I've been asked why I haven't been posting. I could say it's because of work, school, and volunteering for the Obama campaign [the preceding is probably poor grammar]. Really, it is because I've been so immersed in the Obama campaign that the campaign or the campaign's subject is all that I would write about. I write about things 'kicking around in my head' and since I spend a significant portion of my free time talking with 'undecided' voters; my blog could easily turn into a 'tech support hell' type of place for low level political operatives. While that would be cathartic for me, and probably funny to some folks; that's not want I want to do.
The tone of my observations on this election season are more than adequately described by the posters and commenters at various sites.
These sites include:
Talking Points Memo
Sadly, No
Balloon Juice
The Huffington Post
The New York Times
The Washington Post
FiveThirtyEight.com
The Field Negro
BBC News
Reuters
McClatchy
CQ Politics
Open Left
FireDogLake
Economist (Democracy in America)
Politifact
Hullabaloo
Crooks and Liars
The Field (Al Giordano)
Too Sense
Slate
The Atlantic (Andrew Sullivan)
and more...
So, if you want an approximation of my opinion; compile the themes for these sites, and you'll find a large degree of accuracy.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Friday, September 5, 2008
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
Yeah...
... I hate two sentence blog posts too, but Michelle Obama inspired me all over again. I'll post the speech when I find it. Watch it (if you haven't already or just need an encore).
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Build up that wall!
If you are progressive and non religious or merely pro separation between Church and State...
For the first time in the history of the Democratic Party, the Democratic Convention will begin with an Interfaith Gathering. This is also the first official event of the 2008 Democratic National Convention and signals an opportunity for all those in the faith-community to unite around the faith and values they share as Democrats.
But what about Democrats who do not have a faith? What will they do at a gathering that DNC Convention CEO Leah Daughtry declared "is a time of celebration of various religious traditions" in the Democratic Party?
The Secular Coalition asks that you and your friends and family in the secular community. TAKE ACTION NOW.
They provide your standard form letter when you click the link. I wrote my own.
Dear Rev. Daughtry,
I am an Atheist. Your decision to hold an Interfaith Gathering as an official DNC event disturbs and alienates me. One of the United States' major enduring errors is the ongoing deterioration of the Founders' ideal of separation between Church and State.
I do not need a Democratic version of Regents University type appointees polluting my government.
The DNC convention is a political event which showcases our representatives in the government. Their political function is secular and associating their public function with religion, at very least, sends the wrong message.
The Interfaith Gathering is non sequitur for the DNC convention. You could have a perfume appreciation gathering at a bookbinders convention and argue that many bookbinders like and appreciate perfume.
You must understand that as perfume does not thematically advance or enhance the bookbinding agenda; Faith does not thematically advance or enhance the Democratic Party's (and by extension the United States') agenda.
Sincerely,
Let 'em know...
For the first time in the history of the Democratic Party, the Democratic Convention will begin with an Interfaith Gathering. This is also the first official event of the 2008 Democratic National Convention and signals an opportunity for all those in the faith-community to unite around the faith and values they share as Democrats.
But what about Democrats who do not have a faith? What will they do at a gathering that DNC Convention CEO Leah Daughtry declared "is a time of celebration of various religious traditions" in the Democratic Party?
The Secular Coalition asks that you and your friends and family in the secular community. TAKE ACTION NOW.
They provide your standard form letter when you click the link. I wrote my own.
Dear Rev. Daughtry,
I am an Atheist. Your decision to hold an Interfaith Gathering as an official DNC event disturbs and alienates me. One of the United States' major enduring errors is the ongoing deterioration of the Founders' ideal of separation between Church and State.
I do not need a Democratic version of Regents University type appointees polluting my government.
The DNC convention is a political event which showcases our representatives in the government. Their political function is secular and associating their public function with religion, at very least, sends the wrong message.
The Interfaith Gathering is non sequitur for the DNC convention. You could have a perfume appreciation gathering at a bookbinders convention and argue that many bookbinders like and appreciate perfume.
You must understand that as perfume does not thematically advance or enhance the bookbinding agenda; Faith does not thematically advance or enhance the Democratic Party's (and by extension the United States') agenda.
Sincerely,
Let 'em know...
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
A dissenting opinion on baseball.
Post from Thoughts and Acquisitions
Baseball...I used to love it...
Wrong about Bonds. It is still 'the' Strike.
That event finally broke baseball's romantic hold as 'America's' pastime.
By showing the nuts and bolts side of financing and business required to run the game. People could view it without the rose colored glasses of their youth.
It also allowed the NBA marketing juggernaut spearheaded by David Stern's savvy and Michael Jordan's popularity to re-enchant the disenchanted baseball fans with an exciting, fast paced sport; seemingly built for the sound bite / highlight media.
If that wasn't bad enough it also allowed the the NFL, which had been making gains all throughout the '80's to finally catch up by also exploiting the vacuum created in sports media by increasing its market share.
With the corporatization [don't you love important sounding fake words?] of all sports (including baseball) you have even more of those remaining fans of their pastoral game lose interest.
Add to that the rise of NASCAR, and now when people talk about sports superstars, baseball players invariably rank right above hockey players, who had their own strike issues which, in the era of media commodity, is essentially suicidal (more on that below), which is to say not near the top of media (and thus [inter]national consciousness).
How is that for a nested statement?
Quick explanation on the path to obscurity.
no content = no visibility ::
no visibility = no recognition ::
no recognition = no casual fanbase ::
smaller fanbase = less revenue ::
less revenue = impaired ability to produce content :: see step one
Baseball...I used to love it...
I used to love baseball. I'd not say I lived and died by baseball, but it was a major part of my life growing up.
Over the past two seasons though, I have gone from avid baseball fan, to passive baseball fan, to barely caring about baseball. There are a few people to thank for this. First, I would like to thank Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees. At first I liked A-Rod because he came to the team and was humble enough to take a 3rd base position knowing he wasn't going to take short stop away from Jeter. But then he clouded over the entire team making himself the only player to be seen. And not in an "I hit 8 homers a game and use a bat as a toothpick" kind of way...but in a "more errors than anyone else in the majors and I still get paid more than god because I'm me" kind of way. He showed that the love of the game is even gone for most players. It's just about the cash.
It's important here to note I was raised a Yankees fan. They betrayed me with David Justice and I endured, but A-Rod is getting on my nerves even more now.
Next Yankee up. Roger Clemens. Either he is really honest, or he is totally full of shit. Either way, he has shown a lack of class in all that he's done recently, again erasing all the good things.
Barry Bonds. Biggest Blight on Baseball. Ever.
Now there are other small things, like the fact of pitchers throwing for 3 or 4 innings and calling it quits...benches so deep a team could play against themselves a couple time and still have relief at every position...juicing...umpires on strike...the list goes on.
So I am professional-sportless this summer. Maybe I'll look into Jai-alai...
Wrong about Bonds. It is still 'the' Strike.
That event finally broke baseball's romantic hold as 'America's' pastime.
By showing the nuts and bolts side of financing and business required to run the game. People could view it without the rose colored glasses of their youth.
It also allowed the NBA marketing juggernaut spearheaded by David Stern's savvy and Michael Jordan's popularity to re-enchant the disenchanted baseball fans with an exciting, fast paced sport; seemingly built for the sound bite / highlight media.
If that wasn't bad enough it also allowed the the NFL, which had been making gains all throughout the '80's to finally catch up by also exploiting the vacuum created in sports media by increasing its market share.
With the corporatization [don't you love important sounding fake words?] of all sports (including baseball) you have even more of those remaining fans of their pastoral game lose interest.
Add to that the rise of NASCAR, and now when people talk about sports superstars, baseball players invariably rank right above hockey players, who had their own strike issues which, in the era of media commodity, is essentially suicidal (more on that below), which is to say not near the top of media (and thus [inter]national consciousness).
How is that for a nested statement?
Quick explanation on the path to obscurity.
no content = no visibility ::
no visibility = no recognition ::
no recognition = no casual fanbase ::
smaller fanbase = less revenue ::
less revenue = impaired ability to produce content :: see step one
Thursday, June 12, 2008
McCain... how about you STFU?
I won't step on Keith's feet too much here. It does seem like I'm turning into a half-speed video blog, but no matter. John McCain asks for context, John McCain gets context.
(Yes I'm still participating in the John McCain link-o-rama. For details on the John McCain link-o-rama, see the John McCain post below.)
A bit of preview:
"You have attested to: a fairly easy success; an overwhelming victory in a very short period of time; in which we would be welcomed as liberators; which you assured us would not require our troops stay for decades but merely for years; from which we could bring them all home, since you noted many Iraqis resent American military presence; in which all those troops coming home will also stay there, not being injured, for a hundred years; but most will be back by 2013; and the timing of their return, is… not… that… important.
That, Senator McCain, is context.
And that, Senator McCain, is madness.
The Government Accountability Office just released a study Tuesday that concludes that one out of every ten soldiers sent to Iraq, takes with them medical problems "severe enough to significantly limit their ability to fight."
In five years, we have now sent 43-thousand of them to war even though… they were already wounded.
And when they come home, is… not… that… important."
--Keith Olbermann
(Yes I'm still participating in the John McCain link-o-rama. For details on the John McCain link-o-rama, see the John McCain post below.)
A bit of preview:
"You have attested to: a fairly easy success; an overwhelming victory in a very short period of time; in which we would be welcomed as liberators; which you assured us would not require our troops stay for decades but merely for years; from which we could bring them all home, since you noted many Iraqis resent American military presence; in which all those troops coming home will also stay there, not being injured, for a hundred years; but most will be back by 2013; and the timing of their return, is… not… that… important.
That, Senator McCain, is context.
And that, Senator McCain, is madness.
The Government Accountability Office just released a study Tuesday that concludes that one out of every ten soldiers sent to Iraq, takes with them medical problems "severe enough to significantly limit their ability to fight."
In five years, we have now sent 43-thousand of them to war even though… they were already wounded.
And when they come home, is… not… that… important."
--Keith Olbermann
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