Thanks for Clearing that Up.

Well as reported in this Washington Post artice, the RIAA has cleared up just what they mean in that warning. In a brief filed recently, they assert that you are violating the rule if you buy a cd and put a copy of the tracks on your own computer for your own personal use.

Now, in an unusual case in which an Arizona recipient of an RIAA letter has fought back in court rather than write a check to avoid hefty legal fees, the industry is taking its argument against music sharing one step further: In legal documents in its federal case against Jeffrey Howell, a Scottsdale, Ariz., man who kept a collection of about 2,000 music recordings on his personal computer, the industry maintains that it is illegal for someone who has legally purchased a CD to transfer that music into his computer.

The industry's lawyer in the case, Ira Schwartz, argues in a brief filed earlier this month that the MP3 files Howell made on his computer from legally bought CDs are "unauthorized copies" of copyrighted recordings.

Ike Turner Dead at 76

Ike Turner (a Clarksdale, MS native such as myself) died today in his sleep. Often infamously noted for drug and alcohol fueled physical abuse of his loved ones (Notably Tina Turner), Ike Turner's musical contributions were substantial. In 1951 he recorded Rocket 88, which is about the Oldsmobile 88 which had just come into production 2 years earlier. The song has perhaps the earliest example of 'fuzz' or guitar distortion. As the performers were making their way up Hwy 61 from Mississippi to record the song (with soon-to-be musical giant Sam Phillips), their amp fell out of the back of their car. the damage created a distorted sound that has given inspiration to countless rock and roll songs. It has been argued by many that this is the first Rock 'N Roll song, which is saying something.

Did You See This?

Here's what the NYTimes ran today:

U.S. Says Iran Ended Atomic Arms Work

By MARK MAZZETTI

Published: December 3, 2007

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 — A new assessment by American intelligence agencies concludes that Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003 and that the program remains frozen, contradicting judgment two years ago that Tehran was working relentlessly toward building a nuclear bomb.

The conclusions of the new assessment are likely to reshape the final year of the Bush administration, which has made halting Iran’s nuclear program a cornerstone of its foreign policy.

The assessment, a National Intelligence Estimate that represents the consensus view of all 16 American spy agencies, states that Tehran is likely keeping its options open with respect to building a weapon, but that intelligence agencies “do not know whether it currently intends to develop nuclear weapons.”

Pretty straightforward, huh? well, god help you if you were watching FoxNews today at lunch when this story broke. Their headline? IRAN COULD HAVE NUCLEAR BOMB BY 2010.

Seriously.

the spin never ends.

RIP - Evel Knievel Dead at 69

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Evel Knievel, the red-white-and-blue-spangled motorcycle daredevil whose jumps over Greyhound buses, live sharks and Idaho's Snake River Canyon made him an international icon in the 1970s, died Friday. He was 69.

Lott Update part 2!

I've heard a few scandal related rumors surrounding the abrupt step-down. this unfounded rumor isn't even the believable one, but it is getting a little press. interesting...

UPDATE on the Lott Retirement

This isn't from me, I've been buried in my work for hours. however, i did pull this for you guys from the Daily Kos. If you didn't know already, Haley Barbour was already trying to put off new elections so he could appoint his pet monkey. in this case, he even (purposefully?) mis-states the law as he announces his plan. too bad that statutes don't agree...
-----------------------------

MS-Sen: Barbour's efforts to rewrite state law

by kos

Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 01:58:54 PM PST

Mississippi Republicans are in a bind.

First, Lott wants out by the end of this year so new ethics guidelines that prohibit former members of Congress from lobbying for two years, rather than one. And we all know that Lott is ditching the people of Mississippi so he can cash in on K Street. He admitted it.

So Lott needs to be out by Dec. 31. However, if he does that, Mississippi law requires a special election within 90 days, and a low-turnout special might hurt the GOP. They want the presidential race to boost Republican turnout in a state that leans heavily Republican in presidential elections.

So what will win, Lott's desire to cash out ASAP, or the GOP's desire to maximize their possibilities of holding that seat? Well, if you're a Republican, there's always option 3: lie and obfuscate the law and try to pull a fast one on everyone else:

Pursuant to Mississippi law, specifically § 23-15-855 (1), of the Mississippi Code, once the resignation takes effect, I will call a Special Election for United States Senator to be held on November 4, 2008, being the regular general election day for the 2008 congressional elections.

Further, within ten days of Senator Lott’s resignation’s taking effect, I will appoint a Senator to serve until the winner of the Special Election for United States Senator is elected and commissioned, as provided in § 23-15-855 (2) of the Mississippi Code. My goal is to appoint the best qualified person who can do the most for our state and country.

Ha ha ha, that Haley. Such a joker. The law:

(1) If a vacancy shall occur in the office of United States Senator from Mississippi by death, resignation or otherwise, the Governor shall, within ten (10) days after receiving official notice of such vacancy, issue his proclamation for an election to be held... within ninety (90) days from the time the proclamation is issued and the returns of such election shall be certified to the Governor in the manner set out above for regular elections, unless the vacancy shall occur in a year that there shall be held a general state or congressional election, in which event the Governor's proclamation shall designate the general election day as the time for electing a Senator, and the vacancy shall be filled by appointment as hereinafter provided.

You get that? The law essentially mandates a special election within 100 days of the retirement. Barbour is trying to argue that the key point is the "proclamation", not the date the vacancy occurs. As election law expert Rick Hasen notes:

[T]he key question is the date of the "vacancy," not the date of the official notice or the date of the proclamation of the special election. If Lott indeed resigns in 2007, the vacancy is in 2007 and the election must occur under the 10/90 day rule described above.

And the Hill reports that MS's secretary of state (a Democrat, until the winners of the 2007 elections get sworn in later in January) agrees.

Gov. Haley Barbour (R) said in a statement Monday that he would schedule the special election for the same day as the November 2008 general election. State law, however, appears to require an earlier date if Lott retires this year, as he said he would.

While Lott sneaks in under the wire for the extended ban on lobbying Congress by retiring this year, the secretary of state’s office said Monday that state law appears to require a special election within 90 days if he does so.

Conversely, if Lott were to wait and retire in 2008, the law allows for the special election to be held the same day as the general. Of course, he would then be subject to the new two-year ban on lobbying his former colleagues, instead of the current one-year ban.

Lott will have a choice to make -- suck it up and wait an extra year before cashing out on K Street, or screw his party over one last time. And if Barbour persists on trying to rewrite state law, he'll have to likely justify his efforts in a court of law.

Update: Email press release:

JACKSON (Monday, Nov. 26, 2007) –Wayne Dowdy, chairman of the Mississippi Democratic Party, issued the following statement after U.S. Sen. Trent Lott announced plans to resign from office by the end of the year.

“According to multiple news reports, Senator Lott intends to resign his seat by the end of the year. Section 23-15-855 (1) of the Mississippi Code makes clear that if Senator Lott does indeed resign during this calendar year, as stated, then Governor Barbour must call a special election for within 90 days of making a proclamation – which he must issue within 10 days of the resignation – and not on Nov. 4, 2008, as he has announced he intends to do.

“We will wait for Senator Lott’s official notice of resignation, when he will undoubtedly announce the exact date he will leave office. But if he does resign this calendar year we expect the governor to uphold the law and call a special election within 100 days. It is important that Mississippi be represented in Washington by a senator who was elected by the state’s voters as soon as possible.”

Race tracker wiki: MS-Sen

I Went To High School With Mrs. Lincoln

Have you seen those commercials for sleeping pills? the one where the insomniac is talking to Abe Lincoln? it turns out abe is married to a classmate of mine from High School. ha!

Trent Lott to Step Down Before 2008

If you haven't heard, MS' Junior Senator, Trent Lott (R-MS) is stepping down this year. you can rest assured this is to start a lucrative career in lobbying after the federal waiting period is over. There's been speculation for years that he'd be stepping down. Most think that Katrina and its aftermath kept him in the Senate, as he had great personal losses in the storm.

That being said, MANY have speculated that he didn't enjoy the back bench status in which he found himself after the Strom Thurmond fiasco. He had clawed his way back into some form of leadership, only to see the GOP Majority slip away. It seems so many of our 'statesmen' want to take their ball and go home if they can't be in charge (I'm looking at you Chip Pickering). It also speaks volumes about Lott's view of the GOP presidential field.

So, what does that mean for the future? It means Barbour will appoint a new Senator to fill out the term. there has been LONG speculation that Rep. Chip Pickering was being groomed for this seat. with him stepping down from the house and this seat opening, you can bet he'll be on the short list. Though, i'm less convinced it will be him at this point. whomever it is, they will enjoy a Year in the senate and perhaps be able to establish a whiff of Incumbency. On the Democrat side, i see Mike Moore (former AG) as the likely candidate. he's LONG been rumored to have wanted this job. the question is whether 5 years out of politics is too long for people's short attention span. I would argue that he's perhaps the most widely known and liked Democrat in the state.

Smells Fishy...er...Like Sulphur

The Mayor of a town in Arkansas has decided to step down. Note, this supposedly isn't part of some scandal or political hubub on the horizon, it's actually because of Satan! You see, he was living in Indiana until he took up an assumed name.
...and of course, the reason he took up the new identity was because Satanists had kidnapped him and brainwashed him! The truth came out recently after being injected with truth serum (JEEZ! now THAT's a Halloween party!).

The story falls apart a little when he explained that he had a choice:

go with these people (hey! i thought you were kidnapped!?)
-OR-
see his family killed before his eyes (i thought you didn't remember them??).

He took a 3rd route and ran away (i suppose the killers didn't have his family address). Police say he's not suspected of any wrong doing. I say he's at LEAST guilty of abandonment (or worse) with this dubious story.

EGG BOWL WIN over OLE MISS!!!

I spent the day at my mother's house. We had a shrimp boil. as good as it was, i couldn't help but squirm. i wasn't able to watch the Miss. State v. Ole Miss game and i couldn't wait to get home and watch the Tivo. I kept checking my cell phone until i 'refreshed' it so much that i'd almost ran out of battery juice. we were losing the whole game through. I'd eat a little bit and check the cell. it was killing me. 14 to nothing and then the 4th quarter came. we ended up tying the biggest late game comeback in MSU history, winning the game 17 - 14 in the final seconds with a 48 yard kick, our kicker's personal best! the coach was in tears and ran onto the field with a Giant MSU flag. something i think has never EVER been done. we've had a long hard trip to get here. nearly a decade to finally be decent. it feels awfully nice to get to a bowl game again, especially for a kid that was lucky enough to go to MSU when we were used to winning. It feels good to be winning again. OH, here's video of the end!

Mr. Pollan Goes to DC

So, it seems i've been planning a trip to DC forever, but never actually making it happen. Originally, I wanted a trip to seattle for an extended weekend, then a long weekend in DC, then back to Jackson, MS where i'll be so tired i'd need a vacation from my vacation. I spent a lot of time on the Road this summer and it wasn't always my idea of the best summer ever. One thing that made it all better was Baseball. Each team plays roughly 5 days a week, unlike (say) football, I didn't have to wait around too long to watch my team and have a few bright spots in my day. I kept trying to find a time to fit in as much baseball as possible. wasn't there a week when Seattle, Baltimore, AND DC were all playing at home on the same week!? Sadly, whenever they were, I was tied up with work. Seattle, the place i was trying hardest to visit, was just not in the cards. DC, on the other hand, was.

Luckily for me, I know a few People in DC. People with Baseball tickets. And I had a plane ticket. Little did I know i was going to run into a few odd balls: Senator Larry Craig's Pals, some buffalo, a shark, FDR's lap, 45,000 people screaming for Teddy Roosevelt, Johnny Cash, a blueberry Guinness, and a story time at a bar that left me feeling like i was in a room full of people that had never had a grandparent (or at least a crazy uncle). I'll give you more as i put the photos together.

A Quick note on Hans Von Spakovsky

Recently BRD was asked my thoughts on Hans Von Spakovsky's nomination to the Federal Elections Commission (FEC). He's what is wrong with a lot of Republican leadership in government. I don't mind conservative or liberal values in office. that's the way of the world. what i don't like is when people who dislike certain programs are the very people put in charge of them. He worked in the civil rights division, supposedly helping protect the hard fought rights of the people who vote. His life work in this area (to-date) appears to be working in voter suppression and voter roll purging...particularly in democratic district. GOP districts? not so much. He's another one of these guys that go after a manufactured 'voter fraud' with a solution that is pure supression, usually catered to low income/minority districts where all the unsubstantiated voter fraud seems to pop up.

Simply put, he articulates something that sounds like a problem, but isn't (voter fraud, non registered voters voting instead of real voters, etc.) THEN he miraculously has a SOLUTION to this made up problem, and what do you know, that solution helps to minimize voter strength in low income areas, minority areas, and (could you guess?) democratic leaning districts! what a gem. I suspect he'll be OK'd. what could they object to that hasn't been par for the course in Bush Country 'election protection' for 7 years now?

Um....Wow.

This looks pretty amazing.

Thank You for Being Patient

I have a good deal to talk about this week and hope to have quite a few posts, including some super secret info from my recent trip to DC! more later...WITH PICTURES!

Worst President Ever...?

Remember when Jimmy Carter was easing past Hoover as the 'Worst President Ever' in the GOP bathed 1990's? Well, whatever anyone has/had to say for or against him, one thing is true. He's probably the most important former President this country has ever had. His work in the democratization of developing nations is second to none, and clearly a better route than that taken by others (ahem). I came across this story today:

KABKABIYA, Sudan — Former President Carter got in a shouting match Wednesday with Sudanese security services who blocked him from a town in Darfur where he was trying to meet with refugees from the ongoing conflict.

The 83-year-old Carter walked into this highly volatile pro-Sudanese government town to meet refugees too frightened to attend a scheduled meeting at a nearby compound. He was able to make it to a school where he met with one tribal representative and was preparing to go further into the town when Sudanese security officers stopped him.

"You can't go. It's not on the program!" the local security chief, who only gave his first name as Omar, yelled at Carter, who is in Darfur as part of a delegation of respected international figures known as "The Elders."

"We're going to anyway!" an angry Carter retorted as a crowd began to gather. "You don't have the power to stop me."

Can you imagine any of our other presidents being on the ground, in a village in Darfur? let alone at 83 and confronting armed militia. inspiring and amazing.

A Parting Shot

I was going to say that the Republicans voted against a bill today that would allow US troops to spend equal time at home with family as they do deployed in Iraq. The ratio of home/away time for the British is 4:1. Well, if i told you they voted against it, i'd be fibbing. they actually filibustered the bill so that no one would vote on it. It would have passed and the President would have to personally veto it. My question is why do this? the Senator takes heat for not being supportive of the troops and they KNOW the president would veto the bill without worrying about political heat for re-election. maybe my thinking is off here.

Close at all?

I've been meaning to put this up for a while. i suppose the likeness is pretty close.

When Does the "Better" Part Come?

I was reading the newest Harper's Index, and it said that approximately 1.2 million people have died in/since the US/Iraq war started. In this release, the White House says "Under Saddam's regime many hundreds of thousands of people have died as a result of his actions - the vast majority of them Muslims."

OK.

So what does this mean? did we end the 30 year rule of a cruel, despicable dictator, only to see a few hundred thousand MORE Iraqi's dead in 4 years? Are we seeing what Saddam took a generation to do come to pass in a handful of years? Truly, when does this become 'worth it'?

Greenspan Says Iraq War was for Oil

From the Times of London:

AMERICA’s elder statesman of finance, Alan Greenspan, has shaken the White House by declaring that the prime motive for the war in Iraq was oil.

In his long-awaited memoir, to be published tomorrow, Greenspan, a Republican whose 18-year tenure as head of the US Federal Reserve was widely admired, will also deliver a stinging critique of President George W Bush’s economic policies.

However, it is his view on the motive for the 2003 Iraq invasion that is likely to provoke the most controversy. “I am saddened that it is politically inconvenient to acknowledge what everyone knows: the Iraq war is largely about oil,” he says.

Anyone see this reported in the US News programs? pretty big deal, I think.

The part here that gets me is the 'everybody knows' phrase. I think a majority of the people, particularly those who supported the President's war, think this isn't true. the main rationale? I hear the phrase "That couldn't be true". as if its too bad to be real (or I couldn't have been so wrong about the guy) is a rationale. I guess you take the better of two evils when "profound incompetence" is the other choice on the table. The problem is that they aren't mutually exclusive.

Bad Day for the GOP.

Two Republican Legislators died today in separate instances. Rep. Paul Gillmor, R-Ohio, was found dead in his apartment today, and former Rep. Jennifer Dunn, R-Wash., also died after collapsing at her home in Alexandria, Va.

So, 6 Stormtroopers Walk Into a Bar...

You don't see these guys at the pub everday....

Oh, you better believe that's a paddling.

I don't fully get why this cracks me up so much, but this is probably my favorite quote from the simpsons. i think i tend to like the peripheral characters (like Ralph).

Just a Thought

It is OK to be Republican
It is OK to be Gay
It is OK to be Overly Homophobic (well, really it isn't, but i'm not gonna tell you how to live--much).

Just don't be all 3 at the same time.
...and solicit sex in airport bathrooms.

Don't worry. Fox has your back (and the Senator from Idaho may too). In a bit of history repeating itself, this guy was involved in a Congressional Page/sex scandal too. his was just a generation ago (1982).

And Another Thing

I betcha we get a recess appointment to fill the AG slot to avoid a confirmation fight. that's what i'd do if I was Pres. Bush.

The Slowest Death in Recent Memory

It appears that the final death rattle has rattled for Alberto Gonzales. For someone pronounced politically dead for months, he just kept going. The bottom line point was that the law enforcement of the Federal government was being used for Republican, Political purposes (then the Atty Gen. lied about this to congress to cover it up). The argument was made that no law was violated (debatable). This, however, begged the question of just what standards the President used for his cabinet. Can you stay if you broke the law? (seems so). Can you stay if you skirted the law, covered it up, but did it for loyal partisan reasons? (oh my, yes. could you do it again?).

What I found interesting was the treatment of Karl Rove's resignation last week. it was treated like "the successful and controversial 'architect' of the Bush success has hung up his spurs". Now, considering his involvement in the politicization of the Justice Department, one would have to see these two resignations as part of the same narrative. I believe that these resignations are tied to each other, but purposely spaced so that Rove could get cover. We'll see this week if it worked. If i can trust what i see on TV news, I'd imagine it did.

I-CHI-RO

I really like to watch this guy get ready to swing the bat. evidently from this video, i'm not alone. pretty cool!



OK...this is pretty cool too. pitching from 150 feet? more? creezus!

Around Lunch the Other Day, I Ran into this Guy...

I'd say he's pretty brazen, whatever his meaning here.

Four Days and Counting

While It may not be my Bulldogs, or my Green Wave (look at the cool shot of our new field, post-Katrina!), I have four more days to go until i can finally see some live baseball again! it is taking WAY too long to get here!

How to Get Your Hack On, the Diebold Way

Here you go, dear readers. A short video on how to hack a Diebold Machine. all you need is a screwdriver, a thumb/flash drive, and about 120 seconds.

Now, after watching this, you might say, "But Polly, isn't this no big deal in Miss. since we have a paper trail tied to our machines?" That might be the case if we had a protocol for handling such and incident. Officially, right now, there is no official protocol from the Sec. of State's office to instruct a comparison of the paper record with the digital results when something fishy comes up. Even if a seal is broken when the box arrives at the courthouse for counting, there is no instruction to check the paper record. Think too many folks are gonna vote in Precinct X? well hack away my friend! the fix is in because no one will be asked to look!

[This is a cross post]

The Spirit of Our Nation Betrayed...with an Easy to Follow Map!

At the Direction of the President, our nation has taken people prisoner without charges. This is the most fundamental violation of a fair Judiciary there is. It is what we don't do...until now. It was what our parents, our grandparents, our great grandparents were told that made us different than the Communist Menace.

We also don't torture. America is a nation of freedom and protection by the law, for the people. Our laws say not we don't torture. Our morals say we do not torture. Our word and our example has been a guiding light to the world in showing how a modern democracy must exist. It is what gives us moral authority and public trust.

The map above shows the routes the President approved for trafficking people in order to torture them. You can see the routes that the President and Vice President have used to export our dignity in order to fight a war they had no idea how to fight. They'd seen it in a movie and they thought that was enough to override a legion of people who'd seen war. Our nation's soul lies on those routes...All so that men who avoided war at all costs could fight one just like they'd seen on TV.

The President and Vice President should be Impeached.

UFO spotted!

I always love this stuff. seems a whole town saw this one!

and i though 28 was the bottom

I predicted that Bush's approval ratings would not fall below 28 a while back. i felt that he'd cult-ivated about 28% of the public into thinking he could do no wrong. Well, I was wrong. now he's at 25% approval. if asked about his handling of the economy, he drops another 2 points.

Our economic recovery has primarily been in the hands of those in our various markets: stocks, real estate, etc. we've been creating wealth that shows economic growth, but that has not been spread amongst the multitudes. I think he's been selling something for 7 years and everyone has finally seen there's nothing in these bottles that the snake oil salesman keeps hawking.

a bright spot

As some of you may know, i'm coming out of a pretty bad week and heading into a bit of relief. The link above has a wonderful video (not too long) of a gentleman interviewing kids at the College Republican National Convention. Without being a jerk to them, he asks questions about what they believe when it comes to Iraq and then asks if they plan to serve. They pretty much take it from there.

Highlights include good ole Kent Alexander from Univ. of Southern Mississippi. while having played college football, he wasn't sure he was fit enough to be a soldier. Also (just wait for it) they guy who figures out that he is officially not gay.

I liked that final note. anyone know where i can get a 'draft college republicans' bumper sticker?

...And when the band played 'hail to the chief', oh they pointed the finger at you...

The New Old Thing.

I have more than a passing interest in the mix of design, packaging, and merchandising. That being said, i was VERY happy to see this change with the ol' Coke Can.

Pretty Alarming

This article by Robert Novak (no friend of the democrats) outlines how seriously bunkered the President and VP are when it comes to Iraq. Novak reports that the Administration's National Security Advisor Stephen J. Hadley had been sent to Capitol on a 'scouting' trip. He was to find out why several prominent GOP Senators have backed away from the Bush policy in Iraq...not to find answers on how to fix Iraq policy. The gist here being that when as this happens, the Bush Admin. is not even considering that the results are driving the GOP'ers away, but rather that they are simply falling away for some other reason. Like a boyfriend that can't figure out his own awful behaviour has driven his lady out the door, left there dumbfounded at the doorway, bags packed, asking "what happened to us? the way we used to be?" you almost expect a card from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. saying "don't you remember the good times?"



leading one senator to ask what he was seeking. It was not advice on how to escape from Iraq. Instead, Hadley appeared interested in how previous supporters of Bush's course had drifted away. In the process, though, he planted seeds of concern. Some senators were left with the impression that the White House still does not recognize the scope of the Iraq dilemma. Worse yet, they see the president running out the clock until April, when a depleted U.S. military can be blamed for the fiasc

This Week... on ABC Sunday

Katrina VandenHeuvel, Editor of The Nation, has an interesting nutshell for why the GOP doesn't have anyone very happy with their Prez candidates:

Look at the debate we had a few weeks ago. You had Democrats debating what was the best national healthcare plan they could offer the country and you had Republicans debate which method of torture would be best employed if they could bring in Jack Bauer.

video here.

people seem to prefer solutions to problems affecting their lives over new ways to mis-manage a terror threat made worse by bush. Again, i have to say, don't elect people that HATE the government and expect them to do a good job RUNNING the government.

Have you Seen SiCKO?

Well, I haven't seen Michael Moore's new movie, but Blue Cross Blue Shield has. their thoughts?

“You would have to be dead to be unaffected by Moore’s movie…”

“If popular, the movie will have a negative impact on our image in this community.” — Barclay Fitzpatrick, Vice President of Corporate Communications, Capital BlueCross

(From their own internal memo!)

In case you Didn't Know Already

The President tossed Scooter Libby's prison sentence. what's a little cover-up for traitors among friends?

A Slow, Hour Long Death...

OK, I watched the Soprano's Series finale tonight. I'm a fan. i've watched and enjoyed every season. Every episode. This last (bifurcated) season has been the worst by far. We spend the first 1/2 of the season watching Tony in his dreamworld, wandering through meaningless crap. the rest of the season gives us the end/final direction of all the major players. each one handled as if it were an afterthought. Nothing, and i mean NOTHING has been handled on par with the handling of any of the other characters, on any of the other episodes, on any of the other seasons. I could have taken any of the possible resolutions or final direction(s) for the characters on this series. What i got was an answer to nothing. my cable could have been cut off during the show (and it seemed like it was at the end!) and i would have had not missed a thing. As a matter of fact, if i missed this episode completely it would have not mattered at all.

the acting and story were actually decent. For a series finale...for a series of this magnitude...? worthless.

The Last Straw?

I've grown more and more angry with the state of the Mississippi Democratic Party, often my problem is with particular people. I don't mind if someone makes a stupid move, but some operate with a sheer stupidity that topples other, good democrats in their wake.

A few democrats have sued in federal court to address the NON-EXISTENT problem of voter dilution when Republicans cross over to vote in Democratic Primaries. As a result, this week, a federal judge has ruled that (by 2008) we must have a party registration system AND a voter ID system. The Republicans were not involved with this suit, but should be VERY happy by this result. Our current system requires you to vote in one primary (GOP or Democrat), but not both. this paired with the very large number of democratic officials elected locally (by far, the majority) has the effect of bringing more attention, support, and money into the Democratic Party. With the new registration process, it would be impossible to gain any more in these areas, but rather we can be guaranteed a deduction. More importantly, this opens the door for GOP growth in local/county elections where they have been helpless thus far. Party building this is not. Its like introducing loyalty oaths without any reward for that loyalty.

AND, leave it to these Democratic IDIOTS to deliver what no elected GOP official could over the last decade or more: Voter ID. This made up voter fraud issue is a hallmark of GOP suppression attempts has been delivered by the democrats themselves. This is the sort of thing that has very much tempted me to abandon Democratic Party politics in Mississippi. i say "tempted" because many of the GOP around here remain some of the most loathsome, destructive human beings I've met within this state's borders.

That last one really bothers me a lot. I've spent a great deal of my time and energy working against voter suppression tactics in this state, and to have a group of democrats do some of the very damage that I've worked to protect against for years may just be unforgivable. if you haven't already clicked the link in the above paragraph, here it is again. you REALLY should read about what has been going on across this country over the last decade in an attempt to suppress lawful voters.

Diamond Dogs Do It!!

My beloved bulldogs are headed to the College Baseball World Series!! It is their second time to make it to Omaha for the CWS in 9 years. It also seems a bit of a Cinderella story as State wasn't previously ranked in the top 25 (only briefly, earlier in the season). PLUS. they had lost eight of their last 10 games heading into postseason tournaments. However, after that we've gone 5-0, beating super duper national sensation Florida State at their home in Tallahassee. This latest win marks our second come from behind/make me throw up with anxiety win against Clemson. right on!!

In other news, LAME Ole Miss collapsed in the 9th inning, unable to advance.

Alabama Fistfight.

It seems that a Republican in the Alabama Senate punched a democrat. Later he admitted to being an idiot.

For $350 you can help a needy jew get to israel

I was watching TV in a hotel tonight. actually, it was just in the background, when i heard the phrase above. I watched this infomercial, basically raising money to get jews to Israel. it was just really bizarre. funniest part? they made a big deal that you could help a jew get to israel for $350, but--now get this--you can get TWO jews to Israel for a mere $700. At that price, it's two for the price of TWO! yeah!

Morgue Data Show Increase In Sectarian Killings in Iraq

OK, here's what we have to consider:
since the surge, there are now more dead US soldiers. not just in total number, but in the rate that they are occurring.
Pairing that with the link above, you can see the sectarian violence/civil war is getting more and more deadly.

So...is this a failure of the 'surge' policy, or is this the natural result when violent people come in conflict with an increased military/law enforcing presence?

What an Approprite Way to Go

If you haven't heard, Jerry Falwell died today.

...of a bowel obstruction.

In an attempt to overcome the worst in my nature, i will limit my comments to that above.

A Residual Problem

When you attack nations that have no WMD's (Claiming they do), and avoid nations that actually HAVE WMD's, the message becomes clear. Get WMDs for real and you won't be attacked. Iran appears to have figured out how to properly enrich uranium.

Breaking News!

It appears that I may be on the CBS Evening news (Friday?) for my work with children trying to get medicaid coverage (and our resulting high infant mortality rate). more later...

28

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have hit bottom. at least 6 months ago i predicted that Bush would never dip lower in the polls than 28%. We've not hit that basement. at the time I felt that no matter how bad or inept it got, this president would still enjoy a minimal amount of blind devotion that has been cultivated for the last 15 or so years. While even that has its limits, i saw (and see) 28% as the limit. If there is any substantive drop in approval from this point, it will be more than just trouble for the president. If there is a real drop paired with a serious revelation of wrongdoing or real heinous activity...if that pair appears, you can expect serious talk of impeachment.

If i could meet...

About 10 years ago, i first started to get the notion that i'd like to meet someone famous. I've had heroes and bands and actors, etc. all my life. I've never really had any real desire to MEET anyone. sure i'd be glad to meet Harrison Ford when i was in 2nd grade, but i never really thought "I WISH i could meet so and so".

...Until about 10 years ago.

I'd moved to New Orleans and realized that my favorite band, Elastica, was broken up (essentially) and I'd never seen them live. more to the point, they'd played live in New Orleans, a mere few hours from where i was living as a fan, and it never occurred to me to even go see them. Now I can't. it just seemed so stupid of me. I was sitting there thinking I'd like to SEE some of these people i like. maybe even MEET them. i mean, why not? I could maybe even MEET someone i liked. Just then I realized it would be GREAT to see Sinatra. within a year he was dead.

A few years later I found Hunter S. Thompson. i started reading any and everything i could get my hands on when it comes to HST. It came to my head, you know, I could maybe even MEET Hunter Thompson. It may be a real disappointment. It might take a TON of effort or planning, but I could arrange something and maybe just say "Hi" or "I like your work". I wanted to have that some contact. It was strange to see that, but it felt nice to say 'why not'? Maybe it would not be meaningful, but rather it would be a way to touch something that was important to me or see it in front of me in a way that was immediate. That it wasn't a radio wave beamed to my world from across a continent. These things had never really occured to me.

a year or 2 later he was dead too.

I've seen a few people that meant something to me in the last few years. Now I've figured out someone else. John Waters. It isn't even that I'm a die hard fan of his movies (though i do like them). It's just every time i see him do an interview, I cannot help but finding interest or connection in some way (often related to how he views Baltimore). Anyway, just a thought. hopefully I can meet him before he's dead (i have a bad track record here). He seems pretty personable.

Hey, i have friends in Baltimore. maybe i could buy him a cup of coffee...?

More Fetus Fealty

Not much of a comment from me on this (See below), but follow the link above and see a great article by one of my favorite legal columnists, Dahlia Lithwick. She delivers a very interesting read on the recent abortion case decided by the Supreme Court. here's a snip:

And then Kennedy quickly returns to the business of grossing us out. With a stirring haiku about how "respect for human life finds an ultimate expression in the bond of love the mother has for her child," the justice interpolates himself between every one of those mothers and every child she might ever bear. Without regard for the women who feel they made the right decision in terminating a pregnancy, he frets for those who changed their minds. ("It seems unexceptionable to conclude some women come to regret their choice to abort the infant life they once created and sustained.") (The "infant," not the "fetus.") As both the dissenters and my colleague Emily Bazelon

have pointed out, this portrayal of a rampant epidemic of regretful women may or may not be scientifically accurate. (The American Psychological Association doesn't think so.) But even if the numbers of women who would truly choose differently if they could choose again are larger than most of the medical literature indicates, one might question whether such women should be the pole star of national abortion policy.

Nobody disputes that whether or not they decide to go through with an abortion, women face a heart-wrenching choice. But for Kennedy only those women who regret the decision to abort illuminate some deeper truth. And Kennedy's solution for these flip-flopping women is elegant. Protect them from the truth. "Any number of patients facing imminent surgical procedures would prefer not to hear all details," he concedes. "It is, however, precisely this lack of information concerning the way the fetus will be killed that is of legitimate concern to the state." In Kennedy's view, if pregnant women only knew how abhorrent the procedure was, they'd always opt to avoid it. But as Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg points out in dissent, Kennedy doesn't propose giving women more information about partial-birth abortion procedures. He says it's up to the Congress and the courts to substitute their judgment and ban the procedures altogether. ("I'm sorry Bianca, there is a procedure out there that may be safer for you, but some day, you will thank me for sparing you from it.")

Posturing for the Fetus

Have you heard of "partial birth abortion"? well, that term is not a medical term. it's made up by abortion opponents so that they can have a strawman procedure to 'ban'. this gets the
public used to the idea of banning abortion procedures. the procedure is extremely rare and virtually never used as anything but a last result. More to the point, it is usually ONLY used when something is going seriously wrong.

The legislature has attempted to ban certain late term abortions, termed 'partial birth abortions', but always failed due to the unwillingness to include exceptions for the health of the mother. Even President Clinton said he would have signed off on the ban had the exceptions for the mother's life been made. Previously, the US Supreme Court struck down the laws because they always lacked this exemption. I have yet to see whether there are any preserved exemptions for the mother's life. if not, the court has just reversed itself.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court upheld the nationwide ban on a controversial abortion procedure Wednesday, handing abortion opponents the long-awaited victory they expected from a more conservative bench.

The 5-4 ruling said the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act that Congress passed and President Bush signed into law in 2003 does not violate a woman's constitutional right to an abortion.

The opponents of the act "have not demonstrated that the Act would be unconstitutional in a large fraction of relevant cases," Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in the majority opinion.

The decision pitted the court's conservatives against its liberals, with President Bush's two appointees, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito, siding with the majority.

Justices Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia also were in the majority.

It was the first time the court banned a specific procedure in a case over how - not whether - to perform an abortion.

RIP Kurt Vonnegut

One of the Giants in literature has died. Click and read. I don't think i'd do him justice here today.

One More Cook for the Stew?

from the Washington Post:

The White House wants to appoint a high-powered czar to oversee the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with authority to issue directions to the Pentagon, the State Department and other agencies, but it has had trouble finding anyone able and willing to take the job, according to people close to the situation.

At least three retired four-star generals approached by the White House in recent weeks have declined to be considered for the position, the sources said, underscoring the administration's difficulty in enlisting its top recruits to join the team after five years of warfare that have taxed the United States and its military.

OK, it may just be me, but it seems that the real problem isn't that they can't find someone to the job. the problem is that they feel the need to have such a "Czar" in the first place. Think about it. we have 2 wars, so to speak, and evidently this is too much for the President, the Sec. of Defense, and the joint chiefs of staff? I'm sorry, but if we could manage WW1 and WW2 without a "Czar",but we cannot do the same now...? Well then, the Administration is simply finding new depths to its incompetence.

We were at the beach...Everybody had matching towels

I've had the song "Rock Lobster" (by the B-52s) in my head for weeks now. i think this is the culprit. I've been feeling sorta hypnotized, honestly.

I Got a Letter this Morning, How Do You Recon it Read?

...It said hurry hurry, cause that gal you love is dead.

Surge Report Card

A couple of months ago, there was a big uproar on whether to 'surge' more troops into Iraq. That surge is happening now. so, how well is it working out?

As expected.

More peaceful where the troops are. More dangerous where they aren't. Baghdad violence is down. deaths of US soldiers and Iraqi citizens outside Baghdad are up. How would you grade that?

D+

The Friday Dump

I heard the white house was gonna dump a bunch of new emails and records friday. this didn't bode well for them. they (anyone) dump the bad stuff on fridays because it means they don't have to put up with a week of news cycles chewing it up. it might, just might, slide away.

well, this one won't. Alberto, Mister "was not involved in any discussions about what was going on" Gonzales has now been revealed, through records, that he did approve the firing of the US Attorneys for political payback. the documents only came after the game was up. Gonzales' deputy had agreed to testify.

The sad, funny thing was that the records show the sad attempts they were making to justify the firings, and those all became the very same crappy talking points the Republicans have been using! immigration issues, voter fraud, etc. it's just pathetic. here's the quoted blueprint:

"The one common link here is that three of them are along the southern border so you could make the connection that DOJ is unhappy with the immigration prosecution numbers in those districts," Tasia Scolinos, a senior public affairs specialist at the Justice Department, told Catherine Martin, a White House communications adviser, in an e-mail.

If they want to operate the federal prosecutor office as a political arm of the GOP, they should just say so. it would have been so much easier than this. Are ANY of the policies untainted by deceit? any?

I guess this leaves me with one thing in my mind. is anything better for america after this presidency? seriously. anything?

Finally, to echo the faux concern and apprehension i heard ad nauseum during the Clinton years: with these lies, WHAT WILL WE TELL THE CHILDREN?!

Trouble Brewing?

You may have caught this story (Above link). 15 British marines were taken captive today after doing a routine inspection of an Iranian ship in the Persian Gulf. Upon completing their inspection, the men were surrounded by Iranian naval ships and taken into custody. The British are demanding their immediate release.

That's the story up to this moment.

Edwards Suspends His Campaign

In a bit of sad news, John Edwards has suspended his campaign for president. Sen. Edwards cites the return of his wife's cancer. It appears that the cancer has spread to her lungs. This may actually be the first step to ending the campaign (the press conference is airing live as i type this, on hold with an insurance company and no where near a TV). I hate that they are going through such a terrible time and it would be even worse if the US loses its chance to have, what i consider, the best potential president without regard to party.

UPDATE!

Sen. John Edwards will stay in the race for President! GREAT NEWS!

Elections Have Consequences

This comes directly from crooksandliars.com:

During today's hearings on global warming, global warming denier James Inhofe was asking Al Gore questions, but didn't want to hear the answers because he thought the responses would take "too much time". Barbara Boxer then explained to Inhofe how things work in Senate now.

Download (13591) | Play (10519) Download (7515) | Play (8075)

Boxer: "You're not making the rules. You used to when you did this, you don't do this anymore. Elections have consequences"

As You May Have Heard...

Karl Rove and Harriet Miers have been called to testify about their role in dismissing US attorneys that were investigating and prosecuting Republicans. It has been said they'll be subpoenaed if they do not come forward.

Well, evidently, the White House will allow Rove and Miers to testify about the issue...as long as they aren't under oath, It is held behind closed doors, and no transcript can be kept! yeah right!

I have heard the firings are OK because they are political appointments of the president, thus they serve at his pleasure...well, that's only part of the picture. It CAN be done, but it doesn't mean you can hide the fact that these firings were done because the attorney's weren't helping to smear democrats and they were catching GOP crooks. The President has a right to make certain decisions, however, in this case, it wasn't HIM but rather his Attorney General calling the shots.

More to the point, the there is no right to lie before congress about what you did, and THAT is where this story gets them in trouble. The act would've gone away if they hadn't lied about the attorneys, smearing their names by saying they were 'no good'. These were REPUBLICAN appointees, i might add.

They just weren't crooked enough. Heh.

The Company You Keep

Chiquita (Bananas) Brands International has just plead guilty to funding Columbian terrorists in order to aid their domination of Fruit exports in the area. Guess who was also a major donor to the President and to Republicans at the time? At least the justice department got them. $25 million in fines are to be paid...i hear.

So, What's YOUR Mayor Doing?

View As Web Page

Mine gets arrested...again...for parole violations...from the last time he was arrested.

The violations were minor and really not a big deal, it seems to me. The problem is that he's so hell bent on 'fighting crime' that he doesn't pay all that much attention to the "Law". He was a guy that was pretty well liked, and still is, only now he's supremely polarizing and can barely get anything done because of it. what a waste.

From the Clarion Ledger:

Jackson Mayor Frank Melton turned himself in at Hinds County Detention Center, nearly a week after a judge issued a warrant for his arrest for allegedly violating terms of his probation and Melton checked into a hospital.

"It appears to me that he didn't have any choice," said Jackson resident Ayres Haxton. "You could just sit in the hospital indefinitely or turn himself in and let the chips fall where they may."

Strangely, the paper doesn't mention that Ayres is an attorney (and friend of mine).

My Delta, My Trip (part 1)

Last week I went to the Mississippi Delta and took a few pictures I wanted to share. It took me a little while to transfer the photos, so this post is a little behind. The delta roughly runs from Memphis to Vicksburg (north to south). it extends from the Mississippi River to west, about 20 miles short of I-55 to the east, basically The Yazoo River. It is said that the Delta stretches from the Lobby of the Peabody Hotel in Memphis to "Catfish Row" in Vicksburg. I say that's about as good a geographical line as I can dream up.

There's a history and connection to New Orleans, in part because of the cotton going down river. In some ways it's from the connection of the river, but more than that it's a history of the money moving up and down the river from those cotton fields to the markets down in New Orleans. It has come to shape a great deal of my thought and tastes. where i went to law school, the tastes I tend to have, even the language I like to hear. To this day, i recall more of the French I learned in a short stretch of time than any of the Spanish I learned living in Mexico.

I digress. My hometown is Clarksdale. It's somewhat ground zero for the Delta and The Blues and all the good and bad that's Mississippi. see this picture of the corner of a building? This was the first apartment my parents had. The building cuts a diagonal, a triangle across a corner downtown. it's the bus station for the Greyhound Line. If you look at that last door leading to the corner, you're seeing my parent's first front door. It was a tiny apartment attached to the station where my father worked. SPACIOUS! heh.

Ann Coulter and that Great CPAC Class.

In case you haven't heard already, Ann Coulter called John Edwards a "faggot" while on state at the CPAC (conservative political action committee). This instance, once again, disappoints because there never seems to be any repercussion for any comment this woman makes. who gets to say these things without repercussion...i mean as a political 'commentator'. oh well. anyway, that's not the disappointing part. click the link above and watch the video. the real shame is the reaction of the crowd. 3 cheers for a slur! CPAC shows its class.

No, I Don't Think You FULLY Understand.

This from Salon.com. A little running theme, or rather, a go-to answer for whatever is being screwed up this week:

At Lil Dizzy's Café in New Orleans Thursday, George W. Bush said: "I fully understand that there are frustrations and I want to know the frustrations. And to the extent we can help, we'll help."

It sounded a little familiar to us, and now we know why: Say what you will about the president's intellectual capabilities, the man fully understands an awful lot of things.

Among them:

Education: "I fully understand that if you read your newspaper articles -- which I do sometimes -- and listen carefully, you'll hear voices in both parties saying they don't like No Child Left Behind: It's too much testing, or, we don't want to be held to account, or whatever they say. The bill is working. It makes a lot of sense."

How Iraq would turn out: "I fully understand the consequences of what we're doing. We're changing the world. And the world will be better off and America will be more secure as a result of the actions we're taking."

How Iraq will turn out: "I told the American people I fully understand there are differences of opinion. But one of the things I have discovered is, in Washington, D.C., most people understand the consequences of failure."

Immigration: "I fully understand the need for there to be simplicity in the documentation. It needs to be easy for somebody who is known and a person that is -- makes a living on the other side of the border. There's -- a lot of kids go to college in, like, El Paso, Texas, and they're living in Mexico, so they've got to go back and forth on a regular basis. So I'm familiar with this issue a lot, and I really do emphasize the need for us to be mindful of what a onerous program could mean to good relations, as well as facilitation of trade."

The price of war: "I fully understand the consequences of making such a decision. I was at church yesterday in Twentynine Palms. In the pew that I was sitting in was a mother and stepfather grieving for a guy who lost his life. And I knew that I would have to deal with this as best as I possibly can."

The power of love: "And the other thing I want to do is to make sure that everybody can feel the great power of love. Again, I fully understand government's role is limited in love."

The job of the president: "I fully understand that as long as I'm the president I will face criticism. It's like part of the job."

The meaning of 9/11: "Listen, one of the interesting things about September the 11th that I want you to understand as we have this discussion is that I fully understand that for some, September the 11th was an important moment and a terrible moment -- and we appreciate the condolences of the people of the Netherlands -- but for us it was a change of attitude. I mean, it changed a lot about how I looked at the world, and a lot of Americans, it changed how they looked at the world. I mean, it was more than just an attack; it was a whole mind-set."

Cheeseheads: "As a matter of fact, I fully understand that right here in the state of Wisconsin, a lot of people are counting on the Social Security check."

Senior citizens: "I fully understand, and our government fully understands, many seniors don't want to change. They're not interested in change. And, therefore, what I'm telling you is, is that at least listen to what's available. You don't have to change if you don't want to, but at least be open-minded enough to listen."

The importance of being open-minded: "Look, I fully understand there is -- I guess, my reputation is, he sticks to his guns and -- it's a very legitimate question, do you ever kind of understand that maybe that you've got to be somewhat flexible?"

SCANDAL!!

It seems that Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell were caught making-out on tape. click above for the video.

ahem...

I'm a Mac...and I'm a PC

Check out this funny Japanese version of the series of Apple TV ads.

Oh Lordy...

I've lived in the same house since 2001. I've had a cat--or someone did--for years. Our cat is fixed. none-the-less, we have had an strange turn of events this week. Evidently a collection of cats are hoping to have an orgy in my back yard. I've never heard so many howling cats outside of a cartoon. its just been insane. I don't have anything clever to say about it...Its just insanity.

Great Cartoon

I thought this was pretty funny. Of course, I'm workers comp attorney.

Gen. Tommy Franks is an Idiot!

I don't think Gen. Tommy Franks catches enough grief over his role in the Iraq war. because his quick march into Baghdad was successful, everyone seemed to pat him on the back and level their blame at Rumsfeld. People forget how much Franks had to do with the planning and implementation of the war. As soon as the initial combat was over, Franks quickly retired and got out of the country. Like a guy punching a heavy weight champ in the face then darting out of sight so he can claim to his buddies "yeah, they champ couldn't even lay a hand on me..."

What he really did was avoid real planning, play for one inning, and leave like the game was won. It wasn't. He left the scene to do a victory lap and left his soldiers with the war he couldn't bring himself to plan for. They pull 3 tours of duty, bleed, and die.

He plays golf.

What a hero.

Read the link above to see a short article about the war for which he prepared our troops.

David Gates, Rest In Peace

Yesterday was a long, bad day. the final cut on a day filled with trouble and disappointment was the word I got just before lunch. My good friend David Gates was dead. David was the Executive Director of the Mississippi Trial Lawyers Association. He was my boss when I worked for that organization, but it never felt like it. He was always someone who worked to help me do my job. he was always a friend to me and very kind to me in some of the more difficult times in my life. He's one of the best people I've met in my profession (legal or political) and he is missed dearly.

Our Path to Persia

Let me walk you through our approach to war with Iran. I've talked about it briefly in the past on this site before. News on Iran has really been spreading out over the last week or so. Stories in Newsweek, Vanity Fair, and new Naval deployments seem to be pointing to an ominous picture.

Al-Qaeda works with Iran...right?

The Post has reported an interesting kink in the road to Iran. The Bush administration and their surrogates have for a while now played upon our limited understanding of the Middle East. It's easy to think of them as 'good' moderate Muslims and and 'bad' radical Muslims. It's easy and its wrong. it isn't as if the bad ones all just live in the places we don't care for (Iran, Syria, etc) and as if they conveniently match Sunni or Shiite in their 'home country'. Oh, and never mind where Al-Qaeda fit in all this. lets just make them pals with the Iranians or Iraqis or whomever is convenient to target.

This Al-Qaeda-Iran tie has been bubbling out more and more by the Bush administration lately. some of us have been keeping one eyebrow cocked and wondering where this is heading. The Post report describes how the CIA was rushing reports of the Iranian government arresting Al-Qaeda operatives as they were tying to enter Iraq. This came as at a time when Bush was preparing to publicly link Iranian leadership and Al-Qaeda before the UN in order to get the sanctions he seeks. This is a well worn path for us. Why make the point on its merits when we can just fabricate the facts to fit our plans?

It's a willingness to confuse getting what you want with getting what we need.

Um...That Might Do Him in Right There...

Mayor Giuliani, Mr. New York, it seems was married for 14 years to his second cousin. I'm sorry, but I'm more than a little pessimistic that a New Yorker who's Pro Choice, Pro Gun Control, Pro Gay Rights, and once married to his 2nd cousin will somehow win the GOP nomination. If he does, then you'll officially see the fall of the religious right from the heights of their 2004 theocracy.

So Now We Know...Again.

(AP) A "very damning" report by the Defense Department's inspector general depicts a Pentagon that purposely manipulated intelligence in an effort to link Saddam Hussein to al-Qaida in the runup to the U.S. invasion of Iraq, says the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The Pentagon announces what we all knew in the first place. The office of the President knowingly fabricated the evidence that lead us to war. If he was a Democrat he would be impeached.

Kofi and Condi Sitting in a Tree...

Law Humor

Just in Case

You know where the Second Navy Carrier Group is? Off the coast of Iran, of course! I mean, you never know when you might need to expand a war.

It RETURNS!

My favorite political cartoonist over at The Daily Scribble has returned. find the link above and to the right.

Payoff?

The big UN Climate change report is out, and i won't bore you with that. Global warming is real and if you think that's wrong, go sit in the corner. (dunce hat is waithing) THAT'S NOT THE REAL NEWS!! the real news is that one of the Bush-connected think tanks, THE AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE, has been taking millions in cash from Exxon/Mobile and converting it into $10,000 payoffs (plus expenses!) to scientists that can help them undermine global warming research! It's the old 'smoking doesn't hurt you' scientists with a modern spin! this time, not only do we see how much their payoff is, we have a presidential administration working hand-in-hand.

charming.

Quote of the Week

Is George Bush a "good man in difficult circumstances trying to do the right thing?"
"No," Edwards said. "He is not."

A friend of mine pointed out the article above and she was a little dismayed at how strongly John Edwards spoke about Hillary Clinton, Barrak Obama, and George W. Bush. Not me. it couldn't have said what he did any better. He flatly held some folks accountable for their talk and actions. More to the point, he spoke in a way that cut through the chosen-by-committee words that Obama and Hillary use. All too safe to have meaning. I found the whole (short) article refreshing, and i never feel refreshed here lately.

Molly Ivins, Dead at 62

Molly was a progressive Texan who transcended the Left/Right, Liberal/Conservative labels. In an age where people want you neatly into one of two camps, easily identified by a bumper sticker, she truly was 'neither'. I admired her writing and her honesty. I've often used her as an inspiration on this site.

RIP.

Glorious

Yeah...

I could watch this for an hour.

You Know Its Bad for the President...

...when this is quote of the day from a Republican Senator:

"I don't think we've ever had a coherent strategy. In fact, I would even challenge the administration today to show us the plan that the president talked about the other night. There is no plan.... There is no strategy. This is a ping-pong game with American lives." (video link above)

Christian Contemporary Music

28%

Bush hit a 28% approval rating in a cbs poll this week. this was my estimate at least a year ago as to what his bottom would be. it could... mathematically be impossible to go lower than that. well, he did it. the mortar is set. we've seen the worst president of all time set in stone in our time. i will believe that for a long time to come.

The Ole Switcheroo!

I'll bet a slice of king cake that you didn't know that the patriot act now lets the president install new US Attorneys without Senate oversight or approval. What's even more interesting is that over a dozen US attorneys have been axed and replaced in the last week or so, all of which are involved in active investigations of GOP members of congress, war profiteering, or illegal lobbying. Would you feel any better if some of the new appointees are being disbursed to the home states of leading Democratic presidential hopefuls?

i'm sure it's all completely innocent.

So THAT is What You Do...!

You know it's sorta embarrassing when the president gets caught with a crook. you know, like when that someone is a felon convicted of exchanging money for political access. i mean dozens of visits.

That could be embarrassing. so what do you do when that happens? you make them disappear! hey, its just like it never happened. From the AP:

The White House and the Secret Service quietly signed an agreement last spring in the midst of the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal declaring that records identifying visitors to the White House complex are not subject to public disclosure….

Bush Doesn't Need You Playing Armchair Quarterback. He Listens to the Troops on the Ground

...Or that's what he says at least. So what's the game plan when the "surge" he wants can't be done? More to the point, what about the larger, wholesale escalation Sen. John McCain wants?

Why do I ask? because (OOPS!) the state department leaked that we only had 9,000 to spare. Everyone calling for more than that either needs to start explaining how we do it or just be written off as making things up as they go along.

Interesting Twist

As you may have heard, Keith Ellison--the first muslim ever elected to congress--will be sworn in this month. the normal swearing in ceremony does not involved a hand on the bible or any other book (as you may have heard or guessed). In a private, separate ceremony, he will be sworn in with his hand on the Koran. this has caused fellow representative Virgil Goode of Virginia (Republican if you had to ask) to lose his mind over the issue. He's taken it as a personal affront to the fabric and foundation of the nation itself in several rambling comments, letters, and articles.

Well, in an interesting twist, the swearing on the Koran ceremony will have a Virginia connection. the book used will actually be the one owned by Thomas Jefferson. No word yet from Goode if Thomas Jefferson's owning of the Koran is also an attack upon...himself!?

I like loud idiots. they're easier to pick out.

Lord Above...

Tara Reid (video above) somehow managed to mess up the countdown to new years. repeatedly. It's pretty bad when you mess up counting...a half dozen times.

We Don't Like Our Own Medicine

Back in 2004, the Democrats submitted a "House Minority Bill of Rights" to the Republicans. This was to ensure a minimal level of allowed participation by the minority party in the Congress. It was summarily rejected. Now, a little over 2 years later the Republicans are out of power...and what do you know? They've come to the Democrats with the very same proposal submitted (and rejected) previously by their own party.

It's interesting how it feels with the shoe on the other foot.

You've Got Tricks You Ain't Never Used...

I think the first time i ever heard 'Wrap It Up" was in the mid 80s when THE FABULOUS THUNDERBIRDS covered the tune. It was a great song and i had no idea it was a cover of the SAM & DAVE classic from Stax. about 10 or 15 years later I heard Sam & Dave do it and it just gets better. I'm somewhat taken aback by the groove and the tone of the song. It's boastful, but really not in the bragging way you'd expect. Instead of a plea for attention or a demand that a boast be recognized, it goes another direction. It seems to say WE are so good that we belong together. As if to say "As good as I am and as good as you KNOW you are, what are we even TALKING about here. We should be together (baby)".

One of my favorite soul songs. let me know if you don't have it.