-modern. Black men are allowed to be more than brute swinging dicks. They can be queer dancing dicks as well.
SBB: I think you just need to get in touch with your inner dancing queen. But if you want to talk black victimization - is Obama a victim? Is the image of Kanye West grabbing the mic from Taylor Swift the reason they hate us so much. Is the fear of being outed as a hermaphrodite the reason why Lady Gaga wore a red thong and lace onesie to the Marc Jacobs after party. (And P.S. her playing poker face was awesome....I'm youtubing it for this article). Oh and just for fun what happened to Joe Biden and Michelle Obama?
SBB: I have it on good authority that WHayes regularly entertains the idea of xxxxxxxxx. And that is the real sweet meat.
Gotta give it up, this young brother has talent.
I saw this video in October and have wanted to blog about it since then but hadn't gotten a chance. (Y'all know I was too hype about the election to talk about anything else)
He promises chapter 4 will focus on Dr. King and President-Elect Obama. I feel like these brothers absolutely deserve their own songs but he might be motivated by Obama fulfilling MLK's dream. Art Star pham, let me know if you're feeling Shaun Boothe's creativity!
It's been awfully quiet in the digital halls of Art Star recently...
As I first woke up this morning my first thought was, "Did that really happen yesterday? Was Barack Obama overwhelmingly elected President of the United States?" The answer was of course yes. I think it may be fair to say that I am still sort of in a state of shock, not fully aware of the reality of the situation. Just a year ago I would have given no better than a 20% chance that Barack Obama would be our 44th president. Not only did Obama win the election, but he did so quite convincingly. The electoral vote count as of now sits at 349-163, which does not account for North Carolina (where Obama has a miniscule lead) and Missouri (where McCain has an even smaller lead).
South Carolina- My prediction/Actual Obama: 44% / 45% McCain: 54% / 54%
After a careful view of the electoral map, even giving John McCain every remotely concievable state that is still in play - it is impossible for him to win the election (Basically California, Oregon, and Washington won't be anything but blue).
So let us be the first in celebrating the next president of the United States of America - Barack Obama.
We made history tonight.
The first African-American president in the history of the United States.
We wish president-elect Obama every success in his upcoming term - for the good of all Americans.
God Bless Barack Obama and God Bless America.
Love,
Art Star
It's been suggested since the introduction of Joe the Plumber: Barack Obama is a socialist who wants to "distribute the wealth." My gut reaction (which I realize says a lot about me and my political views) is "so what." Beyond whether or not I think there is anything wrong with socialism, I shouldn't have to waste my breath to say that Obama is not a socialist, and neither are any of his policies. Such a suggestion is simply patently absurd. Barack Obama doesn't believe that the government should absorb everybody's money and wily nily redistribute it arbitrary ways (the ignorant understanding of socialism). What Barack Obama believes in is some sense of economic equality through fair and effective means. He believes that we as Americans have not necessarily an obligation, but at least a collective interest, in caring for each other and not exacerbating social and economic disparities. It's not healthy for the economy and not good for the country if the economic divide continues as its current pace. Obama wants the government to take some responsibility for the wellbeing of its citizens. Is that not reasonable? We spend trillions of dollars on national defense and the military, but the moment that someone suggests that millions of dollars should be spent on health care, they are all of a sudden socialist?
What message does it send to future generations when we suggest that caring for each other and a little bit of wealth equality is politically or morally wrong? If Obama's policies make him a socialist, then the entire United States is already socialist. Redistributive programs such as Social Security and Medicare are deeply engrained in our political system. Yes, you can say that they have their faults, but where would we be without a little bit of government intervention and support every once in a while. What do we call the bailout of Wall Street? Or is it ok if the redistribution of wealth is going to the big corporation, rather than the middle class?
I hope McCain didn't hand out Halloween candy on Friday night:
While canvassing yesterday I did not come across a single McCain supporter of the around 60 doors that I knocked on; there were some undecideds. More remarkable than the number of Obama supporters that I came across was the fact that so many had already early voted. This suggests that the Obama campaign has succeeded in both gaining the support of voters and in mobilizing them in a way that benefits them. With such a large early turnout in favor of Obama, it will ease tensions on Election Day.My favorite moment of the afternoon was at one of the last houses that I visited. After knocking on the door, I was greeted by a young girl probably about 6 years old. I asked her if her parents were home at which point he mother came to the door. I gave the traditional talk asking whether or not they were going to be supporting Obama on Tuesday and was enthusiastically answered that everyone in the house has already early voted the previous day. She then asked me with a somewhat shocked expression if I was going to be supporting/voting for Obama. After responding that I surely would, she promptly raised her hand and exclaimed "High Five!"
The pure joy this brought to both of us was remarkable. That's what the political process is about. It's about people getting energized about a great candidate and avowedly expressing their overwhelming support. This election is about change, and when a group of people can come together and collectively call for it, that's something powerful. My hope is that the enthusiasm that I saw yesterday in all of the people I met can translate into the election of one of the best presidential candidates we Americans have ever seen. History is before us. Let's seize the day!
Hey good people, Happy November and end of Daylight Savings Time!
Some of you complain that there are "too many" posts on Art Star. Well although I respectfully disagree with that - I do want to incorporate an Art Star lite format for you. So at the start of every month I will highlight what I thought the best/most important/most interesting posts were.
It is just my opinion, but someone has to be a filter. Our last recap was the Art Star First Quarter Report.
Without further ado, Art Star's Top 10 Posts of October
1. Omar Miller Is A Fucking Giant Pt.2 by WHayes
Can we say how amazing it is that we scored an interview with an actor who has two movies out right now (both of which are pretty good). The fact that the interview itself is pretty sweet is just icing on the cake.
2. Clicking Around With Music: Lori Kirk by PicturesqueMusiq
I became a fan of Lori Kirk after reading this interview. Just everything you want a young artist to be, endearing, humble, dedicated, passionate, and talented.
3. Kill That Crack Head Terrorist Muslim Thug Nigger Hussein Obama by smartblackboy
Although this post was written half in anger and half in jest - the sad reality is that every day this post receives at least a dozen hits from people who are searching on Google - "Kill Obama" and "Crack Head Terrorist".
4. Home Is Where The Art Is by fotoloka
"Someday maybe photographers will just implant a flash card into our eye and all we' ll have to do is wink to make an image.." Well until then, thank you.
5. Clicking Around With Music: Teen Wolf
Just good west coast party fun. A must read.
6. My Mind On Shuffle "I Know You Got Soul!" Edition by CtotheB
"Poor people have always been in a recession." For those times when you forget the truth.
7. Best of the Internet Part 1 by Whayes
What Art Star is exists for - to share the stuff we find on the internet with you.
8. Weekend Jamz Part 1
For to shout out to Jim Nash. For the great music. For the picture and caption.
9. Hip Hop Artists To Watch Out For by DJ NY
We were waiting for a break out post - it finally happened.
10. Clicking Around With Music: Samantha Crain by Michael
Because catching someone right on the cusp on being a star is something we always appreciate.
Keep reading, Follow Us, Subscribe to our RSS Feed, Share us with your friends, Join Our Facebook Group, Friend Us on Myspace, Just Love Us because we kinda need it, we are just like you.
Barack Obama is everywhere I go on the internet! It doesn't seem to matter what website I go to; there's an Obama ad prominently featured on the top, bottom, or along the side. Not to say that I don't think Obama should take advantage of all of the money that he has in the bank, but this is something I could never have imagined. Even more interesting than the simple fact that he is getting his name, face, and message out there is the way in which the ads are directly targeted to the viewing audience. Through the wonders of the internet and the creepy ways that it knows where you are logging in, the ads politely encourage the residents of North Carolina to vote early. It's kind of scary if you ask me. I guess however when you raise $151 million dollars in one month (September), you mind as well use all the resources available. In just the 15 minutes thinking about what I wanted to write this blog post about I came across at least 4 ads on very different websites: The New Republic, Facebook, my hometown newspaper (The Post and Courier), and Yahoo:
Big news this morning on Meet the Press: Colin Powell, former Secretary of State under GWB, has formally, and emphatically endorsed Barack Obama.
I've heard whispers for at least a couple of months now about whether and when Powell would ever endorse either candidate. Political affiliation aside, Colin Powell is one of the most highly respected public servants across the board. I remember hearing rumors back in the 1990s about whether or not he would ever run for President. I think it's safe to assume that this would never happen, but nonetheless, he could have made a solid run. It was hard to argue with a retired military man who had a wide appeal and what seemed to be a true understanding of not only how the world works, but how to navigate the political landscape.
Of course much of this was called into question when he agreed to essentially lie for the Bush administration before the UN and justify a war in Iraq. He has since admitted that his "case" may have been one of the most shameful things he has ever done in his life, given that he didn't fully believe what he was saying. What this says about his character or ability to stand up to opposition is interesting to consider, but it doesn't take away from the fact that he was and still is highly respected by Republicans and Democrats alike.
His somewhat questionable history aside, his strong endorsement for Obama strikes me as highly significant. Not only did he resolutely say that he thought Barack Obama was better prepared to lead and navigate the country through the tumults of the world today, but he strongly condemned his own party. It's one thing to say that the guy on "the other side" may be better qualified, but to say that your party is going in the wrong direction is completely different. Maybe Powell sees this as his chance to redeem himself in the eyes of Democrats and punish his Republican colleagues for pushing him into one of the biggest unsubstantiated lies in modern history. Is Powell getting a little chuckle from this whole thing?
While I think the endorsement may have a marginal effect in the poll, I think it will more importantly carry a symbolic message. The announcement may win over some military-minded individuals and moderate Republicans who were already on the fence, but I don't think it will translate into multiple percentage points in the polls. Rather than overwhelmingly solidifying Obama's support, I think it reaffirms what has become clearer in recent weeks: this is Obama's race to lose. The cards continue to go the way of Obama has he continues to be articulate, persuasive, and likable in contrast to the bitter old man on the other side.
On a symbolic level, I feel like the endorsement may prove more meaningful after the election than leading up to it. If Obama does in fact win the election, he will have done so with growing bipartisan support. When a universally liked person like Colin Powell speaks, people listen. As he continues to reaffirm that he remains a Republican, he bolsters Obama's claim at bipartisanship. His simple endorsement may prove that it is ok for Democrats and Republicans to work together in the name of improving the country. When Powell says that the country and the Republican Party are heading in the wrong direction, his voice must be heard. If Powell can ultimately change the tone of division in American politics today, he will have done more than just supported the more qualified candidate. He will have begun to pave a new path.
Last night in the debate, John McCain had his last shot at salvaging his slipping Presidential campaign, but he failed. Sadly for Republicans, his biggest failure was not on policies but on personality, demeanor, and attitude. As I've said before, McCain is a cranky, angry old man who is trying to claw his way back into the race.
With this in mind, I would now like to explore some of my observations and thoughts about the 3rd Presidential debate:
I honestly believe that John McCain won the first half of the debate, when it was focused on the economy. This was Barack Obama's issue to win, but he failed to clearly articulate his plan and show how John McCain's would make the economic crisis worse. Obama continues to reiterate that 95% of the population (below $250,000/year) would have lower taxes, but he never seems to take it a step farther and say what that actually means. Although it got old and repetitive, I feel as though McCain's repetition about Obama's tax policy (be it true, or not) actually resonated with the average viewer. McCain was able to play to the common belief of the "tax and spend" Democrat.
I think McCain had something with "Joe the Plumber," but he didn't employ it to his greatest potential. I wonder if Joe the Plumber = Joe Six-pack. Was this McCain's way of drawing paralles to Palin's statements in the VP debate without using the loaded term "Joe Six-pack." The problem with Joe the Plumber is that he is middle class, and the reality is that no matter how you twist it, McCain's plan would not save him taxes and would give him worse options with the all important issue of health care. McCain's failed to portray Joe the Plumber as the kind of middle class American that would actually support his policies. By the end of the debate, the term Joe the Plumber no longer resonated with the viewer because he or she had now heard it about 20 times. Of course it doesn't help the day after that Joe has been all over the media and not been the save all answer that McCain had hoped for.
I think that Obama won the health care debate, but he didn't maximize on his opportunities. All Obama had to do when criticizing McCain's plan was state the simple fact that the average family pays $12,000 in premiums per year, which is only marginally covered by the $5,000 tax credit that McCain suggests is the answer. Just by stating some of the numbers, Obama could have shown that a family at the poverty level (around $30,000) is currently asked to spend a third of their income on health care, and McCain's plan only covers a marginal portion of this. Obama was able to come across as more adept at talking about health care, but it seems as though he missed some of the obvious points that could have made it clearer to the American people.
The one blatant error that I caught was McCain referring to the fact that Obama failed to approve Justice Breyer. Does McCain not know that Breyer was nominated back in 1994 during Clinton's first term? Maybe McCain meant to say Miers, but even that seems inexcusable. Whether or not it was a simple slip up or a true error on McCain's part is unknown, but if nothing else is makes him appear distant and out of touch to anyone who knows their Supreme Court history.
I enjoyed the question about Roe v. Wade. I think this was the first time that either candidate has been forced to address this issues that so many people have strong feelings about. Although this would not be near the top of the agenda for either candidate, it was nice to see them both have to articulate their views on a deeply polarizing issue. I think Obama hit it out of the park.
The most interesting thing that everyone was looking for in the debate was whether or not McCain would bring up William Ayers. As promised, he did. Not only did he bring up Ayers, but the debate took an unnecessary tangent that failed to move the political discourse forward. I think Obama responded like he should have. He stated the fact and the absurd reality that he was 8 years old when Ayers was a "domestic terrorist." Should we investigate what some of McCain's friends did when he was 8 years old? It was a pure waste of time in the debate. My only hope is that we can move past these charges and focus on the issues that the American people deserve to hear about.
McCain's greatest weakness last night was his physical and verbal bitterness. While he may have held his own for the most part on the issues, he came across a desperate angry man. His facial expressions were priceless as if he was simultaneously the wise grandfather looking down on his ignorant grandchild and the whiny little six year-old who wanted his candy back. His attacks on Obama were often not even substantive; they were personal. He talked condescendingly as if his plan was right because he said so and Obama was just flat our wrong. There was no room for debate or consideration; McCain was right, Obama was wrong, and there was nothing else to be said. McCain should no better. As much as they probably should not, body language and perception by the audience can often be more influential to than the actual policies that one articulates.
Final thought: I think McCain had a better closing statement than Obama. While this is true, I don't think he delivered anything along the lines of "Are you better off today than you were four years ago?" I think this was McCain's best debate, possible Obama's worst, but Obama still managed to eek out a victory. I don't expect the polls to change much following the debate. If all goes as it appears, Obama will win by around 6 percentage points on November 4th.
When the third debate was over I wasn't sure who won.
Clearly John McCain did better than he had during his last two debates.
However, it was really hard to judge the effectiveness of his attacks.
The immediate talking head response was that Barack Obama had been, "professorial", "flat", "boring", "zzz".
What they missed was that the American people wanted to listen to some smooth jazz.
Usually we buy rock n roll and hip hop records in this country, but after a rock n roll ride through the stock market and the economy - we needed something a little more mellow.
Something that in ordinary times might put you to sleep, but when your life is stressed (or when you are hoping to get it on) fits just right.
Barack "The Oasis" Obama decidedly won the third debate - not with a guitar string breaking performance - but with tightly orchestrated relaxing studio music.
I was reading an email from a good friend of mine, and she informed me that she might vote for Bob Barr.
Now I didn't know who Bob Barr is (although once I saw a picture of him I remembered seeing him on TV) and so I decided to go to his campaign site and read what he had to say.
After reading his literature, my conclusion is that Bob Barr is a joke.
Here are 10 reasons why:
1. Bob Barr's first issue is "Spending and the Economy" where he dramatically proclaims that the government cannot continue spending like it has. Absolutely right.
Then he says federal programs should be cut. He doesn't spell out exactly which ones but Welfare, Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security I'm sure are high on his list (strangely along with Military Outlays). Okay questionable, but I'm still with you.
Finally, he says there should be a wall put up between government and the economy. Okay, this is just idiotic. More deregulation? Seriously? Bob Barr do you have a TV or read a newspaper? I am sorry but how much do things have to suck before people realize that more deregulation is not the answer, people will always be greedy, and having a watchdog, even one as imperfect as the U.S. Government, is better than none at all.
Joke Factor: 8.2
2. Bob Barr on "Energy Policy" is just puzzling. Pretty much he favors no government regulation, encouragement, or penalties on energy production. He favors off shore drilling and is oddly excited about "shale oil". Seriously, that's it.
Joke Factor: 9.7
3. Bob Barr on the "Iraq War" is almost as puzzling as his energy policy. He is against the Iraq War but strangely says the Democrats don't oppose the Republicans on the longterm occupation of Iraq. Then he says he is for withdrawal but with no timetables. So he has not ever heard of Obama, and hates yet wants to be McCain?
Joke Factor: 9.5
4. Bob Barr on "Veterans" is like watching a good jabber with no knock out punch. He says we must take better care of our veterans -a worthy jab. But he limits this care only to medical care - no knock out punch. Not even sure if this means he supports mental health coverage or just physical care. This is not the G.I. Bill folks.
Joke Factor: 5.4
5. Bob Barr on "Health Care" is complex. Health Care is always complex. Bob Barr resembles John McCain on health care, more deregulation, no state lines, competition will make everything cheaper (oh and let's not favor employee covered health care). I think this will utterly not work - because of the fact that health insurance companies don't like insuring people who are sick (aka people who need health insurance). However, when you have a large group of people there are less likely to be as many sick people . This is why sick people can get health insurance under an employee plan but not on their own. Your premium increases when there are more sick people let into your pool (or older people) - it also increases as you get older if you are self-insured. (adverse selection) Basically the closer you get to actually needing health insurance, the more health insurance costs. Bob Barr's plan doesn't overcome this fact. There are lots of other reasons why I think he is wrong but health care is complex, I'm out of space, and most of you stopped reading a long time ago.
Joke Factor: 7.6
5. Please go and read Bob Barr's Education and Home Schooling. Treat yourself. You deserve a good laugh.
Joke Factor: 10
6. Bob Barr on The Second Amendment (aka Gun Control) is a celebration of our constitutional right to bear arms. Sure - I buy that. However being against laws that require gun registration, restriction of ownership, manufacture, or transfer or sale of firearms or ammunition? I am sorry Bob but ex-criminals who buy AK-47s in the middle of Baltimore aren't going hunting.
Joke Factor: 7.8
7. Bob Barr on Taxes makes me question myself. Lower taxes almost always benefit me, but does it benefit the country? He is right though our tax code sucks. But so does a flat tax if you are poor.
Joke Factor: 3.2
8. Bob Barr on Immigration Policy had me happy for one second. He acknowledged we had two immigration problems repelling illegal immigrants and attracting legal ones. And he didn't call for a fence. But everything else is garbage.
Joke Factor: 6.7
9. Bob Barr on Marriage can only be enjoyed in view of Bob Barr on Racism and Equality. On Equality Bob Barr states that government shouldn't make laws that discriminate based on sexuality. Bob Barr on Marriage says well we should let the states decide if they want to accept civil unions. Because discrimination is okay on the state level.
Joke Factor: 9.7
10. Bob Barr on Monetary Policy is frightening. Let's eliminate the Federal Reserve and let the market regulate money supply. Once again we have seen how well the market works with little regulation. Have you or your parents checked your 401k lately? Don't - go to happy hour instead. Besides how idiotic that is, I would have never learned that Ben Bernanke has swagger like T.I. and that would have been a true American tragedy.
Joke Factor: 9.2
Public Enemy released their seminal album, "It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back" in 1988.
I was two years old.
Now, 20 years later, we are on the cusp of seeing a black man elected President of the United States of America.
And things are starting to get ugly.
Old folks have been shook from the start. They have too many memories, too many scars.
We dismissed them. Said they were living in the past, that America has changed, that we are a different country.
I said it two weeks ago to my Grandfather who actually supports McCain. He said just watch, if Obama keeps on winning you will see what America really is.
At McCain rallies these days it is not uncommon to hear shouts of "Treason", "Terrorist", and "Kill Him" directed at Barack Obama.
And that's just the crowd.
Speakers have referred to Barack Obama by his middle name "Hussein" and keep calling him a liar and questioning his character and not his policies.
"That One" according to Cindy McCain tried to kill her son in Iraq.
"That One" according to Frank Keating ought to admit he was a guy on the street who used cocaine.
"That One" according to Sarah Palin has been "palling around with terrorists".
And "That One" is winning in the poles, and every day becomes closer to becoming President, and this is making a lot of people angry.
I mean really pissed off.
I mean they just might have to kill that crack head terrorist Muslim thug nigger Hussein Obama.
And the fact that the above sentence should be a clear example of hyperbole but isn't - sends a chill down my spine.
And the fact that the McCain campaign isn't denouncing this rhetoric and plans by their own admission to increase these negative and hateful attacks makes the chill even colder.
