Making Sense of Politics and Events, So the Media Doesn't Have To http://www.northdecoder.com Wed, 20 Aug 2008 17:38:49 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.northdecoder.com/images/M_images/joomla_rss.png http://www.northdecoder.com Making Sense of Politics and Events, So the Media Doesn't Have To http://www.northdecoder.com/index.php/The-Convention-In-Denver.html biography pages set up for many of the delegates (index.php/2008-Democratic-Convention-The-North-Dakotans.html). I've got comments turned on at the bottom of all the biographies. We're hoping delegates will use the comments below their biographies to post anecdotes about the convention, etc., and for you folks to communicate with them there. I have no idea how that is going to play out. click here to see the agenda as of now (http://www.bigtentdenver.org/agenda.cfm). There are some panelists I'm really hoping to catch if I can. Did I mention the Big Tent is sponsored, in part, by New Belgium Brewery (http://www.newbelgium.com/flash/)? 18. The people who make up the State Blogger Corps have been communicating with each... News - Latest Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:25:49 +0100 http://www.northdecoder.com/index.php/Bite-Sized-Wisdom-Fair-Pay.html The guy who comes over and pumps out your septic system and then climbs down in there and clears the pipe that runs between the septic tank and the lift station doesn't get paid enough. News - Latest Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:25:30 +0100 http://www.northdecoder.com/index.php/McSame-s-Veepstakes-Is-that-the-best-you-can-do.html If the reports are to be believed on MSNBC and elsewhere, McSame will be announcing his VP pick on August 29th to a 10,000 person rally in Ohio. In the words of Homer Simpson: OOoooh, eh-Aw See, because McSame will be making this exciting announcement(because there are soooooooooooo many picks he could make that would be exciting! ) the day after Obama gives his acceptance speech here:So a day after Obama is going to pack a sold out crowd of 75,000, McSame will conjure less than 15% of that? Heck, Obama's VP him(or her)self will probably have a larger crowd that week. The Pepsi Center has a capacity of... News - Denver 2008 Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:23:47 +0100 http://www.northdecoder.com/index.php/Equal-Time-For-Jasper-Schneider.html You'll recall how all of North Dakota's radio and TV stations are voluntarily giving equal time (http://www.bismarcktribune.com/articles/2008/07/31/news/state/161305.txt) to North Dakota Insurance Commissioner candidate Jasper Schneider because his opponent used federal money to pay for a political campaign commercial (index.php/Adam-Hamm-s-Tax-dollar-Funded-Campaign.html) dressed up as a Public Service Announcement? Well Jasper Schneider has his response ad put together and going out onto the airwaves this week. Here's a sneak peak: I think it's a pretty good ad, but it's still troubling that Hamm was allowed to use tax money to fund his ad while Jasper's ad presumably had to be paid for with political campaign money. Maybe (index.php/Congressional-Delegation-Seeks-Hamm-Investigation.html) there will be accountability for a North Dakota Republican... News - Latest Mon, 18 Aug 2008 16:29:57 +0100 http://www.northdecoder.com/index.php/West-Fargo-citizen-gets-a-backstage-pass.html Right from our neck of the woods: (http://www.kxmc.com/News/264778.asp)Barack Obama's campaign says a Fargo student will be among 10 people who get backstage access to Obama when he accepts the Democratic presidential nomination. Kayla Whitaker will be flown to Denver with a guest to meet Obama during the Democratic National Convention, which starts Aug.From elsewhere... (http://www.opednews.com/maxwrite/diarypage.php?did=8682) Kayla Whitaker of West Fargo, North Dakota Kayla is a 20-year-old student and evangelical Christian who credits Barack for her newfound interest in the political process. As a Christian, I have seen it repeated that evangelical Christians are 'required' to vote Republican. When I heard Barack's 'Call to Renewal' speech, I was surprised... This is change I can believe in and... News - Latest Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:54:59 +0100 http://www.northdecoder.com/index.php/Saturday-Diversion-Pink-Floyd.html Dark Side of the Rainbow Part I Haven't watched all of any of 'em, but I think you can get at the rest of them by clicking here... (http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=meowcat89)Have a great weekend! News - Latest Sat, 16 Aug 2008 09:03:44 +0100 http://www.northdecoder.com/index.php/How-to-Start-Each-Day-with-a-Positive-Outlook.html 1. Open a new file in your computer.2. Name it 'George Bush'. 3. Send it to the Recycle Bin. 4. Empty the Recycle Bin. 5. Your PC will ask you: 'Do you really want to get rid of 'George Bush?'6. Firmly Click 'Yes.' 7. Feel better? GOOD - Tomorrow we'll do Dick Cheney! News - Latest Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:23:20 +0100 http://www.northdecoder.com/index.php/North-Dakota-s-Dirty-Ashtray.html I had KFGO (Fargo) on in the background this morning at 9:00 and heard their top of the hour news. I had to laugh as the newsreader read the news that Stephen Colbert had apologized to the residents of the town of Canton, South Dakota, for having called it North Dakota's Dirty Ashtray. She was so serious, like this was real news AND a big deal; like Colbert was actually apologizing; like Colbert was serious in any way in any part of any apology. Poor newsreader. She obviously isn't a Colbert watcher. She completely missed the joke. I suppose that's what happens when someone hands you something to read... News - Latest Thu, 14 Aug 2008 11:26:16 +0100 http://www.northdecoder.com/index.php/Open-Thread-8.13.2008.html I'm too busy to blog today. I don't usually do open threads, because so few of you guys post comments. But today seems like an appropriate day for an open thread. Feel free to post a comment about whatever it is that's on your mind...Oh... and check out this list of North Dakota's Denver 2008 Democratic National Convention delegates Adam and I are putting together. (Click Here (index.php/2008-Democratic-Convention-The-North-Dakotans.html)) It's a work in progress. We're updating the page frequently with new information as it comes in and as we have time. The delegates themselves have written most of the bio info, so ignore the thing at the top of some of them that says... News - Latest Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:51:14 +0100 http://www.northdecoder.com/index.php/Truth-In-Advertising.html A full-page ad runs in the Bismarck Tribune today. It's about in the middle of the A section. It calls on Bismarckians to contact our congressional delegation and tell them to support off-shore drilling. At the very bottom of the ad, it says something like Paid for by the Consumer Alliance for Energy Security. (I don't have it in front of me right now, but that's what I recall.)For purposes of this blog post, let's all assume that I -- Chet -- support off-shore drilling. (Which I do, but only at currently existing but unused lease areas.)Can we talk?What do you think of when you see the words Consumer Alliance for Energy... News - Latest Wed, 13 Aug 2008 10:50:08 +0100