Ten in a row!

So Obama has won 10 states in a row now. Moreover, he won Wisconsin by 17 points. This part of the election will be over in two weeks.

This is from Chuck Todd...

After last night’s contests, here’s where things stand: The NBC News Hard Count is Obama 1,168, Clinton 1,018. There are 53 delegates unallocated, including 19 in MD, 10 each in CO and GA, 6 in WI, 4 in HI, and one each in DC, TN, NY and IL. We estimate a conservative 27-26 split here. The Superdelegate Count: Clinton 257 versus Obama 185. That’s a grand total of: Obama 1,355, Clinton 1,276. Counting only the superdelegates he has now, plus his pledged delegates, Obama needs 65% of remaining PLEDGED delegates to hit the magic 2025 number. Reaching that is probably unrealistic, but when you add in the unaffiliated 353 superdelegates (76 of whom are not yet known yet and won't be appointed until April, May and June), his magic percentage number is down to 48%. On the flip side, Clinton needs to win 58% of all remaining pledged delegates simply to get the pledged delegate lead back. Forget 2025. And if you assume Obama wins Vermont, Wyoming, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oregon, Montana, and South Dakota, then the magic percentage number in the states Clinton wins rises to 65% -- SIMPLY TO GET THE PLEDGED DELEGATE LEAD BACK...

It gets worse...

This is from the Political Wire...

Sen. Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign "intends to go after delegates whom Barack Obama has already won in the caucuses and primaries if she needs them to win the nomination," Roger Simon reports.

Seriously? I understand fighting for superdelegates... I get that. But now she is going to go after the delegates I voted for? Is she nuts? I guess winning at all costs is their mantra.

Some interesting stats... Obama has picked up a couple more superdelegates in the last couple days, while Hillary holds her streak of -3 since Super Tuesday. Recent polls in Wisconsin show Obama pulling away. I would guess he wins by 10 points. As for Texas and Ohio, it is looking more and more like Obama is likely to pull off Texas. This is absolutely incredible. Hillary was blowing him out of the water just two weeks ago.

UPDATE- This from the Clinton campaign... and thank gosh for it!

"We have not, are not, and will not pursue the pledged delegates of Barack Obama," Clinton communications director Howard Wolfson said in a conference call with reporters, in which the Clinton camp was discussing the upcoming contests in Texas and Ohio.

How to lose a vote

Hillary just went full on negative in Wisconsin, running a nasty little ad against Obama. Mark this time as the moment, and I can't believe I am saying this, when I decided not to vote for her even if she gets the nomination.

Clemens is stupid...

Obama takes poll lead in TX

Early Texas polling numbers from ARG... Obama 48% Clinton 42%

Is the SS Clinton sinking?

This is from Political Wire....

Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), "an elder statesman from the civil rights era" and one of Sen. Hillary Clinton’s "most prominent black supporters," said "that he planned to cast his vote as a superdelegate for Sen. Barack Obama in hopes of preventing a fight at the Democratic convention," the New York Times reports.

Said Lewis: “In recent days, there is a sense of movement and a sense of spirit. Something is happening in America and people are prepared and ready to make that great leap."

"Mr. Lewis, who carries great influence among other members of Congress, disclosed his decision in an interview in which he said that as a superdelegate, he could not go against the wishes of the voters of his district, who overwhelmingly supported Mr. Obama."

The Clinton Attacks begin...

This is from the Boston Globe...


"That’s the difference between me and my Democratic opponent," Clinton continued. "My opponent makes speeches, I offer solutions. It’s one thing to get people excited, I want to empower you."

Even if she gets the nomination, I am seriously considering not voting for her.

I'm Back... and better than ever!

It's time for a return... I will be blogging about the current presidential race from now until November.

So what is the big news of the day?

RASMUSSEN National Poll: Obama Takes Double Digit Lead: Obama 49% to Clinton 37%; Obama leads among women 46% to 41%

That is pretty amazing. In October of 2007, in the same poll, Clinton was ahead 46% to 18%.

On a more fun note, check out this wonderfully produce video by will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas.



Lastly, I did my own analysis of the Democratic race, but I used Republican Primary rules. I may update these numbers as we move forward. I will be curious to see how it all turns out. Enjoy...

_______

OK, lets play this out... playing with Republican winner-take-all rules... after VA, MD, and DC is WI and HI with 92 and 29 delegates respectively. Obama has won the neighboring states, minus Michigan, so lets give him Wisconsin. Hawaii thinks of him as a son, so he wins those 29 as well. He now has 1490 to her 1272. Next comes the big day for HRC, TX and OH. Lets give HRC both states and all 389 delegates. We'll give Obama VT (23 delegates) and RI (32 delegates). So she now takes a lead with 1661 to his 1545. Next up, Wyoming. Another Obama win based on neighbors, so give him 18 more. HRC: 1661 BHO: 1563. March 11 is MS, another likely win for Obama. So he now has 1603 to her 1661.

And now we wait more than a month for PA and it's 188 delegates. Say HRC wins there. She would be up 1849 to 1603. That leaves just nine states, plus the results from NM... OR, MT, SD, IN, KY, WV, AND NC. I give Obama OR, MT, SD, KY, and NC. I give Hillary IN and WV. That's +306 for Obama and +123 for Hillary. Our new totals, HRC at 1972, Obama at 1880. New Mexico is leaning Hillary based on the current numbers, so lets give her the 38.... 2010 for HRC and 1880 for Obama. You need 2025 to win. She's short 15 delegates.

Now, my math could be off, but it is still close. Florida and Michigan are obvious issues. All this said, if Obama plucks away Ohio he wins 2041 to her 1849. If he pulls TX, but not OH, Obama win 2108 to her 1782. If he win PA, but still loses TX and OH, he wins 2068 to her 1822.

So my updated theory is that if she wins TX, OH, and PA, the dems are headed for disaster. He needs to win one of those. If he does, it's over.

Unintentional Comedy

So one of the headlines on ESPN.com today is "Yankee's Wang to start season on DL." Freakin' hilarious. I wonder if the ESPN guys are sitting next to their big computers laughing their programming butts off. I know I would be. Another example of this, though a bit less funny, was recalled by Valerie today. During last year's NCAA tourney, Bradley U. played Pittsburgh. On the TV screen's score thingie, it was BRAD v. PITT. Get it? BRAD PITT. Good times.

Speaking of the NCAA tourney, I am getting my butt kicked by my bracket. I still have my Final Four in place, but other that, I continue to lose out. That said, I put absolutely no effort to picking the teams. In fact, I pulled a Ron Borges and copied directly from Bob Ryan. Why Bob Ryan? I don't know... it was there.

So instead of the YouTube items and such I might usually post, below are some cool links to some randomly cool sites. Have fun.

12 Ways to Pimp Your Office

How to Green Your Electronics

TV Theme Songs that Make Sense

Maybe we can save the world... and look good doing it!

Yay! Friday!

Howdy... so yes, it's Friday. It's been an intense week at work, but I am happy that the weekend is here and I can catch up on some sleep and relaxation. For those of you outside of New England, you might be surprised to hear the despite 60 degree temps today, we are expecting 1-3 inches of snow tomorrow and then back into the 60's by Tuesday. Welcome to March in NE.

I've got two great Daily Show clip for you watch... laughter is a such a great thing...

This first one comes at the suggestion of Myles.

Wow... I suck!

Yes, it's true. I had promised more updates but as you can see since this is the first post in something like fourteen years, I have failed. But I am here now... so lets go!

It's been a very eventful few weeks. Life at school is intense, to say the least. We are getting ready to roll out laptops to all our 7th graders. You could not image the issues involved... if it were just a matter of getting the machine ready, the job would be easy. Instead, there is so much inside and outside the building that needs to be hand-held. But I guess that comes with the director title. I am sure I will have more to report on this in the near future, but for now, I deal with it all day and have no desire to write about it now.

On the personal front, we have chosen the hotel for the wedding. It's the Crowne Plaza in Worcester, about 20 minutes from Harrington Farm. More information will be available shortly about how to get a room and pricing.

I have lots more to write about, but I am really tired, so instead I will do a You-Tube celebration... here you go....

I'm back!

Hi all loyal readers... I know, I know, it has been way too long since my last post. I guess employment will do that to you.

Before I get into the actual blogging, I want to mention the Patriots and their recent loss to the Colts. Yes, we lost. It sucks. However... the Patriots have given us all many reason to cheer in the last six years. To start second guessing them is just plain stupid. The Pats were the second best team in the AFC this year, and that's not too shabby. I look forward to seeing the team they assemble in the off-season and cheering for Brady and crew again next year. Plus, it's only three week till Spring Training!

So I have lots to report. Lets see, where to start. The Christmas season was great, though very hectic. I was sick with the flu, of course, but I got through it. The biggest event was the "Meet the Fockers" on December 30th. Valerie and I picked Dolce Vita in the North End as a good spot... public in case of violence, family oriented, good food... and Katrina took care of the Evite. Everyone was there. Me and Valerie of course, Doc and Susan, Nancy & John and Bob & Tara, along with ALL the siblings, Jon (with his girlfriend Rheanna), Katrina, Michelle, and Alexis. Though there was some stress involved, the night went off without a hitch. It appeared to me that everyone had a wonderful time, ate some great Italian food and drank some good wine. All in all, I think it went as well as possible, with everyone hugging as we left after about two hours of chatting and getting to know each other.

On the job front, all is going very well. At times I feel like I am swimming in a vast ocean, but thus far I have able to successful tread water. The school is on the right track and with any luck, a few years from now will be a model for how technology can transform an urban school environment for the better. If I am wrong, it will not be because of lack of effort!

Valerie and I (though mostly Valerie) have made significant progress in the wedding planning. Since we last chatted here, we have secured a florist, a photographer, and a DJ. The florist is a pair of women from West Roxbury that together own a small business called Flowers and Finery. After meeting with Ellen in her beautiful West Roxbury home, we are confident that they will be able to come up with beautiful designs matching not only the fall, rustic theme of our wedding, but also matching the beauty of Valerie and her bridesmaids. The photographer is actually a co-worker of Valerie named Burt Granofsky. We sat with him, and over beer looked through his albums. Valerie and I were both impressed with what we saw, happy that he will focus on the photo-journalistic style, as opposed to the more tradition picture types. We love candids and laughs and such... not posing and fakeness. Click on his name for his website. And finally, we have a DJ. He is actually a father a someone Valerie went to high school with. We chose him mostly because he will play whatever we want and NOT play whatever we don't. For example, those that enjoy The Chicken Dance and The Macarana will be sadly disappointed at our wedding. If you like Nina Simone, Elvis, Stevie Wonder, The Gypsy Kings and Miles Davis (with some 80's rock thrown in), you will be dancing the night away. In fact, we can go online and create our entire play list for the night. I was impressed.

At the moment we are currently working on the invitations. Thanks to Rekha and Jeff, who are getting married this spring, we have contacted an Indian invitation company that makes incredible paper and such at wonderfully low prices. I think we have narrowed it down to two or three, and if you are lucky enough to be invited to our glorious event, you will receive one sometime this summer.

So once we choose the invitations, all that is left is deciding about a cake (we are not sold on getting one yet), choosing a menu... more on that in a minute... getting tuxes, wedding bands, and other small decisions. In other words, we are very happy with our progress.

In March, Valerie and I are actually heading to Harrington Farm for a tasting dinner. We will be able to sample everything on the menu and see every possible setup of the tables and such. We are both very excited for this actually... kinda like a pre-wedding reception.

In other news, Valerie and I have started the process of looking for a home. We plan to get pre-approved in the coming weeks and actually start making appointments to see homes soon after that. Based on the research we have already done, I am confident that we will find a home that meets our desires. As of now, our top five factors are:
1. On or near the Pike
2. A nice yard/good curb appeal
3. Hardwood floors
4. Three bedrooms
5. Two bathrooms
5a. A nice kitchen

Other than that, we of course have likes and dislikes, but one of the suggestions we read was to make your top five list and keep it with you. I guess once you start looking at homes, it's easy to forget what is truly important to you. This should be a fun process, and I will do my best to blog about it and fill you all in on how it goes.

I think that might be all for now. Like I said, I will make an effort to write more often.

Have a great weekend.

One week down... now the real work begins!

Yes, I have completed my first official week of work and it went very well. I love the people I work with and I am convinced I can do some good for the teachers and kids. I am sure I will have lots of updates and stories in the coming weeks and months. Until then though, I am simply too tired to write much about it now!

Christmas is upcoming and Valerie and my trek across Massachusetts is about to begin... I have created a Google map to document our voyage. If you are interest, click here to see it. It's rather amazing if you ask me. In total, according to Google we will drive 457 miles with 9 hours and 28 minutes spent in the car. Oh fun.

On a more happy note, I heard a rumor that Santa might make and appearance tonight at our apartment... nothing is confirmed, but I have a feeling he will show!

Happy Holidays!

What's better? What's Worse?

After the new year we will begin our first game of 2007! It will be a What's Better/What's Worse game in which you will need to choose between two items... for example, what's better, apples or oranges? What's worse, makin' out with your sister or your mom? I have a number of really good questions, but would like to open it up for suggestions. If you have any, please either leave them as comments here or simply email me. For now, do the dinner game... it will not last forever!

Some Christmas video fun...

Ah, yes... Abby is truly a lady.

Let the countdown begin!

Hello Employed World, my name is Dan!

Yes folks, the unthinkable has become, well, thinkable. I am about to enter the world of the employed. I am happy to announce that starting Monday, the 18th, I will become Director of Instructional Technology at a middle school is Dorchester. I am really excited! This is a big step up from my last job in that I will have people actually working FOR me, lots more responsibility, the task of administering 600+ laptops, plus a nice new office with a big window. Those of you who visited my old office know how much I like windows! So having a REAL window with actual sunlight will significantly improve my working conditions.

The big task of the position will be maintaining and executing this laptop program. While I think it will be a difficult challenge, I also believe it will be really fun.

But do not fret my good friends, despite the purpose of this blog to document my unemployment, I will continue to write and update and post. I will be thinking of new and exciting games for you all to play (speaking of that, some of you need to get moving on the Guess Who's Coming To Dinner? game! http://danielnoyes.com/dinnerfun.htm). For example, I am thinking about coming up with a pick'em game that challenges you to pick between beloved items. For example, if you had to choose, which is a better movie... Caddyshack or Animal House? An almost impossible choice... almost. See you soon.

"You got sucked!" and Peter being hilarious!

YouTube fun...

Attack of the killer cat...

Valerie and I attended two wonderful Christmas parties over the weekend. Friday night was Kevin's party... or as he refers to it, The Party. It was lots of fun catching up with Emilie and Carrie, along with Kevin's mom. As always, there was wonderful food, most of which I could not enjoy. On Saturday was Michelle's choir concert and then her party in Auburn. Again, a great with lots of friends and family.

There was however, one... well, three incidents involving a certain cat. I won't reveal any names (Junior), but for some reason this unnamed cat (Junior) attacked three people. The first victim was cousin Pam, then cousin Hillary, and he ended the night by biting Valerie at least three times. And in case you all are thinking this was nothing major, please check out the below pictures. Ouch!! In the end, everyone survived the attacks and still enjoyed the party. Hopefully the unnamed cat (Junior) is okay as well!!