This is one of those normal undecided voter groups commenting on the debate with doofus Frank Luntz.
But it goes all wacky at exactly the 2:27 mark: This is totally worth a moment of your time on this planet.
Hint: Ministry of silly analysis.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
OK Time for some father daughter posts
Today, Grace and I were working on a few puzzles together. Occasionally I would give her a high five if she finished one. My version of encouragement.
After putting one especially difficult piece together, she turned to me and said, "Daddy can I have a five?"
After putting one especially difficult piece together, she turned to me and said, "Daddy can I have a five?"
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
In Her Own Words
As Primary day approaches, here is a short film to remind you of a few things about the run up to the Iraq War.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Live from Florida...It's Morning Joe!
Thw MSNBC road show is in Florida today, where they are apparently holding a pretty important Republican Primary.
The first half hour, the closest they got to mentioning the GOP was some mention of Joe Lieberman. All the oxygen is being taken up by the other party, and another former President. And today it is being taken up by the senior senator from my neighboring state.
The first half hour, the closest they got to mentioning the GOP was some mention of Joe Lieberman. All the oxygen is being taken up by the other party, and another former President. And today it is being taken up by the senior senator from my neighboring state.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Just a question
If Bill Clinton is supposedly just one of those supportive spouses of the candidates, then why are they showing his speech on all the news networks right now?
Just askin'.
Just askin'.
plus ca change
Tonight I popped into the hotel bar for a quick nighcap.
Within 30 seconds a 30ish guy next to me ordered 3 Jaegermeisters mixed with Red Bull.
He made his friends wait until they all had their drinks, as it was important to bond while shooting the cocktail.
It's good to be here!
Within 30 seconds a 30ish guy next to me ordered 3 Jaegermeisters mixed with Red Bull.
He made his friends wait until they all had their drinks, as it was important to bond while shooting the cocktail.
It's good to be here!
Friday, January 25, 2008
Ahh, I remember California
Sitting on a Southwest jet in Phoenix a few hours ago, it quickly became clear my flight was headed for Los Angeles. As the new passengers boarded, I counted no less than three women with seriously obvious boob jobs. I am a loooong way from upstate New York.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Just watch it.
Please, take a few minutes out of your life and watch this speech. If you are not moved, I will give you your money back.
There is a reason Dr. King is honored with a holiday. And this speech is the direct heir to his legacy. And the reason I say this is something Obama would never dream of bringing up. Dr. King, in August 1963, spoke:
"I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers."
Obama is the living example of that speech. He is that little black boy and that little white boy as one. And by challenging both races so directly, he is examining his own legacy. And while it is complicated it is ultimately transcendent . He may not win this battle against the Clinton political machine, but he will live to fight another day.
There is a reason Dr. King is honored with a holiday. And this speech is the direct heir to his legacy. And the reason I say this is something Obama would never dream of bringing up. Dr. King, in August 1963, spoke:
"I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers."
Obama is the living example of that speech. He is that little black boy and that little white boy as one. And by challenging both races so directly, he is examining his own legacy. And while it is complicated it is ultimately transcendent . He may not win this battle against the Clinton political machine, but he will live to fight another day.
The Big Picture about Last night
This is my theory and I stand by it.
Several weeks ago, Hillary's campaign made the obvious choice of injecting race in to this campaign.
Yesterday morning, Senator Obama made a conscious decision to inject gender into this race. By tying Hillary so tightly to Bill he is attempting to show the electorate that she is not able to stand on her own. THEY are running for a third term. She is not "man" enough (sorry, no other analogy can fit here) to win this fair and square. He is extremely subtly trying to show that she is not a self made woman. Unfortunately for him, it will probably be too subtle for the electorate. Right now it seems like he is just screaming sour grapes. But if you watch the coverage of Bill Clinton today, he has clearly placed his wagging fingers in his pocket and is in smily mode. Obama is attempting to show the voters that if she can't control her own house, then he will.
The pundits are missing the big picture.
Race, meet gender
Several weeks ago, Hillary's campaign made the obvious choice of injecting race in to this campaign.
Yesterday morning, Senator Obama made a conscious decision to inject gender into this race. By tying Hillary so tightly to Bill he is attempting to show the electorate that she is not able to stand on her own. THEY are running for a third term. She is not "man" enough (sorry, no other analogy can fit here) to win this fair and square. He is extremely subtly trying to show that she is not a self made woman. Unfortunately for him, it will probably be too subtle for the electorate. Right now it seems like he is just screaming sour grapes. But if you watch the coverage of Bill Clinton today, he has clearly placed his wagging fingers in his pocket and is in smily mode. Obama is attempting to show the voters that if she can't control her own house, then he will.
The pundits are missing the big picture.
Race, meet gender
Last night's fireworks
I don't think I have ever seen that much hostility in a Presidential debate in my life. There were moments where I felt like I did the first time I saw Jaws.
Obama's weakness last night is that when he would make a charge, Clinton would simply ignore it, but Obama took the time to refute the arguments the others were making.
That said, I do think that people were wondering if he could fight back and I think he did answer that charge obviously.
I also think that Bill Clinton will start to be somewhat more careful about his extemporaneous comments on the trail this week. Obama is essentially asking America if they are ready for a 3rd Clinton term, because that is what we are in store for, minus the blow jobs. It is clearly a risk, as Bill is still very popular within the Democratic Party. But we all know that with Good Bill, we also get Bad Bill. He is tying the two of them together to show us what we are in for.
Obama's weakness last night is that when he would make a charge, Clinton would simply ignore it, but Obama took the time to refute the arguments the others were making.
That said, I do think that people were wondering if he could fight back and I think he did answer that charge obviously.
I also think that Bill Clinton will start to be somewhat more careful about his extemporaneous comments on the trail this week. Obama is essentially asking America if they are ready for a 3rd Clinton term, because that is what we are in store for, minus the blow jobs. It is clearly a risk, as Bill is still very popular within the Democratic Party. But we all know that with Good Bill, we also get Bad Bill. He is tying the two of them together to show us what we are in for.
I need a little Help here
After seeing this, I need to know why my vote counts the same as hers.
Not safe for work.
This woman is drunk I think.
Not safe for work.
This woman is drunk I think.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Frederick of Hollywood
Just saw a moment or two of Fred Thompson's concession speech.
I'll say this: The main stream press shorthand on Fred was that he was lazy and a
halfhearted campaigner. I thought they tagged him with that awfully early and it
was once again just the press corps themselves being lazy with their stock ideas.
Well, in this case they got it dead right. When I can find his speech on line I will post it.
Bizarre would be an understatement. He really was a lousy candidate. I imagine
he will drop out in the next day or so and throw his support to McCain. That will
finish off Huckabee for good. I see this being a battle between McCain & Romney
now. Bonus: Fred's implosion makes Mary Matalin look even worse.
Full disclosure: I worked with Fred Thompson on several occasions and always found him to be alert and prepared, never lazy.
Here it is in some of its weird glory:
I'll say this: The main stream press shorthand on Fred was that he was lazy and a
halfhearted campaigner. I thought they tagged him with that awfully early and it
was once again just the press corps themselves being lazy with their stock ideas.
Well, in this case they got it dead right. When I can find his speech on line I will post it.
Bizarre would be an understatement. He really was a lousy candidate. I imagine
he will drop out in the next day or so and throw his support to McCain. That will
finish off Huckabee for good. I see this being a battle between McCain & Romney
now. Bonus: Fred's implosion makes Mary Matalin look even worse.
Full disclosure: I worked with Fred Thompson on several occasions and always found him to be alert and prepared, never lazy.
Here it is in some of its weird glory:
Friday, January 18, 2008
RSS Feed now available
I'm not exactly sure what use it will be for you but my good friend Bill insisted I needed it and he's a lot smarter than I am. I think it is a way to let you know when I post new stuff. Click that orange & white button on the right.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Monday, January 14, 2008
Best. side effects. ever
I just saw an ad for a drug called Mirarpex.
First off, it was for my favorite malady in the history of mankind, Restless Leg Syndrome.
Apparently, a possible side effect of this drug is an increased interest in gambling. Also increased sex drive.
As far as I am concerned, these are not side effects. My leg feels funny.
First off, it was for my favorite malady in the history of mankind, Restless Leg Syndrome.
Apparently, a possible side effect of this drug is an increased interest in gambling. Also increased sex drive.
As far as I am concerned, these are not side effects. My leg feels funny.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Local Politics
I received a robocall this week from my US Congresswoman about a town hall meeting today on the subject of property taxes. As you can probably tell, I have a interest in politics, so I went.
As someone who voted for Ms. Gillibrand, it seemed to me that this meeting was really just a chance for her to show her face in the area and get some of her views on the table. Clearly a US Congressperson has very little to do with property taxes and she admitted as much. Basically she spoke for about 10-15 minutes, introduced a couple of "tax experts" and then let the voters complain, some more eloquently than others. And then it was over.
The most interesting moment of the whole day was before the meeting even began. I arrived a little early and sat in the back row. An old timer who needed a bath sat next to me right away and started jawing.
Soon enough he said to me, "See that woman over there."
"Yes I do."
"She's not a woman. She's a man."
Sure enough, my smelly seatmate was correct. The 65 ish year old cross dresser was not trying too hard. Just a Reddish brown wig and some Jackie O glasses. He sat next down next to my new friend and it was clear they knew each other as they began chatting about some engine work Jackie O had done recently. I found the whole thing sort of comforting. Here was an old codger who was certainly amused by Jackie O but clearly had a friendly relationship with him. Progress in tolerance can be measured in the strangest ways.
As someone who voted for Ms. Gillibrand, it seemed to me that this meeting was really just a chance for her to show her face in the area and get some of her views on the table. Clearly a US Congressperson has very little to do with property taxes and she admitted as much. Basically she spoke for about 10-15 minutes, introduced a couple of "tax experts" and then let the voters complain, some more eloquently than others. And then it was over.
The most interesting moment of the whole day was before the meeting even began. I arrived a little early and sat in the back row. An old timer who needed a bath sat next to me right away and started jawing.
Soon enough he said to me, "See that woman over there."
"Yes I do."
"She's not a woman. She's a man."
Sure enough, my smelly seatmate was correct. The 65 ish year old cross dresser was not trying too hard. Just a Reddish brown wig and some Jackie O glasses. He sat next down next to my new friend and it was clear they knew each other as they began chatting about some engine work Jackie O had done recently. I found the whole thing sort of comforting. Here was an old codger who was certainly amused by Jackie O but clearly had a friendly relationship with him. Progress in tolerance can be measured in the strangest ways.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Crazy like a Rudy
For months now, the Rudy Giuliani primary strategy of ignoring the early states of Iowa, NH, Michigan, & South Carolina to concentrate on Florida & the Super Tuesday states has been described as both "risky" & "crazy."
But what no one seems to have mentioned is that, at least to me, is that this high risk/high reward strategy is a direct window onto his judgement. And to me this does not paint a flattering portrait of a possible Rudy presidency. Would he continue to govern as he ran as a candidate, pursuing risky policies? Current observation would tend to say yes.
It is not just Bernie Kerik who is a judgement problem for Rudy. His whole election strategy is one giant hand of blackjack and to me that is extremely frightening. We are getting an idea of how these candidates would govern and Rudy is no exception.
Here's a link to TPM and their discussion of Rudy. My thoughts were graciously added to the discussion by Mr. Marshall.
But what no one seems to have mentioned is that, at least to me, is that this high risk/high reward strategy is a direct window onto his judgement. And to me this does not paint a flattering portrait of a possible Rudy presidency. Would he continue to govern as he ran as a candidate, pursuing risky policies? Current observation would tend to say yes.
It is not just Bernie Kerik who is a judgement problem for Rudy. His whole election strategy is one giant hand of blackjack and to me that is extremely frightening. We are getting an idea of how these candidates would govern and Rudy is no exception.
Here's a link to TPM and their discussion of Rudy. My thoughts were graciously added to the discussion by Mr. Marshall.
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Ignoring recent history
In the wake of John McCain's new Hampshire victory last night, the meme being spread by every single pundit is that the Republican Party always "gives the nomination to the guy who's been around", a la Nixon, Reagan, Dole.
But they seem to have forgotten the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
If they had wanted to give the nomination to the elder statesman (read: the old guy), then their obvious choices were Orrin Hatch or Mr. McCain.
It's that kind of rhetorical shorthand that shows the laziness of most pundits. We'll be seeing more of it this election season no doubt.
But they seem to have forgotten the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
If they had wanted to give the nomination to the elder statesman (read: the old guy), then their obvious choices were Orrin Hatch or Mr. McCain.
It's that kind of rhetorical shorthand that shows the laziness of most pundits. We'll be seeing more of it this election season no doubt.
That's My Story and I'm Sticking To It
This morning, Chris Matthews was on tv essentially saying that the voters of New Hampshire were racist and they told the pollsters one thing and in the voting booth, they did the opposite. He is invested in this theory because the other one is so thoroughly awful for him.
The other theory is that women voters in NH saw the Hillary debate moment (My feelings are hurt!) and her teary moment and realized the boys (Chris Matthews was absolutely leading the charge) were ganging up on her and had a solidarity epiphany moment and swung back to her in the last 24 hours.
I think that is the likeliest outcome. The men who were polled voted as they said they would. It was women who were the big jump from the pre election polls and the exit polling.
So, if Tweety is correct, then only the women of New Hampshire are closet racists.
Nice try buddy.
The other theory is that women voters in NH saw the Hillary debate moment (My feelings are hurt!) and her teary moment and realized the boys (Chris Matthews was absolutely leading the charge) were ganging up on her and had a solidarity epiphany moment and swung back to her in the last 24 hours.
I think that is the likeliest outcome. The men who were polled voted as they said they would. It was women who were the big jump from the pre election polls and the exit polling.
So, if Tweety is correct, then only the women of New Hampshire are closet racists.
Nice try buddy.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Monday, January 07, 2008
Obama's Iowa Speech - Great stuff
This is my first try at embedding some video. Let's see how we do.
As Staples says, That was easy.
As Staples says, That was easy.
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Brady Bunch episode on TV Land about Peter wearing moustache causes Oil Price to Spike above $100 a Barrel
That headline is as likely a cause of oil prices as any actual news story.
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