More on Howard Dean and the Liberals

(No, they're not my favorite doo-wop band.)

An analysis of continued liberal support for Dean despite his moderate position from TNR's &C. blog...and some words of hope:

.... Of course, the beauty of appealing to your base with the same, unchanging, endlessly-appealing tone is that you can more or less costlessly moderate the substance of your message. No other Democrat since Clinton has really figured that out.

I guess all Dean needs is a Sister Souljah moment, and he'll be the one to beat.

Who's Laughing Now?

Ask and ye shall receive. An article and review about Evil Dead: The Musical appeared in the Toronto Globe and Mail yesterday.

I would pay cash money to hear a song entitled "What the Fuck was That?" I announce this in case anyone happens to have a recording.

ETA: QJ writes in: PPS--on the musical's website, http://www.evildeadthemusical.com/, there's a link entitled 'Music,' and you can listen to the songs. Including, happily, 'What The Fuck Was That?' I must see this show.

Free MIT Courses!

A quick note: are you aware that MIT offers free course material online?

C'mon, who's for studying Molecular Biology with me?

Carefully Stacked Deck

One last thing - while at the rally, I picked up a pack of Bush Cards. Like the much-vaunted Iraqi deck, these cards show the key players in the Bush administration, along with some fun facts you may not know.

For instance, did you know that one of Paul Wolfowitz's (King of Hearts) early mentors was Albert Wohlstetter, an inspiration for Dr. Strangelove? (I guess we can consider ourselves lucky that Paul never attempted to create a doomsday machine.)

Check 'em out and buy a few packs here.

The Doctor is IN

Just got back from the Dean rally in Bryant Park. According to the website, approximately 5,000 people were supposed to show, but I have no idea if that number was accurate. Lots of people, though, most of whom appeared to be between the ages of 18 and 24.

Could Dean be a new Clinton, galvanizing the Gen Y vote and capturing the Democratic nomination? Or is he the new McCain, a straight-talker destined to be beaten by the Democratic Party favorite? Most importantly, can Dean beat Bush?

He thinks he can. And right now, that's enough to get my support.

Well, that, and his fiscally responsible plan for economic recovery, his liberal social values, and his willingness to take on America's crony capitalists. I admit he's still learning in the foreign policy arena, but good grief, could his foreign policy be any worse than the disastrous Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld combination?

I quote Dean: "I will not divide the world into us versus them. Rather, I will rally the world around fundamental principles of decency, responsibility, freedom, and mutual respect. Our foreign and military policy must be about the notion of America leading the world not America against the world."

Why do I love thee, Howard Dean? Because you just plain make sense.

Here's a novel idea...

...and it comes from from Canada. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Why aren't more young adults attending the theater?

I quote: conventional theatre costs too much and means too little.

Amen, brother. As a mostly broke person who is not a student, and who is over twenty-five, I can state categorically that I would have my butt in a theater seat every night if a) I could afford it and b) I was reasonably certain that the show wasn't going to bore me to death. (Hell, at this point, I'm settling for "bad but interesting," otherwise known as a noble failure, i.e. Zanna, Don't! No, really, Zanna. DON'T.)

Broadway producers, I'm talking to you. I know Avenue Q is hip and all, but the $100 that my boyfriend and I will have to pony up to see it is a quarter of my weekly paycheck. In other words, I'm spending the grocery money on puppets. Even if it's the best show I've ever seen, I'll only be able to afford to see it the one time, and none of the folks I could recommend it to are likely to sacrifice their macaroni and cheese for art.

Bureaucracy in Art

Your tax dollars at work, from the Chicago Tribune.

In a climate where legitimate artistic endeavors can't get funding, I'm pleased that the Bush administration has chosen to represent "consensus building throught art." I can't wait to see the mural unveiled by the State Department to represent "coalition building through art."

(Scratch that, it'll probably be painted over by the Pentagon.)