Views from the Tractor

2008-03-01T10:44:00.003-06:00

I am temporarily shutting down this operation. I have only a dial-up connection and this blog is taking hours to put up, 3/4's of which is just trying to get my feeds to download and waiting for pages to upload. I am sorry. If I get DSL and if it alleviates this problem, I will be back, so to the 3 readers or so that I have regularly, I am sorry. If things don't improve, well it's been fun and I've enjoyed writing it, it's just I spend most of my time sitting and looking at this antiquated screen instead of writing. May the Democrats win!

Loyalty Oaths? How UnCalifornian of you

2008-02-29T08:36:00.007-06:00

Today's News

The Way I View It
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They said nothing was likely to change in Cuba as Fidel stepped down in favor of his brother Raul. But, apparently something has changed. Cuba has signed on to two human rights treaties issued from the UN back in 1966. The Cuban foreign minister, Felipe Perez Roque claimed that no pressure was placed on the country to do so, and it was the sole decision of a sovereign state. The Cuban state also agrees to periodic scrutiny of whether it is in compliance with UN accords. Cuba had recently been removed from a special watch list. We hope this means that more changes will be forthcoming.
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We seem to be about diplomacy this day as Condi Rice is in Beijing and Secretary of Defense, Gates is in India. Word is that mostly they are trying to make each country feel that it is the favored. China seems to be responding to the call, while India remains skeptical, believing that Washington's only true interest is in India being a bulwark against China. Both are hoped to be effective counterweights to Russia. For more, read M.K. Bhadrakumar's detailed post.
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In all probability, most people think that stories like this one are a waste of time and money. They could not be more wrong. That said, scientists have learned that bats have the ability to hover much like some insects. Using its thumbs and fingers embedded in its wings, they are able to alter the curve of the wing and gain lift, allowing them to stay in place or move in slow motion. Such studies prove that we have a great deal yet to learn about wing design in our own flying machines. See? I told you it was important.
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While disputed elections don't usually lead to violence in the US, such is not the case elsewhere. In Kenya, nearly 1,500 people died when rival groups disputed who won. But after heated negotiations over several weeks, an agreement has been reached. Brokered by Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary General, Mwai Kibaki will be president, and Raila Odinga will be Prime Minister. Much of course remains to be done, but all applaud this as a first step in reconciliation. Parliament will meet on March 6 to begin reviewing the accord. We wish them the best of luck!
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If you know me at all, you know I am thoroughly disgusted with American "regulatory agencies." I know they don't regulate a thing, are nothing but training grounds for high paying industry jobs, and certainly don't have my interests at heart at all. At a 5-hour FCC hearing at Harvard set to discuss the idea of "net neutrality," Comcast filled the room with ringers paid by them to take up the seating. This follows a pattern in Washington where people routinely stand in line for others, at Congressional hearings. It is believed Comcast wanted a favorable "audience." Why I cannot fathom, the agencies give them whatever they want anyway.
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Some days it's quite apparent I live in two different universes. Apparently, I've slipped into the "other" one again. Seems that California State University, bastion of "higher?" education, has taken to firing a teacher for altering her "loyalty oath" just a tad. Marianne Kearney-Brown added "nonviolently" and changed swear to "affirmed" to the "Oath of Allegiance," required of new employees. Ms. Kearney-Brown is a Quaker you see. She has made this alternation on several such documents in other school districts without comment, but not this time. She was fired. Apparently such "oaths" are required of all state employees and elected officials. Seems rather stupid to me. I'm not liking oaths at any college or university period.
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You know that cute little green guy that sells insurance right? I mean, with the accent (never can tell if that is Aussie or British). Anyhoo, his feet are now as important as his cute little voice. Yep, his feet are sticky, and we like sticky things. (Actually my husband has a well, Monkish aversion to all things sticky, but he's another case.) Actually the little gecko has a very interesting "toe structure." (news to me for sure). This is the sticky your dreams are made of, it leaves no residue, is self-cleaning (the toes I mean), and doesn't degrade. It's all in the tiny hairs on its toes you see. Nanotubes, concocted in some mad scientist's lab actually mimic these hairy toes it seems. Read more to see just the oodles of possible applications.
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And just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water, her comes another story that will keep your toes on shore. Touted as the T-Rex of the seas, this bone crushing animal with teeth the size of cucumbers is definitely one you would not want to meet. Called a pliosaur, it was the size of a bus and lived 150 million years ago, in what is present day Norway. The fishy was as long as 50 feet, which seems pretty long to me. Enough for me, I'm staying where it's dry.
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I have stated that I think Barack Obama will emerge as the candidate of the Democratic Party. I wish, and deep down still hold a flicker of hope that Hillary will stage some miraculous come back, but I am not foolish enough to listen to my own desires. Dan Schnur in an OP Ed at the NYTimes, suggests that perhaps we should not jump quite so fast. No fan of the Clintons, he claims he has learned not to count them out too soon no matter how clear cut it may seem. He actually thinks she would be the formidable opponent. In a nutshell, this Republican is rooting for Obama and fearing Clinton. Interesting analysis.
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I'm glad to see that McCain is not getting away with accepting the endorsement of John Hagee, all round hate monger and bigot. The Catholic League has denounced McCain for his acceptance of the sleazy blessing offered by the dude who wants to support Israel in order to speed up Armageddon. I'm just thrilled, given the way Obama was treated over Farrakhan's endorsement. (By the way, I think denounce is stronger than reject) Hagee has that heartwarming tendency to call Catholics "whores and anti-Christs, and cultists", none of which please members of the oldest formal institution in the world. If McCain wants the Catholic vote, and surely he does, he better backtrack fast, but then he will lose the nutcase vote, and that my friends seems to be growing daily, so who knows what he will do.
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David Greenburg gives a fine analysis of Jacob Heilbrunn's book, "They knew they were right: the rise of the Neocons." The term neo-con is bandied around pretty carelessly by most people, including myself. Actually it has a pretty precise meaning. It actually arose in the 1960-70's and was composed of liberals who were disenchanted with the "Great Society" and the isolationist position of Democrats after Vietnam. It has, to be sure, gone through many a twist and turn since then. Greenburg is skeptical that this book is too close in time to reflect an accurate historical view of the movement, but that by no means makes the book insignificant. Read the review at The American Prospect.
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I've been giggling about McCain's financial issues involving the FEC. I've so far seen him argue that it he isn't bound by his contract to limit himself to taxpayer funding because his people say he isn't. Not a good argument in my opinion. George Will thinks the NYTimes story about the lobbyist only deflected attention off this story, and to Mac's benefit. It just looks like McCain is, well, just being like the typical candidate, flipping and flopping as the winds and political expediency move him. And some still insist he will be a formidable candidate? I keep trying to figure that out.
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Below the Fold

History

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Leap Year is upon us this year. Of course we all know it occurs every 4 years and is meant to keep the calendar months in line with the actual seasons, but I wonder if you know why February was the chosen month for this interloper. Intercalation is the word used for insertions of extra days in a calendar. Using this method to reconcile the solar calendar with the lunar calendar, the extra day was placed in February, simply because that was the end of the calendar year in ancient Rome. March 1 was essentially New Year's then.

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This Day in History

46 BCE ~ The first leap year, instituted by Julius Caesar
1796 ~ The Jay Treaty went into effect
1908 ~ Dutch scientists produce solid helium
1940 ~ Hattie McDaniel is the first black woman to receive an Oscar
1960 ~ First Playboy Club opens in Chicago
1968 ~ Kerner Commission Report released on racism in America
1968 ~ The first pulsar was located by astronomers `

Born this Day

1736 ~ Anna Lee, founder of the Shakers
1904 ~ Jimmy Dorsey, orchestra leader

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Quote of the Day

Learning to dislike children at an early age saves a lot of expense and aggravation later in life." ~~Robert Byrne

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Word of the Day

impromptu \im-PROMP-too\ adjective

1 : made, done, or formed on or as if on the spur of the moment : improvised 2 : composed or uttered without previous preparation : extemporaneous

When we dropped by unexpectedly, Aunt Dinah threw together an impromptu dinner from the odds and ends in her refrigerator

If you think that "impromptu" looks like a relative of "prompt," you're right; both are ultimately derived from the Latin "promere," meaning "to bring forth, take out." "Impromptu" was borrowed from French, where it meant "extemporaneously," but French speakers picked it up from the Latin phrase "in promptu," a "promere" descendant meaning "in readiness" or "at hand." There is also another, much rarer descendant of "promere" in English — the noun "promptuary," meaning "a book of ready reference."

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Joke of the Day

"Ralph Nader announced he's running for president again. Immediately after the announcement, the guy sitting next to Nader on the park bench told him to shut up." --Conan O'Brien

"Ralph Nader announced he is running for president again. His announcement has filled millions of people with excitement and hope. And these people are called Republicans." --Craig Ferguson

"Ralph Nader, doesn't he look like the cranky guy at a hearing on the new traffic light? He looks like the guy who can't find his table after he goes to the salad bar." --David Letterman

Husseined is like swiftboating

2008-02-28T08:36:00.010-06:00

Today's News

The Way I View It
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You might wonder now and again, where all the money that we pour into Iraq actually goes. Apparently hundreds of millions go to the three ethnic groups in Iraq for "security." The problem is, it is very much used by them to eliminate other ethnic peoples within their "border." So we have effectively armed the three camps and hope and pray they don't turn the guns on each other in a concerted way instead of the piecemeal way we have decided to accept as "normal." There are somewhere in the vicinity of 600,000 fighters, armed by us, but their loyalty is to themselves and no other. Some say its a matter of when not if, it explodes into an outright conflagration.
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Some are claiming that there is a real war against science pursued by the Bushites, always a bastion of common sense. We are familiar of course with their censoring of official documents, removing the stuff that hurts business so routinely that there are lists of cases now. The Union of Concerned Scientists have compiled a list of all these nefarious interferences with truth. Here is some of what they found in a study of this Administration's efforts to make science speak as it wishes. People who don't hold the government line are simply fired. They falsify government studies to reflect the outcome they prefer. Refusal to examine current scientific literature on the issue. Read Annalee Newitz from Alternet.
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Some are suggesting that the McCain flap up over the "introduction" was a deliberate and that that is the plan of attack for this fall. Others will do the dirty work, McCain will plead "I had no idea," the media will say, Mac is too nice a guy to be behind it. Pretty neat huh? This link takes you to the story issued by TPM.
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We mentioned recently that the Russians were intent on supporting Serbia, perhaps in large part because they needed a conduit for their natural gas exports and had concluded an agreement for a pipeline with that country. It seems the US may have had similar motives for supporting Kosovo. It turns out that Kosovo is home to a major US military base, Camp Bondsteel. And it seems America has interest in a pipeline of their own. Read Pepe Escobar's fine post and learn all the sordid details.
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I keep hearing this funny talk about how McCain is gonna win this race if he can keep the topic on Iraq. I cannot fathom why his handlers and other GOP pundits believe this. The awful facts are well, just that, awful. How are they gonna respond to the following numbers and argue that they are to be trusted to lead this country? Nobel prize-winning economist, Joseph Stiglitz claims that total costs, once estimated by the Bush people at 2 millions of dollars is now in excess of 3 TRILLION dollars and climbing. Further, if all costs are taken into account, many of which are not immediate but long term like health care for injured soldiers, the number climbs to 5-7 trillion. Go on Mac, make your argument. This should be good. __________________
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Oh yippee, McCain got another important endorsement. John Hagee has weighed in favor of the Straight? Talker. Oh that's one good one for sure. Hagee, you remember heads a friendly group dedicated to backing Israel. Not because they like Israel, they are Jewish after all, but because according to their poorly conceived theology, Israel must be in place for Armageddon to take place, and that must occur before Jesus returns to set all aright in the world. Asked if he agreed with Hagee's theology, Old Mac seemed confused, decided he wasn't up to that question, and said simply that he was happy for the support. Is that like Louis Farrakhan support? While I agree that one cannot control who offers support, one is free to reject it. Glenn Greenwald took up the same dichotomy today. Read his analysis at the Salon. Why was Barack beaten over the head and McCain given a pass?
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Iowa is but another state to join in the discussion of whether to reject federal "abstinence only" funding for sex education in public schools. Sixteen states have already rejected the funding. A medically, scientifically mandated sex education standards bill has already been passed and it is said to conflict with certain requirements of the federal program, which many states find restrictive and unrelated to sound medical/scientific criteria. Essential Estrogen has the story.
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Mad Kane doesn't post nearly often enough for my taste, but when she does, it's likely to be worth reading. More important, she's damned funny. Read her take on Ralph's decision to muck up the election once again.
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As you might have guessed, I'm a big huge fan of Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert. We never fail to watch them both each night and are mighty unhappy when the two have the temerity to go on "vacation." It turns out that those who appear on the Cobert Report get a significant "bump" in contributions, so says political scientist James H. Fowler from UofC, San Diego. And it's nothing to sneeze at either. It's to the tune of a 44% increase. I guess that would make it worthwhile, no? No numbers on Republicans.
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Hah! I may be getting old, but that doesn't mean I can't think anymore. So say a research group from Vermont about the habits of old men and old women. Seems we are no so set in our ways as has been reported. We make up, per the last election, about 1/4 of the total electorate and guess what? Forty-two percent of all voters say they would not like to vote for a person 72 years of age or older. Bad news for McCain. Interestingly, only 5% said they would not vote for a black, while 11% said no to women.
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Ya know, I rant a good deal about this present government and its avoidance of anything legal in favor of doing it the old fashioned way, illegally and with arrogance. But I cannot help but say, "whhaaaat" at this one. We are used to reading that North Korea, China, and other repressive regimes are wont to prevent their populations from enjoying access to the internet and all the horrible thngs they will find there. But I really didn't expect my own government was doing the same thing. Turns out the US Air Force openly controls access to certain sites, banning most "blogs" it seems. All blogspot blogs are cut out, as well as others not "approved." I mean can you believe this?
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Wasn't it only a few weeks ago that Washington was touting the Iraqi goverment's move for elections in the provinces? Seems all that is on hold as the bill has been sent back to the parliament. This even after Darth Vadar called the hold-out personally. Guess the heavy breathing over the phone isn't quite as imposing as real life. Yes, this surge is working alright folks, any minute now, any minute. Power sharing is NOT where it's at in Iraq these days.
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Seems our friends in Russia are also susceptible to cults. This one is another of those apocalyptic wonders, predicting the end of the world. This one claims that the time is May of this year, and they intend to stay holed up in their cave until then, threatening to commit suicide if anybody tries to remove them. Turns out they may not make it to May. They are being subjected to fumes of ammonia gases caused by their own excrement. Yep, you heard me. Cult leader, Pyotr Kuznetsov, is currently being treated at a psychiatric hospital for paranoid schizophrenia. The group is also threatened by other diseases because of the location of ground water near burial grounds for dead animals. Flooding is also feared come spring. Russia is one strange place I tell ya. It is said there are somewhere between 500-700 such sects in the country, with memberships in the area of 600,000-800,000 people. Apparently, Russia is not a happy place either.
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The could be some interesting ramifications to this one. Seems Old Mac gave an interview with Beliefnet some time last year, and pretty much stated that he believed the nation was set up as a "Christian" one. Now that was bound to lead to trouble. The Anti-Defamation League jumped in, and Old Mac restated and added to his statement. It's another of those difficult areas that McCain has, he's simply said things on both sides of the aisle as it were.
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Remember how our dear prez has staunchly defended his "immunity" for telecoms as the "right thing" to do? Remember? Well you don't think they did that expecting nothing in return did ya? No I don't mean the usual cooperation with spying, no the GOP is more crass than that. Cold hard cash speaks to them in a way they can understand. The showers must be running hard and fast every night in Washington. The need to wash off all that muck must be compelling.
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They keep saying it's working, we keep saying it's not. I wonder how they will spin this one? The International Crisis Group says the only reason things have calmed down in Iraq has nothing to do with our troops. It has everything to do with Muqtada al-Sadr and his cease fire. Read Lionel Beehner's report at the Huffington Post.
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Hit the Wonkette, and get their take on McCain's handling of the "Hussein" issue. They think Karl Rove's take on the matter particularly funny. What do you think? It's worth it if you need a laugh today, and what day don't you?

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Below the Fold

History

We note that in the early life of our little democracy, many of the big players went on to hold the highest office in the land. How easy is it to pass on the presidency to one's chosen desire? Not very it seems. American President's Blog has a very nice post worth your time.
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A truly wonderful resource has come to my attention. Called ConSource, a free, fully-indexed online library of Constitutional sources. You can also enjoy a recording of a "teaching" event by David McCullough, author of a book on Washington, preserved for your pleasure. This is simply a great little site to have at your disposal. Hope you enjoy it.
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Events that happened on this date:

1066 ~ Westminster Abby opens

1692 ~ Salem witch hunts begin

1784 ~ The Methodist Church was established by John Wesley

1827 ~ First charter for a commercial railroad, the B&O

1849 ~ The first arrivals from the east arrived to search for gold aboard the California

1854 ~ Republican Party formed

1940 ~ Richard Wright's "Native Son" published

1948 ~ The last British troops left India

1953 ~ Watson and Crick discovered the double helix form of DNA

1954 ~ US performs nuclear test at Bikini Island

1983 ~ The final episode of M*A*S*H* aired

1993 ~ Four FBI agents were killed at the Branch Dividian Compound

Born on this Day:

1901 ~ Linus Pauling, chemist'

1906 ~ Bugsy Siegel, gangster

1928 ~ Smokey the Bear

1940 ~ Mario Andretti, racecar driver

1942 ~ Brian Jones, Rolling Stones guitarist

Deaths this Day:

1916 ~ Henry James, author

1953 ~ Jim Thorpe, athlete

1979 ~ Mr. Ed the talking horse

Quote of the Day

"Whatever you may be sure of, be sure of this, that you are dreadfully like other people." ~~ James Russell Lowell

Word of the Day

Bonapartism \BOH-nuh-par-tiz-um\ noun

a policy supporting dictatorial rule usually by a military leader who has ostensibly received a popular mandate

Public fears that the new president would shift to Bonapartism were fueled by his early attempts to undermine the parliament.

Napoleon I (Napoleon Bonaparte) came to power in France by military coup in 1799 and ruled as emperor from 1804 until he was forced from power in 1815. The year 1815 was clearly a bad one for Bonaparte: he was defeated at Waterloo by the Duke of Wellington and sent into exile. Coincidentally, 1815 was also the year that marked the debut in English of “Bonapartism,” the word derived from his name. "Waterloo," a term for a decisive defeat such as the one Napoleon suffered, had come into general English use by 1816.

Joke of the Day

A man walked into the produce section of his local supermarket and asked to buy "half" a head of lettuce. The boy working in that department told him that they only sold whole heads of lettuce.
The man was insistent that the boy ask his manager about the matter. Walking into the back room, the boy said to his manager, "Some asshole wants to buy a half a head of lettuce."
As he finished his sentence, he turned to find the man standing right behind him, so he added, "and this gentleman kindly offered to buy the other half."
The manager approved the deal and the man went on his way. Later the manager found the boy and said "I was impressed with the way you got yourself out of that situation earlier. We like people who think on their feet here. Where are you from, son?"
"Queensland, sir," the boy replied.
"Well, why did you leave Queensland," the manager asked.
The boy said, "Sir, there's nothing but whores and rugby league players up there.""Really!" said the manager. "My wife is from Queensland!"
The boy replied, "No s&*t??? Who did she play for?

No, he really didn't Say THAT! Did he?

2008-02-27T08:30:00.006-06:00

Today's News

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The Way I View It
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The reprint of a cartoon in Denmark continues to spark protests in the Muslim world. Latest to take up the condemnation, Sudan has barred all Danes from ever setting foot in Sudan again. All Danish produce has been boycotted as well. It is estimated that at least 10,000 marched in Khartoum. Denmark allegedly reprinted the cartoon in solidarity with the author and in support of freedom of speech. To represent Muhammad in any fashion is considered idolatrous.
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If there is anyone out there who thinks that well, McCain ain't so bad, think again. It can be easy to come to that conclusion given the rabble that opposes him so vociferously. With enemies the like of Rush and Ann, John might look okay. It is very likely McCain is opposed to the use of contraceptives. That makes him even farther right than dear George, the boy idiot. So far he has danced around this issue, but has said that he supports Dr. Colburn's approach, and that approach dear readers is this: The Colburn he refers to is the Republican Senator from Oklahoma. He tried to get condoms labeled as not protective of STD's, even though available data did not support such a conclusion. Read the full article at Alternet.
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In addition, Mac's love affair with the very very very out there right seems to have ended already. While they were quick to scream foul at the NYTimes piece about sex and the straight talker, they reverted to their usual petulance when dear Mac took to upbraiding a lead-in speaker who spoke less than kindly toward Barack Obama. Mac apologized and the roar could soon be heard from all things Fox, and on down the slippery putrid right slope. Too too funny, gosh I hope this goes on all year.
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Well in an interesting turn of a metaphor, America's gigantic mortgage crisis, is seen as "tying Americans to the land" much as Russian serfs or American slaves of the pre-Civil War era. It now seems that more than 9 million Americans now owe more on their homes than the homes are worth. Mocking away, writer Julian Delasantellis remarks how the banking elite continue to enjoy the good life while the property owner is subjected to "specialized professional parasites" otherwise known as real estate lawyers. It's an interesting take of events from the East.
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Visit the Bleeding Heartland Blog to get the lowdown as to what important stuff is going on in your state in their weekly 50 state blog network post. Speaking of states issues, Iowa learned its lesson in a court ruling from the 8th Circuit, supporting a lower court finding that Chuck Colson's Prison Fellowship Ministry was guilty of a violation of church and state separation by using taxpayer money to fund the operation. The Ministry will continue without the taxpayer's footing the bill. Other states are put on notice. This suit was considered a no brainer and much dough could have been saved if everyone had simple accepted the obvious truth.
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Those of us in the tummy of America know this already. Perhaps you have missed it. You won't be missing it for long. Wheat prices are up significantly, well downright magnificently if you are a grower. The reason? Well, because corn is being grown at much higher levels than ever before because of ethanol production which uses the corn. So, less acreage for wheat, thus, increased prices. This means to you? Higher costs for bread and all other baked items using wheat such as pasta. Would love to see a cost analysis of whether this adds or subtracts the environmental impact overall.
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Remember all those lost e-mails? Remember about the hoopla about Republicans doing party business on company time? The RNC of course said it was working to retrieve them, and guess what? It now says, "it has no intention of restoring them." Are we surprised? No, obviously they found plenty of naughty stuff and decided to just stonewall it.
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I have been arguing for a month now at least that any Democrat will beat any Republican for the top spot this year. It simply doesn't matter who, and that means its silly to keep posting these polls showing that Obama does better than Clinton against McCain. It simply does not matter. In a very unimportant but hugely important special election in NY, a democrat won. No biggie you say. Very biggie it turns out. No Democrat has won that state congressional seat in well nigh, well since 1880. There are nearly 79,000 registered Republicans in the district, and only 47,000 Democrats, with 35,000 being independents. So much for Republican chances this year. They have no chances, they blew their chance. Long live Karl the dynasty killer.
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You know I just want to sit at the Master's feet and listen to his words of wisdom, but George really is stepping outside his comfort zone in trying to explain why Republicans cannot induce any rational black person to join their cause. The best he can come up with, is that they shouldn't vote for a party that takes them for granted. You better do better than that Dubya. His best advise is to campaign with "heart" and to show African Americans why Republicanism can work for you! Oh please.
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Okay, a little humor is in order. Lord knows we need it every day to wade through this sludge. Garrison Keillor is one of those folks who always satisfies, and today he tells us we can choose, between, "Papa or the Wiz Kid Brother." He's always a fine read.
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I have to hand it to Michelle Malkin. Such an ability to trivialize an issue and do so while using the grief of a family to make your point. Malkin is one of those "no abortion, never, ever, ever" folks. That is fine of course, but of course she doesn't just stop with her own opinion. She has to vilify the other side. We are told feminists hush up women who regret their abortions. Who doesn't regret an abortion by the way? It's a most regrettable event period. And she has to use a British family and their natural grief over the death of a daughter who committed suicide after aborting by choice. Does this happen? Of course it does. Is it sad beyond belief? Of course it is. Does it mean that the health profession is some vast ogre for having "tricked" some young girl into doing what she would not other wise do? Of course not. But Malkin would have you think so. Damn the facts as they say, full emotions ahead.
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Because people who don't believe that evolution is a fact, drive me nearly insane, and because I am endlessly fascinated with science anyway, I thought you might enjoy this rather good article written in lay person's terms, about how mutations occur in DNA and what that means evolutionarily speaking. Olivia Judson writing on the "Wild Side" for the NYTimes, enlightens us.
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The Washington Post section "On Faith" is just chock full of interesting looking posts about the latest Pew polling and how fluid American affiliation with "church" is today. I've picked Susan Brooks Thistlethwait's post as both a good representative and a good exposition of the results. Backtrack on the URL to the onfaith/ and you can peruse all the posts made on the subject, but first read hers, a first rate job.
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I knew you would want to know this. It seems Russian soldiers are trying something innovative and new. Buffet dining has arrived, and well, at least the journalists are excited enough to tell us all about it. Be the first at the watercooler with this story. It's way better than the one about the python who ate the family dog. I am beginning to think that Russian journalists have a bit of an iproblem with priority of issues.
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I've been questioning, what I consider, our overactive support for Israel for a long time, though I've not been especially vocal about it. It has of course cost us dearly from an Arab point of view. There are those who suggest that we need to open up this dialogue, especially when rank and file Israeli's seem more open to talks with Hamas than anyone in this country. Glenn Greenwald's excellent post is one I would call "must read" not to overtire the phrase.
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We always remind you once a week that it's time for your Susan Posner fix and her series "Fundamentalist" over at American Prospect. Take your medicine, it's good for you and necessary to your ongoing national health. As always, an excellent read.
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"Huckabee sends McCain a Debate Invitation." Earth to Mike, Earth to Mike. Elvis has left the building.
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I think I saw the dark side of the moon. I was not impressed. I don't know what I expected, but it was definitely not what I got which was more of the same, giant potholes. Oh I know that those whose profession it is get all giddy, but sincerely show me something here. Seriously, with the US claiming it will return to the moon by 2019, technology is on the fast track now to ready some equipment that can be placed on the far side. Such equipment, radio antennae and such, would avoid the atmospheric disturbances that the earth creates, and allow much better viewing, if radio signals are "viewing."
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I tend to agree, things I don't understand are probably stupid. So says The Onion. See I keep finding amusements for you as you face the ugly truths of life. I can tell you that my husband is fully in support of this idea, mostly he thinks thinking about anything being "beyond time" is stupid. I know it's true cuz astrophysicists tell me it is, and I know they wouldn't lie. See if you agree with Stephen Bowman.
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I always like to tout a homegrown blog, and the Iowa Independent deserves a tip of the hat today. Pulitzer prize-winning cartoonist, Gary Trudeau, gave a nice interview while in town to Tom Lindsey. Enjoy his take on war and the Bush administration.
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Wonder Boy is off opening his mouth again in public, much to the delight of normal functioning adults. Seemingly oblivious to his party's growing lack of relevance in the world, Georgie boy spoke to Republican governors at a gala event. He actually had the appropriate male anatomy to state the following:

"And so when I say I'm confident, I am so because I understand the mentality of the American people."

Now if Puddin' head thinks he understands the American people, I'm been living in Latvia low these many years. Which begs the additional question, can he chew gum while he says this stuff? It is unclear how even Republicans can keep from laughing in his clueless face.

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Below the Fold

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History

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The volcano Thera erupted nearly 3500 years ago. Reputed to have been bigger than Krakatoa, it is theorized that it may have been the start of the Biblical exodus and caused the disappearance of Atlantis, famed lost city. Read more about it at Livescience.com

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If you like war history, a nice article by Jon Latimer about the War of 1812 is offered for your enjoyment and education.

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Important events of this day:

1594 ~ Henri IV crowned King of France
1801 ~ DC was placed under congressional jurisdiction
1844 ~ Dominican Republic achieves independence.
1922 ~ The 19th Amendment (women's right to vote) was upheld in SCOTUS
1951 ~ 22nd Amendment to US Const. radified. (two term limits)
1973 ~ Members of the American Indian Movement occupy Wounded Knee
1991 ~ Kuwait liberated
1998 ~ Heirs to the British throne ceased favoring males first. [infoplease.com, NYTimes, scopesys.com]

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You might have assumed that Rosa Parks was the most noted of black women who didn't care for her accomodation on transportation facilities. But another woman stood up long before her, or sat as the case may be. Meet Ida B. Wells-Barnett, crusader and all around smart, saavy, opinionated, tough cookie. She sued the Chesapeake and Ohio in the 1880's and won, though it was later overturned. Find out all about it from Scandalous Women.

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Who was born today:

1622 ~ Rembrandt, Dutch painter
1807 ~ Henry Wordsworth Longfellow, poet
1886 ~ Hugo Black, SC justice
1902 ~ John Steinbeck, author
1932 ~ Elizabeth Taylor, actor
1934 ~ Ralph Nader, consumer advocate
1980 ~ Chelsea Clinton, daughter of Hillary and Billd today:

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Who died today:

1936 ~ Ivan P. Pavlov, Russian physiologist
1958 ~ Harry Cohn, CEO Columbia pictures
1992 ~ S I Hayakawa, Senator R-CA
1993 ~ Lillian Gish, actor
2003 ~ Frederick Rogers, "Mr. Rogers"

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Quote of the Day

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"A great many people think they are thinking when they are really rearranging their prejudices." ~~ William James
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Word of the Day

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divest \dye-VEST\ verb
1 *a : to deprive or dispossess especially of property, authority, or title b : to undress or strip especially of clothing, ornament, or equipment c : rid, free 2 : to take away from a person

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When tests revealed that the athlete had been taking steroids, Olympic officials divested him of his medal.

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"Divest" is one of many English words that come from the Latin verb "vestire" ("to clothe") and ultimately from the noun "vestis" ("clothing, garment"). Others include "vest," "vestment," "invest," and "travesty." "Divest" and its older form "devest" can mean "to unclothe" or "to remove the clothing of,” but the word had broader applications even when it was first being used in the 16th and 17th centuries. In the opening scene of Shakespeare's King Lear, Lear uses the term to mean "rid oneself of" or "put aside": "Tell me, my daughters \ (Since now we will divest us both of rule, \ Interest of territory, cares of state), \ Which of you shall we say doth love us most?" In addition to clothing, one can be divested of power, authority, possessions, or burdens. [Merriam-Webster]

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Joke of the Day

A PRAYER FOR THE STRESSED
Grant me the serenity to accept the things, I cannot change
The courage to change the things I cannot accept.
And the wisdom to hide the bodies of those people I had to kill today that pissed me off.
And also, help me to be careful of the toes I step on today as... they may be connected to the ass that I may have to kiss tomorrow.
Help me, to always give 100% at work...12% on Monday, 23% on Tuesday, 10% on Wednesday, 20% on Thursday and 5% on Friday.
And help me to remember that, when I am having a really bad day and it seems that people are trying to piss me off.
That it takes 42 muscles to frown, and only 1 to extend my middle finger and say bite me.

And you think We have problems with Marriage?

2008-02-26T08:37:00.006-06:00

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Today's News

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The Way I View It
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I suspect there is little substance to this but here goes. Mitt is perhaps reconsidering his withdrawal? His son suggests Mitt only "suspended" his campaign and did not dismantle it. This in the wake of all that nasty stuff about McCain and his oh too close ties to lobbyists. We doubt anything will come of this, but its worth the gossip, no?
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Al Jazeera reports today that Brazil has taken serious steps to curb illegal logging in that country. Brazilian forces face angry groups of people who are employed in the industry as the country attempts to slow the deforestation that worries environmentalists. The illegal logging is a billion dollar a year industry and obviously is of serious concern to the government. Yet many of the towns rely almost exclusively on the trade for employment and sustenance.
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It has seemed unfair to go on attacking Huckabee, since he has the proverbial snowball's chance in hell of winning the nomination, but he seems unable to comprehend that fact. It becomes increasingly puzzling why the man stays in, albeit he leaves the campaign trail often now to go to a paid gig. I found the teaser feed too funny to ignore on this one, so whipped over to Alternet to read the full post. If you don't believe me, well here it is, and now go over and read the rest. It is worthwhile.

The GOP is down to a man who believes humans and dinosaurs walked the earth together and another who can refute that since he was there. Huckabee explains away his Sisyphean perseverance by saying he doesn't believe in numbers, he believes in miracles. The hell does that mean? He's waiting for God to smite John McCain dead? Don't laugh. It could be working. I got to tell you, I'm worried about the good Senator from Arizona. He don't look so good.

Unintended consequences? surely. Foreseeable? probably. So why do we find ourselves in this nasty place? Iran seems the clear winner in the Iraq war so far, and well, they've had help from the US, not in just the obvious way either. Read Robert Dreyfuss's story.
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Violence is up in the northwest section of Pakistan. The Swat Valley has seen more than its share. It is believed that Taliban forces are gearing up for an assault on Kabul, securing supply lines in anticipation. NATO forces are not unaware of the plans, but because of the unstable situation politically in Pakistan, efforts to upset the plans is increasingly difficult. Read Syed Saleem Shahzad's report.
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Turning to science, we invite you to take a look at the "Encyclopedia of Life" (EOL). This is an open to all database, promoted as the "ultimate fieldguide." to the biodiversity of this planet. What a boon for kids and students of all ages. Don't miss this. It's simply too wonderful!
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We here in the West don't quite know what has happened to Russia. Once a new and exciting budding democracy, it seems to have turned back to its authoritarian ways. You would expect that the younger members of that society might be pretty mad, having tasted the upside of democratic ways, but such may not be the actual case. Read this fine piece about the youth of Moscow and how they support and reflect the ideals of their leader Mr. Putin. In fact polls suggest the 92% of Russia's youth support Putin who is unabashedly drawing Russia further from the Democratic model.
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My first response to those who claim that the "surge" is working is to ask, well when will we start drawing down our troops then? Ummm, the answer seems to be, "when pigs fly" or something like that. But they said it would lead to that, and well, now they don't. It's what we have come to expect from the nefarious noodles in the Bushie Admin. And Johnny Mac says he's got to sell the surge to win? I don't think so dude. Come on, you didn't seriously think they meant it in the first place did ya?
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To all those who use immigration as a method for expressing the racism they undoubtedly harbor, this can't come as good news. It turns out that immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than the average US born citizen. At least in the great state of California, and they should know I would think.
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It certainly can't come as good news to learn that modern anti-depressants such as Prozac apparently don't even work. Those who suffer from depression must be well, depressed. And that's saying a lot since I find the current anti-depressant TV ads quite unhelpful. Depressed people are told they make the people around them miserable and even their pets unhappy. Now that is depressing! Kevin Drum has the story.
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Over at Pundit Mom we are invited to explore the idea that perhaps we aren't so ready to elect either a black or a woman to the top job. A realistic look at the actual terrain and a good argument that it's time to stop denying the issue, and start talking about it. ________________
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Well we have another of those strange stories we love so much. The pure insanity of some events in the world only serve to prove the sanity of the rest, so to speak. This one caught our eye. Two monkeys were married in a ceremony attended by "thousands." It seems that Jhumuri and Manu tied the knot with priest in tow. Where they will reside is anybody's guess. It is odd, locals admitted, to marry two animals. Most mixed marriages are between people and animals. Where in the world? Follow the link!
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Sadly No! is an interesting blog. It seems they delight in the National Review in pretty much the same way I do. Drop by and read his short-takes of the hilarity always a brewing at our favorite lavender rag. It's too funny folks. The ultra-right is imploding before our very eyes.
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A nice interview with author Amy Sullivan and her book "The Party Faithful: How and Why the Democrat's are Closing the God Gap," can be found at the Salon. She claims what we have been saying for a bit now, that there are evangelicals out there who are not crazy and are Democrats. She also claims that John Kerry wrote this group off and it was a mistake. Obviously, we should not make this same mistake again. It is incumbent upon Democrats to do their homework, and find out who and what this group of liberal evangelicals is all about. They are votes we waste at our peril.
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Yes we are certainly speculating, but it's so fun to do, and on the off chance you turn out right, you have big bragging rights. So let's look at the potential VP field and see what falls out. This of course is a bit difficult, given that we don't have our candidate yet. Choose one, and go from there, after all it is only idle daydreaming right? The American Prospect has some interesting arguments and some interesting picks.
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Oh Democrats are for sure happy about this development. Don't you just love it when someone indicted chooses to stay on the job? Republican Rick Renzi says he intends to do just that. In the face of a 35-count indictment, the Arizonian intends to fight on. Thanks! Join the likes of Larry Craig and make it even easier!
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Below the Fold

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History

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Remember when we had courageous leaders in this country? American Revolution reminds us that Eleanor Roosevelt resigned from the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) to make a point. That fine organization had refused operatic star, Marian Anderson the right to sing at Constitution Hall because she was of "color." First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt resigned. Boy could we use some of that now!

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On this day:

1815 ~ Bonaparte escaped from exile on Elba
1901 ~ Leaders of the Boxer uprising in China were beheaded
1919 ~ Grand Canyon National Park was established
1935 ~ Radar was first demonstrated
1993 ~ The WTC bomb went off in NYC [infoplease.com]

On this day, more or less:

50 C.E. ~ Emperor Claudius formally adopted Nero as heir apparent
138 C.E. ~ Emperor Hadrian adopted the future Emperor Antonius Pius [rogueclassicism]

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Pearl Cornioley died February 23. She was a wartime hero in her native France where she is revered for her work against the Nazi's during WWII. She had escaped to London, but did not find her war work there sufficient and demanded and was given training and then was parachuted back into France. She worked as a courier but also fell into control of a large resistance operation. At one point there was a million franc bounty on her head. Read more at Women of History.

Born on this day:

1852 ~ John Harvey Kellogg, the developer of dry cereal.
1802 ~ Author Victor Hugo
1846 ~ Wm. F. Cody, (Buffalo Bill)
1932 ~ Country singer, Johnny Cash [NYTimes]

Died on this day:

1859 ~ Ferdinand Schubert, composer
1870 ~ Wyatt Outlaw, civil rights worker, lynched N. Car.
1959 ~ Lou Costello, comedian [scopesys.com]

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Quote of the Day

"There is a tragic flaw in our precious Constitution, and I don't know what can be done to fix it. This is it: only nut cases want to be president." ~~ Kurt Vonnegut

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Word of the Day

benefic (buh-NEFF-ik) adjective ~~ of, having, or exerting a favorable influence

Simon believes that his meditation practice is a benefic force in his life, helping him to focus and to feel less stressed.

"Benefic" comes from Latin "beneficus,” which in turn comes from “bene” (“well”) and “facere” (“to do”). The word was originally used by astrologers to refer to celestial bodies believed to have a favorable influence, and it's still used in astrological contexts. "Benefic," "beneficent," and "beneficial" are all synonyms, but there are shades of difference. "Beneficial" usually applies to things that promote well-being (as in "beneficial treatment"), or that provide some benefit or advantage (as in "beneficial classes"). "Beneficent" means doing or effecting good (as in "a beneficent climate"), but in particular refers to the performance of acts of kindness or charity (as in "a beneficent organization")."Benefic," the rarest of the three, tends to be a bit high-flown, and it's mostly used to describe a favorable power or force. [Merriam-Webster]

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Joke of the Day

"President Bush is back from Africa. You know, he was hoping to go on a safari, but he never got the chance. See, I don't think President Bush really understands Africa. Like he said the reason why they go on a safari was, he always wanted to see a unicorn." --Jay Leno

"But I know what you're thinking, a Republican politician ... with a woman?" --Bill Maher

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Keeping My Head Down

2008-02-25T08:49:00.007-06:00

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Today's News

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The Way I View It

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Report after report suggests that things are beginning to fall apart in Afghanistan. Well, beginning is probably not correct, they have been deteriorating steadily and slowly since the moment George decided to listen to the nut cases he only listened to, and went off to play in Iraq instead. Heady with the "fun" of war, George had no idea his nut cases didn't have a clue as to what they were doing. And while he got mired in the muck of Iraq, well, Afghanistan festered like a wound that did not receive proper care. The costs, financially have been staggering, almost beyond belief. We, as individual citizens have yet to feel that cost in monetary terms that is. Read this assessment at Alternet.

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Given that most people who care, have pretty much made up their minds that Obama is likely to be the candidate, more attention is now being given to learn who this man is who has so captured the spirit of the American psyche. His background is exotic, compared to most of our own, and so its a journey into a very different landscape for many. Asia Times suggests that when you want to understand the formation of the character of a man, look to the women in his life. (I wonder if that changes to men in the case of women candidates?) It declares, he bears the imprint of "an impassioned mother and a brilliant wife." A fascinating interpretation.

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Those who are not blinded by their own desire to believe otherwise, know that most Muslims are good and decent people and that Islam is a religion no better or worse than any other. At a meeting of nearly 6,000 Muslim scholars, leading theologians decried the use of terrorism, and insisted that it was not a correct interpretation of Islam and its teachings.

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Finally, something has moved China off dead center in its silence over Darfur. Spurred by the bad press its been getting over the pull out of people like Steven Spielberg from the Beijing Olympics, China has finally stopped its tacit acceptance of the Sudanese conflict. While the Spielberg flap certainly is not the only motivational force at work here, it undoubtedly played a part. It has been the contention of the Chinese that they have been working behind the scenes for some time in an effort to induce the Sudanese Government to take firmer action to stop the bloodshed. We can but hope that something finally changes in this region where so much suffering has occurred.

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It of course is a national crime. The way that some corporations are allowed to be so destructive in so many ways, and get off without so much as a wagging finger in their direction. Well, maybe they get the wagging finger, but unfortunately its positioned incorrectly, not up their collective rears as it should be. Exxon is a prime example of corporate greed with little or no concern for humans or animals or the environment at large. Read about how they continue to avoid ANY responsibility for what they have done, while continuing to rack up unbelievable profits.

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Speaking of doomsday predictions, Norway is the place to be. A vault big enough to hold 4.5 million batches of seeds has been constructed, bored into sandstone and limestone. It will take generations to fill, but scientists hope that it will provide the seedbed for replenishing the world's flora should a major catastrophe occur. Areas that are under severe distress are the targets of the early collections. The location was picked because it was deemed the most secure area, free from most natural disasters and reinforced to withstand nuclear attack.

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Far be it from me to raise a pundit to the status of importance, and I'm seriously not doing that here. I just love (secret sin) to finally get back at people who have annoyed the dickins out of me for way too long. I cannot wait until after this election to sit and watch Fox News sputter and fume and predict the certain demise of all that America holds dear under the tutelage of a Democrat. Thus, I could not resist the ardent and luxurious swipes that Daily Kos went to the trouble to assemble for us about that bastion of dweebdom and incoherent thought, Bill Kristol. Oh enjoy the slap down! I cannot wait until his "column" becomes available on the internet. What fun!

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One can only wonder what is going on. Does the cat have Justice Clarence Thomas's tongue? There is of course, no explanation, and one can but speculate. What is your guess? And who figured this out?

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The FISA issue is of course still with us, amid the usual threats noted in previous posts. The Dispassionate Liberal has a fine overview of the entire mess, with plenty of commentary. This is just the sort of issue that drives the neo-cons mad with well mad cow or something. They froth and foam and sputter and gulp, and turn red and throb with righteous anger. Of course, nothing much they say is true. That the Democrats are making them utterly over the top crazy is too too evident. Enjoy the fun and learn the facts.

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If you spent any time around the strange world that has become Evangelical Catholicism, you would undoubtedly know there is controversy about Catholic candidates and where they stand on life issues. Similarly, there are those, ( a very small group) who feel that the electorate cannot vote for any candidate who is not "right with the Church" and remain "right with the Church." Such a view is both simplistic and wrong. What is correct is that Catholic voters are called upon to view all issues through the same lens of right or wrong, giving no single issue "deal-breaker" status. Of course the real story here is not what is reported in the National Review, but to the linked story in the Washington Post. Read both if you truly want to see what's going on in Catholic circles.

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So very many of us are mad as hell about Bush and his practice of using "signing statements" to avoid, change, ignore, or completely obliterate the clear meaning of legislation which he signs. Although we are told such practices are not unknown historically, we are under no illusion that this president has turned it into something completely new. While all candidates decry the way in which Bush has used the signing statement, you might be a bit surprised what they actually do say, and who is firmly of the opinion that they are simply wrong. You be the judge.

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We told you yesterday not to miss the 60 Minutes report on the Carl Rove drive to stop Governor Siegelman from running and presumably winning in Alabama. Can you believe this:

Turns out that those who were watching the broadcast on Channel 19 WHNT, serving northern Alabama and southern Tennessee, didn't see it after all. Turns out that segment, AND THAT SEGMENT ONLY, was mysteriously blacked out! They claimed technical difficulties. CBS said no way. You guessed it, the owners of the station are major Republican contributors. What a bunch of hooey. Somebody needs to investigate this really fast and do what is appropriate about licensing? I hope there is a serious uproar. Thanks to Politics Plus for keeping us advised.

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Now, we don't want to speculate, we don't do that here (hehe, okay, we do), but could it possibly be that Russians non-recognition of Kosovo has something to do with the fact that it has designs on Serbia as a conduit for its natural gas pipeline? The two countries just signed an agreement, making that very thing possible.

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The sad fate of many evangelical, born agains of the ultra-conservative persuasion, is that when they finally wake up, if they do, the tend to become atheists. This is because they find the truth so foreign to the nonsense they've been fed, they do the proverbial and "throw the baby out with the bathwater." In a refreshing turn of events, journalist John Marks, did just that but was and still is able to see value in faith. His has a new book, entitled, "Reasons to Believe." Read an interview with him, by Louis Bayard.

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Another important book to hit the stores is about the failures in our intelligence agencies. The reason is the usual one, too much partisan political, ideological input and not enough reliance on objective reality. This is an insider book, written by someone who went in as a true believer and well, came out a bit different. Glenn Greenwald, who must never sleep, gives a nice review of the book, "Still Broken: A Recruit's Inside Account of Intelligence Failures from Baghdad to the Pentagon," by A.J. Rossmiller.

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Oh posts like this one just make me feel all warm and fuzzy. Let the games begin, as a new ad is about to hit the airways, one the Mac will not take kindly to. He's asked blatantly obvious questions about Iraq. The man who said, that we could stay in Iraq a 100 years without anyone complaining as long as deaths were kept at a minimum, can't be happy to hear VoterVets.org questions like: what does this endless war mean for my kids? for our economy? health care? border security? Oh this election cycle is going to be just more fun than most anything I can think of!

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I confess I'm not up on the Campaign financing issue but Democrats are certainly ready to enter the fray, and want a swift investigation of McCain and his new found claims that he is not bound by his contract with the CEF. It's an unprecedented situation I am told. Clearly the "straight talker" doesn't want to talk much about this little problem, and his controllers already seem prepared to ignore their commitment.

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This comes from the Wonkette, so you are warned. Seems the Repubs need new "words" to identify Dems these days. You know it's not smart to be called a racist, so how to be one without seeming one, well it can be a pickle. The RNC holds top secret focus groups and polling to figure out how to call names without seeming to call names. I don't know why they bother, they are getting zip of those votes anyhow.

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Below the Fold

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History (because it really matters)

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You may be addicted to your Heinz Ketchup, but I bet you never wondered when "branding" became popular. Most thought it was after the Industrial Revolution, but new archaeological evidence suggests its been around a whole lot longer. Labels on ancient jars were not merely identifiers such as coffee, tea, sugar, but in fact were brand names. Evidence has been found as far back as ancient Iraq and Egypt. Read more.

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1570 ~ Elizabeth 1 was excommunicated by Pope Pius V
1836 ~ Samual Colt patented the first revolving barrel multishot firearm.
1870 ~ Hiram Revels became the first black US Senator, taking the term of J. Davis.
1901 ~ J.P. Morgan formed US Steel, the first billion-dollar corp. in the world.
1948 ~ Communists took control of Czechoslovakia.
1983 ~ Tennessee Williams died. [infoplease.com]

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Born on this date:

1841 ~ Pierre Auguste Renoir ~ Impressionist painter and sculptor
1873 ~ Enrico Caruso ~ operatic tenor
1888 ~ John Foster Dulles ~ US Secty of State, 1953-59
1901 ~ Herbert Zeppo Marx ~ comedian/actor
1943 ~ George Harrison ~ rocker and member of the Beatles

Died on this date:

1713 ~ Frederik 1 King of Prussia, age 55
1975 ~ Elijah Muhammad, leader of the Nation of Islam, age 77 [scopesys.com]

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Quote of the Day

"Horse sense is the thing a horse has which keeps it from betting on people." W.C. Fields

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Word of the Day

logy (LOH-ghee) adjective ~ marked by sluggishness and loss of vitality: groggy

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I was feeling logy after eating such a big meal, so I decided to take a brief nap.

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Based on surface resemblance, you might guess that “logy” (also sometimes spelled “loggy”) is related to “groggy,” but that’s not the case. “Groggy” ultimately comes from “Old Grog,” the nickname of an English admiral who was notorious for his cloak made of a fabric called grogram — and for adding water to his crew’s rum. The sailors called the rum mixture “grog” after the admiral. Because of the effect of grog, “groggy” came to mean “weak and unsteady on the feet or in action.” No one is really sure about the origin of “logy,” but experts speculate that it comes from the Dutch word “log,” meaning “heavy.” Its first recorded use in English, from an 1847 London newspaper, refers to a “loggy stroke” in rowing.

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Joke of the Day

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"You have to admit, this is a huge election. An historic election. So much excitement. For the first time in so many years we don't have an incumbent president or an incumbent vice-president. The field is wide open. Have you all had a chance to examine all the candidates, study their positions and pick the Democrat you'll vote for?" [Jon Stewart, Academy Awards, 2008]

Hiccupping Through the World

2008-02-24T09:10:00.005-06:00

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Today's News

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How I View It

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Shia pilgrims on the way to Karbala were killed in a suicide attack today. At least 40 were killed and 60 wounded. The attack occurred in Iskandariya, about 50 miles from Baghdad. This is the second attack on religious pilgrims walking to Karbala as part of a religious event celebrating the end of a period of mourning marking the death of Prophet Mohammad's grandson. It is believed that deaths are down so far from previous years.

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Of course, many of us expected that the bottom line in Iraq was always about oil, and secondarily about military bases. Such appears to be the case, at least as to the military bases, and Bush and Maliki continue their work to solidify a continuing military presence in Iraq by American forces. Here the Congress seems to be exerting some power in an effort to block this development. The Congress has already spoken in an earlier defense bill, but as he is wont to do, Bush simply stated in his now infamous "signing" statement, that he would disregard the will of the Congress and proceed as he wished. Oddly Secty of Defense Gates now says there is no such determination, yet the Administration still claims there is no change in policy. Read about it at Alternet.

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More bad news on global warming. Scientists who are examining ice at the western part of Antarctica, say that glaciers covering an area the size of Texas are racing toward the ocean. Moving at speeds of 3.5 kilometers per year, "it's putting a lot of ice into the ocean," they claim. Scientists there are running tests trying to determine past movements in order to better understand what is going on now. Initial recordings had the glaciers moving at about 1% per year, that is now up to 7%. You might want to drop by Bob Cesca's blog to see what some others have to say about global warming. "Crock of shit", seems to be the operative phrase.

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As predicted, the alleged sexual peccadilloes of Mr. McCain, pale in comparison to the charges of playing too much house with lobbyists. Caught dead in a lie, McCain's folks begin to backpeddle, doing a lot of "oops" rhetoric. We forgot, we disremembered, misremembered, etc., etc. Still his people spin it as no big deal. Read the Cogitamus for further details.

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Troubles seem to be brewing in Nevada. Their primary is over, but when delegates met to actually vote, things began to go awry. Delegates are not bound to the actual vote, and as you can expect some no longer want to vote for the candidate who actually won. The caucus has been suspended at this moment, and we don't know what to expect next. This may have implications of how Michigan and Florida should be treated with their messy primary problems. Should Nevada get a do-over?

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Oh my gosh, they lied again? Oh come on, they lie all the time. It's part of their mantra. Was it only yesterday that Bushites were claiming that precious intel was being lost because of the intransigence of Democrats who refused to cave in on George's and his trained dog McConnell's petulant demands regarding wiretapping and amnesty for the telecoms? Today they say, well, no, actually not. No intelligence was lost. (Oh that intelligence was lost a long time ago -- the Administration's I mean.) I'm not sure which metaphor works best: dog and pony show, or keystone kops. You pick.

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After listening to Joe Biden this morning on George Stephanopolis, I'm confused again. He seems to suggest that Musharref should resign gracefully. This did not seem to be the American policy as I was hearing it from the Administration and from Musharref himself. Democracy has spoken, and we don't quite like the result so what, should we ignore it? (There is reason for this kind of thinking. Palestinians might ask the same thing. They voted, fairly it seems, and we definitely don't like who they selected.) Fareed Zakaria lays out the whole mess in a excellent post today, "This is Pakistan's War."

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I can only look in wonder at Maureen Dowd. I mean, as Jon Stewart is want to say, "Whaaaaaat?" In a turnabout, Ms. Dowd now says that Hillary Clinton is losing because she is not feminine enough. Barack, she claims has begun to capture that elusive woman's vote precisely because he is not a mean man, but a tender, turn the other cheek kind. And Hillary, well she spent so much time trying to prove she could run with the boys, that well, she's harsh and too much like the Bush people. Oh, enough, you get the picture. It's the usual damned if you do, damned if you don't. And somewhere in all that, Maureen manages to end by claiming she can't manage "family finances." Another yuck story.

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You knew it was coming, but you hoped it would somehow not. You refused to even think about it, remembering what happened before. You logically thought, he wouldn't do that again, screw up the entire world to pursue what now looks like petty personal glorifying? Well, wrong you are, he's doing it again. In case you didn't hear, Ralph Nader is running for president once again. Sigh. While I tend to want to agree with Marty Kaplan on Ralph, I am constrained to conclude, that Allison Kilkenny has the better analysis here.

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John McCain is no friend to the environment either, lest you were unsure. The League of Conservative Voters gave him a big fat 0 out of 100. On 15 critical issues, he voted on exactly none of them, and apparently on occasion, his vote would have been decisive. Well, did you really need another reason not to vote for the Mav?

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We are invited to take a look at 60 Minutes tonight and the investigation into Karl Rove's pursuit of Gov. Don Siegelman of Alabama. Of course, Karl chose to use a questionable means to take down the Governor, namely the Justice Department. This promises to be a real big story folks. Get in on the ground floor. One cannot but help be astounded at the unbelievable abuse of power these folks are prone to. They have infiltrated everywhere in pursuit of power. Don't miss it.

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I am one Catholic who is aware of a very strange group within my faith tradition. It is called Evangelical Catholicism and they make nice these days with the extreme reactionary evangelical Christians on all the life issues: abortion, gay marriage, stem cell research. This is due in some part to once liberal/progressive Lutheran, and now reactionary, rightwing Catholic priest, Richard J. Neuhaus. Of course this is an alliance of convenience, each would likely ban the other if either gained complete political power. Get in on a continuing series, "From Neuhaus to Our House."

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I wouldn't have mentioned this, but every day, the Indian Express has a new story about another tiger being killed as they watch numbers dwindle literally week to week. This death is reportedly from a poaching attempt, others have been from natural causes. It remains a sad thing to read, as we realize the days of these magnificent creatures living independently is closing down.
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I don't know what the point of hiccups is. But at last, I have an answer to the burning question of how I as human, developed the ability to suffer from them from time to time. No doubt, this has also kept you up on a night or two. So in order to give you a chance at a good night's sleep, read on, and learn the strange truth. It sounds pretty fishy to me, what do you think?
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Below the Fold

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Word of the Day

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raddled (RAD-uld) adjective. ~~

1 : being in a state of confusion : lacking composure

*2 : broken-down, worn

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We were met at the door by a raddled old man who turned out to be the actor's father, and who in his day had also been an estimable presence on the London stage.

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How "raddled" came to mean "old and worn" isn't known for sure, but etymologists have some theories. One possibility is an association with raddle, a red coloring matter that was used to mark animals. From this, "raddled" came to mean "heavily made up with rouge" — a condition that sometimes causes the makeup wearer to appear older and more haggard instead of more attractive. “Raddled” predates the similar-sounding adjective “rattled,” which means “confused or upset” and comes from the verb “rattle.” “Raddled” first appeared in print in 1694, and “rattled” didn’t appear until the early 1900s.

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Joke of the Day

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An office manager hires a new secretary. Her first day she's called into the office to take some dictation. While she's taking dictation, she notices the guy's fly is open. Not wanting to embarass her boss she says nothing until she's leaving.
At the door, she turns and says "By the way sir, your barracks door is open." He looks at her funny but she's already walked out.
A while later he happens to glance down and notice his fly is open. He decides to have a little fun with her on her first day so he calls her back into the office.
"By the way Ms. Jones, when you saw my barracks door open, did you also happen to see a soldier standing at attention?"
She replied "Why no sir! But I did see a disabled vet sitting on two old duffle bags!

It Can't be Me, It Must be the Water

2008-02-23T08:22:00.005-06:00

Yesterday's News ~~ History
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Today was the normal end of the year in ancient Rome.
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Persecution of the Christians began in Nicomedia under the Emperor Diocletian.
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On this day in 1945, American forces secured Mt. Suribachi on Iwo Jima and raised the American Flag.
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Today marked the first mass inoculation against polio using the Salk vaccine, in Pittsburgh in 1954.
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Any holiday is a good day in Russia. Today is Defender of the Fatherland day, with lots of fireworks and speeches and wreath layings planned. It's a relatively new holiday, having been started in 1995. Before that it was known as Red Army day, (1922) Soviet Army and Navy Day (1949-93). I guess they didn't celebrate in 1994. And it was not a work-free day until 2002. I bet more people celebrate now!
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If you are interested in comparing the military records of a number of our presidents, check out US History Site Blog.

Today's News ~~ My Views from the Tractor
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It has been troubling to me that there has been little or no discussion of gun laws in recent years. I have pondered, "is the gun lobby really THAT powerful?" It seemed it must be. Even after two vicious attacks at college campuses in the last two years, there has been no hue and cry to reform our gun laws. This used to be the province of the Democrats, but this year, silence from all sides. It seems practicalities always trump right, sad to say.
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The news continues to be glum on all things environmental. Although the earth is encompassed by water that extends to cover nearly 3/4 of its surface, scientists can find virtually no spot untouched by humans. The areas under deep stress continue to be the obvious places.

An important new finding is that human influence on the ocean varies dramatically across ecosystems. The most heavily affected areas include coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves, rocky reefs and shelves, and seamounts. The least impacted ecosystems are soft-bottom areas and open-ocean surface waters.

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I continue to scratch my head at those who argue that the media is biased against certain candidates. That's either for or against. Is this something new? Granted, Fox took it to a new extreme, making no attempt to hide its blatant support of all things Republican, but to suggest that this is something new is disingenuous. Ever read a excerpt of a paper from a 100 years ago? Or perchance any of the accounts of our earliest presidential campaigns? My goodness, they make one blush. The rhetoric was vicious; things are quite tame now by comparison. Do I like it? No. But there is no human alive, I would argue, who can completely separate themselves from what they speak of. The article at American Street is childish. And did they just conclude that the NYTimes was liberal? Anyone see any turnip trucks around lately?
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One can only guess at the impact if the US had a Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. I can see you chuckling already. Well they do in Saudi Arabia, and 57 young men have been arrested and charged with "flirting" at Saudi shopping malls. Already, the sale of roses has been banned there as encouraging "relations between the sexes" and promotion of a "pagan" holiday. It does make one stop and think. There really really is a very very big divide in how people view the world.
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If you seriously want to get a look at what is happening in Afghanistan, I would suggest you read the transcript of the excellent interview with Sarah Chayes, who has been living there these past 7 years. American policy is being perceived in an entirely different way than what we assume. Bill Moyer's Journal brings us this provocative and important report. It of course begs the question how we have allowed things to deteriorate into this mess. We all know how it happened.
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Some things bear mentioning again and again. Racism, I would argue, continues in various guises. Today, its mostly directed at Hispanics and Muslims. The Christian (hard to say that with a straight face) Extreme Right continues to pander to hate mongering. Parading some "reformed" Muslims around the country as purveyors of "what Islam is really about" has raised a number of eyebrows and some serious outrage among watchdog groups. When you examine the backgrounds of the three "born agains," you find John Hagee(CUFI) and Focus on the Family, both extremist right wing religious groups. Read how their appearance at a Air Force Academy Assembly was received.
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Okay, we know we can't drag the McCain sexual escapades out much longer, true or false, but hey, the real story is about the lobbying connection, not the woman. And there seem to be legs to that story. So reports the Daily Kos in a comprehensive examination of the issue. Oh I cannot wait for the debates, I just get giddy at the very thought!
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I guess some didn't get the memo. Maqtada al Sadr told his folks to maintain the cease fire for another 6 months. Rockets and/or mortars hit the famous Green zone today. No further details were available and it is not clear who is responsible, but I'm assuming Iran will be blamed, always a safe bet from the military's point of view.
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This one folks is for pure laughter. Dave Berry is the funniest guy around. His journey up his colon will leave you laughing, giggling, and well, downright sympathetic and ummm, feeling really stupid about ignoring and putting off the dreaded colonoscopy. Enjoy!
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I love the fact that idiots seem to be attracted to same, and thus they can be found together in a clan, herd, pod, or whatever grouping you find amusing. The National Review is a major collection point. This makes my job difficult. There are so many fine posts each day that meet the criteria of TOO STUPID TO NEED FURTHER COMMENT, that well, I sometimes think I should just refer you to the whole thing. You have to give them a bit of leniency, given that they KNOW they are gonna lose this election, and well, it makes them a bit testier and a bit sillier than usual. Dave Kahane, who is somebody else, too scared to divulge his true name, exposes the ugly underbelly of Conservative thinkers with his sick little blob of goo today. His reference to Hillary "waddling" to Barack being Hussein and a commie, are all ya need to know. Desperation leads to insanity pretty fast, but hey when you are most of the way there to begin with, it doesn't' take much. And then, well, I guess it's the easiest thing of all, to sling mud when you hide behind the screen of anonymity. Too, too silly. Oh and before you bother looking, the National Review is too scared to allow comments. Wonder why?
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Glenn Greenwald gives us a good update on what's happening in the now getting sleazy controversy over the wiretapping and amnesty for telecoms, and arm-twisting and blatant threat tactics going on this week by Republicans and the White House. The contradictions and outright illegality go on in this crazy excuse for an Administration.
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The Bushies were mighty pissed at Obama's references to the Army Captain in Afghanistan and the issue of ammunition. The Pentagon has now seen fit to get into the civilian election with their take on the story. Although the story was confirmed by ABC's Jake Tapper, Pentagon officials say they don't think its true, and urge the anonymous soldier to come forth to "confirm" his story. Yeah right. This, Talking Points Memo says is a pattern, and they say this one will find its way into greater importance in this election. You heard it here.
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Justin Frank thinks the essential difference between Clinton and Obama is one of age, the baby boomer vs the post-cold war kid. And he may be right. The analysis seems dead on in many respects. I think in the end, his conclusions seem to favor an Obama rather than a Clinton. Since I favor Clinton, I guess you can see I think this post well worth the read. It's perhaps the best argument I've seen that Barack is the person best poised to take on the vagaries of the future.
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It seemed obvious to me. But I've learned over many a year that that means very little. Musharref lost big, cannot accept that, and refuses to budge. Defying the usual logic of the situation and doing what comes most natural to idiots, the Bush people encourage him in this. Even smarter Democrats appear not to "get it." India gets it, and you can too. Read Shekhar Gupta's fine post today at Indian Express. ( I really question what the point was of several of our Senators observing the elections to report on their fairness?)
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Of course they deny it, and of course it true. Most folks who get overly in a sweat about "illegal immigration" are simply put, racists. While there may be some legitimate concern over jobs, most of us know that that is mostly a crock too. And the issue about security is almost too laughable to expound further upon. (Anybody heard about the Canadian border? We have a longer one there folks, and almost all of it is unfenced). No. It's simply a new and convenient way of expressing that "I am failing and feel at the bottom, there must be somebody beneath me I can blame." A whole hoard of the crazies are meeting this weekend in Virginia. Racists from around the world have come to sing their individual tales of woe at those that stand in the way of their happiness and good fortune. Read Luis Rumbaut's "In Defense of the White Race."
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I confess I've not devoted any real time to checking into McCain's financing woes. I've gotten the idea he's facing a problem. That now seems most clear, and he's apparently decided to pretend it doesn't exist as anything he need be concerned about, since "his people" tell him so. Another juicy story to be sure.
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That's the Way I Viewed It
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Word of the Day
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dodgery (Dah-juh-ree) noun. ~~ evasion, trickery
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Mitch thought his clever act of dodgery would spare him from paying taxes on the money he earned from the sale of his vacation home, until an audit notice came in the mail from the IRS.
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In “dodgery” one can see the verb “dodge,” meaning “to evade by a sudden or repeated shift of position.” That verb entered English in the 17th century, but the noun form of “dodge,” referring to the act of evading something by such a motion, is over a hundred years older. “Dodgery” entered English around the same time. You can dodge things physically — as in getting out of the way of the ball in the popular schoolyard game — or figuratively, as in shirking one’s responsibilities, often by some kind of deceitful action. From there the use of “dodgery” to mean “evasion” or “trickery” is hardly an elusive connection. [Merriam-Webster]
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Joke of the Day
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An out-of-towner drove his car into a ditch in a desolated area. Luckily, a local farmer came to help with his big strong horse named Buddy.
He hitched Buddy up to the car and yelled, "Pull, Nellie, pull." Buddy didn't move.
Then the farmer hollered, "Pull, Buster, pull." Buddy didn't respond.
Once more the farmer commanded, "Pull, Jennie, pull." Nothing.
Then the farmer nonchalantly said, "Pull, Buddy, pull."
And the horse easily dragged the car out of the ditch.
The motorist was most appreciative and very curious. He asked the farmer why he called his horse by the wrong name three times.
The farmer said, "Oh, Buddy is blind, and if he thought he was the only one pulling, he wouldn't even try!" [justfunnies.com]

Bluetongue is not a new BlueRay!

2008-02-22T08:54:00.007-06:00

Yesterday's News ~~ History

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Today is the the actual birthday of George Washington, first president of the US and commander of the Continental Army that won the war of Independence.

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You may believe you know pretty much all there is to know about the American Revolution. Chances are you don't. We tend to examine the events of those times from a unified position and assume that was the case for those who were experiencing it themselves. A personal perspective often brings to light quite a different set of conclusions. Look at the "mini" revolutions that took place during that time in our history.
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This day, 4 C.E. the death of Gaius Caesar, heir apparent to Caesar Augustus. The actual successor was his wife's son Tiberius.
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Thanks to World History Blog, we have a nice link to a very interesting site for history and map buffs. Historic Cities is a product of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. It brings together a number of resources to the study of historical cites. This is one of those sites that are fun to just wander around and as a top notch resource when you need a fact quickly.
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Today's News ~~ How I See It

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Troubles hit northern Iraq as Turkish fighters, to the tune of 10,000 strong, have entered Iraq and launched an offensive against the PKK, the Kurdistan Workers Party. Backed by fighter planes, forces seek to repel the PKK which has been fighting for self-rule in southern Turkey, home to many Kurds. It is claimed there that have been no actual confrontations so far. It is noted that American intelligence has been helping Turkish forces to pinpoint targets to minimize civilian casualties.

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I am one of those people very troubled by what I see as racism that lurks behind much of the anti-immigration rhetoric. Although those that propose a tough immigration policy claim not to be racist by always emphasizing they are against "illegals" not legal immigrants, nobody is much convinced that they actually mean this. What seems more behind the talk is an increasing discomfort with statistics that claim that non-whites will surpass whites in the population in the near future. Read about it at Alternet's post by Priscilla Huang.

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As American higher-ups struggle to form some sort of policy out of waterboarding and torture is not torture if..., Karen Greenberg gives a fine overview of the subject historically. She suggests that folks such as Stephen Bradbury from the Justice Department and Joe Lieberman, late of the Democratic Party, would do well to tour a few torture museums across Europe. Then they might not be so willing to parse how "our" waterboarding is nothing like "their" waterboarding. It's another eye-opener historically speaking.

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I just figured you should know this. It's bluetongue season! So if I were you, I'd be talking to my cows every day, and asking them to say ahhhhh. Oh, sheep too! The midges are to blame. No not midget, midge, you know. If left unchecked they will infect herds all over the UK and Wales it is claimed. What they do is not revealed, so I don't know what to tell you to look for, except the err, bluetongue. You have been warned.
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I have a lot of views on those who don't accept evolution as the methodology by which life changes over time. I tend to put them into two categories, well actually three. First there are those who are just too damn dumb to know any better. These people don't know who their state's senators are either. The second group are those who suspect that evolution might be real, but figure God will not save them if they allow themselves to even think this way. They hide away in the typical hear no evil, see no evil mode. The third group knows evolution is true, but it threatens their perception of how life should be, so they actively seek to promote what they know to be untrue simply because it's for your own good. I'm not sure where the Florida State Board of Education falls here. You decide.
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Better get your fill of fish friends. According to the U.N. your time is short. A compilation of climate change, over fishing, and pollution is literally killing off the fish. This will come as a bad thing to the more than 2.6 million people who depend on fish for their daily protein.
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The Dispassionate Liberal reminds us that when reading history these days, we better be careful. There is a very deliberate group out there wanting to convince you that our founding fathers actually didn't mean what they appeared to have said as it relates to questions of separation of church and state. Read his latest critique of a new book out about George Washington.
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Charles Krauthammer is one of the major idiots over at Foxy News. And I've neglected him low these several weeks in favor of others of his ilk which parade through the internet pages of the National Review. Today we get the usual drivel about Iraq and how things are getting so much better there. This of course is all put in jeopardy by Democrats who are determined to lose it no matter what. Thus the scenario is set for the Charlie. Either way, whatever happens in Iraq, it's either a Republican success, or a Democratic loss. Pretty smart huh? It's the usual bountiful bunch of bucolic bungling one always expects from the National Rag. Enjoy!
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I think we all pretty much agree that the economy is heading for the tank. Most of us are doing the normal things to protect ourselves as best we can while things are on the downturn. But how does this bode for the next president? Paul Krugman of the NYTimes, suggests it may hamper him or her mightily, limiting any real success in areas of health care and a plethora of other issues that liberals hold near and dear. Krugman retreats to examine the elder Bush and Carter presidencies, both of which were saddled with bad economies upon entering office.
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While we are all having fun with the titillating details or speculative details of McCain's almost, maybe, true, not true, sexual adventure with Ms. Iseman, the real story is the issue of undue influence and the peddling of same. Did Ms Iseman receive favors for her lobbying activities or not? From what I am hearing, McCain has maintained a bit too cozy relationships over the years with the bottom suckers over on K Street. We shall see, as they say. No doubt this part of the story will not be fading into the background any time soon.
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I don't know about you, but I sure started snickering then went into full guffaw as I watched Rush Limbaugh turn himself inside out, now supporting McCain in this latest embarrassment. Of course, this changes everything, now the enemy is the NYTimes after all. Kevin Drum thinks McCain has found his way to appeal to that conservative base.
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Politics Plus has a fun post about a Israeli MP, who well, is recognizable to us all. Another Pat Robertson perhaps? Member of the ultra-orthodox Shas Party, Sholomo Benizri blames the recent earthquake there on Israel's tolerance for gays! Yep. And you thought such queer (wink) thinking only occurred on American shores? You were wrong. One can only shake one's head and wonder how these people come about in the world.
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I guess one could conclude that there is a good reason that Russia seems to make such little progress economically or politically, seemingly retreating once again to that cold grey existence that was so commonly seen by Westerners. It may be that their press has precious little to do with real news. For the third day, in a row, we see such big news items as this one: Russia reports that China has constructed a kilometer long wedding dress. Yes indeed, scarlet, and containing 2,008 pieces of jade, with 29 golden phoenixes, and 880 peonies, it is a masterpiece. But, and, well sit down for this, it does not hold the record. The longest was made in Cyprus in February of 2007. Before that, France held the record. I kid you not folks. This is real news. Be the first to wow your colleagues at the water cooler today!
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I've been urged not to give up on Hillary quite yet. Well, I am one of those who tends to lean to the pessimistic side of things under the theory that it doesn't hurt quite so bad when things go wrong if you assume they probably will. I doubt the accuracy of that theory, but hey its a personality thing and not easy to change. I did not watch the debate last night, but I hear Hillary did okay, and she gave a great finish. Will it be enough? I doubt it, but others, well aren't so sure. Walter Shapiro has a thoughtful analysis.
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House Republican nut cases are at it again. In an attempt to scare the bejesus out of even my dogs, they have plagiarized a TV show for goodness sake to show us how essential it is that we drop everything and give them their spy power lest the bad guys sneak in and murder me in my bed tonight. It is to say the least, the worst piece of nonsense produced in a good while. Glenn Greenwald reports in a must see read and watch. Weird but it has the opposite effect on me, I'm not scared, I'm mad!
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Talking Points Memo urges us to take a look at the Washington Post's article on McCain and the Iseman scandal, if indeed it can be called such at this point. So we dutifully trotted over (pushed a few keys on the computer) and read what the TPM Muckraker has to say. Mac who claims he is "lobbyist free" is anything but, as the list of his advisers and strategists show. Guess, he just likes them around him, suggests the Mucker. You decide what you think.
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Some issues are more personal than others. This one is personal. Whatever your feelings about this war, nobody doesn't support every frigging thing be done to help our soldiers who are hurt in this fiasco. While the Bushites wave the flag and rattle the saber, the do precious little to address the miserable situation some of our vets are in. Time and time again, we learn that our vets get shortchanged in health care after their return home, and of course they have been famously shortchanged period wasting lives in this hellish mess. Suicide rates are soaring. You need to read this one folks. That's all I can say. It's a shame, its a freaking shame.
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Marianne Mollmann has a very important piece on women's equality and the U.N. We are so tired of rhetoric on this issue. We know you all mouth the same phrases, women and men are equal, but very little changes. We are tired of "it takes time." That bastion of global equality the U.N. is no different. While that institution undoubtedly sees itself as a promoter of women's rights, it does precious little to achieve it, even within its own halls. There has to date never been a woman Secretary General. Read it and well, don't weep, lest you be called soft, or calculating. But do read it.
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It appears that opposition parties in Pakistan have agreed to form a coalition government, freezing out Musharref's attempts to wean off one party to his side. A determination as to Prime Minister has not yet been decided. First on the agenda is a request for a UN led inquiry into the death of Benazir Bhutto. The coalition maintains that it will work with Musharref but he needs to accept the will of the people, and they have no intention of bringing pro-Musharref factions into the coalition.
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George Will is one of those pundits, that even if you don't agree with him, you enjoy his discourse. I always am prone to smooth talkers, and have to keep watch over whether I'm listening carefully to the meaning rather than the florid flow of the words. In any event, he has some interesting questions to pose to McCain about his views on wars, both in Iran and Iraq.
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Word for the Day
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lea (lee, lay) noun. ~~ A grassland.
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[From Old English leah (meadow). Ultimately from Indo-European root leuk-(light) that has resulted in other words such as lunar, lunatic, light,lightning, lucid, illuminate, illustrate, translucent, lux, and lynx.]
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"The lowing herd winds slowly o'er the lea." Thomas Gray; Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard.
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Joke of the Day
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A man's on a driving holiday in New Zealand when he sees a man standing by the road gripping a sheep.
'G'day' says the tourist. 'Are you shearing?'
'No, piss off and find your own.' [Gorsky's Comedy]

Oh John, what Have you Done?

2008-02-21T08:37:00.009-06:00

Yesterday's News ~~ History

Many of us think it would be a fun thing to go back to a certain favorite period of history. However, we seldom think about the downside of that proposition. Mostly we forget about the lack of medical knowledge available to our ancestors and that gets worse obviously as we regress in time. It turns out that one of our major explorers was probably bi-polar, at least that is what experts believe based upon the written record. Read a very interesting post about Meriwether Lewis, of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and his difficult life spent suffering from "melancholy."

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Today's News ~~ The Way I See It

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If you thought that this election would put a stop to all those horrific policies Bush and his band of evil folks have ushered in, think again. As most presidents do, this one as well intends to try to lock into place a number of things that the next president will have difficulty undoing. For this Administration, that means the issue of what is torture and our continuing relationship with Iraq. Learn how the Bushites intend to tie the hands of the new president on these issues.

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What to do, what to do? Musharref, though soundly defeated in the election, insists he will be part of any new government. Washington doesn't exactly know what to do. How does all this impact on its "war on terror" and Pakistan's "indispensable part" in it? America seems to be signally that it intends to go on pretty much as usual, with Musharref and any coalition government. The recent election put to rest it would seem Musharref's claim that the pro-Taliban parliament was to blame for his troubles. The electorate also spoke rather loudly that it wanted no truck with extremism either. Najum Mushtag argues that a new policy may be in order for the US.

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The UK is apologizing today for having allowed "rendition' planes to land on UK soil, something it had denied it would allow. Who was doing that you ask? Why, the premier free world proponent, America! But of course, American higher ups declare that neither of the persons so transported were subjected to anything we consider torture. No of course not, uhuh, nope, nada. You can believe it, we said it. Oh crap, we got caught again. Can't anyone keep our torturous secrets any more? Just another case of do what I say, not what I do.

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19%? You are serious right? I mean is it possible for a sitting president's rating to fall that low absent pedophilia? Wow, George, you will go down in history, never fear. What's it like to argue that everyone will be dead before a fair and impartial historical analysis finds you a hero in disguise? Truly only Laura, the girls, and the dogs like you dubya, the rest of us, well, wouldn't walk across the street to shake your hand. It's gonna be sad in a way not to have old George to kick around. Your father is sure disappointed, but Mom still thinks you're the top of the heap. It's just a heap of dung dude.

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Oh goodness, I knew it would happen, but so fast, so fast! It didn't take long for the NYTimes to find it and exploit it, and the fun begins NOW. Seems our Mav may have had the hots for some lobbyist and well, his handlers put a stop to it, and well, some folks still found out about it, and well, Mac is gonna explain it all, and it will all go away. Righttttt. Let the games begin. The Daily Kos has the report. Will this set the famous temper off? Stay tuned! Tons of more reporting on this from Talking Points Memo. Just scroll down for post after post and a free-for-all at the Cafe. Also see Robert Schlesinger's post at Huffington, "The McCain Take-Down Strategy."

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While your at it, read about Bill O'Reilly's latest in the "oops" category. Mentioning Michelle Obama and "lynching" in the same sentence, well, not such a good thing. Giggle your way through this post, as Papa Bill dissembles his way into saying what he really wanted to say, without actually admitting he said it. Fox, oh where would we be without ya!

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The Chicago Tribune is reporting how a case in small town Illinois is exposing the corruption in the private contract arena as to Iraq. The profiteering business is alive and well, as reported in volumes of documents coming out in the trial. Kickbacks and other such naughty business is all coming to light. The taxpayer as always pays the bill. The Pentagon of course facilitated all this by outsourcing so many support jobs, while at the same time, reducing the number of watchdogs. The private sector of course did what would be expected and took as much as it could for as long as it could.

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Watch out about those comics folks. In the work place they can be, well, err, damaging to your job. So says a Fort Madison, Iowa resident, employed at Catfish Bend Casino. He lost his job after posting a Dilbert comic critical of bosses. Dilbert artist, Scott Adams wrote a subsequent comic featuring the story of the firing. (look up to the top!) The business is now closed in any case. According to Iowa news this morning, Mr. Adams suggested that other would-be comic posters stick to Garfield which has less chance of being controversial. We in Iowa like to stick with very important stuff as you can see.

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John Deeth Blog has an interesting argument. Course, its based upon the premise that Obama has won the nomination, which appears to be the case. He believes it is essential for Obama to name a woman as a running mate to soothe the anger of women denied, in this their most promising chance in history. Although it does smack of "give the poor dog a bone," I think he makes a good argument as to whom it could, should, might, might not be. Take a look.

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Pundit Mom has a great post today, "Everybody Hates Hillary." Yes, some of us are smarting over this loss of our candidate. And it may take a while to recuperate. And we would very much appreciate it if men and sadly some women would stop the misogyny. It's gotten real old. I don't blame other candidates, who have avoided this nonsense; I do blame the mainstream media, and the blogging world. They have been obvious in their dislike and determination to remove Mrs. Clinton from the arena. Now I don't necessary disagree with their reasons, but clearly they have taken some delight in this process, and I for one am angry and disappointed. I for one, had thought, just thought that perhaps the well educated and socialized men of America were ready to move on. After all, there are plenty of people you can still make fun of. Immigrants and Muslims are still open targets, it seems. Can you aim your bigotry elsewhere?

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Yesterday, Moscow was worried about monkeys in northern India. Today, Russian authorities caught "red handed" smugglers who were smuggling lemurs in their luggage. Hmmm.....The lemurs took the fifth, but their human abettors are being charged criminally. They are worth about $5000 a piece, but it is not clear to whom.

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Glenn Greenwald has an excellent post today on John McCain and his war loving soul. I relish the upcoming debates between the Mav and whomever. I mean, it seems like easy picking to me. McCain's position, that any plans to willy-nilly bomb another country should be kept secret is just the sort of problem that got us into Iraq. No sane person doesn't know now that Cheney, Rummie, Wolfie and Condi pretty much had this in mind before Georgie even said "I do." We ummm, John, don't want any more of that secret stuff.

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Ted Haggard, you remember him right? Well he is right of course, but also the Televangelist caught getting massages from errr, a gay guy and then something about drugs too? Remember? Teddy went into counseling, a sure fire way to get rid of those pesky homosexual vibes. Seems he thinks he's been in long enough and ready to return to the saddle. But officials at New Life Church seem unimpressed with his quick recovery, and call it "incomplete." One of the 4 ministers who was overseeing his "recovery" called him "cured" after only 4 weeks. An astounding record, and one that needs be written up for the medical journals. All this time and we were unaware that homosexuality could be cured so quick and easily. Seems Ted really just wants to get his greedy little hands on more money instead of more "c**k." Oh God must be displeased at this turn of events.

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The Indian congress is unimpressed with arguments by American politician Joe Biden that it better hurry and ratify the Indo-US civilian nuclear cooperation agreement. Biden told Indian officials that if the agreement is not ratified by them, it will not arrive before the US Congress in time to be dealt with by the Bush Administration. He warns that a Democratic Administration may not be so willing to give India such favorable terms as this agreement allegedly contains. Senators John Kerry and Chuck Hegal were also part of the American delegation.

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Did I not just say that every American now is responsible for researching any proposed drug usage themselves? That the FDA was a worthless pile of dog doodoo? I recognize the legal issues, but still, we find that citizens come last. The Highest of the high, SCOTUS itself, says people cannot sue drug makers if the thing that killed, maimed or hurt them seriously has already gotten that magical approval from, you guessed it, the FDA. Since we know that the FDA can't make any decision against the drug companies unless literally forced to do so by public shame, I guess the pharmaceuticals are free to do whatever they want, as they mostly always have. Too bad for us.

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Word of the Day

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Contumely (kahn-TOO-mal-lee) noun. ~~harsh language or treatment arising from haughtiness and contempt; also : an instance of such language or treatment

Early in his career, the pioneering scientist’s colleagues heaped contumely on him for his unconventional ideas, which were eventually proven to be correct.

Geoffrey Chaucer was writing about the sin of "contumelie," as it was spelled in Middle English, back in the late 1300s. We borrowed the word from Middle French (whence it had earlier arrived from Latin "contumelia"), and it has since seen wide literary use. Perhaps its most famous occurrence is in Hamlet's "To be or not to be" soliloquy: "For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, / Th' oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely...." That's not to say the word has no place today. This past September, for example, political columnist Mona Charen expressed the opinion that President Bush has not only been criticized by those on the left of the political spectrum, but “has also suffered the contumely of some on the right and of seemingly everyone in the center.” [Merriam-Webster]

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Joke of the Day

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A farmer was milking his cow. He was just starting to get a good rhythm going when a bug flew into the barn and started circling his head. Suddenly, the bug flew into the cow's ear. The farmer didn't think much about it, until the bug squirted out into his bucket. It went in one ear and out the udder. [Justfunnies.com]

Obama Has Shown He Has the Stuff

2008-02-20T08:41:00.009-06:00

Yesterday's News ~~ History

George Washington remains in the "news." Over at the American Revolution Blog, there is a fine article on slavery and our first prez. A nice link to another article and a good discussion of the issue can be found from the comments as well.

Today is day 8 in the continuing festival of Parentalia. (sounds like it has something to do with parenting and genitalia to me) but it's about honoring and appeasing the dead.

Also, apparently on this day, Trajan, emperor of Rome, was named Parthicus in honor of his victories over, yep you guessed it, Parthia in 116 C.E.

Today's News ~~ The Way I See It

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Yesterday we reported that President Pervez Musharref and his party were soundly defeated in Pakistani elections. It appeared that there was a good chance that the two big winners would form a coalition government and that would be that. Today we learn that Musharref has vowed not to relinquish power. It appears that Musharref sees himself as above the political parties and thus "his" parties loss was not his. He vows to work with the coalition government whatever that is, and whatever that means.

It is also reported that the Bush Administration is working feverishly, talking to all parties in an attempt to maintain some sort of control. Of course, Bush has strong ties with the dictator, and now fears that its "war on terror ally" will depart and leave them. It is claimed they are behind the attempt to mend fences between Musharref and the opposition parties who did so well in the recent election. Seems another case of backing the wrong horse to me. But we have a long history of doing that don't we?

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Given that I live in a rural setting with plenty of land to raise food, it perhaps is not surprising that I vote for natural foods over the boxed take your chances kind of fare one finds in most supermarkets these days. Any casual examination of a boxed "food" in the store gives forth a plethora of "ingredients" unfamiliar to the average person. Michael Pollen has written a new book, In Defense of Food, and it sounds like a good read. There is increasing evidence that all this strange stuff we are ingesting is not designed for our guts and they are not gonna keep taking this bilge we shovel into ourselves every day. He pulls no punches and indicts the journalistic arena as well for its overall poor reporting of nutritional issues. If you have kids, I'd recommend you take a look. It may be too late for the rest of us. Folks this stuff gets more important for us to study ourselves. If you hadn't realized it yet, the FDA no longer gives a hoot for us, they are just mouthpieces for the various industries they claim to "regulate."

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I find the situation in the housing market simply heartbreaking. We sat and watched a debacle occur with little or no attempt by our government to step in and do a thing about it as it occurred. Again, its greed and more greed that drives these horrific economic disasters. We have been raised to accept our responsibilities in this country. We have always for the most part, paid our debts. This time is different. Experts expect that huge numbers of American "homeowners" will simply walk away from homes they cannot reasonably pay for after being largely misled into thinking they could. They have recognized that the bad guys get away with it again, and well, they refuse to play the patsy it seems. This cannot be a good thing for the economy. Read the analysis at American Street.

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Many of you are no doubt aware that Bush is in Africa, traveling around enjoying the sights. This seems to be the norm for outgoing presidents, touring the world while they can. Amid charges that he was secretly trying to make deals for US military bases, he cried, "baloney." Africom, set up to provide Africans with better military training and "assistance" has no such designs. Ghana has already stated their opposition to any such bases on its soil. I rather think Ghana is more on track than off on this one. We, like most, like to couch our real designs in "aid."

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What follows needs no links. I think this primary season is now over. Obama's impressive wins in Wisconsin and Hawaii make it clear that the electorate has decided. I don't think any amount of electioneering on Senator Clinton's part can make a difference now. The blame game can begin. Certain to receive their fair share of criticism will be Bill and Hillary's chief stategist, Mark Penn.. I wish Mr. Obama well, I wish and hope he wins. I'll vote for him and encourage everyone I know to do the same. I feel sad for Hillary, it was a magnificent dream, it just ran into a juggernaut of a "shining light." It just was not in the stars. I guess there goes my hope of health care. I wish those for Obama weren't so darn smarmy about it. We are all on the same side ya know.

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Amid increasing violence throughout the country, this cannot come as good news to those whose very political lives depend on the surge thing working. (listen up Mac) Much as the US would like to take full credit for the limited and temporary success of the "surge," certainly it was of great help that certain folks declared cease fires. Muqtada al-Sadr has stated that his cease-fire may be lifted soon. Unless he publically extends that cease-fire it will be considered ended Saturday. Read about it at Democratic Underground.

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When I get to the N's in my feeds, I start to smile. I'm expecting another great knee-slapping post from somebody over at the National Review. Often, I have to choose between several that strike me as amusing just on the headline alone. You can imagine, then, my surprise at this one:"The Man on the White Stallion." And who might that be? Well Al Gore of course. And this completely braindead Republican says he will be the nominee. He says Hillary and Barack are both "lame' candidates. Yes they sure are John Derbyshire, indeed. Did you happen to look at the vote totals in ANY STATE THAT HAS VOTED SO FAR? Do you see that its at least 2-1 in terms of turnout? Are you a real person or just a badly programed computer program? Does National Review pay you money in real currency? These questions are more interesting than your (stole it from my junior high kid's school report) analysis. I recommend you take two aspirin and call a doctor. Ya need a head transplant.

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While we are on hysterical rhetoric, it seemed a fine time to bring in Michelle Malkin and her brand of silliness. I told you yesterday that Michelle Obama had made another faux pax that would reverberate through the conservative thoughtless world. And sure nuf, Ms Malkin obliged. In the usual flag waving, pseudo-patriotic drivel, Malkin calls Obama to task for her ungenerous look at what makes us proud in America. Mrs. Obama's statement was an oops moment, not what she clearly meant, and much more is being made of it than its worth, but I warned you. That never matters. God love the National Review, better than comics.

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I've got to say I no longer place any reliance on government agencies to do a thing to protect me. We see it again and again. The FDA is perhaps the worst offender for the common person. No longer the great protector of Americans, they are now simply mouthpieces for the industries they ostensibly were set up to regulate. It is now incumbent on every person to research any drug their doctor prescribes, since the FDA won't do a thing any more until a sufficient number have embarrassingly died from drugs that they and the pharmaceutical companies both know are too dangerous to take. Oh!Pinion gives us but the latest in outright stupidity of that agency. Heperin users beware!

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Pundit Mom has an interesting post about the lack of women pundits across the political horizon. I tend to agree with her. I would add, that the same is largely true across the blogosphere. I've noticed it particularly since I have a favorite in this race, and I am well, a bit miffed, and a bit hurt at the obvious glee expressed by so many of the men. They seem delighted at Hillary's demise, almost euphoric in their joy. In fact, if I closed my eyes, I would be quite sure I was reading conservative Republican pundits. There has been plenty of misogyny, and plenty of meanness. No doubt Clinton, like virtually every candidate does and says things that are objectionable. But to claim that something is wrong with Clinton because she "wants to win" is to say that which is applicable to all candidates. Where are liberal women? Are we to be stuck with only the likes of Malkin, Dowd, Coulter?

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I'm not sure what a Russian News Service cares about monkeys, but they are a plague on one northern Indian state. Himachal Pradesh is undergoing a monkey invasion. The charming little devils apparently are into stealing food and ransacking farms. At least one has died and several injured, people that is. It is not clear what is motivating this behavior. No one has bothered to yet interview the monkeys. A new "catch a monkey" program is in the works.

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Sure that Hillary Clinton is now a dead horse, the Republican neo-con machine has turned its sites on Obama with vigor and the usual portion of idiocy. Glenn Greewald has a good run down of the weeks attempts to make Barack appear something other than what he is. Anything will do as long as its not this: articulate, thoughtful, a great stump speaker, intelligent. It's a good read.

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I know you are just dying to know what Darth Vadar plans on doing when he retires from the VP post. Well, he's ummm, doing Darth things, ya know, Vadar subjects. Get a laugh at That's Going Too Far as he speculates on what the wicked one has planned for himself, and us!

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Susan Posner and her column, "Fundamentalist" has a lengthy report on what's up in the far right reaches of the universe. Some interesting stuff on Romney and how he may have duped the right into thinking he was their boy. Some interesting stuff about how some so-called moderate evangelicals talk a good game of AIDS relief, but end up doing the same tired rightwing thing--voting against the bill. Ms. Posner is always an informative read.

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At The Panda's Thumb you can find a very detailed and articulate post about evolution and the misinformation constantly proposed by the whacko religious right. It is entirely sad and regrettable that we have to continue to dispel the blatantly wrong, illogical, and intentional distortion of both the bible and the scientific record in order to maintain this silly position. It harms science, and it harms religion.

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The Washington Independent recommends to us three books if we would understand the fullness of Iraq. Spencer Ackerman says those three books are: The Assassin's Gate, by George Packer, Night Draws Near, by Anthony Shadid, and Fiasco by Tom Ricks. Read his analysis.

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You know, I for one don't like the label of being the world's greatest super power. With that kind of appellation, comes enormous responsibility and true to nature, we are doing a shitty job. Talking Points Memo's Muckraker helps us get a little more comfortable in the mud we inhabit with this gem. What can we expect when the gitmo detainees go on "trial?" Not much in the way of fairness it seems. And, its for all the world to see. How special. Don't look for Bush and his band of nut jobs to correct this record any time soon.

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Dan Froomkin has an important post about Darfur. Just go read it. We all are responsible because we allow it to continue. Shame on us all.

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And we forgot this yesterday. A nice congrats to Talking Points Memo for winning the George Polk Award.

Word of the Day

weald (weeld) noun ~~ A woodland.

"I loved the weald and the buzzards circling in the sky." Philippa Gregory; The Other Boleyn Girl; Touchstone; 2003. [from Wordsmith.org]

New Countries and Old, The Dance Continues

2008-02-19T08:59:00.009-06:00

Yesterday's News ~~ History

George Washington was an interesting fellow by all accounts. And he had a strong connection to Jesuit Catholics which surprised the heck out of me. It just goes to show how truly cosmopolitan the world was, even in his time. He had a book of tips written by Jesuits in the 16th century, and recopied all 110 tips by hand. I thought this one was most telling of the times:

"Kill no vermin, as fleas, lice, ticks, etc.,in the sight of others. If you see any filth or thick spittle, put your foot dexterously upon it, if it be upon the clothes of your companions, put it off privately, and if it be upon your own clothes return thanks to him who puts it off."

Furthermore on Washington, who hasn't heard about his famous "wooden teeth?" Well, of course, some of us have learned that they were not wooden at all. But what they were is perhaps more surprising than the myth itself.

It seems fitting today, since I believe Hawaii is holding a primary, to include some information about the Kamehameka Statue. There are 4 actually, and one actually resides on the mainland.

Todays News ~~ The Way I See It

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Agitprop has found another bitch, and an excellent one at that. Ostensibly, we are alerted to the factual inaccuracies in a certain internet article about evolution and the infamous Scopes Trial. But the real point, is to alert us, (at least me) to another idiotic website trying to mask as a "intellectual" one. Set up to look like Wikipedia, it is nothing more than a wacko rightwing rag which gives abysmally bad information on just about everything. Conservapedia makes zero attempt at fact, preferring to rely on the usual (the bible is our only reference) childish rhetoric of the right, devoid of either facts or intelligent analysis. Beware, and then check it out. Actually it's hysterically funny.

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It has been my contention that Iraq will be back in the news before this election cycle is complete. Although mainstream media has pretty much ignored it for the last few months, seemingly buying Bush's claims of success, the truth continues to inconveniently pop up throughout the blogosphere. Home to nearly 6 million people, half still have no water on a regular basis. Periodic blackouts continue as well. While violence has been quelled in much of Baghdad, it has surfaced elsewhere, and no one claims that much has improved in any other respect. If McCain thinks that he can come out on top in this arena, I think he is grasping at straws.

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I'm not sure anyone foresaw such a defeat for Musharref as was dealt in yesterday's election. Many of course were quite worried that various forms of election fraud would taint the results, but Pakistan seems to have weathered that problem, and resoundingly defeated the party of President Pervez Musharref. No party received a majority but the party of Benazir Bhutto and that of former premier Nawaz Sharif made the greatest gains reports Syed Saleem Shahzad.

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In an interesting take, some in Indonesia argue that Obama would be a greater asset as President than many would perceive. Not only is he the favorite there, considered by many as one of their own, he would herald, many people claim a new wave of pro-Americanism. No matter how you view the race, this cannot be anything but a good thing, and is a plus for the Obama side. Read Muhammed Cohen's post today.

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Indeed, if frog legs are a delicacy you enjoy, consider the one recently found in Madagascar. Weighing in at 9 pounds, and measuring some 16 inches in length, it qualifies as a biggun. Alas, it is but a fossil, and lived over 70 million years ago. So much for dinner I guess.

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These life forms are still alive but for how much longer is unclear. In another depressing alert, nine more types of shark have been added to the list of those animals at risk for extinction. Over fishing is deemed the culprit, with China willing to pay exorbitant prices for shark fin. If you have ever seen this done, it's mind-numbingly horrific, as "fishermen" slice off the fin, and dump the animal back into the water to die. Many of these shark species have declined by as much as 90-95% in recent years.

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This policy has made no sense since almost the beginning, but there is no change in sight it seems. Although Fidel Castro has stepped down in favor of his brother, there are no plans to change US policy one iota. So says John Negroponte, Deputy Secretary of State. Odd stance, since Bush is apparently under the assumption that Castro's stepping down means ". . . I view this as a period of transition and it should be the beginning of the democratic transition in Cuba." Seems the Prez should alert the State Department. Perhaps we should be facilitating that "transition" rather than continuing the embargo?

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Much thanks to the Dispassionate Liberal for the link to the great article by Tom Watson, "Barack Oboomer." It is, I would argue, a singularly successful attempt to explain Obama from a generational standpoint. You really should read this if you want to understand what you kids think and what perhaps a lot of old boomers are thinking. Watson's blog also deserves a place on your list of must looks daily as well.

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Skipping by the National Review we find another of those stories that, well, defy one's imagination. Thomas Sowell must engage in daily mind "hoovering" at that Hoover Institute he claims affiliation with. His utterly nonsensical post on the liberals and the troops is so absurd it's hard to know where to start. Liberals are wrong for protesting against all the ills suffered by our troops at the hands of our government and we are also vilified for making note of their deaths. It's such silly claptrap that I hope you stop over and get a good laugh. Actually, his post is simply insulting, both to the liberals and to the troops for minimizing their ill treatment by our Government.

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For some reason, I feel compelled to state again and again that I like Barack Obama. Saying that, I will also say, I like his wife a good deal less, and yes, I think spouses are important. Her latest gaffe can be found with appropriate links at The Political Animal. She seems too smart to be making these kinds of mistakes and if indeed he is to be the nominee, she's going to have to do better or Michelle Obama will be "swiftboated' for sure.

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I guess I've not paid sufficient attention to Kosovo, so much in the news the last few days. I see that most of the West supports the new country, and well most of the rest do not. I do understand that at least in part, the non-west fears that such unilateral moves will encourage others to do the same. Given the history of Russia in particular, I can see why. The EU is also not a united front, Spain, and some eastern countries such as Romania also reject the new country. It seems those that are opposed to Kosovo sovereignty also face separatist movements of their own at home. Such does not, however, present a reasoned opposition, but only a self-preservation response. But of course it would be most unusual if any country operated on what was right instead of what was convenient. Such is our world.

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I'm thinking that the Muckraker at TPM has an important story here. Seems a major whistleblower site has been shut down by a California court. This was done at the behest of a Swiss banking institution which did not take kindly to certain of its offshore doings being made public. Trouble is, the entire site was shut down with the exception of something about Belgium. The bad thing is that this site is responsible for some exposing some important stuff, like the U.S. Military Manual for Gitmo and material about troop rules of engagement in Iraq. Some have stepped into the breach, while Wilileaks is forcibly offline. Read it!

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I probably have been avoiding a lot of the pro-Obama blogging for a while, especially since he took the lead. I try to think the reason is because that's common knowledge news and I'm more interested in finding the more interesting issues. That may be mostly wishful thinking on my part, but I'm aware of my bias at least. I think The Anonymous Liberal has a good analysis of what's been going on with the media and Hillary Clinton. That the media is pro-Obama is not news, nor is it that the blogosphere has lead in that assault as well. What is puzzling to me at least is why bloggerdom thinks its better than the traditional media? Or perhaps they are all like me, and rather unabashed in stating their personal opinion. That's certainly fine, but then, don't beleaguer the mainstream media when it can't help it either.

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Keeping up with the Jone's seems to be on India's mind these days. In a rare note of candor, government officials confirmed that India would be testing a nuclear submarine missile soon. This would give it that "triad' approach so favored this spring by those in the know. That means they can launch death by land, air, and sea. The only issue is as a I see it, is when is India actually gonna buy a submarine? She has none now. Perhaps another of the "club" members will lend a hand. Query? Do all idiots rise to power in the world at large?

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The Political Realm has done an excellent job of assembling the various senate races for your edification. He gives a nice synopsis of each race and how the polls stand. Check out all your favorite races.

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We spoke above of the rather severe drubbing Pervez Musharref took in the Pakistani elections yesterday. Amid all kinds of assumptions of cheating, apparently the voters actually spoke. Bush of course had a fond and friendly relationship with Musharref. Given his take on Putin, I'm guessing Bush is no good judge of character. (Well, actually, one can look at darn near most of his administration and draw that conclusion.) Turns out Bush's friendship may have been Pervez's downfall. Read Dan Froomkin at the Washington Post.

Word for the Day

poltergeist (POL-ter-ghyste) noun

a noisy usually mischievous ghost held to be responsible for unexplained noises (as rappings)

Example sentence: They had trouble selling the house because it was rumored to have been inhabited by a poltergeist

Did you know? One of the tricks a poltergeist is known for is making "knocking" noises, so it will come as no surprise to learn that the word "poltergeist" translates literally from German as "knocking spirit." The German verb "poltern" means "to knock," and "Geist" is the German word for "spirit." Another "Geist" descendant in English is "zeitgeist" ("the general intellectual, moral, and cultural climate of an era"). The English word "ghost" is also related; it descends from the same ancient root that led to "Geist."Although "ghost" has been used in English since before the 12th century, "poltergeist" is a relative newcomer, first appearing as an English word in the middle of the 19th century. [brought to you by Merriam-Webster]

Presidents, Wannabes and God

2008-02-18T09:07:00.007-06:00

History~~Yesterday's Old News

As you undoubtedly know, today is President's Day. Lincoln celebrated (well actually he's dead, so I doubt he did much celebrating)his birthday on February 12, and Washington is scheduled to do the same on February 22. Sign up for lessons on all our presidents at the American History blog.

If a little history lesson about how President's Day came about is of interest to you, there are answers to be had at the US History Site Blog. I filched their picture today too!

Also, Daily Kos links us to Joseph Cummin's book, "Anything for a Vote: Dirty Tricks, Cheap Shots, and October Surprises in U.S. Presidential Campaigns" and some rather funny slams aimed at a number of our past presidents during the campaign. Things today, in comparison are not so bad.

Today, in 1967, Robert Oppenheimer died. He is of course best known for his work on the Manhattan Project that developed the atomic bombs used to end WWII.

Teddy Roosevelt was not a fan of having "In God we Trust" on our coinage. He felt it cheapened the motto and was sacrilegious.

Today's News~~How I See It

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It is so distressing to see the continuing escalation of violence in Afghanistan once again. An attack on a military convoy has killed another 35 persons and left 28 wounded. This comes only a day after another suicide bomber killed 80 at a dog fight. The Taliban claims responsibility. A job left half done by our present Administration of fools continues to deteriorate.

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The legal system in this country continues to be perverted by Bush and Co. While the Government has engaged in illegal practices and now wishes to use that information to prosecute those at Gitmo. Problem is, certain types of evidence (that obtained by torture for example) are not admissible. Thus the constant refrain that "waterboarding is not torture." Idiots at the Justice Department have apparently gone so far as to "re-interview" detainees in an attempt to "sanitize" previously tainted interrogations. Good luck on that one!

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I think I've had enough. I certainly had respect for Princess Diana, and was truly saddened by her untimely death, but really, when is this gonna end? Dodi Al Fayed really needs to move on. His constant and unproven allegations of murder are wearing thin. Let the poor woman rest in peace, to say nothing of her kids.

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Blog from the Capital referred us to an interesting article in the NYTimes. Entitled, "When God and the Law Don't Square," it looks at societal issues that sometimes transcend both secular and religious norms. Who makes the call? Who defers to whom? As the Archbishop of Canterbury lately found out, its a question that raises some very strong opinions. See what you think.

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Bill Kristol is one of my favorite idiots. He strikes me always as the dweeb sort of kid, not to be confused with a nerd. Dweebs were just socially inept, and squirrelly kids who lived on some other planet and preferred to examine the world from their unique vantage point, with their heads stuck up their rears. So it comes as no surprise that he claims McCain has this in the bag as long as he just continues the "fear, fear, fear" mantra made so popular by our own dear prez. Yep, Billy, that will surely be enough to win come November. Yeah, uhuh, sure nuf.

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The issue of the super delegates has caused a certain amount of disagreement without the Peyton household. I am in favor of letting them vote as they wish, Parker feels they should follow the popular vote. The Dispassionate Liberal agrees with me and you can read his analysis, and decide what you think.

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I used to spend some time on a ultra conservative Catholic forum where I had to listen to folks claim that poor people were often that by choice, and needed to learn to get up and work. (They actually even pondered whether the poor should be allowed to vote or receive free health care too.) The AAAS reports that poverty impairs the brain and makes it even more difficult for the poor to raise themselves out of the mire of financial destitution. This report shames us all. Oddly, it tends to correspond to a report last night on 60 Minutes, wherein we learned that the Danes are the happiest people in the world. It seems mostly to do with stress. The AAAS also referenced stress as a major component of why poor children lag in language and memory skills. Paul Krugman reports at the NYTimes.

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The religious wacko right is pulling out the stops to try and convince pastors across the nation that they can and should start pushing for particular candidates without fear of the IRS. Attorney Mat Staver leads the charge, teaming with a host of other way-out-there evangelicals, all urging the clergy of our various churches to get out there and tell the electorate who God wants elected. I tend to doubt this will slow our favorite Senator Grassley (R-IA) as he demands to see the books of various and nefarious evangelical "men of God."

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Okay, the weather is so lousy that well, it gets hard even getting out of bed in the morning to face yet another day of too much cold, and too much snow. This little post hit the spot of my depression and inserted a bit of levity which is dearly appreciated. See if you agree, that it's a good thing that "Roger Clemens Named New White House Spokesman." And thank you, Andy Borowitz!

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I've been getting e-mails all morning from giant ribbon worms, marine pill bugs, brittle stars and sea stars, sea lilies and sea spiders. Seems they are being invaded by crabs. Yes you heard me right, and not the kind you get from taking home that grungy looking dude from the bar the other night. Nope, these are the ones that shouldn't be there, but are, due to, yep, you guessed it, Global warming of the oceans. The various animals or whatever they are called alluded to above are justifiably pissed, though it is hard to tell that by looking at them. Any ideas on how to call the crabs back north from Antarctica would be appreciated.

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Our revered FBI has committed another "oops." Of course we never find out about these things until long after, but in an attempt to secure one e-mail address, it apparently got an entire network by mistake. We are assured that these records have all been destroyed. We are told these problems are "inevitable" and are "common." Most errors of this sort are done by "third-parties" not the agency itself. Okay. And of course we wouldn't know any of this but for another lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act. Gosh I feel so much better now. Keep letting me know what's up there FBI. I trust ya like my own motha. Thanks to the TPM Muckraker for this heads up.

Word of the Day

cairn (kairn) noun ~~ A heap of stones set up as a landmark or a memorial.

[From Gaelic carn (pile of stones)]

Used in a sentence: "Four of us were knackered* after a five-hour walk that followed little painted cairns around rolling farmland." Keri Welham; Put Your Best Foot Forward; The Dominion Post (Wellington, New Zealand); Jan 16, 2008. *knackered: exhausted (British slang)

It's a good day to hide

2008-02-17T09:08:00.008-06:00

The History You May Have Forgotten

The American Revolution Blog lets us know of another good book to consider picking up. This one is by well-known historian Joyce Appleby and is called "Inheriting the Revolution." Check it out.

The Way I See It

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This story comes as welcome news to those who suffer from spinal cord injury. A bacterial enzyme has been developed, Cambridge scientists say that can help dismantle the scar tissue that hampers regeneration of nerve fibers. The treatment has not yet been used on humans but scientists remain hopeful at this stage of testing.

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The Dallas Morning News has a most interesting story about espionage, money laundering, selling of secrets and other nefarious goings on, and guess what? It's in Washington, where else?
Sibel Edmonds, former FBI translator is speaking out about what she knows after a long time of imposed silence by the government's Justice Department with the usual "state secrets" cloak. It remains whether any of Ms. Edmonds claims can be verified, given the news blackout that has occurred, and that the US government will no doubt fight to keep securely in place.

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If you thought that the upcoming election would be civilized this go round, I wouldn't count on it. Not if folks like those found at the Dispassionate Liberal are around. The mudslinging at McCain has already begun, and the "swiftboating" is tantalizingly in the offing. It sounds pretty bad as portrayed here. I have no idea what proof they might have or not at this point. It's a bit sad to contemplate, but what we now expect as normal. If these kinds of attacks don't set off the famous McCain temper tantrum, not much else will.

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I'm well aware that men don't understand why women get upset about sexist slurs, especially those most men deem small, insignificant and so forth. Women candidates are told they are being too sensitive, and dismissed then as not up to the tough world of political debate and electioneering. Read Madeleine Begun Kane's, "Obama's Words-A Textbook Case of Subtle Sexism," and see how some women react.

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Fareed Zakaria writes an insightful piece today about the Republican conservatives and how their solutions went to problems that we no longer have. They have failed to develop new solutions and the old ones are now soundly rejected by large majorities in the country. In other words, the Conservatives have no hope but to re-invent themselves. This explains in part, he claims why some conservatives have embraced John McCain. Those who cannot let go of the past will continue to drag out the same worn out answers that have already been thoroughly rejected by all but their rabid base.

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You know, I actually agreed with most of what Maureen Dowd had to say today. Until, and I guess there always has to be an until. Until the end in this case, where it just turned 180 and became another gripe at Hillary. And she had set it up so well, it would have been a perfect lead in to a gripe at McCain. But it was, of course, instead about Hillary. Like I said, the first part was good. Her personal preferences just couldn't be contained and she spewed at the end. Read up to the end, then quit. LOL. Her "Captive to History's Caprice" should have said, "Captive to my own personal dislikes."

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Kevin Drum points out that polling suggests that the Dems are not being perceived as the bad guys in the current gridlock in Washington. They are still polling well it seems versus their Republican cohorts. Given the abysmal overall ratings given our Congress, this perhaps bodes well for the fall and indeed it may mean Dems can even add to their totals in both House and Senate. Of course, this always comes with the usual caveat--assuming the Dem's don't screw it up somehow.

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Okay, I do live in the country, but there aren't any turnip trucks around right now, so why does this story just make me think I'm from another planet in another galaxy far far away? To even suggest that Exxon-Mobile COULD receive a bailout because of their loss of Venezuelan oil, just makes my brain rot into a putrid puddle of junk juice. I mean, whaaaaa? Did they not make a world-record-breaking-f**king profit last year? Look for Secretary of US Energy, Sam Bodman. He's the one with IDIOT written across his forehead.

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Well this post just expressed my sentiments exactly. It is just about exactly this that causes me to support Hillary Clinton. It is not, about being against anyone else. It is the tip of the scales in favor of her for this reason. It still seems mighty okay to bash women, especially if you do it subtly enough. I know I said it already, twice even today, but I'm saying it again. I've said it before, you who support Obama, continue in this vein and you will lose women.

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Lot's of blogs seem to feature a "must read" section. Well, I think all my tidbits are very readable, but this one I admit is precious. You know how much fun I find in reading the strange collection of personages at the National Review. Well, if you find them as amusing as I do, then go read Glenn Greenwald's response to National Review's, Mark Steyen's post there. It is a hoot, and one not to be missed.

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It seems to defy logic, but who ever accused the Bush administration of monkeys to use logic or even know what the word means? Dubya and family's close relationship with the Saudi's grows increasingly icky when you read stuff like this. Is it ever going to be time to cut our ties with these rather awful people? One can only hope that stories like this one will help to nix the arms deal Bush seems intent on finalizing with the royal family.

It seems to have been a slow day in the blogosphere. Perhaps everyone is suffering as we are in this, but another gigantic snow storm. The windows are plastered with snow, and its hard to even see how much additional we have gotten, but its at least another 4 and it's far from over yet, with winds likely to blow it around into huge drifts. It matters not, since we haven't been dug out from the last one. Spring, only days away, seems like a million years away. I report as always from the deep woods of rural Iowa.

****************Word of the Day*****************
glean (gleen) verb
1 a : to pick up after a reaper b : to strip (as a field) of the leavings of reapers
2 a : to gather (as information) bit by bit b : to pick over in search of relevant material
*3 : find out

Example sentence: Esther wouldn’t tell us why she was upset, but by talking with others who had been at the party, we were able to glean what happened.

Did you know? “Glean” comes from Middle English “glenen,” which traces to Anglo-French “glener,” meaning “to glean.” The French borrowed their word from Late Latin “glennare,” which also means “to glean” and is itself of Celtic origin. Both the grain-gathering sense and the collecting-bit-by-bit senses of our “glean” date back at least to the 14th century. Over the years, and especially in the 20th and 21st centuries, “glean” has also come to be used frequently with the meaning “to find out, learn, ascertain.” This sense has been criticized by folks who think “glean” should always imply the drudgery involved in the literal grain-gathering sense, but it is well established and perfectly valid. (Brought to you by Merriam-Webster)

Awww my life is worth less than Verizon?

2008-02-16T08:38:00.007-06:00

The History You Forgot

American forces landed on Corregidor in the Philippines near the end of WWII on this day in 1945.

The Way I See It

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The Agitprop returns with a post about torture and waterboarding. Good old Joe Lieberman has jumped onto the "it ain't torture" bandwagon, albeit "reluctantly." Another easy rule of thumb: it doesn't inflict permanent damage! Hurrah, Now we know its got two standards: less than 3 minutes of agony and no permanent damage. Join the Republicans Joe, you have ceased being one of us, ya know, a compassionate human being. I sure do miss it when Agitprop is away. I miss the vitriolic presentation!

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If memory serves, Yahoo rejected Microsoft's offer, but is now discussing an alliance with Murdoch and company. This is in part to counter the joining of America Online and Times-Warner in merger. Altara gives us some amusing side-notes to such an alliance.

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Those of us who have had to stomach the vituperative and ugly rhetoric of Rush Limbaugh for way too many years, find it amusing to say the least that Republicans are now in a tizzy because they can't get Rush and those like him to shut up. While other "more refined" conservative critics turned a blind eye to the vile spew of Rush and those of his ilk as long as it suited their purpose, now, they are crying a new tune. Now the famed mouth of mediocrity has turned his sights on his own kind, and his own, well they ain't none too pleased. But we, on the other hand, enjoy it might fine indeed. Read all the fun on Alternet today.

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Much is argued by both sides in the war about how religion impacted our forefathers and how they saw religion as impacting government and the governed. The American Revolution Blog has found a fine book that seems to discuss and inform without taking sides. Read a review of "Providence and the Invention of the United States 1607-1876" by Nicholas Guyatt.

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Oh news from the gecko world! I know you care, you watch those commercials secretly and just grin at the cute antics of that little green guy. Well it turns out he has a rather odd cross species relationship with a bug called a plant hopper. You will no doubt try this link and learn all the lurid details of this strange and bizarre affair. *wink*

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Yesterday, we made mention of Susan Jacoby's new book, "The Age of American Unreason." Turns out she was on Bill Moyer's Journal. You can read or watch the interview. There are quite a few lengthy and interesting comments as well. Note that you can also track back to an older interview.

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We've all been reading and watching as Bush has resorted to the usual threats and fear mongering to get his immunity for the telephone companies under the FISA bill. But the dude says he'll veto unless he gets his immunity clause. Does that mean he's willing to let Americans die in order to protect the phone company? That is what is being asked today according to Bob Cesca's Goddamn Awesome Blog. Does anyone in the Bush camp think about the repercussions of anything past 6 hours?

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One continually wonders, well I do anyhow, why the media has taken a near hands-off approach to Iraq these days. They seem content to rely on the whitewashed clean facade of "success" promoted by all things Bush and ignore the ugly reality hidden just centimeters beneath the surface. Read an account of one who has been up front and center on the ground there, and knows those who are attempting to live in that war-torn morass. It ain't pretty folks. And it needs to be shouted from the roof tops lest McCain use this pseudo-success to his advantage.

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As someone who has spent some time unraveling the Catholic Church's ongoing relationship with evolution, I found this post picked up by Daily Kos quite enlightening. While I believe the Church does not frown on evolution, it has been way less than clear on this point, and allows its followers to still believe in a creationist view if they desire. I find this position less than helpful at this point, and I wish the Church would come out with a definitive statement. Read a physician and believer's take on the mess, "Will the Pope send Galileo a Birthday card today?" Ironically, it was a Jesuit priest who coined the name "big bang." His name was Georges LeMaitre.

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I cannot tell you why stories like this just bring tears to my eyes. It is silly I admit, but animals who are treated so poorly in general, seem to deserve better than this. Mistreating animals who are too sick to walk into the slaughterhouse seems, well, the sort of thing you expect from a people who have lost their sense of morality and well humanness. While I admit to being a meat eater, I see no reason why animals we use as food need to be treated as if they cannot feel pain either physically or emotionally. While cattle are kept in huge feed lots with little exercise or "quality of life," I for one hope the mean-spirited dolts arrested here get their due.

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It is just too funny. I mean, can Michael Barone really not see the silly parsing he is doing? He finds his Repubs, split on "attitudinal lines" while Dems are split on "demographic lines." He seems to think it obvious that "winner-take-all" primaries are "fair" while proportional primaries are somehow wrong, though he doesn't explain why. What is worse, he claims the dumbo's seek uniformity and no dissent. This is a good thing? It is precisely how the Bushites got into such a mess you doltish moron. Not keeping a wide range of very disparate ideas around you is a sure way to be lulled into thinking your ideas are correct. The National Review is the new comic book of the left. I think I may pick up the Weekly Standard next. That might be even better.

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It seems that the skepticism some have expressed about the governments determination to shoot down that nasty satellite because of the hydrazine might be point on. A veteran "space security specialist" (there is such an animal?) suggests it may have more to do with China than anything else. Read about it at The Washington Monthly and Kevin Drum.

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Politics Plus, a new addition to our daily rundown, has a nice post about our big mouth Scalia. We reported the other day that Scalia has said that waterboarding is not torture in his mind (what a weird place that must be). The NLG (National Lawyers Guild) says fair enough judgie. Just don't think you can sit on any case about torture then. I'm sure the not-so-good Justice will disagree. What a putz.

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Wow, I nearly forgot. I'm supposed to be dead. Well at least George Dubya said it was much more likely than not if he didn't get his way on the FISA legislation. The time expired at midnight, and unless I'm dreaming, I think I'm still feeling pain when I pinch me. Glenn Greenwald tells us all about it in his post, "The leader isn't protecting us and keeping us safe."

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I admit I'm growing weary of all the pundits and polls and any-point-of-view is valid group about this election or should I say nomination. I look for those that are at least on the surface neutral. Well maybe not so much as that as that they don't oppose me intensely. I thought Carl Jeffers post at the Huffington Post very interesting in many respects. We simply are not going to know a lot until the March primaries are in. And Jeffers has a very provocative take on Edwards and what he may do. It's good reading.

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I can only dream, (who am I kidding??) but over at Talking Points Memo, when they ask questions they get answers and sometimes pretty direct ones, like from close to the horse's mouth even. Anyway, they wondered what Howard Dean was gonna do about the "super delegates" and all that troublesome stuff should we emerge in June with no clear winner. Well, Dean didn't reply, but the DNC did and its a pretty important statement. I think he brings some sanity to this subject which is beginning to get out of hand in my humble but not-deterred opinion.

******************Word of the Day*******************

punctilio (punk TILL ee oh) noun

*1 : a minute detail of conduct in a ceremony or in observance of a code
2 : careful observance of forms (as in social conduct)

Example sentence: Unsure of the punctilios of formal dining, Todd worried he would make a bad impression on his fiancée’s parents.

Did you know? We'll get straight to the point: there are a number of English words that come from Latin “pungere,” meaning "to prick" or "to sting." "Punctilio" is one of these words. It traces back to “pungere” by way of Italian “puntiglio” (meaning "small point," "point of honor," or "scruple"), Spanish “puntillo” (the diminutive of “punto,” meaning "point"), and Latin “punctum” (also meaning “point”). The adjective "punctilious," meaning "marked by or concerned about precise accordance with the details of codes or conventions," is a close relative of “punctilio.” Do you have any guesses for other “pungere” derivatives? "Punctuate," "puncture," "compunction," "punctual," and "pungent" are some of the more common ones.

***All brought to you by Merriam-Webster

Middle East, Science, and Endless Politics

2008-02-15T09:18:00.007-06:00

Your Historical World

Yesterday, many of us enjoyed Valentine's day in all its traditional splendor. While I never thought about it, perhaps you have--what was Valentine's day like for our colonial ancestors? Did they give chocolates and cards? Well, no. In fact, they celebrated it more along the lines of the early Romans who of course weren't celebrating Valentine's day at all, but Lupercalia. Read about it at the American Revolution Blog.

Aldus Manutius died this day in 1515. He set up a Greek press in Venice and successfully completed 33 first edition printings of Greek and Roman authors of antiquity.

The Way I See It

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It is hard for us in the West to understand how stoning could be a viable means of punishment in the world today. Indeed, sadly it remains so in Iran. Although efforts have been ongoing for some years, there are people in Iranian prisons today awaiting death by stoning, mostly for sexual matters. What is worse, and I'm not sure this is worse, is that there is little in the way of safeguards to insure fair trials. Although a moratorium was called upon this barbaric practice, it seems to have been ignored. International efforts have been underway for some time to convince the Iranian government to stop this horrific practice. It is indeed anomalous to see Iranian women studying in university and then realize that a perceived sexual misstep can lead to such horrific consequences.

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Speaking of Iran, many of us agree with UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter, that Bush, despite evidence to the contrary is determined to effect regime change in Iran because of nuclear fears. Indeed, many thought that the Bush administration would stand down after the report came out in July that Iran had no program. Indeed it has not. Ritter points out that the Bush Administration has a vision of the Middle East, and Iraq and Iran did not fit the picture and so the "reasons" for war were never the point. Thus, the July report changes nothing, since nuclear weapons were never the reason for rhetoric on Iran in the first place. In both cases, the Bushites depended upon the relative ignorance of the public. So far it has worked for them. The question is will it again?

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Well this is just too funny. Bush calls McCain a "true conservative" and gets flak. From who you say? Apparently from "true conservatives" who don't think the prez knows one when he sees one. McCain supporters were up in arms as well. Are we just trying to distance ourselves from the George train or what? It's getting confusing folks. I thought McCain was reclaiming his conservative roots, but apparently his brand is not George's brand, or real conservatives brand either. I'm thinking there is such great fodder for the fall here. Bring it John, oh bring it.

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I had thought the treatment therapies for HIV/AIDS had improved significantly over the years, but after more than 20 years of research, scientists say they are no closer to a vaccine. It seems the virus has found a way to defend itself against the human immune system and so far, scientists have been unable to do nature one better. This comes as a depressing conclusion to sufferers and health care people alike. The quest of course continues with new gene and stem cell approaches that are just in the infancy stages.

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This is just the kind of thing that makes me weep. Dead zones are being found in our oceans where life is simply dying off. Massive graveyards of bones are seen over stretches of the Pacific, off the coasts of both Oregon and Washington. It is believed the zones relate to global warming. S Oxygen depletion is the immediate cause, and kills creatures who cannot leave the area quickly. Baby octopi have been found trying to climb fishing lines to escape from the zones. While dead zones are caused by a variety of things, and are common, their numbers are increasing at an alarming rate.

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Meanwhile, scientists literally beg future government administrations to stay the hell out of science. They decry the past 8 years of "falsifying, censoring and suppressing" science information done by the Bushites. In a joint statement, the Union of Concerned Scientists, asked Congress to "protect scientific integrity." The group says that although such interference is not unheard of, and certainly private business lobbies extensively to protect its interests, this administration is by far the worst in history in its manipulations of facts to suit its agenda. Interference has been directed at such things as climate change research, new birth control drugs, species protection, consumer safety studies, and agricultural research.

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These stories always excite me. I'm one of those who cannot believe that this huge beyond belief sized universe is just ours. It strikes me as absurd to think we are "alone." But I must confess, science has provided little else than speculation on the subject. However, a new solar system has been discovered 5,000 light years from earth, and it appears to be structured like our own. I'm sure we will be hearing more about this in the future.

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Of course all those delegates "elected" in both Michigan and Florida are getting mighty important now that the candidates are in such a struggle for supremacy. We are told that new caucuses are out the question, since they require a full year to prepare for. Apparently that may not be the case for a new primary. Senator Tom Harkin, (D-IA) is calling for just that. No doubt Obama would favor that plan, though Hillary would prefer they just count the delegates as "won" in the primary as it occurred. I'm sure its a subject where a lot is going on behind the scenes. Paul Starr at The American Prospect also weighs in with some suggestions. And The Washington Independent adds a long analysis of its own in, "Howard Dean faces tough choices."

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Jonah Goldberg adds a new twist to the neo-con repertoire of supporting "waterboarding." Time is the key, we are told. It ain't torture cuz it doesn't last but 3 minutes! Well, thanks for that intelligent, simple, and totally asinine rule of thumb. And thanks as well, for your gratuitous, "well, let's hope we never get hit again, pout" if we actually prohibit it. Yep, just a Bush yapper. That's all you are Mr. Goldberg. Do you go home and quickly take a shower after writing dribble like this?

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If you are like me, you probably ran for cover when you heard that a satellite is falling out of the sky again, and this time the payload is well, er, nasty. We're planning to shoot the baby out of the sky with a missile, something apparently done before. Some of course think there is something else afoot here. Read Kevin Drum at Washington Monthly.

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You can find a thoughtful and detailed article over at Pundit Mom today, about the woman voter. Much studied, much courted, the woman as voter still remains something of a mystery. Enjoy her dissection of Linda Hirshman's "16 Ways of Looking at a Female Voter."

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This is one of those things that just must cheese off Republicans. It seems they cannot find campaign songs that they can use on the trail. As we reported last week, McCain was asked to cease and desist his use of Mellencamp songs by John Mellencamp himself. Now it seems Huck is being asked to stop playing "More than a feeling" by Tom Scholz, who wrote it, at his rallies.. Read his letter to Mike, the guitar player, Huckster. Rolling Stone has the story.

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Laura Miller gives a fine review of Susan Jacoby's new book, "The Age of American Unreason."
Much as we tout ourselves as well-educated, the truth is we don't really uphold intellectualism at all in this country. Instead we are slightly frightened of it. Talk to any fundamentalist and you will quickly hear the phrase "words of men" as opposed to the "words of God" found of course in one place only, the bible. Words of men, we are told are worthless and of no account. The words of God on the other hand are perfect, complete and easily interpreted by anyone who can read at the level of Dick and Jane. Read and enjoy. There is good reason why an alarming number of Americans cannot answer simple basic questions about the history of the US or the world. It's sad, and we need to be aware.

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Chris Rodda is still at it over at Talk2Action, about House Resolution 888. Seems David Barton has now gotten into the act, promoting this silly resolution shamelessly. If you were unaware, David Barton is a self-styled "historian" and does a religious show about our American heritage as a Christian nation. The only degree he has is from a bible school and that in religious studies of some sort. His show is, as this resolution, nothing but a tissue of falsehoods. Rodda continues to debunk the crap and explain the truth.

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It's getting a tad depressing here as a Clinton supporter. Things are definitely not going well. Numbers wise, it's still possible she can win, but things are leaning a lot the other way, and it's starting to look as if a few too many things must coincide in order for her to make it. Josh Marshall has a good post on Hillary's troubles at Talking Points Memo. And I might as well link you to this post as well from Jennifer Baumgardner on Hillary. I make it perfectly clear here that I have absolutely no serious problem with Barack at all, none. But I am for Hillary, and Jennifer states a good many of the reasons why. I am from the generation where no one, NO ONE, NO ONE, suggested that I could be president. So it still hurts.

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Darth Vadar is kept from the light most of the time, so I've had little opportunity to cross light sabres with him. Not that he reads me. Oh...gosh the very idea that he might actually makes me want to wash my screen here. It does seem that amorality and romance can find themselves in the same body. Our VP it seems gave a surprise party for wifey on the 50th anniversary of their first date. Since Lynne is every bit as creepy as Darth, I suspect that momentous event, (the first date I mean) took place under dark and stormy skies.

****************Word of the Day******************
whodunit (hoo DUN it) noun ~~ a mystery or detective story.

coined in 1930 by Donald Gordon, a book reviewer, about a book entitled "Half-Mast Murder". Others tried to clean up the grammar into "who-done-it" or "whodidit" but the original stuck. By 1939 it was used so often that at least one pundit claimed it would soon fall by the way side. Instead it's become its own genre. ( From Merriam-Webster)

Hearts and Minds, Feminists and Misogynists

2008-02-14T08:55:00.005-06:00

History~~Ignore at your peril

Today, Alexander Graham Bell applied for a patent for his new machine, the telephone. The year, 1876.

There are actually 3 different St. Valentines and all of them were martyrs. That somehow doesn't seem particularly romantic.

The Way I See It

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Many of us have read in the last few weeks of increasing bombing runs in Iraq by American forces. Given that the surge is touted as such a success, this has always been problematical to me. Why the need? While it is claimed to serve some purpose of killing the bad guys, this kind of overkill has made more enemies then perhaps were there in the first place. Read this article in Alternet, "Iraq: Bombing Creates New Enemies."

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The IRS has opened an investigation into a California church that openly endorsed Mike Huckabee. The complaint was filed by Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Pastor Drake, a major player in the Southern Baptist Convention, was none too pleased, asked his followers to pray for the destruction of the American United group, calling them enemies of God and naming two staffers to receive especial bad prayers. It is believed Drake had to search the Old Testament for evidence of Imprecatory prayer; apparently Jesus just had that tired refrain about "forgiving" one's enemies.

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The flu, an annoyance to many and a killer to some may be going the way of the dinosaur. Well, maybe I jump too quick. But Canadian researchers have found a way to boost immunity in cells. Now I don't pretend to understand much but the bottom line here, is it has something to do with boosting the production of interferon ( I remember hearing about that years ago, interferon that is). Somehow this is supposed to block virus's from reproducing.

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Returning to religion for a moment, we have another of those moments that just makes you shake your head and well, makes it all the more clear why Hillary's winning means so much to some of us. Seems a Catholic high school in Topeka, Kansas had its high school basketball game suspended. The reason you ask? Because Michelle Campbell was set to referee the game, and we can't have a woman ruling over boys! Yes you heard that right. I guess, as Bob Cesca points out, the name of the school, (St. Mary's Academy) didn't give a clue to the school's "activities" association. Shame on them!

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We are told this is a step forward in Iraq. The Iraqi parliament has passed a budget for this year. According to the Christian Science Monitor, this came days after Secretary of State Gates jumped up and down on their heads and threatened they would get no candy or Valentines today if they didn't do something that remotely resembled legislating. The group, called "inept" by its Speaker, immediately adjourned for a much needed month long rest. Of course, as usual, I make no personal inference about the importance of this step for Iraq. No, not me.

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Where oil meets the polar bear, well you can guess who loses. Bush's lack of an cognizance that there is such a thing as the environment, other than realizing that he can breathe, leads to but another postponement of actions designed to protect the beautiful creatures who are threatened by melting polar caps. As they continue to die in the open water, unable to reach ice floes they depend on, the Administration continues to pursue selling oil and gas rights off shore first. Perhaps we need to show the videos of dying bears similar to the film of sealers killing the baby seals with clubs 30 years ago to make the point clear!

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Sister Joan Chittister apparently has been spending some time in Ireland. She reports on how the Irish view our strange political machinations. It's always quite interesting so see how other countries view our oddity called the election cycle. And, seen from afar, they just may have a point or two to make to us about how we should be looking at things. Read her blog post, "The American Way~~Whatever that is."

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Today is the day for love. So here's a love story about Republicans and Democrats and who wins out as being the happiest in marriage or relationships. Arthur C. Brooks from the National Review tells all. I have heard this before, but it still makes me scratch my head. The bottom line, if monogamy is essential to you, pick a Republican--but as we know Republican men do seem to find themselves in compromising positions with other men, so perhaps its only monogamy as it relates to the opposite sex. That might give pause. Personally, I would find it untenable to be married to someone whose political views were 180 degrees from my own.

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I'm not at all sure what point Maureen Dowd was trying to make in her post today about Hillary Clinton. After decrying the clear misogynist rhetoric leveled at her, somehow according to Dowd, its still her fault. And the fault seems to be singularly that she is married to Bill and some people don't want to revisit that period of history again. That is not Senator Clinton's fault, it is her reality. More to the point, Dowd claims Hillary has not carved out any territory for herself, yet I would argue that her years in the Senate proves categorically otherwise. Those in the know suggest she is a hard worker, very knowledgeable, and politically adept at garnering support on both sides of the aisle. See what you think about "A Flawed Feminist Test."

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I've been reading a lot lately about John McCain's famous temper and how many, including some psychologists, think he might not be the person one would want with his finger oh-so-close to the trigger as commander-in-chief. But I never expected this: The senate is voting on banning the CIA from using torture. Seems the Mav, whose vote is needed here, is famously absent and nobody seems to be able to get an answer. Well, the answer is quite quite obvious, he ended up voting against the bill. Why you ask is the Maverick, the straight talker doing this? Seems the nominee McCain is now courting the far Right of his nutty party, and that stuff doesn't play well there. So, his famous speeches against torture are, well, worth about nothing now. Who would have thought?

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It's time to remind everyone again that our Congress is just plain nuts a good portion of the time. House Resolution 888 is backkkkkk, and now has a whopping 62 co-sponsors. Now it comes as no surprise that we have brain dead folks in Washington, but really, don't they give these folks even a tiny primer on American history before they let them open their wee little traps? The bill is so full of inaccuracies and downright untruths as to shame the worst petty legislator. Read Talk2Action's really excellent post, as Chris Rodda debunks each of the whereases found in this silly piece of legislation. You might want to drop a line to your congressperson on this one folks.

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Events in the Middle East are worrisome. Everyone of course knows of the assassination of Hezbollah's Imad Mughniyeh in Damascus. The prime suspect is Israel who has gone in for that kind of thing since forever. I saw the streets of Lebanon this morning on the news. They were full of mourners. Now from what I have seen about Mughniyeh, he seems one very very nasty dude, one the world may be well rid of, though I an no proponent of killing folks. It becomes clear, that a very large segment of the world does not at all see the world as I do. What will happen next? We all sit in suspense, wondering if and when retaliation will occur. I good piece at the Washington Independent by Spencer Ackerman is available for your perusal.

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I've always been a fan of Al Gore's and never understood the knee-jerk rejection he gets from Republicans. It is being reported that he will NOT be endorsing a candidate during the primary season. I think that's good news. He does, however see himself as the one to step in should the situation lock up. And I see that as a good thing as well. He would be the perfect mediator should one be necessary. I think its the right thing to do to allow the voters to decide this one. I wonder what Edwards is thinking right now.

******************Word for the Day********************

Sternutation (noun) ~~ the act of sneezing or a sneeze

From Latin sterneure ~~ to sneeze

Used in a sentence:

"And all three forget their sectional differences in a delightful concert of sternutation. No business is too grave; no speaker too elegant to be sneezed at."

Marjorie Hunter; The Days of Snuff and Such; The New York Times; Dec 4, 1985.

From Aphrodisiacs to Lips, we have it all

2008-02-13T08:53:00.006-06:00

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, and that leads to cupid and that leads to aphrodisiacs, which derives from Aphrodite the goddess of love and beauty. Any way, if you are short on the gift side, consider what you might need to eat to set the mood. Oddly I made lentil soup yesterday and bean soup last week. Wonder what that has to do with it? Follow the link and see.

THE WAY I SEE IT

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Agitprop was as agitated as I was at Justice Scalia and his shredding of the "cruel and unusual clause" in his interview with the BBC. He also chose to lash out about Europe's criticism of our barbaric practice of execution of those we cannot handle in our society. As always Agit is a bit over the top, but the facts are the facts.

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Steven Spielberg was hired as artistic advisor to the Beijing Olympics. He quit yesterday in protest to China's continuing support of Sudan which allows the ethnic cleansing in Darfur to continue. China has worked to block UN sanctions against the country. Spielberg is but one in a long line of protesters of China policy and Sudanese policy in particular.

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And sadly we see the surge falling apart, day by day. Now Dahr Jamail and Ahmed Ali report that US-backed Sunni's are now in active clash with the US-backed government in Baghdad. The so-called "awakening groups" were formed to fight Al-Qaeda, yet are now more and more in confrontation with Shia government forces.

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Popeye raises his spinach filled head over at American Street, and offers this bit of frivolous fun and giggles about the departing Bushites. "They Yam what they Yam" is sure to set your day aright.

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Keeping tabs on environmental and human incursions on wildlife, the BBC reports that the Indian tiger population continues to decline. Numbers now are under 1500 for the entire country and the blame seems to fall on both poachers and urbanization. Skins are poached for "beauty" and bones for Asian medicines. It is believed there were in excess of 40,000 animals but a century ago.

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One begins to wonder just what Huckabee is doing these days. It begins to look a lot like he's trying to humiliate John McCain by winning states out from under him or at least seriously challenging him. The humiliation may be nothing more than a by-product however. Some, like my husband, think he's making it clear that Romney is not the heir apparent come 2012. Hucky disclaims any desire to be either VP or run for the Senate. The VP I would say is out, since pissing off the Mav is not the way to do that. Also, some suggest, including the hubster again, that McCain actually is not all that pissed, given that Huck keeps him in the news. Read all about it at the Christian Science Monitor's fine post.

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Lean over and I'll give you a good stock tip. Insecticiiiiiides! Yep you heard it here first. It seems that what the Republicans mostly say doesn't exist, global warming, may be bringing us all a huge new dose of insects! Very bad news for those who grow our food, and not such good news for all of us veggie and flower gardeners. This prediction is based on real evidence secured from past "warming' times on earth. So, I'd be contacting my stockbroker if I were you and buying big into insect control. Just send along a 10% finders fee to me. And in case you are still unconvinced, the Anchorage News reports that the ice pack looks to shrink even more this summer than the record melt of last summer.

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Anyone who doesn't believe that most (nay all) health insurance companies are worthless pieces of dog doodoo that need to be scraped from the feet of America, read on! Seems Blue Cross of California send a letter to its doctors asking them to "look for medical conditions in their patients that could be used to cancel them." Of course, once the world heard about it, it withdrew it immediately saying it "might be misunderstood." Misunderstood? we understood and understand quite well. You want us to pay you, you don't way to pay us. Quite simple. You thought we were unaware of that?

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Okay, I admit it. I link you to posts by the National Review because they are funny. Sometimes just grin funny, and sometimes sidesplitting, kneeslapping, I may pee my panties, funny. Today, Michelle Malkin pouts at fellow Repubs and says "stop bashing the talk radio folksies" who spew the hate you love to Dems, but of late are spewing wider and including the Mac. They are the disseminators of "conservative principles," she claims and what's wrong with making a buck along the way? What Malkin fails to see of course, that facts and truth don't stand in the way of the "making a buck" senario.

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I've made no bones about wanting Hillary to win this thing, but I am not unable to read quite yet, so I recognize that that desire seems to be slipping slowly but inexolerably away. It may of course still turn out to my liking but March seems a long time away and the thunderous stampede for Obama seems to be mounting ever stronger each day. Kevin Drum at The Washington Monthly has a reasonable analysis.

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I for one am so damn angry at Democrats for rolling over on the telephone snooping thing among others that, well, I'm steamed. A viable 3rd party is not in the offing, and so I'm stuck. But I can appreciate the black humor in "It's like New Coke, But Better." The campaign slogans for Democrats is sobering, funny and the comments are the best part.

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I try never to let a week go by without reminding you to take a look at Susan Posner's great posts on the Religious Right. Today she offers us another gem in helping us understand just what is going on in evangelical circles. She updates us as well on what's going on with Huckabee and his connections to TV evangelists who are now under scrutiny by Sen. Grassley (R-IA). While the Right is fractured, it still has power, and we better keep track of what they are doing.

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The fact that the economy is by all accounts the most important issue to voters this cycle, can't be good news for McCain and company. He admittedly knows little about the darn thing and is burdened now with the Bush recession. Moreover its unclear just where the Mav actually stands. Pssst. It seems he stands where it is most politically advantangeous at the moment to me. But then, what could I know. Mary Kane at the Washington Independent can fill you in.

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And finally, in honor of tomorrow being Valentine's Day, this scientific offering is made. You may have stayed up long nights trying to figure out why we kiss; I know I certainly have. Such burning questions also haunt the nights of some scientists, and one or two has gone on to investigate the phenomenon. Did you know there was such a thing as an evolutionary psychologist? Now before you run off, this comes from Scientific American, the primo lay scientific magazine in the US.

***********************WORD FOR THE DAY**********************

Degringolade (day-gran-guh-lahd) noun

Meaning: a rapid decline or deterioration (as in strength, position, or condition): downfall.

Example: The journalist’s reputation never recovered from the dégringolade that ensued when it was discovered that he had plagiarized another’s work.

It was lifted wholesale from French.

If you find a typo, sorry, bloggers spellcheck hasn't worked for weeks (they have perhaps the slowest tech team on the planet) and now the google one (which is not the most useful either) isn't working today. I've done my best.

Lots of Hatred to Go Around, Truth gets lost

2008-02-12T08:49:00.000-06:00

Morning folks and here we go!

Historical Hints (For those who don't understand it happens again and again)

Abraham Lincoln was born this day in 1809. Lincoln along with Jefferson is the author of so many quotes. Here are a few:

If slavery is not wrong, then nothing is wrong.
To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men.

Truth is generally the best vindication against slander.

Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren't very new after all.

Today is Lupercalia one of the most important festivals in the Roman ancient calendar. It has become so convoluted with Christianity that it is hard to figure out what part was Roman any more. It appears to have begun at the inception of the Roman state and continued until the 5th Century C.E. It is connected in some way with Valentine's day. The festival was several days in length.
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THE WAY I SEE IT

Log Cabin, the gay arm of the Republican party (how and why can only be imagined in a parallel universe) believes itself responsible for Romney's demise. Once their friend, the flipper flopper Romney made it clear this election cycle that he wanted no truck with the gay community. So now that McCain is the king of the hill, how will gays fare with him? Find out here, or at least get informed.
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Tom Englehardt posts this story about the Iraqi refugee problem. Put in its proper context, it is indeed a sobering and sad statement of the horrible mess we have made. Those who have left or been displaced now number 4.5 million with a paltry 1,608 granted asylum in the US last year.
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I am aware that not all people consider the Religious Right dangerous, and undoubtedly large segments, perhaps most are not. But there remains a dangerous core, similar to a core found in Islam that is very dangerous. The sad and pathetic fact is that Christian wackos cannot see their mirror image in radical Islam. The continuous ranting of intolerance, nativism and other America only rhetoric is scary at the least. It is the worst of America and sadly paraded openly. Read the article, "Christian Right's Emerging Deadly Worldview: Kill Muslims to Purify the Earth."
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Those who enjoy reading American history, are forewarned. It seems noted and rather famous author/historian, Joseph Ellis turns out to have lied rather big and ugly about where he was and what he was doing during part of the Vietnam war. He was not as he touted, parachuting into Country; rather he was teaching at West Point. It's always so sad to see an academic fall prey to apparent greed for fame and forget the truth in the process. Academia greets his later historical work with skepticism, and you as I said, are now forewarned.
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Get the kids out of the room. You started this with making penguins so cute and cuddly, and now you will have to explain to the kids what you have done. Puzzled? The beautiful and kid-friendly King Penguin is now facing extinction due to global warming. And they are only the first of a long list who are now being pushed hard by warming. Read Roger Highfield's report.
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I think the Daily Kos has kind of put things in perspective for us again. I've been long saying that the claim that Obama does better against McCain than Clinton is just a bunch of hooey. The fact that more than twice as many Democrats are voting in primaries and caucuses than Republicans, tells a much more important story I think. The Republicans are in disarray and it isn't going to end any time soon, much to McCain's dismay. I continue to believe that any Democrat will win handily.
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A number of things in the news today scare the bejesus out of me. How about Pakistani nuclear staff members going missing? And here's a big fat up your's to Justice Scalia, and his claim that the constitution "does not prohibit" torture. Always the helpful fellow. And sad to say, another two journalists have gone missing in Iraq, Basra to be specific. Oh yeah, the surge is sure working isn't it?
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John Deeth, ever keeping us up to date on things in Iowa politically, tells us that the gay community is not finding a lot to be happy about these days. Few legislators are in favor of gay marriage it seems. I'm always curious as to what marriage has to be protected against since anti-gay marriage proponents always make this their first claim. Marriage seems to be in a huge amount of trouble with divorce rates always near or at 50%, and so I question just what gays will do to make it worse?
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The answer is: whose ox is being gored! The question: Oh!Pinion asks what Huck's handlers are being so threatening about the Washington State vote? It does make a person chuckle doesn't it?
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Gary Kamiya over at the Salon worries that McCain could get by with his hawkish stance on Iraq since the war is not so much in the news these days, and Dems don't talk about it much either. He sees opposition to the war as "broad and shallow" given there is no draft. He worries. I don't. As I say again, and again, Dems will win by sheer numbers and many many Republicans will just stay home. His post is important however in reminding us all that this is an issue we should not overlook, even though the economy has risen to the top of the heap for the moment. The surge is starting to fail as many knew it would given its objective, Iraq will undoubtedly return to interest in the coming months.
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I don't appear to be the only one not exactly enamoured of Harry Reid's handling of the Senate these days. Well, any day, perhaps. Glenn Greenwald has a damning post on how the Republicans once again get exactly what they want when it comes to spying on Americans. This is purely disgusting in the extreme. I have no clue what is going on in the Senate these days. Is it that we are just too tired to fight, assuming we can change all this crap come next January?
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Jennifer Donahue at the Huffington Report argues that the issue for voters between Clinton and Obama is not one motivated by race or gender. Instead it is generational. And I think I agree with her. It's a duel between us baby boomers and Generation X. She argues that what she calls the 9/11 generation adds to the X'ers. I've long suspected that young women do not view Hillary the same way I do. They probably don't see Barack the same way I do either. I seem him as a bright spot to be sure, but a young whippersnapper whose time is not quite yet. Seriously I do wonder at his experience at this critical time in history.
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Jonathan Kulick has a very interesting post about evangelicals, fundamentalists, Jews and the bible. He takes to task James Q. Wilson and his article "Why don't Jews like the Christians who like them?" as well, simply naive and simplistic as well as conflating things that shouldn't be conflated and misunderstanding most of the rest of it. It does get confusing, defining the evangelical from the fundamentalist, from the neo-con, from the conservative. All these terms can combine and recombine in endless succession. Kulick helps to clear the air.
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Tom Tomorrow posts a funny cartoon about our election process in the Village Voice. It is worth a look.
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*************** Word of the Day **************

NOSOLOGY (no SOL uh jee) noun

The branch of medical science that deals with classification of diseases.
A systematic classification or list of diseases

From the new latin (nosologia)from the Greek nosos (disease) = logy (study).

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Go forth and spread truth and justice today!

The Usual Stories and a Bit More.

2008-02-11T08:35:00.000-06:00

Well, here we are at the beginning of a new week, one that promises both more snow and cold temperatures. So with that happy news, lets see what is going on in the world.

Okay, you want to know what is with the steamboat? Today is the day that Robert Fulton went and got his patent on this the North River Steamboat also known as the Clermont. Fine, you remember Fulton from grade school. What's the big deal? Turns out there is a good deal more to the story and a man name Rumsey was involved and well, go and read the story, but more important, read the comment attached for the real story. Hint: you dear reader were the victim of pure lies.

On this day in history, the Emperor Claudius' son Britannicus was born in 41 C.E. I cannot recall, but I believe he died under mysterious circumstances and his step brother Nero went on to infamy. Also on this day, Domitian's wife Domitia Longina was born, sometime between 55 and 50 C.E. She figured in the assassination of her husband eventually.

Today's News:

The art world is stunned as 4 major paintings were stolen in Zurich from a museum there. A Monet, Degas, Van Gogh, and Cezanne were taken and are priced cumulatively at more than 160 millions of dollars. This comes on the heels of the theft of two Picasso's last week also in Switzerland. The theft occurred at gunpoint and it appeared the robbers were quite aware of which paintings were the most valuable. Al Jazeera reports.
If you are looking for something humorous about McCain's impending presidential campaign, look no further. American Street has managed to uncover the McCain strategy and presents it here for all to see.
As many of us know, the "surge" did lead to a temporary abatement of violence in parts of Iraq. But as news reports confirm, violence is now back on the upswing again. Petraeus is now calling for a "period of evaluation." It remains unclear whether further troop reductions will continue, especially after pre-surge numbers are reached, the BBC reports.
Bob Cesca is not one to mince words. Bush stuck it to both Obama and the Democrats with these remarks and, well, I guess when you are so detested by the world, some respond with a finger at the world. Read Cesca's funny response to Bush's rather childish and uninformed notions.

Just how damaging is this Obama-Clinton duel? Conventional wisdom often suggests that the winner is so bloodied and weary from the battle that they are easy prey for the other party. The Christian Science Monitor weighs in with a "maybe" on this issue. Much depends on the tone of things says political scientist Bert Rockman of Purdue.
"Army buried study faulting Iraq planning" is certainly not a headline that many would be shocked at seeing. And oh the fun is at hand, as of course, it says exactly what one would assume it would. It still is hard to believe that one administration could collect such an incredibly large herd of idiots in one place though.
Thought you knew where McCain stood on global warming? When asked about his views, the "maverick" said this: " We need to do green technologies. Let me put it this way to you. Suppose I’m wrong, there’s no such thing as climate change, we adopt green technologies. Then we’ve just left our kids a better world. Suppose I am right and we do nothing? Then what kind of planet have we handed to our children? I’ve been involved in this effort for many years. And we’ve got to act. And unfortunately, we have not acted either as a federal government or a Congress." Read what he DID here.
There are times its clearly apparent that somebody has lost their marbles. This is the first thought that occurred to me when I read this headline in the National Review: "A place for Huck? Secty of Education might suit the Gov. well." Michael J. Petrilli is employed at the Hoover Institute. Perhaps they make vacuum cleaners or something, since Petrilli apparently has no idea how funny and STUPID it would be to put a creationist in charge of our educational system. Are the Republicans so crazed by their self-induced debacle that they really mean this?
Just when I suggested that the Obama-backers and Clinton-backers were not likely to have a problem with either candidate in the end, NYT's Paul Krugman worries that there seems to be a "cult of personality" developing around Barack. Read how he thinks this impacts the campaigns and election.

I for one was stunned at Israel's appearing ineptitude in the last war with Lebanon. We get a glimpse of the possible cause and what needs to happen in Israel lest it happen again, from David Grossman.

Having witnessed this myself yesterday, I can only chuckle at Glenn Greenwald's take on Chris Wallace's "interview" with the prez. It was so unjournalistic as to be comical, yet one is so used to Fox "journalism" that well, it slipped by me as pretty much business as usual.

If you want to keep track of what the Religious Right is up to, visit Talking Points Memo, for a discussion at the Cafe with Washington Post's E. J. Dionne, and his new book "Souled out: Reclaiming Faith and Politics After the Religious Right." The list of guests for the discussion is impressive.

If you are at all like me, (unlikely I know) you may have wondered as I did and do, why youth today are not in the streets as we were at their age. Where are the war protesters? Where the environmental warriors? Where the chant of "Impeach him Now!" ? Some say narcissism, others disillusionment. One may explain it, the other doesn't excuse it. Read Courtney E. Martin's post, "Misunderstanding Generation Me."

The Huffington Post has a good analysis of what John Edwards is going through as he meets both Barack and Hillary and decides who if anyone to endorse. What I believe about Edwards, unlike most others I can think of, is that he truly will make the best decision for the country in whatever he chooses, and not himself. Read all about how Hillary and Barack go a'courtin' of John.

That's about it today folks. Hope you find something stimulating or humorous to pass the time.

The Race, New Names, Strange Bedfellows

2008-02-10T09:22:00.000-06:00

It seems to be a quiet day in and around the political blogging world. Oh, you can find the usual vote counts for yesterday, and the usual punditry regarding those numbers. I had thought this election essentially over lets say after Iowa, and I've vacillated between elation and depression in mild forms as Obama or Clinton surged, leveled off and did it again. And you can look around today, and see varying claims of analysis and various calls to unite behind either Obama or Clinton, although clearly in the blog world, Obama holds sway. I'm just not going to try to over-analyse this one. Much depends as I see it on whether Obama can keep up this momentum and whether the March primaries which favor Clinton will turn the tide or be too late to matter.

Almost everyone now sees this race going past March. Whether the super delegates will be the major deciders or not is any one's guess. Now that may not be a bad thing if the super delegates actually go along with the popular vote. That vote favors Clinton at the moment as I recall by about 800,000 votes. That will undoubtedly narrow through February. If the super delegates decide against the popular vote, then I foresee trouble. People will undoubtedly feel cheated. I hope Howard Dean is up to the task of managing this growing cyst. And then, of course we now have the possibility of Michigan and Florida coming back into play.

Mostly I just hope that this does not fracture the party. And I doubt it will, simply because most people who are for Hillary or Barack are not against the other one. So in the end, I think people are going to be fairly satisfied either way.

I found one thing odd this morning on George Stephanopolis's show. Sam Donaldson stated what no one seemed willing to say. Why is Obama not doing well among the working class in America? The reason as I see it is simple. Racism is still with us, and Sam Donaldson said it, and Donna Brazil looked at him and turned her head away without reply. He is right I believe, and she chooses to ignore it, perhaps because its not the message she, a party player, wants to portray. I do not however, think it a big enough problem to determine an election. And least I hope it is not.
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Meanwhile on the international front, Putin continues to talk loudly about "western pursuit of a new arms race." I am finding this hard to swallow for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that the arms race was motivated by a dangerous USSR. Unless Putin is now claiming that Russia is returning to a dangerous place, his argument makes no sense. Therefore his push for bigger and better weapons for Russia is based on his own desire to take Russia in a new direction from the one She had barely begun to travel down. Read Common Dreams reprint of a UK report.

The Daily Kos has an interesting diary post about conservatism and the need to redefine it. The attitudes of what used to be neo-cons, needs to be undated to a new label. Conservative is not what these folks are about. Dan calls it "authoritarianism." Read his post and see if you agree. The Reality Based Community I think prefers to call it Monarchism.

John Deeth has a very interesting post, but I'm not sure I agree with him. He basically agrees that MSNBC's David Shuster was rightly criticized for his "pimping" comment. Yet Deeth argues that Chelsea appears to want it both ways--she wants to campaign but not be the subject of press inquiry. And he claims that is unfair. I'm not so sure. The Clintons are the first family of America in a sense. Chelsea's campaign statements are one thing, her personal opinions are another. Certainly the press has no particular interest in questioning her about her mother's health care plan. They want to know, as Deeth admits, what she thinks about her parents. I'm not sure that that is relevant. Read his post and see what you think.

Well this is a reprint, but Dave Berry is always a good diversion. This is not about anything but animals and humans, and should be saved for last! But if I have to keep looking at the first page of the Miami Herald and see that it's 74 degrees there while it still below F'king below 0 here, I may not go back until summer!

Sadly No! continues to have the best coverage of the CPAC fun and games. Read Chapter 13 today, and chuckle away. The take on John Bolton is down right sidesplitting, at least to me. Scroll down to the February 9 post.

People who know, claim that John McCain's biggest liability is his appalling lack of knowledge about the economy. And we all know of course the problems that conservatives have with him. His strength, national defense is not something that Democrats need worry about I would argue, because it is so scary as to be a liability to him in my humblest opinion. He is as Glenn Greenwald points out, the kind of national security advocate along the lines of Bill Kristol and John Bolton. Who wants that?

By all accounts, John McCain is getting a bit ticked at Huckabee's continuing in the race at this point. Some have argued that Huck is trying to force the issue of his VPiness. Yet those who do face those who say that such a conclusion means you really don't understand John McCain. They say McCain will never cave to pressure of that sort. I would welcome it of course, cuz Huckie is such a mouthwatering target. And since this kind of thing can quickly get quite embarrassing for the heir apparent, I wouldn't think McCain and Huck's "friendship" can withstand this type of strain. Josh Marshall at TPM weighs in.

The Huffington Post has a bunch of good articles today, but the best of them is undoubtedly this little gem. Seems our John McCain wishes to make nice with his newest contributor, Karl Rove. I mean isn't there a time when you say to hell with being nice and politically correct and just say the guy is a scum bag and I want no truck with him or his money? It's just this sort of thing that makes McCain the worst sort of political opportunist.

Who is Elizabeth Blackwell you ask? Well she was born in the UK and came to America at age 11. She was born in 1821 and died in 1910. She spent time in Paris and worked as a midwife. She was treated badly in America and finally left for good in 1869. She set up a couple of important establishments in NYC before she left. Read about her at Women of History. She is known for a first. Do you know?

Enjoy your Sunday folks.

More of the Same

2008-02-09T08:21:00.000-06:00

I'm not sure its good to start with this post, but Agitprop continues to come forth with either very topical or very important information. This has been reported elsewhere yesterday, but is put in better context here. Read about the "secret military" and be scared. Now you may think that Agit has gone around the bend on this one, but check out what That's Going Too Far has to say about it.

Notice that the White House doesn't talk much about "success" in Iraq any more. No more "the surge is working" either. That's mostly because, as most knew, any so-called success could only be measured in months. Nope, the White House "declared" success and and has just kind of moved on. And so have most candidates. However, the surge has not meant troop reductions and it never addressed the real reasons for the insurgency. Read Scott Ritter's take on the situation at Alternet.

I'm really glad to see this item today. Reported at American Street, misogyny is alive and well and speaking from the lips of David Shuster MSNBC's political analyst. Seems he's been suspended from further political commentary, and the Clinton campaign responded loudly and strongly. The sad thing, is Obama is not condemning it as well, and in fact is subtly inferring it as well. Stay tuned. And just so that we keep our sights aimed properly here, lets not forget this little gem from John McCain: "Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because her father is Janet Reno." Can you just imagine the fun Hillary would have if this sound bite turns up at a debate?

If you are an aficianado of Bill Moyer's Journel as Parker and I are, then you may well have seen this already. Hispanic evangelical (yes you heard me) Samuel Rodriquez gives an assessment of what has happened to the Republican party and Hispanics. Once they literally had this ethnic group within their grasp, but the "new" nativism expressed by so many in their ranks has seriously eroded that just about to be acquired base.

If a bit of jollity is your cup of java, tea or cocoa, take a peek at Cogitamus and his list of funny sentences and phrases this week. Both were great!

Just when you think Bush and Co. can commit no further crimes, another one comes along. Everyone knows of course that George and his troup of very unmerry elves care nothing about environmental issues, preferring to leave it to somebody else, but this incredible suppression of information continues unabated. Here, we find a serious report about toxic waste and the Great Lakes region issued in 2007 and still not released. Where did George learn that you can hide from inconvenient truth?

The Dispassionate Liberal has some rather harsh comments for Florida and its primary election woes. Harsh but funny as hell too. He questions the "smartiness" (see I can Colbert too) of giving Florida another chance in May as Howard Dean is reportedly considering.

John Deeth has a nice explanation about the super delegate situation with emphasis on where Iowa stands. If you are still a bit puzzled how this all works, just take a look.

Larry Kudlow over at the National Review is touted as their economics editor. So why is he claiming that McCain is a shoo-in for November? Oh a mix of not very well thought out talking points leads him to that conclusion. And actually, its more wishful thinking than tough analysis that leads him there. It's kind of sad to see conservatives this desperate don't you think? (And what's with the lavender background at National Review?) It's more than clear that others have a quite different take, especially those that witnessed McCain's CPAC speech. Oh!Pinion has a much more realistic take on McCain's chances.

Ann Coulter, like herpes,seems not a curable disease at this point in time. Yet, one cannot deny the almost comic quality she offers up almost daily. While she reminds us all of what is worst in human discourse (something she no doubt is quite proud of) you have to admit sometimes she is downright funny as well. Actually, I'd always thought Ann would be funnier if one actually believed she meant all this crap she spews, but I think she's simply follows the times and looks to make a buck, like so many of her ilk. See what you think.

I guess some are not joining the McCain train to nowhere. John Mellencamp was not happy to learn that McCain was using a couple of his songs at his rallies. He asked them to stop this, and they did. Kinda embarrassing wouldn't you say?

Talk to Action has several good articles today, one on fundamentalism and another on the problem of how science and religion fit together. (Quite well in my opinion.) They are both excellent reads. Just scroll down past the first entry and you'll find them both. Over at the Panda's Thumb a nice analogy is made between Republican strategy to downplay global warming and creationists attempts to continue muddying the waters about evolution.

We TIVO people (as my husband refers to us) haven't suffered all that much because of the writer's strike. We had lots of good stuff stored up for a rainy day. Still, it's good to know that the strike may be over. Tentative agreements have been reached, reports the Huffington Post editors.

Well, it's getting late and I'm having feed problems again. Hope you found something that tickled your fancy.

Republicans are just Aliens

2008-02-08T08:37:00.001-06:00

The depressing war in Iraq continues and the news there, mostly unreported by the regular media continues to be, well, depressing. Services, such as food, garbage pick up, and epidemic continue to plague the war-ravaged nation. Read all the sad details today at Alternet. Those journalists who try to probe deeper are met with resistance. Onnesha Roychoudhuri reports on a newly published book by the late British journalist, James Cameron, which details through interviews the difficulties that journalists have had with this war in getting honest factual information. We get a good update on political affairs in Iraq from the Huffington Post and Max Bergman. And as we know, it's not very good.

American Street linked to a rather humorous take on the CPAC meeting, going on now. Sadly, No! has an undercover embedded in the conference. Follow the links and enjoy. 'm going to have to return after this post and read them all. And if you have been dying to know whether McCain was actually booed? Well it turns out he was. So says the Daily Kos.

The Dispassionate Liberal linked to a great new blog for me, Cogitamus. Please visit for a rather funny take on the demise of Mitt Romney, and two priceless quotes in the post entitled, "And don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out, Willard." Speaking of which, Parker and I were not the only ones who went "whhaaaat" when Romney gave his tata speech. John Deeth also was pretty shocked when Romney suggested that terrorists would be winning if Democrats win the White House. One cannot find enough words to express our "up yours" response to this "man of all positions."

I'm a unabashed follower of new things in several fields of science. The BBC reports that US scientists have a oceanographic sub glider that uses ocean heat to "keep on going" severely reducing the need for battery power. The investigative probe has been moving around the Caribbean for nearly 6 months and needs a battery boost only occasionally for a few onboard systems.

The waterboarding issue is not going away. It is starting to raise a hue and cry throughout the world. The UN weighs in through its chief torture investigator, Manfred Nowak, Common Dreams reports. This comes on the heels of White House claims that such treatment is "not torture." This might come as somewhat of a shock to Attorney General, Michael Mukasey, who admitted that he would think it torture if done to himself. Also note that Talking Points Memo has been banned from the DOJ Pubic Affairs Office list of press reporters. Seems their aggressive reporting ticked off Mukasey and Co.

I thought Jonah Goldberg gave one of the better Republican whines today. It seems that because Dems are not arguing about much of substance because they agree on basic policy, Jonah sees it as a campaign of no substance. While Republicans who argue seriously and viciously about nearly all policies, are somehow "about something." If this is indicative of Republican thinking, then indeed, Dems have nothing to fear. This takes fuzzy intellectualizing to a new height. If you want to keep laughing, read Mona Charen's post, "McCain Disdain." It seems John is starting to use his military service much the same way that Rudi used 911. I say to Republicans, "you're right! Don't vote!"

Again what we seem to have is a "failya to communicate." So says Rox Populi. It's just another one of those feminist things. It seems when you don't like the speaker you can call them sexists, but if you do, well then it just receives no comment. This refers to Fox's using the term "claws coming out" and being correctly taken to task. The same thing said by Obama gets a pass. Ya see what I mean?

Chip Berlet over at Talk2Action, has a really excellent post on Huckabee and the evangelical right. It bears reading, since we all tend to lump evangelicals into one boat, and this is not at all true. Yesterday we reported that as much as 50% of all evangelicals are actually voting for Democrats. Read this post which also has some really good sources. Speaking of Huck, James Dobson has decided its time to endorse Mr. Huckamuck now that Mitt has departed the scene. It is all for effect of course, since McCain has now locked this thing up. Rumors abound that Huck is out for the VP nod you know.

Oh, and just in case it escaped your radar today, Mary Stewart, Queen of Scotland, died today, victim of execution. The year was 1587.

It's all about the Perception isn't it?

2008-02-07T08:43:00.000-06:00

Well, a twofer! I trotted over to Agitprop this morning, and he takes first place again. What I want to know, is damn Agitproppie, how do you really feel? You should not keep it all bottled up inside buddy, it can cause your brain to explode. Enjoy the rant.

This is like the third article in three days about waste dumping in the Pacific. This is so disgusting it hardly requires comment. Afternet has an eye-opening report. If that one isn't enough, consider this offering again from Afternet. This comes on the heels of Bush's new budget which as we would assume, gives little to environmental issues.

One of the things we learn as political junkie bloggers is that the media, even more so than we had thought, really does pick and choose what to report on, ending up favoring or disfavoring particular candidates. The American Street weighs in on the subject. I do tend to agree that a lot of it is a response to the far Right's allegation of liberality, but I too find it no excuse.

As one who has had a weight "issue" all my life, science seems to confirm what many of us have always believed. Obesity is more genetic than environmental. Now this doesn't let anyone off the hook, its not an excuse to be overweight. What it does is give women and men the ability to look at it from a different perspective and thus not continue to live in guilt. Instead of blaming ourselves, we know what the culprit is, and can address it scientifically with diet and exercise. Read it here in this post from the BBC.

Bob Cesca's blog suggests that dumb Democrats can't see what Republicans can. Namely that Obama is more of a threat to them than Hillary. Well I don't really agree. Given the craziness of the polls, its seems unlikely that we can trust a poll that says Obama is better against McCain than Hillary would be. I just don't buy the polls frankly. And I sure don't buy the "truthiness" of any Republican on the issue.

I don't know about you, but Joe Lieberman torks me off in a big way. Did we really run his as a VP candidate not so very long ago? What is evident to me, is that deep down, Israel comes first with Joe. His blatant "Zell Miller" syndrome is appropriately dealt with, according to Daily Kos, and he most assuredly will NOT be a super delegate come the convention.

John Deeth, has a good idea I think. Given that Super Tuesday was anything but definitive, he thinks (along with some others) that Michigan and Florida should be allowed another go around in June, and be last of all the primaries. Normally, I would say, they should learn their lesson, but with the answer so unclear, they could be the defining moment. While I'm not overly fond of Iowa's first place in the primary season, I think we can remove the punishment of MI and FL this time. Nobody wants this to go to the convention still undecided.

I do attempt, hard as it may be, to showcase a conservative opinion now and again. I thought this post by Yuval Levin about John McCain and the politics of honor quite interesting. I hope you will as well.

PunditMom seems in a bit of a tizzy because there is no clear-cut winner from Tuesday. Who to vote for, Hillary or Barack? Well, I say Hillary, and for the following reasons: I nearly fainted when Hillary said that her mother was born before women had the right to vote. I cannot turn my back on that, no way, no how. I feel the same about Barack, but Hillary has WORKED for this for years, toiling against odds, and facing unending ridicule. She simply deserves it more than Barack. He has plenty of time, and I have no doubt he will run and can win. This is simply her time. End of speech.

All I can say is a big "right on!" to Ed Brayton posting at Talk2Action. He nails it perfectly in his article entitled, "Why Race, Gender, and Religion are not the Same." He clearly makes out a strong case for why bashing religious "ideas" is quite a bit different that bashing one's race or gender. I agree completely with his analysis.

I for one, could care less if disgruntled conservatives decide to sit out the election as James Dobson has threatened to do. In fact, I'm all for it. I encourage every wacko that I run into on the net to sit it out as well. It's always been my contention that the neo-cons care nothing about the religious right at all, and merely use them for votes. This seems to be substantiated in Frederick Clarkson's post, "Is the GOP hostile to People of Faith?" So if this little article causes even one more defection from Republican ranks, then as Martha would say, "it's a good thing."

Harold Meyerson sees the Republican Party as pretty much intellectually bankrupt at this point. McCain has rejected the "Rove-style" pick up the base, and a bit of the moderate independents, and concentrated more on GOP moderates and moderate independents. Yet this seems more a cut and paste job than a true ideological base. Read his excellent post.

Also, from my favorite fundamentalist watcher, Sarah Posner, we get another thoughtful post. She ponders whether Huckabee has not made himself somewhat indispensable to McCain, and is now the leader for VP. Additionally, Sarah has told us that evangelicals are voting Democrat more than ever before yet pollsters refuse to question on this in exit polls. In fact, new polls suggest that Dems can capture nearly 50% of the evangelical vote this election cycle. Read all about it at American Prospect.

One can only wish and hope this is televised: McCain's visit and speech to the CPAC folks. Seems they've been instructed "not to boo" McCain. It happens today! Check out the Huffington Post's take on what to expect.

One can only hope! You might have heard it here first folks. Romney is about to withdraw from the race!!! Oh, my. That may put a new look on Huckabee. Hmmm.

Well, that's pretty much it for now. Enjoy.

Oh Crap its going to go on

2008-02-06T08:47:00.000-06:00

Well, its over and of course it decided very little did it? McCain got a bit of a shocker from Huckabee and I get to enjoy bashing Huck a bit longer. Romney is well, done, but he isn't ready to concede yet. And the Dems are about where we thought they would be, no clear front runner. But Hillary staved off Obama which is a victory of sorts I guess. I guess I wonder why the Republicans bother. Are they really so deluded as to think they have any chance at all in November? Reaquaint yourself with reality at Agitprop and see what is really going on.

On a completely different note, we note the passing of the Maharishi Yogi yesterday. Famous for meeting the Beatles and more importantly for introducing TM to the west, the Maharishi died peacefully in his sleep at home in the Netherlands at age 91.

In the wake of admissions finally that waterboarding has indeed been used against prisoners in US custody, the Administration with a straight face no doubt, also argues that a lawsuit against a private air carrier cannot go forward because "state secrets" are at stake. The lawsuit claims that Jeppesen International Trip Planning helped the CIA move prisoners to countries where torture was allowed. The Court has yet to make a ruling. The Chutzpah of Bush and Co. continues to amaze doesn't it? And the amazement indeed does continue. Visit Glenn Greenwald at the Salon, and read "Fun and Games with Terrorist Threats." Another fine article on this subject can be found at TPM's Muckraker.

I think Maureen Dowd has an interesting post "Darkness and Light" in which she dissects for the umpteenth time the so-called Clinton "paranoia." I might be convinced but all I have to do is turn to Fox and I remember immediately that the Clinton's are right in their analysis. See what you think. Ms. Dowd seems to downplay lasts nights returns as "Tuesday's voting showed only that the voters, like moviegoers, don't want a pat ending." Well, way to marginalize the voting public Ms. Dowd. We can't think I guess, only look for a more dramatic ending.

One of the things I like about political punditry is that you can give an opinion and give a different one a week later. Everyone seemed to believe that McCain had this locked up on the Republican side of things. Romney was crying that McCain and Huck had cut a deal over West Virginia. If they did, McCain sure pulled a boner since Huckabee seems to have gone ahead and won a bunch of the south, a nice slap I would say at McCain and his lack of "conservative credentials." While Huck claims that he and McCain are fast buddies, one wonders how long this will continue, given what happened last night. The Salon weighs in with its take on the night.

Well that's about it for now. I don't think opinions are worth a lot right now, until the delegate counts are clear. The obvious is that no final decision has been made regarding either side, although McCain sure leads and probably can't be stopped. One only can shudder at the offers being made to Huckabee at this point to drop out. If you would like some diversion from all this politicking, head over to Follow Me Here, and check out the Feb. 4 posts on Darwin, cosmology, and bugs. You'll feel sane again in no time.