Maron V. Seder Tomorrow

Maron v. Seder cannot wait!

Americans are the only people I know who believe their own propaganda.

– Deborah Eisenberg, American writer

*Ewe*-nited States of Umerica?

Get it?

Ewe.. :-)

Maybe my blood sugar is low or something.

Never mind...

Go Edwards!

Dear Annette,

Two races down. Forty-eight states left to go. Today, 1% of Americans have voted -- 99% have not.

And those 99% deserve to have their voices heard, because I have met too many Americans whose voices have not been heard in this democracy.

That's what this battle is all about -- and it's why I'm asking you to continue standing with me as we take this fight all the way to the Democratic convention and then on to the White House.

We stand at a crossroads in American history -- and we know what needs to be done. The only question is whether we have the backbone, the will, and the determination to go there. I want to be clear: I intend to be the nominee of our party.

That's why I'm asking you -- and your family and friends -- to continue with us in this campaign to create the kind of America all of us believe in. And as we do so, the millions of unheard voices in our country will finally be heard.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

John
January 9, 2008

cute, Annette. Real cute...

(rememeber when Donny used to say that to Marie..)

:)

Domestic Surveillance ! ?

By Dan Eggen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, January 10, 2008; 5:49 PM

The FBI, which has had trouble keeping track of its guns and laptops, also has a chronic problem paying its phone bills on time, according to audit results released today.

Telephone companies have repeatedly cut off FBI wiretaps of alleged terrorists and criminal suspects because of failures to pay telecommunication bills, the audit found.

The report by Justice Department Inspector General Glenn A. Fine also found that more than half of the nearly 1,000 telecommunications bills reviewed by investigators were not paid on time, including one invoice for $66,000 at one unidentified field office.

"Late payments have resulted in telecommunications carriers actually disconnecting phone lines established to deliver surveillance results to the FBI, resulting in lost evidence," Fine wrote in a seven-page summary of the audit's findings.

The report identified one case in which an order obtained under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act -- which covers clandestine wiretaps of terrorism and espionage suspects -- was halted because of "untimely payment."

The audit is the latest in a string of reports from Fine's office over the past seven years to detail chronic financial and inventory management problems at the bureau, including a persistent failure to account for hundreds of guns and laptop computers.

Con't-WaPo

"Hello to our friends and fans in domestic surveillance."

http://www.blip.tv/file/520347

:-)

I had a crush on Jimmy.

"I'll be your long haired lover from Liverpool and I'll do anything you ask..."

-Lyrics from a Jimmy Osmond song.. :)

Sir Edmund Hillary, the unassuming beekeeper who conquered
Mount Everest to win renown as one of the 20th century's
greatest adventurers, has died, New Zealand Prime Minister
Helen Clark announced Friday. He was 88.

by Andi Novick and Sally Castleman Page 1 of 1 page(s)
http://www.opednews.com

At best there is “uncertainty” about the reported outcomes of the NH primary. Undoubtedly many other articles in this issue of OpEd News will be discussing them.

What we do know is that once again some doubt is being cast on the viability of machine counting of our votes. We believe it is time for us, the citizens of our nation, to take the actions that our ‘leaders’ have been refusing to take.

We are entitled to honest, transparent elections with appropriate checks and balances that the oblique processes of a computer prevent.

It is time for us to build our own corps of citizen counters. WE will count the ballots on election night. We propose that we, the people, sign up to count ballots on election night after the polls close. Much like jury duty, only one needs to commit for only 4 hours.

Our proposal is to hand count the federal races, which is never more than 3 races – President, Senator (some years), Representative. Calculation shows that only 1 in 4 citizens will ever be needed just once in their lifetime for a 4-hour stint to fulfill this highest order civic duty. Some, of course, may choose to do it more often.

Every team of counters would have a representative of at least two different parties. Citizens would be vetted, just as they are before being chosen to sit on a jury.

We urge anyone interested in learning more or anyone ready to sign up for the “I COUNT” corps, to sign up at info@ElectionDefenseAlliance.org. We will send you more details.

Andi Novick & Sally Castleman
Election Defense Alliance

Take action --Click Here to contact your local newspaper or congress people:
We the People are Here to Count our Elections. We are entitled to count our ballots on election night at the polling sites so that we can know, not trust, the official results.

Con't-Link
"Hello to our friends and fans in domestic surveillance."

"Hello to our friends and fans in domestic surveillance."

Rah Rah!

Sadly 11a.m. est is 8a.m. pst. :( Toooooooo early for me.

============
Listening to Sammy since March 31, 2004

Submitted by pam on Thu, 01/10/2008 - 7:32pm.
Sadly 11a.m. est is 8a.m. pst. :( Toooooooo early for me.
----------
Pam: Up at the crack of brunch.

Link

"Hello to our friends and fans in domestic surveillance."

Kucinich asks for New Hampshire recount in the interest of election integrity

DETROIT, MI – Democratic Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich, the most outspoken advocate in the Presidential field and in Congress for election integrity, paper-ballot elections, and campaign finance reform, has sent a letter to the New Hampshire Secretary of State asking for a recount of Tuesday’s election because of “unexplained disparities between hand-counted ballots and machine-counted ballots.”

“I am not making this request in the expectation that a recount will significantly affect the number of votes that were cast on my behalf,” Kucinich stressed in a letter to Secretary of State William M. Gardner. But, “Serious and credible reports, allegations, and rumors have surfaced in the past few days…It is imperative that these questions be addressed in the interest of public confidence in the integrity of the election process and the election machinery – not just in New Hampshire, but in every other state that conducts a primary election.”

Also, the reports, allegations, and rumors regarding possible vote-count irregularities have been further fueled by the stunning disparities between various “independent” pre-election polls and the actual election results," Kucinich wrote. "The integrity, credibility, and value of independent polling are separate issues, but they appear to be relevant in the context of New Hampshire’s votes."

He added, “Ever since the 2000 election – and even before – the American people have been losing faith in the belief that their votes were actually counted. This recount isn’t about who won 39% of 36% or even 1%. It’s about establishing whether 100% of the voters had 100% of their votes counted exactly the way they cast them.”

Kucinich, who drew about 1.4% of the New Hampshire Democratic primary vote, wrote, “This is not about my candidacy or any other individual candidacy. It is about the integrity of the election process.” No other Democratic candidate, he noted, has stepped forward to question or pursue the claims being made.

“New Hampshire is in the unique position to address – and, if so determined, rectify – these issues before they escalate into a massive, nationwide suspicion of the process by which Americans elect their President. Based on the controversies surrounding the Presidential elections in 2004 and 2000, New Hampshire is in a prime position to investigate possible irregularities and to issue findings for the benefit of the entire nation,” Kucinich wrote in his letter.

“Without an official recount, the voters of New Hampshire and the rest of the nation will never know whether there are flaws in our electoral system that need to be identified and addressed at this relatively early point in the Presidential nominating process,” said Kucinich, who is campaigning in Michigan this week in advance of next Tuesday’s Presidential primary in that state.

http://www.dennis4president.com/go/homepage-items/kucinich-asks-for-new-...

Shocker: Top Editors at 'Politico' Admit They -- And Others -- Have Screwed Up Campaign Coverage

Editor&Publisher

NEW YORK The two top editors of the newspaper Politico and Politico.com -- each a former top Washington Post reporter -- admit the "horse race" coverage of the current campaign has gotten totally out of hand, in the wake of New Hampshire.

A piece by John Harris and Jim VandeHei at politico.com is titled "Why reporters get it wrong" and includes terms like "Whoops" and "D'oh." They chastize the reliance on polls, the deadening "echo chamber," and claim reporters actively root for candidates to make things interesting. They promise to do better.

It closes: "Things are not all bad. Politico is part of a broad, technology-inspired movement that has led to more open and more exhaustive coverage of this presidential race than ever before. A lot of that coverage is damn good. As far as what’s bad, there is generally one good answer to excesses and hype in political journalism: Respect the voters. That means waiting to find out what they really think."

Here is how it starts:

****

New Hampshire sealed it. The winner was Hillary Rodham Clinton, and the loser — not just of Tuesday's primary but of the 2008 campaign cycle so far — was us. "Us" is the community of reporters, pundits and prognosticators who so confidently — and so rashly — stake our reputations on the illusion that we understand politics and have special insight that allows us to predict the behavior of voters.

If journalists were candidates, there would be insurmountable pressure for us to leave the race. If the court of public opinion were a real court, the best a defense lawyer could do is plea bargain out of a charge that reporters are frauds in exchange for a signed confession that reporters are fools.

New Hampshire was jarring because it offered in highly concentrated form all the dysfunctions and maladies that have periodically afflicted political journalism for years........

DU, DailyKos, C&L and Americablog getting attention from media and Rush Limbaugh...

From Americablog.com to Crooks and Liars to several news blogs, readers posted their concerns – drawing the gleeful eye of conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh on Wednesday morning, who pointed to a debate raging on Democratic Underground.

That site, which has more than 100,000 registered users, was alive with debate throughout the day – mainly between Obama supporters and Clinton fans.

"Please come back to your senses," one commenter wrote. "What is most disturbing is the fact some people are accusing the fellow Democrats of fraud. Please, dear reasonable Obama supporter, tell those people to stop."

Some of the nation's most prominent bloggers sparred over the issue as well. Markos Moulitsas, who runs the popular site DailyKos, called the allegations "a load of bull" from "a bunch of cranks." Mr. Moulitsas, who has said he'll vote for Mr. Obama, also said it was typical of the blogosphere to host a "tiny minority" who pose "wild claims."

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/national/stori...

The Republican Debates are on Fox News now. You might want to tune in and see your next President in action. Well, unless Hillary takes it all in Nov!

During a dramatic press conference, Ned Flanders announced his unflinching support for Mike Huckabee:

Hi ho, pagans! I'm the happiest man in Springfield, yes siree. I have finally found a man among swine who will lead us to the promised land. Just six months ago, I was certain that we, as a country, we done diddly done for. Gone diggidy goners. I looked at the Democratic field of presidential candidates, and prayed that these devils in men's clothing (and a pant suit is a man's clothing) be delivered from us. And I looked at the sinful card of Republicans and asked, "Can I vote for these horrible creatures?" The answer was nopeity negatorium. I just can't dang diddly do dang darn doodly ding dang do it! My noggin was a floggin.

And then the hand of our Lord delivered to us an inspiration. The Hope from Hope. I looked at that man and shouted, "Hey diddly deedle. This man is my salvation!" And that's why I'm the happiest man in Springfield. It is with a song in my heart and crucifix in my pocket that I point with joy and give my hardy hearty ho ho support for Mike Hucka-bucka-ducka-bee.

You see, it’s really not that simple, and I resent, Ms. Steinem, the manner in which you pit race against gender in your op-ed. To your credit, you aim to avoid this juxtaposition, writing, “The caste systems of sex and race are interdependent and can only be uprooted together.” But the very premise of your piece (”Gender is probably the most restricting force in American life”) contradicts this cursory warning. Using Obama’s Iowa victory as evidence, you say, “Black men were given the vote a half-century before women of any race were allowed to mark a ballot, and generally have ascended to positions of power, from the military to the boardroom, before any women.”

But we both know that black Americans lacked any real political power until the Voting Rights and Civil Rights Acts of 1964. We both know that, even after this legislation, the political establishment subdues the black vote through gerrymandering, voter ID laws, felony disenfranchisement, and countless other measures aimed at silencing African-Americans. And we both know that race and gender are not independent of one another but are, rather, entirely interdependent. We know that Hillary might not have gotten to Wellesley or Yale Law or the White House had she been black. We know that the Civil Rights Movement led to serious conflicts over the role of women in its positions of power and respect, and that feminist movements have always led to questions of which women deserve which rights.

www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/01/10/6288

Sacrifice in the natural world

* Mothers in many animal species will risk injury and even death to protect their young. This is seen as a prime example of kin selection and can explain why people will tolerate their own children’s behaviour but not that of others.

* Many social animals demonstrate acts of altruism based on close kinship within the colony. The supreme form of altruism is seen in social insects, when individuals sacrifice their fertility and lay down their lives for the benefit of their fertile queen.

* Some species engage in what is known as reciprocal altruism, when an altruistic act is carried out in the expectation that it may be returned later on. Warning calls of birds in response to potential danger are thought to be an example of reciprocal atruism. The call puts the bird at higher risk, but it will benefit it
in the long run if others reciprocate.

www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/01/10/6297/

Thanks for that link ghettodefender. I thought the author of the piece showed great insight, however, she may change her argument after she graduates from college and finds herself in a job being paid less than her male counterparts and she's twice as qualified.

Still though, little good is accomplished without controversy, and I love a good liberal arguments that raise, rather than lower, the level of debate.

Obama is surely stirring up the kids a lot more than Clinton....that's a good thing imho.

___
brr
☯

Palestinians indifferent to Bush visit
Ynetnews, Israel - 15 hours ago
-----
Poll: Israelis skeptical Bush visit can advance peace talks
Jerusalem Post, Israel - 15 hours ago
-----
Bush-backed peace will be a hard sell
Canada.com, Canada - 12 hours ago
-----
How can President George W. Bush help bring peace to the Middle East?
Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom - 14 hours ago
-----
Bush 'vision' sees peace in Holy Land
The Age, Australia - 13 hours ago
-----
On the spot: Bush visit fails to spark interest
Times Online, UK - 9 hours ago
-----
Gaffe overshadows Bush visit
Aljazeera.net, Qatar - 8 hours ago
-----
Pessimism in the streets of Jerusalem's Old City
Washington Times, DC - 2 hours ago
-----
OU rejects Bush's Jerusalem claim
Jewish Telegraphic Agency, NY - 3 hours ago
------------------------------
It looks like the twenty-two percent in the U.S.A. who approve of George Bush's performance comprise the totality of his supporters on the entire planet.

Is anyone surprised?

The readers' comments following many of the articles are more damning than the headlines.

is in the the bottom of the ninth, with no one on, two outs and the batter has a full count.

Swing and a miss!

___
brr
☯

This just in ....Alert the Media ...

White House Predicts ‘Remarkable Shift’: Bush Will Leave Office With 45 Percent Approval

I predict 99.44% will approve Bush leaving.

The Amazing Criswell Chew

But the mystery remains of where the voice that apparently threatened to bomb the US ships came from. The Pentagon has said that it recorded the film and the sound separately, and then stitched them together - a dubious piece of editing even before it became known that the source of the voice could not, with certainty, be linked to the Iranian patrol boats.

A post on the New York Times news blog yesterday from a former naval officer with experience of these waters said that the radio frequency used in the Strait of Hormuz was regularly polluted with interfering chatter, somewhat like CB radio. "My first thought was that the 'explode' comment might not have come from one of the Iranian craft, but some loser monitoring the events at a shore facility."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/iran/story/0,,2239119,00.html

"Bush Will Leave Office With 45 Percent Approval"
Submitted by Cat Chew on Thu, 01/10/2008 - 10:05pm.
I predict 99.44% will approve Bush leaving.

The Amazing Criswell Chew
----------
I am humbled. Again.

The break-up of the union now appears inevitable

With nationalism on the rise in every corner, 2008 will see the UK stretched to breaking point. Yet still Westminster is oblivious

Iain Macwhirter
Thursday January 10, 2008
The Guardian

Gordon Brown's acknowledgment on Tuesday that 2008 will be "an important year for the union" was an understatement. It will be crucial. Who could have forecast 12 months ago that Britain would be starting 2008 with nationalist parties in power, or sharing it, in all three devolved administrations? Last year was supposed to have been a celebration of the 300th anniversary of the Act of Union. In fact it was about dismantling it: the SNP is now running Holyrood; Plaid Cymru is in coalition with Labour in Cardiff; and the nationalist Sinn Féin shares power with the DUP in Stormont. It is the unionist nightmare come true: a separatist clean sweep.

The rise of provincial nationalism was by far the most significant political development in Britain in the last year - far more important than the election-that-never-was, or the change of personnel at No 10. Brown is intending to pursue largely the same political and social agenda as his predecessor, but he will soon discover that large parts of the UK are now resistant to it.

Already, Scotland has a range of distinctive social policies - free personal care, free higher education, free prescriptions - some of which have aroused resentment in the south. But this is only the start. In 2008 the nationalist first minister, Alex Salmond, intends to scrap the council tax and replace it with a local income tax - a move that will cause disquiet among English pensioners. Salmond has the powers and the votes to do it, and has already frozen council tax in Scotland.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0%2C%2C2238153%2C00.html#article...

Just watched "Bolivar's Heir," interviews Greg Pallast conducted with Hugo Chavez,on LinkTV, instead of the Rethug comedy. Chavez just dead-on, and hilarious,on the legacy of Bush. Compares Bush and American capitialism to a desperate Dracula facing extinction at dawn.

Damn. I just realized that I don't know what color our threat level is.

How can I read as much as I read and not know what color our threat level is? How else can I know if I should be blissfully shopping or hurriedly duct taping plastic onto my walls?

Is it Orange? Fuchsia? Ochre? And what do they mean?

or maybe the world.
Watching Fred Thompson now: "We need to be nation of high fences, and closed gates..."

Amazing platfrom.

watching a fascist Fox focus group discuss the debate. Thompson won according to them. They liked those fence comments.

http://www.dhs.gov/xinfoshare/programs/Copy_of_press_release_0046.shtm
----------
As it turns out, the Threat Level is Yellow, i.e. Elevated.

Apparently it's elevated from Blue.

Yellow = All Americans should continue to be vigilant, take notice of their surroundings, and report suspicious items or activities to local authorities immediately [Chubby Bubba, for instance].

Everyone should establish an emergency preparedness kit [Duct tape and plastic!] and emergency plan for themselves and their family, and stay informed about what to do during an emergency [Read "My Pet Goat"].

That's one of the joys of living in NYC -

orange today

orange tomorrow

and we shop AND carry our duct tape with us!! :)

Submitted by danielifearn on Fri, 2008-01-11 00:17

I mailed a postcard to the Speaker of the House, Madame Nancy Pelosi, on 17 December 2007. Twenty-five (25) days later it was returned to me.

The United States Postal Service indicates that the postcard was "REFUSED". I sent it to the address listed on the contact page of the official web site of the Speaker of the House.

Why did the Speaker's office refuse my postcard? Because I dared to remind the Speaker of her oath of office?

"Please remember you took an oath of office to support and defend the Constitution. That oath doesn't mean only when convenient or if it get me elected."

Or, has the hubris of the Imperial Presidency rubbed off on the leader of what was once known as the "People's House'? Do we now have to deal with a UNITARY EXECUTIVE in the Congress as well as in the White House?

Long ago, in my innocence, I urged people to vote and to write to their representatives. Somewhere along the line in my political education, I became informed enough to realize my representatives didn't want to see my position papers. They didn't even want to see an envelope from me. I started sending one sentence statements of support or non-support on postcards. When the anthrax scare slowed down all communications with my elected officials; I congratulated myself on my foresight. Postcards, I reasoned, would be less likely to be assumed to be suspicious and more likely to make it to my representatives' offices in a reasonable amount of time.

What a fool I am. "REFUSED". I knew Bush doesn't give a rat's ass about my opinion, but I thought the Democrats..Pelosi would at least go through the motions of representative democracy. I WAS WRONG.

And now I'm wondering if my vote will count. It's seems likely that it won't. It seems likely that no matter who I vote for, my ballot will have absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election. Will it be Hillary? Will it be Obama? McCain? Who knows? I don't. But, I believe the corporations and the top 1% do.

If you are interested in what was on the front of the postcard Nancy Pelosi refused, you'll find it here.

Con't-afterdowningstrett.org

"Hello to our friends and fans in domestic surveillance."

...A book for kids and adults to counter the terrifying messages transmitted in the name of the “War on Terror.” In an age of yellow, orange, and red terror alerts, let's draw attention to the myriad people of different colors and cultures who are living peaceful and meaningful lives. 32 pages, softcover, illustrated. $9

http://www.blowyouup.com/

I Don't Want To Blow You Up
Submitted by Alice on Thu, 01/10/2008 - 10:47pm.
-----------
An addiction management program for victims of sex doll obsession.

"Hello to our friends and fans in domestic surveillance."

Vee vant doo pomp YOU Opp!

Ya. Don't you be a girly man.

A joke too bad to print?

Newsreal Image
HOW SEN. JOHN McCAIN'S TASTELESS TWO-LINER ABOUT CHELSEA CLINTON AND JANET RENO WAS CENSORED OUT OF THE NATION'S LEADING NEWSPAPERS.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
BY DAVID CORN

During the last few months, many established media outlets have decided to report innuendo and rumor about the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, as long as they have a source they can cite (at least anonymously), or another media player has reported the same.

But this new standard in the practice of journalism seemingly does not extend to other political figures, at least not media darlings like Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. Earlier this month, at a Republican Senate fund-raiser, McCain told a downright nasty joke making fun of Janet Reno, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Chelsea Clinton.

The fact that McCain had made the tasteless joke was reported in major newspapers, as was the vain attempt by his press secretary to initially deny what McCain had done. But in several major newspapers, the joke itself was kept a secret. When McCain subsequently apologized to President Clinton, the Washington Post, in its personality section, noted the apology but said the joke "was too vicious to print."

The Los Angeles Times, in its Life & Style section, provided an oblique rendering of the joke that did not fully convey its ugliness. When Maureen Dowd penned a column in the New York Times about the joke, she wrote that McCain "is so revered by the press that his disgusting jape was largely nudged under the rug." But Dowd chose not to relay the joke, either.

The joke did appear in McCain's hometown paper, the Arizona Republic, and the Associated Press did report the joke in full, so everyone in the press had access to McCain's words. But by censoring themselves, the Post, the Times and others helped McCain deflect flak and preserved his status as a Republican presidential contender.

Salon feels its readers deserve the unadulterated truth. Though no tape of McCain's quip has yet emerged, this is what he reportedly said:

"Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly?
Because her father is Janet Reno."

The joke may be crude, but it pales in comparison with the published details surrounding the presidential sex scandal. McCain's two-liner conveys some interesting insights into what he considers humorous (lesbianism, a young woman's physical appearance), particularly since it was delivered to a Republican crowd. Remember, this is the party that champions pro-family values.

McCain's lapse in judgment -- admittedly, not as big a lapse as having a sexual relationship with an intern -- may be a significant clue into aspects of his "character," and thus relevant to the voting public. But many voters have been spared this insight, thanks to the censors in the press.

Accordingly, McCain is well-positioned to ride out this messy little episode. Ever since he started championing the anti-tobacco bill (which was torpedoed by his GOP comrades), McCain has been the White House's pet Republican on the Hill. Consequently, the White House played down his Chelsea remarks. McCain is also unusually popular with the media. He gives good quotes; he is outspoken. He takes positions that contradict the Republican leadership. When you talk to McCain, he converses in the manner of a real person, seemingly telling you what he thinks. That is rare among elected officials. Ask him a question and he does not shift into automatic-politician mode, as do most members of Congress.

The former Vietnam POW should escape this matter without serious political harm. In the inevitable magazine profiles of McCain that will be written, there will no doubt be the perfunctory line: "McCain's tendency to speak too freely was proven when he made a distasteful joke at a fund-raiser about the first family and then had to apologize to the president."

But the joke revealed more than a mean streak in a man who would be president. It also exposed how the Washington Post, New York Times and Los Angeles Times play favorites when reporting the foibles of our leading politicians.
SALON | June 25, 1998

David Corn, Washington editor of the Nation, is a regular contributor to Salon.

Events Planned for March 12-19, 2008, to Resist the U.S. Occupation of Iraq, Oppose New Wars, Demand Impeachment.

http://www.resistinmarch.org/

"Hello to our friends and fans in domestic surveillance."

Reminds me of Seinfeld. I live by that show...

Seinfeld: Have you ever noticed how nice people are to you when you're leaving? You walk in, they don't even acknowledge your existence. You go to leave, and they're smiling, holding the door for you, 'Oh, you're leaving? Goodbye! Have a nice day!"

This is not the time to sit on the sidelines and simply wish for change. Now is the time for people like you, who care about the future of this country, to stand up and make a contribution to John's campaign.

Click here to help.

USER NAV

I sang a thousand lullabies to him,
about magic and princesses and happiness under the full moon.
I danced with him through a thousand fairytales.
The only magic I have left is love.

Smoke and incense and mirrors have vanished,
I spin a web of hope to catch him.
I see wounds appearing for which I have no cure,
we are bruising ourselves against the walls of the labyrinth.
I stitch his heart to mine, his pain becomes my own.
~lu

http://www.stumbleupon.com/demo/?review=1#url=http://lucecorner.stumbleu...

http://www.samsedershow.com/node/2062

My heart bleeds for this poor woman and her boy.

Senators Push to Lift Restrictions Preventing Citizens From Carrying Firearms Onto Park Lands

MATTHEW DALY
AP News

Jan 10, 2008 16:11 EST

Nearly half the Senate is pushing the Bush administration to let gun owners carry handguns and other firearms into national parks and wildlife refuges.

Forty-seven lawmakers have signed a letter asking Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to lift Reagan-era restrictions that prevent citizens from carrying readily accessible firearms onto lands managed by the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

www.rawstory.com

I really like that picture. Here is one I did about 20 years ago feeling kinda like that.

USER NAV

--We Don't Want To Blow You Up
Submitted by Crank Bait on Thu, 01/10/2008 - 11:27pm.

Vee vant doo pomp YOU Opp!--

The book is by the same people who wrote http://itsjustaplant.com. I wonder if there is anyone who would let their kids read these books? I wonder if I can get my library to buy them? If you had a child Crank, would you let them see this type of material?

Mike Malloys show. I love that gal.

Media Whore Timmy ! :)

"Hello to our friends and fans in domestic surveillance."

herself a Sexy IMac.

what's the link?

http://www.gallery-319.com/stanley.html
More Paul Stanley art...

Maybe I'll be more lucid tomorrow.

Stranger things have happened. :-)

LINK

USER NAV

gets clunckier every day.

Wow..that is really nice, Fernando...

Do you paint very often?

"Hello to our friends and fans in domestic surveillance."

Marge needs to get
new
Submitted by smcgee43 on Thu, 01/10/2008 - 11:56pm.
herself a Sexy IMac.
*******
Hopefully,her son will fix her up !
Or,Xm radio..
I didn't realize poor Marge didn't have a Computer or
I guess,even a local radio channel that plays Malloy..
She just calls in and listens ?
How sad !
I wish I had the money, I would get her a computer or Xm Radio..

What a sweet Lady !

"Hello to our friends and fans in domestic surveillance."

Pharmacists Say Report Validates Their Concerns That Medicare Drug Payments Are Too Low

Staff
AP News

Jan 10, 2008 20:45 EST

Pharmacists say a government report released Thursday validates their concerns that payments under the Medicare drug benefit are driving some of them out of business.

The report from the Health and Human Services inspector general showed that pharmacies are able to charge insurers about 18 percent more than what they pay for medicine. Also, the pharmacists get a dispensing fee of about $2.27 cents per prescription.

But the Association of Community Pharmacists said that spread was not enough to cover all their expenses, such as employee wages, taxes and utilities. The association said an independent pharmacy typically needs to be reimbursed at about 20 percent to 21 percent above its acquisition costs just to keep its doors open, said Mike James, the association's government affairs director.

James said that more than 1,100 pharmacies closed last year, and many blame the reimbursement rates under Medicare Part D, which provides drug coverage for the elderly and disabled.

The inspector general's report made no recommendation on whether the reimbursement rates were adequate or not. Under the program, beneficiaries get coverage through private insurers. The insurers negotiate with pharmacists the rates that they'll pay for a Medicare customer's prescription. The inspector general's report noted that the dispensing fee for each prescription filled under Medicare Part D is about $2 less than what pharmacists get when serving the poor in Medicaid.

The report was requested by 33 members of the Senate. The lawmakers have received complaints from many pharmacists that payments are too low under Medicare Part D. The lawmakers are expected to seek additional information from the inspector general.

Medicare officials said they were pleased to see in the report that payments from Part D plans to rural pharmacies were nearly identical to those in urban areas.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/mochila.php?articleId=11488898&channelId=76...

but I'm happy I tried a few times a long time ago.

I'm of the belief that buying art for art's sake is a terrible idea. If you are willing to put up something lame like that you might as well finger paint something yourself and frame it real nice. If I buy art I really like someone's work and it's not just filling a spot on the empty wall. I like framed art that leans on a wall and rests on the floor and still wonder why that is.

USER NAV

New security rules for driver's licenses

AP NewsBreak: New Rules for Driver's Licenses Meant to Deter Terrorists, Illegal Immigrants

DEVLIN BARRETT
AP News

Jan 10, 2008 23:18 EST

Americans born after Dec. 1, 1964, will have to get more secure driver's licenses in the next six years under ambitious post-9/11 security rules to be unveiled Friday by federal officials.

The Homeland Security Department has spent years crafting the final regulations for the REAL ID Act, a law designed to make it harder for terrorists, illegal immigrants and con artists to get government-issued identification. The effort once envisioned to take effect in 2008 has been pushed back in the hopes of winning over skeptical state officials.

Even with more time, more federal help and technical advances, REAL ID still faces stiff opposition from civil liberties groups.

To address some of those concerns, the government now plans to phase in a secure ID initiative that Congress passed into law in 2005. Now, DHS plans a key deadline in 2011 — when federal authorities hope all states will be in compliance — and then further measures to be enacted three years later, according to congressional staffers who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because an announcement had not yet been made. DHS officials briefed legislative aides on the details late Thursday.

Without discussing details, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff promoted the final rules for REAL ID during a meeting Thursday with an advisory council.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/mochila.php?articleId=11491543&channelId=76...

I hope you keep painting :)

"Hello to our friends and fans in domestic surveillance."

Whistleblower effectively gagged by FBI
RAW STORY

In what his attorney is calling censorship, an FBI whistleblower is being severely limited on what he is allowed to share with an audience at an upcoming trade meeting.

Bassem Youssef, the highest ranking Arab-American FBI agent, is scheduled to speak to the ALA on January 12. After receiving a warning on January 3, Youssef decided, on the advice of his attorney, to no longer give the originally planned presentation on what he calls "critical failures within the FBI's counterterrorism program," said to undermine not only Americans' basic constitutional rights, but counterterrorism efforts as well. Instead, he will answer prepared questions from audience members.

The FBI, between its original clearance in October of 2007 and its recent warning, had become displeased with the contents of an ALA press release dated December 20, 2007, which detailed the planned speech.

Says attorney Stephen M. Kohn, "The FBI does not want the general public to know the contents of the censorship provisions it unconstitutionally demands that its agents follow."

As the Wall Street Journal reports, Youssef sued the FBI in 2003 alleging discrimination, career sabotage and retaliation, which internal investigations have at least partially substantiated. In the case of Youssef's speech to the American Library Assocation, the FBI stated that it sought to "balance the speech rights of employees with the need to protect classified and sensitive information."

The FBI, according to Youssef and Kohn, provided Youssef with a list of requirements, not previously published, by which he would be bound. "Although I understand the document contains no confidential information," says Kohn in a letter to the ALA, "the FBI does not want the general public to know the contents of the censorship provisions it unconstitutionally demands that its agents follow."

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Whistleblower_effectively_gagged_by_FBI_01...

Goodnight folks.

USER NAV

"Hello to our friends and fans in domestic surveillance."

evening folks,

wet dogs and suchlike here.

That is interesting..I wonder why? Maybe I could like that if the cats didn't sneeze so much..the windows have to be cleaned all the time... :) I think that a good idea to frame our own art..I might steal that idea..

*

That is a trippy picture, MM! of the boots..I have been a KISS fan since I was like 9...Don't hate me because I'm a member of the KISS Army, k? ;) - It IS that Paul Stanley who did the art...nice colors I think...

as long as you don't hate me because I'm pretty,aye ? ;)

Hee..Don't mind me..I'm hopped up on meds !
FINALLY,got my damn tooth pulled !

It Does Suck Not Having Dental/Health Insurance Gang !

Medicare a no go on tooth matters..

Maybe we can raise money so marge can get a Computer or XM/Sirius Radio..
What a Sweet lady !
Malloy ought to kick in and get her Xm or Sirius radio at least !
He could probably write it of as a business expense since she calls in almost everyday..

Just thinkin out load.... :)

"Hello to our friends and fans in domestic surveillance."

I hear they're closing 48 California State Parks...that's 17% of them.

Oh bunk...my friend at work is not going to like that news...She wanted me to call our hospital and ask if they did...

I was going to ask you if how your dentist trip went then I forgot...what a relief to have a painful tooth out! I'm glad you feel better...

Look what was in our New of Record for Monday...

Monday: 4:54 p.m., suspicious circumstances — Seven cat carcasses and one raccoon carcass were found in the bushes on the 200 block of Greenley Road.

I was talking to the kids at work and asked if they saw the paper about the cats..and they said oh you mean the kid in apt who killed all those cats and the racoon? I didn't know what they were talking about..this place is in between my work and a colony of cats I take care of and so I hope it wasn't any of my guys...I'll see if they show up tomorrow..it was raining today so that might be why they weren't there..

Time for me to sleep..nite.

Hope not,ofcourse..
Kills cats/animals..
Long time bed wetters..etc..
Can't remember the rest of the MO..

"Hello to our friends and fans in domestic surveillance."

But,like Cat Chew and,Tonid said..
She should call Medicare/Social Security and see if the know of
any discounted Dentist,programs etc..

Also,call your hospital ! You never know,maybe they might have some special
thing going with Meicare..
I'm a rookie on all this Medicare stuff !

I was just in alot of pain and didn't have the patience to
call them this time..(My first time using a Dentist without Dental Insurance)Sucks !

Having chronic pain you tend to lose
your patience sooner..At least I do,unfortunately..

I still wonder how I did 4 1/2 years of Airline Reservations..
And,I did a Good job too..No brag just fact. :)

Will wonders never cease..

"Hello to our friends and fans in domestic surveillance."

Found this little tidbid in the book called Abuse Off power. It was Written by Stanley I. Kutler in 1997. It is a transcript of the Nixon Tapes.

Here is an excerpt of Nixon speaking to his counsel J. Fred Buzhardt. They are worried about John Deans upcoming testimony. However a comment is made about Howard Baker's protegee, who is Fred Thompson.

Buzhardt: We've got pretty good rapport with Fred Thompson...

President Nixon: He isn't very smart, is he?
----------------------------------------------

Here is another conversation with General Haig.

Haig: Oh yeah. Len {Garment} says he-a--I pulled Len off the phone. He's talking to Fred Thompson. I said you're not-

President Nixon: Oh shit he is dumb as Hell. Fred Thompson. Who is he? He won't say anything... I'm surprised that Garment can't get -he's talking to Fred Thompson.

i was just watching early morning (4am) cnbc and they were talking about how moodys has floated the idea of taking away the AAA rating of US Treasury bonds. Recall that these have always been considered to be an absolute safe haven as long as i can remember.

thanks george bush, you're doing a heckuva job

i have a pretty much plain vanilla mortgage thru countrywide. i sent them a question the other day when the news was rampant that they were going to declare bankruptcy and simply asked:

what happens to my mortgage if you go bankrupt

here's their absolutely useless response:

Countrywide has taken decisive steps which we believe will address the challenges arising in this environment and enable the Company to meet its funding needs and continue growing its franchise.

Countrywide is America's number one mortgage lender and has been serving customers just like you for nearly 40 years. We will continue to be here to assist you with your loan servicing needs.

notice, they don't answer the question. whats better is that the next paragraph suggests that i look at refinancing and considering an adjustable rate mortgage to save money.

(runs from the room screaming but making no noise, pretty sure that no one realizes were headed over precipice into the abyss)

But, ofcourse Fuktard says the economy is doing well !
Shades of Enron !

Just another reason why The trip to hell for Georgie is gonna be a
Very Fast ride !

"Hello to our friends and fans in domestic surveillance."

Submitted by Crank Bait on Thu, 01/10/2008 - 10:34pm.

IMDB Threat Level

Thanks for the inspiration. You might have had more than one definition in mind when you wrote "Yeller," but you set me on the movie theme course. Me and Phooman had a lot of fun with this last night. I'm too lazy to provide a lot of descriptions/captions for the threats, but a rouge threat clearly calls for arranging your freedom fries into crosses, old yeller is such an apt nic for 5 deferment rabid neocon Cheney, and the blues on a mission from god... well!

this is so appropriate on so many levels. woof woof.

i think you nailed it cat chew.

from media matters:

Conservative radio host Cunningham falsely referred to "Barack Mohammed Hussein Obama," advanced madrassa falsehood

Summary: During his nationally syndicated radio talk show, Bill Cunningham repeatedly called Sen. Barack Obama, "Barack Mohammed Hussein Obama," even though "Mohammed" is not a part of Obama's name, saying at one point that "it would be a shock" if "Barack Mohammed Hussein Obama can be elected the president of this country in these difficult terrorist times." Cunningham also falsely claimed that Obama "was raised in madrassas in Indonesia" and falsely accused Obama's church of being "black separatist" and "black racist."

(note: it pains me to admit that this a-hole lives in cincinnati, specifically the town of madeira /indian hill affectionately known as Rangerville whose zip code is famous for being the 2nd largest supporter of george bush.

I'm not very chatty these days, but I want you to know I really appreciate your comments here when I check in while I shake the sleep from my eyes and have my first cup of coffee. Always a pleasure, fella.

morning cat chew. have a good one.

It won't be long now before Edwards has to face the music. He is just burnin time and money now. The Dems are goin with The Black Man, or The White Woman, standing next to them John just looks boring.

Edwards still has the stink of the Kerry loss on him. Even Kerry has turned his back on him, how bad is that? Hillary finished Edwards in New Hampshire. The press is done with him, big money is done with him, the 97% is done with him.

John Edwards should save some scrap of dignity and head on home.

aahh, a lesson lost on you i see.

So, um, you hate women and non-white people?

We Will Become Silhouettes, The Shins (Postal Service cover)

Morning Mme. Chew, dan.

We're trapped in the belly of this horrible machine
And the machine is bleeding to death

Well he sure could be, but it is too early to tell. It is a bit unfair to make that call so early while the candidates are still selling their line to party insiders and not the 97%. It's clear that Obama is just wrong on The War. Hillary has played that much smarter. While it is easy to point out how Obama is weak on Terrorism, that charge is much tougher to pin on Hillary. She knows if you win the Primary, you must face the 97%!

If Obama can not move toward the right, the 97% will reject him and in doing so put another Republican in the White House for eight more years. Well that is if he can get by Hillary and her Machine, and that is not likely!

how can you believe in creationism when you read something like this:

Study Finds Possible Targets for H.I.V. Drugs
By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr.

Researchers at Harvard Medical School have identified 273 proteins that the AIDS virus needs to survive in human cells, which could lead to new strategies for combating the disease.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm... Where does that come from? Because I call for the The White Man to go home?

Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now), The Postal Service (Phil Collins cover)

Pretty sure I've posted these before.

We're trapped in the belly of this horrible machine
And the machine is bleeding to death

What I Got, Sublime

We're trapped in the belly of this horrible machine
And the machine is bleeding to death

Get It On (Bang A Gong), T. Rex

We're trapped in the belly of this horrible machine
And the machine is bleeding to death

The Dems still hold the high ground going into the November elections. Despite the worst performance by a Democratic Congress in the history of the United States, the pendulum should still swing in the direction of the Democrats. But that could all change real fast.

Folks don't like high taxes. And folks sure don't like getting killed by Al Qaeda. Obama has been doin a lot of talking about Change, but the folks still want to know what he has in mind.

Remember, 80% of folks are happy a clams with thier lives, and another 17% are workin to get to that point. You can't win any election selling to the 3%. The 97% are waiting for the details from Obama!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/karen-daltonbeninato/nola-org-endorsement-...

NOLA Org Endorsement: John Edwards Will 'Kick Republicans In The Balls'

The mainstream media script this week is that Barack Obama won Iowa and Hillary Clinton lost, but not so much that John Edwards came in second. Spending the last few weeks in New Orleans, I learned that John Edwards is still heavily favored...

Never Tear Us Apart, INXS

We're trapped in the belly of this horrible machine
And the machine is bleeding to death

Still always a pleasure to see you!
You give me hope!
Thanks, guy!

(Love the T-Rex!)

And no one could save me but you.

Wicked Game, Chris Isaak

Or, another version I like.

Wicked Game, Bassboosa (Chris Isaak cover)

We're trapped in the belly of this horrible machine
And the machine is bleeding to death

Gimme Shelter, The Rolling Stones

We're trapped in the belly of this horrible machine
And the machine is bleeding to death

APF

The US Navy's Fifth Fleet in Bahrain said on Thursday there was "no way to know" if a threat radioed to US warships in the Strait of Hormuz came from Iranian speedboats, casting doubt on the earlier US version of Sunday's confrontation.

"There is no way to know where this (radioed threat) exactly came from. It could have come from the shore... or another vessel in the area," Lieutenant John Gay told AFP by telephone.

But he stressed that "the Iranian fastboats were acting in a very provocative and aggressive manner" towards the US warships in the strategic waterway at the time.

Free Democracy

Bloodstains, Agent Orange

We're trapped in the belly of this horrible machine
And the machine is bleeding to death

Since We Last Spoke, RJD2

1976, RJD2

Back another day, folks.

Many blessings

We're trapped in the belly of this horrible machine
And the machine is bleeding to death

O'Reilly criticized as "personal attack" Matthews' assertion that Clinton owes political career to her husband's "mess[ing] around"

During the January 9 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, host Bill O'Reilly stated that "some NBC commentators continue to slam Senator Clinton" and aired a video clip of MSNBC anchor Chris Matthews' comment following Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's (D-NY) victory in the January 8 New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary, in which Matthews said: "Let's not forget, and I'll be brutal, the reason she's a U.S. senator, the reason she's a candidate for president, the reason she may be a front-runner is her husband messed around. That's how she got to be senator from New York. We keep forgetting it.

She didn't win there on her merit." O'Reilly called Matthews' comment "rough" and said: "Now, we should point out that Mr. Matthews has a perfect right to say whatever he wants to say because he is not a reporter. He is a commentator, as I am." O'Reilly added: "But it's rough. I mean, it's rough business what these people over there [at MSNBC] are doing. We don't do that here. We would never say that Senator Clinton got her job because her husband messed around. I mean, that is -- that is a personal attack. And it is questionable whether a network should allow that or not."

Think Progress, Crooks and Liars, Talking Points Memo, Firedoglake, and others also documented Matthews' controversial comments.

--MORE HERE--

You give me heart, WfC

Two more regents quit amid university spending scandal

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - Two televangelists have resigned as regents of Oklahoma's Oral Roberts University following a spending scandal involving the school's former president.

One of them, Benny Hinn, is among six broadcast preachers being investigated by Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley. He wants to know if they violated their organizations' tax-exempt status by using small donors to live lavish lifestyles. All have denied wrongdoing.

Former Oral Roberts president Richard Roberts stepped down in November amid allegations he misspent school funds. Roberts is the son of school's founder and namesake.

The university has also settled a wrongful termination suit brought by a former professor who claimed Richard Roberts spent school funds on shopping sprees, a stable of horses for his family and a Bahamas trip for his daughter and her friends aboard a university jet. Roberts has denied wrongdoing.

Professor John Swails is being reinstated. He won't comment on other terms of the settlement except to say he's "satisfied."

Free Democracy

Shocker: Top Editors at 'Politico' Admit They -- And Others -- Have Screwed Up Campaign Coverage

Editor&Publisher

NEW YORK The two top editors of the newspaper Politico and Politico.com -- each a former top Washington Post reporter -- admit the "horse race" coverage of the current campaign has gotten totally out of hand, in the wake of New Hampshire.

A piece by John Harris and Jim VandeHei at politico.com is titled "Why reporters get it wrong" and includes terms like "Whoops" and "D'oh." They chastize the reliance on polls, the deadening "echo chamber," and claim reporters actively root for candidates to make things interesting. They promise to do better.

It closes: "Things are not all bad. Politico is part of a broad, technology-inspired movement that has led to more open and more exhaustive coverage of this presidential race than ever before. A lot of that coverage is damn good. As far as what’s bad, there is generally one good answer to excesses and hype in political journalism: Respect the voters. That means waiting to find out what they really think."

Here is how it starts:

****

New Hampshire sealed it. The winner was Hillary Rodham Clinton, and the loser — not just of Tuesday's primary but of the 2008 campaign cycle so far — was us. "Us" is the community of reporters, pundits and prognosticators who so confidently — and so rashly — stake our reputations on the illusion that we understand politics and have special insight that allows us to predict the behavior of voters.

If journalists were candidates, there would be insurmountable pressure for us to leave the race. If the court of public opinion were a real court, the best a defense lawyer could do is plea bargain out of a charge that reporters are frauds in exchange for a signed confession that reporters are fools.

New Hampshire was jarring because it offered in highly concentrated form all the dysfunctions and maladies that have periodically afflicted political journalism for years........

CBS NEWS

A major scandal is brewing at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina where a 20-year-old pregnant Marine disappeared just prior to giving testimony in a court case.

We now know what that testimony entails.

A military probe was underway in what officials described as an accusation of rape against a senior officer and an ensuing investigation that went awry.

Lance Corporal Maria Lauterback, who is 8 months pregnant, was stationed at Camp Lejeune when she vanished just prior to her court date to provide testimony concerning her rape.

Military officials have also ordered Lauterback's roommate, Sgt. Daniel Durham, to return to Camp Lejeune from training in California in order to answer questions about Lauterback's possible whereabouts.

Durham is reportedly the last one to speak with Lauterback prior to her disappearance.

Serious questions remain in this yet unsolved mystery. Where is Maria Lauterback? Is she still alive? We know this is about a sex scandal involving a senior officer. Is this also about a murder as well? If not, then where would she go being 8 months pregnant? Why would she suddenly vanish just before giving testimony against a senior officer in the Marines?

And more importantly, who is the officer accused of raping Lauterback?

Greg Palast

State Representative Russell Pearce of Mesa Arizona has warned us:

“There is a massive effort under way to register illegal aliens in this country.”

How many? According to the Congressman’s office, there are five million: Democrats, he says, who are not good Americans - they’re Mexicans!

Really?! Holy Cow! The Senator has uncovered a conspiracy to flood the voter rolls with Brown Hordes who’ve swum the Rio Grande just for a chance to vote for Hillary Clinton?!

Thank the Lord for vigilant citizens like Senator Pearce. His efforts, along with the work of other patriotic (Republican) politicians, successfully stopped 300,000 voters from obtaining ballots in 2004 - because these voters had brought the wrong ID to the polls. New ID laws in Arizona and half a dozen states blocked these voters at the polling-house door. Others with “wrong” ID’s were handed what are called ‘provisional’ ballots - which were then not counted.

On Wednesday, the Republican majority on the US Supreme Court indicated it would vote to uphold these new voter ID requirements.

And just in time. If not for these new ID laws, warns Senator Pearce and other Republicans across the nation, a dark wave of illegal aliens would vote again in our upcoming Presidential election.

Or maybe not. Maybe there aren’t five million illegal voters for Hillary or Obama or Edwards. Maybe there are just five hundred. Maybe there are none.

I called Senator Pearce’s office to get a couple of the names of these illegal voters. After all, it should be easy as pie to catch them: they have to give their names and addresses to register and vote. Odd thing, out of five million illegal registrants, the Senator, after a week of looking, couldn’t provide me the name of one. Not one....

Many long treatises have been written on the need to move America in a new direction- few have ever written on how to do that though. Now someone finally has. Air America host Thom Hartmann has sent us an excerpt from his new book Cracking the Code and we can’t put it down.

Hartmann using his experience as a psychotherapist tells progressives how to use communication to effectively to get the message across......

http://www.gregpalast.com/thom-hartmann-cracks-the-code/

JERUSALEM - A teary-eyed US President George W. Bush visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem today, saying it stood as a reminder that evil must be resisted.

The memorial commemorates the six million Jews murdered in Nazi Germany during World War II and is an obligatory stop for foreign dignitaries visiting Israel.

After touring the memorial and laying a wreath by the eternal flame inside, Bush said he hoped many people in the world would visit Yad Vashem.

"It’d be a sobering reminder that evil exists and a call that when we find evil we must resist it," he said.

======

regime change begins at home

watercolor? nice

art for art's sake

I'll have an original Thomas Kinkade, as soon as I finish putting the puzzle together...

Cadillac taste...on a VW budget?

Heck, I can't even afford the VW.

Dan,

Bank Of America is buying Countrywide? So says CNN.

Bank Agrees to Buy Troubled Loan Giant for $4 Billion
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 10 minutes ago
The deal rescues Countrywide, America’s largest mortgage lender and expands the financial services empire of Bank of America, the nation’s largest consumer bank.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Countrywide.html?hp

that's a good point fernando, about art - when I see others' doityourselfs and quite good i always feel a tinge, i should go back to doing the same - but i never seem to find the time - would be a good way to escape into your own world of colors and shapes and forget all this horrific political economic and social turmoil of the times at least for a little while

i'll try and get back to painting after mardi gras - just behind a couple of other new year's resolutions which are already crowding my oh so limited "free" time........

I don't think there is anything wrong with that. Ya mire but just for grins. Trust me, I'm no artist.

USER NAV

my artistic ambitions will have to wait for when i retire :(

heard on TYT Sam will be doing a show with them to cover some special event (which I did not catch). I'll download the podcast and find out.

USER NAV

Nice art! It has the Dahli touch!

IPS News

Evidence contradicts U.S. hawks' claim that Iranian patrol boats threatened U.S. ships, but the media keep reporting it as fact.

Despite the official and media portrayal of the incident in the Strait of Hormuz early Monday morning as a serious threat to U.S. ships from Iranian speedboats that nearly resulted in a "battle at sea," new information over the past three days suggests that the incident did not involve such a threat and that no U.S. commander was on the verge of firing at the Iranian boats.

The new information that appears to contradict the original version of the incident includes the revelation that U.S. officials spliced the audio recording of an alleged Iranian threat onto to a videotape of the incident. That suggests that the threatening message may not have come in immediately after the initial warning to Iranian boats from a U.S. warship, as appears to do on the video.

Also unraveling the story is testimony from a former U.S. naval officer that non-official chatter is common on the channel used to communicate with the Iranian boats and testimony from the commander of the U.S. 5th fleet that the commanding officers of the U.S. warships involved in the incident never felt the need to warn the Iranians of a possible use of force against them.

Further undermining the U.S. version of the incident is a video released by Iran Thursday showing an Iranian naval officer on a small boat hailing one of three ships.

The dramatic version of the incident reported by U.S. news media throughout Tuesday and Wednesday suggested that Iranian speedboats, apparently belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard navy, had made moves to attack three U.S. warships entering the Strait and that the U.S. commander had been on the verge of firing at them when they broke off.

Bush administration officials seized on the incident to advance the portrayal of Iran as a threat and to strike a more threatening stance toward Iran. National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley declared Wednesday that the incident "almost involved an exchange of fire between our forces and Iranian forces". President George W. Bush declared during his Mideast trip Wednesday that there would be "serious consequences" if Iran attacked U.S. ships and repeated his assertion that Iran is "a threat to world peace."

Wall Street powerhouses to be bailed out - by foreign governments
by Chris in Paris · 1/10/2008 08:47:00 PM ET · Link
Discuss this post here: Comments (84) · reddit · FARK ·· Digg It!

Is it really safe to allow some of the largest and most important banks on Wall Street to become closely tied with foreign governments? I couldn't even imagine such a possibility a few years ago but now that they have all lost billions, anything goes. It's interesting to see these previously high flying companies do a global tour with hat in hand. Only a few years ago they all had their own colonial ambitions and now, it's those same countries who are bailing them out.

In light of this desperate and pathetic groveling on the world scene, should the executives who led to the financial collapse of their respective companies give back their bonuses that were based on bogus business? It is undeniable that their business decisions were terrible and led to this situation, so why should they be left untouched by their own results? It is unimaginable to the rest of us how one could screw up so badly, yet walk away with so much. It's incredible.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/22584046

Amgen being sued for accessing private medical data
by Chris in Paris · 1/10/2008 07:29:00 PM ET · Link
Discuss this post here: Comments (72) · reddit · FARK ·· Digg It!

Unfortunately it hardly comes as a surprise when I hear the charges of Amgen seeking confidential patient records. What always disturbs me with these Big Pharma stories is that doctors - the people we are supposed to trust - are always actively involved. The medical doctors of America ought to spend a bit more time focusing on patient-doctor breach of faith stories instead of complaining about lawsuits and blocking health care reform. Stories like this latest Amgen lawsuit are only possible because doctors allow the pharmaceutical companies to access their client information.

Shouldn't patients have rights and shouldn't doctors be held accountable? Only a couple of years ago there were successful lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies who had sales reps participate in doctor-patient consultations and now this. As bad as the pharmaceutical companies are, doctors are no better. What ever happened to ethics?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080110/ap_on_bi_ge/amgen_patient_privacy

Former Roger Ailes Confidant Dan Cooper is Ready to Spill Blood

--"The best thing that ever happened to Roger Ailes was 9/11. Even Roger Ailes, Machiavellian as he was, couldn’t have dreamed up anybody as fabulous as Usama bin Laden (Allah told Roger to spell it Usama), or UBL, as Fox News called him. Because somebody up there, or down there, loved Roger, 9/11 happened on his watch. It gave him the opportunity to throw gasoline on the bonfire he had already set to scorch and destroy traditional liberal values. For those of you under 50, the United States once had liberal values. There was even such a thing as liberal Republicans. That’s enough of that, because I know talking about the Devil’s spawn and blond big-boobed temptresses is far more interesting. But hang on a bit."---

http://www.jossip.com/former-roger-ailes-confidant-dan-cooper-is-ready-t...

GOP candidates trip over themselves to cheer on war with Iran
by Chris in Paris · 1/11/2008 03:54:00 AM ET · Link
Discuss this post here: Comments (16) · reddit · FARK ·· Digg It!

Despite the changing story with the "incident" in the Strait of Hormuz, the Republican candidates are all doing their best to out-macho one another with the exception of Ron Paul, who suggested caution and further review. The others are ready to throw fire and brimstone to kill 'em all and ask questions later. Great. Just what the country is demanding after WMD in Iraq and too-many-to-count "terrorism" threats in the US conveniently announced during troubled times for the Bush administration. (Think, Miami Seven, for example.)

The Guardian picked up the faltering story today and we will probably hear an update after 4PM on Friday or over the weekend to make sure the story is as buried as possible when it contradicts the war-lust of Dear Leader. Are Americans really begging for another war in the Middle East? Do the Republican candidates honestly think that's what the people are screaming for? Out of touch and out of office.

http://www.americablog.com/2008/01/gop-candidates-trip-over-themselves-t...

---I couldn't even imagine such a possibility a few years ago but now that they have all lost billions, anything goes.---

Another reason we should hurry and Privitize Social Security.

10cc-Art For Art Sake

"Hello to our friends and fans in domestic surveillance."

Think Progress, Crooks and Liars, Talking Points Memo, Firedoglake, and others also documented Matthews' controversial comments.

Mathews was on Morning Joe backstroking on this issue. Seems he doesn't like what the liberal blogs are saying about him. And of course Scarborough was backing him up.

What do you all think are the chances of Bloomberg endorsing Obama rather than running for president himself?

Rachel Maddow was saying the other night that Bloomberg wouldn't run if Obama was the nominee. I understand Obama has spoken with Bloomberg recently. Maybe they can cut a deal where Bloomberg has a high profile position in an Obama administration.

Happy Friday boob bouncers!

USER NAV

my voice to those admiring your art Fernando. You definitely have talent.

(.)(.) (')(') (.)(.) (')(')

and for those into the "Wider stance"

( . )( . ) ( * )( * ) ( . ) ( . ) ( * ) ( * )

toni - when all is said and done, with cfc stock having fallen so far (from 30 last august to 5 this week) it looks like boa is getting a sweet deal. it has been suggested that the cash flow from servicing the countrywide portfolio will pay for the deal so in reality boa has very little risk.

at the same time, the new ceo for merrill, john thain, formerly with goldman sachs is taking an interesting approach with the subprime debt. based on what i heard listening to cnbc, it sounds like he decided they have the resources to declare the value of the debt to be 0 (worst case), take the writeoff as one big hit while everyone else is expecting the worse, and then setting himself up for pleasant surprises as the whole thing unwinds over the next few years.

but I bet we can make it a fun Friday. Sam on in 1hr45.

I better get go to work before I decide to play hookie.

thx mo lib.

USER NAV

then you can go to work and shut the door and say leave me alone, i'm busy.

Here’s one column Bobo Brooks won’t read
By: Attaturk Friday January 11, 2008 2:26 am

Paul Krugman rips apart one of the HMO lobbies David Brooks favorite delusions -- and those of the GOP, that universal health care and other progressive programs have destroyed the economies of european states.

Since 2000, employment has actually grown a bit faster in Europe than in the United States — and since Europe has a lower rate of population growth, this has translated into a substantial rise in the percentage of working-age Europeans with jobs, even as America’s employment-population ratio has declined.

In particular, in the prime working years, from 25 to 54, the big gap between European and U.S. employment rates that existed a decade ago has been largely eliminated. If you think Europe is a place where lots of able-bodied adults just sit at home collecting welfare checks, think again...

According to the anti-government ideology that dominates much U.S. political discussion, low taxes and a weak social safety net are essential to prosperity. Try to make the lives of Americans even slightly more secure, we’re told, and the economy will shrivel up — the same way it supposedly has in Europe.

But the next time a politician tries to scare you with the European bogeyman, bear this in mind: Europe’s economy is actually doing O.K. these days, despite a level of taxing and spending beyond the wildest ambitions of American progressives.

European governments over the past generation have managed to deregulate some industries without going A.W.O.L. on regulating anything. They have done this while maintaining the social safety net while most of our political system has been determined to rip our social programs apart from their rather modest status -- all in the name of lower taxes for the already prosperous. Trying to destroy such programs and perpetually cut upper income American's taxes has managed to have our standard of living slip substantially in comparison.

And then they blame us "liberals" for advocating class warfare when this is pointed out. The modern Republican Party position on the poor, as shown in yet another debate last night, is that the middle class is supposed to shut up and become rich...or die trying.

http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/11/heres-one-column-bobo-brooks-wont-read...

Alice: "If you had a child Crank, would you let them see this type of material?"
-----------
If I had a child, something went terribly wrong. Beyond that, I believe that (most) children should be allowed to pursue whatever interests them. Prurient curiosity (for instance and generally speaking) is better satisfied early in life than hidden and denigrated. Expanding the mystique only serves to increase the curiosity and taboo appeal.
----------------------------
Fernando
Submitted by toniD on Fri, 01/11/2008 - 8:30am.
Nice art! It has the Dahli touch!
------
...or Ralph Steadman.

but has to pay for it himself. It's not that much for a primary and would settle questions people have about the voting problems.

Candidates who lose by 3 percentage or less are entitled to a recount for a $2,000 fee. Candidates who lose by more must pay for the full cost. Kucinich's campaign said it was sending the $2,000 fee to start the recount.

i don't think he has a snowball's chance in hell of winning but i like his style enough that i'm thinking real hard about making a donation just to keep him around.

Kevin
Submitted by toniD on Fri, 01/11/2008 - 8:56am.

Think Progress, Crooks and Liars, Talking Points Memo, Firedoglake, and others also documented Matthews' controversial comments.

Mathews was on Morning Joe backstroking on this issue. Seems he doesn't like what the liberal blogs are saying about him. And of course Scarborough was backing him up.

******************

He is losing what little of his mind he has because Keith Olberman is the Top Rated show on MSNBC .... 8-)

Stephanie Miller show. Saying he is doing this for the people and if they have to do this in the general election, it will be easier because of this.

www.dennis4president.com to defray the cost of the recount.

China to contribute 1.4 billion dollars to ITER

China will contribute 1.4 billion dollars to an international nuclear fusion project that aims to emulate the power of the sun to provide limitless clean energy, state press said Tuesday.

The 10 billion yuan (1.4 billion dollars) would make up about 10 percent of the cost of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) to be built in France and expected to go online by 2016, the China Daily said.

-------

Half of China's contribution is expected to be spent during the 10-year construction phase of the project located in Cadarache, France, it said.

The experimental fusion reactor is a project backed by the European Union, Japan, China, Russia, the United States and India.

The project aims to research a clean and limitless alternative to dwindling fossil fuel reserves by testing nuclear fusion technologies.

Instead of splitting the atom -- the principle behind current nuclear plants -- the project seeks to harness nuclear fusion: the power of the sun and the stars achieved by fusing together atomic nuclei.

If it is successful, a prototype commercial reactor will be built, and if that works, fusion technology will be rolled out across the world.

Chris Mathews has diabetes and one of the side effects is that the patient gets very nasty and angry and his thought can almost be psychotic.

And his constant drooling is annoying. Especially when he gets heated on a subject and starts ranting.

Talk about someone that should give it up and go home!

ouch. at least you should suggest he isn't taking his meds, unless this is the diabetic end game that you are describing.

According to Federal Emergency Management Agency records provided to USA Today, only about $1 billion of the $4.5 billion worth of infrastructure projects earmarked for Louisiana and Mississippi” after the 2005 Gulf coast hurricanes has been spent, “a sign that key pieces of the region’s recovery effort are languishing in red tape.”

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-01-10-gulfcoast-funds_N.htm?csp...

Shortly after ABC News reported on the rape of former Halliburton/KBR employee, Jamie Leigh Jones, Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) wrote to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for answers. Her deadline of Dec. 21 passed with no reply. Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) has also wrote to Rice on Jan. 3, telling her of the “lack of cooperation from her department.” No response yet.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080111/NATIO...

has also wrote to Rice on Jan 8? has also wrote?

talk about grammatical errors!

Tell Network Execs to Negotiate
Comedy Central is forcing Stewart and Colbert back to work without their writers

Petion-Sign Please

Tell Harry Reid to Support Chris Dodd
Chris Dodd will be leading the fight in January against retroactive immunity for the telecoms

Also,Keep Posted on FISA Updates!

http://action.firedoglake.com/page/s/FISAfight

"Hello to our friends and fans in domestic surveillance."

(I hope this hasn't been already been posted. From Brad Friedman who is following everything closely). These numbers show % is swapped when comparing hand counted ballots vs opti scan.
-----------------

We do note, however, the following rather remarkably anomalous result which was reported late this afternoon by analysts from the Election Defense Alliance (EDA). As noted by one of the researchers, IT Consultant Bruce O'Dell:

Analysts at the Election Defense Alliance (EDA) have confirmed that based on the official results on the New Hampshire Secretary of state web site, there is a remarkable relationship between Obama and Clinton votes, when you look at votes tabulated by op-scan v. votes tabulated by hand:

Clinton Optical scan 91,717 52.95%
Obama Optical scan 81,495 47.05%

Clinton Hand-counted 20,889 47.05%
Obama Hand-counted 23,509 52.95%

The percentages appear to be swapped. That seems highly unusual, to say the least.

O'Dell notes the group is "proceeding with intra and inter-county results and demographic analysis to better understand what this extremely unusual 'coincidence' may indicate."

www.bradblog.com

On Wednesday, the conservative Heritage Foundation hosted guests for a lunch event. They were served “turkey and brie on cranberry bread.” The reaction to the sandwich by the right-wing crowd? “This is kind of a liberal sandwich,” moaned one of the attendees.

Funny! I've never had a turkey and brie sandwich on cranberry bread. Have you?

Chris Matthews ‘infuriated’ by Olbermann’s ’success.’ In an upcoming profile of MSNBC host Keith Olbermann in Men’s Journal, “a senior executive at MSNBC” says that “Keith runs MSNBC.” “It’s been an amazing turnaround, because two years ago they were going to cancel him,” the executive said. “Because of his success, he’s in charge. Chris Matthews is infuriated by it.”

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/msnbc/olbermann_talks_office_politic...

toniD: "has also wrote to Rice on Jan 8? has also wrote? talk about grammatical errors!"
-------
...something's wrotten in Texas' schools.

Submitted by toniD on Fri, 01/11/2008 - 9:48am.
Talk about someone that should give it up and go home!
*******

"Hello to our friends and fans in domestic surveillance."

that hand counted ballots show:

Obama 52.95%
Clinton 47.05%

and Optic Scan counting shows:

Obama 47.05%
Clinton 52.95%

Makes no damn sense to me.

I see some paul klee with expressionistic tendency thrown in

crank where are you

to me, as easy as switch flip

Submitted by toniD on Fri, 01/11/2008 - 9:48am.

Chris Mathews has diabetes and one of the side effects is that the patient gets very nasty and angry and his thought can almost be psychotic.

************

Symptons also sound like lack of sex ... 8-)

no, me neither, but it sounds good to this liberal pinko here, i might even wanna suggest it to my local deli

I realized after I posted I put the H in Dali, like the flower dahlia. Ah Well! Dali was never a flower!

sounds french to me

Highlight Reel: South Carolina Ronald Reagan Debate
Who was the big winner in last night's FOX News-sponsored GOP debate from South Carolina? His name was Ronald Reagan ...

Late Update: Here's Election Central's Debate Roundup.

http://tpmelectioncentral.com/2008/01/election_central_debate_roundup_18...

--Ben Craw

I need more sleep. Working sucks.

How is it?
new
Submitted by mo lib on Fri, 01/11/2008 - 10:06am
*******

"Hello to our friends and fans in domestic surveillance."

that's my plan! put a sign on my door: I am working on that long overdue financial report and I need to concentrate, I am not taking any calls and will close my door (only knock for emergencies please) - hope to finish in about an hour

Sources: Arizona Gov. Napolitano Endorsing Obama

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/01/obama_lands_arizona_govs_e...

Ned Lamont Endorses Obama

http://tpmelectioncentral.com/2008/01/ned_lamont_to_endorse_obama.php

recount be able to expose any vote flipping in the programming of the software?

I vote on a machine that gives us a paper ballot. It makes me feel better. Don't know how easy it would be to rig that type of set up.

turkey and brie sandwich on cranberry bread
new
Submitted by dan on Fri, 01/11/2008 - 10:11am.
sounds french to me
*******
‘I fart in your general direction.’

Monty Python-French taunt.. ;)

"Hello to our friends and fans in domestic surveillance."

Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!

(Fetchez la vache.)

YAWWWWWWWN!

(smacks lips) coffee?

cream and sugar?

Kucinich asks for New Hampshire recount in the interest of election integrity

DETROIT, MI – Democratic Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich, the most outspoken advocate in the Presidential field and in Congress for election integrity, paper-ballot elections, and campaign finance reform, has sent a letter to the New Hampshire Secretary of State asking for a recount of Tuesday’s election because of “unexplained disparities between hand-counted ballots and machine-counted ballots.”

“I am not making this request in the expectation that a recount will significantly affect the number of votes that were cast on my behalf,” Kucinich stressed in a letter to Secretary of State William M. Gardner. But, “Serious and credible reports, allegations, and rumors have surfaced in the past few days…It is imperative that these questions be addressed in the interest of public confidence in the integrity of the election process and the election machinery – not just in New Hampshire, but in every other state that conducts a primary election.”

Also, the reports, allegations, and rumors regarding possible vote-count irregularities have been further fueled by the stunning disparities between various “independent” pre-election polls and the actual election results," Kucinich wrote. "The integrity, credibility, and value of independent polling are separate issues, but they appear to be relevant in the context of New Hampshire’s votes."

He added, “Ever since the 2000 election – and even before – the American people have been losing faith in the belief that their votes were actually counted. This recount isn’t about who won 39% of 36% or even 1%. It’s about establishing whether 100% of the voters had 100% of their votes counted exactly the way they cast them.”

http://www.dennis4president.com/go/homepage-items/kucinich-asks-for-new-...

yes please,

anybody want some french toast with apricot jam and maple syrple?

Morning Thread

What day does Bush make his completely predictable "SURPRISE" visit to Baghdad?

-Attaturk 06:47

Merrill.

Merrill Lynch is expected to suffer $15 billion in losses stemming from soured mortgage investments, almost double its original estimate, prompting the firm to raise additional capital from an outside investor.

Merrill, the nation’s largest brokerage firm, is expected to disclose the huge write-down when it reports earnings next week, according to people who have been briefed on its plans. The loss far exceeds the $12 billion hit many Wall Street analysts had forecast.

-Atrios 23:38

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/11/business/11wall.html?ei=5090&en=7ed504...

i would be real surprised if he did. there's too many people that hate him, and thats just the good guys.

http://www.samsedershow.com/node/2149#comment-124776

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