I love Anderson's weak downplay at the end of this,  "So what are the Republicans saying is  wrong with Obama trying to help the Children?".  

How about the fact that he has lied repeatedly about his chummy relationship with Ayers. Yes, saying that Ayers is "A guy who lives in my neighborhood", when he is in fact a long time colleague who hosted the Launching of  your political career in HIS LIVINGROOM, is a lie. An audacious one at that.  Just as bold as Obama saying "Those bombings happened when I was 10 years old".   Somebody ask Obama how long the statute of limitations is for Terrorism?   I'd normally quote Smokey here "Why you brining up old shit" but Barney frank would call me a racist. (Seriously.  Shamefully.)

A lie that had Palin and McCan not decided to attack, would have gone unreported by the media.    Heck, the media is  still trying to report this as "both sides fudging the truth", which is fucking bullshit.  The republican's said Ayers and Obama were close and they were right.

You think it's a big coincidence that the CNN had this nice video package, and interview with Stanley Kurtz, ready to go the day after McCain 'Went Negative'.   CNN, and every other news source knew that Obama was full-of-shit, but they were hoping not to have to cover it, and were damn well going to be first, if the story ever Coifed on them.  (Coifed= As in John Edward's hair, and affair, which was never reported untill EVERYONE already knew about it)      

But lets be clear, the reason this is a big story isn't just that Obama lied and the media tried to let him. Nor is that a story about how the Media really don't understand why chumming around  with an unrepentant semi-retired terrorist is a big deal--   they are obviously enlighted souls. The story is that some people do care, but the media is a bunch of arrogant fucks who don't believe the rubes out in the country can be trusted to disregard this information, and therefore must keep it a secret.

Where do I stand?  Honestly, I don't think working with a post-70's Ayers makes you  a bad guy, per se,  You are a comminity organizer in Chicago, and therefore probably work with all sorts of people.  The close relatonship simply disqualifies you from being president. Sorry.   

I thought Biden was great.  Really. The only debate performance I liked as much was Cheney's.  A clear victory for him.

Obviously I continue to live in my own little world when it comes to debate analysis.  Nobody ever agrees with me. Nobody.  Ever.

I totally dug Biden's style. Not his substance though. (22 Lies and counting)  (Less partisan sources concur)

As far as Palin goes, she wasn't my style. 

This looks funny actually.

I am going to start a website called FlipTheTickets.com, as a way to protest both parties’ nominations.  Biden is clearly more qualified than Barak Obama, and John McCain is clearly more qualified than Sarah Palin.

Am I out of touch?  I still like these guys A LOT. A heck of a lot.

Lots of bad language follows.


How about the next person who says “I despise everything she stands for” kindly shut the fuck up.   Have a original damn political thought for once.

 

Please. Go to the 1:50 mark of this video and listen to Bill. (NSFW)

As I was taxiing across the mission last Friday during the first Presidential debate, I was struck , for reasons I don't understand, with how surreal it seemed: seeing the crowds spilling out of the bars watching.    And then, during dinner, my friend commented "how surprised she was that he was so prepared".  She was speaking, of course, of McCain.  And  her Partner commented, "It all goes back to Reagan and his deregulation". And then they both expressed excitement over the prospect of Biden trouncing Palin in a debate. And I got a little Dizzy.


Some friggen SNL woman glows with smug self-importance ranting about how she hates playing Palin. And then today some jackass bar-owner hangs a nude portrait of Palin in his bar, and he says "He despises everything she stands for", and the onion runs a story about she is hiding behind the down-syndrome child.    **


And so  I am sick of it.  I swear, Palin to me, amidst the times we are in, she is uniteresting to me. I don't care either way. But you all need to grow up.
 

You guys could have nominated a statesman. Al Gore, or John Kerry. Biden even.  You could have nominated someone who wasn't chummy with racists and terrorists.   You could have picked a political machine like Hillary.  Somebody with experience.  But you didn't. Because your party is run by children.  
 


If she doesn't already, Palin will have more experience than Obama after a month serving as the VP. Take your smug, hypocritical,  faux-disgust talking points  and shove them up you ass.  And spare any more talk about hateful republicans.


And  "Deregulation?" If at the end of this mess we are worse off than we wee under Carter,  we'll talk.



** What exactly is the joke here?  That she was too religious to abort the child? They really wanted to believe all their reports that  it was actually her granddaughter? Because everyone know reproductive freedom only counts if you abort?  Do they despise her because they think she had the kid just to rub their noses in it?    Its looks like she shamed the shameless.

I spoke too soon. The Cocktail contest is fiercer than I imagined here in San Francisco. There is a late entry, and I think they have the lead.  

Beretta in the mission serves cocktails on par, at least, with Absinthe and Clock Bar and probably surpasses both bars in the other categories.  

Lets be frank,  no one is going to out class or out hustle the guys at Clock Bar.  Marco is an institution, and it’s obvious upon setting foot in that establishment that they aren’t sparing any expenses.  They seem to have the goal to be the best and I can see know reason when they won’t succeed.

Absinthe, on the other hand suffers a bit for its locale. Their most consistent clientele is the Pre-Theatre crowds.    Their neighborhood, good basically  for men’s clothing and blue bottle coffee has no scene.  They serve what these pages have constantly lauded as the best Burger ever and their Ricotta Dumplings are my favorite appetizer ever, yes the Restaurant Experience as  a whole, has always been somewhat lacking.  Forgive the comparison, but Absinte shares with Denny’s the distinction of being the sort of place people end up at, but rarely travel to.  I don’t go there to be there, I go there to consume.  

Hard to say how all of this hurts their cocktails; Their’s may still be the best in town, but it’s hard to imagine how they continue to compete, amidst these handicaps.  

I say this, knowing that I am continually amazed that their burger remains as good as I claim it is.  They may in fact be stubborn bastards, committed to cocktail and burger perfection despite their disadvantages. Who knows.  I need to reacquaint myself before judging.

Baretta, on the other hand, has a vibrant scene. The crowd is bustling but not hurried. The bar is decorated with baskets of fresh fruit.  I didn’t see the menu, but based on the wine list, and a Sardine appetizer the couple next to me ordered, I’m judging the place southern Italian.  They stole from WhiskeyTown the single long polished community table spanning the length of the place.

My bartender, Vince, where he not so sociable, would be best described as “looking like an Alternate on the Bronco Offensive line”.  Yet his beard and casual dress hardly disguise his commitment to Drink. He stirred my Sazerac for at least a minute, staring calmly ahead at the waiting patrons, not the least bit hurried.  And when he shakes the drinks (not mine, obviously), he looks like Will Ferrell on Cowbell, yet somehow measured and necessary. Believe me, if there is one ounce of tool in a bartender, you’ll see it when he shakes a drink.  Vince is the real deal and having fun.

He made the best Sazerac I have ever had (Absithe, overholt, peychauds AND ango).  The previous best  was served by Clock tower three weeks ago. Before that there the belt was vacant. Absithe and Holeman, probably.  

Hard to say this is the best watering hole after just one visit, but it’s certainly the place I want to return to most.

Thanks to Borys for recommending it. I should also point out that he served me up a gin Rickey that was terrific. I had just worked out and wanted something “Refreshing with Old Raj” and he nailed it. His bar at Michael Mina serves up an unmatched combination of food, drinks, and conversation.
 
On a side note. I finely had Pakwan in the mission, and it was awesome.  I have eaten at Pakwan in the Tenderloin, and “not seeing what the fuss is about” doesn’t quite sum up that experience. Then, after the good pakwan,  the crew and I had Indian Ice Cream down the street.  Cardamum. Interesting. Yummy.

WSJ,  linked to by the Corner:

No crap.   This is so patently obvious to me. 

Why is this?   I firmly believe it isn't because "The Bible tells them so". It's not because such beliefs are blasphemous or contradictory. No,  I think the religious really just have time for crap like palm readers and Astrology.      The fact of the matter is that People with too much time on their hands don't  go to church.  They watch the Dog whisper and read the the Inquirer. No one goes to church because they didn't have anything better to do on Sunday. People who go to church on Sunday, sandwich that hour between taking the kids to Soccer, yard work, and hoefully one good football game.  If you lay in bed Sunday morning and think "What on earth am I going to do today", you never decide on church. I'm saying Never.

 At some point people decide what to do, and what to believe in. And at some point  people say, I have enough to contend with.

I could go on, and round out my point... but ya'll see where I am going. No need to piss everyone off.







           

EastSide Boxing reports that Atlanta Heavy Kevin Kingpin Johnson is finally getting his shot: