French Press

Linz got me a French Press for my birthday a while back. Best gift ever! It creates the most amazing, silky, velvety, sensational coffee on the face of the planet and maybe even the entire universe. Angels visit me regularly and ask me for a cup. It pairs nicely with all the dark roasts from Sue's. So don't delay, go on and throw out those old, clunky, counter hogging machines and embrace this old style brewing as your way of the future. 

It is tremendous 

Could these pictures be any cooler? . . . I submit that they could not!

Revolution and Propaganda

So, incase you haven't noticed Obama's face has been plastered everywhere. This alone does not concern me, prominent celebrity and political faces are seen all over the place. What concerns me is how Obama's face is being plastered.  But first, let me draw your attention to these eye catching images that I found on google. The one below is of the Russian Bolshevik leaders. It is painted on the side of a large building somewhere in Russia. Note the bold use of color and the commanding black and white contrast in their faces. Impressive, forbidding, and moving 

Next is this Russian propaganda poster of Lenin. I don't know the translation of the Russian, maybe Joel can tell us, but look at the simplicity, again the bold chiseled lines--Iconic!
This poster of Che shares similar attributes in the depiction of his face to those above. Simple, and easily recognizable. Again the use of chromatic negative-film type color (I am sure there is a professional pop art term to for this, if someone knows please tell me) 
What would be a line up of revolutionary posters without Mr. Castro of Cuba. Now, I am no pop art scholar or a history of revolutions guru, but I do have eyes and I did take several world history classes through out my academic career,
and what is pictured below, the face of our new president depicted in pop art, revolution fashion, is for me, a little freighting. It is my belief that this pop art poster is no naive accident. It bares to close a resemblance to its forerunners to be innocent "get out the vote" propaganda. I am not inferring in any way that Obama is the antichrist or that America is soon to become a socialist regime (as those ideas are unwarranted, outlandish fear based assumptions), but I just feel that we should be aware and critical of the sensationalism surrounding our new President.  
Note, just as in all the other propaganda posters, the pop art style and simplicity, the bold lines, the use of color. Why now at this juncture in American history? Just some observations, let me know what you think. 

Bad Bailout

I think it is safe to say that I am not alone when it comes to being confused about the current economic climate. How the passing of the bailout bill directly effects the stock market's rise and fall is beyond me. However, I do know that it does not directly effect me either. I believe that whatever those crazed lunatics in Washington decide to do has no effect on my economic standing. The only person that is responsible for that is me--the government does not exist to put Band-Aids on my boo boos--having the opportunity to make my own decisions and take responsibility for my own life is what makes America so great. If I manage my money correctly, without greed, and think before I invest I should be OK. Regardless I am the one who pulls the trigger, not the government.   To believe that Washington can do something for you, that they will take care of you, is one of the most dangerous myths you can buy into, because the moment you believe that horse poo you begin a debilitating downward slide into the land of identity-stealing fear. The media wants you to be frightened--don't be! For more on this check out this amazing article by Dave Ramsey, it will make you smile.

A final unrelated thought: debt is bad right? So why then is the government using debt to fix debt? That is fundamentally retarded--come on. This country is not in a credit crisis, it is in a debt crisis. This is part of a cyclical market and we are in a purging cycle. Anyone who can't hang on should fall off. Do you agree, or am I totally off my rocker.