I just got back from chairing my precinct caucus in NE Seattle. I had worries about how well my entirely white, predominantly upper-middle-class neighbors would turn out, and who they would be supporting.

The specifics on my precinct: Around 800 registered voters, half single-family houses, half townhomes & condos. In 2004, we had a record turnout of 37 people, who were half for Kerry and half for Dean.

And today? Look below the fold. . .

It just might work.

I just finished re-reading The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell, one of my favorites. If you haven't read it, it's about social phenomenons like fads, but it also delves into what can cause sudden, large changes in the public space on everything from early literacy to crime and smoking. Gladwell talks about "The Law of the Few", who "Connectors, Mavens and Salesmen" are, and the translation that needs to occur between Early Adopters and Early to Late Majorities. The book is thought-provoking, and presents a challenge to readers: What change do you want to see, and what might cause that idea for change to "tip"?

Follow me below the fold for more.

If President Bush thought that he could simply announce that he'd closed the "CIA secret prisons", dust his hands, and forget about the whole matter - well, Europe has just a bit of a problem with that.

A little problem of international law.

CNN:Reveal secret prisons, EU tells U.S.

. . .The location of these prison camps must be made public," said German Socialist Wolfgang Kreissl-Doerfler, who sits on a special EU assembly committee investigating the CIA's alleged operation of secret prisons in Europe.

"We need to know if there has been any complicity in illegal acts by governments of EU countries or states seeking EU membership."

As a Precinct Committee Officer, I've canvassed the few blocks around my house once or twice a year for the last few years, and I'm just starting to kind of know a few of my neighbors. I'm in a nice neighborhood which, like many, rarely has anyone at home.

I do see one of my neighbors from time to time, and he knows that I'm a Democrat. He's a democratic voter, but like most folks, doesn't have a lot of time to follow what's going on in DC.

In talking to him recently, I realized something (and maybe it should have been obvious to me - I'm a little dense :). Follow me past the cut:

I hate taking up bandwidth with something like this, but they say when you're looking for a job, it's important to pick the brains of your "network".

My dilemma is this: Five years ago, before I went on a "hiatus" (which I've spent helping my husband with his company, and having and raising a baby), I had my first decent "career job", which can best be described as "middle management" at a very fast growing game company. Prior to that, I had worked contract and temporary for years after college, waiting for the right thing to come along. So, I basically have only one big entry on my resume.

If you have the time, please look at my experience, and give me any advice you have on what type of position I might qualify for, what companies might be a good fit, or which recruiters are any good!

OK, I admit it. This is a diary drawing attention to a news story. But it's got it all: questioning the wisdom of the IMF, moralizing about the dangers of foreign debt, and a good dose of humor.

This story is about the new Argentinean Museum of Foreign Debt.

If only American school-children could experience interactive displays about trade imbalances, current account deficits, and how the government "cooks" the budget by using the Social Security surplus to improve their numbers!

In Britain, the elected House of Commons is currently approving a measure to extend some parts of a larger "emergency powers" act that just expired - after having been ruled illegal by the British courts. The new measure will skirt the most egregious parts of the old one (while adding new ones), but the Blair government is claiming that there is still a need to place under indefinite house arrest and civil-liberties restriction those merely suspected of terrorism. Due process, anyone?

The unelected House of Lords is in opposition:

Last night I listened to part of Fresh Air on NPR.

Terry Gross was speaking to Judith Miller, Matt Cooper and their lawyer (of course), about the contempt finding against them in the Plame investigation. The program talked a lot about legal precedents, and the issue of "journalistic privilege", to what extent public need of information outweighed First Amendment considerations, etc.

The part of the discussion that caught my ear, though, was when they tried to say that the current debate over protection for journalists wasn't a "left/right" issue.

There are a slew of news stories on this on Yahoo about this, including:
World Court Says Israel's Barrier Must Go

In a 14 to 1 decision, the U.S. was the only dissenting judge.

OK, I admit it.  The only thing I've managed to figure out about Lyndon LaRouche is that he has really disruptive young followers, who harass Democrats at every event they hold, handing out tracts that look like something produced by the Jehovah's Witnesses.

Yet, on his web-site, the guy claims to be a "Democratic presidential candidate".

As they say, "WTF?"

Can anyone give me a quick run-down on who this guy is, what the deal is with his minions and their tracts, and what makes him think he's a Democratic presidential candidate?

Any help is much appreciated!

These are excerpts from an article on "Irishabroad.com":

Opposition to Bush Visit Growing
By Mairead Carey in Dublin

THERE is growing pressure on the Government to withdraw its invitation to President Bush, who is due to visit Ireland at the end of June.

. . . Now the leader of the main political opposition party has questioned the wisdom of holding the US-EU summit in Ireland, given the demonstrations it is likely to provoke.

The Greens, Labor and Sinn Fein are already opposed to the visit. Members of all three parties are urging people to protest at Dromoland Castle, the most likely venue for the President's stay.

The story details the views of the opposition parties in Ireland, and the views of the outspoken Bishop of Killaloe who believes that allowing Bush's visit will harm Ireland, since,"In the Islamic world it identifies us with what they regard as brutal oppression".

There's also the little matter of the Gardai (Irish Police) calling people's homes in Shannon and asking for personal information, as well as rumors that some companies are compiling information for the Gardai on their employees.

Ivana Bacik (described as a "Labor Euro hopeful") is calling on protestors "to seize the opportunity to take to the streets again and let their voices be heard against this bloody, senseless war." And she urges protestors not to be "put off by the security measures."  

And this should sound familiar: "People should not be intimidated by over-zealous behaviour such as this. Democratic, peaceful protest is our right and we should exercise it during Bush's visit," she said.

I can remember the Irish being very welcoming to many previous presidents - it's quite an accomplishment to get them to put out the "not welcome" mat!

Just spotted this Reuters story about Bush's struggles to pronounce "Abu Ghraib". Surely he's heard the name of the place before?

Two rehearsals for his prime-time speech were not enough to keep U.S. President George W. Bush from mangling the name of the Abu Ghraib prison that brought shame to the U.S. mission in Iraq.

During the half-hour televised address, Bush mispronounced Abu Ghraib each of the three times he mentioned it. . .

Not only did he mispronounce it three times, but in three different ways!

[He] stumbled on the first try, calling it "abugah-rayp". The second version came out "abu-garon", the third attempt sounded like "abu-garah".

I wonder if Yale is regretting their inability to retroactively fail someone?