There's a lot of potential for wasting time on the internets. I know. And here's one more: a message board where the thotful and snarky and sincere and friendly all meet to slack off and share some web 2.0 time. It's where the neat meet to bleat. Sometimes elite, sometimes effete, sometimes Pete (if a guy named Pete registers), it's all there at The People's Republic of Aimless Chatter:
I just bought 2 tix for the show in September in Mountain View. Holy Beejebus they were expensive ($110 each after fees + fees + FEES!) but I lub them plus Maroon 5 is going to be there too. So hell - $55 for 2 kick ass bands = worth it!
Linky:
MSNBC is the new FOX
Here's how I have to think about it the issue -- does it damage Obama's chances to call him on the carpet at this point?
What I say to everyone else:
I support the candidacy of Barack Obama. I think he is the best choice for president of the US and I will give my time, my money, and my effort to helping elect him. Wholeheartedly. Without equivocation.
What I say to Candidate Obama:
I think you are on the wrong side of these issues: ethanol, FISA, stereotyping Muslims, maybe Palestine, I'm sure there are others.
I expect you to run your campaign with integrity and without providing Republicans with the means to damage downticket races, or to somehow mobilize the deadenders to get behind John McCain.
In addition, I expect you to dance with those of us who brung you, when you get elected. Since 90% of your donations come from people who give $100 or less, that means continuing to reach out to, and "take the temperature of," we, the people.
And finally, when you get elected, move off the right-of-center spot that Democrats ALWAYS have to move to, to get elected.
I know you're not progressive, but you're not stupid and I believe you when you say all those inspirational things you say about how things can really be. I know you can't outline the costs, both literal and metaphorical, right now, or you'll never get elected. But I expect you to ask something of us after you get in. Like I said, you have me now, for what it's worth. And you have 4 years.
This was taken from another blog as I just found it today....
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That bed looks comfy. I wonder if it's a Bed & Breakfast place.
I won! I can't believe it!
Any suggestions on what I should ask??
Obama problem This is shocking. Again, I will say, I am an Obama supporter. And I am actively looking for these stories. Because we don't make unimpeachable heroes out of our presidents anymore, at least Democrats don't. So, I'm 100% behind him during this general election, but he gets one 4 year term from me. He better be as forthright and honest and realistic and intelligent about these matters as he was in his books and as he was in his speech about race and as I expect he will be once he has won. If no, then no. Because I expect this intolerant game-playing bullshit from the other side, but not from MY president.
Beyond Yangon The people of Myanmar are expecting us to come and force a regime change. And why shouldn't they? Sorry, people of Myanmar, you have nothing we want and you're not strategically important to us or our allies. So, no regime change for you.
GAO report on Iraq "The unclassified version of the American plan, laid out by President Bush in January 2007 in what he called 'The New Way Forward in Iraq'.” The GAO says that the achievements and measures of improvement laid out in the president's plan (which were supposed to happen in 12-18 months, which means BY NOW) haven't happened. Really. I might not be able to do this "web logging" with Iraq stories. They make me feel like going to bed and never coming out. When I think about this and the KBR story from earlier, I just want to....I don't know.
Religion survey This is an interesting short piece, lots of good data. What I liked is the overall picture of a nation of people who, in the majority, consider themselves spiritual or religious AND espouse the political views I bolded below. I hope this is a trend.
"The nationwide survey, which is based on telephone interviews with more than 35,000 adults from May 8 to Aug. 13, 2007, is the second installment of a broad assessment Pew has undertaken of trends and characteristics of the country’s religious life. The first part of the report, published in February, depicted a fluid and diverse national religious life marked by people moving among denominations and faiths.
For all respondents, the survey’s margin of sampling error is plus or minus one percentage point. For smaller subgroups of religions or denominations, the margin of sampling error is larger, ranging from 2 to 11 points.
Nearly two-thirds [65%?] of respondents favored more government help for
the poor, even if it meant going deeper into debt.
Sixty-one percent of respondents also said “stricter environmental laws and regulations are worth the cost.”
A majority [51%?] said the United States should pay more attention to problems at home than those abroad, but in the area of foreign policy, 6 of 10 [60%] said that diplomacy, not military strength, was the best way to ensure peace."
The pic is totally from the 80s.
I was just reading a section of the collaborative poem, Baby Democrats, by one of my favorite poets, Denise Duhamel.
Here is the relevant passage:
For Democrats, responsibility to Kennedy was bigger than responsibility to your own family. Aunt Bea had an 8 1/2 by 11 of Kennedy, framed in the same frames as Jesus and her sons. She braided palms she got from the church on Palm Sunday and put them around Kennedy's picture to protect his soul. She said after Kennedy was shot, nothing else would be good and I wished I could remember my country, those first two years of my life, that Democratic Catholic hope, that pre-Marilyn scandal, pre-Chappaquiddick time, that Cape Cod love, those pillbox hats and neatness.
When I read this I feel bitter. Because we will never have this. Johnson ruined it and Boomers ruined it and Nixon ruined it and Ford ruined it and Carter ruined it and we became cynics and distrustful and that's probably appropriate because Kennedy wasn't a saint, nor was FDR, nor Lincoln, nor John Adams. But no matter how similar to these important and historic history-changing men Barack Obama is, we will never all get behind him, not like people were behind Kennedy. And it's not because he's black. And it's not because he's white. It's not because he's not progressive enough or too progressive or has a funny name or associates with republicans and radicals. It's because we can't love the way we did before. Our country will never feel that for a president again. And I want to blame the assassins and the media and the generals and all the presidents since then (especially the last two). But maybe there's no one to blame. And that makes me feel sad. I would so love it if we had that again. It wasn't just respect for the office (which, in my opinion, deadender Bush supporters have conflated with respect for the man -- to their detriment), it was respect for the person of Kennedy. And maybe no president since then has merited that respect (though I think President Carter does now) but maybe Barack Obama does. And he won't get it because we don't do that anymore. Did the man on the street agree with Kennedy's every policy? Were people somehow more informed or more tolerant of policy difference then? I would say not likely. I think people were inspired by his intelligence, his oratory, his aliveness, his genuineness. And I venture to say that's what's inspiring people today. So why doesn't he get to be the next Kennedy? Even Dems are too cynical for that. And so, I remain bitter and sad.
