Sorry for the paucity of blog entries this week. Yes, I was too overwhelmed to try to get anything 'down on paper.' But I'm back on that case now...and have much to say.
November 7, 2004
November 1, 2004
"Your Stories" Video
"How will we find our way forward? How will we keep America safe, and keep the American dream alive? I believe we begin by giving this country we love a fresh start. This morning, I would like to give you as a plainly as I can the summary of my case on how –- together –- we can change America." - John Kerry
October 31, 2004
The Boys Are Back! (But Not for Long)
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Candy for the Kids; Kerry Flyers for the Adults!
The Boys Have Returned (But Not for Long -- Say "Goodbye" on 11/2)
What's Halloween without a black cat...or a jack-o'-lantern?
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
(Note: No animals were harmed in the taking of this picture;
Breaking!!! Zogby cell poll has Kerry over Bush 15 points!!!
Fram Daily Kos: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/10/31/123911/68
by MyName =Sun Oct 31st, 2004 at 16:39:11 GMT
Released: October 31, 2004
Young Mobile Voters Pick Kerry Over Bush, 55% to 40%, Rock the Vote/Zogby Poll Reveals: National Text-Message Poll Breaks New Ground
link here: http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=919
Polling firm Zogby International and partner Rock the Vote found Massachusetts Senator John Kerry leading President Bush 55% to 40% among 18-29 year-old likely voters in their first joint Rock the Vote Mobile political poll, conducted exclusively on mobile phones October 27 through 30, 2004. Independent Ralph Nader received 1.6%, while 4% remain undecided in the survey of 6,039 likely voters. The poll is centered on subscribers to the Rock the Vote Mobile (RTVMO) platform, a joint initiative of Rock the Vote and Motorola Inc. (for more information: http://www.rtvmo.com/). The poll has margin of error of +/-1.2 percentage points
Diaries :: MyName's diary ::
The poll also found that only 2.3% of 18-29 year-old respondents said they did not plan to vote, and another .5% who were not sure if they would. The results of the survey are weighted for region, gender, and political party.
The Rock the Vote Mobile political poll was conducted using a sample group from Rock the Vote Mobile's 120,000-subscriber base. Participants in the Rock the Vote Mobile (RTVMO) platform, a civic engagement initiative launched last March by Rock the Vote and Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT), responded to this poll between October 27 and October 30.
"The results of this text-message poll mirror what we're seeing in our more conventional polls," said John Zogby, CEO and president of Utica, N.Y.-based Zogby International. "Among 18-29 year-olds, Kerry leads the President by 14 points--55% to 41% in our current daily tracking poll--virtually identical to these results. Our text-message poll seems to have been validated by this experiment. All in all, I think we've broken some new ground in polling.
"A Little Gift"
| "We want people to think 'terrorism' for the last four days," said a Bush-Cheney campaign official. "And anything that raises the issue in people's minds is good for us."
A senior GOP strategist added, "anything that makes people nervous about their personal safety helps Bush. "He called it "a little gift," saying it helps the President but doesn't guarantee his reelection. |  |
Yep, you heard that right -- the folks charged with protecting us from terrorists believe that the fact that the instigator of the 9/11 attacks on our country is alive and well enough to come on our televsions and into our living rooms to threaten us again is A LITTLE GIFT TO THE BUSH CAMPAIGN.
DESPICABLE!October 29, 2004
The Bush Pledge
"I care about freedom and liberty.
I care about my family.
I care about my country.
Because I care, I promise to work
hard to re-elect, re-elect
George W. Bush as president
of the United States."
This is for real folks. This is what they're saying now at Bush Rallies.
Obviously the Kool-Aid is much stronger than we could have ever imagined.
I care about my family.
I care about my country.
Because I care, I promise to work
hard to re-elect, re-elect
George W. Bush as president
of the United States."
This is for real folks. This is what they're saying now at Bush Rallies.
Obviously the Kool-Aid is much stronger than we could have ever imagined.
Best Anti-Bush Ad Yet
The New Democrat Network has put out a very comprehensive case against Bush in the form of an ad with a catchy Salsa y Merengue tune, the chorus of which is "Ten cuidado del nombre Bush" (Be aware of the name Bush).
The ad also implores viewers to "Unete al Movimiento Democrata" (Join the Democratic Movement).
The ad has English subtitles and can be viewed here:
The ad also implores viewers to "Unete al Movimiento Democrata" (Join the Democratic Movement).
The ad has English subtitles and can be viewed here:
October 28, 2004
Vandals Rip Down My Display
Vandals ripped down my Halloween display the same day this article appeared about it:
http://web.ppc.edu/~stnews/halloweendecorations.html
I was in my living room at 10:00 PM and heard a big ripping noise (they were wired to the house).
I yelled "Hey!" and ran to the door.
I could hear a car peeling away but only caught a glimpse of the car at the corner before it was gone. Bush&Co were lying half in the gutter and half in the street (I believe that they were trying to haul them off with them).
I have had pretty elaborate (though nonpolitical) displays for years now and they've never been touched...
I've posted the "before" pictures before on this blog so I may as well post the "after" pictures:
Where they were.
One of the ripped wires
Where they are now.
I'm not certain if I'll put them back up (it wasn't that easy the first time). Any suggestions?
http://web.ppc.edu/~stnews/halloweendecorations.html
I was in my living room at 10:00 PM and heard a big ripping noise (they were wired to the house).
I yelled "Hey!" and ran to the door.
I could hear a car peeling away but only caught a glimpse of the car at the corner before it was gone. Bush&Co were lying half in the gutter and half in the street (I believe that they were trying to haul them off with them).
I have had pretty elaborate (though nonpolitical) displays for years now and they've never been touched...
I've posted the "before" pictures before on this blog so I may as well post the "after" pictures:
Where they were.
One of the ripped wires
Where they are now.
I'm not certain if I'll put them back up (it wasn't that easy the first time). Any suggestions?
Odds & Ends
RALLY
As I mentioned before, I attended the Kerry Rally at Carnegie Mellon University. I had a gold ticket for the rally which basically permitted me to roam at will. I took along a cheap disposable camera. It was impossible for me to get a shot of the entire crowd as the terrain was flat, but here's my crowd shot taken from behind the stage:
I don't have any good pictures of Kerry (or Bon Jovi) as by the time they came out, I had moved to the side seating set up for staff. I did, however, get some snaps of the speakers before they appeared on stage. Enjoy:
HALLOWEEN AT MARIA'S
As I also have mentioned previously (HERE, HERE & HERE), I have some cool decorations this year for Halloween. A writer for the "Point Park University Globe" apparently agreed as she put them in the paper. And, yes, they got my first name wrong and, no, I never said Kerry favored gay marriage. My other quotes were also less than verbatim, but why quibble:
Globe Article
As I mentioned before, I attended the Kerry Rally at Carnegie Mellon University. I had a gold ticket for the rally which basically permitted me to roam at will. I took along a cheap disposable camera. It was impossible for me to get a shot of the entire crowd as the terrain was flat, but here's my crowd shot taken from behind the stage:
I don't have any good pictures of Kerry (or Bon Jovi) as by the time they came out, I had moved to the side seating set up for staff. I did, however, get some snaps of the speakers before they appeared on stage. Enjoy:
HALLOWEEN AT MARIA'S
As I also have mentioned previously (HERE, HERE & HERE), I have some cool decorations this year for Halloween. A writer for the "Point Park University Globe" apparently agreed as she put them in the paper. And, yes, they got my first name wrong and, no, I never said Kerry favored gay marriage. My other quotes were also less than verbatim, but why quibble:
Actual Quotes!
I know you've probably seen it around the web for a while, but I had to post it here. In response to John Kerry's attack on his competence regarding the missing 380 tons of explosives in Iraq, George Bush (truly a man with out irony) said this:
You may not have see this one, though. Rudy Giuliani blames the troops for losing track of the explosives. No joke. Here's what he said:
Rudy and Georgie. One has no irony and the other no shame.
A political candidate who jumps to conclusions without knowing the facts is not a person you want as your commander-in-chief.I could not have said it better myself. Only I would add that Bush is talking about the wrong presidential candidate.
You may not have see this one, though. Rudy Giuliani blames the troops for losing track of the explosives. No joke. Here's what he said:
No matter how you try to blame it on the president the actual responsibility for it really would be for the troops that were there. Did they search carefully enough? Didn't they search carefully enough?Check the clip.
Rudy and Georgie. One has no irony and the other no shame.
October 27, 2004
WWJD?
We Don't Think He'd Do This!
This is after he was saved and while he was Governor:
(Click on picture to view video)
Ever the little frat boy. . .
(Click on picture to view video)
Ever the little frat boy. . .
The Ultimate Chain Letter
Normally I think that people who pass along chain mail should be taken out and beaten, but this one is a goodie! Feel free to cut and paste and pass along to friends:
Dear Friends,
This chain letter was started in hopes of bringing relief to all the other tired and discouraged women out there. Unlike most chain letters, this one does not cost anything. Just send a copy of this letter to five of your friends who are equally tired and discontented.
Then bundle up the man in your life, send him to the woman whose name appears at the top of the following list, and then add your name to the bottom of the list.
When your turn comes, you will receive 15,625 men. One of them is bound to be better than the one you already have.
At the writing of this letter, a friend of mine had already received 184 men, of whom 1 may be well worth keeping. An unmarried woman living with her widowed mother was able to choose between a Chippendale dancer and an Olympic swimmer.
You can be lucky, too, but DO NOT BREAK THE CHAIN! One woman broke the chain and got her own husband back! So let's keep it going, ladies! Just add your name and address to the list below:
Laura Bush
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, D.C.
October 25, 2004
Bush is Scary; Vote for Kerry!
The Puppies Are Coming! The Puppies Are Coming!
By now, if you're living in a battleground state, you've probably already seen the latest Bush ad entitled "Wolves." The ad is a takeoff on the '84 Reagan ad that featured a bear in the woods that was meant to represent the threat of the Soviet Union. This time around, the animals in question are meant to represent the terrorist threat (that liberals would make us too weak to defend, of course).
The problem with the ad is that it's 2004, not 1984 and the viewing public is far more sophisticated -- and armed with grassroots technology -- to ridicule these ads which many have noted feature canines who look more like German Shepherds than the Big Bad Wolf (Maybe a dingo ate your baby).
Oh, and besides that, as we've come to expect from the Bushies the ad contains misleading statements and factual errors.
And in this current rapid response political climate, the wolves have their own PR machine and the Democrats already have their own alternative Animal Kingdom ad.
The problem with the ad is that it's 2004, not 1984 and the viewing public is far more sophisticated -- and armed with grassroots technology -- to ridicule these ads which many have noted feature canines who look more like German Shepherds than the Big Bad Wolf (Maybe a dingo ate your baby).
Oh, and besides that, as we've come to expect from the Bushies the ad contains misleading statements and factual errors.
And in this current rapid response political climate, the wolves have their own PR machine and the Democrats already have their own alternative Animal Kingdom ad.
October 23, 2004
Sinclair Chokes -- Freepers Pissed!
Yes, I watched Sinclair's "news special" (nothing really new or special). I watched it for the same reason that I watch FOX News: Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
While overall I'd say it was more anti-Kerry than pro, it was in no way the total smear job that I had expected. They even showed a good 10 minutes from the pro-Kerry "Going Upriver" documentary and they had on people who disputed the lies in "Stolen Honor." Specifically, the pro-Kerry speakers made clear that Kerry was only recounting what others had testified to at the Winter Soldiers Hearings and that there is no proof that any of the witnesses at that hearing were not actual Vietnam Veterans.
There's an excellent synopsis of the program on daily KOS:
http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2004/10/22/21187/159/19#19
And you can find angry Freepers upset that the show had balance here:http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1253998/posts
I will add two thoughts to the comments found at the above links:
In other words: WE WON.
While overall I'd say it was more anti-Kerry than pro, it was in no way the total smear job that I had expected. They even showed a good 10 minutes from the pro-Kerry "Going Upriver" documentary and they had on people who disputed the lies in "Stolen Honor." Specifically, the pro-Kerry speakers made clear that Kerry was only recounting what others had testified to at the Winter Soldiers Hearings and that there is no proof that any of the witnesses at that hearing were not actual Vietnam Veterans.
There's an excellent synopsis of the program on daily KOS:
http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2004/10/22/21187/159/19#19
And you can find angry Freepers upset that the show had balance here:http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1253998/posts
I will add two thoughts to the comments found at the above links:
1. My God, the show had cheesy production values! Bad cable access time!
2. I either forgot to pay attention to the commercial breaks until halfway through or they didn't have many in the first half hour, but in the two commercial breaks in the last half hour, there was only one commercial from an outside sponsor( http://www.consumerfreedom.com/ -- a conservative group). All the ads I saw were basically station IDs/promoting the local channel's lineup. Even after the program had ended, there was no commercial -- it went directly to the next program.
Looks like no major sponsor would be caught dead advertising on this
show.
In other words: WE WON.
Repug recruits taught how to challenge mentally disabled voters
Challenging the mentally disabled at the polls is just one of the dirty tricks the Repugs have planned for November 2nd (of course they will be paying special attention to those pesky "urban' voters too). They've recruited thousands of volunteers to disrupt the election process in battleground states like Ohio. For full article:
October 21, 2004
ALERT: NYT gives rave review to "Stolen Honor" and Sinclair plans to air it several times over weekend
New York Times Gives "Stolen Honor" a rave review:
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/21/arts/television/21stan.html?oref=login
The review starts:
AND
Employee says that Sinclair may use this weekend to play the new "documentary" several time:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/10/21/151852/64
Letter from Sinclair employee: Press release just a ployby MeanBoneII Thu Oct 21st, 2004 at 19:18:52 GMT
A Sinclair employee sent the guy at www.boycottsbg.com a very interesting e-mail. The employee says that Sinclair may use this weekend to play the new "documentary" several times. He agrees that the last press release was just a ploy.
There is no reason to believe that they have come to their senses. They said what everyone wanted to hear, and now they are going to do what they wanted to do in the first place.
"The whole letter is posted at www.boycottsbg.com. The Sinclair employees are pissed, and the letter urges the boycott to intensify. Please recommend this.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/21/arts/television/21stan.html?oref=login
The review starts:
"Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal," the highly contested anti-Kerry documentary, should not be shown by the Sinclair Broadcast Group. It should be shown in its entirety on all the networks, cable stations and on public television."
AND
Employee says that Sinclair may use this weekend to play the new "documentary" several time:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/10/21/151852/64
Letter from Sinclair employee: Press release just a ployby MeanBoneII Thu Oct 21st, 2004 at 19:18:52 GMT
A Sinclair employee sent the guy at www.boycottsbg.com a very interesting e-mail. The employee says that Sinclair may use this weekend to play the new "documentary" several times. He agrees that the last press release was just a ploy.
There is no reason to believe that they have come to their senses. They said what everyone wanted to hear, and now they are going to do what they wanted to do in the first place.
"The whole letter is posted at www.boycottsbg.com. The Sinclair employees are pissed, and the letter urges the boycott to intensify. Please recommend this.
Report from the Kerry Rally at Carnegie Mellon
| First I have to say it is impossible for me to judge how many attended the Kerry Rally at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh as there was no way to get a view of the entire crowd. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported "thousands." Someone told me they heard that nine to ten thousand attended. Going by the crush at the gates and the long multiple lines threading in, I'd say it was FREAKIN' HUGE.
The entrance that I came in through necessitated going through one of the buildings there (Bakers Hall) which started the day off on a strange note for me as I hadn't been in that building since I dropped out from CMU some 25 years ago. Also strange was going to the rally alone as everyone I knew either had to work (gates opened at 3:00 PM) or was volunteering at the event -- once inside the gates, I did run into at least a dozen people I knew -- and there were many friendly people to talk to while standing in line. |  |
This is the fourth Kerry rally that I've attended and I have to say it was definitely the most lively (not that any of the others lacked enthusiasm). The fevered pitch that the rally at Market Square reached when Kerry announced that John Edwards would be his running mate seemed to be maintained this time throughout Kerry's entire speech. The organizers provided tons of double-sized rally signs to the crowd (Mostly "Fighting for Us" as well as many "Women for Kerry") and the crowd waved them at every opportunity. It was an amazing sight to behold.
I was fortunate to receive a gold ticket for the event which put me in the "local celeb bullpen" (which was later opened up to everyone). I took many pictures including: Ted Danson, Joe Hoeffel, Dan Onorato, etc., which I hope to post here later.
When I came home that evening, There was a note and pen tucked inside my storm door. I've been getting nothing but positive comments on my elaborate (and very political) Halloween display. The life-sized Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld figures sport anti-Bush pins (my design -- shameless self-promoting plug -- available HERE). The note said:
Dear Sir or Mame,
I knocked, but you were probably at the rally.
I wanted a anti-bush pin. I traded you for
this Kerry pen. Hope you're not mad.
Go Kerry! 2004
Thanks
signed,
I hate bush
All in all, a very satisfying evening! :-)
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