Joementum

Joe Lieberman just said Jon Kyl "has it right." It really doesn't matter what they were talking about. Does anyone need anymore evidence that Lieberman is not a Democrat? Does anyone need anymore evidence about why he is often a guest on talk shows to provide "balance"? Jeez.

Bush Channels Bryan

I think this is how Bush "thinks."

Darrow's argument that Bryan disregarded scientific evidence was immortalized in this exchange:


"I do not think about things I don't think about," Bryan said.



"Do you think about the things you do think about?" Darrow asked.


"Well," Bryan replied, "sometimes."

80 Years Ago, They Inherited the Wind - New York Times

More Science

This headline is too cute by a factor of, oh, I don't know, 200. I'm surprised at this fidelity, since it took place in what used to be the Soviet Union, you know, the Evil Empire. Maybe the ReThugs will pass a law that says everyone has to live in a nest, eat small mammals, & throw up to feed the young, all, apparently required for a good marriage. Wait, I bet these godless Commie birds never got married, they just live together in a governmentally recognized union. Why am I still awake? Am I still awake? Interesting article, anyway.

Raptors' Fidelity Is Proved Without Ruffling Any Feathers - New York Times

At Least They're Far Away From New Orleans

I suppose I need to make a least one bee reference a week to keep the Sidekick happy. This will be a new feature, if I can remember to do it. So here is this week's bee reference.

Africanized Honeybees Found in Louisiana - New York Times

It's Saturday Night

We've had a great few days of cool weather, something to sleep to. Tonight it's hot again & I've kept the outdoor light on, attracting moths so I can feed the pet bluegill in the aquarium. It's working. & isn't it amazing that after the ReThugs bribed their own members to vote for the Energy bill, that the only thing in the bill that is making the papers is the extension of Daylight Savings Time? Jesus, isn't that just great? & the pasty-faced moron press secretary can't even tell the press if the bill will or will not reduce gas prices. What ever happened to yes & no as answers to some questions? Anyway, on this warm evening the kid sent the following via the in-laws, it's good for a sad laugh, sad because it's all true.

Subject: Outsourcing the President

Congress today announced that the office of President of the United
States of America will be outsourced to overseas interests as of July 30th. The
move is being made to save not only a significant portion of the
President's $400K yearly salary, but also a record $521 billion in deficit
expenditures and related overhead. "We believe this is a wise move
financially. The cost savings should be significant" stated Congressman
Thomas Reynolds R-Wash.).

Reynolds, with the aid of the Government Accountability Office, has
studied outsourcing of American jobs extensively. "We cannot expect to
remain competitive on the world stage with the current level of cash
outlay," Reynolds noted.

Mr. Bush was informed by e-mail this morning of his termination.
Preparations for the job move have been underway for some time. Sanji
Gurvinder Singh of Indus Teleservices, Mumbai, India will be assuming the
office of President as of July. Mr. Singh was born in the United States while his Indian parents were vacationing at Niagara Falls, thus making him eligible for
the position.

He will receive a salary of $320 (USD) a month but with no health
coverage or other benefits. It is believed that Mr. Singh will be able to
handle his job responsibilities without support staff. Due to the time
difference between the US and India, he will be working primarily at night, when few offices of the US Government will be open.

"Working nights will allow me to keep my day job at the American
Express call center," stated Mr. Singh in an exclusive interview. "I am excited
about this position. I always hoped I would be President someday." A
Congressional spokesperson noted that while Mr. Singh may not be fully
aware of all the issues involved in the office of President, this should
not be a problem. Mr. Singh will rely upon a script tree that will enable
him to respond effectively to most topics of concern. Using this tree, he
can address common concerns without having to understand the underlying
issues at all. "We know these scripting tools work," stated the
Spokesperson. "Mr. Bush has used them successfully for years."

Mr. Bush will receive health coverage, expenses, and salary until his
final day of employment. Following a two week waiting period, he will be
eligible for $240 dollars a week unemployment for 13 weeks. Unfortunately
he will not be eligible for Medicaid as his unemployment benefits will exceed the

Mr. Bush has been provided the outplacement services of Manpower, Inc.
to help him write a résumé and prepare for his upcoming job transition.
According to Manpower, Mr. Bush may have difficulties in securing a new
position due to limited practical work experience. One possibility is re-enlistment
in the Air National Guard. Should he choose this option, he would likely
be stationed in Iraq, a country he has visited.

"I've been there, I know all about Iraq," stated Mr. Bush, who gained
invaluable knowledge of the country in a visit to the Baghdad Airport's
nonsmoking terminal and gift shop. Sources in Baghdad and Fallujah say Mr.
Bush would receive a warm reception from local Iraqis. They have asked to
be provided with details of his arrival so that they might arrange an
appropriate welcome.

Bloggers Having An Impact, Good

Search for pregnant woman presses on - The Boston Globe - Boston.com - Nation - News

I Have Nothing To Say, Except WTF?

Team forced to listen to umpire's call - The Boston Globe - Boston.com - Local - News

Mikey acting camera shy. 

Tipitina looking at something.

This Can't Be Good

Well, I (we, us) told you so many times, but you wouldn't listen. Morons.

Oceans Have Fewer Kinds Of Fish

Bulky Jacket, We Don't Need No Stinking Bulky Jacket

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Brazilian did not wear bulky jacket

Embryo Geezers

Sounds kind of like primates standing up. Now, if the Democrats will only stand up.

Scientists Find Oldest Dinosaur Embryo Ever - New York Times

Drinking Liberally, Chequamegon Style

Drinking Liberally

The Black Cat, 211 Chapple Ave., Ashland, WI.

There Is Stuff To Do.

You Lovely Morons.

This Post Is Not About A White, Blonde Missing Woman

The All Spin Zone / Missing Pregnant 25 YO Mother Alert (Non-White Division)

I Agree With This

Do you? The DLC may have given us Bill Clinton for two terms. Two terms of ReThug-lite, except for some very good environmental decisions, which, sadly, Bush is not following. But what has the DLC done in terms of the Senate? the House? Governorships? Not much. Working together will not work if it means giving up what it means to be a progressive, yes, a liberal, yes, a radical. BTW, I don't hate the Clintons, she might make a great president, who knows. I do know that WHEN CLINTON LIED NO ONE DIED.

Daily Kos: H. Clinton and the DLC

Follow the Money

Another reason why baseball is, quite frankly, a stupid sport, plus it's boring as hell. Hey, so is soccer, alright? Apologies to Tbogg & the lovely & talented Casey.

Tampabay: Rays fans strike out in food feud

Will the AMA Wake Up Now?

I'm not going to hold my breath. I might wind up at an emergency room. Too bad for Alabama, but not surprising, given the general lack of a good educational system in the South. Keep cutting those taxes ReThugs, it creates all those good jobs. Health care, if you can't afford it, you don't need it. Read this:Toyota, Moving Northward - New York Times

Well, Is This Really A Surprise?

Could this be why

Los Angeles Times: Cats Lack a Sweet Tooth, Study Says

cats prefer this:

Boy Toys

There was an article in the Daily Press, Ashland, WI's paper about this stupidity, but the online edition did not have it posted, therefore no link. Here is a short version from the Strib. I have to admit that the Big Lake does not need this sort of activity. I wish they had spent their money on something more interesting & more serious.

Speedboat rally plan draws fire

Frank Rich, One More Time

Eight Days in July - New York Times

Some choice paragraphs:

When a conspiracy is unraveling, and it's every liar and his lawyer for themselves, the story takes on a momentum of its own. When the conspiracy is, at its heart, about the White House's twisting of the intelligence used to sell the American people a war - and its desperate efforts to cover up that flimflam once the W.M.D. cupboard proved bare and the war went south - the story will not end until the war really is in its "last throes."

...

But the scandal has metastasized so much at this point that the forgotten man Mr. Bush did not nominate to the Supreme Court is as much a window into the White House's panic and stonewalling as its haste to put forward the man he did. When the president decided not to replace Sandra Day O'Connor with a woman, why did he pick a white guy and not nominate the first Hispanic justice, his friend Alberto Gonzales? Mr. Bush was surely not scared off by Gonzales critics on the right (who find him soft on abortion) or left (who find him soft on the Geneva Conventions). It's Mr. Gonzales's proximity to this scandal that inspires real fear.

...

On that evening's broadcast of ABC's "World News Tonight," American soldiers in Falluja spoke angrily of how their tour of duty had been extended yet again, only a week after Donald Rumsfeld told them they were going home. Soon the Drudge Report announced that ABC's correspondent, Jeffrey Kofman, was gay. Matt Drudge told Lloyd Grove of The Washington Post at the time that "someone from the White House communications shop" had given him that information.

...

The real crime here remains the sending of American men and women to Iraq on fictitious grounds. Without it, there wouldn't have been a third-rate smear campaign against an obscure diplomat, a bungled cover-up and a scandal that - like the war itself - has no exit strategy that will not inflict pain.

Tough

Had a big storm last night. No phone this morning & worst of all, no satellite TV. &, no one to fix them until Monday or Tuesday. So, probably no to light blogging the next couple of days. Right now I'm at the Sidekick's in the big city. He has a wireless network at his home. If I come up the next couple of days, I might post, if not, I'm going to keep my left leg elevated & eat aspirin. Later.

Happy Now, Mary Landrieu?

Bush plan erodes aid for La. coast

Learning from Bush

Let's see, Dead or Alive, Shoot First & Ask Questions Later.... Why? Out of kindness, I suppose.
UK Police: Man Killed Unrelated to Probe - New York Times

Transparent

Bush goes around the world telling people about freedom & transparency. But not at home. Here we...must...keep...secrets.

Government Defies an Order to Release Iraq Abuse Photos - New York Times

Just Go Read This

��TBogg��

P.S.: It's about kids playing baseball. I don't much like baseball, but....

Friday Waterfowl Blogging

Ducks. Lake Superior.

Friday Cat Blogging

Tipitina.

Science Thursday?

Q: What do you get when you cross a giraffe and a monkey?

A: I'm sorry, I can't think about that right now because I'm too busy wondering why Congress hasn't launched an official investigation into Bush lying to the American public about WMDs and leading us into a war under false pretenses. Tell you what—as soon as I solve that little riddle, I'll get to work on your little genetic experiment.

From McSweeny's via WTF Is It Now?

Drinking Liberally, Chequamegon Style

Drinking Liberally, tomorrow night at The Black Cat, 211 Chapple Ave., Ashland, WI. Look for us in the back room or out in the back patio, or in the front of the building. Just look.

Be There or Be Square!

Mr. Roberts Without the Humor

Planned Parenthood has more on Roberts.

More on Roberts from Alliance for Justice. This report is from his confirmation hearing on his appointment to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. District.

John Roberts’ legal career and professional writings reveal that he is out of the mainstream in his legal views in a number of areas, most prominently civil rights and the right to choose. His record as a member of the Bush and Reagan administrations reflects opposition to the rights of women and minorities, as well as a restrictive view of the proper role of federal courts in protecting the environment and the rights of criminal defendants. His comments about the Rehnquist Court reveal Roberts’ extremist ideology, a view confirmed by his membership in and connections to ultra-conservative legal groups.

& More from the Human Rights Campaign. Here's one paragraph from their statement:

With the Roberts nomination, the right to privacy and the future of a fair-minded court are in grave danger. Judge Roberts has disputed the right to privacy laid out in Roe v. Wade, and urged that the case be overruled. Reversing Roe could undermine fundamental rights to privacy and liberty that are the legal underpinning for the freedom of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans.

The internets just keep bringing it on. This from AmericaBlog.

Good Grief!
(Yes, more.)

The internets, the damned internets. Where's the Sidekick & a Father's little helper. But I do know where the gin is & the tonic & the lime. Even more from NOW.

Throughout his 26-year career, John G. Roberts has continually supported and promoted an anti-woman, anti-civil rights, and anti-worker agenda. Here's a snapshot of his regressive agenda in practice:

* Overturning Roe v. Wade was such a primary focus of the Reagan Administration's Justice Department that during an oral argument by the nominee to the Supreme Court a Justice asked, "Mr. Roberts, in this case, are you asking that Roe v. Wade be overruled?" He replied, "No your honor, the issue doesn't even come up." To this the justice replied, "Well that hasn't prevented the Solicitor General from taking that position in prior cases."

* As Deputy Solicitor General, Roberts argued in a brief before the Supreme Court that "we continue to believe that Roe was wrongly decided and should be overruled. The Court's conclusion in Roe that there is a fundamental right to an abortion... finds no support in the text, structure, or history of the Constitution."

* As Deputy Solicitor General, Roberts filed an amicus curiae brief in NOW's case against Operation Rescue — supporting Operation Rescue, of course and in support of named individuals who routinely blocked access to clinics. At the Supreme Court level, that case was called Bray v. Alexandria Women's Health Clinic (it was NOW v. Operation Rescue at the trial and appellate levels). The brief argued that the protesters' behavior did not discriminate against women and that blockades and clinic protests were protected speech under the First Amendment. The case helped us push congressional passage of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.

* While in private law practice, Roberts served as lead counsel for Toyota in Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. v. Williams, in which he argued to limit the protections of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The case involved a woman fired after asking Toyota for accommodations to do her job after being diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome. The court ruled that while this condition impaired her ability to work, it did not impair her ability to perform a major life activity, and thus was not protected by the ADA.

* He filed an amicus brief in Adarand v. Mineta in Oct. 2001, supporting a challenge to federal affirmative action programs.

* He argued against Title IX, the equal education law for women and girls, as applied to college athletic programs in NCAA v. Smith.

* A proponent of states' rights even if it costs the safety of women and girls, in a 1999 radio interview he said, "We have gotten to the point these days where we think the only way we can show we're serious about a problem is if we pass a federal law, whether it is the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) or anything else. The fact of the matter is: conditions are different in different states and state laws can be more relevant."

* He is also a member of the Federalist Society, an ultra-conservative organization committed to returning to a pre-Civil War era of unquestioned states' rights and rolling back legislation that has advanced women's rights, civil rights, environmental protections and health and safety standards. Federalist Society heroes and leaders you might recognize are Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft and Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah).

Roberts - "New" Judge

So Bush nominated this guy Roberts for the Supreme Court. I confess, I know nothing about him, so I must go to the internets. Oh, I take that back, I do know one thing about him - he ruled last week that it was OK for Bush to ignore the Geneva Convention & continure to hold people at Gitmo & the many other prisons in the American Gulag. But back the the internets, here is a section from NARAL's press release about Roberts. It is, I believe, time to be afraid, very afraid.

Hostility to Reproductive Rights

• As Principal Deputy Solicitor General, Roberts argued in a brief before the U.S. Supreme Court (gratuitously, since the case did not implicate Roe v. Wade) that “[w]e continue to believe that Roe was wrongly decided and should be overruled…. [T]he Court’s conclusion in Roe that there is a fundamental right to an abortion… finds no support in the text, structure, or history of the Con-stitution.”

• In Rust v. Sullivan, the Supreme Court considered whether Department of Health and Human Services regulations limiting the ability of Title X recipients to engage in abortion-related activities violated various constitutional provisions. Roberts, appearing on behalf of HHS as Principal Deputy Solicitor General, argued that this domestic gag rule, whereby doctors working in family planning programs receiving federal funds were barred from even discussing abortion options with patients, did not violate constitutional protections.

• Roberts, again as Principal Deputy Solicitor General, argued for the United States as amicus curiae in support of Operation Rescue and six other individuals who routinely blocked access to reproductive health care clinics, arguing that the protesters’ behavior did not amount to discrimination against women, even though only women could exercise the right to seek an abortion. Intervening as amicus is a wholly discretionary decision on the part of the Solicitor General. Here the government chose to involve itself in a case in support of those who sought to deprive women of the right to choose through massive, often violent, blockades. Roberts argued that the protesters’ blockades merely amounted to an expression of their opposition to abortion and that a civil rights remedy was therefore inappropriate. The case - Bray v. Alexandria Women’s Health Clinic – presented the Supreme Court with the question of whether the Civil Rights Act of 1871 provided a federal cause of action against persons obstructing access to abortion clinics. The year after Bray was decided, Congress enacted the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act to protect women and health care providers from violence and harassment.

• Overturning a woman’s right to choose was a cornerstone of the first Bush Administration, as signaled by the fact that Solicitor General Kenneth Starr himself argued reproductive rights cases before the Supreme Court. The Court was so accustomed to the Solicitor General and the Principal Deputy Solicitor General arguing for the overturn of Roe that, during Mr. Roberts’ oral argument before the Supreme Court in Bray, a Justice asked, “Mr. Roberts, in this case are you asking that Roe v. Wade be overruled?” He responded, “No, your honor, the issue doesn’t even come up.” To this, the Justice said, “Well that hasn’t prevented the Solicitor General from taking that position in prior cases.”

Beamed Up

James Doohan, Scotty on 'Star Trek,' Dies - New York Times

Good Food

If I were you, & I'm not, but that has never stopped me, I'd add YatCuisine to my favorites list. I spent some time in New Orleans, the kid lived there for awhile, but, for some reason, & from a person who really can't live well in hot weather, I miss the place. Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans? Anyway, this is a good site & they have Podcasts. If anybody out there, yes, I'm talking to my four readers, soon to add another(?), makes any of the recipes, would you please report about it in the comments. We want Bush gone & Rove in chains, but that doesn't mean we can eat good food & drink good gin.

Home Grown

I loved the report that the nurse, injured in the bombing, held up a disfigured middle finger & said that it was for Rudolph. Nurses are so fine. From Roger "Not The One Who's a Dick" Ailes

Soft on Terrorism



I've seen very little comment in the blogosphere, particularly from those on the right who fraudulently claim to oppose terror, about the life sentence handed down today against the second-deadliest living terrorist on American soil.

Eric Rudolph, who has confessed to the Atlanta Olympics bombing and three other explosions that killed two and injured 150, received two life sentences today for a fatal abortion clinic blast after angrily denouncing abortion and telling the federal court that "deadly force is needed to stop it."

Mr. Rudolph, a 38-year-old former Army explosives expert, pleaded guilty in April to setting off a bomb that injured a nurse, Emily Lyons, and killed a police officer, Robert Sanderson, outside the Woman All Women abortion clinic in Birmingham, Ala., in 1998.

Where are all the voices that were heard so loudly when the BBC called the London terrorists "bombers"? Can't they manage even a peep of outrage at the U.S. media's failure to call Rudolph what he really is? Aren't they disturbed that the Justice Department cut a deal with a religious fanatic whose faith is repellent to all decent humans? Have they spent one second grieving Rudolph's victims?

posted by Roger | Comments (2) | 9:30 PM

Emphasis added.

London

I've been remiss in mentioning the London bombing. I don't know why, exactly, except that, in my cynical way, what goes around comes around. This is a piece by James Wolcott. It's a few days old, but well worth the read. Here is a bit:

Like Johnny Rotten in "No Feelings," President Bush has got no emotions for anybody else, and can't be bothered even to go through the formal motions, having so many more important, interesting things to do, such as fall off his bicycle.

"Why didn't President Bush visit London? Why didn't he walk the streets, take a few questions from the press, show the power of his office to Londoners? Stand at the side of Tony Blair and Ken Livingstone?"

Because, to repeat myself, he just couldn't be bothered.

Read the rest here:

James Wolcott: One City, One World, One America

I Hate These People

As a hunter & gun owner, the NRA embarasses me & makes me realize just how close we are to a goose-stepping society. For the 1,323 millionth time, what possible sport requires a "law abiding" citizen to own an assault weapon? You can start the sick jokes now.

N.R.A. Cancels Convention in Columbus Because of Ban - New York Times

North of the Border

Refreshing post by Tresy over at the Mighty Corrente Building which apparently now has used the new Supreme Court decision to condemn some part of Canada for a building add-on. I told y'all it was a good decision, though no one believed(s) me. Ha.

corrente / Leah, Lambert, Tresy, the farmer, Tom, Xan, RDF, and Riggsveda

Enough Said

"I'm tired of Republicans telling us we're pro-abortion. I served on the board of Planned Parenthood for five years. I don't know anybody who's pro-abortion," he said. "Most people in this country would like to see the abortion rate go down. That includes Democrats and Republicans. The difference between the parties is that we believe a woman makes that decision about her health care -- and they believe Tom Delay makes it."


Howard Dean

Charles Pierce

This guy is funny. He once wrote a piece on Altercation, I believe, talking about listening to Ray Charles on some Wisconsin back road. That's enough to endear him to me. Read this Rove piece. More truth than joke, but, as I said, funny.

American Prospect Online - ViewWeb

Mary Landrieu, Mary Landrieu

Let's talk about your ANWR vote again. When will the wavering Democrats realize that integrity & honor are not in the hearts of the ReThugs? I hope Sen. Landrieu can sleep at night.

Energy secretary opposes cash for coast

More Tiger

Michael Wilbon has a great column, here:

I Come to Praise Tiger, Not Bury Him

More B.S. From Texas

Let's see, if you don't agree with the science, intimidate the scientists. These ReThugs are so special.

2 GOP lawmakers in rare public spat over global warming / House member's probe of 3 scientists called 'misguided'

I've Had It

I've been sitting in my house all morning, watching, intermittently, Tiger win the British Open. It's windy & although I cut down a popple this morning, some other tree is blowing around & interfering with the satellite signal. But I'm glad he won. It is so hot. I've been sitting under a ceiling fan & have a fan blowing on me from the floor, neither is really helping. I grilled a couple of venison Italian sausages, added some catsup & horseradish, & drank a dietCoke with lime. So, I'm full but still overheating. I'm going to do the thing parents do with their babies when it gets this hot & their is no home air conditioning. I'm going to get in my diesel truck & drive. But first, the second shower of the day. Later.

Surprise, surprise #2

Of course, to any thinking person, this is no surprise. It is a sad truth that Bushco will not acknowledge. Wake up.

Study cites seeds of terror in Iraq - The Boston Globe - Boston.com - Middle East - News

Waist Deep In The Big Muddy, Part 3309

Follow the Uranium - New York Times

"Once we were locked into the war, and no W.M.D.'s could be found, the original plot line was dropped with an alacrity that recalled the "Never mind!" with which Gilda Radner's Emily Litella used to end her misinformed Weekend Update commentaries on "Saturday Night Live." The administration began its dog-ate-my-homework cover-up, asserting that the various warning signs about the uranium claims were lost "in the bowels" of the bureaucracy or that it was all the C.I.A.'s fault or that it didn't matter anyway, because there were new, retroactive rationales to justify the war. But the administration knows how guilty it is. That's why it has so quickly trashed any insider who contradicts its story line about how we got to Iraq, starting with the former Treasury secretary Paul O'Neill and the former counterterrorism czar Richard Clarke."

Stalin

I once wrote a poem titled "Why I Am the Last Living Stalinist in America" - about "Rockefeller's Ludlow dream" & how universities are selling it "retail". I read it at a small college in Wisconsin. I'm not sure anyone got the point. Maybe, maybe not, it doesn't really matter. Then tonight sitting under a gray sky, we really need the rain, listening to Leonard Cohen's wonderful Closing Time, I came across this article via Arts & Letters Daily. Here's the interesting, at least to me, part:

"The meeting was cordial and consisted primarily of Stalin’s welcoming the President to Yalta and making sure that he was comfortably settled. Since it was about cocktail hour, the President repeated a ritual he regularly performed at the White House: He made a pitcher of dry martinis. As he passed a glass to Stalin, he said apologetically that a good martini really should have a twist of lemon.

The President made Stalin a martini, apologizing for the lack of a twist. The next morning I was astonished to see a full-grown lemon tree that Stalin had had flown in.

"At six o’clock the following morning, when I came down to the main entrance hall, I was astonished to find, just outside the door to the anteroom, a huge lemon tree—I counted some 200 pieces of fruit on it—which Stalin had ordered flown in from his native Georgia so the President could serve his martinis with a twist."

Now does anyone feel better about Stalin now? Or not?

Bumper Sticker

Via Quiddity.

Friday Random(?) Ten

Somebody, anybody, please tell me about this random thing again. It's math, math, I do not understand.

Some of These Days - Kermit Ruffins
Let Me Love You Baby (Live) - Stevie Ray Vaughn
Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen - Hot Club of New Orleans
Family Affair - Keb' Mo'
One Too Many Mornings - Bob Dylan
Leavin' - North Mississippi Allstars
Freedom Highway - North Mississippi Allstars
Jack, I'm Mellow - Kermit Ruffins
Sacred Ground - Sonny Landreth
A Letter To Tracy - Keb' Mo'

Talk About An Old Date

More science.

Date palm grown from 2,000-year-old seed - Boston.com - Science - News

Condors

More good news from the west. Besides Montana's governor, that is.

Endangered condors soar over Grand Canyon - Boston.com - Science - News

A couple of graphs:

On some days, as many as 25 to 30 condors soar over the canyon area -- more birds than were in existence a generation ago when officials decided to capture and breed them

"There are some challenges we deal with, primarily people management more than bird management," said Olson, who sometimes waves his arms to scare the birds if they come too close to the crowds gathered on the rim.

But the canyon's rim is attractive to the birds, in part because there is so much activity and because they are so curious, he said.

Forward Movement

Now, let's see how the ReThugs can put a stop to research of this kind in the U.S. There must be something anti-life about this.

Danish scientists developing solar cell - Boston.com - Science - News

The market price for a silicon cell is up to 5,000 kroner (US$800, euro675) per square meter, while a plastic cell of the same size costs less than 100 kroner (US$15, euro13), they said.

Corruption In The Bush Administration? Oh, One More Time

This is so not surprising. It appears Bushco, et.al., are all criminals.

Review Finds Scientists With Ties to Companies - New York Times

Here's the opening;

Forty-four government scientists have violated ethics rules on collaborating with pharmaceutical companies, a preliminary review by the National Institutes of Health shows.


Nine of the scientists may have violated criminal laws, the report said.



"The ethical problems are more systemic and severe than previously known," Mr. Barton said

Friday Cat Blogging

Rocky the Lab/Tippy the cat.

Neighbor's grand-daughter with kitty. 

Krugman

Karl Rove's America - New York Times:

One paragraph:

John Gibson of Fox News says that Karl Rove should be given a medal. I agree: Mr. Rove should receive a medal from the American Political Science Association for his pioneering discoveries about modern American politics. The medal can, if necessary, be delivered to his prison cell.

Drinking Liberally

Well, I forgot to announce the weekly meeting, as it were. So, I am announcing it now, at 5:14 p.m. Be there or be square. New photo upload thingy, it worked this time, so now it is 5:18 p.m.

Good List

Bubba does the work so I/you don't have to. Get a beer, or whatever, & read.
South Knox Bubba

OK, From the Comments

Here is a comment & my response: Anyone else want to get in on the action?

nonheroicvet said...

I can't believe there isn't a lot more noise about the proposed closing of the experiment farm by the University of Wisconsin. This from a Democratic pro education administration. If I could spell apocalyptic, I would say that our local environmental college, professional educators (at least those who can break out of their self pity),economic development people and local politicians should be apocalyptic about this. I hope that I am wrong and there is a huge protest on July 13 at the experiment farm.

coldH2O said...

You know, I need to ask what the Experimental Farm has done for me lately? I mean, all I can remember, yes, I'm in my pre-geezerhood, is that they planted a bunch of hybrid poplars that are supposed to make loggers salivate. I haven't heard much from the loggers supporting the farm? But I do see the value in research, & I would support the research farm for that reason. But it seems as if the UW faculty has no interest in doing any research up here. Why would that be? It seems to me that the supporters of the farm need to enlist the faculty of both the UW & maybe Northland, I know, that is too much to hope for. Otherwise, who would do the research? The intelligent design folks?

It Takes A Lot To Laugh

It takes a train to cry. The concert last night was great. As the kid pointed out, Dylan's band was the super best band ever, she was quickly followed in her opinion by the son-in-law who felt Dylan's band was the best ever. I, quickly as well, opined that it was best backup band he'd ever had. Mrs. coldH2O was crying. Willy was good, love that Lefty song. He also debuted Superman - "Popped a lot of pain pills, smoked a lot of pot, I'm no Superman." Dylan played the piano the whole show. He did a great version of Masters of War for the encore, along with Like a Rolling Stone. I was very happy with the whole thing. Got passed by MH on the way, with some person sprawled in her backseat with JC in the front. I did not see them at the concert. & I repeat, Dylan's back up band was the best. A group from Austin opened the show - The Green Cards. They were OK & were certainly excited about opening all summer for Willie Nelson & Dylan. A dream job, I suppose. Got back home this afternoon & was immediately bummed because the Black Cat will NOT be having wireless. There goes the live blogging from the Black Cat. This is a truly disappointing development.

Off To The Big City, Part Deux

So, I'm off to pick up Mrs. coldH2O in the Cities & to the Dylan/Nelson concert tonight. Also, I've been thinking lately of how the polarized nature of our politics is affecting the left, particularly since we realize that we will never change the minds of the ReThugs. So, sometimes we turn on each other when we start talking about how things are going in the country. Part of the problem is the abject powerlessness some of us feel in the face of Wall Street, etc. Maybe powerlessness is too strong a word, maybe it's just that some of us realize the value of protest, of saying no, but that things change in this country when the money wants it to change. Look at all the effort that goes into making the environment a money making venture, whether it be eco-tourism or how much money fly anglers will bring to the local economy. It's not that these endeavors are fruitless or bad, but that they acknowledge the role that monied interests, Wall Street, have on every aspect of American life. & this acknowledgement, it seems to me, flies in the face of all that the left stands for - living wages, compassion, decency, etc. More, maybe, later. What do you think?

Keith Olberman Rocks

From Keith's blog.

"Karl Rove is a liability in the war on terror.

"Rove -- Newsweek’s new article quotes the very emails -- told a Time reporter that Ambassador Joe Wilson’s trip to investigate of the Niger uranium claim was at the behest of Wilson’s CIA wife.

"To paraphrase Mr. Rove, liberals saw the savagery of the 9/11 attacks and wanted to prepare indictments and offer therapy and understanding for our attackers; conservatives saw the savagery of 9/11 and the attacks and prepared to ruin the career of one of the country’s spies tracking terrorist efforts to gain weapons of mass destruction -- for political gain.


"Politics first, counter-terrorism second -- it’s as simple as that.

"In his ‘story guidance’ to Matthew Cooper of Time, Rove did more damage to your safety than the most thumb-sucking liberal or guard at Abu Ghraib. He destroyed an intelligence asset like Valerie Plame merely to deflect criticism of a politician. We have all the damned politicians, of every stripe, that we need. The best of them isn’t worth half a Valerie Plame. And if the particular politician for whom Rove was deflecting, President Bush, is more than just all hat and no cattle on terrorism, he needs to banish Rove -- and loudly.

"Any time I’ve criticized the current administration here or on the air, I’ve gotten the same idiotic emails from the same idiotic people who’ve never been touched by terrorism. They brand me a liberal who doesn’t understand that terrorists want the next unattended bag to be filled with WMD. Their position is incredible on its face; in the light of the confirmation of the Karl Rove revelation it would assume the quality of farce, were it not so deadly serious.

"And the bottom line is this: in the metaphoric department of the war on terror, Karl Rove not only leaves bags unattended - he does it intentionally."

No Comment

The White House sure had the comments for Sen. Durbin, Sen. Kerry, et.al., didn't they. & now, when one of their own has apparently leaked a CIA operative's name, which is against the law you ReThugs, they have no comment. Bush lied about Iraq & now they are covering up for Rove. This really stinks.

White House Won't Comment on Rove's Role in Leak Case - New York Times

Scotty, the White House spokestool, sure got nailed today. It's about time, press corps, keep it up.

Texas Has The Biggest....

Los Angeles Times: Texas hits a low note

The best paragraph:

But then, Texas educators can be a touchy lot on gender issues. In its eagerness to keep middle-schoolers from thinking gay marriage might be OK, that state's Board of Education required textbooks to define marriage as the "lifelong union between a husband and wife." Apparently, the close to 50% of Texas marriages that end in divorce don't count.

Via Shakespeare's Sister. 

Oh, well....

A couple of things: why in the hell does CNN put "reporters" in the hurricane? I mean, what's the news - the wind is blowing, the rain is falling, the trees are falling? Jeez. I suppose, however, that it would be great reality TV if a stop sign came frisbeeing along & sliced off the head of, at least one, come on now, of the reporter's heads. How cool would that be? Reality? No, stupidity. & secondly, all 4 of my readers ought to start commenting or something. I can't ask my mom or dad to do it since they are dead, not that they would admit to their parentage of me anyway. If we can get enough comments, maybe I can try an "Open Thread". That would be neat. Also comments are a good place for hot, anonymous tips about the local political scene. So there you are, on an extremely hot, humid day. I'm back from the big city, but am going back on Tuesday to pick up Mrs. coldH2O & to go to a Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan concert. They are starting at 6:30 p.m., so that those of us in our pre-geezer status years can get home & take our medications & let the dogs out.

Ashland Article

Click the following link for an article about Ashland. Notice that there is no, NO, mention of Hank Martinsen, except for a reference to the BIA building. & that reference indicates a defeat for Martinsen in terms of the building design. Rumor has it that Martinsen would just as soon have put up a pole barn type building. Looks like the Martinsen's aren't that important to the statewide press.
JS Online: Ashland emerges from manufacturing history into new economy

I Mean J C Effing C

Just like Reagan made it OK to be racist, now Bush & his minions are making it OK to talk about making a species extinct so humans can read under a light bulb. This is beyond sick or outrageous.

If the government does not win its appeal, Disheroon said, it might invoke a rarely used provision of the Endangered Species Act that would convene a Cabinet-level committee informally called the ''God Squad." After a lengthy public process, the committee could decide that economic concerns justify the extinction of endangered fish

God Squad my ass. More like Tool Squad.

Hot Time, Summer In The City

As you have no doubt surmised, I lied about blogging last night & this a.m. I forgot that the kid & son-in-law have broadband here in the big city. I lust after broadband, both in my heart & in my fingers. Someday it may snake its way into the sugar maples, hemlocks, & popples where we live. Until then, the siren call of urban America calls & must be obeyed. It sure is fun to download music.

A Backwards We Will Go

This is one more reason to question the thinking abilities of the religious. It appears the Roman Catholic Church learned nothing from the Galileo fiasco, which was recently resolved, after, oh, I don't know, a few hundred years.

skippy the bush kangaroo

skippy the bush kangaroo
Go visit Skippy & help him reach a million. He's worth a million. What are you waiting for? Saturday?

Ken Livingstone

FT.com / News in depth / Terror - Text of statement delivered by Ken Livingstone

Martinsen & Bullock & other ReThug goofballs probaby call the Mayor of London a member of the loony Left. Read Livinstone's statement & decide who the real loonies are. The war on terror is hard work, don't you know, & it's going so well.

Mini-Road Trip

I'm taking a very short road trip to the Twin Cities today. Need to haul some of the kid's stuff to her & the son-in-law. Will be back tomorrow evening. Thin crowd at Drinking Liberally last night, but it is summer. See you next week. Have a great Friday night & Saturday morning. Remember that Bush is the Worst President Ever. Later.

Two cats, sleeping, sleeping, what a life. 

Four cats, no action. 

Bad New for Bears

We don't need no stinking polar bears! We need to go shopping.
Pack ice melting earlier, imperiling polar bear, panel says / Population expected to drop 30 percent in 35 to 50 years

Drinking Liberally. Tonight, tonight - The Black Cat, 211 Chapple Ave., Ashland, WI. Be There!

Boy, talk about your square dancing dress! Yes, it's our beloved dear Leader. 

Home fireworks five & finale. 

Home fireworks four. 

Home fireworks three. 

Home fireworks two. 

Home fireworks one. 

Water feature three. 

Water feature two with ionizer thingy. 

Water feature, one. 

Jade Tree on the slate, next to the new deck. 

Back

Two days without an Internet connection. They finally "fixed" it, but without an explanation. Must be a new rule in the deregulation law. Frankly, I no longer want choice, I just want things to effing work the way they are supposed to. Thanks to RK for emailing what I missed the last couple of days. Now for some Yellow Elephant action:

Noelle Bush
Jenna Bush
Not-Jenna Bush
Morgan Bush
Lauren Bush
George P. Bush
Pierce Bush

Pics to follow if Bloggers new pic thing ever works for me. Hello works, but not the new thing on the template. Onward to deck blogging, jade plant blogging, water feature blogging & maybe more.

Went Fishin'

The Sidekick & Mrs. Sidekick along with Mrs. coldH2O, the kid & the son-in-law went a-fishing this afternoon. We did fine. Caught a mess of bluegills, a few rock bass, a couple of largemouth bass & lots of sun. Then things went to hell arguing about a pizza, mainly that it would take an hour to get them prepared. So went to the Sidekick's house, to drop off a few items & he, in true sidekick fashion, served up some coffee & a father's little helper for my headache. Now I'm safely back home with the Mrs., the kid & son-in-law & a stray lesbian who drove down the driveway & it is great to see her again. BTW, we piled the fish into a big bowl, put them in the fridge, & I'll be fileting them in the a.m. Tomorrow's the 4th of July. Drive home safely. We need all the liberals to survive.

This Is Rich

Frank Rich, that is. Mr. Rich is as usual, right on in his Sunday op-ed. Some good parts below.

"Planned or not, the sepulchral silence of Mr. Bush's military audience was the perfect dazed response to what was literally a summer rerun.

...

"Fewer TV viewers tuned in than for any prime-time speech in Mr. Bush's presidency. A good thing too, since so much of what he said was, as usual, at odds with reality.

...

"Deep in the credits for "War of the Worlds" is a thank-you to the Department of Defense and some half-dozen actual units that participated in the movie, from the Virginia Army National Guard to a Marine battalion from Camp Pendleton, Calif. Indeed, Mr. Spielberg seems to have had markedly more success in recruiting extras for his film than the Pentagon has had of late in drumming up troops for Iraq.

...

"Mr. Bush has flubbed the basic storytelling essential to sustain public support for his Iraq adventure. The president has made a tic of hammering in melodramatic movie tropes: good vs. evil, you're with us or you're with the terrorists, "wanted dead or alive," "bring 'em on," "mission accomplished." When you relay a narrative in that style, the audience expects you to stick to the conventions of the genre; the story can end only with the cavalry charging in to win the big final battle.

...

"The president has no one to blame but himself. The color-coded terror alerts, the repeated John Ashcroft press conferences announcing imminent Armageddon during election season, the endless exploitation of 9/11 have all taken their numbing toll. Fear itself is the emotional card Mr. Bush chose to overplay, and when he plays it now, he is the boy who cried wolf. That's why a film director engaging in utter fantasy can arouse more anxiety about a possible attack on America than our actual commander in chief hitting us with the supposed truth."

Random 10 #2

Two Keb' Mo' & in a row. I read somewhere about this random thing, & apparently this sort of random proves the random theory or something. Here it is:

Orangefield - Van Morrison
Hush Hush - Etta James
If I Ever Get Lucky - The Hoodoo Kings
Potato Head Blues - Louis Armstrong & His Hot Seven
America The Beautiful - Keb' Mo'
Everything I Need - Keb' Mo'
Chest Fever - The Band
Tacoma Trailer - Leonard Cohen
Some Iko - Henry Butler
Light It On Fire - Cowboy Mouth

Supreme Court

Go to Daily Kos for the links in this post. These are all good suggestions for what to do. This is important, women's lives are on the line with the next Justice. We cannot let Bush nominate & the have confirmed, some wingnut.

Supreme Court: What You Can Do RIGHT NOW
by DavidNYC
Fri Jul 1st, 2005 at 13:00:27 PDT

Update [2005-7-1 16:0:27 by Armando]: Bumped up by Armando.

Whatever happens with the Supreme Court nomination battle that is about to ensue, it's going to happen fast. Here are some things you can do right now:

* If you have a cell phone, sign up for People at the American Way's Mass Immediate Response site. This way, you'll be able to receive text message action items instantly as events break. (If you signed up during the nuclear option fight, you'll need to re-sign up.)

* Also sign up with the Save the Court, another PFAW website devoted specifically to this issue.

* Recruit friends and family members to the cause.

* Write to the President, telling him he should choose a consensus candidate to replace O'Connor.

* Contact your Senators to tell them the same thing.

If you have any other action items, please post them in the comments below, with links.

Update [2005-7-1 11:33:32 by DavidNYC]: If you have a blog, please post these action items on your site. If you don't, e-mail them to your like-minded buddies and relatives.

Update [2005-7-1 14:57:41 by DavidNYC]: Some more stuff you can do:

* Sign MoveOn's "Protect Our Rights" petition.

* Contact members of the media and tell them you think Bush should nominate a consensus candidate. PLEASE be polite, be brief (200 words or less), and don't do copy-and-paste jobs - put things in your own words.

* Stop by Hunter's thread and make suggestions for potential nominees.

O'Connor

I don't like this. I was hoping for a bit of a respite, but now there is no reason for Bush to do the right thing, i.e., appoint a judge for all of America, not just his rancid supporters. He's so far down that he needs to throw some red meat to his base, just to keep him above 35%. But he won't appoint someone with the country in mind. Nova Scotia calls calmly, once again.

Victory

JS Online: In Florence, school's out — forever?

Another big win for the Rethuglians. Good job. Oh, to Mr. Smith, yeah, it's those damned teacher's high wages, yeah, that's the ticket.

Friday Cat Blogging

My pupils are always this big, I'm a cat, fool.

Toulouse & 'nip. 

Catnip party.