Comedian George Carlin Dies at age 71

NY Times Link

A sad day for all, simply for losing such a genius comedic mind. In a small and simple honor, I've posted his most famous routine:

(Warning! This video contains adult language.)

Thinking Outside the Bun

To begin, let me clarify that this post is not about Taco Bell, John McCain, nor Barack Obama. This post is about taking a view that is broader than any man or beef and bean burrito can encompass . This post is about what I believe to be a paradigm we have in today's day-to-day politics, and how the same ingredients that create this Catch 22-flavored cake are the same ingredients that drive Americans and make people strong individuals.

If this already has you confused, don't question your comprehension; just know that I feel the same as you. The concept that has been jingling around my oft-empty brain is difficult to explain. Pair that with my suspect and rusty writing abilities, and we have a recipe for run-on sentences and closed browser windows. If that is the end result, I apologize in advance and thank you for giving it a try. I will strive for better next time. In the meantime, let's begin:

What is striking me very strongly in the past few days is how the human worldview can be amazing. I sometimes wonder what the world would be like if we all could be persuaded with a simple argument. Falling prey to a smooth linguist, we would most likely be like zombies marching to beat of our leader's drum. This, of course, is something no one desires.

It is these strongly held beliefs and ideals that make the basis for a strong country and strong (if not challenged) government. Despite all our recent gripes, anyone can admit that America has been and will continue to be the best place to live in the world. Pardon the over-used cliche, but it is this "melting pot" of peoples that bring about the innovation, drive, and quality of life we see here everyday.

Unfortunately, it is this diversity that makes politics and government so dicey and tricky. What I see recently around me are people attacking others simply because they believe a different way is better. Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Green Party, Anarchist, I-Don't-Really-Care-ist: all these people hold a belief system that they believe is the best way to get things done.

The problem comes when someone with a different view shades their perception of another from their own worldview. The results of this are usually disappointing, because it becomes really easy to judge someone as misled or downright wrong when you evaluate another using yourself as a basis. It's like trying to fit a round peg in a square hole: all you get in the end is angry and frustrated.

Why do we do this? Well, when we grow up in a school system that grades everyone based on one standard, its hard not to bring the same procedures to qualitative aspects of life. While in math there is one right answer to a problem, in life there is no such absolute variable. (Let me just say that if life WAS a big math problem, I'd probably still fail it anyway.) And honestly, I think that no matter how much one approach is successful, there is no way to think that there isn't an untried and better way somewhere out there.

I really don't have a solution to the political problems we have. I'll be the first to admit that I know many people that can run circles around me on political knowledge. But that won't stop me from offering an analogy: I think we as Americans focus too much on the sandwich, and forget about the whole meal.

Perhaps a real life example would better serve you, dear reader: After the September 11th attacks of 2001, we had a nationwide uniting of hands and hearts. It was then that we saw ourselves as "American", not "American Democrat" or "American Republican". Imagine what we could get done if we looked at our neighbor and saw a person who was in the same boat as us, and stopped fixating on political affiliation. Just imagine what we could do if we started thinking outside the bun.

And it even looks like a real car....

Zero Emission Honda FCX Clarity

Pretty stylish, eh?

Honda's new car came off Japanese production lines today. Running on hydrogen and electricity, the car supposedly emits only water and a few gases believed to have no "greenhouse" effects.

Over 50,000 people have already signed up to lease the car through Honda's website, but officials say they will only choose a few dozen applicants who live near hydrogen fuel stations.

Oh it gets me everytime...

Incredibly artistic video

I stumbled upon this on YouTube: