and the Family Buick

"Latest CD? Check. Random stuffed animal? Check. OK, let's rock and roll!"

"Latest CD? Check. Unaffiliated stuffed animal? Check. OK, let's rock and roll!"
Originally uploaded by emaggie

We took Maya to her latest rock concert last night - Justin Roberts @ the Vera Project's wonderful space in the Seattle Center. Justin Roberts is officially our favorite musician that records/performs for kids. Imagine a pre-school Elvis Costello. He put together a tight set and got Maya into the mosh pit without much concern for where Sarah and I were checking the angle from. Maya danced and sang along like a groupie in the trance. Should I be worried? Oh, who cares. A few pics follow from what was a very fun evening out on the town in GrungeCity.

Labels: justin roberts, Maya

If she says "it's time to move on" once more, I put out the challenge to be the first reporter to get up and walk out of the room.

Nine days after the Election, Sarah Palin held her first news conference as a national political figure. She took 4 questions - under 10 minutes of weird smoke and dull-edged attempts to change the subject - before being shuffled off the stage by an especially uninspiring Texas Guv Rick Perry and the dozen of other white dudes surrounding her. The amount of media heat being generated by Palin is a disgrace. Why wouldn't she sit down for questions before she and McCain tanked like an even-more-uninspired Bob Dole campaign? My belief is she's now comfortable that the questions will be all about process. Before the election, some questions might have included actual policy considerations. And we all know how well she does with that sort of thang. This PR campaign after the actual campaign was obviously expected. I'm not surprised at all. It's as simple as considering whether a woman who claims to have only shopped at consignment stores in Anchorage (yea, right) would head back in that direction after getting 13 suitcases worth of high fashion freebies from high-end department stores. Or in less-concrete fashion, Sarah Palin is truly a diva. One of the worst. Just like Mariah Carey. And this election was her "Glitter". Thoughts of a comeback are all divas can focus on when they've been embarrassed by the amount of crap they spout. So I expect we'll see her out there making the same ol' digs at Obama while she frantically searches for a new producer to spin this mess into gold. Good luck with that, Guv. Especially if it continues to look like Ted Stevens will lose his re-election bid and she won't have anything to run for until at least 2010. I'd bet that winter forecast for Alaska would look especially far from that newfound heat right about now, even for a self-professed native.

Hope your own office offers not only a "present" button, but lots of "donation" buttons today. Rock on.

Labels: alaska, mariah carey, sarah palin, ted stevens

Entering a new Era, without the annoying nicknames yet with actual humor? Yes we can.

I've heard a few weird reactions to Obama's first Prez-Elect presser - he was too cautious, he was too deferential, he made fun of Nancy Reagan. But largely, the verdict is sure. He is literally the best thinker on his feet in the game, surrounded by a burgeoning crowd of admirers. I've toned done my elation regarding the events of this week mainly to see how the transition played out. That's over. Barack Obama is an icon that nonetheless feels like a regular dude. His ability to make a self-deprecating moment (how he's a "mutt" just like most "shelter dogs") feel both folksy and poetic - I just can't top him. I won't deny that we're in a full-on turdstorm with crappy newsiness forecast beyond the unlimited horizon. But I challenge every one of you - how do you think the World would be looking at us right now if we'd chosen McCain/Palin? Be careful what you wish for was my regretful mantra after Dubya won in '04. My new mantra - be honest in what you wish for.

One quick review - I chose to run against the grain on Wednesday night and finally caught Oliver Stone's "W." with a mere handful of ironic Seattlites. My rating - a squishy C. Josh Brolin has been deservedly lauded for what he did running a surprisingly short gamut. Thadie Newton does a spot on Condi Rice. Jeffrey Wright is an overly hope-y-ish Colin Powell. No one stinks. But the one oft-repeated comment that I agree with is that it feels like a first draft. Or more accurately, the most rushed picture I've ever seen. Like Stone and his screenwriter cobbled it together over a bagful of FunSize candy, a case of Ketel One and a massive pile of cocaine on somebody's brother's yacht just off the Catalina Islands over a weekend in early June. Don't rent it. See it on cable. In like two months.

Hope your own economic conferences don't include Jim Cramer anytime soon. Or ever. Rock on.

Labels: barack obama, dubya, jeffrey wright, jim cramer, john mccain, nancy reagan, oliver stone, thadie newton, w. the movie

"First question, Rahm - where did those pesky Bushies hide all the 'O' keys from our keyboards?"

The morning's big exclusive - Rahm Emanuel accepted the offer to be President Obama's Chief of Staff. Emanuel's always impressed me. Surely in direct inverse proportion to how much he pisses off the withering Republican establishment. He was a major strategery planner for Bubba. He rose through the ranks in the House like a rocket. He's sacrificing something major in terms of his own personal lifeplan by taking a job that is as demanding as any in Washington. But he's the right dood for the job. Kudos and congrats to all involved.

Hope your own job offers include health club benefits today. Rock on.

Labels: barack obama, rahm emanuel

This Bright New Day

He actually did it. Barack Obama will be our next President. I'm still up to my ears in results and analysis, but a few things have become astonishingly clear. I'll offer a shorthand version.

1. Battleground states broke almost entirely for Obama. The more time he spent there, the better he did. Period. Just look at Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida if you doubt my take on the utter shift in the map.
2. The Dems made some gains in Congressional races, but the game didn't entirely change. Regardless, the time has come to jettison Joe the Lieberman to the ranks of truly Independent and powerless.
3. Social conservatives are still a force to be reckoned with when it comes to proferring obtuse and bullshite referendum votes. Prop 8 in California is a particularly galling example. The war ain't over, people.
4. Sarah Palin has already been thrown under the bus, but she is about to be backed over time and time again. The single most stunning inside baseball piece of the day comes from "Newsweek" that includes reporting about her meeting campaign aides wearing just a towel (RAWR!) and how she got staffers to buy clothes for her on their own credit cards. The only person happy about how much of a joke she will forever be remembered becoming - Dan Quayle.
5. It ain't over. Recount in Minnesota's Franken/Coleman race. Runoff in Georgia's Chambliss/Martin race. Cats and dogs sleeping together. Much more to report later.

But the single most interesting tidbit from the avalanche of reporting is the brilliant "get" that David Remnick ("The New Yorker" editor in chief) got from William Ayers yesterday in Barack Obama's neighborhood. Anyone that claims Obama is tarnished by a connection to Ayers has always been full of shite. This little poetic moment of reportage proves it. Read it. You'll be glad you did.

A few final thoughts. I've been an obvious Obama supporter from the beginning. He's a most capable person in the most challenging of times. I don't begrudge those that were not on board. Yet the time has come for the Nation to realize one simple fact - Barack Obama won. He hired the best people, he raised the most money, he benefitted from the news of the day, blah blah blah. Barack Obama will be our next President because he was smart enough and convincing enough to get people to listen to him and vote for him. I am proud of my country today. And damn glad to be able to say that.

Hope you're all looking forward today. Rock on.

Labels: al franken, barack obama, david remnick, election day, prop 8, sarah palin, saxby chambliss, william ayers

Get serious, America!

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

Labels: election day, john mccain, lando calrissian

Maya practices her "treat-worthy" face.

Maya practices her "treat-worthy" face.
Originally uploaded by emaggie

Trick or Treating with Maya in our neighborhood last night was a blast. One of her friends from this summer's dance class hosted a party. After pizza and playtime we meandered for quite a while 'round the 'hood, marveling at the amount and energy of other people doing much the same thing. Say what you will about Seattle. But the people rock. We hope you have at least as much fun as we did. Here's a glimpse in the next few shots. Rock on.