Bob Dylan's new "Like a Rolling Stone" video is an interactive channel surf. Use the up and down arrow keys to move through each channel where people are lip synching to the song. Is this revolutionary? It seems like a reasonable next step technology-wise, and I wonder why more people don't do it? Does it make the file too big, or does it cost too much to create? Anyway - it's interesting. I was most impressed with all the people lip-synching because they stayed true to the theme of their channel. They must have loved being part of the video.
Yesterday (November 22) was the 50th anniversary of the assassination of John F Kennedy. Commemorating the day has been the catalyst for a lot of television/radio/newspaper/magazine/internet talk about JFK, Jackie, the Kennedy's, the 60's, the baby boomers, the politics, and the what ifs. My thoughts go out to Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg. I can't imagine how she's managed to be herself when the world wants her to represent everything about her family. I suppose she doesn't know anything different. Given that, I'm curious to know how she learned to be so normal at the same time. I'd be too self-conscious to know how to walk like myself - or know who myself is.
Slate's Political Gabfest had a conversation about JFK that was interesting without over sentimentalizing.
NPR Weekend Saturday/
Scott Simon had a couple interesting stories;
JFK had the wit to lampoon himself and
After Kennedy's Death, Wife Jacqueline Embodied Grace
November 18 was the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. It was 272 words spoken during the commemoration of the battlefield at Gettysburg Pennsylvania. Lincoln's short speech followed the 2 hour keynote speech. Folks in the old days were much sturdier than I - I can't imagine standing around that long (though come to think of it, in November 2007 I stood around for a couple hours waiting to hear Obama speak at the Oregon Convention Center).
The last line of the Gettysburg Address: "...
that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."
Two points:
First, in our current days some people believe that if we don't continue fighting, then their soldier relative who died will have died in vain. I read somewhere that that idea was born from this speech - or at least reinforced. But the truth is two dead people doesn't make the first person less dead.
Second, it's a rallying cry for the union, which is powerful...'shall not perish from the earth'. Shivers.
Watch politicians (4 Presidents) and celebrities (Stephen Colbert!) read the Gettysburg Address on Ken Burns' website.
Another anniversary - 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who. Special episode simulcast live all over the world today. In my time zone, it's shown on BBCA at 11:50 am. Although David Tennant's Doctor and Rose Tyler are in the episode, there will be no Christopher Eccleston, which breaks my heart. Even still - a new episode that has a ton of hype around it. I didn't enjoy the last season's episodes after Amy and Rory left. I like Matt Smith as the Doctor, and I like Jenna-Louise Coleman as Clara Oswald, but the stories didn't hold together for me. Oh well - they can't all be winners. Anyway - to prepare for the viewing in less than a couple hours:
Mini-episode prequel, The Night of the Doctor
Mini-episode prequel, The Last Day
A primer from The Daily Beast
Last Sunday, tornadoes flew threw the Midwest. This video by Mark Wells has given me more understanding of the terror and grief people experience as the result of tornadoes than anything I've ever seen. It brought tears to my eyes for the raw emotion we hear. So, thank you to Mark Wells for helping me understand.
I don't think I could go on living there, but I get that people don't want to leave the area they feel attached to. I wouldn't leave the Pacific Northwest.
I'm tired of broadcast media (even my beloved CBSNews This Morning) distorting this story. They've lost perspective and they're not being informative.
The New Yorker podcast called The Political Scene told the story I think makes sense. Yes, I have lots of questions and would appreciate if things had gone better and that the plan was closer to single payer, but the website problems are not a reason to throw out the whole plan.
Finally! The Senate has changed the filibuster rules! YAY! To be clear, I realize this may be a problem when the Republicans have a majority of Senate seats. But, for all these years of Obama's presidency he's had to claw and fight to get his nominations through because the Republicans have 'filibustered' everything. And it's not even a REAL filibuster like Mr Smith Goes to Washington - it's the threat of one where they don't even have to keep talking. Anyway - how can a president be expected to run a government when he can't even put his people in place? It's ridiculous. One of the privileges of winning the election is that you get to put people in your government that you want. The Republicans haven't let Obama have that, and then they rail and scream because he doesn't do anything. Aargh.
Anyway - here's a series of articles from the Washington Post Wonkblog that talk about the filibuster
The DC Court is the court at the Center of the Filibuster fight. Here's why it matters
One huge effect of filibuster reform: Obama can actually fire people
The world's leading filibuster expert on what happened today and what to expect next
Everything you need to know about Thursday's filibuster change
Harry Reid's bid to save the Senate
The filibuster move is great news for Obama's financial reform agenda
Nine reasons the filibuster change is a huge deal
White House, allies weigh nomination strategy under new Senate rules
And finally, we've been very lucky to have crisp, sunny, fall days. This is a picture of Lake Washington from Medina Beach looking toward Mercer Island and Mt Rainier toward the left. I took it on Friday 11/22/13.
And that's what's been on my mind this week. If I had better focus and discipline I might have made these individual posts throughout the week. Writing this up has taken long enough that it's now time for the Doctor Who episode "The Day of the Doctor". Enjoy Saturday!
