I found this bit from Nate Silver, the numbers guy, useful. Out of the most strongly red and blue states, about half have a governor the "wrong" color. This rings true to my MA experience, and I knew Sebelius and Napolitano came from red states, as well as the guy in WY. In the comments Minnesota laments how they can be a reliably blue state but never elect Dem governors.
I thought this was a great article, too, Deborah. It made me think about the extent to which the terms "Republican" and "Democrat" break down at the state and local level. I'm about as hard-core of a Democrat as they come, but I'm also from Hawaii and if I were still living there, I'd be voting Republican up and down the ballot in state and local elections. The Democratic party there has had a lock on local politics since the 50s, and has managed to do virtually nothing to help the state, so I strongly feel the need for some fresh blood. More importantly, the population there is liberal enough that I'm pretty confident that no Republican could get anything ridiculously conservative passed. It seems like Massachusetts is probably the same way (although the strong Catholic population probably changes the calculus a bit): need for political diversity combined with a liberal population "buffer."
I don't know, though... I'm sort of willfully ignorant when it comes to state and local politics. Does anyone else feel like the Republican/Democrat labels becomes less important the lower you go on the political food chain?
I think the labels go both ways low down the food chain. If you know nothing about the candidates (hmm, district water commissioner) then you may vote on party affiliation and whichever party "feels" more trustworthy, whether that's "don't trust Republicans" or "we need fresh blood, so Republican it is."
But if you know something about the candidate--and most people bothering to vote have a clue about the governorships, if not the downticket races--then party makes little difference. If someone has a pretty solid record of being fiscally responsible or getting things done in their old job then people who are disgusted by one or both national parties will still vote for them. In MA we know the legislature will be Democratic, so we can vote in Republican governors to keep them in check, or Republican legislators with no fear that they'll be able to get carried away and go all Glenn Beck on us. If your state legislature is deadlocked then party feels a lot more weighty--the same for national office, where if you feel your vote may give Party A 51% of the votes then party is much bolder than when you're sure one party will have a solid majority no matter who your senator or rep is.
If you know nothing about the candidates (hmm, district water commissioner) then you may vote on party affiliation
One of few nice things about California's government is that all local elections are officially nonpartisan. Mayor, City Council, Water Districts, etc. Now, it's often known what party a candidate belongs to, but you'll often see two Democrats against each other.
It's also true that the distinctions break down at the local level. Here in L.A. what's more pertinent is being pro- or anti-development, and you can find Republicans and Democrats in both camps. L.A.'s Westside, known nationwide as the home of "limousine liberals," is also home to the biggest NIMBYs. Henry Waxman and Zev Yaroslavsky, for example, are big backers of the "Subway to the Sea" now, but it would have already been built had they not blocked it 20 years ago.
While we trend 'blue' here in PA we have a habit of giving both parties an alternating eight years in the governor's mansion. There's a very good chance that our Republican attorney general, Tom Corbitt, will be continuing that trend.
As for "V", I'll be at the gym but will catch up on it on hulu. I mean, Elizabeth Mitchell's in it. That alone makes it worth watching. And the new 'lead' alien isn't too shabby, either. Not that I base my viewing choices on infatuation or anything. ;)
I'll be watching later in the week, but it looks intriguing. I like Mitchell; seeing the reporter as someone other than Apollo will be tough.
The lead alien is played by the woman who played Inara in Firefly--I hadn't placed her before reading my paper's review, but she's well cast. She can do fascinating and light-over-steel.
Battlestar Galactica. I don't remember the actor's name--Apollo was an annoying character but often intended to be so. (Unlike, say, Jack on Lost and perhaps Mark on FlashForward.) I think the actor is actually pretty good.
I've got my DVR fired up for V just in case I don't make it back from the salt mines in time. I'm psyched. I like Anyara better with long hair, but she's still going to be fun to watch. I wonder if they're going to reinterpret characters al la BSG? Have the Donovan character be a woman or not a reporter or whatever, etc.
I watched V off and on all day Sunday. It was a great escape from the G-men debacle.
I like the short haircut--it makes her look much more cool and businesslike. "People of Earth, we have not come for your gravel. Inara was warm and looked small; alien lady is sexy-over-icy and looks large. Neat trick with the same actress.
Wendell Berry is going to be on KQED's Forum today http://www.kqed.org/radio/programs/forum/
beware the host Michael Krasny is a pompous ass of the 1st degree who should have been put out to pasture after his interview with Larry Wilmore, for those who don't know WB:
Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front" from The Country of Marriage
Love the quick profit, the annual raise,
vacation with pay. Want more
of everything ready-made. Be afraid
to know your neighbors and to die.
And you will have a window in your head.
Not even your future will be a mystery
any more. Your mind will be punched in a card
and shut away in a little drawer.
When they want you to buy something
they will call you. When they want you
to die for profit they will let you know.
So, friends, every day do something
that won't compute. Love the Lord.
Love the world. Work for nothing.
Take all that you have and be poor.
Love someone who does not deserve it.
Denounce the government and embrace
the flag. Hope to live in that free
republic for which it stands.
Give your approval to all you cannot
understand. Praise ignorance, for what man
has not encountered he has not destroyed.
Ask the questions that have no answers.
Invest in the millenium. Plant sequoias.
Say that your main crop is the forest
that you did not plant,
that you will not live to harvest.
Say that the leaves are harvested
when they have rotted into the mold.
Call that profit. Prophesy such returns.
Put your faith in the two inches of humus
that will build under the trees
every thousand years.
Listen to carrion - put your ear
close, and hear the faint chattering
of the songs that are to come.
Expect the end of the world. Laugh.
Laughter is immeasurable. Be joyful
though you have considered all the facts.
So long as women do not go cheap
for power, please women more than men.
Ask yourself: Will this satisfy
a woman satisfied to bear a child?
Will this disturb the sleep
of a woman near to giving birth?
Go with your love to the fields.
Lie down in the shade. Rest your head
in her lap. Swear allegiance
to what is nighest your thoughts.
As soon as the generals and the politicos
can predict the motions of your mind,
lose it. Leave it as a sign
to mark the false trail, the way
you didn't go. Be like the fox
who makes more tracks than necessary,
some in the wrong direction.
Practice resurrection.
For boxing fans, or just folks who like seeing a diva athlete getting called out and then totally lose it, here's R.A. the Rugged Man absolutely pwning Floyd Mayweather.
They are actually discussing a rematch with Hatton. If Floyd manages to avoid fighting Mosley or Pacquiao next (I'm assuming Paul Williams is completely out of the question), he is forever out of the discussion as an all-time great. In my opinion, he wins any of those fights (except Williams, of course) but he just doesn't have the stomach for a challenge anymore. Pac would be easier than Mosley and more money, I don't know how Floyd ducks it, but I wouldn't be surprised if he does.
Hatton again? Hell, I didn't want to see that the first time. Was there anything at all in that fight that would lead one to think the outcome would be different this time around?
It's not like there's a lack of good, money making fights out there: Mosely, Pacquaio, Williams, Cotto, Clottey, Berto, Quintana, Margarito. Like I said before, what's the point of coming back if you're gonna keep ducking every challenge?
There's definitely no reason to think the fight would be more competitive. Actually it would be much worse after Pac took Ricky's head off. I don't think Ricky was ever very good but obviously all the weight gain and drinking between fights has made him a shell of what he was even 2-3 years ago. He's just not a legit fighter anymore, sort of like Gatti (RIP) was at the end of his run.
The angle? I guess you could have Floyd Sr. train Ricky against his son, except Jr. and Sr. are cool now, I don't know if Ricky and Sr. are still cool after Floyd didn't accompany Ricky back to the dressing room after the Pac KO and said that Ricky lost because he didn't follow his gameplan, and I'm just not sure the father vs. son storyline really sells any way. But the truth is both Ricky and Floyd can still pack in the fans and I'm sure it would do huge business and HBO would produce a 24/7 series that actually would convince a good % of the people that Ricky had a chance.
Why do I think that letting him get away with no run-off is a move by Obama to start pulling out? Or at the very least, change strategy. It just seems that there's a perfect storm going on...the NY Times story about his brother, the election fraud, the fraud committed by McChrystal in the Tillman case...it's all starting to get pretty embarrassing quickly. Normally it just takes Mayhill Fowler to embarrass Obama, so I think this might be intentional...
Anyway, as an addendum, this pretty much proves everything we thought about the CIA and drug trade. Panetta should probably be forced to resign, we need to put an end to these practices as we know it. I know we'll never see a lot of the good the CIA does, but we certainly see a lot of the evil as history unfolds. Also, incidentally, this makes all the people who went after for Pelosi for saying the CIA lied look pretty stupid.
I'm not big on baseball, but I never like to see pitchers on three days' rest, unless your 4th starter is an abject disaster. I think Girardi panicked a bit here.
Agreed. It seems like an overly aggressive move by Girardi when there was no need for it. I'm sure a Yankees fan can tell me why I'm wrong, but I've seen TLR do it with the Cardinals before and it never seems to turn out well. I'd put the Phils' chances at about 25%.
Random bleg: Andrew Sullivan had a post a while back highlighting what he considered stupid rap lyrics (maybe it was discussed here?). Anyway, it reminded me of my all-time favorite bad rap lyric, when B-Legit boasts "I fly to Atlanta, f$%^ Morehouse b*@#$%es," which is even more impressive when one realizes that Morehouse is a male-only school.
Anyway... it was on an E-40 track that got constant play in our house for a while (96-97 era)... I think 8-Ball (aka most underrated rapper in the history of Memphis Tenn) was on it too... anyone know what I'm talking about? Maybe it was an 8-Ball track with E-40 and B-Legit? Let me know if yall can help.
Worst rock lyric _ever_: "Love is like a flame/that burns you when it's hot." When it's hot? That kind of flame?
Here's a piece no one cared about. Meh, whatever, probably the most enjoyable article I did during my stint at TIME. Premiered a month before I got laid-off. The nail in the coffin? Ya think?
Here's me going after Al. I didn't so much have a problem with him, as I had a problem with media acting like this dude was the go-to guy for everything black.
This was my first real story at time. I was writing for the Business section, a real change of direction for me. At any rate, it's about Wal-Mart's attempts to colonize the inner-city. As much as I enjoyed this piece, I mostly enjoyed going out to Chicago, which is a beautiful, beautiful city.
This a piece I did about the cops just outside our nation capitol, in Prince George's County, a few years back. I wanted to offer a counter to the dumb, conventional wisdom that if you paint your police force black, you could eradicate police brutality. In fact, Prince George's--one of the richest, blackest counties in the country--also had one of the most brutal police force's in the country.
The Beautiful Struggle: A Father, Two Sons, and an Unlikely Road to Manhood 
I found this bit from Nate Silver, the numbers guy, useful. Out of the most strongly red and blue states, about half have a governor the "wrong" color. This rings true to my MA experience, and I knew Sebelius and Napolitano came from red states, as well as the guy in WY. In the comments Minnesota laments how they can be a reliably blue state but never elect Dem governors.
Anyone going to watch V tonight?
I thought this was a great article, too, Deborah. It made me think about the extent to which the terms "Republican" and "Democrat" break down at the state and local level. I'm about as hard-core of a Democrat as they come, but I'm also from Hawaii and if I were still living there, I'd be voting Republican up and down the ballot in state and local elections. The Democratic party there has had a lock on local politics since the 50s, and has managed to do virtually nothing to help the state, so I strongly feel the need for some fresh blood. More importantly, the population there is liberal enough that I'm pretty confident that no Republican could get anything ridiculously conservative passed. It seems like Massachusetts is probably the same way (although the strong Catholic population probably changes the calculus a bit): need for political diversity combined with a liberal population "buffer."
I don't know, though... I'm sort of willfully ignorant when it comes to state and local politics. Does anyone else feel like the Republican/Democrat labels becomes less important the lower you go on the political food chain?
I think the labels go both ways low down the food chain. If you know nothing about the candidates (hmm, district water commissioner) then you may vote on party affiliation and whichever party "feels" more trustworthy, whether that's "don't trust Republicans" or "we need fresh blood, so Republican it is."
But if you know something about the candidate--and most people bothering to vote have a clue about the governorships, if not the downticket races--then party makes little difference. If someone has a pretty solid record of being fiscally responsible or getting things done in their old job then people who are disgusted by one or both national parties will still vote for them. In MA we know the legislature will be Democratic, so we can vote in Republican governors to keep them in check, or Republican legislators with no fear that they'll be able to get carried away and go all Glenn Beck on us. If your state legislature is deadlocked then party feels a lot more weighty--the same for national office, where if you feel your vote may give Party A 51% of the votes then party is much bolder than when you're sure one party will have a solid majority no matter who your senator or rep is.
If you know nothing about the candidates (hmm, district water commissioner) then you may vote on party affiliation
One of few nice things about California's government is that all local elections are officially nonpartisan. Mayor, City Council, Water Districts, etc. Now, it's often known what party a candidate belongs to, but you'll often see two Democrats against each other.
It's also true that the distinctions break down at the local level. Here in L.A. what's more pertinent is being pro- or anti-development, and you can find Republicans and Democrats in both camps. L.A.'s Westside, known nationwide as the home of "limousine liberals," is also home to the biggest NIMBYs. Henry Waxman and Zev Yaroslavsky, for example, are big backers of the "Subway to the Sea" now, but it would have already been built had they not blocked it 20 years ago.
While we trend 'blue' here in PA we have a habit of giving both parties an alternating eight years in the governor's mansion. There's a very good chance that our Republican attorney general, Tom Corbitt, will be continuing that trend.
As for "V", I'll be at the gym but will catch up on it on hulu. I mean, Elizabeth Mitchell's in it. That alone makes it worth watching. And the new 'lead' alien isn't too shabby, either. Not that I base my viewing choices on infatuation or anything. ;)
I'll be watching later in the week, but it looks intriguing. I like Mitchell; seeing the reporter as someone other than Apollo will be tough.
The lead alien is played by the woman who played Inara in Firefly--I hadn't placed her before reading my paper's review, but she's well cast. She can do fascinating and light-over-steel.
That's right its spelled Inara not Anyara. I lose some geek points.
Not sure what you mean about Apollo. Did the Beastmaster have a role as Apollo somewhere and I missed it?
Battlestar Galactica. I don't remember the actor's name--Apollo was an annoying character but often intended to be so. (Unlike, say, Jack on Lost and perhaps Mark on FlashForward.) I think the actor is actually pretty good.
I've got my DVR fired up for V just in case I don't make it back from the salt mines in time. I'm psyched. I like Anyara better with long hair, but she's still going to be fun to watch. I wonder if they're going to reinterpret characters al la BSG? Have the Donovan character be a woman or not a reporter or whatever, etc.
I watched V off and on all day Sunday. It was a great escape from the G-men debacle.
I like the short haircut--it makes her look much more cool and businesslike. "People of Earth, we have not come for your gravel. Inara was warm and looked small; alien lady is sexy-over-icy and looks large. Neat trick with the same actress.
Speaking of movies and what stories are told, here's an interesting short they're featuring over at racialious: Wesley Du’s If I Was Like You
Wendell Berry is going to be on KQED's Forum today
http://www.kqed.org/radio/programs/forum/
beware the host Michael Krasny is a pompous ass of the 1st degree who should have been put out to pasture after his interview with Larry Wilmore, for those who don't know WB:
Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front" from The Country of Marriage
Love the quick profit, the annual raise,
vacation with pay. Want more
of everything ready-made. Be afraid
to know your neighbors and to die.
And you will have a window in your head.
Not even your future will be a mystery
any more. Your mind will be punched in a card
and shut away in a little drawer.
When they want you to buy something
they will call you. When they want you
to die for profit they will let you know.
So, friends, every day do something
that won't compute. Love the Lord.
Love the world. Work for nothing.
Take all that you have and be poor.
Love someone who does not deserve it.
Denounce the government and embrace
the flag. Hope to live in that free
republic for which it stands.
Give your approval to all you cannot
understand. Praise ignorance, for what man
has not encountered he has not destroyed.
Ask the questions that have no answers.
Invest in the millenium. Plant sequoias.
Say that your main crop is the forest
that you did not plant,
that you will not live to harvest.
Say that the leaves are harvested
when they have rotted into the mold.
Call that profit. Prophesy such returns.
Put your faith in the two inches of humus
that will build under the trees
every thousand years.
Listen to carrion - put your ear
close, and hear the faint chattering
of the songs that are to come.
Expect the end of the world. Laugh.
Laughter is immeasurable. Be joyful
though you have considered all the facts.
So long as women do not go cheap
for power, please women more than men.
Ask yourself: Will this satisfy
a woman satisfied to bear a child?
Will this disturb the sleep
of a woman near to giving birth?
Go with your love to the fields.
Lie down in the shade. Rest your head
in her lap. Swear allegiance
to what is nighest your thoughts.
As soon as the generals and the politicos
can predict the motions of your mind,
lose it. Leave it as a sign
to mark the false trail, the way
you didn't go. Be like the fox
who makes more tracks than necessary,
some in the wrong direction.
Practice resurrection.
Oh, I really like that. Thank you for posting it. I will be sharing it with friends.
you're most welcome, the interview went well despite the host and is worth a listen.
For boxing fans, or just folks who like seeing a diva athlete getting called out and then totally lose it, here's R.A. the Rugged Man absolutely pwning Floyd Mayweather.
http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/ea/16711680/wshh0Xm3b8hr8k6hCKOH
PS - actual showdown between RA and Floyd starts at about 4:30.
I heard this the other day. Hilarious.
Yeah great stuff. Better than most Floyd fights anyway.
They are actually discussing a rematch with Hatton. If Floyd manages to avoid fighting Mosley or Pacquiao next (I'm assuming Paul Williams is completely out of the question), he is forever out of the discussion as an all-time great. In my opinion, he wins any of those fights (except Williams, of course) but he just doesn't have the stomach for a challenge anymore. Pac would be easier than Mosley and more money, I don't know how Floyd ducks it, but I wouldn't be surprised if he does.
Hatton again? Hell, I didn't want to see that the first time. Was there anything at all in that fight that would lead one to think the outcome would be different this time around?
It's not like there's a lack of good, money making fights out there: Mosely, Pacquaio, Williams, Cotto, Clottey, Berto, Quintana, Margarito. Like I said before, what's the point of coming back if you're gonna keep ducking every challenge?
There's definitely no reason to think the fight would be more competitive. Actually it would be much worse after Pac took Ricky's head off. I don't think Ricky was ever very good but obviously all the weight gain and drinking between fights has made him a shell of what he was even 2-3 years ago. He's just not a legit fighter anymore, sort of like Gatti (RIP) was at the end of his run.
The angle? I guess you could have Floyd Sr. train Ricky against his son, except Jr. and Sr. are cool now, I don't know if Ricky and Sr. are still cool after Floyd didn't accompany Ricky back to the dressing room after the Pac KO and said that Ricky lost because he didn't follow his gameplan, and I'm just not sure the father vs. son storyline really sells any way. But the truth is both Ricky and Floyd can still pack in the fans and I'm sure it would do huge business and HBO would produce a 24/7 series that actually would convince a good % of the people that Ricky had a chance.
Pacman is gonna eat Mayweather up. That's the only fight that matters. Mosley is done.
Defending the regime of an election-stealing pluotcrat and his drug-dealing brother is not worth the life of a single American soldier.
Why do I think that letting him get away with no run-off is a move by Obama to start pulling out? Or at the very least, change strategy. It just seems that there's a perfect storm going on...the NY Times story about his brother, the election fraud, the fraud committed by McChrystal in the Tillman case...it's all starting to get pretty embarrassing quickly. Normally it just takes Mayhill Fowler to embarrass Obama, so I think this might be intentional...
Anyway, as an addendum, this pretty much proves everything we thought about the CIA and drug trade. Panetta should probably be forced to resign, we need to put an end to these practices as we know it. I know we'll never see a lot of the good the CIA does, but we certainly see a lot of the evil as history unfolds. Also, incidentally, this makes all the people who went after for Pelosi for saying the CIA lied look pretty stupid.
So Pettitte on three days' rest. Can the Phillies pull it off? 20% chance? 15%?
I'm not big on baseball, but I never like to see pitchers on three days' rest, unless your 4th starter is an abject disaster. I think Girardi panicked a bit here.
Agreed. It seems like an overly aggressive move by Girardi when there was no need for it. I'm sure a Yankees fan can tell me why I'm wrong, but I've seen TLR do it with the Cardinals before and it never seems to turn out well. I'd put the Phils' chances at about 25%.
there was a short i saw one time on HBO recently called "Shades of Brooklyn" (I think) that was really good.
Random bleg: Andrew Sullivan had a post a while back highlighting what he considered stupid rap lyrics (maybe it was discussed here?). Anyway, it reminded me of my all-time favorite bad rap lyric, when B-Legit boasts "I fly to Atlanta, f$%^ Morehouse b*@#$%es," which is even more impressive when one realizes that Morehouse is a male-only school.
Anyway... it was on an E-40 track that got constant play in our house for a while (96-97 era)... I think 8-Ball (aka most underrated rapper in the history of Memphis Tenn) was on it too... anyone know what I'm talking about? Maybe it was an 8-Ball track with E-40 and B-Legit? Let me know if yall can help.
Worst rock lyric _ever_: "Love is like a flame/that burns you when it's hot." When it's hot? That kind of flame?
Thanks.
Hilarious. Wonder if that song was ever popular at Morehouse.
My personal worst rock lyric has been "Marconi plays the mamba" by Starship