More Colbert

Colbert via Atrios.

"But, listen, let's review the rules. Here's how it works: the president makes decisions. He's the decider. The press secretary announces those decisions, and you people of the press type those decisions down. Make, announce, type. Put them through a spell check and go home. Get to know your family again. Make love to your wife. Write that novel you got kicking around in your head. You know, the one about the intrepid Washington reporter with the courage to stand up to the administration. You know - fiction. "

Perfect.

King George?

Just bullshit. & Congress & SCOTUS are just happy to let him do it. What is wrong with these people?

"President Bush has quietly claimed the authority to disobey more than 750 laws enacted since he took office, asserting that he has the power to set aside any statute passed by Congress when it conflicts with his interpretation of the Constitution."

Pride And Loathing?

No matter what they say, Duke is a blast from the past in more ways than one. Plus, I hate their basketball team.

"Of course, '66 stressed, he had never done anything like what the players are accused of doing. But how could anyone who went to Duke in the '60s forget the drunken parties and lewd gyrations to the sound of that legendary band, Doug Clark and the Hot Nuts?"

Emphasis added because I had to do it.

Half-Smart?

I don't know much about this Hawk fellow, but I am sad about Javon Walker's trade. I really liked him & thought that he was ill-treated by Favre & the Packers. I wish him great luck in Denver. Favre will be lucky to get someone as courageous as Walker.

"Led by the quintessential collegiate linebacker, A.J. Hawk of Ohio State, the Packers drafted five players with no fewer than three years of starting experience and an average score of 24.8 on the 50-question Wonderlic intelligence test, about five more than the league average."

Not Amused? Well, Boo Hoo

"Truthiness to power" seems to work. The MSM ought to try it, at least once.

"Colbert, who spoke in the guise of his talk show character, who ostensibly supports the president strongly, urged the Bush to ignore his low approval ratings, saying they were based on reality, “and reality has a well-known liberal bias.” "

John Kenneth Galbraith, R.I.P.

Long life.

The Rude One explains about New Orleans.

Fucked New Orleans:
New Orleans is fucked, yes, it is true, and it needs to be said again and again. New Orleans is fucked because rabid right wing Republicans run the federal government, and all the rabid right wing knows is destruction and denial. Social Security, massive housing programs, Medicare, man on the goddamn moon, all done or initiated under Democrats. Interstate highway system, under Ike, no miserable attack dog conservative. And look at the one attempt at something constructive by the Bush administration, the fucked Medicare prescription drug program. Yeah, New Orleans is fucked for the White House and its lackeys in Congress simply have no idea how to accomplish anything that doesn't involve blowing shit up, tearing shit down, or telling people to sit down and shut up.

New Orleans is fucked, yeah, you know it, because its sewers are fucked. Big damn Katrina ripped up those old sewage collection pipes, 5000 miles of 'em, and took down treatment plants. And since Americans generally enjoy the privilege of shitting in toilets that flush, you can't rebuild a community if there's no place for its shit to go. It's gonna cost another billion or so to make sure that New Orleanians aren't just dumpin' raw or semi-raw sewage into the mighty Mississippi River. And any money from, say, utilities is flowing in the same direction because, well, no toilets means no people means no one paying the water bill.

New Orleans is fucked, in ways large and small, because the judicial system is in shambles. There's seven public defenders where there used to be 42. There's no money 'cause the money came from parking tickets and there's no money comin' from that 'cause, well, no people means no cars means less tickets, and the city's legal office that used to represent the poor or 85% of New Orleans defendants "is barely standing. It hasn't received a nickel from traffic court since before Katrina."

New Orleans is fucked, so very fucked, because it "has lost 77 percent of its primary-care doctors, 70 percent of its dentists, and 89 percent of its psychiatrists." So in a city filled with crazy sick people with rotting teeth before Katrina, now there's hardly anyone available should you wish to be sane, safe and shiny-toothed. And if you get shot? Damn, man, you better hope you know basic surgery. (Let's not even get into the nightmare of New Orleans in the summer, with the late spring mosquito explosion and the insane heat.)

No matter where you look, the signs are there about how fucked New Orleans really, truly is. For the levees will not be ready for this hurricane season. And even if they are supposedly back to strength, fuck the Army Corps of Engineers: the earth itself might just make sure the levees fail, with a geologic fault, assisted by oil drilling and wetlands loss, upping the chances of more catastrophe. Oh, and three of the drainage pumps, the ones that get rid of flood waters, caught fire after a little rainstorm. They may be up and running by June.

In New Orleans yesterday, his arm around a prop black woman, President Bush declared, "I told the Governor and the Mayor earlier on that we would work to have these levees pre-Katrina -- better than pre-Katrina by June 1st," barely even blinking because lies come to him as naturally as drool on the chins of babies. Over in Slidell, a FEMA trailer blew up because of a leaky propane line, killing one person and destroying the rest of their belongings. It's the second trailer explosion in the area.

New Orleans is fucked because, a few days ago, Secretary of Housing Alphonso Jackson declared, "Only the best residents should return" to the public housing projects of the city, like "[t]hose who paid rent on time, those who held a job and those who worked." So if you were, say, unemployed or were late with the rent, that means for Alphonso Jackson that you are not one of the "best" and you shouldn't get to live in government housing, which was established for, among others, people who didn't have jobs or were unable to pay the rent. And the fine, fine New Orleans projects, crime-ridden, underbuilt, underpoliced shitholes, have residents begging to get back to their decimated homes because some home is better than none.

In New Orleans the President said, "We've got a strategy to help the good folks down here rebuild. Part of it has to do with funding; part of it has to do with housing; and a lot of it has to do with encouraging volunteers from around the United States," which is code for saying, "You're on your own, motherfuckers." Jazz Fest is gonna be a blast this year.

(The most pathetic thing is that this is only scratching the surface. Georgia10 at DailyKos has more.)

Emphasis added, as if it's really needed with this son-of-a-bitch Bu$hCo.

Friday (Saturday Sue Me) Random Ten

No Buts, No Maybes - Cyrille Neville
Shake Em On Down - North Mississippi Allstars
Start All Over Again - Van Morrison
Jump For Jerry - Jimmy Thackery
Rant - L.J. Porter
Rock Island Line - Snooks Eaglin
In A Station - The Band
Happy Snails - James Solberg
St. James Infirmary - Rick Tobey
Broken Pieces - Les Sampou

Where y'at?

Ney

Here's another example of the ReThug culture of corruption. & all the local ReThugs are backing this guy. Figures.

"Federal prosecutors signaled this week that they have decided to pursue a wide range of allegations about dealings between Rep. Robert W. Ney (R-Ohio) and lobbyist Jack Abramoff, rather than bringing a narrowly focused bribery case against the congressman."

Big Pharma

I wonder if Limbaugh still wants to execute drug addicts? Not so much.

"Talk radio icon Rush Limbaugh surrendered to authorities Friday on a charge of committing fraud to obtain prescription drugs, concluding an investigation that for more than two years has hovered over the law-and-order conservative."

Slow

Not much posting today. Had to work & one of my clients is going into jail tomorrow. Too bad. But that's how things go. Then I finished the next step in the picture rail molding for the kid. There's one more bit of routing to do, then some sanding, then the primer. My b-day coming up, so I upgraded my compressor, bought a paint sprayer, & bought a laser guide for my miter saw. I am now ready for the painting & the mounting of the molding. & it's all for the kid, which makes Mrs. coldH2O less likely to be really pissed off about the aforementioned purchases. Just a little pissed off. Later.

Dirty Tricks

The ReThugs keep telling us that they are the party of brains & brawn, but everytime they get caught at something illegal/immoral, they become the dumbest people in the country.

"Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, a former Republican Party chairman, arranged the startup financing for a GOP telemarketing company implicated in two criminal cases involving election dirty tricks."

News We Knew

Via some Norwegian we get the news that Americans not only are fucked, but have been fucked by Bu$hCo. While it's no real news here, it's always good to find others who understand.

"Almost two-thirds of Americans live from paycheck to paycheck. Almost half say that no matter how hard they work, they cannot get ahead.

'For most Americans, the traditional American Dream is a pipe dream.' — Richard Oden, who lost his job at age 54"

Fitzo de Mayo

We all have a lot riding on this guy's cahones.

FEMA

Another drowning victim. I hope the Dems see what's happening, if not, they'd better check the rubber washers in their bathtub faucets.

Genocide

Take a minute & go here. You'll find a way to do something about Dafur, you know, that place in Africa Bu$hCo is pretty much ignoring. It shouldn't take you too much time to fill out the form & mail a postcard to Washington. Fuck there is so much to do, I know, but we are relatively tireless, aren't we? Go now.

Apropos The Deepthroat

OK, the goofy named Alley, & the clams, mussels, & white sauce, Mrs. SideKick plus the Sidekick, Mrs. Joe the New Guy plus Joe, the New Guy & various others - here's more about teenage Satanic death sex orgy cults. I just loves me some of that Satan. Oh yeah, among others were da Mayor & Mrs. da Mayor, although no Hugo Chavez & a brief appearance by that shadowy movie guy, yeah, what's his name? & not to forget the hot & sober T. the best barrista/manager this town ever saw. She looks great with a cell phone. Too bad about the WiFi, kiddo.

You see, loyal four readers, that Satan can make, can make, can make skeletons dance!

Good

At least one cop told the truth.

"Eighteen anti-war activists who call themselves the Granny Peace Brigade were acquitted Thursday of disorderly conduct charges stemming from a protest outside a Times Square military recruiting center last fall."

Excess Profits

Exxon has them, Bu$hCo must be so proud that Cheney's energy bill worked so well.

"Exxon Mobil Corp., the world's largest oil company, on Thursday said higher oil prices drove first-quarter profit up 7 percent from the prior year."

Music

Jazz.

"Wynton Marsalis is fired up about backsides."

Pride O' The North

J.B. Van Hollen, what a ReThug tool, but this is following the McCarthyite tactic - accuse, but offer no evidence. More here, & here,

"There are terrorists training and raising money in Wisconsin, Republican attorney general candidate J.B. Van Hollen said Wednesday in a Capitol news conference.

"But Van Hollen declined to provide any specifics about what kind of terrorist activity law enforcement was tracking in Wisconsin. He cited confidentiality, adding that his knowledge of such activity dates back to January 2005, when he resigned as U.S. attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin."

Emphasis added.

Above Reproach

So, WTF? says the CIA, Bu$hCo says it's legal & he's The Decider, that's what he does. & it's hard work.

"Investigators for the European Parliament said Wednesday that data gathered from air safety regulators and others found that the Central Intelligence Agency had flown 1,000 undeclared flights over European territory since 2001.

"Sometimes the planes stopped to pick up terrorism suspects who had been kidnapped to take them to countries that use torture, the investigators added.

"The operation used the same American agents and the same planes over and over, they said, though they could not say how many flights involved the transport of suspects.

"The investigation, by a committee looking into C.I.A. counterterrorism activities in Europe, also concluded that European countries, including Italy, Sweden and Bosnia and Herzegovina, were aware of the abductions or transfers and therefore might have been complicit.

""The European Parliament deplores the fact that the C.I.A. has on several occasions clearly been responsible for kidnapping and illegally detaining alleged terrorists on the territory of member states, as well for extraordinary renditions" to third countries, wrote Giovanni Fava of Italy, a Socialist member of the European Parliament who led the committee.

"The report, the first of several planned by the Parliament, grew out of three months of hearings, including testimony by human rights advocates and individuals who said they had been kidnapped by United States agents and flown to other countries, including Egypt and Afghanistan, where they were tortured."

Go Call

For the background click here.

- Ed Towns (NY-10) received $22,000 from cable and telecom company interests. I'm glad I can you reach you at (202) 225-5936.

- Al Wynn (MD-04) received $19,100 from cable and telecom company interests. I'm glad I can you reach you at (202) 225-8699.

- Charlie Gonzales: (TX-20) received $16,500 from cable and telecom company interests. I'm glad I can you reach you at (202) 225-3236.

- Bobby Rush: (IL-01) received $21,000 from cable and telecom company interests. I'm glad I can you reach you at (202) 225-4372.

- Gene Green: (TX-29) received $12,000 from cable and telecom company interests. I'm glad I can you reach you at (202) 225-1688 tel.

These guys are supposed to be on our side. Via Atrios.

Bird Brains

While their grammar may not be the best, at least they learned. Something you can't say about Bu$hCo, you got to understand.

"The simplest grammar, long thought to be one of the skills that separate man from beast, can be taught to a common songbird, new research suggests."

Ha!#3

I was out milling the molding for the kid when I decided to take a break. I came upon this & I'm still chuckling. I once made a duck decoy with exactly the opposite problem.

"(To my big-headed readers: I am sorry for the above attacks on the cranially capacious. But, in my defense: you aren’t human.)"

Socialism For The Rich

While I seriously question the sanity of someone who "...love(s) the Twins,....", there is no doubt that Coleman is correct about this foolish give-away of taxpayer's money. Frankly, I'm supportive of taxes, how else do we get our roads repaired after winter? I am not, however, in support of tax revenues that go to the rich, private sector. This is not how it is supposed to work.

"I repeat for the understanding-impaired: I love the Twins, and I'm in favor of a beautiful new park, someday. But the plan before us is a travesty. A relentless money campaign has subverted the democratic process and bypassed safeguards set up to protect a public that has been cut out of the deal -- but is being taxed a billion.

What we are watching is a power grab in which wealth talks and democracy walks. According to Sen. John Marty, the Pohlad family has contributed $200,000 to lawmakers (of both parties) in the past five years, and the bucks have paid off: The Legislature is rolling over, subsidizing private interests with tax dollars and making a mockery of the law giving voters the final say."

Is There A Full Moon?

Billmon.

But that was twenty five years ago, before the Republicans traded the Laffer Curve for the sign of the cross. Conservatism these days is a burnt out hulk — intellectually adrift, compromised by power, hopelessly hooked on pork, desperately trying to stay one step ahead of the voters (not to mention the Justice Department.) And that's what the conservatives are saying. If there's no honor among thieves, there is even less among the political whores who've inherited the House that Tom built:

Rep. Joe Barton (R-Tex.), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, joined other lawmakers yesterday in condemning high oil prices by taking aim at oil companies. Barton said his committee will hold hearings into the imbalance of supply and demand. He added that "it troubles me" that Exxon Mobil Corp.'s chief executive received a large pay and retirement package "while refinery capacity continues to lag behind demand in this country."

Of course, those monster pay packages never bothered Joe when he was sucking up Big Oil's money — more than a half a million bucks of it during the last four election cycles. If an honest politician is one who stays bought, then Exxon Mobil has done as much as anyone can reasonably expect to keep Joe on the side of the angels.

I don't imagine Barton's purchasers are worried about getting their money's worth, despite his little kabuki play. They understand as well as Joe does that a little CEO bashing is ultimately in their own interest, if that's what it takes to keep the chairman's gavel in the hands of such a valued employee. No one seriously expects the Republicans to do anything about oil company profits, even if they could. But the fact that even a mindless corporate hack like Joe Barton feels compelled to pander shamelessly to old-fashioned economic populism shows how low the "revolution" has sunk.

Kinda Old News

& no sympathy for the devil. Plus I think it's really funny.

Jeez Louise

Another Badger embarassment? Who is David Lunde & why is he associated with the racist Malkin? More to follow.

UPDATE: It's worse than I could have imagined. He's been blogging since Jan. 2006 & the series of posts I viewed contained all of 1 comment. He's a complete loon & particularly evil. I went to his website &, well, I need to take a shower, it's that bad. No wonder the racist Malkin likes him. Enter at your own risk. It's your last chance, I'll never link to him again.

Nancy Pelosi

"The middle class squeeze is on, competition in our country is affected by the price of energy and of oil and all of a sudden you take a trip outside of Washington, see the fact that the public is outraged about this, come home and make a speech, let’s see that matched in your budget, let’s see that matched in your policy, let’s see that matched in and you’re separating yourselves yourself from your patron, big oil, cut yourself off from that anvil holding your party down and this country down, instead of coming to Washington and throwing your Republican colleagues under the wheels of the train, which they mightily deserve for being a rubber stamp for your obscene, corrupt policy of ripping off the American people."

Via Suburban Guerrilla.

I Don't Know

But stuff like this just creeps me out.

"SMARTWATER will probably not make many people a lot smarter, but it certainly has made J. Darius Bikoff a lot richer. Rich enough, in fact, to pay $5.6 million for a 4,000-square-foot duplex penthouse in a new building at 330 East 72nd Street."

Gas Prices

Shutterwi goes political & here is a good solution for the problem. I agree, the Dems ought to have a winner here.

"Democrats should have a simple message in response:

“Do you really expect Bush/Cheney and the GOP Congress to do anything of substance against Big Oil?”

And then Democrats should detail how much money Big Oil has given to the GOP and Bush/Cheney these last six years. It would also help to note that Bush is using this to relax clean air additive requirements once again on Big Oil."

No Surprise

Anyone who watches slow-pitch softball anywhere in the U.S. can relate to this. There are people who "play" this game like it's the World Series or something - my favorite is the moron, wearing metal spikes, coming in waist high to second base. It's important to be a man on the slow-pitch softball diamond. Real men & women play fast-pitch for Christ's sake, everyone knows that.

"Can someone tell me why these awesome GOP athletes aren't in Iraq instead of measuring their dicks in a slow-pitch softball league that a junior high girls team could easily dominate? Could it be because they are a bunch of pathetic, bedwetting chickenshits? I thought so."

This Must Really Piss Bu$hCo Off

Real concern for the poor from Hugo Chavez. Too bad Bu$hCo can't have the same concern. Buy Citgo.

"Leftist President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela said yesterday he would greatly expand the discounted home heating oil program he started last year for needy people in Massachusetts and other northeastern states."

Via Billmon

How low can Bu$hCo go?

"...32 percent of respondents said they approve of Bush's performance,...."

Oh, Canada

Sadly, this sort of thing just doesn't happen in the U.S. Money, that's what they want.

"Why deny these fish SARA’s protection? Because of “uncertainties associated with changes in the marine environment and potential future socio-economic impacts on users associated with the uncertainty”, that’s why. And because leaving them unprotected “provides future management flexibility related to uncertainty about marine survival and possible difficulties in recovery if marine survival worsens”.

"In other words, it’s because the British Columbia government doesn’t want some pansy federal law impinging upon its ability to continue destroying the rivers where these coho spawn. It’s also because the B.C. Wildlife Federation didn’t want an unfamiliar federal bureaucracy interfering with the sportsfishing industry’s control over which species it will help render unto extinction and which species it may permit to survive.

"In other words, if there is any money to be made, any profits at stake, even remotely, Canada’s endangered-species law will not be invoked to protect an endangered species. As if to rub salt into the wound of that disgraceful fact, here’s another decision that was hidden within the mumbo jumbo of the April 7 “regulatory impact analysis statement”: not even North Atlantic cod qualify for SARA’s protection. Not the cod off Newfoundland and Labrador, not the Laurentian North stock, not the Maritimes cod.

"Think about that for a moment."

Emphasis added. Hat tip to RLK.

Sick

I'm in the land of the sick today. Everything hurts/aches. I even took a vike & a long nap & no relief. This is what I get for having a cool drizzle wet me down yesterday morning at 5:30 a.m. Mrs. coldH2O & I had volunteered to look for sandhill cranes. Yesterday was Wisconsin's statewide crane count. We heard 2, maybe 4 birds. We did not see any. I suppose I could be ailing from planing a bunch of rough white pine boards on the porch. I need to rip these down for picture molding I'm making for the kid. I worked up a bit of a sweat & maybe got chilled. I don't know, but I feel like crap. I'm quitting typing know since my hands really hurt. I know none of my four loyal readers really give a shit, but I thought I'd fill you in anyway. Wait for further whining updates. Oh, this is what I get for doing 2 things with Mrs. coldH2O yesterday. I need to get a grip when those sorts of things come into my mind.

Don't Invite Bu$hCo...

...to Drinking Liberally, he'll put the whole place in a downer or drink everything up. On the other hand, maybe he could leak some cool stuff. Like why none of his immediate or extended family has joined the service to help in his "noble cause" in Iraq/Iran?

More True Graphics

Via the ever-watchful RLK. Thanks.

One More Time - Tyler Drumheller

Another patriotic hero who will be slimed. Come on Dems, sharpen the dull No. 2 pencils you've been carrying around. Time to write the defense of these people & the country.

"A retired CIA official has accused the Bush administration of ignoring intelligence indicating that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction and no active nuclear program before the United States-led coalition invaded it, CBS News said Sunday.

Tyler Drumheller, the former highest-ranking CIA officer in Europe, told '60 Minutes' that the administration 'chose to ignore' good intelligence, the network said in a posting on its Web site."

UPDATE: (Almost instantaneous) Here's more from Josh Marshall.

Da Bears

I hope hope this is a harbinger of the season to come for the worthless Bears. They were just lucky last year anyway.

"And so, the Big Lie about Soldier Field is finally and officially exposed."

Big Sky

But Conrad Burns is a bigger asshole. I hope Montanans don't let this slimy bastard off the hook. He is a prime example of Rethug corruption.

"No one mentioned the $150,000 he accepted from lobbyist Jack Abramoff and later returned. No one brought up the $3 million federal grant secured by a wealthy Indian tribe -- and Abramoff client -- after Burns pressured the Interior Department. No one quoted Abramoff telling Vanity Fair that he and his clients had received 'every appropriation we wanted' from a subcommittee chaired by Burns.

Only one question during Friday's debate even mentioned Abramoff, whose web of illegal lobbying has spawned the largest congressional scandal in years. And Burns pugnaciously dismissed it, saying, 'If you want to know something about the Abramoff deal, you got to ask the Democrats.'"

Good Question

I've been boycotting ice fishing the last couple of years because of Mrs. coldH2O's lack of enthusiasm & support for the utility snowmobile that I need to continue this fine sport. There has been no bringing home of crappie or bluegill or splake or northern lately. The VEXILAR & the underwater camera have been quietly sitting in the pole barn, pining for the ice.

"'My dad and I would put our ice fishing shanty out on the lake the week after Christmas every year and take it off the lake the first week in March,' the 72-year-old McEwen said. 'When was the last time you saw any shanties on the lake before February?'"

Sweet Truth

Maple sap doesn't lie.

"The weather just isn't what it used to be."

So Sue Me #44

Friday (Saturday) Random 10

Canaille - Geno Delafose
Mississippi Home - The Subdudes
Gotta Serve Somebody - Bob Dylan
Driver - The Radiators
Meet De Boys On De Battlefront - Bo Dollis And The Wild Magnolias
In The Bag - Kermit Ruffins
Continuum - Michael Ward
southern Nights - Allen Toussaint
Bubba's Boogie - James Solberg
Ballpeen Hammer - Chris Whitley

Now For Something Completely Different

Amur leopards! I, frankly, didn't know there was a subspecies of leopard native to the same territory as the Amur tiger.

Range

This subspecies is now limited to a region of southern Siberia near Vladivostok encroaching the borders of China and North Korea. Their natural range is inhibited by food availablilty and the severity of the harsh Siberian winters.

The last count of the surviving wild population estimated only 40 or so left. (Really sad, ed.)

Go here for more information.

This sub-species of leopard has a denser fur as an adaptation to survival in the colder climate of Siberia where winter tempertures can fall as low as -30�C.

Here are a couple of pics from the website linked to above.

& dickface Bu$hCo is still President. The Decider won't decide in favor of these marvelous creatures.

More Amur Tigers

Interesting facts about Amur tigers.

"The heaviest Siberian tiger on record weighed almost 850 pounds.

One Siberian tiger traveled 620 miles in 22 days in search of food.

A Siberian tiger needs to eat over 20 pounds of meat a day to sustain itself in the cold climate. It is capable of eating over 100 pounds of meat in one setting,...."

Tiger Time, Amur Style

Pink

Dear Mr. President


Hat tip to Floyd.

I, Too Agree

Via Norwegianity we get this link.

"...the Minnesota Twins requiring the team name to be changed to the Hennepin County Twins."

It's just like "Miller Park" in Milwaukee. It should have been named for the counties that had to tax in order to keep the Brewers. The same for Brown Co. - the home of the Packers. Taxed to build the luxury suites that normal working folks will never see.

Progressive Patriots

Via the kid, thinking for three these days, we get this sort little video from the Progressive Patriots Fund. Click here to get to the site & then click on the video. It's worth a minute of your time.

More Decider

Via RLK, thanks.

Cobra II

At the behest of commenter Pissed of Patricia, I went to the local, small chain bookstore last night, just before Drinking Liberally & bought the book Cobra II. PoP wants to know what I think of this book. I'm sure y'all have heard about this book, heard the authors on a whole variety of TV & radio shows, so this may not be news to you. I'm going to begin reading it tonight & will make reports to you, my loyal four readers. There have been lots of reports, reviews, etc., of the book out there, & my 2 cents worth may not add to the discussion, but it's time for non-fiction since I just finished a good book of short stories called johnny too bad, by John Dufresne. I was initially attracted to the book because of its cover, an English Setter head was the only decoration & the author's last name was the same as the bass player for Tab Benoit, a great bluesman from Houma, LA. He's also got a restaurant in Houma, so if your near, go eat. I first heard Tab Benoit at Jazz Fest, & since have been at clubs in Minneapolis & for Christ's sake, Merrill, WI. The book was a fine read & I'd recommend it. It's sort of linked stories, but don't take my word for it.

You Can't Make It Up Department

Via Atrios we get this stupidity:

Rape is an undefineable buzzword....

What do they do to the South Dakota water? Jeez Louise.

Rainy Morning

I'm off to the orthopod - same shoulder. I'll leave you with this until I get back:

Dipsticks

Politics from the corrupt Bu$hCo regime doesn't just trump science, it trumps the truth, as well.

"The Food and Drug Administration statement directly contradicts a 1999 review by the Institute of Medicine, a part of the National Academy of Sciences, the nation's most prestigious scientific advisory agency. That review found marijuana to be 'moderately well suited for particular conditions, such as chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting and AIDS wasting.'

Dr. John Benson, co-chairman of the Institute of Medicine committee that examined the research into marijuana's effects, said in an interview that the statement on Thursday and the combined review by other agencies were wrong.

The federal government 'loves to ignore our report,' said Dr. Benson, a professor of internal medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. 'They would rather it never happened.'

Some scientists and legislators said the agency's statement about marijuana demonstrated that politics had trumped science."

Hell, Yes

Sadly, No! is happily right. Again.

"H. L. Mencken, of all people, described it thusly:

'[I]t is assumed that men become radicals because they are naturally criminal, or because they have been bribed by Russian gold .. [but their motivation] is simply the conviction that the Government they suffer under is unbearably and incurably corrupt.. The notion that a radical is one who hates his country is naive and usually idiotic. He is, more likely, one who likes his country more than the rest of us, and is thus more disturbed than the rest of us when he sees it debauched. He is not a bad citizen turning to crime; he is a good citizen driven to despair.'"

Emphasis added.

I'm The Decider

Just hilarious. Best I've seen & it reminds me, of course, of the 1960's, a decade that was a good decade, no matter what Tomansky believes.

Maureen Dowd, Yesterday

Via Rozius, via BuzzFlash.

"The secretary made it sound as if the generals want him to resign because he made reforms. But they really want him to resign because he made gigantic, horrible, arrogant mistakes that will be taught in history classes forever."

No shit.

Bu$hCo Doesn't Like Freedom

Especially for non-white people. Via BuzzFlash.

"Seconds later, one of the people assembled on the White House south lawn actually tried to speak freely right here in America -- about both the lack of free speech and religious freedom in China.

That free-speaking woman was promptly hauled off and arrested...."

Huh?

Interesting find in Bosnia. Now, for the war criminals.

Bu$hCo At 33%

HaHaHaHaHaHaHa. & this is an effing Fox poll. Via TPM.

Another Stoned Creature

Fossil found of prehistoric snake with two rear legs

It Only Gets Worse

Mark Morford is pretty much right on.

"Now, here he is, sitting right next to all the other countries at the Big Table, representing America, it's little Dubya Bush, stewing in his own juices, his poll numbers hovering right near Nixon levels, mumbling to himself, smelling vaguely of sawdust and horse manure and dead Social Security overhaul plans.

He is pockmarked by scandal, buffeted by storms of disapproval and infighting and nascent impeachment. He authorized the leak of classified security information merely to smear an Iraq war critic, he lied about WMD and lied about Saddam and lied about making the United States safer and lied about, well, just about everything, on top of launching the worst and most violent and most expensive, unwinnable war since Vietnam.

His pile of betting capital is down to a tiny lump, nothing like back when he had the table rigged and all the pit bosses worked for him and the pile was as big as a roomful of Texas cow pies. But now, fortune is frowning. In fact, fortune is white-hot furious at being so viciously molested, spit upon, raped lo these many years. The truth is coming out: Bush has now lost far, far more bets than he ever won."

Emphsis added.

The Cover Of The Rolling Stone

Attaturk posts the cover of the Rolling Stone as did Atrios, who got there first. I'm also going to post it because it's a great cover.

Just To Remind Y'all

The Worst President Ever speaks:

"I hear the voices, and I read the front page, and I know the speculation. But I’m the decider, and I decide what is best. And what’s best is for Don Rumsfeld to remain as the secretary of defense." - President George W. Bush

Damn voices, but I thought they had medication for that sort of illness? Maybe his health insurance policy doesn't cover it.

The Tomasky Solution

Atrios links to this post over at The American Prospect. He asks what we think. Here's what I think.

I don’t know what it is about those folks over at The American Prospect, but every time I read one of their essays on what it will take for the Democrats to regain power, I get a very uncomfortable feeling. The essay linked to above is another example. In this essay Michael Tomasky explains how to become the dominant party, once again. I usually find nothing to really piss me off in these essays, nor do I find anything that really gets the hairs on the back of my head to stand up. I just find these essays to be irrelevant, in the long run. Tomasky supports the Kos book. & while I think NARAL, among others, made a huge mistake with the endorsement of Chafee, Kos has shown over & over again that he is no friend of women’s rights at all. He has been consistently dismissive of everything related to women. I actually believe that it is a core tenet of Democratic thought that there is a Constitutional right to an abortion. No one should be telling a woman what to do with her body. The other written work Tomasky cites is the awful The Death of Environmentalism. He claims Nordhaus & Shellenberger “blasted the environmental movements’s tactical narrowness and outdated intellectual frameworks.” I use the word “awful” very purposely. Global warming is, to my body, the greatest threat to every thing that breathes on this earth, it is also the greatest danger to those beings that do not breathe. But to accuse the environmental movement of dying because of bad actions or old thinking is completely absurd. What Nordhaus & Shellenberger proposed was only divisive. It did not help. I think it is really telling that Tomasky uses these two examples as the basis for his ideas. Kos & the sad environmental essay are, I suppose, interesting, but they do not, please read, DO NOT, provide positive, measureable help in the Democrat’s attempt to not so much regain their leadership roles, but to take those roles. As an ending, here are a few responses to the “Death” essay. I would say that the essay is no longer controversial because nobody even thinks about it anymore. Tomasky’s essay may well end up in the same intellectual place. Maybe that’s why I feel weird when reading essays from The Prospect, it’s like reading The World According To Garp - you like the book because of Irving’s clever ability to make you feel smart, although in the end, you’re just the same person, only with more pages in your brain.

Carl Pope-
“I was one of the twenty-five people interviewed for this piece. While I personally was treated fairly, I am still deeply disappointed and angered by it. I share the thesis that some fundamental changes are needed in the way environmentalists approach the challenge of global warming. But I believe that their paper, because it is unfair, unclear and divisive, has actually muddied the water and made the task of figuring out a comprehensive and effective set of strategies more difficult.”

Phil Clapp-
“But even though substantively there were some good points in the paper, the exaggerated rhetoric is really preventing it from being a constructive contribution. People simply can't hear what you're saying when you engage in an enormous amount of rhetoric and diatribe.

“Moreover, efforts to forge coalitions with other parts of the progressive movement have been underway for decades. You would think from reading this paper that no one in the environmental community had ever talked to the United Auto Workers about CAFE [Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards], or to the United Mine Workers about global warming. These conversations have been ongoing for many years, and we've been making progress in fits and starts toward reaching common ground. Also, keep in mind that a majority of the proposals put forward by the Apollo Alliance, which they're calling next-wave environmentalism, first saw the light of day as the renewable-energy job-creation component of Carter's energy program in 1979, so most of them are hardly novel ideas.”

Frances Beinecke-
“It goes without saying that we should be working with people from the labor community, from the religious community, from the corporate world, and from every other community that has similar goals. No one would argue with that. We've been building those ties for 10 years and we will continue to build them. OK, we have plenty more work to do in this area, but the paper implies that these strategies are not underway, which isn't the case.”

Dan Carol-
“The notion that the existing membership of established environmental groups -- collectively over 10 million members strong -- is moot, or that the ongoing policy work of these groups is a waste of time, is preposterous, and distracting from the real work ahead.

“Though Shellenberger and Nordhaus's paper refers extensively to the Apollo Alliance, it by no means represents our views. We believe that labor, environmentalists, government, and community leaders need each other now more than ever if we are to choose the right pathway toward energy independence and rebuilding our economy. The challenges ahead are too great to be nitpicking with our friends. The alliance does not do push-off politics, meaning we don't define ourselves or our vision by defining others' shortcomings. We try to evangelize and model new frameworks, and we're making good headway nationally and in 22 states. But our success is hardly contingent on the movement's demise. It depends on the movement's success.”

& remember that Tomasky ends his essay with this exhortation:

“I’d like to think they can do it. But the Democrats must become republicans first.”

I don’t care that he small-cased ReThug - it’s still the same thing.

Insane Policy

Bu$hCo's stupid threats towards Iran needs the sort of sane response the physicist wing of reality club brings us. You can read the complete letter here. Via Digby.

"It notes that there are no sharp lines between small and large nuclear weapons, nor between nuclear weapons targeting facilities and those targeting armies or cities, and that the use by the United States of nuclear weapons after 60 years of non-use will make the use of nuclear weapons by others more likely.

“Once the U.S. uses a nuclear weapon again, it will heighten the probability that others will too,” the physicists write. “In a world with many more nuclear nations and no longer a ‘taboo’ against the use of nuclear weapons, there will be a greatly enhanced risk that regional conflicts could expand into global nuclear war, with the potential to destroy our civilization.”

The letter echoes the main objection of last fall’s physicists’ petition, stressing that the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty will be irreversibly damaged by the use or even the threat of use of nuclear weapons by a nuclear nation against a non-nuclear one, with disastrous consequences for the security of the United States and the world.

“It is gravely irresponsible for the U.S. as the greatest superpower to consider courses of action that could eventually lead to the widespread destruction of life on the planet. We urge the administration to announce publicly that it is taking the nuclear option off the table in the case of all non-nuclear adversaries, present or future, and we urge the American people to make their voices heard on this matter.”"

It's Hard,,,

...getting good help. Particularly when they have to memorize all the lies. Can you imagine trying to keep this all straight? It got so hard, people well versed in lying can't keep it together. HA.

"...the level of denial and secrets to be kept, the self-bamboozlement and bad-faith so profound, that they just can't manage to bring in any new blood."

Scott McClellan Resigns

I wonder who the liar-in-chief will appoint to be his public liar?

The Decider

That didn't take long. From Dependable Renegade we get this graphic.

Not Much

I've been through the papers once this a.m., lightly. The usual - Rummy good, Bu$hCo good (& the decider) (???). I'm watching dark clouds ease in from the south & west. The NOAA website says we're going to get rain today & tonight & tomorrow & Friday. We need the rain. It's way too dry around here. & dryness is good for only one thing - wood ticks. I'll go over the papers again & then hit the blogs, something will appear. Now I'm just waiting for rain & sipping coffee.

Just A Reminder

Thanks to commenter nonheroicvet, I took a cyberamble over to Craig Crawford's place & found the following:

"It usually takes a while to pinpoint the downfall of a sitcom, and if the Bush presidency falls apart, historians will argue about exactly when it started. But one possible jump-the-shark moment for this president came in his awkward and incomplete response this month to Harry Taylor, a soft-spoken, 61-year-old real estate broker who cited a litany of complaints about Bush — from his warrantless eavesdropping to his opposing abortion rights — during a meeting in Charlotte, N.C.
“I’m not your favorite guy,” the president said in a play for laughs to diffuse the tension Taylor’s criticism aroused. But the man summed up his concerns in a powerful statement that seemed to leave Bush stunned. “I have never felt more ashamed of, nor more frightened, by my leadership in Washington, including the presidency,” Taylor said. “And I would hope from time to time that you have the humility and the grace to be ashamed of yourself.”
Some in the audience booed, but Taylor became an overnight sensation for Bush foes around the country, seeming to attract more coverage than the president did. The Web site of the liberal magazine The Nation described Taylor’s statements as a “cry from the heart.”
What a missed opportunity for the president. Give him credit for finally opening up his town halls to all comers by abandoning the safety of hand-picked sycophants. But Taylor seemed to present something Bush was not prepared to handle — wide-ranging but respectful criticism that invited a heartfelt and revealing response.
Instead, Bush reverted to his talking points on only one aspect of Taylor’s comments, defending his decision to authorize domestic surveillance without a court order. Once again, he played anti- terrorist in chief, the only role that seems to give the president any comfort. Then he quickly moved on to another question."
....
"Taylor offered the president a chance to look within himself and present something entirely new and different, an opening to show concerned Americans a genuine and personal side, and perhaps a bit of endearing humility that might get him back on track. Instead, Bush cracked a lame joke, recited oft-repeated lines and ultimately dodged the question. He did it again at another town hall last week, when a first-year student at Johns Hopkins University asked for his views on whether private contractors in Iraq must abide by the same laws the Pentagon must follow in the treatment of prisoners.
"Either unable or unwilling to respond, Bush joked around, saying he would call Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld. “I don’t mean to be dodging the question, although it’s kind of convenient in this case,” he said. “I really will. I’m going to call the secretary and say you brought up a very valid question, and what are we doing about it? That’s how I work.”
"There was plenty of nervous laughter, and some guffaws from the student audience, but watching the episode one cannot shake the feeling that this show is finished. Now in its sixth season, the Bush presidency next year and the year after might well come across like a TV program that producers should have taken off the air before the audience moved on."

Emphasis added. I sure hope Crawford's correct about this. But saying it's over doesn't necessarily mean the damage Bu$hCo is doing the country won't continue. His players are still in place & demoralized, hated players can turn even nastier when they realize the game is over. Just note the chippiness in blowout football games or hockey games. We might well be in for a lot worse (read Iran).

Your President Speaks

"'I hear the voices, and I read the front page, and I know the speculation. But I'm the decider, and I decide what is best."

But so does Brad R.

Good Analysis

Doghouse Riley does a good job on the idiot from Powertools, & a good job explaining the generals who have called for Rummy's firing.

"Is there any history lesson, military or otherwise, more potent than the warning to learn from one's mistakes? The Army, in fact, did precisely that after Vietnam. There was a great deal of soul searching, and no refusal to look at the facts without sentimentality and excuse-mongering as we continue to be treated to from the Right (and from far behind the front lines). But we have an army which does not choose its emperor, and just like Vietnam the failure in Iraq is a failure of leadership. Any idiot can see it. Some idiots choose not to. "

More Bones

Apparently T. Rex was not only a crappy band, it turns out that it was not even the biggest bully on the block.

"A new dinosaur species, one of the largest known carnivorous dinosaurs, has emerged from the red sandstone of Patagonia, in Argentina, where reptilian giants seem to have thrived 100 million years ago."

Commenter's Outrage

Thanks to commenter Scott for this information about Jack Abramoff. I thought he was just an corrupt American ReThug racist, but it turns out that he was/is an international racist, as well. Thanks again, Scott.

"...whitewashing Abramoff's past service on behalf of South Africa's apartheid government.
....
"Abramoff has never acknowledged that he knew of South African government support for the IFF, and told Newsday that the allegations that he accepted South African funds for Red Scorpion were “outrageous.” He claimed that Red Scorpion was an independent venture financed with private money. But according to my source, Abramoff was briefed by South African representatives about the nature and importance of the foundation's work. He became friends with Crystal; they even attended synagogue together. Another IFF member, Craig Williamson, was a South African spy who had previously gained renown within intelligence circles for having infiltrated the African National Congress. Williamson acknowledged earlier this year to South Africa's Mail & Guardian that the money for Abramoff's movie came from South Africa."

Science

Via PZ Myers, there is this very cool timeline of the earth. You move the triangle on the timeline & stuff happens. You get all kinds of info as you move along the timeline. I not sure if I should tell any teachers about at the local schools since the last time I mentioned a website - an eagle nest cam - it was blocked & the they told the teach that one computer could be dedicated to the site, if the principal OK'd it. One computer for the whole effing school. Now there's 21st education at its best. Oh, & they're leaving a lot of kids behind, but, sadly, not untouched. They are so worried about chatting, music, & naked bodies that the kids are really being denied the absolutely wonderful things the internets offer. & all you gatekeepers, don't come down on me for wanting to pollute young minds, Bu$hCo is doing a great job without me.

More NOLA

Scout Prime has more on the, it sounds so cold, collection of bodies in New Orleans. I mentionied outrage fatigue many post sago, but I'm outraged at dickhead Joe Klein & FEMA & Bu$hCo & Cheney & SueHank Martinsen &; & & & & &, OK, time for legal controlled substances & a bourbon. Jeez Louise, too early for a bourbon.

Cyndi Lauper Rocks

I've always loved Cyndi Lauper. Go read.

Strawfeminist 0, Real Feminists 2 at Pandagon

"NY Times: I think of “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” as the first feminist-backlash song. It came out in the 80’s and goes against the preachy and high-minded tone of 70’s feminism.

Cyndi: That’s not true! It’s totally feminist. It’s a song about entitlement. Why can’t women have fun?"

Worthless Piece Of Columnist Crap

Here's my letter to Joe Klein, Time Magazine columnist. Go here to see what prompted my disgust.

Mr. Klein:
Yesterday, the day before Easter, I saw my first two grandchildren at 13 weeks, gestational stage. My daughter had an ultrasound & I was there, & it was very cool. Then I awoke on Easter & you, you son-of-a-bitch, dare speak for me as a liberal by saying we should be threatening Iran with "tactical nuclear weapons." How dare you & Time Magazine spread this evil, while I am still thinking about a positive future with my grandchildren. With "liberals" like you, my grandchildren have no future. What sort of person are you? But I do know that you are no liberal, liberals have a sense of decency that you will never possess.
coldH2O

Write your own letter to this, oh crap, I'm out of disgusting adjectives, no, wait a minute, this dickhead. There I feel better.

UPDATE: Here's Digby's take on Klein. A tidbit:

We don't want it on the table. It's, as Stephanopolous exclaimed, "insane." (The look on Klein's face when Steph did that was priceless.

UPDATE #2: Via H2Otiger, we get this sweet image.

We're Winning

But, but, why are people continuing to be killed? Just asking.

"Efforts to form a unity government suffered a new setback Sunday as Iraqi leaders postponed a parliament session after failing to agree on a prime minister. Bombs targeted Shiites near a mosque and on a bus as attacks nationwide killed at least 35 people.

Four more Marines were reported killed in fighting west of Baghdad as the U.S. death toll for this month rose to 47 - compared with 31 for all of March."

Two

We start off with the constellation Gemini, then we have two Lake Superior agates, then we have a poster of Lake Superior agates. This leads up to the fact that the kid is going to have twins later this year. Agates are a Gemini's birthstone. I am a Gemini, although for most of my life I thought I was a Taurus. Bulls were always cooler that a couple of lithe, athletic twins. I was lucky to watch as an ultrasound was done today. At first we all thought that the two babies comment was some sort of ultrasound technician humor, & of course, all kinds of stuff broke loose when we realized she wasn't kidding. This was a semi-off the books affair, so the technician's daughter was along for the show. When she realized their were two babies, she said to me something to the effect that neither one would have to wait for a baby brother like she had to wait. So, here's hoping everything continues to go well. The down side to all this is that I've probably seen my last pair of heavy duty wool socks made by Mrs. coldH2O. Truth be told, I've only got one pair, but they are dandies. Good luck & health to the kid & son-in-law, even if they don't need it.

Beautiful People

She starred in the first French movie I ever saw. I was a freshman at UW-Madison & went to see Belle du Jour at the Majestic Theater. The movie house was just off the square. I never forgot that movie or this woman. Read more about her here.

Here we have another person who changed my life. Jack Kerouac's book, On The Road, a book I somehow got a hold of in high school in far northern Wisco (yeah, yeah, trademarked by Elka). A lot of stuff was filtering north in those days - Ali fighting for all of us white boys in the north, Sartre's Nausea (this forced me to write a poem called Vomit, yes, I get it), & much more. This was all combined with a great pool hall run by Dante Bruno, a big guy transplanted from Hurley, WI. What a friend. Anyway, back to Jack. Even though he died a banal death, I love him & what he & the rest of the Beats did & are doing for America. I mailed off a bunch of his books to my best friend's son many years ago. My friend moved to sunny CA & his son decided to be a beach bum, it led him into some sort of marine environmentalism or something. Anyway, I never did hear what he thought of that box of odd books arriving at his house. Probably thought the last thing he needed was some old guy giving him any kind of advice. Good for him. Read more about Jack K. here.

Laugh Out Loud

Man, James Wolcott is just, well, the tops. Go read the whole piece.

"My point is that someone in the control room seems to have set out to subvert Bill Donohue's guest appearance by distracting the audience with an animated turd. It certainly distracted me. The truth is, I didn't/couldn't pay attention to a word the old wheeze bag said with that talking turd wagging back and forth on the screen. It was more than a distraction. The juxtaposition was so jarring and yet so suggestive that it occurred to me that some joker at Fox may have been sneaking an editorial comment into the program, implying that Donohue himself is a talking turd. Indeed, that it's sometimes difficult to tell one turd apart from another. I applaud the ingenuity the gremlin at Fox News deployed in getting that point across (i.e., that Bill Donohue is a doody head)--I just don't think Good Friday is the appropriate occasion."

Bu$hCo Birth Control

I Hope

It becomes no justice, no peace. It does go to show you that Wisconsin is just as vile as southern CA when it comes to cops & race. It's one more reason to be deeply ashamed to be a Badger. What was this jury thinking? Oh, yeah, white cops never do anything wrong. Here's a pic of what these bastards did not do.

Friday Cat Blogging

Tchoupa's tail.

 

Watch Out Joe, The New Guy - What Dorks

Update to this post.

"First evolution. Then sex ed.

Now add satire to the list of what some Kansas school board members would remove from the public schools."

Yep

Rumsfeld deserves all the shit being thrown his way. Today is one of those days where I feel like my head is going to explode & I don't have a sinus infection.

"In the end, we found out that Colin Powell didn’t have what it took to lead, playing the 'good soldier' to the end, hah. Today, however, it’s clear many in the military have simply had it with Rumsfeld’s weak and cowardly brand of 'leadership,' which has unfolded from a quick war win into a murderous civil war, with American honor and integrity one of the casualties."

Emphasis added. It is sad to see what has happened to Powell. Of course, it's possible that Powell was always just a McCain. & McCain's cover of being a maverick has been pulled away, as evidenced by this photo.

Friday Random Ten

It Hurt So Bad - Susan Tedeschi
Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans - Pete Fountain
Blue Goose Blues - Jesse Thomas
Ask Me No Questions - Albert King & Stevie Ray Vaughn
No City Like New Orleans - Earl King
Me Donkey Want Water - Tab Benoit
Fight For Your Right - Tab Benoit(Random?)
Goodbye Baby (Baby Goodbye) - Van Morrison
Ice Cream Man - Tom Waits
Soon As I Get Paid - Keb' Mo'

Poor, Poor Kansas

If Joe, the new guy, is going through Kansas on his way to Texas, he'd better hide his dashboard FSM figurine. You never know what those heretics will do.

"It was a picture of…The Flying Spaghetti Monster!"

Like this one:

Go here to learn how to make you own.

Drilling the Wild

Good column in Field & Stream. Yes, I said Field & Stream. Via Sirotablog. I've always felt that once you scraped off the scum, i.e., the NRA, et.al., most hunters, anglers, walkers, have always been progressive, since they are out in the woods because they want to be, not because they have to be.

"With deep ties to the oil and gas industry, Bush and Cheney have unleashed a national energy plan that has begun to destroy hunting and fishing on millions of federal acres throughout the West, setting back effective wildlife management for decades to come."

Voodoo History

Along with voodoo economics. Go read & weep.

"Today we are treated to the edifying spectacle of the worst Treasury Secretary in living memory--John Snow--trying to trash one of the best--Bob Rubin."
....
"Does John Snow really have no clue that Hamilton believed that a big, activist government--regulating the financial system, supporting science and industry, encouraging manufactures, assuming the national debt--was essential for the health of the American economy? Is it really the case that nobody in John Snow's entourage knows that Hamilton was always on the "big government" side in his fights with Jefferson?"

This Will Help

I wonder what the ReThug governor of MN will say about this?

"Ford Motor Co. plans to close its St. Paul, Minn., assembly plant in 2009, the United Auto Workers local told its members Thursday."