how conveennnnyent...

that's what the Church Lady, aka Dana Carvey, used to say on SNL

Larry King has just heard what fits right into the Church Lady's comment:

Cheney on Trip to Ashcroft's Hospital Bedside: "I Don't Recall"

Larry King: In that regard, The New York Times -- which, as you said, is not your favorite -- reports it was you who dispatched Gonzales and Andy Card to then-Attorney General John Ashcroft's hospital in 2004 to push Ashcroft to certify the President's intelligence-gathering program. Was it you?

THE VICE PRESIDENT: I don't recall -- first of all, I haven't seen the story. And I don't recall that I gave instructions to that effect.

That would be something you would recall.

THE VICE PRESIDENT: I would think so. But certainly I was involved because I was a big advocate of the Terrorist Surveillance Program, and had been responsible and working with General Hayden and George Tenet to get it to the President for approval. By the time this occurred, it had already been approved about 12 times by the Department of Justice. There was nothing new about it.

LK: So you didn't send them to get permission.

THE VICE PRESIDENT: I don't recall that I was the one who sent them to the hospital.

how conveennnnyent...


don't you think that he should be able to answer a direct yes or no to that question? is there some sort of contagious disease running rampant in Washington, D.C.?

donta recalitis?

Gonzales repeatedly used the words "I don't recall." in his Congressional hearings. Others have also. It's spreading rapidly.

I certainly hope that they'll get the FDA and the Department of Health and Human Services on the bandwagon quickly to come up with a cure. Given their track record on global disasters like AIDS, I don't have much hope though.

Oh, wait. It's a Republican disease. They'll put all the government's money behind it finding an antidote, ummm remedy, ummm medication, ummm antiserum, ummm treatment, ummm physic!

that's the word - physic - it's what my grandmother used to call an enema!

i feel safer now...

fear is the mind-killer...

Lately, I've been on a downer regarding the things going on in the country and the rest of the world. I'm not sure that it is necessarily a bad thing, maybe more of a mind-clearing reaction. I've expressed hopelessness over not being able to personally change the way things are even in some small way. I realize that I, just as you, am but a small cog in a very big gear that seems to have some slippage.

That's not the sort of thing that Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin and the rest of the writers of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution would be thinking or feeling. They would be standing fast on their convictions and moving forward with their actions. I wonder, though, if they thought about the following possibility:

Elliot D. Cohen: Impeach Bush and Cheney Now, Before They Declare Martial Law

There is presently a serious possibility that America will come under martial law before the 2008 presidential election and be irretrievably turned into a totalitarian state. If this happens there won't even be a free election in 2008....

In my recent article, This Summer, will America Officially Become a Totalitarian State?" I presented the following facts:

In May 2007, Bush posted a national continuity policy to the White House Web site that bypasses Congress and puts him in charge of all three branches of the federal government if there is a "catastrophic emergency" -- vaguely defined to include anything from a destructive hurricane to a terrorist attack. This leaves democracy in America dangling on a thin thread of chance that such a "catastrophe" doesn't happen.

On Wednesday [July 11], Michael Chertoff, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, said he has a "gut" feeling that Al Qaeda will launch another terrorist attack on the U.S. mainland sometime this summer. Chertoff's "gut feeling" comes on the heels of the latest National Intelligence Estimate [NIE], which maintains that in the past year, Al Qaeda has reconstituted its core structure and has grown stronger along the Pakistan/Afghanistan border. Elliot D Cohen via buzzflash.com

I made reference to this in a what's going on here (part XXV)... post on May 21, 2007. At that time I asked:

If I'm not mistaken, isn't this called martial law? Isn't there absolutely no mention of it in the US Constititution? Hasn't it been understood for the last two centuries+ that only Congress can suspend habeas corpus, though it never has. Didn't President Lincoln suspend habeas corpus during the Civil War and hasn't Czar George, in effect, done it with his war on terrorism? AND didn't the Supreme Court in ex parte Milligan (71 US 2 [1866]) declare that what Mr. Lincoln did was unconstitutional?

Looking over my posts since that one, I noticed that I did take a bit of a downward trend since then. I'm wondering, at the moment that I am writing these words, if somehow unconsciously that post may have triggered it?

Who really knows?

Yes, I think we need to be concerned. Yes, there are strange unknown things afoot. Yes, the naysayers as well as the conspiracy theorists are working overtime. Yes, caution is really necessary. We have to trust that there are enough sane people in the government who believe that it is important to keep the beliefs and work of the Founding Fathers alive and working.

I was reminded in writing this of Frank Herbert's Dune series of sci-fi books. There is a faction in the series known as the Bene Gesserit. They are viewed as witches in the series because they manipulate people and their thoughts. They had this prayer or adage they used that was very important to the protagonist in the series, Paul Muad'Dib Atriedes:

I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.

and again in the words of Frankline D. Roosevelt in his first Inaugural Address:

The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

I wonder if we've really come very far since FDR spoke those words on March 4, 1933?



just asking...

monday morning mayhem...

remember when your dad or mom said, "Think, before you open your mouth!" here are some people who didn't listen to their parents' advice...


1. the pro shop...

I was at the golf store comparing different kinds of golf balls. I was unhappy with the women's type I had been using. After browsing for several minutes, I was approached by one of the good-looking gentlemen who works at the store. He asked if he could help me. Without thinking, I looked at him and said, "I think I like playing with men's balls."

2. the candy store...

My sister and I were at the mall and passed by a store that sold a variety of candy and nuts. As we were looking at the display case, the boy behind the counter asked if we needed any help. I replied, "No, I'm just looking at your nuts" My sister started to laugh hysterically, the boy grinned, and I turned beet-red and walked away. To this day, my sister has never let me forget.

3. at the taco bell...

Have you ever asked your child a question too many times? My three-year-old son had a lot of problems with potty training and I was on him constantly. One day we stopped at Taco Bell for a quick lunch in between errands. It was very busy, with a full dining room. While enjoying my taco, I smelled something funny, so of course I checked my seven-month-old daughter, and she was clean. Then I realized that Danny had not asked to go potty in a while, so I asked him if he needed to go, and he said, "No." I kept thinking, "Oh Lord, that child has had an accident, and I don't have any clothes with me." Then I said, "Danny, are you SURE you didn't have an accident?" "No," he replied. I just KNEW that he must have had an accident, because the smell was getting worse. Soooooo, I asked one more time, "Danny, did you have an accident?" This time he jumped up, yanked down his pants, bent over and spread his cheeks and yelled. "SEE MOM, IT'S JUST FARTS!!" While 30 people nearly choked to death on their tacos laughing, he calmly pulled up his pants and sat down. An old couple made me feel better by thanking me for the best laugh they'd ever had!

4. at the tv station...

This had most of the state of Michigan laughing for 2 days and a very embarrassed female news anchor who will, in the future, likely think before she speaks. What happens when you predict snow but don't get any? A true story. We had a female news anchor who, the day after it was supposed to have snowed and didn't, turned to the weatherman and asked: "So Bob, where's that 8 inches you promised me last night?" Not only did HE have to leave the set, but half the crew did too!

5. on the tarmac...

While on a flight from New York , the Stewardess was busy passing out peanuts and cokes to everyone. There were about sixteen flights lined up waiting to get clearance to take off. Then the other Stewardess got a message from the Pilot that the tower said the wind had changed 180 degrees and they were first in line to take off, and to have everyone buckle up. Without thinking she just announced "Please buckle up, grab your drinks and hold your nuts, we're taking off!". No one saw her for the rest of the flight to Houston, and all the other Stewardesses were laughing all the way and so were half of the passengers.

what's going on here...

i haven't done one of these in a long time. It's not that I haven't been keeping up with news, blogs, etc. It's just that there is so much for the last couple of months that it doesn't seem quite possible to keep up, and quite frankly, as I mentioned in a previous post [i know the feeling...] it's all so overwhelming and there's sometimes an infinite feeling of hopelessness.

So, instead of noting a few headlines, including a quote, and making a comment, I'm going to list some of the headlines that have been headlining in my head lately. Each one is a direct link to an article. If you want to read it, just click on the headline...

Mining of Data Prompted Fight Over U.S. Spying New York Times, July 29, 2007

The isolationist beast stirs in America again Andrew Sullivan, Times Online, July 29, 2007

US demands, Europe agrees to provide, info on whether foreign travelers to US are gay, union members, religious beliefs AmericaBlog, July 28 2007

Charges pit free speech against highway safety The Downers Grove Sun, July 26, 2007

Conservatives Refuse To Appear On Fox News To Publicly Defend Gonzales ThinkProgress.com, July, 29, 2007

Snow: Mueller Didn't Mean What He Obviously Meant on TSP,TPMmuckraker.com, July 27, 2007

Bush calls for easier wiretap rules The Raw Story, July 27, 2007

Bush Aide Blocked Report Washington Post, July 29, 2007

yeah, i know. these are all just from the last four days. it's been the same things over and over...

in french the word is sardonique.

who said that?

POP QUIZ

The following was a quote by a now famous person:

"Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It's what separates us from the animals -- except the weasel."

Who said it? Was it...

a) Homer Simpson

or

b) Al Gonzales




no cheating!

write your answer here _______

i know the feeling...

The new report on Pat Tillman's death made public by the AP is turning heads and brining up many, many more questions. It's a situation in a long line of possible miscreant behaviour and cover-ups. From the New York Times today:

Army medical examiners were suspicious about the close proximity of the three bullet holes in Pat Tillman's forehead and tried without success to get authorities to investigate whether the former NFL player's death amounted to a crime, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.

and this from TPMmuckraker - :

Was Pat Tillman murdered?

Stunning as it is to contemplate, the Associated Press obtained Pentagon documents through the Freedom of Information Act showing that investigators looked into whether the athlete-turned-soldier might have been deliberately killed in 2004 by members of his Special Forces unit in Afghanistan. Nothing the AP obtained is definitive, and ultimately the friendly-fire ruling withstood a criminal investigation.

but this comment by a responder to the TPMmuckraker article is what I find really very telling:

Like Jon Stewart said a couple of weeks ago, "People ask how you deal with it all, but you do. Now, I'm not saying that when I'm eighty or something someone will offer me a glass of milk and I won't just have a complete breakdown right there..." or something to that effect.

I bring this up because, at this point, I just don't know how much more I can handle. I so hope this isn't true.

P.S. -- My "security code" to post this is "PAIN". So much pain...

.

Posted by: Outraged
Date: July 27, 2007 9:25 AM

There have been many times over the last few months that I have felt the same way, and coupled with that has been a feeling of hopelessness that there is really nothing i can do about all of this...

weekender...

in two parts -

the first part is to end the week with some beauty to offset all of the insecurity of stocks, money, politics, Iraq, gonzales, bush...

the clip below is from Mozart's opera Cosi fan tutte. i think it's from a production at San Francisco Opera. Singing is Simon Kneelyside, Susan Graham, and Susan Chilcott. the music is some of the most beautiful that Mozart wrote.



and now to start the weekend with a laugh and keep it going...

Once upon a time there were two deaf guys standing on a street
corner talking to each other with sign language.

Guy #1 (SIGN) "What would you like to do?"
Guy #2 (SIGN) "I don't know, what about you?"
Guy #1 (SIGN) "Let's get my car, find some girls, drive to a dark space and have some fun."
Guy #2 (SIGN) "Good idea."

So they get his car, find some girls, drive to a dark spot and are having a ball when the guy in the back seat taps the guy in the front seat on the shoulder...

Front Seat Guy (SIGN) "What?"
Back Seat Guy (SIGN) "Have you got any protection?"
Front Seat Guy (SIGN) "No. Don't you?"
Back Seat Guy (SIGN) "No. We had better go to a drug store and get some."

They precede to drive to a drug store and the man in the back seat gets out and goes inside. In two minutes he is back outside and taps on the car window.

Inside Guy (SIGN) "What?"
Outside Guy (SIGN) "I've got a problem."
Inside Guy (SIGN) "What?"
Outside Guy (SIGN) "I can't make the druggist understand what I want."
Inside Guy (SIGN) "I know What to do."
Outside Guy (SIGN) "What?"
Inside Guy (SIGN) "Go back inside. Put five dollars on the counter. Put your pecker on the counter. He'll know what you want."
Outside Guy (SIGN) "Good idea."

The man goes back into the drug store and two minutes later he's back at the car window.

Inside Guy (SIGN) "Well?"
Outside Guy (SIGN) "It didn't work."
Inside Guy (SIGN) "What do you mean?"
Outside Mute (SIGN) "I did what you told me to do. I went inside. I put 5 dollars on the counter. I put my pecker on the counter. He put his on the counter. It was bigger than mine. He took my 5 dollars."

enjoy your weekend...

say good-night, gracie...

Gracie Allen was born 112 years ago today. She, IMHO, was one of the greatest comediennes who ever performed. Zany is one word that describes her work. She was married to George Burns, who played her straight man. He once said that his job was easy. He just had to stand next to her and ask questions. She wins the prize of the ditzy blond [though I don't know if she was a blond] hands down. When you listen to her, the answers she gives make perfect sense even if they are totally outrageous. The clip below is hilarious.



"Say good-night, Gracie." was the line that every one of their TV shows ended with. Well, actually, the last line was her saying, "Good-night" and walking off the stage.

anti-impeachment argument...

One of the main arguments that many people use against impeachment of Mssrs. Bush &/or Cheney is that there is not much time left for this administration.

That is a bunch of B.S.

The Article of Impeachment against Bill Clinton was passed on December 19, 1998. Acquittal by the Senate was on February 12, 1999. Bill Clinton left office on January 20, 2001. That was actually a little over 2 years. We've been hearing calls for impeachment in this administration for at least the last 6 months, if not longer.

If it was enough time for Bill Clinton, why isn't it enough time for Mr. Bush?

just asking...





[Note: While I endorse impeachment because of the nature and number of extra-legal activities of these two men, I realize that the practical problem is that the Democrats & Republicans who talk about it do not have enough leverage in the Congress and it might be an exercise in frustration. As far as the other main argument, that an impeachment would tear the country apart, how much farther can it be torn than it already is? However, if any president warranted a serious Article of Impeachment, there are more than enough reasons to pursue this one.]

hope...

The video below is from an group called The Foundation for a Better Life.

Wow!

& from the Foundation for a Better Life's website About Us page:

The mission of The Foundation for a Better Life, through various media efforts, is to encourage adherence to a set of quality values through personal accountability and by raising the level of expectations of performance of all individuals regardless of religion or race. Through these efforts, the Foundation wants to remind individuals they are accountable and empowered with the ability to take responsibility for their lives and to promote a set of values that sees them through their failures and capitalizes on their successes. An individual who takes responsibility for his or her actions will take care of his or her family, job, community, and country.

What exactly are some of these values of personal accountability they are encouraging?

Appreciation
Believing In Others
Caring
Commitment
Compassion
Cooperation
Courtesy
Dependability
Diversity
Doing The Right Thing
Forgiveness
Friendship
Gratitude
Honesty
Hope
Humility
Integrity
Listening
Love
Loyalty
Perseverance
Respect
Responsibility
Sacrifice
Service
Sharing
Soul
Tolerance
Trust
Unity
Vision

An admirable and powerful list to say the least.

So, here's my question. [Of course, you knew this was coming...]

If a christianist saw this website and explored it, they would inevitably say that this is secular, left-wing propoganda. Which of the values in this list and the complete list on the website, is NOT part of true Christian belief?

of course, just asking...




[Note: check out the other videos they have here. They are all remarkable.]

great billboard ad...

possible sure-fire way to end the war in iraq...

the Democrats should introduce a law to re-establish the
DRAFT!

I am absolutely, positively serious. Wake up the country's conscience. And watch the Republicans run like hell!

Of course, if King George W wants to win his war, he needs the troops. He was told right from the beginning that more troops was the key to winning. He refused to listen to the generals who learned from Vietnam. He said he could do it on the cheap with a blitzkreig. Oops, we're not supposed to use anything that may compare this administration to the Nazis, sorry.

The parallels between Iraq and Vietnam are so overwhelming, though. That comparison is not supposed to be made either. It's defeatist and we're not losers!

I've thought this, though haven't mentioned it previously, but was reminded in this article by Ron Glasser in the Huffington post: Vietnam and Iraq: A Twice-Told Tale; Again, We Did Know Better

The article is a great read for putting things concerning Iraq in perspective. Check it out.

anti-christianism symbols in Harry Potter...

J K Rowlings gets letters, lots and lots of letters.

"I had one letter from a vicar in England -- this is the difference -- saying would I please not put Christmas trees at Hogwarts as it was clearly a pagan society." Daily Herald, July 22, 2007

Vicar, you need to study your christian history.

The Christmas tree is often explained as a Christianization of the ancient pagan idea that the evergreen tree represents a celebration of the renewal of life. In actuality, when the Roman Empire was converted en masse to Christianity, many cultures did not give up their pagan ideals and traditions and so they were incorporated into the Christmas tradition. Wikipedia

now, what is that commandment?

oh, yeah, #8...

Thou shalt not steal!

not very christian, if you ask me...

the left is the new center...

Thank you Juan Williams.

In a retort to Bill Kristol on Fox News Sunday, he puts him straight on just what happened last November and is continuing to grow stronger up to this day.



70%, Mr Kristol! Can you read? Can you hear? Juan Williams, from NPR, couldn't have said it any clearer: "Seventy percent of Americans want us out of Iraq."

This exchange was in response to Kristol hitting the Democratic candidates going to the YearlyKos Convention the first weekend in August along with the "left-bloggers." Kristol's slam was that they were all going to "pay court" to an unkown left-wing blogger who four years ago was behind Howard Dean.

Well, Mr. Kristol, I'm going to be at YearlyKos and I'm part of the 70%, and your tone that those of us who are part of the 70% and are part of the new center have no right to organize, meet, listen, share, protest, foster change because only the right wing-nuts are correct in their actions and thought is not only anti-democracy, it's anti-American as well.

and what's with that silly smirk that's always on your face? isn't that usually a sign of either lying or low sef-confidence?

just asking...

monday morning mayhem...

1. christianist priorities...

A cotton farmer, wanting to hoe his cotton field, called the Texas Employment Service in Lubbock. He told the unemployment person that he wanted to hire 20 hoers. The gal who answered his call was taken aback. She indignantly responded, "Sir, you don't mean prostitutes?" The farmer responded, "I don't care what religion they are. I just need hoers."

2. ultimate police retorts...

Countdown of the 10 best:

#10 "You know, stop lights don't come any redder than the one you just went through."

#9 "Relax, the handcuffs are tight because they're new. They'll stretch after you wear them a while."

#8 "If you take your hands off the car, I'll make your birth certificate a worthless document"

#7 "You don't know how fast you were going? I guess that means I can write anything I want to on the ticket, huh?"

#6 "The answer to this last question will determine whether you are drunk or not. Was Mickey Mouse a cat or a dog?"

#5 "Fair? You want me to be fair? Listen, fair is a place where you go to ride on rides, eat cotton candy and corn dogs and step in monkey crap."

#4 "Yeah, we have a quota. Two more tickets and my wife gets a toaster oven."

#3 "How big were those 'Just two beers' you say you had?"

#2 "No sir, we don't have quotas anymore. We used to, but now we're allowed to write as many tickets as we can."

#1 "I'm glad to hear that Chief (of Police) Hawker is a personal friend of yours. So you know someone who can post your bail."

3. canadian road sign...

Does Smokey the Bear work in Canada too?

4. royalty...

My flight was being served by an obviously gay flight attendant, who seemed to put everyone in a good mood as he served us food and drinks. As the plane prepared to descend, he came swishing down the aisle and told us that, "Captain Marvey has asked me to announce that he'll be landing the big scary plane shortly, so lovely people, if you could just put your trays up, that would be super."

On his trip back up the aisle, he noticed this well-dressed and rather Arabic looking woman hadn't moved a muscle.

"Perhaps you didn't hear me over those big brute engines but I asked you to raise your trazy-poo, so the main man can pitty-pat us on the ground."

She calmly turned her head and said, "In my country, I am called a Princess and I take orders from no one."

To which the flight attendant replied , without missing a beat, "Well, sweet-cheeks, in my country I'm called a Queen, so I outrank you. Tray-up, Bitch."

...and she better damn well curtsy on the way out!

Jerry Hadley...

died this past Wednesday after shooting himself in the head on July 12th. Suicide is always a sad thing when someone takes the ultimate hopeless escape. It's especially unfortunate when it's someone who creates beauty and enjoyment.

I had the privilege of seeing Mr. Hadley many times on stage live. He was always a pleasure and gave great performance. He performed all over the world including La Scala and the Metropolitan Opera. He was a staple at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and a native of Illinois.

The video below is of Leonard Bernstein's operetta Candide. It was the last performance that Bernstein conducted before his death. It is especially poignant because the maestro hand-picked the entire cast, especially Mr. Hadley and soprano June Anderson who is singing with him. Mr. Hadley was 55 years-old.



p.s. If you're a regular reader of this blog, you will understand that I am particularly fond of the last line of the work:

"Any questions?"

royal presidency...

I've previously remarked about the U.S. Founding Fathers' fear of establishment of a monarchy after their battle with King George III. King George W has been edging, rather quickly as of late, towards what they feared.

From an article in Truthdig.com entitled "King George W.: James Madison’s Nightmare" by Robert Scheer -

George W. Bush is the imperial president that James Madison and other founders of this great republic warned us about. He lied the nation into precisely the “foreign entanglements” that George Washington feared would destroy the experiment in representative government, and he has championed a spurious notion of security over individual liberty, thus eschewing the alarms of Thomas Jefferson as to the deprivation of the inalienable rights of free citizens. But most important, he has used the sledgehammer of war to obliterate the separation of powers that James Madison enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.

As an example, just this week King George W announced "...that the Justice Department simply doesn't have the power to pursue contempt charges once the president has claimed executive privilege." [Salon.com "Super Privilege," July 20, 2007] In other words, "I'm untouchable; there no longer is separation of powers; oversight is a outgrown myth."

Bush has fed directly into the fear of the military-industrial complex that Dwight Eisenhower warned of in his farewell address. As Sheer points out in his Truthdig article, "The collapse of the Soviet Union deprived the military profiteers and their handsomely rewarded cheerleaders in the government of a raison d’être for the massive war economy supposedly created in response to it." Obviously, 9/11 came along with perfect timing. If you look at the upper right-hand corner of this blog, you'll see the never ending counter that shows the U.S. has spent over $445 Billion since 2002 on Iraq!

There has always been a conspiracy argument floating around that FDR allowed World War II to happen to help the economy. There can't be too much of a stretch in making a similar argument, since there have been reports that Bush & Co. failed to notice all of the foreboding of 9/11, to debate that the complex maneuvered to have all these notices ignored and ramp up their flagging business.

Finally, Sheer points out Madison's exhortation to the importance of avoiding a constant state of war:

In his “Political Observations,” written years before he served as fourth president of the United States, Madison went on to underscore the dangers of an imperial presidency bloated by war fever. “In war,” Madison wrote in 1795, at a time when the young republic still faced its share of dangerous enemies, “the discretionary power of the Executive is extended ... and all the means of seducing the minds are added to those of subduing the force, of the people.”

Constitutional crisis? The intricate ramifications of what is going down between the Judicial and Executive branches so far are being understated by the caution being taken by the Republicans, the Democrats, the Media and others. All signs point to a long-term legal battle. King George W is not going to back down and Congress doesn't have the capability at this point to pull together. It's all coming down to November 2008. Can we wait that long?

The unknown component in this unfolding drama is the Roberts' Supreme Court. That may be the ultimate consternation Congressional members have. SCOTUS has taken a turn to the right but has also put Bush on notice with a couple of its last rulings on Gitmo.

should we be any more afraid?

just asking...

Bugatti Veyron Targa
W16 engine
1000 horsepower
Top speed 217 mph
0 - 60 in 2.8 seconds
0 - 100 in 9.9 seconds
100 - 0 in 10 seconds
80 to be produced
All hand-made
$1,500,000+

I told my trainer during our last session at the gym Wednesday that if I saw one of these in person, I'd probably pee in my pants - and not BP!

And, yes, you read that right. It has a W-shaped 16 cylinder engine!

I can dream, can't I?

wanna bet that the yacht in the background doesn't cost as much? i won't take your bet...

kismet?

how perfectly coincidental that this news should come out right after I posted the last item -

Vice President Dick Cheney will serve as acting president briefly Saturday while President Bush is anesthetized for a routine colonoscopy, White House spokesman Tony Snow said Friday. CNN.com

At least for 14½ hours he won't be full of shit. If you have never had a colonoscopy, it's necessary to be, ummm, cleaned out before the test. Wonder what else they may find up there?

think about it...


actually, I just thought of something awful. Cheney will have 2½ hours when he'll be able to invade or bomb Iran...

i think i'm very afraid, right now...

more shit thrown in our faces...

from TPM Muckraker.com, July 20, 2007

The administration will not permit a U.S. attorney to enforce a citation of contempt against Congress, as federal law instructs. That may shock you, but it's all old news, "a senior administration official" tells The Washington Post

Love this comment from the WaPo article:

[Mark J.] Rozell, the George Mason professor and authority on executive privilege, said the administration's stance "is almost Nixonian in its scope and breadth of interpreting its power. Congress has no recourse at all, in the president's view. . . . It's allowing the executive to define the scope and limits of its own powers."

L'etat c'est moi!

This man is doing everything he can to destroy the U.S. Constitution and to turn the hopes and designs of Madison, Jefferson, and especially George Washington on their heads...

who will step up...

in September to be the Barry Goldwater to deliver the message to Mr. Bush?

Goldwater disliked... Richard M. Nixon of California, whom he later called "the most dishonest individual I have ever met in my life." It is believed Goldwater, then a Senator, forced Nixon to resign at the height of Watergate by threatening to vote in favor of removing him from office if he did not. The term "Goldwater moment" has been used to describe a moment when members of Congress from the President's party disagree and go against the wishes of the President.

are the signs already emerging? Lugar? Warner? Snowe? or someone least expected?

maybe the bigger question is whether or not there is someone who even has the cajones?

a lot of questions to just ask...

olbermann special comment...

I said in an earlier post that I would post Keith Olbermann's Special Comment This is YOUR War. Here it is:



When I saw it live last night my thought was "I'm ready to take to the streets again!" just like with Vietnam. Rewatching it made my anger even greater.

The Congress can't do anything, whether it be the Republican's obstructionism or the Democrat's inadequacy to unify. There comes a time, such as 1776 and Vietnam that the people have to take things into their own hands. The first step was taken last November with the mid-term elections. It didn't work.

Is it that time again? Is it time to prove the historical theory that democracies can't last much longer than 200 years wrong? Is it time to put into motion the reestablishment of the voice of America?

just asking...

weekender...

"Test for Dementia"

"It's that time of year to take our annual senior citizen test."

Exercise of the brain is as important as exercise of the muscles. As we grow older, it's important to keep mentally alert. If you don't use it, you lose it! Below is a very private way to gauge your loss or non-loss of intelligence.


Take the test presented here to determine if you're losing it or not. The spaces below are so you don't see the correct answers until you give your answer.

OK, relax, clear your mind and begin








1. What do you put in a toaster?



























Answer: "bread." If you said "toast," give up now and do something else. Try not to hurt yourself. If you said, bread, go to Question 2.












2 Say "silk" five times. Now spell "silk." What do cows drink?



























Answer: Cows drink water. If you said "milk," don't attempt the next question. Your brain is over-stressed and may even overheat. Content yourself with reading a more appropriate literature such as Auto World. However, if you said "water", proceed to question 3.












3. If a redhouse is made from red bricks and a bluehouse is made from blue bricks and a pinkhouse is made from pink bricks and a blackhouse is made from black bricks, what is a greenhouse made from?


























Answer: Greenhouses are made from glass. If you said "green bricks," why are you still reading these??? If you said "glass," go on to Question 4.












4. It's twenty years ago, and a plane is flying at 20,000 feet over Germany (If you will recall, Germany at the time was politically divided into West Germany and East Germany.) Anyway, during the flight, TWO engines fail. The pilot, realizing that the last remaining engine is also failing, decides on a crash landing procedure. Unfortunately, the engine fails before he can do so and the plane fatally crashes smack in the middle of "no man's land" between East Germany and West Germany. Where would you bury the survivors? East Germany, West Germany, or no man's land"?

















Answer: You don't bury survivors.






If you said ANYTHING else, you're a dunce and you must stop. If you said, "You don't bury survivors", proceed to the next question.






5. Without using a calculator - You are driving a bus from London to Milford Haven in Wales. In London, 17 people get on the bus; in Reading, six people get off the bus and nine people get on. In Swindon, two people get off and four get on. In Cardiff, 11 people get off and 16 people get on. In Swansea, three people get off and five people get on; in Carmathen, six people get off and three get on. You then arrive at Milford Haven. What was the name of the bus driver?
















Answer: Oh, for crying out loud!






Don't you remember your own name? It was YOU!!





PS: Don't feel bad. 95% of people fail most of the questions!!

i'm going to break a rule...

My friends will tell you that I do not go to the movies in a theater unless it's something like a Star Trek, Star Wars, Bourne (opens Aug 3), or something that I think needs to be seen on a big screen because of special effects. The reason I don't go is because I end up sitting near the people whose cell phone rings constantly and they talk or next to the couple who brings their 2-year old to an adult movie and lets her crawl around on the floor with a flashlight. [Yes, this actually happened to me.] It never fails, so I don't go.

This film is something for which I absolutely will break my rule. It was the winner of the Special Jury Prize: Documentary at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival.

The preview below is enough to get me going & not just to go see it...

No End in Sight

you can smell...

Rove's shit all over this one:

The U.S. Defense Department told Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton that her questions about how the United States eventually plans to withdraw from Iraq boosts enemy propaganda.

In a stinging rebuke to a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Undersecretary of Defense Eric Edelman responded to questions Clinton raised in May in which she urged the Pentagon to start planning now for the withdrawal of American forces.
U.S. Defense Department says Hillary Clinton helps enemy by raising questions on Iraq

Who else has asked about this? Republican Sen. Richard Lugar for one. Did he get a letter?
http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif
Are the Republicans afraid of Senator Clinton? Especially since in the polls the number one Republican candidate that people would vote for is "None of the Above?" USA Today

And who exactly is this Eric Edelman person anyway? A former Cheney right-hand man! Would anyone expect anything less? The smell is getting worse...

Olbermann started Countdown tonight with a Special Comment about this. I'm sure it will be on the net soon. I'll post it here when copies start coming up.

you can read the entire Edelman letter here: Response to Sen. Clinton on Contigency Planning

soaring gasoline prices...

a solution:

A man was driving down the road and his car ran out of gas.

Just at that moment, a bee flew in his window.

The bee said, "What seems to be the problem?"

"I'm out of gas."

The bee told the man to wait right there and flew away.
Minutes later, the man watched as an entire swarm of bees flew to his car and into his gas tank. After a few minutes, the bees flew out.

"Try it now," said one bee.

The man turned the ignition key and the car started right up.

"Wow!" the man exclaimed. "What did you put in my gas tank?"



⇓





⇓




⇓




⇓




The bee answered, "BP."

it struck me...

while reading a post over at Andrew Sullivan from a WorldNetDaily reader posted on FrontPageMag.com regarding her upset with a column by Dennis Prager [History Will Harshly Judge Those for Iraq Withdrawal]

the similarities between the White House Office of Strategic Initiatives [aka Karl Rove] with the Ministry for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda [aka Joseph Goebbels].

Yes, that is quite a notated first paragraph, and I did it on purpose because it is just the sort of thing that both offices would put out. Very logical, very precise and filled with sources to prove their points. It's called propaganda.

"Propaganda is the deliberate, systematic attempt to shape perceptions, manipulate cognitions, and direct behavior to achieve a response that furthers the desired intent of the propagandist." Garth S. Jowett and Victoria O'Donnell, Propaganda And Persuasion

So what struck me in not finding a difference between the two is just what is the difference between propaganda and information?

We get information from the news, from television, from radio, from the internet and many other places. How exactly do we tell the difference? What makes me believe one source over another? My personal feeling? My agreement with one point over another? If that's the case, what came first my agreement itself or my agreement after reading/hearing the information from a source(s)?

One thing that came up interesting while reading the comments after the letter on FrontPageMag.com was this one posting:

Hi Zin. I'll tell you this, whoever wrote this anonymous diatribe that SQ posted, didn't have the guts to own it. I'm sick of comparison's with Hitler, and dictatorships, and such. This is full of hate, and accusations of collusion, etc.

I know that most here at FPM are anonymous, and I understand, especially if they might be recognizable to us were we to know their real names. However, when one speaks of our President and his administration in the terms presented in SQ's post, then anonymity is cowardly in my opinion.

I have no idea why SQ thought this was meaningful is beyond me. We hear this crap every day from the left, and this is just more of the same. Can you imagine, comparing the Jews during WWII to the Muslims of today?

This person came away after reading it with the same connection I did. The difference is that person wails about the inequity of making the comparison. I question how people decide on interpretations. This kind of answers some of my questions.

The person in the original letter thought one way and then changed her mind after watching and listening to what was going on with the Iraq debate. The second person, obviously, had the same thoughts but has not changed them. Why not? She has to have been hearing the same things. Or has she?

propaganda or information...

yes, i have...

been watching the Senate debate on Levin-Reed. They are going back and forth - Dem & Rep - on the issue of bringing the amendment up for a vote. The Rep's are saying they will do it, but only with some buts. The Dem's are saying, "If that's what you want to do, shut up and do it!"

I'm not going to last much longer, but like any soap opera, you can stop watching for a while and come back and pick up just where you left off...

Sadly, I turned to C-SPAN 2 just as Lieberman was starting to speak. What an ass! How in the hell could Al Gore have chosen him as his running mate? He prated on and on supporting the Czar. [what else is new?]

an entire new meaning for "Whole Foods"...

I am a big fan of Whole Foods. I especially like two things: the cheese section and the fresh fruits and vegetables. Oh, and the fresh deli section with ready to eat foods. Oh, and the pastry and breads section. Oh, and the fresh seafood. Oh..., well you get the idea.

Well, they are bringing an entire new meaning to fresh, whole foods.

Whole Foods goes gay in Chicago

Chicago's new LGBT community center will soon have a Whole Foods Market as an anchor tenant, a partnership the Chicago Tribune calls unique in the United States.

Whole Foods' partnership with the Center on Halsted makes it the first major retailer to join a U.S. gay community center, the Tribune reported. Advocate.com

This is right smack-dab in boystown in Chicago. It could very well become the most profitable Whole Foods Market store in the country. The LGBT community is probably more health conscious than any other section of the nation. Gay men do just about anything to look their best and Lesbians do everything that is natural, organic and ecologically safe. In addition, any Whole Foods Market I've ever shopped is, well, not just filled with beautiful people but very cruisey!

So, this could give new meaning to organic food. There could be major sales on frisée*. [*If you are familiar with French slang, you'll understand. Otherwise, check the note at the end of this post.] The fruit section could be much larger than at any other grocer. In the winter they may have real faggots*. [Yes, my tongue is totally in my cheek and in jeopardy of pushing through it.]

Seriously, this is one of the greatest things to happen. A major retailer is renting space from an LGBT center, offering many and varied options and services. They are recognizing the LGBT community as an important part of the country as a whole.

The Center on Halsted is one of the most important happenings for the Chicago LGBT Community. It is combining many, many services that previously were scattered all over the city and put them into one space:

The $20 million center will be home to more than 40 Chicago-area organizations. Its other amenities are almost too numerous to list: a 175-seat theatre, a gym, classrooms, a computer center, a rooftop garden and more. The list of available services will include programs for domestic violence survivors, youth counseling and education services, individual therapy, HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted disease programs. All will be housed under one roof. Advocate.com

It is really a great endeavor and the center was mostly funded by the LGBT community. It is the first center of its kind in the Midwest, joining New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

If you live in Chicago, or are visiting, make sure to stop in and visit.



[*note: frisé(e) is a member of the chicory family and is used as a salad green. In French slang it is one of the words used for lesbian. The word faggot originally was a bundle of sticks tied together for kindling - the starting of fires. The history puts it historically coming from the burning of heretics, witches, gays, etc. at the stake during the Inquisition and later purgings.]

can someone please explain...

What exactly is it that leads [married] men to use the services of a prostitute or hustler?

Senator Apologizes Again for Prostitution Link

Well, as far as married men and hustlers, I guess that would be pretty self-evident: the need for secrecy and discretion based on perceived unacceptance of their real orientation - gay or bi.

As far as married men with prostitutes, is there something lacking in their marriage? Is this part of the primal need for multiple partners to insure continuation of the species? Huge egos?

I think that I might tend to give more credence to the first possible explanation - something lacking in their marriage. If this is the case, these men certainly are cowards. They don't have the cajones to deal with the spouse they chose in order to confront their problems, sadly most of the time at the expense of children.

As far as their wives, where have they been? If there are problems, they are also part of the scenario. I think Senator Vitter's wife said the right thing in her reaction seven years ago regarding Hillary Clinton:

His [Vitter's] wife, Wendy, told Newhouse News Service in 2000 that if her husband cheated on her, she would react less like Hillary Clinton and more like the Manassas woman who cut off her sleeping husband's penis in 1993. "I'm a lot more like Lorena Bobbitt than Hillary," Wendy Vitter said. "If he does something like that, I'm walking away with one thing, and it's not alimony, trust me. I think fear is a very good motivating factor in a marriage." Washington Post

Now she has changed her story:

Mrs. Vitter, speaking briefly afterward, defended her husband, said that their marriage was “not perfect” but that “we choose to work together as a family” and criticized the news media for “following us every day last week.” New York Times

According to some sources, Vitter was frequenting prostitutes back in 2000 when she said she'd have more than his cajones. Exactly how long has she known about his indiscretions, if they've put it behind them?

Of course some men don't frequent prostitutes. Some are what might be called serial-husbands. In other words, multiple marriages after divorces or annulments. Helllllooooo, Mssrs. Gingrinch, Guiliani, et. al.

pseudo-prostitution?

just asking...

I broke down...

well, not really. I knew i would do it.

This post is coming via my iPhone.

In one week it has really changed my life. I had to go to southern Illinois for a funeral over the weekend. I took my laptop as usual, and never used it - only the iPhone!

The best part for me? The calendar. I've not used my Palm since I retired in March. I've almost missed appointments. The iPhone works even better.

The biggest problem? The keyboard is bigger than a Blackerry but using a Palm, I'm used to using a stylus. I'm quickly getting accustomed to it though.

I really love this iPhone...

monday morning mayhem...

1. I hate when that happens...

I rear ended a car a few days ago.......

The driver got out of the other car...he was a DWARF!!

He was pissed!


He looked up at me and said, “I am NOT happy!"


I said, “Okay then, which one are you?"

2. flooding in Ireland...

We've been inundated [groannnnnn...] with all of the results of global warming, better explained as climate change, and have seen the devastation that flooding can have. Just think of New Orleans and Sri Lanka.

There has been much flooding in Europe also this year and many people have had to learn to cope with battling the rising waters. The picture below shows how the Irish have been dealing it all -






Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.

3. could someone please hand me a wrench?








4. Why do men pass gas more than women?

Because women can't be quiet long enough to
Build up the required pressure.

i think i could get into trouble for this last one...

oh, well...

realigning priorities...

Maybe it's my unswerving and unquestioning support of children - our country's future - but not only do I not understand the reasoning behind this but I find it totally disgusting.

The White House said on Saturday that President Bush would veto a bipartisan plan to expand the Children’s Health Insurance Program, drafted over the last six months by senior members of the Senate Finance Committee. New York Times, July 15, 2007

The reasoning behind the threatened veto?

The new spending would be financed by an increase in the federal excise tax on tobacco products. The tax on cigarettes would rise to $1 a pack, from the current 39 cents.

Mr. Fratto, the White House spokesman, said, “Tax increases are neither necessary nor advisable to fund the program appropriately.”

and

“The proposal would dramatically expand the Children’s Health Insurance Program, adding nonpoor children to the program, and more than doubling the level of spending,” Mr. Fratto said. “This will have the effect of encouraging many to drop private coverage, to go on the government-subsidized program.”

In addition, Mr. Fratto said, the Senate plan does not include any of Mr. Bush’s proposals to change the tax treatment of health insurance, in an effort to make it more affordable for millions of Americans.

Ah yes, f*** the kids, but take care of your buddies in the tobacco and health industries. In the meantime, if the bill isn't passed by September 30th the exising program ends.

This while the Czar flushes $12 billion dollars a week down the drain in his history-making war against the evils of Iraq.

priorities my ass...

weekender...

Sick Leave

I urgently needed a few days off work,but I knew the Boss would not allow me to take leave. I thought that maybe if I acted "Crazy" he would tell me to take a few days off. So, I hung upside-down on the ceiling and made funny noises.

My co-worker (who's blonde) asked me what I was doing. I told her that I was pretending to be a light bulb, so that the Boss might think I was "Crazy" and give me a few days off.

A few minutes later the Boss came into the office and asked, "What in the name of good GOD are you doing?"

I told him I was a light bulb.

He said, "You are clearly stressed out." Go home and recuperate for a couple of days."

I jumped down and walked out of the office...

When my co-worker (the blonde) followed me, the Boss asked her, "...And where do you think you're going?!"

She said, "I'm going home, too. You can't possibly expect me to work in the dark!

and remember:


Be thankful we're not getting all the government we're paying for.


what a scary thought...

wwjd...

Yeah, I know, it's a religious thing and I'm not too well known for such things, but this time it's really important to ask that question -

Today was a historic first for religion in America's civic life: For the very first time, a Hindu delivered the morning invocation in the Senate chamber — only to find the ceremony disrupted by three Christian right activists....

The three protesters, who all belong to the Christian Right anti-abortion group Operation Save America, and who apparently traveled to Washington all the way from North Carolina, interrupted by loudly asking for God's forgiveness for allowing the false prayer of a Hindu in the Senate chamber.

"Lord Jesus, forgive us father for allowing a prayer of the wicked, which is an abomination in your sight," the first protester began.

"This is an abomination," he continued. "We shall have no other gods before You. The Raw Story

So, What Would Jesus Do?

just asking...

fight for freedom...

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died.

Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.

Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.

Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.

They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.

What kind of men were they?

Thirty-four were ministers, jurists and attorneys.
Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners: men of means, well educated.

But they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.

Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.

Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton,Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.

At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson Jr, noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his, wife, and she died within a few months.

John Hart was driven from his wifes bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a broken heart.

Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates.

Such were the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution. These were not wild-eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were soft-spoken spiritual men of means and education. They had security, but they valued liberty and freedom more. Standing tall, straight, and unwavering, they pledged: "For the support of this declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of the divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor." They gave you and me a free and independent America.

The history books never told you a lot about what happened in the Revolutionary War. We didn't fight just the British. We were British subjects at that time and we fought our own government! Some of us take these liberties so much for granted, but we shouldn't. The National Archives

and some people try to take those freedoms away.

how much would they give up for freedom?

just asking...

the argument would be true...

in an article entitled Focus on the Public Purpose of Marriage: Protecting Children in Ethics and Public Policy Center Online except for this one fallacy in the author's argument

For thousands of years, marriage has existed in nearly every society for the purpose of ensuring that a child is raised by his mother and father. Far from simply blessing a private relationship between consenting adults, marriage has aimed to promote stable sexual unions between men and women whose public commitment creates a suitable context for childrearing. Colleen Carroll Campbell

Marriage in societies has existed for economic and power reasons before having anything to do with child-rearing. The reason for children in a sanctioned union between two people was to ensure that the legacy, fortunes, and power of a family name would continue. Children were a useful by-product of the union.

In ancient Rome, if a marriage produced no children, or in fact produced children that the pater familias deemed unworthy, disrespectful, degenerate or any other device he could use, simply adopted any one he chose, even if the person was older than himself.

In Victorian England, the children were neither seen nor heard. They were given off to nannies, governess' and tutors. They would be pranced out at appropriate times as if to say, "See, we've done our duty to continue the Empire."

If one argues that these examples are of the privileged classes, think about the serfs in medieval times. The purpose of children was to make sure that there were enough bodies to do the work mandated by the lord or father, if they happened to not be indentured. The more children, the better the chance of survival not only of the family, but of the people themselves.

As far as the argument about stable sexual unions, just look at the Roman and Victorian history on sex. The Romans were openly multi-sexual and the Victorians, well, they gave an entirely different meaning to the word Victorian itself when it came to matters on sex.

Also, in all marriage unions of any type over the centuries there was one word that was consistently used to describe them in general - contract. Again, it is purely an economic and power term. There was an agreement between two people to continue the line.

Finally, the present state of marriage, as admonished by the conservative establishment and right wing, has been a long time evolving. Same-sex, multi-faceted and alternative unions came about because of the dissatisfaction with traditional marriage and what it was becoming. Not the other way around.

Any one who can give stability to children should be applauded and supported by everyone. Not derided. And those who commit to someone else improve the stability of society insuring its continued success. Otherwise, anarchy might have a completely different meaning.

Our democracy was ordered to give everyone equal rights. Why are we still fighting for something that was supposedly decided over 200 years ago?

just asking...

monday morning mayhem...

for the working boys and girls...

1. waiting for the bus...

Two drag queens were waiting at the bus stop for the Broadway #36 to get to work. A large German Shepard came lumbering along, sat down next to them and began to lick himself.

One of the ladies seeing what the dog was doing said, "God, I wish I could do that."

The other looked down and replied, "He looks like a friendly dog. Go ahead."

oh, my...

2. madame's parrots...

The madam of a brothel has a problem, so she goes to a local priest. "I have two talking female parrots," she tells him. "All they can say is ‘Hi, we’re prostitutes. Do you want to have some fun?’"

"That’s awful," the priest agrees, "but I have a solution to your problem. I have two male parrots whom I’ve taught to pray and read the Bible. If we put your parrots with mine, I believe yours will stop saying that awful phrase and will instead learn to recite the word of God."

The next day, the madame brings her parrots to the priest’s house and puts them in with the male parrots, who are holding rosary beads and praying in their cage.

"Hi, we’re prostitutes." say the females. "Do you want to have some fun?"

One male parrot looks at the other and squawks, "Close the Bible, Frank! Our prayers are answered!"

3. the price is right...

George Bernard Shaw was at a party once and he told this woman that everyone would agree to do anything for money, if the price was high enough.

`Surely not,' she said.

`Oh yes,' he said.

'Well, I wouldn't,' she said.

`Oh yes you would.' he said. `For instance,' he said, `would you sleep with me for... for a million pounds?'

`Well,' she said, `maybe for a million I would, yes.'

`Would you do it for ten shillings?' said Bernard Shaw.

`Certainly not!' said the woman `What do you take me for? A prostitute?'

`We've established that already, madame.' said Bernard Shaw. `We're just trying to fix your price now!'"

4. you do get what you pay for...

Four men went golfing together one day; three headed to the first tee and one went into the club house to take care of the bill. The three men started talking, bragging about their sons. The first man told the others, "My son is a home builder and he''s so successful that he gave a friend a new home - for free."

The second man said, "My son was a car salesman and now he owns a multi-line dealership. He''s so successful that he gave a friend two Cadillacs."

The third man, not wanting to be outdone bragged, "My son is a stock broker and he''s doing so well that he gave his friend an entire stock portfolio."

The fourth man joined them on the tee after a few minutes of taking care of business. The first man mentioned, "We were just talking about our sons. How is yours doing?" The fourth man replied, "Well, my son is gay. I''m not totally thrilled about it, but he must be good. His last three boyfriends gave him a house, two cars, and a stock portfolio."

work 'em like you mean it...



oh, and if anyone was offended by these, please remember that I totally subscribe to the Divine Ms. M's belief that -

NYT: The Road Home

The New York Times only did one Editorial today, Sunday, July 8, 2007. On most days, they have more than one, in addition to the Op-Eds. I wonder if they planned it this way because of the editorial's topic -

It is time for the United States to leave Iraq, without any more delay than the Pentagon needs to organize an orderly exit.

You can't get more important than this.

Get out of Iraq. No ifs, no ands, not buts - Get Out!

The NYT Editorial Board traces its support of the war from the beginning. They realize that they are eight months behind what the American people asked for in November 2006. They understand the mechanics of withdrawal will be difficult. They don't care. They see, finally, that it has to be done. There is no other solution.

An even greater declaration that they make is that the problem was begun, fomented, and continued solely by the Bush Administration. Bush is to blame.

Like many Americans, we have put off that conclusion, waiting for a sign that President Bush was seriously trying to dig the United States out of the disaster he created by invading Iraq without sufficient cause, in the face of global opposition, and without a plan to stabilize the country afterward.

and later

President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have used demagoguery and fear to quell Americans’ demands for an end to this war.

They also come to a conclusion that the Bush Administration refuses to ackowledge as the one very major course change that has to occur:

For this effort to have any remote chance, Mr. Bush must drop his resistance to talking with both Iran and Syria. Britain, France, Russia, China and other nations with influence have a responsibility to help. Civil war in Iraq is a threat to everyone, especially if it spills across Iraq’s borders.

Of course, tomorrow, at the daily press briefing the editorial will be outright dismissed as the left now having total control of the NYT, being totally out of touch with giving the surge a chance, using the cowardly way out, or giving in to the terrorists. Oh, and, of course, not supporting the troops.

The following line from the editorial identifies all of the support the troops need:

Continuing to sacrifice the lives and limbs of American soldiers is wrong.

This is the true advocacy that U.S. troops need.

Some may see the New York Times as a long time in the making. Some may say that it is not enough. Others may totally disagree and say that it is out of touch with reality. Here is some reality for them - SEN. RICHARD LUGAR, SEN. JOHN WARNER, SEN. GEORGE VOINOVICH, SEN. PETER DOMENICI, REP. WALTER JONES, REP. JOHN DUNCAN, SEN. JUDD GREGG, SEN. LAMAR ALEXANDER - the list of Republicans is growing.

as comedian Robin Williams once said,

Reality. What a concept!

the New York Times has helped bring reality closer, even if a little...

bush Catch-22...

Joseph Heller would be extremely proud with this real Bush Catch-22 -

In a 2-1 decision with Republican-appointed judges in the majority, a three-judge panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the plaintiffs had no standing to sue because they couldn't prove their communications had been monitored by the government.

Court Rejects ACLU Domestic Spying Suit, from the Huffington Post

So, let's get this straight.

The people filing the suit can't file the suit because they can't prove that they were actually illegally wiretapped because it is impossible for them to prove that they were wiretapped because of the Czar's law that gives him the power to secretly wiretap citizens without their knowledge because of his war on terror.

huh...?

I'll take Political Idiocy for $2000, Alex...

the answer is:

I would note that we do get a lot of inquiries from the Hill. They've launched over 300 investigations, had over 350 requests for documents and interviews...And they have had over 600 oversight hearings in just about 100 days -- so that's about six oversight hearings a day. And we've turned over 200,000 pages of documents as an administration. Scott Stanzel, White House spokesperson

response:

What is the Constitutional power of Congressional Oversight?
duh...


oh, and does anyone wonder from where Stanzel pulled the number 300 out of his head so quickly?

and, if it's true, why would there be a need for 300 inquiries?

just asking...

weekender...

great shall be your reward...

Sister Martha, Sister Beatrice and Sister Janice fount themselves with St. Peter in front of the Pearly Gates.

"Sisters," said St. Peter, "leading lives as committed and sanctified as you have in the name of the Lord, there is a special reward that he has given you. For one day you may be the person for whom you have the greatest respect and honor. Sister Martha, you are first."

"Oh, Your Holiness, I have always admired and tried to model my life after the works and teachings of St. Francis of Assissi. I would find it not just an honor but also a reward to minister in his eyes."

"Granted," replied St. Pete. "Sister Beatrice, who would be your choice."

"St. Peter, I have been inspired by the works of Mother Theresa, but I would never presume to be her for any amount of time. I would find great honor in just working by her side with the downtrodden and infirmed for one day."

"Granted," nodded St. Pete. "Sister Janice."

"Your holiness, I would like to be Virginia Pippelinni for one day."

St. Peter gazes at her with a questioning look and replies, "I have never heard of Virginia Pippelini, Sister" and turns to his book of names. After consulting the book he looks again at Sister Janice and says, "There is no one with that name in my book."

"But St. Peter, she was very famous. She even was on the front page of the New York Times." With that she reaches into a fold of her habit and retrieves a yellowed page of newsprint, unfolds it and hands it to St. Peter.

St. Peter's eyes become as wide as saucers; they roll up and he shakes his head slowly.

"Sister, this reads,

'Virginia Pipeline Laid By 300 Men!'"

oh, my....

O say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore dimly seen thro' the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner: O, long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wash'd out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O thus be it ever when free-men shall stand
Between their lov'd home and the war's desolation;
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserv'd us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust!”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

like the fight for freedom never ends...

Flag gif can be found at Pleasure Gait Farms

ah, to be in ignorant bliss...

QT in the Chicago Sun-Times has this great tidbit for the 4th of July :

Dick who?

A Republic, If You Can Keep It (cont'd):

Three out of 10 Americans you see on the street can't name the vice president.

were that it was so easy. life would be so much simpler...

who said that?

"I don't believe my role is to replace the verdict of a jury with my own, unless there are new facts or evidence of which a jury was unaware, or evidence that the trial was somehow unfair."

you got it - George W Bush - as governor of Texas in 1999

no chance, no way...

Even Richard Nixon knew it was time to resign

Would that you could say that, Mr. Bush.

And that you could say it for Mr. Cheney.

You both crossed the Rubicon yesterday.

Which one of you chose the route, no longer matters.

Which is the ventriloquist, and which the dummy, is irrelevant.

Keith Olbermann, Special Comment, Countdown, Tuesday, July 3, 2007

The Czar and Rasputin could never show the insight and understanding that, in the end, Richard Nixon showed by resigning. Nixon still had a sense of honor. These two men have no honor that can be found in their wills or actions. They are bolstered by the words of the people who stroke their egos. The Ann Coulters, the Rush Limbaughs, the Bill O'Reillys....

There was another thing that helped Mr. Nixon realize that resignation was the only correct course of action - outrage. Outrage that was non-partisan. The Republican leadership stood up to him and said, "Enough." They had the courage to grasp the facts and to act in a way they knew was right, because they realized that the Constitution was under attack. They helped Mr. Nixon understand that.

I fear that there may only be one person on the Republican sides of the aisles of Congress that could do this - Senator Arlen Specter. So far, he has been the sole voice of reason questioning what is going on. Unfortunately, if any of the other Republicans are listening to him, they aren't making it known.

I've asked this before and it's becoming more and more important...

Where is the outrage?

scooter headlines/bloglines...

What Rule Of Law? - Andrew Sullivan, The Atlantic Online

Bush Spares Libby 30-Month Jail Term - The New York Times

Ending the Farce - David Brooks, NYT

Soft on Crime - NYT Editorial

Joe Wilson: Bush has "utterly subverted the rule of law and system of justice" and has role in the cover up - AmericaBlog.com

A Decision Made Largely Alone - Michael Abromowitz, Washington Post

Too Much Mercy - Washington Post editorial

Jonathan Turley: Cheney should have been an un-indicted, co-conspirator - Jonathon Turley, Crooks & Liars.com

What If Libby Was Black Or Mentally Retarded? - Bob Cesca, Huffinton Post

Have we just seen the roadmap on the subpoenas? - Daily Kos

Bush Libby move angers Democrats - BBC News

Bush's move cheers conservative base - Los Angeles Times

and my favorite...

Fitzgerald: "It Is Fundamental To The Rule Of Law That All Citizens Stand Before The Bar Of Justice As Equals" - Huffington Post