...well, no, but the title amuses.
A day before the convention, and the last bits are coming into place. Last minute negotiations have seemed to have cleared away the possibility of a union picket line (which is very good news for Sen. Kerry*). There's also a rumor that USA Today, in a move that is stunningly, cruelly beautiful in its sheer evil-mindedness, has contracted for Ann Coulter to cover the Democratic Convention and Michael Moore to do the same for the Republican Convention (Command Post). And, finally, if you were worried that Boston's existing prostitute supply would be unable to handle the influx of delegates, worry no more: they're flying in reinforcements even as we speak (Command Post). Normally, I wouldn't post such a salacious bit of news - we're oh-so-respectable, here at Obsidian Wings - but I keep hearing a voice in my head (sounding not unlike one of my relatives) saying "Bahb, more hookers just got delivered! Bahb! BAHB! You deaf, or something? We got another crate of hookers here. Whereya want me to stash 'em?" in a Allston accent, and I just lose it. Besides, it's not like they aren't going to turn around and make a beeline for NYC afterwards.
Sounds like it's going to be... well, no, political conventions aren't really exciting any more, huh? But at least they're going down swinging... er, right.
Moe
*You don't cross picket lines. You just don't, OK? Scabs cross picket lines, not decent people. You cross a picket line, you spit on every working stiff who ever stood in a line and took his lumps so that you could have a good life growing up. They didn't cross you, so you don't cross them.
(pause)
What? I'm the son and grandson of good union men. I may be a Republican, but I'm not depraved.
Since Watergate, a cliche journalistic injunction has been "follow the money." Think any of the bloggers at either convention will go the "follow the hookers" route?
(No, it won't address policy, and, yes, it would be very questionable.)
Posted by: Gary Farber | July 25, 2004 at 12:08 PM
"Think any of the bloggers at either convention will go the "follow the hookers" route?"
Well, that's one way to deplete the tip jar.
Posted by: Moe Lane | July 25, 2004 at 12:15 PM
I kinda had in mind reporting on who goes where, rather than on rating the goods, though that's an interesting Dan Savage (het version) approach, which is, of course, a horrible way to approach the exploitation of sex workers, etc. (Yeah, but the exploitation of key-workers is also nasty, and sexist to boot; exploitation, in general, is definitionally nasty, and inherent to capitalism, which also provides the engine of our economy; life is complex.)
Then, of course, we could get back to tracing the money with which delegates pay for their company. And, to be sure, male escorts for female delegates are likely not to be in huge number.
Oh, dear, I really shouldn't be going down this path. I blame it on the theoretical Bahb, and my year living in Baston.
And, of course, society.
Posted by: Gary Farber | July 25, 2004 at 12:34 PM
*You don't cross picket lines. You just don't, OK? Scabs cross picket lines, not decent people. You cross a picket line, you spit on every working stiff who ever stood in a line and took his lumps so that you could have a good life growing up. They didn't cross you, so you don't cross them.
(pause)
What? I'm the son and grandson of good union men. I may be a Republican, but I'm not depraved.
No matter what else we may disagree on, Mr. Lane, you'll always have a place in my Administration* for holding that view alone.
*Not that you'd break that great McCain tradition, mind you, just saying...
OH, and I see the counter is at exactly 100,000!
Do I win a Hawaiian Holiday or something?
(ineligible?? what the fuh? grumblebbumblebrumble)
Posted by: Edward | July 25, 2004 at 02:41 PM
Is it all on C-Span? I want to see Obama.
I missed him on the morning shows, but read the transcripts, and I think this is my favorite line:
"MR. RUSSERT: Are you going to be a liberal Democratic senator? The Republican leader in the Legislature in Illinois said that you're to the left of Mao Tse-tung.
STATE REP. OBAMA: Yeah. That was a little overblown, particularly since I had co-sponsored about five bills with the guy."
If anyone is in Boston or especially Cambridge, and wants bar or restaurant recommendations, email me.
Posted by: Katherine | July 25, 2004 at 08:18 PM
I saw Obama on MTP this morning, and I'd use the cliche HR, if I weren't embarrassed to.
I first heard of him when I was doing a bit of temp work for a local poller (who does national work), and I made about umpty thousand calls to Illinois to ask people various questions, most having to do with Barak Obama. Most hadn't heard of him, then, back in early 2002.
To be sure, neither had I, before that.
I'm reasonably sure, though not provably, since they want to keep such things anonymous, of course, that the survey was paid for by the Illinois Democratic Party, in some form.
There was the normal amount of racism in the answers I got, but also an interesting amount of positive answers.
Back today, having followed him since, I think Obama will do well at the convention, and, not unlike some 92 guy who famously bored everyone (with cause) in '88, I look forward to a possible President Obama in 2012/2016, or so.
Posted by: Gary Farber | July 25, 2004 at 10:23 PM
On the meta-blogging stuff, I must reprint this:
*oh, the irony.
Posted by: Katherine | July 25, 2004 at 10:43 PM
Katherine, please take up your password again, now.
Please?
Posted by: Gary Farber | July 25, 2004 at 11:09 PM
Moe,
Don't you think it unkind to do a "Coals to Newcastle" post on the eve of the convention. Although, a 'free trade' angle might be interesting.
Posted by: Rick Ballard | July 26, 2004 at 01:22 AM
Al Jazeera is planning twelve hours of coverage. Which is an awful lot more than the U.S. networks, if I'm not mistaken.
Also note this:
"The network issued a code of ethics this month that pledges to "uphold journalistic values of honesty, boldness, fairness and balance."
Posted by: Katherine | July 26, 2004 at 10:39 AM