Song after Silence

The world is getting hotter, the governments are controlled by corporate elites, and racism is an acceptable political platform. Yes, I guess I should start venting through a blog again.

Really, it is pointless, an exercise in futility. My words and actions cannot stop or even slow the swirling vortex that is life as we know it speedily heading down the drain. But isn't that the way it is with all that man creates. Eventually whatever it is will turn to dust and the memory will remain only as long as there is someone there to remember it.

I have kids though, and it makes papa a worried man. I know a massive worldwide effort is needed to change and yet the powers that be want to have continued profits from the status quo. With each major calamity we have a chance to make it the catalyst, the defining moment where we propel ourselves to greatness. And yet, time and time again the exact opposite action is taken. With 9-11 we could have woken up to what neo-colonialism and rampant militarism lead to and instead we, the U.S., expanded our domination of people and natural resources through bloody force and dis-empowered our own people in the process by taking away rights and freedoms. The BP oil spill could have caused us to reevaluate our dependence on an ever depleting, pollution generating, antiquated energy source, to hold responsible the companies and the complacency of governmental bodies. Instead, the drilling continues.

This will be our legacy to the cosmos? The smart species that couldn't learn? Couldn't change?

Hope: The last thing released from Pandora's box. Blessing to help us with all the evils or just a final evil. Hope keeps faith alive, keeps you going when there isn't a melting snowballs chance in a warming climate. Yet hope, like belief, implies doubt. An attachment to what does not actually exist.

So, I will head out today, soak in the heat, watch my two young girls frolic in the pool, blissfully unaware, as they should be, of fools trying to repeal the 14th amendment, or rendition flights, or catastrophic floods, or ancient melting glaciers in Greenland. All I have is love.

Show Must Go On

That's right! Keep it all yourself. Isn't that what Jesus said: Horde your wealth & ignore the needy. Yep, makes sense. Let's make 1% of the world's popualtion control 95% of the world's wealth. Afterall, its reward for all their hard work (note: poor people don't work hard which is why they aren't rich) and they have no connection, much less responsibility, to their societies.

On the plus side, at least the Republicans are being honest. Democrats hate freedom of course, but the Elephants hate anything social. So when there is a flood, no government asssistance. When a company steals your pension, no assistance. When your bank goes belly-up, no assistance. When

Could resist this pic of the great white hope (for ignorant rednecks). The moose is loose!


















Hmmm.... when was there another time that a campaign smeared an opponent with random deceitful calls with little basis in reality?
The 2000 Republican primary when Bush's people asked southern voters if they would vote for John McCain if they new he fathered an illegitimate black child.
McCain sold his soul...






I wish there were more Republicans like this guy. Their policies and campaign truly are and have been shameful.




No comment needed. Wait.... 9/11, terrorists, 9/11, terrorists. Ok, now I'll check "Fear"





Wait a second... The GOP believes in the Constitution. They believe in using it for toilet paper and starting book burning bonfires.

Endangered Species

Bush wants some endangered species rules extinct
"If adopted, these changes would seriously weaken the safety net of habitat protections that we have relied upon to protect and recover endangered fish, wildlife and plants for the past 35 years,"






About 33% of coral species threatened with extinction
Nearly one-third of the small animals that make up the most massive and elaborate structures in coral reefs face an elevated risk of extinction from global warming and various local problems


Plants move up mountain as temps rise
Within 30 years, most had moved to elevations 200 feet above their previous growth range. The findings provide a glimpse of what could happen to the world's vegetation as the Earth faces inevitable global warming.

Professor Examines the Effects of Climate Change on Civilizations
"…if you look at the warm centuries with a global perspective, the wide incidence of drought is truly striking and offers a sobering message about tomorrow's world. Prolonged aridity was widespread in medieval times and killed enormous numbers of people. Evidence is mounting that drought is the silent and insidious killer associated with global warming."

Blood for Oil

Iraq throws open door to foreign oil firms
So why did the U.S. invade Iraq? Was it their links to al-Qaeda? Was it because Saddam was a brutal dictator? Was it because of all those WMD's that were never found? Was it for national security for the U.S.? Or was it for the higher causes of freedom and democracy? Well, if you answered none of the above, you are correct!
Sadly, if you were questioning the war rationale on the lead-up to the invasion you were called a crazy lefty peacenik, an unpatriotic conspiracy wacko, a un-American traitor who revels in the death of U.S. citizens. And, if you suggested that Bush & Co.'s ties to big oil fueled their interest with Iraq you had definitely been listening to too much Amy Goodman.
In 2003 the invasion began. The holes in the Administrations justification became more and more apparent with each passing day. WMDs were never found, the Nigerian uranium intel proved completely false, the world did not become safer as evident in London and Madrid, and democracy and freedom were the first casualties of sectarian violence and governmental corruption. There were the no bid contracts to rebuild, the independently contracted security forces, the memorable "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED" photo op. True, Saddam was removed but did life improve for the people of Iraq? No.
2008: The war drags on. It has cost the U.S. over half a trillion dollars, a strong dollar, the respect of the international community, 500o U.S. lives, and over 100,000 Iraqi lives. The war has led to more global resentment. The war has revealed the ugliness of torture at the hands of Americans and its accomplices. The war has created a convenient excuse for the suspension of habeas corpus. The war has created a breeding ground for more terrorists and has brought less democracy to the region.
For what are we paying this high price? OIL.

All this time, all these justifications, all the denial of the obvious motive and here it is: Proof the anti-war crowd was CORRECT. This war was for the oil. It is indeed "Blood for Oil". American blood. Iraqi blood. Parent's blood. Children's blood. Babies blood. Blood of God's creations.

Sometimes I really hate being right. The only thing worse about being right on "Blood for Oil" is that I am also right on climate change. More extreme weather anyone? Disruption of the food supply? Disappearance of water? Massive social upheaval? The death of civilization? Extinction?!!! Oh wait, label me a chicken little pinko, peace loving, tree hugging, stoner hippy who hates America who'd make everyone gay, give out free abortions, and euthanize old people all while pissing on the stars and stripes. That'll invalidate my argument and make the problems raised go away... just like in Iraq.

God, grant us more time to fix the problems of our own making...

And on and on...

This summer may see first ice-free North Pole

Thin Ice: The Arctic Meltdown Explained

Top 10 Surprising Results of Global Warming

Last Post Continued...

Court says no deadline for EPA on global warming

White House Refused to Open Pollutants E-Mail

Climate Change May Challenge National Security, Classified Report Warns

Sea warmth rise worse than was thought

Extreme weather to increase with global warming

'This is the last chance'

NASA warming scientist: 'This is the last chance'

By SETH BORENSTEIN, AP Science Writer Mon Jun 23, 9:35 PM ET

WASHINGTON - Exactly 20 years after warning America about global warming, a top NASA scientist said the situation has gotten so bad that the world's only hope is drastic action.

James Hansen told Congress on Monday that the world has long passed the "dangerous level" for greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and needs to get back to 1988 levels. He said Earth's atmosphere can only stay this loaded with man-made carbon dioxide for a couple more decades without changes such as mass extinction, ecosystem collapse and dramatic sea level rises.

"We're toast if we don't get on a very different path," Hansen, director of the Goddard Institute of Space Sciences who is sometimes called the godfather of global warming science, told The Associated Press. "This is the last chance."

Hansen brought global warming home to the public in June 1988 during a Washington heat wave, telling a Senate hearing that global warming was already here. To mark the anniversary, he testified before the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming where he was called a prophet, and addressed a luncheon at the National Press Club where he was called a hero by former Sen. Tim Wirth, D-Colo., who headed the 1988 hearing.

To cut emissions, Hansen said coal-fired power plants that don't capture carbon dioxide emissions shouldn't be used in the United States after 2025, and should be eliminated in the rest of the world by 2030. That carbon capture technology is still being developed and not yet cost efficient for power plants.

Burning fossil fuels like coal is the chief cause of man-made greenhouse gases. Hansen said the Earth's atmosphere has got to get back to a level of 350 parts of carbon dioxide per million. Last month, it was 10 percent higher: 386.7 parts per million.

Hansen said he'll testify on behalf of British protesters against new coal-fired power plants. Protesters have chained themselves to gates and equipment at sites of several proposed coal plants in England.

"The thing that I think is most important is to block coal-fired power plants," Hansen told the luncheon. "I'm not yet at the point of chaining myself but we somehow have to draw attention to this."

Frank Maisano, a spokesman for many U.S. utilities, including those trying to build new coal plants, said while Hansen has shown foresight as a scientist, his "stop them all approach is very simplistic" and shows that he is beyond his level of expertise.

The year of Hansen's original testimony was the world's hottest year on record. Since then, 14 years have been hotter, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Two decades later, Hansen spent his time on the question of whether it's too late to do anything about it. His answer: There's still time to stop the worst, but not much time.

"We see a tipping point occurring right before our eyes," Hansen told the AP before the luncheon. "The Arctic is the first tipping point and it's occurring exactly the way we said it would."

Hansen, echoing work by other scientists, said that in five to 10 years, the Arctic will be free of sea ice in the summer.

Longtime global warming skeptic Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., citing a recent poll, said in a statement, "Hansen, (former Vice President) Gore and the media have been trumpeting man-made climate doom since the 1980s. But Americans are not buying it."

But Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., committee chairman, said, "Dr. Hansen was right. Twenty years later, we recognize him as a climate prophet."

___

On the Net:

Hansen's speech: http://www.columbia.edu/jeh1/2008/TwentyYearsLater_20080623.pdf

RIP

Two lights have gone out in a matter of days. I'm not the type to get sentimental about people who I've never met but when public figures touch your own little life it is good to reflect on their passing. Tim Russert & George Carlin both had an influence on me. One for asking the tough questions. The other for making me motherfuckin' laugh while reflecting on liberty. Both of these guys were class acts in their respective fields. Both made positive contributions to this "Grand Experiment". Both of them stood strong while weaker men around them wallowed in absurdity. Both will be missed...

Final Thoughts... Long Overdue

To anyone who has seen this blog of mine it is obvious which candidates in this election season I support. Mid-May was Oregon's primary and although the national democratic race went the way I had hoped, the senatorial primary race did not. We Novick supporters watched the numbers come in knowing that the man favored to win was indeed going to get the nod and that our underdog campaign was over.
In the days that followed I felt a bit disgruntled, even angry at times. We had fought a good fight (Novick being the first individual to inspire me enough to work on a campaign). The next day, my Merkley supporting co-worker jokingly offered me a Merkley pin to wear to replace my "Hook" pin and I graciously declined. I was still sore from the loss and was not quite ready to entertain such a thought as supporting the opposition. Still, no progressive, liberal, Democrat truly wants to see Gordon Smith reelected. Yes, I will be voting for Jeff but in the days following the primary election I just wasn't quite ready to jump on board his bandwagon.
Time has passed.... I'm still not jumping. And here is why:
Jeff Merkley ran a campaign straight out of the GOP handbook. Red-baiting, negative polling & ads, smear tactics, and use of wedge issues. This he did against a fellow progressive, a fellow Democrat. One might think that an intelligent guy decrying Novick for attacking fellow Dems would see the irony in having a campaign smearing someone on the same team. But hey, what do I know? I'm just part of that inner-Portland "Kremlin" circle.

1. Merkley accused Novick (and his supporters) of being Commies. My co-worker stated that her biggest reason for not liking Steve was that he used the hammer and sickle emblem of the Communist party during his campaign. First of all, he didn't. Second, a lefty accusing another lefty of being socialist? Huh? Don't all lefties have some connection with the ideals touted by Communism? Whatever. And last but not least what is up with a Cold War campaign tactic in 2008? Were the Merks serious?!! Red-baiting in the post-Cold War era? It is silly coming from the right when it does but it is absolutely absurd coming from the left.

2. A buddy of mine who majored in Poli. Sci. but who found himself "out of the loop" and undecided commented that when he saw Merk's smear campaign "Novick Insults Democrats" his decision was made: He voted for Novick. He explained it as such: First, being critical of elected officials is part of being in a healthy democracy. Just because an individual is in your party doesn't mean they should get a free pass (unless you of course are a Republican). Second, Steve was making valid points, so much so that when his comments were posted Merk's lacky, Kari Chrisholm (and the plagiarizer responsible for the Novick Insults Democrats website), didn't even bat an eye. Finally, the quotes Merk and Co. used were taken out of context. Oh, Republican play book, how did Merkley end up with a copy of you? The "insult" of Gore was particularly amusing seeing as though Steve's overall message in the piece was that Al should run for president.

3. I won't get into the negative polling thing here except to say that Merkley's people called my house doing the poll and were incredibly rude when I told them I was supporting Steve.

4. Now the wedge issue, which is related to Merkley's assertion that we here in Portland are like the "inner circle of the Kremlin" was not just red-baiting but a wedge meant to be driven between urban and rural Democrats. The tension between these two parts of Oregon society unfortunately plays out more than I would prefer. But for a progressive who says that he will work with people this tactic is stupid, mean spirited, and unhealthy for the state's Dems. Thanks for helping our party go in reverse and for alienating urbanites Jeff.

Well, congrats Jeff Merkley and supporters. You won! Your political maneuvering worked! You out spent Steve, you invented non-issues, you took the low road of division, and you proved that the GOP premise that you must play dirty to win is right! Sadly though, you also lost. You lost my respect. You lost that feeling of unity. You lost any chance of grass roots support from those "Commies" who have always been on the same team as you.
So to Jeff Merkley and his peeps I promise I will vote Dem in November. I promise I will tell the few undecided citizens I know that Jeff is a better choice for Oregon than Gordo. But I also promise I will not make phone calls, carry signs, sport pins, or make any contributions to you either. Now that my feelings have settled, now that I see that my critiques of your campaign are not simply done out of spite, now that I am clear headed enough to see that the criticisms are valid, I can say without guilt that I will not work on your campaign. You played so dirty in the primaries I don't want to play for you now. Maybe I should have started a site "Merkley Insults Portlanders" but then I would be just as bad as you and yours. I'd be... well, like a Republican.
Best of Luck in November! May you kick Mr. Smith out of Washington.

More on Nader

I'll give my "friend" a final word via his final e-mail before ending this thread of thinking. He is the "Nader Hater" in the convo (as if you couldn't tell), though as you can see from the verbiage, he is not exactly a "hater."

I will add to my previous post, lest it be interpreted as more Naderite hating drivel. I do not blame Nader supporters, except those who truly believe that the Dems and Reps are the same. If so, they should sleep in on election day (not getting up for work anyway). Nader was principled and showed courage, two things that the Dems have lacked for quite some time. While I do not agree with his policies, I can't argue that Nader would at least stand up for what he believes in. Thats kinda different than what passes for politicians in America. So for that, the Naderites were right, vote your conscience and live with the consequences.

Naderites, the Dems will have you back now. Forgive and forget. A chance to vote for Obama is infinitely better than having Lieberman move from VP to Pres (shudder). Maybe it will work out for the best. If not, there is always hindsight!

So, in the end, yes, big Al would have been better and our country is in the shitter thanks to Bush & Co. To those ends, I hope that the Dems and their candidate(s) are not making the same mistakes of '00 (they don't seem to be). And I hope the lefties do not vote for a 3rd party candidate and arguably help McCain's bid (again, they don't seem to be). When we look back at these past 8 years we can clearly see who lost by having Bush in power: the environment, the worker, the middle-class, the poor, the 3rd world, the Iraqis, the Constitution, the American people, the world. Who won? Corporate America: fossil fuel industry, military industrial complex, big pharma, shady lenders, Satan.
Will '00 repeat itself? I think not but whether you love or hate Nader...
VOTE OBAMA '08!

Nader Hater v. Naderite

This entry is from an e-mail convo I had with someone I know that I will keep anonymous. I thought it was a stimulating enough diaogue to put on to the blog. It also seems relevant as we start getting into the meet of the '08 elections.

Nader-Hater:

Ok, all you Nader lovers, heres an article arguing that Ralph changed the Democratic party by blocking Al Gore and that we have him to thank for Obama's rise. It can be summed up as follows: "it's becoming ever clearer that by playing the third-party spoiler, Nader won the argument about the future of the Democratic Party."

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0608/11018.html

This may be true, Nader pushed the Democrats to the left, I just wonder if it was worth mortgaging the nation's future given the disaster of the past 8 years (Ashcroft, Iraq, Abu Ghraib, Gitmo, John Bolton, Gonzales, Cheney, Clear Skies initiative, the further depletion of the EPA, rejection of Kyoto, tax cuts, tort reform, gay marriage, Alito & Roberts, our new buddy Musharraf, gas prices, global warming denial, etc., etc.). So you will forgive me if I forget to thank Nader for all that he has done to move the party left.

Ok, thats my rant for this morning.

Naderite:
As a "Naderite" let me just say that:

1. Al Gore ran a bad campaign... against a village idiot! Had Al not acted like Gorebot, had Al distanced himself from the corporate Dems, had Al brought up the environment as a major issue he wouldn't have had to worry about Ralphy. He also wouldn't have had to worry about Nader if he had destroyed George in the debates.
Cookie-cutter moderate Dems turned off the left. Abandoned the left in truth. Those swing voters were more important than a good chunk of the Dem base. Al and his peeps are to blame for the '00 loss. I blame like minded Dems for '04 as well. That, and voting "irregularities".

2. No one imagined the insane amount of power that came to Bush post 9/11. with that power (partially bestowed on him by many Dems) and with the blind support of an enraged country he was able to do most of the evil things that you listed. If not for 9/11 it would have been four and out and the executive branch would not have been able to do whatever it is they wanted. Neither Naderites nor Goresters(?) could have predicted 9/11 or what came after.

3. I told (a friend) in the summer of '00 that it was going to have to get worse before it got better. A lot more green campaigns out there now that the weather is getting crazy and a lot more political involvement from the people now that unemployment, gas prices, and an ongoing war are taking their toll. The golden cage can be a pretty cool place. Why change when it feels so good? Was it better under Slick Willy and his buddies at the DLC than under Bush? God yes! But were those guys in blue really a solution to inequality, social injustice, globalized militarism, or environmental degradation? No. They were just nicer about it. Dems offered the scenic route to hell. Republicans offered the express lane.
Now, there is a guy responding to the whole enchilada who says "'We' must be a part of change, together." And all this is why Nader will not be a factor for Obama in '08.

Nader-Hater:

Ok, so Gore ran a bad campaign, true. I also agree that the Clinton way was not the best way, by a long shot. And maybe no one "imagined" the power Bush would get after "fear itself" became popular (again). Nevertheless, Bush's opportunity was handed to him, in small part, by Nader and other "disaffected Dems."

As for the "worse before it gets better" part of it all, that may not have depended entirely on Gore/Bush. The warmer weather, 9/11, and so much more, was likely to happen regardless of who was president. Leadership on these issues may have been a crucial first step toward a better result. I think Gore would have been a better leader than Bush, but thats just my opinion.

Finally, I think that Nader played a dangerous game that can be boiled down to this: I will risk the immediate future (Gore's election) for a chance at a better tomorrow (liberalism triumphant!). Well, ok, fair enough. But I think that it put us all at risk by placing policy before what was best for the country. Nader wasn't going to win. Gore might have won without Nader's campaign. So, maybe Nader got a little of what he wanted: the Dems pulled to the left. What did the rest of us get? Oh yeah, 8 years of insanity and damage that cannot be undone in the next 8. Nader rolled the dice; the nation lost.

Apples to oranges, I suppose.

Naderite:

Hindsight is always 20/20 isn't it? Yes, gore would have been better than the worst prez ever. As my pa likes to say "Our dog would be better than Bush!" As for the office being "handed to him" in part by guys like me? I still don't buy it. The way I see it is my party left me. I didn't leave my party. Granted, some might argue that's a convenient absolution for my guilty soul but... NAFTA: Bad. Salvage-Rider: Bad. 3 strikes and your out: Bad. And let’s not forget that bill could have signed Kyoto before bailing out of office but I guess he had his pardons to take care of.

See, lefties saw that the Dems had sold out, starting as early as 1984 really when Mondale’s defeat signaled the end of liberal populism. Dems track record over the last 20 years to stand up for their principles is pretty pathetic. Spineless really. Just look at their part in the Iran-Contra Affair.
I was raised blue. I thought the red to be in league with the devil! I never wanted to see them win any election so you gotta understand that my Nader support was in reaction to a failing (and flailing) party that I had been taught to love.
So I would argue that the mainstream Dems bet on being moderate and the nation lost. As (Howard) Dean pointed out: Dems thought the key to Willy's success was that he was a moderate but the truth was that he was “Slick Willy”, Mr. Charisma. It was more about his saxamaphone than his policies that made him a 2 term prez. Obama is proving the power of charisma over policy right now. Just ask Hill.
And that statement to (my friend)? Well, it was about the whole shibango, not just the seat of power. And again, Gore would have done better than Bush. But back to the chicken vs egg… Who came first?
Nader and the lefties went green as a reaction to the Dems. I would have never voted as I did if my party wouldn't have sold me out. True, they did o.k. with the economy (unless your job went overseas). They did fine with the environment (unless you hate clear cuts and SUVs).
I say: Dems rolled the dice and the nation lost. My apple to your orange. Nader was just a product of the Dem's betting on being moderate/corporate. Rather than get the tree huggin hippies re energized they bet on those "independent" voters. You know the type: fiscally conservative, socially liberal. Dems also bet on corporate America. They lost it for us and I ain't taken the blame. Maybe the Clinton funded, militarized police force herding me with rubber bullets, batons, and tear gas while I was peacefully assembled with my fellow citizens engaging in free speech left me a bit sour. What can I say?

Pa, I think a storms a-brewin'...

Record tornadoes
Record rain
Record heat
Record cold

East: Sweltering heat
Midwest: Massive flooding
Northwest: Snow in June
California: Drought

Forest fires
Water rations
Dead zones
Storm surge


GOP Memo: Goal For Climate Debate Is ‘Making Political Points’
Senate climate bill blocked (by Republicans)

So am I the only one who is sick (and scared) of all this crazy weather we've had over the last five years? Above, as I made that little list of weather 'stuff', it occurred to me that everything I was referring to was from the U.S. only. It also occurred to me that the craziness we are experiencing now is from pollution that was originally released 20 years ago. That, my friends, was before SUVs, before 6.5 billion people, before the rise of China, before I hit puberty!

We can lessen are punishment if we quit now, though we still will feel the pain (aren't we now?). But continuation on this ruinous, unsustainable, ignorant path will lead us to the greatest punishment of all.

We can change. We can drive less or not at all, change our light bulbs, turn down the thermostat, turn off electronics, chill on motorized leisure activities, etc... But also...
We can demand that our leaders take up the cause of fighting climate change. Only a massive, organized, systemic effort will have a chance. From the bottom up AND the top down, we must all recognize our cosmic survival is at stake. Like the Greatest Generation we must make sacrifices and work as a team. Our government(s) must be play a strong role in this reshaping of society. If it is security that our governments should provide than our tax dollars should go to the effort of solving the climate crisis. The change that must occur if we are to have any chance to lessen the blow and survive the storm must be so complete, so fearless, so embraced that we will be one humanity finally and truly. Love of ourselves and the generations to come. Love of the beings that share this stroke of divine genius floating through space. Love of this spinning blue rock and all the miraculous, awe-inspiring beauty born out of its ripe ground.

Our continued existence will be our reward for this endeavor.

The problem is real, the situation is dire, and the time is now.

Big Lies

Watchdog says NASA misled on global warming

1 hour, 24 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - A government watchdog says NASA's press office "marginalized, or mischaracterized" studies on global warming between 2004 and 2006.

The NASA inspector general's report called it "inappropriate political interference."

The report issued Monday found that the agency's top management wasn't part of censorship, nor were career officials. It blamed "political appointees."

Conceeding Defeat

Sad but true: Steve Novick was defeated by Jeff Merkley in the Oregon Democratic Primaries last night. Steve had fought the underdog battle but came could not overcome the odds. The only politician I ever campaigned for is no longer running but I do hope that Gordon Smith can still be unseated.
Here is what I hope for in the coming battle to snag the seat in the Senate:
1. Jeff Merkley BEATS Gordon Smith
2. Jeff Merkley uses the same negative campaign tactics on Gordo as he did on Steve.
3. Jeff Merkley does not sing "Kumbaya" with Republicans if he does win.
4. Jeff Merkley repairs rifts amongst Democrats immediately.
5. Jeff Merkley learns how to land a punch in a debate rather than giving the politically safe answers.
To Steve: Let me say thanks for helping me believe in someone rather than just something. I do not trust politicians and they constantly prove that my lack of faith in them is warranted. Instead, I usually focus on issues of policy or broader ideology. You were endearing, approachable, down to earth, and one of "us" however. You were the rare candidate that did not thirst for power but instead saw your run as a matter of responsibility. You were not the well-groomed career politician but your ideas had broad appeal. I don't know what your future plans are but I wish you the best and hope to see you continue standing up for the little guy. Thank you Steve. You made this Oregonian proud.








Onto Obama...
He now has the majority locked up for pledged delegates. The race will none the less continue and, as much as I am sick of it, I think it should. Why stop now right?

So Long Suckas!

So all three presidential hopefuls are coming to town. Truth is, two out of three are already here. My response? I'm getting on a plane and high tailing out of here!
No, it isn't so that I can escape the hype, the motorcades, or the political ads. Really, I'd like to stay and help the Novick campaign. But alas, I'm going on vacation (in part thanks to my mother-in-law). I got a house sitter and I'm tying up the loose ends at work. If anyone wonders where I've gone, here are some pics but there will be no more blogging for at least the next 9 days.
Peace out everyone (that is aimed at the three people who actually visit this site!)