June was his love...

Get Rhythm... When You Get The Blues

No Bullshit

Comedian George Carlin died last Sunday, and I’m certain he’s not “up there smiling down on us.” Carlin’s genius was using his mastery of verbal and body language to paint vivid images live, right in front of us. Sure, he made us laugh, but more importantly, his sarcasm, his “bitter derision and irony” made us think…

Baseball and Football


Religion


Education and the American Dream

Beyond Donkeys and Elephants

I am hoping Barack Obama really does advance bi-partisanship by appointing Republicans to his Cabinet. In fact, the plump prospect of Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel (R) as VP would be a huge step forward and would also sink the Republican’s “National Security” argument against Senator Obama and the McBush campaign with it.

How about someone from the Green Party for Secretary of the Interior? Then again, that may be too extreme. There’s got to be some balance between environmentalism and commerce, and I’m not schooled enough on the Green to tell you if they’re a compromising lot. You get my point though, right? Helping to promote minor political parties to our national discussion would broaden the debate for long-term solutions and strengthen our Union. For example, Ron Paul is really a Libertarian with an “R” next to his name, and he is dismissed as a crackpot by the Neocon right, but isn’t there a place in an Obama administration for this voice of reason?

Leo'08

OK, that's it. Yeah, I threw some cash at Barack Obama because I believed he represented "true change," but now he's buckling to Dubya on the FISA thing and immunity for big telecoms that are spying on you... They don't have to spy on me because I give them everything here, but that's another story... Anyway, I'm withdrawing my support for the Big O and endorsing... ME for President!

God bless you and god bless the United States of America!

I Can't Sleep

I saw one of the best rock shows of my 49 years as Sloan blew both doors off the Double Door tonight in Chicago. I had a couple early takers from a pool of co-workers and all of them bailed, but I’m glad. Being by myself allowed the freedom to park myself dead center, three rows from the mayhem and just let it blow through me. Compared to last week’s 7 on the energy scale, this Monday night tilt spiked to 11. From “Believe in Me” off the new record through “The Good in Everyone” from 1998’s One Chord to Another, the set list tempo built and about ¾ through the set, the band was singeing the nose hairs eyebrows off early arrivers in the front row.

I’m looking forward to seeing the set list and photos on Sloan’s site, but flying out of the cobwebs are “All I Am Is All You’re Not,” “Emergency 911,” “Burn For It,” of course “I’m Not a Kid Anymore,” “Witch's Wand” and “Ill Placed Trust” which may have been the peak of the sonic boom that went on in that room until quenched with ice hot Coke fizz.

I’m sorry, but my words just can’t convey it.

After the show, nicest guy in rock Chris Murphy chatted with fans, posed for pics and signed autographs. I stuck around just to hear this extraordinary “regular” guy talk about music, the hard graders among the fan base, working in Canada, content laws up North, his songwriting inspiration (he has none) and barely breaking even on US tours. He said they’d likely never tour Europe because of the cost and because “no one knows who we are over there.” What a loss for European music fans. They should give up Molson and import some Sloan. We chatted a bit about last weeks TT’s show, I thanked him for the music and said goodbye.

On the solo cab ride from the club back to the “W Lakeshore,” it occurred to me I’ve avoided those situations in the past. Years ago I recalled Jeff chatting with Jeff Tweedy after a Wilco show, and I hung back. When I took Megan to see Sloan in Hampton a couple summers ago, we ran into Chris outside after the show, but said nothing... Not tonight. Not anymore. Maybe I’m starting to figure this thing out.

“Ill placed trust
Buried in dust…”

Sloan

Live from the Double Door!

Genetic Effect

“Your seat will be assigned at the gate,” advised the United Airlines baggage attendant. When I responded, “That doesn’t sound good,” there was silence of voice and expression that didn’t provide any reason for optimism. As I took my last step approaching the gate desk, the woman holding the microphone requested I appear. We exchanged my license for a seat 5E boarding pass. For those of you playing at home, “E” is between “D” and “F.” Ugh…

Scanning the cabin on entry I shuddered to see an enormous young woman in the window seat, but proceeded to take my seat in the ¾ of 5E that she wasn’t occupying. She was very squirmy next to me and I felt bad knowing how self conscious she was feeling. This young lady was big and very tall. I positioned myself in the fetal position for the flight. When the cabin doors closed I noticed air in seat 3C on the aisle, so I went for it.

I dropped my backpack on the seat and then said to myself, “Self, yes, that’s a very attractive woman in the window seat, so don’t be a schmuck.” She looked at me and I actually said hi. What the hell was wrong with me? I fumbled with my iPod and earphones for a while, but it was too early to put them on, so I opened up “Creating Rainmakers: The Manager's Guide to Training Professionals to Attract New Clients.” The book kept my attention for the requisite 5 pages when I turned and glanced at the book the blonde, professional looking woman was viewing from behind her reading glasses.

It looked like a chemistry or biology book with molecular diagrams and other bubble-like illustrations. “What is it that you’re reading?” A couple hours later after discussing her Mom’s amazing recovery from leukemia with stem-cell therapy and my tales of the genetic mysteries behind the miracle called Kyle, we hit the O’Hare runway. As we taxied toward the gate I took some George Costanza advice and did “the opposite” of what I’ve been doing for the past decade or so. “Would you like to continue this conversation another time?” “Yes” rebounded with a smile.

I have no idea what, if anything, will come of this, but as I walked toward the baggage area, I didn’t need the moving sidewalk to propel me. “The opposite” had put some air under me, which does contrast the usual air of a regretful sigh.

Play it Again, Damn…

Two headphone cycles while mowing my weeds is cementing “Parallel Play” as my favorite Sloan record yet. As the most democratic quad-core in rock, this Canadian band splits songwriting and vocals almost equally between Chris Murphy (bass) Patrick Pentland (lead guitar), Jay Ferguson (rhythm guitar), and Andrew Scott (drums). Live, they also swap roles when Scott grabs a guitar and Murphy just makes a mess behind the kit. Honestly, that used to be my “whatever” part of a show, but Scott’s songs on Parallel Play (Emergency 911, Down in the Basement) are so strong I’m getting over it.

Even muffled by the um, muffler of a lawnmower, my (product placement warning) Etymotic Research ER6i Isolator In-Ear Earphones deliver sound and syntax smoothly.

There’s irony to one particular song for me. For Chris Murphy, the song laments 40 on his horizon. I’m a more than a decade further down that bridge we build as we walk. At the live shows I usually scan the crowd for some dude older than me. I always find someone, usually some toasted hippie, but if I keep going, some night my search may be in vain. Actually, the crowd scan is pretty pointless anyway, but I’ll do it again Monday night when Sloan rocks Chicago’s historic Double Door.

“I relied heavily on Styx and Stones
Not so much Styx once I heard The Ramones”

Sloan - “I’m Not a Kid Anymore”

Crushed

Whew… It’s been a rush of life the past few days and coffee jolts the drag of sleep deprivation. With no Celtics or Sloan tonight, there’ll be an early ascent of the bedroom stairs for an accelerated descent to REM. 24 hours ago I shared a pre-Sloan table at Greek Corner in Cambridge with my pal Jeff, and our “dates,” Megan and Mallory. On the drive in I mentioned Sloan’s Monday night show in Chicago, to which Megan inquired, “what if they suck tonight?” I calmly explained, “Sloan doesn’t suck. Ever.” As soon as she agreed, I let my girl back in the car and we continued on our way.

Fifteen minutes from the 10:45 show time, Megan announced she didn’t have her ID for the 18+ show. After some tense moments, I handed her $40 and put her and Mal-pal in a cab to go get her ID in the car parked, yeah, fifteen minutes away. Jeff and I went into the club where I proceeded to buy us a drink, hand $20 to the bartender and walk away. No change. Idiot. The worrying father then sent a text to daughter instructing her to make sure she had the cabbie wait while she got her license. She quickly thumbed me back:

“Dad, you have my car key.”

I took a long swig of my Ketel and Red Bull as Jeff laughed at the farce.

Tick-tock, tick-tock… We were now at 11:00 and both the band and the girls were still missing… Well, actually the musicians were walking relatively anonymously through the venue. Finally they began shuffling on stage and around 11:05 launched into “I’m Not a Kid Anymore,” about fifteen seconds after Megan and Mallory somehow got into the club.

It wasn’t the best Sloan show I’ve ever seen, but the new material was great and I heard an old song for the first time that was killer, even with some fan they pulled from the audience singing it…

Happy 8th month Birthday, Maddy. Papi’s going to bed.

Four of a Kind

The Yankees.
The Habs.
The (I guess) J-E-T-S.

They're the teams we Bostonians love to hate, and last night the locals put a spanking on the fourth of a kind, the Los Angeles Lakers. Yeah, Jacks team. I hope Jack can handle the truth (the Lakers couldn't), because his 2007-2008 edition is painted perfectly this morning by Salon.com's King Kaufman:

"The Lakers looked like a glass-jawed opponent brought in to fight the champ in a tune-up bout. Ever seen that? The guy looks nice and professional for a little while, right up until the first solid blow lands. Then he gets taken apart."

Rating the Boston Championships…

…that I can remember…

1. 2004 Red Sox – Duh
2. 2007 Pat... - Oh, they lost one, didn't they?
3. 1969-70 Bruins – The Big Bad Bruins were IT in the early 70’s. Bobby Orr flies in OT...
4. 2007 Red Sox – Not nearly as much fun without the Yanks in our wake.
5. 1983-4 Celtics – Larry v. Magic in 7 beauts.
6. 2007-8 Celtics – "D" wins championships and so sweet after 22 years. Paul Pierce is the man.
7. 1968-9 Celtics – Game 7 at LA… I think the purple and gold balloons are still in the Forum rafters.
8. 2001 Patriots – Exciting win, but in hindsight a little less lofty.

There were many others; most of them in green, but we are so fortunate here...

Predictions...

I love the pompous, hot-air driven "Predictions" on the McLaughlin Report. Here are a few:

• I'm going to say it again, John McCain won't be the Republican nominee in November.
• The Boston Celtics win #17 tonight.
• The Mets' Willie Randolph will be fir... Uh, nevermind.

When you're this late, don't bother coming at all: Al Gore endorsed Barack Obama... last night.

These days I’m up to my ass in routine...

...but that routine will be interrupted Wednesday night when Sloan brings their sonic circus to town. I’ll have Megan in tow for her second Sloan show along with her friend to be named later. Of course we’ll meet up with Jeff who’s pretty fired up himself.

Green Wagon

I'm a bad Celtics fan, having jumped on the bandwagon sometime during the Cleveland series, but the heart displayed by this Celtics team is impressive. Former Celtic great and sometime color man Bob Cousy often says during games, "the C's have got to increase their defensive intensity." Defense is all about heart and the display of it by this team and its leader, Paul Pierce, is admirable. If the Lakers have any hope to get back in this Series starting tonight, it'll be on the defensive end of the floor where they'll do it. Personally, I don’t think they have the heart.

Village of Father's

In today’s Salon, “Marc Lynott,” the pseudonym of a New York writer enters text titled, “My two dads,” a story of conflict between genetic and practical paternity on Father’s Day. It opens, “Every Father's Day, I'm torn between the man who brought me into this world and the man who truly raised me.” I never had such a conflict. In the 38 years since my parents divorce, I recall my mom having a couple dates, and the concept of a step-father had never entered my mind until constructing this thought.

Dad and I spoke this morning and I look forward to his visit late this month. We have a good relationship and I’m glad for it. It wasn’t always that way and I created much of the canyon that separated us.

In 1996, Hillary Rodham Clinton wrote, “It Takes a Village,” illustrating the impact of non-parents on a child's well being. Growing up in my village of Wakefield, there were a few father figures that made a huge difference in my life…

• Tony G. – My best friend’s dad completely took me under his wing and made me feel like a real member of his five son house. The influence of Mrs. G was just as strong, and man, what a cook, but hey, it’s Father’s Day…
• Zack B. – Father of another high-school friend, this guy was like a dad to hundreds of Wakefield kids who participated in his Youth Basketball program.
• Les D. – My childhood dream was to become a baseball player and from Little League to his Wakefield Merchants team, this man encouraged me to believe in it.
• Fran R. – My high-school sweetheart’s dad. Verbosity wasn’t his thing, but his ever presence in that home was an enduring example of what a father should be.

The collective impact of these fathers in my life is immeasurable. I have no way of knowing what path I would have followed out of the village without their guidance, but it probably would have been rockier than the one I walked, and ultimately, I think my children have benefited from their example.

Dad, guys… Thank you and Happy Father’s Day.

Freaky Friday

Yesterday was a strange day. I was working on a post that began, “I’m no Freddy Krueger, but I still like the 13th falling on a Friday.” Also in production was a post on criticism of my favorite political pundit, Keith Olberman, who’s been placed atop a low flame Bunsen Burner for blatant pro-Obama partisanship and general self-righteousness. Um, wait… Uh, nevermind. I’m not that, right? One commenter nailed him to the hypocritical cross writing, “Olbermann is nothing more but the left liberal version of Bill O’Reilly.” As ET might say, “Ouch.”

My advanced hunt and peck was interrupted by some early morning real work, a dentist visit, more work, and then a summer outing of the Marketing department. As I walked into the house after my drilling, I looked around at the greens, blues, and pink of blooming roses and conciously thought, “Everything is so beautiful.” It was almost as good as the surreal view of the world you have when in love. It was that gorgeous of a New England Spring day. The outing festivities at Kimball Farm were fun and relaxing, and I enjoyed the opportunity to chat with people I seldom see from behind my closed door. I skipped their ice cream, but did query a group why the ice cream beer float never caught on…

Once I picked up the boy Kyle and got home, I learned Tim Russert of NBC had died. On MSNBC, Mr. Olberman led an incredible media outpouring appropriate perhaps for Mother Theresa, but a bit excessive for a TV talking head. All the cable networks including CNN and even Faux News jumped on the eulogy marathon that’s still going…

I didn’t really care for Mr. Russert’s prosecutorial “gotcha” style, and called it out after watching his unjust joust with Hillary Clinton in January. Sure, that’s just one critical example from a generally distinguished career, but the full-court press reaction to Mr. Russert’s passing is more about their self-importance than about Tim Russert. Last night I heard how tragic it was that Tim Russert would miss the rest of this year’s historic presidential election and “how will we possibly cover it without Tim?” To those observations I thought it’s surely less tragic than for those African-Americans who died yesterday before they could vote for a black American president, and yeah, the election will get covered without Tim.

I guess my point in all this is that their “self-importance” has been earned, and the media more than ever delivers “news” only slanted with opinion and they have more power than ever to do it. There’s an electoral cliché that originated with Maine, moved to Missouri, and in recent years probably resided in Florida. It’s about the importance of carrying those states in order to win in November. In 2008, it’s shifted again, this time with the power residing in our media outlets. With Fox the propaganda machine of the Right and MSNBC their nemesis on the Left, as CNN goes, so goes the nation.

All You Need to Know

Asked whether he’d be interested in Cheney to serve in the his unlikely administration, John McSame said: “Hell, yeah.” He didn't say whether he'd be interested in hunting with Dick.

Losering

She hasn't even left the house...

...for her "concession speech." Is anyone surprised? Now NBC's Ron Allen explains, "She's always running late." Ron Allen is one of a few people of color (how come that's PC, but "colored people" isn't?) suddenly brightening TV news. Some of my favorites are Allen, John Ridley from NBC, and the opposites, Amy Holmes and Donna Brazile of CNN. I did search for a FauxNews representative, and Juan Williams was the lone beacon in their sea of white lies.

I wonder if the election of Barack Obama will open more doors for non-Caucasians.? Speaking of colored people, John McCain is so white, he's gray. I mean, he is a man completely devoid of hue. He's also absent alignment with the majority of Americans, but I digress...

Today's speech, and more pointedly, the "walk" of the talk between now and November will determine the legacy of Hillary Clinton. My hope for her, my daughters and my grand-daughters is that it's a brilliant one.

Cleaning out Blog Ideas.doc

Yesterday my #1 fan commented, “Does it ever make you mad that no one comments?” Well, that’s really not true, is it my girl? Oh, you mean “other people…” No, not really. People lead busy lives and I’m grateful that 15-20 people a day read this often digital drool.

Hey, speaking of drool, Jeff and I were IM’ing the other day and briefly exchanged views on the imperviousness of babies to drool. It’s everywhere and they just don’t care. Happy birthday to Nathan and Zachery Copetas who hit the big one this week.

• "Don't Quit Your Day Job" Records is a great name for a label.

Top 3 Sunburns…

• Memorial Day 1976 at Hampton Beach, NH – From cracker to lobster kicking off the bi-centennial summer.
• Gila River (AZ) Raft Trip 1981 – Laying in an inflated tire for 5 hours drinking beer sounded like a good idea.
• July 4, 1982 - Mission Beach, San Diego – When you choose the back of a station wagon alone vs. a sleeping bag on the beach with your girlfriend, it’s not a tan.

‘If Jesus was around today the Republicans would call him soft on terror and part of the “cut and run” crowd.’ - DJ Hugely on “Real Time with Bill Maher.

Focus
Reading an article about focus while climbing stairs, listening to music and occasionally glancing at the TV may seem fuzzy, but it all works together like rats rummaging tin garbage cans in the alley of a French Bistro. One line from a commenter stood out: “The more attention you put on something the bigger it becomes.” Yeah, like an ex-girlfriend.

My Super Ex-Girlfriend
Imagine, you meet a smart, sexy woman and she’s got a great career, moonlights as a superhero, plus she breaks your bed with you in it. Cool, right? Well, super skills aside, she turns out to be a needy, neurotic mess who puts this song into the soundtrack while she burns “Dick” into your forehead with x-ray eyes… Cute premise for a movie and the few bits I caught while the Mars lander allowed the dust to clear were chuckle inducing. .

Mission to Mars
I've been fascinated by the space program since watching Gemini and Apollo missions in the 60's and 70's, but in 2008, I think $520M could buy a lot of progress toward energy independence instead of ice on Mars. Still, it’s a great achievement for the Phoenix mission team at the University of Arizona.

The liberal press and nuts like me make ourselves feel better about the mess we’re in by proclaiming Dubya will burrow under the lair of losers to his rightful spot at the bottom of the worst Presidents ever. But is he really? Yesterday oil fetched $139 a barrel; we all know where gas prices are going, and Mr. Bush’s oil friends are realizing historic profits. From the secret “energy policy” meetings held by the ever-appropriately named Dick Cheney, to a long destabilizing war, this seven year reign of error has made it happen. As Robin Hood was a hero to the poor, George W. Bush is a serviceable lackey to the rich.

I can’t end there… 40 years ago this week as this then nine year old got ready for school, the man on the radio told me Robert F. Kennedy had been killed. What I haven’t known for forty years was that as he lay dying, he was conscious and asked, “Is everybody all right?” Those were his last words.

Scanning those quad decade events, I read about a rumor that the Stones were recording “Beggar's Banquet” at the time and that a lyric in “Sympathy for the Devil” was changed from “I shouted out, who killed John Kennedy?” to “I shouted out, who killed the Kennedy’s?”

As our economy unravels and all but the rich are at risk of unemployment, inflation and a devaluing of our currency as a nation, my hope is that our next President shares the sentiment, “Is everybody all right?”

R-E-S-P-E-C-T?

Maybe it’s the part of me that enjoyed the Yankees losing almost equally to the Red Sox winning. Now I don’t really give a shit. Well, maybe a little, but last night, I wanted concession with my victory and I didn’t get it. No white flag. No graceful exit. No class, but talk of “respect.”

I don’t know what this “respect” means now from someone who has no respect for the process, the rules, her opponent, and most importantly, the truth. In the hotly contested elections of 2000 and 2004, I’m certain neither Al Gore nor John Kerry wanted to concede to Dubya, but both did with dignity. Last night the Titanic sank and “she who shall not be named” sat in a lifeboat like Bruce Ismay, pretending it didn’t happen.

Last night as I read the comments of thousands in the blogosphere, this one tickled me. The writer said the whole thing reminded him of a scene from “Waynes World.”

Stacy: “You know Wayne, if you're not careful, you're going to lose me.”
Wayne: “I lost you 2 months ago. We broke up. Are you mental? Get the net!”

Today in American History...

Democratic voters helped Barack Obama make history.

Some other thoughts on the general election:

• It wouldn't surprise me if John McCain isn't the Republican Presidential candidate on November 4, 2008. They cannot win with this guy. Hey, Karl Rove & Co. smeared him out of the running in 2000. Anything's possible.
  
• Barack Obama needs to keep accentuating the positive and back off the corporate bashing. Even the oil companies need to be part of the solution if we're to have real change.
• Michelle Obama is going to get savaged by the right-wing pitbulls of hate like Michelle Malkin. Her husband won't be spared either. They'll probably link him with OJ Simpson before it's all over.
  
• When are the Republicans going to get John McCain into Toastmasters? Seriously. That lackluster speech tonight in front of those rented cardboard cutouts was pathetic.
• I almost welled a tear tonight seeing footage of Barack Obama shaking hands with hard working Americans... Black Americans. The pride in their faces was touching.
• It looks like millions of Democratic voters are going to be held hostage until they are "respected." Whatever that means. Their choice now is to vote for the Democrat or screw themselves with apathy or a vote for John McCain. That's not much leverage for a group that supposedly wants to do what's best for America.

Your Actual Mileage Will Vary

Sunday’s handy self-help post really inspired me to crank out another…

With gas approaching 4 bucks a gallon, I’m looking for ways to squeeze more miles out of each polluting one of them. It’s easy really:

1. Don’t drag race unless you’re a man dressed as a woman – Hitting the pedal and quickly accelerating might make you feel like Milton Berle (in more ways than one…), but it’s damn wasteful on petrol. Edmunds reports this alone can save you 30% of your precious fuel.

2. Sammy can’t drive 55, but you can – The closer you drive to 55, the better, with a potential 14% savings.

3. Take a Cruise – Using cruise control can save 14%.

Now you can’t add these all up and expect 58% savings because your mix of driving will determine overall savings, but employing these tips is working for me in the real world… Well, my world. Prior to last week, the long term mileage calculated over tens of thousands of miles on my trip computer was 19.1mpg. Not bad for a 1996 Volvo with 227,000 miles, right? Well, for the last tank of gas with a kindler, gentler driver, the score reads 24.1mpg, a 26.2% improvement! Over my 20,000 annual miles at $4/gal., the savings is North of $850! When I calculated mileage the old fashioned way, it was even better:

Those are the numbers for a car that had an EPA sticker stating City 17 / Highway 24 / Average 19mpg when it was new…

4. Bonus tip – Get the body out of your trunk – Seriously, why am I carrying 2 gallons (14lb) of water and golf clubs I use twice a year?

Because it’s There…

I can’t believe I missed it. The Digg headline was irresistible, and the ecollegetimes.com photo priceless, so with one click of my battery-powered mouse, I read that May was “National Masturbation Month.” OK. Stop. I want to use my imagination on this post and not just lazily pick from this comprehensive list of pud pulling puns. Not that “you know,” is limited to the male population, but unlike it being a “lifestyle” for men, women engage out of necessity, since most men approach making love with a woman like a ferocious game of Whack-a-Mole, present company excluded, of course.

My research soon turned up the Masturbation Hall of Fame and songs dedicated to the handy hobby including the Who’s “Pictures of Lily,” Green Day’s “Longview,” and the Divinyls classic, “I Touch Myself.” The Hall of Fame cited several pop culture references including Kevin Spacey as Lester Burnham enjoying hand made pleasure in the shower in “American Beauty” as his voiceover intones, “This is the high point of my day.”

My favorite cultural reference to self-satisfaction is, "The Contest," a "Seinfeld" stroke of genius written by Larry David. Here’s the opening few minutes…



In spite of its universality among male and female, the subject still comes with a touch of taboo, although I’m sure Republicans would agree Democrats do quite a bit of jerking off and Democrats wish the Republicans would at least once in a while. Of course, it’s still a little embarrassing to be associated with the she-bop, as the family of this spelling bee winner might attest…

Still, you never know what might set your fingers fumbling, and you’ve got to be careful where you bone the bat (Oh, go ahead. Click it.). One poor guy ended up in a Craigslist post and then got his very own youtube vid. Check it out. It’s only 1:39 and then you can, you know, do whatever.

Parallel Blog

Seems like this fun show is a local phenomena now, but I can see Night At the Rock Opera coming soon to a slick Vegas venue…



In other news, Sloan has a new record coming out June 10th and a local date eight days later at T.T. The Bear's. Check out some new cuts on the bands myspace page.

Jeff, I'm going...

File under Serendipity... The band also has a show at Chicago's Double Door June 23rd... I'm there for a conference the 22-24. Sweet!

“an inadequate black male…”

I’m pretty fatigued at this Democratic primary process that’s now lurching, wheezing and sputtering toward the finish line like the last event of a senior’s decathlon. However, the awards ceremony, or in this case, selection of a nominee, could not be completed until some rules were changed to favor one participant.

Before we get to yesterday’s action, let’s look at how we got here:

• Aug. 19, 2006 - The Democratic National Committee schedules Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina caucus/primaries and rules that other states cannot hold their contests before Feb. 5, 2008, and offending states delegates would not count in the nominating process.
• May 21, 2007 - Florida officially moves their presidential primary to Jan. 29, 2008.
• Aug. 25, 2007 - The DNC strips Florida of its 210 presidential convention delegates.
• Aug. 31 – Sept. 1, 2007 - Democratic presidential candidates including Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama sign a pledge not to campaign in states that hold early nominating contests in violation of party rules.
• Sept. 4, 2007 - Michigan officially moves their presidential primary to Jan. 15, 2008.
• Oct. 9, 2007 - Democratic presidential candidates including Barack Obama withdraw from the Michigan ballot. Hillary Clinton says her name will remain on the ballots.
• Dec. 1, 2007 - The DNC strips Michigan its 156 delegates.
• Jan. 15 & Jan. 29, 2008 – Hillary Clinton wins Michigan and Florida primaries.
• Since then… Barack Obama wins 9 straight contests and takes the delegate lead. Hillary Clinton begins to talk about the “disenfranchised” voters of Michigan and Florida.
  

May 31, 2008 – The DNC Rules Committee meets to determine the fate of the Michigan and Florida delegations, in spite of the fact that fate was already decided and agreed to by both Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama. The Clinton side wanted each delegation to be seated fully and the votes to represent those on the Jan. 15 & Jan. 29 primaries, even though Barack Obama wasn’t even on the ballot in Michigan. After the public hearing bullied throughout by Clinton supporters, the committee ruled to seat delegates from Florida and Michigan with half a vote each. The compromise gifted Mrs. Clinton a net gain of 24 delegates, but fell far short of what she needs to overcome a now insurmountable Obama lead. Some of her supporters didn’t take the news well:


This ugly contest has been soiled with charges of racism and sexism, and the actual vote counts show overwhelming support of Sen. Clinton by white women and of Sen. Obama by African-Americans. Between now and November, those fissures get healed or the Democrats wake up November 5th wondering what the hell happened. Could "hell hath no fury" cost Barack Obama the White House? Only if most Clinton supporters are like Sister Christian above, and I don't think they are.