Today officially marks the end of my first week at a new job, working with the New South Wales Fire Brigades.  I am basically in their media and public affairs office dealing with any and all video related needs. Specifically, I'm the in house Final Cut Pro guy and am supposed to be called upon to document as a videographer any "incident" such as a bushfire, major accident or other a hazardous material spill.  I hate to dissapoint but I likely won't be able to share much in the way of images/video here as it is all guarded for internal purposes. But I am tickled at the range of responses I've received from friends and family. Let me just dispell any suspicions:

No I am not thinking of becoming a Fireman.  No I don't see any hot firemen. No I am not part of any calender (seriously this one came from my sister!)

So far I've had the opportunity to photograph the Commisioner of our Fire Brigades in his signing of an official statement of reconciliation toward the Aboriginal communities in a symbolic meeting today.  I also will have the opportunity I believe of documenting a ceremony tomorrow meant to honor the newest recruits of the fire brigades from their rigorous training- in short the newbie "firies".

An interesting comment I heard this past week was questioning why we were apologizing to the aboriginals in the first place. It was not the first time I had a slightly uncomfortable conversation with someone in Australia regarding race- not to make any generalizations. This person in particular seemed to think a federal statement was good enough, but apologies by individual government agencies unecessary and a waste of money.  Then just a few minutes ago I became aware of someone sobbing on the local news, it was a representative of the "lost generation" who was expressing their gratitude at finally getting the statement of reconciliation. Guess it means different things to different people.

Andrew Sullivan has some good points:

*"To be black and white, to have belonged to a nonreligious home and a Christian church, to have attended a majority-Muslim school in Indonesia and a black church in urban Chicago, to be more than one thing and sometimes not fully anything—this is an increasingly common experience for Americans, including many racial minorities. Obama expresses such a conflicted but resilient identity before he even utters a word. And this complexity, with its internal tensions, contradictions, and moods, may increasingly be the main thing all Americans have in common."*

Just about everyone I talk to who is not an American appears to be excited at having Obama as the next face of the United States.  I believe that his complex upbringing does represent a good cross section of our society.  My experience growing up in California has brought a lot of these issues to mind over the years.  I like how Andrew Sullivan compares Obama's reflection of coming to understand himself as a multi-racial teen in his first book Dreams From My Father as similar to a gay teenager's coming out process. 

And whether you believe identity politics is alive or not, there is a very palpable sense that Obama speaks to this variation. .  Also his external appearance has a good influence on how he is perceived by the world, which goes a long way toward what can be accomplished.  I'm starting to identify more with this message, even though my old school allegiance to Hillary is very stubborn. But I think there is something to be said for having international appeal, at face value.

Here is the New York Times Editorial board endorsement of Hillary Clinton as the Democratic nomination:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/25/opinion/25fri1.html

Mental health break:

Bow down to the Wichitee Grub:

Da-yamn. Guess the women's vote is really going to make a difference here, you go girls! Makes me think of that hilarious sketch of Chris Rock from SNL a while back, too bad it's been removed from youtube:

Season 32: Episode 15

SNL Special Report: Road to the White House

.....Chris Rock

Announcer: And now, a "Saturday Night Live" Special Report. Road to the White House. Here with his comments, is Chris Rock.

dissolve to Chris Rock seated at an executive desk, as the audience screams and cheers

Chris Rock: Good evening! Good evening, good evening! [ the applause dies down ] Now, in six-hundred and seventy-four days, we're gonna have a new Presient. And the field is just SO crowded. On the Republican side, there's McCain and Guiliani. Now, is it me, or was McCain too old eight years ago? And then we have Guiliani. Now, Guiliani's great. He's great -- in a crisis. But, uh, in real life, Guiliani's kind of like a pit bull. He's great when you have a burglar - but, if you don't, he just might eat your kids.

Then, we have the Democrats. And everybody's saying the same thing: "Hillary or Obama?" A black man, or a white woman. It's so HARD to make up my mind! You know, as if it was a SUFFERING contest! And, even if it was, how can you compare the suffering of a white woman to the suffering of a black man?! It's not even CLOSE! I mean, white women burned their bras; black men were burned alive! I mean, sure, white women couldn't vote for an a minute, so they'd march, and protest. You know? And when they had to get on the BUS to go to a protest, who do think gave up their seats? You know hoe much better Seabiscuit's life was than my grandfather's? You see, when a horse can't run any more, they put him out to stud; when a black man can't run any more, he gets shot fifty times! I mean, how can you compare the pain of a white woman to the pain of a black man? They used to hang black men just for looking at white women! I mean, nobody ever lynched a white woman! No white woman's ever been assassinated! Everybody looooves white women! White men love white women; black men reallllly love white women! I mean, did you see Anna Nicole Smith's funeral? She had SIX black men pallbearers! I thought Farrakhan died!

Everybody loves white women.. except white women! White women are the majority of the country, and they've had the right to vote for almost a hundred years, and still they've never elected a white women President! What are you ******* waiting for?! If black people were the majority of this country, there'd be a different Black President every day! Okay? Every year, a new Black person would get a term to be President! Obama would be President; Oprah'd be President; O.J.'d be President; Flavor Flav, Halle Berry'd be President for half-a-term! And for that very reason, that's why I predict Oback Barama will not only be the Democratic nominee for President, Oback Barama will be the NEXT President of the United States! Okay?

And for those doubters out there who keep asking the question, "Is American ready for a black President?" I say, "Why not? We just had a retarded one!"

"Live, from New York, it's Saturday Night!"

http://snltranscripts.jt.org/06/06orock.phtml

Oh how I miss being home right now!

The political blogs are going nuts about what's happening with the election. I am starting to feel a bit differently about Obama's chances as are a lot of folks.  Evidently people who really want a change in the system feel he represents just that- and Democrats are jumpin ship on Hillary because she appears to be cracking under the pressure. I felt a bit sorry for her getting teary eyed and emotional, but other cynics say it was just a show. Whatever the case may be, it is pretty amazing that Barack is bringing out so much support- and in such a white state as Iowa! We'll have to wait to see what happens next.