The snots

Nothing like a baby who gets sick right when you're planning on leaving town. Needless to say, thanks to a potential case of rsv, we aren't going anywhere.

I have to confess though that part of me loves a sick baby. She's uncomfortable and full of mucus and fussy and won't eat, but she's also snuggly and wants love and hugs and to be close to you. When you have a really active child, you take closeness when you can get it.

Even if it means getting covered in snot.

The one where Han and Luke kiss...

Star Wars: Retold (by someone who hasn't seen it) from Joe Nicolosi on Vimeo.

Thanks, Stooj!

"Where's my Obama hat?"

It's inauguration day, and I am starting to develop DC-envy. However, since I can't be there, I get to do the next best thing -- liveblogging the events at The UpTake, which starts at 9 am. Come over if you have a chance.

I'm also both surprised and delighted to see how many people here in the Cities are mentioning that their offices are setting up places for people to watch the event. That's smart working -- it saves the bandwidth drain that employees sneaking speaks at live vid would make on company resources and eliminates a lot of the productivity drain that you would get from employees skipping work or ducking in and out.

Now, if more of them would start allowing more telecommuting....

Peanut butter hair

The only part of her with a peanut allergy appears to be her head.

How cold is it?

It's so cold my office won't get above 62.
It's so cold the back door has frost on the inside.
It's so cold I took a hot shower to warm up.
And it's so cold we can't get the baby out of her snowpants...

A little politics at MNProgressive

If you're looking for that sort of thing today, I have a post up at Joe's house. Here's a tease...

Like many democrats, I was excited by the majority that we hold in the state legislature. When it comes to issues like reproductive health, I thought that maybe finally there would be enough of a consensus to overturn some of the more wretched of Governor Pawlenty's anti-choice legislation.

Instead, I seem to be hearing that no one wants to have that sort of vote on his or her record.

Sadly, it makes me wish I live in Tennessee...

Hair

Finally growing...well, a little

Your momma dresses you funny

New Shoes!

Cereal Girl

A 13 month update:

Munch is now a runner, has a large vocabulary that includes "steps" "daddy" "mama" "uh oh" "owie" "duck" "kitty" "Up" "where is daddy" "where is he" (both from peekaboo time). She is starting to grow hair. She is adamant about feeding herself and will eat almost anything you give her -- except gerber 3rd foods, which seem to gross her out. She's a milk only toddler, and she's got some rockin' new shoes I'll put up soon.

And, she's officially a cheerio baby now...

20 heatlhiest foods for under a dollar

Via Women's News Links, a helper for staying healthy while cutting your budget.

There's a couple of cheats in there. Ex -- sure, you can get eggs for less than a dollar, but only if you buys a half dozen. Watermelon is also over their dollar limit. And most good nuts are more expensive -- you're mostly stuck with peanuts if you want them on the cheap. Milk is still very expensive (trust me, with a family that now goes through two gallons a week, it's not inexpensive.)

But what the list lacks in sticking closely to the rules, it makes up for in serving suggestions. I'm thinking of trying the sardine spread today.

20 foods are - oats, eggs, kale, potatoes, apples, nuts, bananas, garbanzo beans, broccoli, watermelon, wild rice, beats, butternut squash, whole grain pasta, sardines, spinach, lowfat milk, tofu, coffee, pumpkin seeds

Not a ton of action here for a few days

I'm blog sitting for Fecke, so I'll likely concentrate there until Monday.

In the meantime, enjoy Munch's first peanut butter and jelly sandwich:

I'm the King of the Court!

Alan Page will be picking judges for the next stage of the recount. He will be accused of planting liberals regardless, so I hope he picks whomever he thinks is best to judge the case, rather than just the most conservative folks on the bench. Although my guess is that Coleman's campaign is hoping to use a "liberal" court as a reason to move it to the Supreme Court.

Some other thoughts, courtesy of Fecke and Phoenix Woman.

Prediction: Coleman to concede

I have decided to go out on a limb and do a pre-press conference prediction: Norm Coleman will concede and not file a lawsuit and will announce that today at 3pm. Between the recount and the pending lawsuit over his head, Coleman needs some good pr. The large amount of ruckus being caused by the conservatives gives him cover to look like he's nobly giving up his "rightful" seat for the good of Minnesota. Last night's fundraising email I received is to stuff the coffers for his other legal issue, assuming the FCC lets him. And shining his image helps for any future political moves electorally (if he can) or party wise (like the RNC Chairmanship).

So, the 3 pm press conference will be a concession speech. Let's see how well I prognosticate.

Just a reminder

12/14/08

"We are doing this in such a way that when it is over, the winner will be clear, the loser will know he lost, and it wouldn't cross anyone's mind to go to court to challenge the clear decision of the Minnesota voters," [Mark Ritchie] says.

Everyone agrees, right?

11/06/08

Secretary of State Mark Ritchie said that "...recounts are for really the loser to understand and see and then believe that they in fact did not win the election and for their supporters to come to the same conclusion."

Via Fecke

yup

Postcards from the edge...

There's an anti-FOCA postcard campaign in the works. And, if you don't support their postcards, they'll get you back by postcarding you!

Buy Minnesota...Item #1 - Governor's Mansion

Buy Minnesota -- The Governor's Mansion

Here is a great opportunity to purchase prime real-estate in St. Paul. This space will be mostly vacant from January of 2010 until November of 2012, or sooner depending on early returns in the Republican primaries or September 2012 vice presidential fallout. Ability to recoup partial purchasing costs via night by night rental opportunities for current occupant, as well as event rental for state functions.

Offer contingent on a Tim Pawlenty Reelection.

With the recent news that Minnesota may attempt to sell off assets to get us out of our current fiscal problems, The Power Liberal is offering a regular series of items that can be sold, rented or exchanged in order to create a bigger profit for the state. We ask that the local government officials fell free to use any of our ideas they find of merit. All posts can be found here

Prediction: Pawlenty will not run for re-election

I've been saying it ever since the nearly a VP debacle. Zack agrees.

Tim Pawlenty isn’t going to run for re-election in 2010. Its pretty clear he wants to be President and a reelection campaign has little upside and a lot of risk for the two term Governor.

However, unlike Zack, I don't think Coleman has a shot at governor. Coleman was never going places in the GOP, which is why he was talked out of the governor's race back in 2001-2002.

Expect Marty Seifert to run. You know, once Pawlenty announces he isn't running.

The advantage of the Coleman stall...

Minnesota is now officially down to one senator, with Norm Coleman's term expiring earlier today. Coleman's team has already admitted that they will not win unless the properly rejected absentee ballots they handpicked are reintroduced to the pile, and are preparing for a lawsuit, which is still likely to not change the end results. Which leaves one question -- why is Coleman stalling?

Originally, the idea was that Coleman hoped to prolong the recount in order to hit a point where Gov. Pawlenty would be able to appoint him as senator to a vacant seat. But both Pawlenty's 2012 aspirations and a Democratic-lead senate that won't likely declare the seat empty, just contested, makes that highly improbable. A PR war is being wages across the television, newspapers and blogs, and it's hard to find a anyone who thinks that this is improving Coleman's image. So again, why the desperate tactics?

Obviously, the goal of not losing his seat is forefront, but something else may be at play...a 2014 rematch. Keeping the seat vacant for as long as possible is the biggest benefit the MNGOP can gain from the recount. To keep stalling will make it impossible for Franken to be sworn in as senator with the other freshmen, making him the most junior of all senators. Continue stalling, and Franken misses all of the prime committee appointments the other senators will be jockying for during the early days of the session. Close every door open to Franken at the beginning of 2009. If they rely on the fact that voters have short memories, the ugliness of the recount will seem less bitter, but Coleman, or any of his cronies can then come back swinging when Franken's up for re-election, pointing out how ineffective he was for Minnesota.

Would the GOP really put the future of Minnesota for the next 6 years on the line to set up regaining a seat? Would it really surprise you?

(Theory actually that of Smartie, who is the evil mastermind, but he's too lazy to write so you got my rendition instead.)

Happy 2009!

Yeah, we couldn't resist....



To everyone, a happy new year. Also, we wanted to let you know that one of my New Years Resolutions this year is to bring politics back to the website. We're working on acquiring a new url to move the family updates to, and will hopefully have that ready and running in the next few weeks. We'll still have sporadic Munch updates until the new home is launched, but they'll likely be more scattered in between some more politically-oriented posts.

Sorry, Grandma!