Brent Nyitray
Fairlington Blade
Let the mutherfuker burn!
jnc4p
Kevin S. Willis
Michigoose
lmsinca
markinaustin
Arcanaut
novahockey
quarterback
ScottC
yellojktComments are welcome.
Booker? Castro? First Lady?
Your thoughts. Please. I missed it, in favor of time with grand daughters, and will continue to do so.
I rely on the beneficence of strangers.
Dem Convention Open Thread
Posted on September 4, 2012 by markinaustin
All Things in Moderation 
I’m glad you spent the time with the grandkids! Earlier today you posted I’m not gonna read it. and I almost commented that you sounded like one of the twins. 🙂
I really liked Martin O’Malley’s speech–he used rhetoric and style very, very effectively I thought:
I missed Corey Booker’s speech, but Don Juan and others liked it, so I’m going to find a youtube or something of it so that I can watch. It was a bit of a throw-away speech, but I enjoyed Kal Penn’s speech. Julian Castro was excellent, as was Michelle’s speech, although it doesn’t seem to have captured me as much as it did others for some reason.
I would have to say that it was a much more dynamic first night than the RNC, and I ended up watching a LOT more of it than I expected to.
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I listened to the Kal Penn speech and I thought his connection with young people was appealing if it works. Castro was truly excellent and he made the audience feel as if they were all in on something that the other guys don’t get, including Romney/Ryan. He made a great appeal for the kind of government that provides opportunity not hand outs to foster a successful middle class I thought. And I loved the First Lady’s speech. As a mother and a wife she comes across as very sincere and inspired really. I think that will appeal to a lot of women, young and old. I agree her dress was phenomenal and she looked gorgeous………………I read over at the Plumline someone commenting on the inappropriateness of her bare arms and I cracked up.
If the first night is any indication, I imagine Dems will get more of a bounce than R’s did from their convention. I wonder how many will tune in to Clinton tonight?
I don’t have time to chase down the links, sorry Mark. I didn’t hear O’Malley’s speech but will listen to Michi’s link later.
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Harry Reid:
“And this year, they’ve nominated the strongest proponent–and clearest beneficiary–of this rigged game: Mitt Romney…Mitt Romney says we should take his word that he paid his fair share. His word? His word? Trust comes from transparency, and Mitt Romney comes up short on both.”
All this from a man who has never released a single tax return himself and indeed has refused to do so. Also odd that he managed to become a multi-millionaire despite never holding a job outside of government since he left the Capitol Police force. Finally, odd that in law enforcement wiretaps from his days on the Nevada Gaming Commission he is nicknamed “Mr. Cleanface”, not Mr. Clean” by organized crime figures.
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One channel was interviewing O’Malley after his speech and just hinted at the inevitable question. O’Malley nearly bit through his tongue trying not to declare for 2016.
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Given the way he screwed the pooch on the “are you better off” question take a seat.
It will never be the right time for O’Malley.
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Is Clinton up against the NFL kickoff tonight?
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Via Wonkbook:
Harsh, but plausible.
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I only watched Castro, in full. I was expecting more, so I was a bit disappointed. But he’s young and has a good bio and did well last night. But Rubio still gives a better speech.
From the gushing this morning on the blogosphere, it sounds like I should have watched FLOTUS instead.
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nova:
It will be after “halftime in America” when WJC speaks. Kickoff is at 8:30 pm.
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nova:
He doesn’t think so. He thinks the NFL is up against him.
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O”Malley is a good looking white guy, in a party where that is no longer in vogue. He’s a Catholic in a party that is losing that vote. He’s from a heavily Democratic but inconsequential state. He’s not a soutnerner, which if he were would redeem him from some of the above.
No way he makes it to the top of the ticket.
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I like how Michelle Obama took Ann Romney to task with the tales of young married poverty. If two Ivy League grads like that have to live in such depredation, what chance do normal working folk have?
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now what banned writes is spot on.
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” If two Ivy League grads like that have to live in such depredation, what chance do normal working folk have?”
In the case of President Obama himself, part of that was by choice if you take his memoirs at face value.
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This is actually a worthwhile observation from Maureen Dowd:
“Obama doesn’t like to share the stage with other politicians or even campaign for House Democrats. He thinks of himself as a singular force, a unique brand, and his narrative has always begun and ended with him. He thinks he did build it himself.”
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a worthwhile observation from Maureen Dowd
I don’t believe the concept. Big Red brings out my vestigial MCP.
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“If two Ivy League grads like that have to live in such depredation, what chance do normal working folk have?”
Is it purple prose day? Alas, I find myself unprepared
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Dowd is hitting some of her favorite themes. From today’s column:
Compare that to her column from 2008:
Or this one from May of that same year:
Dissecting the conflicts between the Obamas and the Clintons is one of her favorite topics.
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diffident debutante
castrating c___t.
(Mark counts to ten, silently, and composes himself). She made her name and Pulitzer by being the NYT’s political gossip columnist. Amazing example of climbing a step beyond her abilities. I will not accuse those of you who like her of limited intelligence. Many bright people love a steady diet of pointed snark, it just makes for a conversation stopper with me. I own that, entirely.
Carry on.
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jnc:
Regarding Dowd, this morning I wrote in Wonkblog:
“She devastated him by implication. If Romney was the son of privilege, she and her husband were anything but. What she said directly is that Barack Obama understands people who are struggling. What she didn’t have to say is Mitt Romney doesn’t” (EJ Dionne)
It was a very good speech, but a bit too long.
Also it depended for it’s impact on the idea that we should vote for Obama because he is individually a good and lofty person, regardless whether or not he can actually get things done.
There lies the dichotomy of Obama’s whole career in politics. He is an obviously good man with high ideals who nevertheless has a very spotty record of actual accompllshments.
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Anne Romney’s speech depended for its impact on the idea that Mitt Romney was individually a good and lofty person. That’s what the spouse’s speech is supposed to be. The only time I remember a prospective FLOTUS doing anything but, the subsequent blowback sent her to the kitchen to work on her recipe for chocolate chip cookies.
BB
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“bannedagain5446, on September 5, 2012 at 7:59 am said: Edit Comment
“If two Ivy League grads like that have to live in such depredation, what chance do normal working folk have?”
Is it purple prose day? Alas, I find myself unprepared”
I have little sympathy for someone who graduates from an Ivy League law school, eschews well paying jobs to become a community organizer, and then complains about how hard it is to make ends meet. Reminds me of numerous conversations with unemployed Art History majors.
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Not actually going to read the link, but it sounds like Dowd is just recycling other people’s ideas.
Thrush and Allen at Politico a couple of days ago.
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Yellow – God help you if you do a search on the term “Big Dog” in her columns.
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http://minx.cc/?post=332559
this gets to the point jnc was making. he made a choice. an irresponsible one at that.
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Not irresponsible unless he defaulted on his debt because of it, NoVA.
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why would you pay Ivy prices and not take the the high paying job? that doesn’t make any sense to me.
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The responsible vs the irresponsible is the argument that Republicans need to make. You can be rich and responsible or rich and irresponsible and the same thing applies to being poor.
Stanley Greenberg did the best write up on it a while back:
However, Romney may not be the best messenger for that approach.
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“novahockey, on September 5, 2012 at 9:05 am said:
why would you pay Ivy prices and not take the the high paying job? that doesn’t make any sense to me.”
He’s welcome to make that choice, I just don’t want to hear any complaints about how hard it is to make ends meet or his student loan burdens. And I absolutely am unwilling to subsidize his choices through the government.
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I’d like to thank all those science and math teachers I had, particularly professors, who made an irresponsible choice instead of seeking higher paying positions in the private sector.
BB
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Austin ISD is giving waivers of “teacher certification” for HS physical science teachers with industry experience and BS [or MS or PhD without industry experience, I think]. AISD is requiring a crash course in classroom teaching, but it can be attended during the first year of teaching. So far, so good – but TFT is opposed, of course. They are attracting folks who are willing to take a two-step down in pay because they always wanted to teach, but so far, it is mainly attracting folks who feel financially set, not in debt recent grads.
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I think it’s all hyperbole anyway. If their college loans were actually bigger than their mortgage, it’s unlikly they would have gotten the mortgage working for non-profits.
I assume that everybody not just candidates for office, treats their own past like a movie or a novel, not a footnoted biography. I really don’t care whether Ryan ran a 3 hour marathon or whether Romney fell in love with America during visits to our national parks.
Get the important stuff right.
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She had high paying jobs, DJ.
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“I”d like to thank all those science and math teachers I had, particularly professors, who made an irresponsible choice instead of seeking higher paying positions in the private sector.”
In all likelihood, that was their choice because they like the lifestyle as well as selflessness. Paul Krugman isn’t writing in the NYT because he turned down lucrative offers to front a hedge fund or chair the economic council. It’s because he likes the irresponsibility it offers him.
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NoVa – I could probably get a higher paying position at SAIC or SFA. There are other compensations, mainly that I enjoy doing research and I’m quite good at it. You may have seen a great ad on TV for the Washington Post jobs section. A parrot in an empty room is saying a few phrases–not another day, can’t take this… Then a man walks in and says the phrases. It’s a clever ad.
This thread of criticism seems largely designed to mute one of the key approaches that politicians make to voters–demonstrating empathy. Bill Clinton’s comeback in 1995 was built on that. He “felt” my pain (I lived in Iowa during the floods); comforted the survivors of the OKC bombing.
Yes, the Obamas struggled with student debt. Plenty of couples start in a small apartment. Those are experiences they’ve had and use to connect with voters. Anne Romney has struggled with illness and the Romneys talk about that as a way of connecting with voters.
BB
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That’s good. Maybe we should vote for the candidate’s wives instead of the candidates.
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I remember that ad. But I disagree with it. Job satisfaction isn’t something I value a lot. I care about the quality of my work and take pride in it. whether I like it our not doesn’t really factor in.
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mark:
Yes, in some areas, the teachers fight a different way. All the newly certified people go into the worst schools, which is reasonable from their pov, but not exactly an inducement to people wanting to change careers.
Truthfully, I don’t get the selfless argument on behalf of the majority of teachers. Some are terrifically so, doing tremendous work under difficult conditions, but for the majority, they are holding down a good job at reasonable pay which is very secure and even lucrative in retirement.
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“The schedule lists the three actresses as speaking on Thursday evening, the same night that President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will accept their party’s respective nominations. Johansson, Portman and Washington are listed as following The Foo Fighters on the itinerary. Convention officials announced that the alternative rock band would perform last week.
A source told CNN the hope is to have the three actresses appear on stage together.
It’s unclear if the schedule has been finalized or is subject to change. When contacted by CNN, a DNC official said that no final details about the Thursday program would be divulged at this time.
CNN reached out to representatives for each actress but did not receive comment for Johansson and Portman. A representative for Washington would only say the actress is currently filming in Los Angeles.
Though several celebrities are slated to attend the DNC, appearances by Johansson, Portman and Washington would surely invite special political scrutiny.
All three are popular, award-winning actresses and among Hollywood’s most bankable stars. But perhaps more importantly, all three represent demographics that Democrats hope to win by wide margins: women and young voters.
Johansson is 27 years old, Portman is 31 and Washington is 35.
Should the actresses take the stage supporting the president it could help Democrats present a picture of inclusiveness and diversity within the party. Johansson and Portman are white, Washington is African-American.”
Why?
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“A federal court judge on Tuesday ordered Massachusetts officials to provide sex-reassignment surgery for a transsexual prison inmate, after determining that it was the only adequate treatment for the inmate’s mental illness.
The state’s Department of Correction said Michelle Kosilek, previously known as Robert, who is serving a life sentence without parole for murdering his wife in 1990, has a gender identity disorder.
She attempted to castrate herself and tried to commit suicide twice while incarcerated in an all-male prison in Norfolk, according to a court order.”
http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/04/health/massachusetts-sex-change-surgery-inmate/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
A perfect illustration of the maxim that hard cases make bad law.
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Why?
Substantively, no real good reason. A (male) friend of mine would say “Because people like to look at pretty women.”
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“Because people like to look at pretty women.”
Then they could have done much better! I don’t know Washington, but the other two are no better than average.
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You clearly have extremely high standards! 🙂
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Three years and ten months ago, before the Election, my friend and I amused ourselves before tipoff and during halftime at a UT bb game playing “Prettier than Palin”. We did not include coeds, because comparing UT coeds to other humans is grossly unfair. So we concluded that 13 of 21 women close enough to observe were “PtP”. We were both surprised, as we considered Palin a pretty solid 8. FWIW, I think Palin in her mid 40s was prettier than one of those actresses. Longoria, who will speak, is a 9+. You have to get into the young Sophia Loren, Catherine Zeta-Jones stratosphere to reach 10 level. My wife is a 9. Michelle is a 7+.
The Brazilian volleyballer called Paula (crowd yells “POWLA, POWLA”) is an 8+.
DJ, your scores, please?
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Johansson and Portman are white, Washington is African-American.
For “diversity” purposes, Portman is also an Israel-born Jew. She and Johansson both campaigned for BHO in 2008.
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I think you put yourself pretty far out on the limb with the women here by assigning numbers, so I think I’ll let the firemen come and rescue you instead.
I would put Charlize Theron, Kate Beckinsale and Keira Knighley up there, Aishwarya Rai, Salma Hayek and Eva Green. Liz Hurley and Freida Pinto.
Johanssen works at the mall trying sell jewelry, and Portman is the girl ignoring you in English lit class because she’s head of a sorority and thinks that means something
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the other two are no better than average.
I have got to spend more time in your universe and less time at the motor vehicle bureau. It’s a leper colony down there.
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I stand by my 2005 blogpost proclaiming Angelina Jolie the Hottest. Woman. Ever.
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Wow. The whole #s thing I posed as a joke. But Jolie looks like malnutrition to me. We really all have differing tastes, for sure.
However, I must add, that when a woman talks to me for the first time, the entire universe of attraction changes from the visual. In fact, I have never known what exactly makes for personal attraction beyond the obvious, because I have not been attracted to some quite wholesome women. And every man I know can say the same thing. It is quite possible that 30 seconds after I met Charlize Theron [agree on her looks] that I would have no interest in her whatsoever. It has also been true that some quite ordinary looking women have fascinated me [in my misspent ‘ute, of course].
I remember sitting on a bus in Manhattan next to two early 20s office workers; pretty women with short skirts, having the fantasies of a 14 year old [I was 13, but advanced in fantasy world]. I overheard a bit of conversation: “So, anyway, Mawsha, den he sez…”. Killed the moment.
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However, I must add, that when a woman talks to me for the first time, the entire universe of attraction changes from the visual.
Yeah, I’ll never forget going out with a hostess at a restaurant where I was a cook. She was hot enough to get us into a bar/club even though it was 21 and older and I was 20 and she was 19. Anyway, I tried really hard all night but having a conversation with her was just too painful.
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yello;
I’t s a good thing that we don’t all like the same type, or procreation would wind up in a recession.
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The schedule for tonight has Clinton going on at 10:39.
I guess this is a reflection of the fact that network coverage is only from 10-11 but Warren had better be right on the nose time wise. Bill’s standing ovation alone will take him to 10:45.
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On the frequently heard boast that Obama has created 4.5 millions:
“However, CNN fact-checked that claim and found it to be “not the whole picture.” Instead, CNN found that there has been a net increase of just 300,000 nonfarm payroll jobs since Obama took office. And if you count government jobs, there are actually 400,000 fewer people working today than in January 2009.”
I’m less interested in the 4.5 million number than the last sentence that shows that since Obama took office the number of government employees has shrunk considerably. I’m assuming this is driven mostly by state cuts, but I am wondering if the number of federal jobs has gone up, down or been relatively stagnant.
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I just watched Julio on the web. The conclusion was strong.
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This quotation seems somewhat appropriate for today’s thread. I didn’t know we were assigned numbers anymore………………..lol. My husband always knew I’d forgive him when he told me I was the prettiest girl he ever dated, much less married…..hahahahahaha. Even if he was lying I always liked to hear that.
“Girls do not dress for boys. They dress for themselves, and of course, each other. If girls dressed for boys, they’d just walk around naked at all times.”
Betsey Johnson
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The whole #s thing I posed as a joke
Sounds like back tracking to me Mark…………………no take backs……………….hahahaha. It’s a great thing for all of us that our tastes differ.
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ash
I remember my daughter breaking up with a boy in high school because he couldn’t read her Chemistry flash cards to her for a test she was studying for. I always went for the strong silent type and a sense of humor.
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All:
Mark has brought to my attention a couple of instances recently in which I have accidentally sent someone’s comment into the trash or spam filter. This is a function of me using my iPad a lot more to post, and navigating the site using a touchscreen on the administration comments page is prone to unknowingly touching the “trash” or “spam” button at the bottom of each post.
I will endeavor to be more careful, but rest assured that if you find a comment in the trash or spam folders placed there by me, it was not done intentionally, and so feel free to un-spam it. My apologies if this has happened to anyone earlier without me being aware.
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lms:
“Girls do not dress for boys. They dress for themselves, and of course, each other. If girls dressed for boys, they’d just walk around naked at all times.”
Betsey Johnson”
We are at heart, simple folk, not complex at all.
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scott:
how do you like the Ipad?
I don’t get how it is better than a laptop, but soon it will be time to get my next kid one or the other.
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banned:
I like it primarily for it’s mobility. Using it to comment here is a bit of a pain not just because of the touchscreen but because it is difficult to navigate several windows to include links and copy quotes and such. But carrying it and using it on the train or while traveling is much easier than a laptop. Plus it has all kinds of apps (WSJ, NR, SI…the special features for the swimsuit edition on the app were spectacular).
Bit if your kid is going to use it for school work at all, get a laptop.
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John
We are at heart, simple folk, not complex at all
If only that were true.
Scott
I lost a couple of comments in the last week or so. Maybe that explains it. I’m just glad it may be something like that rather than a technical glitch with wordpress.
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lms:
I lost a couple of comments in the last week or so.
Really sorry if that was me. I’ll make sure I check the trash regularly to ensure that if anything gets put there, I can re-instate it ASAP.
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Scott:
the special features for the swimsuit edition on the app were spectacular
Is that the app that led to our conversation about full body painting a few months ago? 🙂
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Mich:
Is that the app that led to our conversation about full body painting a few months ago?
Indeed. There are a couple of things that still boggle my mind.
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Giants vs Cowboys (Giants!) or convention tonight?
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scott;
thanks for the review. that’s what I had thought, that lacking a keyboard would be an issue
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I’ve got a school notebook recommendation for you, depending on the age of the user.
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Michi:
Giants vs. Cowboys, until Slick Willy at 10:39p. No particular rooting interest in the game, but one of my high school classmates (valedictorian!) is married to the Dallas coach …
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I’m watching tennis until the twins get home – they are out with my daughter.
Serena won.
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I’ll root for any team with a Manning on it, Mike. . . unless they’re playing the Lions or the Seahawks (which are my exercises in futility.).
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Adam Serwer and Mother Jones to completely cast their principals aside and defend GITMO. In the process they repeat the lie that Congress prevented it from closing. (they refused the funding request because Obama had planned to bring the prisoners to the US and refused to admit it)
http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2012/09/gitmo-reengagement-way-down-under-obama
So here in the biggest “liberal” magazine in the country, writers are actually saying it’s shame we couldn’t bring prisoners into US prisons that have never been tried or convicted of anything and have no way to prove theri innocence.
This is in some way symptomatic of why Obama hasn’t been a better president. No one on his side is willing to hold him responsible for anything.
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mark
16
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http://preview.tinyurl.com/csj6fub
This is a good price, a lightweight, and will do everything a student needs to do. Fast enough to stream video, but is no match for a game playing powerhouse, which is not a machine you want to give a 16 YO.
Dell and Sony have 13.3″ models at higher prices, right now.
I have an older version of this one. It’s pretty rugged.
If you look through the various upgrades and accessories, if you don’t have MS Office and need it, it costs $79 bundled.
Of course, Libre Office is free and does everything MS Office does.
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Just when I thought Federer could do no wrong he mis-hit an easy one.
edit: watched Giants stop ‘boys on 4th and 1. Back to tennis. TWINS HOME TV OFF!
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Kickoff vs John Hickenlooper. . . .hm. . .that one’s easy!
Scott:
There are a couple of things that still boggle my mind.
Link or pic?
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Mich:
You can see the pics here. Alex Morgan is my personal favorite. But the iPad app has a special feature that allows you to use the touchscreen to rotate some of the pics to get a full, 3-D view. Pretty cool. But I still would like to know how they really do this. I don’t want to be too graphic, but I think certain areas must have more than just paint covering them.
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Replacement ref calls clipping instead of blocking in the back. This is going to get very, very embarassing.
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I remember awhile back I lost the fight over Warren Buffett and hypocrisy. If I remember correctly it seemed to matter to me that he was promoting something that was not to his individual benefit. I’m not sure it matters to me much whether he’s a hypocrite or not and the same actually goes for Paul Ryan. But I will admit I’ve been enjoying all the hypocrisy charges against Ryan to a certain extent, and luckily no one here is really arguing too intensely that he’s not being hypocritical. Jnc has rightly made the distinction between hypocrisy and lies although I do think a few of Ryan’s comments conceivably cross the line. Regardless here’s another one to add to the list.
Republican vice-presidential candidate Paul Ryan is barnstorming the country, promising to repeal every provision of the Affordable Care Act if the Romney-Ryan ticket is elected. But a letter he wrote to the Obama administration may undermine this message.
On December 10, 2010, Ryan penned a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services to recommend a grant application for the Kenosha Community Health Center, Inc to develop a new facility in Racine, Wisconsin, an area within Ryan’s district. “The proposed new facility, the Belle City Neighborhood Health Center, will serve both the preventative and comprehensive primary healthcare needs of thousands of new patients of all ages who are currently without healthcare,” Ryan wrote.
The letter, among several obtained by The Nation and The Investigative Fund through a Freedom of Information Act request, is a stark reminder that even the most ardent opponents of Obamacare privately acknowledge many of the law’s benefits.
Federally funded health clinics have long provided a broad range of vital medical, dental and mental health services to underprivileged communities across the country, regardless of a persons’ ability to pay. To meet the goal of expanding coverage, the Affordable Care Act provides for a sweeping expansion of such clinics, including $9.5 billion for operating costs to existing community health centers and $1.5 billion for new construction.
In public, Ryan has cultivated a profile as one of health reform’s most outspoken critics. He savages the Affordable Care Act as an example of “Washington’s reckless spending spree,” as “irresponsible,” and has warned repeatedly that it would place the “federal government squarely in the middle of health-care decisions.”
Actually, it’s nice to see he’s fighting for people in his state.
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lms:
Regardless here’s another one to add to the list.
I don’t see the hypocrisy. Opposing more government spending doesn’t require one to forgo trying to get a share of money that is going to be doled out anyway.
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James Taranto is covering the Dem convention. He notices the same pet peeve of mine that I’ve noted here in the past:
As an aside, Michelle’s husband may believe women are more than capable of making their own choices about their bodies and health care, but apparently he doesn’t believe they are capable of paying for those choices.
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mark
thanks
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Scott:
But I still would like to know how they really do this. I don’t want to be too graphic, but I think certain areas must have more than just paint covering them.
Agreed on both points. On that last picture of Alex Morgan they had to have painted shadows to make it look 3D! Amazing. I think that the “there must more than just paint” in some areas was one of my original comments (without having seen the pictures).
Had an H&T after work, BTW, and it’s still fairly surprising how they taste. We’re back into the 90s in the evening right now, so that definitely hit the spot.
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I sort of like the Urban Dictionary definition of hypocrisy.
Hypocrisy is when one douchebag calls out another douchebag for being a douchebag, and the second douchebag responds to this by calling the first one a hypocrite.
It is usually the case that the sheer mass of irony inherent to the situation at this point causes a tear in the fabric of space-time, resulting in both douchebags being sucked into a black hole of self-absorbed narcissism. Innocent bystanders are advised to quickly become apathetic to the confrontation, lest they too become sucked into the singularity.
I told you guys I liked biker bars.
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lms:
I sort of like the Urban Dictionary definition of hypocrisy.
Whoever wrote that sounds like a douchebag to me. Taibbi? 🙂
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Oh here’s the Merriam-Webster definition. I think in the case of the ACA it fits Ryan pretty well. Like I said though, I’m glad he’s watching out for his people.
: a feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not; especially : the false assumption of an appearance of virtue or religion
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lms:
I don’t think there is an elected politician in the nation who does not feign to believe something he does not in at least some respect. Politicians who tell the unvarnished truth about what they think don’t get elected.
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Taibbi?
Whhhaaaat????????? I thought it was Taranto.
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That’s hilarious, lms! Although I would have guessed Erik Eriksson rather than Taranto. . .
Halftime!
And Sandra Fluke is on stage at the DNC. . . nope, don’t really care enough to listen. PL, BTW, is particularly poisonous tonight.
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PL, BTW, is particularly poisonous tonight.
Thanks for the warning, I’ll stay away. I promised Sue I’d participate in the first Presidential Debate over there but I don’t think I can really make myself do it. Maybe we could do something here instead.
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Politicians who tell the unvarnished truth about what they think don’t get elected
That’s true I think for the most part. I believe local politics is somewhat immune from that but the higher the aspirations, the more fibbing and or bull shit. I do like listening to inspiring speeches though, it’s the same reason I still attend church. I don’t necessarily believe either one I just like the warm fuzzy feeling.
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lms:
I do like listening to inspiring speeches though, it’s the same reason I still attend church.
The reason I don’t attend church is the same as why I hate these convention speeches. In both cases I find myself looking around wondering why anyone takes it seriously.
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Pretty cool. But I still would like to know how they really do this.
I first realized I was turning into a grumpy old man many years ago when I was thumbing through an SI swimsuit issue and started wondering when paint started counting as clothing. Even stripper pasties have some sort of thickness to them.
Those photos are all so highly processed as to be more a painting than a photographic representation. It’s just all too slick.
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Scott
why anyone takes it seriously.
The cynic in me doesn’t take many things seriously. I’m always looking for inspiration and although I don’t expect to find it at an R or D convention, I occasionally find it in church.
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Federer has lost control of his usually deadly forehand and may be eliminated in straight sets. Switch to Giants in time to see a running touchdown.
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The rumors of Federer’s straight set demise have been greatly exaggerated.
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Elizabeth Warren seems strangely subdued tonight. The words are coming out, and the crowd is responding, but it just seems a little off.
It’s all the conservative trolls over there tonight, Lulu, with none of the regulars of either persuasion. I think everyone’s watching football! Priorities!!
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Elizabeth Warren seems strangely subdued
How does she typically present? I have never seen or heard her.
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Mark:
How does she typically present?
Highly engaged professorially, is how I’d describe it (being an academic). She didn’t really sound either tonight.
The Big Dog, however, is on the top of his game. Doing a good job of talking about Obama rather than just about himself, and he’s totally engaged. Of course, he’s over time. 🙂
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Big Dog over time? I’m shocked.
Federer loses, Rays lose — didn’t even get around to the football game.
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Giants lose.
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But the Big Dog rocked. I’ll post a video as soon as one pops up. Good night, all!
Update: and here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzDhk3BHi6Q
Runs about 50 minutes, but worth every second.
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yello:
I first realized I was turning into a grumpy old man many years ago when I was thumbing through an SI swimsuit issue and started wondering when paint started counting as clothing.
This made me crack up, because I have to say (as a woman), if you can look at a beautiful naked woman with paint on her and complain about it you really are a grumpy old man! 😀
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Is anyone going to bother to tune in tonight before the VP’s speech?
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I am watching the VP speech and they sure are a blood thirsty crowd. Cheering like crazy about Osama’s death.
Sort of an odd applause line that thanks to Obama, Bin Laden is dead and the auto industry is alive.
I haven’t watched much of the convention, but both Biden and Clinton have gone out of their way to say “I’m not saying Romney is a bad guy.”
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Wow!
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Hey, Michi and all. Hope everybody is doing well.
That viewer rating surprises me.
I’ve been off-and-on watching the DNC for the past hour or so. It seems to be moving quite slowly.
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