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September 30, 2008
Debate Reaction
Jon Stewart captures the sentiment of some Florida senior citizens watching the debate.
Or watch comedian Sarah Silverman encourage young Jewish voters to make a great schlep to visit their grandparents in Florida.
Be advised that some video content may be offensive to some people.
Today's Scrabble word is numen, or a deity.
Posted by dan_nt at 11:57 PM | Comments (3)
September 28, 2008
Couric Interview
Saturday Night Live has been horrible for years, but Sarah Palin is providing the SNL writers and Tina Fey too much good fodder for satire.
I'm really trying not to pile on Palin all at once, but the problem is so much funny satire is finally coming out since Palin is gradually coming out of her secret witness protection program without a teleprompter.
Today's Scrabble word is metage, an official measurement of weight.
Posted by dan_nt at 10:20 AM | Comments (1)
September 27, 2008
Kudos
This past week has been a good week for Councilor Scott Gruendl.
Gruendl got married to his partner of almost 15 years in a very moving celebration at Tuscan Ridge Country Club between Chico and Paradise.
And this past week, Gruendl was recognized by the News & Review editors as the "Best Chico councilmember." According to the N&R:
"He was good as a mayor, though sometimes loquacious, and Scott Gruendl is even better as a councilmember. During meetings, he has an uncanny way of waiting until just the right moment in a discussion and then making the kind of insightful, well-thought-out comment that wraps up the discussion and ties on a bow. He’s extremely knowledgeable, he’s smart, and he knows how and when to make his case. Plus he sincerely loves Chico and the people who live here.
Long-time observers of City politics have seen Gruendl mature as a public servant. Over the years, he's garnered a lot of institutional knowledge and policy history.
I would not be surprised if Gruendl, as long as he continues to be healthy, continues to serve the public as a Councilor for several more terms like long-time public servants David Guzzetti, Steve Bertagna, and Jane Dolan.
Today's Scrabble word is moke, a donkey.
Posted by dan_nt at 11:34 PM | Comments (0)
September 26, 2008
Head of Skate
The mockery will only intensify as Sarah Palin opens herself up to greater scrutiny by the public and media.
I have no idea why the McCain campaign continues to try to defend Alaska's proximity to Russia as an example of Palin's foreign policy experience. According to the this article:
"Pressed on why her location enhanced her foreign policy experience, Palin said: "Well, it certainly does, because our, our next-door neighbors are foreign countries, there in the state that I am the executive of." She added that when Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin "rears his head and comes into the airspace of the United States of America, where do they go? It's Alaska."
Today's Scrabble word is salal, a small shrub.
Posted by dan_nt at 01:18 PM | Comments (0)
September 25, 2008
Low Key
The local Chico election for City Council and School Board have been rather low-key affairs so far.
Usually campaigns become much more visible after Labor Day weekend. This year it feels rather quiet even weeks after Labor Day.
Some campaign signs are up, notably for Andy Holcombe, Ann Schwab, Jim Walker, and Ali Sarsour.
I'm waiting for the big painted campaign signs on undeveloped properties for Larry Wahl. Eventually more of those signs will sprout up around town, especially in the outskirts where developers own undeveloped property.
We can expect a flurry of initial campaign mail to hit in early October since absentee voters begin casting ballots.
I expect one or more "negative" pieces against the current Council majority blaming them for everything, including maybe the financial meltdown on Wall Street and the deteroriating conditions in Afghanistan.
The problem with this strategy of assigning widesweeping blame, like City budget challenges, on a few select "liberal" Councilors is that the longest serving incumbent running for office and longest serving Finance Committee member is "conservative" Larry Wahl.
And this strategy was deployed two years ago and how did that help Dan Herbert and his slate of candidates?
Want to blame the Council majority for projected budget deficits? Wahl has voted for more budgets than any incumbent running for re-election.
Want to blame the Council majority for hiring too many consultants on special projects? Wahl has approved more consulting contracts that City staff recommended than any incumbent running for re-election.
Want to blame the Council majority for unbuilt parks? Wahl hasn't supported most park development impact fee increases to generate revenue for parks and can't necessarily take more credit than any other Councilor for park development.
Significant candidate contrasts can be drawn, as in past election years, on new growth areas, specific land-use issues like Wal-Mart expansion or disc golf, and development impact fees, but other contrasts are more hyperbole than substance.
The reality is that some progress has been made over the past few years on planning the City's budget, road improvements, and developing DeGarmo Park and a few other parks. Interestingly, as the General Plan survey confirmed, the majority of citizens believe Chico is generally on the right track.
And given the housing market slowdown, less people are clamoring for the City to accelerate development.
Today's Scrabble word is eyer, one that eyes.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)
September 24, 2008
Barack vs. McCain
Some of my favorite political videos are the Barack vs. McCain videos inspired by the innovative Mac vs. PC videos from Apple.
And if you missed some of the classic Mac vs. PC videos, here's a collection of 15 of them:
Today's Scrabble word is liana, a tropical vine.
Posted by dan_nt at 11:30 PM | Comments (0)
September 23, 2008
Palin Speaks
Now that most Americans and even many Republicans believe there should be greater oversight of the financial industry, Sarah Palin struggles to highlight how John McCain has pushed for more oversight during his 26 years in office.
Today's Scrabble word is shoal, or to become shallow.
Posted by dan_nt at 11:28 PM | Comments (0)
September 22, 2008
Hog-Calling
This is one of better headlines I've read lately: "Woman named Bacon wins Idaho hog-calling title."
Today's Scrabble word is gangue, a worthless rock in which valuable minerals are found.
Posted by dan_nt at 09:56 PM | Comments (0)
September 21, 2008
Snob
John McCain, the son and grandson of Admirals and married to a mutli-millionaire heiress, tries his best to paint Barack Obama, who was raised by a single mom and attended schools on scholarship, as an elitist.
Who's more in touch with working people - the candidate who doesn't know how many homes he owns or the candidate who had to work his way through school from relatively humble beginnings?
Today's Scrabble word is gam, to visit socially.
Posted by dan_nt at 08:38 PM | Comments (10)
September 20, 2008
No Maverick
Sharpening the elbows.
Today's Scrabble word is niacin, a Vitamin B.
Posted by dan_nt at 11:23 PM | Comments (0)
September 17, 2008
Tanning Defense
Governor Sarah Palin is getting a lot of attention primarily because very little is known about her.
Hilariously, the Indoor Tanning Association is defending Palin from accusations that she spent frivolously on a tanning bed in the Governor's mansion.
"While partisan bloggers and the sun scare industry will use this as an opportunity to undermine Gov. Palin and demonize the indoor tanning industry, the fact is that Governor Palin’s decision to get UV light from a tanning bed positively impacts her health. 'Moderate amounts of indoor tanning allow Governor Palin to experience the many health benefits that come with exposure to UV light,' said Dan Humiston, President of the Indoor Tanning Association. 'Especially in dreary northern locations like Alaska, indoor tanning can help guard against wintertime depression and ward off diseases associated with vitamin D deficiency. Kudos to Governor Palin for standing up to dermatologists and other members of the sun scare industry who are trying to frighten Americans away from UV light.'”
If Palin becomes Vice-President, it will be great to have a reformer willing to stand up against the powerful sun scare industry lobbyists. I imagine the White House West Wing will need a few tanning beds too.
If there's any evil in the world, it's those dermatologists and sun scare industry ideologues. At least according to the Indoor Tanning Association.
Today's Scrabble word is fetid or stinking.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (8)
September 16, 2008
Chico Palio
The Chico Palio is coming back and its expected to be bigger and better than ever.
Among many early entrants, I noticed a Palio team called Obama horse.
Someone needs to enter a team called Palin moose. I know a moose is not a horse, but it would still be cool to see a Palin moose as part of the race.
And even better, eight people should enter separate McCain horses with signs that say "How many horses does John McCain own? Even McCain doesn't know."
Today's Scrabble word is eddo, a tropical plant.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:01 AM | Comments (0)
September 15, 2008
Bertagna Roast
I've done a few roasts in my time, but this one should be an especially good one.
Councilor Steve Bertagna will be roasted for a good cause to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters.
The E-R's David Little, The News & Review's Evan Tuchinsky, Fit One owner Tony DeLuca, and others will participate in the roasting.
I hope District Attorney Mike Ramsey doesn't make a special appearance to reenact exchanging a $1 bill with Bertagna during the roast. That might not be very funny.
Hopefully, Tom Gascoyne and Kelly Meagher will be added to the roast line-up just to make sure the comments are entirely unpredictable.
The co-hosts, John Anderson and David Kim from New Urban Builders, are running for BIG Dynamic Duo to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters:
"Steve Bertagna: Roasted and Toasted will be a special evening on Sunday, September 28th from 4-7 p.m. at Canyon Oaks Country Club. John Anderson and David Kim will MC the event. A line up of roasters from across the community is preparing for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Of course, Steve will have the last word!"
Bertagna having the last word. Now that's a dangerous proposition. In all seriousness, if I can even be serious writing about a roast, hats off to Bertagna for subjecting himself to ridicule to benefit a good cause.
But then again, I guess some people could argue he's already been subjecting himself to ridicule twice a month for 12 years by serving on the Chico City Council.
Tickets can be purchased at New Urban Builders at 360 E. 6th Street. There will be hors d’oeuvres and a no-host bar. The tickets are $40 in advance or $45 at the door. All proceeds benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Today's Scrabble word is ixia, a flowering plant.
Posted by dan_nt at 10:38 PM | Comments (1)
September 14, 2008
Lies
Paul Krugman, Andrew Sullivan, and others try to counter all the misleading arguments made by the John McCain campaign.
One of my good, trusted friends formerly worked at a relatively high-level with the Bush Administration. Many years ago he told me that McCain was one of the most opportunistic, do-anything-to get ahead politically elected officials he'd ever met.
The claim that Obama promotes comprehensive sex education for kindergarteners is offensive given the intent of a bill Obama supported was to teach kindergarteners to handle sexual predators.
Now we're seeing the real McCain by the way his campaign has decided to try to win - by promoting outright lies.
Today's Scrabble word is hance, a side of an arch.
Posted by dan_nt at 10:22 PM | Comments (0)
September 13, 2008
Cynthia Van Auken
While relatively new to Chico politics, Chico City Council candidate Cynthia Van Auken is no stranger to politics in general.
Van Auken formerly ran for Congress in Georgia’s 4th Congressional district and lost in the general election to Democrat Denise Majette by a 77% to 23% margin.
Keep in mind that running as a Republican in Georgia’s CD4 is almost akin to running as a Democrat in California’s CD2 where Congressman Wally Herger has enjoyed a wide voter registration advantage for decades.
My suspicion is that Van Auken is even more conservative than incumbent Larry Wahl, who I would describe politically as to the right of mainstream Republicans I know.
Why do I think Van Auken might be even too conservative for Chico and Butte County?
First, Van Auken is part of Libertarian candidate Bob Barr’s Liberty List on June 14, 2008.
Second, Van Auken seems to have a disregard for public schools as a place with too much “social engineering.”
According to this report, “Cynthia Van Auken said her disgust with the public school system prompted her run for the House. ‘There were a lot of things that were going on in the classroom that shouldn't be happening,’ she said. ‘All the teachers knew it but they said, 'There's nothing you can do about it,' and I said, 'Oh, yes there is.' We need to get back to educating our students, as opposed to social engineering.’
Third, Van Auken’s very anti-gay comments appear to be some of the reasons why she was passed up to fill a vacant Georgia State Board of Education seat in 2003.
According to this report, “Van Auken opposed gay civil rights legislation and said gay activists should spend their time asking doctors "what was wrong with them."
I’d like to see Van Auken ask City Councilor Scott Gruendl, who is openly gay, when the last time he went to the doctor to find out what was wrong with him.
Locally, Van Auken spoke out very strongly in favor of developing part of Bidwell Ranch near Upper Bidwell Park. And apparently, she has good downtown parking karma but hates to pay for parking.
But then again, as someone with Libertarian tendencies, she’d probably rather let the “free market” take care of downtown parking by letting everyone fend for themselves without any government assistance like spending taxpayer money on parking structures and regulating parking with annoying meters.
Today's Scrabble word is vis, force or power.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (1)
September 12, 2008
Double Talk
I love these debates between the same person.
Today's Scrabble word is moil, or to labor or toil.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)
September 11, 2008
Chamber Endorsements
The Chico Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors made a surprise decision to only endorse two candidates for Chico City Council.
It was not surprising that the Chamber endorsed current President Mark Sorensen and incumbent Larry Wahl.
The surprise is that the Chamber decided not to endorse new candidates Cynthia van Auken and Joe Valente, which either means they interviewed poorly and/or are not considered very viable candidates.
There was likely a healthy debate whether to endorse Mayor Andy Holcombe and Vice-Mayor Ann Schwab as an olive branch gesture. But since the Chamber didn't endorse them during their first runs for office, I didn't expect an endorsement for their re-elections.
Both Holcombe and Schwab won their first terms in office without the Chamber endorsement and certainly don't need the endorsement to win as incumbents with much greater name recognition than four years ago.
New candidate and Park Commissioner Jim Walker likely got a good look by the Chamber too.
Unless van Auken, Valente, or another new candidate Ali Sarsour surprise me - which can certainly happen between now and the election - I think this year's City Council campaign is a five-person battle for four seats.
My early prediction is Holcombe, Schwab, Walker, and Sorensen winning the four Council seats with Wahl edged out when the final tallies are counted.
In his past two elections, Wahl was the fourth highest vote getter. I don't think his popularity has increased over the past eight years, except within a shrinking, right-wing conservative base of voters in Chico.
But you can rarely count anyone out this early since some candidates are likely working much harder than others to reach voters by walking neighborhoods and building a strong grassroots campaign.
Today's Scrabble word is punty, an irod rod used in glassmaking.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (3)
September 10, 2008
Pete McCloskey
Pete McCloskey is the former Republican Congressman and Presidential candidate who switched parties after expressing disgust with the right-wing tilt of the Republican Party.
Political followers may have heard that McCloskey recently endorsed Jeff Morris for Congress.
While John McCain tries to paint himself as a maverick even though he agrees with President George W. Bush 90% of the time, McCloskey is the true maverick - an independent, moderate, pro-environment leader who co-founded Earth Day and served in Congress from 1967 to 1983 as Republican.
Here's what Morris had to say about McCloskey's endorsement:
"Pete knows, as I do, that things are not working in this country. We're not getting our money's worth from government, but that same government seems to think it has a blank check on the treasury and a veto on our rights. Record debt, illegal wiretapping of American citizens, the lack of attention to veterans, an economy on the skids and a wholesale disregard for the average working family -- these aren't partisan issues, they're issues every one of us should be standing up and screaming about. People who care about fiscal responsibility and constitutional rights have been betrayed over the past eight years and it's up to us to turn things around. For too long we have seen our representative follow along with these failed policies. Regardless of party affiliation, the citizens certainly deserve a lot more bang for their buck."
By the way, I found it interesting that Congressman Wally Herger made comments in anE-R article that Herger thought "the combination of McCain and Palin is just what America needs...both of them mavericks who are sure to shake up the Washington establishment."
Morris made a very good point when he said in the same E-R article that "he didn't understand why Herger should be excited about the Washington 'establishment' being shaken up, since, in his view, the Chico congressman is very much a part of that establishment."
Herger's 22 years in Congress certainly qualifies him as part of the Washington establishment.
Today's Scrabble word is ikat, a tie-dyed yarn fabric.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (2)
September 09, 2008
Great Start
Good for you Aaron Rodgers.
Today's Scrabble word is fenny, or marshy.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)
September 07, 2008
Gingrich Marriage
Newt Gingrich wants to preserve the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman.
Gingrich, who has married three times, wants to make sure only guys like him have the right to (1) leave his first wife while she was going through cancer treatment and (2) asking his second wife for a divorce on Mother's Day so he can marry his former Congressional aide who he had an affair with.
Based on how he treated his first two wives, Gingrich is a role model to stand up for the sanctity of marriage.
Today's Scrabble word is heugh, a shaft in a coal pit.
Posted by dan_nt at 11:27 PM | Comments (0)
September 06, 2008
Cindy's Outfit
Fashion experts pegged Cindy McCain's convention attire and jewelry at $300,000.
What does $300,000 get the average American family?
Vanity Fair takes a look.
Today's Scrabble word is kerf, a cut or incision made by a saw or the like in a piece of wood.
Posted by dan_nt at 11:03 PM | Comments (3)
September 05, 2008
Cool Schools
The Sierra Club recently recognized the top "Cool Schools" in the country for their environmental leadership.
Chico State didn't make the top 10, but it did receive an honorable mention as part of a group of four schools that "almost made the cut."
I guess this means Chico State can claim its on the top 14 list?
The cool part - yes, pun intended - is that these schools can trade ideas on what works and doesn't work in promoting sustainability on their campuses.
Today's Scrabble word is edh, an Old English teacher.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (2)
September 04, 2008
Chico Beat, RIP
It appears there is no turning this beat around.
Here's what the guys behind The Chico Beat have to say:
The Beat is Dead; Long Live The Beat
A little more than two years ago, a fellow with a mean left hook and known for throwing heaps of money toward left-wing causes approached two local journalism hacks and asked if they wanted to start a newspaper. He would fund it. The two hacks, out of work, out of ideas and out of their minds, said, "OK." And The Beat was born.
And it lasted an amazingly long two years, considering it catered to the left, which generally speaking has no money to help support such an endeavor. And that relative poverty is why we catered to the left. As the wise man once said, "A newspaper's mission is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable."
We tried.
Anyway, this is our message of thanks to those who read us and supported us and worked for us. We just can't do it any more, kids.
So we leave the local news coverage and analyzing of evolving events to the two established papers-the News & Review and the Enterprise Record. Though we admit, we can't tell them apart any longer. Each has an editorial bent designed to chase and capture advertisements. Why not? That is the only way to survive in this game. The reader takes a back seat. The advertiser rides shotgun. And the rest of us are all a little poorer for it.
This website goes dark sometime Friday afternoon.
See you in the funny pages.
Sincerely,
The Chico Beat.
Posted by dan_nt at 12:00 AM | Comments (3)
September 03, 2008
Abandoned
I took a long Labor Weekend break away from the computer so I'm back online to humor myself. And there's nothing better than politics for humor.
Today's Scrabble word is dyne, a unit of force.
Posted by dan_nt at 04:07 PM | Comments (1)