Battle Royale

Sandy is finally dissipating on the East Coast and we're just now beginning to see the first images of exactly how extensive the damage is. We are only two days removed from what can only be described as a triple threat storm of epic proportions, one that will go down in history. And already the reality of two opposing forces is clear. On the one hand, the media has the responsibility to cover the storm and its damage nonstop. In times like these we rely on the media; not just for information about the storm itself, but also, and more importantly, those with loved ones in the affected area rely on the media for assurance that family and friends are safe when direct contact is not possible. This truth is coming head-on with the inescapable fact that we are less than a week away from a presidential election. The media also has the responsibility to not only cover the candidates, but to also put their closing arguments in context with the rest of the campaign. Now, in this case there isn't a lot of closing argument from the President. He has a job to do and he is doing it. However, Governor Romney is finding himself in the worst possible position. He is a candidate and nothing more. Now is not the time for explicit politics, and the Romney campaign should know that, but knowing it and acting on it (or in this case not acting) are two totally different things. Instead of encouraging unity and asking his supporters to offer their assistance in a way that is needed most, the governor's campaign held a “relief” event that was really nothing more than a campaign stop with canned foods. Any objective analysis of the event would concur that the showing of a video bio of Romney and dozens of photo ops for him and his supporters with their donations does not a relief event make. Not to mention the fact that Buzzfeed is reporting that somewhere in the range of $5000 worth of the donations were actually provided to supporters by the Romney campaign so they had something to give him when they came through the line. So, since the Governor has decided not to take the next few days off from politics, I have decided I will do the same.

Let's start out by completely ignoring the fact that there is a national disaster currently going on and that millions of people couldn't care less about politics or an election right now. Let's assume that they are totally engaged and undecideds are soaking up every bit of last-minute information possible. It might be important for them to find out that the Governor has explicitly stated that he does not believe that the federal government should be involved in disaster relief.

Breaking down his comments even further, Mitt Romney believes that disaster relief should be handed entirely over to the states. At first, this doesn't seem like such a terrible idea. However, with even a glancing second look, this policy begins to sound as ridiculous as his implicit claims that global warming doesn't exist. The Romney–Ryan plan would essentially gut federal disaster agencies (FEMA) and provide block grants to states instead. One of the many problems with this idea is that block grants have no requirements on how they can or cannot be spent. In other words, the Romney–Ryan plan says to states, “Here is some money to try and make up for the things that the federal government isn't doing under our budget. It's probably not going to be enough to cover everything, and if something really bad happens… Well, sorry about your luck.”

From Destruction Comes Beauty

Unless you have been living under a rock you have seen the coverage and the destruction of Hurricane Sandy. It is pummeling nearly 60,000,000 people on the central and northeastern coastline, and as far inland as Ohio, with up to 12 inches of rain and hurricane force winds. So far, power outages have been relatively localized, but could spread to millions of people and leave them without power for days. At the time of this writing wind speeds in New York City are gusting at nearly 70 mph and expected to reach over 80 mph. These tyrannical winds are already responsible for the collapse of a crane on a residential high-rise being constructed on the corner of 57th St. and 6th Ave. in Midtown Manhattan.

Even with all of the destruction, I found it interesting to stumble across something on the Internet that had somehow created something beautiful from the carnage that is Sandy. This map shows the composition of the winds in the United States. While each line on the map represents a potentially destructive gust of wind, they also show the sheer power that our earth can possess.

A Little Business Improvement

Ever since my brother moved out, I have sort of taken over his room as a kind of homemade studio. It was great to finally have a place where I didn't leave my gear set up all time, instead of having to tear down after each shoot. It also gave me the chance to do some things I never would have been able to do with green screening. Overall, it was a great space, but lives in need of a little bit of an overhaul to make it conducive for a great filming environment. Originally, the walls were a very intense burnt orange color that always seemed to seep into the coloring of my shot. Also, because of where the TV was mounted I was forced to hang my green screen across from the window. Because of this, and only allowed to use the width of the room to back my camera up, instead of the length. This is important because I was losing at least 4 feet of space. That's a big deal when you're working in such a small room. So, we decided to start from scratch and build something entirely new.

We started out with a new coat of paint and went from there. This is what the room looked like after the new paint job. It's a completely empty canvas. Hopefully, by the end of the weekend all the pieces will be put together. At least, I hope so! I have a freelance job I need to work on!

The homemade studio before

This Isn't Who We Are Supposed to Be…

This article came across my dad's Facebook feed and we had the chance to read it together. Obviously the headline instantly catches your eye, but while we were reading it I couldn't help feel some sort of connection to this Marine. Obviously, he is an American hero who came to the call of his country and gave up his legs in defense of it. He is a true hero that everyone should strive to be more like. However, where I found this connection was in that we are both wheelchair users, and ardent Dallas Cowboys fans. I could see myself, in my Dallas Cowboys jersey, where he was. I couldn't help thinking to myself that I had never experienced such raw hatred toward me. Why should he have to experience that? It was almost as if I felt he had already paid so much and, while this heinous and blatant hatred should never have happened, if someone had to experience it I would gladly have taken his place as a small token of my gratitude for his service and sacrifice.

I was reminded of how blessed I am to have been surrounded with nothing but love and acceptance my entire life. But I was also reminded that perhaps I am an exception and not the rule. There is no rhyme or reason for anyone to commit the vile act of hate toward anyone else, but it happens everyday. With that said, just because it's the way it has been doesn't mean it the way it has to be. We can change! If we seek out acceptance in our own life and openly and vocally denounce it wherever we see it, our society can change.

I encourage everyone - No, I plead with everyone to make a conscious effort to act with more humanity and refuse to be idle when you are witness to acts like the ones from this article.

Life

When I was 6 months old my parents were told that I would not live past my third year. I was diagnosed with a genetic neuromuscular disorder called Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type 1. Because of this disease I have never been able to run, walk or stand. The most understandable and easiest way for me to describe my disability is that, like someone who is paralyzed, I am unable to move any of my limbs, but I can feel everything. The only strength I have can be found in my right thumb which I use to manipulate my wheelchair and my strong jaw which I constantly use to express my opinion and make myself heard.

Because I was expected to live only about half the length of your average car loan, my parents demanded that I live the fullest life possible in the time I did have. So, I have had the opportunity to see and do some stunning things. I have flown over the Grand Canyon in a helicopter, ate a meal beside Niagara Falls, visited sports events across the country, and met the most amazing people, including our President, Barack Obama. No one knew how long I had, so every day mattered.

Most people don't get the chance to live their lives like it could end tomorrow. They never get the chance to live by the code “Make every moment count.” I have. I don't view my disability as a hindrance, but instead embrace it as something that has allowed me to live more fully than many people ever dream. While my disability does keep me from doing some things that I want to do, things like playing sports and going for a jog around the block, it also keeps me from doing some things that no one should ever do. It keeps me from wasting my time. It keeps me from worrying about the little things.

Instead, my disability forces me to do things that matter. It forces me to think, not on the shallow level, but really think about the world and what impact I want to make on it. Most people don't get forced into this type of thinking. They assume they have all the time in the world and can put off building their legacy until later. I can't! I, more than most, appreciate how precious time is. I appreciate what it means to have it and refuse to waste it.

Now, I am 23 years old and have outlived my life expectancy by more than 7 times. I have grown to understand that I have been blessed with the gift of time. Time I should not have. I do not think that time is given without reason. I am no exception. Because of this, I cherish my time and refuse to let it slip away. I will use the time I am given to help change the world and, hopefully, inspire others to do the same.

This blog will be about the world. It will be about my perception of it and what should be done to make it better. There are no topics that are out of bounds and there are no topics I will not talk about. I hope to use this as a form of public consciousness about the world through my eyes.