The Audacity Of Gravitas: Restore Intelligence To The White House

Barnes & Noble Booksellers 267 7th Ave, Brooklyn, 11215

Hillary was the front runner. But she can not be seen running for president now, or at least that is what she thinks. This was great timing on Obama's part. He gently whispered. He might run for president, and sucked all the oxygen in the room. He did not do it to sell more books. But that prompted me to go and buy his new book. The Audacity Of Hope. This man can talk about faith and family without coming across like he were apologizing to the fundies. Fuck the fundies. The fundies can go to hell.

I drove over to the nearest Barnes & Noble, the one on Park Slope. I ended up parking two block lengths away, which was great, because the walk was so nice, it always is.

I am half way through the book by now. What a read. I also bought the guy's first book a long time ago. My recurring thought through that book was, this guy could be a star novelist. He has such a romantic eye for little details. He is gifted. He can write.

This is a policy book that anyone can pick up and read. What timing! Those who end up president must know beforehand. He knows.

He does not have to cough it. Faith and family is important to him. He just has to find a way to share what's already his. And he does it with style.

Parts of the book read like poetry.

This book has been written to suggest Obama has gravitas. This is the man for the new century. Lincoln was in his first term in Congress when he became president. Did someone just mention that Obama has been in the Senate only a few years?

Lincoln helped the transition from an agricultural to an industrial economy. Obama's eight years will take America into the Information Age. Much of the "moral issues" stuff has been the anxiety of a people clinging to the known. There has not been a clarity offered by the leadership, a transformative leadership for a transforming time, that will say, much change will occur, but you will be better off at the end of it, and I will make sure you are better off also through it, the journey itself will be good.

He is not too young, too black, too Senatey. He can win, he can deliver. You will not see the best of Obama until he is in the White House. You ain't seen nothing yet. He has a certain grace with power. Some people get more clumsy the more powerful they get. Not so with Barack. He is the opposite. He just gets more and more graceful. His ma taught him table manners.

This book leaves just enough room for a presidential campaign. You still will need to listen to a score of brainy, think tank types on all sorts of policy issues. It hurts to say early that you know it all, although you might know much. There will be the political advisors who will want to tell you which way the wind is blowing, although you have a compass in your jacket pocket already, but it is better kept away from their view.

You have met many ordinary Americans, but you have to leave room for all those who you will only meet on a campaign trail. So there are stories but not too many.

I have been reading the book, but then I am going to study both books and write fuller reviews. I would want Obama to know I have really really read the books. I am going to slice and dice.

America right now is like the Roman Empire about to fall. This White House is so intent on wrecking the future. But the empire does not have to fall, because America is no empire. It is the beacon of hope for much of the world. And Obama will help change course. Obama will provide leadership. Obama will inspire.

Obama has done his homework. He is at ease. He is on his way. He will take quite a few Southern states.

Obama bridges many gaps in his book. The widest gap might be between the people and the politicians they elect. He makes an attempt to humanize his colleagues.

Both his parents are dead. But he feels their presence in life in a very real way like he feels the presence of God. You don't feel sorry for him that his parents are dead. He is so optimistic. He lifts you and me up. You feel good about the guy, that is what.

Obama will raise more money in small, online contributions from average people than Dean did when he ran for president, and Dean raised close to 50 million. That money will be enough to take him through the primaries. But then he is just as good at raising money the old way, from rich people who are prochoice and progressive, for example. And so money is no problem.

Organization will be built. Obama 2008 is to be the first Internet election like Kennedy 1960 was the first TV election. You are looking at the matrix of a digital democracy organization, the vertical implications of one person one vote. All Obama has to offer is inspiration. The organization will be a piece of cake. It will make Karl Rove feel like he is old school, from the typewriter era, his Blackberry notwithstanding.

The message is in the book.

'The Audacity of Hope' - Who's Next - Newsweek - MSNBC.com
Amazon.com: The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the ...
American Rhetoric: Barack Obama -- 2004 Democratic National ...
Random House | Books | The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama
Random House | Books | The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama
Harvard Political Review - The Audacity of Hope
The Audacity of Hope - Arts & Leisure - International Herald Tribune
sweet: Obama: Previews new book, ``The Audacity of Hope'' Writes ...
CNN.com - Obama looks to own past in convention speech - Jul 28, 2004
eBooks - The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama - eReader.com
The Audacity of Hope - Barack Obama - Book Review - New York Times the Democratic Party’s new rock star, is that rare politician who can actually write — and write movingly and genuinely about himself. ...... 1995 memoir, “Dreams From My Father ...... That book did an evocative job of conjuring the author’s multicultural childhood: his father was from Kenya, his mother was from Kansas, and the young Mr. Obama grew up in Hawaii and Indonesia. ...... the sense of knowing two worlds and belonging to neither ...... a political document ..... the bulk of it is devoted to laying out Mr. Obama’s policy positions on a host of issues, from education to health care to the war in Iraq. ..... an elastic, personable voice that is capable of accommodating everything from dense discussions of foreign policy to streetwise reminiscences, incisive comments on constitutional law to New-Agey personal asides ...... Reporters and politicians continually use the word authenticity to describe Mr. Obama ..... he often speaks to the reader as if he were an old friend from back in the day, salting policy recommendations with colorful asides about the absurdities of political life. ...... He recalls a meet-and-greet encounter at the White House with George W. Bush, who warmly shook his hand, then “turned to an aide nearby, who squirted a big dollop of hand sanitizer in the president’s hand.” ...... youthful efforts to grapple with racial stereotypes, racial loyalty and class resentments ....... Most Republican strongholds are 40 percent Democrat, and vice versa. ..... the psychodrama of the Baby Boom generation — a tale rooted in old grudges and revenge plots hatched on a handful of college campuses long ago ..... This volume does not possess the searching candor of the author’s first book. But Mr. Obama strives in these pages to ground his policy thinking in simple common sense — be it “growing the size of our armed forces to maintain reasonable rotation schedules” or reining in spending and rethinking tax policy to bring down the nation’s huge deficit — while articulating these ideas in level-headed, nonpartisan prose. That, in itself, is something unusual, not only in these venomous pre-election days, but also in these increasingly polarized and polarizing times.
'The Audacity of Hope' - Who's Next - Newsweek - MSNBC.com
RelentlesslyOptimistic: Barak Obama - The Audacity of Hope
TIME.com: The Audacity of Hope
TIME.com: Book Excerpt: Barack Obama -- Oct. 23, 2006 -- Page 1
NPR : Obama Shares Political Vision in 'Audacity of Hope'
SoapBlox/Chicago :: Obama's "The Audacity of Hope" - my review
Scrivenings: The Audacity of Hope!
Powell's Books - The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the ...
Barnes & Noble.com - Books: The Audacity of Hope, by Barack Obama ...
Rising Star - washingtonpost.com
A Mom on a Mission: The Audacity of Hope
Badger Blues » Blog Archive » The audacity of hope
The Audacity of Hope | Cosmic Variance
Barnes & Noble.com - Books: Audacity of Hope, by Barack Obama ...
The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama : Booksamillion.com ...
AUDACITY OF HOPE ebook Obama, Barack Diesel eBooks
ScienceDaily Books : The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming ...
RandomHouse.ca | Books | The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama


In The News

Brazil's Lula wins re-election - partial results Forbes
Millions in Bihar pray to sun god on Chhath Monsters and Critics.com
Bill Clinton Celebrates 60th Birthday Washington Post Celebrating your birthday on the day of your birth is common. Celebrating it by getting your wealthy friends to donate to your charitable foundation is presidential. ..... co-hosted by Chelsea Clinton and by Terry McAuliffe .... Tickets to the three-day affair started at $60,000 .... a VIP package _ which includes special seating at the concert and dinner and a photo with Clinton _ running $500,000
Nepal Maoists extend ceasefire to boost peace talks Reuters.uk
Bhutanese refugees appeal to Nepal to implement US proposal to ... People's Daily Online
For Democrats, the focus shifts to turnout International Herald Tribune
Dems poised for seats, but can they get control? Arizona Republic
Tennessee? It's a harbinger Kennebec Journal
Ford: Democrat can win in the Old South Monsters and Critics.com
Many take dip in Bihar on `Chhath' Hindu
UP, Bihar celebrate Chhath puja NDTV.com
Memoirs of an anti-LTTE undercover agent in London Global Politician a civil war that no-one really wanted .... the Sri Lankan people were a forgotten lot –especially the Tamil people - caught up in a crazy war. ...... the group which killed two commonwealth heads of states was allowed to have offices in London and was allowed to operate freely ......as I lent my ear to him more and more, I began to feel as if he was reciting a well rehearsed script, lines spoken many a time to win people over --and also, to recruit new members. ...... I was told that a press pack with videos would be sent via post. I understood that it was their way of checking the postal address and assessing whether I could be brainwashed gradually. ..... The videos showed graphic details of LTTE strongholds and fighting methods. ...... The LTTE spin doctors were never interested in anything other than ‘a war’. It helped them stay alive and prosper - history would show that peace signaled their demise. ...... At a click of a button and a flick of a finger, I now could lay my hands on any sensitive LTTE information as requested by my “spy masters.” ....... The LTTE London office was boasting that the air force were flying in straight flight paths while on its missions (to different parts of the country), and that they had simply moved their anti aircraft guns under the flight path. ....... one country took up the offer to talk with the LTTE. This offer to LTTE was sent along with details of the country’s Arms Company willing to sell arms. ..... The LTTE was once invited to a garden party by members of a local council Labour Party group. ..... British MP invited the LTTE to the House of Commons.
Sri Lanka Peace Talks Collapse, Parties Fail to Set New Meeting Bloomberg
Clinton's visit a boost for Whitehouse campaign Sydney Morning Herald
US investigates voting-machine maker Chicago Tribune
Sen. Barack Obama's praises sung by Ben Affleck and celebrities Monsters and Critics.com
Obama delivers star power during whirlwind tour of LA Boston Globe he has become one of the most sought-after Democratic prospects for the White House. ..... rally with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa of Los Angeles, and just about every other California Democrat who holds office ..... in two short years catapulted from junior senator to fantasy presidential candidate and Time magazine cover story. ...... "I don't trust the powers-that-be not to have other plans for him," said Valaria Lincoln, 72. "I'm afraid for him." ..... "We're sending $800 million a day to some of the most hostile nations and effectively funding both sides in the war on terror." ....... "It was nice to have Ben Affleck there," said Alexander Shams, a 16-year-old freshman, "but Barack Obama was the star."
The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama Houston Chronicle touted as Democrats' best hope for White House ...... delivers original phrases in composed yet passionate tones ...... The only child of a biracial, bicontinental union, he grew up in Hawaii and Indonesia, then went on to become a community organizer in Chicago and the first black editor of the Harvard Law Review. And his athletic good looks have landed him on the cover of a major fashion magazine, with a photo spread by Annie Leibovitz. Not since John F. Kennedy has a junior senator so quickly become a national celebrity and a possible candidate for the White House. ........ The Audacity of Hope — the title comes from a sermon by his Chicago pastor ...... Their wealth prevented them from understanding loyal members of labor unions, evangelical churches or the NRA. As firm believers in a meritocracy, the donors implicitly denied that "there might be any social ill that could not be cured by a high SAT score." ...... Obama's years of work with the working poor ...... U.S. influence — cultural, economic and military — has both uplifted and angered the world, in roughly equal measure ...... most Americans can't find Indonesia on a map. ...... credits President Reagan's "clarity about communism" ...... endorses marriage workshops ...... the ways of the human heart too various, and my own life too imperfect ........ Obama's knack for mixing stirring rhetoric about good and evil with practical policy ideas is rare in the modern history of U.S. politics. At times, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Kennedy and Reagan managed the feat. But none of these men wrote his own presidential speeches. Nor did Kennedy or Reagan really write the books that carry their names. In contrast, The Audacity of Hope is clearly Obama's own creation ........ On fine evenings, the senator likes to take a run down the Mall and end up inside the Lincoln Memorial. He reads the two greatest, and perhaps shortest, speeches ever written .......... "My heart is filled," Obama writes, "with love for this country." .... it may help him get elected president.
Texas Book Festival Overshadowed by Sen. Obama Playfuls.com
Obama says family life will factor heavily on potential bid Houston Chronicle Obama, noting the growing "hype and hoopla" over his potential 2008 presidential bid ..... "My little girls can break my heart. They can make me cry just looking at them eating their string beans." ......."He is somebody who doesn't seem to be an extremist. He seems to be very rational and practical." ....... Obama holds the promise of uniting a divided nation that needs to solve real problems. ....... Obama said politics in Washington have become the intellectual equivalent of WWF Wresting — "smacking each other, throwing chairs, but nothing really gets done." ......... people are looking at the war in Iraq and wondering how it came to divide a nation so united after the Sept. 11 attacks ...... how the country can better match its military might with diplomatic finesse and the strength of alliances.
Obama Says Democratic Party's 'Identity Crisis' is Over KAIT he said the party will be able to win Southern states more easily in 2008. ..... in two years, Democrats will be able to talk about issues in terms of values in a way that will resonate in the South. ...... Obama, who says he's considering a 2008 presidential run, headlined a rally for Arkansas' Democratic statewide candidates at the state Capitol in Little Rock. Mike Beebe, the party's nominee for governor, attended the rally along with other Democrats running for top offices.
Google rivals Microsoft with free Web applications Los Angeles Times
Google's Writely no Word killer The Casper Star Tribune
Slumping Yahoo is far from giving up Chicago Tribune
Former President Clinton Celebrates 60th Birthday In New York NY1
Media Elites Snub Clinton’s 60th Birthday Party NewsBusters
Bill Clinton: His Policies Carry On National Ledger
McCain Would Defeat Clinton, Obama in 2008 Angus Reid Global Scan
Clinton rallies for Dems while 'building up chits' Houston Chronicle
Voter ID cards for all by 2008 Chennai Online
After Chennai, Aircel Deploys WiMAX in Bangalore SDA India Magazine
Bangladesh president heads interim government CNN International
Oracle Chief Outlines 'Unbreakable Linux' Strategy E-Commerce Times Oracle's interest in further integration of its solutions with Linux is a response to the demand for a single point of contact for software integration and support ...... Customers would rather not have to bring in another software vendor, such as Red Hat, plus a hardware vendor such as Dell ...... "It is not clear that anyone really wants this third distribution in the enterprise market," Red Hat JBoss Division Manager Marc Fleury wrote in his blog prior to the Oracle Linux announcement.
Preparing the world for a flu pandemic International Herald Tribune
KFC Expected To Change Cooking Method, Cut Trans Fat CattleNetwork.com
Apartheid's evil ignites 'Catch a Fire' Chicago Sun-Times
A moral reckoning in the waning days of bleak apartheid San Francisco Chronicle
German police, politicians alarmed as soccer violence escalates International Herald Tribune, France

Barack Is A Deaniac

Dick Cheney, Nelson Mandela, Howard Dean

Barack is one of us. He is a Deaniac. He is the original anti-war candidate. We have to get behind Barack Obama like we have never gotten behind any candidate as Democracy For America. This time we are going all the way. We have experienced the highs and lows of victories and defeats in races at all levels as an organization. Now we go for the ultimate prize, the White House. Every fiber in my body aches to see Barack Obama in the White House.

We have taken over the party, now we take over the country. With Dean at the helm of the party, we are going to create a perfet storm for Obama. We are going to put in place a political operation that Karl Rove never even fantasized about. We are going to nail all the details. Karl Rove is snail mail, we are email. It is a difference between centuries.

I believe I am going to start going to DFNYC events all over again, like I did when I first came into the city. I believe I will go ahead and resubscribe to the DFNYC newsletter.

Take Back Congress - Landline Phone Banking Now Three Nights Per Week (4 days 9 hours) Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evening Act Now
NOVEMBER PRE-ELECTION LINKUP (5 days 10 hours) East Village, Cinema Classics/Rafiffi, 332 East 11th Street (btwn. 1st & 2nd), with host Heather Woodfield

Perhaps the digital democracy organization I have been thinking in terms of will be a DFNYC project that I steer. If not, I am going to launch my own organization. I already have the nucleus of it from my Nepal work. I also am organizing a convention during the last weekend in May, a Nepali Convention, to be the biggest Nepali event outside of Nepal. The Global South ethnics in America are going to rise up for Obama.

• Balance the budget. Bring the rates down for homeowners and those with student loans.
  
• Balance the budget, and bring down the property taxes.
  
• End the war. Bush has killed more Iraqis than Saddam. Enough. Bring the troops home.
  
• Spread democracy like in Nepal, not like in Iraq. End the neocon insanity. Spread democracy the progressive way. Bring every monarchy in the Arab countries to an end. Freedom rings in every human heart. You just got to tap that the nonviolent way so they tap their feet into the streets and take over their countries. (The Saudi Royal Family Has Got To Go) We are also waging war, but we are waging war with communications technology.
  
• New approaches to old problems. New approaches to education and health care.
  
• Micro credit for micro revolutions in the inner cities.
  
• Free, wireless broadband through the private sector, ad based.
  
• Take America into the Information Age with style.
• Bye bye tax cut and swipe the credit card neocons, bye bye scare the Americans into voting for you neocons.
  
• We offer Hope, not fear. (Harvard Political Review - The Audacity of Hope)

Voting Machines On The Upper West
Barack Obama: This Is A New Century
Barack Obama: New Approaches To Old Problems
Switching To Obama
Seaport Diwali

A Different Kind Of Campaign: A Scientific Campaign
I Am Running For Dean 2008 Campaign Chair

In The News

Iran readies its second set of centrifuges, says report Earthtimes.org
Arson In California Kills 4 Firefighters Tampa Tribune
Bihar panchayats set for e-governance Monsters and Critics.com
Energy Prices, Housing Slow Economic Growth Washington Post
Iran 'fires up nuclear processors' CNN International
Polls undercount support for same-sex marriage ban San Francisco Chronicle
Madonna's adoption hearing adjourned EiTB
Hastert aide meets Foley panel in private Chicago Tribune
IE7 vs. Firefox: The Competition Really Begins PC Magazine
Nepal peace talks to resume soon Hindu
UN assistance for IDPs in Nepal People's Daily Online
Leader: Enter Barack Obama Guardian Unlimited Last weekend's confirmation by Barack Obama that he is weighing a run for the White House has generated almost hysterical levels of speculation that the charismatic senator from Illinois may be the candidate to break with the dismal past and lead the Democrats back to the presidency. On the face of it, this is the triumph of hope over experience..... By contrast Ms Clinton, for all her efforts not to, divides Americans sharply.... he is African and American rather than African-American ... he would be the first black man to win the nomination of either major party. His consistent opposition to the Iraq war contrasts strikingly with the timid shuffling of his senate colleagues, Ms Clinton included. It is too soon to say if Mr Obama is as good as he looks and sounds. But he should surely give his party the chance to decide.
The Dynamic Center: Disolving the 1960's - Barack Obama and 2008 411mania.com Barack Obama's interest in the presidency has sparked my interest in several levels. Aside from his considerable ability to communicate and his interesting biography, Obama may very well represent a shift past what has been the dominant factor in national political debates for several decades - namely, how to react to the 1960's? As someone not born until the mid 1970's, I am tired of a political debate about a decade I did not live through. ..... culture trumped economics in the minds of the voters in 2004. ... here we are in 2006 and a potential candidate emerges that might not be able to be pinned down on issues such as Vietnam or hippie-love ..... Obama by age alone has the potential to dissolve rather than solve the issues raised in the 1960's. ...... I say bring on the great solvent Barack Obama!
Mrs. Clinton Is Said to Be Open to a Law Allowing Gay Marriage New York Times
Cinton “evolved” on gay marriage Gay.com UK
Bachchan family consents to Aishwarya Rai - Abhishek Bachchan ... South Asian Women's Forum The Bachchan family has consented to the wedding of son Abhishek with Bollywood leading lady and former Miss World Asihwarya Rai .... The wedding is likely to take place in February next year. A firm date will be settled upon by priests for the two families who together agree that the month of February, 2007 is auspicious. ...... the couple have kept their wedding plans in abeyance pending a nod from the Bachchan family, something that has so far not been forthcoming. Speculations on the reasons for the holdup have centered on father Amitabh Bachchan's desire for a homemaker bride not a film star, the family's ardent faith in matching the horoscopes of the bride and groom, and the need for Abhishek, 30, to stabilize in his film career...... In the recent past Aishwarya, 33, has made great efforts to assuage any misgivings that the Bachchan family may have harbored about her abilities as a homemaker. Her efforts at winning the hearts of the Bachchan family include a hospital visit to Abhishek's grandmother Teji Bachchan and frequent visits to the Bachchan home. Recently she and her family spent their Diwali with the Bachchans...... Rai has gone out of the way to stress the fact that she has largely essayed roles that are quintessentially Indian. She has studiously avoided the image of a sex symbol. ..... both Aishwarya and Abhishek are believed to be Mangliks. A wedding between two mangliks with matching horoscopes is considered very auspicious. ..... A horoscope match was confirmed in Nov 2005 when Amitabh's brother, Ajitabh, visited a priest in Bangalore in the company of Abhishek, at the behest of Teji Bachchan. ...... Abhishek Bachchan, who started his film career with Refugee in 2000 had a string of 14 flops before coming good in Mani Ratnam's Yuva (2004). Since then he has starred in a chain of box office successes like Bunty Aur Babli, Sarkar, Bluff Master and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna..... they are paired again in two forthcoming big budget films (Guru, Sarkar 2) ..... both Abhishek and Aishwarya have recently avoided facing the media or their fans together.
Limbaugh hits national gag reflex with Michael J. Fox comments Salt Lake Tribune
Fla. GOP turns turnout into art St. Petersburg Times “Hi, this is Charlie Crist. Recently, you should have received your vote-by-mail ballot. And I’m calling to personally ask you to vote,” says one of several recorded messages to voters who requested absentee ballots. ..... Democrats are doing the same, but on a much smaller scale. By some estimates the GOP’s absentee-ballot program alone will ensure that Republicans wake up on Election Day with a 300,000-vote advantage over Democrats. ..... After years of leaving voter mobilization to their national party and outside groups, Florida Democrats are touting their most organized effort ever. The state party has given candidates and local parties access to their new and constantly updated voter database. .... Using Census, voter, and other data the Democrats are targeting sympathetic Hispanics, African-Americans and independents who need extra prodding to vote in off-year elections. .... The Republican National Committee’s “Voter Vault,’’ loaded with financial, personal and demographic data on individuals, allows Florida Republicans to precisely target voters with specialized appeals. ...... millions of absentee ballot applications sent to Republicans statewide. ...... Those are followed up by live and recorded calls often targeted to specific voters, and in many cases personal visits from canvassers equipped with precisely targeted pitches. ..... The GOP prints lists from its Voter Vault software. ...... Volunteers know average household income, whether it’s in a competitive precinct, whether the voter votes in party primaries. When a voter responds, that’s plugged back into the Voter Vault. ...... The next time party volunteers call, they know if the voter worried more about Iraq or immigration, terrorism or the economy. ..... Compare that to the Hernando County Democrats. They have a mobile campaign headquarters: Jay Rowden’s white Ford F150. Rowden packs signs in the back, sticks magnetic signs to the side, and drives around with a laptop and his Bluetooth ear piece attached to his head. The party has spent $3,000 on automated phone calls, but can’t muster the volunteers to go door-to-door, Rowden said. “I’m a one-man band,” he said. ...... the “72-hour program” to mobilize voters in the final days of the campaign. That helped Jeb Bush trounce Bill McBride by 13 percentage points in 2002. ....... “There are a lot of people who will be driven to the polls by the Republican machine who are not necessarily going to vote the way the Republicans think they’re going to vote,’’ said Kirk Wagar, a Miami attorney and top Democratic fundraiser. ...... “There are going to be a lot of Republicans in tight races in Florida who get carried across the finish line because of decisions that were made years ago about building the machine.”
Democrats Lead by 19 Points in US Ballot Angus Reid Global Scan
Crisis boosts US-China ties The Japan Times
With attacks on buses, French fear repeat of last year's riots Boston Globe
'The Google' lets Bush keep an eye on the ranch Mail & Guardian Online
Bush overcoming fear of technology MegaStar.co.uk
India, China rule global carbon market Financial Express
New Yahoo! Bookmarks - What about Del.icio.us? Search Engine Marketing Blog
Nigeria: Wimax - Technology for Cheaper Internet Access AllAfrica.com
Bush signs bill to build border fence to stop Mexicans Independent
Taliban accuse NATO of genocide Washington Post
A brisk walk a day keeps those winter colds away Times Online
Flu vaccines 'not worth the bother' says expert Daily Mail - UK
'Running with Scissors' an annoying slice of life Chicago Sun-Times

Muslim cleric triggers outrage for blaming women for rape Irish Examiner
NJ High Court Ruling Threatens to Re-ignite Gay Marriage Debate Kansas City infoZine
Nepal Maoists Firm on 'Republican Front' despite PM's Rejection Nepal human Rights News
FOX News Poll: Obama Versus McCain in 2008 FOX News
NJ High Court Ruling Threatens to Re-ignite Gay Marriage Debate Kansas City infoZine
In South, latest Republican ad strikes some as playing on racial ... International Herald Tribune NASHVILLE, Tennessee A white woman with blonde hair and bare shoulders looks into the camera and whispers, "Harold, call me," and then winks. This Republican National Committee television ad doesn't mention that "Harold" — Democratic Senate candidate Harold Ford Jr. — is black, but the NAACP civil rights group and others have complained the commercial makes an implicit appeal to deep-seated racial fears about black men and white women. Race was always an element of the Tennessee contest in the Nov. 7 congressional elections as Ford seeks to become the first black man elected to the Senate from the South since the aftermath of the U.S. Civil War of 1861-65. The issue slammed into the public consciousness this week with the latest ad.
GOP retires ‘Playboy’ ad in Tennessee MSNBC
Dozens of Afghan villagers reported dead after NATO attack on ... International Herald Tribune
TEXT-Q&A excerpts from interview with Iraqi PM Reuters AlertNet
Iraqi Premier Denies US Assertion He Agreed to Timelines Washington Post
Iraq, not US, will call shots on timetable: Maliki Sydney Morning Herald
Google, Google, Google! Forbes
Google's Internal Company Goals Leaked eWeek
Google steps into political arena CNN
India, China should focus on economic ties: Yechury The Statesman
US Companies' R&D Operations Shifting To India, China Easy Bourse (Communiqués de presse)
Howard Dean Explains Why He Won’t Debate RNC Chair Ken Mehlman ... NewsBusters
Nigeria: Wimax - Technology for Cheaper Internet Access AllAfrica.com
Rumsfeld to Iraq war critics: 'just back off' CBC Nova Scotia
Oracle with Linux is doing the inevitable — a business model ... ZDNet
Um, Larry? It's free as in speech, not free as in MINE!!!!!!!!! Good Morning Silicon Valley
NASA launches twin spacecraft to study sun in 3D Xinhua
Russian Supply Rocket Fails to Dock Tightly to Space Station Voice of America
Russian cargo ship docks successfully at space station USA Today

Addendum, November 1

When you google the term "democracy," the DFNYC website shows up on page 25, my Democracy For Nepal shows up on page 64.

Voting Machines On The Upper West

So I went to this event yesterday: DFA Event: A Forum On Voting Machines. Although this was not a DFNYC event per se, there was the ecosystem concept in play and many organizations were involved, but I was aware I was going to a DFNYC event after a long break. I expected to see, if not meet and greet, the usual suspects. They were there. Looked to me like the white asshole males have taken over DFNYC. Dan Jacoby was in charge on stage, Lewis Cohen was in charge off stage. People to whom my clear message has been, get the fuck out of my face, forever. It is like this. You get into a time machine, you go back, and you eat some of your words, or you stay the fuck out of my face. And by the way, there are parts of my life where you don't belong (A Few Diagrams), and don't be making racist comments. Ever.

The South Dakota Event
Social Progress: Show Me The Money

I am going to do a Nepal repeat in New York City for Barack Obama. The idea is to launch a digital democracy organization - text, photos, audio, video, people, events, organizations - to project New York City progressivism into the country. Obama 2008.

Barack Obama: This Is A New Century
Barack Obama: New Approaches To Old Problems
Switching To Obama
Obama Was In Town And I Missed It

Seven Party Delegation
The First Major Revolution Of The 21st Century Happened In Nepal

I walked into the city, and I am taking over. It is called the vertical implications of one person, one vote, one voice.

The Spectrum Concept: Wide Applications
The 90 Minute Experience
Politics At The Speed Of Thought
DFNYC, 100,000 Strong, Scalable Organization

The richest Nepali in North America lives in Toronto. The richest Nepali in the world lives in Moscow. I know both. Actually I just received an email from the latter. What's up with New York? (ANA Convention: Reflections)

The vast majority of those in attendance were seniors, perhaps from the locality, mostly women. I was sitting next to a few of them. The one next to me peered as I wrote down my question for the panel. I noticed and shared.

If online banking is such a good idea, why is electronic voting such a bad idea? My point being it is not the technology that is the problem.

Paramendra.

"Oh, I was just answering that one to my friend over here."

And she proceeded to share her answer. It was a lively conversation. And then the stage was populated. Every single person on stage was a white male. The emcee, a white male. Joan Paylo, who I talked to after the event, made a few brief comments along the way. She is female. She was a small exception.

This is a problem. Joan and I talked about it.

Video: Hillary Rodham Clinton
"First Nancy Pelosi, Then Hillary"
Hillary 2008: Enough White Men

What most bothered me was a technicality. It got announced there had been "3000" meetings in the buildup to this event. Even if there were only 300, that's too many. That is inefficient. I think that is where digital democracy organizations come in. It is called politics at the speed of thought. (Hamro Nepal Constitution)

The discussion was impressive. I am glad I showed up. And I was glad I had already blogged about the issue. It was like I did my homework before I showed up. Actually I blogged so well, my blog entry would compete with the event itself. It is so informative. What I have not displayed outright can be had through the links.

You can be poor, but if you are white in the South, chances are you are Republican. In New York City you can be rich and white and progressive. Fair enough. Maybe Americans are not subsistence farmers no more, most people eat, and so they can afford to have culture wars. Fine.

After the event was over, I went on stage. Better late than never. Man in black.

Come to think of it, I think I am going to spend November 7 in Harlem. (Iraq Movie, Liberally, But Not Drinking) I am going to videoblog the day. For Obama.

"For your father, for your father." (The Godfather (1972))

I don't do high school reunions. I don't do college reunions. I am the opposite of Bill Clinton. That guy goes to every reunion he can think of, and then some. Barack Obama says something similar here: Charlie Rose - BARACK OBAMA, about being an "outsider." I relate to that. You interact with institutions that were designed with you not in mind. So you make new ones, or you morph old ones fundamentally. Preferably both.

So I get on stage. And I keep trying to get myself in the face of this professor from New York University. And he keeps turning away. I can send vibes like that. I manage to insert a short comment to someone else' question. "He has a point there. If online banking is an okay idea, what's wrong with electronic voting?"

And that is when he totally turns away. And I was left watching his back.

And next I am having this lively conversation on the topic with this white male senior. He is telling me how Microsoft screwed up and Google is one better. Totally my cup of tea. But aren't we getting a little off topic?

Somebody announced it was time to vacate. So I vacated in style. I jumped off stage. (Formal attire makes me want to play sports, soccer.) And I walked out. At the door, I said to a familiar DFNYC face - no, it was not Merle (September 16 Protest Rally) - "Nice event." I know her face, she knows mine, but I never knew her name. She beamed. Nice tie, nice pin. Nice event.

In The News

Bush signs bill authorizing border fence Houston Chronicle
Australian Muslim cleric blames women for rape CTV.ca
Bihar civil policeman dies after protest fast Monsters and Critics.com
Baghdad raids target death squads ABC Online
Amitabh Bachchan to release Sameer's biography Apun Ka Choice
Hillary Clinton on Bush White House: "They Put Nixon to Shame" Towleroad
Wal-Mart Adds 12 States to Drug Plan Houston Chronicle
Nepal: Peace Talks Must Resume Stratfor
NJ Supreme Court gives same-sex couples more rights 7Online.com
More revelations of abuse by German troops in Afghanistan (Roundup ... Monsters and Critics.com
Russia calls UN draft on Iran ‘unhelpful’ Financial Times
Bush takes a shot at Obama Chicago Tribune
Obama finds many fans in Bay Area A possible presidential ... San Francisco Chronicle
George Clooney Welcomes Barack Obama's Presidential Bid Starpulse.com
Why Obama should run Chicago Tribune
Chronicle podcast with Barack Obama San Francisco Chronicle
Illinois Democrat Barack Obama Talks About His Political Future FOX News
The great blue hope Austin American-Statesman (subscription)
How Specialized Engines Could Make Web Search Better MIT Technology Review
Lenghth of the Great Wall to be announced in 2008 Xinhua
Mobile WiMAX Deployment Gets Underway In Puerto Rico InformationWeek
Taiwan market: NCC finalizes WiMAX license plan DigiTimes
Arab dismay at cartoons verdict Irish Examiner

Barack Obama: This Is A New Century

Charlie Rose - An hour with Barack Obama

Charlie Rose - BARACK OBAMA
Charlie Rose - BARACK OBAMA (FROM 11/23/04)
Charlie Rose - Efraim Halevy / Sudan Panel

More .....

Barack Obama: New Approaches To Old Problems

More .....

Barack Obama - U.S. Senator for Illinois
Join BarackObama.com
Barack Obama - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
OBAMA, Barack - Biographical Information
American Rhetoric: Barack Obama -- 2004 Democratic National ...
Transcript: Illinois Senate Candidate Barack Obama (washingtonpost ...
BBC NEWS | World | Americas | Profile: Barack Obama
Commencement Address
Barack Obama News - The New York Times

• Obama Offers More Variations From the Norm
• The Obama Bandwagon
• Obama Considers White House Run
  
• Obama Is Not a Miracle Elixir
  
• Obama Says He Is Considering Running for President
  
• Obama’ s Project Runway
  
• Run, Barack, Run
  
• BOOKS OF THE TIMES; Foursquare Politics, With a Dab Of Dijon
  
• Stars Come Out for Menendez and Kean
• Political Memo; For This Red Meat Crowd, Obama's '08 Choice Is Clear
  

In The News

Cheney says Hillary Clinton could win in 2008 Xinhua, China
Hillary Clinton could win White House - Cheney Stuff.co.nz, New Zealand
Hillary could win W House: Cheney Daily Telegraph, Australia
Cheney says Hillary Clinton could win White House Washington Post, United States
Barack Obama, asked about drug history, admits he inhaled International Herald Tribune, France
Cheney says Hillary Clinton could win, hopes she doesn't USA Today
Half-Kenyan Obama could reach for White House Monsters and Critics.com, UK
Clinton dodges Hillary vs. Barack question Chicago Sun-Times, United States
Obama Offers More Variations From the Norm New York Times, United States
Obama Answers - Sort Of Yahoo! News
Democratic hero Obama may run for White House Guardian Unlimited, UK
Rising Star in Democrat Party Considers US Presidential Run Voice of America
Democrat Barack Obama latest 2008 Presidential favorite Yahoo! News (press release)
Hilary Rosen: Obama is No Threat to Hillary Yahoo! News He is refreshing, lofty and connected to our struggle to demonstrate the better selves in all of us. I like the way he talks about teaching children purpose. And I like the way he emphasizes empathy as the quality most missing in public discourse. .... the pressure of the job requires at least some experience. And he just isn't there. And it is very hard to envision him catching up in the next two years. .... Senator Clinton is practiced in world affairs, knowledgable about military conflict, she has lived through the pressure of national political campaigns, she recovers with grace from attempts to drag her through scandal and she has the experience that we want in the Oval Office. ..... Hillary's detractors see her as too liberal, too fresh, too ambitious --- too unelectable. Next to Obama you can't help but think she looks a downright conventional choice.
Clinton says it's great Obama thinking about presidential run International Herald Tribune, France Polls show Clinton is the front-runner among potential 2008 Democratic presidential contenders and she said Friday during a debate that she has also been thinking about running. ..... Clinton, during a debate Friday night against Spencer in Rochester, said she has been thinking about running for president but has made no decision about that. She said if that bothered New York voters, they should consider it when they go to vote next month.
Watch Your Back, Hillary: Barack Obama Considers Presidential Run MTV.com
Kenya: US Media Tips Obama for White House in 2008 AllAfrica.com, Washington
Senator has same charisma that propelled Kennedy New Zealand Herald, New Zealand
Obama's Challenge to Hillary? Yahoo! News
Freshman senator may take on Clinton The Australian, Australia
Neophyte Democrat eyes White House International Herald Tribune, France
Marc Sandalow: President Obama? San Francisco Chronicle, USA
The rookie from Illinois who would be president Sydney Morning Herald, Australia

DFA Event: A Forum On Voting Machines

I look to the future because that's where I'm going to spend the rest of my life.
- George Burns
The least of learning is done in the classrooms.
- Thomas Merton
Oh, I don't blame Congress. If I had $600 billion at my disposal, I'd be irresponsible, too.
- Lichty and Wagner

I have an email in my inbox, and I RSVPd. I don't know a whole lot about this issue, but I do know this is how they stole the last two presidential elections. It was something to do with voting machines.

On The Web

Diebold Voting Machine Owner Committed To Give Votes To Bush in 2004 The head of a company vying to sell voting machines in Ohio told Republicans in a recent fund-raising letter that he is "committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president next year." ..... O'Dell attended a strategy pow-wow with wealthy Bush benefactors - known as Rangers and Pioneers - at the president's Crawford, Texas, ranch earlier this month. The next week, he penned invitations to a $1,000-a-plate fund-raiser to benefit the Ohio Republican Party's federal campaign fund - partially benefiting Bush - at his mansion in the Columbus suburb of Upper Arlington.
The History of Voting Machines - History of the Voting System ...
Voting Machines
Voting machine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
VerifiedVoting.org : Index
Schneier on Security: The Problem with Electronic Voting Machines
Voting machine fails inspection | CNET News.com security experts--three from Johns Hopkins University and a colleague from Rice University--performed an audit and found numerous security holes. ..... There is no way to verify that a vote was correctly recorded and no permanent record is kept. ...... In the 2002 election, 19.6 percent of the electorate could have cast an electronic vote ...... The researchers were only able to see the source code to Diebold's system because the company accidentally left the file on an Internet server in January. ...... "You can't run voting machines on Windows." ...... By bringing a stack of valid cards to the voting booth, a person could cast several votes. ...... the secrecy that surrounds the creation and certification of electronic voting machines almost ensures that the systems will not be programmed securely.

The last such event I went to was the Iraq movie. (Iraq Movie, Liberally, But Not Drinking, Movie: Iraq For Sale) I feel like I owe it to my favorite Deaniac, Barack Obama, to show up for another DFA event. This can be my way to celebrate the interest he has expressed for the first time for a possible run for president. (Switching To Obama) I was also on TV recently. That also has to be celebrated. (March And Rally For Full Immigrant Rights)

Join Democracy for NYC and Community Free Democrats for an important public forum on Wednesday, October 25th. Learn what voting machines may soon be chosen for you, and what you can do to encourage selection of the most secure, reliable and cost-effective voting machines for NYC.

When: October 25th, 7pm-9pm

Where: New York Society for Ethical Culture on 64th Street at Central Park West in Manhattan.

Panelists: Adam Cohen, Member of the NY Times Editorial Board, will moderate a panel which will include Douglas Kellner, Co-Chair, New York State Board of Elections; David Kogelman, HAVA Committee Chair, NY Democratic Lawyers Council; Bo Lipari, Executive Director, New Yorkers for Verified Voting; Mark Crispin Miller, New York University Professor and Author; Jerrold Nadler, Member, U.S. Congress; and John Ravitz, Executive Director, New York City Board of Elections.

Sponsoring Groups: The forum is sponsored by the New York Society for Ethical Culture and the Sierra Club—NYC Group. Co-sponsors include: Ansonia Independent Democrats, Broadway Democrats, Park River Independent Democrats, Three Parks Independent Democrats, Vincent F. Albano Republican Club.

For information, call 212-252-4918 or visit this link:
http://www.dfnyc.org/cms/node/87729

Event Date: Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Event Time: 7:00 PM

Venue Name: NY Society for Ethical Culture
Address: 2 West 64th Street
City: New York
State: NY
Zip Code: 10023
Handicapped Accessible: Yes


Democracy For NYC
Welcome to Community Free Democrats - Serving the Upper West Side
Home: New York Society for Ethical Culture
"Central Park West" (1995)
Manhattan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Manhattan (1979)
The New York Times Editorial Board - New York Times
Douglas A
The New York Democratic Lawyers Council
New Yorkers for Verified Voting - Bo Lipari
Bo Lipari's Weblog
Mark Crispin Miller
Democracy Now! | Mark Crispin Miller: “Kerry Told Me He Now Thinks.. “[Kerry] told me he now thinks the election was stolen. He says he doesn't believe he is the person that can be out in front because of the sour grapes question. But he said he believes it was stolen. He says he argues with his democratic colleagues on the hill. He said he had a fight with Christopher Dodd because he said there's questions about the voting machines and Dodd was angry.”
Jerrold Nadler - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John A Ravitz News - The New York Times
sierra club new york city group home page
THE ANSONIA INDEPENDENT DEMOCRATS; - The Democratic Club of the ...
Broadway Democrats | Democracy For NYC
Park River Independent Democrats | Democracy For NYC
Three Parks Independent Democrats
Welcome to the Vince Albano 74th AD Republican Club's Web Site

This is an important topic, no doubt. And if the past is any clue, we are going to have issues also in these elections a few weeks away which look so good to our side. The Dems will take over both chambers.

In The News

Obama: Somber Americans ready for change KVOA.com
Obama's book tour fuels White House speculation Austin American-Statesman
Obama Obama Obama CBS News
Worried Bush retires Iraq slogan The Australian
Bush Drops `Stay the Course' for Flexibility on Iraq (Update1) Bloomberg
Poll Finds "Time Is Running Short" For Republicans In Congress All Headline News
Snow says no to Iraq 'ultimatums' United Press International
White House Looks for Better Ways Forward in Iraq New York Times
US denies setting timetable for Iraq to disarm militia Xinhua
Voter intimidation controversy grows in southern California Houston Chronicle
Angelides Calls Election Letter Act Of Intimidation NBC4.TV
OC candidate defends letter scaring immigrants Los Angeles Times
And the winner of the election is... Diebold Houston Chronicle
E-Voting Bites CBS News
Diebold Election Systems at the center of security breach Earthtimes.org
Another source code leak for Diebold Ars Technica, MA
States Create Processes to Ease E-voting Concerns Computerworld, MA
Diebold Source Code Disks Mailed to Maryland Democrat
Electronic Voting Machines Could Skew Elections ABC News
Diebold source code leaked againComputerworld, MA
Diebold Code Spill Hikes Electronic Voting Security Concerns TechNewsWorld, CA
Concerns raised over security of electronic voting machines abc13.com, TX
Maryland Suffers E-Voting Security Breach
NewsFactor Network, CA
Maryland gets crabby over voting tech GCN.com, DC
How Accurate Are Electronic Voting Machines? WMDT, MD
E-Voting Diebold Machine Code Mailed To Former Maryland Legislator
Spotlighting News
Diebold Election Systems at the center of security breach
Ex-delegate gets Diebold voting code in mail engadget, CA
Link: Diebold Voting Software Source In Wild Again Scoop.co.nz (press release), New Zealand
Elections Said to be Safe After Possible Theft WTOP, D.C
Mailed disks raise voting machine fears The Kindred Times, Utah
Diebold declares machines secure Baltimore Sun, United States
Diebold Voting Machines Stir Up More Controversy WJZ, MD
Diebold Source Code Leaked Again PC World
Diebold Voting Machine Woes 2.0
Diebold source code leaked againWebwereld, Netherlands
Recent Electoral Politics ZNet, MA
FBI Investigating Source of Disks; Diebold Says Elections Safe WJLA, DC
Lieberman opens wide lead on Lamont in Conn. race Reuters
Why is Joe Lieberman Still Ahead? - Oct 23 Beyond Chron
Final debate for Senate candidates tonight WTNH
ElBaradei warns of sanctions on N.Korea, Iran









More ....

Electronic Voting, Online Banking

Electronic voting is actually a super idea. That is the future of voting. It is step one. Step two would be online voting. No need to stay in line. On election day you log in and you vote. Nothing wrong with the technology.

It is the slimey politics, the obfuscation, the white supremacist urge to disenfranchise the black community, the handshake between big money and Republican power, and the sheer incompetence of those who can not get right what is essentially about 100 lines of software code.
So it's not the technology, it is the politics that is nifty.

If you trust software with your money, I think that software can be made good enough that you can trust it with your vote. But there are forces at work that are doing their very best to make sure that ain't so.

For the short term, the idea of paper trails is a good one. Give people in print what they did on the screen. But long term it is the software itself that has to be made secure and trustworthy.

The software way, you can have instant counts. As soon the polls close, the results are out.