From the Chicago Tech Report
Yes, this is Danny Choo - former site manager for AMAZON.com...product manager for Microsoft and CEO of Mirai, Inc.
Transcendental grade for booty-shakin storm trooper: 6.5/7 chakras. Good boy, Danny.
This...is...hilarious.
Transcendental grade for A+ speech writers: 6/7 chakras
Wow.
Okay. I have sat on the couch, watching now, until the whole ACORN thing. It's not that I don't think that McCain is a bad guy or couldn't do the job better the W did; he may vey well be able to. BUT. The guy is childish. Cutting off Obama and jumping on his statements left and right. He has a couple of points, and re-routes whatever question is currently being asked back to being able to give those same answers. again. Yes, this is a political debate tactic. But not THIS much. An apologist, and make no mistakes the POTUS *should* be, can use that tactic and not seem evasive. Because they are sharp.
Am I making a comparison against normal public office? NO. I'm making a comparison against the needs of, arguably, the most powerful office in the world, and what it will take to have that office respected around the world again. 10 years ago, McCain was sharp enough to marshal the enormous skillset the office demands. A skillset belonging to the likes of Reagan, Clinton, and Nixon, with a bit of Bush Sr. thrown in.
We haven't had a *President* in a long time. We've had someone sitting at the desk. Nothing against McCain stance or knowledge--he's just not sharp enough apologetically, and with regards to his demeanor.
Now about Obama. He's not the whole package either--he has the skillset but not the experience. Here's the thing--he can council with people with experience and then implement those stances by himself. McCain may have some of the answers, but doesn't purport himself in adrenaline situations as someone garning the awe and respect a President should. Obama will get experience. McCain, with all due respect, will get older and lose more of his ability to do this. Even just now he said, "I admire [Obamas] eloquence..." duh. His eloquence can be shaped by a cabinet with the clout to do it. McCain will still come across like a needy, slightly frenetic Bush, with a sprinkling of crotchity emotionalism, cutting people off and chiming the same things over and over again.
On Economy - Still waiting for McCain to talk long term.
Starting watch twitter to get some other feedback. Here is:
@Sara, "Sarah Palin will NEVER be my role model." or
@timoni, "McCain is a big baby." and then a few minutes later, "McCain is a big--oh, wait, I just twittered that." or
@ricksanchezcnn, "what's with the loud breathing? seriously, it may be getting on people's nerves. he really should be looking at his opponent..."
The things that are being tweeted by *hoardes* of people isn't nearly about McCain's policies--they're writing that he simply doesn't have what it takes to BE the President. I am not alone. Go to Twitter search, and search on #debate08. Read what the 1000's of comments are saying.
A GREAT comment by Obama deals with the fact that so many of the "ugly" issues and campaign comments, are difficult issues that *great* leaders are divided on. We may have to perform some triage on America and Americans. At least Obama is leaning to care for the needs of the many. McCain is so busy pointing the finger at everything that may *sound* ugly, but will actually do the job over the long term, it further demonstrates he isn't fit for office -- he simply wants to win.
Very funny spoof site / game that is very well done, creative, and should provide some laughs from just about everyone I think. At least everyone without a stick in their bum. Just because I voted for W last time didn't mean I didn't laugh like a coot when JibJab vids hit the scene over and over again... NOW then; enjoy:
Even though there are no attributions on the site as to who created it, after digging through registrant entries I'd like to offer a special shout-out to Steve Yee of LA, who appears to be the registrant of the site and possibly the creator too? hmm? hmm? And also a big *thanks* to @JackJett for breaking this on twitter. You can hear him on the Jack E. Jett Show on Rational Radio.
Transcendental grade for Palin as President website: 5.78 / 7 chakras
I'm slowly packing my apartment. My island in the sky that has, in so many ways, been a place of fun, but also a place of solace. Right now I'm sitting at my desk; about a foot and a half from the wall of glass that makes up the end wall of my apartment. The one granting me the view that spans the new Cowboys stadium construction, the Anatole, 35E, a couple of hospitals, Texas stadium, Love Field, DFW, Turtle Creek alley, and more. Here it is:
I'm feeling very nostalgic for this view already, and I have not yet left. Back to packing. There's more of this entry to come.
Transcendental grade for "The View": 7/7 chakras
...from the "Boli's on the Boulevard" restaurant in Greenville, North Carolina. (PHOTO CREDIT: BETHANY SWAIN CNN)
Now...I'm just a simple lad from Scotland. But I can see Russia from my penthouse when I wear the blue kilt. So be patient with me as I muse over this great photo by CNN's Bethany Swain. So--McCain is having a debate with Obama. [aside] "okay so that's a pretty big deal; probably a great moment to show party peep solidarity.. or..." [end aside]. Okay so *why* isn't she someplace more official to watch this? Like the wings of the venue? Or backstage? Or party headquarters? Oh, wait, judging my the beer (go Palin!) I guess it IS party HQ...
I really feel for a poor dunce who may be feeling like they should be ready to stand and support, or maybe make an official statement about a running mate having a debate--but it takes someone with huge, "possibly-presidential" swagger and a true aloofness of national leadership style...to throw on a wind-breaker and head down to the local for a pitcher of Bud. Judging by the lack of an ostensible security perimeter, it would appear no one was really worried for her safety while out mingling with the bar folk. She was told to leave the gun in her hotel room... My friends--there can be no substitute for top-tier-leadership class -- er, wait, no wait-- it just might be Stella Artois she's drinking. Note the fine light-golden hue and effervescance. Nevermind, I take it all back.
Transcendental grade for coming across *so* regular you look out of place in a Presidential Election race: sorry folks we're going to have to go to the Wang Saen Suk scale for this: 5/7 Suks.
Holy Hocky Mom! After further investigatoryishness I have the official story!:
So there you have it! She was watching the debate across from K-Mart!Boli's on the Boulevard is located at 703 S.E. Greenville Blvd., across the parking lot from Kmart in the former location of Courtyard Tavern. It's the sister restaurant of Boli's on Fifth Street, 123 E. Fifth St. in downton Greenville.[Near the KMART--it's starting to make sense]
The dining room has sage green walls and light wood trim. There is seating for 120 at booths, tables and bar stools. There are eight high-definition televisions and a big screen TV over the bar, but Tesoriero said the new restaurant is “more a family-friendly restaurant than a sports bar.”[NO Moose heads or other taxidermy]It's primarily Italian, with a variety of pizzas, calzones, strombolis and pasta dishes. Several new pasta dishes have been added, including manicotti, blackened chicken pasta, eggplant parmesan pasta, crab meat lasagna and ravioli. Pasta dishes are served with a house salad and range in price from $9.95-$14.95.Pizzas range in price from a $3 personal pizza to the large Behemoth with multiple toppings for $21.45.
Boli's on the Boulevard has all ABC permits. [It's a good thing with no moose heads hanging...]
Disclaimer:Palin Watching Debate at N.C. Pizzeria
The Post's Perry Bacon Jr. is in Greenville, N.C., where he filed a pool report on GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin watching the presidential debate. A modified version of his report follows:
The Alaska governor arrived at Boli's on the Boulevard here in Greenville about ten minutes before 9 p.m. She had changed from her suit and high heels into jeans, an Eastern Carolina purple windbreaker and brown shoes. She shook hands and posed for pictures for about ten minutes. She then sat down at a table with N.C. Republican Sens. Richard Burr and Elizabeth Dole, Burr's wife, and the mayor of Charlotte. Palin dined on pizza and spaghetti.[So this oviously IS an official gathering of powers - my bad. I was completely and utterly wrong and I apologize for focusing on the proximity to K-mart and lack of moose heads]
During the debate, when McCain spoke, Palin exclaimed "yes" when he answered a bailout question by talking about energy independence. She had a pen and paper out and occasionally took notes, but mostly either watched the screen or typed on her mobile phone. [do I really need to make a statement about her taking notes--possibly something to do with "cramming for a test" or some other telling event in her future?...]
With the downward spiral of the stock markets, the government has released this special edition of the dollar.
TN is one of the premier athletics programs in the country. When it comes to fund-raising, the alumni association and the
annual fund, the VOLS have got to live up to expectations, otherwise donations diminish.
Now--Fulmer did his part garnering a national title, and raising the VOL bar so expectations sit where they do. However "what have you done for me lately" is still the name of the game. It comes down to fiscal matters. And it comes down to the coach being the place where the buck stops. Whether it is coincidental fumbles multiple times in a season resulting in losses, or starting line members in jail, or bad coaching decisions, or simply getting beat--it can only happen for a limited time before no one dealing with money cares.
The university will deal on friendly relationships as long as possible but when push comes to shove business is business and Fulmer has needed to FIND a way to get the victory and he hasn't. And doesn't appear to be any closer to do it either.
I thank him for what he's done in the past, but it is time for him to move to another venue and allow new blood to shake up the Vol Nation.
I particularly agree with "Saturday in Blogtober's" diatribe. Fulmer HAS done a lot for the program as stated above. But despite liking him, it doesn't appear he will be able to "right the ship". See SIB for a great list of possible coaching replacements.
Transcendental grade for Phillip Fulmer: 4/7 chakras. And 3 of the 4 are for the national title he won back in '98.
Downey Jr. is on fire these days with the success of Iron Man. We all know Jamie can act. Watch this trailer. It will begin to move you before it's over. Watch for this movie--it's gonna be a big hit. Opens November 21.
Last year I was at the home of Alexander Rom, the Ukrainian-born Chorusmaster for the Dallas Opera. We normally were inclined to vodka, with Findlandia being his choice, but this evening he had something special. He said, "Steven. You must see this. I have something you will like..." and he pulls from the ice cooler a bottle of the Baltika No. 9 Extra Lager; bottled and brewed in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Think Mared Sous 10, only much creamier. As if it had been made with hint of nitrogen.
It is without a doubt one of my favorite beers on the planet, if not the favorite. I bounce back and forth between it, the Mared Sous, and, of course, the Guinness.
Such a fan of it, I invited Courtney & Neil from the G-man to come over to my place for a tasting of the lineup. I think the Dark Lager may have been the fav, but also they were impressed by the 9. After finding them a sales rep out of Houston, who sent them a case of samples which took 2.3 seconds to inhale, I'm proud to announce that 3 Baltika offerings are now available at the G-man:
Baltika 6 Porter
60 kcal/100 g beer
6 g carb / 100 g beer
7% by Volume
Initial wort concentration: 17.0%
"This traditional dark beer is brewed according to ancient English recipes. Baltika's Porter is one of the most eminent varieties of Russian beer with a long heritage. Such dark porters are usually termed 'Baltic Porters.'"
Transendental grade for Baltika 6 Porter: 5/7 chakras.
Baltika 7 Export Lager
44 kcal/100 g beer
4.5g carb / 100 g beer
5.4% by Volume
Initial wort concentration: 12.5%
"This elite beer is notable for its special mildness and full-bodied taste."
Transendental grade for Baltika7 Export Lager: 4.5/7 chakras.
Baltika 9 Extra
62 kcal/100 g beer
3.7 g carb / 100 g beer
8% by Volume
Initial wort concentration: 16.5%
"This beer is brewed from select ingredients using the most up-to-date technology. It uniquely combines a strong beverage with lightness of taste."
Transendental grade for Baltika 9 Extra Lager: 6/7 chakras.
About Baltika Brewery
Baltika Brewery began production in 1990. The majority of the company's shares (85%) are owned by Baltic Beverages Holding (BBH), which is a subsidiary of Carlsberg Group. Baltika has eighteen breweries, ten of which are located in Russia: two in Saint Petersburg and one each in Khabarovsk, Tula, Rostov-na-Donu, Samara, Yaroslavl, Voronezh, Chelyabinsk and Krasnoyarsk. Their combined output totals 24 million hectoliters per year. Along with the Baltika plants, the BBH consortium operates ten smaller breweries producing its Yarpivo, Pikra and Vena brands.
LINKS: Ginger Man Pub Dallas | Baltika U.S. | Baltika Russia (Eng) | Baltika Russia (Русско)
These photos are taken from my balcony with a Casio EX-Z1000 10mp camera. I'll be moving in a couple of weeks and will sorely miss the view. To see more photos, visit my flickr.
http://www.TheMeridianRoom.comGone are the green fairies.
Gone is the Scza. The cheese plates. The great beers. Scarioke. The best club sandwich in Dallas. The Guinness Steak Sandwich. The portabello mushroom fries. The half-priced food on Wednesdays. The echos of laughter with friends. The dark corners to disappear in to.
After a 7-year run, as so many area businesses have done, The Meridian Room has closed their doors. A moment of silence please.
A long time favorite of Dallas Opera peeps, we headed over there last night to catch up and have a few cocktails only to find ourselves looking at stacked chairs, a somber staff collecting up their personal items, taking pictures and having a few last minutes together within the confines of, what has been, one of two places in the fair park area in which it was worth investing time and hard-earned cash. The other is Amsterdam bar around the corner. God bless Mike Sheel for keeping his doors open. It was quiet in there. Quiet. As in you could hear the faint refrains from the back hallway of the Galaga/Ms. Packman game. So sad.
We, Alexander & I, had a moment with the owner of Meridian Room inquiring as to what happened. The soft-spoken response was simply that, having had Libertine [bar] open on Greenville for nearly 2 years successfully, they had decided to "move their interest there fully."
But right at the beginning of the Fair? When they would have been packed nightly? Doesn't seem to make sense to me. But then crying over spilt milk doesn't either--even if it's some of the best milk this area has seen in a long while. I think DART killed her. Meridian was to drink and song (karaoke) what Hungree's deli was, for so long, to food. Who can forget their "Cubano" sandwich? And, just like Hungree's died before her time was right--so has The Divine Miss M.
If you have a particular memory to share, comment back and leave it for others to see and remember.
One of my favorite, albeit shocking, memories that comes to mind is during Thursday night Scarioke. I had just finished singing some Bon Jovi, it was about midnight, the place was packed. As I muddled my way back to all the opera peeps I heard the next song start up--"I've got big balls" by AC/DC. I turned, thinking to myself, "yeah I love this song" only to see who was singing it....Naked Bruce, in all his glory, with his beer standing on his belly. good times.Transcendental grade for The Meridean Room's 7-year itch: 7/7 chakras
Here is an excerpt on "Where we go now" by Jon Hilsenrath of the Wall Street Journal:
3 things to look for in the aftermath of the House's failure to pass the $700 Billion bailout:What should investors do now?
1. Congress: seems to be an opening act. Members of both sides will be going back to the drawing board to see if there are any changes to be made to reach a middle ground.
2. Markets: The DOW is way off today, as are credit markets, and will probably continue tomorrow. As long as these pressures continue to build the pressure will be on the house to find a resolution.
3. Treasury Department & Federal Reserve: Not clear at this point if Congress will be able to find a resolution, therefore the Fed may have to also go back to the drawing board to look for new ways to address this financial crisis. This could involve interest rate cuts, but the Fed has been reluctant to do this any more. They must also look for new ways to inject liquidity in to the financial markets.
Wall Street is dead.Read the Full article here on "The Intelligent Investor"
Whether it was murder or suicide is beside the point; Wall Street as it has operated for the past 75 years has been obliterated in a matter of weeks. And witnessing this violent death in broad daylight has traumatized investors everywhere.
The Wall Street domino has toppled everything in sight: U.S. stocks large and small, within the financial industry and outside of it; foreign stocks; oil and other commodities; real estate investment trusts; formerly booming emerging markets like India and China. Even gold, although it has inched up lately, has lost 10% from its highs earlier this year. Not even cash seemed entirely safe, as money-market funds barely averted a "run on the bank."
Of all the dominos that have tipped over, the most psychologically damaging collapse was the last: the very notion of diversification itself.
According to the researchers at Morningstar, Inc., 91% of all mutual funds in existence have lost money so far this year. To put that in perspective, in 2001 – the year Enron imploded, Internet stocks kept crashing and al Qaeda attacked the U.S. – more than one out of every three funds still managed to generate positive returns.
...the resolve of the Fed is not in question; nor is there any doubt that the Treasury department is willing to provide the financing it takes to get the economy moving again. Furthermore, U.S. non-financial companies have just under $1 trillion in cash on their books. Even though Wall Street is dead, innovation is not: In the months to come, clever new financial go-betweens will spring up and find a way to get that cash flowing again. It's hard to see how a depression could get underway when so much capital is waiting in the wings.
Whatever happens with the bailout, don't bail out.
There is no questions that even among the last 10 years of technological increase it seems we are perpetually, exponentially, increasing still. So it my curiosity is whet as I look to see how each of the two primary Presidential candidates have utilized this industry to reach their constituents, both new and old.
The clear edge in tech clearly goes to Obama, as he has predominantly relied on it to both raise money (record amounts) yet also to keep his "followers" apprised of his goings-on. Just a few moments ago, as I have daily, it seems, I recieved this email from Obama:
Steven --
I just finished my first debate with John McCain.
Millions of Americans finally got a chance to see us take on the fundamental choice in this election -- the change we need or more of the same.
...[edited out the rest]
Thank you for all that you're doing,
Barack
