text:
Joe Biden, Delaware Destroyer
The three best and the three worst things about Obama's VP pick
We few, we proud, we Delawareans have a particular view of Sen. Joe Biden, the six-term Democrat announced as Barack Obama's vice-presidential running mate. If you take the Acela Express to D.C. often enough, you'll see him in the back of one of the nice cars, resting his eyes behind Pablo Escobar sunglasses or talking to one of the voters who recognizes him. When you head to the polls, there's a two-in-five chance you'll vote instead for whatever scrub the GOP put on the ballot. It's always been a bit strange to have this guy—half-suburban dad, half-jetsetter with a Death Star ego—as our face to the nation.
The first three immediate minuses that Biden brings to the Obama-Biden ticket:
1. Drug warrior, at arms! In 1982, when John McCain was making his first run for political office, Joe Biden was building his credentials for a national bid. That was the year he proposed the office of "drug czar." Thus began a pattern: Whenever people were panicking about drug abuse, Biden would swoop in to assure them that their panic was justified. The crackdown on stuff that could be used as drug paraphernalia? The RAVE Act? Biden was there with a pen. Since 2002, he has softened only a little on the drug war, changing his mind about the crack/cocaine sentencing disparity two decades too late.
2. PATRIOT Actor. Don't use drugs? Never fear: Biden knows how to restrict your liberties, too. As The New Republic's Michael Crowley pointed out a month after the 9/11 attacks:
In the wake of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, Biden did, in fact, champion an anti-terrorism bill similar to the one now before Congress (though it was, as he complains, badly watered down by anti-government conservatives and leftist civil libertarians). And Biden doesn't let you forget it. "I introduced the terrorism bill in '94 that had a lot of these things in it," he bragged to NBC's Tim Russert on September 30. When I spent the day with him later that week, Biden mentioned the legislation to me, and to several other reporters he encountered, no fewer than seven times. "When I was chairman in '94 I introduced a major antiterrorism bill--back then," he says in the morning, flashing a knowing grin and pausing for effect. (Never mind that he's gotten the year wrong.) Back in his office later that afternoon, he brings it up yet again. "I drafted a terrorism bill after the Oklahoma City bombing. And the bill John Ashcroft sent up was my bill."
And get ready for the U.S. Public Service Academy!
3. The Red, White, and Blue Man's burden. Biden isn't a hawk in the way that John McCain is a hawk. He doesn't look to military intervention as the first solution to every foreign policy trip-up. But he still wants the United States to solve them all. Darfur? Check. The embargo on Cuba? Check. NATO expansion and aid to Georgia? Check. Biden amplifies Obama's long-held, and well-disguised, neo-liberal foreign policy. If you were leaning toward the Democrats because you're tired of leaders bellowing and demanding action from the actors in every foreign flare-up, forget it. That's going to be Biden's job description.
Politically, though, none of this is likely to wound Obama. Team McCain's immediate response to Biden, highlighting his criticism of Obama's experience (compare it to, say, Hillary Clinton saying she had experience while "Obama gave a speech"), is yawn-worthy stuff designed to slice into the news cycle. It won't stick.
Meanwhile, Biden helps Obama out in a few important ways.
1. Anti-Rudyism. There is an upside to Biden's aggressive foreign-policy realism: He's a brutal, effective critic of even stupider foreign policy. As Politico's Ben Smith first noted, Biden was the most confident and aggressive opponent of the "war on terror" concept. "Terror is a tactic," he has said. "Terror is not a philosophy." That's not just promising from a policy perspective. It presents the Democrats with an opportunity to reframe the debate over terrorism.
2. Liberalism with a tough-guy face. Biden is exactly the kind of Democrat who would be winning easily this year if the party's voters hadn't gotten so distracted by that hopeful guy, that creepy lawyer guy, and that angry ex-president's wife. He is a doctrinaire liberal who has remained, nevertheless, completely relatable and C-movie tough. Apart from the 2005 Bankruptcy Bill (which sucked wind for reasons that should bother partisans of any side), there's nothing in his economic record, or interest-group voting record that should give liberals a second's pause. He helped throttle the nomination of Robert Bork, thereby saving Roe v. Wade for two decades. Between that and his authorship of the Violence Against Women Act, he'll lock up those Hillary voters who aren't just interested in throwing fits.
3. Don't call it a comeback. It shouldn't matter, but the manner in which Biden has survived gaffes, mockery, and a straight-up plagiarism scandal is pleasing, in a Hollywood kind of way. Biden recovered from his plagiarism scandal by burying all presidential ambitions for a generation and burrowing into his Senate work. He wasn't a foreign policy expert, so he became one. When he says something stupid, he bounces back. I never got why his comments about Indian-Americans staffing 7-Elevens and Dunkin' Donuts in Delaware were offensive, but in any case now Obama gets to look like an above-it-all pol who doesn't care about political correctness.
David Weigel is an associate editor of reason.
Editor's Note: We invite comments and request that they be civil and on-topic. We do not moderate or assume any responsibility for comments, which are owned by the readers who post them. Comments do not represent the views of Reason.com or Reason Foundation. We reserve the right to delete any comment for any reason at any time. Report abuses.
You have condemned him with faint praise, which sounds just about right to me.
Jim Jones should have been Obama's pick.
Mmm, Delware. Did I miss Dell buying out Tupperware? Because I've always wanted computerized food storage devices.
From Wiki:
"Gen. Jones recently appeared with McCain, who he stated his support for, effectively quashing rumors of an Obama-Jones ticket."
That might have something to do with it.
Jim Jones is a fundie nut type - which would make him GOP, at least ostensibly (to everyone but the IRS).
Biden also has better-than-average judgment for a politician -- he said last year that Obama wasn't prepared to be president, and then stood by that statement again this year.
shrike --
I think you're talking about a *different* Jim Jones.
There is an upside to Biden's aggressive foreign-policy realism: He's a brutal, effective critic of even stupider foreign policy.
Well put, Dave.
You really think Obama is a neo-liberal more than a liberal on foreign policy? More Madeleine Albright or Hillary Clinton than Ted Kennedy or Jack Reed?
There is an upside to Biden's aggressive foreign-policy realism: He's a brutal, effective critic of even stupider foreign policy.
Heh. When it comes to foreign policy, this government goes to eleven.
PUMA-land is going apeshit.
Predicting which candidate will win is as tricky as predicting which horse will win the Triple Crown. And success in predicting as well as whichever wins shall have nothing to do with the future of horse racing.
Get my drift?
It's sort of the reason I'm a PEACEFUL anarchist. Elections nor dynamite ever produce the hoped-for result.
Grow up!
Be a peaceful anarchist. Don't vote.
Not having any intention of voting makes following the races twice as much fun.
(I voted once or twice before most of you were born, so I know of what I speak.)
I never understood why Delaware was a state. It's like giving two senators to the Cumberland Gap, but worse because at least the Cumberland Gap isn't sitting between NYC and DC soaking up my toll money.
both in this article and the 2006 one, Weigel brings up the opposition to Bork's nomination.
Bork's work, both recent and more distant, leads me to believe he would even more in favor of plenary executive authority - and the concomitant danger to civil liberties - than Scalia. I can hardly imagine the current court with Bork instead of Kennedy, who wound up with the seat.
"Ladies and gentlemen, my wife Jill, who you'll meet soon, is drop dead gorgeous. My wife Jill, who you'll meet soon, she also has her doctorate degree, which is a problem. But all kidding aside ..."
Yeah, the feminists are going crazy, although not so much about the "gorgeous" part.
I do think McCain should pick either Sarah Palin or Meg Whitman as veep just as a tactical maneuver. Either would get sympathy from women watching Biden trying to beat them up (and coming off as condescending and sexist). This would be sure to win more Hillarites to McCain's camp.
Thanks for setting my mangy ass straight.
I heard from Jim Jones' mouth on May 16, to be exact, that he "didn't do parties."
Oh, well. Another Santa Claus dead of a heart attack from being over weight.
Better never than first,
Delaware is a state because that very straight line that is its northern border was surveyed by Mason and Dixon.
I could be wrong (Elemenope), but I think you missed the Cumberland Gap by a few states.
By the way, South Ossetia wil rise again! Keep saving your Confederate money.
I scaled the HighestPointinDelaware once. It's actually in the middle of a trailer park, but since that's private property the accepted point is in the middle of a road. No, really. In fact, here's a picture of the sign.
As for Biden, I don't really have much to attack him on so I'll just stick with BHO.
No IllegalImmigrants in Wilmington?
The trouble is, Obama has already won on foreign policy, because most people associate McCain with G. W. Bush, like it or not.
Economic issues are not important, because while Obama is economically illiterate, so is McCain and most American voters. Most likely, McCain will just be a watered down Obama on economic issues.
However, Biden is super-pro-gun-control. Gun control is going to be the issue that causes otherwise pro-Obama working class people to vote for McCain. There are plenty of people who pretty much support Obama 100%, but just hate Obama's and Biden's and the Democrat's stance on gun control. And gun control seems to be the issue where the Democrats are truly out of touch with the common people on.
I think Biden is a huge liability.
Best thing: hair plugs!
Is it totally lost on everyone that this is 20 years after Pierre du Pont's run for the presidency? There are no coincidences, especially where Delaware is concerned.
"Jim Jones should have been Obama's pick."
It would be fitting, yes. Obama's supporters have certainly drunk the Kool-Aid, and putting that cowardly terrorist-aiding-and-abetting socialist in the White House would doubtlessly be national suicide.
There was nothing wrong with the name 'Jim Jones' ... until I was about 35 years old and that no-talent ass clown became famous and started killing everyone.
Why don't I just go by James or Jimmy instead of Jim?
No way. Why should I change? He's the one who sucks.
Delaware? Bah! (waves hand in dismissive gesture) The Mississippi of the North!
I do think McCain should pick either Sarah Palin or Meg Whitman as veep just as a tactical maneuver.
Terrible idea. Neither has been vetted, and both have served less time in politics than Obama has. It would be the nakedest pander in VP politics in living memory.
Gen James,
Should Weigel change his name because everytime I see it I think of the cop on 'Reno911'?
The crazy racist chick that faked being suicidal to get the Lt to spoon her.
Of all the things in your post, "highest point in Delaware" gets no spaces?
Is the no spaces thing, more to do with you being mad at your computer or spell check or something, than any political belief?
Even money that "Plagiarizing Joe" will lift something from someone in his speech at the Democratic Convention.
You bring up the VAWA (Violence Against Women Act) as an accomplishment to attract the Clinton feministas.
But doesn't this threaten attachment to the males out there?
By focusing only on the female-as-victim, and completely ignoring the other (fully) half of the domestic violence equation, the VAWA alienates as much as it attracts.
Ultimately, Biden may prove as divisive as Hillary Clinton: you either love or hate him.
What Rex Rhino said...
Is the no spaces thing more to do with you being mad at your computer...
I think the intent is to get rubes to notice him and then comment that they noticed him.
I thought it was a device designed to thwart MexicanGovernment GoogleSearches.
The cutting edge of what is next in statism.®
at least Biden's 80s BS and McCain's 80s BS get evened out in the wash.
(but McCain shouldn't talk about Rezko, cuz he leaves himself open.)
actually. who cares what they harp on? All three choices have terrible records.
sighs. ambles back into woods.
Weigel might appreciate these comments from Ceila Cohen, the author of "Only in Delaware: Politics and Politicians in the First State"
People are agog here in Delaware, the state that is 49th in size and peaked when it was the first to ratify the Constitution. Expectations are very low for national recognition. Delaware would happily take "home of a vice president."
All of Delaware is divided into Biden idolizers and Biden haters. The backers are more numerous, the detractors more intense. He will be on the ballot twice, because he also is running for reelection. This could put the Biden haters in therapy.
"...and putting that cowardly terrorist-aiding-and-abetting socialist in the White House would doubtlessly be national suicide."
you've been watching too much hannity.
People can make fun of Delaware, but its government has been very smart with its lax corporate laws and low taxes. If it wasn't so business friendly it would be a very poor state.
I understand the political logic in selecting a left leaning authoritarian for the VP slot. Obama could have blown the election with a selection from the farther left wing of the party. That Biden is no friend of liberty must be said.
Anyone who allegedly cares for the poor and downtrodden while suppporting the War on
DrugsMinorities has a serious problem connecting the dots. If you are too undiscerning to recognize, or too stubborn to admit, the horrid effects present drug policy has on the lower classes, I have to doubt your intelligence or your honesty/courage.
People can make fun of Delaware...
State motto contest: "Delaware! Gateway to New Jersey."
All the harsh criticism heaped on major party politicos here brings into sharp relief how weird the dorkish freaks like Ron Paul, Bob Barr and his porno-star boufonte running mate that you crazed libertarians actually support really are.
JK: I'm thinking there should be some sort of contest for the best lines from Biden's acceptance speech.
"The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it will never forget what we did here."
"We will fight the Republicans on the beaches of Florida. We will never surrender!"
"Senator Obama, let's tear down those walls!"
(OT: Ron Paul endorses Don Young!?)
"If we just go back to the gold standard, put all the references to God that the liberals have removed back into the constitution, and keep those wetbacks from crossing the border, all will be well." --Ron Paul
Biden is knowledgable about foreign policy if you think reading The Economist makes a person knowledgable.
Did you know that Indonesia is at a crossroads? Well it is!
I think Biden was Obama's second best pick, behind Webb. Bayh is a pretty boy that offers little to the table. I think Biden's value is completely underestimated. When McCain responds to international conflict abroad by whipping out his swords and saying, "who wants some?!" (In a yosemite sam voice no less), then I see Biden as a very reasonable pick that will make McCain look like an immature 'know-it-all' adolescent in an adult world.
I was in the company of conservative Republicans yesterday, and they were elated about Obama's choice of VP. Biden said a lot of stuff on the campaign trail that will come back to haunt Obama in hit piece after hit piece.
This was a remarkably stupid choice by Obama. This may cost him some electoral college votes that he can't afford to lose in what is shaping up to be as tight a race as in 2004, with pretty much the same battleground states.
And, judging by the ad banner on the side of this post, McCain is looking to pick a nominal Democrat -- Lieberman -- as his VP, thus consolidating it as the Democratic lite ticket and seizing the political center.
WTF was Obama thinking? There weren't any moderate to conservative Southern Democrats -- you know, the kind of Democrats who actually win presidential elections -- to choose from?
The Republican smear machine needs a slightly subtler approach than you offer, so stick your head back up your ass and don't quit your day job, if you have one.
If McCain chooses Lieberman, Barr will poll high enough to be included in the debates.
McCain can't pick a pro-choice VP and keep the dimwitted religious right on side. Lieberman wouldn't even secure the Jewish vote. He'll hold his nose and pick Romney.
Lieberman would seal the election for Obama.
It would turnoff McCain's own base while simultaneously energizing the Democratic base.
Sorry, I meat to say he'll hold Romney and pick his nose.
Did you know that Indonesia is at a crossroads? Well it is!
Haha, nice. Don't forget Africa in Turmoil, and some kooky anecdotes from the annals of Canadian &/or British politics.
Sadly, when the choices are someone who reads the Economist and someone who apparently just reads Kristol/Brooks and the Bible, I'm going with Bachelor Number 1.
You should be happy, Lefiti.
Obama picked a running mate who was terrible in school!
The simple fact is that Joe Biden is a slack-jawed dolt whose mouth consistently outpaces his meagre intellect, Delaware's very own version of Teddy Kennedy.
The ticket's now nicely balanced, a high IQ Marxist intellectual and a lip-bibbling nincompoop.
Lefiti -
Please regale us with more of your wisdom. A little comedy relief from the intellectually bereft left helps to balance out the GOP lickspittles.
Maybe you can tag team with the McCain backers defending the Patriot Act that Biden proudly claims to have authored.
David E. Gallaher | August 23, 2008, 10:41pm | #
Delaware is a state because that very straight line that is its northern border was surveyed by Mason and Dixon.
Actually, except for less than a mile that is the top of "the Wedge", the northern border of Delaware is an arc of a circle. The 12-Mile Circle centered on New Castle, to be precise.
I have the theory that Delaware got the Wedge because it's so puny.
Delaware was a SLAVE state!
Ah, if only the masses would wake up and vote for the hairlip and the porno star!
J Sub, as much as Joey Biden sucks on civil liberties issues, you gotta admit it was a smart choice politically. The more I think it about, its good strategy-wise on a lot of levels:
1) Biden is great at being the hatchet man
2) Hes Catholic, from a blue collar background, and wraps up PA (MI and OH would probably like him, too)
3) People think (rightly or wrongly) hes a foreign policy expert
4) He has the punditocracy in his back pocket, even more than John McCain. Christ Matthews creaming his pants over the selection is all you need to know.
er, CHRIS Matthews. Wow, what a horrible horrible typo. Almost as horribly good joe's "brother in lay".
You make way too much sense to be posting here.
Hes also the absolutely fucking perfect foil for Mittens Romney.
J Sub, as much as Joey Biden sucks on civil liberties issues, you gotta admit it was a smart choice politically. The more I think it about, its good strategy-wise on a lot of levels:
I said as much upthread. Being an altruistic libertarian* does not blind me to political realities.
*Kinda, sorta, ... y'know.
"Being an altruistic libertarian* does not blind me to political realities."
That you think you're an "altruistic libertarian" means your connections with reality of any sort are tenuous and weak.
I see Lefiti is in the running for least substantive poster...ever.
mommy not love you enough?
Lefiti -- I was pointing out how these conservative Republicans were elated over Obama's pick. But let's try this on for size, since you seem to be a little logic-impaired -- if you were to mention in casual conversation what a conservative Republican said, would that make you a conservative Republican?
If not, perhaps you could explain how you concluded that a radical libertarian mentioning what some conservative Republicans said makes said radical libertarian a conservative Republican?
Here's what I was getting at -- if a presidential candidate's pick for a running mate makes their political opponents want to break out the champagne, it might be an opportune time for said presidential candidate to reflect on the possibility that he or she fucked up royally.
Like, you know, when in one of the more colossal blunders in political history, Quayle was tapped for VP. Oh wait, now are you going to call me a liberal Democrat?
MSNBC First Read said the GOP was "stunned silent" over the pick, that Biden was the one they least wanted to see.
I'm not sure what universe you're in.
"Like, you know, when in one of the more colossal blunders in political history, Quayle was tapped for VP. Oh wait, now are you going to call me a liberal Democrat?"
No, Prolefeed, I'll call you a moron. Bush/Quayle won, remember? Some colossal blunder.
So I apologize for implying that you're a conservative Republican. I see that you're a moronic libertarian.
Lefiti - just because the ticket won doesn't mean the choice of Quayle was a wise one.
But I see nuance and substance aren't exactly your forte.
I've yet to see anybody who isn't a loud supporter of McCain say Biden was a bad pick from the point of view of electoral strategery.
You pretty much only see that argument made by people who just can't help but work the words Marxist or Hussein into their statements.
Lefiti - just because the ticket won doesn't mean the choice of Quayle was a wise one.
But I see nuance and substance aren't exactly your forte.
Nor is polite discourse. Lefiti is another example of an all too commom trait. Sound and fury with a complete lack of content.
Hes Catholic, from a blue collar background, and wraps up PA (MI and OH would probably like him, too)
I have to say that spending 30 years in the Senate doesn't exactly make me feel like he's "one of the guys".
I personally think Biden's a liability (overall...one thing you can say about him is that there isn't even a whiff of scandal on the man, which is rare) in that he doesn't really deliver a state (I'm skeptical about PA...and I figured that one was going Obama because of Rendell), he shoots off at the mouth, he doesn't appeal to the pie-in-the-sky young people who are the 2008 version of Deaniacs. He's basically Joe Lieberman.
He's bragged about writing the USA PATRIOT Act, he's bragged about calling for the "surge"...he's riffed on Obama and praised McCain! I really do think this was a Grade-A dumb choice.
"he doesn't appeal to the pie-in-the-sky young people who are the 2008 version of Deaniacs."
He wasn't picked for that reason. He was picked to appeal to AFL-CIO Democrats. Hes very well liked among older voters (according to the polls) people Obama doesn't do well with.
Yeah hes in Washington for 30 years, but hes one of the least wealthy members of the Senate (that's probably why there is no scandal), and he goes home every night. I think hes the only Senator who doesn't live inside the beltway.
So hes of Washington, but not.
People can make fun of Delaware...
Well, you can't spell Delaware without "aware."
Aware of what I have no idea.
Aware of what I have no idea.
Del = "of the"
So it is The Land of the Aware?
Your biggest problem with Biden is in Pumalandia and feminist circles. They're already going apeshit that he called his wife gorgeous, then said the fact she had her doctorate was "a problem".
Your biggest problem with Biden is in Pumalandia and feminist circles. They're already going apeshit that he called his wife gorgeous, then said the fact she had her doctorate was "a problem".
I realize that in 21st century politics you have to walk on eggshells because so many groups are ardently searching for a reason to be offended.
But c'mon, isn't calling your wife gorgeous or beautiful somewhat obligatory? "This is my somewhat attractive/average looking wife" just ain't gonna fly.
Biden's comment about his wife's doctorate being "a problem" sounds more like a loving husband joking about the trials and tribulations of having a smart educated wife than anything else. I doubt many PUMAs will be staying home on election day over that trivial stuff.
he doesn't really deliver a state (I'm skeptical about PA...and I figured that one was going Obama because of Rendell), he shoots off at the mouth, he doesn't appeal to the pie-in-the-sky young people who are the 2008 version of Deaniacs
He's meant more for a demographic than a state. The Obama campaign needs an attack dog to do their dirty work for them. Also, Obama has the pie-in-the-sky people locked up, he doesn't need more of them, he needs their parents and siblings. It's a smart pick by the Obama camp, but not one I'm happy about. The good thing is if he's part of a 2 term Obama presidency, he probably won't be president because of his age. The VP is a nice isolation chamber for him. Like what we did with Al Gore.
"Lefiti - just because the ticket won doesn't mean the choice of Quayle was a wise one."
Right. But there are no unwise choices in Libertarian la-la land, where winning is never an even remote possibility. You can run boring old farts and porn-star look-alikes and never have to worry about defending a policy. Then you can mock and ridicule those who live in the messy old real world. What a bunch of loser fucks you guys are.
"Delaware was a SLAVE state!"
Today, we are all slave states.
"Christ Matthews creaming his pants over the selection is all you need to know.
...Almost as horribly good joe's "brother in lay"."
Technically, both are correct.
"MSNBC First Read said the GOP was "stunned silent" over the pick, that Biden was the one they least wanted to see."
MSNBC??? Right...
Right. But there are no unwise choices in Libertarian la-la land, where winning is never an even remote possibility. You can run boring old farts and porn-star look-alikes and never have to worry about defending a policy. Then you can mock and ridicule those who live in the messy old real world. What a bunch of loser fucks you guys are.
Is this where I'm supposed to talk about you mother's sexual proclivities? Since any reasoned, intelligent discussion with you seems pointless, are childish insults mocking your intelligence and lack of breeding what you're seeking?
'Cause I know how to do that.
J Sub-
To you and I its not a big deal, but we're normal.
IOW, we're not PUMAs.
He got good reviews on Fox News, too.
"Is this where I'm supposed to talk about you mother's sexual proclivities? Since any reasoned, intelligent discussion with you seems pointless, are childish insults mocking your intelligence and lack of breeding what you're seeking?"
No, you're supposed to explain how not having a chance of winning doesn't matter to libertarians because...
The you could defend mocking people who actually do have a shot at governing because...
Maybe you could take a shot at explaining why government keeps growing bigger and bigger despite all your efforts.
Tell me why I should vote for Bob Barr and the boufonte freak.
Del = "of the"...So it is The Land of the Aware?
I seriously doubt it. Barbara Mikulski is their other senator.
"He got good reviews on Fox News, too."
Good reviws and "stunned" are clearly not the same thing.
As of the mid-nineties, Delaware had the highest percentage of Superfund sites of any state in the Union.
Valerie Bertinelli, George Thoroughgood and Bill Press are all Wilmington-born.
Portions of the flick Dead Poet's Society were shot at a Delaware boarding school.
Carl Perkins (of Blue Suede Shoes fame) was wounded in a car crash near Dover, circa 1956.
At one time, half the Fortune 500 was incorporated in Delaware.
Lynda "Wonder Woman" Carter lives near Rehoboth Beach.
Bob Marley, NFL Hall-Of-Famer Randy White, and punk rock icon Tom Verlaine all lived for a while in Wilmington. (White and Verlaine went to the same high school)
Delaware has no sales tax.
David Weigel, a Delaware native, writes for Reason.
Jim Walsh, Delaware native and frequent Hit 'n' Run gadfly, has way to much free time...
Re ed: Delaware's other senator is Tom Carper. He's not perfect, but he is vastly preferable to Mikulski...
No, you're supposed to explain how not having a chance of winning doesn't matter to libertarians because...
Libertarians expect to influence the debate. We are not irrational enough to expect to gain significant political power this year.
The[n] you could defend mocking people who actually do have a shot at governing because...
Hypocrites, incompetents and enemies of liberty deserve mocking.
Maybe you could take a shot at explaining why government keeps growing bigger and bigger despite all your efforts.
Too many fools think that what comes from the government is without costs. It may be inevitable for democracies to slowly squander their freedom for "security". I do not hold people's intelligence in high esteem.
Tell me why I should vote for Bob Barr and the boufonte [sic] freak.
Because Obama professes socialist and populist ideas and McCain's National Greatness shtick is a downright scary.
Now your turn -
What positives do have to say about the prospective nominees from the major parties?
Do you expect either to press for a reduction in executive authority and power?
Do you think that warrants are going to again be required for eavesdropping on American's private communications?
Do you think that the War on
DrugsSanity is going to be repudiated or even questioned by either party?
Is corporate welfare for ADM, ethanol plants, sugar cane growers etc. going to be curtailed? Or are the Big Three domestic auto companies next on that gravy train?
Will anything be done about a broken immigration policy that recognizes the human rights of all immigrants?
punk rock icon Tom Verlaine ?
Television wasn't punk
"Libertarians expect to influence the debate. We are not irrational enough to expect to gain significant political power this year."
This year? You're too fucking stupid to waste time talking to.
Biden on Obama: "I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy," he said. "I mean, that's a storybook, man."
Obama isn't ready to be President and the job is "not something that lends itself to on-the-job training."
And the McCain campaign has already pounced and started running attack ads featuring Biden's own words
And does anyone think that Biden is going to get a personality transplant and avoid shooting off his mouth and saying something else boneheaded between now and November?
It's nowhere near as bad as picking Quayle, but this one is gonna cost Obama. There were much better choices -- really, there weren't any conservative to moderate Democrats from Southern or swing states who are pro-gun to pick from?
You mean he said bad things about Obama when he was running against him for President? Oh Noes! That will cost him the election!
Yeah, right.
pollster.com shows the race continuing to tighten. There weren't any politicians from the states that aren't dark blue or dark red to choose for VP?
"There weren't any politicians from the states that aren't dark blue or dark red to choose for VP?"
Timmeh Kain who is a bland mediocre governor, Evan Bayh who goes whichever way the wind blows, Kathleen Sebelius (OMG! A WOMAN BESIDES HILLARY! SLAP IN THE FACE!), and Bill Richardson (too much color for one ticket).
Re ed: Delaware's other senator is Tom Carper.
He's not perfect, but he is vastly preferable to Mikulski...
Holy crap and my bad! Boy, is my face red!
Did someone finally shoot her or was she hit by a bus?
Either way it's a win-win.
BDB -- The following two statements are not identical in meaning:
"This wasn't such a disasterous choice that it will inevitably cost Obama this election."
"This was a solid choice, perhaps the best possible one. This VP may help win a few swing states."
Politics is won or lost at the margins. Dukakis in a Tank TM didn't, by itself, cause that election bid to fail -- but it sure as fuck didn't help.
Prole, Biden secures Pennsylvania boosts just enough in Philly to put it out of reach to be red) and helps with older voters, in a nutshell.
BDB -- Bill Richardson is a popular figure in a state that is in play. He is more moderate than Obama. He would shore up Obama's support in a swing ethnic group. IIRC, he is pro-gun. He has shown some fiscal restraint in governing. He has actual experience at running a governmental entity.
There may be better choices than Richardson, but he would have been a much better pick than Biden.
Prole I don't think Biden is a knockout choice. It is a solid one, though.
Two minorities on the same ticket won't fly. Sadly, that's just the truth. Maybe someday that will be possible.
I personally hate a lot of Biden's positions, but I'm not the voter Obama is targeting here.
BDB -- Pennsylvania is kind of a stretch for labeling as a swing state. It will be fought over, money will be spent there, but I doubt come election night people will be agonizing over Pennsylvania because it is the final state in play in a race going down to the wire. Note that on Pollster.com it has been dark blue for a while.
This year? You're too fucking stupid to waste time talking to.
So you do wish to be insulted. What's the matter, can't afford a decent dominatrix?
Two minorities on the same ticket won't fly. Sadly, that's just the truth. Maybe someday that will be possible.
He couldn't pick a woman for saimilar reasons. If Hillary had gotten the nod, she'd have had to pick a [gasp!] white male. One step at a time.
You're too fucking stupid to waste time talking to.
Translation: Holy shit I just got pwned! Better start flinging poop!
Holy crap and my bad! Boy, is my face red!
Did someone finally shoot her or was she hit by a bus?
You probably have her confused with Delaware's governor; they do have kind of a separated-at-birth thing going...
Your biggest problem with Biden is in Pumalandia and feminist circles.
The 25 people who create the PUMA web presence have shown themselves to be very different from the actual Hillary voters out there.
The actual Hillary voters are people who dig on candidates like Joe Biden, and many of them had him as their second choice. Heck, Hillary used to talk about how he'd be a good VP pick.
The south is gone, man. Redsville. The migration is complete. Picking someone based on Bubba appeal makes as much sense for a Democrat as picking someone beloved by NYC punks makes for a Republican.
In the New Millennium, Democrats win by 1) expanding nationwide, 2) expanding in the West, or 3) expanding among white working class people in small towns in the midwest.
So you're writing off Virginia and North Carolina?
I think ed's having trouble distinguishing Delaware and Maryland. David E. Gallaher had the same problem earlier.
this election was over two weeks ago...the sushi/dean and dulca socalist obama is done
Good to see they 86ed the Socialist circle jerk thread/post that used to be below this one.
Just for fun, I noticed this sentence on the Issues page of Obama's website:
"Five years after 9/11, our country is still unprepared for a terrorist attack."
Well, I suppose there was a 9/11 five years ago, as there will be one this year, but it seems to me that 9-11-03 is not the one the campaign should be referring to.
And some people say Reason has trouble with copy-editing. At least Weigel isn't running for President! :(
Regis, he's talking about 9/11 the Platonic Form. You know, "The 9/11". :)
And the McCain campaign has already pounced and started running attack ads featuring Biden's own words
Which is going to come back and bite them in the ass if McCain taps Romney...
Which is going to come back and bite them in the ass if McCain taps Romney...
I thought it was monumentally stupid for them to trot out the "Yeah, I like McCain" Biden comments, because Biden could slice them to ribbons with "yeah, he *used* to be a nice guy, but no more. I don't even *know* this asshole that goes around town calling himself McCain anymore. He's a different person than the one I had affection for."
Ah, I see! So, it's just "sharing in" "The 9/11". Wow, that must be a fucked up Form. It's Definition must have something to do with epic battles between The West/Christendom and Islam. Cf. the Battle of Lepanto.
Of all the crazy Ideas...
Is it just me or did reason.com just shit itself for a few minutes?
It looks like the media is trying to make this convention all Bill and Hill, all the time.
Regis, it wasn't just you. Old hands around here know that when that happens, it's the Server Squirrels wreaking acts of terrorism.
See, the Server Squirrels used to be the ruling party around here. They used to chew up comments and send them into oblivion...but sometimes for fun they would double, treble or even quadruple a post, just for fun!
Now the Server Squirrels are jealous they're not the ruling party any more, so they've turned to terrorist acts. reason doesn't negotiate with terrorists, however.
Good to see they 86ed the Socialist circle jerk thread/post that used to be below this one.
How substantive, PH. I'll note you dropped out of that thread pretty quickly...it's best if you remain in the "intellectual lightweight" division, for fear of bruising your delicate sensibilities and your non-existent intellectual gravitas.
"Two minorities on the same ticket won't fly. Sadly, that's just the truth. Maybe someday that will be possible."
It's "just the truth" because you claim it to be? It hasn't been TRIED even one time, let alone tried and failed even one time, so how do you know?
I don't think Obama would be sinking in the polls right now if he had picked, say, Bill Richardson as his running mate instead of Biden. And if Bill Richardson would end up sinking Obama in the polls, it would probably be more related to his individual failings that also caused him to do so poorly in the Democratic Party primaries, not because he's a minority.
Obama could've picked a racial minority or a female as his running mate and been just fine. The real reason he would have difficulty picking a minority or female as his running mate is because it would be harder to find possible choices who had already been extensively vetted in the media for many years. Obama's biggest concern in picking a running mate had to be that he'd pick someone who was very well known and hadn't already been gone over with a fine-toothed comb by the national media, and thus any embarassing things from their life and careers would be new news and dominate the media for perhaps weeks. Thus, he picked someone who has been in the Senate for over 3 decades. Anything embarassing about Biden from the past (such as his plagiarism) is old news. One of the primary goals of the Obama campaign right now has gotta be to just not have any screw-ups that could turn the tide.
Minorities and females as possible running mates would more likely be outsiders or lesser-knowns to the political establishment and thus more likely to blow up in his face.
Therefore, it's more about that there are just more white guys who have been in the Senate for over 3 decades than there are minorities and females, and Obama wanted to go with a safe choice given the fact that he's currently the front-runner.
Since when did "essentially tied in the polls" come to mean the "front-runner"?
Typo correction: "Obama's biggest concern in picking a running mate had to be that he'd pick someone who WASN'T very well known and hadn't already been gone over with a fine-toothed comb by the national media, and thus any embarassing things from their life and careers would be new news and dominate the media for perhaps weeks."
Well, I'm not yet closely studying the polls or the electoral college map, so maybe it isn't a clear-cut fact that Obama is the front-runner. My sense is that he is, however. McCain has cut into that lead significantly of late, which I'm glad about as I'm probably voting for McCain.
The running mate choice was a potential dangerous moment for Obama and he was smart to go with someone who has been high profile for many years.
So Mr. Hopey-Changey is running with a ticket of two Senators?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Maybe that 'change' he keeps spouting really is what he wants to leave in your pockets.
"Change that I can believe in" does not include picking someone who was senator at the beginning of the Cenozoic Era.
Some really awful news. NoStar is in intensive care and his 12 year old daughter was killed in a motorcycle accident today.
Your thoughts and prayers are appreciated.
My thoughts and prayers are with NoStar and his family.
Virginia, no. Virginia is becoming a mid-Atlantic state with the growth of the DC suburbs.
North Carolina, yes. If Obama takes North Carolina, it's because he won such a national blowout that he wouldn't need it anyway.
That's terrible.
Joe you need more than the D.C. suburbs. Thats only two Congressional districts.
Obama needs Richmond, Charlottesville, and Hampton Roads PLUS a blowout in the D.C. suburbs.
I think the hardest place for him will be Hampton Roads, they tend to vote for the veteran if theres one on the ticket (especially naval and marine ones).
I'm saying, because the DC suburbs have grown, and are growing, as a share of the state, it's become less like a trypical Southern state and more like Maryland, Delaware, or eastern Pennsylvania. But less so.
I believe any article about the shortcomings of Joe Biden is incomplete without mention of his systematic shilling for the entertainment industry (RIAA, MPAA et al) and all around execrable voting record on all matters technological.
Lefiti = I am too stupid to spell Lefty correct.
Is it just me, or does the "Obama Biden" campaign name look like a spelling mistake for "Osama Bin Laden"?


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Reviewed by: noahsmama
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Location: Wise, Virginia
Title: Good
Date: Apr 21, 2011
I ordered this theme last year for my son's 1st birthday. Its super cute & had lots of decorations. The only problem I had was the foil balloon had a hole in it & we werent able to blow it up.
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Reviewed by: BoondocksMommy
Location: Central MA
Title: Cute
Date: Jul 17, 2010
I was a little disappointed with the quality of this set as compared to other party goods that I've ordered thru celebrate express. Plates and especially the blow outs were flimsy. Also I was a little disappointed that there were not more coordinating items to go with this set, like banners, more balloon options, HATS...it is a cute design, though.
Reviewed by: gavins0mom
Title: Almost perfect....
Date: Mar 16, 2010
This is such a cute design! Love that just about everything came with it. Had to order the dessert plates separately. The party invitation envelopes don't seal very well, so I used some cute stickers to seal them. No big deal. I didn't have any issues with this particular item. The issues I had were with other products I'd ordered at the same time. One item was not shipped at all, even though I'd paid for it. I had to call customer service and have it shipped separately. (Good thing I ordered well in advance of the party or it wouldn't have arrived on time.) Another product was damaged. However, customer service was great! All issues were resolved quickly and to my satisfaction! This was my first time ordering from this company and I'm not sure if I was just unlucky, or if these occurrences are common. Overall, I'm glad I ordered from 1st Wishes/Celebrate Express! Couldn't find most of these products elsewhere.
Reviewed by: abesmommy1
Location: Monticello, IL
Photos: (click for full-size)
Title: Cutest Birthday Set EVER
Date: Jan 09, 2010
I was hoping to not have to choose between a fire truck theme or a 1st birthday theme, so when I found this theme I knew we had to have it. It turned out perfect and was the cutest party we could have had. The set for 16 came with everything we needed...and we only had to buy a couple extras!
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Last week I read the oddest status update on Facebook: "My son keeps flushing ice cubes down the toilet."
Soon there were other parents claiming their children flushed an entire tray of ice cubes, kids were wearing their pajamas inside out, spoons were under pillows, and pennies were on the window sill. Apparently, the kids were doing everything in their power to ensure a snow day.
I'm not sure where all this is coming from, but I'm guessing that there was a lot of disappointment when the kids found out that after all their hard work, their reward was a delayed opening.
Fast forward to this week, where a just became a full blown snow day. The problem, of course, is that it is not a day for sledding or snowball fights or building snowmen. It was and we were staying indoors.
So how do you survive a snow day with your kids indoors? How do you make it so your kids don't drive you crazy? How do you make it special for everyone?
I asked around and here are some wonderful ideas from some local moms on how to survive a snow day inside.
Have the kids make snow ice cream for breakfast. Send them out first thing to gather the freshest snow, mix the ingredients and seconds later you have ice cream. Sure, it isn't the healthiest breakfast, but it will get big smiles and score you points on the cool mom-o-meter.
Build a fort. Make it "bigger than the house." Use sheets, pillows, furniture–think big!
Play games in the fort. Snow days are great for board game fun, but don't forget a deck of cards. Playing classic card games like War, Old Maid, Go Fish and Solitaire can provide hours of fun, especially inside a tent. The fort is also a fun place to have snacks or set up sleeping bags and put a movie on your laptop.
Crafts are always a mandatory part of any snow day. I always have a roll of easel paper on hand. I like to line the dining table with paper, tape it down and let the kids get creative with any kind of art supply we have.
If you have an extreme amount of patience, ask your kids to help you bake cookies. Kids love to cook, and they like to taste things. My kids like to smell and taste all the ingredients, including the baking soda and flour!
Clean and organize the playroom or closets. Take a few bags and tell the kids it's time to clean house. Start compiling things for donation or a spring yard sale.
If the roads are clear and you want the kids out of the house, then head out to one of our local kid-friendly destinations. Jumpers, , Marple Sports Arena, Sproul Lanes, and the movie theater–they all can provide entertainment for your family but make sure they are open first.
Most importantly, snow days are about compromise. Help your kids build the fort and then take an hour to get some work done and return phone calls. Try to hold it together, and have some fun at the same time. At the end of the day when the kids are in bed, sit by the fire with a grown up cup of hot chocolate.
If you have any snow day survival stories or ideas, please share them with Patch.


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Democratic Candidates Debate
The Presidential candidates debated both domestic and foreign issues including tax cuts, the deficit, and defense spending.
People in this video
- Brown, Edmund "Jerry" G. Jr. Governor (Former) [D] California
- Clinton, Bill Governor [D] Arkansas
- Harkin, Thomas "Tom" U.S. Senator [D] Iowa
- Kerrey, J. "Robert" Robert U.S. Senator [D] Nebraska
- Tsongas, Paul U.S. Senator (Former) [D] Massachusetts
- Wilder, L. Douglas Governor Virginia
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Review of chapter "parts 9 and 10" from
Lovely to see this continuing - I'm hoping she'll persuade both men to realise that the world is more complicated than they realise, and that there are no simple fixes.
Review By [
] • Date [19 Jun 07] • Not Rated
Review of chapter "parts 7 and 8" from
I love this story! It already starts off with a very intriguing what-if (if Kendra had gone to fight Angelus rather than Buffy) and I like the way you develop the story.
It's very unique in that it is a crossover with the very early X-Men world and it's interesting to watch Kendra struggle for acceptance as much as the mutants will have to later. They don't realise it yet, but I guess in a way it's a foreshadowing of things to come.
I enjoy to read about the younger versions of Charles and Erik. It's cute how Kendra is growing fond of Charles and doesn't realise it yet.
So we've met a Grey... I wonder if she's related to Jean in some way and whether her survival will change the X-Men world as we know it.
I'm looking forward to the next chapter.
Comments from author:
Thank you. I wanted to try something different for Becoming, and thare is so much that's been done that's a varient of 'Buffy went to face Angelus....' or 'Xander went to face Angelus, knowing that Buffy couldn't,...."
I didn't think that the older, more established Professor Xavier would be that much fun to write with, as set in his ways as he would be, so I needed a younger Charles. And while kendra has been taught dozens, perhaps even hundreds of ways to kill demons and vampires, she hasn't been taught to deal with her feelings. Feelings are fun for authors to use.
Interestingly, I've seen several places where the X-men were described as a metaphor for the struggle for racial equality, and later for sexual equality.
I hope the next section lived up to your expectations.
Review By [
] • Date [10 May 07] • Rating [10 out of 10]
Review of chapter "parts 7 and 8" from
ok if you continue i will give you more praise for the good work with kendra and charles
Review By [
] • Date [7 Apr 07] • Rating [8 out of 10]
Review of chapter "parts 7 and 8" from
Nice to see this continuing. Can't remember much about vamps in the Marvelverse, apart from Blade, so I'll be interested to see your take on them.
Comments from author:
On consideration of the Marvel comics, there has been inconsistancy about vampires there, in ability, behavior and organization, and even in their origin. Fortunately, I don't need to wory about where they come from, I only need to worry about local-level organization, and I can and will take the Marvel-example and set their abilities to what I want/need for my story, regardless of what has been one before. I will be consistant, or at least more so than the comics. If Vampire #6 lasts longer than one or two scenes, his/her abilities will remain the same, instead of being radically different in scene 3.
Considering that the comics have used about five ways for the vampires to go down when they die that I can recall (and that from not being a particular fan of the horror comics!) I will admit that I just took the fire-ashes-crumble from the Blade movies, because it looked good and was slightly different than the BtVS series. I want the vampires to still be vampires, but not exactly the same as the ones back home.
Review By [
] • Date [31 Jan 07] • Not Rated
Review of chapter "parts 5 and 6" from
This is one of the better stories on the site... it would be a pity if you've decided to abandon it. If you have the time and effort, please do spend some time on this; it's certainly worth it!
Comments from author:
Time has been in short supply lately. I'm the mother of two children, and a full-time nursing student. This means that my writing (especially for fanfics!) has been pushed back to 'when I can grab the time' when there isn't housecleaning, cooking, laundry or homework to do.
I do not intend to abandon this story - Kendra's fun to play with, and I like trying something different than the normal. Most of the BtVS/X-Men crossovers involving a Slayer use Buffy or Faith, and there have been thousands of stories written about ways Buffy could deal with the aftermath of Becoming. I took a different way, and I want to play with it some more. And using Kendra gives me a different perspective and personality than the other two Slayers - I have trouble writing Buffy, and Faith just isn't what I wanted for this fic. She has trouble taking things seriously enough.
Review By [
] • Date [20 Jan 07] • Rating [10 out of 10]
Review of chapter "parts 5 and 6" from
using a slayer to find demons and vampires through Cerebro. I like it.
Comments from author:
Advanced warning of what you would find on patrol is good, and Kendra takes Slaying seriously enough to try to get that warning. Though there's a difference between thinking it's a good idea and getting it accomplished...
If the point is that Cerebro augments and expands the range of an innate detection ability, why not search for demons & vamps as well as mutants?
Review By [
] • Date [14 May 06] • Not Rated
Review of chapter "parts 5 and 6" from
What a very cool idea, to put Kendra together with pre-wheelchair Charles Xavier and Magneto-to-be in a 1950's America. Loved the way Kendra called Erik on his hypocrisy, in making the same assumptions about the worth of others that he himself had suffered from. Maybe things will go differently with Charles and Erik this time around, with a 1990's Slayer keeping an eye on them.
Comments from author:
Thank you. The nasty thing about assumptions - as my Critical Thinking class is showing me - is that people often don't even realize what some of them are until they think about them. While both Charles and Erik have some pretty big ones, it's easier to slam the illogic of Erik and his judgments on abilities than Charles and his everybody-can-get-along ideas. Granted, it's a nice idea, but far more difficult to put into practice, especially when everybody else doesn't want to play with the same rules. The idea of 'don't judge me inferior based on my genes' is much more simple to apply. It also goes along with the fact that I find it inherantly flawed to think that you can prevent any sort of gene-based attacks on 'your people' by starting them on other people (the Acolytes, Friends of Humanity, any other mutant-human related hate group...)
Review By [
] • Date [14 May 06] • Rating [9 out of 10]
Review of chapter "parts 5 and 6" from
An interesting story so far, and I look forward to more instalments. I particularly like that you're using Kendra instead of one of the other Slayers.
I know very little about the history of Charles and Eric - from the movies I know that Charles is in a wheelchair - so it would be helpful if you could perhaps add an authors note or something to give a brief summary of "Life Before The Movie"
Review By [
] • Date [14 May 06] • Rating [9 out of 10]
Review of chapter "parts 5 and 6" from
This is interesting and different. I always loved Kendra, and I'm glad you are giving her a second chance...
Comments from author:
I like different, and I like to try writing different stories - not the same as what everyone else is doing.
Kendra had the potential to become a much more interesting character then Joss permitted her to become, I'm just exploring some of that potential. Besides, if Joss can write Angel and Spike getting second chances, and Cordelia, Faith, Harmony-the-vampire, and Willow - all of them after either horrible violence or astoundingly bad judgement, why not give Kendra a second chance at life after a fight against evil?
Review By [
] • Date [13 May 06] • Not Rated
Review of chapter "parts 5 and 6" from
Nice to see this updated. Hope Kendra can keep Magneto from going nuts.
Review By [
] • Date [13 May 06] • Not Rated
Review of chapter "parts 3 and 4" from
I love Kendra stories, so thanks for that first. And this one also seems to be a well written one, so double goodness. I'm not sure where you are going with this story, but to be a dark skinned person in 1950s America will not be easy for Kendra. Especially since I'm sure everyone will also see her as a mutant. I also think the paring of Xavier and Kendra is cool. I hope you update soon as this is a very interesting beginning.
Comments from author:
In order, I thought that Kendra was interesting but under-used onthe series. She had a lot more potential than Joss permitted her to make use of. I always aim for well-written, and I thank you for the vote of confidence.
The only way that I expect Kendra to find the time/place that she's ended up as 'easy' is that the Marvel Universe does not have the same slavering hordes of vampires and demons as Sunnydale, so she should have a bit less to worry about on that front. However, as you've mentioned, the social climate of that era will not be to her benefit - which she's taken note of and probably not realized the full implications of. Being a presumed mutant will not help, except possibly with some of the other not-so-normal people she may encounter, starting with Charles Xavier.
Charles Xavier is someone else with interesting potential. I picked this time in his life for several reasons, but this will enable me to not only have him more mobile, the pair of them closer in age in case of romance, but hit before his formation of the first X-team. At this point, while he does have a life, he's not also trying to run a school, or at least, tutor a few special individuals.
I will update when it's ready, preferring a good chunk later over a fast but mediocre chunk quickly, and I hope that it continues to be an interesting story.
Review By [
] • Date [9 Dec 05] • Not Rated
Review of chapter "Changing Time - parts 1 and 2" from
I always liked Kendra...
This is an interesting framework - I look forward to seeing where you are going with this one.
Review By [
] • Date [19 Sep 05] • Not Rated
Review of chapter "Changing Time - parts 1 and 2" from
another interesting beginning
Comments from author:
Thank you.
Review By [
] • Date [19 Sep 05] • Rating [10 out of 10]
Review of chapter "Changing Time - parts 1 and 2" from
I loved the idea of Kendra fighting Angelus - and putting an end to the monster. Buffy always annoyed me when it came to Angel. I hope you take this forward as so few stories are written for Kendra.
Comments from author:
I've used Kendra before, though mostly for short fics. She's been under-utilized, under-developed, and thankfully unspoiled by Joss, so she's fun to use once in a while.
I thought, why not try something considerably different with Becoming, and not the same old thing, with slight variations on the after-math?
Review By [
] • Date [19 Sep 05] • Rating [9 out of 10]
Review of chapter "Changing Time - parts 1 and 2" from
Oooh, ooh, ooh! Thank you, thank you! I really like this one, and can't wait to read more. There are so many possibilities, and I'm glad to have Kendra not dead. I always kind of liked her. Not that it will figure into this story, but will her falling through the portal be enough to call Faith back in the Sunnydale world? Or will there be only the one slayer again? That could be bad, since Buffy's next death didn't call another slayer, as far as we know. Hmm . . . as I said, lots of possibilities that this story could lead to. Keep up the great work. I always enjoy your writing. =]
Comments from author:
Without giving too much away, this will be following things with Kendra, not back in Sunnydale. Though considering where Kendra's ended up and the usual approach to death there... I'm not sure Sunnydale's going to be the only place where keeping track of Slayers gets a little trickier.
Review By [
] • Date [18 Sep 05] • Not Rated
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When a Pennsylvania man died, he left behind a now-viral reminder of his life and his quirky sense of humor.
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Before arriving in Oklahoma last year, Edmond resident Sofia Griffith already had a growing Red Cross volunteer résumé.
Griffith is married to Paul Griffith, a retiring maintenance officer at Tinker Air Force Base. Since 2007, she has volunteered at a medical lab in England, in human resources working in Japan and as an administrative aide in a medical lab at Tinker.
On May 20, after the EF-5 tornado left a wide path of devastation in Moore, Griffith felt called once again, this time to serve her fellow Oklahomans. That evening, she went down to Moore where she was told there were already enough helpers.
The following day, a Tuesday, she went back to Moore and was astonished to see what appeared to be thousands of citizens waiting to volunteer for the American Red Cross Central and Western Oklahoma Region chapter.
"I was so impressed with how quickly the people of Oklahoma wanted to help the Red Cross," Griffith said. "It was an emotional moment for me."
Since she was already trained, Griffith went into action in her pickup, which was used often to shuttle items — especially bottled water — to agencies and organizations stationed at the Home Depot command center and into the disaster zone.
To her surprise, people approached her and donated a cooler with food from McDonald's. In turn, she approached a group of people. She asked if they needed food or water. Among them was a man in his 20s who had just been rescued.
Griffith said as a volunteer she seeks to give and accepts nothing in return. The focus is always on the individuals who need help, she said.
"I love what I do with the Red Cross," she said.
Five Red Cross Multi-Agency Resource Centers were opened to serve the thousands of people affected by the tornadoes of May 19, 20 and 31 in the Oklahoma City area.
Red Cross regional spokesman Ken Garcia said the centers in Moore, Shawnee, Little Axe, El Reno and Carney brought together dozens of organizations under one roof to serve these families by providing resources, supplies and information, saving the families the time and trouble of going to many different locations to get help.
Volunteers are needed to help assist with data entry in the Multi-Agency Resource Centers, Garcia said. Caseworkers currently have more than 4,000 cases open and have helped more than 14,100 people through casework, he said.
"There was a surge of volunteers following the tornadoes and now we need that help again," Garcia said.
Volunteers in the centers act as greeters, guides and assistants to individuals and families coming in to meet with the Red Cross and other partner agencies, Garcia said. Volunteers are also needed to help with casework data entry. Due to the nature of this job, basic computer skills and knowledge are required. Also, a cleared background check is required.
There are a number of shifts available, Garcia said.
"This is an extremely important service the Red Cross delivers to people affected by the storms and we appreciate in advance your commitment to helping these individuals," he said.
Individuals wishing to volunteer may can call 571-205-3266 or 571-205-3551 or register online at www.redcross.org/ok/oklahoma-city/volunteer.
Although the American Red Cross is not a government agency, its authority to provide disaster relief was formalized when, in 1905, the Red Cross was chartered by Congress to "carry on a system of national and international relief."
email@example.com | 341-2121


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Law Soc elects to make a few changes
28 January 1997
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A contradiction lies at the heart of the Law Society's democratic structure. In two successive years, the profession has elected a president on a specific programme. And yet the president has no formal constitutional power to implement manifesto pledges.
Indeed, the president's ability to persuade the Law Society Council to back his programme is potentially hampered by the fact that, as the council's chairman, he does not participate in the debates!
Have you had your say in how to resolve this mismatch between voters' expectations, and the reality of the president's power to deliver? A consultation paper from the Law Society gives you the opportunity, and is already attracting a heavy response.
Few of the early respondents to the consultation would be happy with a president who was just a figurehead, with only a ceremonial role. But while support for a president with executive powers exists, it is limited, and most see the president as the profession's leader.
What about elections? The consultation paper points out that a presidential election costs around £90,000, while fewer than half the society's members choose to vote (36.1 per cent in 1995, and 44.5 per cent in 1996). The term of office is only one year, and not only are there limits on the president's formal powers, but he will also need to spend a good part of the year on the campaign trail, if he seeks re-election.
Perhaps general elections for council members - say every three years - might provide a more effective means for expressing the dissatisfaction and anxiety for change which were evident in the results of the two presidential elections. General elections might avoid the risk of deadlock between a president elected on one mandate and council members on another.
Individual council members are already accountable to their constituents: there are elections for one quarter of the council seats every year, with each member serving four years, and general elections might dilute this continuity.
Some respondents also worry that general elections will institutionalise division by forcing candidates to stand on a national party-political "ticket" rather than on their personal local reputation.
Constituency elections are not the only way to ensure a representative council. Over half the profession are under the age of 40 - only four out of 75 council members are in that group. Women solicitors now account for 30 per cent of all practising solicitors; there are currently 11 women council members.
Should non-constituency seats be used to help improve balance? And should special interests and other groups be represented on the council - alongside the majority who are elected to represent geographical constituencies?
"Sections" may also help to close the gap between the Law Society and the profession, highlighted by the society's report on high street firms, made to the 1994 AGM. Successful in the US and Australia, sections provide a new model for Law Society membership, based directly on the interests and specialisms of individual practitioners. The Law Society has in the past always struggled, unrealistically, to be all things to all practitioners. Starting with the Probate Section, there will be an alternative. Last year 1,600 probate practitioners replied to a questionnaire, and 88 per cent of those expressed an interest in joining.
And constitutional change is not enough on its own. Under the new Secretary-General, Jane Betts, the Law Society is committed to becoming much more responsive as a service organisation, offering value for money in everything it does.
But managing the business of the Law Society to ensure that we meet the needs of the profession must be complemented by the democratic systems in which the profession has confidence and in which it participates. In getting this right, we will rely on you making your voice heard in the consultation.
Have your say
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Casting Call: Karen Thompson Walker's The Age of Miracles
Kiernan Shipka/Photo © Shutterstock/Phil Stafford
Welcome to Word & Fim's Casting Call, where we exercise our creative muscles by focusing our attention on extraordinary characters from exceptional books – either fiction or nonfiction – and make the case for how we'd cast those roles if given the chance. Note that, here at Word & Film, we're not casting directors, nor are we producers, agents, or anyone else who has any say in how a film will be cast; we're simply ardent fans of books and movies who can't help ourselves from such musings.
When The Age of Miracles, Karen Thompson Walker's bestselling debut, came out last year, nary a review ran that didn't point out just how ripe the book was for a film adaptation. Marrying bildungsroman with sci-fi dystopia, the novel tells the story of eleven-year-old Julia, whose gentle preteen existence is rocked one normal Saturday morning when the earth's rotation inexplicably begins to slow. As a result of this mysterious phenomenon, days and nights extend into achingly endless stretches of light and dark, gravity is disrupted, animals and plant life start dying off, and the lives of ordinary people, like Julia and her parents, are dramatically altered -- not simply because of the changing physical surroundings but in deeper, more personal ways.
The novel moves back and forth between tightly drawn, intimate moments of Julia's prepubescent suburban life and grander descriptions of the global implications caused by this environmental calamity. As the slowing grows worse and days continue to elongate, tensions build between Julia's parents, and the previously well adjusted -- if shy -- protagonist becomes increasingly isolated from her peers.
The novel has the kind of delicious high-concept premise that Hollywood loves. And sure enough, before the novel had even made it to bookstores, the film rights for The Age of Miracles had been snapped up by River Road Entertainment (the folks who made "Brokeback Mountain" and "Into the Wild") with Seth Lochhead (who penned "Hanna") on board to write the script.
But if the story was made for the big screen, bringing Julia to life presents a more difficult challenge. First of all, she's young -- she turns twelve toward the end of the book—and while many of her classmates are grappling with issues and desires far more mature than their parents (and many readers) would prefer, Julia is by her own admission an unworldly eleven. She wears "practical outfit[s], white canvas tennis shoes double-knotted beneath plain jeans" to her peers' miniskirts and baby tees. Where her classmates, brimming with hormones, chatter boy crazily away, Julia tightly guards a secret crush on the brooding Seth Moreno. Second, unlike other more brazen or precocious young heroines of genre fiction, Julia is reserved and almost skittish, with a quiet interiority that will be tough to translate to film. She spends most school lunches alone in the library "land of the friendless" and her evenings staring out on her changing world through the shiny silver telescope given to her by her father. While The Age of Miracles centers around a young adult, it's not written as a YA story; so to bring its surreal, lyrical quality to the screen, the actress who embodies Julia will need to read young, but possess a quiet, emotional maturity.
Willow Shields, who plays Primrose Everdeen in "The Hunger Games," shows promise, but we're not sure she's ready to carry a whole film. Academy Award nominee Quvenzhané Wallis certainly proved with "Beasts of the Southern Wild" that she's got the chops, but her performance as Hushpuppy is too adorable, too exuberant to work for shy, tentative Julia -- besides at only ten, she's still a little young. Hailee Steinfeld is sadly too old.
So we turn to a trio of our favorite young actresses of the small screen. Hadley Delany, who plays Louis C.K.'s older daughter Lilly on FX's "Louie," has an authentic kidness and just the right amount of uncomfortable preteen awkwardness necessary for Julia. While Maisie Williams' portrayal of Arya Stark on "Game of Thrones" is feisty and tough, the way she captures the character's quiet longing for home and family would translate brilliantly to Julia's hushed lovesickness. But ultimately, our choice for Julia is thirteen-year-old Kiernan Shipka, who plays Sally Draper on "Mad Men." We've watched Shipka grow up in this role, transforming from bratty kid to gawky preteen to graceful beauty on the cusp of young adulthood. Through it all she's held her own, grappling with difficult, mature storylines and keeping up with her grown-up counterparts to make Sally a fully realized character.
And speaking of "Mad Men," Shipka's onscreen dad, Jon Hamm, would be perfect as Julia's dad, Joel, the handsome obstetrician whose levelheaded stoicism in the face of the crisis almost tears the family apart. As his wife, Helen, a former actress who deals with the slowing with anxious, blustery agitation, our choice is Amy Adams, who could provide a frantic, nervous energy as counterpoint to Hamm's preternatural calm.
And finally as Seth Moreno, the cool, enigmatic skateboarder who is the object of Julia's affections, our choice is Max Burkholder. Seth has a poetic intensity coupled with a mean temper, and as Max, a young man living with Asperger's syndrome on NBC's "Parenthood," Burkholder has shown that he has the range necessary for this role.
So that's The Age of Miracles as we imagine it. We're hoping to soon find out how our choices stack up against the filmmakers' vision, but in the meantime, let us know how our casting decisions compare to yours.
Listen to an excerpt from the audiobook for a peek at the story.


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Deep Dive Into Data
One of the current API projects we're working on involves creating a deeper visibility into the data of our customer's use of our SDK services (because data visualization can kick some serious ass). While exploring options on how to accomplish this, we had the crazy notion of logging everything. I'm not talking about analytic statistics. I'm talking every API call, every request, every single byte of a customer's game through our systems. Obviously, our recent development sprints have been focused around the ability to efficiently and intelligently handle this load when we start routing production traffic through our new analytic system.
High load is certainly not something new to us. Each time we work on an API, we need to ensure it can withstand the abuse and still provide excellent response times. But at the scale we have planned, we found ourselves in a whole new ballpark. Handling 8 billion requests per month was one thing. Logging detailed data about each request was another.
On the architecture side of this project, we've decided to explore a NoSQL implementation for storing all of this analytic data, but I'll leave that topic for another blog post. Populating the stage environment with "production-like" traffic, however, became a challenge; there isn't a quick and easy way to generate ~3000 requests per second without purchasing some really expensive tool (like BrowserMob) or spending a sprint doing some crazy jury-rigging of our own tool-set.
Github is your friend…
Trolling through Github a few days ago, we came across an interesting project that caught his eye. The project, incubated by the News Applications Team at the Chicago Tribune and aptly named "Bees with machine guns", seemed to be exactly what we were looking for. We did need to make some minor tweaks (see below), which you can check out our fork here.
The tag line is hilarious; "A utility for arming (creating) many bees (micro EC2 in stances) to attack (load test) targets (web applications)". Built on Python with the use of Boto, using it was fairly straight forward. Setup your AWS credentials, spin up a handful of bees, get some beer (while the ec2 instances boot) and point the bees at the URL you're going to attack load test. Sit back and watch the ensuing, self-inflicted DDOS attack load test.
Since "Bees with machine guns" effectively is running Apache Benchmark from numerous EC2 instances concurrently, it's all built around a pre-built AMI running a base Ubuntu environment with 'apache2-utils' installed (giving you ab). For our fork, we've implemented the ability to make POST requests (the original only did GETs) with a payload file. We've also rolled our own AMI, in case we want to replace Apache Benchmark with something more session-based like SoapUI.
Picking your battles
Taking a look at what's currently out in the Open Source ecosystem ultimately saved our butts. We were able to compress the time it would have taken us to flesh out a fully functional distributed load test environment by simply finding something already done and expanding on it. Plus, it's totally awesome to sit there with a pint of beer as you watch bees with machine guns swarm your services in a self-inflicted DDOS.


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Executive Breakfast Social Networking/Enterprise: Register Today!
Toronto, February 7th,2008, 8:30 am
More and more enterprises are exploring the world of enterprise social networking (Intranet 2.0), exactly how does the enterprise ensure a seamless transition between Intranet 1.0 and Intranet 2.0?
Next week, join NLC and Microsoft Canada for a discussion on social networking within the enterprise and learn about:
Methods used in enterprise social networking.
The difference between Intranet 1.0 and Intranet 2.0.
How to maximize efficiency of the corporate Intranet.
How to analyze ROI in an enterprise social networking project.
How to gain a competitive advantage through social networking.
How to successfully merge Intranet 1.0 and 2.0.
How to use social networking to tap into latent employee knowledge.
How Microsoft Sharepoint Services 2007 can improve enterprise social networking.
These and other topics will be covered at the Executive breakfast event on Thursday February 7th , 2008, at the Toronto board of trade.
Don't miss the Executive Breakfast and Register Today!!!
Social Networking and the Enterprise
Read More about Intranet 1.0 vs 2.0
Contact us
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Anthony M. Kay
Jul 10, 2014
Paul Grace
Jun 26, 2014
Eddie Cepeda
Jun 20, 2014
Marsalis Johnson
Jun 11, 2014
Home » News » Crime
Jury says Concord man is guilty of hate crime
A Merrimack County Superior Court jury convicted Freese of felony criminal threatening, second-degree assault and accomplice to simple assault for the attack on a Manchester man, Alhaji Kargbo, 25, last July 31 in front of the Market Basket in Hooksett.
Witnesses testified that Freese, co-defendant Joshua Peno, 21, of Nottingham, and two others in a vehicle shouted racially offensive words at Kargbo, who was on a moped on Route 3A. Kargbo then sped up to the vehicle to confront those inside at a red light.
Prosecutors say Freese and Peno got out of the car and attacked Kargbo, pulling him off his moped, punching and kicking him. Freese was accused of later brandishing a knife and slashing at Kargbo, who was able to escape.
The two men were accused of repeatedly cursing and shouting a racial epithet at Kargbo, who is a native of Sierra Leone and moved to the United States in 2005.
Freese did not testify in his own defense, nor did two other people in the car last July, a 15-year-old and Peno's girlfriend, Nicolette Nicolaides.
Nicolaides was convicted in connection with the fatal shooting of Lennoxx Tibbs in Manchester on Oct. 22, 2009, who was the subject of racial slurs as he was chased and killed on Wilson Street. Joshua Sprague, then 25, was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.
Nicolaides pleaded guilty to felony burglary conspiracy and misdemeanors of hindering apprehension and false swearing in a negotiated plea that called for cooperating with prosecutors.
She was one of seven people recruited by Sprague who went to Tibbs' 259 Wilson St. apartment building to fight with a woman he blamed for drug deals gone bad. That woman, who was staying at Tibbs' apartment with her boyfriend, heard the group enter the building and hid on the third floor as Tibbs tried to escape the crowd, which entered the second-floor apartment armed with baseball bats and a gun.
The group chased Tibbs down the stairs and out into the street, shouting racial slurs. When they reached the street, Joshua Sprague fired at Tibbs, whose hands were raised, fatally wounding him.
Because the accomplice to simple assault charge against Freese was brought as a racially-motivated hate crime, the enhanced penalty is two to five years, instead of the one-year sentence for simple assault.
The class B felonies carry sentences of 3 1/2 to seven years each.
Assistant Merrimack County Attorney Wayne Coull said Freese will be sentenced in 45 to 60 days, after completion of a pre-sentence investigation.
Freese's co-defendant, Peno, is scheduled for trial in March on two of the same charges. He does not face a criminal threatening charge.
- NH state prosecutor: Mazzaglia's friends 'did nothing criminal' - 3
- Somersworth man charged in three incidents - 0
- NH Supreme Court: Indigent woman entitled to state-funded services - 0
- Following drug bust, questions raised about Manchester pizza restaurant - 1
- Somersworth man charged in three incidents - 0
- Fathers of injured teens pleased with order sending back Coco to jail - 0
- Exeter man arraigned in pair of Portsmouth armed robberies - 0
- Pa. man will go to trial for two-state chase - 0
- Arrest made in fake Nashua bomb threat - 0
Second suspect under investigation in Portsmouth home invasionREADER COMMENTS: 0
- Houston hands Red Sox a loss Saturday - 0
- Portland takes first of two from NH Fisher Cats Saturday - 0
- Readers' Choice winners say public vote is meaningful - 0
- Amherst mini-golf course is readers' top choice - 0
- Twins Smoke Shop focuses on good cigars, happy clients - 0
- 'Backstage' NASCAR passes are fans' delight in Loudon - 0
- Motorcyclist killed, passenger injured when hit by car in Manchester accident - 0
- Bicyclist injured when hit by car in Hudson - 1
- Police hope for driving dream, but prepared for driving nightmare in Loudon - 1
Claremont police dispatcher accused of 20 years of abuseREADER COMMENTS: 0
VA woes across the country led NH to reforms
Alewives and leeches; fireworks in the rain
Coco is back in jail, but maybe not for long
VA woes across the country led NH to reforms
The U.S. is a beacon still
No compromise: We win, you lose
- Mass. Supreme Judicial Court has found upskirt photos taken on a subway aren't illegal. Should such voyeurism be a crime?
- Yes
- 83%
- No
- 17%
- Total Votes: 917


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A tractor trailer became stuck briefly under a railroad bridge in Port Chester on Monday afternoon, but the driver realized his mistake in time to get the truck out safely and without causing damage, according to Port Chester Police.
Traffic on King Street was only delayed a few minutes, police said, because of the 2:45 p.m. incident at the Metro North Commuter Railroad bridge that crosses over King Street. The 40-year-old driver from Rockland, Mass., told police that he did not see the warning signs that indicate the bridge only has a 12-foot-high clearance.
Despite a variety of warning signs and lights, similar incidents have become common in Port Chester, which has multiple low bridge crossings created by Metro North's New Haven Line.
In Monday's incident, police said an auto-carrier tractor trailer from Rhode Island became stuck under the King Street bridge as it was traveling south on King Street. Police said the driver was able to safely back the truck out from underneath the bridge.
The driver was issued a ticket for exceeding bridge clearance restrictions and released.