Attack of the lizard!!!

Joe the Plumber Is Bullshit. He Doesn't Even Pay His Current Taxes

How the mighty have fallen again. This dude got more than his 15 minutes of fame.

But, it appears there are a few issues with Joe, according to the NYT:

1. He is not, and has never been licenced as a plumber

2. He has two tax liens on him at the moment, indicating he doesn't even pay his current taxes in full

3. He said he was independent, but he voted in the Republican primary

4. Tax analysts say that Joe would actually benefit greatly from Obama's tax plan, by qualifying for a tax cut.

So.... so long, Joe.

UPDATE: More on Joe the Plumber here. Turns out he may not know about the tax liens, he works for a licensed plumbing company and, yes, he would still benefit from Obama's tax plan.

Nuestro Website Favorito Hoy pt. 2

I'm piling on to Nuestro Website Favorito Hoy with This is Sand. A devil of a time waster where I produced this while eating a burrito this afternoon.

Nuestro Webite Favorito Hoy: FiveThirtyEight.com

Maze and I are introducing a new feature on the blog: Website Wednesday. Every week we will pick a website that we are in awe of and think ya'll should check out.

This week's pick is FiveThirtyEight.com.

Found only this past March, it is the new wunderkind of the web. The site draws from founder Nate Silver's practice with baseball stats to take an inclusive, balanced and sophisticated look at all the polls. The site "balances out the polls with comparative demographic data and weights each poll based on the pollster's historical track record, sample size, and recentness of the poll." Whatever that means, it works.

The site gained notoriety for predicting more accurately than anyone else the outcomes of the North Carolina and Indiana primaries. Since then, it has come to dominate the world of polling like I dominate Maze in ping pong.

And, if you need a bit of a lift, this ridonculously accurate, massively respected site currently shows a 4.2% of McCain winning. Yeeaaw!

My First Article On Huffington Post

   In the past few months as I've become a rabid political dog, I've started reading the Huffington Post. It's actually become my portal- the first website I turn to. In the darker days of the campaign I overheard someone ask, "What political websites should I read?" "Read the Huffington Post if you want to feel good," came the reply. 

   Indeed. I used to read the Drudge Report for political and general interest stuff, but in the last few months Matt Drudge (no link there, as an intentional f*** you) has apparently gone off the deep end and is vying for Bill O'Reilly as the biggest douche on the Right. A month ago, I sent Matt a goodbye email, filled with sorrow and longing for our good times together, abruptly took it off my Bookmarks, and haven't been back since. Ok, maybe once. But, if you think I'm off the mark here, look after the next debate. If it's like the last two and Obama cleans house and all the post polling agrees, Drudge's own poll of his loyal brethren will again represent a massive departure from our collective reality. Also notice the complete lack of Troopergate coverage. Sad.

I digress. So, I saw on Huff Post a call for entries for "voices of the campaign". I submitted and my first post went up today. Sweet!

   Read it's called "Riding the "Enthusiasm Gap" Home To Pittsburgh" and you can read it here. 

The Big Picture

I've found myself back on the Boston Globe website time and time again checking out photo stories that run on this page called "The Big Picture." Most likely it's because they fit into my bite-sized news gathering routine (mostly done while at the office between emails), maybe some of it is my fascination with photograph and visual mediums, maybe its just the nerd in me. But I found myself there again today looking at a couple of features; one on the Sun, the other on the photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand. I've seen Arthus-Bertrand's coffee table book before, but it's been a while and the photos remain breathtakingly interesting. Looks like he's added to his collection and will be opening an exhibit of 150 4'x6' prints in NYC. Us Californians will have to wait until 2010 when it comes here (probably in Santa Monica, they get all the good outdoor installations).

The Greatest Virtual Community: CHAOS... Citizens Hanging Around the Obama Sign

I completely love this story from, of all places, the Wall Street Journal.

This 16 year-old-kid lives in Washington with his mom, and they put an Obama yard sign in from of their house. Poof- it's gone! They get another one (not an easy task if Pittsburgh is any indication; they go like hotcakes), and again... Poof! At this point, an older person would go with the classic technique and hide behind the tree with gun, but young Preston is an innovator and uses a bit of technology to his advantage.

So he can keep a watch on his sign when he's not at home, he points a web cam at the front yard and continues to monitor remotely. He tells some friends about it. They tell people, who tell people.... so on and so on. Pretty soon there are over 40,000 people all taking shifts to stare at the front yard of this kid's house. When the US goes to sleep, the Euro's pick up the slack. When they finish their shift, the Aussies take over.

But this global community is not just watching, they are participating in Preston's life. If he posts a message during the day, he gets questions about why he's not in school. Chatters make sure Preston isn't talking to any internet weirdos until his mother gets home from school (they know her schedule). I have seen the sign when there is a piece of tape on the window, blocking the sidewalk and reading "Tape is intended to protect the privacy of children walking to school. Will be removed at 3:30."

As I am watching now, there is a bird walking on the lawn, and people are discussing shopping at Costco. It is boring, and yet not. In our word where things can become so de-humanized, this dada-ist webcam sitting and staring through a window is about as real and genuine as anything I've seen.

Marky Mark talks to Animals

Sorry, I don't know how to trim the video from Hulu, damn widescreen.

Canvassing for Obama in the 'Burgh

I have so many incredible stories to tell about the last month I've spent working for the Obama campaign. It's been a ridiculous, random and incredibly rewarding experience. The people I work with are truly driven. The paid Obama staffers bust their ass for basically no money: at least 12 hour days, 7 days a week... for months. The hundreds of volunteers here bust their ass for literally no money, doing any and everything asked of them. My first day here I mopped a basement. Why? People are frikkin' pissed, and fired up. I started here shortly after Palin was picked. Every single day someone would walk in the door and say, "That woman scares me. What can I do? Put me to work. I'll do anything."

I work in that 'enthusiasm gap' you hear about.

But, beyond the vibe and the people... the places. Places I never knew existed or intentionally avoided when I lived at home in high school and was a less worldly/more fearful version of myself. Canvassing for Obama (and perhaps a touch of naivete) is like having a forcefield around you. I have walked through the most fucked up urban ghettos, knocked on the most bizarre doors and injected myself right into hundreds of people's private lives, all without fear. It's about being on a mission and fighting the good fight.

So, above are some photos from my adventure in Pittsburgh. More to come.

Here's to Friday and falling asleep to a DVD this weekend.

Problem is, I cannot fall asleep while watching a movie, it's a curse. But for all those who don't have that problem, this view sets up a familiar scene. Click the image to get the full effect of "You Fell Asleep Watching a DVD." If I had to choose based on this alone, I think I'd choose Reservoir Dogs, because at that point it's as much about waking up as it is falling asleep and that's just a good bit to get out off the couch to.

Via fimoculous.com