Hey y’all. I’m still feeling a bit burnt from the All-Night Bicycle Ride that’s a famous centerpiece to Kenneth Jackson’s History of NYC course (for which I’m TA’ing at the moment); nevertheless, updates here should now resume the regular schedule.
Category: North America
Gotham Reprieve.
Isabel bypasses New York. Hopefully everyone is safe and sound down South…I still haven’t been able to get through to the family in Chesapeake, but I presume all is ok, give or take some felled trees and power outages.
Red Skies and Bluegrass.
Hey y’all…busy weekend over here in these parts. Aside from a final orgy of TIME-reading to put an end to my summer research work, I also went to go check out the Creative Time fireworks show, where I spent most of the 4-and-some-odd minutes trying to prevent Berkeley from having a coronary (Lousy judgment on my part bringing him…I thought he might enjoy night in the Park, but he clearly thought he was back on Hill 243.) And I got to see St. Felix Station, my friend’s great bluegrass band over at Pete’s Candy Store in Williamsburg (and was delighted to find said candy store has a weekly trivia night…booyah.)
Bay-de Runner.
“Is this to be an empathy test? Capillary dilation, or the so-called ‘blush response’?” Via Looka, Wave Magazine tries out the Voight-Kampff test on San Francisco mayoral candidates…and one of ’em actually gets it.
Leap of Faith.
In a decision that may prove costly for Congressional Dems in 2004, John Edwards cancels his Senate bid to focus full-time on running for President. (I’d say Erskine Bowles is a strong back-up candidate – still, Dems are rarely an easy sell in North Carolina). I presume Edwards is making this move to gather some momentum and try to stake out the “Son of the South” slot in the top tier before Clark shows up to steal his mojo. As I’ve noted before, Edwards plays the populism angle very well, but he’s going to have a seriously uphill battle should the General join the fight. And at the moment he’s got ground to make up in my mind for his defense of the Patriot Act.
Start Spreading the News.
Hey y’all…after a massive amount of traveling, bill-paying, and errand-running over the past 48 hours or so, I’m now back home in NYC. While I’m a bit melancholy that three weeks of sun and fun are over, there is something to be said for having Berk at my side and the world at my fingertips again…no more dial-up, booyah. At any rate, I’ll post some vacation pics here once I get all my images organized…in the meantime, expect updates here to resume normal schedule.
Place your bets.
The Post handicaps the 2004 Senate races. And it appears the Dems’ll have trouble in the South if Graham and/or Edwards don’t stand down by then.
Pitch Black.
Well, it looks like I picked a good day to be on the other side of the world…hope everyone is safe and sound in NYC and the NE corridor. I wonder if we can pin this on the Cheney Energy Task Force. Speaking of which, I wonder if Dubya’s going to fly to Omaha and back again while they sort everything out.
What is best in life?
To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of Gray Davis. His politics something of a mystery, Arnie joins the hunt for California governor. As Joe Conason notes, perhaps Republicans will finally shut up now about Susan Sarandon, the Dixie Chicks, and other left-leaning Hollywood activists (although somehow I doubt it.)
Fritz Hollering.
“I can tell you this categorically, we’ve got the weakest president and weakest government in the history of my 50 years of public service. I say weak president in that the poor boy campaigns all the time and pays no attention to what’s going on in the Congress. Karl Rove tells him to do this or do that or whatever it is, but he’s out campaigning.” On his way out the door, South Carolina’s Fritz Hollings speaks his mind on Dubya. Hear hear.