Fear of a Black President

Pro-Clinton Push Poll Erupts in CA - LA Times

Via TPM, who themselves have spent a lot of time examining the push polling of Republicans in the last two election cycles, comes this tidbit of information on the Clinton campaign push-polling undecideds and independents in California days before the primary election. For those of you who don't know what a push-poll is, think of a telemarketer calling you to convince you to buy their product, except they present themselves as your typical survey taker. The questions asked are designed to place the preferred candidate in the most positive light while slamming every other candidate. Now during the last election cycle, push-polling and robo-calls were the bread and butter of Republican campaign tactics. That the Clinton campaign has resorted to such Rovian tactics is telling of how much the Clintons fear a black man and to what lengths they will go to win an election.

Never Let Me Down

U.S. Pulls Plug on Low-CO2 Powerplant Project - Slashdot

Wait, let me get this straight. The U.S. government is withdrawing its support for a FutureGen coal-fired powerplant that had a way of trapping CO2 emissions all because the projected costs went 800 million over what was an expected billion dollars? The same U.S. government that has for years pumped billions into Iraq? Into 'advanced' aircraft design? Into the Future Warrior system that doesn't work? The same U.S. government that has given billions in subsidies to the coal and oil industry? But a simple plan that might have kept coal as a viable power source for another decade that runs 800 million over budget get axed? Jesus tap-dancing Christ, can this administration do anything right? My fucking God, it does not take a genius to figure out what a boon U.S. involvement in the FutureGen project is and now this? I'm going to go burn some tires and beat up babies now.

The Spherical Cow of Language

Language as a Spherical Cow - Science Blog

And once against Chomsky gets it wrong on what language is and does. This is what happens when to attempt to take the context out of language. Wittgenstein still has the best explanation, in my opinion, and I have yet to come across a better theory of language that explains as much as Wittgenstein's 'meaning as use' and the language-game theorems.

Magnetic Reconnection = Cosmic Bombs

New Discovery On Magnetic Reconnection To Impact Future Space Missions - Science Daily

I really don't get the theory or the tech speak behind this article. All I know is there's a possibility of giant random explosions in space. That's enough for me.

A Dark Fluid Beating at the Heart of the Universe

Particle Accelerator May Reveal Shape of Alternate Dimensions - Science Blog
New Light on Dark Energy - Science Blog
Dark Fluid: Dark Matter and Dark Energy May Be Two Side of the Same Coin - Science Daily

The search to discover what dark matter and dark energy are have buggered particle physicists and cosmologists for more than a decade. On the other side of this is the role that the extra dimensions string theory require might play in how dark matter/dark energy affect the large-scale structure of galaxies and the universe as a whole. Dr. Hong Sheng Zhao's theory that dark matter and dark energy are simple two elements of a singular dark fluid. If the new LHC that is coming online soon can show similarities between the particles and dimensions produced in particle collisions that match the idea of dark fluid then we might see a leap in understanding of how the expansion of the universe occurs and what the other 96% of the universe is made of. Those extra dimensions, I think, are key to where this dark energy or dark matter reside. It's just a matter of crafting a theory that explains both the effects of dark fluid (dark matter/dark energy) on the large-scale structure of the universe and how, if this dark fluid exists, is hiding within these extra dimensions.

Flash Mobs Mob Grand Central Station

207 Pranksters Stand Still for 5 Mins in Grand Central Stn. - Cory Doctorow @ BoingBoing

Cory Doctorow has posted about a flash mob in Grand Central Station. No, they didn't do anything like open umbrellas or suddenly start singing old Boy George tunes. No, they, simultaneously, froze in place for five minutes. Apparently a crowd gathered around in amazement and when the five minutes was up everyone suddenly started moving again, this time to applause from the gathered crowd. Now this is the power of SMS, IM and other micro-texting applications like Twitter. Flash mobs are one of the coolest developments of Web 2.0 and instantaneous communication. I'd like to see more of the in American culture.

Obama the Giant

Shepard Fairey's Obama Poster - David Pescovitz @ BoingBoing
Obama @ Obey Giant

I love these aesthetic of this poster and of several of the t-shirts I've seen of Sen. Obama lately. It recalls the Che Guerra shirts one tends to see on college campuses. I've actually wanted one like that of Huey from The Boondocks for some time now. What makes the poster interesting, but fitting, is that it was created by the same artist who created the black and white Andre the Giant poster. Unfortunately the print run is sold out and according to the web site no other print runs are planned at this point. Still, I would love to see ad walls covered in posters like this.

Waiting for 2012

There are 200 'Real' Superheroes in the United States - Kevin Kelly @ io9

Damnit, Grant Morrison was right.

Taking to the Streets, Taking to the Blogs

Why I Love the Horse Race - publius @ Obsidian Wings

Publius has posted an interesting view on the horse race that has been this primary election season. He's gone meta with it and examined the aesthetics of this election year, pondering the Political versus the political as candidates of a very diverse range compete against each other in sometimes hostile territory and in combative ways. For me, while I love talk of the Political, I've found another positive benefit from this primary season--that my parents have started to pay attention to the political blogs. More to the point, they're reading the good blogs too, the ones that shirk from the shrill and focus on the factual and intelligent. Whether that lasts I cannot say, but that they are no longer relying on the tv news pundits for opinions says a lot about how this primary season has inspired them to involved themselves, at least on the informational side, in this race. I don't know how many stories there are similar to mine but I'm sure many of my generation have seen their parents take to the blogs as well. Now that's a sea change my friends.

The Hippies Have Obama's Back

Grateful Dead Plan Fundraiser Concert for Obama - Truemors

Looks like Sen. Obama is tying up the aging hippie vote. I just hope it's not ten minutes of Sen. Obama followed by three hours of a guitar solo.

The Electric God of Modernity

Radio Tesla - Zoetica Ebb @ Coilhouse
Tesla vs Edison, fight! - Zoetica Ebb @ Coilhouse

I have such a tech fetish for Tesla, along with a lot of other people. I don't necessarily buy into the conspiracy theories but I do think Tesla had an understanding of one of the fundamental forces of the universe that few have even approached since. His genius still amazes us even today. If only I had the electric gods talking to me like Tesla did.

A Weekend Too Far

Fortunately there are few pictures of me in this set and plenty of my friend enjoying his thirty years of life in style. Well, pictures of him and the pleasantly lovely door girl at one of the dance clubs we landed at. I think I'll let you guess which one's are of me.

Drinkathon 2008

Water Produces the Best Sound

New mixes in the mix of newness. I learned tonight that I do indeed like Ghostland Observatory and MGMT, that Kid Sister has a great sound while rapping about people I'd sooner stab in the throat than shake hands with, that Beat the Devil has one of the best vocalists around at the moment, and that the Carps deserve far more attention than they are getting. These are the fruits of my web-driven head. Enjoy.

Trifecta

Whatever Happened to Weldon Kees? - Meredith Yayanos @ Coilhouse
Early Visual Media Archeology - David Pescovitz @ BoingBoing
Ornamental Typography - David Pescovitz @ BoingBoing


Versus doing three separate posts on these links I decided to combine them all together as they have an overarching theme of lost art and lost people. In particular, both my parents have a deep interest in old typography (my dad for his hand engraving, my mother for her calligraphy). Each of these articles put forth images and ideas long lost to the majority of people. The Coilhouse article on Weldon Kees quite nicely ties this all together as he was a man of many talents, something of a rarity these days. Avant-garde art and photography of the past do not receive the attention they deserve, especially when the beauty of such art reminds one of paths not traveled. How such art influences new artists and inspires their work depends on whether they have an awareness of this art. I think it's part of our duty as bloggers, cultural commentators and purveyors of the strange to put this kind of art on the forefront of the public consciousness. Reminding people that strangeness and beauty are not mutually exclusive and have existed for a long time is a valuable pursuit.

A Stooge for a Stage

Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell - Spencer Ackerman

Foreign policy wonk, Spencer Ackerman, makes a pretty convincing argument that Sen. Obama won tonight's debate based on his position on the Iraq war combined with Sen. Clinton's bumbling response. Money quote: I don't know how a single Democratic voter watches that exchange and thinks, "Yeah, I'm gonna vote for Hillary Clinton! The war was a tough call and maybe it wasn't a mistake, but it's a mistake now!"

Super Tuesday Debate

Just finished watching the Super Tuesday debate and I have to say Sen. Obama won quite handily for one simple reason: he forced Sen. Clinton to play at his level. Most of Sen. Obama's campaign has focused on change: change in trajectory, change in leadership, change in mindset, change in participation. Part of Sen. Obama's platform has been to force the other candidates to play at a level above that of the typical political games. Sen. Obama, by remaining calm and reposed, was able to tackle even the toughest questions and put forth politically risky answers. What that resulted in was a response by Sen. Clinton to rely more and more on belated answers while Sen. Obama maintained a measured and crisp response. The zingers by both candidates were witty and humorous but, personally, I thought Sen. Obama's quips had more substance. The one remark in particular, that it is better to be right on the first day in office, was a deep wound to Sen. Clinton's argument for her experience. Never bitter, Sen. Obama kept a civil tone while exposing Sen. Clinton's weaknesses. Moreover, Sen. Obama took the bite out of Sen. Clinton's criticisms through that civility.
On some key point, Sen. Obama made policy remarks that I dearly wish he would give some of the backing logic for. Both his plan for voluntary health insurance while tamping down health premiums and his agreement with the issuing of driver's licenses to illegal immigrants have a clever logic behind them that belie Sen. Obama and his staff's intelligence. The issue of universal healthcare is one that Sen. Obama obviously cares about, but he has shown through his plan the realization that he cannot ramrod a huge bill through Congress all at once. By take the tact of bringing down healthcare costs first he makes a better argument for providing affordable universal healthcare, both for individual citizens and for the federal government itself. On the issue of driver's licenses, Sen. Obama again shows a practical first step towards achieving immigration reform. By urging illegals to obtain licenses the state and federal government have the ability to build a database of illegals and who to target once immigration reform is brought to the table.
Sen. Obama did very well tonight, though whether that will significantly improve his chances come Super Tuesday is questionable. I thought he outperformed Sen. Clinton on most issues and displayed a knowledge of policy that's necessary while not descending into the realm of wonkishness. Overall, I think Sen. Obama will come out of this week and next in a far better position. If the idea of a so-called 'dream ticket' becomes a reality, I think it will come in the form of an Obama-Clinton one.

Worth More than a Hundred Pundits

Politics - xkcd

I think this statement by web comic xkcd pretty much sums up the sentiments of a lot of Americans when it comes to their support of Barak Obama. Beyond the sentiment that voting for Sen. Obama makes one feel 'proud', xkcd offers two points that I either hadn't known or thought of. One is Sen. Obama's support for the Open Source community and the use of open standards to create greater transparency between the government and the people. Sen. Obama's tapping of Lawrence Lessing's experience in understanding how the open source movement could help the federal government shows a lot about Sen. Obama's approach to government computing and software standards, along with records and document transparency.
The other point sounds a bit silly at first, but for a generation of 20-somethings raised on the cynicism of the Simpsons, the Daily Show and South Park, the desire to see Jon Stewart smile again is a strangely compelling reason to vote for Sen. Obama. The comics of xkcd are funny, witty, intelligent and, on occasion, incredibly sweet. So for it's writer to express such a sentiment is keeping within his character. I too want to see Jon Stewart smile again. He was the rallying point for me after 9/11 and I think for my generation, he can be a rallying point for a new politics. I hope you all give xkcd his due time and listen to his words. Whether you vote for Sen. Obama or not is up to you.

On Comments and the Strange World of Message Boards

I've witnessed some of the strangeness of message-board conversations, the trolls, the yes-men, the intelligent commentators, and the fierceness web debates can take on. The Newsarama message-boards are usually a lively affair, but then again, comic book fan boys are serious about just about everything. Those debates can take on surreal proportions as fan boys slug it out over the merits of an artist, the decisions of a company, the direction of a storyline or the characterization of their favorite characters by a new writer. The key thing commentators have to remember is to remain civil and the ones who garner the greatest respect are the ones who consistently make insightful or intriguing comments. Generally when those commentators weigh in on a subject the rest are ready to accept their wisdom and nibble at the boarders of the argument, seeking perfection.
Yes, message-boards are strange sometimes, but a new level of strangeness seems to have infected the comments section of several left-leaning blogs I read. To wit, I have watched as Clinton supporter after Clinton supporter waylay posts in support of Sen. Obama and those who offer their agreement with the remarks of the blogger. It's not quite troll-like behavior but does verge on it. What I find so strange though is the nature of the attacks on those who, at the very least, voice their agreement with a blogger who writes a post suggesting support for Sen. Obama. Now I don't necessarily know whether these attackers are Clinton supporters but they to display certain traits that mark them as such: a fierceness in their criticism of Sen. Obama, a push to ignore or spin questionable actions on the part of Sen. Clinton, and a tendency to accuse the media or those in the comment section of sheepishly following the Obamania.
Another strange element is the accusation that commentators who agree with pro-Obama sentiments are damaging the Democratic party or otherwise hampering the efforts of the Democratic party from attaining the Presidency. Now as an Obama support myself, I can't say I'm pleased with such sentiments but this has been an interesting primary season and I do think the attacks Sen. Obama has struggled against work to make him a better candidate for the general election. But there's an objective part of me that cringes whenever I see a post accusing Obama supporters of blind faith or levying attacks that rely on anecdotal evidence, the kind that are hard to substantiate with real evidence. It's...troubling to say the least. I believe that Clinton supporters do her a service by defending her in comment sections but I also believe they do her a disservice when they use such tactics to try and win a message-board argument. For one, it's a message-board argument. Only those who generally have a good grasp on the key elements of the issues and candidates post comments so attempting to persuade supporters of one candidate to switch their support is a bit of a lark. In addition, using such tactics as a means of winning these arguments only deepens the opposing supporters' beliefs. So I have a hard time seeing why Sen. Clinton's supporters would go so far out of their way over message-board comments. They display a rabidness that does not engender themselves to supporters of Sen. Obama or those sitting on the fence. I can't quite understand why Sen. Clinton's supporters believe they are doing anything good. The strangeness of message-boards doesn't quite encapsulate how strange these debates have become. It's a new arena I suppose, and a new tone for how message-boards will operate. I just don't get it yet.

Jumper Leads

Brain's on a temporary reboot cycle. Thoughts are gibbering on as gibberish thoughts do. Be back in head sometime soon, we think.

Endorsements

Clinton's Risky Gamble - Robert Novak @ Washington Post
The Second Black President - Andrew Sullivan
Ted Kennedy Matters - Marc Ambinder
The Black-Brown Divide - Gregory Rodriguez @ Time
Evolution - Andrew Sullivan
Why Ted Kennedy Matters - Jonathan Cohn @ The New Republic
Why Teddy Matters - Matt Yglesias
On Endorsements - Ezra Klein

I decided to give a round-up of various commentaries on the Democratic primary race and the endorsements of the past weekend for Sen. Obama (which, for the record, are JFK daughter Caroline Kennedy, Sen. Edward Kennedy and Noble prize-winner Toni Morrison). It was either this or a series of increasingly redundant posts, so you better damn well thank me. The consensus among left-leaning and independent bloggers and pundits (excluding baby-eating Novak) is that these three endorsements are big in a way that has yet to sink in. All three endorsements are seriously bad for Sen. Clinton and seriously good for Sen. Obama. Most of the electric ink has been spilled over Sen. Kennedy's endorsement as, unbeknownst to me, he is apparently the grand-old-man of the Democratic party, a kingmaker of sorts. The Kennedy endorsement throws a lot of weight (that's not meant as a pun) behind Sen. Obama going into the debate on the 31st and Super Tuesday the following week. Most of the pundits agree that Sen. Kennedy's stature in the Senate has given him a close view of how both Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama operate, thus his endorsement of Sen. Obama is a serious snub to the Clinton campaign's claim to experience and ability to lead. Moreover, Sen. Kennedy's support among white working-class voters and Latino voters will most likely give Sen. Obama a boost among that much needed electorate.
Now Caroline Kennedy, I think her endorsement is the killer app of the Clinton campaign. Sen. Clinton's courting of the women's vote will take a serious blow among middle-aged women. Watching the response at American University to Caroline's remarks was astounding. How much that will affect the primaries I can't tell. Toni Morrison's endorsement will have the same effect as Caroline Kennedy's I think. To have the woman who called President Clinton the first black president come out in favor of Sen. Obama comes as a hard knock to the Clinton's standing among the black community. Mrs. Kennedy and Ms. Morrison's endorsements also stand as a rebuttal to those women who have criticized Oprah Winfrey for not endorsing Sen. Clinton. This is still a close primary race, but I think Sen. Obama has gained a distinct advantage against Sen. Clinton. What happens between now, the next debate and Super Tuesday is a big unknown, but an exciting one.

Quote of the Day

Via Ezra Klein's grandmother: "it's your generation's turn. We've screwed everything up. Now you get a chance."

This was part of her reasoning for voting for Sen. Obama. He goes on to describe how President Clinton's blundering actions and Caroline Kennedy's endorsement convinced his grandmother that Sen. Obama was worth giving a chance. Klein also notes how Caroline Kennedy's endorsement has had an effect on his mother as well, leaving me to wonder what effect said Kennedy's endorsement will have on middle-aged women in America. Being so young and never really taken by the Kennedy mythos I have a hard time understanding the value of such an endorsement. The Kennedy's have been just another political family for me but it appears that Caroline's endorsement matters a lot more than I would have expected. That Sen. Kennedy is endorsing Sen. Obama holds more value in my mind, but again, I was never caught up in the love of the Kennedys.

Silver Linings Amid Dark Clouds

Weak Dollar Fuels China's Buying Spree of U.S. Firms - Ariana Eunjung Cha @ Washington Post

I'm not an economist so take my opinion here with a grain of salt. Even so, I see the rapid rise in acquisitions of U.S. firms by Chinese ones as something of a positive. While the falling dollar makes it more difficult for U.S. firms to buy into foreign companies, the opposite is that foreign firms feel they have the ability to invest in American companies at bargain prices. Some may see a weak dollar as a sign of falling U.S. financial power in the world but if foreign companies believe that there are good investment opportunities in the states then that's a reassuring sign of the strength of the American economy. As Cha notes, we have experienced the same thing in the 70s and 80s with the Germans and the Japanese respectively. Yes, there is some warranted concern but that has more to do with the politics between China and the U.S. than with the economy. Chinese companies either operating or opening U.S. firms bring in much needed jobs and job security. On an even brighter note, such investments from China are a sign of a lessening militaristic stance against the U.S., if China has had one since the 90s. You don't press too many political hot buttons if you have serious investments in a particular nation. At the same time, yes it is worrisome that China will have greater pull with U.S. lawmakers since more American jobs will depend on China's money. But ultimately, this infusion of cash into the U.S. economy will help it stave off any serious recession. Now if only the price of precious metals like gold and platinum would come down then jewelers like me won't have to raise our prices so much.

The Three-Fifthers of the Democratic Party

The Media's Three-Fifth's Compromise - Rikyrah @ Jack and Jill Politics

Spencer Ackerman's blog pointed me to this commentary on the Clinton camp's spin of the South Carolina primary. It really is quite good (despite the grammar nazi in my kicking in from time to time, though I'm no saint myself) and makes several astute points about what the Clinton spin entails, particularly if the Clinton's keep pushing it. That Sen. Clinton not only lost by a 2 to 1 margin but barely made second place herself was a considerable hit to her campaign. She compounded the wound by not giving a concession speech and then claiming that South Carolina didn't matter because of the larger black electorate in the state. As Rikyrah notes, the Clintons are essentially saying that black voters don't matter because of course they would vote for a black man over a white woman. Not only is that insulting to the blacks of South Carolina, it's insulting to blacks all across the U.S. While the Clintons can certainly count on the establishment leaders in the black communities, the more they push this kind of spin the more they will see black voters rally around Sen. Obama. It's not a wise course of action, but how can they back themselves out of a corner of their own making?

The Jerusalem Effect

Alexis Millan - Warren Ellis

I love how Spider Jerusalem has taken on a life-force of its own. He stands for both the counter-culture and for what is ultimately right. I think Ellis has only once produce a better character: Elijah Snow of Planetary. Comics are wonderful.

The Lies and the People who Told Them.

Clinton's Campaign Sees Value in Keeping Former President in Attack Mode - Patrick Healy @ NYT
Black America Feels the Sting of Ex-President's Comments - Darryl Fears @ Washington Post
Lies and Democracy - hilzoy @ Obsidian Wings

Hilzoy makes a rather smart statement when she notes that most Americans simply are not the kind of political junkies who will track down every misleading statement a candidate makes. More to the point, they shouldn't have to resort to that. So the attacks that the Clinton campaign levees against Sen. Obama that are based on factually inaccurate statement, or as we like to call them in Texas, lies, shows how the Clintons are thumbing their noses at the electorate. The Clinton's believe their tactics are working, as the NYT articles shows. Former President Clinton will remain in attack mode on the campaign trail, essentially tag-teaming the Senator from Illinois and making me wonder who we would actually vote for in a national election--Bill or Hillary. Yet it seems that such tactics are taking a toll on the black base of support Sen. Clinton needs to send her over the top. The Washington Post article cited above relates various stories of blacks in South Carolina and in New York who are sickened over President Clinton's comments while black radio hosts are publicly denouncing the former president for turning his back on black voters.
Hilzoy's post, about how lies in a campaign run counter to the idea of citizenship and voting in a democracy, makes the excellent point that by spreading these lies, the Clintons do far more harm than good for the electorate, particularly when those who supported the Clintons uncover the truth of these statements released by the Clinton campaign. The reality is showing itself in South Carolina and across the nation through black radio hosts. And the media has taken to debunking these statements rather quickly and publicly while Sen. Obama has attempted to restrain himself in going on the attack himself.
I can understand the Clinton's frustration with the media on that point, but they have no one to blame but themselves. You cannot state a lie in today's 24/7 media and blogosphere without seeing those lies immediately exposed. And once the media smells blood in the water, they come swimming by to check it out. It's only their nature and the nature of their editors. So by keeping the former president on an active campaign schedule, the Clinton campaign is telling the public that they do not care about the truth, but only about winning the primary. Perhaps, as some like Ezra Klein have said, this is a good thing for when Sen. Clinton goes up against the Republican nominee, but I believe it's disingenuous and dangerous, particularly if the nation truly wishes to move past the politics of Rove and Bush.

Bring On The Noize!

A Place to Bury Strangers @ MySpace
A Place to Bury Strangers Home Page

I like knowing that the Jesus and Mary Chain are alive and well still. A little louder please? K, thx.

Answers to Questions You Really Didn't Want to Ask

Perhaps I shouldn't take such an interest in who views my blog, particularly the search terms used to reach it. The last person to view my blog was searching for, and I quote, "sex positions for above-knee amputees". I'm mildly disturbed now. Thank you very much Interweb.

Photo-Realism on the Cheap

Bic Art - Andrew Sullivan

Sometimes the only reason I read Sullivan's blog is for the random piece of culture that pops up. This is Bic Art; i.e. art created through the use of a Bic pen. That's right, a pen, ball-point, with the annoying little cap that you always lose. The artist is one Juan Francisco Casas, who's web site is in Spanish, but you savvy interweb users should make it through.

Obama as the Reluctant Samurai

Obama Winning Spin War Over Who's Victim In Campaign - Greg Sargent @ TPM

I think Sargent's analogy of Sen. Obama as a David to the Goliath of Sen. Clinton and President Clinton is remarkably astute when viewing it through the lens of the mainstream media. My take is that Sen. Obama has acted like the kid on the playground who reluctantly must fight against the schoolyard bully despite his best wishes. This kind of narrative, that of Sen. Obama as the reluctant fighter who desires only peace but whose hand has been forced, is a smart one and one likely to stick around so long as the Obama campaign does not come out with too hard of a charge against the Clintons. President Clinton does have a point that the media has paid a great deal of attention to his role in his wife's campaign, but I think that is only proper since he is after all a former president and de facto leader of his party. That Obama's campaign has used this to their advantage shows a subtle kind of ingenuity that might stave off the Clinton machine's attacks while delivering him the nomination. Sen. Obama's hesitancy to make an all-out attack against the Clintons plays both to his message of unity and to his advantage in a fierce primary race. Against a Republican opponent, I think Sen. Obama will prove far more aggressive since he can use his message of unity as a pivot point against the smears of a Republican candidate without worrying about driving a wedge in his own party. It's smart politics for Sen. Obama.

Time Makes Fools of Us All

Al Gore's Journey - James Kirchick @ The New Republic

Now, I understand that James Kirchick is himself gay, but he has traditionally taken a neo-con-tinged view of things, much to my annoyance. Yet, here we have Kirchick noting how Al Gore has quietly changed his views on homosexuality from that of a senator believing homosexuality was unusual and not a normative value he supported during the 1980s to today's position supporting gay marriage. This isn't a hit piece that you'd might expect from someone like Kirchick. Instead, he takes a tactful, nuanced view that perhaps Gore, over a long period of time, has had a change of heart. It's actually a well-written blog post on how a politician's change in stance can come from a genuine change in belief. I hope Kirchick has it in him to continue writing pieces like this.

Strength through Unity

Hey, I'm looking for some incredibly gay pseudo-rave music ten years too late. Oh, and it has to have a faux-masculine singer, preferably Australian.

Oh...

Wait...

Okay, this'll do.

Endless Horizion

Eyeball-Implanted Camera Patent May Bring Electronic Vision, One Day - Kit Eaton @ Gizmodo

This is really a topic for Ann over at femtofrosting but I just love the graphic they included. And after the spat of articles on contact lenses that might some day act as telescopes, I think it is perfectly appropriate to talk about the cultural and technological issues involved. This is cyberpunk of the last decade, but made real. For people who want a leg up on their competition or for possible future web vision directly wired into the brain, it's tech like this that will bring about those advances. I love living in the future.

Mickey Mouse Prices, I think not.

Vivienne Tam's Mickey Mouse Dresses - Tokyo Mango

This is psychotically amusing to me. The fashion sense is great, but the theme causes parts of my brain to shift in uncomfortable ways. Either way, it is cool.

The Golden Mean

Atomic Structures Captured by New, Ultra-Powerful Microscope - Annalee Newitz @ io9

What you are looking at is an image taken by the Department of Energy's National Center for Electron Microscopy. The crystal lattice you see in the center of the image is a bridge between two pieces of gold. While images like this were possible in the past, a new electron microscope the DOE has brought online brings an incredible sharpness that was not previously available. This appeals both to my jewelers' instincts and my geek lobes. I've now witnessed gold crystals. Thank, my friends, is what we like to call happiness.

Universal Expansion of Health Care Costs

Why Universality Matters - Ezra Klein

I'm a little confused by Ezra's argument over universal health care. On the one hand, he fully supports the idea that universal health care is a necessity for the American public. On the other, he notes the great potential for spiraling costs once such a plan is implemented. Now I've seen Sen. Obama take a lot of flak for proposing a system that does not emphasize mandatory health insurance but rather focuses on lowering the cost of health insurance before any plan to promote universal health care is brought forward. It seems that Ezra is implicitly supporting Sen. Obama's health care plan and subtly hinting that Sen. Clinton or Sen. Edwards' plans do not account for the possibility of massive cost increases once universality is achieved. It's possible that I'm misreading this but that's the conclusion I've arrived at.

Propagazi

Rummy Resurfaces, Calls for U.S. Propaganda Agency - Sharon Weinberger @ The Danger Room

It's no surprise that someone like Donny "Let's Get Ready to Rumble" Rumsfeld is promoting a propaganda agency as a response to the war of ideas between the West and Muslim nations. Yet I can't shake the feeling that this is completely the wrong way to go about doing things. Ideological wars are not won through propaganda, or at least through propaganda alone. Where the trouble lies is in the expectation that by promoting pro-Western values in Muslim nation it will lead Muslim youths away from the words of radical imams or jihadists. Moreover, when it's easy enough to see the kind of destruction going on in places like Iraq, suspect news agencies and sources are not effective means of countering the feeling of resentment and rage. Yes, U.S. foreign policy needs to do a better job of promoting its ideas abroad but actions speak louder than words, particularly words that come from a known biased source. Unsurprisingly, Rummy doesn't get this. But at least he's not in any real position of power to enact such misdirected ideas.

The Kiling Joke

He'll Play the Joker - Andrew Sullivan

Oh thank god. I was worried there for a while.

My Robot Friend

Robot High School - Mark Frauenfelder, BoingBoing

Been there, done that, please try to keep up.

Working for a Nuclear Free City

Something to cool the mind after the debate. Going to go read some cyberpunk now.

Syncronicity

I find it very appropriate that the MLK episode of The Boondocks is on tonight. Thank you Adult Swim.

First Impressions

Sen. Clinton got smacked around like a bitch. Sen. Obama's gloves are coming off and she's not going to like it.

President Bill Clinton wasn't there at all. Wonder why?

Sen. Obama gave the best answer to whether MLK would endorse any particular candidate by saying that MLK wouldn't have endorsed any one of them. Sen. Clinton side-stepped it but essentially said that MLK would have endorsed her.

Sen. Clinton was rightly booed when she accused Sen. Obama did not take responsibility for anything.

Sen. Obama had the best quip concerning the Bill/Hillary Clinton tag team when he said he didn't know who he was running against.

Sen. Edwards was a great foil for Sen. Obama, playing Devil's Advocate and challenging Sen. Obama in ways that he needed without the vitriol that would have come from Sen. Clinton.

Sen. Obama seriously hurt his chances with the Latino vote when he explicitly said that his health care plan would not include the 12 million illegal immigrants. It was the right answer though. He was also right to say that lowering health insurance costs first before enacting universal health care mandates was the most important part of fixing the health care system.
Sen. Clinton kept taking this huffy looking stance whenever Sen. Obama made a strong point against her. It was very reminiscent of VP Al Gore's sighs during his presidential debates with President Bush.

I really like that Sen. Obama is fighting back. My fear has been that Sen. Obama would stay too far above the fray and let these allegations fester.

Sen. Edwards would make an excellent running mate for Sen. Obama.

Overall I think Sen. Obama won this debate but only by a slim margin. What I think the most important thing that will come from this debate is that Sen. Obama found his debating voice. But whether this will help him is uncertain.

Idealism with Bite

Hard Truths and Half Truths on Health Care - Jonathan Cohn, The New Republic

Jonathan Cohn has an interesting post up at The Plank on Sen. Obama's Illinois Senate record on health care. The gist of the post is that Sen. Obama made several proposals for state-wide health care that eventually ended up as bill mandating universal healthcare in Illinois. Throughout the process Sen. Obama met with some industry lobbyists and made some changes to the bill that proved fruitful for its eventual passage. Cohn reported on the sense of liberals who fought for such a bill. Quote: "As far as they are concerned, Obama's signature inclusiveness was always a means to an end--a way to push the limits of reform rather than accept them. And, they say, it worked"
Now after watching the latest Democratic debate and the attacks both Sen. Edwards and Sen. Clinton leveraged against Sen. Obama for push smaller steps toward universal healthcare I have to say that I believe Sen. Obama's plan has a far greater chance of actually, you know, getting passed than attempting to push a radical plan for universal coverage. This, my friends, is what we call pragmatic idealism, and it does work.

A Black Sheriff!?

I heard today that Oprah Winfrey is getting some flak for supporting Sen. Obama, a black man, over Sen. Clinton, a white woman. For the rest of the day it reminded me of something from a movie and I figured it out about five minutes ago: Blazing Saddles. And here's the scene I was thinking of.

Hillary Clinton, The Anti-Ann Richards

This is the second part in my free-thought commentary on the 2008 elections, this time concerning Sen. Clinton's campaign. After watching the Iowa caucus, the New Hampshire primary and the Nevada caucus I have come to see Sen. Clinton as someone who is willing to destroy her own party in her pursuit of power. I must add though, that it is not only Sen. Clinton's doing but the doings of her husband and her campaign staff. The entire Clinton camp is willing to tear their party apart in order to win the presidency and after nearly a decade of slash-and-burn politics I cannot stand idly by and watch it happen again. For a woman in the 21st century to not only run on the coattails of her husband but to denigrate another man who has not directed his entire being toward the gaining of more power is not only sickening, it is exactly what a man like Karl Rove would have done. What we face in the Democratic primary is the choice between the continuation of the Bush presidency, both in underhanded actions and secrecy, and a new kind of president who hearkens back to the great orators who actually did bring about real change to this country. Sen. Hillary Clinton is not the president we as a country need right now for many reasons. Her tendency towards secrecy, her attitude that citizens should not have a voice, and her craven attempts to court minority voters who she will not support or work for are all marks of a bad president. They are the marks of the Bush presidency and they are the marks of President Bill Clinton's social policy (Don't Ask, Don't Tell and the Defense of Marriage Act were both signed by the man asking us to vote for his wife). I do not want a president who is all talk and no bite when it comes to policy but is willing to sink her own party when it comes to winning an election. I want a president who is willing to stand on their principles but find ways of compromising with the opposition and I have yet to see such actions from Sen. Clinton. Moreover, I want a president who does not take to smearing and mocking their opponents. It's a sad day when I would consider moving to another country if a president like Hillary Clinton were elected. That should only happen with Republican presidents, not Democratic ones.

Barak Obama - The Jack Ryan of 2008

This is just a bit of free-thought commentary on the primary race as I see it thus far. In my opinion, Barak Obama represents in many important ways, the Jack Ryan of Tom Clancy's books. He is a humble yet driven individual who believes that both words and action are necessary to bring about any real change. In my youth (which wasn't all that long ago) I was an avid reader of Tom Clancy's books. Jack Ryan represented a lot of what I expect from our political and bureaucratic leaders: intelligence, respect, the willingness to work without acknowledgment and, perhaps most importantly, the ability to take one's ideals and find pragmatic ways of applying them. Many commentators and pundits have argued that Sen. Obama's strength lies in his speech-making but his weakness is in his policy substance but that's not what I see at all. So much of what Sen. Obama speaks about comes from his policy positions, from that substance he has built up through his years, but he believes that the only way to enact those policies is to inspire the people to believe that, yes, he can do these things. Perhaps Sen. Obama doesn't have a wonkish answer to every policy question but I don't expect a wonkish answer for every question that is asked. There's a difference between giving wonkery and telling it like it is. Both Sen. Obama and Jack Ryan are the types of people who would rather tell it like it is than obscure things with massive details that, in the end, really don't matter so long as action is taken. We've had wonkish presidents before, in Gerald Ford, in Jimmy Carter, in George H W Bush, but those presidents, I think most can agree, were rather ineffectual in getting things done. It was the presidents who inspired the people who made the real changes. Having a mind for wonkery is all well and good and necessary, but to speak to the people like that, as if they had the years of experience to understand the details of a wonkish answer, is rather condescending and stupid. Giving people answers they can understand, much as doctors do, is a better quality to have than giving them answers that merely have the appearance of knowledge. Again, Sen. Obama tells it like it is without talking down to the people, much as Jack Ryan did. And a president who can tell us that we need to step up because one man can only do so much is what makes me want to vote for him.

Economics and Other Things Pulled From My Ass

For Clinton, Government as Economic Prod - David Leonhardt @ NY Times

I'm going to show some of my less liberal and more libertarian tendencies here by: a) calling Sen. Clinton a dolt; and b) saying that the role of the federal government in the national economy is one of referee, not babysitter. I do admit there are times when the federal government must act more vigorously but those time are rare and rarely does government intervention actually achieve positive results in a meaningful time period. It's the government's charge to keep the economic playing field fair, either through regulation or strict and swift punishment, but beyond taxing the people only enough to sustain the projects and institutions of the federal government, they need to keep their camel nose out. If it is truly the wish of the current administration and Congress to provide a relief package to American citizens then it needs to come in the form of serious tax relief and a reworking of payroll taxes (including excising the cap on Social Security taxes) so that working Americans will have a larger paycheck every month and not just one time.

In the Shadow Library

I've spent the last couple of weeks going over my ever-growing mp3 collection in search of mix albums to pull from the oleo of music. Three weeks and I'm only down to around 220 hours of music left. In the meantime, I'm putting up the last mix I've made along with the artwork of comic artist Chris Bachelo and his rendition of Death from Neil Gaiman's The Sandman. I believe it was in Bachelo's transition period as it is primarily his older, cleaner style with hints of his more scattered and sketched style he currently uses. You can use the cover to the mix if you like. The total running time is just at what will fit on a normal CD-R. Hope you enjoy it.

No, Really?

Sleaze in Nevada? - Andrew Sullivan

Voter fraud? Campaign supporters using strong-arm tactics? The illegal withholding of ballots? In Nevada? Apparently the Clinton campaign hired the guys who ran President Bush's last two campaigns. And this is the first woman president we want?

Road to Ruin, or the Revenge of Sen. Clinton

Playing to Win, Take 2 - hilzoy @ Obsidian Wings

I think hilzoy is on to something here with her argument that, while there's a good chance for voters in this election cycle to see through Republican smear attacks, such an argument only works when those voters are not already predisposed to believe such attacks. The point she is trying to make is that Sen. Clinton has faced more than a decade of repeated attacks by the Republican party; so many so that, despite most people generally overlooking the attacks of the last seven years, voters are more inclined to believe those attacks now since they have built a strong and long-standing foundation. A candidate who has not played victim to these attacks stands a much better chance of winning a general election than a candidate like Sen. Clinton who has.
The second point hilzoy makes concerning Sen. Clinton is that at times when she had the opportunity to stand firm on Democratic principles she has buckled. Beyond the AUMF vote on Iraq, Sen. Clinton has tended to take only half-measures when it comes to central points of the Democratic party. As hilzoy notes, Sen. Clinton has not renounced her support of her husband's signing of the Defense of Marriage Act since, as Ben Smith of the Politico writes, she has distanced herself "from the portion which allows states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages from other states." The result of Sen. Clinton's partial repudiation is, as Smith concludes, the inability of the federal government to fully recognize same-sex marriage as it has become entirely a state's matter. In other words, Sen. Clinton walked away from pushing for federal recognition of same-sex marriage and will allow states like Texas to maintain their adoption of same-sex marriage bans. Sure, Sen. Clinton supports the right to same-sex marriage in theory, but when it comes to actually doing something about it, count her out.
It's this kind of false support that has so infuriated many in the Republican base and has led to the fracturing of their party. The pledges President Bush has made for bipartisanship and 'compassionate conservativism' have never materialized while the social conservative base has quietly fumed at the president's apparent lack of zeal in promoting their agenda. This is not what the Democratic party needs, particularly at a time when nominating the right candidate for president would further fracture the already creaking Republican coalition. I just hope that those members of the Democratic party who would rather take revenge for the last decade don't prevail over those of us, like myself, who would rather see us move the fuck on.

Blacker than Shaft?

Ultradark Material is Thirty Times Blacker than Black - Kevin Kelly

I'm wondering about the possible applications of such a material and solar cells spring to mind. The ability to absorb more sunlight than before could have serious ramifications for the solar energy industry. The military applications are pretty obvious as the blacker material would give soldiers a great advantage in terms of concealment. I wonder what would happen if you painted a car with this material?

The Runner with No Legs

Bilateral Amputee Banned from Olympics - Trendhunter
Photo Credit: Bryan Christie Design

My father is an above-knee amputee and has talked about the Cheetah prosthetic for some time now. The basic concept is to use a piece of tensioned metal that produces a spring in the step of the runner, propelling him forward. At the moment, such prosthetics are limited to below-the-knee amputees as the sockets requires for above-knee amputees lag are complicated and require a different arrangement than is possible with below-knee amputees. The key factor is the issue of building a working synthetic knee.
All this is said as a way of helping people understand why a double below-knee amputee is being denied the opportunity to compete in the 2008 Olympics. The crux of the matter is that the Cheetah prosthetic is basically a giant spring, giving the wearer a distinct advantage over those runners who have to rely only on their natural leg muscles. Still, is a bit of a win-lose situation: sure a runner equipped with the Cheetah prosthetic would run fast than the competition but at the end of the day you're still missing your legs. I understand the Olympic committee's decision, just as they would ban any substance that would give a runner a performance edge over the competition so does the Cheetah prosthetic. Still, it would have been a sight to see Oscar Pistorius compete.

Superhuman Eyes

Electronic Contact Lenses Give Future You Crazy Eyesight, Heads-up Display - Jason Chen @ Gizmodo

Inventions like these contacts are the first serious step toward a computer-free internet interface. Beyond the mere superhuman vision capabilities, these lenses can act as head-up displays bringing you web access directly to your eye without necessitating brain surgery. Perhaps all you will need are these lenses and a Wi-fi device much like an iPhone or iPod Touch.
The next question that springs to mind is the idea of hacking into the visual display of these contacts, seeing what someone else it seeing directly. The trippiness of such an experience aside, along with the military applications, the issue of privacy does enter the equation as a skilled hacker would have the tools to "hack your eyes" to use the parlance of Ghost in the Shell. While no direct connection to the brain is required, people still look at their hands when entering information such as pin numbers and Social Security numbers. Moreover, such a hacker could insert false visual data leading to a person responding to things that aren't there.
Still, it's a fucking cool concept that should come to market. The privacy issues need dealing with, but that will come with time as well. I'm looking forward to getting my first pair when I'm fifty.

Les Savy Fav @ The Loft - Updated

Les Savy Fav played an excellent set at the Loft in Dallas tonight. I was set for the after-party but bouncers and a five dollar cover is a little silly in my opinion. Still, it was a great show, though not enough nudity, but the cover of "Debaser" by the Pixies more than made up for that. The crowd, a Dallas crowd at that, was pretty into it, except when Harrington went into the crowd and then people didn't know what to do. The Fatal Flying Guilloteens, one of the openers, was amazing, but the crowd didn't know how to react really. The band was like Baboon on steroids, so of course I loved it. Here's a set of photos I took at the show, including the post-show kiss Harrington gave my friend Chad from fotophonic. Look for more photos from them in a day or so when they have a chance to upload them.

Update: As Emily from fotophonic points out in the comments, they have a video up of Les Savy Fav's cover of "Debaser" by the Pixies.

A 'Stimulating Package' for Bush

Bush Calls for Economic Stimulus Package - William Branigin @ Washington Post

You know, this is one of the few times President Bush has acted something like a real leader. He's set out a goal, an economic plan amounting to nearly 1% of our GDP, weighted heavily on tax cuts but left the details for Congress, himself and the Treasury Dept to work out. Personally, I'd like to see something much more radical in the sense of slashing middle class taxes in half while closing most, if not all, of the corporate tax loopholes and then flattening out corporate taxes downwards by a few percentage points. Index Social Security taxes and remove the cap at $90,000. Cut a lot of the farm subsidies, particularly for farms that net more than ten million a year to make up the loss in revenue from middle class taxes. Increase food stamp availability while shoring up the subprime mortgage mess by backing the homeowners for a limited time if they fall into a hardship and can't pay their mortgages. There's a lot more than can be done, but the most important aspect is giving the middle class the money and assurances that turn into consumer confidence and thus consumer spending. While tax cuts for the rich work in theory that's generally not how it works in real life in terms of stimulating the economy. It's the middle class that we need to focus our efforts on and I do hope Congress realizes this, or at least does something to alieviate the burden on the middle class.

Putting the Black Man in his Place, or the False Victim of Hillary Clinton

Black Dreams, White Liberals - Charles Krauthammer @ Washington Post

I don't normally link to a Charles Krauthammer op-ed piece since most of the time the man is off his wheelchair. He does occasionally come up with a decent piece of writing though and his op-ed today on the Clinton-Obama race issue is a good bit of writing for him, particularly since he gets to slam liberals while appearing to support Sen. Obama. There really isn't anything substantially new to what Krauthammer writes but he does make a point that I hadn't fully considered yet: that the Clintons are treating Sen. Obama like some uppity nigger usurping a white woman's place. It plays to all the key points of the race card in the wrong way for the Clinton campaign to argue that Sen. Obama should wait his turn, especially since he's some ghetto-hood, drug-slinging darkie who only holds his place because the white liberals were nice and let him play with the big boys. Problem is, Sen. Obama is none of those things; he is not an 'uppity nigger' and he certainly was not some ghetto-hood as the Clinton campaign insinuates.
Sen. Obama should not have to wait his turn and, to be sure, Sen. Clinton should stop using this false victimhood by acting like a weak-willed woman who is being denied her due all because of some black man. I do not want the first woman president to win based on her playing the victim, particularly since the potentially first black president has not played such a role at any point. If Sen. Clinton wishes to garner the respect Sen. Obama has then she needs to rise above identity politics and play at the same level as Sen. Obama. And that right there is where I think the Obama campaign has a winning strategy. He isn't playing at the same level as the rest of the Democratic field. He's playing at a much higher level, something all the candidates, both Republican and Democrat, should aspire to.

Update: And it seems that I'm not the only one who thinks Sen. Obama is telling the rest of the field to catch up.

The Hero's Journey

Eight Reasons Why The Hero's Journey Sucks - Charlie Anders @ io9

It's posts like this one that remind me we don't all have the same knowledge base nor do we all agree about the same things. This rant about Joseph Campbell is pretty bad in my opinion, though. It's a complaint about lazy writers who follow a formula without playing with the formula. The hero's journey of Campbell's work is one of those formulas but I've seen great authors do amazing things with that formula. All this rant proves is that Anders isn't a well read as he would like us to believe.

Renoir: Robot Designer

Giant Robot Repairs the Arc de Triomphe - Kevin Kelly @ io9

Oh that's just too sexy. Impressionist-style art and giant robots fit together so naturally.

More Deacon, Less Religion

Dan Deacon Ultimate Recap - ultra8201

Adding to the already reviewed Dan Deacon show at Emo's this past Friday is this round-up by Ultra-blogger ultra8201. There are links to show reviews, pictures and even a full video provided by the people at SwitchBurn. For the Dallas crowd, let these images burn in your mind as the proper way to get down at a show. Stop posing and start dancing, damnit, or I'll turn this car right around.

New Blog Friends

Femtofrosting - Ann Clemens

I would like to introduce my dear and intimate friend, Ann Clemens, to the blogosphere. While I can't promise anything like a political statement from her, I can promise good information on the way individual cells work within our brains. She's smart and creative, but go easy on her since she's been blogging for all of two seconds now. Still, take a look and find something interesting.

More Informational Theory

Physics of Information: Great Panel Discussion - Cory Doctorow @ BoingBoing

The idea has been tossed around for a while that information is potentially more essential to the universe that previously thought. Perhaps it is like the idea of the aether from the 19th century, a substrate holding up all the matter in the universe. Or, as used by Warren Ellis as a concept in his series Planetary, we are all 3d holograms of a 2d informational plane. Similar ideas, I'll grant you that, but the idea that information is perhaps a fundamental part of the universe is an intriguing one.

Looking to Move?

Shiny Metal Garbage City: Chu Enoki's RPM 1200 - Cory Doctorow @ BoingBoing

I want to live in a city like this. All that neo-retro architecture is hot.

Mass of Hot Air not Coming from Washington

Massive Gas Cloud Speeding Toward Collision with Milky Way - Science Daily

Well, I suppose all the hot air coming out of Washington should deflect this hydrogen cloud once it gets here, but you never know.

Building a Better Brain

Culture Influences Brain Function - JohnOneFive @ Truerumors
Culture Influences Brain Function - BJS @ Science Blog

This is the kind of thing I live for. Cultural historians are always looking for new ways to understand the minds of their subjects and how they interpreted the world around them. I don't know how much modern studies of how cultural differences affect the brain will aid historical research but any little bit helps.

The Greeks to the Rescue

The Sophrosyne of Obama - Andrew Sullivan

I like this term, but then again there are many Greek terms that seem to embody multiple meanings. Still, for a civilization that at various times emphasized moderation in all things, including moderation, sophrosyne is an apt term. Sen. Obama's speaking style follows this ideal quite well.

Boring Human Interests

Johnny Depp Donates $2 Million to Hospital - CAK @ Truemors

This is the kind of thing I wish I could do when I feel like I've received something special. Depp's contribution is more than just money. He puts pressure on other Hollywood stars to donate themselves.

Space Porn...Yeah, that about sums it up.

The Biggest Space Explosion Ever Recorded - Charlie Anders @ io9

Mmm...bright shiny space clouds blowing out from dead stars. Am I weird for finding this sexy?

One Degree of Idiocy

Six Degrees of Richard Cohen - publius @ Obsidian Wings

In what is probably the best comment on Richard Cohen's hit piece on Sen. Obama in today's Washington Post, publius of Obsidian Wings makes the startling revelation that perhaps, just maybe, by watching Brokeback Mountain Sen. Obama is connected it Kevin Bacon, a well-known anti-Semite and active al Qaeda agent. They probably met in the same madrassa in grade school and planned this campaign against Sen. Clinton and America from the very start. Who knows theses days?

The Anti-Black Hillary Clinton

Obama's Farrakhan Test - Richard Cohen @ Washington Post
And So It Continues - Andrew Sullivan

You know, the more we get into this primary season the more I am sickened by the racial politics of America and how the Clinton campaign has used that to further their interests. At this point, if Sen. Clinton wins the nomination, I will not vote for her, I may even vote for a Republican. Anyone so craven as to use this kind of race-baiting in their campaign does not deserve to become President, and after 8 years of sitting with an incompetent president I think this country deserves better. I think it's time Sen. Obama uses his connection with Oprah to talk about black issues and kill this slander once and for all.

Required Reading for a Dan Deacon Show: Updated

Dan Deacon @ MySpace
Dan Deacon Home Page
Dan Deacon @ Wikipedia

Things Not To Bring:
Clothing, sharp objects, any sense of personal space, cameras (unless you want to miss out on the fun by sitting on a monitor all night), soft shoes.

Things To Do:
Get acquainted to the people around you because you'll probably leave with a good deal of their sweat on you, drink heavily, hydrate heavily, stretch, when asked if you want to crowd surf politely say no and then point to the guy next to you and help get him up on the crowd, help keep everyone standing, try to touch the skull if you can, go through the tunnel, learn how to dance without being able to move.

Above all, go in knowing that whatever you are wearing will need a serious washing after the show.

Update: Apparently I wasn't the only one who thought the Dan Deacon show at Emo's this past weekend was utter insanity. I was on the other side of the amp for most of those pictures, trying to save myself and have a smoke at the same time, but no, I wasn't one of those posers standing on stage trying to make myself look fabulous. I was down with the masses, with the Deacon, replacing my blood with electricity.
Covert Curiosity
Ultra8201

Update 2: Okay, Ultra8201 is cool in my book. Give him his due and visit his site.

Win Butler Backes Sen. Obama, Seeks Cabinet Spot

Arcade Fire's Win Butler Disses Hillary, Backs Obama - Matt Solarski @ Pitchfork.com

Well, it looks like Sen. Obama is starting to wrap up the indie vote.

What a Woman Wants

Singer Bjork Beats Down Photographer - InfinityPro @ Truemors

The girl definitely gets props from me for throwing down with a photog after telling him not to take any pictures. Lesson learned here, don't go snapping photos of jet lagged singers, no matter how sweet and kind you think they are, bitches will stab your fucking eyes out.

Shake Well Before Using.

Things One Should Not Forget - John Scalzi @ Whatever.com

Via Sullivan I find my new favorite blog, particularly this post in which Scalzi goes on to give a hilarious history lesson on Mussolini and why Jonah Goldberg is a moron for believing that Mussolini was not a fascist when the man was, inconveniently, the founder and leader of the Fascist Party. It's also pretty accurate as bare-bones history and so I have no problem seeing history used in such a snarky, knives out fashion. Now I'm all warm and happy inside.

Quote of the Day

Having a President Obama would make it feel like the American people were doing a Ctrl+Alt+Delete on the previous eight years. - John Scalzi @ Whatever.com

Blood Oath

Blood-Pen Brings New Terror to the Phrase "Write This Out 1000 Times." - Kit Eaton @ Gizmodo

Now this brings a whole new meaning to contracts written in blood.

"But It'll Take a Black One to Move Me"

Wow, it seems things are beginning to heat up for the Clinton campaign's tactics of race-baiting the Obama campaign. Ezra Klein has two posts up on the racially-charged comments of the Clinton campaign in general and Robert Johnson in particular. I think it's only a matter of time before the Obama campaign has to respond but the question is how can Sen. Obama respond without turning into the 'angry black man' the Clinton campaign so wants him to become in the eyes of the public. But again, I think this is a tactic that will only work for so long before it becomes a noose around Sen. Clinton's neck. If Sen. Obama were to call her out on the race-baiting in a debate all the blustering and 'I don't know what you're talking about' lines in the world will fall very flat.
The best tactic that I can think of for Sen. Obama to respond with is an appearance on Oprah to talk about his past drug use and struggles as a black American who wants to put his nationality first before his race. Put Sen. Obama's wife next to him and the Clinton campaign's tactics are pretty much done for.
What troubles me so much about the Clinton campaign is not the typical use of an opposing candidate's past as a weapon against them but how the campaign considers Sen. Obama not as an opponent but as an enemy to fight just as hard as an Republican candidate. And to use such race-baiting to do so is absolutely disgusting for a party that has counted on minority votes and based their principles on civil rights and equality. But, to quote Fry from Futurama "I'm shocked, shocked! Well, not that shocked."

False Media, We Don't Need It

Both Sullivan and Yglesias mention the contradictions in the Clinton campaign's tactic of pointing to Sen. Obama's war record and aye votes on war spending. I think this is the kind of narrative the Clinton's want to keep up and bury Sen. Clinton's voting record as much as possible. Of course, by taking this tack, Sen. Clinton is easily opening herself up to a rebuttal by the Obama campaign or by the major news networks. This kind of tactic can only work for so long before someone in the MSM wises up and does the comparison. This tactic isn't a long term one, it just has to hold up long enough through the major primaries.

Who's Got the Bias?

I wasn't able to watch Sen. Clinton's interview on Meet the Press yesterday but after reading the transcript I must say she spent more time attacking Sen. Obama than explaining why she would make a good president. But it seems that the people over at Media Matters are more concerned with attacking Tim Russert for looking at her past record of the last few months and arguing that Mr. Russert is being heavily biased against Sen. Clinton. Given the nature of the media and Mr. Russert's long career as hosting Meet the Press I find it surprising that Media Matters would get themselves up in a tizzy over his use of clips and quotes that by nature are outside of context. Moreover, one would think Media Matters would note how easily Sen. Clinton deflected Mr. Russert's questions. Instead, they continue the Clinton campaign narrative that Sen. Obama has not been truthful about his war record, flip-flopping when it suited him, while letting Sen. Clinton's record on the war pass.
I'm no fan of Tim Russert nor of Sen. Clinton. I support Sen. Obama and will vote for him when I have the chance in my primary election. So, with my biases out of the way, I have to say that Media Matters is clearly siding with the Clinton campaign by interpreting Mr. Russert's interview style as an attack on Sen. Clinton without noting the basic idea that any quote is one taken out of context by its very nature. This is very sophomoric of an organization that claims to police the biases of the media. If Media Matters wishes to maintain a separation between itself and any particular campaign then regurgitating the talking points of a campaign is not the way to do it. But if Media Matters wishes to voice their support for the Clinton campaign, which is their prerogative as a progressive organization, then they should do so and do so clearly and as upfront as they hold other media organizations. However, as a 501(c)3 organization that does not engage in lobbying activities as a public charity, they cannot do this. So, in other words, Media Matters, by only questioning Mr. Russert's interview style versus taking the whole context of the interview--in which Sen. Clinton did not fully and truthfully answer each question, particularly in not noting her own record on war-funding and such--basically violated the terms of their non-profit status. Certainly they have a right to point out media bias and do so from a progressive perspective but they do not have the right to criticize the media for asking 'gotcha' questions to their preferred candidate which, judging by the comments on the post about Mr. Russert's interview, is Sen. Clinton.
It's this sort of biased posting that keeps me away from sites like Media Matters for the most part. Rarely are the issues fully debated and rarely is the particular kind of bias noted plainly and clearly to its audience. If Media Matters wishes to support Sen. Clinton that is fine by me, and their coverage of Chris Matthews' comments on Sen. Clinton is right and appropriate, but do not expect me to respect their opinions and journalism when they cannot even separate their own reporting from Clinton campaign talking points.

Timewave Zero

Sunspot Announces New Cycle, End of the World - Graeme McMillian @ io9

I love how the words 'timewave zero' sound but I'm not quite buying the whole timewave reaching zero on Dec. 21st, 2012 (the end of the Mayan calendar also) being the moment a singularity happens. I do know that a new solar cycle will play havoc with our electronic devices and it's peak will occur around 2011 or 2012. What I didn't know what the coincidence of the solar cycle and civil unrest. Just one of those weird things of history I suppose.

Glass Cubes In Germany

A Giant, Glowing Cube in the Middle of Berlin - Lisa Katayama @ io9

This is probably one of the cooler things I've seen in supermodernist architecture. Apparently it's the new headquarters of railroad company Deutsche Bahn but you can't tell by just looking at the building. It's a perfect abstract piece of architecture.

Fucking Old People

Damnit, my man Obama is losing. I'm going to go kick a child now.

The Politics of Hope

Change is in the Air - Andrew Sullivan

I get the feeling, much like the Anchoress, that this year of electoral politics will throw the populous into a turmoil. but after years of bad economic indicators and a malaise among the people, I also get the feeling that this election cycle will raise people's spirits and might even keep the nation out of a recession. The fact that my entire family is excited now about politics since Iowa, that any mention of politics leads to a bare minimum 20 minute discussion, gives me serious hope for what will come.

The Gift of Hip Hop

The U2 Factor - Matt Yglesias

I understand the need to connect to an audience through music and using a politically-active band like U2 is a smart choice, but deep down I want to hear Sen. Obama come out on stage to Bring the Noize by Public Enemy, or better yet Testify by Kanye. I mean, not to throw the race card out there like that or stereotype the man, but he must have listened to some hip-hop in his younger years.

Landwarrior Come to the Civilians

Wearable Computing: The Open Wearable Computing Framework - Trendhunter

Now this what I have been waiting for; a functioning web-interface that get close to direct neural implants. Of course, I don't foresee people suddenly wearing these clunky devices but still, the effort is real and that makes me supremely happy.

Realism versus "Realism"

Quote of the Day - Andrew Sullivan

I thought that moment in the New Hampshire debate when Sen. Clinton stopped Sens. Edwards and Obama with her so-call 'reality-check' was tacky and shrill. Sullivan here, points to a comment by Sen. Obama in his new stump speech that tackles the 'reality-check' idea rather well by noting that JFK didn't place his policy decision to announce a goal of going to the moon on the alter of that cynical 'reality-check'. It's fairly obvious from the history of the U.S. that when Americans are called upon, and I mean seriously called upon, they rise to the occasion. The idea that realism as an ideology cannot contain some idealism and hope is wrong. What realism does call for is a plan to turn that idealism and hope into reality.

Good Ideas Caught Smoking in the Bathroom with Bad Ideas

Uh, Oh: U.S. Special Forces May Head to Pakistan - Noah Shachtman @ The Danger Room

Now, we've heard Sen. Obama's desire to send American forces into Pakistan if he had 'actionable intelligence' that pointed to Osama Bin Laden being in Pakistan. And we've heard how this would end up as another boondoggle for U.S. forces as without permission by the Pakistani government we might inadvertantly topple the government. Now we have some reporting here by the fellows and friends of the Danger Room saying that U.S. forces are being assembled for possible incursions into western Pakistan where many Taliban and Al Qaeda are said to have gain a foothold for attacks into Afghanistan against NATO forces. This area of Pakistan is a traditionally tribal one and one prone to supporting the radical actions of the jihadists in the area. From what these two new Danger Room bloggers are saying, such incursions are too little, too late and would do more harm than good in stablizing Pakistan (which I think it bears reminding, holds nuclear-armed missles, among other things).
Generalized chaos in a certain region is typically good for the assaulting forces as it gives them time to act before their opposing forces can reassemble, but in areas like western Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan, this kind of tactic doesn't often work as local knowledge gives the defending forces a distinct advantage. Moreover, this generalized chaos would not remain contained in the region. Military action in this region often reverberates through the country in the form of politics and since we are trying to maintain a stable political situation, particularly at this time in Pakistan's history (re: Bhutto's assassination), it doesn't make any kind of sense to send in U.S. forces.

I Need a Witness!

Anne Frank's Diary to be Made into a Musical - Guardian Unlimited

God, please, if you ever intervene in human events, please, for the love of Christ, have a hip-hop song about how hard it is out there for a Jew.

Bright Eyes Light the Way

Artificial Luminescent Eyelashes - Nadya Lev @ Coilhouse


In probably my favorite posting of the day I present to you some cyberpunk fashion tech via the lovely women of Coilhouse. Ms. Lev notes the socio-political implications of the design in South Korean society as the push for biggers eyes through plastic surgery also pushed artist Soomi Park to create a design that does the very same while turning the strange 'big eye' fetish back on itself. Politics aside, I love it. This is the sort of tech I'd love to see take off in the States by the more fringe hipster crowd. Cyberpunk fashion mixed with hipster fashion could be quite interesting.

Obama in New Hampshire

Rallying For Obama - Ezra Klein

The renewed attention on Obama's pure campaign speech isn't surprising. What is surprising is the change in tone as Sen. Obama's win in Iowa has made what seemed like a laughable pitch for change and unity has proven a winning formula, at least for Iowa. Ezra admits his criticism has foundered a touch as Sen. Obama "speaks much more concretely" on his approach to politics and politicking. Ezra also points to
Sen. Obama's use of young volunteers as examples of how he acted as a community organizer holds a dual purpose. By lauding the actions of youth, Obama endears himself with the youth vote. Additionally, by talking about the process of community organizing itself Obama indirectly educates the audience on how to join, organize and vote in a primary. It's a subtle but clever stroke for pulling new voters into the Obama pool. This renewed attention for the next few days will, I believe, prove immensely beneficial to Obama's potential win in New Hampshire. Once this kind of wave gets rolling it becomes very hard to stop and only through some serious anti-Obama politicking from the Clinton campaign can stop it. But those sorts of actions can cut both ways by presenting Sen. Clinton in as much a negative light as Sen. Obama. This horse race just got very interesting.

Obama's Iowa Speech

Obama's Gift - Ezra Klein
Obama's Speech - Matt Yglesias
Believe It - Andrew Sullivan

While watching Sen. Obama's speech in Iowa tonight I realized I was experiencing the same feeling I do when I see a great band live playing to expectations. It's not the feeling of disappointment, but of aural satisfaction, knowing that you are witnessing something amazing even though you were never in surprise or doubt of that. Sen. Obama's speech was lyrical, rhythmic and spot-on. No hesitation or doubt in his voice, no moments of collecting his thoughts and no meandering bits. He was presidential (well, except for the moment when he gave thanks to his wife and then gave her a look that said, "I'm going to plow you so hard tonight"). His message was both directed at New Hampshire and the wider national campaign. He hit his policy points quickly and effectively without belaboring anything. Finally, his thanks to the precinct captains and other supporters who did the heavy foot work was a stroke of brilliance, calling upon his own experience and reinforcing it with the words 'calloused hands' that make you recognize he knows what he speaks of. It was a great speech and will play well when broken into sound bites. How New Hampshire shakes out for Sen. Edwards and Clinton is the key to what happens next. I can easily image an Obama/Edwards ticket if they both place the same in New Hampshire. As soon as Sen. Obama's speech hits YouTube I'll post it.

And here it is: