links for 2008-10-23

"Nothing would make me happier than to get this issue out in the open and over with. So let's have the records and put all this 'curiosity-seeking' behind us. Could she even get her doctor, Catherine Baldwin-Johnson, to return press calls as she did before September?

"By the way, in traditional political discourse, 'curiosity-seeking' is simply the normal transparency for any presidential or vice-presidential candidate. And remember: they could have done this weeks ago." It's all about being accountable—and this goes for both sides. Obama has not been as forthcoming as he should be.

"For me the most moving moment came when the family in front of me, comprising probably 4 generations of voters (including an 18 year old girl voting for her first time and a 90-something hunched-over grandmother), got their turn to vote. When the old woman left the voting booth she made it about halfway to the door before collapsing in a nearby chair, where she began weeping uncontrollably. When we rushed over to help we realized that she wasn't in trouble at all but she had not truly believed, until she left the booth, that she would ever live long enough to cast a vote for an African-American for president. Anyone who doesn't think that African-American turnout will absolutely SHATTER every existing record is in for a very rude surprise." Yes, we can.

McCain admits that she's a cold, political calculation. Biden, on the other hand, was selected for governance.

"Suicide attacks and kidnappings have led to the repatriation of foreign skilled labor. The bourses are a blood bath as foreign investors continue to pull out. Unable to pay its bills, the government has taken to issuing I.O.U.s to private- and public-sector companies. Overall inflation is at a punishing 30-year high. Power shortages, the worst in at least 15 years, are disrupting businesses already hurt by higher input costs. To top it off, much-needed funding and easier terms promised by Pakistan’s allies and multilateral donor agencies have yet to materialize. Foreign-exchange reserves, worth about two months of imports, are fast running out—and with the worsening economic situation, so is public patience." Just what we need … an unstable country that has nukes. And you wonder why we're working to strengthen ties with India?

"Neither of these legal instruments is useful to me when I merely want to pitch a friend about my idea. The concept of getting Phil to sign an NDA over a beer while we shoot the shit about my random drive-to-work idea makes no sense. Phil’s a friend." Dr. Boom and I should just have a standing one of these.

"Pixish will be closing its doors at the end of the month.

"Why? Mostly because of personal stuff. Pixish was created by four people as a side project. Between us, the last year has brought births, deaths, and too many job/client changes to remember. As a result, we have not been able to give the site the time and attention it deserved.

"On the other side of the equation, the site's community never really gelled. In nine months we only grew to about 5,000 members. With time short and usage low, we've decided it's time to pull the plug.

"What went wrong? In a sense, nothing. We had an idea and wanted to try it out. We did it on our own time, without spending much money. I'm proud that we were able to learn a few things without going broke. People have spent far more creating much less. And I'm happy that some people had fun as part of the site." I hate to see it go, but I think he's making the right decision.

"'I loved that he cleaned up after himself before leaving an ice cream shop in Wapello, Iowa. He didn't have to. The event was over and the press had left. He is used to taking care of things himself and I think this is one of the qualities that makes Obama different from so many other political candidates I've encountered.'

"'Two staffers had just passed this site and done two pull-ups. Not to be outdone, Obama did three with ease, dropped and walked out to make a speech.'

"It's always the little things." Indeed, it is.

"The owners are Parker Griffith and his wife. He's running for a vacant congressional seat, in a hard-fought race that's turned out to be about as mean and nasty as they come.
"The reason for the photo is that Griffith, as part of his campaign, recently participated in a discussion forum. In the course of it he said, 'I think America's greatest enemy is America, and its materialism.'
"Now, of the two contenders for that office, I happen to think Griffith is the least objectionable. But still, isn't it somewhat of a stretch to be out on the campaign trail denouncing materialism, then head home to one's 8,000-square foot digs?" Yes, yes it is. And man … I'm really thinking about writing myself in, or maybe seeing if there's a "Wayne Griffith" in Alabama5, because … both of these guys just plain suck.