The Electoral Map

Chuck Todd, an electoral analyst for MSNBC gives us a rundown on the electoral map for the coming election in this article: http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/08/06/1249422.aspx

Despite nation-wide public opinion polls indicating Obama and McCain in a statistical tie, the electoral map is telling us something different: a solid lead for Obama.

Sad News for All

from BBC News

Jazz champion Svensson dies at 44

Svennson's trio became renowned for bringing jazz to a younger audience
The Swedish jazz pianist and composer Esbjorn Svensson has died in a scuba diving accident near the Swedish capital Stockholm. He was 44.

His Esbjorn Svensson Trio, known as EST, became renowned for bringing jazz to a younger audience.

They gained international acclaim playing in rock venues, using light shows and fog machines at concerts.

The music of EST drew on disparate influences, ranging from classical music to funk.

Burkhard Hopper, EST's manager, told Reuters news agency that Svensson had died on Saturday in Sweden's Stockholm archipelago.

"Musically, he was the light that lit the world because in what he did he was pushing boundaries," Mr Hopper said.

"His music inspired people in all corners of the world."

Francis Fukuyama Endorses Obama. Booya.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008 14:15 EDT

For a time, Francis Fukuyama was a major figure in neoconservatism. Now, in a twist of fate, he says his choice for president is Barack Obama, an advocate for U.S. withdrawal from the great neconservative adventure in Iraq.

In a previous life, Fukuyama was closely linked with the neoconservative movement. He was, for example, one of just 25 people who signed the Project for a New American Century's statement of principles in 1997; more recently he was even a member of the advisory board of the defense fund set up for Scooter Libby. But he began a public break with the ideology in 2004. In 2006, he published an essay in the New York Times Magazine titled "After Neoconservatism." In it, he wrote, "As we approach the third anniversary of the onset of the Iraq war, it seems very unlikely that history will judge either the intervention itself or the ideas animating it kindly."

In a recent interview, the World Today's Eleanor Hall asked Fukuyama about the upcoming presidential election. After Fukuyama outlined the change he thinks needs to happen in U.S. foreign policy, Hall asked him, "So which president do you think would be the best placed to handle these challenges? Would it be president McCain, president Obama or a president Clinton?"

Fukuyama responded:

Well, it is a little bit difficult. In my own thinking since I have to vote in this next election, I personally actually don't want to see a Republican re-elected because I have a general view of the way democratic processes should work and if your party is responsible for a big policy failure, you shouldn't be rewarded by being re-elected.

I think of all the Republicans, McCain in many ways is the most attractive but he is still is too, you know, he comes from the school that places too much reliance on hard military power as a means of spreading American influence.

I think in many ways, Hillary Clinton represents both the good and the bad things of the 1990s and there is something in the style of the Clintons that never really appealed to me and so I think of all the three, Obama probably has the greatest promise of delivering a different kind of politics.


― Alex Koppelman

Bill Moyers at NCMR 2008

It's a bit long, but completely worth listening to.

80,000 Eastern Europeans, raving

"kaZantip republic is the biggest, longest, craziest and most amazing techno, trance and house music event in the world. a republic dedicated to music, fun and happiness on the most beautiful sandy beach directly on the black sea."

KAZANTIP, UKRAINE

Lawyers don't surf

I picked up my brother's new board yesterday.

It looks nice, minus the gloss finish (which I explicitly said he didn't want).

Open-Skies Initiative

About a year ago, I sent a few of you a link to a BBC article about the "Open-Skies Initaive," and most of you wondered why it was of any import. Here's the follow-up.

Joshua Tree

California

I don't know about you, but I'm starting to doubt the Governor's green credentials. He was the first civilian to drive a Hummer, he flies between Santa Monica and Sacramento everyday, and now this.

Schwarzenegger replaces Eastwood, Shriver on parks commission
From the Associated Press
March 20, 2008

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has replaced his brother-in-law, Bobby Shriver, and actor Clint Eastwood on a state parks commission that voted to oppose a controversial toll road supported by the governor.

Shriver said the governor's decision was a surprise to both men. They had publicly disagreed with Schwarzenegger about the wisdom of building a toll road through a state park in Southern California.

They also supported a 2006 lawsuit to block the toll road by then-California Attorney General Bill Lockyer. Earlier this year, Eastwood and Shriver urged the California Coastal Commission to reject the project.

In a rebuke to the governor, the California Coastal Commission also agreed with the parks commission and rejected the toll road in February. That decision is being appealed by local transportation agencies.

Schwarzenegger, who has visited the area, said in a Jan. 15 letter to the coastal commission that the toll road was "essential to protect our environment" by helping to relieve freeway gridlock in Orange and San Diego counties.

Kareem and Akeem

So I'm looking through my old room today, trying to find things to sell on Ebay and I find these. I don't know if they're worth anything, but I almost can't sell them.

Hitch

He Knew He Was Right
A long-winded but great article about a very interesting person.

6'6'' x 119 and 1/4''

Justin "De la Selva" Adams goes left. Sorry about the sound.

too close for comfort

I know I'm not the first to discover this blog (LA Times reported on it a couple weeks ago) but it's really funny. It's called Stuff White People Like and I wish I would have thought of it first. Numbers 81, 72, 46, 26, and 19 are classic. Here's an excerpt:

Water Bottles

The leading edge of white people have started to use sturdier, refillable bottles. But do not assume this is from the tap. Most white people need to run their water through some sort of filter (Brita or PUR) before they put it into their bottle. This allows them to feel good about using a refillable bottle, but it also makes it more complicated, which they also like.

Previously, the gold standard was the Nalgene bottle, however recent studies have shown the plastic can leak toxins into the water. Currently, white people on the cutting edge are really into metal bottles of water with a twist cap. It is recommended that you buy one of these as soon as possible.

also funny

Being the only White person around

In most situations, white people are very comforted by seeing their own kind. However, when they are eating at a new ethnic restaurant or traveling to a foreign nation, nothing spoils their fun more than seeing another white person.

Fela Live

Post-Texas and Ohio diatribe

Sure, Hillary Clinton has every right to pursue the Democratic nomination, and she does have a legitimate argument for her nomination: she came out on top in all the big states and swing states necessary to win the general election. Even still, in terms of the delegate count, she'll have to win all of the remaining 12 primary contests by 20 point margins just to catch up to Obama in pledged delegates. There seems to be only two likely possibilities for her winning, either a) she gets the DNC to count or redo the Florida and Michigan primaries, or b) through some back-room deal with the superdelegates. Both scenarios would tear the Democratic Party apart. Unless she pulls off a giant win in Pennsylvania, there is absolutely no justification for her continued pursuit of the nomination and continued slander of the Democratic front runner, Barack Obama, unless of course, her goal is to hand the Republicans the election in November.

TSF Jazz

Have a listen to tsfjazz.com, it has tout le jazz you could ever want.

The Conciliator

In case you missed it, here's a good read about the man of the hour:

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/05/07/070507fa_fact_macfarquhar

Consumismo

Common Projects slip-ons- they'll cost you a pretty penny but the steez you'll have just might be worth it.

East Winds

I caught a couple of fun waves today. Here's one.

an oldie but goodie

New York
Queens: Passenger Sneaks Monkey Aboard Plane

By SEWELL CHAN
Published: August 8, 2007
A man and his small spider monkey were detained yesterday after a flight crew alerted airport officials that they had a monkey aboard their aircraft en route to La Guardia Airport. The man boarded a Spirit Airlines flight on Monday night from Lima, Peru, to New York by way of South Florida, but did not report that he had a monkey with him, an airline spokeswoman said. It was only on the second leg of the flight, from Fort Lauderdale, that other passengers noticed the monkey. “It was clinging to his ponytail underneath his hat,” said Alison Russell, the airline’s spokeswoman. When the plane landed at 3:01 p.m. yesterday, the monkey was turned over to New York City Animal Care and Control, and the man, who was not named by airport officials, was turned over to federal officers for questioning, said Pasquale DiFulco, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs La Guardia Airport. “How the passenger got through security, I can’t begin to say,” Ms. Russell said.

Post #1

Hi, welcome to a Blog by Blake. Here I'll post periodic links and ramblings about politics, travel, surfing, fashion, or really anything else on the web that I find cool or interesting. Enjoy.