I think he said Ikea was nearby. You're right: Berkeley has a slightly higher than average share of loonies than the general populace. But it's slight and not that noticeable.

It's got some charming business districts, free of an excess of corporate fast food logos. It has possibly the finest grocery store I've ever seen: The Berkeley Bowl. Check it out if you're in town -- on Shattuck, a few blocks north of Ashby. The produce section is bigger and more diverse than any I've seen. Chefs from around the bay area go there to shop because of the eclectic selection. They've finally (I think) gotten approval from the city to build a new branch not far away, near I-80 and Ashby, which will hopefully serve the greater bay area more and ameliorate the long lines at the original store.

I've spent a lot of time on the peninsula, though virtually none in Santa Clara. Worked in Palo Alto, Atherton, Redwood City, Portola Valley, Woodside, and Hillsborough. They're all fairly amorphous to me -- not too interesting -- lotta money, it's true. The only decent place to buy groceries are the two Whole Food outlets, and they're expensive.

Geroge Allen would have gotten into at least some kind of trouble if he'd pulled a stunt like that in college. What, in the senate, it's a yawner?

Maybe it was an ambitious staffer who dressed up the format of Durbin's wording and fed it to him, I dunno. I do know that in '04, Allen was on the tube complaining that Kerry voted for the $86 billion before he voted against it , not a graceful thing to say bit in NO WAY did it mean Kerry was pushing to defund our armed forces, which is the charge Allen got around to. Anyone who knows how the senate works knows that various forms of a bill are introduced and that voting against one version doesn't mean you want the main body of the bill to be defeated, just that you want some modification. Kerry wanted to introduce a little more pay as you go to the process instead of borrowing, borrowing, borrowing.

So Reops think that running the "voted for it/against it" awkward gaff several hundred million times in the campaign was an appropriate way to describe Kerry. Bad news: I think Allen's two recent gaffs are far more real and serious and need to be broadcast in such a way as to send him back to vocational school. I don't like nor trust the guy, a grinning ass of an oaf.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

Dr. M.L. King never did. Consider his memory a grinning ass of an oaf?

What, did King do some plagarizing? I seem to recall that.

Way peripheral note: Joseph Smith, the Mormon founder, supposedly was convicted of plagarizing another ministers words a few years before his big vision. Didn't hold him back any either.

The few times I saw Allen on the tube, he just didn't impress me as being near the heavtweight category. He parroted the talking point about "...he voted for the $86 billion, before he voted against it... (chortle)" and it did not impress.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

Whoah cmac, my reading of SMITH is that he considered negroes as part of the Hell contingent.

Met allen coupla times, maybe again in three weeks. i'll let you know what i think.

Smith was a case. I dropped out of the Mormon church partly on that point. I forget when, mid 80s maybe, the choich had a new directive from on high: Negroes were OK after all. All over the country, blacks were clamoring to get into the Mormon church.

It's a strange scene, but really attractive to many. The people support each other pretty well and when you join, you get instant community. Lot of lonely people in the world. Look at how fast the church grows.

But not in France. My sister went to Paris on a mission in the mid 70s. Poor sweet kid -- not a single convert and Parisians acting like she was nuts (Mormon missionary girls DO seem nuts not infrequently).
You mover and shaker, you.

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Te futueo et caballum tuum

1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

Nah, fishing tournament. Last year there were some gladhanders there because it is a pretty high profile event in a very wealthy area. If I bump into him I will slap him with a wet noodle from the pasta bar, spill my drink on his shoes and tell him a Berkley Cowboy thinks he is a jackass for ya

No, don't do that... I don't want to crush the guy's spirit.

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Te futueo et caballum tuum

1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

Yep it's a yawner. Its rather funny how you get your feathers all in a ruffle over Allen ripping off (plagerising) a bill that was'nt even submitted yet. While the liberal represetative from Louisana (William Jefferson) is caught with 90k of bribe money in freezer at home and then theirs the esteemed senator from Mass. Teddy Kennedy your basic druken murderer. CMAC this is a yawner not because what Allen did was right,it was'nt, but because it just another liberal looking for any dirt he can find and then jumping up and down while screaming "look how evil those neocons, Bush, Cheney, Hallibutron, (insert derisive term for republicans here) are. Frankly if this is the worst thing you got on Allen, it aint much. So keep digging for that dirt, wallow in it while your at it, enjoy yourself.

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It may be a yawner, but it's a prime indication of character. Isn't that the entire crux of Republican campaigning? Seems like character assasination is a prime focus, you'd think actual character and personal integrity would be relevant.

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Its an indication of hypocrisy if you don't think Democrats do the same thing.

You'll not find me defending Jefferson or Kennedy. Both of them should have submitted themselves to vocational training a long time ago, best I can see.

I'm not digging for dirt on Allen, it just fell into my lap. I'm sure he's kind to his mother and children and will find some productive work. I wouldn't want him for president though.

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Te futueo et caballum tuum

1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

See, Mack, I agree with this statement--the only reason I got involved in the initial discussion about the brown boy comment was because you kept making it seem as if the guy was satan's footman, based on one insensitive comment, the man's political affiliation and now a savvy political move. I have friends that are complete political enemies--when we drink beer together, we just don't talk politics.

I was completely burned out on the "voter for it/before I voted against it" crap on Kerry -- I mean the guy had problems but that was a non issue. So then I see Allen on the Leher NewsHour repteating this yet again with kind of a smirk. It just struck me as unimaginative and not especially honest.

Whoa, less than perfect honesty from a congressman? Zounds alours!!

__________________
Te futueo et caballum tuum

1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K