The battle for the soul of the Democratic Party. It is no secret that the Democratic Pary has been... [Daily Kos]

Nader was wrong when he said that there was no difference between the Democrats and Republicans. We see the difference everyday. But he was right if you look at how political machines work. Although many of the reforms in the political process over the last 40 years have been to weaken the nation political machine, it still finds ways to have an influence.

The Reublican machine is easy to see. The RNC and the leaders of this administration prevent anyone from moving forward on a national level without their approval. The DLC, run by Clintonites, perform the same on the Democrats side. If any politician wants acess to the big bucks, they have had to go through these 2 groups.

Until Deam's campaign. He may not win but he and Trippi have found a way that gets them acccess to large amounts of money in ways that scale very well. His campaign is a threat to the established Democratic leaders.

As the article says, every other campaign is in deep with the DLC. The conventional wisdom was that to become president you had to go through the DLC. I think that is why they were happy with the candidates already there. They figured last year that Bush would not be beatable, so let Leiberman run. He'll lose but he helped before. this would leave 2008 ready for Hilary, or whomever else the DLC annoited.

But Dean came on and blitzed everyone, WITHOUT needing the DLC. He now has ig unions behind him. He is a threat to the DLC so, not surprisingly, they bring out Clark, hoping to deflate Dean.

The Democrats have always governed by a coalition. The tent is so big. FDR put tpgether a great coalition that lasted 50 years. I think it is about to shift again. I think that the DLC may have to remold itself. It may not happen this election but I think the transition will result in the ouster of many of those now running the Democratic party. I think that if the DLC continues to hold the party's heart, without moving to the new hill, it will be left with nothing but a memoriy.  7:57:40 PM    

Integrating weblog aggregation data with enterprise data.

Michael Angeles is gettin' it.

1. Watch people's online behavior and digital artifacts to build profiles.
2. Then organize the data for surfing and search, so people connect with each other.
3. Do that, and people organize themselves. Great things happen.

Prerequisites?

• From thought to content in 1 click. Blogs do it. Wikis do it. Email and the phone do it too. Most other systems don't.
• Content magnets. Rewards for every rung of Maslow's Hierarchy.
• Respect. For the personal courage it takes for that first post. For privacy and other boundaries. For the collective power of invidivual choice.

via Roland Tanglao.

[a klog apart]

Others are getting it too. Tools that make us smarter.  7:43:02 PM    

He's a candidate and a dessert topping

In the News: Howard Dean, M.D..

From the Des Moines Register:

Dean aids staff member who collapsed in D.M.
Register Staff Report
11/16/2003

With the help of an unidentified man, Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean, former Vermont governor who is also a medical doctor, renders assistance to a campaign staff member who collapsed outside Central Campus in Des Moines.

They helped Jake Edwards, 49, of Spencer, who collapsed about 3 p.m. because he was having a seizure, said Dean campaign spokeswoman Sarah Leonard.

She said Edwards is a field staff member for the Dean campaign.

Dean was scheduled to appear at an event on Central Campus.

"When something like that happens, you forget you're running for president and your instinct as a physician kicks in," Leonard said.

"His only concern now is for the health of his staff member."

Leonard said Edwards hit his head when he collapsed and was bleeding.

He was treated and released from Iowa Methodist Medical Center on Saturday afternoon.

[Blog for America]

One of the great skits of SNL demonstrated how useful it is to have something that can provide totally desparate solutions. Looks like Dean could be the Shimmer of the campaign.  7:40:00 PM    

Why Are We Ruled by These Liars? Part CCXXV.

Michael Kinsley concludes that Bush did not mean a word of his speech about democracy.

[Semi-Daily Journal]

Ahh. Michael Kinsley. I wish some comentators would actually try to find a way to be part of the solution instead of part of the problem. Bush may lie. Or we can not believe a word he says. If so, what is an effective plan of attack? Pundits of either side always like to stir up trouble, to make inflammatory statements, to lay to their angry readers, but few of them actually try to help things. They are simply entertainers. Fun to read but little substance. I am starting get sick of talkers. It should be time to do something.   7:16:49 PM    

Talkin' 'Bout A Revolution. Matrix: Revolutions is an amazing film. Cinematically stunning. It builds upon the previously laid foundations to deliver a sensational heroic myth for our times.... [Insufficient Time]

I thought that MAtrix: Revolutions was one of the most dissapointing sequels, right up there with return of the Jedi for completely destroying its own basic for existing. In the first Matrix, we learn that Neo may be the One, the human who will free mankind from the enslavement of the machines. Or maybe just give them the choice. Red Pill. Blue Pill. Chosing is very big in this world.

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The third one apparently reveals that Neo is not the One because all he does is stop the machines from going after the humans who are already out. All the billion and billions of humans still be harvested by the machines are still there. They have no choice and have never been given one. Apparently ony the few chosen ones in Xion get to stay. And some autonomous programs.

Plus, everyone was apparently turned into Mr. Smith for sometime before being turned back. What effect does that have on the minds of these poor people? It was always implied that when an agent took over another person, that person was toast, at least when it came to a stable mental state. Did everyone go crazy? Don't know since they never show us anyone in the Matrix after the climactic battle.

This one was just messed up from the beginning. The whole reason the Matrix worked is becuase it could take ideas of relity and work thim into a coherant basis for a sotry. These guys really could do superhuman things because their minds controlled the programs. So how is Neo able to do superhuman things in the real world? What is the point of that?

The big fight between Smith and Neo was, frankly, pretty boring to me. Just bigger. Not as creative or as imaginitive. In fact, there was not enough done inside the MAtrix. That is what elevated this series to something higher than an action series. They even had some interesting aspects that could have been better utilized. That is the idea that there are autonomous programs who have become almost human. They have children adn want them to have a choice also.

Neo even makes a big point that the reason he continues after all the blows Smith provides is because he choses to. Choice is an underlying leitmotif of this series yet they completely abandon it. I felt like I had been taken in some complex scam. I have always been impressed with the Washowski brothers but they must have compleyely sed up all their creativity in the first one. There was a little bit left for the second but it was completely gone by the last one.

I will be hard pressed to be convinced to buy the DVD. It has little that is worthwhile.   6:47:14 PM    

U.S. students recruited by Canadian colleges. Cheaper tuition, scenic and safe campuses, and an international flavor are some of the selling points representatives from Canadian colleges are using to lure American students north after high school. [Home]

I have been interacting more and more with scientists from BC. They are making a real effort to upgrade their research and education standings and appear to be succeeding. Cosidering that more and more states here are staying still or backtracking when it comes to supporting higher education, I may very well look here when it comes time for my son to go to college. Vancouver is one of the prettiest cities in the world, lmost as pretty as Seattle.  6:32:43 PM    

Congo Ebola outbreak claims lives. Eleven people have died in an fresh outbreak of the Ebola virus in north-western Congo. [BBC News | Health | World Edition]"QB:

ever a good thing to hear.  6:06:30 PM