tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78922602011-07-08T16:08:08.306+02:00What's going on here anyway?A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.comBlogger971100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-64863801015535772652009-07-20T21:03:00.002+02:002009-07-20T21:06:06.637+02:00

As you've noticed im sure, this blog has kind of become dead space for the past 6 months or so.I can't promise to revive it, i guess if I have anything on my mind I'll put it up here. What i CAN offer, however, is a new blog project: "Exit Port A"Its kind of a collaboration effort with a few political scientists and friends. Come check us out!

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-12891562178528634322008-11-22T14:26:00.000+01:002008-11-22T14:27:09.109+01:00

As the winter slowly creeps up on us (it snowed today) and Obama begins this transition into the worst job on the planet, things in Tuebingen are ramping up (or down?). I have begun laying out the details of my thesis and wrapping up my classes for the winter holidays. For those of you that will be in the Portland area, I am going to be there from the 15th to the 26th of december. Short trip, I

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-80405460409442211072008-11-07T20:06:00.004+01:002008-11-07T20:17:29.719+01:00

President Barack Hussein Obama Jr.Say that out loud to yourself once or twice...It was a LONG night over here, as I was the main attraction at a DAI election party on tuesday night (wednesday morning). As I said, I was a part of a panel discussion, and was followed around by a camera team the whole night. Litterally, I was wired with a mic and followed with a camrea over my shoulder for most of

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-80111036067720696472008-10-30T21:37:00.003+01:002008-10-30T21:41:35.032+01:00

Here's an interesting counter point to the charges that Obama can't win because of racism in america:http://www.esquire.com/the-side/feature/racists-support-obama-061308a preview:"Who: Chairman, American Nazi Party Likes: Hitler, white people Dislikes: Jews, immigrants, multinational corporations Career highlights: Being widely quoted bemoaning in the fact that so few Aryan-Americans had the

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-22573325251556172152008-10-30T20:45:00.002+01:002008-10-30T21:08:50.813+01:00

Tuesday is going to be a big day here in Germany as well. Here in Tuebingen the German American Instititue is holding an all night election party in one of the biggest movie theaters in town. They will be showing live feeds of CNN and MSNBC on the big screen, and there is a whiskey bar. As one of the "election experts" at the Institute, I am going to be a part of the festitivies. I am going to be

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-2054918003706989202008-10-30T20:02:00.004+01:002008-10-30T20:45:35.364+01:00

4 days left until the election...Are you getting worried yet?If you are a Democrat, you are either elated beyond belief or quietly steeling yourself for disappointment. All of the vitals of the election seem to point to a win by the good guys: national trackers put Obama at around +7% nationally, and the new political wizard Nate Silver is predicting a blowout (If Silver's predictions hold up,

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-63459388498952684672008-10-17T15:46:00.002+02:002008-10-17T16:00:41.125+02:00

One of the items from the last debate that I haven't seen much reported is John McCain's response to the question of abortion and Roe v. Wade. SCHIEFFER: But you don't want Roe v. Wade to be overturned? MCCAIN: I thought it was a bad decision. I

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-26993879942068594912008-10-16T20:34:00.001+02:002008-10-16T20:34:59.730+02:00

Pretty funny recap of the debate by way of Ben Smith today:

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-70393858085435358522008-10-14T22:06:00.002+02:002008-10-14T22:11:13.957+02:00

For those of you that want to know why Obama will win this election, look no further than his Ground Game. Those that have taken my advice and read some of the stuff at www.fivethirtyeight.com know that the Obama campaign is doing crazy well at organizing and getting out his message on a person by person basis.For a deeper look at what he's actually doing at the ground level, check this article

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-9237593993262531662008-10-04T13:21:00.001+02:002008-10-04T13:21:39.437+02:00

Get the latest news satire and funny videos at 236.com.

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-69136716577483288582008-10-02T17:25:00.001+02:002008-10-02T17:25:46.715+02:00

In preparation for the debate by way of Andrew Sullivan:

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-17919397752275803902008-10-02T12:39:00.002+02:002008-10-02T12:47:08.484+02:00

So I guess I was right about the debate on Friday. After all of the polling and punditry, it turns out that more people thought Obama "won" the debate than McCain. Perhaps more importantly, Obama solidified his base and improved on multiple fronts throughout last week...Now we'll see how well Palin can stand up to the horribly biased Gwen Ifill tonight.and for your viewing pleasure:

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-53128225195051630262008-09-27T12:57:00.002+02:002008-09-27T13:04:06.887+02:00

So I stayed up and watched the debates last night. They began here at 3am and went till 430 or so. I've been reading some of the punditry out there, and I think only one guy got it right: Nate Silver over at 538. I like this guy's techniques, and I think those of you that might be worried about whether John McCain will win should read his Bio here and check out his (and his partner Sean Quinn)

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-43015353033384334362008-09-17T01:44:00.003+02:002008-09-17T01:50:14.367+02:00

So, apparently, one of John McCain's advisors said today, when asked what McCain's record on the Senate Commerce Committee has been, "You're looking at the miracle that John McCain helped create," while holding up his Blackberry...Which has, of course, led to a lot of people trying to make this his "Al Gore created the Internet" moment.I like this version:

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-47711353929996541302008-09-16T22:37:00.003+02:002008-09-16T22:39:16.995+02:00

Seems the Obama campaign has responded to plans by the Michigan GOP to deny voting rights to those who have lost their homes to foreclosure.Now they need to get it off the NYTimes BLOG and onto the Front Page...

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-87135573730389767832008-09-12T00:33:00.005+02:002008-09-12T16:13:23.221+02:00

The Obama Campaign should hit this issue HARD.A TV ad buy and talking points need to be written about how the Republican Party is using Foreclosure Lists to suppress voter turnout in Michigan and Ohio. That is, those people who have lost their homes will be denied their voting rights at the polling place unless they have updated their addresses. “We will have a list of foreclosed homes and will

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-32249865584120195122008-09-11T23:26:00.004+02:002008-09-12T00:46:16.604+02:00

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-90759526581654860522008-09-08T15:19:00.003+02:002008-09-08T15:41:05.032+02:00

A few links from my usual sources that I thought worth reading:This is an example of modern rhetorical analysis - especially the discussion at the end.Also from Slate: Can Joe Biden still win the debate against Palin?I am SHOCKED that Sarah Palin is refusing to give interviews to the press. Do people understand that she could become President without anyone knowing what her thoughts are on a

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-40008698008549505422008-08-31T20:36:00.001+02:002008-08-31T20:36:55.805+02:00

Damn good Stairway...thanks to Henry Abbott...

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-15841101264168787892008-08-23T14:01:00.003+02:002008-08-23T16:33:47.371+02:00

Thank you Barack Obama. I liked Joe Biden the presidential candidate and i think he rounds out the ticket perfectly. I also think this pick demonstrates that he is willing to out his ego in check and really pick someone that would add weight to the ticket. Anyway, there will be a TON of stuff on this in the next few days to read, but since the pick was announced 5 hours ago (at 3AM eastern time)

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-10602618544636918092008-08-04T18:45:00.003+02:002008-08-04T19:48:19.295+02:00

I know, I know. Its been over a month.But seriously folks, what really happened? The election has taken its predictable turn of events.Obama and Hillary had a well staged but akward reunion party, and there are still rumors around that Bill still hasn't gotten over it.John McCain has said some, uhh, stuff and offered a few policy proposals that seem to miss the pointObama took his foreign policy

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-41391298296950382008-06-08T13:12:00.002+02:002008-06-08T13:39:33.586+02:00

Its been a while since i've posted, mostly because its been a busy few months (Nice trip to Portland, work and school) but also because the Democratic Primary was totally news-unworthy after the Pennsylvannia Primary. After that is was a forgone conclusion that Obama would get the nomination, it was just a matter of how long it would take for Hillary to get out of the race..and she finally

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-65434724554789080992008-04-29T15:58:00.002+02:002008-12-09T16:13:17.670+01:00

The basketball metaphor will never get old...

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-25868579171427843402008-04-21T21:01:00.004+02:002008-04-21T22:16:03.040+02:00

In anticipation of tomorrow night, some bullets:Regardless of the outcome, the money issue has got to come into play here pretty soon. Hillary can't continue to run her campaign into the financial ground and expect to get anywhere. I'm really surprised that the Obama campaign hasn't been subtly (or not so subtly) suggesting to the media that she has already proven herself incompetent to be

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-53416624380221066762008-04-20T13:09:00.003+02:002008-04-20T13:11:35.777+02:00

This video was recently released by Senator Ron Wyden (from OREGON!) pushing his new Healthcare bill. I think it is one of the most entertaining political ads I've ever seen.

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-40331201546466112612008-04-17T17:04:00.002+02:002008-04-17T17:07:46.357+02:00

So the ABC debate last night in Philadelphia was apparently a total bomb. I was talking to my mother the other day about the election, and she mentioned that she was still undecided and was going to watch the debate to see if she could learn anything about the policy differences between Clinton and Obama. I told her that they wouldn't talk about anything interesting, and it turns out I was

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-63063158182699255802008-04-16T14:47:00.001+02:002008-04-16T14:48:59.431+02:00

In order to get a grasp on this Pennsylvania Election i thought it would be good to have a bit of perspective. Thus, a retrospective courtesy of Mr. Colbert

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-22997567042265166162008-04-05T01:42:00.003+02:002008-04-05T02:08:52.208+02:00

This is the most cogent argument for being wary about Obama that I have heard and one that i have heard from multiple Hillary supporters.Read that...And then look at these poll numbers.Does that mean that Obama is just selling his supporters on the optimism of a vague presidency? I guess to refute that point Obama should show some of the hard positions he has taken and stood for, even though they

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-67306353741416638262008-04-02T20:07:00.003+02:002008-04-02T20:12:36.074+02:00

I made the point a few days ago that Obama's general election strategy could put many more states into play if he added Richardson to the ticket as VP (and running a Black-Brown ticket as some have called it). Turns out he might not need Richardson..Josh Putnam at Frontloading HQ has done a great job of collecting the data from individual state polls, and mapping them onto the electoral board...

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-59852380914767024192008-04-02T18:39:00.002+02:002008-04-02T18:41:40.629+02:00

Thank you Tim Dickinson, for unifying my two obsessions: NBA basketball and the Presidential Election.

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-77087414091981792912008-04-01T20:04:00.002+02:002008-04-01T20:08:48.679+02:00

So, i've been going through the series The West Wing recently, watching every episode from seasons 1-7. Its been a bit of an addiction lately. I've been wanting to post about the similarities between the successor to Jed Bartlett, Matt Santos (played by Jimmy Smits) and Barack Obama, because they are often uncanny. From his campaign kickoff speech to his speech at the democratic convention,

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-23338407147455208972008-03-30T22:02:00.002+02:002008-03-30T22:07:04.459+02:00

This is noteworthy because Mark McKinnon is McCain's chief media strategist.Read hereAlso note that among his reasons why McCain has a chance in November, "the fact that they've got a prolonged and protracted fight for the nomination", is the biggest one. He calls it, "an enormous gift to the McCain campaign" and a "huge strategic advantage"still think that Hillary should fight till the summer?

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-49980076073048151962008-03-30T16:42:00.001+02:002008-03-30T16:43:56.694+02:00

Still not for Obama?Go see a shrink

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-36051017587974301122008-03-27T12:18:00.002+01:002008-03-27T12:22:25.176+01:00

Check this article out: Obama is Nietzschean Just a quick thought.. If Obama just took a long weekend break in the Virign Islands (where he won the primary 90% - 10% about a month ago), couldn't he have just as easily gone to Guam or Puerto Rico, where they still haven't voted yet? He could have still had a vacation, but have done it in a place where the people still haven't voted.Are these the

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-47077814315810249112008-03-23T02:21:00.005+01:002008-03-23T03:27:57.071+01:00

Here's some random thoughts on things in the campaign:Seems Obama has weathered the Wright storm fairly well, but I don' think it's going to help him in Pennsylvania. We'll definitely see Wright again in the general though; the clips of him on YouTube are pre-made attack ads.Big Upps to Bill Richarson, who finally listened to his conscience and backed our guy. That he did it in Portland was a

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-76441837796891318672008-03-17T13:14:00.003+01:002008-03-17T13:16:21.006+01:00

Not sure that you guys heard about the Tina Fey SNL skit a few weeks ago where she touted Hillary Clinton as a petter president, but it looks like the SNL crew wanted to allow a bit of reciprocity.Thus, Tracy Morgan:

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-10923584006153406492008-03-16T14:56:00.002+01:002008-03-16T14:59:58.697+01:00

I just found this article over at The New Republic."Obama's star power is partly a testament to the miasma of incompetency rising from the nation's capitol. In some respects Obama is to Bush and post-9/11 America as Adenauer was to Hitler and post-war Germany, and Tony Dungy was to Sam Wyche and the hapless '95 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He's change. He's new. He's completely unidentifiable with the

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-68299195822312730822008-03-13T13:45:00.001+01:002008-03-13T13:46:36.705+01:00

For those of you that didn't see Kieth Olbermann last night:

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-26138779853607487662008-03-03T12:29:00.003+01:002008-12-09T16:13:17.976+01:00

One of the interesting aspects of this campaign has been the use of Multimedia video on the internet (a la You tube) as political bullets in the media war waged between the campaigns. Perhaps it shouldn't be too surprising that Obama's campaign has benefited by a large amount of such individual creativity; he is, after all, the candidate that tries to inspire his supporters to work on their own

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-59474663419127570392008-02-25T11:55:00.002+01:002008-02-25T13:03:14.706+01:00

Hi everyone,It's been a while since I've posted here, which was a result of a series of factors. One was that I had Finals and a paper to write. That got finished last week, and now the semester break can begin! There were also 11 (!) elections since I last posted, not including Super Tuesday. The 11th was Americans Abroad, who's votes only counted for a total of 4.5 delegates. As you probably

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-18564856432171169762008-02-04T03:51:00.000+01:002008-02-04T03:52:10.350+01:00

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-40947592384349599542008-01-28T22:33:00.000+01:002008-01-28T22:36:50.363+01:00

Remarks for Senator Barack ObamaKennedy Endorsement EventMonday, January 28, 2008Washington, DCThank you Congressman Kennedy and Caroline and Senator Kennedy for your words, your support, and the service you’ve rendered to this country.I stand here today with a great deal of humility. I know what your support means. I know the cherished place the Kennedy family holds in the hearts of the American

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-28740636066401769492008-01-24T00:59:00.000+01:002008-01-24T01:00:46.354+01:00

Just got this link from Ben Smith over at the Politicohttp://www.myspace.com/looniticListen to the song "dear hillary and bill":-)

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-90439697359487428852008-01-21T14:46:00.000+01:002008-01-21T15:07:00.549+01:00

As my good buddy Jim pointed out, we should want to vote for him because we like hearing him speak. Don't rhetorical skills help diplomacy? Doesn't it matter that GW made the US seem like a country of illiterate assholes? Do we really want our representative to the world to be as constructed and cold as Hillary Clinton? Or do we want this guy?And for those of you really interested in hearing the

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-36416563312873260362008-01-21T14:21:00.000+01:002008-01-21T14:46:09.461+01:00

I am neither Jewish nor Catholic, although my family traditions are steeped in those religionsI am neither Buddhist nor Taoist, although I believe in a universal connection of life and matterI am both an existentialist and a fatalist: I believe our life is what we make of it, and yet I am convinced that our thoughts and actions are part of a larger whole that is outside of our control.I am not a

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-29865242400154316892008-01-20T15:46:00.000+01:002008-01-20T18:05:06.690+01:00

So, now that Hillary has won the Nevada Caucus with overwhelming 'Latino' support, and Obama received something like 88% of black votes, the media narrative has been further established. As I mentioned in the Update yesterday, some people are begining to take notice of this phenomenon (also, it turns out that Dick Morris posted a similar theory about a week ago). That can only help to raise

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-46046968345233823432008-01-19T16:11:00.000+01:002008-12-09T16:13:18.207+01:00

I'm terribly afraid that the Clinton campaign had a specific goal in mind when they recently injected race into the media campaign that is being waged in this election and that despite some of the flack that they have taken for it, that their strategy may well be paying off.By lightly insulting both Obama and black history in general, they begin to solidify his image as a black candidate. As

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-27230117712322383082008-01-14T01:01:00.000+01:002008-01-14T01:13:32.502+01:00

Hey all,its been a long time since I've posted. Happy new years and I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season.Given the rancor into which the democratic race for president has recently fallen, i am more and more certain that Hillary Clinton is the last person i want in the white house. It is simply unbelievable the smear politics and pure spin that the Clinton campaign has been

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-37684618450068296892007-11-09T02:04:00.000+01:002007-11-09T02:05:47.188+01:00

Fed Chairman Says Economy Likely to Slow

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-54160014125676639402007-11-08T02:31:00.000+01:002007-11-08T02:32:31.128+01:00

See!!

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-20474618725098810982007-11-07T15:23:00.001+01:002008-12-09T16:13:18.394+01:00

I'm getting worried. As an American living abroad I am obviously very sensitive to the relative strength of the US dollar in relation to the Euro. I've been following the decline of the dollar in recent months fairly continually, getting more and more depressed as the value of the old greenback fell from $1.30 per 1 euro to $1.40 and higher.Whats more, I was startled to see the dollar begin to

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-82459109603149774172007-10-21T20:42:00.000+02:002007-10-21T21:08:46.536+02:00

So, its snowing. Snowed last night, and its snowing again. I guess winter is here...I'd like to take up on a tangent that I brought up last post, where i mentioned that Obama should respond to questions of experience during a televised debate. I sent an e-mail after that to the Obama campaign and, although there hasnt yet been a nationally televised debate since then, he has yet to step up to the

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-26393233045522673732007-10-04T16:01:00.000+02:002007-10-04T20:26:37.820+02:00

oi oi oi,its been another two months since I've posted. Normally this wouldn't be much of a problem, except that last time, i promised a follow up on the topic of the importance of charisma in a Presidential candidate. Well, I'm going to shift my focus a bit today, and ask about a little thing called "experience".This word means a lot in this election season, particularly as it relates to the

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-85892159328047087022007-08-01T19:22:00.000+02:002007-08-01T20:01:49.604+02:00

What does it take to be a good president? I would postulate that there are 3 general qualities that a person should have. They are:1. Critical thinking ability, that is, the ability to quickly analyze complex situations and determine a plan of action based on some sort of an objective-as-possible rational framework (what this framework actually is, is left to the voting public to judge).2. The

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-91666273016196591952007-08-01T19:21:00.000+02:002007-08-01T19:22:06.070+02:00

In case i havent mentioned it, i'm going to be in portland, Oregon fromthe 7th of august till the 20th of september. Thats next week baby!!

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-70273483708641540212007-06-26T00:28:00.000+02:002008-12-09T16:13:18.798+01:00

A Few Updates:- Web 2.0 making life for those of us that follow the presidential campaign a little too closely a bit more tolerable.. (see you tube video on the right)- Mom and Rachel coming to visit tomorrow. All psyched up to show them around, and the weather is really not cooperating.- Finishing up my English classes in the next few weeks...so I'll have even less day to day responsibility and

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-44405075594756506122007-05-05T18:19:00.000+02:002007-05-05T18:35:10.712+02:00

After what can only be described as a wonderfully hot and dry April, we have begun may on a bit of a wet note...The flowers have already bloomed, pollinated, and strewn their seeds into the wind. The trees are full and green, and have also already bloomed. The birds and the bees are back. the mosquitoes are back...it must be spring.School started two weeks ago, and my work schedule started up

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-69447243221257050562007-03-21T12:29:00.000+01:002007-03-21T12:57:21.626+01:00

Just thought i should drop some info into the internet for you all to read.First off, its snowing. Thats right. ITs been the warmest winter in the history of germany, the flowers are blooming and the trees are begining to get new leaves, and two days ago it began to snow again. Now the snow isnt sticking to the ground, but its been coming down pretty heavily off and on for the past few days.

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-66991253765593528072007-03-04T18:23:00.000+01:002007-03-04T18:24:13.034+01:00

http://picasaweb.google.com/afortunateonethats my new online picture site... stay tuned for more uploads!

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-23284150940518733652007-02-20T15:02:00.000+01:002007-02-20T16:01:40.408+01:00

Its almost 60 degrees here, with crystal clear blue skies and gorgeous sunshine. its been like this for the last 4 days actually. Snow is about as far from everyone's mind as it can be. People walking in the park, sitting outside at cafes. I even saw some kids walking around in shorts the other day...The only reminder of the fact that it is, actually, February, is that there are no leaves on the

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-68290560897892303152007-02-01T12:33:00.000+01:002007-02-01T13:04:42.782+01:00

Its been so long since i've updated my blog, that i was prompted to update my software and my password when i logged on...super.HI EVERYONE! im back online, and super happy about it. Since moving into my new apartment, ive been internet-less. 2 months later, i finally got a connection. so, here i am, updating my blog like a good internet citizen.Christmas and new years are gone, its 2007, and

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-1163346244433922142006-11-12T16:28:00.000+01:002006-11-21T16:39:09.596+01:00

Hi all,its been a long time since ive updated, but thats nothing new here at the Update. Its been a generally good october and november so far, and i wanted to let you all in on the news over here in Europe.First things first: I am MOVING! out of the dorms, into an apartment. With Steffi. We found a really nice 2 bedroom in town that was affordable and well locaten near the university. We've

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-1159025217261531452006-09-23T17:09:00.000+02:002006-09-23T17:42:29.966+02:00

September 23, 2006. Back in Tuebs. Gathering myself for another gruelling year of school, work and the brutal german winter.For those of you keeping up with us here at the Fortuna Update, you know that i just spent a month and half back in the homeland of Portland. From august 8th till September 7th, i had an amazing time enjoying a warm summer, hangning out with my family and Steffi, working as

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-1151010715819534582006-06-22T22:50:00.000+02:002006-06-23T16:05:52.400+02:00

Its the end of June, and i would like to belive that some of you are wondering what happened to my blog. The last time i updated it was in may, and that seems like forever ago at this point.Here's a pathetic attempt to update you all:School has been stessful. its amazing how three classes here can be more stressful than 5 at ASU, but its the truth. Latin is continuing to wieght me down, and

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-1144238483764101782006-04-05T13:50:00.000+02:002006-04-05T14:01:23.826+02:00

its april 5th, and its snowing. been snowing since morning. white all over the ground again...after three weeks of wonderful oregon, steffi and i returned to a nice wet but warm germany. We went to Dresden last weekend, and saw a bit of good old spring flooding. its been sunny and dry in tuebingen the past three days, and everyone here was gearing up for spring. Easter deco, a few barbecues here

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-1141043714840655062006-02-27T13:27:00.000+01:002006-02-27T13:35:35.460+01:00

Ladies and Gentlemen,As i pack up in preparation for my excursion back to Mother Oregon i thought i would give you all a heads up as to the plans of Fortuna Tour 2006. It'll be an action packed 3 weeks, as Steffi and I try to pack in as much sightseeing as possible.our original plans had us travelling all the way to san fran to see the lovely Sarena and the town, but because of time and car

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-1138895952426083912006-02-02T16:43:00.000+01:002006-02-02T16:59:12.496+01:00

Its already february, and i havent posted in a while. the past month has been pretty mundane actually, and this post should be pretty short...just a quick recap.First, happy new years to all and sich stuff. I celerated the holidays with Steffi and her family, and it was a really nice two weeks. I spoke and heard exclusivelly german, which ended up imporving my german more than i expected. It kind

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-1133891027840388082005-12-06T18:01:00.000+01:002005-12-06T18:43:47.940+01:00

Here's how the month of November went here in Germany:After 5 weeks of the semester, i can oficially say that i am not a fan of Latin. Its not so much the language as the professor, and the breakneck pace. First off, the lady (girl really) teaching this course got her PhD last year, and this is her second semester teaching the class. One may think that this would give her a certin sense of

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-1130754571901183312005-10-31T11:03:00.001+01:002005-11-04T11:19:06.200+01:00

I just finished reading a bunch of political news articles on various websites and topped it off by catching up on my Daily show headlines (they've got 'em all online!). Pretty much the usual morning ritual...So they got Libby, but it seems we've missed on our first attempt to take down the Brain (and we all know i'm referring to Karl Rove). It occurs to me that this presidency is amazingly like

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-1129980400365584012005-10-22T13:24:00.000+02:002005-10-22T13:26:40.366+02:00

Sunset over the Amalfi Coast outside of Naples, Italy

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-1129980032233655152005-10-22T12:37:00.000+02:002005-10-22T13:20:33.050+02:00

Welcome back to another edition of the Fortuna Update :-)Before we get into the juicy details of my life for the past month or so, i wanted to take this moment for a bit of a policital digression. I have been following the goings on of american politics since i left pretty closely, and have been particularly interested in the topics surrounding almost every major republican leader of our nation.

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-1127912410467263142005-09-28T15:00:00.000+02:002005-09-28T15:01:28.346+02:00

Sunset over the Oregon Coast...

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-1127912389276713022005-09-28T14:53:00.000+02:002005-09-28T14:59:56.490+02:00

For thos of you that heve been going to my webshots page expecting to see new pitcures, i apologize for not getting them up there. Webshots has changed thier system recently. now i have to load up each picture individually when i creat a new album, which is a pain in the ass. I have eo download a program from them if i really want to uplod multiple pictures now, and im resisting..Other than that:

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-1126891574426714052005-09-16T18:49:00.000+02:002005-09-16T23:38:07.263+02:00

So here i am, back in germany. I arrived Wednesday evening, after a wild 3 day transit through Chicago, Boston and London. It is now Friday night, and i havent even unpacked yet. Been spending the last two days with Steffi, and am finally getting around to cleaning up my room and getting my life back in ordnung. I want to thank Dave right off the bat for letting me crash on his couch monday

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-1122389761975241872005-07-26T15:11:00.000+02:002005-07-26T17:05:36.750+02:00

All, I am coming home to the States in a few days time, and i thought it would be good to get one last progress report out there.I have had a wonderful month here in Tubingen. Though it has been a bit stressful at times figuring out and getting all the things i needed to get done done, its has been a wild ride as well. For those of you wondering, i did pass my language test, and did pretty

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-1119807589652670472005-06-26T19:25:00.000+02:002005-06-26T19:39:49.706+02:00

Ladies and Gentleman,80Well, as you can see, another month has gone by without my updating my BLOG. And boy, has this month flown by. As time ticks down tilll i come back to the states (the 28th of July mind you) i've been doing what i can to live it up here in Germany, where summer has just begun.Yesterday i took the German foriegn language exam. I have to pass it to be able to study here a tthe

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-1117446002210626522005-05-30T11:25:00.000+02:002005-05-30T11:41:13.556+02:00

Its been a long time, i know...I have seen and done many things in the past month since i updated my BLOG. Traveled to Italy (Naples and Rome), made some decisions on the course of my life, camped near the Maginot Line in France, and have even managed to get some work done. Updates:1) Italy was awesome. Ran around with Dad for a week, had a good time and picked Andrea up in Naples. Good times had

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-1114035908701144842005-04-21T00:25:00.000+02:002005-04-21T00:25:08.700+02:00

Yahoo! News - New Pope's Ex-Students Express Skepticism In case ya'll didnt know, the new Pope went to the university i am currently attending... Also, new pictures up on my webshots page. I was only able to fit about 2/3 of the middle east in the pics. enjoy... A

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-1113993073662175882005-04-20T11:41:00.000+02:002005-04-20T12:31:13.666+02:00

Sehr geherrter meine Damen und Herren,After 3 and a half weeks traipsing through the middle east, i have returned to germany for the new semester. As im sure all of you are interested in hearing about my trip, let me give you a breif runndown of what and where we went. It was obviously and amazing, eye opening trip. Met some wonderful people, saw some amazing things, and have come back with new

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-1111348524305651502005-03-20T12:21:00.000+01:002005-03-20T20:55:24.310+01:00

Ladies and Gentlemen,Another post from central Europe!Spring is officially here! THe snow stopped falling on Sunday, and by wednesday it was 60 degrees outside. I hontesly have NEVER seen a season change this fast. Since the sun has come out, i have been running around a lot more, and have been grilling :-) . I've been hanging out with a lot more germans as of late, and my german has gotten

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-1110286921315535772005-03-08T13:52:00.000+01:002005-03-08T14:03:20.120+01:00

Its march 8th for those of you keeping track.Its been snowing here in Tubingen since mid january. I am not kidding...it just keeps coming down. Its very interesting, because there will be days that its warm enough to melt the snow on the ground, but snow will continue to fall. The net effect is that there is little accumulation (about a foot) but the snow just comes down all damn day. Sometimes i

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-1107617320068682752005-02-05T16:02:00.000+01:002005-02-05T16:28:40.070+01:00

Its been about two months since i updated this site. For those of you still visiting occasionally to see if i've added anything, thanks for sticking around. Since we've last talked: Chritsmas has come and gone. Good times in Portland were had by all, and we were all able to safely return to normal life. For Bill and Jim and the rest of you working stiffs out there, the end of break came too

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-1101176694995388102004-11-23T03:05:00.000+01:002004-11-23T03:25:58.386+01:00

So, i realize i've been really bad about keeping up this site. Given that i'm leaving for Boston on wednesday for Thanksgiving, i felt i should update before i leave. I've had a few complaints from people trying to respond but having difficulty. I'll look into it, but as far as i know, you write in the box that comes up when you click on the "respond button". Try again? I've been reading.

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-1100727419304687482004-11-17T22:34:00.000+01:002004-11-17T22:36:59.306+01:00

I've been meaning to update this page for a few days, but the internet has been really shady here the past few days. Thanks everyone for your e-mails (thanks Tina!) and rest assured that things are going alright out here. Been pretty much spending the weekdays reading and sleeping, weekends i go out. Gotten a groove if you want to call it that. I'll post more later when the internet begings

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-1099784218889462662004-11-07T01:12:00.000+01:002004-11-07T00:36:58.890+01:00

Wow, its been a while since the last update... Andrea was here last weekend, and it was really really nice. We had a lot of fun, and spent some good time together. Halloween was really fun, and it was nice to have someone to show around the town (an excuse to do my OWN local tourism). I'm excited for Thanksgiving (Boston) and to revisit the states. I'm sure its going to be really interesting,

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-1098644297914083572004-10-24T20:45:00.000+02:002004-10-24T20:58:17.913+02:00

All, Well, it has been another busy week. I have met more and more people, and the German language is coming readily. While i still occasoinally struggle for a word, and i dont speak grammatically correct all the time, i feel comfortable in the language. I can almost always express my meaning and ideas, and have been speaking German almost exclusively (except for yesterday). Yesterday i went

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-1098027931829615892004-10-16T15:10:00.000+02:002004-10-17T17:45:31.830+02:00

All, It has been a fun week here in Germany, and while i dont have time to tell the whole story, i can give you a good glimpe into what has been going on. I have moved from the Mihrs house into my dorm room. While the process has been slow and in peices, i will be sleeping there from now on, and i guess that means i'm moved in. I still will be coming back to the Mihr's on the weekends (for

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-1097338454425365442004-10-09T17:45:00.000+02:002004-10-09T18:14:14.426+02:00

Its been about 2 weeks since my last post, and i dont want to keep my precious fan base hanging for too long, so here comes another installment: Its Saturday October 9th. Outside, its raining and overcast. And COLD. For those of you that can compare, its like Portland in december. That means about 50 degrees, dark and raining/misting continually. Its been like this on and off for about a week

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-1096115909409941932004-09-25T14:32:00.000+02:002004-09-25T14:38:29.410+02:00

Hey all, I haven't updated in a while, but rest assured that all is ok here in Germany. I haven't been doing a lot for the past week, mostly running through the German bureaucracy and becoming an official student here. I have done all of that, and have gotten my room in the dorms. It is small, and really bare right now, but will be a nice place to live once i get everything set up. Has internet

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-1095426874350862372004-09-17T14:12:00.000+02:002004-09-17T15:24:31.890+02:00

To all, I belive it is time for me to say a little bit about the place I am staying, and the family I will be living with for the next few weeks. I arrived here in Tubingen two days ago, and have been slowly getting used to life here in Germany. The family I am staying with {(the Mihr's) are very nice and very interesting people. Ute and Ulrich run a translation and editing company for German

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-1095336472440432532004-09-16T13:25:00.000+02:002004-09-16T14:07:52.440+02:00

Ok, I have had to rewrite this damn update a few times because the internet server keeps crashing. But, here goes another try, and I hope this one will get posted. I’ve been here in Germany for 4 days now, and it’s great. The city of Bremen is so beautiful, and a really interesting mix of new and old. The Marktplazt (Marketplace) has some really cool buildings from the 1700’s, and a few very

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-1095159443070552032004-09-14T12:44:00.000+02:002004-09-14T12:57:23.070+02:00

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-1095000318074998312004-09-12T16:40:00.000+02:002004-09-12T16:45:18.076+02:00

I have arrived in Germany. After 20 hours of being awake, i am a bit frazzled (to say the least) but happy to be in Bremen. At first glance, all i can say is that it is green, cool, and old. I'll give more info later; as for now, you can all stop worrying about my 9-11 flight, and start worring about my ability to succesfully function in a foreign country. until i get a better interent

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-1094530772408245652004-09-07T06:13:00.000+02:002004-09-07T06:19:32.406+02:00

I'm not sure if anyone is reading this page, or if im just talking to empty cyberspace, but the countdown to my departure is down to 5 days. I am currently in NYC spending some QT with the g/f, and anxiously awaiting the boarding of a plane destined for a city on the other side of the globe. I will be spending the first three days at orientation in Bremen, and then i get on a train to head down

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-1092122306928495622004-08-10T09:17:00.000+02:002004-08-10T09:18:26.926+02:00

Buy Clothes: 1 pair pants 1 long shirt socks Rip CD’s Buy Blank CD’s / DVD’s : Best buy Box for shipping: Winter clothes Computer equipment Books Snowboard Extra footwear Xbox Buy camera case Tripod Buy Books for Germany: Fodor’s Europe German specifics Trade Citigroup stock for Raytheon 5

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-1091947260693621632004-08-08T08:41:00.000+02:002004-08-08T08:41:00.693+02:00

Here I am

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892260.post-1091942270355737632004-08-08T07:16:00.000+02:002004-08-08T07:17:50.356+02:00

This is my first posting. I leave for Germany in one month, and the mass preparations have begun...one of which was to start this Blog site. I hope to kep it updated fairly regularly once i am in country. With any luck, there will be pictures posted as well!!

A Fortunate Onehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05239932374276655849noreply@blogger.com0