Thank goodness they won

While the jingoistic side of me wished Team USA had won the hockey match for the gold medal today, it's better in the long run that Canada won.

It's a matter of perspective. See, there is no medal in any sport that means as much to the American zeitgeist as this one did to Canada. Ice hockey is Canada's only notable athletic endeavour and more than any singular event, an ice hockey tournament is the only measure of Canada's athletic greatness. On the other hand, basketball tournaments are pretty much a joke for the US in the modern era, we get silvers in ice hockey even though the vast majority of Americans live in areas where it isn't a realistic sport, and arguably most of our better athletes go into American football. Heck, in the second-tier sport of soccer, we made the quarter-finals of the last World Cup. Admittedly, baseball isn't America's strong suit at the moment.

On the other hand is Canada, a regular doormat in international tournaments (didn't qualify for the soccer World Cup, 2008 Beijing Olympics in basketball, etc.). The "Canadian" Football League survives on NFL sufferance and funding. Canada doesn't have the chops to handle more than a single major league franchise in pro baseball or basketball. This is truly all they have. Add in the fact that in a nation as culturally cleavaged as Canada, where one-fifth of the people live in a Quebecois culture which is more distinct than anything else in North America, and hockey is the only national touchstone the nation has. This wasn't an athletic win...it was amusingly close to a vindication of the Canadian experiment.

America wanted this gold medal.
Canada desperately, cryingly needed it. Good for them.

That said, I'm still more pissed about the Celtics losing at home to the New Jersey Nets.

PS: Anybody who watched the closing ceremony knows what I mean. A somewhat limp presentation from Sochi, Russia was followed by a tedious 45 minutes about what it means to Canadian, and Canadian iconography. If there's a culture in the world that cries out for legitimacy more than English-Canadian culture, I don't know it. I'd really have to rate this as the worst closing ceremonies I've ever seen.

Reading elections: Lessons from Japan

Today, a note on how implacably elections are reduced to a single-issue frame so quickly and easily. Many Bay Staters are reasonably irritated that outsiders (especially those in Washington, DC) are taking Brown’s victory last week as a repudiation of the health care reform process underway in the nation’s capital. While health care was an issue in this election, it was not the only issue. Such a view ignores Brown’s skilled campaign, the Coakley implosion, Democratic over-confidence, and a number of other factors in the result. Worse still, it led to a short press to force House passage of the Senate health care bill, almost regardless of the bill’s contents.

Many bad effects of the special Senate election stem not from the results themselves, but a widespread inability to view an election result as having more than one cause. Just as the Brown victory was likely a combination of the factors listed above (see Nate Silver’s dissection) but has been reduced to a health-care referendum by DC Republicans, it has been simplified a populist surge among Bay State Republicans, and a poor Coakley campaign among most Democrats. However, this tendency to over-simplify election results is not necessarily ideological, nor is it restricted to the American press. One obvious example is the tendency to view every Israeli election as turning on relations with the Palestinian government(s). The fact that Netanyahu was largely elected on economic concerns rather than relations with Fatah and Hamas was almost ignored worldwide. A smaller example presents itself today in the BBC’s summary of the recent election for the mayoralty of Nago on the island of Okinawa. I choose the BBC as the high-water mark of thinking English-language journalism, and even that august organization has failed the test today.

This election occurred against the background of change in Japan. Recently elected prime minister Yukio Hatoyama has declared an interest in a more equitable relationship with the United States, and has been seeking allies within and without Japan on that score. Meanwhile, the US military was well into plans to move a large base on Okinawa (a source of great tension with the surrounding Japanese) per government request, when Hatoyama was elected. His activism on this issue has led to some arch tension between the two countries.

Anyway, let’s get into the story. The prospective new site of the base, the city of Nago on Okinawa, held a recent election wherein a candidate opposed to the base won election, beating the incumbent by a 53-47 margin. And universally, this election is being back-labeled as a referendum on the incoming American base. If the BBC is playing the role of FoxNews, Hatoyama is playing the role of the Republicans, trying furiously to spin a victory of a distant candidate who shares a belief on one issue as confirmation that the people are on his side.

But there are many things at play here (a partial list of issues from the subjective Stars and Stripes for example). Japanese frustration with incumbency has reached levels beyond even the American public and is narrowly targeted at the Liberal Democratic Party, that of the former mayor of Okinawa. The victor, Susumu Inamine, was kept at arm’s length by the government throughout the campaign, the actions of a popular party that wants to claim someone else’s victory of their own only after the fact. At the same time, the LDP is identified with the assimilation of the unique religious and cultural traditions and dialect of Okinawa into the larger Japanese culture, a trend that concerns many Okinawans. Add to this the ongoing problem of the economy – the main point of discussion about the base in Nago wasn’t about the cultural disruption of the American military, but the economic impact of it – not to mention the ground-level dynamics of the election, something that was a major factor in last week’s result for Brown.

The fact is that this election result was the sum of an array of elements, and not one issue -- you have a complex beast that’s being oversimplified by media from outside the electorate.

Kinda like our own Senate election. One wonders how many frustrated Okinawans today are having words put into their mouths by the Japanese prime minister and the worldwide media, just as is happening here in Massachusetts. Something to keep in mind next time we’re told why an election ended the way it did -- at home or abroad.

PS: Not at all related, but worth passing on; I present to you the most professional newscaster in Australia. That's the danger of using a live feed as a backdrop.

Western Iowa loves the Falcons, and other thoughts...

At times when I'm really, really bored, I head over to Awful Announcing, a great blog on sports media, and stare at the broadcast maps, and ask pointless questions. These are maps that show which NFL games are broadcast by a particular network at a particular time...and they lead to strange thoughts. I'll borrow one to demonstrate:

RED: Washington Redskins @ Philadelphia Eagles (FOX, 1pm)
BLUE: Tampa Bay Bucs @ Atlanta Falcons (FOX, 1pm)
GREEN: Carolina Panthers @ NY Jets (FOX, 1pm)
YELLOW: Seattle Seahawks @ St. Louis Rams (FOX, 1pm)

Most of this makes sense...each team's metro area sees their game. There's a top-line match-up for most uninvolved media markets. This particular Sunday afternoon, it was Washington-Philadelphia.

But it's the weird little parts that confuse me. Why is a small chunk of New York prevented from seeing the Jets? Blackout rules can't really apply . Does Western Iowa really love the Falcons or Bucs that much, or is a local on one of the teams? Is there a knot of enthusiastic Panthers fans in Louisiana? Why can't Miami watch their division rivals, the Jets?

I'm sure there are perfectly good reasons for all these strange little oddities. I just have no idea what they are.

Entertainment

The gubernatorial campaign, while shaping up to be a kicker, isn't the only entertainment upcoming. Let me make some recommendations for entertainment for the months ahead:

• Leverage on TNT. Fun thief/con show with Timothy Hutton. After Battlestar Galactica went off air, it's the only show I pay any attention to these days...I'm not one to watch television. I recommend recording it and catching up, as the second season starts on Wednesday. It is light but cracking entertainment with good inter-personal tensions that add to, but don't take over from, the episode plotlines.
  
• Waterfire in Providence. It's free, it's beautiful, and hauntingly romantic. About 100 bonfires light the rivers of downtown Providence while music plays. Worth a Saturday night or two--check the schedule.
• Read a book. Ones to search out -- Life As We Knew It, a young adult novel about the struggles of a family in the wake of a celestial disaster. The Road to Gondolfo, a comedy by Robert Ludlum (yes, that's right). And, In Defense of Food, which will make you re-examine your diet and the hype of the diet industry. Ones to avoid -- The Unincorporated Man, turgid scifi with cardboard characters, dead-end plotlines, and a vague interest concept run into the ground, and Flood by Steven Baxter, an environmental disaster book that takes several hundred pages to get a plot running at speed, and no reason to care how it ends.
• Watch Mr. Deity websiodes. Although more focused on atheism and the trials of religion from the point of view of God and Lucy (Lucifer), it isn't preachy and has a dry sense of humor. In the one embedded below, Mr. Deity -- stage name "God" -- gets a phone call from a familiar penitent:

From Crackle: Mr. Deity and the Intel - Season 2, Ep 1

President Roslin or Bartlet?

I've been very light on posting lately, a grad course currently piled on top of my regular duties. But I take out the time to address an important question.

Who would you rather have as president -- Laura Roslin, or Josiah Bartlet? If you are not aware, the first is the fictional President of the Colonies in the excellent Battlestar Galactica, and the second is the fictional President of the United States in the excellent The West Wing. These two and Buffy, are the only television shows that have ever captivated me -- the only ones that I made sure to watch, not caught when I was around. I rose and fell with many of the characters, and high on that list are these two great leaders.

But which is greatest? Let's examine the cases:

President Bartlet is a policy wonk who holds to his humanity despite the trappings of a powerful office. He is schooled in theology and economics, and knows tough policy issues book-and-verse. Bartlet ran two tough campaigns, and had a close eye for spotting and promoting talent around him. Bartlet staff members rose to Congress, chief of staff, and other position under his tenure; his own chief of staff was elected Vice President before he died. President Bartlet even had a direct hand in choosing his successor.

Bartlet managed international relations with a shrewd eye, pacifying China while giving Taiwan what it wanted at one point, while standing against the fictional Islamist state of Qumar at another. Bartlet has a strong sense of humor, which puts his staff and visitors at ease. He would take stands unpopular with his staff (accepting censure) or key groups (voting against the milk compact before the New Hampshire primary), or even running against the opinion of the entire nation.

However, Bartlet does have honesty problems. He hid his multiple sclerosis during an election, a medical condition that could impact his ability to perform his duties. He even imperiled his wife's medical reputation by having her secretly treat his condition. Bartlet is also uneven in a crisis, shouting at God after the funeral of an aide, and even abdicating his duties during the kidnapping of his daughter to a Republican. Though gifted in policy and politics, his humanity which can hold him in such stead so often weakens him at a time of crisis.


On the other hand, is President Laura Roslin of the Twelve Colonies. Roslin became president only when the 31 officials ahead of her in line were killed during an attack; and she may have only achieved the lowly position of Secretary of Education because she was sleeping with then-President Adar. Roslin is a questionable judge of character, selecting two vice presidents (Tom Zarak and Gaius Balthar) who committed treasonous acts against their democracy and species. Her most trusted aide through the latter half of Roslin's tenure, Tori Foster, was a secret agent for the enemy Cylons who eagerly went to their side when she could.

President Roslin also has an uneven record with foreign relations. Roslin's only foreign contact were the Cylons, with whom she engaged in war during a protracted period of time. Roslin's attempts to find peace with them were uneven and only partially succeeded due to a civil war among the enemy. Her response to the attack was a successful genocide of the enemy. President Roslin also crossed her own people so severely that she lost election to her vice president. She also identifies very closely with the military, allowing them to trump civil rights seemingly because of personal feelings for its leader.

On the other hand, Laura Roslin is a rock in a crisis. She survived two coup attempts wherein she was outgunned on the strength of her personal example and appeal. She led a small human population to a new home despite overwhelming odds. Roslin also used connections to a higher plane to lead her people, relying on prophecy and visions to lead them on their journey. Roslin was unflinching in the conduct of what she saw as her duty, at one point urging Commander Adama to kill his superior officer, Helena Cain.

---

President Roslin had greatness thrust upon her; President Bartlet aspired for greatness. Yet they have curiously different strengths. George W. Bush showed us the danger of having low-caliber people near the seat of power, and Roslin could scarcely choose worse on that score. Meanwhile, Bartlet folded during a profound national crisis because of personal danger even as Roslin survived much worse with great strength and dignity.

Both were afflicted with medical conditions, yet while Bartlet's staff shielded him from difficult moments when gripped by his MS, Roslin volunteered for a dangerous mission while in the last throes of cancer. Bartlet was more adept on the policy front: Roslin allowed a thriving black market due to her economic ignorance that resulted in needless death, and was cavalier about civil rights. As a politician, too, Bartlet rarely lost, while Roslin was outmaneuvered by her treasonous vice-president under the guidance of a terrorist.

On most conventional scores, Bartlet proved superior to Roslin. He ran a tighter office, and arguably a tighter nation. He was a great president of peace. Yet his shirking of his duty of office with the kidnapping of his child is concerning, particularly when compared to Roslin's cajoling, threatening, prophesying, bargaining wiles that anchored a people suddenly set adrift. In a time of no greater crisis, there could have been no greater leadership than that of Roslin.

As captain of the ship of state, Josiah Bartlet is the President we need. But that ship needs a great captain for the reason that it needs lifeboats: not every journey is safe. And when that moment comes, the people's lives and hopes are in surer hands with Laura Roslin at the helm.

I would vote Roslin/Bartlet for America, Caprica, and beyond. You?

Shallow weekend thoughts

• Utah Gov. Huntsman is the Mike Huckabee of 2012 -- a lucid, reasonable, friendly Republican. He even goes Huckabee one step further by toning down the hidden fanaticism...he's endorsing civil union for same-sex couples. Oh, and check this radical proposal that Republicans should contribute ideas of their own, rather than reject the President's...wow.
• I hadn't realized that the Mongolian Embassy in Washington, D.C. had contacted "Mayor Anthony A.Williams about the possibility of erecting of a statue of Chinggis Khaan [Genghis Khan] in Washington D.C in honor of his contribution to the world civilization in 2005. As the Embassy of Mongolia is now working to add its national hero’s name in the list of Monuments in Washington D.C., we would welcome your comments on the idea of erecting the statue of Chinggis Khaan..." While I admire the great contributions and leadership of Chinggis Khaan, I will admit that a statue of a 13th century Asian conqueror would be a surprise to come across in D.C.
  
• Ever since Sal DiMasi got cashiered shortly after opposing casino interests, the de facto leader of the Opposition here in the Commonwealth has been Treasurer Tim Cahill. Most of his ideas are not that bright, particularly his keystone concept of warehouse-like slot machine parlors. Megaresorts such as Mohegan Sun put out the ritz to attract the high rollers, the "whales", as well as the middle class looking for spectacle. A warehouse is squarely aimed at gambling addicts who can't afford to play. Not a good idea, no more than the idea that anonymous people around Cahill are rumored by the Globe to be considering an independent bid for governor in 2010, either. All that said...it's nice to have somebody challenging the governor. Heaven knows the Massachusetts Republicans obviously can't do it (called out by the Healey-McCain Herald, no less!) and with DiMasi gone, somebody had to step up. Their eager distortion of that independent bid tidbit, complete with editing out relevant quotes that detract from the persecution complex, is proof enough of blind loyalty. This is a cult of personality that would do Gaius Baltar proud, but cripples our ability to focus on issues rather than slogans.
• Speaking of which, last week's episode of BSG had too much crying, not enough doing. Next week better be, well, better. The whole series ends in two episodes...and with BSG gone, and Leverage off until June, the television turns off for a while over to March Madness, then the NBA Finals, then...
• Gaming out costs by day -- whether it's tax rate restoration or gas tax hikes or anything else, is dishonest in my mind. Almost anything sounds cheap if you divide it by 365. It might sound crazy to donate $200 to me every year to keep this blog going, but keep in mind that's less than a donut per day!
• I'm musing this idea: a basket of 1 stock each from CitiGroup, AIG, Wachovia, and ING would cost $9.27 right now. If I were to purchase some 30 "baskets" right now on the bet that if even one of these companies survives the next 18 months, their stock will restore to a spot where I could sell the whole lot for profit. As the old saying goes, "the time to buy is when there's blood on the streets."
  
• We have way too many stores already, as evidenced by the failures of Circuit City, Steve & Barry's, KB Toys, and Linens'n'Things. So which stores do the fine people of West Bridgewater expect to come into the retail center they just voted to approve?
• Yes, you too can support Roland Burris's 2010 run for Senator! Thus far, the only portions of the website that work are his biography and donation link. Nothing on issues or endorsements.
• It's astounding how many Obama nominees screwed up their taxes. It's also astounding how "didn't adequately itemize minor items and violated byzantine codicils in the tax code" has become "didn't pay their taxes," as if it were volition and not inadequate counseling.
• Question here -- every day or so I'm tooling down the highway when we come up to a construction area with a police officer staring down the hole that's been dug, or sitting in the cruiser with the lights on. Everyone slows down to 65. I've never been sure if said officer has the liberty to leave the construction scene which s/he is being paid to observe and chase off after a speeder. And for those times s/he is outside the vehicle, how would even be possible to generate a speed to write on the driver's ticket? Do we even have to worry about this happening?
• "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz has to be the most cloying, saccharin, desperate stuffing of pretentious cuteness into 3 minutes 20 seconds of banal lyrics and unnoticeable music that's been released in decades. If this is what he turns out after 7 years releasing albums, he should just quit. Ugh.
  

You may find this funny

Disclaimer: This is a news report about Molly Bish, the case of the young girl who went missing several years ago. It's a sad story, and there is much sympathy from all of us for their family.

However, this Massachusetts station pulled a doozy of a mistake in their coverage of a new lead. I will admit that nothing on YouTube has made me laugh this hard for months....



It's one thing to put in a photo of a hamster, but the hamster is apparently directing a movie. What filing system do these people use where the two images are so easily confused? It's like the opening scene of a movie about a hapless techgeek who is really meant to be a poet or something, but still romances the hot anchor. (H/T)

Civics for every newsroom

While waiting for snowfall totals on the Channel 7 news on Channel 56, the mistakes from their political "coverage" came fast and furious:

• Mitch McConnell's name was spelled incorrectly on a screen footer;
  
• It was said that the Democrats would need 1 or 2 Republican Senators to pass the Economic Recovery Act in addition to their entire caucus;
  
• Two minutes later, it was stated that replacing Judd Gregg with a Democratic Senator would give Obama a veto-proof majority in the Senate.
  

That doesn't even get into the editorializing on the Republican taxcut package. Somebody needs to explain to these television products what a filibuster is, and what it isn't.

Ten minutes of ignomy.

NECN on African-American Politicians

Around 8:06 I was watching the Braude show on NECN...I wish I had a screen capture. There was a brief story about Obama mocking the closure of DC due to a spot of snow and ice. The title card over the clip read "Deval Dig: Weather in DC" or words to that effect.

Deval Patrick, Barack Obama...with so many African-American politicians running the country, how could NECN possibly tell them apart?

Oh sure

The one day I get decent exposure (courtesy of a snarky comment on BMG that got picked up by Ezra Klein) and I haven't updated my blog in a while.

Because I was at the Inauguration, and am still recovering. I'm hoping to have a video diary edited by Sunday night with some video I took.

Anyway, allow me to offer the following for those who have stopped by here:

• It took Paterson a while to get it done, but he got it right. I like Gillibrand for Senator. She's earned everything she's gotten so far, and she's tough yet progressive. Here's hoping for a tough 2010 Primary that she wins.
  
  
• Ellen is the fifth Cylon? Are you frakking kidding me? I wanted a shocking revelation (I was hoping it would be the Galactica itself), not some treacly memory to make an old man happy. If tonight's episode is similarly sucky -- or doesn't produce a deus ex machina on this one -- I'm gonna be really bummed out, man.
  
  
• I think Obama took an easy way out when he pushed Richardson to withdraw his nomination. Republicans will investigate any Democrat at any moment, no reason needed. Prove you'll stand by your people.
  
  
• Tim Kaine better walk the walk on the 50-state strategy, not least of all because the states gaining seats in the 2010 Census generally are not covered by the McAuliffe/Kerry 17-state strategy.
  
  
• I have yet to talk to somebody who is not worried about an assassination attempt on Obama every time he goes into the open.
  
  
• So Speaker Sal DiMasi is going to resign soon. Probably the least corrupt Speaker in my lifetime, and the most progressive. What do these people want?
  
  

SNL misses their chance

scene: SNL Produces Lorne Michaels walks into the writers' room

Michaels: Good news everyone! Not only have we talked Tina Fey into coming back to open the show as Sarah Palin, we are going to have a real live Oscar nominee on stage with her -- Queen Latifah! Star power, baby!
Pale Writer: Done! This VP debate skit is going to blow them out of the water! Palin is the gift that won't stop giving, and we got her nailed this time! Hey, see if the prop department can scare up a flute...
Network Guy: The hype is already huge...this will probably be our biggest audience of the season leading in! We're back baby! Back! Chris Rock and Dana Carvey can kiss my ass! Hey Lorne -- fist jab!
(incredibly awkward fist jab between Network Guy and Lorne Michaels)
Michaels: Okay. We got a killer musical guest, a decent host. Great opening skit. We limp through the opening monologue, and the second half of the one-two punch. What is it?
(Awkward silence. A tumbleweed blows through the room as the writers concentrate on the laptop in front of them.)
Bearded Writer: Umm...can we extend the VP debate skit for twenty minutes? Like, just have Fey read the transcript from the debate?
Michaels: No! We need relevance! This is our big moment...we need to pull a Church Lady out, a Wayne's World -- something people will quote around the water cooler on Monday! We need something people care about right now! Think dammit!
Lady Writer: The bailout?
Minority Writer: Gas prices?
Overeducated Writer: Brittany Spears?
Canadian Writer: OJ Simpson?
Michaels: No, no, and no! All that stuff is too trendy, we're going for timeless...something that everyone will key into! Something that will hold that audience for a few commercial breaks -- this is our biggest chance of the year, don't screw it up!
Old Writer: I got an idea, but it takes guts. We have to be ready for some blowback here because no other show would dare touch it. We've talked about this Lauren...
Lauren: You're not actually serious. I mean, do we really have the guts.
Old Writer: This is it. We have to do it now. Let's pull out all the stops and go after...the Lawrence Welk Show!
(Silence grips the room as Michaels' face slowly broadens into a smile)
Michaels: Genius! If lampooning a fifty-year old show doesn't bring us back, nothing will! Do it! Watch out Lawrence!

Programming note

Project Runway returns tonight on Bravo. I liveblogged last season, but am on the fence about doing it again. Thoughts, O audience of 2?

"service"??

I caught a bit of the ol' All-Star Home Run Derby on ESPN tonight. Baseball seems to lend itself most easily to an All-Star format, and I typically enjoy the festivities.

However, I was a bit taken aback by how ESPN annotated the players' stats. When each player comes up to the plate, a few stats are thrown up, including his time in the majors. And it's called "service", as in "MLB service: 5 years". Now, I like baseball, but I can't figure out how making millions of dollars to play a game and sell products is "service". Let's not devalue the word, hm?

A television ad I'd like to see

Between the NBA Finals and campaign season, I'm seeing many more television ads lately than usual. And it's a reminder how much they suck.

GMC is running a series of ads called "Welcome to the Players' Lot" (watch them here) based on the premise of a faceless NBA player driving his SUV into the parking garage, only to be badgered by an overly enthusiastic and informal lot attendant.

Like so many campaigns, what was entertaining the first time became cute on the third, now annoying on the seventh viewing. The character in general is just pissing me off at this point.

If GMC made an ad of this unnamed player careening about the lot until finally pinning the attendant to the wall with his front bumper, I would seriously consider buying a GMC product. I'm sure I can't be the only who feels this way...isn't there anyone with lots of time and video editing software who could make this happen?

The Democratic Party per the Obama campaign:

"Is there anybody here that believes that Hillary Clinton is going to win white, working class males in the general election? It's just not going to happen." -- Jamal Simmons, CNN


Shorter Obama campaign: Don't bother trying to win over Reagan Democrats. We'll get by with the Dukakis coalition.


PS: I wish Donna Brazile would declare for Obama and get it over with. It's embarrassing seeing her on CNN joining Bill Bennett to shout down anything positive about Clinton. Impartial newsies should be actually impartial.

Mr. Bookman

A new Holiday Inn spot has Philip Hall in a small scene, introducing "sportsman" Jeff Gordon, who has won devotion for being able to drive fast and turn left really good.

Anyway, Hall delivers my single favorite scene in the classic show Seinfeld...oddly enough, a scene that doesn't star one of the five lead characters. Sorry that the audio doesn't quite link up...



I just love the line "I got a flash for ya, joy boy"...

The Democratic Trial Separation...

One thing that I dislike about the ongoing primary season is that so much of the Democratic Establishment starts feeling like hostile territory. Politicians whose speeches I usually enjoy watching are now scanned for subtle biases and tip-offs. I'm a Hillary guy, and I find myself scanning the remarks of Ted Kennedy or Bill Richardson for subtle bumps for Obama. Keeps me from enjoying their thoughts. Obama-ites may feel similarly for folks such as Maxine Waters or Maria Cantwell (one of our least appreciated Senators).

And that's nothing compared to the "trial separation" with the top-line left-wing commentators. Keith Olbermann, Markos Moulitsas, and Jon Stewart have whole-heartedly thrown them on the Obama bandwagon, to the extent that I can barely put up with them -- at least when Rush Limbaugh speaks against Hillary, he doesn't pretend to share my values. I don't mind the occasional cheap shot at my candidate, but Olberman goes on extended rants that could be written in Obama HQ. Stewart does gentle comedy on Obama, and then turns on Hillary with a relish so typical of the traditional media.

This June, I look forward to being able to join in the fight with my Democratic brethren, and training our sights on our common targets.

Bad weatherman, Good weatherman

Jim Cramer's long-lost cousin is a meteorologist:



Makes me want to shoot the monitor. To make up for it, here's a weatherman who is awesome:

So there's this show on the teevee...

...and it's awesome. I mean, really awesome. Awesome as the word meant before people started using it to describe everything from hot dogs to carpets.

Any medium can be an art form, not just opera and oil-based paints. If a creator uses the new tools a medium brings to explore human existence in a new way, while still respecting tradition and accessibility, you have art. Television has in my lifetime come up with three series that I loved:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Good v Evil was never so fun. The episodes "Hush" (everyone is silent) and "Once More with Feeling" (singing) were great. Great entertainment that could make you think.
The West Wing: Policymaking was never so dramatic. Chills down my spine with "Two Cathedrals" when Mrs. Laningham walked back into the room. Can't miss stuff.
Battlestar Galactica: An existential examination that often wavers toward the answer no, none of us should really survive. Art.

Battlestar Galactica is starting its final season today. The show has already taken on state/church, abortion politics, rule of law, embryonic research, suicide bombings, euthanasia, and a raft of other contemporary issues. Funny...just shift the setting and you can do all the political commentary you want! The show has done it in ways that cause a viewer to think without giving him/her easy answers. That's why I'm not liveblogging it. One can comment on Project Runway without mentally shifting above second gear. Battlestar Galactica -- or commonly, BSG -- requires digestion overnight before one can say anything worthwhile. And I simply don't have the time.

It's as close to philosophical art I've seen the medium get while still managing to connect to an audience (caveat: I don't have the money to subscribe to HBO, which I hear does a fair job in this mien as well).

Science fiction can be hard to access, especially midstream. You not only need to understand the characters and plotlines, but also the setting and often technology and jargon. The nice people at Sci-Fi have set up an eight-minute introductory video that sets the stage a bit. Give yourself a couple episodes after that and you'll sort things out. Better yet, talk to a fan of the show.

BSG is back, and I am thrilled.

And if anybody on the show writes a word that stains the serene heroic mein of President Laura Roslin, there will be hell to pay.

DNC fundraising idea

On July 1st, Howard Dean or Al Gore flip a coin in a tv studio in Washington DC. Or in front of the FDR memorial or whatever.

Heads, the Dem ticket is Clinton/Obama. Tails, it's Obama/Clinton.

$39.99 on pay-per-view. DNC fundraising problem solved.