(5 Mar 2010, 1732, Epoch Coffee: Male, 20s, White Polo with Navy Slacks. Glasses. Short Blond Hair. Sitting Alone at Table, Later Accompanied by Two Girls.)

(5 Mar 2010, 1745, Epoch Coffee: Male, 20s, Shaggy brown hair, Red and white flannel shirt with brown jeans or cords.)

]]> http://www.inadequate.net/2010/03/06/what-are-you-reading/feed/ 0 http://www.inadequate.net/2008/07/18/cornyns-comm-dir-should-learn-to-spell/ http://www.inadequate.net/2008/07/18/cornyns-comm-dir-should-learn-to-spell/#comments Fri, 18 Jul 2008 21:36:57 +0000 admin http://www.inadequate.net/?p=377 Just got this great e-mail from John Cornyn’s campaign pimping their last anti-Noriega fundraising e-mail:

Team:

See note below from our communications director, thanks for what you have done in last 24 hours, let’s keep it going.

From: Kevin McLaughlin
Sent: Friday, July 18, 2008 1:40 PM
To: Rob Jesmer
Subject: Nutroots

Rob-

2 things;

1) Our guys at the convention told us Noreiga and his out-of-state buddies spent the morning attacking Senator Cornyn

2) according to finance team, the fact that Dean and Pelosi came in to shill for Noreiga really fired up our supporters the last 24 hours. We have raised well over 10K and I think we could another 10k if we send out the email below again.

Talk soon,

Kevin

You know, it might be a good idea to hire someone (or two someone’s, since Rob Jessmer, Cornyn’s campaign manager didn’t even correct the misspelling in the e-mail) who can actually spell your opponent’s name. Especially your communications director.

As for the message . . . Noriega and the rest of the Netroots and Dem leadership who showed up bashed Cornyn!? STOP THE PRESSES! SOUND THE ALARM! TIP THE COW!

Anyway, I guess “Buck Smith”/David Beckwith must be earning his keep (and some Democratic schwag) by attending Netroots Nation.

Nonetheless, Kevin, you really need to learn how to (a) spell and (b) not make yourself look like an ass in the press (yes, I’m talking about that asinine comment about “Buck Smith” speaking for himself and all that other BS you pulled from somewhere near your nose that resembles an asshole when BOR outed Beckwith).

By the way, Kev: Since “Buck Smith” speaks for himself, why isn’t he posting on BOR any more?

I keep telling myself I need to blog more — stretch my legs (or fingers) again after such a long hiatus from truly active blogging (a few times a week or month not counting). If we remember, I started blogging back in 1998 or earlier (this is before the term “blogging” was in use). But what’s the use in reminiscing? There’s too much to do now.

I need to start blogging again because I need to soon start blogging daily on the TFN blog (which is not open to the public yet).

Anyway, I’m doing my best, I guess. Just not forcing myself to pour out nonsense here every day of the week.

——-

So, as I was writing the last four paragraphs, the people I wanted to talk about first left Dolce Vita. They’d been sitting just next my friend Claire and me. They were discussing how Whole Foods gobbles up Mom ‘n Pop groceries (earlier they’d been talking about how we live under a fascist system and something about grammar). While I’m no great fan of Whole Paycheck, this seems to me to be a late-in-the-game argument: Mom and Pop were in serious trouble — if not already driven out of business — by larger grocery conglomerates far before Whole Foods became any sort of player. You’re about ten years too late, hippies. (Also, how can hippies afford to live in Hyde Park?)

—–

By the way, I’m apparently getting married.

—–

I’ve only been engaged since Saturday and I already hate wedding planning.

—–

Is it normal for one who becomes familiar with the intricacies of Texas politics to start voting against people just because they don’t like who works for them?

—–

Joaquin is eight to ten days away from graduating from Basic Combat Training for the Army. Then he heads to Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri for AIT for his MOS (88M, Motor Transport Operator).

—–

I suppose that is all for now. It’s starting to rain a little here at Dolce.

There’s been a lot of, frankly, ridiculous prophesying that Obama or Clinton will show up, but that has finally been put to rest by Obama tapping Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine (he with the eyebrow) to attend on his behalf and Clinton’s all-but-certain withdrawal from the race on Saturday. Still, some people just never give up hope (it took him until the Clinton campaign announced its ending to get the picture).

Along with the convention there always comes a host of parties thrown by legislators, lobbyists, supporters of presidential candidates and, well, bloggers. While the Texas “‘netroots” (or “Texroots”) may not be the powerful political force they believe themselves to be, I’m certain they’re fun to get drunk with. Personally, I want to see Vince Leibowitz table-dance.

While I’d like to say that I will attend the Blogger’s Caucus or one of the many other parties, I can’t guarantee anything. See, after I have my double whiskey and three beers at Dolce Vita on the way home from work (usually between four and six) each day, I rarely want to venture out once I get home.

Not that it matters if I show up. I’m no big Texas political personality. In fact, I’ve only ever broken one story (this, obviously, doesn’t count because it was IRL rather than online), and most of the blogosphere probably still resents me for running Ray McMurrey‘s unsuccessful campaign against Rick Noriega (our campaign still being the best thing to ever happen to Rick).

So, maybe I’ll make it to a party — especially the Blogger’s Caucus — and maybe I won’t. No biggie. I’ll get drunk either way and no one will miss me.

UPDATE: Yes, that is a picture of me on the cover of this magazine.

They have School Girl Sundays, Warrant Wednesday (staff dressed as hot police officers), and Fantasy Friday.

The coffeeshop’s Web site says its mission is to “successfully provide high-quality coffee based products with a provocative flair.”

Well, la-tay-da.

We have truly entered Idiocracy.

You can also search for your zip code’s average connection speed with a really cool map that zooms in on your zip.

The shooting especially concerns me as it happened mere blocks from my house on Austin’s East Side.

As Smith points out, fault lines between minority and civil rights advocates and police supporters have already solidified, and each have grasped onto their own version of the story — the former that it was a racially motivated shooting by a violent police officer; the latter that anyone who scuffles with the police and takes off running probably has something to hide and, even if Brown didn’t deserve to be killed, can only expect something bad to happen to him/her.

But, as Smith notes (and I agree), it’s important that we withhold judgment until all the facts are in.

Indeed, doing otherwise only heightens racial tensions and distrust of law enforcement officials.

Brown and Olsen might both be great, wonderful people. Or, they might both be complete screwups. Most likely, the truth about their characters lies somewhere in between – and right now that truth is irrelevant. What is relevant to our community understanding – and still largely unknown – is the truth of what happened just after 4am on June 3, in the parking lot behind Chester’s Nightclub and in the space between the parking lot and the courtyard of a nearby apartment complex where Brown died, from two gunshots in his back. What is likely even more relevant, and much harder to determine, is the truth of why all this happened.

. . .

The location of the shots has fueled rumors, accusations, and speculations that now dominate public discussion about the shooting – suggesting it’s impossible to view Olsen’s actions as justified. That might or might not be the case – there’s still no information regarding the angle or trajectory of the shots, which means there’s no way to determine exactly what Brown was doing when he was shot. Perhaps Brown turned as Olsen fired, for example. Or, maybe Olsen panicked; maybe he thought he saw something that wasn’t there. At this point, there’s no way to tell – and there are no facts to suggest that the official story is a lie, nor is there enough detail available to determine whether the shooting was justified.

. . .

By now, what seems clear is that the idea that the criminal inquiry might be allowed to conclude without battle lines being drawn is wishful thinking. There are plenty of reasons members of the community – and, particularly, members of the black community – might not trust the cops. In each of the last four officer-involved shootings, for example, the victim was black or brown, and the cop shooter was white. That is a completely relevant fact, but its specific meaning isn’t so easy to pin down. “It’s déjã vu all over again,” said Eastside activist the Rev. Sterling Lands. “The reality is that I’m just sick of black men getting killed.” Still, Lands said, the real question is how do we keep this from happening again? What is the real problem – do we know or want to find out? “We don’t like to use the word ‘racism,’ but the reality is that [racism] is entrenched in every system,” he said. “It is an issue that can be solved. … But you have to want to solve it.”

That last quote is the most important. Whatever the cause of this shooting, it’s important that we work on solving the underlying issues — racism, poverty, illegal weapons, et cetera — that cause such violence and death.

• The Los Angeles US-101 and I-405 Interchange, which results in 27 million plus hours of delay each year;
• Houston I-610 and I-10 Interchange, which costs 25 million hours plus hours of delay
• Chicago I-90/94 and I-290 Interchange. Known as the Circle Interchange, it leads to 25 million hours of delay per year;
• Phoenix I-10 and SR-51 Interchange causes 22 million delay-hours annually; and
• Los Angeles I-405 and I-10 Interchange. This San Diego Freeway exchange has causes 22 million hours of annual delay.

Accordingly, the federal government will give money to state and local governments to fight traffic.

Last week, nine of America’s most congested cities were named semi-finalists for a federal program that will provide a total of $1.1 billion to fight traffic jams. The Department Of Transportation (DOT) will consider proposals for its Urban Partnership program from Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Miami, New York City, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle, with plans to announce winners by mid-August.

. . .

The Eisenhower Interstate Highway system, completed in the 1960s, has failed to keep pace with a tripling of the number of vehicles operating. Conservative estimates by the DOT say the U.S. loses $168 billion yearly from highway congestion. The nation’s trucking system in 2004 lost 243,032,000 hours due to traffic delays, according to the Federal Highway Administration.

I wonder if any mass transit will be considered in reducing congestion in those cities? Probably not.