Friday, September 07, 2012

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25 comments:

  1. Merciful Heavens...

    A little while back I watched Jennifer Granholm's speech at the Democratic convention, which was a blast out of the past if ever there was one; and just now I watched Joe Biden's speech, which might be enough to get me to vote for Barack Obama. Wow. (After a while I closed my eyes and just listened to it; ahhhh, like old times...). What has gotten into the Dems?

    --Alan

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    1. Maybe, if we're very, very lucky, they've finally found their way back home. But I wouldn't count on it. Being a Democrat is like being a Red Sox fan: You learn early to watch in stony-faced silence as they snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. But then every once in a while they flabbergast you by winning the World Series.

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    2. True, Cat. Of course, in this case the analogy would be winning the World Series twice in a row. Heh.

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    3. By the way, I love the way you phrased that:

      You learn early to watch in stony-faced silence as they snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

      Exactly!

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  2. Since I live in California, my vote is of no interest to either the Dems or the GOPers. My opinions are likewise of no interest to them. Just my money. Love my money, love me, as the old saw would have it. Nevertheless, Joe Biden made a good case.

    --Alan

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    1. I watched Biden's speech online, having tuned in at 10 to watch Barack Obama. It *was* a good speech.

      Our son, the new voter in our house, is talking about voting third party because he doesn't feel Obama deserves his vote. But we *don't* live in California. But, of course, he has the right to vote as he chooses. He really DOES follow the news, too. While at my parents' house, apparently he was watching MSNBC. My mother mused that it was probably all my dad could do to tolerate having that channel on in his home. Dad is extremely right wing.

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    2. From what I've observed, people seem to be more tolerant of and indulgent with grandchildren than with children.

      There's nothing wrong with voting third party. I'm curious, though, why Son thinks Obama hasn't earned his vote?

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  3. First morning in a week with an actual chill in it. Also a bit foggy. Can Winter be on its way?

    Have to say, I've been pretty impressed with the Democrats and their convention. More, really, with the whole campaign so far. Candidates and staff have been close to flawless. Gotta remember that two of the biggest memes thus far "Etcha sketch" and "We don't run our campaign on fact" have come from Romney's *staff*. . . . And they are not helped by their own candidates: one who really is just a liar, and one who has been on every side of most issues, and neither of whom seem to have a single clue as to what it means to be in serious want. That set off against a group that clearly does. And who has acted on that understanding.

    Additionally, the Republicans are handicapped by the fact that *their* side actually caused this mess, and they can only hope the public is too dim to get that. I don't think you can easily appeal to the actual dim with easy impunity ~~ they are much too easily offended. And to assume that the *entire* electorate is dim (as they have) is fatal. Plus there is the core vote which is so far off in lala land, but which is also very willing to abandon them for one small misstep. A sort of: sharks to the left of me, sharks to the right kind of situation. And those clown shoes make running SO difficult.

    My sense is that R/R are *truly* puzzled/bewildered by the fact that nothing but the seats of their own pants have caught fire.

    http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=235449F3-8173-4580-8BFB-32E1DE70D24E

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  4. I still have listened only to ten minutes of the First Lady's speech. I have wanted to listen to more, but between work and kittens I have not had the time or focus. And anyway, Mah*Sweetie (who is crazy busy with work) doesn't want to think about politics at all. It's a little like being a disenfranchised RedSox or Cubs fan, and the team once again shows bright promise. But do you really want to watch the series?

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  5. Pretty furious right now. I see our Republican overlords have figured out another way to keep Ohioans from voting... Just got a "form" to send in for Absentee Voting (first time a Republican ever sent one) and they've got me listed in the WRONG TOWN. I've checked it every single year with the Bd. to make sure I was still registered. This is the first time it's wrong and THEY did it! Since we have to show a valid I.D. to vote whether in person or Absentee my I.D. would not match THEIR incorrect address and I wouldn't be allowed to vote. Of course these letters always come on Friday so you can't do anything about it. But on Monday I'm not only calling the Bd. of Elections, I'm also calling Democratic HQ to warn them about this happening to others. They did the same thing to my brother. I just downright HATE Republicans!

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    1. Meanwhile, Susan, call the papers.

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    2. Unfortunately our paper is owned by Cox media. Cox is to newspapers as Fox is to news. But I did email Senator Brown at his office and also sent an email to his campaign manager. I encouraged him/then to alert Ohioans to check their voter registrations for changes they did not authorize.

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    3. One would hope that it's some kind of error. . . . But one doesn't really believe that under the circumstances, eh?

      Just checking around on my registration, voting, etc., and discovered that WV has chopped time off of early voting. . . . Guess we're gonna do it one step at a time. . . .

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    4. Good work emailing Brown!

      You could also send a note along to the NYTimes and/or Washington Post, because this is a national level concern.

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  6. Just came across this on the RIP Neil Armstrong thread at Library Thing:

    From Tor.com, here's a poem in eulogy:

    http://www.tor.com/blogs/2012/08/endymion

    Endymion
    Roz Kaveney

    (For Neil Armstrong)

    In her white silent place, the hangings dust,
    grey pebbles stretching to the edge of black
    so far away. The goddess feels a lack
    somewhere elsewhere, an ache deep as her crust

    and weeps dry tears. The gentleman is gone
    the first who ever called. His feet were light
    as he danced on her. Went into the night
    quite soon, his calling and his mission done

    yet still his marks remain. Footfalls and flag.
    The others she forgets. He was the first
    to slake her ages long and lonely thirst
    for suitors. Now she feels the years drag

    as they did not before he came to call.
    Our grief compared to hers weighs naught at all.

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    1. That is really lovely, Cat! Thanks for bringing it here!

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  7. Afternoon gleanings: 16 y.o. girl tweets death threat to president. Hatefilled righties bring implied threats to an author's children into it. Maybe because of this?
    http://www.politicususa.com/obama-approval-rating-jumps-10-points-democratic-convention.html



    http://www.politicususa.com/16-year-old-assassinate-president.html

    http://blog.duchessstrollins.com/2012/09/07/will-the-real-duchess-st-rollins-please-stand-up/

    These people are mean, hateful, stoopid, and terrified. Think we'll be seeing more of this.

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  8. Finally, lol! Got the wash in after four days, and a whole bunch of thunderstorms. Still not *quite* dry, but there's a possible storm again tonight, and I'm taking no chances this time.

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  9. As far as why my son doesn't think Obama should get his vote, I think the biggest thing might be the thing Obama signed, I think on New Year's Eve--some kind of anti-terror legislation that was really broadly worded.

    puddle, how do you get the links you post here to show up as clickable?

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    1. <*a href= URL HERE>text or URL here<*/a>

      remove asterisks.

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    2. NDAA. Lotsa controversy about it. Glenn Greenwald and Co. were absolutely hysterical about it. I liked *this*. . . .

      http://angryblacklady.com/2011/12/18/ndaa-is-not-a-detention-bill/

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    1. If you want just the link to show, it needs to go in both places.

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    2. Good to be able to think of him able to walk and run again. Been one very tough year for us both. Still, I'm glad (sort of) that I let him have *his* choice in the matter.

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