Drinking Liberally: Session X

"What's your name?"

"Paramendra."

"Bara-what?"

"Here. Here is my card. You can keep it. I carry it around to help out white people."

"Who you calling white!"

"But you can't talk about it in political terms. For these evangelicals, they are doing the will of God."

"I can only recognize Christianity within the framework of religious diversity. Right to religious freedom is a fundamental human right."

"But you miss the point. Human rights and political rights are man written. They appeal to a higher authority. I am not saying you have to agree with them. But you have to see where they are coming from."

"I totally want to see where they are coming from. How else will I hammer them on the head?"

"What is this weird music?"

"This would be Sinatra."

"This music. Did you grow up listening to this?"

"I am not that old. This is from the 50s."

"Hey David. Come here. Man, I just learned you work for Google. I did not know."

"Been with them for years now."

"I used to work for Google."

"Did you wait long enough to get vested?"

"Sure."

"So you are rich. What are you doing in town? Why did you move?"

"I am here to launch a startup."

"You an engineer?"

"Yes."

"I guess you have to be that."

"Not really. Engineers can be had for hire."

"So how do you seek venture capital?"

"You have to have the contacts. See, I got them."

"Here. Hey Justin. Here. This is one of the founders of Drinking Liberally. There are chapters all across America."

"Did you really? You started this whole thing."

"It got started right here, yes. Here, at Rudy's."

"You are here from London?"

"Yes, for a year."

"What up guys?"

"Uh, what up?"

"You know people say people in New York are not nice and all that. That ain't so. I did not even know you three, and I totally barged into your conversation. Hope that is okay."

"Well, uh." (odd look)

"So you guys are here for Drinking Liberally, right?"

"What? What is that?"

"Oops, sorry."

"I have a friend from India, real nice guy. Indians are nice people."

"Good for you."

"Hey, how is it going?"

"Great."

"So nice to see you. I think you do great standup comedy."

"What?"

"You are with Laughing Liberally, right?"

"No-o-o-o."

"No? Maybe I am confusing you with someone else."

"We run a chapter in South Carolina."

"Wow. So are you just passing through town?"

"Yes."

"You, my man, need to be feeling personally very good about this victory. You have made your contributions."

"Hey Jen. You are back?'

"I am in DC. I hardly recongnized you. What's up with those glasses? They look like mine."

"I put your video online a long time ago. Just do a search on Drinking Liberally at Google Video."

"I know. I show it to everyone."

"You smell good. I like your perfume."

"Thank you."

"Our signs match. We would be a great love match."

"Where do you live?"

"Brooklyn. Near the park, south of the park."

"I live right up here."

"What do you do?"

"I have a small business. I also do some political work."

"What business?"

"There are a few different projects. I am going to make my first million in less than two years. I am not rich right now, but I am going to be."

"You live in Brooklyn? I live in Brooklyn."

"Where abouts?"

"Park Slope."

"Brooklyn is so residential. You can hear nothing in my apartment, except maybe the icecream van jingle. I go once round Prospect Park for my evening walks when I do which is sometimes close to midnight. It is cheaper."

"Why are you not talking?"

"I was listening."

"Wow, two hot dogs!"

"You want one?"

"Sure."

"Here."

"Where you from?"

"Iowa."

"Where you from?"

"Texas."

"Got to go. My girlfriend is probably waiting."

"You got a girlfriend?"

"Yes. Met her right here."

On November 7: In Harlem: For Obama
The Matrix
Events To November 7 Victory
Iraq Movie, Liberally, But Not Drinking
October 5 The World Can't Wait Rally
Seaport Diwali
Indians, Indians
The South Dakota Event
August 20: India Day Party
Hakeem Jeffries Debate 2
May 1 Immigrants Rally: Great American Boycott With Jesse Jackson 3
Anti War Rally With Jesse Jackson 4
MYD Spring Gala
Liberally Tipsy
Justin Krebs
Drinking Liberally

Video

Drinking Liberally 1
Drinking Liberally 2
Drinking Liberally 3
Drinking Liberally 4
Drinking Liberally 5
Drinking Liberally 6

New Orleans: 2008 Democratic Convention

New York City will be nice to have since it is hometown, the adopted hometown, the basetown. And Denver is not a bad choice. Colorado is the closest thing to Nepal America has. Denver is Kathmandu-like. But I would root for New Orleans. Like Iraq symbolizes Republican failures in the world, Katrina symbolizes the failures on the home front. You want to go for the jugular.

In a democratic framework, you strike your opponent's greatest strength. The South is the GOP's greatest strength. So we hit New Orleans.

Obama Or Hillary

Say both can win the general election for the Democrats, but of course only one can. Who should get the ticket? Who deserves it more?

2016 will be too late for Hillary. She is the older between the two. But Obama will be just fine in 2016, a sitting Vice President who goes on to be President.

But then running for president is the best way Obama can make sure he ends up on the ticket even if he loses.

A spirited, clean, ideas based primary contest between the two will be nice for the party, the contry, and for both of them. They are the only two serious contenders. So a competition will prepare them both better for the general campaing. Minus Obama, it will be too eary for Hillary. Minus Hillary, it will be too easy for Obama.

Never Underestimate Billie Clinton

I just read this news item on him - Clinton would pursue peace differently now Canada.com - and suddenly the guy has won me over all over again.

Obama-Clinton, Clinton-Obama

That is what it will be. Which one? I don't know. That is what primaries are for. Me? I am throwing my lot with Obama.

Neither need worry about money or organization. Both will have plenty of both. So expect a fierce competition of ideas. I can't wait.

The two should stay above the fray and launch no personal attacks against each other whatsoever. Both are on great personal terms as is.

These two have been the only two Senators I have linked to from my blog. I got in early. Let that be on the record.

In The News

Blair warns of 'long struggle' with terror Independent
Clinton would pursue peace differently now Canada.com In most developing countries ''because of the strain on government budgets and the weak tax base, there is no free public education ..... ''Parents have to pay to send children to public schools.'' ..... Pakistan ...... ''If we had given them just one less plane and taken that money and put it into education. God only knows how many fewer terrorists and how many more engineers and scientists we might have educated.'' ........ In a poor country, he noted, every year of schooling adds on average of 10 per cent to a child's future earning capacity. Around the world, 130 million children don't go to school. ...... countries such as Brazil have proven that attendance can also be boosted by paying poor parents a stipend if their kids go to class. ...... 10 million children die of preventable causes annually and that half the people in the world live on less than $2 a day. ...... ''The good news is we know what to do about these challenges,'' he said. ''We can have a significant impact on child poverty in a short time'' if governments, business and non-governmental groups team up. ..... ''If there's one thing I've learned in my increasingly long life is that intelligence, ability and willingness to work are evenly distributed around the world,'' Clinton said, ''but opportunity, investment and systems that function, that establish that critical link between effort and result, are not........ All the things we can do are much cheaper than the aftermath of calamity and also, parenthetically, much cheaper than going to war. ............ he noted the U.S. has spent $400 billion US on the Iraq war and $100 billion in Afghanistan, yet won't honour a commitment to provide $30 billion a year in foreign aid.
What Amitabh Bachchan thinks of Abhishek's marriage Apun Ka Choice
Microsoft to pay Novell $240 million BusinessWeek
Democrats win control of both houses Business Day
Communist rebels rally in Nepal San Jose Mercury News
Tough task ahead for UN post Nepal peace deal Hindustan Times
Obama: Pressure on Dems as he eyes 2008 Chicago Sun-Times
Obama On Presidential Bid, Elections, Ed Bradley CBS2 Chicago
Illinois senators call Rumsfeld resignation belated WJBC News
Campaign for President in 2008 in Full Gear WREX-TV
Obama’s New Book Is a Surprise Best Seller New York Times
Obama reaches top of the book heap Chicago Tribune
NRI tech entrepreneur’s gift to Bihar Times of India
NDA sweep in Bihar Calcutta Telegraph
Poverty fight cheaper than war: Clinton London Free Press
Clinton taps Mandela's power Toronto Star
Clinton’s 2006 Victory Lap Has Futuristic Feel, Like 2008 New York Times
Bush agenda faces uphill climb in lame-duck Congress USA Today
Strategy void deepens Mid-East crisis BBC News Israel has been in a political tailspin since the conflict in Lebanon in the summer, full of recriminations about the war's lessons and consequences.
Thousands attend controversial gay rally in Jerusalem Monsters and Critics.com
Israel Holds Gay Rally Under Heavy Guard New York Times
Jerusalem holds gay pride rally BBC News
Doctors turn to Google for tricky cases Guardian Unlimited Two Australian doctors have found that entering the symptoms of a tricky case into the internet search engine often results in accurately diagnosing the illness.
What's That Disease? Ask Google CBS News
Google could help doctors diagnose illnesses Silicon.com
Yahoo VP: Blogging Service May Get Makeover PC World
Dean to deliver keynote speech Globe and Mail
Soccer fan dies after fall in Mexican stadium People's Daily Online
Texas sets sights on college soccer's final weekend ESPN
Al-Qaida Claims To Have 12,000 Fighters In Iraq E Canada Now
US Death Toll in Iraq at 23 for Nov. Forbes
Iraq Qaeda chief says Rumsfeld flees battlefield Malaysia Star
Al-Qaeda aims to create an Islamic Iraq Middle East Online
Blair Says Terrorist Threat to Last ‘a Generation’ New York Times
Britain facing 30 terrorism plots, says spy chief Reuters AlertNet
Martin On Rumsfeld: "Irresistably Charming And Stunningly Rude" CBS News
At the Pentagon, Concern About Blame for the Situation in Iraq New York Times
Murtha wants Defense nominee to change Iraq policy Pittsburgh Post Gazette
Vista winds its way to market CNET News.com
Googling for a diagnosis The Standard
Low carb, low fat diets pose similar heart disease risks Reuters.uk
Vegetable-rich low-carb cuts heart disease risk, says study NutraIngredients.com
Hoffman's tales sound Stranger than Fiction Toronto Star
Ed Bradley, of '60 Minutes;' a pioneer in TV journalism Boston Globe
Britney, Kevin mingle as singles USA Today
Massachusetts lawmakers debate proposed ban on gay marriages Boston Herald

Dean says choosing host city a priority Denver Post, CO Dean and party leaders will choose between Denver and New York to host the party's convention. Dean said he is shooting for an announcement in early December. He said Democratic Party aides "are in negotiations with both cities." ..... he favors holding the convention in Denver because it would signal to Western states that Democrats recognize the region is "a bastion and a beacon of the Democratic Party."
Next for Dems: DNC selection Denver Post
Next on Dems' radar: Convention city pick Denver Post
Next on Dems' radar: Convention city pick Denver Post
Howard Dean to Jon Stewart: We Won't Impeach bush Editor & Publisher
Dean calls for election changes, reform KVOA.com, AZ Dean says Democratic leaders should now focus on redistricting areas that were altered by Republicans. Dean says the party should also push for reforms when it comes to improving voting machines. .... Dean says Democrats made big gains in the Hispanic vote because of the way Republicans presented immigration reform.

Bush lowers partisan tone after election losses Reuters
Bush concedes need for "fresh perspective" on Iraq
Youth turnout in election biggest in 20 years 24 percent of Americans under the age of 30 ..... Rock the Vote, a youth-and-civics group, said young voters favored Democrats by a 22-point margin, nearly three times the margin Democrats earned among other age groups and dealing a potentially decisive blow to Republicans in tight races. ...... of 28 seats Democrats picked up from Republicans in the 435-member House of Representatives, 22 were won by less than 2 percent of the vote and 18 were won by just 5,000 votes or less. ........ Forty-six percent favored a total troop withdrawal from Iraq within a year, while a third said troops should be withdrawn after the Iraqis take full control. ..... The "Generation Y" of Americans born from 1977 to 1994 -- shaped by the September 11 attacks, the Iraq war and Hurricane Katrina -- in nine years will make up a third of the electorate.
Democrats take U.S. Senate: media Webb led Allen by about 7,000 votes out of 2.3 million cast. The final vote count could take a week, with a winner certified on November 27. Any recount could stretch into December. ...... Allen's camp has refused to concede defeat, with adviser Ed Gillespie telling reporters in Richmond, Virginia, earlier on Wednesday, "We'll see where the official tally stands on November 27 and we'll come back and visit with you then."
Republican senator won't concede in Montana
Rumsfeld a forceful, divisive Pentagon chief
Democrat win may shift focus to U.S. middle class
Nicaragua's Ortega slams U.S. over Iraq
Peace mom Sheehan arrested in Washington
Iowa's Vilsack to run for president Yahoo News
Dems complete election sweep of Congress the first female speaker in history. .... The Senate had teetered at 50 Democrats, 49 Republicans for most of Wednesday, with Virginia hanging in the balance. ..... Even Reid, the Senate's party leader, mused aloud at one point that it might take a miracle to capture Senate control. .... end a decade of one-party rule in Washington. ..... Republicans lost ground with swing voters such as Catholics, independents, Hispanics and suburbanites ...... GOP held its conservative base, but Democrats made inroads with moderates. .... Without losing any seats of their own, Democrats captured 28 GOP-held seats. The party won in every region of the country ....... Democrats took 20 of 36 governors' races to give them a majority of top state jobs — 28 — for the first time in a dozen years. Arkansas, Colorado, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York and Ohio went into the Democratic column.
Hand-wringing, soul-searching as Republicans mull their future last month's explosive revelations that Mark Foley, a senior Republican lawmaker, had over several years maintained a sexually explicit email correspondence with underage male congressional aides. ....... he election was not a broad rejection of the party, but of "big government Republicanism." ..... not a rejection of conservative principles per se, but a rejection of corrupt, complacent and incompetent government ....... a top-to-bottom reevaluation of Republican priorities is called for. .... we didn't just lose our majority, I believe we lost our way ....... a dramatic turn in the direction of the agenda of the Republican Revolution ...... not so much a defeat as "a two-year hiatus" from power for the ruling party.