This is all Hillary needs to do to win

April 23, 2008

Very simple!


Aftermath of the Pennsylvania Vote

April 23, 2008

Hillary Clinton won the Pennsylvania vote but if she thinks this translates into winning Pennsylvania Avenue she must be a proponent of the No Child Left Behind Act, especially when it comes to math. The votes are of course still being counted, but right now it looks like Hillary will win by roughly a nine point margin, which should not come as a shock to anyone. Last night the news networks were scrambling over each other to try and project a winner with 3% of the vote counted based on the always reliable exit poll.

Hillary and her supporters are trying to spin this as a major victory by beating an Obama campaign that outspent her 3 to 1 in the Keystone State. The problem with this straw-man argument is that it really isn’t a major victory for her at all. Consider the following:

After Super Tuesday, Hillary held a 25 point margin over Obama in Pennsylvania. If the numbers hold, this translates to a net loss of 14 points for Clinton.

North Carolina and Indiana, where Obama is expected to win handily will erase any gains Clinton made in Pennsylvania.

There are no major states to be won left.

Hillary’s campaign is in serious danger of going into debt while Obama can simply wait out the clock.

Then there’s still that pesky issue of delegate math and how Obama still holds a fairly insurmountable lead over Clinton.

In essence, nothing changed yesterday.

The worst case scenario right now for Democrats (and pretty much the only way for Hillary to get the nomination) is to have her further fracture the party and try and convince the superdelegates to buck the popular vote. It would come as no surprise to me if Clinton tries this tactic. Her sense of entitlement is truly unsettling.

At any rate, this contest will still be going on until May 6th, which is the next major primary date, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see this battle go on into June, provided Clinton can find the money to bankroll her egotistical wild tea cup ride through the Democratic party like a tornado on PCP.

Barring any major miracles, she’s done.

Oh crap, it looks like she might have one after all: Michael Moore endorsed Obama


Tuesday

April 22, 2008

Yesterday was spent getting re-acclimated to work.  I was pretty well exhausted by the time I got home.  I enjoyed bringing the kids out into the cul-de-sac to ride their bikes for an hour or so.  Yesterday afternoon/evening was treated with Rollins and ice cream.

I’m struggling right now to figure out my role in my current project.  It’s a very delicate and tricky thing right now.


Back to work

April 21, 2008

Back to work this morning.  The jury is still out on how well the cortisone injections are working.  On Friday (the day after the shots) I felt like I had a new back.  Over the weekend I started feeling some pinching in my legs (occasional) and some stiffness and soreness in my lower back.

I think I’m feeling better than before the shots, but I don’t feel as good as I would like to.  It still could be a few days for the shots to take full effect.  If need be, I can get another set of injections on May 1st but I’d rather not unless necessary as it was quite a painful experience.


Convalescence (Day 10)

April 13, 2008

Rough couple of days.

I had my MRI on Friday.  The procedure itself was a piece of cake.  I won’t know anything definite until I meet with the doctor on Wednesday.  I’m convinced this is just another way for health care to try and bilk even more money out of us.  I responded well in physical therapy later that afternoon and was able to do almost 5 minutes on the treadmill before I had to stop.

Yesterday I was quite sore but managed to take a short, slow walk down to the end of the street and back.  When I got back I needed to lie down with ice for a while.  I think it’s important to try and get a little bit of physical activity, even if it’s painful, to try and avoid atrophy.  My muscles aren’t used to doing anything.

This morning I woke before 6 with pain in my back and legs.  Wouldn’t you know it, the day that my wife and kids sleep in past 8 o’clock I’m up early and can’t sleep.  Came downstairs around 7 and surfed the net for a bit.  After breakfast I did a set of exercises as I had strong pain in my right leg (normally it’s in my left) and iced the back down which helped some.

Since I’m having pain in both legs instead of the customary one, my PT theorizes I have one of the following:

  1. 2 or more herniated discs with each one pushing on a different side
  2. A herniated disc that is bulging out of both the left and right sides
  3. A herniated disc that is bulging out so much it hits both sides

We of course won’t know anything for sure until Wednesday.  There are signs that I am responding well to the physical therapy which is making me lean more towards not having surgery.  I am still leaning towards taking disability so that I can take the time needed to heal properly.


Convalescence (Day 7)

April 10, 2008

Overall I felt better yesterday than the day before.  As usual pain started creeping into my legs around dinner time, but it was nowhere near as severe as the day before.

Today I’m feeling pretty stiff and sore in my lower back and there is some slight pain going down my legs.  I’m going to try and stay up for a while as opposed to lying in bed today to see how that goes.


FCC to propose emergency alert text messaging system

April 9, 2008

WASHINGTON (CNN) — A nationwide alert system will use cell phones or other mobile devices to send text messages to Americans when an emergency occurs, the Federal Communications Commission is expected to announce Wednesday or Thursday, according to an FCC representative.

CNN

OMG, ROTFL MY BFF JST TLD ME SALE @ GAP!


Clinton challenges McCain, Obama on war

April 9, 2008

ALIQUIPPA, Pennsylvania (CNN) — Sen. Hillary Clinton on Wednesday argued that she is the only presidential candidate capable of ending the war in Iraq.

CNN

And there is only one presidential candidate who didn’t vote for the war in Iraq to begin with (hint: it’s not Hillary).


Postal workers back Obama

April 9, 2008

The American Postal Workers Union announced Wednesday it is backing Barack Obama, a boost to the Illinois senator two weeks before the crucial April 22 Pennsylvania primary.“Sen. Obama’s message is one of hope and change,” APWU President William Burrus said in a statement. “His message is special, and the timing is right.”

CNN

I guess this will make it harder for the Hillary campaign to mail it in.


Iran warns West of “bloody nose” over nuclear issue

April 9, 2008

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran’s president on Wednesday warned the West to expect a “bloody nose” over mounting pressure on Iran to halt its sensitive uranium enrichment activities, state television reported.

Reuters

Don’t panic folks.  All this means is that folks from the US will need to sit in the very highest seats in the 2048 Tehran Summer Olympics.