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James's Journal

james
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03/21/2008 15:37 #43748

The Other 2008 election.
Category: politics
Have you heard? It is virtually impossible for Clinton to get the nomination? Reports of Clinton's Demise are Greatly Underexaggerated.

But let me talk about a few of my favorite candidates for Senate seats in other states.

First, Scott Kleeb. He is running for Chuck Hagel's empty seat. I will miss Chuck. He was GOP, but he is in a small club of prominent Republicans I respect. I know virtually nothing about Kleeb, other than he ran for Congress in a blood red district and damn near won. One thing I am positive about is that he is abso-freakin-lutely adorable.


image
image

it may be 20 degrees out, but things are getting steamy in here.


Next, let's go to Oregon. Gordon Smith is up for reelection. A Republican in a blue state with a strong independent streak. Gordy seems like he would be more at home in a more traditionally red state, but this is a wacky election. Environmental Activist and Lawyer Steve Novick is running for the Democratic nomination. Here he is holding a picture of Gordon.
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Yes, that is a hook hand. Novick was born with a few physical impairments and has a very compelling story. Unlike Bob Dole, he does not hide his physical impairments, in fact, he flaunts it. His campaign slogan is "The Candidate With a Strong Left Hook".

Want to support him? Well go to his site and order a bottle of 'Left Hook Lager'. Buying beer to support a candidate seems to quintessentially Oregonian.

Think I am kidding?

image

Buy a bottle and support him.
fellyconnelly - 03/23/08 00:43
that guy has got quite a political package put together, huh?
james - 03/22/08 10:46
I was hoping to see him animate in "Nebraska Butt Packers 6" but if he has terrible internet adds I will watch them gladly.

Speaking of making offers if politics don't work out. Our disgraced Governor has been offered a sweet deal to pose for Playgirl. :::link:::

Me-ow!
libertad - 03/22/08 10:30
Did you watch his campaign ads on youtube (scott)? They are pretty bad. That picture you have of him looks like a photo from a playgirl spread. Maybe they can make him an offer if things don't pan out for him in the political arena.
james - 03/21/08 23:39
Jbeatty: I know the last two presidential elections beer washed a lot of disappointment down.

dcoffee: I have been trying to articulately say the same thing with difficulty as well. Usually I would just throw up an endless stream of polls, delegate numbers, and bile.

ps. Your Father in law is awesome.
dcoffee - 03/21/08 23:28
Great Article about the Clinton Campaign James, That's kind of what I was trying to say last week. They put it in good perspective. Wish I would have thought of this one;
"In other words: The notion of the Democratic contest being a dramatic cliffhanger is a game of make-believe."
PS. my Father in law is going to Pennsylvania to work for the Obama Campaign next week.
jbeatty - 03/21/08 20:17
Beer mixed with politics?... Finally!

03/20/2008 10:00 #43735

Book Deal
My mom and I are going to write a book. She basically wants to cut and paste our email correspondences into a book, but I am having none of it. There is not enough aspirin for the headache I would get trying to funny that shit up. But we have been sitting on this idea for a while that I think would really work.

We planned this for when she retired and I had the time and money to take two weeks off of what ever future job I would have. We would do a little research finding places and then go on a quest. A quest to find the hair salons with the tackiest names!

In the town neighboring the one I grew up in there is the salon that inspired this idea. On the side of a small wooded road is a building that looks less like a salon and more like the infirmary at a summer camp. Open the screen door with holes the size of raccoons and you will find not the typical hospital like floor of a salon, but rather pine that hasn't been swept since the dust bowl. Take a seat and close your eyes. Mentally prepare yourself for a treat. Decadence: thy name is beehive!

You have entered "Curl Up and Dye".

The name of that place does a wonderful job of being funny, but a terrible job of conveying that it offers a service you would want; unless you have a beaver in need of taxidermy.

The book would be pictures of the different salons, interviews with the staff and customers, the essential question of "where did you get that name, for the love of god?" all thrown into a blender of sarcasm and served over ice.

Strangely, at a party my mom was at she was talking to this couple. They both happen to be publishers in the coffee table book industry. I took that to mean they publish those bargain basement picture books about moose, or Tuscany. Not the endless folio of Madona's coochie. Well, they said that not only was the book a good idea, but it was also a refreshing idea in a stagnant genera. I'm not holding my breath.

Well, I am looking for a new career.

03/19/2008 15:39 #43729

Employment
Hi,

I am going to ask a favor to you estrippers. If you hear of any entry level positions in a public relations department or firm kindly let me know. Volunteers positions would also work, but pay is always preferable.

thank you
james - 03/19/08 16:04
You sir, are awesome.
mrmike - 03/19/08 16:01
Science Museum was looking for a pr hand last week

03/13/2008 13:39 #43651

Blind is Not the New Black
Category: politics
So far I like out new Governor David Patterson. Admittedly I don't have much to go on. He has been a state senator since the 1985 so he has quite a track record. However, New York politics being what they are I can't really find too much on the guy without serious digging. From reactions from senators from both parties he seems like a good guy: progressive but willing to work with members of the other party. Spitzer treated the GOP like a mole to be removed. Patterson and Senate Majority leader and soon to be Lieutenant Governor Joe Bruno have a good relationship which indicates that, for once, shit is going to get done.

The media has the same problem I do. There is info on him, but we are too lazy to get it. Good thing it isn't my job to find these things out. Too bad it is theirs. Look at a picture of the man and what jumps out at you

1) he has a beard
2) he is black.

I put it in that order because I mourn the loss of political facial hair.
Q: Who was the last president elected who had facial hair?

A: Howard Taft. And that was with a measly mustache. The last president with a full beard was Ben Harrison. That is over 100 years since the office of the presidency .

Q:: Who was the last Governor of New York to have a beard?

A: Governor Hughes. Left office in 1910.

sad, sad state of the Executive beard.

But, despite the fact I firmly believe facial hair is essential to running a state or nation, the media has only really picked up on his blackness.

Yup, we are about to have the first black governor in New York history and the third in US history. Could have told you he was black looking at his photo. Thanks for taking the work out of that one.

More remarkable, I think, is that he is legally blind. He memorizes all of his speeches. His aids brief him via voice mail. He will be the first blind governor in US history. That I think is even more remarkable, especially since race is a political issue so diluted it can be lampooned by the Clinton campaign. Ability has not really been an issue in politics. FDR's polio was largely not discussed. A wheel-chair bound Roosevelt must have been a contrast to the barrel chested war hero adventurer Teddy Roosevelt.

But so far, I have heard very few media outlets mention his blindness and his remarkable adaptation to it. Perhaps ability is still a taboo subject. Much like how GOP opposition to Senator Tim Johnson has largely been mute since he suffered a debilitating stroke which he has been recovering from.

Well, media. Get on that please.
james - 03/14/08 09:40
was he a blues guitarist?
fellyconnelly - 03/14/08 09:20
i had a customer come into my store yesterday who was both a)black and b) blind! and he certainly said to me "Now you can say that you have met a black and blind person today".... the coincidences are frightening...
jenks - 03/13/08 19:22
I looked it up. "total blindness" = "no light perception" (NLP) vs other forms of blindness, which means severe visual impairment. i.e. best (corrected) vision of 20/200 or worse.


jenks - 03/13/08 19:09
thanks guys. Like I said, I wasn't at all trying to say anything about the guy- but hearing the term made me think of something- I'd heard that 20/400 or something like that is 'legally blind'. Which I think I am, sans contacts. Obviously I'm not blind since I can be corrected.

When I hear "blind" I always think of pitch blackness, no sight whatsoever- but then remember that there can be difference degrees of blindness.
james - 03/13/08 15:49
Janelle: Thank you for pointing out the Times profile on him. Certainly, some media outlets have picked up on this. My gripe is mostly with the 3 second sound bites.

Jenks: Patterson has no vision on one eye and has severely impaired vision in his other. So much so that he is unable to efficiently read (I am not sure if he is incapable of reading at all). So, it really is a remarkable accomplishment.

Joshua: I am inclined to agree with your cynicism. I loved Spitzer because he ran on ending 'politics as usual'. I am hoping Patterson can actually acomplish this through bipartisan effort. But NYS politics is pretty fucked.

Dr. Williams is a jack ass. I would love to see him replaced. The Buffalo School Board is a collection of jack asses. I would love to see them replaced. As fucked NYS politics is, Buffalo politics is double fucked.
joshua - 03/13/08 14:33
Oh - did I mention that I think Buffalo and NYS are absolutely fucked and are unrepairable?
janelle - 03/13/08 14:32
Jenks, hopefully, I'm not talking down to you or telling you stuff you already know....
The standards for legally blind might vary from state to state. In general, you can have some vision and still be legally blind. Meaning that your vision is impaired enough that it has a significant impact on your every day functioning (driving, reading, working). Our new governor described the sensation of legally bind as you can sort of make something out and take a good guess at what it is, but not make it out in detail.

I think sometimes you can be legally blind without correction, but with glasses or contacts you're not legally blind. If your vision has reached standards of legally blind, your optometrist would probably let you know.
joshua - 03/13/08 14:31
He is an unknown quantity to a large degree. The problem with NY politics is that whenever these party big wigs get together and say they love somebody, chances are that is because he or she won't get in the way of said politicos to continue to mismanage and bury our state six feet deep as soon as possible. The same exact scenario is happening right now with the Buffalo School Board - many Board members want rid of Dr. Williams so they can install their own patsies and continue to fuck our kids over. I inherently distrust these people - David Patterson has a great story, even inspiring, but he is a career state politician so I'd be less than honest if I didn't admit to my acute skepticism over his potential.
jenks - 03/13/08 14:23
i'm too lazy to look it up, but what IS 'legally' blind, anyway?
I think *I* am legally blind when I take my contacts out... (seriously)

(not at all trying to minimize this guy's handicap, just thinking out loud...)
museumchick - 03/13/08 14:20
I'm really looking forward to his term in office.

I would be interested to learn more about what his life is like as a visually-impaired politician. One of my close friends is blind and also does not use what are the traditional supports. He has such a resilient attitude towards anything in life that comes his way, he always insists that being blind is never a hindrance to anything he wanted to do. Right now he is working as a jazz musician in Florida, but at different points in his life he was a horse trainer, music producer, business owner, college professor, etc.
janelle - 03/13/08 14:05
NY times addressed it. A fascinating bit on the extent of his vision loss and his ability to adapt to a seeing world while refusing traditional supports such as braille, a cane or a seeing eye dog. I'm too lazy to go find the link, but it's somewhere on their website.

03/11/2008 14:30 #43622

I am an idiot!
Category: politics
I can't believe I forgot this!

Remember Elliot Spitzer's campaign slogan?

"Bring some passion back to Albany"

Comedy gold.
james - 03/12/08 09:24
Joshua: Don't blame the party. New York has been governed by either party about half the time and have made this great state the steaming ruin it is today. Put both Spitzer and Bruno in a cannon and I think we might get something done next year. Though I will note our government got more done in the first year of the Spitzer administration than it had in decades.

Felly: I do it for my peeps.
fellyconnelly - 03/12/08 09:16
i knew you would dig up some gem...
joshua - 03/12/08 09:14
I voted for him. This is the last time I'm going to be conned by a Democrat so-called reformer. Its fucking crap - this state is going down the tubes and the state government is utterly unreformable. This state is fucked.