Moments ago a neighbor stopped by. She spoke for a yet-untapped constituency: witches. Look closely, her buttons say “witches for Kerry.” The “Its up to the women” sticker was her treat for coming to my door.
6 hours ago
Sunday, October 31, 2004
Will Ocean survive the elections even if I don’t?
No, of course not. If I go, the blog goes. Conversely, if I survive, the blog will also toddle along. I remember writing some months ago how I will not let Ocean become a commentary on news reports. And indeed, even during the campaign months I rarely have felt compelled to sift through the news and pick on the substance or style of any story. But Ocean follows the proclivities and inclinations of moi*, and moi right now is obsessed with politics.
But more importantly, I am feeling a tiny tiny dose of optimism again. For one thing, a Packer person just informed me that the green team BEAT the Redskins and so a defeat of the incumbent is in the bag (see post below on the historic significance of a Redskins loss). And, another reader reminded me to check electoral-vote.com (here), which averages a number of credible polls. Take a look, all you perpetually-doubting-and-depressed-dubya-dissers: Kerry 283, Bush 246. And, if you click on the state of Wisconsin (or click here), you'll see some pretty amazing numbers and a wildly zig-zagging divergence.
I wonder if I bought enough champagne…
*that would be me
But more importantly, I am feeling a tiny tiny dose of optimism again. For one thing, a Packer person just informed me that the green team BEAT the Redskins and so a defeat of the incumbent is in the bag (see post below on the historic significance of a Redskins loss). And, another reader reminded me to check electoral-vote.com (here), which averages a number of credible polls. Take a look, all you perpetually-doubting-and-depressed-dubya-dissers: Kerry 283, Bush 246. And, if you click on the state of Wisconsin (or click here), you'll see some pretty amazing numbers and a wildly zig-zagging divergence.
I wonder if I bought enough champagne…
*that would be me
Three, two, one -----then what?
This morning, what with the extra hour of sleep and a Sunday before me, I am sitting at home mulling over the various ways Tuesday/Wednesday may play out for me.
According to one scenario, I never make it to the polling place. That happened once before, though not in a presidential race. I ran out of time, the polls closed early and it was either voting or taking some child to some lesson or other. I chose the latter. Nothing happened – my candidate won anyway. But the guilt stayed with me, as even now I feel compelled to admit here on the blog to this past waywardness.
This year, the polling places remain open for a long time and I have no one to take anywhere (and no, I have not volunteered as an election monitor; one acquaintance who is doing this told me yesterday that she cannot imagine what possessed her to commit the day to a Madison voting place, as if we are anything at all like Florida or even Ohio). But I could freeze and not be able to walk the long distance (one block) to where I typically vote. It could happen.
Then, if I wake up and find that my vote, or rather its absence, tilted the election in an undesirable direction, I will channel all anger and frustration at myself rather than at the political candidate I have learned to fear and dread. Blaming yourself is always more rewarding than blaming someone else for a sad state of affairs because you can always seek to improve yourself whereas you can do nothing to affect the politics of George W Bush. Don’t fool yourself – the man is off limits and he wont listen to you anyway, even if you are a Person of Great Influence.
Second scenario: I vote for the wrong person by accident. I have studied the ballot and have even helped direct some to the proper management of THE LINE connecting the <-- to the – so that it forms a nice contiguous <---- to the Democrat side of things. But you know how it is in that makeshift contraption they call the voting booth. You get so nervous about doing the wrong thing that you wind up doing the wrong thing. And, let us not forget that this is my first presidential election since I have turned fifty. As Chef O says down at L’Etoile, crossing 50 is like having too many windows open on your computer screen – things begin to slow down. And, the hand may even shake a bit as it draws the connecting line. Does a wobbly line count?
Third scenario: I vote, the results slowly indicate that GWB won, I drink too much wine, forget to go to class the next day, get fired from my job, run out of unemployment, join some philanthropic organization providing direct services to orphans in Polish highlands and am never heard from again.
Fourth scenario: I vote, the results slowly indicate that GWB lost, I drink too much champagne, drink gallons of coffee the next morning, stumble into class and deliver a bad lecture, but most are forgiving (and the rest are too depressed to notice), then I come back home and sit in the back yard marveling at how magnificent the white pine is – the tree that we planted when it was just a couple of feet tall, that now looks almost as tall as the Empire State Building.
Which of the four is before me? Or is there a fifth? In three days I’ll know.
This morning, what with the extra hour of sleep and a Sunday before me, I am sitting at home mulling over the various ways Tuesday/Wednesday may play out for me.
According to one scenario, I never make it to the polling place. That happened once before, though not in a presidential race. I ran out of time, the polls closed early and it was either voting or taking some child to some lesson or other. I chose the latter. Nothing happened – my candidate won anyway. But the guilt stayed with me, as even now I feel compelled to admit here on the blog to this past waywardness.
This year, the polling places remain open for a long time and I have no one to take anywhere (and no, I have not volunteered as an election monitor; one acquaintance who is doing this told me yesterday that she cannot imagine what possessed her to commit the day to a Madison voting place, as if we are anything at all like Florida or even Ohio). But I could freeze and not be able to walk the long distance (one block) to where I typically vote. It could happen.
Then, if I wake up and find that my vote, or rather its absence, tilted the election in an undesirable direction, I will channel all anger and frustration at myself rather than at the political candidate I have learned to fear and dread. Blaming yourself is always more rewarding than blaming someone else for a sad state of affairs because you can always seek to improve yourself whereas you can do nothing to affect the politics of George W Bush. Don’t fool yourself – the man is off limits and he wont listen to you anyway, even if you are a Person of Great Influence.
Second scenario: I vote for the wrong person by accident. I have studied the ballot and have even helped direct some to the proper management of THE LINE connecting the <-- to the – so that it forms a nice contiguous <---- to the Democrat side of things. But you know how it is in that makeshift contraption they call the voting booth. You get so nervous about doing the wrong thing that you wind up doing the wrong thing. And, let us not forget that this is my first presidential election since I have turned fifty. As Chef O says down at L’Etoile, crossing 50 is like having too many windows open on your computer screen – things begin to slow down. And, the hand may even shake a bit as it draws the connecting line. Does a wobbly line count?
Third scenario: I vote, the results slowly indicate that GWB won, I drink too much wine, forget to go to class the next day, get fired from my job, run out of unemployment, join some philanthropic organization providing direct services to orphans in Polish highlands and am never heard from again.
Fourth scenario: I vote, the results slowly indicate that GWB lost, I drink too much champagne, drink gallons of coffee the next morning, stumble into class and deliver a bad lecture, but most are forgiving (and the rest are too depressed to notice), then I come back home and sit in the back yard marveling at how magnificent the white pine is – the tree that we planted when it was just a couple of feet tall, that now looks almost as tall as the Empire State Building.
Which of the four is before me? Or is there a fifth? In three days I’ll know.
Saturday, October 30, 2004
Blogger dinner
It's late and so I wont say much, just this: I had a really tough day and it would have been a hell of a lot tougher had it not been for the warm and forgiving company of the following bloggers (see photo below).
Thanks. [Yes, they are all wearing Women for Kerry stickers. I made them do it. But they swore that they were voting as if their life depended on it for Kerry anyway.]
Which way does the wind blow?
This was the next-to-last Market on the Square this year, but already you could see signs of closure for the season: a number of farmers don’t show up when the weather gets this cold and the wind kicks up to a gale force. And the crowds diminish as well. Who wants to be out and about on a day when the weather cannot make up its mind, alternating between drizzle and sunshine? Another one of those Wisconsin undecided moments, swinging between dark clouds and blue – bright blue – skies.
Seasonal touches:
Seasonal touches:
Musings just four days before...
Remember when the mere mention of the KGB produced an almost visceral reaction of fear and revulsion? Good olds days! Fear in the abstract!
Today you can get a cheap, strong drink and attend a literary event at the KGB Bar on east 4th and rub shoulders with writers who read “to an adoring public with pleasure and without pay.” (New York Magazine and the Village Voice say it’s the best literary venue in the city.)
The KGB is a fairly recent addition to the block, opening in a building that once housed the Ukrainian Labor Home. The owner of the bar used to go to the Ukrainian Labor Home as a kid and drink shots of vodka, eat pierogi and listen to his dad’s buddies talk. And talk. And talk. The kid grew up and became a lawyer, the men grew old, he returned to the place and turned it into what it is today.
Moral of the story? Well, there are several:
1. Once you get your JD, you can do any number of things, including opening a literary bar in the East Village.
2. There’s something magical about eating pierogi and kapusniak, downing vodka (or whatever) and listening to people talk.
3. People can laugh about a perceived menace from the past so long as it no longer is perceived as a viable threat.
I am hoping that someday I am going to laugh my brains out about Bush. Ha ha ha, remember when I worried that he would create havoc and destruction here and abroad? Ha ha ha, wasn’t he a hilarious political figure? Ha ha ha.
Today, all one can do on a somber afternoon is go sit at Cuppa Cuppa (next door to the KGB), swirl coffee in a mug and admire the window postings: ‘see this musical performance,’ ‘go check out that theater across the street,’ and ‘vote for Kerry and Edwards.’
[Not to let my excitement get the better of me, but if you watched the Lehrer hour last night, you will have heard the suggestion that the Midwest is going to provide one hell of a surprise come November 2nd. One that Kerry will very much like. Eeeeeee-haw!]
(*see “forty-second street pre-election diary” post, September 22, for explanation of post title)
Remember when the mere mention of the KGB produced an almost visceral reaction of fear and revulsion? Good olds days! Fear in the abstract!
Today you can get a cheap, strong drink and attend a literary event at the KGB Bar on east 4th and rub shoulders with writers who read “to an adoring public with pleasure and without pay.” (New York Magazine and the Village Voice say it’s the best literary venue in the city.)
The KGB is a fairly recent addition to the block, opening in a building that once housed the Ukrainian Labor Home. The owner of the bar used to go to the Ukrainian Labor Home as a kid and drink shots of vodka, eat pierogi and listen to his dad’s buddies talk. And talk. And talk. The kid grew up and became a lawyer, the men grew old, he returned to the place and turned it into what it is today.
Moral of the story? Well, there are several:
1. Once you get your JD, you can do any number of things, including opening a literary bar in the East Village.
2. There’s something magical about eating pierogi and kapusniak, downing vodka (or whatever) and listening to people talk.
3. People can laugh about a perceived menace from the past so long as it no longer is perceived as a viable threat.
I am hoping that someday I am going to laugh my brains out about Bush. Ha ha ha, remember when I worried that he would create havoc and destruction here and abroad? Ha ha ha, wasn’t he a hilarious political figure? Ha ha ha.
Today, all one can do on a somber afternoon is go sit at Cuppa Cuppa (next door to the KGB), swirl coffee in a mug and admire the window postings: ‘see this musical performance,’ ‘go check out that theater across the street,’ and ‘vote for Kerry and Edwards.’
[Not to let my excitement get the better of me, but if you watched the Lehrer hour last night, you will have heard the suggestion that the Midwest is going to provide one hell of a surprise come November 2nd. One that Kerry will very much like. Eeeeeee-haw!]
(*see “forty-second street pre-election diary” post, September 22, for explanation of post title)
Friday, October 29, 2004
My conversation with Andre (not his real name):
A: Hey, plastic or paper?
N: Um, I need the paper bag, so paper.
A: Yeah, that’s a button alright [referring to my button that has a Heinz ketchup bottle on it with Kerry printed across the label].
N: I got it at the rally. Did you go?
A: Nah, I was like here, like all day.
N: But you’re voting, right?
A: Not for any of those clowns. They’re not my thing.
N: You’re not voting?
A: I may vote for one of the other dudes, I don’t know.
N: So you don’t care that you’re facilitating a Bush win? You don’t care if Bush, rather than Kerry becomes president?
A: Nah. I hate them both. They are not about any of my things.
N: And what are your things?
A: Oh, you know, like more radical. Nothing that they care about.
N: Don’t you think one of them is closer to what you care about than the other? And if neither represents the real you, maybe it would be a good idea to consider which one represents the interest of 85% of the people of this country and has the backing of the vast majority of progressives in the state?
A: Uh, maybe I just wont vote..
N: Why don’t you do what the Isthmus suggests – trade votes with someone in another state (see votepair.org), so that you can have your voice and still allow the better of the two to carry Wisconsin?
A: Huh?
N: Thanks for the groceries. [Silently: I don’t hate you, really I don’t. I embrace our differences. I am glad you’re picking up benefits at Whole Foods so that your head can get fixed in case it breaks down, if it hasn’t done so already.]
N: Um, I need the paper bag, so paper.
A: Yeah, that’s a button alright [referring to my button that has a Heinz ketchup bottle on it with Kerry printed across the label].
N: I got it at the rally. Did you go?
A: Nah, I was like here, like all day.
N: But you’re voting, right?
A: Not for any of those clowns. They’re not my thing.
N: You’re not voting?
A: I may vote for one of the other dudes, I don’t know.
N: So you don’t care that you’re facilitating a Bush win? You don’t care if Bush, rather than Kerry becomes president?
A: Nah. I hate them both. They are not about any of my things.
N: And what are your things?
A: Oh, you know, like more radical. Nothing that they care about.
N: Don’t you think one of them is closer to what you care about than the other? And if neither represents the real you, maybe it would be a good idea to consider which one represents the interest of 85% of the people of this country and has the backing of the vast majority of progressives in the state?
A: Uh, maybe I just wont vote..
N: Why don’t you do what the Isthmus suggests – trade votes with someone in another state (see votepair.org), so that you can have your voice and still allow the better of the two to carry Wisconsin?
A: Huh?
N: Thanks for the groceries. [Silently: I don’t hate you, really I don’t. I embrace our differences. I am glad you’re picking up benefits at Whole Foods so that your head can get fixed in case it breaks down, if it hasn’t done so already.]
Searching for warmth in all the left places
I heard this before and it is confirmed by a blogger in Europe (here): Europeans are not permitted access to the official GWB website. If you try, you get the following message: Access Denied. You don’t have permission to access “http://www.georgewbush.com/” on this server. Just squash those Europeans as if they were spiders, why don’t ya, George!
atbozzo.blogspot posted the magnificent photo of the sweep of enthusiasts on West Washington (here). If you did not go to the rally and you don’t break out in sweat at the sound of the L word, do, please do take a look at it. Tom's blog notes on the rally parallel mine and he mentioned subsequently that he also kept an eye out for the Boss factor and found only Kerry enthusiasts around him.
Thanks, also, for pointing me to the Reuters daily tracking poll, which posted the following six hours ago: Bush and Kerry were tied at 47 percent in the latest three-day national tracking poll as the Massachusetts senator gained two points on Bush!
You’re welcome. This to a friend who came over and borrowed my Kerry buttons for a Halloween party. She was going as a Texan for Kerry. Truly an original.
And guess where my last feel-good moment comes from? The Economist. The Economist? Yes. Read their editorial published today here. One line for those without the will to click: [O]ur confidence in [Bush] has been shattered. And the last paragraph: …as Mr Bush has often said, there is a need in life for accountability. He has refused to impose it himself, and so voters should, in our view, impose it on him, given a viable alternative. John Kerry, for all the doubts about him, would be in a better position to carry on with America's great tasks.
There. I’m sure of it. If affluent east-coast cocktail drinking CEOs have gone blue (see post below) and the Economist has abandoned the Republican candidate, surely no one still believes GWB is better suited for the presidency. What a relief!
atbozzo.blogspot posted the magnificent photo of the sweep of enthusiasts on West Washington (here). If you did not go to the rally and you don’t break out in sweat at the sound of the L word, do, please do take a look at it. Tom's blog notes on the rally parallel mine and he mentioned subsequently that he also kept an eye out for the Boss factor and found only Kerry enthusiasts around him.
Thanks, also, for pointing me to the Reuters daily tracking poll, which posted the following six hours ago: Bush and Kerry were tied at 47 percent in the latest three-day national tracking poll as the Massachusetts senator gained two points on Bush!
You’re welcome. This to a friend who came over and borrowed my Kerry buttons for a Halloween party. She was going as a Texan for Kerry. Truly an original.
And guess where my last feel-good moment comes from? The Economist. The Economist? Yes. Read their editorial published today here. One line for those without the will to click: [O]ur confidence in [Bush] has been shattered. And the last paragraph: …as Mr Bush has often said, there is a need in life for accountability. He has refused to impose it himself, and so voters should, in our view, impose it on him, given a viable alternative. John Kerry, for all the doubts about him, would be in a better position to carry on with America's great tasks.
There. I’m sure of it. If affluent east-coast cocktail drinking CEOs have gone blue (see post below) and the Economist has abandoned the Republican candidate, surely no one still believes GWB is better suited for the presidency. What a relief!
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday.
Sunday, Friday, Monday, Saturday, Tuesday.
Monday, Saturday, Friday, Sunday, Tuesday.
And so on. I play these games with the dates and the days. I think I am going insane.
Yesterday I thought long and hard about what question to submit to RW Apple at the Times (he’s taking Qs from readers until November 2nd , read them here). I have a great desire to makes sense of this election. I think that others who have submitted Qs are also struggling to comprehend what would lead a voter to stand with such confidence behind Bush. Here’s one query, along with Apple’s answer (emphases are my own):
Q. What makes the East Coast conservatives - cocktails at 5 p.m., tennis at the club, CEO, trustfund crowd - comfortable with the Evangelicals now running their party?
- xx, St. Helena, Calif.
A. I don't think they are particularly comfortable. Those who are supporting the administration are doing so while holding their noses. Others (watch the returns from Westchester, Greenwich and the Main Line) are voting Democratic. (PS -- They may drink cocktails at 5 p.m. in the Napa Valley, but they don't in and around N.Y. More like 6:30 or 7.)
Meanwhile, my neighbors are looking after me in the way that nurturing people look after someone at the brink of a mental breakdown. This morning, my steady emailers sent me this:
Q: What is the difference between Iraq and Vietnam?
A: Bush had an exit strategy for Vietnam.
Funny. I’m in need of more funny! This week’s Isthmus recalls Jon Stewart’s funniest election moment.
Here’s their summary:
[A] favorite “Daily Show” moment from this campaign season came when Stewart showed a clip of Dr. Phil interviewing George W. Bush about child-rearing. “Do you believe in spanking?” the doc asked.
“Does he believe in spanking?” Stewart interjected, incredulously. “He believes in executing the retarded! OF COURSE HE BELIEVES IN SPANKING!”
In the meantime, I’ve been avoiding writing about this week’s extensive analysis in the Financial Times of the Polish economy. I’ll just mention this: American outsourcing is exactly what Poland needs. The fact that western markets are again looking toward Poland is positively inspiring. For Poles. To quote the FT: “The latest wave includes companies out-sourcing business services, such as Philips, the Dutch electronics maker, and Citigroup, the US financial services company.” Could I just note here how depressing it is that one country’s economic pigsty is another’s L’Etoile?
(*see “forty-second street pre-election diary” post, September 22, for explanation of post title)
Sunday, Friday, Monday, Saturday, Tuesday.
Monday, Saturday, Friday, Sunday, Tuesday.
And so on. I play these games with the dates and the days. I think I am going insane.
Yesterday I thought long and hard about what question to submit to RW Apple at the Times (he’s taking Qs from readers until November 2nd , read them here). I have a great desire to makes sense of this election. I think that others who have submitted Qs are also struggling to comprehend what would lead a voter to stand with such confidence behind Bush. Here’s one query, along with Apple’s answer (emphases are my own):
Q. What makes the East Coast conservatives - cocktails at 5 p.m., tennis at the club, CEO, trustfund crowd - comfortable with the Evangelicals now running their party?
- xx, St. Helena, Calif.
A. I don't think they are particularly comfortable. Those who are supporting the administration are doing so while holding their noses. Others (watch the returns from Westchester, Greenwich and the Main Line) are voting Democratic. (PS -- They may drink cocktails at 5 p.m. in the Napa Valley, but they don't in and around N.Y. More like 6:30 or 7.)
Meanwhile, my neighbors are looking after me in the way that nurturing people look after someone at the brink of a mental breakdown. This morning, my steady emailers sent me this:
Q: What is the difference between Iraq and Vietnam?
A: Bush had an exit strategy for Vietnam.
Funny. I’m in need of more funny! This week’s Isthmus recalls Jon Stewart’s funniest election moment.
Here’s their summary:
[A] favorite “Daily Show” moment from this campaign season came when Stewart showed a clip of Dr. Phil interviewing George W. Bush about child-rearing. “Do you believe in spanking?” the doc asked.
“Does he believe in spanking?” Stewart interjected, incredulously. “He believes in executing the retarded! OF COURSE HE BELIEVES IN SPANKING!”
In the meantime, I’ve been avoiding writing about this week’s extensive analysis in the Financial Times of the Polish economy. I’ll just mention this: American outsourcing is exactly what Poland needs. The fact that western markets are again looking toward Poland is positively inspiring. For Poles. To quote the FT: “The latest wave includes companies out-sourcing business services, such as Philips, the Dutch electronics maker, and Citigroup, the US financial services company.” Could I just note here how depressing it is that one country’s economic pigsty is another’s L’Etoile?
(*see “forty-second street pre-election diary” post, September 22, for explanation of post title)
Thursday, October 28, 2004
A political high from the middle of West Washington
No, no, of course I did not cancel class because of Kerry’s visit. That would be unethical and uncalled for. But I did move it to a date that I have in reserve for make-up classes. As I told them – it was not because of Kerry (that would be unethical and uncalled for). It was because of THE BOSS!
What news services will fail to report about the event:
Only in Wisconsin can a crowd of 80,000 pull off a “wave” with Kerry signs up Washington Avenue![Yes, we were told to leave signs at home, but once inside the ‘gates,’ Kerry volunteers brought batches of hot-off-the-press signs. You know how cool freshly printed paper smells? Yeah! These signs were a nasal high!]
Bruce Springsteen has, unfortunately, a first name that sounds quite like the last name of our Republican candidate. If I closed my eyes to the Kerry paraphernalia, I could at one point, hear the chant “Bruce” and imagine myself to be momentarily at a Republican rally. I’ll probably suffer nightmares from this.
Kerry likened his campaign to being back in college: lots of late nights, beer and cold pizza. Looking at him even from way up the street – he seemed pretty svelte to me. He mustn’t be liking the pizza.
Quote of the afternoon? It belongs to Kerry: "We need a president who can do more than one thing at the same time!"
P.S. I think people are worried about me. I got the following email message from a neighbor:
Nina, consider yourself warned:
(Link to article followed; read it here, or glance over these highlights:)
Doctors are blaming a rare electrical imbalance in the brain for the bizarre death of a blogger whose head literally exploded in the final week of the election! …Experts say he suffered from a condition called Hyper-Cerebral Blogosis or HCB .
…Although Dr. Martinenko says there are probably many undiagnosed cases, he hastens to add that very few bloggers will die from HCB . "Most people who have it will never know. Their heads will explode and they will keep right on posting. At this point, medical science still doesn't know much about HCB . And since fatalities are so rare it will probably be years before research money becomes available. This tragedy today is just another instance where human embryo stem cell research could not have made a bit of difference, but we'd have been glad to have the money from the Federal Government anyway."
In the meantime, the doctor urges bloggers to take it easy and not think too hard for long periods of time concerning the outcome during the last week of this election.
Not think too hard about the outcome? Is that possible? At least today the obsessive thinking took a positive turn. So nice of the Boss and the future boss (yes!) to look after us, the non-swingers.
From the rally:
What news services will fail to report about the event:
Only in Wisconsin can a crowd of 80,000 pull off a “wave” with Kerry signs up Washington Avenue![Yes, we were told to leave signs at home, but once inside the ‘gates,’ Kerry volunteers brought batches of hot-off-the-press signs. You know how cool freshly printed paper smells? Yeah! These signs were a nasal high!]
Bruce Springsteen has, unfortunately, a first name that sounds quite like the last name of our Republican candidate. If I closed my eyes to the Kerry paraphernalia, I could at one point, hear the chant “Bruce” and imagine myself to be momentarily at a Republican rally. I’ll probably suffer nightmares from this.
Kerry likened his campaign to being back in college: lots of late nights, beer and cold pizza. Looking at him even from way up the street – he seemed pretty svelte to me. He mustn’t be liking the pizza.
Quote of the afternoon? It belongs to Kerry: "We need a president who can do more than one thing at the same time!"
P.S. I think people are worried about me. I got the following email message from a neighbor:
Nina, consider yourself warned:
(Link to article followed; read it here, or glance over these highlights:)
Doctors are blaming a rare electrical imbalance in the brain for the bizarre death of a blogger whose head literally exploded in the final week of the election! …Experts say he suffered from a condition called Hyper-Cerebral Blogosis or HCB .
…Although Dr. Martinenko says there are probably many undiagnosed cases, he hastens to add that very few bloggers will die from HCB . "Most people who have it will never know. Their heads will explode and they will keep right on posting. At this point, medical science still doesn't know much about HCB . And since fatalities are so rare it will probably be years before research money becomes available. This tragedy today is just another instance where human embryo stem cell research could not have made a bit of difference, but we'd have been glad to have the money from the Federal Government anyway."
In the meantime, the doctor urges bloggers to take it easy and not think too hard for long periods of time concerning the outcome during the last week of this election.
Not think too hard about the outcome? Is that possible? At least today the obsessive thinking took a positive turn. So nice of the Boss and the future boss (yes!) to look after us, the non-swingers.
From the rally:
Six days.
On 6th street, it is said that 'Casablanca meets New York City' – at the Zerza Bar (“a multicultural smorgasbord” says the New Yorker). I’ve never been to the city of Casablanca, but I have heard that it is the place to go if you want to see the glaring polarization between the haves and the have nots. [It is also the place to go for turtle soup, since elsewhere, it is illegal to sell turtles for food consumption. Not a lure for me, even though I am a card-carrying member of Slow Food and turtle soup would seem to fit right into the mission to slow everything down in the chain of food preparation and consumption.]
On 6th street, it is said that 'Casablanca meets New York City' – at the Zerza Bar (“a multicultural smorgasbord” says the New Yorker). I’ve never been to the city of Casablanca, but I have heard that it is the place to go if you want to see the glaring polarization between the haves and the have nots. [It is also the place to go for turtle soup, since elsewhere, it is illegal to sell turtles for food consumption. Not a lure for me, even though I am a card-carrying member of Slow Food and turtle soup would seem to fit right into the mission to slow everything down in the chain of food preparation and consumption.]
Today, Friedman writes in the Times about an increasingly polarized world with a missing moderate center (here). I view it somewhat differently. I see nations clamoring to unite in opposition to America’s forceful interventions abroad. I see the disadvantaged end dangerously overloaded with very angry people. Polarized implies a certain numeric balance – as if there were equally divided North and South Poles as it were, with nations and citizens either at one end or the other. I’m thinking the only thing that’s polarized is the electorate in this country. I’m thinking that the current administration should be feeling pangs of discomfort there at the North Pole, looking around at vast empty spaces, muttering perhaps – “it feels awful lonely here at the top.”
The colors of the game
The saying goes – if the Redskins beat the Green Bay Packers this Sunday, then the incumbent stays in the White House (the Redskins final home game before the elections has accurately predicted the winner since 1933; story here). Okay, that sounds to me like one of those baseball curses that (like last night’s RedSox) deserves to be broken. And whom are the players rooting for in the presidential race? Apparently the Redskins are a swing team: some vote red, some blue. The Packers – uh, something tells me that their green colors do not bespeak of party leanings.
(*see “forty-second street pre-election diary” post, September 22, for explanation of post title)
The colors of the game
The saying goes – if the Redskins beat the Green Bay Packers this Sunday, then the incumbent stays in the White House (the Redskins final home game before the elections has accurately predicted the winner since 1933; story here). Okay, that sounds to me like one of those baseball curses that (like last night’s RedSox) deserves to be broken. And whom are the players rooting for in the presidential race? Apparently the Redskins are a swing team: some vote red, some blue. The Packers – uh, something tells me that their green colors do not bespeak of party leanings.
(*see “forty-second street pre-election diary” post, September 22, for explanation of post title)
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
Contest update
Do you see the photo in the post below, the one in need of a caption? No? Alright, alright, I’ll republish it. Along with the submitted caption ideas. I did receive one suggestion that was significantly funny but also obscene (use your imagination!!). I run a clean blog here so it had to be disqualified. But here are the others that I thought were especially good (in no particular order of preference). Again, thank you readers!
“On the map in the Oval Office, Poland is only this big. But they're still an
important part of the coalition.” [nc: I especially would find this terribly funny]
“This is the size of my brain, my vision, my...what?”
"From what I'm seeing on the news, all the insurgents in Iraq are really, really
small. That's why our army of regular-sized people is having such a hard
time. If you re-elect me, I'll make creating an army of tiny men a priority."
"My brain could fit into a pill box this size."
"I think what the British people meant to say is that we need to squash
terrorism like you squash a spider. I'm good at squashing spiders! See?" [nc: a great play on yesterday's post about the British fear of spiders]
"I think a woman should have this much control over her body."
"This is six inches."
"Look, I keep telling you guys that line of coke was only this long. You should
see the one Jeb did. Heh-Heh-Heh."
"We found this many weapons of mass destruction."
LATE ADDITIONS:
"I call upon all nations to help us find these terrorist killers. Thank you. Now watch this drive. Damn, missed a hole-in-one by just that much!"
"This one time, I came this close to pronouncing 'Abu Gharib' correctly. That one time."
important part of the coalition.” [nc: I especially would find this terribly funny]
“This is the size of my brain, my vision, my...what?”
"From what I'm seeing on the news, all the insurgents in Iraq are really, really
small. That's why our army of regular-sized people is having such a hard
time. If you re-elect me, I'll make creating an army of tiny men a priority."
"My brain could fit into a pill box this size."
"I think what the British people meant to say is that we need to squash
terrorism like you squash a spider. I'm good at squashing spiders! See?" [nc: a great play on yesterday's post about the British fear of spiders]
"I think a woman should have this much control over her body."
"This is six inches."
"Look, I keep telling you guys that line of coke was only this long. You should
see the one Jeb did. Heh-Heh-Heh."
"We found this many weapons of mass destruction."
LATE ADDITIONS:
"I call upon all nations to help us find these terrorist killers. Thank you. Now watch this drive. Damn, missed a hole-in-one by just that much!"
"This one time, I came this close to pronouncing 'Abu Gharib' correctly. That one time."
"You forgot Micronesia!"
Okay, I need to lighten up
Sorry Instapundit and humorless readers, I need to post something light and airy to get myself out of a frame of mind that is absolutely crushing my spirit. Thanks to those readers who sent me the clips below. You are all wonderful and I appreciate your hope and cheer!
First, a contest:
This photo is being passed around the Internet. It needs a caption. Send your suggestions to me and (if I remember) I’ll post some good ideas.
First, a contest:
This photo is being passed around the Internet. It needs a caption. Send your suggestions to me and (if I remember) I’ll post some good ideas.
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