Today is a day of firsts. My first diary entry here at Dailykos (heck, I only became a member a week or two ago - although I'd lurked for awhile); my first real visual expression,
ever (I do write a fair amount, and I've recorded a bit of music, but this is a very visual work, and that's a first); and my first political creation in quite some time (first for dissemination solely on the internet - I've written a couple LTEs though).
This is a simple video, created in iMovie 3, on a woefully underpowed G4. It took most of the evening, which was split between arranging clips, futzing with sound levels, waiting for my machine to respond, looking for Bush & Iraq footage, and watching the Red Sox do the impossible. Read on for the link.
I showed the video - of our illustrious Command-In-Chief flipping in the bird - to my boss, who - although he despises Bush - said something to the effect of, "You know, if I didn't know anything about him, I'd think that was pretty cool."
And you know what? I could see where he was coming from. I mean, I know I've personally wished for Kerry to just lose it, to "throw one up," especially when he's facing so much ridiculous criticism for minute and unimportant things.
So, I suppose, on further introspection - it's not the act that Bush is caught perpetrating that I find so disgusting - it's who he purports to be, who he sells himself as, and what he's able to cover up, with a wink and a nod. It's what that smirk and gesture really means: "Screw You, America," complete with a senseless, pre-meditated war, and policies that hurt the majority of Americans.
After seeing the Bush video, I couldn't get his phrase "One Finger Victory Salute" out of my head. As I took the bus home from work, and then walked several blocks passed countless Kerry signs, I knew that I'd have to approach it. And so I tried my best.
I humbly present Salute Back. It's raw, not mixed terribly well, and doesn't look as pretty as it probably could. It's also pretty late in the game. But if it helps even one person make up their mind, then it's worth the couple of hours I spent.
With many thanks to Archive.Org, and Clint Mansell, whose song Lux Aeterna (from the soundtrack to "Requiem For a Dream" - perhaps fittingly) became this experiment's score. And To Dailykos.com, for creating an online community so effective that I'm willing to spend several hours putting this together - because it feels like it matters.