Monday, November 30, 2009
Listening to President Clinton Tomorrow at Colombia
Sunday, November 29, 2009
*-less Books on vacation
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Soulless was a very odd little book that I found in the Science Fiction section, but could have easily been found in humor, vampires, old British fiction, and possible lite romance. It is a new book, but it reads charmingly like a 1920s / 1930s English book of manners and drawing rooms murders. I thought it was a perfect antidote to thinking and worrying too much about life.
Then there was Speech*less (I think the picture was an early shot - my book has a * not a - in between the Speech and Less).
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That book is the tale of a idealistic Republican Speech Writer who in 8 years or so proceeds through stints in Congress (where he likes some conservatives, has no respect for most Democrats and really hates Republicans who have abused there power - and finds that is the great majority of both parties). After a spell with a Congressman and Senator Kyl from Arizona (whom he likes), he gets hired by Donald Rumsfield - who he really likes. After Rummy retires he is hired by the White House for the last few years.
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He is a funny writer, except for a hideous blind spot to all Democrats. ALL. He never even explores this knee jerk reaction -but he covers it very little. Mainly he reserves his wrath for Republican turncoats (John McCain & Lindsey Graham do poorly there), Reflexive Republican boosters (anyone who unquestioningly hailed Sarah Palin as the next coming fits into that category) and the professional Washington Fixers (Josh Bolton (Bush's Chief of Staff), Bob Gates and other professional politicians devoid of ideology come to mind). He is funny as hell about it.
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He doesn't really get much of any vibe from Chenney. But he is HIDEOUSLY disillusioned by three people. Kay Baily Hutchinson - who it turns out cares about very little but her J Crew Purse Boys (they carry her purse and discharge it's contents on her command). Karl Rove - who he thinks was less the "brains" behind GW than the asshole that wouldn't admit he was EVER wrong. And Condi Rice - who he complains changed every policy decision late in the President to preserve her reputation regardless of what Bush had promised.
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As for GW - he comes across as a little too loyal to friends and unaware of the world outside the White House. Both Rove and Bush happily admitted they didn't watch the news or read the papers. (As an aside - for the longest time GW, like many of us, thought Hillary Clinton would be the next President and told people just to wait till she had her fat ass behind this desk.)
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It was a really funny book. Takes a while for him to get to Congress (maybe 50 pages) - but once he's there it is a great read. And, even though he falls terribly prey to partisan hackery - he acknowledges that this is what is destroying the country.
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And to read what he says about Charles Schummer is hilarious - even if you are a Democrat.
We're Home
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I have to let Rio sink in a little. It was different to be able to see so much and stay so long this time. Having Sam there to help show us around made it more than just a beach and tan holiday (although there was plenty of that) and more of a cultural thing.
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Sam is starting a restaurant and it isn't quite ready yet (still in the refurbishing phase) so he had a fair amount of time to hang out with us. It was interesting to see so much of the city through local eyes.
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It was very very cool.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Happy Thanksgiving to All
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I know it is a little mean to send this picture out when family is in Mankato, Missoula, New Jersey, Rochester (burr....) and all - but it is where we are.
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This is Ed at the top of Corcovado hill where the statue of Christo (Christ the Remdemer) is, I think he is a cutie, my honey.
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Below is a picture I took of the view from the hill.
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We are having a great Thanksgiving - hope you all are as well.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Tour of the Flavalas Today
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Funning enough, they are relatively safe - the drug lords don't want the police to have to come in. Unless there is a drug gang v. drug gang fight.
This is one of the largest ones there is. We bought some art from the locals.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Rio: Beach and Gardens
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
So, I'm in the lounge
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Do you think it is rude that I went over to her and her friends (including men) and said, very politely, I don't know if you know this, but your voice carries in the room - it recoshays off the bar back wall.
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Someone with her said, "how rude." And I wheeled around and said, "I didn't mean it rude, I simply asked her to take it down a notch." And she seemed cool with it.
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If we don't ask how will people know it bugs us?
I Couldn't Afford It Now
For Lisa & Laura: Tim Burton Show Online Pix
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There is a gallery of the stuff at Daily Beast here.
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And the Exhibition information here.
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Just let us know when you are coming. AND don't even ask for anything because Christmas is coming...
Project Runway Season 6: Ho Hum
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Good News Story! Cafesjian Center for the Arts
Did I mention the artificial waterfalls?
Just because you can, should you?
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Now part of me thinks, this could be a fun movie. But it is basically a Computer Generated Movie - with some live bits thrown in.
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Granted, an amazing Computer Generated Movie, but still...
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Just because you CAN do something, it doesn't mean y0u SHOULD do something. Unlike most of opinions, I think I will wait and see if it is any good first - if only because James Cameron has a great track record in movies that I wondered about at first (Titanic, Terminator 2).
(Many of you know how rare it is for me to hold back just because I don't have all the information. I am the King of Snap Judgements. Granted, it isn't as exalted a title as the King Of Pop - but I have been working on it just as long.)
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So this has a chance to be good. It also has a change to be James Cameron's $200 million pet wet dream gone awry.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Wanna Touch 'em?
DAMN YOU NEWSWEEK!!
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Damn You Newsweek!!!!
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Okay. (Deep Breath).
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Newsweek is just being creepy, annoying and sexist here with Sarah Palin.
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For their story on her, she did not pose for this tawdry picture.
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No, in fact it is an old picture she did for Runner's World (where it was appropriate).
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Newsweek, in it's infinite wisdom, decided this was the right picture to show now.
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And that is just stupid, sexist, rude, out-of-context and annoying.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
It is the Big Day for the Mascot(s) of the Month
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In fact if there is anything that would bug her, it would be her daughter's baby daddy nuding it up and releasing the first pictures that same day.
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Which brings us to ...
Sunday, November 15, 2009
If you want to look at our pictures from the Woolworth Building Tour.
I Will Detail Later: But Two Very Cool Things Yesterday..
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First we had a semi-private (25 people) tour of the Woolworth Building. It was the tallest building in the world from 1916 to 1932. We went in the Rooftop observatory, the top tower, the sub-basement swimming pool and lobby. It was giving by an Teacher of Architectural History who wrote a book about it, plus an ex-employee who used to work with Mr. Woolworth and the new building owners.
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We were able to do this rare thing because I won a raffle from OpenHouse NY. Very cool.
After that, we went over to Williamsburg in Brooklyn - a hip & happening little village in Brooklyn - for dinner with new friends. We meet them at the Empire State Pride Dinner. It was a lot of fun and the food was great I thought (more "okay" for Eddie).
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Anyway more later, just that we had fun.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Really Funny: Except it happened under Bush and REPUBLICAN Homeland Secuirty
Sarah: Oh You Wonderful Wonderful Mascot
The Plum Line:
One of the whackiest claims Sarah Palin makes in her new book is that she agreed to her disastrous interview with Katie Couric -- a central event during Campaign 2008 -- because a top McCain aide told her Couric had low self esteem, leading Palin to take pity on the CBS anchor.
A McCain adviser I just spoke to adamantly denied the claim, and provided a counter story: Palin was repeatedly urged by McCain aides to prepare for the interview, but refused.
2012: Not as many yell back at the screen moments as you want
Friday, November 13, 2009
Wheee!! It's Not Even Out Yet
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The month is not even half over AND Sarah's book isn't out yet and still the McCain Camp is calling bullshit. This is going to be fun.
quote (from AP)
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Rogue: An American Life," would feature some dubious claims, including ones that would be disputed and even debunked pretty quickly. It is, however, a little surprising to see that one assertion Palin reportedly makes in the book has been challenged days before the book is set to be released, and while it's still under an embargo.
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The Associated Press managed to obtain a copy of "Going Rogue," and published a glimpse into some of what the former Alaska governor's book contains on Thursday. One of the things the AP noted was that Palin discussed $500,000 in legal fees she says she's faced recently, and that she claims about one-tenth of that sum was the result of a bill she got from Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign, which wanted her to pay for having vetted her to be the Republican vice-presidential nominee.
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"She said when she asked the McCain campaign if it would help her financially, she was told McCain's camp would have paid all the bills if he'd won; since he lost, the vetting legal bills were her responsibility," the AP reports.
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A former advisor to McCain quickly came out to deny that there was any such bill. CNN's Peter Hamby quotes the unnamed "former senior campaign advisor" as saying, "That is one hundred percent untrue... All those bills are from her personal attorney Thomas Van Flein, mostly relating to the Troopergate investigation and other ethics investigations. It is not legal to pay for those investigations out of general election funds, even if the campaign was so inclined."
One Thing I Love About This House
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Catholic Church in DC Promises to Stop Outreach to the Poor if the District Recognizes Gay Marriage
Mascot of the Month News 2: Sarah Palin "You Like Me... You Really Like Me..."
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The Insider hasn't forgotten about her.
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No, in the same investigative story about Levi, Sarah and Thanksgiving Dinner - they did have a poll question.
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You have to go to the sidebar, but there it is, waiting for your response.
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They dragged out an oldy but goody in the form of did she break the law by getting her daugther's baby daddy a job that was wait-listed AND required a high school diploma (which he didn't have).
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And, by a significant margin, people said that she shouldn't be investigated for this.
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So yes, finally a election she won.
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Although rumor has it she will quit the Insider polls for the good of the web site soon anyway. Something about not wanting to be a lame duck.
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Latest Mascot of the Month News: Part 1 - Levi
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
One Amazing Change in Los Angeles Since We Moved...
..is the preponderance of places to buy Pot. Apparently anyone with anxiety, headaches or a menstrual cycle can get signed up to buy Pot legally.
Crude World: The Violent Twilight of Oil
I went to a talk toady at the Open Society Institute put on by Revenue Watch. Peter Maass (pictured) wrote and spoke about his book, Crude World: The Violent Twilight of Oil.
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He gave a great discussion and he had a deep knowledge of the topic. It was about a few things. First, how Oil, as a resource, is not great for a country - but instead fosters a lot of trouble, skews production inside a country and increases corruption.
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There are about 3 exceptions to this general rule.
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1. The USA where oil resource ownership is NOT controlled by the government because we found oil first. So our resource wealth has been a lot more spread out and not controlled by the government.
2. Norway (and to a lesser extent, Canada and Great Britain) where Democratic Institutions were already in place before oil was found.
3. Kuwait, UAE and Brunei, where the massive amounts of oil versus the small size of the public allows for the state to provide services even when corruption occurs.
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He also spoke of the many countries where oil wealth has been terrible for the people, Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, Ecuador, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Russia, etc. And what the impacts of oil wealth have been on the people.
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Anyway, it was really interesting and Peter Maass was cool. The book is written about people not institutions.
Day to Honor Veterans
It's November 11th, which means it is Veteran's Day.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Really Interesting Picture Story of a Year in the Life of an Army Recruit
Monday, November 09, 2009
Yeah... finally someone gets behind my feelings on this....
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It makes me happy because finally I have others to say what I have said to every damn Democratic Party fundraiser call since they screwed us.
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Sign and join if you want...
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Pause in DNC Donatations (Don't Ask, Don't Give).
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I'm writing to ask you to join me in boycotting the DNC. The boycott is sponsored by AMERICAblog, and cosponsored by Daily Kos, Michelangelo Signorile, and Paul Sousa, among others.
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A year ago, the LGBT community, our families, friends and allies across the country were elated by the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States. We poured our hearts and wallets out to elect a Democratic president and Congress, and on November 4th, 2008 we had great hope.
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Over the past year our joy has turned to frustration as President Obama and the Democratic Party have moved away from their campaign commitments to gay and lesbian Americans. While President Obama repeatedly promised to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT), and repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), he has now backtracked on all three commitments.
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There has been little, if any, pressure from the White House for votes on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). The administration continues to send mixed signals on the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT). And we've been told not to expect the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) to even be considered until President Obama's second term. In the last two weeks alone, the Obama administration continued to defend DOMA in the courts, and the White House and the Democratic party refused to lift a finger to help us defeat anti-gay ballot initiatives in Maine and Washington state. LGBT Americans, our families, and our friends kept our promise at the ballot box, we now expect President Obama to keep his in the White House.
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Please join us in pledging to postpone your contributions to the Democratic National Committee, Organizing for America, and the Obama campaign until the Democratic Congress passes, and President Obama signs, legislation enacting ENDA, repealing DADT, and repealing DOMA -- as promised.
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The Democrats have it in their power to end this tomorrow. And we remain hopeful that they will. Thanks so much.
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