commercial elitism

>>commercial elitism

as an uninterested bystander I must say Sam Seder (is that his name?) deserves a Pulitzer for this post!
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"The Once and Future Rajah of Bhong."

Obscene Losses

by Claire Hoffman November 2008 Issue

DVD sales are in free fall. Audiences are flocking to pornographic knockoffs of YouTube, especially a secretive site called YouPorn. And the amateurs are taking over. What’s happening to the adult-entertainment industry is exactly what’s happening to its Hollywood counterpart—only worse.

On Friday, May 18, Steve Hirsch, founder of Vivid Entertainment Group, the world’s largest producer of adult videos, was expecting a mysterious visitor. But Stephen Paul Jones was late. When Jones, an unknown figure in the pornography world, finally arrived in the all-white reception area of Vivid’s Los Angeles offices at 2 p.m., he was apologetic. His private plane had broken down, he explained, and he was forced to fly commercial. Hirsch, dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, found that excuse a little slick. But he was eager to speak with Jones, so he let it slide and introduced him to two Vivid colleagues. When the four men sat down in the company’s conference room, Jones got right to the point: He wanted Vivid to buy his website, YouPorn.com.

As its name suggests, YouPorn lets users upload and watch a virtually unlimited selection of hardcore sex videos for free. The user-generated clips on YouPorn—like those on YouTube, the site it mimics—range from the grainiest amateur footage to the slickest professional product. Also, like YouTube, the site has far more traffic than income. Just nine months after going live, in September 2006, YouPorn was on pace to log about 15 million unique visitors in May, Jones told the Vivid executives, and its audience was growing at a rate of 37.5 percent a month. Today, YouPorn is the No. 1 adult site in the world; Vivid.com, a pay site, is ranked 5,061. According to Alexa, a website-ranking company, YouPorn’s overall rank is higher than CNN.com (84), About.com (114), and Weather.com (195). (Those numbers are averages for the three-month period from mid-June to mid-September.)

Blond, barrel-chested, and wearing a sport coat, Jones oozed Silicon Valley confidence. According to Hirsch, he mentioned his Stanford M.B.A. repeatedly. He offered reams of documents and audience data, emphasizing YouPorn’s global reach. (Only 12 percent of the site’s traffic comes from the U.S., he said.) Jones told the men that he and one other executive, a young Malaysian man living in Australia, were the owners of YouPorn, and he stressed that with the site’s traffic, its opportunities were manifold: dating, gaming, mobile content, pay-per-view, webcams (“already very popular in China”), and more. He shared his vision of turning YouPorn into a “very cool brand, perhaps the Virgin of adult entertainment.” As Jones rambled on, Hirsch and his executives traded raised eyebrows. Malaysia?

Still, they were intrigued by YouPorn—and more than a little intimidated by its size. In recent years, competition from the internet had cut deep into the porn studio’s revenues. DVD sales, once Vivid’s financial bedrock, were down almost 50 percent since 2004, and the proliferation of cheap Web-based videos was stealing market share from the company, which specializes in high-end sex films. Vivid and its top rivals—Wicked Pictures, Evil Angel, Digital Playground, Red Light District, Penthouse Media Group, and Hustler, to name a few—had lately been getting an unwanted glimpse of the overnight crisis that the file-sharing revolution brought to the music industry and Craigslist brought to newspaper classified ads.

The meeting lasted an hour. As Hirsch listened to Jones’ pitch, he considered the risks of acquiring YouPorn. Hirsch had been in the adult-entertainment business long enough to be mindful of its legal pitfalls, and that was a chief concern. How do you verify the age of the participants in these thousands of sex videos—or, for that matter, the age of the audience?

For the time being, Hirsch put those questions aside and focused on the business challenge: How, exactly, would you monetize this site? All the features were free, and, as Jones admitted, the advertising revenue was meager—about $120,000 a month. Jones said he wasn’t too interested in figuring that out himself. He planned to grow the audience as large as possible and then “exit” to an established company with the resources and know-how to parlay the traffic into revenue. Not that he’s expecting the $1.65 billion Google paid for YouTube or even the $580 million Rupert Murdoch coughed up for MySpace. Jones told Hirsch he’d be willing to part with YouPorn for $20 million. Hirsch said he’d be in touch...

YOU PORN STORY CONTINUES:

http://www.portfolio.com/culture-lifestyle/culture-inc/arts/2007/10/15/Y...

In a stunning blow to the Gay Republican internet spamming troll known as Wardog his log cabin republican gay porno was rejected by YouPorn.com

When asked to comment on this latest rejection of his republican gaydog doings, Wardog said:

"It was the decider 'Outcomes' of the 3%'ers that control that gol durn new YouPorn thingy".

even youporn has standards
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"The Once and Future Rajah of Bhong."

Literacy - only about four millennia old - has yielded (now-expiring) capitalism and its atrocities (among the more benign of which is this elevation of trashy crap to "bestseller" status"), established the hierarchies of oppression, including such elitist terms as "talent," and trashed much of the ability to communicate we get from our human inclination toward orality. I've read richer stuff on this blog than I've read in many ballyhooed books (Bridges of Madison County, anyone?). John Keats has won a place in the sacred canon of English literacy, but if you read the bio and thought about the time-equivalents, I bet you'd conclude that he'd be an avid blogger today.
"Beauty is truth, truth beauty"---that is all / Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know."

You want somebody else to tell you what your truth is?

ha ha how's that for timing!?

http://www.theyoungturks.com/

They were gonna have a debate on this intelligence squared thing about whether or not Bush was the worst ever.

Well finally up on YouTube. I don't have time to watch. Could suck.

Also, it's not even the first segment.

But I have to be half assed because I shouldn't be here and don't even have time to read the porn story but I needed at break.

Hope everyone's good.

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

click image for larger version

I am working on a special treat for all you seder fans...I don't want to blow it...but it will be uploaded to theyoutubes within a couple days...can't hurry my geneyous, you know...
*************************

"The Once and Future Rajah of Bhong."

>>whether or not Bush was the worst ever.

great video. kinda a biased panel, imho, especially Rove and Kristol. and the moderator protecting Rove from having to answer embarrassing questions.

I'll have to finish it tomorrow.

it'll give me a reason to get out of bed in the morning. ;)
*************************

"The Once and Future Rajah of Bhong."

I just started a little of it while I was stopping sobbing and waiting for my popcorn to pop and it was like--they'll let anyone on NPR now!!

the bush crime family, the gift that keeps on giving:

The Wall Street Journal reports more credit-card holders who fall behind on their payments are eventually defaulting, deepening losses for thousands of banks that issue plastic. The worsening trend indicates that charge-off rates among credit-card issuers, which stood at more than 6% in the third quarter, are poised to rise more than expected in the fourth quarter and into next year. That means additional misery for financial firms already besieged with losses on everything from soured mortgages to bad bets on capital markets. Card-industry executives are worried about escalating "roll rates," a term that refers to the percentage of cardholders who go from merely late on their payments to not making them at all. Among cardholders who are between 60 days and 89 days overdue, about 20% of such card balances eventually are being charged off by card issuers as uncollectible, according to Auriemma Consulting Group. The percentage is up by about a third from last year, before the U.S. economy tipped into recession.

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

Link
Last week, Bush said the Middle East is a freer, more hopeful place today than when he took office.
He said the threat from terrorist groups like al Qaeda has been curtailed and that Iran faces greater
pressure from the international community than ever before. Mr. Bush described his Mideast policies
as 'ambitious in vision, bold in action and firm in purpose.'...

Bush's vision may have been ambitious and his plan bold, but history will record that he utterly failed to meet
those objectives. He emboldened America's enemies, put Israel's security at greater risk, mired our military in
an endless occupation and diminished our prestige around the globe. No pixie dust can change that reality."

www.bartcop.com

But the whore media will back him up.
The newspapers and the networks write the first draft of history.
History will say Clinton was one scandal after another and that Bush protected us from al Qaeda.

Owning the whore media gives the Republicans a tremendous advantage.

www.marcmaronrules.blogspot.com

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

you're missing a lot.

just sayin.

Not to worry Sam. You work with your only critic.

dan - Did you hear the guys from Fannie saying the meltdown was caused by the middle and upper middle class? The percent of low income financing that was sub-prime was very low. They always want to blame the poor but that's not what happened this time.

fernando - missed that one but its consistent with what those outside of the neocon sphere of influence have been saying for a long time.

More than expected....573,000!

Per MSNBC just now.

Highest level in 26 years!

is an interesting concept because it permeates so much of what is going on right now. i guess its a lot easier to kick someone whose down then it is to place the blame where it belongs.

U.S. Initial Unemployment Claims Soar to 26-Year High as Recession Deepens The number of Americans filing first- time claims for unemployment benefits surged more than forecast last week to a 26-year high, a sign companies are stepping up firings as the recession deepens.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aPJaeEa4m6U0&refer=n...

****

Trade Deficit in U.S. Unexpectedly Widens as Exports Fall on Weaker Demand The U.S. trade deficit unexpectedly widened in October as faltering global demand led to a third consecutive drop in exports, signaling the American economy is sinking even faster than previously estimated.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aPHs7MrHfNpk&refer=n...

*****

Foreclosure Storm in 2009 May Force 1 Million Homeowners From Properties U.S. foreclosure filings climbed 28 percent in November from a year earlier and a brewing “storm” of new defaults and job losses may force 1 million homeowners from their properties next year, RealtyTrac Inc. said.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=au1wYjy9hoSE&refer=n...

GM Suppliers Said to Seek Payments in Advance as Automaker's Cash Dwindles

General Motors Corp. has been asked for payments in advance by a small number of auto-parts suppliers after saying it would run out of money by month’s end without U.S. loans, people familiar with the matter said.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=az1JOmA3dNrQ&refer=n...

I am the last person who blames or credits a president for the condition of the economy.

...but when a monkey is at the wheel for 8 years you're going to crash

www.sigzone.blogspot.com

;-)

I kid !

Good Morning Gang.. :)

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

funny you should ask:

Good one,Dan.. :)

But,at least the Cat goes over the cliff every week..

Monkey boy,just keeps hanging around telling all that will

listen,not to believe your lying eyes on his "Rewrite My

History/Legacy Tour" !

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

Love it, Dan.

___________

Now on my blog: My 3 favorite blog posts from this year

My 3 Faves

I have selected my three favorite blog posts from this year. I switched the genre of this blog to political/pop culture during early January. It's almost one year old. My first selection is its first post. As a postscript to that post, to memorialize George Carlin, who died this year I want to add
"IT'S ALL BULLSHIT, AND IT'S BAD FOR YA."

Sunday, January 13, 2008
The MEDIA!!! THE GOOOOOODDDAMN MEDIA!

Actually, I believe that the mainstream media reflect people's tastes. They sell whatever people want to consume. Liberal-slanted media gripe and bitch about the mainstream media's conservative corporate bias. Conservative media whine and moan about the media's liberal bias. Both subjective sources agree about one thing, though: the mainstream media focus obsessively on entertainment ... to the detriment of society... or whatever...

Obviously such self-righteous people avoid such things, right? Well, according to Huffington Post during December 20, 2007 an article about Jamie Lynn Spears' pregnancy received the most views during the course of a few days with more than 114,000 views. An article about Mike Huckabee ranked second with 54,000 views. In fact, as I typed this entry I noticed that an article that is titled "Britney Naked, Pill-Popping And Swearing: Details Of The Stand-Off" on Huff Post has received almost 46,000 views.

Now we have this recent phenomenon: http://sweetjesusihatechrismatthews.blogspot.com/2008/01/dear-chris-matt...

Apparently liberals are so sophisticated and learned about the issues and their candidates that they will vote for a candidate to spite a news commentator. Brilliant. Many Air America radio hosts have concurred that they wish they could vote for Hillary Clinton to spite Matthews and other sexist commentators, as well. Note: these are the same people who rant and rave about the mainstream media's superficialities.

It's all nonsense, folks. I'm just here to expose it.

_______________

Your Pep Talk for Today

When I was in my early twenties, I jogged daily. People yelled snarky comments at me -- usually while they were sitting in lawn chairs. I was running too slowly, they said. They could walk faster, they said. They spoke seriously without a hint of jocularity.

I timed myself. I was running a mile per seven minutes... which is, of course, outstanding. I should have never doubted myself.

People have described Jessica Alba as fugly on Youtube-- and the comment received 5 thumbs up. Albert Einsten's physics professors urged him to switch to a different major when he was in college.
The Nashville elites told Willie Nelson-- the best country singer of our time-- that he couldn't sing when he was new on the scene. I met a woman who was among the people who tried to shut down Willie; to this day she insists that she doesn't know how he gained so much popularity.

I could go on. It comes back to one thing: people don't know shit. If you have a dream, pursue it. As Willie Nelson said, don't listen to them. Do it your way. Even George Carlin-- who was perhaps the most cynical man you could meet-- said "dreams come true."

____________________

It was, kid.

The story.

www.sigzone.blogspot.com

Overtone 27 (5-6.7.7.7)
Week 20/52
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

red spectral earth
~ kin 37 ~

DISSOLVE in order to EVOLVE,
RELEASING SYNCHRONCITY
seal the MATRIX of NAVIGATION
with the SPECTRAL tone of LIBERATION.
guided by the SAME power DOUBLED.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
◄ 12.19.15.16.9 ≈ caa muluc ►

Some treasury money-market funds close doors

By Daisy Maxey

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Some money-market funds that invest mostly in Treasurys are shutting their doors to new investors as low yields on government securities drag down their yields.
As the credit crunch and market volatility send investors flocking to the safety or Treasurys, yields on the government debt have fallen dramatically and several Treasury funds have barred new investors. Some funds have also cut their fees to keep their yields in reasonable territory.
If the Fed moves to further cut interest rates, the possibility of "negative yields" exists, some experts said. More funds may be forced to turn back investments or waive expenses, and the current difficult conditions could cause some smaller fund complexes to reconsider whether they want to remain in the money-market fund business, experts said.
In the 12 months through Nov. 30, assets in Treasury money-market funds have risen 150%, said Peter Crane, president of Crane Data LLC, which tracks money-market fund flows. Some $750 billion now resides in Treasury money-market funds, the majority of it in institutional investments, Crane said.
Said Connie Bugbee, managing editor at iMoneyNet, which also tracks money-market funds, "As this money pours in, they have to buy the Treasurys at current yields, so they're diluting their holdings by having to go out and buy these things now, whereas some of them may have been holding onto some more decent yields because they had longer-dated Treasurys."

LINK

While Obama seems to be enjoying a honeymoon with the public, it's finalizing its divorce with President George W. Bush. According to the poll, 79 percent say they're not going to miss him.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28163452/

Understatement!

Pay raise for judges
tucked into bailout plan

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If the $14 billion bailout plan for U.S. automakers passes, it will help more than just Ford, Chrysler and General Motors. Federal judges would get a pay raise, as well.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081210/ap_on_go_co/judicial_pay_raise;_ylt=...

A clear majority of Americans approve of Washington taking firm steps to intervene in the nation's struggling economy, a Los Angeles Times poll finds. Two-thirds favor tighter restrictions on financial institutions and 60% back help for homeowners facing foreclosure. A huge 87% blamed deregulation for the economic crisis—up 25% from a similar poll in September.

A majority approved of Barack Obama's plan to kick-start the economy through public works spending, while half believed the government should take a stake in banks and other industries to keep the private sector from collapse, despite many describing such a move as a step toward socialism. But less than half supported bailing out Detroit automakers, and 53% felt capping CEO pay is a step too far.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-econpoll11-2008dec11,0,4075822.sto...

Chicago workers end
sit-in at closed factory

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
With cheers and chants that echoed President-elect Barack Obama's campaign of change, jubilant workers agreed to a $1.75 million settlement that ends their six-day occupation of a shuttered Chicago factory that became a symbol of the plight of labor nationwide.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081211/ap_on_re_us/workers_takeover;_ylt=Ag...

Well, here we go again. Somebody drops a dime on Blago the Inhaler. The Wall Street Media starts the echo chamber. Fitzgerald who couldn't or wouldn't indite Rove, saids this is the worst corruption. And what? We fall for the okie-doke. Well I don't know exactly whats going on here, but I smell Bull-shit!

Bull shit!

Bull shit!

They want Blago out. He's an idiot! 13% approval rating here in Illinois. The timing is bad, that's true. But everyone here in Illinois wants him gone so this little caper is using this to make problems.

But I blame the Dems as well for allowing him to get re-elected. I didn't vote for Gov that year because I didn't like anyone that ran. And I didn't like Blagojevish!

It's Fitzmas 97% style...!!!

Chicago lost it's soul 50 years ago...

And the citizens don't care...

The rest of the country does..!!

Obama has focused the light of justice on a city so corrupt as to disgust the whole nation...

Chicago's sins won't be ignored any longer..

It's Fitzmas in the City..!!!!

She has to be wearing boots and a warm coat and gloves today.

It's snowing in the Big Easy today!

My..my...my....

Such a same...!!

No one had any idea things were so bad in Illinois...

============

Case Confirms Rezko Is Talking With Prosecutors

By Joe Stephens and Carrie Johnson
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, December 11, 2008; A06

A footnote to the 76-page criminal complaint and affidavit charging Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) with soliciting bribes confirms what has long been rumored -- that a former longtime friend and fundraiser for President-elect Barack Obama is talking to federal prosecutors in hopes of a reduced sentence.

Antoin "Tony" Rezko's offer to provide authorities with evidence of others' wrongdoing is "not complete," and prosecutors are working to corroborate the claims he has made so far, the footnote said.

Rezko, a 53-year-old developer, was convicted in June of 16 criminal counts, including fraud, money laundering and abetting bribery. He is in custody awaiting sentencing.

Prosecutors depicted Rezko at trial as a fixer for Blagojevich and the man to see to secure a high-level appointment with the governor's administration. Rezko had been a longtime fundraiser for Blagojevich and other Illinois politicians, including Obama.

Obama was not implicated in the months-long trial, and he has said that Rezko sought no favors from him. At a news conference on Tuesday, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, went out of his way to dampen speculation about Obama.

"I should make clear, the complaint makes no allegations about the president-elect whatsoever," Fitzgerald said. "We make no allegations that he's aware of anything, and that's as simply as I can put it. . . .

"There's no reference in the complaint to any conversations involving the president-elect or indicating that the president-elect was aware of it. And that's all I can say."

Legal experts said it was unusual for a prosecutor to make such a blanket statement while an investigation was continuing.

"That carries a great deal of weight," said Jan Witold Baran, a Washington lawyer who represents politicians on ethical complaints and campaign finance matters. "It is really unusual for a U.S. attorney to say someone is not implicated.

"Could evidence pop up in the future to the contrary? Sure, it's possible. Is it likely? I think that, based on what he said yesterday, the answer is no," Baran added.

He was making fun of Fitzmas when Scooter Libby was the game. Now that it is a Dem Governor, Fitzmas is okay!

Talk about being obvious!!!

Wado, go play in traffic!

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

to those Get out of Jail Free coupons....

Offer VOID if not redeemed by Jan. 20th 2009 12pm EDT

Wouldn't it be sweet if Congress has Rove arrested on inauguration day?

It's the difference between real and pretend..!!!

If I was to blog that Obama was behind the sale of his Old Senate Seat....

That Obama wanted cash and control of who was next in line...

If I were to say they got Rezko to flip...

Now they will get Hot Rod to filp...

Then they will get Rahm to filp...

Then will will Impeach ObamaCo in the House..

And Convict him in the Senate...

Then we will Frog March the lot of them off to Prison..!!!

Then I would be a Crazy 3%er....

None of that is going to happen...

But what will happen is Fitz will do what the voters in Chicago should have done 50 years ago....!!!

which illustrates how bad the conservatives have derailed the catholic church. from the guardian (uk):

Madonna "provokes a crazy enthusiasm," a prominent Chilean priest said yesterday – and not in a good way.

Jorge Medina Estevez, a retired cardinal and apparent amateur pop critic, began his homily in lofty praise of General Augusto Pinochet, the late dictator responsible for more than 3,000 politically motivated killings and disappearances. He then shifted into a diatribe against sinful Madonna, who sings songs about boys, girls and sweets.

"This woman comes here," Medina said, "and in an incredibly shameless manner she provokes a crazy enthusiasm, an enthusiasm of lust, lustful thoughts, impure thoughts."

Medina is one of Chile's most prominent clergymen, and as cardinal protodeacon was the man who announced to the world the selection of Benedict XVI as pontiff. He is known for his conservative views, but less so for his album reviews.

===

so there you have it: pinochet good, madonna bad

YES ! :)

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

hey toni, i was thinking about you this morning when I got out the house in a snow storm "if it's like this down here i imagine what toni must be dealing with up there!"

real awful, looking at it from my office window now - some would say it's pretty, personally i never had any affection for snow at all - only look forward to possibly an early school closing (when I was still going to school) and now in my working life looking forward to a possible early office shut-down due to new orleans not really being equipped to deal with this type of weather

Totally unexpected, this morning left the house 6am to go to the gym and it was cold but not even raining yet - when i got out of the gym it was starting to rain - when i left the house an hour later to go to work, rain was turning into snow and when i reached the office it was a veritable snow storm, still going on now, and all the cars are already covered up, hear sirens wailing in the distance, i just hope we don't lose powers at my house

snow in new orleans is really unusual - a once every ten years kind of thing

Blagojevich: Who Is Advisor B?

An unnamed Washington politico is apparently a key player in the Obama Senate-seat scandal.

By Byron York

Barack Obama has flatly said that he has “not discussed the Senate seat with [Rod Blagojevich] at any time.” If that is true — and Obama will undoubtedly be asked the broader question of whether he communicated in any way with Blagojevich on the subject — then the big story in the Blagojevich scandal is the role of intermediaries. Throughout the criminal complaint filed against Blagojevich, there are references to unnamed individuals who play important roles in the scandal — and who know a lot about what went on and who was involved. None of those intermediaries is more intriguing than the person referred to as “Advisor B.”

We first learn about Advisor B in the complaint’s description of a November 7 three-way telephone call between Blagojevich, his chief of staff John Harris, and “Advisor B, a Washington D.C.-based consultant.” It was during this call that the participants talked about a “three-way deal for the open Senate seat,” involving the Service Employees International Union and its affiliated group “Change to Win.” The idea was that Blagojevich would appoint Obama favorite Valerie Jarrett to the seat, and in return, SEIU would make Blagojevich head of “Change to Win,” and then Obama would perform some unspecified act to help “Change to Win.” Harris said such a deal would give Obama a “buffer so there is no obvious quid pro quo for [Senate Candidate One],” according to the complaint. (“Senate Candidate One,” we now know, refers to Jarrett.) “Advisor B said that he liked the idea of the three-way deal,” the complaint says. “Advisor B said they should leverage the president-elect’s desire to have [Jarrett] appointed to the Senate seat in order to get a head position with Change to Win and a salary.”

Who was the idiot who un-wired Ann Coulters jaw? Couldn't it wait until after Christmas? WTF is wrong with people? - Wonkette

I've seen a lot of things, NOLA covered in snow is not one of them.

Please be careful driving.

sorry, because you and the city aren't used to it. Hope it doesn't turn to ice!

What's the temp down ther?

they were doing a publice service by wiring it!!!

Key Questions from Blagojevich-Jesse Jackson Story: Who was the emissary?

By Ken Silverstein

News stories yesterday identified Jesse Jackson Jr. as “Candidate 5″ in the criminal complaint against Governor Rod Blagojevich. “Of the six candidates for the senate seat who are identified by number in the complaint, but not named, only Candidate 5 is said to have engaged in possible wrongdoing by engaging in discussions through an emissary about a possible quid pro quo with Mr. Blagojevich’s camp,” said the New York Times. “The emissary was also not identified by name.”

A section of a Chicago Sun-Times story adds this:

The criminal complaint against Blagojevich discloses that he and his brother discussed picking Jackson over other candidates because an “emissary” indicated Jackson would help raise money for the governor’s cash-strapped campaign fund. “In a recorded conversation on October 31, 2008, Rod Blagojevich described an earlier approach by an associate of Senate Candidate Five as follows: ‘We were approached “pay to play.” That, you know, he’d raise me 500 grand. An emissary came. Then the other guy would raise a million, if I made him [Senate Candidate 5] a senator,’ ” the complaint states.

McCain campaign holds clearance sale for campaign equipment
John Byrne

Blackberries marked down to just $30!

No, it's not a holiday clearance sale -- it's a campaign blowout.

Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign is hawking off used campaign equipment at firesale prices for everything from Blackberries and Dell laptops to chairs and a power strip.

An email sent to campaign staff and acquired by The Sleuth's Mary Ann Akers read like a weekend promotional flyer for a one-day-only sale.

"Starting Monday December 8, 2008 the prices will be slashed to 36% of the original price for furniture, office supplies, blackberries, and many campaign computers," the email read. "This is a great opportunity to own a piece of history, finish your Christmas shopping, or simply replace your old laptop."

The campaign is even accepting credit cards for payment. Among the deals listed in the email:

- A Dell Latitude D620 laptop for $417.00.
- A Dell Latitude D820 laptop for $570.00.
- Brother multifunction printer for $189.00.
- RIM Blackberry 8700c for $30.00.
- Folding chairs for $3.60 each.
- A 55-cup steel coffee urn for $77.00.
- A power strip for $1.
- Ethernet cables for $1 a pound.

McCain campaign staffer Andrew Freeman told Akers the yard sale is not limited to campaign employees.

"Come on over and we'll sell you a computer," he said.

"Don't have any cash on you? No worries," Akers writes. "An attached price sheet says, "We accept cash, checks, and credit cards."

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/McCain_campaign_holds_clearance_sale_for_1...

Cheap SOB!

Is Jesse Jackson Jr. Telling the Truth?

"I presented my record, my qualifications and my vision," Jackson said. "Despite what he [Blagojevich] may have been looking for, that's all I had to offer."

Just days before Blagojevich was arrested, he and Jackson Jr. met for 90-minutes to discuss the Senate seat, after which Jackson told reporters:

"I am convinced that the governor has a very thoughtful process that he has put in place and is wrestling and weighing a number of issues in this enormous decision that he has to make."

For his part, before the meeting, Blago praised Jackson Jr. as "a very strong candidate in a very strong postition."

Chicagoans Rediscovering Cynicism
The New York Times reports that Chicago voters, after an election cycle in which their home-town candidate promoted a new politics of Hope and Change, are rediscovering their usual reputation for corruption and cynicism thanks to Rod Blagojevich. "In Chicago, we had just gotten past the old stereotypes," said one local man. "But now we're back to the jokes."

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/11/us/politics/11mood.html?ref=politics

The 2008 Republican and Democratic conventions were underwritten by hefty contributions from the institutions and individuals at the center of the country's financial crisis, according to a report released Wednesday by the Center for Responsive Politics and the Campaign Finance Institute. Insurance giant AIG, which has since received more than $150 billion in federal money, gave $1.5 million; mortgage company Freddie Mac, now a government enterprise, donated $500,000. In all, the donations come to about $14 million. (Wall Street Journal/Politico)

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/12/10/federal-bailouts-benefit-some-b...

Part of the proposed auto bailout plan would reinstate a tax loophole, Silo, which allows companies to avoid paying billions of dollars in taxes. The I.R.S. outlawed the shelter in 2004. A version of the bill passed the House Wednesday, though its fate in the Senate remained uncertain. (New York Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/11/business/11auto.html?ref=business

The Senate strengthened oversight of the Treasury's bailout Wednesday in a bill that gives Neil Barofsky, the program's internal inspector, the authority to investigate the use of bailout money and hire auditors. It also allocates funding. (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE4BA0HH20081211?feedTy...

U.S. automaker Chrysler and its majority owner Cerberus Capital Management LP are refusing to make public the company's recent financial statements, writes Bloomberg News columnist Jonathan Weil, despite their demand for bailout funds. (ProPublica/Bloomberg)

http://www.propublica.org/article/chryslers-owners-keep-balance-sheets-s...

Now this would lead me to think that they should get no funds. However, what would happen if they did not get the funds may be worse for the economy. Seems like Chrysler has the govt over a barrel and I don't like it. Has to be another way to deal with this. I hope the powers that be find that other way and remove the top management and maybe fine the owners, Cerberus Capial Management.

There's always another way if someone is smart enough to think of it.

seems like its a game of chicken and i would think the 3 headed dog would blink first.

The Dog isn't getting much attention lately. Who has the time?

Save your energy to dialogue with sane people.

Alaska GOP Rep. Don Young, who will be the second most senior member of the House next year, lost his senior position on the powerful House Natural Resources Committee, fallout from the federal investigation into his fundraising activities. Since 2007, the investigation has cost Young $1.1 million. (Anchorage Daily News)

http://www.adn.com/news/politics/fbi/young/story/618421.html

Obama: I've Asked My Team To Review Any Contacts With Blago
At a press conference at which he is naming Tom Daschle his pick for HHS secretary, Obama addressed the Blagojevich scandal in his opening remarks, saying he had never talked to the governor "on this subject" and adding he has asked his staff "to gather the facts of any contacts with the governor's office about this vacancy" so they can be made public in the next few days.

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/12/obama_ive_asked_...

was running late for work and didn't think about it; now it's already stopped and it might all feel like a dream by the time a go home this afternoon, already starting to melt.

Let me see if i can find some images in the local media

Temperature? probably around 45 right now, but I'm not sure

This Will Be Fun
Dana Perino just said we may need to "rethink" our North Korea policy after the recent hiccups in the nuclear negotiations. Presumably that means going back to the catastrophically unsuccessful Cheney/Bolton strategy of the early Bush years.

--Josh Marshall

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2008/12/white_house_to_rethink_its...

Under no circumstances would the Freepers- or any right wing site permit you to occupy their blog. War Dog has been posting this nonsense for years now. It makes no sense for Sam to pay for a right winger to blog. You gave Lucille the boot, and justifiable so. But you continuously allow this hopeless hack to stay.

Don't worry about me...

I am going on Vacation...

It's been in the 60's and 70's here...

But I am going to Beach in Mexico where it is in the 80's and 90's...

In need a good vacation every 3 months or so...

It's a reward for a life well lived..!!!!

It's God's will..!

more photos here, they're all over the place, great excitement in the city apparently

http://www.nola.com/

Submitted by OBAMAS 97 PERCENT on Thu, 12/11/2008 - 12:57pm.
-----

Well leave now Uncle Cracker- and don't come back!

Obama To Appoint Jeanne Lambrew As Deputy Director Of White House Office Of Health Reform»
In just a few moments, President-elect Barack Obama will announce that another one of our friends and former colleagues, Jeanne Lambrew, will be named deputy director of the White House Office of Health Reform. In that position, she will work with HHS Secretary Tom Daschle to achieve “significant changes” in health care reform. Jeanne co-authored a book with Daschle entitled, “Critical: What We Can Do About the Health-Care Crisis.”

Jeanne recently wrote, “Reforming the health system requires leadership and commitment that can come only from the White House.” In the Clinton administration, she helped lead the creation of the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Over on the Wonk Room, Igor Volsky takes a look at Jeanne’s philosophy on health care reform. Building on the two major existing sources of health coverage — the employer based system and Medicaid – Lambrew has advocated plans that allow Americans to keep their existing coverage, while offering affordable options to those who need them:

- Americans lacking job-based insurance, for instance, could purchase affordable coverage through a new national insurance pool that would offer “the same private health plans offered to federal employees and members of Congress.”

- While the plan does not include an employer mandate, “employers would have access to the Healthy America insurance pool.” Individuals offered coverage through an employer would be free to decline that coverage and enroll in a plan through the pool instead.

- The plan would simplify and extend Medicaid to cover all below a certain income level (for example, 100–150 percent of the federal poverty level).

While she was here at CAP, Jeanne also developed the idea of a Wellness Trust to “carve prevention out of health insurance and take responsibility for a new, outcomes-oriented system.” Writing on ThinkProgress, she explained:

The premise of the Wellness Trust is that disease prevention is more like homeland security than health insurance: everyone needs it, no one notices if it works, and it depends on persistent, strong leadership and systems. While change will come at a cost, this cost would be dwarfed by the lost lives, productivity, and public resources that will result from a failure to act.

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/12/11/jeanne-lambrew-announcement/

The Wonk Room has more.

http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2008/12/11/lambrew-appoint/

¡Estancia allí!

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Sara Lee Corp. (SLE:Sara Lee Corporation SLE 9.33, +0.30, +3.3%) on Thursday said it will reduce its work force by 700 jobs as part of plan to cut costs by up to $250 million. The Downers Grove, Ill. cake maker said it'll outsource part of its North American and European transaction processing and applications development operations. At the end of fiscal year 2008, Sara Lee listed about 44,000 employees worldwide.

LINK

We'll probably be going in late April, to Puerto Vallarta.

A real vacation, no less, not a work-trip.

Sounds kinda sleepy, not like Cancun or some other crazy towns...

Snowballs down on the bayou. Just in time for the holidays. Very cool.

Doggies first snow.

there may be a lot more to this than we know. listening to malloy from last night and he is talking about cerebus and that their goal in taking over chrysler was to gut it and its assets for all they could get and then leave the carcass behind. so perhaps the reason they won't disclose is people would find out sooner than cerebus wants how much chrysler has been looted.

Submitted by OBAMAS 97 PERCENT on Thu, 12/11/2008 - 12:57pm.
*******

Hit Ya On The Ass On Your Way Out The Door !

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

i've been wanting to go there since watching the old movie "Night of the Iguana" with Ava Gardner; it was filmed in or around Puerto Vallarta I believe; wonderful movie and beautiful landscapes

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058404/

There were several movies awhile back about companies like Cerebus. Corporate raiders.

You could very well be right.

But if they want money from the gov't, they should have to show their financials before hand. I would demand it. But that's me. Seems the gov't doesn't work that way.

Submitted by edna ellen poe on Thu, 12/11/2008 - 12:55pm.
*******

Done ..
Hopefully,Sam will ban his worthless ass again !
Thanks.. :)

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

was Mismaloya Village, Jalisco, i have no idea where that is. It's still an excellent movie though

:)

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

It's interesting the I am attacked in Incendiary Racist and Homophobic posts and yet I am the one who should be banned..!!

And what is my crime...??

Expressing my Political Opinion...!!!!

God Bless the 3%...!!!

They know not how the look...!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gG-TL0S3sN8

Trippy...

Oh please!!!!!!

How about your spamming these poor folks for four years with

"They know not how the look...!!!"

Forget about the patronizing, condescension and insults.

You are very crazy. Please seek help.

How many times have you been banned buttcheeks ?

One more won't kill ya !

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

US wants to take fight against Somali pirates on to land
UN to discuss draft resolution which would permit states to use 'all necessary measures' to fight piracy off Somali coast

The United States has requested international authorisation for countries pursuing Somali pirates to hunt them down on land.

A draft resolution that would permit states fighting piracy to "take all necessary measures ashore in Somalia, including in its airspace" has been circulated to members of the UN Security Council.

Prior consent for raids would be required from Somalia's weak and fractured government.

The resolution, which will be discussed at a Security Council meeting on Tuesday, highlights the concern that naval patrols alone will not deter the gangs terrorising one of the world's busiest shipping routes.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/11/piracy-somalia

cue the music.

Alex Gibney: 'I wanted Johnny Depp to channel Hunter S Thompson'

The Oscar-winning director of Taxi to the Darkside and Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room tells Jason Solomons about his new documentary, Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr Hunter S Thompson

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/video/2008/dec/10/alex-gibney-video-inter...

Walla Walla student suspended for bumper sticker

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420ap_wa_bumper_sticker.html

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- The Walla Walla School District is defending its decision to suspend a high school junior because of profanity on her car's bumper sticker.

The superintendent, Bill Jordan, says the language is not acceptable in print, speech or on a car in the Walla Walla High School parking lot.

The Walla Walla Union-Bulletin reports the girl and her family asked for help from the National Coalition Against Censorship, which sent a letter Dec. 3 to school officials. The coalition says the girl should not be suspended because the bumper sticker did not disrupt the educational process.

the bumper sticker allegedly contained the `F-word'

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

"The Once and Future Rajah of Bhong."

Submitted by OBAMAS 97 PERCENT on Thu, 12/11/2008 - 2:32pm.
It's interesting the I am attacked in Incendiary Racist and Homophobic posts and yet I am the one who should be banned..!!

---------

Because you're racist and homophobic.

Snap!

...

Beyond the ice
Greenland is four times the size of France, but with a population of only 57,000 - and as its huge ice sheets begin to melt, it could find itself sitting on a fortune in oil and gems.

Now, it has voted to cut all ties with its Danish rulers.

When it does shake off the last of its colonial shackles, Greenland will become the newest and the most extraordinary country in the world, as well as one of the most isolated. Although its remote north-west coast is little more than 100 miles from Canada's Ellesmere Island, it is nearly 2,000 miles from Europe. Four times the size of France, Greenland contains the longest fjord and largest national park in the world; 85% of its territory is covered with ice. Ten per cent of the world's fresh water is frozen on Greenland's ice-sheet; if it melts, sea levels will rise by seven metres, sweeping away capital cities and countries around the world.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/11/greenland-denmark-independen...

http://arrestbush2009.com

Yeah it is funny huh...the dems let them get away with murder...and got re-elected for it...

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/38180 (vid)

McCain campaign holds clearance sale for campaign equipment
John Byrne

No, it's not a holiday clearance sale -- it's a campaign blowout.

- A 55-cup steel coffee urn for $77.00.

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/McCain_campaign_holds_clearance_sale_for_1...
----------------------------------------------------------
Yeah, but I could really use the 55-cup steel cofee urn ...

Be a good guest WaDo, don't stink up the place.

>>Yeah, but I could really use the 55-cup steel coffee urn ...

mw too, I'd only need to make 2 or 3 pots a day!

really would save a lot of time.

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

"The Once and Future Rajah of Bhong."

Brazil's supreme court appears set to rule in favour of a group of indigenous tribes in their battle to retain control of land also claimed by farmers.

Indigenous leaders and their supporters say that the decision - if made official - would set a precedent protecting the rights of their people and protect the reservation from being targeted by loggers, prospectors and rice farmers.

Al Jazeera's Gabriel Elizondo outside the supreme court in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, said that the ruling, if confirmed, had repercussions not just for Brazil but for Latin America

Indian land accounts for about 12 per cent of Brazil's territory but in 2007 92 Indians were killed in land disputes.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2008/12/200812102248846664.ht...

...

With neoliberalism in tatters, the Right is offering up a a smorgersboard of crap--

The Return of the Old Left
By Robert Tracinski

It looks as if we are going to have to relive all of the mistakes of the 20th century one more time--let's hope it is one last time--before we relearn the big lesson of that century: the moral and material superiority of capitalism and the disastrous consequences of socialism in all its forms.........

Consider Barack Obama's plan for up to $700 billion in New-Deal-style "public works" boondoggles. It is a good old-fashioned Keynesian "stimulus" based on the premise that you can revive the economy by spreading paper money around at random........
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/12/the_return_of_the_old_...

Who Is To Blame?

Some point to Alan Greenspan. But his hands-off approach to the economy originated with Ayn Rand.

Of course, things look entirely different to members of "free-market advocacy groups," as they like to be called. One such group is the Ayn Rand Institute, named after the matriarch of the movement, whose antigovernment and anti-regulation views are embodied in her best-selling novels "Atlas Shrugged" and "The Fountainhead.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/173514

Senate Republicans, and Max Baucus, threaten to throw nation into another Great Depression
John Aravosis (DC) · 12/11/2008 01:33:00 PM ET · Link
Make a comment · reddit · FARK · Digg It! · Stumble It! · facebook

First, a word to Max Baucus: And you wonder why Democrats always beat up on you.

Now to the Republicans. So you want to force us to lose another 2 million jobs in the throes a massive recession? Don't forget, these are the same Republicans who were happy to throw the stock market into a tail spin because they didn't want to bail out the banks. Now they don't want to bail out the car industry. Well, folks, sorry to tell you, the patient is dying here. I'm not a real fan of the mortgage bailout. As a first-time buyer, all it means to me is that you're artificially inflating prices and making it more expensive for me to buy my first home. (I'm also not thrilled about bailing out banks who knew what they were doing.) But I understand that we don't have a choice. The repercussions to the economy are too great if we just let everyone go into foreclosure. So I suck it up and accept that we have to have some kind of bail out. Same thing goes for the auto industry.

Our auto industry is huge - some estimates are that millions of jobs could be lost over the next year if we let Detroit go bust. With the economy already in a deep recession, that would be catastrophic to all of us. So it's no longer about bailing out those [insert here] "stupid unions" or "stupid executives." It's about covering our own asses.

There was a popular joke amongst the international relations crowd in the mid 1980s, during the height of the Latin American debt crisis. In a nutshell, western banks had loaned Latin American governments (often corrupt military governments) a gazillion dollars (over $300 billion) that they subsequently wasted. The new democratic governments in Latin America didn't think they should have to pay the old corrupt loans. The western banks said "uh yeah you do," and the banks refused to bailout out the Latin American economies by finding a way to forgive, or at least lessen, the debt. So here's the joke:
LATIN AMERICAN GOVERNMENT ASKS WESTERN BANK: What do you call it when I owe you 300 million dollars?

WESTERN BANK: Dunno.

LATIN AMERICAN GOVERNMENT: "Big trouble for me."

LATIN AMERICAN GOVERNMENT: Now, what do you call it when I owe you 300 billion dollars?

WESTERN BANK: No idea.

LATIN AMERICAN GOVERNMENT: "Big trouble for you."
I.e., if Latin America went bust, then the banks wouldn't get a dime. And while they could afford writing off a few hundred million, they couldn't afford writing off a few hundred billion. So it was in the interests of the banks to figure something out, regardless of whether the Latin American governments deserved a bailout.

At some point, the problem becomes so huge that it threatens to hurt everyone, not just the guy seeking help. Whether we like it or not, homeowners who gambled on their mortgages and lost, big banks who gave out loans like candy, and automakers who never modernized for the 21st century all have us by the collective juevos. That doesn't mean we just hand them cash. But it does mean that we have to hold our noses and do something to ensure that they don't take all of us down with them.

The congressional Republicans - and lapdog Max Baucus - are playing with economic fire. It's time the Democrats showed a little backbone and went to the American people and told them exactly what's going to happen if Detroit goes belly up. Then tell them who to blame: Max Baucus and the congressional Republicans.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081211/ap_on_go_co/congress_autos_392

Hey, this is Bob, Gimme a call if ya feel up to it. I just did a week in the ward. But got some GREAT news. Some Great Plans. Some Great Ideas Id like to run by ya.

New on YouTube (any minute now): The Infamous Peaches Interview from the old Air America Radio Show starring Janeanne Garofola and Sam Seder. a pre-taped interview that went off the rails and was terminated before it could finish being played on air.

ooops, when I went to play it I got, "This video has been removed due to terms of use violation."
*************************

"The Once and Future Rajah of Bhong."

This Isn't Supposed To Happen To People Like Us

Poverty's for the poor, after all.

Well-paid professionals like lawyers and architects are joining the rapidly expanding unemployment rolls in New York City, according to a new unemployment study.

The report, scheduled for release by the Fiscal Policy Institute, shows that the effects of the financial crisis have spread well beyond Wall Street to other white-collar jobs, as well as construction, retail and service jobs.

The number of white-collar workers outside the financial industry receiving unemployment checks has increased by more than 40 percent and the number of college graduates collecting benefits is up by 50 percent in the city since last year, the report shows.

-Atrios 15:32

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/11/beyond-wall-st-white-collar...

KB Toys files Chapter 11; to have ‘going out of business’ sales
By Steven Church

ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK - In another sign of the grim holiday season, KB Toys filed for bankruptcy protection for the second time in four years on today and plans to begin going-out-of business sales at its stores immediately.
The 86-year-old company said in a filing that its debt is "directly attributable to a sudden and sharp decline in consumer sales" because of the poor economy.

That a toy retailer filed for bankruptcy just before Christmas shows how bleak things have become; such stores make up to half of their sales during the holidays. But analysts expect toy sales this holiday season to be flat or down slightly from last year's total of $10.4 billion, according to market research firm NPD Group, because consumers are cutting back amid the recession.

In response, toy retailers, including KB Toys, amped up their discounts.

KB Toys had aggressively cut prices to entice cash-strapped shoppers, offering hundreds of toys for $10 or less. It also expanded its value program, which offers deals on new items each week, and offered "Buy 2, Get 1 Free" promotions.

But the deals weren't enough. In the filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware, KB Toys said that between Oct. 5 and Dec. 8, sales in stores open at least one year, a key retail metric known as same-store sales, fell nearly 20 percent.

The company said it considered its alternatives and decided the most viable way to cover its debt was to begin liquidating its stores through immediate going-out-of-business sales. KB Toys also plans to sell its wholesale distribution business, according to the filing.

Filing for Chapter 11 protection rather than Chapter 7 liquidation allows a company to retain more control over selling off assets. Under Chapter 7, the court immediately appoints a trustee to take over the case.

KB Toys declined to comment beyond what was in the filing.

The company operates 277 mall-based stores, 40 KB Toy Works stores (which are mainly in strip malls), 114 outlet stores, and 30 short-term holiday stores. It has 4,400 full-time employees and 6,515 seasonal employees.

KB Toys, which says it has about $480 million in annual sales, said in the filing that it had debts of $100 million to $500 million and total assets in the same range.

Vendors top the list of unsecured creditors. The toy retailer owes Hong Kong-based toy manufacturer Li & Fung about $27.2 million, El Segundo, Calif.-based Mattel Toys $1.3 million, and St. Louis-based Energizer Battery more than $728,000. Other creditors are Hasbro Inc. and the maker of Legos.

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/breaking/business_breaking/35966599.html

GOP Senator Warns of 'Riots' if Automakers Are Bailed Out

Time and again we’ve heard about the lost jobs and economic impact of failing to bail out the beleaguered American auto manufacturers. But little mention has been made of the consequences of going through with the bailout, and how such an action would be viewed by other Americans.

In an interview following a Dec. 10 press conference where he and four other senators aired their opposition to the proposed bailout deal struck by congressional leaders and the White House (and approved by the U.S. House of Representatives 237-170 that evening), Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., warned that the perception that some industries are being bailed out and some aren’t could lead to violence.

“We’re going to have riots. There are already people rioting because they’re losing their jobs when everybody else is being bailed out. The fairness of it becomes more and more evident as we go along. The auto companies may be hurting,” he said, but “there are very few companies that aren’t hurting and they’re going to hurt. We don’t have enough money to bail everyone out.”

DeMint blamed the unions for pushing this issue as far as it has gotten. The senator said the notion that reorganization under bankruptcy would not work was generated by the unions for fear of losing their power.

http://www.businessandmedia.org/articles/2008/20081211131911.aspx

Even the White House knows what will happen if the repubs get their way!

Thanks to CatChew..

Link

There is another audio of Peaches right above CatChews but,of lower quality..If one link is too old try the other..

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

Di*khead !

CBS 2 Chicago

Gov. Rod Blagojevich knew for months he was under investigation, so why was he caught on tape making so many incriminating statements? Some are wondering if there's something wrong with his mental acuity....

Could it be that Blagojevich has a mental illness that has impaired his judgment?

Dr. Daniela Schreirer is a forensic psychologist at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology and she does not see any sign of mental illness in the public Blagojevich, but believes he does have sociopathic traits.

"We're just talking about traits. We're not talking about full-blown diagnosis. But certainly, there's the same sense of entitlement, the same sense of thinking I am superior. I can do whatever I want. I am not going to be caught," Schreirer said.

Could a claim of a mental illness be the Blagojevich's best defense in court? "There's a difference between being crazy and being legally insane," said CBS 2's Legal Analyst Irv Miller. Miller says don't expect Blagojevich's attorneys to even try that defense....

http://cbs2chicago.com/governor/Blagojevich.mental.health.2.884667.html

From Local Chicago News

Gene Lyons

*To accept responsibility for the ongoing tragedy would require an active conscience.

Alas, there's no sign the self-designated "comforter-in-chief" has one.

Con't

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

By Dave Lindorff

Dave Lindorff is a Philadelphia-based journalist and columnist. His latest book is "The Case for Impeachment" (St. Martin's Press, 2006). His work is available at www.thiscantbehappening.net

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article21434.htm

By Aluf Benn, Haaretz Correspondent

A senior Bush administration source said that the proposal for an American nuclear umbrella for Israel was ridiculous and lacked credibility. "Who will convince the citizen in Kansas that the U.S. needs to get mixed up in a nuclear war because Haifa was bombed? Continue

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article21431.htm

By Dan Froomkin
Special to washingtonpost.com

President Bush has his signature failures: Iraq, the economy and Katrina, for starters. But really, his is an administration that has performed its duties poorly across the board.

The public reached this conclusion a while ago. As I wrote in a September 2007 column, when the Pew Research Center asked people to choose their own word to describe Bush in 2006 and 2007, the number one response was "incompetent."

In retrospect, this was a predictable result of the fact that Bush and Vice President Cheney intentionally put into key posts people who didn't support the traditional missions of the agencies they led. Competence or experience often weren't as important as loyalty to the White House, rigid ideological commitment to deregulation, aversion to oversight and allegiance to corporate and special interests over consumers and the general public.

Now, the Center for Public Integrity is out with a new report authoritatively chronicling the results. It's called Broken Government: An assessment of 128 executive branch failures since 2000.

Con't

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

The role in the terrorist attacks in Mumbai last month of an underworld kingpin that heads an organization known as D-Company, has known ties to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), and who is alleged to have ties with the CIA is apparently being whitewashed, suggesting that his capture and handover to India might prove inconvenient for either the ISI or the CIA, or both

http://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/articles/2008/12/10/hammond_ibrahim_...

http://www.independent.org/newsroom/article.asp?id=2152

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

So How is everyone, Feeling nice and Warm and Fuzzy?

i always felt that Janeane and Sam chickened out in that interview just as it was getting interesting.

(at least in the truncated version that was aired on that MRR segment)

give ya a call later, waiting for one right now from my banker.

Skeletal Remains of a Small Child Found, Orlando, Florida

The remains of a small child has been found in the woods about a half mile from the Orlando, Florida home of missing 3 year old Caylee Anthony. A utility worker found the body this morning. Police are not releasing identity at this time.

Off to work!

Later

With folks like Karl Rove and Karen Hughes engaged in white-washing the Bush legacy,
it will be folks like them who will try to attach this Blagojevich corruption scandal to Obama.

In hearing some pundits compare Blagojevich to Nixon yesterday, dare I say Bush is the likely one
that they should be comparing to Nixon? Both escalated a war that did not have the backing of the
American people and lied directly to all of us. Let us remember that Scott the Underbear stated that
Bush was the one that outed Valerie Plame. In using that connection citing that Iraq was purchasing
‘yellow cake’ from Niger in his ‘State of the Union Address’, Bush directly lied to congress which
is an impeachable offense. Yet, they allowed him to get away with it.

I suspect the GOP will use this scandal against Obama, but let us remember that it was under
Bush’s watch where America suffered an economic meltdown not seen in many of our lifetimes.

Con't-SmirkingChimp

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

Wal-Mart has changed the health insurance rules that almost cost permanently disabled former employee Debbie Shank her trust fund.

When the world's largest retailer announced in April it would not pursue the money despite a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that it could, the company also announced it was reviewing the rules that prompted it to pursue the court case.

On Wednesday, Wal-Mart Watch, the Washington, D.C.-based group that keeps a critical eye on the company, announced it had learned the details of those rule changes and declared the changes a victory for workers.

A spokesman for Wal-Mart, Greg Rossiter, said the policies were put in place in April.

"Everyone was moved by Mrs. Shank's extraordinary situation," Rossiter said. "The plan did not give us much flexibility. We reviewed the guidelines of the trust that pays benefits for our associates and family members and modified the plan to allow us more discretion."

Jim Shank, Debbie Shank's former husband, said he is grateful that national publicity surrounding the case helped push Wal-Mart to change its policy. "I wish it wouldn't have taken national outrage to push Wal-Mart to do the right thing, but I'm glad the company listened to everyone who spoke up on our behalf."
...

RePeach!
Submitted by Sunshine Jim on Thu, 12/11/2008 - 6:26pm
*******

The bleeper button broke during the interview ? ;)

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

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vShc9rTApH0

Aboard the Queen Mary Dec 11 2008

http://www.eufeeds.eu/

1000 newspapers - updated every 20 minutes

"The bleeper button broke during the interview ? ;)"

HEY!

having been bleepered myself by the show crew and then hung up on immediately afterwards, i'm somewhat sensitive on the issue.

nah, the straightforward sexuality she was describing was making Janeanes hair stand up. you can hear it in her voice. Sam went all prude and went along with it.

Americans are very weird about sexual reality. and enthusiastic when it comes to blood and guts discussion.

i've always seen that as a recent cultural result from Television brainwashing.

Sanitized sex and war.

very weird imo.

>>i always felt that Janeane and Sam chickened out in that interview just as it was getting interesting.

that's Sunshine Jim for you, always sticking up for the Canadians! ;)
*************************

"The Once and Future Rajah of Bhong."

>>give ya a call later, waiting for one right now from my banker.

Careful, Jim, he might want to borrow money from ya!
*************************

"The Once and Future Rajah of Bhong."

She want me to paint and fix her kids motorcycle, which is sitting in my shop.

No Probls, just gimme a call when ya get a chance.

Total Defeat for U.S. in Iraq

By PATRICK COCKBURN

On November 27 the Iraqi parliament voted by a large majority in favor of a security agreement with the US under which the 150,000 American troops in Iraq will withdraw from cities, towns and villages by June 30, 2009 and from all of Iraq by December 31, 2011. The Iraqi government will take over military responsibility for the Green Zone in Baghdad, the heart of American power in Iraq, in a few weeks time. Private security companies will lose their legal immunity. US military operations and the arrest of Iraqis will only be carried out with Iraqi consent. There will be no US military bases left behind when the last US troops leave in three years time and the US military is banned in the interim from carrying out attacks on other countries from Iraq.

con't

http://www.counterpunch.org/

Really?

;)

NOT violence....

Jesse Jackson Jr. says he had weight-loss surgery

By Nicole Ziegler Dizon
ASSOCIATED PRESS
6:00 a.m. March 30, 2005

CHICAGO – After weeks of speculation over his svelte new physique, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. has revealed how he managed to drop nearly 50 pounds: weight-loss surgery.

In a letter in Monday's Chicago Sun-Times, the congressman said he had the procedure in December and is now down to about 200 pounds on his 5-foot-9-inch frame

con't

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/features/20050330-0600-people-jesseja...

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez addresses an audience at Capitan Manuel Rios aerospace airport in El Sombrero, Guarico state, Venezuela. Nearly 30,000 Cuban doctors, dentists, nurses and technicians are providing healthcare to the poor through a Venezuelan government-sponsored program, officials he

http://www.terra.net.lb/wp/Articles/DesktopArticle.aspx?ArticleID=432297...

By James Cogan

The Labor government repeatedly tries to ennoble the Afghan war with flowery descriptions of Australian soldiers as "heroes" who are "putting their lives on the line for the rest us". The truth is they are killing and maiming people, including entirely innocent civilians, of an oppressed country for a thoroughly reactionary, neo-colonial cause. Continue

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article21430.htm

That is totally immoral Alice and what a disturbing commentary of our society, well not our, the corporate push.

So How have you been? Ive always enjoyed chatting with you.

Whats new.

"hello how are you" and then you ditch - thing? :)

But Im all better now :)

ANy recent UFO activity you know of?

I'm just razzin ya...

Psychedelic ward eh...? What do they have a lotta black lights, and lava lamps? ;) What made you 'all better now?' was it the 5 minutes of counseling a night or the bad food?

http://scholar.google.com

Use the peer reviewed feature...it doesn't expose the 'invisible web'..but it beats daily pablum...

I cannot believe that people believe that airplanes make X patterns with condensation...Maybe that explains the nutty idea that anyone is going to riot about anything in this country...

terday...

>>She want me to paint and fix her kids motorcycle,

You better put chains on that scooter, Jim.

Looks like you are getting some snow tomorrow.
*************************

"The Once and Future Rajah of Bhong."

and we were talking about Cheney Blogbitch and narcissism. He said Cheney was a malignant narcissist. I like that. From Wiki:

The malignant narcissist receives psychological gratification from feelings of power that come from the outside world. These positive social cues can be in the form of attention, power, and notoriety. Over time, the malignant narcissist becomes accustomed (even addicted) to this form of psychological gratification (also known as narcissistic supply). Similar to other addictions, the narcissist needs to feed off other people's emotions for narcissistic supply to help stimulate their psychological needs. Without narcissistic supply, the narcissist will undergo withdrawal symptoms similar to a drug addict.[5]

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

DASHT-E LEILI, Afghanistan — Seven years ago, a convoy of container trucks rumbled across northern Afghanistan loaded with the human cargo of suspected Taliban and al Qaida members who'd surrendered to Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum, an Afghan warlord and a key U.S. ally in ousting the Taliban regime.

When the trucks arrived at a prison in the town of Sheberghan, near Dostum's headquarters, they were filled with corpses. Most of the prisoners had suffocated, and others had been killed by bullets that Dostum's militiamen had fired into the metal containers.

Dostum's men hauled the bodies into the nearby desert and buried them in mass graves, according to Afghan human rights officials. By some estimates, 2,000 men were buried there.

Earlier this year, bulldozers and backhoes returned to the scene, reportedly exhumed the bones of many of the dead men and removed evidence of the atrocity to sites unknown. In the area where the mass graves once were, there now are gaping pits in the sands of the Dasht-e-Leili desert.......

NATO — which has command authority over a team of troops less than three miles from the grave site — the United Nations and the United States have been silent about the destruction of evidence of Dostum's alleged war crimes.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/world/story/57649.html

ways of being while in office? Or does a psychiatrist have to meet and counsel the person first? Does wiki use the DSM I wonder? Because imo...I can label anyone who thinks war is a proper way of solving issues as PSYCHOTIC...

I'm all about Solidarity

by Greg Palast

Let's begin with Joel Klein. Klein is a top notch anti-trust lawyer. What he isn't is an educator. Klein is as qualified to run the Department of Education as Dick Cheney is to dance in Swan Lake. While I've never seen Cheney in a tutu, I have seen Klein fumble about the stage as Chancellor of the New York City school system.

Klein has indeed run city schools like a business - if the business is General Motors. Klein has flopped. Half the city's kids don't graduate.

Brooks and other Republicans (hey, didn't those guys lose?) are pushing Klein as a way for Obama to prove he can reach across the aisle to Republicans like Bloomberg. (Oh yes, Bloomberg's no longer in the GOP, having jumped from the party this year when the brand name went sour.)

The anti-union establishment has a second stringer on the bench waiting in case Klein is nixed: Arne Duncan. Duncan, another lawyer playing at education, was appointed by Chicago's Boss Daley to head that city's train-wreck of a school system. Think of Duncan as "Klein Lite."

What's Duncan's connection to the President-elect? Duncan was once captain of Harvard's basketball team and still plays backyard round-ball with his Hyde Park neighbor Obama.

But Michelle has put a limit on their friendship: Obama was one of the only state senators from Chicago to refuse to send his children into Duncan's public schools. My information is that the Obamas sent their daughters to the elite Laboratory School where Klein-Duncan teach-to-the-test pedagogy is dismissed as damaging and nutty.

Mr. Obama, if you can't trust your kids to Arne Duncan, why hand him ours?
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2008/12/11-1

When a guy has a home and a boat and a wife and a girlfriend.

and all of them are a month late.

Riding the atheist bus
Thanks to the inspiration of our friends in Britain, we've started our own atheist bus ad campaign in Washington DC

........Clearly, American nontheists can't get a break.

We in the American Humanist Association found this out first hand when we launched our Washington DC advertising campaign on November 11 with the slogan "Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness' sake." The venue was the sides, rears and insides of 230 of the city's buses. News coverage of the campaign generated an outpouring of phone calls and e-mails, mostly negative. The largest number came directly to us but hundreds of complaints also came to Metro, the government entity that handles the city's buses and subways. One of the complainers expressed a wish (or perhaps a prayer): "May all your atheist buses break down!"

The sudden high volume of visitors to our special campaign website www.whybelieveinagod.org crashed our server twice. Soon, the conservative talkshow hosts were clamouring to give us air time so they could argue against us and further rouse their audience. And conservative Christian organisations not only denounced our efforts but encouraged their flocks to come bleat in our ears. All this before our bus ads actually started to appear one week later........
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2008/dec/11/religion-...

From Environmental Defense Fund

*** BREAKING NEWS *** BREAKING NEWS *** BREAKING NEWS ***

Dear xxx,

I just received an email from our California global warming team and wanted to share some really exciting news.

Moments ago, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) officially and unanimously approved the AB32 Scoping Plan, a blueprint which charts the course for reaching 1990 global warming emissions levels by 2020.

Below is a press statement fresh off the wires with more details.

This is a huge victory. As a Californian and an online EDF supporter, you are helping lead the world in our collective fight against the catastrophic environmental impacts of run-away global warming.

We have a very narrow window of time for the federal government to follow California's lead and pass a hard cap on America's global warming pollution. We need to apply maximum pressure over the next few months to force Congress to seize this critical opportunity to act.

Today, California. Tomorrow, the rest of the country.

Many thanks to all our California supporters for helping make today's victory possible.

Sincerely,
Sam Parry
Director, Online Membership and Activism

Our Press Statement:

California Approves Plan to Implement Climate Change Law, Sets Precedent for National, International Action

Historic Vote Occurs as World Leaders Negotiate International Climate Deal

(Sacramento, CA - December 11, 2008) California regulators today unanimously approved a plan to implement a law requiring the state to dramatically cut its global warming pollution, setting a precedent for national and international action, according to a law cosponsor. The law cosponsor, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), praised the California Air Resources Board for its historic vote to approve its Scoping Plan to implement The Global Warming Solutions Act.

The Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32) is the first statewide effort to cap greenhouse gas emissions. It sets a firm cap requiring the state to cut its emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2020 (about 30 percent below business as usual).

"As world leaders meet in Poland to negotiate an international climate deal, California regulators today set an international and national standard for how to meet aggressive targets to cut global warming pollution that will create a high-wage, clean high-tech economy," said Derek Walker, director of EDF's California Climate Initiative, who just returned from attending the United Nations' climate negotiations in Poznan, Poland that ends tomorrow.

Seven Western states (Arizona, California, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington and Utah) and four Canadian provinces (British Columbia, Manitoba, Quebec and Ontario) have followed California's lead by pledging to cut greenhouse gas emissions as part of a Western Climate Initiative.

"California already leads the nation in clean tech investment," said Dr. James Fine, EDF economist and policy scientist. "The Air Resources Board's approval of its plan to implement The Global Warming Solutions Act will reinforce this trend. Our state is well-positioned to make enacting this law an opportunity, both economically and environmentally, rather than a burden, as some naysayers suggest. By approving the action plan, ARB is acknowledging definitively that the most expensive option for California is inaction in fighting global warming."

EDF released a report on Monday showing that implementing AB 32 is likely to increase employment in several sectors of the state's economy, as well as associated supply chains, including biomass-based fuels, building and transportation infrastructure construction, clean technologies, environmental engineering, consumer products, information technologies, transportation and logistics, waste management, and water purification and conservation.

"California's businesses and consumers can reap substantial economic benefits from implementing The Global Warming Solutions Act and lead the world in pioneering a green, low carbon economy that sustains our future," said David Festa, vice president of EDF's West Coast Region and a former director of Policy and Strategic Planning at the U.S. Department of Commerce.

I was wondering how long it would be before someone noticed this and took a still!

It's from the morning Blagojevich posted bail as he was leaving the clink and getting in his car with his bodyguards.

I know I wasn't the only Chicagoan that saw this in the vid and laughed out loud!

Chicago's Rodent Abatement Program Exceeds Expectations

Blagojevich Photo Caption Contest

is Black?

I didn't think so. See how silly Americans are?

Encourage Obama to Appoint a Special Prosecutor for Bush Administration

President Elect Obama's official website is Change.gov, not to be confused with Change.org. At Change.gov, Obama is asking you to ask him questions about policies that are important to you. This new feature can be found here.

We would like to encourage you to vote in support of a particular question that has already been asked, so that it rises to the top of the list and stays there, this question:

"Will you appoint a Special Prosecutor - ideally Patrick Fitzgerald - to independently investigate the gravest crimes of the Bush Administration, including torture and warrantless wiretapping?"
Bob Fertik, New York City

Here's how:

Con't-AfterDowningStreet.Org

(This edition of Open for Questions comes to a close on Friday, Dec. 12th, at 12:00 a.m. EST.)

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

black?

>>Does it even occur to anyone anymore that Obama(...)is Black?

Good lord, I can't sleep at night with the suspicion he might be a foreign born, radical secret muslim, socialist, terrorist who is in a racket with Blagojevich, William Ayres, William Jefferson and Jeremiah Wright!

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

"The Once and Future Rajah of Bhong."

I could not agree more Alice.....

http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/thestew/2008/12/holy-bleep-blag.h...

Originally posted: December 11, 2008
Holy Bleep! Blagojevich inspires "Dirty Governor" cocktail
Posted by Phil Vettel at 2:50 p.m. CDT

You knew somebody was going to do this, but credit The Fifty/50 (2047 W. Division St.), for coming up with its "Dirty Governor" cocktail, now available at the Wicker Park hangout. The Dirty Governor is a dirty (contains olive juice) vodka martini, but the bartender is instructed to "steal the olives, leave the pimentos" (a play on "leave the gun, take the cannoli," a line from "The Godfather"). The brand of vodka? Effen, of course.

Don't pic and drive:

Obama Watch
http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2008/12/obama-watch-close-call-for-mo...

Obama Watch: Close call for motorcade
December 11, 2008 at 6:26 PM | Comments (4)

9:16 a.m. Leaves home. As the motorcade made its way up Lake Shore Drive, a driver on her cell phone tried to take a picture, crossed lanes and almost caused an accident.

excellent news blogging today

but i've had enough thinking about asshole psychotics for the day.

here is a place where elephants march through a hotel lobby

(after it was built on their migration trail)

to eat mango fruit from their favorite tree.

great pix *

http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1065865/Pictured-El...

Don't care if Sam does a ban or not, it's his blog but I'll always have my say and then some.

I found a new place to frolic in the warmth while I'm away. Don't know if I can blog my usual for you here as I'm only used to my computer system here which is all set up by the teen boy down the street.

It will be a happy doggie Christmas and New Years!

Wado!

How bout these for a little 'vacation distraction'? :))

http://youporn.com/search?query=&type=gay

Just some questions on the recent Blogajevich stuff:

When Obama's choice for a replacement for his junior senator seat was given to Blogajevich and Blogajevich refused, and Blogajevich retreated in a huff to plan his own replacement strategy (part of a governor's job), why is the ORDER OF EVENTS never addressed? The real situation was Blogajevich refused to do GroupObama's bidding.

Gov. Rod is acting so bizarre, one would think his home was being bombarded with low-frequency radio waves in an effort to put Gov. Rod over the edge, so he'd act so cuhrazy qnd self-incriminating that it would be easy to get rid of him. Is it possible to get that bizarre so fast without some help from spook technology?

But maybe Gov. Rod was already cuhrazy, the proof being he REFUSED THE OFFER put forward by the bigger fish.

Who was Obama's choice? Will that person get to be senator after all the dust settles? What message does that put forward to any governor who crosses the new administration's choices? Will there be any offers that are refused?

Submitted by Sunshine Jim on Thu, 12/11/2008 - 11:24pm.

...

here is a place where elephants march through a hotel lobby

(after it was built on their migration trail)

to eat mango fruit from their favorite tree.

great pix *

http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1065865/Pictured-El...

» -------------------------

Yes the photos are amazing.

But disturbing.

Why take their trail? Disgusting. Because if ever one thing goes wrong, it will be the elephants who will suffer. That's how it usually is when Man meddles with Nature.

(Goofy to put a hotel on the edge of a body of water anyway. That's a floodzone for sure.)

Gov Blago is another example of the culture of the democratic party corruption and Chicago dems. Their culture of corruption made Blago the outcome he became!

As I've been telling you for a long time it's all about outcomes!

And here are a few of my favorite outcomes -

http://www.hotoldermale.com/bear/?gclid=CL-02NGWupcCFRKAxgodgWGjcA

Can we judge people by their policies and votes and general
Submitted by Alice on Thu, 12/11/2008 - 8:55pm.
ways of being while in office? Or does a psychiatrist have to meet and counsel the person first? Does wiki use the DSM I wonder? Because imo...I can label anyone who thinks war is a proper way of solving issues as PSYCHOTIC...

...and as for Cheney, I would describe him as "EVIL."
Assigning a psychiatric term to him would give the false impression that he would benefit from therapy

about the auto bailout negotiations with labor?

Now old Colin is all upset that Rush is getting paid more attention than him.
HAHAHAHAHAHA!

Maybe old Colin just needs a warm gaybear on a cold night -

http://gaybears.com/

#

Colin Powell Lashes Out at Rush Limbaugh

Thursday, December 11, 2008 10:06 PM

Article Font Size

Former Sec. of State Colin Powell blames Rush Limbaugh and conservative talk radio for Republican electoral woes in a CNN interview to be broadcast this weekend.

"Can we continue to listen to Rush Limbaugh?" Powell asked, according to a transcript of the interview on the “Fareed Zakaria GPS” show released by CNN.

"Is this really the kind of party that we want to be when these kinds of spokespersons seem to appeal to our lesser instincts rather than our better instincts?" Powell continued.

Powell told Zakaria that he still considers himself a Republican, but said that his party should quit listening to Limbaugh for advice. Instead, it needs to look more to minority groups if it wants to win elections in the 21st Century.

The week before the presidential election, Powell crossed party lines to endorse Barack Obama during an appearance on NBC’s "Meet the Press."

During the appearance, Powell, the first African-American to hold the Sec. of State position, made clear that race had played a role in his decision to back Obama, "because of his ability to inspire, because of the inclusive nature of his campaign, because he is reaching out all across America."

Ironically, conservatives like Limbaugh had strongly opposed John McCain during his presidential campaign, while Powell donated $2,300 to McCain during his primary effort.

"I think the party has to stop shouting at the world and at the country," Powell said. "I think that the party has to take a hard look at itself, and I've talked to a number of leaders in recent weeks and they understand that."

"There is nothing wrong with being conservative. There is nothing wrong with having socially conservative views — I don't object to that,” Powell said in the interview, which was taped Wednesday. “But if the party wants to have a future in this country, it has to face some realities. In another 20 years, the majority in this country will be the minority."

The full interview with Powell will air Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on CNN.

© 2008 Newsmax. All rights reserved.

I'd like to cut the wages of the Rethug senators if not some other things :\

for Soulless Bastard......

Powell said. "I think that the party has to take a hard look at itself,

...rethugs have no reflection, just projection. That, and their history of treason.

During a visit to the mental asylum, a visitor asked the Director what the criterion was that defined whether or not a patient should be institutionalized.

"Well," said the Director, "we fill up a bathtub, then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the patient and ask him or her to empty the bathtub."

"Oh, I understand," said the visitor. "A normal person would use the bucket because it's bigger than the spoon or the teacup."

"No." said the Director, "A normal person would pull the plug. Do you want a bed near the window?"

Have a wonderful doggie weekend.

I'll be living the good life in warm sunny weather in my deluxe rv.

Nothing wrong having the good life outcome of a luxury gay trailer. :)

It's God's plan!

http://gaytrailer.com/

REPEAL the Patriot Act, the Homegrown Terrorism Act, the Military Commissions Act, No Child Left Behind, Medicare Drug Plan D loopholes...

RESTORE Habeus Corpus, the Bill of Rights, sane policy to honor sensible contracts with Reserve and National Guard personnel, regulatory controls on corporations and trustbusting...

END government domestic spying, end WTO participation, end war profiteering, the use of Corporate Mercenaries as U.S. Military forces, end the Big Oil anti-trust law exemption and the Oil Depletion Allowance, end tax-free parasite corporate operations, end the politicization of the Justice Department, the privatization of federal institutions like FEMA...

Investigate 9/11 (for real this time), investigate the missing Iraq Reconstruction billion$, investigate the Katrina disaster-profiteering, the black budget and the shadow government, unsafe food profiteering (including the Mad Cow cover-up)...

Prosecute the perpetrators in the 9/11 Theater of Terror, the on-going scam to make war in (destabilize) the Middle East, all war crimes of the Bush Administration including torture....

Elephants 'die earlier in zoos'

A new study comparing wild, captive and working elephants has found that living in zoos can significantly shorten the animals' lives.

Writing in the journal Science, researchers say obesity is a major cause of death in adult zoo elephants.

They also cite stress as the key factor in the death of young captive animals when they are moved from zoo to zoo.

They say ideally zoos should not take on new elephants if they cannot provide suitable environments.
...

He can be assigned that descriptor and it doesn't indicate he can be treated because psychopaths are untreatable.

Time for early sleep before hitting the morning road.

Where does a Wardog go when he wants a bad puppy?

http://badpuppy.com/

The unrest that has gripped Greece is spilling over into the rest of Europe, raising concerns the clashes could be a trigger for opponents of globalization, disaffected youth and others outraged by the continent's economic turmoil and soaring unemployment.

Protesters in Spain, Denmark and Italy smashed shop windows, pelted police with bottles and attacked banks this week, while in France, cars were set ablaze Thursday outside the Greek consulate in Bordeaux, where protesters scrawled graffiti warning about a looming "insurrection."

At least some of the protests were organized over the Internet, showing how quickly the message of discontent can be spread, particularly among tech-savvy youth. One Web site Greek protesters used to update each other on the locations of clashes asserted there have been sympathy protests in nearly 20 countries.

More demonstrations were set for Friday in Italy, France and Germany.

Still, the clashes have been isolated so far, and nothing like the scope of the chaos in Greece,
...

Demonstrators hold a picture of Alexandros Grigoropoulos as they gather near the Greek Embassy in Rome, Wednesday Dec. 10, 2008

not that there's anything wrong with it, but as someone who checks most of the links posted I was caught off guard.
Hope he enjoys the site while the rest of us are working to keep our roofs over our heads. Heard tomorrow is going to be astrological day of change, for good or bad. This GOP walkout on the big three doesn't bode well for the new day.

India Vows No Retaliation

Calling Pakistan the epicenter of terrorist attacks against India, the Indian foreign minister on Thursday urged the government there to do more than detain leaders of extremist groups, even as he all but ruled out the prospect of a military confrontation.

Rather, India’s foreign minister, Pranab Mukherjee, told members of Parliament that India would take time to turn off the tap of support for militant groups operating across the border, and that war was “no solution.”
...

How bout that call bud? appreciate it

Yeah but you could pour the water on the cool passers by :D

...

a real "Pro-Life" position

Gonna do NA, really motivated
to make some changes
learned alot during this last stint in the bin

Something has to change and I have to be the one to initiate that change.

and if I slip up, well, keep truckin

We are only Human after all

http://therealnews.com/t/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&It...

These nuns are amazingly courageous and exceedingly committed
___________________________________________________________

'Terrorist' nuns spotlight homeland security

By TOM ROBERTS Published: December 11, 2008

Srs. Ardeth Platte and Carol Gilbert, anti-nuclear peace activists at their home at Jonah House, Baltimore Md., show some of the redacted police reports they've been able to get copies of. (Photo by Rick Reinhard)

Frightening questions: Who’s watching you and what lists are you on?

The two Dominican nuns had mixed it up with the feds before. For more than 30 years they’ve worked against U.S. militarism. They’ve each spent several years in jail for acts of non-violent civil disobedience. They know what it is to be under surveillance.

But for Sr. Ardeth Platte, 72, and Sr. Carol Gilbert, 61, being listed as terrorism suspects in a federal data base was escalation of another order. This latest twist to their long story of resistance has played out internationally as a kind of absurdist tale -- the terrorist nuns -- of the Homeland Security era.

The terrorism designation may indeed be an absurdity to anyone who’s known the sisters, who live at Jonah House, a resistance community in Baltimore. At the same time their story raises more frightening questions for those who dissent from government policy or exercise unpopular free speech in this age of Homeland Security: Who’s watching you and what lists are you on?

The questions were brought into stark relief with the acknowledgement earlier this year that the Baltimore state police had engaged in covert surveillance of anti-death penalty and anti-war groups from March 2005 to May 2006.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
See related story: Thirty years of speaking peace to power [1]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In an earlier era, a bit of “overreaching,” as the surveillance was described in a report on the matter, might have been viewed as easily corrected overzealousness on the part of a local law enforcement agency. What ups the ante today, however, is the automatic dumping of information into interwoven data bases shared by regional state groupings and, ultimately, the federal government.

David Rocah, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland, is attempting to find out just how far the information has traveled and into what databases. “There’s been a lot of focus on the fact that they labeled them as terrorists even when (the police) internally knew they were nothing of the kind. That level of abuse is adding insult to injury. But it is easy to lose track of the fact that they (Maryland State Police) should never have been entering” the names of innocent people into a database in the first place.

Someone considering involvement in a political movement might well be dissuaded from joining if they fear being characterized a terrorist by the government, said Rocah. “That’s precisely why it is a practice in totalitarian regimes around the world to keep those kinds of lists. It keeps people intimated from joining such activities. Now we’re not saying that was the intent of the Maryland police, but the intent is irrelevant. The fact is they were doing it and the effect is the same regardless of the intent.”

Former Maryland Atty. Gen. Stephen H. Sachs, in a 93 page-report requested by Gov. Martin O’Malley, said the surveillance “intruded upon the ability of law abiding Marylanders to association and express themselves freely.” He added that the police activity was “inconsistent with an overarching value in our democratic society -- the free and unfettered debate of important public questions. Such police conduct ought to be prohibited as a matter of public policy.”

O’Malley, a Democrat, was elected in 2006, following the period of surveillance.

The surveillance was carried out primarily by an unnamed state trooper, who used the alias Lucy, and who infiltrated “more than two dozen protests and meetings,” building trust with individuals involved and reporting on the views of individuals and groups and how they planned to publicly express those views.

The trooper was part of the Maryland State Police Homeland Security and Intelligence Division and she entered information obtained about the individuals and groups in to the HSID electronic data base. The state police “assigned labels such as “Security Threat Group” and “Terrorism -- Anti-War Protester” to certain groups and individuals,” according to the Sachs report, which was released at the end of September.

Supervisors in the state homeland security division “then transmitted certain information about these groups and individuals -- including, in some cases, the ‘terrorism’ designation -- to a federally funded database,” according to the Sachs report.

Sachs contends that the state police violated federal law when information from the surveillance was transmitted from the Maryland police’s Case Explorer data base to the federally funded data base maintained by the Washington-Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. The program promotes information sharing among local, state and federal authorities.

At several points in the report, Sachs emphasizes that the surveillance turned up no illegal activity or plans to perform illegal acts. The peaceful demonstrations and activities provided no justification, he wrote, for the “terrorism designation” or “to equate anti-death penalty and anti-war activism with ‘terrorism.’”

In all, 53 people were incorrectly labeled terrorists, including Barry Kissin, a lawyer, and his wife and two other members of a group that regularly protests the government’s biodefense research efforts at Fort Derrick, and Pat Elder of Bethesda, who leads a national movement opposed to military recruitment of high school students.

No one in the department was disciplined, according to a police spokesman.

Platte and Gilbert and others received letters in October from the Maryland State Police as a follow up to a recommendation of the Sachs report. The department said it was contacting “all individuals who are presently described in the MSP’s Case Explorer database program as being ‘suspected of involvement in terrorism but as to whom MSP has no evidence whatsoever of any involvement in violent crime.’ ”

In addition, those incorrectly accused of terrorism were to have an opportunity to view “relevant Case Explorer entries” before they were eliminated.

Srs. Ardeth Platte and Carol Gilbert, anti-nuclear peace activists at their home at Jonah House, Baltimore Md., Dec. 11 (Photo by Rick Reinhard)Srs. Ardeth Platte and Carol Gilbert, anti-nuclear peace activists at their home at Jonah House, Baltimore Md., Dec. 11 (Photo by Rick Reinhard)The two nuns said that so far all they have received are heavily redacted documents where much of the information is blacked out. “Our biggest concern is not for ourselves,” said Platte, who presumes that they are in countless government files for their work against nuclear weapons and on behalf of conscientious objectors.

“We’re really concerned for people who have never done an action or who will be afraid to join a movement. We’re also concerned about the misinformation in the files,” she said.

Rocah, the ACLU lawyer, said he is concerned that all the information in the federal data base eventually “gets into homeland security data information” and “everything about national terrorist lists is a black box, it’s classified,” he said.

“The state has to come clean about all that it was doing,” Rocah said. “Our goal is to find out what happened, to force them to answer why they’re doing this and the scope of what they were doing.”

If he can’t achieve that goal through the Freedom of Information Act, he said, he’ll sue to get all the information collected on the individuals involved and to learn how widely it has been shared.

http://ncronline3.org/drupal/?q=node/2833

Trend or Trendy? The Development and Acceptance of the Paranormal by the Scientific Community - by James E. Beichler, PhD

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