Wanna see something ugly?

If you want a window into contemporary racism and self-delusion, click here. (Granted, why would you want to look through that window?)

The link is to a discussion I started, as jharris, on the message board of my alma mater, Louisiana Tech University. I posted a video of President Bush pointing out some of the terrible history of lynching. I was hoping that might have an effect, since most of the people on that board admire Bush, though I never believed it would turn people around exactly.

This is the kind of culture I grew up in. More often than not, I'm pissed off about that fact.

I'm coming home

I'll be in Louisiana from March 1st through the 11th. I hope we'll be able to make some time to get together.

More on Electoral Integrity

The New York Times has an article about voting irregularities in the New York primary. Here's the first paragraph:

Black voters are heavily represented in the 94th Election District in Harlem’s 70th Assembly District. Yet according to the unofficial results from the New York Democratic primary last week, not a single vote in the district was cast for Senator Barack Obama.

That's right--a district in Harlem and no one voted for Obama. According to the article there's 80 such districts.

Valentine's

Last night, to celebrate Valentine's Day, Nicole and I went to Spuntini's, a lovely Italian restaurant. Inside the foyer of the restaurant were a bunch of photos of celebrities who'd dined there, and the one that got a laugh from me was of Fred Thompson. (I was sorry to see him leave the race, just because he was so unintentionally funny.) We ate so much good Italian food, we went into food comas. As a gift, I gave her the DVD of the first season of the "Flight of the Conchords." It was a lovely evening.

Some of you might think a DVD is not the most romantic of gifts, but that's only because you haven't seen the Flight of the Conchords in action. Watch the clip below, and you'll understand they're all about romance in the extreme.



I enjoy surprising people with gifts they'll love. Last night, I had the unusual opportunity to give Nicole a gift I knew she'd love, though she didn't know it existed. That is, Nicole had seen the clip above, loved it, but had no idea about its source. She just attributed it to that guy from "Eagle vs. Shark". So she was happy. And now, it's business time.

Live from Toronto

Last night, Nicole and I spent our first night in the city. Today I actually used the subway as a means of transportation. If you don't hear from me, it's because we're a bit wiped and are still getting the place in order.

Access to Care

The American Red Cross offers anyone affected by Hurricane Katrina $2000 for any kind of mental health treatment. I write this to encourage you (or anyone you know) to avail themselves of this resource. The program is called Access to Care, and you can enroll simply by clicking here or calling 1-866-794-HOPE (4673).

I was seeing a therapist after the hurricane, and it was nice to have this available. By going on-line, I signed up in less than ten minutes. Claiming the benefit was relatively simple, too. The benefit is broad in its application. The subject of your therapy doesn't have to be directly about Katrina, per se. That's not to say you're screwing the Red Cross over; the manifestations of the stress of the hurricane is unique to each individual.

Also, the benefit will pay you for therapy retroactively. Any therapy you've paid for since the hurricane can be refunded, essentially amounting to a windfall. Don't delay, though. The deadline to sign up is the end of March. The deadline to use the benefit is the end of September (I think). The deadline to file your last claim is the end of December.

My Obama Post

Near the conclusion of his Super Tuesday speech, Obama said the following: "Change will not come if we wait for some other person or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek." I found that incredibly empowering, a needed change from the cynicism of most politicians. He went on to refer to the rebuilding of New Orleans.

Here's his speech in New Orleans yesterday.

Barack Obama speech

New Orleans, don't let me down tomorrow.

Update: When I posted the speech, I'd only watched the first 40% of it. I watched it all today, and I've got to say, even as someone supporting Obama, I was surprised and encouraged by what he said. That is, he articulated a vision for the city post-Katrina that many of us had immediately afterward--keeping the best parts, losing the worst, creating an example of a just city.

Also, according to Huffington Post, there's a low turn-out expected in Louisiana. Hey--it's Saturday afternoon! Do you know where your ballot box is?