This might be my favorite story of the election cycle
CC
who loved writing letters like this when she worked with the Kerry campaign.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Sigh.
Reason and Reverence has a nice post up about how Liddy Dole's has an ad about her opponent Kay Hagan EATING DINNER with a guy who works for an atheist PAC and even ACCEPTING CONTRIBUTIONS.
It's not even claimaing that Hagan herself is an athiest. Does merely fraternizing with atheists qualify for an attack ad these days?
While we're talking about hitting below the belt, here's a great commercial that does just that:
CC
It's not even claimaing that Hagan herself is an athiest. Does merely fraternizing with atheists qualify for an attack ad these days?
While we're talking about hitting below the belt, here's a great commercial that does just that:
CC
Monday, October 27, 2008
Imagine a chubby paralegal doing the happy dance
Chalicechick's least favorite member of the entire legislative branch has been convincted on all seven counts.
Boom shaka laka!
CC
hat tip to Kermit-the-Scott, who Imed me this not knowing how happy it would make me.
Boom shaka laka!
CC
hat tip to Kermit-the-Scott, who Imed me this not knowing how happy it would make me.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
A different presidential candidate dance-off video
http://view.break.com/592648 - Watch more free videos
I think this one's even better.
CC
Ps. Nate Silver is as skeptical of the Bradley effect as I am.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Way too many election-themed Yo Mama jokes
Yo mama so ugly, Sarah Palin has gone on record as "pro-life, but only because yo mama has already been born."
Yo mama so fat, every year there's a new study that shows French kids can find her on a map but American kids can't
Yo mama so ugly, McCain is offering her a $5000 refundable tax credit for plastic surgery.
Yo mama so fat, the only Supreme Court verdict she wants to overturn is HomeTown Buffet v. Yo Mama.
Yo mama's so ugly, Obama said "You can put lipstick on a pig and it would look a lot like yo mama on dollar margarita night."
Yo mama's so fat, she started her political career in Ayers' kitchen and never left.
Yo mama so slutty, even the McCain campaign won't pull out of her.
Yo moma so fat Russia can see her from *their* house.
CC
Hat tip to Boing Boing
Yo mama so fat, every year there's a new study that shows French kids can find her on a map but American kids can't
Yo mama so ugly, McCain is offering her a $5000 refundable tax credit for plastic surgery.
Yo mama so fat, the only Supreme Court verdict she wants to overturn is HomeTown Buffet v. Yo Mama.
Yo mama's so ugly, Obama said "You can put lipstick on a pig and it would look a lot like yo mama on dollar margarita night."
Yo mama's so fat, she started her political career in Ayers' kitchen and never left.
Yo mama so slutty, even the McCain campaign won't pull out of her.
Yo moma so fat Russia can see her from *their* house.
CC
Hat tip to Boing Boing
Monday, October 20, 2008
Links of the Awesome and a couple of question
-I am completely addicted to Failblog.org or at least the still photos on it because I never bother to watch the videos.
-An interesting column on Laws named after girls, though the column oddly omits mention of Megan's law, which I would think would be the most famous example.
-Things that make CC shake her head
-Ikea furniture mods
-A question for Moms. Is this as fucked up as I think it is? I mean, you know my feelings on parents who write things about their kids for publication when those things and the parent's willingness to have them published reveal the parent to be completely nuts. (Not even like Dooce-let-me-tell-you-about-my-husband's-prostate-problems-level crazy, more like Ann-Lamott-let-me-sound-creepily-oedipal-level crazy) So obviously I'm not a fan of the publication. But are the feelings themselves and this woman's weird little jihad to find the nine-year-old with a crush on her kid as weird as it sounds to me? I'm seriously thinking her kid is going to one day be one of those guys who can't have a normal relationship until his mom dies.
-Also, I was watching the 1982 BBC version of the Scarlet Pimpernel yesterday because it was apparently French Revolution movie day in my house. The executions in the moved are portrayed as huge public events, with hundreds of people coming to watch. My understanding is that this is historically accurate, and indeed, that public executions were entertainment for thousands of years, since at least the time of Christ.
I know every once in awhile somebody floats the idea of televising someone dying in the electric chair and the idea is soundly shouted down by society as a whole.
So why am I always hearing about how brutal modern society is and how violent video games are going to make us into crueler, nastier people?
Seems to me we're improving.
CC
-An interesting column on Laws named after girls, though the column oddly omits mention of Megan's law, which I would think would be the most famous example.
-Things that make CC shake her head
-Ikea furniture mods
-A question for Moms. Is this as fucked up as I think it is? I mean, you know my feelings on parents who write things about their kids for publication when those things and the parent's willingness to have them published reveal the parent to be completely nuts. (Not even like Dooce-let-me-tell-you-about-my-husband's-prostate-problems-level crazy, more like Ann-Lamott-let-me-sound-creepily-oedipal-level crazy) So obviously I'm not a fan of the publication. But are the feelings themselves and this woman's weird little jihad to find the nine-year-old with a crush on her kid as weird as it sounds to me? I'm seriously thinking her kid is going to one day be one of those guys who can't have a normal relationship until his mom dies.
-Also, I was watching the 1982 BBC version of the Scarlet Pimpernel yesterday because it was apparently French Revolution movie day in my house. The executions in the moved are portrayed as huge public events, with hundreds of people coming to watch. My understanding is that this is historically accurate, and indeed, that public executions were entertainment for thousands of years, since at least the time of Christ.
I know every once in awhile somebody floats the idea of televising someone dying in the electric chair and the idea is soundly shouted down by society as a whole.
So why am I always hearing about how brutal modern society is and how violent video games are going to make us into crueler, nastier people?
Seems to me we're improving.
CC
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Sign number 61,907 that John McCain is in serious trouble
From Fivethirtyeight.com:
So a canvasser goes to a woman's door in Washington, Pennsylvania. Knocks. Woman answers. Knocker asks who she's planning to vote for. She isn't sure, has to ask her husband who she's voting for. Husband is off in another room watching some game. Canvasser hears him yell back, "We're votin' for the n***er!"
Woman turns back to canvasser, and says brightly and matter of factly: "We're voting for the n***er."
God bless America.
CC
So a canvasser goes to a woman's door in Washington, Pennsylvania. Knocks. Woman answers. Knocker asks who she's planning to vote for. She isn't sure, has to ask her husband who she's voting for. Husband is off in another room watching some game. Canvasser hears him yell back, "We're votin' for the n***er!"
Woman turns back to canvasser, and says brightly and matter of factly: "We're voting for the n***er."
God bless America.
CC
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Obligatory
Everyone's favorite photo of John McCain.
And the proof that it's real
There. I've done my Obama-voter-blogger duty for the day.
CC
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Debate Liveblog tonight as well
TheCSO will probably be playing cards with the guys and even I have things I'd rather be doing than watching the debates, but at this point, it seems like the thing to do.
CC
ps. Anybody doing anything fun for election night in the DC area? That sounds like a joke and I am invited to the requisite number of big organization parties, but I'd like to do something smaller. I may liveblog then in a limited sense as I can only really sustain posting every other minute for a couple of hours.
CC
ps. Anybody doing anything fun for election night in the DC area? That sounds like a joke and I am invited to the requisite number of big organization parties, but I'd like to do something smaller. I may liveblog then in a limited sense as I can only really sustain posting every other minute for a couple of hours.
Attention MoveOn
THIS is how you do the "Anti-drug ad parody political ad" and make it FUNNY.
Nice Job.
CC
Nice Job.
CC
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Hillary Clinton not going to run for President again.
Doesn't expect to be Senate Majority leader, won't be on the Supreme Court.
Sigh.
I'm assuming that now that Obama is beating McCain by like 15 percent among white women, I can say that I think this is a shame without somebody calling me a harridan or anything.
CC
Sigh.
I'm assuming that now that Obama is beating McCain by like 15 percent among white women, I can say that I think this is a shame without somebody calling me a harridan or anything.
CC
The time CC met John McCain
The summer between college and grad school, I worked at the Department of Commerce. One day I was just coming to work and McCain and an aide were leaving the building.
"Excuse me?" I said. "Senator McCain?"
"Yes?" he said, turning around.
"You're my friend Rob's hero." His face broke into a wide smile. He stepped forward and pumped my hand. "He named his van 'the Straight Talk Express annex," I gushed.
McCain's laugh was deep and genuine.
"That's great to hear." He said. "Tell Rob I said hello. I'd write him a note, but I don't have any paper on me."
Indeed, I didn't either and neither did the aide. So a verbal "hello" was going to have to do.
Senator McCain and I said goodbye.
It's hard to believe that the gracious dude who shook my hand eight years ago has
turned into this guy.
For the record, Rob's an Obama supporter too now.
CC
"Excuse me?" I said. "Senator McCain?"
"Yes?" he said, turning around.
"You're my friend Rob's hero." His face broke into a wide smile. He stepped forward and pumped my hand. "He named his van 'the Straight Talk Express annex," I gushed.
McCain's laugh was deep and genuine.
"That's great to hear." He said. "Tell Rob I said hello. I'd write him a note, but I don't have any paper on me."
Indeed, I didn't either and neither did the aide. So a verbal "hello" was going to have to do.
Senator McCain and I said goodbye.
It's hard to believe that the gracious dude who shook my hand eight years ago has
turned into this guy.
For the record, Rob's an Obama supporter too now.
CC
Monday, October 13, 2008
CC's latest bizarre dream
I wake up and I realize I’m late for work. I toss on some clothes and head for the door. When I open my backdoor to the outside, I see with horror that the world is covered in cockroaches. Like every six inches of space in front of me has a cockroach. I turn around to go back inside the house and see that suddenly my house is full of cockroaches, too. So I freak out and I start to run through my neighborhood, not stepping on cockroaches, but trying to get away from them. I run up the street, and down another couple of blocks and soon I’m standing in front of an ocean. There are still cockroaches everywhere and I’m still really scared and icked out.
I jump into the ocean and start to swim under the water. No cockroaches under the water, just a feeling of deep calm. Breathing is apparently not an issue. I swim down deeper and deeper. An Octopus comes up to me. I get the sense that I know this octopus and he and I are good friends. He shows me a garden full of beautiful oysters. I’m not sure what constitutes a beautiful oyster, mind you, but I knew in the dream that they were.
The octopus and I say goodbye but it’s a “catch ya later” sort of goodbye that suggests we will see one another soon. I swim on to an underwater church that I hadn’t been consciously aware of. The church building is rectangular outside but inside it’s a perfect circle and there’s a pedestal in the center with a large clock. And I know it is my job to take care of the clock. I go to the clock and start polishing it as if that was what I had intended to do all along. A monkey hops up to me and starts chattering to me and I talk to him as I’m working. I look around the room as I’m working and I see that there’s a tiger and a lion there too and I get the sense that they also will hang out with me and keep me company.
So I get back to work on the clock.
And then I wake up.
I jump into the ocean and start to swim under the water. No cockroaches under the water, just a feeling of deep calm. Breathing is apparently not an issue. I swim down deeper and deeper. An Octopus comes up to me. I get the sense that I know this octopus and he and I are good friends. He shows me a garden full of beautiful oysters. I’m not sure what constitutes a beautiful oyster, mind you, but I knew in the dream that they were.
The octopus and I say goodbye but it’s a “catch ya later” sort of goodbye that suggests we will see one another soon. I swim on to an underwater church that I hadn’t been consciously aware of. The church building is rectangular outside but inside it’s a perfect circle and there’s a pedestal in the center with a large clock. And I know it is my job to take care of the clock. I go to the clock and start polishing it as if that was what I had intended to do all along. A monkey hops up to me and starts chattering to me and I talk to him as I’m working. I look around the room as I’m working and I see that there’s a tiger and a lion there too and I get the sense that they also will hang out with me and keep me company.
So I get back to work on the clock.
And then I wake up.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Friday, October 10, 2008
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Turns out, Oliver had indeed heard of "Fannie Mae" and "Freddie Mac"
During my debate liveblog, I wrote:
9:12 Oliver, an african-american guy, has a question. I find it weird that "most of the people" he knows have had "a difficult time" in this economic crisis. Didn't the crisis start like two weeks ago?
9:13 McCain thinks you might not have heard of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Yep, he's going for the dumb guy vote. Either that or he's talking to Oliver. Probably not the time to be talking down to black people, Senator.
Turns out that Oliver Clark, the aforementioned Oliver, is a little pissed at McCain's response.
He wrote on his Facebook page:
How did I feel about Sen. McCain stating “You probably never heard of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac before this.”
Well Senator, I actually did. I like to think of myself as a fairly intelligent person. I have a bachelor degree in Political Science from Tennessee State, so I try to keep myself up to date with current affairs. I have a Master degree in Legal Studies from Southern Illinois University, a few years in law school, and I am currently pursuing a Master in Public Administration from the University of Memphis. In defense of the Senator from Arizona I would say he is an older guy, and may have made an underestimation of my age. Honest mistake. However, it could be because I am a young African-American male. Whatever the case may be it was somewhat condescending regardless of my age to make an assumption regarding whether I was knowledgeable about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
In all fairness, I am still not sure that McCain was specifically referring to Oliver. He might well have been saying that most Americans haven't heard of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, which still sounds snotty and wrong.
But he certainly answered in the sort of overly-sweet tone of voice that lots of people use when talking to, well, old people like McCain.
CC
Hat tip to Wonkette
9:12 Oliver, an african-american guy, has a question. I find it weird that "most of the people" he knows have had "a difficult time" in this economic crisis. Didn't the crisis start like two weeks ago?
9:13 McCain thinks you might not have heard of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Yep, he's going for the dumb guy vote. Either that or he's talking to Oliver. Probably not the time to be talking down to black people, Senator.
Turns out that Oliver Clark, the aforementioned Oliver, is a little pissed at McCain's response.
He wrote on his Facebook page:
How did I feel about Sen. McCain stating “You probably never heard of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac before this.”
Well Senator, I actually did. I like to think of myself as a fairly intelligent person. I have a bachelor degree in Political Science from Tennessee State, so I try to keep myself up to date with current affairs. I have a Master degree in Legal Studies from Southern Illinois University, a few years in law school, and I am currently pursuing a Master in Public Administration from the University of Memphis. In defense of the Senator from Arizona I would say he is an older guy, and may have made an underestimation of my age. Honest mistake. However, it could be because I am a young African-American male. Whatever the case may be it was somewhat condescending regardless of my age to make an assumption regarding whether I was knowledgeable about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
In all fairness, I am still not sure that McCain was specifically referring to Oliver. He might well have been saying that most Americans haven't heard of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, which still sounds snotty and wrong.
But he certainly answered in the sort of overly-sweet tone of voice that lots of people use when talking to, well, old people like McCain.
CC
Hat tip to Wonkette
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
That (one) was fast
Click here if you need the t-shirt
CC
who, snottiness-wise, was bothered more by the tone McCain took with Oliver than the "That one" bit, though I admit the "that one" bit makes a better soundbyte. Obama managed to actually answer Oliver's question and talk to him like he was a reasonable person, so score two for "That One."
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Debate liveblog
9:00 No pinstripes on Katie tonight. You're welcome
9:01 I would totally lie and claim to be an "undecided voter" to get on one of these things. I wonder how many of these folks did.
9:03 The "No one's allowed to make noise, except now" thing reminds me of the Service of the Living Tradition every time.
9:04 Brokaw says many of the questions tonight are about the economy. The first one comes from a guy with an awesome accent.
9:05 I LOVE that Obama brought up AIG.
9:06 McCain felt at his pockets as if he couldn't find his keys. It was weird. McCain likes energy independence, he just doesn't, you know, bother to VOTE for it when he has the chance because that would mean showing up.
9:07 Everybody likes the bailout. Sigh.
9:08 Brokaw asks each candidate to name a treasury secretary nominee. OH GOSH, BROKAW'S ASKING FOR SPECIFICS! WHAT DO WE DO? McCain wants someone America admires and trusts. Judge Judy for treasury secretary!
9:10 I kid, McCain likes Meg Whitman from Ebay, Obama likes Warren Buffett.
9:12 Oliver, an african-american guy, has a question. I find it weird that "most of the people" he knows have had "a difficult time" in this economic crisis. Didn't the crisis start like two weeks ago?
9:13 McCain thinks you might not have heard of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Yep, he's going for the dumb guy vote. Either that or he's talking to Oliver. Probably not the time to be talking down to black people, Senator.
9:14 THECSO says: McCain just started talking about Fannie and Freddie's "risky loans" they started making. (I was wrong here. Turns out they DID buy a bunch of Alt-A paper.)
9:16 CC again: Obama is confident about the American economy. That makes one of us.
9:17 Brokaw: Is the economy going to get worse before it gets better?
TheCSO: Man, I wish Ron Paul were here to answer that. He'd be like "yep."
9:18 McCain likes American workers. Did you know that?
9:19 I don't like this undecided voter. She wears Sarah Palin glasses and she can't speak. Wait a sec... Sarah? Is that you?
9:20 "When George Bush came into office, we had surplus..." Obama says. It's that whole "Largest economic expansion in the nation's history" thing I was talking about when Hillary Clinton was running.
9:21 Speaking of Clintons, remember how Bill was the governor of Arkansas and he was running against a dude who had been director of the CIA and Ambassador of the UN, and he didn't seem to remotely think that Foreign Policy questions that were unfair in the least? Those were the days. Oh, yeah, McCain is talking...
9:22 McCain had the chance to say "Maverick" and didn't. I think that means all of y'all have to spit a drink out...
9:23 McCain LOVES that energy independence that he couldn't be bothered to show up to vote for.
9:24 Try to keep up, McCain. It's a debate. I like how he can fix entitlements, health care and energy problem, he just can't pick up his damn cellphone from the campaign trail to work on the bailout. That has to be the political equivalent of walking and chewing gum.
9:25 Obama knows how much gasoline is going for in Nashville today. Nice one, Senator.
9:28 Brokaw-Don't make jokes about the economy.
9:29 If we're paying 6.8 billion dollars for airforce tankers, that puts an interesting perspective on the 700 billion bailout.
9:30 Oh please don't bring up 9-11, Obama...
9:31 TheCSO is reading a twitter feed that has funnier jokes than this liveblog. Jealous.
9:32 TheCSO and I are confused by the whole "Town hall is McCain's format" claims. He's fumbling a lot more than Obama is.
9:34 Lisa wrote in the comments ""Every time Obama says, "And just one more thing," I imagine Tom Brokow giving him dirty looks and pointing to his watch."" Snerk.
9:35 She also asked about McCain's "rifle" comment. I think the idea is that a rifle is a precision instrument compared to a shotgun. It's McCain's version of Obama's "scalpel vs. hammer"
9:36 TheCSO offers more perspective on the size of the bailout: This year's budget for the Fairfax County Public Schools: 2.2 Billion
9:39 Cubit says: "Every time McCain pumps his fist, I'm reminded of one of those members of the lollipop guild welcoming you to munchkinland. " That's right kids, make me laugh, and I will put you in the liveblog.
9:41 McCain is now repeating his talking points.
9:42 What we need is a commission! And recommendations! If this whole president thing doesn't work out, McCain so has a job waiting for him at the UUA.
9:43 "If you talk too long, you don't have to answer followup questions" is NOT a good precedent to be setting. Oh, and do you know where we get the majority of our oil? The top supplier of oil to America is: Big bad terrorist Canada.
9:44 For the first time in history, a Republican just used "the French do it" as a justification for doing something. McCain doesn't like Spain, but he loves those cheese-eating surrender monkeys.
9:45 TheCSO says: Brokaw needs a gong.
9:46 Manhattan Project vs. Garages is an interesting question.
9:49 McCain doesn't answer, and doesn't do so in an annoying way.
9:51 Health care question, sorry, I'm zoning. But here's a fun fact: All those earmarks McCain is always talking about add up to 16 billion. So cut out earmarks and you could take that money and run one (admittedly large and wealthy, but still...) school district in Va for slightly more than seven years.
9:56 TheCSO points out that healthcare across state lines will just drive all healthcare to the place with the fewest regulations and the friendliest courts. Like banking.
9:57 Hairplug jokes. Ai yi yi.
9:58 Obama just brought up TheCSO's point about healthcare across state lines, and no more eloquently than theCSO did. TheCSO and I did this awesome little happy dance.
10:01 McCain has supported every Goddamned war ever. He calls this "good judgment"
10:03 Oh, please Obama, use "I don't understand" as a repeating theme and hit all of the things McCain has done that he doesn't understand a la John Travolta in "Primary Colors." Please?
10:04 Damn. He's not going to do it. Us Kathy Bates movie fans never get any respect.
10:05 Ok, even the "Obama DOCTRINE" even sounds sexy.
10:06 Obama brought up Hitler. Debate's over.
10:06 TheCSO asks "If we're opposed to 'ethnic cleansing,' why use such a happy term for it?"
10:09 Pakistan question. Obama hitting the Bin Laden button again, which I understand.
10:11 Three minutes ago, McCain's hero was Reagan. Now it's Teddy Roosevelt. Flip-flopper.
10:13 Who were these Afghan freedom fighters again? Could someone remind me? Senator Obama? Do you know?
10:14 As far as theCSO and I can figure out, McCain is in favor of attacking anybody Obama isn't.
10:15 Obama's taking the "speaking softly" bit and running with it. Yeah, bring on the snark.
10:16 I think the point is that you were joking about Iran when lives are at stake, McCain. Who we were joking with isn't the point.
10:17 TheCSO and I again wish Ron Paul was here, this time to answer the "reorganizing Afghanistan" question.
10:20 Sorry, I'm zoning on the Russia question. I think I'm still on the fact that McCain knows how to get Bin Laden, but won't tell.
10:24 Tom Brokaw asked yes or no question. If McCain had left it at "Maybe," I would totally have given him the point. As it was, his answer was like three times the length of Obama.
10:25 The next question is being asked by a very pink man named Terry who has been in the Navy. I bet those were rough years. Anyway, he wants to know what we should do if Iran invades Israel.
10:26 McCain respects Terry, but not enough to actually answer his question.
10:27 McCain is against holocausts.
10:28 Obama seems to get the "Umm...yeah. Israel is our strongest ally" point and his answer is a damn sight tougher than McCain's point.
10:30 Obama just made the first actually funny joke of these three debates.
10:32 The business of America may or may not be business, Senator McCain, but it's certainly not war.
10:33 When I think of "steady hands for the tiller" or indeed "steady hands" at all, John McCain does NOT come to mind.
10:34 I am planning to vote for Obama, it's true. But I haven't called either of the previous debates for the Democrat. I'm calling this one. I think McCain had his ass handed to him. I was really impressed by both candidates, though. There wasn't really any mudslinging though McCain was kind of a dick with the "that one" bit.
At the same time, I wish we could have a few followup questions. Obama came off a lot better, but neither of them had to answer questions that were particularly hard. I'm aware that I'm mostly making my call based on image. Obama watched McCain the whole time and McCain wandered around. Obama was willing to talk about Israel and McCain danced around it.
And honestly, the Israel question was an easy one.
Seriously, is "We're not taking any options off the table" such a hard answer when you're the REPUBLICAN?
On the cosmetics, Obama kicked ass. McCain didn't have any more substance, though.
As much as I appreciate Brokaw letting McCain drone on like a weird old man, I think next debate the lights should be where the TV cameras can see them.
9:01 I would totally lie and claim to be an "undecided voter" to get on one of these things. I wonder how many of these folks did.
9:03 The "No one's allowed to make noise, except now" thing reminds me of the Service of the Living Tradition every time.
9:04 Brokaw says many of the questions tonight are about the economy. The first one comes from a guy with an awesome accent.
9:05 I LOVE that Obama brought up AIG.
9:06 McCain felt at his pockets as if he couldn't find his keys. It was weird. McCain likes energy independence, he just doesn't, you know, bother to VOTE for it when he has the chance because that would mean showing up.
9:07 Everybody likes the bailout. Sigh.
9:08 Brokaw asks each candidate to name a treasury secretary nominee. OH GOSH, BROKAW'S ASKING FOR SPECIFICS! WHAT DO WE DO? McCain wants someone America admires and trusts. Judge Judy for treasury secretary!
9:10 I kid, McCain likes Meg Whitman from Ebay, Obama likes Warren Buffett.
9:12 Oliver, an african-american guy, has a question. I find it weird that "most of the people" he knows have had "a difficult time" in this economic crisis. Didn't the crisis start like two weeks ago?
9:13 McCain thinks you might not have heard of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Yep, he's going for the dumb guy vote. Either that or he's talking to Oliver. Probably not the time to be talking down to black people, Senator.
9:14 THECSO says: McCain just started talking about Fannie and Freddie's "risky loans" they started making. (I was wrong here. Turns out they DID buy a bunch of Alt-A paper.)
9:16 CC again: Obama is confident about the American economy. That makes one of us.
9:17 Brokaw: Is the economy going to get worse before it gets better?
TheCSO: Man, I wish Ron Paul were here to answer that. He'd be like "yep."
9:18 McCain likes American workers. Did you know that?
9:19 I don't like this undecided voter. She wears Sarah Palin glasses and she can't speak. Wait a sec... Sarah? Is that you?
9:20 "When George Bush came into office, we had surplus..." Obama says. It's that whole "Largest economic expansion in the nation's history" thing I was talking about when Hillary Clinton was running.
9:21 Speaking of Clintons, remember how Bill was the governor of Arkansas and he was running against a dude who had been director of the CIA and Ambassador of the UN, and he didn't seem to remotely think that Foreign Policy questions that were unfair in the least? Those were the days. Oh, yeah, McCain is talking...
9:22 McCain had the chance to say "Maverick" and didn't. I think that means all of y'all have to spit a drink out...
9:23 McCain LOVES that energy independence that he couldn't be bothered to show up to vote for.
9:24 Try to keep up, McCain. It's a debate. I like how he can fix entitlements, health care and energy problem, he just can't pick up his damn cellphone from the campaign trail to work on the bailout. That has to be the political equivalent of walking and chewing gum.
9:25 Obama knows how much gasoline is going for in Nashville today. Nice one, Senator.
9:28 Brokaw-Don't make jokes about the economy.
9:29 If we're paying 6.8 billion dollars for airforce tankers, that puts an interesting perspective on the 700 billion bailout.
9:30 Oh please don't bring up 9-11, Obama...
9:31 TheCSO is reading a twitter feed that has funnier jokes than this liveblog. Jealous.
9:32 TheCSO and I are confused by the whole "Town hall is McCain's format" claims. He's fumbling a lot more than Obama is.
9:34 Lisa wrote in the comments ""Every time Obama says, "And just one more thing," I imagine Tom Brokow giving him dirty looks and pointing to his watch."" Snerk.
9:35 She also asked about McCain's "rifle" comment. I think the idea is that a rifle is a precision instrument compared to a shotgun. It's McCain's version of Obama's "scalpel vs. hammer"
9:36 TheCSO offers more perspective on the size of the bailout: This year's budget for the Fairfax County Public Schools: 2.2 Billion
9:39 Cubit says: "Every time McCain pumps his fist, I'm reminded of one of those members of the lollipop guild welcoming you to munchkinland. " That's right kids, make me laugh, and I will put you in the liveblog.
9:41 McCain is now repeating his talking points.
9:42 What we need is a commission! And recommendations! If this whole president thing doesn't work out, McCain so has a job waiting for him at the UUA.
9:43 "If you talk too long, you don't have to answer followup questions" is NOT a good precedent to be setting. Oh, and do you know where we get the majority of our oil? The top supplier of oil to America is: Big bad terrorist Canada.
9:44 For the first time in history, a Republican just used "the French do it" as a justification for doing something. McCain doesn't like Spain, but he loves those cheese-eating surrender monkeys.
9:45 TheCSO says: Brokaw needs a gong.
9:46 Manhattan Project vs. Garages is an interesting question.
9:49 McCain doesn't answer, and doesn't do so in an annoying way.
9:51 Health care question, sorry, I'm zoning. But here's a fun fact: All those earmarks McCain is always talking about add up to 16 billion. So cut out earmarks and you could take that money and run one (admittedly large and wealthy, but still...) school district in Va for slightly more than seven years.
9:56 TheCSO points out that healthcare across state lines will just drive all healthcare to the place with the fewest regulations and the friendliest courts. Like banking.
9:57 Hairplug jokes. Ai yi yi.
9:58 Obama just brought up TheCSO's point about healthcare across state lines, and no more eloquently than theCSO did. TheCSO and I did this awesome little happy dance.
10:01 McCain has supported every Goddamned war ever. He calls this "good judgment"
10:03 Oh, please Obama, use "I don't understand" as a repeating theme and hit all of the things McCain has done that he doesn't understand a la John Travolta in "Primary Colors." Please?
10:04 Damn. He's not going to do it. Us Kathy Bates movie fans never get any respect.
10:05 Ok, even the "Obama DOCTRINE" even sounds sexy.
10:06 Obama brought up Hitler. Debate's over.
10:06 TheCSO asks "If we're opposed to 'ethnic cleansing,' why use such a happy term for it?"
10:09 Pakistan question. Obama hitting the Bin Laden button again, which I understand.
10:11 Three minutes ago, McCain's hero was Reagan. Now it's Teddy Roosevelt. Flip-flopper.
10:13 Who were these Afghan freedom fighters again? Could someone remind me? Senator Obama? Do you know?
10:14 As far as theCSO and I can figure out, McCain is in favor of attacking anybody Obama isn't.
10:15 Obama's taking the "speaking softly" bit and running with it. Yeah, bring on the snark.
10:16 I think the point is that you were joking about Iran when lives are at stake, McCain. Who we were joking with isn't the point.
10:17 TheCSO and I again wish Ron Paul was here, this time to answer the "reorganizing Afghanistan" question.
10:20 Sorry, I'm zoning on the Russia question. I think I'm still on the fact that McCain knows how to get Bin Laden, but won't tell.
10:24 Tom Brokaw asked yes or no question. If McCain had left it at "Maybe," I would totally have given him the point. As it was, his answer was like three times the length of Obama.
10:25 The next question is being asked by a very pink man named Terry who has been in the Navy. I bet those were rough years. Anyway, he wants to know what we should do if Iran invades Israel.
10:26 McCain respects Terry, but not enough to actually answer his question.
10:27 McCain is against holocausts.
10:28 Obama seems to get the "Umm...yeah. Israel is our strongest ally" point and his answer is a damn sight tougher than McCain's point.
10:30 Obama just made the first actually funny joke of these three debates.
10:32 The business of America may or may not be business, Senator McCain, but it's certainly not war.
10:33 When I think of "steady hands for the tiller" or indeed "steady hands" at all, John McCain does NOT come to mind.
10:34 I am planning to vote for Obama, it's true. But I haven't called either of the previous debates for the Democrat. I'm calling this one. I think McCain had his ass handed to him. I was really impressed by both candidates, though. There wasn't really any mudslinging though McCain was kind of a dick with the "that one" bit.
At the same time, I wish we could have a few followup questions. Obama came off a lot better, but neither of them had to answer questions that were particularly hard. I'm aware that I'm mostly making my call based on image. Obama watched McCain the whole time and McCain wandered around. Obama was willing to talk about Israel and McCain danced around it.
And honestly, the Israel question was an easy one.
Seriously, is "We're not taking any options off the table" such a hard answer when you're the REPUBLICAN?
On the cosmetics, Obama kicked ass. McCain didn't have any more substance, though.
As much as I appreciate Brokaw letting McCain drone on like a weird old man, I think next debate the lights should be where the TV cameras can see them.
Debate liveblogging again tonight.
I'm guessing none of the usual suspects will make it tonight, but theCSO and I at least will be watching the debates from here and providing our usual commentary.
My church has a non-partisan debate-watching party tonight, and the temptation to do "town-hall-style-liveblogging" with lots of people's comments is there, but don't know that I can handle that and still have my comments appear as the debate goes on. I will probably just liveblog from home as my liveblogging pretty much consists of me typing stream-of-consciousness for an hour and a half with occaisional pauses to google something and/or get more alcohol and isn't precisely a social activity.
Folks from my church, who have become increasingly aware of the Chaliceblog, will likely be commenting, though, and of course I would love it if you commented too.
CC
My church has a non-partisan debate-watching party tonight, and the temptation to do "town-hall-style-liveblogging" with lots of people's comments is there, but don't know that I can handle that and still have my comments appear as the debate goes on. I will probably just liveblog from home as my liveblogging pretty much consists of me typing stream-of-consciousness for an hour and a half with occaisional pauses to google something and/or get more alcohol and isn't precisely a social activity.
Folks from my church, who have become increasingly aware of the Chaliceblog, will likely be commenting, though, and of course I would love it if you commented too.
CC
CC Caught Stalking Andrew Sullivan
A Chalicesseur who has met me IRL noticed this on Andrew Sullivan's blog. Yes, the girl stalking Andrew looks like a skinnier me, though regrettably not right now because the person to last cut my hair cut my bangs too short, so I have an expanse of forehead like the wide open prairie.
Like most problems, of course, this will be solved by time.
But anyway, yeah, otherwise it's totally me. Reddish-brownish hair, brown sweater, glasses and hanging out like a block from where I go to law school, assuming that that window is facing up New Jersey Avenue. Clearly I am Sullivan's stalker.
Call me, Andrew!
CC
Monday, October 06, 2008
Weird dream I had last night
I was staying in a palatial bedroom in a beautiful country inn. The place was immensely cluttered with music boxes and figurines in a very lavish style. The bed was blonde wood with a thick comforter and soft white sheets with small flowers on them. I had just woken up and I was sitting in bed looking at the room when an alarm clock next to me started to go off. I turned it off. A moment later, a second alarm clock on the other side of the bed started to go off. I turned that one off, too.
Seconds later, a third alarm clock goes off some distance away. I stumbled out of bed, find it and turn it off. Again, and again, an alarm clock would ring, I would furiously shuffle through the elegant clutter and find it and turn it off, only to enjoy only a moment of silence before the next clock would start to ring across the room...
And then I woke up to find my actual alarm clock going off.
CC
Seconds later, a third alarm clock goes off some distance away. I stumbled out of bed, find it and turn it off. Again, and again, an alarm clock would ring, I would furiously shuffle through the elegant clutter and find it and turn it off, only to enjoy only a moment of silence before the next clock would start to ring across the room...
And then I woke up to find my actual alarm clock going off.
CC
Sunday, October 05, 2008
I do get that this is a total long shot
I had somehow missed that Bouchercon, the world mystery writers' convention is happening forty miles away this year.
I'm planning to go. At this point, I am unsure whether I will be spending the night (hella expensive) or commuting ((hella inconvenient, particularly given that Margaret Maron (swoon) is speaking on a panel called "TOYS IN THE ATTIC: After guns, knives, poisons and blunt instruments, what?" at 8:30 Saturday morning)).
Is anybody going? It would be fun to have someone to hang out with there. It seems so big (like roughly the size of GA) that I'm slightly nervous about going entirely alone.
CC
who also sees that assuming she misses no law school classes, she can only be there for half the con anyway so is also partially tempted to just give up and plan better to go to Indianapolis for next year's convention. She's pretty sure, after all, that Margaret Maron, Lori R. King and Laura Lippmann go every year.
I'm planning to go. At this point, I am unsure whether I will be spending the night (hella expensive) or commuting ((hella inconvenient, particularly given that Margaret Maron (swoon) is speaking on a panel called "TOYS IN THE ATTIC: After guns, knives, poisons and blunt instruments, what?" at 8:30 Saturday morning)).
Is anybody going? It would be fun to have someone to hang out with there. It seems so big (like roughly the size of GA) that I'm slightly nervous about going entirely alone.
CC
who also sees that assuming she misses no law school classes, she can only be there for half the con anyway so is also partially tempted to just give up and plan better to go to Indianapolis for next year's convention. She's pretty sure, after all, that Margaret Maron, Lori R. King and Laura Lippmann go every year.
OK, fine, one more on Sinkford and Ahmadinejad
I actually thought I was done with this topic. Completely disgusted, yet done. A very smart and sensitive minister of my acquaintance has advised me to put together a letter on this and try to convince people to sign it, but I know me and that's exactly the sort of project I start with enthusiasm and embarass myself by flaking on.
Anyway, what aqueezed one more post out of me was Ms. Kitty linking to this, an article on the Fellowship of Reconciliation website about reactions to the meeting. What gets me is that a Catholic peace worker who participated mentions in his letter that he understands why the questions had to be "filtered."
So basically, Ahmadinejad picked the questions he wanted to answer, knew in advance what they would be and had his glib little answers all prepared.
It wasn't even amateur diplomacy, kids, it was theatre, with Sinkford cheerfully playing the part that the man who stones people to death let him play.
And then saying he couldn't imagine President Bush doing the same thing.*
Actually, President Bush uses PR opportunities where only selected people are allowed to ask selected questions all the time.
It's just that liberals generally have the sense not to play along, and nobody calls Jeff Gannon "courageous."
I am so sick of hearing about Sinkford's "courage."
You people DO know that even if you are actually speaking out against Ahmadinejad as opposed to helping him, he can only have people who disagree with him killed back in his home country, right?
CC
*Again, I'm not a Bush fan, but that was INCREDIBLY inappropriate, though I'm sure it made Ahmadinejad's day. That bitter little statement more than anything else says to me that this was primarily an ego thing for Sinkford.
Ps. Would someone please mention this on the ministers' chat? The one non-blogging minister I talked to about this was pretty horrified, but hadn't heard about it since these days most people pretty much ignore Press Releases from the UUA about what a great guy Sinkford is for doing something political.
Anyway, what aqueezed one more post out of me was Ms. Kitty linking to this, an article on the Fellowship of Reconciliation website about reactions to the meeting. What gets me is that a Catholic peace worker who participated mentions in his letter that he understands why the questions had to be "filtered."
So basically, Ahmadinejad picked the questions he wanted to answer, knew in advance what they would be and had his glib little answers all prepared.
It wasn't even amateur diplomacy, kids, it was theatre, with Sinkford cheerfully playing the part that the man who stones people to death let him play.
And then saying he couldn't imagine President Bush doing the same thing.*
Actually, President Bush uses PR opportunities where only selected people are allowed to ask selected questions all the time.
It's just that liberals generally have the sense not to play along, and nobody calls Jeff Gannon "courageous."
I am so sick of hearing about Sinkford's "courage."
You people DO know that even if you are actually speaking out against Ahmadinejad as opposed to helping him, he can only have people who disagree with him killed back in his home country, right?
CC
*Again, I'm not a Bush fan, but that was INCREDIBLY inappropriate, though I'm sure it made Ahmadinejad's day. That bitter little statement more than anything else says to me that this was primarily an ego thing for Sinkford.
Ps. Would someone please mention this on the ministers' chat? The one non-blogging minister I talked to about this was pretty horrified, but hadn't heard about it since these days most people pretty much ignore Press Releases from the UUA about what a great guy Sinkford is for doing something political.
Saturday, October 04, 2008
An even better BarackRolling
Steve Caldwell pointed this one out to me. It's even better.
Obama fans, this will make your day.
CC
Obama fans, this will make your day.
CC
At a book signing where Tom Tommorrow is.
IF you're reading this before 4:15 or so eastern time on Saturday
AND you know me well enough to have my cell number or get it off my
facebook page or are friends with someone who meets that description
who will vouch for you,
AND you would like a signed book and are good for the cost of same.
Call me and we will work out the details.
CC
Sitting in a hotel bar at a comics convention and studying, but
willing to trek back through the exhibit hall if it's really important
to somebody.
Sent from my iPhone
You've been Barackrolled!
Well, not yet, but click the link.
I am amazed that people have this much free time, but I will admit that the result is pretty cool.
CC
I am amazed that people have this much free time, but I will admit that the result is pretty cool.
CC
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Vice Presidential Debate Liveblog
8:58 First, the good news. Like Catholic University Law School, Canada is apparently easy to get into.
9:00 May I say that Katie Couric is rocking those pinstripes. She's watching the debates with Bob Schaeffer and some guy who looks like Bill Gates. Ah. Jeff Greenfield.
9:01 Jeff Greenfield wants to know "which Palin" and "Which Biden" will show up. I'll settle for deer-in-the-headlights Palin and ANY Biden, though obviously folksy, smart, Biden is preferable.
9:02 HATED Palin blowing a kiss to the audience and saying "Can I call you Joe?" this will be a long night.
9:03 Cerulean says Biden sounds like he hasn't slept in awhile. I concur.
9:04 Biden has four criteria and he is slowly going through them. He has been prepared.
9:05 After three minutes of listening to Biden, I feel like *I* haven't gotten much sleep recently.
9:08 Like her running mate, Palin also likes the American worker.
9:09 Does anybody remember that “Married with Children” episode where Kelly is going to be on a sports quiz show and they fill her head so full of sports knowledge that she comes off as sort of robotic on the show and forgets a game her own father played in? This is how Palin is coming off
9:10 “Darn right it is” Folksy and kinda cute. Good one, Sarah.
9:11 Joel asks in the comments if Palin's accent is coming off as less strong. He's right. It is.
9:12 Both Biden and Palin are doing well.
9:13 I kinda liked the gas station story. Good one, Senator.
9:14 Want to drink every time Palin says "Darn right."
9:15 None of us are entirely sure what a "budgetary procedural vote" is.
9:16 Fuck, she's doing well. I hate it when my anxieties come true.
9:17 The "class warfare" question was an interesting one but kind of a gimmie for Biden. Lots of people LIKE class warfare. I don't think anybody likes fewer people getting insured.
9:18 Biden has funny-looking eyes. Unless I missed something, Palin seems to have just conflated personal and business taxes.
9:19 Palin appears to be ignoring Biden and reading her notes.
9:20 "Ultimate Bridge to Nowhere" snerk.
9:21 This is funny. Ifill is trying Lehrer's question from last week again. TheCSO points out the Biden is coming CLOSER to answering it than anyone has. And he's bringing up health care.
9:22 Palin is saying the McCain doesn't flip flop.
9:23 Cerulean says that Palin keeps moving the coversation back to Energy because the McCain Health Care plan is "What? Me Worry?"
Also, I have never felt moved to say "Bless their hearts," about energy company CEOs
9:26 John McCain warned us about the upcoming crisis. Didn't do a Goddamned thing, but hey America, he told you so.
9:29 She cannot stop moving the subject back to the energy. FortiesGirl just yelled: "Biden's misquoting McCain! Why won't she talk about what she really said?" and the rest of the room went "Because she doesn't know!" in unison.
9:30 What was the question about? Even I have totally lost track. Fuck. I think that means Palin wins.
9:35 Joe Biden, NEVER SMILE AGAIN. And Sarah, if you must use the word "Rape" casually, don't grin while doing so.
9:36 I am already sick of the "Your guy voted for _________ X number of times" accusation format.
9:37 Palin says no one in the McCain administration would do anything to prevent hospital visitation rights for gay couples. Jana-who-creates is like "Yeah, they would."
I tend to agree.
9:38 AWESOME.
9:39 A smart guy in the comments just asked "Why does she support carbon caps if she's not willing to admit that CO2 emissions cause global warming? Biden should have pushed harder on that. " Good call.
9:41 I'm still on Palin being for civil rights for gays. This is me reeling. They're talking about Iraq.
9:42 I've got three engineers and a chick who went to Brown with me and we're all confused about who voted for what when.
9:43 Stop smiling, Joe Biden. Gah, Palin is doing well. This sucks. I wish I'd decided to drink after all.
9:44 "As my mother would say, 'God love him" I AM SO SICK OF FOLKSY.
9:45 Obviously Pakistan's the bigger threat. Thanks to Sinkford's friendly smile, we're BFFs with Iran now.
9:47 ACK! Palin can't say "Nuclear" either. But she did a respectable job on "Ahmadinijad"
9:50 If we keep talking about Ahmadinijad, I'm going to get all mad at Bill Sinkford.
9:51 I love that John McCain hates Spain. It's Penelope Cruz's acting, isn't it?
9:52 MUST GET DRINK. Back in a sec.
9:53 OK, that helps. OK, Palin is encouraged that we "both love Israel." Everyone else has gone downstairs for gin. I assume. Oh, actually fajitas. I whould have gone for gin.
9:54 Biden wants to know how McCain's foreign policies will differ from George Bush's. In all fairness, he's not giving specifics on how OBAMA's positions will differ.
9:57 Jana just brought me gin. Whew. Why is it so wrong of Biden to mention that we're blowing up stuff? We are.
10:01 Props to Biden for brnging up Darfur. Blogger.com keeps freezing up on me.
10:02 Palin just mentioned that she sure is a Washington outsider. Ayup.
10:04 Oh, and the test ban treaty keeps us from doing some pretty cool nuclear powered-spaceships. Just sayin'
10:05 Ifill wants to know what would happen if the president died. I'm betting both VP candidates will carry on because their running mates' policies are so darn great.
10:07 Palin is smiling too much at the idea of assassination. OK, now she's not.
10:08 Palin is starting to spew random talking points. Finally. But IMHO she's not slipping fast enough.
10:11 See, Gwen? The people LIKE class warfare!
10:12 Sarah Palin winked agian. Sigh.
10:13 We kinda hated hearing about how kids are getting extra credit, but it was effective.
10:14 Gwen Ifill is not impressing me. In the NYT, Gene Healy's much better version of the question she just asked was The claim by Dick Cheney that he was exempt from certain disclosure requirements because the vice president was a “legislative officer” has been greeted with outrage. But the main power the Constitution grants the vice president is a legislative one — breaking a tie vote in the Senate.
So, Governor Palin, Senator Biden, doesn’t Mr. Cheney have a point?
But, then, if the vice president is a legislative officer, how can he wield the vast executive powers that Mr. Cheney has exercised, including orchestrating and supervising a warrantless wiretapping program?
Can the vice president shift between branches at his convenience? If not, what, in your view, is the constitutional status of the vice presidency?
10:15 OK, she's asking it now, by bad for dissing Gwen. Ok, she's sort of asking it.
10:16 Palin is now answering a really roundabout fashion.
10:17 OK, Biden is getting cranky. Go Biden! Get cranky in Cheney's general direction!
10:18 Yes, Joel, she's trying to channel Reagan. Oh, and yeah, Gwen Ifill asks easy questions.
10:19 "Shining city on a hill, as President Reagan said." Jana, bring me more gin.
10:21 I swear to God, Palin just said of McCain "He's the man we need to leave...err...lead."
10:23 Joe Biden is talking and the rest of the room is talking about Lieberman.
10:24 Gwen Ifill is treating this like a job interview. Which, it is, I suppose. But Katie Couric actually asked harder questions.
10:25 Palin has no regrets, Bush style. Also, she's never had to compromise, because she's so good at compromising. I don't get it either.
10:27 Palin looks really uncomfortable and like she wants to go home.
10:28 "Don't question people's motives, question their judgement" is good advice for living. But damn. I'm not inspired.
10:29 Palin likes to answer "tough questions." Sigh.
10:30 Palin's closing speech was good. I'm glad Biden's going last.
10:32 Biden's closing speech was also good. Whew.
UPDATE: CBS's uncommitted voters came down as a win for Biden. CNN calls it "jabs but no knockouts." I guess they weren't expecting Palin to suck as much as I was expecting her to. And it's true that she didn't do a great job of answering the questions that were asked but she faked her way through well enough.
9:00 May I say that Katie Couric is rocking those pinstripes. She's watching the debates with Bob Schaeffer and some guy who looks like Bill Gates. Ah. Jeff Greenfield.
9:01 Jeff Greenfield wants to know "which Palin" and "Which Biden" will show up. I'll settle for deer-in-the-headlights Palin and ANY Biden, though obviously folksy, smart, Biden is preferable.
9:02 HATED Palin blowing a kiss to the audience and saying "Can I call you Joe?" this will be a long night.
9:03 Cerulean says Biden sounds like he hasn't slept in awhile. I concur.
9:04 Biden has four criteria and he is slowly going through them. He has been prepared.
9:05 After three minutes of listening to Biden, I feel like *I* haven't gotten much sleep recently.
9:08 Like her running mate, Palin also likes the American worker.
9:09 Does anybody remember that “Married with Children” episode where Kelly is going to be on a sports quiz show and they fill her head so full of sports knowledge that she comes off as sort of robotic on the show and forgets a game her own father played in? This is how Palin is coming off
9:10 “Darn right it is” Folksy and kinda cute. Good one, Sarah.
9:11 Joel asks in the comments if Palin's accent is coming off as less strong. He's right. It is.
9:12 Both Biden and Palin are doing well.
9:13 I kinda liked the gas station story. Good one, Senator.
9:14 Want to drink every time Palin says "Darn right."
9:15 None of us are entirely sure what a "budgetary procedural vote" is.
9:16 Fuck, she's doing well. I hate it when my anxieties come true.
9:17 The "class warfare" question was an interesting one but kind of a gimmie for Biden. Lots of people LIKE class warfare. I don't think anybody likes fewer people getting insured.
9:18 Biden has funny-looking eyes. Unless I missed something, Palin seems to have just conflated personal and business taxes.
9:19 Palin appears to be ignoring Biden and reading her notes.
9:20 "Ultimate Bridge to Nowhere" snerk.
9:21 This is funny. Ifill is trying Lehrer's question from last week again. TheCSO points out the Biden is coming CLOSER to answering it than anyone has. And he's bringing up health care.
9:22 Palin is saying the McCain doesn't flip flop.
9:23 Cerulean says that Palin keeps moving the coversation back to Energy because the McCain Health Care plan is "What? Me Worry?"
Also, I have never felt moved to say "Bless their hearts," about energy company CEOs
9:26 John McCain warned us about the upcoming crisis. Didn't do a Goddamned thing, but hey America, he told you so.
9:29 She cannot stop moving the subject back to the energy. FortiesGirl just yelled: "Biden's misquoting McCain! Why won't she talk about what she really said?" and the rest of the room went "Because she doesn't know!" in unison.
9:30 What was the question about? Even I have totally lost track. Fuck. I think that means Palin wins.
9:35 Joe Biden, NEVER SMILE AGAIN. And Sarah, if you must use the word "Rape" casually, don't grin while doing so.
9:36 I am already sick of the "Your guy voted for _________ X number of times" accusation format.
9:37 Palin says no one in the McCain administration would do anything to prevent hospital visitation rights for gay couples. Jana-who-creates is like "Yeah, they would."
I tend to agree.
9:38 AWESOME.
9:39 A smart guy in the comments just asked "Why does she support carbon caps if she's not willing to admit that CO2 emissions cause global warming? Biden should have pushed harder on that. " Good call.
9:41 I'm still on Palin being for civil rights for gays. This is me reeling. They're talking about Iraq.
9:42 I've got three engineers and a chick who went to Brown with me and we're all confused about who voted for what when.
9:43 Stop smiling, Joe Biden. Gah, Palin is doing well. This sucks. I wish I'd decided to drink after all.
9:44 "As my mother would say, 'God love him" I AM SO SICK OF FOLKSY.
9:45 Obviously Pakistan's the bigger threat. Thanks to Sinkford's friendly smile, we're BFFs with Iran now.
9:47 ACK! Palin can't say "Nuclear" either. But she did a respectable job on "Ahmadinijad"
9:50 If we keep talking about Ahmadinijad, I'm going to get all mad at Bill Sinkford.
9:51 I love that John McCain hates Spain. It's Penelope Cruz's acting, isn't it?
9:52 MUST GET DRINK. Back in a sec.
9:53 OK, that helps. OK, Palin is encouraged that we "both love Israel." Everyone else has gone downstairs for gin. I assume. Oh, actually fajitas. I whould have gone for gin.
9:54 Biden wants to know how McCain's foreign policies will differ from George Bush's. In all fairness, he's not giving specifics on how OBAMA's positions will differ.
9:57 Jana just brought me gin. Whew. Why is it so wrong of Biden to mention that we're blowing up stuff? We are.
10:01 Props to Biden for brnging up Darfur. Blogger.com keeps freezing up on me.
10:02 Palin just mentioned that she sure is a Washington outsider. Ayup.
10:04 Oh, and the test ban treaty keeps us from doing some pretty cool nuclear powered-spaceships. Just sayin'
10:05 Ifill wants to know what would happen if the president died. I'm betting both VP candidates will carry on because their running mates' policies are so darn great.
10:07 Palin is smiling too much at the idea of assassination. OK, now she's not.
10:08 Palin is starting to spew random talking points. Finally. But IMHO she's not slipping fast enough.
10:11 See, Gwen? The people LIKE class warfare!
10:12 Sarah Palin winked agian. Sigh.
10:13 We kinda hated hearing about how kids are getting extra credit, but it was effective.
10:14 Gwen Ifill is not impressing me. In the NYT, Gene Healy's much better version of the question she just asked was The claim by Dick Cheney that he was exempt from certain disclosure requirements because the vice president was a “legislative officer” has been greeted with outrage. But the main power the Constitution grants the vice president is a legislative one — breaking a tie vote in the Senate.
So, Governor Palin, Senator Biden, doesn’t Mr. Cheney have a point?
But, then, if the vice president is a legislative officer, how can he wield the vast executive powers that Mr. Cheney has exercised, including orchestrating and supervising a warrantless wiretapping program?
Can the vice president shift between branches at his convenience? If not, what, in your view, is the constitutional status of the vice presidency?
10:15 OK, she's asking it now, by bad for dissing Gwen. Ok, she's sort of asking it.
10:16 Palin is now answering a really roundabout fashion.
10:17 OK, Biden is getting cranky. Go Biden! Get cranky in Cheney's general direction!
10:18 Yes, Joel, she's trying to channel Reagan. Oh, and yeah, Gwen Ifill asks easy questions.
10:19 "Shining city on a hill, as President Reagan said." Jana, bring me more gin.
10:21 I swear to God, Palin just said of McCain "He's the man we need to leave...err...lead."
10:23 Joe Biden is talking and the rest of the room is talking about Lieberman.
10:24 Gwen Ifill is treating this like a job interview. Which, it is, I suppose. But Katie Couric actually asked harder questions.
10:25 Palin has no regrets, Bush style. Also, she's never had to compromise, because she's so good at compromising. I don't get it either.
10:27 Palin looks really uncomfortable and like she wants to go home.
10:28 "Don't question people's motives, question their judgement" is good advice for living. But damn. I'm not inspired.
10:29 Palin likes to answer "tough questions." Sigh.
10:30 Palin's closing speech was good. I'm glad Biden's going last.
10:32 Biden's closing speech was also good. Whew.
UPDATE: CBS's uncommitted voters came down as a win for Biden. CNN calls it "jabs but no knockouts." I guess they weren't expecting Palin to suck as much as I was expecting her to. And it's true that she didn't do a great job of answering the questions that were asked but she faked her way through well enough.
Three hours pre-debate, I'm getting nervous
At this point, I worry that expectations for a Palin loss are so high that anything less than her bolting from the stage will be regarded as a victory.
Oh well. We will see.
CC
Oh well. We will see.
CC
FWIW
I was G-chatting with a friend about the Sinkford-honored-to-meet-with-Dude-who-believes-in-stoning-people-to-death issue and as part of my explanation of why it made me so upset, I linked to this old post.
For newer readers, that I was sick of this and writing things like that two and a half years ago might add some perspective on how long running my objection to the UUA's immersion in politics has been and why it bugs me so much when Sinkford helps a tyrant with his PR.
I have to believe the next UUA president won't be like this.
CC
Ps. Someone who agrees with me, but is far more rational on the subject has posted here.
For newer readers, that I was sick of this and writing things like that two and a half years ago might add some perspective on how long running my objection to the UUA's immersion in politics has been and why it bugs me so much when Sinkford helps a tyrant with his PR.
I have to believe the next UUA president won't be like this.
CC
Ps. Someone who agrees with me, but is far more rational on the subject has posted here.
Live blogging tonight
The Usual Suspects (sans Smiley Dave, Zombiekid and TheGnome) will be over tonight to eat fajitas and watch the debate and there will be livebloggage as I steal their jokes.
I've decided not to drink every time I hear the word Alaska, since the sheer amount of Red Bull in my system alone makes me more susceptible to alcohol poisoning.
Anyway, coverage will start as soon as I can get home from class, though I'm stopping at the store on the way.
I'm trying not to get my hopes up, but sincerely wanting the debate to go like this:
CC
who honestly thinks "What's another Supreme Court decision you disagree with?" is the political interview equivilent of those SNL Celebrity Jeopardy sketches where the categories have titles like "Black Comedians Named Whoopi"
I've decided not to drink every time I hear the word Alaska, since the sheer amount of Red Bull in my system alone makes me more susceptible to alcohol poisoning.
Anyway, coverage will start as soon as I can get home from class, though I'm stopping at the store on the way.
I'm trying not to get my hopes up, but sincerely wanting the debate to go like this:
CC
who honestly thinks "What's another Supreme Court decision you disagree with?" is the political interview equivilent of those SNL Celebrity Jeopardy sketches where the categories have titles like "Black Comedians Named Whoopi"
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Response to Ms. Kitty.
Ms Kitty is also writing about Sinkford's meeting with the president of Iran. She asks what would Jesus do? or Gandhi? or Martin Luther King Jr.? or Michael Servetus? or Francis David? or, to throw in a few women, what would Joan of Arc do?
As far as I can tell, if they had been asked to meet with a tyrant who abused his people and dropped strong pro-genocide hints (if you believe his claim that the whole "wipe Isreal of the map" bit was a misunderstanding):
Jesus would have used that "presto-change-o abandon your wives and children and possessions and follow me" power that he used on the fishermen.
Gandhi would have met with him, expressed his utter disgust with a wit and cleverness that would have been quoted worldwide, then gone home to fast and recover from the experience.
Martin Luther King, Jr. would have made him listen to the sermon of his life.
Servetus would have treated him with utter contempt and rudeness, and given him a lecture on bible that would have left him extremely confused.
Francis David would have explained to him that killing people who disagreed was unneccessary, probably in strong terms as that issue was pretty personal to him.
And Joan of Arc? Would have kicked his ass. Because she was an army leader and that's what army leaders do best.
But I'm betting NONE of them would have met him on friendly terms then put out a masturbatory press release about how "honored" they were.
CC
As far as I can tell, if they had been asked to meet with a tyrant who abused his people and dropped strong pro-genocide hints (if you believe his claim that the whole "wipe Isreal of the map" bit was a misunderstanding):
Jesus would have used that "presto-change-o abandon your wives and children and possessions and follow me" power that he used on the fishermen.
Gandhi would have met with him, expressed his utter disgust with a wit and cleverness that would have been quoted worldwide, then gone home to fast and recover from the experience.
Martin Luther King, Jr. would have made him listen to the sermon of his life.
Servetus would have treated him with utter contempt and rudeness, and given him a lecture on bible that would have left him extremely confused.
Francis David would have explained to him that killing people who disagreed was unneccessary, probably in strong terms as that issue was pretty personal to him.
And Joan of Arc? Would have kicked his ass. Because she was an army leader and that's what army leaders do best.
But I'm betting NONE of them would have met him on friendly terms then put out a masturbatory press release about how "honored" they were.
CC
CC goes off on Sinkford meeting with Ahmadinejad.
Remember when I was asking the question "How do cultures that mistreat women fit into the general theory that all cultures are equal and should all be respected and not judged by white American standards?" hoping to get an answer from antiracist folks and the only people who even really TRIED to give me an answer were non-UUs?
Well, I kinda wish we had tried to answer that before Sinkford met with the President of Iran and put that wonderful news all over UUA.org.
Now the UUA press release does note that Sinkford asked about the treatment of women and got the standard bullshit answer, which the press release cheerfully parrots back "He also spoke about the Iranian belief that women are the essence of society’s beauty and kindness, and said that Iranians do not want women to work too hard, in fear that their spirit will be broken and that this will destroy society’s beauty."*
I guess I'm glad Sinkford asked, though it's not like is question did anyone any good, but what the fuck?
The Press release was rife with the usual snottiness that accompanies this sort of issue "Bruce Knotts, who is a retired United States diplomat, understood the significance of this meeting..." I'm guessing that because I disagree with Sinkford attending that meeting, I must not understand it.
Sigh.
I don't care so much if Obama meets with him, though I'd personally rather he didn't in that I tend to think that when the President of the United States meets with somebody it makes them look legitimate. That said, a real diplomatic negotiation might theoretically do some good unlike the previous years of negotiations that haven't.
But Sinkford meeting with him is just crazy. I mean do we want to be the religion with a mind so open its brains fall out?
And of course, we all hate President Bush so much that Sinkford had to negatively compare him to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad under the apparent theory that President Bush never answers softball questions from fawning religious leaders.
I don't like President Bush at all. I find pretty much nothing redeeming in the man. But he is NOT a holocaust-denying murderous freak who persecutes minority religions and pretty much anyone who disagress with him and wants Isreal wiped off the map.
I CAN NOT WAIT for a new UUA President and I really, really hope that neither Hallman nor Morales have the inclination to do things like this in the name of my religion, and by extension, me.
CC
Hat tip to Peacebang, whose response was considerably more restrained. Until it wasn't. But that's even better, because even UUs need a bit of hellfire and brimstone every now and again.
*The Press release also cheerfully recounts that the Iran's government is committed to wind and solar power! The Iranian people will be so pleased to read this press release should they ever be allowed to use an internet connection uncensored enough to let them to see UUA.org.
Well, I kinda wish we had tried to answer that before Sinkford met with the President of Iran and put that wonderful news all over UUA.org.
Now the UUA press release does note that Sinkford asked about the treatment of women and got the standard bullshit answer, which the press release cheerfully parrots back "He also spoke about the Iranian belief that women are the essence of society’s beauty and kindness, and said that Iranians do not want women to work too hard, in fear that their spirit will be broken and that this will destroy society’s beauty."*
I guess I'm glad Sinkford asked, though it's not like is question did anyone any good, but what the fuck?
The Press release was rife with the usual snottiness that accompanies this sort of issue "Bruce Knotts, who is a retired United States diplomat, understood the significance of this meeting..." I'm guessing that because I disagree with Sinkford attending that meeting, I must not understand it.
Sigh.
I don't care so much if Obama meets with him, though I'd personally rather he didn't in that I tend to think that when the President of the United States meets with somebody it makes them look legitimate. That said, a real diplomatic negotiation might theoretically do some good unlike the previous years of negotiations that haven't.
But Sinkford meeting with him is just crazy. I mean do we want to be the religion with a mind so open its brains fall out?
And of course, we all hate President Bush so much that Sinkford had to negatively compare him to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad under the apparent theory that President Bush never answers softball questions from fawning religious leaders.
I don't like President Bush at all. I find pretty much nothing redeeming in the man. But he is NOT a holocaust-denying murderous freak who persecutes minority religions and pretty much anyone who disagress with him and wants Isreal wiped off the map.
I CAN NOT WAIT for a new UUA President and I really, really hope that neither Hallman nor Morales have the inclination to do things like this in the name of my religion, and by extension, me.
CC
Hat tip to Peacebang, whose response was considerably more restrained. Until it wasn't. But that's even better, because even UUs need a bit of hellfire and brimstone every now and again.
*The Press release also cheerfully recounts that the Iran's government is committed to wind and solar power! The Iranian people will be so pleased to read this press release should they ever be allowed to use an internet connection uncensored enough to let them to see UUA.org.
How to make somebody's day
FWIW, a very kind friend sent theCSO and I an arrangement from these guys.
It was SO beautiful and awesome and he and I and FortiesGirl and Cerluean have just about eaten it up.
It was such a cool alternative to sending flowers!
CC
It was SO beautiful and awesome and he and I and FortiesGirl and Cerluean have just about eaten it up.
It was such a cool alternative to sending flowers!
CC
A YRUU class we did recently that went really well
This year our church's spiffy youth ministry coordinator, TogetherBeth, has us working out of the "Building your Own Theology" curriculum and it has been going really well. We had an amazing class a week and a half ago that I meant to write about before theCSO's accident started taking up all my time and attention.
We gave the youth paper and markers and had them draw "How I saw God when I was a kid" and "How I see God now." It was pretty fascinating to see what people came up with.
In the interest of maintaining their privacy, I only photographed my own drawing, but several youth drew a God figure that was highly influence by the "buddy Jesus" from Dogma. There were lots of old men in the sky, of course. Conversely, a few people drew God as being scary.
As you can see, mine was a little different. When I was a kid, I knew from picture books that God had a beard. Now the only person I knew with a beard was Rev. Thompson, the associate pastor at my parents' church. And HE talked about what God wanted us to do all the time, as he stood at the pulpit in long flowing robes.
So at about four years of age, I was convinced that the Reverend Thompson was actually God. My parents denied this, so I remember thinking that Rev. Thompson was SECRETLY God, the way Bruce Wayne was SECRETLY Batman.
Obviously, I got over this at some point.
My "how I see God now" picture was of an apple falling, a reference to how I see Gravity as the most useful metaphor for God. Most of the youth saw God in either nature or the connections between people, though the majority of the group considered themselves theist in one sense or another. We talked about the differing ways people see God and and found a certain amount of common ground. It was interesting how we really didn't have much in the way of actual atheists in the group, though I did mention atheism and how an atheist can still appreciate some of the things theists see God in.
It was really neat stuff, y'all.
CC
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