District of Columbia
updated
9:43 p.m.
On Saturday, November 22, the most storied rivalry in all of college football will once again play itself out. That's right folks, it's time for the OHIO STATE vs. michigan game. GO BUCKS! My brother, also a huge OHIO STATE fan, is probably at this very moment chalking Block O's on his neighbor's driveways -- uh, did I mention he lives in michigan? In the morning, he'll blast the OHIO STATE f...
The Zaftig Redhead - 8:21 p.m.
Katie Couric visited The Late Show with David Letterman a few nights ago. The interview was all about Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK), but apparently Sen. John McCain's now infamous dissing of Dave in favor of the CBS Evening News never came up. In this hilarious clip, Dave rectifies that unacceptable state of affairs by giving Katie a buzz to clear the air. Couric has a great sense of humor -- ...
The Zaftig Redhead - 7:20 p.m.
Paybacks are ... negotiable? All's well that ends... without retribution? Sen. Joe Lieberman (turncoat-CT) apparently kissed and kinda-sorta made up with the Senate Democrats today. The wishy-washy caucus voted 42-13 on a resolution condemning statements made by Connecticut's infamous pain in the ass during the campaign. I'm sure that very firm slap on the wrist struck fear in the heart of any str...
The Zaftig Redhead - Tue 9:48 p.m. - 3 clicks 
Here it is, folks. President-Elect Barack Obama's first post-election interview, with Steve Kroft of 60 Minutes . How very presidential to have his first interview as President-Elect be with the venerable news magazine. This is not a clip -- it is the whole enchilada. Our next president is calm and confident, and Michelle Obama joins in for part of the conversation. Enjoy! Obama and the Presid...
The Zaftig Redhead - Mon 1:01 p.m. - 13 clicks
I joined the protest against Prop 8 in DC today - we started in front of the Capitol, headed down the Mall and ended up in front of the White House. We marched, chanted, and got rained on. I made a bunch of new friends, and applauded drivers who honked their support. I've participated in marches before, but I dunno ... this one felt different. It felt like we were marching towards something, with...
DailyKos (DC) - Sat 9:00 p.m. - 22 clicks
I attended the equal rights march in Washington, D.C. today, which was triggered by California voters' decision on proposition 8. Other cities also had rallies, documented by others: jpmassar in San Francisco , CDH in Brooklyn in Cincinnati , DavidW in South Florida , bria in New York City , and proudprogressiveCA also in New York City , the last three of which have photos. ...
DailyKos (DC) - Sat 3:50 p.m. - 23 clicks
A friend sent along this little ditty, and I simply had to share the love. Bear with me as I set up the context for this video. It goes something like this: I have long held that my home technologies -- and the work ones, for that matter -- are often attacked by trouble-making gremlins. Computers, voicemail, printers, DVD players -- devices working fine one day that can suddenly, inexplicably be k...
The Zaftig Redhead - Nov 11
I’d been meaning to write something along the lines of this post by Yglesias for a while: Conservative pseudointellectuals who want to convince you they have some special scholarly insight into The Muslim Mind by invoking taqiyya as, more or less, a synonym for lying. Now, granted, I only took one undergrad course on Islam, [...]...
Notes from the Lounge - Nov 11 - 16 clicks
Youth voters (ages 18-29) didn't just rock the vote, they moved mountains this election year. And, as absentee and early voting ballots continue to get counted, the turnout totals continue to rise. CIRCLE now estimates that: -- 23 million young voters went to the polls on November 4th -- an increase of 3.4 million over 2004. -- Youth turnout will likely top off somewhere around 52-53 percent...
The Zaftig Redhead - Nov 10 - 10 clicks
Naomi Klein, call your office: “Rule one: Never allow a crisis to go to waste,” [Rahm] Emanuel said in an interview on Sunday. “They are opportunities to do big things.” ...
Notes from the Lounge - Nov 10 - 12 clicks
Figure I should cross-link this post at Ars, since my modal political geek reader probably cares more than my modal tech geek reader about my picking a fight with Michael Lind. ...
Notes from the Lounge - Nov 10 - 14 clicks
Kerry Howley points out that people who treat “libertarian” and “feminist” as antonyms are, by and large, really fucking dumb: For some reason, various libertarian-leaning men are only capable of acknowledging the limiting nature of social norms when those norms result from recent political action. We all worry that universal surveillance breeds passive adults with no [...]...
Notes from the Lounge - Nov 7
I”ve just been channeling my blogging Chi into the newborn Law & Disorder. Here’s what I’ve been doing there, in case (for some crazy reason) it’s not in your feed yet: More presidential cabinet speculation porn A galaxy of tech stars are being named as possible candidates for Chief Technology Officer in the Obama administration. Here are [...]...
Notes from the Lounge - Nov 7
This letter was circulated to me via email, but I traced its origins back to The Root . This site "is a daily online magazine that provides thought-provoking commentary on today's news from a variety of black perspectives...[that] aims to be an unprecedented departure from traditional American journalism, raising the profile of black voices in mainstream media and engaging anyone interested in...
The Zaftig Redhead - Nov 6
The people have spoken. Definitively. What follows is an excerpt from President-Elect Barack Obama's victory speech . This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight's about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one...
The Zaftig Redhead - Nov 4
Feel free to add your own suggestions in comments: Black Swan — Thom Yorke Succexy — Metric I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free — Nina Simone Sick Of You — Lou Reed Lip Service — Elvis Costello Nothing Much to Lose — My Bloody Valentine Cake Parade — Georgie James Electioneering — Radiohead Game of Pricks — Guided By [...]...
Notes from the Lounge - Nov 4
Ezra Klein and Rachel Maddow absolutely nail this: A four, five, or six hour line at the polling station is just a poll tax exacted in time rather than dollars. That’s not to say we should holler “disenfranchisement” every time there’s a bit of a queue at the booth, or even that it’s obvious which [...]...
Notes from the Lounge - Nov 4 - 2 clicks
So, as readers have noticed, I don’t blog here nearly as often as I once did; daily journalism is time consuming. But I got my start as a writer blogging, and in a lot of ways that’s probably still my comparative advantage. So I’m happy to announce that, starting today, I’ll be blogging about the [...]...
Notes from the Lounge - Nov 4 - 14 clicks
Congratulations to Progressive Future for an evocative spot that tugs at your heartstrings, managing to make you sad, angry and hopeful all at once. The music is a masterful choice, but the images seal the deal. The pictures remind us of the commonality of our experiences and that we're all in this together -- and that better days are ahead for all of us, and for this nation founded on the grand...
The Zaftig Redhead - Nov 3
Tomorrow's the big day. The Election Day we've all been waiting for, the one that couldn't come soon enough -- if only to cease the endless commercials, robocalls, and shredding of trees for campaign fodder. Those of you lucky enough to live outside the boundaries of the District of Columbia will also be electing House and Senate candidates in addition to a president. Lucky you. I'm soooo jealous....
The Zaftig Redhead - Nov 3 - 8 clicks
Less than 48 hours from the election of our lives, here is what some of the best known minds in the business are predicting. What does your crystal ball say? Better yet, what does your gut say? And, if you're that confident, enter the Washington Post's Pick Your President Contest . Remember, a presidential candidate needs 270 votes to carry the Electoral College . Fred Barnes, executive edi...
The Zaftig Redhead - Nov 2 - 10 clicks
Folks have been asking for the clips of Saturday Night Live's latest entry into one of their best seasons ever. So, yes, by popular demand -- only a few days out from the election -- here is the Nov. 1 edition of SNL, with special guest Sen. John McCain (R-AZ). Take a look at at this great segment featuring McCain/Palin on QVC -- with a well-conceived cameo by Cindy McCain and the amazing Tin...
The Zaftig Redhead - Nov 2 - 8 clicks
With Halloween just days before Election Day, pumpkin fever has struck the Obama Faithful -- momentarily creating orange states out of red, blue and purple. In fact, Yes We Carve is holding a contest for the best Obamakin -- win an iPod! Also, there are photos galore of the lengths Obama supporters are going to via squashes around the nation. If you are feeling the need to join the fun, ...
The Zaftig Redhead - Oct 31
From all reports, early voting is off the charts this election season. Florida's Republican governor declared an emergency, ordering polling places to stay open later to contend with the hours-long wait at some voting places. Finally, this year, Americans will turn out in record numbers -- in numbers we've never seen before. This is wonderful, amazing, thrilling. But the sad fact is that ...
The Zaftig Redhead - Oct 29 - 5 clicks
This Obama for President ad first aired during Gov. Sarah Palin's (R-AK) much anticipated appearance on Saturday Night Live last weekend. In the ad, real women talk about their distrust of Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), touching on some of the most critical issues that women voters are keying in on this year -- pay equity , health care, retirement security, etc. The ad also features Sen. Barack Oba...
The Zaftig Redhead - Oct 26
Another priceless entry in what is proving to be a banner year for Saturday Night Live . This latest gem comes from the special Thursday, October 23rd edition of Weekend Update . Apparently George W. Bush has decided to not only school Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) on the duties of the vice president, but also decides his super-duper endorsement is just what McCain needs. Of course, McCain is nowhere ...
The Zaftig Redhead - Oct 24 - 8 clicks
One of my favorite toys from childhood was a the Etch A Sketch -- and it's not just cuz I'm a born and bred Buckeye. More than 150 million Etch A Sketches have been sold by the Bryan, Ohio-based Ohio Art Co. since the toy was introduced in 1960. Ohio Art, founded in Archbold, Ohio in 1908, will mark its 100th anniversary this month (October). The toy was first developed by a French elect...
The Zaftig Redhead - Oct 24 - 8 clicks
Good guy Director Ron Howard had made a wonderful video, bringing back beloved TV characters to stump for Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL). For those of us who grew up on The Andy Griffith Show and Happy Days , the clip is a fun walk down memory lane -- with a creative current events twist. Even better, Howard teamed up with former co-stars Andy Griffith and Henry Winkler to reprise their most famous r...
The Zaftig Redhead - Oct 24
Congressional Quarterly, better known as CQ, has changed several race ratings this week. We've all heard about CNN moving Virginia from the swing-state category into the "Leans Democratic" category, thanks to Barack Obama's newly announced 10-point lead in the commonwealth. But here is the low-down on some House races previously thought out of Big Blue's reach. Not anymore, my friends. Here's ...
The Zaftig Redhead - Oct 24 - 10 clicks
People do not like a loser, and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) is starting to be a stinker -- if you go by his own party's behavior. First, well known conservative pundit George Will seems to have had it with The Maverick -- McCain's deer-in-the-headlights reaction to the economic crisis seems to have sent Will over the edge. Then, in the course of a week, Christopher Buckley -- columnist for the W...
The Zaftig Redhead - Oct 24
In 2007, Gen. Colin Powell gave a political donation to Sen. John McCain (R-AZ). Yes, in the primary, Powell was pulling for the Maverick -- and calls him a "dear friend." But Powell has become increasingly concerned about the direction that the Republican party has taken, and Powell cites Gov. Sarah Palin's selection as further evidence of that troubling shift. On the subject of Palin (R-AK), Pow...
The Zaftig Redhead - Oct 24 - 7 clicks
Whoever thought that vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin's most sustained television appearance (outside of news coverage of canned stump speeches) would be on Saturday Night Live? Imagine that -- a few weeks before the election, and she's never done a press conference, never done a Sunday morning talking head show. These are strange times indeed, my friend. So SNL decided to help the Alaskan go...
The Zaftig Redhead - Oct 24 - 7 clicks
For those waffling voters out there wondering what four-to-eight years of McSame might look like, let's take a moment to recap the last eight. If you're like me, you'll probably throw up a little bit in your mouth as you literally gag over the disaster of the past two presidential terms, courtesy of Bush 43, Cheney and Company. ...
The Zaftig Redhead - Oct 24 - 12 clicks
The two presidential candidates took a welcome respite from the largely unfunny if not downright dangerous attacks of this year's race for the White House, and instead dusted off some more lighthearted ammunition at the annual Al Smith Memorial Foundation charity event. Held in honor of the late New York Governor to benefit children's charities, the dinner was held in New York City Thursday ...
The Zaftig Redhead - Oct 24
Besides the primary for elected officials, the other election happening tomorrow (on the same ballots) is that for most members of the DC Democratic State Committee (DSC, the local branch of the Democratic Party), including DC’s representatives on the Democratic National Committee (DNC) — who will be superdelegates in 2012. The DCDSC consists of about 80 [...]...
DCDL - Sep 8 - 12 clicks
Tuesday, September 9, is primary day here DC. If you’re a Democrat, Republican, or State Green Party member who’s been registered to vote in DC for at least 30 days, be sure to get to the polls. See the Board of Elections and Ethics site for information. If you live in Ward 2, 4, 7, or [...]...
DCDL - Sep 8 - 12 clicks
The word from the national Drinking Liberally folks is that there’ve been some problems with the e-mail announcement lists and unfortunately in changing list software the modifications for the last month or so have been lost. That means that if you subscribed to or unsubscribed from the DCDL announcement list within the last month, you may [...]...
DCDL - Jul 24 - 13 clicks