Saturday, December 31, 2005

Happy New Year

Mr. & Mrs. SideKick & friends will be joining the coldH2Os, plus the kid & son-in-law, & the Madison lesbians for the festivties this evening. We will try to upbeat although Bu$hCo can still inflict damage through his super, double powerful, spying brain. It's been a fairly crappy year, but hark the herald Fitzels sing, & it may yet turn out that Americans are in fact a free people, with morals. Photos of human bodies with lampshade heads to follow.

NY Times - What Is Happening To A Great Newspaper?

The Raw Story reports:

"The New York Times public editor accuses the paper of 'stonewalling' him in his attempts to find out more about the decision to report on NSA eavesdropping after at least a year's delay...."

With Judy Miller & now this, is it wrong to ask how much blood is on the hands of the New York Times? The so-called paper of record has really let the country down this time. Too bad, so sad.

Rolling Stone : The Magical Victory Tour

The Magical Victory Tour indeed. Via WTF Is It Now? Another Rolling Stone piece, this time by Matt Taibibi. Go read. It's old news to some, but good writing, nonetheless.

"This is how President Bush takes his message to the people these days: in furtive sneak-attack addresses to closed audiences of elite friendlies at weird early-morning hours. "

These Guys Can't Handle The Truth

In St. Louis, the head molester says he owns all the money, etc., from a rich parish. They say no, & he is excommunicating everyone who gets in his way. Here they make the opposite claim. "You never ask questions, when God's on you side." Jeez.

More Dead

Can't forget Iraq, even if I wanted to.

"Gunmen raided a house south of Baghdad, killing five Sunni family members, and a roadside bomb in the capital killed two policemen, part of a wave of violence Saturday that claimed 18 lives, authorities said.

A day earlier, two more U.S. soldiers were killed, bringing 2005's American military death toll in Iraq near last year's record level. "

Almost Good

This paragraph from an editorial in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune almost gets it right. However, they suggest that Norm Coleman (R-Asshat) can play a positive role in correcting the Bu$hCo administration's move toward facism. Bull. He is one of them & they don't much care about regular folks. But this paragraph is right on.

"They don't trust the president's leadership on Social Security and they recognize that his economic policies are not delivering for average working families. They see career professionals bailing out of Cabinet agencies from the Food and Drug Administration to the Environmental Protection Agency because political hacks insist on telling the White House what it wants to hear rather than what science says. And now they feel a chilling sense of executive overreach in domestic spying."

What's Up With The Stock Market?

I'm no economist, but this can't be good news. Does anybody out there know?

"The Dow's 2005 closing of 10,717 was practically unchanged from the 2000 year-end closing number of 10,787."

'I'm going to be back'

Good for this survivor & believer. Now, if Bu$hCo could have the same determination & values & brains &, well, you get my drift.

"Do what you got to do. "

Please

Will someone put these criminals out of my misery? I am thanking you in advance.

"The U.S. Family Network, a public advocacy group that operated in the 1990s with close ties to Rep. Tom DeLay and claimed to be a nationwide grass-roots organization, was funded almost entirely by corporations linked to embattled lobbyist Jack Abramoff, according to tax records and former associates of the group.

During its five-year existence, the U.S. Family Network raised $2.5 million but kept its donor list secret. The list, obtained by The Washington Post, shows that $1 million of its revenue came in a single 1998 check from a now-defunct London law firm whose former partners would not identify the money's origins."

ReThug Cronyism - Ohio Version

Why hasn't Taft been impeached? Apparently, he has too many debts to pay off. & I do mean pay off.

"Gov. Bob Taft yesterday appointed three members to the Ohio State University Board of Trustees, filling two of the new seats with political contributors who have donated more than $1.3 million to state Republican candidates and causes."

No Child Left Untouched, Indeed

I've never understoof the ReThugs distain for education. For all their chortling on & on about a global economy, you'd think they would want our future workers to be able to compete, but no, just cut the budget willy-nilly, but make sure the rich get their, frankly, undeserved tax cuts.

"In the fine print of its $39.7-billion budget-cutting plan, Congress evidently has identified academically eager teenagers as a drain on the federal purse. What else would explain such a historic cut in student aid?

According to the Congressional Budget Office, fully one-third of the projected savings in the final budget bill would come from reducing college aid. The cut, some $12.7-billion over the next five years, would represent the biggest drop in student aid since passage of the Higher Education Act in 1965."

Get On With It

More reasons to rebuild New Orleans. Too many sticks, up too many asses.

"New Orleanians seem to understand that the rest of the world has different customs - people buy shrimp with the heads already removed, for example, and are not allowed to stroll down the street with their cocktails in hand.

So some Louisianians thought it unnecessary for the Atlanta police to forbid the tossing of trinkets from floats during a New Orleans-style parade to be held here on New Year's Eve in conjunction with the Sugar Bowl, which was moved to Atlanta because of the hurricane."

ReThug Family Values

Curtis Schmidt, a prominent West Bend, WI, businessman & a contributor to ReThug Mary Panzer of Wisconsin, shows the "values" ReThugs exhibit.

"Investigators tried for more than two years to build a case against a prominent West Bend businessman they suspected was seeking out boys for sex but could not produce solid evidence."

Friday, December 30, 2005

Amen & Not In A Religious Sense

Suburban Guerrilla - Quote of the Week

"We have become a Nazi monster in the eyes of the whole world-a nation of bullies and bastards who would rather kill than live peacefully. We are not just Whores for power and oil, but killer whores with hate and fear in our hearts. We are human scum, and that is how history will judge us… No redeeming social value. Just whores. Get out of our way, or we’ll kill you.

Well, shit on that dumbness. George W. Bush does not speak for me or my son or my mother or my friends or the people I respect in this world. We didn’t vote for these cheap, greedy little killers who speak for America today- and we will not vote for them again in 2002. Or 2004. Or ever.

Who does vote for these dishonest shitheads? Who among us can be happy and proud of having all this innocent blood on our hands? Who are these swine? These flag-sucking half-wits who get fleeced and fooled by stupid little rich kids like George Bush? They are the same ones who wanted to have Muhammad Ali locked up for refusing to kill “gooks”. They speak for all that is cruel and stupid and vicious in the American character. They are racists and hate mongers among us-they are the Ku Klux Klan. I piss down the throats of these Nazis. And I am too old to worry about whether they like it or not. Fuck them.
– Hunter S. Thompson"

Random 10

Friday Random 10

I've been remiss about this for awhile. Since it will be the last one for this year, here goes:

Blues Ain't Nothing But A Good Man Feeling Bad - Kenny Neal
Just Won't Burn - Susan Tedeschi
Lil' Red Rooster - Etta James
When The Saints Go Marching In - Dr. John
Is There Anybody Here That Loves My Jesus - Dirty Dozen Brass Band
Yeah U Rite - Coco Robicheaux
I Shall Be Released - The Band
K.C. Jones (On The Road Again) - North Mississippi Allstars
Burnside's Blues - R.L. Burnside
Zulu Party - Rockin Tabby Thomas

I'm sitting here watching the snow fall thinking, man, now, that's the way to start a day. On the other hand, I just looked out the other window & the goofball horses have returned from their nightly beer party & want back into the paddock to nurse their hangovers. Got to love them gaited horse, alright.

Union, Yes

Wolcott has this from Steve Gilliard. Remember anonymous commenter that Blomberg is a ReThug & he's the one who spouted the racist bullshit.

"Roger Toussaint not only got a great deal for his members, but he faced down the city's media without so much as breaking a sweat. The Daily News and Post so miscovered the strike as to be rendered useless to the majority of New Yorkers. They kept looking for a groundswell of anger, when instead, there was a ground swell of support for the union among their public service and priovate industry peers. Did they think Con Ed and Verizon workers were going to turn on their public sector union brothers and sisters?"

Love On A Mountain

Read this, then tell me that you don't support the homosexual agenda, which is, as I have said many times, the human agenda.

"Honestly, it's time for these people to just grow the fuck up. People were having gay sex in Paris in the 20s before you were BORN, Medved, so God, just deal with the fact that someone, somewhere, will always be getting some in a very gay fashion no matter how many angry pearl-clutching reviews you write, no matter how many crocodile tears you shed over OMGWHATEVERWILLWETELL THECHILDREN. No matter how many laws you pass. No matter how many nights you sit up wondering how deep the closet really ought to be. No matter how you try to drive it back to the Victorian age, nobody's gonna stop falling in love and acting on that love because you said anything at all. Of the subset of Americans who would say they're in love, a very small percentage give half a shit what you think, and maybe that's what really bothers you, but I've got friends who can't get each other sick leave because of your insecurities so pardon me if I'm not sympathetic about your tiny penis."

Jeb! is Stupid

The result of backward thinking. Who'd a thunk an American college graduate would hold such views?

"Gov. Jeb Bush staked out a curious position on a hot-button issue last week: Florida's K-12 science standards need beefing up, he said. But Darwin's theory of evolution should not be part of them."

Thursday, December 29, 2005

Oysters

Here's another dead person. The kid, son-in-law, & I ate at his restaurant a few times. It was small, you had to walk through the kitchen to get to the bathrooms, but the food was good & the beer was cold. Standing at the bar, eating oysters with great hot sauce, & being talked into another beer & another will stay with me for a long time.

Joseph Casamento, 80
He was born at 4330 Magazine St., and one could make the argument that only Hurricane Katrina prevented Joseph Casamento from dying at the family restaurant at which he had been a fixture since he was a kid. Instead, Casamento died in a Mississippi motel room where he had evacuated for the storm. For years, Casamento knew only one job, one residence and one place to eat, so dedicated was he to the humble diner known for its tiled floors and oysters -- both of which he tended with care. Said one blogger online: "It killed Joe Casamento to leave the city. Tom Benson acts like it would kill him to stay."

Where Y'at?

It gets to a point where asking yourself over & over "Why?" is clearly just blowing in the wind. The fucking head moron is a hateful, vicious person who only cares for his rich white friends. Here's another reason, anonymous commenter, of why all, all, ReThugs are racists. "Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans?

"We hear you all the way over here on the other side of the monitor. WHAT objectivity - especially the 'objectivity' in covering the Iraq war and Bush in general? The media's testicles dropped only recently when polls showed America - DESPITE the rah-rah coverage - had enough of Bush's recklessness.

Give credit to Cindy Sheehan and the 'Holy Shit' coverage of Katrina for waking America up to the dark side of the current White House. But to call all previous reporting 'dispassionate' and 'objective' is a joke we're all too familiar with.

Moreover, it looks like the GOP lost Louisiana. The citizens there have to live with Bush's neglect every day that passes."

Resolooootions

Pretty funny. My favorite:

"15. Make sure to check with that Yoo guy about that dissolving Congress memo he sent me.

ps. How soon can I do it? Do I need a new war or can I use the old one?"

OK - Dead People

I know there are a couple of days left, but here is my dead people list, version 2005:

Hunter S. Thompson
Johnny Carson
Arthur Miller and August Wilson
Richard Pryor
Anne Bancroft
Ossie Davis
R.L. Burnside
Spencer Dryden, 66. Jefferson Airplane's drummer in band's glory years. Jan. 10.
Jim Capaldi, 60. Drummer of British rock group Traffic ("Paper Sun"). Jan. 28.
Keith Knudsen, 56. Doobie Brothers drummer ("Black Water"). Feb. 8.
Chris Curtis, 63. Drummer for British band the Searchers ("Needles and Pins"). Feb. 28.
Johnnie Johnson, 80. Rock 'n' roll pioneer who teamed with Chuck Berry for hits like "Roll Over Beethoven" and "No Particular Place to Go." April 13.
Long John Baldry, 64. British blues legend; helped launch careers of Rod Stewart, the Rolling Stones. July 21.
Well, I'm happy about this one - Myron Floren, 85. Accordion player on "The Lawrence Welk Show." July 23.
Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, 81. He built a 50-year career playing blues, country, jazz and Cajun music. Sept. 10.
Link Wray, 76. Guitar innovator; inspired such legends as Bruce Springsteen, Pete Townshend. Nov. 5.
Vine Deloria Jr., 72. Author, advocate of American Indian rights ("Custer Died for Your Sins: An Indian Manifesto"). Nov. 13.
Chris Whitley, 45. Chameleon singer-songwriter whooscillated between roots rock 'n' roll, blues and alt-rock. Nov. 20. Lung cancer.

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

SueHank Martinsen redux

Just read a comment taking me to task for suggesting SueHank Martinsen & the rest of the Rethugs are racist simply because they are ReThugs. Well, duh. Leave the bed you share with Lott, Tancredo, Helms, Bu$hCo (including his heinous mother), McCarthy, well, the list is a long one, then we can talk. Otherwise, shut up. Of course, it's easy to claim that racism is a thing of the past, but then inconvienient facts like, oh, Katrina, occur. & we see the true nature of ReThugs, like SueHank, et.al. Not to mention the morons who run the 7th District ReThuglican Party, the party of our Dear Leader, no less.

George Clooney

I haven't read Rolling Stone lately, but picked it up at the local, WiFi free coffee house (that's a bad thing) the other day while sipping on one of my favorites, Tanzanian Peaberry. So, yeah, OK, I have a crush on George, leave me alone, damnit. The quote below came from an this interview in RS. It made me laugh, which removed the pain from my right hip for awhile.

"Very few people wake up in the morning and say, 'I'm going to do some evil today.'

Yeah, I think they believe in what they're doing and that they're going to get seventy virgins after they die -- but, really, who wants seventy virgins? I want eight pros."

Amen. Emphasis added.

More Darwin

Well, I'm thrilled. Interesting interview with Daniel Dennett, a philosopher you ought to know.

"Dennett: Indeed. Humans discovered language -- an explosive acceleration of the powers of minds. Because now you can not just learn from your own experience, but you can learn vicariously from the experience of everybody else. From people that you never met. From ancestors long dead. And human culture itself becomes a profound evolutionary force. That is what gives us an epistemological horizon and which is far, far greater than that of any other species. We are the only species that knows who we are, that knows that we have evolved. Our songs, art, books and religious beliefs are all ultimately a product of evolutionary algorithms. Some find that thrilling, others depressing. "
Via Altercation.

King George

The Pittsburg Post Gazette gets it right.

"It's good to be King George"
Via Buzzflash.

Yes, It Is

Worst President Ever.

"Or maybe this is just another lie."


Via Atrios.

Tuesday, December 27, 2005

Just Bull

What a bunch of conmplete bozos. Bu$hCo can't even decide that slavery is not an American value. Idiots.

"Three years ago, President Bush declared that he had 'zero tolerance' for trafficking in humans by the government's overseas contractors, and two years ago Congress mandated a similar policy.

But notwithstanding the president's statement and the congressional edict, the Defense Department has yet to adopt a policy to bar human trafficking."


Yes, yes, we must not place impediments in the way of business.

Monday, December 26, 2005

Auroras & Attention SideKick

Neat stuff.

"AURORA WATCH: A solar wind stream is expected to hit Earth's magnetic field on Dec. 28th or 29th possibly triggering a geomagnetic storm. Northern sky watchers should be alert for auroras."
When you get to the link, click on the word "auroras" for some really cool photos of this glorious phenomenon.

Blood & Marrow

Here's a piece on Susan Butcher for sled dog fans, or fans of the Ididarod. Please, no dopey peta comments (I refuse to capitalize the initials of this bonehead group). Seems like Butcher is up against a terrible race this time. Good luck to her. At the end of the article, click the link, there is an address where you can send your thoughts, & they better be all good.

"Quick -- conjure up an image of Susan Butcher.

Chances are she's kneeling in snow, wearing an unflattering watch cap and examining a husky's paw the way some Alaska women might inspect spring's first rhododendron blossoms.

Or maybe your iconic image has Butcher posed beneath Nome's burled arch and grinning widely, hugging her lead dogs close after the team turned in another first-place finish in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. A four-time Iditarod champ, Butcher amassed oodles of those end-of-the-trail snapshots; my favorite is a black-and-white from 1988, the year she notched her third consecutive win -- one of only two mushers in race history to do so."

Don't Smoke


He's dead, dead, I tell you. Cuckoo's Nest is a great movie & a greater book.

"Italian officials said the New York-born Schiavelli, 57, died at his home in a village in Sicily after a battle with lung cancer."

Jeb! Is Pollution

Anything for developers, nothing for a healthy, productive ecosystem. This is another reason why the last two stolen presidential elections meant so much. It is discouraging. I wonder if Kos thinks the environment is a winning strategy, probably not, since he wants to buy a home.

"Although federal officials rarely balk at building on Florida wetlands, developers are pressing for state authorities to get the final say for issuing half the permits.

That's because developers believe the state will approve permits much faster than the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the agency that is supposed to protect Florida's swamps and marshes.

If the state does get the final say on permits for projects of 10 acres or fewer - and it could happen next year - it could spell further trouble for Florida's waterways.

State officials dispute that suggestion, but a St. Petersburg Times examination has found that when the state reviews proposals for building on wetlands, it fails to protect against serious water pollution.

The Times found that:

--The state's permitting rules for wiping out wetlands do not require developers to filter out the most common pollutant hurting its waterways.

--The areas of the state suffering from water pollution problems have also lost the most wetlands to urban development.

--State law discourages regulators from calculating the cumulative toll of issuing thousands of wetland permits every year."

As If Anyone Cares

We're in junk bond territory now. This is just a reminder - no ReThug truly believes in freedom.

Sunday, December 25, 2005

It's A New Economy, All Right

Update:

As I peered over the window sill this a.m. all I saw was an empty driveway except for the two horses who get out every night, apparently go have a few beers down the road, come back & wait by the gate to be let back in the paddock. I suppose if I fixed the fence.... The upshot of all this is that once again, for the 34th year, there is no boat for coldH2O. Back to the float tube dreams, in which I am a young, virile, & eager young man. They say three strikes & you're out. We'll see. Merry Christmas Day. Except for O'Lielly.

Saturday, December 24, 2005

Sorrow Of The SideKick #7

While the SideKick was quietly driving home with his dog, the J-Man, these photos were taken & then given to me, aka, coldH2O. Here, in the first pic, the J-Man patiently waits for an explanation:

Here in pic #2, the J-Man wants to know why in the hell the cheap SideKick didn't buy the premium dog treats instead of the worthless economy dog treats? Well, well, SideKick, not only do you lock your cats in the basement, but now we find out, via the dog treat underground, that you're trying to kill the J-Man with Wal-Mart dog treats. Tisk, tisk, tisk. Watch your back.

Happy Now?

Quick view of the news, for the SideKick.
Watches are out.
Roads to be busy.
Bu$hCo's reputation as Fucking LIAR-in-Chief is enhanced.
Scientist provides a good model for the criminal Bu$hCo regime.
Really important news.
Another war that's not going so well. &, to support the anonymous commenter, that may not be such a bad thing. Except, of course, all the prisoners-of-war in our nation's prisons.
Hell is beginning to freeze over.
Duh. Bu$hCo nominated the moron.
My police state is better than your police state.
Bu$hCo learning anything, a true non-event
"By contrast, Bush's entire presidency is about eking out narrow victories, not about building national consensus. Even when he prevails, Bush wins by manipulation and stealth. His legacy is deepened division and bitterness."

Read this, then tune in here for a good time, if you know what I mean.
These must be terrist pigeons.
&, finally, something great from Duluth.

How's that oh great & marvelous SideKick? There will be a quiz at 10:00 a.m. this morning.

Friday, December 23, 2005

Attention Pet Owners

I feed Diamond dog food. Luckily I'm from the Frozen Tundra & it was apparently not distributed here. To my four readers who may be from another state, click the link, i.e., the third word in this post - Diamond - , read & take action.

"A pet food company [Diamond, ed.] has advised retailers in more than 20 states to stop selling some of its dog and cat food that may be contaminated with toxic fungus. Several dogs have gotten sick and some have died.

The fungus produces poisonous aflatoxin. Symptoms of aflatoxin poisoning include lethargy, loss of appetite, yellowish eyes and gums, and severe or bloody diarrhea."

Emphasis added.

Bridge To Nowhere

Update - it's apparently a bridge to a bank for the relatives of Rep. Young. The ReThug Culture of Corruption puts too fine a point on it. How can the great truths that come from the natural world in Alaska produce such morons?

"For Nelson and his well-connected partners in Point Bluff LLC, Rep. Don Young's span is in fact a bridge to somewhere: their 60 acres of unobstructed view property on the Point MacKenzie side of Cook Inlet. The land sits directly across from Elmendorf Air Force Base, north of the Anchorage port and downtown."

Some Justice, Anyway #2

I'm glad for the workers. However, notice in the quote how the "liberal" media, even after a finding of fact by a jury, still uses the word "claimed" in regards to the worker's lawsuit. How freaking liberal of them. No wonder newspaper readership is tanking.

$172 million award in Wal-Mart case

"A California jury awarded $172 million on Thursday to thousands of employees at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. who claimed they were illegally denied lunch breaks"

Emphasis added.

Merry ReThug Xmas

Slash the ReThug devils sing. I hope they all get a lump of coal in their stockings this year.

"The federal program to help poor families heat their homes got cut to less than half the amount originally promised by Congress, because of a flurry of late-night maneuvers on Wednesday that could leave tens of thousands of New England families struggling with skyrocketing heating bills this winter."

Thursday, December 22, 2005

Sad, Yeah

What a complete douchebag. Yes, go home, go home & stay there. Wait, on second thought, don't go home, it will just add to the pollution of a relatively clean state.

Ha! #2


Via WTF Is It Now?

Ha!

Bye-Bye Ted Stevens, You Old Fool

A real person's voice is so much more lucid than the rantings of Stevens, a ReThug who only cares about money, oil money. Thank your Ms. Gemmill for your eloquent words about a NATIONAL treasure.

"But Alaska Natives like Gemmill living just south of ANWR fear that opening even the coastal plain to drilling would hurt the Porcupine caribou herd they depend on for their subsistence lifestyle.

Arctic Village, population 146, lies on the southern border of the refuge, far from the proposed drilling sites. But, Gemmill said, the roaming caribou have gone to the coastal plain for thousands of years to calve, and would be disrupted by drilling.

She acknowledges that the fight over ANWR will continue, as it already has for decades. However, she is optimistic the outcome will be the same.

'I think as long as the environmentalists and the Gwich'in keep up the work that they're doing to keep it closed, I think it will just hopefully remain closed,' she said."

Emphasis added.

No Reason

Hockey today.

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

In All Seriousness

Yeah, right. Why hasn't Butler started a fund drive? That's my story, & I'm sticking to it.

"Toga, a 3-month-old jackass penguin, was stolen Saturday from Amazon World on the Isle of Wight in southern England. "

Design This

Well, they do call it the Outback, after all. Must have been an early kegger party.

"The prints were made in moist clay near the Willandra Lakes 19,000 to 23,000 years ago, the newspaper reported.... "

Sorrow Of The SideKick #6

So the SideKick comments on my one post today, two more counting this one. Well, unlike certain apparently retired guys who drive around all day with their dog in the front seat, I had to work today. I subbed at an AltEd program, a group of kids that I really like. Things got dicey when a group came in to finish up a quiz for a Native American Studies class. The kids were all Natives & were a bit offended by the last question, an essay question. It asked what they would do to improve the schools so they could better serve Native Americans. An OK question. But the followup said - for example: Native kids have the highest rate of dropping out, being suspended, being in Special Ed. classes, & being disciplined. The kids responded by saying the teacher was telling them that they were all morons. I couldn't agree more. He then asked what could they personally do to counter the problems. He just assumed that what he said was true. What pissed me off was the arrogance & lack of sensitivity the teacher exhibited. For Christ's sake, how could he ask these kids what they personally could do. He doesn't suggest any of the underlying conditions that might, might, result in the behaviors he describes, he just assumes it's all about personal choice. One young woman, bless her good heart, wrote that she could be nicer to white teachers, but that white people had a lot of problems too. I understand that the teacher was upset with their responses. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out who needs to grow up.

So SideKick, ease up. Just because I have newly installed DSL, yes, yes, installed by you, the SideeffingKick, doesn't mean I can work at that speed. I need to adjust myself. Right now I'm enjoying WWOZ from New Orleans. You can click on their button in the left sidebar & listen yourself & donate, you cheap bastards. But I'm also posting this narrative on racism in the frozen north, without irony, which, of course, is dead.

A Start

This might be the beginning of the cleanup of New Orleans' longstanding corrupt police department. That would be good. NOLA needs to regain it's soul & maybe in the meantime, the cops can regain their souls as well. A great city like NOLA deserves a great police department. First thing I'd do would be to pay these men & women a more than living wage. But, of course, we must keep costs down in order to attract investment.

"Two officers were fired Wednesday for a beating in the French Quarter shortly after Hurricane Katrina that was photographed and videotaped by The Associated Press. A third officer was suspended."

Half A Loaf

The Senate did well by blocking the drilling of ANWR. However, the evil Dick Dick Cheney broke a 50/50 tie & deprived the poorest among us of much needed assistance. A true Scrooge. The ReThugs will all sleep well tonight.

"The Senate blocked an effort today to use a Pentagon spending bill to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling...."

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Sorrow Of The SideKick #5

This is the first post with the new DSL as installed by the SideKick, with the able assistance of me. Finally, we have broadband & I am excited. The blogging, at least, will be faster. Not to mention, well, other stuff. Thanks much SideKick & Mrs. SideKick, who allowed him to come down into the deep woods to help tonight.

Some Justice, Anyway

Judge Joe Johns just ruled that Intelligent Design cannot be taught in Dover, PA. Good news for those of us in the reality based world. No link, I'm watching CNN.

So, What Are You Doing Today?

Preznit Bu$hCo needs to be impeached. If you live up here in the Frozen North, & are nursing your wounds from last night’s debacle in Baltimore, do all of us a favor & call/write/email/fax Rep. Obey, Sen.Kohl, Sen. Feingold & demand, I mean demand, who cares about being civil in these times, that the criminal Bu$hCo be impeached. Oh, you can do the same directly to Bu$hCo as well. Hell of a thing at Christmas, eh?


Sen. Feingold's info:

http://feingold.senate.gov/

russ_feingold@feingold.senate.gov

Washington, DC
506 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-4904
(202) 224-5323
TDD (202) 224-1280
Fax (202) 224-2725


Here are Sen. Feingold’s Wisconsin offices. You can contact him here are well.

Middleton
1600 Aspen Commons
Middleton, WI 53562-4716
(608) 828-1200
TDD (608) 828-1215
Fax (608) 828-1203

La Crosse
425 State St., Room 225
La Crosse, WI 54601-3341
(608) 782-5585

Wausau
Firstar Plaza
401 5th St., Room 410
Wausau, WI 54403
(715) 848-5660

Green Bay
1640 Main Street
Green Bay, WI 54302-2639
(920) 465-7508

Sen. Kohl's info:

http://kohl.senate.gov/

Washington Office
(2nd and C St., NE)
330 Hart Senate Office Building
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-5653
Fax: (202) 224-9787

Here are Sen. Kohl’s Wisconsin offices.

Milwaukee Office
310 West Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 950
Milwaukee, WI 53203
Phone: (414) 297-4451 or
1-800-247-5645 (toll free in Wisconsin)
Fax: (414) 297-4455

Madison Office
14 West Mifflin Street, Suite 207
Madison, WI 53703
Phone: (608) 264-5338
Fax: (608) 264-5473

Eau Claire Office
402 Graham Avenue, Suite 206
Eau Claire, WI 54701
Phone: (715) 832-8424
Fax: (715) 832-8492

Appleton Office
4321 West College Avenue, Suite 235
Appleton, WI 54914
Phone: (920) 738-1640
Fax: (920) 738-1643

La Crosse Office
425 State Street, Suite 202
La Crosse, WI 54601
Phone: (608) 796-0045
Fax: (608) 796-0089



Rep. Obey's info:


Cut & paste this address to reach Rep. Obey’s email information. This is for 7th District Wisconsin residents only.

http://www.webslingerz.com/jhoffman/congress-email.html

Washington, DC Office
2314 Rayburn House Office Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20515
(202) 225-3365

Wausau District Office
First Star Plaza
401 5th Street, Suite 406
Wausau, WI 54403-5473
(715) 842-5606
FAX:(715) 842-4488

Superior District Office
1401 Tower Avenue, Suite 307
Superior, WI 54880-1572
(715) 398-4426
FAX:(715) 398-7121

Contact info for Bu$hCo:


comments@whitehouse.gov.

vice_president@whitehouse.gov

Mailing Address

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Phone Numbers

Comments:202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX:202-456-2461

& I'll Keep Doing It

Gosh, this protectin' stuff is hard work. There are terrists under every mink cage.

"Counterterrorism agents at the Federal Bureau of Investigation have conducted numerous surveillance and intelligence-gathering operations that involved, at least indirectly, groups active in causes as diverse as the environment, animal cruelty and poverty relief, newly disclosed agency records show."

Monday, December 19, 2005

Bu$hCo Is Dangerous

I'm watching Bu$hCo's press conference. The answer to the first question shows just how deep in the "doo-doo" we are. Bu$hCo is deeply deranged & really sees himself as some sort of messiah. It's scary. We're fucked.

Fits

This somehow slipped under the radar here at BillyCreek. Blame it on outrage fatigue, or an early Xmas with the kid & son-in-law, or gin, I don't care. Yep, "just a goddamned piece of paper." I hope all you morons who voted for Bu$hCo are real proud now.

"Some 10 days ago, we reported that Bush, angry in a meeting where reauthorization of the Patriot Act was questioned, called the Constitution “just a goddamned piece of paper.”"


Emphasis added.

Joe Seliga, R.I.P.

Good canoes.

"Hundreds of wood-frame canvas canoes today bear the following message, a sort of love poem, written in black ink on the frame. It goes like this: 'Built by Nora & Joe Seliga.'"

SideKick B News

So, SideKick, are you claiming this is the kind of work you used to do for the USDA? Quite an exciting life compared to now - mild-mannered IT guy for a public school. Oh, for the days of youth, lying on your back carving your initials, oh, wait, I mean crawling on your knees looking for honey. Yeah, that's the story & you're sticking to it.

"Each spring, like Klondike prospectors looking for the mother lode, the honey hunters go deeply into debt to rent boats for their journey through a vast warren of muddy saltwater rivers and channels that meander around thousands of jungle islands.

They have to stock up on food and supplies for trips that last up to three months. And they have to grease the palms of corrupt forestry officials. The honey hunters wager everything, including their lives, against pirates and the whims of wild animals, including pythons, king cobras, crocodiles and the man-eating Bengal tigers. The lure of liquid gold is stronger than their fears."

Good

Chchchchange.

"Bolivia's Socialist presidential candidate, Evo Morales, who has promised to become Washington's 'nightmare,' said his victory was assured in Sunday's elections after two independent exit polls showed him with an unexpectedly strong lead."

He's Clean Alright

The Toledo Blade has another good series you ought to read.

"A Blade report in October showed that Mr. Bush's top Ohio fund-raisers collected more than $1.2 billion in taxpayers' dollars for their companies and lobbying clients."

Sunday, December 18, 2005

No Surprise

The Toledo Blade continues its fine work. Along with the criminality of Bu$hCo spying on its own citizens WITHOUT A WARRANT, this investigation ought to be one more reason to impeach the son-of-a-bitch, but with the ReThugs in power, I'm not holding my breath.

"President Bush's corporate champions see the spoils of his administration in coal. And timber. And credit-card payments, Afghan electric lines, Japanese bank transfers, and fake crab.

America's business leaders supplied more than $75 million to return Mr. Bush to the White House last year - and he has paid dividends.

Bush Administration policies, grand and obscure, have financially benefited companies or lobbying clients tied to at least 200 of the President's largest campaign fund-raisers, a Blade investigation has found. Dozens more stand to gain from Bush-backed initiatives that recently passed or await congressional approval.

The investigation examined targeted tax breaks, regulatory changes, pro-business legislation, high-profile salaried appointments, and federal contracts.

Mr. Bush's policies often followed specific requests from his 548 'Pioneers' and 'Rangers,' who each raised at least $100,000 or $200,000 for his 2004 re-election. The help to business fund-raisers sometimes came at the expense of consumers or public health concerns."

Saturday, December 17, 2005

More On The Criminal Bu$hCo

What Orcinus said.

"This encapsulates Bush's entire approach to governance. In Bush's view, the president has -- by virtue of holding the office, even without the actual mandate of the voters -- almost godlike powers, able to decide the fate of entire nations by virtue of his election, or in this case, installment by court fiat. (It's becoming clear why they hated Bill Clinton so much -- liberals aren't supposed to possess such power.)

Or, as Bush told Bob Woodward: 'I do not need to explain why I say things. That's the interesting thing about being the President. Maybe somebody needs to explain to me why they say something, but I don't feel like I owe anybody an explanation.'

This approach is clear not merely in such brusque asides as 'Who cares what you think?', but also in the administration's refusal to hand over documents related to Enron and Halliburton's influences in the Oval Office, as well as a host of domestic issues ranging from the environment to economic and tax policies. It also plays a major role in Bush's messianic militarism."

Impeach Him

The s.o.b. is proud that he violated the U.S. Constitution. Yes, I am beginning to suffer outrage fatigue. What the hell is going on in my country?

"Mr. Bush's public confirmation Saturday morning of the existence of one of the country's most secret intelligence programs, which had been known to only a select number of his aides, was a rare moment in the presidency. But he linked it with a forceful assertion of his own authority to act without court approval, making it clear that he planned to resist any effort to infringe on his powers."

Emphasis added.

So I suppose he hopes that by stamping his feet, the Democrats will just lie down again & hail him emperor. I sure hope not, but given recent history, & some in the leadership of both houses, the possibility exists. We really need to call this bastard's bluff. & then begin impeachment proceedings.

Friday, December 16, 2005

Jeez

Finns just want to have fun, apparently.

Sad/Funny

Thanks to RLK for the following two items. I hope Kos' ass freezes after he reads the first one. As if...

The obituaries for Gene McCarthy had little relevance to the man I knew and a lot to do with the accepted clichés of journalists. A man who runs for president against an incumbent of his own party is going to have the word “quixotic” glued to his rear end, and a man who doesn’t have the arrogance of a rhino, who actually has a sense of humor about himself, is going to be “diffident.” This is discouraging to the older person. You can work hard all your life and in the end they will get you wrong. It’s merciful that you get to die before you have to chance to read what they say.

Long before McCarthy went to the Chicago convention in 1968, he knew that he had lost the nomination. This offended many of his supporters, who expected him to ride his white horse through the streets. But McCarthy wasn’t that man. He was from small-town Minnesota. And he knew how to count votes. He once said, “One thing about a pig, he thinks he’s warm if his nose is warm. I saw a bunch of pigs one time that had frozen together in a rosette, eachone’s nose tucked under the rump of the one in front. We have a lot of pigs in politics.” He wasn’t one of them. Gene McCarthy wrote a poem that begins with the names of women he knew as a boy—“Mathilda Ophoven, Minnie Quast, Lucinda Nistler, Verena Brixius,” who

Could cook potatoes
Eight ways at least
And believed any illness would yield
To eucalyptus tea, and brandy.

He may have been the last man in American public life to quote from Yeats or Frost and do it because he himself loved the poem and knew it by heart and not because a speechwriter had inserted it in the text. And he found poetry in the names of the old ladies of Watkins, Minn. May God’s eternal light shine upon him.

[Garrison Keillor]

----

Why didn't they publicize this BEFORE the last presidential election? That's when we should have been told!!! I'm thinking there was political pressure for the CDC to keep quiet about this.


The Center for Disease Control has issued a warning about a new virulent strain of Sexually Transmitted Disease. The disease is contracted through dangerous and high-risk behavior. The disease is called Gonorrhea Lectim and pronounced "gonna re-elect him." Many victims contracted it in 2004, after having been screwed for the past four years. Cognitive characteristics of individuals infected include: anti-social personality disorders, delusions of grandeur with messianic overtones, extreme cognitive dissonance, inability to incorporate new information, pronounced xenophobia and paranoia, inability to accept responsibility for own actions, cowardice masked by misplaced bravado, uncontrolled facial smirking, ignorance of geography and history, tendencies towards evangelical theocracy, categorical all-or-nothing behavior. Naturalists and ! epidemiologists are amazed at how this destructive disease originated only a few years ago from a bush found in Texas.

Well, Now We Don't

Need a blowjob to impeach the moron. Oh, wait, ReThugs - 9/11, protecting Americans. Well, call your ReThug Congressman/woman or Senator & demand impeachment, in a civil voice, of course. Again, I thought this was all settled decades ago. Stupid me. Instead of bird hunting, or trout fishing, I guess I should have been doing something else. We need volunteers for America, airplanes, not starships.

"President Bush signed a secret order in 2002 authorizing the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on U.S. citizens and foreign nationals in the United States, despite previous legal prohibitions against such domestic spying, sources with knowledge of the program said last night."

Big Deal?

I must admit that I find this whole moral superiority thing from McCain & others really frustrating. I mean, why in the hell are we even talking about banning torture at this late date in our democracy? I always, & apparently naively, figured that Americans just didn't want torture as a national value. But then again, this is not the country I imagined as a young person. Merry Xmas, y'all.

"President Bush yesterday agreed to accept Senator John McCain's bill barring US officials from abusing terrorist suspects, with the White House reversing course after months of resistance when it became clear that its refusal to endorse a torture ban left the president politically isolated."

So Much For Journalism In The U.S.A.

Just bull.

"The Times said it delayed publication of the report for a year because the White House said it could jeopardize continuing investigations and alert would-be terrorists that they might be under scrutiny. The Times said it omitted information from the story that administration officials argued could be useful to terrorists."

Thursday, December 15, 2005

Good Luck

One of the SideKick's sons needs to have some surgery. Good luck E.G.

Dave Zien Is An Idiot

Zien should have been wearing a helmet the last time he dumped his Harley. He also embarasses all of the Harley owners in WI.

"The Wisconsin State Assembly has approved the concealed weapons bill there, despite the fact that the citizens of Wisconsin, the police officers, and even the Governor of that state know the bill is a terrible idea."

Ongoing Criminal Investigation

What is Scotty to do? His boss comments on a ongoing investigation. Double standard much? Hypocrites.

"President Bush said yesterday he is confident that former House majority leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) is innocent of money-laundering charges, as he offered strong support for several top Republicans who have been battered by investigations or by rumors of fading clout inside the White House."

Butler May Need This

You know, I haven't seen Butler out & about much these days. I wonder how many pounds he's packed on?

"The zoo, on the northern island of Hokkaido, takes the penguins on strolls from December until April. The first walk of the season was Thursday."

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Well, I Mean, If I'd Only Known

Now, I have had my boy crushes, but if all it takes is seeing a movie to "turn" me gay, well, hell, I need a ticket. I'm glad I took my heart meds or I'd be dead from laughter (non-covered by my insurance) right now. Via THE NEWS BLOG.

"'I saw this movie (Brokeback Mountain) with my husband earlier this week at the Toronto Film Festival. I didn't think it was good at all. It turns out that this movie is nothing but a perverted gay love story. I didn't know that before we saw it. My husband, on the other hand, couldn't stop raving about how great it was and how it really opened his eyes. Last night, he told me he wanted a divorce, and he was moving in with his best friend Erik. I think this movie turned him gay! I am so upset. He has never indicated anything about being gay, or behaved in a gay manner. When he found out that a friend of ours from church might be gay, we stopped talking with him. That's how straight he was!!! We had a great sex life as well. I know this movie changed him. When is Hollywood going to stop peddling this kind of corrupting perverted garbage? I'm sure this will win an oscar or something and now I have to start my life over because it made my husband turn gay.'"

Good For Murtha, Good For America

David Sirota has this excerpt from a story on Rep. Murtha calling out the bone-headed Dems who are, in fact, deep-sixing their own party. I just don't understand the problem with Hoyer or Rahm or Lieberman, et.al. It's time these morons just go join the ReThugs & get it over with. I guess they're reading dKos & believing it. Too bad.

"...a very interesting tidbit about Rep. Jack Murtha (D-PA) putting the wood to Democrats who are self-servingly trying to undermine their own party."

I Need A Life Post #(well, it's pretty high)

They just mentioned my hometown in northern Wisco on the Weather Channel & my slightly damaged heart briefly fluttered. Man, I thought I was over that. It's either the French or my inner Frenchman, yeah, that's my story & I'm sticking to it.

More On The Journalism Professor

TBogg gives us another perspective on an earlier post. He, too, is right.

"Socolow seems to be of two minds. First he deplores the freakshow quality of modern news, but then he criticizes both CBS and Rather for not gorging themselves on hype, overkill and innuendo, leaving them gaunt and starving for both 'ratings and relevance'."

Little Sister With Tab Benoit

As the kid said, he's easy on the eyes. Yes, it's true, I have a bit of a crush on him myself. I wonder if Vinnie is worried? She sure got around last Sunday night. But for a band like this, it was probably worth it.
 Posted by Picasa

Little Sister & the Bass Player

Here, the sober one is with Carl Dufrense. Although he's from Louisiana, he's a Packer fan. A blues playing Packer fan, just what we need this year. Posted by Picasa

Little Sister & the Drummer

I don't know the drummer's name, since he is the new guy in the band. Posted by Picasa

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

What A. Said

Athenae is so right about what is to be done.

"I hate to tell our esteemed professor of journalism this, but we don't need a cease fire. We need a war. We need the kind of war we should have been getting from 9/12/2001 onward up until this afterfuckingnoon. We need answers, goddammit, about what's happened to our country. A cease fire is pointless if journalism has already surrendered."

We Don't Need No Stinking Art

& the ReThugs say art has no lasting meaning. Well, deny this.

"The painting is a 'masterpiece,' said archeologist David Freidel of Southern Methodist University. The scenes 'are executed with the confidence, compositional imagination, and technical perfection of an artist who, while anonymous, must rank with the best the world has ever known.'

The first part of the mural shows the creation of the world. Four figures, all variants of the son of the maize god, set up the physical world.

One stands in water, offering a fish, establishing a watery underworld. A second stands on ground and sacrifices a deer, establishing the land. The third floats in the air, offering a turkey, thereby establishing the sky. The fourth stands in a field of flowers, offering fragrant blossoms, the food of gods, and establishing paradise in the east, where the sun is reborn daily.

The next section shows the maize god crowning himself king of a wooden scaffold, and shows his birth, death and resurrection, bringing sustenance to the world. The final section shows the nearly identical crowning of a human king."

U Rite

We're having Mardi Gras and that's final

"We are the parade. We are Mardi Gras. We're Whoville, man -- you can take away the beads and the floats and all that crazy stuff, but we're still coming out into the street. Cops or no cops. Post-parade garbage pick-up or no garbage pick-up -- like anyone could tell the friggin' difference!

If you are stuck somewhere else, in some other town, then bring it to them. If you got a job somewhere else now, take off that Tuesday and get all the New Orleanians you know and gather in a park somewhere and cook up a mass of food and put some music on a box and raise a little hell.

And raise a glass to us, brothers and sisters, because we're in here fighting this fight and we'll raise a glass to you because you cannot be here with us and we know you want to. Let the whole damn country hear Al Johnson yelling 'It's Carnival Time' and let them know we're not dead and if we are dying, we're going to pretend like we're not."

ReThug Compassion

Just scum. & remember, the "ratepayers" aren't white.

"'It disappoints me greatly,' New Orleans City Councilman Jay Batt said Monday after learning about the letter. 'We have made it clear to the White House that Entergy needs federal relief. It shouldn't be on the backs of ratepayers to rebuild the grid in New Orleans.'

The White House letter also runs counter to the commitment made by the president when he addressed the nation on Sept. 15 in front of St. Louis Cathedral, promising the federal government would 'do what it takes' to rebuild New Orleans, said Brian Richardson, spokesman for U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-New Orleans.

'We've yet to see him fulfill that promise. This is one more example,' Richardson said."


Mary Landrieu, Mary Landrieu - what about your stupid ANWR vote now?
Emphasis added.

New Orleans Finest?


Notice the to-go cup, ya'll. Posted by Picasa

Northern WI's Finest?

 Posted by Picasa

Tab Benoit In Merrill, WI

 Posted by Picasa

Sorrow Of The SideKick #4

I do love Sirius radio, but, but, BUT!

What Do You Say Now, Kos?

Are you still claiming it's the tin foil hat folks? Bu$hCo stole the 2000 election & the 2004 election, & all Kos cares about is electing MEN who do not support the Constituional right to chose. Quite a progressive.

"The chief executive officer of electronic voting company Diebold who once famously declared that he would 'deliver' Ohio for President Bush has resigned effective immediately, ...."

Caption Anyone?


Thanks to all the anglers for this wonderful pic. I love you all. We're all casting for the same team, no? If you know what I mean.
 Posted by Picasa

"It's not that I'm a racist, I'm just a moron."

I vote for Phyllis.

Quick Learners?

What exactly have we been doing in Iraq? Practicing & condoning torture.

"The American ambassador in Iraq said today that more than 100 detainees had been abused in two Iraqi detention facilities, more than had been previously disclosed."

Condi Lies Again?

CIA black prisons apparently a reality. Another proud moment in Bu$hCo history.

"In his first written interim report on the issue, Mr. Marty said that his investigation so far had 'reinforced the credibility of the allegations concerning the transfer and temporary detention of individuals, without any judicial involvement, in European countries.'

His report, which was presented to the Council's Legal Affairs and Human Rights committee in Paris, also said: 'Legal proceedings in progress in certain countries seemed to indicate that individuals had been abducted and transferred to other countries without respect for any legal standards.'"

#13

Tommy Thompson was governor for 4 terms, his 4th finished by a forgettable moron, the state legislature has been controlled by the ReThugs for some time, & this is the result. We should all be so proud. But I bet shareholder value is up.

"Dr. William McGuire, chairman of the United Health Foundation, said that the slowing rate of improvement should be of concern to everyone. Failure to act will result in preventable misery and unnecessary death from avoidable illness and early deaths."

Monday, December 12, 2005

State Sponsored

Murder. Feel proud to be an American now? I hope Arnold rots in hell.

Eugene McCarthy, R.I.P.

Hope, then Humphrey caved & look where we are now.

Richard Pryor, R.I.P.

Bye.

Just Eff

Crap

Back, Part 2

So, I'm back from my weekend plus one following the cool band tour. Had a great time at the Cabooze in Minneapolis enjoying Tab Benoit. Then drove another four plus hours & did it again at a small bar in Merrill, WI. Drove a few more hours this a.m. & am home. Oh, I stayed relatively sober both nights. The kid upheld the family tradition Sat. night & my little sister got loaded last night. All in good fun. In fact, the kid invited the band over to their house Sat. night, got a large friend to bring a keg over, exasperated the son-in-law, & luckily, the band had the good sense to decline. All in good fun(2). Last night the only downer was that the owner of the bar decided to get shit-faced. Not a good idea if you are trying to build a music venue that will draw folks in from, oh, hundreds of miles away. I wish him luck & hope he doesn't drink himself into having bad bands. Pics to follow.

Friday, December 09, 2005

Back

It's back to the big cities tomorrow. This time, however, it's shopping & going to hear Tab Benoit play at a bar. I'm playing groupie this weekend. After Saturday night's show, I'm driving back to my hometown & then a few miles south to hear Benoit again. He's from Houma, LA & is a great guitarist & singer. His band is top notch as well. Good blues & bayou music. He also started Voice of the Wetlands, a group dedicated to bringing the wetlands back to southeast Louisiana. That is critical if NOLA is to rebuild & stay safe.

Great Idea - & All That Jazz

& all those homes. Maybe all four readers & I could go on down when they get the plans finalized & help with he building. Eh?

Spanish At School Translates to Suspension

Jennifer Watts is a moron.

Thursday, December 08, 2005

Bu$hCo Doesn't Like The Great Lakes

Kanye West was correct about Bu$hCo's hatred of black people. That attitude is also reflected in this administration's hatred of The Great Lakes. You will note that global warming is listed as one of the problems with this ecosystem. Since I live within 15 miles of the greatest of the Great Lakes, only Lake Baikel has more fresh water, I can attest to what's happening. When the state put a mercury warning on eating fish from Superior, it broke my heart & Bu$hCo has done nothing to fix either the lake or my heart. Bastard.

"'There's widespread agreement that the Great Lakes are under tremendous stress,' said Alfred Beeton of the University of Michigan. 'Toxic substances ... overfishing, invasive species, changes in hydrology affecting rivers -- now we can add the effects of global climate change.

'These have been dealt with individually. What we need to do is look at the ecosystem -- the combination of stresses,' Beeton said. 'Historical sources of stress have combined with new ones and we have arrived at a tipping point. What we mean is that ecosystem changes will occur rapidly and unexpectedly.'

The report emphasized the need for large-scale ecosystem restoration and not piecemeal efforts, coauthor Don Scavia said. Particularly important was preserving or restoring shoreline 'buffer zones,' such as wetlands and lake tributaries to help the lakes heal themselves.

'These are the key areas for filtering the contaminants that enter the lakes. It's also where most of the wildlife habitat is,' Scavia said.

Shoreline pollution that fouls Great Lakes beaches is extending into the middle of some of the five Great Lakes, sudden drops in oxygen levels in the water threaten native species, and native fish have been crowded out by invasive species that have changed the character of the lakes, the scientists added."

Building Trust

Yeah, right.

"The US has admitted for the first time that it has not given the Red Cross access to all detainees in its custody."

coldH2O's Obession With Global Warming, Con't.

From The New Yorker we get a grim comment from Elizabeth Kolbert about Bu$hCo's utter distain & frankly, evil intentions, concerning global warming. Have I said this before? - I hate these bastards.

"These events are the all too relevant backdrop for the current round of international climate talks taking place in Montreal. The talks are the first since the Kyoto Protocol entered into force, this past February. Technically, the United States, not being a party to the protocol, will be excluded from many of the sessions in Montreal. But, by virtue of its contribution to climate change—Americans produce nearly a quarter of the world’s greenhouse-gas emissions—it will still have a great deal of influence on what does, and does not, get accomplished there.

When the Bush Administration’s policy on climate change was first articulated by the President, in early 2002, critics described it as a “total charade,” a characterization that, if anything, has come to seem too generous. Stripped down to its essentials, the Administration’s position is that global warming is a problem that either will solve itself or won’t. The White House has consistently opposed taxes or regulations or mandatory caps to reduce, or even just stabilize, greenhouse-gas emissions, advocating instead a purely voluntary approach, under which companies and individuals can choose to cut their CO2 production—that is, if they feel like it. (At the G-8 summit this summer, the President embarrassed British Prime Minister Tony Blair by refusing to accede even to minor modifications in this position.) In Montreal, the Administration’s chief climate negotiator, Harlan Watson, has been touting the efficacy of the voluntary approach, pointing out that between 2000 and 2003 the United States’ carbon-dioxide emissions dropped by .8 per cent. Conveniently left out is the fact that since 2003 they have shot back up again. According to the latest government figures, the country’s CO2 emissions are now three per cent higher than they were three years ago. (The brief dip, it should be noted, had nothing to do with government policy; it was entirely a function of the downturn in the economy.)"


My emphasis. Too generous by a country mile.

LIght Posting

Just finished up two days of work with fifth graders. A great bunch, but I'm a bit worn out. I haven't been able to keep up with the news today. & tonight is Drinking Liberally. Time for a quick nap & then drink.

Wednesday, December 07, 2005

Warm, But The U.S. Will Not Cooperate

Why bother with climate change, it's nothing according to Paula Dobriansky, Bu$hCo lackey. She is, apparently, one of the many unprincipled people the moron preznit brought to Washington. She ought to be ashamed, but my guess is she's drinking French wine & laughing.

"But the United States defended its policy of investing billions of dollars in cleaner technology to reduce emissions, brushing aside calls for it to commit to long-term U.N. discussions on slowing climate change.

"One size does not fit all," said Paula Dobriansky, the U.S. under secretary for global affairs, who leads the American delegation to the Nov.28-Dec.9 U.N. climate talks in Montreal.
....

"'Climate change is not about bureaucrats scurrying around. It's about people, about families, about children,' said Sheila Watt-Cloutier, an Inuit indigenous leader who says a thaw in the Arctic ice is undermining hunting cultures."

Positive Uplifting News

Yes, even here, there is the occassional bright spot.

"The scientists say the newly exposed critter, a red-furred creature about the size of a house cat, could be the first new mammal species discovered on the Southeast Asian island in more than a century."


& then there is this.

"The new study shows that 5 percent of the human genome is also shared with dogs."

Concealed Brains

The Beloit Daily News has it right. What's with the ReThugs?

"FOR SOME REASON, Republicans in the Wisconsin Legislature are determined to authorize citizens to pack weapons.

It's lunacy."

DINOs Unite!

Dean & Pelosi speak for me, these misguided souls (read idiotic morons), speak for Bu$hCo & Lieberman & the death machine they represent.

What A Moron

I'd like a cabinet large enough to be able to stuff him in for the duration. Please.

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

Butler?

Posted by Picasa

Asshat Hypocrite

Posted by Picasa

It's hard to read it, but the pull down menu leads off with "Reccommended Holiday Gifts" - Bill is leading the war on Christmas, yet claims it's the Liberals who hate Christmas. Moron. This is the last time a pic of this loser will appear on this blog. I'm going to shower now, using lye soap & a wire brush. Thanks to the SideKick for the image.

Fat, Drug Addled Blowhard Who Probably Can't Get It Hard

"While we're on the subject of Republican hate speech..."


What John said.

Zero For What?

These prosecutions/persecutions have yielded nothing. Apparently Bu$hCo can't figure out who the real terrorists are - feeling safer? Didn't think so.

"In a major defeat for federal law enforcement, a former college professor and three co-defendants accused of operating a North American front for Palestinian terrorists were acquitted today of a number of the 51 charges against them, and jurors said they were deadlocked on the rest."

NOLA - Reason #8721 Why Bu$hCo, The Moron, Should Be Impeached

Mike Tidwell has this OpEd in today's LA Times. I suppose wetlands means WalMart parking lots to Bu$hCo, therefore, we cannot hurt the economy & restore the wetlands needed to protect, not only NOLA, but all of the Gulf Coast. I know it's been said, many times, many ways, but how can one man be so effing stupid?

"AS WE NEAR the 100-day mark since Hurricane Katrina hit, it's time we ended our national state of denial and abandon New Orleans for good.

We should call it quits not because New Orleans can't be made relatively safe from hurricanes. It can be. And not because to do so is more trouble than it's worth. It's not. Instead, the hammers and brooms and chain saws should all be put away and the city permanently boarded up because the Bush administration has already given New Orleans a quiet kiss of death.

Although he has encouraged city residents to return home and declared 'we will do whatever it takes' to save the city, President Bush last month refused the one thing New Orleans simply cannot live without: a restored network of barrier islands and coastal wetlands.

Katrina destroyed the Big Easy — and future Katrinas will do the same — because 1 million acres of coastal islands and marshland vanished in Louisiana in the last century because of human interference. These land forms served as natural 'speed bumps,' reducing the lethal surge tide of past hurricanes and making New Orleans habitable in the first place. A $14-billion plan to fix this problem — widely viewed as technically sound and supported by environmentalists, oil companies and fishermen alike — has been on the table for years and was pushed forward with greater urgency after Katrina hit. But the Bush administration has turned its back on this plan."


Emphasis mine.

What's New?

The facists at the NRA are even pissing off the ReThugs, well, in this case an overly rich RINO, maybe. Nonetheless, as I've said a million times, & I really don't believe that is an exageration, the NRA will take away my rifles & shotguns before Brady does. I AM ANOTHER GORDON SETTER OWNER FOR GUN CONTROL.

"“This is plain and simple, the NRA versus the lives of our children and our police officers,” he declared."


Via BuzzFlash. Emphasis mine.

Well, Well

Rick Perlstein becomes the fox in the henhouse with this speech. It's funny & vicious. Check of this paragraph, then read the whole thing, especially the last paragraph.


"Lying for the Lord has its concombinants on the political right. Jerry Falwell has argued for the elimination of all public schools. Nothing wrong with making that argument. But in 1998, when confronted with a quote, he denied making it, and denied having anything to do with the book in which it appeared. It was from a book of transcriptions of his sermons."