Filibuster Vigilantly

• Uncivil War: of Facebook, Race, and Republicans

  M, an acquaintance from high school recently posted a query on Facebook the other day about political discussions using that platform. He had been "unfriended" by someone who disagreed with his politics. This person had posted that she agreed with President Carter that much of the antics we are currently [...]
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  Posted: September 17, 2009, 5:42pm EDT
  

• Test. So can I ...

  Test. So can I really post to blogger through SMS? [...]
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  Posted: September 17, 2009, 4:54pm EDT
  

• Health care schemes

  FV is thrilled that we have a very good chance of getting health care reform this year. I am interested that President Obama has now said he is open to requiring individuals to purchase health insurance unless they can't afford it. It kind of begs the question, don't those [...]
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  Posted: June 03, 2009, 8:25pm EDT
  

• Nation of laws? Part II

  Memorial Day weekend.
  
  Today's NY Times headline (print version): "Obama Detention Plan Poses Fundamental Test / Lack of Trials a Challenge to Tradition".
  
  Oh, "Challenge to Tradition" must be the new euphemism for subverting due process.
  
  FV was obviously a big supporter of candidate Obama, who' [...]
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  Posted: May 23, 2009, 10:28am EDT
  

• Nation of laws?

  I don't know the legal definition of treason, but perhaps torturing prisoners in order to extract false confessions to justify an invasion might fall somewhere in there...
  
  Just a thought.
  
  Mr. Holder, appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the torture regime. It's not looking backwards; it is [...]
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  Posted: May 23, 2009, 10:13am EDT
  

• Bless us and bless our new president

  
  The Rt Rev Gene Robinson's invocation from Sunday's festivities. Full text here. [...]
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  Posted: January 20, 2009, 1:23pm EST
  

• Reverend Rick

  Since I'm updating the blog so sporadically these days, this is going to look strange coming right after my election night post but here goes.
  
  I've been trying to figure out how much slack to cut President-elect Obama in his choice to have Rev. Rick Warren deliver the invocation [...]
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  Posted: December 29, 2008, 7:56pm EST
  

• Speechless

  Champagne and a few tears flowing at the FV household.
  
  America has made a choice and I am elated at this historic moment.
  
  We have a chance now to get our country back to where it needs to be. To be a beacon of democracy, equality, prosperity, brotherhood [...]
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  Posted: November 05, 2008, 11:37pm EST
  

• Holding my breath for one more day

  
  
  Not much left to say. Except go out and vote!
  
  Madelyn Dunham RIP [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2008, 5:01pm EST
  

• Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain

  [...]
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  Posted: November 02, 2008, 7:25pm EST
  

• Important note from Texas Freedom Network

  Calling all Texans: Let's keep creationism out of our kids' science classes.
  
  It is time for the public comment period on the state's science curriculum standards. The draft looks very good, by the way. But that doesn't mean the anti-science conservatives on the Board can't wreck it. As' [...]
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  Posted: October 30, 2008, 5:06pm EDT
  

• Democracy happens

  And in a big way. Congratulations, Texas, on surpassing the vote totals from 2004 before election day even gets here! [...]
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  Posted: October 30, 2008, 5:05pm EDT
  

• Good times, early voting

  You know what makes up for jerks in East Texas tailgating you due to your bumper stickers and wackos putting propaganda in your mailbox due to your yard sign? (No, I'm not paranoid, why do you ask?)
  
  Casting a ballot.
  
  The line was out the door at Audelia' [...]
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  Posted: October 26, 2008, 4:49pm EDT
  

• Ruthify me

  
  Let me just say, I can relate to what Larry David is going through. I've been really anxious and irritable lately. And maybe it's stuff at work and maybe it's years of savings evaporated in my 401k, but I know it's this election. I can't' [...]
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  Posted: October 24, 2008, 4:53pm EDT
  

• Republican warm fuzzies

  A friend and colleague of mine is a rabid Republican. She and I have fought for months, sometimes very uncomfortably, about politics and the presidential race. As the primaries were winding down she tried to bet me $100 that McCain would win the election. (I modified the bet to lunch [...]
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  Posted: October 23, 2008, 8:10pm EDT
  

• Thank you neighbor!

  A neighbor noticed our missing sign this morning and offered that he had an extra one he'd be happy to give us. That's the kind of gesture that just makes you feel good.
  
  Fire up Lake Highlands Dems! Let's turn precinct 2209 blue!' [...]
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  Posted: October 18, 2008, 9:11pm EDT
  

• Lake Highlands Obama yard signs kidnapped

  Some tool swiped a bunch of Obama yard signs in Lake Highlands - either last night or this morning. It appears that only Obama signs were taken. Other Democratic signs were in their proper place.
  
  OK, this was probably some stupid kid, so I'll not try to read too' [...]
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  Posted: October 13, 2008, 9:14pm EDT
  

• Thank God

  After a week of stoking the fear and hate of the far right wing of his party, Senator McCain has finally done the right thing and is trying to calm down his supporters. Thank you, Senator. I hope your ads, rallies, and rhetoric will all shift to stop questioning [...]
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  Posted: October 11, 2008, 4:22pm EDT
  

• Stirring up trouble

  I have become extremely concerned and disturbed as the campaign has taken a nasty turn this week. It is not surprising that the flailing Republican ticket has decided to go negative. What I have been disturbed by though is the violent language which is being stoked on the campaign [...]
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  Posted: October 10, 2008, 10:03am EDT
  

• Culture clash at Flagpole Hill

  Well, I can see everything is pretty much as I left it back in June. There's plenty on my mind and I have lots of opinions on the presidential campaign, but nothing that I'll share right now.
  
  An interesting thing happened this evening. While picnicking (can you verb picnic?) [...]
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  Posted: September 14, 2008, 8:20pm EDT
  

• Bubble to study congestion pricing

  Bubble City, a.k.a. Highland Park, Texas, is planning to study tolling Mockingbird Lane for through traffic.
  
  This is a great idea. I think the Dallas City Council should immediately move to study tolls for those residents of the Park Cities who would like to leave the comfort of [...]
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  Posted: June 05, 2008, 8:39am EDT
  

• Democrats, not bargaining chips

  Go to huffingtonpost and read this great column by Clinton supporter Hilary Rosen. She has it exactly right. Clinton missed her chance last night to end this primary with some grace. And now she's trying to use her supporters as some kind of bargaining chip for who knows what.[...]
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  Posted: June 04, 2008, 12:45pm EDT
  

• We have a nominee

  Barack Obama claims the Democratic nomination for President of the United States.
  
  “You chose to listen not to your doubts or your fears, but to your greatest hopes and highest aspirations,” Mr. Obama told supporters at a rally in St. Paul. “Tonight, we mark the end of one [...]
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  Posted: June 03, 2008, 10:17pm EDT
  

• A note to the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee

  "It's clear, this election they're having is not going to count for anything."
  -Hillary Clinton (referring to the Michigan primary), October 11, 2007
  
  “Votes cast outside the rule of law and in the absence of contested elections lack moral standing and by themselves have no legitimate claim on the [...]
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  Posted: May 30, 2008, 4:22pm EDT
  

• Wherein I discuss city finances, voting, hotels, and the Trinity River

  This is your last day to vote to rename Industrial Blvd over by our new Trinity River park/highway/floodway/boondoggle. Go here to vote!
  
  And while you are exercising your right to make your voice heard to rename a street, remember that your elected representatives aren't interested in your input' [...]
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  Posted: May 30, 2008, 10:16am EDT
  

• The Bridge opens in Dallas

  Dallas' new homeless assistance center, The Bridge (what an unfortunate name, BID), opened yesterday.
  
  How about this for some anecdotal evidence of initial success: I normally pass 3 Street 'Zine vendors (homeless folks selling newspapers) on my walk from the train each morning. I can see each of [...]
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  Posted: May 21, 2008, 8:24am EDT
  

• Bring on the general election

  Obama passed another milestone yesterday by locking in a majority of pledged delegates with his win in Oregon and despite the drubbing in Kentucky. But can I tell you that I have been genuinely energized by his past couple of speeches. And it's because the focus has turned on McCain,' [...]
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  Posted: May 21, 2008, 8:17am EDT
  

• LH Town Center to seek LEED certification

  The Lake Highlands Town Center will be pursusing sustainable development practices, including LEED certification for the whole development. This is awesome news, courtesy of the Advocate blog. Props to Prescott Realty!
  
  Going Green: Sustainable Development
  Underscoring a commitment to environmental conservation, Prescott Realty Group President Vance Detwiler announced [...]
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  Posted: May 16, 2008, 4:28pm EDT
  

• Toll road delays and overruns

  Shocking!
  
  WFAA Channel 8 reported last night that the tollroad in our floodway is behind schedule and overbudget from what we were promised last year during the referendum. Might cost more than $2 billion according to the report (that's up from $1.3B in November). Thing is, this is' [...]
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  Posted: May 15, 2008, 1:24pm EDT
  

• $500 million convention center hotel: economic engine or boondoggle?

  The Dallas City Council is set to vote today on the purchase of land adjacent to the convention center for the purposes of developing a connected hotel, which apparently the convention folks have long told us we desperately need. Price tag for the land: $42 million. The tax appraisal was [...]
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  Posted: May 14, 2008, 11:37am EDT
  

• Lost in Austin again

  Had a nice little weekend in Austin-town. I am reminded that while I may be considered a tree hugging socialist in Dallas for having an Obama sticker on my V-dub, I look like a prep school yuppie in Austin, even in my Birks.
  
  You need to experience the [...]
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  Posted: May 13, 2008, 8:22am EDT
  

• Closing the deal

  That's what we saw last night. Obama closed the deal with a 13 or 14 point win in North Carolina and a squeaker of a loss in Indiana. Now I think Hillary stays in for two reasons: to save face a bit and come away with a couple more wins, [...]
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  Posted: May 07, 2008, 8:56pm EDT
  

• Prediction time

  I normally don't like to do this but it feels like shooting fish in a barrel at this point: Sen. Clinton will win Indiana. Sen. Obama will win North Carolina, albeit by a smaller margin than he needs to claim a decisive win, and will continue to run out the [...]
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  Posted: May 06, 2008, 8:19am EDT
  

• Happy Birthday Willie!

  The red headed stranger turns 75 today! My iPod will have Whiskey River on continuous loop in tribute.
  
  

  "Here I sit with a drink and a memory
  But I'm not cold, I'm not wet, and I'm not hungry
  So classify these as good times. Good times."
  -Willie

  [...]
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  Posted: April 30, 2008, 8:36am EDT
  

• A Blue Lone Star State?

  Perhaps borrowing a page from the Dallas Cowboys playbook, our fine state may be ready to change its Lone Star to blue. (Butchered metaphor? Perhaps, but I stand by it.)
  
  We received our fresh clean shiny new copy of Texas Monthly on Saturday with a very craggy Willie Nelson [...]
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  Posted: April 29, 2008, 5:04pm EDT
  

• Welcome to Dallas, Bishop Katharine!

  
  The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church in the U.S., was on hand yesterday to bless a community garden at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Dallas. This was Bishop Katharine's first visit to Dallas in her capacity as Presiding [...]
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  Posted: April 29, 2008, 8:30am EDT
  

• Thanks be to God (and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board)

  The Academic Excellence and Research Committee of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board voted unanimously to deny the request of a creationist group to offer a masters degree in science.
  
  This sets up the vote by the full Board today.
  
  “Religious belief is not science,” Higher Education [...]
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  Posted: April 24, 2008, 8:57am EDT
  

• 1, 2, 3, 4, Murdoch declares a newspaper war

  Rupert Murdoch, international king of media and new owner of The Wall Street Journal has declared war on The New York Times. Here's a great Newsweek article about the changes he has in mind. The short of it: a shift to more general news coverage and trying to broaden [...]
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  Posted: April 23, 2008, 1:26pm EDT
  

• And on it goes

  The presidential race continues to Indiana and North Carolina. I like the metaphor that Clinton is "running out of runway." Give her props, she won Pennsylvania, a state whose demographics heavily favor her. But the math just doesn't work for her to overtake Obama in pledged delegates or popular [...]
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  Posted: April 23, 2008, 8:36am EDT
  

• Hug a tree today

  For your Earth Day reading pleasure, I offer the following:
  
  The Transportation Department will make an announcement today that they have a plan to enact the law passed last year raising fuel economy standards for cars and trucks. Does it concern anyone that it merits an announcement that [...]
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  Posted: April 22, 2008, 8:38am EDT
  

• Tag Team Character Assasination

  My quickly dashed off thoughts about the Democratic debate on ABC.
  
  We should launch an investigation looking for links to RWNJ swift boaters who must have brainwashed George Stephanopolous and Charlie Gibson to relentlessly question Obama's credibility based on such things as his not wearing a flag lapel [...]
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  Posted: April 17, 2008, 8:21am EDT
  

• Hump Day Quick Hits

  As we wander through that twilight zone that is the space between Tax Day and Earth Day, I offer you the following Wednesdaylicious rapid strikes.
  
  I am shocked! Shocked, I tell you!
  Proof that outrage over the words "bitter" and "cling" is mostly media-manufactured: Obama's poll numbers [...]
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  Posted: April 16, 2008, 3:46pm EDT
  

• Neanderthal Man to State Board of Education: Don't Fence Me In!

  Apparently I neglected to pick up a copy of the Dallas Observer a couple of weeks ago, and I missed a well reported story by Jesse Hyde about the ultra-right wing creationists taking over our State Board of Education. Luckily I found the article online yesterday. For those who [...]
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  Posted: April 03, 2008, 4:29pm EDT
  

• TEC named official denomination of MLB

  Episcopal Cafe is reporting today that The Episcopal Church has been named the official denomination of Major League Baseball, narrowly beating out the Baptists and the Catholics.
  
  

  Selig said that Episcopalians bring the right mix of arcane tradition, an appreciation of minutiae and a tolerance [...]

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  Posted: April 01, 2008, 1:03pm EDT
  

• Sleep Through the Static

  On the occassion of 5 years at war in Iraq, 4,000 American soldiers killed and 29,000 wounded.
  
  "Sleep Through The Static"
  by Jack Johnson
  
  Trouble travels fast
  When you're specially designed for crash testing
  Or wearing wool sunglasses in the afternoon
  Come on and tell us what you're [...]
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  Posted: March 29, 2008, 9:59am EDT
  

• Superdelegate "primary" in Dallas?

  Here is one good suggestion on how to end the Democratic stalemate, floated by Governor Philip Bredesen of Tennessee: a superdelegate "primary" meeting in June.
  
  Dallas was mentioned as a possible location for this event due to its easy access (and our fabulous nightlife I'm sure...)
  
  [...]
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  Posted: March 27, 2008, 10:34am EDT
  

• Party leaders, now is the time to intervene

  It appears that Senator Clinton cannot win the nomination without the superdelegates overturning the will of the voters. And the only way she can make a convincing case that she is "more electable" than Obama, despite trailing in both the popular vote and the delegate count, is to tear [...]
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  Posted: March 25, 2008, 10:39am EDT
  

• The Morning News - the newspaper I love to hate

  So my daily newspaper unveiled its latest look this morning. And it just screams USA Today. The pages are narrower and the section mastheads have a new colorful font. My pages weren't actually narrower this morning, just more white space on the sides - apparently they aren't done with [...]
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  Posted: March 25, 2008, 9:15am EDT
  

• Obama picks up big endorsement

  Question: Who is most frequently mentioned as a possible running mate for both Sens. Clinton and Obama?
  
  Answer: Governor Bill Richardson, who will endorse Barack Obama today in Portland, OR.
  
  This is a big win for Obama. In my admittedly biased opinion, I think this may be [...]
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  Posted: March 21, 2008, 8:01am EDT
  

• Race in America

  Barack Obama's powerful speech on Race in America on Tuesday was a poignant moment in this campaign. He addressed an issue that I had honestly hoped would not have to be addressed. After listening to his speech, I realized that it had to be addressed, and it's going to be [...]
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  Posted: March 20, 2008, 8:36am EDT
  

• One week later, Texas called for Obama

  I�d like to apologize to the rest of the nation on behalf of my home state. Apparently Texas Democrats have trouble not only with organization but with counting. But it appears that Sen. Obama actually won the most delegates in Texas according to CNN. And does that not mean [...]
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  Posted: March 12, 2008, 9:56am EDT
  

• One more thought on the Texas primary

  Just wanted to say thank you to the Fort Worth Republicans who kept creationist Barney Maddox off the State Board of Education. This was a very important election for the whole state and y'all came through. Thanks! [...]
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  Posted: March 05, 2008, 5:02pm EST
  

• Clinton stops Obama's big mo'

  The momentum has been halted. No way anybody's getting out of this race anytime soon. I think Obama will maintain his delegate lead. He'll actually probably win the most delegates in Texas due to the odd delegate rules, but that's a Pyrrhic victory. It's echos of 2000 with Gore winning [...]
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  Posted: March 05, 2008, 8:10am EST
  

• Dems make FV work hard to make voice heard

  Just got back from the caucus and put the kids to bed. What a crazy scene. I must agree with the gentleman who patiently waited beside me in line to sign in who observed: "who knew there were this many Democrats?"
  
  It was also suggested that this would be [...]
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  Posted: March 04, 2008, 8:42pm EST
  

• Pajama Caucus

  We're getting ready for step two of the Texas Two-Step in the FV household. Will attend the caucus at a nearby elementary school with kids in tow (probably in jammies). I'm really excited to get to participate in this way in choosing the nominee. It was just a few months [...]
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  Posted: March 03, 2008, 9:28pm EST
  

• Early voting done

  FV did his civic duty this morning and moseyed down to the Records Building to cast a ballot for Obama. It was fairly busy for early voting. There was a short but growing line. I heard several people ask for Democratic ballots but none asking for Republican ballots. Wife of [...]
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  Posted: February 27, 2008, 12:56pm EST
  

• Texas hogs spotlight

  There is so much to discuss about the campaign moving to Texas I don�t know where to begin. I did not take the morning off to attend the Obama rally on Wednesday. Some speculated that it must have been the largest political rally in the history of Dallas. People began [...]
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  Posted: February 22, 2008, 5:07pm EST
  

• The Texas Democratic Primacaucus

  Marc Ambinder at the Atlantic has an analysis of the Texas primary system, which is kind of a hybrid between a primary and a caucus. (Props to Frontburner for linking to this.)
  
  It's a little confusing, but the upshot is don't write off Texas just because [...]
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  Posted: February 13, 2008, 1:04pm EST
  

• About that Obama personality cult

  A lot of folks are cynical and put off by what is increasingly being referred to as a cult of personality around Barack Obama. I understand that reticence. But I wonder: isn�t this a natural byproduct of having a potentially transformational candidate at a time when the country desperately [...]
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  Posted: February 12, 2008, 8:25pm EST
  

• They're campaigning down in Texas

  Who'd a thunk it? Super Tuesday is over and we still have a race. The Morning News says it's been "decades" and the first time in a generation that the Texas primary has mattered to the outcome of the nominating contests. It certainly hasn't happened in my memory [...]
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  Posted: February 06, 2008, 8:09am EST
  

• Yes We Can

  [...]
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  Posted: February 04, 2008, 9:28pm EST