Please vote for me (every day)

I actually made it to Keegan’s for maybe the second time all summer last night.  The occasion was Katie McCollow’s 12th 29th birthday party.

The usual suspects were there – Night Writer and the whole imminently-expanding clan, AAA, Joe “Learned Foot” Tucci, Chief, Guy, Lassie (and a potential new dog) from Freedom Dogs, Neal from Loyal Opposition,  (who got to talk all sorts of NYPD trivia with fellow former NY cop Dan Conry), and a bunch of others I know I’m forgetting…

…which doesn’t even address the horde that the McCollows brought.  Mike, of course – and if you’d told me twenty years ago that I’d be standing on a patio having a conversation about Polish basketball, I’d have had you committed), big sister Mary Louise, and one of the little sisters whose middle name eludes me, but with the Hubble family you can at least guess there’s a “Mary” in there somewhere.  Of course, their brother Joe was a neighbor of mine in college, and Mary Louise’s husband coached the Jamestown College hoops team when I was in school.  It’s truly a small world, Poland included.

Anyway – it was a great time. My only regret was having to leave after an hour.

Truth Vs. The Machine is four years old today, and still one of the best political/society/life blogs anywhere in the business.

Stop by and and wish ’em happy birthday!

…that Chad the Elder’s new arrival…:

Scoring for Clan Doughty at forty weeks and three days of the third trimester, my wife. With an assist (albeit a very small one) from me.

…and Pianomomsicle‘s…

i have been having a lot of contractions lately. Yesterday, they were regular and painful…This means two very good things:

1. There is a good chance i will actually go into labor this time, and not have to get induced at 41 weeks.
2. There is a good chance i will go into labor soon, and most likely we both will be fine.

…would happen around the same time, if only for neatness’ sake.

Alas, it was not to be – just yet:

Bloggers are apparently not known for seizing these opportunities.

Oh, well.  Congrats, Chad/Beth/Nate/Nate’s little brother, and all the best to Pianomomsicle and her hubby.  Our fingers are crossed!

…I’m going to count up all the blogs that’ve started as vendettas against or responses to the various NARN and MOB members…

…that’ve quietly fizzled as the “writers'” energy and stockpile of “ideas” pooped out.

I have no idea at the moment what the number is, but it’s gonna be big.

…but they may stand around a bit.

Mark your calendars; Saturday is the big sign giveaway at Stephano’s in Eagan.

Here’s why it matters; from Colonel Joe Repya’s press release (I’ve added emphasis):

At noon on September 1, the anti-war crowd claims they’ll have upwards of 50,000 marching from the Minnesota Capitol Building to the Excel Energy Center where the Republican National Convention, at the Excel Energy Center in Saint Paul.

We are asking everyone who supports our men and women in uniform defending America in the War on Terror to line the streets from the Excel Center with our signs. It is our way of being “Minnesota Nice” and wishing these protesters a “nice day in Minnesota.” We encourage no discussion or verbal exchange with the demonstrators – only a pleasant “smile!

So show up!

You can pick up a sign as long as the initial order lasts on Saturday, August 16th, in the parking lot of STEPHANO’S Restaurant, the corner of Highway 13 and Cliff Road (across from Walgreen’s) from 12:00 Noon to 3:00 PM. Please arrive early since we are printing a limited number. Your donations will be greatly appreciated and will allow us to print more signs.

So I’ll see you Saturday afternoon at Stephano’s.

Leave a comment here and/or at the Colonel’s blog if you plan on showing up.

Just another reminder; Saturday is the big sign giveaway at Stephano’s in Eagan.

We’re talking Col. Joe Repya’s signs.

Here’s why it matters; from Joe’s press release (I’ve added emphasis):

At noon on September 1, the anti-war crowd claims they’ll have upwards of 50,000 marching from the Minnesota Capitol Building to the Excel Energy Center where the Republican National Convention, at the Excel Energy Center in Saint Paul.

We are asking everyone who supports our men and women in uniform defending America in the War on Terror to line the streets from the Excel Center with our signs. It is our way of being “Minnesota Nice” and wishing these protesters a “nice day in Minnesota.” We encourage no discussion or verbal exchange with the demonstrators – only a pleasant “smile!

So show up!

You can pick up a sign as long as the initial order lasts on Saturday, August 16th, in the parking lot of STEPHANO’S Restaurant, the corner of Highway 13 and Cliff Road (across from Walgreen’s) from 12:00 Noon to 3:00 PM. Please arrive early since we are printing a limited number. Your donations will be greatly appreciated and will allow us to print more signs.

So I’ll see you Saturday at Stephano’s.

Leave a comment here and/or at the Colonel’s blog if you plan on showing up.

It’s just a week until the big sign giveaway at Stephano’s in Eagan.

We’re talking Col. Joe Repya’s signs.

From the Joe’s press release (I’ve added emphasis):

At noon on September 1, the anti-war crowd claims they’ll have upwards of 50,000 marching from the Minnesota Capitol Building to the Excel Energy Center where the Republican National Convention, at the Excel Energy Center in Saint Paul.

We are asking everyone who supports our men and women in uniform defending America in the War on Terror to line the streets from the Excel Center with our signs. It is our way of being “Minnesota Nice” and wishing these protesters a “nice day in Minnesota.” We encourage no discussion or verbal exchange with the demonstrators – only a pleasant “smile!

So show up!

You can pick up a sign as long as the initial order lasts on Saturday, August 16th, in the parking lot of STEPHANO’S Restaurant, the corner of Highway 13 and Cliff Road (across from Walgreen’s) from 12:00 Noon to 3:00 PM. Please arrive early since we are printing a limited number. Your donations will be greatly appreciated and will allow us to print more signs.

So I’ll see you one week from today at Stephano’s.

Leave a comment here and/or at the Colonel’s blog if you plan on showing up.

Hey – the event even got some play with MPR!

Ryan from Rambling Rhodes Back Porch Banjo Strumming – long-time MOBster and one of the world’s great scatological bloggers, is getting married today.

Best wishes!

In related news, Kool Aid Report has exclusive rights to the photos.  No, not all that safe for work, on the off-chance you needed the reminder as re KAR. 

Colonel Joe Repya burst onto the regional scene close to six years ago, with his “Liberate Iraq” signs.  In the run-up to the war (which would eventually be Repya’s third war, after Vietnam and Desert Storm), the Colonel gave away thousands of the big, paper-on-corrugate signs, which popped up all over the city and showed people that not everyone in the Twin Cities supported leaving Hussein in power.

The Colonel is at it again.

As the Twin Cities prepares to welcome the Republican National Convention in three weeks, the Cities are also getting ready to be swamped with demonstrators.  And it’ll be nice to show the world that not everyone in the Twin Cities is a kool-aid-drinking, chimpy-mcbushitler-chanting, wide-stance-giggling, patchouli-reeking, terrorist-coddling cut-and-runner.

So it’s time for another giveaway:

From the Colonel’s press release (I’ve added emphasis):

At noon on September 1, the anti-war crowd claims they’ll have upwards of 50,000 marching from the Minnesota Capitol Building to the Excel Energy Center where the Republican National Convention, at the Excel Energy Center in Saint Paul.

We are asking everyone who supports our men and women in uniform defending America in the War on Terror to line the streets from the Excel Center with our signs. It is our way of being “Minnesota Nice” and wishing these protesters a “nice day in Minnesota.” We encourage no discussion or verbal exchange with the demonstrators – only a pleasant “smile!

Here’s the fun part:

You can pick up a sign as long as the initial order lasts on Saturday, August 16th, in the parking lot of STEPHANO’S Restaurant, the corner of Highway 13 and Cliff Road (across from Walgreen’s) from 12:00 Noon to 3:00 PM. Please arrive early since we are printing a limited number. Your donations will be greatly appreciated and will allow us to print more signs.

So I’ll see you on the 16th at Stephano’s – and, naturally, at and around the convention.

Leave a comment here and/or at the Colonel’s blog if you plan on showing up.

I’ll be bumping/reprising this post many, many times in the coming week. 

And if you’re a regional blogger who supports the Colonel’s effort, shoot him a link.

Leo from Psycmeister’s Ice Palace has had just about the longest weekend a parent can have:

At approximately 1am yesterday morning, our son Doug and his nearly-fiancee Brooke were coming home from a friend’s house on Doug’s motorcycle, when the motorcycle hit a deer (they were travelling around 40 mph); They were both wearing protective gear and helmets; no alcohol was involved. Doug sustained some pretty hefty road rash at two places in his body, but was otherwise okay.

It’s not all good:

Brooke, however, sustained a serious brain injury. She was transferred from Detroit Lakes Hospital to Merit Care Hospital in Fargo, ND (around 50 miles away, where they have a top-grade trauma unit).

She was largely unresponsive yesterday, and was placed in a medically-induced coma so as to keep her calm.

But a later update includes some good news on Saturday afternoon:

They brought her out of her coma for a bit a half hour or so ago. Doug was there, and asked her if she knew that he loved her. The nurse spoke up and said, “If you know he loves you, why don’t you give him a thumbs-up?” Brooke then gave Doug a thumbs-up!

She was able to wiggle her toes when asked, as well. This is huge, since yesterday she wasn’t responding to commands. Also, her intercranial pressure continues to decrease.

Thanks all, for the prayers and well-wishes!

Leo notes:

Her Caring Bridge site is here.

Have a word, if you would, with whatever higher power, metaphysical force, karmic balance or ineluctible fate you believe in.

Yesterday, I reported that JRoosh of RooshFive was hanging up his pajamas. Family obligations and a busy schedule made his customary blogging schedule – a very me-like four-or-more posts per day – untenable.

The good news? Roosh will be joining the staff here at Shot In The Dark.

OK. Roosh will be the staff here at Shot In The Dark. In 6.5 years, it’s the first time I’ve had a co-blogger.
At any rate, Roosh will be bringing his blend of fiscal conservatism, family, and hot cars to this blog…well, pretty much whenever he wants to. Might be weekly, might be annually, but he’s here.

Everyone say hi!

One of my favorite relatively-new blogs in the Twin Cities center-right is now one of my most lamented ex-blogs.  Roosh is hanging up the jammies:

A rough sketch of my “Vertical Alignment” can be found in the subtitle to my Blog. Save God, it’s all there, and pretty much in order.

…but something has to go. And for some time now, I’ve had a pretty good idea what.

Blogging is a lot more time consuming than it looks. And ask any blogger who is committed to regular writing, it is also quite addicting. As much as I have enjoyed the creative process, the comments and debate, I have a finite amount of time and focus and I have decided to allocate both elsewhere for the foreseeable future.

He’s right – it does take a lot of time.  And any adult has to prioritize – as Roosh notes in the lead-up to his piece.  For my part, I’ve had to keep my blogging to a fairly tightly-constrained period between 5:30 and 7AM, most days (summers aren’t quite so bad, but on the other hand summers are the time I’m least interested in writing).

So sorry the cookie’s crumbled this way, Roosh.  Hope to see you around.

According to Gary, Leo from Psycmeister’s Ice Palace is a grandpa!

I’ll join with Gary in hoping Leo takes a few days off from vexing Taryll Clark and the rest of Saint Cloud’s DFL establishment.

The Millard Fillmore Golf Tourney is almost upon us.

And the greatest tradition of all – selecting the sausage to be grilled at the Post-MilF party – has begun.

And for the love of all that is holy, Italian Sausage must beat out Brats or that other sausagoid product whose name is too foul to utter.

So go here and do what’s right.  Italian. Please, please, please.

You’ve no doubt noticed – my NARN colleague Michael Brodkorb’s role in derailing the Al Franken senate campaign made it to the Sunday New York Times.

The Times’ writer, Monica Davey, made what seemed to be a game effort at conveying the Minnesota political blog scene, including a half-hour interview with me a few weeks ago that covered primarily the Minnesota Organization of Bloggers and, of course, True North, my other blog.  She seemed genuinely curious – and, within the constraints of space, did a decent job of getting at least some of the basics across.

The good news?  I got into the Times.

The bad news?  From our half-hour conversation, this was the quote she ran:

“We’ve kind of got a center of gravity going on up here,” said M\
itch Berg, one in a group that started a “True North” Web site in 2007.

“…going on up here?”

Oy.  Good thing I didn’t say “Ja, sure, you betcha”, too.

Anyway – Kudos, Michael!

And Scott Johnson gives some of the anti-climactic background to the whole NARN saga…

Got to spend a rare evening at Keegans last night (even rarer – it was the second week in a row, something I haven’t managed in years).  It was that rarest possible thing in Minnesota – a perfect evening; warm enough to sit on the patio, cool enough to be comfortable, warm enough for beer.
Not so rare – my team (Guy from Freedom Dogs, John from Policy Guy, and a fourth on whom I’m blocking right now) won.  Oh, OK – it was a three way tie on one of the easiest trivia nights I can remember, but at the end of the day, I got the drink ticket, dagnabbit.

Got to meet Barb Davis White, who’s running for Congress in CD5, as well as Keith Downey, who is working on unseating RINO Ron Erhard.

Also got a long-overdue meeting with Master of None, from Jack of All Trades.

The usual crew was there, naturally – the Stroms, most of the Dogs, Night Writer and the Night Family, Ben from Hammerschwing,  Barry from (garbled), and not a few others.

…bow before the heroes walking in our midst. 

Grace “The World Trade Center was a Controlled Demolition” Kelly started the tradition, to give credit where it’s due. 

But Joe “Learned Foot” Tucci carries it on with style, interviewing Ryan Rhodes.

These tears are tears of joy.

I read Grace “9/11 was an inside job!” Kelly’s opus to Bill “Michele Bachmann caused 9/11” Prendergrast over at MNBlue (Motto:  “For those who think Daily Kos isn’t crazy enough“) the other day.

And it inspired me; it’s time for us to acknowledge – indeed, pay obeisance to – the heroes that walk among us. 

And so I hereby present my interview with Joe “Learned Foot” Tucci, blogger thunderjournalist extraordinaire.

And you know that this report is accurate, since I got it emailed directly from Joe!

———-

1) How did you get started writing about politics?

 One day, I saw injustice.  I decided right then and there that if there was to be justice, I MUST ACT. For if not me, who?  If not now, when?  If not here, where?  The stakes were too high to wait, and there were no heroes waiting in the wings.  I needed to save the world.

So I started a poop blog.

 2) Do you have a special mission?

 I’ll be all around in the dark – I’ll be everywhere. Wherever you can look – wherever there’s a fight, so hungry people can eat, I’ll be there. Wherever there’s a cop beatin’ up a guy, I’ll be there. I’ll be there in the way guys yell when they’re mad. I’ll be in the way kids laugh when they’re hungry and they know supper’s ready, and when the people are eatin’ the stuff they raise and livin’ in the houses they build – I’ll be there, too. And if some moron dies of alcohol poisoning from a sherry enema, oh ho! you can bet your ass I’ll be there too.

 3) How did God actually hand you this mission?

 I was fasting alone in the woods for 40 days as is my typical lenten custom.  While there, the clouds parted and a voice told me to start a poop blog because, let’s face it, if you want to influence the world and change society for the better, the best way to do so is by running a ThunderJournal that gets 300 uniques per day.

 While we were chatting, God also told me that even though evolution was pretty much how things went down, PZ Meyers was actually an accident – or rather, a practical joke gone horribly horribly awry.

 4) What do you consider your best piece of writing?

 I think my readers consider this my definitive post.   Personally I have a soft spot for the Viagra song.  It was a very important post for turbulent times.

 5) OK, now what do you consider your double-dog bestEST piece of writing?

 OK, fine: “Oh Sherry (enema)“.  Of course there was also my magnum opus, my long overdue tribute to myself.  But film editing isn’t writing, though it takes a special talent that only I and about 12 other people in  Minnesota possess.

6) Do you have a short version of your personal philosophy? The one by which you endeavor to live your life?

 “Poop often.”

 (Otherwise you’ll end up like Prendergast.)

 7) What is the best way for the rest of us to live up to your philosophy in OUR daily lives?

 Listen to me.  Everyone else is full of shit and is a moron.  Except for me.  READ MY BLOG!

 8) Who are your heroes and why?

 I am a hero.  My own hero.  And yours too.  Did you ever know that I’m your hero?

 9) Why did you wait so long before logging on to the Interwebs as Joe Tucci?

 Oh, that wily craptoonist Avidor outed me!  Of course, you haven’t heard much from him lately have you?

 10) Do you write with the same style in all places?

 Well…I do use a terser, more pithy tone when banging out a post while sitting on the toilet.

 11) How much feedback do you get?   Does everyone love your work as much as the smart people do, or are some of them morons?  Is it different from the “not wired to code” version of politics?

I get no feedback.  Everybody other than me is too dumb to figure out how to comment on my ThunderJournal.  But that’s by design.  Because if they’re smart enough to get my commenting system, then they’re smart enough to be in total agreement with me, and will have nothing further to add to the conversation that would merit a comment anyway.

So I guess you could say that I have the smartest readership, and the best comment threads on the internet.

12) What does good government look like?

Jennifer Love Hewitt

13) What does a good stool look like?

Firm.  Bulbous.  Tan.  Kind of like Jennifer Love Hewitt.

14) I notice that you engage in conversation and debate with opposing viewpoints quite successfully.  Why do you dominate weaker minds so easily?

Let me turn that around on you: why are weaker minds so easily dominated by me?

Think about it.  Clever, huh?

———-

Take a moment to reach out to the great, great heroes among us. 

With a nod to Chief at Freedom Dogs, who got to the title long before I did.

King Banaian, my friend and NARN colleague, is apparently out of surgery. 

Gary Gross forwards this email from King’s wife Barbara:

King had his gall bladder removed…[minor complication redacted – who needs private medical info, anyway?]…his hospitalization will be prolonged until Thursday or Friday…Barring complications, he will recuperate on the 4th floor of the hospital.

I’m always reticent about mentioning peoples’ conditions or prognoses – too many “last minute “oops” episodes of Scrubs, perhaps – but so far, so good.  Keep your prayers coming for the whole family. 

This’ll larn me to leave town.  My good friend and longtime NARN colleague King Banaian is in the hospital, and scheduled for surgery this morning.  Apparently he took ill after the NARN show on Saturday.

Gary Gross from Let Freedom Ring has the story:

I just got an email update from Barbara Banaian, the wife of my good friend King Banaian. King went into the St. Cloud Hospital Saturday night and has been in there ever since. Yesterday, they ran some tests. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to diagnose the problem with those tests. Today, they ran more tests which helped them diagnose the problem. Here’s the important part of Barb’s email update:

King was scheduled to have his gall bladder removed tomorrow morning at 8:15 a.m., but is currently running a high fever and having heart palpitations.

…

This is just another reminder of how close the ties are between MOBsters.

Indeed.

Keep King (and his wife Barbara and their daughter, the Littlest Scholar)  in your prayers tonight and in the coming days.

When looking ahead to November, it’s quite clear that only one candidate has the experience, the personality and the gender to lead this nation into the future.

That’s why I’m endorsing the candidate I’ve always supported, Senator Hillary Clinton!

Go vote for her!

Really!  I mean it.

Phil Miller might be known as “the King Banaian of Mankato”.

Or he might not.

But “Market Power” is very worth a read.  I liked this bit on non-profits’ penchant for institutional self-glorification:

There is a statement on a another department’s bulletin board near my office that states that “non-profits are the driving force behind change in our community.”  Of course the statement is nonsense aside from its rhetorical content.  That something needs to “change” means that something is not working well.   If something is to change, someone has to realize it and he must take actions to make things work better.  That means he has to have the right incentives.  Why is it that the incentives are better and/or the information use is better in non-profits than in the profit seeking world?

At any rate, “Market Power” is an excellent economics blog, sort of like “SCSU Scholars” but with less Red Sox and – this is important – more home-brewing recipes.

Brad Carlson reminds us that today’s the birthday of the patriarch of the MOB’s First Family, and the MOBster who vies with me for title of “most voluble Springsteen fan”, John “Not That One” Stewart of Night Writer.

I think we might be tryng to get together with him at a certain Irish joint this evening, maybe. Stay tuned.

Dan Stover tipped his hand bright and early with the title of his blog – but he’s been cranking out good stuff, regularly, for over three years now, which on the blogosphere is an eternity.

His weekly “Best of the MOB” feature – which has apparently been running for a while – is a great introduction to some of the MOB blogs that might get lost in the shuffle. And he comes up with angles for things that I just don’t see from anyone else.

No, that’s a good thing; here’s one, on the Spitzer resignation’s “runway” impact:

For today, though, what was fasciniating was this picture on the home page of FoxNews.com this morning.

On the right is Mr. & Mrs. Spitzer, and on the left is Mr. & Mrs. Jim McGreevey (former NJ governor), as they appeared in their respective press conferences they held for their respective sex scandals.Do you think the DNC has their own scandal style consultant(s)? That could be a full time job for someone.

I can’t wait for Spitzer’s “I am a Pervert-American” speech.

Northern Alliance Wannabe? Well, getting on the air is a bolt-from-the-blue bit of serendipity, but Dan’s got quite a thing going on his own. And if you’re not reading it, you should be.