...Barack Obama.

Well better late than never.  I'm suprised that it took this long for them to jump on board (with someone).  He appears on the cover of the forthcoming issue (good, no more looking at Jack Johnson's ugly mug on the current one) and is featured in a very eloquent essay from publisher Jann Wenner.  Full text is available here, but here's a brief passage (after the fold):

Initially, Christopher Hitchens, the Vanity Fair columnist and author of the bestseller God Is Not Great, was someone whose unfiltered arrogance was strangely compelling despite its ugliness.  Though the concept behind his diatribes against religion made me squirm in my pew, he was often right even when he was dead wrong (if that makes sense).  I had not heard of or read any other work or op-ed piece by Mr. Hitchens, so I had no basis for his stance on other sociocultural themes.

Then I came across his recent terse commentary on Barack Obama, which makes all the other "race card" hoo-ha you've been reading for the past few days seem like much ado about nothing (which it is, actually).

...goes to Barack Obama, with a great writeup that hits some solid and salient points on who is best suited to lead America's foreign policy.

Today (12/30/07), Barack was endorsed by the Marshalltown Times-Republican, a daily newspaper serving central Iowa.

Full text after the jump.

I've caught on to a few unique hints lately regarding the potential and collateral damage of combat overseas, both current (Iraq) and looming (Iran).  And it goes beyond what you'd grasp from fleeting headlines or momentary soundbites.

Last night, I had a lengthy chat with my son, Sam.  But the conversation took place via an interesting and abstract medium of communication, my wife's tummy.  You see, Sam is set to enter this world in February 2008, at which time we should know (1) who the nominees for the Presidency will be, and (2) whether or not we set off the undoing of this country via actions against Iran.  

I'm lovin' it.  This is exactly what I've been wanting to see for months.  Sharp words between Clinton and Obama on Iran via concurrently released campaign e-mails today, with the most vitriolic coming from Hillary no less.  This was probably in response to Obama's message, and more notably, a continuation of Clinton's reactionary maneuvers over the past week or so.  Those who have been complaining that Obama's been in defensive mode for too long can breathe a sigh of relief.  Hillary was standing down and trying to hold her own for awhile, but that doesn't work for too long.  Especially when she gets her hide chapped and claws back like an agitated feline.  

Ben Smith at The Politico reports that Barack Obama has earned the endorsement of the largest union in Illinois, the SEIU Illinois State Council:

Meanwhile, the Illinios SEIU backed Obama today in a release that discusses efforts in "neighboring states."


[Key line: "Already, hundreds of members are volunteering to phone bank, door knock and to travel to neighboring states to support Obama's presidential bid."]

More after the jump...

As a soon-to-be first-time father, I took the cursory dive a few months ago (when I learned that my wife was pregnant) to become an informed potential parent.  Thanks to baby book purchases and countless Google searches, I found a plethora of resources dedicated to expectant parents and new Dads.  Since my wife and I hadn't yet agreed on a name (and didn't learn the gender until last week), we left that idea open to suggestion.  That's where the trained online experts at BabyNamesWorld come in.  They offer a free "baby name suggestion" subscription service that e-mails you daily with recommendations, based on various criteria.  The personal settings only ask you to enter your child's due date and whether you want boy or girl names (or both).  How they choose names beyond that is a mystery only known to modern science.

"And who in his mind has not probed the black water?" - John Steinbeck: "East Of Eden"

The many layers that envelop the ongoing military contractor controversy are being gradually unpeeled to reveal some ugly truths at its core.  The most reprehensible of them all is the common refrain about how trigger-happy commandos on a corporate payroll get by with no government oversight.  And how acts such as intoxication on the job and reckless, unprovoked murder on the part of these hired guns have been systematically silenced by the State Department.  Once again, we learn that under the Bush Administration, we no longer live in a nation of laws.  It's now a nation of men who unscrupulously have each other's back when it comes to preservation of self-interest.