Bill, and everyone else: We love you.

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Tuesday November 03, 2009 · 10:08 PM PST

2009/11/03 · 22:08

As a teary-eyed insomniac, I don't expect to make a lot of sense right now, so bear with me.

Politicians come and go, which is why tonight, my attentions were focused on Maine. Voting for rights seems so much more...institutional than voting in a person.

I'm going through all the various stages of grief, and I'm pretty removed from all things Maine normally. I'm currently in the bargaining stage right now--NY-23 is currently being sacrificed, and I'm mentally throwing in CA-10 as well.

I'm not going to harp on my feelings--there's been 1000+ posts of similar sentiments generated tonight in comments alone. All I think I have left is this.

Bill, I address this to you because I know your name, and I've read you with such a happy heart for so many years now, but to everyone who fought and canvassed and clenched their loved one's hands while hitting refresh at the Bangor News or New York Times site: We love you.

Poll

1326 votes Show Results

Do you have hugs to spare?

1326 votes Vote Now!

Do you have hugs to spare?

Sure, here's one.

277 votes

No, wait, have two.

1049 votes

Political Press Sex Scandal Confession Bingo

MiscellanyMan

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday June 24, 2009 · 8:07 PM PDT

2009/06/24 · 20:07

Here's a quick, fun one. In reaction to the whole Sanford fiasco, the wonderful webcomic Something Positive has produced the "Political Press Confession Bingo. Links at the main site, or permalink here.

So what's your favorite confession catchphrase? That's what the comments are for. My favorite from the bingo card? "I stand by my conviction that marriage is meant to be between a man, a woman, and a cocktail waitress named Cinnamon."

Cool Video of Inauguration Chatter

MiscellanyMan

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday June 01, 2009 · 12:28 PM PDT

2009/06/01 · 12:28

Saw this on Gizmodo the other day, and I've been meaning to post it for a while. MIT's Senseable City lab has put out a video visualizing both Washington D.C.'s and the world's cell phone traffic during Obama's Inauguration. According to their findings, cell phone traffic was twice as busy as usual in the States and three times as strong everywhere else. Very cool. Have a look see:

Here's the world:

A few other random thoughts--and the video for the States (which breaks calls and texts down by state--below the fold.

MiscellanyMan

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Thursday May 21, 2009 · 12:10 PM PDT

2009/05/21 · 12:10

There is a closed-down big box store that's been abandoned for the entire time I've lived in my little town. I often walk through it's side lot as a way of chopping a few moments out of my walk from my house to uptown. Yesterday, I noticed that there was graffiti on the side of the building. Nothing too harmful at first: A big smiley face and odd phrases like "Tat this" and "FTP" (to which I nerdily thought: 'file transfer process? Odd gang callsign'). Then I kept going, and that's when I noticed, against a far retaining wall, the swastika.

MiscellanyMan

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Tuesday May 19, 2009 · 4:52 PM PDT

2009/05/19 · 16:52

This random question popped into my head, and I thought I'd put it to all of you, especially those of you who are as pack-ratty as I am.

So, what is your favorite folder on your computer? What does it hold? All your favorite recipes? Photos from vacation? Pictures of Dubya with a weird expression on his face? Archived articles from Daily Kos?

As for me, mine is a file full of odd news stories on robots and technology for a backburner creative project of mine. It's full of articles of robots, flying cars, or anything produced by DARPA, even the crazy stuff. Come to think of it, ESPECIALLY the crazy stuff.

UPDATE: GOP ad uses a burning Pentagon, FEMA removes WTC coloring book

MiscellanyMan

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday April 30, 2009 · 2:48 PM PDT

2009/04/30 · 14:48

(From the department of "One Step Forward, Two Steps Back")

Just saw this on Slashdot and thought my fellow Kossacks might be interested.

There was a coloring book, with a cover that featured a child's rendering "of the Twin Towers ablaze with an airplane heading for them" put out by Minnesota’s Freeborn County Crisis Response Team. At first glance, I was more than a little appalled--I hadn't seen this before today.

UPDATE: This just in from CNN: Boehner's office has released a web video attacking Obama and the Dems on security issues, featuring footage of a burning Pentagon from 9/11. Have they no shame?

Poll

52 votes Show Results

So, what DO you think?

52 votes Vote Now!

So, what DO you think?

It's just fine, what's wrong with you?

3 votes

It's a little odd, I'll give you that, but they meant well.

11 votes

Good try, Crisis Response Team, but no, you fail.

8 votes

This coloring book is horribly distasteful.

27 votes

I'm a sheeple! Baaaa!

3 votes

Can we be sure Specter won't switch back?

MiscellanyMan

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Tuesday April 28, 2009 · 4:59 PM PDT

2009/04/28 · 16:59

This question popped into my mind a moment ago, so I thought I'd put it to the group.

Arlen Specter is switching parties pretty clearly for electoral purposes. In his announcement earlier today, he not only cited polling and the 200,000 Pennsylvanians who switched from R to D, but said that despite the switch his politics, he's going to try to stick to his center-right guns.

Is there anything keeping him from switching back to the Republicans after the election? You know, short of making enemies left and right?

I have a few more thoughts below the fold. Let me know what you all think. There is a poll as well.

Poll

65 votes Show Results

Would Specter switch back to the Republicans?

65 votes Vote Now!

Would Specter switch back to the Republicans?

Absolutely not. He's got some decency in him.

10 votes

No, he'll learn to like the Democratic side of things.

10 votes

No, but he'll stay as conservative as he currently is rather than sliding left.

22 votes

Maybe. It'd be a spineless thing to do, but I could see it happening.

9 votes

He very well could, we'll have to hold his feet to the fire.

5 votes

Absolutely. He's just using the Democratic ticket to evade Toomey.

9 votes

How do you get a job in politics, esp. in Chicago?

MiscellanyMan

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday April 20, 2009 · 1:16 PM PDT

2009/04/20 · 13:16

This is half selfishness and half intellectual curiosity: I'll be moving to Chicago in August, and while I look for jobs I'm somewhat qualified for, especially teaching jobs, I'm also wondering in the back of my mind whether a job in politics or something politically-related could be possible, and actually pay me to satisfy my politics addiction.

Thus, if anyone knows anything about getting a job in something vaguely political in Chicago (or elsewhere, for the benefit of the non-Chicagoan Kossacks out there), let me know below. As I have no friends in high places, I'm wondering how one gets in on the proverbial ground floor.

Lastly, this being Chicago and all, I'd prefer to do so with a minimum of bribery.

Poll

29 votes Show Results

A job in politics, why that sounds...

29 votes Vote Now!

A job in politics, why that sounds...

Like something I already have.

7 votes

Like something I used to have.

3 votes

Like something I'd love to have.

6 votes

Like something that might be fun for a little while, but no more.

4 votes

Like a fate worse than death.

9 votes

Dennis Shulman (NJ-5) on "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me!"

MiscellanyMan

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Saturday April 18, 2009 · 6:34 PM PDT

2009/04/18 · 18:34

This is a quick, fun one. Dennis Shulman, who you may remember as the candidate who lost a noble battle for New Jersey's fifth Congressional district, was on NPR today, having called in to one of my favorite NPR shows, "Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me!" to play the Bluff the Listener game. I won't spoil the ending for you, but I will provide you with a link to the show, so you can listen to it yourself. Just click the "Listen to Show" link at the top of that page to load the radio player.

If you're wondering, the Bluff the Listener theme was picking which one of three pioneers in sports was inducted into a Sports Hall of Fame. Fun stuff.

Breaking: Two audio recordings of Poplawski's "Eddie and PO Show": Crowdsourcing help?

MiscellanyMan

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday April 06, 2009 · 2:50 PM PDT

2009/04/06 · 14:50

A small army of Kossacks and myself have been working to uncover information on Richard Poplawski, the murderer of three Pittsburgh policemen in the incident on April 4th that everyone's been talking about. My goal has always been uncovering clips of the "Eddie and PO Show" the internet talk show Poplawski did with Eddie Perkovic, his friend seen here in the interview in David Waldman's recent post. I have just found two audio recordings of this show, after discovering that Eddie Perkovic had a second StumbleUpon account. (Incidentally, Poplawski's StumpleUpon acccount under the name "richp2010" has been taken down by StumbleUpon, and I didn't have the presence of mind to archive it. If anyone does have it, please let me know.)

For past diaries on Poplawski by myself and others (and if I've missed any, let me know) see below.

I'm hoping we can get another crowdsourcing effort going here, and split the video up and get a rough transcript by the end. There are roughly 46 minutes of video, so the more help, the better. Thanks!

Poll

37 votes Show Results

Crowdsourcing question: What have you done the most of so far?

37 votes Vote Now!

Crowdsourcing question: What have you done the most of so far?

Written diaries on Poplawski

2 votes

Read the diaries and helped with researching Poplawski

2 votes

Read and commented on the stories and diaries of others

7 votes

Read the stories and diaries of others, but not commented

16 votes

Nothing before reading this diary

10 votes

"I would rape a male...out of power" What we now know about Richard Poplawski

MiscellanyMan

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Sunday April 05, 2009 · 5:51 PM PDT

2009/04/05 · 17:51

Last night, a small, dedicated group of Kossacks helped me do some research into Richard Poplawski, the man who killed three Pittsburgh policemen and wounded others after they respond to a call about, of all things, a fight over where Poplawski's dog had peed. One of the facts about Poplawski which struck me and began this search was that Poplawski and his friends, Eddie Perkovic and Aaron Vire (both often quoted in news reports on the incident) had a short-lived internet radio talk show about politics. With all the talk about the right wing's increasingly violent rhetoric, here is what we've come up with so far. Again, I want to thank fellow Kossacks Bush Bites, cosette, jaywillie, Ray in TX, and fcvaguy--without your help and research last night, I would not have much of anything to report. I am going to try to reorganize everything we've found, and if I fail to give credit where it's due, I apologize in advance.

Without further ado, let me summarize what we've found so far, and where that disturbing diary title comes from:

Poll

103 votes Show Results

All this makes me want to...

103 votes Vote Now!

All this makes me want to...

Figure out what was going on with these people.

43 votes

Hide under the bed and not think about it at all.

15 votes

Do something in between these two options.

45 votes

Update x5: Disgraceful cop-killer helped with politics show--can we find clips?

MiscellanyMan

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Saturday April 04, 2009 · 8:33 PM PDT

2009/04/04 · 20:33

I was reading the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's excellent coverage of the multiple murder we've all been talking about today, and the second-to-last paragraph of an article about the killer, Richard Poplawski, caught my eye:

Mr. Poplawski collaborated with Mr. Perkovic on an Internet show that featured clips --- sometimes from local news broadcasts, other times video from around the town --- where they discussed politics.

No mention of what this show was called or where the site is--and maybe Perkovic or someone else has already taken down the clips. This is a mass call to all insomniac Kossacks: Can we find clips of this show, and find just what sort of madman we're dealing with?

UPDATE: I have found some clips promoting the show, but I've got to run. Here's a link to one clip, featuring either Ed Perkovic or Richard Poplawski discussing why "I would rape a male," and going to China to "get retribution" against an asian. Thanks again to jaywillie for finding me the name so I could find this.

Poll

211 votes Show Results

What do you think the chances are that the media will talk about Poplawski's politics?

211 votes Vote Now!

What do you think the chances are that the media will talk about Poplawski's politics?

Very good: Almost everyone but FOX will cover it

16 votes

Pretty good: It will be mentioned in many sources, and with some detail

18 votes

Decent: Brief mentions in most media sources, only some will go into detail

38 votes

Poor: Once again, the blogs will get the full story, and little else.

139 votes

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Bill, and everyone else: We love you.

Political Press Sex Scandal Confession Bingo

Cool Video of Inauguration Chatter

White Supremacist Graffiti: What's a Good Liberal to Do?

What is your favorite folder on your computer?

UPDATE: GOP ad uses a burning Pentagon, FEMA removes WTC coloring book

Can we be sure Specter won't switch back?

How do you get a job in politics, esp. in Chicago?

Dennis Shulman (NJ-5) on "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me!"

Breaking: Two audio recordings of Poplawski's "Eddie and PO Show": Crowdsourcing help?

"I would rape a male...out of power" What we now know about Richard Poplawski

Update x5: Disgraceful cop-killer helped with politics show--can we find clips?