Forget Demzilla. This is real news: we've finally done it. Check out this article which points out a new fundraising tool called ePatriots for the Dems to rival anything the GOP has. Essentially, the code on a popular blog or website will allow DNC-supporting blogs to track the amount of cash they raise (much like an Amazon link...only instead of money back you can earn cool prizes) and at the end of the nomination fight, to garner enough cash to defeat Bush and his minions. We're way in front of the elephants on this one...as Dean and his meetup challenge folks can attest. So go to the site, sign your blog up today and start raising money for the DNC.

The Donkeys are starting to get serious.

First up, some guys have developed a working force field. Go figure.

Second, my hand is ticking me off. I slashed my finger open yesterday in my garden, while attempting to prune some rose bushes. It's barely a nick, but because it's on my left index finger, I am constantly reminded of its presence, kind of like when you have an annoying piece of popcorn stuck somewhere in your mouth. It's not that bad, but thinking about it makes you wish it weren't there even more.

Third, my office doesn't seem to understand that when you send huge documents to large numbers of people, or absurdly large documents (someone just tried to send an 80 megabyte file) to small numbers of people, our internet connection gets hosed. I just can't seem to get through to people sometimes. It's like they're being protected by some sort of knowledge-prevention force field.

Yes, it's no longer news, but just in case you missed it, here's the interview with Mr. Feith from Wednesday. Gor a quick synopsis, check out this tnr piece about the incident. The staff member interjection has to be the highlight.

Thanks to a 1.5 hour lunch break, copious amount of blue sky and sunshine during said sojourn and a mango lassi to top it all off, I'm in a great mood, despite a frenetic day at work.

Oh, and the jobless claims hit a five-week high today.

Someone commented that they really skip all the political stuff on the website to merely focus on the personal stuff. Well, that's all right, but I'm not going to change anything.

Read this great interview. It's a must. There are several points that I agree with completely, especially this one:

Although Dean embraces trade, he maintains that trade agreements need to be rewritten to include labor rights, both to protect American workers" jobs and to promote American defense and international security. "Yes, I like trade," he says. "Trade is very, very good for the world. It's a great part of our defense policy to develop middle-class countries in other parts of the world. Those countries don't go to war with each other, they don't attack us, they don't harbor groups like al-Qaeda. It's a defense issue. My position is, if it's okay for General Motors to send their plant from Dearborn to Matamoros, then it's okay to send the UAW down to organize that plant."

I've never understood how labor went from being pro-trade in the 50's and 60's to anti-trade by the 80's and 90's. Regardless, the best way to help labor and business both is to push for open markets, and allow workers there to unionize. This helps American workers in the end, because our industries will thrive and provide better jobs and wages both here and abroad.