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Civility in critiquing the ideas of others is no vice. Rudeness in defending your own ideas is no virtue.


Fri 29 Aug 2008, 11:03 AM
Heck, since I seem to have trouble doing anything else but politics, I'll comment quickly.  It appears that John McCain has selected Sarah Palin, first term governor of Alaska, and widely popular up there from what I hear.  While she is not the first woman vice-presidential candidate of a major party (that would be Geraldine Ferraro), it is exciting to see more diversity on both major tickets this year.  No matter who wins, we will have a first, and fathers and mothers across America will have more reason to tell all of their children that the sky is the limit.  Congratulations to Governor Sarah Palin!

I hope that we can also put two different issues to rest now.  The issue of John McCain's age is diffused by Joe Biden's selection (seven years younger, but still in the same ballpark), and the issue of Barack Obama's experience is diffused by Sarah Palin (signficantly less than Barack Obama's).  We can now focus on issues (I hope) such as policy, character and ability to motivate and lead our country through the difficult years ahead.

Update: At any rate, it is very entertaining reading some of the more conservative bloggers and commentators who risk whiplash over their sudden declaration that foreign policy experience doesn't really matter, and how this person who two years ago was mayor of a town of 7000 people has more "executive" experience than Barack Obama.  I'm not saying liberal bloggers wouldn't do the same thing, but it is funny to watch.

Update II: Well, Sarah Palin is certainly going to liven up John McCain's campaign.  She seems fun and free wheeling, even if I probably don't agree with a single position on the policy front.  Still, she'll be more interesting that watching John McCain.

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Thu 28 Aug 2008, 06:46 PM
Both Democrats and Republicans get to about this point in the campaign and play an increasingly silly game of "gotcha" in which wild misinterpretations replace any real talking points.  For example, a woman at a town meeting went on a long tirade to John McCain about people in the military, and asked him if he agreed.  He was agreeable and said "Yes", without really focusing on the fact that one point in her tirade included supporting the draft.  Now, he is on record as not supporting a draft, but the liberal blogosphere has had a wild time accusing him of first saying he would support the draft and then flip-flopping.  Pure silliness!  Even if he should be careful about what he agrees to, it was a far, far cry from endorsing the draft.  

The Republicans have also been at it, with ever sillier claims about Barack Obama.  My favorite has to be the hoopla about how Barack Obama is "building a temple" to himself, and how it shows his ego that he would accept the nomination in front of columns "like a god".  You might be tempted to think this, but the following picture of George Bush accepting the nomination in front of similar columns shows just how silly the argument is.


Of course, the even more obvious reason for the set Barack Obama will use is that he is reproducing the scene where Martin Luther King gave his famous "I have a dream" speech, 45 years ago today.  Note those columns!

So, the set is not because of of some god-complex, but out of respect and honor for a cherished moment in history made more poignant by where Barack Obama is today.

You have to wonder what the silly season will bring next.

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Mon 25 Aug 2008, 11:20 PM
I am starting to understand that some of my readers will only hear a snake oil saleswoman, or will shout angry talking points about... actually, I'm not yet sure about what.  I hope that I remain open minded when I hear Cindy McCain or whomever the Republicans have at their convention, as I would hate to slide into the knee jerk divisions that seem to haunt America today.  So, acknowledging that it is only my perspective, and that perhaps I am being duped by a nefarious, slick and evil woman disguised as a loving, intelligent wife and mother (who happens to be brilliant and successful and dedicated in her own right), I thought Michelle Obama was absolutely amazing in her convention speech last night.  There is no doubt that her daughters have two rhetorical masters as parents, but they also have decent, loving, well-meaning parents.  It is also wonderful that two people can bring themselves up from humble beginnings to reach for the American dream... and pause in that journey to choose public service over private gain.  It was a phenomenal speech given by an amazing woman.  Thank you, Michelle Obama.

Note: while I never remove comments from posts regarding business, I reserve the right to remove comments that do little more than spew venom.  Decide I am a shill or dupe or fraud... whatever.  This especially goes for those comment trolls who persist in altering names (e.g., McShame or Obama bin Lying)

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Thu 21 Aug 2008, 12:04 PM
John McCain was asked yesterday how many houses he had, and he couldn't (or perhaps wouldn't) answer.  Totally aside from the irony of McCain trying to cast Obama as the elitist, I am wondering what it would be like to have too many houses to be sure how many you have.

Alas, I think it would just mean I could never find the key for the one I was at.  Perhaps I'd better stick to just one house... and make sure my wife has a key when we go out.

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Thu 21 Aug 2008, 10:47 AM
In a post called Just the vector, Viktor...a whole lot of them, Rob Novak mentions that he and his crew need to create resumés for a client, and, as he says,
I last wrote a resume in 1993 using PFS: First Choice on the laptop provided for my first Masters' degree.
Daniel Lieber commented that his last resumé was written in Ami Pro 3.  This got me to thinking...

When did you least create or update your resumé?  (Hint: If it was last week and your current employer doesn't know, you might want to ignore that one)

What software or format did you use?

I'd be interested in hearing people's answers.  I created my last resumé in 1997, or possibly 1998, using DeScribe 5.0 under OS/2, and I am pretty sure I then printed it out.  I don't remember what the data format was.  The one before that I actually typed on a typewriter (cringe).

How about you? Anybody use ODF?  OOXML?


DeScribe word processor for OS/2

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