Weepin' Willie Robinson, R.I.P.

Obit here.

But early yesterday morning at about 12:30, after a night out, he took a taxi back to the home, walked into his room, and lit a cigarette.

13 - 3

Packers 34 - Lions 13

We won, again.

The Dead

Here are a few that I gave some sort of crap about.

Norman Mailer - Known as a controversial and prolific novelist with a great influence on America literature, he died Nov. 10 at age 84.

Oscar Peterson - His genius made him one of world's greatest jazz pianists. His career began in the 1940s and continued until his death this month.

Kurt Vonnegut - Author or "Slaughterhouse Five," based on his experience in Dresden during WWII, and other books, he died April 12 at the age of 84.

More from here.

Molly Ivins, 62, Texas political columnist.

Frankie Laine, 93, hit-making crooner.

Calvert DeForest, 85, Larry (Bud) Melman on "Letterman."

Tom Poston, 85, virtuosic comic actor.

Ingmar Bergman, 89, master filmmaker.

Tom Snyder, 71, pioneer of late-night television.

Joey Bishop, 89, last of the Rat Pack.

Jeez Louise

Get a real death. Another example of the utter stupidity of sports.

Good Job Bu$hCo

Things aren't working out very well in Pakistan, are they?

The Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was assassinated near the capital, Islamabad, on Thursday. Witnesses said Ms. Bhutto, who was appearing at a political rally, was fired upon by a gunman at close range, quickly followed by a blast that the government said was caused by a suicide attacker.

Just Bullshit

I not against people working decent jobs, with decent wages, with decent benefits, with decent working conditions, but $7 an hour to pay your property taxes is just bullshit. As I look forward, from my pre-geezer status, everything looks pretty dim, pretty sad, pretty non-pretty. Again, as I've said numerous times before, this is not the country I imagined as a 20 year old.

The town is pushing a program that would let seniors work part-time, for $7 an hour, to help pay off some of their property taxes.

"People shouldn't have to sell their house, move away to a place with less taxes, leave behind their family and friends," said Town Supervisor Paul Feiner.

He envisions retired doctors mentoring schoolchildren, retired accountants helping with the town's finances, retired lawyers offering their services for a discount. But there are plenty of less-skilled jobs that need doing, he said.

"It's not like we're going to see grandma running the snowplow," he said. "There are lots of things people can do for the town and it wouldn't cost us that much to pay them."

My emphasis.

No Surprise Here

Just more of the same old, same old. I know it's the xmas season & all, but I really hate Dick "Dick" Cheney. & the auto companies as well. I was thinking about buying another Dodge diesel in a couple of years, but maybe I'll just sell the horses & get a Honda. Or maybe just ride the horses to town. That will really slow down my life, or something.

Merry Xmas, Again

You're right, no boat.

Marc Broussard

Oscar Peterson, R.I.P.

Obit here.

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Xmas Eve

Well, the trip to The Cities was uneventful. I'll post some pics of the trip tomorrow, or later tonight. Hope all who read this have a good xmas eve & if you get a boat, screw you.

The Packers Looked Awful

But here are some pics of the storm we are having way north of stinking Chicago.

The coldH2O home. Yep, lots of snow today.

The horses, there are two of them now.

One out-of-place & sad robin. No worms around here.

Same robin, same tree.

View of the back yard.

My Feelings Exactly

Lucy Mae does a coldH2O imitation.

Pre-snowstorm Visitors

It rained all day yesterday, & this poor little rooster got to thinking it was spring.

The object of all his fancy displaying.

Best Health Care In The World?

Not if you are insured by Cigna Healthcare. In the richest country in the world, the only person who matters is the shareholder.

A grieving family is blaming an insurance company for the death Thursday of a 17-year-old leukemia patient, who died hours after the company reversed course and agreed to pay for her to receive a liver transplant.

Evidence? What Evidence?

noneheroicvet, one of my loyal four readers, alerted me to this in a comment below. Read the comment, read the piece here.

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Oh My

I think I have a new favorite xmas song. Don't ask why I didn't find this before, let's just say I'm not as hip as I think I am. No news there.

This Is How To Start A Wednesday Morning In December

driftglass over at C & L brings us this:

President Gore, Meet President Kerry

Amy Goodman has an interview with Harvey Wasserman, author of the book What Happened in Ohio: A Documentary Record of Theft and Fraud in the 2004 Election. You, my loyal four readers, ought to go & read the whole thing. Here are a few highlights if you are a ReThug & lowlights if you are a normal person.

I mean, the servers for the computation of the Ohio vote count were in the same basement in Chattanooga, Tennessee that houses servers for the Republican National Committee.
....
found that every single method of voting, pretty much, except for, you know, marking paper ballots, was corrupted in the 2004 election.
....
We are guaranteed certain that John Kerry won Ohio in 2004.
....
in the inner city, people went in, and they hit touch-screen machines, and they pushed “Kerry,” and “Bush” lit up.
....
ballots disappeared.
....
But the 2004 election was stolen. There is absolutely no doubt about it. A 6.7% shift in exit polls does not happen by chance. And, you know, so finally, we have irrefutable confirmation that what we were saying was true and that every piece of the puzzle in the Ohio 2004 election was flawed.

Fuckers.

Good News

NJ does a great thing. Now, if only TX would quickly follow.

Jeez Louise

Welcome to my nightmare.

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I Think I'd Marry Him

But he's already taken. His spine inspired me to praise this Democrat & actually will cause me to vote for him if he's still on the ballot in Wisco's primary. I like his white hair as well.

In his closing speech Dodd vowed to filibuster again in January if telecom amnesty is still part of the FISA legislation. This speech should be watched by every student, every member of Congress as well as all Americans who value their civil liberties. No matter which presidential candidate you support, you can’t get around the fact that this is what REAL, American leadership looks like. Bravo Senator Dodd, BRAVO!

First Round Bye

Packers 33 - Rams 14

Good game. We're 12 - 2. Hard to believe. Fun.

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Finally

The spineless Democrats can't make Bu$hCo back down, but the small country of Papua New Guinea did. Note to Democrats, that's how it's done, now do it for fuck's sake.

''We seek your leadership,'' Kevin Conrad told the Americans. ''But if for some reason you are not willing to lead, leave it to the rest of us. Please get out of the way.''

The U.N. climate conference exploded with applause, the U.S. delegation backed down,....
....
India sought to amend the document to strengthen requirements for richer nations to help poorer with technology to limit emissions and adapt to climate change's impacts.

Dobriansky objected. ''We are not prepared to accept this formulation,'' she said, setting off loud, long boos in the hall.

Next, delegate after delegate took aim at the United States. Dobriansky's intervention was ''most unwelcome and without any basis,'' the South African said. ''We would like to beg them'' to relent, the Ugandan said. Then Conrad delivered his sharp rebuke of U.S. ''leadership.''

America's isolation was complete. No one spoke in support. And Dobriansky capitulated, withdrawing the U.S. objection, to general applause.

My emphasis. Feeling safer?

Slacker

I apologize to my loyal four readers about the dearth of posting the last couple of days. I actually had to work & am finally realizing that xmas is only 11 days away & I haven't finished all of the HANDMADE GIFTS I am making. I know that I do not deserve any sympathy, so I won't ask or beg or demand or slink off into the corner to pout. So, if you're inclined, go here tonight for some good times, if you know what I mean, but only if you have broadband.

Just Because

I just go nuts at xmas. Via virgotext.

Al Gore, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

You did good. Keep it up.

"The future is knocking at our door right now," Gore said, paraphrasing the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen during a regal, 90-minute ceremony in Oslo's ornate City Hall.

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Holiday Ice?

Moulin Rouge? Or just really good plumbing? Seriously, when will Bu$hCo understand just how bad this is? But, of course, we don't want to hurt our juggernaut of an economy.

"The amount of ice lost by Greenland over the last year is the equivalent of two times all the ice in the Alps, or a layer of water more than one-half mile (800 meters) deep covering Washington DC," said Konrad Steffen of the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Absolute, Complete Theft

Read Tbogg everyday. He's good. & funny. But today I am going to steal his whole post, YouTube included. At the end of the post, I'll post the links he used, since they won't cut & paste.

IraqRidge
By: TBogg Monday December 10, 2007 10:57 pm

Who would have ever thought that when we invaded Iraq, that our little experiment in democracy building would yield massive fraud and embezzlement, jacked-up sociopaths paid with tax dollars roaming the streets and killing innocent civilians, American soldiers committing rape and murder, bribery in Congress, torture, well-connected American corporations covering up even more rape and assault on their own employees, and even more cover-ups involving fraud and graft by the very investigators who are supposed to guard against these things?

I really don't want to hear the the menu of food metaphors, such as "one bad apple spoiling the whole barrel' or "you have to break a few eggs to make a Freedom omelette" as an excuse for this. And I don't care how many schools the soldiers paint; they will never be able to whitewash the blood from the hands of George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Richard Perle, Paul Wolfowitz, Bill Kristol, Douglas Feith that stains us all.

Links:

"massive fraud and embezzlement" - here.

"killing innocent civilians," - here.

"in Congress" - here.

"torture" - here.

"more rape and assault" - here.

"more cover-ups" - here.

"committing rape and murder," - here.

Click on all of these links & despair as to the kind of country we have become under Bu$hCo & Cheney. Fuck.

Torturing Son-of-a-Bitch

Read about a self-admitted war criminal. I guess he's not too scared of being identified by the enemy, is he?

Go here to contact Dave Obey, the 7th District Congressman in Wisco. Those of my loyal four readers who live in the district are encouraged to contact him. Be advised that he requires that goddamned extra 4 digits in your zip-code.

For those other of my loyal four readers who live in Wisco, you can contact our Senator Feingold here. & our illustrious Sen. Kohl, who might actually do something, but don't hold your breath, here.

Support The Union

I'm not going to give you a long piece on why we need to support the screen writers. Just know that not every Hollywood writer lives in an overly expensive house with a stupid little dog that would be better suited being tied to a couple of size 2/0 treble hooks & cast over some good musky habitat. Go here to send a letter or letters to your favorite teevee show producers exhorting them to settle with the writers. Remember loyal four readers, I love my teevee & if you love me you'll do this. Thanks in advance.

Packers Rule

Packers 38 - Raiders 7

Injury? What injury? Plus, the Pack's running game looked really good & just when they need the running game.

What's Bu4hco's EPA Good For?

Absolutely nothing. Apologies to Edwin Starr.

Atrazine, the second most widely used weedkiller in the country, is showing up in some streams and rivers at levels high enough to potentially harm amphibians, fish and aquatic ecosystems, according to the findings of an extensive Environmental Protection Agency database that has not been made public.
....
The federal government first approved atrazine in the 1950s, but it came under increased scrutiny in the late 1990s after Tyrone B. Hayes, a professor of integrative biology at the University of California at Berkeley, did a series of studies -- first for chemical companies and then on his own -- that indicated that tiny amounts of the pesticide de-masculinized tadpoles of African clawed frogs. The European Union declared it a harmful "endocrine disrupter" and banned it as of 2005, but the EPA decided to allow its continued use after determining that the agency lacked a standard test for measuring the hormone-disrupting effects of chemicals.

My emphasis.

Enough To Go Around

Our rulers are all bastards. As mentioned here, the Democratic leadership enabled, really enabled, Bu$hCo's destruction of the Constitution. How can these sons-of-bitches sleep at night? This is why Democrats continue to lose, they really think they are ReThug Lite. I'm glad The Twins are visiting, or else this would be another version of The Lost Weekend. I mean, what else is there to do?

Among the techniques described, said two officials present, was waterboarding, a practice that years later would be condemned as torture by Democrats and some Republicans on Capitol Hill. But on that day, no objections were raised. Instead, at least two lawmakers in the room asked the CIA to push harder, two U.S. officials said.

John Lennon

It was 27 years ago today, & Howard Cosell, while broadcasting a Monday Night Football game, announced John Lennon's murder. Sad.

Rehab?

No, no, no. Mr. West did OK, as well. & he's from the midwest, don'tcha know?

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Son-Of-A-Bitches, Part 1,232,233

The CIA again proves that it is a criminal, renegade organization whose only concern is, apparently, covering its own ass. This is the country we've become since the Supreme Court of the United States of America gave the 2000 election to Bu$hCo, against the clear decision of the citizens of this once great country.

The Central Intelligence Agency in 2005 destroyed at least two videotapes documenting the interrogation of two Qaeda operatives in the agency’s custody, a step it took in the midst of Congressional and legal scrutiny about its secret detention program, according to current and former government officials.

The videotapes showed agency operatives in 2002 subjecting terrorism suspects — including Abu Zubaydah, the first detainee in C.I.A. custody — to severe interrogation techniques. They were destroyed in part because officers were concerned that tapes showing harsh interrogation methods could expose agency officials to risk of legal jeopardy, several officials said.

Justice, For Once

This is good.

I Just Love

The Big Lebowski.

That is all.

Almost

The Twins are almost walking.

Surprise, Surprise

Doctors don't report colleagues errors. Here's the biggest laugh line of the article:

Berwick said that most physicians are not trained to handle difficult situations involving colleagues.

Trained to do the right thing? I always thought that "do no harm" meant not letting others do harm. These stats are disturbing. Maybe we all need to ask our docs if they will report misconduct on the part of their colleagues.

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Fucking Up Is Really Fucking Down

& is isn't very sexy. First, read the NIE Report on Iran's nuclear bomb development. Second, read Hadley's words & please, please, don't throw yourself off the nearest ore dock.

In a Monday afternoon briefing with reporters, Hadley added that the estimate was "good news" and said it proved that the White House had been right to fear Iranian nuclear ambition.

The Iranians stopped their development program 5 years ago, before this wonderful strategy was even developed. Sounds a lot like the WMD Saddam possessed prior to our invasion of a sovereign country. Jeez Louise. From Raw Story.

UPDATE:

I agree with BooMan, if you vote for Hillary Clinton, you just have not been listening. She will, frankly, be more of the same.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton questioned rival Barack Obama's political courage on Monday, accusing him of dodging difficult fights and ducking the Senate's recent vote on a resolution to get tough on Iran.

Ratcheting up her attacks one day after a newspaper poll showed Obama moving narrowly ahead in the state, Clinton said Obama voted "present" in the Illinois state senate on seven abortion-related issues and twice on issues of gun violence, rather than take a stand.

"A president can't dodge the big fights, can't find political cover, or have words speak louder than actions," she said at a campaign stop in Clear Lake, Iowa.

"I've heard a lot of talk about turning the page," she said, using one of Obama's slogans, "but what about the action to back it up?"

Clinton also ridiculed his criticism of her Senate vote to label an Iranian military unit a terrorist group, which Obama has called a way to clear the path for a rush to war on Iran. Clinton, a New York senator, noted Obama did not return from the campaign trail to cast a vote on the resolution. "He decided to play politics and claim that the vote he missed, a vote for diplomacy, was really a vote for war," she said. "Well if he really thought it was a rush to war, why did he rush to campaign and miss the vote?"

War On Drugs

Anyone with a brain has long know the War On Drugs has been & is a dismal failure. More here.

[A]fter U.S. drug agents began systematically busting up the Colombian cartels - doubt was replaced with hard data. Thanks to new research, U.S. policy-makers knew with increasing certainty what would work and what wouldn’t. The tragedy of the War on Drugs is that this knowledge hasn’t been heeded. We continue to treat marijuana as a major threat to public health, even though we know it isn’t. We continue to lock up generations of teenage drug dealers, even though we know imprisonment does little to reduce the amount of drugs sold on the street. And we continue to spend billions to fight drugs abroad, even though we know that military efforts are an ineffective way to cut the supply of narcotics in America or raise the price.

All told, the United States has spent an estimated $500 billion to fight drugs - with very little to show for it. […]

My emphasis.

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One Of My Man Crushes

Continues to do good stuff.

Consider how easy it would be to be snarky or cynical about some of the details in this project-- constellations, puh-leez!-- had Pitt, (or his staff), despite good intentions, made a hollow remark or an egregious oversight that made locals cringe. Such blunders would seem almost inevitable given his high hopes and ambitions. I mean, making the lower 9th into a pink art project for touring? Seriously? Yet, Pitt has been nearly "tone perfect" throughout the process. He's doing stuff, without annoying New Orleanians. That's no small feat! I have no criticism or cynicism about his Pink Project. None at all. I can only say, truly: "Great job, Mr. Pitt. I'm proud that you call New Orleans home".

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Yeah, U Rite

I have a Harley, goddamn it. This is pretty clever, however. It rhymes & I suck. With apologies to Coco Robicheaux.

Jesus

Just listen to the tone of the comments in this from Robert Chapin, head of a panel considering the safety if bisphenol A. For that reason alone I would question the panel's conclusions.

The panel rejected academic studies that found harm - citing inadequate methods. But the panel accepted industry-funded studies using the same methods that concluded the chemical does not pose risks.

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J.B. Von Hollen, As Corrupt As They Come?

Well, he is a ReThug.

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Speaking Of Food

Or Lutherans &, well, you know what they eat. Here's another bit of truth from Patriotboy. Heehee.

The God damned lutefisk-eating bastards breed like rabbits. They've overrun the whole upper Midwest and turned it Lutheran. If we'd shipped them the moment they arrived, Minnesota would be as Baptist as an illicit hand job behind the Piggly Wiggly.

Think about it. No more hot dishes. No more "you betchas." No more Garrison Keillor. If you want to sell that ethnic cleansing plan of yours, you got to bring up the Swedes.

Now, For Something Completely Different

While it was a brave person who first ate the oyster, it was a starving lunatic who first ate the possum.

From this essay. & it came via SeattleTammy.

Don't Eat Fruit

At least not Chiquita or Dole fruit.Via The Kid, over at The Twins' Place, I am reminded of my youth, more precisely, a Sociology 101 course I took, way, way back in the day. We were required to read 12 texts for those 3 credits & the one I remember, oddly enough, partially concerned bananas & criminal corporation. The author of that book has since, sadly, become a right-wing idiot. & he apparently blames his right-wing odiousness on the fact that his parents, actual working people (teachers) wouldn't let him watch such classic fare as Pillow Talk. Now it surprises me that the author to the previously mentioned book would cite these two as reasons to become an idiot, given Rock's clearly left-wing gayness. & Doris, well, she became one of those animal lovers who actually set up a foundation that gives money to poor areas of the U.S., the socialism of it all! Well, back to bananas. The worthless corporation that is Chiquita, don't but their bananas, buy organic, fair-trade bananas at your local food coop, has been sued for doing what it's been doing for over a hundred years. This is one more reason why capitalism is evil.

Victims of the bloody paramilitary conflict in Colombia are suing the US banana company Chiquita, accusing it of funding and arming guerrilla groups blamed for torture and thousands of killings.

The lawsuit, filed in New York, seeks $7.86 billion (£4 billion) on behalf of 393 victims and their relatives. They accuse Chiquita Brands of complicity in hundreds of murders carried out by the United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia, a right-wing paramilitary group known by its Spanish acronym AUC.

The company has courted controversy for more than a century amid claims about the aggressive tactics that it has used to influence the politics of the Central American countries in which it operates. In 1975 a US investigation revealed that it bribed the Government of the Honduran President – and military dictator – Oswaldo López Arellano to get banana export taxes reduced.

The company even spawned the term “Banana Republic”, first coined by the American humourist O. Henry in 1904, in reference to the American conglomerate United Fruit and its actions in Honduras. The company had dominated Central America since 1899 and changed its name to Chiquita Brands International in 1989.

This year Chiquita admitted that it had paid off rebel groups in Colombia, including the AUC, which is accused of carrying out massacres during Colombia’s long-running civil war before it began to disarm in 2003.

Don't buy their god damned bananas, or any other of their blood stained products.

& as long as we're on corrupt fruit companies, don't buy any Dole shit, either. Stop & think, of all the labor in the world, who gets screwed the most, those that actually do the agriculture that feeds us, farm workers. Profits before people, indeed. From the Organic Consumers Organization.

Already, courts in Nicaragua have returned more than $600 million in judgments against Dole and other companies, according to lawyers for the workers - judgments that have proved impossible to collect so far. The verdicts announced Monday marked the first case of foreign farmworkers prevailing in a U.S. court against Dole and Dow over harm from the pesticide, DBCP.

Big Game Update 2

5:15 3rd Quarter - Grant runs it in from the one. Packers 24 - Cowboys 27

---
Another really bad call by the refs that led to a Cowboys TD. I'm pissed.

----
5:03 4th Quarter - Crosby just kicked a 51 yard field goal. Packers 27 - Cowboys 34

Big Game Update

No. 1
11:36 1st Quarter - Crosby field goal. Packers 3 - Cowboys 0

----
No. 2

8:23 1st Quarter - After a really lousy call by the refs, the Cowboys kick a field goal & tie the game.

---
No. 3

3:15 1st Quarter - Another field goal for the Cowboys. Packers 3 - Cowboys 6
Let's hope the offense does a bit better this set of downs.

---
No. 4

1:14 1st Quarter - Cowboys score after an interception of Farve. Packers 3 - Cowboys 13
This is not good. I'm beginning to think I am causing this by watching, so may decide to turn the channel. I hope Farve doesn't have a game like, well, you know.

---
:01 1st Quarter - Huge run by Grant for a touchdown. Packers 10 - Cowboys 13
Maybe I'll keep watching. Maybe not, screwed up on-side kick attempt.

---
13:20 2nd Quarter - 3 plays & a TD pass for the Cowboys. Packers 10 - Cowboys 20
---
8:23 2nd Quarter - Favre is on the sidelines & Rogers is in. It's now Packers 10 - Cowboys 27. Things are not good. I'm going to the basement.

---
:31 2nd Quarter - Touchdown pass to Jennings, from Rogers. Packers 17 - Cowboys 27

The Big Game

From The Kid, over at The Twins' place.

God asks Peyton Manning first: "What do you believe?" Peyton thinks long and hard, looks God in the eye, and says, "I believe in hard work, and in staying true to family and friends. I believe in giving. I was lucky, but I always tried to do right by my fans." God can't help but see the essential goodness of Manning, and offers him a seat to his left.

Then God turns to Tony Romo and says, "What do you believe?" Tony says, "I believe passion, discipline, courage and honor are the fundamentals of life. I, too, have been lucky, but win or lose, I've always tried to be a true sportsman, both on and off the playing fields." God is greatly moved by Tony's sincere eloquence, and he offers him a seat to his right.

Finally, God turns to Brett Favre: "And you, Brett, what do you believe?" Brett replies, "I believe you're in my seat."

&, then there is this, also from The Kid.

John Elway, after living a full life, died. When he got to heaven, God was showing him around. They came to a modest little house with a faded Broncos flag in the window. "This house is yours for eternity, John," said God. "This is very special; not everyone gets a house up here." John felt special indeed, and walked up to his house. On his way up the porch, he noticed another house just around the corner.

It was a 3-story mansion with a Green and Gold sidewalk, a 50-foot-tall flagpole with an enormous Packers logo flag, and in every window, a Cheesehead.

John looked at God and said "God, I'm not trying to be ungrateful, but I have a question. I was an all-pro QB, I won 2 Super Bowls, and I even went to the Hall of Fame."

God said, "So what do you want to know, John?"

"Well, why does Brett Favre get a better house than me?"

God chuckled, and said "John, that's not Brett Favre's house, that one's mine."

It will be a sweet win & in the spirit of really despising Bu$hCo, I will not lower expectations by mentioning a big toe....

NOTE: I am not encouraging any of my loyal four readers to attend a church or do that hands pressed together, eyes wandering into the depths of space, promising to not step over Cheney when he collapses in front of them (fat chance any of my loyal four readers would be that close to Dick "Dick" Cheney.) Remember, we can see a touchdown.

Man Crush Time

A quote from Anthony Bourdain. Mr. Bourdain, whose Travel Channel teevee show, No Reservations, is great to watch.

The whole thing is about the restaurant and hospitality industry in New Orleans. What happened, how it is now, is it recovering. Man, I tell you, every single person we talked to for the show, every single person, at some point started crying on camera. Anyone who is telling you that New Orleans is back and that New Orleans is better and everything is fine is lying. That town was abominably fucked over. It's like everybody had a simultaneous nervous breakdown, and the sense of betrayal, everything you believe was proven to be utterly false.

Via Norwegianity. You know, we've had many people comment on New Orleans, like Peter King.

What I saw was a national disgrace. An inexcusable, irresponsible, borderline criminal national disgrace. I am ashamed of this country for the inaction I saw everywhere.

If you can't believe a cook & a sport's writer, who are you going to believe?

Another Fine Example

...of racism in America. As long as our political chatterers can discuss a southern strategy & states' rights, in terms of electing a president, we will all suffer this outrage.

Still, there are just seven minority coaches in the 119-team Division I-A level, a percentage that's so disgustingly abysmal (5.9), the collective schools can't possibly claim an interest in being progressive or diverse. And the numbers haven't improved this offseason.

My emphasis.

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Yikes

Looks like the predatory market forces will do more than make a lot of people homeless.

The deepening housing crisis will cut economic growth by more than 25 percent in 143 U.S. metropolitan areas next year and by more than a third in 65 metro communities, according to a new forecast for the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

The new report prepared for the mayors by financial forecaster Global Insight warns of cascading problems caused by falling home prices, an expected 1.4 million foreclosures and the pending reset of millions of adjustable-rate mortgages. The mayors are to release the report Tuesday.

Yeah, greed is good. My emphasis.

UPDATE: It's going to cost the San Francisco Bay area $5.4 billion.

Learned Something New Today

I never knew about the Cross River Gorilla. Now find out that it is the most endangered primates in the world.

Laugh, Laugh, I Thought I'd Die

I remember watching this with Mrs.coldH2O. I don't believe we ever laughed so hard together in our married lives.

Via that NOLA blogger, Adrastos.

Everything He Touches

Turns to shit, here's another example. Heh.

...the end of the era came with a slap in the face: In addition to losing the prime minister post, he was only the second sitting prime minister since 1929 to be kicked out of his own parliament seat in his home district.

Too bad someone can't slap Bu$hCo's smirking face. I mean, of course, an affectionate slap. Yeah, that's my story & I'm sticking with it.

Go Do It

Shutterwi did it, if you know what I mean. This appears to be a great program, & relatively reasonable in price.

One Laptop Per Child extends promotion until year's end

By RODRIQUE NGOWI

The Associated Press

12:10 AM CST, November 23, 2007

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — A promotion in which a customer buying a $188 computer in the U.S. and Canada automatically donates a second one to a child in a developing country was extended until year's end, organizers said Thursday.

The "Give One, Get One" program will now run through Dec. 31, instead of ending on Nov. 26, according to the One Laptop Per Child Program, a nonprofit spinoff from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The program said customers in the U.S. and Canada will pay $399 for two laptops, with one going to the buyer and the other to a child in such countries as Rwanda, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Haiti and Mongolia.

"In the past 10 days, we've experienced an outpouring of support from the public that is truly gratifying and encouraging," said Nicholas Negroponte, the program's founder.

Negroponte said they decided to extend the program because "so many people have asked for more time to participate either individually or in order to organize local and national groups to which they belong."

"We want as many people as possible to have the opportunity to act upon the giving spirit of the holiday season," he said.

The laptop has a homegrown user interface designed for children, boasts built-in wireless networking, uses very little power and can be recharged by hand with a pulley or a crank.

———

On the Net:

One Laptop Per Child:http://www.laptop.org

Give One, Get One promotion:http://www.xogiving.com

From The Chicago Tribune.

FYI, the Mr. Negroponte mentioned in the article is NOT the murderer that Bu$hCo hired.

Department Of Duh?

This is a big problem for the Chequamegon Food Coop & many other stores that offer good, organic foods. As long as government on every level keeps supporting factory agriculture, the poor & elderly will continue to suffer. As usual, the diet of an American is not always an uniformed choice, but a forced nightmare.

In this land and season of plenty, low-income and rural Americans continue to have difficulty finding healthy foods that are affordable, a new study finds.

One study shows that low-income Americans now would have to spend up to 70 percent of their food budget on fruits and vegetables to meet new national dietary guidelines for healthy eating.

And a second study found that in rural areas, convenience stores far outnumber supermarkets and grocery stores

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10-1

Packers 37 Detroit Lions 26

Hopefully the injuries won't be debilitating for the Pack next week against the baby Cowboys, yes, they are still complaining about The Ice Bowl. Talk about not moving on.

There Is No Crisis

Just another attempt by the ReThuglican Party to make us afraid, of everything. Social Security is fine, & in fact, we could start offering an earlier retirement option that wouldn't force us to eat canned cat food. Just ask Stanley Logue.

To his surprise, the Social Security investment won out: $261,372 versus $255,499, a difference of $5,873.

Death Day, Apparently

But this is a death that I am happy about.

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Ernest "Doc" Paulin, R.I.P.

He was a hundred years old. Obit here.

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Racism, Again, It's Alive

The Slidell, LA, city government did the right thing in firing this cretin. But read the story & wonder how a supervisor kept a couple of nooses hanging on his door for six years? There has been progress, but not as much as we think.

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Hero

Milo Radulovich, R.I.P.

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What An Ass

Bu#hCo calls Musharraf a democrat. We are ruled by a moron.

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Mr.Whipple, R.I.P.

Obit here.

9-1

Good job.

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Cream

Via S. Madrak.

Great song & Ginger Baker, what a drummer, eh?

Mrs. coldH20 Glowing In The Dark

This MST3K vid is in honor of Mrs. coldH2O sitting alone in the bedroom this weekend, glowing. She took the radioactive iodine treatment yesterday, so I've been slavishly making lunch, breakfast, dinner & putting it on the floor by the bedroom door & then knocking on the door & running away. This video shows a 1963 Chevy Impala, the car Mrs. coldH2O drove when I met her. Sadly, we sold that car for $150.

This Blog's Reading Level

Well, well, the level of discourse on this blog is:

Congrats to my loyal four readers.

Don't Buy Dead Cow At Whole Foods

Whole Foods, an upscale "natural" food selling supermarket chain is selling dead cow meat with drug residues that exceed federal limits, & those are federal limits under the corrupt Bu$hCo regime. This comes via Organic Bytes, a neat little online newsletter about healthy foods & justice & sustainability. Hat tip to The Kid, the good stenographer over at The Twins' website.

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New Orleans

Scout Prime posts on the lack of true progress in New Orleans. The Kid, over at The Twins' place got me watching Top Gear on BBC-America. It's a fun show & this is what they said about America & the lack of rebuilding in New Orleans:

A year had passed since Katrina had blown through, and we sort of assumed that after 12 months the wealthiest nation on earth would have fixed it. But we were wrong. How can the rest of America sleep at night knowing that this is here?

That was from a year ago. Nothing much has changed. Scout Prime:

In March of 2007 little had changed from the previous visit. A few homes on the block had been demolished and now there were more empty lots. And on my latest visit in August of 2007 I saw a few more homes had been demolished. More empty lots. And I wondered if in August of 2005, would Americans have thought the measure for progress in the rebuilding of New Orleans 2 years out would be --empty lots. Yet that is nearly the only thing I could report in terms of progress for this block. Well nearly.... but first regarding those empty homes and lots.

Racism, Alive & Well In America

Via Altercation, go read the whole thing, we get:

Forty-five percent of black children whose parents were solidly middle class in 1968 -- a stratum with a median income of $55,600 in inflation-adjusted dollars -- grew up to be among the lowest fifth of the nation's earners, with a median family income of $23,100. Only 16 percent of whites experienced similar downward mobility. At the same time, 48 percent of black children whose parents were in an economic bracket with a median family income of $41,700 sank into the lowest income group."
....
This is true across the board, but it is at the bottom rung where the failure of the American system is most apparent. In the Nordic nations, for instance, three-quarters of those on welfare had moved up and out of the system by the time they reached their 40s, but barely more than half of their American counterparts had. As the editors of The Economist (subscription required) put it, "In other words, Nordic countries have almost completely snapped the link between the earnings of parents and children at and near the bottom. That is not at all true of America." In Britain, too, fully 70 percent of those enmeshed in the welfare system had moved out within a single generation, again -- a higher percentage than in America. The magazine points to the generous tax and welfare provisions for families as "the obvious explanation for greater mobility in the Nordic countries ... especially when compared with America's."
....
Author Andrew Hacker notes that in studies of black and white job-seekers with identical résumés who apply for publicly advertised jobs, we find incontrovertible evidence of "systemic discrimination that cannot be attributed to differences in skills between comparably educated blacks and whites."
....
All of these problems contribute to the horrible situation in which we find ourselves, in which black ghettos constitute a permanent underclass and breeding ground for social pathologies that are then exploited by the likes of Murray, Peretz, Sullivan, and Podhoretz, together with the Glenn Becks, the Imuses, the Rush Limbaughs, etc., to ensure that our society remains one where the poorest are the victims of the poor and near poor -- and vice versa, while the wealthy live behind gated communities, retaining all available privileges for themselves, all the while preaching the virtues of hard work and "playing by the rules."

I have never believed that racism is simply a way to excuse bad behavior, racism is a real thing, a real existential problem for the U.S. & we continue to ignore it at our peril. My emphasis.

No Surprise Here

Did Blackwater murder innocent people? The FBI believes it is true. & who am I to argue with the FBI, after all, to do so would only encourage our enemies & I would, of course, be a traitor, who ought to be waterboarded.

Investigators found no evidence to support assertions by Blackwater employees that they were fired upon by Iraqi civilians. That finding sharply contradicts initial assertions by Blackwater officials, who said that company employees fired in self-defense and that three company vehicles were damaged by gunfire.

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The Stakes, My Friends...

...are very high. Go read this press release from the Brennan Center For Justice regarding voting rights in America. It makes sobering reading. It also makes me mad, but right now I'm having a difficult time getting my blood up. Still, as the headline of the release indicates, if you are an African_American, a low income voter, a student, or a senior citizen, the ReThuglican Party DOES NOT WANT YOU TO VOTE! It's no surprise, really, they have never trusted people with real-life problems. As I have stated several times in the past, this is not the America I envisioned when I was a youngster. Stand up Democrats, or else merge with the ReThugs.

# 21.8% of black Indiana voters do not have access to a valid photo ID (compared to 15.8% of white Indiana voters - a 6 point gap).

# When non-registered eligible voter responses are included - the gap widens. 28.3% of eligible black voters in the State of Indiana to not have valid photo ID (compared to 16.8% of eligible voting age white Indiana residents - a gap of 11.5 percent).

# The study found what it termed "a curvilinear pattern (similar to an upside down U-curve)" in the relationship between age and access to valid ID - younger voters and older voters were both less likely to have valid ID compared to voters in the middle categories. 22% of voters 18-34 did not have ID, nor did 19.4% over the age of 70. (compared to 16.2% of Indiana voters age 35-54 without valid ID and 14.1% for 55-69 year olds).

# 21% of Indiana registered voters with only a high school diploma did not have valid ID (compared to 11.5% of Indiana voters who have completed college - a gap of 9.5%).

# Those with valid ID are much more likely to be Republicans than those who do not have valid ID. Among registered voters with proper ID, 41.6% are registered Republicans, 32.5% are Democrats.

Via TPM.

On Bu$hCo's Newest Veto

First it was stem cells that the idiot-boy vetoed. Then came the hell with the poor kid's health veto. Now we have news from ntodd on the latest veto. He also quotes our Congressman, Dave, I Have An Explosive Temper, Obey. This time Obey has it spot on.

Well, It's ComeTrue

Rick Santorum was right. All I can say is poor dog.

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34-0

Hell, yeah.

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37-21

Wisconsin beats the Michigan Wolverines. Ha!

Well, Good

It looks like the evil Minnesota Vikings have reversed their assholism. This time, at least.

The Vikings will in fact pay WR Troy Williamson his game check for the No. 4 game against San Diego, reversing an earlier decision to withhold it after he missed the game to plan his grandmother’s funeral.

& in a real class move, a move the Vikings ought to emulate, Williamson did this:

Through his agent, Williamson said he will donate the game check — $25,588.24 — to charity in memory of his grandmother.

The Vikings ought to match this donation, it would be a great way to atone.

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Norman Mailer, R.I.P.

Obit here. I remember well his important essays on the war in Vietnam & Muhammad Ali, who, BTW, IMHO, is one of the greatest people to ever have lived. Someday I'll post about my young life tuning in some Chicago radio station on am AM radio in my family's kitchen trying to get to listen to his fights. This occurred in far northern Wisco.

More here.

One More Good Reason To Really Hate The Evil Vikings

Yeah, football represents the best of American society. Yeah, we're going to crush these heartless dickwads on Sunday. The Hon. Dr. St. Rev. Bradley S. Rocket, Esq, PhD, MD is surely correct about the Vikings' unmitigated assholism.

Here's an email addy you can use if you want to express your valued opinion about this. &, you know, people wonder why no one gives a shit anymore.

vikings.com@atomicplaypen.com

Feeling Safer?

Even the loony is trading at about $1.10. Looks like my trip around Lake Superior on the Harly next summer may not happen, well, the high loony & the ripoff involved in getting an American passport.

The investigators' findings? The government's $30 fee was roughly double the actual cost when imposed in 2002. The Postal Service, which operates 5,382 locations where people can apply for passports, estimated its costs at $13.31 in 2002. The State Department, which operates 14 passport offices, said its costs were $16.20 at that time.

"This is not supposed to be a profit-making venture," Dorgan said. "They charge 30 bucks just for passing something across the counter."

Oh, BTW, here are how two other currencies are doing relative to the dollar. These numbers have been rounded up.

Euro - $1.50
Pound - 2.10

UPDATE: More here.

Economic Theory Of The ReThugs

Via Atrios, we get this little nugget from Paul Samuelson:

Recessions also have often-overlooked benefits. They dampen inflation. In weak markets, companies can't easily raise prices or workers' wages. Similarly, recessions punish reckless financial speculation and poor corporate investments. Bad bets don't pay off. These disciplining effects contribute to the economy's long-term strength, but it seems coldhearted to say so because the initial impact is hurtful.

Emphasis mine. Coldhearted is an understatement. & these are the people & the ideology that rule the country these days. Fuck it is disheartening.

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Iraq

More crap.

Feingold's Statement

On the guy who can't decide whether waterboarding is torture.

I will vote against the nomination of Judge Mukasey to be the next Attorney General. This was a difficult decision, as Judge Mukasey has many impressive qualities. He is intelligent and experienced and appears to understand the need to depoliticize the Department of Justice and restore its credibility and reputation.

At this point in our history, however, the country also needs an Attorney General who will tell the President that he cannot ignore the laws passed by Congress. Unfortunately, Judge Mukasey was unwilling to reject the extreme and dangerous theories of executive power that this administration has put forward.

The nation's top law enforcement officer must be able to stand up to a chief executive who thinks he is above the law. The rule of law is too important to our country's history and to its future to compromise on that bedrock principle.

More info here.

Some Good News

The Senate races look good, but what the hell is wrong with Maine?

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RocknRoll

So I scored a 34 on The Almost-Impossible Rock & Roll Quiz. How did you do? BTW, a 34 means I'm a WHIZ, which I took to be an insult, you know, "I'm going to take a whiz off the deck." More scores here.

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Huh?

So I guess there is something good in Alaska besides the rainbow trout.

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7-1

Packers win again. Farve continues to play great. Oh, Packers 33, Kansas City Chiefs 22.

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Go Listen

...then report back. I liked, of course, Etta James, then Whitey, then Astrid Gilberto. I am not a fan of the others, at least not tonight. Go here for the playlist.

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No Spine Democrats Strike Again

I don't know what to say, so I'll let BooMan say it & then say it again. He led me, & therefore my loyal four readers to this & I agree. No civility for spineless creeps.

Another Drowning Victim

Poor children, The Everglades, who cares? Veto them all. Worst President ever. Goddamn, I'm glad The Twins woke up smiling. Two little bits of happiness in a world Bu$hCo is continuing to destroy. Spine, Democrats, spine.

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First Video Upload

I took this short video of The Twins earlier today. Let's see how it works with the Blogger upload feature.

Foreign Policy

This is the kind of leadership we apparently desire? Thanks again, Ralph.

In a series of internal musings and memos to his staff, then-Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld argued that Muslims avoid "physical labor" and wrote of the need to "keep elevating the threat," "link Iraq to Iran" and develop "bumper sticker statements" to rally public support for an increasingly unpopular war.

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82 Yards!!

Farve throws an 82 yard touchdown pass on the first play of overtime to beat the Broncos. I give all the credit to The Twins, who, while sleeping at the present time, did wear their cool Packer cheerleader outfits earlier in the evening. Goddamn, finally something positive this fall.

It's No Blonde On Blonde....

I mean, come on, who would cheat on this girl?

Via Susie Madrak.

NOLA Food

Via Adrastos we get this nice piece on a New Orleans institution, Commander's Palace. The food looks great. While I was in NOLA, this was one spot I, unfortunately, was unable to enjoy, every other place with food was great. & if you note the prices, they aren't so half bad.

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Universal Health Care

Jeez, Atrios points to to some really uncomfortable facts the ReThugs refuse to acknowledge.

Like:

-Two in three say they haven't benefited from the Bush tax cuts....
-A majority of Americans say they would tolerate higher taxes -- if it paid for universal health care....
-60% said they would be willing to repeal tax cuts to help pay for a health-care program that insures all Americans....
-52% vs 36% favored health and education spending as a better economic stimulus than tax cuts....

This just shows how intelligent the majority of the American public is, regarding health & Bu$hCo's stupid tax policy.

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More Dodd

From The Poor Man Institute, which by the way is for Freedom and Democracy and A Pony.

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More To Do

I just signed this petition. Now, my loyal four readers, it's your turn. Thanking you advance. Just think, no immunity for lawbreaking companies, what a concept.

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