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Thursday Morning Open Thread

The return of the 11 Show, starring me, today at, um, 11. (Shoutcast link seem weird. Use the non flash link instead. In fact, I'm pulling the shoutcast stuff.))

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  • Display: Sort:
    Will you play a dance track in the background (5.00 / 1) (#1)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 09:10:03 AM EST
    for the whole hour to celebrate how good things look?  I'm tired.  I need a party.

    IT' weird (5.00 / 1) (#3)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 09:25:40 AM EST
    use the non flash link instead.

    Parent
    Yes Boss (none / 0) (#4)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 09:26:56 AM EST
    On That :)

    Parent
    Wouldn't the opening track (none / 0) (#6)
    by CoralGables on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 09:31:10 AM EST
    for the show
    be more of this

    Parent
    Most likely (none / 0) (#8)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 09:40:42 AM EST
    In middle and the finish as well

    Parent
    Starring DJ BTD. (none / 0) (#2)
    by oculus on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 09:15:34 AM EST
    Just Dance (5.00 / 1) (#5)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 09:28:15 AM EST
    It'll be okay.  I'd put up the Lady GaGa video but she's disturbing with the microphone...or it just disturbs me I guess :)  Good song though

    Parent
    You want to dance? (none / 0) (#125)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 08:41:55 PM EST
    HERE.

    This music video has always been one of my not-so-guilty pleasures, because it really personifies the terms "diva," "defiance" and "empowerment" in the very best sense of those words.

    If I had my way, I'd hijack the AV system at RNC HQ in Washington on Tuesday night, lock the doors so nobody could escape, and then play this song at full volume in an endless loop.

    Parent

    Are you trying to kill them? (none / 0) (#148)
    by Militarytracy on Fri Nov 02, 2012 at 09:22:16 AM EST
    They don't know how to love

    Parent
    A party photo for you (5.00 / 2) (#29)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 11:02:51 AM EST
    My kids and my daughter's new baby, which day by day is becoming an old baby.  His sisters went as Thing1 and Thing2 and we were going to try to make him into the Cat in the Hat.  After discussion though, what baby is going to sit for being Cat in the scratchy Hat.  Because of The Walking Dead and Josh being a Zombie, my daughter decided to try Zombie pregnancy.  The baby was so happy all during two hours of trick or treating.  Josh makes a great Zombie, his mutation adds to the affect and he chooses to use it, which always surprises me....how he just goes for it all.

    [IMG]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y169/Militarytracy/image.jpg[/IMG]

    Parent

    Simply (5.00 / 2) (#43)
    by Amiss on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 12:15:37 PM EST
    Adorable! Josh is an awesome zombie!

    Parent
    That's because... (5.00 / 2) (#54)
    by unitron on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 01:14:09 PM EST
    ...he's got being an awesome Josh to build on.

    Parent
    Too cute, MT. Why they look like real zombies. (none / 0) (#112)
    by caseyOR on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 06:05:08 PM EST
    And OMG, your daughter has 3 kids? How did I miss the birth of #3?

    Here's a belated congratulations to the young parents and to what I am sure are the doting grandparents and the happy happy uncle.

    Parent

    We didn't talk about Tristan much (5.00 / 1) (#142)
    by Militarytracy on Fri Nov 02, 2012 at 07:01:01 AM EST
    at first.  Didn't get the chance, his parents had both been married and both were cheated on by their spouses, so they said they didn't believe in marriage.  They planned on being an unmarried couple.  And that was cool by me and my son-in-law's mom but it wasn't cool with the dads at all.  I think it had something to do with both dads being soldiers and that daily culture.  Right after Tristan was born the parents changed their minds within days and we moved swiftly into wedding planning because they wanted to marry in three months.

    Poor Tristan got lost in the crush for awhile.

    Parent

    Well I say (5.00 / 2) (#152)
    by Amiss on Fri Nov 02, 2012 at 12:40:17 PM EST
    CONGRATULATIONS to you and your family for BOTH of the new additions to the clan. They are both so very lucky to have joined or born into such a warm loving family.

    Parent
    A great video... (5.00 / 5) (#7)
    by indy in sc on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 09:32:50 AM EST
    Facebooked (none / 0) (#11)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 09:56:44 AM EST
    Funny snippet from Fox news' (5.00 / 1) (#9)
    by oculus on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 09:44:20 AM EST
    Stirewalt:

    The president's decision to move left after taking office and stay there hardened Republican opposition and boosted a traditional turnout advantage for the Red



    You just need the decoder ring (5.00 / 3) (#13)
    by ruffian on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 10:15:35 AM EST
    "The president's decision to move left after taking office and stay there" means "our decision to call the so-called president a Kenyan socialist every day of his first term"

    Parent
    as longs as your internet decoder ring is out... (1.00 / 8) (#26)
    by Jim in St Louis on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 10:47:32 AM EST
    ...maybe you could help me out with a little problem. Quotation marks placed around a statement and then attributed to a person reads like something that the person actually said- right?

    So why the quotes above? Did anyone actually say that?   I get the humor, and maybe you meant to use 'air quotes' (you know when people hold up the two fingers in the air).

    But how to tell when someone is being "funny" and when they are "actually" quoting a person?

    Parent

    Add this to your decoder ring (5.00 / 1) (#31)
    by sj on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 11:08:10 AM EST
    Clicking the parent link will direct you to the parent of the column.  If you do that, you will find that phrase in the parent to ruffian's comment.  Which ruffian then quoted.  No air quotes needed.  

    Reading comprehension and understanding of how the blog works will help to eliminate the need for a decoder ring.

    However, they won't help you develop a sense of humor.  Or a sense for humor for that matter.


    Parent

    First set of quotes (5.00 / 2) (#45)
    by ruffian on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 12:24:31 PM EST
    is quoting the quoted section in the original post....second set is quoting myself imitating Fox news.

    Call the grammar police if I got it wrong.

    Parent

    so touchy - but not so feely (1.00 / 2) (#51)
    by Jim in St Louis on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 12:52:27 PM EST
    I would never call the cops on ya.  

    Just wondering why this site is so hateful?

    Do you guys really get off on pretending evil things have been said by people who did not really say that other people did not say, just so you can get the pleasure of refuting the things they didn't say in the first place?  

    (Now that is a sentence to call the grammar police)

     

    Parent

    On a scale of 1--10, w/10 being (5.00 / 6) (#55)
    by oculus on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 01:16:37 PM EST
    "extremely hateful,". This blog, at present, is, at most, a "2."

    Parent
    there ya go (1.00 / 1) (#61)
    by Jim in St Louis on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 01:48:09 PM EST
    Perfect example-  Why did you put quotation marks around "extremely hateful" ?  Whom are you quoting?

    Parent
    there ya go (5.00 / 1) (#62)
    by sj on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 01:50:50 PM EST
    the very definition of trolling.

    Parent
    And the new troll has used up 3 of his 4 (none / 0) (#65)
    by shoephone on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 02:01:25 PM EST
    allowed comments for the day.

    Parent
    Seriously? Because without the quotes, (none / 0) (#69)
    by Anne on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 02:10:45 PM EST
    "extremely hateful" describes the number itself and not the far end of the scale oculus established for purposes of measuring the level of hatefulness present on this blog.

    Now, don't you have homework or chores to do?  A younger sibling to torment?  A video game to play?

    Parent

    You're a troll and posted some nasty and racist (5.00 / 1) (#66)
    by Angel on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 02:03:27 PM EST
    comments here yesterday which Jeralyn deleted.  I'd love for you to disappear.  

     

    Parent

    Well, if you read the word "means" (none / 0) (#30)
    by Anne on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 11:06:35 AM EST
    that separates the two statements, you wouldn't need a decoder ring - just basic comprehension skills.

    Seriously, if you're really that clueless, this may not be the place for you; if you're just pretending, you need more practice.

    [I sure hope my use of quotes around "means" didn't confuse you.]

    Parent

    Yes the person actually said that (none / 0) (#83)
    by DFLer on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 03:43:45 PM EST
    Here's the link

    Go to paragraph entitled Ground Out

    The author on the Fox News site is named Stirewalt as cited. There was no link provided that I saw. However a google search of the entire quote yielded the source.

    Parent

    I still can't believe anyone perceives (4.60 / 5) (#12)
    by Anne on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 10:08:38 AM EST
    Obama as having moved left after taking office;  he'd have needed a GPS just to find "left."  And even then, as the GPS lady instructed him to turn left, he'd have been asking for an alternate route.

    Parent
    Don't you know (5.00 / 2) (#14)
    by sj on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 10:18:19 AM EST
    That sometimes, three turns to the right will get you to the same place as a turn to the left?  That's probably the alternate route he's been taking.

    Parent
    Shades of J. Edgar Hoover! (none / 0) (#129)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 09:10:04 PM EST
    I don't think Fox News ... (5.00 / 1) (#96)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 04:09:56 PM EST
    ... is necessarily talking to you and me, Anne. They're simply blowing the dog whistles long and hard at the base in these last few days, calling to muster those God-fearing, salt-of-the-earth and rugged individualist types who tend to listen to only what they want to hear -- you know, white-wing morons.

    Parent
    What a load of crap (none / 0) (#10)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 09:56:18 AM EST
    Another load that Morning Joe tried to sell this morning while showing the Christie Obama lovefest was that what has happened between the two of them changes everything and bipartisanship is the new black.  Load of crap alert!!!!

    Parent
    Probably right that it IS a load of crap (5.00 / 2) (#22)
    by ruffian on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 10:36:20 AM EST
    but I really hope that it becomes a 'thing' and stands in stark relief to the obstructionist GOP congress.

    Unless of course it results in a grand bargain to "fix" social security.

    Going to be an interesting year anyway.

    Parent

    The New Black ? (none / 0) (#17)
    by ScottW714 on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 10:24:31 AM EST
    What does that mean ?  Does Joe think being black is some new trendy thing ?

    Load of crap, I totally agree, but I think if there are actually people out there who haven't decided, that has to help Obama.  

    Here is guy who went after Obama at the Convention, KeyNote Speaker, with big government this and that, stand on your own blather, the full republican fantasy including this:

    "We have never been victims of destiny, we have always been masters of our own."

    Now that same guy realizes that forces beyond anyone's control (what he called destiny) put the people he is governing in need (what he called victims) from that same bloated government, he hated last month, now he working with to help his state.

    I give him props, at least he's willing to go above his parities ridiculous mantra to help the people he governs.

    But I can't think of a better political ad, panning back and forth from Christie's/Romney's/Ryan's words to pics of the government helping people and then Christie right there with Obama.

    Not a dark ad, just one kind of making fun of republican blather and how in the real world it just doesn't work that way, sometimes really bad things happen to good people and when that does, our government will be there.  And ending with something like 'When all is said and done, sometimes people need help.'

    Parent

    "The new black" is a fashion/style trend (5.00 / 3) (#18)
    by ruffian on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 10:27:16 AM EST
    reference, not a racial one. Shorthand for saying something is now in vogue.

    Before we get carried away.

    Parent

    I've always preferred the term (5.00 / 1) (#47)
    by brodie on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 12:26:27 PM EST
    "the new African-American" myself.

    Parent
    The Spouse and Daughters ... (none / 0) (#99)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 04:13:01 PM EST
    ... like the term "the new Latino" even better.
    ;-D

    Parent
    ie. for a few years there everyone trendy was (none / 0) (#19)
    by ruffian on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 10:28:47 AM EST
    wearing black. Maybe still are. Don't know if there ever really has been a 'new black'.

    Parent
    CoCo Chanel made black all that it is :) (none / 0) (#41)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 12:10:28 PM EST
    We are redoing our private bathroom.  I wanted pink and white striped walls and the built-ins painted glossy black enamel, very CoCo.  She had whole rooms done this way.

    My husband informed me that won't be happening.  This is why CoCo never married and said something about only wanting to weigh upon a man like a bird, so he didn't have the right to weigh on her bathroom :)

    Parent

    There was a "brown is the new black" ... (none / 0) (#57)
    by unitron on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 01:24:02 PM EST
    ...trend that lasted for at least 5 or 10 minutes several years back.

    Might even be the origin of the phrase.

    Parent

    I actually bought into that one for a while (5.00 / 1) (#128)
    by ruffian on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 08:55:04 PM EST
    Ended up with too many outfits that made me look like a baked potato.

    Parent
    Dude..yer such dude (5.00 / 1) (#25)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 10:47:09 AM EST
    "Hey, dude!" (5.00 / 1) (#101)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 04:20:21 PM EST
    I had a dorm neighbor back in college days, a really cool guy from Vancouver, WA who could always get the best weed and who called everyone "dude." Now that I think about it, I really can't remember a time that he ever addressed anyone by their first name.

    Parent
    Good lord (5.00 / 4) (#15)
    by lilburro on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 10:19:13 AM EST
    I cannot wait for the end of this election.  It has completely exhausted me.  I think I read about politics for about two hours last night after dinner.  It's not even fun policy.  At least I learned some things about healthcare.  :(  Hopefully celebrations next Tuesday make this all worth it.

    At least I read this morning on TPM that the Senate is projected by everyone to remain in D control.  I know not everyone here likes Obamacare but the thought of it being rolled back by a Republican Congress is nauseating.

    Nice to hear BTD again.

    Just the Thought... (none / 0) (#20)
    by ScottW714 on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 10:29:31 AM EST
    ...of rehashing that debate, again, curls my skin.

    I complain about the ACA plenty, but it's done, and it was way better than nothing.  They took their shot in the courts, failed, so it's time to let that dog rest.  We got plenty of other issues to keep the ditto heads employed on Capital Hill.

    Parent

    How we all feel (none / 0) (#32)
    by Stellaaa on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 11:11:02 AM EST
    This little girl says it all

    The horrid part is that for all this time, the GOP primaries we have had these narrative in the air, the right wing domination of the aura.  

    Parent

    Nate (5.00 / 2) (#16)
    by CoralGables on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 10:21:53 AM EST
    offers to double the bet with Morning Joe to $2000. No answer yet from Joe Scarborough.

    Math and Nate Silver continue to be a thorn in the side of Republicans.

    Doesn't surprise me that Joe hasn't (5.00 / 3) (#28)
    by Anne on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 10:59:08 AM EST
    responded - if he did, attention might shift to what I see as the media's ongoing manipulation of information in order to drive the story - and sometimes the outcome - that works best for them.  It's not just with politics, either - they seem to do this with almost everything.  And too many of the people watching just gobble it up as if it were the truth.

    I mean, have you heard even one of these so-called pundits or "political directors" or "WH reporters" deliver any analysis that wasn't framed as a breathless, neck-and-neck race?  Shoot, I saw Chuck Todd the other night with the digital version of Tim Russert's famous whiteboard, outlining scenarios where there's a tie in the electoral college, with the House selecting Romney as president and the Senate selecting Biden as VP.  And it isn't the current Congress that would be doing the selecting, but the one seated in January.

    It's like the more Obama starts to pull away, the harder these guys work to make it a close race.

    What is the purpose of that kind of reporting?  Ratings.  Money.  Manufactured relevance.

    And the worst part is that it doesn't involve or engage the electorate as much as it turns them into  spectators, especially those who don't live in the one or two states that always end up deciding the election.  I guess it might get a few more people to the polls, but what a dishonest way to do it.  

    In Maryland, what's driving voter interest are the statewide ballot issues - expanded gambling, same-sex marriage and in-state tuition for undocumented students who graduate from a MD high school and whose families have paid taxes here for at least three years.  Do I even have to describe the non-stop Vote Yes/Vote No ads we've been deluged with for weeks?

    Okay, I'm ranting again - sorry.  But I think there's as much chance of Joe taking Nate up on his wager as there is of pigs taking flight.

    Parent

    Silver is pretty conservative.... (none / 0) (#34)
    by magster on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 11:13:10 AM EST
    ... amongst the statisticians who are crunching the numbers too. I think I linked to you some guy who has Obama's chances in the mid-90s.

    I read somewhere that it's not a disagreement on Silver's prediction, it's a fight for relevance. Besides the obvious desire to see Obama win, an additional benefit would be that the Silver's of the world make the Politico's and Scarborough's of the world irrelevant.


    Parent

    To be fair to Joe (none / 0) (#35)
    by CoralGables on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 11:19:44 AM EST
    Nate cornered him and as an odds guy Nate gets the best of the bet by far. BTD will understand this completely.

    Joe thinks Mitt will win (even though the odds favor Obama)

    Nate jumps on it offering the even money bet with the winnings going to the Red Cross

    Joe having taken a stand looks bad if he doesn't take the bet even though Joe could get far better odds from a bookie. And doubly bad since Nate would donate the wager to charity if he wins.

    Joe has to bite the bullet and make the foolish bet or wiggle a lame excuse. Either way Nate wins.

    *note - No matter who wins the election, from a financial perspective this is a great bet by Nate.

    Parent

    That is Easy, the Polls (none / 0) (#38)
    by ScottW714 on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 11:56:07 AM EST
    All of the hype is based on the polls.  I don't remember an election in which the polls shifted almost daily, or an election in which poll results were available so often.  They are shifting over some pretty damn insignificant non-sense.

    My theory, they poll just enough people to make the error rates large enough that it could be interpreted as dead even.  Larger error rates will always produce less accurate information and that constant shifting, is more likely inaccuracy, then the back and forth they keep pushing.

    It's entirely money driven.  I wonder exactly how much money has been injected into the economy this election cycle, 1.5 billion between the candidates, the donors, the writers, the talking heads, the advertisers, the t-shirt makers, the consulting fees, the support staff for all of it and I bet an election is a godsend to the economy.

    Parent

    DIsagree. (none / 0) (#49)
    by magster on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 12:29:21 PM EST
    I think the Karl Rove's of the world have paid off Rasmussen, and created Gravis and are flooding the poll aggregator sites with bogus polls to affect the narrative, so that the cable news and Politicos of the world have something to run on.

    I hope that Obama exceeds the polling averages (besides for the obvious reasons) but to nip this cynical polling in the bud.

    As I type this, Andrea Mitchell is breathlessly reporting Cilizza's change of Ohio to tossup.

    Parent

    Right on cue.... (none / 0) (#53)
    by magster on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 01:12:50 PM EST
    "Citizens United" poll (I did not make up the name of the pollster) says R + 3 in Ohio.

    Parent
    I would bet (5.00 / 2) (#70)
    by KeysDan on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 02:39:12 PM EST
    that this time next week, Mittens will be busy filing an amended 20ll tax return so as to claim all of his charitable deductions.

    Parent
    Shouldn't you be using air quotes (5.00 / 3) (#72)
    by nycstray on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 02:54:24 PM EST
    for "charitable donations"?

    Parent
    I think I should (5.00 / 2) (#75)
    by KeysDan on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 03:18:35 PM EST
    have used quotation marks  ("charitable donations")  with the   usage of, 'so -called' as in "charitable donations to the Mormon Church."

    Parent
    Hilarious (5.00 / 1) (#110)
    by ScottW714 on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 05:37:17 PM EST
    Mitt using his own money to help people.  
    Good one.

    (Newser) - When Mitt Romney's campaign made the hasty decision to transform yesterday's planned Ohio campaign event into a Hurricane Sandy disaster relief rally, they were afraid no one would get the message in time to bring donations, hence ruining the photo-op. So campaign aides ran to Walmart the night before and bought $5,000 worth of supplies like granola bars, canned food, and diapers, sources tell Buzzfeed. To greet Romney, supporters had to hand him some donation, but if they didn't have one, they were told to "just grab something" from the pile of pre-purchased groceries.

    The level of contempt Mitt has knows no bounds.  I don't know who is more disgusting, the idiots who thought this up, or the idiots that showed up to a a relief rally empty handed.

    Parent

    He's scraping the bottom of the barrel (5.00 / 1) (#117)
    by shoephone on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 07:23:26 PM EST
    This new Spanish language ad Romney's putting out in Miami asks, "Who Supports Barack Obama? Hugo Chavez...Mariela Castro..."

    Really a desperate little piece of sh*t this Romney creep is.

    Parent

    I sure hope so (none / 0) (#74)
    by kmblue on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 03:05:55 PM EST
    I voted today in Atlanta.  I live in Midtown, which is south of Buckhead (the enclave of 1 percenters).
    It was about 40 degrees, not including windchill, this morning as I waited to vote outside the Buckhead library.  I was in jeans, sneaks and a sweater.  Need I add I was almost the only person there NOT wearing something by a designer? ;)

    Parent
    Nate has Obama at 300 electoral today. (none / 0) (#27)
    by Angel on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 10:53:14 AM EST
    What this week's SNL skit should be (5.00 / 1) (#50)
    by shoephone on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 12:47:50 PM EST
    The Odd Couple. I totally see Christie as Oscar and Obama as Felix.

    A laugh (5.00 / 1) (#115)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 06:49:28 PM EST
    sh%t southern women say.

    link

    That was dern funny! (none / 0) (#116)
    by shoephone on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 07:15:57 PM EST
    Duke's mayo is the best! (none / 0) (#118)
    by Anne on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 07:24:14 PM EST
    It's like the secret ingredient to anything that calls for mayonnaise...

    And I'm serious, in case you think I'm snarking!

    Parent

    This is amazing. (none / 0) (#127)
    by lilburro on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 08:54:21 PM EST
    Makes me miss some people in NC!

    Parent
    Love it! (none / 0) (#131)
    by Angel on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 09:41:16 PM EST
    As was the case in 2008 (5.00 / 1) (#145)
    by CoralGables on Fri Nov 02, 2012 at 08:51:59 AM EST
    Rasmussen begins to cast off their bias and come back to the fold as we approach election day.

    Friday morning Rasmussen:
    Obama 48%
    Romney 48%

    That's a 2 point Obama jump in one day in their tracking poll.


    Well, the graphs at 538 sure do (5.00 / 2) (#147)
    by Anne on Fri Nov 02, 2012 at 09:22:10 AM EST
    tell a tale, I think, one that will not have a happy ending for The Man of A Thousand - all Smarmy - Faces.

    I know people are feeling panicky, but I don't know how, with only a few days left, Romney can regain the momentum he's lost.  I don't even think Romney can make much hay from the slight uptick in the unemployment rate.

    Clearly, the Obama campaign isn't feeling complacent - nor should they - but as much as the media want to have a long night on Tuesday, with everyone breathless and biting their nails, I don't think that's going to happen.

    All in all, I think the worst part of election night for Dems is going to be suffering through the insufferable media coverage.

    Parent

    One inprovement in punditry since 2008... (5.00 / 1) (#149)
    by ruffian on Fri Nov 02, 2012 at 09:35:28 AM EST
    I have not heard anyone grasp at "The Bradley Effect" to explain the polls in Obama's favor.

    Parent
    Shoutcast has some buffering issues (none / 0) (#21)
    by ruffian on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 10:31:33 AM EST
    at least on my iPhone/ATT. Switching over to the non-Flash site at the break!

    Oh well, valiant attempt BTD! (5.00 / 2) (#24)
    by ruffian on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 10:43:57 AM EST
    Appreciate the drift of your ideas, and laughing at Chris Cilizza is always worthwhile.

    Parent
    non-flash player in and out too (none / 0) (#23)
    by DFLer on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 10:42:33 AM EST
    BTD is on with Justice and Winkk now (none / 0) (#33)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 11:12:03 AM EST
    Connection holding

    If you play Scramble with Friends (none / 0) (#36)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 11:26:22 AM EST
    and you are any good at it, geniunely terrific, please find player lynnder and beat them to a pulp for me.

    Maybe it's my spelling (5.00 / 2) (#37)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 11:26:58 AM EST
    Maybe... (none / 0) (#40)
    by ScottW714 on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 12:05:53 PM EST
    ...this will help.

    LINK
    LINK
    LINK

    No one on the internet plays fair.

    Parent

    Oh, I know how to spot cheaters (none / 0) (#42)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 12:11:50 PM EST
    This is no cheater, this is the real deal and they need to be taken down :)

    Parent
    Was just reading the DKos diary (none / 0) (#39)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 12:04:46 PM EST
    About Joe Scaborough (no, I didn't misspell) shooting his mouth off about those who were refusing to call the race a dead heat and Nate Silver wanted to bet him $1,000 that Obama would win.  I guess Scaborough responded by suggesting they both donate a $1,000 to the Red Cross and Nate instead suggested that they bet $2,000.

    Realized that this will be over in 5 days give or take theft.  I wish I could chillax but if they overturn ACA it turns my life upside down.  Plus, now that the Obama administration has announced two government sponsored healthcare plans being created I've got this crazy idea in my head that my daughter and son-in-law (who both suffer migraines from time to time) may be able to soon have prescription medication they could legally take for their next migraine episode.

    I think you need to ask yourself (5.00 / 7) (#44)
    by Anne on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 12:21:12 PM EST
    why Joey Scabs so desperately needs this to be a dead-heat/dead-even race - why all the major media need it to be so.

    Would anyone be watching or listening to them if they would report that Obama's beginning to put this one away?

    Jesus, the Fox viewers would have a simultaneous stroke if that came across the screen - and then Joey might be sleeping with the fishes.  Or wish he was.

    Honestly, I just hate all of this - it's just so damn manufactured, and none of it is done in service of informing the public, but in maintaining their death grip on relevance.

    Stop watching.

    Parent

    I think both your reasons are in play (5.00 / 3) (#48)
    by ruffian on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 12:28:29 PM EST
    They are afraid that unless they pretend it is a dead heat, they will be accused of bias. They are not allowed to talk about the evidence as they see it, rendering their opinions meaningless.


    Parent
    Think Good Thoughts... (none / 0) (#52)
    by ScottW714 on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 01:07:41 PM EST
    ...like how much fun it will be watching the right shred Mitt after the election.  They did it to McCain over Palin and they like him.  

    November is going to be a real treat for left.

    Sandy sealed the deal for Obama.

    Parent

    I have a feeling that Romney won't take the loss (none / 0) (#64)
    by Angel on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 01:59:10 PM EST
    as well as McCain did, or seemed to.

    Parent
    I think A. Romney will be the worst (none / 0) (#67)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 02:05:19 PM EST
    Is there an Intrade bet as to whether or not Ann Romney will outdo Babs Bush in horrific things said at inopportune times  :)?

    Parent
    Rom (none / 0) (#124)
    by lentinel on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 08:40:02 PM EST
    would have to go some distance to outdo Gore - growing a beard and going to hell in a hand basket.

    Parent
    Well, considering that Gore was robbed of the (none / 0) (#155)
    by Angel on Sat Nov 03, 2012 at 04:33:56 PM EST
    election by the Supreme Court, I'm not surprised at what happened to him.  He seems to have recovered, though.  Romney's loss will be his own fault.

    Parent
    Dirty tricks, micro. (none / 0) (#46)
    by KeysDan on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 12:24:58 PM EST
    Gail Collins (NYT, Nov 1) tells of Ohioans who after having their Obama yard signs stolen, placed signs in their tree--only to find that someone had climbed the tree during the night and draped towels over their placards.   A story, much, much  closer to home for me, was the "egging"  last night of my Obama sign that is fastened to the  porch railing causing me to do some unexpected  hosing down.  

    Thought it might be just teenage Halloween pranksters, annoying but to be overlooked.  However, video-cams revealed  good shots of a young man and woman sans costumes pelting the sign and environs.  Must be one percenters who can afford to waste a dozen eggs.    But  the porch did need a good cleaning and midnight is as good a time as any to do it.

    Wondering if SYG would bar (none / 0) (#56)
    by oculus on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 01:20:14 PM EST
    prosecution of a homeowner under these circumstances.

    Parent
    For my personal protection (5.00 / 2) (#60)
    by KeysDan on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 01:44:27 PM EST
    I was going to add a Romney sign contiguous with  my Obama sign and proclaim that I am an undecided voter.   However, the SYG defense may prove  a better idea since these perpetrators are apparently tea party people.   What makes me think that?   A neighbor found the empty egg carton in her yard with a dry marker reading  for "Omaba hous" (sic).  

    Parent
    ha! (none / 0) (#63)
    by sj on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 01:51:27 PM EST
    KeysDan if you need (none / 0) (#73)
    by fishcamp on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 02:57:35 PM EST
    a corner man I'm not far away and I used to paint signs in school too.

    Parent
    Thanks. (none / 0) (#77)
    by KeysDan on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 03:24:48 PM EST
    I think I'' be OK. just a sign of the times.

    Parent
    What does this mean? I think I" (none / 0) (#85)
    by oculus on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 03:45:53 PM EST
    Means he hit the apostrophe (5.00 / 1) (#88)
    by Anne on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 03:47:48 PM EST
    key instead of the "L" - or at least that's my best guess.

    Parent
    My decoder ring is back-ordered. (5.00 / 1) (#90)
    by oculus on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 03:49:25 PM EST
    Decoder: (5.00 / 1) (#93)
    by KeysDan on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 03:59:04 PM EST
    .....I think I will be OK....

    Parent
    If you can (none / 0) (#58)
    by sj on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 01:28:43 PM EST
    ... you should consider getting a still from the video and attaching to your newly cleaned sign.  The larger and more clear the still, the greater the possibility of freaking out said perpetrators.

    Parent
    Get that video footage... (none / 0) (#59)
    by unitron on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 01:30:18 PM EST
    ...on the local TV news.

    Show 'em and shame 'em.

    Parent

    I'm concerned about voter intimidation in Ohio, (none / 0) (#68)
    by Angel on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 02:07:27 PM EST
    Florida and Wisconsin - has anyone heard anything about the DOJ monitoring and if so, what have you heard?  

    Not much. Not good (none / 0) (#71)
    by Towanda on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 02:39:54 PM EST
    in Wisconsin.

    But Obama sure is working to hang onto his base here and get out the vote.  He is in Green Bay today, in Milwaukee on Saturday, and in Madison on Monday.  He just was in Madison a couple of weeks ago  -- for another one of those ridiculously over-estimated crowd counts, which I just don't get, as the crowds are huge, so why make silly crowd-size statements?  Anyway, why worry about Madison?  Weird way to spend the last, crucial day.

    Oh, and he's got Bill Clinton in red, red, red, Waukesha today -- Waukesha, Kathy Nicklaus country, where the worst of the dirty tricks are so brazenly done.  Ought to have sent Jimmy Carter.

    But not a peep from or about the DoJ for weeks.  

    Parent

    When I hear about so much time being (5.00 / 2) (#80)
    by Anne on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 03:40:55 PM EST
    spent in one place, not just by the candidate, but by surrogates, I worry that something is being overlooked or taken for granted that maybe shouldn't be.

    And it also reminds me how unrepresentative our electoral college system really is; it might make it more grueling and manic to have to ask for every vote, instead of only those votes in swing states, but it's really long past time for us to have a system where every vote means something.

    I think I read somewhere that this will end up being a $6 billion dollar election; aside from the nauseating enormity of that little fact, maybe a popular vote system would end up moving us closer to publicly-financed elections, which would also move us away from big-money interests having all the clout.

    Probably not in my lifetime, but I'd sure love to see some movement in that direction.

    Parent

    And now the call-up of Illinoisans (5.00 / 2) (#120)
    by Towanda on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 08:01:51 PM EST
    and others, I'm hearing from friends in surrounding states -- a call-up by the Obama campaign to get forces on the ground in Wisconsin this weekend and through Monday.  They're being told to expect 20-hour days.  What the heck is up in the internals for Wisconsin?

    Parent
    That is concerning. I haven't seen (5.00 / 1) (#123)
    by caseyOR on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 08:31:12 PM EST
    anything about Wisconsin, but it does seem like such a show of force at the last minute signals concern.

    Do you know if the Dems will have people at all the polling places to balance out the Romney poll watchers? Given what I've read about the "training" the Romney campaign is giving their poll watchers I would expect Romney volunteers to be harassing those trying to cast ballots.

    Parent

    OK, you are freaking me out! (none / 0) (#126)
    by lilburro on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 08:53:09 PM EST
    I found a news story re: the mayor of Denver.  I would say, especially considering the other details you provided, something may be afoot.  But hopefully not "stands in the way of 270" afoot.  The polling in other states doesn't indicate that right now.  But it's not November 7th so I am not entirely relieved.

    Parent
    Well, the Denver mayor sure freeked us here (none / 0) (#130)
    by Towanda on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 09:26:17 PM EST
    as we heard about this, slowly this week, via the buzz and blogs and all-powerful squawk radio.  

    That it has yet to reported by the Obama-hating major media monopoly of the state also worries me, as it's just the sort of thing it likes to spring at the last minute -- the Sunday paper before an election, as that paper blankets all of Wisconsin.

    And now I got a robocall from the Obama campaign after 9 at night.  That's appalling.  They're just going to p*ss people off even more, with the dozens of calls a day from them, the Romney campaign, the Faith and Freedom folks, etc., etc., etc. . . .

    Gotta go.  Someone at the door.  Jeesh!

    Parent

    The only positive spin (none / 0) (#137)
    by lilburro on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 11:56:15 PM EST
    I saw at dkos, is that maybe Obama is trying to help Baldwin get elected.  I would...like to believe that, but who knows.  The election seems a little too close for that.

    Parent
    Being in Madtown a bad idea for Baldwin (none / 0) (#140)
    by Towanda on Fri Nov 02, 2012 at 01:22:28 AM EST
    on that crucial day.  That's her district, and she has it locked up, as she has had for years.

    If this is going to take her home when she ought to be out and about the state, that's too bad.

    (And I saw the dkos diary and read it as snark.)

    Parent

    At this point maybe the calculation is (5.00 / 1) (#144)
    by ruffian on Fri Nov 02, 2012 at 08:42:19 AM EST
    that she is better off enthusing and increasing the turnout among her supporters than trying to win over new people elsewhere. Maybe there are not many undecideds and it is all about GOTV.

    Parent
    Obama wins Ohio and Wisconsin, and ... (none / 0) (#104)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 04:32:04 PM EST
    ... the door slams shut on Romney's lifelong ambition. That's why his efforts are so selectively focused in these final hours. The EC numbers are such right now that the president only has to seal the deal there, while Romney has to practically run the table in the so-called "battleground states" and win everywhere.

    Parent
    Donald, that's the thing (none / 0) (#107)
    by Towanda on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 05:04:23 PM EST
    -- Obama hasn't sealed the deal in Wisconsin?  

    Then, the polls are not to be trusted.  

    That's the worry, especially with all of the voter-suppression tactics now in place by Walker, the dirty tricks, etc.

    Or perhaps Obama simply cannot have the headlines that would come even from a close win in Wisconsin, where he has lost more support vs. his 2008 margin than anywhere -- at least, according to the polls.

    Parent

    I think at this point, it's less ... (none / 0) (#111)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 05:49:00 PM EST
    ... about sealing the deal, and more about driving that final nail into Romney's coffin lid.

    I mean, my own personal philosophy as a local Democratic Party official is this: While I try to leave nothing to chance, at the same time I've got to be optimistic, and believe that if you do everything that you know you're supposed to do in order to win an election campaign, in the end it's probably going to go your way, more often than not.

    I fully understand your concern, even though I live in a state where the issue has never been in doubt, and where President Obama will probably take 7 out of every 10 votes cast. All I can advise is that Wisconsin Democrats should be on their toes and keep their eyes wide open come Election Day, and if they see anything untoward happening with regards to even a hint at voter suppression, they should not be afraid to push back on the Republicans very hard.

    Buena suerte, amiga. Aloha.

    Parent

    I just was using your words (none / 0) (#114)
    by Towanda on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 06:21:47 PM EST
    i.e., "seal the deal."

    Good to know they were, y'know, "just words."

    Parent

    Shhh; every time I write here that (none / 0) (#106)
    by Towanda on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 05:01:49 PM EST
    it's weird and possibly worrisome that Wisconsin is getting such over-the-top attention, more than ever before -- and that is saying something, believe me -- I am told on this site that I am wrong.  So, I am going to ignore the low turnouts at some of these events. . . .

    The latest lineup now includes Katie Perry with Obama tomorrow and -- drumroll for the big guns being dragged out -- Springsteen with Obama on Monday in blue-as-blue-can-be Madison.  Now, maybe this is to claim more monster crowds by comparison to Anyone Evah Before (as many of us can remember the incredible turnout there for Kerry and Springsteen, when even the latter said he never had seen anything like it).  Or maybe Obama just wants to be close to Sweet Home Chicago for election day -- but I would rather see him in Iowa and with a stop in western Wisconsin to bolster beleaguered La Crosse, which is needed, on his way back home to Hyde Park.


    Parent

    Huh. Maybe this is the worry: (none / 0) (#108)
    by Towanda on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 05:07:13 PM EST
    Is anyone else seeing the reports, or is this only in Wisconsin, of the Denver mayor (in Wisconsin for an event, weirdly) stating that Obama is 'way behind in early voting in the state?

    I wonder if this is owing to Walker's tactics to confound new-voter registration . . . as I feared, and as only one factor in his voter-suppression laws.

    Parent

    Just "heard that Dems were being told (none / 0) (#153)
    by Amiss on Fri Nov 02, 2012 at 01:35:39 PM EST
    wrong places or times for early voting".  Personally we got our first land line in 7 years. What is funny we also got our first two robo-calls last nite. Michelle Obama was here with Stevie Wonder yesterday. I thought it was funny that several older teachers chose it as the day to "teach" their classes about "government".  LOL

    Parent
    Bloomberg endorses Obama. (none / 0) (#76)
    by Angel on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 03:23:23 PM EST
    Climate change is the reason.  

    Bloomberg is a joke (5.00 / 1) (#81)
    by shoephone on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 03:41:13 PM EST
    The guy who engineered his own illegal third term like a mobster thinks his endorsement matters? It's not abot climate change. It's because NYC is getting bigtime help from Obama's "too big!" federal government. What a hack Bloomberg's turned out to be.

    Parent
    I'm sure the prospect of a Romney (5.00 / 2) (#86)
    by Anne on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 03:46:29 PM EST
    administration that could decide to pull the federal rug out from under the relief and rebuilding effort in NY is the real reason; no one ever claimed Bloomberg didn't know which side his bread is buttered on...

    Really too bad there has been such a dearth of discussion about climate change in this election, but when both candidates don't ever seem to have met a fossil fuel they couldn't support - and both seem eager to frack the bejesus out of the country - I guess it's no surprise.

    I can't be the only one who mentally substitutes that other "F" word for "frack."

    Parent

    But Bloomberg says Romney has better (none / 0) (#91)
    by shoephone on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 03:54:28 PM EST
    business and leadership skills -- oh, wait, that was last week! This week, apparently, Obama has the leadership skills. If Sandy hadn't happened and Bloomberg hadn't gotten all that federal government help, we might have been hearing about a Romney endorsement today. Funny that one of the richest guys in the whole world -- and "independent" no less -- finds out federal government help is pretty neato keeno when ya need it.

    Parent
    I think Bloomie already knew (none / 0) (#95)
    by nycstray on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 04:06:41 PM EST
    federal government help is pretty neato keeno when ya need it.

    I don't think he would have endorsed Romney even if there was no Sandy.

    Parent

    Maybe (none / 0) (#122)
    by lentinel on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 08:30:52 PM EST
    it was an illusion, maybe I was dreaming something instead of watching the debate I thought I was watching, but it seemed to me that both Romney and Obama were falling over each other to let us know which one of them loved oil pipelines and coal the most.

    Climate, schmimate.

    Parent

    Bloomberg announced (5.00 / 1) (#154)
    by Amiss on Fri Nov 02, 2012 at 01:45:58 PM EST
    that Obama called before the hurricane hit and he told Obama they would be fine. He also said that after it hit the Director of FEMA called and he told him the same thing. This is on news tape and was shown on "The View" this morning
    Kinda Kinda  makes me go 'Huh' ?

    Parent
    Bloomie's (none / 0) (#121)
    by lentinel on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 08:27:08 PM EST
    endorsement includes these stirring words:

    ... like so many other independents, I have found the past four years to be, in a word, disappointing.

    Say what?

    Parent

    Jay Leno: (none / 0) (#78)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 03:27:21 PM EST
    Hurricane Sandy already created more jobs than President Obama has.
    He also slammed Ahnold:
    It's important how a governor responds to a crisis. First thing Schwarzenegger did after the earthquake was throw himself on the maid.


    People actually watch Leno? (5.00 / 2) (#79)
    by shoephone on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 03:37:41 PM EST
    Dunno, these two Leno comments (none / 0) (#84)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 03:44:03 PM EST
    were pretty dam funny!

    Parent
    Well, let's not forget that it was Leno (5.00 / 1) (#92)
    by shoephone on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 03:56:19 PM EST
    who hosted Arnold's announcement to run as gov on his show.

    (I admit, I can't stand Leno. Never could.)

    Parent

    too late night for me anymore, but I always got some laughs from him.

    Parent
    From my local newspaper: (none / 0) (#82)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 03:43:13 PM EST
    Both sides guilty of sign theft Yep, a local rag, but I'm pretty sure people are people all over this country of ours.

    We are supposed to trust a rag named (none / 0) (#89)
    by oculus on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 03:47:48 PM EST
    "The Acorn"?

    Parent
    Ha! (none / 0) (#94)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 04:05:48 PM EST
    on the same stretch of road that both sides are complaining about "the other side." Classic.

    Parent
    Wow (none / 0) (#87)
    by jondee on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 03:46:33 PM EST
    the old blood is still simmerin' a bit after seeing that Frontline last night about the Montana Citizens United challenge.

    Is anyone going to try and tell me that the savants Il Duce Scalia and Friends couldn't have rudimentrily connected the dots and foreseen what they were opening the door to?

    And how about that Citizens United legal point man Jim Bopp, whose opinion of the intellectual curiosity and level of civic engagement of his fellow citizens is such that he can crow that the only people in this country curious about who funds all thsoe relentless attack ads and soundbites-masquering-as-discourse are "left wing nuts"..

    Good foot sdoldier Bopp has the benefit of having the kind of tunnel-visioned, jihadist fire-in-the-belly that, these days, in the U.S, seems to be the near exclusive province of those out to do the Good Lord's working of saving the unborn and undermining "socialism" for the born..

    As Yeats said, the worst are full of passionate intensity. And mere anarchy is loosed on the world.

       

    It's Colbert time (none / 0) (#100)
    by shoephone on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 04:13:53 PM EST
    Yep, also funny! (none / 0) (#103)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 04:21:45 PM EST
    Felix Baumgartner speaks: (none / 0) (#102)
    by oculus on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 04:21:24 PM EST
    Who? (5.00 / 1) (#105)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 04:37:23 PM EST
    Oh, yeah -- he's one of those characters who keeps sticking his ATM card into the "Andy Warhol's 15 Minutes" machine to make another withdrawal. My bad ...
    ;-D

    Parent
    Some people probably (none / 0) (#109)
    by fishcamp on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 05:31:03 PM EST
    care about the Kansas City Chiefs vs the San Diego Chargers NFL game tonight but not me.  If there in San Diego, however, we could go out for Mexican food or seafood or the best Mexican seafood evah...   stupid auto correcto

    If you crave the best Mexican seafood, ... (none / 0) (#113)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 06:09:48 PM EST
    ... I'd suggest that you drive across the border some 65 miles south of San Diego to Ensenada, which is Mexico's second busiest harbor and port. That's where you'll find the real deal at either of two restaurants, El Rey Sol and Barra Azul. Heartily recommended.

    Parent
    gracias compañero... (none / 0) (#119)
    by fishcamp on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 07:33:15 PM EST
    we used to land our Cessna on the beach in front of one of those joints after we shooed the cows and soccer players off the runway.

    Parent
    When I was a kid, we'd go ... (none / 0) (#132)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 09:56:04 PM EST
    ... to Estero Beach just south of Ensenada, where my aunt and uncle had a house. It was about a five-hour drive from Pasadena, and Estero Beach and nearby Corona Beach were expatriate gringo enclaves long before Rosarito Beach ever got developed.

    Ensenada's a fun city of about 300,000 people, and it's a conveniently great place in a beautiful locale for a quick getaway. Because it's now a major port of call for cruise ships, the city's gotten somewhat more touristy than I remembered it while growing up, but still, it's not shamelessly kitschy like the resort cities of Cabo San Lucas, Acapulco and Cancun, because the city doesn't have a nearby major airport. When it does finally get one, the region will change -- and not for the better, I'm afraid.

    Parent

    Ensenada now has a large Starbucks. (none / 0) (#135)
    by oculus on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 11:20:53 PM EST
    But the cruise ship business has fallen off due to the war between the cartels and the feds.  

    Parent
    Ther cartels and the feds (none / 0) (#136)
    by CoralGables on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 11:28:03 PM EST
    are fighting at Starbucks?

    Parent
    Fortunately, no. (none / 0) (#138)
    by oculus on Fri Nov 02, 2012 at 12:32:33 AM EST
    In 2008, for my mother's birthday, ... (none / 0) (#141)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Fri Nov 02, 2012 at 03:06:56 AM EST
    ... we arranged a short four-day family fest with siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins on the Carnival R/T cruise from Long Beach to Ensenada. It was relatively cheap as cruises go, and it was fun -- and I'm speaking as someone who doesn't much care for cruises.

    Parent
    Nope. La Fonda. (none / 0) (#133)
    by oculus on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 10:11:18 PM EST
    I've never been there. (none / 0) (#134)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Nov 01, 2012 at 10:34:28 PM EST
    I know where it is, as we've passed by it on the tollway on our way to and from Ensenada, but I never felt compelled to stop. I'll take your word for it, and we'll give it a try the next time we go down there.

    I remember the days when there was practically nothing along the coastline between Tijuana and Ensenada except for that old bullfight ring which was on the beach snuggled up against the U.S. border, and the PEMEX refinery in Rosarito. Times have certainly changed.

    Parent

    What you see re Romney's (none / 0) (#139)
    by oculus on Fri Nov 02, 2012 at 12:55:04 AM EST
    position(s) re abortion depends on where you are:

    Bloomberg

    Blue Texas in eight years? (none / 0) (#143)
    by Rojas on Fri Nov 02, 2012 at 08:16:07 AM EST
    Reviewing a sample ballot for my precinct, out of 25 offices on the ballot there are a grand total of 7 dems running for office with an equal number of greens.

    Biggest challenge to republican domination is the libertarian party who are fielding 14 candidates.

    Five state and six county seats are republicans running unopposed.

    Yep, it's sad. (none / 0) (#146)
    by Angel on Fri Nov 02, 2012 at 09:00:54 AM EST
    People in this state are so stupid, they believe all of the racist and divisive crap the GOP and people like Rick Perry spout.  I'm fortunate to live in the most progressive city in the state, it's the saving grace for my sanity.  

    Parent
    Keep it Weird! (none / 0) (#150)
    by easilydistracted on Fri Nov 02, 2012 at 09:44:24 AM EST
    Trying to! (none / 0) (#151)
    by Angel on Fri Nov 02, 2012 at 09:49:18 AM EST