The Watercooler for 08/31/08 1:00 AM

Gonna sign off because one of my favorite movies is on TCM.

The Rainmaker

Burt Lancaster and Kate Hepburn.

Howard Dean is First.

The GOP is standing by their decision to take away half the votes of the delegates from several states. 

GOP upholds its penalities for states that moved primaries too early.

What amazes me is that there is just no discussion on line, no griping, no anger.  The media ignores it.  Both parties followed their rules, but only one disrupts in anger.

Ain't that amazing?

visiting the Obama blog reminds me of this blog - but even more active!!!  a thread with 800+ comments since 8 pm last night - another with 300+ since just prior to midnight.  folks are still working, still excited to take our country back!

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/hqblog/

will leave a comment or two here about how very off-topic the Obama blog is.  I imagine he'll believe that it must be destined to fail - unless, of course, they put those OT posters in their place, and fast!!  perhaps he'll offer this highly-successful bfa format to Obama's team as a blueprint for change they can believe in.  snark.

sorry Danny, if I sound a bit harsh.  but harsh is all you've been with us.  we've been very respectful and asked politely, over and over again, for you to show us a bit of respect in return and very simply change the name of the 'watercooler'.  yet it falls on deaf ears, because you care more about having the last say than in making this blog what it can be.  shame on you for being so self-centered.   and shame on Jim and the rest of dfa's leaders for allowing such a narrow-minded person to handle DFA's communications and play such childish games with those of us who blog here.

cont...

you said you like the name 'watercooler' and your reasoning was that you had fond memories of going to work with your Mom and meeting her co-workers around the watercooler.  and that felt that it was an insult to your Mother, to your memories, that we don't like that name.  so I explained to you that not everyone's association to the watercooler is the same as yours - to many it brought to mind slackers - folks who hang around and gab, rather than work.  and that it was perceived as an insult and a sign of disrespect to many who take great stock in the words posted by their long-time blog friends here.

but you don't care about other opinions - you'd rather perceive a slight to you and your Mom because folks here don't like the name - and keep it that way, ignoring many pleas, because YOU MAKE THE DECISIONS HERE.

cont...

I'm not sure how your Mom would feel, but speaking as a Mom myself, I would be ashamed of your actions.  and since you aren't just Danny, but you are the Communications Director for an orgnization that we care deeply about, it is disheartening and destructive to the effort of community building to have someone who is not only tone deaf but vindictive representing the voice of DFA.

What's happening in Gulf region with the latest hurricane reminds me of the flooding I experienced as a child.  In 1972, at the age of 9, the southern tier region of NY state experienced a flood caused by hurricane Agnes.  Everyone said it was a "100 year" flood--an event that is so great, it could only happen once every hundred years.  However, 3 years later, it happened again.  While my parents home was not flooded in 1975, most of the area was hit pretty hard again. 

It's sad to think that an area as vibrant and exciting as New Orleans will be experiencing hurricanes and flooding of increasingly greater intensity, but that may be a fact of life with global warming.  Will the government keep rebuilding?  Will people keep coming back?

In my hometown area, devastated towns had the option of moving or rebuilding on their original site.  Some did decide to move, others stayed put.  People make the town, not the location.