Word of the Day

nincompoopery



Happy New Year!

Full Circle?

Not only did Obama give his Dem nomination acceptance speech on the anniversary of Martin Luther King's infamous "I Have a Dream" speech...BUT the B Man is also being sworn in on the same bible as Lincoln the day after MLK day.

Coincidence? I think not.

Help Damon!

Let's help get Damon Weaver (a cute-as-a-button Florida fifth grader) to DC to interview President Obama on Inauguration Day. Click here to sign in/register and vote! (Then just search: Damon Weaver.)

Here is his video plea. Too cute!!

I still throw like a girl

First day of school

First grade.

Baby News

Bristol Palin, 18, daughter of former (wow, there is a God) VP candidate Sarah Palin gave birth to a baby boy -- Tripp Easton Mitchell Johnston -- with beau Levi Johnston. Nuptuals are pending.

What the...

Blagojevich is set to appoint our old Comptroller Roland Burris* to fill Barack's Senate seat!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? This afternoon. I thought he was stripped of that privilege?????

I guess we'll see if the Senate confirms him.

*Oh, he was also Atty Gen -- in his 70's...

What is going on here? Lt. Gov Quinn just said on Sunday that Blago would be gone by mid-Feb...maybe he's trying to do something while he still can?

New Colors!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. I thought I'd make things bright and cheery for the new year.

Question of the Day

Do you have any fusable webbing?

Say what?

The Hawk

That's what we call the brutal winter wind here in Chitown. I hate it. How can air literally cut your face? It makes me want to cry, but the tears would just freeze.

Next up: an ode to how your nose hairs freeze with every inhale...

Topless

DWTS Next Celeb Contestants?

Thanks Mary!

Caylee

The remains found in Florida are hers.

R.I.P.

NBC Chicago reports

Mayor Daley's car got stuck on a side street today on the South Side.

Ha ha! How's that budget cut on plowing working out for ya?

Mmm...

I'm thinkin' Arby's.

Blago lingo

This is from a TPM reader:

Bill Simmons, a sportswriter for ESPN, coined the term "Tysonic". It refers to Mike Tyson, and applies to anyone who has entered a sphere of existence so bizarre, you will believe any news you hear about them, no matter how absurd. Aside from Mike Tyson, Britney Spears is Tysonic. After the turkey interview, I classify Sarah Palin as Tysonic.

As a native Chicagoan, I say Blogo is definitely Tysonic. If someone told me, "Hear about Blogo? He dressed himself up as Elvis, highjacked an Air Yugo flight from O'Hare to Belgrade, and is now living under the protection of Serbia... And he's formed an exploratory committee for 2016."

I'd pause for a moment and say, "Yeah, that sounds right."

*My bet is he offs himself rather than go to jail. He keeps saying "I'm dying to talk about...", "I will fight until my dying breath"...foreshadowing? He ain't right...I'm just sayin'. That or an insanity plea.

Angels

My Mom sent me one of those email chain forward thingies today. This one is about how grade school kids define angels. This one is my fav:

"Some of the angels are in charge of helping heal
sick animals and pets. And if they don't make the
animals get better, they help the child get over it."
-Vicki, 8

Really. That could've been from me at that age. Wierd.

Immigration

in quick time. Andrew Sullivan posted this video on his blog today. It's pretty amazing.

BHO Pics

Who's cool?

Time magazine put up a photo gallery of our Pres-Elect from college.

Yee Haw!

It's official!

Of course Congress still has to tally the votes in early January. How come I don't remember the process taking this long...let's go!

Making News

These were four of the top headlines this morning on Google News:

"Obama Worked To Distance Himself from Blagojevich Early On" - Washington Post

"Man Behind Curtain is Wizard of Rod, Rahm" - Chicago Tribune

"Blagojevich Chief of Staff Resigns" - CBS2Chicago

"Tribune Subpoenaed in Blagojevich Probe" = CBS2Chicago

There is a strange double standard with corruption in Chicago politics. Some (myself included) seems to be proud of the shadiness - like some sort of badge of honor. Maybe it's left over from the drama of Al Capone's days...and the Daley's. Chicago does have a history.

I've worked in state politics (for a former IL Gov that did NOT get indicted for anything...although there was a rumor he was gay and his wife went to rehab) and I've seen/heard things. In fact I got my job through a favor from a friend that worked in the Patronage Office (that didn't officially exist). "Don't ask questions - do what you are told." Fair enough. In those days I still thought the good being done outweighed the way it came about. Maybe I still do...(although my long political absence and re-emergence in another party probably indicates otherwise).

The thing that is so shocking about this particular scandal is the sheer arrogance and stupidity involved. And wondering "who's next?" Who else is going down...Rahm? The Mayor? Jackson Jr? Sam Zell?

I hope Obama uses this as an example and an opportunity to bust out his reformer instincts and clean some shit up.

'Tis the Season

"It is in giving that we receive." -- Saint Francis of Assissi

If you're feeling extra generous this holiday season (along with that xmas card you'll be sending to Walter Reed), here are some thing overseas soldiers are requesting:

letters
nutrition bars
ground coffee
flavor packets for water
dvds & cds
AT&T global calling cards
personal-hygiene supplies
blank card to send to their loved ones
*per RealSimple, December issue

Go here to give.

Blago fun

I thought I'd have some fun at our Gov's expense -- I think he's earned it. First of all, his approval rating (was 13%) has now dipped below W's!!! Schmuck.

And this is just hilarious! Lego Man!

Input

Here is a link to the new web page on the Obama/Biden transition site:

http://change.gov/page/content/openforquestions

Pretty cool.

Four

Happy Birthday to my fairy goddaughter REESE!!

Selfish?

Here's a little insight into how our currently-under-indictment Gov thinks...

http://obsidianwings.blogs.com/obsidian_wings/2008/12/blagojevich.html

Apparently only of himself.

Scandalicious!

Thank goodness for Blagojevich. I was so freakin' bored and then he goes and does the most incredibly stupid shit -- made my day. This stuff is better than General Hospital (almost). And it couldn't have happened to a better crook, er, person.

As for the Senate seat hopefuls, we've figured out who Candidate #5 is...Jesse Jackson Jr. #1 is believed to be Valerie Jarrett, who wisely took her name out of contention. #2 is speculated to be Lisa Madigan (who I hope eventually runs for Gov.). Emil Jones is another. Does anyone know or have a guess as to who the other two are...Tammy Duckworth, and?????? Anyone? Beuller?

UPDATE: ok we can add Danny Davis (?), Jan Schakowsky (my rep!) and Luis Gutierrez...

Sia Later

So, my new thing is weeknights after The Colbert Report I turn to CBS to see who is on Letterman (a couple of jokes to clear my head of politics before sleepy time). This chick was on the other night - and at first I thought "who is this freak?" and then I heard her sing...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHDHoyhm2QQ

Wow.

Reach out and touch

Please add this address to your Xmas card list:

A Recovering American Soldier
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue,NW
Washington , D.C. 20307-5001

Obamafy!

http://cultofmac.com/yes-you-can-obamafy-yourself-with-photo-booth-plug-in/5105

H/t=A.Sullivan

New Holiday

According to reporting by the Associated Press, Perry County Alabama has passed a new st ate holiday to start in 2009. The second Monday in November will now be "Barack Obama Day".

Hmm...

Way behind...

I know. It's been a while...

Please go to this site and sign the petition to voice your dissent for all the potential pardons Bush can still throw down before January 20th.

http://action.aclu.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Pardon_gallery

Just good clean fun

Super Obama World

How To Embezzle Clothes and Throw My Pregnant Teenage Daughter to the Media and Other Things I Learned From the GOP

It has been widely reported that our favorite moose-shootin' Governor is getting a potential $7M book deal. Is anyone else upset about this?

She can't string a coherent sentence together, but she is getting millions to write a book? About what? Does anyone really think she is a viable candidate for anything -- other than a reality tv show? She wants money and fame -- that's it. She was in beauty pageants and aspired to be a tv sportscaster - give her a show. Let her tell us how to dress a moose and shoot wolves from a plane as sport on The Outdoor Living Network. Let her parade her entire family out and use them to increase her fame. Why not? The conservatives will eat it up and think she's the best thing since Lazarus.

Ok - rant done...for now.


Tick tock -- aren't her 15 minutes up yet?

21st Century Leader

We all know now that Obama is a big ol' nerd, but his use of technology to get his message across is unparalleled. Here is his version of FDR's weekly fireside chats/radio address:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zd8f9Zqap6U

The Romney Rules

Don't get me wrong. I never would have voted for him and I'm still pissed at the Mormon Church for its part in Prop 8 passing, but Mitt's advice regarding the Big 3 Bailout is pretty good.

Here is his NYT op-ed from today:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/19/opinion/19romney.html?em

As for my non-political dreams...

Here is "The List" (with visuals and in no particular order...)

People's newly declared "Sexiest Man Alive" - Hugh Jackman
I love that he's a big ol' show tune queen too!

















James McElvoy - just dreamy and with an accent!
He kind of looks like my ex-boyfriend Kevin, but with a smaller nose (hope he's not a jerk like him).











My hero - Smallville's Clark Kent: Tom Welling
Yummilicious.








And Becks. 'Nuff said.

Fierce!

I heard that the guys on SNL and JT did a version of Beyonce's "Single Ladies", but it isn't available online anymore.

This one is great -- Thanks Markwa!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ifGHUfR5Ks

Bye Bye

Alaskan Senator Ted Stevens LOST his re-election bid! This means Slick Sarah can't appoint herself to the Senate to replace him. Miss Thing will have to find another way in...

AG

I was reading an article by Glenn Greenwald at Salon about Eric Holder (if reports are correct) our soon-to-be Attorney General under the new Obama Administration (that felt really good to type!). Holder has "condemned Guantanamo as an 'international embarassment'...and proclaimed that 'the next president must move immediately to reclaim America's standing in the world'".*

Wow. That's refreshing.

Here's the money quote: "We owe the American people a reckoning."



*quotes taken from a speech he gave to the American Constitution Society last June -- courtesy of Digby.

Cabinet and staff

Biden, Emmanuel, Holder, Daschle...Clinton?

Lookin' good so far.

Go here

frequently...

change.gov

Sign it

please...

http://www.couragecampaign.org/page/s/prop8pledge

Recommended Reading #2

"The Post-American World" - by Fareed Zakaria, editor of Newsweek International and host of Fareed Zakaria GPS on CNN

The book talks about "the rise of the rest" and how one (The One?) should govern in such a "new" and evolving world. I'm only on chapter 3 and feel smarter already.

Check out his website here for more info on his other books and articles.

deep quote

"He not busy being born is busy dying."
~Bob Dylan

(hat tip: Josh Marshall from TPM)

Gigi da Bear

On a non-political note...yes, I do have them.

My little Urlacher.

Ratified

Cartoon by Tom Toles from the Washington Post:

Codename: Sunshine

Well, that's me. Here are the (not-so) Secret Service codenames for the First Family-elect:

Barack = Renegade

Michelle = Renaissance

Malia = Radiance

Sasha = Rosebud

Slideshow

Some pics of my fav Obama...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/06/sasha-obama-see-how-shes_n_141678.html

not funny

well...

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/obama_win_causes_obsessive

More quotes

"The central conservative truth is that it is culture, not politics, that determines the success of a society. The central liberal truth is that politics can change a culture and save it from itself."
~late NY Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Also from Pat Moynihan:
"Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts."


"We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature."
~from Lincoln's First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1861.

In case you missed it

Here's the entire Grant Park Obama rally in 3 minutes c/o The Chicago Tribune.
(They also have some great pics on their site.)

http://www.chicagotribune.com/video/?slug=chi-obamatimelapse081105-wn

Everywhere are signs

Check out #14 in this slideshow...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rebecca-shapiro/signs-on-election-day-pho_b_141135.html

It's a beautiful day

That's the U2 song that was playing as we left Grant Park last night...and today sure is. Sunny and cool -- a perfect autumn day in Chicago. I think I'm still in shock. The reality started to sink in as I finally got home and watched the late night coverage on CNN and MSNBC. Wow. History.

I highly recommend not standing in virtually the same spot for eight hours (hey Mr. President Elect, next time, could you rent out Soldier Field so we can sit?), but being in that crowd the moment CNN declared he had won was...amazing.

Walking up Michigan Avenue for blocks and blocks, seeing strangers high-fiving and chanting "Yes We Can" and "Yes We Did" was pretty f-ing cool. People even cheered a garbage truck that honked to get through.

After starting with the 'Na-na-na, hey-hey-hey goodbye" song usually sung at high school basketball games to the loser, the Chicago crowd was surprisingly gracious during Senator McCain's concession speech offering polite applause at all the right places. There was no love lost on Palin -- and one big cheer came when Liddie Dole was defeated in her Senate race (can negative campaigning really be dying?).

Seeing the crowd on the tv coverage put it in to perspective. I can't believe I was there.

Speechless

And so it starts...

voting has already begun in Dixville Notch.

Here we go.

And CNN calls it -- for the first time since 1968, Dixville Notch goes to a Democrat!! Obama wins 15 - 6.

Nice start.

One more day

Madelyn Dunham didn't make it to election day - Barack's grandmother "Toot" passed away in Hawaii this morning.

So sad.

Later dude!

Trivia of the day

The 3 Wise Monkeys. You know them as "See no evil, Hear no evil, and Speak no evil", but here are their original names in Japanese.

*Mizaru = eyes
*Kikazara = ears
*Iwazaru = mouth

Who knew?

Another one gone

Studs Terkel, beloved Chicago author and radio host died at the age of 96 today. He lived a great life and luckily left behind many books and audio clips for us to remember him by.

Endorsement Watch

Ken Duberstein, Ronald Reagan's former Chief of Staff endorsed O today.

Also, The Economist, a publication that describes its historical position as "extreme centre" gave O the nod yesterday.

Not bad.

Back Up

Apparently John Heilemann at New York Magazine had similar thoughts on the Obama/Clinton rally (except the Bill was drunk part):

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2008/10/heilemann_barack_and_bill_stil.html

Another comment

Ok, I don't want to seem completely negative. I did think the sweep of television last night was exactly what he needed. The infomercial directly targeted the undecideds in swing states and made a point of telling them that he isn't scary, he does understand them and he will help them. I'm just not that audience and I wanted to be honest about how I felt as I was watching it. Guilty much?

Can I have some more Kool Aid please?

O's on the trail

And dominate he did

I read (somewhere?) that the reason for the late start time for the Obama/Clinton rally in Florida was to dominate the news cycle. I think they were successful. Starting with the 30-minute political "infomercial", then the seemingly never-ending FL rally and ending with The Daily Show, Barack was literally everywhere. Now don't get me wrong, I love me some B-Rock, but I do have a few comments and I wanted to get them out before I read all the blogs, etc and see what they thought (even though it is killing me a little to not be reading them RIGHT NOW).

1. The "infomercial", I thought, was a bit too much. Overproduced is a better word. Davis Guggenheim of "An Inconvenient Truth" fame directed and/or produced it - and it was great, for a movie. I thought it was overkill for tv with no commercial interruptions. The moment that struck me (and my friend Liz) was in the scene where he was talking to a group in a living room and there was a man that was near tears because of losing his pension. No matter how "produced" it is, you can't fake that kind of emotional honesty.

I do have to give it to the Obama team, it has never been done before. They are changing the way campaigns will be run from now on. This is one to be studied. (Kudos to the 2 Davids - they had this whole thing planned out from the start!)

2. The Florida rally with Bill Clinton...finally. Slick Willy did what he needed to do - and did it the way only he could do (did anyone else think he seemed drunk?). His speech seemed a bit long (it is Bill), but he hit all the points he needed to while Barack sat humbly behind him (yessir, may I shine your shoes too?). When Barack got up to speak, he returned the favor by stroking Bill ego (I actually wondered out loud, if they negotiated how much ass each would have to kiss ahead of time - call me cynical.) Both are great orators with slightly different styles (were they competing a little?). Barack's speech seemed a bit long as well. The passing of the Dem torch...perfect timing.

3. BHO was good on The Daily Show, he campaigned a bit more than I would've like, but with 6 days left...
Following a brilliant skewering of Palin by Stewart, Barack ended a long night of exposure on a high note.

With 26.3 million people watching...the verdict: money well spent.

Mr. A

Gerald Arpino, co-founder and Artistic Director Emeritus of the Joffrey Ballet passed away yesterday.

A nice man that loved dance and his dancers more than anything. He was a bit of a character - always sitting in the same seat at the theatre (front lower box, stage left) and being the first to shout out "Bravo!" to get the crowd started. Most often you would see him wearing a sweatshirt with USA blazing across the front and a scarf (usually white).

He had a vain streak. He lied about his age (rumor was that he even doctored his birth certificate) and had either the worst toupe or really bad black hair dye. He was also very protective of his people. After Robert Joffrey died, no one was allowed to acknowledge that he really died of AIDS or that he was gay. In fact, when I worked there one of the staff gave me a book about the Joffrey and I had to hide it! True story.

He was always in a good mood saying hi to everyone as he came in to work. (He consitently called me Jackie, but who cares? --Mr. A was saying hi!) The first time I met him was at our office Xmas party. I had just started working there and was introduced to him. He said I looked like Susan Jaffe who was one of my favorite ABT ballerinas. He made my day. That was his way. Even when he wasn't quite "all there", he was genuinely nice to everyone.

This year Joffrey's Nutcracker will be a little bittersweet, but Mr. A's version of Waltz of the Flowers is still my favorite version and I'll think of him with every petal that drops.

Heart-warming

It's getting cold out there, but maybe this story I found in the comments section of TPM will help:

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/10/27/1027jones.html

Toot!

First, let's wish Barack's "Toot" -- short for Tut which means Grandmother in Hawaiian - a Happy 86th Birthday!

And, to toot my own horn (kind of) - I got a byline on the Huffington Post.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/beverly-davis/campaign-phone-bank-volun_b_137487.html

I phone banked and I filled out a form -- twice. Next time my name appears there will be different, but it's a start.

Btw - my name is at the end...among all the others...twice.

Playing dress up

My favorite is the Harry Potter outfit.

http://animalnewyork.com/news/2008/10/the-many-faces-of-barack-oabam.php

Hat tip: Ben Smith at Politico

Anyone?

Beuller?

If anyone hears ANYTHING about tickets for Obama's election night rally in Grant Park - please let me know ASAP! I missed out on tickets to the big speech in Denver and don't want to miss HISTORY!

Hope out.

My face of the day

Thanks Julia!

Breaks My Heart

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEtzu_6LpYE

from TPM

Behind

Have you ever just been going through life, day to day trying to get stuff done, dreaming about your future when all of a sudden you look in the mirror and you have a HUGE ASS?

Well, that happened to me today. Qua has some ga-dunk ga-dunk going on - which will from now on be referred to as my lower 48.

Electoral Update

538 has Obama at 344.3 and McCain at 193.7

A little bit of tightening in the polls, but still looks good from where I sit.

A couple of quotes

"I look at these people and can't quite believe that they exist. Are they professional actors? I wonder. Or are they simply laymen who want a lot of attention?

To put them in perspective, I think of being on an airplane. The flight attendant comes down the aisle with her food cart and, eventually, parks it beside my seat. "Can I interest you in the chicken?" she asks. "Or would you prefer the platter of shit with bits of broken glass in it?"

To be undecided in this election is to pause for a moment and then ask how the chicken is cooked."
~David Sedaris
(courtesy of Daily Kos)

"Fox News: where blonde is the new smart."
~Bob Cesca on The Huffington Post

Something we should all watch --

although I can't quite bring myself to do it yet.

http://torturingdemocracy.org/

The man who writes my blog

Really - I do a fairly lame attempt at what he gets to do every day.

Again, kudos and props to Andrew Sullivan, he tells it like it is:

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/10/a-sign-of-the-b.html

The Endorsement

1. Former Secretary of State Gen. Colin Powell (Ret.) endorsed Obama yesterday on "Meet the Press". Yay. The only thing that could have made that better was if Tim Russert had done the interview.

2. This is the photo Gen. Powell referred to during the interview (excerpt from msnbc transcript for context below):




I'm also troubled by, not what Senator McCain says, but what members of the party say. And it is permitted to be said such things as, "Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim." Well, the correct answer is, he is not a Muslim, he's a Christian. He's always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer's no, that's not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president? Yet, I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion, "He's a Muslim and he might be associated terrorists." This is not the way we should be doing it in America.

I feel strongly about this particular point because of a picture I saw in a magazine. It was a photo essay about troops who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. And one picture at the tail end of this photo essay was of a mother in Arlington Cemetery, and she had her head on the headstone of her son's grave. And as the picture focused in, you could see the writing on the headstone. And it gave his awards--Purple Heart, Bronze Star--showed that he died in Iraq, gave his date of birth, date of death. He was 20 years old. And then, at the very top of the headstone, it didn't have a Christian cross, it didn't have the Star of David, it had crescent and a star of the Islamic faith. And his name was Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, and he was an American. He was born in New Jersey. He was 14 years old at the time of 9/11, and he waited until he can go serve his country, and he gave his life. Now, we have got to stop polarizing ourself in this way. And John McCain is as nondiscriminatory as anyone I know. But I'm troubled about the fact that, within the party, we have these kinds of expressions.

Beautiful, poignant and heartbreaking at the same time.

The Dish's "Face of the Day" (Andrew Sullivan)

Taken at an Obama rally in Fayetteville, NC by Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty.


Look at that smile!

Sister Madelyn

Madelyn Dunham, Barack Obama's grandmother who helped raise him is ill. He will be going to Hawaii to see her at the end of the week.

Thoughts and prayers please.

A little leverage

This is an excerpt from Fareed Zakaria's Newsweek article -- "There Is a Silver Lining":

"Leverage" is the fancy Wall Street word for debt. It's at the heart of the current crisis. Warren Buffet explained the problem in his inimitable way on "The Charlie Rose Show." "Leverage," he said, "is the only way a smart guy can go broke...You do smart things, you eventually get rich. If you do smart things and use leverage and you do one wrong thing along the way, it could wipe you out because anything times zero is zero. But it's reinforcing when the people around you are doing it successfully, you're doing it successfully, and it's a lot like Cinderella at the ball. The guys look better all the time, the music sounds better, it's more and more fun, you think, 'Why the hell should I leave at a quarter to 12? I'll leave at two minutes to 12.' But the trouble is, there are no clocks on the wall. And everybody thinks they're going to leave at two minutes to 12."

That makes sense. Maybe if they used fairy tale analogies more often I'd understand economics a little better.

It is hitting the fan

The GOP is really slinging the shit. We're in for a rough 19 days.



And these came from California!!

(hat tip: Andrew Sullivan)

In the blink of an eye

Wasn't it Gov. Palin that told Charlie Gibson that "You can't blink." Apparently there is some truth to that.

I read this on Marc Ambinder's blog today:

Science says: Eye Movements Matter. The rapid blinker during debates received fewer overall votes than his opponent. "In seven of these eight elections, the rapid blinker also lost the electoral vote and was defeated at the polls."

Hmm. Maybe she should've told her running mate before the last debate?

Palin: Interactive

Have you found yourself wondering just what a President Palin would do in the Oval Office if she were to somehow pray her way in there?

Click on various things in the office to see what she's thinking.

http://www.palinaspresident.us/

Funny and scary.

Thanks Kristen!

Panderers Express

"Joe the Plumber", special needs children, clean coal, Roe v. Wade, taxes...

You name it, we brought it - in true Party (partisan) style. Both sides playing to the base. I guess I really shouldn't be surprised. It was a classic way to end the veiled cordialness.

I must say

he did seem a wee bit agitated.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGzfYOp34d8

What did you think?

Mickey likes ACORNs

Voter fraud. Sigh. So, FOX News has been going on 24/7 now about ACORN voter fraud. Their "expert" is none other than Hans Von Spakovsky (really, you can't make a name like that up) who is a former official in the Bush Justice Dept. who was recently hired by the US Commission of Civil Rights to monitor this year's election. Can you say corrupt?

He is best known for his talents of "restricting access to the polls", according to TPM. So the GOP has a guy well-versed in voter intimidation on a committee to investigate voter fraud? Anyone else see an ethics problem here?

There is a legitmate concern involving voter REGISTRATION fraud with the ACORN group. They are under investigation in a number of states for fraudulent registrations. Rumor is that Mickey Mouse is registered in Florida. I don't agree with signing up fraudulent names just to bump up your numbers, but in their defense, they are required to turn in ALL forms and they have said they do flag suspicious ones.

Bottom line: You must have a valid ID to vote. Not sure Mickey does.

Now on the flipside, there are some very real voter intimidation tactics going on (via GOP?) in swing states. That's a whole other story...

Hate

So, it is being reported widely today that at another Palin rally (this one in Pennsylvania) a supporter yelled out, "Kill him!" in reference to Obama. Again.

Why aren't these people being arrested?

Up, up & away

so, today the 538 tally is:

Obama 359.8
McCain 178.2

Wow. Nate Silver has Obama's win percentage at 94.9%.

I wonder how tomorrow night's debate will change the numbers...

I worship the GOP

Pastor Arnold Conrad gave the invocation before Sen. McCain's speech today in Davenport, IA:

"I also would also pray, Lord, that your reputation is involved in all that happens between now and November, because there are millions of people around this world praying to their god--whether it's Hindu, Buddha, Allah--that his opponent wins, for a variety of reasons. And Lord, I pray that you will guard your own reputation, because they're going to think that their God is bigger than you, if that happens. So I pray that you will step forward and honor your own name with all that happens between now and election day."

There are so many things wrong with this statement, I don't know where to start. His mixing of religions and gods as if they are interchangeable shows his ignorance. His choice to use only middle-eastern examples shows his xenophobia and bigotry. The fact that he could say this at a political function (regardless of party) scares me. "I pray that you will guard your own reputation." Appalling.

I'm no expert - and Lord knows (haha) that I have my issues with organized religion and especially the use of it in a political atmosphere, but who does he think he's talking to? Really. Um, hey God, you better vote for my guy or we aren't going to worship you anymore and your name is mud.

What year is it and where am I living? The home of the free? Separation of church and state? Are they only fictional concepts now?

*quote from Marc Ambinder's blog at theatlantic.com

Josh rules!

He brought me cheese made from Wisconsin cows.

How cool is that?

Going up

538 has Obama at 351 and McCain at 187 electoral votes today.

Sweet.

Welcome Home

Saw this the other day on The Dish. Break out the kleenex.

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=147_1223108811&p=1

Phone banking

My friend Chris and I phone banked for Obama yesterday. I was pretty nervous and had no desire to get a McCain supporter on the line and have to try to persuade them with my issued talking points and script. (I found myself hoping no one would answer so I could just leave a message.)

Luckily, our sheets were for Dane County, Wisconsin which includes Madison (a college town). We mostly left messages, but everyone I talked to was already supporting Sen. Obama and some were even volunteering. That made it a good experience. It was nice to hear - although I know if we'd picked another list or another day we could have gotten another, more Republican county.

It was a good thing to do, but when I go in to volunteer at headquarters, I'm bringing my laptop so I can do data entry and stay away from the phones.

Only 24 days left!

Color change

I thought I'd go patriotic for the final stretch. Normally I hate white text on a dark background - let me know if you hate it.

Quote of the Day

"I do think you have to talk to enemies."
~Gen. David Petraeus in CBS interview

Rhyme Time

Ode to Sean Hannity

by John Cleese

Aping urbanity
Oozing with vanity
Plump as a manatee
Faking humanity
Journalistic calamity
Intellectual inanity
Fox Noise insanity
You're a profanity
Hannity

*c/o The Daily Dish

Brazillian style

This clip is from last week's New Yorker panel w/ a bunch of folks from CNN - "If I Were Running This Campaign".

Check out what Donna Brazile had to say when the issue of race came up:

http://jezebel.com/5059945/donna-brazile-is-not-going-to-the-back-of-the-bus

I love her. Crazy curling iron crimp and all!

Electoral Vote update

538 has it at Obama 347.6 and McCain 190.4.

New ad - Ohio

I like this one.

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1185304443/bctid1725315863

Money quote

"Taxes are what we pay for civilized society."

Oliver Wendell Holmes

If it weren't so scary...

I'd cry.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaG9d_4zij8

Martial law. Is that what it will come to?

Dude is smart

Just sayin'.

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/02/its-obama-on-the-iphone/?nl=tech&emc=tech

Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' into the future...

Going with the flow

DOUBLE DIGITS!!

According to the Washington Post, Obama leads in Virginia by double digits. The polls have Obama at 51% and McCain at 39%.

538 has the electoral votes at 339.7 for Obama and 198.7 for McCain.

Wapo also has Obama leading in New Hampshire and Ohio.

Not to get too excited, but...yay!

AND -- Obama is being aggressive in Nebraska. Only Nebraska and Maine divide their electoral votes by each district - not a winner takes all like most states. So, Obama has ramped up his field office in Omaha (the most Democratic district) in hopes of peeling off 1 electoral vote. I love it! Every little bit helps.

Misses Beckham

My friends used to call me Mrs. Beckham (they even had a t-shirt made for one of my birthdays) due to my non-so-long-ago obsession with his fineness.

Recent events have me thinking they misspelled it. Last Thursday I threw myself a little birthday party and chose to miss a work event and afterparty on the same night. I just found out that at said afterparty was the one and only...David Beckham. (See for yourself on page 30 of People Magazine.)

I'm sure he was there just waiting to wish me a Happy Birthday. Sorry I missed you Becks.

The Map

This is what the electoral map looked like as of yesterday (per Real Clear Politics):

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/maps/obama_vs_mccain/?map=10

"Only you can silence yourself"

Are you registered to vote? Are you sure?

Registration deadlines are as soon as this weekend for some states (Tues., Oct. 7th for Illinois) -- and some states are already voting. Please make sure you are registered and voice your choice.

This site will give you all the information you need - plus there is a cool new celeb video:
www.declareyourself.com

This one is too important to not be involved.


Say as you think and speak it from your souls.
Wm. Shakespeare

Electoral Vote (EV) Count Update

Obama 336.0

McCain 202.0

538.com

McCain Exits Michigan

That is the headline at ProgressIllinois.com this afternoon.

Josh Kalven reports that McCain is pulling all staff out of Michigan and sending them to other swing states.

That's (potentially) 17 electoral votes!!

Good news

538.com has Obama up by more today...

In electoral votes: Obama - 330.6 McCain - 207.4

Booyah!

Happy Birthday!

To me.

I turned 40 over the weekend.

Yay.

Joint Statment - ha!

This is what was left out...

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/09/on_the_cutting_room_floor.php

This isn't the first time

I found this on Daily Kos:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2000/02/28/MN62687.DTL&hw=mccain+opinsky&sn=001&sc=1000

National Punctuation Day

Yes it is!

This is one of my favs:

Ellipsis...

"The omission from a sentence or other construction of one or more words understandable from the context that would complete or clarify the construction. A mark to indicate the omission of letters or words."

Capital Community College Foundation
Guide to Grammar and Writing —

2

Happy Birthday to Ruthy!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtNxU0lCXKY&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nG3dEQKbW-Y

BIG News Day

Huge.

1.
Obama seems to be pulling away in the polls. Fox News has him leading McCain 45 - 39. The WashingtonPost/ABC News poll has O up by 9, and at 538.c0m the electoral vote spread is Obama 309: McCain 229.

I know, I knw - don't trust the polls. But - yay!

2.
McCain is now suggesting that the debate on Friday be postponed.

3.
This is the actualy headline from Rueters this morning:
"Clay Aiken Acknowledges He's Gay"

Really? I had no idea.

t & b

Trust and believe.

After a couple of bumpy weeks (get it? The convention bounces...anyway) and millions of fretting Dems spouting their take on things and advice, Obama is -- as of today @ 538.com EV: 284.8 to 253.2 -- ahead again in the polls. There is no guarantee he will stay there and it will no doubt be a close race, but now that things have evened out, can we stop with the negative crap about his campaign? Please.

He needs to do this, he should do that, why isn't he...enough already. The man is smart (although he does look a wee bit tired lately). His campaign is smart - I'm a big fan of the Davids. Biden is smart. They know what they are doing. Armchair quarterbacking may be fun, but not real helpful.

So, lay off my man.

T & b, baby, t & b.

Lyric of the day

Frames from the Soundtrack to the movie Once:

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time, raise your hopeful voice
You had the choice...

No political analogies there...or are there?

Pamelot!

Who knew we I had so much in common with Pam? Really.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3vEfvpHDd8

Makes me happy

:)

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/09/who_needs_obama_when_the_mccai.php

Quote of the Day

"This attack is a reminder that we are at war with extremists who will murder innocent people to achieve their ideological objectives."
-Pres. George W Bush (taken from The Washington Post transcript of his meeting today with Gen. David Petraeus)

Hmm...Extremists who will murder innocent people to achieve their ideological objectives...um, isn't that us?

Recommended Reading #1

A good friend of mine started a little thing called Music Mondays where she sends a group of people a new song every Monday with a little blurb about the artist and the song. It's great! So I'm stealing the idea, but for literature. (Thanks Jenille!) I'll come up with a cute title later...

#1 - The Battle Plan

This is one of the most poignant pieces I've read in a while.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/naomi-wolf/the-battle-plan_b_126856.html

"The Battle Plan", posted on The Huffington Post(9-17-08), is actually the introduction to Naomi Wolf's book Give Me Liberty: A Handbook for American Revolutionaries. It talks about how we need to reclaim our rights and our vision of what being American is. Start a new American Revolution!

In this season of politics and concern, it was quite refreshing to read her words. No lipstick or pork or lies, she talks about our "key enlightenment beliefs" and what it really was that our Forefathers set out to do - and just how groundbreaking The Constitution was -- and still is.

I recommend reading the article for sure - and if you get the chance to entire book as well (amazon.com - $11.16). I can't wait!

Happy Constitution Day!

Yes, today is the 221st anniversary of the ratification of the Constitution.

I think every citizen should think about what the original intent of the Founding Fathers was and see if that is reflected in most of our policies today.

Hmm...maybe we should send Bush, Cheney and McCain a copy?

Strobe Light

In case you have noticed, I tend to write a bunch and then nothing at all for quite a while.

I like to think of myself as a strobe light:
brilliantly bright one moment, silent and contemplative the next.

On Biden

So, Biden it is. I think he is a good pick -- a strong pick and a strategic pick.

While there are definitely a few glitches in his past (eg. the Iraq war vote, a minor plagarism scandal from 20 years ago and his propensity to put his foot in his mouth), I think the good outweighs the bad.

I'm sure by now you've all heard his story: long time Delaware Congressman, lost his wife and baby daughter in a car crash, second wife is an English teacher, he takes Amtrack to and from work every day, he's been on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee...forever, etc, etc.
*For more info on Joe, go to: http://biden.senate.gov/senator/

One major accomplishment hasn't been mentioned much in the press. He wrote and eventually passed the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).

As Jonathan Cohn writes for The New Republic:
Advocates have claimed VAWA cut down on domestic violence by 25 percent. And while that figure seems suspiciously high--precise estimates are hard to come by--advocates seem to agree universally about VAWA's importance and Biden's role in it. "If I were to choose the single most important event leading to broad based awareness and change regarding domestic and sexual violence against women," says Ellis, "it would be Senator Biden's Violence Against Women Act of 1994." Reuss offers a similar assessment: "In Congress, it was singularly because of him."

Good stuff.

I think Sen. Biden's tendency to say things he shouldn't will work to our advantage. He will not be afraid to go after John McCain in a way no one else can. I read (somewhere?) that one of his main jobs as Veep nom is to be the attack dog.

Ruff!

Can't wait.

Courtesy of Matthew Rose

Do you really need a better reason?

Must Read!

http://www.newsweek.com/id/155117

Tag line

Biden: "He's the maverick McCain USED to be."

Use it, abuse it, pass it on.

long time, no write

I've been distracted by my new adventures as a freelance writer. I'm learning tons of stuff -- some good, some that sucks. My initial encounters with the editing process have been a bit painful, but seems to subside in my mind once the check FINALLY appears in my mailbox.

I'm finding my voice - slowly, but surely. Figuring out there are some things I'm not so good at and that there are some things I really have no interest in doing. I've found that some stuff is easy, but boring and pays really, really well (and fast). And sometimes, no matter what, they just aren't going to like what you have to say.

I promise to add more posts on a more frequent basis - although I can't promise they won't be political in nature as I'm heading to Denver next week during the Democratic Convention.

Peace out.

Vote your heart.

V

so cool!

On Monday, as usual I was at work reading my political sites. It had been a busy morning with Obama and McCain giving back to back speeches on the war. Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post wrote an article about Obama's speech on his blog The Fix.

The title was "Obama Repositions on Iraq". I read it wondering if I had missed something important since I was getting ready for work, playing with Giselle, packing my lunch, etc while listening to MSNBC. Um..I didn't miss anything. I even read the article twice to make sure I understood. Simply, Cillizza had a bad title.

Luckily the comment section agreed with me. A few of us bloggers (I think I was the 5th or 6th) called him out on his misleading title (some more nicely than others)...and within about ten minutes...he changed the title!

It now reads "Obama Addresses Iraq, McCain Hits Back".

It's something.

Quote of the Day

John Ridley in Huffington Post article "(Liberal) Fear of a Black President"
- posted one day after the Jesse Jackson "Nuts" comments:

"Moreover, what scares the Old Schoolers is that Obama's potential election removes from them the victim stick with which they flog their diminishing relevance."

(emphasis added)

Brilliant.

Not nice

but I thoroughly enjoyed watching this. Uncomfortable :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkQDbfF4RqA

Patriotic

I spent my 4th of July in the country. And by country, I mean Homewood, Illinois - a small, south side suburb of Chicago. I think of it as a country retreat since my friends' house literally backs on to a forest preserve. Into the woods...

Our holiday festivities included a trip up the street to watch the "Home Sweet Homewood" Fourth of July Day Parade! What a hoot! Kids, candy, vintage cars, cheerleaders, the junior hockey league on rollerblades (tossing out Tootsie Rolls!) and every civil servant from miles around. The police/firetruck/ambulance horn display was -- I'm certain -- the longest and loudest horn-tooting event...EVER! My ears are still ringing.

My favorite part, however, was the peaceful protestors (although the tootsie roll-throwin' hockey boys came in a close second). Just a group a people carrying signs and wearing t-shirts saying what they believe. Some were against the war -- "No Oil for $" -- and some just simply said "peace". I was standing on the curb, wearing my Obama peace tee with drink in hand alternatively clapping for them and giving them the peace sign. Needless to say, my shirt was a big hit with this group.

One man (I want to believe an ex-hippy) came over to me and said, "We have to keep his feet to the fire." I asked him if he'd read about the group on Obama's website that was protesting his FISA vote. He nodded and I said that I was one of them. "That's what I'm talking about," he said. And I gave him a terrorist fist jab. Sweet.

So, in the now famous words of Michelle Obama..."for the first time in my adult life, I'm really proud of my country".

Can I have a hot dog, please?

Summer Sandals

Better known as flip-flops. (I bet you thought this was really going to be about shoes, right? Sorry.)

On the other kind of flip flop, Senator McCain is quickly becoming a pro. Once lauded as a "Maverick" (a nickname he still clings to and is using as a campaign positive), he seems to have forgotten what that word means -- coincidentally at the same time he captured (a little tasteless, but correct) the GOP nomination. Hmm...

Maverick: an unbranded calf; a lone dissenter; a non-conformist. (dictionary.com)

Well, he is definitley marked with a big GOP on his ass now. I've seen no dissention from W's policies of late and he is conforming so much that even he can't keep his facts straight.

In "Loving John McCain", an article by Eric Alterman and George Zornick of The Nation, they cite statistics that have McCain voting with Pres. Bush 95% of the time in 2007 and so far 100% in 2008. (Although that isn't saying much since he hasn't voted since April.) In fact, his tax cuts are even more aggressive than W's with "39.5% of benefits going to the top 1% and 4.1 trillion in lost revenue over 10 years." Wow.

Alterman and Zornick also discuss at length the media bias for McCain. The MSM is still so enthralled with the "maverick" persona and his war hero status that they are letting him slide. I guess it doesn't hurt that most of the major networks and newspapers are owned by conservative Republicans (ie. Murdoch).

Just for fun, here is my list of his top ten recent flip flops*:
10. No negative attack ads.
9. Ethanol
8. The Estate Tax
7. Immigration Reform
6. Tax cuts for the wealthy
5. Windfall profits tax on oil companies
4. Off-shore drilling
3. FISA - illegal wiretapping immunity
2. Torture
1. Abortion

Yes, my friends, not only should his "Maverick" status be stripped, but his true values and character should be exposed by the media. Don't hold your breath.


*www.bi30.org/wordpress/flipflopper.htm

**UPDATE: The Carpetbagger Report came out with a list of McCain's policy reversals. 61!!! and counting...
Here's a link to the article:

http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/16124.html#more-16124

Shortsighted

This is the best word I've heard to accurately describe the governing policies of the GOP -- and the best current example is Pres. Bush and Sen. McCain's proposal for off-shore oil drilling.

Andrew Leonard explores this in his "How the World Works" series for Salon.com. Here are some excerpts that prove this point:

"But maybe the most fascinating aspect to the debate about offshore drilling -- to this profound choice between two worldviews, two ways of being on the planet -- is the harsh light it sheds on the value systems at the heart of how political identity is traditionally seen in the United States.

Republicans have made hay for decades by portraying Democrats as spendthrift, reckless liberals. Their side is supposedly "conservative" -- sober-minded, prudent, levelheaded -- while their opponents are "radical" -- dangerous, risky, foolish.

But what is the truly "conservative" position on offshore drilling, or energy policy in general? Recklessly exhausting all available resources now, and letting the future take care of itself -- or conserving those resources, investing carefully for the future, and thinking about the long term? Where does prudence reside -- in attempting to shave a few pennies off of gas prices now, or on planning on how to cope with high gas prices for the foreseeable future?"

First of all, we couldn't even get a rig up and running (or drilling) for at least 5 years and the effect on gas prices would be minimal. If this is a typical pander - who is it aimed at? Oh yeah, oil companies -- those fat cats that fund your campaigns.

Leonard concludes with this:

"As shareholders in this planet, what do we want? A good quarter now, at the risk of financial disaster next year? Or a long-term ecologically healthy path to sustained prosperity? That's what the debate over offshore drilling is really about."

Oh, and leave the polar bears alone.

Presidential quotes

"Whatever America hopes to bring to pass in the world must first come to pass in the heart of America."
~Pres. Dwight D. Eisenhower

"No man can take part in the torture of a human being without having his own moral nature permanently lowered."*

"No man is justified in doing evil on the ground of expedience."*

"No man is above the law, and no man is below it."*
~Pres. Theodore Roosevelt*

Good TV

Last night two of my favorite tv personalities were on the same show...watch:

http://www.comedycentral.com/colbertreport/videos.jhtml?videoId=174545

Bump

More good news...

The Quinnipiac University Polling Institute* came out with some more interesting numbers today. The poll shows Barack Obama leading in three key swing states (even leading in Florida for the first time). No one since 1960 has won the election without at least two of these states - although I think there are other viable routes.

Pennsylvania: 52 - 40 (12 pts)
Ohio: 48 - 42 (6 pts)
Florida: 47 - 43 (4 pts)

Of course this is only one poll - and I'm usually wary of poll numbers -- however, it does factor in over 15,000 responses and adds some crucial voter insights. It shows that Obama is leading 10 - 23% among women and is has a double-digit lead with the youth vote.

This is key. Peter A Brown, the Assistant Director at the Institute revealed these numbers: of people who voted for Bush, 13% in Ohio and Florida and 19% in PA are now supporting Obama. :)

I know I went on at length in my previous post about how he doesn't necessarily need these states...but the more the merrier, I say.

*www.quinnipiac.edu

cold sore!

How big is it, you ask?

It has a pulse.

Magic Numbers: Expanding the Map

The numbers coming in today are looking good!

Ok - a little refresher...there are 538 electoral votes available -- half of which would be 269 -- so, THE magic number is 270. Obama and the DNC are trying to run a Dean-style, 50-state strategy with emphasis on huge voter registration drives (particularly the African American -AA- and youth votes - YV).

Some stats from Democrats.org:
PA -- has 200,00 unregistered AA and 250,000 YV will turn 18 before November
MI -- has 300,000 unregistered AA
GA -- has over 600,000 unregistered AA

The NAACP's Civic Engagement Department has implemented a 2008 Voter Empowerment Program with a goal of increasing AA turn out by 5% (which I think is low). Their "Arrive with Five" initiative could really bring out the AA vote which typically trends Democratic. (naacp.org)

In many states the ratio of Dems to Reps are 2 to 1. If we can turn out bigger numbers and add on some Reagan Democrats and Independents (which voted near the 20% mark for Dems in the primaries in IN, NC and IA), we're in good shape.

Now for the polls...as of today* (6.17.08)
Obama leads in polled adults by 48-42 and with registered voters by 49-45. The general rule (538.com) is that "5 is the most points a great ground game can make up" in an election cycle. With the 38 states and DC outside that 5-point range, the numbers are Obama 247; McCain 157. Not bad.

And, Obama currently leads in NH, MI, OH, VA, MO and NM by under the 5% margin (although Public Policy Polling has O leading in Ohio by a whopping 11 pts today!).
Take into account that these polls do not include voters that do not have a land line (most of the YV) and Rep cross-overs (legit and Limbaugh-led) and the fact that Dem registered voters outnumber Reps - and there are quite a few reasons to be hopeful.

Some have criticized Sen. Obama for stating that he can win without Ohio and Florida. In fact, he has been saying this (or something similar) since before the primaries started. Why not? It is completely feasible -- and here's how.

Nate and Sean at 538 threw out some hypothetical game plans for Obama to reach the magic number.
Plan A - keep all the states Kerry won & add Ohio.
Plan B - win Iowa and 2/3 of the Southwest swing states.
Plan C - win Kerry states, add Iowa and Virginia.

USAToday.com has a map designating the trends from the last 4 election cycles. On this map, if Obama keeps all the Dem states, he is at 244 electoral votes. Adding on Iowa, Georgia and Colorado (all possible) and he wins. If he wins Ohio and New Mexico (where he is ahead) and flips Virginia (?) - he wins. Other states in play this season could be Montana, Alaska and North Dakota - possible, but not probable.

The map is changing. Do not believe the tired, outdated you must win Ohio/Florida theory. They still are large factors, but not the only ones.

Confused yet? Surprisingly, I'm not. Hey, wait a minute...did I just do math? Not really. Others did it for me, but this kind of math I like!

My co-worker (hey Can Can!) today dubbed me a "Plouffette". I threatened to hang a dry erase board at our desk ala Russert until November.
:)


*All polling info unless otherwise indicated taken from fivethirtyeight.com
best site ever!

R.I.P.

Today is truly a sad day.

Tim Russert, NBC's longest-serving moderator on "Meet the Press" and beloved political journalist, died of a heart attack this afternoon. He was at work.

MTP is the "longest-running program in the history of television"(msnbc.com) and mandatory Sunday morning fodder for political junkies like me. I'd just read what was to be his last interview about Obama's new anti-smear campaign (see previous post) and how the internet is going to effect this election.

So sad. Watching MSNBC's primary coverage this spring, you could see his face light up when talking tactics. He loved the game of politics and was so excited for this upcoming general election.

Sundays will never be the same.

Bagel and a Smear?

Counterpunch.

The Obama campaign has put up a new web page dedicated solely to debunking smears from the GOP. Think of it as a Snopes for the election.

For any new rumors or "facts" that you hear (especially if they come from FOX or any news outlet owned by Rupert Murdoch) - please go to this site:

http://fightthesmears.com

Tell all of your friends. There will be no swiftboating here.

cool little video

Click here for a video commentary on our global sitch:
http://www.endofworld.net

Thanks Drew!

Blog Shout Out

Check out this blog:

http://danielsbigtrip.blogspot.com

Daniel McConnell is a 30 year old vet from Tennessee who lost his arm in Afghanistan and is driving across the country in his old truck (the Pinto Bean) with his dog Rocky (or RTD - Rock the Destroyer).

It should prove interesting to see what he has to say about the country he gave years to protect. Must read: the prologue.

(Hat tip: Andrew Sullivan - The Dish on The Atlantic.com)

First Move

According to the Associated Press, Obama told the DNC yesterday to not accept any money from Political Action Committees or federal lobbyists.

It's a start...

gloat quote

from poster on daily kos website:

"im in ur base killin ur d00dz"

- referring to Barack giving his nomination speech at the site of the GOP convention.

finally...

The primary contests are over. And. He. Won.

It is truly poetic justice that on August 28th, when Barack will give his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in Denver (yes, I'll be there - in Denver, somewhere with a cocktail, an Obama shirt and a big smile) - it will be 45 years to the day that MLK gave his infamous "I Have a Dream" speech.

See, dreams do come true. Sometimes they just take a while.

Are you f*#@^iing kidding me?

*Warning: rant coming...

That's it.

*I kept my mouth shut when she challenged him to a debate on a flat bed truck in North Carolina (remind anyone else of a lynching?).

*I kept my mouth shut when she used her support of "hard working Americans, white Americans"" to effectively woo the Appalachian racist vote (West Virginia campaign slogan: "Vote for Me; I'm white!").

*I kept my mouth shut --kind of-- when she said that he can't win the working class white vote (except for the fact that African Americans only make up 13.4% of the US population and I assume that other whiteys work and some of them must make up the millions of people that have voted for him).

But today, I've reached my eternal limit for shit Hillary Clinton can throw at the fan to justify her lust for the nomination. In Souix Falls, SD speaking to an editorial board for the Argus-Leader, Sen. Clinton invoked assassination. Uh...yeah.

While defending her right/decision to stay in the race, this is what she said:

'My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right? We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California.' - MSNBC.com/firstread

B'scuze me? She said what? So..."hey, he could get shot and then I'd win" is her new strategy? WTF? Is this code to her not-so-educated, white friends in the Southern states?

Yes, I may be accused of being hyper sensitive, irrational and neurotic - but I really don't think this is a stretch here. She is an extremely intellegent woman and knows exactly what she is saying and doing.

More from the First Read article:
'In fact, the specter of assassination was first raised in this campaign on January 8, when a Clinton introducer, a retired teacher from New Hampshire, brought it up before Clinton spoke. "If you look back, some people have been comparing one of the other candidates to JFK, and he was a wonderful leader. He gave us a lot of hope," the retired teacher said. "But he was assassinated..."

Couple these Clinton campaign statements with Mike Huckabee's off-color (yes, pun indended) joke at the NRA convention last week about someone shooting at Obama:

"That was Barack Obama. He just tripped off a chair. He was getting ready to speak and somebody aimed a gun at him, and he dove for the floor," Huckabee told the NRA convention in Louisville, Kentucky...". -Reuters online

Does anyone think this is funny? Apparently so. You can plainly hear the crowd laughing at his "joke" on the video posted on You Tube. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0voovjOeEw)

Why aren't more people outraged at this? Why are they allowed to say such things and then brush it off with no consequences? Obama has been under Secret Service protection since May 2007 because of death threats. This isn't funny.

Haven't we aleady lost too many political leaders to assassination? JFK, RFK, MLK...an attempt on Reagan too. Obama has been compared to all of them.

What are they so afraid of? What could he potentially do that would warrant killing him? Our current president has lied, cheated, broken the law, tortured and killed how many innocent people - and he's ok? What is wrong with this picture? Anyone?

If Clinton somehow gets the nomination, I will take my broken heart to the voting booth, cry, probably puke a little bit in my mouth and vote for her - ONLY because the alternative is more hideous and will no doubt be able to nominate a few cronies to the Supreme Court. Then I will start packing, learning french and the lyrics to "O, Canada". I will not stay in a place that thinks this behavior is acceptable.

I'm so saddened and disgusted with our country right now - what is wrong with us? How did we get here? Do we, as a collective union, really have the capacity and desire to change?

Native Son (sort of)

The New York Times blog "The Caucus" reports that on Monday (May 19, 2008) the Native Americans of the Crow Indian Reservation in Montana adopted Barack Obama into their tribe.

In a private ceremony Obama was dubbed the "One Who Helps People Throughout the Land". His new Crow name is Barack Black Eagle. Cool.

What's more patriotic than that?

Fun Fact

Turtles can breathe through their butts...
ew.

A couple more quotes...

These two are from blogger posts:

"Our defense is in the preservation of the spirit which prizes liberty as a heritage of all men, in ALL lands, everywhere. Destroy this spirit and you have planted the seeds of despotism around your own doors." ~Abraham Lincoln
(posted by AL on 5.19.08 washingtonpost.com)

"If we continue to accumulate only power and not wisdom, we will surely destroy ourselves." ~Carl Sagan
(posted by LightningMan on Daily Kos)

ok, now let's try...

sexism.

In an 11th hour "Hail Mary" attempt (ooh, is that sexist?) to rationalize why she isn't winning, Sen. Clinton has finally called the media out for being sexist. In an interview with Lois Romano of The Washington Post, "Clinton criticized the 'vitriol' from 'misogynists' and said that the race factor was often discussed but not gender".

Well, whose fault is that? It seems to me that this campaign that has been going on for about six years now was the perfect time to address this issue. Sen. Obama reluctantly addressed the race issue that was thrown ad nauseum in his face - to try and start a dialogue of healing. Why didn't you do the same?

HRC: "...I really don't stop to worry about it because there's nothing I can do about it."

Really? You've never stopped to worry about your mistreatment by the media? Your husband and numerous surrogates sure have. Didn't they mention it to you? I seem to remember your campaign complaining after a certain debate last fall that you were being "ganged up on" by the boys and that you "always get the first question". Isn't the polite rule "ladies first"?

So, there's nothing you can do about it? Nice attitude for a person seeking the presidency. Don't you think you are THE perfect person to deal with it? You have 24/7 media coverage, a national -- no, international platform with every man and woman on the planet listening to you...don't you think there is something you could do or say to make a difference or at least bring the problem to the forefront of the political conversation in a good way?

For me personally, (ala Jerry McGuire) she lost me at the "as far as I know" comment tacked on to her response that Obama is not a Muslim. [And, by the way, he's not - just so you "hard working, white" Americans in West Virginia and the rest of Appalachia know.] I think her candidacy has done a great service to all women and is historic and broke through many glass ceilings. A woman was seriously considered in the election for the Presidency of the United States. Think about that -- it's huge. But (there's always a big but...damn, is that sexist too?), for you to be here, at this place in history and NOT take the opportunity to start a discussion on the lingering sexism problems we have in this country is unacceptable. And then, at this last hour, complain about it is...I'm not even sure what that is, but I know I don't like it or agree with it.

And can you please get Geraldine Ferraro to shut her immature pie hole? She is doing more to set back the feminist movement every time she opens her mouth lately than anyone else. Can someone explain to me how after HRC tauted her gun-slinging with her grandpa that referring to her as "Annie Oakley" is sexist? It is a blatant call out to her new panerous claim to like to shoot guns. But sexist? I think not. There have been some real dangerous and misogynistic thinks said about her, but this is not one of them. If you truly want to have a debate about gender politics, then come to the table with something of intelligent substance -- not a lame victim card excuse.

This election season we have seen identity politics played to the extreme. Sadly, I fear there is only more to come in the general election with Karl Rove and his ilk having had ample time to sharpen their attack strategy. The bright side? The cancerous hate that still fills our country - whether it be in the form of racism, sexism, anti-semitism, anti-immigrant sentiment, etc. -- has been exposed. And while it makes me truly sad and a little sick to my stomach, that is the only way for us to decide we are better than that and get past it. Dare I say, grow.

I'm back!

And full of piss and vinegar :) I can't keep my thoughts to myself any longer. And, yes, the majority of them are political.

Expect a number of rant-filled blogs in the days to come. Yee haw!

Not just another cute red head...

Or: Everything I ever needed to know, I learned from Sesame Street.

The idea for this blog started off from reading a clip in Newsweek -- May 12, 2008 issue -- about a newer series and free set of videos via Sesame Street's Elmo (hence the red head comment above). "Talk, Listen, Connect: Deployments, Homecoming, Changes" has Elmo, along with his Hispanic friend Rosita, discussing the unfortunate issues facing the modern military family. Cool, huh? Way to go SS!

After I read this, I started thinking about what I had learned from watching Sesame Street and how this non-profit has aided in child education over the 39 years it has been on the air. In other words, how it has evolved.

Here are just some of the things I learned when I was a kid (back in the day). I'm sure some of you will remember these...

*The ABC's from Big Bird - (truth be told I still sing that song in the back of my head when I'm filing).
*Counting from Count von Count (or "The Count") - and how to do a fake scary laugh - ah, ah, aaahhhh.
*Depth Perception from Grover - "near...far...", and slapstick which still comes in handy at times.
*How to effectively sneak cookies and reluctantly share from Cookie Monster - and love for the perfect chocolate chip cookie.
*How to get along with an anal-retentive roommate from Ernie - really, I would have smothered Bert in his sleep :)
*Unwavering friendship and true belief in the make believe from Aloysius Snuffleupagus (yes, that is his first name)
*And, the ultimate anticipation of not being able to wait to know how the story ends, again from Grover - "The Monster at the End of This Book" is brilliant.

Now let's take a look at the new world of Sesame Street. First of all, they have an interactive website (http://www.sesameworkshop.org) that incorporates character-driven activities and highlights issues of our time. Many new characters have been introduced including the afore-mentioned Rosita who teaches Spanish words; Zoe, a 3-year-old orange monster that always wears a tutu and is obsessed with ballet; Kami, a 5-year-old South African yellow monster that is HIV-positive and has been orphaned by AIDS; and the newest (I think) Abby Cadabby, a 3-year-old muppet fairy with pink and purple pigtails and a wand. Yes, Sesame Steet has gone global.

The characters have interactive web pages that teach new things: Letter of the Day, Word of the Day, Spanish word of the Day, Number of the Day, Dance Moves, and one even features a dancing, globe-trotting Grover wearing authentic cultural garb. Adding to the collection of classic songs like "C is for Cookie" are the new conscious tunes "A Cookie is a Sometime Food", "I Eat the Colors of the Rainbow" and "Mango Tango".

Seriously, if you're just a big kid like me or have kids of your own, check out the new and evolved Sesame Street website. Better yet, watch it on tv (old school) and never forget that "the most potent muse of all is our own inner child"**.


**quote by Stephen Nachmanovitch

Happy Bard Day!

In celebration of Billy's birthday (Shakespeare, of course) - b. April 23, 1564 -- I want to share one of my favorite quotes:

"When you do dance, I wish you
A wave o'the sea, that you might ever do
Nothing but that, move still, still so,
And own no other function."

~The Winter's Tale
Act 4 Scene 4.1


Rest in Peace.

update

Just a quick note/update for all my fans out there. All four of you (Hi Mom!).

I've been trying to avoid ranting and writing about the never-ending primary...thus, no blogs in almost a month. Today is the big day in PA -- hoping to squeak out a small victory, but not holding my breath.

Good news! My first professional (PAID!) article will come out in a couple of weeks. I got to see the article yesterday. Not exactly what I wrote, but close and I did receive the byline (thank you). Can't say I really like the editing process, but I guess I can see its uses. Now...where's that freelance paycheck?

Welcome to the spring weather. Just having the sun shine on a daily basis really makes a difference with that black cloud that can sometimes hang over my head. Just call me sunshine :)

"So long, farewell,

auf Wiedersehen, adieu..."

This week I attended the funeral of one of my dearest friend's father. I was struck by the sizeable impact that one life can have on so many people. He wasn't famous, he wasn't rich, he wasn't particularly ambitious -- but he was a man that had good values and loved with all his heart.

Funerals, being the somber beast that they are, also offer the opportunity to reflect. They give us a glimpse into that person, and by doing so, may illuminate something about ourselves. All of a sudden we find ourselves thinking about our lives, our views, our values, our family, our future, our legacy, our losses - and by turning inward, we find all that was good and noble and enviable about the person we are there to honor. By seeing the good in them, we renew our faith in ourselves.

That's what good people do - they make us see the potential we have in ourselves. They let us see, by their example, how to live a decent life. They make us happy that we got the chance to know them and leave us better people for having known them.

So long Butch. Thanks for being you.

strategy

I'm changing my middle name to HUSSEIN (yes, it must be in all CAPS) until the presidential election is over. No offense to my given middle name, but I think HUSSEIN serves a better purpose for now.

Think about it. If everyone that supports Obama changed their middle name to his -- it could effectively diffuse the oddity of it and nullify the Republican attacks. Really, if millions of people all have the middle name HUSSEIN, then it can't be that bad - or foreign - or scary.

Switch yours out and see if it works for you. Ooh, mine even rhymes.

you know you do it too --

text speak.

Somewhere along the way, we've become either too busy, too lazy, too A.D.D. or to cool to physically type out the words we want to convey. How/when did this happen? As a lover of words with an English degree (yes, Shakespeare my friends, is doing flips in his grave), I find it apalling that this lackadaisical attitude has taken over...me.

It seems I can't help myself. I reluctantly added text messaging to my cell package because all of my friends kept texting instead of calling. Wtf? After figuring out how to read said messages, I then was faced with how to decipher them. What were they saying? For a while, I just ignored whatever it was that I didn't get, but then I started to get curious. What was this strange hybrid of conversation and how is it that I didn't know it?

I completely blame my extended period of unemployment. Resigned to long walks by the lake and bad daytime tv, I was missing out on what was up in cyber-text-trendy land. I was reluctant to join what I was sure was a bad fad, but now I find myself happily(?) SMS-ing every day. How r u? What r u do n 2nite? On bus. It really is very functional.

Most used:
LOL
OMG
BTW
WTF
LMAO
POTUS
and, my personal fav, STFU!

For those of you that don't want to appear stupid and ask someone (uh, what does that mean? - like I do about every other day), there is help. Yes, there is actually a website that will translate the texty-goobledegook for you.

www.transl8it.com.

Now who's lazy?

As Tigger would say, TTFN!

Fav quote of the day

We are in a precious moment where caution must yield to courage. It is
better to fail at the quest for greatness than to accept our planet's
future as only a reliving of the past.

Tom Hayden - The Nation
(Jan. 29, 2008)

obscure quote of the day

Meaning escapes through spaces in between letters.
~unknown

Whoa.

on momentum

Time magazine writer David Von Drehle posed this question last week reagarding momentum versus inevitablility (or determination):

"What happens if an irresistible force meets an immovable object?" - or in another way - who wins the fight of "the wave against the rock"?

The only answer I can think of is...the Grand Canyon? If momemtum wins - it could create something truly awesome and beautiful -- something uniquely American that will be historic and viewed by people for centuries as an example of what a little movement and power in the right direction can do.

Hmm...I think I'll open a little Kool Aid stand near the donkey rental place.

Plagiarism at its best

Just a quick comment on the recent plagiarism squawk regarding Obama using theory and text from his friend's speech. Petty.

Historical note:

JFK most famous quote -- "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country" -- was actually derived from a Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendall Holmes Jr speech: "to recall what our country has done for each of us, and to ask ourselves what we can do for the country in return". Was JFK a plagiarist too? Aren't all politicians (or all of us, for that matter) to some extent?

Crikey! If I have to start citing everyone I pilfer colloquialisms from, I'm in deep doo-doo Batman!


*Added bonus quotes (from above Justice's poet father):

"Language is the blood of the soul into which thoughts run and out of which they grow."
&
"Wisdom is thte abstract of the past, but beauty is the promise of the future."

Peace out.

inspirational quote

"History says, Don't hope
On this side of the grave.
But then, once in a lifetime
The longed-for tidal wave
Of justice can rise up
And hope and history rhyme."

~from "The Cure at Troy"
by poet Seamus Heaney

pet peeve

Ok, I have way too many to include in this blog, but this pet peeve is the most prevalent (and annoying) in my daily life.

At least once a day while perusing the web, I come across this grammatical atrocity. The misuse of then - as opposed to the correct use of than. Then instead of than...it drives me crazy. It happens way too often for it to just be written off as a typo, which leads me to believe that most of mainstream America thinks the two words are interchangeable.

Then, an adverb directly related to the concept of time (ie. at that time; immediately or soon after; at the same time, etc.) - or - than, a conjunction used as a comparative to denote a difference?

Take a second to decide which you really mean and choose accordingly. I'd really appreciate it.

ode to my valentine

I love you.
Thank you for all the joy and happiness you give me.
My life is better for having you in it.
The good, the bad -- the ups and downs.

I love the way we share our meals,
the way you wake me in the morning with little kisses,
the way your body keeps me warm when you snuggle up against me in bed,
our walks by the lake
and our picnics in the park.

I hope I bring as much love to your life.

Happy Valentine's Day.
I love you...Giselle.