So much to say ...

..and not nearly enough time to write it. The Democratic debate last night was really exciting. Clinton and Obama really got into it and I'll tell you it did not make Obama look good. Those debates are not his strong suit. I think Hillary may be on the verge of seizing the momentum for good. Despite her many weaknesses as a candidate she knows how to battle. On the GOP side my man Huckabee really seems to be "not ready for prime time". Some of his comments and that by his bud Chuck Norris, seem to be hurting his campaign. I thought that he would be better off to ride the wave of support rather than try to push too hard. On a positive note the chart below seems to show Huckabee (green) still very much still in the race in Florida.UPDATE 2:30PM Fred Thompson has dropped out of the race which might help Huckabee. At the very least, the epitome of movement conservatism is out of the picture and hopefully so is that poitical ideology!I watched Bloomberg all night to see the overseas stock markets. They tanked - only to rebound a little bit after the Fed announced the rate cut. It could be a very interesting day on Wall Street. My only hope in all this is that people realize that the "trickle down" economics the USA has been using since 1981 is the cause of this mess. Greed is a good fuel for a capitalistic economy but it should never been made the engine. Today we may see what kind of price we pay.

Sprint to Close 125 Stores, Cuts 4,000 Jobs

Looks like my cell phone company Sprint is starting to lose it. Good!

"The news keeps getting worse at Sprint. The struggling wireless telco suffered its worst quarter yet for customer defections, saying a staggering 683,000 post-paid users headed for the door in the fourth quarter. Sprint's churn, reflecting the rate of monthly subscriber loss, rose to 2.3 percent, which is more than double the rates recently posted at the fastest-growing big carrier, Verizon Wireless."

World Stocks Free Fall

Stock markets plunge worldwide

Cartoon Commentary

Happy Friday! (Tom Cruise Edition)

Mich. for Mitt

I have been so busy that I have not even had time to pay much attention to politics. But from what I have picked up here's what I think. Mitt Romney won Michigan last night meaning that in 3 contests 3 separate Republicans have emerged victorious. It certainly muddles the picture. I really don't have a sense that Romney will carry his success over into other primaries. Fred Thompson, my least favorite of all the candidates out there, is hoping to win in South Carolina and Rudy needs Florida. While I think Giuliani is pretty much through, I do worry that Thompson could catch fire and string together some wins. He would be the worst. He is George W. Bush with less brains, less energy, less intellectual curiosity and perhaps a stronger allegiance to the failed ideology of "movement conservatism". He could be the only person out there that could actually take us BACKWARDS from George W. Bush! Right wingers love him. I am still sticking with my call of Mike Huckabee winning it all on the GOP side, although it will be a tough road to hoe. I do think that it is almost a sure thing that Huckabee will be the VP pick if he doesn't win it all. He is just too strong in the religious base where others are weak. Same sort of thing for Obama. If Hillary should take the nomination she will almost HAVE TO have Barack as her #2. Otherwise there will be a significant segment of (new, young) Democratic voters who might stay home in November. The democrats will not risk that.

I'll write more when time permits. in the meantime check out my other website Reaching Across The Aisle, where I write with Big Daddy Jeff on political topics of interest. GO THERE NOW TO VOTE FOR WHO YOU THINK WILL WIN THE PRESIDENCY!!!

Cartoon Commentary

Happy Friday! (Don't Stop Thinking About Yesterday Edition)

I missed the Republican debate last night - in fact I didn't even realize they were having one. But, in case you missed it, here are some highlights. I hope the Republicans keep this up because if this election is about the future - they are still stuck in the past.

10 Creepiest Old Ads

Here's a couple of the creepy old ads compiled at the website 2Spare. Enjoy. Or not.

Anti-Inevitability?

I was really surprised that Hillary Clinton won the New Hampshire primary. Seems that voters may have an anti-inevitability thing going on. When Hillary seemed a sure thing - Obama surged. When in the past few days (which may go down in history as temporary "Obamamania") when Barack looked to be rolling toward the nomination, Clinton got a surge of her own. Maybe Democratic voters want to keep the candidates from getting too comfortable in their front runner status?? Fairly or unfairly, Obama was seen to be acting like he had NH in the bag, I think that hurt him with voters who waited to decide until the last minute. Also, I think that jealousy between Iowa and NH was a factor in some voters not choosing Obama. NH wants to be different than Iowa. This could have been their way of showing it. At any rate - we do have a race here folks and it could be one of the most interesting in years.

Same on the Republican side. McCain won NH as expected and now seems to be the GOP front runner. Romney, by placing second again, must win Michigan to remain viable. (So much for the so-called focus group the other night) Mike Huckabee got 11% - about what expected and a very respectable third place. He's still in a very strong position for the upcoming contests and should be considered a co-front runner with McCain. Giuliani barely beat Ron Paul and seems to be placing all his hope on Florida. Personally, I think he is through - but we'll see. Fred Thompson got only 1% - disappointing even by the low expectations he went into NH. Unless he gets a victory before Super Tuesday (2/5) he will be forced to exit the race he so reluctantly entered in the first place.

Check out Reaching Across The Aisle, where my blog buddy Big Daddy Jeff shares his thoughts. He also talks about the inevitability factor.

They're back!

Funny news men Jon Stewart and Steven Corbet are back on the air after missing time due to the writers strike. This picture, which I assume is a still from tonight's show, is just too funny not to post.

First In The Nation

Today is the New Hampshire Primary. It looks like Democrat Barack Obama will win his primary comfortably while John McCain seems to be poised for a victory on the GOP side. It will be fascinating to see all the results. In addition to who wins, I will be interested in how well Huckabee and Thompson do. Huckabee has been polling at around 10% in New Hampshire. If he should get 15% or more, then it might reveal a strength that the polls don't measure. If Huckabee does surprise, then it might indicate future strength in the upcoming contests. As far as Thompson goes, he is the last hope for the real hardcore movement conservatives. While Romney seems to be the conservative establishment pick now, Thompson has the right wing people movement behind him. His performance today will be an indication on the strength or weakness of this ideology. Needless to say, I can't wait to get home tonight to watch the results roll in!

Reds for Romney?

Very quick comments on the FOXNews debate... Huckabee finally took a hit when he was asked about immigration and got caught flatfooted. Was quoted as saying that he would not punish kids but had to admit his immigration plan would force them back to Mexico. Romney and Thompson seemed to do slightly better than last night, Guliani was mediocre and I think John McCain was probably the winner. The post debate "focus group" analysis slammed Huckabee and was strongly pro-Romney. It was a house full of people who said they were uncommitted at the beginning and claimed to become Romney supporters because of the debate!(?) But Frank Luntz, the guy running the focus group, is partisan hack so I take it with a grain of salt. Important to note that FOXNews went right to Luntz after the debate and he slammed Huckabbe within 60 seconds of the end of the debate. Could be the Reds are bailing on Guliani and moving to Romney. The way Romney flip flops like a fish on land, they must figure they can make him their new puppet if they are viewed as helping him get elected. Either that or some Romney supporters snuck into the group to skew the results. Something seemed inauthentic about the almost universal dislike for Mike Huckabee AND sudden fondness for Mitt Romney after one unremarkable debate. Hmmmmm
UPDATE Monday 10:00AM: I knew something was up.... there are reports now the the focus group was fixed. I'll keep up on this and let you know if it is true.

Sunday Roundup

I'm kind of looking at today as the first day of 2008. I have been anxious to turn the page on 2007 and last week seemed to be a transition time between the old year and the new one. I think I have pretty much closed the book on '07 and am charging full steam ahead with '08.

I didn't write much about my Christmas trip to Florida but it was really great! I got to see almost everyone in my family (except you David) and we all had a blast. I got to play bartender and really enjoyed that. Everyone was in good health and good humor and I was really reminded that no matter what - that's what's really important. As I move ahead in 2008, I will frequently look back to Christmas and remember how lucky I am to be part of a great and loving family. I can't wait to visit again.

The double feature debate last night was fun to watch. Briefly -- I think that Romney is pretty much done. He looked terrible last night - seemed so desperate and unhinged. Thompson actually seemed to have a pulse and while his ideas are outdated - he at least seemed to be fully awake for the first time this campaign season. Huckabee, I have to say, kicked ass. People I was watching with were stunned to see a Republican talk the way he did. While it may not move him quite into 1st place in New Hampshire on Tuesday, his performance last night will enhance the surge he is already experiencing. McCain was good, Guliani OK and Ron Paul as entertaining as always. Overall -- big win for Huckabee, mild plus for McCain and Thompson and big loss for Mitt. (FOXnews has another Republican debate tonight. They are pro Rudy and Thompson and strongly anti-Huckabee. It'll be interesting to see how theses pseudo-journalists question the candidates.)

The Democratic debate was actually less interesting than the Republicans and the candidates looked as tired as I felt. I think Obama helped himself while poor Hillary, a victim of bad timing(She should have run in '04) , seemed to just dig herself into a deeper hole. Overall -- Obama helped himself and kept momentum going on his rise, Edwards confused me even more by backing up Barack and Clinton did her best but could not reverse the trend against her.

SUNDAY READING
Why Obama and Huckabee are doing so well
Are all right wing pundits mentally ill?
Roger Clemens uses Larry Craig defense? - didn't know what was getting stuck in his ass
The NFL in decline - now goes as far as to REWARD cheating
This party would shock even me

A Saturday Night Double Feature!

Tonight (Saturday) ABC Television is having 2 - count them 2 - debates! Both the Democrats and Republicans will face off in what should be a very good pre-New Hampshire primary face off. The format is different, the lower tier candidates have been left out (thank God!) and a whole lot is on the line. This should be the most watched debate of the year since it is on network television so all the candidate will be giving 110%. Romney and Clinton will be trying to save their campaigns while Huckabee tries to move his numbers up in NH and give the rest of the nation a look at him. Obama will try to build on his momentum and attract Independents who can vote in either primary. McCain, who won NH in '00 will try to recapture that magic and Edwards, Guliani, Thompson and the rest will try to get a last minute boost. All the fun starts at 7pm - don't miss it!!

Who could have imagined?

Of course I have to remind you that it was ME who predicted this many months ago.

Yes, I did see this coming and yes I love to brag. I admit that it is very satisfying but also kind of frustrating that I am not doing this for a living while people like William Kristol, who has been consistently wrong in his hypothesizing, gets a job at the NY Times. While the USA is shaking off the nightmare that has been Red America - it seems it will take time before those who got our nation in this mess to stop being rewarded and those of us who warned against it in the first place to see some benefits. We'll see. I'm not holding my breath.

As far as the results goes there are a few factors in the Huckabee and Obama wins that should be taken into account for the future. Huckabee first. In Iowa there are a lot of Evangelical Christians who supported his candidacy and the percentage of those type of people is lower in New Hampshire and across the country. It's important to remember that Pat Robertson won Iowa in 1988 only to fade out of the presidential race once it moved on. Huckabee still might suffer a similar fate.

Having said that - the Iowa polling that I have seen (and I have not studied it in great detail yet) seems to show that Huckabee did pretty well outside of this group too. This could be good news for him heading into the other primaries. Also encouraging is the fact that Huckabee is NOT a "movement conservative" yet still got the votes of what has been called the "Christian Right". This shows me that they recognize that "movement conservatism" is a failure and that their Christian values are not based on what William Kristol, George W. Bush or Rush Limbaugh says, but might actually be based on the words and deeds of Jesus Christ. Imagine that. I also think that many if not most Republicans have come to realize that "Movement Conservative" politicians and policies are simply a fraud. This realization, if truly present in the GOP nationally, should keep Huckabee at the top of the GOP pack. I think Huckabee will continue to do quite well with republicans looking to break away from the movement while his opposition will be divided between the remaining "movement conservatives" who will go for Thompson, military hawks who will trend toward McCain and much of the rest for Romney or Guiliani. To me that still equals Huckabee as the eventual GOP nominee.

As far as Obama goes I would warn against over optimism based on the fact that so much of the vote for him was brand new, young voters. The caucus system in Iowa allows anyone who is 18 to come in and vote. Since you have to be registered to vote in other states, it could be more of a challenge for Obama to get those young people to the polls. Still, his campaign is very organized and has the momentum. Barack Obama is the very definition of "change" and the American people certainly want that. So I maintain my prediction that he will win the Democratic party's nomination and the Presidency.

It was interesting watching the returns last night. The general feeling among the old pros is that it was a historic night for American politics. They also seemed shocked at the results. Maybe because I was so busy and tired last night, but it was not a big exciting evening at all. I was certainly happy, because I think it's good for America and also I love to be proven right at anything, but I was not surprised. I genuinely believe that a candidates race is not a big factor anymore and that traditional "conservatism" has been plainly debunked to all but a few remaining true believers. That, combined with the communication skills and policy ideas of Huckabee and Obama, made last nights results not just unsurprising but inevitable.

Happy Caucus Day

Tonight the Presidential primaries kick off with the Iowa caucus. Iowa is a small state and it's influence on the rest of the campaign uncertain, but the candidates have spent vast amounts of time and money there. The results, due very late tonight will be very interesting. What will be most important however is the spin by the candidates and media after the results are announced. A good spin could even turn a third place finish into a springboard for New Hampshire and beyond, while poor media focus could hurt even the 1st or 2nd place candidates. So I'll be looking to see who won for sure, but the real influence of Iowa will be seen in the hours and days to follow to see who can build momentum out of whatever results a particular candidate gets. Let the voting - and the spinning - Begin!

Happy New Year!!

01/01/08

Bringing in the new year around the world

Top(?) Ten videos from Faux News

Finally they will ban this phrase

I told Huckabee not to push it

Watching The Ball Drop!

I do not plan to be in Times Square this year for New Year's. However, if you want to see all the festivities from there just click HERE

Watch it!

YouTube still amazes me. I find nearly any video I can imagine. Since I won't be blogging as much over the Holidays, I'm going to post some videos for you to check out when your in the mood. Happy Holidays!

CATEGORY: Christmas, music
"A Christmas Story" Montage
A montage of the classic holiday film A Christmas Story accompanied by music of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.


CATEGORY: Christmas music, Comedy
Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer by Dr. Elmo
I laughed the first time I heard this Holiday classic and kind of just tolerated it ever since. This is the first time I've seen the video for it so I guess I can laugh likes it's the first time once again.


CATEGORY: Off Color Comedy
Borat on the "Opie and Anthony Show"
The character Borat is coming to an end. This interview from the "O&A" Shows is pretty funny. Borat has these old radio pros really cracking up.



CATAGORY: Silly Comedy, Music
KOTRproductions perform "Dang Me"
While looking for "King of the Road" I came across this little ditty on YouTube. It's a video made for a classic Roger Miller song. I've known this song my whole life and if YouTube was around way back in the day - I might have made a video a little like this one. It's stupid but very funny. These guys have what you call "hidden talent".


CATEGORY: Sit Com Bloopers
Bloopers from "Frasier"
Frasier is one of my favorite shows of all time. Here are some funny outtakes.


CATEGORY: Music
M performs "Pop Music"
This was the first new wave music video I can remember seeing. It came out before MTV and set the tone for the early 1980's New Wave trend.


CATEGORY: Music
Men Without Hats perform "Safety Dance"
One day I'll have to do a long blog post about the legendary safety dance parties I had back in the day. If you're thinking of throwing a party and are looking for a theme - a "Safety Dance Party" is almost always a sure bet.

Happy Friday!

Everyone is travelling now. You can see just how amazing it looks here. Here's a good song to sing on the road. Be safe. Happy Friday.

UPDATE: I didn't watch the whole video until this morning. I found it very interesting that Roger Miller, who I always considered a pretty straight laced guy, seemed to be tip toeing - ever so gingerly - into the counter culture movement of the time. Notice how he yells out "hippie" at one point and seems ill at ease at the reaction he gets. Even more surprising to me was the final line of his second song which he changed the lyrics to call cops "the fuzz". It seems so odd to see a short haired, suit wearing guy say that, but more than that the audience reaction again seemed to catch Miller by surprise. I wonder what was going through his head at the time. It seems to me that he wanted to be part of the emerging counter culture - figuring it would help his career - but didn't feel quite comfortable doing so.

How to win at

Rock-Paper-Scissors

(HINT: Start with scissors)

Wednesday Roundup

It's been a busy week for work, news, sports and weather. Let's do a little roundup.

We had our "office party" last night. If there are any employers out there reading this let me tell you something ... giving free alcohol to your staff is a GREAT way to boost morale. Going into the party everyone was complaining about their jobs and co-workers - by the end of the night it was one big love fest. I really enjoyed it a lot. It's nice to see your co-workers in a social environment and I know they saw another side of me too (the "real" me?) I was not the somewhat grumpy somewhat disgruntled guy they see everyday. Also it seems true that those who work hard also play hard. I am a hard worker.

I just love this piece about Roger Clemens*. It's so nice to have company in my long running distaste for the guy. He now denies everything, but I don't believe him. He may not make it to the Hall of Fame and even if he does he will certainly not have the opportunity (I hope) to disgrace the New York Yankee uniform again. I do appreciate Andy Pettite's admission, explanation and apology. I'll bet dollars to doughnuts that Roger Clemens* encourage Pettite to do it. Pick your friends carefully people.

The FSU Athletic program is in trouble again with reports that 20 or more football players were caught cheating on exams and will miss three games starting with the upcoming bowl game. What a mess. With a new Athletic Director now and new coach soon (I hope!) perhaps things will get straightened out.

It's been cold, windy and icy. I don't mind the cold but could do without the wind and ice.

My GOP fav Mike Huckabee is still surging making my prediction look better and better. He could certainly still implode (especially since he seems to be getting carried away with things. He should take a cue from Ron Paul and ride the wave - not try to force it). McCain seems to be doing better but I was impressed with Mitt Romney on Meet the Press this past Sunday. As I thought, he is a reasonable and smart man. He may regain his lead too. It will be a great race to watch! On the Democratic side, many pundits are saying that John Edwards is on the upswing. He's not really my cup of tea, but true liberals really prefer him so who knows. I still think that Obama will prevail.

Another young solider for "movement conservatives" has set the ground work for their dream of a permanent Republican majority. Kevin Martin push through regulations that would allow right wing propagandists to buy up and control even more media. I know I sound like a broken record but these "movement conservatives" are nothing less than fascists determined to turn America into one party state. (I continue to struggle with what to call this. They call themselves conservatives - but they are not. Also, there are many people who ARE conservative that are as frightened of this wave as I am. So I call them "movement conservatives" because they want to force their views on America by hook or by crook. They don't see politics as a way of helping people - they see it as a means to direct money, power and influence only to those who choose to join the movement. They are educated ( sometimes exclusively) by, young republican groups, talk radio and through other right wing media. These "movement conservatives" do not look at the world and come up with ways to make it better - they are determine to push through their ideas at any cost, to destroy anyone who disagrees and deny reality anytime (which is often) they need to. They have fooled a lot of good people - good conservative people - for a long time. These "movement conservatives" will never stop trying to rape this nation. Consolidating the media so that the truth is harder to find is an important part of the plan. I hope to God that we can look back one day and be thankful that they were stopped before it was to late. But that day has not come yet. BTW I would equally fearful of any liberal "movement". I'm not a movement guy. Movements, in politics, are dangerous.)

I travel to Miami on Sunday for Christmas and I am so excited. I love to go home and see everyone. I'll be in the air during the Patriots*/Dolphins game which is good. I would be too stressed out if I tried to watch it. On a different note ... a couple of weeks ago, after years of good service, my beard trimmer broke. I have always trimmed my beard pretty close and pretty often. When I wanted to "go wild" I would move the trimming guide from 2 to 3. How daring! Even at 3 the beard was quite short. Well, for a number of reasons, I did not buy a new trimmer yet. After all this time my beard is bigger than it has ever been. And guess what... nobody noticed. Truth be told, no one ever notices the changes in my beard. It's dumbfounding! I have had a beard, been completely shaved, had various shapes of goatees and now let it go wild and no one ever sees the difference! It's not that I have a wispy beard at all- I have a nice full beard (inherited from my Dad who has an awesome beard). During the past week I have asked people at work "notice anything different about my beard" - no one has. So I am going to let it go for another week or so because I notice and I think it looks good - especially for the winter. Walking around the City with my hat, scarf and beard I imagine myself a bit of a mountain man braving the elements in cold and windy New York. I have quite an imagination.

The Dolphins Win (Honestly!)

My Miami Dolphins finally won their first game today with an overtime victory against the Baltimore Ravens. It's about time. Now they don't have to join the Tampa Bay Suckaneers as the only modern NFL team to go without a victory. Meanwhile, the shame of the NFL, the Patriots* were awarded another victory this weekend even while questions on the extent of their cheating grow and evidence that the NFL helped them cover up evidence surface.

Happy Friday! (Barack O'Bollywood Style)

MQAblog Home Page

Late Thursday

I was in lower Manhattan all day. It hailed, briefly snowed, hailed some more and then rained until about 8. Not very nice. I got uptown about an hour ago and everything has almost an inch of snow. Much better.

I'm going to try to read the Mitchell Report on steroids over the weekend. I'll probably have more to say about it. I haven't seen today's Democratic debate yet, maybe more on that later too.

The Steroids List

Today at 2pm the Mitchell report on steroids in baseball comes out but already two players have been named. Roger Clemens (who you all know I hate anyway) and Andy Pettite (who I like but really is just a simple minded follower) are reported to be on "The List".

UPDATE: Well it was a long list. The biggest surprise to me was David Justice, the most humorous Chuck Knoblach. Looks like the asterisk key will be getting a lot of use by those who write the baseball record books.

Just the Worst

This is a daily feature on Countdown with Keith Olbermann. It's a short list of people whose behavior goes from bad to worst.

Choices

A commencement address by Barack Obama in 2005 provides an excellent summary of his thinking and shows the reason I support him for President. This excerpt comes from the middle of his address where he has been talking about the historic choices this nation has faced and how we are in a similar position today. You can get to the entire speech here.

Like so much of the American story, once again, we face a choice. Once again, there are those who believe that there isn’t much we can do about this as a nation. That the best idea is to give everyone one big refund on their government—divvy it up by individual portions, in the form of tax breaks, hand it out, and encourage everyone to use their share to go buy their own health care, their own retirement plan, their own child care, their own education, and so on.

In Washington, they call this the Ownership Society. But in our past there has been another term for it—Social Darwinism—every man or woman for him or herself. It’s a tempting idea, because it doesn’t require much thought or ingenuity. It allows us to say that those whose health care or tuition may rise faster than they can afford—tough luck. It allows us to say to the Maytag workers who have lost their job—life isn’t fair. It let’s us say to the child who was born into poverty—pull yourself up by your bootstraps. And it is especially tempting because each of us believes we will always be the winner in life’s lottery, that we’re the one who will be the next Donald Trump, or at least we won’t be the chump who Donald Trump says: "You’re fired!"

But there is a problem. It won’t work. It ignores our history. It ignores the fact that it’s been government research and investment that made the railways possible and the Internet possible. It’s been the creation of a massive middle class, through decent wages and benefits and public schools that allowed us all to prosper. Our economic dependence depended on individual initiative. It depended on a belief in the free market; but it has also depended on our sense of mutual regard for each other, the idea that everybody has a stake in the country, that we’re all in it together and everybody’s got a shot at opportunity. That’s what’s produced our unrivaled political stability.

Every one of us is going to have to work more, read more, train more, think more. We will have to slough off some bad habits—like driving gas guzzlers that weaken our economy and feed our enemies abroad. Our children will have to turn off the TV set once in a while and put away the video games and start hitting the books. We'll have to reform institutions, like our public schools, that were designed for an earlier time. Republicans will have to recognize our collective responsibilities, even as Democrats recognize that we have to do more than just defend old programs.

It won't be easy, but it can be done. It can be our future. We have the talent and the resources and brainpower. But now we need the political will. We need a national commitment. And we need each of you.

Now, no one can force you to meet these challenges. If you want, it will be pretty easy for you to leave here today and not give another thought to towns like Galesburg and the challenges they face. There is no community service requirement in the real world; no one is forcing you to care. You can take your diploma, walk off this stage, and go chasing after the big house, and the nice suits, and all the other things that our money culture says that you should want, that you should aspire to, that you can buy.

But I hope you don't walk away from the challenge. Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. You need to take up the challenges that we face as a nation and make them your own. Not because you have a debt to those who helped you get here, although you do have that debt. Not because you have an obligation to those who are less fortunate than you, although I do think you do have that obligation. It's primarily because you have an obligation to yourself. Because individual salvation has always depended on collective salvation. Because it's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential.

Cartoon Commentary

Movement Conservatives

Don't have to be educated in U.S. history, they just have to know how to repeat the talking points they have been fed their entire lives.

Cartoon Commentary

Forward Thinking Political Analyst For Immediate Hire

It is nice to see that after years of studying politics and providing analysis, all my hard work is finally being rewarded. Oh, not financially of course (at least not yet). But the surge of Mike Huckabee and Barack Obama, which has confounded traditional experts, is actually playing out just as I predicted. Of course, there is a long way to go and anything can happen, but I am personally pleased (and maybe even a little bit relieved) that all the unpaid effort I have put in over the years has not been a waste of time. At least I am gaining an understanding of things.

Now that Mike Huckabee is getting closer the position of Republican front runner, he is becoming a huge target by political opponents. A couple of issues from his past have resurfaced recently. First, the fact that a man he helped release from jail, raped and murdered again. It's a tragic case, and one that he had more responsibility for than he first admitted. However, it really doesn't sound like something, in my opinion, that SHOULD stop his Presidential prospects. I remember the Wille Horton ads and thought it was dishonest for Bush I to suggest that it showed a flaw in the character of Michael Dukaksis. The same goes for Huck. Yes, it was a tragic mistake. But I am convinced that he has learned from it. What else can you ask of someone?

The next issue is with AIDS. In 1992 Huck said that AIDS patients should be quarantined and that funding should be held back because of the moral issues involved with this disease. He now says that he was wrong and excuses himself by saying that knowledge of the disease was much less then than it is now. This doesn't really make sense to me. After all, this was 1992 -not 1982! There was more than enough information out there for Huckabee to have avoided such ridiculous comments. Clearly he was pandering to the GOP base at the time without doing his research. Bad Huck!

It is important to remember that even though Huckabee is the best in his group, he is still a Republican. I'm sorry to say that modern Republicanism is grounded either in (intentionally disseminated) misinformation or a complete ignorance of facts. Huckabee certainly was no exception in the 1990's. He bought into all that "movement conservative" denial of reality stuff. But, here is the difference I see with Mike Huckabee - rather than stay set in his ways and continue to ignore reality, Huckabee educated himself and adjusted his positions and policies (including AIDS) based on what he learned. For a party which seems hell bent of forcing the world to adjust to their backward policy positions, it is nice to see at least one candidate in the GOP actually adjust his positions based on the facts on the ground. For a modern Republican that is groundbreaking stuff and I am hopeful that voters in their primary will continue to see the need to purge their party of ideologues and keep Huckabee on top for their party's nomination. It would do this country a lot of good to have someone from the GOP that, if not completely grounded in reality, at least is familiar with the concept.

As far as Obama is concerned I remain optimistic. He represents change and I just don't see the supporters of Edwards, Richardson or any of the other going to anyone but Obama. Barack should do well in Iowa and New Hampshire (probably win both) and the 2nd tier candidates will begin falling off. This will only strengthen Obama and should send him on his way to the nomination.

Enough of all that. Lets return to my favorite hobby of self congratulatory back patting. (I have learned that if you wait for others to notice you are doing a good job - you will probably never get what you deserve. Sad but true.) Below is an opinion piece by NY Times columnist Frank Rich. He is one of the best in the business and has penned a piece today that echos what I have been saying for months now. He is as right now as I was when I said it months ago. (P.S. Yes, this is all a thinly disguised attempt for anyone out there who might want to hire a political analyst and commentator that is often is well ahead of the curve. Contact me by e mail - I am available for immediate employment!)

Here's some of Rich's column:
COULD 2008 actually end up being a showdown between the author of “The Audacity of Hope” and the new Man from Hope, Ark.? It sounds preposterous, but Washington’s shock over Mike Huckabee’s sudden rise in the polls — he “came from nowhere,” Robert Novak huffed last week — makes you wonder. Having failed to anticipate so much else, including the Barack Obama polling surge of days earlier, the press pack has proved an unreliable guide to election 2008. What the Beltway calls unthinkable today keeps turning out to be front-page news tomorrow.

What really may be going on here is a mirror image of the phenomenon that has upended Hillary Clinton’s “inevitability” among Democrats. Like Senator Obama, Mr. Huckabee is the youngest in his party’s field. (At 52, he’s also younger than every Democratic contender except Mr. Obama, who is 46.) Both men have a history of speaking across party and racial lines. Both men possess that rarest of commodities in American public life: wit. Most important, both men aspire (not always successfully) to avoid the hyper-partisanship of the Clinton-Bush era.

The fact to remember about Mr. Huckabee’s polling spike is that it occurred just after the G.O.P. YouTube debate on CNN, where Mr. Romney and Rudy Giuliani vied to spray the most spittle at illegal immigrants. Congressman Tom Tancredo of Colorado, the fringe candidate whose most recent ads accuse the invading hordes of “pushing drugs, raping kids, destroying lives,” accurately accused his opponents of trying to “out-Tancredo Tancredo.”

Next to this mean-spiritedness, Mr. Huckabee’s tone leapt off the screen. Attacked by Mr. Romney for supporting an Arkansas program aiding the children of illegal immigrants, he replied, “In all due respect, we’re a better country than to punish children for what their parents did.” It was a winning moment, politically as well as morally. And a no-brainer at that. Given that Mr. Tancredo polls at 4 percent among Iowan Republicans and zero nationally, it’s hard to see why Rudy-Romney thought it was smart to try to out-Tancredo Tancredo.

The real reason for Mr. Huckabee’s ascendance may be that his message is simply more uplifting — and, in the ethical rather than theological sense, more Christian — than that of rivals whose main calling cards of fear, torture and nativism have become more strident with every debate. The fresh-faced politics of joy may be trumping the five-o’clock-shadow of Nixonian gloom and paranoia favored by the entire G.O.P. field with the sometime exception of John McCain.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SARAH!!!

I hope it is Spectacular!!!!!

Happy Friday

The Grammy nominations are out and the two big nominees are Kanye West and Amy Winehouse. I hear West from time to time and he is OK but I am a huge fan of Amy Winehouse. I bought her album Black To Black from iTunes a couple weeks ago and was blown away. It's the best album I've heard in years. If you haven't listened to it check it out. Like everything theses days it is definitely R Rated but the emotion and sheer raw talent throughout the album gave me goose bumps. It's awesome.

Yesterday the big political news was the speech by Mitt Romney about his Mormon faith. To me it is no big deal. I look at Mormons as I look at any religious group. Actually I may view them slightly more favorably. My experience with Mormonism is part of the reason why. When I was in my mid 20's I worked with a guy who was Mormon. He was middle aged (which seemed old at the time) and I think an official in the local Mormon church. When I found out he was Mormon I was interested because, like a lot of people, I thought they allowed polygamy (which, to be totally honest, was a way of life I thought I would feel comfortable with). They don't and I never really followed up on it. It probably would have been a bad reason to join a religion anyway.
Fast Forward 15 years and my next exposure to Mormons was when I was living in Las Vegas where there are tons of them. It was there where I really got to become familiar with the Mormon church. They are definitely frowned upon by traditional conservative Christians and I heard them referred to as a "cult" or "tribe" very often. The Mormons I met however were actually very nice, and seemed easier to related to than the traditional fundamentalist types (If you didn't know there are A LOT of strict religious people in Las Vegas). Also the Mormon girls I met in Las Vegas were sweet, attractive and fun to hang out with. Good people!
During my brief return to Florida, one of my roommate was Mormon so I got even a closer look at it. I saw that during hurricanes THEY were the one to take in refugees and THEY also were first on the scene to help people. I was mightily impressed that they were proactive in providing good deeds. On the downside they did come to the apartment frequently to check with my roomie whenever she missed a service. I also went to one of their services and it was fascinating. My main memory was having a small group of elders siting very high up on pedestal looking down at us all and making little marks in their books. I found that a bit disarming but otherwise it was fine.
So, the way I look at it - I wouldn't become a Mormon but from what I have seen they are good, sincere people who actively seek to help the less fortunate. I like their tithing policy and overall have positive feeling toward Mormons. (Plus, it's kind of amazing that they chose to live in the mountains of Utah which will be one of the few places in the USA to survive if Global warming really goes all the way.) So, I would have no problem with a Mormon as President (although I'd strongly prefer a Democratic Mormon to a Republican Mormon).

Surprise, surprise! The videotape of CIA interrogations were destroyed. Just how much corruption will the America people tolerate before they say enough? I remember how the "conservatives" were so apoplectic about perceived wrongdoing by Bill Clinton. Their silence during the past 7 years shows me that they have no interest in honesty or even in the future of the United States. Shame on the media too. Let's see if they give this the same attention as they did the Monica Lewinsky story. Fat chance.

Happy Friday!

Football's Shame

Monday night I was snug in my bed getting ready to drift off to sleep. I had the local 11 o'clock news on to see what I should expect in the way of weather for Tuesday morning. As a "teaser"the sports guy said something like "looks like the Patriots* winning streak is coming to an end". Of course, I immediately switched over to ESPN to see the good news. What I saw was the most disturbing 3 minutes of football I had viewed in some time. Now, I have had the displeasure of seeing many painful games in my day. The 1974 Christmas eve game where Kenny Stabler threw a last second TD pass as he was falling down to beat the Dolphins and ruin my holiday was first but there were many, many more. The "historic" comeback by the Chargers (1980?)verses the 'Phins and countless wide right or left losses by the FSU Seminoles. Monday's game might rank right up there. I just couldn't believe how the Patriots*came back. Dubious calls and multiple second chances. Well, as I suspected, the team that cheats, the organization that has put the very credibility of the NFL on the edge may have remained undefeated because of shady officiating. Watching the game I noticed that too. Why the NFL would want the Patriots* to keep winning is beside me. Frankly, they should have been disqualified and handed a loss for at least the first game against the Jets, where they were CAUGHT cheating. At this point the Patriots* are the Barry Bonds of football - bringing shame and dishonor to a great sport. But perhaps, in a controversy reminiscent of recent NBA troubles, the Patriots* also have some officials on the payroll too. Seems unbelievable, but after watching the end of the game Monday, you really have to wonder. Listen, no matter what happens this season, the 2007 Patriots* are a team of disgrace not accomplishment. The NFL should correct things now before things go from bad to worse.

Enemies of America

I have always said that the authoritarian nature of the Bush administration is not unique to him but reflects the anti-American agenda of the "conservative movement". I'm sure most of you all have heard how right wingers in California are trying to change the electoral college (for their state only!) in order to gain that "Permanent Republican Majority" these little fascists dream about. Of course in order to accomplish this they need to fool people into thinking they are doing something else. Nothing new here, but if they succeed, the chance of a Democrat EVER becoming President becomes almost mathematically impossible. To Hell with the will of the people. Listen, even when George W. Bush is long gone, these dangerous forces will remain in the United States. Like a disease that can be controlled but never cured, the "conservative movement" has to be continuously monitored and always fought otherwise it will kill this country.

First Snow

Just woke up and there is snow on the ground and snow falling! Looks just beautiful. Now to schlep my way to work.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!!!

Happy Friday

The end of the week is here at last. Whoo hoo!! Even though the Apollo Theater is within walking distance of my apartment I did not get to see Barack Obama last night. I was working too late. Obama seems to be building support in Harlem now. I know this may seem like the obvious from the outside but it's not. While Harlem has a rich political history and is certainly an epicenter of Democratic politics (Charles Rangle is my representative), Hillary seemed to have most of the support around here (based on signs and other external signals). But Obama signs are now popping up on local businesses and he seems to be building support. He's comes to NYC at least once a month so he's been working hard at it.

The You Tube debate the other night was fantastic. Huckabee stood out again as a genuine compassionate human being while the other were trying to outdo each other being the meanest towards the poor, gay and any other easy target. That's why I like Huckabee out of all the Republicans. He is the only one who isn't relying on fanning hatred to excite the voters. If you look at the GOP since the 1960's, it is hate, and only hate that keeps them in power. Hatred of blacks, the poor, the Clintons, gays, taxes, .. anything they can find to raise the blood pressure of their base. And they will use the constitution, the flag and even the Bible to try to justify behavior which can only be described as selfishness.

Now that Huckabee is gaining ground, he is starting to feel the heat. The biggest attack is that while he is a social conservative - he's fine with taxes to help children and the poor. The outrage!! At least one "conservative" blogger seems to be saying that while Jesus was indeed compassionate toward the less fortunate, He would not want the government to do it!?! I guess Jesus would want the rich to continue to get richer, the poor continue to get poorer with compassion being doled out only by those fortunate few to be among the wealthiest. The true colors of these"movement conservatives" are becoming clearer and clearer. Sure they are sincere Christians, but their real God seems to be the Almighty dollar. Let's do the work of Jesus, they say, but leave my money alone. Sad.

Here's a quote I heard yesterday that I want to share. Have a great Friday everyone!!

The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. John Kenneth Galbraith

Just what the doctor ordered

Dr. J. Robert Cade died Tuesday at the age of 80. I don't remember ever hearing his name before but he was a medical hero of mine. Dr. Cade invented Gatorade. I have loved Gatorade ever since I can remember. The original color was bright orange and then space age green. I liked the orange, loved the green and now my favorite is the "lemonade" flavor. Gatorade is a must the day after drinking and I've drunk hundreds of gallons of the stuff. It brought me back to life many a morning after. I've always said there were only 3 good things to come out of Gainesville (Tom Petty being another) but I've made some good friends with connections to Hog Town so I've gladly relaxed that a bit. So, I salute you Dr. Robert J. Cade, for the original good thing to come out of Gainesville. RIP (I feel thirsty now)

Doomed Dolphins Drown

I finally got to the watch the Dolphins on TV last night but the result was another loss. I really can't fault the team too much as the game was played in terrible conditions and they only lost on a last second field goal. It really could have gone either way. The Dolphins, in addition to being one of the weakest and most injury riddled teams in the league, also seem to be the unluckiest. But luck happens in cycles. It may not be until next year, but I am hopeful that the Dolphins will have some good luck soon, start stitching together a series of victories and return to it's past glory. It didn't happen last night, but one day it will.

It also reminded me of the last Dolphin game I saw live. (around 1992?) It was against Pittsburgh and also in a driving rain. It was a bizarre day as all of South Florida was sunny but one storm cloud parked over Joe Robbie Stadium and it poured for about an hour. As I remember it, we were winning before the rain and had fallen hopelessly behind once it had stopped. That is just one of many "classic" losses in Dolphin history.

The American Renewal Act of 2009

This is a great idea! All responsible people must admit that the past 7 years of the Bush Administration have been disasterous to our nation. To be honest, the damage done is so great, I am not convinced that we can rebond. However, an important first step to trying to save the USA would be to repudiate everything about what I have been calling the era of "Red America".

Commentator and cartoonist Ted Rall has come up with a brilliant idea which could help save this sinking ship and leave a lesson for the future on how to prevent it from ever happening again:

Now is the time. Write (an actual letter, not email) to your favorite presidential candidate and declare that you are a single-issue voter. Swear that, if he or she agrees to sign the following Pledge, your vote is assured. If not, promise to stay home or vote for someone else.

"I, ______________, hereby solemnly pledge that my first act upon assuming the office of President shall be to sign an American Renewal Act of 2009, which shall declare all laws, regulations, executive orders, treaties and actions undertaken by the federal government during the illegitimate and unlawful administration of George W. Bush to be null, void and without effect."

Cartoon Commentary

Don't Try This At Home

How to carve a turkey

Even though I won't be doing a turkey this Thanksgiving perhaps this can help those of you who do.

M V P !

A Rod does it again!

Monday Mix

Woke up this morning to a wintery mix falling. It's not as nice as snow - but a lot better than rain.

Cartoon Commentary

Joe Mojo Slows

Starbucks reports unprecedented drop in customer visitsI find it interesting that traffic is down at Starbucks because it matches my shopping patterns. Starbucks used to be an everyday extravagance for me since '01. When I moved to New York going online at a Starbucks was a huge thrill. But the fact of the matter is that hanging out in a coffee shop is not on the radar right now and Dunkin Donuts coffee tastes better. So while I still go to Starbucks once or twice a week, it is no longer a part of my regular routine. Starbucks traffic has only dropped by 1% but it is the first decline after years of steep growth. They are still making lots of money and are willing to evolve so it will be interesting to see the moves they make over the next couple years to adapt to this news. Meanwhile here's a list of my favorite coffee place.

1. Dunkin Donuts
Always hot, always smooth. They put the cream and sugar in it exactly how you ask. Doughnuts are average but their coffee cake muffins are outstanding. Favorite drink: Medium coffee: one cream, one sugar.
2. Home
I drink coffee when I first wake up at home every day. I actually buy Dunkin Donuts coffee and brew it at home. Favorite drink: Large coffee: one cream, one sugar.
3. Coffee Stand on Corner of Houston and Broadway
Even that description only narrows it down to about 12 but this one guy across the street from where I work has great coffee at a great prices 75c $1 and $1.25. Favorite drink: Medium coffee: one cream, one sugar.
4. Starbucks
The brewed coffee, unfortunately has become hit or miss. I've had bad cups of coffee a Starbucks on numerous occasions. Their frozen coffee drinks, cappuccino, espresso etc (anything they make up fresh) are excellent. Favorite drink: chocolate frappacino with a shot of espresso.

Spend 20 minutes with Barack Obama

Criminal All Right

Watching FOX News this political season it has become clear to me that their man is Rudy Guliani. His questions at the debates were softer, the commentators are more pandering and he is on the network constantly - especially on Sean Hannity's show. Still - it comes as somewhat of a surprise that the "fair and balanced" network tried to influence the election by asking one of their own to lie to Federal investigators! Having people lie to protect the right wing is standard operating procedure for the so-called "conservative movement". But this news about News Corp (parent to FOX News and other right wing media) should stop those remaining advocates of the right wing media in their tracks and make them wonder.

Tuesday's Random Thoughts

Let me share some thoughts that have been running around my head but never quite made it on the blog.

I'm thinking of having some people over for Thanksgiving but I know I don't want to cook all day. Basically, I want the unrealistic scenario of me sitting in my chair, watching my TV, eating my food, drinking my beer and if other people want to come by and hang out - fine! So I thought maybe I could order some food and let me, Sarah and the guests enjoy it without me having to be the chef. Well I looked up FreshDirect, a supermarket specializing in delivery, and behold - they do have full meals for the Holiday! Unfortunately their complete Thanksgiving dinner is .... $249.99! So I think I'll just make some baked ziti and if I have people over, they can bring their own food (and sit anywhere but in MY chair).

I'm getting the feeling that the political mood of the country is shifting so dramatically that Rudy Guliani and Hillary Clinton will NOT be the nominees of their party. I like Ron Paul, but some of his ideas are too way out there for me. He will do well in New Hampshire but I believe (my GOP favorite) Mike Huckabee will eventually be the Republican nominee. On the other side of the aisle I like Chris Dodd - but why does he end almost every sentence with the word "here"!?! Listen - you'll notice. It is really bizarre. I'd be surprise if a drinking game hasn't sprung up from this. I think (my 1st choice) Barack Obama will get the Democratic nomination. I am a little wary of these predictions because both my favorites NEVER win and I feel I might be wishing more than thinking. We'll see if it is Huckabee vs. Obama in the general election.

There is a very popular phrase "It is what it is" going around that I just hate. Sure, that phrase has been around forever but it seems to be the hip saying right now. Unfortunately, anytime it is said it is because something sucks and we are all expected to just live with it. I hate it when things sucks, I hate it when people shrug and say "oh well" and I hate it when people say "it is what it is" every time those circumstances occur.

I think that "texting" is one of the best things to come out of the mobile phone revolution. It quicker and more convenient that a telephone call. You can read them at your convenience and it is a great way of exchanging information or pleasantries without being bogged down talking to someone about unrelated stuff. You can read and type in public without disturbing other people and you can even text yourself directions or reminders and refer to the messages at the appropriate time. Texting is great and one of the pleasant surprises of this electronic age. If you text and want to text with me, let me know. Many phone plans have free texting so why not get in on the fun.

The weather here is getting very cool and I just love it. It's invigorating, refreshing and so much better than the sticky nastiness of New York summers. First snow flurries should be here at anytime and you can bet that I will report it here on MQAblog.

Enjoy the day!

Cartoon Commentary

Gail Collins has it exactly right.

About the Bernard Kerik / Rudolph Guliani relationship and what it should mean to people candidate shopping for '08.

The past seven years have given us some helpful hints on what we want to avoid in the next president. I’m starting to make a list.
Quality to avoid No. 1: Loyalty.
Whenever you read that a candidate “values loyalty above all else” — run for the hills. Loyalty is a terribly important consideration if you’re choosing a pet, but not a cabinet member.
How about if this time we try for a president who would recruit gifted people who can accomplish great things, as opposed to a room full of dopes who will never write tell-all memoirs?

MORE

Lesson learned from the George Wallace shooting

I remember the day in 1972 that George Wallace was shot. I was 10 at the time and was aware enough of politics to know that our family hated George Wallace. Living in sort of a small "country" town in south Florida - there was plenty of support for the Alabama Governor in his quest for the White House. But not in our household -my dad was from Connecticut and my mom from Germany - no southerners here. Wallace was pro-segregation and I think it's fair to say, anti black. He was a Democratic governor but later became an independent when the party declined to follow his lead. The people who left the Democratic party at the time to support Wallace still have not returned. They became Reagan Republicans and have been an essential factor in the dominance of so-called conservative movement over the past generation. The success of Reagan, Gingrich, and even George W. Bush can be traced directly to the presidential campaigns of George Wallace.

But I vividly recall watching TV that day when a Special Report interrupted the program to announce that George Wallace had just been shot! The first thing I did was cheer. Yayyyyyy!! - The bad man was shot!!! I'll never forget how surprised I was to see the sad look on my moms face. She told me that even though we strongly disagreed with Wallace's ideas, we should not cheer him being shot. I learned a big lesson that day which I really hadn't thought much about until I saw the news that his would be assassin, Arthur Bremer, was released from jail.

Wallace survived the shooting that day but was confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. He also later disavowed his racists views and became an advocate for minority rights. Sadly, his personal transformation was not matched by many of the "Reagan Republicans" he helped create. To this day politicians still race bait in an attempt to attract some Southern Voters. But the lesson I learned that day was incredibly important - you can hate ideas and dislike people who have them, but you should never take joy in the suffering of any human being.

Happy Friday (at the office)

I always go on about the show "The Office". It is probably because I've worked in a lot of offices in many different phases of my life and job descriptions and I can really relate to the characters and scenarios. In this TOP TEN compilation clip, Jim (the "normal" guy who likes to joke around) antagonizes Dwight (the overall annoying dweeb). I hope you get a laugh or two from it..

Great minds ... *

Wow! My main man Don Shula must read my blog.

Tuesday Roundup

I have been so busy that I haven't been keeping up with the blog or even my e mails. But all is well here in NYC. I got my tickets for Christmas in Miami and plan a nice Thanksgiving right here in the city. Until then I will be going 1,000 mile an hour. I guess that's the New York way.

It was strange seeing Joe Torre as a Dodger yesterday. I'm not sure whether to be happy for him or to hate him since he is on another team. I'll reserved judgement until the season starts. I am happy that Joe Giraldi is the Yankees new skipper. I think he will bring a young, fresh attitude to a team that desperately needs it.

I am really starting to think that Rudy Giuliani is worse than Bush and Cheney put together. If America elects this hateful, chronic liar than we might as well just roll up the flag and call it a day. He is as authoritarian as Cheney, as mean spirited as Bush and as dishonest as both of them put together. It amazes me that so many Republican voters seemed to be so fearful of terrorism that they are attracted to such a character. I know that liberals are often accused of being weak or wimpy, but look at the people so-called conservatives are attracted to. Seems to me that they are the ones looking for a Daddy figure to protect them at any cost.

The Dolphins made progress last week by not losing. To be fair, they did not play. It's unfortunate that New England beat Indy on Sunday. I almost never read the NY Post (it's a Rupert Murdoch rag) but they were giving them away the other day. I was checking out the sports page and they had an asterisk by New England in the football standings. The asterisk, they explained, was because they were "caught cheating". Bravo NY Post! If they go undefeated or win the Super Bowl it will certainly be tainted ala Barry Bonds.

Everybody seems to be picking on the new "Caveman" TV show. They say it is terrible and must be pulled. I disagree. I've watched every episode and think it is pretty good in fact. Go figure. I also like Kelsey Grammer's new show "Back To You". Two show which I have liked for a while are having stellar seasons - "The Office" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" are both funnier than ever! I wonder how the writers strike will effect all of this.

Stephen Corbet has dropped his Presidential bid. I think the man may be a comedy genius and I like his show a lot but thank goodness for this. The Presidential race is serious business and the last thing we need is some joker effecting the results. Can somebody say Ralph Nader???

Enjoy the rest of the week folks!

Cartoon Commentary

Happy Friday!