Politics

Grateful.

Obama’s win last night is a win for many, many people: the disenfranchised, the displaced, and the voiceless. His message of possibility is confirmed by his very electability and the willingness of Americans to believe in the very best of themselves and their country. I believe our children are the beneficiaries of the result of this election: today, they can look into our eyes and know that anything is possible – a poor, fatherless, minority kid can become President. It’s what we were all taught in grade school and that we are witnessing now. I hope the knives are sheathed long enough to recognize the power of this moment, the magnitude of our endeavors, and the resilience and strength of democracy and its American implementation. Finally, I’m thinking of all of the incredible, thankless work tackled by nameless millions who got out the vote against all odds and asked Americans to ignore the fear and the dirty tricks and elect with their future in mind. I’m incredibly grateful and utterly, utterly thankful for all those who moved history this past year.

Bloggin

Hands.

I think we’re back.
Yes, we are. Tremendous thanks to Michael Barrish and William Dodson for their problem-solving and technical expertise. And thanks to Tilted for their customer support.
And many thanks to everyone who checked in with me, asked what was up, and otherwise worried for the site’s minor existence.

Politics

16 Years.

While The New York Times came out endorsing Mr. Obama today, meaning not very much to a lot of people, unfortunately, SNL issued its own kind of endorsement that is both hilarious and scathing.
http://widgets.nbc.com/o/4727a250e66f9723/4901c36944ba704e/4741e3c5156499a7/bcaaab4/-cpid/c6bbc9799070a74f
“The next 16 years!”
Postscript: Somehow the show has been able to make Palin’s husband look like an effeminate woos with his sled clothes in lieu of Marc Jacobs.

Webbed

Owning Acme.

I have been collecting domain names pretty much since I had knew there was an opportunity to do so, starting in 1996. It’s been a mild and inexpensive hobby to maintain, and I don’t do to make money, sit on domains, or for speculation. Rather, there’s something simply wonderful about owning one of the most “physical” aspects of the Internet, which is a domain. All of the other features of the Net, including email, hosting and even access are simply temporary, non-exclusive properties that, though democratic, don’t hold inherent value. These are essentially commodities, like orange juice or bread that you can use, dispose of, and buy again.
With domain names, on the other hand, one owns a digitally sophisticated lock on a given, agreed-upon series of letters and numbers (and, occasionally, hyphens) that is registered worldwide and, inexpensively, creates a microcosm for a website or a potential website. It’s powerful stuff.
Tonight, after much searching, I purchased two domains this evening that make use of the word “acme.” I’ve long desired to own a piece of the “acme” pie, which was popularized by Warner Bros. wonderfully irreverent Road Runner cartoons. Since then, hundreds of parodic and real Acme corporations have risen and I plan on doing the same (the Wikipedia entry notes that “Acme” stands for ‘A Company that Makes Everything’, which is news to me.) One kind soul even went to the trouble of grouping the fictional Acme Co.’s products on a site. Note that while his catalogue is great, his domain name—http://home.nc.rr.com/tuco/looney/acme/acme.html—stinks.

Politics

Main & Wall.

Someone from the Obama camp should be posting this chart on the homepage of the McCain website. Forget about domestic policy, war, or education (the focus of the final debates tonight); if you want general economic prosperity, the numbers indicate that everyone should vote Democrat.

Politics

Democrats Abroad.

All politics, all the time here at Deckchairs Headquarters.
After getting voter registration help from Democrats Abroad, the overseas branch of the Democratic Party, I felt compelled to send the Democrats some money. I hadn’t done it before, out of sheer laziness or sheepishness, but I’m convinced that now is the time. Democrats everywhere (and democrats everywhere) need to ensure that the world is guided by intelligent, educated, and caring individuals in the White House. As the New Yorker made it abundantly clear this week, this election will probably do more to decide the future of world affairs than any other election in my lifetime. If it goes one way, there is a chance that global warming, economic friction, and systemic issues will be addressed. If it goes another way, there is an even better chance that more conflict, more indiscretion, and more global anxiety will result.
I encourage all fair Democrats abroad to donate; it’s the least we can do, having grown up in the United States of America, under the aegis of relative peace and prosperity, despite the country’s many faults. Many of us said that 2004 could not happen again. It can again, but it mustn’t.

Politics

Nobel Krugman.

I’ve been reading Paul Krugman‘s New York Times’ pieces for years. Many of my earlier thoughts on the residential real estate bubble (way back in 2004) were informed by him. In fact, he’s become my favorite columnist these past few years, and I always look for a chance to procrastinate by reading him. No other columnist offers the decisive, clear-headed, and honest writing that he does. Further, no other economist, in my mind, has more publicly called attention to the lacunae in American economic policy.
Today, he wins the Nobel. Or, more accurately, he received the The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2008, not for his columns but for his contributions to understanding economic models and market behavior. Congratulations, Mr. Krugman. It is supremely deserved.