Volume 2 Issue 12

February 18, 2003

The West Coast Swamp, Part II

More Swamp from the Bay, more snow in the East, and someone should pay for that crappy Joe Millionaire ending

So another warm sunny morning on the West Coast, and as the prospect of returning to snowbound DC looms, I'm beginning to see why the folks out here think we're nuts to live out there. As things start up again in the East, I see that North Korea is going at it again, while Bush continues to ignore it in order to deal with his obsession with Iraq. Also, we now have 8 Dems running for President, as everyone over 35 seems to want a shot. Should be a fun week!

I'll probably do a summary of the trip out West later in the week, but a few other observations. When I leave DC, it's interesting to me how different it is in that people aren't all caught up in the politics of things. But that's when I visit other places on the East Coast. Here, there seems to be a real disconnect to things out East even, maybe it's the time change, but it seems like a very different place, even though it has the same problems and issues as anywhere else. This has been my first time to California, believe it or not, and while I'm still not sure I want to go to Southern California, I've been pleasantly surprised with Northern California.

And Joe Millionaire...so after a week of discussion as to the "twist" that would end the show...the gave them each $500,000?!?!? That's it? I expected him to try to choose both, or for the winner to run off with the butler or something. (Here's an article on the winner: http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/17/joe.millionaire.ap/ index.html) Damn FOX does it again. I will say that it's interesting watching something like that on West Coast TV, because you know that the show aired 3 hours earlier out East, and it's tough to resist the urge to go on-line or something and find out what happened. But if I lived out here, that would really help me not watch crappy shows, which I guess is another quality of life improvement out here.

Anyway, sorry this is a bit short today, but busy day here in California, and I'll be heading home on the red-eye tonight, and arrive back in DC tomorrow morning...if the flight goes. Once there, I'll either have to make my way into work, or home depending on the government operating status, so there's a good chance that I may have to miss tomorrow if I have to shovel out a spot for the car or something like that. Special thanks to Jon and Kate, my hosts in California, for their hospitality out here...and again...we will deal with the SUV discussion later in the week :)

The Blizzard of 2003: Washington remains shut down -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22862-2003Feb17.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/18/national/18DIST.html
In fact, the whole Northeast was hammered -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22579-2003Feb17.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/18/nyregion/18SNOW.html

But at least the panic has subsided: New York and DC were much calmer with the snow, figuring that even terrorists wouldn't attack in the middle of a blizzard -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/18/nyregion/18SCEN.html

That Other Country...mabye we should start paying attention to them: North Korea threatened to pull out of the Korean War armistice, and restart the war. Glad we're not paying attention to them, seeing that we're obsessed with Iraq, and not with the nation that we know has nukes and that can hit the West Coast with them -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/2774003.stm
An attack on a South Korean subway has left more than 100 people dead. There is no proof that North Korea was behind it, but... -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23771-2003Feb18.html

Iraq, it's everyone's favorite country to invade!: Immigrant groups are particularly against the potential war in Iraq -
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2003/02/17/MN47469.DTL
War Planners are beginning to worry about something going bad, either during the war or in the post-war period -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/18/politics/18MILI.html

Look Who's Running for President: Dennis Kucinich has announced he will run for President, brining the total Dem candidates to 8. Great...time for a new name again. Any ideas? -
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/politics/politics-politics-kucinich.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22505-2003Feb17.html

Look Who's Running For President - A Scorecard Update (2/18):
RUNNING
Gov. Howard "Jed Bartlett" Dean (Vermont) - http://www.deanforamerica.com/
Senator John Kerry (Massachusetts) - http://www.johnkerry.com
Senator John Edwards (North Carolina) - http://www.johnedwards2004.com/
Congressman Richard Gephardt (Missouri) Reportedly Dick will have a site by next week...
Al Sharpton (NY) - http://www.sharptonexplore2004.com/
Senator Joe Liberman (Conn.) - http://www.joe2004.com
Former Senator Carol Moseley Braun (Illinois)
Congressman Dennis Kucinich (Ohio) -

CONSIDERING
Former Senator Gary Hart (Colorado) - http://www.garyhartnews.com
Senator Bob Graham (Florida)
General Wesley Clark (Arkansas)
Senator Chris Dodd (Conn.)

LONG SHOTS
Senator Joseph Biden (Delaware)
50 "favorite sons" under the Donna Brazille plan
And half the Democratic Party over the age of 35.

OUT
Former VP and President-Elect Al Gore
Governor Gray Davis (California)
Former Senator Bill Bradley (New Jersey)
Senator Tom Daschle (South Dakota)
Senator Hilary Clinton (New York)

Card Movement Today: Welcome, Dennis! Next up, Mr. Graham!

Politics, California Style: An interesting thing I came across here is that San Francisco will try using an "instant runoff" or "ranked preference" voting system this year. This system would allow third party candidates to have more influence on elections, and wouldn't keep people from "throwing their votes away" when they vote for them. Hope it works, could be implemented for more small offices in state's with runoff laws -
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/02/17/BA78057.DTL

Bad Transportation Policy: The Bush administration is apparently trying to get control of deciding which Amtrak routes to cut from Congress, which is usually unwilling to cut routes that pass through members districts. Of course, it would make sense to increase funding to help take me pressure off the airlines by running competitive short distance routes as well, but who cares? It's not like the Bush administration has ever been interested in improving the nation -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23052-2003Feb17.html

Guns, Umbrellas, what's the difference? The man who invented the AK-47 is now designing umbrellas -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2772975.stm

Have a great day! Folks in DC, shovel out a path for me!