Colorado Dreaming

The sun sets over Boulder and it is time for the boy to go to bed.

Reading one last bedtime story and then night, night.

Four More Years

Off to Colorado

Off with Robbin to visit the Boulder Baker's and celebrate Axel's second birthday. I was not able to get a ticket for the Obama speech at Invesco Field. So we can just watch it with all of you on TV.

With Friends like these

McCain's fellow GOP party members express some reservations about his ability to be president.

Band Concert

Pictures from the band concert. Forgot the camera so had to get these from The Union and Nevada County Band site. In the small picture you can see, if you know where it is, the redwood Valerie helped to plant when she was about 10.
A picnic in the park is fun. I just have to plan the meal ahead of time and pack it up in the picnic basket. We had some raw vegetables with pesto dip, a greens quiche, red potato salad, rosemary bread, and fruit salad served with a white wine. Yumm.

John McCain Buys a House

Looks a little dangerous for accident-prone Cindy.

Riffs on Grapes of Wrath

When John McCain claimed that white people would not pick lettuce in Arizona for $50 an hour, it inspired one DailyKos blogger to create a screenplay about the Joads trying to get into AZ to pick lettuce. They are stopped by border guards.

Tom Joad: McCain's workin' away our spirits, tryin' to make us cringe and crawl, ... takin' away our decency, offerin' to pay us fifty dollars an hour to do a job no white man would do. Shouldna' never left my job as a fifteen dollar an hour software programmer back in Oklahoma...
Ma Joad: That job made ya mean, Tom. It made ya real durn hard-mean...

Can you pick the lettuce? No you can't.

Violent Protesters at DNC

Denver police are being warned about characteristics of potentially violent protesters. They may have bicycles and bicycle helmets, maps and camping gear. Bicycles may be used to block roadways and helmets are for self protection. From a police bulletin:

"Bicycles are used to blockade sidewalks, streets and can be used to slow down responding emergency vehicles."

The maps are to find their way from site to site and they may be camping out. So watch out for riding a bike in Denver. The riot police may get you.

Get Out of Gaffe Free Card

McCain Campaign used this most recently when he could not remember the number of houses he and his wife own. The best thing about this card is that you never have to turn it in. You just show it and you get a free pass from the Media.

Oracle

Looks like Larry Ellison just had Oracle add up all the savings from Jon's now nonexistent salary and the salaries of all the other employees let go from the 40 companies Oracle acquired this year and had the company add the amount to his salary as CEO. The old saying "All for one, blah blah blah" still holds true. 38% raise for Oracle CEO

Only in America

Very nice essay on the Social Origins of the American Corporate Predator State.

Swanky Cat Houses

Sacramento will spend about 300K for high end cat housing to promote adoption. William must have been spending too much time with Frank as his comment was, "Why can't they just put them in a bag and throw them in the river? With a few rocks of course."

Energy Record

Bill Clinton spoke today praising the energy plans of both Obama and McCain. Although maybe it was just splitting hairs since he said that McCain had the best record on global warming and energy of any Republican running for President and as far as I know that is just McCain right now. John McCain's Record on Energy and Global Warming McCain has a pitiful record on energy. He mainly supports big oil and has either voted against or missed votes on almost all bills about clean energy. His commercials that show the wind farm picture make me gag with the hypocrisy.
But Bill is just a loose cannon with less control of his mouth since his bypass surgery. Nurses know what can happen with those showers of micro clots that are way too common a side effect of this type of surgery. The patient survived therefore the operation was a success. Too bad he's just not quite the same.

Lobbying Kills Bill

Heavy lobbying by chemical companies killed 2 bills in California that would have banned the use of Bisphenol A in food containers. A suspiciously large number of lawmakers failed to vote or voted present. What were they doing? Handing out baskets of money? One lawmaker stated that in his district brochures were being passed out advising consumers that most of their favorite foods could no longer be sold in California. My favorite quote comes from Assemblyman Bob Huff, R. Diamond Bar, "Just because you have something that can be toxic, doesn't make it toxic." What? Where do they get these people?

Get Out of my Office

Bearbaiting

Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, the US has been looking to tie the Bear down. But the Bear has revived and is not going to take the threats to its borders lying down. We are going to have to repudiate the expansionist policies of the Bush Administration or we are going to find ourselves toe to toe with a nuclear armed opponent. Anatomy of A(nother) Fiasco deserves a close read.
Also read Pat Buchanan on bearbaiting.

What is a Democracy?

Interesting research from The Economist on the subject. The country rankings may surprise you as we banter about support for our "friends" the "democracy" of Georgia against our "enemies" the "authoritarian" Russians. What is a Democracy?

We're All In This Together

Cats for Obama

Maybe Butters has gone off to work for Obama. We can only hope.

He's Baaack

Phil Gramm is back with the McCain Campaign and is still rumored to be on the short list for Treasury Secretary. I have written about this bad boy before. We just have to remember his greatest quotes

Nation of Whiners
Poor people are fat.
There should be no minimum wage.

We all need to remember that he has been formulating the McCain economic policy while working and lobbying for a foreign bank.