SebMan and I were in Houston this weekend for the wonderful wedding reception of a wonderful friend.
Although I grew up in Texas, I lived on the North Side, aka Dallas-Fort Worth. I didn't get down to Houston much. Since most of my college friends live there now, I have gotten the chance to learn all kinds of things about it that I would never have known.
Two such examples:
the beer can house
the liquor store / gourmet food megamart Specs.
Aaaaand, I saw many-a Obama yard sign. I love North Cackalacky, but I might have considered Houston a living destination had these things been pointed out to me previously.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
How Long Does April Fools Day last?
I had to check the date on this story a couple of times because it certainly seems like a April Fool's joke.
Well, its interesting, I guess.
Well, its interesting, I guess.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Maybe he thinks we're supposed to know Rock stars by their umm, ..mid-sections?
The Senator From Days of Yore and Men of Honor (Senator from DOYAMOH) has a new presidential ad out about how before McCain was the Most Honest Man Washington's Ever Known he was inspired by the Bestest Ever Episcopal Prep School Teacher. The ad reads like a Peggy Noonan Reagan tribute, which is appropriate,, given McCain's similare age and the the fact that he's more than happy to stick with Reagan's economic policies in the midst of their most collosal failure yet.
But what's truly bizarre about the ad, is that, to set out it's theme of "heroes", the ad runs images of several examples of heroic categories - Ted Williams (athletes) , Teddy Roosevelt (presidents), and I believe Thomas Edison (inventors) ....and Headless Guitar Player as the "rockstars"?
Where to begin? First off, are rock stars really so venerated that they illuminate what we would want in a President? I realize that politicians love to innapropriately adopt songs or lyrics as their themes (i.e. the State of New Jersey adopting Born to Run as it's themesong thus becoming the "Baby this town rips the bone from your back" State; Reagan running in 1984 playing Bruce Springsteens anti-War "Born in the USA" - what not Allentown by Billy Joel?) . But is there really a rock star we'd actually trust to lead the country, not even as President but as a mere cabinet head? A middling talented one-hit wonder; a studio genius, maybe. But which department would you trust Dave Matthews or Bono to?
Secondly, it really undercuts the whole idea that rock stars "inspire us" as a Nation when you can't settle on one that is sufficiently non-controversial to actually show their face. Obviously, the Straight Talk Express wants you the voter to fill in the gaps here. But that sort of belies the fact that the US isn't one great homogenous world where coming to the aid of your equally privileged fellow Episcoal High School is all that is needed to show us what true greatness really is.
To some folks, that rock star is going to be John Lennon, but those folks aren't going to be voting for the War candidate. To others it will be Ronnie Van Zandt, but lord, dear lord, don't tell them you went to Episcopal High School, they are liable to throw their budweisers at you! To some it will be Keith Richards, and they'll probably be regular normal people, but that doesn't mean that Keith Richards has anything to do with Presidential Politics. To others it will be Abba, and those folks shouldn't be allowed to vote. Oh, wait, McCain is an Abba fan? Well, you know, he may actually not be eligible to run. So my point stands.
Thirdly, if this is how the Senator DOYAMOH is going to try to reach out to the "kids" as it were, well, he's not going to reach out to them by not having a preference. If he picked Ryan Adams, Bono or well, Keith Richards, (i'm guessing Kanye West is out, and Jeff Tweedy is already an Obama guy), then at least we'd know where he stood. But instead, it looks like McCain likes anonymous pictures of rock stars of the sort that 5th grade teachers put up in their classrooms. Next thing you know, McCain will be going up to 20 somethings and whispering - "I like to get free downloads on Napster too, and how bout that Hootie and the Blowfish!"
Finally, if your going to cover up the identity of rock stars because your so skittish about controversy, why on earth would you put a Boston Red Sox icon in the ad? Is the steroid issue the only thing about baseball McCain has paid attention to in the last 10 years? Does he really want to tick of the Yankee vote. And as long as he's spending the day trying to pass himself off as being "sorry" he voted against the MLK holiday why not put up Jackie Robinson's image to complete the pander?
But go ahead Dog Pounders, tell me if you can identify the musician, and please inform us if you make your guess based upon the guitar, the hands or well... I think you know what I think you might be able to identify him by.
SebMan
But what's truly bizarre about the ad, is that, to set out it's theme of "heroes", the ad runs images of several examples of heroic categories - Ted Williams (athletes) , Teddy Roosevelt (presidents), and I believe Thomas Edison (inventors) ....and Headless Guitar Player as the "rockstars"?
Where to begin? First off, are rock stars really so venerated that they illuminate what we would want in a President? I realize that politicians love to innapropriately adopt songs or lyrics as their themes (i.e. the State of New Jersey adopting Born to Run as it's themesong thus becoming the "Baby this town rips the bone from your back" State; Reagan running in 1984 playing Bruce Springsteens anti-War "Born in the USA" - what not Allentown by Billy Joel?) . But is there really a rock star we'd actually trust to lead the country, not even as President but as a mere cabinet head? A middling talented one-hit wonder; a studio genius, maybe. But which department would you trust Dave Matthews or Bono to?
Secondly, it really undercuts the whole idea that rock stars "inspire us" as a Nation when you can't settle on one that is sufficiently non-controversial to actually show their face. Obviously, the Straight Talk Express wants you the voter to fill in the gaps here. But that sort of belies the fact that the US isn't one great homogenous world where coming to the aid of your equally privileged fellow Episcoal High School is all that is needed to show us what true greatness really is.
To some folks, that rock star is going to be John Lennon, but those folks aren't going to be voting for the War candidate. To others it will be Ronnie Van Zandt, but lord, dear lord, don't tell them you went to Episcopal High School, they are liable to throw their budweisers at you! To some it will be Keith Richards, and they'll probably be regular normal people, but that doesn't mean that Keith Richards has anything to do with Presidential Politics. To others it will be Abba, and those folks shouldn't be allowed to vote. Oh, wait, McCain is an Abba fan? Well, you know, he may actually not be eligible to run. So my point stands.
Thirdly, if this is how the Senator DOYAMOH is going to try to reach out to the "kids" as it were, well, he's not going to reach out to them by not having a preference. If he picked Ryan Adams, Bono or well, Keith Richards, (i'm guessing Kanye West is out, and Jeff Tweedy is already an Obama guy), then at least we'd know where he stood. But instead, it looks like McCain likes anonymous pictures of rock stars of the sort that 5th grade teachers put up in their classrooms. Next thing you know, McCain will be going up to 20 somethings and whispering - "I like to get free downloads on Napster too, and how bout that Hootie and the Blowfish!"
Finally, if your going to cover up the identity of rock stars because your so skittish about controversy, why on earth would you put a Boston Red Sox icon in the ad? Is the steroid issue the only thing about baseball McCain has paid attention to in the last 10 years? Does he really want to tick of the Yankee vote. And as long as he's spending the day trying to pass himself off as being "sorry" he voted against the MLK holiday why not put up Jackie Robinson's image to complete the pander?
But go ahead Dog Pounders, tell me if you can identify the musician, and please inform us if you make your guess based upon the guitar, the hands or well... I think you know what I think you might be able to identify him by.
SebMan
Are voters anti-tax conservatives who just don't know it?
More evidence that the NC GOP doesn't let voting results get in the way of their story.
The Republican gubernatorial candidates got together to debate last night. It's clear that the gameplan of the back of the pack group is to tear in to frontrunner Charlotte Mayor as a tax-raiser. You see, McCrory along with the Charlotte City Council decided that in order to bring things like light-rail and major pro sports (to the extent my beloved Bobcats count as "major") to Charlotte, he needed to actually raise money to do. So bonds were passed, hotel patrons were taxed.
By far, McCrory is the most electable Republican in the general election, and therefore, SebMan wishes the very honorable former Justice Robert Orr and the assumedly non-beagle hating State Senator Fred Smith well in their endeavor to demonstrate McCrory is really a McGovern in successful moderate mayor of the richest city in the state's clothing. But it seems the very logical contours of his opponent's arguments should lead them to seriously reconsider the effectiveness of their arguments. Smith thinks that McCrory overruled the "will of the people" in supporting the landing of the Bobcats:
And that would seem very powerful, but for the fact that the Bobcat deal came down in 2003 (after that 57% of voters denied an earlier referendum in 2001). Since then, McCrory has been re-elected not once, but 3 times, by no less than 56% of the vote. To get to the general he's had to win the Republican primary, and he's done so by 2 to 1 margins every time.
So, Mr. Tax has not only been elected in an fairly Democratic city (in 2005 and 2007, seven of 11 City Council seats went Democratic) but also overwhelmingly surported in Republican primaries. This reminds me of a slogan I saw on a Libertarian website awhile back that claimed "Most people are libertarians, they just don't know it yet." An element of the right is so sure that voters hate ALL taxes they seem oblivious to voters actual choices.
Sadly, I think this year, Republican primary voters will remain unfamiliar with their inner Grover Norquist and vote for the moderate. Hopefully the Democrat, Moore or Perdue, will be ready to handle a tough contest.
The Republican gubernatorial candidates got together to debate last night. It's clear that the gameplan of the back of the pack group is to tear in to frontrunner Charlotte Mayor as a tax-raiser. You see, McCrory along with the Charlotte City Council decided that in order to bring things like light-rail and major pro sports (to the extent my beloved Bobcats count as "major") to Charlotte, he needed to actually raise money to do. So bonds were passed, hotel patrons were taxed.
By far, McCrory is the most electable Republican in the general election, and therefore, SebMan wishes the very honorable former Justice Robert Orr and the assumedly non-beagle hating State Senator Fred Smith well in their endeavor to demonstrate McCrory is really a McGovern in successful moderate mayor of the richest city in the state's clothing. But it seems the very logical contours of his opponent's arguments should lead them to seriously reconsider the effectiveness of their arguments. Smith thinks that McCrory overruled the "will of the people" in supporting the landing of the Bobcats:
"It's hypocritical to say [you] follow the will of the people when 57 percent
voted against the [Bobcats] arena and the city built it anyway," Smith shot
back.
And that would seem very powerful, but for the fact that the Bobcat deal came down in 2003 (after that 57% of voters denied an earlier referendum in 2001). Since then, McCrory has been re-elected not once, but 3 times, by no less than 56% of the vote. To get to the general he's had to win the Republican primary, and he's done so by 2 to 1 margins every time.
So, Mr. Tax has not only been elected in an fairly Democratic city (in 2005 and 2007, seven of 11 City Council seats went Democratic) but also overwhelmingly surported in Republican primaries. This reminds me of a slogan I saw on a Libertarian website awhile back that claimed "Most people are libertarians, they just don't know it yet." An element of the right is so sure that voters hate ALL taxes they seem oblivious to voters actual choices.
Sadly, I think this year, Republican primary voters will remain unfamiliar with their inner Grover Norquist and vote for the moderate. Hopefully the Democrat, Moore or Perdue, will be ready to handle a tough contest.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Feeling Good About '08
Growing up in Texas, I was resigned to the fact that my Democratic (big D) vote didn't matter much in elections, because the Republicans were going to win anyway. In D.C., that bastion of blue-ness, I didn't get a meaningful vote for Governor, Senate, or any other of those important state offices, and my Presidential vote didn't matter, as the District would easily be won by a Dem.
But this morning I saw this story and realized that for the first time in a long time, my vote might actually make a difference. In the primary AND general election. What a feeling!
But this morning I saw this story and realized that for the first time in a long time, my vote might actually make a difference. In the primary AND general election. What a feeling!
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Straight Talk Express out of gas?
Now the distinguished Senator from Arizona--presumptive nominee for the Republicans- flip flops on his "100 years in Iraq" comment. Maybe he realized that VOTERS actually aren't in favor of the war a'tall, and don't want our brothers, fathers, cousins, etc. over there for one minute longer than necessary. Actually BEING the nominee for president, and the prospect of having to convince voters to choose him, is much different than just being the Mavrick.
When is he going to start singing a different tune instead of Bomb Bomb Bomb, Bomb Bomb Iran? My guess is, when he realizes that voters aren't so much in favor of it.
When is he going to start singing a different tune instead of Bomb Bomb Bomb, Bomb Bomb Iran? My guess is, when he realizes that voters aren't so much in favor of it.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
What Seb Man is thinking today
A random but regular addition to BH (links option, because occasionally a beagle must howl without .
- Who's the next member of the right-wing conspiracy Hillary Rodham Clinton is going to cozy up an make nice too (as long of course as they are willing to throw dirt at another Democrat)? (I mean, since he's so chummy with her, would seem Richard Melon Scaiffe can buy her some more friends.)
- Does Texas Tech "coach" Pat Knight know for whom the bell tolls next? Will Sean Sutton now head to SF to try to help Daddy get to 800? (Or just to make beer runs?)
- If Hillary does get to set up a commission of Alan Greenspan and Bob Rubin to "investigate" solutions to the mortgage foreclosure crisis, will there be a chance for them to debate which is the best caviar, so they can disagree about something?
- April Fools Day - why do we need a holiday for lying? I mean we have elections, college coaches job acceptance speeches and hollywood marriages - is perfidy not celebrated enough?
- North Carolina's primary involves a black man and a white woman, and in Durham the Democratic primaries are the only game in town for County Commissioner. Yup, the lord does work in mysterious ways.
- Can we give a plaque to all sportswriters who decide to write about the actual game rather than the "drama" of Kansas fans facing their old Coach Roy Williams?
UPDATE - H-Girl questions whether I think elections are about lying. Well, i'd love to say no, and I think there's a good case to be made that lying doesn't "win" elections, but the pressures of losing certainly make it more likely someone is going to lie...... Wait, you think I was referring to HRC, well, I just have no idea how you got that impression!
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