November 30, 2004
Help me help you.
Well, since Dawn is begging, I guess I will too.
Gary at View From the Wing, who knows everything there is to know about deals, free stuff and more free stuff, got a free flat screen tv and a free computer through those offers that I used to think were nonsense. And, well, I want free stuff too.
So, here's the deal: You got to a site and sign up. Then, you're presented with all these 'optional' surveys. Click 'no' to each because they don't count toward you completing your qualifying offer. Then, after all your 'no' clicking, you are presented with a list of offers, such as applying for a credit card or signing up for blockbuster for free for two weeks. Choose and complete an offer. Then, you need to get other people to sign up for an offer (how many others depends on the product, the flat screen is 8 more people, the PC is 10 more).
It's really simple, just sounds complicated.
I'll happily link the referral number of those people that help me do this after I have the needed amount of referrals.
Feel free to ask questions in the comment section.
So, here are my referral links:
Technorati Tags: Free+flat+screen+tv free+ipod free+computer
'Odd' I'm ok with but I'm not lucky (touch wood, spit, spit).
| K | Keen |
| A | Altruistic |
| R | Rare |
| O | Odd |
| L | Lucky |
Name Acronym Generator
From Go-Quiz.com
Via Dawn Summers.
In case you needed reminding.....
....Wesley Clark, endorsed by Michael Moore for president, is still dumb as rocks.
Tonight.
I'm heading over to the New Criterion's happy hour tonight (all the way across the street from my place) and I hear that Oklahama blogger Michael Bates, who many of us met during the convention, will be in attendance.
You should come.
November 29, 2004
Join the club
Club for Growth, champions of the free market and supporters of small government candidates, has started using meetup.com. I'm organizing the one in NYC and I encourage everyone to think about attending the Club's meetups in your own regions. Click the link below for more information.
Quote of the Day
'Meanwhile, the national and state Democratic Parties continue to be committed to the artful straddle, lending subtle encouragement to the crazies while trying not to look pathetic in light of a national majority for George Bush.'-Holman W. Jenkins Jr. on the campaign to recount Ohio.
How self indulgent are you?
What percentage of bloggers use their blog as their homepage on their browser? I bet nearly all do, right?
Funny girl.
So, Dawn Summers calls me up last week and says 'ok, from now on write down everything I say and we'll take the funniest five minutes and I'll be a stand-up comic.' Apparently, she had just seen some performances and felt she can do better. Looks like she took the 'write down everything I say' upon herself because here's her first attempt.
Check it out.
My new site Right Events is now up and functional. If you live in NYC and are looking for others of the rightward pursuasion, Right Events provides a list of events of interest to conservatives, Republicans, libertarians and the right-curious of NYC.
In an effort to make 'Apple Martin' feel better about herself.....
Julia Roberts has named her twins Hazel Patricia Moder and Phinnaeus Walter Moder. Phinnaeus and Hazel. Great. But, whatever, who am I to talk. I want to name my future sons Sebastian and D'Artagnan.
Cracking up
I'm honestly surprised that more isn't being said in the blogosphere about Maureen Dowd's pretty shocking piece about her family. I don't know what to make of it. I feel like she's been in public therapy for a few years now and this is just an extension of that. And though I'm sure I'm taking it in an entirely different way than she intended, I have to agree with Dawn Summers: 'This goes a long way to explaining some of the crackiness in her columns.'.
November 28, 2004
'Blogging will be light as I've been arrested'
A girl charged in her mother's murder had been keeping a blog called 'My Crappy Life - The Inside Look of an Insane Life'.
How long before blogging is deemed the cause? I think if we're going to point fingers, let's just limit it to blaming Livejournal, I don't get their whole thing anyway.
Giving the people what they want
Ace has got a really good take on the inevitable 'realignment' conversation that is happening after the election. Is there a Republican-leaning realignment? Yes, but with conditions. Ace writes 'If the Democrats have to produce a candidate as charismatic and skilled as Bill Clinton, plus a gangbusters economy and no major foreign policy threat known by the public in order to win an election, that means they're not going to win too many elections in the future.'
I agree but worry about that 'break from history' syndrome that Peggy Noonan wrote of before the election. What if people get tired of the war on terror? What if they no longer want the alerts or updates? What if they can't stomach the American loss of life anymore? I think that would lead to a major shift to the Democrats who, for better or worse, don't seem to be all that engaged in the war on terror beyond criticizing Bush for it. And, now that the election is over and Bush is secure in his four more years, I can't see them broaching the topic that often at all. What if people want that?
Read Ace's whole post and check out Ruy Texeira's Emerging Democratic Majority site which has been arguing for some time that there will be a realignment towards the Democrats and isn't buying the new registration numbers. EDM is also still arguing that Bush doesn't have a mandate because the polls show only a slight majority approve of him as president. But, of course, to use this phrase again: those polls and two dollars can get you on the subway. The only poll that matters, we were told again and again by liberal commentators when Kerry's numbers were sagging, is on election day. And that poll gives Bush a clear majority of the votes, and thus a mandate.
I can't stop staring at this picture
Viktor Yushchenko in 'before' and 'after' pics. He is suffering from a mystery ailment. He says he is being poisoned by his opposition. His enemies say he's just had some bad sushi.
That's some seriously bad sushi.
Help
Can anyone give me any suggestions as to what the problem is with my other site Right Events? When I try to go on to it, the page won't open and I get an odd clicking noise. I emailed blogger (where that site is hosted) but ever since google took them over it's been near impossible to get any response. What could be causing it? I have republished the site twice now.
More on marketing.
Michelle Malkin uses Venn diagrams to explain why a CBS book on Reagan might not fly.
November 27, 2004
Problems at Columbia U.
Ari, who works in or near Columbia (the girl is still sort of anonymous, isn't she?), was telling me the story of Columbia's problems over drinks at the New Criterion happy hour last week but I just got around to reading about them myself today.
Things look pretty bad uptown, and seem to only be getting worse. Hamid Dabashi, chairman of the Middle East and Asian languages and cultures department, is on record saying that CNN should be held accountable for "war crimes" for one-sided coverage of Sept. 11, 2001. 'He doubts the existence of Al Qaeda and questions the role of Osama Bin Laden in the attacks' of 9/11.
Several other professors are noted in the story with some other outrageous comments. But hey, as long as they're just anti-Zionist and not anti-Semitic, right? Right.
Marketing 101
Oliver Willis, one of the always seething liberal bloggers like Atrios and Daily Kos, came up with an idea to rebrand the Democrats and 'sell' them to regular people.
Then, Republicans came up with some of their own suggestions for Democratic rebranding.
Dawn Summers lamented a few months ago how the right, especially online, is funnier. These posters are just more proof.
November 26, 2004
A little New York story.
The scene: My upper east side building. My brother, Ronnie, is picking me up to take me to Thanksgiving dinner in Brooklyn. We are waiting for the elevator on my floor. FYI, Jamaica, Queens isn't exactly Fifth Avenue in terms of somewhere to shop. Rapper 50 Cent hails from Jamaica.
Ronnie: Oh, I have such a crazy story for you about shopping for jerseys in Jamaica, Queens.
Me: What happened?
Just then, the doors to the elevator open. A woman wheeling an empty wheelchair is inside. The wheelchair is big and bulky and she positions it and repositions it to get us in the car and allow the doors to close.
Me: So, what happened?
Ronnie: Nice day we're having. Sunny.
Me: So....
Ronnie: I hear it's going to rain this afternoon, though.
Elevator doors open in the lobby. We get out and my brother holds the door for the woman with the wheelchair.
Ronnie: That, Karol, is elevator conversation. What I'm about to tell you is not.
Perfect day-after-Thanksgiving soundtrack
'Yankee Hotel Foxtrot' by Wilco.
What are you listening to today?
Maybe we should be more like France.
Send this link to every friend who is 'concerned' about the Patriot Act and thinks we need to be more like France.
November 25, 2004
Blogroll Update
I have a soft spot for those New York right-leaning bloggers. Here are some new discoveries:
November 24, 2004
Overheard
'Whoever came up with those magnetic 'I support our troops' ribbons for cars was a genius.'
Don't mess with Jess.
Some people just post the photos of smiling Iraqi kids and consider their work done. Not New Vintage, she's got an eye out for possible hooligans: 'Do you notice the little boy on the bottom right? How nice does that boy look? And the one of the bottom left is a trouble maker. You can just tell.'
'08!
I nominated Alex Brunk and Mark Harris (two young, smart, politically obsessed guys I met on the Herman Cain campaign) to come up with a list of second-tier possible candidates for the Republican side in '08.
Alex's list includes people like Law & Order star Fred Thompson and General Tommy Franks, while Mark lists people like Pat Toomey and Tom Tancredo, and considers Libby Dole the sleeper candidate. The ones I consider most likely from their choices are Haley Barbour, governor of Mississippi, on Alex's list and Ernie Fletcher, governor of Kentucky, on Mark's list.
Feel free to leave your own list in the comment section.
Being thankful
More than any other holiday, I love Thanksgiving. I like the idea of sitting around with your family, eating good food and giving thanks for what you have. Here's my shortlist (if you're doing one on your site, feel free to link to it in my comment section):
1. My family- My best friend in the world is my brother. He is one of the funniest people I've ever met (Dawn Summers says that two of the top five funniest things she's ever seen/heard came from him) and I trust him in a way I can't imagine trusting anyone else. I mean, he's my brother, he's stuck with me no matter what I say or do. My mom is pure kindness and amazing to us. She and my father split up a few years ago and she really held everything together, made sure we stayed a family, made sure things changed as little as possible. She took care of my father's mother until she died, and kept my brother and me feeling that 'family' feeling, despite our already small family being smaller than ever, it being just the three of us now.
As for extended family, Peter is such a great force in my life. He treats me amazingly and provides stability in my often crazy life. He's funny and quirky, interesting and interested. I also love his whole family. They're like something out of a movie. On both sides, they're mostly police officers, firemen, military, and teachers. It's so impressive to see people so dedicated to public service. And, they've been incredible to me since day one. His brother and mom, a Navy man and retired cop respectively, have always been above and beyond nice to me. I just really like them and am thankful for that.
2. America- the only thing I put above my country is my family. As readers of this site know, I was born in the Soviet Union. I am thankful every single day that my parents brought me to this amazing country, that I have lived in freedom every day of my adult life, and that I got to grow up in the most incredible country on earth. I have travelled a lot, and I have fallen in love with other countries. But, America is it for me. I love the people, in both the red and blue states, and I love the history, the culture, the attitude. I love the cowboys, the Gucci queens, the Brooklyn homeboys, the soccer moms and everything in between. I love the confidence of Americans. I love the determination and the collective will. And, more than anything else, I love the freedom. I love that my family never had to worry about being Jewish again. They left behind those worries in Russia. They came here, began new lives, were able to be whoever they wanted to be and were never again held back because of their religion. America is pure magic to people suffering with tyranny and hardship. America is promise of a better world.
3. My friends- I've got the best friends in the world. Whether it's my Russians (and the extended family of non-Russians they've adopted) in Brooklyn, the girls on the Upper East side, the people I've met through the NY political scene or working on campaigns, the ones across the pond in Scotland, the readers I've never met but have formed bonds with, the ones I've known since high school and just can't shake, and all the other beautiful people I've picked up along the way, I have it made when it comes to friends. I'm blessed, I really am. I've had very few situations in my life where I've had to end friendships, I can think of only two off the top of my head. I've mostly made good choices and I'm proud of that.
I know these aren't earth-shattering things to be thankful for, I'm sure most lists look much the same as mine. I just like taking the time during this holiday to give thanks for the things I appreciate.
Fever.
My hero Herman Cain has a great piece in Human Events magazine about the ridiculous Kyoto treaty and the one-sided 'debate' our media is having on the issue. A great read.
November 23, 2004
The character of the man.
I'm finally getting around to reading the post-election Newsweek piece on Kerry. As the guy who sent it to me noted, 'we dodged a bullet'. We sure did. It's a great read and is really telling about the man who almost was president.
An excerpt:
In the van, Kerry was working his cell phone and heard the beep signaling that the phone was running out of juice. "Marvin, charger," he said without turning around. "Sorry, I don't have it," said Nicholson, who was sitting in the rear of the van. Now Kerry turned around. "I'm running this campaign myself," he said, looking at Nicholson and the other aides. "I get myself breakfast. I get myself hairbrushes. I get myself my cell-phone charger. It's pretty amazing."
Sure, Kerry would've done just the same as Bush in getting his Secret Service agent. Sure.
Hey, hey, hey, goodbye
Dan Rather has resigned from his post at CBS.
The second paragraph in the story:
The veteran anchor has been under fire in recent months for his role in a "60 Minutes Wednesday" story that questioned President Bush (news - web sites)'s service in the National Guard, which turned out to based on allegedly forged documents.
H/T Dawn Summers.
What Jonah Goldberg calls 'the flexibility of Bush hatred'
Ace has a story about the whiny lefty group Media Matters complaining that Brit Hume was mean to Juan Williams. Dawn Summers is meaner than that on her good days, Hume did nothing wrong in the exchange.
What's interesting to me about the story is the nature of the disagreement between Hume and Williams. Williams calls Bush's nominees 'yes men' and says that we don't know their positions on anything beyond that they agree with Bush.
Isn't that funny?
Not so long ago, Bush was the guy who was so stupid that his staff was there to think for him.
Now he is the master manipulator, able to control his staff's every thought, able to create an army of Cabinet members who think exactly as he does. I can hear him cackling now.
November 22, 2004
Just on the other side.
Via The Corner, from the NY Times:
'Two marines were killed and four wounded in an ambush on Friday in which an insurgent deceived the Americans by waving a white flag, military officials said Saturday.'
Imagine if the marines had killed the man (like, killing a man who is pretending to be dead). They'd be alive, sure, but they'd be called murderers and criminals. Our military can't win, but not against the insurgents. They can't win in the press and in liberal circles that will condemn any move they make to insure their own safety. We don't yet know the whole story of the marine who shot the man pretending to be dead, but I am wholly inclined to side with the marine, to acknowledge that it is a war zone and that it often is a killed or be killed situation. If you immediately side with our opposition, if you immediately imagine the marine to be in the wrong, I think it's time for you to wonder whose side you are actually on.
I heart David Carr
Cute boys make all sports more watchable. I have a lot of guy friends so I am invariably put in situations (especially on Sundays and Mondays in the Fall) where if I want to see the boys, I have to watch their favorite sports. I remember the first time I liked watching boxing with them, Oscar De La Hoya was fighting Arturo Gatti. Two cutie, young guys beating each other up? Yum.
Last night, football suddenly became interesting when I fell in love with David Carr. These pictures don't do him justice, but I don't think there is a better looking guy in the NFL (hell, add NBA, MLB or any other sports acronym because Carr is the hottiest):
November 21, 2004
Trying to party.
The night had such promise. Ari and Lisa had come over to hang out before we'd catch a cab downtown, pick up Jessica, and head over to Ken Wheaton's birthday party.
Forty-five minutes into our hour-long cab ride, it was clear the promise was over. We stood still in traffic for most of the way down Second Avenue because our driver had some kind of aversion to the FDR Drive. We got out of the cab early and as we were walking up to the bar, Lisa said 'that bar is sooooo 2003'. Another bad omen, not because we don't like unhip bars (in fact, those are the kind we like best because there is somewhere to sit and you don't have to wait 20 minutes for an overpriced drink), but because we know by looking at areas of Manhattan like the Meatpacking District that just because an area is 'over' doesn't mean that people won't be lining up outside to throw their money at bartenders who sneer at them.
Pioneer, Ken's party bar, had a line down the block. We looked at the line, we looked at each other. We said 'does anyone know Ken's number so that at least we can get credit for showing up?' Alas, the problem with friendships formed online is that while all of us know Ken's email address and website, none of us know his cell phone number. Dang.
I said 'I have a friend that's having a birthday party not far from here, let's head over there'. We walked a million blocks to our next destination, a bar called Flamingo East, only to find they had a cover. Rule #2 (with rule #1 being 'don't wait on line') is 'don't pay a cover'.
At this point, Ari is ready to beat us over the heads with her heels. I didn't blame her. I made a last minute, phenomenal decision to wear sneakers out but would normally be in the same situation in high heels. We headed toward another bar. It was packed. We tried another one. It was gay (not that there's anything wrong with that). Then, we headed back toward Flamingo East, ran into Toby and some other friends though they didn't stay, broke rule #2 and went inside. My friend whose birthday it was is kind of goth-y, and the place was playing 80's, dress in black kind of music. We made the best of it, Lisa and Jessica relived 11th grade on the dance floor dancing to Cure songs and grooving to Depeche Mode. Ari and I drank bitterly in a booth. One drink in, we called it a night and went home.
We were sorry to miss Ken's party and we sure hope he forgives us.
Eye on '08.
The New Republic puts together a list of second-tier presidential nominee possibilities for the Democrats in 08. I haven't heard of a lot of them, and some of the reasoning for their choices seem pretty far out, but it's an interesting read. I wish someone (I nominate Mark Harris or Alex Brunk) would do such a list for Republicans. All of our First Tier candidates seem like definite losers to me (even the ones I love tremendously, like Giuliani).
It goes well with another TNR piece about why Hillary would be a poor choice in '08. Michelle Cottle draws the parallel to Kerry's unlikeability 'Not to be confused with his IQ or experience or fundraising clout or height', and reminds Hillary enthusiasts that she too is pretty damn unlikeable.
If you're not registered with TNR, get your sign-in info at Bug Me Not.
November 20, 2004
Rally for Iran in NYC, Sunday
The Iran Action Committee, founded by students at Yeshiva University in New York, is staging a rally in front of the Iranian mission to the United Nations, 622 Third Avenue, on Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
My friend Banafsheh, an expert on Iran and a dedicated activist, will be there and I will try to be as well.
Awards
Wizbang! is now accepting nominations for this years Weblog Awards. If you like this site, think about nominating it for one, or more, of the many categories.
Being cute is not enough.
Yaron has got a post about what it takes to be a successful male star, especially if you're a cutie.
November 19, 2004
When is the next election? I'm bored.
Charles Baudelaire: The Flowers of Evil. You are
one of the most loved and hated poetic works.
Death and decadence are important themes for
you, but none should overlook your impressive
aesthetics, either. Deep down youre not evil at
all, you just like to play the tough guy on the
block.
Which literature classic are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
Via Candied Ginger.
Quote of the Day
'When you're on the losing side, the first thing to do is consider the concession and conciliation speech -- and then blame systematic voter fraud. First you reach out, then you put on your tinfoil hat, talk to the black helicopters and try not to swallow the fact that more people agreed with the other guy.'
Via Iocaste
He should start a letter-writing campaign.
Dharma Punk was extremely offended by last week's Monday Night Football display.
It's never the terrorists' fault that they are murderers.
Want to figure out a way to blame the death of Margaret Hassan on America? Ian Brown, writing for Britain's Guardian, can show you how!
Here we go: The US funds Care International, the group Hassan worked for when she was abducted and murdered. 'Care can no longer claim to be an independent NGO. All its operations, including those in Iraq, will depend to a degree on US government funds and, to coin a phrase, you don't bite the hand that feeds you. In many countries, close links to the US government go unnoticed. Not so in Iraq. And there are clear indications that Care's operations in Iraq were compromised by links to the US and UK administrations.'
Oh. So, her kidnappers assumed she was in favor of the invasion? Well....no. 'While Margaret is on record as condemning the invasion of Iraq, Care headquarters profess only to being "deeply concerned about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Iraq".'
Brown places some blame on Care, as well as Oxfam and Save the Children, for not implicitly being against the war. He implies that they would've suffered funding cuts. Then he writes 'When more than a million people took to the streets of London on February 15 last year, the overwhelming majority were trying to prevent war. Care UK joined the protest march only "to raise awareness of the potential humanitarian consequences of war in Iraq".' Care actually joined an anti-war march, but apparently their anti-war credentials were not sufficient for one of their employees to avoid being slaughtered. And, again, Margaret Hassan had personally spoken out against the war. Too bad, not enough, still dead.
Brown then describes the other organizations leaving Iraq, all except Care. He also notes that 'elements within the Iraqi resistance have long since called for all foreigners, except journalists, to leave the country.' Margaret Hassan was NOT A FOREIGNER. She was an Iraqi citizen and a Muslim. Stop making excuses for the terrorists. Stop letting them make the rules.
This ridiculous question that keeps being asked by the international press, including by Mr. Brown in his piece, who killed Margaret Hassan?, is just the worst kind of proof that some people just don't get it and never will. Brown writes 'She may have been abducted by gangsters in a plot to extort money which went tragically wrong. The more likely scenario, I believe, is that she was killed because she was considered to be collaborating with the enemy.' She was killed because they could, because she was an easy target and because they hoped that Britain would be overrun by handwringing Mr. Browns all shaking their heads that humanitarian organizations haven't all left Iraq, despite the orders of the terrorists, and casting the blame everywhere but where it belongs. Margaret Hassan was brave to remain in Iraq and to help its people. Her death is a tragedy and the blame should be focused where it belongs- with the terrorists who murdered her. I'm not counting on the European left to do that, it's easier and safer to blame America, I'm just wishful that they will.
Yes, yes, more on Eminem.
Via Daily Lunch, I discovered Armond White's review of Eminem's 'Mosh'. I wrote a few days ago about how cheesy I found the song and the video. White's piece contains this perfect line: 'Eminem had already forged an image based on apolitical self-absorption.'
EXACTLY. That's what I had loved so much about Eminem and his lyrics, his 'apolitical self-absorption'. It's so normal to not care about politics, to care more about your own everyday life, and I loved that Em represented that normality. The fact that he adopted Michael Moore style brain-dead opinions, with a contrived, corny message continues to annoy me. I just expected better from him, whatever.
Subway adventures
When I was a teenager, I took the subway non-stop. I would go see punk shows at either Bond St. or the Underworld, or go clubbing at Limelight and Club USA, and take the train home to Brooklyn no matter what time it was. I loved it. I would meet interesting characters, have a good length of time all to myself to listen to my walkman or read my 'Sassy' magazine, and generally just feel like an adult who could take the train alone at night- no problem.
As I got older, and lazier, I would avoid the subway as much as possible. I know the following stories are supposed to be sweet, in a way, and point out the funny, bizarre things that happen underground in NYC, but boy am I glad that my potentially new job will have me either walking to work or taking a short bus ride:
Political Correctness Strikes Again.
My friend, the lovely Dawn Eden (aka 'Good Dawn'), has an op-ed in today's New York Post. It's about religious music being banned at her alma mater's 'holiday concert' and it's a sad story. 'Out are Handel, the Jewish hymn "Ma'oz Tzur" and "Joy to the World", she writes. 'In are generic seasonal tunes like "Winter Wonderland" and "Frosty the Snowman." From the sublime to the mediocre.'
Dawn is a music expert and also writes often about faith, and this piece seems to combine her two interests perfectly. Her one mistake seems to be not plugging her blog in her bio notes at the bottom but that doesn't mean you should miss out: check out Dawn Patrol.
November 18, 2004
Bliss Out
My best friend (the good, conservative, angelic best friend, not the evil, liberal, horrible best friend) and her fiance got me a $150 gift certificate to Bliss last year. I'd like to use it before the holidays. What should I get?
And, this FAQ is so made for the aforementioned horrible, evil best friend.
Who wants to go see 'Alfie' and 'Closer'?
It's rare that I like the typical Hollywood hottie (Edward Norton and Brad Pitt aside). But, I have been thinking that Jude Law is exceptional looking, even though I rarely like blondes. Dawn Summers, who does usually like the big Hollywood stars, doesn't think much of Mr. Law. Let's review:
I think he's pretty gorgeous. Agree/disagree, ladies?
Update: Men who are so inclined (or even just those that have opinions on everything), are welcome to comment as well.
Discount
Click here for a 20% off coupon to Borders Books, valid until Sunday at all the US locations.
November 17, 2004
Give this guy another shot in '08.
If there is one absolute rule of campaigning, it's that you should not have any money (except for salaries and a possible legal fund) left after election day. On that day, there is no tomorrow and so if you still have money left than that is one more ad you could've run, one more worker you could've paid, one more stop you could've made.
John Kerry still has $45 million dollars left.
The link is actually to a story about Kerry possibly running again in '08. Please let it happen. I want to continue the Republican winning trend for another 4 years.
Blogroll Update
Both to the New Yawkers section of the blogroll:
A Stitch in Haste- Best self-description I've seen.
Bunniblog- Apparently, Miss Lapin and I were at the same event last night, thought I don't believe we met.
I don't think I've ever written an open letter before.
Dear Jeff Jarvis,
Now that the election is over and it can't hurt your chosen candidate, would it be possible for you to admit that people who want to pass the Indecency Bill aren't necessarily religious or even on the right side of the political spectrum? The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee approved the bill you so despise back in March. Not only is the Committee bipartisan, so that your blame of Republicans seems misplaced, but the Communications subcommittee features the most liberal member of the United States Senate, and the candidate you supported for president: John Kerry.
I enjoy your writing and frequently agree with you on the free speech issues your bring up. I just find your demonizing of the Right, in particular the Religious Right, over an issue that has bipartisan support, to be dishonest. I feel like it makes it easier for you to fight against the bill if you imagine that you're just fighting Republicans. I wish you'd admit that 'your side' is just as culpable in the support for such a bill.
Best,
Karol
Terrible News (that won't matter to a single person outside the NY right-wing scene)
The Fabiani Society, one of the best right-leaning events in NYC (the secret event referred to here as named after a Clinton/Gore operative) is supposedly ending for lack of funding. Other drinking events have sprung up lately that should be able to handle the fall-out of losing Fabiani, but it still makes me sad that the coolest, political monthly party in NYC is over. Big bummer.
Update: I just heard from a reliable source that Fabiani may actually live on in a slightly different incarnation. I'll post details as soon as I have any.
Sitemeter
Is anyone else having issues with their sitemeter? Mine disappeared completely yesterday and reappeared in the evening telling me I had a couple of hundred hits yesterday (though my sidebar referral list told me I had a lot more than that). Now, it's gone again. Anyone else having problems?
Update: Speediest reply ever, from the Sitemeter folks: 'The server for "sm1" accounts is down today. The technicians at the hosting center thought they had fixed the problem but it went down again. If they are unable to determine what is wrong with the server, they are going to issue me a new one and I'll transfer over the accounts to the new server.'
Art?
Oh that? That's 'Sharon holding heads of Palestinian children over a kerosene stove that is kept lit by American matches'. This painting is part of an art show fundraiser, 'Made in Palestine', that is being shown at the Westchester County Center, in New York, this Saturday night.
Jim Maisano, a County Legislator, is trying to stop the show. He notes that 'County Executive Andy Spano does not allow gun shows at the County Center, but he allows an incendiary Palestinian art show fundraiser instead.' Maisano is now the target of a phone call campaign to harass him enough to end his opposition to the show.
Haifa Bint-Kadi, one of the organizers of the show, doesn't understand all the fuss. She writes 'I was told that even though we were not showing art that was violent' that her show may get shut down. Non-violent? Sharon holding heads of Palestinian babies over a stove is so peaceful.
This show would've been an opportunity for the Palestinian community to say: 'we're normal. We're just like you. Our art is also beautiful and meaningful. We don't have to have Sharon eating babies. Most of us don't understand why Palestinians swarm exploded cars and pull apart the bodies inside. We're not all like that, obsessed with detached heads and death.' No such opportunity ever seems to be taken.
November 16, 2004
Quote of the Day
'Yay Condi Rice. I want her to go to Saudi Arabia, and I want her first words upon getting off the plane to be “I’ll drive.” '
Post-election commentary.
Nat Hentoff is the token libertarian (though certainly 'left-leaning libertarian') on the Village Voice staff. He has an article in the Chicago Sun-Times commending the Swift Boat Vets, particularly John O'Neill, for their courage, and also writing some very nice words about Thomas Lipscomb's pieces on John Kerry's past. Definitely worth a read, especially if you know who Hentoff is and what his specific feelings on Bush are.
I hate it. I love it. I hate it. I love it.
I miss my Vaio. Though it's given me plenty of trouble, it is a constant source of happiness in my life and I'm sad without it. G-dspeed Vaio, come back to me soon.
Secret Keeping.
Well, since last night was all off the record, I can't tell you about anything that went on inside, or about anyone that was there. But, I can tell you there were pro-life protestors outside and I can give you a shortlist of people who weren't there (and let you assume which one was supposed to be):
1. Arlen Specter
2. Hillary Clinton
3. Chuck Schumer
Afterward, I went out for a few drinks with the always interesting Thomas Lipscomb and a friend of his.
'Secret' events are not conducive to blogging. And while the fact that they are 'secret' will always make me want to attend, the fact that I can't write about them takes a lot away from the experience.
Update: Kathryn Jean Lopez was there and gives away a little more than I do.
November 15, 2004
Like the Groucho theory but sicker.
What is it about the words 'secret', 'private' and 'limited' that drives people (including me, don't get me wrong) insane?
My ex-boyfriend is a wine guy and his job in Boston had him setting up wine tastings and ordering the wine for his store. One Saturday morning, I stopped by his store and overheard the following exchange:
Representative for a winemaker: So, these bottles are only for your special customers. They're really inexpensive for what they are, so keep them secret.Ex: Ok, I have some people in mind to offer these to.
Me: Give me five bottles right now.
Well, I'm off to a top secret meeting tonight that I'm basically crashing because they didn't get back to my friend in time to see if I can get an invite. I'm most looking forward to the secret party on Wednesday and can't wait to go to that not-very-secret monthly secret event (named after a Clinton/Gore operative) that is getting harder and harder to attend. See you there?
Making Eliot Spitzer the happiest man in all New York
Chuck Schumer has agreed to head the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee thus giving up a run for Governor of New York in 2006.
Actually, maybe Giuliani is the happiest man in all New York. It's too close to call.
Ahem
Stop Censoring Me, You Lousy %#*&!"Right-Wing Moralists Launch Censor War" blares a headline in Scotland's Sunday Herald. "America's freedom of speech is under attack. Mickey Mouse and Private Ryan had better watch out, says Ros Davidson in Los Angeles." Davidson's article warns of "an attack on American popular culture, which is accelerating following George Bush's re-election."
In the course of recounting the "attack" on free speech, Davidson cites this example:
Two months after the Janet Jackson incident, which also involved singer Justin Timberlake, NBC ran up against the FCC. Rock star Bono, from the band U2, said "f***" during the live broadcast of the Golden Globe Awards.
Those asterisks aren't ours; we use hyphens when quoting an unprintable word. So why doesn't Davidson's article include the actual word? America's right-wing censors are everywhere, it seems. They even edit left-wing newspapers in Scotland!
How embarrassed have you been?
Have you ever given the president of the United States incorrect information on live television? Bill Sammon, of the Washington Times, did. He told Bush that Arafat was dead, a few days before Arafat was really dead. How'd that happen? Sammon takes a jab at CBS in his assigning the blame:
During the president's press conference last week, I noticed CBS White House correspondent John Roberts pull out his Blackberry and pass it up to the front row, which was occupied by White House senior staffers Condoleezza Rice, Karl Rove, Scott McClellan and Dan Bartlett. They exchanged grave glances.Mr. Roberts, who had already questioned the president, then passed me his Blackberry, which displayed a report from the Associated Press stating that Mr. Arafat had died. I scrapped my pre-planned question and asked the president about the breaking news.
Moments after Mr. Bush answered, Mr. Roberts turned around and informed me that the AP had retracted its bulletin because it appeared Mr. Arafat was still alive after all. I expressed my astonishment to Mr. Roberts, the heir apparent to CBS anchorman Dan Rather, who caused his own controversy last month by using forged documents to question Mr. Bush's National Guard service.
Later that afternoon, I received a call from a senior White House official who ribbed me about the mix-up. I emphasized that I never meant to pass along bum information to the president on live TV.
"Ah, don't be so hard on yourself, Bill," the official deadpanned. "After all, you got the information from CBS."
November 14, 2004
I'm torn.
I got offered the job in NY. It wouldn't start until January and I haven't accepted yet though I'm definitely drawn to it. I'm still itching to move to DC. I feel like if I don't do it now, I'll never do it. But, there are people in my life who are definitely not moving to DC and the question is whether I'll be able to leave them. Also, when I moved into my current apartment, I said the words 'I'm never moving again', both because I was tired of moving around and because I love my apartment so much. So, I don't know. Like in that Kundera book where the protaganist says 'I wish I could live both lives and at the end, decide which was better', I want to see how both versions play out, but, of course, can't.
As long as their offspring stays on the Canadian side of the border
Canadians offer to marry liberal (but don't dare call them 'unpatriotic') Americans who want to escape this country because their chosen candidate didn't win.
Some hotties to choose from:
He died the way he lived.
Shooting at Arafat Mourning Site Kills One.
Although, it's almost nice that the Palestinians are switching up their reasons for killing each other. It's not the fault of the Jews this time, but of that bigger Satan, America. 'The gunmen, clad in green, shouted, "Abbas and Dahlan are agents for the Americans!"' But of course.
A long story about prayer.
It was election day. I had been up since 4am. I had a call with my boss at about 5am and then my day began in earnest. We had people on the phones since the second the clock struck 9am, calling a dwindling pool of people that hadn't already voted. There were walkers knocking on doors, poll checkers keeping lists at several targeted polling locations, poll watchers making sure everything was above board.
Sometime in the afternoon, I had my first free second to get online. And there, on my site, posted by guest-blogger Yaron, were the exit poll numbers. They were dismal. I surfed around a little bit to see if there was any good news. There wasn't. If Kerry was ahead one point in Virginia, it was all over. One right-wing writer (I can't remember who) was trying to make himself, and his readers, feel better by saying that Republican phone banks didn't start until 5pm. I looked around. Our phone banks had been going non-stop since morning. If we were pinning our hopes on anything else, we were in trouble.
I called my boss and asked if he had any good news. He sounded a lot more hopeful than I felt and said something like 'we just gotta get it done'. He called me back at about 3pm and told me to pull everyone off the phones, get them the final poll checker sheets and get them to go door to door. A few people stayed behind on the phones, two men who were also driving people to the polls if any called our office for a lift and a little old lady who wasn't a day under 90.
That little old lady had been on the phone for about 7 hours at that point. She was from another county altogether, about an hour and a half away, but her county chair hadn't returned her calls and she wanted to help the president. She had the kindest voice. 'President Bush would sure appreciate your support...'
At about five minutes to polls closing, when it was clear we had done everything we could possibly do, the lady, who had been on the phones for 10 hours by then, said 'well, I guess all we can do is pray now.' 'Yep', I said, 'it's out of our hands now'. She said 'would you join me in a prayer?' I looked at the men, they looked at me, and we agreed. I asked someone to close the door because I felt kind of hokey. It's not that I don't pray, I do, just never in public and never out loud. The lady started the prayer, 'dear lord...' I was thinking 'as long as she doesn't say the word 'Jesus', I can be completely on board with this praying thing.' It's not that I have anything against Jesus, it's just that I don't believe he was the son of G-d, and it feels wrong to even say his name in a prayer. Thankfully, her prayer was Jesus-free. '...if it is your will to have George W. Bush be re-elected president, we sure would like that, Lord. Please bless him and keep him safe and continue to bless this great country. Amen.'
After I had come back to NY, and the whole 'Jesusland' thing began, I thought a lot about that prayer. The thing was, there was something very familiar about it that I couldn't quite place. I mean, I have been in situations before where there was praying. In Georgia, we had a troop of home-schooled kids that began and ended each day with a prayer. Also in Georgia, one of my favorite days on the Herman Cain campaign was a revival in this beautiful field, that ended with a call to all those who had not accepted Jesus into their hearts to come up to the front of the room. The other Jewish woman on the Cain campaign and I looked at each other and remained solidly in our seats. Even a few days before the election in Colorado, Pete Coors and congressional candidate Greg Walcher did a stop in Durango for a veteran's barbecue and everyone knelt their heads in prayer for a young man who was joining the Marines the next day. But it hadn't felt the same as listening to that woman on November 2nd.
A couple of days ago, I realized why that prayer on election day had felt so familiar to me. I had closed my eyes and just listened to someone else's words of hope and want and I remembered when I had last done that- it was while I was living on a commune in Scotland.
Shocking, right? I had ended up in Scotland during a trip alone the summer after high school. My parents didn't like my lifestyle that summer and so booked me on a 3-week bus tour through England, Scotland and Wales. My boyfriend, at that time, was in Greece for the summer and I rotated between partying all the time and sulking. I had always kind of liked the idea of London and, having never been, assumed that it would be a mecca of good music and cool fashion. I hated it and liked every single other stop on my bus tour more. When we reached Edinburgh, and I stepped off the bus in that unbelieveably beautiful city, I fell completely in love with Scotland. Dying to return there, about a year later, I found a program in the north part of the country. Somehow, I missed the part about it being on a commune.
I lived there for about 5 months in total, then moved into a hotel in town for another month. The months in that communal house were better than you'd think for a Republican party girl from NY. Some people hated me but for the most part, my rubber dresses, platform boots and wacky ideas went over ok with the people in the house. Anyway, every morning began with a communal meeting. We would hold hands (thumbs to the left to pass energy) and someone would lead us in....well, not a prayer but some type of hopeful comment on the day. The truth is though, it sounded a lot like what that woman said in that office on election day. It was hopeful and wishful but also an admission that what would actually follow the prayer was not in our hands, that if it was the will of G-d/the universe/whatever then our hopes would come to pass. At the morning commune meetings, we would then pass around a rock and everyone would say something. I usually passed my rock silently. Though G-d was never mentioned and though prayer is something we leave to people in Jesusland, it felt an awful lot like public prayer to me and, like I said, I do my praying quietly and alone.
Could there be more of a gulf between the people at that commune and the people in Jesusland? And yet, they do the same ritual, in much the same way. I know they see few similarities with each other, but I've been in the situation of living with both and wish that they could see what I see, that they both speak these wishful words out loud and hope someone or something hears them. And just like you don't need to be a weatherman to know which way the wind blows, you don't have live in Jesusland to feel a connection to those words or to that feeling.
November 13, 2004
What kind of city is this?
New York should either have the 'no smoking in bars' rule or the 'no drinking outside' rule. Discuss.
November 12, 2004
And to think Bret Schundler was once the mayor of that fair city.
Apparently, Jersey City is still counting the votes for mayor. Either way, they lose.
Wasn't there a tv movie about a kid divorcing his family?
Downtown Lad wants to know if he can divorce his family, since being gay means he can't get married and leave his estate to his partner, and he wants to make sure his family doesn't get his cash. I know there are quite a few lawyers that read my site, what are his options?
Pretty please.
If you blogroll me, and I love each and every one of you that does, can you please make sure your link says 'Alarming News' and not 'Spot On'. I'm trying to simplify the name because there was always a lot of confusion as to what this site should be called. So, 'Alarming News' it is, and I would appreciate if you change your blogroll to reflect that.
I like their chicken and broccoli pasta, myself.
I ate at Applebees a few times (when I could afford it thanks to generous donations by awesome readers) while in Durango, Colorado. I also went to my first Denny's ever (no, shockingly, they don't have Denny's in Brooklyn). I never knew I was making a political statement.
Rainy day rap post.
Before I say what I'm about to say, I would just like to recap a conversation with Dawn Summers from a few weeks ago.
Me: So, I hate to say it but that new Eminem song really sucks.
Her: Yeah, I know. The video is pretty cool but the song is terrible.
Me: I don't know, I don't even think the video is that good. It's kind of cheesy.
Her: Well, yeah, I mean you wouldn't like it, it's so anti-Bush.
Me: Wait, what? It's not about Bush, it's about Michael Jackson.
Her: Have you not seen 'Mosh'?
Me: No, I just saw 'Just lose it' for the first time and I think it sucks.
Her: GO WATCH 'MOSH' RIGHT NOW.
And I did. And 'Mosh' sucks too.
I didn't want to say this around the election because it might've been seen as a reflection of Eminem's newly discovered politics (which, I admit, I find annoying as I saw him as kind of above that knee-jerk, stupid, vote or die stuff). I've heard unreleased songs of Eminem rapping with D12, that was anti-Bush but was still genius (including a song where he makes up his own language and actually makes it work). 'Mosh' is prefabricated, 'Rage Against the Machine', lesson-type nonsense. I can insult in the worst way: it could've been done by Puffy.
The thing about rap is that it is at its best when its real and isn't trying to convey any 'positive message'. One of the most embarrassing songs I ever heard was Tupac's 'Keep your head up', an ode to single moms that would've had more of an impact had Tupac not done a prison bid for rape. Some choice lines that made me cringe: 'I give a holler to my sisters on welfare, Tupac cares, if don't nobody else care' and 'And since we all came from a woman, Got our name from a woman and our game from a woman, I wonder why we take from our women, Why we rape our women, do we hate our women? I think it's time to kill for our women, Time to heal our women, be real to our women'. I've written before about what a fraud Tupac was, but at least Tupac's corny song had a catchy chorus. Em's song is just awful. Eminem discovers voting and makes a sanctimonious video about its importance. Thanks, Em, but I listen to your music for lessons on how to dispose dead bodies and the best way to insult your foes (his line 'me and Hayley dance to your songs, we like you' from his unreleased song 'Bump Heads' about Ja Rule's music remains one of the best putdowns ever). I don't like any of my music to try to teach me civic, or other, lessons, much less music from the guy who has sang about raping his mom or has a love song to drugs.
Ultimately, Eminem made the biggest rap mistake possible in these two songs: they have no beats. The fact that the lyrics make me cringe would be forgiven if they made me dance around the room. 50 Cent has a song that goes 'I used to listen to Lauryn Hill and tap my feet, then the ***** put out an album that didn't have no beats'. I hope Eminem goes back to being interesting and different and doesn't follow the herd's message. And, learn about the importance of beats from 50 Cent.
'Laziness cuts me, like fine cutlery'
My computer is in the shop, I'm still getting over not sleeping for a month, so blogging will continue to be light (unless this cup of coffee inspires me in ways I can't imagine).
I've gotten this email a few times, called 'pictures of Iraq too shocking for tv'. This one is my favorite from the set:
November 11, 2004
I guess it's better than sharks.
The one bad thing about the election being over is that the news seems determined to get back to their all-Laci-all-the-time schedule.
Blogroll Update/NY right-wing notes
I met John Fitzgerald the other night at a New Criterion Happy Hour a block away from my apartment. He does the excellent blog Secession. Definitely go check it out.
I feel like I may have met some other new-to-me bloggers that night but I'm not sure because the drinking had begun early and I had to keep interrupting the, usually nonpolitical but feisty after a wine class, Ms. Smurfette from arguments over gay marriage and abortion that she kept provoking.
My favorite part of that night was at a meetup earlier in the evening when Lisa of Urban Grind met Ace of Spades. She said 'oh I know your blog'. He said 'oh yeah?' And she said 'yeah, you're on Karol's blogroll'. Hehe. He only gets a million times more hits than me.
I'm heading over to hear Joel Mowbray tonight at the NY Young Republican Club (all the details over on my other blog). Joel is a really interesting guy who writes for National Review and currently blogging on Red State. I've met him a couple of times and he is really funny so I think his talk should go well. Come on by, or if you can't make the talk, at least try to make the drinks after the meeting at Saga on Lex and 39th.
Just Askin'
Isn't it a little rich that the party that spent this election shrieking 'stop questioning my patriotism!!!!' whenever their positions on anything from taxes to war were challenged is now the party that wants to split up the union or join Canada or try to harm the states that didn't vote the way they would've liked them to? I'd say that's pretty unpatriotic.
Arafat's Dead (by guest blogger Dawn Summers)
Feel free to offer your personal obituaries. Extra points given for submissions in haiku form.
Remember the Veterans
If you want to do something nice today for our troops serving around the world, send them a pizza or other goodies. And, if you're into that sort of thing, a prayer for their safety wouldn't be the worst.
My favorite liberal and her wacky ideas.
Out of all the words of advice to Democrats that have been written in the last week, the ones I understand least are those of one Dawn Summers. She has coined the 'Jean Carnahan principle' which says that Democrats should go after weak Republicans like Olympia Snowe, Lincoln Chaffee, Mike Bloomberg. I have no idea how this will help Democrats win the necessary 270 EVs that the presidency requires. Additionally, knocking off people who actually side with Democrats sometimes, seems oddly counterproductive. Dawn is actually a huge Bloomberg fan but the (R) next to his name drives her wild. Why? It would be one thing if these were real right-wingers in blue states. But the people Dawn wants to knock off are basically on her side anyway. Dawn inexplicably credits Bloomberg with having the RNC convention in NY, and then credits that with being a factor in the Bush win. I don't see it. Anyone know what crazy ole Dawn Summers is on about?
Jihadis imitate Ali G
Check out this interesting piece about rap and Jihad. Some lyrics:
The Ronald Reagan was a dirty kuffar The Mr. Tony Blair is a dirty kuffar The one Mr. Bush is a dirty kuffar … Throw them in the fire
November 10, 2004
ETHICS SCHMETHICS? (by guest blogger Dawn Summers)
Does anyone plan to declare their poker winnings?
HELP WANTED (by guest blogger Dawn Summers)
Dear Karol,
Here's an easy way to earn money to pay for my Scalinatella dinner:
Very Easy Job: Watch Me to Make Sure That I Study For Law School
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reply to: er506@nyu.edu
Date: 2004-11-04, 5:48PM EST
I'm a first year law student but I've been having terrible concentration problems. I need someone to sit with me while I study and make sure that I'm studying. Otherwise I'll waste hours surfing the internet or just thinking about random things. You can be reading the newspaper or doing your own work while you do this, you just need to be sitting at a starbucks table or other location with me. You DO NOT NEED TO KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT LAW SCHOOL to do this job.
I'll pay more for people that can tutor me in Civil Procedure, Contracts, or Torts.
646-334-3693
er506@nyu.edu
This is a part-time job.
Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
Phone calls about this job are ok.
Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.
Reposting this message elsewhere is NOT OK.
this is in or around Greenwich Village, NYU
Issues
I'm having very annoying computer problems (repeat after me 'never buy the Sony Vaio') so blogging will be light, emailing will be nonexistent and I will be very unhappy with all of it.
To add to all the fun, if you've left me a voicemail in the last week, you can expect that I got it today, the day my cellphone decided to let me check my messages.
November 09, 2004
Other than 'the Cure', I mean
Who says boys don't cry? Ken Wheaton gets all emotional on the train in NYC.
I seriously have more street cred than this guy.
"I'm a vegetarian, I don't even want no beef right now. I'm cool. Let them other (guys) deal with the beef, I'm good," Ja says with a rueful smile."I'm gonna make my records and do what I do with my peoples and have a good time with life, and you know, we wanna get back to having fun, making you dance in the club, and party, because that's what real gangstas do, they party."
I still really need a mentor.
I have an interview today with a political firm I really respect in NYC. They're still pretty small so we'll see how it goes but I can't see too many other options for me to stay in NY and continue to work in right-wing politics. I'm thinking about a DC move but wish there was something for me to be doing in my hometown. Any suggestions?
Blogroll Update
My friend Toby has started a blog, Ramblings on the Matter.
I'm also adding Downtown Lad.
One is a liberal gay man living in NYC and one is a conservative gay man living in NYC. You figure out which is which.
November 08, 2004
Best idea I've heard all day
DEAN CONSIDERS BID TO REPLACE MCAULIFFE...
Because, if there's anyone who can unify his own party, not to mention Republicans and Independents, it's Howard Dean. The fact that they're all unified in their screaming and running away from him is neither here nor there.
I love the blogosphere, reason #4 million
If you're interested in the situation in Holland following Theo Van Gogh's death, Belmont Club points us to an interesting English language Dutch blog that seems pretty on top of everything.
Because the election made her a big slacker at work and now she's paying the price.
My brother just said to me 'I don't want to say anything, but how come Dawn Summers hasn't called you in the last 20 minutes?'
Update: My brother was in the kitchen and I said something to him, and he came out to the living room and said 'are you talking to Dawn?' He really isn't getting this whole not being on the phone with Dawn Summers thing.
About last night.
Oh ok. There was a chili cook-off at my place yesterday. I did a really poor job of inviting people (which culminated in me calling people up on Sunday afternoon and awkwardly inviting them over in 40 minutes) and am a little embarrassed about it. I basically invited everyone that commented on the chili cook-off post plus one or two others that I had recently emailed with using my gmail account. I haven't slept in a month, and forgot to invite a lot of bloggers that I would've loved to have seen there. So, I'm sorry.
The winner was probably Ken, though I thought all the chilis were fantastic (Jessica, Judith, Oschisms, Young Curmudgeon all made meat chili while the blogless Warren and I made the veggie kind). After everyone went home, Peter told me that he thought Oschism's chili was the best, but didn't want to offend anyone. Ken was a little alpha-male so that may explain some skewing of exit polls in his direction. :-) Ari made the best cupcakes ever and girlfriend of the Young Curmudgeon made a heavenly pecan pie. Lisa brought over some phenomenal guacamole and awesome corn bread. Girlfriend of Oschisms (aka 'Alarming News commenter Vanessa') came through with the salsa. Steve Silver, Paul and Ivan Lenin were there in a tasting capacity. It was a feast. We'll definitely have another some time soon, or at least a drinkfest blogger party in a bar, and I'll do a much better email invite job then.
Update: Ken's take.
Update: Jessica's take.
Is anyone else with me that Ken and Jessica are either going to kick each other or make out when they next see one another?
More on NYC right-wing events.
Now that I'm back in NYC, the event I'm most looking forward to attending is the New Criterion's Tuesday night drinking session, that happens to be held a block away from my apartment. I'm surprised there are so many NY bloggers that lean right that I don't already know, but I'm looking forward to changing that.
Yet another post-election post.
George W. Bush's cousins, one who has actually met him unlike the ones that turned up with a pro-Kerry website a few days before the election, has a good post on why John Kerry lost. I disagree with him about national advertising, which would have done nothing more than added a little heft to Kerry's already oversized numbers in New York and California, but agree with pretty much everything else.
Via Kaus Files.
Round 1 in Holland: Islamofascists 1, Western Civilization 0.
A Dutch artist, Chris Ripke, reacted to the murder of Theo Van Gogh by putting up a mural, on the wall of his studio, with the words 'Thou Shall Not Kill'. The head of a nearby mosque proclaimed the mural 'racist' and apparently that's all it takes in Holland to silence someone. Police arrived to remove the mural. A television journalist blocked their path and was arrested. 'A camerawoman who filmed everything was forced by the police to erase part of the pictures.'
This is the piece:
Pic via the Live From Brussels blog.
I say this is Round 1, because I thought Van Gogh's death would influence the Dutch people to defend their liberalism, and to fight back against this threat that has been announcing itself to them for some time. I still hope that they will.
November 07, 2004
They want to be like Mike.
I agree with Jeff Jarvis that Michael Moore played a pivotal role in losing the election for John Kerry. He became the spokesman for the Democrats, and they let him. I wrote in an earlier post about Democrats I met that were voting for Bush because they hated the shrillness of Moore and that whole wing of the left. These were mostly blue-collar men, to whom economy was the top issue, but who believed that Bush was indeed president, whether they loved him or not. Most of the ones I talked to voted for Gore last time but voted for Bush this time. Some were still undecided. And Moore was a huge factor. Can you imagine how Moore's comment about the white people on the 9/11 planes being a bunch of wusses and that black people would've stood up to the terrorists, plays to blue-collar voters? Democrats have four years to push this guy to the sidelines. I don't think they will.
Watching liberals tackle terrorism.
Michael Moore said 'there is no terrorist threat!'
The killing of Theo Van Gogh in Holland, seems to have, somewhat, motivated the Dutch to do something about the very real threat that they are facing. His crime was making a film, "Submission," which ‘criticized the treatment of women under Islam’. Are we hearing them loud and clear? Criticism of Islam, not being an ally in Iraq, not fighting bin Laden in Tora Bora, but just criticism of Islam is enough to warrant death. It’ll be interesting to watch what Holland does. They don’t have the same zillion eyes on them as America does and I doubt that proposals like ‘an emergency law to enable authorities to revoke the Dutch nationality of dual citizens suspected of terrorist activity so that they can be deported’ would be something that could ever fly in America, but we’ll actually get to see how successful it’ll be in Holland. And since they’re not unilateral renegade cowboys, I think they’ll have much freer reign to defend themselves. I’m looking forward to seeing the results of their smackdown on terrorism soon enough.
Can there be now be any doubt that this war will have many fronts, many battles (who would’ve thought the killing of a Van Gogh relative would be among them?) and many faces? I hope this wakes more people up, though I am unconvinced that it can surpass braindead Bush/America hatred. Islamofascists want to change our lives into rigid, unfree ones like their own, and it looks like liberals will content themselves to the ‘Bush is Hitler’ chant rather than to do anything real to defend their liberalism. I’m looking to Holland to prove me wrong.
November 06, 2004
Thursday in NYC
One of my favorite writers from National Review, and current blogger on Red State, Joel Mowbray, will be speaking at the New York Young Republican Club (the independent one) this Thursday at 7:30pm. It will be at the Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmens Club, 283 Lexington Ave (bet 36th & 37th St), 2nd Floor. Members - FREE, Non Members - $5, F/T Students - $2.
And, of course, most importantly, I'll be there. :-)
You can see the other right-wing events around town on my NYC events blog.
Faded Hopes.
The one Instapundit posted is older, but this one felt just as ancient when I saw it in Durango:
November 05, 2004
Quote of the Day.
"Quite frankly, I think the table is set for us in the next election. We have lost just about everything that we can lose."
I've got 99 problems......
.....but my man ain't one.
Can I be mushy and non-political for a minute? Peter is the best there is.
I just want to say it publicly because that's not normally my style. He's been so amazing and supportive when I run off to do whatever it is that I do. In the last year, I've worked in Pennsylvania, DC, Georgia and Colorado. He came to visit me in all of those, and was amazing to me while I was far away. I hope you are all in awesome relationships like I am. I feel lucky all the time.
Stop Arlen.
Anyone who saw my interview with Arlen Specter from early September should not be surprised that he is already talking smack about Bush. His exact words were 'I'm going to be the same Arlen Specter I've always been'.
So, there's a movement afoot to get rid of him. I know of Stop Specter Now and also Not Specter.
How big a mistake was it for Bush to campaign so hard for Specter? I think it was the biggest of the campaign.
Don't change. I like winning.
I finally spoke to Dawn Summers. She sounds kinda bitter and says things like 'that's it, no more compromising, I'm campaigning for whomever runs against Lieberman in the primary'. So, yeah, they like crazy and they're sticking to it. Democratic leaders seem to agree. The election wasn't a repudiation of their positions, they just didn't explain them carefully enough.
My take on the situation is that 'crazy' doesn't play well in red states. People like Michael Moore caused many normal, blue collar Democrats to vote for Bush. I heard this a lot in Colorado. It's a case of 'I want to be on whatever side that guy is not on'. Those conversions stick longer than you think. My parents arrived in America when Carter was president and had the same reaction. They want to be on whatever the other side was. The other side was Republican. Despite the fact that they are not at all conservative, in the entire time they've been in America, they haven't voted Democrat once. Neither have I or my brother. It's a lasting impression.
The Wall Street Journal's editorial yesterday made another great point. Democrats aren't even bothering to try to 'unite' the country. They have given up on the south and most of the middle. The WSJ writes 'it's true that the Bush campaign wrote off big and mid-sized 'blue' states such as California, New York, Maryland and Massachusetts. But at least Republicans own the governoships of all those states. When do the Democrats plan to be seriously competitive again in say, Texas, Florida and Georgia?'
And, that's the problem with the 'just get our guy in' philosophy. Even if you can get your guy into the presidency, the Democrats are unlikely to make any serious inroads on a more local level. Kerry couldn't be seen on a stage with the Sentorial candidates from Colorado, Oklahoma, Louisiana, South Dakota, even Florida. It's a bad scene when the presidential candidate from your party can actually hurt the other candidates by showing up. Do Democrats really want to continue having situations like their leader, Daschle, having to have commercials of him hugging Bush, or standing next to Trent Lott? Isn't that embarrasing? The only candidate of the five mentioned above who lost was Pete Coors. My take on that, based on conversations with tons of people who were voting for Bush and not Coors, is that he wasn't seen as conservative enough. That was actually the point of this post, I was getting really distressed by all the conservatives who were going to skip voting on the US Senate line. Which of the Democratic Senatorial candidates lost because they weren't seen as liberal enough? We all know the answer is none.
Look, don't change, let Hollywood and Michael Moore be the face of your party. Let your candidates all come from the northeast because you're not winning anywhere else. Let the anger and the bitterness override any conversation on policy. All of that has worked wonders for us Republicans so far. Don't change a thing, just say your message louder. Look to Europe for advice, Americans love that. And hate us with all you've got. We're not real people, we're your enemy. 'Cause one thing Americans really love is negativity and anger. That's why they chose Howard Dean as their nominee, that's why all of Daily Kos's supported candidates won, that's why George 'Bush is like Hitler' Soros's money was so well spent. Reconsider, if not your positions, then certainly your messengers. This is free advice, and should be obvious to those who are over being angry and pissed off at those 'stupid' voters.
I don't need to gloat, she gets enough abuse at home.
I haven't spoken to Dawn Summers since Tuesday night. She called me just as the results were rolling in and I read some of them to her (this is when Bush was actually leading in Wisconsin and Michigan) over the phone. She cursed a lot, said 'it's all over' sadly, and hung up.
I called her on Wednesday at home and her mom picked up the phone. This is our conversation:
Me: Hi, Ms. Summers, is Dawn back yet?
Her: No, I thought she was supposed to come back today but I heard she's going to Boston now.
Me: BOSTON!! What for?
Her: I don't know, I think to cry. Hahahahahahahaha.
Me: Hahahahahahahaha.
Her: Hahahahahahahaha.
Me: Hahahahahaha.
Her: Hahahahah, well I'll, hahahahaha, tell her you called.
Me: Hahahaha, thanks, hahaha, bye.
Perhaps a letter-writing campaign thanking the Guardian is in order.
How bad was the Guardian's stunt to reach out to Clark County, Ohio voters? Well, Kerry won every single Gore county in Ohio, except for that one.
Congratulations, Jessica.
Yahoo News Headline: Bush wins Iowa to claim last three states
Update: A map is here.
Now it can be told (by guest blogger Yaron)
That bulge in the back of Bush's jacket was, as many suspected, a strap for his bulletproof vest: "...sources in the Secret Service told The Hill that Bush was wearing a bulletproof vest, as he does most of the time when appearing in public. The president’s handlers did not want to admit as much during the campaign, for fear of disclosing information related to his personal security while he was on the campaign trail."
The fact that they waited till now certainly corroborates the story.
Now we can get on to the really important issues, like finally building that oil pipeline through Afghanistan that Bush planned out back when he was governor of Texas.
(Via Tim Blair)
Good question (by guest blogger Yaron)
I guess I'm back! Have a nice rest, Karol.
John Ellis asks the inevitable question: "What, exactly, does Terry McAuliffe have to do to lose his job?"
He has presided over two presidential defeats, a mid-term debacle (2002) of remarkable dimension, the loss of California in 2003 and the steady erosion of Democratic power at every level of government. When people in business lose market share across industry segments, they get fired. When Terry McAuliffe does it, he gets good press.
Personally what I find objectionable about McAuliffe isn't that he keeps losing, but his involvement in the illegal (under McCain-Feingold) coordination of the Democratic Party with supposedly independent groups like MoveOn.org. I'd say both sides of the political fence have reasons to hate him.
(Via Jane Galt.)
November 04, 2004
Can I sleep for a week now?
I plan to get up sometime tomorrow when the clock reads 'PM', so will rely yet again on my wonderful guest bloggers Yaron and Ari to entertain y'all. Go visit their home sites too, they're both fun and fabulous writers.
Notes from the inside (by guest blogger Yaron)
Jessica, back home from Iowa, has a story about working the VIP section at a Bush campaign rally. Includes observations on the usefulness of out-of-towners and on the Bush womens' fashion choices.
The demographics (by guest blogger Yaron)
Newsday has a voting breakdown for some key demographic groups, showing Bush's gains from 2000:
- Hispanics went from 35% for Bush in 2000 to 42% in '04
- Blacks went from 9% to 11%
- Jews went from 19% to 24%
These are good trends, though the numbers for blacks are disappointing: lots of people thought Bush's share of the black vote would double, based on polls before the election, mostly I guess as a result of the gay marriage issue. Hispanics, who become more important with every election, definitely had a big pro-GOP boost. And getting a quarter of Jews is a big deal. Newsday says it's Bush's support of Israel and the war on terror that did it, although the Republican Jewish Coalition has numbers that show a nice, linear rise of 3-5% percentage points in Jewish GOP support in every presidential election since 1992. That was when Bush's dad got a scant 11%.
There's a saying that "Jews live like Episcopalians but vote like Puerto Ricans". Looks like it's not quite true now, or maybe "voting like a Puerto Rican" means something different than it used to.
Terrorist in a coma (by guest blogger Yaron)
Things are suddenly looking really bad for Yasser Arafat. Yesterday, he feel into critical condition, and today he's in a coma. They must be running out of handkerchiefs to cry in at the BBC.
Oh please, let this be the end.
I was hoping someone would end his life by killing him, possibly by bludgeoning him with his Nobel Peace Prize for added ironic effect, but I'll take this.
(Karol's flying in today, by the way.)
Quote of the Day (or, 'in yo face')
The best part: Son of Nixon notes that, in a President's second term, he sort of has to take it easy, because he doesn't want to upset the apple-cart for his Vice President and political heir. In this case, however, neither Bush nor Cheney will ever run for elective office ever again, so Bush is free to pursue, as SoN puts it, "all sorts of crazy-ass shit." The kind of shit that's sooo crazy-ass that even hard-core conservatives say, "Now look here, Old Bean. I'm all for unilateralism and all, but I don't know if we can just invade a country for 'looking at us funny'."
-Ace of Spades. Just click over to his main site and read every word he's written today. I'm meeting some people and I'm running late because I can't tear myself away.
November 03, 2004
Fuck it, I'm gloating.
A few weeks ago, Dawn Summers told me she had a new favorite expression: 'in yo face'. She sighed 'isn't it perfect? It can be used to end just about any conversation.'
So, with Dawn and Co gloating over Coors' loss, because they thought I was still working for him even though I told Dawn several weeks ago that I wasn't,
With the Daily Kos advising people to make up instances of voter fraud: Find the places in Florida and Ohio and every other state where a plausible argument for Republican vote fraud can be made. It doesn't matter whether it did happen or not. What matters is if it can be plausibly alleged to marginal Bush supporters and to the media. We also have to let the issue go where it's implausible. Hammering on voter fraud where it's not at least plausible on that level is only going to hurt our credibility. We have to sink our fangs into Republican ankles and hang onto them for dear life on the legitimacy issue. We have to make him "Bush the only American President who was never elected" whether it's true or not.
With 'idiotic, white and liberal' hoping that the war in Iraq goes badly and our economy tanks,
With Ugarte calling the American people 'stupid', when, of course, they would've all been geniuses like him if they had voted for Kerry,
With Don Myers, as usual, hysterically proclaiming that 'your sister has to carry her rapist's child to term because she no longer has legal control over her own body' (I guess the naked, dead, botched-abortion woman on his site didn't sway the election his way),
I just want to say a big, old IN YO FACE. Your presidential candidate lost. Your Senate leader lost. Your party lost. The worst part is you didn't even like your guy. You were just tolerating him because you thought he was 'electable'. You hit on the ugly girl because you thought she was easy and she turned you down. And if your attitude doesn't change, you will continue to lose big. 2002 wasn't a fluke. 2004 wasn't either. Regular people, who don't obsess over politics but love their country and turn out to vote, hate your whole, nasty side. They know you think they're stupid and they won't reward you for it. They know that you're hoping for disaster in Iraq, even if it means more American deaths, just so it can hurt Bush. They know you're hysterical and nutso. I'm not speaking about individual liberals, I'm speaking about leftism as a side in the political debate. You come off as off your freaking rocker. I have Democratic friends who voted for Kerry and are sorry Bush won. They're not saying 'go try to make up some voter fraud and hope things go badly for America for the next four years.' They're not saying 'Americans are stupid, how can they not pick my guy?' Actually, they're doing what I would do if my guy lost: calling me and saying congratulations and we'll get y'all next time. And that's why those people aren't getting an 'in yo face', but you all are. Grow the fuck up. Or, let us continue to pummel you in elections.
One more time? Why not: four more years of George W. Bush, IN YO FACE.
Diagnosing CNN's troubles (by guest blogger Yaron)
Did anybody else see the election night coverage on CNN? Because I thought it was a horrorshow. I flipped around to it from time to time to see if something interesting was going on. Their expert panel consisted of Jeff Greenfield, some camera-ready guy I've never heard of who had nothing interesting to say, and non-expert Larry King. MC'ing the event was Wolf Blitzer, who was forced to walk around like a trained chimp between the panel and the big "results screen". I really think seeing an anchorman without a chair and a desk makes viewers at home feel nervous. The "results screen" itself held basically an orgy of data that made it impossible to focus on what was being said while it was in view, and reduced whoever was in front of it to just staring at it and reading off numbers.
I really think most of their ratings problems have less to do with their political slant and more to do with the fact that they can't put together a reasonable-looking TV program.
The fact that they refused to call Ohio for Bush well after everyone else already had was just icing on the cake, as far as I'm concerned.
Au Revoir Monsieur Kerry {by guest blogger Ari}
Am I the only person who is thrilled that Kerry lost for no other reason that now I won't have to learn to speak French? Here's a tip for next time folks; how about someone that Democrats can vote for without having to vomit in their own throats? Or, is that quite simply outside the realm of possibility? I watched the process for hours last night. I wasn't remotely concerned even as friends began to call me all morose; Kerry's taking it, they'd mumble. It isn't looking good for Bush they's moan.
Call me crazy, I just didn't see it. It was only about 4pm. Of course the numbers for Kerry were looking better. Who is available to vote at 2pm? Moms, college kids, the unemployed ... Kerry's peoples! I was thinking, the folks that are going to vote for Bush are still down on Wall Street and at their law firms, the numbers for Bush aren't going to look good until later tonight, say around 7 or 8pm. And sure enough that was when the tide began to turn and one by one the red states fell in line. I was sitting up in bed at 2:30 still waiting to hear from Ohio {a.k.a.: post modern Florida} when Fox news broke in to say John Edwards was going to address the audience. It took a few minutes but Johnny finally emerged. As soon as I heard his David Boies-like nonsense I knew it was over. Bush had clearly won, Kerry was cowering in a vat of chickenshit
{or, perhaps in Vietnam, not sure} and I'd be able to scan the skies for incoming bombs a little less often.
Last time we had an election I was doing all that I could to get a seat on Alec Baldwin's plane outta here. This time? Ha! Not so much, I'm just hoping George Soros enjoys his new life at a monastery, from what I've seen of him it shouldn't be much of a lifestyle adjustment anyway. Was he really getting laid much before? Considering he's got a face that could make a cat bark I'm guessing it'll all be the same except for the quiet. And to think, he blew what? Seven years and millions of his own money on Kerry, ha! Even Teresa wasn't that stupid.
You know what? After the Yankees choked to the Red Sox, after the Cardinals followed suit it was refreshing to back a winner and have him ... yeah, win! So, hats off to Karol for her amazing efforts which I suspect will not go unrewarded. And to Jessica who went all the way to Iowa and worked her ass off. You girls are awesome and I'm so proud of you both. Now Lisa and I are in complete agreement; get your asses back here so we can celebrate! And oh! My hands are itchy for a little Hold 'em, so hurry!!
Catch you on the east side.
Well, I'm outta here. I have a 8 hour drive to Colorado Springs and then Denver tonight. I fly back to NYC tomorrow. I'm leaving y'all in Yaron's capable hands. I think he's been doing a great job.
I hear that Ari is going to come on by and do some guest-blogging too. So, give her a warm welcome.
Kerry concedes (by guest blogger Yaron)
I'm filling in for Karol again today, now that she's on her victory road trip back home. She'll be back soon, hopefully!
The AP reports that Kerry called Bush to concede the race:
The Democratic source said Bush called Kerry a worthy, tough and honorable opponent. Kerry told Bush the country was too divided, the source said, and Bush agreed. "We really have to do something about it," Kerry said according to the Democratic official.
Do something about it? Hm, maybe you should have thought about that before calling the President, or having people associating with you call the President, a liar, a draft dodger, AWOL, a cokehead, un-American, an election-stealer, etc.
Not to belabor the point. Trying to be gracious here. Anyway, now it's over over.
Can I get a wooo wooo.
How about that George W. Bush getting the first majority of the popular vote since his father in 1988. Bill Clinton never hit that 50% mark, and obviously neither did Bush the last time around. Is that a mandate or what?
Update: Drudge has this: BUSH BREAKS ALL-TIME POPULAR VOTE TOTAL, SURPASSING REAGAN...
Lessons from an election.
I realize the election is not officially 'over', but I want to make some very obvious points that I myself would like to remember for next time:
1. Young people don't vote. They have never voted. They will never vote. Even when you threaten them with death. Even when Eminem makes a 'cool' video about it. Even when they're lied to and told that they'll get drafted. Counting on the young vote (or, really, 'new' voters of any age) is just about the worst strategy for any campaign.
2. Pollsters know just as much as you and I do. Probably less. If pollsters knew anything, Howard Dean would've been the nominee and Kerry would've had a landslide in Ohio.
3. Exit polls mean zero. In addition to today's exit polls predicting huge Kerry margins that have turned out to be completely wrong, they also said that the youth vote doubled (see #1 above for more information on that).
4. This one is particularly for Republicans who get disheartened easily, (like me): Democrats are noisy. In other words, they're in your face about their support for their candidate. They wear the buttons, flaunt the bumper stickers, wave the signs, give you the requisite look of horror when you tell them you're not a sheep supporter of that guy who is not Bush. Republicans are just not that way. I was very worried about Bush's chances when I started seeing anti-Bush stickers on lots of cars in solidly red Georgia and swing state Colorado (including the conservative area of Colorado Springs). But, Bush won Colorado by a sizable margin and he crushed Kerry in Georgia.
5. Florida is over Florida 2000. Now if the Democrats can just get over it too. I think their feeling that the anger of Florida Democrats would clinch the state for them was absurd. No one sane stays angry for four years.
So, what did y'all learn from this crazy day?
Who does the media want to win?
So, let me get this straight. Kerry is leading Bush 51%-48% in Michigan with 79% of the precincts counted, and that gets called for Kerry by everyone. But, Bush leading Kerry by that exact same margin, 51%-48% in Ohio, with 97% of precincts reporting, that win we're still unsure about, right?
November 02, 2004
Colorado News
I'm watching the elections results roll in at the Republican headquarters in Durango, Colorado. There's a party going on upstairs but I won't be ready to do any partying until I know that Bush has won (which, for the sake of those of us who believe in jinxes, is not any kind of done deal at this moment).
Some random Durango news: Bush won one of my precincts by 3 votes.
And off the topic of the election, the teacher who kicked the student has apparently retracted her resignation.
And I'm out (by guest blogger Yaron)
I'm watching the results come in on Fox News tonight, and right now things are looking good for Bush. In keeping with Karol's superstitious Russian beliefs, I won't say anything more. So, good luck to everybody in their local races, and many thanks to Karol for this opportunity, and hopefully I can come back again, though in less stressful conditions. Sheesh! I should have started drinking two hours ago.
Touch-screen machines working fine so far (important update below!) (by guest blogger Yaron)
Hey, what happened with those controversial new electronic voting machines? The Washington Post reports no problems or complaints in early going. According to the article 50 million people, or about half the voting public, will be using touch-screen or otherwise computer-based systems, so obviously even the smallest technical problems could be catastrophic.
The fact that the touch-screen machines don't produce a paper record is still a huge problem, though, I think. Hopefully the lack of a paper trail won't be the "dangling chads" of 2004.
UPDATE: Looks like I spoke too soon. Oh man. I hope it's an isolated incident. (Via Instapundit).
Ace is not worried (by guest blogger Yaron)
Kerry isn't ahead enough given the female-male split in exit polling.
Horserace Blog isn't worried either.
UPDATE: The Corner cites an email from a GOP insider: "the early exit polls in 2000 looked a good deal bleaker than what we are seeing today. For example, early exit polls in 2000 showed us down by four in Arizona; we won by six. Early exit polls in 2000 showed us even in Colorado; we won by nine. And early exit polls in 2000 showed us down by three in Florida; we ended up slightly more than even."
Early results looking good for Kerry (by guest blogger Yaron)
Bush is down in early exit polling in Ohio, Florida, New Mexico and Iowa, according to The Corner. Though elsewhere John Miller writes, "This is my fourth election in which these exits polls have trickled into an office where I'm working -- and not once have they held up in their entirety."
UPDATE: As Dorian in the comments says and The Corner confirms, the early samples are 59% female. And mostly Lifetime viewers, at that. Maybe I should stop just hitting "refresh" on The Corner and posting what I see there - dammit, no one tells me these things!
BBC hearts Arafat (by guest blogger Yaron)
BBC Correspondent Barbara Plett uncovers a scoop about Yasser Arafat's lack of support:
Foreign journalists seemed much more excited about Mr Arafat's fate than anyone in Ramallah.We hovered around the gate to his compound, swarming around the Palestinian officials who drove by, poking our microphones through their dark, half-open windows.
But where were the people, I wondered, the mass demonstrations of solidarity, the frantic expressions of concern?
Was this another story we Western journalists were getting wrong, bombarding the world with news of what we think is an historic event, while the locals get on with their lives?
At which point she loses it completely:
Yet when the helicopter carrying the frail old man rose above his ruined compound, I started to cry... without warning.
She thinks back to the old man's glory days:
Despite his obvious failings - his use of corruption, his ambivalence towards violence, his autocratic way of ruling - no one could accuse him of cowardice.
Ambivalent toward violence? I wouldn't say that.
During those black days in Ramallah, he was a symbol of Palestinian unity, steadfastness, and resistance.
Smitten Barbara sees Arafat as a scrappy underdog, sort of a Rocky with Semtex. Leave it to a BBC reporter to keep showing the love for a Jew-killing terrorist even after his own subjects have given up on him.
(Via Damian Penny)
KerrySpot feels plucky (by guest blogger Yaron)
KerrySpot's Jim Geraghty is predicting a major electoral victory for Bush. He has a breakdown for the battleground states, with Florida, Ohio, Iowa, and Hawaii all going to Bush.
I don't know. The TradeSports online vote analyzer, which is better than any polls because betting markets tend to be the most reliable predictor, has Florida, Ohio and Iowa as too close to call (though Bush is slightly ahead in Ohio and Florida), and Hawaii going to Kerry.
Aah, this is quite a lot of stress.
I thought it was first elections, then lawsuits (by guest blogger Yaron)
Of all the senate races happening today, the most interesting one to me is I think Tom Daschle v. John Thune in South Dakota, because Daschle, the Senate Minority Leader, has been such a major obstructionist and his rhetoric against President Bush has been so over-the-top, and because there's a real chance he'll be defeated.
Yesterday, maybe out of desperation, he brought out a lawsuit, the wonderfully-named Daschle v. Thune, charging that Republican poll-watchers were intimidating Native American voters at polling places by rolling their eyes and taking notes. The Daschle v. Thune blog, written by a Thune supporter, has full coverage of the goings-on.
(Found via Tim Blair)
Today is the day (by guest blogger Yaron)
I already voted this morning, a few blocks away from my apartment in Park Slope, Brooklyn. I showed up at about 8, and the place (a high school gym) was already mobbed. The gym was pretty much packed from wall to wall. I didn't really have anything to compare it too, because I've only voted in the middle of the day before, but people I talked to said they'd never seen anything like it before.And New York is not just a safe Democratic state, it's turned out, if you believe the polls, to be the bluest of all blue states. So who knows what it's like in the swing states. Looking out at the crowd, I envisioned the worst: that every single one of them besides me was a Kerry voter. I don't know if that's a common paranoia.
How did voting turn out for other people? Feel free to post election-day observations here.
My Name Is (by guest blogger Yaron)
Hi, everybody, I'll be filling in for Karol today. Evidently there's some sort of day-long event going on that makes it impossible for her to blog. So while she's working to get Colorado in the Republican column, I'll be here. About me: I live in Brooklyn, I'm a friend of Karol's and a sometimes-quotee here, and I blog at Daily Lunch.
(Post has been edited - Yaron)
Oh that conservative media.
I love that Fox News is the only national poll showing Kerry ahead.
Update: This was posted by me, Karol, not Yaron. I was testing his login at the time.
Misc.
Can I gush/brag for a minute? I don't know what I did to get permalinked by Michelle Malkin (being alphabetically in the top few of her blogroll means being Michelle-lanched every time I update my site) or Venomous Kate (and, I really don't know what Dawn Summers did to also make Kate's blogroll), but a big thank you to both of these ladies. I am honored. I've meant to add Kate for awhile, I always click on to her site from Allahpundit's shortlist of satans that make him feel funny in the pants, and, of course, dream of someday making that list myself. By the way, where the hell is the master of all worlds?
November 01, 2004
Update
A quick update to the teacher kicking a student story from a few days ago: the teacher has resigned today.
Ok, ok I'll make a prediction
Here it is: one of these sites will be out of the projection business on November 3rd.
Electoral-Vote:Kerry 283, Bush 246
Election Projection: Bush 286, Kerry 252
Update: Vodkapundit has got the rest of the sites' predictions.
