Democrats release television ads
Several Democratic candidates have unvieled their first television ads...Question: Do you think people really care if a candidate comes from humble backgrounds or not? Dean's family was rich, and this is seen by some as a disadvantage for a Democratic candidate. Are people so dense as to assume that because a candidate didn't come from poverty he can't relate to the needs of middle class Americans? If I recall correctly, FDR came from an aristocratic family, while Herbert Hoover was a self-made man from humble roots. Edwards and Gephardt play their humble roots up big, regardless of whether or not this will help them, does it matter at all?

Myrr

Does this taste like fluoride to you?
The Pure Water Committee (Do yourself a favor and don't ignore this link) just lost another court case the other day. They do, however, have plans to appeal the case. Do you know it was over three years ago that Joe and I worked on that campaign to get the fluoride into the Cumberland drinking water? Three years that dried up old witch was defeated and she's still at it. She's almost not worth the effort for me to hate and hope that she dies a painful, bloody death, but then again I'm a petty, petty man...

I don't have anything against spending on Labor and Education, but if you increase spending and decrease revenue, there are going to be defeicits, that's the way the system works. So, Bush will be like Reagan; huge budget defeicits as a result of their presidency.

Myrr

I Knew Ronald Reagan...
From the angry nerds at Cato:

In the Bush's first three years, non-defense discretionary spending is up 20.8%! And it's not Homeland (barf) security stuff, either - there has been a 56% increase at Labor, and a 60% increase at Education. This is a department the Republicans wanted to eliminate not so long ago!

In comparison, Reagan cut the same spending by 13.5% his first three years.

Marc

Kerry, from last night's debate:
"the swagger of a president who says 'bring 'em on' does not bring our troops peace or safety."

So the point of American foreign policy is to keep our troops safe? I thought it was to keep civilans safe from, you know, terrorists.

The more terrorists from Saudi Arabia, Syria, et al that we kill in Iraq, the fewer there are to attack innocent people here. It sucks that soldiers get killed doing that, but it is their job, and better a soldier than some poor fucking secretary or accountant.

Marc

Go ahead, throw your vote away!
Barf. I have been planning to vote for Bush despite the huge expansion of the federal government, gigantic giveaways to fatcat farmers, steel tariffs, etc., because the foreign policy stuff is so important. But stuff like this makes me want to vote Libertarian again. Bush is looking more and more like the new Nixon.

Marc

Mike Pringle Fan Club
The goddamned Ravens are so popular for two reasons:

1. They won the Super Bowl
2. The Orioles suck.
2a. People are stupid.

Everybody got over being screwed by the NFL real goddamned quick, didn't they? Nevermind that we had a winning team in town.

On a non-bitter note, this has always been a football town. Irsay's crimes from the mid 70's on are what turned Baltimoreans away from football. Even during the era ('69-'71) when the O's were dominant, they played to sub-10k crowds.

Marc

I heard David Beckham was gay
You'll get no argument from me about how great football is. Not only is it the best sport going. In the world. Including soccer.(READ: FUCK YOU DAVID BECKHAM), it also has the best professional organization of any of the other major team sports. The problems of the NFL pale in comparison to the problems of the NBA (thuggery, boring) MLB (overpriced assholes who fail to play hard because their sport requires such little exertion that even the most worthless asshole like David Segui can make 6 mil a year and play for fucking ever, boring) NHL (what's this?).

The whole Ravens thing just strikes me as unseemly. Despite the love for the Ravens, this town isn't over the Colts yet. I would think that when you're still mourning the loss of your team to another city for petty financial reasons you'd feel at least some sense of restraint for your love of a team which your city has stolen from another depressed municipality. But, then again, football is football and I did recently pay $10 to see Morgan play Towson and was happy to do so. I refused to spend more than $5 on the Orioles this summer, and felt cheated every time. To be fair it's not really baseball's fault theOrioles suck so badly. They're a team of bums run by a bum with his head up his ass. When I think about it that way, I guess I'd probably cling to the Ravens too

Myrr

Live in Baltimore

fucking html...
How do you guys do that thing...with the thing where the words are the link...?

Open Letters

Oh, I got it. groovy.


Draper

Dean's too cranky...
Alright, as we are all well aware, I'm not the most politically minded fellow...in fact the whole game of politics makes me sick to my stomach...but I digress...I was listening to BBC world last night at about 3am and heard an interview with Dean done by some fellow with a very thick Scottish accent...aside from the kick I got out of hearing a Scot talk about American politics, I noticed how mean sounding, how evasive, and how much sophist (thank you, Joe) rhetoric this guy was giving off...I mean, a fucking radio interview with the fucking BBC...you could hear his furrowed, evil eyes. Though, he's probably the candidate that is most close to what I think is needed for this country. Who knows.

By the way...I am now a registered democrat in the city of Baltimore...hopefully I'll be able to vote in the primary. When is that, btw?

Football, more than religion. Religion is doctrine, most haven't the passion for their religion, it becomes habit...but I tell you fucking what...I have my whole night planned around watching two fucking teams that I could care less about tonight...football is the bringer of the most wonderful season...is the bringer of new school. new things, hope. And that, that is why this town is so obsessed with the Ravens...short memories maybe, but people, especially in a community like Balto. need something to cling to...a group identity, something to be prouod of...to forget the crap all around...anyway.

Draper

Football is a religion
Or as Brent Musberger would say, "Football is as close as it gets to religion in the South."

Did you know? Daryl Gardener is out for eight weeks after being injured in a fight at an IHOP.

If you haven't read Tuesday Morning Quarterback, you should. It's written by Greg Easterbrook, who writes for the New Republic and the Atlantic Monthly - football's answer to George Will.

I had read that Broder thing yesterday. What he didn't say is that those 56% for Gore predictions were based exclusively on economic data, without any input from potential voters. I think he's right that the election will be close, at least by raw votes - but electorally, it isn't going to be close.

Bush wins 278-260 just by holding onto the states he won last time. That assumes that the Democrats hold the states where they won by less than 10,000 votes (including Iowa, where Bush leads all potential Dems by 9-10 points, 13 in Dean's case). So Bush wins with maybe 51.5%, but with 300 or so electoral votes.

Marc

Pufnstuf 'N Stuff
So, Dean leads NH and Iowa polls and not that many Democrats know who's running in the first place. Great. I do think John Kerry's right, people aren't paying attention to this thing yet. Unfortunately for him, people don't matter so much as do Democratic activists, who are out in full force. Dean is a liberal's wet dream, despite his moderate gubnatorial record. His liberal tag comes mainly from his rhetoric. If he gets the nomination, which is looking if not likely at least a lot more plausible than it did not to long ago, then hopefully he can pull himself away from his rhetoric and run from whence he's governed. Yes, I do have hope, but to what ends I'm not sure. Remember, no matter what happens in the Democratic primary, somebody has to face Karl "Diabolicle Genius" Rove and that is a frightening prospect. This is the same man who bugged his own office right before a small election in Texas in order to leak to the press that the office was bugged, cast some shadows over the Democratic oppenent and ultimately win the election. This is not a man to be fucked with. He makes H.R. Haldeman look like H.R. Pufnstuf(okay, maybe I got a little carried away there. Everything else is true)...

Check out the latest Broder column about political scientists' predictions of the 2004 race. No joke, we are really flipping a coin...

According to Tony Kornheiser at the Washington Post The Danny has cut Danny Wuerffel taking away the sweet fruit of temptation from Steve Spurrier. It's a surprisingly good move and I'm glad to see someone make it. Wuerffel has never been able to play at the NFL level and never will. Thankfully, now I'll never have to think about him again...

For the sake of equal opportunity, check out Wilbon too...

I'll leave you with this. Is it me or is the undying love of the Ravens in this town weird to anybody else? I mean, the team just got here maybe ten years ago, after selling out their longtime home for greener pastures. I just got jokingly reamed out buy a guy who works here and then by his wife on the phone for being a Redskins fan. You'd think people in this town wouldn't have such short memories. On the other hand, football is a religion and it's just so damn fun to root for your hometeam and even more fun to hate everybody else's hometeam.

Peace,

Myrr

Lance leaves wife for Hillary Clinton
Well, not really...

Marc

HOLY FUCKING SHIT...
I just wanted to get your attention with that subject line...anyway.

Marc, thanks for the good words about the Book. Mollie called it that, so now too can I. Yeah.

We've all wasted our lives in part...I mean our generation more than we 3, or for that matter our group...it is the way things work here, and now. A generation of media-addled non thinkers. Anyway.

I applied for another job today...at Record and Tape traders...I need to work..to at least make it seem ok that all I do all day is to sit around drinking coffee and beer and writing...though, am digging this life tremendously.

'nough for now.

Oh, by the way...here is some terribly sentimental shit for you...I was sitting at the computer the other night, a little stumped...and realized that I was writing this book, not just about me and my head troubles...but for a bigger group...for our group, for my friends...and people our age in general...trying to be the voice of the listless generation...anyway, some shit...so, I dug out a bunch of pictures with you monkeys in it...they help keep me focused...anyway.

Draper (fucking Frankensence, baby)

Dumb-o-crats
Two-thirds of Democrats can't name a single candidate in the presidential primary(CBS poll).

You could spin this the way Kerry is trying to and say that no one is thinking about the primary yet, so the race is wide open and that anyone could win. But what it really means is all the candidates except Dean are dead. All Dean has to do is hold on to 150,000 or so hardcore Democratic voters in Iowa and NH, and this race is over on January 27.

Once the rest of the country starts caring about the primary, it will be over.

Marc