Beltmann

Awesome.

I just watched Sarah Palin give her stump rhetoric on live TV. Every time I listen to her, I am struck by how eagerly and simplistically she divides the country into Us and Them, and then frames our national discourse as a battle that must be won by destroying Them. There's something surreal about listening to her try to inspire confidence and enthusiasm by sowing division and fear. Worse, I feel that Palin is utterly, strangely (refreshingly?) transparent about how she, if elected, intends to leave me and my concerns behind, because I'm one of Them, and therefore not a true American, and t

I voted last week. The ballots here are always amusing. I live in the most conservative city in one of the most conservative counties in Wisconsin, so all of the local races are a joke. On the ballot, the Republican incumbent is listed, and there are no challengers of any kind. I voted for Obama, and for the independent running against our local Republican state senator. I left all the others blank.

Bummer. There's no way I can get to Madison to snag two tickets.

Man, that Sex and the City movie sure is one big stinking pile of crap. Torturous.

What the what the hey?

Celine Sciamma's Water Lilies explores the first twinges of (confused) sexuality in several teenage girls, and it has the veneer of thoughtful psychological drama. Taken as a whole, though, it is obvious, run of the mill, and rather dishonest about its reliance on sensationalism. Worse, the characters never feel like human beings; instead, they seem like pawns at the service of a needlessly morose screenplay. Ditto. Had a blast.

I support a breakdown of the two-party system, so I'm always rooting for third party candidates to make a dent. This year, though, none of the alternative candidates better represent my values than one of the major party candidates, so there's no compelling reason for me to cast a symbolic vote.

I think I really loved The Edge of Heaven. Fatih Akin is quickly becoming one of my favorite filmmakers.

If McCain has ever used a library, he supports socialism.

Last night our Obama yard sign was stolen, along with all the others on our street. Funny thing is, the thieves failed to notice that my yard had two signs.

Downloading now via eMusic, based solely upon your recommendation.

I am filled with eager anticipation. Last night:

Happy Birthday!

At our local campaign office, we were told that Obama himself would smack us down for even thinking this thing was over.

Welcome, Crush. This is a great place.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

It was a rare thing: An articulate, thoughtful, and reflective endorsement.

I did some canvassing this morning, which was an adventure since I live in one of the most conservative counties in Wisconsin. At the very first door, a woman told me that she would pray for me, and hoped that I would investigate the facts and come to realize that Obama lies about everything. Plus, she's worried about his safety should he be elected.

No iPod here, either. I buy a lot of music, and it's probably an even split between eMusic downloads (occasionally iTunes or Amazon) and CDs purchased through online stores (usually Amazon).

The Guatemalan Handshake / Todd Rohal / 2008 This is weird stuff. I think I dug it. (Bonus: Will Oldham has a role.)

I've always thought this is weird, too. By virtue of having fewer games, each game of a best-of-5 actually has higher stakes than each game of a best-of-7.

Just got back from Game 3 of the NLDS at Milwaukee's Miller Park. I've never had more fun at a sporting event, never done so much yelling, jumping up and down, and high-fiving strangers. My voice is shot. And I'm going back tomorrow. Can't wait.

Rad.

Me too.