Sunday Night Open Thread

hey seder, you deserve nothing but the best. thanks for everything.

p.s. lauren - you're okay too :)

..but then we all know how she likes to play in Lionel's office when he's not there. ;-)

Hey Lauren - The other day when Sam said he was a country and you were a country, if he had shot you in the hat would it have killed Canada?

Peeps will think I'm crazy for asking that one!

___
bluerootsradio

I'd like to hear what brother O has to say.
___
bluerootsradio

Submitted by Nefferkitti on Sun, 04/13/2008 - 8:18pm.
Am watching HGTV's 25 biggest Real Estate Mistakes special.
-----------------------
#11--Bought Brooklyn Bridge.

http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=3
Thank You — your click has been counted!

You've given the value of .6 bowls of food to rescued animals.

Thank You — your click has been counted!
You've given the value of .6 bowls of food to rescued animals.
The ads below make The Animal Rescue Site possible.

___
bluerootsradio

for all you do.

We LOVE the Sam, Lauren & C-Ro shows!

Your "Johnson" has potential.
If he can harness 1/10th of the talent in this blog, nothing will hold him back.

I'm glad you don't mind when I love your "Johnson".

Ahh, ya doesn't has to call me Johnson! You can call me Ray, or you can call me Jay, or you can call me Johnny or you can call me Sonny, or you can call me RayJay, or you can call me RJ... but ya doesn't hafta call me Johnson

I'd be able to buy Sam and Lauren their own network. ;-)

(Nice gif btw!)

___
bluerootsradio

Good thing. brain in gear AND dinner.

Reality. TV. Two more reasons to read.

You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.
---Ray Bradbury

A Responsible Plan
Submitted by Star Vox on Sun, 04/13/2008 - 8:29pm.
*******
I hadn't seen that yet..

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

what did you do to the blog? the left hand ad has changed. last refresh i got a "love" connection. this time its for some atheist movie. whatever, it sure beats those effin mccain and hilldabeast ads.

I'm back from grocery shopping
Submitted by toniD on Sun, 04/13/2008 - 9:06pm.
I've got sticker shock.

I bought no meat. Just veggies and staple like rice, eggs, milk, yogurt, bread, etc., cost me almost $50 when it used to cost $30.

Unbelieveable!!

Obama is on the Compassion Forum now. I missed Hillary.
I didn't even know this was going to be on tonight.

I wish I could find a market for my talents.
(volunteers get all the hours they want, but it doesn't pay worth a dang)

buwahaha

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Democratic presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama will participate in a faith and values forum that will be broadcast live Sunday exclusively on CNN. - CNN

Sam doesn't have anything to do with what that ad shows. Its a google generated ad....so I would venture a guess, that after months of displaying non-interesting ads on the blog here, google's computer generated calculations probably figured out FINALLY that it was not generating any revenue with what it was showing....SO it decided to show something else and see if revenue or at least traffic will be generated with the new ad genre....

Can't beleive it took google ads this long to figure it out...but that is my thesis.

Reality. TV. Two more reasons to read.

You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.
---Ray Bradbury

woof woof hubba hubba

___
bluerootsradio

:)

Think of that space as a billboard that Sam rents but has absolutely no control over the content.

Hey, if it pays for new servers they can put Rod Parsley over there.

___
bluerootsradio

Deserves some serious TLC after being humilated by his caretakers like that. Poor thing.

Reality. TV. Two more reasons to read.

You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.
---Ray Bradbury

Free Democracy

..ain't that the truth. We're all underpaid volunteers around here. ;-)

___
bluerootsradio

That's Bulldog sexual harassment ! ;)

Or,is that sexual Bulldog harassment..

I'll I know is I'm callin the Cops ! ;)

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

OUR GOVERNMENT DOES NOT TORTURE OR SUBCONTRACT TORTURE!

Learn about the following legislative priorities:

*Education for All Act

*Global Child Survival Act

*GROWTH Act

*Jubilee Act

For more information:

http://www.one.org/takeaction/

Good one,Kevin.. :)

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

Who said that?

Reality. TV. Two more reasons to read.

You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.
---Ray Bradbury

Submitted by Nefferkitti on Sun, 04/13/2008 - 9:30pm.
Deserves some serious TLC after being humilated by his caretakers like that.
----
When you have a mug like that, your grievance is with breeders. I vaguely recall that stub-snouted dogs have sinus problems...once again, no thanks to breeders.

...Hillary wasn't bad, but he seemed more natural.

Could you imagine Bush in that setting answering questions on the fly? Or McCain for that matter!
___
bluerootsradio

How not only the Dems have become comfortable dealing with faith issues, but evangelicals have changed in asking questions on not just abortion, but climate change and torture.

Good news imho.

___
bluerootsradio

Someones getting paid around here,damn ?

If we ever did get paid ;)Again,Send my check to my charity..

damn,thoseenglisharetryingtostarveus.......com(Abrreviated)

Don't want to stretch Mel's thread again.. ;)

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

I have it recorded :)

You are correct @ the sinus problems - but my concern was with putting the poor thing in the bathing suit and then sitting them upright in what to a dog is a very vulnerable feeling position. Granted, the dog trusts their caretaker obviously to stay there, but still...

Growing up my family breeded Weimeraners so I know all about the breeding issues and what can go on. Even with a dog like wiemeraners they do something aweful to them as puppies which I was horrified at - I was 5 and knew it was wrong....- the first litter was born on my 5th birthday. They "dock" their tails - this means the cut the tips of their tails off so that they will not grow long...and will then meet the "standard" for the breed. I just cannot to this day get over looking into the box of 10 puppies we picked up from the vet and seeing their tails having been "docked". To this day it horrifies me.

When you have a mug like that, your grievance is with breeders. I vaguely recall that stub-snouted dogs have sinus problems...once again, no thanks to breeders.

Reality. TV. Two more reasons to read.

You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.
---Ray Bradbury

...I thought the context was "our" government doesn't torture, but implied was "their" government does. By "their" I meant Bush and Co.

___
bluerootsradio

Said it - about our government now? the one that does torture and contract out torture?
OMG - how could anyone say that we do not do these things when we now know that we have done these things, and until we get all the info about what is going on RIGHT NOW,.. we do not know what WE do...in our name...OMG.

Obama said it Neffer
Submitted by Fernando on Sun, 04/13/2008 - 9:46pm.
I have it recorded :)

Reality. TV. Two more reasons to read.

You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.
---Ray Bradbury

Rather underpaid than under loved.

FEEL THE LOVE!

Sorry I had to change that.

I'm listening to "Unchain My Heart" by Ray Charles and that cat in MMRules message is dancing right in time.
___
bluerootsradio

Please help me with this now

As I said earlier -I cannot bring myself to watch this compassion debate - or whatever it is called....

We all know that OUR gov't does torture - prez has proudly said we did and will do whatever we have to...

We need to understand why and what was meant by what he said.

Obama on torture..
new
Submitted by maggiesboy on Sun, 04/13/2008 - 9:53pm.
...I thought the context was "our" government doesn't torture, but implied was "their" government does. By "their" I meant Bush and Co.

Reality. TV. Two more reasons to read.

You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.
---Ray Bradbury

On AAR.......

Thanks PB..Kitty Cat Boggie ! :)

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

My "numbers" hadn't been very good lately as shown below, but it turned around yesterday and today is gonna be a real shot in the arbitron. :-)

I'm signing off for now...
Good night
and good bloggin'

..and thanks again Fernando for lettin' me use The Dungeon.

Shows start at 10,1,3,7 a.m. and p.m.

Night!

___
bluerootsradio

on this religion issue is making me sick.

Cambell Brown and King are just pushing this religion thing to the hilt.

The only good thing is that McCain refused to show up for this.

What bothers me most is they talk of one religion only. The christians.

an hour of it maggiesboy. Proud for the shout out really.

My blog is worth only about $37,000..

Sammy's(Here)is worth about $57,000..

And,

Kevin's(Don't ask me why)is worth about $97,000 !

It must be that snappy title he has there.. :)

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

Obama even brought up atheists. He said there is no room in the public debate to press religious preference but common goals are achievable.

ah!

fresh cuppa tea!

Reality. TV. Two more reasons to read.

You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.
---Ray Bradbury

Kevin's(Don't ask me why)is worth about $97,000 !
Submitted by MMRules on Sun, 04/13/2008 - 10:17pm

It could be all the dirty pictures.

SJ - sounds absolutely fabulous!!

Reality. TV. Two more reasons to read.

You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.
---Ray Bradbury

pfffft.... And to think of the stink she made about Randi's words.

That's Crown Royal whiskey in that shot. Bloody Canadian swill. Petooey.

Kevin put up a post the other day with the widget..

Maybe it's on his blog..I'll check..
And,send He's numbers up some more.. ;)

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

Oh..I forgot about that !

Ofcourse,that's how he has the high numbers ! ;)

(But, it is amazing what he does with only dial up !)

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

http://www.business-opportunities.biz/projects/how-much-is-your-blog-wor...

My blog: is worth $0.00

lol

I was curious - don't have a blog to try and value, just always want to know how things are valued.
THANKS

Reality. TV. Two more reasons to read.

You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.
---Ray Bradbury

I've heard that AAR's relationship with WWRL/1600 AM in New York City ended as of last week and that's why the station jettisoned Lionel and Thom Hartmann and put on Ed Schultz.

But if you go to the station's web site, you'll notice something interesting after Ed Schultz:

"Sam Seder Progressive PM" -- from 3-6.

Now it's hard for me to imagine Rennie Bishop giving Sam a show on WWRL after the way he pulled Sam off the air for mentioning Armstrong Williams and the payola scandal. But this is kind of odd, don't you think?

The World-Famous Thanks to Morning Sedition
Brilliant at Breakfast
http://brilliantatbreakfast.blogspot.com
"Only dull people are brilliant at Breakfast" -- Oscar Wilde
Speaking truth to power since 2004

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/sam-seder-show

MSNBC

In this afternoon’s conference call sponsored by the Pennsylvania Sportsmen and Sportswomen for Obama, small-town politicians said the latest attacks from the Clinton campaign are shameless, aimed at creating divisions in their communities.

“Trying to turn small-town Pennsylvanians against each other for political gain is shameless,” said Mayor John Fetterman of Braddock, Pa. Fetterman blasted the New York senator for trying to win votes by patronizing gun owners, a move he said shows a willingness to win at all costs.

“I think it's really discouraging and tacky to see Hillary Clinton pandering as if she's a gun owner,” said Fetterman. “I think it demonstrates and represents willingness to say anything and everything to get elected.”

Rep. Dan Surra (D-PA) said he shares the frustration of the constituents he represents.

“I represent the people that Barack Obama was talking about, that people who have lost their jobs,” Surra said. "I think he understands, there is a frustration out there.”

-----

“Barack Obama has reached out to sportsmen; he’s reached out to blue-collar people,” Surra said. “And I think the reason it’s being blown up like it is, because they don’t want to talk about who can really bring the change that we need.”

Free Democracy

Submitted by pbtrue1 on Sun, 04/13/2008 - 10:26pm.
http://www.business-opportunities.biz/projects/how-much-is-your-blog-wor...

My blog: is worth $0.00

lol
*******
Are you sure you spelled it right ? ;)

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

Apparently you have never seen my blog or you are don't know what you're talking about

My understanding about that was it was just a place holder until a permanent decision was made. BUT of course, things change so quickly who knows...but that was the explanation for that listing when it changed from Randi.

Reality. TV. Two more reasons to read.

You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.
---Ray Bradbury

green!

yum!

mostly cleaning parts up for paint and a good gasket seal.

extra hours but it's all worth it.

Mine is only worth about $7,000..:(

Kevin..We were just kidding..

It is amazing what you can do with only Dial-Up !

But,you don't link me brother..What's up with that ? ;)

Brb..

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

Revenue streams for liberal entrepreneurs
http://www.mydd.com/story/2007/4/5/134114/3353
by Shai Sachs, Thu Apr 05, 2007 at 01:41:14 PM EST

(Cross posted to my blog, PlantingLiberally)

Last week I discussed the concept of liberal entrepreneurship. Ripping off of the Wikipedia definition for social entrepreneurship, I define liberal entrepreneurship as the application of business and entrepreneurial principles towards solving problems which affect the progressive movement.
[...]

Former Ala. Governor Turns Tables on Justice Department
Siegelman Connects His Case to Accusations of Interference

By Carrie Johnson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, April 13, 2008; A02

The successful criminal prosecution of former Alabama governor Don Siegelman (D) has become tangled in political charges and countercharges that reflect contrasting views about the independence of the Justice Department.

In the two weeks since his release from prison pending an appeal, Siegelman has sharply increased the volume of his assertions that he was railroaded. He says that Karl Rove, who was a White House adviser, targeted him for prosecution to ensure he did not win reelection to the governor's office and displace a Republican there.

Siegelman is seizing on a theme that is newly popular with politically connected defendants: turning the tables on a Justice Department vulnerable to accusations of interference because of missteps last year under then-Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales.

An appeals court panel in Atlanta will decide whether Siegelman, the governor from 1999 to 2003, should win a new trial because of what he contends are faulty jury instructions underpinning his 2006 conviction on bribery, conspiracy, mail fraud and obstruction charges.

Yet Siegelman has not petitioned the court to hear his allegations of political tampering, choosing instead to make them on television programs and in newspapers and magazines. He asserts that Rove, two Republican U.S. attorneys, the son of his successor as governor, career prosecutors and former leaders of the Justice Department's public integrity unit conspired to manufacture a case and thwart Siegelman's ambitions to return to the governor's mansion.

Rove denies the assertions and derides the evidence offered by his accusers as vague and scanty. Federal prosecutors respond that they will argue in the courtroom, not in the court of public opinion.

Siegelman's assertions have attracted the attention of the House Judiciary Committee, which has launched an investigation into Justice Department actions under President Bush. But Siegelman acknowledges that he has no specific evidence tying his fate to White House political interference. "We don't have the knife with Karl Rove's fingerprints all over it, but we've got the glove, and the glove fits," Siegelman said in a telephone interview.

In arguing his case, Siegelman relies heavily on the sworn account of a lawyer with GOP ties who said she overheard state party officials plotting against Siegelman in a conference call on the same day in November 2002 when Siegelman conceded that Republican Bob Riley had won the gubernatorial election.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/12/AR200804...

good article!

i've been looking for something like that to take root for the last four years.

may it have 100th Monkey blessings.

is a FAT FUCK

April 13, 2008

Rev. Wright in attack mode

Rosslyn Smith

Here are the Rev Wright's remarks at the funeral of Chicago judge and civil rights activist R. Eugene Pincham, who was a member of Trinty UCC. (Audio here captures the inimitable Rev. Wright's speaking style.) In 1987 Pincham became notorious for his statement at an Operation Push rally that anyone on the South side who did not support the reelection of Harold Washington should be hung.
In his funeral oration, Wright called it "Fix News", attacked Bill O'Reilly and called Sean Hannity "stuck on stupid". Just what Obama needs this weekend, a spiritual advisor making personal attacks from the pulpit on media figures with audiences in the tens of millions.

First we got The 3% Rev wanting God to Damn America...

Then we got Obama tells how God and guns are only refuge of bitter Pennsylvanians!

What happened to the Happy Talk about Hope and the 97% ???

DON'T FORGET TO GET YOUR TAXES IN - POSTMARKED BY MIDNIGHT TUESDAY!!!

G'NIGHT ALL.

Reality. TV. Two more reasons to read.

You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.
---Ray Bradbury

http://www.payperpostu.com/
PayPerPost University is the best resource for learning about the PayPerPost sponsored content marketplace.

speechless....

How can we fight willful stupidity? For some really stupid reason I've tried more than once to talk to conservatives on other places on the net and they are just fucking gone. They've inoculated themselves against reality and rationality. It's hopeless to try to use reality and rational argument to convince them of anything. They only understand that they've got their little world and it hasn't fallen apart yet. The only thing that will reset them and make them accepting of reason is total failure but that means we all fail. It's whacked that all the band-aids we keep applying to keep our economy alive only perpetuates their stupidity and their efforts to destroy it all. It's like someone else once pointed out about the Nazis. They didn't stop being evil because someone convinced them that being evil is wrong. They stopped being evil when Germany was all but destroyed.

We should just get out of Afghanistan and Iraq. We have zero hope of making those places sane as we can't even make the backwards idiots in the US join the 21st century. It's going to take all our efforts to just keep the US from sliding into shit.

I hate trying to copy and paste from Huffington blog. It's very unstable.

But here's a good link of what Bill Clinton said while he was running for President about economically insecure "white" people and how Bush #1 was trying to divide us.

Flashback 1991: Bill Clinton on 'economically insecure white people

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/13/bill-clinton-flashback-al_n_964...

Liberal radio host Randi Rhodes gets gig based in West Palm Beach

By CHARLES PASSY

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Sunday, April 13, 2008

The Goddess has truly come home.

Following her departure from the liberal Air America talk-radio network last week, controversial host Randi Rhodes is bringing her nationally syndicated afternoon drive-time show back to WJNO-1290 AM in West Palm Beach, starting today.

More local news
Latest breaking news, photos and all of today's Post stories.

Share This Story
diggdel.icio.us
FarkNewsvine
redditTechnorati
FacebookMore
What are these?

But this time, she's not just being heard on WJNO, which is owned by media giant Clear Channel. She's producing the show from her former employer's studio.

"We have our biggest star back," said WJNO Programming Director Brian Mudd.

Dubbed "The Goddess" by her loyal listeners, Rhodes, who worked for WJNO for a 10- year stretch starting in 1994, gained fame for her tell-it-like-it-is brand of leftist politics.

In turn, that prompted Air America to hire her when the network debuted in 2004.

Rhodes stayed on the air at WJNO in the years that followed, but through Air America.

She also became a national personality, seen on billboards and TV news shows alike.

The bottom line, says Rhodes of her return to West Palm Beach: She'll still be her usual loud and feisty self on air. And she'll still be speaking to a national audience, not necessarily a local one.

But she no longer has to schlep back and forth from New York to Palm Beach County, where she continued to maintain a home during her Air America tenure, to do what she loves.

"I just grabbed my dog" and came to West Palm Beach, said Rhodes of her sudden decision to base herself year-round in the area. Her show is now being syndicated by the Nova M Radio Network, an emerging competitor to Air America in the radio-talk world.

Well, the decision wasn't all that simple. Rhodes quit Air America following a high-profile dispute with the network that was covered by such media outlets as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

Air America suspended Rhodes on April 3 for disparaging Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) at a recent comedy performance in San Francisco.

Rhodes said the dispute was sparked by employment discussions with Air America and that her remarks during the performance weren't the integral issue. She added that when Air America suspended her, she thought it meant her contract was terminated.

So, she quit to "clear the way" for future radio opportunities.

That was on Wednesday night. By Thursday and Friday, Rhodes was hammering out a deal with her new syndication company, talking to her 20-plus affiliate stations across the country about continuing to air her program (most have agreed to do so) and even going on Larry King's CNN show to discuss her situation.

That left Saturday to fly from New York to West Palm Beach and Sunday to reacquaint herself with the WJNO staff and get her show up and running again.

"What usually takes months took days," said Rhodes.

The show will air in its usual Monday-to-Friday time slot of 3 to 6 p.m., following Rush Limbaugh, who might be called the conservative yin to Rhodes' yang.

The two are more than radio neighbors, however: Limbaugh is also based in Palm Beach County.

Rush Limbaugh is broadcast on over 600 stations...

Randi on 20!

I guess that is why when this story broke everyone had to Google Randi to figure out who she was!

That beloved 15 minutes of fame!!!!

"Liberal radio host Randi Rhodes gets gig based in West Palm Beach"

I really don't doubt that was her desire all along. There's a lot about this whole situation that just doesn't smell right. I heard Rhodes' explanation when talking with Maron and she just isn't telling the whole truth about this.

Obama turns tables on Clinton

After Two Days on Defense Over 'Bitter' Comments, Obama Turns Table on Clinton

BETH FOUHY and KIMBERLY HEFLING
AP News

Apr 13, 2008 21:14 EST

Democrat Barack Obama lashed out Sunday at rival Hillary Rodham Clinton, mocking her vocal support for gun rights and saying her record in the Senate and as first lady belied her stated commitment to working class voters and their concerns.

"She knows better. Shame on her. Shame on her," Obama told an audience at a union hall here.

The Illinois senator has spent three days on the defensive after comments he made at a San Francisco fundraiser were disclosed that suggested working class people are bitter about their economic circumstances and "cling to guns and religion" as a result.

Obama reiterated his regret for his choice of words at the fundraiser but suggested they had been twisted and mischaracterized. He said he'd expected blowback from GOP nominee-in-waiting John McCain, but had been "a little disappointed" to be criticized by Clinton.

Then, laughing along with the union audience, Obama noted that Clinton seemed much more interested in guns since he made his comments than she had in the past.

"She is running around talking about how this is an insult to sportsmen, how she values the Second Amendment. She's talking like she's Annie Oakley," Obama said, invoking the famed female sharpshooter immortalized in the musical "Annie Get Your Gun."

He continued: "Hillary Clinton is out there like she's on the duck blind every Sunday. She's packing a six-shooter. Come on, she knows better. That's some politics being played by Hillary Clinton."

Clinton has told campaign audiences that she supports the rights of hunters. Saturday, she reminisced about learning to shoot on family vacations in Scranton, where her father grew up. She's also said she once shot a duck in Arkansas, where she served as first lady.

Clinton, who is trailing Obama in the popular vote and pledged delegates, has pounded Obama since Friday, when audio from his San Francisco appearance was posted on The Huffington Post Web site. She hoped the comments might give her a new opening to court working-class Democrats less than 10 days before the Pennsylvania primary on April 22, which she needs win to keep her campaign going.

At the San Francisco fundraiser, Obama tried to explain his troubles in winning over some working-class voters, saying they have become frustrated with economic conditions: "It's not surprising, then, they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."

http://www.rawstory.com/news/mochila/Obama_turns_tables_on_Clinton_04132...

Don't you think?

Speaking of trainwrecks, did anybody hear the media announcement about the "Newseum" -

http://www.newseum.org/about/overview/about.aspx?item=about_overview&sty...

It's owned by Hearst-Argyle

- I think I shall call it ad nauseum -

A shrine to every fear inducing ploy ever dreamt up by Fox News; the 4th floor is dedicated to 9/11; and somewhere in there, they have the actual cellphone used by the Virginia Tech student that recorded that event as it was taking place, and then mailed the phone to CNN..

Recently, incorrect information was posted on the blog about Obama's voting record.

--------------

Amendment Number:

S.Amdt. 3017 to S.Amdt. 2011 to H.R. 1585 (National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008)

Question: On the Amendment (Kyl Amdt. No. 3017 as Modified)

Statement of Purpose:

To express the sense of the Senate regarding Iran.

Not Voting -

Obama (D-IL)

--------------------------

From firedoglake:

But the truth is, Obama didn't show up for the vote on Kyl-Lieberman...

His full-throated opposition only came after he saw which way the wind was blowing for Hillary Clinton; he doesn't get to play "profiles in courage" with 20/20 hindsight.

----------

Links:

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm...

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/110/senate/1/votes/349/

http://firedoglake.com/2007/11/27/barack-obama-and-the-kyl-lieberman-fli...

Sailing into the Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch

POAC 4-11

http://nynerd.com/sailing-into-the-pacific-ocean-garbage-patch/

(hee! The Ad Nauseaum!)

US banks Citigroup and Merrill Lynch reveal fresh $15bn loss

CITIGROUP and Merrill Lynch will heap further pain on Wall Street this week as they reveal additional sub-prime write-downs totalling $15 billion (£7.6 billion) or more.

In another sign of the intense pressure on leading banks, Deutsche Bank is attempting to offload some of its €35 billion (£28 billion) of toxic debt to a consortium of private-equity firms.

Huge exposure to American mortgages is expected to result in Citi taking a $10 billion hit to its accounts, dragging the bank to a first-quarter loss of almost $3 billion. Some analysts believe Citi’s write-downs could stretch to as much as $12 billion.

Merrill will suffer $5 billion of write-downs, analysts say, which would push the bank $2.7 billion into the red.

It is expected to knock a further 20% from the value of its sub-prime holdings, in spite of the fact that it announced $18 billion of write-downs only three months ago.

The new rash of Wall Street losses and write-downs come in addition to the billions that have already been recorded.

The world’s biggest banks have suffered losses and write-downs totalling almost $250 billion since the beginning of 2007, according to analysts. Last week the IMF shocked markets by saying that global losses from the credit crisis could rise to $945 billion.

JP Morgan is expected to offer the only glimmer of hope from this week’s results, posting a small profit, in spite of huge exposures to leveraged loans.

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/banking_...

There are currently 4 users and 51 guests online. that is one hell of a lot of guests...Sammy getting pretty popular

Bumiller: Powell And McCain Haven’t Spoken To Each Other In Months
On Thursday, the New York Times’s Elizabeth Bumiller and Larry Rother reported that “the so-called pragmatists” of the conservative foreign policy establishment are “expressing concern” that Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) is “coming under increased influence from a competing camp, the neoconservatives, whose thinking dominated President Bush’s first term and played a pivotal role in building the case for war.”

According to the Times, one of the concerned pragmatists is former Secretary of State Colin Powell:

The worry about Mr. McCain is centered among a group of foreign policy realists who have long been close to him and who lost out to the hawks in the intense ideological battles of the first term of the current White House. The group includes former Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, former Deputy Secretary of State Richard L. Armitage and Brent Scowcroft, the national security adviser to the first President Bush.

On the Chris Matthews Show this morning, Bumiller expanded on Powell’s relationship with McCain, saying that they have not spoken to each other in months and implying that the lack of communication is indicative of Powell’s concerns. Watch it:

Though Powell donated $2,300 to McCain’s campaign in August 2007, he has refused to endorse the senator. In an interview on ABC’s Good Morning America last week, at the same time Powell said he is “looking at all three candidates,” he endorsed a position on Iraq that clashes with McCain’s preference for an open-ended commitment.

“The United States Armed Forces are very, very stretched,” said Powell, adding that the next president “will have to continue to draw down at some pace.”

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/04/13/powell-mccain-neocons/

"Extinction burst -
While extinction, when implemented consistently over time, results in the eventual decrease of the undesired behavior, in the near-term the subject might exhibit what is called an extinction burst. An extinction burst will often occur when the extinction procedure has just begun. This consists of a sudden and temporary increase in the response's frequency, followed by the eventual decline and extinction of the behavior targeted for elimination.

The evolutionary advantage of this extinction burst is clear. In a natural environment, an animal that persists in a learned behavior, despite not resulting in immediate reinforcement, might still have a chance of producing reinforcing consequences if they try again. This animal would be at an advantage over another animal that gives up too easily."

i should add that if one provides reinforcement during the 'burst', the (undesireable) behavior will likely persist at the higher rate/intensity and require less reinforcement to trigger it.

the hiz-ouse, and no one else.

Nik Kershaw-Wouldn't It Be Good

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

Pat Benatar - Precious Time

Hell of a voice for someone whose only about 5 foot tall,if that.. ;)

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

Rufus & Chaka Khan - Tell Me Something Good

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

Patti Smith - Because The Night

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

PJ Harvey - Cat On The Wall

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

You guys can spell,right ? ;)

Patti Smith - Gloria

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

Schwab Calls Pelosi's Delay on Colombia Vote `Pure Politics'

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=a6sPKb8DDe2w

April 13 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab called House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's move to delay action on a free-trade agreement with Colombia ``pure, partisan politics.''

Interviewed today on C-SPAN, Schwab said the Republican administration has accommodated Democratic demands to include labor and environmental standards as part of a renegotiated package last year, and the Colombian government has worked to curb violence there, so Congress should give the accord an up-or- down vote.

The Democratic-controlled House voted April 10 to deny President George W. Bush's request for a vote on the trade pact within 90 days, likely postponing action until after the November elections. It is the first time Congress has refused a presidential request to pass a trade agreement.

``There is no rational explanation, other than politics -- pure, partisan politics -- to explain why the Congress isn't rushing to enact this into law,'' Schwab said. ``There are some things that count more than the substance and the actual, factual benefits to the U.S. economy of increasing U.S. exports.''

Democrats, who have accused Bush of sending the legislation to Congress without their consent, point to what unions call excessive levels of violence against labor organizers in Colombia and say they want to get domestic economic aid programs passed first.

Pelosi, a California Democrat, said the vote to postpone a decision on the agreement gives Democrats ``leverage'' as talks on trade continue.

Schwab called Pelosi's move ``truly unprecedented.''

The vote ``upends 34 years of U.S. trade law and U.S. trade policy and trade negotiations,'' Schwab said. ``Democrats have been able to operate successfully under this law until this week, and the speaker pulls the plug on it.''

Stevie Ray Vaughan - Little Wing

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

What's up ?

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE4HGlmtOcg

Cool Zeek :)

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

Jimi Hendrix - Red House

Live at Winterland..

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqKKGDcexZs

beautiful rendition,

superbly done.

Fred Keller

Fred Digs Up A Hornet's Nest, 2008

http://www.mandolincafe.net/mp3/keller.mp3

Not much. Just trying to stay positive.

(not easy always) :o)

How 'bout you?

---

Hey SJ, Star Vox,... Sederites... :)

Curtis Buckhannon

Printer's Waltz, 2007

http://www.mandolincafe.net/mp3/buckhannon3.mp3

love a good waltz,

123, 123 swing your lass and dip...

eya Surreal!

the evening air is perfumed in the garden.

my beauty Daphne is blooming and scenting the air delightfully.

The tape is lousy..But,
You know there was another Guitarist in Early Fleetwood Mac
who wasn't too shabby,either !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OlR_bszFNs

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

Petri Hakala
Tallarin polskat, Trad., 2007

http://www.mandolincafe.net/mp3/hakala.mp3

Clan Motto:

Fuimus. (We have been.)

Fuimus Troes...

We once were Trojans...

-Virgil

Erimus.

We shall be.

Cogito, ergo sum.

I think, therefore I am.

n.b. Salve! Welcome to the Latin Club.

-----------------

Reference:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mottos

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clan_Bruce

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sum#Latin

I'll have to upload it one of these days.......

Fleetwood Mac / Danny Kirwan - Sands of Time

Fleetwood Mac / Danny Kirwan - Sunny Side of Heaven

Danny Kirwan - Sometimes - Future Games 1971

Danny Kirwan - My Dream

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

anyone?

anyone?

miss Fleetwood Mac times,

good doob and food, big pillows on the floor, freinds and family around, a motorcycle in the kitchen.

...

One of the great achievements of the hippies is that they have never been a ... faction in terms of ideology, sexual or otherwise.

Although they are capable of a social cohesion at times, under certain specific circumstances (from a good party to a political action), hippies are firm believers in the individual's right to private property and will fight any timber corporation to prevent encroachment on it. ...

...The hippies were and remain the only genuine working-class movement that came out of the Sixties.

...The hippies, as opposed to their "leaders," transcended hippydom, in fact and later fiction on the period.

At Berkeley, a friend who would definitely be classed as a former hippie, told me years ago, "You watched the anti-war speakers. When they left the podium, you left the crowd because the cops were coming."

Basic working-class wisdom...

Although the hippies preferred to make love, not war, when attacked by police they exhibited excellent abilities to defend themselves.

My favorite scene from the chaos of late 1968 was, during yet another SWAT invasion of the neighborhood, a fellow with a molotov cocktail alight in his hand, who streaked through several cops, threw it under a squad car and escaped as the car blew up.

In the context of that and other riots of that time, it was not fundamentally an attack on the federal, state or local government; it was a statement: Get the fuck out of my neighborhood, quit beating my neighbors and scaring our women and kids.

One did not have to be an admirer of either Dylan or Marx to appreciate the magnificently courageous gesture of our neighbor with the flaming cocktail that night.

As for the hippies' contribution to the election of Nixon in 1968 and the general breakdown of the Roosevelt coalition in the Democratic Party, oh well, whatever, as the hippies would say. ...

The greatest achievement of the hippies was and remains humor -- comedy asserted in the face of tragedies, including their own. Speaking personally, an unavoidably literate hippie will inevitably find his way to Don Quixote, even if led there as a result of writing articles for hippies about anti-NAFTA politics in Mexico.

The only other source books that provides the necessary philosophical scope to understand hippies is Aristotle's Politics and, of course, Leopold Kohr's Breakdown of Nations.

Absurd drug laws and the whole mature, corrupt system of prohibition are a hippie comedic specialty, providing endless amusement around hippie winter fires to this day...

Also, once out of the compression of the city, hippies turned out to make excellent parents.

They exhibit independent thinking early and have shown themselves to be creative in a number of academic fields already, to my knowledge, from medicine to computers.

Five hippie teenagers in the alternative high school of a town I once lived in, created a virtual reality machine on a few computers made of parts cobbled together by one father, an electrician.

Their patron was a blameless horticulturalist who in his youth had been a denizen of Socialist youth camps. ...

Historically literate? Not particularly, but the hippies have a good grasp of the history they've made for themselves. ...

And they don't watch much TV but their villages contain the most interesting video rental shops in the state. They also have lively community radio and alternative press.

In the miniscule world of American poetry, starting about 30 years ago, the best nature poetry in the country in these environmentally conscious times has come out of the northwest coast, roughly equivalent to the redwood belt -- from Santa Rosa CA to Seattle.

You will hear the best American poetry about the natural world in places like Mendocino, Arcata, Portland, Walla Walla and Seattle. ...

http://counterpunch.org/hatch04122008.html

that would be fun!

i'll take a look...

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Holy+Modal+Rounders&search_t...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gL6_pMdMhlQ

great drawings!

Fuimus! Erimus! - It's Latin. *misremembered motto;)of Bruce
that 3rd.link...oouch!
*****

Fuimus!(we have been!)
Erimus!(we shall be!;)

Easy Rider
to Be a Bird by The Holy Modal Rounders...Easy Rider Peter Fonda Dennis Hopper Jack Nicholson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpnsIe7wBW8

he'd never have gone, got shot down, and spent a couple of years getting waterboarded in the presidential suite of the hanoi hilton...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IBiPQtrOjM&feature=related

i mean it, man.

Fred Redekop
Corgy and Beth, As Julia, 2007

http://www.mandolincafe.net/mp3/redekop.mp3

backatcha rctowns!

Nice Jazz riff too!

love you all!

Ken Sager
MWD

http://www.mandolincafe.net/mp3/sager.mp3

heh, worth watching...
Submitted by Fernando on Sun, 04/13/2008 - 10:44pm.

hadn't caught it yet!
*****

Fuimus!

nytol.

http://aolradio.podcast.aol.com/aolmusic/mp3s/FMB-Obama.mp3

obama way! eeh..it's different haha-silly:)
*****

Fuimus!

as posted awhile ago.."Funny"
Submitted by SEDER on Sun, 03/23/2008 - 10:46am.
*****

Fuimus!

Good tunes.... :)

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

Sign the Petition

Submitted by totallynext on Sun, 04/13/2008 - 10:26pm.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/sam-seder-show

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

oh god toniD like you read my mind..this is so fucking bull crap, that presidents have to be christians now..whats up with church and fucking state....i turned it off and slept, crap crap crap, both obama and clinton..

zeek are you a SF leftist elitist?

morning yourll---gotta get dressed now!

I have had you linked for a long time .... you are sandwiched here ..

# Cursor.Org
# This Modern World
# marcmaronrules
# Smoking Politics
# ED STRONG

8-)

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/04/12/obama-if-i-offended-i-re...

Barack Obama said Saturday that if he has offended people with comments he made almost a week ago where he labeled small town Pennsylvanians “bitter” and that they “cling to guns and religion” then he regrets it.

“Obviously, if I worded things in a way that made people offended, I deeply regret that,” Obama said in an interview with the Winston-Salem Journal, according to a transcript provided by his campaign.

http://blogsforvictory.com/

Hey, Senator - if you’re sorry you said it, then apologise for saying it. Saying your sorry if someone was offended is a cowardly dodge - makes it seem like you’re saying, “shoot, I wish those bitter, gun-toting, small town Christian racists would lighten up a bit”.

The really useful thing about this incident is how neatly it sums up the way liberal Democrats really view most of America…New York, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco - wonderful places to be full of the right sorts of people. Rest of America? A bunch of people who are a varied combination of dumb and wicked.

Over the past month or so I’ve had plenty of people send me commentary on Obama Sr’s communism and the clear indications that Obama Jr is also at least somewhat communist in viewpoint - but, of course, the communist viewpoint long ago absorbed the liberal viewpoint, and Obama isn’t the only senior Democrat with communist connections (Hillary has hers, too). These days, in a lot of ways, there isn’t a dime’s worth of difference between Lenin and any so-called liberal Democrat - of course, the liberal Democrats will vehemently deny this, but that is more a function of their ignorance of just what Lenin was advocating pre-Revolution. And there lies the real problem - Obama isn’t a communist and, in fact, is likely so ignorant of history that he’s unaware that what he considers his liberalism is actually just a species of junior-league Leninism.

One of the hallmarks of Lenin and his ideology was his monunmental contempt for everyone other than himself and his prized henchmen (and even there contempt sometimes oozed out). Lenin was convinced of his superiority and absolutely convinced that he know what was best, and was also bound and determined that no pettifogging concerns for liberty and the sanctity of life would stand in the way of his program. This Leninst contempt is very well mirrored in the contempt modern American liberals hold for the vast majority of the United States - including those poorer Americans they claim to speak for. Obama, self-styled liberal and unwitting intelletual descendent of Lenin, also has this contempt for those he proposes to lead to a better life. Its natural, its easy - and all that happened here is that it came out in unmistakable terms.

And herein is also the fundamental battle of our times - between those who propose to save humanity from itself, and those who value individual humans as they are. Liberals love humanity, but have nothing good to say about the particular, individual humans, especially when those humans perversely prefer to be governed by people other than liberals. Conservatives, on the other hand, humbly admit to not knowing everything and are thus wary of any utopian programs for reform preferring, instead, to just fix what is immediately broken and allow the larger issues to work themelves over time.

For the immediate future, this gaffe will probably work to Hillary’s advantage - lot of small town people in Pennsylvania, ya know? Longer term, this gaffe could absolutely kill Obama’s chances, should he end up gaining the nomination (which, in my view, he’s still the inside favorite to do) - put out in ads and flyers around the nation, it could provide just that erg of support the GOP would need to capture such States as Pennsylvania and Michigan in the fall, thus killing any chance for a Democratic win. Only time will tell on all this, of course, but Obama’s statement here is akin to Kerry’s “global test” in 2004 as far as its potential to utterly destroy the candidate.

NYT

The Survey Research Center of the University of Michigan has been tracking American economic perceptions since the 1950s. On Friday the center released its latest estimate of the consumer sentiment index — and it was a stunner. Americans are more pessimistic about their situation than they have been for more than a quarter century.

Meanwhile, a recent Pew report found that the percentage of Americans saying that they’re better off than they were five years ago is at its lowest level in 44 years of polling.

What’s striking about this bleak mood is that by the usual measures the economy isn’t doing that badly — at least not yet. In particular, the official unemployment rate of 5.1 percent, though rising, is still fairly low by historical standards. Yet economic attitudes are worse now than they were in 1992, when the average unemployment rate was 7.5 percent.

Why are we feeling so down?

Our bleakness partly reflects the fact that most Americans are doing considerably worse than the usual economic measures let on. The official unemployment rate may be relatively low — but the percentage of prime-working-age Americans without jobs, which isn’t the same thing, is historically high. Gross domestic product is up, but the inflation-adjusted income of the median family is probably lower than it was in 2000.

Beyond that, perceptions of the current economy are strongly influenced by the public’s sense of the larger pattern.

When Ronald Reagan famously asked, “Are you better off than you were four years ago?,” the correct answer was “Yes.” Median household income, adjusted for inflation, was higher in 1980 than it had been in 1976. But gas lines and double-digit inflation made people feel that things were falling apart.

Conversely, unemployment was still historically high when Reagan proclaimed “Morning in America.” But people were ready to hear an upbeat message, because the economic storm seemed to have passed.

More recently, economic confidence held up relatively well during the 2001 recession, maybe because people were willing to see it as no more than a temporary interruption of the great 1990s boom.

A major reason we’re feeling so down now is that for working Americans the boom never did come back. Job creation in the post-2001 recovery was pathetic by Clinton-era standards; wages barely kept up with inflation. Instead, corporate profits and the incomes of a tiny elite surged — sucking up so much of the economy’s growth that only crumbs were left for everyone else.........

"Senator John McCain could never convince me to vote for him. Only Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama can cause me to vote for McCain."

--Thomas Sowell

BOGOTÁ, Colombia — Lucy Gómez still shudders when speaking of the murder of her brother, Leonidas, a union leader and bank employee who was beaten and stabbed to death here last month. His murder was part of a recent increase in killings of union members in Colombia, with 17 already this year.

“I want those who did this to pay for their crime,” said Ms. Gómez, 37, a seamstress, clutching a faded photograph of her brother, an employee of Citigroup’s Colombian unit who was 42. “But I feel in danger myself,” she said. “This is not a country where one can express such a wish without fear of being eliminated like my brother.”

Ms. Gómez’s fear and similar dread felt by union members and their families have long been features of labor organization during this country’s four-decade civil war. More than 2,500 union members in Colombia have been killed since 1985, with fewer than 100 cases resulting in convictions, according to the National Labor School, a labor research group in Medellín.

Now those killings are emerging as a pressing issue in Washington as Democrats and Republicans battle over a trade deal with Colombia, the Bush administration’s top ally in Latin America.

Colombia’s government is already struggling to recover from the latest salvo in this fight, a vote by House Democrats on Thursday to snub President Bush and indefinitely delay voting on the deal.

Since President Álvaro Uribe’s conservative government took office in 2002, there has been a marked decline in union killings. That has accompanied a broader decline in overall murders and kidnappings as the civil war, between leftist rebels on one side and government forces and right-wing paramilitary groups on the other, has eased somewhat from its peak in the 1990s.

Still, 400 union members have been killed since 2002, and dozens of Mr. Uribe’s supporters in Congress and his former intelligence chief are under investigation for ties to paramilitary death squads, which are classified as terrorists by the United States and responsible for some of the union killings.

Unions were often pulled into Colombia’s war when faced with suspicions among paramilitaries that their ranks had been infiltrated with leftist guerrilla sympathizers. Or sometimes union members suffered simply because they opposed the paramilitaries’ brutal assertion of control over large parts of Colombia.

In recent weeks a new wave of threats has emerged, from groups identifying themselves as a new generation of private armies, against human rights and labor organizers. Many of those organizers have opposed the trade deal, raising the specter of still more anti-union violence to come.

This year, 17 union members have been killed, a rate that suggests a substantial increase in anti-union violence compared with 10 such killings in the same period the year before. Several killings occurred in the days surrounding unusual protest marches against paramilitary forces here last month.........

"We haven’t turned any corners. We haven’t seen any lights at the end of the tunnel."
GEN. DAVID H. PETRAEUS, the American commander in Iraq. 4-08-08

WASHINGTON - The tax audit rates of the largest companies are less than half what they were 20 years ago while more small and mid-size businesses are coming under scrutiny, according to an organization that monitors the Internal Revenue Service.

The Syracuse University-based Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse described what it said was a "historic collapse" in audits for corporations holding assets of $250 million or more. About 26 percent of them were audited in the 2007 budget year compared with 34 percent in 2006 and 43 percent in 2005........

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080414/ap_on_bi_ge/irs_audits

Sorry Kevin..

Yeah,I saw that after the fact..Thanks. :)

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

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - World finance leaders concluded a whirlwind weekend with a new plan to clean up banks and fresh resolve to rein in foreign exchange markets, but little hope that the credit crisis was nearing an end.

...

The International Monetary Fund predicted a U.S. recession that would exact a hefty toll on global growth, while leaders of the Group of Seven rich nations resorted to tougher talk to try to prop up the ailing U.S. dollar.

...

"It's not over yet," U.S. Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Donald Kohn said, summing up the uncertainty surrounding the financial market turmoil that has raged for eight months.

While there was plenty of agreement on what ails the global economy, finding a cure was trickier. The G7 endorsed a report from the Financial Stability Forum that spelled out dozens of reforms needed from global banks and regulators.

---

World Bank President Robert Zoellick held up a piece of bread at a press conference to illustrate his point that inflation threatened starvation in developing countries.

"While many are worrying about filling their gas tanks, many others around the world are struggling to fill their stomachs, and it is getting more and more difficult every day," he said......

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080413/bs_nm/g7_imf_dc

WASHINGTON (AFP) - World economic leaders have taken steps to alleviate the worst financial shock in decades and a food price crisis that is sparking deadly unrest in developing countries.

In three days of meetings that ended Sunday, finance ministers and central bankers grappled with the credit squeeze and inflation emergencies against the backdrop of an apparent US recession and a sharply slowing global economy.

The Group of Seven industrialized countries set the alarmed tone on the eve of the annual spring meetings of the 185-nation International Monetary Fund and its sister institution, the World Bank.

Confronted by what the IMF head says is the worst financial crisis since the 1930s Great Depression, finance chiefs from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States decided only greater transparency in the financial system could restore normalcy to the markets.......

The Ayn Rand bone-heads of the world created these conditions .... they also think the world is to populated for their needs.

BBC

The rapid rise in food prices could push 100 million people in poor countries deeper into poverty, World Bank head, Robert Zoellick, has said.

His warning follows that from the leader of the International Monetary Fund, who said hundreds of thousands of people were at risk of starvation.

Mr Zoellick proposed an action plan to boost long-run agricultural production.

...

"We have to put out money where our mouth is now so that we can put food into hungry mouths," Mr Zoellick said. "It's as stark as that."

He called for more aid to provide food to needy people in poor countries and help for small farmers. He said the World Bank was working to provide money for seeds for planting in the new season.

He also urged wealthy donor countries to quickly fill the World Food Programme's estimated $500m (£250m) funding shortfall.

Mr Zoellick's "New Deal for Global Food Policy" also seeks to boost agricultural policy in poor countries in the longer-term.

On Saturday, the head of the IMF, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, warned of mass starvation and other dire consequences if food prices continue to rise sharply.

"As we know, learning from the past, those kind of questions sometimes end in war," he said.

He said the problem could lead to trade imbalances that may eventually affect developed nations, "so it is not only a humanitarian question".

Planetary 11 (10-0.0.4.7)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

yellow self-existing warrior ~ kin 56

DEFINE in order to QUESTION,
MEASURING FEARLESSNESS
seal the OUTPUT of INTELLIGENCE
with the SELF-EXISTING tone of FORM.
guided by the power of FREE-WILL.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
◄ 12.19.15.4.8 ≈ uaxac lamat ►

He said he didn't like McSame and now he got the word that it's okay to be for McSame.

Must be the man bitch Coulter changed her mind. He idolizes COulter!

i seem to recall sam said something on the cam about not having any control about what shows up on the blog - i kinda figured that judging by the absurd and out of context ads - i think he said it was google or something

Senator Obama has had a mostly charmed Presidential run, but the truth is there's much that Americans still don't know about him or what he believes.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120813002456911531.html?mod=djemEditoria...

What Clinton wishes she could say

By JOHN F. HARRIS & JIM VANDEHEI | 4/13/08 8:45 AM EST Text Size:

Obama is on the brink of Democratic nomination without confronting head-on questions about his general-election hurdles.
Photo: AP

Why, ask many Democrats and media commentators, won’t Hillary Rodham Clinton see the long odds against her, put her own ambitions aside, and gracefully embrace Barack Obama as the inevitable Democratic nominee?

Here is why: She and Bill Clinton both devoutly believe that Obama’s likely victory is a disaster-in-waiting. Naive Democrats just don’t see it. And a timid, pro-Obama press corps, in their view, won’t tell the story.

But Hillary Clinton won’t tell it, either.

A lot of coverage of the Clinton campaign supposes them to be in kitchen-sink mode — hurling every pot and pan, no matter the damage this might do to Obama as the likely Democratic nominee in the fall.

In fact, the Democratic race has not been especially rough by historical standards. What’s more, our conversations with Democrats who speak to the Clintons make plain that their public comments are only the palest version of what they really believe: that if Obama is the nominee, a likely Democratic victory would turn to a near-certain defeat.

Far from a no-holds-barred affair, the Democratic contest has been an exercise in self-censorship.

Rip off the duct tape and here is what they would say: Obama has serious problems with Jewish voters (goodbye Florida), working-class whites (goodbye Ohio) and Hispanics (goodbye, New Mexico).

Republicans will also ruthlessly exploit openings that Clinton — in the genteel confines of an intraparty contest — never could. Top targets: Obama’s radioactive personal associations, his liberal ideology, his exotic life story, his coolly academic and elitist style.

This view has been an article of faith among Clinton advisers for months, but it got powerful new affirmation last week with Obama’s clumsy ruminations about why “bitter” small-town voters turn to guns and God.

There’s nothing to say that the Clintonites are right about Obama’s presumed vulnerabilities. But one argument seems indisputably true: Obama is on the brink of the Democratic nomination without having had to confront head-on the evidence about his general election challenges.

cost me almost $50 when it used to cost $30.

i had the same experience on my last grocery shopping trip, paid $178 where it used to cost me S120 max, same kind of purchases, still shameful feel getting out of the store as a single person shopping just for myself, on a health food splurge, organic this and that, and yes some meat, and wine and even some fancy wooden spoons from Spain carved out olive trees, couldn't resist them, reminding me of italy, that's always the problem with that whole food co. shopping which i have tended to avoid lately exactly for that reason, had gone in just to get some tom of maine toothpaste which you can only buy there - unbelievable that i can't find that brand in any other store in New Orleans?

looks to me that no animal was actualli harmed there...most likely just photoshopped abuse?

Subprime write-down expert RBS talks of "soft landing"
by Chris in Paris · 4/14/2008 04:29:00 AM ET · Link
Discuss this post here: Make a comment · reddit · FARK ·· Digg It!

Impressive. How many times over the course of the last two bubbles have we heard this talk? Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has had their own multi-billion dollar run-in with subprime write downs so now, surprisingly like Lehman Brothers who also have been in trouble, they are forecasting a soft landing. What are the odds of such a statement coming from a troubled institution who desperately needs positive spin? No conflict of interest there.

Forget about the billions that have been wiped away from the books. Ignore the retirement plans that have gone up in smoke. Don't even think about the bank lending that has pushed away possible clients. Pretend that people and businesses are not over-extended with credit and that the US economy - the traditional global economic engine - is not imploding. Got that? Forget about every reality that you see around you and then yes, it's easy to see that a soft landing is ahead. No one else sees the soft landing, but they're all just being negative. I hear prosperity is just around the corner too.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/14/business/worldbusiness/14real.html?_r=...

Spain appoints new cabinet, breaks ground
by Chris in Paris · 4/14/2008 03:34:00 AM ET · Link
Discuss this post here: Make a comment · reddit · FARK ·· Digg It!

Zapatero does it again. The Scandinavian countries have been leading the way for years but Spain is shedding its old conservative imagine on numerous social issues.
Spain's re-elected Socialist Party Prime Minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, has broken his own record for sexual equality by appointing a predominantly female cabinet for the first time in the country's history.

His nine female ministers not only form a majority in a 17-strong cabinet, which assumes office today, but also occupy heavyweight positions, including for the first time the Defence Ministry.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/europe/zapatero-appoints-spains-first-...

Obama always downplayed Trinity's contentiousness, saying he didn't think his church was "particularly controversial."

"It's a member of the United Church of Christ. It's got a choir. We sing hymns. We talk about Scripture. You would feel at home if you went there."

Sermon DVDs told a different tale. "America is the US of KKK A" and "Americans believe in white supremacy." AIDS is the government's attempt to liquidate blacks; Israel is a "dirty word:" Jews were complicit on 9/11 when "White America got their wake-up call and the Western world came to realize people of color had not gone away ... as the Great White West kept on its merry way of ignoring black concerns."

No TelePrompTer at hand, Obama floundered, claiming he didn't know about the vulgar, odious anti-American, anti-white, Marxist rhetoric. He needed a speech - fast! He needed to get his postmodern groove back.

In a prophetic National Review Online piece, Peter Wehner, senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, predicted that speech's defensive tactic, noting that while Wright's words seem hateful, "what matters is less what Wright said than the narrative he uses and the reality for which he, as an African-American, speaks." In this postmodern construct, truth is relative. Facts don't matter, only the "narrative identities" we create about ourselves.

Trinity's vision statement is modeled after theologian James Cone's goal for "black theology": "The destruction of everything white, so blacks can be liberated from alien gods." Does Obama embrace this? The speech never went there. Instead, it lectured, moving the spotlight off his culpability and back onto his transcendence: America could give in to this "distraction" and ask Obama, who wants to be president of the United States, to account for his close relationship with someone who gave Louis Farrakhan a Lifetime Achievement Award and taught parishioners their country created AIDS. Or, America can say "not this time" and focus on "hope" and "change."

Obama always downplayed Trinity's contentiousness, saying he didn't think his church was "particularly controversial."

"It's a member of the United Church of Christ. It's got a choir. We sing hymns. We talk about Scripture. You would feel at home if you went there."

Sermon DVDs told a different tale. "America is the US of KKK A" and "Americans believe in white supremacy." AIDS is the government's attempt to liquidate blacks; Israel is a "dirty word:" Jews were complicit on 9/11 when "White America got their wake-up call and the Western world came to realize people of color had not gone away ... as the Great White West kept on its merry way of ignoring black concerns."

No TelePrompTer at hand, Obama floundered, claiming he didn't know about the vulgar, odious anti-American, anti-white, Marxist rhetoric. He needed a speech - fast! He needed to get his postmodern groove back.

In a prophetic National Review Online piece, Peter Wehner, senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, predicted that speech's defensive tactic, noting that while Wright's words seem hateful, "what matters is less what Wright said than the narrative he uses and the reality for which he, as an African-American, speaks." In this postmodern construct, truth is relative. Facts don't matter, only the "narrative identities" we create about ourselves.

Trinity's vision statement is modeled after theologian James Cone's goal for "black theology": "The destruction of everything white, so blacks can be liberated from alien gods." Does Obama embrace this? The speech never went there. Instead, it lectured, moving the spotlight off his culpability and back onto his transcendence: America could give in to this "distraction" and ask Obama, who wants to be president of the United States, to account for his close relationship with someone who gave Louis Farrakhan a Lifetime Achievement Award and taught parishioners their country created AIDS. Or, America can say "not this time" and focus on "hope" and "change."

Wesley Clark for VP!

Lawrence O'Donnell,

The long delayed Wesley Clark for VP echo chamber has finally begun. On June 15, 2007, I made the first noise on the McLaughlin Group: "The Democratic presidential nominee, no matter who he or she may be, will choose General Wesley Clark as the vice presidential nominee." The first echo occurred today on Meet The Press when Bob Shrum said Barack Obama will pick someone with a military background "and I think Wes Clark might be it."

I'm not counting my own echo of myself in last week's New York Magazine where I laid out the rationale for Clark's inevitability -- Obama needs military experience on the ticket to counter McCain and, as a strong Hillary supporter, Clark provides something of a unity ticket for the Democrats.

The silly season of TV talk about Obama-Clinton, Clinton-Obama tickets is almost over. There was general agreement on Meet The Press today that Obama will consider military experience in choosing a VP. James Carville foolishly suggested Anthony Zinni and other politically untested generals. That will continue now that the conventional wisdom has settled on the military angle for VP. But no former general other than Wesley Clark will make it onto the short list in the end.

Yes, Clark was a bad campaigner in 2004. So was every other Democrat who lost the nomination to John Kerry. Clark has learned enough since then to survive a two-month, one-debate vice presidential campaign.

An Arkansas Democrat with a good smile, a great looking family, and career military experience -- that's what VP inevitability looks like. It seemed so obvious to me ten months ago that I rushed to get my prediction recorded before everyone else was saying it. Turns out I had more time than I thought.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lawrence-odonnell/wesley-clark-for-vp_b_96...

Import prices rise
by Chris in Paris · 4/13/2008 10:20:00 PM ET · Link
Discuss this post here: Make a comment · reddit · FARK ·· Digg It!

Golly gee, the weak dollar isn't good news? You mean it impacts Americans? Shocking news indeed.
U.S. import prices rose by a more-than-expected 2.8 percent in March as petroleum prices jumped 9.1 percent, a Labor Department report showed Friday.

Frank Franklin Ii / AP
U.S. export prices rose 1.5 percent during the month, also more than expected and the largest monthly gain on record, as prices for farm and food products continued to rise.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/24064454

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/13/buchanan-on-mclaughlin-fi_n_964...

During his first race, Bill Clinton said voters are economically insecure scared white men
by John Aravosis (DC) · 4/13/2008 03:25:00 PM ET · Link
Discuss this post here: Make a comment · reddit · FARK ·· Digg It!

So "bitter" is bad but "insecure scared white men" is okay. Uh huh. Now that Hillary has opened this door, is she going to repudiate her husband's un-American comments too? We're waiting.

http://www.americablog.com/2008/04/hillarys-new-message-im-more.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efnNm-5AFG0

What Obama Was Really Trying to Say

http://www.bittervoters.org/2008/04/what-obama-was-really-trying-t.html

Former President Jimmy Carter spoke with ABC's George Stephanopoulos from Katmandu. Carter is in Nepal to observe the historic elections, and the former president will soon visit the Middle East.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ABC NEWS: Good morning. We begin today with our exclusive headliner from Katmandu, former President Jimmy Carter.

President Carter, welcome.

I want to get to your mission to the Middle East, but first, you are in Nepal to monitor the elections that were held this week.

http://abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/story?id=4641038&page=1

sounds like a good definition of the surge

All Muck is Local: Sex and Lots and Lots of Videotape

For days, Bruce Barclay's political career hung in the balance. The Republican commissioner of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, had been accused of rape -- by a man, no less -- and the police were bearing down. Barclay's lawyer issued a strong denial ("This accusation of rape is ludicrous It will be defended forever and is wrong."). But it was clear things were looking pretty dicey. Until... vindication! Well, sort of.

On March 31st, police, investigating the allegation of rape by the 20-year old Marshall McCurdy, obtained a warrant to search Barclay's home. They didn't find evidence of rape. But they did find videotapes of hundreds of sexual encounters with men that Barclay had filmed on high-tech surveillance cameras. The cameras were hidden inside AM/FM radios, motion detectors and intercom speaker systems, among other places. There was also one at his business office.

None of the subjects were aware they were being filmed and no permission had been obtained, Barclay admitted. According to a second warrant issued on April 9th, Barclay also admitted to hiring prostitutes on a weekly basis from the now-defunct website harrisburgfratboys.com.

On April 10th, the rape charges were dropped. One of the videos found during the search showed Barclay and McCurdy engaging in apparently consensual sex. As his lawyer put it:

"It is clear in my client's private life he has made an error of judgment. What is striking is this very same lack of judgment exonerates him from a rape allegation that wasn't going anywhere."
Sadly, his vindication was his undoing. Barclay was forced to resign.

And legally, Barclay's not quite out of the woods yet-- he's still facing possible charges for privacy violations and promoting prostitution. McCurdy, however, has been charged with making false reports to law enforcement authorities and unsworn falsifications to authorities. He's up for a possible 3-year prison stint and $7,500 in fines.

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/04/all_muck_is_local.php

Nothing makes a lefty's blood boil more than learning that a conservative media personality is up for an award, especially one non-liberals rarely win.

That's exactly what's going on in New England today, where the regional Emmys are set to honor cable talker Bill O'Reilly. The reason: a good chunk of his early television career was spent at an area station and the presenters would like to recognize his subsequent national achievements.

isn't food like gas, being one of those things they don't count in the inflation numbers?

all i know is that food and gas are a lot more expensive and don't appear to be getting cheaper anytime soon.

i guess its just one more lie the republicans tell us (prior to 2000 inflation was reported using cpi which included food and gas) to convince us that the economy is fundamentally strong and even good looking.

for the record, whole foods (ours used to be a wild oats till they got bought out) rocks, compared to the larger grocery chains.

April 14, 2008 - Are We There Yet?

This week, George W. Bush (1,2) decides to wag his tiny penis at Iran, and John McCain (3,5,6) steps forward to hold the tweezers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjnvSQuv-H4

This week, George W. Bush (1,2) decides to wag his tiny penis at Iran, and John McCain (3,5,6) steps forward to hold the tweezers

that's what happens when people are not afraid to vote for a true leftist progressive party

today we're going to know the results of the italian elections, i'm afraid to look - most likely that urfascist bush mussolini clone Berlusconi is gonna make a come back - italian politics is truly fucked, following the us model too closely - if berlusconi wins expect a return of hawkish military support of all illadvised american policies, enlargement of us bases on italian soil to facilitate iran attack and the like

Will Barack Obama Earn the Endorsement of This Elitist?
by DHinMI
Sun Apr 13, 2008 at 04:32:18 PM PDT
The politics of the Karl Rove era were designed to distract and divide the very people who would ordinarily be rebelling against the deterioration of their way of life. Working Americans have been repeatedly seduced at the polls by emotional issues such as the predictable mantra of "God, guns, gays, abortion and the flag" while their way of life shifted ineluctably beneath their feet.

Who wrote that 2006 op-ed, you may be wondering? Well, none other than well-known elitist, superdelgate, and Democratic Senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia, Jim Webb.

Readers, I need your assistance. Please direct me to some examples of Bill and Hillary Clinton accusing Jim Webb of elitism. And please alert me to the impending charges that Obama plagiarized Webb.

Bush adviser: Boycotting Olympics ceremony is a "cop-out"
by John Aravosis (DC) · 4/13/2008 02:16:00 PM ET · Link
Discuss this post here: Make a comment · reddit · FARK ·· Digg It!

Yeah, it makes much more sense to do "quiet diplomacy," he says. So quiet, in fact, that no one is going to know it's even there. So basically, Bush is now doing China's bidding. Going public and actually criticizing other countries that have taken a stand against the Chinese communist dictatorship. Tell me again, what exactly do the Republicans stand for any more? Big government, wasteful spending, incompetent national security, and coddling communists. That's right.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080413/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_olympics_9

Amazingly, during an hour long show, I can't recall either ‘critic’ or host raising a single question or making one comment concerning the stranglehold the religious right has on the modern Republican Party. Just for example, there was not one word spoken about conservative foreign cult figure Sun-myung Moon, his ownership of the Washington Times, its sister publication Insight which published the false story that Obama attended a hard-line militant Madrassa as a child, or any of the dozens of other scandalous connections joining ultra right wing religious icons -- some of whom who routinely concoct wild and ugly religious fabrications -- irrevocably to the Republican Party. The fact that McCain political adviser Charlie Black organized a coronation where Moon was literally crowned the Messiah in a US Senate building, and duped two US lawmakers into not just attending, but physically placing a crown on Mister and Mrs. Messiah's head did not rise to the attention of Russert or his guests. Not like there's any shortage of material.

Instead, two or three full segments of the program were exclusively dedicated to Pastor Jeremiah Wright's comments on the electoral prospects for democratic front runner Barack Obama. (To be fair, Sullivan, an outspoken Obama supporter, took time to at least try and put the issue in context.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QuDK5mmOvA

a clip of Ray Charles sining "Georgia" for Legend of the Stars.

That skinny kid has filled out. I didn't recognize him!

Legend of the Stars was on Commedy Central yesterday.

Hillary is going to pound Obama until August then McCain is going to finish the job.

Two years on the national stage is just going to prove to be too little time for Obama to prepare to run for President.

Obama is well on his way to nomination, but the folks are just beginning to learn about his past.

It's the perfect setup for McCain. He can allow Hillary to take the heat for outting Obama while he uses all this dirt in the General.

If Hillary can't win the nomination, she wants the world to see the Obama can't win and should never have beaten her!

Are you offended by Barack Obama's Comments?
Yes 25% 812
No 75% 2395
Total Votes: 3207

No matter how much GOP gizz you mix in with it.

One of your countrymen won the Masters..

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

and this time only, its okay to SPIT.

A new AP poll says that 60 percent of the public say “they definitely won’t buy a home in the next two years, up from 53 percent who said so in an AP-AOL poll in September 2006,” “the latest sign of increasing pessimism about the nation’s housing crisis.” Just 11 percent are certain or very likely to buy soon, down from 15 percent two years ago.

http://www.examiner.com/a-1339249~AP_Poll__More_Avoid_Buying_Homes.html?...

“Health insurance companies are rapidly adopting a new pricing system for very expensive drugs, asking patients to pay hundreds and even thousands of dollars for prescriptions for medications that may save their lives or slow the progress of serious diseases.” The new system “means that the burden of expensive health care can now affect insured people.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/14/us/14drug.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

Get your checkbooks out you rotten wingers! Pay! Pay big to save your life!

starvox posted this

well starvox, and firedoglake, i beg to differ

for me not voting on a bullshitt amendment is the next best thing to voting no, makes a statement of sorts either way (doesn't merit my attention)

so profile in courage or not, whatever, it's still a good thing for him

i have always been accused of being an elitist, but then i never saw what was wrong with being your own person and having specific likes and dislikes, and recognizing quality.

(insert bleating sound of sheep here)

i will say, that obama is the one of the first politicians in a long time to say it like it is. i think that scares the crap out of the sheeple. they don't want to hear the truth, they just want to feel warm and cozy on their way to the slaughter.

hillary has proven that she's toast. why she is pursuing a course of self destruction instead of gracefully quitting, we'll never know.

so its going to come down to "less jobs, more wars" or "change". there's many days when i think rachel maddow is right, and the majority will go for insane mccain because its more comfortable than dealing with change.

Air America confident it's still on course
By DAVID HINCKLEY

DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Monday, April 14th 2008, 4:00 AM

Like American Airlines, Air America insists it's still flying.

Even though not everyone in radio would put it that way.

WABC (770 AM) program director Phil Boyce, who has built the most popular news/talk station in the country, tends to get a bemused tone when the progressive network comes up.

"You know," he'll say, "if you guys didn't write about Air America, it would be invisible."

After Randi Rhodes left Air America last week, Boston University offered media writers an analysis from professor Tobe Berkovitz, who said, "Without the press coverage no one would know Rhodes is gone. No one listens to her."

Air America is aware of those dismissals. It's aware it has not yet mounted the powerful progressive challenge to conservative radio that it envisioned when it launched March 31, 2004.

Air America isn't heard in several major areas, and many affiliates either have weaker signals than their conservative rivals or only carry some network shows. Its flagship in New York, WWRL (1600 AM), has only been carrying Rhodes, 3-6 p.m., and Rachel Maddow, 6-8 p.m., from Air America's weekday daytime lineup.

Now the last original daytime host, Rhodes, is gone. At 3 p.m. today she becomes a competitor.

It hasn't been an easy ride for Air America, which has too often made news for the wrong reasons, like financial problems.

But the network vows it is here to stay, and will only get better and stronger.

For all its missteps, it feels it has proven there is a radio audience for an alternative to Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and other conservative talkers.

"I can't tell you how many calls I get," Rhodes said last year, "from people who say, 'Thank God you're here. I thought I was all alone.' Look at polls, look at elections. A lot of people in this country aren't Republicans."

What remains to be seen is whether Air America, or other progressive talkers like Ed Schultz (now heard noon-3 p.m. on WWRL), can mobilized their sympathizers on the radio the way conservatives are drawn to Rush, Sean, Mark Levin and Michael Savage.

The most optimistic argument for Air America is that it takes time - that conservative radio took more than a decade to reach its full prominence and that for every star it developed, a hundred others never broke from the pack.

By that measure, Air America is still young, and the network feels it now has a lineup - even before it names a replacement for Rhodes - that can get traction.

"Look, we've had problems," says a source at Air America. "But with the Lionel, Thom Hartman and Rachel, we're in better shape than ever. They're smart, entertaining and they know radio."

Maddow, a frequent MSNBC guest with David Gregory, Keith Olberman and others, also gives Air America a higher profile on television. Starting this week, Air America will simulcast MSNBC's "Race for the White House," hosted by Gregory, as the first hour of the Maddow show.

Air America is further confident it can become a major player on the Internet, where an increasing amount of the political action takes place. It had a soft launch of its new Web site last week and hopes to be a go-to place for progressives as the election campaign rolls out.

Internally, Air America sources insist that new owner Charlie Kireker provides full financial stability and is committed to the mission - which, considering the network's early comedies of ownership, would be a big step all by itself.

It's clear progressive radio has a higher profile today than it had four years ago. Whether that means it will ever seriously rival the WABCs, and whether Air America would be a flagship for such a challenge, are the questions that remain open.

Noting that crude oil prices have doubled over the past year, Rep. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) has called on federal regulators to “stop delaying and start investigating whether petroleum markets are being manipulated.”

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/33406.html

A White House task force that was supposed to “research the issue of pharmaceuticals in drinking water has missed its deadline and failed to produce mandated reports and recommendations for coordination among federal agencies.” The report was due in December.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ip7CEurHqf9xtdqMQBwPCQDtENEwD9013GS80

i went over to add my 1.6 cents to the noise but they have a different poll up:

Is faith or religion important in your choice of presidential candidates?

Yes 37% 18618
No 63% 31892
Total Votes: 50510

nice try, but it ain't gonna happen till next january

Immelman second South African to win Masters

Trevor Immelman acknowledges the crowd during the green jacket presentation after the final round of the Masters tournament at Augusta National Golf Club, Sunday, April 13, 2008, in Augusta, Georgia.

Trevor Immelman acknowledges the crowd during the green jacket presentation after the final round of the Masters tournament at Augusta National Golf Club, Sunday, April 13, 2008, in Augusta, Georgia.

Player, the three-time Masters winner, was joined in an exclusive club by Trevor Immelman on Sunday. Not only did Immelman win his first major championship title, he became the second Masters champion from South Africa, along with Player, when he withstood the pressure of a final round at Augusta National Golf Club.

While the other three players in the final two groups Sunday dropped out of contention, Immelman avoided trouble for the most part to finish at 8-under-par 280, three shots ahead of four-time Masters winner Tiger Woods.

Immelman said he received a message from Player on Saturday that he was going to win Sunday.

http://www.macon.com/603/story/322386.html

Just went to to CNN again

This is what I get:

Quick Vote
Are you offended by Barack Obama's Comments?
Yes 24% 860
No 76% 2654
Total Votes: 3514

http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/american.morning/

The Crazy Talk has hurt Air America from day one.

The Blacklist was a result of The Crazy Talk !!!

The new owners have worked hard to move to the Center.

They got rid of the worst offenders.

Randi even got the axe when Crazy Talking off-air!!!

There just aren't enough 3%ers to support Crazy Talk Radio!

Let's see who gets Randi's slot!

Will they trust Sam to keep it on a high level?

Sam did well after Jeanane was removed...

Sam has worked hard to stay away from Crazy Talk!

But Sam may not be close enough to the Center for the likes of AAR Management.

It's a different poll.

You did the religion one.

DNC files lawsuit against FEC to force action against John McCain's campaign finance crimes
by Joe Sudbay (DC) · 4/14/2008 08:34:00 AM ET · Link
Discuss this post here: Make a comment · reddit · FARK ·· Digg It!

Now, this, I like to see. John McCain is a campaign finance criminal. The punditry can't grasp that fact about their darling. But, the DNC gets it. They're going to court to stop McCain's illegal activities:
Democratic Party officials want a federal judge to order an investigation into whether Sen. John McCain violated election laws by withdrawing from public financing, saying federal regulators are too weak to act on their own.

A lawsuit against the Federal Election Commission, to be filed Monday in U.S. District Court, questions the agency's ability to enforce the law and review McCain's decision to opt out of the system. The Republican presidential candidate, who had been entitled to $5.8 million in federal funds for the primary campaign, decided earlier this year to give up that money so he could avoid strict spending limits between now and the GOP's national convention in September.

During a conference call with reporters Sunday, DNC officials said the FEC is unable to act because four of its six seats are vacant. They want a judge to either order the FEC to begin an immediate review, or allow the Democratic Party to file a lawsuit against McCain's campaign challenging his decision.

Tom McMahon, the party's executive director, said "there is a compelling public interest in determining whether Senator McCain agreed to participate in the matching funds program so he could get a loan for his campaign, then violated the terms of that agreement so he could ignore the spending cap and raise unlimited money from lobbyists and special interests."

More here:

http://www.americablog.com/2008/04/dnc-files-lawsuit-against-fec-to-forc...

so I can use my knee again.

See you later!

ahah especially if it's orange juice (quite lame)

treat me like crap? its true like garafalo, i hated the fact of being spied on and refused to use the internets or the phone (which i still refuse to use--

Hi Lucille

It was good to hear from you too. Wow! Size 12! I haven´t been that
size since the days in that photo of ours posing in the skimpy clothes your mum had made for us! Remember?

A comrade here in Rio offered me a joint earlier today that I decided to test drive but which landed me with a momentous headache. I´m not sure that the headache is from the extreme heat in Rio or the joint. But I will certainly not try that again. But geewhizz this place is hot!

I am also drinking a whole lot less here than in Germany. There my
fondest class mates were girls from the former Soviet Union and boy
could they drink! But here I don´t have the time and go around with a Psychology Professor who is our leading comrade in Campinas and she is a real slave driver. She says quite frankly, she can´t see the point of drinking and smoking. She is a bit of an extreme case but I´m learning a lot from her and her ability to instill self-discipline in ones life which I think is helping me take myself a bit more seriously politically and professionally. She is supervising my thesis and because she is a member of the sister organisation here of DSM, she collects me on Fridays to spend the week-ends at her home where we are either working at our desks or out and about attending meetings visiting people who have occupied land here to provide support and so on.

Maybe when I´m back in SA and you think its worth me joining, you can introduce to me to your fellow bloggers.

I´m glad you´ve lost your fear of the internet. We should not hide but fight the system that breeds fear. So welcome back!

Love and Take Care

speaking in Pittsburgh.

Live at www.foxnews.com

if she joins us from south africa that would be a good thing! expanding our international base, cool

yup you are welcome!!

oh shit!!!

gw is a patsy...thanks for the clip..did you see my earlier one too regarding this?

Some folks around here thought McCain was finished!

They even said so!

Some said there was "No Way" a Republican could be elected President in 08!

But the Democrats are in disarray and Obama is already showing signs of weakness!

But all this could be for the best!

A Democrat Congress controlled by a Republican President!

That just might be the best of both worlds!

That's why they are in the 3%!

The 97% love America!

They wake up every day and Thank God they are Americans!

Obama is thinking of the 3%, but just didn't know how to express it.

He should stop thinking about the 3% and move on to the 97%!

When he was doing that, thinks were working for him!

Getting bogged down in 3% thinking is always a bad idea!

Caught the last of Obama's speech plus the 3 questions he took. Steel Workers were the audience.

If America doesn't elect Barack Obama we should be ashamed.

lucky you, i got 1 1/2..geez!

haven't seen your earlier post yet.

I caught that "patsy" reference too.
Love that truth telling Obama does.

similar to what i heard now this morn...but you will love the one upthread..check it out..i love his laughter!!

Drum roll, please: The creators of the McCain Girls turn out to be the comedy team behind 23/6, a five-month-old Web site owned by an affiliate of IAC/InterActiveCorp that parodies the news. The site, at 236.com, uses the motto "Some of the news, most of the time."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/14/mccain-girls-mystery-solv_n_964...

Iraq Dismisses 1,300 After Basra Offensive

BAGHDAD — The Iraqi government has dismissed 1,300 soldiers and policemen who deserted or refused to fight during last month’s Shiite-on-Shiite battles in Basra, it said Sunday.

An Iraqi boy on Sunday threw a bottle of water to an Iraq Army convoy in the Baghdad neighborhood of Sadr City, where the army has been fighting militias.

An American soldier, left, and an Iraqi soldier in Sadr City on Sunday looking for militants who fired at an Iraq Army post.
The New York Times

The Basra campaign has been called poorly planned.

The announcement followed the admission that more than 1,000 members of the security forces had laid down their weapons during the fight, which Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki characterized as a campaign to restore law and order to Basra, a strategic and oil-rich southern city.

Maj. Gen. Abdul-Karim Khalaf, an Interior Ministry spokesman, said 500 soldiers and 421 policemen were fired in Basra, including 37 senior police officers up to the rank of brigadier general. Police officials said the remainder were fired in Kut.

“Some of them were sympathetic with these lawbreakers, some refused to battle for political or national or sectarian or religious reasons,” General Khalaf told The Associated Press in Basra.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/14/world/middleeast/14iraq.html?_r=1&hp&o...

just to see what is on in the mornings. I can't tell because they still don't have a working stream. AAR is DOA. Pity, really.

don't you know curiousity killed the cat?

(they are playing that train guy on the xm stream)

Senator Vitter won't testify in sex case

Senator Vitter Spared Trip to Witness Stand in Prostitution Trial

A defense attorney says he will not call Louisiana Sen. David Vitter to testify about his ties to an upscale Washington escort service.

Deborah Palfrey lawyer Preston Burton says he will rest his case Monday without calling the Republican senator as a witness. Vitter has been on notice that he could have to appear during the prostitution trial.

Vitter has acknowledged being involved with Palfrey's escort service and has apologized for what he called "a very serious sin." He has since avoided most follow-up questions.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2008/04/senator_vitter_wont_testify_in...

do you know what time RR gets on the air today? could i stream her?

Second, as to the brand choices. Crown Royal? Really Hillary? Have you nobody advising you any more? To start with, you are trying to impress the “real people” in Pennsylvania and Indiana… regular, middle class Americans. Crown Royal is a Canadian whiskey. It’s also one of the more expensive of the top shelf liquors you’ll find in your average bar. I’m not saying you had to go for the well drinks, which are often just dreadful, but you could at least have asked for Jack Daniels or Jim Beam. If you simply must tick off the poor folks and drink top shelf, go with Knob Creek. - Moderate Voice

who is that?

She's in her same timeslot Lucile. You can stream her from
http://208.109.219.101:8000/live.m3u

More stream options at:
http://www.novamradio.com/index_page.php?pid=30

Hedge Funds Focus Their Largesse on Obama
April 14, 2008, 7:11 am

Hedge funds are betting that Senator Barack Obama will be the next president of the United States. Or at least they are hedging their bets in case he prevails, according to Pensions & Investments.

As the campaign heads toward the April 22 Pennsylvania primary, Mr. Obama enjoyed a comfortable lead in money manager largess during February, racking up donations of $170,370 from managers following the Feb. 5 Super Tuesday election contests, almost twice the $85,850 that Senator Hillary Clinton received from managers over the same time period, according to data compiled from Federal Election Commission reports by the Center for Responsive Politics, a Washington election research group.

Following Mr. Obama’s Super Tuesday victories, employees and executives of some hedge funds focused new contributions exclusively on Mr. Obama, according to the report. Among them: Highbridge Capital Management, which ponied up $6,100 in new contributions; Angelo Gordon & Company, which gave $6,600; and Maverick Capital, which gave $7,100 in new contributions.

http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/14/hedge-funds-focus-their-lar...

lionel. wooo wooo. sorry, but he is so dreadful, that i can't help myself.

For Obama, Unexpected Support
Antiabortion Lawmakers' Backing May Help in Pa., Ind.

As strong and consistent abortion foes, Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr. and former congressman Timothy J. Roemer are anomalies in a Democratic Party that has overwhelmingly advocated abortion rights. Yet both are backing Sen. Barack Obama, whom one conservative blogger dubbed "the most pro-abortion candidate ever."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/04/13/ST20080413...

Registrations in all three states - which are competitive between the two senators - have surged this year as it has become clear that voters in those states may well determine the Democratic nominee.

"There's more interest in the primary among the citizens here than any time in the last 40 years," said Edward Carmines, a political scientist at Indiana University.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/04/12/new_voters_flood_u...

I wonder if Randi will be on xm today or if it will be Belzer? That channel is an affiliate of both Nova M and Air America....The schedule at xm says it will be Randi....

thank you fernando

Submitted by celticman on Mon, 04/14/2008 - 7:27am.
...of course, the communist viewpoint long ago absorbed the liberal viewpoint, and Obama isn’t the only senior Democrat with communist connections (Hillary has hers, too)...
...Obama, self-styled liberal and unwitting intelle[c]tual descend[a]nt of Lenin, also has this contempt for those he proposes to lead to a better life...
-----
The Cold War crowd resurrects its Commie zombies for an ideological parade down an empty street.

(The corrections in the above text are mine. It is never a good idea to misspell "intellectual" whilst slamming intellectuals.)

It was a wild and distracting weekend.

To start the week, I am posting must-see YouTube -- it's the speech where Obama lets Hillary know it's over.

There are so many great lines in Obama's speech...it's worth watching all nine minutes and 21 seconds. This is a candidate who knows how to fight back.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIxmi3e2Vmo

I have to imagine this speech is causing some serious heartburn over at Clinton HQ in Arlington, VA.

This should be a wild week, too. Eight days til the PA primary. And, we won't forget about John McCain this week either.

Have at it. Stir the pot.

its hard to believe that anybody takes the "communist" tag seriously.

Rev. Wright: Fox's Hannity 'Stuck on Stupid'
Obama's Former Minister Breaks Silence, Rips Fox News During Funeral Service

CHICAGO, April 13, 2008 —

The embattled former minister of Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama fired back at the news media during a Chicago funeral service.

The Rev. Jeremiah Wright's remarks were reported Sunday in the Chicago Sun-Times.

Wright didn't mention church member Obama, who has denounced Wright's inflammatory comments circulated in video excerpts of his past sermons.

But in his eulogy at Saturday's funeral for the late R. Eugene Pincham, a retired judge, Wright did pillory some of his critics, including Fox News commentators Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity.

Wright said Pincham befriended "Jews, Muslims, rabbis, imams, fathers in the Catholic church and (Louis) Farrakhan in the Islamic faith."

He said: "Fox News can't understand that. O'Reilly will never get that. Sean Hannity's stupid fantasy will keep him forever stuck on stupid when it comes to comprehending how you can love a brother who does not believe what you believe."

The remarks drew a standing ovation. Officials said the megachurch's 2,500-seats were filled with mourners.

http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=4643956

that should be easy enough for people to understand

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rulSnAM6gmM

Submitted by dan on Mon, 04/14/2008 - 10:42am.
its hard to believe that anybody takes the "communist" tag seriously.
------
I was thinking the same thing, comrade dan.

Exit polls place Berlusconi ahead
Silvio Berlusconi
Mr Berlusconi heads the new People of Freedom (PDL) party

Veteran centre-right leader Silvio Berlusconi has a narrow lead in Italy's general election, exit polls suggest.

Mr Berlusconi, 71, a billionaire, is bidding for a third term in office. His main rival is centre-left leader Walter Veltroni, formerly mayor of Rome.

Exit polls showed Mr Berlusconi's bloc marginally ahead for both the lower house and the Senate.

The election was held three years ahead of schedule, following the collapse of Romano Prodi's centre-left coalition.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7346666.stm

Allentown, PA: Newspaper endorses Obama

by RLMcCauley, Sun Apr 13, 2008 at 12:56:13 PM EST

Seems someone on PA didn't get the memo. They're supposed to be mad at Senator Obama for pointing out things people have been pointing out for years.

Instead, the newspaper in Allentown, PA went ahead and endorsed Senator Obama, rather than Senator Clinton, today.

AFTER he said what he said.

They feel that both are qualified but they chose Obama. Why? Let's see what they said.

Reasons for Obama:

http://www.mydd.com/story/2008/4/13/125613/965

hahahaha---i aint gonna study you today man!!

There's a illegal war being waged that is destroying our country, our jobs are flying out of the country, people are struggling to survive because of the high price of gas and food, corporate corruption is rampant, 47 million Americans cannot afford health care, the environment is being destroyed ...

and THIS is what Hillary supporters are so OUTRAGED about that they take to the streets in protest?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&add...

Calm visit in Virginia for Obama's ex-pastor
Sermon at Norfolk church focuses on using religion to overcome life's troubles

NORFOLK -- Barack Obama's longtime former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., avoided controversy yesterday as he delivered the sermon to a Baptist church where his late uncle was minister.

The homily was Wright's first public appearance since the controversy over his seemingly anti-American sermons delivered to the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, where Obama is a member, has dogged the Democrat's presidential campaign.

Rather than deliver an angry message, Wright had the congregation at the Bank Street Memorial Baptist Church laughing uproariously as he spoke, often in street slang, of the differences between men and women.

He took as a sermon topic the New Testament story in which Jesus ran into a squall while on a boat in the Sea of Galilee. The waters were so rough that his disciples became afraid and woke Jesus up. Jesus calmed the waters.

Wright said everyone in life is going to run into trouble, but with Jesus's help, they can overcome it.

"There's no such thing as a trouble-free life," Wright said. "In this life, you will run into storms."

Wright's uncle, the Rev. John B. Henderson, was pastor of Bank Street for more than 25 years. Wright said he spent many summers going to church there.

Tape recorders and cameras were not allowed in the church. An overflow crowd spilled into an annex, where the two-hour service was shown on closed-circuit television.

Wright referred indirectly to the controversy when he said reporters sneaked into a private funeral on Saturday in Chicago to hear him deliver the eulogy.

http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2008-04-14-...

ROME (Reuters) - The first projections made on the basis of initial results from Italy's election predicted on Monday a victory for centre-right opposition leader Silvio Berlusconi in the upper house.

A projection by state TV RAI gave Berlusconi's bloc 43.7 percent of votes in the Senate against 39.1 percent for centre-left leader Walter Veltroni, a wider margin than initial exit polls had suggested.

The projections had a 3 percent margin of error, RAI said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080414/wl_nm/italy_election_dc

Tibet: Olympic Torch-ured

By Greg Palast

April 9th, 2008

China has barred the press from Tibet for years except on gun-guided tours. In 1993, I entered Tibet as a “tourist.” The photographer I snuck in with me was quickly discovered, her camera smashed, film destroyed.

http://www.gregpalast.com/

obama ordered "light coloured" orange juice

"i want white orange juice" demanded leetist leftist bama

yes he did

then he realised cameras were on him and corrected himself

this time he asked...

"can i have orange juice in a white glass"

no you can't

people of america we need a black president

VOTE FOR A BIG MCCAIN

AND HIS VEEP, FRENCH FRIES

[written by the facts don't matter]

Energy Stocks Provide Leadership
9 minutes ago - Briefing.com's Stock Market Update

[BRIEFING.COM] ...Crude oil is up 17.7% in 2008.
-------
For what it's worth (which ain't much...and, then again, too much), 17.7% projected throughout 2008 is 61.52857%.

Introducing Attackerman

Today, ThinkProgress is launching Attackerman, a new blog site featuring the insight, commentary, and analysis of Spencer Ackerman.

As a journalist, Spencer has written for The New Republic, the American Prospect, and Talking Points Memo, and is currently employed at the Washington Independent as a reporter covering national security issues. He will undoubtedly offer a unique and distinctive voice from ThinkProgress and The Wonk Room. Bookmark it and check back frequently.

Also, we’ve rolled out quite a few upgrades to ThinkProgress today. After receiving your feedback about our new redesign, we’ve made a few tweaks to make this site more user-friendly. Among some of the key changes:

1) We’ve enhanced the font to make it more readable. (If you don’t see it, make sure to clear your cache. On a PC, hit control-F5).

2) When you click on “comments” now, it will take you directly to the comments section, rather than the permalink.

3) The comments in the comments section have been reformatted to make them more reader-friendly.

4) PC users will notice that the blog has been centered on your screen.

5) We’ve added the “most linked” option into the “view most popular” box on the right hand sidebar.

We’re still making ongoing enhancements. Please continue to let us know what changes you’d like to see us make. As always, thanks for reading.

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/04/14/intro-attackerman/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BQvnQKANII

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZs7ZR37XLQ

If Hillary can give Obama a good Beat-Down she might just win the nomination!

Last person standing and all!

Obama is vulnerable, and Hillary figures if she can't have it, no one can have it!

PLEASE COME CLEAN AND LEAVE SCUM BEHIND!!

mcdonalds has been infiltrated by communists and terrorists

if you see this man...

arrest him

he's not a double beef patty

HE'S THE NEW!!

double cheese agent patsy burger

The Worst Thing I've Heard Obama Say

By Melinda Henneberger

Yes, it is galling to be tagged as out of touch by Hillary "Is that sniper fire I hear?' Clinton. Only, she happens to be right: Barack Obama's suggestion that economically suffering small-town Americans are haters who cling to God and guns out of bitterness is a way bigger deal than he seems to realize, even now.

Five years into an unpopular war, and with the economy tanking, the widely held and absolutely poisonous perception that Democrats tend to look down on Mr. and Mrs. Middle America—and on their religious faith in particular—may be the most serious obstacle to the party's presidential hopes this year. Yet here's Obama not apologizing: "If I worded things in a way that made people offended, I deeply regret that," he told the Winston-Salem Journal.

Poor wording was not the problem; on the contrary, it was his precision that was so unfortunate, and his ability to pack half a dozen unintended insults into a single sentence uncanny. And in San Francisco, no less? Roger Ailes couldn't have planned it better, unless he'd maybe followed up the event with some impromptu windsurfing in the bay.

so what you're saying is...

you cling to god's anus

that's what you precisely said

i heard it and it's been proven in the laboratories at the american enterprise institute

Submitted by air-ono on Mon, 04/14/2008 - 11:44am.
so what you're saying is...

you cling to god's anus

how many big macs have you consumed today

there's a terrorist lurking in every big mac

eat a big mac

and destroy the enemy

it's your patriotic duty

and being the exciting new!! ceo at ronnies

means i have no conflict of interest in ordering you to believe my claims

none

none at all

btw, would you like that upsized

i'm not saying anything

war-dog said it

check the file

it's proven scientifically

richard perle doesn't lie

it's proven scientifically

you can stay if you want jez saying---

can i get mine baptized with a sprinkle of lead shot? if you could use some bitter greens instead of fresh lettuce it would be perfect.

and he proved that reverend hagee is a scientist

i'm not using circular logic

i'm using a cicular saw made in china

it's true

it's proven scientifically

(sqawk)
(squawk)

this is ono's cockatiel

and i've hijacked his pootie

his big mcpootie-pootie pootie-pootie

it's true

it's proven scientifically

you said

"LEAVE SCUM BEHIND"

that's what you precisely said

i heard it and it's been proven scientifically

and i'm not leaving war-dog to be left behind

to be raptured in the left behind with assholes series of holy scripture

no way

that's not in my contract

i want orange juice

i want a bigger mac

it's mine

the earth is mine to dominate

and exterminate...

EXTERMINATE!!!