//Shitty bureaucrats are one reason I hated office work so much.//
It isn't even work...at least at my job
But I do hate it. It is like a mini bush administration. If I were to be fired I would praise the almighty. I've worked there for almost ten years. I could land another job based on that. But I am the type of person who won't do anything unless she is forced too.
Another note to let you know your presence is missed. ono keeps carving reminders to write you into his flesh, and he's starting to look like one of those crazy fuckers that are into scarification. You've gotta hurry and get back, man.
A US military panel yesterday sentenced Hicks, 31, to seven years' jail, with all but nine months suspended.
In return, he made concessions, including agreeing not to talk to the media for a year. He also promised not to allege mistreatment in US custody, despite earlier claims that he was abused.
The ban on talking to the media appears to have been suggested by the Australian Government, as it would be unconstitutional in the US.
To secure the agreement on the shorter term — which was kept secret from the members of the sentencing panel — he pleaded guilty to one count of giving material support to terrorists.
He admitted he had been to four al-Qaeda training camps, that he met Osama bin Laden and had asked him why training manuals weren't in English.
He ran away from his parents during passover to discuss with the priests about the torah's
His parent's were worried sick
And when his Mom said
"Jesus! Where the hell have you been?"
Jesus said:
"I am God. Where the heck have you been?"
And the whole rebelling against the government thing...very Chirst like.
Non violent of course.
Rome was scared of this guy. He had a lot of followers...acording to the New Testament...If you belive it. Which a lot of people do not....And that is okay. :)
Greens leader Bob Brown says he's convinced the Federal Government influenced the timing of confessed terrorist David Hicks' sentencing, with a view to silencing him until after the federal election.
Democrats leader Lyn Allison, also at the rally, said Hicks' case showed that any Australian overseas facing dubious legal proceedings now knew their own government would not stand up for them.
"We need to change the law in this country to make sure that the attorney-general is obliged to request the repatriation of Australian citizens where they face a trial which is not conducted in accordance with international human rights and legal provisions," she said.
Greens leader Bob Brown described the nine months sentence as a political farce, claiming it was "more about saving Mr Howard's political hide" than about justice for Hicks.
"It is clearly a political fix arranged between Mr Howard and the Bush Administration to shut up Hicks until after the election in November," Senator Brown said.
Even in the US, cynicism was running high. The New York Times reported the additional nine months imprisonment as "remarkable" for a detainee who, before the plea negotiations, had faced a potential life term.
The newspaper also noted that the case had become a point of friction between the US and Australia, where it had become a volatile election issue.
from a liberal point of view...that mofo 'straight talkin' idiot better give up some of his cash to make sure each and everyone of McCain's children get a college education...!
Sunday Talk Shows Open Thread by Joe Sudbay (DC) · 4/01/2007 08:35:00 AM ET
It's almost all about the U.S. Attorneys scandal. Dan Bartlett is going to plead the Bush administration's case. He's such a toady. It could be fun to watch him just plain lie...because that's what Bush and his staff do. Here's the line up: ABC's "This Week" _ Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill.; presidential counselor Dan Bartlett; former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson; Cal Ripken Jr., former Baltimore Orioles shortstop.
___
CBS' "Face the Nation" _ Sens. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., and Arlen Specter, R-Pa.; Bartlett.
___
NBC's "Meet the Press" _ Sens. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Orrin Hatch, R-Utah; Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y.
___
CNN's "Late Edition" _ Sens. Kit Bond, R-Mo., and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.; the Rev. Al Sharpton, civil rights activist; Richard Haass, Council on Foreign Relations president.
___
"Fox News Sunday" _ Sens. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Joe Biden, D-Del.; Kevin Martin, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. I have no doubt there will be plenty of fodder for comments. Plenty.
This report is so sad. Look at the condition of those homes and the surrounding neighborhood-- very nice. Yet, there are absolutely no jobs in Michigan. People have abandoned it.
April 1, 2007 Editorial The Rovian Era Turn over a scandal in Washington these days and the chances are you’ll find Karl Rove. His tracks are everywhere: whether it’s helping to purge United States attorneys, coaching bureaucrats on how to spend taxpayers’ money to promote Republican candidates, hijacking the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives for partisan politics, or helping to organize a hit on the character of one of the first people to publicly reveal the twisting of intelligence reports on Iraq.
Whatever the immediate objective, Mr. Rove seems focused on one overarching goal: creating a permanent Republican majority, even if that means politicizing every aspect of the White House and subverting the governmental functions of the executive branch. This is not the Clinton administration’s permanent campaign. The Clinton people had difficulty distinguishing between the spin cycle of a campaign and the tone of governing. That seems quaint compared with the Bush administration’s far more menacing failure to distinguish the Republican Party from the government, or the state itself.
This was, perhaps, the inevitable result of taking the chief operative of a presidential campaign, one famous for his scorched-earth style, and ensconcing him in the White House — not in a political role, but as a key player in the formation of policy. Mr. Rove never had to submit to Senate confirmation hearings. Yet, from the very start, photographs of cabinet meetings showed him in the background, keeping an enforcer’s eye on the proceedings. After his re-election in 2004, President Bush formally put Mr. Rove in charge of all domestic policy.
Mr. Rove’s efforts to maintain one-party rule go deep into the government. Last week, we learned about a meeting set up by Mr. Rove’s staff with officials of the General Services Administration that was wildly inappropriate and perhaps illegal. The aim, as outlined by Mr. Rove’s deputy, Scott Jennings, seems to have been to take advantage of the billions of dollars in contracts put out by the agency every year to return Republicans to the majority in Congress in 2008. It included PowerPoint slides on vulnerable House and Senate seats.
This sort of behavior should not be all that surprising. It was not that long ago that the Bush White House embraced the priorities of the Republican governor of Mississippi and virtually ignored the far greater needs of Louisiana’s Democratic governor after Hurricane Katrina.
Is the American Empire on the Brink of Collapse? By Mark Karlin, BuzzFlash Posted on March 24, 2007, Printed on April 1, 2007 http://www.alternet.org/story/49603/
I believe that we're close to a tipping point right now. What happened to the Soviet Union between 1989 and 1991 could easily be happening to us for essentially the same reasons. Imperial overreach, inability to reform, rigid economic ideology. ... The world's balance of power didn't change one iota on September 11, 2001. The only way we could lose the power and influence we had at that time was through our own actions, and that's what we did. -- Chalmers Johnson, author of Nemesis: The Last Days of the American Republic
Has our "leadership" traded democracy for empire? Have their over-bloated egos convinced them that they are the world's newly crowned colonial kings? Author Chalmers Johnson is certainly not given to wearing rose-colored glasses. As he concludes in his newest book, Nemesis: "... my country is launched on a dangerous path that it must abandon or else face the consequences."
Johnson's well-argued, persuasive argument draws on the economic, military, and political lessons of the past, which may be just what's needed to wake up Americans in time to change course. In this interview, he explained his hopes and fears for contemporary America.
* * *
Mark Karlin: You've written a three-part series of books on the United States as an empire. The first was called Blowback. The second is The Sorrows of the Empire. And, now, Nemesis: The Last Days of the American Republic. That's kind of a doomsday declension there.
Chalmers Johnson: I guess you could say that. It's inadvertent. I didn't set out to write three volumes. I don't know whether Gibbons set out to write The Decline and the Fall of the Roman Empire. But one led to the other.
The first was written well before 9/11, and it was concerned with what I perceived to be the American public's lack of understanding that most of the foreign policy problems of the 21st century were going to be things left over from the Cold War. Above all, I argue that our numerous clandestine activities, some of which are almost totally disreputable, will come back to haunt us.
The second book followed on the first, in that it was a broad analysis of what I called our military-based empire, an empire of 737 American military bases in over 130 countries around the world. That number is the official Pentagon count. They are genuine military bases. They're very extensive. They are not, as some defenders of the Pentagon like to say, just Marine guards. We haven't got 700 embassies around the world. The Sorrows of Empire was written as we were preparing for our invasion of Iraq, and it was published virtually on the day that we invaded.
America, Maxed Out By James Scurlock, Scribner Posted on March 24, 2007, Printed on April 1, 2007 http://www.alternet.org/story/49676/ The federal government -- and the majority of Americans -- can no longer get by a single day without taking on additional debt. And as more borrowing goes to simply pay off old debt, or to make interest payments, the new debt does little more than increase banking profits.
Eventually the higher levels of debt will lead to higher interest rates, which will lead to more debt, creating a cycle as vicious as it is inevitable. Over the past generation, banks and credit card companies have made trillions of dollars of high-interest, unsecured debt available, and Americans have scooped it up. Our incomes have risen an average of 1 percent in real terms, while our household debt has increased over 1,000 percent. As a result, we no longer save. We have no choice but to keep spending until our credit is exhausted and we own nothing.
As Marriner Eccles, the legendary Fed chairman during the Great Depression, noted, "The economy is like a poker game where only a few people control the chips and the other fellows must borrow to stay in the game. But the moment the borrowing stops, the game is over."
How did we allow this to happen? How could we be so shortsighted? How could banks keep lending to people who can't afford to pay them back? Doesn't that fly in the face of tradition, if not common sense? Don't bank executives realize that they are sowing the seeds of their own destruction? After all, when most Americans can no longer stay afloat, the banks will sink alongside them as they did back in Marriner Eccles' day.
The simple answer is that while the banking industry has gone through its most profound change since the Venetians invented modern finance hundreds of years ago, Americans have clung to old assumptions. In particular, we've continued to believe that banks wouldn't extend us credit unless we could handle it, and that banks want us to save. Yet, the big banks realized more than a generation ago that they make far more money teaching us to spend than to save. They've also learned that making money upfront, mostly in the form of fees, is a lot more fun than waiting for a revenue stream to trickle in. The reason is simple: Fees can be booked as profits immediately; revenue streams take years. This is why most mortgages, car loans, and even credit card receivables are bundled together and sold off, sometimes instantly, to Wall Street.
We had bad weather here in the suburbs of Chicago last night.
I found out this AM that there was a microburst in this area and an apartment complex 3 blocks from whre I live had several buildings that had their roofs torn off.
We had tornado warnings from 8 PM to midnight last night. I heard strong winds at one point and my ears felt alot of pressure at one point.
Microbursts downburst less than 2.5 miles in diameter A downburst is a strong downdraft which includes an outburst of potentially damaging winds on or near the ground. If the diameter of the downburst is less than 2.5 miles, it is called a microburst. The diagrams below depict the evolution of a microburst.
A microburst initially develops as the downdraft begins its descent from cloud base. The downdraft accelerates and within minutes, reaches the ground (contact stage). It is during the contact stage that the highest winds are observed. During the outburst stage (above), the wind "curls" as the cold air of the microburst moves away from the point of impact with the ground. During the cushion stage, winds about the curl continue to accelerate, posing a great threat to nearby aircraft.
These are very weak, high based showers without thunder, but with microbursts. Studies have shown that they predominantly occur in the High Plains and western U.S.: particularly in unstable, very dry low level environments with surface temperature-dew point spreads of 30 to 50 degrees and an area of mid-level moisture as a source for the weak showers.
There are circling helicopters that I have been hearing all morning. I'm assuming that these are news helicopters getting photos of that apartment complex a few blocks away from me.
Prosecutor posts go to loyal Bushies. “About one-third of the nearly four dozen U.S. attorney’s jobs that have changed hands since President Bush began his second term have been filled by the White House and the Justice Department with trusted administration insiders,” the Washington Post reports. “The people chosen as chief federal prosecutors on a temporary or permanent basis since early 2005 include 10 senior aides to Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales… Several came from the White House or other government agencies. Some lacked experience as prosecutors or had no connection to the districts in which they were sent to work, the records and biographical information show.”
Iranian Students Protest British Embassy With Rocks, Firecrackers Associated Press | NASSER KARIMI | April 1, 2007 09:02 AM
About 200 students threw rocks and firecrackers at the British Embassy on Sunday, calling for the expulsion of the country's ambassador because of the standoff over Iran's capture of 15 British sailors and marines.
Several dozen policeman prevented the protesters from entering the embassy compound, although a few briefly scaled a fence outside the compound's walls before being pushed back, according to an Associated Press reporter at the scene.
CHASTISED HEAD OF LOCAL FBI OFFICE ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT San Diego FBI chief Dan Dzwilewski, who was rebuked by superiors for publicly defending ousted U.S. Attorney Carol Lam, has announced his retirement. (San Diego Union Tribune)
"We heard what sounded like a train, the sky turns green, and it just let loose. Next thing you know, we were looking outside, the garage that used to be there -- gone," said Brian Sommer.
Citizens or Suckers? In spending a trillion dollars to send our soldiers to kill and be killed in the Middle East, our government is mortgaging our nation's future and selling its soul.
love the hats, sunshine. i've actually got a few days left. 40 does make you take stock of things, though. good to do that every once in a while, i guess.
"Chalmers Johnson article was excellent.
April 1, 2007 12:42 PM"
i've always liked him a lot, tonid. he doesn't beat around the bush and just lays it out.
McCain: Americans don't see Iraq's gains By KIM GAMEL, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 55 minutes ago
Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record) criticized reports out of Iraq he said focused unfairly on violence, saying Sunday that Americans were not getting a "full picture" of progress in the security crackdown in the capital.
McCain, who is seeking the Republican presidential nomination, was combative during a press conference in the military's media center in the heavily guarded Green Zone, and responded testily to a question about remarks he had made in the United States last week that it was safe to walk some Baghdad streets.
"The American people are not getting the full picture of what's happening here. They're not getting the full picture of the drop in murders, the establishment of security outposts throughout the city, the situation in Anbar province, the deployment of additional Iraqi brigades which are performing well, and other signs of progress having been made," said McCain, of Arizona.
He said the Republican congressional delegation he led to Iraq drove from Baghdad's airport to the center of the city, citing that as proof that security was improving in the capital. Prominent visitors normally make the trip by helicopter.
The delegation was accompanied by heavily armed U.S. troops when they were not in the Green Zone, site of the U.S. Embassy and Iraqi government. They traveled in armored military vehicles under heavy guard.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (news, bio, voting record), a South Carolina Republican, criticized congressional Democrats who passed spending legislation that would set deadlines for pulling U.S. forces out of Iraq. He said President Bush would veto the measures and should.
"It will be a huge mistake to set a deadline. It (the U.S. troop surge) is working. We are doing now what we should have done three years ago. ... The Iraqi people want their own destiny but they don't have the capabilities yet," he said.
Gas Prices Up, Industry Points At Iran As Cause By: Nicole Belle @ 9:02 AM - PDT Riiiiiggggghhhhhhtttt. In the last week, gas in my neighborhood has gone up by at least 40 cents, significantly more in some spots. There's a couple of gas stations that have actually hit the $4.00/gallon mark.
ABC News :
Nothing moves the price of gasoline more than the price of oil, and fears that the standoff over Britons held captive in Iran will lead to a major disruption in the supply of Middle East oil is taking an escalating toll on gas prices here in the United States.[..]
In the last eight weeks, even before the current standoff with Iran, prices jumped 44 cents to a national average of $2.61 a gallon - 11 cents higher than a year ago.
Gas prices often shoot up in the spring, as refineries make the switch to summer-blend gasolines, creating glitches in supply. But the standoff with Iran has inflicted a double whammy on prices.
"I believe crude oil prices are going to continue to rise 50 cents to $1 each," said John Kilduff, an oil trader for Fimat USA, "and every day that this goes on until they stabilize at some point above $70 a barrel."
Now that we have a Democratic majority again, I'd like to see them subpoena the oil companies for an actual on-the-record conversation (as opposed to closed door meetings with Dick Cheney) about price fixing and those record profits being realized.
Catherine Crier has some really good monologues at the end of her show and this was one of them. She takes a look at Bush's abuse of power
Download (3528) | Play (3154) Download (1401) | Play (2014)
Crier: In the last six years this President has assumed more power than any President in history…
Crier: How about the other matters in the King's court…Former WH counsel Harriet Miers would now be a Supreme Court justice. Michael Brown would still be head of FEMA because as you know he did a " heckofajob." Donald RUmsfeld would still be Secretary of Defense because of his marvelous handling of the Iraq war. And former gay prostittute Jeff Gannon, a mysterious member of the WH press corp. might now be sitting in Helen Thomas's seat….
She uses some really good video clips of Bush to make her point—and that includes the press…She covers the Attorney scandal and goofs on Rove.
The Word "Republican" Has Vanished From The Vocabulary Of Right-Wingers By MARC McDONALD
Scan any right-wing blog these days and it's hard not to notice that something is missing.
Namely, the word "Republican."
As he so often does these days, Rush Limbaugh sets the trends in the right-wing noise chamber. If you've listened to Limbaugh's radio show lately, you'll notice that he has rarely mentioned the word "Republican" since November. Indeed, he goes out of his way every 30 seconds to mention that he's actually a "conservative."
It's quite a change of pace from four years ago, when the Republicans were riding high in the heady early days of the (then still popular) Iraq War. Back then, George W. Bush's approval rating was sky-high. The Iraq War initially appeared as though it might be a cake-walk, after all. Most Americans were still confident that the WMDs would be found (for that matter, most Americans still believed Saddam was behind 9/11).
Back in those days, Rush and his Ditto-Head followers embraced the word "Republican" and wore it as a badge of honor.
But that's no longer the case these days, especially in the aftermath of the Republicans' disastrous showing in the November elections.
Like Rush, the right-wing blogosphere has recently quietly tiptoed away from the word "Republican." A casual scan of popular right-wing Web sites and blogs today reveals few or no mentions of the word "Republican" over the past month.
The following right-wing sites (none of which I will dignify by linking to) have few, if any, mentions of the word "Republican" on their main pages (or any of their recent articles): Limbaugh's own site, The Drudge Report, Flopping Aces, Little Green Footballs, and Captain's Quarters. Note that the latter two sites have archives dating back several years. Click on any month pre-dating November 2006, and you'll find the word "Republican" in abundance.
It's seems unlikely that everyone in the Bush administration will be completely brought to justice. Instead of seeking vengeance, penace should begin with seeing ourselves as others see us.
The Carpetbagger Report: When Speaker Pelosi leads a bipartisan delegation to Syria, she’s a traitor to her country. When conservative GOP lawmakers visit Syria, well, the right doesn’t want to talk about it.
The scandal unfolding around the firing of eight U.S. attorneys compels the conclusion that the Bush administration has rewarded loyalty over all else. A destructive pattern of partisan political actions at the Justice Department started long before this incident, however, as those of us who worked in its civil rights division can attest.
I spent more than 35 years in the department enforcing federal civil rights laws - particularly voting rights. Before leaving in 2005, I worked for attorneys general with dramatically different political philosophies - from John Mitchell to Ed Meese to Janet Reno. Regardless of the administration, the political appointees had respect for the experience and judgment of longtime civil servants.
Under the Bush administration, however, all that changed. Over the last six years, this Justice Department has ignored the advice of its staff and skewed aspects of law enforcement in ways that clearly were intended to influence the outcome of elections.
It has notably shirked its legal responsibility to protect voting rights. From 2001 to 2006, no voting discrimination cases were brought on behalf of African American or Native American voters. U.S. attorneys were told instead to give priority to voter fraud cases, which, when coupled with the strong support for voter ID laws, indicated an intent to depress voter turnout in minority and poor communities. (Read the rest of this story…)
As America is dumbed down and people grow more and more selfish, I find myself becoming less of a person as the days of the Bush administration drag on.
I have always driven a small, gas saving car. But, now that I'm almost 70 and for the most part, people haven't done the same, I'm thinking of buying a large car that's comfortable and has power. I find myself saying screw it!
All I seem to be caring about these days is surviving the Bush years. It is getting so scary, with Bush being insane and power mad that my personal survival of his reign is my prime goal.
I am much more afraid of Bush than I am of the Iran guy or the Korea guy.
Mitchell: Petraeus Held Closed-Door Strategy Meeting With Republican Caucus » This morning on the Chris Matthews Show, NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell revealed that Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, met “very recently” with the Senate Republican caucus to discuss their strategy on Iraq legislation.
“Petraeus went to the Republican caucus and told them, I will have real progress to you by August,” Mitchell said. The Republicans claim they told him that after August, they will end their support for the war. “They have told him at a caucus meeting as very, very recently, that if there isn’t progress by August — and real progress means not a day of violence and a day of sanity — that they will pull the plug.”
Watch it:
Stunningly, Mitchell said that “moderate Republican” senators had told her that they didn’t believe the escalation would work but voted for it anyway. “They really are not in favor of the surge. They don’t believe it’s going to work. But they basically said the president has until August, until Labor Day. After that, if it doesn’t work, they’re running.”
Romney and Giuliani open to imprisoning Americans without review. Glenn Greenwald comments on excerpts from a National Review article:
Crane asked if Romney believed the president should have the authority to arrest U.S. citizens with no review. Romney said he would want to hear the pros and cons from smart lawyers before he made up his mind.
Mitt Romney can’t say — at least not until he engages in a careful and solemn debate with a team of “smart lawyers” — whether, in the United States of America, the President has the power to imprison American citizens without any opportunity for review of any kind. … Ponnuru goes on to note:
Crane said that he had asked Giuliani the same question a few weeks ago. The mayor said that he would want to use this authority infrequently.
It sounds like Giuliani is positioning himself in this race as the “compassionate authoritarian” — “Yes, of course I have the power to imprison you without charges or review of any kind, but as President, I commit to you that I intend (no promises) to ‘use this authority infrequently.’”
Fox Catches McConnell Hypocrisy Over Testimony Of White House Officials Under Oath » This morning on Fox News Sunday, host Chris Wallace aired archived video of Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) calling on the Clinton White House to testify before Congress under oath. Here’s what McConnell said on June 16, 1996:
I think the testimony obviously ought to be sworn testimony. And we ought to go all the way into this and take as much time as we can to reassure the American people that this sort of thing’s not going to happen again in the future.
Challenged with this quote today, McConnell said, “With regard to White House officials, it will be up to the President to decide frankly whether and when and under what circumstances members of his [own White House staff] testify.”
Wallace questioned why the same rules McConnell applied to the Clinton White House shouldn’t apply to the Bush White House. McConnell offered that he was merely a Senator in 1996 and that the President made the ultimate decision. Wallace said, “But you’re still a Senator so the question is: do you call on this President to do the same thing?” McConnell responded, “I’m calling on this President to do what he thinks is appropriate.” Watch it:
Anonymous said... New Thread up. TONID responsible for pop up window. I'm going to have an announcement over the next couple of days but I wanted you guys to hear about it first. Management feels they can do better in this time slot. I have been offered a Sunday Show which I will accept.
First off-- this blog (s?) will remain in full effect and I will finally have some notion of my future enough to dedicate some time to fixing it. Second, while this is not what I have been working toward over the past couple of years I am excited for opportunities that this may lead to- more on that later. Third, I'm going to have the opportunity to spend more time with Alberto Gonzales family, which I am really looking forward to...
Giuliani's recommended pick for Homeland Security chief is likely to be charged with several felonies, including tax evasion and conspiracy to commit wiretapping.
As trade tension mounts between China and the United States, Beijing has called on the Bush administration to reverse a decision to impose steep duties on imports of coated paper from China, state media reported this weekend.
The Chinese Commerce Ministry issued a strong protest over the sanctions announced Friday, which some U.S. industry officials have suggested could be the first move in a campaign to impose tariffs on a wide range of manufactured imports from China, including steel, textiles, plastics and machinery.
"This action of the U.S. side goes against the consensus reached by the leaders of both countries to resolve disputes through dialogue," China's official Xinhua news agency quoted a Commerce Ministry spokesman, Wang Xinpei, as saying. "China strongly requires the United States to reconsider the decision and make prompt changes."
Since the Democrats took control of Congress in November, the Bush administration has come under intensified pressure to curb the trade imbalance with China.
The U.S. trade deficit with China hit a record $233 billion in 2006, a gap that influential U.S. lawmakers and industry groups say has continued to widen as the Chinese government aggressively subsidizes exports.
I've had it For the Monitor April 01. 2007 10:00AM
So Chuck Douglas thinks money to rebuild the levees in New Orleans is pork (Monitor "My Turn," March 30). This makes sense since the Bush administration thought so, too, before Katrina, when it cut funding for upgrades and repairs.
How much longer is this country going to take this nonsense? The so-called conservatives are wrong about everything. Birth control, foreign policy, stem-cell research, immigration, national security, drug policy and on and on ad nauseam, they have screwed everything up so badly it makes me sick to my stomach.
I am sick and tired of hearing know-nothing false patriots carry on about not supporting the troops if you protest the war. It is they who are the traitors.
Patriotism is not blind obedience to incompetent and criminal rule. It is the most patriotic and American of activities to rise up in protest against oppressive and liberty-robbing rulers.
I, too, have family members in Iraq. My problem is that their blood might be shed for this administration's folly. They are being used to further a far-right worldview and a policy that makes us less safe and robs our treasury and dignity.
So poor Sammy got the axe? That is why I was told to come back. Not as shock to anyone. Sam would have been better off with No Janeane, but he would not have gotten the chance without Janeane. Catch 22, but oh well he had a nice run. Sure didn't hurt his career.
The incompetence of this admin never ceases to amaze me:
National Nuclear Security Agency can't account for 20 computers with sensitive information RAW STORY Published: Sunday April 1, 2007
The Energy Department inspector general said Friday that the "office in charge of protecting American technical secrets about nuclear weapons from foreign spies is missing 20 desktop computers, at least 14 of which have been used for classified information," reports the New York Times.
"This is the 13th time in a little over four years that an audit has found that the department, whose national laboratories and factories do most of the work in designing and building nuclear warheads, has lost control over computers used in working on the bombs," writes Matthew Wald.
This is not the first time that computers involved in tracking nuclear information have gone missing. The current incident involves computers used in "tracking and countering efforts to steal bomb information."
"Problems with the control and accountability of desktop and laptop computers have plagued the department for a number of years," the Times quotes the Department of Energy report.
National Nuclear Security Agency director Linton F. Brooks was fired in January because of Security concerns.
I did so want to hear Sam have to sing Hillary's praises...
===================================
**Exclusive** Hillary in blowout with $36 million, including $10 million transferred from senate war chest, insiders tell the DRUDGE REPORT... Obama said close with $22 million... Others reporting shortly... Developing...
i have plans to go to a neighbors 140-year-old house when i get back. i'll take photos of those beams and whatever else i can find.
the trip's going well. spending a lot of time talking with friends and friends of friends. nice to have people to show you around their city. the weather's great and people are living on the street now. they definitely know their neighbors more here...
oh, and thanks tonid for putting up the link and sam's post and such. I had thought he said something on the show and I thought i must've missed it or something. I agree he'll probably be better off, though I don't know if I will and I truly doubt AAR will. I just don't like any of their other shows, and I don't think many do (but that's just my impression, I could be wrong.) Tiffany
love it when the object is perfectly adapted to a lifestyle.
April 1, 2007 3:12 PM
she has girls' day dolls (hinamatsuri dolls) that are more than 100 years old, too. she got them from her mother-in-law and she's promised to leave them set up until i get back.
McCain heckled by CNN reporter Sun Apr 01 2007 13:50:38 ET
**Exclusive**
During a live press conference in Bagdad, Senators McCain and Graham were heckled by CNN reporter Michael Ware. An official at the press conference called Ware’s conduct “outrageous,” saying, “here you have two United States Senators in Bagdad giving first-hand reports while Ware is laughing and mocking their comments. I’ve never witnessed such disrespect. This guy is an activist not a reporter.”
Senators McCain and Graham flew into Iraq and drove into Bagdad, making stops at an open market and a joint Iraq/American military security outpost before appearing at the press conference.
This is not the first time Michael Ware has taken issue with Senator McCain’s comments about early progress in Iraq. Last week, after Senator McCain told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that he needed to catch up on the news coming out of Iraq, Michael Ware responded, saying:
“I don't know what part of Neverland Senator McCain is talking about when he says we can go strolling in Baghdad.”
Michael Ware has also publicly expressed his views on the war last year in an interview with Bill Maher, saying, “I've been given a front-row ticket to watch this slow-motion train wreck … I try to stay as drunk for as long as possible while I'm here … In fact, I'm drinking now.”
That's why I posted the link yesterday. I have the same blogger and I discovered that if you go direct to the comments link and bypass the blogger first page, you get this big screen.
And if sam would not allow the avatars (little photos) he would get rid of the security box.
Graham’s Signs Of Progress In Iraq: ‘I Bought Five Rugs For Five Bucks’ » Today, Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) held a press conference in Iraq. Both McCain and Graham charged that the media are not giving the American people “the full picture of what’s happening here.” As evidence of progress, they spoke of the time they were able to spend in the Bab al-Sharqi market, at which 88 people died in suicide bomber attack on Jan. 22. “We went to the market and were just really warmly welcomed. I bought five rugs for five bucks. And people were engaging,” said Graham.
What McCain and Graham didn’t mention: CNN’s Bob Franken noted today that the senators’ press conference was “held in the very, very, very heavily secured Green Zone, the center city area of Baghdad.” Additionally, the “delegation was accompanied by heavily armed U.S. troops when they were not in the Green Zone, site of the U.S. Embassy and Iraqi government. They traveled in armored military vehicles under heavy guard.”
Israel offers Arabs peace talks Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has proposed holding a regional peace conference following the revival of an Arab peace initiative. Mr Olmert said if Saudi Arabia arranged a conference of moderate Arab states and invited him and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, he would attend.
Earlier, Mr Abbas urged Israel to engage in direct serious negotiations as soon as possible.
Last week Arab leaders urged Israel to accept a peace plan proposed in 2002.
The Saudi plan offers Israel normalisation of ties with Arab states if it pulls out of all Arab land it occupied in 1967.
Israel rejected the plan outright when it was first proposed.
But Mr Olmert said on Thursday Israel was ready to make "big and painful" concessions to advance the peace process.
'Important leader'
Mr Olmert's call for a regional peace conference came during a news conference in Jerusalem with the visiting German leader, Angela Merkel.
"I am announcing to the heads of the Arab states on this occasion that if the Saudi king initiates a meeting of moderate Arab states and invites me and the head of the Palestinian Authority in order to present us the Saudi ideas, we will come to hear them and we will be glad to voice ours," Mr Olmert said.
"I think it is time to make a momentous effort in order to give a push to the diplomatic process... I am optimistic," he said.
"I invite all the heads of the Arab states, including of course the Saudi king whom I consider a very important leader, to hold talks with us," he said.
Earlier, speaking after his own talks with Mrs Merkel, the Palestinian leader had called on the Israeli government to respond constructively to the new Arab peace initiative.
lol i didn't even know about the blogspot thing, i've always just come straight here, and wondered what everyone was complaining about. that makes sense. Well if Sam goes to weekends I'll follow and give some others another chance, i suppose. But i have a feeling they're planning on going in a more moderate direction now. sigh, only one day a week with our Sammy? alas... Tiffany
The problem is that there are more centrists if you combine the Dems and Repubs. Middle of the roaders. The ones that don't pay attention to politics until things happen that affects them directly. And I think that is what the Greens are going for.
I like Kennedy and Papantonio, Laura Flanders, David Bender, and Rachel. And I like Randi. She's good for the centrist because she really explains what is happening. She makes the case for the liberal view so to speak.
And noone is a true Liberal. We all have our individual beliefs but agree on the majority.
I think Green's brother, Mark, may want Sam's time.
yeah i heard about the Mark thing, but the article was written with a bit of anger and so I didn't know how much of an opinion piece it was (it was attacking Green for using AAR as a place to advertise his own shit.) I don't know, it's just weird. I totally get and appreciate centrists, but I'm very liberal and it was nice to feel like there was one sane voice who I could relate to. I mean, super conservatives got their people right? Tiffany p.s. I mean, w/e, I'll certainly listen to Sam on Sunday if that's where life takes him, it'll just suck not to get the fifteen hours a week I'm used to.
558 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 558 of 558TONY!!!
this wide screen is blinky & jaunty
tell sam to give you the power to make new threads
(seeing you're cosy buddy-buddies)
//Shitty bureaucrats are one reason I hated office work so much.//
It isn't even work...at least at my job
But I do hate it. It is like a mini bush administration. If I were to be fired I would praise the almighty. I've worked there for almost ten years.
I could land another job based on that. But I am the type of person who won't do anything unless she is forced too.
-conbo
Slackerass
Mr Bubbarach:
Another note to let you know your presence is missed. ono keeps carving reminders to write you into his flesh, and he's starting to look like one of those crazy fuckers that are into scarification. You've gotta hurry and get back, man.
Many blessings
~The Bastard Dane
Also, the new blog format is shite, CB.
I'll add that on!!!!
-:)
write messages to Chubby everyone!!!!
-conbo
Well, then here's hoping you get fired, #. : )
I gotta get some sleep, folks.
Have a great day/night, all!
ooh I am watching the link, ToniD!
very nice!!!!
-conbo
nite WFC!!!!
thanks for the chat!
-conbo
:)
Chubby, I miss you yelling at me for the open links!
Hang in there! Everyone here is wating for you to get back :-}
NEED I REMIND YOU, TONI
//Anonymous said...
New Thread up. TONID responsible for pop up window.
March 30, 2007 9:28 PM//
YOU BROKE IT!, YOU FIX IT!
the old format reloaded beautifully
tell chubby i blame toni for world war 2
and i'll write him when i'm in melbourne
Night night WFC.
I could use more sleep also.
Wonder what the Sunday talking heads are going to say today?
If I get some more sleep now, I can watch with the remote in hand to check the different shows.
Catherine Crier is good, Connie.
Back later, need a nap again.
FRANK RICH: Elizabeth Edwards for President
http://freedemocracy.blogspot.com/2007/04/frank-rich-elizabeth-edwards-for.html
NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF: The Hand Behind the Taliban
http://freedemocracy.blogspot.com/2007/04/nicholas-d-kristof-hand-behind-taliban.html
Happy April Fool's Day!
hahaha!
i will add all that!
:)
-conbo
night Toni
i am so not going to be able to sleep
all nighter for me
-conbo
Sweet Jesus!
hahahahahahaha!
Praise God!
He is sweet! like chocalate!
And, Christians do celebrate Easter with Chocolate candies!!!
And Christ was not crucified with a loincloth!!!!
:)
-conbo
//air-ono said...
there's always something fucked with this blog//
That is why I love it...
Sam is one of us...
Slacker with a heart
:)
that's right toni
cut & run...
you wanna be management
you accept the responsibilities, too
Sweet Jesus is a link to a FOX clip that interviews an artist who made Jesus out of Chocolate. hahahahaha!
beatiful! Jesus was not wearing a loincloth! And did die for our Chocolate!
So we could be happy!
hahahaha! I love this guy!
-conbo
no, connie
weather you're in charge of the white house, or a blog
your job is to maintain it so it functions
eh!
perfect analogy (by default)
Sweet Jesus!
Eat of my body!
I'm not Christ, but I have a feeling he has a sense of humor (HELLO-he made us!) and would adore this!!!!
-conbo
//weather you're in charge of the white house, or a blog
your job is to maintain it so it functions//
I think Sam has done a fine job :)
Open discussion, and he keeps in contact with some one or another here
-conbo
Sam for Jesus!
hahahahahaha!
:)
-conbo
It is against the Christian religion to make images of Christ...Idols...ect
And that is why I love the Jesus Chocolate Artist
Fascism is hilarious! I am telling you!!!!
-conbo
catholicism is kinda anti-christ...
another funny thing about the modern world
-conbo
-----------------
"Hicks out in 9 months"
Link:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/hicks-out-in-9-months/2007/03/31/1174761817901.html
Excerpts:
A US military panel yesterday sentenced Hicks, 31, to seven years' jail, with all but nine months suspended.
In return, he made concessions, including agreeing not to talk to the media for a year. He also promised not to allege mistreatment in US custody, despite earlier claims that he was abused.
The ban on talking to the media appears to have been suggested by the Australian Government, as it would be unconstitutional in the US.
To secure the agreement on the shorter term — which was kept secret from the members of the sentencing panel — he pleaded guilty to one count of giving material support to terrorists.
He admitted he had been to four al-Qaeda training camps, that he met Osama bin Laden and had asked him why training manuals weren't in English.
does anyone else get the humor?
-conbo
sam is not the messiah
"he's just a naughty boy"
The War on Easter
http://freedemocracy.blogspot.com/2007/04/war-on-easter.html
now i have to get into a good frame of mind to ring jaqy
-------------
JACKIE!
I woke up with your name on my lips
I woke up with your lips on my imagination
~by b.z. featuring joanne
get waits to give you a copy after his sleepies
VOXXY!!!!!!
owe you an email
Did you wake up with my name on your lips
Or am I all alone in this infatuation?
Jackie when you're touching my soul in the candlelight
(Oh Jackie)
I didn't know love could feel this good
I never let anyone inside
I pushed and shoved
I fought back the love,
But with Jackie I've got nothing to hide
: )
I submit to you that Christ was a naughty boy
He ran away from his parents during passover to discuss with the priests about the torah's
His parent's were worried sick
And when his Mom said
"Jesus! Where the hell have you been?"
Jesus said:
"I am God. Where the heck have you been?"
And the whole rebelling against the government thing...very Chirst like.
Non violent of course.
Rome was scared of this guy.
He had a lot of followers...acording to the New Testament...If you belive it. Which a lot of people do not....And that is okay. :)
God loves EVERYONE!!!!!
-conbo
Jackie for Christ!!!
-conbo
KEVVY!!!!
i owe you nothing
yeah, she walks on water
: )
Jackie when I lost control in the heat of the night
Kevvvvy
who is that?
;)
-conbo
------------------------
"Hicks 'silenced' before election"
Link:
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/04/01/1175366058341.html
Excerpts:
Greens leader Bob Brown says he's convinced the Federal Government influenced the timing of confessed terrorist David Hicks' sentencing, with a view to silencing him until after the federal election.
Democrats leader Lyn Allison, also at the rally, said Hicks' case showed that any Australian overseas facing dubious legal proceedings now knew their own government would not stand up for them.
"We need to change the law in this country to make sure that the attorney-general is obliged to request the repatriation of Australian citizens where they face a trial which is not conducted in accordance with international human rights and legal provisions," she said.
kevvy is the one & only "kaos"
That is nice, Air Ono
I still am in love with my first love...
-conbo
That is the thing. First love...only love...the one
Sucks.
air-ono said...
KEVVY!!!!
i owe you nothing
April 1, 2007 7:36 AM
The Easter Bunny died on the cross for our Chocolate Eggs
Blessed are the Jelly Beans
//The Easter Bunny died on the cross for our Chocolate Eggs
Blessed are the Jelly Beans//
RMFLAO!!!!!
hahahahah!
Let's not forget Christmas
Where we celebrate capitalists for giving us plastic goods!!!!
-conbo
Praise You Wal-Mart
for the 20.00 toys
without you, Christ could not have been born!!!
GO WALMART!!!!!
(ps thanks for enslaving children so that my child could have a cheap toy)
-conbo
Anonymous said...
//The Easter Bunny died on the cross for our Chocolate Eggs
Blessed are the Jelly Beans//
-conbo
April 1, 2007 7:45 AM
You have to put that with this pict
It makes more sense ..... http://bp3.blogger.com/_GodHGuug7Ns/Rg-Xr1jTEOI/AAAAAAAAAIU/CkMgH3JZNIY/s400/waroneaster.gif
8-)
the sambuca, the tea, and the jackie song are doing their job
but the blog is fucked and livid things that live in my body are causing havoc
(ciao)
*********************
air-ono said...
VOXXY!!!!!!
owe you an email
April 1, 2007 7:33 AM
*************************
air-ono,
Good to know that you received my email.
I look forward to your email!
p.s. I was beginning to wonder about my email.
nice to see you Ono .... see ya
In the name of the Son, the Father, and the Holy Walmart...Amen
-conbo
--------------
"Howard denies election 'fix' in sentence deal"
Link:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/howard-denies-election-fix-in-sentence-deal/2007/03/31/1174761817916.html
Excerpts:
Greens leader Bob Brown described the nine months sentence as a political farce, claiming it was "more about saving Mr Howard's political hide" than about justice for Hicks.
"It is clearly a political fix arranged between Mr Howard and the Bush Administration to shut up Hicks until after the election in November," Senator Brown said.
Even in the US, cynicism was running high. The New York Times reported the additional nine months imprisonment as "remarkable" for a detainee who, before the plea negotiations, had faced a potential life term.
The newspaper also noted that the case had become a point of friction between the US and Australia, where it had become a volatile election issue.
See ya blog .....
8-)
From the Western Wing
To the Crawford Ranch
Karl Rove's destroyed
The executive branch!
He's got no scruples
And I don't mean maybe
He said John McCain's
Got a secret black baby!
Fuck dat guy!
-conbo
ps john mccain has many secret babies...
from a liberal point of view...that mofo 'straight talkin' idiot better give up some of his cash to make sure each and everyone of McCain's children get a college education...!
fark you daddy O
hahahahaha
Morning again blog.
McCain is holdiong a news conference from Iraq at 9:15 AM ET
I wonder what lies he will spin today about Iraq and the War.
MSNBC just advertised a show they have. It's called "Journeys with George".
Yes, it's about Bush and his Presidency.
Yes, it's throw up time!
Could that be Alexandra Pelosi's documentary film? If not, then yes, it's definitely puke time.
Sunday Talk Shows Open Thread
by Joe Sudbay (DC) · 4/01/2007 08:35:00 AM ET
It's almost all about the U.S. Attorneys scandal. Dan Bartlett is going to plead the Bush administration's case. He's such a toady. It could be fun to watch him just plain lie...because that's what Bush and his staff do. Here's the line up:
ABC's "This Week" _ Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill.; presidential counselor Dan Bartlett; former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson; Cal Ripken Jr., former Baltimore Orioles shortstop.
___
CBS' "Face the Nation" _ Sens. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., and Arlen Specter, R-Pa.; Bartlett.
___
NBC's "Meet the Press" _ Sens. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Orrin Hatch, R-Utah; Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y.
___
CNN's "Late Edition" _ Sens. Kit Bond, R-Mo., and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.; the Rev. Al Sharpton, civil rights activist; Richard Haass, Council on Foreign Relations president.
___
"Fox News Sunday" _ Sens. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Joe Biden, D-Del.; Kevin Martin, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.
I have no doubt there will be plenty of fodder for comments. Plenty.
http://americablog.blogspot.com/2007/04/sunday-talk-shows-open-thread.html
http://video.msn.com/v/us/msnbc.htm?f=00&g=20f2b041-cb16-4955-a196-243fee52aa83&p=hotlist_m_edpicks&t=c24&rf=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/&fg=
This report is so sad. Look at the condition of those homes and the surrounding neighborhood-- very nice. Yet, there are absolutely no jobs in Michigan. People have abandoned it.
Let's try it again.
Detroit
April 1, 2007
Editorial
The Rovian Era
Turn over a scandal in Washington these days and the chances are you’ll find Karl Rove. His tracks are everywhere: whether it’s helping to purge United States attorneys, coaching bureaucrats on how to spend taxpayers’ money to promote Republican candidates, hijacking the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives for partisan politics, or helping to organize a hit on the character of one of the first people to publicly reveal the twisting of intelligence reports on Iraq.
Whatever the immediate objective, Mr. Rove seems focused on one overarching goal: creating a permanent Republican majority, even if that means politicizing every aspect of the White House and subverting the governmental functions of the executive branch. This is not the Clinton administration’s permanent campaign. The Clinton people had difficulty distinguishing between the spin cycle of a campaign and the tone of governing. That seems quaint compared with the Bush administration’s far more menacing failure to distinguish the Republican Party from the government, or the state itself.
This was, perhaps, the inevitable result of taking the chief operative of a presidential campaign, one famous for his scorched-earth style, and ensconcing him in the White House — not in a political role, but as a key player in the formation of policy. Mr. Rove never had to submit to Senate confirmation hearings. Yet, from the very start, photographs of cabinet meetings showed him in the background, keeping an enforcer’s eye on the proceedings. After his re-election in 2004, President Bush formally put Mr. Rove in charge of all domestic policy.
In that position, as David Kirkpatrick and Jim Rutenberg reported in The Times, Mr. Rove took a lead role in selecting federal judges and the hiring — and firing — of United States attorneys. Mr. Rove’s staff maneuvered to fire the prosecutor in Arkansas and replace him with a Rove protégé, and also seems to have been involved in the firing of a United States attorney in New Mexico who refused to file what he considered to be baseless charges of election fraud against Democrats.
Mr. Rove’s efforts to maintain one-party rule go deep into the government. Last week, we learned about a meeting set up by Mr. Rove’s staff with officials of the General Services Administration that was wildly inappropriate and perhaps illegal. The aim, as outlined by Mr. Rove’s deputy, Scott Jennings, seems to have been to take advantage of the billions of dollars in contracts put out by the agency every year to return Republicans to the majority in Congress in 2008. It included PowerPoint slides on vulnerable House and Senate seats.
This sort of behavior should not be all that surprising. It was not that long ago that the Bush White House embraced the priorities of the Republican governor of Mississippi and virtually ignored the far greater needs of Louisiana’s Democratic governor after Hurricane Katrina.
LINK
What’s the One Thing Big Business and the Left Have in Common?
By JONATHAN COHN
(Believe it or not, it could be a desire for universal health care.)
Is the American Empire on the Brink of Collapse?
By Mark Karlin, BuzzFlash
Posted on March 24, 2007, Printed on April 1, 2007
http://www.alternet.org/story/49603/
I believe that we're close to a tipping point right now. What happened to the Soviet Union between 1989 and 1991 could easily be happening to us for essentially the same reasons. Imperial overreach, inability to reform, rigid economic ideology. ... The world's balance of power didn't change one iota on September 11, 2001. The only way we could lose the power and influence we had at that time was through our own actions, and that's what we did.
-- Chalmers Johnson, author of Nemesis: The Last Days of the American Republic
Has our "leadership" traded democracy for empire? Have their over-bloated egos convinced them that they are the world's newly crowned colonial kings? Author Chalmers Johnson is certainly not given to wearing rose-colored glasses. As he concludes in his newest book, Nemesis: "... my country is launched on a dangerous path that it must abandon or else face the consequences."
Johnson's well-argued, persuasive argument draws on the economic, military, and political lessons of the past, which may be just what's needed to wake up Americans in time to change course. In this interview, he explained his hopes and fears for contemporary America.
* * *
Mark Karlin: You've written a three-part series of books on the United States as an empire. The first was called Blowback. The second is The Sorrows of the Empire. And, now, Nemesis: The Last Days of the American Republic. That's kind of a doomsday declension there.
Chalmers Johnson: I guess you could say that. It's inadvertent. I didn't set out to write three volumes. I don't know whether Gibbons set out to write The Decline and the Fall of the Roman Empire. But one led to the other.
The first was written well before 9/11, and it was concerned with what I perceived to be the American public's lack of understanding that most of the foreign policy problems of the 21st century were going to be things left over from the Cold War. Above all, I argue that our numerous clandestine activities, some of which are almost totally disreputable, will come back to haunt us.
The second book followed on the first, in that it was a broad analysis of what I called our military-based empire, an empire of 737 American military bases in over 130 countries around the world. That number is the official Pentagon count. They are genuine military bases. They're very extensive. They are not, as some defenders of the Pentagon like to say, just Marine guards. We haven't got 700 embassies around the world. The Sorrows of Empire was written as we were preparing for our invasion of Iraq, and it was published virtually on the day that we invaded.
America, Maxed Out
By James Scurlock, Scribner
Posted on March 24, 2007, Printed on April 1, 2007
http://www.alternet.org/story/49676/
The federal government -- and the majority of Americans -- can no longer get by a single day without taking on additional debt. And as more borrowing goes to simply pay off old debt, or to make interest payments, the new debt does little more than increase banking profits.
Eventually the higher levels of debt will lead to higher interest rates, which will lead to more debt, creating a cycle as vicious as it is inevitable. Over the past generation, banks and credit card companies have made trillions of dollars of high-interest, unsecured debt available, and Americans have scooped it up. Our incomes have risen an average of 1 percent in real terms, while our household debt has increased over 1,000 percent. As a result, we no longer save. We have no choice but to keep spending until our credit is exhausted and we own nothing.
As Marriner Eccles, the legendary Fed chairman during the Great Depression, noted, "The economy is like a poker game where only a few people control the chips and the other fellows must borrow to stay in the game. But the moment the borrowing stops, the game is over."
How did we allow this to happen? How could we be so shortsighted? How could banks keep lending to people who can't afford to pay them back? Doesn't that fly in the face of tradition, if not common sense? Don't bank executives realize that they are sowing the seeds of their own destruction? After all, when most Americans can no longer stay afloat, the banks will sink alongside them as they did back in Marriner Eccles' day.
The simple answer is that while the banking industry has gone through its most profound change since the Venetians invented modern finance hundreds of years ago, Americans have clung to old assumptions. In particular, we've continued to believe that banks wouldn't extend us credit unless we could handle it, and that banks want us to save. Yet, the big banks realized more than a generation ago that they make far more money teaching us to spend than to save. They've also learned that making money upfront, mostly in the form of fees, is a lot more fun than waiting for a revenue stream to trickle in. The reason is simple: Fees can be booked as profits immediately; revenue streams take years. This is why most mortgages, car loans, and even credit card receivables are bundled together and sold off, sometimes instantly, to Wall Street.
Good Morning ToniD
What do you think the Dems are going to do about the War funding?
I am still handsome!!!
We had bad weather here in the suburbs of Chicago last night.
I found out this AM that there was a microburst in this area and an apartment complex 3 blocks from whre I live had several buildings that had their roofs torn off.
We had tornado warnings from 8 PM to midnight last night. I heard strong winds at one point and my ears felt alot of pressure at one point.
Scary!
What is a microburst, you say?
Microbursts
downburst less than 2.5 miles in diameter
A downburst is a strong downdraft which includes an outburst of potentially damaging winds on or near the ground. If the diameter of the downburst is less than 2.5 miles, it is called a microburst. The diagrams below depict the evolution of a microburst.
A microburst initially develops as the downdraft begins its descent from cloud base. The downdraft accelerates and within minutes, reaches the ground (contact stage). It is during the contact stage that the highest winds are observed. During the outburst stage (above), the wind "curls" as the cold air of the microburst moves away from the point of impact with the ground. During the cushion stage, winds about the curl continue to accelerate, posing a great threat to nearby aircraft.
These are very weak, high based showers without thunder, but with microbursts. Studies have shown that they predominantly occur in the High Plains and western U.S.: particularly in unstable, very dry low level environments with surface temperature-dew point spreads of 30 to 50 degrees and an area of mid-level moisture as a source for the weak showers.
Forgot the link to Microbursts
Morning Bob,
Don't know what the Dems will ultimately do...probably cave!
There are circling helicopters that I have been hearing all morning. I'm assuming that these are news helicopters getting photos of that apartment complex a few blocks away from me.
Prosecutor posts go to loyal Bushies. “About one-third of the nearly four dozen U.S. attorney’s jobs that have changed hands since President Bush began his second term have been filled by the White House and the Justice Department with trusted administration insiders,” the Washington Post reports. “The people chosen as chief federal prosecutors on a temporary or permanent basis since early 2005 include 10 senior aides to Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales… Several came from the White House or other government agencies. Some lacked experience as prosecutors or had no connection to the districts in which they were sent to work, the records and biographical information show.”
LINK
I hope they don't cave Toni, that will be the end of their 08 aspirations if they do IMHO.
They better realize what they were elected for.
ToniD, them imposing some type of tariffs (I forget exactly what are they doing)
Is a big deal. To me, it signifies something big is happening. And it doesn't look good.
This just doesn't look good!
Iranian Students Protest British Embassy With Rocks, Firecrackers
Associated Press | NASSER KARIMI | April 1, 2007 09:02 AM
About 200 students threw rocks and firecrackers at the British Embassy on Sunday, calling for the expulsion of the country's ambassador because of the standoff over Iran's capture of 15 British sailors and marines.
Several dozen policeman prevented the protesters from entering the embassy compound, although a few briefly scaled a fence outside the compound's walls before being pushed back, according to an Associated Press reporter at the scene.
LINK
CHASTISED HEAD OF LOCAL FBI OFFICE ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT
San Diego FBI chief Dan Dzwilewski, who was rebuked by superiors for publicly defending ousted U.S. Attorney Carol Lam, has announced his retirement.
(San Diego Union Tribune)
LINK
microbursts T?
no wonder yer joints were aching!
ripped the roofs off! whoa baby! strong winds...
toniD said...
Is the American Empire on the Brink of Collapse?
By Mark Karlin, BuzzFlash""
i used to drop that bomb and watch it disappear in the clouds.
now i get a fairly good explosion.
we need to shake things up.
Beatles and iTunes talk growing
EMI is to hold a media event on Monday with Apple boss Steve Jobs as special guest, prompting speculation that Beatles songs will finally go online.
None of the Beatles tracks are available to download on any online music service.
In an invite to media sent out on Sunday, EMI said it was announcing an "exciting new digital offering".
There will also be a "special live performance" at the London event by an unnamed artist or band.
Jim, take a look:
LINK
thanks for the chalmers johnson interview, tonid!
Oooo Ahhh T!
"We heard what sounded like a train, the sky turns green, and it just let loose. Next thing you know, we were looking outside, the garage that used to be there -- gone," said Brian Sommer.
Happy B'day j!
we're commemorating it with silly hats...
http://faithspace.port5.com/fwharf_hats.jpg
Citizens or Suckers? In spending a trillion dollars to send our soldiers to kill and be killed in the Middle East, our government is mortgaging our nation's future and selling its soul.
As A Fool For All Seasons, President Bush is mentally unfit to be our Commander-In-Chief.
Hi Jenise.
I thought that Chalmers Johnson article was excellent.
Bloggerbater said...
As A Fool For All Seasons, President Bush is mentally unfit to be our Commander-In-Chief.
-----
Ain't that the truth!
love the hats, sunshine. i've actually got a few days left. 40 does make you take stock of things, though. good to do that every once in a while, i guess.
"Chalmers Johnson article was excellent.
April 1, 2007 12:42 PM"
i've always liked him a lot, tonid. he doesn't beat around the bush and just lays it out.
McCain: Americans don't see Iraq's gains By KIM GAMEL, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 55 minutes ago
Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record) criticized reports out of Iraq he said focused unfairly on violence, saying Sunday that Americans were not getting a "full picture" of progress in the security crackdown in the capital.
McCain, who is seeking the Republican presidential nomination, was combative during a press conference in the military's media center in the heavily guarded Green Zone, and responded testily to a question about remarks he had made in the United States last week that it was safe to walk some Baghdad streets.
"The American people are not getting the full picture of what's happening here. They're not getting the full picture of the drop in murders, the establishment of security outposts throughout the city, the situation in Anbar province, the deployment of additional Iraqi brigades which are performing well, and other signs of progress having been made," said McCain, of Arizona.
He said the Republican congressional delegation he led to Iraq drove from Baghdad's airport to the center of the city, citing that as proof that security was improving in the capital. Prominent visitors normally make the trip by helicopter.
The delegation was accompanied by heavily armed U.S. troops when they were not in the Green Zone, site of the U.S. Embassy and Iraqi government. They traveled in armored military vehicles under heavy guard.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (news, bio, voting record), a South Carolina Republican, criticized congressional Democrats who passed spending legislation that would set deadlines for pulling U.S. forces out of Iraq. He said President Bush would veto the measures and should.
"It will be a huge mistake to set a deadline. It (the U.S. troop surge) is working. We are doing now what we should have done three years ago. ... The Iraqi people want their own destiny but they don't have the capabilities yet," he said.
LINK
And CNN just had their reporter,can remember her name but she's reporting from Iraq, and she just disbuted everything these repubs said about Iraq.
She said it is dangerous for everyon in Iraq, including the insurgents!
eya j
that means we can celebrate for days!
Bloggerbater said...
As A Fool For All Seasons, President Bush is mentally unfit to be our Commander-In-Chief.
Apparently he sees himself as a 21st Century Abraham Lincoln?
"Apparently he sees himself as a 21st Century Abraham Lincoln?
April 1, 2007 12:55 PM"
i'm sure he has only the vaguest of ideas what lincoln did, so that's probably true.
Gas Prices Up, Industry Points At Iran As Cause
By: Nicole Belle @ 9:02 AM - PDT Riiiiiggggghhhhhhtttt. In the last week, gas in my neighborhood has gone up by at least 40 cents, significantly more in some spots. There's a couple of gas stations that have actually hit the $4.00/gallon mark.
ABC News :
Nothing moves the price of gasoline more than the price of oil, and fears that the standoff over Britons held captive in Iran will lead to a major disruption in the supply of Middle East oil is taking an escalating toll on gas prices here in the United States.[..]
In the last eight weeks, even before the current standoff with Iran, prices jumped 44 cents to a national average of $2.61 a gallon - 11 cents higher than a year ago.
Gas prices often shoot up in the spring, as refineries make the switch to summer-blend gasolines, creating glitches in supply. But the standoff with Iran has inflicted a double whammy on prices.
"I believe crude oil prices are going to continue to rise 50 cents to $1 each," said John Kilduff, an oil trader for Fimat USA, "and every day that this goes on until they stabilize at some point above $70 a barrel."
Now that we have a Democratic majority again, I'd like to see them subpoena the oil companies for an actual on-the-record conversation (as opposed to closed door meetings with Dick Cheney) about price fixing and those record profits being realized.
LINK
Repost from early this am. A must see.
Have to watch this...
Catherine Crier has some really good monologues at the end of her show and this was one of them. She takes a look at Bush's abuse of power
Download (3528) | Play (3154) Download (1401) | Play (2014)
Crier: In the last six years this President has assumed more power than any President in history…
Crier: How about the other matters in the King's court…Former WH counsel Harriet Miers would now be a Supreme Court justice. Michael Brown would still be head of FEMA because as you know he did a " heckofajob." Donald RUmsfeld would still be Secretary of Defense because of his marvelous handling of the Iraq war. And former gay prostittute Jeff Gannon, a mysterious member of the WH press corp. might now be sitting in Helen Thomas's seat….
She uses some really good video clips of Bush to make her point—and that includes the press…She covers the Attorney scandal and goofs on Rove.
Great Catherine Crier Video
It was Kira Phillips that is the CNN reporter in Iraq.
The Word "Republican" Has Vanished From The Vocabulary Of Right-Wingers
By MARC McDONALD
Scan any right-wing blog these days and it's hard not to notice that something is missing.
Namely, the word "Republican."
As he so often does these days, Rush Limbaugh sets the trends in the right-wing noise chamber. If you've listened to Limbaugh's radio show lately, you'll notice that he has rarely mentioned the word "Republican" since November. Indeed, he goes out of his way every 30 seconds to mention that he's actually a "conservative."
It's quite a change of pace from four years ago, when the Republicans were riding high in the heady early days of the (then still popular) Iraq War. Back then, George W. Bush's approval rating was sky-high. The Iraq War initially appeared as though it might be a cake-walk, after all. Most Americans were still confident that the WMDs would be found (for that matter, most Americans still believed Saddam was behind 9/11).
Back in those days, Rush and his Ditto-Head followers embraced the word "Republican" and wore it as a badge of honor.
But that's no longer the case these days, especially in the aftermath of the Republicans' disastrous showing in the November elections.
Like Rush, the right-wing blogosphere has recently quietly tiptoed away from the word "Republican." A casual scan of popular right-wing Web sites and blogs today reveals few or no mentions of the word "Republican" over the past month.
The following right-wing sites (none of which I will dignify by linking to) have few, if any, mentions of the word "Republican" on their main pages (or any of their recent articles): Limbaugh's own site, The Drudge Report, Flopping Aces, Little Green Footballs, and Captain's Quarters. Note that the latter two sites have archives dating back several years. Click on any month pre-dating November 2006, and you'll find the word "Republican" in abundance.
LINK
Would you believe that the tradition of April Fools Day has very
little to do with myth, and almost everything to do with culture?
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=145905
sounds good to me, sunshine.
have you ever seen this building? http://www.hetschip.nl/index_en.html it's public housing...
"Gas Prices Up, Industry Points At Iran As Cause"
i guess anywhere so long as the finger isn't pointed at them...
It's seems unlikely that everyone in the Bush administration will be completely brought to justice. Instead of seeking vengeance, penace should begin with seeing ourselves as others see us.
The Carpetbagger Report: When Speaker Pelosi leads a bipartisan delegation to Syria, she’s a traitor to her country. When conservative GOP lawmakers visit Syria, well, the right doesn’t want to talk about it.
LINK
LA Times.com:
The scandal unfolding around the firing of eight U.S. attorneys compels the conclusion that the Bush administration has rewarded loyalty over all else. A destructive pattern of partisan political actions at the Justice Department started long before this incident, however, as those of us who worked in its civil rights division can attest.
I spent more than 35 years in the department enforcing federal civil rights laws - particularly voting rights. Before leaving in 2005, I worked for attorneys general with dramatically different political philosophies - from John Mitchell to Ed Meese to Janet Reno. Regardless of the administration, the political appointees had respect for the experience and judgment of longtime civil servants.
Under the Bush administration, however, all that changed. Over the last six years, this Justice Department has ignored the advice of its staff and skewed aspects of law enforcement in ways that clearly were intended to influence the outcome of elections.
It has notably shirked its legal responsibility to protect voting rights. From 2001 to 2006, no voting discrimination cases were brought on behalf of African American or Native American voters. U.S. attorneys were told instead to give priority to voter fraud cases, which, when coupled with the strong support for voter ID laws, indicated an intent to depress voter turnout in minority and poor communities. (Read the rest of this story…)
LINK
There's another storm brewing here. Heavy low dark clouds! And very windy.
Damn and I was going to grocery shop today.
Maybe later!
As America is dumbed down and people grow more and more selfish, I find myself becoming less of a person as the days of the Bush administration drag on.
I have always driven a small, gas saving car. But, now that I'm almost 70 and for the most part, people haven't done the same, I'm thinking of buying a large car that's comfortable and has power. I find myself saying screw it!
All I seem to be caring about these days is surviving the Bush years. It is getting so scary, with Bush being insane and power mad that my personal survival of his reign is my prime goal.
I am much more afraid of Bush than I am of the Iran guy or the Korea guy.
Me too aunt nell. I'm not far behind you in age. And I feel the same way. Will I servive the Bush admin.
And then I worry about my grandkids.
interesting Architecture j.
if you ever have a chance snap me some pix of 'traditional' japanese roof timber joints.
Mitchell: Petraeus Held Closed-Door Strategy Meeting With Republican Caucus »
This morning on the Chris Matthews Show, NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell revealed that Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, met “very recently” with the Senate Republican caucus to discuss their strategy on Iraq legislation.
“Petraeus went to the Republican caucus and told them, I will have real progress to you by August,” Mitchell said. The Republicans claim they told him that after August, they will end their support for the war. “They have told him at a caucus meeting as very, very recently, that if there isn’t progress by August — and real progress means not a day of violence and a day of sanity — that they will pull the plug.”
Watch it:
Stunningly, Mitchell said that “moderate Republican” senators had told her that they didn’t believe the escalation would work but voted for it anyway. “They really are not in favor of the surge. They don’t believe it’s going to work. But they basically said the president has until August, until Labor Day. After that, if it doesn’t work, they’re running.”
LINK
Romney and Giuliani open to imprisoning Americans without review. Glenn Greenwald comments on excerpts from a National Review article:
Crane asked if Romney believed the president should have the authority to arrest U.S. citizens with no review. Romney said he would want to hear the pros and cons from smart lawyers before he made up his mind.
Mitt Romney can’t say — at least not until he engages in a careful and solemn debate with a team of “smart lawyers” — whether, in the United States of America, the President has the power to imprison American citizens without any opportunity for review of any kind. … Ponnuru goes on to note:
Crane said that he had asked Giuliani the same question a few weeks ago. The mayor said that he would want to use this authority infrequently.
It sounds like Giuliani is positioning himself in this race as the “compassionate authoritarian” — “Yes, of course I have the power to imprison you without charges or review of any kind, but as President, I commit to you that I intend (no promises) to ‘use this authority infrequently.’”
Greenwald has much more.
Fox Catches McConnell Hypocrisy Over Testimony Of White House Officials Under Oath »
This morning on Fox News Sunday, host Chris Wallace aired archived video of Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) calling on the Clinton White House to testify before Congress under oath. Here’s what McConnell said on June 16, 1996:
I think the testimony obviously ought to be sworn testimony. And we ought to go all the way into this and take as much time as we can to reassure the American people that this sort of thing’s not going to happen again in the future.
Challenged with this quote today, McConnell said, “With regard to White House officials, it will be up to the President to decide frankly whether and when and under what circumstances members of his [own White House staff] testify.”
Wallace questioned why the same rules McConnell applied to the Clinton White House shouldn’t apply to the Bush White House. McConnell offered that he was merely a Senator in 1996 and that the President made the ultimate decision. Wallace said, “But you’re still a Senator so the question is: do you call on this President to do the same thing?” McConnell responded, “I’m calling on this President to do what he thinks is appropriate.” Watch it:
LINK
confused. I just finished listening to friday's show. I didn't hear them say the show was going off, so when did Sam "clarify" things?
CB's new address!
no packages, no books can be sent without going through a vendor.he's 40 miles from the idaho border.
Kirk Bowers
302-414 Unit TB64L
Airway Heights Correction Center
PO Box 2139 Airway Heights Washington USA 99001-2139
Here's Sam's post from the last thread:
Anonymous said...
New Thread up. TONID responsible for pop up window. I'm going to have an announcement over the next couple of days but I wanted you guys to hear about it first. Management feels they can do better in this time slot. I have been offered a Sunday Show which I will accept.
First off-- this blog (s?) will remain in full effect and I will finally have some notion of my future enough to dedicate some time to fixing it.
Second, while this is not what I have been working toward over the past couple of years I am excited for opportunities that this may lead to- more on that later.
Third, I'm going to have the opportunity to spend more time with Alberto Gonzales family, which I am really looking forward to...
March 30, 2007 9:28 PM
Anonymous said....
when did Sam "clarify" things?
April 1, 2007 1:55 PM
Two days after you changed your nic from Syna to anonymous.
Giuliani's recommended pick for Homeland Security chief is likely to be charged with several felonies, including tax evasion and conspiracy to commit wiretapping.
3-31 poac
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/30/AR2007033002425.html?hpid=topnews
China protests U.S. duties on paper
HONG KONG
As trade tension mounts between China and the United States, Beijing has called on the Bush administration to reverse a decision to impose steep duties on imports of coated paper from China, state media reported this weekend.
The Chinese Commerce Ministry issued a strong protest over the sanctions announced Friday, which some U.S. industry officials have suggested could be the first move in a campaign to impose tariffs on a wide range of manufactured imports from China, including steel, textiles, plastics and machinery.
"This action of the U.S. side goes against the consensus reached by the leaders of both countries to resolve disputes through dialogue," China's official Xinhua news agency quoted a Commerce Ministry spokesman, Wang Xinpei, as saying. "China strongly requires the United States to reconsider the decision and make prompt changes."
Since the Democrats took control of Congress in November, the Bush administration has come under intensified pressure to curb the trade imbalance with China.
The U.S. trade deficit with China hit a record $233 billion in 2006, a gap that influential U.S. lawmakers and industry groups say has continued to widen as the Chinese government aggressively subsidizes exports.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/04/01/news/yuan.php
I've had it
For the Monitor
April 01. 2007 10:00AM
So Chuck Douglas thinks money to rebuild the levees in New Orleans is pork (Monitor "My Turn," March 30). This makes sense since the Bush administration thought so, too, before Katrina, when it cut funding for upgrades and repairs.
How much longer is this country going to take this nonsense? The so-called conservatives are wrong about everything. Birth control, foreign policy, stem-cell research, immigration, national security, drug policy and on and on ad nauseam, they have screwed everything up so badly it makes me sick to my stomach.
I am sick and tired of hearing know-nothing false patriots carry on about not supporting the troops if you protest the war. It is they who are the traitors.
Patriotism is not blind obedience to incompetent and criminal rule. It is the most patriotic and American of activities to rise up in protest against oppressive and liberty-robbing rulers.
I, too, have family members in Iraq. My problem is that their blood might be shed for this administration's folly. They are being used to further a far-right worldview and a policy that makes us less safe and robs our treasury and dignity.
Read this about Air America and Sam...
LINK
So poor Sammy got the axe? That is why I was told to come back. Not as shock to anyone. Sam would have been better off with No Janeane, but he would not have gotten the chance without Janeane. Catch 22, but oh well he had a nice run. Sure didn't hurt his career.
So how did this blog get a screwed up? I guess it doesn't matter now, but for God Sake, what a mess....
This will be better for Sam over the long run..
Professional Bitcher in not much of a job...
He will be happier to get away from all the neg and get back to life..!!
How the hell did the blog end up in separate window..??
The incompetence of this admin never ceases to amaze me:
National Nuclear Security Agency can't account for 20 computers with sensitive information RAW STORY
Published: Sunday April 1, 2007
The Energy Department inspector general said Friday that the "office in charge of protecting American technical secrets about nuclear weapons from foreign spies is missing 20 desktop computers, at least 14 of which have been used for classified information," reports the New York Times.
"This is the 13th time in a little over four years that an audit has found that the department, whose national laboratories and factories do most of the work in designing and building nuclear warheads, has lost control over computers used in working on the bombs," writes Matthew Wald.
This is not the first time that computers involved in tracking nuclear information have gone missing. The current incident involves computers used in "tracking and countering efforts to steal bomb information."
"Problems with the control and accountability of desktop and laptop computers have plagued the department for a number of years," the Times quotes the Department of Energy report.
National Nuclear Security Agency director Linton F. Brooks was fired in January because of Security concerns.
READ THE FULL NYT ARTICLE HERE
Sam has a nice touch with these Blogs...
Just runs em right into the ground..
Maybe Sam could get a job a Blog Technician for Dennis Kucinich...
Well Gonzo is gotta last longer than Sam...
Hell of a turn of events..
I did so want to hear Sam have to sing Hillary's praises...
===================================
**Exclusive** Hillary in blowout with $36 million, including $10 million transferred from senate war chest, insiders tell the DRUDGE REPORT... Obama said close with $22 million... Others reporting shortly... Developing...
Iran is just beggin us to use this as a Trigger..
All we need now is shooting the Gulf...
And we are Off To Iran...
I was hoping this would be Hillary's war...
But Iran may not wait for her...
Not much left of the Old AAR now..
It just didn't work..
The new guy will try to move to the middle with Hillary and War Dog..
It might be too late for this Network Name...
The Crazy Talk did a lot of damage..!!!!
I guess this place in destined to become another MySpace blog..
With no link to a show..
It will be adrift in an Internet ocean..
Life is all about cycles..
Well off for a bike ride to loosen up these legs..
We had fun yesterday..
Rode with a K-state club...
Those kids are fast..
They should enjoy it while they can..
Nothing lasts forever..!!!
Wado................................
War Dog is the Vulture picking on the carcass of Air America. Belongs to the party of vultures!
sorry, sunshine, i was called away to dinner. do you want pictures of the joints in the beams on the ceiling? or up under the roof?
The War Dog Comedy Hour!
(Brought to you by the kind folks at PNAC.)
(Brought to you by the kind folks at PNAC.)
April 1, 2007 2:55 PM
complete with a mushroom cloud graphic. yuck.
the roof beams themselves is what i'm primarily interested in. multiple planes and pinned joints.
any others would be great as well.
hows yer trip going?
think the classiest joints are in temple construction.
i use to supply a mill that did fancy metric milling as an export for japan of gorguss 'clear' douglas fir, spruce and cedar beams
dogger is so out of it we'll have to come up with a new label.
"Septic Tank Conservatives"?
Anonymous said....
when did Sam "clarify" things?
April 1, 2007 1:55 PM
annoymous said...
Two days after you changed your nic from Syna to anonymous.
What? My name is Tiffany. Did I miss a joke here, or do u really think I"m Syna? lol, okay, w/e.
Tiff
any others would be great as well.
hows yer trip going?
April 1, 2007 2:57 PM
i have plans to go to a neighbors 140-year-old house when i get back. i'll take photos of those beams and whatever else i can find.
the trip's going well. spending a lot of time talking with friends and friends of friends. nice to have people to show you around their city. the weather's great and people are living on the street now. they definitely know their neighbors more here...
"the trip's going well."
ya! bet the foods good too!
"140-year-old house"
the good stuff!
the image of that stove in my mind is a favorite.
love it when the object is perfectly adapted to a lifestyle.
oh, and thanks tonid for putting up the link and sam's post and such. I had thought he said something on the show and I thought i must've missed it or something. I agree he'll probably be better off, though I don't know if I will and I truly doubt AAR will. I just don't like any of their other shows, and I don't think many do (but that's just my impression, I could be wrong.)
Tiffany
playing frisbee with Jax using a butter tub lid in the house.
what a hoot!
love it when the object is perfectly adapted to a lifestyle.
April 1, 2007 3:12 PM
she has girls' day dolls (hinamatsuri dolls) that are more than 100 years old, too. she got them from her mother-in-law and she's promised to leave them set up until i get back.
eya Tiff,
we got so much poop from anons we usually ignore em.
AAR has some good stuff left, especially on the weekends. be fun to see where sam takes it.
off to take a walk. have a great afternoon, everyone.
and tiffany...i agree.
hinamatsuri dolls!
whoa! they get into it big time eh?
wonder if that doll of yer dads is one of them, the "fiddle player".
wonder if that doll of yer dads is one of them, the "fiddle player".
April 1, 2007 3:26 PM
i think that was probably one of my husband's grandmother's hinamatsuri dolls...
now to the walk...
It's strange how much better it is if you go through the majority report link instead of directly to samsedershow.blogspot or whatever it is.
The format is so much better this way.
If you're on the samsedershow... blogspot way... I highly encourage you to go back out and come in again through the majority report "comments" link.
husband's grandmother's!
Ya, realised that after i posted.
sheesh! i have a memory like a sieve...
i love looking at it, it's in a special place here.
back later,
chores and honey doo's
Hilarious:
McCain heckled by CNN reporter
Sun Apr 01 2007 13:50:38 ET
**Exclusive**
During a live press conference in Bagdad, Senators McCain and Graham were heckled by CNN reporter Michael Ware. An official at the press conference called Ware’s conduct “outrageous,” saying, “here you have two United States Senators in Bagdad giving first-hand reports while Ware is laughing and mocking their comments. I’ve never witnessed such disrespect. This guy is an activist not a reporter.”
Senators McCain and Graham flew into Iraq and drove into Bagdad, making stops at an open market and a joint Iraq/American military security outpost before appearing at the press conference.
This is not the first time Michael Ware has taken issue with Senator McCain’s comments about early progress in Iraq. Last week, after Senator McCain told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that he needed to catch up on the news coming out of Iraq, Michael Ware responded, saying:
“I don't know what part of Neverland Senator McCain is talking about when he says we can go strolling in Baghdad.”
Michael Ware has also publicly expressed his views on the war last year in an interview with Bill Maher, saying, “I've been given a front-row ticket to watch this slow-motion train wreck … I try to stay as drunk for as long as possible while I'm here … In fact, I'm drinking now.”
That's why I posted the link yesterday. I have the same blogger and I discovered that if you go direct to the comments link and bypass the blogger first page, you get this big screen.
And if sam would not allow the avatars (little photos) he would get rid of the security box.
Graham’s Signs Of Progress In Iraq: ‘I Bought Five Rugs For Five Bucks’ »
Today, Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) held a press conference in Iraq. Both McCain and Graham charged that the media are not giving the American people “the full picture of what’s happening here.” As evidence of progress, they spoke of the time they were able to spend in the Bab al-Sharqi market, at which 88 people died in suicide bomber attack on Jan. 22. “We went to the market and were just really warmly welcomed. I bought five rugs for five bucks. And people were engaging,” said Graham.
What McCain and Graham didn’t mention: CNN’s Bob Franken noted today that the senators’ press conference was “held in the very, very, very heavily secured Green Zone, the center city area of Baghdad.” Additionally, the “delegation was accompanied by heavily armed U.S. troops when they were not in the Green Zone, site of the U.S. Embassy and Iraqi government. They traveled in armored military vehicles under heavy guard.”
Watch it:
LINK
Israel offers Arabs peace talks
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has proposed holding a regional peace conference following the revival of an Arab peace initiative.
Mr Olmert said if Saudi Arabia arranged a conference of moderate Arab states and invited him and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, he would attend.
Earlier, Mr Abbas urged Israel to engage in direct serious negotiations as soon as possible.
Last week Arab leaders urged Israel to accept a peace plan proposed in 2002.
The Saudi plan offers Israel normalisation of ties with Arab states if it pulls out of all Arab land it occupied in 1967.
Israel rejected the plan outright when it was first proposed.
But Mr Olmert said on Thursday Israel was ready to make "big and painful" concessions to advance the peace process.
'Important leader'
Mr Olmert's call for a regional peace conference came during a news conference in Jerusalem with the visiting German leader, Angela Merkel.
"I am announcing to the heads of the Arab states on this occasion that if the Saudi king initiates a meeting of moderate Arab states and invites me and the head of the Palestinian Authority in order to present us the Saudi ideas, we will come to hear them and we will be glad to voice ours," Mr Olmert said.
"I think it is time to make a momentous effort in order to give a push to the diplomatic process... I am optimistic," he said.
"I invite all the heads of the Arab states, including of course the Saudi king whom I consider a very important leader, to hold talks with us," he said.
Earlier, speaking after his own talks with Mrs Merkel, the Palestinian leader had called on the Israeli government to respond constructively to the new Arab peace initiative.
Jst heard on CNN that Pelosi is taking this to Syria for Isreal
I am not a troll!
lol i didn't even know about the blogspot thing, i've always just come straight here, and wondered what everyone was complaining about. that makes sense. Well if Sam goes to weekends I'll follow and give some others another chance, i suppose. But i have a feeling they're planning on going in a more moderate direction now. sigh, only one day a week with our Sammy? alas...
Tiffany
NEW THREAD
For now Tiffany. Things could change.
The problem is that there are more centrists if you combine the Dems and Repubs. Middle of the roaders. The ones that don't pay attention to politics until things happen that affects them directly. And I think that is what the Greens are going for.
I like Kennedy and Papantonio, Laura Flanders, David Bender, and Rachel. And I like Randi. She's good for the centrist because she really explains what is happening. She makes the case for the liberal view so to speak.
And noone is a true Liberal. We all have our individual beliefs but agree on the majority.
I think Green's brother, Mark, may want Sam's time.
yeah i heard about the Mark thing, but the article was written with a bit of anger and so I didn't know how much of an opinion piece it was (it was attacking Green for using AAR as a place to advertise his own shit.) I don't know, it's just weird. I totally get and appreciate centrists, but I'm very liberal and it was nice to feel like there was one sane voice who I could relate to. I mean, super conservatives got their people right?
Tiffany
p.s. I mean, w/e, I'll certainly listen to Sam on Sunday if that's where life takes him, it'll just suck not to get the fifteen hours a week I'm used to.
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