My brother, the best conversationalist I know

All of you out there must be jealous. I am the only one who has Matt for a brother.

Today I was in a spiritual lull as I sat in the waiting room at my wife's fourth dentist appointment in two days - this time the tooth was out, no doubt. It was my brother Matt's birthday, so, feeling a little guilty that I 1) hadn't been able to make the trip to Austin for the premiere of his new film, "Crawford", and that I 2) hadn't caught up with him since that event, last weekend, I decided to give him a ring.

Matt, of course, was at work on his birthday. Over the past year, he's put in more time in his edit bay than most first-year ER residents. But that didn't keep him from brightening my day.

Our 27-minute conversation covered the following topics:

1) Film Festivals
2) The intricacies of editing and color correction (explained so that I could almost understand)
3) Fantasy baseball
4) Marc's inability to type in his native language
5) The Rockets' 20-game win streak
6) Novels
7) Movies (Michael Clayton, and All About Your Mother)
8) Traveling
9) Recording sessions
10) Impromptu birthday parties
11) Facebook

My brother was 1) at work, 2) in the midst of a period in his life vastly more interesting than mine currently is, and 3) the birthday boy. But the way he talked and listened made me feel like I, in an oral surgeon's waiting room, had something of equal value to contribute. I guess it's because no matter how mundane my life is, he still is genuinely interested in its contents.

Well here's to me, because I'm the only one who has him for a brother. Joke's on you, hosers!

Nails

NY Times takes aim at Obama

This just in from the newspaper that endorsed Hillary Clinton for the democratic nomination:

"Few From Obama's Youth Remember His Drug Use"

If few remember it, why does it belong on the cover of the New York Times? If the point of the article was that at Occidental College he was even-keeled and highly-motivated, why lead with "Drug Use?" It was 16 years ago that "I didn't inhale" got Bill Clinton in hot water. Are the Clintons trying to nail Obama with the same sort of irrelevant personal history attacks that targeted them?

It's a shame that the New York Times front page is being used for such thinly-veiled character attacks.

The Democratic Primaries - a Drama, or a Tragedy?

Ever since the Bush administration began its nosedive, Democrats have been expecting with increasing certainty to win back the White House in '08. Many analyses show these expectations are well founded.

First, there are the sheer numbers of voters turning out in the early caucuses and primaries. Democratic Iowans turned out in record numbers to caucus for their party's candidates, while Republican caucus goers numbered far fewer.

Second, and the cause of the first, there's the sheer energy surrounding the candidates. There hasn't been this inspiring a Democratic field of candidates in recent memory, and for voters used to the relative soporific splendor of Gore and Kerry, this group hits the jackpot.

Third, there's the fact that the Republican field is less than awe-inspiring. There's no clear front-runner, and (related to "First"), there seems to be little buzz about the field of candidates.

But if you're a Democrat looking toward November, the New Hampshire primary results are a bit troubling. Now, if you're a Hillary fan, then you may think otherwise - certainly her dramatic and emotional comeback was a moment of reassurance, if not vindication, for those who have worked since the end of the first Clinton era to ensure its return. Primary "futures", which are sold like stocks, show Clinton with a 60.1% chance of winning the nomination, compared to Obama's 37.6%. Clinton has returned to her previous position as front-runner.

Republican primary "futures" show a four-man race: McCain 34%, Guliani 30%, Huckabee 19%, and Romney 10%. The trouble for Democrats comes in the potential matchups in the general election, and it seems that the perfect storm is being more and more strongly forecast in the shadow of New Hampshire.

When pitted against every possible Republican nominee, Obama wins by a comfortable margin. The exception is John McCain, with whom he seems to be in a statistical dead heat. Clinton, however, despite (and perhaps on account of) being the most likely Democratic nominee, enjoys a less rosy picture. She is in an extremely close race with both Guliani and Romney. And McCain? She's down about 5%.

Of all the possible combinations of nominees, the one that seems the most likely to result in a Republican victory in November is Clinton/McCain. And now take a look at who won the New Hampshire primary.

The Democratic playbook:

1) Take aim at foot.
2) Fire.