Barackface

Monday, December 18, 2006

Laughing Liberally Brings The House Down December 30

Saturday, December 16, 2006

Bushism Means No Talk, All Gunfire, Just Flatten Them Out

Bushism is a terrorist ideology. It says you put out a political philosophy, and then you demand submission, and if that does not happen soon enough, you flatten them out.

That is what Bin Laden does. He says he wants a fundamentalist Islamist government in your country, and if he is not going to get it, he is going to send in suicide bombers to create "spectacular" acts of destruction.

I know from my Nepal democracy movement experience
(The First Major Revolution Of The 21st Century Happened In Nepal) that the Nepalis in the city played a key role in the magic that happened in Nepal in April. That has got to be potentially true also of the Arab immigrants. But guess what Bushism doles out to them? Racist demonization. If you are Arab, you are a terrorist. I suspect you.

There are millions of Arabs in the US and Europe. They came for the good life. They are mainstream, want the best by their families, are harmless, and are pretty much boring like the millions of Christians, and Jews, and what have you.

There might be a few terrorists here and there. But then there are also murdereres and rapists in society. They stand uneliminated. How many white males have been demonized for every Unabomber that there was?

These Arabs in New York City would be the front line soldiers of non-violence for raging democracy movements in the Arab world which is the only recipe for lasting peace in the region.

Iran holds elections at all levels. But the US does not get along with Iran, does not so much as want to talk to Iran. The Saudis hold no elections whatsoever. Bush and the Saudis are buddy buddies. What's wrong in the picture?

Political solutions have to be sought. The military options always have to come in last. And if the political options are sought to the point of exhaustion, the military options need not be harnessed.

But Bushism goes the other way. Talking is too many words for Bush. He is too in love with his few, simple phrases. Dumbo. And so the guy goes and creates havoc.

9/11 cost a lot of innocent lives. That was the tragedy of the situation. These were not soldiers fighting a war. Innocent lives lost during the American adventurism in Iraq fall in the same category. Third World lives are not less valuable than American lives.

Democracy as an ideology, and nonviolent organizing is the way to go. I am not exactly talking nonviolence, although that I am. I am talking nonviolent militancy, to be precise. I am also talking war, but I am talking war with communications technology. I am suggesting The Matrix as the tool to organize New Yorkers to help spread democracy into the nooks and corners of the world.

In The News

Hamas rejects Abbas call for early elections Euronews.net
US seeking to engage Raul Castro Jamaica Gleaner
Negroponte says Castro near death AlaskaReport
Bihar teenager in UNICEF campaign NDTV.com
WiMAX to Roll out in India Red Herring all broadband subscribers using the services of state-owned carrier Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) would be entitled to a New Year freebie. .... Their 256 kilobits per second (Kbps) broadband connections would be upgraded to 2 megabits per second (Mbps) speeds for no extra fee. The tariff of 250 rupees (slightly over $5) per month would also remain unchanged ..... Throwing a challenge at private sector competitors such as Reliance Communications, Bharti Airtel, and Tata Indicom, Mr. Maran said BSNL’s rivals would have to offer similar or better services to keep their customers happy. .... WiMAX also has a range of up to 30 miles, making it attractive for countries such as India that want to provide broadband connections even in regions where basic landline phone connections are not available. ..... , Chennai, and Hyderabad .... Kolkata in eastern India, Ahmedabad in west India, and Pune, an up and coming high-tech city about 120 miles south of the country’s financial capital, Mumbai. ..... The government wants India to have 9 million broadband connections by the end of 2007, an ambitious target considering there are just 3 million or so broadband connections currently...... Maran expects broadband connectivity to be widespread by the middle of 2008, following a similar trajectory as mobile phone growth. India is currently adding over 6 million new subscribers to its mobile phone network every month. ..... In India, 2007 has been christened as the year of broadband.
Uphill run for repairing Taco Bell MarketWatch
Nepal finalises interim constitution Hindustan Times According to the constitution, which has 167 articles, all executive powers as well as those enjoyed by the King in the previous Constitution now vest upon the Prime Minister, Rajendra Mahato, General Secretary of the Nepal Sadbhavana Party, who was also present during the meeting said. ..... All powers of the 238-year-old monarchy have been stripped, making King Gyanendra a civilian king, state-run Radio Nepal said adding the powers, including those enjoyed by the head of the state, will also vest upon the Prime Minister. ..... Of the total 409 Constituent Assembly seats, 205 will be elected directly and remaining will be elected through proportionate representation. One third seats in the 209 seats of the Constituent Assembly would be reserved for women.
Groundswell of support tries to sway Obama Boston Globe
Hawaii group launches Obama for president effort WQAD
Obama raises $1 million this year in small donations WQAD
Obama's candor is worth admission to '08 presidential race Salt Lake Tribune
Democrats 2008: Hillary at 39%, Obama Second Angus Reid Global Scan Barack Obama is second with 17 per cent, followed by former North Carolina senator John Edwards with 12 per cent, former vice-president Al Gore with 10 per cent, and Massachusetts senator and 2004 presidential nominee John Kerry with seven per cent
Taking cue from Obama, senator gears up spiritual side of ... WorldNetDaily
Behind the Obama bounce Washington Times
Huaneng Power: Power and Profit in China Motley Fool
China, at energy summit, urges oil consumers to unite NDTV.com
Tim Johnson Brain Can Tip US Balance Bayou Buzz
Google releases Google-flavoured version of Internet Explorer 7 iTWire
US wants real progress in N.Korean nuclear talks Reuters
One in 10 Russians Say Their Special Services Killed Litvinenko Bloomberg
British police say making progress in hunt for prostitute killer International Herald Tribune
One of serial killer's five victims was pregnant Sydney Morning Herald
Dell gets non-compliance letter from Nasdaq CNET News.com
Dell mulls buying Chinese PC maker Gulf News
India for building of strategic oil storage Financial Express
India open to new ideas on Kashmir: Manmohan Hindustan Times
Indian PM welcomes Musharraf proposal on Kashmir Reuters AlertNet
PM welcomes Musharraf's 4-point offer NDTV.com
Bush rejects most dramatic Iraq options San Jose Mercury News
Baghdad blitz on cards in Bush plan Unison.ie (subscription)
Report: Bush Administration Considering Troop Increase in Iraq Voice of America
White House criticizes senator's trip to Syria Boston Globe
Democrats Determined to Take the Lead Managing Mideast Unrest OpEdNews Sen. Bill Nelson traveled to Syria this week and sat down with President Assad for an hour asking for the Syrian leader's help in managing the partisan conflicts in Iraq. Assad, Nelson said, "clearly indicated a willingness to cooperate." Nonetheless, the Bush cabal reflexively criticized the efforts as "lending (Syria) a further specter of legitimacy" and, "undermining the cause of democracy in the region." ..... Democratic Sen. John Kerry is presently traveling in the Mideast, meeting with Egyptian leaders and others in the region before he flies to Syria for an anticipated visit with President Assad. While asserting that "Syria needs to respect Lebanon's sovereignty," Kerry also declared that he thinks "it's important to talk, to have dialogue." Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., and Arlen Specter, R-Pa., are also expected to visit Syria. As Sen. Nelson pointed out, these visits are part of their "constitutional role" as members of Congress.
HarperCollins Fires Judith Regan Who Backed OJ Simpson Book Bloomberg
From sleeping on the streets to Wall Street CNN
Breast Cancer Drop Tied to Hormones Washington Post
Breast cancer rate dropped with halt in hormone use Houston Chronicle
Over 250 sick after eating at Indiana Olive Garden Reuters.uk
300 now report illness after eating at Indianapolis Olive Garden Chicago Tribune

Friday, December 15, 2006

Barack: Personal Concerns

Physical Safety

Be pragmatic about it. You are genuinely popular. You are popular like Michael Jordan. So if I have physical safety concerns, it is less because you are a black man in a largely white America and more because you are plain famous. You need bodyguards because Madonna needs bodyguards. Hire the right people, and let them worry about the details. If they feel the need to escalate the coverage over time, so be it. The voters will understand. After all, they are looking at their next president.

If you have physical safety concerns, hurry up and become president. The POTUS has the best security detail of anyone on earth. I mean.

Family: Wife, Children

Do what is right by them. You chose to keep them back in Chicago after you became Senator. That was right by the family.

Now is the time for a repeat performance. Don't bring the two girls to any public events. They don't need an iota of media glare. Michelle can continue to stay home since that helps. And by stay home I mean she does not need to make public appearances with you. She is a working woman. Most important, talk to them. All three of them. Both of you need to explain it to the two kids. They need to be prepared for what is coming. They have to be explained to in terms they will understand.

Do not, do not cut on family time. Your runnig is hard enough for you and your family. Don't make it harder for them and for you by cutting on family time. Not cutting back on family time is right by your family, right by you, and right by the voters. The voters want a president who is an actively involved, loving, doting father and husband. You don't do it because it helps your campaign, but it helps your campaign if you keep doing it. Be a family man. That is what you want, that is what your family wants, that is what the American people want. There is no clash of priorities.

But do it. Run. Your two daughters are no excuse for you to not run. You run for them. You run because you want them to have a great future.

Political Safety

They are going to make your age an issue. The counterhit is easy. You make their age an issue. The biggest thing working for you is you signify a generational shift. Your age is a huge plus, that is the best thing working for you.

Health And Well-Being

Running for president is a lot of travel. But stick to the basic rules on eating, sleeping and exercise. You have to keep being yourself. The challenge is to invite the media glare and still be yourself.

Policy Making The Matrix Way
Obama's Weapon On Clinton: Iraq
Obama Will Announce In January
Eliot Spitzer For Running Mate
Barack Obama: Time For A Generation Shift
New Orleans: 2008 Democratic Convention
Next Stop: White House
On November 7: In Harlem: For Obama
Democratic Vision For The 21st Century
The Matrix
The Audacity Of Gravitas: Restore Intelligence To The White House
Barack Is A Deaniac
Barack Obama: This Is A New Century
Barack Obama: New Approaches To Old Problems
Switching To Obama

In The News

EMI buyout of Toshiba signals change of strategy The Daily Yomiuri
Intel Quietly Ships New Quad-Core Xeon DailyTech
Cisco Systems Buying Tivella MSN Money
Secure? We Are What We Eat! Huffington Post
Dell reportedly eyes PC business of China's Founder Group MarketWatch
Hewlett-Packard board cutting ties with top Silicon Valley lawyer San Francisco Chronicle
HP board distances itself from longtime counsel MSNBC
Hewlett-Packard Offers Some Free Upgrades to Windows Vista PC World
Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard forge alliance newratings.com
Skyworks Surges on Possible Apple IPhone Houston Chronicle
Toshiba, Sony, NEC Electronics unveil system chip process China Post
Intel set to launch UK-based movie download service PVR Wire
Cisco approaches WiMAX with caution ITBusiness.ca
Cisco Inc invests US$50 million in Chinese telecom Taipei Times
Google Plays the Name Game MSNBC
Microsoft Patches Windows XP Wireless, Tells No One InformationWeek
Yahoo Fixes Messenger Flaw InformationWeek
Amazon hits back at IBM over patents CNET News.com
Ahead of the Bell: Oracle BusinessWeek
Oracle sees opportunities in broadband sector Economic Times
Oracle finds India better than China Business Standard
Does Oracle Need an Attitude Adjustment? InfoWorld
Sun Microsystems releases Java 6 SWBusiness.fi
Wal-Mart.com Suffered Brief Outage InformationWeek
Wal-Mart’s arrival jolts more into action Daily News & Analysis
Comets' origins may turn out to be hot San Francisco Chronicle
S. Africa's AIDS policy makers may consider circumcision plan People's Daily Online

Smashing The Clock BusinessWeek The endeavor, called ROWE, for "results-only work environment," seeks to demolish decades-old business dogma that equates physical presence with productivity. The goal at Best Buy is to judge performance on output instead of hours. ..... Work is no longer a place where you go, but something you do. It's O.K. to take conference calls while you hunt, collaborate from your lakeside cabin, or log on after dinner so you can spend the afternoon with your kid. ..... Best Buy did not invent the post-geographic office. Tech companies have been going bedouin for several years. At IBM, 40% of the workforce has no official office; at AT&T, a third of managers are untethered. Sun Microsystems Inc. calculates that it's saved $400 million over six years in real estate costs by allowing nearly half of all employees to work anywhere they want. .... 85% of executives expect a big rise in the number of unleashed workers over the next five years. In fact, at many companies the most innovative new product may be the structure of the workplace itself. ...... By the end of 2007, all 4,000 staffers working at corporate will be on ROWE. ..... its clockless campaign to its stores--a high-stakes challenge that no company has tried before in a retail environment. .... It wasn't imposed from the top down. It began as a covert guerrilla action that spread virally and eventually became a revolution. ..... old-guard saboteurs, who continue to plot an overthrow and spread warnings of a coming paradise for slackers. ..... average voluntary turnover has fallen drastically ..... productivity is up an average 35% in departments that have switched to ROWE ..... tailoring stores to local markets and training employees to turn customer feedback into new business ideas ...... most companies are stuck in the 1930s when it comes to employees' and managers' relationships to time and work. "Our whole notion of paid work was developed within an assembly line culture," Moen says. "Showing up was work ...... Outside the office, Thompson and Ressler couldn't help noticing how wireless broadband was turning the world into one giant work kibbutz. ..... protect ROWE and then dribble it out under the radar in tiny pilot trials. ...... Top performers were complaining of unsustainable levels of stress ..... classic work-life hex: jobs with high demands (always-on, transcontinental availability) and low control (always on-site, no personal life). ...... Managers would base assessments on data and evidence, not feelings and anecdotes. ...... opposition to it grew more intense. Critics feared executives would lose control and co-workers would forfeit the collaboration born of proximity. If you can work anywhere, they asked, won't you always be working? Won't overbearing bosses start calling you in the middle of the night? Won't coasters see ROWE as a way to shirk work and force more dedicated colleagues to pick up the slack? And there were generational conflicts: Some boomers felt they'd been forced to choose between work and life during their careers. So everyone else should, too. ...... "It wasn't hugs and smiles," she says of Ressler's and Thompson's campaign. "Managers in the old mental model were totally irritated." ....... In enemy circles, Ressler and Thompson are known to this day as "those two" and "the subversives." ..... the 13 ROWE commandments. No.1: People at all levels stop doing any activity that is a waste of their time, the customer's time, or the company's money. No.7: Nobody talks about how many hours they work. No.9: It's O.K. to take a nap on a Tuesday afternoon, grocery shop on Wednesday morning, or catch a movie on Thursday afternoon.
....... Achen's performance metrics ...... He could measure how many orders per hour his team was processing no matter where they were. ...... ROWE'ers are posting higher metrics for quality, too. ..... Cube-Free ...... a paper, prewireless mentality ...... Offices also waste space and time in an age when workers are becoming more and more place-neutral. ...... Work groups that go cube-free will be able to redesign their spaces to better accommodate collaboration instead of working alone. ....... their boldest move yet, testing ROWE in retail stores among both managers and workers .... slash its 65% turnover rates in stores ..... disgruntlement is common and workers form groups on MySpace with names like "Best Buy Losers Club!" ..... If Best Buy's business goes south, human nature dictates that the people who always believed the clockless office was a flaky New Age idea will see an opportunity to try to force a hasty retreat. ...most big companies fail to grow at the rate of inflation. That's true in part because the bigger the company gets, the harder it is to get the best out of each and every employee. ROWE is one of Best Buy's answers to avoiding that fate
The Google/YouTube Come-On once we get advertising and revenue sharing worked out. ... YouTube's reach. (Some 23.5 million unique visitors went there in October.) .... no publicly traded media company today is in a position simply to dismiss, say, $100 million. Such a sum far exceeds what any single broadcast network can extract from the online world--and drops straight to the bottom line ...... But taking the dough fortifies an already threatening rival. One executive privy to the discussions says: "The reality is, if they are able to lock in major media [companies] for three years, then by default YouTube is the place to go" for Web video. ...... believing that 5 or 10 of them can grind through nightmarish cross-corporate decision-making and emerge with something as simple and compelling as YouTube is nuts ..... no programming giant has sued YouTube yet .... they know that they can't sue their way out of this.
The 25 Best Affordable Suburbs in the U.S.
Vista's Many Turnoffs How many geeks does it take to shut down a computer? ... Vista, for all its capabilities, could end up being too complex for the average consumer ..... the involvement of dozens of people, operating in too many teams, led to what he calls "the lowest common denominator." ..... Microsoft has a specific way of designing software where they never want to eliminate an option that users have had in the past. They always want you to have 37 different flavors ...... a bloated organizational structure with too many engineers working on small problems likely contributed to Vista delays and unnecessarily complex designs ....
Challenges Await Mexico's New Leader the poverty, drug violence, and incessant political infighting that threaten growth and competitiveness in Latin America's most developed economy. .... and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger watched the chaotic scene. "It's good action," Schwarzenegger said. ...... Mexico's $720 billion economy is Latin America's second-largest, after Brazil's. It is also one of its most open, with free trade agreements with more than 30 countries. Over the past decade, thanks to the North American Free Trade Agreement, Mexico has become an important manufacturing center for the hemisphere—and has helped the country become the U.S.'s No. 2 trading partner. ...... more than 40% of all Mexicans still live in poverty. .... 15 years of focusing almost exclusively on export-related industries. ..... Calderón and Fox both hail from the pro-business National Action Party (PAN). ..... During Fox's six-year term, Mexico grew just 2% annually. .... most economists believe Mexico must grow by more than 5% annually if it is to achieve its full potential and pull millions out of poverty. ...... Calderón's biggest challenge is to convince the nearly two-thirds of all Mexicans who didn't vote for him that he will represent their interests. ...... His main goal, he said, is "to reunite Mexico." That could be an even bigger challenge than creating jobs and jump-starting the economy.

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Rangel, A No Show

December 12 DL21C Bash

I got off the 34 St station off the F train and walked upto the venue. First I went a block east, and then a few blocks west. I expected to have to pay, maybe $10, even $20 maybe. But there was none of that. Even the drinks were okay priced, kind of low. So how does David Pollack make money doing this? Or maybe David Pollack is rich.

It was only a few weeks away - maybe two weeks - when Justin Krebs mentioned to me casually how guess-who-is-state-Democratic-Party-cochair-now-David-Pollack. It was after a guy who lives in Staten Island (read, Not Manhattan) bugged him about maybe Justin should help the guy find some living space nearby. He thought Justin was feeling too comfortable with me, and maybe it was because I also lived in Manhattan (false assumption).

That's not just with white guys. I was in Harlem on November 7, deep into the territory. At a curb, this guy brings his car right next to me at the turn, I am walking, and looks at me through the window and says, "You are lost motherfucker!" (On November 7: In Harlem: For Obama)

David Pollack always struck me as a party kind of guy, but I guess he is also a Party kind of guy. How else would he be state chair?

I walked into the ballroom thinking, okay, so everyone who is someboby among the young progressives in the city is here, maybe. After greeting a few people I knew, and a few people I didn't, I just walked the room a few times, sizing up the faces. Could The Matrix go head to head with these people if it had to? Could The Matrix swallow these people? Could Obama have this crowd? If he could arouse the generational animal, he could.

I wished there were a way to catalogue everyone in the room. Smile for the camera, and here, write down your name and email address. There you go into the database. That would be a way to give David Pollack a run for the money.

There were DFNYC phantoms spread across the room. I remember having serious personal space issues when I was considered one of the crowd. A DFNYC white asshole male was on stage for a few glamorous minutes. I say all this without venom. It is playful. Maybe I should go ahead and say something nasty about Mistry too. The guy noticed aloud that he outdressed me. I went all the way to minus the tie. Then I got rid of the shirt. Then the jacket. I think I like to dress up just the bottom half. I am a true progressive. And I like the color black. It is nothing to do with the African American heritage. Black just looks good on me, I think.

ABCD, American Born Confused Desi.

Leila goes spared. Maybe that will stay, because both sides of her family might get represented on the next Democratic ticket.

Seriously. DFNYC is Windows 95. The Matrix is Windows Vista. I would love to see the entire DFNYC crowd in The Matrix.

And the dance floor. The square reminded me of that scene in Saturday Night Fever (Clip 2). I danced alone. Mild. Just warming up. Workout is Webster Hall territory.

Kristina Hoke was looking good, looking in control. I admire her strength. You should go to one of her meetings. The entire hierarchy knows who calls the shots. She is sharp too. I once tried to get her to let me interview her on camera. When I went online on her, some of the things that showed up were journal style biological sciences articles. Maybe she is one of those rocket scientists.

Krebs suggested I hurry up and get my ticket for the December 31 Laughing Liberally event, or there might be none left. My propensity to do things last minute. I should probably go ahead and get the ticket today. Katie Halper is the most intellectual of the Laughing Liberally comics, and I mean that as a compliment. Some of her jokes fly high, if you know what I mean.

Some black dude mayor from across the water in New Jersey filled in for Rangel. I had never heard of him before. That does not mean the guy is not famous. It means something else.

In The News

Princes Briefed On Diana Death Report MyFox Saint Louis
Al-Fayed disputes Princess Diana crash report MSNBC
Blair condemns 'horror' killings of prostitutes Monsters and Critics.com
Jailed Bihar MLA denied entry into assembly Times of India
BT plans to launch WiMax-based wireless services, to bid for ... Earthtimes.org
Settlement with Spitzer costs $19 million Chicago Tribune
Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan to marry in February? Apun Ka Choice
Nepal meet inconclusive Hindu
Nepal plans to achieve paperless bureaucracy by 2011 People's Daily Online
Obama seeks to settle racial doubts MSNBC
Behind the Obama Bounce National Review Online Blogs
Obama: Let Them Mock His Name....NOW TPMCafe
CNN Puts Obama In Split-Screen With Bin Laden and Hussein TPMCafe
Bihar village lass is UNICEF poster girl Hindustan Times
India may top China’s GDP growth in ’07 Daily News & Analysis
Spitzer sues UBS for fraud Times Online
Pataki Agrees to Let Spitzer Fill Some Vacant Posts New York Times
Trey Ellis: Clinton-Obama vs. McCain-Dole Yahoo! News
Senator Clinton Adviser Stays in Shadows New York Times
Continental, United talk of merging Chicago Tribune
Ex-Enron CEO Skilling Reports to Prison Forbes
Bush Won't Unveil Iraq Plan Until '07 CBS News
Bush to Present New Plan Wall Street Journal (subscription)
State Troopers To Get Power To Detain Illegals Boston Channel.com
Google Revamps Finance PC World
Google Offers Workers Novel Stock Auction Program InformationWeek
Despair deepens amid Gaza's strife BBC News
Canadian prof shocked by Holocaust gathering CTV.ca
Blair blasts Iran for Holocaust conference Turkish Daily News
Iranian president tells Holocaust conference that Israel's days ... Telegraph.co.uk
Why Israel maintains nuclear ambiguity Christian Science Monitor
Israel and Germany call for tough line on Iran IranMania News
Suffering India Hindustan Times
India looks to boost nuke power Monsters and Critics.com
India sizzles Shanghai Daily
Complex Spacewalk Meant Handling Two-Ton Structure Washington Post
Is iTunes Slowly Dying? Playfuls.com
Woods is PGA Tour's top player ... again FOXSports.com
Jolie Fell for Pitt while He Was Still Married Sofia News Agency
Princess Diana Memorial Concert Sold Out Instantly Playfuls.com
Woods is PGA Tour's top player ... again FOXSports.com
US health system unprepared, report says USA Today
S. African government assures safety of soccer fans in 2010 World ... People's Daily Online
Don't Procrastinate With Your Prostate ABC News

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Policy Making The Matrix Way

First you decide on the policy silos. One would be foreign policy, another would be health care, a third education and so on. For each policy silo, you create a matrix. 10-10-10. The difference between the organizational matrix and this one is, here the members likely do not meet in person. Each has a blog that is likely multimedia.

Here the campaign has a much greater control than with the organizational matrix that is pretty much bottom up. Here the campaign controls membership. The campaign is the manager for each group blog, although member blogs stay independent.

There is a hieararchy, sure, level 1, level 2, level 3. But here the one voice concept rings supreme.

We blur the lines between academia and a presidential campaign, something never attempted before. The policy making matrix is going to be major fodder for the organizational matrix. It will also allow the candidate to engage the electorate in a serious conversation on a wide range of policy issues.

The 3-4 Formula

Obama has been home three days and on the Hill four days as Senator, roughly speaking. He should continue with something similar for the presidential campaign. But until the end of November 2007, he should stick to it.

So he is in Chicago for three days, one of which is completely off, but the other two he devotes to the policy making matrix. Preferably policy wonks will be invited in. He will have bull sessions, perhaps choreographed, that will be videoblogged. These two days will also be to cultivate the sample 100 Americans in the Greater Chicago area that I have talked about here: A Different Kind Of Campaign, A Scientific Campaign.

Money, Message, Organization

The organizational matrix gives him the organization and the money. The policy making matrix guides him in the message department.

Stump Speeches, Interviews

You can have all the bull sessions you want. But when it is time to hit the podium, you better speak simple language. Every American should be able to understand what it is that you are saying. Lincoln had that nailed down real good.

A Matrix Victory

It is the matrix concept that will turn Obama 2008 into the first internet campaign. It is that concept that will help him go beyond the latent sentiments of race in the country. It will allow him to bypass the old guard, and the established channels of fundraising. It will help transport his unmistakable individual appeal unfiltered to the individual voter. That is how he will win.

The Matrix looks so simple as a concept, but it is going to be dazzling once it goes live. You will see patterns that you don't yet see.

An Aside

A few days back Obama was in New York City. Paterson was the only prominent Democrat who showed up. The countermove is easy. You just remember. I mean, if you are going to be the most powerful person on earth. These whities don't know basic arithmetic, that they are outnumbered both locally and globally.

They come around to the idea, or they stand to be shunted. I mean, you are going to act progressive, or you are not one of us. You pay the price. Race is a litmus test on that one that I am extremely comfortable with.

The Matrix

Barack Obama: Time For A Generation Shift
Next Stop: White House
On November 7: In Harlem: For Obama
Democratic Vision For The 21st Century
The Energy Solution: Nuclear Energy

The Audacity Of Gravitas: Restore Intelligence To The White House
Barack Obama: This Is A New Century
Barack Obama: New Approaches To Old Problems
Middle East: The Final Map
Three Pillars, Draft 2
Immigration, Duh
The First Major Revolution Of The 21st Century Happened In Nepal
blac
The Spectrum Concept: Wide Applications
A Different Kind Of Campaign, A Scientific Campaign
The Spectrum On Gender
Nepal Message To Top Democrats
Soviet Health Care In America
Politics At The Speed Of Thought
Social Progress: Show Me The Money
Money, Message, Organization
Blacks, Hispanics At The Core Of The Democrat Rainbow Coalition
The Spectrum/Dialogue Concept Is Key To Power
Blogging Is Scalable Media
The Saudi Royal Family Has Got To Go
The One Voice Concept
Takes Two Arms And Two Legs To Swim
2008: Some Themes
2008: Some Thoughts
To: The Good White People In The South
The Three Pillars

In The News

New ideas for Iraq but no guarantees of success Monsters and Critics.com
Bihar to have a nuclear power plant soon Daily News & Analysis
Spitzer Visits Capitol Hill With Long List New York Times
NEPAL: Leprosy to be eliminated in two years Reuters AlertNet
Intel shows off mobile WIMAX chipset Inquirer
Intel Answers Back: Centrino Duo to Incorporate WiFi, WiMAX BetaNews
Mr. Spitzer goes to Washington _ and sees no Republicans Newsday
Fiji Tribal Chiefs Refuse to Recognize New Regime FOX News
Admirers Swarm Bill Clinton in Hanoi ABC News
Cisco To Triple Workforce In India By 2011, Plans New ... InformationWeek
US-India nuke bill bogged down in Congress Jerusalem Post
Strongest evidence water still flows occasionally on Mars San Francisco Chronicle
France24 News Channel to Give French Spin on World Affairs Voice of America
2006 Women’s Soccer Wrap Up Yellowjackets Athletics

Nepal’s Newly Peaceful Maoists Set Up Camp and Wait New York Times
Maxis selects Alcatel for WiMAX field trial The Edge Daily
Amitabh Bachchan & Om Puri ideologies clash again IndiaGlitz
Yahoo! Makes A Move Forbes
Few own most of the world's assets: Study Toronto Star
Google offer takes on PayPal USA Today
Google targets schools with Docs & Spreadsheets ZDNet
World Powers Fail to Reach Iran Accord Forbes
Dell sees Tamil Nadu unit onstream by mid-2007 Business Standard
Chip design industry in India set to nearly quadruple by 2010 ... DigiTimes
Cisco chief may announce India manufacturing unit Reuters
Nasa unveils plans for moon station Independent
MySpace.com Moves to Keep Sex Offenders Off of Its Site New York Times
Pakistani Says Concessions Could Produce Kashmir Pact New York Times
US encourages Iraq to have security dialogue with Iran, Syria People's Daily Online
Eddie Murphy Kicks Spice to the Curb, Demands Paternity Test 247gay.com
New York Bans Most Trans Fats in Restaurants New York Times
Ban on Trans Fat in Restaurants Is Approved by New York City New York Sun
NJ. warehouse linked to E. coli outbreak Monsters and Critics.com
Taco Bell to Reopen Restaurants After Washington Post
E. Coli Outbreak In New York And New Jersey Fast Food Chain Medical News Today

Chavez storms to re-election victory Reuters
Venezuela's Chavez celebrates re-election, promises 'revolutionary democracy' AFP
Chavez Wins Easily in Venezuela at The New York Times invoking figures from Jesus Christ to Pancho Villa as influences for his ambitious plans ...... supporters for Mr. Chávez and Mr. Rosales each using American polling companies ..... International observers in various parts of the country .... said the election took place without signs of wrongdoing. ...... “It was a lesson in participatory democracy.” ...... Chavez has redirected government spending by creating an array of social welfare programs that benefit the poor. ...... his “Bolívarian revolution,” which espouses distributing oil revenues to the poor ...... “The political battle that is unfolding within Venezuela is now conducted through democratic institutions.”
Venezuela's Chavez Wins Decisive Victory at The Washington Post
'We have spoken. The revolution will continue' at Daily Telegraph (UK)
Party turns sour for Venezuelan expats at BBC
Continent of the left at The Guardian (UK)
There's no repression of the media in Venezuela at The Guardian (UK)
As Trucking Rules Are Eased, a Debate on Safety Intensifies New York Times America’s most treacherous industry
Rudd wins Australian Labor party election Financial Times
Oil and gas may be Bihar's manna Monsters and Critics.com
Spitzer must lead reform of campaign funding Albany Times Union
Amitabh Bachchan – Tom Cruise, Sean Cannery, Clint Eastwood ... Apun Ka Choice British newspaper The Sunday Times has described mega superstar Amitabh Bachchan as "Tom Cruise, Sean Cannery and Clint Eastwood rolled into one.”
Why Vista might be the last of its kind Seattle Times "Suddenly, the market changed and competitors started delivering technology at the speed of the Internet," said James McQuivey, professor of market research at Boston University. "In some cases, they do it for free, and that's painful for Microsoft." ..... If we assume Microsoft's costs per employee are about $200,000 a year, the estimated payroll costs alone for Vista hover around $10 billion. ...... only 20 percent of businesses plan to upgrade to Vista in the first 12 months after its release. ....... it has no direct parallel competitor.
Memo to Rumsfeld: Too little, too late MSNBC
In Nepal, Maoists keep eyes on guns - and jobs International Herald Tribune
Nepal's royal road to disaster Asia Times Online The king's information minister was found to have spent vast sums of money to bribe journalists associated with the country's influential newspapers, radio and television networks. ...... his planned move to mobilize rightwing parties and elements - with "moral" support from Hindu nationalists in India - to stage a comeback. ..... Men and women occupying senior positions in his party have consistently voiced their views against Koirala's occasional utterances that Nepal may still needed a "ceremonial" monarchy. ...... everything started to go wrong once King Gyanendra reinstated a defunct parliament, on April 24. "The agenda coming from the south [India] was to remove the king, weaken the army and weaken religion," The Australian newspaper, The Age, quoted a royal adviser as saying ..... Koirala, though his supporters want himto receive the Nobel Prize for Peace ..... Surya Bahadur Thapa ... told this correspondent recently that misdeeds of one or two individuals must not be allowed to make a revered institution suffer .......... Addressing a Hindustan Times leadership summit on November 18, Prachanda described parliamentary democracy as "farcical" as it was based merely on formality and elections. ..... unilaterally passed a law granting Nepali citizenship to several million aliens. ..... They have only changed gears," a high-ranking officer of the Nepal Army told Asia Times Online. He said it was unfortunate that the politicians in power did not understand their strategy and got carried away by their hollow promises. ....... there is no immediate threat of an army takeover in Nepal ...... the Maoist leadership does not appear fully confident about the situation. Had that not been the case, top Maoist leaders, including Prachanda, would not change his shelter every day. If a visitor has seen Prachanda (or his deputy Baburam Bhattarai) coming out of a tourist hotel today he or she is likely to find him at a relative's home the following day. Armed security personnel drawn from their People's Liberation Army are seen escorting their comrades round the clock. ........ the editor did not rule out a royal attempt to regain the powers lost since April. The Koirala-led government is advised to remain ready to immediately send the king into exile if he is found to be engaged in undesirable activities.
Lessons From Nepal New Model For Conflict Resolution Gorkhapatra
Nepal asks Maoist splinter group to join peace process Hindu
Obama converts evangelicals to Democrat cause Independent
Christian morality can help stop AIDS, but not alone, Obama says Associated Baptist Press
Obama Talks AIDS To Power Donklephant
Trend Setters or Sell Outs: Obama, Warren , and Brownback Town Hall
OBAMA JOKES ABOUT 2008 RUN ON ‘LENO’: Host recalls ... Eurweb.com
TEXT-Israel's Alvarion gets Fiji Wimax deal Reuters
Nortel trials WiMax in Delhi DQ Channels
Spitzer Looks to Remove Hevesi Gothamist
Big B's shoes too big for me: SRK Times of India
Clinton takes steps towards presidential run The Age
Clinton Dogged by 'Electability' Questions Washington Post for activists eager to recapture the White House after eight years of George W. Bush, electability remains a crucial yardstick by which Clinton, especially, seems to be measured ...... "She's a senator, she'd be the first woman running, and she's Hillary Clinton," he said. "All of that is almost insurmountable for a general election." ....... there are plenty of others who wouldn't vote for her if she promised to eliminate the income tax and give free ice cream to everyone. People have made up their minds about her, and that doesn't give her much room to maneuver ...... Clinton has not yet declared she plans to seek the presidency, and aides say the question of whether she can win tops the list of considerations. She's also said she is eager to return to the Senate, where, come January, she'll be a member of the new Democratic majority. ........ Clinton has a good sense of self ..... "I don't think she makes this race unless she thinks she has a pretty good chance of winning the whole thing." ....... her husband is the Democratic Party's best campaign strategist and biggest fundraising draw. ........ Clinton's reputation remains deeply rooted in her polarizing eight years as first lady ....... "Everyone knows Hillary Clinton can raise the money and that she has a good team, but it's mitigated by all the mumbling that she's not electable," said Joe Trippi ........ last month, Clinton won 73 percent of the women's vote, compared with 61 percent of men's ....... states that were close in the past, from Arkansas to Colorado to Florida to Ohio, could well move to the Democratic column ...... Everyone is looking at how she compares to McCain .... Clinton already runs about even or just slightly behind McCain in most polls.
Clinton, Mayor Edge Toward 2008 Race New York Sun
Debate over Segregation in Schools to Hit Supreme Court Today ABC News
Affluent Families Have Ways to Sway School Assignments Wall Street Journal
Supreme Court revists school integration case MSNBC
Google enrolls teachers in online software crusade Boston Herald
Google navigates an offline course Financial Express
Australia's Labor gets new leader BBC News
Dell may open retail stores in the UK Pocket-lint.co.uk
Dell claims new servers save on electric bill Computer Partner
Vogue to launch India edition in 2007 Monsters and Critics.com
Astronauts arrive for Discovery launch NDTV.com
Is it worth it to say hasta la Vista to XP? Virginian Pilot
Health a hot tech market: Ballmer NEWS.com.au
US marine sentenced to 40 years for rape in Philippines Globe and Mail
UN chief tells of Iraq war sorrow MRT online
Annan: Life Worse for Iraqis Now Than During Saddam's Rule Fox 8 News WJW
Iraq 'worse than civil war' Melbourne Herald Sun
Artists Lauded at Kennedy Center Gala New York Times
5 honored at Kennedy Center Los Angeles Times
Models fight over surgeon's affection Contra Costa Times
Brit's Gift: Paris' Big F**K You to Billboard TMZ.com
'Shaolin Soccer' star to play Bruce Lee in Chinese TV series DailyIndia.com
Very thin women at higher miscarriage risk Reuters.uk
Underweight women '72% more likely to miscarry' Times Online
Chocolate lowers miscarriage risk Vancouver Sun