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Election ‘08: A Russian Cab Driver for McCain

Wednesday, November 5th, 2008

The Yellow Cab Co. driver, Vlad, who conveyed Sindy Hawke from her home at the Santa Monica Motel to Barbara Bouer’s polling place garage was happy to help Sindy perform what he called “her civic duty.”

Vlad left Kiev in 1989 (the Wall fell and he was out) and became a citizen in the ’90s. He’s enjoyed the enfranchising privilege every year since then. Remembering that voter participation was “encouraged” (i.e. required) in the USSR, he never questioned his decision to take part in each election, but he also used that memory to guide his candidate choice.

“I voted absentee. It’s hard doing anything during the day because cab drivers have long hours.”

“I saw Communism and the soldiers’ badges, and I felt their hands on my shoulders. So i would never want to see anything close to that here.”

Here’s the brief vid Gaille Chua shot of my conversation with him:


Vlad the Cab Driver Speaks Voting from Gaille Chua on Vimeo.

Daily News Round Up: Happy Election Day

Tuesday, November 4th, 2008

Good morning: No doubt you’ve heard. It’s Election Day. Find out where you can vote.

The last day of polling is upon us. The site that purports to have the most accurate electoral maps, 538 weighs in. They’re looking at a landslide for Barack Obama, with 346.5 electoral votes to John McCain’s 191.5. Real Clear Politics has Obama up 51.6 to 44.3.

Obama’s Grandmama Died. More seriously sick than it was let on when he took a hiatus to see her, Obama’s grandmother, Madelyn Payne Dunham, 86, died of cancer, yesterday, just one day shy of learning whether or not her grandson won the election.

The UK Government is following the US in a state-sponsored fiscal bailout. Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling announced a government body that will run the three high street banks that were bailed out last week.

Talk Dirty to Me. The Supreme Court is going to hear the profanity case made famous during the height of the Bush years. The broadcast networks are suing the FCC for getting hit with fines for celebrity’s one-time use of the “f” word and other curses. In a rarity, the court might be filled with dirty talk today.

Sarah Palin is off the hook, sort. of. After being found that she violated laws during Troopergate, a separate body has released another report saying she didn’t violate any ethics laws.

What tension? After early reports of fractious relations, the Clintons and Obama are now tight.

Keanu Reeves is off the hook with the paps.

Circuit City shortcircuits. The electronics chain is shutting 155 stores.

Steve Fossett R.I.P. The adventurer’s bones were found near the crash site in the Sierra Nevada, putting the mystery to rest.

Daily News Roundup: Hate, Heroism and a Hair Scare

Thursday, October 9th, 2008

Meet Dube Egwuatu. He was shot three times with a pellet gun for wearing an Obama t-shirt in the streets of . . . London? We get it: Not everyone abroad is banging the Obama drum, but pulling a trigger isn’t exactly the best way to make one’s case.

Barack Obama was cool as a cucumber during Tuesday’s presidential debate. Some folks argue that Obama is showing a whole lotta presidential potential by coming off as the anti-McCain in the temper tantrum department, while others think he’s passing up opportunities to “connect” and get all weepy Meryl Streepy on us. (Did Biden’s tears last Thursday mean nothing to you people?)

Yummy Anderson Cooper names CNN’s Top 10 (Ordinary) Heroes of 2008. These are the peeps who should be making headlines on a daily basis for doing good in the world—as opposed to spreading negativity, rallying hate, and walking out the door with this hanging out.

Celebs say vote. Because the discussion and play of politics in the world isn’t persuasive enough, we youngsters apparently need more celebs to step forward, take our hands, and PSA us to the polls. (Filming a pro-vote vid is obvs the new night-on-the-town crotch shot in young Hollywood.)

An all-gay high school? That’s what Chicago’s school district is considering to target the gay, lesbian, and transgender crowd—a group that’s highly likely to drop out of school due to all them small-minded meanyboppers trolling the halls.