August 30, 2004
Hey, McCainanites, keep it to yourself!
Who loves John McCain?
Raise your hands!
Now keep 'em there. That's right, get 'em up there!
Read this , Now. . .
Aren't you ashamed?
Posted by Hope at 10:32 PM | Comments (1)
More Ron from Fox in New York
Here's Jeff Fox's favorite August 29 photo. Hoo Hoo!
Posted by Hope at 08:55 PM | Comments (0)
August 29, 2004
Stock Market Performs Better under Democrats
From Forbes.com - link here
Graph of overall Economic Performance here:
Posted by Hope at 04:56 PM | Comments (0)
Economic Data: Comparison of Economic Performance - Democratic vs. Republican Presidents
eRiposte link here
Posted by Hope at 04:51 PM | Comments (0)
The New York Fed Explains the Jobless Recovery
A link to the data from the Fed.
This is analysis of the jobless recovery, wherein the Fed explores the question: Is this joblessness structural or cyclical? The answer is important. Take a look. Real analysis, without the administration's "misleads." And in plain English. Enjoy.
Posted by Hope at 04:07 PM | Comments (0)
August 28, 2004
World-Wide Women's News and U.S. Federal Judges
Here are profiles of Bush nominees and appointees to the Federal Bench, including the "recess appointments".
See "Slip-Sliding Away: The Erosion of Hard-Won Gains for Women Under the Bush Administration and an Agenda for Moving Forward," a forum for asking candidates about their positions on these issues, and more. . .
Here at The National Women's Law Center. . .
SCOTT ELLIOT , MR. PREZIDNET! THAT'S WHO CARES!
Posted by Hope at 11:36 PM | Comments (0)
August 27, 2004
Swing
This is a cute picture of John Kerry playing softball that I received today in my daily Kerry/Edwards email.
I can tell a lot about a man by his softball swing.
I put the whole email on here, just click on the link below to read it. It is all about volunteering.
(Kerry/Edwards daily email - 8/27)
Dear Denise,
In 2000, Michigan stood strong by supporting the Democratic ticket -- but only by a slim 5 percent margin. The election will be just as close this year.
Your new state director, Donnie Fowler, opened our Detroit headquarters on August 6. Donnie told me that he wanted to help the campaign by working in a major battleground state in any way he could: "I just couldn't sit on the sidelines."
Donnie first got involved in Democratic politics in 1988 when he worked on Dick Gephardt's campaign. In 2000, he was Al Gore's national field director.
As the son of a college professor and a nurse, both active Democrats, Donnie has always felt a need to get involved locally and nationally. "Working for a cause and a candidate that I believe in, like John Kerry, is what keeps me going. John Kerry will give all Americans a chance at the opportunities they need and deserve."
Donnie feels that working in Michigan is an exciting challenge: "The energy is unprecedented. There are more people showing up than I've ever seen in a presidential campaign. The hardest part is trying to capture the energy that's there and make use of all the excitement."
Just a week before opening the new office, Donnie and John Kerry attended the picnic and softball game in Taylor where the Downriver Fire (IAFF/ Firefighters) took on the Detroit Hotrods (UAW/ autoworkers). "Thousands of people came to see John Kerry play softball and it helped Michiganders see that John Kerry is not just a politician, he's a regular guy like you and me."
The Bush administration has been a disaster for Michigan -- with 245,000 jobs lost, 1.1 million residents without health insurance, and proposals to shortchange the needs of our veterans by $68.1 million. America can do better, with 17 electoral votes and 67 days until the election, we need to make sure that Michigan stands with John Kerry and John Edwards on November 2.
Donnie knows that Michigan residents are ready for a change: "They don't want to ship jobs overseas, they want to feel secure in their homes and they believe that John Kerry and John Edwards can provide that security by making us stronger at home and more respected in the world."
We need you to do your part -- help Donnie keep up the momentum in Michigan. John Kerry and John Edwards will not rest until they build a stronger America. But they need you to make sure that every single Kerry-Edwards voter in Michigan votes in this election.
Help show that Michigan stands with John Kerry and John Edwards by signing up as a volunteer today:
http://volunteer.johnkerry.com
On behalf of Donnie Fowler and the Kerry-Edwards campaign, thank you for helping us build a stronger America.
Sincerely,
Mary Beth Cahill
Campaign Manager
P.S. If you will need an absentee ballot to vote on November 2, click here to find out how to request one.
Posted by Denise at 12:36 PM | Comments (2)
August 24, 2004
SHADC Picnic
We won't use any names, or mention why the above Nike
is suitable symbol for certain accomplishments of the SHADC. . .
Let's say, though, that voter registration, formerly halted by WalMart, will proceed!
A certain person, responsible for that success,
addressed the group regarding SHADC's plans to register voters at
various locations in South Haven.
If you would like to volunteer, leave your email address
in a comment below, or call one of the SHADC officers.
SHADC's own sparky (first Kerry/Edwards yard sign
on a major artery out of town) was the grille familiar,
human PA system, and hard-working, witty, all-round democratic
friend of hungry democrats (and Greens, and Independents,
and right-thinking R_s). Thank you, Thank you!
Saint Denis dela Rouge-Blogue led the way -
charging up the hill so early in the morning - on her red-and-white
checked steed - with art and grace and a certain je ne sais
quoi. Merci! Merci beaucoup!
Some highlights:
Scott Elliot
was good enough to take an hour or two from his busy schedule
to enjoy the picnic, get to know some of his future
constituents, and answer questions. Later, he spoke to us about
his reasons for offering himself as our candidate
to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Having heard Scott's remarks, certain members of the SHADC made some
hortatory remarks of their own:
"Let's have a fundraiser for Scott!"
So. . . Look for notice of a Scott Elliot "House" Party soon.
A certain gentleman, who first joined the SHADC in
answer to an advertisement for the July 4th parade, came to the picnic
armed with delicious ginger bread and the entirety of John
Kerry's plan for restoring America's strength, bound in an
attractive binder.
His motive: To make and distribute copies of that binder to all
SHADC personnel, and THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
Brilliant!
This same gentleman was aided and abetted by a beautiful and mysterious person whom he identifies as his wife.
Several interested and interesting passers-by
stopped to make a donation, or purchase Kerry/Edwards
gear, or stay and enjoy fellowship.
One such, told a tale of marching in the 4th of July
Parade in his republican district in Illinois. Here's what he said
of the townspeople's response:
" IT WAS LIKE WE'D LIBERATED EUROPE..."
Sound Familiar?
So - how bout that Nike?
Hmmmm?
Posted by Hope at 12:47 AM | Comments (0)
August 23, 2004
More Fafblog...In the future Osama will be made of lasers
So on Tuesday George Bush said his plan for a missile defense shield showed he was living in the future. So far into the future he doesn't have to worry about terrorists anymore.
"I think those who oppose this ballistic missile system
really don't understand the threats of the 21st
century," he said. "They're living in the past. We're
living in the future. We're going to do what's
necessary to protect this country."
Namby-pamby suspiciously-French-lookin' Democrat John Kerry is plannin' to take money AWAY from this incredibly important overpriced boondoggle and send it towards expanding the military!
Clearly John Kerry is not living in the future! He is stranded way back in the present,
when we still needed "troop strength" and "special forces" to hunt down "terrorists"!
George Bush is more interested in the threats of tomorrow,
which oddly enough look strangely like the threats of 1980:
thousands of intercontinental missiles comin' across the sea from
commie nations, possibly such as North Korea* and France.
Our only defense against them? A missile shield that will one day, in the future, fail only about eighty to ninety percent of the time!
Again Giblets is not impressed! Giblets is living even farther
into the future, in a time when terrorism and pinko-tyranny are both irrelevant!
Giblets demands that we spend 1.8 trillion dollars on an array of
massive space lasers pointed outward to defend Earth against the onslaught of immense insectoid invaders who will strike from beyond
the asteroid belt!
Giblets will not allow the tyrant Bug Emperor to lay its death spores
in our atmosphere - and the whiney pleas of those stuck
formulating "today's" foreign policy to secure the former Soviet nuclear stockpile will not get in his way!
Once more Giblets outdoes George Bush at every turn!
Whose vision is grander? Who not only bypasses today's wars to fight
what we think are tomorrow's, but gives tomorrow a pass for sometime next week? The answer is clear: Giblets!
*Fafnir interjects "wouldn't it have been a good idea to have yknow
worked to disarm North Korea so we wouldn'ta haveta talk about a
missile shield"
Goway Fafnir what do you know bout livin in the future!
¶ posted by Giblets at 9:29 AM Comments (19)
even more Gibletsian posting rules
1. There will be cheering for Giblets during Giblets's posts.
2. No one wearing t-shirts for anti-Giblets personae, such as Mutton
or Stelbig, will be permitted.
3. No one wearing t-shirts for non-Giblets personae, such as Fafnir
or the seminal proto-punk band Velvet Underground, will be
permitted.
4. When Giblets addresses hostile-to-Giblets demographics such as
women or old people or the Pope or unions or smelly people or
humans, they are to sit quietly in the back while pro-Giblets
people crowd in front of them and cheer for Giblets.
5. When you first enter the post a Giblets supporter will ask
you, "Do you support Giblets? If not why don't you support Giblets? Support Giblets! Support Giblets now!" Then they will yell at you and hit you with small hammers and fish until you relent.
6. You may now cheer for Giblets.
7. Cheer for him NOW.
¶ posted by Giblets at 8:37 AM
Posted by Hope at 11:28 PM | Comments (0)
Fafblog
Okay. Just get through the first paragraph. I promise you'll be glad you did. And visit Fafblog! when you have a chance.
The Priest-Avatar of the State
There are times when the Medium Lobster is beseeched by linear beings who seek to understand a portion of that greater wisdom which is possessed by the Medium Lobster. And today the Medium Lobster has deigned it appropriate to respond.
Petitioner Stephen Richards asks:
I seek your enlightenment on the question of how much knowledge a true citizen should need before an election. In particular I am curious to whether the candidates - if deemed elected - would invade Iran to protect us all from the forces of evil. ...
However I am unsure if the press should even ask such a question. How much truth is too much truth for the American voter in a war for truth in the world? Should America be allowed to know where both candidates stand on this issue - before November? ...
Ah, Stephen. The larger issue - should America invade Iran? - is a serious one, and will surely be addressed by the Medium Lobster in the days to follow. But your question - should the press ask George Bush and John Kerry if they support an invasion of Iran? - is even more crucial, for it goes to the very heart of the nature of the Presidency itself.
No, Stephen, the media should not press a candidate - or an elected President, for that matter - on his wartime plans. Not because the public does not have a right to know - although this is questionable indeed - but because it is not the job of the President to invade Iran, or conduct a war, or decide matters of policy in general. No, Stephen, the President does not exist to make petty decisions such as these, to muddy his hands in the tedious affairs of state. He exists not to guide the nation to where it should be. He exists to project an image of what it wants to be.
America doesn't need a President to lead them; America needs a President who projects leadership. America doesn't need a President who's honest with his country; America needs a President who's honest with his wife. America doesn't need a President with a firm grasp of policy and a commitment to serving his country; America needs a President with the appearance of irrepressible optimism and Wholesome Heartland Values. America doesn't need a capable wartime President; America needs a President who makes himself look like war.
And President Bush has done a magnificent job of that. Indeed, he's even started a couple of them. Remember, it's not the President's job to finish or win wars - that falls into the lower realm of policy. But within the realm of Strength - or the apprearance of Strength - it is the Strong Leader who charges boldly into wars, undaunted by the humdrum webs of "post-war planning" and laborious "coalition-building" called for by "sensitive" policy-makers.
The job of the President of the United States is to forcefully emote the conscious and unconscious will of the American People. He is not the commander-in-chief. He is the Happy Warrior. He is the Priest-Avatar of the State.
As Colorado Governor Bill Owens said when defending President Bush's supposedly-infamous seven minutes sitting before schoolchildren on September 11th, "A lot of what governors and presidents have to do is project a level of confidence and a level of calmness." Indeed, and that is exactly what the President did on that terrible day: when America needed to be protected, George Bush was projecting an aura of protectedness; when America needed to be safe, George Bush was looking like safety; when America needed to be strong, George Bush was exuding something like strength. When you watch that clip again, in Michael Moore's detestable piece of propaganda or elsewhere, remind yourself, This is what a President is for: projecting, smiling, posing, waving, doing nothing.
¶ posted by Medium Lobster at 11:07 AM Comments (18)
Posted by Hope at 11:10 PM | Comments (0)
Trimming the Macro Forecast
From Brad DeLong
Three new macro forecast revisions arrived in my inbox over the past week. They're all down--oil prices and the effective end of fiscal stimulus. In fact, they are all suggesting growth at or below the growth rate of potential output. This means that the labor market is unlikely to get any better over the next eighteen months or so.
This is really depressing...
Posted by Hope at 10:31 PM | Comments (0)
August 22, 2004
Man fired for heckling Bush (CNN.com)
On Sunday, August 22, 2004, at 12:36 AM, J Fox wrote:
Hiller was ushered out of Hedgesville High School on Tuesday after shouting his disagreement with Bush's comments about the war in Iraq and the search for weapons of mass destruction. The crowd had easily drowned out Hiller with its chant: "Four more years.""Hesurrounds himself with people who support him," Hiller said of Bush. "Your opinion ... is viewed as right or wrong."When he showed up for work at Octavo Designs of Frederick, Maryland, the following morning, he said he was told he'd embarrassed and offended a client who provided tickets to the event -- and that he was fired.
Anyone who wants to tell Octavo Designs what they think of this, their contact is below.
Please pass this on.
Jeff
Octavo Designs
sue@octavodesigns.com
8 N. East Street, Suite 100
Frederick, MD 21701
301-695-8885 phone
301-695-0770 fax
Lynne Rustad wrote:
I did write, although I doubt that Octavo will care. However, they seem to have a group of fairly prestigious clients who may be interested. Googled Octavo and although their web site, strangely enough, was blank I did get this information. Thought I'd include it in case anyone else would like to contact their clients.
Octavo Designs has been located in Frederick’s Everedy Square since their inception in 2000. Octavo’s clients include local firms such as Enforme Interactive and New York New York, in addition to national firms and associations such as National Geographic Society, and the National Association of School Psychologists. Gecko Media Group has brought many large clients to the Octavo team, including; The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company, University of Maryland, the National Science Teachers Association and the Frederick County Office of Economic Development.
It is worth noting that many of Octavo’s clients are winning awards in their respective industries for projects Octavo has created. For example, Comstar Federal Credit Union recently won an award for their Full Color Ad in the Ft. Detrick Guide at the Maryland Credit Union League Conference for Best Print Advertising. Volunteer Frederick received a Communications Award at the National Conference on Community Volunteering and National Service for their RSVP Brochure as well.
Posted by Hope at 11:12 PM | Comments (0)
Disrespect, at least, is Appropriate
How All-American is THIS great idea?
August 21, 2004 New York Times, article entitled:
Bush Promises to Offer Detailed Plans at Convention
Excerpt:
"Mr. Bush's advisers said they were girding for the most extensive
street demonstrations at any political convention since the Democrats
nominated Hubert H. Humphrey in Chicago in 1968.
But in contrast to that convention, which was severely undermined
by televised displays of street rioting, Republicans said they would
seek to turn any disruptions to their advantage, by portraying protests by even independent activists as Democratic-sanctioned displays of disrespect for a sitting president."
Love, E.
Posted by Elaine at 08:06 AM | Comments (4)
August 17, 2004
Kerry/Edwards Rally In The Park
Victory Celebration
Elaine Stephens Appreciation Kerry/Edwards Rally In The Park
"What Nike said. . ."
Potluck picnic for members, supporters, and enthusiasts-who-wander-by
Sunday, August 22,2004
Start time:1:30 pm. End time: 5:00. No alcoholic beverages are permitted in the park.
Purpose:
1. To celebrate the amazing victory of Elaine Stephens for the SHADC reestablishing SHADC's right to register voters at WMart.
2. To attract new volunteers to the campaign.
How many people will vote this year because Elaine refused to hear "No?" In an election where the margin of President Kerry's victory may number in the hundreds, Elaine's victory is large.
Let's celebrate!
What's needed?
Tablecloths
Plates and Plasticware
Food and drink
Charcoal and Lighter fluid
We'll bring a small TV and DVD player (vhs too) so that all members who want to share visual media material can do so. Bring your dvd.
Bring those articles to share. Perhaps music?
Any comedians or mimes in the extended group? A David Cross DVD?
What ideas do you have for SHADC to get busy on? Let's talk.
Tell us what you'll bring by leaving a comment below.
Posted by Hope at 07:52 PM | Comments (0)
August 14, 2004
THE PEN IS MIGHTIER . . .
SHADC GETS THE MESSAGE OUT!
Have you been talking to your TV? Unable to believe what you're reading? Are you itching to see the issues fairly presented and fully explained?
Take up your pen and write!
Write a letter. Write a column. Edit one for someone else, or collaborate on the topic of your choice.
SHADC will put a letter or column in every issue of the South Haven Tribune (or paper of your choice) between now and November 2.
Contact George Miller, or leave your contact information in a comment below.
SUGGESTED TOPICS FROM JULIA
At the convention, John Kerry spoke about numerous key progressive priorities, including:
Affordable health care for everyone.
A strong and secure America that is both respected and respectful in the world. Creating jobs at home and preventing them from being shipped overseas.
Independence from Middle East oil through investing in renewable energy. Restoring credibility and honesty to the White House. Offering real prescription drug coverage for seniors, and protecting Social Security benefits. Fully funding our educational system, and sending more students to college every year. Never sending our young men and women to war unless there is no other option. Never misusing the Constitution for political purposes
Posted by Hope at 07:22 PM | Comments (0)
LINKS
Have a favorite blog or other source to mine? Add a comment, we'll add your link.
FAIR Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting Good report on Kerry coverage
PBS ADDS INSULT TO INJURYthere is NO liberal media
THE PROGRESS REPORTwealth of up-to-date info for the aspiring letter-writer/columnist.
WHY, OH WHY ARE WE RULED BY THESE. . . bradford delong, professor of economics
Posted by Hope at 01:53 AM | Comments (0)
VOTER DRIVE BEGINS
It's time to start the VOTER CONTACT drive in the South Haven area.
The Coordinated Campaign sent representatives to the Wednesday, August 11 meeting to talk about effective methods for contacting voters to ensure Kerry/Edwards supporters make it to the polls.
There is a special working meeting scheduled for Thursday, August 18th at the Warren Center to discuss details of this most important effort.
Come to the meeting and sign-up to help get out the vote in the precinct of your choice.
This is it, Kerry/Edwards supporters!
HELP IS ON THE WAY
Posted by Hope at 01:34 AM | Comments (0)
Blueberry Festival
Stop by the SHADC table at the Blueberry Festival to chat - and stay to help, if you like!
John VerBeek and George Miller are there, distributing Kerry/Edwards campaign information, bumper stickers, buttons, and yard signs.
Friday, August 13 and Saturday, August 14.
See you there!
Posted by Hope at 01:11 AM | Comments (0)