I’m currently working on a project at work which I have had a hard time getting started on. The problem is, since the day it started, all of the stakeholders have had different goals and opinions about what the expected result of the project should be, and since this is not a collaborative effort (I’m doing the work mostly myself) they really don’t know what they’re going to get until I give it to them, and they have little to no actual daily input into the minutia of the project. So it’s become mostly a game of expectations. Can I convince them that what I’m planning on giving them is exactly what they want?
Author: Sam Anderson
Stand on the Red X
John McCain did a reasonable job last night. At least, he didn’t botch the job, which was what many were expecting. It’s no great secret that this man is not much for oratory, but he did what he could to make a case for his presidency, and I think he actually made a more grounded, defined, specific case than Barack did.
Barack’s speech was a very high-level, kitchen sink speech. He is basically going to do everything in the world when he’s president. McCain’s speech just served to reaffirm that which we think he will already do. So I think I have a much more solid idea of what McCain’s priorities are. Barack, still not so much.
However, the best part of the convention came at the balloon drop where certain members of that “elite media” were given large red X’s to stand on… and poor Andrea Mitchell of MSNBC/NBC got exactly what was coming to her…
Sarah Palin is a Rock Star!
Just to get us off on the right foot… I couldn’t help but bring this up. Someone obviously didn’t inform HP’s former CEO that the projected backdrop for her speech would totally clash with her pantsuit:
YIKES! But for reals… down to business.
RNC: Old Cradle Robbers Night
As promised, here are a few impressions from last night’s Republican National Convention:
Enough With Politics, Let’s Talk BABIES!
Day one of the Republican National Convention was basically cancelled due to Hurricane Gustav making landfall yesterday. It appears like everything in the gulf coast will return to normal quick enough for the convention to get back on track today, but it still kind of ticks me off that the Democrat’s love fest didn’t get interrupted in a similar way.
I’m really glad they evacuated New Orleans, even though the storm was less powerful than expected. Of course, next time everyone will think “it’s not going to be bad, just like last time.” Why do we idiot humans think things can never be worse than last time? It’s almost like we have only the capability to store feelings from ‘the last time.’ Hopefully Katrina was tragic and disastrous enough that it will remind us for at least a generation to not mess with these things.
I’m telling you, the Reps can’t catch a break this year. Even the hurricanes are against them.
Weekend Political Roundup
It has been a big week, and yesterday was a HUGE day in politics. I’m sure thousands (if not millions) of you logged on to see what I had to say about Barack’s speech and McCain’s VEEP pick.
Sorry for the disappointment.
Let me just say that instead, I focused on singing a lot of Karaoke last night. ‘Nuff said.
For those of you who wondered why I gave so much coverage to the DNC this week, don’t you fear. I will be putting the same amount of scrutiny into the upcoming RNC. So stay tuned.
What a Guy
How does this man do it? Bill Clinton definitely had the money line in last night’s speech:
People the world over have always been more impressed by the power of our example, than by the example of our power.
Bill was in rare form last night. He is one of the most gifted politicians I have ever witnessed in my lifetime, able to pull speeches like this out of you-know-where and knock them out of the park.
Now, I have one major problem with the logic here. I doubt a Vladamir Putin or a Mahmoud Ahmedinijad is paying much attention to America’s example. Everyone guns for the person in first place, and America has gotten slightly complacent as the world’s leading nation. However, my belief is that the only way America can stay on top in the long term is to always keep the moral high ground, to be above reproach and honest to ourselves and to the world.
That is all I have for today. Pitiful, I know. It was this or nothing at all.
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pantsuits
Continuing this online knock-down-drag-out yet another day, I have to comment on Hillary’s speech last night.
First of all: wardrobe. I know that it seems like a stereotypically unfair way to start my evaluation of this speech. But I’m just going to say: women, it’s your own dang fault. You have an INFINITELY larger range of styles and colors that one could don for this occasion. If you only had the foresight to be as boring and predictable as the men…
Michelle Obama for President
Last night I watched most of the highlights of the Democratic National Convention. I’m not a Democrat, but I feel it’s my civic duty to listen to the hot air blow from both parties in order to make an informed, independent decision.
Last night’s headliner was Michelle Obama, and can I just say that I am now more excited about Michelle than I am about Barack and McCain combined? Call me young and idealistic, but you can’t help but watch her and be amazed by her beautiful vision of our country. And man can this woman can give a speech!
Forget Barack… I want Michelle Obama for President! At least she can get through a complete thought without pausing awkwardly in the middle, like Barack.
(Someone does need to teach her the right way to say “Iraq”, though. The public television people are probably curled in the fetal position over in the corner…)