A Most Ingenious Paradox

North Korea Claims 2nd Successful Nuclear Test

2009-05-24T20:49:00.001-07:00

This just in, and lookin pretty legit: North Korea says it has conducted a successful nuclear test, this one possibly 10 kilotons (the last less than 1 kiloton) - why do i think it's legit? Because Lee Myung Bak, the president of South Korea, has called an emergency meeting - you don't really do that when waving the bullshit flag.

My buds stationed in Korea have undoubtedly all be recalled from their holiday weekend. NK always pulls this crap over American holiday weekends just to fuck with us, FYI. (TD 2 launch: July 4th weekend 2006, for example).

Beyond Tribute

2009-05-23T21:13:00.001-07:00

General Wes Clark and Jill Biden are promoting an excellent cause this week in the runup to Memorial Day. It's called "Beyond Tribute," and it encourages businesses to sign on and donate a portion of their proceeds from Memorial Day sales to veterans' care. I think it's an excellent idea. The link to the page is here:

and you can read General Clark's promotion of the cause here

Unfortunately, there is no LIST of businesses that have signed on... you have to search for businesses or by zip code. Not the most user-friendly format. Regardless, you can also give a direct donation from the page.

Hopefully this sentiment catches on and more people find that there is more to Memorial Day than an excuse to barbecue.

Reasons We Should Still Be Nervous

2009-05-17T10:08:00.000-07:00

I've noticed a disturbing trend among Dems in the last 6 months or so. Ever since we won the White House and a near filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, there is a new wind blowing among liberal and progressive pundits, personalities, and comedians. Dare I call it smugness? I dare.

I understand it is a tactic, or even a grand strategy, to dismiss the GOP's efforts to reinvent itself as silly and futile. As long as we make everything they're doing seem pointless, maybe it really will be. This is dangerous. How do you think the left blew the right away last November? It was sheer grassroots organizing, that "Yes We Can" mentality, that was underestimated over and over by conservatives, until it was far too late for them to do anything about it. Here are some examples:

Tea Parties: During this craze about a month ago, conservatives and independents took to the streets in a purportedly "grassroots" organized effort in about 300 cities nationwide. Many protesters went way off-message and many didn't seem to know what the message was in the first place. Detracting from the tea partiers credibility were offensive signs such as "Obama's Plan: White Slavery" and "Barack Hussein Obama: The New Face of Hitler." (Why yes, fascism and socialism ARE diametrically opposed ideologies, thank you for noticing!) The parties were also wildly promoted by and even, in many cases, funded by Fox News, taking away a bit more of that "grassroots" credibility. They could have fizzled on their own but pundits and personalities on MSNBC, CNN, and other networks and blogs, couldn't help themselves but dismiss them with frat boy humor. Admittedly, when I first heard the term "teabagging" in conjunction with these parties, I laughed hysterically, thinking those silly right wingers just didn't know what they were saying. Like pulling out your brass instrument that had been caught in the rain and saying, "oh no, now I've got a rusty trombone!!!"... for example. Here's an example of tea party dismissal using the teabag joke that went on a bit too long on my dear Rachel Maddow's show:

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I found this quite funny at the time. But then I got to thinking... had I heard any credible right-wing pundit or tea party supporter use the term "teabagging"? (Okay, other than the one guy in the crazy hat Rachel showed..) The answer is... probably not. If you did, send me a link and I'll retract. But it really looks like we took the term used in a couple of emails and on a couple of signs (and I am pretty sure they are using it tongue-in-cheek as well) and put it in their mouths, assuming they weren't in on the joke, which certainly doesn't lend anything to our own credibility.

I could go on forever about the tea parties... people somehow believe that they will have drivable roads and bridges, disaster relief, pell grants, and national security without taxes? And they decided to protest after one of the biggest middle class tax cuts in recent history? And they do so by displaying signs indicating that our president's bow in Saudi Arabia was him "sucking Saudi Jewels"? Give me a break... but dismissing them as a bunch of crazies getting together to yell is dangerous. A bunch of crazies in one place can do a lot of damage.

Miss California: Sure, Carrie Prejean answered Perez Hilton's question on her thoughts about gay marriage in a rather bigoted way, IMO. However, she is by no means alone in finding homosexuality to be "biblically" wrong, and as messed up as that sentiment is, she was bound to gather the masses in her rallying cry that "in my family and in my country," homosexuality is wrong. Perez, you're an idiot - not for asking the question, but for attacking her afterwords as a "bitch" and "the c word." Essentially, attacking Miss California for her (uninformed, less-than-thought-out, poorly delivered) opinion allowed the right wing anti-gay masses to rally around her. And guess what, she's pretty. So she wins this round, unfortunately.

GOP Listening to people?: Jeb Bush, Mitt Romney, and House Minority Whip Eric Cantor gathered at an Arlington pizzeria earlier this month to discuss a new way forward for the GOP. A mostly republican crowd packed the pizzeria and the parking lot out front to ask questions of the 3 party leaders and discuss new ideas. I don't know what they talked about, but listening to people in a diner in a non-election year can't be a bad idea. The news was broken by HuffPost, however, with a picture of a giant pizza at top-center-front page, and the word "GOPizza" - essentially gloating that the Republican Party has been reduced to pizzeria sitdowns to strategize their way-ahead. While that's true, and it sure is fun to gloat, it's completely unproductive and dismissive. In fact, maybe these guys should have been applauded for their effort - what they were doing before sure didn't work for them. (Since then, those gentlemen organizing the "listening tour" have had to deal with the wrath of party boss... erm... radio personality Rush Limbaugh who didn't like the idea one bit. Mr. Cantor retracted his previous comments about the listening tour and essentially apologized to Daddy Limbaugh.) If they learn not to bow to Boss Limbaugh, maybe they'll have a fighting chance next time around...

Which brings me to my next scary right wing specter...

Rush Limbaugh: My daddy taught me very early, perhaps at the age of 5 or 6, to say the eternally truthful words "Rush Limbaugh is a fat windbag." He also taught me that the true difference between Catholics and Protestants is that Protestants eat cake at church, and that "Bill Spencer" (the local weatherman at the time) "is always wrong." My dad is a genius. Rush Limbaugh is, indeed, a fat windbag, and there is indisputable proof. When he opens his fat mouth, fat wind rushes out along with his bullying, pig-headed, narrow-minded vitriol. Unfortunately, he carries a great deal of sway within the Republican Party, and any time a republican says something that makes a modicum of sense (for example, going on a listening tour as noted above, or calling Limbaugh himself "an entertainer,") that party member must grovel at the Boss's feet or be pummeled on talk radio by the fat windbag. Come on guys... have some friggin balls. This is not 5th grade and he is not the school bully. Unfortunately, while he is in control of your minds and words, he is a threat to you and to the sanity of all of us.

Rick Perry's Texas Secession Threats: Yes, Texas secession is a ridiculous notion. Or is it? I know lots of Texans who are very proud of the "Republic of Texas," and who talk a big game about how it could be a standalone nation bigger than many European, Asian, and African countries both in geographic size and economic output. But most of those people speak mostly in jest... Texans love America in a rather basic way, with a gun in one hand and a cattle prod in another. Regardless, Texas Republicans (the "patriotic" ones, remember?) are split right down the middle on the idea of secession. Texas Democrats (we're the unpatriotic ones. Oh, by the way, I'm a Texas resident) disapprove of secession by 80%. Silly unpatriotic Democrats, hating America so much they want to remain a part of it... they should be more patriotic and want to split. Wait, what is going on here???

Keith Olbermann put together a nice segment on how SOL Texas would be if it actually did secede:

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Excellent. That settles that... there's no way Texas could survive on its own! Except that Governor Perry is running for reelection, and with half of his constituent base favoring secession, he may be running his mouth a lot more about it in the near future. I hate throwing around the "treason" word, but it's starting to look that way. And after all that talk in the last 8 years about how speaking against the war is dangerous to the troops, dangerous for morale, dangerous for our unity as a country... what the heck do you think serious talk about a whole freakin' state leaving could do? And P.S. I like Texas. I think it's a beautiful state with some awesome cities and friggin' awesome barbeque. I have absolutely nothing against Texas. But Governor Perry needs to pull his head out of his ass before this thing escalates into crazy groupthink... note what I said earlier about lots of crazies in one place. Never a good thing.

So there you have it... five reasons why we Democrats/liberals/progressives should NOT be so smug and dismissive toward the GOP. They're down but not out and it's this kind of dismissive attitude they displayed toward us that got us riled up enough to do something about it. Just FYI.

After a long vacay...

2009-05-17T09:53:00.000-07:00

I have returned to stimulate your minds with my witty partisan joshing. If only I had been on vacation these last three months! In all actuality, things have been crazy busy at work and I am spinning up for a deployment to Iraq, for which I will be leaving on 31 May. In the last few months I have been spending as much time as possible with my boyfriend who returned from the desert in January. Now that I'm heading out, I've decided to revisit the old Paradox, as it will give me something to focus on other than the war while I'm out there. (Don't worry, I'll still be focused on the war 12+ hours per day.)

I have to admit, one thing that has kept me from coming back here is the sheer volume of stuff to write about. It's daunting... where do I begin? The GOP media blitz proclaiming torture to have been essential in our intelligence gathering efforts? Tea Parties? The current administration backpedaling on what we took as sincere campaign promises of transparency, reversal of Don't Ask Don't Tell, and Gitmo tribunals? Wanda Sykes hitting the ball out of the freakin' park at the White House Correspondents' Dinner and the subsequent backlash? Seriously... there's a lot. I'm going to dip my toes in with a little of this and a little of that. While I'm working on that post, enjoy last night's SNL cold open, which reunited our old humor standby, GW Bush, with a newly overly visible Dick Cheney:

President Obama swears like a MoFo!

2009-02-06T18:39:00.001-08:00

Ummm.... FREAKING AMAZING! President Obama with some really amazing quotes from the audiobook of Dreams From My Father. My favorite: "You ain't my bitch, n*****, buy yo' own damn fries!"

http://www.aprilwinchell.com/wp-content/cache/supercache/www.aprilwinchell.com/2009/02/05/barack-obama-is-tired-of-your-motherfucking-shit//index.html

And here is your first mashup... expect many, many, many more of these!

(Compliments of ObamaCuss... not sure if he's got a real name somewhere)

UPDATE:

TECHNO REMIX!

Obama Graces March Cover of Vanity Fair!

2009-02-02T16:27:00.001-08:00

And you can view the photos of his team by Annie Leibowitz here!

My Weird Obsession

2009-02-02T16:01:00.000-08:00

Sarah Palin.

I know... she was a long shot phenomenon, a one hit wonder, exciting for the masses for two weeks and then merely repulsive. Except that's not really true. She is the gift that keeps on giving. I'll stop commenting on her antics when she stops acting all crazy-like. Some are worried about her 2012 run because of her bizarre mass appeal among the right wing (Republicans responding to a recent Rasmussen poll indicate that they want the GOP to become more conservative and to be more like Palin: "43 percent of Republicans say the party has been too moderate over the past eight years. 55 percent say they think Palin should become the model for the national GOP." - from Salon.com). I am not worried about such a run. Bring it on, I say! Any excuse to have the spotlight on this batty old hen so I have more fodder for this darn blog.

Most recently, Sarah Palin has proposed a NEW Road to Nowhere (to go with that Bridge to Nowhere) in Alaska. In her State of the State address last week, she highlighted the "Road to Nome" project which will cost over $2 billion. She also pointed out that the state would have a budget shortfall of over $1 billion. I don't suppose you need math to be an executive?

In other Palin news, Ashley Judd has recorded a fancy new ad slamming our favorite hockey mom for promoting the aerial killing of wolves and bears in Alaska. Watch here:

Okay, maybe I don't know the whole story here, and maybe there's a reason why killing wolves from a helicopter is a good thing (back in the U.P. I know deer hunting is essential to control the deer population up there... I'm curious about if the same is true for wolves in Alaska? Check back on that...) but at first glance it seems pretty damn despicable.

Finally, in non-political holy-wah news, doctors in Maryland removed a donated kidney through a woman's vagina last week!! Read about it here!

Blagoverjevich

2009-01-29T15:55:00.000-08:00

Or Blagoutjevich? Whatever play on words you want to use, he's out by a unanimous Senate vote to impeach, and Pat Quinn has been sworn in as Illinois governor. I didn't have a lot to do at work today so I kept up with a live blog of today's impeachment "trial" on the Trib. You can go back and read it for an interesting semi-off the cuff account of events as they happened rather than an analytical, traditional story about what happened today. I love live blogs - they give you minute by minute accounts of events so you can draw your own conclusions about them in the event that you are unable to watch something because you're stuck behind a desk doing mindless busy work all day... err... steadfastedly working to defend our freedom... whichever...

The reason I put the word trial in quotes up there is that the term is incredibly misleading in this context. The world thinks that the Illinois Senate was trying to find former Gov. Blago guilty of some kind of illegal actions. Even Blago himself spent the week telling everyone from the ladies of The View to Rachel Maddow to Larry King that the "trial" was unfair because he couldn't bring witnesses. Well Rod, here's the thing: This was not a "trial." You did not face a court, a jury of your peers, or a judge. That group of people you did face did not have the job of finding you guilty or not. What happened today was basically an interview for a firing. In what other job would your boss be so kind as to let you plead your case for 90 minutes (of which he only used 47) before he or she fired you? And before anyone tells me that this man was elected by the people, not the Senators, and therefore the Senators are not his "boss" per se, well, they are, in that they are the representatives of the people and the only voice the people have in this matter. Anyways, these Senators were incredibly generous to allow him to beg for his job. Again, imagine if you pulled some of the crap he pulled... would you get 90 minutes to beg for your job? Chances are you would be shown the door. And shown the door Blago was this afternoon. He has not been found guilty of any criminal wrongdoing. That's for the real court to decide. All that happened was that he lost a job that he should have been fired from long ago.

Below, Rachel's discussion two nights ago of her interview with Blago.

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And yes, I have taken note of the multiple requests for me to blog about the new stimulus package. I'm still collecting my thoughts, unfortunately. There so much about the events of the last couple of days connected to the package that makes me angry (for example, the MULTIPLE concessions President Obama made to House Republicans who then did absolutely nothing in return in the way of a single stinkin' vote for the package... good things were taken out of that bill, for what? Thanks for nothing, GOP), but I also have grown increasingly disdainful of rash acts that do not produce results. Examples: War in Iraq, 2003. USA PATRIOT Act. Stimulus package January 2008. Stimulus package October 2008. All excellent examples of Congress rushing to do something...anything in response to a crisis, and getting it horribly, devastatingly wrong, with disastrous (even deadly) consequences. And so this one makes me nervous, too. All that said, I am still conflicted and unsure about a coherent analysis of the subject. Know that I am mulling it over, though, and am curious to hear what you all think about it too.

Arianna Huffington Saves the Day!

2009-01-23T16:17:00.000-08:00

I friggin love the Huffington Post. My dream is to write for the Post one day, if Lady Arianna deems me worthy of a job. I will use posts from The Paradox too woo and wow her with my wit and charm and she will be so blown away that she will just have to employ me. Why do I love HuffPost so much? Well I was thinking that all of today's political headlines were boring (NY Rep Kirsten Gillibrand appointed to Clinton's U.S. Senate seat! Obama got annoyed when a reporter asked him a question at a social meet-n-greet! G-Rod makes another stupid speech! Yawn...) and then I visited the flashy Huffington Post and discovered that Ty Dolls (of Beanie Baby fame) has produced "Sasha" and "Malia" dolls and is claiming that they're somehow not supposed to be little doll depictions of SASHA and MALIA Obama... derrr... here's a picture.

They're little girl dolls, sold as a pair, they are cute and most likely African American (although you could argue for Indian or some other type of Southwest Asian I suppose) and they're named SASHA and MALIA! Who dropped the ball on this one? Michelle Obama, classy lady that she is, called the whole thing "inappropriate" and went about her business, but you better believe those dolls will be off the shelves quicker than you can say "just compensation."

The Ty spokeswoman made me laugh with her comment:

The company insists there's no connection to the Obama daughters. They just chose what they thought were "beautiful names."

"There's nothing on the dolls that refers to the Obama girls," spokeswoman Tania Lundeen said. "It would not be fair to say they are exact replications of these girls. They are not."

Reminds me of when Budweiser had its "BudPong" promotion,, which it claimed was a fun game all about drinking water, like they didn't know people play beer pong with... beer. Similar situation.

Okay, it's a fluffy story. But it's Friday and I was itching for a fluffy story. Thank you Huffington Post. (To HuffPost's credit, that story was pretty far down the page and over on the right, far below the missile strikes in Pakistan and the appointment of Rep. Gillibrand to Senate. Nestled just above "Pope Launches YouTube Channel." Oh PLEASE give me a job Arianna!!!)

AC3-drunk-ee

2009-01-22T21:43:00.001-08:00

Turns out everyone came to work late, hungover, or drunk in and around Washington D.C. yesterday, the morning after the inauguration. CNN's Anderson Cooper was no exception, and the result is this AWESOME error reel from one single episode of AC360. Of course my mickey mouse blogging skills are no match for a flash video, so I am still figuring out how to embed it here. Until then, check out the link to the original on Gawker :-)

P.S. Yeahhhh my punning skills are on par with my embedding skills...

UPDATE (23 JAN): I have beaten the system by downloading the flash video to my hard drive and re-uploading it to YouTube, where I got an embed code, so I can now provide you with this hilarity RIGHT HERE on the Paradox!

The Biggest of Big Days

2009-01-20T19:10:00.000-08:00

I started this blog on November 5th with joy and hope in my heart, the day after we successfully elected Barack Obama as our 44th president. Today he was sworn in, and I no longer have to type out the cumbersome phrase "President-Elect" every time I refer to him. I wish that I had heard before this morning the term "PEBO" which stands for "President-Elect Barack Obama"... I would have been using it all along! Unfortunately, I had to work all day today and didn't get to see any of the festivities of the inauguration. Whether or not I watched, it happened, and the sun will shine a little brighter tomorrow morning. No, I don't expect that elusive thing, "change," will happen overnight, but for those who think I'm naive or too optimistic, I beg you to take a look at the joy people are feeling and the service many have already pledged and performed in the name of imminent change in this country. Change happens when people believe in their leaders, in themselves, and in their capacity to hold themselves responsible to create the change we seek. We are a nation of believers today.

Until I get a chance to watch the speech online and read up on the events of the day, I can't really comment on them, but I think I'll post some of my awesome pictures of President Obama and other rally pics from the campaign. These are my pictures that I took myself so if you want to repost them please credit and link to me. Thanks, and happy inauguration day!!!

This first group are from a rally in Las Vegas in September 08:

These are from another rally in Vegas in October:

And finally, from my days as a Senate intern, an old picture of me with then-Senator Barack Obama from Summer 2005... what an awesome memory to hold onto :-)

Bail Out Bail Out Bail Out!

2009-01-19T10:12:00.000-08:00

This post is in response to the following comment, which was posted by Kelly on my post about Sarah Palin comparing her own media coverage to that of Caroline Kennedy last week. I typed it all up as a comment response and then decided to make it its own blog post since it forced me to examine an issue I have been avoiding deliberately: The auto industry bail out.

Kelly's comment:

"I am curious as to what you think about the second recovery package. I, for instance, do not always think that a bailout is the way to go. Chapter 11 exists for companies like General Motors to help them get out of cumbersome contracts in order to help them become profitable again."

My response:

In regards to the auto bailout, I have avoided that topic on purpose... I grew up in Michigan and don't know anyone there who isn't directly hit by the failure of the American auto industry. That said, I have driven a series of craptastic Fords and Dodges, and this summer I finally bit the bullet and bought myself a lovely little fuel efficient Korean car that I love dearly and know will last me the next 10-15 years at least, because I couldn't deal with my shitty unreliable American cars anymore. I feel pretty strongly that if the American companies had produced RELIABLE, FUEL EFFICIENT, COMPETITIVE cars, instead of giant, impractical beasts that guzzle fuel, mow down smaller cars with reckless abandon, and break down regardless of their massive stature, they would not be in this predicament. Again, you reap what you sow... But that's the executives, not the workers and their families. Now, THAT being said, Chapter 11 is not an option for the auto industry. Would YOU buy a car from a company that had just filed for bankruptcy? That you weren't sure you'd be able to get serviced or find parts for? I sure wouldn't. Circuit City filed chapter 11 in November, and then this past Friday announced liquidation of assets (get your TVs now folks!), because once consumers lose confidence in a company, there's not much that can be done to save it. Big-box electronics stores are one thing... the entire American auto industry, with its hundreds of thousands of jobs and the communities it has supported, is another thing entirely. So to sum up my feelings here, they're conflicted and I'm rather ambivalent (semantically speaking, can one be RATHER ambivalent?? I'm not sure...) in that I personally am pissed at the auto execs for their poor business practices and for leaving me stranded on the side of the highway more than once. (More than twice. More than 3 times. I'm not kidding). HOWEVER - ultimately this battle is not about the execs. It's about my neighbors back home who are struggling because of their bosses' bad judgment. I think if we can afford to bail out banks (without oversight or regulation, I might add), banks who then have NOT translated that bailout money into competitive loans for qualified individuals, we can certainly afford to "bail out" an important industry on whom we are placing ENORMOUS restrictions and regulations - produce fuel efficient cars in XX numbers by XX date, for example.

I want to thank Kelly for asking me this question - my personal and political feelings about this issue have been in conflict for some time now, and that's why I haven't blogged about it. Thinking out my response to her comment and blogging it all out, however, has gotten my thoughts on it in order. I think over the course of this response I have become less ambivalent. Arguments/comments/bitches/gripes/complaints welcome and warranted! :-)

How Could I Leave This Out?

2009-01-13T16:32:00.001-08:00

I hate posting any news or clips without commentary if I'm sure you've all seen them already. I'm sure everybody's seen the Rachel impression from SNL this past weekend, but given my adoration of her I can't really see leaving it off the blog. So here, for your viewing pleasure, is fake-Roland Burris and fake-G-Rod talking to fake Rachel and making fake gay jokes about her... she was very good humored about it, by the way, tweeting
"In my mind, I'm much more Mr. Cunningham than Chachi -- so grateful to not be Potsie. 1:45 PM Jan 11th from web" from her Twitter the next day.

Next up, funny article over on Huffpost about the sex you'll have in 2009. No, not really very political, except that it basically states that the amount of sex in your life is inversely proportional to the money in your wallet. So, poor=totally sexed up. Hooray Recession!!!

When nothing is going on, look no further than Sarah and Joe for inspiration

2009-01-12T15:23:00.000-08:00

Once again I have let the blog lapse for over a week. As my buddy Ryan will point out, it is becoming more of a ParadoxMonthly than it is ParadoxDaily. However, I have had a busy busy week! My man got home from Iraq and I had to spend some time smooching on him, and then I got hit with an almost deployment myself, and then today found out that it was a no go. Good thing, too. I would have had 3 days to get out of my lease, move out of my townhouse, store my stuff, and outprocess. Not fun. But here I am, back on the beat, ready to inform and titillate you with my fascinating commentary.

Unfortunately, politics have been a little boring lately. Most headlines are proclaiming today that Roland Burris has indeed been confirmed as a U.S. Senator, taking Barack Obama's Illinois seat. Whoop-de-doo... a sitting governor appointed a Senator and he was seated. Yawn.

I did manage to find two fun things though. First, Sarah Palin got in on John Ziegler's upcoming documentary "How Obama Got Elected" and threw some punches at the media for their handling of her coverage as opposed to that of Caroline Kennedy.

“I’ve been interested to see how Caroline Kennedy will be handled and if she will be handled with kid gloves or if she will be under such a microscope...It’s going to be interesting to see how that plays out and I think that as we watch that we will perhaps be able to prove that there is a class issue here also that was such a factor in the scrutiny of my candidacy versus, say, the scrutiny of what her candidacy may be.”

First off, lady, the media has not been nice to Caroline Kennedy. In fact, seeing as she's American royalty, it's surprising how mean the media has been. The Times and the blogosphere (including the Paradox) lambasted her for her annoying verbal pause (ya know?) and for her lack of any sort of stance on any substantive issues. Oh, and then there's the fact that Sarah Palin is utterly unqualified for any job requiring reasoning and thought, evidenced by such gems as this, from the Couric interview:

Couric: You've cited Alaska's proximity to Russia as part of your foreign policy experience. What did you mean by that? Sarah Palin: That Alaska has a very narrow maritime border between a foreign country, Russia, and, on our other side, the land-boundary that we have with Canada. It's funny that a comment like that was kinda made to … I don't know, you know … reporters. Couric: Mocked? Palin: Yeah, mocked, I guess that's the word, yeah. Couric: Well, explain to me why that enhances your foreign-policy credentials. Palin: Well, it certainly does, because our, our next-door neighbors are foreign countries, there in the state that I am the executive of. And there… Couric: Have you ever been involved in any negotiations, for example, with the Russians? Palin: We have trade missions back and forth, we do. It's very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia. As Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border. It is from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there, they are right next to our state.

(I know we've all seen and heard that a hundred times by now, but does it ever get any less funny?)

Caroline Kennedy's Columbia law degree, incredible philanthropic efforts, and two books on civil liberties (co-authored with Ellen Alderman) more than make up for her, uh, ya know, verbal hiccups. Sarah, you comparing yourself to Caroline Kennedy is like this year's Lions comparing themselves to last year's Patriots. Or a leather couch comparing itself to a steak as something good to munch on. Par example.

The second fun thing this week is the fact the Joe the Plumber (the original, one and only Samuel J. Wurzelbacher) is now Joe the War Correspondent. I'm totally not joking. I wish I were joking. And then today, while talking to Israeli reporters, he advocated that reporters should not be allowed in war zones, stating,

"I don't think journalists should be anywhere allowed war (sic). I mean, you guys report where our troops are at. You report what's happening day to day. You make a big deal out of it. I think it's asinine. You know, I liked back in World War I and World War II when you'd go to the theater and you'd see your troops on, you know, the screen and everyone would be real excited and happy for them. Now everyone's got an opinion and wants to downer-and down soldiers. You know, American soldiers or Israeli soldiers."

Really Joe? So what you want is World War Dos era propaganda films, not reporting. Nevermind that it was embedded reporters showing the carnage and futility in Vietnam who aided in creating a national sentiment, and in hindsight a universally accepted correct sentiment, that we should not have been in Vietnam and the war needed to end? And on the other end of the spectrum, embedded reporters become friendly with the troops, develop repoire, and report favorably on them, not unfavorably. Embedded reporters are good for morale, Joe.

Joe the Wurzelberger is one of those people you can't argue with because you see your arguments fly over his big fat arrogant non-plumber non-country singer non-reporter head and take wing, while he pulls an Audrina-Patridge-trying-to-understand-the-Large-Hadron-Collider:

That's all for today, I promise to be on top of things this month. Missed your comments and chatter!

Hello Al!

2009-01-04T11:04:00.000-08:00

Oh and buried beneath that (nobody else is as excited about Minnesota as I am...) is the fact that today, Senator Chuck Schumer, the chairman of the DCCC, declared Al Franken the winner of the Minnesota Senate recount against Norm Coleman.

Schumer had this statement:

“With the Minnesota recount complete, it is now clear that Al Franken won the election. The Canvassing Board will meet tomorrow to wrap up its work and certify him the winner, and while there are still possible legal issues that will run their course, there is no longer any doubt who will be the next Senator from Minnesota,”

Bye-Bye Bill :-(

2009-01-04T10:42:00.000-08:00

Politico is announcing (and that means everyone else will be momentarily) that Bill Richardson has withdrawn his name from the position of Commerce Secretary, to which he was appointed in November. He's citing an "ongoing investigation" into a company that has done business with the state, which he said "would have forced an untenable delay in the confirmation process." Sad... but the kind of responsible politics we don't see often - G-Rod, anyone? (just step down!)

Caroline in the Senate

2009-01-02T17:57:00.000-08:00

As much as any good Democrat loves all the Kennedys, those living or dead, I do love the Kennedys. I even have a picture of my friend Sarah and I kissing a poster of John F. and Bobby Kennedy in my dorm room freshman year at Loyola. I think perhaps I will dig that picture up and post it... anyways, the point is, we love the Kennedys. HOWEVER... I do not love Caroline. I think she's a good progressive and I'm sure she'd make happy Demmy vote time in the Senate.. but the more exposure she gets lately, the more she just annoys me as a person. Check out this excerpt from her interview with the NY Times last week:
Twelve times in under a minute, 138 times in the entire interview. It's not just her verbal pause that gives me pause, though. I mean really, we all have them, and some (doncha know) are far more annoying (uhh.. uhh... uhh). No, what gets me is that in the course of the interview, Kennedy really seems to point out, without ever saying it directly, that her celebrity is her best qualification for being appointed Senator, and that the reason she should be appointed is that she wants to be a Senator. What? She also gripes at the Times reporters, asking them if they write for "a women's magazine," insinuating that they are asking gossipy questions rather than something a little more concrete. Too bad she doesn't really answer the more concrete stuff, and what the heck is that supposed to mean, "women's magazine"? Plenty of "women's magazines" make important contributions to journalism in topics of women's health, domestic violence, and other areas. There are enough mysoginistic men out there without self-hating women adding to their numbers.

I suppose I should point out that the appointment of Kennedy to the Senate by Governor Paterson (and she is his top choice, according to officials who spoke with the AP today) does not affect me, and likely never will, as I am not now and do not plan on becoming a resident of New York state anytime soon. I guess I would just love to see Hillary Clinton's Senate seat filled by someone of her caliber. I love seeing female representation in politics - I hate seeing poor examples of female representation. It makes me think, "is this the best we can do?" There are 16 women currently serving in the U.S. Senate. Not a math whiz? That's 16% of the Senate. Guess what percentage women make up of the United States... about 51%. And while we're at it, African Americans make up 13.4% of the United States, and we have exactly... zero serving in the U.S. Senate (unless you count "Senator" Roland Burris of Illinois... but that's another joke for another post). So much for a Congress that represents the people it serves. Back on women (that's what he said...), I know many, many talented, intelligent, driven women who would make outstanding elected officials. I am not sure that we can blame the electorate for the dearth of female reprentation. I think much of the blame falls on we women who decide, for many different reasons, that the work of a Representative or Senator is better left to the dudes who've been doing it for a couple of centuries now. (Interesting tidbit: Of 1,897 total U.S. Senators who have served since 1789, exactly 35 women, or 1.85 percent of the tota l, have served.) I've taken three different Bachelor's and Master's level courses on the reasons why this is true and have already unintentionally made this post a rant, so I will only point out a couple of the major ones and then pass it on to you. First I'll mention that more women now graduate from college than men, and more women graduate from law school than men. We're not talking about a lack of education for American females. However, women are far more likely than men to feel pressure to (or just want to?) give up their careers in order to raise children. Secondly, women are less willing to put their private lives on display in the way that campaigning for public office demands. So, dear readers, what say you? Where are the women, and why do we get such astounding represtentation as Sarah Palin and Caroline Kennedy when someone does step up to the plate?

Note: I am fully aware that there are some phenomenal women serving in elected and appointed positions. Hillary Clinton, Jan Schakowsky (my rockin Rep from Chicago), Shelley Berkeley and Dina Titus (my rockin Reps here in Vegas), Jennifer Granholm (my Michigan governor... okay she has her issues, but would YOU want to govern Michigan??) even Condoleeza Rice (though I disagree with her policies, I would not doubt her intelligence, competence, or drive). I think my issue is that until we get a representative sample in both houses, i.e. 51%, we need to put up the best of the best. When we have 51% we can let some doofuses (doofi?) in. Comments please, especially from the ladies! But mans, you're allowed, too.

Worst... blogger... ever

2009-01-02T17:51:00.000-08:00

Wow... 10 days since my last post! I apologize - I had Christmas festivities to attend to, then traveled to LA, then had a houseguest in from Phoenix, so it's been a little crazy. My boyfriend returns home from Iraq the day after tomorrow and I can't guarantee I will be a consistent updater for awhile after that, either. To make up for all this slackadaisical behavior, I will update all weekend for you :-)

While I'm working on a real post, enjoy these recent pictures of Mark Wahlberg peeing on some bushes. And then say hi to your motha for me.

No Throw?

2008-12-22T19:06:00.000-08:00

Am I the only one to notice that Keith Olbermann seems to have stopped "throwing" to Rachel Maddow each evening? The "throw" is the couple of chatty moments between anchors when one introduces the other's show, they appear in split screen, the second thanks the first, and then the second's show begins. Jon Stewart throws to Stephen Colbert approximately once per week. It's a way to keep viewers tuned in. Keith generally throws to Rachel every night. Friday and today, however, not only did he neglect the throw, but he didn't even mention a "stay tuned for The Rachel Maddow Show up next" before his signature paper-flinging-fake-breaking-the-camera move. With all the infighting at MSNBC ever since the party conventions, I have to wonder if the lack of throw indicates some sort of animosity between Keith and Rachel? I appear to be the only one who noticed at this point... a quick Google search turns up nothing about the slight. I'm going to watch this over the next couple of days to see if something turns up. Below, a Daily Show reminder of the laughs MSNBC produced with their self-hatred during the conventions:

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Media Analysis Unity

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

Following that, there was the recent reporting (which I covered here and here at The Paradox) that Chris Matthews was using a possible Senate run as a bargaining chip in his contract negotiations with MSNBC. Matthews ended up renewing his contract last week, which I neglected to report because at the moment the Christmas miracle of SNOW in Las Vegas was trumping all political thought or reason in my brain, but the discussion surrounding the possibility of Matthews leaving MSNBC was causing some consternation around the network. So, back to my original thought, is all the infighting catching up to Keith and Rachel, who share an agent and who have always gotten on so well? Or has Keith stopped throwing to Rachel simply because her ratings are now such that she doesn't need the throw anymore? Am I reading too much into what I'm calling Keith's slight of my hero, Rachel Maddow? Input is welcome.

P.S. I blogged about this seemingly unimportant topic to distract myself from all the depressing news of the day. When I have sufficiently collected my thoughts I might go back to those depressing topics, but for now, this is what my psyche can handle.

Snow in the Valley, Franken in the Senate?

2008-12-18T17:23:00.001-08:00

I am fully aware that the big news today is Obama's selection of Rev. Rick Warren to give the invocation at the Presidential inauguration in a few weeks. Well, unless you're in Vegas like me, where the big news is the fact that snow not only fell on Sin City over the last few days, but it stuck here in the valley for the first time in something like 30 years. There are pictures of people romping in the snow around the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign downtown, like this one taken from cnn.com:

and this from the LV Review Journal. Keep in mind that the Luxor is black in color...
And this is what it looked like on my way home from work (but this is lifted from the RJ as well):

I want to point out that I grew up in Sault Ste. Marie, MI (EUP What what!??) where there is snow regularly 9 months per year and an average yearly snowfall of 128 inches (and up to 209 inches) and went to college in Chicago (about 38 inches/year) - both of these experiences should have ingrained in me NOT to get excited about snow. But just bear with me... this is Vegas! This was a historic weather moment! It was on the national news! And I was here for it!

Soooo this is a politics blog, right? I think my point at the beginning of all this was that despite what the big news is, my focus is on... no, not the snow actually... Al Franken! With an apparant projected lead of only 89 votes (and an actual deficit of exactly 5 votes to Norm Coleman), the Minneapolis Star Tribune is reporting that Mr. Franken will be "vaulted" to a win over Coleman. This came about because the Minnesota Supreme Court today "rejected an attempt by incumbent Norm Coleman to block the state Canvassing Board from counting improperly rejected absentee ballots." There are 1600 ballots involved in this ruling, and the decision requires both campaigns to set a uniform standard for how the improperly rejected ballots should be counted. And through the hoodoo voodoo mumbo jumbo that is vote projection, this ruling means that Franken has more than a fighting chance. I say YAY because well, I love me the Dems, and also because Franken is funny and cool and wrote this sketch for SNL, which was awesome:

So, with this turn of events, we (might) get another progressive vote in the Senate. Hip hip hooray! I'm not calling the race or anything, but I really didn't think it would take this turn. So... snow in Sin City, and an SNL writer in the Senate... hell frozen over? ;-)

Shoe-gate

2008-12-16T17:27:00.001-08:00

I got back to Vegas yesterday after a great weekend in Dallas (really Plano) with my best girl Stephanie, where we frolicked and romped about North Texas with reckless abandon. It was much needed and lots of fun. Now I'm home with my stinky cat (seriously, there's something wrong with him. Smelly cat, smelly cat, what am I feeding you?) and back to the workday grind. While I was out ducking the law at a local Plano bar (i rode a fake horse and joined a band), our president was ducking shoes. Now, I know everyone has seen this video already, but I'll post it here as a reference point so you all have easy access:

There are all kinds of things to think about this - my first thought was, "holy crap, President Bush has mad reflexes!!!" Many others had this thought!

I thought I would try to compile much of the silliness that has sprung up all over in video and .gif form regarding this shoe throwing fiasco!

Duck Hunt!

Pokemon!

Who Throws a Shoe?

Mortal Combat

Stooges!

The really sad thing about all this is that there are some reports that the shoe-throwing reporter has been beaten while in custody. It is only just that the reporter would face some type of punishment - as funny as the whole thing was, it's also terribly disrespectful, and I want you to think about what would be done in this country (which has a very humane domestic justice system, I'd like to point out) if someone threw a shoe at a foreign leader during a press conference. Even if it were someone we don't like very much. Let's say... Hugo Chavez? That shoe-thrower would be taken down and taken into custody before you can say "you fight like a woman!" and while he most likely would not face anything like life in prison, he would definitely face some type of punishment. All that said... he certainly would not be beaten in custody (i hope). This reporter reportedly has "a broken arm, broken ribs, and internal bleeding." These reports are denied by the Iraqi military. Muntadar al-Zaidi has become something of a hero in Iraq these last few days, and his press union is asking for clemency for his crime (of insulting a foreign leader and disrespecting the Iraqi leader, who was standing next to Mr. Bush). I don't condone throwing shit at people... but hell, the man made his point, no one was hurt, and it caused endless creative products to be born on the internet! I hope his punishment is minimal and that the reports of beatings turn out to be false.

And now, you too can throw a shoe!

Update: Yep, i think our domestic justice system is humane. (I don't think it's especially well functioning or effective in reducing recidivism. But humane, yes). My views on what we do to those we detain outside our borders is another matter altogether, as pointed out in the comments section. Just wanted to make sure we're clear here...

Another little break

2008-12-10T18:06:00.000-08:00

I'm heading to Dallas tomorrow to visit my girl Stephanie so I'm 90% sure I will not be updating Thurs-Sun. Will be back with plenty to say on Monday, 15 Dec. You can catch me on Twitter throughout the weekend, though. Have a great one!!!

This Is Why Rachel's Hot

2008-12-09T21:28:00.000-08:00

Friggin hilarious segment on Rachel tonight. She takes G-Rod's actual words from the wiretap transcripts and puts a bad Chicago accent to them... Phenomenal!

Blago, for shame!

2008-12-09T16:14:00.000-08:00

In Croatian, "Blago" means "blessed." Gov Blagojevich of Illinois is Serbian, I believe, but I'm willing to bet it has a similar meaning there. Regardless of what his name really means, something tells me this guy isn't feeling too blessed today. Well, maybe a blessed idiot.

I'll start by saying that Chicago is my second home, I went to school at Loyola, and when I worked for Senator Richard Durbin in the summer of 2005, I indirectly did work for many Illinois Democrats, including Barack Obama, but not so much for G-Rod (old nickname for the governor). I was registered to vote in the state of Illinois. I never had the opportunity to vote for Blagojevich based on his re-election schedule (he was first elected to office during my first year in Chicago and I lived there 4 years), though I'm sure I would have at the time, based on political allegiances... tho I always found G-Rod a little shady. And look here what I dug up... Summer 2005:

Yep, there I am, 3 years younger, 20 (30?) pounds heavier, smiling like a goofball with my corrupt asshole of a governor. Why am I showing you this? Well, it's already out there and I figure I better get it out there again now and explain it before I'm running for office in 15 years and someone digs it up and says this was 3 years later than it really was or that I was somehow in the mix with this yahoo.

Okay in case you didn't see the news today, I should explain. G-Rod was taken into Federal custody this morning and is accused of conspiring to sell or trade Barack Obama's Senate seat to the highest bidder! How low can you get?? I'm sickened. Let's leave the corruption to the Republicans, shall we?

And something else... not only "how low and slimy can you get?" but "how dumb can you be???" This is a guy who yesterday said he's got "nothin but sunshine over [him]," and invited wiretapping on his phones! Well the ubiguitous "they" called his bluff, listened to his calls, and lo and behold he found himself in custody this morning. Derrr...

Nobody with those beady little eyes and that much hair should be trusted, I think.
(above lawlpicture compliments of the OMG TOO SOON blog specifically Noctolator - stealing w/out crediting is for loozers)

Twitter Addiction

2008-12-08T21:09:00.000-08:00

The Paradox is growing... you can now link to my posts through Twitter! (www.twitter.com/paradoxdaily or just click "follow" on the Twitter app on the right side of this page!) TwitPics, blog updates, messages, and status updates 24/7! I want to thank Ryan for helping me get this all set up. A real life saver. Or... blog saver. Or whatever - just thanks. You're nice. Here's a present:

Retired General Eric Shinseki Tagged for VA Secretary

2008-12-08T17:27:00.000-08:00

As many of you know (and if you don't, you can read my feelings here), I have long been frustrated with the perception that we in the military suffer from political groupthink. I have been equally frustrated that many actually do seem to suffer from that affliction. And I have been most frustrated by the fact that many in the Republican party claim to be the best representation of service members and veterans, while they simultaneously continue to cut benefits, redefine combat injuries (to exclude roadside bombs and landmines!) and refuse to grant benefits to treat post-traumatic stress disorder, more often than not calling it a prior condition. And these are the people who are supposed to be the party of the military? Give me a break. So, if these things don't make you angry enough, let me remind you of General Eric Shinseki, who was fired by President Bush and ridiculed by Secretary Rumsfeld after telling Congress in 2003 that it would take "on the order of several hundred thousand soldiers," to occupy Iraq, because "we're talking about post-hostilities control over a piece of geography that's fairly significant with the kinds of ethnic tensions that could lead to other problems." Does this sound like a wise prediction to anyone else? Maybe that's because that is exactly the situation we have found ourselves in. The man made a measured, analytical, well-informed decision, and was then rewarded for his candor by losing his job. Well, guess what dear readers... our President-Elect has remedied the situation by appointing General Shinseki as the Secretary of Veterans' Affairs. Or I should say he has begun to remedy the situation. This particular situation will take a while to remedy. One of General Shinseki's first orders of business will be to re-redefined "combat injuries" to include COMBAT INJURIES like roadside bombs and landmines. The absolute ludicrous nature of the fact that somehow such injuries could be excluded (and thereby denied benefits) astounds me. Even worse are those who have been told they had a case of pre-existing depression or paranoia and thus cannot be treated for PTSD. PTSD is terrifying not just for the afflicted warrior but also, and I might say especially, for the friends and family of that person. Imagine having your husband return home after six months, a year, fifteen months if he's Army, and not knowing him anymore. Seeing him twitch at loud noises. Watching him lay awake at night and ultimately just give up on trying to sleep. Maybe even reaching for a weapon or resorting to violence at the slightest provocation. I'm not making these things up, they are classic symptoms of PTSD and I have seen them firsthand. Now imagine the VA telling you that you'll just have to deal with your husband's newfound craziness (at personal risk to you, I might add), because he probably just had a pre-existing condition. This makes me absolutely sick. With Shinseki at the helm, my deepest hope is that these labeling errors will be resolved, resulting in the best care we can possibly provide to our military members and families.

Arianna Huffington has an excellent post on the topic of General Shinseki's appointment in which she discusses Obama's propensity for rewarding those who "got it right," (Shinseki) rather than promoting and rewarding those who got it wrong (Rumsfeld, Brown of FEMA, etc). Here's to 8 years of getting it right.

More Matthews

2008-12-04T17:09:00.000-08:00

To answer Emily's question, Chris Matthews is actually a Redskins fan, according to an interview with Philadelphia Magazine last year - tho it does appear that if he were to choose between the Steelers and the Eagles, he would pick the Eagles. What do you expect though, he is from Philly. Can't blame the guy. His heart belongs to the Philadelphia Phillies, of course.

Why am I talking about Chris again today? Because there's new Chris news! He has apparantly already chosen a home in Philadelphia to establish residency in the state. MSNBC has advised him that if he truly intends to run for the Senate, he should step down from his show soon rather than when his contract is up in June. Some think he's just using it as a bargaining chip for his upcoming contract negotiations. My advice to you, Mr. Matthews, is to just go ahead and run, don't press your luck with MSNBC - After all the controversy after the Republican National Convention regarding Matthews and the appearance the MSNBC (and NBC more broadly) was "in the tank" for the Dems, MSNBC doesn't have a whole lot of incentive to keep him around. I'm a good liberal and even I can see pretty clearly that MSNBC is a pretty darn left leaning news channel - not that that's all they've got. David Gregory, Joe Scarborough, David Schuster, Chuck Todd - all relatively moderate, unbiased reporters. But then you've got the 3 hours every night of Chris, Keith, and Rachel - big delicious gulps of righteous indignation, and biting progressive wit. Of course their shows are not billed as "the news" but rather are personality driven programs with clear motivations. They don't front.

In other news, the Iraqi government under Prime Minister Maliki has passed a new agreement that requires U.S. troops to be out by Jan 1, 2012. It warms my heart to know there's an end... it would warm my heart more if the agreement said 2011... or 2010... That's all I will say about that.

Gay Marriage Will Save the Economy!

2008-12-03T15:25:00.000-08:00

Kudos to John for linking me to this awesome, star-studded video. Jack Black, Neil Patrick Harris, Margaret Cho, Maya Rudolph, John C. Reilly, Allison Janney, and more team up for a so-funny (and so true) musical on Prop 8!

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

David Gregory gets Meet the Press

2008-12-02T21:00:00.000-08:00

Despite my prediction that the Meet the Press moderator position would go to MSNBC's political director Chuck Todd, the powers that be have ignored me and given the position to MSNBC's David Gregory. Of course, this isn't official yet... but all the bloggers are saying it. I don't even know why traditional media exists anymore! P.S. I like Gregory - very even, a good choice for moderator.

Matthews for Senate!

2008-12-02T18:07:00.001-08:00

I want to take a minute to publicly flog myself (figuratively speaking, of course!) for missing this tidbit over the holiday weekend: CHRIS MATTHEWS IS THINKING ABOUT RUNNING FOR SENATE IN PENNSYLVANIA! If I'd been on my game I would have run with this exciting and potentially hilarious news and posted an emergency Thanksgiving post. So, dear readers, I apologize if you had already heard about it, but I'm just catching up.

Now, to be fair, Matthews has strongly denied that he is thinking about a run, much less hiring campaign staffers as fivethirtyeight initially reported on Friday. FiveThirtyEight's sources say different. Matthews's contract with MSNBC is up in June with no talk of renegotiations just yet, and why shouldn't he look forward to a 2010 run? He would be up against Arlen Specter, a 78 year old man (who will be 80 during the election) who has been in office since 1980. He is relatively moderate as Republicans go, and his Wiki page claims that he "has a higher approval rating among registered Democrats in Pennsylvania than Republicans (though the difference is within the margin of error)." So, what's my problem with this particular Republican that makes me wish him to be unseated by Mr. Matthews? Well - I don't really have one. But how much fun would it be to watch Chris Matthews campaign and talk about shivers up his leg and tingles down his spine and all the other sexual imagery you can think of in reference to politics, and while he's at it, the Philadelphia Phillies, while trying to get elected? Plus maybe he'd accidentally grab some more boobies on talk shows during the campaign, which would provide months of hilarity.

There's also the fact that I think Chris Matthews is a really good man with a really good heart. I would sincerely miss his show, which is far more entertaining and less self-important than Keith (but less witty and intellectual than Rachel), but I'm holding out hope for a Matthews campaign!

George Bush Makes Me Laugh

2008-12-01T19:25:00.000-08:00

He used to make me sick to my stomach. As I mentioned before, after he was reelected in 2004 I had trouble getting out of bed I was so upset. But now, in December of 2008, Mr. Bush is no longer dangerous. He's got 49 days in office (as my trusty countdown clock tells me) which is long enough for him to make plenty of annoying lame duck laws and executive orders that will be a pain in the ass of the new administration, but he's not truly dangerous anymore. And the best part? He seems pretty eager to get outta dodge. He's even got a sense of humor about it. Today he compared his reception in Africa with the reception he receives at home, saying "It was good to see them all waving with all five fingers." He even told Charlie Gibson that he believes people voted for Barack Obama because they're sick of George Bush - not in so many words, but here it is: "And I'm sure some people voted for Barack Obama because of me. I think most people voted for Barack Obama because they decided they wanted him to be in their living room for the next four years explaining policy"

A couple months ago, while speaking to the press, Mr. Bush said something along the lines of, "Thank goodness I won't be around next year, but you suckers will be." (That is NOT the exact quote, but I can't find it anywhere. That's the gist of it though!) The point is that this guy is ready to go. He has been extraordinarily cooperative with Obama's transition team, to his credit. There are no reports of shenanigans (like when President Clinton's staffers removed the W's from all the White House keyboards... heh...) in the handover. Our current president seems determined to provide a dignified, professional, and thoroughly thought out transition to our next president. Kudos for that, Mr. Bush. However, since there's only so much longer we can revel in your terrible inadequacy, here are the 5 Best Bushisms of 2008!

5) "Thank you, your Holiness. Awesome speech!" --to Pope Benedict after he spoke at the White House, Washington, D.C., April 15, 2008

4) "Wait a minute. What did you just say? You're predicting $4-a-gallon gas? ... That's interesting. I hadn't heard that." --at a news conference, Washington, D.C., Feb. 28, 2008

3) "And so, General, I want to thank you for your service. And I appreciate the fact that you really snatched defeat out of the jaws of those who are trying to defeat us in Iraq." --to Army Gen. Ray Odierno, Washington, D.C., March 3, 2008

2) "Goodbye from the world's biggest polluter." --in parting words to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy at his final G-8 Summit, punching the air and grinning widely as the two leaders looked on in shock, Rusutsu, Japan, July 10, 2008

1) "I'll be long gone before some smart person ever figures out what happened inside this Oval Office." --Washington, D.C., May 12, 2008

Short Hiatus

2008-11-24T21:10:00.000-08:00

The Paradox will be taking a little break for about a week, due to the impending Thanksgiving holiday... with all the traveling I'm about to be doing I haven't had two seconds to sit down and really blog out something good. I will return in full force on Monday, December 1st. Until then, Happy Turkey Day!

Economic Team To Be Named Soon

2008-11-22T00:50:00.000-08:00

I had to make a note, after my own weeks of speculation, that it's all but official that Geithner will soon be named Treasury Secretary while Cuddly Bear Richardson will be Commerce Secretary. It also looks (but lets not count our chickens...) like the appointment of Obama's economic team might do something to calm the markets. I'll believe that when my Roth IRA is worth at least 75% of what I've put into it... (grumble...wasting my retirement fund in the stupid stock market... shoulda put it under a mattress... grumble)

Bowl Championship Series vs College Football Playoff

2008-11-22T00:31:00.000-08:00

So, as a not-that-huge football fan (I check results but don't often watch games), I will admit that President-Elect Obama's idea to push for a college football playoff so we can have one decisive winner each year sounded pretty good to me - one, i don't care that much about the whole thing, so I'm kind of an uninformed constituent on the issue and anything sounds good to me, but two, it's very American of us to want an absolute victor in the sport each year. For the first time, however, I've stumbled on a really great article vouching for the other side - the current system of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS). I'm posting the article in its entirety here but you can also read it on the Trib website.

Time to fight Obama's push for college football playoff

Rick Morrissey | In the wake of the news

November 21, 2008

Ah, I see. So that's how it's going to be.

The enemy has brought out the big gun.

Those of us who don't want to see a playoff in college football now have to stand by and take our lumps while President-elect Barack Obama practically calls the Bowl Championship Series anti-American.

(By the way, clip and save for your grandchildren; this is a special Obama keepsake column.)

The president-elect's decision to confront one of the true pressing issues of our time has emboldened proponents of a playoff format, including many media members, to speak out passionately on the subject. There hasn't been this much indignation among sports columnists since plaid sports coats were declared out of style.

"If you've got a bunch of teams who play throughout the season, and many of them have one loss or two losses, there's no clear, decisive winner," Obama said recently on " 60 Minutes." "We should be creating a playoff system."

Yes, the Big Guy-in-Waiting used the occasion of his first interview since winning the presidential election to talk about the absence of a college football playoff system. A TV audience of 24 million heard him say he wants an eight-team playoff. We APers (anti-playoffers), a small, awkwardly named group, don't.

"It would add three weeks to the season," Obama said. "You could trim back on the regular season. I don't know any serious fan of college football who has disagreed with me. So I'm going to throw my weight around a little bit. I think it's the right thing to do."

Did you pick up on the way he relegated us APers to the margins? It's sneaky logic: Serious football fans want a playoff. Therefore, anyone not in favor of a playoff should stop thinking of himself as a serious fan.

The argument we hear most—that college football is the only sport that doesn't have a playoff—is the best argument for keeping things the way they are. What's wrong with being unique? Why do people want college football to be like everything else?

From late August into January, the country turns into a glorious mess of civil discussions and unruly arguments. College football isn't about consensus building. You say Alabama absolutely should be No. 1? I say Texas Tech and its amped-up offense deserves the top spot. I also say your sister is so ugly that when she was born, they put tinted windows on the incubator. But that's just me not knowing when to stop.

In almost any other sport, you can't remember who finished second. You can in college football because the second-ranked team is almost always so honked off it makes a huge racket. I like that. I like tumult and debate and human error.

You say 11-0 Ball State should have a chance to prove it's among the best teams in the nation. I say the Cardinals should count their lucky stars there isn't a playoff. Ball State, ranked 17th in the BCS standings, wouldn't make a 16-team playoff if it started today.

If Obama's eight-team plan were in effect, undefeated Boise State would not get to take part in a playoff this season. The Broncos are ranked ninth in the current BCS standings.

Somebody—lots of somebodies—will be unhappy with any system. Under the current BCS setup, almost everyone has the opportunity to be unhappy. There's equal-opportunity unhappiness. It's a lot more fun this way.

And there's always this: Every regular-season game means something. You lose a game, there's a decent chance you've lost the opportunity to play for the national championship. Moral of the story: Don't lose.

We APers have to stick together and stay strong. We're surrounded on all sides by people who are desperate for change. I tried to contact Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany and Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner John Swofford, both of whom are big backers of the BCS format. A spokesman said Delany believes he has said all he wants to say on the topic, and Swofford didn't return a call.

Fellas, this is not the time to let down your guard. The future president of the United States has vowed to turn college football into the NFL.

This is a time for vigilance, for protecting a unique format, for speaking out. Despite all the computers, statistics and rankings, the current setup says we're human. We're flawed. But it also says we have a sense of humor. Sit back and laugh at the chaos.

For those of who like the system as it is, the good news is that ESPN just signed a contract to televise BCS games from 2011 through 2014.

Mr. Obama, a college playoff system is a change we don't need, but I can see you're unwilling to budge. I wonder what Vladimir Putin thinks about this.

Heh... tinted windows FTW

You, Turkey - die. On camera!

2008-11-21T16:27:00.000-08:00

oh Sarah Palin.... only you could make pardoning a turkey before Thanksgiving a controversial move!

Word has it that before the interview the reporter asked if Palin wanted to move so there wouldn't be a slaughter going on in the background and Palin was just fine where she was... mostly i just think the whole thing is funny. It's not like there's blood or giblets spraying everywhere, but that would be a GREAT idea for an SNL parody this week!

Hillary Named Secretary of State, Chris Matthews Does Not Grope Ellen

2008-11-20T22:05:00.000-08:00

Hillary Clinton has still not officially been named Obama's Secretary of State tonight, but "all the details have been worked out" and "she plans to accept." It looks like she will be officially named shortly after Thanksgiving (in your face John!). I'm pretty happy with this. Can't wait to see where Billy Richardson, my favorite teddy bear of a governor, ends up.

Also, Chris Matthews's return to Ellen was today. He came out with his hands up and didn't attempt to dance this time. Ellen thanked him for being a good sport and called him "a really good man." Watch the segment here!

Tuesday Night Funnies

2008-11-18T21:45:00.000-08:00

Back in March, Chris Matthews appeared on Ellen and grabbed her booby on accident while "dancing" with her:

Today, in preparation for Matthews's return to her show Thursday, Ellen practiced some self-defense moves just in case he gets frisky again. This link will take you to the article and video (the player is fancy and I can't embed it).

I'm sure his appearance Thursday will be memorable!

and p.s.

2008-11-18T19:06:00.001-08:00

a BIG thank you to Ryan Duff who after getting me my own domain, and then busting it for 2 weeks, got me ANOTHER new domain that is now functioning beautifully!! Thanks Duff!!!! For you, my favorite McCain moment of the campaign:

Busy News Day

2008-11-18T18:33:00.000-08:00

Plenty of breaking news tonight - Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska has officially been defeated by Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich (by about 3,700 votes...) how weird is it that Alaskans would even almost vote in a convicted felon, nevermind a 7-count convicted felon? You can't vote, Mr. Stevens, but even you can be Senator!!! Except, not anymore.

Next, President-Elect Obama has selected former Clinton administration deputy attorney general Eric Holder as Attorney General. Holder is the first African American to lead the justice department. All these Clinton appointments leave the liberal blogosphere asking "what kind of change is this?" I will go back to my argument for Rahmbo (sigh..): Were 8 years of peace and prosperity under Bill Clinton too easy for you? I suspect that Mr. Obama will use these appointees' strengths and knowledge of the White House (as a government entity) to combat naysayers' issue that he is too inexperienced. I also suspect that Mr. Obama is smart and strong-willed enough to both listen to his political appointees and value their knowledge, as well as to hold his own and go head to head with them on issues. I should point out that he is repeatedly picking people who absolutely will go head to head with him. These are not yes-men and women. It really will be a team of rivals, as keeps being mentioned by the talking heads.

Next, apparently everyone doodles, including presidential and vice-presidential candidates. What do Obama's and Palin's doodles say about them? His are "economical" while hers "look like a teenager's writing." Are we entirely surprised? Should we also be wary of the doodle-analyst's political bent? Should we also just be wary of a doodle-analyst in general? Seriously, can one make a living that way? I definitely need to change careers.

Finally, on the Hillary front - everybody says she's been offered the position. The word is that it's Bill's (possibly) shady financial dealings which are holding up the actual appointment. And the new word from sources close to her is that Hillary might reject the offer anyway (according to Politico.) "She is still weighing this, independent of President Clinton's work" the source said, indicating that press reporting of HRC's willingness to accept the appointment as soon as Bill's vetting is done is inaccurate. Know what it sounds like to me? Sounds like she's completely willing and ready to accept the job. Of course she's "weighing it" - if Obama decides not to appoint her based on her husband's business ventures, she's got an out... she didn't want the job in the first place! I did the same thing at 8 years old when my mean big brothers would change the channel from Nickelodeon to MTV... "Good, i didn't want to watch that dumb kid stuff anyway" - I was just deciding what to watch next ;-)

Yuletide Cheer

2008-11-17T18:54:00.001-08:00

I know it's not even Thanksgiving yet, but you wouldn't know it walking through WalMart (devil store), where I went to find a ficus on Sunday night (where else was I supposed to find a ficus on a Sunday night?) and left humming Up on the Housetop. To help get everyone into the holiday spirit, here's a clip of Stephan Colbert visiting Good Morning America, in case you missed it (which I'm sure you did, because you were probably watching Morning Joe hoping he'd say Fuck again).

My First Live Blog: Steve Kroft Interviews Barack Obama on 60 Minutes

2008-11-16T18:58:00.001-08:00

Note: You'll need to start at the bottom of this post to read the updates in order!

7:53: Yep, all done. Can't help but notice that the interview spent 23 minutes straight on policy and cabinet questions, and the next 30 on what I might call fluff. I think the real purpose of this interview was to get America acquainted with the Obamas as a family, since we've heard nothing but policy and campaign promises for the last 2 years, and we're a little sick of it at this point. It might have been nice to get another cabinet announcement, but otherwise, i'm satisfied. I love seeing Barack and Michelle together. Thanks for following along, if you did, and if not, thanks for taking the time to read through my first live blog!

7:50: Another commercial break! I think that means the interview is over...

7:49: And we're back to the potential of a college football playoff. Barack says he'll throw his weight around and get one... He's mostly joking, but who knows? If we can go to the moon, we can surely have 1 College Football champion per year in this country, right?

7:48: Barack makes the same observation i just made below about the order of the questions!

7:47: Also funny that the question of the mother-in-law moving in comes after the question about the dog moving in...

7:46: The dog question! The deal is that the dog isn't coming to the White House until the family is settled in... but how funny is it that there's some weird obsession in America with the dog?

7:41: Commercial break. Stretching fingers.

7:39: Steve asks Barack how Michelle will leave her imprint as First Lady - why didn't he ask her directly? Michelle is artful and tactful "women can do more than one thing well." She talks about military families (w00t!), making an impact in the D.C. area, etc.

7:37: They note that life has calmed down since the election, but Barack seems miffed that he can't take a walk on his own, or take his wife on a walk, or even go to the barber - he has to have his barber come to an "undisclosed location" to cut his hair. Miffed might be the wrong word... I might say sad.

7:36: I love that he keeps looking to his wife when he discusses the girls. These two are a real unit.

7:33: How was the visit to the White House? What did you talk about? Michelle tries to picture her kids running around with the as-yet-unadopted dog... the notion of sleepovers in the White House is brought up by Barack himself. Lucky little girls...

7:32: AWWWW... Barack and Michelle are quite possibly the cutest married couple I've ever seen. Talking about Harold's chicken shack and his old crappy car... i want to be their best friend...

7:26: Michelle joins Barack in the interview. She talks about how unbelievable it was when the results came in that her husband had been elected, and her pride in the country we live in to have affected this historic moment. This is a fun part of the interview... discussing the emotions of election night, Barack and Michelle's as well as those of the entire country. I'm glad Steve chose to ask these questions... "what was the conversation like the next morning at the breakfast table?" It reminds us how real these people are.

7:23: Finally, a commercial. I'm exhausted!

7:22: Every great president has had the ability to explain to the American people what is going on, what his plans are... he mentions FDR, JFK. This is something that has been lacking in recent years. Either because of super-secrecy, or because the president wasn't entirely sure himself...

7:17: Steve tries to get some cabinet announcements, including the Clinton question! Guess what answer he gets... "You're not getting anything out of me." He does affirm that there will definitely be Republicans in the cabinet, though.

7:16: Close to my heart: When will you begin redeployments out of Iraq? Obama's answer, paraphrased: The minute I take office, we will establish a plan and start drawing down our troops. And p.s. the situation in Afghanistan is so bad that we need to refocus there.

7:15: Can I just take a moment to discuss how utterly lovely it is to have an articulate president? This man doesn't dance around any questions - he is straightforward and knowledgeable. And as Seth Myers told us last night on SNL: "It's official... for the next 4 years, it's pronouced NU-CLE-AR" --- praise the Lord.

7:12: Ah the magic of editing... next shot panned out shows no sign of the big red arrow...

7:11: hahaha... camera pans out and Obama's red tie is hanging out the bottom of his buttoned black suit, it's a little too long so it reminds me of one of those shirts from the late 90's with the arrow pointing down proclaiming "Tickle THIS Elmo!"

7:10: The question that keeps coming up... is this year a parallel to 1932? Obama states that what we are going through is not nearly as bad as that... we do not have a 25% unemployment rate, for example.

7:05: The president-elect notes that there are a lot more people hovering around him since the big win, but it's nice to be home in his own bed. No kidding on the extra security details and people in general around him. Chicago, despite its deep love for Mr. Obama, is griping loudly about the traffic jams his security detail causes in the Loop, and the strain on Chicago police officers to work the detail.

7:00: the first look at the interview - there's that winning smile. And they replay that walk onto the stage on election night where Michelle was wearing that loud dress... she's gorgeous, anyway.

6:59 p.m.: Live blogging the Obama-60 Minutes interview begins in 1 minute!

Just Kidding...

2008-11-16T17:26:00.000-08:00

So it looks like (and even looked like on Friday, but I've had quite a busy weekend) Obama's meeting with Hillary was in regards to the SecState position, but so was Obama's meeting with Richardson. We'll hold off on any calls on that front for a few more days, but I will say that with the info leaked and floating, being discussed by the talking heads and the bloggers all weekend, it would be quite a slight to Hillary's supporters if she is not actually offered the position or another high-ranking position in the administration... not the best way to kick off the next four years as the united front they've both boasted about. We'll see what happens there.

Tonight, our President-Elect will appear on 60 Minutes. My thoughts on that afterwards. (Yeah, i know it's already aired on the east coast... I love the weather out here but it sucks being 3 hours behind on everything!)

And finally, know how much I love Rahmbo? Here's a Rahmbo Fact Generator sent to me by John. The difference between Rahm facts and Chuck Norris facts? Rahm facts are 100% true! Just keep hitting refresh for new facts :-)

Hillary Offered SECSTATE Position

2008-11-14T17:29:00.000-08:00

Huffington Post has broken the story that Senator Hillary Clinton has been offered a position as Secretary of State, and that she is requesting time to consider. The roll-out of this news was bizarre - last night Andrea Mitchell broke to MSNBC that Clinton was under consideration. Then John Kerry told some friends that Clinton was now "in the mix," despite the fact that Kerry had been considered a frontrunner. Then today, HuffPost broke the big news. All that can be thought of all this leaking is that Clinton is gauging public reaction to the news before she accepts or declines. She's wily that way. Despite my deep love for Bill Richardson, and the fact that Kerry was most likely promised the post early in Obama's campaign (Kerry was one of the very first Senators to endorse Obama - probably in exchange for something...), I feel like a cabinet level position is a good fit for Clinton. She can work with Obama but she can also fight with him, and she will. I think that's awesome.

What we can expect

2008-11-12T23:06:00.000-08:00

Too lazy and tired to muse tonight. Instead, a fun article about what we can expect from my current obsession Rahm Emanuel in the way of mixing metaphors and leaving them to die on the side of the road. At least he pronounces the words correctly as he throws stones in a sinking ship... or whatever :-)

"Rahmbonics" Making a Comeback
(From Politico)

Newly coined Obama chief of staff Rahm Emanuel was on his best behavior during his Sunday show debut this weekend – measured, calm, bi-partisan.

But when it came to the notorious ability of the Illinois political street fighter to mangle the English language – well, let’s just say Rahm hit a touchdown.

Friends and colleagues – particularly in the Clinton White House - have dubbed this phenomenon “Rahmbonics” over the years and on “Face the Nation” and “This Week,” Emanuel engaged in a veritable festival of mixed metaphors.

The jumbling began during a discussion of how Washington leaders have put off dealing with energy issues since the oil crisis in 1974 and health care for nearly just as long.

"We had a crisis, we kicked it down the can," Emanuel explained to "Face the Nation" host Bob Schieffer.

"These are – just taking those two examples, these are crises you can no longer afford to kick down the can," he continued. "The crisis we have here, the American people know we have one and they are ready and willing to start to tackle those problems. You cannot afford now to kick those down the can any longer."

To which Schieffer simply replied, "All right," and moved on.

"Kicking the can down the road" has been a favorite metaphor politicians have used to describe someone who is postponing a decision or avoiding an issue.

But Emanuel's Yogi Berra-style translation of the phrase should come as no surprise to those who know him well. Speechwriters in the Clinton White House, where he was an aide, used to collect choice examples of "Rahmbonics" and post them on a bulletin board. Oftentimes they involved sports.

"He'd say something like you can't kick a field goal in the ninth inning," recalled Jake Siewert, a longtime friend as well as a former Clinton press secretary and longtime admirer of Emanuel’s verbal skills.

Shutting a revolving door was another Emanuel classic. He used the phrase in 1998 to explain a Clinton plan to require states to report illegal drug use among inmates before receiving federal money for prisons.

"We have to slam shut the revolving door between drugs and crime," he told The New York Times.

"We kept tabs on them,” said a former Clinton speechwriter who asked not to be named. “There was a certain kind of admiration in involved in this.”

The mix-ups that made it into newspapers, as opposed to those he blurted out in staff meetings, were the ones that intrigued Emanuel's White House colleagues the most.

Quoting Emanuel-style metaphors even became a game among some members of the Washington press corps.

"You figure if he's quoted in the newspaper he'd given it more thought," said Siewert, adding that Emanuel has a sense of humor about his way with words. "He's pretty well aware of it. I mean he thinks fast and talks fast."

Emanuel’s appearances last Sunday made clear his metaphor mixing is a treat the public will get more of in coming months.

Despite the disorienting image of "This Week" host George Stephanopoulos addressing his longtime friend and former Clinton White House colleague with the formal "Congressman Emanuel," Emanuel kept familiar when he attempted the "kicking the can down the road" line again in reference to energy, health care and economic crises.

"So this provides an opportunity to finally tackle the issues that for too long have been postponed, kicked down the road – kicked down the road, basically," he said.

He also suggested bridging the auto industry, when discussing government's role in helping country's struggling car manufacturers.

"President elect Obama has asked his economic team to look at different options of what it takes to help bridge the auto industry," he said. "So they are part of not only a revived economy but part of an energy policy going forward."

So, to sum Emanuel up: don’t expect an Obama administration to let the clock run out in the final quarter when the bases are loaded – even if the blitz of crises facing the country makes them want to kick the road down the can.

Thank you, readers!

2008-11-12T16:08:00.000-08:00

I want to thank everyone who has responded to my post about political allegiances among military members. It's nice to hear from some of you from whom I haven't heard in awhile, and the responses were incredibly thoughtful. To those who feel uncomfortable discussing their liberal leanings around military folk, I want to assure you: so do I, and I am one! The interesting thing is that there is a secret club of closet Dems in the military. It's actually a pretty big club, but for some reason we're still closeted. I feel out a situation, avoid politics in new groups, and at some point someone might mention something about his or her "fabulous" best friend, and that's when I give that person the look... the, "don't worry, I'm one of you" look. I've made some pretty great friends this way. I should also point out that I have some great friends in the Air Force who are as conservative as they come. Those people I put in two categories: those with whom I avoid political discussions altogether (and you might not believe it from reading this blog, but I generally prefer not talking politics at all. I don't like to argue), and those with whom I can carry on an occasional, civilized, intelligent political conversation. Also important is that there are plenty of independents and apathetics in the military. These are my favorites. That's why I'm dating one. We can focus on arguments about "important things" (like which way the toilet paper hangs...) and never ever argue about politics. This makes me pretty happy. I guess my point is that the military is a microcosm of society, which means you get people from all walks of life and all political backgrounds. I beg you not to judge too quickly because you just might miss out on some pretty cool dudes and ladies.

Happy Veterans Day!

2008-11-11T12:42:00.001-08:00

So as I was sitting here on my couch blogging, and enjoying my day off, it occurred to me that I am an ungrateful jerk for not saying something earlier: Happy Veterans Day everyone! As a friend noted to me this morning, "Hug a veteran today!" If you can't find one to hug, I recommend hopping on over to AmericaSupportsYou.mil to send a message to the troops, join a homefront group, or send a care package.

Some Notes on BAIPA

2008-11-11T11:54:00.000-08:00

While at first Google, BAIPA comes up as the Bay Area Independent Publishers Association, chances are if you're talking about it in a political sense, you're referring to the Born Alive Infant Protection Act. Per Em's comments a couple of posts ago, I've gone off and done some research on why, exactly, Obama voted against this act. It seemed odd to me that Hillary and others in the same political vein as Obama would have voted for it while he voted against it, and as it turns out, it's because they were voting on utterly different and separate bills. Obama was not a member of the U.S. Senate when this Act hit the Senate floor, he was a member of the state senate in Illinois. As it was presented to the U.S. Senate, Obama had no problem with it - at the state level, however, the bill was problematic. It was defeated by the Democrats in the state senate without his vote, and there was a reason they all voted against it:

The bill at the state level: A) Eroded abortion rights by redefining the fetus at any stage a person, which ultimately makes abortion completely illegal - very very few dems would have voted for such a law- and here's the kicker - the law was B. Unneccessary because there was already an Illinois State law in place that explicitly protected babies born alive, (since 1975). I want to point out here that even the Illinois Medical Association opposed the law.

In Illinois, at the time, “Thirteen different bills relating to the rights of infants born alive as the result of a botched abortion were proposed during the 92nd (2001-2002) and 93rd (2003-2004) Illinois General Assemblies. See The Illinois Analogs to the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act. Five bills - 92-1095, 92-1662, 93-1082, 93-2631, and 93-2855 - were essentially copies of the federal Born-Alive Infants Protection Act of 2002 (BAIPA). However, only the fifth bill contained a “preservation clause”, (about how a person is defined, which solved problem A., above), similar to the federal BAIPA.”
However,
“None of the bills in the 93rd assembly made it to a full Senate vote. Senate Bill 93-1083 (didn’t have the clause at first) never made it out of the Health & Human Services Committee, of which Obama was Chair. Senate Bills 93-2631 and 93-2855 (this last had the clause) never made it out of the Rules Committee, of which Obama was not a member.”
So he never had a chance to vote on any that were like the federal BAIPA on the Senate floor.
When the Senate bill 93-1083 went to the Health and Human Services committee which Obama chaired, it was amended to have the Federal “preservation clause”, but after discussion, the bill was killed by the majority of Dems-(6) to Rep-(4). Obama cast his, the 7th vote against, with the Dems. The Dems (and others) were still unsure about this bill, concerned how the 1975 law would be affected and other implications.

The bill did eventually pass in Illinois, in 2005, after much revision.

“The 2003 bill could have affected the way courts interpret the 1975 law, which Planned Parenthood and the Illinois State Medical Society contended could have far-reaching implications”, & “In 2005, Illinois lawmakers inserted an extra provision asserting that the law would not affect “existing federal or state law regarding abortion.”, (this solved problem B.). "The measure passed, without opposition from Planned Parenthood and with the support of groups opposed to abortion.”- chicagotribune.com

The point here is that Obama is, of course, not a baby-killing hate machine. There are fear-mongers out there who look for any way to demonize the pro-choice movement, when it is pretty obvious (after some serious research) that the Illinois Senate Dems were looking for a well-thought out and necessary bill, and refused to vote on gut-reaction. It is easy to say "Obama voted against saving babies born alive!" and a little harder to take the time to understand the intricacies of the bill and of the system in general. Can you imagine that man looking at his beautiful little girls and arguing that any child should be left to die? You can't, because he wouldn't, and never did.

I want to thank Ruth, a voice of reason at thismodernage.wordpress.com, for her careful research into this issue and specifically into the bill that was introduced onto the Illinois Senate floor in 2003. When she gets back to me with a blog or website I will credit her work properly.

Joe Scarborough gets a little feisty!

2008-11-11T11:11:00.000-08:00

I was actually watching Joe while getting ready yesterday morning and I somehow missed this! Poor Joe aired on a 7 second delay starting today because of this silliness below...

"My Wife is Going to Kill Me When I Get Home"

Joe Scarborough dropped the "F" bomb Monday morning on Morning Joe...

(hat tip: FishbowlDC)

Something has been bothering me

2008-11-10T18:19:00.001-08:00

I said in my first post that I would occasionally post as a military officer. I will reiterate that these thoughts, words, and reflections are not those of the military nor of the Air Force specifically, but of me, myself, and I - I just think it's important to point out that I have served my country proudly for almost three years and plan to continue doing so, just for perspective on this post.

To start, I beg of my fellow military members to please explain to me what the heck they are so afraid of. I have many friends claiming that they will jump ship and get out of the Air Force at their first opportunity because the country dared to elect Barack Obama. The best explanation anyone can give me is that Obama is "socialist" (which is ridiculous) or that he plans on "cutting the military." I have yet to see documentation or anything better than the hateful rhetoric they have heard spouted on Fox News. As a matter of fact, Obama plans to increase the size of the Army and the Marine Corps, meaning fewer "in-lieu-of" assignments for the Air Force (assignments in which an Airman or Sailor deploys with the army to perform a function such as guard duty, convoy duty, or checkpoint duty, for which he or she is not trained as his or her primary job in his or her own branch of service). Also, did you not notice the force shaping and Reduction in Forces (RIF) that we've experienced under George W. Bush? The size of the military ebbs and flows with the needs of the nation, we know that and it's something we accept as the way of things. No particular party has cut or increased the size of the military more than another.

I don't even know where to start. Maybe with the fact that this armageddon attitude is melodramatic and distasteful to start with - remember 2004 when many Democrats claimed they'd be moving to Canada when Bush won? I don't have stats on this, but I doubt a whole lot actually moved, and despite the economic situation we're in now and the deadly war we're still fighting in Iraq, we're all still Americans and pretty much okay. I beg you doomsdayers to please remember that what happens in Washington generally has a pretty slim effect on your day-to-day life. It's how you treat others that matters. No one is taking away your guns, raising your taxes, or taking away your birthday. Stop whining, please, and get on with your life.

Next, I want to point out how upset I was during the campaign every time John McCain or Sarah Palin tried to speak for me as a veteran or military member. McCain said something during the first debate that really got under my skin:

"I know the veterans, I know them well, and I know that they know that I'll take care of them, and I have been proud of their support and their recognition of my service to the veterans, and I love them, and I'll take care of them, and they know that I'll take care of them."

How dare you sir? These are the words of someone with an absolutely abysmal record in relation to support and care of veterans. How on earth can he claim to speak for me? Somehow, however, there is almost a blind allegiance to the Republican party among military members - or at least a perceived allegiance. Turns out that among active duty military, McCain held 55% of the vote while Obama held 45%. Hardly a mandate for McCain or the Republicans among military. And while there is no exit poll for veterans that I have been able to find, I am willing to bet that close to a majority, if not an actual majority, of retired or separated military voted for Senator Obama (If anyone can find a poll that proves or disproves this, either way, I would be very interested. I can only find opinion polls from months before the election).

Brandon Friedman at VetVoice.com put together an unbelievably well researched, fact-checked compilation of McCain's terrible record in regards to the military and retired/separated veterans. Among the points noted are that McCain is given an abysmal 20% rating by the non-partisan group Disabled American Veterans, he voted over and over (and over) again against funding for veterans (and somehow it's Obama that gives Cindy McCain a shiver down her spine?) and he strongly and vocally opposed the 21st century GI Bill, which did pass, thank goodness, but certainly not with his help - he skipped the vote to be at a fundraiser. (This bill, for my civilian friends, is one of the very good things our government has done for us lately. It has provided tangible benefits to my Airmen in the form of education funding and opportunities, expanding more military benefits (including tuition assistance) to spouses and families, and many other very positive changes to military benefits. Need I mention that Obama fought for and voted for this bill?) So my dear military friends, next time a Republican claims to speak for you and you blindly follow his or her lead, I beg you to actually look at his or her record first.

I want to point out how ridiculous it is that there is even a perception out there that Republicans are somehow more patriotic or more apt to serve their country. Al Gore served in Vietnam. John Kerry did, too. Joe Biden's son is currently serving in Iraq. George McGovern was a war hero. Peter Kaufmann at Politico, a former Naval officer, discusses this phenomenon of the Republican stranglehold on military voters. I urge you to go read this article. He discusses how that hold was never more than surface-deep:

"Prior to Vietnam, military service was seen as an obligation of all Americans – regardless of political affiliation or wealth. George H.W. Bush and John F. Kennedy were both sons of privileged, politically-connected families who served heroically in the military during World War II. Back then, this was seen as your duty as an American – and no political party could lay an exclusive claim to the flag."

I want to see this era return. As Kaufmann points out, there are now more Democrats in Congress who are veterans than there are Republican veterans. Look at these facts and understand that we are all American. We all love our country. It is curious to me that you might turn your back on serving your country because you disagree politically with your Commander-in-Chief. One might be tempted to call you unpatriotic. I wouldn't, but I might seriously question your motives for entering the military in the first place. I just served 3 years under a Commander-in-Chief with whom I fundamentally disagree on many, many issues, but he was my Commander-in-Chief and I took an oath to serve my country. When you took that same oath, did it have the precondition that you would leave the service if we voted a Democrat into office? I might get out of the military in a couple of years because it's not the best fit for me as a career, but I know I'll be able to look back and say that I served honorably and did what my country asked of me. Good luck to those of you who will not be able to say that.

Comments are strongly, strongly encouraged - I have many, many friends in the military who I would like to hear from on this issue. And as for my civilian buddies, what say you? Do you perceive the military as strongly Republican or as non-partisan, with only duty, honor, and country on our minds? What does it say about the military if you do associate it with a particular party?

Nobody's More Irish Than Barack Obama

2008-11-09T14:46:00.001-08:00

As a good Irish-American, I just had to post a link to this great video sent to me by my friend John. Thanks buddy :-) Somebody want to teach me how to properly embed this video? I couldn't find the exact script for it in the source...
Nobody's More Irish Than Barack Obama

Money Men

2008-11-09T14:18:00.000-08:00

The buzz around town is that the next cabinet post to be filled will be that of the Treasury Secretary. Names floated about include Larry Summers, Tim Geithner, and Warren Buffett, who at 77 years old ranks #1 on the Forbes World's Billionaires List. It looks like it will be Summers, according to Fortune Magazine, which writes:

Fortune believes that former Treasury Secretary Lawrence (Larry) Summers is in the lead to get the job. Summers, who served in the Clinton Administration, wouldn't be a surprise pick. He along with other economic experts, ex-Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin and former chairman of the Federal Reserve Paul Volcker, have advised Obama during the campaign, especially as the economic crisis unfolded. Volcker is said to be highly interested in the Treasury job, but Summers, with support from Rubin, has the inside track.

But if history has taught us anything, it's that the most obvious choice is not necessarily the one who will win out. I'd like to see America's most beloved investor, and richest man, in the post. He made his own billions and is one of the most respected investors in America's history. Imagine Buffett as Treasury Secretary, Powell as SECDEF (though I don't think that will happen, unfortunately), and our friend Bill Richardson as Secretary of State... what a well-rounded, highly respected, bi-partisan cabinet we would have to look to for all matters of national importance. It gives me goosebumps (the good kind!) just thinking about it

Geithner, Buffett

"He is going to raise taxes on the middle class, though. They were right about that. Skinny Black Guys hate the middle class. No reason. Just do."

2008-11-07T23:22:00.000-08:00

Colson Whitehead just wrote the best "I never thought I would see in my life..." article I have seen to date - Mr. Whitehead is jubilant to see Americans overcome their biases and elect a skinny dude president. :-)

Friday Night Gossip and Fun

2008-11-07T21:19:00.000-08:00

-Oprah's Mr. Man has been revealed - he is Sam Perry, Obama's communications director for the Silicon Valley region. He appeared on Oprah's show today, and apparently he has achieved a modicum of celebrity for acting as Oprah's hankie Tuesday night. Better Sam Perry than JT Plumber, don't ya think?

-People Online ran a five-things-you-don't-know-about-Rahm article that I'll run here as a follow-up to my earlier post on Rahmbo. What a goofy guy...

• He's the real-life Ari's brother. His youngest brother Ariel (Ari) Emanuel is a founder of the Endeavor talent agency in Hollywood and was an inspiration for Jeremy Piven's character, Ari Gold, on HBO’s Entourage. Not to be outdone, Rahm is said have been a model for Bradley Whitford's character, Josh Lyman, on The West Wing.

• He could have been a ballet dancer. He studied ballet as a teen and was offered a scholarship to join the renowned Joffrey Ballet, but went to Sarah Lawrence College instead.

• He's missing part of a finger. In his youth, Emanuel badly cut a finger on a meat slicer while working at an Arby's. The wound became infected, and he lost half of the middle finger on his right hand.

• He volunteered with the Israeli army. During the first Gulf War, he did a stint as a civilian volunteer with the Israel Defense Forces, rust-proofing brakes on a base in northern Israel.

• He once sent a rotten dead fish to a political enemy. In the Clinton administration, his take-no-prisoners style earned him the nickname "Rahm-bo."

Let's Talk About Rahmbo

2008-11-07T15:47:00.000-08:00

Politico published a great look at Representative Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) last night that discusses the message Obama's choice for White House Chief of Staff sends to the nation and to our representatives in Washington. Emanuel is feisty, to say the least. In the Clinton White House in 1993, where he served as an aide, Hillary Clinton and then-Chief of Staff Mack McLarty tried to "ease him out" of his position - which he fought virulently for, refusing to leave until Bill Clinton told him to his face to go - something he knew would not happen. He is a strong Democratic leader, but as is being repeatedly pointed out, he is not an idealogical choice. While Obama is not sending a message of bipartisanship with this pick (and really, the President's Chief of Staff should be someone who can speak on behalf of the president - a "reach across the aisle" choice would not be trusted by people who need to know that when the President is not around, his Chief of Staff will tell them what the President would have said). The signal he is sending with the choice is that he wants to make things happen, and make them happen quickly, from day one in office. Emanuel is, even according to Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), a good choice. He had this to say in a statement yesterday:

"This is a wise choice by President-elect Obama.

"Rahm knows Capitol Hill and has great political skills. He can be a tough partisan but also understands the need to work together. He is well-suited for the position of White House Chief of Staff.

"I worked closely with him during the presidential debate negotiations which were completed in record time. When we hit a rough spot, he always looked for a path forward. I consider Rahm to be a friend and colleague. He's tough but fair. Honest, direct, and candid. These qualities will serve President-elect Obama well.

"Rahm understands the challenges facing our nation and will, consistent with the agenda set by President-elect Obama, work to find common ground where it exists. I look forward to working with him in his new position and will continue to do everything I can to help find a pathway forward on the difficult problems facing our nation."

Not sure whether one would really want Graham's endorsement (it's kinda like when McCain got Cheney's endorsement in the final days of the campaign, but with less dire consequences), but my point in including it is that Rahmbo's appointment to this post can be respected by both parties.

There are those, of course, who feel this choice is a slap in the face of all of us who thought Obama would bring real change to the White House, starting off by picking a staff full of newbies and outsiders, apparently. John Kass over at the Trib points out that Emanuel is a Chicago Daley machine guy - hardly one to transcend politics as usual.

Here's what I think: Rahm Emanuel is Obama's personal confidant. He also has several important policy disagreements with Obama, and is extraordinarily blunt, making him ideal as an aide. He also really, truly knows how to get work done in Washington. He is in touch with Republicans and Democrats, and he makes things happen. Obama, a relative newbie to practical application of the process, needs someone who understands the logistics of the White House well. Emanuel is an outstanding choice.

Next on the agenda - the Secretary of State appointment. Looks like it's down to New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, former U.N. Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, and Massachusettes Senator John Kerry. No-brainer, says I: my vote is for Bill Richardson. I just want to hug him. Shouldn't you want to hug your SecState?

A Few Notes

2008-11-07T15:24:00.001-08:00

As a follow up to yesterday's post on Prop 8, I have a couple of responses to comments I have received.

First, comment on the blog, so I can respond on the blog and it will look like someone's actually reading this thing! I have it set up so that you don't need a blogger account to comment, so everybody, anybody, leave comments!

Next: I am fully aware that Obama was against Prop 8. Any good progressive would be. Most of them were! My argument was, however, that time and resources may not have been allocated to the defeat of the proposition in the proportions that the Mormon church was committed to contributing in its support. Also, Obama's job as a political candidate, and soon as the president, is not to necessarily meddle in state ballot measures - he can, however, encourage state representatives to fight the good fight.

The other comment I received about the post was that it was a bit of a rant - my apologies! I want this blog to be entertaining and informative, not angry.

In a few: My discussion of Obama's newly appointed White House Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel.

A Paradox or Two on Election Day

2008-11-06T21:07:00.000-08:00

As promised, a reflection on Prop 8.

The San Francisco Chronicle (and just about every other news outlet) reported today that the opposition to Prop 8 (read: the good guys who were trying to defeat a ban on gay marriage in the state of California) conceded defeat today, with the executive director of Equality California stating, "While we think the margin will close, we are convinced we will not be able to overcome the small deficit we are in and that Proposition 8 will pass." With 3 million votes uncounted, the "Yes" (yes = ban) votes are up 52.5%-47.5%. Voters in Arizona and Florida also voted to ban gay marriage in their respective states this November 4th. Arkansas voted to ban adoption by "single people and unmarried couples" (read: gay)... I will point out here that California voted overwhelmingly for Obama, and Florida also went blue, albeit by a much smaller margin. (Arizona, predictably, went red, but by a smaller margin than was expected a few weeks out, even being "too close to call" for quite awhile after the polls closed there. Arkansas was red as well.) So, what's going on California and Florida voters? What is it that makes you comfortable with, even inspired by, our new president-elect Barack Obama, supporting him 61%-37% in California, 51%-48% in Florida (a significant margin in the Sunshine State!), obviously comfortable with and ready for a more liberal White House and a more progressive direction for the country... but still willing to take away basic human rights from your neighbors who have done absolutely nothing... i repeat absolutely nothing... to hurt you? As Rachel (we're on a first-name basis) noted tonight, 9 of 10 measures relating to relaxing laws on marijuana possession passed. "So, smoking weed is getting more respect from our citizens while gay people are getting less respect. I'm not quite sure where that means we are on the tolerance meter," she said of the apparant contradictory (might we say paradoxical? Hmm?) results of ballot propositions in juxtaposition with the leftward swing of the country on the presidential election. Here's Rachel:

And here's what I am wondering. Remember 2004? Of course you do. Remember how gay marriage was one of the top issues that turned people out to vote? Remember how it brought out all the loony far-right wingers who didn't mind watching our economy collapse, our troops fight and die in unwinnable wars, and our public infrastructure literally crumble, but somehow couldn't stand the thought of two people in love uniting in matrimony and receiving the same inalienable rights that the rest of the country receives without question just because those two people might share the same internal (or external) plumbing? Well, those loonybin far-right conservatives (and, surprisingly, a large majority of the African American community... this may be revisited in another post) did come out to vote in 2004, and they elected George W. Bush to a 2nd undeserved term as the president of our great nation. So here's what I think: while the Mormons pushed millions (and millions) of dollars into supporting the ban on gay marriage in California, maybe our mostly good liberal representatives with a good amount of political capital today did not do as much as they could to encourage a defeat of the ban. They did not want a repeat of 2004 - if the Dems made it an issue, you can bet your bottom dollar the Republicans would push back hard and it could have hurt the rest of the Democratic ticket. This came to me today, and is completely unsupported by anything other than the whim of my fancy. So please, dear readers (I know I have some...) prove me wrong... Find me a Democratic candidate or elected official who campaigned against Prop 8. I know the ground game against it was good, I saw plenty of "NO ON PROP 8" gifts on Facebook among my California friends. But what high profile, popular progressives devoted time, and even more importantly, money, to defeating the ban? I can't say whether this strategy (if it truly was a strategy - again, this is just what I think might have been partly responsible for the confusing support of Prop 8) was ultimately good or bad. We did elect some outstanding individuals to the House, Senate, and of course, to the Presidency. Those people can presumably do more good in office than out of it. But we, as progressives devoted to holding our representatives accountable, should demand attention paid to this issue. California, Florida, I have faith in you!

This post became an essay, my apologies. I will have to save my look at Rahm Emanuel (who did, today, accept the post of White House Chief of Staff!) for another post.

As a goodnight gift, this video of Barney the White House Dog going rogue on a Reuters reporter today ;-)

Thursday Morning Juice

2008-11-06T06:49:00.000-08:00

Tidbits to get you going in the morning

South Park
South Park was really funny last night. Reflection (funny that a cartoon warrants reflection) this evening. Theme: You must be responsible for yourself in order to affect change in your life... or maybe it's that the people you put all your trust in might really be pulling the wool over your eyes in order to steal the Hope Diamond from the Smithsonian. Either way.

Who the heck was Oprah leaning on Tuesday night?

She doesn't know! She gave "Mr. Man" a shout-out in thanks for letting her wipe her makeup on his shoulder though. Weren't we all looking for a Mr. Man to celebrate with?

Illinois Rep Rahm Emanuel will probably be Obama's Chief of Staff

All the chatter is that Rep Emanuel has been offered the job, possibly even before Obama was officially elected. Most think he'll take the job.

Tonight, I'll look more closely at Emanuel (of whom I'm a fan), and discuss my disappointment over the poorly-covered tragedies of Tuesday night - the failure of Prop 8 in California and similar losses of rights in Florida and other states.

BREAKING NEWS: A Most Ingenious Paradox gets its own domain!

2008-11-05T22:21:00.000-08:00

Big news, faithful readers. After less than one day as a political blogger, and thanks to the efforts and generosity of my good buddy Ryan Duff, I now have my very own domain here at www.ingeniousparadox.com. Of course, I'm still editing and updating using Blogger, and the blogspot.ingeniousparadox.com address will point here, but the principle thing, the domain, is all mine. THANKS DUFF!!! In your honor, here is an awesome vid of Condi getting all teary-eyed today at how proud she is of Barack Obama. You go, Condi. You go.

A little inspiration (and a little goofiness) for your Election Boxing Day

2008-11-05T20:02:00.000-08:00

Full Video of Obama's Victory Speech

Zydeco Accompanies Worldwide Obama Celebrations -- Rachel and Kent have a little fun

And, unfortunately I can't figure out how to embed this last video, but please go here to watch how the Japanese are the Kings and Queens of Making Everything Weird - including the celebration of our historic election! This wins my vote for awesome video of the day. Obama Noodles for World Peace and Stability!

A New President, A New Blog

2008-11-05T16:54:00.000-08:00

It is time to revive this blog. "Revive it?" You ask, "It was barely a newborn when you killed it!" This may be true. Shuddup. But on this, the day after our country accepted Senator Obama as the "Change We Need," I find myself needing to do something more than watch Chris Matthews wet himself on MSNBC. Don't get me wrong... I am watching Chris Matthews wet himself as I type. I just said I want to do something else in addition. That intangible "thing" I want to do is express the joy and hope I am feeling today to anyone who wishes to read it, but even more, I want to take part in the community responsible for holding the media, the legislature, and the executives responsible, with unfiltered, progressive blogging. That's what President-Elect Obama has done for us - he has inspired us to participate in the discussion, to act, to stand up, make our voices heard, and all kinds of other cliches that we can be proud to promote. My goal here is to start a movement (can one person begin a movement? I believe we saw it happen over the last 20 months) to not only frankly discuss progressive policy and those enacting it, but to hold those we've elected responsible. To encourage a responsible electorate. And to encourage a responsible media. I love me some MSNBC. But I can also Pbbttt my tongue when Chris gets a tingle up his leg or Keith gets a little too indignant. I cannot, at this point, find anything at all wrong with Rachel Maddow. If you can, you're probably a bad person. (Yes I'm kidding... but I really, really like Rachel!) My point here is this: what good is the work we have done, this historic election we have fought so hard for, if we don't hold these good men and women responsible? If we don't encourage them to work with their opposition in Congress, to appoint moderate judges, to discuss issues openly, even daring to appear on the television shows of the opposition, and most importantly, to keep their promises? George W. Bush in 2000 promised to reach across the aisle and work with the Democrats to enact legislation that would move the country forward. Instead, he filled his cabinet with his unqualified cronies and with their help hijacked a party that used to stand for small government and fewer infringements on personal freedoms, transforming it into a party that has "promoted larger government at almost every turn." No one held this man accountable, and the politics of fear reigned for too long. President-Elect Obama, in my favorite line of his victory speech last night, reached out to those who may have been disappointed to see him win. He said, "And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn -- I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too." These are the words of a true uniter. The eyes of the world are on us. We have a long way to go to create real, progressive change, and just as importantly, to deserve our place in the world as a respected superpower.

Now, a little about me: I'm 24. I grew up in the U.P. of Michigan, in the border town of Sault Ste. Marie. I went to college and came into my own in the great city of Chicago, Illinois, at Loyola University. While there, I worked for the Fund For Public Interest Research (FFPIR), which at the time raised funds for the Human Rights Campaign, Save the Children, Illinois PIRG, and The Sierra Club. I interned with Senator Durbin, the senior Senator from Illinois, in the summer of 2005 (the year after Obama was elected as Illinois's junior U.S. Senator). I graduated from Loyola in May 2006, and earned my Master's degree in Strategic Intelligence from American Military University in August 2008. The next fact I mention because it is an important part of my history and my present: I was an Air Force ROTC cadet throughout college and am now an Air Force officer. I am proud to serve my country in uniform. And most importantly for you to remember, dear readers, is that nothing written in this blog reflects in any way the views of the United States Air Force or any of its members - except ME. I will occasionally write from the perspective of a military member (because it adds another dimension to my politics, don't you think?) but again, I am not writing as a representative of the military in general nor of the Air Force specifically. Today, I live in North Las Vegas, NV, where I work, run half marathons, read avidly, write, and of course, am a happy, liberal, political junkie.

Now that the formalities are out of the way, if you're reading this first of many posts on my newly-political blog, you are probably someone who already knows me and who therefore already knew everything I just wrote. Please, link to me in your blogs, let me know, and I will link to you!

Juno

2008-01-27T03:04:00.000-08:00

I waited awhile between posts because I hoped someone would comment on my previous post... alas, no dice. Meh.

I watched Juno last night (Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Allison Janney) - what an awesome movie. It had that Napoleon Dynamite feel to it, only much cooler, and a much more important subject (not hard to be more important the nunchuck skills and llamas... or whatever Tina was?). Anyways, I highly recommend it. I've added it to my "movies-that-are-awesome-because-they-don't-make-me-scared-of-having-an-alien-baby" list. There are two on the list now. (The other one is Knocked Up). Now don't get me wrong - i do not want babies! All I'm saying is that what is a horribly scary prospect for me is slightly less scary after seeing these films. I think it's the whole, "It was an accident, and a really shitty situation, but I can still make the most of this" mentality of both Katherine Heigl's and Ellen Page's characters. I still think newborns look like aliens.

In other news, I bit the bullet last week and decided to start paying for my music, and jumped on the ITunes bandwagon. And honestly? I'm pretty glad I did. It's nice to be relatively caught up on music again (something I prided myself on until I came to Korea). I just have to make sure I budget monthly for the ridiculous amount I'm sure to spend on it. In my first day, I spent around $55. Steph has Napster, pays $14/month, and has unlimited downloads. I would do that, if i hadn't been dumb and bought an IPod... and you can't put Napster downloads on your IPod. So ITunes it is, until my IPod dies (and judging from the IPods of my friends, it shouldn't be too long!) It's making my runs a lot more bearable though. I did my 9-mile with no music, and that was a little monotonous. My 7-mile yesterday went by quickly though, as Alicia Keys, Mika, and Hanson (yes, Hanson - the new album!) set my pace.

Speaking of my runs: Yesterday, doing 7 miles felt like nothing at all, probably due to the fact that I did 9 the week before. Weirdly enough, my last mile was my fastest mile.

I'm outta here March 2nd, by the way - got my itinerary last week. Vegas should brace itself...

:-)

Rain, Rain...

2008-01-21T21:52:00.000-08:00

I have a common excuse not to go for runs here at Kunsan: It's raining. It rains a whole lot here. Yesterday, it wasn't raining, but it was wet out, which was close enough for me. Of course, since I'm on a half-marathon training schedule, I can't miss too many days in a row for fear of looking like a fool when I literally fall off the Hoover Dam at the half marathon in March. So today, despite a rather icky, freezing rain (33 degrees), I made myself go do my short run. It was only a 30 minute run, but it made me realize something significant: Precipitation is a terrible excuse not to run! I felt like a little kid, slopping through the puddles. Not only that, but because my clothes were sopping, I didn't even feel myself sweating. That combined with my IPod pumping Mika and Alicia Keys into my ears so I couldn't hear myself breathing harder, and it was like I wasn't even running, and just romping in the rain. (Yes, romping. I would have said frolicking but due to my excessive stomping in puddles and my lack of dancing, I felt like romping was more appropriate).

It's a little bit sad, running out of excuses not to run. Of course I know myself only too well, and certainly I'll find something else soon enough. For anyone interested in my progress, though, I am up to 9 miles on my long weekend runs. This weekend I'll drop back down to 7, then back up to 9, then climb to 12 before the half marathon on 15 March. Then maybe I'll celebrate with a massage and a big steak. (No, not at the same time... but imagine that! MMMmmmmm.... Steak massage...)

Comment provoker: How should I celebrate after completing the 6 Tunnels to Hoover Dam Half Marathon in March? Keep in mind I'll be in Vegas and all manners of celebrating will be at my fingertips. Ready, Go!

A Sad Day For America

2008-01-20T22:17:00.000-08:00

On a day I should be celebrating the life and efforts of Martin Luther King, Jr, I find myself downtrodden and subdued. The reason? The Green Bay Packers fell to the New York Giants in today's NFC championship game at Lambeau Field. (For those of you in the states saying, "but Abby, the game was Sunday, and MLK Jr day is Monday!" just remember: I'm a day ahead, so the game was on Monday morning for me)

I tend to become emotionally invested in people, relationships, sports teams, pretty much anything, rather quickly. I've always been a Packer fan (they're the only NFL team I've ever cared about) but 3 weeks ago, I probably couldn't have told you this season's starters names, other than Brett Favre of course. The 1996, Super Bowl XXXI winning team is another story - i was a very devoted 6th grader. Anyways, when I realized they could go all the way, I became swept up in the soap opera that is the NFL post season. I desperately wanted Tom Brady and his Pats to lose so that we wouldn't have to play them in the Super Bowl - but it never occurred to me that the Pack might not pull through. Especially when playing at Lambeau, against a young, relatively untested and definitely inconsistent quarterback like Eli Manning and his Giants. Besides... we're talking about Brett Favre, the legend, here. The stars were supposed to align and grant him one more Super Bowl before he calls it quits. Now I can only hope he sticks it out one more season, but after getting so close and then suffering such a disappointing loss (23-20 in a sudden death overtime... a field goal that Tynes shouldn't have even made got the Giants through), how can we expect him to perform as well next season?

The good news here is that I have found a new love in football. I thought I hated it because I didn't understand it - but a few little tips from my boyfriend, and now I'm following it like a champ (although there are still some intricacies I don't get - why does pass interference even exist? Don't you WANT to interfere with the other team's passes? That's just an example). Now, I've got a sport to be passionate about when baseball and my White Sox are in the off season.

The bad news is, I've discovered how much it sucks when a team you've found yourself emotionally invested in loses, especially when you know that fate says they SHOULD HAVE WON. I used to watch Cubs fans die a little inside every season when their guys would inevitably choke. Do I want to subject myself to this? (Why don't I feel such pain with the Sox, you ask? Well, at first I just didn't expect much, then they won the World Series in '05, and then they blew a couple of seasons in a row... they never got really close, so the pain was duller) Is it worth it to care deeply for a team and then have your heart broken? And finally... is it weird that I actually felt heartbroken today, both for Pack fans and the Pack themselves? It could've been great... Brett Favre vs. Tom Brady... a battle of true titans. The Pats might have mopped the floor with us (they are a lot more consistent, it's true) - but at least we would have had the chance to try.

A toast, to Brett Favre and to football!

A Triumphant Return

2008-01-19T08:48:00.001-08:00

I love journaling. Real journaling, in a pretty book that I'll save forever and every couple of years re-read and laugh at myself. Like anyone though, I get a kick out of thinking that maybe someone else wants to read what I have to say about life. So here I am, back in the blogosphere. Through college I used Xanga and I think if you Google me, that blog will still show up, but it's not very interesting.

I plan on this blog being mostly a silly journal-type blog, mostly about my daily or weekly goings-on, in order to keep my friends and family up to date. It will also serve as a catharsis for me as I get ready to PCS from Kunsan to Nellis in the next month. Undoubtedly, that move will be a major theme from the get-go.

It being 2 a.m. and me having just finished boatloads of homework, I'm not going to type an involved post tonight - I just wanted to get this thing off the ground.

Love from Korea, more later!