06.21.08
Watch, read and weep at the statistics in Bran Dougherty-Johnson’s, motion piece, Costs Of War.
06.04.08
Hilary Clinton has officially announced tonight that she is officially dropping out of the race for President. She has plans now to endorse Obama later this week.
That being said it is time for the next important order of business and that is the news that for the first time in the history of the United States of America we officially have are first black presidential nominee. It is a proud and historic moment for our country and it is a moment that so far has been hard fought by Obama and his supporters. I think at this point it is safe to say that he has run an intelligent campaign and his people have done an absolutely phenomenal job in winning this nomination. It really is an amazing time right now in the United States and it is exciting as a young person to feel, even in a small way to be actively participating in something so important. It’s an amazing moment to see someone young, energized, exciting and more symbolic of our shared creeds in this country.
The real work lies ahead now for the Obama camp. McCain will be pulling out all the stops to do whatever he can to smear and bring Obama down. It is going to be a tough time but what could potentially be gained is worth the fight. It is a thrilling time for sure and I think a lot of eyes, all over the world will continue to be focused on where this is all going. There is no doubt that America now finds itself in the throes of political history. I just hope for all our sakes that this is the beginning of correcting some awful mistakes made over the last 8 years. We have a lot of work to do and we need to get to it.
06.03.08
I have been holding off on writing this entry until the video was in from all three remaining presidential candidates tonight. I watched all three and there were some good speeches given tonight. They are posted above and I apologize for the commercials but it was the best and most complete video I could find. I think the speeches tonight were the first time the American public got a glimpse of some of what they can expect in the coming months. I am probably misquoting the exact number, but McCain used the word ‘change’ around 35 times or more in his speech. A particular note that offended me from McCain’s speech was his touting that Obama somehow represents or is supported by special interest. That was hard to sit through considering McCain is supported by some of the most powerful corporate lobbyists in the country. His attempt at posing himself as the original change candidate seemed a little contrived and a touch desperate but I think it is just the beginning of his part pulling out all the stops against a potential run against Obama. I have heard from inside his party that the proposition of running against Obama and his ‘new’ way of campaigning scares the hell out of some of his affiliates. Apparently Obama has been able to move younger conservative voters over to his side and this worries McCain’s organizers. It should and it is also why I think we can expect to see a very interesting race that will highlight some of the polar factions of American politics.
Another note from the nights events is that Clinton made it clear that she is not yet deciding to drop out of the nomination process. She has amassed a large cache of voters, and as a wealthy woman, there can be no doubt that she knows when you have acquired valuable assets you hold on to them as long as you can or at least as long as you can to use them for leverage. That being said, it is looking like she wants to use that cache of voters as a potential way of maneuvering her way into a V.P. position. News is breaking from her camp that she wants to seek personal council with Obama as soon as possible so they can discuss future plans. The nagging question is, why doesn’t she just meet with him then? Why does she have to ‘announce’ that she wants to meet with him. One thing is for sure, the Clinton supporters are standing firmly by her and regardless of her attempt at congratulating Obama and speaking of party unification.
Lastly, and of course I can admit bias as an Obama supporter, I think Obama gave a rousing speech tonight. It was truly inspiring and it was the first time I felt he really started laying down the issues he wants to address as the nominee. The news has been quick to jump on the story of his nomination and I was very excited by it myself. The problem is, Clinton has not yet officially ceded the nomination and until she does I worry that she could cause a tear in the party. Obama is doing his best despite this to talk to all potential voters on both sides of the aisle. Despite the muddy conditions under which he did his best at accepting the apparent nomination, it is a historic evening for American politics. Obama will be our first black presidential nominee and it is due time. I still believe he is a real symbol for a new America and it is an America that young people understand and openly accept while some older Americans are still clinging to past prejudice. I have heard it said and uttered that America is not ready for a black President and I feel this is totally untrue. If we are not ready now then we never will be. Skin color should no longer be an issue in this country. Period. It’s an important and overdue step for the U.S.
I know some readers do not like it when I write about politics but as an American citizen this presidential race and it’s impact on both the U.S. and the world are impossible to ignore. The current administration has put a strain on this country and it has made it a difficult climate in which to practice a creative career. It will be better for us all if America takes a step in a more intelligent, diplomatic, ethical and prosperous direction. These are interesting times we find ourselves in and I think it’s important to pay attention. The world could be a very different place in the future and making changes may require sacrifices from us all, specifically in the U.S. We need a leader now more than ever that can inspire us to take up our civic duty and make both America and the world a better place. We have been apathetic for too long and it is costing us dearly.
05.27.08
I leave the country for 4 days and when I come back there is a journalist on Fox joking about ‘knocking’ off Obama? I think a new low has been reached on Fox news. I can’t believe someone would say something like that on national television, not just about Obama, but about any presidential candidate. Is she completely out of her mind? It’s pathetic and just downright unprofessional. What a disgrace.
She couldn’t even apologize sincerely. Someone call security and escort this woman to the door. Call her a cab home and hand her a newspaper so she can start combing the classifieds for a new job because a slip like that should cost her the one she already has.
05.26.08
I had previously written about artist, musician and designer Scott Hansen being selected by the Obama campaign to contribute the next ‘Artists for Obama’ poster after Shepard Fairey and the poster was printed and put up for sale this week. You can purchase a limited edition print of the poster ‘here‘ at the official Obama website.
It’s interesting to note that where, Fairey’s work (and my own) work for Obama has been very ‘political’ drawing influence from WWII propaganda and Russian Constructivism, Hansen’s poster is very soft and human. It’s a sharp contrast to the now iconic poster Fairey created and portrays a totally different interpretation of Obama’s campaign and message.
You can read more about the poster along with a massive list of comments about it at IS050’s blog.
05.14.08
George Bush sunk to a new low today when news surfaced that he claimed he had given up golf to show solidarity for U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq. U.S. war veterans are already calling the move a disgrace and an ‘insult to all Americans.’
Brandon Friedman, a U.S. infantry officer veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan said that Bush claiming he sacrificed playing golf for the soldiers was a “slap in the face” for U.S. troops.
If there were any doubt as to whether or not Bush sincerely understands the sacrifices incurred by military service they have been squashed entirely by this news. It just shows how completely disconnected he is from his public and how little he can relate. It is a sign of the times that the U.S. body politic is now headed by royal legacy aristocrats who know and care nothing about what they would most likely consider the ‘peasant’ population. It’s a symbol for what has become of the system of government in America. It’s truly broken and no longer represents the common American.
In an interview with Yahoo, Bush said, “I didn’t want some mom whose son may have recently died to see the commander-in-chief playing golf. I feel I owe it to the families to be in solidarity as best I can with them. And I think playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal.”
This may be unbelievable but it is not unexpected, that is if you have been paying attention to what has been going on now from the very first day this administration took office. It’s time to start holding them responsible for the blood of our young men. Start voting them out in every election you can take part in. This can’t happen again. Ever. America is better than this. We just need people in office that show it. Bush never has and history will reflect this.
05.10.08
So, with all the talk about Reverend Wright and Obama, it is probably a good idea to at least, for the sake of argument, bring some attention to the other side. I still feel strongly, as our forefathers did, that religion has absolutely no place in politics. I may be alone on that notion and I do realize that religion has a lot to do with informing one’s system of beliefs. However, I think our forefathers were pretty specific on this particular topic and saw the combination of church and state as a threat to the independence of the republic. I don’t condemn other people’s religious beliefs because that is a private matter and people are free to believe whatever they like, so long as it does not bring about harm to innocent people. I just think in order to ensure that rational discussion that involves the highest thought and is in the interest of diplomacy first is strained when strong religious beliefs are brought to the fold. So, it bothers me that this has become such an issue with American politics.
With that said, I am fully aware of the fact that Obama attended Reverend Wright’s church for 20 years and he has strong personal ties to Wright. Obama has condemned Wright’s statements publicly and has worked to distance himself from Wright’s egocentric antics.
McCain also has connections to some frightening religious zealots. The difference being that McCain actively and very deliberately sought the endorsement of these zealots because he has declared that he shares their beliefs. Again, as in the case with Obama, this would be a private matter on McCain’s behalf if it were not for the absolutely insane things that the religious leaders endorsing McCain are saying. They are also saying these things very openly and are not hiding their fanatical beliefs in any way whatsoever.
Reverend Hagee is McCain’s biggest religious endorser so far and as Obama has begun distancing himself from Wright, McCain has drawn himself closer to Hagee and refuses to drop his endorsement. The reason this is disturbing is because of the vast array of discriminatory beliefs held by Hagee, who condemns just about everyone under the sun who does not adhere to his warped morality. He has claimed that Hurricane Katrina was an act of God meant to punish the sinful people of New Orleans. I would imagine there were a lot of innocent people in New Orleans who did not choose to be born there that would beg to differ with that opinion and probably found it deeply disturbing, and rightly so. Hagee also believes that, and I quote, “The coming nuclear showdown with Iran is a certainty.” He also believes that the Catholic church is “a great whore” and “a false cult system.”
A new and even more disturbing religious leader that McCain has sought endorsement from is Reverend Rod Parsley. He shares many of Hagee’s views and in some ways is almost more fanatical. So why has this not been as much an issue in the media. Doesn’t this deserve at least equal coverage? Why aren’t more people talking about this? If this presidential race is going to allow us to look at and judge both sides equally then why is the media not at least reporting more openly on this. The beliefs of these men is publicly known and very easy to track down. Why isn’t this being treated as a bigger issue?
You can read more about McCain’s ’spiritual counsel’ at the following links:
The Huffington Post
Wikipedia page on Hagee
Hagee on Hurricane Katrina
Hagee on Armageddon
05.07.08
Well, again I am sorry for the seemingly disproportionate amount of politics to art on my blog lately, but there is just so much entertaining content right now in the political arena that it is impossible to keep away from it. This video may be low-fi but since this blog is about the collision between creativity and culture, I cannot think of a better video that marries creativity and politics so harmoniously. It must have been a pain to edit this but it is just hilarious. It’s impossible not to have a laugh and enjoy it.
Damn. I thought she was done until I saw this video. There is still a possibility. Damn.
05.02.08
I made another small series of free downloadable Obama posters this week. I will most likely do one more short series with an image of Obama and then be finished. Again, I made these to function as a FREE resource to people interested in printing their own posters at little expense via Kinkos or their home printer or whatever way they can for that matter. I felt it was important that, as opposed to having pay $70 to $200 dollars for a piece of art that was really nonfunctional, it might be more useful to people to just have some clean attractive signage readily available to them so they could show their support for Obama.
I don’t care if you don’t like the font, or you are annoyed by the slanted ‘A’ characters in the last round of posters, or think the simple vector art I created looks too much like Shepard Fairey or whoever else out there in our world of a billion designers that makes simple vector portraits of people. I created them the way I did out of functionality. They are all very small in file size making them easy to download and email (even the vector portrait posters at 24×36), include space for writing for usage as meeting announcements etc., translate easily into black and white, and portray quick easily digestible iconic imagery that was meant to embody the spirit of political propaganda.
If you don’t like the posters, don’t download and use them. If you do, or you want to use the vector art in them to make your own posters, that is exactly what they are for. If you don’t like how I created them, use the existing graphics and improve upon them and then make your posters available for free so people have an alternative. I am all for that.
Obama is one of the first politicians in a quarter of a century who isn’t just speaking to the people, he is speaking for the people. He is a thinking man who wants to elevate this country to a higher plane and re-engage the U.S. with the rest of the world. His message is one of community. In the spirit of that message, and if you are in fact an Obama supporter, I encourage you to create your own imagery to support Obama in whatever way you see fit. Create imagery and give it away for free to help spread his message and help him get elected. It may be one of the most important things you do in a long time as a designer. Think activity not apathy. Move, shake, do something. Our country has been divided by greedy men with shameful motives. We need to reunite as a republic and start working together to take our country back and make it a place for the people and by the people instead of somewhere only for the ‘rich’ people. Any small way you can contribute like making posters, shirts, buttons, etc. is valid. Small contributions can add up into a tidal wave that drowns out the special interests that are crushing us as working class Americans.
04.14.08
You may have heard this in the news today because it is the latest piece of garbage that the media has sent up the flagpole and just as you would expect they are all now standing erect at full salute like a bunch of mindless zombies. The bullshit to which I am referring to, is the ‘guns and religion’ comment Obama made last week. The problem with the whole thing is that the ‘people cling to guns and religion’ comment came out of a much longer talk where there was a massive amount of, can you handle this, truth! He was speaking about how when times are hard and people feel more and more misrepresented by, and disconnected from their government, which I think we can safely say most of us feel right now, they become angry, cling to their remaining rights and look to faith where they hope for the best. You can read his actual comments above.
As I think you will find, in his own words, there is a lot of truth to what Obama is saying. I just wish they would broadcast all of his talk on television so people can hear and see exactly what was said. I agree completely with what he said. Yes, he could have worded it a little more subtly, but c’mon, things are bad right now and are we so sensitive that we can’t take a hard look at ourselves and engage in truthful dialogue? Does everything have to be pureed into baby food so we can lap it up from our politicians like abunch of helpless dogs? Seriously folks, can’t we cut the bullshit here and start talking about the gigantic steps we have to take now to get ourselves out of this massive shit-heap that has been piled upon us by the most irresponsible administration in the history of the United States? Are we so sensitive that we can’t talk honestly about how embittered we really are? Don’t we have a right to be, and is it really going to offend our sensibilities so badly to hear one of our politicians muse on the subject? Obama is thinking about the American people and what our mindset is because he wants to represent us. He may have stumbled on his verbage a little, but how many times has Bush said something so stupid that you just about had to turn off the television and take a shower because you were covered in disgust.
Don’t let our media fool you right now. This is a game and what is at stake is MONEY. Money, money, money. There are a lot of wealthy people who do not want to see a politician step forward with the best interest of the American people in his heart. To allow this would be to overturn all the progress they have made at subduing us and turning us into their own personal ATM withdrawal. Don’t be fooled for a minute because it is just bullshit. Plain and simple. There is no other word to describe it and it makes me mad. They are reaching for anything they can find right now to bring Obama down and it is transparent and sad.
The truth is, that the very people Obama is referring to and will be the most offended by his comments are the same people who voted for Bush twice in the last 8 years. Even more ironic is the sheer and simple fact that Bush has been running those people into the ground at every turn. He has sent their sons and daughters to war with no good explanation as to why. He has refused them proper health and psychiatric care upon their return. He has taken their jobs and made it impossible for them to keep their homes. Make no bones about it and clear the wax from your ears. His administration is responsible for where we are now and it is going to take someone other than another Clinton or pro-war Republican to get us out of this mess.
I would like to see Clinton answer, honestly, exactly how much money she has accepted from pharmaceutical lobbyists. She wanted to change the health care system many years ago and she was run into the ground and now she has been bought out by the corrupting powers she tried to fight. It is a sacrifice of integrity that we can no longer allow at the highest levels of our government. I would also like to see McCain speak about how many handouts he has taken from corporate lobbyists. Only in a country this divided could someone who just filed a tax return for over a hundred million dollars refer to Obama as ‘elitist’. It’s outrageous and enigmatic of the kind of smear politics that have corrupted the integrity of our system. Don’t be fooled by it and don’t grace it with a moment of your consideration. It’s not worth it and it’s flat out wrong. We have been swindled and we will only have ourselves to blame if we let it happen again, be it by our irresponsible media or money-grubbing politicians.
04.11.08
This has been on my radar for a while, and I reread an annotation of it tonight in the Economist. I had to bring it to your attention. It’s tantamount to what has ruffled me for years and years now. Yes I read the Economist. I don’t just read about design. I try to stay on top of where spaceship Earth is traveling, and lately our trajectory has seemed to be on a direct collision course pitting us against our own survival.
The event I want to call to your attention happened a millennium ago (in web time) on March 19th. It deserves a certain amount of attention though, especially from young people. It highlights, in an off-the-cuff candid way the mindset of our highest elected officials. If you have a pulse and you care about where this country is headed and just how far it has veered off course, it should make the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. For too long now, with their integrity laid on the slab like a helpless sacrificial lamb, I have been watching people refuse to speak out about the fascist political climate in the U.S. because they are afraid of risking their job security. It’s a sad state of affairs, and it is exactly what people like Thomas Jefferson warned us about.
So without further ado, a little less than a month ago Vice President Dick Cheney appeared on ABC news. When told that seven out of ten Americans think that the war in Iraq is not worth fighting, he responded with a smug smile, “So?” You can see it preserved forever digitally, which is what now accounts for celluloid, above.
It really took my breath away when I saw it. I felt like it was one of those moments of honesty that the camera was able to capture, albeit momentarily, until he was able to again compose himself and do his best to pretend to be a politician and not the worst embodiment of a cut-throat soulless American Capitalist. It was just shameless and unabashadly nefarious on all fronts. How long have we slept to allow such a disconnect from the outer appendages connected to the body politic? Our politicians should represent the soul of our nation and Cheney is black to the core. There is no heart there, he is a machine born to plunder and make money. It is a mirror that we need to gaze into and take a long hard look. It’s embarrassing and quite frankly, I believe we are better than this. I know we are. I still have faith in America, especially in the public. I am not alone either, it is still a candle held by disenfranchised people the world around. That candle is what inspired people to cram themselves onto rickety ships and push their way past the foreboding halls of Ellis Island for many years.
If anything good can come out of this dark time in our history when our Vice President can, in a single simple one-syllable word, completely disregard the public who elected him, it is that we reopen our lines of communication. It is time to engage. If you want to be relevant, then start thinking and start caring. We are overdue. We have a chance here to right some very wrong wrongs. There is still hope and we cannot give in to this era. We must not let it define us. We are better than this. I honestly care about this country and I especially care about the generations younger than me who will one day have to take the reigns of what could then be a stallion too wild to tame. Let’s get this behind us as soon as we can and start diplomatically working towards a better world once again. Then we can be the country that the world has prayed we would one day become. It’s not about money, it’s about human life, progress and the future of our planet. It isn’t an individual endeavor, it’s collective. At one point in time, there was a lot of people out there hoping we would be the country that would pave the way towards a global society. We can be that country again. We just need to ask for a second chance, apologize and bring the people who have perpetrated crimes at the highest levels of our government to justice. Nothing in our lifetime, in terms of politics, will prove more important.
I say to you Mr. Cheney, ’so’ long and good riddance. I hope you have amassed enough blood money to buy a spaceship and build a home on Mars. You don’t breath air, have a heart, or need other human beings anyway. We can live without you. It’s time we move on and start working towards the progress of the human race again and stop making a bunch of arrogant old white men rich.
“So” Mr. Cheney, thanks but no thanks, you had your chance, now get the hell out. You will not be missed. I promise you that.
04.06.08
According to an opinion poll released this week by the New York Times in conjunction with CBS 81% of Americans believe American feel “things have pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track.”
This percentage was up from 69% last year and 78% of those polled believe the country is worse off than it was 5 years ago. The times concluded that Americans were more unhappy with the country’s direction than at any time since a similar survey was conducted in the early 90’s. Of course the economy is top of mind right now in the American collective conscious and according to the Times only 21% of those polled believed the overall economy was in good condition. In my opinion, that 21% probably don’t have a T.V. or read a newspaper very often. Nearly 2 out of 3 polled believe that the economy is now officially in recession.
Interestingly enough the poll also shows that Americans blame government officials more for the mortgage crisis than banks or home buyers.
The poll was conducted March 28th and included what I think is a rather low number of 1,368 adults who were kind enough to offer their time when called at most likely right around dinner time. The margin of error was 3 percentage points which fortunately when you are talking about an number like 81% doesn’t really matter. Even at such a small number this poll is obviously alarming and points to the finality in the American mindset about the results of 8 years under the current administration. I’ve been saying how bad I thought things would get for 8 years and it was only until about 2 and a half years ago that a lot of people finally started agreeing.
As I have stated before, if you think you can hide behind the creative veil without feeling the effects of the current socio-economic climate in the United States it is time to think again. As creatives we are often akin to remoras riding on the backs of giant corporate sharks. When some of those sharks start getting hungry or decide to fast for a while, we remoras have a tendency to fall away pretty quickly.
Speak out now, honestly and resolutely, no matter what your opinion is and vote in every election possible. The time for passive apathy is past. We are a new generation and we are being handed a very troubled world. We have our work cut out for us. Solving the problems now plaguing us is going to require a group effort that extends beyond the borders of the U.S.
04.04.08
Our esteemed President was booed, resoundingly by his public as he threw the opening pitch to inaugurate the new Nationals baseball team in Washington D.C. earlier this week. Hmm. Let’s check the opinion polls on this one, oh ouch, they look bad. Ah to hell with opinion polls anyway right? No wait a minute, why is everyone booing me?
The look on his face as he takes the field and looks back to the crowd is priceless. It’s a testament to his bald-faced arrogance. I don’t think we’ve ever had a President more out of touch with the public. Of course, immediately following the incident, the announcers did their best to pretend it didn’t happen which is analogous to how the rest of the American media has been responding the the sad state of affairs repressing the American public for almost 8 years now.
I don’t know what the opinion polls say right now but it was clear how a stadium full of Americans feel about the President in his home town.
03.04.08
I have my fingers crossed for Obama in Texas today. It sounds good so far but anything can happen. I found this little video yesterday and I thought it couldn’t be more appropriate for the types I am guessing read this blog.
02.20.08
Anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr may let a 6 month cease-fire expire as soon as this coming Saturday. The move could send Shiite militia fighters back into the streets of Bagdhdad and pose a major threat to the recent appearance of success from the U.S. led surge. He ordered the cease-fire last August, and it has been credited for reducing violence in Iraq by as much as 60 percent in the last six months. If the cleric remains silent until Saturday it will be assumed that the cease-fire has been lifted and be seen as an order to commence Shiite guerilla fighting.
We will have to see what this does to the U.S. occupation. If the order ends and the violence rises dramatically, will it be enough for us to finally pull out, declare a loss and bring our boys home? Something like this begs the question, ‘Why are we still there and what are we trying to accomplish?’
Time will tell.
NOTE: THIS IS AN UPDATE. THE CEASE FIRE WAS EXTENDED THURSDAY THE 22ND FOR ANOTHER 6 MONTHS. IT WAS A SIGH OF RELIEF FOR THE AMERICAN MILITARY.
02.13.08
I was asked by the local Colorado chapter of the Obama For America Campaign to create a poster.
So, I decided to create not just one poster, but a series of posters that would be easy to distribute to all who were interested in spreading Barack Obama’s message and help get him elected President in 2008. As you can see in the button tabs on the site, there is now an ‘OBAMA’ tab where you can download the posters for free in your choice of either PDF, Illustrator or EPS file formats. The posters are free and intended for mass distribution. There are two series of posters. The first are in a large-scale 24×36 format and are intended for promotional purposes only. The second series is available in a smaller 11×17 format and has white space intended for writing any additional messages that might be needed such as a meeting time, directions, etc. Please use the posters only for positive purposes and to help spread Obama’s message.
To find out more about the series of posters and download the zipped files completely free of charge, click here now to visit the OBAMA section of the site.
Whether you support Obama or not, please get out there and vote in the next election. We get the government we deserve in this country and after 8 years of a corrupt and tyrannical administration, I think we deserve better. You have heard it before, but it bears repeating, YOUR VOTE COUNTS.
02.12.08
Well, I couldn’t just be totally partisan and show the Barack Obama video. You need to see the other side, so here is an equally inspiring, albeit in another way, video featuring the big mac, John McCain.