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May 31, 2004
The most negative campaign ever
What do you do when you have no record on which to run, and no serious plans for the future? Run the most negative campaign in history, of course:
Scholars and political strategists say the ferocious Bush assault on Kerry this spring has been extraordinary, both for the volume of attacks and for the liberties the president and his campaign have taken with the facts. Though stretching the truth is hardly new in a political campaign, they say the volume of negative charges is unprecedented -- both in speeches and in advertising.
Three-quarters of the ads aired by Bush's campaign have been attacks on Kerry. Bush so far has aired 49,050 negative ads in the top 100 markets, or 75 percent of his advertising. Kerry has run 13,336 negative ads -- or 27 percent of his total. The figures were compiled by The Washington Post using data from the Campaign Media Analysis Group of the top 100 U.S. markets. Both campaigns said the figures are accurate.
Even Republican professionals agree that the administration doesn't have a record to run on:
Scott Reed, who ran Robert J. Dole's presidential campaign that year, said the Bush campaign has little choice but to deliver a constant stream of such negative charges. With low poll numbers and a volatile situation in Iraq, Bush has more hope of tarnishing Kerry's image than promoting his own.
"The Bush campaign is faced with the hard, true fact that they have to keep their boot on his neck and define him on their terms," Reed said. That might risk alienating some moderate voters or depressing turnout, "but they don't have a choice," he said.
Posted by glyphic at 03:36 PM
May 30, 2004
Bruce Sterling takes on the Bush administration
Wired columnist Bruce Sterling usually doesn't write about politics, but when politics starts fucking around with science in a big way, I guess he gets mad:
When politicians dictate science, government becomes entangled in its own deceptions, and eventually the social order decays in a compost of lies. Society, having abandoned the scientific method, loses its empirical referent, and truth becomes relative. This is a serious affliction known as Lysenkoism.
Trofim Lysenko was Joseph Stalin's top stooge in Soviet agricultural science, a field that was mercilessly politicized by fanatics. His specialty was inventing nutty schemes - things like stimulating the evolution of trees by overcrowding them to get them to cooperate, as though they were communist minions. This totalitarian huckster spent his whole career promising exciting results and bringing about only disaster. But the party never judged itself on results, so he always got a free pass.
Politics without objective, honest measurement of results is a deadly short circuit. It means living a life of sterile claptrap, lacquering over failure after intellectual failure with thickening layers of partisan abuse. Charlatans like Lysenko can't clarify serious, grown-up problems that they themselves don't understand.
Posted by glyphic at 04:38 PM
Tom Schaller, Daily Kos, and the conservative lines on Kerry
You can count on Kos and the Kossacks to shovel through the shit and find the truth:
Which of the following three claims are true?
- John Kerry is one of the if not the most consistently liberal Senators, even more consistently liberal than (nasty music here) Hillary Clinton and Ted Kennedy.
- John Kerry is a major flip-flopper who changes his positions 180 degrees faster than the Car Talk hosts can change a flat tire.
- I dunno about Nos. 1 or 2, but I do know that they both can't be true.
Posted by glyphic at 04:18 PM
Toyota's Hybrid Supercar: Alessandro Volta
How far could hybrid technology take us? 435 miles on 13.7 gallons. 0-60 in 4 seconds. The concept Toyota Alessandro Volta puts out 408 hp using Toyota's 3.3L V6 and two electric motors. Designed by Italdesign:
Not the most beautiful supercar in the world, but it's about time that something this fast and this good-looking came out using hybrid technology.
Reviews and more photos:
Auto123: Geneva Show-Goers Get Charge out of Toyota's Volta
Automobile: Geneva 2004 - Toyota Volta by Italdesign-Guigiaro
AutoWeek: Toyota Volta concept
Ultimatecarpage: Toyota Volta (includes some interior and detail shots--watch out for the popups and interstitial ads, though)
Posted by glyphic at 04:09 PM | Comments (3)
Jon Stewart at William and Mary's Commencement
Damn it. We got the prime minister of Denmark or Finland (I forget which), William and Mary got Jon Stewart. Oh well.
Posted by glyphic at 02:47 AM
May 28, 2004
Final hand at the WSOP
Wow.
Raymer started as chip leader and when I "tuned in," it was down to him and Williams. Raymer had many many times the number of chips Williams had.
Here's the final hand:
Dealer: Starting new hand: #109
Administrator: Stand by for the next hand....
Dealer: Raymer posts the ante 10
Dealer: Williams posts the ante 10
Dealer: Williams posts small blind 40
Dealer: Raymer posts big blind 80
Dealer: Williams raises to 300
Dealer: Raymer calls 220
Dealer: Dealing Flop: [4d 2d 5s]
Dealer: Raymer checks
Dealer: Williams bets 500
Dealer: Raymer raises to 1600
Dealer: Williams calls 1100
Dealer: Dealing Turn: [2h]
Dealer: Raymer bets 2500
Administrator: David Williams calls immediately.
Dealer: Williams calls 2500
Dealer: Dealing River: [2c]
Dealer: Raymer bets 12615 and is all-in
Dealer: Williams calls 3790 and is all-in
Dealer: Raymer shows [8d 8s]
Dealer: Williams shows [Ah 4s]
Dealer: Williams mucks hand
Dealer: Raymer collected 16400 from main pot
Administrator: David Williams is eliminated in second place.
Dealer: Williams finished the tournament in 2nd place
Raymer wins $5 million. He was a PokerStars player: "Administrator: Greg won his way in through a $150 shootout right here at PokerStars!"
Expect a lot of fish to swamp PokerStars in the coming weeks.
Posted by glyphic at 09:01 PM
Mr. Excitement update: Day 1
That was quick.
After dropping off Mr. Excitement at the crack of dawn, I got a call less than two hours later saying that he was ready to be picked up.
To my surprise, he was awake; Mu was groggy when she came home. Then again, it's a different procedure altogether for males and females.
He began meowing quite a bit on the way home and the carrier smelled of musk, so I put him in the upstairs bathroom with a fresh litter box. He immediately stumbled over to the litter box and sprayed.
When he was done, there was a clump at least six inches in diameter giving off the foulest eye-watering stench I've smelled in a while. My head still hurts thinking about it.
There were also drops of musky urine all over the bathroom floor. He's staying there all night.
Posted by glyphic at 06:31 PM
May 27, 2004
Al Gore on Iraq and Abu Ghraib
Another great speech from Al Gore for MoveOn.org at NYU. For me, hearing the rightful president speak is inspiring and heartbreaking.
MoveOn has the speech available on DVD for a small contribution.
Posted by glyphic at 05:14 PM
Terrorism and the election
The Bush administration announced yesterday that there was a credible threat of terrorism against the US this summer, but made no change to the color-coded threat level.
The administration should not be surprised to find the announcement met with skepticism across the board. After three and a half years of blatant political moves and deception, the gang of 500 have little incentive to take anything at face value. So what does this announcement have to do with Bush and Kerry?
Dan Schorr sees the announcement as playing up Bush's strength (singular, as evidenced by polls) as the situation in Iraq carries the President's numbers downward.
Dana Priest called attention to the "election threat" aspect of the administration's warnings in a Washington Post online chat:
Dana Priest: I'm very suspicious, especially of the "election threat" -- so we didn't write this story for a while, in order to ask a wider range of people and certainly enough non-political types to feel certain we were not being spun.
a) Terrorists may try to influence the election
b) Terrorists want Kerry to win
c) Bush would be better against terrorists
This line of reasoning is completely ridiculous. Even if we take the terrorist endorsement of Bush with a grain of salt, the fact remains that these terrorist organizations would like nothing more than an isolated United States, mired in a conflict that swells the ranks of the terrorists and increases support for terrorist actions among the citizenry. It's clear that this administration has little comprehension of how to deal with the threat of terrorism. It's time for them to go.
Posted by glyphic at 03:21 PM
Mr. Excitement and the knife
Perhaps to chase any doubt from my mind about getting him fixed, Mr. Excitement filled the entire house with the smell of musk this morning. It was so powerful I could smell it in my sleep. I hope he enjoyed the experience; at this time tomorrow he will be missing some vital equipment.
Posted by glyphic at 01:54 PM
May 26, 2004
Credit card companies still out to get you
MSNBC reports on a new survey by Consumer Action that shows credit card fees are rising.
They also reported on a practice called "universal default":
Another troubling finding, Sherry said, was the increased use of a controversial practice known as "universal default" by the credit card issuers. Banks now regularly check their customers' credit reports for signs of late payments on any of their bills. In fact, credit reporting agencies now offer daily account reviews, with names like “notification services,” and “risk triggers,” to alert credit card firms of any late payments. Any reported late payment can be used to trigger increased credit card interest rates, even if all payments to the card issuer are up to date.
If your credit card company engages in this practice (regardless of whether it affects you), consider canceling that card.
Posted by glyphic at 02:38 PM
May 24, 2004
Kos on the GOP's ability to govern
Kos offers this tidbit from Hastert spokesman John Feehery:
So it's time to give Democrats a shot.
Incidentally, what Feedery is really trying to say is that it's tough to place blame on Democrats for the Republicans' shortcomings when they control all three branches of government.
Posted by glyphic at 08:02 PM
Not freefall, but close to the magic number
Conventional wisdom says that hitting 40% in the polls at this stage of the game is deadly. The CBS News Poll should give Team Bush plenty to worry about. Lots of devastating numbers across the board, including these:
General Approve/disapprove: 41/52
Iraq approve/disapprove: 34/61
Country on right/wrong track: 30/65
Terrorism approve/disapprove: 51/42
Foreign policy approve/disapprove: 37/56
Economy approve/disapprove: 36/57
Man. With numbers like these, one would think that he'd just withdraw and get the party to back someone else. Then again, these guys aren't the type to admit wrongdoing or failure. Oh well.
Despite Limbaugh's efforts to the contrary, most Americans do not support the use of torture:
Abuse justified/not justified: 12/81
Finally, Kerry leads Bush in this poll 49/41. Our boy's doing well, but he needs to hit out of the park.
Posted by glyphic at 07:47 PM
Might be asking too much
When Pelosi called Bush incompetent, the Republicans insulted her and questioned her patriotism, but never addressed the charge of incompetence. The idealists at Campaign Desk would like to get a real debate going:
Posted by glyphic at 05:03 AM
Religion in Politics
Some religious leaders are trying to exert their influence over this year's Presidential race:
On May 5, the bishop of Colorado Springs, Michael J. Sheridan, went further by issuing a pastoral letter saying ordinary parishioners should not receive Communion if they vote for politicians who support abortion, euthanasia, stem-cell research or same-sex marriage.
But we should also engage in the debate and expose their hypocrisy:
One of the signers with a solidly antiabortion voting record, Rep. Bart Stupak (Mich.), said in an interview that bishops "are making these statements thinking they're undermining the candidacy of John Kerry, when what they're really undermining is the Catholic church."
Stupak added that he has been surprised by the partisanship of some bishops.
"I've had some threaten not to give Communion to me, even though they don't know my position, just because I'm a Democrat," he said. "I've had cardinals refuse to shake my hand because I'm a Democrat, and then somebody whispers to them that, 'No, no, he's a good guy.'"
Posted by glyphic at 04:56 AM
May 22, 2004
Washington Post: Prison Visits By General Reported in Hearing
The Washington Post reports the latest development in Abu Ghraib:
A military lawyer for a soldier charged in the Abu Ghraib abuse case stated that a captain at the prison said the highest-ranking U.S. military officer in Iraq was present during some "interrogations and/or allegations of the prisoner abuse," according to a recording of a military hearing obtained by The Washington Post.
The lawyer, Capt. Robert Shuck, said he was told that Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez and other senior military officers were aware of what was taking place on Tier 1A of Abu Ghraib. Shuck is assigned to defend Staff Sgt. Ivan L. "Chip" Frederick II of the 372nd Military Police Company. During an April 2 hearing that was open to the public, Shuck said the company commander, Capt. Donald J. Reese, was prepared to testify in exchange for immunity. The military prosecutor questioned Shuck about what Reese would say under oath.
The story keeps unfolding.
Posted by glyphic at 08:17 PM
May 21, 2004
MoveOn to Kerry: Go Big
If you are reading this, please consider clicking the link and joining the petition.
Through his history, Kerry has made a practice of standing up for bold initiatives to provide health care, protect the environment, and safeguard the right to reproductive choice. Together, we need to let him know that we want him to be his best, boldest self -- to go big, ask more of us, and power his campaign on the politics of hope.
Please join me in calling on John Kerry to "go big" at:
http://www.moveonpac.org/gobig/?id=-3101220-LNLsRud73qFKvM122IrP.Q
Thank you.
Posted by glyphic at 02:18 AM
Wesley Clark is a smart man
General Wesley Clark outlines a strategy for real change in the Arab world, and shows why the neo-cons are wrong when they compare their strategy for the "war on terror" with the Cold War and its resolution. Kerry would be served well by a Secretary Clark.
On the other hand, Doug Feith is a stupid mother fucker.
Posted by glyphic at 02:08 AM
May 20, 2004
Arianna for John Kerry
Former Republican and independent gubernatorial candidate Arianna Huffington sees in John Kerry the potential for great leadership:
"As a survivor of RFK's 1968 campaign," historian Arthur Schlesinger told me, "I see John Kerry in the JFK/RFK tradition -- a brave, intelligent, and thoughtful man. I find many similarities between that campaign and this one, especially our entanglement in a hopeless war at the expense of urgent domestic woes."
...
RFK's influence can also be seen in Kerry's willingness to dream big. His campaign speeches often consciously evoke Bobby's famous challenge to dream of things that never were and ask, “Why not?”: "Why not give every working American access to high-quality, affordable health care? Why not have public schools where children set out on a lifetime of learning and possibility? Why not preserve our environment so our great-grandchildren can breathe clean air and drink clean water? Why not have a leadership committed to civil rights, equal rights, and affirmative action? And why not have a foreign policy that strengthens our nation and our interests by advancing our values?"
The hallmark of Robert Kennedy's presidential campaign was the urgency he brought to the problems of race and poverty. And as Douglas Brinkley wrote in "Tour of Duty": "Like Robert F. Kennedy, for a young white man of privileged background, Kerry always displayed an uncommonly incongruous instinct for siding with the underdog."
Speaking this week in Topeka, Kansas on the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court's landmark Brown school desegregation ruling, John Kerry echoed Kennedy's concerns:
"We have not met the promise of Brown when one-third of all African-American children are living in poverty. We have not met the promise of Brown when only fifty percent of African-American men in New York City have a job. We have not met the promise of Brown when nearly twenty million black and Hispanic Americans don't have basic health insurance. And we certainly have not met the promise of Brown when, in too many parts of our country, our school systems are not separate but equal - but they are separate and unequal… For America to be America for any of us, America must be America for all of us."
Posted by glyphic at 10:41 AM
Medicare videos declared propaganda, illegal
Remember this one? The Department of Health and Human Services produced a series of videos on the new Medicare prescription drug benefit in the style of news reports, complete with fake reporters. These media kit videos were often aired by local stations as part of their newscast without commentary or explanation--thus running the risk of misleading viewers about the nature and source of the videos.
Well, the General Accounting Office concluded that the videos amounted to propaganda, which is illegal. While the GAO's conclusions don't necessarily mean anything in terms of consequences for HHS or the administration, this report comes amidst other controversies:
The House ethics panel, meanwhile, is investigating whether Republican leaders attempted to bribe or coerce a GOP House member to vote for the bill before it passed by a few votes before dawn after the longest roll call in House history.
Posted by glyphic at 10:07 AM
US raids Chalabi
Reuters reports "U.S. troops and Iraqi police raided the home and party offices of Governing Council member Ahmad Chalabi on Thursday."
This may be a significant development.
Chalabi was once the neo-cons' favorite Iraqi, and source of much of the faulty assumptions they used in planning the war. Salon's Andrew Cockburn reports (speculates?) that Chalabi "was putting together a sectarian Shiite faction to destabilize and destroy the new Iraqi government," thus prompting the raid.
Photo by AP, from CNN
Posted by glyphic at 09:30 AM
May 18, 2004
Making the world "less free"
We live in Orwellian times. While every other word out of the mouth of the administration is "freedom" or one of its variants, the truth is that the policies and actions of this administration has made this country and the entire world less free:
Posted by glyphic at 03:11 AM
May 17, 2004
Give 'em hell, Howard
Howard Dean weighs in on the gay marriage debate in Massachusetts.
Posted by glyphic at 08:02 PM
Josh Marshall on Bush's clarity
Talking Points Memo is a good read, and specializes in focusing on the White House and the goings-on in DC. Here's Marshall's take on a book excerpt that describes Bush's news reading habits:
I guess we can all relate to this, can't we?
How 'frustrating' it is to have to listen to "somebody's false opinion or somebody's characterization, which simply isn't true" (i.e., information that contradicts our assumptions and viewpoints)?
It (i.e., critical thinking) really gets in the way of having a "clear outlook", right?
Posted by glyphic at 02:27 AM
Atrios takes on Zell Miller
Fun stuff from Atrios:
Yes, I know that it isn't quite as cute as "Taxachusetts," but can I take this opportunity to point out what a total moron Zell Miller is?
Sen. Zell Miller, the Bush campaign's most famous Democratic attack dog, ripped into John Kerry on Saturday as an "out-of-touch, ultraliberal from Taxachusetts" whose foreign and domestic policies would seriously weaken the country.First of all, since Kerry happens to be elected to the Federal government he has little control over state and local tax policy in his home state. But, since Zell wants to play that game, let's turn to the facts.
According to those lovable nuts over at the Tax Foundation, Taxeorgia's state and local tax burden ranks 18th in the nation, at precisely the national average of 10% of income.
While in small government loving Massachusetts, the state and local tax burden ranks 36th in the nation, at 9.6% of income.
What about business friendlyness? Well, Zell, sorry to say once again your tax-loving commie state of Taxeorgia with its totally complicated tax code appears to be downright hostile to business! At least compared to the free market haven of Massachusetts! You see, Massachusetts, according to the Tax Foundation, ranks 12th in the nation while Taxeorgia ranks 25th!
And, hey, what do you know? It appears you welfare lovers in Taxeorgia are sucking at the federal government's teat! Taxeorgia gets more from the federal government than it sends in taxes! For every buck you freeloaders send to DC you get $1.01 back! What of Massachusetts? Well, suprise surprise! Massachusetts is supporting layabouts like Taxeorgia! A whopping $.25 of every dollar Massachusetts sends to the Feds is stolen from them and redistributed to states which can't manage to take care of themselves, like Taxeorgia.
After the 2000 election, I advocated for the secession of California (and possibly the entire West Coast) from the United States. Given the size of our economy and the resources we have available, we'd do okay on our own. This would be purely for political reasons, of course. I didn't want my state to be part of a union with a bunch of people who voted for Bush. But I never begrudged them the uneven redistribution of federal tax dollars. There are poor states and wealthy states, just as there are poor people and wealthy people. I'd be a hypocrite Republican if I supported social welfare policies in one situation and not another.
Posted by glyphic at 02:04 AM
How Abu Ghraib happened
Seymour Hersh of the New Yorker has volleyed another shot across the bow of the administration:
THE GRAY ZONE: How a secret Pentagon program came to Abu Ghraib
I can't do this article justice by summarizing or excerpting from it. I recommend that you read it all.
Newsweek has its own investigation into how the Iraqi prison abuses came to be:
Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be any link made to abuses within US prisons and other institutions of structured violence. KCRW's To The Point did a show looking into the US prison system, though I don't think the format allows for a comprehensive job. Still, it's better than nothing. Here's the blurb:
Posted by glyphic at 01:01 AM
Zogby brings good news
Yet another nationwide poll shows Bush losing ground:
Bush/Kerry: 42/47
Favorable/unfavorable: 42/58
It's always good to treat polls, and Zogby polls in particular, with a bit of skepticism, but the trends revealed tend to be reliable. Disapproval has been at 53 since mid-March, and has jumped up 5 points in the last poll. Preference figures have been statistically tied with Kerry since mid-March, but has dropped below the tie in the last poll.
Most interesting is how the latest poll broke down among blue and red states:
(All grammar and spelling errors original.)
Not sure I agree with the analysis. If it were truly reflective of a polarized and partisan electorate, one would expect the red states to heavily favor Bush. They don't, according to Zogby's numbers.
This administration will end.
Posted by glyphic at 12:56 AM
May 15, 2004
Daily Kos. Daily.
I shouldn't post the whole thing. I should post the whole thing. Oh Lord, does this make me a Republican? Choice quotes from the 2000 Republican Party Platform...
"The arrogance, inconsistency, and unreliability of the administration's diplomacy have undermined American alliances, alienated friends, and emboldened our adversaries." [ed. this is referring to Clinton's administration]
"Gerrymandered congressional districts are an affront to democracy and an insult to the voters. We oppose that and any other attempt to rig the electoral process."
"Nor should the intelligence community be made the scapegoat for political misjudgments. A Republican administration working with the Congress will respect the needs and quiet sacrifices of these public servants as it strengthens America's intelligence and counter-intelligence capabilities and reorients them toward the dangers of the future."
"The current administration has casually sent American armed forces on dozens of missions without clear goals, realizable objectives, favorable rules of engagement, or defined exit strategies. Over the past seven years, a shrunken American military has been run ragged by a deployment tempo that has eroded its military readiness. Many units have seen their operational requirements increased four-fold, wearing out both people and equipment."
"The Social Security surplus is off-limits, off budget, and will not be touched. We will not stop there, for we are also determined to protect Medicare and to pay down the national debt. Reducing that debt is both a sound policy goal and a moral imperative. Our families and most states are required to balance their budgets; it is reasonable to assume the federal government should do the same. Therefore, we reaffirm our support for a constitutional amendment to require a balanced budget."
"A Republican president will work with businesses and with other nations to reduce harmful emissions through new technologies without compromising America's sovereignty or competitiveness -- and without forcing Americans to walk to work."
"A new Republican administration will patiently rebuild an international coalition opposed to Saddam Hussein and committed to joint action. We will insist that Iraq comply fully with its disarmament commitments. We will maintain the sanctions on the Iraqi regime while seeking to alleviate the suffering of innocent Iraqi people. We will react forcefully and unequivocally to any evidence of reconstituted Iraqi capabilities for producing weapons of mass destruction."
"Republicans prefer an America that is far less dependent on foreign crude oil. A Republican president will not be so tolerant if OPEC colludes to drive up the world price of oil, as it has done this past year."
Posted by glyphic at 04:44 AM
Live by the gun, die by the gun
"I'm a war president."
--George Bush on Meet the Press, February 7, 2004
In an appearance cited widely as an attempt to stop declining poll numbers against the verbal onslaught of the Democratic primaries (the second such attempt, after the coolly-received State of the Union address), President Bush stated the central theme of his campaign: war.
According to conventional wisdom, this was a smart move for Bush-Cheney Re-Elect 2004. With the administration using every opportunity to hammer home the message that Americans had plenty to fear, and the predictable boost the Commander In Chief receives from an ongoing war, campaigning on a war that the White House had gone to great lengths to associate with terrorism was a no-brainer.
Except the people executing that war had shit for brains. The neo-conservatives at the Pentagon based their post-war plans on the fantastic stories told by Ahmad Chalabi and predictably botched the whole thing. Let's not mince words. The situation in Iraq is bad, and the outlook is bleak.
Several recent polls show the fallout from this neo-conservative crusade to safeguard the Holy Land:
CNN/Time: (MOE +/- 3.1%)
Kerry: 51
Bush: 46
Bush Approve/Disapprove: 46/49
CNN/USA Today/Gallup (MOE +/- 3%)
Bush: 48
Kerry: 47
Bush Approve: 46
AP-Ipsos (MOE +/- 3%)
Kerry: 43
Bush: 46
Quinnipiac (MOE +/- 2.2%)
Kerry: 40
Bush: 43
Bush Approve/Disapprove: 46/47
Live by the gun, die by the gun.
Yet if we were to be completely honest about the significance of the success/failure of the Iraq war and its impact on the campaign, we'd have to admit that almost none of the bad news coming out of Iraq has had much of an effect on Bush's ratings. It was only when these prison abuse photos surfaced on national television that whatever reservations the public may have had about the war crystallized into poor poll numbers. This says a lot about the impact of images. It says even more about the waking dream in which we live our lives.
Some notes about the polls:
1) CNN/Time shows Kerry with a significant lead over Bush. Quinnipiac shows Bush with a slight lead over Kerry. The other two are statistical ties. However, the Qunnipiac poll was not as recent as the CNN/Time poll. At this point in the election campaign, no incumbent has been this close in poll numbers to the challenger and gone on to win. Undecideds apparently break for the challenger at the last minute, reducing the poll leads of incumbents.
2) All four polls show overall approval ratings well below 50%--a bad sign for BCRC04.
3) Polls are relatively useless, but they are useful in highlighting trends--and most of the polls have been showing a gradual downward trend for Bush.
4) It's still a damn close race. Every vote (per precinct) really does count. 2000 margins in several key states often came down to under ten votes per precinct. If you, your family, friends, neighbors, and relatives do not vote on Election Day, you may allow your precinct to go to Bush.
A note about terminology:
In this post, we've used terms such as "President" and "Re-Elect." We, of course, mean no such thing, and only use these terms to ensure the flow of ideas is uninterrupted. Exacting readers may mentally substitute "Resident," "Appointee," or "Occupant" for "President" and "Elect" for "Re-Elect." Thank you for understanding.
Posted by glyphic at 03:58 AM
May 14, 2004
Lee Jones
Just finished reading Lee Jones' excellent Winning Low Limit Hold'Em. In my opinion, the book doesn't necessarily make any huge breakthroughs. What it does is it formalizes a lot of the internal rules you will develop while grinding at the low limit tables (if you're even remotely a serious player) in a clear, concise way without going through the pain and agony of losing your bankroll. Even if you have gone through the pain and agony, it's a good idea to read and reread this book so that you can use its lessons on conscious and unconscious levels.
You can get Lee Jones' advice for free at CardPlayer.com.
Posted by glyphic at 01:23 AM
May 13, 2004
The Deanie Dozen
Last night the campaign formerly known as Dean's announced the Dean Dozen, a slate of progressive candidates around the country running for state and national offices.
Mary Ann Andreas for State Assembly in California. The 80th Assembly District has some of the highest unemployment rates in California, so it's all about jobs for Mary Ann in her race against the Republican incumbent. www.andreasforassembly.com
Ken Campbell for South Carolina State House. A Dean inspired candidate! Oconee County has a chance to put a real community activist and small business owner to work with Ken Campbell. www.takebackoconee.com
Maria Chappelle-Nadal for Missouri State House. Maria has won the support of the grassroots in this race. Democracy for America is behind her in her campaign to take back the State House for Democrats. www.maria2004.com
Scott Clark, Mark Manoil & Nina Trasoff for the Arizona Corporation Commission. The Corporation Commission is a watchdog agency protecting consumers from fraud and corporate abuse. Clark, Manoil & Trasoff became politically active on the Dean campaign and are running as a ticket for the commission. If you live in Arizona and can help them get on the ballot, contact them by email here: corpcomm04@hotmail.com
Kim Hynes for State Representative in Connecticut. 28 Republican state representatives in Connecticut ran unopposed in the last election. We won't take our country back if we don't compete. Kim is doing her part. You too can get involved. http://kimhynes.smartcampaigns.com
Richard Morrison for United States House of Representatives from Texas. Want to get rid of Tom DeLay? Here's your chance. Morrison is hitting back at "The Hammer" by competing against him in the Texas 22nd. Join me and get involved in the fight today. www.richardmorrisonfordistrict22.com
Barack Obama for United States Senate from Illinois. In the race to regain control of the U.S. Senate, Democrats have few better chances to pick up a seat than in Illinois. DFA volunteers all over Illinois helped Obama win his primary, now it's time to help him win the general. Stay tuned: I will be on the trail with Barack soon. www.obamaforillinois.com
Rob MacKenna for Hillsborough County (Florida) Supervisor of Elections. Rob is a computer programmer and is fighting to add a voter-verifiable paper trail to the touch-screen voting machines in the largest swing county in the all-important state of Florida! www.rob2004.com
Monica Palacios-Boyce for Massachusetts State Representative. Inspired by my race for the White House, Monica launched her campaign for state representative when she learned that the Republican incumbent had faced no opposition in his last two elections. www.monicaforstaterep.com
Lori Saldana for State Assembly in California. After an upset victory in the primary, grassroots activists want Lori to win in her race for the environment, education, economy and community of San Diego. www.lorisaldana.com
Jeff Smith for United States House of Representatives from Missouri. Campaigning in a 10-way primary for the opportunity to fill retiring Representative Richard Gephardt's seat in Congress, Jeff is an articulate young progressive running an energetic grassroots field campaign that - with your help - could surprise the pundits. www.jeffsmith2004.com
Donna Red Wing for Colorado House District #25. After serving as the GLBT Field Advisor for the Dean for America campaign, Donna has returned to the mountains of Colorado to mobilize progressive activists in communities across her district. www.donnaredwing.com
Posted by glyphic at 11:11 PM
New 911
And yes, they've redesigned the headlights.
Top Gear has the full story and a gallery.
Posted by glyphic at 03:14 AM
May 12, 2004
Fucked up
NPR : Remembering David Reimer
Posted by glyphic at 06:03 PM
May 09, 2004
Pegu
Here's a cocktail recipe from Burma:
Shake with cracked ice; strain into chilled cocktail glass.
Always use fresh lime juice.
Cocktail recommends stirring this cocktail. Yet their write-up on stirring vs. shaking recommends shaking when dealing with "complex" ingredients, such as bitters. They also say "you almost never shake clear drinks," but the Pegu is not a clear drink. Go ahead and shake it.
Cocktail also recommends Cointreau, but it's bloody expensive ($40/L). Regular triple sec is better bang for your buck ($11/L), though if you have the cash, by all means go with Cointreau.
Cocktail also lists 3 parts gin instead of 2. I have used the recipe above with pleasant results.
Finally, I've frequently misquoted Cocktail by saying that the Pegu makes one surly. In point of fact, Cocktail says the Pegu makes them saucy. In my experience, you might get either result.
Posted by glyphic at 01:12 AM
Wonkette, Limbaugh, abuse of Iraqi prisoners
Wonkette's take on Limbaugh's take on the Iraqi detainee abuse scandal is a must-read. I won't spoil it by excerpting from it, but it involves cocktails. See the next post for a cocktail recipe.
Posted by glyphic at 01:11 AM
May 07, 2004
StudioGlyphic welcomes Machine Samba to the blogging world
Machine Samba is written by the author of Violent Messiahs and the Van Helsing movie tie-in promotional comic book. What a corporate whore!
Here's a sample:
I believe he is sorry. Sorry that this is a fucking PR nightmare in an election storm. Sorry that even republicans are currently calling for Rumsfeld’s resignation. Sorry that they only started the Military Intelligence investigation (one of six) a little over ten days ago even though CBS’s 60 Minutes contacted the Pentagon three weeks prior for a response. Very very sorry.
Why I’m not buying the president’s moral outrage has a lot to do with the hard truth about abuse in Texas Prisons under his Gubernatorial watch and the fact that he never apologized to the impoverished Texas prison population. But then he doesn’t see all of them as potential suicide bombers sitting on a shit load of oil either.
Posted by glyphic at 12:09 PM
May 05, 2004
Speaking of blame America firsters
Barry Goldwater's Republican Convention Speech - 1964
Yesterday it was Korea; tonight it is Vietnam. Make no bones of this. Don't try to sweep this under the rug. We are at war in Vietnam. And yet the president, who is the commander in chief of our forces, refuses to say--refuses to say, mind you--whether or not the objective over there is victory, and his secretary of defense continues to mislead and misinformation the American people, and enough of it has gone by.
Sounds like a traitor to me. If he's still alive, can we have him shot? If he's dead, maybe we can re-bury him in Communist China.
Jokes aside, it's interesting to read the speech.
The major theme of the speech is freedom of the individual vs. the over-powerful government. Implicit comparisons are made between the federal government under a Democratic administration and Communism. The phrase "computer-regimented sameness" is used, which might be referring to Social Security, or might be referring to Medicare (though I don't know if it was part of that year's campaign), either of which might seem like Communist programs to a wingnut like Goldwater.
Goldwater also paints a vision of an "Atlantic civilization" comprised of Europe and the Americas united by common government and free trade. It's hokey by today's standards, but hey, it's a positive imperialist vision.
There's also a pro-Eisenhower bit that takes credit for the United States having the "mightiest arsenal for defense" under a Democratic administration. It's ironic, of course, since Eisenhower was not a wingnut and warned Americans against the "military-industrial complex" which continues to fuck our shit up to this day.
Finally, the speech takes place at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. Can't imagine that happening today.
Posted by glyphic at 05:17 AM
Choice words from that blame America first lefty, George Will
Time for Bush to See The Realities of Iraq
Posted by glyphic at 05:00 AM
Overused and incorrect
CJR Campaign Desk has a good piece about how the media aren't doing their job by doing a little fact-checking and refuting claims/charges by either candidate. The problem I have with the piece is that it's titled "A Modest Proposal," which obviously references Swift, and is therefore intended to bestow instant lit-cred, among other things. But come on, if you're going to use the same title, you ought to use the same tone and style. A piece that called for a media special forces unit to lock up and "interrogate" candidates that made a charge about the other guy would have been in the same spirit, though arguably unpublishable in this country, especially in the current environment. The solution? Come up with your own damn title.
Posted by glyphic at 04:32 AM
No bite
CJR Campaign Desk offers continuous analysis and criticism of the media's coverage of the Presidential campaign.
Cut to a shot of Bush speaking at a rally - with no sound. The sound cues up as soon as Bush finishes his thought; all we hear is audience applause. After a few seconds of that, producers cut back to Rather, who continues on as if he hasn't just offered us...nothing.
Posted by glyphic at 04:16 AM
Selling your roommate's stuff
Glasstrack outlines the reasons why selling your roommate's stuff is a good idea. Since Glasstrack is also a good lawyer, this is probably something you can do without worrying about the law. In fact, my roommate is heading off overseas for the summer, so I'm thinking I could make at least fifty bucks for my poker bankroll. Sweet!
Posted by glyphic at 04:10 AM
Cinco de Mayo
According to VIVA! Cinco de Mayo, the Mexican victory over French forces may have saved the Union. Sounds like a candidate for some speculative fiction. And the impetus for a statewide menudo cookoff!
Posted by glyphic at 03:27 AM
May 04, 2004
Fires again
Flames Force Evacuations; Man Arrested
Remember last fall? The weeks after the special election? Well, we've got some more fires going on. While they're not as bad as last fall's, they underscore once again that policies that allow human settlements to get too close to hills which historically burn down every few years are completely irresponsible. When you link the danger to human lives to other urban problems of congestion, pollution, and reduction of open space, you might want to start thinking about imposing a moratorium on further outward growth.
Of course, such a moratorium would be considered completely anti-American by some. The acceptable alternative would be to charge new developments in these areas hefty fees to pay for the construction and maintenance of vital infrastructure to these areas and for a heavy duty rapid response local fire crew. After all, if some people choose to live out in fire country, they should pay for the services needed to keep them healthy and safe.
(Updated May 5, 2004 3:30AM)
Posted by glyphic at 03:10 PM
"Their treatment does not reflect the nature of the American people."
Perhaps not, but I think Bush and the other politicians are overlooking a disturbing current that exists in some segments of our society.
It wasn't too long ago that the New York police department sodomized Abner Louima with a broomstick. More recently, the California prison system was rocked by allegations of abuse and coverups. Stories of sexual hazing rituals and rape filter out of our colleges and universities every few years.
A few bad eggs? Perhaps, but the observations in the Stanford prison experiment suggest the problem may be structural/institutional. In each of these examples there exist either an "us vs. them" mentality and/or an environment of hyper-masculinity. It's not too much of a stretch to find these attributes in the current scandal surrounding Abu Ghraib.
Which isn't to say that the individuals involved are not personally responsible for their actions; however, we should recognize that in certain environments, some people become sociopaths. Whether we take steps to screen these people out, or implement a kind of training regime to counter these tendencies, we need to stop ignoring the problem and do something about it.
Posted by glyphic at 12:50 PM
The home game
Ended up +$$ for the first time in weeks. +13.75BB. Caught some decent cards from time to time and played them hard for some decent profits.
But the big winner last night was cavebutter (who will probably never blog again, so I won't bother with the link). He ended up +21BB after about 3 hours of play. I don't think I paid much attention to his play (we were hardly ever heads up, and when I bet, he usually folded), but I seem to recall he played a lot of hands. So he either got a good run of cards, or he tried to outplay the table with whatever marginal hands he got. Could have been either.
Posted by glyphic at 11:51 AM
May 03, 2004
Blog for America
Looks like the transformation is complete. Now the Dean blog's comprised of a soothing pattern of lines and solid colors--kind of like a mail order catalog for slightly upscale, yet still mass-market clothing and kitchenware.
Posted by glyphic at 11:06 AM
San Francisco Late Night Coalition
"The San Francisco Late Night Coalition is a broad-based group composed of promoters, activists, dj's, musicians, artists, community members and club owners. Our goal is to protect, preserve and promote San Francisco's late-night culture."
Last call at 4AM? Sign me up!
Posted by glyphic at 01:07 AM
May 02, 2004
Homestar Runner 2600
Coming in June for your Atari 2600: The first official Homestar Runner video game for a game console, RPG syle.
Wow.
Also from the Nostalgia Files:
Posted by glyphic at 04:07 PM
Blogger don't like tables
That last post was a bitch to do.
Posted by glyphic at 03:36 PM
The long, steep decline of my bankroll
My bankroll reached a high somewhere around tax day. Two and a half weeks later, it was gone. Vanished. I don't even know who to call.
There's some consolation in the fact that this wasn't even my money. I'd withdrawn my original deposit long ago. It was about half winnings, half bonuses.
But now that I've hit bottom, I should figure out what happened before I even think about spending another dollar of student loans on poker.
Losses:
$163.88 on 1/2, $50 on 1/2 (6 max), $101.17 on .50/1, $38 on $10 SNGs. 4128 hands of limit at a rate of -5.04BB/100 hands.
Yikes. I mean, that's just terrible. Prior to the 15th I was making +3.07BB/100 hands.
So am I playing too many cards? I don't think so.
| Up to April 15 7017 hands | April 15 and after 4128 hands | |
| VP$IP | 18.11% | 19.5% |
| Up to April 15 7017 hands | April 15 and after 4128 hands | |
| Went to SD | 29.22% | 25.78% |
| Up to April 15 7017 hands | April 15 and after 4128 hands | |
| Won$@SD | 60.95% | 51.9% |
| Up to April 15 7017 hands | April 15 and after 4128 hands | |||||
| Starting Hand | # Times | Win % | Avg Win @ SD | # Times | Win % | Avg Win @ SD |
| AA | 32 | 78% | +8.47BB | 23 | 56.5% | +6.42BB |
| AKs | 35 | 54% | +6.49BB | 16 | 43% | +6.13BB |
| KK | 22 | 54.5% | +6.25BB | 14 | 57% | +9.00BB |
| 37 | 62% | +5.48BB | 28 | 50% | +7.52BB | |
| JJ | 35 | 40% | +5.73BB | 15 | 60% | +5.21BB |
| All Group 1 Hands | 161 | 58% | 96 | 53% | ||
Here's another interesting sight:
Pre-tax day results:
Post-tax day results:
Lots of red on that post-tax day graphic.
Final conclusions
I really don't know. I'm either a lousy player that had a good start, or I'm a good player that had a lousy end. I think I'll hold off on playing any more poker until I read and digest some theory books and get a reload bonus offer.
Posted by glyphic at 03:27 PM
May 01, 2004
Tilt.
Don't even want to talk about it.
Posted by glyphic at 12:25 AM