if you think about it too much

A must-listen is the new Chemical Brothers' Galvanize, featuring none other than Q-Tip. You can watch the video or listen to the audio at their site. Q is my hero, and the Chemical Brothers seem to complement him quite well. My friend Abs once met him in NYC, and he gave her a big bear hug. I melted when I heard that story, but I would have been like Amelie watching Nino had I actually heard him utter a word in person, with that voice of his. Anyway, seems particularly apt considering today is the day of the inauguration of he whose name must not be uttered on this blog.

Seriously, though, I was tempted to go on a rant about the need to focus on grassroots efforts and how not spending a damn dime is going to be completely ineffective. But I can't do that eloquently. And, I don't want to be someone adding to empty rhetoric. So, I shall refrain, until I have a plan. Yes, that is an incredibly lofty thing to write. And yes, it is also completely against the theme of Galvanize:

Don't hold back!
Because if you think about it, so many people do to be cool and look smarter.

Well, it wouldn't be a first, me contradicting myself. I contend that politics will make hypocrites of us all, though. My cousin K is the most kick-ass person I know. She has two degrees that revolve around improving the world, and she has worked for NGOs and other non-profits. And she told me over vacation last month that the answer is to work within the system. She said that, after years of being a firebrand, she feels it's counterproductive, and the most likely way to really create progress is to beat them at their own game. I'm inclined to agree.

Case in point- I really loved a recent Daily Show episode that featured a bit of Jim Wallis talking about how the right has hijacked religion. Now, though I'm not Christian, and have really big idealogical issues with the injection of religion in political discourse, I really like what he had to say. Which, basically, was that, if you do count Christianity into your political beliefs, shouldn't you be focused on alleviating poverty, helping the sick, the homeless, the children, preaching tolerance, and not waging war? I don't know. I thought he had a better chance of getting a right-wing conservative to his side than the Not one damn dime movement ever could.

For the record, I'm not spending any money today. But then again, that's just because I'm too busy, so I'm having trouble giving myself credit for being some kind of rebel with a cause for this behavior.

Random tangent of the day: one of my coworkers brought in her baby to work today, and I was forced to pretend that said baby was cute. All babies are not created equal, people. And yes, if I was very religious, I would certainly be struck by lightning for this remark- the baby was so not cute. I felt like I was in an episode of Seinfeld. "Oh the baby, you have to see the baby!"

Random tangent #2: Paging Simon Cowell- every guy I know begs to differ vehemently with you-

"She's not sexy, she hasn't got a great body and she's not a great singer."
-- "American Idol" judge SIMON COWELL, on singer BEYONCE KNOWLES, in Esquire magazine.