With 22% of the vote counted, Clinton only leads Obama 53 to 47%, falling far short of the decisive win her campaign desperately needed. Results here.
Updated at 10 p.m. Eastern Time, with 47% of the vote in, the margin is now Clinton 54% to Obama 46%. Still nothing like the 20 point margin she enjoyed in Pennsylvania just a few weeks ago.
Haloscan comment thread
Sorry to continue the front page griping about Clinton, but, dang, she's getting on my nerves....
After stressing the financial burdens Americans are suffering, problems with education, and more, Clinton stressed the critical decision these voters have to make. She jabbed her opponent, Sen. Barack Obama, who Saturday held his largest rally ever miles from the site where Clinton spoke.
“I don’t want to show up and give one of these whoop-de-do speeches and, you know, and just kind of get everybody whipped up," she said, "and those [of you who are for me] feel great and, you know, try to convince some of you to be for me.”
Clinton again made her argument that the White House is not a place for wimps, saying, “When you get into the general election and when you get into the White House, the stresses and pressures of the general election and the job are overwhelming. And we know we have to have a president ready on day one to take charge.”
Clinton refrained from criticizing the Republican frontrunner John McCain, and instead shared a story about their accommodations when they traveled oversees together.
Just watched some of a video called An Engineer's Guide to Cats. Kinda long, but I laughed out loud a couple times around the 3 minute mark when they were talking about "cat hobbies".
Haloscan comment thread
Here are the videos, for anyone who missed seeing John Edwards and Barack Obama on The Colbert Report last night...
Update: Apparently the Edwards video was pulled from YouTube. I've removed both videos from this post so that people won't be clicking them in vain--I imagine the Obama one won't stay up for long. Here's a link to the Colbert Report web site, where you can watch segments from last night's program.
There was another candidate on last night's show, I seem to recall.
Oh yeah, this one:
Secretly recorded tape reveals Hillary blasting MoveOn & Democratic activists
Nice one, Hill. Do we need to remind people why MoveOn was founded in the first place?
And click here for audio of both MoveOn Hatin' Hillary and MoveOn Lovin' Hillary.
Haloscan comment thread
She's scheduled to appear on The Colbert Report tonight.
It's been taped already, as reported here.
I just threw up a little bit in my mouth.
“Are you telling me there is no one in this theater who can fix the mess we’re in?” Mr. Colbert said.
Enter Mrs. Clinton, who strode out on stage, smiling.
“I can,” she said. “I can, Stephen!”
After pausing for applause, Mrs. Clinton said, “Let me handle this,” and squinted up into some imaginary rafters to talk a technician through the problem.
Then she moved onto the issue of Mr. Colbert’s appearance.
“You know what, Stephen?” she said. “Your forehead is a little shiny. Makeup! Makeup! Can we get some translucent powder, please?”
Mr. Colbert said in mock amazement, “Wow, Senator Clinton! You’re so prepared for any situation!”
Mrs. Clinton replied, “That’s O.K., Stephen. I just love solving problems.”
Ten million people watched this debate. Somewhat of an indication that they're interested in the outcome. They were NOT assisted in that aim. . . .
. . . many of the millions who did watch, didn't like what they saw. Including TV critic Tom Shales of the Washington Post and Will Bunch of the Philadelphia Daily News. First Shales:"It was another step downward for network news — usually dependable anchors, Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos, turned in shoddy, despicable performances.
The fact is, cable networks CNN and MSNBC both did better jobs with earlier candidate debates. Cable news is indeed taking over from network news, and merely by being competent."And from Bunch, an open letter to Gibson and Stephanopoulos calling their performance "a televised train wreck that my friend and colleague Greg Mitchell has already called, quite accurately, 'a shameful night for the U.S. media.'"
Alessandra Stanley of the NYTimes focused on "the veiled ties and tensions between news media stars and political figures" which "sometimes make voters bitter, leading them to cling to political satire by the likes of Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert as a way to explain their frustration."
http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/politics/abc_debate_reviews_shoddy_televised_train_wreck_excellent_82656.asp
Mid-April snow squalls left fresh snow on Mount Mansfield.
It won't last long.
For on Monday in Vermont the ice in Mallett's Bay
{ where listener and family sail }
broke up and was pushed by the wind to one side!
Now if that would just happen in the political campaign, eh?
This is a Speak Freely Thread. Let the winds of Change blow free!
Haloscan comment thread
Hat tip to Jed Report for reminding us of Hillary's "tea and cookies" remark.
"Those of us who have tried to have a career, tried to have an independent life, certainly somebody like myself...you know, I suppose I could have stayed home and baked cookies and had teas but what I decided to do was fulfill my profession which I entered before my husband was in public life."I remember when she said that. I sympathized. I was in grad school, and had no plans (at that time) to do the "stay at home" thing. And I hadn't yet developed a real respect for how challenging and rewarding such a choice could be.
Hillary Clinton: "Who do Americans want to have a beer with? Look--I've got photographic evidence right here!"
"What's that? Do shots with you?"
I can totally imagine her TerminatorVision activating at this point, rapidly displaying the probabilities of various outcomes depending on whether she says yes or no. After all of her efforts to convince the regular folks that Barack Obama is the one who is elitist while she "gets" small-town America (having been raised on "pinochle and the American dream"), can she afford to say no?
"Well...(shrug). Down the hatch!"
From ABC's Political Radar:
Clinton stood by the bar and took a shot of Crown Royal whiskey. She took one sip of the shot, then another small sip, then a few seconds later threw her head back and finished off the whole thing.
Hillary Clinton joining the presumptive Republican nominee in an opportunistic tag teaming of Obama was to be expected. But I'm a little disappointed in myself that I didn't see this coming
“You know, my dad took me out behind the cottage that my grandfather built on a little lake called Lake Winola outside of Scranton and taught be how to shoot when I was a little girl,” she said.The article notes that Hillary and her daddy hunted ducks.
“You know, some people now continue to teach their children and their grandchildren. It’s part of culture. It’s part of a way of life. People enjoy hunting and shooting because it’s an important part of who they are. Not because they are bitter.”
Son in Ohio just pointed out this YouTube video about Pirates and Emperors. (In the tradition of Schoolhouse Rock.)
Update
This is worth a read: Pushing Clinton: CNN's Push Poll on Obama's Remarks
Haloscan comment thread
If you have been following the saga of that very clever blogger from Kansas calling himself John Brown and going after Taylor Marsh....then you will enjoy his post about Bill Clinton. I have found his blog to be humorous and insightful in many areas.
It describes just about I feel as I keep seeing new facets of the former first family emerging. There is something rather sad and wistful about what we are witnessing. There is no joy in it. Just a kind of numbness and fatigue.
I liked Bill Clinton. Then I grew up.
Once upon a time, I thought highly of Bill Clinton. Sure, I had a few reservations about him. Overall, though, I liked the guy. Then I grew up.
It was easy to look past Bill's more highly-publicized shortcomings. He screwed around. He lied about it. I never felt his carnal urges had much of a bearing on his ability to lead the country. I could put myself in his shoes and imagine myself fibbing under oath and parsing definitions of "sexual relations" to stay out of bigger trouble. The guy bullshitted everyone about Monica and is other assignations but, even as a non-cheater, I could let it slide.
I even developed a kind of respect for Bill Clinton. I was impressed with the way he could weather controversy. I was astonished by his ability to charm his way out of situations that would doom most politicians. I think I also liked Bill because the people who were "out to get him" were usually people with whom I disagreed on issues. I, like others, sort of rallied behind Clinton because I despised his foes. Those asshats were more evil and conniving than Bill, but they weren't as good at the game. And, in my estimation, they were on the wrong side.
I liked Bill Clinton. Then I grew up.
Somewhere along the line, I realized that the means were just as important--if not more important--than the ends. I lost my appetite for the fruits of the diseased tree. Winning is important, but the way one wins is just as significant.
They say that idealism is just for kids. I don't think so. I think it's valuable. I also believe, that in the long run, it's the only thing that makes sense.
"And I believe that at the same time that we have to make clear to the Iraqis that they have been given the greatest gift that a human being can give another human being – the gift of freedom. And it is up to them to decide how they will use that precious gift that has been paid for with the blood and sacrifice and treasure of the United States of America."
The "moar" is lolcat-speak, for anyone unfamiliar. I'm tired and feeling a little silly. But thought I'd share this rather well done "Elton John sings for Hillary" parody first. Just discovered it in this thread at Booman.
Haloscan comment thread
Also posted at Booman
Via Oliver Willis, I found this post on Salon.com. I recommend going to Oliver's site for the commentary, but you don't want to miss the title of the pro-Hillary piece in Salon. It's classic Hillary-think:
Why Hillary Clinton should be winning
You see, while Hillary is not actually winning, she really should be. But reality is well-known for having a pro-Obama bias.
And the subhead reads: Under a winner-take-all primary system, Hillary Clinton would have a wide lead over Barack Obama -- and enough delegates to clinch the nomination by June.
As Oliver points out, "If Senator Clinton wished to run for the nomination of a party with a winner-take-all nomination process, she would be well within her legal rights to do so - she simply needed to have changed her party affiliation to Republican."
Well, yeah. And actually, Demetrius told me a while back that he saw Paul Begala on some cable news show saying the Democrats should have a winner-take-all system like the Republicans, because it has "built-in momentum" or some such.
Wouldn't that be rather, well, "undemocratic"? Especially coming from someone associated with Hillary, who is currently presenting herself as would-be champion of the downtodden, disenfranchised voters in Florida and Michigan.
I also saw this earlier today, via Pho's Akron Pages. Part of the plea Hillary is currently sending out to her mailing list
With 14 days to go until the people of Pennsylvania vote, the Obama campaign has decided to go all-out. They're trying to end the race for the White House with an unyielding media blitz. Right now, we're being outspent 4-1 on Pennsylvania television.Maybe I'm misremembering this, but isn't that how Hillary was planning to win the nomination? By crushing any and all challengers under the weight of her mighty campaign war chest?
So now, here's what we have to ask ourselves: Have we come this far in our history-making contest for the Democratic nomination only to see the race decided not by the quality of our ideas but by the size of our opponent's media budget?
When I saw the "It's raining McCain" video, I initially thought it was a joke. So, it seems, did a lot of other people in the blogoverse. Lead McCain Girl was not amused, and issued a curt, profanity laced 30 second statement to that effect on YouTube. In it, she promised to be back with more McCainy goodness set to music.
And she was true to her word, because here they are again.
I'm beginning to think maybe I judged "Hillary for you and me" too harshly.
Haloscan comment thread
This primary season certainly puts Howard Dean in a tough spot.
Clinton Donors Press Dean at Fifth Avenue Bundler Summit
More on Clinton Donors Versus Dean
From the second link:
Dean then responded, heatedly, that in his experience, those who sought the intervention of party leadership were motivated by their own particular agendas. And that was not the sort of leadership he intended to provide.You tell 'em, Howard!
As the article says, of course this scene could have gone horribly wrong, but happily it didn't. And I just couldn't pass up sharing this picture and story. Especially after reading about Glenn Beck's anti-polar bear rant.
Wildlife photographer Norbert Rosing was taking pictures of a team of huskies in Canada's frozen north when a polar bear gatecrashed the party.More here.
Along with dog handler Brian Ladoon, Mr Rosing watched helplessly as the bear and one of the dogs approached each other.
They growled and bared their teeth. But then, instead of fighting, the enemies became firm friends.
First the bear gently nuzzled the husky's neck. The dog responded by rising on its hind legs to lick the bear's face.
The bear then rolled on its back to play as the husky looked on, somewhat bemused.
Via ThisDay Online
Carter, who is a Super Delegate from Georgia State, gave this hint at a media interaction after the Carter Center Awards for Guinea Worm Eradication in Abuja yesterday.Cool.
Carter, who was accompanied by his wife Rosalynn, did not profess a direct support for Obama but rather choose to make a veiled statement.
“We are very interested in the primaries. Don’t forget that Obama won in my state of Georgia. My town which is home to 625 people is for Obama, my children and their spouses are pro- Obama.
My grandchildren are also pro- Obama. As a Super Delegate, I would not disclose who I am rooting for but I leave you to make that guess," he said.
New thread, since it's not April Fool's Day any more and the site banner is back to normal.
A few links before I leave for work
Lifted--great animated short by Pixar
Flying Penguin Footage via the BBC (Okay, that one was left over from April Fool's)
And on a more serious note, check out Booman's post Learning about Trinity.
Laters.
Haloscan comment thread
Via Progress Ohio
The We campaign is a nationwide effort to engage and mobilize the American people to come together and call for solutions to climate change.
The campaign is an unprecedented commercial‐scale, mainstream mobilization effort designed to bring public opinion past the tipping point and convince elected leaders to take bold action.
This three‐year effort will combine the best practices of successful commercial marketing and issueadvocacy efforts.
It supplements and supports the ongoing work of other organizations but is unique in its scale and breadth.
Okay, so I'm bored.
And I've been thinking that there must be some great captions for this picture, but I don't seem to be coming up with any myself
So here's what I *did* do--I made two versions, adding the talk and thought balloons.
I think I had seen reference to the letter Patricia Ward Kelly, widow of Gene Kelly, sent to the New York Times, but hadn't gotten around to finding the letter and reading it once I got home from work. Thankfully, I was just reminded by this post at Crooks and Liars. Ms. Kelly's letter was prompted by this Maureen Dowd column, in which the columnist stated:
The dollar’s crumpling, the recession’s thundering, the Dow’s bungee-jumping and the world’s disapproving, yet George Bush has turned into Gene Kelly, tap dancing and singing in a one-man review called “The Most Happy Fella.”Anyway, as Nicole Belle remarked at Crooks and Liars, there "are some smackdowns that are just better than others."
When Gene was compared to the grace and agility of Jack Dempsey, Wayne Gretzky and Willie Mays, he was delighted. But to be linked with a clunker -- particularly one he would consider inept and demoralizing -- would have sent him reeling.Oh, snap.
Graduated with a degree in economics from Pitt, Gene was not only a gifted dancer, director and choreographer, he was also a most civilized man. He spoke multiple languages; wrote poetry; studied history; understood the projections of Adam Smith and John Maynard Keynes. He did the Sunday Times crossword in ink. Exceedingly articulate, Gene often conveyed more through movement than others manage with words.
Sadly, President Bush fails to communicate meaningfully with either. For George Bush to become Gene Kelly would require impossible leaps in creativity, erudition and humility.
Patricia Ward Kelly
Los Angeles, March 16, 2008
When I wrote Here is the church earlier this week, one thing that didn't even occur to me is the historical significance of the church in the African American community. So I am grateful to Booman for doing a front page post this morning addressing this issue. His post featured an excerpt from rikyrah, of Jack and Jill Politics. I include that same excerpt here, as it addresses this issue much more effectively than I ever could.
Black people do not change churches like they do purses. I am in my 30's, and outside of school, I've had exactly 2 church homes in my life. It took nearly 2 years to find the second one, but I found it. Commitment to a church isn't something that's done fly-by-night. It's not some fleeting commitment. It is a given that you will find something that you don't like about any church you attend; which is why it is the general COMMUNITY that will ultimately make that decision.
The Black Church is the ONLY institution, in the history of The United States of America, which, from its conception,
Validated, Supported, Incubated, and Treasured.
BLACK HUMANITY.
Period.
Don't think I'm correct, then name me another institution which has done so.
The attack on Trinity is seen as an attack on the Black Church, and thus, by extension, an attack on the Black Community as a whole.
During times of slavery and Jim Crow, the Black Church was what reinforced Community.
Post Civil Rights and Integration, the Black Church is now what brings Community together, considering that the Black Community, like the rest of America, is becoming more stratified along the lines of class. The Black Church is really the only place in Black America where you will consistently find the doctor and welfare mother in the same building, with the same purpose. It's the place to break down those walls of class that are building up.
To disown Wright and Trinity would be to disown the Black Community itself, which is why Obama said in his speech he couldn't. He understood that fundamentally about the Black Community, and he understood that political expediency would mean the doubting of the existence of his soul by the Black community. Obama would never be trusted again by Black folk if he had disowned Wright & Trinity. Even Black folk that don't go to church understand that you don't mess with the Black Church - it's just not done.
wOOt! wOOt! wOOt! wOOt! wOOt! wOOt! wOOt! wOOt! wOOt! wOOt! wOOt! wOOt!
A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF
AN OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL NURSE
PASSED THE VT HOUSE TODAY!
THIS JUST IN FROM MY REP. BILL FRANK! ~
Yea!!! The resolution was just presented on the floor by Rep. Patty
O'Donnell and passed on a voice vote. Later today the House Journal
will be posted on the Leg web site, where this will show up.
http://www.cafepress.com/nationalnurse.28937656
wOOt! wOOt! wOOt! wOOt! wOOt! wOOt! wOOt! wOOt! wOOt! wOOt! wOOt! wOOt!
COMMENTS
The latest from Hillary Clinton...
"You don't choose your family, but you choose what church you want to attend."*Shakes head*
Here's the church, and here's the steeple
Open the door and see all the people.
More here.
To me, all these folks who yell sanctimoniously about Obama NOT leaving the church when he heard something he didn't like are only showing their true colors as people who have never been meaningfully involved in a church family.
Your church is, or should be, so much more than a single pastor-- it's the people, philosophies, works and programs that make up a combined spiritual home and physical place to be the hands and feet of God.
Actual mainstream media coverage
CBS News Video from Hillary Clinton's 1996 visit to Bosnia as first lady contradicts a more dramatic description the Democratic presidential candidate gave in a recent campaign speech.
I posted the following over the weekend at My Left Wing...
Since Hillary Clinton has been pushing the idea that she has "crossed the commander-in-chief threshold", I think it's reasonable that we should examine the evidence to see if it supports that assertion. Actually, I believe that the 24-hour news channels should be examining that evidence. But hopefully they'll catch up to speed on that after they squeeze the last few drops of sensationalism out of Rev. Jeremiah Wright's sermons. In the meantime, bloggers are doing what they can to get this story the attention it deserves...
"I remember landing under sniper fire. There was supposed to be some kind of a greeting ceremony at the airport, but instead we just ran with our heads down to get into the vehicles to get to our base." --Hillary Clinton, speech at George Washington University, March 17, 2008.Let's take a peek at this harrowing experience Hillary bravely endured, with the sniper fire and what have you.
Needed a break from the political stuff, so I checked out some Discovery News stories. One in particular, an article entitled Squirrels Network Like Facebook Friends, caught my attention.
And the picture accompanying the article was just crying out for the lolcat treatment....
Gollum speaks (via an article in the New York Times)
Stunningly offensive remarks in so many ways.
The reaction of some of Mr. Clinton’s allies suggests that might have been a wise decision. “An act of betrayal,” said James Carville, an adviser to Mrs. Clinton and a friend of Mr. Clinton.
“Mr. Richardson’s endorsement came right around the anniversary of the day when Judas sold out for 30 pieces of silver, so I think the timing is appropriate, if ironic,” Mr. Carville said, referring to Holy Week.
Note from Renee: I happen to be home sick today, so I had time to add the Haloscan link, which I otherwise would hot have been able to add until this evening. So a quick reminder that I don't always have time to keep up with the blog, but I make a point of "growing" Haloscan links here. Those of you who know how this works, please help out those who don't.
(Detail of a wax design created by listener on a huge Paschal Candle for a church in Vermont.)
Let's hear it for new beginnings!
Well, this is as close as I can get to posting a picture of Spring flowers.
We are expecting 6" (or more) of snow!
For some reason I cannot fathom, that fact doesn't bother me at all.
So, HAPPY SPRING to all, whatever your circumstances!!
XOXOXXX
Haloscan comment thread
Would be nice if the media did a better job of dealing with "nuance". But, since they don't, I think it's important to hear what the current pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ, Rev. Otis Moss III, has to say in support of his church.
Nearly three weeks before the 40th commemorative anniversary of the murder of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Reverend Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr.’s character is being assassinated in the public sphere because he has preached a social gospel on behalf of oppressed women, children and men in America and around the globe.Dr. Wright has preached 207,792 minutes on Sunday for the past 36 years at Trinity United Church of Christ. This does not include weekday worship services, revivals and preaching engagements across America and around the globe, to ecumenical and interfaith communities. It is an indictment on Dr. Wright’s ministerial legacy to present his global ministry within a 15- or 30-second sound bite,” said the Reverend Otis Moss III, pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ.
During the 36-year pastorate of Dr. Wright, Trinity United Church of Christ has grown from 87 to 8,000 members. It is the largest congregation in the United Church of Christ denomination.
“It saddens me to see news stories reporting such a caricature of a congregation that has been such a blessing to the UCC’s Wider Church mission,” said the Rev. John H. Thomas, UCC general minister and president, in a released statement. “ … It’s time for us to say ‘No’ to these attacks and declare that we will not allow anyone to undermine or destroy the ministries of any of our congregations in order to serve their own narrow political or ideological ends.”
Trinity United Church of Christ’s ministry is inclusive and global. The following ministries have been developed under Dr. Wright’s ministerial tutelage for social justice: assisted living facilities for senior citizens, day care for children, pastoral care and counseling, health care, ministries for persons living with HIV/AIDS, hospice training, prison ministry, scholarships for thousands of students to attend historically black colleges, youth ministries, tutorial and computer programs, a church library, domestic violence programs and scholarships and fellowships for women and men attending seminary.
Moss added, “The African American Church was born out of the crucible of slavery and the legacy of prophetic African American preachers since slavery has been and continues to heal broken marginalized victims of social and economic injustices. This is an attack on the legacy of the African American Church which led and continues to lead the fight for human rights in America and around the world.”
On a related note, I highly recommend Booman's post about Rev. Wright, Barack Obama, and race in America.
Also, Barack Obama is set to give a major address on race and politics tomorrow in Philadelphia.
{listener's Granddaughter*in*NC at the St. Paddy's Day parade.}
Open Thread for all Leprechauns
and all others who need some good ol' Irish luck. ♣
Haloscan comment thread
I've already expressed my frustration with the "renouncing game" that the media likes to play, and some activists seem to support--if they think it might benefit their candidate. One of the main problems, in my mind, is the false equivalency. This business of "Has Obama done enough to distance himself..." seems like a hoop that people demand the candidate jump through. Because, well, they can, and that's how the game is played.
But some supporter statements are more relevant than others. There's a difference between "guilt by association", and people in key positions who make statements that give us a clue about how you will govern. I'm thinking of some of the more egregious remarks made by Carville, Begala, et. al.
If anyone has some of those at your fingertips, could you link them here? I'd like to start collecting those for a future post.
Haloscan comment thread
In advance of the Olympic Games in China, many in Tibet have begun
active protests calling for freedom for Tibet, hoping the world will help.
Violence has broken out, and has begun to spread to provinces outside Lhasa.
The non-violence movement itself is in peril. Please hold Tibet in the Light.
The Bush Administration has basically painted the United States into a corner, as regards China, because we now owe so much money to China at a time when we have depleted our military and our domestic resources and have outsourced many jobs.
Now Tibet is in peril and the United States is too impotent to truly help. With the Olympics taking place soon in China, it would have been good for the United States to be able to take a stand. Instead there is only weak rhetoric:
International criticism of the crackdown in Tibet so far has been mild, with no threats of an Olympic boycott or other sanctions. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called Sunday on China "to exercise restraint in dealing with the protests."
Rice said she was "concerned by reports of a sharply increased police and military presence in and around Lhasa." Her statement urged China to release those jailed for protesting.
The government will construe according to its wit. I, for one, plan to boycott the Olympic Games as well as all Chinese goods.
Hubby and I watched the movie 10 Questions for the Dalai Lama this week.
We highly recommend it!
(BTW, Cafe Press has many Free Tibet designs...such as the flag and the Dalai Lama photo featured here.
If you know of more, please post the links in this thread.)
Haloscan comment thread
Of course I take this election seriously. But it's beginning to wear on me, and I'll take my chuckles where I can get them. I just found this "Hillary in da house" video via Excellent News for Hillary. I think it's funny. But it's rainy and yucky out, and I'm bored.
Basically, this is an open thread.
Haloscan comment thread
A post by Subway Serenade/Astral Technician
I've been away from the internets for a few weeks and while I was gone I had the chance to log some quality time with Gizmo. In my further experiments I discovered how to operate what is called the "Spectrum" screen. You see, the butterfly game is really meant for two people, so that they can learn to link their hearts in a phase lock, which is what I refer to as the "Full Snuggle Position." As great as this is, it isn't as exciting when played alone, even though you can learn a lot when your butterfly is flying solo.
So Dan Winter added a wonderful game of Solitaire called "Spectrum."
Whereas the Butterfly game shows the harmonic frequency and amplitude that your heart is "singing" at in real time, the Spectrum shows how that charge is distributed across the heart's harmonic range. The graph at the bottom indicates the bandwidth. Between 1 and 3 is the Delta band, between 3 and 7 is Theta. From 7 to 13 is the Alpha and above 13 is Beta. As you can see, the peaks tend to be lower in the Alpha and Beta ranges. The object of Spectrum is to increase the Alpha and Beta peaks. This process is identical to the goal of meditation. Only here you get to chart your progress in real time.
As 13 is the start of the Beta band, I decided to concentrate there, as the graph didn't seem to rise much above .15 on the horizontal scale. After taking a little time to get intuitive with the game, the graph was looking like this:
The key to Heart Coherence, therefore is to learn to increase the peaks in the Spectrum across the harmonic range (left/right motion) of the Butterfly. Increasing the Spectrum peaks is, as a Jedi would say "stretching out with your feelings."
Haloscan comment thread
Increased demand for biofuels is driving up food prices and accelerating climate change, as rainforests are destroyed to grow fuel. But with strong global sustainability standards, we can ensure that biofuels help, rather than hurt.
You can watch it here, and read the transcript here.
And this picture has nothing to do with anything, but I found it when looking for images for my psych class, and felt like posting something whimsical.
Haloscan comment thread
SusanD's response to a My Left Wing diary about what it takes to be Commander in Chief
...nobody knows what they'll have to face as CIC because Bush/Cheney have been so secretive. Who knows what tangled mass of snakes awaits them?
What qualities must you have to deal with what is unknown? I would think a steadiness would be necessary. Not decisions make in a temper, or for personal reasons (like Bush). Good judgment, of course. Willingness to listen to experienced people (unlike Bush) The ability to weigh consequences and long-term effects (unlike Bush). The self-confidence to change course if you see your plans are not working, or are having unforeseen consequences (unlike Bush). A larger view of the United States as one country among many, not a view of "U.S. uber alles". A willingness to cooperate with other countries rather than ruling them. The guts to recognize REAL dangers, to guard against them, and to respond appropriately to REAL, not imagined, threats.
I didn't end up working a full day today, so I wanted to do a quick post before getting ready for tonight's class.
First, before I forget to mention it, here's a link to a Clinton Attacks Obama Incident Tracker. I don't think everything is there, but it might jog our memories about the long history of such attacks.
Geraldine Ferraro, who supports Hillary Clinton, has said some downright offensive things about how lucky Barack Obama is that he's black.
If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. And if he was a woman (of any color) he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept.Tim Russo at Buckeye State Blog wonders who this is meant to appeal to, musing that it might be designed to push certain buttons with the white blue-collar demographic in Pennsylvania.
Regarding superdelegates, the common refrain from people speaking on Clinton's behalf is that they are supposed to use their independent judgment, based on what's best for the party. So, rather than voting to reflect the wishes of their constituents, they are supposed to vote for the person who is most "electable".Presumably, if Hillary Clinton keeps up the attacks on Obama (which have been a lot more negative and unrelenting than Obama's NAFTA/healthcare mailer that she found so egregious that she had to hold a big press conference/photo op. You know, the one where she made strategic use of my governor as a nodding backdrop, while she waved the offending mailer in the air and scolded "Shame on you, Barack Obama!" Hillary Clinton's attacks, however have been constant and disturbing, saying that she and John McCain have passed the "commander in chief threshold, but Obama's entire campaign is built on a speech he made in 2002.
Is it possible that Clinton's goal is to get Obama "bloodied" enough by (or before) the convention that she and her surrogates could make the case that he's simply not electable?
Wow, you all sure are chatty tonight! Since I have a long day tomorrow and won't have much opportunity to get online, I figured I should just post another thread before turning in tonight.
Update: Just found out about this
Space shuttle Endeavour was poised for a rare nighttime launch Tuesday to the International Space Station and the longest visit ever to the orbiting outpost.Hope it goes well. "Traveling mercies", and all that.
Good weather was forecast for the 2:28 A.M. liftoff. The odds were 90 percent in NASA's favor.
This article captures the pure absurdity of Bill Clinton's suggestion of the ticket with his wife at the top of it.
The picture accompanying the article says it all.
Be my VP
Hillary and Bill Clinton are again teaming up on Barack Obama - this time saying the first-term US lawmaker, whom they have derided as inexperienced, would be a strong running mate on a Democratic presidential ticket headed by the former first lady.Daschle and Rendell had differing views.
In hailing Obama as a possible vice president, the Clintons are reaching out to him and, perhaps more importantly, to his backers, whose support she would need to defeat Republican presidential candidate John McCain in the November election.
Obama leads Clinton, a fellow Democratic senator, in a bruising race for their party's presidential nomination, but neither is likely to reach the 2,025 delegates needed to become the nominee in the remaining state by state contests.
The candidate said last week she and Obama may end up on the same ticket, with her on top.
Former Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota, an Obama backer, mocked the idea.Speaking of Rendell, did you hear that he and Corzine are going to be raising millions for the do-overs in FL and MI? They are both Hillary supporters. I think people should be getting some uncomfortable vibes about these do-overs about now.
"It may be the first time in history that the person who is running number two would offer the person running number one the number two position," Daschle told Meet the Press.
..."Pennsylvania Governor Edward Rendell, a Democratic who has sought to rally support for Clinton in his state's April 22 primary, backed the idea of Clinton and Obama teaming up. "It would be a great ticket," Rendell told NBC's Meet the Press.
From yesterday, but hope interest in the story can carry into the week, when more people will be paying attention.
This is too good not to pass along. Remember that "who do you want answering the phone at 3 a.m. ad"? Remember this sleeping girl?
According to a report on KING5, an NBC affiliate station in Seattle, Washington:
The first girl in the ad is young Casey Knowles. It's stock footage from 8 years ago when she worked as a TV extra - footage owned now by Getty Images and used by the Clinton campaign.Here's Casey today. She's 17 years old and an Obama supporter (and will turn 18 well before the general election in November).
"It's perfect timing because I have a candidate that I really identify with,"; she said. "I've been campaigning for Barack Obama for a few months now," she said. "I was actually a precinct captain at the caucuses a few months ago. I attended his rally a few months ago and I'm, a very, very avid supporter."The Knowles family admit they have no control over how the footage is used. And while they see the humor of it all, they are mildly annoyed.
"I think it would be really wonderful if me and Barack Obama could get together and make a nice counter ad," she laughed.
