Healthy Thoughts

Oi, Space Travelers. I'm landed ans settled back in DC. I can type up more freely what I saw now that I'm not typing on my phone.

My flight left St. Louis at 8:45. I figured, I'd go early so I could make it through check in and security then find some place I could hear the speech. I figured there would be at least one place I could see the [joint session of Congress] speech [on health care reform]. Pleasantly to my surprise, every TV was on the speech and I found a gate which had no flights in or out and sat there (if for only less pedestrian traffic and noise).

I had my head fixed upward at the screen for most of the speech, but I had looked down on occasion to post on my Facebook wall my thoughts in real time. I can't remember the point of the speech I became aware of it, but the empty gate which I was sitting at had become full like a theater, and many people were now sitting fixed on the screen. Quiet. I looked in the terminal, and their were people just stopped, with their luggage, in no particular hurry to get home, or not wishing to miss this speech. I saw many anxious children ready to get home tugging on their parents arms. I saw people crying. I saw a few couples smiling, and a I received a few smiles directed at me when I not so silently cheered when Obama specifically spoke about the public option.

After the speech, the people began to move again, and I made my way to my own terminal. I got to my terminal as the republican response was aired. The people at the terminal watched, but I didn't see anybody stopping to listen.

I took in more of the speech, and was enthusiastically happy to hear three major things.

1) It will be illegal to deny coverage based on pre-existing conditions
2) Coverage will include preventative care measures
3) There must be a public option.

I was fond of other details, but these are what I find most important to me. Good work Obama. We needed you to be tough. I'd have liked you to have spoken earlier, but this was truly a brilliant address.

Full Speech Transcript Here

Letter From Ted Kennedy

LOST Chapter 24, Verse 4: Where Were You Part 2

And now, the exciting conclusion Space Travelers. Thanks for your patience.

LOST Chapter 24, Verse 3: Where Were You Part 1

It took me a while Space Travelers, but I'm actually doing it. Stay patient, and know that the vLogs are on their way. More to come soon, but today here is the first of two from back in January.

Chapter 24, Verse 2: History Hangover

Opps! Dear Space Travelers, I forgot to post up my election night adventure last month like I promised. So I'll post it now. Appropriate I suppose, since today is Obama's first full day as President.

Super vLog attack power up!

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

I went to innogoration and I have lots of cool video. I'll be working today to get that video out soon.

Chapter 24, Verse 1: The Bomb Before the Storm

Regime change Space Travelers! Don't fire ze Missles! I saw Cobert's famous recursive ego portrait in the Smithsonian today. Obama is on his way to a new home... W is out, O is in. Consider yourself on notice Mr. President, the other 24 letters in the alphabet want to know when it's their turn...


I'll be braving the crowd to get to the National Mall for the inauguration. I want people to see what I see, so I DL'd this really cool app called "Snaplog Photo Blogger." This lets me take a photo then immediately upload it to a server so others can see it.

I set up a domain for myself HERE (<-- click) and you can check it throughout the day to get some visuals from here in the capitol city.

Apparently, I'll eventually be able to embed some sort of window in the blog so you'd just see it there, but I didn't see how to do that on the website. Until then, you just need to click the link and enjoy!

Peace.

Chapter 22, Verse 5: Images From The White House Election Night

More to come Space Travelers. Plus I'm working on a seriously huge vLog. I tmight end up being like 30 minutes or more long! Check back soon!

Chapter 22, Verse 4: Images From Obama's Last Rally

Chapter 22, Verse 3: Marble Tears

It is a rare occurrence when we see such imagery as this Space Travelers. The circumstances of which we see Barrack Obama in tears is from when he yesterday spoke about the passing of his beloved grandmother. His grandmother who had raised him in his teenage years in Hawaii ended a long struggle with cancer in the last days of the election.

The loss of a loved one is the kind of event that is impossible to escape and yet no matter how we prepare, the weight of such a thing is never subtle, never casual, never small. When we are leaders, people look to us for strength and perhaps somewhere in the evolution of our society, we began to associate tears with weakness. Some perverse notion that allowing the natural course of emotion instead of fighting with every ounce of their will equates to a lack of strength.

It's understandable that we place such a high standard on the office of the president of the United States. I think that perhaps just as much criticism on those who aspire to fill that office. After almost two years of hearing their names used in the daily blend of pro and con, these people begin to lose their dimensions; they slowly atrophy into brands. Obama no longer becomes a man who feels love, anger, or sorrow, he becomes just a 5 letter word, a picture, a soundbyte. "Obama" exists where there is no Obama the man. surrogates supporting and contesting his campaign invoke his name to either strengthen or weaken the brand Obama.

So it is in the final hours of the campaign that we see him on stage, letting go of a few tears. It stops our heart. We are startled and caught of guard. It makes us uncomfortable. We want our champions to be invincible. We don't want them like us: Frail or prone to hurt. We see the President to be a position to big for "people like us" so when we see him in tears, we see ourselves. We are forced to come to terms with their mortality.

We see Barrack in tears and we are forced to relive the loss of our own loved ones. We see their last days in peace or pain. We relive the feeling of helplessness at one of the only known truths of this world. It sobers us.

Perhaps I use "we" and "us" to liberally. Maybe it is just me who can't advert my eyes away from that picture. Perhaps it's just me that finds it profound at all.

Regardless Space Travelers, on this the day of the election, whoever you vote for, I hope that you remember that they are more than a name in a booth. Come the day of January 20th, 2009, please remember that too and for the days to follow.


Take a moment to look.

~Chi