Riggs 2.0

Understanding the Bailout

How has it been three months since I've had a blog post?  (It's not like anything exciting has been going on the past 90 days.)

Anyway, limping back into the blogosphere with a relatively easy topic:  the global economic meltdown, and the Obama adminstration's bailout plan. 

This about sums it up.

Eye Spy - A Filmmaker Trying to One Up Me

I thought I was "going all in" when I decided to leave the corporate world and become a filmmaker full time, but this guy just saw my "life changing career move" and raised me:

An eyeball.

Check out this article about a filmmaker who is installing a camera in his eye socket.



 

(Yeah, in case you're wondering....I fold.)

David Caruso One Liners

It's almost as if YouTube knew exactly what I wanted for Xmas.  Watch below for a series of one liners from the man, the myth, the legend - and the sunglasses - David Carusso.

Ummmmm.....Did Obama Just Cure AIDS?

Here's another installment of "hey mainstream media, let's take a look at our priorities" - Huffington Post edition.

In our last episode (and the subject of a previous post), I mentioned how silly it was that Gmail going down for two hours made front page news, despite a host of other calamities that were plaguing the world that week.

Today, I surf to the good old Huff and Puff to find - buried in the bottom right hand corner, mind you - that an AIDS patient has reportedly been cured of all of his symptoms following a very specific type of bone marrow transplant. 

......

Um...excuse me?

......

Now before we all start short selling Trojan stock, and in fairness to Arianna - doctors are very quick to point out that this is not conclusive, many more tests have got to be done, yadda yadda.  But come on - can we not add a little more font size to that one?

And honestly - is Obama behind this?  I know he's busy basking in the glow of that whole "historic election that revitalized hope for billions of people around the world" thing, but isn't that enough for one week? 

Do his warm fuzzies actually extend into the immune system?

 




  

Greatest Speech of My Lifetime

FULL TEXT: PRESIDENT-ELECT BARACK OBAMA:

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

Its the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.

Its the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled - Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.

Its the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

Its been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.

I just received a very gracious call from Senator McCain. He fought long and hard in this campaign, and hes fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him and Governor Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nations promise in the months ahead.

I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the Vice President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.

I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last sixteen years, the rock of our family and the love of my life, our nations next First Lady, Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy thats coming with us to the White House. And while shes no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.

To my campaign manager David Plouffe, my chief strategist David Axelrod, and the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics - you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what youve sacrificed to get it done.

But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to - it belongs to you.

I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didnt start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington - it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.

It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give five dollars and ten dollars and twenty dollars to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generations apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory.

I know you didnt do this just to win an election and I know you didnt do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime - two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how theyll make the mortgage, or pay their doctors bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.

The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America - I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you - we as a people will get there.

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who wont agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government cant solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way its been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years - block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

What began twenty-one months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek - it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you.

So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, its that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers - in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people.

Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House - a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, We are not enemies, but friends...though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn - I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.

And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world - our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down - we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security - we support you. And to all those who have wondered if Americas beacon still burns as bright - tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.

For that is the true genius of America - that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one thats on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. Shes a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing - Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.

She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldnt vote for two reasons - because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.

And tonight, I think about all that shes seen throughout her century in America - the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we cant, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

At a time when womens voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that We Shall Overcome. Yes we can.

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves - if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time - to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth - that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we cant, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:

Yes We Can. Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.

One MORE Reason to Hate John Mayer

Man I hate John Mayer.

I hate his music, because most of his bloody lyrics are so articulate, insightful and catchy you end up having them stuck in your head for hours. 

I hate his talent, because the guy's one of the greatest guitar players in a generation, and anytime he does a cover, it's better than the original.

And I really hate him for this.   

(No I mean, I REALLY hate him for that.)

As if knocking up the love of my life wasn't enough, now the guy goes and writes one of the most insightful, thought provoking articles I've ever read about the upcoming election, and what it's been like for my generation the past 8 years. 

Listen to what he says:

I was 23 years old when the nation was attacked on September 11, 2001. I can remember hearing pundits say "this changes everything" and "things will never be the same." Obviously it was a tragic and traumatic event, but that sentiment has carried on through the better part of my twenties. If you were 43 years old on that day, I would imagine it was a difficult concept to get your head around as well, but if you were a young adult just entering his or her individual life, there was an added twist; how can you process the idea of everything changing and things never being the same when you have no point of reference for what "everything" and "the same" is? I was just beginning to put my hands on the world around me, to interact and engage with it, and to actualize the dream of being an adult in a free society. To wait in line for 23 years only to have the "sorry, future canceled" sign flipped in my face was depressing, to say the least.

That could not have nailed it any more. 

I'm part of a generation that sent its first email 5,000 days ago.  Everything that's happened since has happened so fast it's easy to forget how far we've come, how much we've had to overcome, and what an absolute privilege it is to be alive during this phase of human history.

Go read the rest of the article. 

It's brilliant, insightful, incredibly timely, and again....

I am totally hating him for it.

How to Gain 20 Pounds in 4 Hours

There are so many ways to become famous these days. 

Apparently all you have to do is eat a 20 pound hamburger. 

My favorite quote from the article: 

"About three hours into it, things got tough."

...

(Because the first 15 pounds were a breeze?)

Textuality

If the three of you reading this blog are wondering what I've been up to lately, here's an update:

Several months ago a friend of mine wrote a terrific script called "Textuality". 

It's a story about two people trying to pursue a relationship, while trying to exit the multiple relationships they were both managing through their PDA's before they met.  (Think "Californication" meets "You've Got Mail" - for the text messaging age.)  

For a slightly more artsy explanation, the story is really about modern day relationships; the ambiguity that defines them, the frustration that arises from them - and most recently - the technology that enables them.  It's about an entire generation that is finding it easier and easier to feel connected TO everyone, yet harder and harder to feel truly connected WITH anyone.  (And it's laugh out loud funny, as well.)

Early on my friend asked if I wanted to get involved and help him raise some money for the project, and I agreed - thinking this would make a fun side project that would let me scratch my creative itch while not completely diving in with both feet.  After a year that's seen us shop the project at Sundance, LA, Venice, and the Toronto film festival, I can safely say that I've caught the bug, and am going to be focusing on producing this full time until it's "in the can" as they say.

The film stars Jason Lewis from Sex and the City (and no, ladies - we don't need any more volunteers on set, thanks); and Carly Pope (from Young People F'ing, Califnornication and 24).  It's directed by Warren Sonoda, and we're expecting to shoot very soon, despite that whole "global financial crisis" thing you may have been hearing about...:)

Shortly, you'll be able to follow along here, but for now, check back here and at Strident Films (yes, that's my company) for updates.

The NASCAR Debate

Best quote of the night from a pundit on Fox News:  "This VP debate was like a NASCAR race...you held your breath every time they went into a turn."

Replacing the Mean With Meaning

Really great back to basics post from Umair Haque on bringing meaning back into business.  Definitely worth a read. 

My favorite quote:

"When your market cap, for example, can be utterly vaporized in a matter of days, it's a stark reminder that shareholder value is a video game - and it is human outcomes that make work meaningful."

Off to go find some meaning in that...:)