h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Unlike the RNC delegates, who used the roll call nomination process to tout their states' sports teams and sillier industries, the Dems brag on their civil rights leaders, point out their natural features that are threatened by global warming, and politically aware stuff like that. They let a 102-year-old woman announce her state's tally - when this woman was born, *women could not vote*. Wow. (I love a living history lesson.)

There's actually a delegation from 'Democrats Abroad', amazing. (They even have a website to help you vote as an expat now, I wish...) And Larry Sanders, Bernie's big brother, got to make the announcement of how many votes they cast for Bernie. That was classy.

The Guardian keeps blogging:

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2016/jul/26/democratic-convention-day-two-clinton-nominee-sanders

I'm not sure they quite knew what to do with all this energy. But that's what conventions are *supposed* to be like: a combination of vigorous debate and shameless boosterism. The Progressives of the 1890s would be proud of them.

Stephen Colbert is punchy by now - he's not getting enough sleep.

This was one of his funnier ideas, annotating Bill Clinton's speech:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiNq-9WGcCQ

But the jokes point up one problem the media people have with covering two totally different conventions.

It's like I told Elektra this morning:

- Look suppose two candidates were running for borough council. One gets up and says, 'I've got some ideas for rezoning Main Street. [Pulls out map.]' Candidate goes on for about 15 minutes, explaining how the zoning plan would improve commerce and keep the school areas safer, and how to pay for it. Sits down. Some people are yawning.

The next candidate gets up there, and he's wearing a tinfoil hat. 'Friends,' he says, 'I'm going to tell you how we're going to oppose the coming alien invasion and zombie apocalypse.' And he starts handing out tinfoil hats.

Now, you can't just act like these two candidates represent two variations of the same thing, and argue the finer points. Not if you want to remain sane. You've got to say, 'We can argue about the zoning plan, but that nut in the tinfoil hat needs to go somewhere else. Probably the cartoon section of the h2g2 Post.'

See what I mean? My advice: avoid false dichotomies, and you'll live longer.

We'll let them keep talking in Philadelphia. I'm off to the pool. Which is something I think Ben Franklin, that champion swimmer, would have approved of. Did you know he invented swim fins? (I'm becoming a Ben Franklin pest, kind of like a Certain Party and the IoW.)

http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/science/swimfins.htm

She's better than me or Bill - what a salesman! I like the cut of his jib

trump so far from what I've read say this today - tomorrow is oops - day after change mind and do a 360 degree turn

is he heading for ?
1/ blowing a brain blood vessel
2/ nervous breakdown
3/ totally going ga ga and become a basket case
4/ be elected President and start WW3

all with a pinch of salt and humour of course

Never believe anything you read in the press, they never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

F S