Went to the Obama rally today. Pretty far in the back, with two small kids, but it was high energy and fun.

David Sirota has a nice blog piece about it, and I love the image he created.

Two Kinds of People in the World

Those who feel the need to tell you they read the New York Times Book Review.

And those who don't feel such a need.

Separating the "Pro-America" Areas from the "Anti-America" Parts

Joe McCarthy, reborn as the GOP VP for 2008.

Sarah Palin at a fundraiser in North Carolina, Oct. 16, 2008 as reported by Washington Post:

"We believe that the best of America is in these small towns that we get to visit, and in these wonderful little pockets of what I call the real America, being here with all of you hard working very patriotic, um, very, um, pro-America areas of this great nation. This is where we find the kindness and the goodness and the courage of everyday Americans. Those who are running our factories and teaching our kids and growing our food and are fighting our wars for us. Those who are protecting us in uniform. Those who are protecting the virtues of freedom."

Now, Sarah, would you consider as "Pro America" that part of Alaska which supports the secessionist group to which your husband belonged and which you praised in a speech?

Reminiscence: The New Yorker Contest I Won

In the early 1990's, SAAB ran a regular (yearly?) contest in the New Yorker. A New Yorker artist would create a cartoon and readers were invited to submit captions. In 1993, I entered and won, the top entry of 2000 entries. My prize was a 6 month lease (with insurance) of a new SAAB of my choice, a trip to NYC for two, with a stop at the Liberty Science Center in NJ for the unveiling of SAAB's new model, dinner and a room at the Algonquin hotel, and a tour the next day of the New Yorker magazine.

Here's a photo of the cartoon (below) and one of me with the car (above).

Alaska Independent Party: "My government is my worst enemy"

From Salon:

Oct. 7, 2008 | "My government is my worst enemy. I'm going to fight
them with any means at hand."

This was former revolutionary terrorist Bill Ayers back in his old
Weather Underground days, right? Imagine what Sarah Palin is going to
do with this incendiary quote as she tears into Barack Obama this
week.

Only one problem. The quote is from Joe Vogler, the raging
anti-American who founded the Alaska Independence Party.
Inconveniently for Palin, that's the very same secessionist party
that her husband, Todd, belonged to for seven years and that she sent
a shout-out to as Alaska governor earlier this year. ("Keep up the
good work," Palin told AIP members. "And God bless you.")