CafeChatNoir

Between the DCist updates and CNBC coverage, I’d say Obamapalooza is in full swing.  As of 10 AM, the Mall is at capacity.  One Metro line has been shut down.  Several Metro stations are holding trains because you can’t get *out* of the station.  Cell phone service is spotty at best as everyone tries to send cell phone camera pictures back home.

I’d say my decision to stay home and watch from the comfort of home wasn’t the worst idea in the world, but the energy of the crowds is evident, even through the TV.

Word has it that Cheney will be attending in a wheelchair because he threw his back out trying to move things…  Mr. Cheney, didn’t anyone tell you they will provide help for that?  You shouldn’t be trying to move a man sized safe by yourself.

While I don’t think there is enough money in the world for me to want to be the President of the United States, there is one aspect of it all that I do envy:  The moving staff.

Between the time that the Bushes and Obamas leave the White House after their morning coffee and the Obamas return back home this evening, all the old items will be packed up and moved out, and all of the new items will be moved in – AND UNPACKED.  Who wouldn’t want that crew the next time they have to move?

In all seriousness, it’s a pretty nifty day today, and I am enjoying how chuffed people are about it all.  It wasn’t that long ago that the idea of electing someone into our highest office who *wasn’t* a white male (and probably a somewhat older one to boot) was well, inconceivable.

I don’t expect that at 12:01 this afternoon that the world will be filled with unicorns and rainbows.  President Obama will have his share of screwups.  Every President does.  And he’s walking into a bit of a mess to put it mildly, and trying to fix it all without at least a few missteps will be virtually impossible.

However, I’m looking forward to something different.  Maybe it will be better, maybe it will be worse.  But I think a new approach won’t be the worst thing for the country by any means.

Welcome to DC, Mr. President.

The Virginia polls are closed (or more likely in some places, the last person in line has been told they will be the last person allowed in) and soon we’ll be on our way to knowing who our new President is.

I love elections.  The campaigns usually drive me nuts, but I do love to go and vote and sometimes who I pick actually wins to boot.

And yes, I’ll be up all night watching the returns come in.

Yes, the bond markets were closed, volume was light, it was a Fed holiday, short squeezes were a big factor, our lovely neighbors to the North were celebrating Thanksgiving, etc, etc, etc…

But as I told a friend this afternoon after the market closed – “It’s nice to be a witness to history where you’re not saying, “Oh crap.” at the end of the day.

Went through 1987 and it’s redux this year.  Can’t say I thought I’d see it twice in a lifetime.

But damn, it was nice to see green again on the charts.

Maybe I’ve been in DC too long and am just too close to the politics.  Or I just spend way too much time watching CNBC.

But, I will admit I was very surprised when I heard that various Rep’s said their constituents were overwhelmingly against today’s package being passed.  (Of course, this was after the Republican’s came out and said, “Pelosi hurt our feelings so we changed our votes.  Oh, the maturity!)  But somehow, the S&P 500 dropping 8.78% in a day is OK?

Has it been reported everywhere else in the country as just a mechanism to protect “The Rich” on “Wall Street”?  Cause the current credit and banking liquidity issues that the country is facing really do extend beyond the hedge fund managers and bankers on Wall Street.  Regular non-Wall-Streeters who *haven’t* bought a house they can’t afford, or a car they can’t afford and have saved and invested are having their portfolios hammered.

I really do wonder how this is all being reported outside the DC area, and in non-business-focused news programs.

ETA: After it was all said and done, I went to see how my rep voted.  Both my current rep and the one from my last district, both Republicans, voted for it.

If you don’t like roller coasters, obviously this has not been the best week to be following the stock market.

However, if you are like me and actively follow the stock market, you may agree that today is a really crappy day to have the cable go out and not be able to get your CNBC fix.  (But Cox Communications has assured me that “technicians are in the area and they’re working on the problem!”)

Still picking through multiple news pages to get the details of what the government has in mind for all this.  Fun!

Just got a news email that Gustav is now a Cat 5.

Still absorbing McCain’s VP pick. I know Palin is very well regarded among her constituents and it doesn’t appear that Alaska is about to fall into the ocean so I assume she’s not done too badly there. But, she’s pretty conservative and McCain didn’t really need that, cause the hard core conservatives weren’t going to be crossing over to the democrats anyway. Hate to think it was nothing more than a pandering move, but maybe it was.

Upgraded WP again and went ahead and blew away all my customizations and theme, which should take care of the disappearing posts issue, because it was something in the comment form, I just never figured out what – but now that I’ve got a shiny new untouched form, that should do it. Unfortunately, I’m having a hard time finding a theme that I like, so I’m going to give some of the theme generators a try and see if I can get things back to looking somewhat like they were before, if not better.

…

George Carlin has left us.

At the moment, all words fail me, but I’m sure I’ll have several FCC banned things to say tomorrow on the subject.

NBC news just cut into programming to annouce that Tim Russert died this afternoon.

One of the few broadcast journalists I really liked.

Small Earthquake Felt in DC and NoVA

I felt it – and couldn’t figure out what it was – first thing I did was look outside expecting a large truck to be going by.

So, locals, if you felt your house shake a bit, or heard the windows rattle and couldn’t figure out what it was, it was an earthquake.

Having been in larger earthquakes in Japan, this was definitely a little one – so little I certainly didn’t recognize it for what it was.

Hundreds of villagers have flocked to a remote Indian village to see a baby girl who was saved by stray dogs after she was abandoned in a mound of mud by her mother, officials said on Tuesday.

Once again, I’m more impressed with animals than people.

I find it amusing how many things I’ve stumbled across today saying, “Be green by buying [insert whatever here]!”

While I can’t say I live as “greenly” as I could, somehow I don’t think buying stuff is going to help.

The biggest thing I could/should do it move to a smaller place in a more temperate climate, but I have a dog that wouldn’t make a great condo/apartment dog, so I stay here with the yard.  It’s all his fault. :)

For the record, I’m not a big fan of China, their policy on Tibet and Taiwan, or their less than stellar track record with human rights, or their habit of putting lead and antifreeze in consumer products…

Judging from the number of protests I’ve seen lately, I’d say I’m definitely not alone.  They wouldn’t have been my first choice for the summer Olympics, and I really don’t understand how they got it if they are so despised by the rest of the world for their practices.  But, the IOC made their decision – if you don’t like it, start writing them angry letters.

But – how the hell does it accomplish anything to attack the Olympic torch runner?  Congratulations, you’ve just attacked one of your fellow countrymen – I’m sure China will sit up and take notice over that.

At the moment, we have police and fire crews trying to get protestors off the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.  Again, I don’t think the folks in China are glued to CNN and suddenly deciding to change their policies because someone managed to get a Tibetan flag on the bridge.

If you want to protest their practices, fine – but take a minute to think about an effective way to go about it, rather than just looking like a bit of an idiot.  Write your reps in DC, tell them how you feel about the situation.  Cut back on your purchases of Made in China products.  Write the IOC and ask them WHY China got the Olympics in the first place.

But don’t go attacking the guy running the torch through your neighborhood – it’s not his fault and it’s not going to fix anything.

So, rumor has it that Spitzer won’t be prosecuted on the prostitution charge (not unusual), but they may end up going after him for money laundering and/or misusing his office.

Now I don’t really like or dislike the guy – frankly I think he’s an idiot for this whole mess, but I don’t see any real grounds for anything beyond the prostitution charge, and it is going to look like some form of payback if the prosecutors go too hard on this. (I think he is going to need a really good divorce lawyer before all is said and done.)

Paying money for a service (even an illegal one) isn’t money laundering. Breaking up transactions to under 10K isn’t money laundering or illegal – banks have the discretion of doing a Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) for any transaction or series of transactions. (Which they did.) Still not money laundering.

As far as “misuse of office” goes – unless he had state employees ferrying money about for him, or had them delivering the hookers to him – I just don’t see it.

Beyond the prostitution charge, you can’t really go after someone for being stupid.

The now infamous “Kristen” says she doesn’t want the world to think she is a monster. Don’t worry honey – you’re a hooker. A high priced hooker to be sure, but for now, you’re still just a hooker. You might be able to get something out of this 15 minutes of fame, but it’s going to cost you in the long run.

NY Governor Eliot Spitzer involved with prostitution ring

Press conference in a few minutes. Honestly, not a headline I ever would have expected.

This report out of NYC (via gothamist) makes my skin crawl just a little:

License ID scanners aren’t just keeping underage drinkers out of New York bars, they’re now assisting police in arresting patrons who become involved in criminal activity both inside and outside of city clubs. The New York Post reports that the electronic scanners which help filter out fake IDs also supply cops with detailed records of every patron who entered a bar or club on any given evening.

I’m sure the scanners are a boon to club owners as far as keeping the underage ones out and keeping themselves out of trouble. But why do they have to store all the information in the first place? I’d love to know who decided “Hey, let’s add this ‘feature’ on to the scanners.” If I were a club owner, I can’t say that it’s something I would request – just give me something to help weed out the fake ID’s.

Not everyone wants the world to know where they go and what they do. And they’re not criminals, either.

Have we crossed the line between making investigations easier to just making it easier for the police to trample on the rights of people who simply went to a bar where something went wrong later in the night?

I’d love to see some reports as to how often these lists are obtained by the police, and what circumstances prompted them to get them.

Fidel Castro announces resignation.

Cops: Mom burned son, 7, in oven

4 kids believed thrown from Ala. bridge

Mom confesses she killed autistic child

Bodies of 4 Girls found in SE home

Violence against kids is bad enough, violence against your own kids is just too much for me.

While I certainly wouldn’t be up for mother of the year, if I did have kids, I think I’d do OK. I’d do my best to make sure their need for parental induced therapy was minimal, show them the wonder of leftover Chinese takeout for breakfast (hey, fried rice has eggs in it, therefore a breakfast food) and why the beach is the happy place. They would be loved, taken care of and they would never, EVER need to be protected FROM ME. The kicker is that the chances of my ever actually having kids is basically zero.

If you know a parent that seems to be struggling, please reach out.

I’m way behind the loop on the news, but I setup my phone to get the latest breaking news (OK, once I figured out *how*), and when I heard of Benzanhir Bhutto’s assasination today, it was Toby Zigler’s voice in my head saying these words…

“Why’s a test-ban treaty so important? Let me tell you. In 1974, India set off a peaceful nuclear explosion. Indira Ghandi herself said they had no intention of building a bomb, they just wanted to know that they could. Twenty years later India sets off five nuclear explosions. Who gets nervous? Pakistan. And when Pakistan gets nervous, everybody get nervous. You know why? ‘Cause we’re all gonna die.”

Wisconsin Police Officer Reprimanded After Accidentally Tasering Himself

OK, I realize the reprimand is because of a safety violation, and safety IS important.  But damn, you’d think the Tasering itself would be reprimand enough.

Britney Spears’ mother is writing a parenting book! Because, well, really now – do I have to say anything?

Why I never want FEMA near me in an emergency: FEMA employees pose as reporters for press conference. Next thing you know, they’ll be interviewing disaster “victims” about how well FEMA responded to their plight…

Damn, I can’t remember the last time there were fires like these out there. I remember how bad the Santa Anas could get and that is what is driving these and it’s not pretty.

SignOnSanDiego.com has setup a Google map showing where the fires and evac centers are – I had to look. The Witch fire is abour 4K from where we used to live out there. It has 2 decent sized streets it would have to cross, but with the winds the way they are, I have to wonder if the neighborhood will still even be there in a few days.

Supposedly one of these fires was arson – nice work, jackass. I hope they find who did it and just let all the homeowners take a whack at him.

One of CNBC’s correspondents lives in San Diego and has been evacuated – he was saying that folks just keep calling their houses and if the answering machine picks up, then they figure things are still intact.

I’m just hoping that the numbers of houses destroyed that I’ve heard so far are too high and that when they can get back into these neighborhoods safely they’ll find that it wasn’t as bad as thought.

Your weed dealer may be having some supply issues in the immediate future…

It’s good to know that Union City, Georgia has absolutely no other crime problems whatsoever…

Patently absurd.

I will never die.  (SFW)

I came home from the pub to discover that Luciano Pavarotti has left us.

I had heard earlier today that things were not looking good, but for whatever reason I thought he’d come back from it.

I wouldn’t say that I was an opera aficionado, but I do like it, and I always liked what I had heard of Pavarotti’s work, and I probably heard more of his work than anyone else’s given his stature. Even as an opera-hack, which is the most favorable way I could ever describe myself, I can say this is a huge loss.

Upon hearing the news, I had to break open a bottle of Notturno Sangiovese, which given my luck is probably from a rival village from his, but to me, the death of a true operatic singer deserves a toast from a true Italian wine.

Il sig. Pavarotti, sarete mancati.

Tomorrow I will go see my Italian wine buddy to offer my condolences and find out what is truly the proper wine to toast him with.

Current Music: La Boheme, “Che gelda manina”, Pavarotti.

Somewhere, in a drab little cubicle, there is a government accountant that bursts into tears every month trying to reconcile the rent accounts because the Cubans won’t cash the damn rent checks.

For the locals: If you’re contemplating a trip to Lucky’s Sports Theatre & Grill – they do not have pool tables. (I don’t know why I thought they would, but I did, and they didn’t.) It’s as if Glory Days, Q-Balls and the old video arcade at Springfield Mall had a drunken threesome and produced a love child. The OTB feed is a nice touch if you like to watch the ponies, though.

Researchers make remake Neanderthal DNA

Oh, the jokes about my ex’s that keep coming to mind…

So, the ruling came down today in the case of the lost pants where a local judge decided he needed to sue the dry cleaners for $54 million dollars.

Well, the dry cleaners (and common sense) won.  And they were saying on CNBC that the plantiff is on the hook for the court costs to boot.

First, can someone tell me what birds like to be singing at the top of their little lungs at 1:30 in the morning? If we had a false dawn going on, I’d understand it, but these buggers are going on in the dark every night.

Well, the Padres lost 2-1 in a pitcher’s duel with Boston this evening, but it was still a good game to watch. Also discovered a relatively large heretofore unknown Angels contingent up at GD’s this evening. (That game had gone into extra innings when I left, no clue who may have pulled a rabbit out of thier ballcap on that one.)

Been a long week. Not bad, just really freakin’ long. Way too much time spent wondering what’s going to be the next big thing that hits, good or bad, and how to somehow steel myself for it. Honestly, I’m not sure if I’m trying to prep myself for change or subconsciously itching for it.

Not helping are the antibiotics I am on for some fun & games at the dentist week after next. If the water & food isn’t *just right* when I take them, I get a lovely bout of seasickness for a couple hours. (And considering that I don’t get seasick, even on a headboat in 6-8 foot waves, that’s saying something.) So far I’ve learned that a half can of soup is not adequate, nor is screwing around and finally getting around to eating 30 minutes later. (And yes, I can still drink beer & take these. Gotta love scientific progress.)

Note to self: Keep Mox on the leash when near my car.

I’m not big on lawsuits, but frankly, if a plane piloted by the FBI ran into my Lamborghini, I’d be contacting my lawyer, too.

And it’s only taken me 35 years, but this week I finally made a decent omelet, that actually looked and tasted like an omelet, rather than the “scrambled eggs with cheese and stuff” that ususally results from my efforts. (Seriously, if you have trouble with omelets, get hold of Alton Brown’s Good Eats episode, “Zen and the art of Omelet Making” – between the awesome dorky science and the visuals, you will be able to do it. It may take a couple times of watching it, but it eventually will sink in.) I still attribute part of the success to the use of bacon grease in the process. Don’t get me wrong – a farmer’s scramble isn’t a bad thing by any means, but when you’re jonesing for an omelet, well, a scramble just doesn’t quite cut it as a substitute.

In your culinary/religious news (a bit late, but noteworthy regardless…) – Flying Spaghetti Monster on Toast. (To be perfectly honest, when I clicked I expected a misidentified softshell crab sandwich.)

And to finish off this long and occasionally surreal week, I just got an email from one of my former partners-in-crime at the software shop – the same person I was thinking today, “Damn, I need to poke him and see what he’s up to.” We always were on the same freaky wavelength. (Probably why there seemed to always be some dumbass affair rumor going around. Sorry, but if you paid attention, we were too busy debugging software together to do anything else.)

Aussies repelled gunboats in Persian Gulf.

Having had the privilege of working with the Australians back in my days of greasing the wheels of the military industrial complex, this does not surprise me one bit.

“Highly colourful language” indeed.