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Ask A Dharmaniac!

donThere is no precedent for this kind of massive ego fest on DocuDharma.  budhydharma, the owner of this site had the following contention-

One of the most impressive things about YOU, is the breadth of knowledge YOU have accumulated.  Smarts spanning from aardvarks to Zymurgy.  If you ask a question on Dkos, ANY question, it WILL be answered, at the very least with a link or a clue!

It’s true we have a large variety of expertise.

I am shallow and one dimensional.  I have a passing knowledge of a variety of things and it’s hard not to come up with a couple of suggestions for a Goggle search failing all else.

Among subjects I’m prepared to give advice on is computer repair since that’s my primary source of income.  I only work with XP machines, Vista is unrepairable by definition.  I’ll be happy to salvage the data on your drive and install a working XP system for you though, takes 2 days- one to salvage and one to install your new system.

I’m also considered by some a fairly reliable source on how the Daily Kos website works.  You might wish to read an all-in-one digest or any of my 13 part New Users Guide or my less structured and indexed work collected as Welcome New Users.

Weekend News Digest

Weekend News Digest is an Open Thread

From Yahoo News Top Stories

1 Islamic group claims India blasts that killed 45

By MATTHEW ROSENBERG, Associated Press Writer

2 minutes ago

AHMADABAD, India – An obscure Islamic militant group warning of “the terror of Death” claimed responsibility for bombings that killed at least 45 people and authorities stepped up security Sunday after India’s second series of blasts in two days.

The city’s police commissioner, O.P. Mathur, said that 30 people had been detained for questioning, but there was scant information about the Indian Mujahideen, the little known group that took credit for the bombings in western India.

“In the name of Allah the Indian Mujahideen strike again! Do whatever you can, within 5 minutes from now, feel the terror of Death!” said an e-mail from the group sent to several Indian television stations minutes before the blasts began.

Weekend News Digest

Weekend News Digest is an Open Thread

From Yahoo News Top Stories

1 Housing rescue bill heads to Bush for signature

By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS, Associated Press Writer

1 hour, 28 minutes ago

WASHINGTON – Congress passed the most significant housing legislation in decades Saturday, offering help to struggling homeowners and seeking to stabilize a troubled housing market that has dragged down the economy.

President Bush will sign it quickly, the White House said, despite reservations over $3.9 billion in the bill that would aid neighborhoods devastated by the housing crisis buy and fix up foreclosed properties.

The bill, approved 72-13 in a rare weekend session in the Senate, would give the government power to throw a financial lifeline to the ailing mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. They back or own $5 trillion in mortgages, or nearly half the nation’s total. The rescue plan is intended to prevent the two pillars of the home loan market from failing and causing broader market turmoil, while strengthening oversight of their operations.

The Stars Hollow Gazette

Community Organizing is a lot more like being a Corleone than most people are willing to admit.

You know everybody and the kills are up close and personal while being strictly business.

Drop the gun, take the cannoli.

And then they sit across from you at the DAR dinners and smile and exchange pleasantries while you laugh and they plot revenge.

Just like living in a Village.

The Stars Hollow Gazette

You know I’m sorely tempted to promote.  It’s the kiss of death a midnight essay is- Fredo!  Instead I’ll tell you about some other games we play in my club.

When we were meeting in Niagara Falls there were just the 2000 of us which we considered quite a come down from our previous strength.  My future Executive Vice President, Vicki, saved my ass at least twice.

The first time was when she invited me to be part of the kool kidz klub and told me about the hole in the wall dive across the street from the Convention Center (at a 90 degree angle from the empty mall) that served the most delicious Porterhouse steaks (sorry vegetarians, I eat meat).

But the second time was this-

At Closing Ceremonies we were in some kind of open un-Air Conditioned Amphitheater.  For Officers- Black Tie.

As the speeches droned on my delegation melted outside where at least there was a breeze and there was nothing at all I could do about it.  I HAD to be there.

I must admit I was disappointed when Vicki slipped away, but I couldn’t blame her.  It was horrible and she had no reason to stay.  She wasn’t even my exec yet, I had someone who was outside with the rest.

Instead she came back with armfuls of cold (and very expensive) water for everyone who was left.

I’ll never forget that day.

Later on resignations opened up a spot.  I went to Vicki with no expectations that she would even consider my request, but instead she taught me how to dance in front of a crowd and even today I’ll meet up with her and her husband and we’ll chat about all the good times.

Vicki cares about people.  She rewards the team.

That is politics.

The Morning News

The Morning News is an Open Thread

From Yahoo News Top Stories

1 Angry Serb nationalists protest Karadzic arrest

By JOVANA GEC, Associated Press Writer

12 minutes ago

BELGRADE, Serbia – Serb nationalists skirmished with riot police in the capital Tuesday, lashing out against the new Western-leaning government that captured war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic. Karadzic’s lawyer vowed to appeal Serbia’s plan to extradite the former Bosnian Serb chief to a U.N. war crimes court.

Riot police deployed in downtown Belgrade to keep about 200 members of the extremist Obraz group under control. The demonstrators threw stones and clay pots at the officers, chanting “treason!” and trying to break through police cordons.

Five demonstrators and a policeman were injured, doctors at Belgrade emergency clinic said.

The Stars Hollow Gazette

You know I’m sorely tempted to promote.  It’s the kiss of death a midnight essay is- Fredo!

Instead I’ll tell you about some other games we play in my club.

When we were meeting in Niagara Falls there were just the 2000 of us which we considered quite a come down from our previous strength.  My future Executive Vice President, Vicki, saved my ass at least twice.

The first time was when she invited me to be part of the kool kidz klub and told me about the hole in the wall dive across the street from the Convention Center (at a 90 degree angle from the empty mall) that served the most delicious Porterhouse steaks (sorry vegetarians, I eat meat).

But the second time was this-

At Closing Ceremonies we were in some kind of open un-Air Conditioned Amphitheater.  For Officers- Black Tie.

As the speeches droned on my delegation melted outside where at least there was a breeze and there was nothing at all I could do about it.  I HAD to be there.

I must admit I was disappointed when Vicki slipped away, but I couldn’t blame her.  It was horrible and she had no reason to stay.  She wasn’t even my exec yet, I had someone who was outside with the rest.

Instead she came back with armfuls of cold (and very expensive) water.

I’ll never forget that day.

Later on resignations opened up a spot.  I went to Vicki with no expectations that she would even consider my request, but instead she taught me how to dance in front of a crowd and even today I’ll meet up with her and her husband and we’ll chat about all the good times.

Vicki cares about people.  She rewards the team.

That is politics.

On being a Contributing Editor

We have over 30 Contributing Editors here at DocuDharma and the reason I won’t list them is that I don’t want to encourage judgement on the basis of activity.  Many of them are busier behind the scenes than in front of the curtain.  Others have had commitments that have called them away temporarily.  Some left to be free to express some rather unpopular positions that they thought would be damaging to the blog (at least that was the excuse).

There are few positions too unpopular to express here.

Most of them I think simply forgot, or lost their muse, or are busy with their own real life thing (fancy that).

It’s something to commit to one piece of original content a month, a week, or EVERY SINGLE DAY WHAT WAS I THINKING!

Sorry.  I hear voices sometimes.

And I think that scares people off, thinking that we’re some kind of insane Jann Wenner taskmasters cracking the whip with deadlines and threatening to cut off your expense account.  It’ll be ready when it’s ready.  Nor does it have to be a masterpiece, but it does have your name on top and maybe I’m just more comfortable churning out crap than most.

Coming soon we’re going to change the table of organization and have more Guest Bloggers and announce some new Contributing Editors.

The Stars Hollow Gazette

One of my odd skill sets is that I am a public speaker, a trainer of public speaking, and a judge of the same in 2 different formats.

One is the traditional 3 to 5 (minutes) either to inform, persuade, or move emotionally.  If you ever come before me I must admit what most impresses is continuity and performance, so your points better be logically laid out and have a beginning, a middle, and an end.

AND STOP MUMBLING!

After a while you can work on points for style, like the club tie and the firm handshake, a certain look in the eye and an easy smile.

The other format is called Debate.  2 Teams of 3.  Each Team consists of 2 Speakers both of whom must speak at least once, and a Captain who does not speak.  You have 90 seconds each to make a Primary argument and a Rebuttal argument, and a final 60 second Summation.  30 Seconds between each round for Judges to work and Team consultation.  You need not use your full time, but there are penalties for going over.  Argument goes Pro Primary, Con Primary, Pro Rebuttal, Con Rebuttal, Con Summary, Pro Summary.

The scoring is heavily weighted to encourage Teams to remember to promote their positive arguments in the Primary segment and refute their opponent’s argument in the Rebuttal segment, but you’d be amazed at how many Teams waste their time arguing against imaginary strawmen in the Primary and only advance their positive points in Rebuttal.  Teams often forget to summarize the points they’ve made that are un-refuted too and waste their time re-arguing settled issues.

It’s a really fun party game.  I mostly work with half in the bag conventioneers or hung over ones.

On fashion…

Glenn Greenwald

What’s most striking about the Convention bag — aside, of course, from its stunning design — is how the parties no longer bother even trying to hide who it is who funds and sponsors them. But — an earnest citizen might object — just because AT&T is helping to pay for the Democrats’ convention and having its logo plastered all over it the way a ranch owner brands his cattle doesn’t mean that they will receive any special consideration when it comes time for Congress to debate and pass our nation’s laws.

Weekend News Digest

Weekend News Digest is an Open Thread

From Yahoo News Top Stories

1 Afghan officials: US-led forces killed 9 police

By NAHAL TOOSI, Associated Press Writer

1 hour, 46 minutes ago

KABUL, Afghanistan – U.S.-led troops and Afghan forces killed nine Afghan police Sunday, calling in airstrikes and fighting on the ground for four hours after both sides mistook the other for militants, Afghan officials said.

In a separate incident, NATO said it accidentally killed at least four Afghan civilians Saturday night. A NATO soldier also was killed in the east.

The two cases of accidental killings could further undercut popular support for the government and foreign forces operating here. President Hamid Karzai has pleaded with the U.S. and other nations fighting resurgent militants to avoid civilian casualties.

Weekend News Digest

Weekend News Digest is an Open Thread

From Yahoo News Top Stories

1 As wars lengthen, toll on military families mounts

By DAVID CRARY, AP National Writer

43 minutes ago

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. – Far from the combat zones, the strains and separations of no-end-in-sight wars are taking an ever-growing toll on military families despite the armed services’ earnest efforts to help.

Divorce lawyers see it in the breakup of youthful marriages as long, multiple deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan fuel alienation and mistrust. Domestic violence experts see it in the scuffles that often precede a soldier’s departure or sour a briefly joyous homecoming.

Teresa Moss, a counselor at Fort Campbell’s Lincoln Elementary School, hears it in the voices of deployed soldiers’ children as they meet in groups to share accounts of nightmares, bedwetting and heartache.

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