I awaken  at 6AM to the sound of huge garbage trucks grinding bags of malodorous refuse piled curbside.

The garbage men do not collect the litter piled beside them, broken bags torn asunder by the homeless men and women who wander the streets nearby searching   for bottle returns to pay for the next few vials of crack.  Fat flies hover, searching for another place to alight, and the soft buzz of mosquitoes is drowned out by the sound of West Indian jitney vans and private car service drivers honking horns loudly; impatient to speed on their way to the next fare, competing with New York Transit buses for fares and winning at 1.00 a ride to the subway.   The neighborhood stirs and awakens to start yet another day of grinding poverty.

(Cross posted to DKos)

According to information in New York Times story today, Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean has to be a major-league incompetent to have messed up the organization of the August Convention to this extent:

With the Denver convention less than two months away, problems range from the serious -- upwardly spiraling costs on key contracts still being negotiated -- to the mundane, like the reluctance of local caterers to participate because of stringent rules on what delegates will be eating, down to the color of the food. At last count, plans to renovate the inside of the Pepsi Center for the Democrats are $6 million over budget, which may force convention planners to scale back on their original design or increase their fund-raising goals.

The convention is being organized by the Democratic National Committee, which is run by Howard Dean, with his chief of staff, the Rev. Leah D. Daughtry, leading the effort. Only in the last month has the Obama campaign been able to take over management of the convention planning with the candidate claiming the nomination, and his aides are increasingly frustrated, as the event nears, at organizers who they believe spent too freely, planned too slowly and underestimated actual costs.

( . . . )

And then there is the food: A 28-page contract requested by Denver organizers that caterers provide food in "at least three of the following five colors: red, green, yellow, blue/purple and white." Garnishes could not be counted toward the colors. No fried foods would be allowed. Organic and locally grown foods were mandated, and each plate had to be 50 percent fruits and vegetables. As a result, caterers are shying away.  New York Times

Barack Obama is already taking over some essential decisions, like deciding to give his acceptance speech at an arena three times the size of the one chosen by the DNC.  In similar situations, I haven't had the balls to just sideline everyone who's contributing to the chaos and start from scratch.  But, that's what Barack Obama needs to do, and he needs to do it quickly.  

He's not responsible for the chaos that reigned before he won the nomination, but everyone will hold him responsible for the Convention itself.  Like a general taking over a battlefield strategy, Obama needs to arrive, put his people in the essential roles, and announce a plan that can win the battle.  He has to do so in a way that leaves incompetent and impractical people feeling special about the contribution they've made.

Okay, someone, please, tell me why this is good:

"But that doesn't mean that Obama should not be lauded for rejecting the extremism and the fanaticism of the worst elements of the Democratic base like NARAL, Emily's List, and Planned Parenthood. It is good to know that whatever Barack personally feels about abortion, he has recognized that certain extremist groups with their extraordinarily liberal positions do not deserve to be part of the national conversation, and for that Obama deserves to be praised. Hillary Clinton, for one, would never have done anything like this. Her husband vetoed the Partial Birth Abortion Act twice and by all accounts Hillary treated the Emily's Listers and NARAL extremists like they were important and respectable people. Barack Obama knows better. Good for him."

http://www.redstate.com/stories/election s/2008/in_praise_of_barack_obama

One of the many insults that get thrown at Obama supporters goes something like this,  "Is that more of this 'hope' and 'change' you Obamabots bought into?"

I keep seeing the words "hope" and "change" being thrown at Obama supporters as if they were spears. I see this in comment after comment. "What is this 'hope' you speak of? Where is the 'change' Obama talks about"?

Apparently, it is difficult for some people to understand these terms. Some don't want to understand. They simply want to use those terms as insults to imply that anyone who believes in them is naïve.

Well, I've got news for those nay-sayers. Hope and change are real. Both are greatly needed in this country after the last eight years under Bush/Cheney. Follow with me after the fold, while I try to explain exactly what these words mean to me.

Good afternoon, everyone.

There are few topics more radioactive than abortion.  There are folks on either extreme that simply can not and will not abide by any sort of compromise.  I can certainly respect deeply held morals.  If someone considers abortion murder then I can see why it would be a hot-button issue.  If someone considers the right of the prospective mother to decide whether or not to bring the child to term is a sacred and unassailable right, then I can understand why some might see any restriction as the thin end of the wedge.

I can understand these points of view, and I can respect them.  However, these extremes are if not actually wrong, certainly unhelpful in resolving this matter.  The current regime of Roe v. Wade (as heavily modified by Casey v. Planned Parenthood) is unsustainable.  It is not the place of the judiciary to decide broad issues of policy as I see it.  Moreover, such a regime lasts as long as there is a majority of Supreme Court justices whom support it.  That may be more durable than a legislative regime, but it is far less reflective of the views of the electorate.

I have some thoughts on what may prove a workable legislative solution.  It would make neither extreme happy, but I think it would accomodate everyone as well as anything possibly can.  And I think reading Casey would be a great primer!

Read on?

Evidently, this morning it was Sen. Reed's turn to audition on Sunday Talk (opposite Holy Joe with Boy George on ABC).

http://youtube.com/watch?v=TF-Fv_1uq-w

IMHO:

Dull as dishwater.

Not physically attractive.

President Barack Obama will not lower your cholesterol.

He will not personally show up in your bathroom to give you a bikini wax.

And he will not inspire the local Catholic Church to start handing out "The Pope respects BOTH your reproductive choices and your gay lover!" bumper stickers...

Fireworks on the 4th of July always make me cry. I'm not affraid to say it. There's something about it, all the senses are activated as an idea--what once was the dream of a few revolutionaires--plays itself out in vivid colors and exsplosive bursts right before you.

This year, my wife and I planted ourselves on the stone path between Pier 17 and Pier 11, right in front of one of the Macy's barges, lucking out that this year they decided to move them further down the East River, making the end of Wall Street a perfect location to watch the fireworks. What made the event more impressive was the rich diversity that surrounded us, reminding me why New York City is such a special place to experience the 4th of July.

For many of the families around us, America was as new as it was for Abigail Adams and her family, as she watched the cannon balls fly over Boston Harbor while her husband was away. Opportunity and freedom were new on the horizon, like the flash of powder ignited in the distance seconds before the sky explodes with life. Hearing families share their excitement in Korean, Russian, French, Spanish and Mandarin seemed fitting, as we all huddled along the Manhattan shoreline between the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of liberty. The 4th of July is full of traditions, and I think I've found a new place to celebrate for years to come.

Another great thing I gravitated toward this weekend was the new web site, 1,000 Voices Archive a project of the Creative Council. This web site is a perfect mirror into the american experience, presenting videos of Americans who have been touched by communities. It's a wonderful snapshot into the diversity of our nation, both in ethnicity and experience. Strongly recommend it for those looking to continue celebrating this holiday weekend. It gives a real feel of America and has a bunch of engaging tools that allow us to become involved in the America that is more than ideas and fire works.