As soon as I can get the video I will post it here.
Here it is:
Olbermann's Special Comments focuses on telling Obama how to approach this FISA conundrum and come out with his "change candidate cred' still intact.
My only problem with this, and I know that Keith did not want to go into details on the particulars of his ideas, is that if Obama follows Keith's advice to the letter, he may look all "tough on the Bush immunity deal" but come out looking like Olbermann's butt boy.
My advice? Vote against the FISA bill, and then when it passes and you become President prosecute the hell out of the Telecoms and the administration that told them to spy on all of us.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Obama meets Clinton part 2.
Senator Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton spoke by telephone on Monday, their first conversation since the combative Democratic presidential primary season ended this month.
As Mr. Obama arrived here to deliver a speech on patriotism, he called Mr. Clinton. Last week, Mr. Obama left Mr. Clinton messages, but they did not connect because the former president was in Europe. The two covered a range of issues, aides to both men said, including how Mr. Clinton could help in the fall campaign.
If Bill Clinton has Obama shaped lip prints on his ass right now I will pull all of my support from Barack starting immediately. I am damn tired of all of this pouting and tantrum throwing.
Bill deserves nothing from Obama and he should be fucking thrilled that our next President deigned to telephone him.
As Mr. Obama arrived here to deliver a speech on patriotism, he called Mr. Clinton. Last week, Mr. Obama left Mr. Clinton messages, but they did not connect because the former president was in Europe. The two covered a range of issues, aides to both men said, including how Mr. Clinton could help in the fall campaign.
If Bill Clinton has Obama shaped lip prints on his ass right now I will pull all of my support from Barack starting immediately. I am damn tired of all of this pouting and tantrum throwing.
Bill deserves nothing from Obama and he should be fucking thrilled that our next President deigned to telephone him.
Wesley Clark tells the truth and gets spanked for it.
Clark said that McCain lacked the executive experience necessary to be president, calling him “untested and untried” on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” And in saying so, he took a few swipes at McCain’s military service.
After saying, "I certainly honor his service as a prisoner of war. He was a hero to me and to hundreds of thousands and millions of others in the armed forces, as a prisoner of war," he added that these experiences in no way qualify McCain to be president in his view:
“He has been a voice on the Senate Armed Services Committee. And he has traveled all over the world. But he hasn't held executive responsibility. That large squadron in the Navy that he commanded — that wasn't a wartime squadron,” Clark said.
“I don’t think getting in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to become president.”
Okay I put in bold the two portions of this article that i think are the most important.
In the top portion Wesley Clark clearly pays homage to McCain's experiences as a POW, which we should all be impressed by.
And in the bottom portion Clark makes the most obvious statement about McCain's mythology that can be made. Being a prisoner of war in no way prepares you to be President, or gives you any special knowledge about how to run the military in a time of war.
Now I am not saying that John McCain's background in the military does not make him more aware of military matters then the average civilian, because I think it does. But that also confuses me about why he votes against bills that provide guaranteed education benefits and why he supports Bush's excuses to use torture. His actions do not seem to be terribly informed by his past experiences.
I mean how can a victim of torture allow our country to adopt torture for the first time in its history?
So making the case that John McCain's experiences in Vietnam do not make him a better candidate for President seems very reasonable. (I heard some reporter on MSNBC making the comment that Clark had called into question McCain's patriotism, but that is a complete fabrication. The only thing Wesley Clark questioned was if McCain's experiences made him more qualified to be our next President, and they do not.)
After saying, "I certainly honor his service as a prisoner of war. He was a hero to me and to hundreds of thousands and millions of others in the armed forces, as a prisoner of war," he added that these experiences in no way qualify McCain to be president in his view:
“He has been a voice on the Senate Armed Services Committee. And he has traveled all over the world. But he hasn't held executive responsibility. That large squadron in the Navy that he commanded — that wasn't a wartime squadron,” Clark said.
“I don’t think getting in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to become president.”
Okay I put in bold the two portions of this article that i think are the most important.
In the top portion Wesley Clark clearly pays homage to McCain's experiences as a POW, which we should all be impressed by.
And in the bottom portion Clark makes the most obvious statement about McCain's mythology that can be made. Being a prisoner of war in no way prepares you to be President, or gives you any special knowledge about how to run the military in a time of war.
Now I am not saying that John McCain's background in the military does not make him more aware of military matters then the average civilian, because I think it does. But that also confuses me about why he votes against bills that provide guaranteed education benefits and why he supports Bush's excuses to use torture. His actions do not seem to be terribly informed by his past experiences.
I mean how can a victim of torture allow our country to adopt torture for the first time in its history?
So making the case that John McCain's experiences in Vietnam do not make him a better candidate for President seems very reasonable. (I heard some reporter on MSNBC making the comment that Clark had called into question McCain's patriotism, but that is a complete fabrication. The only thing Wesley Clark questioned was if McCain's experiences made him more qualified to be our next President, and they do not.)
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Nothing about this rings true to me.
A former head of Mossad has warned that Israel has 12 months in which to destroy Iran's nuclear programme or risk coming under nuclear attack itself. He also hinted that Israel might have to act sooner if Barack Obama wins the US presidential election.
Shabtai Shavit, an influential adviser to the Israeli parliament's defence and foreign affairs committee, told The Sunday Telegraph that time was running out to prevent Iran's leaders getting the bomb.
Mr Shavit, who retired from the Israeli intelligence agency in 1996, warned that he had no doubt Iran intended to use a nuclear weapon once it had the capability, and that Israel must conduct itself accordingly.
This has such an intense smell of bullshit that I can barely catch my breath.
What this seems like is a coordinated effort to get these kinds of stories out to convince the public in America and Israel that there is an immanent threat, so that George Bush can scratch Iran off his list of countries to screw up before he leaves office.
Just take a look at this logically.
Why would Iran be getting ready to attack Israel now? They are well aware that we are having an election in November where there is every likelihood that our next president will be Barack Obama, who has said that he will open up diplomatic negotiations with them. Why would they launch an attack while trigger happy George Bush is still in office?
They wouldn't! It makes no fucking sense whatsoever!
The recent NIE report stated that “We judge with high confidence that in fall 2003, Tehran halted its nuclear weapons program”. Yet the march toward conflict goes forward as if the facts simply did not matter. Just like Iraq and those imaginary WMD's.
We need to put pressure on our Senators and Congressmen and let them know that if they allow George Bush to start yet another war they will ALL be looking for other jobs after the next round of elections.
This is what Barack Obama had to say on the subject when he was a candidate. Let's hope his opinions have not changed.
Shabtai Shavit, an influential adviser to the Israeli parliament's defence and foreign affairs committee, told The Sunday Telegraph that time was running out to prevent Iran's leaders getting the bomb.
Mr Shavit, who retired from the Israeli intelligence agency in 1996, warned that he had no doubt Iran intended to use a nuclear weapon once it had the capability, and that Israel must conduct itself accordingly.
This has such an intense smell of bullshit that I can barely catch my breath.
What this seems like is a coordinated effort to get these kinds of stories out to convince the public in America and Israel that there is an immanent threat, so that George Bush can scratch Iran off his list of countries to screw up before he leaves office.
Just take a look at this logically.
Why would Iran be getting ready to attack Israel now? They are well aware that we are having an election in November where there is every likelihood that our next president will be Barack Obama, who has said that he will open up diplomatic negotiations with them. Why would they launch an attack while trigger happy George Bush is still in office?
They wouldn't! It makes no fucking sense whatsoever!
The recent NIE report stated that “We judge with high confidence that in fall 2003, Tehran halted its nuclear weapons program”. Yet the march toward conflict goes forward as if the facts simply did not matter. Just like Iraq and those imaginary WMD's.
We need to put pressure on our Senators and Congressmen and let them know that if they allow George Bush to start yet another war they will ALL be looking for other jobs after the next round of elections.
This is what Barack Obama had to say on the subject when he was a candidate. Let's hope his opinions have not changed.
Let's take another break from politics and watch one of my favorite shows.
I watched this episode last night and laughed myself sick.
Do yourself a favor and take a moment to sit back and laugh at reality shows and other empty headed television programming.
Damn! That is even more hysterical the second time around!
Do yourself a favor and take a moment to sit back and laugh at reality shows and other empty headed television programming.
Damn! That is even more hysterical the second time around!
Bill Clinton wants Barack to"kiss his ass".
Mr Obama is expected to speak to Mr Clinton for the first time since he won the nomination in the next few days, but campaign insiders say that the former president's future campaign role is a "sticking point" in peace talks with Mrs Clinton's aides.
The Telegraph has learned that the former president's rage is still so great that even loyal allies are shocked by his patronising attitude to Mr Obama, and believe that he risks damaging his own reputation by his intransigence.
A senior Democrat who worked for Mr Clinton has revealed that he recently told friends Mr Obama could "kiss my ass" in return for his support.
I remember at one point during this nomination process that Bill Clinton made reference to politics being tough and then made reference to Obama's campaign being similar to Jesse Jackson's, meaning it was going to fail, and referred to it as a "fairy tale".
Now Bill wants Obama to not only forget the nasty things he said, he also wants Barack to apologize for fighting back.
Bill has completely destroyed his brand for all time. Getting his dick sucked and lying about it was bad, but acting like a racist and not only lying about it but also demanding a apology from his target is unforgivable.
The Telegraph has learned that the former president's rage is still so great that even loyal allies are shocked by his patronising attitude to Mr Obama, and believe that he risks damaging his own reputation by his intransigence.
A senior Democrat who worked for Mr Clinton has revealed that he recently told friends Mr Obama could "kiss my ass" in return for his support.
I remember at one point during this nomination process that Bill Clinton made reference to politics being tough and then made reference to Obama's campaign being similar to Jesse Jackson's, meaning it was going to fail, and referred to it as a "fairy tale".
Now Bill wants Obama to not only forget the nasty things he said, he also wants Barack to apologize for fighting back.
Bill has completely destroyed his brand for all time. Getting his dick sucked and lying about it was bad, but acting like a racist and not only lying about it but also demanding a apology from his target is unforgivable.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
AT&T whistleblower says FISA bill may have doomed the Constitution for good.
Mark Klein, the retired AT&T engineer who stepped forward with the technical documents at the heart of the anti-wiretapping case against AT&T, is furious at the Senate's vote on Wednesday night to hold a vote on a bill intended to put an end to that lawsuit and more than 30 others.
[Wednesday]'s vote by Congress effectively gives retroactive immunity to the telecom companies and endorses an all-powerful president. It’s a Congressional coup against the Constitution.
The Democratic leadership is touting the deal as a "compromise," but in fact they have endorsed the infamous Nuremberg defense: "Just following orders." The judge can only check their paperwork. This cynical deal is a Democratic exercise in deceit and cowardice.
Congress has made the FISA law a dead letter--such a law is useless if the president can break it with impunity. Thus the Democrats have surreptitiously repudiated the main reform of the post-Watergate era and adopted Nixon’s line: "When the president does it that means that it is not illegal." This is the judicial logic of a dictatorship.
The surveillance system now approved by Congress provides the physical apparatus for the government to collect and store a huge database on virtually the entire population, available for data mining whenever the government wants to target its political opponents at any given moment—all in the hands of an unrestrained executive power. It is the infrastructure for a police state.
The Democrats are either completely clueless about what the administration is trying to get away with or are in collusion with them. And if the latter is the case then who do we trust?
And as if that were not bad enough it looks like the administration might be looking to up the ante: “The Homeland Security Department is talking about expanding the program to use military satellites really, for domestic purposes. They say the primary driver is natural disasters — like the recent flooding in the midwest — to pinpoint areas that are most hard hit and to help with responses, first responses. But they also leave open the possibility that this could be used for other purposes, law enforce many purposes. Tracking potential terrorists but also tracking potential drug operations.”
“And that is where the concerns about civil liberty abuses come in. First of all, there are strict laws about the act that limits the use of the U.S. military for law enforcement purposes. But the precision of these satellites, they can literally capture crystal clear images of your car as you leave the studio this afternoon. And capture them in computer databases — in the governmentcomputer databases. And it raises all sorts of concerns. To some degree, the administration is paying the price of what is for — what many in congress see as way over stepping — in the electronic surveillance era.”
If the Democrats and Obama are truly going to rescue our country from the criminals who have usurped power they sure as shit better get their act together NOW! We are rapidly running out of time.
[Wednesday]'s vote by Congress effectively gives retroactive immunity to the telecom companies and endorses an all-powerful president. It’s a Congressional coup against the Constitution.
The Democratic leadership is touting the deal as a "compromise," but in fact they have endorsed the infamous Nuremberg defense: "Just following orders." The judge can only check their paperwork. This cynical deal is a Democratic exercise in deceit and cowardice.
Congress has made the FISA law a dead letter--such a law is useless if the president can break it with impunity. Thus the Democrats have surreptitiously repudiated the main reform of the post-Watergate era and adopted Nixon’s line: "When the president does it that means that it is not illegal." This is the judicial logic of a dictatorship.
The surveillance system now approved by Congress provides the physical apparatus for the government to collect and store a huge database on virtually the entire population, available for data mining whenever the government wants to target its political opponents at any given moment—all in the hands of an unrestrained executive power. It is the infrastructure for a police state.
The Democrats are either completely clueless about what the administration is trying to get away with or are in collusion with them. And if the latter is the case then who do we trust?
And as if that were not bad enough it looks like the administration might be looking to up the ante: “The Homeland Security Department is talking about expanding the program to use military satellites really, for domestic purposes. They say the primary driver is natural disasters — like the recent flooding in the midwest — to pinpoint areas that are most hard hit and to help with responses, first responses. But they also leave open the possibility that this could be used for other purposes, law enforce many purposes. Tracking potential terrorists but also tracking potential drug operations.”
“And that is where the concerns about civil liberty abuses come in. First of all, there are strict laws about the act that limits the use of the U.S. military for law enforcement purposes. But the precision of these satellites, they can literally capture crystal clear images of your car as you leave the studio this afternoon. And capture them in computer databases — in the governmentcomputer databases. And it raises all sorts of concerns. To some degree, the administration is paying the price of what is for — what many in congress see as way over stepping — in the electronic surveillance era.”
If the Democrats and Obama are truly going to rescue our country from the criminals who have usurped power they sure as shit better get their act together NOW! We are rapidly running out of time.
Wall-E upsets lazy overweight people and Republicans. Now that is a great film!
So I saw this movie today and it was absolutely awesome! I loved it! The kids loved it! In my opinion It was a perfect movie experience.There are some who do not agree with me however.
I guess that there are some people who do not appreciate the hidden message about the foibles of being a lazy, fat sucking, consumer.
And apparently Republicans are also upset that the film illustrates that their planet raping policies may have a detrimental effect on earth.
Wait, you know what? I am not at all sure that the overweight Cheetos crunchers and the anti-clean air Republicans are really separate groups. There is a pretty good chance that this film only upset like a handful of pear shaped conservatives.
If that is the case this film should do HUGE business.
Garry Trudeau feels the Obama bloggers pain.
I am not technically an Obama blogger. I am not aware of an effort to organize bloggers into supporting Obama and I would not join it if there were.
But as anybody who visits here frequently can easily surmise I am an freelance Obama supporter, though not one who has his eyes closed to the man's faults. And those faults will be addressed here right alongside his many attributes.
Seeing my idol Garry Trudeau addressing Obama bloggers is pretty amazing and I feel honored to have even the smallest connection to his subject matter.
I started reading Doonesbury when I needed reading material to take with me on the plane as I flew to attend college. I simply chose a handful of Doonesbury pocket books and laughed all the way to Hawaii. (I am sure the other passengers thought I had lost my mind.)
I was hooked after that and now have a huge collection of Doonesbury comic strip books.
Hell I even named my cat "Doonesbury".
Empty gestures and political slight of hand.
Hillary spokesperson Mo Elleithee confirms to me that Bill and Hillary Clinton have now maxed out to Obama, donating $4600 to his campaign today.
It's a strong signal to the Clinton fundraising elite and donor base that the time has come to open the wallets for Obama. It comes a day after the Obamas similarly maxed out to Hillary's campaign to relieve it of debt.
Are you thinking to yourself, 'Hey that sounds familiar but I thought it was the other way around?"
You are right, it was: Sen. Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, each donated $2,300 Thursday to the campaign of his former opponent, Sen. Hillary Clinton, which is millions of dollars in debt.
So essentially the Obama's and Clinton's traded back the same $4,600.00 for political reasons.
To manipulate our emotions.
Obama gave money to Clinton so that his donors would help pay down her debt. And then the Clinton's gave it back so that her supporters would send money to Obama.
Does that sound as ridiculous to you as it does to me?
I mean if Hillary has such great donors why don't they pay off her debt? And if Obama needed her donors why does he have so damn much money?
This entire thing is clumsy political theatre and I have no idea who it fools but whoever they are they may not be smart enough to check the right box during the election anyhow. Just how dumb is the average American anyhow.
It's a strong signal to the Clinton fundraising elite and donor base that the time has come to open the wallets for Obama. It comes a day after the Obamas similarly maxed out to Hillary's campaign to relieve it of debt.
Are you thinking to yourself, 'Hey that sounds familiar but I thought it was the other way around?"
You are right, it was: Sen. Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, each donated $2,300 Thursday to the campaign of his former opponent, Sen. Hillary Clinton, which is millions of dollars in debt.
So essentially the Obama's and Clinton's traded back the same $4,600.00 for political reasons.
To manipulate our emotions.
Obama gave money to Clinton so that his donors would help pay down her debt. And then the Clinton's gave it back so that her supporters would send money to Obama.
Does that sound as ridiculous to you as it does to me?
I mean if Hillary has such great donors why don't they pay off her debt? And if Obama needed her donors why does he have so damn much money?
This entire thing is clumsy political theatre and I have no idea who it fools but whoever they are they may not be smart enough to check the right box during the election anyhow. Just how dumb is the average American anyhow.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Hillary supporter who threatened to vote for McCain may lose delegate status. I just love karma.
A Democratic National Convention delegate pledged to Hillary Rodham Clinton says she hopes to fight off an attempt by Wisconsin Democrats to take away her credentials because of her past statement that she would vote for John McCain if Clinton wasn't the nominee.
"Keeping national delegate status is very important to me," Debra Bartoshevich said Thursday. "I believe that Hillary is the better candidate of all of them."
I hate to break it to Ms. Bartoshevich but Hillary is not the candidate. Obama is.
Bartoshevich told the newspaper she felt Clinton was being treated unfairly and she questioned Obama's experience. She also said she had signed up with "Citizens for McCain," encouraged by her sister, who has served in Iraq and backs the Republican.
That report came out just as Wisconsin Democrats were gathering for their state convention in Stevens Point on June 13, and the convention quickly approved a resolution to challenge Bartoshevich's status as a delegate to the Democratic convention in Denver in August.
"It's extremely important that we send a message that Democrats in the state of Wisconsin will never support somebody who supports John McCain for president," Wineke said at the time, to cheers from the hundreds of party activists.
The message here kids is that politics is a serious business and if you want to participate you are going to have to stop throwing a fucking tantrum, accept that your candidate lost, and vote with your party. Or else you are no longer part of the party.
Yet another woman doing her best to undermine the woman's movement by acting like a spoiled child.
"Keeping national delegate status is very important to me," Debra Bartoshevich said Thursday. "I believe that Hillary is the better candidate of all of them."
I hate to break it to Ms. Bartoshevich but Hillary is not the candidate. Obama is.
Bartoshevich told the newspaper she felt Clinton was being treated unfairly and she questioned Obama's experience. She also said she had signed up with "Citizens for McCain," encouraged by her sister, who has served in Iraq and backs the Republican.
That report came out just as Wisconsin Democrats were gathering for their state convention in Stevens Point on June 13, and the convention quickly approved a resolution to challenge Bartoshevich's status as a delegate to the Democratic convention in Denver in August.
"It's extremely important that we send a message that Democrats in the state of Wisconsin will never support somebody who supports John McCain for president," Wineke said at the time, to cheers from the hundreds of party activists.
The message here kids is that politics is a serious business and if you want to participate you are going to have to stop throwing a fucking tantrum, accept that your candidate lost, and vote with your party. Or else you are no longer part of the party.
Yet another woman doing her best to undermine the woman's movement by acting like a spoiled child.
Obama and Hillary kiss and make nice for the good of the party.
"I've admired her as a leader, I've learned from her as a candidate. She rocks. She rocks. (This was in answer to a shouted comment from the crowd and Barack handled it beautifully.)
That's the point I'm trying to make," Obama added, responding to cheers from the crowd. "I know firsthand how good she is, how tough she is, how passionate she is, how committed she is the causes that brought all of us here today."
Each needs the other now. ( I tend to disagree with this statement. I don't truly believe that Obama needs Hillary to be elected.)
Well anyhow they have finally had the photo op that everybody wanted to see, so now let's try to get focused on beating John McCain and then fixing this broken country.
I for one am tired of talking about Hillary and her campaign.
Obama and other politicians pay homage to the misunderstanding of the 2nd amendment.
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
If you read the above words it should be clear what the forefathers intended concerning weapons in the hands of our citizens.
They wanted us to be able to protect ourselves against those British bastards or any other nation that felt it was okay to attack our newly formed democracy.
They did not want to put guns into the hands of angry spouses, gang bangers, and muggers. But thanks to the efforts of the NRA that is how it has been interpreted for decades.
No national politician dares speak out against gun ownership in America. Not even so called liberals like Barack Obama: "As President, I will uphold the constitutional rights of law-abiding gun-owners, hunters, and sportsmen. I know that what works in Chicago may not work in Cheyenne. We can work together to enact common-sense laws, like closing the gun show loophole and improving our background check system, so that guns do not fall into the hands of terrorists or criminals. Today's decision reinforces that if we act responsibly, we can both protect the constitutional right to bear arms and keep our communities and our children safe." (Terrorists? WTF?)
Or even Russ Feingold: "I am very pleased the Supreme Court finally recognized that the 2nd Amendment protects an individual right to bear arms. This is an important decision for millions of law-abiding gun owners. Public safety must be ensured without depriving our citizens of their constitutional rights."
As an intelligent person it really irritates me when I see people that I respect pandering to the unwashed masses of people who believe that it is their God given right to keep a weapon in their double wide trailer that essentially puts their neighbors, themselves, and their family in danger.
I don't believe for an instant that this ruling is a good thing for our country nor will it keep our citizens any safer.
If you read the above words it should be clear what the forefathers intended concerning weapons in the hands of our citizens.
They wanted us to be able to protect ourselves against those British bastards or any other nation that felt it was okay to attack our newly formed democracy.
They did not want to put guns into the hands of angry spouses, gang bangers, and muggers. But thanks to the efforts of the NRA that is how it has been interpreted for decades.
No national politician dares speak out against gun ownership in America. Not even so called liberals like Barack Obama: "As President, I will uphold the constitutional rights of law-abiding gun-owners, hunters, and sportsmen. I know that what works in Chicago may not work in Cheyenne. We can work together to enact common-sense laws, like closing the gun show loophole and improving our background check system, so that guns do not fall into the hands of terrorists or criminals. Today's decision reinforces that if we act responsibly, we can both protect the constitutional right to bear arms and keep our communities and our children safe." (Terrorists? WTF?)
Or even Russ Feingold: "I am very pleased the Supreme Court finally recognized that the 2nd Amendment protects an individual right to bear arms. This is an important decision for millions of law-abiding gun owners. Public safety must be ensured without depriving our citizens of their constitutional rights."
As an intelligent person it really irritates me when I see people that I respect pandering to the unwashed masses of people who believe that it is their God given right to keep a weapon in their double wide trailer that essentially puts their neighbors, themselves, and their family in danger.
I don't believe for an instant that this ruling is a good thing for our country nor will it keep our citizens any safer.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
CNN correspondent Michael Ware is the other man in the Lara Logan, Joe Burkett love triangle.
Passions got so hot in the combat zone that one of her lovers, Joe Burkett, brawled in a Baghdad "safe house" with her other paramour, CNN war reporter Michael Ware, a source said.A close pal of Logan, who confirmed the allegations to The Post, said Burkett's marriage to Kimberly was already finished six months before they sparked up a relationship.
"She is not the cause of their divorce," the friend told The Post yesterday.
"It was going to happen."
The pal also said Logan was particularly hurt by the comments because she had met Kimberly Burkett and thought the two were "friendly."
As for the other claims, pals admitted that Logan had a one-time fling with CNN reporter Ware - but denied that there was any sort of fight between him and Burkett in Baghdad.
Wow how does anybody get any reporting done with all of the bed hopping?
Well this story may in fact be blown way out of proportion.
The above sources claim that Lara is not a homewrecker, and I actually would like to believe them. She is just a unbelievably hot woman carbonating the hormones of all of the men who come in contact with her. How is that her fault?
I am going to have to side with Ms. Logan on this one. And not just because she is so hot.
Well maybe a little.
I am still kind of sad about George Carlin's passing. But you know what makes the sad go away? George Carlin talking about the Ten Commandments.
George Carlin was not simply a comedian. He was a social commentator who did not accept bullshit.
And this clip proves that point beautifully.
Let Jon Stewart explain to you how oil man George Bush has resisted following EPA guidelines.
I found myself torn between laughing and sobbing at how unbelievably ridiculous this whole administration has been.
I firmly believe if it were not for Jon Stewart and Keith Olbermann I would have lost my damn mind. Simply put, I owe them my sanity.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Lara Logan has been doing more then just reporting on Iraq. She has also been doing a US State Department contractor. Do I sound jealous?
The ENQUIRER has learned exclusively that CBS Evening News and 60 Minutes foreign correspondent, Lara Logan, has been named as the “other woman” in a Texas couple Joe and Kimberly Burkett's bitter divorce.Burkett’s wife Kimberly, 32, was so distraught with his cheating that she took an overdose of Valium Kimberly Burkett's attorney Susie Chmielowiec told The ENQUIRER, “Kimberly believes Lara stole her husband – and now they’re trying to steal her little girl."
And in a twist that’s as shocking as any story Lara has covered, sources are charging she also had another affair, and her two lovers got into a brutal battle over her in Baghdad!
Sources charge that the Emmy winning Logan began her affair with 36-year-old U.S. State Department contractor, Burkett in war-torn Baghdad.
And yet another scandal brews in the steamy mix: Lara’s reported romance with a star CNN correspondent – whose jealousy exploded in a battle royal with Burkett in a Baghdad “safe house.”
“Not only is Lara having a torrid affair with a married man – she apparently has more than one lover!” Chmielowiec charged to The ENQUIRER.
Raise you hand if you are shocked by this revelation. Yeah I did not think so.
You know when I saw her walk out for her interview with Jon Stewart last week the first thing I thought was that she must be fending off male advances all damn day. The fact that she is succumbing to some of the attention is certainly not surprising.
I do feel bad about the wife, and especially for the little girl who is having her life torn apart by the randy impulses of her father.
But damn I don't think for an instant I would have fared any better if I were to find myself in the company of the lovely Ms. Logan. Of course as everyone already knows I am a man-whore.
After 27 years MTV decides to start running political ads. Why the change? Because 27 years ago there was no Barack Obama.
The Viacom MTV Networks channel -- once known for round-the-clock music videos and now home to a host of reality shows -- says it will now take political ads, though only from political candidates and party political committees, not from third parties.
Somewhere Barack Obama is having a very good day.
This will help reach that extremely important youth vote that may be more decisive this year then in any other election cycle.
So remember kids, this is your country, MTV plays your music, and Obama is your candidate.
Oh, and this is your favorite political blog (Sorry couldn't resist.)
Somewhere Barack Obama is having a very good day.
This will help reach that extremely important youth vote that may be more decisive this year then in any other election cycle.
So remember kids, this is your country, MTV plays your music, and Obama is your candidate.
Oh, and this is your favorite political blog (Sorry couldn't resist.)
Teddy Haggard has had all of the gay demons exorcised from his body and now he only likes (fe)males.
The evangelist forced out of his job after being caught up in a sex scandal involving a male prostitute has left a "spiritual restoration program" and no longer has any ties to the megachurch he founded, the congregation's new pastor said Sunday.
Under a severance deal that Ted Haggard reached with the church in 2006, he agreed to leave Colorado Springs and not talk about the scandal publicly. The deal expired at the end of 2007. New pastor Brady Boyd said Haggard was now free to live where he wanted and has returned to Colorado Springs.
"They have moved back and they live in the original house that they lived in for many years," Boyd said of Haggard and his wife, Gayle.
Haggard answered the telephone at his Colorado Springs telephone number on Sunday and confirmed he was in the city but said he couldn't talk to reporters.
So now Mr. Haggard re-enters society with the confidence that the next time he is confronted with a sizzling hot example of buffed man flesh that the only thing it will stiffen is his resolve that he only wants to get jiggy with the soft, squishy, lavender scented flesh of the middle aged Mrs. Haggard.
Oh yeah this should work out well.
I give Ted about six months before he is cruising gay bars looking for someone to make him their bitch. Maybe nine months, but that is about it. And I certainly hope it makes it into the papers. Because I am going to LAUGH!
Under a severance deal that Ted Haggard reached with the church in 2006, he agreed to leave Colorado Springs and not talk about the scandal publicly. The deal expired at the end of 2007. New pastor Brady Boyd said Haggard was now free to live where he wanted and has returned to Colorado Springs.
"They have moved back and they live in the original house that they lived in for many years," Boyd said of Haggard and his wife, Gayle.
Haggard answered the telephone at his Colorado Springs telephone number on Sunday and confirmed he was in the city but said he couldn't talk to reporters.
So now Mr. Haggard re-enters society with the confidence that the next time he is confronted with a sizzling hot example of buffed man flesh that the only thing it will stiffen is his resolve that he only wants to get jiggy with the soft, squishy, lavender scented flesh of the middle aged Mrs. Haggard.
Oh yeah this should work out well.
I give Ted about six months before he is cruising gay bars looking for someone to make him their bitch. Maybe nine months, but that is about it. And I certainly hope it makes it into the papers. Because I am going to LAUGH!
Obama's popularity has Republicans attempting to use his coattails to get elected. WTF?
Republicans usually demonize Barack Obama in their political advertising, but GOP Sen. Gordon Smith aligns himself with the Democratic presidential candidate in a new ad, citing legislation they worked on to improve fuel efficiency standards.
Observers in both parties said it appeared to be the first time in this election cycle that a GOP Senate candidate had aligned with Obama.
The ad, responding to an independent Democratic ad linking Smith to high gas prices, credits Obama with saying that "Gordon Smith led the fight for better gas mileage and a cleaner environment."
Democrats say Obama said nothing of the kind.
Well this is new.
I am going to have to imagine that Senator Smith is going to have some "splaining to do" when he gets together with his Republican pals.
I have heard that the Republicans are getting pretty desperate but I had no idea that it was getting this bad for them. Now that is the kind of news that puts a smile on my face.
Observers in both parties said it appeared to be the first time in this election cycle that a GOP Senate candidate had aligned with Obama.
The ad, responding to an independent Democratic ad linking Smith to high gas prices, credits Obama with saying that "Gordon Smith led the fight for better gas mileage and a cleaner environment."
Democrats say Obama said nothing of the kind.
Well this is new.
I am going to have to imagine that Senator Smith is going to have some "splaining to do" when he gets together with his Republican pals.
I have heard that the Republicans are getting pretty desperate but I had no idea that it was getting this bad for them. Now that is the kind of news that puts a smile on my face.
Oh look! Here is another example of the Bush administration breaking the law. Let's all watch as nobody is held accountable for it.
Ivy Leaguers and other top law students were rejected for plum Justice Department jobs two years ago because of their liberal leanings or objections to Bush administration politics, a government report concluded Tuesday.
In one case, a Harvard Law student was passed over after criticizing the nomination of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court. In another, a Georgetown University student who had previously worked for a Democratic senator and congressman didn't make the cut.
Even senior Justice Department officials flinched at what appeared to be hiring decisions based _ improperly and illegally _ on politics, according to the internal report.
Look I hate to seem indifferent to this criminal activity. If this were any other administration I would expect this to cause all kinds of criminal action and further scrutiny into their practices.
But this is the Bush administration. They break laws like some people eat potato chips. And nothing ever happens to them. Nothing!
This should be a giant story that consumes the news cycle for weeks to come and there should be indictments and hearings and somebody, somewhere, should do some damn jail time!
But they won't. Because the Democrats are pussies, and the Republicans could not care less.
In one case, a Harvard Law student was passed over after criticizing the nomination of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court. In another, a Georgetown University student who had previously worked for a Democratic senator and congressman didn't make the cut.
Even senior Justice Department officials flinched at what appeared to be hiring decisions based _ improperly and illegally _ on politics, according to the internal report.
Look I hate to seem indifferent to this criminal activity. If this were any other administration I would expect this to cause all kinds of criminal action and further scrutiny into their practices.
But this is the Bush administration. They break laws like some people eat potato chips. And nothing ever happens to them. Nothing!
This should be a giant story that consumes the news cycle for weeks to come and there should be indictments and hearings and somebody, somewhere, should do some damn jail time!
But they won't. Because the Democrats are pussies, and the Republicans could not care less.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
I drove her to the clinic and gave her $300, how was I to know she was getting an abortion?
Erickson, a Lake Oswego businessman, is the Republican candidate in Oregon's 5th Congressional District and is running on an anti-abortion platform. The charge that he provided money to Tawnya nearly derailed his campaign for the May 20 primary and could hobble his chances in the Nov. 4 general election against state Sen. Kurt Schrader, D-Canby.
"I asked him, 'Are you sure you don't want a baby?' " she said. "He shook his head. I opened the door, got out bawling and crossed the street and walked up to the clinic."
Erickson, 45, said he dated Tawnya "for a couple of months." He told The Oregonian he didn't remember many details about their relationship, including where they met or when they dated. He said she betrayed no emotion during the car ride.
"Did I pay for an abortion? Absolutely not," Erickson said.
Conservatives are all gung-ho about stopping abortions and vilifying the doctors who perform them until they face the possibility of paying thousands of dollars in child support, or spending a lifetime married to a women who only looks hot with beer goggles on.
I often wonder if there is even one Republican politician who is not suffering from terminal hypocrisy. Actually I am pretty sure I know the answer to that question.
"I asked him, 'Are you sure you don't want a baby?' " she said. "He shook his head. I opened the door, got out bawling and crossed the street and walked up to the clinic."
Erickson, 45, said he dated Tawnya "for a couple of months." He told The Oregonian he didn't remember many details about their relationship, including where they met or when they dated. He said she betrayed no emotion during the car ride.
"Did I pay for an abortion? Absolutely not," Erickson said.
Conservatives are all gung-ho about stopping abortions and vilifying the doctors who perform them until they face the possibility of paying thousands of dollars in child support, or spending a lifetime married to a women who only looks hot with beer goggles on.
I often wonder if there is even one Republican politician who is not suffering from terminal hypocrisy. Actually I am pretty sure I know the answer to that question.
Why did 94 House members switch from opposing retroactive immunity for phone carriers to supporting it? Here is a hint,$$$$!!
On March 14 of this year the House passed an amendment that rejected retroactive immunity for phone carriers who helped the National Security Agency carry out the illegal wiretapping program without proper warrants. Ninety-four House Democrats voted in favor of this measure--rejecting immunity--on March 14, then ‘changed’ to vote in favor of the June 20 House bill--approving immunity.
“Why did these ninety-four House members have a change of heart?” asked Daniel Newman, executive director of MAPLight.org, “Their constituents deserve answers.”
MAPLight.org's research department compiled PAC campaign contributions from Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint and correlated them with the voting records of all House members who voted on last week’s FISA bill. (The analysis used data from CRP; contributions were from January 2005 through March 2008). Here are the findings:
Comparing Democrats' Votes (March 14th and June 20th votes):
Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint gave PAC contributions averaging:
$8,359 to each Democrat who changed their position to support immunity for Telcos (94 Dems)
$4,987 to each Democrat who remained opposed to immunity for Telcos (116 Dems)
88 percent of the Dems who changed to supporting immunity (83 Dems of the 94) received PAC contributions from Verizon, AT&T, or Sprint during the last three years (Jan. 2005-Mar. 2008). See below for list of these 94 Dems.
All House Members (June 20th vote:)Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint gave PAC contributions averaging:
$9,659 to each member of the House voting "YES" (105-Dem, 188-Rep) $4,810 to each member of the House voting "NO" (128-Dem, 1-Rep)
This is fucking embarrassing!
If the Democrats can be bought off this easily then how are the American people ever going to see justice served on the Bush administration and their cohorts?
In my opinion these so-called Democrats better be watching their asses during the next election or their seat may end up being filled by a real progressive who is not looking to line his pockets or gets frightened off when George Bush goes "boo".
Fucking pussies!
“Why did these ninety-four House members have a change of heart?” asked Daniel Newman, executive director of MAPLight.org, “Their constituents deserve answers.”
MAPLight.org's research department compiled PAC campaign contributions from Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint and correlated them with the voting records of all House members who voted on last week’s FISA bill. (The analysis used data from CRP; contributions were from January 2005 through March 2008). Here are the findings:
Comparing Democrats' Votes (March 14th and June 20th votes):
Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint gave PAC contributions averaging:
$8,359 to each Democrat who changed their position to support immunity for Telcos (94 Dems)
$4,987 to each Democrat who remained opposed to immunity for Telcos (116 Dems)
88 percent of the Dems who changed to supporting immunity (83 Dems of the 94) received PAC contributions from Verizon, AT&T, or Sprint during the last three years (Jan. 2005-Mar. 2008). See below for list of these 94 Dems.
All House Members (June 20th vote:)Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint gave PAC contributions averaging:
$9,659 to each member of the House voting "YES" (105-Dem, 188-Rep) $4,810 to each member of the House voting "NO" (128-Dem, 1-Rep)
This is fucking embarrassing!
If the Democrats can be bought off this easily then how are the American people ever going to see justice served on the Bush administration and their cohorts?
In my opinion these so-called Democrats better be watching their asses during the next election or their seat may end up being filled by a real progressive who is not looking to line his pockets or gets frightened off when George Bush goes "boo".
Fucking pussies!
The O'Reilly Factor summed up in one minute.
(Link goes to Crooks & Liars which is where I found this amazingly accurate video.)
The Daily Show's new "correspondent" Wyatt Cenac lays out the reason that Obama decided against public financing.
Damn this one is funny! Do yourself a favor and watch it.
And by the way Jon is right, it IS okay to laugh at Obama sometimes.
Heinz man on man kissing commercial upsets British, Heinz jerks it off the air.
Now my favorite part of this story is Bill O'Reilly's reaction to seeing the commercial: "So why are they doing that? Why -- it was. It was obviously a gay thing. Now I don't know what the message is, other than gay people like mayonnaise. ... I'm confused. This whole gender blending thing. It's confusing to me. ... I just want mayonnaise. I don't want guys kissing."
"Look I started the commercial feeling a little hungry, but by the end I was uncomfortably aroused and I just don't understand it. I mean what does it mean? I think I may have made my own mayonnaise in my pants. What the hell is that about?"
It is too bad that some homophobic people have felt the need to pressure the television stations into once again marginalizing a rather large consumer group just to avoid having to tell their little snowflakes that sometimes daddy's don't need mommy's.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Oil companies have access to millions of untapped American acres but cannot forget the one that got away.
Oil companies and many lawmakers are pressing to open up more U.S. areas for drilling. But the industry is drilling on just a fraction of areas it already has access to.
Of the 90 million offshore acres the industry has leases to, mostly in the Gulf of Mexico, it is estimated that upwards of 70 million are not producing oil, according to both Democrats and oil-industry sources.
One Democrat staffer said if all these existing areas were being drilled, U.S. oil production could be boosted by nearly 5 million barrels a day, although the oil industry said that number is far too high and one government agency said it was impossible to estimate productio
"Big Oil is more interested in pumping up prices and pumping up their own profits rather than pumping more oil," said Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass), who has co-sponsored a bill to charge oil companies a fee for land they hold that's not producing oil. "We should not even begin discussing handing over more public land to the oil companies until they first use [the land] they already hold."
Well the explanation for this is obvious.
You see oil companies are controlled by men. Men are compelled to conquer new virgin areas that they can impale and make their oil producing sluts. Its a guy thing.
It is not good enough that they have millions of subdued acres just waiting for them to use their huge drills to plunder their inky depths. No they want the cool untouchable ANWR who has successfully resisted every attempt they have made to conquer her. They are left excited by the prospects but disappointed by the results.
Every failed attempt simply fuels their lust and inflames their desire to tame the vast pristine body of land that lies to the north.
Now do you understand? And does anybody else feel like cuddling?
Of the 90 million offshore acres the industry has leases to, mostly in the Gulf of Mexico, it is estimated that upwards of 70 million are not producing oil, according to both Democrats and oil-industry sources.
One Democrat staffer said if all these existing areas were being drilled, U.S. oil production could be boosted by nearly 5 million barrels a day, although the oil industry said that number is far too high and one government agency said it was impossible to estimate productio
"Big Oil is more interested in pumping up prices and pumping up their own profits rather than pumping more oil," said Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass), who has co-sponsored a bill to charge oil companies a fee for land they hold that's not producing oil. "We should not even begin discussing handing over more public land to the oil companies until they first use [the land] they already hold."
Well the explanation for this is obvious.
You see oil companies are controlled by men. Men are compelled to conquer new virgin areas that they can impale and make their oil producing sluts. Its a guy thing.
It is not good enough that they have millions of subdued acres just waiting for them to use their huge drills to plunder their inky depths. No they want the cool untouchable ANWR who has successfully resisted every attempt they have made to conquer her. They are left excited by the prospects but disappointed by the results.
Every failed attempt simply fuels their lust and inflames their desire to tame the vast pristine body of land that lies to the north.
Now do you understand? And does anybody else feel like cuddling?
Obama makes another misstep.
After days of media mockery, Barack Obama has decided to stop using a presidential-looking seal that his campaign designed and affixed to his podium on Friday.Journalists said the seal, which features an eagle clutching arrows and an olive branch, smacks of arrogance. John McCain's camp had a field day, calling the seal “laughable, ridiculous, preposterous and revealing - all at the same time.”
This was a pretty ridiculous mistake to make.
I mean somebody took the time to create, and then the campaign paid for, an item that was obviously going to attract scorn and derision.
How this got passed the earliest planning stages is completely beyond me. Obama needs to be aware how desperately his opponents are looking for missteps and blunders that they can use to diminish him in the minds of the voters.
And here he goes handing them one on a silver platter.
Let us get our act together shall we, this is after all the big leagues.
McCain advisor accidentally says outloud what most Republicans believe to be gospel.
John McCain distanced himself Monday from a top adviser who said another terrorist attack on U.S. soil this election year would benefit the Republican presidential candidate. Barack Obama's campaign called the comment a "complete disgrace."
Charlie Black, an adviser already in the spotlight for his past lobbying work, is quoted in the upcoming July 7 edition of Fortune magazine as saying such an attack "certainly would be a big advantage to him." Black said Monday he regretted the comment.
Black is also quoted as saying the "unfortunate event" of the assassination of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto in December 2007 "helped us."
Anybody who has been paying attention to how the Bush administration used the 9-11 attack to ram their agenda down the throats of frightened Americans, and how they conveniently had terror alerts to divert the media's attention away from one of their numerous scandals, cannot help but know that Republicans view terrorists as political allies during election time.
So hearing Charlie Black say this out loud is only surprising in the fact that this belief is never supposed to be said to those not in the inner circle. So McCain comes out to refute Black's statements, which I have no doubt will be followed by a trip to the woodshed where Mr. Black will be firmly reminded that there are somethings that must be kept on the downlow, and everything is fine. Nothing to see here folks just move along.
So remember boys and girls, if there is indeed an attack we know who is behind it because they already accidentally showed their hand.
Charlie Black, an adviser already in the spotlight for his past lobbying work, is quoted in the upcoming July 7 edition of Fortune magazine as saying such an attack "certainly would be a big advantage to him." Black said Monday he regretted the comment.
Black is also quoted as saying the "unfortunate event" of the assassination of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto in December 2007 "helped us."
Anybody who has been paying attention to how the Bush administration used the 9-11 attack to ram their agenda down the throats of frightened Americans, and how they conveniently had terror alerts to divert the media's attention away from one of their numerous scandals, cannot help but know that Republicans view terrorists as political allies during election time.
So hearing Charlie Black say this out loud is only surprising in the fact that this belief is never supposed to be said to those not in the inner circle. So McCain comes out to refute Black's statements, which I have no doubt will be followed by a trip to the woodshed where Mr. Black will be firmly reminded that there are somethings that must be kept on the downlow, and everything is fine. Nothing to see here folks just move along.
So remember boys and girls, if there is indeed an attack we know who is behind it because they already accidentally showed their hand.
Damn it! I agree with John McCain on something. It is so hard to be an ideologue when the opposition makes sense occasionally.
The presumed Republican nominee is proposing a $300 million government prize to whoever can develop an automobile battery that far surpasses existing technology. The bounty would equate to $1 for every man, woman and child in the country, "a small price to pay for helping to break the back of our oil dependency," McCain said in remarks prepared for delivery Monday at Fresno State University in California.
McCain said such a device should deliver power at 30 percent of current costs and have "the size, capacity, cost and power to leapfrog the commercially available plug-in hybrids or electric cars."
"In the quest for alternatives to oil, our government has thrown around enough money subsidizing special interests and excusing failure," said excerpts from McCain's prepared text. "From now on, we will encourage heroic efforts in engineering, and we will reward the greatest success."
This is actually the subject of an ongoing debate I am having with one of my kids about the importance of taking money away from subsidizing oil companies and putting toward developing the next alternative energy source.
I firmly belief that every dollar used for oil exploration or the building of new refineries is money that is being used for a soon to be obsolete energy source. The more money we spend on developing Hydrogen cars, or electric cars, or solar powered cars, or what ever else may be waiting around the corner, the faster we can cut our ties to the oil companies.
Just imagine how liberating it will feel to step away from gasoline and finally find a way to avoid the conflicts in the Middle east that our addiction to oil has created.
So on this issue I agree with John McCain that we need to start spending vast amounts of money on research for alternative energy sources. Beyond that, not so much.
McCain said such a device should deliver power at 30 percent of current costs and have "the size, capacity, cost and power to leapfrog the commercially available plug-in hybrids or electric cars."
"In the quest for alternatives to oil, our government has thrown around enough money subsidizing special interests and excusing failure," said excerpts from McCain's prepared text. "From now on, we will encourage heroic efforts in engineering, and we will reward the greatest success."
This is actually the subject of an ongoing debate I am having with one of my kids about the importance of taking money away from subsidizing oil companies and putting toward developing the next alternative energy source.
I firmly belief that every dollar used for oil exploration or the building of new refineries is money that is being used for a soon to be obsolete energy source. The more money we spend on developing Hydrogen cars, or electric cars, or solar powered cars, or what ever else may be waiting around the corner, the faster we can cut our ties to the oil companies.
Just imagine how liberating it will feel to step away from gasoline and finally find a way to avoid the conflicts in the Middle east that our addiction to oil has created.
So on this issue I agree with John McCain that we need to start spending vast amounts of money on research for alternative energy sources. Beyond that, not so much.
George Carlin has died.
George Carlin was one of my all time favorite comedians, and one of the few that I actually got to see in person.
Every place you go today will have some version of this video, but I have to post it as it is the classic George Carlin comedy routine. And since it is a classic George Carlin routine it is very NSFW.
THE SEVEN WORDS YOU CANNOT SAY ON TELEVISION.
Yep that was a classic. But the first time that I became aware of George Carlin it was as "Al Sleet, the Hippy Dippy Weatherman". (You will have to wait until midway through this radio performance to hear Al Sleet, but it is worth it, man.)
Every place you go today will have some version of this video, but I have to post it as it is the classic George Carlin comedy routine. And since it is a classic George Carlin routine it is very NSFW.
THE SEVEN WORDS YOU CANNOT SAY ON TELEVISION.
Yep that was a classic. But the first time that I became aware of George Carlin it was as "Al Sleet, the Hippy Dippy Weatherman". (You will have to wait until midway through this radio performance to hear Al Sleet, but it is worth it, man.)
Sunday, June 22, 2008
We must protect Obama at all cost.
"I haven't seen this much anger in a long, long time," said Billy Roper, a 36-year-old who runs a group called White Revolution in Russellville, Ark. "Nothing has awakened normally complacent white Americans more than the prospect of America having an overtly nonwhite president."
Racial hatred is alive and well, and Obama's very appearance is going to send some of these inbred morons into a murderous rage. We must be prepared for the absolute certainty that somebody, somewhere will try and make a name for themselves by attempting to assassinate the first African American President in our history.
If they were to be successful it would tear this country apart in ways that would take generations to repair. So it is in everybody's best interests, whether they be conservative or liberal, white or black, Republican or Democrat, to keep this man out of harms way.
Every time we get a leader of real vision he is struck down before his message of hope can transform our nation into one that reaches it's true potential. A nation where equality is not just a word but an actual guideline that Americans live by each and every day.
So this time it may fall to the average citizen to help safeguard Obama from the very real possibility of harm.
If you read any chatter on a website talking about assassination, report it.
If you are at a rally or speech and think the security is not adequate, let somebody know.
If you stumble across a blog or website that is preaching racial hate against Obama and other ethnic groups, make a phone call.
This is our candidate and if he is going to keep his promises to us, then perhaps we should make a promise to him. We will step out of our comfort zones and make sure that ANY possible threat to Obama is dealt with in the most expedient manner possible.
Remember "we are who we have been waiting for".
Racial hatred is alive and well, and Obama's very appearance is going to send some of these inbred morons into a murderous rage. We must be prepared for the absolute certainty that somebody, somewhere will try and make a name for themselves by attempting to assassinate the first African American President in our history.
If they were to be successful it would tear this country apart in ways that would take generations to repair. So it is in everybody's best interests, whether they be conservative or liberal, white or black, Republican or Democrat, to keep this man out of harms way.
Every time we get a leader of real vision he is struck down before his message of hope can transform our nation into one that reaches it's true potential. A nation where equality is not just a word but an actual guideline that Americans live by each and every day.
So this time it may fall to the average citizen to help safeguard Obama from the very real possibility of harm.
If you read any chatter on a website talking about assassination, report it.
If you are at a rally or speech and think the security is not adequate, let somebody know.
If you stumble across a blog or website that is preaching racial hate against Obama and other ethnic groups, make a phone call.
This is our candidate and if he is going to keep his promises to us, then perhaps we should make a promise to him. We will step out of our comfort zones and make sure that ANY possible threat to Obama is dealt with in the most expedient manner possible.
Remember "we are who we have been waiting for".
When you are watching "Morning Joe" and suddenly find yourself thinking "Scarborough's not so bad for a Republican", you may want to remember this.
Lori Klausutis, an aide of Joe Scarborough, was found dead in Scarborough's own office with a smashed skull (multiple fractures, front and back) at the very same time Levy went missing. Official reports of the death of Lori Klausutis, the 28-year-old aide to Joe Scarborough, have been contradictory and suspicious. Initial reports said there were no signs of trauma; the autopsy reported a "scratch and a bruise" where Lori's head hit her desk, a fact which was initially concealed by the medical examiner because "The last thing we wanted was 40 questions about a head injury." Then we learned the examiner, Michael Berkland, had his license revoked in Missouri in 1998, and suspended for six years in Florida in 1999. Now the Fort Walton Beach police are refusing to release reports about Lori's death, citing an "open investigation." Do the police believe Lori was murdered? The Northwest Florida Daily News wants to know, and so do we.Scarborough resigned right after this incident. The official reason Scarborough resigned from congress, which is really an extraoodinary thing to do anyway out of the blue, was he wanted to "spend more time with his family," which was kind of odd, since he had recently separated from his wife, who had custody. they had a divorce over, you guessed it, an affair.
Scarborough's office is right over a popular waterfront restaurant, the fish house, owned by a friend of his, Collier Merrill. The restaurant has a back room available for private parties, and Joe would use the room for his many extra-marital affairs. The story at the time was: there was a potential scandal when Joe was caught with a much younger woman, so Joe resigned in anticipation.
A young and atractive female employee of one of Florida's Congressmen Joe Scarborough, Lori died unexpectedly in the Congressman's office. There were no witnesses to her death and the cause of death was not apparent. Klausutis' boss, Scarborough, had recently resigned from Congress prematurely and unexpectedly, amid rumors about his marital fidelity and soon after a divorce. The adultery accusations included his former aide, Lori. He had also abruptly resigned as publisher of the Independent Florida Sun, claiming that resigning from Congress and as publisher was necessary to spend more time with his sons.
The results of the mandated autopsy, were deemed "inconclusive" by Dr. Michael Berkland, Medical Examiner. Michael Berkland concluded that Joe Scarborough's aide Lori Klausutis died as a result of a blow to the head because an undiagnosed heart condition caused her to collapse and fall, hitting her head on the desk. But Berkland's credibility is in doubt because his Missouri license was revoked in 1998 for falsifying a report; after moving to Florida, his license was suspended in 1999 for six years. It is a matter of public record that Dr. Berkland's medical license in the state of Missouri was revoked in 1998 as a result of Berkland reporting false information regarding brain tissue samples in a 1996 autopsy report. Berkland does not deny the charges. Moreover, there appear to be inconsistencies in Berkland's report.
Reporters Denis Wright and Chris George of American Politics Journal are seeking answers from Dr. Stephen Nelson, Chair of the Medical Examiners Commission, an appointee of, you guessed it, Jeb Bush.
I am ashamed to admit that I have found myself being less and less irritated by Scarborough's chameleon like ability to slip back and forth from rabid Republican to less threatening moderate.
I was not a blogger seven years ago when this incident took place, so it was not on my radar until kind of recently. I would read some post that made reference to some "incident" in Scarborough's past, but I did not research it. Until today.
I am not going to accuse Joe Scarborough of murder, but I am going to say that there has always been something creepy about him, that the circumstances seem very suspicious, and that this quote ups the creep factor right through the roof: "Conservative MSNBC news host Joe Scarborough was a guest on MSNBC's Imus show last Thursday, May 29. In complementing Scarborough on his sense of humor, Imus said, 'Don't be afraid to be funny, because you are funny. I asked you why you aren't in Congress. You said that you had sex with the intern and then you had to kill her.' To which Scarborough laughed, 'Yeah, ha, ha ha, well, what are you gonna do?'"
If that does not make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up then I don't know what would.
A Sunday love letter to Angelina Jolie.
I am just a man.
And as a man I am often rendered mute at the stunning sight of Angelina Jolie.
It is not just that she is unbelievably beautiful, she is. It is not just that she exudes sexuality, she does. It is not just that she is an amazing actress, she is.
No, it is that she is all of these things and then something a little bit darker. Dangerous. And then something else which is lighter. Generous.
So dangerous that if your husband makes a movie with her you may lose him. So generous that she spends much of her time as an ambassador bringing the needs of children and refuges to the attention of the media and to the floor of the U.N.
There are lots of beautiful women in the world. But few who can cover themselves in ugly tattoos and still leave a man in a puddle at her feet. And few who would take the cause of rescuing children around the world so personally that she opens her home and her heart to them.
I will confess that the movie "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" is one of my favorites and I never tire of throwing it into my DVD player and sitting back to enjoy the ride.
I am absolutely going to make sure I see her new movie this next weekend. It is called "Wanted" and it looks like a lot of fun. Besides my daughter, who is a bigger Angelina fan then I am, will give me endless crap if I miss it.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
How to survive being lost in the Alps. Guys might as well just skip this post. Not for you.
Rescue workers in the Bavarian Alps have saved an American hiker who had been missing for 70 hours in a dramatic helicopter operation after she sent a signal with her sports bra.
The unnamed 24-year-old woman from Colorado had hung her sports bra on a timber transport cable in the Berchtesgaden region near the Austrian border in hopes that someone would find her, police chief Adolph Günther told The Local on Friday.
"She was saved because she was really clever and in good physical shape," Günther said.
Okay not to be a misogynist here, but I think it is pretty clear that this woman used her sex to get rescued.
Is that even fair?
I mean if she were some old ugly broad would running her support hose up a tree have brought rescuers rushing to her aide? I think not.
All I am saying is that if I had sent my jockstrap up that transport cable I would STILL be freeballing my way through the scary Bavarian forests.
The unnamed 24-year-old woman from Colorado had hung her sports bra on a timber transport cable in the Berchtesgaden region near the Austrian border in hopes that someone would find her, police chief Adolph Günther told The Local on Friday.
"She was saved because she was really clever and in good physical shape," Günther said.
Okay not to be a misogynist here, but I think it is pretty clear that this woman used her sex to get rescued.
Is that even fair?
I mean if she were some old ugly broad would running her support hose up a tree have brought rescuers rushing to her aide? I think not.
All I am saying is that if I had sent my jockstrap up that transport cable I would STILL be freeballing my way through the scary Bavarian forests.
John Cusack on Countdown.
Cusack's statement that "if you are not an activist now then when would you be?", is extremely powerful and should be heard by everybody who has sat on the side lines while this administration has systematically destroyed our country's values.
Write a letter to the editor.
Donate to a candidate.
Stand in front of the your Senator's residence with a protest sign.
Or if you are really lazy, just sit at home and blog about it.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Barack bounces well past McSame.
Barack finally has his bounce. For weeks many political experts and pollsters have been wondering why the race between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain had stayed so tight, even after the Illinois senator wrested the nomination from Hillary Clinton. With numbers consistently showing rock-bottom approval ratings for President Bush and a large majority of Americans unhappy with the country's direction, the opposing-party candidate should, in the normal course, have attracted more disaffected voters. Now it looks as if Obama is doing just that. A new NEWSWEEK Poll shows that he has a substantial double-digit lead, 51 percent to 36 percent, over McCain among registered voters nationwide.
There was never really any doubt about this.
The pundits were making tons of on air hay about the fact that Obama did not get some "ginormous" bump after Hillary dropped out, as if they believed if it did not happen immediately then it was never going to happen. But get serious, Obama is going to easily leave McCain in the dust just as soon as the public gets a chance to do a little comparative shopping.
If you think this is impressive just you wait.
There was never really any doubt about this.
The pundits were making tons of on air hay about the fact that Obama did not get some "ginormous" bump after Hillary dropped out, as if they believed if it did not happen immediately then it was never going to happen. But get serious, Obama is going to easily leave McCain in the dust just as soon as the public gets a chance to do a little comparative shopping.
If you think this is impressive just you wait.
Obama clarifies his position on this outrageous FISA bill being voted on today.
“Given the grave threats that we face, our national security agencies must have the capability to gather intelligence and track down terrorists before they strike, while respecting the rule of law and the privacy and civil liberties of the American people. There is also little doubt that the Bush Administration, with the cooperation of major telecommunications companies, has abused that authority and undermined the Constitution by intercepting the communications of innocent Americans without their knowledge or the required court orders."
"That is why last year I opposed the so-called Protect America Act, which expanded the surveillance powers of the government without sufficient independent oversight to protect the privacy and civil liberties of innocent Americans. I have also opposed the granting of retroactive immunity to those who were allegedly complicit in acts of illegal spying in the past."
“After months of negotiation, the House today passed a compromise that, while far from perfect, is a marked improvement over last year's Protect America Act."
“Under this compromise legislation, an important tool in the fight against terrorism will continue, but the President's illegal program of warrantless surveillance will be over. It restores FISA and existing criminal wiretap statutes as the exclusive means to conduct surveillance – making it clear that the President cannot circumvent the law and disregard the civil liberties of the American people. It also firmly re-establishes basic judicial oversight over all domestic surveillance in the future. It does, however, grant retroactive immunity, and I will work in the Senate to remove this provision so that we can seek full accountability for past offenses. But this compromise guarantees a thorough review by the Inspectors General of our national security agencies to determine what took place in the past, and ensures that there will be accountability going forward. By demanding oversight and accountability, a grassroots movement of Americans has helped yield a bill that is far better than the Protect America Act."
“It is not all that I would want. But given the legitimate threats we face, providing effective intelligence collection tools with appropriate safeguards is too important to delay. So I support the compromise, but do so with a firm pledge that as President, I will carefully monitor the program, review the report by the Inspectors General, and work with the Congress to take any additional steps I deem necessary to protect the lives – and the liberty – of the American people.”
I hate this! I am one of those who kind of started believing that Barack could walk on water, and change politics with a wave of his hand. This is the sad truth of our political system, in that with two very strong parties compromises must be made and NOBODY gets what they wanted.
I ABSOLUTELY want that retroactive immunity portion taken out, but I am not very hopeful that it will happen.
I think the lesson that the passing of this bill should teach progressives is that we desperately need a substantial majority of Democrats in the Senate and a large one in the House. The we can say fuck it to these bullshit compromises.
"That is why last year I opposed the so-called Protect America Act, which expanded the surveillance powers of the government without sufficient independent oversight to protect the privacy and civil liberties of innocent Americans. I have also opposed the granting of retroactive immunity to those who were allegedly complicit in acts of illegal spying in the past."
“After months of negotiation, the House today passed a compromise that, while far from perfect, is a marked improvement over last year's Protect America Act."
“Under this compromise legislation, an important tool in the fight against terrorism will continue, but the President's illegal program of warrantless surveillance will be over. It restores FISA and existing criminal wiretap statutes as the exclusive means to conduct surveillance – making it clear that the President cannot circumvent the law and disregard the civil liberties of the American people. It also firmly re-establishes basic judicial oversight over all domestic surveillance in the future. It does, however, grant retroactive immunity, and I will work in the Senate to remove this provision so that we can seek full accountability for past offenses. But this compromise guarantees a thorough review by the Inspectors General of our national security agencies to determine what took place in the past, and ensures that there will be accountability going forward. By demanding oversight and accountability, a grassroots movement of Americans has helped yield a bill that is far better than the Protect America Act."
“It is not all that I would want. But given the legitimate threats we face, providing effective intelligence collection tools with appropriate safeguards is too important to delay. So I support the compromise, but do so with a firm pledge that as President, I will carefully monitor the program, review the report by the Inspectors General, and work with the Congress to take any additional steps I deem necessary to protect the lives – and the liberty – of the American people.”
I hate this! I am one of those who kind of started believing that Barack could walk on water, and change politics with a wave of his hand. This is the sad truth of our political system, in that with two very strong parties compromises must be made and NOBODY gets what they wanted.
I ABSOLUTELY want that retroactive immunity portion taken out, but I am not very hopeful that it will happen.
I think the lesson that the passing of this bill should teach progressives is that we desperately need a substantial majority of Democrats in the Senate and a large one in the House. The we can say fuck it to these bullshit compromises.
The Don Young Survival Guide.
Apparently some of Congressman Young's past interns put together this survival guide to assist the young people who have to deal with the prickly, demanding curmudgeon.
Here are some of the highlights:
The guide also provides instructions on how to interact with Young’s wife, with helpful tips that include: “means well,” “don’t stand in her way—don’t stand anywhere I would suggest. Sit down or hide in the broom cupboard,” “wants pumpkin seeds when she says sunflower seeds,” “does not permit noise from computers,” “eat what she tells you to eat,” and—oddly—“if you sneeze it’s always allergies or pressure changes; stick strong to your case.”
Advice on dealing with the boss includes, “When he calls put him straight through. If whoever he wants is not her [sic] give it to Mike, if Mike is not here: Sara. You will not get this right, there is no way to. He does not introduce himself, should you realize who he is you will find another way to get it wrong. Rise above it.” Young also “does not like facial piercings” and interns are advised to “keep your hands out of your pockets.” Young also “expects you to open doors for him (particularly tricky when he does not specify where he is going, make a guess),” and “should always be referred to as ‘The Congressman’ or ‘the Chairman.’”
Interns running late are advised to let Pam know because “she’s had hangovers too and understands.” There’s also a peculiar tip that “if you’re being chased by armed police man, don’t try to escape into a metro station.”
I imagine that interns of the future will have an easier time dealing with Young's future replacement Ethan Berkowitz.
Here are some of the highlights:
The guide also provides instructions on how to interact with Young’s wife, with helpful tips that include: “means well,” “don’t stand in her way—don’t stand anywhere I would suggest. Sit down or hide in the broom cupboard,” “wants pumpkin seeds when she says sunflower seeds,” “does not permit noise from computers,” “eat what she tells you to eat,” and—oddly—“if you sneeze it’s always allergies or pressure changes; stick strong to your case.”
Advice on dealing with the boss includes, “When he calls put him straight through. If whoever he wants is not her [sic] give it to Mike, if Mike is not here: Sara. You will not get this right, there is no way to. He does not introduce himself, should you realize who he is you will find another way to get it wrong. Rise above it.” Young also “does not like facial piercings” and interns are advised to “keep your hands out of your pockets.” Young also “expects you to open doors for him (particularly tricky when he does not specify where he is going, make a guess),” and “should always be referred to as ‘The Congressman’ or ‘the Chairman.’”
Interns running late are advised to let Pam know because “she’s had hangovers too and understands.” There’s also a peculiar tip that “if you’re being chased by armed police man, don’t try to escape into a metro station.”
I imagine that interns of the future will have an easier time dealing with Young's future replacement Ethan Berkowitz.
Everyday I have to decide how much time to dedicate to exercise and how much to dedicate to the internet. But not anymore.
Check this thing out!
It is a treadmill attached to a desk with a computer and FIVE monitors. Are you as turned on as I am right now?
It never fails that if I do not get in at least an hour and a half of gut wrenching exercise a day I feel lazy and especially guilty when I sit down at my desk to surf the internet or blog.
But if I had this damn thing I could exercise the entire time I was thinking up snarky things to say about the Republicans and attacking people's religious beliefs.
That would be awesome!
Sadly it only goes up to about five miles an hour. But I bet we could overclock it!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
To learn more about the lies Bush and McCain are telling about offshore drilling and ANWR, click here.
Hard Boiled Lies does a great job of putting things into perspective.
Ooooh this is going to upset the Republicans.
I am sorry this is a no brainer for Obama.
He knows he is going up against the Republican money machine, and the best hope he has of fighting back is to use the Internet to raise his own money.
And damn can this guy raise money!
And John McCain cannot mount his high horse and talk down to Obama when he has his own public funds issues to deal with.
John McCain, the Enron loophole, and why gas is over four dollars a gallon. Brought to you by Keith Olbermann.
It gets a little complicated, but in essence the report shows that McCain's economic advisor, Phil Gramm, is more then a little responsible for the kinds of speculative bidding that has driven oil prices through the roof.
So when the Republicans try to pin this crisis wholly on our dependence on foreign oil they are looking much to far away for the villains. You see the greedy bad guys are right here in the good old US of A.
And in John McCain's Presidential campaign staff.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Obama leads John McCain in swing states for first, but definitely not last, time.
With strong support from women, blacks and younger voters, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, the apparent Democratic presidential contender, leads Arizona Sen. John McCain, expected to be the Republican candidate, among likely voters in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, according to simultaneous Quinnipiac University Swing State polls released today.
This is the first time Sen. Obama has led in all three states. No one has been elected President since 1960 without taking two of these three largest swing states in the Electoral College. Results from the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University polls show:
Florida: Obama edges McCain 47 - 43 percent;
Ohio: Obama tops McCain 48 - 42 percent;
Pennsylvania: Obama leads McCain 52 - 40 percent.
In the three states, Obama leads McCain 10 to 23 percentage points among women, while men are too close to call. The Democrat trails among white voters in Florida and Ohio, but gets more than 90 percent of black voters in each state. He also has double-digit leads among young voters in each state.
I had a conversation with a Hillary supporter who told me that Obama could not win. When I said that was ridiculous she accused me of hanging out with the "wrong people".
I guess many of those "wrong people" also live in Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
This is the first time Sen. Obama has led in all three states. No one has been elected President since 1960 without taking two of these three largest swing states in the Electoral College. Results from the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University polls show:
Florida: Obama edges McCain 47 - 43 percent;
Ohio: Obama tops McCain 48 - 42 percent;
Pennsylvania: Obama leads McCain 52 - 40 percent.
In the three states, Obama leads McCain 10 to 23 percentage points among women, while men are too close to call. The Democrat trails among white voters in Florida and Ohio, but gets more than 90 percent of black voters in each state. He also has double-digit leads among young voters in each state.
I had a conversation with a Hillary supporter who told me that Obama could not win. When I said that was ridiculous she accused me of hanging out with the "wrong people".
I guess many of those "wrong people" also live in Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
I agree with Mike Huckabee on something. Well great, there goes the last of my credibility!
Former GOP presidential contender Mike Huckabee called Barack Obama's candidacy "a landmark achievement" Tuesday, and warned fellow Republicans not to demonize Obama.
"Republicans will make a fundamental if not fatal mistake if they seek to win the election by demonizing Barack Obama," Huckabee told reporters in Tokyo, according to a report by Agence France-Presse.
That made sense.
Ow, my head hurts now. Make it stop.
Well Huckabee is ri......he is corr.... uh....he is not completely wrong I guess.
If the Republicans attack Obama when he refuses to engage in the same kind of politics himself he is going to get a lot of people coming to his defense and the country is going to see the GOP as the bullies they are.
Bad policies, warmongers, and racists. That is going to be how the Republicans will be identified for years to come if they are not very, very careful. Actually it may be too late.
"Republicans will make a fundamental if not fatal mistake if they seek to win the election by demonizing Barack Obama," Huckabee told reporters in Tokyo, according to a report by Agence France-Presse.
That made sense.
Ow, my head hurts now. Make it stop.
Well Huckabee is ri......he is corr.... uh....he is not completely wrong I guess.
If the Republicans attack Obama when he refuses to engage in the same kind of politics himself he is going to get a lot of people coming to his defense and the country is going to see the GOP as the bullies they are.
Bad policies, warmongers, and racists. That is going to be how the Republicans will be identified for years to come if they are not very, very careful. Actually it may be too late.
Jon's guest last night was correspondent Lara Logan. I was riveted.
I am going to make a confession. For the first several minutes I was completely besotted with the pretty and barely heard what she was actually saying.
But then she started talking about American casualties and I realized that she was much more then just pretty, she was also a passionate advocate for getting the truth out about how dangerous it is in Iraq and Afghanistan.
I think I love her.
But then she started talking about American casualties and I realized that she was much more then just pretty, she was also a passionate advocate for getting the truth out about how dangerous it is in Iraq and Afghanistan.
I think I love her.
Oil man George Bush wants to drill our way out of our current energy problems.
For a quarter-century, drilling for oil and gas off nearly all the American coastline has been banned in part to protect tourism and to lessen the chances of beach-blackening spills.
Then gasoline prices topped $4 a gallon this summer. Drivers and others began clamoring for federal lawmakers to do something about the record price of oil, much of it produced in foreign countries.
In response, President Bush is renewing his call to open U.S. coastal waters to oil and gas development, arguing that it's high time to battle high prices with increased domestic production. He is planning to ask Congress on Wednesday to lift the drilling moratoria that have been in effect since 1981 in more than 80 percent of the country's Outer Continental Shelf and to let states help to decide where to allow drilling.
Our high gas prices have nothing to do with lack of supply.
Drilling more holes in our planet to look for oil, that once found will not reach the gas pumps for twenty years, is not a solution.
The future of our energy needs is to move away from oil. We should know that by now, and many automobile manufacturers are already doing research and making progress in those areas. The faster we free up money for alternative energy research and take it away from oil exploration the faster we will solve our energy crisis.
The only people how cannot release their deathgrip on the idea of oil, are oil companies themselves , and the politicians who line their pockets with their kickbacks.
I am ashamed to mention that the politicians in my state are still sucking at the oil companies teat.
Then gasoline prices topped $4 a gallon this summer. Drivers and others began clamoring for federal lawmakers to do something about the record price of oil, much of it produced in foreign countries.
In response, President Bush is renewing his call to open U.S. coastal waters to oil and gas development, arguing that it's high time to battle high prices with increased domestic production. He is planning to ask Congress on Wednesday to lift the drilling moratoria that have been in effect since 1981 in more than 80 percent of the country's Outer Continental Shelf and to let states help to decide where to allow drilling.
Our high gas prices have nothing to do with lack of supply.
Drilling more holes in our planet to look for oil, that once found will not reach the gas pumps for twenty years, is not a solution.
The future of our energy needs is to move away from oil. We should know that by now, and many automobile manufacturers are already doing research and making progress in those areas. The faster we free up money for alternative energy research and take it away from oil exploration the faster we will solve our energy crisis.
The only people how cannot release their deathgrip on the idea of oil, are oil companies themselves , and the politicians who line their pockets with their kickbacks.
I am ashamed to mention that the politicians in my state are still sucking at the oil companies teat.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
This NSFW YouTube video explores John McCain's unprintable opinion of his wife Cindy "surgically enhanced" McCain.
Before you watch this please make sure you understand that it is REALLY not appropriate to be played any place where it can be overheard by workmates, women, or your mother. (Yes I know your mom is a woman but she is in a special category).
I am no saint, but this word is one that NEVER finds its way into my vocabulary.
Which is probably why it made me laugh and then feel bad about laughing.
I am no saint, but this word is one that NEVER finds its way into my vocabulary.
Which is probably why it made me laugh and then feel bad about laughing.
Huffington Post article about why Obama SHOULD come to Alaska. As if the opportunity to meet me were not enough.
Alaska, to the surprise of many pundits, is going to be very close this year. This stems from Republican office-holders apparently trying to take the "first in political corruption" award away from Louisiana. There are so many recent scandals involving Alaskan Republicans that it is almost impossible to keep track of them all. Bribery, corruption, graft -- apparently they were all par for the course for the GOP up north. Which is why Democrats even have a chance this year, because while most of these scandals didn't make the press down here in the "lower 48," they were splashed across the headlines in Alaska itself. And Alaskan voters have been paying attention.
The latest presidential poll from Alaska (from May 14) shows Obama behind McCain by eight points, 42 to 50. But this is already seven points higher than Kerry managed in 2004 (35 to Bush's 62) -- which in itself was a Democratic high-water mark in Alaska for the past four presidential election cycles. Meaning it is not completely out of the question for Obama to eke out a win there in November. Because (from the same poll) the Democratic challenger for Senator Ted Stevens' seat is actually running ahead of Stevens, 48 to 44. Mark Begich, mayor of Anchorage (home to something like 45 percent of the state's population), is making a solid run at one of the Senate's longest-serving incumbent members. Whether an Obama visit would help or hurt him this fall is an open question, but in my opinion it is worth the risk. Because it forces John McCain to spend money and time on a state he thought was solidly in his column.
Or maybe it wouldn't. Because the best part of Obama appearing at a rally for Begich is that Ted Stevens would be pretty hard for John McCain to support publicly. Stevens is the uncontested king of earmarks in the Senate (you may remember his "bridge to nowhere" from a few years ago -- especially the part where he stood up in the Senate and threatened to quit if his bridge to nowhere funds were redirected to Hurricane Katrina cleanup projects). And John McCain is apparently fantasizing about balancing the U.S. budget by getting rid of these pesky earmarks. So it would be inconsistent with McCain's current core campaign message ("earmarks are bad, mmm-kay?") for him to appear in support of the poster-boy for earmark abuse in the Senate.
I would like to take a moment to give my completely unbiased opinion on this possibility.
YES!!!!!
OBAMA NEEDS TO COME TO ALASKA! DEMOCRATS GAVE HIM 75% OF THE CAUCUS VOTE! WE LOVE HIM!!!! Too much?
There is so much for Barack to do and see when he gets here.
He can go fishing. He can enjoy our magnificent scenery. He can stay at my house. He can go on a scenic tour of Denali National park. He can stay at my house. He can go white water rafting. He can go kayaking. And, of course, he can stay at my house.
In other words there are numerous very attractive reasons for visiting this amazing state. Not to mention he may be the first Democrat to win Alaska in Presidential election in history!
Come to Alaska Obama, we promise not to bite.
Just ignore these guys they are simply curious.
They have never seen a superstar before.
The latest presidential poll from Alaska (from May 14) shows Obama behind McCain by eight points, 42 to 50. But this is already seven points higher than Kerry managed in 2004 (35 to Bush's 62) -- which in itself was a Democratic high-water mark in Alaska for the past four presidential election cycles. Meaning it is not completely out of the question for Obama to eke out a win there in November. Because (from the same poll) the Democratic challenger for Senator Ted Stevens' seat is actually running ahead of Stevens, 48 to 44. Mark Begich, mayor of Anchorage (home to something like 45 percent of the state's population), is making a solid run at one of the Senate's longest-serving incumbent members. Whether an Obama visit would help or hurt him this fall is an open question, but in my opinion it is worth the risk. Because it forces John McCain to spend money and time on a state he thought was solidly in his column.
Or maybe it wouldn't. Because the best part of Obama appearing at a rally for Begich is that Ted Stevens would be pretty hard for John McCain to support publicly. Stevens is the uncontested king of earmarks in the Senate (you may remember his "bridge to nowhere" from a few years ago -- especially the part where he stood up in the Senate and threatened to quit if his bridge to nowhere funds were redirected to Hurricane Katrina cleanup projects). And John McCain is apparently fantasizing about balancing the U.S. budget by getting rid of these pesky earmarks. So it would be inconsistent with McCain's current core campaign message ("earmarks are bad, mmm-kay?") for him to appear in support of the poster-boy for earmark abuse in the Senate.
I would like to take a moment to give my completely unbiased opinion on this possibility.
YES!!!!!
OBAMA NEEDS TO COME TO ALASKA! DEMOCRATS GAVE HIM 75% OF THE CAUCUS VOTE! WE LOVE HIM!!!! Too much?
There is so much for Barack to do and see when he gets here.
He can go fishing. He can enjoy our magnificent scenery. He can stay at my house. He can go on a scenic tour of Denali National park. He can stay at my house. He can go white water rafting. He can go kayaking. And, of course, he can stay at my house.
In other words there are numerous very attractive reasons for visiting this amazing state. Not to mention he may be the first Democrat to win Alaska in Presidential election in history!
Come to Alaska Obama, we promise not to bite.
Just ignore these guys they are simply curious.
They have never seen a superstar before.
New Moveon.org ad.
Pretty powerful stuff.
I am guessing that this is the kind of ad that will help people truly understand what a vote for John McCain means to the future of our children.
I am guessing that this is the kind of ad that will help people truly understand what a vote for John McCain means to the future of our children.
According to Bush criticizing Gitmo is "slandering America".
During an interview with President Bush on Britain’s Sky News yesterday, Sky political editor Adam Boulton noted that while Bush talks “a lot about freedom,” there are many who say that some of the Bush administration’s torture and detention policies represent “the complete opposite of freedom.” But Bush quickly snapped back, saying those criticizing his policies are slandering America.
No sir, those who are "slandering America" are those who have led it away from its core values.
Those who have traded away our individual freedoms for government control over its citizens.
Those who have allowed our country to be categorized with China, North Korea, and Iran when it comes to human rights violations.
Those are the people who have "slandered America".
So Mr. Bush, any of those sound familiar to you?
No sir, those who are "slandering America" are those who have led it away from its core values.
Those who have traded away our individual freedoms for government control over its citizens.
Those who have allowed our country to be categorized with China, North Korea, and Iran when it comes to human rights violations.
Those are the people who have "slandered America".
So Mr. Bush, any of those sound familiar to you?
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart for June 16th 2008. Oh it was good.
"Baracknophobia" is my new favorite word.
Former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias talks about the political motivations for his firing and the illegal actions the Bush administration asked him to perform.
Former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias talks about the political motivations for his firing and the illegal actions the Bush administration asked him to perform.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Al Gore would like YOU, to vote for Barack Obama.
"I present to you the next president of the United States, Barack Obama!" Gore said in a brief introduction of Obama at a Detroit fundraiser. He planned a later appearance with Obama at a 20,000-person rally at the Joe Louis Arena.In a letter to be e-mailed to Obama supporters, the former vice president and Nobel Prize winner wrote, "From now through Election Day, I intend to do whatever I can to make sure he is elected president of the United States."
Well there is certainly no stopping us now.
George Bush has been very good to those who needed it the least.
Take a look at how amazing the increase for the top executives was right after Bush entered office.
Coincidence? Oh hell no!
And don't forget these are the people that Bush gave tax cuts to.
Clinton supporter and ex-White House lawyer Lanny Davis joins FOX News. If you can't beat them join their arch nemesis.
Fox News's newest contributor, to be announced today, may surprise the liberal crowd: former Clinton White House lawyer Lanny Davis.
"Fox has always treated me with respect and given me a chance to express my point of view," Davis says of the network that the Democratic candidates refused to grant a debate out of concern that it favors Republicans. He will be a frequent guest, along with such Fox stalwarts as Karl Rove and Newt Gingrich.
A relentless surrogate for Hillary Clinton, Davis says, he felt "ganged up on" during appearances on the other cable channels. He says that Clinton was "demonized" by MSNBC's Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann, and that CNN's primary-night panels were tilted toward the Obama side.
Okay doesn't it seem odd that Hillary stated that FOX News was more fair toward her then any of the other cable news stations, and that Limbaugh sent his "dittoheads" to vote for Hillary in the primaries, and that Richard Schafe (a publisher who relentlessly pursued the Whitewater story about the Clinton's) endorsed her candidacy, and that now one of her most ardent supporters takes a job at FOX News?
Ultimately could the reason that Hillary did not get the Democratic nomination be because she is in fact a Republican? I am just asking.
"Fox has always treated me with respect and given me a chance to express my point of view," Davis says of the network that the Democratic candidates refused to grant a debate out of concern that it favors Republicans. He will be a frequent guest, along with such Fox stalwarts as Karl Rove and Newt Gingrich.
A relentless surrogate for Hillary Clinton, Davis says, he felt "ganged up on" during appearances on the other cable channels. He says that Clinton was "demonized" by MSNBC's Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann, and that CNN's primary-night panels were tilted toward the Obama side.
Okay doesn't it seem odd that Hillary stated that FOX News was more fair toward her then any of the other cable news stations, and that Limbaugh sent his "dittoheads" to vote for Hillary in the primaries, and that Richard Schafe (a publisher who relentlessly pursued the Whitewater story about the Clinton's) endorsed her candidacy, and that now one of her most ardent supporters takes a job at FOX News?
Ultimately could the reason that Hillary did not get the Democratic nomination be because she is in fact a Republican? I am just asking.
The New Yorker magazine studies the odd creature that is Keith Olbermann.
The article examines Keith's tenure at FOX News, his acerbic relationship with Bill O'Reilly, his days at ESPN, his "restless leg syndrome" (WTF?), and his often difficult personality.
It definitely paints a full picture of Olbermann, warts and all.
But it also contains a quote which probably sums up the Keith Olbermann that we have come to admire and to look to for the truth in these troubled times:
Phil Griffin, the senior vice-president in charge of MSNBC (“Phil thinks he’s my boss,” Olbermann says), raised the matter of tone. Why did Olbermann need to end his commentary by telling the President of the United States to “shut the hell up”?
“Because I can’t say, ‘Shut the fuck up,’ that’s why, frankly,” Olbermann responded. The line stayed in.
Is there anything more that really needs to be said?
It definitely paints a full picture of Olbermann, warts and all.
But it also contains a quote which probably sums up the Keith Olbermann that we have come to admire and to look to for the truth in these troubled times:
Phil Griffin, the senior vice-president in charge of MSNBC (“Phil thinks he’s my boss,” Olbermann says), raised the matter of tone. Why did Olbermann need to end his commentary by telling the President of the United States to “shut the hell up”?
“Because I can’t say, ‘Shut the fuck up,’ that’s why, frankly,” Olbermann responded. The line stayed in.
Is there anything more that really needs to be said?
Sunday, June 15, 2008
I don't believe this was part of George Bush's plan for Iraq.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki raised the possibility that his country won't sign a status of forces agreement with the United States and will ask U.S. troops to go home when their U.N. mandate to be in Iraq expires at the end of the year.
Maliki made the comment after weeks of complaints from Shiite Muslim lawmakers that U.S. proposals that would govern a continued troop presence in Iraq would infringe on Iraq's sovereignty.
"Iraq has another option that it may use," Maliki said during a visit to Amman, Jordan. "The Iraqi government, if it wants, has the right to demand that the U.N. terminate the presence of international forces on Iraqi sovereign soil."
I don't really see how Bush has much choice here.
The whole idea that this administration put forward was deposing Saddam Hussein, getting a democratically elected government in place, and then leave them to run their country.
We all know that that was just a pile of shit they were feeding the American people to get them to buy into their invasion plan, but now that two out of three of those things have happened what choice does Bush and his cronies really have?
And personally I think this solves the problem of when we should pull our troops out of Iraq quite nicely. No more trying to decide what level of violence means we can go, we just wait to asked to leave and we leave.
I think Obama should start playing up this angle big time. maybe when he gets to Iraq he can talk to Maliki, get it straight from the horse's mouth, and come back here telling the American people that the Iraqi's have given us the green light to bring our soldiers home.
What would McCain run on then?
Maliki made the comment after weeks of complaints from Shiite Muslim lawmakers that U.S. proposals that would govern a continued troop presence in Iraq would infringe on Iraq's sovereignty.
"Iraq has another option that it may use," Maliki said during a visit to Amman, Jordan. "The Iraqi government, if it wants, has the right to demand that the U.N. terminate the presence of international forces on Iraqi sovereign soil."
I don't really see how Bush has much choice here.
The whole idea that this administration put forward was deposing Saddam Hussein, getting a democratically elected government in place, and then leave them to run their country.
We all know that that was just a pile of shit they were feeding the American people to get them to buy into their invasion plan, but now that two out of three of those things have happened what choice does Bush and his cronies really have?
And personally I think this solves the problem of when we should pull our troops out of Iraq quite nicely. No more trying to decide what level of violence means we can go, we just wait to asked to leave and we leave.
I think Obama should start playing up this angle big time. maybe when he gets to Iraq he can talk to Maliki, get it straight from the horse's mouth, and come back here telling the American people that the Iraqi's have given us the green light to bring our soldiers home.
What would McCain run on then?
Gay marriage just as disappointing as regular marriage. Well I feel better now.
Four years after Massachusetts became the first state to allow gay couples to marry, there have been blissful unions, painful divorces and everything in between.
Some same-sex couples say being married has made a big difference, and some say it has made no difference at all. There are devoted couples who have decided marriage is not for them, couples whose lawyers or accountants advised them against marrying, and couples in which one partner wants to marry but the other does not.
And here I thought it might just us straight guys who cannot sustain a marriage. Guess not.
I assume the only real difference between traditional marriage and gay marriage is that you can wear your spouses clothes without everybody staring at you and pulling their children close as you walk by.
Personally I think I looked stunning.
Some same-sex couples say being married has made a big difference, and some say it has made no difference at all. There are devoted couples who have decided marriage is not for them, couples whose lawyers or accountants advised them against marrying, and couples in which one partner wants to marry but the other does not.
And here I thought it might just us straight guys who cannot sustain a marriage. Guess not.
I assume the only real difference between traditional marriage and gay marriage is that you can wear your spouses clothes without everybody staring at you and pulling their children close as you walk by.
Personally I think I looked stunning.
Sunday Science Sermon.
For today's science sermon I would like to talk about "life". In particular life on this planet. In other words "us".
It seems that there is growing evidence that life on this planet, "us", did not originate here. In other words the building blocks for life arrived from space and landed in an environment that allowed them to evolve and mingle to create life. ALL life. Even us.
Here just read this: The Murchison meteorite, which fell on Australia in 1969, has been found to contain purines and pyrimidines, which are crucial to a large number of biological molecules like DNA, RNA, and ATP (adenosine triphosophate, a chemical our cells use for fuel).......So the Murchison meteorite has native chemicals in it that are the basis for life. Obviously, since they were found at all, that means they survived entry into our atmosphere and impact. This in turn means that in the distant past, when the Earth was bombarded by such rocks, these chemicals were scattered across the planet, where they could be incorporated into ever more complex molecules, which eventually became life. And, well, us.
Well, cool. And even, wow! It’s been hypothesized for years, decades, that the basis of organic chemistry may have fallen to Earth from space. And now we know that it’s true.
Wow, is right! Okay so the scientists are being kind of cautious, as scientists often are, and not absolutely stating as fact that the building blocks of life did not originate on earth. But what they ARE saying is still pretty damn explosive.
What they are saying is that the idea of life being exclusively attributable to earth is more then likely a false assumption. In other words it is very unlikely that we are indeed alone.
Whether or not this means that there is intelligent life on other planets, or even life similar to what we have here, there is simply no way of knowing. But isn't it fun to imagine the possibilities?
Now boys and girls THIS is why science is important and why school curriculum's that try to do away with biology and evolution classes are engaging in a form of state sponsored child abuse.
If our government stops trying to make our children stupid just imagine what we may learn next. Fight state sponsored child abuse by electing a Democrat.
Oh wait I almost forgot.....Amen.
It seems that there is growing evidence that life on this planet, "us", did not originate here. In other words the building blocks for life arrived from space and landed in an environment that allowed them to evolve and mingle to create life. ALL life. Even us.
Here just read this: The Murchison meteorite, which fell on Australia in 1969, has been found to contain purines and pyrimidines, which are crucial to a large number of biological molecules like DNA, RNA, and ATP (adenosine triphosophate, a chemical our cells use for fuel).......So the Murchison meteorite has native chemicals in it that are the basis for life. Obviously, since they were found at all, that means they survived entry into our atmosphere and impact. This in turn means that in the distant past, when the Earth was bombarded by such rocks, these chemicals were scattered across the planet, where they could be incorporated into ever more complex molecules, which eventually became life. And, well, us.
Well, cool. And even, wow! It’s been hypothesized for years, decades, that the basis of organic chemistry may have fallen to Earth from space. And now we know that it’s true.
Wow, is right! Okay so the scientists are being kind of cautious, as scientists often are, and not absolutely stating as fact that the building blocks of life did not originate on earth. But what they ARE saying is still pretty damn explosive.
What they are saying is that the idea of life being exclusively attributable to earth is more then likely a false assumption. In other words it is very unlikely that we are indeed alone.
Whether or not this means that there is intelligent life on other planets, or even life similar to what we have here, there is simply no way of knowing. But isn't it fun to imagine the possibilities?
Now boys and girls THIS is why science is important and why school curriculum's that try to do away with biology and evolution classes are engaging in a form of state sponsored child abuse.
If our government stops trying to make our children stupid just imagine what we may learn next. Fight state sponsored child abuse by electing a Democrat.
Oh wait I almost forgot.....Amen.
Obama to restore FULL votes to Florida and Michigan.
Gov. Jennifer Granholm says she has gotten personal assurances from presidential candidate Barack Obama that he'll restore the full voting rights of Michigan and Florida's national convention delegates.
Granholm says Saturday during a conference call with reporters that Obama told her he plans to make sure delegates from both states get their full votes.
I know there are many cynics who will see this as a purely political decision made by Obama to keep form disenfranchising the Florida and Michigan voters. But I tend to think Obama is doing this because it is the RIGHT thing to do.
But whatever you think about the motivations I think we can agree that this decision is good for the Hillary supporters, the Democrats, and for getting a Democrat into the White House.
Granholm says Saturday during a conference call with reporters that Obama told her he plans to make sure delegates from both states get their full votes.
I know there are many cynics who will see this as a purely political decision made by Obama to keep form disenfranchising the Florida and Michigan voters. But I tend to think Obama is doing this because it is the RIGHT thing to do.
But whatever you think about the motivations I think we can agree that this decision is good for the Hillary supporters, the Democrats, and for getting a Democrat into the White House.
Even though they are now a protected species George Bush gives permission to injure them in pursuit of oil.
Less than a month after declaring polar bears a threatened species because of global warming, the Bush administration is giving oil companies permission to annoy and potentially harm them in the pursuit of oil and natural gas.The Fish and Wildlife Service issued regulations this week providing legal protection to seven oil companies planning to search for oil and gas in the Chukchi Sea off the northwestern coast of Alaska if "small numbers" of polar bears or Pacific walruses are incidentally harmed by their activities over the next five years.
Environmentalists said the new regulations give oil companies a blank check to harass the polar bear.
About 2,000 of the 25,000 polar bears in the Arctic live in and around the Chukchi Sea, where the government in February auctioned off oil leases to ConocoPhillips Co., Shell Oil Co. and five other companies for $2.6 billion. Over objections from environmentalists and members of Congress, the sale occurred before the bear was classified as threatened in May.
Polar bears are naturally curious creatures and sensitive to changes in their environment. Vibrations, noises, unusual scents and the presence of industrial equipment can disrupt their quest for prey and their efforts to raise their young in snow dens.
So in the eyes of the Bush administration, the oil companies, and the Republicans it is perfectly reasonable to cause harm to these magnificent creatures in the desperate search for an energy source which we as a country want to move away from.
I am ashamed of my states support of this plan and their attempts to argue against the plan to put these regal animals on the endangered species list.
The future of our countries energy needs is not buried in the ice of Chukchi sea, it is in developing an inexpensive, plentiful, and environmentally safe alternative that we can utilize without the guilt of damaging our planet and its inhabitants.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Still just a candidate Obama is proving himself to be light years ahead of our current embarrassment.
Barack Obama visited Illinois to offer them support in their hour of dire need due to the flooding.
He is also using his website to request volunteers go to Quincy, Illinois where the floodwater's are expected to crest soon.
He also has a link to the Red Cross for those who cannot get their physically but who want to help.
You may not recognize it after eight years under George Bush but that my friends is called leadership.
He is also using his website to request volunteers go to Quincy, Illinois where the floodwater's are expected to crest soon.
He also has a link to the Red Cross for those who cannot get their physically but who want to help.
You may not recognize it after eight years under George Bush but that my friends is called leadership.
Humans and dinosaurs may be sharing the planet in the future. Hey maybe the Flintstones was a documentary!
It poses the question: will scientists ever be able to resurrect the dinosaur?According to Jack Horner, professor of palaeontology at Montana State University, the answer is an unequivocal yes.
He says: ‘Of course we can bring them back to life. Their ancestral DNA is still present.
'The science is there. I don’t think there are any barriers, other than the philosophical.’
'The science is there. I don’t think there are any barriers, other than the philosophical.’
I have watched "Jurrassic Park" at least twenty times and all I have to say is the it never ends well for the humans. Not once.
But having said that I will be the first guy in line to see the new dinosaur exhibit at the San Diego zoo. And I know I will certainly not be the only one.
Changes at the Immoral Minority!
Don't be shocked.
I finally upgraded to the new template that Blogger offers.
I am going to try out some new color schemes. First I decided to see how white looks.
I kind of miss the sky blue color of my old template, but perhaps it is time to grow up.
I hate having to grow up.
Feel free to leave a comment.
I finally upgraded to the new template that Blogger offers.
I am going to try out some new color schemes. First I decided to see how white looks.
I kind of miss the sky blue color of my old template, but perhaps it is time to grow up.
I hate having to grow up.
Feel free to leave a comment.
Obama to take trip around the world.
Barack Obama may depart this summer from his road-warrior tour of election-battleground states to take a trip around the world, one intended to shore up his credentials on foreign policy.
With a foreign trip under discussion in the Obama camp, any itinerary almost certainly would include a stop in Iraq. That would be his first trip to the war zone since early 2006. It would be designed to answer Republican presidential candidate John McCain's criticism that antiwar Obama can't talk credibly about withdrawing U.S. forces since he hasn't been on the ground there since the 2007 troop buildup brought some military success.
While he's at it, Obama may extend his journey to other parts of the globe, especially Western Europe, where his racial mix, youth, optimism and themes of anti-Bush, multilateral diplomacy have generated impassioned interest in his candidacy.
I don't like the idea of the Obama campaign responding to McCain's ridiculous challenge (I mean he has been to Iraq multiple times and is still wrong about it), but I envision an Obama world tour a pretty good thing for his campaign and his future as our President.
I have a feeling that the rest of the world is going to absolutely love our next President.
Don't you?
With a foreign trip under discussion in the Obama camp, any itinerary almost certainly would include a stop in Iraq. That would be his first trip to the war zone since early 2006. It would be designed to answer Republican presidential candidate John McCain's criticism that antiwar Obama can't talk credibly about withdrawing U.S. forces since he hasn't been on the ground there since the 2007 troop buildup brought some military success.
While he's at it, Obama may extend his journey to other parts of the globe, especially Western Europe, where his racial mix, youth, optimism and themes of anti-Bush, multilateral diplomacy have generated impassioned interest in his candidacy.
I don't like the idea of the Obama campaign responding to McCain's ridiculous challenge (I mean he has been to Iraq multiple times and is still wrong about it), but I envision an Obama world tour a pretty good thing for his campaign and his future as our President.
I have a feeling that the rest of the world is going to absolutely love our next President.
Don't you?
Friday, June 13, 2008
What does life mean to Barack Obama?
At a town hall meeting in Kaukauna, Wisc., Thursday afternoon, amidst questions about health care and the economy, a young man said he had a question for Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, and Obama should "please be as intellectual or spiritual as you would like."
"Well this is a lot of pressure," Obama said to laugher.
"My question is: what does life mean to you?" the young man asked.
Obama hemmed and hawed for a moment but then he issued forth with this:
Obama continued, "what life means to me is that every day I wake up trying to figure out how can I secure their futures and the futures of all children, ...How can I make sure that we are giving a planet and a country to them that is better than the one we got? And, you know ,so I guess what I’ve discovered is that life doesn’t count for much unless you’re somehow giving yourself to something larger to yourself. And that’s part of my Christian faith. It’s also part of the reason I am running for president of the United States."
Well I may not agree with Obama's spiritual reference but I cannot find any fault with the rest of his sentiment. I live my life much the same way.
"Well this is a lot of pressure," Obama said to laugher.
"My question is: what does life mean to you?" the young man asked.
Obama hemmed and hawed for a moment but then he issued forth with this:
Obama continued, "what life means to me is that every day I wake up trying to figure out how can I secure their futures and the futures of all children, ...How can I make sure that we are giving a planet and a country to them that is better than the one we got? And, you know ,so I guess what I’ve discovered is that life doesn’t count for much unless you’re somehow giving yourself to something larger to yourself. And that’s part of my Christian faith. It’s also part of the reason I am running for president of the United States."
Well I may not agree with Obama's spiritual reference but I cannot find any fault with the rest of his sentiment. I live my life much the same way.
Tim Russert dies at 58!
Tim Russert, NBC News’ Washington bureau chief and the moderator of “Meet the Press,” died Friday after being stricken at the bureau, NBC News said Friday. He was 58.
Russert was recording voiceovers for Sunday’s “Meet the Press” broadcast when he collapsed. He was rushed to Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, where resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful, said Russert’s physician, Michael Newman, who said the cause of death was not immediately known.
We now know it was a heart attack.
I cannot even begin to say what a huge loss this is for NBC and all of it viewers.
Mr. Russert was one of the good ones and I cannot imagine what it will be like to watch the coverage of this election cycle without seeing Tim's furrowed brow and enjoying his habit of speaking the truth when others hesitate to do so. (He was, after all, the one who finally told Hillary and her supporters that is was over.) Who will be the one to tell us which state is the final battleground to decide our next President?
I have one thing to say to Mr. Tim Russert "Good bye, good bye, good bye."
We will miss you greatly.
Russert was recording voiceovers for Sunday’s “Meet the Press” broadcast when he collapsed. He was rushed to Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, where resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful, said Russert’s physician, Michael Newman, who said the cause of death was not immediately known.
We now know it was a heart attack.
I cannot even begin to say what a huge loss this is for NBC and all of it viewers.
Mr. Russert was one of the good ones and I cannot imagine what it will be like to watch the coverage of this election cycle without seeing Tim's furrowed brow and enjoying his habit of speaking the truth when others hesitate to do so. (He was, after all, the one who finally told Hillary and her supporters that is was over.) Who will be the one to tell us which state is the final battleground to decide our next President?
I have one thing to say to Mr. Tim Russert "Good bye, good bye, good bye."
We will miss you greatly.
Alaska Senate hopeful Mark Begich panders to big oil.
Democrat Mark Begich is making drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge a centerpiece of his energy plan as he tries to defeat Alaska Republican Sen. Ted Stevens, who has long struggled against national Democratic opposition to opening ANWR.
"What's happened the last 40 years has not worked. We have not gotten ANWR open," Begich, the mayor of Anchorage, said Thursday. "We have struggled with this arm-twisting, pounding on the table technique that has not gotten us any results. I think I have a different way of working with folks, I have an ability to cross party lines and bring people to the table."
Begich said it's clear the Democrats are going to be in control of the U.S. Senate.
"It would be a mistake for Alaskans not to be at the table in that majority making our point," Begich said.
I cannot really express just how disappointed I am in Begich.
For one thing he knows as well as anybody that he will not be able to open ANWR. Especially with a Democratic majority in the Senate. It is simply a non-starter.
And it is the wrong tactic to take at a time when we are seeing that our dependence on oil is bankrupting our country, our people, and our government.
Well not Alaska's government, which is going to enjoy HUGE profits this year from taxes and dividends that the oil companies will be happily paying out. And that of course is the problem. Alaska is very comfortable sucking at the oil companies teat and sees no reason to look around for anything to replace it. That is poor foresight.
We may now be able to use our oil money to support our economy and keep us from paying state taxes, but it should be clear to anybody who can read that this free ride is coming to an end. And I do not think it will be too much longer when we are scrambling to find something to replace it. Why can't we do a little scrambling now? Why wait until it is a crisis? That is what the Republicans do.
I am supposed to be volunteering for the Begich campaign next week, but now I am all conflicted. I want to help get a Democrat in the Senate. I want to get rid of Ted Stevens. But I want somebody with vision who is looking to the future to take his place, not somebody who is going to simply try the same tired old tactics with a new Senate majority.
Barack Obama is talking about changing Washington. Perhaps it is time for Mark Begich to talk about changing Alaska.
Update: I received a comment from the Begich campaign and I did go to their website to do further reading and found this: Alaska has world-class renewable energy resources: wind, geothermal, tidal, and hydropower. These inexhaustible resources can be tapped all across Alaska. Kotzebue has installed 17 wind turbines and is saving more than 90,000 gallons of diesel a year at a savings of $250,000 at 2007 prices. Kodiak is planning to install its first three wind turbines as part of its plan to produce 95 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2020. Geothermal resources exist in four large regions in the state, including in Southcentral Alaska and a belt that extends from Chena Hot Springs to Nome. Alaska also has many large and small hydro opportunities that are yet to be tapped. There is also great potential for smaller projects across the state using tidal, biomass and solar resources. Anchorage’s Landfill methane project alone will provide energy for 2,500 homes for the next 40 years.
The site also talked about taking extraordinary steps to ensure that opening ANWR will be as ecologically careful as current technologies allow. But forgive me for pointing out that I have heard that before.
However, my main point was that it is frustrating to see somebody running for the Senate in Alaska in 2008 and still nodding conspiratorially to the oil companies. I applaud Mark's desire to explore new energy sources, but I think it is imperative that the majority of our state's resources go toward finding and developing these new energy sources and not to continue to waste our time fighting with fellow Democrats for the right to drill for more oil when everybody knows that will not help with our energy crisis for at least twenty years.
We don't have twenty years. If we have not come up with a viable replacement for oil as our primary energy source in twenty years we may as well start buying stock in horse stables and buggy dealerships.
"What's happened the last 40 years has not worked. We have not gotten ANWR open," Begich, the mayor of Anchorage, said Thursday. "We have struggled with this arm-twisting, pounding on the table technique that has not gotten us any results. I think I have a different way of working with folks, I have an ability to cross party lines and bring people to the table."
Begich said it's clear the Democrats are going to be in control of the U.S. Senate.
"It would be a mistake for Alaskans not to be at the table in that majority making our point," Begich said.
I cannot really express just how disappointed I am in Begich.
For one thing he knows as well as anybody that he will not be able to open ANWR. Especially with a Democratic majority in the Senate. It is simply a non-starter.
And it is the wrong tactic to take at a time when we are seeing that our dependence on oil is bankrupting our country, our people, and our government.
Well not Alaska's government, which is going to enjoy HUGE profits this year from taxes and dividends that the oil companies will be happily paying out. And that of course is the problem. Alaska is very comfortable sucking at the oil companies teat and sees no reason to look around for anything to replace it. That is poor foresight.
We may now be able to use our oil money to support our economy and keep us from paying state taxes, but it should be clear to anybody who can read that this free ride is coming to an end. And I do not think it will be too much longer when we are scrambling to find something to replace it. Why can't we do a little scrambling now? Why wait until it is a crisis? That is what the Republicans do.
I am supposed to be volunteering for the Begich campaign next week, but now I am all conflicted. I want to help get a Democrat in the Senate. I want to get rid of Ted Stevens. But I want somebody with vision who is looking to the future to take his place, not somebody who is going to simply try the same tired old tactics with a new Senate majority.
Barack Obama is talking about changing Washington. Perhaps it is time for Mark Begich to talk about changing Alaska.
Update: I received a comment from the Begich campaign and I did go to their website to do further reading and found this: Alaska has world-class renewable energy resources: wind, geothermal, tidal, and hydropower. These inexhaustible resources can be tapped all across Alaska. Kotzebue has installed 17 wind turbines and is saving more than 90,000 gallons of diesel a year at a savings of $250,000 at 2007 prices. Kodiak is planning to install its first three wind turbines as part of its plan to produce 95 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2020. Geothermal resources exist in four large regions in the state, including in Southcentral Alaska and a belt that extends from Chena Hot Springs to Nome. Alaska also has many large and small hydro opportunities that are yet to be tapped. There is also great potential for smaller projects across the state using tidal, biomass and solar resources. Anchorage’s Landfill methane project alone will provide energy for 2,500 homes for the next 40 years.
The site also talked about taking extraordinary steps to ensure that opening ANWR will be as ecologically careful as current technologies allow. But forgive me for pointing out that I have heard that before.
However, my main point was that it is frustrating to see somebody running for the Senate in Alaska in 2008 and still nodding conspiratorially to the oil companies. I applaud Mark's desire to explore new energy sources, but I think it is imperative that the majority of our state's resources go toward finding and developing these new energy sources and not to continue to waste our time fighting with fellow Democrats for the right to drill for more oil when everybody knows that will not help with our energy crisis for at least twenty years.
We don't have twenty years. If we have not come up with a viable replacement for oil as our primary energy source in twenty years we may as well start buying stock in horse stables and buggy dealerships.
Cable News outlets under increased scrutiny. Well it is about damn time!
Employees at Time Warner Inc.'s CNN and General Electric Co.'s MSNBC, and a contributor to Fox News have all confused "Obama" and "Osama" in the last year in one form or another, and apologized for the mistake.
The most-recent dust-up began Wednesday afternoon during a segment on Fox News by commentator Michelle Malkin about conservative attacks on Michelle Obama. At the bottom of the screen, a headline said, "Outraged Liberals: Stop Picking on Obama's Baby Mama!"
One Fox News viewer saw the phrase on screen, and emailed a tip to the Web magazine Salon, according to Alex Koppelman, who runs a political blog for the magazine. Mr.
Koppelman says he verified the viewer's claim using a Web site called Redlasso, which offers an archive of television news clips, and posted an item online.
Just another example of bloggers protecting the public from careless unscrupulous cable media demagogues. This article definitely make it clear who is the worst offender on this subject.
"FOX News, manipulating their viewers since 1996!"
The most-recent dust-up began Wednesday afternoon during a segment on Fox News by commentator Michelle Malkin about conservative attacks on Michelle Obama. At the bottom of the screen, a headline said, "Outraged Liberals: Stop Picking on Obama's Baby Mama!"
One Fox News viewer saw the phrase on screen, and emailed a tip to the Web magazine Salon, according to Alex Koppelman, who runs a political blog for the magazine. Mr.
Koppelman says he verified the viewer's claim using a Web site called Redlasso, which offers an archive of television news clips, and posted an item online.
Just another example of bloggers protecting the public from careless unscrupulous cable media demagogues. This article definitely make it clear who is the worst offender on this subject.
"FOX News, manipulating their viewers since 1996!"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)