Prepping this show was an unexpected experience for me. Someone I respect had given me the idea to make this episode a soundtrack journey of my life over the last five and a half years. I knew immediately it was the right approach. As I started to go back through old shows notes and blog posts, I realized how much how much has changed in my life and in our world. Not only has every major part of my existence been flipped – birth of Emma, fallout of my marriage, career hurdles and the passing of Mia the Wonderdog – but the world has changed drastically too. Since AC began we’ve been witness to Hurricane Katrina, the election of the first black president and the worst recession in decades.
This episode will not appeal to some of you. There aren’t any stories this week about stupid people or the state of politics in the U.S. a week after the election. Instead, call it a diary entry – a summary of the last half decade of my life and the way I’ve viewed the world around me.
Boring? Maybe. Self-serving? Absolutely. But I can say it’s honest and it’s unfiltered. I hope you enjoy it, but if not, come back next week and I’ll be back to my usual form. Promise.
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I realize that every news outlet in the U.S. has been dissecting the election results for the last 24 hours – and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. That said, I’m going to pile-on and weigh in a bit on what I think some of it means for our leadership in the next two years. I think it will actually hold both sides more accountable as they look toward the general election in 2012. Listen to this week’s show, then share your comments below.
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We’re less than a week away from elections – I should be focusing 100% of my effort on that, right? Nope. I’m actually staying away from politics this week (mostly). I’ve said everything I can say to you. My hope is that you go to the polls with a clear head and vote for the candidate that actually has a plan for the change you want to see. Try and strip away all the fear-mongering and the attack ads and look at what the candidates stand for in your state. I have faith that this audience – this community – will make the right choices.
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* Charlie Sheen Goes on Another Bender
* Man Pisses Off Tattoo Artist – Gets a Penis Tattooed on His Back
* Chad Ball: The Importance of Teaching Kids New Media
* Rand Paul Volunteer Seeks Apology From Woman He Stomped
One of my favorite scenes from any movie is the last scene in “The American President.” It’s amazing because even though that movie was made 15 years ago, the message rings so true today. Take this quote from Michael Douglas (it’s at about the 2:23 mark in the video clip):
“We have serious problems to solve and we need serious people to solve them and whatever your particular problem is, I promise you, Bob Rumson is not the least bit interested in solving it. He is interested in two things and two things only – making you afraid of it and telling you who’s to blame for it. That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you win elections.”
Now watch this latest ad from Ben Quayle:
Besides being for lower taxes and decreased spending, he doesn’t say a single thing that he’d actually do if elected. The ads spends two seconds on what he’s actually for and the other 29 seconds telling you who to be afraid of in this election. Are we really that short on leadership that we have to entertain electing the candidate that makes us fear something the most?
To be fair, I’ve seen Democratic nominees do this as well. How about dedicating air time to explaining how you’d solve problems instead of who’s to blame for them?
This week we continue to talk about clueless people dominating our headlines. Whether you’re talking about politicians or NFL players, some people just don’t have a firm grip on the reality of their situation. In this episode of American Cliche, we’re exploring that in a bit more depth. We’re also talking about the Obama Administration’s ill-advised attempt to block the recent U.S. District Court’s ruling allowing openly gay men and women to sign up for military service.
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I thought it would be helpful to include the actual video of the soundclip I used in this week’s show. Anderson Cooper does a great job at summarizing the situation with Christine O’Donnell.
We’ve been hearing so much in the news in recent days about a string of teen suicides in the U.S. – some because of cyber-bullying, some because of sexual orientation. No matter the reason, children killing themselves is not OK. With that on my mind, I was struck by this piece about a class in South Korea where young people are learning about the process of dying in order to better appreciate how to live.
While I was disappointed in the folks at Sesame Street for pulling Katy Perry’s appearance, they have sort of redeemed themselves with this parody of the Old Spice ads. I wonder if someone, somewhere will find something offensive about this spot.
This week I spent most of the show talking about Christine O’Donnell and the Tea Party. Frankly, I’m pretty scared about the prospect of someone like this bumbling her way into a seat on the senate. She hasn’t been willing to do interviews – all we really know about her are some of the clips that have surfaced of her on Politically Incorrect a decade ago. Even when she finally granted CNN a 10 minute interview, she showed that she clearly doesn’t have a real understanding of any of the major issues we face today as Americans.
We have 100 seats in the senate – am I the only one that is scared to death of a person like this getting elected into one of them?
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I found this short film today and I was pretty touched. It’s a story about a 4 year old named Jacob with Down Syndrome and his journey through his first teeball season. As a father, I find my myself connecting more and more with these types of stories. I guess at the end of the day we all want the same things for our children: happiness, love, acceptance, etc. I think this story really captures that.
We all remember the “Evolution of Dance” video that was so popular on YouTube years ago. This week, Jimmy Fallon teamed up with guest, Justin Timberlake and his house band, The Roots, to turn out “A History of Rap.”
American Cliche is the alter ego of digital marketer, Scott Parent. Join Scott for rants on bizarre news stories, politics, business, technology, and social media all served up with a heaping dose of sarcasm.
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Prepping this show was an unexpected experience for me. Someone I respect had given me the idea to make this episode a soundtrack journey of my life over the last five and a half years. I knew immediately it was the right approach. As I started to go back through old shows notes and blog posts, I realized how much how much has changed in my life and in our world. Not only has every major part of my existence been flipped – birth of Emma, fallout of my marriage, career hurdles and the passing of Mia the Wonderdog – but the world has changed drastically too. Since AC began we’ve been witness to Hurricane Katrina, the election of the first black president and the worst recession in decades.
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