Saturday, October 4, 2003

Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, Alaskans for Dean (Sitka, Alaska) Guestblog: Jonathan K-T (Top DeanLinker). I was asked a couple days ago by Zephyr if I could guest post on this amazing Blog. Without hesitation I agreed, so here I am. My name is Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins and I am a volunteer who has been supporting Howard Dean since December of 2002. I have watched this campaign blossom from a small operation with a skin and bones website (hard to imagine isn't it?) to a force to be reckoned with, presenting an entirely new concept of campaigning. We have been scrutinized, criticized, and deemed unelectable by the pundits, the insiders. We have also assembled one of the largest, most inspiring, and the most empowering grassroots movement ever to sweep this nation. Burlington has put up a goal and you have taken it and have yet to fail meet expectations. I have watched the second quarter fundraising frenzy , the sleepless summer tour, the volunteer base bloat to almost half a million amazing people, listened to the world largest conference call, and witnessed five bats being busted in ten awe-inspiring days. You have shattered the best of anyone's expectations and continue to astound and daze America and Burlington alike. As Gray puts it quite eloquently, You Rock. Period. Now, I can't waste such a great exposure opportunity without making a pitch. I try to make databases of computer guru volunteers and Yahoo group or website coordinators. So if you can be a deployment admin, can do graphic design, or have any worthy computer skills you would like to donate to the campaign, or you coordinate an online Yahoo group or website, please e-mail me at selfsent89@yahoo.com. And most importantly get involved if you aren't already. Check out DeanLink (http://deanlink.deanforamerica.com/?r=68), People-Powered TV (http://www.howarddean.tv), Dean Wireless (http://www.deanforamerica.com/wireless), Get Local (http://action.deanforamerica.com), the Dean Directory, the GenDeanBlog, meetup, contribute if your pockets werent wiped clean last quarter, and if you're an Alaskan (I'm absolutely shameless) please join my group Alaskans for Dean (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AlaskansforDean). Finally, please bear with me as I must thank the wonderful, gracious, and kind people in Burlington and New Hampshire that have allowed me to get where I am. Zephyr, Clay, John S., Murshed, David S. and of course the good sir: Gray, a most sincere and appreciative thank you! Make no mistake, the power to return this country to a proper course has been laid upon you and I and I have the utmost faith that we will succeed. Together we have already brought a new definition to grassroots as our empowering movement sweeps through America with nearly a half a million volunteers and one of the biggest donor bases ever. Together we will strike down the radical right agenda imposed upon us by the power hungry Bush Administration and corporate cronies. Together we will pry the power from the 2,000 dollar pioneers and rangers and return it to where it belongs, ordinary Americans, seventy eight dollars and eighty two cents at a time. Together we will say no to conflict that has no logical basis, factual basis, or common sense. Together we will make this a thriving and diverse country it deserves to be, by putting jobs back in the hands of the people who deserve them, by making healthcare available to everyone in need, and by creating social justice in maintaining affirmative action. Together we will bring back the country we were once proud to live in, and yes, we will take back America! -- Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins Volunteer in Sitka (http://www.sitka.com/contest/photo6.html), Alaska [Blog for America] 6:48:48 PM

Asian American & Pacific Islanders for Dean Sip Bubble Tea, Talk Howard Dean. The Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders for Dean are launching events across the country! What's Bubble Tea? Well, it's a frothy tea drink shaken to perfection with chewy little tapioca pearls ready to be munched. It?s just one of the many things that Asian Americans have brought to the great American melting pot. And there's much more that Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) can bring to this country ? when we?re given the opportunity to participate. George W. Bush has done a great deal to destroy this melting pot, and AAPIs want to help Howard Dean take our country back for all of its great citizens!! Who says we?re are a quiet bunch? Come! Join me and other AAPI Dean-iacs (and friends) on Oct 9th, at 7 PM, for our first meet-and-greet meeting in NYC for Howard Dean! We'll chat about Howard, issues important to our communities, and discuss AAPI outreach possibilities! Most of all, we'll hang, we'll laugh, and we?ll drink bubble tea! Even if you're not AAPI, but want to know more about Howard or bubble tea, we would love to have you join us for some fun and merriment. Sign up here! If you're not in NYC, don't feel left out! Other AAPI Launch Events are happening in San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Washington, DC. If you don?t see an event in your area, plan one! See you there! Connie I p.s.- Feel free to email me and ask me what those Chinese characters mean. p.p.s - For more information on the Asian American Outreach across the country, and the official launch of our website next week, email aapifordean@aol.com [Blog for America] 3:15:13 PM

Chris Lydon / Adam Curry Conversation Here's a link to an MP3 audio conversation between Chris Lydon and Former MTV "VJ" Adam Curry, who's doing a lot of blogging these days. Interview: http://media.skybuilders.com/lydon/curry.mp3 Web page: http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/lydon/2003/10/03#a360 3:11:24 PM

Vermont's Medical Record Vermont Healthiest U.S. State. For the third straight year Vermont was rated the healthiest state in the nation. 2003 is the 10th straight year Vermont is ranked among the six healthiest states, up from 15th in Governor Dean's first elected term in 1993. President... [Dean Independents] 2:38:41 PM

Former White House Lawyer Suggests Civil Suit Against Bush Administration --- So let me share a bit of history with Ambassador Wilson and his wife. And, well aware that gratuitous advice is rightfully suspect, let me also offer them a suggestion -- drawn from some pages of Watergate history that till now I've only had occasion to discuss privately. Long before Congress became involved and a special prosecutor was appointed, Joe Califano, then general counsel to the Democratic National Committee and later a Cabinet officer, persuaded his Democratic colleagues to file a civil suit against the Nixon reelection committee. And that maneuver almost broke the Watergate coverup wide open. In seeking justice from the closed ranks of the Bush White House, Wilson and Plame should follow a similar strategy. - Former White House counsel John Dean --- More vicious than Tricky Dick. John Dean says the Bush team's leaks are even viler than his former boss's -- and that Plame and Wilson should file a civil suit. [Salon.com] 12:53:43 PM

In Essence, Small Pieces Loosley Joined (ala Weinberger) and a Web of Ideas Linkblogs. I've been thinking about starting a linkblog, like Phil Pearson has just done. Two of my favourite daily reads are Anil Dash's Daily Links and Erik Benson's Morale-o-Meter. Both those guys post a daily list of external links, with a 1-2 line comment on each link, which pretty much align with my own interests. Personally I prefer it when daily links are kept separate from the author's main writing blog. Which brings me to my dilemma. Every day I read interesting things on the Web. I want someplace to store those things, because they often seed ideas of my own, which inspire what I write in this weblog. This continues my owngoing search for the ultimate Web of Ideas application. I see a linkblog as being one source of ideas, gathered from the Web. Other sources of ideas include my own mind, books I read, music I listen to, people I converse with, etc. But the question is - is it worth me publishing my list of links so that people can subscribe to it? Because my special interest is the two-way web, my list of daily links could actually be a useful resource - especially considering the official Two-Way Web website and the community Write The Web site are no longer being updated (the latter has been taken off the air, which is a pity). So a focussed daily list of links by me, on the topic of the Two-Way Web, could be of value to other people. Any thoughts? [Read/Write Web] 12:52:21 AM