Trend Watch

Friday, April 17, 2009

A champion departs....



My current favorite thoroughbred, Tin Cup Chalice, was euthanized today after another horse bolted and collided with him. The other horse, Zany, was put down as well. Both jockeys were uninjured.
Tin Cup Chalice, who was named champion New York bred three year old on Monday and 2008 Horse of the Year at Finger Lakes was on the upstate New York track preparing for his 4 year old debut. In 2008, he was 6 0f 8 starts and over $825,000 after being undefeated at 2. He was the first horse to win the New York Triple Crown. Tin Cup Chalice is a half-brother to the current promising 3 year old, Mr. Fantasy. Both horses were named after songs by Jimmy Buffett.
Personally, I am just numb. I had been anticipating his imminent return to racing and now all we have are memories of a truly gutsy champion who died where he reigned, on the track.
"With a tin cup for a chalice, fill it up with good red wine".
Here's a toast to the horse who provided so much excitement and pleasure to so many. He was quite popular with horsemen of all stripes. R.I.P.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Leading ladies...


California's Ellen Tauscher (D), representing California's 10th district, merits my first Steady Hand award for her continued support of GLBT civil rights culminating in her introduction of the Military Readiness Enhancement Act (H.R. 1283) calling for the end to "Don't ask, don't tell". Rep. Tauscher has garnered a 100% rating from the Human Rights Campaign for her unwavering committment to civil liberties.
Ellen Tauscher was born in New Jersey and attended Seton Hall University. She began her career on Wall Street and at the age of 25 became the youngest female member of the American Stock Exchange at that time.
She moved to California and became pro-active in child care issues and in the Democratic party. She chaired Dianne Feinstein's successful 1994 Senate campaign. In 1996 she won her first election to the House of Representatives besting two-term Republican Bill Baker.
In Congress, she chairs the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces and sits on several other committees under the Committee on Armed Services umbrella. She also sits on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Rep. Tauscher's brand of moderate ideological politics is distinctive enough that TIME magazine named it "Tauscherism".
In early March this year Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton, offered Ms. Tauscher the position of Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security and on March 18, she announced her acceptance of that position. She clearly is a woman who stands on firm ground and she will be a valuable asset to our foreign policy team.
To learn more about this leading lady, go here.