Voting Machines Cartoon

This Modern World: Something Truly Terrifying.

Voting Machines Petition

ActForChange Petition: Stop the Florida-tion of the 2004 election

"I'm A Uniter, Not A Divider"

Bush said, "I'm a uniter, not a divider."

Newspaper story today, Nation Is Again Divided Over Bush.

Actually, he's nothing more than a big liar.

"Strict Father, Nurturant Mother"

I left a comment over at DailyKos, in the discussion of Lakoff's "Strict Father, Nurturant Mother" description of politics. This is being discussed by Digby and Body and Soul. Please go take a look at what they're writing and discussing.

My comment:

"Lakoff is a linguist, and he studies how people think about new concepts. His research shows that people use metaphors to understand new conecpts. For example, if you are familiar with cars, and then see a bus for the first time, you'll think 'big car,' using the car as a model for your metaphor for understanding and categorizing what you are looking at. And when you see an airplane you'll think 'bus with wings that flys.' This is how our minds work.

Lakoff has done research into the metaphors that people use to understand the concepts of nations and politics. His research has shown that people think in terms of a family when formulating an understanding of politics, and his research has shown that this thinking breaks down into two basic metaphors. He has described them as strict father and nurturing parent because that is what his research has shown. He has put together an excellent model describing how condservatives and liberals see politics and why they are so different.

Please read his book 'Moral Politics' to understand this better. I think this book is essential for understanding what is going on in politics. It is also essential because the Right has also been doing this research, and clearly has these concepts nailed, and they are using them skillfully.

Lakoff is DEscribing. You might not like WHAT he is describing, but don't blame Lakoff. If you look at this with an open mind, you'll realize that 'strict father' and 'nurturing parent' ARE the metaphors that people use."

I advise everyone to read Lakoff's book, Moral Politics.

BlogStreet : Most Important 100 Blogs

According to BlogStreet : Most Important 100 Blogs, Seeing the Forest is #71 in the top 100. If you're a weblogger reading this, but don't have Seeing the Forest on your blogroll, do the right thing.

And if your weblog is in Seeing the Forest's blogroll but Seeing the Forest is not in yours, you're in big trouble.

Update -- Saturday -- Number 66 today.

Clark

I saw Gen. Wesley Clark interviewed on the News Hour yesterday. He was really good. Really, really good. I'm glad to see a person like that, with his credentials, making the case against Bush. It helps Dean a lot. When Dean has the nomination it will be harder for Bush to discredit his message, because the public will know they are shared by people like Clark.

I don't see Clark getting the nomination. Dean has too strong of an organization, and Clark entered the race too late. Dean is also a very, very good candidate and has built a strong, people-powered campaign. This shows why Dean will make a great president. I agree almost completely with Dean's positions - moreso than Clark's.

But Clark is showing himself to be a first-class American leader. Good for him!

Publicizing The Effects Of Tax Cuts

Interesting Times writes about the effects of the spending cuts in Alabama, then writes:

"Neither Joe Average Alabaman nor Joe Average American will see these results if Democrats don't loudly highlight them. The secret of the Republicans long-term success is that the Democrats have run away from the fight instead of making it clear just what are the consequences of the 'cut taxes cut taxes cut taxes' strategy. For Democrats to win on this issue they have to make it clear to people just what it is they are giving up if they continue to hold on to their Bush tax cuts."

Good point.

Did YOUR Economy Surge 7.2%?

The economy surged last month at an annual rate of 7.2%. (But still lost jobs.)

Did you feel any of it? Did your income increase by 7.2%? No? So who did feel it? Where did the 7.2% GO?

Who is our economy FOR? Think about it. A most dangerous question.

Policy Hijacked From Bush?

Cheney's hawks 'hijacking policy':

A former Pentagon officer turned whistleblower says a group of hawks in the Bush Administration, including the Vice-President, Dick Cheney, is running a shadow foreign policy, contravening Washington's official line.

"What these people are doing now makes Iran-Contra [a Reagan administration national security scandal] look like amateur hour. . . it's worse than Iran-Contra, worse than what happened in Vietnam," said Karen Kwiatkowski, a former air force lieutenant-colonel.

"[President] George Bush isn't in control . . . the country's been hijacked," she said, describing how "key [governmental] areas of neoconservative concern were politically staffed".

Light Blogging I Guess

It's 'cause I can't bring coffee into the computer room anymore. I'm not allowed to.

Center for American Progress

Have you all visited the new Center for American Progress, and signed up for their daily e-mail. the Progress Report?

Brad DeLong On Today's Unemployent Number

Yet More Unemployment Claims Weirdness:

"This week's number, of course, is not a 'decrease': it is the same as the number announced last week, which has been revised upwards. "

Lakoff Again

Digby on Lakoff and Framing.

Bob Barr Calls for Impeachment!

Excerpts from Republican Representative Bob Barr's call for impeachment:

"'...I believe in several fundamental premises. First, this is a rogue administration; consciously and systematically operating outside the bounds of the laws of this land, and outside the common and historical norms of political conduct for our country. Second, this President and his Administration must be held accountable for their misdeeds. If we in the House of Representatives, as the body charged with oversight of the executive branch, do not hold him accountable, then we have no legitimate claim to governing this country. [this] President ...enjoys a relatively high approval rating because he has not yet been held accountable for his misdeeds. Fourth, this is a most serious matter for consideration which must be approached knowingly, deliberatively, with an eye toward both past and future history, with each step weighed very carefully....

'...More important, we see a clear pattern of activity that establishes an intent or scheme to defraud the citizens of the United States of the honest and faithful services of their President; converting the Office of the President and the attributes thereof to the personal (i.e., campaign) use of the President; circumvention of our federal election laws; laundering of campaign and labor funds; violation of tax laws;... bribery; obstruction of justice in failing to respond to lawful congressional subpoenas and withholding evidence; and tampering with evidence. This is but a partial list....

'...Whereas, considerable evidence has been developed from a broad array of credible sources that... President of The United States, has engaged in a systematic effort to obstruct, undermine and compromise the legitimate and proper functions and processes of the Executive Branch:...'"

Computer All Fixed

My laptop is all fixed again. And again want to HIGHLY recommend Bay Area ComputerMan! They are quick and very reasonably priced. They handle computers from out of the area as well.

I'll start posting more tomorrow.

Whiskey Bar: Following the Money

Billmon is Following the Money.

Thank You Guest Bloggers!

I want to thank the guest bloggers for filling in while I was gone! Thank You!

What's Going On, Anyway?

Starting Saturday everything started going wrong. I won't tell you about the drive from Manhattan to JFK, or American not giving me the upgrades that we already had. Or the incredible meal -- it's like they hire caterers who make fun of vegetarians who order special meals. But you expect to have trouble driving from Manhattan to JFK, and always, always with airlines. It's not that...

Sunday I spilled coffee on my laptop, again. (I know, what a dick. Believe me -- I'm hearing it.) And then I get a wasp sting sitting on my own couch in my own living room.

This morning I had a nice post for the weblog ready, and the Mac crashed. About a half hour wasted. I'll try to recreate it. It was about the weather.

But here's the best one. In the mail was a notice that my car insurance is cancelled. I call the agent this morning and find out it is because my driver's license is suspended! To find out WHY my license is suspended requires a trip to the DMV. So I got that about 11, and got to talk to someone at about 2:30. Yes, waiting at the DMV from 11 until 2:30 to ask one question. THAT is what "cutting spending" means.

My license was suspected because I did not appear in court in July for a number of violations received in Bakersfield in March. Except I was not IN Bakersfield in March! The DMV printout had the phone number of the traffic court in Bakersfield. Call them. And by the way, if it really isn't you it will still cost you $55 to get your license back. Don't drive home.

So I call Bakersfield. naturally the phone system is designed to prevent you from talking to a human being, but there was a phone number given for something else, and i called that, explained and got through to someone who could look into this. It seems a David Thomas Johnson, with the same birthday as me, was ticketed for not having a driver's license and a number of other things. So they contacted DMV, and DMV's computer decided that David Courtney Johnson was close enough. If I send a letter to the judge with copies of my driver's license and the DMV printout and a letter explaining, then in about 3-5 weeks they'll get this off my DMV record.

Except the insurance agent tells me my insurance will be terminated by then. So more calls and finally they'll try to get it straightened out with DMV in a few days...

That took ALL DAY.

Looking forward to tomorrrow.

The Mac version of Blogger doesn't have a spelling checker. How'd I do?

Lakoff

Atrios is recommending everyone read Lakoff. Atrios has a lot of readers. My mission on the Internet may be turning a corner, entering a new phase. More on that later.

Meanwhile still no luck with the mouse button problem. It's still stuck in the "pressed" position, and without being able to use a mouse I can't boot my laptop past the "User/Password" screen. So maybe it's a repair shop tomorrow... It is difficult to use Blogger with a Mac. On top of that, this morning I had a great post ready and the Mac crashed.

The Computer

The computer works, except that the left "mouse button" won't come out of click position. I'm hoping this will dry out today.

No Luck

So far no luck with the laptop. I'll try again tomorrow morning and then take it to the repair shop. A great way to return. On top of that, I'm sitting on my couch about a half hour ago and a wasp stings me on the wrist. WTF?

Looks Terrible

Seeing the Forest really does look terrible on a Mac. I'll be working on the look very soon.

I'm Back

I'm Back. But I spilled coffee on my laptop again, so we'll see if it dries out OK. This is from the Mac. I just couldn't wait to have a Peet's. If you don't know about Peet's, you wouldn't understand.