This American Life (#358 Social Engineering)

TAL is always awesome, and usually has something touching or powerful that - of course - makes me cry. There were a couple of things in this episode.

The middle part was about Dave Dickerson and his father and an incident that happened 30 years ago when he was still a boy and a lesson his father taught him. The lesson didn't work out the way it was intended, but what Dave learned was that there can be second chances and learning that helped his father feel better about the incident. There was a very touching moment at the end of the piece that made me pretty weepy. 3 hankies

The next piece was by Amy Silverman, the mother of a daughter with downs syndrome. There was some question about how high-functioning her daughter was, but Amy still came to the realization that being her daughter's parent was going to be a life-long task. I have a daughter with severe autism who I'll likely be taking care of for the rest of my life. I don't mind that so much, but I do weep at the thought of the life that she won't be able to lead. No crushes, no boyfriends, no husbands or careers or children. No epiphanies, conversations, or passions. All I can do is keep her as happy as I can. 3 hankies

Blue's Clues (Blue's Sad Day)

At the end of the show, the green puppy just didn't understand that repeatedly knocking down Blue's block tower was making her sad. Made me tear up a bit in sympathy with Blue, which made me laugh at my pushover-ness. Evidently, even frickin' Blue's Clues can make me weepy. 2 hankies

Senator Obama Goes to Africa (2006 DVD) #3

In the part of the Documentary about Senator Obama's visit to a Darfur refugee camp, there was as shot of a huge crowd of refugee children, and I got weepy at the idea that somebody could find any justification to force children into such dire situation. 1 hankie

Right after there were some refugee women relating stories of husbands and children being killed before their eyes as they tried to flee the ethnic cleansing. 3 hankies

Senator Obama Goes to Africa (2006 DVD) #2

Senator Obama was visiting a branch of a Chicago bank that was doing micro-lending to entrepreneurs, and as these local Kenyans were relating their stories of enterprise, Senator Obama's voice-over said:

"What's missing, for a lot of these folks, is NOT good ideas or a powerful work ethic, but what's missing is access to capital."

Social justice is a concept very dear to me and is precisely why I'm a Fire-Breathing Liberal and why I like Obama so much. 1 hankie

Senator Obama Goes to Africa (2006 DVD)

I got this DVD from Netflix, and it's pretty interesting. As Obama was talking about he and his wife getting publicly tested in order to get more people to participate in the CDC's testing program, a subtitle came on the screen about the fact that 1.3 million people in Kenya are living with HIV/AIDS and that a further 1 million children are orphans because of AIDS. It's heartbreaking. 2 hankies

Appurushîdo (Appleseed 2004)

Toward the end of the movie, just before the final fight, Doonan makes a little speech before jumping out of the building essentially saying that it doesn't matter that the computer projections see a dire future for humanity: the future is what we make it, so we have to fight to make it better. Then she jumped from the building into a falling power suit, and proceeded to engage in one visually amazing battle. Corny in spots, but absolutely visually beautiful movie. 2 hankies

Todd and Penguin

I read a boatload of webcomics. I have 50 dailies, and about 30 M,W,F and maybe 15 weeklies that I read. One MWF that I really like is Todd and Penguin. It's one of three comics by David Wright, and they're all side projects for him (he writes for his local paper, if I recall). He and I have corresponded in the past and he's a nice guy doing his thing: raising a family with his wife and working on comics when he gets a chance.

Not too long ago, he introduced a new character to T&P in the form of Sicily the dog, and today, I guess he ended her story line. That's a rather unsympathetic way to phrase something that actually made me cry a good bit. It was a tenderly done strip and really got me weepy. 3 hankies

http://www.toddandpenguin.com/d/20080627.html

You should go back and read the whole series, or at least go back to when Sicily was introduced in order to get the full effect.

http://www.toddandpenguin.com/d/20071031.html

Northern Exposure #90

The episode has a 3 ghosts of Yom Kippur theme (like the Dickensian Christmas Carol) and toward the end when Joel is asking - begging - the ghost of future whether the death of Heyden was possible or certain I got a little teary. He obviously 1 hankie

Also, during the episode, when Ed sees the pain that Holling is in over the fact that he feels that he failed his oldest child, Ed offers to literally be a scapegoat and carry Holling's sin in order to give him relief. After the hunt, when Holling thanks Ed, it felt very sincere and made me even more weepy. 2 hankie

State of Belief 6/21/08

Rev. Gaddy was interviewing Mitchell Gold and Mr. Gold related a story about a young gay man in Texas who was raised Evangelical and who was so appalled by his own sexuality that he would repeatedly physically harm himself because he thought he was such an abomination. He even took a razor and cut the word "fag" into his chest. He also talked about the high rates of suicide amongst gay teenagers. As he related this, he started to choke up at the injustice of a culture that would make anybody so hate themselves for simply being who they are. It made me choke up, too. 2 hankies

Northern Exposure #87

Maurice has the violinist cornered and comes to the realization that he's ruined this otherwise good man and lets him escape. When Barbara the Trooper confronts him, and he lies to facilitate the violinists escape, even when he knows it will cost him his own hopes of a relationship with Barbara. Standing up and doing what's right even when it will cost you... how can that not be worth a few tears? Pride, determination and a bit of sorrow make the eyes go misty. 1 hankie

Although I do occasionally wonder why I relate so strongly even to fictional characters.

Northern Exposure #84

Ron and Eric's wedding. Weddings always make me misty-eyed. Been there, myself. It's hard to link yourself to one person supposedly for life, no matter how much you know you love them. Worth it, though. I wouldn't trade my years with Dawn for anything. 2 hankies

(Special side note: Northern Exposure was way cutting edge. Taking on gay marriage in 1994? Brilliant!)

Where the hell is Matt?

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

Sometimes, I just see something that so reinvigorates my faith in this fantastic creature that is Homo Sapiens. Artisans and engineers and poets, we are the height of evolutionary achievement, and yet we are selfish and jingoistic and sometimes downright crazy.

I so thoroughly enjoyed this video and so thoroughly felt it's power that I was both laughing and crying for nearly it's entire duration. 4 hankies

Northern Exposure #78 (2)

The birth. It was a cute mash-up of the town being excited and the impending parents working their way through the labor. I've said it before - childbirth is one of the most amazing experiences of a person's life. 2 hankies

Northern Exposure #78

Shelley meets an apparition of her soon-to-be born daughter at various stages of her upcoming life. It's a hokey device but still got me weepy. Watching my son grow from infant to toddler to boy has been one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had. I'm excited about watching him become the man he will be. 1 hankie

Discover Magazine - The Body Electric

My son and I were watching a Discover Magazine on the Science Channel, and we were watching "The Body Electric," about how electrical impulses help control the body and various functions. The first part of the show was about a young man named José who was paralyzed in an accident. Here, we had to stop the show so I could explain to my son what "paralyzed" was. I explained that the accident had broken some of the bones in José's neck, and the pieces of bone had then damaged the nerves that allowed José to control his arms and legs. He immediately started to cry for José. Which made me cry. It took us awhile to calm back down and watch how they were using technology to try to help José regain some finer motor control in his hands. It was pretty rough there for a bit. 5 hankies for him, 3 hankies for me.

Double Dare 2000

My son and I were watching Double Dare 2000 on Nick GAS and as the episode ended, the family playing completed the obstacle course and won every prize. We ended up cheering them on, and when they won I got a little misty-eyed. 1 hankie

Daily Show - Jun 17, 2008 - Lara Logan

"...And I looked at the reporter and I said, "Tell me the last time you saw the body of a dead American soldier? What does that look like? Who in America knows what that looks like? 'Cause I know what that looks like. And I feel responsible for the fact that no one else does...""

An amazing young woman. She had me and the show's audience spellbound with her frank honesty. 2 hankies.

Rachel Maddow Show 6/17/08

When Rachel is talking to Paul Rieckhoff and she mentions "The Andi Foundation," in the memory of Andi Parhamovich. 1 hankie

I remember the show where Rachel shared the sad news that Andi had been killed and vividly remember crying my eyes out as Rachel just broke down on air over the loss of her friend.

Phyllis and Del

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/06/16/samesex.couple/?iref=mpstoryview

"Breaking ground is nothing new in the nearly six-decade relationship of Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon.

The lesbian couple were the first to participate in a 2004 challenge of California laws against same-sex marriage, exchanging wedding vows only to see the ceremony voided later."

55 years they had to wait. Social Justice is important to me, and this is an important step. The story of these two ladies and their struggle to be treated fairly and their victory in the end made me weepy. 1 hankie

Jun 16, 2008 Daily Show - Moment of Zen

This hit me hard. This laid me low. I was immediately sobbing not only because this man by all available evidence was a fantastic father and son and his family is deeply hurting, but because I knew exactly what he was talking about. I was there for the birth of both my children and I wept each time I saw one of my children enter the world. 5 hankies.

Gore Endorses Obama

National Anthem:

Obama hasn't even started speaking, yet. It's the National Anthem. It always makes me cry. Without fail. Pride, sorrow, joy and determination. It contains some very powerful imagery to a civics-geek like me. 1 hankie

Introduction:

Governor Granholm intoduced Gore and Obama and I got misty eyed. It's hard not to hope for the future. 1 hankie

These guys are rockstars. The crowd is climbing the walls.

Gore is speaking - bet there'll be some tears during this speech.

Gore: "with the force of reason and logic..." Don't know why this made me tear up, but it did. 1 hankie

Northern Exposure #73

Joel loses a patient in this episode. Somebody he cares about and admires and who he desperately wants to not die. But she knows it's her time, and is accepting. He isn't, though, and he shows up at her house to try one more time to raise her spirits only to discover that she's just passed.

I held it together until Ruth Anne said, "We put her in her green dress. You know, the one with the white collar. She always wore that for company." I had to chose the clothes my wife was buried in. I didn't pick her most professional suit, or her most ornate; I chose a casual outfit she'd purchased just a week or two before that she was excited about and really looked good on her. It was a brown sweater skirt combo that looked so lovely on her olive complexion and I remember she was so proud of it. I remember being torn about choosing it. She loved it so much, so it was appropriate, but she had just bought it, and something seemed wrong about not keeping it. The fact that it would never again be worn if I didn't choose it still hadn't sunk in.

2 hankies.

Watching MSNBC Russert Special Report

It's tough to watch, but I'm watching MSNBC's special coverage remembering Tim Russert. I didn't always agree with him, but you couldn't help but like the guy. He was honest, if not always thorough. Truly Journalism has lost one of the greats. And far too young. Far too young. 4 hankies.

Addendum:

Keith Olbermann is in tears on the air. 4 hankies.

Requiem for Tim Russert

When a giant falls, it shakes the very foundations of the Earth. RIP, Mr. Russert.

3 hankies.

Digg Zinger

Just about the perfect response with "It's a trap!" Made me laught out loud, but more oddly, it also made tears spring to my eyes while I was laughing. 1 hankie.

http://digg.com/odd_stuff/Evil_Empire_PIC

The Matthew 25 Network

I'm not the most religious guy (I'm a cultural Christian, but not a believing one), but I teared up when I saw this quote about a new Democratic group targeting the Evangelical vote:

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”

Now, I'm a proud Liberal despite all the negative connotation right-wingers tries to spin into the word, and I can think of few better definitions of a Liberal than the person Jesus is describing, here.

And I think it fits beautifully into the simple idea that defines Liberalism, as a whole:

"Liberty and Justice for All."

1 hankie.

Voting Republican

Hard not to cry when you think about all that institutionalized injustice. 1 hankie.

Politically Direct 6/8/08

David Bender (show host) was talking with Dick Durbin (D-IL) about Obama's candidacy and the fact that Bob Dylan endorsed Obama. They discussed how they didn't think he'd ever endorsed a candidate in his 50 year long career, and Durbin was just floored and immediately starts quoting Dylan lyrics! I got weepy 1) because Dylan is an amazing poet, and 2) because Durbin obviously had soul enough to appreciate that, too. Just reminds me why I love the Democrats. They at least try to do the right thing and they do have the souls of poets and determination of zealots in working toward a better society. They're willing to spend the blood and sweat and, yes, the tears to make this a free and just nation. 1 hankie

WWDC '08 Keynote

I woke up in the middle of the night and went ahead and streamed the WWDC '08 keynote, and I teared up when the crowd roared at the introduction of the iPhone 3G. I tell ya, any strong emotion. 2 hankies.

Now, I own an iPhone, and it's been a revolutionary product, as is, for the last year that I've had it. With the 2.0 update, I can really see this becoming a computing platform, in it's own right, and with the GPS in the 3G iPhone, this is nothing short of a quantum leap in the way we interact with data, and how data interacts with us. It's going to be fun to watch the evolution of apps for this thing. I'm sure that's a contributing factor to how strongly I feel about this.

Northern Exposure #63

The scene where Shelly is singing to the crib and Holling joins in - totally made me laugh and cry at the same time. Very touching. 1 hankie.

Northern Exposure #60

The fight where Bernard talks the Millers out of fighting and where one of the Millers says "It'd be like tearing down a wall that I've been leaning on for my whole life." I laughed out loud with tears in my eyes... 1 hankie

In the same episode, where Joel reads the Kaddish for his uncle. Very moving scene. 3 hankies.

The Instance #109

"The Instance" is a World of Warcraft podcast that I listen to, and this week, they dedicated the episode to a man, a father of a listener and a WoW player, himself, that had recently taken ill and passed away. 2 hankies.

http://www.myextralife.com/wow/

Net Neutrality

This is a powerful video. Seeing the people affected and the people becoming activists on this critical issue moved me. America is a country of activism. Every step of the way activism has made us a more perfect union. Abolitionists, Suffragettes, Unions, Peace Protestors, Consumer Advocates, Environmentalists, Net Neutralists and now even Obama donors/volunteers. Movements of people who have identified injustice and have fought to correct it.

This is patriotism: perfecting your country.

2 hankies.

Just watch it...

3 hankies

Northern Exposure #58

As the episode finishes and fades to black, before the credits roll, there's a dedication for this episode.

Dedicated To The Memory
Of Our Good Friend
JOHN "YOMI" ROTHLISBERGER
1919-1993

These always make me cry. This obviously was a person who touched the lives of others, and now they're missing him, deeply. 1 hankie

Northern Exposure #58

Toward the end of the episode, Maurice is sitting in the house he grew up in and is visited by an apparition of his dead brother as a child. Maurice gets the opportunity to apologize to his brother's memory for long unforgiven, almost forgotten childhood grievances. 2 hankies

Northern Exposure #56

The end of the episode Chris reveals his light sculpture and they play Ebudae by Enya (from "Sheperd Moons"). Don't know if it's the Enya (I have every album through "Memory of Trees" but literally haven't listened to any in years) or it's the epiphany point in the show. Just moved me. 2 hankies.

Obama in 30 Seconds

Watching the winner and the runners up - they all made me weepy. I'm just flooded with a sense of relief and hope. The country actually has a chance of moving in the right direction, again. Multiple hankies.

http://obamain30seconds.org/

NZ Book Council

This is a bit of an odd one. Follow me closely, if you will.

I was reading this article on Digg.com:

http://digg.com/arts_culture/How_to_Sneakily_Read_Books_at_Work_Awesome_Website

Now, I love to read and I'm as curious as the next ape, so I follow the link and check out the site. It's an interesting site, though I don't know how effective the gimmick will actually be. I try to read a poem by T. S. Eliot but instead get a message saying "It's not available in your area." I guess this makes sense since I'm not in New Zealand. Now, the site has me in full-screen mode, though, and my eye catches "encourage your friends, click here" at the bottom and I'm hurrying along and just assume that's the way to exit full-screen mode so I click. It's turns out to be a mailto link opening an email document saying "Make yourself look busy. Start reading a book." and "Take back some of your leisure time. Click this link." With the URL for the site below.

Ok, now here's where it gets a little esoteric. Their zeal for reading advocacy made me well up with tears.

I'm seriously a pushover, aren't I? 1 hankie

Obama Video clip on Gawker

I was watching a clip of Obama's speech where he confirms that he'll be the nominee. Made me cry... again!

http://gawker.com/5012879/

Obama Victory Speech - June 3, 2008

I'm finally getting a chance to watch the whole Obama speech. I know this is going to be rough for me because it's been so long coming, and so important. Blogging it as I watch it.

He's thanking his wife and kids. 1 hankie.

He's thanking his grandma who helped raise him. "Tonight is for her." 2 hankies.

"I will be the Democratic Nominee..." 1 hankie - again! I caught this, earlier, when I flipped over from 30 Days. Still chokes me up.

People are holding up "Unify!" signs. 1 hankie.

They're cheering him to the rafters. 1 hankie.

"I respect his many accomplishments, even if he chooses to deny mine." The crowd cheers him to the rafters, again. 1 hankie.

"...give our veterans the care and the benefits they deserve when they come home." 1 hankie.

"...that is the legacy of Roosevelt, and Kennedy, and Truman..." 2 hankies.

"...cities in Michigan, and Ohio, and right here in Minnesota, He'd understand the kind of change people are looking for." 1 hankie.

"or where he spoke tonight in New Orleans..." 1 hankie.

"That's why I'm running for President of the United States." 2 hankies.

The crowd is chanting "Yes, we can!" 3 hankies.

"...That uses religion as a wedge, and patriotism as a bludgeon." 1 hankie.

"We are always Americans first!" 2 hankies.

"So it was for that band of patriots in Philadelphia..." The tears are just flowing, now. 4 hankies.

"That this was the moment..."

"so that it may always reflect our very best selves..."

...


That was almost cathartic. I cry a lot (as I've documented in this blog), but I haven't cried that much at one time in quite awhile. Pride and hope and joy mingled with a bit of sadness at the current sad state of this great nation. We're going to fix it, though. We're going to elect this man President and have a strongly Democratic House and Senate and we're going to save America again.

30 Days - Coal Miner #2

The miners got Morgan a going-away present. A knife engraved with, "For Morgan, now you're one of us." 1 hankie.

30 Days - Coal Miner

Morgan interviews a coal miner who hopes for a better future for his kids than coal mining. During the discussion it comes out that his father, too, was a miner who also hoped that he wouldn't become a miner. This is a dangerous job and it breaks my heart to see people shackled into a life they never chose by an economy they were never allowed a say in creating. 1 hankie

Barack Obama Clinches the Nomination

I just saw Barack Obama announce that he will be the Democratic nominee for President. I'm crying with joy and pride and even, yes, relief. We need this man to lead us out of the hole that the Bush Administration has dug over the last 8 years. 3 hankies

My Name is Earl #27

At the end of the episode I got weepy when all the freaks showed up to cheer Earl on for his dive and decided they weren't going to be ashamed, anymore. 1 hankie