CheekyMonkey

Vox Hunt: Bird Watching

nobody@vox.com(cheekymonkey) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 07:50:17 -0700

Show us a bird native to your habitat.

Lately, we've been seeing these American Goldfinches hanging out in our shrubbery. The males are so striking in their brightness. I can see why they're also called Wild Canaries.

Goldfinch1

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Stand Up Hoosiers and Be Counted!

nobody@vox.com(cheekymonkey) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 07:45:12 -0700

Hoosier voters know that, when it comes to presidential politics, Indiana is red, red, red. Often, we joke about how the polls close at 6:00 p.m. on election night, and then at 6:05 the state turns red on the national map. Because of this, Indiana is typically ignored during the presidential race. So, I am so pleased to see that Barack Obama is running television ads here, has opened 6 campaign offices in Indiana and now plans to hold a national security summit at Purdue this Wednesday.

Bill Blomquist, a political science professor at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, said it seems clear that Obama is not merely trying to confuse the McCain campaign by devoting resources to what is typically a red state, but is instead trying to redraw the national electoral map.

I really appreciate this attitude that Indiana is NOT irrevocably red. There is a lot of complacency among Hoosier voters because of this notion that their vote won't matter, but through efforts like these by Obama, I believe that complacency can be overcome.

Jim Bopp, a Republican National Committee member from Indiana, doesn't think McCain should devote many resources here, and can't understand why Obama is either.

"I don't understand the strategy," said Bopp, a Terre Haute attorney. "I just don't think Indiana ultimately will be competitive for Obama. A strategy where (Obama) would focus on Indiana is a bit wasteful and pointless."

Hmmmmm. Maybe Obama is devoting resources here because he doesn't take voters for granted.

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Know When to Fold 'em

nobody@vox.com(cheekymonkey) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 08:07:35 -0700

So, people in Indiana are gambling less and it's reported as BAD news?

But Indiana casinos could have an advantage over Las Vegas, Hicks said. Places like Las Vegas are more destination vacations, unlike the local casinos that can be reached for an afternoon getaway.

In other words, gambling can become more habitual if you're doing it in your own back yard and not on vacation. Sweet!

Another Fun Day at the Casino!

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McCain Is In Indy

nobody@vox.com(cheekymonkey) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 07:08:06 -0700

So, tons of news trucks are parked outside of the downtown Marriott, complicating the already messed up traffic situation in my little corner of downtown Indy. All, to take a peek at THIS guy! Yuck!

Does My Breath Stink?

And, for the record, I agree with Wesley Clark: I don’t think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president. Obama/Clark 08?

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Wow!

nobody@vox.com(cheekymonkey) — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 16:19:22 -0700

Could my red state turn blue?

In an election today in Indiana, Barack Obama takes 48% of the vote, John McCain 47% of the vote -- a statistical tie -- according to this latest SurveyUSA poll conducted exclusively for WHAS-TV Louisville and WCPO-TV Cincinnati. Obama's 1-point lead is within the survey's 4 percentage point margin of sampling error, and these results should be reported as a tie. Among men, McCain leads by 5; among women, Obama leads by 7 -- a 12-point gender gap. Among voters age 18 to 49, Obama leads by 5; among voters 50+, McCain leads by 3. Obama leads by 22 points among voters under age 35. 16% of Republicans cross over to vote for Democrat Obama; 19% of Democrats cross over to vote for Republican McCain; Independents favor Obama by 7 points. Among those voters who say they have already made up their minds, the two candidates are tied; among the 25% who say they could still change their mind, Obama leads by 2.

I know this is close and it is early, but typically in Indiana the Republican presidential candidate would be enjoying a head and shoulders lead over the Democratic candidate.

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Indiana Governor Race

nobody@vox.com(cheekymonkey) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 10:13:44 -0700

Jill Long-Thompson, our Democratic candidate for Governor, just annouced that Dennie Oxley would be her running mate. Wait. Dennie . . . who? I needed to learn more about this dude, so I used "the Google" and came up with this:

He is a fairly conservative Democrat. He is a member of the National Rifle Association and was the only Democrat on the House Rules Committee last year to vote for a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.

Oy!

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We've Got the Power!

nobody@vox.com(cheekymonkey) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 09:19:11 -0700

Sometime yesterday afternoon, we lost our power. We weren't alone.

Thank God I Kept My Wicks About Me - Hahahaha!

Upon further investigation we discovered lines down in our backyard. So, we called Indianapolis Power & Light to report the problem. Their recorded Customer Service greeting advised that there was a massive power outage in the area. I.e., "Don't get your hopes up! You're screwed!" So, we made due ... we drank some beers (lest they get warm), we "dined" on chips, salsa, cheese and bread (that's one advantage to being a vegetarian: No big deal if your freezer warms up a bit).

We chatted with our neighbors, lit candles, assessed our deficient flashlight supply, talked, told Maria some silly, impromptu ghost stories, and every 20 minutes or so, I'd look out the window in search of a utility truck and sigh. Finally, at about 10 p.m., three IPL trucks pulled up in front of our house. The house was so dark and those trucks were so bright. We felt a surge of optimism at the sight of them! Our heroes! Then, the three IPL technicians took their high-powered flashlights into our backyard to review the situation. We heard them mumble for a bit and then one by one, the trucks left. They LEFT! Where did they go? What did they do?

Before I went to bed, I had made a mental list of all the things I would need to pack in the morning so that I could shower and change at the office and I calculated how much time I would need to account for this change in routine plus a mandatory trip to Starbucks. Shortly after 11 p.m., I was jolted awake by some jarring thunder and another big storm rolling through and, at that point, any tiny bit of optimism I may have been harboring vanished. Certainly, our IPL heroes wouldn't return in the middle of a storm. But then... at about 3 a.m. (3 AM!), I was awakened by the sound of chain saws cutting down tree limbs in the back yard. The three IPL trucks were back and their flashing lights were illuminating the house like a giant strobe light. I was oddly happy to be awakened in such a rude fashion. I had visions of hot showers and hot coffee dancing through my head! And, thanks to those nocturnal blokes, we did have power this morning! And it was glorious! But now I need a nap!

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Man of the People

nobody@vox.com(cheekymonkey) — Fri, 09 May 2008 09:52:21 -0700

This is the Indiana Governor's Residence

Governor's Residence

But, our Governor doesn't live there. His actual residence is in a northern suburb, in one of these:

Gated Community

That way, he doesn't have to worry about bumping into the rabble when he takes his trash out to the curb.

Seems a little out of touch, doesn't it? To eschew the lovely Governor's Residence, located on the near north side of Indianapolis (the hub of state government), in favor of a gated community in an affluent suburb.

See? I'm Really Just a Regular Guy!

And, if he has his way, the entire state of Indiana will eventually be owned by some foreign conglomerate, and the United States as we know it will cease to exist. The end.

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Missed It By THAT Much

nobody@vox.com(cheekymonkey) — Wed, 07 May 2008 06:07:46 -0700

This is the kind of non-landslide victory an Evan Bayh endorsement will get you - 2%. I'm guessing Senator Bayh's name was crossed off the list of potential running mates.

Clinton 51% Obama 49%

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My Rapper Name Would Be F-Duddy

nobody@vox.com(cheekymonkey) — Tue, 06 May 2008 06:53:00 -0700

After a weekend spent playing "Where's Barack?" and after the surge of elation I felt upon hearing of his Indianapolis Rally, I missed it. Can you believe that? I'm so lame! I realized that if the gates opened at 7:30 and with the line extending down to Louisville ... the odds were not good that I would make it home before 10:00. And that's pretty late for me to be out on a week night. Plus, I felt the magnetic pull of my sweet little girl, and I would have been bummed to arrive home after her bedtime. I did visit the scene of the rally briefly and that was pretty cool, but I guess it's official: I am a fuddy-duddy.

The Crowd Started Pouring Into the Park As Soon as they Opened the Gates

This is Where Ali Velshi Has His Makeup Done

This morning at my polling place, I had to present my license three times. Then, when I was handed my ballot, I got all misty-eyed. I can't believe Indiana ... INDIANA can make a difference in this historical election! C'mon Hoosiers ... VOTE OBAMA!

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