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Haik Bedrosian
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Breaking News: Craig Gutchell to Serve Full Term
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Well I finally had my much anticipated first-ever BurlingtonPol VDB-style "sit-down" this morning with first-term Republican city councilor Paul Decelles from my home ward of Seven. I haven't transcribed it yet and I can't read most of my own notes, so I'll have to just make it up like a real journalist would.

Here's one little sneak preview that I'm not making up, however. Paul Decelles told me that Craig Gutchell is now definitely planning on serving out the term he was elected to, but may not run for re-election in 2009. Jeez, I might be ready to run myself by then. Running for office is a lot of fun.

More when it's written and vetted...

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posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 3:37 PM   2 comments
Benazir Bhutto 1953-2007

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posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 9:07 AM   0 comments
Recurring Nightmares of Childhood
For several years of my childhood roughly between the ages of three and six I was haunted by three recurring nightmares.

In one I was falling from a rocky cliff about 500 feet high and I'd wake up just before hitting jagged rocks at the bottom.

In another dream I was walking through a dark creepy place like a warehouse or a large basement. I was usually with my pre-school teachers and we were trying to avoid some vague evil, but we were scared and groping around in near pitch darkness. Then suddenly out of nowhere a hideous pale white creature with ragged extremities and horns shot out from the ground straight at us at a forty-five degree angle. That's usually when I would wake in a panic.

The third dream that came to me over and over again when I was a small boy was the worst of all. In it, I'd be going about my business and suddenly remember that I was the owner of a large animal menagerie wagon. Picture the train-car looking thing with cages on a box of animal crackers and you get the idea. I would realize that I haven't fed my animals in the longest time and I would race to the wagon to find them all starved dead, or mostly dead. Horrible.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 12:40 AM   1 comments
Philip Baruth Differentiates Bill Simmon
Monday, December 24, 2007
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 12:08 AM   1 comments
Breaking News: Barb Perry Becoming a Democrat
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Barbara Perry has been representing Ward Six on the city council as an Independent for at least a dozen years. Now she'll be running for re-election as a Democrat and caucusing with the Democrats if she wins.

This post does not meet the bar for journalistic due diligence, but gossip is still protected speech. Disclaimer

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posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 7:24 PM   0 comments
Remote Control Pager and The Light Bulb
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Cumulatively, the number of hours Americans waste looking for their remote controls probably amounts to many lifetimes per year. What I don't understand is why the hell there isn't a pager button on the TV itself that makes the remote control beep. Cordless phones have it. Why don't remotes?! It seems so obvious. Patent Pending.

And what's this I hear about incandescent light bulbs becoming illegal? Is it me, or is the earth melting under our feet? I love light bulbs. You know how old people always talk listlessly about the way things were? The good old things you just can't buy any more? I think the pace of change in the last 30 years has turned me into one of these melancholy old folks at the age of 34. That's exactly what my recent posts about Mind Games and The Seventies were about. In a couple of years I won't fit into this modern world at all any more.

The small tribes of South America who have lived the same way for a thousand years have really got it over on us. We could only dream of living in such an environmentally friendly way, and they don't have to go from DOS to Windows to Windows 95 to Windows 98 to Windows XP to Windows Vista to Windows just kill yourself already, you're a tool locked in a system that will destroy you eventually anyway. You know? Just spear some wild boar and let the women skin and gut it. Eat and dance around a fire. Look at the stars. Perfect. We're not better than them. We're worse. Much, much, worse.

Now where's my remote?
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 10:40 PM   11 comments
Mayor Comments, Gutchell May Step Down
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Well, BurlingtonPol garnered it's first official comment from a former mayor of Burlington today. Thank you Mayor Peter Brownell for your kind words regarding Jo LaMarche, and for your willingness to take a stand and admit you read this silly blog. Good for you!

And in other news, word on the street is that freshman city councilor Craig Gutchell (R-Ward 7) may step down after serving only one year of his term, setting up a special election to fill the vacancy when we go to the polls in March. I haven't talked to councilor Gutchell about this yet, so I won't speculate about his reasons if it's is true. Poopsie was disappointed when I told her. She likes him and voted for him. I voted for Ellie, but I like Gutchell too. Props to him for getting so pissed about Brendan Keleher taking that extra pension. That wasn't right.

So who's gonna fill Craig's seat if he steps down? Linda Deladuka? Ellie Blais? Alan Sousie? You guys thinking about it? Anybody else? Jeremy Ryan? The vaccuum created last year when Ian Carlton left his Ward 1 seat lead to a 3-way race, while the regularly scheduled Ward 1 election went uncontested. Funny thing, huh? The Dems took that special election, and are looking to field a strong batch of candidates in much of the city this year. The Progs might lose a seat or two this cycle.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 11:42 PM   0 comments
Is Jonathan Leopold Screwing Things Up?
Maybe. Take a look at what John Briggs wrote in today's Free Press coverage of Jo LaMarche's departure...

Her decision, after 22 years in the clerk-treasurer's office, and 27 years in total working for the city, led to speculation from some councilors that morale in that office has plummeted under the leadership of Chief Administrative Officer Jonathan Leopold.

Leopold said Friday that no councilor had spoken to him about LaMarche's resignation, or that in mid-November of Cathy Jones, who left as assistant chief administrative officer for finance after less than four months on the job. He said rumors about morale problems in his office were "ill-informed and unfounded."

"Ill informed and unfounded" Jonathan? Then why are there such rumors? I've heard the same thing from multiple sources.

Leopold has done a good job restructuring the city's retirement accounts and balancing the budget, but from what I hear, he may be playing the "bad cop" to the mayor's "good cop" in running the city. City employees feel like Leopold doesn't respect them.

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posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 1:58 PM   0 comments
Open Phones
Friday, December 14, 2007
You got anything to say? You can call in to the Haik Bedrosian Radio Program Saturday mornings from 9-10am on 105.9 FM The Radiator in Burlington. Or you can leave a comment.

I'll start. The CIA destroyed some videos of them waterboarding a person. What about the tapes they didn't destroy?

Over 100 million dollars has been stolen or is unaccounted for in Iraq. How much over 100 million? Three hundred billion over.

The number of elderly people living alone in large suburban houses is staggering. People in their eighties are still driving out of pure necessity. Is the dream of suburbia becoming a nightmare?

Bill Clinton endorsed Joe Biden on the Charlie Rose Show tonight calling him "absolutely" ready to be president.

The Force is strong with the one who takes from Aykroyd and gives to Belushi. Who am I talking about?

Ok, if you have any thoughts about any of these topics, or anything else, give us a call here at the studio and I'll put you on the air live.

Thanks for reading BurlingtonPol.com. Visit often.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 11:11 PM   8 comments
Breaking News: Jo LaMarche to Retire January 11
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Well I just got off the phone with Jo LaMarche over at city Hall. "I'm definitely leaving." said LaMarche, 50. "Twenty-two years is a long time. Twenty-two in this capacity and twenty-seven overall with the city of Burlington."

LaMarche's first job with the city was as a police dispatcher back in the spring of 1981, the same time Bernie Sanders first became mayor. She recalls the first time she saw Sanders he was riding around with some police. "Who is that?" she remembers asking herself.

In 1989 LaMarche became the assistant city clerk. In 1993 she was poised to ascend to become Burlington's first woman clerk, when the upset mayoral victory of Republican Peter Brownell put those plans on hold. The first woman Clerk would be Ruth Stokes, appointed by Brownell in 1993. When Peter Clavelle returned to the mayor's office in 1995 he brought with him a restructuring plan that would make Brendan Keleher, not Jo LaMarche hold the official title of "clerk-treasurer."

Jo LaMarche turned in her resignation Wednesday. She does have another job to go to but won't say where just yet. Her last day with the city will be January 11 ,2008. She will be missed.

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posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 1:29 PM   1 comments
City Clerk Jo LaMarche May Retire
Say it ain't so. The city can live without Brendan Keleher. It can take or leave Peter Clavelle. There's even life after Joe McNeil.

But what the hell will we do without Jo LaMarshe? You can't go, Jo... All the plants will die!

Also known as "Director of Elections and Records at City Hall," City Clerk Jo Lamarsh has worked tirelessly for many years making sure the mechanics of city government function smoothly. She runs the clockwork of elections, city council meetings, vital records and much much more with accuracy, percision and grace.

Bob Kiss should tell Jon Leopold to offer Jo LaMarshe a big raise and a new title if she'll stay. Otherwise all the papers are going to get lost and nobody will ever know for sure who wins the darned elections. If LaMarshe quits it will be the most damaging thing that has ever happened to the Kiss administration.

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posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 12:14 AM   0 comments
VT Man Kills Rabid Bobcat with Machete
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Yeah. This sort of thing happens to me every week. (Thanks to Chuck Norris and senator Webb of Virginia for the tip.) Note to Sera Congi freaks: She's in this video.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 9:14 AM   5 comments
Dreams of the Farm
Friday, December 07, 2007
My Grandfather is on the left and my Grandmother is on the right. The three boys are my mother's brothers. My mother took this picture in the late 1940s, down on the farm in Sudbury, Rutland County. Click the photograph for higher resolution.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 2:43 PM   9 comments
Minor Heresies and The Radiator II
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
I can't say enough about this blog Minor Heresies. It's so damned smart!

And OMG! I've got a call-in talk radio show on low-power FM radio 105.9 WOMM-LP The Radiator this Saturday from 9-10am. Call-in! Just don't ask me what the phone number is. I'll have to get back to you on that.

But talk about living the dream! A 100 watt FM Station transmitting from the heart of downtown! This is Burlington's radio station. We're transmitting in MONO! You have to love it. It's legitimate pirate radio. It's Burlington Telecom 70s Style! And I've got a chance to be DJ Mister Señor Love Daddy and Barry Champlain in one!

It should be fun. I'll talk about local politics of course, as well as national and international issues of course- callers can be nutty, but they can't curse or make threats.

Remember that's this Saturday from 9 to 10 am on 105.9 FM. I don't think the station is podcasting yet, so you'll have to actually be in Burlington to hear it.

If the first show goes well, you'll probably read me blogging about The Radiator an annoying amount. I've had dreams of being at Doughboy's Diner on Pearl Street in the middle of the night that felt just like this. Really really cool and good, that is.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 11:13 PM   3 comments
Link Graveyard
Tuesday, December 04, 2007

These links seem to be dead.
Blog for Burlington*Dean for America*Leftstream*Prog Blog (Blogger Blog)*Tarrant06.com*Vermont Paleocon*Vermonters First*Zuckerman for Congress
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 11:45 PM   0 comments
Clinton vs. Romney V
Sunday, December 02, 2007
The other candidates are just conversation.

Hillary Clinton and Mitt Romney continue steamrolling toward their inevitable party nominations.

Last week Clinton had a made for TV hostage crisis in New Hampshire, while the Giuliani campaign continued to implode, clearing the way for Romney.

Could it be more obvious? I know a lot of you like Obama or Paul. My mom loves Biden, God bless her- but Clinton and Romney are your choices people.

The Trash Heap has spoken. Nah!
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 10:27 AM   1 comments
The Seventies
Thursday, November 29, 2007
I was just down in my cave watching the 1974 Ali-Foreman Heavyweight Title "Rumble in the Jungle" and it got me thinking about the seventies. I was born in 1973 so I remember the seventies. My memories are from childhood and enhanced by the review of recordings, but they're memories nonetheless.

Ali and Foreman make it easy to understand how Rocky got made three years later. That was a real fight. Really gritty. I don't think boxing is like that any more. I don't think anything is.

Let me tell you what I think the seventies were like and you can tell me if you agree...

High school kids drag-raced their fathers' big-ass Chevy Impalas down both lanes of North Avenue at three in the morning. They got high with their teachers at school and they drank beer in the cafeteria. There were huge drunken gang riots in Battery Park.

Everybody smoked everywhere. Men would smoke cigarettes in the delivery room while their wives were giving birth for Christ's sake. No wait a minute- the fathers wouldn't have been in the delivery room- but the doctors would be smoking, and the fathers smoked in the recovery room. The moms too. And the newborn babies.

People were openly racist and sexist. A woman with a job couldn't get credit without her husband, even if he was unemployed. Nobody had ever heard of being politically incorrect. Humor was raw. People cursed. Got physical.

People were slutty. The pill had just come out and AIDS wasn't invented yet. Everybody had scores of drunken one night stands. People made love in their Chevy Vans. There were VD and abortion clinics on every corner. There were all kinds of stains and fluids in those disgusting shaggy long rugs people had, but nobdy cared. Everybody was disgusting. Cheech and Chong were a hit.

Everybody was a radical Symbianese Liberator or Black Panther or Feminist or Anarchist or all of the above. And you could get a copy of "Steal this Book" or "The Anarchist's Cookbook" right out of the local library without any worry about Bush's Secret Police.

People drank Schaefer, Schlitz and Papst Blue Ribbon. There were no trendy micro-brew mead cooperatives or anything like that.

People listened to records that popped and crackled and gave raw analog rock and roll. The rock and roll was real. The rock stars were talented, insane drug addicts like Keith Moon and they made no bones about it.

The sky was a little brighter then. A lighter shade of blue. Less pollution. There wasn't a video camera every five feet. There was real privacy. Things were metal and strong and heavy and made in America. People thought the economy sucked, but they didn't know how good they had it. Unions still had clout. The middle class was a real thing then, not the lie we keep telling ourselves today.

People were smarter, better educated and more articulate. Watch Good Times. Florida and JJ are supposed to be representing the ghetto, but they speak the queen's English better than Raymond or the King of Queens or any of those idiots today. The actors had stagecraft. They could enunciate.

So to sum up- things were grittier, stronger, brighter and generally more visceral in the seventies than they are today. Things were more honest and more free. We have definitely lost a lot since then, not least the Writ of Habeas Corpus.

Let's face it. America is asleep at the wheel right now. Do you even realize there's a war? That the dollar is falling straight to Hell? That most of our food is poison?

People lived in the seventies. Today we exist. Big difference.

Anyway. I watched rounds four and five of the fight before coming upstairs to write. Ali may have won the Rumble in the Jungle, but who would you rather be today? They guy with Parkinson's or the guy who's sold a billion barbecue grills?

You never know how things will end up in this crazy world.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 10:32 PM   16 comments
WRUV Show Pays Tribute to Daria
Wednesday, November 28, 2007

DJ Erin says she took the title of her show Sick Sad World from the fictional show on Daria.

You can hear Sick Sad World With DJ Erin Wednesdays from 2-4pm.

Related:
My Post on Daria from February 2006
Outpost Daria
90.1 WRUV FM, Burlington

posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 2:37 PM   4 comments
Sanders Talks NCLB at BHS 6:30pm Tonight
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
I'm not sure if I got the email because I've been involved in education, or have a blog, or why, but Bernie's office sent me an email invitation to discuss the "No Child Left Behind" with the Senator tonight at 6:30pm at Burlington High School.

And this is where the post gets lame. I know it's gonna sound like a bunch of excuses, but I can't go to that thing. Poopsie and I were up most of the night with two screaming kids. I've got one of those searing stomach aches I get all the time, and we have to go to TJ Maxx to get a Christmas Tree Stand. Yesterday I bought my first Christmas Tree ever. Koko wanted one and it was worth the $14 (small tree) just to see his smile when I showed it to him.

Plus, what do I know about NCLB? I took a short seminar on it a few years ago as part of my training at Colchester Middle School, but I don't remember much about it. I vaguely remember learning NCLB essentially criminalizes public education in a round-about way.

Oh... I just got a check for $77.04 in the mail. My share of a class action lawsuit against H&R block's "rapid refund" service. I only ever did that once, sometime between 1994 and 1996 apparently. I remember joking that it should be called "Rapid Ripoff" because of all the fees they charged. I guess other people felt the same way. I was invited to join that suit months ago and had forgotten all about it. Hey it's 77 Bucks. I'll take it. I'll use it to buy a Christmas Tree Stand.

What else? Oh I may as well mention the Church Street smoking ban proposed by Councilor Adrian went down last night on a vote of 8-5.

Thanks for reading BurlingtonPol.com. Visit often!
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 4:54 PM   2 comments
Bureaucracy Now!
Monday, November 26, 2007
No it's not Radio Pacifica.

It's http://bureaucracyblog.com/ by Deborah G. Alicen. Ph.D. who says

"I’ve established this blog as one way to shine a light into dark bureaucratic corners and share strategies to increase transparency and accountability."

Thank you Deborah for including a link to BurlingtonPol on your site!

Also thanks to the blogger in China, who links here too.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 11:20 PM   0 comments
105.9 FM Burlington
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Hey did you know there's a new radio station in town? WOMM-LP 105.9 Burlington, Vermont. The Radiator. It's at 215 College street in the old, old Mary Fletcher Free Library building. I went there once but nobody was home. There was a lot of Doug Knapp art outside their door, though.

Anyway- there's a request for radio show proposals on their website, so I wrote in and asked for a talk radio show. I think I'd call it the Haik Bedrosian Radio Program. Would you like to hear me do talk radio?
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 11:25 AM   2 comments
Koko's Photo Blog
Friday, November 23, 2007
"Baby" by "Koko."


Here's a link to my three year old son's new photo blog! Never mind that it list me as the author. He took and named the pictures.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 12:57 PM   2 comments
Your kids aren't special
Thank you Bill Hicks, you run of the mill dead guy. I love you. You and Mitch Headberg. Did he die too? I could Google it to make it sound like I knew all along, but I don't feel like writing that way right now. Give it a rest already. Everybody knows everything in cyberspace. If somebody asks a question of fact in a comment string on Carpetbagger, invariably some smart alec will tell that person that she should learn to Google and that it only took them two seconds to find it themselves. Blah blah blah.

I'm not going to Google Headberg, but I will get back to stand-up comics. I like George Carlin quite a bit. I like Chris Rock.

Maybe I'll mention George Burns, since I have a deep affinity for the elderly. I'm basically a very old man trapped in a young man's body. I was obsessed with the Titanic as a child. I liked Phillip Marlow and jazz. The cogs of my gears don't fit into the holes they're supposed to be timed to. Everything is new-fangled and I'm just a sick and tired curmudgeon.

Someone asked George Burns how his doctor felt about the fact he still drank and smoked cigars every day.

"My doctor's dead." replied the elderly Mr. Burns.

Shit I've got a lot of mileage out of that joke. The three word punch line works well with my bad impression of George Burns. In a couple of years, nobody will know who the hell George Burns was. Then I'll be forced to get a new joke.

A comedian has a power that is far greater than a politician's in some ways. It's far more direct. Far more honest. When comedians and pols blend, though, that can be a good thing. I'm thinking of Bill Mahr and Jason Lorber as examples.

I tried stand up comedy once at an open mike in Austin. I did so-so. I tried poetry slam here in Burlington a couple of times too. I did ok. The woman that ran it then, Kim Jordan, is an incredible talent. I heard the way she would announce those shows and control the room. Perfect enunciation, projection, pitch modulation. Whatever. She never missed a beat and she never screwed up either as the host or as a poet. Talent like Kim Jordan's drives me into emotional paralysis, turning me inward to face the dark reality that I can never be as good, and there's basically no way I can ever compete in this world. Thanks Kim. Burlington is lucky to claim you.

So are our kids special? My kids better be. They're the ones who will have to retroactively justify my pitiful existence. But then I'm sure a lot of people think the same way. Well we all die and we're all held down by gravity, so really nobody is that special. An aneurysm could drop any of us off the stage right now. So there's that.

Still. Though the differences may be minor in the grand scheme of things, they are differences nonetheless. Some people do things and others don't. This is some really basic stuff.

You are invited to return to this blog as often as you'd like.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 1:15 AM   3 comments
Thanksgiving and Kennedy
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Don't be an idiot. You have a lot to be grateful for and you know it. Every breath is a gift.

Funny that this year Thanksgiving falls on the 44th anniversary of Kennedy's assassination. I went to Dealey Plaza and the 6th Floor Museum nine years ago. Helluva thing when Kennedy died. We can be grateful to the Beatles for showing up a couple months later and taking our minds off it.

The other thing I saw in Dallas was the Southfork Ranch from the TV show. It's smaller than it seems on TV. Whoever may have shot Kennedy aside, at least we know it was Kristen who shot JR.

Here's a link to Waterfront Watchdogs. They want to tear down the Moran Plant and make it a park. I think it would hurt me to see that happen. That old brick building has been there my whole life and I love it. It's part of me. I think we should reuse it, but that's just my opinion. Maybe you agree with Waterfront Watchdogs. That's ok. If we agreed on everything, one of us wouldn't be thinking.

Happy Thanksgiving!
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 11:03 AM   5 comments
Mystery Person Rumored Pregnant
Tuesday, November 20, 2007



I'm not comfortable with this. Just look at the dancing baby.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 11:39 PM   0 comments
Mind Games
Saturday, November 17, 2007
One of the things about growing up in the new north end was witnessing the evolution of the Ethan Allen shopping center. There used to be a flea market on the north side of the parking lot every Sunday. I used to hit the Carvelle Ice Cream sometimes after the flea market. Of course nobody had ever heard of Hannaford back then. We had a Grand Union supermarket that gave out horse race tickets with your order. You could watch the race on TV and if your horse won, you'd win money. And of course, this was the heyday of the old Hills clothing store and the now recently deceased Ben Franklin variety store. Then there was that bakery where the old World War II veterans used to spend all day, every day. I didn't have celiac disease then, and their doughnuts and cupcakes were to die for.



Do you remember the video game arcade that was there in the early eighties? It was called Mind Games. It has all the lighted blips, loud flashes and smokey smells of its time and place. That was the first place I ever overheard a weed transaction. I must have been nine or ten. My older brother Greg, now a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army, was addicted to a game called Warlords. I played Defender and Ms. Pacman and pinball.

To this day I can't get into modern, complicated video games. I'm still just Ms. Pacman, Tetris and simple shit like that. I can't get invested in some fantasy crap. Let's fact it, I'm too lazy for reality. Why would I spend effort on fantasy?

Anyway- that was my post on Mind Games, the old arcade in the shopping center. I hope you enjoyed it.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 9:25 AM   8 comments
I've got nowhere else to go
Thursday, November 15, 2007
This is it. My safety room. My bunker. The last safe place I'll find before God finally kills me. Welcome Back to BulingtonPol.com.

I haven't wanted to talk too much about my personal life too much lately. There's too much there. It's a can of worms the size of a novel, and I'm afraid to touch it.

So I'll just tell you that it's Thursday, November 15 at 1:16pm. I've set out 51 bags of leaves for the city to haul off. It's raining.

Speaking of the city, that's why we're here right? Well I did a little research for my blog last night, and by that I mean I watched part of Tuesday's city council meeting on TV.

The part I stumbled upon was a debate about what to do about a parcel owned by Champlain College. They want to turn it into their admissions building, but they can't because that wouldn't be zoned properly. They want to get a waiver that would be good for 30 years. They've had a letter of agreement with the city basically saying this would happen for a while.

At issue is the current zoning re-write. Some councilors felt like that should be finished before considering Champlain's request. Other's felt that Champlain College had waited long enough and deserved this variance.

Speaking in favor of just giving them the damned varience and getting it done-
Jane Knodell, Kurt Wright and Mayor Kiss.

Speaking in favor of waiting around for the zoning thing to play out in order to allow this use, which all parties seemed to concede was appropriate and would be approved eventually anyway- Andy Montroll, Ed Adrian and I think Joan Shannon- but don't quote me on her.

The rest of the council just looked like they were trying to follow along and/or stay awake. Councilor Bushor spoke a long time about being on the fence on the issue, but then asserted her intention to vote to kill the variance- pending more information.

There was a motion made to kill the variance, but during discussion on the motion, Knodell moved to postpone, which superseded the previous motion and at that point, I think the council punted and approved the motion to postpone.

This is all from memory. I watched the thing last night. I'm just blogging it because I have to do something. I've got nowhere else to go.

You can probably guess how I would have voted on the thing. I would be in favor of approving Champlain's variance. The zoning re-write is going to take a long time to finish and just because you approve this, doesn't mean you have to do anything else.
Plus- you think this zoning re-write will still be carved in granite in 30 years? Nah! Another council will be doing their tweeks and fixes then, and half of us will be dead. I say just give them the damn thing and get it done. This isn't some taco cart. It's Champlain College, and the city made a deal with them a while ago that we should live up to.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 1:09 PM   1 comments
"I know I'm in Distress!"
Sunday, November 11, 2007
This is a new effort by BurlingtonPol and American Wingnut Owen Mulligan.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 10:11 PM   1 comments
Beltline Slide Ramp Closure Successful
Saturday, November 10, 2007
I know it sucks that you can't careen around a blind curve onto North Ave at 50 miles an hour anymore, but at least it's a little safer.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 11:59 PM   1 comments
Gutchell Outraged over Keleher Pension
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Keleher laughs all the way to bank
City councilor Craig Gutchell (pictured on left) has been the loudest critic of a deal which allowed former treasurer Brendan Keleher (pictured on right) to walk away from city hall with an extra 15K+ per year for life.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 12:18 AM   4 comments
Don't Bite Blue
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
My Friend Kasama has a blog now. It's called Don't Bite Blue. I have no idea what that means.

posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 10:44 PM   1 comments
Ron Paul turns 72
Monday, August 20, 2007
Clinton vs. Romney III

Presidential Candidate Ron Paul, born August 20, 1935, turned 72 on Monday. He is an OB/GYN who has delivered thousands of babies. Happy birthday Dr. Paul!

What else about him?

According to Wikipedia:

He wants to bring the gold standard back to the dollar.

He pledged to never violate Habeas Corpus.

Paul is opposed to reintroduction of the military draft.

Paul was Co-Sponsor of H.R. 2592, the States' Rights to Medical Marijuana and answers "Yes" to the question "Should marijuana be a medical option?"

In June 2003, Paul voted against a Constitutional amendment to state that Congress shall have the power to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States.

Ron Paul opposes the death penalty.

He voted against the "No Child Left Behind Act."

From His campaign website:

He has never voted to increase the power of the executive branch.

He voted against the Patriot Act.

He voted against the Iraq war.

These are all good positions in my book. Of course he's taken some other positions I don't like, but that's not the point of this post. The post is to talk about the positions I do like, which are enough to swing my vote to Ron Paul...in the primary. Then Hillary in the general when she takes on Romney. The election is going to be "Clinton vs. Romney." And I'd like to hold on to regain BurlingtonPol's #1 Google rating for the phrase "Clinton vs. Romney."

Also, Democrat Bill Richardson, the governor of New Mexico recently told Melissa Ethridge he thought homosexuality is a choice. How come nobody ever asks if being straight is a choice? Both questions are stupid. Huh. "Come to my window..." I just got that. It's not that subtle, actually. "Crawl inside. Wait by the light of the moon. Come to my window. I'll be home soon." Hot. And not as metaphorically over the top as driving into the fucking Grand Canyon like Thelma and Louise. Now that's really not subtle.

So, again- Happy Birthday Dr. Ron Paul, BurlingtonPol's Septuagenarian OB/GYN of the day! Thanks for digging the Constitution, and shit.


(Filed under "Yolanda is my Co-Pilot," and "Clinton vs. Romney.")
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 8:07 PM   8 comments
Luis Guzmán
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Koko and I ran into Luis Guzmán. at the University Mall. I asked him what he's doing in Vermont. He told me he lives in Vermont. Huh. Did you know that?
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 10:08 PM   11 comments
Car for Sale
Friday, August 17, 2007
1995 Honda Accord, 4 Door, Automatic. Runs. 112,000 miles, Needs radiator replacement, rear bumper replacement and inspection. $600.00 or best offer. Cash only. Call 999-6191 weekdays afer 5pm.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 12:32 AM   0 comments
Church Street Energy System
Thursday, August 16, 2007


Church Street Energy System

Clinton vs. Romney II

Seeing Philip Baruth shaking hands with Barak Obama at VDB the other day was quite a thing. It almost makes me feel bad for creating this dark, ultra-sarcastic, Colbert-esque image of the man. I have already stated my intention to vote for Ron Paul in the Republican primary and Hillary in the general. The Ron Paul thing I can be sure about, but obviously I can't say for sure Clinton will be the Democratic nominee, despite the fact I'm sure she will be. Charity- if Ron Paul becomes the Republican nominee- I'll vote for him in the general. I'm sure Romney will be the Republican nominee, but if it's Paul, I'll vote for Paul. That way I'm not a hypocrite, right? I'm not a "cross-over" voter because I'm not a Democrat (even though I am a liberal), I'm an independent, and, after all- I'm a Vermonta. I do what I wanta.

But the point of this post is to say I have nothing against Obama, and of course I would vote for him if he won the Democratic nomination, unless of course Ron Paul happens to win the Republican nomination, in which case I'll vote for Paul. Obama was right on the war and that's huge. Not only that, Poopsie likes Obama and when Koko heard us talking about him while swinging on the swings at Smith School playground this afternoon (yes we were all swinging- Yanna too) he literally starting singing his name in a completely natural, lyrical way, with an honesty only a two year old can pull-off. "O-baaaa-maaa, O-baaa-maaa" he sang as he swang. It was ridiculous. I had to rethink my support for Hillary Clinton for five seconds. In voting for the war, she failed the one major test of her political life, or both major tests if you count health care fourteen years ago. She's my candidate, unless it's Ron Paul. But if Obama beats her, he is, unless it's Ron Paul. Confused? You won't be, after this episode of "Soap!"

Why do I still support Hillary after the mean things I just said about her? Well for one- She's gonna be the Democratic nominee. For two- I want Bill back in the White House, and I want Al Gore to have influence. And for three- I'd like to see a woman president for a change. I felt that way about about mayor last time too and I was with Baruth on Hinda up to the point in the campaign when she started sucking so bad and when Bob Kiss started kicking so much ass. No pun intended. Literally.

But the presidential race is not the mayoral race to me. Shit's so fucked up at the national level that I'm willing to tolerate someone calculating and less than pure. Indeed I want somebody like that, because I want to actually win the fucking election. If we don't elect a Democrat or Ron Paul in 2008, the fucking nation will cease to be.

Hillary Clinton is a calculating, sell-out. So fucking what? So was Bill, and he was the greatest president of the twenty-first century and one of the greatest of the twentieth! But despite all that- A president of the United States who has carried a child will have a magical power beyond any man's wildest dreams- and she could spark a new enlightenment, not to mention save America, which she better fucking do. What the hell do you want from me? I'm a pragmatic liberal feminist straight, generally white man with a libertarian streak. Put in that context, my presidential picks should make a lot of sense.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 1:07 AM   2 comments
AbuG vs. Democracy
Friday, August 10, 2007
Are you gonna bark all day, little doggy, or are you gonna bite?

Alberto Gonzales is Mr. Blonde, the sicko torturer who cuts off the cop's ear. He asks Senator Leahy, playing the roll of Mr. White...

posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 11:04 PM   0 comments
Decelles and Sousie on CCTV
Thursday, August 09, 2007
I just caught a little of Paul Decelles (councilor R-W7) and Alan Sousie (chair, board of health, mayors budget task force member-R) on channel 17. Sousie was mentioning some recommendations the task force came up with, including consolidation of the Mansfield Ave and Champlain Street fire stations.

Sousie praised Jonathon Leopold's leadership of the 24 member task force and complimented the administration on sticking to its promise of keeping budget growth around 3%.

Actually it would have been 3%, but for the rediculous increase in health insurance premiums. It's time for a single-payer national health care system that covers everyone. Our current system is barbaric. A single, national socialized health insurance plan paid for with taxes is what I propose. To achieve this I would expand the medicare system to cover everyone from birth to death, including immigrants legal or otherwise (ie all US persons), allowing what remains of the private insurance industry to adapt or attrit away.

Sousie also said that 85% of the general fund pays for personnel and benefits which he called "outrageous." Is it outrageous? I wouldn't think so if I worked for the city. The starting wage is $16.67 per hour. Can you imagine the financial security of making that kind of money? I'd think it was just fine.

Of course, I don't make that kind of money, so I'm free to think however I want. If 85% for personnel is correct as Alan Sousie says, I'd like to see that come down. I'd prefer to see redirected funds split between bricks and mortar and debt reduction. Maybe the starting wage could come down to $15, too. That would still be pretty incredible.

Sousie said another task force recommendation that will likely be implemented is an increase in the fees for burial plots in the city's cemeteries. He said one possibility for offsetting these inevitable increases might be moving some of the cemetery trust's money from CDs to some kind of sexier investments. A word to the wise- leave the money where it is.

Then some caller called complaining about the city not paying down a 17m loan from the state. Then it came out that it's a 0% loan. Hey caller- It's a zero percent loan. We'll get around to paying it in a thousand years or so, when inflation has made the payback negligible. Think of it as a put-option.

The caller also mentioned the loss of specialty filaments and the reduced staff at GE. What about getting jobs in the city? Yes. What about it?

I think if I were ever mayor, I'd send teams of white collar geeks to New York City to convince them to move some corporate cubicles to Burlington. The company I work for (just picture office space: "What would you say it is that you do here?") gets contract work because they can undercut the pay offered in major metropolitan areas. Let's face it the starting wage here is not what it is in the big city. We'll work for less. You could convince a few middle managers to move to Vermont pretty easily. They're probably dying to get out of the city. They set up their corporate cubical shops in our town and bang. Jobs.

Oh what else? Paul Decelles said he and his wife Kirstin counted something like 37 "for sale" signs on North Ave the other day, speculating high property taxes are to blame. Who knows? That could be part of it, but I also think it's important to note that in our neck of the woods (the new north end) the folks are getting really old. Just look at my parents, for example. My mom's old and my dad's ancient, to borrow a phrase from Henry Fonda in On Golden Pond. People can't keep these big 1960s suburban homes up anymore, or their kids have left and it's too much house for them. Property taxes are undoubtedly one factor in the high number of homes for sale on North Ave, but there are many others like an aging population, and perhaps the end of the remortgage boon.

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posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 6:10 PM   0 comments
BurlingtonPol Readership Shrinks to 7
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
What the headline says. This blog gets most of its hits nowadays from people in the Boston area Googling Sera Congi, and people everywhere in the world Googling Masonic imagery. The average American savings rate is less than zero.

Did I mention my presidential picks? I'm planning on voting for Ron Paul in the Republican primary and the Clinton Edwards ticket in the general. I hope that's cool with you.

Out of town greasy spoon diner breakfasts. Mmmmm. Tastes like livin'. Have you noticed how everyone is talking up the 35 hour work week, the 5 week vacation and the taxpayer funded health care for all?

The corporations are going to suck our skulls until they implode. Like an insect that has attached itself to our nation, corporate fascism will extract the lifeblood from what remains of the American economy. We will be imprisoned like farm animals, murdured at whim, and enslaved for life. The constitution is just a goddamned piece of paper. Corporate America now controls all you see and hear. Alberto Gonzales is reading your email and he wants to torture you. You are not free. Congress is powerless. Four legs good. Two legs better. Give up. Give up.

BurlingtonPol is the number one Google search result for "Clinton vs. Romney."
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 10:07 PM   11 comments
Enjoy Burlington
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
http://www.enjoyburlington.com/

A Department of Parks and Recreation website.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 7:30 AM   0 comments
Happy Anniversary Poopsie
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
My beautiful wife Poopsie and I have been married three years today. In that time we have produced two perfect children and had a lot of fun.

I love you Poopsie. You made me the luckiest guy ever. Sushi and candle light after work tonight... xoxoxoxo!
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 7:13 AM   3 comments
New Civic Group and New Disclaimer
Sunday, July 29, 2007
There's a new civic group looking at zoning-

Citizens for a Livable City

Also- as of Friday the web poll on the front page of the Burlington Free Press Online has a disclaimer: "This is not intended to be a scientific sample of local and national opinion."

That was never there before. On Friday I made the suggestion to one of their editors and it appeared a couple of hours later. BurlingtonPol readers know respondents to such polls are self-selected and therefore don't represent any population beyond themselves, but I doubt all Free Press readers realize that.

Also, The Free Press seems to be trying to cut in on iBurlington's turf, by inviting citizen journalists to be co-opted into doing Gannett's work for them free. One would hope when the Free Press accepts news sent by Joe Public they vet a it little. Do they? I don't know.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 11:00 PM   1 comments
Beyond Thunderdome at the Prospects.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Who loves the intersection of Pearl Street/Colchester Ave and North/South Prospect Streets? It's especially awesome when you're waiting at the north-south traffic light and it turns green. The roads are eschew and nobody knows what to do. It's Mad Max out there. There's a vacuous, lawless 20 square foot plot in the middle of that intersection- sort of a rogue little nation onto itself that I'll dub "Thunderdomastan" for the moment because I have to get to work...
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 7:51 AM   4 comments
Clinton vs. Romney
Saturday, July 21, 2007
This presidential election's media campaigns are underway. I just looked at videos from the two presumptive major party nominees, Clinton and Romney. Clinton makes use of her husband, and Romney makes use of his wife. Obviously we know Clinton's husband pretty well, and we assume that since he'll be her top advisor, her policies will look like those that brought peace and prosperity throughout the nineties.

Romney has his wife talk into the camera with a Christmas tree behind her for thirteen minutes. She talks like an average woman and she looks incredibly hot for her age. Romney's vids are all soft sell bullshit, but they will play well in his nomination quest. Yesterday Romney drew blood from both Thompson and Giuliani, when a supporter said his wife Ann was a starter wife and trophy wife "all in one."

Right now both sides are tailoring their message to win party nominations. If the campaigns are smart they are saving their opponents web media in real time on their own servers because the medium is the message and they are both fluid. What's on your opponent's web site today will not necessarily be there tomorrow. Today the focus is to win the nomination, tomorrow, the general. Different messages. Different web content.

On the web:
Clinton
Romney
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 9:14 AM   2 comments
Women: So Hot Right Now
Thursday, July 19, 2007
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 12:42 AM   0 comments
Second Annual Barbecue
Monday, July 16, 2007
Thank you very much to Philip Baruth, John Odum and the rest of the GMD posse for putting on the barbecue at North Beach yesterday. Yanna, Koko, Poopsie and I had great time!

*****

Here is Vermont Daily Briefing's barbecue report.

Here is iBrattleboro's.

Labels:

posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 6:45 AM   2 comments
Zoning Ed-ification
Friday, July 13, 2007
Briggs Reports this morning that Councilor Ed Adrian will seek to table all amendments to the new zoning ordinance while Councilors Jane Knodell and Kurt Wright want to ram them through before letting the public think about them further.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 7:35 AM   13 comments
Wheat Penny
Wednesday, July 11, 2007

<bgsound src="Time to Kill (track 1)">
Track 1 'Time to Kill'
<bgsound src="Rice Burner (track 10)">
Track 10 'Rice Burner'
<bgsound src="johnson street (track 14)">
Track 14 'Johnson Street'
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 9:55 PM   1 comments
Paper Ballot! Paper Trail! II
Anonymous said...
It's all semantics, isn't it? I mean, Vermont law requires a paper ballot.
So what are you worried about?

Monday, July 09, 2007


Haik Bedrosian said...
No. It isn't all semantics. Law is fluid. I'd feel better were "Paper Ballot! Paper Trail!" imbedded in the VT and US Constitutions and the UN Charter for that matter, but it isn't. All we have is one little regular state law.

This is not a joke. This is urgent. As recently as last November, the congressional election in Florida's thirteenth district was stolen using paperless touch-screen "voting" devices. There is no recourse or possible way to audit the results. The result stood and the district will vote on paper next time. Paper.

I do not want my secretary of state contemplating any perceived "efficiencies" vis-a-vis paperless "voting." That's like considering the aesthetic improvement from rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic.

It is impossible to audit (truly audit) elections held using touch-screen or paperless devices. If it can't be audited, it can't be trusted. If it can't be trusted, the people can't have confidence and democracy is destroyed.

That's what I'm worried about.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Labels:

posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 12:53 PM   3 comments
Jane Magazine Done in August
Tuesday, July 10, 2007


I don't really care about this story, but it sends me down memory lane back to high school when my girlfriend at the time read Sassy like it was her job. Click the classic cover with Kurt and Courtney to read the wiki article. That particular issue was on the shelf at Waldenbooks in the Burlington Square Mall when Waldenbooks was where Bertha Church is now (near to the elevators).

I don't know why I was in New York, but is the first half of the nineties anyway- I wore a used blazer and had a 35mm camera around my neck when I made my way up to the floor in the skyscraper where Sassy lived. I didn't belong there but they were nice and gave me a tour. I saw all the actual "Help Me" letters splayed out on a desk and I was introduced to Jane Pratt herself.

Sassy even granted me an unpaid internship. To do what? I don't remember. I couldn't take it as I lived in Burlington, but just consider this another log on the fire of what might have been for me. Maybe in a dozen years or so when my daughter enters the fray of teen culture I'll be in a position to start my own magazine for girls. She can tell me what's what and I'll write it all down.

Probably not, though.

posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 7:12 AM   0 comments
Paper Ballot! Paper Trail!
Monday, July 09, 2007
Re-run from 02.08.07
******

You know...It isn't as if it hadn't occurred to me to write Deb Markowitz about "Paper Ballot! Paper Trail!" before. I've hesitated to do that because I was afraid of what her answer might be.

Anyway, I finally did write to her yesterday. Her response was helpful and somewhat reassuring, but not entirely satisfying. She said it was already written in Vermont Law which she gave me:

CHAPTER 51. CONDUCT OF ELECTIONS
Subchapter II. Ballots
§ 2478. Number of paper ballots to be printed and furnished
(a) For primary elections, the secretary of state shall furnish each town with a sufficient number of printed ballots based on the history of voter turnout in the town and in consultation with the town clerk.
(b) For general elections, the secretary of state shall furnish each town with a number of printed ballots approximately equal to 100 percent of the number of voters on the checklist for the primary election.
(c) If necessary due to unusual growth of the checklist, a town clerk may request additional ballots from the secretary of state at least 40 days before the election.
(d) For local ballots, the town clerk shall cause such number of ballots to be printed and furnished as the board of civil authority shall designate.
(e) No voting shall occur in any general election which does not use printed ballots. (Added 1977, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1979, No. 200 (Adj. Sess.), § 48; 1981, No. 239 (Adj. Sess.), § 15; amended 1985, No. 109 (Adj. Sess.); 1991, No. 127 (Adj. Sess.); 2003, No. 94 (Adj. Sess.), § [emphasis added]


That's great! Thank You to the state reps, senators and governor who made that happen- whoever the hell you happen to be! I love you.

The thing is Deborah Markowitz, I believe, is a genuinely nice person. I think because of this she tried to take an extra step to reassure me, that unfortunately had the opposite effect. She said even if we put the paper trail issue aside, she didn't believe electronic voting would make sense in Vermont because the "efficiencies" that make it "attractive" in other states are not "relevant" here because they are too expensive.

Um...ah, yeah...(I'm doing Bill Lumbergh ) See, the thing is- it doesn't matter how efficient it is or how attractive that efficiency may make it for an elections officer- paperless voting is worthless. It cannot be audited and that is a fact. Look it up- or better yet, just use your common sense. When you use a touch screen and the program inside the machine records the vote falsely, the voter does not know. Nobody knows, except perhaps the hacker responsible for the flipped vote. How can you recount that? What are you counting? Ether? Finger Prints? That vote is in there baby, and that race is over. Look at Florida-13 for crying out loud! Touch screen machines produced an election with 18,000 undervotes under highly dubious conditions. That baby is still in court and Florida is returning to paper. Hallelluya!

And get it straight. A "paper trail" is meaningless unless it consists of a "paper ballot" The vote must be recorded on something physical, AKA, real, AKA paper- and it must be verified by the voter before it cast. It is true that a touch screen voting machine will produce a printed receipt, but as they say "garbage in, garbage out." If a bug or glitch flipped a vote, that receipt would just mimic the flipped vote. It doesn't tell us squat about the intent of the voter. Nobody can verify a vote if no physical record of it exists.

So although I'm glad the Secretary of State has at least some reason to oppose the scourge of e-voting, I'd prefer it if her primary reason for opposing electronic voting had more to do with the bedrock principle of sound, verifiable elections- and less to do with some false ideas about cost and efficiency. If an election is meaningless it isn't efficient and it's a total waste of money. Not only that- it cuts at the heart of democracy.

In any event, Deb was very gracious to respond to my email so quickly and provide me with the text of the Vermont Paper Ballot Law. I like her. She didn't get more votes than Jim Douglas or Bernie Sanders for nothing.

BradBlog on This

The Techie Part

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posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 12:00 AM   2 comments
Something
Friday, July 06, 2007
Something is more than nothing. The difference between something and nothing will always be infinitely greater than the difference between something and more. Don't try to tell me 2 is to 1 as 1 is to 0. Zero is totally different than all the other numbers.

I saw Senator Dick Lugar (R) from Indiana tonight on Charlie Rose. Remind me to tell Steve Benen what he said.

I am uninspired at work, but at least I have a job... for now. I want to go back to working for myself. Back to sandwiches, I guess, but this time days, not nights and office workers, not college kids.

We live in the seat of a worldwide empire. You don't care about my sandwich dreams, and We don't care about all the suffering and death in other countries. The things we catch wind of we don't fully believe. Did we slaughter 3000 Panamanians in 1989? Was there a lot of construction and banging on the 34th floor before 9-11. Was it Marvin Bush?

We don't fully believe it because we're afraid to and the post-modern diffusion of information give us an easy out. Bullshit like this blog is democratizing media, but the flip-side is nobody really knows what to believe any more. Anybody can deny anything and it's harder to check the facts. Who you gonna believe? PoliticsVermont? Wikipedia? With all due respect to Shay Totten and the last days of the Guardian- if it's online only, it isn't a newspaper. That's one of the larger points I try to make with this blog. I put things up and take them down, or I leave them up and change them. None of this electronic mumbo jumbo means a damn until you print it out on a piece of paper and hold it in your hand. You people ought to know that.

What else? I'm too tired to be writing, but I have to unfortunately. It's the only thing I do that is remotely artistic nowadays. I'm feeling like a ghost. Nobody is safe unless we all are safe, and not all of us are safe. Many many brothers and sisters all over the world are being brutally murdered, or worse. Also, nobody is free unless we all are free. I'm free and I still can't find freedom. Nelson Mandela was in jail for 27 years and he was free the whole time. Nothing makes any sense and everything is its own opposite. It's also defined by the total absence of everything it isn't. You people ought to know that.

Ok. That's something and that's enough.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 12:19 AM   0 comments
President-Elect Hillary Clinton
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Based on her perfomance in this debate broadcast live on PBS tonight, BurlingtonPol now projects Hillary Clinton is the winner of the 2008 presidential election.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 11:02 PM   1 comments
Meat Space Moments II
Scudder Parker vs. Charity Tensel

Caught in the crossfire of an eye-laser battle between former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Scudder Parker and former Republican city council candidate Charity Tensel, Ed Adrian and TJ Donovan wonder how long their invisible force field will hold out.

Can they survive?

posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 9:19 PM   1 comments
Meat Space Moments
Baruth vs. Welch...Who will win???
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 12:20 AM   0 comments
IRV Elects Harriet Harman Deputy Labour Leader
Sunday, June 24, 2007
From the BBC. Can you believe Blair's gone Wednesday?
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 11:47 PM   1 comments
"Sucked into the Althouse Vortex"
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Saw it at Candleblog...."The divine Ms. Althouse." (She's from Madison, Wisonson.)
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 10:34 PM   0 comments
Green Mulligan to serve on Housing Board
Monday, June 18, 2007
Story from Blazing Indescretions. Owen Milligan was appointed to the Burlington Housing Board of Review. First Burlingon Green on the board. Second on any.

But is Owen really a green?
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 7:22 AM   6 comments
Fascinating Blog!
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Elaine Young teaches marketing and e-business at Champlain Collge.
Check out Elaine Young: A Champlain Professor
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 10:03 PM   2 comments
Black
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 8:41 PM   0 comments
Dean to attend BBQ (Maybe)
Monday, June 11, 2007
Wow. Looks like Odum got Howard Dean to agree to go to the Second Annual Blogger Barbecue at North Beach on July 15 (1-5pm). Well, sort of. It wasn’t a hard commitment, but at least Dean told somebody to write it down.

Labels:

posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 8:57 PM   3 comments
The Written Word is a Lie
In case you are wondering whom you should vote for in the "Seven Daysies" category for best political blog, here it is:

http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/


Easily, hands-down and by far. It's Written by Steve Benen who lives and works from Essex Junction. Steve also writes for Salon.com, WashingtonMonthly.com, HuffPo, and just about whomever the hell else he wants to. Among his fans are Bill Clinton and me.

If I'd have thought faster and/or been a bigger person, I would have voted for the Carpetbagger Report instead of BurlingtonPol.com in the 'best political blog' category. Maybe it's not too late for you to make a better choice.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 8:23 PM   0 comments
Messner Hasn't Jumped Shark
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Did I mention you need a super-majority of 67% to jump the shark at BurlingtonPol? That's because it's easier to beat up on someone than it is to admit you actually like them.

In any event, the folks who think Messner has jumped the shark were only able to muster a 50% plurality, far less than the two-thirds required.

Of course the real lesson here is- even if nobody else does, as long as you believe in yourself you'll never really jump the shark.

Thanks for playing "Has Tom Messner Jumped The Shark?" and for reading BurlingtonPol.com.

Visit Often!
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 9:39 PM   5 comments
How to Beat Jim Douglas
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
This is still the only way to beat Jim Douglas. Thanks to iburlington.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 11:42 PM   3 comments
Memorial Day
Friday, May 25, 2007
My Brother sent out a Memorial Day remembrance for the four soldiers killed during his tour of Iraq in 2004. It was his sad duty to attended all of their memorial services in Baghdad.
****


Spc. Chad H. Drake, 23, of Garland, Texas.


Spc. Justin W. Johnson, 22, of Rome, Georgia.


Spc. Casey Sheehan, 24, of Vacaville, California.


Army 1st Sgt. Ernest E. Utt, 38, of Hammond, Illinois.


****
What's a liberal blogger to say?

This was how I replied:

Thanks for this. It chokes me up. As much as I feel the invasion of Iraq was a horrible mistake, I do not feel our soldiers who die there do so in vain. They die upholding civilian rule and government by the will of our people, and this maintains the continuity of our nation. By carrying out their orders, they are in fact defending America by proving that they will give everything for those ideals, even if the orders themselves make absolutely no sense. It's we the people who owe them. We owe more attention, more thought, more personal involvement in how the policies of this nation are shaped. We will self-correct, because the genius of our founders has given us the mechanisms to do so. It's all there in the Constitution. I'm sorry for your personal pain and I'm grateful for your service- not as your brother, but as an American like any other. I will say a prayer for these four great men you knew. I will remember the blessings of liberty and use them to be the best citizen I know how to be.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 11:31 PM   2 comments
Spielpalast Cabaret!
Friday, May 18, 2007
(I just reprinted the email I got from Eva the Deadbeat...)

Mein Teurer Schatz,
Entschuldigung Sie bitte, did you know that it is not too late to come to the SpielPalast Cabaret! Wann? You have one weekend remaining. Wo? Get yourself to Burlington City Hall! Warum? Are you insane? Good, you will fit right in. Das ist aber schade...

For a tasty preview, watch my behind-the-scenes vlog about the show or have a gander at some yummy show pictures on my blog. Or read what some satisfied cabaret patrons have to say about the show: Molly, Jeff and Scott - you may be seeing more blurbs in Seven Days and the Burlington Free Press this week as well. Seats will go fast.... Bis bald!

****************Welcome....To SpielPalast!****************
Tickets on Sale Now!
6 Shows at Contois Auditorium in Burlington City Hall
May 17, 18, & 19
$18 Advance / $20 Day of Show
Doors 7:30pm / Show 8pm


Tickets Available at:
Flynn Box Office (M-F, 10am-4pm & Sat, 11am-4pm)
1-802-863-5966

***Tickets Will Also Be Available At Contois Each Night of Show***

For more info.visit:
SpielPalast Home
SpielPalast on MySpace

SpielPalast on YouTube

Remember to pass this along to all your best pals!

Du bist schön. Dein Liebespfeil hat mich getroffen! Komm bitte her und verarzte mich! Mein Herz schlägt nur für dich!

Tausend Küsse,
xox Vaurienne xox
--
AKA Eva Sollberger
Videographer

Stuck in Vermont Vlog: http://7d.blogs.com/stuckinvt/

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/vermontdeadbeat

posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 1:52 AM   0 comments
Frank Mazur on She's Right Friday
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Friday at 5:25, She’s Right is on channel 17 and host Charity Tensel's guest will be former VT State Rep. Frank Mazur.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 12:49 AM   0 comments
Penelope Wall
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Here's another Burlington blog. I learned about it in an EZTO comment string. I wonder if this woman is related to Max Wall the Rabbi.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 7:19 AM   2 comments
Oreo Cookies
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Oh, oh, oh, ice cold milk and an Oreo Cookie.
They forever go together, what a classic combination.
When a dark, delicious cookie meets an icy cold sensation.
Like the one and only creamy, crunchy, chocolate, O-R-E-O!
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 4:45 PM   0 comments
Socio-Economic Integration
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
From the Free Press- They talk to Ed.

From WCAX- They talk to Tom.

I don't think this is going anywhere. People send their kids to the school that's closest to their home. It's the homes that should be more integrated.

I think San Francisco is more integrated like that as a result of its hilly landscape. The rich like to live on the hills, and the poor get pushed to the valley, but since there are so many hills, rich and poor are interspersed in close proximity.

In Burlington we have the hill section, and we also have the beach so the money gets spread around here too. And let me ask you something- What's the "socio" part there for? We're talking about economic status. The baseline metric for all this bullshit is the percentage of the student body of each school living under the poverty line, so don't try to tell me there's some sociological aspect of this that isn't derived from the economic aspect itself. We're talking about class.

They might as well just come out and say they've got a utopian scheme to mix up children from different classes because they believe this will serve to...what? I don't know- lead to greater equality in the future? Raise the prospects and opportunities of all kids? Who knows?

But in the end if we do this it will probably mean a ton of paperwork and a lot of extra money spent on gasoline, and sure as shit even within the same school the kids will segregate themselves by "socio-economic" status faster than a ten year old kid in Rome can pick your pocket.

(The opinions expressed in this post are not necessarily mine.)
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 11:39 PM   6 comments
Fake Blog Interviews Internet Guru
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Wow. According to Cathy Resmer, Zypher Teachout actually granted an interview with Politics Vermont Blog.

I wonder if she now considers that a mistake.

In a related story, "Deep Throat's" email address doesn't work any more.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 11:25 PM   1 comments
Denouement
de·noue·ment [dey-noo-mahn] –noun
1.the final resolution of the intricacies of a plot, as of a drama or novel.
2.the place in the plot at which this occurs.
3.the outcome or resolution of a doubtful series of occurrences.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 8:47 PM   1 comments
Chanel No. 5 Perfume
Friday, May 04, 2007
I don't want to set the world on fire.

Chanel No. 5
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 11:39 PM   0 comments
Jean Nate After Bath Splash
For people who take charge of their lives.

It hits your body and your mind
So fresh so new
You get the feeling there's nothing you can't do.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 11:35 PM   0 comments
Enjoli Perfume
I can bring home the bacon
Fry it up in a pan
And never let you forget you're a man
'Cause I'm am woman
Enjoli
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 7:19 AM   1 comments
Is Alexandra Kosteniuk Pregnant?
Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Well it seems the world wants to know. I've now had hits from people in Israel, Spain and Chicago asking that very question.

Now it seems the answer is in: Yes! She's finally announced it on Her Website !

Congratulations Alexandra!
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 7:06 AM   1 comments
Items of Note
Friday, April 27, 2007
Just a couple of things-

Charity left She's Right and has moved to All Things Hold Together. Good luck with your new blog Charity!

*****

Also Democracy For America has asked me to post a link to a web-poll of theirs-

Will you do a post on Grassroots All-Stars urging your readership to vote in our online poll? Voting ends Wednesday night at midnight.

Here are the DFA Grassroots All-Stars Congressional Candidates:

Charlie Brown (CA-04)
Darcy Burner (WA-08)
Eric Massa (NY-29)

Vote here: http://www.democracyforamerica.com/allstars
Getting out the vote is how progressives took back Congress in 2006 and it’s how we’ll grow our Democratic majority in 2008.



*****

...And Dave E- I know I still owe you that post about the chemical contrails... I'll get to it...
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 7:20 AM   5 comments
When Were "The Days?"
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Re-run from 02.20.06
******
Click Picture to Hear Song.
I'll write about the second mayoral debate later.

Even though I only have "broadcast level" cable, TV Land Network 'bleeds' into my cable service somehow and I get to watch it fuzzy for free. (Fox "News" also comes in, but perfectly clear- an obvious Adelphia conspiracy.) "All in the Family" is one of my favorite shows on TV Land. The IMDB Plot Outline: "A working class bigot constantly squabbles with his family over the important issues of the day."

On one episode I saw recently, a Jewish militant was killed by a car bomb while Archie, Gloria and Mike watched in horror. I'm not kidding. It's amazing to see what passed for comedy in the seventies. Well, not that scene specifically, but you know what I mean. Sitcoms were more hard-hitting then, than the news is today.

Anyway. I started ruminating about the theme song "Those were the Days" written by Charles Strouse and Lee Adams for the show which ran from 1971-1979. Everyone who knows the show is familiar with the song's performance by Carroll O'Connor and Maureen Stapleton at the opening of each episode. But have you ever really thought about the lyrics? When exactly were "the days" they're singing about?

My analysis of the lyrics:

Boy, the way Glenn Miller played!(1)
Songs that made the Hit Parade. (2)
Guys like us, we had it made. (3)
Those were the days! (4)

And you knew where you were then.
Girls were girls and men were men. (5)
Mister, we could use a man like Herbert Hoover again. (6)

Didn't need no welfare state. (7)
Everybody pulled his weight. (8)
Gee, our old LaSalle ran great. (9)
Those were the days! (10)

(1) Big Band Musician Glenn Miller lived 1904-1944.
(2) The "Hit Parade" was a radio show from 1935-50. Sort of a precursor to "American Bandstand."
(3) The first in a series of 'male-normative' phrases with sexist overtones.
(4) When were the days? So far they must have been between 1935-1944 to include Glenn Miller & "Hit Parade."
(5) The second sexist phrase, this time juxtaposing male maturity with female infantilization.
(6) Hoover's presidency (1929-1934) saw the Depression begin. He lived 1879-1964.
(7) That's a double-negative. It means they DID need a "welfare state."
(8) Third sexist phrase. Use of the pronoun "his" implies that the speaker believes "everybody" doesn't include women.
(9) Cadillac LaSalle (named for French explorer) An American car produced from 1927 to late 1950s.
(10) When were the days? Apparently they didn't exist. Hoover was out office before the "Hit Parade" was ever on the radio. What is this crap? Didn't anybody bother to tell Norman Lear?


Click here to here the song again.

posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 7:23 AM   1 comments
92 Years of Denial
Thursday, April 12, 2007
This month marks the 92nd anniversary of the 1915 genocide of Armenians by Turkey. Turkey Still has not admitted it. I'll ask my Jewish friends in the audience to imagine if Germany continued to deny the holocaust to this day. Simply put, this is an outrage.

There will be events world wide to commemorate the atrocities. Genocide is not ok.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 11:36 PM   3 comments
About this Blog
About this blog. This blog's anchor topic is Burlington politics. I'm a Capricorn and a very grounded person, so my blog has to about something. Otherwise It would basically just be the Cure-chick in me crying into a poetry journal. (Oh Robert!) Nobody wants to see that. I'd get three hits a day from people in eastern Europe googling "razor blades and ox balls." No good.

So the theme of the blog is the politics of this amazing city, my beloved home town. But it doesn't stop there. I like to jazz-up my political punditry and juxtapose imagery by tossing in a bit of pop-culture spice. For example:



and

So that's fun. I do a lot of experimentation. Sometimes I shut off the blog and just throw up nothing but a picture of Andy Kaufman. I was doing Open Microphone for a while back in the day. Whatever. I have Burlington related links that always need updating. Everything is done quick and dirty around here. Not a lot of time for this hobby of mine. You can see at the bottoms of my sidebars, for example, I haven't bothered to remove the Latin text from the template to which I migrated from Blogger's "Mean Green Blogging Machine" by "Son of Moto." Hello Moto.

So what is this blog? It's shabby, amateur, political, experimental, pop-cultural, feminist, liberal and independent. It's open-minded, free speaking, local, regional, national and international. I write from the heart and I tell the truth as I see it without fear or favor.

The tag line under the blog title is ever-changing. I have a disclaimer.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 10:04 PM   9 comments
City Signs Threaten Illegal Fines
So I hear the VT Legislature is considering selling us out to the feds and making seatbelt infractions a primary offense in exchange for a one-time pittance of 3.5 mil. I would only support the measure if it included a sunset as soon as we got the money. That's not likely. Governor Jim Douglas is against making 'seatbelts' a primary. Good for him. Now about these illegal signs...

(Re-run from 02.25.06)
*****
The click-it-or-ticket program has a false and misleading name. You cannot get a ticket for failing to wear your seatbelt in Vermont....


From iburlington.com
Click here to read entire post.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 9:38 PM   0 comments
Who made Leopold King?
Seven Days has a story about how Jon Leopold supposedly runs Burlington.

But basically this says it all:

Kiss, for his part, suggests that “those questions of style are only questions of style.” Pols and pundits who see him as his treasurer’s understudy “don’t understand how government works,” Kiss continues. “The mayor is the CEO. Jonathan’s not going to do anything I disapprove of. We work together, and I do have a good understanding of the budget.”

There you go people. Bob runs the show.

Labels:

posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 7:51 AM   0 comments
Fait Accompli
Sunday, April 08, 2007
WCAX reports that in the race for Burlington City Council president, Bill Keogh was considering running for the Dems. BurlingtonPol has learned that isn't going to happen, and that Keogh himself now believes Kurt Wright will win.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 9:05 PM   3 comments
Right Here Writing!
Friday, April 06, 2007

Click the picture to visit BurlingtonPol's Favorite Chinese Blog. Thanks for the link "Just Once" My archives are named in your honor.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 5:26 PM   0 comments
Sex Wins in Landslide! Links!
Thursday, April 05, 2007
(05.04.06)
With all votes in and counted...SEX wins with an overwhelming two-thirds majority, or 66.7 percent. Drugs and Rock & Roll tied for last place with only one vote each.

Now back to links...

Healthier Blogs in town take "link dumps." but these links went right through me...
Local Erotica (Not for Kids!)
Local Republicans on Yahoo Groups (Not for Kids!)
Some blog from New York State
Ricky-Ticky Burlington
NNE group on Yahoo!
Wiki Nice House
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 4:21 AM   1 comments
Disclaimer
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
(02.15.06)

Before things got too out of hand, I figured I’d better write a disclaimer so everyone understands the rules of this site. Here it is…


Click here for Disclaimer.

posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 10:22 PM   0 comments
In the Wake following Ian Carlton
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Please excuse this actual post. I'll get back to re-runs shortly.
*****

I am officially nominating Ian Carlton "Best City Council President Ever." The "Auctioneer" is fast, fair and friendly- expeditious, enlightened and engaging if you will, and there may never be another quite like him or quite as good.

Carlton is a "Yalie," while one of the candidates seeking to replace him went to Harvard. Which one, you ask? Here's a hint- Not Kurt Wright.

But while Nathan K Wright, may lack an Ivy League education- I'd have to bet on him to win this thing. For one, everybody knows the Progs tend to use every rule, loop-hole and lever available to their advantage. That's smart politics, but at the same time, the Dems are still a bit stung by Hinda's surprise loss to Bob and may not be interested in having young Mr. Ashe stack all the committees with his partisan progressive pals. With only three Republicans on the council, the Dems realize Kurt would not be able to do that. Plus, there may be a teeny bit of payback for the Dems in denying mayor Kiss a Progressive presidency even if they don't run someone for it themselves.

I may have just biased the results of the following web poll, but I hope you all realize that no internet-based poll with self-selected participants is scientific in any way. These things are just for fun and/or propaganda, FYI. I know about these things because I worked for Macro Market Research for two years in high school.

Heh heh. "Slack-ro." Everybody worked there.

Who is the Next City Council President?

Tim Ashe

Kurt Wright

Free polls from Pollhost.com

posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 11:37 PM   16 comments
Politics Vermont Goes Back in Time
As of right now (Tuesday 8/15/06,11:55 pm eastern) the latest post at Politics VT is from May 5, 2006.

Weird.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 6:47 AM   3 comments
A quick story about Texas
Monday, March 26, 2007
This re-run was originally published Thursday, February 23, 2006. I'm running it because I just thought of a funny nickname for Ben Cohen. "Ice Cream Cohen." Get it? I can't believe it took thirty years for someone to think of that.

*****
I lived in Austin, Texas in 1997 and 1998. While there I worked for a small, upstart ice cream company called Amy’s. My job was to make ice cream. So one day Amy and I were chatting, and noting I was from Vermont, she mentioned her dealings with Ben and Jerry’s.

You see at that time Amy had about five shops in Austin and San Antonio, but she wanted to start selling pints of ice cream in stores, too. She told me that Ben and Jerry had stopped that from happening by threatening to pull their business from all of the area companies with refrigerated trucks if they distributed for Amy.

That sounded like a vaguely familiar scenario. Where had I heard that before? Oh yeah, isn’t that what Pillsbury famously did to Ben and Jerry’s once? Remember the “What’s the Doughboy Afraid Of?” ad campaign?

She said she had spoken with each of them on the phone. According to her, Jerry was a nice guy and seemed almost apologetic about the whole thing, while Ben said something like ‘We’re big and you’re small so F you.”

This has been a quick story about Texas.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 12:38 AM   1 comments
Numb Gray Surrender
Saturday, March 24, 2007
I have to be honest with you people. The blogger in me has been smashed in the face by a tidal wave called "baby." I'm basically BrundleFly-and-Telepod at this point. Spent. A freakish shell of the blogger that was. I don't have a thing to say or a reason to say it.

I feel ten years older since baby "Yanna" arrived ten days ago. To make matters worse for BurlingtonPol, it's like another eleven months until there's another local election to make fun of.

Monday I'll head back to work. I haven't shaved all week and there's a shocking amount of gray in my beard. I can feel myself softening. I no longer feel the sharp resentment I used to for the city's institutions- Fletcher Allen, UVM- Even the Co-op. I'm too tired to fight. I always lose and nobody cares anyway.

I just want to raise my babies and die like every other living thing. The rest is just conversation.

So what should I do with BurlingtonPol? I think I'll just run re-runs of old posts in no particular order. I've already done Andy Kaufman, "Smashed Blog," Intermission, The Disclaimer, Killed another blog, Channeled Deep Throat, The ever-changing Tagline, Held sway in local elections and changed politics and media forever. What else would I do now but show re-runs?

The next post will be a re-run.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 11:43 PM   6 comments
Welch Searches for Snarky Boy
Thursday, March 22, 2007

posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 10:43 AM   2 comments
The Shocking Truth about BurlingtonPol
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
I had one picture of this woman up in November, and now all my hits are coming from freaks around the world who want her classic image from Fast Times.
Blogging is stupid. Communism is good. Give up. Give up.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 4:15 PM   0 comments
Daughter
This is my baby daughter "Yanna" a week ago on her birthday, March 14, 2007. She is an extremely good person, just like her brother "Koko" and her mother "Poopsie." Great job Poopsie! Yanna waves hello.
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 12:17 AM   3 comments
Intermission
Monday, March 19, 2007
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 7:00 AM   0 comments
First Visit from Armenia
Wednesday, March 07, 2007



posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 10:27 PM   2 comments
Seven out of Eight Ain't Bad
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Well all of my predictions came true, except of course Jane Knodell losing to Dave Rogers in Ward Two. I guess the "wake up call" I predicted Ward Two would send the Progs was hype. I'm a publisher. Sometimes I want things to be more interesting than they are. Dave Rogers ran hard, but at the end of the day Jane is still an asset, and the Progressive machine's old north end juggernaut still reigns.

A word to Tom Licata and Linda Deliduka. There isn't a "three-strikes, you're out" rule in Burlington Politics, but if there were- you'd both be out. This year Licata pulled less than 33 percent and Deliduka pulled less than 25. Learn to take a hint people.

Here's a Breakdown by vote totals and percents for the Burlington City Council races decided today. Congratulations to all the winners, especially Councilor-Elect Ed Adrian.

Ward 1 Special
Ed Adrian (D) 264 votes 47.0588235%
Dick Bove (I) votes 78 13.9037433%
Megan Munson-Warnken (P) 219 votes 39.0374332%

Ward 1
Sharon Bushor (I) 428 votes 100%

Ward 2
Jane Knodell (P) 214 votes 63.1268437%
David Rogers (I) 125 votes 36.8731563%

Ward 3
Tim Ashe (P) 345 votes 79.3103448%
Loyal Ploof (I) 90 votes 20.6896552%

Ward 4
Jim Holway (D) 514 votes 44.1580756%
Kurt Wright (R) 650 votes 55.8419244%

Ward 5
Rene Kaczka-Valliere (G) 131 16.6666667%
Joan Shannon (D) 532 votes 67.6844784%
Basil Vansuch (I) 123 votes 15.648855%

Ward 6
Tom Licata (I) 221 votes 32.3572474%
Andrew Montroll (D) 462 67.6427526%

Ward 7
Ellie Blais (I) 313 32.0696721%
Linda Deliduka (D) 239 24.4877049%
Craig Gutchell (R) 424 43.442623%
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 10:30 PM   4 comments
Vox Exitus
Monday, March 05, 2007
Click the Banner to go to Exit Voices. Talk about elections and town meetings there.

Happy Election Day Burlington!
posted by Haik Bedrosian @ 11:05 PM   1 comments
Arlena Blog


Vermont Cannabis News

Bluebird of Fairyness

Church of the Subgenius


Your Local Politics Oasis
Scrounge for a fix...

Blazing Indiscretions
by James Vos

Blurt
by Seven Days

Briggs's Blog
by John Briggs

iBurlington.com(Wards 4 & 7)
by Brian Brown

The Vermont Daily Briefing (VDB)
by Philip Baruth

Ward 5 NPA News
by Basil Vansuch

North End Neighborhood Planning Assembly (Wards 4 & 7)
by Lea Terhune

Hot Coffee, Eggs & Toast
Burlington
Blogs and Websites

802 Online
by Cathy Resmer

All Things Hold Together
by Charity Tensel

Aimee Picchi: Notes on writing, journalism and Vermont.
by Aimee Picchi

As Seen In VT
by Katie Fedigan-Linton

Ash LaRose Photography (Website)
by Ash LaRose

Ash LaRose Photography (Blog)
by Ash LaRose

April's Blog (Musings)
by April Cornell

Big Heavy World
by Jim Lockridge

Bipolar Earth
by Hypervigilant

Blabulous
by Owen Mulligan

Blazing Indiscretions
by James Vos

Blurt
by Seven Days

Bunnyspice
by Eva Sollberger

Burlington Underground
by Ryan Orlove and Friends

Burlingtonian
by Heavenly Ryan

BurlingtonVT.org
by David Abrams

BVT Daily News (Yahoo Group)
by Kevin Ryan

Candleblog (Original Site)
by Bill Simmon

Candleblog (New Site)
by Bill Simmon

Carolyn Bates Photography
(Blog)

by Carolyn Bates

Carolyn Bates Photography (Website)
by Carolyn Bates

Church Street Energy System
by ZHP

Circles for Peace
by David Brizendine and Friends

Daily Dose of Terror
by Greg Nixon

Diabologue
by Matt Paradise

Dohiyi Mir
by N. Todd Pritsky

Flameape
by Gregory Giordano

Good News Garage Blog
by Carmen George

Freyneland
by Peter Freyne

Front Porch Forum
by Michael Wood-Lewis

Ghost of Midnight
by Michael Wood-Lewis

Glow-in-the-Dark Radio
by Mike Luoma

HANDS
by Megan Humphrey and friends

Healthyhippiemagazine.com
by Taraleigh Silberberg

Hodska on the Web
by Steve Hodska

iBurlington
by Brian Brown

Identity Theory
by Matt Borondy

Inside Track
by Peter Freyne

JeremyRyan.org
by Jeremy Ryan

Local Action Works
by Owen Mulligan and Friends

Loyal's Tidal Wave
by Loyal Ploof

Maverick Media
by Greg Guma

Penelope Post
by Penelope Wall

Radio Deli
by Pam Scanlon

Repeal IRV
by Owen Mulligan

Rip and Read
by Alex Ball

Ron Paul Movement Hour Blog
by Steve Hodska

SEA+BA
by Mark Stephenson

She's Right (Original Site)
by Charity Tensel

She's Right (New Site)
by Charity Tensel

Spitting Out Teeth
by Jay

The 9/11 Non-conspiracist
Gazetteer

by Marc Awodey

The Burlington Livable Community Project
by The AARP

The Bove's Blog
by Mark Bove

The Deli Magazine
by Adena Harford

The Deadbeat Club
by Eva Sollberger

The Golden Age of Robots
by Adam Rabin

The Stech Blog
by Chris Stecher

The Vermont Daily Briefing (VDB)
by Philip Baruth

Undead Molly
by "Undead Molly"

UVM College Democrats
by UVM College Democrats

VCAM (Channel 15) Blog
by Vermont Community Access Media (VCAM)

Ward 5 NPA News
by Basil Vansuch

Vermont Buzz
by The Burlington Free Press

Vermonters for a Real 9/11 Investigation
by Frank Haddleton

Yes and No
by Frank ____

Koko and Nectar

Surrounding Area
Blogs and Websites

Broadsides
by Michael Colby

BureaucracyBlog.com
Deborah G. Alicen. Ph.D.

Defenders Council of Vermont
by Jamie Zeppernick

Five Before Chaos (Original Site)
by JD Ryan

Five Before Chaos (New Site)
by JD Ryan

Food Stamp Mamas
by "Jeremy" and "Zappaflower"

From the Newsdesk
by Chris Fells

Green Mountain Daily
by John Odum and Friends

Green Mountain Jamie
by Jamie ______

Green Mountain Politics 1
by Christopher Potter Stewart

I must be Dreaming
by Jamie ______

Illuminati Slayer
by Peter Stevenson

Lilac Knitting
by Kristine

Minor Heresies
by "Heretic"

Norsehorse's Home on the Web
by Morgan W. Brown

Norsehorse's Home Turf
by Morgan W. Brown

Political Animal
by Steve Benen and featuring Hilzoy

Politicker VT
by Jared Corey Kushner

Reason and Brimstone
by Julie Waters and Friends

The Carpetbagger Report
by Steve Benen

The Dwinell Political Report
by James Dwinwll

The Prog Blog
by Vermont Progressives

Tirade Parade
by "Tirade25"

Vermont Commons
by Brian McClintock

Vermont Hum
by Brian McClintock

Vermont Scrap Wood
by Scrapwood

Vermont Snarky Boy
by Michael Colby

What's the point?
by "Vermonter"

"Burlington"

Fletcher Free Library
Burlington City Arts
Burlington Free Press
Burlington College
Burlington Currency Project
Burlington Film Makers
Burlington Gardens
Preservation Burlington
Burlington Nights
Burlington Schools Coalition
Burlington Telecom

The Just Once Archives:

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

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Amendment VII

In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

Burlington Music Scene

AramBedrosian.com
Big Heavy World
Icebox Records
Live Music Beth
Nato
Tom Azarian

Other Random Websites

http://www.antiwar.com
Radio Free Quaker
AlGore.org
Bellisse
christopherpearson.org
CCTV Channel 17
Here (BurlingtonPol.com)

Ari K's Strange Blue Planet

Bach's Cello Suite #1 in G Major Prelude

"Bulldog's" Bio

My Dream House

Adbusters

Daily Kos

Michael Moore

Nizkor

CCTV Channel 17

VCAM Channel 15

Vermont Guardian

UVM Cynic

WVAA 1390 AM

AM 620 WVMT

90.1 WRUV FM


Lois the Hot Dog Lady


Women Helping Battered Women

Dr. Tuna, et al.

7D

Burlington "Free" Press

WCAX Channel 3 (CBS)

WPTZ Channel 5 (NBC)

SEABA

Vermont Bar Association

Chittenden Solid Waste District

Chittenden Solid Waste District

Carnegie library building

Wiki Leaks

Madeleine Kunin's Resume

Famous Vermonters Part I

Famous Vermonters Part II

True Crime in Burlington

Kennedy Family Tree

Rockefeller Family Tree

Bush Family Tree

Church of the Subgenius

Robert Anton Wilson

Right Here Writing From China!

Democracy Now!

Neighborhood Planning Assemblies

Huffington Post

Editor and Publisher

Bet on Politics!

Political Graveyard

Rasmussen Reports

Mark Fiore

Frame Shop

The King of All Media

Alexandra Kosteniuk

Yahoo!

Google

Dictionary

Bellisse

Boob Nazis

MRBFK

ACLU

Center for Digital Democracy

Free Radio Burlington

The Freedom Forum

Amendment II

A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.

Random Election Literature

Yahoo!

Google

Dictionary

blog

"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore, Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me: I lift my lamp beside the golden door."

-Emma Lazarus, 1883

Church Street Energy System

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Whatever things
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