Jefferson never could keep a straight face

Post-Thanksgiving DL

The tryptophan has worn off, you've recovered from the Black-Friday-shopping-related injuries, and you're not yet ready to write those Christmas cards.  Come spend an hour or two with the DL crowd, why don't you?  We have plenty of new cabinet appointments to talk about.  And new election results.  And fresh outrages from Bush, as usual.

Cheers,
Dan

Statistics

Action for the Week

Quotation of the Week

"I know that, in official Washington, the road to salvation for any fresh-faced Democrat looking to succeed is to punch a hippie."
Dday

Bonus Quotation of the Week

"The Mormons played a vital role in the Prop 8 battle, and traditional marriage would have lost had it not been for their support."
Donald Wildmon, American Family Association

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Don't get sunburned over the long weekend

SPECIAL NOTE

Because of the Thanksgiving holiday, there will be no DL meeting this week. Duh.

Feeling Light-hearted

This week, I thought I'd steal some filler material from Steven Wright (be sure to read these in a Steven Wright deadpan):

• I intend to live forever – so far, so good.
• The sooner you fall behind, the more time you'll have to catch up.
• On the other hand, you have different fingers.
• I was sad because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet.  So I said, "Got any shoes you're not using?"
• "Did you sleep well?"
  "No, I made a couple of mistakes."
• I stayed up all night playing poker with tarot cards.  I got a full house and four people died.
• I used to work in a fire hydrant factory.  You couldn't park anywhere near the place.
• I planted some bird seed.  A bird came up.  Now I don't know what to feed it.
• I had amnesia once or twice.
• You know how it is when you're reading a book and falling asleep, you're reading, reading…and all of a sudden you notice your eyes are closed?  I'm like that all the time.
• Yesterday I told a chicken to cross the road.  It said, "what for?"
• I moved into an all-electric house.  I forgot and left the porch light on all day.  When I got home the front door wouldn't open.
• You know how it is when you go to be the subject of a psychology experiment, and nobody else shows up, and you think maybe that's part of the experiment?  I'm like that all the time.
• Yesterday I saw a chicken crossing the road.  I asked it why.  It told me it was none of my business.
• In school, every period ends with a bell.  Every sentence ends with a period.  Every crime ends with a sentence.
• I xeroxed a mirror.  Now I have an extra xerox machine.
• Sponges grow in the ocean.  That just kills me.  I wonder how much deeper the ocean would be if that didn't happen.
• You know how it is when you're walking up the stairs, and you get to the top, and you think there's one more step?  I'm like that all the time.
• My grandfather gave me a watch.  It doesn't have any hands or numbers.  He says it's very accurate.  I asked him what time it was.  You can guess what he told me.
• For my birthday I got a humidifier and a de-humidifier…I put them in the same room and let them fight it out.
• Winny and I lived in a house that ran on static electricity…If you wanted to run the blender, you had to rub balloons on your head.  If you wanted to cook, you had to pull off a sweater real quick.
• I bought a house, on a one-way dead-end road.  I don't know how I got there.
• My house is on the median strip of a highway.  You don't really notice, except I have to leave the driveway doing 60 mph.
• I replaced the headlights in my car with strobe lights, so it looks like I'm the only one moving.
• I bought a dog the other day…I named him Stay.  It's fun to call him… "Come here, Stay!  Come here, Stay!"  He went insane.  Now he just ignores me and keeps typing.
• Curiosity killed the cat, but for a while I was a suspect.

Cheers,
Dan

Statistics

Action for the Week

Quotation of the Week

"There will always be plenty of votes for a culturally conservative party.  That's not the problem.  The problem is the venomous, spittle-flecked, hardcore cultural conservatism that's become the public face of the evangelical wing of the GOP.  It's the wing that doesn't just support more stringent immigration laws, but that turns the issue into a hate fest against La Raza, losing 3 million Latino votes in the process.  It's the wing that isn't just a little skittish about gay marriage, but that turns homophobia into a virtual litmus test, losing 6 million young voters in the process.  It's the wing that isn't just religious, but that treats belief as a precondition to righteousness, losing 2 million secular voters in the process.  It's the wing that isn't just nostalgic for old traditions, but that fetishizes the heartland as the only real America, losing 7 million urban voters in the process.  It's the wing that goes into a legislative frenzy over Terry Schiavo but six months later can barely rouse itself into more than a yawn over the destruction of New Orleans."
Kevin Drum (emphasis mine)

Bonus Quotation of the Week

"The truth is that you're living in a world that no longer exists.  I, along with millions of Americans, clearly see the world the way it as – and we embrace what it can be.  You, on the other hand, seem incapable of looking for new ideas or moving beyond what worked in the past.  Welcome to the 21st century, big bro."
Candace Gingrich, sister of you-know-who

Special Bonus Quotation of the Week

"One area where I would invest heavily, however, is in the education of women.  That strikes me as the single best investment a liberal foreign policy can make, and would naturally lead to fewer babies being born and far better conditions for those who are.  I think Hillary Clinton is the perfect person for the job of Secretary of State in this respect.  And I note that that dustup about talking to our enemies turned out to be not such a big deal after all, since well, she appears ready to take the job working for the guy who insisted on it."
Eric Alterman

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What's wrong with Lemhi County?

End of Bush Party!

Remember, we're having our End of Bush Party this Thursday at Puerto Vallarta (on East Anderson).  Come enjoy yourself and some fine appetizers, too.  We should all try to bring someone new.

Maryanne did some amazing work tracking down the Idaho Falls donors to the Prop H8 campaign (big and small).  I was modifying it to include here, when I ran across this list.  Please consult it and keep those people in mind when you need any services.

Finally, Hollis found a couple very good links on gay marriage and Prop H8.  First, Scott Bidstrup demolishes every arguments ever given to justify opposition to gay marriage.  And Lola Van Wagenen asks, "Given the Mormon experience, why are today's Latter-day Saints not in the vanguard of pleading for acceptance, equal rights and compassion for all Americans?"

Cheers,
Dan

Statistics

Action for the Week

Quotation of the Week

"Obama thinks he is a good talker, but he is often undisciplined when he speaks.  He needs to understand that as President, his words will be scrutinized and will have impact whether he intends it or not.  In this regard, President Bush is an excellent model; Obama should take a lesson from his example.  Bush never gets sloppy when he is speaking publicly.  He chooses his words with care and precision, which is why his style sometimes seems halting.  In the eight years he has been President, it is remarkable how few gaffes or verbal blunders he has committed.  If Obama doesn't raise his standards, he will exceed Bush's total before he is inaugurated."
John "Hindrocket" Hinderaker in Time Magazine's 2003 Blog of the Year, Powerline

Contrasting Quotation of the Week

George W. Bush, the President said he "regrets saying some things I shouldn't have said." Bush added, "My wife reminded me that, hey, as president of the United States, be careful what you say."
George W. Bush, days later

Historical Quotation of the Week

"It must be very strange to be President Bush.  A man of extraordinary vision and brilliance approaching to genius, he can't get anyone to notice.  He is like a great painter or musician who is ahead of his time, and who unveils one masterpiece after another to a reception that, when not bored, is hostile."
John Hinderaker, surprisingly enough

Bonus Quotation of the Week

"Republicans are truly the master of the irrelevant analogy and the misleading metaphor.  Only conservatives could come up with the idea of using a tax cheat as their national mascot for tax policy – hyping a guy who does better under your opponent's tax plan to promote YOUR tax plan.  Absurd, idiotic, certifiably insane, but also brilliant in that, from a conservative's viewpoint, facts and reality don't matter.  It's all about spinning the lie and winning the voter, whatever it takes."
John Aravosis

Conversation of the Summer

In an August meeting with Russian Prime Minister Vladamir Putin, France's President Nicolas Sarkozy warned that the world would not accept a Russian invasion of Georgia.  Putin seemed unconcerned.

Putin:  "I am going to hang Saakashvili by the balls."

Sarkozy:  "Hang him?"

Putin:  "Why not?  The Americans hanged Saddam Hussein."

Sarkozy:  "Yes but do you want to end up like Bush?"

Putin:  "Ah – you have scored a point there."
August 2008

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One fine evening, last week

Diversity Quotes

These are the quotes that Debu read a couple of weeks ago from the diversity essay contest.  If you have a Post Register subscription, the essays were printed on back of the Sports section in last Wednesday's and Thursday's paper (November 6th and 7th).  They're also available on line for subscribers.  The essays reveal a picture of how the students view diversity in this area.  Following are examples extracted from the winning essays:

• "Drawing from my experience of local diversity in race, sexual orientation, and religion, I have grown to realize that our community's diversity is a rainbow, not a melting pot."  (Madeline Magnuson, Skyline High School)
• "Until we are willing to be open to new people and their ideas, customs, ethnicity, and values, the city will remain stagnant."  (Lynn Woolfe, IF High School – you might remember Lynn - she came to several debates with her mom, Carolyn)
• "I view diversity as a broken bridge.  These are built that way, and the builders believe them impossible to cross.  They are not."  (Trevor Lenz, 9th grade)
• "Perhaps the kindest, most amazing people are hiding beneath that clothing or skin and remain friendless simply because they look different."  (Kelli Nelson, 8th grade)
• "We may have different colors of skin, or we may believe differently, or may even speak a different language or have a different walk, but we were all created equal.…  The opposite of diversity is prejudice.  Yes prejudice exists, but it doesn't mean that it has to exist in my world."  (Caleb Coleman Child, 7th grade)
• "Our differences make us unique but we are like any other family, bonded with love.…  In heaven it is said that all people and all the nations will live in unity.  I see my family as a little bit of heaven on earth."  (Isaac Hassel, 6th grade)
• "So what does diversity mean to me?  It means that my friends are all my friends no matter what language they speak or what color of skin, hair, or eyes that they have and that we are so lucky to live in a country that allows diversity."  (Austin Isom, 5th grade)
• "I don't care that I am not the same as everyone else because nobody is the same.  Everybody is different someway.  I don't care how they look and what they cannot do; it's just if they are nice.  I think different people are great!"  (L. Schaleigh Davenport, 4th grade)

Sometimes you get the feeling that everything is going to be fine.

SPECIAL NOTICE!

We have an important event tomorrow.  Lynn has planned a Veteran's Day Candlelight Vigil, and the special concern this year is veteran's health benefits.  Please join us at the war memorial on Memorial Dr. and D St. at 6pm.  If you're looking for a reason to care about this issue, Hollis found a great article to get you motivated.

ANOTHER SPECIAL NOTICE!

This is our second week of the Tour de Idaho Falls and we'll be visiting Papa Tom's Restaurant at 17th and Woodruff.  (Don't forget – the following week will be our big Credo-sponsored party at Puerto Vallarta on E Anderson.)

Also, let me know if you have any positive or negative comments about last week's location - The Zone.

Cheers,
Dan

Statistics

Actions for the Week

Quotation of the Year

"Rosa Parks sat so Martin Luther King could walk.  Martin Luther King walked so Obama could run.  Obama's running so we all can fly."
Anonymous (and thanks to Mary for bringing the quote to our last meeting!)

Quotation of the Week

"The skill of an Obama administration has yet to be proven.  The structure of our government will prove a more able opponent of change than John McCain.  But for the first time in years, I have the basic sense that it's going to be okay.  Not great, necessarily.  And certainly not perfect.  But okay.  The country will be led by decent, competent people who fret over the right things and employ the tools of the state for recognizable ends.  They may not fully succeed.  But then, maybe they will.  At the least, they will try.  And if they fail in their most ambitious goals, maybe they will simply make things somewhat better.  After the constant anxiety and uncertainty of the last eight years, maybe that's enough."
Ezra Klein

Bonus Quotation of the Week

"After emerging victorious from one of the most pivotal elections in history, president-elect Barack Obama will assume the role of commander in chief on Jan. 20, shattering a racial barrier the United States is, at long last, shitty enough to overcome.

"Although polls going into the final weeks of October showed Sen. Obama in the lead, it remained unclear whether the failing economy, dilapidated housing market, crumbling national infrastructure, health care crisis, energy crisis, and five-year-long disastrous war in Iraq had made the nation crappy enough to rise above 300 years of racial prejudice and make lasting change."
The Onion

Light-hearted Links to Cheer the Weary Soul

Medium-hearted Links for the Slightly Serious-minded

And One Not-So-Light-hearted Link to Throw Cold Water on it All

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Madelyn Dunham:  You Raised A Fine Grandson. Rest in Peace.

This note's going out early because I'll be a bit busy Tuesday evening – the night I usually compose these emails.  Instead, it's going to be an exciting evening for election result watching.  You are probably aware that Obama's victory over McCain will be formalized early that night.  And you're also familiar with Larry LaRocco's strong, grass-roots campaign against Jim "Angry Gnome" Risch's campaign of entitlement.  And of course, John McGimpsey's strong effort to turn Idaho Falls blue.

But there are so many other issues and races to follow:  Will Darcy Burner knock off creepy Dave Reichert in Washington?  Will Californians vote for hate or against it on Proposition 8?  Will Al Franken defeat the odious Norm Coleman?  Will Saxby Chamblis get a much-deserved smackdown?  Will El Tinklenberg oust the evil Michele "McCarthyite" Bachmann?  Will Kay Hagan, the godless Sunday school teacher, crush Liddy Dole?  Will Obama's coattails bring him 60 Senators and allow him to throw Joe Lieberman out on his perfidious butt?  Will the South Dakotans defeat the strictest anti-abortion measure in the country?  Will Alaska give the criminal Ted Stevens the boot?  How about our neighbors:  will Walt Minnick knock off Bill "Brainfade" Sali?  Will Al Trauner win in Wyoming?  Will Montana go blue?  Will Arizona?  All of these are possible.

Everyone is welcome at the Bonneville County Democrats's election night party at the Red Lion at 7pm.  It's bound to be quite the celebration – with so many close races in red states, there will be lots to cheer about!  And you know the GOP "party" will be totally dead (maybe the DL group should stage a drive-by mooning of their headquarters!).  Of course, if you've helped with any of the Democratic campaigns, you're eligible for a prize drawing, and there should be some good 2008 paraphernalia to be had.

I hope you can all make it.  The last meeting notice included a beautiful photospread that brought tears to my eyes.  This notice has another link that does the same thing.  So you can imagine how I will feel watching Barack, Michelle, Malia, and Sasha walk on stage in victory Tuesday night.  I can't think of a group of people who I'd rather watch that historic event with than you all.  And after the disaster of 2004 and a disappointing 2006 (at least in Idaho), we deserve it!

We'll have our regular meeting on Thursday, but we're starting our Tour de Idaho Falls, so NEW LOCATION!  We'll be checking out The Zone - that sports bar in the old Ernst building parking lot (roughly here).  By then we'll have recovered from our victory-exhaustion, and digested the post-election talking-head analyses.  It'll be a brand new world, so I'm sure there will be plenty to talk about.

Cheers,
Dan

Statistics

Action for the Week

Quotation of the Week

"Dear Suzan,

"Today I, the great-great granddaughter of slave owners, voted for an African-American for President of the United States.  When I saw his name on the voting machine, it hit me in a way I did not expect.  I felt the weight of history and had to blink back tears until I got outside.  No matter what the outcome, we have advanced as a people and a civilization in my lifetime and I feel privileged to have been a witness and a participant in all this.

"Love,
Mom"
Anonymous email, in a column by Justin Krebs, founder of DL

Bonus Quotation of the Week

"There are souls that, crablike, crawl continually toward darkness, going backward in life rather than advancing, using their experience to increase their deformity, growing continually worse, and becoming steeped more and more thoroughly in the intensifying viciousness."
Victor Hugo, Les Miserables

A Selection of The Finest Linkage To Be Found Across The Web

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