McCain and Clinton ... and the Road Ahead

The AP has called Florida for John McCain. Hillary Clinton has already made her victory speech. Clinton gets no delegates for her win: McCain, however, appears to have won Rudy Giuliani's endorsement.

An Obama Win

Obama scores an early and overwhelming victory in South Carolina.

From the 'Sickening' to the Sublime

First, I want to pass on a link from a former colleague of mine who calls Dick Morris' analysis of the Clintons' South Carolina options and strategy "sickening." I'll let you decide for yourselves.

The second, somewhat lighter, offering today is in honor of today's Live From the Met offering.

Every Scot Has His Day

Address to a Haggis

Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o' the pudding-race!
Aboon them a'yet tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy o'a grace
As lang's my arm.

The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin was help to mend a mill
In time o'need,
While thro' your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead.

His knife see rustic Labour dight,
An' cut you up wi' ready sleight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
Like ony ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reekin', rich!

Then, horn for horn, they stretch an' strive:
Deil tak the hindmost! on they drive,
Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyve
Are bent like drums;
Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
Bethankit! hums.

Is there that owre his French ragout
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad make her spew
Wi' perfect sconner,
Looks down wi' sneering, scornfu' view
On sic a dinner?

Poor devil! see him owre his trash,
As feckles as wither'd rash,
His spindle shank, a guid whip-lash;
His nieve a nit;
Thro' blody flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!

But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread.
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
He'll mak it whissle;
An' legs an' arms, an' hands will sned,
Like taps o' trissle.

Ye Pow'rs, wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o' fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies;
But, if ye wish her gratefu' prayer
Gie her a haggis!

Robert Burns -- 1786

The Envelope, Please

A link and some comment from Canadian cul-chah maven and all-around nice guy Paul Cantin:

Early general prediction? It'll be the oddball Coens vs. the more conventional Oscar-baiting Atonement, with respect (but fewer prizes) lavished upon PTA's There Will Be Blood.

Observation#1 -- Jason Reitman is nominated for best director on the back of a great young actor and a smart script, but surely Sidney Lumet better deserves recognition for Before The Devil Knows Your Dead.

Observation #2 -- No director nom for Tim Burton, which I think is a good thing.

Observation #3 -- Cate Blanchett nominated for two different films in two different categories! But for best actress, I think she will be overlooked in favor of Julie Christie or Marion Cotillard.

Observation #4 -- P.S. Hoffman is nominated for "Charlie Wilson's War," but not for "The Savages" or "Before The Devil Knows Your Dead." Weird.

Observation #5 -- Hurrah for Casey Affleck for best supporting actor for playing that coward Robert Ford. Unfortunately, it is Javier's year.

Mad Cows and Scotsmen

haggis alert

Fred Walks Away

Thompson has made the decision to drop out of the GOP race, according to a Fox News report that sources two of his staffers. No word yet on where he'll throw his support. Pundits wiser than I blame a late candidacy announcement and what they say was a campaign organization that failed, until recently, to "gel."

The New York Post, NY1 and the New York Sun are also reporting that former U.S. Senator Alfonse D'Amato will move his support from the Thompson camp to McCain's, leaving Giuliani out in the cold.

On another note, I am taking time to process the impressions I got of Obama, Clinton and Edwards in this weekend's Congressional Black Caucus debate. If I have anything useful to say -- positive or negative -- I'll add it in a later post.

A Giant Win

I'll happily admit that I was rooting for the Giants last night. You may have surmised from his posts that Bottlebee is a big Giants fan. He graciously took me to my first NFL game and has since treated me to a few fun Redskins games. So I was pullin' for my Cowboy-hatin' football fanatic buddy as much I was for the Gints. I'll admit it.

You've gotta feel bad for Favre and the Packer fans, but you also have to admit that the boys in white and red (where, oh where, were their blue ones?) earned that win. And since those Giants came within a hair's breadth of beating Pretty Boy Brady and the New England lookey-loos, I think we can expect an excellent Superbowl in two weeks time.

I will also go on the record as saying that any perfect season the Patriots try to claim should be followed by a big fat asterisk. (This from the pen of a woman who once espoused the general driving directions, "Given a choice between anything and New England, choose New England.")

------------------------------

On another topic, thanks for any good thoughts and prayers you've been tossing my way. Here's the lost and found item tally.

FOUND:
phone charger
phone

STILL LOST:
keys
extremely sentimental blue, white and silver earrings

NEWLY DISAPPEARED:
jump drive

The status of the previously mentioned intangibles is TBD.

Momentum Builds

Tonight, American voters again saw evidence of the not-yet-inevitable -- the emergence of each party's front runner. The conventions will be contentious, and there may yet be a few surprises. However, Romney's enormous win in Nevada and Hillary's narrow one put still more pressure on their rivals to perform.

The pollsters were, this time, correct in South Carolina in that McCain and Huckabee were within plus or minus four points of each other when the votes were counted. That win goes to McCain, but Romney's fund-raising dominance will be nearly impossible to beat in the long run. In addition, McCain's pragmatic approach to immigration and border security will meet with resistance from single-issue anti-immigration voters who will hold huge sway in this election.

Despite his strong showing in South Carolina, Huckabee's speech there teetered close to a bow out, but ended with some classic rallying lines. He is planning to hit the "reset" button, and take tomorrow as a new day. It is doubtful voters will be able to reset their opinion of Huckabee that easily and fully admit him as a first-tier candidate. It is notable that Thompson, who looked rather gray-faced addressing his troops shows no intentions of dropping out of the race. Also remarkable is Paul's 14 percent showing in Nevada: One can only surmise that the original Gen Xers and geeks are still buying his libertarian, antiwar message.

Florida is next for the GOP, in ten days time. If Giuliani's results there are thunderously different than they have been elsewhere, he will manage to make his voice heard in this debate. But it's starting to seem that Republicans are now fighting to set the ideological and policy agenda for the next presidency more than to work and reside in 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

And the Democrats ... well, even with the endorsement of the Culinary Workers Union in Las Vegas, Obama couldn't pull out a win. Edwards couldn't even get a pulse. He can only hope for better with his home crowd in South Carolina next weekend. Meanwhile the Clinton machine, too, rolls on.

The Dream Lives

The Strib White and Blue

Check out these contributions to the world of political journalism from the Star Tribune in Minneapolis. It'll worth checking in to the Strib's site leading up to February 5 (that's Super Duper Tuesday to you) and beyond, I'm sure.

P.S. ...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BENJAMIN FRANKLIN!

Clone Quest Redux: California Dreaming

Would someone who's feeling a little more articulate than I am please explain to me why claims from a LaJolla company that it's successfully cloning human embryos make me so fundamentally sad. I mean, I want to cure diabetes and Lou Gehrig's and get those with spinal cord injuries up and walking again, but I can't clear the sinking feeling I feel in the pit of my stomach.

Anybody want to take a shot at this one?

Michigan's Native Son

After beating McCain 40 percent to 30 percent in Michigan, Romney is still not the presumptive Republican presidential nominee for this cycle -- I don't care what the pundits say. But he did put on a heck of a showing in his old home state.

With a caucus win in Wyoming and the 10-point spread he pulled tonight, he is going to be more able to bring his money and his organizational skills to bear in this race. The pressure's will start to mount on the so-called second tier candidates. This race may or may not end up with a front runner any time soon -- but all the Republican candidates, Romney included, are going to have to run like it's the race of their lives.

P.S. If you get a chance to find and view the video of President Bush at the sword ceremony in Saudi Arabia, do so. I haven't yet found it on the Web, but CBS ran some vis tonight of the president holding a sword and swaying to the music. With all respect for the position and his person, I'll say this for the gentleman: He is a joiner.

I am occasionally heartened by the tape on which he was captured playing an African drum and dancing to traditional music. The one time he didn't join in, though, was when fraternizing with the coed cheerleading squads at the annual Army/Navy football match-up. Probably a good call there, sir!

Great Minds, Great Voices

I agree with my onetime tournament partner, Diane Brady, that debating was the greatest skill I learned in school. Organizing a debate association and coaching other debaters come close, but I think debating itself is a finer skill.

Oh, and if you get Diane in a relaxed social setting, ask her for an opinion of the state of the dental hygiene industry. She may remember some of the arguments she once was forced to espouse -- and I'd hope she can still pull off that wonderful Southern belle accent of hers.

Not Required Reading

The Luddite's latest

Johnny B Goode

It is worth commenting on McCain's positive tone and thoughtful message in his victory speech. He retook his old New Hampshire territory with grace.

It's also worth noting that with over a third of the totals in Obama had started to gain momentum, but not enough to gain a win. Hillary maintained her squeaker of a lead all night.

We can expect tomorrow to see an official end to the Fred frenzy, with Thompson barely topping one percent of New Hampshire's GOP primary voters. Huck's army will have to turn out the votes in South Carolina to be seen as anything more than a fluke. And Rudy, well, Rudy can head into CA, FL and NJ having at least cleared more voters than the sole Republican isolationist, Internet phenom Ron Paul.

Early Returns

No surprise that there's an early call for McCain. No surprise that Giuliani's thank-you speech to supporters was gracious and hopeful in tone. What may end up being a surprise is if Rudy doesn't outpoll Ron Paul.

It looks like the much-touted Barak Obama blowout has been blown out of the water. This evening won't count out any top-tier Dems, of course, although it will tarnish Clinton's chances if Obama squeaks out a lead.

A little more than 15% of the totals are in. More later if there are, in fact, any surprises.

Thanks, Pal

GOP stalwarts in Southeastern Pennsylvania are seething over Montgomery County commissioners Chairman Jim Matthews' snub of Bruce Castor and his choice to name Democrat Joe Hoeffel as his vice chairman. It's safe to say his move will only serve to deepen the fault lines already evident in his party and give Hoeffel the green light to continue the kind of party-building moves that have been eating away at the GOP base for some time.

Seems wild rumors aren't always as wild as the truth.

Got 30 Seconds?

Here's some good fun, delivered in bite-sized increments. Much thanks to another member of the Canadian contingent, Paul Canniff.

Prayers Up the Atlantic Coast

I never had the pleasure of meeting Yolande Lono (see this 4 January 2007 blog entry), but her virtue and intelligence are, no doubt, evidenced in her offspring, my old university debating colleague Simon Lono.

I do not hesitate to say his loss is shared by everyone who has known Simon and, in fact, the world. I am sending my prayers, since my feet can't go to Newfoundland right now.

Word of the Day/Le Mot du Jour

Politivore. I think I am one. Are you?

As always with words of the day: Learn it; love it, wear it out.

The Matrix Demystified at MIT

Matrices are why I decided I would not make a good engineer way back in the 1980s. I figured such a mind-bendingly difficult topic would only be the beginning of truly challenging mathematics for me ... and I wasn't sure I could fight the intellectual currents that hard without drowning. Had MIT brought higher math to us folks in low places then, well, I might never have become math-phobic.

Best of 2007: Great White North Version

This from my former colleague, the inimitable "No Depression" contributer Paul Cantin, who scrawls his best-of list on his facebook account:

"Not that you asked, not that I care; it's the Myface, I can do what I want."

MOVIES 2007

1. No Country for Old Men
2. There Will Be Blood
3. Zodiac
4. The Diving Bell and the Buttterfly
5. Superbad
6. Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
7. The Darjeeling Limited
8. Ratatouille
9. Juno
10. Once
11. No End In Sight
12. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
13. Margot At The Wedding
14. I’m Not There
15. 2 Days In Paris
16. Eastern Promises
17. Hot Fuzz
18. Grindhouse: Death Proof
19. A Mighty Heart
20. Sunshine
(very honorable mention - Brand Upon The Brain, Rescue Dawn)

Best DVDs (in not much of an order)

1. Blade Runner (Collector's Edition)
2. Ace In The Hole (Criterion Edition)
3. Two Lane Blacktop (Criterion Edition)
4. Killer of Sheep
5. The Jazz Singer
6. Breathless (Criterion Edition)
7. Warner Bros. Film Noir Vol. 4
8. Overlord (Criterion Edition)
9. The Films of Alejandro Jodorowsky
10. 49th Parallel (Criterion Edition)
11. The Milky Way (Criterion Edition)
12. La Haine (Criterion Edition)
13. The Early Films of Samuel Fuller (Criterion Eclipse set)
14. Monsters and Madmen (Criterion set)
15. Rio Bravo

Best albums

1.THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE QUEEN - The Good, The Bad and The Queen (Parlophone)
A collision of sensibilities – The Clash, African beats, Blur, vanishing London, music hall, ska, Danger Mouse’s avant-hip-hop. Their Live In Soho online-only EP was sublime, too.
2.NEIL YOUNG - Live At Massey Hall (Reprise)
Made for an unfortunate juxtaposition with the mostly-coasting Chrome Dreams II. If it’s never been officially issued, does that make a 36-year-old recording a new release?
3. NICOLE ATKINS - Neptune City
Saw her open for Jesse Malin at the Bowery Ballroom in March and was impressed, but it couldn't possibly have prepared me for this album. If the Shangri-Las got into a gunfight in the Brill Building with Phil Spector and Brian Wilson, and the latter-day Smiths rehearsing in the next room, it might sound something like this.
4.ALISON KRAUSS AND ROBERT PLANT - Raising Sand (Rounder)
Could have been a train wreck, but it’s not thanks to the generosity of the artists to each other.
5.ARETHA FRANKLIN – Oh Me Oh My: Live in Philly, 1972 (RhinoHandmade)
If it’s officially unreleased for 35 years, does that make it a new release?
6.JIM BRYSON - Where the Bungalows Roam (Outside Music)
Best-kept secret in Canadian music gets better. One day he’ll be recognized as one of the finest songwriters of his day.
7.LCD SOUNDSYSTEM - Sound of Silver (EMI)
They’ve gone from mordant hipsters to poignant generational spokesmen in remarkably short order.
8.RADIOHEAD – In Rainbows (independent)
A very decent record, but more important symbolically as a pay-what-you-want direct-to-fans download than it is artistically in this band’s development. You have to admire the cajones.
9.J.DILLA – Ruff Draft (Stones Throw)
For anyone who thinks there isn’t an avant-garde in hip-hop, listen to this collection of rare and unreleased tracks by the late Dilla Dawg. On “Wild” he flips a home recording of a kid singing Slade into a hip-displacing jam. On hearing “Nothing Like This,” it’s your brain that does the flipping.
10.MARAH - You Can’t Take It With You EP (YepRoc)
While awaiting 2008’s Angels of Destruction, this place-holder vinyl-only EP contains one of the best songs of their career – “If You Didn’t Laugh, You’d Cry.” A lullaby for adults.
11.IVY MAIRI – Well You (Latentrecordings.com)
A precociously talented 17-year-old (at the time of the recording) given sympathetic support and production by Cowboy Junkie Mike Timmins. Lightning in a bottle.
12.SHARON JONES AND THE DAP-KINGS – 100 days, 100 nights (Dap-Tone)
Finally getting some overdue love. Brand-new old school funk, soul and R&B. If you wonder where Amy Winehouse gets it from, wonder no more.
13.AMY WINEHOUSE - Back To Black (Republic)
See above. Her offstage antics eclipsed her artistic achievement, but that could not shade the isolated pleasure of this record’s brighter moments.
14.THE SADIES - New Seasons (Yep Roc)
Well The Sadies went to Spain … and I kinda like the music.
15.JUSTICE – † (Ed Banger)
Bombastic bass, chunky beats and a deft ear for a pop hook make these remixmasters hitmakers in their own right.
16.ST. VINCENT – Marry Me (Beggars Banquet)
The Polyphonic Spree guitarist emerges as an often startlingly original solo act. Watch this space.
17.COWBOY JUNKIES – At The End of Paths Taken
In a year when the bigger news was the celebration of the 20th anniversary of their epochal The Trinity Session, the band also tossed off one of their most adventurous records in years.
18.BESNARD LAKES – The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horses (Jagjaguwar)
19.THE MIX UP – Beastie Boys (Capitol)
30.BATTLES – Mirrored (Warp)

Top reissues, 2007

ARTHUR ALEXANDER – Lonely Just Like Me: The Final Chapter (Hacktone)
ARETHA FRANKLIN - Rare and Unreleased Recordings From The Golden Reign Of The Queen Of Soul (Rhino)
PINK FLOYD - Piper At The Gates of Dawn (Capitol)
LEONARD COHEN – Songs of Leonard Cohen, Songs From A Room, Songs of Love And Hate (Sony Legacy)
VASHTI BUNYAN - Some Things Just Stick In Your Mind: Singles And Demos 1964 To 1967 (DiCristina)
JOY DIVISION – Unknown Pleasures and Closer (Factory)
JUDEE SILL – Live In London (BBC Recordings 72-73) (Water)
ESG – South Bronx Story 2 (Soul Jazz)
AMNESTY – Free Your Mind: The 700 West Sessions (Now Again)
EUGENE BLACKNELL – We Can’t Take Life For Granted (Ubiquity)

Paul's treatment of Canada's pop/thrash darling, "Alanis Morisette: A Biography" is available on Amazon.com