Chris Van Vechten: May 2008 Archives
WATER-BOTTLE-GATE?
I've seen this happen again and again and again. A woman faints at an Obama rally and he tosses her a water-bottle. It happened in Seattle, multiple times in California, and when John Edwards endorsed Obama in Michigan.
Many on YouTube and conservative talk radio argue that this is part of a grand conspiracy called "Water-Bottle-Gate" - but the fact of the matter is this is hardly unusual. As much as Obama would like to believe that women are fainting because they are overwhelmed by his passion and charisma, I can personally attest from having been intimately involved in Democratic politics for the past six years that there's hardly a convention or major caucus or rally where there isn't some sort of medical emergency. In Pierce County we're up-to-our-ears in heart-attacks, as older voters turn out and become overly stimulated by the crowds and excitement we churn out.
THE ULTIMATE MELON QUIZ
By popular request, I am bringing back The Melon Quiz. I did not publish the last winner, as I was detained and under the impression that this test was no longer garnering the interest it was. This next quiz is especially long to make up for it. The winner will receive a free used book from my personal library. Good luck - don't cheat!
DENNIS FLANNIGAN kicks of 2008 CAMPAIGN FOR CHARITY - NOT CONTRIBUTIONS
The 27th LD's three-term incumbent, Dennis Flannigan, is finally jump-starting his unopposed re-election campaign for the Washington State Legislature. Many suspected that Flannigan would not seek a fourth term following a difficult year marked by declining health, a vicious media campaign following a PDC investigation that found that Flannigan had failed to disclose several hundred shares of stock in a company he had helped secure public funds for, and a remarkable line-drive up the center during a charity baseball game that landed the unflappable Flannigan in the emergency room. Nonetheless, Flannigan feels confident about his abilities to continue representing the 27th LD, and to continue his position of leadership as Vice Chair of the House Transportation Committee.
The following is an invite from Representative Flannigan himself.
WHY PUBLIC $UPPORT FOR THE ART$ MAKE$ GOOD BU$INESS $ENSE
As the Pierce County Council considers major cuts to public arts programs, I thought it would be fitting if we listed some of the economic benefits of a strong local arts industry. The Following statistics were gathered from The Public Life of the Arts in America published in the year 2000.
...more.THURSDAY THUNDER -YOUTUBE SOLUTE 5/22/2008
The following is a list of my favorite YouTube videos for the week:
X-rated Music Video
Gavin Newsom and Arnold Schwarzenegger on Gay marriage
STATE BOARD PROPOSES MORE ARTS CREDITS to HIGH SCHOOL CORE
The following letter was recently composed by Una McAlinden, Executive Director of ArtsEd Washington
HOW FDR FOUGHT THE AXIS VS BUSH AND JOHN MCCAIN
This is how FDR's era fought the Axis in WW2. And this is how our era fights the Axis of Evil today.
WASHINGTON'S 9TH CD SELECTS NATIONAL DELEGATES FOR OBAMA & CLINTON
Saturday, May 17, 2008, Washington's most dedicated Democrats battled to convince their peers to send them up as National Delegates for Senators Obama and Clinton at the DNC in August. The following is a report from Louis Tibbs, president of the 25th LDs Democratic Chapter and a leader in the local Obama for President movement:
At yesterday's 9th CD Caucus in Lacey, the Obama campaign picked up 3 delegates (2 men + 1 woman) and one alternate (woman). The Clinton campaign picked up 2 delegates. There were 98 people running for Obama national delegate. Of the 98 people there were 53 men and 45 women running. I was not successful as a national delegate for Obama. Today (Sunday) I was in Ellensburg to attend the Democratic State Platform Committee. This was the third meeting we've had. The first two were last weekend in Seattle. There is one more the last weekend in May in Ellensburg; and then we meet in Spokane on the Friday before the State Convention begins. Here's a summary of the events for the 9th CD yesterday.
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OBAMA VS MCCAIN (EDUCATION)
The following is a brief comparative analysis of the pedagogical platforms of both Senators Barak Obama and John McCain.
THE UNLIKELY INVENTOR: Samuel Crumbine
Insect infestations have plagued households and even empires throughout recorded history, yet it was not until 1905 when a Kansas doctor and health crusader named Samuel Crumbine invented the "swat-a-fly" or "flyswatter" as it is known today. Attaching some wire mesh to a yardstick, Crumbine's swat-a-fly remains the most prolific model of pest control in circulation today. Yet as the fly gun and electric flyswatter demonstrate, there may be room to make a better mouse trap.
ON THIS DAY - 20 YEARS FROM NOW
May 6, 2028
On this day the United State Supreme Court first took up the case of Sinclair v. Tawny in which the issue of whether or not an employer's decision to monitor an employee's email traffic and internet usage from home represented an unconstitutional invasion of an employee's privacy.
...more.PSE CALLS FOR MERGER & RATE INCREASES
I recently received a couple of notices with my monthly statement from the Puget Sound Energy Company (PSE) that allegedly were not sent to PSE's online bill-payers (though notices were posted on the PSE public website). The first notice was about a proposed merger that would convert PSE from a publicly owned company and place total ownership in PSE's largest investor - Puget Holdings - an international collection of investors based in Australia, The United States and especially Canada. PSE headquarters will remain in Bellevue, WA for a minimum of five years with its current management and employees, but the notice provides no details beyond that.
...more.