JayFublerHarvey.com

I’m a huge fan of diversity. (As I’ve joked, “I’m a walking diversity class”)

I always vowed that whenever I had kids, I wanted them to grow up in as richly a diverse area as humanly possible. Kids aren’t born with race based prejudices…they’re taught them. It’s truly a crime that we, as a whole, let such bullshit penetrate the souls of each new generation.

Fortunately, one way to fight against such nonsense is to give them as much exposure to the variety of the world as possible. Old prejudices seem like utter nonsense when you’ve lived with the opposite.

I was looking forward to being surrounded by such diversity in my new home. So what do I find in my new neighborhood in Chicago?

Orthodox Jewish, Indian, Vietnamese, Caribbean, Italian, Latino, Middle Eastern, Black American

A good start :)

Let’s me start off the return to ze old blog with just a little something…

Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt

When you reboot, might as well kick some ass in the process :)
(And yes, those who’ve asked/complained…I am working on the rest of the images :) )

A pastor…a man with strong influence over a number of people…has stated that he hates President Obama. He makes it clear that he’s not talking about the President’s politics…he hates the man himself. “Break his teeth, Oh God”…”let him pass away”, the pastor has stated.

Take a listen for yourself: http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2009/09/07/ktvk.az.rally.church.ktvk

Sure, people are free to have their own thoughts and beliefs. That same freedom gives the rest of us the ability to point out when others ideas/beliefs are based on inaccurate information or even unreasonable fear and paranoia. Ignorance/hate based ideology, in the end, helps no one…

I’ve been watching closely the ever growing paranoia and fear that’s been accumulating by anti-Obama groups (and how it’s being used to further conservative agendas) and I can’t just not comment on it any longer. I applaud those who are taking the high road when it comes to all the nonsense (Obama being a Nazi, for example), but I just hope they don’t take too high a road and not realize how many people are seeming to jump on this bandwagon. (I listen to conversative radio often to hear the other side…sometimes it feels like my head’s going to explode)

With a number of schools not willing to show the President’s speech to school children, a common speech that past presidents have made, I fear the nonsense is far from being over. I worry that this balloon will pop in an unfortunate manner…

Hey folks,

I’m still around…but my web focus has been centered elsewhere as of late. So, if you’d like to see what’s going on with me on the more recent tip, feel free to check out my Facebook and Twitter accounts. This blog isn’t dead by any means…I just need to figure out the best way to incorporate it back into my social networkiing life…

Best Picture:
===================

• What will win: Slumdog Millionaire
  • (Probably a given…)
• What should win: Slumdog Millionaire
• Possible Surprise Winner: The Reader
  • (Good, but not worthy of a nomination)
• Shoulda Been Nominated: The Wrestler, Rachel Getting Married

Best Actor
===================

• Who will win: Mickey Rourke – “The Wrestler”
• Who should win: Mickey Rourke – “The Wrestler”
• Possible Surprise Winner: None…seriously, it’s not even close
• Glad to see nominated: Richard Jenkins – “The Visitor”

Best Actress
===================

• Who will win: Kate Winslet – “The Reader”
  • (Boo…she was much better in “Revolutionary Road”)
• Who should win: Anne Hathaway – “Rachel Getting Married”
• Possible Surprise Winner: None…Too much talk about Kate going on…
• Glad to see nominated: Angelina Jolie – “Changling”
  • (Damn good performance)

Best Supporting Actor
===================

• Who will win: Heath Ledger – “The Dark Knight”
• Who should win: Heath Ledger – “The Dark Knight”
  • (I’m usually against posthumous awards, but he deserves it)
• Possible Surprise Winner: None
  • (No chance)
• Glad to see nominated: Josh Brolin – “Milk”

Best Supporting Actress
===================

• Who will win: I honestly don’t know…seems like a toss up…
• Who should win: Roll the dice…they all did quite well
• Glad to see nominated: Penelope Cruz – “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”
  • (glad that movie is getting some recognition)

Best Animated Feature
===================

• What will win: Wall-E
• What should win: Kung Fu Panda
  • (not that Wall-E was bad, but Panda was killer)

You know…I did think I would see a minority of one form or another as President of the United States at some point during my life. The continual change of the racial/ethnic make up of this country pretty much dictated that such a thing would be more likely in time. Also, each new generation seems to have a more natural ability (or just simply less scars) to accept various shades of diversity as commonplace. Even with that, I figured I’d be cruising along with my AARP card before I got to see someone of color in charge of the USA.

Aren’t some surprises grand? :)

How many children are going to go to bed tonight and realize…truly realize, that when their parents say “You can be president someday”, it’s not simply talk?

This really does change everything…on so many levels.

Seeing so many people both here and around the world burst into spontaneous joy and celebration (the impromptu party outside the White House was fantastic)…such a incredible rush of relief…it was a wonderful sight to behold…

The Obama administration has inherited a mess of a country to work on…but they don’t have to do it alone. Significant change is rarely easy, but it is doable…and it’s considerably easier to accomplish when people work together. Through our own energies, we create our own reality. There’s no reason that we can’t take care of this. Hope and change ain’t just a bumper sticker…

Congratulations President-Elect Obama!

Congratulations to us all :)

Goodbye ceiling…Hello Sky…

-Jay

PS: On a completely selfish note, it does my heart good to see someone in the White House that is *exactly* like myself: a multiracial man of black/white mix. :)

I’d like everyone to please get out and vote during the next two days. Please do not be dismayed by the long lines on Monday…those lines will be MUCH longer on Tuesday. Also, if you are in line when the polls close, you legally will still be able to vote. (Don’t let anyone tell you differently!).

If you think you’re candidate has got it in the bag, vote anyway! If you think you’re candidate does not have a chance, vote anyway! Remember how close it was in 2000? Remember when Dewey beat Truman? (Oh wait…)

If you wanted to vote, but get to the polls too late on Tuesday, and your state had early voting….you are a moron/fool/ignorant. Pray that your candidate was supported by those who took the time to cast a ballot…

I’m working the polls for the very first time on Tuesday. And it being my first time, the board of elections gave me the job of presiding judge; I actually have more responsibilities than anyone else in my precinct. (Fortunately, I get paid more…but who knows if it will be worth the trouble). I plan on writing all about this after the election. I will say that I’m already disappointed in a number of things I’ve seen (Did you know that if you’re an independent, you CANNOT work the polls in my county?)…and that my local board could stand to have a usability expert work with them on improving…well just about everything.

This is all just part of my ongoing love/hate relationship with politics…Cheerio!

I’m certainly not surprised that the McCain/Palin campaign has brought up Barack Obama’s “connection” with the Weather Underground’s Bill Ayers. When you’re down that far in the polls, you’ll throw anything at the wall to see if it will stick.

I’m also not surprised that the conservative talking heads on radio & TV are magnifying this as far as they can. Not playing up to their base with the Obama-story du jour would be foolish for their careers (and their pocketbooks).

What I am surprised about is the number of people who are treating this as a new story. This is all old hat…Hillary Clinton used it in her campaign back in the day.  End Result: There was nothing to story when Hillary brought it up in the primaries. There’s still nothing to the story now that McPalin has brought it up either.

For those of you who want to know the full non-partisan story, please check out the widely respected FactCheck.org’s page on it:

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/he_lied_about_bill_ayers.html

The sickness: the more people repeat something, the more some people think it’s true.

The tragedy: whenever it happens to be false.

1) New Bat Time…New Bat Place…New Bat Format…Same Shit…

2) McCain referring to Obama as “That One…” (WTF?!)

3) My condolences to all those drinking game mavericks who had “My Friends” as part of your game. Head to the emergency room right now!

Plus One:

4) Obama stayed long after McCain left and talked to all the people present…Right on!

Tina Fey walked right into a goldmine when Sarah Palin joined the race…and she’s running with it for all it’s worth. I love it! She pulled off another great performance last night. (And what a wonderful surprise having Queen Latifah as Ifil!). Check it out: