May Day


From the Federal Reserve in San Francisco, where my office is located, I had a front-row view of the awesome power of the desire not to work. And send a message while doing so. Streams of people started congregating on Justin Herman Plaza around 9 in the morning. Some marched. Others jumped on the back of the el Chico produce truck for a better view and snap some pictures. But there was no one in particular to go paparazzi on. No Jesse Jackson. No Al Sharpton. No Nancy Pelosi. Just people. And aside from the random smattering of wayward protesters who seemed liked they'd wandered in from the past weekend antiwar marches, most were really there to make a statement about immigrants. To celebrate. And to activate.

Inside the Federal Reserve, a different subversive culture was being fomented -- the blog culture in the form of Markos Moulitsas, founder of the popular political blog Daily Kos, speaking for a packed lunchtime crowd before jumping on a plane on his way to his book tour. He wants to take over the establishment yawn of the Democratic Party. And judging from the response to his blog, he may even do it. He says just give the party another 10 or so years. Then we'll be in fighting shape. Rome wasn't built, oh, you know.

From the rebellious to the ridiculous: Monday's New York Times reported that Miller is introducing kinder, gentler ideas of manhood in its light beer ads. I would be cackling if I weren't too busy cringing. The commercials apparently showcase groups of guys sitting around tables talking about "Man Laws," some ad-induced invention. Oh, and it's guys like Burt Reynolds. He wants you to know that crushing a beer can on your forehead is so over. As my grandfather Manny would say: It's progress. It's not progressive. But it's progress.