Messes: Kennedy Coup Continues Collapse!

Messes: Kennedy Coup Continues Collapse!:

"...the Kennedy backlash is entirely the fault of the candidate, not overaggressive lobbying by anyone. The candidate is unqualified and misty-brained and aloof and vague."

Something I noticed yesterday...

The most popular phrase that brings people to my blog is...

wait for it...

"Nate Silver Blog Crush"

As heard on WAMC

There are bad sports teams, and then there are the Detroit Lions.

http://www.wamc.org/prog-northeast.html

Wonderful.

Targeted Advertising

I wonder about what in my content forces this advertisement upon those who come to see this blog on a semi-regular basis...and there are ten of you...

Amazon.com: Animals That Will Kill Yo A$$ 2009 Wall Calendar: Office Products

Amazon.com: Animals That Will Kill Yo A$$ 2009 Wall Calendar: Office Products

Want!

Bias...

wnyt.com - Capital Region residents react to violence in Gaza

WNYT (The NBC affiliate in Albany, NY) interviews a Rabbi and Dr. Berk (who teaches a Holocaust course as well as does tours of Europe and Israel for Jewish groups) regarding the activities of the IDF when it comes to four days of air raids in Palestine, and only mentions that there will be a rally in Albany against these bombings (or as some may call them, Dresden-like war crimes, but I have a bias as well).

Interesting...

"A tragic necessity?"

Really?

"A war to the bitter end" is "a tragic necessity"?

That seems like hyperbole of the highest order.

I know that FAU will disagree with me...as well as many other...

Reblogging

Alex Balk - In the long run...

Having seen the film (again) just yesterday, it was another thing that I picked up on, that I had ignored the first (two) times through...

More on Kennedy's...you know...problem...

PolySigh: A Double Standard in Transcription?:

"Why the apparent double standard? During the interview, it seems, Kennedy annoyed the reporters by dismissing one of their questions: 'Have you guys ever thought about writing for, like, a woman’s magazine or something?'

Perhaps, like, the verbatim transcription was, you know, uh, payback."

Really?

NYS YouTube video pushes gov's 'fat tax' plan -- Page 1 -- Times Union - Albany NY:

"Health Commissioner Richard Daines is seen on the video standing behind a kitchen counter holding an array of props, including cans of soda, glasses of milk and a football-sized lump of fake fat.

On the video, Daines defends the tax proposal, saying it will help the state fight the spread of childhood obesity and save New York money in health care costs."

Op-Ed Columnist - You’re Likable Enough, Gay People - NYTimes.com

Op-Ed Columnist - You’re Likable Enough, Gay People - NYTimes.com:

"Equally lame is the argument mounted by an Obama spokeswoman, Linda Douglass, who talks of how Warren has fought for “people who have H.I.V./AIDS.” Shouldn’t that be the default position of any religious leader? Fighting AIDS is not a get-out-of-homophobia-free card. That Bush finally joined Bono in doing the right thing about AIDS in Africa does not mitigate the gay-baiting of his 2004 campaign, let alone his silence and utter inaction when the epidemic was killing Texans by the thousands, many of them gay men, during his term as governor."

It is still three weeks until the inauguration and the Obama is Bush comparisons have already started...

green plastic radiohead: Jay-Z + Radiohead = Jaydiohead

green plastic radiohead: Jay-Z + Radiohead = Jaydiohead

Wow!

It's like chocolate and peanut butter!

At least it isn't "Doncha know?"

Michael Calderone's Blog: It's Caroline, you know? - Politico.com: "Ben pointed out that Kennedy said 'you know' 142 times during the NY Times interview, and in typical snark-mode, Gawker recommended a vocal coach after counting 12 'you knows' in under a minute."

Could the second coming be named Tripp?

Palin’s Daughter Gives Birth to Son - NYTimes.com: "Bristol Palin, 18, gave birth to Tripp Easton Mitchell Johnston on Saturday, People magazine reported online. He weighed 7 pounds, 7 ounces. Colleen Jones, the sister of Bristol's grandmother, told the magazine that ''the baby is fine and Bristol is doing well.'"

Tripp?

Really?

Children's Books Tackle Hurricane Katrina : NPR

Children's Books Tackle Hurricane Katrina : NPR

This story (The Two Bobbies)made me tear up.

Boy Left In Old Diaper Now Critical In Pittsburgh Burn Unit - News- msnbc.com

Boy Left In Old Diaper Now Critical In Pittsburgh Burn Unit - News- msnbc.com: "Suffering skin burns from a diaper that likely hadn't been changed in a month, a child was taken to a Pittsburgh hospital for treatment, police said.

The father -- Jesus Rodriguez, 34, of Greensburg -- was arrested Friday on charges of aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children and reckless endangerment.

Rodriguez's 3-year-old son is in critical but stable condition at West Penn Hospital's burn unit with what police called 'caustic' burns on his legs and genitals"

Bush withdraws 1 of 19 pardons

http://mobile.latimes.com/detail.jsp?key=197217&rc=nation&full=1. This is amazing.
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Jerry's Doing a Good Thing

At the Capitol’s Doorstep, a Little Less Winter Joy - NYTimes.com:

"Distress over the closed rink has prompted the mayor of Albany to try to salvage some of the skating season. The mayor, Gerald Jennings, said he has told Mr. Paterson’s office that he can provide $25,000 in private money, making up the rest with corporate contributions, as well as deploying the city’s recreation workers and its equipment."

Via AoA

The View Up State Street

The Capitol is in the background.
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It's Like A Winter Woodstock

Well, they haven't quite shut down the Thruway...yet...

Poor Ben Silverman

Op-Ed Contributor - Extinction-Level Television Event - NYTimes.com:

"Now, because the expanding television universe is shrinking individual audiences, and because NBC has shown depraved indifference to the idea of program development for the last decade, the network has no better option for the hour than moving Jay Leno from late night to prime time."

Social Networks

Does anyone still use Friendster?

Who you callin' stupid, stupid?

Games by Gov. Blago -- chicagotribune.com

People are stupid, and they're going to get a lot stupider.

Pardon my grammar, but that's my take on the two blockbuster news events of last week—the arrest of Gov. Rod Blagojevich and the Chapter 11 filing by Tribune Co.

Why so pessimistic about the public IQ?
...
But what, tell me, other than mass stupidity, explains why voters in the 2002 primary chose this delusional Howdy Doody over Paul Vallas, an accomplished public administrator, and then again in the 2006 general election over Republican Judy Baar Topinka, a solid public official?

Leitch on Deadpsin sums it up better than I can:

It takes a special sort of journalistic jujitsu to find a direct correlation between Gov. Blago to MySpace in about 15 words. That would be worthy of salutation, Mr. McCarron, were I not such a mongoloid that I can't bring my hand near my head without accidentally slapping myself. Fortunately, I can go watch "American Idol" now and ignore all the planet's goings-on! Whew! Is that a newspaper over there? Get that away from me! Its inherent intelligence could corrupt my empty placidity!

In Leitch's piece, he also references the "Adolf Hitler Campbell" story from earlier today, saying...

You know, you think Adolf's pissed now, just wait a decade or so, when he tries to get his personalized license plates.

Absurd But Wonderful

20 Thick, Juicy Questions With Aqua Teen's Meatwad | The Underwire from Wired.com: "

Wired.com: Do you remember the animal(s) from which you were originally ground?

Meatwad: I've got a tough side, and a sweet side, like Mr. T. So they probably ground up some mighty beasts, like two lions and a cobra. Then something cute. A panda perhaps."

Johnny Cash is Responsible for the Big Three Failing

With my big lunchbox and with help from my friends
I left that day with a lunch box full of gears
Now, I never considered myself a thief
GM wouldn't miss just one little piece
Especially if I strung it out over several years.

Johnny Cash - One Piece at a Time

GM Shares Plummet after Bailout Fails

GM's Share Price is current at $4.32

No cake for you! Store won't serve 3-year-old 'Adolf Hitler Campbell'

http://mobile.newsday.com/news.jsp?key=205324&rc=ts&p=1

Who would do this to a child?
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And the First Cat Returns

Poignant: Obama Reaches Out to Dying Socks

Now, here is the good news: Socks is back in political favor! Obama's transition co-chairman is John Podesta, and Podesta just hired Currie to be his secretary!

But here is the bad news: Socks has cancer. He's 19! That is very old, for a cat. At least he outlived his mortal enemy, Buddy the Dog.

Reblogging

Alex Balk - The most depressing sentence ever written

“A Texas man has been arrested after a 9-year-old girl wrote to Santa Claus asking that a relative stop touching her and her sister.”

(via Yahoo)

Alien Hoax: Alien Invasion Hoax Exposes Croatia’s Military Hair Trigger

Alien Hoax: Alien Invasion Hoax Exposes Croatia’s Military Hair Trigger

Residents of Zagreb panicked last week when they heard radio reports of UFO sighting. The station’s journalists admitted to a War of the Worlds-inspired hoax, but claim this hoax held a deeper purpose...The Croatian radio journalists admitted only around noon that their report was a joke, aimed at ridiculing Mayor Milan Bandić’s plans to turn Zagreb into a police stronghold. Bandić intended to supply the police with a helicopter, an unmanned flying device, an armoured car and other special instruments, as well as to build a fortified command centre.

Interesting.

Part of me likes the ridicule aspect.

Part of me likes citizens testing the command and control structure of their local governments.

My fear is that if someone tried something like this here, they would end up in an undisclosed location,

Holiday Greetings from Albany, New York

Taken a moment ago.

For all the corruption, venality, and downright stupidity that comes from this building...

It can be quite pretty.

Caroline Kennedy to Seek Clinton’s Senate Seat - NYTimes.com

Caroline Kennedy to Seek Clinton’s Senate Seat - NYTimes.com

Just going to say this...but...Kennedy + Senator from NY = Tragedy (with past performance being indicative)

Weather Link

National Grid's Storm Center:
https://www1.nationalgridus.com/niagaramohawk/storm/OutagesByCounty.aspx

"Mom, I will never take bribes"

From HuffPo...

She said son, now that you won, whatever you do, be honest. And I told her, oh Mom, of course I'll be honest because that's how you raised me," Blagojevich says.

Then, he recalled, she said, "Promise me, son, that you will never take bribes and I said, of course I'll never take bribes. Not only would that be dishonest, it would be illegal, and I would never do anything to dishonor the memory of my father."

Referenced on last nights Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC

Wonkette : George Bush Won’t Let Obama Into White House Early, Because WTF?

Wonkette : George Bush Won’t Let Obama Into White House Early, Because WTF?

It remained unclear who on Bushes guest list outranked the incoming President.

Sometimes the NYT can bring the snark quite well.

Snow and Ice Part 1

Snow and Ice Part 3

Snow, ice, power | All Over Albany

Snow, ice, power | All Over Albany

AoA links to a search of Twitter feeds based on the storm.

Snow and Ice Part 2

Snow and Ice

A happy tree that was minding her own business until she was brutally attacked by Mother Nature

Widespread destruction, nearly 200,000 without power -- Page 1 -- Times Union - Albany NY

Widespread destruction, nearly 200,000 without power -- Page 1 -- Times Union - Albany NY

It is awful.

I will be posting some video later.

Really, Coleman is a douche?

In Other News: FBI Investigating Norm Coleman's Suit-Buyer

Norm Coleman picked the right week to be a midwestern politician investigated for corruption

While part of me wants to see this, part of me aches for the Republic

Fran Drescher Serious About Senate Run (Gawker)

Everyone is entitled to run, and I can't see how she would really be worse than Caroline Kennedy, but...

Does anyone else see this as a really bad idea?

Or is this just a pitch of an E! Network Documentary?

"I'm Running For Senate, America"

Hah!

Gothamist: Rookie Cops With Machine Guns Ready for 2009!

Here rookie, have a machine gun. NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly is making sure 1,000 rookie police officers assigned to Times Square on New Year's Eve are ready to rock with M4 automatic machine guns. Recruits at the academy will get three days of training to familiarize them with the weapon...isn't it a comfort to know that Ryan Seacrest, Taylor Swift, and The Jonas Brothers could all go down simultaneously in a blaze of Barney Fife automatic gunfire

Oh. It's worse.

Crime: A Senate Seat "Is a F****** Valuable Thing"

I'm going to keep this Senate option for me a real possibility, you know, and therefore I can drive a hard bargain...And if I don't get what I want...then I'll just take the Senate seat myself."

The Smoking Gun: Obama Senate Seat for Sale?

Feds take Gov. Blagojevich into custody - Chicago Breaking News

Feds take Gov. Blagojevich into custody - Chicago Breaking News

On the issue of the U.S. Senate selection, federal prosecutors alleged Blagojevich sought appointment as Secretary of Health and Human Services in the new Obama administration, or a lucrative job with a union in exchange for appointing a union-preferred candidate. An Obama spokesman had no immediate comment.

Oh. This isn't good.

Illinois Governor Arrested for Corruption - NYTimes.com

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested Tuesday on charges of conspiring to get financial benefits through his authority to appoint a U.S. senator to fill the vacancy left by Barack Obama's election as president

.

I knew that someone from Chicago would bite the party in the ass.

Dozens hurt as riots rage across Greece

http://m.cnn.com/cnn/ne/world/detail/209454;.live5ib

So...

(And I will admit about asking my Greek expert about this yesterday, and she couldn't help...)

Teen throws a BOMB at a police car.

Police shoot anarchist teen, who threw a BOMB at them.

People riot in support of the anarchist teen.

Maybe I am being culturally insensitive, but that seems a little f'ed up to me.

Not that believe that anyone should be shot, but...bomb throwing seems to me to be a reasonably good reason to shoot someone.

If I were to stop throwing bombs, I ask all of you, please don't riot.

That seems...

Odd.

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The Menu

Clinton to Dine With Condoleezza Rice - The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com

I don't know what the entree will be, but fava beans will be one of the sides, and Sec. Rice will serve a nice Chianti.

For the Radiohead Fans Out There

Radiohead - 12 Cameras - Create Your Rainbow

Radiohead's "15 Step" as performed recently in Japan, with 12 camera angles from you to choose from

(Via Green Plastic Radiohead)


Edit:

And the "new" video for the track...

Radiohead - 15 Step - by Kota Totori


(Via Pitchfork Media)

There are no words

Why Daddy is a Republican

(via Wonkette)

My Plan to Save New York

While New Yorkers don't drink a lot of coffee per capita there are a lot of us, so here is my plan to SAVE NEW YORK...

A $0.10 tax per coffee or tea drink.

$0.10 isn't a lot of money.  However, I buy a cup of coffee every day, so...that represents an additional $36.00 in taxes that New York can collect.

The estimated population for New York was 19306183 in 2006.

Let's play around and say that one fifth of those are dedication coffee drinkers, buying at least 4 coffees per week.

That's $80 million in additional revenue for the state.

I know that $80 million is a drop in the bucket compared to the $47 billion deficit over the next four years, but...

I really want the skating rink in the Empire State Plaza to open up...

On that for a second...

Gov. Patterson called the legislature back for a special session...which accomplished nothing and cost the tax payers of New York "hundreds of thousands of dollars" when the operating cost of the Skate Rink would be $150 k.


Edit:
Apparently, I missed a "protest" on Saturday night. (Via All Over Albany)

Please...this needs to be a joke...

Fran Drescher Wants to Replace Hillary Clinton in the Senate -- New York Magazine

This may be the worst idea I have heard in a long time.

Cultivating Relationships

Your name is Toby!

Gothamist: Fail: Upstate Teacher's History Lesson on Slavery

Oh.

Should forcing a black student to have their legs and feet bound and crawl under classroom desks be part of a lesson plan? Apparently that's what Rockland County middle school teacher Eileen Bernstein did last month to simulate what it was like on a slave ship.

From WCBS...

In a social studies class at Haverstraw Middle School, teacher Eileen Bernstein chose Gaby and another girl for a demonstration of conditions on ships that carried slaves out of Africa.

One African-American student raised her hand to volunteer for the demonstration. Gaby did not volunteer, but was chosen anyway.

"She taped their hands together, taped their feet together, and she had them crawl under the desk as if they were on a slave ship," her mother told CBS 2.

But...it's ok, because the teacher is now "sorry".

The NAACP weighed in...(NY Daily News)

"Are you telling me when you do a section on the Holocaust, it's okay to simulate an oven and have a grandchild of someone who was a survivor just get in the oven?" asked Wilbur Aldridge, head of the local NAACP chapter. "That makes (n)o sense."

Sooner or Later

Nazis...time travel...and the belief that "all this has happened before"

This is more than worth the ten minutes it takes to watch.

via io9

Canada's crazy constitutional crisis. - By Karim Bardeesy - Slate Magazine

Canada's crazy constitutional crisis. - By Karim Bardeesy - Slate Magazine

As Is It Happens covered this well last night.

From the Slate article:

There has been one positive, unintended consequence: Canadians have rediscovered their appetite for democracy. Old constitutional precedents are being unearthed and discussed; invitations are going out for competing rallies across Canada to be held this weekend. The backroom dealers have failed the electorate, and the public, as in previous crises, has gone "from deference to defiance."

This is a couple of days old...

and everyone has already covered it...

but...

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

Paranoid and Conservative? Say it ain't so!

A radio show (locally or nationally) that draws just 5% of the available audience can achieve notable success in ratings and revenue, but a conservatism that connects with only a disgruntled, paranoid 5% of the public will wither and die."

Who said this?

Michael Medved.
 
Medved, who has said things like..."A quick glance at the American left reveals a movement in the midst of a nervous breakdown, displaying behavior that goes beyond inconsistency into the realm of bipolar moods and multiple personality disorders."

Via Wonkette*, via HuffPo, via USA Today

*Which has the best headline...Michael Medved Becomes Sentient, Self-Aware, Will Soon Turn Against Creators

Not good at all.

FiveThirtyEight.com: Politics Done Right: Quick Thoughts from Kansas

BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!

4. Sarah Palin is, for the time being, the public face of the Republican Party.
4a. This is not necessarily a good thing for the Republican Party.

Happy Holidays

The Personal Becoming the Political

On October 27th of this year, I was struck with Bell's Palsy.

This isn't normally a big deal.  People get it.  They look ugly for a while and have some other deficits.  In my case, these included being unable to close my left eye, loss of my full swallow reflex, loss of taste and smell, and a sensitivity to loud noises including voices in a certain pitch range in my left ear.

I saw a neurologist. I saw an ophthalmologist.  I had a whole series of blood work and tests done.  I severely cut back on my smoking and drinking, and brought my diet back to a very healthy state.  I became more proactive about stress reduction and I got the sleep my body required of me.  I waited to do the exercises that would help until I saw a Physical Therapist because that was what was recommended.  I even left my house wearing an eye-patch, because even though it looked ridiculous, I didn't want to have any complications and I wanted to give me the best shot for an one hundred percent recovery.

The only thing that is attractive about my physically is my slightly off-center and goofy grin.  That's all I have going for me.

I started PT yesterday and was slated for eight more visits over the next three and a half weeks. 

Now, I only have three visits left.

Why?

Because my insurance company believes they understand my situation better than the physical therapist who I saw AND better than the neurologist who I have seen a number of times.

Because my ability to eat "really" is not impaired, they are not going to cover any more than three additional visits.

Not because the PT recognized that I was developing TMJ (which means a whole lot more in coverable expenses) and not because everyone (personally, professionally, medically, and psychiatricly) understands that this paralysis of my face is exacerbating my already considerable self-esteem issues.

I can always appeal (which I will) however, does it not strike you absurd that this organization can without informing the patient deny coverage for something that was recommended by their personal medical professional?  Did they speak to me regarding this?  No.  Did they speak to my neurologist regarding this?  No.  The called the PT to inform her that I was only getting three more visits, not to discuss with her, to inform her.

Up to this point, I was fairly neutral when it came to the health care wars, but now, I am for any plan, by any one, that eliminates (and hopefully punishes the executives of) the insurance industry from American health care, with the ulitmate goal being to eliminate the insurance industry from American life.

What helped cause the current trainwreck of the world economy?  The insurance industry. (Look at what AIG did)

Just sayin'...is all...

I am angry now.  I am saddened too.  I know how much my company and I pay for my insurance.  I have a fairly good idea of the payments that they make to my medical providers (because I ask) and I know how much I have used medical services in the five years I have been with this plan.

Based on my math, which is more than fairly accuarte, my company and I have paid roughly $15,000.00 more in payments than I have received in services.  Does this seem fair?  Does this seem right? 

 

Winter Is Ruined

"I'll tell you what Winter is all about, Governor Paterson.  It's about giving, and sharing, and the laughter of children, and skating among some of the ugliest buildings in the northeast.  That's what Winter is all about." - Anonymous Blogger

Via WAMC, All Over Albany, and the Times Union

From the TU:

The state's economic crisis will deprive Albany of one of the few reasons to venture out on the windswept Empire State Plaza this winter: The Office of General Services announced Wednesday that the plaza's skating rink will be closed this season.

From WAMC:

Popular demand by tourists and New Yorkers alike did not sway Governor David Paterson, who says the state's skating rink in Albany won't open this season because of budget deficits.

 

From 11thWardDem on the TU's Cap Conf Blog:

This is pathetic…

While the vast majority of those who use the rink are children (those not responsible for this mess) - those who are responsible for this mess aren't losing their toys or perks.

The Governor is still flying around the country (and not "coach" I imagine), the rugs are still in the mansion, employees are still being hired, portraits are being hung, bonuses are being handed out, overtime is being worked, corporate welfare is being handed out…

But the kids can't have their friggin ice rink? Sheesh!

Sometimes I hate this state...

 

 

President Elect Obama on Line One, Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen

Via NPR, Wonkette, & Gawker...

In brief, Illena Ros-Lehtinen (House Site, Wikipedia, Campaign Site) got a "prank phone call" from President Elect Obama, hangs up on that prankster, then got a followup prank call from Rep. Emanuel, who also happens to be the Chief of Staff Select for President, hangs up on that prankster, gets a call from Rep. Berman telling her (only after having to prove who he was) that she had, in fact, hung up twice on the President Elect.

How do we know this?

Because she had a press release about it...

Please remember this when it is time for her to be re-elected.

There are no jokes that I can make that would be any funnier than what I just wrote.  The absurdity of this...and...

It's all Sarah Palin's fault...or Gawker thinks it is...

Wait...what?

Facebook | OFFICIAL HUG A JEW DAY

OK? Seriously?

Really?

This is incredibly awful on a variety of levels.

The comments set me off.

Matthew Thomas Williams (Poole Grammar School) wrote
at 6:11pm
After I have hugged the allocated Jew, can I burn it afterwards like usual?

Joey Angel Bennett (Phoenix, AZ) wrote
at 2:48pm
i rather kick a jew in the nuts....whichever i feel fit...

T.L. Steinbroner (Ventura County, CA) wrote
at 2:47pm
To all the uptight jerks who actually finds this offensive, kindly remove the the stick for your ass.

Maybe it's me. I am a fairly offensive human being, but...

The first rule of this event is...

*Every Jew that you see you must address with a hug

Seriously? Really?

I can see people running through the Diamond District trying to hug someone and getting shot...

I am curious about what someone like WordWeaverLynn would say about this...

Link Dump

Ohes Noes!  Sen. Clinton may not be eligible for Secretary of State (Gawker, Wonkette)

But, the Secretary of Labor may be a lesbian, making the first out LGBT Cabinet Secretary. (Gawker)

David Paterson feels like a "Prom Queen" (which may make him America's first Gay, Blind, and African American Governor) ( CityRoom via All Over Albany)

And the weirdest thing I have read today...

Doctors Discover Rise in "Self-Embedding" Disorder...which I thought was about Geraldo in Afghanistan, but...no...it's about...

...an actual disorder where people, especially teens, embed objects in their bodies.

And not cool things like cell phone receptors nor bionic eyes, like some of Gibson or Stephenson's Otaku...

Things like...paperclips.  (io9)

On a personal note

I really love my friends, because we can joke about Sec. of State Rice retiring to a life of leisure and starting to date someone like Larry Elder with the horrible revelation of a sex tape staring to two.

Or...

Referring to UN Ambassador Select Susan Rice as Skipper because the joke is that she is Condi's little sister.

Do Slaves Enjoy the Attention?

Via Balk

BBC Presenter Apologizes for Sex Slave Gaffe

Amnesty's Fiona Smith had been explaining to the presenter how human trafficking was big business throughout Northern Ireland and the UK in general.

She said victims were arriving at the UK's borders where they were being "auctioned off at airports" for a lifetime of misery.

However, she was taken aback when the presenter, speaking on his BBC Radio Ulster Nolan show, asked her:

"Would you not say that these girls enjoy the sex?" She told him that the victims of human trafficking had to endure being raped multiple times a day because they had not consented to sex and were being used as slaves.

...

Nolan later apologised for his remarks as it emerged that listeners had complained to the BBC about his comments.

He said: "I got confused earlier in the show when I asked if these women ever enjoy their job and if they enjoy the sex.

"Of course they don't enjoy if if it is forced upon them and I just want to say sorry."

 

A Day Without Gays

12/10/2008 - A Day Without A Gay : Join On Facebook

I mentioned this to some people while at the rally a couple of weeks ago and they were intrigued by the idea.

Gawker (as is their wont) picked up on it and provided this commentary

Duh! No One Can Get Haircuts!
There Would Be No Celebrity Gossip
Your Children Will Not Be Having Gym Class Today

And Northampton, MA will just wink out of existence entirely. Goodbye, Seven Sisters!

All Of These Dumb Stereotypes Will Be Proven False

Or, you know, people will see that nice gay and lesbian folk are everywhere around them. Stopping traffic for their kids, delivering mail, folding t-shirts, baking bread, teaching maths, governing cities, practicing medicine, hilariously defending your civil rights in courts of law, fighting impossible wars so you don't have to, and so and so on, forever and ever

Meet the New Senator

Yes, I talked about this before my hiatus. (My pick was/is Cuomo.)

All Over Albany is addressing it again...

Andrew Cuomo

Current job: NY Attorney General

Why he would be picked: He's a big name. He has experience in the federal government (he was HUD Secretary during the Clinton admin). People in NY seem to be OK with the idea of a Senator Cuomo. It might help Paterson because Cuomo's had his eye on Paterson's job.

Why he wouldn't be picked: He doesn't fit the profile that Paterson reportedly is using. Sure, people polled say they're in favor of him, but maybe that's because they don't recognize the other names. And Paterson might be annoyed that Cuomo's people seem to be spreading rumors that Cuomo is the front runner.

And the Washington Post is talking about a "Rush for Clinton's Senate Seat"

tend to favor a well-known Democrat who has name recognition and proven fundraising ability -- specifically Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo, a Cabinet official under President Bill Clinton and son of a former governor.

So?

Who is it going to be?

From Dan Savage's Savage Love Podcast

To a woman who does not her pubic hair nor the removal methods available...

Savage: so, you don't like shaving, waxing, Nair or Lasers...

Well...there is always chemo

A Headline that makes me think, "Really?"

Bush: ‘I Was Unprepared for War’ - The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com

Favorite part...

I’ll be frank with you. I don’t spend a lot of time really worrying about short-term history. I guess I don’t worry about long-term history, either, since I’m not going to be around to read it — but, look, in this job you just do what you can.

I am glad that he wasn't worried about his legacy...

"History. We don't know. We'll all be dead."

Magazines: Mystery of Tina Fey's Scar Solved

Magazines: Mystery of Tina Fey's Scar Solved

As a huge 30 Rock fan, as well as Mean Girls, et cetera...I had always wondered what the secret of the scar was...

Now I know...

Liz Lemon favors her right side. That’s because a faint scar runs across Tina Fey’s left cheek, the result of a violent cutting attack by a stranger when Fey was five. Her husband says, “It was in, like, the front yard of her house, and somebody who just came up, and she just thought somebody marked her with a pen.” You can hardly see the scar in person. But I agree with Richmond that it makes Fey more lovely, like a hint of Marlene Dietrich noir glamour in a Preston Sturges heroine.

And the New Yorker thinks that Fey is "not so good" on 30 Rock

Something that I Missed

Wonkette : Russian Expert: America To Separate Into Breakaway Republics

Which came from Drudge

Asked why he expected the U.S. to break up into separate parts, he said: "A whole range of reasons. Firstly, the financial problems in the U.S. will get worse. Millions of citizens there have lost their savings. Prices and unemployment are on the rise. General Motors and Ford are on the verge of collapse, and this means that whole cities will be left without work. Governors are already insistently demanding money from the federal center. Dissatisfaction is growing, and at the moment it is only being held back by the elections and the hope that Obama can work miracles. But by spring, it will be clear that there are no miracles."

He also cited the "vulnerable political setup", "lack of unified national laws", and "divisions among the elite, which have become clear in these crisis conditions."

Personal Note

I am going to be off line for a couple of days.

And then we came to the end

Clinton to Accept Secretary of State Job - The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com

It's been an interesting week regarding this...

and now, apparently, it is done.

This is going to make our diplomacy a heck of a lot more interesting.

I do wonder how the transfer of power from Dr. Rice (who I do like) to Sen. Clinton is going to go.

They both are very intelligent people with clear (if differing) views of the world.

Wonkette : Nate Silver Has Mathematical Theory For Prop. 8

Wonkette : Nate Silver Has Mathematical Theory For Prop. 8

Hey gays, you like Nate Silver, yes? He is a vanquisher of angry cursing wingnuts and the sexual mentor to a hot new generation of polynomials.

It isn't just the gays that have a thing for Nate Silver...maybe he is my new man-crush...

Obama the Smoker

Smoking Gun: Media Conspiracy!

Let the Guy Smoke

It is still okay to discriminate against one group of Americans. This discrimination is not only legal, it is encouraged. You see members of this oppressed minority huddled outside in rain and snow, forbidden to seek refuge. No one feels sorry for them. And yet we may have just elected one of these pariahs as president.

And this was the featured article on Wikipedia the other day...

I see conspiracies everywhere.

Media Habits

I watch three news programs religiously.

• Countdown with Keith Olbermann
• The Rachel Maddow Show
• Anderson Cooper 360°

I also listen to NPR obsessively.

And I admit to reading a metric crapton of blogs, too numerous to list here...

That being said, I am going to talk about my NPR habits.

When I am home, and not watching one of the aforementioned news programs, I am listening to my local NPR affiliate (WAMC), I also grab the podcasts of Fresh Air and a couple of other shows (TAL being the one I am addicted to...something about aging hipsters who think that every day life is interesting)...every morning, my alarm goes off at 5:30 and I listen (half in and out of sleep) to Morning Edition. Every so often, there is a story that stays with me, dominating my conscious mind...

This morning, one of those stories came to the fore...

Analysts: By 2025, U.S. Won't Be Top World Power

I am amazed by stories like these...maybe it is my love of speculative fiction...and it forces me to do things, like follow-up and read the report that they are talking about.

Some of the things that are mentioned in the report (and the story on Morning Edition):

• The whole international system—as constructed following WWII—will be revolutionized. Not only will new players—Brazil, Russia, India and China— have a seat at the international high table, they will bring new stakes and rules of the game.
• The unprecedented transfer of wealth roughly from West to East now under way will continue for the foreseeable future.
• Unprecedented economic growth, coupled with 1.5 billion more people, will put pressure on resources—particularly energy, food, and water—raising the specter of scarcities emerging as demand outstrips supply.
• The potential for conflict will increase owing partly to political turbulence in parts of the greater Middle East.

And from the story on Morning Edition:

Among the more startling conclusions in the Global Trends 2025 report is a judgment that an unnamed government in Eastern or Central Europe "could effectively be taken over and run by organized crime." The report also speculates that some states in Africa or South Asia could "wither away" as a result of the failure of their governments to provide basic services to the population.

It's a brave new dystopian world.

You have to wonder...

Mukasey alert after collapsing Thursday : The Swamp

Not that I am saying that I am looking forward to the pain and suffering of old men (I am not, at all, and strokes are horrible horrible things) but, I wonder if more of these events are going to happen...maybe in a way that is convenient to the out going Administration.

Edit: And Wonkette chimes in...

A Comment on Prop 8

I want to talk for a second about Prop 8.

I mean, come on California!

What were you thinking?!?

What are you scared of?

I mean, I understand not wanting ANYONE to get married but to deny the pain and discomfort of marriage to a specific group who had just been granted these rights?

Let more people of the alternative sexualities get married!

After a while, the fad will fade.

And...I know some of you worry that liberals like me will try to force stuff like marrying my buddy here...

But...

That's silly.

Curly would never marry me.

So...I guess...

The important thing is to look to role models for support.

I recommend Larry Craig.

I have my boarding pass right here, Senator!

Michelle Bachmann...in her own words...

Is this an "Urban Legend"?

Crooks and Liars has video of her performance from the other night...

Colmes: You said you were concerned during the campaign that Obama had anti American views and you said the news media should do a penetrating expose and take a look at the people and find out, are they pro-America or anti-America

Bachmann: Actually that's not what I said. It's an urban legend that was created and that's not what I said.

Colmes: I have the tape at my website Alan.com

Bachmann: What I called on Alan was for the main stream media to do their job. They failed to vet Barack Obama the way they had John McCain. That's what I was called for.

Colmes: I wish the American media would take a great look at the views of the people in Congress and find out, are they pro-America or anti-America. Do you really want...

Bachmann: What I said was that I'm not qualified to say whether members views are pro or anti American. That's not my job to do.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Representative from the Minnesota Sixth!

May the FSM Save Your Souls.

See Russia from Her House!

"Warm Regards, Sarah"

Okay, this woman is going to make my head explode.

Madam Secretary...

or why should you care about who replaces Sen. Clinton as the Junior Senator from New York.

First off, I would like to thank FAU for his insight on Sen. Clinton as Secretary of State, in response to my query of him.

I think that Sen. Clinton would be an excellent choice for Secretary of State.

But who is going to replace her?

As New York tumbles towards George and Lenny territory, who will step-up? Who will write letters to television characters protesting the endorsement of the closing of Fort Drum?

Well, the choice isn't up to us.  The choice is up to Gov. Patterson.

From the NY Times (via All Over Albany):

People who are familiar with Mr. Paterson's thinking on the matter have said in recent days that while the governor had not made a short list, he has discussed several names — including Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo, Representative Kirsten E. Gillibrand of Hudson, Representative Brian Higgins of Buffalo and the Bronx borough president, Adolfo Carrión Jr.

Of that short list, the only one I think "deserves" it, who is ready for it, and who would be the best political choice is AG Cuomo.  Why? 

• His work at HUD
• It would remove a thorn in Gov Paterson's side.
• He is another Clintonite and would pacify that wing of the party.
  
• His personality and history are not particularly well suited to Albany.
• There are many many people who are qualified to be AG in New York, the list for those who are qualified and ready to be Senator...not...so...much.

If I were to offer a choice, a name to be thrown into the ring.

H. Carl McCall.

He is a good man, a smart man, a good public servant, and he took one of the chin for the party in 2002.

Let this be his valedictory.

Really?

Local colleges see savings shrink

From the article:

Officials acknowledge that tuition hikes are possible, a burden for families already struggling in the current economic climate.

To put this in perspective...

BusinessWeek's 50 Most Expensive Colleges: Union College

From the Albany Times Union: Union College 4th Highest Tuition, Skidmore 8th Most Expensive


Tuition hikes are already possible at two of the most expensive colleges in the country?

As one of the HR blogs says...

Union College? I'm sure it's great, but once you get out of the Northeast, some Midwestern recruiter is going to ask you if that's "the junior college over by Cedar Rapids". You just paid more than 130K after discounts to get the sheepskin.

Prop 8

Prop 8

Six of seven CA Supreme Court agreed today to review the legal challenges to Prop 8 brought by married same-sex couples. Until they rule, all further same-sex marriages are suspended, and the status of those already wed remains to be determined.

But...eHarmony leads to...marriage

eHarmony.com To Accept Gay Personal Ads

If eHarmony always leads to marriage, what about those poor Californians...

Moms are wonderful

The Official Berkeley Breathed Website

This is not political at all, however, I just wanted to publicly thank my mom for bringing me soup and to pimp out my favorite book about moms. Better than "Love You Forever"...

Mars Needs Moms makes me cry.

Check it out on Amazon.com.

Thanks, mom!

The soup is helping!

The Lesser of the Evils

Coleman, Franken Camps Gear Up for Recount in Minnesota - The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com

I had dinner last night with FAU and we were talking about this race.

We both agreed that at this point, neither of these men deserve to win. We (or I) have known since the the murder of Paul Wellstone (calling a spade a spade) that Norm Coleman was a bad person and a bad public servant, and FAU mentioned that Franken has been a demagogue for the left for years (Rush Limbaugh of the latte drinking set) and he probably hasn't been the best example of the paradigm of bi-partisanship that President-Elect Obama wants.

So...can we work this so that neither of these men win? Norm Coleman can go back to doing whatever he does since he switched from being a Democrat (he was elected as a Democrat to the Mayorship of St. Paul) and Al Franken can go back to his writing and Air America gigs...

And all will be right with the world...

What?!?!?!

Wonkette : Getch’r Tickets To Sean Hannity’s Concert Series! FOR AMERICA.

Here is the line-up...

Billy Ray Cyrus (Hannah Montana's Dad [Who posed nude...or something...hell of a role model there, America...and lest we forget...that really creepy father-daughter portrait)

Charlie Daniels (Who sings about the DEVIL, much like Judas Priest and Stevie Wonder)

Michael W. Smith (Who sings love songs to Jesus...which is the only man on man loving that is appropriate, yet...still banned in California)

Lee Greenwood (Who is proud to be an American, yet was born in California, during the 1940s...take from that what you want)

and...

Wait for it...

Oliver North (who set up Fawn Hall [remember her?] to be the bad person in like 198-something and who worked with Terrorists...yes, the Contras were terrorists folks)

Wow

Surrounded by chaos: Things I never do

I kind of love this woman from afar.

I didn't know that SoyJoy was a real brand either...

The Trouble With Using Product Integration to Write TV Shows -- New York Magazine

Interesting article on content for...old media.

We, the people?

It’s a full-scale p*&*ing match! - New York Politics Capitol Confidential - Albany Times Union - timesunion.com

The meeting is now wrapping up with with Paterson conceding that “this special session here on Nov. 18 will not yield the result that we want today.”

Who is we?

I am just curious here...

If we means Gov. Paterson and Sen. Smith and Speaker Silver, well...I guess not.

Sen. Skelos wants something different too.

And, really, who knows what Jim Tedisco really wants?

If we means the voters (and it never means the voters), well...most of us don't want the cuts to health care and education that Gov. Paterson wants. (Siena College Research Center via The Albany Project)

We can't all agree on a way to fix the broken New York, and it is broken, but a plurality of us agree that health care and education need to stay fully funded. Why? Education is the foundation of our society, and without (the barely adequate) funding that we have now, we are doing an incredible disservice to this generation.

As to health care, well, as we are all losing our jobs and benefits with the onset of this *cough* depression *cough*, wouldn't you like to know that your local hospital is fully funded (and that there is a safety net for those wonderful bills) when the next great pandemic hits (come along with me on this one, please?) or would you prefer that education and health care get cut so that we simply aren't prepared for the new world?

One of the problems that New Yorkers face, aside from entrenched interests (like the health care lobbies and the teachers' unions {I am aware of the irony here}) and institutional malaise (nothing gets done because nothing can get done) is that the leadership has all come out of the legislative body. I am not saying that our experiment with a State Executive without legislative experience *cough* Client #9 *cough* did us any good, but that was mostly because he was a megalomaniac, and not because of the way the system is set-up.

So, we, the people, deserve better, and we deserve a budget that is not so draconian to hurt the most vulnerable.

Or don't you care about the us that make up the we, Gov. Paterson?

On the Junior Senator from NY

Now that Eliot Spitzer has crawled out of his hole — figuratively speaking! — to join the national conversation again, Politico and The New Republic have a suggestion: If Hillary Clinton is named Secretary of State, Gov. Paterson of New York should replace her with Spitzer. That would rule. Now that we've broken through with a black president, our next barrier to overcome is a presidential candidate who has openly had unprotected anal sex with prostitutes.

Will Leitch of New York writing on the site he founded, Deadspin.

Well...you all know how I feel about Spitzer...

With its Pension Fund Grab, is it ‘Déjà Vu All Over Again’ For Argentina?

With its Pension Fund Grab, is it ‘Déjà Vu All Over Again’ For Argentina?

Wow.

Wow.

Just when I thought that the American economy was the most badly "managed" one in the hemisphere, our brothers and sisters in Argentina make a grab for the title!

Go Argentina, with Maradona as your head coach, and this here...you are set to dominate the world!

Related...

A visit from mom...

Amazon.com: Queer Mobilizations: LGBT Activists Confront the Law: Scott Barclay, Mary Bernstein, Anna-Maria Marshall: Books

Amazon.com: Queer Mobilizations: LGBT Activists Confront the Law: Scott Barclay, Mary Bernstein, Anna-Maria Marshall: Books

Pre-order this book.

It is worth the wait.

*grumble*

Wonkette : Sarah Palin’s Book Advance May Dwarf Even Nate Silver’s

WTF?!?

Bible Spice is getting a SEVEN MILLION DOLLAR advance (reportedly/allegedly/hopefully not) for her book deal?

*grumble*

Please just make sure that I don't get sent to the camps

Get the latest news satire and funny videos at 236.com.

Zornak the Sword Whisperer is going to be my new nickname.

Families in the White House

First Moving Day: Relations: The Talk of the Town: The New Yorker

“I enjoy decorating. So I get to get this whole new room and do whatever I want!” Malia (Obama), who is ten, told a reporter, over the summer, and, so, some previous tenants agreed to share a few tips. “The challenge is to make it your home,” Luci Baines Johnson said. “It’s the people’s house, and it’s very much a museum. And, in fact, our ‘living room’ was the West Hall. It didn’t even have a door on it! Which is very symbolically appropriate, because your life is so open to the world.”

The Theocon State?

Another link to Andrew Sullivan...

The Theocon State

Maybe because I am a geek who reads far too much speculative fiction, but looking at this, doesn't it remind you of the Cathedrals from Alastair Reynolds' Absolution Gap?

Maybe cathedrals on wheels have been done before...I just haven't seen them...


(And the TrackBack)

Monday Morning Obama Post

From the New York Times - Obama's Thank You Note to Illinois which he name checks Lincoln which leads to Gawker's Obama as Lincoln Shows No Sign of Abating which is a little bit of a meta commentary on Newsweek's main article on Obama's Lincoln which talks about Lincoln's "Team of Rivals" vis-a-vis the rumored Sen. Clinton to the State Department appointment which leads to....the Atlantic's piece on how well Obama is staffing his White House and as Andrew Sullivan points out, he is already "waaay" ahead of President Clinton...maybe because Obama has former Clinton Administiration staffers to cherry pick from or as Cokie Roberts called it this morning on NPR's Morning Edition...the Democratic government-in-exile that has been working in and around Washington these last eight years.

Edit: And I missed N+1's (Eli Evans) posting on Privacy (in the age of Obama) which is worth a read.

For privacy, he reminded us, is not a function of being out of sight, beyond the limits of the perception of others; it is, rather, that sacred space at the heart of every intimacy, open only to those who share in it.

This would crush me...

Lose the BlackBerry? Yes He Can, Maybe

So...you are young(ish), dynamic, and plugged in and then...

"Boom there goes the dynamite"

No more e-mail for you.

Diana Owen, who leads the American Studies program at Georgetown University, said presidents were not advised to use e-mail because of security risks and fear that messages could be intercepted.

"They could come up with some bulletproof way of protecting his e-mail and digital correspondence, but anything can be hacked," said Ms. Owen, who has studied how presidents communicate in the Internet era. "The nature of the president's job is that others can use e-mail for him."

No, really? But someone else sending the e-mail doesn't have the same feeling. I am not saying, well, provide quantum crypto for Obama's BlackBerry, but...there has to be something that allows him to still be connected while maintaining a records retention policy and being secure.

Sorry, Mr. President-Elect.

What is the what now?

http://www.secureourdream.com/

Really?

J-to-the-P has a web site now?

Joe has a book on American Values coming out?

What do those include?  Tax evasion?

OK, seriously?

Really?

The election is over.  Do we really need to think about anyone from Ohio (save LeBron James) until 2012?

Senator Clinton as Secretary of State

Nate Silver (he of the $700k book deal) opines on Sen. Clinton's Brand if she becomes Secretary of State in the Obama Administration.

Basically, he believes that the position does nothing to solidify her for a 2016 run, which I do not think that she is going to make (she will turn 69 a couple of days before the election in 2016) because...another eight years on the sideline will not do her any good, and it will prevent her from doing good policy things in the Senate or at State...the unpopular but necessary things that people who are running for the PotUS have to do.

I like Sen. Clinton as our Senator and I really would not like to see her at State.

BTW, I would love to see what TAO of FAU has to say about this...

EDIT: 17Nov08

Via Andrew Sullivan

Five Reasons Hillary Clinton Should Not Be Secretary of State

Now, I do not agree with all of these, however, some of them may stick...

Interesting, though...

This Makes Me Insanely Happy

A Dinosaur for the Capital Region? | All Over Albany

A) I love Dinosaur. I love it so much, I want to take it behind the middle school and get it pregnant.

B) All Over Albany is the best resource on the Web for the Albany area...

More Pictures from the Albany, NY "No on Prop. 8" Rally

OK, I will admit that my favorite (by far) sign was the Rachel Maddow one...

It was a decent crowd (~400) [which is huge for Albany] and they (we) were all earnest enough, however...

The slogans need work...

Something akin to "No on H8, New York State" which rhymes is catchy, but still kinda...craptacular...

You would think that with all the skills that people have in this community (Albany, not the LGBT community) that something a little better thought out would have been presented...

And...one final thing...

"This could happen in New York too"

*boos from the crowd*

Umm...NO.  It couldn't.


New York doesn't have a mechanism for direct democracy (thank whatever creator you believe in for that) and...well...I am just going to say this...New Yorkers (as a whole) are a lot smarter and more decent as human beings when it comes to things like this...more of the New England temperament...

And...

I, once again, must state that I am against marriage in all forms, however, I am willing to allow everyone to share the pain.

Against H8

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

At the Albany, NY No on 8 Rally

About to be joined by P & M
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Union cash at issue in DA race Times Union - Albany NY

Union cash at issue in DA race

District Attorney David Soares and Integrity Party opponent Roger Cusick violated election rules by accepting over-the-limit campaign contributions from top labor unions, state filings show.

Of course they did. No, I am sure that it was innocent. I wonder if Soares will prosecute?

Via Capitol Confidential

More on Prop 8

From Anderson Cooper 360°

Dan Savage offers his opinions...and Tony Perkins responds with...hatred and vitriol.



Via Wonkette via Andrew Sullivan

President Elect Casual: Times Fashion Writer Looks at Obama, Sees Jerry Seinfeld

President Elect Casual: Times Fashion Writer Looks at Obama, Sees Jerry Seinfeld

You don't have to try to grab the Jewish vote anymore, Barack, you're already president! If you stay this course, there will be talk of the tiny Jewish man inside you, and between between Rahm Emanuel and Robert Reich, you already have enough tiny Jewish men on staff.

Loosening His Tie (Sort Of) NYT

Scott Eckern of California Musical Theater Resigns Amid Gay-Rights Ire Over Proposition 8 in California - NYTimes.com

Scott Eckern of California Musical Theater Resigns Amid Gay-Rights Ire Over Proposition 8 in California - NYTimes.com

Marc Shaiman, the Tony Award-winning composer (“Hairspray”), called Mr. Eckern last week and said that he would not let his work be performed in the theater. “I was uncomfortable with money made off my work being used to put discrimination in the Constitution,” Mr. Shaiman said. He added, however, that the entire episode left him “deeply troubled” because of the potential for backlash against gays who protested Mr. Eckern’s donation.

“It will not help our cause because we will be branded exactly as what we were trying to fight,” said Mr. Shaiman, who is gay. “But I do believe there comes a time when you cannot sit back and accept what I think is the most dangerous form of bigotry.”

Looking forward to trying this out

GMail Voice and Video Chat

My Agenda for President-Elect Obama

• Repeal the Bush Tax Cuts
• Repeal "No Child Left Behind"
• Restore funding for Stem Cell Research
• Close Gitmo
• Create a "jobs corp" to restore our infrastructure (our highways, byways, bridges and canals)
• Reform our immigration policy, allowing amnesty for those who want to become citizens
• Either expand the number of or eliminate the H-1B visa
• Keep pushing free trade agreements
• Balance the Federal Budget
• Back the currency with something of objective value
• Really support our troops, rotate them home, and eliminate destructive "stop-loss" programs
• Do not bailout GM.  GM is broken and has been for 20 years.  Maybe a lean industrial phoenix will rise from those ashes that will give you the innovative company that you want
• Eliminate the Estate Tax (Inherited wealth is often squandered)
• Reform the tax code.
• Enforce the Equal Protection Clause, so that hate backed by popular referendum will never become law.
  

Joe...Must...Go...(back to his chairmanship)

Salon.com's Joan Walsh writes about Rachel Maddow's interview with Senator Evan Bayh...

Actually, Walsh doesn't write so much as just post the transcript of the conversation...

With this as the lead...

I've been pretty convinced that the Democratic Senate leadership needs to strip Sen. Joe Lieberman of his role as Homeland Security chair.

Myths about Prop 8

Nate Silver states on Five Thirty Eight:

The good news for supporters of marriage equity is that -- and there's no polite way to put this -- the older voters aren't going to be around for all that much longer, and they'll gradually be cycled out and replaced by younger voters who grew up in a more tolerant era. Everyone knew going in that Prop 8 was going to be a photo finish -- California might be just progressive enough and 2008 might be just soon enough for the voters to affirm marriage equity. Or, it might fall just short, which is what happened. But two or four or six or eight years from now, it will get across the finish line.

Prop 8 Myths

Great, let the old bigots die and hope the youngs who voted against Prop 8 don't change their mind as they (naturally, remember what Churchill said) become more conservative as they age...

The Future of Nate Silver

Earlier in the week, Gawker explained how Nate Silver could rule the world based on his success with FiveThirtyEight.com...

2. Follow the money: Statistics show (never gets old) that corporate America has all the money. Baseball fans and political junkies are fine people, but they're not the ones holding an extravagant portion of the world's wealth in their dessicated, greedy hands. In order to have a long-term career you're going to have to do something that appeals to the corporate types. Luckily, they love numbers too!

Today, Deadspin (another of Nick Denton's Gawker Media properties) is commenting on rumors that ESPN may be interested in buying Baseball Prospectus...

It's been no secret that ESPN (and many other media outlets) have courted BP in the past, as adding its unique brand of number-crunching and reportage would definitely give all of its properties some sabermetric street cred.

Deadspin does comment that this rumor is probably DOA (or to use their phrase..."ESPN wouldn't directly comment either, but did insinuate that the person talking about such a meeting with Silver was entirely full of shit."

So...I ask...what is Nate Silver to do next?

And...does he deserve a seat at the table with the Obama people? Could be the leftist version of Karl Rove? (See me or Wonkette)

Sen. Clinton as a Good Soldier

Even as she is feeling let down by the Obama campaigns implicit promise to help make up some of her campaign debt (Wonkette via Politico), Sen. Clinton is still carrying the water for President-Elect Obama when it comes to his economic stimulus package. (Capitol Confidential).

When the Canadians notice that you are a powerhouse and an asset (Ottawa Citizen), maybe it is time for the DNC under Obama's watchful eye to "help a sister out".

Top Chef

The “Top Chef” kitchen also exquisitely mirrors a certain kind of creative workplace where the obsessively gifted flounder in the face of the coolly confident. The show is rife with inventive chokers, cooks who lack the stamina or emotional wherewithal to keep the flame under the magic burning. In them we see ourselves and a thousand promotions lost to the chumps who never permitted their heads to swivel.

Trying to Stand the Heat in a Pressure Cooker