HyperThought

I'm reading Going Rogue and blogging about it - so you don't have to

2009-11-18T10:57:00.002-05:00

Follow along at Plunderbund.

Think I need to post something new soon...

2009-11-06T15:23:00.002-05:00

So much has been going on that I haven't been keeping up with the blog. Really need to change that! Maybe I'll write something about this...

Overseas firms collecting most green energy money

...of the $1.05 billion in clean-energy grants handed out by the government since Sept. 1, 84 percent – a total of $849 million – has gone to foreign wind companies. Spanish utility company, Iberdrola S.A., alone has collected $545 million through its American subsidiary.
Even more striking is the fact that there are few restrictions on the how the grants can be used, according to a transcript of a Treasury Department briefing.

Vanity Fair is Great - Larry Summers is Not

2009-08-10T20:27:00.007-04:00

It’s been one more month since my last post (called 3 months+).

I just received my September issue of Vanity Fair, which reminded me I wrote that I was going to blog about the August issue. So, before I plunge into “The Style Issue,” let’s backtrack a month…

I bought the issue because of all the chatter around Todd Purdum’s article about Sarah Palin. Had to read it. I thought the story about Heath Ledger might also be interesting (he’s on the cover and still selling magazines posthumously).

Both of these articles were interesting but the standouts for me where the story about Politico, the “Man Who Sank the World’s Economy” and the financial troubles at Harvard.

1) Sarah Palin. Been there, done that. The best details were actually discussed in TV interviews designed to sell the magazine.
2) Heath Ledger. I felt sorry for Michelle Williams every time the reporter wrote some sort of rumor from one of Heath’s “friends” who also happen to be promoting his last movie. Generally boring article.
3) Politico. I learned more about my favorite Washington geeks. Who knew Mike Allen got up SO early each morning? I now know sending him a 4am email might be my best bet when pitching him. Interesting to hear more about their theories on news coverage – and the future of the news industry.
4) A.I.G. Finally, a reporter does an in-depth article about what happened within A.I.G. So interesting to read something more than, “They are bad guys, but we must save them anyway, and we’ll keep them around so we can kick them and feel better.” I am continually amazed at the mistakes smart people made because they were allowed – and they won’t really lose anything because of their own bad bets.
5) Which brings me to Harvard. Talk about smart people making bad decisions and not losing anything. Next example: Larry Summers. Why is this man back in the small circle of individuals making decisions about our nation’s economy? Voting for change did not mean bringing back this guy who lost his job at Harvard – not for making bad financial decisions (which it sounds like he did), but for making stupid comments about women and science – back into the inner circles in Washington. These are the people who caused the mess we are in, but Obama reinstated as many as he could. What was the line Sarah Palin repeated endlessly? “That’s not change. That’s more of the same.”

I read August's issue cover-to-cover and ended up subscribing...so now, on to September!

3 months+

2009-07-10T20:33:00.003-04:00

Facebook and Twitter have put a real damper on my blogging. It's so quick and easy to express a thought or opinion via both outlets that I have neglected taking the time to blog about anything. Time to make an effort again! In the coming days...

1) My thoughts on the current issue of Vanity Fair (read it cover-to-cover!).
2) Why did it take me so long to read Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs?!
3) And probably something about my on-going crush on Dylan Ratigan (even though his Twitter feed is really sad!).

Angry yet?

2009-04-04T10:57:00.002-04:00

No?

Watch this interview with William Greider (it also made me feel better - good ideas ahead).

I like this.

2009-04-01T11:00:00.005-04:00

I'll be traveling on 4/11, but if I can find a local protest, I'll be there. "If it's too big to fail, it's too big to exist. Dismantle the power of the financial elite and make policies that keep a new crop from springing up. We want our economy and politics restored for the public."

Check out A New Way Forward!

And, read this Washington Monthly article for a little more on why breaking up the banks is a good idea.

UPDATE: If you aren't mad yet, check this out from David Sirota:

So the tab is now in - about $3 trillion of taxpayer resources have gone out the door to Wall Street banks (and that doesn't include trillions in additional loan guarantees).

Didn't We Vote for Change?

2009-03-31T21:15:00.003-04:00

I'm finally worried.

I had high hopes for President Obama, but when it comes to the economy, I'm worried that he's just continuing more of the same. I don't know for sure that what he's doing won't work (who does?), but it really does seem like the same-old crowd who have messed up our economy are still running things, they are out of new ideas and they are just worried about saving the status quo.

I'm not so interested in the status quo...it's what got us here.

What if our auto companies can't be saved?

What if the big banks are really bankrupt and need to be broken into workable parts?

What if we just threw away $1 trillion that the taxpayers will never get back?

What if the plans we are putting in place will just continue to make rich people rich, while the rest of the country suffers?

I would feel better if the treasury's plans were being made in the light of day, with input from big thinkers of all political persuasions. I want to hear for myself the advice that is being given to the White House and Treasury Dept. I want to hear why we should save the banks. And why investors will be taking on some of the "toxic" debt with no real risk to themselves because my tax dollars will support them if their investments go south.

I am a capitalist. If a company can't survive, it should go under. Bad ideas should fail. There should be risk in the markets.

But I also have a soft spot for socialism...when it comes to people supporting people; but NOT when it comes to the people's money supporting failing, rich institutions.

I can't help but be worried when we are trusting the same people who got us into this mess to get us out.

I don't know if Geithner has the solution. I don't know if Paul Krugman can solve it. I don't know if James Galbraith is right that there is 'no return to normal.' Or if Noam Chomsky is as sure as he sounds:

But, I'd like to hear different opinions. We've all just been trusting those "in charge" for too long. Time to bring us all in on the solution (even if - especially if - that scares the bankers).

And why the press is important...explaining the mortgage crisis

2009-02-24T10:46:00.006-05:00

I was so annoyed last week by the rant on CNBC by some guy named Santelli which was then repeated over and over and over again on NBC networks. I knew I was annoyed by a news person yelling about the federal help to stem foreclosures, but I was also annoyed that he wasn't actually explaining anything, just venting, like some crazy uncle at a family dinner who doesn't really sound like he knows what he's talking about. And that is not the role I think the news media should be playing - especially now when everyone is so worried about our personal and national future.

I came across this article from the Columbia Journalism Review, and I learned a lot more about the current foreclosure crisis. It really is amazing, and it points out that this should not be "reported" as neighbor vs. neighbor. The mortgage and banking industry took full advantage of as many people as they could, made A LOT of money for themselves and caused this mess. So, if Santelli wants to rant about something, maybe he should focus on all of our taxpayer dollars going to some of the institutions that caused this mess - with NO real consequences.

The boiling anger we’re seeing by citizen against fellow citizen is understandable given that the press still hasn’t fully told the story of the boiler rooms, “the crooked heart of the credit crisis,” as Audit managing director Dean Starkman called it.

That this burst of outrage erupted after homeowners got a (relatively meager) bailout rather than after Wall Street and the banks got their trillions ($10 trillion by Bloomberg’s count) with repeated trips to the trough illustrates as clearly as I’ve seen it the failure of the press to fully portray the real cause of this catastrophe.

Read the full piece for a decent explanation of the mortgage mess. (BTW, I was one of these people the mortgage people tried to talk into a bad loan...I had some cash to "put down" when I was looking at buying a condo in 2005 and was told that I should just finance the whole thing. I didn't move forward, but I felt very uncomfortable by the whole thing - and very confused!)

If this isn't enough, also read this critique of Santelli and his misdirected anger.

(Also, keep this article in mind while you hear about neighborhood "tea parties" being organized by people against foreclosure assistance...and against their neighbors.)

Where was the press?

2009-02-24T10:11:00.003-05:00

Very interesting article in Mother Jones about how reporters failed the public in the current financial crisis. And summed it up as follows:

Who will blow the whistle on the next disaster in the making? Where's the next subprime mess? Barring a major reordering of resources and priorities, don't count on the business media to find out. "The press were kind of prisoners of respectability," Hudson says. "With exceptions, they really want official sources; they want official approval; they don't want to be too out front. They do a good job after the fact, but not beforehand, when it counts."

Yea Science!

2009-02-17T08:34:00.000-05:00

Recovery.gov

2009-01-29T16:59:00.003-05:00

Let's hope this site - included in the House version of the stimulus plan - will actually share the information being promised (and I hope it makes Dylan Ratigan happy - see below!)

From The Sunlight Foundation Blog:

The Internet has been recognized as having a central — even fundamental — role in enabling oversight and public access. The gap between public expectations and legislative initiatives has become significantly smaller, as Congress and President Obama recognize that a recovery or economic stimulus without a public Web site would be an immediate public disappointment — car without a dashboard, or a school without grades. Beyond that, we’re even seeing lawmakers and staff explore the positive aspects of realtime disclosure.

Okay, I have a little crush on Dylan Ratigan, but I agree with him every time he's on Morning Joe talking about "Google for Government"...here's the clip I could find of him talking about it (skip past Jim Cramer, please! Dylan starts around minute 6:00).

Guess Sami is Smart to Host The Biggest Loser

2009-01-09T08:33:00.005-05:00

Yes, I have watched soap operas since I was 7-years-old. I was sad when Another World was cancelled, but I understood. Now, it seems I am going to have to deal with the loss of Days of Our Lives (which I even stuck with during the horrible storyline of the demon-possessed Marlena - shutter). Seems they bought themselves another 18 months of production by cutting the actors who have played John and Marlena for, well, forever. But the storylines continue to bore and viewers continue to leave, and I guess my habit of watching on Tivo (I can get through an hour-long show in about 10 minutes!) and skipping commercials is not helping. Other than investing in better writers and directors - which will cost more money, I don't have an answer.

For now, it sounds like General Hospital is safe, but I wonder for how long...

(If you need an explanation for why I watch, other than habit, this is a pretty good explanation.)

Which State Showed the Highest Jump in Teen Births?

2009-01-07T14:44:00.004-05:00

Alaska. (please read with Sarah Palin's accent.)

Wonder if anyone has asked the governor about this news?

The latest numbers are from 2006...Alaska showed the greatest increase in teen birth rates (up 19%), while the District of Columbia reported the most dramatic decline in rates (down 24%). Overall, 26 states saw increases, which researchers are saying may mark the reversal to the progress that was made in the 1990s. (Heard that about anything else?)

My former boss is quoted in the USA Today article:

But now, the new state-by-state data gives credence to the idea that this marks the reversal of the downward trend, says Kristin Moore, a senior scholar at the nonprofit Child Trends.

"It occurred among teens 15-17 and 17-19 and among whites, blacks and Hispanics, and now we know it occurred in most of the states," says Moore, who has tracked teen births for 30 years. "It appears to be quite a general pattern, which makes me think it might not be a blip but a turn-around."

(I'm slipping from my news diet, I know.)

News Diet

2009-01-05T20:00:00.002-05:00

I am going to attempt to 'unplug' for the week...so, no blogging related to the news. Maybe I'll discover some other fun things to blog about!

Oh No!

2009-01-05T12:55:00.004-05:00

I can't say I've decided who to back in the Virginia governor's race, but I do know that I will not be supporting Terry McAuliffe!

Whenever he talks, he makes me think he's trying to sell me something I don't need or want (and that probably won't work anyway). And in this sort-of announcement video, he nods his head A LOT - is that a sign of lying, like blinking too much?

And his use of "hope" and "yes we can" in the video is nauseating. He can not possibly be the best candidate for governor of Virginia. So, should I back Creigh Deeds or Brian Moran? Or is anyone else going to jump into the race?

New Year's Blog Resolution

2008-12-23T14:27:00.001-05:00

Since joining Facebook, I have spent very little time updating my blog. I resolve to do better and post more often in 2009!

Happy Holidays!

Our New First Couple!

2008-11-05T12:27:00.003-05:00

George says...

2008-11-03T12:59:00.001-05:00

Vote!

This cartoon was too good not to post...

Enjoy your election day tomorrow!

Real Americans Live Here

2008-10-19T12:20:00.003-04:00

Thanks to the folks at Daily Kos for this map...helping to explain where the "real Americans" live. John McCain and Sarah Palin (not mention Rep. Bachmann) seem a little confused about this fact.

Banned Books Week

2008-10-02T20:29:00.003-04:00

Kind of good timing, given Sarah Palin's interest in banning books as mayor of Wasilla.

Read a good book this week (banned or not)!

And I thought $1 Billion for Georgia was a lot!

2008-09-30T10:26:00.003-04:00

I've been on vacation, but just thinking about blogging and looked at my last post. It seems so naive now...

Where's this $$$ coming from?

2008-09-03T18:28:00.002-04:00

Anyone? If Bush has an extra billion to throw around, I could think of some better ways to spend (invest) it!

President Bush proposed $1 billion in humanitarian and economic assistance on Wednesday to help rebuild Georgia after its short, disastrous war with Russia last month, but he stopped short of committing the United States to reequipping the country’s battered military.

Nice of him to stop short somewhere as he spends our money.

And how does McCain feel about this?

Daily Kos Decision-Makers?

2008-08-31T14:38:00.004-04:00

I'm curious why the Daily Kos decided not to let its contributors blog about the John Edwards' affair, but have allowed them to blog about this story about Sarah Palin's son potentially really being her grandson. How do they decide which 'tabloid rumors' can be discussed on their site?

God and Weather

2008-08-29T10:35:00.005-04:00

Anyone remember that idiot "praying" for God to send a big rain storm on top of Mile High Stadium during Obama's speech? Well, seems God has other thoughts...see what happens when you pray for bad things to happen to other people! God, the universe, whatever you call "it" decided instead to remind us all - during the Republican Convention - of how the Republican administration treated poor Americans during/after Katrina:

NEW ORLEANS -- Fear and foreboding gripped this still-mending city Thursday as a potential Category 3 hurricane whirled toward the Gulf Coast on the eve of Hurricane Katrina's three-year anniversary.

Tropical Storm Gustav, which was lashing Jamaica after Haitian officials said it had killed 51 people there, was still almost five days away from the Crescent City, according to the National Hurricane Center. Projections varied greatly, putting its path anywhere from the Florida panhandle to southeastern Texas by Tuesday.

Crossposted here.

President Schweitzer?

2008-08-27T10:24:00.005-04:00

According to Kos, it's a possibility. I did like his speech last night, but he'll have to lose the bollo tie. Sorry.

UPDATE: I think Josh Marshall agrees. And more praise at Political Animal.

What are you collecting in Denver?

2008-08-26T19:47:00.002-04:00

Someone I know (who will remain nameless) was collecting condoms at the Democratic Convention while I was on the phone with him this afternoon...and then I read this blog post about all the condoms being distributed...

I thought the most interesting part of the post was this:

Meanwhile, for all the talk of PUMAs, the most visible protesters are opposing abortion, with the mixture of fury-inducing lies and pity-inducing unhingedness that you often find in aggressive anti-abortion forces. It was pity-inducing to the point that I’m not posting video I shot, because it feels exploitive of a very sad woman – but then you hear the ridiculous claim that Barack Obama is the most pro-abortion person on, like, the entire earth, and the pity is mostly replaced by anger.

Who do you think is doing more to reduce abortion (never mind sexually transmitted diseases and general angst), the people handing out condoms or the ones screaming into bullhorns?

I know sometimes I feel (briefly) sorry for these crazy people too...

Oh Boy

2008-08-25T13:24:00.003-04:00

David Siorta's post says it best:

Does it always - ALWAYS - have to be about the Clintons?

McCain's Mansions

2008-08-20T15:55:00.002-04:00

In case you haven't seen this...

I'm back from a mini-vacation, but work is crazy, so I may be a little quieter for the next week or so...

He Did It.

2008-08-08T15:03:00.003-04:00

And the online community has been buzzing about for weeks, but the MSM is finally reporting: John Edwards had an affair while running for President and lied about it.

He admitted it to ABC News.

Paris: If you haven't seen it yet, you must watch!

2008-08-06T19:48:00.001-04:00

See more Paris Hilton videos at Funny or Die

How the Media is (not) Handling Suskind's Allegations

2008-08-05T18:33:00.005-04:00

I like Marty Kaplan. Read his take on the MSM coverage of Ron Suskind's new book:

When this came up on MSNBC, moderator Chuck Todd asked Politico's Mike Allen whether this would lead "the anti-war crowd" in Congress to call for impeachment. Allen replied that it would "give the lefty blogosphere something to grab onto."

And so, in less time than it takes to say "Dick Cheney," the subject is changed from what would be one of the most outrageous violations of the Constitution in the history of the Republic to a left/right issue.

Since I like Chuck Todd, I won't blame this on him though...his thoughts are all political, not investigative. It'll be interesting to see how other journalists handle it though.

For true political junkies...

2008-08-01T13:33:00.004-04:00

Check out kos' update on the electoral race. Fascinating stuff!

For this edition, the tally is Obama 336, McCain 202.

I don't have a yard, but I do have Facebook

2008-08-01T10:47:00.002-04:00

Every fall, I wish I had a yard so I could post a campaign yard sign (or two). If I did have a yard, I'd probably spend too much money this year buying user-designed yard signs from the My Yard Your Message site. The great thing is that they have created a Facebook application to go along with the physical signs, so I can post 'yard signs' on my FB page!

Check out the site - and if you have a yard, find your favorite and order it (for those of us who are yard-less!).

The other cool thing about this site is that it is part of Minnesota's UnConvention:

The Walker Art Center and mnartists.org will print the winning yard signs and place them in neighborhoods throughout the Twin Cities metro area, including those immediately surrounding the site of the Republican National Convention. St. Paul neighborhoods that will serve as outdoor sign galleries include Dayton’s Bluff, sponsored by the District 4 Community Council, and the West Side, sponsored by the West Side Citizens Organization. Seward, organized by the Seward Neighborhood Group, will serve as the Minneapolis gallery neighborhood.

The best little house race in Texas?

2008-07-31T16:23:00.005-04:00

I had no idea that the Democrats in Texas only need to pick up 5 seats in November to take control of the Texas House!

This looks like a possible pick-up for Democrat Sherrie Matula. Her opponent, incumbent Republican John Davis, is getting some fundraising support from non-other-than Karl Rove (unless he's in jail) on August 12th in Houston. Wonder if more protesters than donors show up to that one?

Anyway, the latest news is that Davis spent more than $1,500 on a pair of boots - paid for illegally with campaign donations. How many people in his district could (or would!) spend that much on a pair of shoes??

If you want to support his opponent, go to Act Blue and give her a few bucks. Maybe on the 12th, in honor of inmate Rove?

Which country is exporting low-cost (and low-wage) goods to China?

2008-07-30T11:27:00.005-04:00

That'd be us.

According to the new study from the Alliance for American Manufacturing and the Economic Policy Institute, "Economic theory would suggest that the United States should specialize in producing goods that intensively use high-skilled, highly educated (and highly paid) workers and import labor-intensive goods that use more low-skilled labor. In fact, low-wage commodity sectors were some of the largest exporters of goods from the United States to China."

You can read more here. But I do warn you it's depressing news.

Disclosure: My company works with AAM and EPI.

Karl Rove was almost arrested

2008-07-28T15:37:00.002-04:00

Three cheers for these brave souls!

Four Iowans were arrested today while attempting to make a Citizens’ Arrest of Karl Rove in Des Moines, Iowa. Citing Iowa Code provisions for making Citizen’s Arrests as well as citing Federal Statute violations they claimed Rove had violated, the four were stopped at the gate of the Wakonda Country Club in Des Moines where Rove was scheduled to speak at a Republican Fundraiser.

The four arrested were retired Methodist minister and Peace and Justice Advocate, Rev. Chet Guinn, 80, as well as three Des Moines Catholic Workers, Edward Bloomer, 61, Kirk Brown, 25, and Mona Shaw, 57. All four were cited for trespassing and released.

Here's the AP story as well.

Better luck next time!

What is up with John Edwards - and why is the media not discussing?

2008-07-28T09:54:00.003-04:00

I have no idea if this story about John Edwards having an affair - and a baby with the mistress - is true. Actually, I assumed it was false last fall when it first came up and then went away after a strong denial from Edwards. But after all the chatter this weekend, I'm back to wondering if he really is a man who cheated on his dying wife with a campaign staffer, had a baby and denied the whole thing publicly. Seems he was caught last week leaving the hotel - at 2:45 a.m. - where the woman and baby were staying in Los Angeles. Now, the folks who "caught" him are from the National Enquirer, but sounds like the story is still true. (And remember, they are the ones who reported on Jesse Jackson's 'love child', Gennifer Flowers' affair with Bill Clinton and other scandals.)

I just can't understand why the MSM is ignoring the story...it's not being ignored by those of us who follow politics (too closely). Read these stories from Slate and Salon for more on the story, and on why it's being ignored. Just Google "John Edwards" and you can find more info, like this one.

I almost feel sorry for McCain...

2008-07-24T13:23:00.003-04:00

Desperate to get into the news cycle?

Via TPM:

McCain To Be In German Restaurant While Obama Gives Berlin Speech

Not sure what to make of this. While Obama gives his historic speech in Berlin today, John McCain will be lunching in a German restaurant in Ohio.

Farah Hice, a hostess at Schmidt's Restaurant and Sausage Haus in Columbus, just confirmed to me by phone that McCain just walked into the restaurant and is staying for lunch.

Bad use of 'green' technology

2008-07-21T17:20:00.005-04:00

As I wrote a few weeks ago, I bought an Amazon Kindle. I have yet to give it a full review, but I LOVE it. And the technology behind the "print" is really cool (that's a technical term, right?).

Well, looks like the editors at Esquire think it's cool technology too, but they are using it in the print copies of their magazine in September. This makes NO sense...other than as a gimmick...See this write-up on Huffington Post for details:

First, Esquire had to make a six-figure investment to hire an engineer in China to develop a battery small enough to be inserted in the magazine cover. The batteries and the display case are manufactured and put together in China. They are shipped to Texas and on to Mexico, where the device is inserted by hand into each magazine. The issues will then be shipped via trucks, which will be refrigerated to preserve the batteries, to the magazine's distributor in Glazer, Ky.

And then it gets shipped in the mail to thousands of subscribers. I am a magazine junkie (which is not a 'green' habit), but this effort is just silly (another technical term, right?).

Is this scary to anyone else?

2008-07-20T16:39:00.006-04:00

I was reading this article about the steps that Beijing is taking to clear up their air in advance of the Olympics:

BEIJING -- With the Olympics less than three weeks away, Beijing began restricting car use and limiting factory emissions on Sunday in a final drastic effort to clear its smog-choked skies.

Under the two-month plan, half of the capital's 3.3 million cars will be removed from city streets on alternate days, depending on whether the license plate ends in an odd or even number.

In addition to the traffic plan, chemical plants, power stations and foundries had to cut emissions by 30 percent beginning Sunday. Dust-spewing construction in the capital was to stop entirely.

I've never been to Beijing, but I did live in one of the 'dirtiest' cities in the U.S. for a couple of years, Los Angeles. I can't imagine how dirty the air in Beijing actually is for them to take these sorts of steps. And even with these efforts, the article notes that the world's best distance runner will not even participate in the marathon event because of the air.

I will be interested to see what effect these drastic efforts (which could NEVER happen in a democracy, BTW) will have. It just reinforces the call for immediate action on climate change, like that proposed by Al Gore this week...and I'd add the need to support/encourage developing nations to adopt 'green' technologies as they continue to grow.

Also, check out this organization, Green for All ...I just learned about them today.

The George W. Bush Sewage Plant

2008-07-19T20:20:00.004-04:00

Every time I fly out of DC, it bugs me to hear the airport's official name...Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. I think it will somehow bug me less if San Franciscans pass this ballot measure:

A measure seeking to commemorate President Bush's years in office by slapping his name on a San Francisco sewage plant has qualified for the November ballot.

The measure certified Thursday would rename the Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant the George W. Bush Sewage Plant.

My favorite t-shirt of the day

2008-07-17T15:41:00.003-04:00

I didn't get a pic of this guy, but someone else posted to flickr

I'm impressed

2008-07-17T11:25:00.005-04:00

I've been working at the grassroots level in Democratic politics for a long time (when I was in elementary school, my mom used to take me along to work outside the polls or lick stamps for mailings)...that experience has left me frustrated as often as it's felt worthwhile. I just sat through a DNC training that left me excited. They have finally started using a national voter database (6 months ago, versus 10 years ago for the Republicans) and it is constantly being used and updated - and shared!

And this, the Neighborhood Volunteer Program, looks amazing. I'm about to sign up and I encourage you all to do the same. Instead of shipping volunteers all over the country for GOTV activies, the DNC is recommending NOTV (Neighbors Organizing the Vote).

Learning about Phil Gramm

2008-07-16T14:29:00.006-04:00

I haven't paid much attention to Phil Gramm since I saw him a few years back, so out-of-place at the old Black Cat (his son's band was playing). And once he left the Senate, I really didn't care what he was up to...Now that he's McCain's campaign co-chair and his top economic advisor, I'm glad someone has been keeping track! Read this whole post by Robert Scheer (it's not long):

The bookends of the Bush years are the Enron debacle and the federal bailout of bankers drunk on their own greed. And no two people in this country are more responsible for enabling this sordid behavior than the power couple Phil and Wendy Gramm.

Enron, lest we forget, was their baby. Then-Sen. Gramm sponsored the Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000, which allowed Enron's scamming to happen. As Ken Lay, who was chair of Gramm's election finance committee, put it quite candidly when asked for the secret of Enron's success, "basically, we are entering or in markets that are deregulating or have recently deregulated."

Part of that deregulation involved rulings of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, then chaired by Wendy Gramm, who upon retiring from that post became a highly compensated member of the Enron board of directors, serving for eight years. She even was on the board's audit committee during the time of the corporation's despicable financial shenanigans. While on the Enron board, Wendy Gramm also chaired an anti-regulatory think tank that received funding from Enron and other corporations that benefited directly from the policies her institute espoused.

Not someone I'd even invite to a BBQ...

UPDATE: Even more writings about Phil Gramm today. He tried to invest in porn films? Wow.

Our Sense of Humor

2008-07-16T11:03:00.003-04:00

As soon as the New Yorker cover came out, the conversation started shifting from its content/appropriateness to the Democrats' sense of humor, or their lack of a sense of humor. For the record, I think the cover is funny, but I also understood the concerns of others. Today, on - my favorite - Morning Joe, Joe was in quite a mood about the late night comedians - especially the Daily Show - and how they are not making fun of Obama the way they have gone after Republicans. (He did ease up toward the end of the show and said he was having a bad day, and was running on little sleep.)

Since I am a media junkie, and watch the Daily Show every day, I have to disagree that they don't make fun of Dems, or that they don't give Republicans a chance. I've cringed every time John Bolton or Doug Feith show up, but John Stewart lets them hang themselves with their own arguments...and it's fun for us Dems to watch.

Anyway, back to not making fun of Obama...I agree with Maureen Dowd's take today and started laughing (and cringing) when I read the following:

He’s [Obama] already in danger of seeming too prissy about food — a perception heightened when The Wall Street Journal reported that the planners for Obama’s convention have hired the first-ever Director of Greening, the environmental activist Andrea Robinson. She in turn hired an Official Carbon Adviser to “measure the greenhouse-gas emissions of every placard, every plane trip, every appetizer prepared and every coffee cup tossed.”

The “lean ‘n’ green” catering guidelines, The Journal said, bar fried food and instruct that, “on the theory that nutritious food is more vibrant, each meal should include ‘at least three of the following colors: red, green, yellow, blue/purple, and white.’ (Garnishes don’t count.) At least 70% of the ingredients should be organic or grown locally, to minimize emissions from fuel during transportation.”

Bring it on, Ozone Democrats! Because if Obama gets elected and there is nothing funny about him, it won’t be the economy that’s depressed. It will be the rest of us.

Now, if we can't make fun of giving someone the title of "Official Carbon Advisor" or of officially color-coding the meals, there really is something wrong with our sense of humor!

And just to show that we can make fun of Obama, jib jab just came out with this:

Send a JibJab Sendables® eCard Today!

I'm going to Netroots Nation! (aka Yearly Kos)

2008-07-14T16:58:00.002-04:00

Just got the go-ahead to pack my bags for Austin, TX to spend 4 days hanging out with bloggers...Check out Netroots Nation if you haven't heard of it (or its previous incarnation, Yearly Kos) before!

I'm sure I'll be blogging from the convention!

Media and Democracy

2008-07-11T16:04:00.001-04:00

Via a new Bill Moyers column:

"It is impossible not to wonder what will become of not just news but democracy itself, in a world in which we can no longer depend on newspapers to invest their unmatched resources and professional pride in helping the rest of us to learn, however imperfectly, what we need to know.” - Eric Alterman, in the New Yorker

My Kindle

2008-07-07T14:41:00.003-04:00

During my business trip last week, I was seated next to a woman on the plane who was reading on a Kindle. This was the first time I'd actually seen the e-book reader in person, so I asked her what she thought. By the time we walked off the plane, I was sold...and I bought one over the weekend. It arrived today! I'll let you know if I love it as much as my fellow traveler does!

Better late than never, I guess

2008-07-02T15:07:00.004-04:00

The state of the FDA is so sad, but maybe the tomato scare will do something to reverse the trend and return some teeth to the agency that is supposed to protect our food supply...as reported in Portfolio:

Simmering frustration with the failure to find and fix the cause of a salmonella outbreak that has sickened hundreds of people and crippled fresh-tomato sales is spurring calls among unlikely allies—including farmers, restaurant owners, and consumers—to roll back the decades-long campaign to roll back regulations.

Just today, for example, Florida began enforcing new food-safety regulations that will subject tomato growers there to annual inspections and increased training. The new rules were adopted with the support of tomato growers in that state.

For now, we'll stick with buying as much of our food as we can from our local farmer's market!

More on Morning Joe

2008-06-09T08:24:00.003-04:00

Just thought I'd point out this article about Morning Joe, which I blogged about a few weeks ago...

TV Host Is in His Prime With a Morning Audience

More important, perhaps, the three hours of hard-core political chat (often laced with humor) that Mr. Scarborough and his co-hosts, Mika Brzezinski and Willie Geist, put on each day is unlike anything else on morning television.

Congratulations, Obama!

2008-06-03T21:04:00.005-04:00

On to November!

Exploring the ocean's hidden worlds

2008-06-03T20:53:00.002-04:00

My company has been lucky enough to work with explorer Bob Ballard for years in his efforts to inspire more young people to study (and enjoy) science. Last weekend, I ran across this speech of his from February...if you have 15 minutes, watch the speech...interesting thoughts about exploration and our planet's future:

And check out more of the speeches from TED - great organization!

Inspired talks by the world's greatest thinkers and doers

(you can also subscribe to their video podcast series)

"We need to remember. REALLY remember."

2008-06-02T14:22:00.002-04:00

I saw a link on Plunderbund to this post and also thought it was worth sharing:

Lipstick on a Pig

These are a couple of points that struck me. It's a long post, but you should read the whole thing:

Remember the '90's?

I mean, REALLY remember?

It started--and perhaps those of us who voted for him should have been paying closer attention--but it started during the Clinton campaign of '92. "Bimbo eruptions." Gennifer. Paula.

The Clintons, even then, vowed to FIGHT this Republican Attack Machine that was trying to destroy them.

Everybody likes a fighter, right?

So boy, we all joined in the brawl, didn't we? Faced off our conservative friends, flocked to the polls, all tuned in to 60 Minutes after the Super Bowl. Thought the Clintons were so cool.

Delivered them the White House.

We need to remember. REALLY remember.

It dragged on, and dragged on. More bimbo eruptions, and as the accusations from the right-wing grew positively Machiavellian, we knew that this wasn't about any failings of the Clintons but was about shoving a right-wing agenda down the throats of a populace easily manipulated by soundbite sloganeering.

We just knew it. We were so sure of it.

For eight years, we seethed, shouted at the TV news, argued with relatives, defended and defended and defended the Clintons against the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy,

Then came Monica.

We've spent seven years in hell since Bush was selected president. That miserable feeling of rage and frustration and the utter depression of feeling we have no control over events that define our lives has continued this entire time.

This political season started as one of unprecedented hope and excitement and energy for the Democratic party, raking in hundreds of millions of dollars, pulling in millions of new voters, energizing the base and bringing in Independents and moderate Republicans. All of our candidates were outstanding.

We could not lose.

Until Hillary started to.

In spite of the fact that her campaign badly misjudged the American mood with their campaign message of experience over change; in spite of the fact that they blew through money like water with unneccessary luxury spending; in spite of the fact that they had no organization on the ground in place to even consider having to go beyond Super Tuesday; in spite of a lackluster Internet organization, in spite of backbiting and infighting within the campaign--much like there was within the Clinton White House--in spite of monumental gaffes committed by the candidate herself...well, it wasn't their fault.

SEXISM!

MEDIA BIAS!

THE DNC HATES US!

And so the nasty set in. As soon as Clinton set herself up as Joan d'Fighter, then here came all the old familiar standbys: snotty surrogates making sensational claims on talk shows, enraged supporters baring their teeth at detractors, Republican opponents launching snide countersnarls, and phony issues getting whipped up by partisans into a frenzy of outrage completely unrelated to the problems at hand.

Only this time, it was the Clintons themselves egging the whole thing on.

So here we are, back again in ClintonLand.

The land of anger and misery and division and depression and anxiety. And friendships driven apart.

In the Florida/Michigan impasse, to Clinton and her mad-dog supporters who showed up for the meeting, there was to be no compromise. Either they got their whole way, or it was nothing.

Even after DNC lawyers released a 38-page memo stating in clear terms that, legally, only half-votes could be awarded to the delegates--that was shoved aside as though it did not exist.

Anything less was a personal attack on the Clintons and Hillary's campaign.

We've been here before.

It's all wearyingly familiar.

We need to remember. REALLY remember.

The big question all Democrats everywhere must ask themselves now is, DO WE WANT TO GO THERE AGAIN?

Because we already know what a Clinton White House would be like. We already know about the us-against-them battles, the rage of supporters, the partisan political divisions and government lockdowns and inevitable scandals.

Barack Obama's campaign has been streamlined, efficient, well-organized. Its message has been clear, concise, and consistent. His team is close-knit and not divided by backbiting and infighting. He's done his best to maintain his dignity against unconscionable racist attacks, some launched by Hillary's campaign.

He flat-out told his supporters not to demonstrate during the DNC meeting. Over and over again, his campaign offered scenarios for compromise, all of which were rejected by Hillary and her people.

He tries to take the high road. He tries to keep people together. He is no saint, and he's made mistakes, and he will make mistakes in the White House.

But wouldn't it be nice if we could go into a new administration with a feeing of hope, excitement, and peace of mind? A feeling of fresh change and new direction?

Of looking forward and not behind?

Hillary has made herself ugly with the nastiness of this campaign. Her supporters only reflect the bitterness she has enflamed.

Even when the Rules Committee tried to find a fair solution, one of her noisier supporters--many of whom repeatedly shouted down Committee members who were trying to do their jobs--yelled, "LIPSTICK ON A PIG."

That's what Hillary's campaign has come to resemble.

Do we really want to take this into the White House?

AGAIN?

What Does Hillary's Campaign Really Think about West Virginians?

2008-05-14T17:35:00.004-04:00

Talk about elitist?!

SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV - The Hillary Clinton campaign is apologizing to a Shepherdstown woman after a campaign volunteer was captured on tape saying "West Virginians are poor."

Julie Corvo says the volunteer accidentally left the message on her answering machine after playing a taped message from Sen. Clinton.

"Hi. Hello? This is crazy," the volunteer said. "This person hung up. Maybe they think it's a bill collector. I bet it is. West Virginians are poor."

Here's the audio.

Morning news

2008-05-07T10:59:00.002-04:00

It took a while for NBC to completely drive me away from the Today Show. It was my morning staple for years (with a minor diversion to Good Day LA while living in Los Angeles), but Meredith Viera does nothing for me and they have solidified their lineup of really only devoting the first 20 minutes of the now 4-hour-long show to actual news. I love Matt Lauer, but even he can't keep me watching this stuff...

And, I have now fully committed to what I see as the only alternative...MSNBC's Morning Joe. I find myself being a Morning Joe evangelist. It's all politics and news, with a little silliness thrown in - and, most amazing to me, I love Joe Scarborough!

If you are searching for TV news in the morning (I admit NPR is also a good alternative), give it a shot!

This post was inspired by another post on Deus Ex Malcontent:

This morning, if you made it past the fact that one of the lead stories on the show was a hard-hitting, two-and-a-half minute investigation into whether Britney Spears was reforming her image, and then past Meredith Viera cooing about how she'd been granted extra special access to Dick Cheney's home -- while keeping a straight face, mind you -- you eventually wound up being treated to a report that may have represented the final staggering triumph of hype over substance. The heavily promoted piece, fronted by the spritely Natalie Morales -- who may herself be nothing more than a CGI creation, the Jar Jar Binks of television news -- concerned the potential danger lurking in your medicine cabinet, compliments of Crest Pro Health mouthwash.

P.S. While getting the Good Day LA link, I see you can now watch it online...I may have to check out what sort of silliness they are up to! Ooooo, they are interviewing Kelly Pickler, ahhhhh, LA!

Thanks Hillary

2008-05-07T10:29:00.002-04:00

Just a quick thanks to Hillary for reminding me to donate a little more to Barack Obama's campaign. During her odd "victory" speech last night she asked people to go to hillaryclinton.com to donate to her campaign...um, no, thanks though.

Who Booked Robbins?

2008-04-14T16:40:00.006-04:00

Does this seem like an odd booking to anyone else?

The National Association of Broadcasters booked Tim Robbins for a keynote:

Speaking in the third person, he said "Mr. Robbins will speak about the challenges facing broadcasters and media delivery systems." Adding, "I'm not sure what that fucking means."

You can read a little about it on TVNewser, but here's one quote from his "speech:"

To news execs: "Show me Night Rider drunk on the floor and I won't care about a lack of health care for my kid."

I haven't seen that sort of odd booking since Stephen Colbert gave the keynote at the WH Correspondents Dinner!

I am hoping for some YouTube footage of Robbins!

UPDATE: Yippee - there is audio! For more on the story and a link to the audio, visit Broadcasting and Cable's coverage.

The Flu Shot (and the health risks of blogging)

2008-04-07T20:05:00.003-04:00

Okay, I did not get the flu shot this year. I just kind of forgot about it. Well, I've been sick for three weeks now! I was starting to feel better after basically sleeping for a week, then I started feeling bad again and my fever came back. I finally went to the doctor and was told I probably had a new virus on top of the one I was just getting over...so, I went home and went back to bed.

Now that I'm again starting to feel better - although I now have a nasty cough - I am reading a little news about the flu this year. Did anyone else know that this year's flu shot is only effective against one of the three strains going around this year? The job of predicting which strains are going to hit has to be tough, but is that the best they could do? Is the same guy predicting the shot for next year?

So, I wonder if I would have avoided any of this illness if I had gotten the flu shot...doesn't seem likely. Maybe the flu shot is all just a marketing gimmick to give more money to big pharma...

That was a long way of saying, "I haven't blogged in weeks because I haven't done anything in weeks."

Hopefully, I'll feel like blogging again soon...of course the NYT is saying blogging may be bad for my health!! Guess it's a good thing I only do this for fun!

"Did she molt?"

2008-03-07T14:10:00.002-05:00

This is a great video from one of our clients, the Monterey Bay Aquarium...especially if you like penguins - and celebrities. Happy Friday!

Well put!

2008-03-07T10:00:00.001-05:00

Does Hillary know about this Clinton "law"?

Bear - Before and After

2008-03-05T15:22:00.004-05:00

Bear had her first day at the salon today...

See her before and after shots...

Just for fun

2008-02-16T12:58:00.000-05:00

I do love this picture.

What this guy said...

2008-02-16T12:45:00.003-05:00

I hadn't been able to quantify exactly why I've discovered a strong dislike for the Clintons (after loving them for years), but this blogger over at Daily Kos sums it up well - with his "27 Reasons I'm Divorcing the Clintons." Read the whole post, but here are his reasons - with which I agree! (and I bolded a few for my emphasis)

With the Clintons, it wasn't 3 straws and you're out. I tried to give them every benefit of the doubt, every excuse, every justification. However, now I'm done.

So why am I divorcing them? In some order it was:

1. "I" "I" "I" in virtually every Hillary speech ad nauseum.
2. Mark Penn. (The incompetent jackass who couldn't get 50% against Bob Dole and took the surest thing {Tony Blair's 3rd term} and turned it into a close race.
3. Terri McCauliffe and the establishment machine.
4. "turn up the heat."
5. Smearing Obama with a kindergarten essay
6. The Rezko hypocrisy.
7. The drug use smears.
8. The attempt to freeze out Iowa students.
9. The anti-choice smear of Obama in New Hampshire.
10. The cooked books and $5 million dollar loan.
11. Playing the race card in South Carolina and elsewhere.
12. Bill Clinton's fairy tale remark.
13. Attempts to prevent service workers from caucusing in Nevada.
14. The cactus tears in NH. (She attacked Obama dried eyed next sentence.)
15. The mischaracterications of present votes in the Illinois state legislature.
16. Her failure to apologize for her politically calculating vote on Iraq.
17. Her equally politically calculating vote on Kyl-Lieberman.
18. The vicious attempts to play the misogyny card when 99% of Obama voters don't have a sexist bone in their bodies.
19. HRC's Michigan shenanigans.
20. HRC's Florida shenanigans.
21. Bill Clinton's caucus v. primary comments.
22. The cheesy Wisconsin attack ad while she's in Texas.
23. Lanny Davis (yep the Lieberman jackass) echoing the Clintons elitist attitude about upper middle class voters "not counting."
24. Hillary Clinton saying that Patti Solis' decision to step down was Patti's decision when Hillary knows Patti was fired.
25. Mark Penn's significant states comment telling people in 22 states to go F off.
26. Hillary attacking Obama this week saying she gives solutions while he gives speeches. (During a speech of course.)

(and 27) That's 26 straws and there were many others. I can't put a quantitative value on each straw but they added up. And now HRC is unwilling to pledge that she will abide by the will of the voters and accept pledged delegates as the nominee. This is the final straw. In short, she's trying to pull a Scalia and is plotting and scheming to steal an election.

Watch this.

2008-02-04T11:39:00.000-05:00

Bobby

2008-02-03T09:10:00.000-05:00

Bobby Kennedy was killed several years before I was born, but as a political junkie (and a Democrat from birth), I've always held him in high regard (even more so than JFK). The more I learned about Bobby Kennedy, the more I believed our country would be a different - and much better - place today if he had lived and been able to lead and inspire our nation.

As anyone who is paying attention knows, the Kennedy family has begun splitting their support between Clinton and Obama...now I see that even Bobby Kennedy's family is splitting their support. That must be making for interesting family phone calls!

This is from Rory Kennedy's op-ed yesterday in the San Fran Chronicle, about what her mom (who has also publicly endorsed Obama) says comparing Obama with her husband:

Ethel Kennedy said of Obama: "I think he feels it. He feels it just like Bobby did. He has the passion in his heart. He's not selling you. It's just him."

UPDATE: I posted this before I read the Outlook section of the Washington Post today...check out the photos they selected for their "Talking 'Bout Our Generations" story!

Hillary Beats McCain in Florida

2008-01-30T08:06:00.001-05:00

As Keith can tell anyone, this is the point I was making last night as we watched the vote totals come in. I couldn't believe the media wasn't picking up on the fact that Hillary got 100,000 more votes than McCain in the "red" state of Florida, and that almost as many Democratic voters came to the polls as Republicans...the Dem's didn't even campaign there!

From the folks at Daily Kos:

First, let's begin with actual results. With 95% of the vote reported, the current tallies show a total of 1,655,220 Democratic votes and 1,872,684 Republican votes. Every Republican fought as hard as he could for the win in Florida. The Democrats—since the DNC won't seat Florida's delegates because they flouted the schedule—didn't really compete in the state, with only Hillary Clinton making any campaign appearances, and none of our folks spending any significant money. Yet with this possibly the make-or-break contest for the Republicans and a probably meaningless "contest" for the Democrats, 47% of the people who cast ballots in Florida voted for a Democrat. Hillary Clinton received over a 100,000 more votes than John McCain, Barack Obama got almost as many votes as Mitt Romney, and John Edwards wasn't far behind Rudy Giuliani and Mike Huckabee.

Why am I supporting Obama?

2008-01-27T15:50:00.000-05:00

Read these two op-eds from today's New York Times for the answer...

Frank Rich, The Billary Road to Republican Victory:

For the Republicans, [having both Clintons in play] means not just a double dose of the one steroid, Clinton hatred, that might yet restore their party’s unity but also two fat targets. Mrs. Clinton repeatedly talks of how she’s been “vetted” and that “there are no surprises” left to be mined by her opponents. On the “Today” show Friday, she joked that the Republican attacks “are just so old.” So far. Now that Mr. Clinton is ubiquitous, not only is his past back on the table but his post-presidency must be vetted as well. To get a taste of what surprises may be in store, you need merely revisit the Bill Clinton questions that Hillary Clinton has avoided to date.

Asked by Tim Russert at a September debate whether the Clinton presidential library and foundation would disclose the identities of its donors during the campaign, Mrs. Clinton said it wasn’t up to her. “What’s your recommendation?” Mr. Russert countered. Mrs. Clinton replied: “Well, I don’t talk about my private conversations with my husband, but I’m sure he’d be happy to consider that.”

Not so happy, as it turns out. The names still have not been made public.
...

Unlike Mrs. Clinton, [Obama] would unambiguously represent change in a race with any Republican. If he vanquishes Billary, he’ll have an even stronger argument to take into battle against a warrior like Mr. McCain.

If Mr. Obama doesn’t fight, no one else will. Few national Democratic leaders have the courage to stand up to the Clintons. Even in defeat, Mr. Obama may at least help wake up a party slipping into denial. Any Democrat who seriously thinks that Bill will fade away if Hillary wins the nomination — let alone that the Clintons will escape being fully vetted — is a Democrat who, as the man said, believes in fairy tales.

Caroline Kennedy, A President Like My Father:

Sometimes it takes a while to recognize that someone has a special ability to get us to believe in ourselves, to tie that belief to our highest ideals and imagine that together we can do great things. In those rare moments, when such a person comes along, we need to put aside our plans and reach for what we know is possible.

We have that kind of opportunity with Senator Obama. It isn’t that the other candidates are not experienced or knowledgeable. But this year, that may not be enough. We need a change in the leadership of this country — just as we did in 1960.

Most of us would prefer to base our voting decision on policy differences. However, the candidates’ goals are similar. They have all laid out detailed plans on everything from strengthening our middle class to investing in early childhood education. So qualities of leadership, character and judgment play a larger role than usual.

...

I want a president who understands that his responsibility is to articulate a vision and encourage others to achieve it; who holds himself, and those around him, to the highest ethical standards; who appeals to the hopes of those who still believe in the American Dream, and those around the world who still believe in the American ideal; and who can lift our spirits, and make us believe again that our country needs every one of us to get involved.

I have never had a president who inspired me the way people tell me that my father inspired them. But for the first time, I believe I have found the man who could be that president — not just for me, but for a new generation of Americans.

If that inspires you, also read Nicholas Kristof's Age of Ambition. It was a great Week in Review this Sunday!

Too funny

2008-01-24T11:53:00.000-05:00

If you need a laugh, check out this Tom Cruise parody starring Jerry O'Connell...

Post #101

2008-01-22T20:36:00.000-05:00

Does Hillary think that being bitchy is going to win her more votes? I thought her campaign thought working up some tears was more strategic...

She thinks Obama is "frustrated" because he's come in second in a couple of the primaries? Is she kidding?

Maybe he's frustrated because she and Bill are lying about him, his record, his words, etc., etc. I'm frustrated with them!

Obama does need to find a surrogate who can keep battling it out with Bill on the sidelines so he can get back on message and above the fray...

P.S. According to blogspot, this is my 101st blog post!

Awake

2008-01-10T14:58:00.001-05:00

And, here she is with her eyes open...

Bear @ Work

2008-01-10T14:15:00.000-05:00

Bear, our 11-week old Yorkie, hates to be left alone (even for 2 minutes), so she often comes to work with me...and sleeps on my desk...

And, yes, I have a great dog-loving boss.

New Hampshire Speech

2008-01-09T11:45:00.000-05:00

Obama's speech last night was even better than the Iowa speech...check it out...

The Obama Bandwagon

2008-01-08T10:55:00.000-05:00

I've jumped on! Honestly, I had a hard time getting interested in any of the candidates, but Obama's victory speech last week in Iowa was inspiring...after a little more thought, I've decided he's my candidate.

If you are thinking about it as well, I encourage you to get on board...check out http://www.barackobama.com for more info, or to give the campaign a few dollars as they head into Super Tuesday!

And you can watch his Iowa speech here:

Bobby Kennedy, anyone?

Chris Matthews

2008-01-03T22:12:00.000-05:00

I'll echo some other bloggers...someone needs to stop Chris Matthews! I am usually quite entertained by him on Hardball, but he's not doing anything for his reputation tonight. Wow...and I love that Keith Olbermann won't engage him when he says something crazy...

Iowa

2008-01-03T21:56:00.000-05:00

Well, my predication that Hillary would come in third looks like it'll be right...

Congrats to Obama! (and to young voters!)

How things look in Iowa

2007-12-21T13:07:00.000-05:00

The Iowa caucuses are weird and interesting...especially on a year with no real clear front runner in either party. I thought this blog post from Iowa was really interesting and shows how up-for-grabs the votes really are there. My bet is on Edwards winning the caucuses - and maybe by a significant margin. Clinton will come in 3rd at best.

Click on the jump and read the whole thing..

Iowans Discuss What It Means to Support, And Then Support Again

Call it a testament to the seriousness of Iowa politics. Blame it on a field of so many acceptable candidates. Credit an Iowa caucus season that has now spanned two years. Regardless of reason, it's the stuff that drives pollsters and campaigns crazy: supporters realizing they're no longer sitting in a comfortable chair.

Nine Iowans have agreed to put their thoughts on the record and describe how they came to support one candidate -- and then another. Finish reading...

Wanna Bet?

2007-12-21T12:15:00.000-05:00

I'm thinking about placing a bet that Rudy is going to drop out of the race because of "health problems." Anyone wanna take that bet?

Remember when he started to run against Hillary for the Senate in NY? It was pretty obvious he was going to lose, so he quit.

Just for fun...

"Freedom requires religion." Really??

2007-12-07T08:34:00.001-05:00

Mitt Romney has been getting all kinds of praise from reporters and pundits for his speech trying to put voters at ease that he is a Mormon. I thought parts of his speech were good, but parts were strange and inconsistent. For instance, if there should be no religious test for presidential candidates, then why the need to proclaim your belief that "Jesus Christ is the son of God and the savior of mankind?" Those two statements just don't fit together in the same speech...

But, the biggest failing of the speech, as noted in a Washington Post editorial today, was Romney's failure to include ALL Americans as equal. He may have reached out to other religious communities, but he purposely left out A LOT of good Americans:

Where Mr. Romney most fell short, though, was in his failure to recognize that America is composed of citizens not only of different faiths but of no faith at all and that the genius of America is to treat them all with equal dignity. "Freedom requires religion, just as religion requires freedom," Mr. Romney said. But societies can be both secular and free. The magnificent cathedrals of Europe may be empty, as Mr. Romney said, but the democracies of Europe are thriving.

"Americans acknowledge that liberty is a gift of God, not an indulgence of government," Mr. Romney said. But not all Americans acknowledge that, and those who do not may be no less committed to the liberty that is the American ideal.

"One dude with a computer" - KG

2007-12-05T14:03:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again...time for the small group of Christofascists to try to tell parents not to let their kids think about big issues. Veiled as a warning to parents that "The Golden Compass" will lead their little kids into atheism and demonic influences, the Catholic League ("one dude with a computer," according to Kathy Griffin) is set for a new round of publicity seeking.

So, while I'd like to just ignore the guy, I do like that it gives thoughtful people (particularly thoughtful religious people) a chance to express why they want their kids to experience challenging books, movies and conversations. Mary Elizabeth Williams is one such Catholic, writing on Salon:

I want my children to understand that human beings and institutions are fallible. That sometimes those who claim moral authority can traffic in corruption and abuse. I want them to be angry at every wrong perpetuated in the name of God. To question authority. To be feisty troublemakers for positive change. I've told my daughters that no one knows for certain that there's a God or a heaven. I always thought that was the beauty of faith -- that it rests on our willingness to believe in the things we can't prove, to consider, when we look up at the stars or contemplate the elegance of a DNA sequence, the possibility of a higher architecture. I hope that my daughters will find contentment and community in their religion. But I would rather they grow up to be kind, generous unbelievers than sanctimonious, blindly dogmatic Christians.

My GOP prediction

2007-11-27T17:47:00.000-05:00

I've been watching Gov. Mike Huckabee and his presidential campaign for a while now, and I am ready to go out on a limb and say, "Forget Rudy, Forget Romney, Mike Huckabee is going to be the Republican candidate for president."

If you haven't heard it before, then you heard it hear first!

Recognize this guy?

2007-11-25T21:17:00.001-05:00

Do you recognize this guy? He's about to be Australia's new Climate Change Minister...and he's a great dancer (just ask my brother).

What I'm reading...

2007-11-24T22:19:00.000-05:00

It's been a very relaxing day at home...nothing to do (yeah!) but read and watch a little TV (and some housework, but that's not interesting).

So, between catching up - and freeing up some space on my Tivo - on Grey's Anatomy and The Hills, I've been reading. Here's today's reading list:

Radar Magazine
Real Simple Magazine
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal

And, I am about to start the long-awaited (for me, anyway) new novel from Richard Russo, The Bridge of Sighs.

I haven't had a weekend at home in more than a month...I'm enjoying it!

(We did also watch the movie, The TV Set - two thumbs up)

I'm going to miss The Office...

2007-11-07T14:45:00.000-05:00

...while the writers are on strike! Here they are on the picket line:

I guess Mindy (aka Kelly on The Office) is also going to need to watch what she buys and blogs about on her great site: Things I Bought that I Love

Senator Kennedy reminds me why I like him

2007-11-07T13:53:00.000-05:00

From Talking Points Memo and the Washington Post:

Schumer and Feinstein said they took solace in Mukasey's assurances that he would enforce any future waterboarding ban passed by Congress. That argument prompted a robust retort from Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.).

"He will, in fact, enforce the laws that we pass in the future? Can our standards have really sunk so low?" Kennedy said. "Enforcing the law is the job of the attorney general. It's a prerequisite, not a virtue." . . .

Friends in moderately-high places

2007-11-07T11:02:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine from LA is a TV writer and producer, and once the strike started, I wondered what he was up to. Well, he's in a photo in the New York Times, as he put it, "in the photo behind the famous guy."

Here's the shot - my friend, Tim, is in the red shirt, in the Boston baseball cap - and the story from the New York Times!

Family News

2007-11-07T10:26:00.000-05:00

My little brother had his second daughter yesterday. The family is glowing!

Pat Robertson Endorses Rudy Guiliani?!

2007-11-07T10:14:00.001-05:00

Wow. Read my Plunderbund post here, and catch up on the coverage here.

Writers

2007-11-06T14:05:00.000-05:00

My favorite tidbits about the Writers' strike:

1) Jon Stewart is paying his writers from his own pocket for the next two weeks (love him!!) - UPDATE: this may just be a rumor...check the link for updates from Portfolio.

2) A group from the Laborers Union came to show the writers how to picket - there were cheers of "No moolah, no ha-ha!"

3) I might actually have time to catch up on TV shows! The first season of Friday Night Lights and the series Wonderfalls are each in my Netflix que...as well as the TV show Grosse Pointe, starring one of my friends :) If it goes on longer, maybe I can even catch up on movies! (John - thanks for catching my typo!)

Vacation Photos

2007-11-01T09:59:00.000-04:00

Here are some shots...

Beautiful beach sunset; Aruba underwater; Me, Keith and friends...

Vacation

2007-10-29T11:44:00.000-04:00

I just got back from my week-long vacation in Aruba...it's such a great escape destination!

But now, back to reality: work, politics and celebrity gossip :)

I'll post a picture or two from Aruba this week and I'll try to get back to regularly updating this blog and contributing to Plunderbund again soon!

Congratulations, Al!

2007-10-12T10:04:00.000-04:00

Now, will you announce for President??

Thankful for TV Distractions

2007-10-11T11:12:00.000-04:00

I haven't blogged in sooooo long! Politics are wearing me out...I have nothing to say on the subject. But, the new fall TV season is another story :)

I have to repeat that the CW did the best overall job with new shows this fall...I am watching all three: Gossip Girl, Aliens in America and Reaper.

I've been falling behind on just about everthing else - and filling up the Tivo! I am all caught up on Heroes (after a marathon viewing this summer to get caught up on season 1) and because Keith likes it too, we are keeping up with the show. Hope it gets better though...

And, two of my friends finally convinced me to watch The Hills on MTV. So, they forced me to start with season 1 via Netflix...now, I'm hooked. The main problem - other than the fact that it's a show about a group of 20-somethings with too much of their parents' money - is that each episode is only 20 minutes long, so I finish one and decide I want to see what happens next - because, after all, it's only another 20 minutes! Before I know it, I've gotten sucked in and watched 3 or 4 episodes (you do the math on the "wasted" time!)!

More TV

2007-10-03T21:45:00.000-04:00

I just have no time for blogging these days!

I did want to add a note that we watched Aliens in America tonight...and it was funny! Pause-and-rewind funny. If you haven't seen it, it's on the CW and I hope the rest of the season is as good as the premiere!

Kid Nation

2007-09-23T17:05:00.000-04:00

I watched the new show on CBS called Kid Nation this afternoon (it aired sometime last week). When I first read about the show, I thought it might be interesting, then it started getting bad press from the (bad) parents who signed their kids up for this experience: a group of 40 kids ages 8-15 (I think) live alone in an old deserted town for 40 days to see if they can create a working society. Any press is good press...I was even more interested in seeing how this worked and what the kids thought about it.

I give the first episode a thumbs up...I'll tune in for another week or two, as long as the annoying 15-year-olds shape up!

And, I love Heather Havrilesky's take:

I think kids are better off trudging around in the desert, tired and alone, with no one to turn to for comfort but other miserable kids. Doesn't that sound just like your first entry-level job? By lugging big buckets of water in extreme heat for hours on end, these children will gain an accurate sense of conditions in today's rapidly changing job market!

Does American Really Need More Ann Curry?

2007-09-13T10:43:00.000-04:00

I don't know if anyone else has had the pleasure of watching the new 4th hour of the Today Show on NBC yet, but everytime I see it, all I can think of is The View. Do we really need another hour of this kind of programming? And with Ann Curry as a co-host? Yikes. I'm sure Ann Curry is a very nice person, but she is such an awful interviewer and ad-libber. She doesn't need more screen time.

Just my morning TV rant for Today.

Putting profits ahead of people

2007-09-07T15:37:00.000-04:00

Fall TV

2007-09-06T20:15:00.000-04:00

I can't watch news all the time (I already have depression issues!), so I am getting excited about the new fall TV shows.

Now, I get excited every year and am often disappointed...but I'm hoping, like always, that this year will be different. Afterall, we just had a great summer of new TV - and I wasn't expecting that! I'll soon miss The Closer, Damages, Psych, Monk and Top Chef.

But, I'm looking forward to Pushing Daisies (ABC), Chuck (NBC) and the return of some of my favorites like The Office, 30 Rock and Grey's Anatomy (with some improvements, I hope)!

Our President's Strategic Thought

2007-09-06T20:02:00.000-04:00

See my latest post on Plunderbund.

"Clash of pathos, hypocrisy and ridiculousness"

2007-09-05T20:55:00.001-04:00

I have to agree with Josh Marshall on both points: This is not the best part of me either, and I am looking forward to the 'clash' as well.

Perhaps this is not the best part of me. But I must confess that quite apart from the larger issues of public and private, public acceptance of homosexuality and Republican politics, I am in favor of an aggressive defense on Craig's part simply because I cannot resist the novelistic clash of pathos, hypocrisy and ridiculousness of seeing Craig's effort to 'clear his good name' torpedoing the White House's September Petraeus propaganda campaign.

"Prick any conservative and the kink oozes out."

2007-08-30T11:29:00.000-04:00

I had not heard the theory about the corruptness and hypocrisy of conservative politicans put that way before, but I like it.

I also like the rest of Nina Burleigh's post about finding some sympathy for Senator Larry Craig:

Because we are people of compassion, we should also feel a little horrified by this tortured man's sad, humiliating demise. He's obviously lived his whole life afflicted by the religious psychobabble and outright bigotry of people who say homosexuality is a sickness and a lifestyle decision instead of an innate state of being that has nothing to do with illness or choice.

The sickness, of course, is in the suppression, which is why closeted men seek love in rank public bathroom stalls.