entartete kunst

Back after a Hiatus

2007-05-20T15:57:00.000-04:00

Hi there Hog fans - lotta water under the bridge (historical reference to Wonder Warthog circa 1965). Things are slow in the environmental engineering/blogging (or more properly blog reading) universe. Got accepted to the Jeopardy tryout in Orlando (may get on - better than spending retirement money), tore my leg up in the MS150 charity ride (getting better), and doing interesting projects. Politically, things are improving slightly - Gonzo's about gone, Wolfie is gone, Dubya, still obstinately there. Per NTodd, W's at 34% approval in Rasmussen, maybe we can get him impeached. More anon, especially if I get on Jeopardy.

Bush's Great "All In" Moment - Die is Cast

2005-12-17T21:44:00.000-05:00

This is Bush's 'all in' moment -- the die is cast, and he's dared Congress to stop him. That's what the surveillance without court orders is all about, it's a giant f#ck you to the country. If Congress and the courts don't respond to stop Bush and Co., that's it for American democracy.

Followup to the Bugman

2005-12-08T10:08:00.000-05:00

Last post we explored the imminent collapse of Tom DeLay, the Texas Bugman. Now it looks even better -- for him and his little dog (Jack Abramoff), too! Last month I discussed this with a local sachem of the Democratic Party, and assured him that the Abramoff/Scanlon/DeLay connection would be even more important than the money laundering. I believe I'll be proven correct, but keep an eye out.

Watching the Bugman Collapse

2005-10-04T11:58:00.000-04:00

The blogosphere (y!sctp) has been all atwitter about the serial indictments of Tom DeLay (R-Tammany Hall). While fun, it all seemed to be a house of cards with Tom's new hot shot defense attorney DeGuerin asking to have the charges dismissed. So then Ronnie Earle goes "here's another couple for good measure," and one of the new indictments, money laundering, has a potential life sentence (heungh, heungh). My take is that, as was implied, Ronnie and the Bugman's original lawyers had a nice plea bargain all ready to go (after all, he signed a waiver of the stature of limitations), and the new broom, DeGuerin, decided to go all Clarence Darrow. That may have led Ronnie to go to his original plan with the charge with the harsher sentence. All lawyers want to weigh in on this?

Answering the skippy challenge

2005-09-06T07:15:00.000-04:00

One of the best, skippy the bush kangaroo, challenged political blogtopia (ysctp) to give 'til it felt good for Katrina relief, and then blog about it (no credit for good intentions). EK sent $25 to Mercy Corps and $25 to Joanna (courtesy of World o' Crap), and now I'm blogging about it. Just wish it could be more.

Really honor the fallen, the Viking way

2005-08-24T13:07:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the long absence -- been in the Prius going to Little Rock, and otherwise enjoying myself.

Dubya is saying we have to stay the course to 'honor the fallen,' and I have no problem with this, but I think it would be more efficient to do it the Viking way: select 100 soldiers, marines and sailors at random from active units in the US, lead them over Iraq War graves in Arlington National Cemetery and slit their throats. Same effect and saves transportation costs.

London Calling, 7/7/2005

2005-07-08T09:54:00.000-04:00

It appears that al Qaida has struck in London, with the Underground getting the biggest hits. I love the city, and believe its people among the bravest in the world -- blitzes in two World Wars, IRA bombings, now this, cannot stifle a city that's also suffered a couple of plagues (1348 and 1667), and at least one burning. So what to do; there's only one answer -- road trip. Costing out the flight, I can go in September for $400 round trip air fare so a four day weekend is definitely in the offing. I'll the Science Museum, the Geology Museum, the Imperial War Museum (both London and Duxford), the Victoria and Albert. I'll have more fun than the resta you schmucks.

What You Can to To Save the Supreme court

2005-07-04T13:04:00.000-04:00

This is from dKos via TalkLeft

"Whatever happens with the Supreme Court nomination battle that is about to
ensue, it's going to happen fast. Here are some things you can do right
now:
If you have a cell phone, sign up for People at the American Way's Mass Immediate Response site.
This way, you'll be able to receive text message action items instantly as
events break. (If you signed up during the nuclear option fight, you'll need to
re-sign up.)
Also sign up with the Save the Court, another PFAW
website devoted specifically to this issue.
Recruit friends and family members to
the cause.
Write
to the President, telling him he should choose a consensus
candidate to replace O'Connor.
Sign MoveOn's "Protect Our Rights"
petition.
Contact
your Senators to tell them the same thing.
Contact members
of the media and tell them you think Bush should nominate a consensus
candidate. PLEASE be polite, be brief (200 words or less), and don't do
copy-and-paste jobs - put things in your own words.
If you have a blog,
please post these action items on your site. If you don't, e-mail them to your
like-minded buddies and relatives.
"

Coup de Etat

2005-07-03T15:36:00.000-04:00

This is a link from today's Wolcott post, from a CIA affiliated website. The title is Coup de Etat and the title says it all. Go check it out, then get the tinfoil out of the cupboard.

Bicycling as a Collective Activity

2005-06-26T14:41:00.000-04:00

I just finished a Sunday ride -- Kevin Timon's last as the Joffreys Sunday Ride leader. This is a low speed chat ride, Lowry Park (the Tampa zoo) to Channelside (where the cruise ships dock) at 12 -14 mph. Kevin has been leading the ride for 13 years, and is leaving because of Freewheelers club mismanagement -- they didn't bother to check with him about his plans, and now he's gone. We'll miss Kevin, a most excellent ride leader.

This highlights the collective nature of cycling -- it's safer, more fun and in all ways better to ride as a group. Groups ride faster (drafting), safer (they're more visible) and share resources better (there's at least a extra inner tube and tire pump in every group). So what's the secret to a successful group? I believe it is organization and planning and honesty about intentions -- Kevin's leaving is a text book illustration of lack of organization by the club, and lack of coordination in dealing with the ride leaders. There is a lesson here in management or mismanagement.

Into the 21st Century Saving the World

2005-06-19T18:32:00.000-04:00

Well -- the Undying Honda was finally replaced; with a shiny new Super White 2005 Toyota Prius. I've been considering the Prius, looked at the Honda Civic Hybrid, etc., and went with the Toyota. Reasons were: higher mileage, 60/52 v. 48/48; hatchback that will hold a bicycle (or two) v. a microtrunk that's lost 10 cubic feet to the new battery; and a truly vicious torque steer because of the two small electric motors on the front wheels. The Prius has a bottom up design and the Honda seems more cobbled up. So far the mileage is around 45 mpg, approximatley twice that of the old Honda, and I'm planning a drive from Tampa to Little Rock just to show off.

Thought of the Day - Yogi Berra Edition

2005-05-12T11:08:00.000-04:00

With all the angst of the John Bolton confirmation, the Republicans smothering good government and democracy, rising gas prices and Social Security looting, it's time for a profound thought.

"In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is. "

Yogi Berra

Collapse and the End of America

2005-05-10T15:14:00.000-04:00

I'm just finishing Collapse by Jared Diamond, the author of Guns, Germs and Steel, the Pulitzer prize winning book about why the Europeans conquered the world. In (very) short, Europeans had developed better immunity from bacteria and viruses by domesticating pigs and fowl, had access to better food sources (higher energy density, lower energy cost ratio to produce, etc.) and were generally more technically advanced because of social systems that favored innovation (in some areas, i.e., military technology).

In Collapse, Dr. Diamond takes on the reasons why societies fail. He documents the fall of disparate societies such as Easter Island, the Maya and the Greenland Norse. In general, societies fail (he concludes) principally because the society is not in tune with its environment, and because no corrective action occurs until it's too late. Beginning to sound familiar? We are building infrastructure that is inherently unsustainable, and with the end of cheap fossil fuel, we will get to see how correct Dr. Diamond can be. There is absolutely no hope of corrective action in the current media and political environment, with a major political party willfully blinding the nation to science, from basic biology to climatology.

Oh well, life is a tragedy to a feeling person and a comedy to a thinking person. Too bad it's a Kurt Vonnegut comedy.

National Press Club Goes With the Gannon

2005-03-29T11:58:00.000-05:00

A recent post by Sean Paul Kelley at Agonist.org discusses the National Press Club holding a blogging conference with the star being JimGuckert/JeffGannon, ably supported by Wonkette. While Wonkette is admirably snarky, including the bogus Jeff is a real slap. Go see what Sean Paul has to say.

A Seat at the Table

2005-03-18T08:55:00.000-05:00

There's a good post at Steve Gilliard's site, discussing the Brookings Institution blogging forum, with names and numbers to contact. Basically, we liberal bloggers need to get in the face of the think tanks and institutions to insure our voices are heard. Otherwise, it'll be Instahacks and Powerlines all the way down.

With Discipline, All Things are Possible

2005-03-15T15:01:00.000-05:00

I just realized I haven't posted since February 21, and risk losing my impetus. That was the day I got my Florida Professional Engineer license renewal to the state, and I just received notice today that I was renewed. It's a veritable Fountain of Youth for the aging engineer, the cycle of renewal and rebirth, growth and decay, anabolism and catabolism, yin and yang, sturm and drang, nacht and nebel, yattata and yattata.

Progress is being made on the political front -- Tom DeLay (the Sugar Land Bugman) is weakening under scrutiny, Dubya's attempt to gut Social Security is foundering (because most people are better and smarter than he'd hoped), and JEB is a lame duck. Now, if we can get reform of electoral districting, maybe we can get our country back.

Rest in Peace, Hunter

2005-02-21T10:15:00.000-05:00

Hunter S. Thompson has submitted his last piece. He shot himself to death last night, after 67 event filled years. I met him in the San Jose CA airport 25 years ago, when he was headed to Hawaii for the first marathon, and I was going to an EPA conference there on wastewater funding. I saw him loping through the concourse and with my usual aplomb ran up screaming "Hunter Thompson, you're my hero!!" (his real friends always left out the "S"). He bravely replied "shit, I thought I'd been busted."
He'll be missed.

Best Environmental History of Technology I've Seen

2005-02-19T16:46:00.000-05:00

Here's a little 23 page wonder from The Nation. It's an excellent Secret History of Lead and worth reading. Seems that as an antiknock compound, ethanol has every virtue but patentability, so GM and Standard Oil needed to create a patentable profit making remedy to engine knock. Thank GM when your kids are stupid.

Let's Get Atrios Back on Top

2005-02-15T09:21:00.000-05:00

Seems Google has somehow dropped Atrios from its search engine, and the only cure is for more of us to link with Eschaton. Do it wisely.

Getting Traction on Social Security

2005-02-12T16:37:00.000-05:00

Seems we're getting some traction against Dubya's Social Security demolition. Republican Congressmen are realizing, as analyzed in another blog today, that 1) they have to get reelected in two years, 2) that gutting SS would gain them nothing personally but it's a great risk, and 3) that Dubya can't help them if their districts turn them out. Personally, I'm outraged that Dubya is trying to cheat Americans out of the extra withholding we've been chipping in since 1983, when Alan Greenspan ran the numbers and realized the system would go negative. By 2018, there'll be enough in the trust fund to maintain benefits until 2042 (at a minimum). The extra funding has been in Treasury notes, letting the Government cost a little less to run, but Dubya'd rather default than raise taxes on his rich pals.

Manifestation in Tampa Against Privatization

2005-02-04T19:39:00.000-05:00

I prefer the French term Manifestation instead of demonstration, because we made our displeasure manifest on the occasion of George W. Bush's visit to Tampa to hype his approach to pillaging the future. Today in Tampa we manifested our displeasure with George W. Bush's privatization scheme, with approximately 300 Floridians turning out to witness against GWB's looting of the Social Security Trust Fund.

Speakers included Phil Compton of Florida Consumer Action Network (FCAN), John Russell, Democratic opponent for Ginny Brown-Waite in Congress seat FL-5, and several others. After the speeches, the demonstrators marched down toward the Tampa Convention Center to get as close to GWB as the police would allow.

Pictures are available upon request -- "hello" is screwing up.

Say No to Torture and Yes to the Constitution

2005-01-25T17:19:00.000-05:00

Recently I've written to Senator Bill Nelson and Senator Barbara Boxer regarding voting against Alberto Gonzales for Attorney General. My objections are in two areas; first, that torture is illegal, and second, that the Geneva Conventions protect American soldiers as well as the enemy. In addition to these two reasons, Mr. Gonzales has shown a disregard for the Constitutional roles of the Executive branch, writing that Mr. Bush can define the law in time of war, which is certainly not intended by the framers.

Adolf, Josef and George

2005-01-20T13:14:00.000-05:00

Veiled reference to Abraham, Martin and John...
Victims of the Hitler and Stalin purges often said, before being shot/garroted/burned/buried alive, that "Adolf/Josef didn't know the evils being done by their underlings." Today, reporters on WMNF interviewed Republicans at the inauguration, and were told that "George Bush didn't know about the torture at Abu Ghraib/wasn't told the truth about Weapons of Mass Destruction/didn't agree with voter suppression in Ohio." Where's Santayana when we need him?

Weimar Democrats

2005-01-07T13:54:00.000-05:00

After listening to the Gonzales confirmation hearing and the congressional certification of the electoral vote yesterday, I believe we've had it as a nation. The best analogy is the Weimar Republic (Germany, early 1920's for you nonhistorians), where earnest social democrats were trying to govern a nation with the Nazis on the rise. The SD didn't recognize the 'revolutionary power' of the nazis, and tried to fight their brutality with appeals to reason. Didn't work then, won't work now The only thing to do is hunker down and wait for the collapse of this once great nation. Only if our emasculated Democratic Party wakes up will we have any chance (and it's a slim one) of getting through this alive. Look for squads of NRA members hunting tutsi liberals in a decade.

Thoughts after returning from Arkansas

2005-01-03T10:15:00.000-05:00

Howdy foax -- back again from Arkansas. Highlights were the weather and the Bill Clinton Library visit. Mom (91 YO) is well. she forgot the word 'labryinth' and was upset, and I suggested that forgetting labryinth wasn't as serious as, say forgetting 'chocolate.'

The Clinton Library is a joy -- and the crowds were massive on the first day open after Christmas. Sorta reminded me of the eight years of peace and prosperity from which GWB has rescued us.

We did the first bike ride of the New Year, and it was good. More anon.

Thoughts before leaving for Arkansas

2004-12-20T09:26:00.000-05:00

Here it is another year and no wiser. This was possibly the worst year of my life, at least on the public side -- defeat for Bill McBride in 2002 was no walk in the park, but the combination of John Kerry's loss with the rise of the reactionary religious right is almost too much to bear, but we will bear it. The hope left in Pandora's box is the resolve of real democrats. My earlier wish for a blue boycott of the Republican business community so well embodied by Wal Mart was answered by buyblue.com and chooseblue.com. Now all we need is to organize a Democratic Party Insurance Cooperative. Other mutual societies, like United Services Automobile Association (USAA) for military officers, have demonstrated the viability of the concept, now all we need is to put it in motion and fight off the right wing attacks on us for having the temerity to want to keep 'their money.'

And by the way, there's nothing wrong with Social Security -- discuss this with any Republicans you meet in the next few weeks -- if you want to retire, that is. Happy holidays

Back again, and pissed

2004-12-11T14:06:00.000-05:00

As I said, I have to get my outrage on; and here it is. Now the Rethugs are after Social Security, with the Chimp in Chief saying SS collapse is imminent, the compliant media slavishly parroting the imminent collapse theme, and the pundits saying how obvious it is that the 'system is in trouble.' Which it is, of course, because it's now the target for Republican looting. Paul Krugman has a great piece in the NY Times about this being the route Argentina took in the 1980's.

Perhaps the most significant outrage, of course, is the conscious choice of the right wing to make Americans ignorant and stupid. Because thoughtful people become Democrats, "ignorance is strength" is the real Republican motto. Ruy Texiera wrote that as Americans become more educated, they also become more Democratic. The obvious counter to this is to make Americans more ignorant. That'll make 'em good Rethugs. It's the basis of the whole "creation science" or "intelligent design" campaign. Make rational thought and the scientific method invalid, and all evaluation becomes replaced by faith and manipulated public opinion. Shall we vote on the value of pi? Three makes more sense than some "irrational" number.

Recovery from Thanksgiving

2004-11-30T10:33:00.000-05:00

Alright foax, back from Thanksgiving in Charleston SC, where we agreed that this is too much fun for just once a year. We have tentatively scheduled a semiannual meeting for May 2005, at Peter and Paulas' place in Virginia. Shorter event, less hoohah. More anon, as Greg Shkuda ustasay.
The food was great this time, but the fireworks (fuegos artificiales) were spectacular, thanks to Bob Huxley.
Returning to real blogging soon, just need to get the outrage level up a little.

Cooperate to Survive

2004-11-22T07:28:00.000-05:00

One of the signature elements of the present regime is the destruction of cooperative activities -- by 'defunding' the working class, making survival more difficult and setting the Social Darwinism mark of 'all against all,' the right wing is drving wedges between people who should have the same goals. As part of the struggle, we need to find new areas for cooperation.

One area ripe for cooperative action is health insurance. Just imagine a Democratic Party offering group health insurance for all us orphans from the corporate health club. The Rethugs are presently helping this agenda by eliminating the tax deduction for corporate health insurance payments. Their goal in this is to make more Americans buy individual health insurance instead of less expensive group insurance. While this will please their masters in the insurance business, it also creates an opening for a Democratic health insurance cooperative. A person would have to show voter registration as a Democrat, and agree to work with either a local Democratic Party group or work with a national group, in order to participate. A start might be made by incorporating some union health insurance programs as starters.

Benefits would include a large base for bargaining, the ability to reward honest health providers, and the ability to deliver a tangible 'good' in the absence of elective power. I have no expertise in any health care insurance area, but at least let's get the discussion of this or any other cooperative ideas in progress.

A Guide to Companies Supporting Dems

2004-11-15T20:02:00.000-05:00

My earlier post about buying progressive needed more information. Here's a site with the data.

http://www.freenortheast.com/filtered.php

Visit, go forth and shop.

An Open Letter to Jim Davis

2004-11-14T17:14:00.000-05:00

Here's the text of a letter I sent to our Congressman

Dear Mr. Davis:
Porter Goss and his henchmen are purging the CIA, but they're not purging the incompetent, they're purging the Democrats. Why, because they don't support the President. I wasn't aware that the Civil Service Act allowed expelling the losing party.
The current administration has politicized the war to an unprecedented degree, and if they purge the secret agencies, there is no limit to the mischief they can cause. Call me a conspiracy monger, but if they can read your mail, put a Fed on your tail and throw you in jail, it'll be pretty hard to get people to vote against them.

What to do? I don't know, but I'd ask Bob Graham. He's still a Senator, knows the people and can help figure this out.

A Call to Sacrifice

2004-11-06T06:33:00.000-05:00

One thing that struck me regarding the Christian Right is the willingness to sacrifice material wellbeing for ideology. To the Religious Right, if a "godly" man is elected, that's sufficient reward to make up for the loss of jobs, health insurance, a son in Iraq, or any other earthly treasure. The reasons for this willingness to sacrifice are manifold, but the most striking is that if you can still give up something, you're not really poor. Paradoxically, giving makes you richer, so if the argument is properly (cynically) framed, the sacrifice both furthers the goal of the manipulator and binds you more firmly to the cause.

We need to capture that spirit for progressive causes. My earlier post about buying progressive is one possible context. If a progressive company is not the cheapest, the difference can be seen as a sacrifice, to allow the progressive company to have progressive policies for compensation, health insurance and other positive goals. The small difference between the progressive an regressive companies (if there's really any material difference) can be seen as a sacrifice worth the making.

Be progressive, buy progressive

2004-11-05T16:55:00.000-05:00

One lesson we learned from the Sinclair Broadcasting item was the potential power of focused boycott threats. One way to increase our power and reward our friends is to identify and patronize progressive companies in any area we can identify. If that harms a known regressive firm, all the better.

My criteria for progressive firms is somewaht loose, and depends on circumstances. Work place policies, contributions to progressive causes, environmental policy, LBGT policy, all are worthy of consideration.

I haven't searched for a web site, but I believe we should list and support companies with a positive social agenda. My initial recommendation would be:

Automobile insurance - Progressive (naturally) vs. State Farm

Telephone Company - Working Assets vs. Verizon

Big Box Store - Costco vs. Walmart or Sam's Club

Automobile Club - A Better World vs. AAA

Foreign Car Repair - Can-Am Motors vs. Any factory shop

Please add any you can think of.

Response to Jeeni at CPR4Democracy

2004-11-04T07:20:00.000-05:00

Jeeni,

It was a failure of intelligence and planning. The people we trusted to know the struggle completely missed the evangelicals. It wasn't just missing the people, it was missing the zeitgeist, and not having a successful plan to counter the arguments. We let moral values be defined by gay bashing and abortion, not by charity and faith and true devotion to life (stem cell research, death penalties and illegal war).In the coming weeks, we will hear calls to cut loose part of our group. We'll hear that the gays cost us the election -- gay Americans didn't cost us the election, gay hating Americans cost us the election. Take that same analysis to any discussion, and you'll see that it's not us, it's them. And we need to change them, not lose ourselves.

What's next? We need to select a Democratic leader with a vision without being concerned about 'electability' -- that's the least of our concerns for the next two years. Neither Gandhi or Mandela were 'electable' but they profoundly changed the world. Let's look at Howard Dean, Dennis Kuchinich, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and whomever else you can think of.

Welcome to the New Theocracy

2004-11-03T09:32:00.000-05:00

Looks like "A Handmaid's Tale" was more prophetic than we realized. Anecdotal evidence - a friend of mine who's very Republican was energized by the fear of gays going after his kids. This one person was multiplied by millions, with the fundamentalist churches seeming to go all out with their members to vote 'values.' It'll be interesting to see what the 'cheap labor right' gave to the fundamentalist churches - money or just promises.

As better writers have said today, we really have a fight on our hands. We just have to suck it up and ignore the right wing triumphalism we'll be hearing for the next few days. The lesson is that we have to be less optimistic, expect the worst and use the legal system to protect ourselves. Will the party become more liberal? We have to, because we've got to offer a better vision. Save your strength and money for 2006 and 2008. Mars, bitches!

Just another Tampa evening

2004-11-01T01:02:00.000-05:00

With me and around 10,000 of my closest friends -- and John Kerry. Finally got to see Big John (see previous posts about being outside looking in). Great performance, great crowd, just took too long -- friends were leaving before the speech. Oh well, the level of interest is too high to ignore. More later, I'm pollwatching on Tuesday.

Third time's the charm

2004-10-29T08:10:00.000-04:00

Back to Big John in Tampa. As you know, I've volunteered for the last two Kerry Tampa appearances, and been 'pipped at the post' for both -- I was in the basement running copies at the Sun Dome event, and outside checkin local press at the TBPAC event. Now is my big chance -- I've volunteered for the 10/31 Curtis Hixon Park rally. Maybe this time I'll get to actually hear him speak. For the record, I've heard him in Tampa in June '03 and March '04 and in St. Pete in June, so there won't be any surprises.

Well, What the Bleep DO we Know?

2004-10-25T17:07:00.000-04:00

Last night, a friend inveigled me to attend "What The Bleep Do We Know," which is playing at the local art houses. It's a movie about quantum physics and endocrinology, illustrated by following Marlee Matlin around. Unfortunately, to paraphrase Mark Twain about Richard Wagner; 'his music is supposed to be better than it sounds.' This movie is supposed to be better than it is.

The two parts, quantum physics and endocrinology, are dragged together to illustrate observational bias -- the Schrodinger's Cat phenom for QP and the hypothalamus for the endocrine system. I would have been more comfortable with the phenomena separated, but that's just me. The little matter of scale didn't seem to matter to the movie makers.

Kudos for Mary Bright

2004-10-22T13:10:00.000-04:00

You know how there's always someone who's doing just a little bit more than the rest, and getting more done with fewer resources? Well, let's recognize Mary Bright, who's been canvassing every night, putting out yard signs and generally putting her life on hold to get John Kerry elected. Mary's a cyclist (like Big John), a clinical social worker for at risk children, and a generally good person.

Carl Cameron of Faux News is Thin Skinned

2004-10-19T10:41:00.000-04:00

While checking press credentials at the Kerry event in Tampa yesterday, along came Carl Cameron of Fox Nooze. He's the twit that put together the dummy release with Kerry (ostensibly) saying 'I'm a metrosexual' and 'doesn't my manicure look nice' and other snarky comments about our candidate. I made a comment about hoping he'd get the speech correct this time, and George the Wonder Volunteer (a 20ish college student) added something about 'fair and balanced, alright" at which point Carl came back to the table to get in our faces about how 'Deborah somebody of the Kerry campaign said his was the best coverage' or words to that effect. Whereupon GTWV shot back about his conflict of interest, wife working for Bush USW. Carl was in a pissy mood after that. We are the best informed and that's gotta hurt the Rethugs.

Once Again -- Not Seeing Kerry

2004-10-19T08:59:00.000-04:00

Welp, yesterday, as on October 1, John Kerry arrived in Tampa and I missed the speech. I was working the Local Press check in, and got to the Performing Arts Center entrance just as the magnetometer (or "mag" for us insiders) was closed down. I could have got in with my Volunteer cred, but gave it to a Yale classmate of John Kerry. Must have been my turn for good karma, 'cause when I got home, I found 1) a check from a client, 2) my order of Kerry yard signs from kerrygear.com, and 3) my shipment of Lance Armstrong bracelets. Then I went over and voted. My local early voting site (see earlier post for critique of Hillsborough County voting) has seen more people per precinct in the first day of early voting than the total for the primary.

Two Weeks and Two Days

2004-10-17T13:03:00.000-04:00

After four years of tragic misrule, it's just two weeks and two days until Election Day. I shall have voted (Florida has early voting, so I'll vote before going to the Kerry speech at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center). I'm disappointed that so many Americans can see what they see, knwo what they know, and still vote for the Dauphin. For a thumbnail sketch of why GWB is wrong for America, go to today's New York Times (registration required). That his opponent, John Kerry, is such as worthy candidate is icing on the cake.

I and my friends are all out doing what we can to see him off. We're canvassing Democrats who didn't vote in 2000, preparing to watch the polls on November 2, making calls and attending rallies. The level of resolution and clarity of purpose is beyond anything I was in the 1992 Clinton campaign, or any other, for that matter. Most frightening is that we all realize that winning the popular vote and the electoral vote is no guarantee of success. The party of Karl Rove views the voting process as legitimate only if it delivers the right answer. Otherwise, it is flawed and must be corrected, with violence if necessary. For so many reasons, please go pester your neighbor to vote for John Kerry.

American Civil War Part Deux

2004-10-12T09:54:00.000-04:00

Looking at the political landscape, I'm starting to see unhealthy parallels between now and the 1850's and 1860's. Lots of political unrest, guerrilla warfare in Missouri and Kansas, a polarized press (the only media of the time) and religious groups. The cause was slavery but the overt discussion was "state's rights." The political framework of the Confederate states was essentially a one party state, and dissidents received punishments from tarring and feathering to expulsion or lynching. The modern Taliban Republicans are seemingly intent on reviving that political model. There's a good discussion in Orcinus, found at www.dniewert.blogspot.com

That's Pat and JoAnn, but Who's the Big Guy?

2004-10-10T18:19:00.000-04:00

Last week when John Kerry spoke at the Tampa campus of the University of South Florida, he came to the WUSF-TV studio to use the satellite uplink facility. While he was there, he met with Pat Holley, the WUSF-TV manager and JoAnn Urofsky, the General Manager of WUSF-FM radio and WUSF-TV.

Pat and JoAnn with the Next President

More about the Heavy Lifting

2004-10-08T04:31:00.000-04:00

Just found a new blog via James Wolcott
http://bigleftoutside.com/
continuing the theme about how our work will (it is hoped) begin on November 3, 2004 with the election of John Kerry. We will then have to bring the corporate state/media back under control of the American people and get some real democracy. I believe the most important element will be the media -- but I haven't a clue as to how we can meet these objectives:
Get media to cover the real story -- what's happening to real people in their lives
Get media to cover the story behind the story -- follow the money
Get media to reveal their own bias -- delink for example Juan Williams and Mara Liasson from Fox if they're to stay at NPR.

Your thoughts?

Time for Really Hard Work

2004-10-07T08:44:00.000-04:00

Well foax, it's time for the heavy lifting. Kerry and Edwards have won their debates (Edwards in an excellent slow realization that every word Cheney said was a lie), the Administration's own people (Bremer, Duelfer, Rumsfeld) are admitting that the basis of the Iraq War was one great lie and that the conduct of the "wrong war at the wrong time" was totally inept. In an equitable universe, the people that got us in this mess would be impeached, but that's not going to happen. We have to get them voted out of office. Please go to Moveon.org to find out what to do.

Demophoria

2004-10-04T10:14:00.000-04:00

Another day in the Big Guava and another day of Demophoria! That's the joy associated with winning, thanks to Big John, Michael Moore and Gloria Steinem. I went to the Moore event at USF and was as usual impressed with his humor, then canvassed the Forest Hills area, then off to a Move On event. There's a lot of energy out there this year. Now if we can get a handle on the electronic voting, as well as the tried and true voter intimidation with police cars, etc. I hope the FOP endorsements for Kerry and Castor will at least keep some of the police honest. More later with pix.

Kerry Comes to Town -- I'm Stuck in the Basement

2004-10-02T13:56:00.000-04:00

Well -- after his stunning victory in the September 30 debate in Miami, Big John came to Tampa for a rally at the University of South Florida Sun Dome. I'd love to say how cool he was, but I was in the Sun Dome basement collecting faxes from the Kerry Campaign HQ, copying and sending them up to the press room. Take that, 101st Fighting Keyboarders!! Monday I'll have a cool picture of John Kerry with JoAnn Urofsky, the General Manager of WUSF FM and TV.

Ready for Kerry

2004-09-30T13:07:00.000-04:00

Tampa is gearing up for Big John. After the debate (or "debate") in Miami tonight, Big John is coming to Tampa for a rally at the University of South Florida Sun Dome. We hope to have at least 10,000 (unscreened) cheering people for the event, os if you're in or hear Tampa and can come to USF at 10:30 and stay 'til 4:30, it'd be great to see you. Remember security rules, so no umbrellas or large handbags, and bring picture ID.

What a surprise!

2004-09-19T13:20:00.000-04:00

A mistake by an election worker "lost" 245 electronic ballots cast in last month's Florida primary, but the mix-up did not change the outcome of any race when the votes were finally counted, authorities said.

Hillsborough County residents cast the ballots before the Aug. 31 election on an ATM-style machine set up at a library, Elections Supervisor Buddy Johnson said. A member of Johnson's staff left the machine, made by Sequoia Voting Systems, in test mode. The votes were recorded and stored but not counted until they were found Friday.

Johnson said the votes were discovered missing when his staff compared the number of people who signed in to vote at the precinct and the number of ballots counted there. In all, the county had 118,699 votes cast.
(via WaPo)

That could have been my vote lost. I voted early at that very site. The Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections will be chosen this November, with the choices being Buddy Johnson, the (appointed) Republican incumbent and Rob McKenna, the Democratic challenger who is presently an IT specialist at Eckerd Drugs. McKenna's main campaign promise is to provide these new machines with a paper trail.

Keeping ancient Hondas alive

2004-09-18T17:47:00.000-04:00

Just got back from dropping the 94 Honda for service. Losing coolant and overheating, so I decided to drop it at the shop and pick up a rental. Last time I tried to baby a bad radiator I trashed the engine, so never again. Trying to keep the old ride as long as possible, with its 203,000 miles. As Tom & Ray say, the cheapest car is the one you already own.

Entartete Kunst

2004-09-18T13:51:00.000-04:00

My first post -- "Entartete Kunst" means Degenerate Art, and the Nazis vowed to stamp it out. But the Degenerate Art lasted and the Third Reich didn't. There's a lesson there.