This video from Michael D is a representation of a letter purportedly published July 7, 2008 in the Richmond Times Dispatch.

Having grown up in Miami, I appreciate the feelings of Cubans who fled their homeland for America following Fidel Castro’s military coup and I understand how they might see alarming parallels between the changes promised by Castro and Barack Obama. I don’t know whether the letter was or wasn’t published or how accurately the video portrays its sentiment, but as Michael points out, it’s something to at least think about.

Thomas Hawk used the texts of John McCain’s and Barack Obama’s acceptance speeches to make wordles of each. McCain’s wordle is on top, Obama’s is on the bottom.

A “wordle” enables you to see how frequently words appear in a given text, or see the relationship between a column of words and a column of numbers. You can tweak your word “clouds” with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes. Though not intended to provide reliable analytic insight, many people have found unexpected uses for wordles, from presenting the “gist” of a text to displaying personal identity.

What do McCain’s and Obama’s wordles tell us? I dunno, but wordle users are bound to find something meaningful buried within them.

Make your own.

Okay, the conventions are over and now the candidates will likely show their true colors. Two months of bitter fighting is sure to ensue.

Meanwhile, the rest of us can lighten up a bit and poke fun at both sides. Soooo…

In his well crafted acceptance speech last night, John McCain described his perceived mission: to shake up the Washington status quo and redirect its gridlocked “me first” divisiveness toward the “Country first” purpose to which he believes we need to return. In the process, he accepted his and his party’s share of blame, acknowledging “we were given the chance to change Washington but instead let Washington change us.”

I found that admission profound because we all should realize by now that we can’t set about correcting our failures without first accepting our share of responsibility for causing them. Too often candidates simply point at their predecessors, blame them for all our problems, and pledge to lead us to the promised land. You and I know that it isn’t the incumbent President or his administration that put us behind the proverbial eight ball; it’s Congress. So it’s refreshing to see a candidate admit that, as a member of Congress, he’s been part of the problem.

In case you missed the speech last night, I’ve included MSNBC’s video of it for your consideration along with a link to the complete transcript. I especially appreciated the last ten minutes. It’s worth a watch regardless of your ideological or political preferences.

You know, there are certainly issues on which I vehemently disagree with McCain. But I think his record of taking on both parties for the benefit of his country and fellow Americans makes him an overall better choice for President. And I think Sarah Palin, another maverick, is a breath of fresh air sorely needed in Washington. The alternative? Two more Congressional lawyers who, like those before them, promise to sweep away all the problems caused by the previous administration. It’s been done before with little success. It’s time for a decidedly different approach.

If you missed Alaska Governor Sarah Palin’s speech last night at the RNC, you missed a rare treat. After Rudy Giuliani fired up the delegates, Palin delivered an introduction to who she is, what she’s made of and gave notice to her Democratic opponents that it’s “game on.”

I’ll admit that I was more than a little curious how she would come across. After all, Sen. Barack Obama is a gifted speaker and has mesmerized the media for months with his artful rhetoric, and I hoped Palin’s speech would compare favorably. But Palin set my mind, and that of much of America, at ease with a fiery speech that spanned more than 35 minutes and had the crowd on their feet for much of it.

If you’re a veteran, you had to shed a tear during the last five minutes. If you have, or know someone with a special needs child, you shed a tear when she talked about her four month old baby boy, Trig, born with Down Syndrome. And if you were hoping to learn where she comes from, what she believes and what she wants to bring to the White House with John McCain, you had to feel satisfied when she left the podium. Her one-liners alone were worth the price of admission!

So far, I’m impressed. I realize Americans have become callous and distrustful of anyone associated with politics and for good reason. But if ever there was someone like you and me — an everyday hockey mom who goes to work every day, a Washington outsider who’s administered and balanced a state budget, fought corruption and bucked the system — it’s Sarah Palin. If you watched her speech, you know what I mean. She’s what we all wish we had in government but didn’t believe exists.

I’ve linked to the Wall Street Journal’s transcript and provided MSNBC’s video of her speech for those of you that missed it or want to watch it again.

I’d say the Republican base — along with Hillary supporters, women and a lot of Independents — are energized and looking forward to her debate with Joe Biden! Impressed? I am.

Some of you were stunned by McCain’s choice for his running mate and asked how Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin can bring anything positive to the ticket. Well, it’s going to have to play out some before we know for sure. I have to say, though, I’m impressed that McCain pushed away from the recommendations of his party (to choose a more seasoned old school lawyer-politician) and chose instead a Washington outsider.

But McCain isn’t a cookie-cutter politician. In that respect, he’s exactly what the country needs. He’s gone against the grain to pick a running mate he thinks will help him fight (and a fight it will be!) to fix our broken political system and hopefully restore public trust in government. I for one would love to see that happen. But McCain’s choice brings with it some obvious risks and some perhaps less obvious benefits.

For example, Palin has served less than two years as Governor of Alaska which tends to eat into the experience message on which McCain has so far relied. At 44, she’s three years younger than Obama. She’s served as a mayor and as the Ethics Commissioner on the state board regulating oil and natural gas for a total of eight years political experience before her election as governor. That’s slightly less than Obama with seven years in the Illinois legislature and three in the US Senate.

But let’s take a look at the positives she brings to the ticket:

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John McCain picked Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, a conservative who shares his maverick streak, as his vice presidential running mate this morning in what some are calling a “startling” selection on the eve of the Republican National Convention. In doing so, he surprised the media and “insiders” by passing over “more prominent” contenders like Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge.

McCain said that Palin is “exactly who I need. She’s exactly who this country needs to help us fight the same old Washington politics of me first and country second.”

Personally, I like his choice. In fact, I said so back in January before I think she was even a blip on McCain’s radar, and again in a comment reply in June (Embrace the Suck). Maybe McCain reads this blog…. Yeah, right!

Anyway, ever the maverick, McCain picked another maverick. He’s shown that he’ll take on either side of the aisle, which I find refreshing, and he’s chosen a running mate who’s done the same. In that respect, I think they would make a great team in Washington, one that would actually seek “change” and really mean it. Story

Sen. Barack Obama will portray himself tonight as an agent of change for mainstream America, but his eight-year voting record in the Illinois Senate shows the Democrat was on occasion an agent of isolation who took stands — particularly on anti-crime legislation — that put him to the left of his own party.

He was the only member of the state Senate to vote against a bill to prohibit the early release of convicted criminal sexual abusers; was among only four who voted against bills to toughen criminal sentences and to increase penalties for “gangbangers” and dealers of Ecstasy; and voted “present” on a bill making it harder for abusive parents to regain custody of their children, a Washington Times review of Illinois legislative records shows.

The pattern has continued since Mr. Obama joined the U.S. Senate, according to National Journal magazine. Its respected legislative scorecard rated the Illinois Democrat, based on his 2007 voting record, as the most liberal member of the Senate, even more liberal than Sen. Bernard Sanders of Vermont, a self-described “democratic socialist.” Mr. Obama ranked No. 16 and No. 10 in the previous two years. His running mate, Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware, ranked third in the 2007 National Journal survey, with only Sen. Edward M. Kennedy between him and Mr. Obama.

Left of the most liberal member of the U.S. Senate, an admitted socialist? Is that possible? Isn’t Obama being packaged and marketed as a moderate? I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: No. Hell no!

Should you care, or are you just enjoying the party atmosphere? Of course you should! At least be informed for crissake! Read the man’s voting record, some of which is spelled out for you in the Washington Times article. Then, if you really want to drink the KoolAid and vote for an empty suit socialist, go ahead. Just don’t whine when your liberal Congress and liberal President work hand in hand to turn the country into the United Socialist Republic.

It must be time for the annual email recirculation of “Instructions for Life” in one version or another. They’re almost always an abridgment lifted from Life’s Little Instruction Book by Jackson Brown and H. Jackson Brown, Jr. and incorrectly attributed to the Dalai Lama among others, but a few are unique.

For example, today’s email brought this little graphic gem from James that begs to be shared. I still recommend you read the book, but adopting this advise is a good start toward living a good life:

We lost our dear friend, Dave Robinson, Wednesday and we’re dealing with it, as friends do, by struggling to understand and accept, and then sharing fond memories. Last night some of us gathered to celebrate a life well lived and to remember all the delightful, whimsical, beautiful ways he touched and enriched our lives. We shared anecdotes and remembered his quiet modesty, his intelligence, his deep sensitivity, his humor and his gentile kindness. And in the process, we stepped a little closer toward acceptance and, slowly, let the healing begin.

I’m reminded of something Jack Foley said a few years ago about Kevin Reilly’s last poem, Coupled Again Across the Yearling Skies. In the poem, Reilly seems to be facing — and facing up to — the possibility of his own death. The poem plays the idea of the “yearling” — something new, only a year old — against “the age of fear” which, like a feeble old person, “trembles and dies.” The age of fear is also perhaps the fear of age or the age at which fear begins, with death a “mocking adieu.”

      ”…Come softly again behind angel eyes,
      Rest warm drift, dream, the light day bows to you,
      Coupled again across the yearling skies,
      See how the age of fear trembles and dies.”

Now, whenever I read the poem, I’ll picture Davey, a rubber band looped on his finger in the special way he challenged me to duplicate, making me an origami elephant from a crisp new dollar bill. Godspeed, my friend. We’ll miss you. You were an inspiration in more ways than you ever knew.

I know Michael won’t mind if I share something he wrote yesterday. He knew Dave better than any of us and his words express our shared sorrow.

William David Robinson - July 29th, 1930 - August 20th, 2008

This morning the air is a little thicker, the noise a little more noticeable and the minutes a little less tolerable. There’s a little less “magic” in the world today.

It’s been said that you can pick your friends, but not your family. Dave Robinson proved that to be incorrect. Through the years, he has been a source of wisdom, joy, support and unwavering friendship to our entire family. He has been our family’s adviser, teacher, counselor, prophet, patriarch and most assuredly, trusted and loved friend.

Through holidays, family events, quiet evenings of reflection, trials and tribulations and more sushi restaurants than we’ll ever be able to remember, our friend was there for every one of us. He was a source of comfort and advice and support to both of us as we raised our kids, as well as a sounding board and advice for our kids as they grew up. There was an endless source of “tests” to see if we were paying attention to him, hours in the air flying his beloved “Cosmic Trigger” and witness to constant challenges to all around him to see if they could see his “magic.”

Those that did were rewarded with a smile that could light up a room, a child-like innocence that captured and carried you along with him, touches of deep wisdom brought on by a wealth of lifetime experiences and his own unique perspective on life. And then inevitably, a little origami gift left to remember him by if he felt you worthy.

As he grew older, he reached out to his peers as a counselor to help guide them along the path to aging, constantly challenging them to reach beyond their expectations and see that life is still worth living. Through the years, he has touched countless lives, hearts and souls and changed them for the better.

No one that ever met Dave Robinson forgot him. Even as his own body aged and began to fail, he remained a singular source of support for all that were around him, defiant to the end that his life would be on his terms and that he would never be a burden to his family or his friends. He never was.

He was the sad happy clown in any situation, forever trying to make you “see him, so that he could entertain you, enthrall you and touch your mind and soul. He was a master of his trade.

The gifts Dave Robinson leaves us are an appreciation of what unselfish love and friendship can mean. We are left with a memory of wonderful irreverence and joy that placed an indelible mark on those he touched through the years and a strange sense of emptiness and loss, unable to be filled by any other.

Our dear friend, William David Robinson.

Goodbye Magic Man, thanks for the show. We’ll miss you.

Here are some loose ends that somehow manage to keep falling through the cracks (probably because I haven’t made the time to expand upon them:

$10,000 Safari flaw fixed. A recent security conference offered a $10,000 prize for an immediate successful hack. It was won by a hack of Safari using a MacBook Air by means of a Java script error. Apple sent out a fix that also covered a few other flaws. If you use the Net, you should check the Apple site regularly for fixes just to be safe. Hackers do, looking for open “doors” they can exploit before you close them…

House of Hackers is the name of a new “ethical” hacker association that attracted 1,100 new members within a week of its formation. They assume that “…all express admiration for the work of the most skilled, clever, unique, provocative, intelligent, intense, intriguing and interesting people in the human society.” They left out “modest”, “humble” and “egotistical”. Theoretically, they cooperate with security to ensure that “open doors” are discovered and closed before “evil” hackers discover and exploit them. Working so far…

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Wifey sometimes clips articles for me and recently left this one on my desk. I finally read it and have to share it with those of you that might have missed it in your local papers. It’s sweet. So sweet, it just may give you a cavity or two…

Back in 1996, during a middle school field trip to Washington, D.C., Matt Whitmer and Leigh Lacy snuck away for a brief moment in the National Archives building while their 8th grade classmates clustered around the Bill of Rights. They grabbed hands and searched for a little privacy.

They found a nook near the original Declaration of Independence and there, on marble floors, they kissed — ever so quickly — before rejoining the group. But, of course, the puppy love didn’t last; they were fickle and, being in middle school, not quite ready to commit to a lifetime together.

But they both ended up at Miami University of Ohio and, as freshmen, flirted over texts and eventually began dating for real. After college, they moved to Atlanta together where Whitmer got a job with an ad agency and Lacy started teaching 7th grade math at Snellville Middle School.

Recently, they returned to the site of that middle school field trip – the National Archives. This time, at the Declaration of Independence, Whitmer got down on one knee. …

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Have you ever wondered what becomes of old phones when they’re replaced by newer technology? Sure, most end up in the proverbial scrap heap and become land fill. But some, perhaps the lucky ones, are given a new lease on life…

When client Delena emailed some of these photos to our office last week, I thought, “Grazing sheep made of old rotary telephones, how novel!” Then I wondered who, when, where…why? Well, I gathered a little information. But first, meet the rest of the herd…

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One of my favorite blog reads has been The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs penned by Forbes’ Dan Lyons, known to most of us as Fake Steve Jobs or FSJ. So, like many regular readers, I wondered what was going on when last month he wrote that he was “sailing away” and would be writing as “Real Dan” instead of “Fake Steve”.

Well, here’s what happened. After 10 years, Dan is leaving (or has already left) Forbes to fill the vacancy at Newsweek left by Steven Levy, who is moving on to Wired. Dan’s new blog, Real Dan, is up and running. Check it out. If “Dan” evolves as did “Fake Steve”, it’ll be a fun read.

Another Cam Cardow political cartoon. And don’t pretend you didn’t wonder about the potential risk (heh)…