End-of-the-Week Levity

You gotta love the Onion...

The Songs of Summer

One of the all-time summer classics...this one from our bicentennial summer..."Lido Shuffle" by Boz Scaggs...

Like...Totally!

Maverick?

Obama's new ad...

A Poll and A Map

A new poll by the Associated Press and Ipsos Public Affairs shows Barack Obama leading John McCain by six points among registered voters:

Obama 47%
McCain 41%

Key take aways: Obama runs even with McCain among men, leads by 13 points among women, by 30 points among voters between 18 and 34, and by a whopping 55 points among blacks, Hispanics and other minorities.

Based on this poll and other current state-by-state polling, here is where I see the electoral map as of today...


Obama 325
McCain 213

The race seems pretty static right now, and we're bound to see little movement during the Olympic Games. But as we get towards the end of the month, when the V.P. picks are named and the party conventions take place, Americans will be paying more attention to the election. My hunch is they'll see McCain as another take on Bush and Obama's lead will solidify.

Hey...I said it was a hunch.

Mid-Week Brain Break

Sent to theatres last month, here is the trailer for the remake of the 1951 classic "The Day the Earth Stood Still"...



I remember watching the old Robert Wise classic on the 3:00 Movie after school back in Chicago. While that film will always be remembered as the venerable science fiction classic, it will be interesting to see how the Hollywood of 2008 re-tells the story.

"The Day the Earth Stood Still" is due to be released in December.

Ignorant and Proud of It

Suh - NAP!


This guy ain't your typical roll-over-and-take-it-like-a-bitch Democrat!

Lift the Ban

As an extension of the post below about gay linguists, I post this excellent short clip from Brave New Films that focuses on the Don't Ask, Don't Tell debacle...

The Military's $9 Million Error

Steve Ralls of the Huffington Post:

This morning's Christian Science Monitor reports that the Army is preparing to offer a staggering $150,000 retention bonus to service members who are proficient in Arabic, "in reflection of how critical it has become for the US military to retain native language and cultural know-how in its ranks." Indeed, as the war in Iraq goes on, and the military subsequently finds fewer and fewer people anxious for extended stays in the desert, retaining trained troops is becoming a critical centerpiece of many commanders' strategies. The supply of Arabic speakers just isn't keeping up with the demand created by ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan."

Under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, over 60 Arabic linguists were discharged from the military over the last several years (when we needed them most to help fight terrorist jihadists) simply because they were gay.

Say it with me: The. Worst. President. Ever.

Dubya

Here is the teaser trailer for Oliver Stone's upcoming film, "W."

I. Can't. Wait.

Outrage Fatigue

Quote of the Day:

I have ceased to care about McStupid's Britney video and Obama's acting presidency. Or the New Yorker cover. Or Cindy McCain's 20 painkillers a day. Or the endless hand-wringing about the fucking narrative...

Our complacency will be our downfall, and I no longer care. Let Rush Limbaugh and ExxonMobil have America — it's becoming a crumbling shithole anyway.

(The now former) blogger Skimble (by way of TalkLeft, by way of Larry), throwing his hands in the air and calling it a day.

Yeah...no doubt about it...the 24/7 news cycle can burn a guy out on this presidential election thing. But after eight years of the worst presidency in United States history, this election is too important. As I've said before, no American will get their idea of the perfect president. Ever. And if you're waiting for an uber-liberal in the mold of Russ Feingold, Bernie Sanders, or the late Paul Wellstone to win the White House...I have news for you...even in this day and age, they'd lose all 50 states. Barack Obama is about as close as we'll get to that political philosophy. And I, for one, am hoping beyond hope that he wins in November. Now more than ever, we need him.

Di Fi For Gov?

Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, in his current role as columnist at the San Francisco Chronicle, reports that United States Senator Dianne Feinstein (herself a former SF mayor) is mulling over another run for governor in 2010. She lost a close race for that office in 1990, but since then her star in the Democratic Party and within state politics has risen to the ultimate heights, her terms in the United States Senate transforming her into an elder statesman. (I still say that had Al Gore put her on the ticket in 2000 he'd be finishing his second presidential term right now.)

But...she'll be 77 in 2010 and I think that will be quite the hindrance should she decide to go for it. State Attorney General (and former Governor) Jerry Brown is mulling over a run for the same office, but he'll be 72. Willie Brown thinks if Feinstein throws her hat in the ring Jerry will run for another term as AG.

That leaves the current San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom - young, handsome, and California's kind of liberal. Willie Brown thinks he'd defer to DiFi if she runs and then hope she'll appoint him to serve out the rest of her Senate term. I disagree. He could give Feinstein a run for her money in the Democratic primary. But would he be able to win over the conservative Democrats and independents of the Central Valley in the general election?

Good question. Only time will tell.

Little World

Washington Post: A study of 30 billion instant messages between 180 million people around the world proves the theory that all humans are separated by the infamous "six degrees of separation."

Money quote:

...researchers have concluded that any two people on average are distanced by just 6.6 degrees of separation, meaning that they could be linked by a string of seven or fewer acquaintances.

The Songs of Summer

From the summer of 1979, the height of the disco craze, comes this classic from legendary producer Giorgio Moroder. Having been at the helm of several monster hits by Donna Summer and winning the Academy Award for his score to the film "Midnight Express," Casablanca Records teamed Moroder with the legendary R&B family the Sylvers. Having lost their founding older brother Leon to the Solar label in 1978, the siblings found themselves stuck at Casablanca without their anchor.

Enter Moroder. He moved the family to France where he stamped his trademark production on the family's trademark harmonies. The result was the aptly titled album "Disco Fever." The first single from the set was this dance club favorite.

Enjoy "Mahogany (Do You Know)" by the Sylvers...

I'm Back

The three-day weekend was exactly what I needed. After several months spent flying back and forth between San Francisco and Seattle it was nice to get away and veg poolside with friends. Not once did I turn on a computer, not once did I pick up a newspaper. As a matter of fact, I only used my cell phone twice, and both times very briefly. I would have loved 2 or 3 more days. But this will do for now.

Back to Business...

I see Barack Obama's average lead in pre-election polling is down to about 2-points. My sincere hope is that this is simply due to the fact that it's mid-summer and most Americans are on vacation and not paying attention. The country is falling apart at the seams, our Constitution is in tatters, and our reputation around the globe is on life-support - all courtesy of the war criminals we call our President and Vice-President. Yet, rather than fix what ails us, the only thing the Republicans know how to do is call the Democrats pussies, air campaign commercials that sucker-punch below the belt, and hope the American voters fall for their trickery yet again.

I certainly hope Americans aren't that stupid. Then again they did vote for Bush in 2004 when all signs pointed to disaster. Only this time we REALLY can't afford four more years of the same policies. And no matter what John McCain and the Fascists in the Republican Party tell you, that's exactly what you'll get if they're elected for a third term.

Obama / Bayh ?

First Read reports that the campaign has issued a schedule to reporters via email that has them in Indiana on both Tuesday and Wednesday. Could this mean the Democratic nominee has decided to name Sen. Evan Bayh as his running mate?

I'd be ok with such a pick.

Bayh doesn't excite the masses the way Obama does - as a matter of fact his personality is so "un-Obama," at times you might confuse him with Carlton the door man from the old "Rhoda" sitcom. BUT...his resume is stellar: Governor of Indiana for eight years, currently in his second Senate term where he sits on the Armed Services and Intelligence committees, among others. Outside of Joe Biden, Bayh is probably the best suited to be one heartbeat away from the presidency.

Two residual pluses to picking Bayh: He might help deliver Indiana's 11 Electoral College votes (the state hasn't gone Democratic since 1964), and as a former high-profile Clinton supporter he might help heal any left over wounds from the drawn out and bitter primary contests.

3-Day Weekend

Brent and I are off to Sonoma County to join the Lazy Bears for an extended weekend along the Russian River. I'll return to the blogosphere on Monday.

(Photo: Mark L. Kaufman)

The Songs of Summer

The best dance track of 1999 - and one of the best of all time...

"Big Love" by Pete Heller...

The Best McCain Can Come Up With?

Quote of the Day:

We want to have a serious debate. But so far, we've been hearing about Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. I do have to ask my opponent: is that the best you can come up with? Is that really what the election is about?

-Barack Obama, yesterday during a speech in Iowa.

Bottom Feeder

The fact that GrandPappy BushBitch gets more than 40% in pre-election polling speaks reams...too many Americans have no idea what they're doing when they vote. This ad should sow the seeds of doubt about McCain. My hunch is it won't.