Quote of the day

Anybody can become angry -- that is easy
but to be angry with the right person
and to the right degree
and at the right time
and for the right purpose,
and in the right way --
that is not within everybody's power and is not easy.

Aristotle

(via NowThis)

This photo deserves its own post

For some reason, she now likes to put her hands behind her head all the time -- it's an amusing effect. She has also decided that bath time is fun even though she can't yet sit up enough to splash in the water or take advantage of the water toys...


(14 weeks)

Have a good weekend, all!

That McCain -- what a maroon!

Two recent stories that shed (the proper) poor light on this fall's Republican candidate, one personal and one policy, but both full of, um, hypocrisy and mendacity:

1. McCain wants to be free to cite Obama's youth as a thing to worry about but level the charge of ageism against anybody who notes his own age as a point of concern for voters. Meantime, he's the oldest candidate ever, and many of his views have the fossilization to prove it...
   
   
2. What does McCain think about the need to reform Social Security? Depends on when you ask him, despite his claims to have always favored the same line. Another comic opportunity for a debate between a candidate and himself?

Yeah, what a rebel. I look forward to regime change in January!

Was Clinton a stone polisher?

Josh Marshall makes an intriguing argument here, namely that the Clinton-Obama conflict, although hostile and tiresome in many ways, may have generated a stronger, more polished Obama campaign that is far ahead of the McCain machine in readiness for a real battle. There's probably some truth there, although five months is a long time for the McCain camp to catch up.

Tunnel vision

I understand that single-issue organizations need to pursue their agendas as they see fit. But if actions that seem to advance their goals are counter-productive in a range of related matters, I think they need to consider a broader view. In the end, there's more to life than a couple of check-boxes, and political organizations should be looking for people worth having in office.
grrrrrr....

Getting outside

Two recent pictures from trips to nearby parks. I'd hate to think my readers were missing out on glamor shots.


A sundappled day (with Mom and Papou) at 14 weeks old...
(related cute pics here and here)


Speck's first ride in a swing (at 15 weeks)

I hope that the current heat wave (with temperatures in the 90s with high humidity) passes or it could be a long time before we do much more such hanging out, at least after 10AM or so! eep!

What makes a good team-mate

Everybody seems to be touting the notion of an Obama-Clinton ticket, as though the close raise means that "we should have both." But that kind of thinking just makes clear to me why Obama can't possibly afford to pick Hillary for his Vice President: because it would never be clear to anybody who was running things. You simply can't have both, not at the top, not in the Presidency. It needs to be clear that, even with an independent and active VP, s/he always speaks for the President, and isn't working a parallel power structure or agenda. Nobody would ever feel that way about Clinton, especially not those who somehow felt she deserved the nomination despite the outcome of the actual selection process, especially after the way she's pulled out all the stops on the divisiveness and refusal to step aside. Obama needs somebody who's respectable, somewhat known, and perhaps brings a different demographic into play, but somebody who is clearly second in command.

Anyway, I'm sure his choice will be interesting, thoughtful, perhaps a revelation. Am happy, though that so far he's saying "settle down" to the nation and its chattering classes, because there is plenty of time to mull things over and make a good choice. One needn't have the selection ready the day after the nomination is clinched.