The Weekly Poll
Results
The current question:
Who should have McCain have picked for VP instead of the 'Hockey Mom'?
The Devil's Advocate Edition...
Well, Pollfans, it's been a pretty slow week around Poll Central with only 6 responses, but, hey, there was a hurricane on and all. Nevertheless, here they are...
In the 'Humor' category there was:
orendorff with, "I was hoping he'd pick Senator Larry Craig; I like Senator Craig's "wide stance" on things." (Clever, I'm sayin'... Very, very clever).
lbradway's subject line read, "Alice Cooper"... (And then with impeccable logic he added)... "Republican, Christian, can pack a stadium with screaming fans, and doesn't have to steal anyone's music for a theme song." (Wow! What a GREAT idea!)
Maw opined, "I think that there is a town drunk in East Overshoe, Maine that is more qualified." (Hmmm... Yes... Having lived in Maine for 3 years I can attest that every town drunk I ever met 'Down East' is certainly more qualified... And they hunt moose there, too!).
The 'Objective' category had...
Joe S simply saying, "He should have picked Joe Lieberman"... (From what I understand, that's who he wanted, but the Poobahs wouldn't have it.)...
Sally P wrote her usual, well researched essay (Bravo!) stating... "As a good (make-believe) Republican, rather than Sarah Palin I would have liked our candidate to have chosen Tim Pawlenty... He is regarded as one of the nation's most innovative, energetic, reform-minded and accomplished governors...
(Sally, I would have included the rest of your missive, but you were so insidiously persuasive with your facts that I was afraid you'd convert some of the readers. Can't be havin' THAT now, don't ya know)...
Me, the original BadtotheboneBob chose... Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine...
(note to Sally: I found out, after the fact, that James Carville said the same thing in an interview with CNN dtd Sept 3rd... So there, haha)...
And finally, in what can only be called the 'Pit Bull' category was...
sbbennett snarling, "McCain should have picked anyone and I mean absolutely anyone, beside Sarah...Palin. She and her traitorous seceding from the union husband, her pill popping, dope snorting, sense of privilege son and trailer park... daughter are exactly what this country does not need in Washington. It would be the real life Beverly Hillbillies to send this back woods, moose eating, white trash to be the representatives of this country.
Well, there it is. A little of everything. I hope everyone enjoyed it and, once again, thanks to all responders!
BadtotheBoneBob
The new question:
The 'Informed Voter' Edition...
On August 25th The Democratic National Convention released the official platform.
Click here: 2008 Democratic Party Platform - (WARNING: pdf format)
This week's poll is...
What changes, if any, would you make to this platform?
A.) None. It is fine as it is...
B.) I would include __________...
C.) I would not have included __________...
D.) I would alter this particular position __________...
Remember Pollfans, an informed voter, is a happy voter!
BadtotheBoneBob
Send your response to BadtotheBoneBob ( BCEpoll 'at' aol.com )
TODAY!
Erin Hart
Join Erin today, Tuesday, Sept. 16th, from 6am 'til 10am MDT (5am - 9am PDT | 7am - 11am CDT | 8am - noon EDT) when she fills in for Jay Marvin on AM 760, Colorado's Progressive Talk.
We have so much to talk about: Sarah Palin's interview with Charlie Gibson (can you say Miss South Carolina?).
Shudder. And it was EDITED, too!
Barack Obama and Joe Biden MUST get back in the game--telling the country why they are the best choice!
John is now appearing with Cindy everywhere if Sarah is too busy tanking in her first national interview. Wonder if he thinks bringing a woman brings the female vote?
Nah, they are relying on reported Rovian tactics of vote cadging and fake absentee ballots for that.
Join us in another countdown to the VOTE! See you Tuesday, just seven weeks till Election Day.
Listen Live on www.am760.net!
Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Paul Krugman: Financial Russian Roulette (nytimes.com)
If institutions need to be rescued like banks, they should be regulated like banks. Why were we so unprepared for this latest shock?
Nat Hentoff: Back to School With Ray Kelly's Bullies on Patrol (villagevoice.com)
In the NYCLU's files, among many other stories about these heavies, is this account: "This last school year alone, School Safety Agents handcuffed Denis Rivera, a 5-year-old special education student, for throwing a temper tantrum in his kindergarten class. Mark Federman, a principal at East Side Community High School, was arrested for trying to prevent the police from humiliating his student. And last school year, 13-year-old Chelsea Fraser was handcuffed and arrested for scribbling 'okay' on her desk." These are not isolated incidents.
Kelvin LaFond: How racism works
What if John McCain were a former president of the Harvard Law Review? What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of his graduating class?
Froma Harrop: GOP Back On The Polarization Trail (creators.com)
"We grow good people all across America, with honesty, sincerity and dignity." No, Sarah Palin didn't say that. She said, "We grow good people in our small towns" and listed the above virtues. Her speechwriter's strategy is clear - to revive the "us" versus "them" storyline for the conservative base.
Susan Estrich: Say It Ain't So, Joe (creators.com)
Sometimes Joe Biden, bless his good intentions, doesn't know when to stop. I won't recount past instances of this - I'll leave that to the RNC - but the most recent is a painful example of what happens when a short answer will do and you give a long-winded one instead.
Gillian Sutherland: The nursing of Nightingale (timesonline.co.uk)
What did Florence Nightingale really achieve? Mark Bostridge's biography goes back to the archives to find out.
Joel Derfner: Losing Dorothy Parker (advocate.com)
Writer and composer Joel Derfner realizes his childhood dream of acceptance has arrived -- at a cost.
Michele Kort: As Ellen Goes, So Goes the Nation (advocate.com)
When Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi got married in California in August, there were no protests, no career fallout, and no media backlash, just congratulations from all.
Nina Spezzaferro: "Spike Feresten's Dream: Jay Leno Moves to Fox" (huffingtonpost.com)
When asked what he felt about the show expanding to 60 minutes or moving to a more desirable timeslot (Talkshow currently airs on Saturdays at midnight), Spike responded, "Right now, we're very content toiling away in the middle of nowhere on Saturday nights for our crazy, drunken fans."
Oliver Burkeman: This column will change your life (guardian.co.uk)
Some of the most useful psychological insights are also the schmaltziest.
Walter Tunis: Richie Havens has survived and thrived by doing it his way (McClatchy Newspapers)
In more than a few ways, Richie Havens seems the ideal invitee for Monday's 500th broadcast of "WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour." Over the years, both have been fiercely independent in establishing their respective folk music followings.
Interview by Ed Caesar: Kevin Costner defends his legacy (timesonline.co.uk)
If your movie doesn't make a large amount of money, is it a failure? A defiant Kevin Costner defends his Hollywood legacy.
Reader Contribution
Archilochus colubris
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Much warmer.
Singing For Obama
Barbra Streisand
Oscar-winning singer and actress Barbra Streisand will perform at a glittering and lucrative Hollywood fundraiser for Democrat Barack Obama Tuesday, aides said.
The White House hopeful will host a dinner in Beverly Hills costing attendees 28,500 dollars each and Streisand will then sing at a reception at the swanky Beverly Wilsher hotel, campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Monday.
Tuesday's events in Beverly Hills come after Obama racked up a record-breaking 66 million dollars in fundraising last month, beating his previous high mark of 55 million in February.
In contrast to McCain, Obama has opted out of public financing so is keeping up a regular schedule of fundraisers to top up his coffers for the most expensive US election ever.
Barbra Streisand
Best Premiere Since 2001
"Saturday Night Live"
With a little help from Tina Fey doubling as Sarah Palin and from guest host Michael Phelps, "Saturday Night Live" logged its best season premiere since 2001.
It was also the most-watched "SNL" for any date since December 17, 2002, when former vice president Al Gore was the guest host and jam band Phish was the musical guest.
"SNL" averaged a 7.4 household rating/18 share in the top 55 "metered" markets, Nielsen Media Research said Sunday. Saturday's program was up 64 percent compared to last year's season premiere on September 29. The top market was Baltimore, the hometown of Olympics hero Phelps.
"Saturday Night Live"
Free Films
IMdB
Amazon.com said on Monday that its subsidiary, Internet Movie Database, would allow users to watch feature films and TV shows for no charge on its Web site, imdb.com.
Over 6,000 titles will be available, the company said, citing recent episodes of popular television shows like "24" and "Heroes" or classic films like "Some Like It Hot."
IMDB also said that the first episodes of new fall television shows like "Lipstick Jungle" and "30 Rock" will be available for free viewing before their first air date.
IMdB
Ending 7-Season Run
'The Shield'
FX's genre-bending crime thriller, "The Shield," closes its seventh and final season in November, and the fate of Michael Chiklis' hard-bitten Vic Mackey and his corrupt Los Angeles police strike team remain under as much cover as their typically unorthodox detective work.
"I'm loathed to really talk about the specifics of what we're shooting," said Chiklis, on a break from filming final scenes at the Los Angeles Times building, which was doubling for FBI offices.
Creator Shawn Ryan would only say that "the last 13 episodes, and especially the last few, are very, very true to the show. We don't shy away from hitting things head on and I'm thrilled with how the episodes ended ... more than happy."
'The Shield'
Donate $2 Million
Jolie & Pitt
Angelina Jolie and partner Brad Pitt have donated $2 million to create a center, named after their adopted daughter, Zahara, for Ethiopian children affected by AIDS and tuberculosis.
The Global Health Committee said the donation from the Jolie-Pitt Foundation would establish a center in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa to treat AIDS orphans and develop a program to treat drug-resistant tuberculosis.
The Oscar-winning Jolie adopted a baby girl she called Zahara, now 3 years old, from Ethiopia in July 2005 and the new clinic will be named after her.
The Jolie-Pitt Foundation helped set up a similar clinic in 2006 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia that is named after Maddox.
Jolie & Pitt
French Fine Art Seat
Seiji Ozawa
Japanese conductor Seiji Ozawa will take up his seat at France's prestigious academy of fine arts next week, the institute said in a statement.
The 73-year-old Ozawa was elected in 2001 to be one of 16 associate foreign member of the academy, joining the likes of US filmmaker Woody Allen or the architect Norman Foster.
The maestro will be formally welcomed into the 200-year-old academy, which honours artists from the fields of painting and sculpture to film and photography, at a ceremony in Paris on Wednesday.
Seiji Ozawa
Conservative Humor
'An American Carol'
"An American Carol" is coming to a theater near you, whether you like it or not.
The zany comedy, which promises to offend Hollywood's liberal sensibilities, opens on 2,000 screens across the United States on October 3, just one month before the presidential election.
It's loosely based on "A Christmas Carol," only instead of Ebenezer Scrooge learning an appreciation for Christmas, a Michael Moore-type filmmaker who is visited by the ghosts of George Washington, George Patton and President Kennedy must learn to appreciate the USA.
The cast includes such right-leaning actors as Kelsey Grammer and Jon Voight, and the film was directed, co-written and produced by David Zucker, the filmmaker best known for a couple of "Scary Movie" sequels as well as "The Naked Gun."
'An American Carol'
Stars Seeking Raises
"Nip/Tuck"
As production begins Monday on the sixth and final season of FX's "Nip/Tuck," representatives for the show's actors are deep in salary renegotiations for their clients.
Talks for stars Julian McMahon and Dylan Walsh and regulars Joely Richardson, Kelly Carlson and Roma Maffia have been ongoing for weeks.
Heading into production on Season 5 in summer 2007, McMahon and Walsh saw their compensation upped to about $125,000 an episode, with Richardson close behind at about $100,000.
This year, McMahon and Walsh reportedly are seeking to double their salaries, and the other cast members also are seeking substantial raises.
"Nip/Tuck"
Setting Records
Damien Hirst
Damien Hirst's bull in a tank of formaldehyde with its head crowned by a gold disc sold for 10.35 million pounds on Monday, a record at auction for one of the contemporary art world's stars, Sotheby's said.
The works on offer in the two-day sale called "Beautiful Inside My Head Forever" were created over the past two years and are expected to raise more than 65 million pounds.
"The Kingdom," a tiger shark suspended in formaldehyde, fetched 9.56 million pounds, way above the 4-6 million estimate. "Afterlife," a butterfly painting, went for 1.39 million, double the 500,000-700,000 guide price.
Hirst's previous record at auction was his medicine cabinet "Lullaby Spring" which sold for 9.65 million pounds in 2007.
Damien Hirst
Finds Funding Woes Worsening
US Cities
Some findings of the National League of Cities' annual fiscal conditions survey to be released Monday.
_In 2008, 64 percent of city finance officers report that their cities are less able to meet fiscal needs than in 2007.
_About 75 percent of finance officers in cities that rely on property taxes are more likely to say that their cities are less able to meet fiscal needs in 2008.
_About 74 percent of city finance officers in the West are most likely to say that their cities are worse off in 2008, compared with 67 percent of cities in the Midwest, 61 percent in the Northeast and 53 percent in the South.
US Cities
Rumor Sparks Riot
Witchcraft
Accusations that a soccer player was using witchcraft during a match in eastern Congo sparked a riot that killed 13 people, a U.N.-funded radio station reported Monday.
Most of the victims were between the ages of 11 and 16, Radio Okapi said. They were suffocated as panicked crowds ran for the exits during the mayhem Sunday in Butembo in eastern Congo's North Kivu province.
Radio Okapi said police tried to control the violence at Matokeo stadium by firing into the air to protect their commander, who was hit in the head and wounded by fans.
North Kivu has been the epicenter of violence between Congo's army and rebels over the last year which has displaced hundreds of thousands of people.
Witchcraft
In Memory
Richard Wright
Richard Wright, a founding member of the rock group Pink Floyd, died Monday. He was 65.
Wright met Pink Floyd members Roger Waters and Nick Mason in college and joined their early band, Sigma 6. Along with the late Syd Barrett, the four formed Pink Floyd in 1965.
The group's jazz-infused rock and drug-laced multimedia "happenings" made them darlings of the London psychedelic scene, and their 1967 album, "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn," was a hit.
In the early days of Pink Floyd, Wright, along with Barrett, was seen as the group's dominant musical force. The London-born musician and son of a biochemist wrote songs and sang.
The band released a series of commercially and critically successful albums including 1973's "Dark Side of the Moon," which has sold more than 40 million copies. Wright wrote "The Great Gig In The Sky" and "Us And Them" for that album, and later worked on the group's epic compositions such as "Atom Heart Mother," "Echoes" and "Shine On You Crazy Diamond."
But tensions grew between Waters, Wright and fellow band member David Gilmour. The tensions came to a head during the making of "The Wall" when Waters insisted Wright be fired. As a result, Wright was relegated to the status of session musician on the tour of "The Wall," and did not perform on Pink Floyd's 1983 album "The Final Cut."
Waters left Pink Floyd in 1985 and Wright began recording with Mason and Gilmour again, releasing the albums "The Division Bell" and "A Momentary Lapse of Reason" as Pink Floyd. Wright also released the solo albums "Wet Dream" (1978) and "Broken China" (1996).
In July 2005, Wright, Waters, Mason and Gilmour reunited to perform at the "Live 8" charity concert in London - the first time in 25 years they had been onstage together.
Wright also worked on Gilmour's solo projects, most recently playing on the 2006 album "On An Island" and the accompanying world tour.
Richard Wright
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