Change

Betfair's Presidential Election: National Chart

Gamblers literally put their money where their mouths are. Studies have shown that betting markets are oftentimes more accurate than polls because of this fact. In 2004, Betfair got the call of every state right even when exit polls were saying differently. Let's see how it turns out this year.

Protect Your Vote

Wassup 2008

Colin Powell: "I'll be Voting for Barack Obama"

"Who is this Batman . . . Um, I mean Barack Obama?"

In case you were one of the 250 million people who had something better to do than watch the debate on Wednesday, this classic clip from the 1960s Batman TV series gives you everything that you would need to know in less than three minutes.

It's totally uncanny. The Penguin lays out all of John McCain's classic hits from this campaign: from questioning Obama's associations, to saying he's not going to sling mud while of course slinging mud, and making references to his "enthusiastic" crowds. It's almost unbelievable how spot on this is and it's pretty funny too.



(h/t) Marc Ambinder

The Big Debate

Last night's debate was watched by an estimated 57 million people. Here are the highlights in three minutes from Time.com

The Look of Love

Barack Obama upon seeing his wife Michelle after the first Presidential Debate.

(h/t) Jack & Jill Politics

Something is Missing . . .

Do you remember those Highlights Magazines that we used to read when we were kids? They always had the cool pictures where you had to find the hidden object or figure out what was missing. Something is missing in the picture of John McCain, can you figure out what it is?



That's right, it's the FLAG PIN! Remember how much grief Obama was given back in primaries for not wearing a flag pin? You had all of these people talking about he's not patriotic because he doesn't wear a flag pin . . . a freakin' flag pin! How many of y'all rock a flag pin on the way to work everyday? Anyway, I'll be very interested to see if this is brought up on the Sunday talk shows and given the same kind of coverage that was given to Obama previously.

Joe Biden

Like any good surrogate should do, Democratic VP Candidate Joe Biden comes out talking to the press after the debate. However Sarah Palin is mysteriously absent . . . I wonder why?



By the way, Joe is straight on fire in his analysis. Got to love it.

But Tell Us How You Really Feel . . .

CNN's Jack Cafferty gives it us to straight, no chaser on his feelings about Sarah Palin.

John McCain: Time Traveler?

John McCain just keeps outdoing himself when it comes to political stunts. For his latest trick, he has done something thus far only achieved in science fiction: time travel. That's right, I said TIME TRAVEL. Before a single question has been asked in tonight's debate at the University of Mississippi, McCain has already been to the future and won it. Unbelievable!

Check the story from this morning's online edition of the Washington Post here.

Republican Hypocrisy

There is no way that those ambassadors of integrity and moral fiber could ever be accused of hypocrisy . . . or is there? It's like these people don't know there is now something called "The Google."

Burn Wall Street Burn

As a former government employee now transitioned to the private sector, I still vividly remember that look on people's faces: that "Oh, you work(ed) for the government, they can't do anything right." Even many of my current acquaintances are those that still espouse that theory that the free market is the only way and that business is so much more efficient than government could ever be. "Government needs to be smaller, my taxes need to be cut, government is getting in the way of innovation, there is too much regulation, etc., etc., etc." I'm sure you have heard them all too. Then something major happens, like a bridge collapses, a hurricane destroys an entire region twice in 3 years, or say those guys on Wall Street that were supposed to be the smartest guys in the room, totally FUBAR the market. Who does everyone come running to bail them out? They want to call on government to help them, like they are giving a confession on Sunday morning. "Oh, Government please forgive me. I'll never do it again if you just help me this one time." It's priceless really and would be somewhat funny and ironic if we were the ones that ended holding the bag and footing the bill in the end.

The New Big 3

Okay, this is something that I thought I'd never hear myself say. Congratulations to the Boston Celetics, your 2008 NBA Champions!!!! There it's done. Are you happy? I have to admit that I hated the Celtics growing up. I was a fan of that west coast "Showtime" and later the Knicks. However, I've always had love for Paul Pierce and KG, since their high school days; and I've always respected the way that Ray Allen has carried himself in the league. It's nice to see some of the best individuals that the League has to offer finally get over that hump. Cheers!

Manchurian Candidate of Love?

This was a question that I pondered to myself over this past weekend. Am I someone that looks great on the outside, possessing all of the qualities that woman say they look for in relationships, but in reality incapable of fully giving and committing those qualities to a relationship? A sort of Manchurian Candidate, not necessarily programed by anyone to act this way; but maybe as a result of past experiences, silently sabotaging the relationships I enter? Hmmm . . . I wonder.

I'll have a full discussion on this in the next newsletter. Until then, enjoy this performance by L. Boogie of the song that I've had on repeat.

Make My Funk the P-Funk . . .

So I went to check out George Clinton and the P-Funk All-stars last night. I have to give it to them; those guys know how to put on a show. Unlike alot of these artist today that will make you $40 for a concert and then get on stage and play for 30 mins to an hour and then hit the club, these guys played for 3 hours straight. I didn't stutter: 3 HOURS STRAIGHT. It was unreal. Even though George is 66 and most of the members of the band fall into our parents' generation; you'd never tell by the way the kept the crowd of mostly 20 and 30-somethings mesmerized. I'm on a quest to see most of the real legends of the game before they retire or pass on. George showed last night that he is no where near retiring.

Besides the classic hits, these two songs stood out for me last night. Hope you enjoy.


Belita Woods - The Girl is Bad



Eddie Hazel - Maggot Brain

Believe

No matter where on the political spectrum you may fall, or what candidate you have a particular affinity for; you have to admit that this man makes you believe that there is way out of the darkness that envelopes the USA now, and that the future can be so much brighter.

Katrina Day

"The hurricane came and took my Louisiana home / And all I got in return was a dern country song / This whole country wrong . . ." --Lil' Wayne on "Hollywood Divorce"



To all of my family and friends back in Mississippi and Louisiana, and the people all along the Gulf Coast, please know that some of us will never forget. Our thoughts and prayers will forever be with you until everyone that was scattered by the storm is home again.

Reminisce

As September fast approaches and marks the 11th year since 2Pac's death, I pause to think about what could have been. As the Hip Hop scene has devolved into a caricature of its former self, I find myself reminiscing about days past when the music provided both an outlet for expressing the ills of society and also the sheer jubilation of being young and just wanting to party. What separated that music from most of what you hear today is that many times they were on both contained on the same album, in the same song. You could be both the rapper that took and stand and the rapper that tore the club up. Now artists are put into different boxes with mainly the most superficial among them seeming to get the most promotion. How did we let this happen? When did we stop caring?

Here's one of my favorite verses from Pac that appears on the song "Nothin to Lose." However, I'm not a fan of the album version. This live performance (ironically in with a great assist from Biggie Smalls) captures emotions that just don't come through in the studio version.