Sunday, December 07, 2008
Prediction: Franken Will Win by 27 Votes - The Nation
Prediction: Franken Will Win by 27 Votes: From The Nation: “Nate Silver, whose website FiveThirtyEight.com had the most accurate predictions for the Nov. 4 vote for president and senators, has a new prediction: Al Franken will win the Minnesota Senate recount -- by 27 votes.
Franken came in 215 votes behind incumbent Republican Norm Coleman on election day, in an election where 2.9 million votes were cast. Under Minnesota election law, a hand recount was mandatory and began last Wednesday.”
Franken came in 215 votes behind incumbent Republican Norm Coleman on election day, in an election where 2.9 million votes were cast. Under Minnesota election law, a hand recount was mandatory and began last Wednesday.”
Think Progress » Bush at portrait unveiling: ‘Welcome to my hanging.’
Think Progress » Bush at portrait unveiling: ‘Welcome to my hanging.’: “Today, President Bush presided over the unveiling of his presidential portrait, at the Union League. “Welcome to my hanging,” Bush joked to the crowd. The portrait “shows Bush staring straight ahead, looking comfortable but not quite smiling, against the backdrop of the White House’s Treaty Room.” Bush said the painter, Mark Carder, “did a really fine job with a challenging subject.””
U.S. Loses 533,000 Jobs in Biggest Drop Since 1974 - NYTimes.com
U.S. Loses 533,000 Jobs in Biggest Drop Since 1974 - NYTimes.com: “The nation’s employers cut 533,000 jobs in November, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday.
Not since December 1974, toward the end of a severe recession, have so many jobs disappeared in a single month — and the current recession, far from ending, appears to be just gathering steam.”
Not since December 1974, toward the end of a severe recession, have so many jobs disappeared in a single month — and the current recession, far from ending, appears to be just gathering steam.”
Police Shooting Sparks Riots in Greece - NYTimes.com
Police Shooting Sparks Riots in Greece - NYTimes.com: “ATHENS — Mobs of militant youth angered by the fatal shooting of a teenager took to a weekend of rampage, battling police in central Athens and destroying scores of shops, cars and businesses across the country.
The riots, triggered late Saturday when a small group of youths attacked a police car in central Athens, sparked a spree of violence that ripped through the country, leaving many cities shattered like war zones.
“We’ve never seen anything like this,” said a senior police official who requested anonymity because of his involvement in the investigation. “The tension is so thick you can almost cut it with a knife.”
The circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting remained unclear.
Still, a police statement issued in the early hours of Sunday said the shooting took place while two officers were targeted by some 30 youths — many of them hurling stones — while patrolling the central district of Exarchia, an unruly haven of leftist extremists.”
The riots, triggered late Saturday when a small group of youths attacked a police car in central Athens, sparked a spree of violence that ripped through the country, leaving many cities shattered like war zones.
“We’ve never seen anything like this,” said a senior police official who requested anonymity because of his involvement in the investigation. “The tension is so thick you can almost cut it with a knife.”
The circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting remained unclear.
Still, a police statement issued in the early hours of Sunday said the shooting took place while two officers were targeted by some 30 youths — many of them hurling stones — while patrolling the central district of Exarchia, an unruly haven of leftist extremists.”
Obama on Meet The Press: Economy to get worse before it improves
From the Associated Press: Obama: Economy to get worse before it improves President-elect Barack Obama said the economy seems destined to get worse before it gets better and he pledged a recovery plan "that is equal to the task ahead."
Obama also said in an interview broadcast Sunday that the survival of the domestic car-making capacity is important, yet any bailout must be "conditioned on an auto industry emerging at the end of the process that actually works."
Less than six weeks before he takes office, Obama said that help for homeowners facing foreclosure is an option as part of his plan. He sidestepped a question about when he plans to raise taxes on wealthy Americans.
Obama's interview on NBC's "Meet the Press" was his most extensive since winning the White House more than a month ago.
In the intervening weeks, the economy has showed clear signs of worsening. Employers said they eliminated more than 500,000 jobs in November alone and retailers reported disappointing holiday-season sales.
"The economy is going to get worse before it gets better," he said twice in the early moments of the interview, taped Saturday in Chicago.
The president-elect announced on Saturday he would call for the most massive spending on public works since the creation of the interstate highway system a half-century ago. In a word of caution to powerful lawmakers, he said the first priority would be "shovel-ready" projects _ those that could create jobs rights away.
Obama also said in an interview broadcast Sunday that the survival of the domestic car-making capacity is important, yet any bailout must be "conditioned on an auto industry emerging at the end of the process that actually works."
Less than six weeks before he takes office, Obama said that help for homeowners facing foreclosure is an option as part of his plan. He sidestepped a question about when he plans to raise taxes on wealthy Americans.
Obama's interview on NBC's "Meet the Press" was his most extensive since winning the White House more than a month ago.
In the intervening weeks, the economy has showed clear signs of worsening. Employers said they eliminated more than 500,000 jobs in November alone and retailers reported disappointing holiday-season sales.
"The economy is going to get worse before it gets better," he said twice in the early moments of the interview, taped Saturday in Chicago.
The president-elect announced on Saturday he would call for the most massive spending on public works since the creation of the interstate highway system a half-century ago. In a word of caution to powerful lawmakers, he said the first priority would be "shovel-ready" projects _ those that could create jobs rights away.
Interview with Alicia Silverstone On Volunteering For Barack Obama
This is a cool interview in that we see the real Alicia Silverstone talking about how she has volunteered for the Obama For America campaign.
Saturday, December 06, 2008
Rachel Maddow For Meet The Press Moderator
Rachel Maddow's the best choice to replace Tom Brokaw and the late Tim Russert before him. She would carry on Russert's tradition of fairness. As I stated earlier, she's a better choice for the role than NBC News Correspondent David Gregory.
Barack Obama Tabs Eric Shinseki to Lead Veterans Affairs - washingtonpost.com
Obama Picks Shinseki to Lead Veterans Affairs - washingtonpost.com: “President-elect Barack Obama today will introduce retired Army Gen. Eric K. Shinseki as his nominee to head the Department of Veterans Affairs, bringing to his Cabinet a career military officer best known for running afoul of the Bush administration by questioning the Pentagon's Iraq war strategy.”
Report: South a big exporter of guns used in crime
Report: South a big exporter of guns used in crime Summary: West Virginia, the center of the "Bittergate" controversy during the campaign, is the largest exporter of guns.
Barbara Boxer's $620 Million Air Freshener for Harry Reid
Chuck DeVore's runnning against Barbara Boxer for Senate. OK, good luck. This video is amusing, but if this is the best he can do, he should prepare for a Boxer landside victory. I remind DeVore that Republicans voted for this too.
Friday, December 05, 2008
Carolina's Julius Peppers and Vikings Jared Allen Fined $10,000. ProFootballTalk.com - PEPPERS, ALLEN FINED $10,000
ProFootballTalk.com - PEPPERS, ALLEN FINED $10,000: “Julius Peppers and Vikings defensive end Jared Allen have each been fined $10,000.”
Pro-Israel Activist and Friend Dan Kilman Will Be Missed On Oakland's Grand Avenue And In The Bay Area
If you remember a year ago in November, I went out with my video camera and talked to two groups: SF Women in Black and SF Voice for Israel. If you shop at the Oakland Farmers Market, you remember a man carrying a large Israeli flag in front of the Grand Lake Theater. That man was Dan Kilman.
But some think fowl-play in the form of a hate crime had been committed. Red County reports that Kilman had been assaulted by anti-Israel activists before.
Some have made an issue of the fact that Dan was Gay and that perhaps his orientation played a role in his death. I don't think so. When I met Dan to do the video above, he didn't reveal that he was Gay at all, in fact he was with a woman and a small boy he seemed to tend to with great care, so I assumed he and she were married -- they certainly acted that way -- and I didn't think twice about it (but then I don't know what to look for in those matters anyway). I later asked Dan about that and he said she was a friend. The point is Dan didn't wear his sexual orientation on his sleave, that was reserved for his pro-Israel stance.
There's a memorial planned for Dan at this adress:
Please join us Sun, Dec 14, 7:30 PM at
Beth Jacob Congregation
3778 Park Blvd
Oakland, CA 94610
email: office@BethJacobOakland.org
There's also a Facebook page dedicated to Dan here: Dan Kilman Memorial on Facebook
This is that video series:
Part One:
Part Two
Part One:
Part Two
Well, the person in the video with the beard is one I came to call a friend; this a key part of Oakland culture, died recently. He supposedly died from falling down an elevator shaft after trying to climb out of a car stuck between floors. According to the website for "SF Voice for Israel" and where Dan was an active member, Kilman was found dead on December 1st at the bottom of an elevator shaft in a building located at 55 New Montgomery Street in San
Francisco called the Sharon Building.
Francisco called the Sharon Building.
But some think fowl-play in the form of a hate crime had been committed. Red County reports that Kilman had been assaulted by anti-Israel activists before.
Some have made an issue of the fact that Dan was Gay and that perhaps his orientation played a role in his death. I don't think so. When I met Dan to do the video above, he didn't reveal that he was Gay at all, in fact he was with a woman and a small boy he seemed to tend to with great care, so I assumed he and she were married -- they certainly acted that way -- and I didn't think twice about it (but then I don't know what to look for in those matters anyway). I later asked Dan about that and he said she was a friend. The point is Dan didn't wear his sexual orientation on his sleave, that was reserved for his pro-Israel stance.
The investigations under way center on the strong chance Dan's death was a hate crime, a case of antisemitism. More on this later.
There's a memorial planned for Dan at this adress:
Please join us Sun, Dec 14, 7:30 PM at
Beth Jacob Congregation
3778 Park Blvd
Oakland, CA 94610
email: office@BethJacobOakland.org
There's also a Facebook page dedicated to Dan here: Dan Kilman Memorial on Facebook
Mortgage Delinquencies, Foreclosures Rise to Record
Bloomberg.com: Worldwide: “Mortgage Delinquencies, Foreclosures Rise to Record ”
Cheerleader, Coach Victoria Schattauer Uncensored Photo Online - Tittle-Tattle Blue™: The Post Chronicle
Obama Chief Speech Writer Jon Favreau In "Grabby" Hillary Clinton Statue Photo
But yes, the man on the left in the photo below is none other than Barack Obama's now famous chief speech writer Jon Favreau, who has the same name as Iron Man director Jon Favreau , but in a different pose. He's obviously having a great time with a cut-out photo statue of Senator and now Secretary of State-Designate Hillary Clinton. I don't know who the guy on the right wearing the "Obama Staff" shirt and kissing the cut-out is.
Sarah Palin's Stylists Were Paid $55,000 In Final Weeks
Palin's Stylists Were Paid $55,000 In Final Weeks From the report: Gov. Sarah Palin's traveling makeup artist was paid $68,400 for roughly two months of work, according to a new campaign finance report filed with the Federal Election Commission.
Ms. Palin's makeup artist, Amy Strozzi -- who was nominated for an Emmy award for her cosmetics work on the television show "So You Think You Can Dance?" -- was paid $32,400 by Senator John McCain's presidential campaign between Oct. 16 and Nov. 24, the period covered by the most recent reports filed with the commission.
This amount came on top of the $36,000 she had already been paid in previous reports, dating back to September.
In addition, Ms. Palin's traveling hair stylist, Angela Lew, was paid a total of $42,225, with $23,400 coming during the period covered by the latest reports to the commission, which were due at midnight on Thursday.
Ms. Palin's makeup artist, Amy Strozzi -- who was nominated for an Emmy award for her cosmetics work on the television show "So You Think You Can Dance?" -- was paid $32,400 by Senator John McCain's presidential campaign between Oct. 16 and Nov. 24, the period covered by the most recent reports filed with the commission.
This amount came on top of the $36,000 she had already been paid in previous reports, dating back to September.
In addition, Ms. Palin's traveling hair stylist, Angela Lew, was paid a total of $42,225, with $23,400 coming during the period covered by the latest reports to the commission, which were due at midnight on Thursday.
Al Franken Close To Win: More Ballots Found In Democratic Stronghold
Franken Scores: More Ballots Found In Democratic Stronghold This could push Al Frankin to victory.
Barack Obama Fills Top Posts at a Sprint - NYTimes.com
Issues Pressing, Obama Fills Top Posts at a Sprint - NYTimes.com: “CHICAGO — The call summoning him was somewhat cryptic. Only after Gen. James L. Jones showed up in a hotel suite for a one-on-one meeting with Barack Obama did it become clear what was going on.”...
Caroline Kennedy To Replace Hillary Clinton As NY Senator?
The Note: Caroline Kennedy would be an excellent choice for NY Senator.
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Obama Transition Team: The Economic Team And Staff - Video
A very revealing online look -- and the first of its kind -- at the Economic team, the Obama Economic Transition Team and the staff behind them.
Nikki Finke’s Deadline Hollywood Daily » Layoffs At Struggling Hollywood Reporter; Variety’s Stylephile Latest Victim Of Recession
Nikki Finke’s Deadline Hollywood Daily » Layoffs At Struggling Hollywood Reporter; Variety’s Stylephile Latest Victim Of Recession The Hollywood Reporter's another newspaper harmed by the one-two punch of the economy and New Media.
Ms. Huffington Shills a Book She Didn't Write / Jossip
Ms. Huffington Shills a Book She Didn't Write / Jossip Jossip slams Arinna Huffington's new book on blogging.
Gannett Blog: Day 3: Job losses near 1,800; Salinas whacks 31%
Gannett Blog: Day 3: Job losses near 1,800; Salinas whacks 31% The Salinas Californian cut 130 jobs in that small town. Ouch.
Oprah: Sarah Palin Is Snubbing Me
Oprah: Sarah Palin Is Snubbing Me Personally, I don't think Oprah should lose sleep over this. Palin's issue may be one of skin color and politics. I hope I'm wrong, but Governor Palin has a lot of growing to do in the area of race-relations. She's still in the 20th Century.
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