A New Ocean!

Did anyone know that in 2000, the International Hydrographic Organization officially termed the ocean circling Antarctica the Southern Ocean? So, now, there are 5 oceans:

1) Pacific Ocean
2) Artic Ocean
3) Altantic Ocean
4) Indian Ocean
5) Southern Ocean

5 oceans and 8 planets...... In German, there are 6 continents because Amerika is one continent, from the tip of Chile and Argentian up to the Arctic Ocean..... Weird. Was anyone aware of this?

The newly unvailed flag

of the Republic of Kosovo. Kosovo declared independence today in the capital of Prishtina (formerly Priština under Serbian rule). The Albanian population of the world celebrates.


A view of the capital. This street is called Bulevardin Bill Clinton (Bill Clinton Boulevard). Below is another picture of the street.

Kosovo declares independence!

Another day....

Another day, another story on Natalie Holloway, another omission by CNN. The charge of first-degree murder in the case of Lawrence King has been elevated to a hate-crime. The 14-year old will be tried as an adult, according to the Ventura County prosecutor.

What is this not huge news? If it were a racist murder it would be on the front page! A 27-year old gunman in Illinois is front-page news for days? Matthew Shephard was big news!

The following have reported this story, barely:
Miami Herald
Los Angeles Times

Everyone else is barely carrying the AP line that they're unaware of the reasons why it's been upgraded to a hate crime. Students at the school said that he came out as gay. He wore make-up, painted his nails, wore high-heeled boots and skirts. This is the reason those kids gave for what happened. It's pretty clear that they didn't make it up and would be grounds for a hate crime. I've heard that they omit the word gay,for fear of defamation lawsuits. I don't know if this is true.

I used to paint my nails. Did I deserve to be shot and have the story buried? I am so disgusted with our press.

Please Boycott CNN

There is a story about a boy named Lawrence King in Oxnard, CA, who was shot and killed yesterday. No official motive yet, but it was most likely due to the fact that he was gay and wore women's clothes to school. He had a fight with the killer over his sexual orientation and was shot in the head. LATimes devotes half the story to the question of motive, discusses the possibility of it being a hate crime and discuss GLBT issues in schools.

CNN does not have the story on the right side of the screen, while reporting on two other shootings perpetrated by young children. The story it does have has no mention of the issue of sexual orientation!

How dare they! Natalie Holloway is big news, but a school murder of a gay teen is not important enough? I mean, the boy was white! That should count for something!

Boycott CNN!

McCain, You've Already Lost

You really want to be president? You want to be considered a hero, respected by our nation?

Let's paint this in broad, wide strokes here. Let's make this basic and clear.

You are against Bush's tax cuts? Actually, you changed that in the early 2000s.

You are pro-immigration? In the last debates, you said that you would not vote for your own bill, because it wouldn't have a chance.... HUH?

You are against torture? YOU VOTED TODAY AGAINST A BAN ON TORTURE AND THUS LOST ANY MODICUM OF RESPECT ANYONE SHOULD EVER HAVE FOR YOU!

You are a warmonger, who supports Bush's tax cuts, harsher border security and torture. This country better stand up and fight if you are elected.

From around the world

Poland (Rzeczpospolita, Warsaw)

Obama wygrał nad Potomakiem

Barack Obama wygrał wszystkie trzy wtorkowe demokratyczne prawybory: w Wirginii, Maryland oraz stołecznym dystrykcie Columbia (DC) i ma już większą liczbę delegatów na przedwyborczą konwencję partyjną niż Hillary Clinton.

Austria (Der Standard, Austria)

Dreifach-Triumph für Obama

Nach Siegen in Virginia, Maryland und Washington DC hat Obama erstmals Clinton bei Delegiertenstimmen überholt.

England (BBC News, London)

Obama wins primaries clean sweep

Barack Obama has won the Democratic primary polls in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia, according to US media projections and early results.

Russia (Izvestia, Moscow)

Обама победил на очередном этапе "праймериз"

Сенатор-демократ Барак Обама стал абсолютным победителям очередного этапа "праймериз", которые прошли во вторник параллельно у демократов и республиканцев в штатах Вирджиния и Мэриленд, а также в столице США Вашингтоне.

Switzerland (Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Zurich)

Obama bleibt auf der Überholspur

Clinton bei Vorwahlen in drei Ostküstenstaaten geschlagen. Barack Obama hat auch die Vorwahlen zur amerikanischen Präsidentschaft in den Bundesstaaten Virginia und Maryland sowie in der Hauptstadt Washington gewonnen.

Australia (The Australian, Sydney)

Obama wins three primaries

Barack Obama won all three Democratic nominating contests today. Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama rolled to decisive victories in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia, extending his winning streak over rival Hillary Clinton.

Translated 100th post extravaganza

DEMOKRATEN- DRAMA

Obama zieht an Clinton vorbei

Schwere Schlappe für Hillary Clinton: Ihr Rivale Barack Obama hat die Vorwahlen in Virginia, Maryland und in der Hauptstadt Washington klar gewonnen - und damit erstmals die Führung im Rennen um die US-Präsidentschaftskandidatur der Demokraten übernommen. Bei den Republikanern siegte John McCain.

"DEMOCRATS' DRAMA
OBAMA PASSES CLINTON
Hard slap for Hillary Clinton: Her rival, Barack Obama, won definitively the primaries in Virginia, Maryland and in DC. With these victories, he has become the front-runner for the first time in the race for the Democratic nomination for the US-Presidency. John McCain won amongst the Republicans."

EUROPE LOVES IT, AND SO DO WE!

The cover of this week's Der Spiegel has a picture of Obama and the title "Der Messias-Faktor" (The Messiah-Factor).

JA, WIR KÖNNEN ES! TAK, TO MOZEMY! SI, SE PUEDE! YES, WE CAN!

Somebody out there oughta enjoy these county results.

Fairfax updated 3 minutes ago		Obama	90,042	59%	96% reporting
		Clinton	61,756	41%

We Will Miss You, Mr. Lantos

A man who fled the Nazis in Europe, came to America and got a PhD at Berkeley, became a professor for 30 years and served the citizens of San Mateo and San Francisco counties in Congress 28 years died today of esophageal cancer.
A member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, he called for health care reform, a balanced budget, an end to Bush's tax cuts. He opposed the privatization of Social Security. He supported marriage equality, a woman's right to choose and gun control. He was a champion of public transportation and an advocate for green energy.
He spoke out for religious freedom around the world and called for intervention abroad to stop war. He originally supported the Iraq War, but changed his mind. He desperately called for a force to be sent to Darfur.
He had announced that he would not seek a 15th term, as he was ill and wanted more time with his family. It was not to be.

His ratings by Project Vote Smart:
American Civil Liberties Union – 91% for 2005–2006
AFL-CIO – 100% in 2006
Humane Society of the United States – 100% for 2005-2006
League of Conservation Voters – 92% for 2006
NARAL Pro-Choice America – 100% for 2006
National Education Association – 100% for 2005-2006
National Organization for Women – 95% for 2005-2006

Americans for Tax Reform – 0% for 2006
Gun Owners of America – 0% for 2006
National Rifle Association – F for 2006
National Right to Life Committee – 0% for 2005-2006

We've lost a great champion of our rights.

In his own words: "It is only in the United States that a penniless survivor of the Holocaust and a fighter in the anti-Nazi underground could have received an education, raised a family, and had the privilege of serving the last three decades of his life as a Member of Congress.... I will never be able to express fully my profoundly felt gratitude to this great country."

Thank you, Rep. Tom Lantos (D-CA-12)
(born Lantos Tamás Péter)

SUSA

The pollster that got almost everything right, nailed California and got only Missouri wrong (which I got right by the way, hehe), has polled Virginia at Obama 57 - Clinton 39. Beautiful.

-Nebraska and Washington are Obama-type states and are caucuses, so he should do well.
-Louisiana is heavily African-American, so he should do well.
-Maine is a closed-primary? I think..... so he may have an issue there.
-Virginia is polling beautifully.
-He would have to murder someone on national television to lose DC.
-Maryland is heavily educated, wealthy, politically involved and African-American, so there's that.
-Hawaii is his.
-Wisconsin is heavily labor-leftist, Edwards-type people, plus Chicago suburbanites/exurbanites. Milwaukee is heavily African-American.

He CAN, but may not be able to sweep the rest of February.

He's most vulnerable in Maine, less so in Wisconsin and Washington.......

Tim Kaine, the D-governor of Virginia has said he should not be Obama's running mate, should he win the nomination. He recommended Jim Webb!

Obama/Webb '08

Germany's Rodney King?

I'm sure you've heard the story of the 9-month old baby dropped from the window of the burning building in Ludwigshafen, Germany. But are you aware of the racial tension throughout Central Europe?

9 people were killed (5 children), 60 injured, all of them Turks or German Turks. Just 2 years ago, the building was bombarbed by a Molotov Cocktail. The door of the Turkish cultural center inside the building was painted with Nazi-slogans. Two girls saw a "German-looking" man light a baby carriage on fire in the foyer.

This would be the worst Nazi-attack on Turks in Germany's history. Turkey's Prime Minister arrived in Nordrhein-Westfalen, the state where Ludwigshafen lies, and spoke with Kurt Beck, the state's Prime Minister. They asked the crowds to hold off judgment before anything became known. During the speech, 2 right-wing extremist youths were detained just 1 block from the crowd for violating an existing restraining order.

The 2.6 million Turks of the country (and countless others in Austria and other neighbors) are angry. They are scared. One 18-year old Turkish woman hoped that it was not a Nazi-attack. "Otherwise there will be war here in the streets." (Sonst gibt es Krieg hier auf den Straßen.) Let's hope she's wrong.

The Death of the Democratic Party?

Oh no! From DailyKos:

The Math: Impossible for HC Or BO to Win Nom Process

by Public Servant

Thu Feb 07, 2008 at 02:30:20 PM PST

Paul Kane at the Washington Post has crunched the numbers and finds that it is mathematically impossible for Clinton or Obama to win the Dem nomination in the standard process. That puts the super-delegates, the Dem Party elite, front and center to choose for us.

There are 3,253 pledged delegates. These are assigned based on votes in primaries (and caucuses). To win the Dem nomination, a total of 2,025 delegates is necessary. So far, nearly 55% of the total of 3,253 delegates have been pledged via primary/caucus voting. Hillary and Barack are fairly close to even so far, ~900 delegates each, leaving ~1450 delegates up for grabs in the next few months

The problem is that if they both have about 900 pledged delegates so far, that totals ~1800, leaving ~1450 delegates available. If 2025 are needed to win, its highly unlikely that Obama or Clinton would win the 1100+ of the remaining 1450 delegates (45%) necessary to win through actual voting.

So unless Obama can win this politically in February and somehow knock Clinton out on Super Tuesday II on March 4th in Ohio and Texas, or unless some huge scandal pops up which is also unlikely, this thing is going to end with a few hundred Super-Ds making the call. That is, unless Clinton manages to push the Dems to include Florida and Michigan in the mix. I haven't looked at that math, but it's doubtful that including FL and MI might not make push Clinton over the top.

I haven't seen anyone else do the math on this and put it out there like Kane at WAPO has done, which is surprising. But if others have done so, I'd like to see if there are different interpretations out there. Thoughts?

YES.WE.DID...Obamomentum '08

So went San Francisco, so went the nation...... it just had to endure a mild bruising in some of the more unsavory parts of California. Hehe.

This is beautiful. Obama now offers me "Change I Can Believe In", because, for the first time, I believe that he is the odds-on favorite for the nomination. He's got the momentum, the clear road in February ahead, the Super Tuesday win, the massively superior funding..... and my $25. I better get good returns on my donation. Hehe.

Oh, and some of her campaign people are going unpaid, and she's loaned $5mil. of her own money. She aims to win $1mil per day for today, tomorrow and the next day. Obama has raised $6mil. (including my meager attempt) since the polls closed yesterday!

Obama '08!

Here are some beautiful statements I pulled off of DailyKos:

A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, has never learned how to walk forward.
Franklin D. Roosevelt

The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness.
John Kenneth Galbraith

Our 'neoconservatives' are neither new nor conservative, but old as Bablyon and evil as Hell.
Edward Abbey

Come, come, my conservative friend, wipe the dew off your spectacles, and see that the world is moving.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Yes.We.Can

So goes California, so goes the nation. And so goes San Francisco, so goes California!

The eyes of the entire world are upon us. We must show them what a compassionate, progressive country we are.

How young and dynamic we are.

How peaceful we are.

How we fight for the little guy.

Obama/Sebelius(/Napolitano/Webb/Edwards) '08

Predictions

Just for fun.

California	Obama	52-48
Idaho	Obama	61-39
Arizona	Obama	51-49
Utah	Obama	61-39
Colorado	Obama	52-48
New Mexico	Clinton	52-48
North Dakota	Obama	59-41
Minnesota	Clinton	52-48
Oklahoma	Clinton	55-45
Kansas	Obama	52-48
Missouri	Obama	51-49
Illinois	Obama	67-33
Alabama	Obama	52-48
Georgia	Obama	59-41
Connecticut	Clinton	52-48
Massachusetts	Clinton	52-48
New York	Clinton	58-42
New Jersey	Clinton	51-49
Alaska	Obama	62-38
Arkansas	Clinton	61-39
Tennessee	Clinton	55-45
Delaware	Obama	51-49
American Samoa	?	?