Human Ingenuity at its Finest

The Bridge is Open:

Traffic is moving across the new 35W bridge that opened at 5 a.m.

The procession was led by representatives of agencies that were the first responders in the bridge collapse: fire, police, Hennepin County and North Memorial. They were followed by MnDOT trucks with sturdy, wide bumpers that kept drivers in line. The procession rarely went over 10 mph.

A part of the Twin Cities is whole again, but lest not forget those the most effected:

For more than a year, Andy Gannon has lived with the image of the Interstate 35W bridge heaving and tossing cars as it crashed into the Mississippi River and dropped out from under him.

With the 10 lanes of the gleaming new span set to open to regular traffic this morning, Gannon is eager to drive himself over it. He knows in his head that the bridge is safe, but he feels a strong need to physically prove to himself that he can trust it.

Unfortunately, the parkway isn't ready yet:

The Minnesota Department of Transportation had said the freeway bridge and the parkway would open at the same time. But MnDOT spokesman Kevin Gutknecht said Tuesday that the parkway needed more paving and would reopen a few days later than planned.

Paths along the parkway will open when the road does, he said.

I guess our trip to Rock tonight will bee along the normal route. The Grand Rounds trail will have to wait for another day.

Flash

Sherry Engebretsen
Artemio Trinidad-Mena
Julia Blackhawk
Patrick Holmes
Peter Hausmann
Paul Eickstadt
Greg Jolstad
Scott Sathers
Christina Sacorafas
Sadiya Sahal
Hanah Sahal
Vera Peck
Richard Chit

UPDATE: CNN has more!

Back to the Future Past

DOW Closing 5/2/2008 -- 13,058

DOW Closing 9/17/2008 -- 10,610

Total Drop --> - 2,448 points

Percentage Drop --> NEGATIVE 18.75%

==

DOW Closing the day after President George W Bush's first inauguration

1/22/01 -- >> 10,578

Just sayin'

Flash

Dumping

via Cagle:

Catch a Falling Star . . .

. . . and put it in your pocket!

a funny thing happened: Palin lost some of her luster. Since Sept. 13, Palin's unfavorables have climbed from 30 percent to 36 percent. Meanwhile, her favorables have slipped from 52 percent to 48 percent. That's a three-day net swing of -10 points, and it leaves her in the Sept. 15 Diageo/Hotline tracking poll with the smallest favorability split (+10) of any of the Final Four. Over the course of a single weekend, in other words, Palin went from being the most popular White House hopeful to the least.

What happened? I'd argue that Palin's considerable novelty is starting to wear off. In part it's the result of a steady stream of unhelpful stories: her unfamiliarity with the Bush Doctrine during last Thursday's interview with Charles Gibson (video above); her refusal to cooperate with the Troopergate investigation; her repeated stretching of the truth on everything from earmarks to the Bridge to Nowhere to the amount of energy her state produces. That stuff has a way of inspiring disapproval and eroding one's support. (Interestingly, Palin's preparedness numbers--about 50 percent yes, 45 percent no--haven't budged.) But mostly it's the start of an inevitable process. Between now and Nov. 4, voters will stop seeing Palin as a fascinating story and starting taking her measure as an actual candidate for office.

Should have saved this candidate for a raining day. Instead, even McCain's Victory 2008 chair Carly Fiorina, the former CEO of Hewlett-Packard, is off message:

Palin would've been unqualified to lead HP--a slightly less demanding role than leading the free world. Today's exchange:

HOST: "Do you think she has the experience to run a major company like Hewlett Packard?"

FIORINA: "No, I don't. But that's not what she's running for."

The bounce has all but faded, recent Swing State Polls were taken during the post RNC Honeymoon. The world is slowly correcting itself.

Flash

The Day After the Market Crashed

The cleansing has begun, and those fiscal organization living on the edge are now facing the realities of this unstable economy. The GOP candidate for President can try to claim the fundamentals of the economy are strong, but one would have to admit the Stock market is a prime fundamental and, after yesterday, anyone whose sky is blue knows the stock market is at its most vulnerable.

The market is expected to open up mixed today. Buyers looking for bargains, sellers looking to unload. The fate of AIG hanging in the balance could be another straw on the camels back:

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The pressure on American International Group reached fevered pitch on Monday night as the troubled insurer was hit by a series of credit rating downgrades.

The cuts could prove deadly to AIG, the nation's largest insurance company, which is scrambling to raise much-needed capital.

Late Monday night, Moody's Investors Service and Standard & Poor's Ratings Services each said they had lowered their ratings.

Both candidates railed on the regulators; Obama:

"For eight years, we've had policies that have shredded consumer protections, that have loosened oversight and regulation, and encouraged outsized bonuses to CEOs while ignoring middle-class Americans," the Illinois Democrat said during a rally in Grand Junction, Colorado. "The result is the most serious financial crisis since the Great Depression."

but most interesting was Palin's GOP finger pointing and back stepping:

"Guys and gals, our regulatory system is outdated and needs a complete overhaul. Washington has ignored this. Washington has been asleep at the switch and ineffective, and management on Wall Street has not run these institutions responsibly and has put companies and markets at risk," Palin said during a rally in Golden, Colorado. "They place their own interests first instead of their employees and the shareholders who actually own these companies."

More regulation "our regulatory system is outdated and needs a complete overhaul. Washington has ignored this." from a GOP candidate. Funny thing is, she sounds more schooled on the realities of the economy then her ticket mate:

People are frightened by these events," McCain said. "Our economy -- I think still, the fundamentals of our economy are strong"

Ya know, in a 12 step program they say you can't fix something till you admit it is a problem to begin with. Maybe Sen McCain should check into an economic treatment program.

Flash

What is She Hiding?

Palin refuses to cooperate:

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (CNN) -- Alaskan Gov. Sarah Palin will not cooperate with a "tainted" legislative investigation into the firing of her public safety commissioner, the McCain-Palin campaign announced Monday, accusing supporters of Democratic rival Barack Obama of manipulating the probe for political motivations.

Of course, this is pure posturing, the investigation is a bi partisan effort that began before Palin was selected as McCain's VP and a clear signal to the lack of adequate vetting by the candidate himself.

Palin, the Republican nominee for vice president, is battling allegations that she and her advisers pressured then-Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan to fire a state trooper going through a bitter custody dispute with her sister -- and that Monegan was terminated when he refused. Palin says she fired Monegan over budget issues and denies any wrongdoing.

Monegan says while no one directly demanded Trooper Mike Wooten's dismissal, he felt pressured to do so by Palin, her husband and staff. He believes his refusal to fire the trooper led to his own firing. Upon the dismissal, Monegan was offered a position as executive director of the Alcohol Beverage and Control Board, but turned it down.

What we find in situations like this, is that if there is nothing to hide, then put yourself out there, got through it, get over it and move on. Now, if there is a there there, the best tactic is to scream foul and play the delay game until after the election.

If the McCain/Palin camp wants to complain about something legitimate, how about demanding CNN stop using this awful picture of her. That would at least be a fight worth fighting.

Flash

Shine On You Crazy Diamond

via CNN:

Pink Floyd keyboardist Wright dies

LONDON, England (AP) -- Richard Wright, a founding member of the rock group Pink Floyd, died Monday. He was 65.

Pink Floyd's spokesman Doug Wright, who is not related to the artist, said Wright died after a battle with cancer at his home in Britain. He says the band member's family did not want to give more details about his death.

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.

I saw Floyd back in '94 (June 22) during the Division Bell Tour. Wright was there, along with most of the crew (David Gilmour, Nick Mason with Jon Carin, Dick Parry, Guy Pratt, Tim Renwick, Gary Wallis, Durga McBroom, Sam Brown, Claudia Fontaine)

Flash

UPDATE: Mitch at his BEST!

Darkness before the Dawn . . .

John McCain states, today "The Economy is fundamentally sound . . .

-464.50
(-4.07%)
Dow 10,957.49

-74.89
(-3.31%)
Nasdaq 2,186.38

-53.98
(-4.31%)
S&P 1,197.72

The Dow Jones industrial average (INDU) lost 500 points, or 4.4%, according to early tallies. It was the biggest one-day point decline for the Dow since Sept. 17, 2001, when the market reopened for trading after having been closed in the aftermath of 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The Standard & Poor's 500 (SPX) index lost 4.5% and the Nasdaq composite (COMP) lost 3.6%.

Global markets tumbled as investors reeled after Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy, Merrill Lynch was forced to sell itself to Bank of America and investors awaited AIG's restructuring announcement.

Remember, it is all the Democrats fault . . .

Flash

Message from Texas

From a good friend who lives in a Houston Suburb:

Just to let all of you know, Hurricane IKE came and went and left major destruction in it's path. Luckily, we were spared any major destruction. However, we do have some major clean up ahead of us. We have no electricity (it's been off since 1:30am on Saturday. Hopefully we will get it back on today since many areas near us have had their power restored.

Believe me when I say that all of us in this area appreciate your prayers and concerns. We will make it through this as we always have in Houston. Based on the latest information, only 3 confirmed deaths has been attributed to IKE. When people were told to evacuate, most heeded the request.

One interesting side light was that the people who went around Galveston Island, where there was a mandatory evacuation, told those residents who didn't want to leave to please write their Social Security Numbers on their arms with a magic marker so they would be able to identify their bodies. Not surprisingly, many of them decided to leave. Unfortunately many did not. Galveston was virtually leveled.

Ways you can HELP!

Bridge to Open this Week?

All signs point to a return of a major traffic artery this week:

Gov. Tim Pawlenty and a host of other politicians will gather on the nearly completed bridge at 11 a.m. today to announce when the first cars will drive across, which could be as early as Tuesday. They'll also unveil details about the location and design of a memorial to the 13 people who died when the previous bridge collapsed on Aug. 1, 2007.

The completion of the bridge so early proves two main frustrations we have with Government. A) The system works . . when we really want it to. And B) if a financial carrot is big enough, work can get don e in a timely manner.

I suspect that they won't be popping champagne bottles for this one, considering the tragedy that got us to this point. But there is nothing wrong with controlled back slapping. Human ingenuity should be acknowledged and properly rewarded.

Personally, I just can't wait to have the West River Road bikeway restored for those Saturday afternoon workouts.

Flash

UPDATE: Thursday is the day!

Motorists can begin driving across the new Interstate 35W bridge at 5 a.m. Thursday, just over a year after the old one tragically collapsed into the Mississippi River and cut off a key Minneapolis artery.

Local, state and federal leaders gathered this morning on the replacement bridge to announce the completion of construction. They also explained plans for a permanent memorial to the 13 people killed in the August 1, 2007, disaster and the 145 who were injured.

Ike Recovery

Houston Chronicle

Remembering

All my hopes to the family and friends of those who lost loved ones on this tragic day. Below is a picture my son, Josh, who I took to NY in August of 2000. less then 13 months later, the towers were gone.
If you haven't read 'My 911 Story' you should. I was already preoccupied that day with life changing business.

What's YOUR 911 story?

All my hopes to a better tomorrow.

Flash

In Honor of Positive Politics Day, this will be my only post. I hope MDE joins us on this solemn day. (And he did, Thanks Michael.)

Klobuchar Writes on van Palin

No, not the Senator, longtime STRIB columnist and papa to Amy. He shares an interesting take on the Palin Pick:

For all of her qualities, the attractive ones and the invented ones, she was brought into the campaign carrying one primary identity. She was going to be a distraction from the economic and political chaos and ruin the Republicans have created in the eight years of the Bush government.

And she is suddenly the principle player in the smoke and mirror strategy that was the one hope of the demoralized Republican cadres looking at an almost certain defeat.

Now, we are told by the pollsters, they are not.

The irony in this is that if they’re right, and the Republicans can pull this out amid the growing befuddlement of the American public, the country will be putting the keys to power back into the hands of the same invisible manipulators who have been running it into the ground for eight years, victimizing millions of powerless people and driving the richest country in the world to the edge of bankruptcy.. In other words, the Republicans want voters to re-elect the agents of their misery.

Nothing in the White House is essentially going to change, of course, if that happens. It may worsen.With McCain fumbling in the White House while reminding us daily of his biography, the Pentagon’s favorites will still hog the money. The financial industry, whose greed plunged millions of people into de facto poverty and out of their homes, will continue basically unregulated. A Democratic Congress can act, but today it needs 60 votes to pass anything of substance and you can usually subtract Joe Lieberman.

None of this has to happen if the American public looks seriously at the spreading ugliness of the country’s condition today. The government bureaus are filled with hacks whose primary condition of employment is to undermine the regulatory powers they were supposed to enforce. So the mortgage and credit card industries went wild and turned customers into paupers. Profiteers raided the people’s treasury. Failing financials and businesses demanded a bailout by the taxpayers. Shameless tax cuts to millionaires and endless war have shredded the schools’ ability to compete with the rising powers of China and India in the technical skills not only of the future but in the here and now.

The same behind- the-scenes operators who ran the government under George Bush will be back in a McCain White House, one likely to be even more inept and clueless. So essentially it will be guided by the same ventriloquists who will do most of the governing. The victims will be the same—the uninsured, the unemployed, the fading middle and working classes, and the faith all of those people put in the hands of a government once dedicated to the common good. There is a reason why American veterans, who fought to preserve that ideal or were put in harm’s way needlessly, are looking increasingly to Obama to bring the country back to its senses.

He;s still got it!

Flash

Mitch Makes Up the Definition . . .

I use it:

I know some of you leftymedia types read this blog. Where were you when your people attacked the delegates?

So I ask The Right ScaifeNet media (pardon the redundancy, I always like that one) where were YOU when YOUR People attacked at the DNC.

To wit:

ANARCHISTS GET GASSED BY RIOT POLICE AT DNC 2008
Protesters say police used overkill; cops say anarchists had rocks
DNC Protesters Say They Feel Like Political Prisoners

OK, back to reality, a place where Snark in the Dark hasn't visited in several years. Who exactly is "Unconventional Action"

Unconventional Action is an emerging network aiming to complement the work of local organizers in Denver and the Twin Cities with regional organizing throughout the rest of the country. Our goal is to build a horizontal, inclusive framework for protests that will disrupt the upcoming Democratic and Republican National Conventions. We are currently organizing meetings, propaganda, and consultas in our communities and encourage those in other regions to do the same.

The troublemakers bused to Denver first, then came here. Their goal is anti government, ant establishment, and has no ideological affiliation. But the bold faced liars at Snark in the Dark want to re-write reality. Since, well, reality isn't in their favor.

Flash

I'm Number 3

Walked into my polling place just a few moments after they opened. I was voter #3. Only four races undetermined in my precinct, US Senate, and three judgeships. My Sample ballot can be found here. (PDF)

If you are not sure where to vote, hit up the precinct finder and get out there!

NOW VOTE!!

Flash

From Iraq via MySpace

Without comment, from Sgt. Tom:

Sep 8 2008 8:14 AM

I'm the coolest person on your myspace.
And man is it HOT OUT HERE! I'm longing for some of that 95 degree 100% humidity Minnesota summer weather! beats 135 in the shade any day!

Electoral Map Comparison

From Electoral Vote, a comaprison of the Electoral map today, and this moment 4 years ago:Sometimes a little perspective doesn't hurt.

I want NoDak to turn Blue, just for spite *grin*

Flash

Heard at the VMA's

via the AP:

Host Russell Brand drew hearty applause when he said in his opening monologue he hoped the U.S. would elect Barack Obama in November.

He said that "some people — racists" may not be ready to elect a black man as president, but then he noted that the nation was open-minded enough to put a "dumb cowboy" in office for eight years.

Hey, I didn't say it, he did. In the words of a cable news station, I just report, you decide!

Flash

Coming Together

The egg shell dance as we approach the 9/11 anniversary has been successfully resolved as the two Presidential candidates have come together.

Both these candidates should, and will, visit Ground Zero. But the ability of the talking heads to twist this into a political use of this tragedy made for some awkward logistics. But now we know that both candidates will visit the hallowed grounds . . . together.

The Two Camps issues the following statement:

“On September 11, 2008, we will join together to mark the seventh anniversary of the 9/11 attacks at Ground Zero.

“All of us came together on 9/11 - not as Democrats or Republicans – but as Americans. In smoke-filled corridors and on the steps of the Capitol; at blood banks and at vigils - we were united as one American family. On Thursday, we will put aside politics and come together to renew that unity, to honor the memory of each and every American who died, and to grieve with the families and friends who lost loved ones. We will also give thanks for the firefighters, police, and emergency responders who set a heroic example of selfless service, and for the men and women who serve today in defense of the freedom and security that came under attack in New York City, at the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.”

It doesn't get much more American than that!

Flash

Time on Palin

As a subscriber to Time, I received their latest Issue with a Sarah Palin cover story. Gov. Sarah continues to be a mystery. Although I believe she is dead wrong on most every ideological issue, it is important for me to get to know her, to understand her, to relate to her. Reality is, she may be our next Vice President, so I am making a reasonable effort to learn as much as I can.

The Time article is a great mini bio. It humanizes her. I encourage anyone else who is as intrigued as I am about this candidate to take a moment and educate yourself. This article is a good place to start.

It begins:

Thursday, Sep. 04, 2008 By NATHAN THORNBURGH / WASILLA, ALASKA

They called themselves the elite six — and the name was meant to be ironic. This was Wasilla, Alaska, 30 miles (about 50 km) north of Anchorage, in the early 1990s — when the sagging economy meant, as a local recalls, "everyone had dust on their ass." There was nothing élite about this little town on the stretch of highway along the railroad. And there was nothing élite about the group either — six stay-at-home moms who sought one another out to escape the house and get some exercise in the long northern winter. They would do their step aerobics, then drive to a local diner for coffee and dessert. It was a lifeline in lean times.

The women are still friends 15 years later, still living in the same valley, still meeting up, though less often than before. They make time for their annual Christmas-ornament exchange the first week of December, just the six of them. They used to make the ornaments by hand, but who has the time now? This year they exchanged store-bought pieces.

All of the Elite Six gathered at a bridal shower in Wasilla on Sunday, Aug. 24. But one of them was in a rush. She showed up to say hi and drop off a present. She talked about her plans to take the kids that Friday to the state fair, a once-a-year festival of giant cabbages, salmon quesadillas, hippie jewelry and gun-rights information booths. "That was just her doing her Sarah thing," says Amy Hansen, 45, with a laugh. "Showing up in sweats, saying 'Oh, I can't stay long.' But can you believe she came by at all?"

It turns out Sarah Heath Palin wasn't actually going to the state fair. Three days later, she was secreted to a waiting plane that took her to Flagstaff, Ariz., and then driven to John McCain's ranch near Sedona.

Now, go read the rest!

Flash

VP Swap

If the Presidential candidates swapped VPs even up, would that effect your vote?

In my case, I would be more inclined to vote for a McCain/Biden ticket over a Obama/Palin ticket.

Discuss.

Flash

On Teen Pregnancy

This is NOT a post about teen pregnancy (its about 1:45 in), it is a post about Shrill O'Liely's hypocrisy. DAMN, I played the Name calling card. I try not to do that:

Falling Flat

The RNC ended last night . . . with a thud.

Once Mr. America came out on stage, and glided down the runway to accept his crown and sash, it was all downhill for him. The start was slow, the delivery sluggish. He couldn't even control his ownn crowd of 'fans', yet expects to control the country.

Look, I have a lot of respect for Senator McCain. He served nobly and honorably in service to his country, be it as a navy pilot, a captive, or in Congress. But he has sold out on all the things that built that respect. He parked his independence and maverick status at the door of the Republican Party to attain a personal goal of being President. He voted correctly on the Bush tax cuts that have decimated our economy, but now has flipped to ensure the support of his base. He was right the first time, and we have an economy to prove it, a true Maverick would be pointing that out right now, not pandering for a few more votes.

Now, to be fair, Sen. McCain did do something that most Republicans struggle with, and that's accept responsibility:

I fight to restore the pride and principles of our party. We were elected to change Washington, and we let Washington change us.

We lost -- we lost the trust of the American people when some Republicans gave in to the temptations of corruption. We lost their trust when rather than reform government, both parties made it bigger.
. . .
We lost their trust when we valued our power over our principles.

But the Senator went on to say, later:

instead -- instead of rejecting good ideas because we didn't think of them first, let's use the best ideas from both sides. Instead of fighting over who gets the credit, let's try sharing it.

and although it is the correct thing to say, one thing popped into my mind, and that was Candidate GW Bush's refrain, "I am a Uniter, not a Divider" and look how that worked out for us. One of the most divisive times in our nation, and a cynical electorate that is in desperate need of change.

For all the riot and rancor the Right dumps on Senator Obama, they must take pause and realize they created the environment for that star to shine. They nurtured a disgruntled society to a point they were looking for a fresh face and a new voice to lead us out of the failed policies and practices of the Republican controlled environment. They have only theirselves to blame, and no one to share it with.

We are in the final two month of the campaign, and it will get worse before it gets better. I will do my best to stay above the fray, and talk difference in issues, frustrations with proposed policies, and correct the lies and misdirection that will most certainly play a roll in this campaign. For in the end it isn't about me or you, or Obama/Biden or McCain/Palin. McCain is right about several things, but most importantly he is right about this:

Country First!

Flash

It's About van Palin

Right now, lets not talk about the content of the spiel specifically. Sure, we could fisk the lies, deceptions, whoppers and wallops, but lets talk about the Governor.

Just like the jockeying before a debate, the GOP was careful not to boost up Palin too much. The low expectation game was played to ensure that the Governor was not too intimidated by her new found stardom. When she took the stage, she took command.

Governor Sara Palin made it clear to the viewers that she was here to stay, and was not going to pull punches. She did the yeoman's work for a national campaign by going right at the jugular of her opponents. It is one thing to be able to speak from a teleprompter, while preaching to the choir. But it sure looks like she'll be able to hold her own.

The Governor is no longer a small player in a championship game. She'll need to be able to think on her feet, watch her mouth, and be concerned about what her every move, and every word could mean to the campaign. But as far as last night, she did the job, and did it well.

Congratulations, Governor Palin, today you get a pass, for last night was your night, and you met the challenge. But don't think I'll always be this nice for long. You are still wrong on most every issue, and issues matter . . . . unless of course you're John MCcCain's campaign manager.

Flash

Should She Stay or Should She Go Now!

Plot thickens as we get to the acceptance speech this evening. Remember, I think van Palin is a perfect pick. This choice has nothing, nothing to do with the Governor and everything to do with the knee jerk reaction of the Republican nominee at the top of the ticket.

Atlantic Monthly has some interesting factoids. They Call it the Eagleton Scenario:

(B)y Monday night discussion among Republican operatives and reporters had turned to whether Palin would survive or become the first running mate since Thomas Eagleton in 1972 to leave a major-party ticket.

Oh, I loved this nugget:

On Monday, the InTrade futures market opened trading on whether Palin would withdraw before the election.

Re-Vetting?!?

With reporters and opposition researchers crawling through Alaska, and with the McCain campaign having dispatched its own team of lawyers to re-vet Palin, Republicans are wondering what shoe might drop next. If further revelations prove damaging enough, McCain could decide to replace Palin or she could choose to withdraw. While such an event seems unlikely given her popularity in some quarters of the party—Jacob Heilbrunn has suggested that social conservatives would view her ouster as “political infidelity”—her rocky reception makes the “Eagleton scenario,” and how it might unfold, a subject of more than academic interest.

A the day unfolds, you know the rumor mill will be churning. But lets be clear, I think van Palin is the perfect VP Pick for Sen. McCain. It shows the world the kind of strong judgment he truly has. really, I mean, truly . .no fooling . . .*grin*

Flash

Found on a Forum

Although I had on Channel 2 when she was speaking, I missed this:

RNC CO-CHAIRWOMAN JO ANN DAVIDSON. Thumbs down. Tonight in the X, you proudly exclaimed the "next Vice President of the United States" would be "Sarah Pawlenty!" Now, cumon. We're still busy enjoying the fruits of John McCain's 30 minutes of careful judgement in selecting Sarah Palin. No need to invent people

First Day of School

Crazy morning after a crazy day.

Obviously a lot of tumult in the downtown St. Paul area thanks to a handful of anarchists. It was nice to hear that the actual pro and anti marchers themselves were quite peaceful and respectful. There is always a few bad apples to ruin the fun for everyone else.

As for soon to be Grandma van Palin, the family is totally off limits. There is far too much low hanging fruit for anyone to want to risk distraction by saying things that are not germane.

Off to work, maybe more later.

Flash

MINNESOTA BRASS MAKES HISTORY

Other Media Reports:

KARE 11 (includes a KARE11 EXTRA of the 2004 Season from start to finish)
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
DCA CORPS

It is hard from me to even imagine what happened in Rochester NY tonight. A drum corps I have been affiliated with for over 30 years has just broke all records and all barriers in their history. Tonight, Minnesota Brass, Incorporated placed SECOND at World Championship finals. I am so proud of my folks; I wish I could have been there.

2008 DCA Finals Scores:

OPEN CLASS
01st - 97.913 - Reading Buccaneers
02nd - 96.513 - Minnesota Brass
03rd - 95.063 - Empire Statesmen
04th - 94.913 - Hurricanes
05th - 93.625 - Caballeros
06th - 93.425 - Bushwackers
07th - 90.013 - Brigadiers
08th - 89.675 - Renegades
09th - 86.763 - CorpsVets
10th - 83.738 - Rochester Crusaders

High Brass - Empire Statesmen
High Percussion - Buccaneers
High Visual - Buccaneers
High Total Effect - Buccaneers
High Color Guard - Hurricanes
Best Drum Major - David Bruni Empire Statesmen
Showmanship Award - Bushwackers Color Guard

CLASS A
01st - 82.750 - Alliance
02nd - 82.463 - Fusion Core
03rd - 79.225 - Chops Inc
04th - 77.438 - SoCal Dream

High Brass - Fusion Core
High Percussion - Alliance
High Visual - Fusion Core
High Total Effect - Alliance
High Color Guard - Fusion Core
Best Drum Major - Alliance

A live Forum thread of the event, including short video clips of ALL competing corps can be found at Drum Corps Planet.

Flash



UPDATE: Tom Peashy DCA Public Relations:

with this computer age, I had the scores way early... and intentionally stuck them under my clipboard as there was a large crowd in the area... (Fran appreciates that)... finally after some time... I peaked... the shock on my face must have been obvious as several around me said "is it THAT bad"... naturally I just smiled...

Buccaneers pulled off their 4-peat tonight and are a GREAT champion but in many ways, the night belonged to Minnesota... congrats to all...

This was by far the best dca finals EVER...

TPaw meets McCain at RNC

Spot deserves a Spotty:

Scene: Backstage at the Xcel Center during the Republican National Convention. Tim Pawlenty and John McCain find themselves standing next to each other as the little knot of people they were talking with drift away. There is an uncomfortable silence for a while, then the stilted beginning of a conversation.

JM: Oh, hi Tim! It's nice to see you.

TP: [not meeting JM's gaze] Pfffft - -

JM: I'm sorry, Tim. I didn't hear you. Just had my 72nd birthday, you know! I must say you're looking good.

TP: Hullo, Senator.

JM: That's John, Tim.

TP: Thanks, Senator.

JM: Whoa! I'm sensing a little hostility here.

TP: [after a pause] No. [another pause; TP is looking at his shoes the whole time] Not really.

JM: Not really?

TP: [another pause; TPaw still looking down] Why do you like her more?

JM: [chuckles] What? You were auditioning for the job of girlfriend?

TP: [TP looks at McCain] Ha ha. Very funny. You know what I mean.

JM: [evenly] No. Tell me.

Oh, it gets better . . much much better!

Flash

van Palin is a Solid Pick

Why is Mitch and the ScaifeNet boys trying to misquote most of us common sense bloggers. I think Sarah van Palin is an amazing pick, that does a fine job of complimenting Sen. McCain in an attempt to take the age meme off the table. It goes to reinforce the decision making consequences that goes with being President. It echoes everything that is wrong with current politics. But most importantly, it goes to reinforce the common misconception of Republican politics, This walk the walk, talk the talk front. Oh No . . . in van Palin's case, she says one thing now, while she did something completely different, then.

Here, I'll show you an example. In her stump speech she says:

“I championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress. In fact, I told Congress — I told Congress, ‘Thanks, but no thanks,’ on that Bridge to Nowhere. ‘If our state wanted a bridge’, I said, ‘we’d build it ourselves’.

The right, thing at the right time, but what was she saying back then, when the Bridge to no where was on the table:

Check out these entries from the Ketchikan Daily News:

“People across the nation struggle with the idea of building a bridge because they’ve been under these misperceptions about the bridge and the purpose,’ said Palin, who described the link as the Ketchikan area’s potential for expansion and growth.

Palin said Alaska’s congressional delegation worked hard to obtain funding for the bridge and that she ‘would not stand in the way of the progress toward that bridge’.
8-8-06

‘We need to come to the defense of Southeast Alaska when proposals are on the table like the bridge and not allow the spinmeisters to turn this project or any other into something that’s so negative,’ Palin said.”
Ketchikan Daily News 9-28-06

Oh, and there's more:

asked in Oct. 2006 to state her position regarding the bridge:

5. Would you continue state funding for the proposed Knik Arm and Gravina Island bridges?
Yes. I would like to see Alaska’s infrastructure projects built sooner rather than later. The window is now - while our congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist.

http://community.adn.com/node/130090

Let's be clear, I along with over 80% of the electorate (yes, I made up that number, I leanred it from Mitch) is ecstatic about his pick, albeit for different reason.

Flash

2008 DCA World Championships

It is Labor Day weekend and the start of . . no, not the RNC Convention, Drum Corps Associates World Championships. I am sure the Minnesota participants who are flying had no problem getting out of town, but I'll be curious to hear what their return trip is like.

For now, here are today's Preliminary scores to determine who continues on till Finals, Tomorrow.

I marched many years with Minnesota Brass, going back to 1978. I also marched a year with the St. Peter Govenaires, a corps my father, and grandfather both performed with.

This post will be updated until Preliminary Scores are final!

Here are the numbers:

2008 DCA World Championship Preliminary Scores

OPEN

98.138 Buccaneers
96.013 Empire Statesmen
95.875 Caballeros
95.113 Minnesota Brass
94.913 Hurricanes
93.788 Bushwackers
91.400 Brigadiers
90.688 Renegades
88.288 CorpsVets
86.188 Crusaders

^^ Perform Sunday in Finals ^^

85.538 Music City Legend
82.788 Kilties


Class A

83.838 Alliance A
83.025 Fusion Core A
80.900 Chops Inc A
80.788 SoCal Dream A
^^ Perform Sunday in Finals ^^

80.650 Grenadiers A
77.413 Govenaires A
77.313 White Sabers A
75.888 Carolina Gold A
73.563 Gulf Coast Sound A
72.538 Frontier A
72.963 Lakeshoremen A
67.500 Shenandoah Sound A

UPDATE: Waiting on MN Brass's Numbers, but here is a peak at their opener. Gotta love real time technology (may take a bit to load):

van Palin Census Data

Just sayin' . . . Cities with larger populations then the State of Alaska

New York, N.Y. 8,143,197
Los Angeles, Calif. 3,844,829
Chicago, Ill. 2,842,518
Houston, Tex. 2,016,582
Philadelphia, Pa. 1,463,281
Phoenix, Ariz. 1,461,575
San Antonio, Tex. 1,256,509
San Diego, Calif. 1,255,540
Dallas, Tex. 1,213,825
San Jose, Calif. 912,332
Detroit, Mich. 886,671
Indianapolis, Ind. 784,118
Jacksonville, Fla. 782,623
San Francisco, Calif. 739,426
Columbus, Ohio 730,657
Austin, Tex. 690,252
Memphis, Tenn. 672,277
Charlotte, North Carolina 671,588

FYI:
Minneapolis 369,051
St. Paul 287,151
TOTAL: 656,202

Powerline Disses van Palin

You know the Right is in rough shape regarding the dart toss pick of van Palin when their Temple on the Mount is concerned:

John:

I'm worried about Palin. I'm afraid she may be the Geraldine Ferraro of 2008. If she really is the nominee, will it come across as a desperation move, a Hail Mary, as Mondale's choice of Ferraro did in 1984? I'm afraid so. Her experience just doesn't justify a place on the ticket. If McCain really wanted to go radical, Bobby Jindal was the far sounder choice

..

The AP says the McCain camp "hopes the announcement of his running mate will stunt any momentum that Democratic rival Barack Obama might get from the just concluded Democratic National Convention." If it really is Palin, I'm afraid the opposite will happen. Press reaction will be 100% negative; the emphasis will all be on Palin's inexperience--she's been Governor of Alaska for less than two years--and the fallout will augment, not limit, Obama's convention bounce. The most important thing McCain has going for him in this race is the perception that he is the serious candidate. Choosing a running mate who will be widely perceived as unqualified would go a long way toward squandering that advantage.

Paul:

I'm very disappointed that John McCain would put someone as inexperienced and lacking in foreign policy and national security background as Sarah Palin a heartbeat away from the presidency.

Scott:

Like John and Paul, I was disappointed when I heard this morning that Senator McCain had called on Sarah Palin to be his running mate. I was disappointed mostly because I thought that Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty was the right man for the job.

At least these guys are trying to be real about the choice. But most others in the echo chamber are desperately trying to put lipstick on this . . . . choice. Personally, I think it is a perfect pick, I couldn't have hoped for a better one!

Flash

Fecke Went There!

As usual, he nails it:

Buchanan is a raving bigot, a homophobe, a sexist, a racist…pretty much everything Pat Buchanan’s for, I’m against, and vice versa, with the exception of the Iraq War — and even there, Buchanan opposes the war because he opposes all foreign entanglements of any kind.

And it is this man, this bigot, that Sarah Palin chose over George W. Bush in 2000, a man Palin chose to abandon her party for, because Bush was insufficiently conservative.

And so to Sarah Palin and John McCain, I have a simple question: why? Why did you support Pat Buchanan in 2000, despite his long history of bigotry and Antisemitism? Why did you support him, even though his positions were considered radical even by the Republican Party? Is Pat Buchanan who you are, Gov. Palin? And if not…well, why should we believe you?

Yeap, It's Palin

Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska is Sen, John McCains pick for running mate.

See what happens when I make a grocery store run.

McCain, the gift that keeps on giving. In one fell swoop he has taken the inexperienced meme off the table.

Romney was the safest pick, TPaw the smartest pick . . Palin is the pandering pick.

Biden will have to watch himself as they will try to pain him as a woman hater when he goes into VP attack mode.

Now, explain to me why, with a sitting Republican Senater FROM ALASKA under indictment, would they even consider someone from that state. Did they vet her with Yahoo search instead of Google.

Flash

Palin?!?

With TPaw officially out (CNN reports he received the Not You call) there is talk that a corporate Jet, carrying the Governor or Alaska to Ohio, arrived last evening.

But there is a great big buzz in the Dayton area, where presumptive Republican presidential candidate John McCain is to announce his running-mate, about a private plane that arrived last night from Alaska.

John McCain and his campaign have sent a lot of signals about wanting to put a woman on the ticket.

I have spent a chunk of my morning sorting through YouTube videos of McCain and Romney attacking each other during the primaries. The more I watched, the more I convinced myself there was way too much fodder for McCain to risk Mittens being the pick. When you think of how they are using Clinton's primary words are gainst Sen Obama, you have to think that will play a roll in who McCain chose.

For now, the buzz has switched to a little known 44 year lady from Alaska, Gov. Sarah Palin.

Flash

TPAw says No to Dayton Ohio

Well, it looks like it is not Gov. Tim. The Governor just told 'CCO that he will NOT be in Dayton Ohio, this afternoon, when McCain introduces his running mate.

Romney, and several other former primary combatants were already schedule to be there which will quell further speculation. But if it was down to TPaw and Mittens, looks like Mittens it is.

Flash

Ready to Lead!!

Without comment:

If John McCain wants to have a debate about who has the temperament, and judgment, to serve as the next commander in chief, that's a debate I'm ready to have.

For while Sen. McCain was turning his sights to Iraq just days after 9/11, I stood up and opposed this war, knowing that it would distract us from the real threats that we face. When John McCain said we could just "muddle through" in Afghanistan, I argued for more resources and more troops to finish the fight against the terrorists who actually attacked us on 9/11, and made clear that we must take out Osama bin Laden and his lieutenants if we have them in our sights. You know, John McCain likes to say that he'll follow bin Laden to the Gates of Hell -- but he won't even go to the cave where he lives.

And today, as my call for a time frame to remove our troops from Iraq has been echoed by the Iraqi government and even the Bush administration, even after we learned that Iraq has $79 billion in surplus while we are wallowing in deficits, John McCain stands alone in his stubborn refusal to end a misguided war.

That's not the judgment we need. That won't keep America safe. We need a president who can face the threats of the future, not keep grasping at the ideas of the past.

You don't defeat a terrorist network that operates in 80 countries by occupying Iraq. You don't protect Israel and deter Iran just by talking tough in Washington. You can't truly stand up for Georgia when you've strained our oldest alliances. If John McCain wants to follow George Bush with more tough talk and bad strategy, that is his choice -- but that is not the change that America needs.

We are the party of Roosevelt. We are the party of Kennedy. So don't tell me that Democrats won't defend this country. Don't tell me that Democrats won't keep us safe. The Bush-McCain foreign policy has squandered the legacy that generations of Americans -- Democrats and Republicans -- have built, and we are here to restore that legacy.

As commander in chief, I will never hesitate to defend this nation, but I will only send our troops into harm's way with a clear mission and a sacred commitment to give them the equipment they need in battle and the care and benefits they deserve when they come home.

I will end this war in Iraq responsibly, and finish the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan. I will rebuild our military to meet future conflicts. But I will also renew the tough, direct diplomacy that can prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and curb Russian aggression. I will build new partnerships to defeat the threats of the 21st century: terrorism and nuclear proliferation; poverty and genocide; climate change and disease. And I will restore our moral standing, so that America is once again that last, best hope for all who are called to the cause of freedom, who long for lives of peace, and who yearn for a better future.

Grand Slam

Last evenings speech makers took an oratorical turn of proportions unmatched in recent times. They layed out a clear convincing map if the past, and a way to forge a path towards the future. The honored and respected Senator John McCain, but took the opportunity to show how clear he is wrong to want to follow the same failed policies of the last 8 years.

I though John Kerry was brilliant, and in his finest moment, he showed, that if Obama is 'so inexperienced" then why has he been right on key Foregin policy issue that even the administration balked at first, but now are following verbatim (excerpt edited for clarity):

When Barack Obama promised to honor the best traditions of both parties and talk to our enemies, John McCain scoffed. George Bush called it the false comfort of appeasement. But today Bush's diplomats are doing exactly what Obama said, talking with Iran.

When Democrats called for a timetable to make Iraqis stand up for Iraq and bring our heroes home, John McCain called it cut-and-run. But today, even President Bush has seen the light, and he and Prime Minister Maliki agree on -- guess what? -- a timetable.

The McCain-Bush Republicans have been wrong again and again and again

President Clinton later came out and made it so clear how he knows Sen Obama is ready willing and fully capable to be Commander in Chief.

My fellow Democrats, 16 years ago, you gave me the profound honor to lead our party to victory and to lead our nation to a new era of peace and broadly shared prosperity.

Together, we prevailed in a hard campaign in which Republicans said I was too young and too inexperienced to be commander-in-chief.

Sound familiar?

It didn't work in 1992, because we were on the right side of history. And it will not work in 2008, because Barack Obama is on the right side of history.

Now, Sen. Obama's life is a 21st-century incarnation of the old-fashioned American dream. His achievements are proof of our continuing progress toward the more perfect union of our founders' dreams.

The values of freedom and equal opportunity, which have given him his historic chance, will drive him as president to give all Americans -- regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or disability -- their chance to build a decent life and to show our humanity, as well as our strengths, to the world.

And, Joe, Joe Biden. He put to rest all those concerns about his ability to be succinct and sincere, a true sign of leadership, and regular guy . . a Regular Joe!

You know, John McCain is my friend. And I know you hear that phrase used all the time in politics. I mean it. John McCain is my friend.

We've traveled the world together. It's a friendship that goes beyond politics. And the personal courage and heroism demonstrated by John still amazes me.

But I profoundly disagree with the direction John wants to take this country, from Afghanistan to Iraq, from Amtrak to veterans.

You know, John thinks that, during the Bush years, quote, "We've made great economic progress." I think it's been abysmal. And in the Senate, John has voted with President Bush 95 percent. And that is very hard to believe.

And when John McCain proposes $200 million in new tax cuts for corporate America, $1 billion alone for the largest companies in the nation -- but no, none, no relief for 100 million American families, that's not change. That's more of the same.

Even today, as oil companies post the biggest profits in history, nearly $500 billion in the last five years, John wants to give them another $4 billion in tax breaks. That's not change. That's the same.

And during the same time, John voted again and again against renewable energy, solar, wind, biofuels. That's not change. That's more of the same.

Millions of Americans have seen their jobs go offshore, yet John continues to support tax breaks for corporations that send them there. That's not change. That's more of the same.

He voted 19 times against the minimum wage for people who are struggling just to make it to the next day. That's not change. That's more of the same.

And when he says he'll continue to spend $10 billion a month, when the Iraqis have a surplus of nearly $80 billion, that's not change. That's more of the same.

The choice in the election is clear. These times require more than a good soldier. They require a wise leader. A leader who can change -- the change that everybody knows we need.

Tonight, the finalé, and tomorrow it is 'their' turn.

Flash

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pantsuits

Look, I wasn't a big Hillary fan from the start, but I became to realize what a force for the American people and the American Dream she really was. Anyone who could generate so much bile and venom from the Right had to be doing something correct. After Gov. Richardson stepped away from the race, I stayed on the sidelines, but there was a part of me that was pulling for Hillary. When Senator Obama became the presumptive there was no doubt in my mind that Hillary would be doing everything she could to ensure the election of Barack Obama. Last night, she proved that commitment is her reality as well as it should be all of ours:

Barack Obama is my candidate. And he must be our president.

Sen. Clinton didn't pull any punches. She said all the right things. And where the Right Winger mumble machine will pick nits all day long to create a narrative that doesn't exists, we all know exactly where Hillary stood last night, with the future of this country, and the citizenry she works so hard for everyday!

I want you to ask yourselves: Were you in this campaign just for me? Or were you in it for that young Marine and others like him? Were you in it for that mom struggling with cancer while raising her kids? Were you in it for that young boy and his mom surviving on the minimum wage? Were you in it for all the people in this country who feel invisible?

We need leaders once again who can tap into that special blend of American confidence and optimism that has enabled generations before us to meet our toughest challenges. Leaders who can help us show ourselves and the world that with our ingenuity, creativity and innovative spirit, there are no limits to what is possible in America.

Now, this will not be easy. Progress never is. But it will be impossible if we don't fight to put a Democrat back into the White House.

We need to elect Barack Obama because we need a president who understands that America can't compete in the global economy by padding the pockets of energy speculators while ignoring the workers whose jobs have been shipped overseas. We need a president who understands that we can't solve the problems of global warming by giving windfall profits to the oil companies while ignoring opportunities to invest in the new technologies that will build a green economy.

We need a president who understands that the genius of America has always depended on the strength and vitality of the middle class.

Barack Obama began his career fighting for workers displaced by the global economy. He built his campaign on a fundamental belief that change in this country must start from the ground up, not the top down. And he knows government must be about "We the people" not "We the favored few."

And when Barack Obama is in the White House, he'll revitalize our economy, defend the working people of America, and meet the global challenges of our time. Democrats know how to do this. As I recall, we did it before with President Clinton and the Democrats. And if we do our part, we'll do it again with President Obama and the Democrats.

Hillary delivered, and tonight we begin to close the circle of Unity with the Spiel from President Clinton, and the coming out party of Sen Joe Biden.

Tomorrow the circle will be complete, when Senator Barack Obama delivers the most historic speech of this campaign.

It;s no wonder the Right is in a fury, they are beginning to realize what they are up against, and will do everything to create false memes and incoherent spin. Its all they got, cause when it comes to issues, they have no platform to stand on.

Flash

Torch and Transition

I was feeling a little uneasy before Sen. Kennedy came on stage. He hadn't made a public appearance in some time. The brain tumor removed, and chemo in progress, the trip across the country had to be draining, and then he walked out.

This was no wake for the living. Sen Edward Kennedy was vibrant and animated. He was almost himself, and he had something to say:

My fellow Democrats, my fellow Americans, it is so wonderful to be here.

And nothing -- nothing is going to keep me away from this special gathering tonight.

I have come here tonight to stand with you to change America, to restore its future, to rise to our best ideals, and to elect Barack Obama president of the United States

And off he went, in true Kennedy fashion. He spoke of hope, and of the future. He was positive, yet persistant. He told it how it is, and how it must be:

Barack Obama will close the book on the old politics of race and gender and group against group and straight against gay.

And Barack Obama will be a commander-in-chief who understands that young Americans in uniform must never be committed to a mistake, but always for a mission worthy of their bravery.

We are told that Barack Obama believes too much in an America of high principle and bold endeavor, but when John Kennedy called of going to the moon, he didn't say it's too far to get there. We shouldn't even try.

Our people answered his call and rose to the challenge, and today an American flag still marks the surface of the moon.

This election seems almost like we are reaching for the moon. We are asking much of this country, and its citizens during this time of war, wonder . . . economic tumult and domestic turmoil. But America has always stood tall in times of need, and Sen. Kennedy provided the necessary encouragement:

this November the torch will be passed again to a new generation of Americans, so with Barack Obama and for you and for me, our country will be committed to his cause. The work begins anew. The hope rises again. And the dream lives on.

And in January, the dream becomes a reality, and this country will begin a new course, one of hope in place of the despair of the last almost 8 years.

Flash

Busch

via Greenberg:

Mitch Was Against the War, Before He Was For It!

Shootin' from the Hip, as it where, Mitch gets caught up in the pre-canned ScaifeNet meme before he had a chance to realize what he was saying:

Joe Biden forty-odd years in the Senate where has been utterly wrong on every foreign policy issue from the Cold War on down“

Repeat, utterly wrong on every foreign policy issue . . . Hmmmmm, for those that pay attention, Senator Biden voted FOR the use of force in Iraq, so I guess he was wrong on that issue. I am sure there are many others.

Marionette Berg should cut those strings he has had tied to him since the '06 elections and start reading those ScaifeNet messages a little more closely before he virtually copy/pastes them into a post. There was a time he actually was on his own and could muster up some independent thought, those days are long gone.

Flash

It's Biden

via CNN:

(CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama has selected Sen. Joe Biden as his running mate, according to his official Web site and a text message the campaign sent to supporters on Saturday.
Delaware Sen. Joe Biden is Sen. Barack Obama's choice to be his vice-presidential running mate.

Delaware Sen. Joe Biden is Sen. Barack Obama's choice to be his vice-presidential running mate.

"Barack has chosen Senator Joe Biden to be our VP nominee," the text message, sent at around 3 a.m. ET, said.

Word that Biden's was Obama's choice first came early Saturday when Democratic sources confirmed the decision to CNN.

Obama was expected to appear with Biden at a Saturday afternoon rally in Springfield, Illinois.

I don't mind being wrong, Biden is a solid pick.

Hass had it nailed all along!

More later.

Flash

MN-US Senate; Up For Grabs

If there is one race where polling has been all over the place, it is the contest between Sen Norm Coleman and Democratic Candidate Al-lan Franken.

For all the troubles Franken has had to explain, and the tumult in Norm's own personal and political world, the latest entry is the MPR/UMN-HHHInstitute numbers:

Forty-one percent of those answering the poll said they support Franken, the DFL endorsee, while 40 percent support Coleman.

The telephone survey of 763 likely voters was conducted Aug. 7-17. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.

It's no lead at all, really, when you consider the margin of error. But one must also look at the blatant deception being thrown at the electorate regarding Franken. The false Check Cards ads, the over paying of taxes, his professional writings, all which are explainable when the truth is injected into the debate.

On the other side, Coleman has legitimate, demonstrable ethics lapses. These are not isolated instances, but patterns of behavior that is really starting to cause concern amongst the voters. Concern that is so great, that those voters not only are considering Franken but have moved into his camp.

Polls are nothing more than a picture of a moment in time. But at this point, an incumbent that can barely muster 40% of the vote after being in office almost 6 years is in far greater trouble than a political neophyte who has the issues on his side.

I'll let the ScafeNet spin doctors try to defend Norm's weak and waning support, for if they tried to debate actual issue, Norm would just drop a few more points. And come on, I want a little excitement this election season, not a bunch of runaways that turn into yawners.

Flash

Fair Day

It is the first day of the Fair, my favorite day to go. Everything is clean, grease is fresh, and workers aren't testy yet.

I'll have the camera and will post anything interesting I may find.

Flash

A True Blue Patriot

Today is Ashwin Madia Blog day, so we encourage all those folks who actually look towards the future of this country to take a moment and reflect on what it will take to get this country back on track.

For the last 7 1/2 years, this country has been spiraling into an economic wasteland as the Republics in power have lined the pockets of their rich friends at the cost of the middle class and the future strength of America. They have no vision passed their nose, nor desire to do anything that will strengthen this world for our children and our children's children. They only care about today and what have you done for me lately. We have seen what that kind of short sighted mentality can do for our society.

We have an opportunity to put Ashwin Madia in congress to help right these wrongs, and with your contribution today, we can take another step closer to that ultimate goal.

While the Right is wallowing in negative attacks and misleading memes, the true patriots will do their best to stick to the issues and properly present to the electorate a plan to get us out of this mess. Please consider making a contribution to the Ashwin Madia campaign to keep us on track. Be a part of the true patriotic future, one where the actual citizens of this country come first, not off shore corporations hiding behind a mask.

Make a secure donation to Ashwin Madia: $

Flash

I'm Old!

I'm tired, crabby, and 48. After I get through a 4 hour power shot at work this AM, I have a wonderful lunch out planed with the lovely Mrs. Flash. Not even Swiftee can bring me down today *laughing*

Unless something really newsworthy happens, I don't plan on doing much more blogging. So enjoy the day without me.

Flash

Transition Week

I am coming off a drum corps weekend filled with fun, friends, and some fantastic music in motion. Today, and probably tomorrow will be spent relaxing and tying up some loose ends as we begin the transition to full time work and full time political tumult.

Next Monday is opening week at school, a three day training marathon in preparation for the students to arrive the day after Labor Day. Also, by the end of this week, we'll confirm that Obama has chosen Evan Bayh as his running mate in the run up to the DNC. Whether McCain will follow suit and confirm his choice of T-Paw right away, or will wait till after the DNC convention is yet to be seen.

For me, though, I have a distraction, and Drum Corps keeps me grounded. My long time Alma Mater, Minnesota Brass, is sitting in one of the best positions they have ever been in. Currently ranked 3rd, a few tenths out of second, with a shot at the title. Realistically, the title is a long long shot, but a couple caption championships are there for the picking. Here is the current rankings using most recent scores from this weekend.

**** DCA All-Age Corps - Based on Newest Score ****

01 (01) - 93.238 (3) - Buccaneers
02 (02) - 91.425 (3) - Empire Statesmen
03 (05) - 91.013 (2) - Minnesota Brass (St. Paul, MN)
04 (03) - 90.850 (3) - Caballeros
05 (04) - 90.675 (3) - Hurricanes
06 (06) - 86.663 (3) - Bushwackers
07 (07) - 86.038 (3) - Brigadiers
08 (08) - 85.075 (1) - CorpsVets
09 (09) - 84.325 (2) - Kilties
10 (11) - 82.538 (1) - Alliance
11 (10) - 82.375 (3) - Crusaders
12 (13) - 80.250 (6) - Renegades
13 (12) - 80.238 (1) - Music City Legend
14 (14) - 79.338 (2) - Chops, Inc (Minneapolis, MN)
15 (15) - 77.550 (4) - Fusion Core
16 (16) - 77.325 (2) - Govenaires (St. Peter MN)
17 (17) - 75.538 (4) - White Sabers
18 (18) - 73.363 (6) - Dream
19 (19) - 73.075 (5) - Grenadiers
20 (21) - 70.900 (5) - Carolina Gold
21 (20) - 70.888 (2) - Frontier
22 (22) - 69.763 (1) - Gulf Coast Sound
23 (23) - 66.725 (2) - Lakeshoremen
24 (24) - 65.925 (1) - Sun Devils
25 (25) - 62.075 (1) - Shenandoah Sound

-------

(1) = 08/17/08 - Alphraetta, GA (DCA)
(2) = 08/17/08 - South St Paul, MN (DCA)
(3) = 08/16/08 - Scranton, PA (DCA)
(4) = 08/09/08 - Kingston, NY (DCA)
(5) = 08/02/08 - Waterloo, NY (DCA)
(6) = 07/20/08 - Fremont, CA (DCI)

As we enter the mud pit of political debate, we should all have something in our lives that allows ourselves an opportunity to escape and remember what life is really about.

Flash

Closed Circuit to JC: Keep Harmon away from the TV, he is starting to buy into those McCain smears and is getting delusional . . well, more delusional than normal *laughing* Great seeing you this weekend, the Kilties looked simply amazing!!!! Best of luck out East!!

Military Vote Slipping?!?

Seems another base demographic is escaping the Right:

U.S. soldiers have donated more presidential campaign money to Democrat Barack Obama than to Republican John McCain, a reversal of previous campaigns in which military donations tended to favor GOP White House hopefuls, a nonpartisan group reported Thursday. Troops serving abroad have given nearly six times as much money to Obama's presidential campaign than they have to McCain's, the Center for Responsive Politics said.

Did you catch that, this isn't just a barely edging him out thing, this is Troops serving abroad have given nearly six times as much money to Obama. Now we can't presume that this indicates the complete loss of the Military vote by the GOP, but last time I spoke with my son, a Bush voter in 2004, he was a leans Obama. Now that he is in theater, that view may adjust to either a swing back to McCain, or a stronger support of Sen Obama. I'll have to ask him some time, but I'll wait till we get through October.

Flash

Who is Really Like Who

Dr. Davis, Anti Nutirion

Our favorite Heifer from the First busts the Right's endorsed lame duck on another 'hoof n mouth' gaff. Or maybe he was serious:

The bad parts are about 70% of it are not really farm programs- they’re food stamps and entitlement programs.

What are those items in the naughty 70%, well, they're food programs to keep people healthy.

Yeap, a Doctor against nutrition, and he is running for congress. Great plank for the platform!

Flash

Foreign Policy via Wiki

When a campaign's sole dig against their opponent is inexperience and unpreparedness, maybe they shouldn't go running to Wiki for speech snippets when an international crisis is developing:

A Wikipedia editor emailed Political Wire to point out some similarities between Sen. John McCain's speech today on the crisis in Georgia and the Wikipedia article on the country Georgia. Given the closeness of the words and sentence structure, most would consider parts of McCain's speech to be derived directly from Wikipedia.

Of course, if Sen. Obama had done the same thing, he would be given a free pass as well, right?!?

Flash

Bayh's Veep Chances

The NYTimes discusses the risk and reward of a Bayh Veep pick. It clealr ywould put Indiana in play, but at the risk of alienating the Peaceniks of the party:

“There is reluctance in my heart, as I know there is in the other senators, to contemplate the use of force,” Mr. Bayh said, adding that he concluded “we were simply left with no other credible alternative to protect the safety and well-being of the American people.”

Six years later, Mr. Bayh is one of the leading candidates to be the running mate of the presumed Democratic presidential nominee, Senator Barack Obama, associates of Mr. Obama say. But Mr. Bayh’s advocacy for the war could complicate his prospects for getting on the ticket.

I don't see this is a hindrance. There are left leaners out there like myself who continue to support the war on terror. we just have some problems with how the current administration is executing it.

Besides, intelligent people are willing to make adjustments to their positions based on new information. We won't say what we call those who are so stubborn they aren't willing to modify their positions at all, even when they are beginning to stand alone on many issues.

Anywho, the article is well worth the read, especially if you are not up to speed on Bayh's history, his dad's accomplishments, and Evan's recent successes.

Flash

Biking

I've been biking about 20 miles every other day. Sore, sure, but the gas in my car lasts longer.

Flash

2008 DCI Finals Scores

CONGRATULATIONS, Phantom. You now have a title you can call your very own!!

Flash

DCI World Championships
World Class Finals
August 9, 2008
Bloomington, IN

01. 98.125 - Phantom Regiment
02. 98.100 - Blue Devils
03. 97.325 - The Cavaliers
04. 96.800 - Carolina Crown
05. 94.750 - The Cadets
06. 93.175 - Bluecoats
07. 93.025 - Santa Clara Vanguard
08. 90.425 - Blue Stars
09. 88.250 - Blue Knights
10. 87.275 - Boston Crusaders
11. 87.200 - Glassmen
12. 85.225 - Madison Scouts

2008 DCI Semifinal's Scores

DCI World Championships
World Class Semifinals
08 August 2008
Bloomington, IN

01. 98.050 - Blue Devils
02. 97.675 - Phantom Regiment
03. 97.550 - The Cavaliers
04. 96.700 - Carolina Crown
05. 95.450 - The Cadets
06. 93.625 - Santa Clara Vanguard
07. 92.800 - Bluecoats
08. 90.575 - Blue Stars ** SIMPLY AMAZING!!
09. 89.700 - Blue Knights
10. 88.975 - Boston Crusaders
11. 88.125 - Glassmen
12. 86.375 - Madison Scouts
^^^ Advance to Finals ^^^

13. 85.950 - Crossmen
14. 85.175 - Colts
15. 83.175 - Spirit
16. 81.100 - Troopers
17. 79.650 - Pacific Crest

Tonight, Saturday evening, the champion will be crowned.

2008 DCI Quarterfinal's Scores

The top 17 perform again tonight to lock in the Top 12 finalists for 2008. My Alma Mater, the Blue Stars, are poised to return to that elite stature with a 9th place Quarterfinal finish. The Madison Scouts look to return after missing out last year, but the Crossmen are breathing down their neck.

Four corps are within 1.5 of each other for the title. I don't recall it ever being this close, certainly with 4 different corps in the hunt.

= = = = =

**** DCI World Championships - World Class Quarterfinals ****
**** 07 August 2008 - Bloomington, IN ****

01. 97.375 - Blue Devils
02. 97.000 - The Cavaliers
03. 96.575 - Phantom Regiment
04. 96.075 - Carolina Crown
05. 94.225 - The Cadets
06. 92.625 - Santa Clara Vanguard
07. 92.175 - Bluecoats
08. 88.425 - Blue Knights
09. 88.100 - Blue Stars
10. 87.925 - Boston Crusaders
11. 87.625 - Glassmen
12. 85.075 - Madison Scouts
13. 84.825 - Crossmen
14. 84.450 - Colts
15. 83.350 - Spirit
16. 81.500 - Troopers
17. 79.350 - Pacific Crest
^^^ Advance to Semis ^^^

18. 78.850 - The Academy
19. 77.925 - Mandarins
20. 74.125 - Pioneer

Flash

(the photo of me was taken in August 1980 during the Blue Stars' DCI Semifinal's performance in Birmingham Alabama. It would be our last show of the season.

LIVE SCORES

UPDATE: Madison returns to Finals in no worse than 12th!! Way to go Gentlemen!

86.375 Madison Scouts
85.950 Crossmen
85.175 Colts
83.175 Spirit
81.100 Troopers
79.650 Pacific Crest

Exxon-McCain ’08

OK, talking points ahead, but this was too dang funny to let slip by.

Now, you may have heard of the tire gauge stunt that totally backfired on the McCain campaign (I really want to type McSame, but am forced to backspace for civility's sake. That's easy to do when you are correct on the issues). It back fired, because, well, Obama a) didn't say what McCain implied, and b) what he did say was correct and made perfect sense. See, he wasn't setting some time National Energy policy when he spoke of tire gagues, he was answering a Citizens question:

"So now the Republicans are going around - this is the kind of thing they do. I don't understand it! They’re going around, they're sending like little tire gauges, making fun of this idea as if this is 'Barack Obama's energy plan.'

"Now two points, one, they know they're lying about what my energy plan is, but the other thing is they're making fun of a step that every expert says would absolutely reduce our oil consumption by 3 to 4 percent. It’s like these guys take pride in being ignorant.

"You know, they think it is funny that they are making fun of something that is actually true. They need to do their homework. Because this is serious business. Instead of running ads about Paris Hilton and Britney Spears they should go talk to some energy experts and actually make a difference."

Oooo , sting . . . burn!!

And now, the DNC is joining forces to make sure the electorate is very clear on what motivates McCain and the GOP this cycle, by launching Exxon-McCain ’08. I like how they put McCain in the Veep slot *laughing*

“The oil industry was so generous with its campaign largesse,” a party official says, “John McCain has not only put Exxon on the ticket — but he has graciously stepped aside and is allowing Exxon ... to run at the top of the ticket."

Anyway, 'Are you Pumped?"

Flash

Speaking of Debates

In case you missed it, the dates are set and the moderators have been announced:

First presidential debate
Friday, September 26
The University of Mississippi, Oxford, Miss.
Jim Lehrer
Executive Editor and Anchor, The NewsHour, PBS

Vice presidential debate
Thursday, October 2
Washington University in St. Louis, Mo.
Gwen Ifill
Senior Correspondent, The NewsHour, and Moderator and Managing Editor, Washington Week, PBS

Second presidential debate (town meeting)
Tuesday, October 7
Belmont University, Nashville, Tenn.
Tom Brokaw
Special Correspondent, NBC News

Third presidential debate
Wednesday, October 15
Hofstra University, Hempstead, N.Y.
Bob Schieffer
CBS News Chief Washington Correspondent, and Host, Face the Nation

Crossing Over

A Republican who has wised up:

A guy gets 70% of the Republican primary vote, and how does he repay his party? By endorsing Barack Obama for president and the Democratic challenger to an incumbent Republican for Senate. At least that's how Joel Haugen, challenging Oregon Rep. David Wu, decided to thank his party's leadership for their support.

My favorite part:

If McCain was serious about competing on the West Coast, he's going to need a more loyal fan base.

When issues are at the fore front, the Dems win, every time. That is why the Right needs to play games (see juvenile floor antics over the last couple days), create something out of nothing ('The One' commercial, which I think in the long run will probably backfire) or completely make stuff up.

Bring on the debates and lets put a nail in the GOP coffin!

Flash

DCI Championship Week

This is Drum Corps International Championship week. Tonight was the final contests leading up to Quarterfinals Thursday. In fact, live via satellite, you can watch Quarterfinals at several Twin Cities Theaters. There they will trim to 17 for Semifinals. At Semis, Friday, we will found out who becomes World Championship Finalists and claim one of the coveted Top 12 slots for 2008. Saturday the Champion will be crowned.

Drum Corps Scores and Rankings for 04 August 2008
**** Final DCI Regular Season Rankings ****

01 (03) - 96.15 (1) - Blue Devils
02 (02) - 96.00 (2) - Phantom Regiment
03 (01) - 95.90 (4) - The Cavaliers
04 (04) - 95.15 (3) - Carolina Crown
05 (05) - 93.90 (3) - The Cadets
06 (06) - 92.35 (1) - Bluecoats
06 (07) - 92.35 (1) - Santa Clara Vanguard
08 (11) - 88.80 (1) - Boston Crusaders
09 (09) - 88.30 (2) - Glassmen
10 (10) - 87.95 (1) - Blue Stars
11 (08) - 87.65 (2) - Blue Knights
12 (12) - 85.05 (3) - Crossmen
13 (13) - 85.00 (2) - Madison Scouts
14 (15) - 83.55 (2) - Colts
15 (14) - 83.10 (1) - Spirit
16 (16) - 82.25 (1) - Troopers
17 (17) - 79.95 (2) - Pacific Crest
18 (19) - 79.00 (1) - Mandarins
19 (18) - 78.10 (2) - The Academy
20 (20) - 74.95 (2) - Pioneer

-------

(1) = 08/04/08 - Massilon, OH (DCI)
(2) = 08/04/08 - Toledo, OH (DCI)
(3) = 08/03/08 - Westminster, MD (DCI)
(4) = 08/01/08 - Allentown, PA (DCI)

- - - -
****Average of Last 5 Shows - DCI World Class Corps****

01 (01) - 95.090 - Blue Devils
02 (04) - 94.330 - Phantom Regiment
03 (02) - 94.235 - The Cavaliers
04 (03) - 94.200 - Carolina Crown
05 (05) - 93.270 - The Cadets
06 (06) - 90.810 - Bluecoats
07 (07) - 90.410 - Santa Clara Vanguard
08 (09) - 87.520 - Glassmen
09 (08) - 87.420 - Blue Stars
10 (10) - 87.150 - Blue Knights
11 (11) - 86.360 - Boston Crusaders
12 (12) - 84.525 - Madison Scouts
13 (13) - 83.835 - Crossmen
14 (14) - 83.480 - Colts
15 (15) - 82.580 - Spirit
16 (17) - 80.705 - Troopers
17 (16) - 79.895 - Pacific Crest
18 (18) - 78.105 - The Academy
19 (19) - 77.305 - Mandarins
20 (20) - 74.060 - Pioneer

T-Paw Joins Fray

Timmy tries to dig at Sen. Obaama during the opening of McCain's campaign office in Ames Iowa:

Pawlenty, named as possible running mate to presumptive Republican nominee John McCain, was responding to Obama's statement on Friday that he would support offshore drilling if it were the key to an energy policy compromise.

"He's put so many contingencies around it that I wonder, in fact I question, whether he would do it at all," Pawlenty said after he helped open Republican campaign office in Ames. "It may be a way for him to gain favor during the election, and tube it later because all the contingencies weren't met."

It wasn't the challenge in Obama's policy that was surprising. I mean, since we are dealing with a floundering McCain campaign, desperation is expected, but it was this comment I found humorous:

He said a vote for Obama "is the political equivalent of bungee jumping."

SInce we already know that a vote for McCain would be like continuing to beat your head against the wall, I guess I'd rather go bungee jumping.

Flash

Tom's Boots are on the Ground

My son, Sgt. Tom, is in Iraq:

Hey Dad just wanted to drop you a line and let you know I'm alive! Just got settled in out here in Iraq. Its not to bad. Pretty hot and the sand storms suck but other than that its not to bad.

It's been pretty quiet out here. In the few days I have been here I have heard nothing in the way of combat, explosions, and hardly any aircraft flying around. I am at Al Asad Airbase. its in the Anbar providence about 80 miles east of Iraq.

So whats new out there? how are the boys? Well keep in touch the more news i get the better lol, It gets pretty stagnant out here! Love you dad! later!

-Tom

He is in for a 6 month stint. It will be a LONG 6 months for me.

Proud Marine Dad!

Remembering - I35

I have nothing more to add so I will just point you to the posts from a year ago:


35W MIssissippi Bridge collapses

Minnesota Nice * I-35W

Photos * I-35W

Corps Family * I-35W

Photo Credit Kyle Krohn, used with permission