Open

Slow down, they just can't take the strain....

with hard drives ends soon sammy!

and that you come back to us with your wit in whatever media shape or forms it may be

I don't think I censored out all of toniD's expletives. The process gave me carpal tunnel and I had to abandon the project. ;-)

i caught it live, but as usual i missed the beginning... sigh

to EVERYONE

Funnily enough there's a lotta gun-fightin' in this Che pitchur.

(Not just thumb wrestling. ;) )

on sarah palin?

http://www.candlegrove.com/solstice.html

look at "The ancients:
huge efforts to observe the solstices"

Newgrange, a beautiful megalithic site in Ireland. This huge circular stone structure is estimated to be 5,000 years old, older by centuries than Stonehenge, older than the Egyptian pyramids! It was built to receive a shaft of sunlight deep into its central chamber at dawn on winter solstice.

Maeshowe, on the Orkney Islands north of Scotland, shares a similar trait, admitting the winter solstice setting sun. It is hailed as "one of the greatest architectural achievements of the prehistoric peoples of Scotland."

Sun Dagger of Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, built a thousand years ago by the Chacoans, ancestors of the Pueblo people. Even cultures that followed a moon-based calendar seemed also to understand the importance of these sun-facing seasonal turning points.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/winter_solstice.htm

Any record of the date of birth of Yeshua of Nazareth (later known as Jesus Christ) has been lost. There is sufficient evidence in the Gospels to indicate that Yeshua was born in the fall, but this seems to have been unknown to early Christians. By the beginning of the 4th century CE, there was intense interest in choosing a day to celebrate Yeshua's birthday. The western church leaders selected DEC-25 because this was already the date recognized throughout the Roman Empire as the birthday of various Pagan gods. 1,2 Since there was no central Christian authority at the time, it took centuries before the tradition was universally accepted:

Eastern churches began to celebrate Christmas after 375 CE.

The church in Jerusalem started in the 7th century.

Ireland started in the 5th century

Austria, England and Switzerland in the 8th

Slavic lands in the 9th and 10th centuries.

Many symbols and practices associated with Christmas are of Pagan origin: holly, ivy, mistletoe, yule log, the giving of gifts, decorated evergreen tree, magical reindeer, etc. Polydor Virgil, an early British Christian, said "Dancing, masques, mummeries, stageplays, and other such Christmas disorders now in use with Christians, were derived from these Roman Saturnalian and Bacchanalian festivals; which should cause all pious Christians eternally to abominate them." In Massachusetts, Puritans unsuccessfully tried to ban Christmas entirely during the 17th century, because of its heathenism. The English Parliament abolished Christmas in 1647. Some contemporary Christian faith groups do not celebrate Christmas. Included among these was the Worldwide Church of God (before its recent conversion to Evangelical Christianity) and the Jehovah's Witnesses.

DRUIDISM: Druids and Druidesses formed the professional class in ancient Celtic society. They performed the functions of modern day priests, teachers, ambassadors, astronomers, genealogists, philosophers, musicians, theologians, scientists, poets and judges. Druids led all public rituals, which were normally held within fenced groves of sacred trees. The solstice is the time of the death of the old sun and the birth of the dark-half of the year. It was called "Alban Arthuan by the ancient Druids. It is the end of month of the Elder Tree and the start of the month of the Birch. The three days before Yule is a magical time. This is the time of the Serpent Days or transformation...The Elder and Birch stand at the entrance to Annwn or Celtic underworld where all life was formed. Like several other myths they guard the entrance to the underworld. This is the time the Sun God journey's thru the underworld to learn the secrets of death and life. And bring out those souls to be reincarnated."

The turn around. Slowly getting more sun again. Longer daylight.

toniD's Ya Think?

Obama signs Franken’s anti-rape amendment into law. Updated at 4:38 PM

Source: Think Progress

Obama signs Franken’s anti-rape amendment into law.

Al Franken The White House Press Office sent out a statement today announcing that President Obama signed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2010 into law on Saturday:

H.R. 3326, the “Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2010,” which provides FY 2010 appropriations for Department of Defense (DOD) military programs including funding for Overseas Contingency Operations, and extends various expiring authorities and other non-defense FY 2010 appropriations.

Within the Appropriations Act is Sen. Al Franken’s (D-MN) amendment prohibiting defense contractors from restricting their employees’ abilities to take workplace discrimination, battery, and sexual assault cases to court. The measure was inspired by Jamie Leigh Jones, who was gang-raped by her co-workers while working for Halliburton/KBR in Baghdad. Many Republicans opposed the legislation — saying it was an unnecessary attack on their allies in the defense contracting business — and faced intense political blowback over their positions.

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/12/21/obama-franken

toniD's Ya Think?

my bad moods landing me in hot water where i didn't really mean to be...

i'll lay low for a while, or at least try

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091222/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_mexico_gay_marr...

MEXICO CITY – Mexico City lawmakers on Monday made the city the first in Latin America to legalize same-sex marriage, a change that will give homosexual couples more rights, including allowing them to adopt children.
The bill passed the capital's local assembly 39-20 to the cheers of supporters who yelled: "Yes, we could! Yes, we could!"
Leftist Mayor Marcelo Ebrard of the Democratic Revolution Party was widely expected to sign the measure into law
(continues)

certainly as much as was necessary.

And you got caught in the Shakespeare cross-slag thanks to nobody but me.

So I was assuming it was my turn to wear the cranky-bitch hat at this point and go stand in time-out.

Does anybody have a scorecard?

haven't really been able to notice yet

on another note

i got my dvd The Wire from Netflix today, looking forward to watching it, as soon as rachel signs off...

ane Hamsher's 10 reasons to kill the bill

I've gotten a lot of requests to respond to Jane Hamsher's list of 10 reasons to kill the Senate bill. At this point, I'm not sure there's much in the way of productive dialogue to be had here. Some of the list is purposefully misleading and is clearly aimed more at helping activists kill the bill than actually informing anyone about what is in the bill. Some of it points out things that really should be changed in the bill but aren't central to the legislation itself, and are simply being leveraged to help activists kill the bill. But maybe there's some utility to putting the document in context.

1) Forces you to pay up to 8% of your income to private insurance corporations -- whether you want to or not.

"You," huh? For the 85 percent of the country already covered by health-care insurance, it doesn't force "you" to do anything at all. People on Medicare are not going to be paying money to private insurance. People with employer-based care will not see their situation change.

For the nearly 50 million Americans caught in the ranks of the uninsured, here's the deal: The bill expands Medicaid, a public program, to cover about 20 million of, uh, "you." Private insurance gets nothing. If you make more than 133 percent of the poverty line, but less than 400 percent, there's a huge system of new subsidies to help you afford private coverage. There are also new regulations on insurers forcing them to spend between 80 percent and 85 percent of every premium dollar on medical care, barring them from rejecting you or charging you higher premiums due to preexisting conditions, ensuring they can't place any annual caps on insurance benefits, and more.

But here's the catch: So long as insurance won't cost more than 8 percent of your monthly income, you have to buy into the system. You can't wait until you get sick or get hurt and and then buy insurance, shifting the costs onto everyone else. The cost of having a universal, or near-universal, system is that people have to participate. The promise is that, for the first time, participation will be possible.

2) If you refuse to buy the insurance, you'll have to pay penalties of up to 2% of your annual income to the IRS.

Again, who's "you?" If you don't have employer-based coverage, Medicare, Medicaid, or anything else, and premiums won't cost more than 8 percent of your monthly income, and you refuse to purchase insurance, at that point, you will be assessed a penalty of up to 2 percent of your annual income. In return for that, you get guaranteed treatment at hospitals and an insurance system that allows you to purchase full coverage the moment you decide you actually need it. In the current system, if you don't buy insurance, and then find you need it, you'll likely never be able to buy insurance again. There's a very good case to be made, in fact, that paying the 2 percent penalty is the best deal in the bill.

3) Many will be forced to buy poor-quality insurance they can't afford to use, with $11,900 in annual out-of-pocket expenses over and above their annual premiums.

How many is "many?" For a look at how various families will fare with reform and without reform, see this table, and this article. But if you don't want to click the links, this graph, which shows the financial risk that medical costs pose to families with different incomes with and without reform, tells the story: graph and more...

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2009/12/jane_hamshers_10_rea...

toniD's Ya Think?

yukky

copenaghen

rachel, this is bullshit (laying low hasn't started yet)

Journalists Cheerfully Urinating On Senate Bill’s Critics, Part II

I noted the other day that certain Beltway journalists are having an enormous amount of trouble accepting the fact that critics of the Senate bill have actual substantive policy differences with the bill’s supporters, and aren’t merely driven by anger, ideology and spite.

Now we have John Harwood on CNBC going even further, arguing that “idiotic” critics are out of touch with reality:

So much of the commentary that I’ve heard has been really idiotic. Liberals who want universal health care ought to be thanking Harry Reid for getting this done rather than talking about what’s inadequate in the bill. I’m not saying the bill is a good bill.

But if you’re a liberal and you want universal coverage in this country, and think that you can do better, that Harry Reid can do better than he’s done that the White House can do better, they ought to lay off the hallucinogenic drugs because we’ve had a vivid demonstration of the limits of political possibilities on this issue.

Again: There’s a policy dispute underway. Agree or not, people who want to kill the bill see this as desirable because they think passing it would do more harm than good. By and large, they are not calling for the bill to be killed simply because they’re refusing to accept what can or can’t be accomplished. They think it’s bad policy on its own terms, and that it will have adverse real world consequences.

By contrast, those who want to pass the bill think it would do more good than harm. There’s an argument under way on this point. Each side is stating its case. Each side is impassioned. Each side is marshalling facts and figures to support its argument. There’s nothing wrong with this. It’s desirable.

What’s more, this business about accepting the “art of the possible” is just a dumb platitude. People on the left have been hearing for months that the stuff they wanted in the bill was beyond the realm of possibility. If they’d bought this early on, and hadn’t pushed hard for the public option, opponents of reform would have directed their fire at other core provisions, leaving the bill weaker than it is now. By refusing to accept limits on the possible, people on the left expanded the boundaries of the possible. It’s perfectly understandable that they would continue pushing with conference negotiations still looming.

Again, I think proponents of the bill are making a strong case, and I lean towards moving forward. But this constant stream of smug, snide dismissiveness coming from pro-bill journalists just causes foes to dig in further. It doesn’t do anything at all for the debate, or for the prospects of the bill itself.

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/political-media/journalists-cheerfully...

toniD's Ya Think?

an ugly sight and a corporatist apology for green (as in money) economy in which the US can tell to rest of the world suck on this, we are gonna be first on this issue too, because theres' money to be made here......

Poll: Support For Senate Bill Jumps Among Democrats

It’s become a widely accepted interpretation that the Senate bill, by jettisoning the public option and Medicare buy-in, risks becoming deeply unpopular among rank and file Dems, causing Obama to bleed liberal support and surpressing the base’s enthusiasm heading into 2010.

But the internals of the new CNN poll contain a striking finding: Support for the Senate bill is up among Democratic voters. What’s more, Obama’s support has increased among liberals.

The poll finds that support overall for the Senate health care bill has jumped six points, to 42%, since early December. That’s a sizable jump, though overall 56% oppose it.

But here’s the interesting part: The poll also found that approval of the Senate bill has jumped 10 points among Dems in the same time period — a time period during which the Medicare buy-in was dropped. That’s a faster rise than overall. What’s more, it has jumped by the same number among young voters — who are presumably more liberal.

On top of that, the poll also says that Obama’s overall approval among liberals has gone up, to 81%.

That’s a counter-intuitive finding, given all the anger on the left about the watering down of the bill. It suggests that overall, rank and file Dems may be grateful for action on health care, and see the bill as an achievement even without its core liberal priorities.

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

Update: The exact number is 72% of Dems support the Senate bill, up frm 62%. That’s almost three-fourths of Dems.

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/health-care/poll-support-for-senate-bi...

toniD's Ya Think?

Still I agree with mire. Naomi should be the first choice.

Happy Solstice everybody!!!

If it's not cloudy where you are check out the Winter Circle~

The Winter Circle – sometimes called the Winter Hexagon – paints a great big circle of brilliant stars on the dark dome of a winter night. The Winter Circle lassos around Orion’s bright ruddy star Betelgeuse, and this loop of stars circles so far out from Betelgeuse that the Winter Circle even dwarfs Orion the Giant Hunter.
~snip~
When the winter solstice arrives on or near December 21, the Winter Circle rises high enough to be seen in your southeast sky at about 9 p.m. After rising, the Winter Circle swings westward across the sky, and is highest up in the south around 1 a.m. It appears in the southwest sky around 5 a.m. The western (right) half of the Winter Circle sets in the west before the onset of a winter solstice dawn.

The Winter Circle stars rise and set some 4 minutes earlier with each passing night. Therefore, on January 21, the Winter Circle is found in the same place in the sky about 2 hours earlier than it was on the winter solstice one month before. On January 21, the Winter Circle appears in the southeast around 7 p.m., highest up in the south around 11 p.m. and in the southwest at 3 a.m. In late February and early March, the Winter Circle is found in your southern sky at nightfall and early evening.

Hopefully we'll get some clear skies soon to see the Winter Circle!

NOTE TO SEDER: Stick with Western Digital drives. I had to replace a drive on my laptop (Seagate) after about a year. Replaced it with a WD and it's been running strong for 4+ years! WD drives in all my computers, including a 3 yr old server. Good stuff!

hey rachel don't ya see he's just a senile idiot, show a little compassion, will ya?

McCain shouldn't tell Al to stay of the lawn when he (McCain) has already worn a path on it.

and see the bill as an achievement even without its core liberal priorities.

i am with malloy on this, if the poll is true it demonstrates typical pink tutu democratic caving behavior, did i mention tonight how much i hate these people

can't you see; he was honest in his senile idiocy

this babbling fool could have almost been our president, can you imagine what a fun rollercoaster ride that would have been

rachel should give mccain a break

Submitted by mire on Mon, 12/21/2009 - 9:41pm.

hey rachel don't ya see he's just a senile idiot, show a little compassion, will ya?

__________________

Functional senility is not necessarily an obstacle from being the biggest dick you can be.

(It may well be an asset.)

viz: Reagan

...just what I can't remember. ;-)

G'nite kids, would love to stay and play but the sandman is calling.

enjoy well deserved rest

..and thanks for the "clean" podcasts

Obama signs Franken’s
Submitted by toniD on Mon, 12/21/2009 - 9:15pm.

Obama signs Franken’s anti-rape amendment into law.

. . .
This is good news.
Franken gets in there and DOES SOMETHING!
He's quite the wonk. A really good nuts-n-bolts wonk too.

Let's not forget who he punked.
www.republicansforrape.org/legislators/

somehow i don't see how that and mcain can coexist in the same sentence :)

on 60th recommendation

see ya later

Bing-fucking-go.

Leadership, Obama Style, and the Looming Losses in 2010: Pretty Speeches, Compromised Values, and the Quest for the Lowest Common Denominator

By Drew Westen

... The time for exhortation is over. FDR didn't exhort robber barons to stem the redistribution of wealth from working Americans to the upper 1 percent, and neither did his fifth cousin Teddy. Both men told the most powerful men in the United States that they weren't going to rip off the American people any more, and they backed up their words with actions. Teddy Roosevelt was clear that capital gains taxes should be high relative to income taxes because we should reward work, not "gambling in stocks." This President just doesn't have the stomach to make anyone do anything they don't want to do (except women to have unwanted babies because they can't afford an abortion or live in a red state and don't have an employer who offers insurance), and his advisors are enabling his most troubling character flaw, his conflict-avoidance.

Like most Americans I talk to, when I see the president on television, I now change the channel the same way I did with Bush. With Bush, I couldn't stand his speeches because I knew he meant what he said. I knew he was going to follow through with one ignorant, dangerous, or misguided policy after another. With Obama, I can't stand them because I realize he doesn't mean what he says -- or if he does, he just doesn't have the fire in his belly to follow through. He can't seem to muster the passion to fight for any of what he believes in, whatever that is. He'd make a great queen -- his ceremonial addresses are magnificent -- but he prefers to fly Air Force One at 60,000 feet and "stay above the fray."

It's the job of the president to be in the fray. It's his job to lead us out of it, not to run from it. It's his job to make the tough decisions and draw lines in the sand. But Obama really doesn't seem to want to get involved in the contentious decisions. They're so, you know, contentious. He wants us all to get along. Better to leave the fights to the Democrats in Congress since they're so good at them. He's like an amateur boxer who got a coupon for a half day of training with Angelo Dundee after being inspired by the tapes of Mohammed Ali. He got "float like a butterfly" in the morning but never made it to "sting like a bee."

... Do you think Americans ought to have one choice of health insurance plans the insurance companies don't control, or don't you? I don't want to hear that it would sort of, kind of, maybe be your preference, all other things being equal. Do you think we ought to use health care as a Trojan Horse for right-wing abortion policies? Say something, for God's sake.

He doesn't need a chief of staff. He needs someone to shake him until he feels something strongly enough not just to talk about it but to act. He's increasingly appearing to the public, and particularly to swing voters, like Dukakis without the administrative skill. And although he is likely to squeak by with a personal victory in 2012 if the economy improves by then, he may well do so with a Republican Congress. But then I suppose he'll get the bipartisanship he always wanted ...

enjoy, bella!

it's like a really good book.

biggest dick lol

Submitted by mire on Mon, 12/21/2009 - 10:12pm.

somehow i don't see how that and mcain can coexist in the same sentence :)

_________________

Big dicks is usual a little gun shy.

long nite, warm nite, peaceful nite.

http://accad.osu.edu/~aprice/works/sundagger/index.html
The Solstice Project is a non-profit organization dedicated
to the study of Chaco Canyon and ancient cultures of the
American Southwest. The Project was founded in 1978 by
Anna Sofaer to study, document and preserve the remarkable
Sun Dagger—a celestial calendar of the ancient Pueblo Indians
—and other achievements of ancient Southwestern culture.

http://www.farsinet.com/norooz/yalda.html
SHAB-E YALDA
Another account of "Shab-e Yalda", "Night of Birth" as the The Eve of the Birth of Mithra, the Sun God

'Shab-e Yalda', celebrated on 21 December, has great significance in the Iranian calendar. It is the eve of the birth of Mithra, the Sun God, who symbolised light, goodness and strength on earth. Shab-e Yalda is a time of joy.

It was said that Mithra was born out of the light that came from within the Alborz mountains. Ancient Iranians would gather in caves along the mountain range throughout the night to witness this miracle together at dawn. They were known as 'Yar-e Ghar' (Cave Mates). In Iran today, despite of the advent of Islam and Muslim rituals, Shab-e Yalda is still celebrated widely. It is a time when friends and family gather together to eat, drink and read poetry (especially Hafiz) until well after midnight. Fruits and nuts are eaten and pomegranates and watermelons are particularly significant. The red colour in these fruits symbolises the crimson hues of dawn and glow of life, invoking the splendour of Mithra.

Because Shab-e Yalda is the longest and darkest night, it has come to symbolise many things in Persian poetry; separation from a loved one, loneliness and waiting. After Shab-e Yalda a transformation takes place - the waiting is over, light shines and goodness prevails.

' The sight of you each morning is a New Year
Any night of your departure is the eve of Yalda' (Sa'adi)

'With all my pains, there is still the hope of recovery
Like the eve of Yalda, there will finally be an end' (Sa'adi)

In the evening of Shab-e Yalda bonfires are lit outside, while inside the home, family and friends gather in a night-long vigil around the korsi, a low, square table covered with a thick cloth overhanging on all sides. A brazier with hot coals is placed under the table. In the past, fruit and vegetables were only available in season and the host, usually the oldest in the family, would have carefully saved grapes, honeydew melons, watermelons, pears, oranges, tangerines, apples, and cucumbers. These were then enjoyed by everyone gathered around the korsi, or a fireplace.

On this night, the oldest member of the family says prayers, thanking God for previous year's blessings, and prays for prosperity in the coming year. Then he cuts the melon, and the watermelon and gives everyone a share.

The cutting symbolizes the removal of sickness and pain from the family. Snacks are passed around throughout the night: pomegranates with angelica powder (gol-par) and Ajil-e shab-e yalda, a combination of nuts and dried fruits, particularly pumpkin and watermelon seeds and raisins.

This mixture of nuts literally means night-grazing; eating nuts is said to lead to prosperity in days to come. More substantial fare for the night's feast include eggplant stew with plain saffron-flavored rice, rice with chicken, thick yogurt, and halva (saffron and carrot brownies).

The foods themselves symbolize the balance of the seasons: watermelons and yogurt are eaten as a remedy for the heat of the summer, since these fruits are considered cold, or sardi; and halva is eaten to overcome the cold temperatures of winter, since it is considered hot, or garmi.

On into the night of festivities the family keeps the fires burning and the lights glowing to help the sun in its battle against darkness. They recite poetry and play music, tell jokes and stories, until the sun, triumphantly reappears in the morning. - Courtesy of Art Arena, UK

~`ordinary's just not good enough today - olp`~
Jamesbenet

HR 3326 & Franken
new
Submitted by FilthyRich on Mon, 12/21/2009 - 10:11pm.

Obama signs Franken’s
Submitted by toniD on Mon, 12/21/2009 - 9:15pm.

Obama signs Franken’s anti-rape amendment into law.

. . .
This is good news.
Franken gets in there and DOES SOMETHING!
He's quite the wonk. A really good nuts-n-bolts wonk too.

)

Submitted by toniD on Mon, 12/21/2009 - 9:15pm.

Obama signs Franken’s anti-rape amendment into law. Updated at 4:38 PM
___________

digby sez:

... The reason I think it's good news isn't just on the substance (which it certainly is) but on the politics. Franken's amendment is driving the Republicans crazy because they basically voted to protect rapists and are now paying a political price for that. And now they are whining that Franken was somehow "uncollegial" because the amendment put them in an embarrassing position (which makes me wonder how many other things issues are swept under the rug because it would make members of the opposition uncomfortable.)

That's the kind of thing the Democrats should do more of. Expose the Republicans' hypocrisy and cruelty by forcing these issues on to the agenda. Aside from the fact that Republicans (and some Democrats) are all basically employees of the military industrial complex, they have also developed a political requirement to reflexively defend anything that even has the word "military" in it. This rape exemption was a particularly obvious case of whorish subservience, but there are many more issues like this than can be used to embarrass the Republicans and they ought to be used ...

May we all enjoy interesting and fruitful lives.

Call for 'fundamental rethink' of value of work
By Alan Jones, Press Association
Monday, 14 December 2009

Hospital cleaners are worth more to society than city bankers, according to a new method of calculating the value of different jobs published today.

The new economics foundation (nef) called for a "fundamental rethink" of how the value of work was recognised and rewarded.

The think tank said its study shattered some of the myths used to justify high pay and argued that workers such as hospital cleaners or waste recycling workers created more value to society.

The report, A Bit Rich?, said: "High pay comes on the back of extraordinary profits, made possible because companies do not have to pay the full costs of their activities. Some of the costs of production may be hard to see, such as greenhouse gas emissions or the impacts of sweated labour, but someone is bearing them now - or in the future.

"Until the prices of goods and services reflects the true costs of their production, incentives will be misaligned. This means damaging activities will be relatively cheap and profitable, whilst positive activities will be discouraged."
Eilis Lawlor of the nef said: "Pay levels often don't reflect the true value that is being created. As a society, we need a pay structure which rewards those jobs that create most societal benefit, rather than those that generate profits at the expense of society and the environment."

The report called a high pay commission to recommend a maximum national pay differential, the introduction of a transaction tax to reduce high risk and unsustainable trading and added that high pay should be "reined in."
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/call-for-fundamental-reth...

In this report nef calculates the value to society of a number of different jobs and advocates a fundamental rethink of how the value of work is recognised and rewarded.
http://www.neweconomics.org/sites/neweconomics.org/files/A_Bit_Rich.pdf

Submitted by CeeCee on Mon, 12/21/2009 - 11:38pm.
In this report nef calculates the value to society of a number of different jobs and advocates a fundamental rethink of how the value of work is recognised and rewarded.

If u show me ur biznuz!!♠♦♣♥♠♦♣♥♠♦♣♥♠♦♣♥♠♦♣♥♠♦♣♥♠♦♣♥♠♦♣♥♠♦♣♥♠♦♣♥

Crankfuckingtastic!

Big talkers is often little doers.
Submitted by dr on Mon, 12/21/2009 - 10:18pm.
Bing-fucking-go.
"But then I suppose he'll get the bipartisanship he always wanted ..."

Yeah.

Bing-fucking-go.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6bdLYGBZ4E&feature=related

In case you missed this on my blog entry--

Example of a MIXED CO2 MESSAGE from daily life:

In Arnold Schwarzenegger's California, the Pacific Gas and Electric folks have announced a new rate hike structure that RAISES RATES on consumers who consume the least and LOWERS RATES for those who use alot. What is THAT about? It's NOT about conservation, and it is NOT about rewarding those who arrange their lives to create habits that reduce CO2!

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/12/18/BUQ51B5T97.D...

intent? Would not SINGLE PAYER be more alligned to the intent of the 14th Amendment?

http://www.answers.com/topic/equality-under-the-constitution

[excerpt]

The 14th Amendment includes the word equality in Section 1, which prohibits a state government from denying “to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” This equal protection clause protects individuals from arbitrary discrimination by government officials. Federal courts have read the equal protection concept into their interpretation of the due process clause of the 5th Amendment, thereby applying the equal protection limitations to the federal government. Neither federal nor state governments may classify people in ways that violate their liberties or rights under the U.S. Constitution.

The equal protection clause does not require identical treatment in all circumstances. Discrimination is sometimes permitted. For example, laws denying people under 18 years old the right to vote or the right to marry without parental permission are considered reasonable classifications that do not violate the individual's constitutional rights and liberties because a relationship seems to exist between chronological age and the ability to perform in certain ways. However, a law prohibiting redheads from voting would be unreasonable and unconstitutional because no relationship exists between red hair and the ability to vote.

[end excerpt]

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

"You’re ridiculous."

-- A reporter from Der Spiegel, to Jim Inhofe (R-Pissquik) after Inhofe
accused the UN and the Hollywood elite of creating a global warming hoax, Link

**

Did you know Jim Inhofe has opposable toes?

They don't make him any smarter but he can climb the fuck out of trees.

--Bartcop

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

MMRules

I haven't listen to Amy's Songs including "Tears Dry On There Own" for many a moon. Tres Kewl.
;)

http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/galaxy/2009/28/image/h...

usly theorized.

So reports tonight's guest on CoastToCoast.

Ick. So awful, it's almost enough to make me want to support these bills.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405274870439830457459813044016495...

why bother even posting this drivel. you do know that the wsj has lost its way since murdoch bought it. all of their good writers bailed when murdoch took over. strip out the financial data and you have a print version of faux news.

my major source of financial news is bloomberg, reuters and financial times on-line. i got rid of my investors business daily because their opinion page made me want to puke.

for pomegranate martinis? its the holidays and we're going to have a full house.

does rachel have a site that might have some of her legendary recipes on it?

Beautiful pictures...
;)

http://www.cocktail-guru.com/pomegranate-martini.html

Free Democracy

I have had pomegranate&OJ Juice & Champagne ... also yum...
;)

thanks.

By Stephen C. Webster

After a long year hallmarked by bare-knuckle politics and a bevy of experimental attacks against a freshman president, a lone voice has resonated more than others in the war against reality.

Glenn Beck, the Fox News personality notorious for wandering, vague allegations of communism, racism and all-around quasi-evildoings within the Obama administration, has been named "Misinformer of the Year" by watchdog group Media Matters.

"When he wasn't calling the president a racist, portraying progressive leaders as vampires who can only be stopped by 'driv[ing] a stake through the heart of the bloodsuckers,' or pushing the legitimacy of seceding from the country, Beck obsessively compared Democrats in Washington to Nazis and fascists and 'the early days of Adolf Hitler,'" the group opined. "He wondered, 'Is this where we're headed,' while showing images of Hitler, Stalin, and Lenin; decoded the secret language of Marxists; and compared the government to 'heroin pushers' who were 'using smiley-faced fascism to grow the nanny state.'"

Among Beck's 2009 highlights, he most memorably:

*Was revealed for using Vicks to cry on cue

*Tried to usurp a satirist's Web domain for making fun of him on the Internet, then lost (and was publicly shamed for it)

*Lost dozens of advertisers (reportedly a total of 80) after activists launched a campaign over Beck's claim that Obama "has a deep-seated hatred for white people"

*Got caught by Jon Stewart advertising gold, then using his platform on Fox News to scare viewers away from the dollar

*Was named "fearmonger-in-chief" by the Anti-Defamation League for his racially-motivated attacks on President Obama

*Tried to blame the disastrous aftermath of Hurricane Katrina on ACORN and former White House adviser Van Jones

*And became the trigger that prompted a former Fox News pundit to turn against her former employer, telling CNN that Beck is "way over the top" and even "scary"
And that's just the beginning.

Con't..

http://rawstory.com/2009/12/watchdog-group-awards-glenn-beck-misinformer...

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

MMRules

This bill represents NO reform for me but it appears to help the very poorest - slightly.

While the bill appears to improve the lot of our poorest and arguably, least able to contribute to the productivity of our nation, it does nothing to change the total cost of health care in this nation. This bill unnecessarily burdens our most productive segment of the economy with institutional 20% overhead that other countries won't have in their products. The bill does nothing to make us a stronger nation and continues the pain for the middle class.

That's the kind of mandate you should have. A champagne mandate.

http://hypem.com/#/search/Pat%20Benatar%20Promises%20in%20the%20Dark/1/

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

MMRules

By Peter Whoriskey
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, December 22, 2009

The recession's jobless toll is draining unemployment-compensation funds so fast that according to federal projections, 40 state programs will go broke within two years and need $90 billion in loans to keep issuing the benefit checks.

The shortfalls are putting pressure on governments to either raise taxes or shrink the aid payments.

Debates over the state benefit programs have erupted in South Carolina, Nevada, Kansas, Vermont and Indiana. And the budget gaps are expected to spread and become more acute in the coming year, compelling legislators in many states to reconsider their operations.

Currently, 25 states have run out of unemployment money and have borrowed $24 billion from the federal government to cover the gaps. By 2011, according to Department of Labor estimates, 40 state funds will have been emptied by the jobless tsunami.

"There's immense pressure, and it's got to be faced," said Indiana state Rep. David Niezgodski (D), a sponsor of a bill that addressed the gaps in Indiana's unemployment program. "Our system was absolutely broke."

The Indiana legislation protected the aid checks, Niezgodski said, but it came after a give-and-take this spring in which Gov. Mitchell E. Daniels Jr. (R) said the state had been providing "Rolls-Royce benefits" and several thousand union workers countered by protesting proposed cuts at the state capitol. In January, the legislature is slated to consider a bill to delay the proposed tax increases intended to refill the fund.

In Nevada, Gov. Jim Gibbons (R) and legislators have feuded over the unemployment program, which is $85 million in debt to the federal government, with Gibbons accusing the legislature of "callous disregard" for not setting a tax rate.

And last week, a state task force in Kentucky recommended cutting benefits about 9 percent and imposing a week's delay in their payment. The average benefit check there is about $309 a week. The task force also proposed raising taxes.

"There were some moments of high anxiety" during the negotiations between industry and labor groups, said Joseph U. Meyer, the state's acting secretary of education and workforce development. "But in the end, the realistic options became fairly apparent."

State unemployment-compensation funds are separated from general budgets, so when there is a shortfall, only two primary solutions are typically considered -- either cut the benefit or raise the payroll tax.

Industry and business groups often lobby against raising the payroll tax on employers, while unions and other worker groups protest benefit cuts.

"We want to make sure Kentucky remains competitive and also maintain an environment of fairness," Meyer said of the negotiations. more, page 2 ...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/21/AR200912...

toniD's Ya Think?

On health-care bill, Democratic senators are in states of denial

By Dana Milbank
Tuesday, December 22, 2009; A02

Formally, it is known as H.R. 3590, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. But this week, it has acquired an unhelpful nickname: "Cash for Cloture."

As Senate Democrats finally complete their health-care legislation, those combing through the bill have uncovered many backroom deals that were made to buy, er, secure the 60 votes needed to "invoke cloture" -- the legislative term for cutting off debate and holding a final vote.

It will take years to see how well the measure reduces costs and expands insurance coverage. But already, the bill has been a bonanza for wordsmiths.

First there was the "Louisiana Purchase," $100 million in extra Medicaid money for the Bayou State, requested by Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.).

Then came the "Cornhusker Kickback," another $100 million in extra Medicaid money, this time for Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.).

This was followed by word that Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) had written into the legislation $100 million meant for a medical center in his state. This one was quickly dubbed the "U Con."

Earlier, when GOP staff member mistakenly thought the medical center was destined for Indiana rather than Connecticut, they named it the "Bayh Off" for Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.).

For Democratic leaders, this created an appearance problem. Fortunately, they had removed from the bill the tax on cosmetic procedures (the "Botax") and replaced it with a tax on tanning (which would primarily impact House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio).

"I don't know if there is a senator that doesn't have something in this bill that was important to them," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) reasoned when asked at a news conference Monday about the cash-for-cloture accusation. "And if they don't have something in it important to them, then it doesn't speak well of them."

Indeed, the proliferation of deals has outpaced the ability of Capitol Hill cynics to name them.

Gator Aid: Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) inserted a grandfather clause that would allow Floridians to preserve their pricey Medicare Advantage program.

Handout Montana: Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) secured Medicare coverage for anybody exposed to asbestos -- as long as they worked in a mine in Libby, Mont.

Iowa Pork and Omaha Prime Cuts: Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) won more Medicare money for low-volume hospitals of the sort commonly found in Iowa, while Nebraska's Nelson won a "carve out" provision that would reduce fees for Mutual of Omaha and other Nebraska insurers.

Meanwhile, Sens. Byron Dorgan and Kent Conrad, both North Dakota Democrats, would enjoy a provision bringing higher Medicare payments to hospitals and doctors in "frontier counties" of states such as -- let's see here -- North Dakota!

Hawaii, with two Democratic senators, would get richer payments to hospitals that treat many uninsured people. Michigan, home of two other Democrats, would earn higher Medicare payments and some reduced fees for Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Vermont's Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) held out for larger Medicaid payments for his state (neighboring Massachusetts would get some, too).

As news of the agreements proliferated, Republican senators went to the floor to protest. "This will not stand the test of the Constitution, I hope, because the deals that have been made to get votes from specific states' senators cannot be considered equal protection under the law," argued Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (Tex.).

Her Texas colleague, Sen. John Cornyn, took issue with White House strategist David Axelrod's claim that such deals are "the way it will always be." Said the Texan: "Maybe in Chicago, but not in my state, and not in the heartland."

Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) even disavowed Nelson's Cornhusker Kickback. "Nebraskans are frustrated and angry that our beloved state has been thrust into the same pot with all of the other special deals that get cut here," he reported.

The accusations must worry Democrats, for Sen. Michael Bennet (Colo.), facing a difficult 2010 reelection contest, went to the Senate floor to declare: "I'm not happy about the backroom deals."

Baucus, the Finance Committee chairman, felt the need to go to the floor to explain why he is "particularly proud" of the provision he inserted that would extend Medicare coverage to workers sickened by asbestos in Libby. But he wasn't proud enough to name Libby, or Montana, in the legislation. To prove that Libby is needy, Baucus displayed a photo from the town saying, "Warning: Stay Out."

Harkin, chairman of the Senate health committee, followed Baucus to the floor to explain why he added the provision that would help Iowa (and "a few other states"). "I don't see anything wrong with that," Harkin said. "I make no bones about having put that in there."

Dodd, at a news conference, offered the dubious argument that the hospital provision he offered is "competitive" and could be won by another state, "although my state is very interested."

But what about those who wouldn't get the goodies? Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) walked away with little to show for her politically difficult vote.

"That's what legislation is all about: It's the art of compromise," Reid said when asked about the fairness of it all. "So this legislation is no different than the defense bill we just spent $600 billion on." That would be the bill with more than 1,700 pet-project earmarks. "It's no different than other pieces of legislation," Reid continued.

And that's just the problem.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/21/AR200912...

toniD's Ya Think?

Haven't seen him in years and he pops up on my local news show.

toniD's Ya Think?

Io Saturnalia!
Tomorrow will be daylight 4 seconds longer than today.

You can see Mistra Mandate here today...

HalSparks

Broadcasting live now! See me at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/the-hal-sparks-hot-sexy-cam-show

======
Fer--Well you know what they say about those who can get up off the floor as opposed to those that can't. (Or do you?)

Buh-bye Hal.

(And I say that as someone who could prolly get Medicaid under this piece of crap.)

Do we need to bring Bush/Cheney back to get the fire here again?

Where's that fire and drive that used to be here? Too much in-fighting and not enough solutions talked about.

We know the problems, so.....what are we going to do about it?

Okay, I'll give you the Holidays off, but I want some good ideas in the New Year!!!

toniD's Ya Think?

Letters to health-care Santa: Nationalize the exchanges!

Over the course of this week, I'll be asking some health-care experts what they'd like Santa to add to the bill during conference committee and publishing their responses on the blog. First up is Diane Archer, the director of the Health Care Project at the Institute for America's Future and the founder and past president of the Medicare Rights Center.

The single biggest weakness in the Senate bill is its reliance on states to implement the exchanges. No one likes being told what to do, and the states are no exception when it comes to federal mandates.

The federal government should implement the law in a uniform way and relieve the states of the burden of setting up whole new insurance markets and regulatory structures--unless they choose to and demonstrate their ability to--as the House bill provides. And, we need the will, skill, resources and power of the federal government to ensure that the insurers behave. History and experience suggest the states will almost always be outgunned by the insurers. The states should hold complementary regulatory authority over the insurers and also have the right to innovate and improve the insurance market.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2009/12/letters_to_health-ca...

toniD's Ya Think?

I'll take it down.

I wouldn't worry about it when it comes from Sanchota...

Sanchota gets grumpy when she's snowed in and can't get no doughnuts.

delighted personally to be on the other side of the equinox.

looking forward to next spring.

We don't need to sit back and be complacent right now, or nothing will change.

Dylan had a good segment on lobbyists this AM. I'll post the vid when he posts it.

Sorry, this is just making me crazy with rage at the stupidity of some people on the right. Not the politicians,
their supporters!

And I'm tired of not being able to say things at work, or anywhere because it will reflect on me because of the work I am doing and I am in the position that I need this part time job I have.

And I hate being lied to and I hate the condescending attitude of some of these politicians, both parties, when you know what is happening.

And I hate that it is snowing here, again! And they are predicting snow and rain and ice for Christmas eve!
Bah! Humbug!

toniD's Ya Think?

I've got a little bit of cocoa.

The system is working!!

JKJKJK (prolly).

=====
Every Valley...- G.F. Handel Messiah - John Tiranno: http://blip.fm/~i61md via @addthis ;-)

I just lost another follower. I must be doing something right.

Oh yeah...that guy...He was kinda creepy anyway. He was mainly spamming this conspiratorial Book-Of-The-Month Club.

Obama watched the vote
POTUS: Public option 'symbolic'
By CAROL E. LEE | 12/21/09 5:13 PM

President Obama told American Urban Radio Networks's April Ryan Monday that he stayed up to watch the Senate's early-morning vote on a health care bill and said he's confident Congress can work out the "five percent" difference between the House and Senate bills.

...............

The president sought to downplay the lack of a public health insurance option in the Senate bill, saying: "There is so much good in this bill, and I'm now confident that it’s going to pass."

"I think people need to understand just how significant this is," Obama told Ryan.

The public option, he said, "is an area that has just become symbolic of a lot of ideological fights." But, Obama added: "As a practical matter, this is not the most important aspect of this bill — the House bill or the Senate bill."

http://www.politico.com/politico44/perm/1209/obama_watched_the_vote_3dac...

toniD's Ya Think?

Nora doing a good job here.

toniD's Ya Think?

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

toniD's Ya Think?

HuffPo

Bachmann Received Government Handouts
Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) -- "known for her anti-government tea-bagger antics, protesting health care reform and every other government handout as socialism" -- received $251,000 in government handouts for her family farm, according to TruthDig.

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/michelle_bachman_welfare_queen_20091...

toniD's Ya Think?

Congressman to Switch Parties
Rep. Parker Griffith, a freshman Democrat from Alabama, will announce this afternoon that he's switching parties to become a Republican, Politico reports.

"The switch represents a coup for House Republican leadership, which had been courting Griffith since he publicly criticized Democratic leadership in the wake of raucous town halls over the summer."

According to the NRCC, the seat has not been held by a Republican since 1866.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1209/30896.html

toniD's Ya Think?

A Pakistani court has ordered that two men have their ears and noses cut off, as punishment for doing the same to a woman who refused to marry one of them.
The two brothers were found guilty of kidnapping 20-year-old Fazeelat Bibi, one of their cousins, in September.
The judge in Lahore also sentenced them to life in prison.
Sentence was passed on Monday under a rarely invoked Islamic law dating from the 1980s. In the past similar sentences have been revoked on appeal.
'Eye for an eye'
Government prosecutor Ehtisham Qadir said the punishment had been awarded in accordance with the Islamic principle of "an eye for an eye".
Sher Mohammad and Amanat abducted Fazeelat Bibi as she returned home from work at a brick kiln in the Raiwind area of Lahore, the court heard.
"They put a noose around her neck, and then cut off her ears and nose," Mr Qadir told the BBC.
Three alleged accomplices are still being sought by police.
The crime was committed after Fazeelat Bibi's parents refused to give her hand in marriage to Sher Mohammad, Mr Qadir said.
Islamic laws were introduced in Pakistan during the military regime of General Ziaul Haq in the 1980s.
The BBC's M Ilyas Khan in Islamabad says punishments prescribed under the laws have rarely been awarded, and never carried out.
Pakistani human rights activists have long campaigned for more to be done to stop attacks against women, which often include facial disfigurement.
However, they also disagree with the type of punishment handed out in Lahore, correspondents say.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8425820.stm

very poorest

Ms. Mcgee...
new
Submitted by gloryoski on Tue, 12/22/2009 - 9:11am.

You can see Mistra Mandate here today...

Thank You my love..... :)

I was just outside shoveling (snow) not Bull Shit
this time

WOW! Prince William rocks.
Submitted by Fernando on Tue, 12/22/2009 - 11:35am.

...we'll get past the greed and gluttony.

nor as nice an ass as Stephanie.

But some people have better imaginations than others I guess.

http://www.naturalnews.com/027789_Dr_Julie_Gerberding_Merck.html

______________
This is a major reason why government has lost it's moral compass.
There is something wrong with the Vaccine business. Nora has been hammering away on this for months. Nora rocks!

No flannel in public!!!!

(I'm calling the Reverse Girl Police.)

Him's/her's so kyute. Him's/her's so leetle...Heeheehee.

So did you check?...Him or her?

What kind of critter is it?

toniD's Ya Think?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/dec/22/stem-cell-treamtent-sight-...

Stem cells grown on a special membrane were used to treat the patient and seven others with sight loss

http://www.sfn.org/index.cfm?pagename=news_121509

“Neuroscientists have long known that some people have a better sense of touch than others, but the reasons for this difference have been mysterious,” said Daniel Goldreich, PhD, of McMaster University in Ontario, one of the study’s authors. “Our discovery reveals that one important factor in the sense of touch is finger size.”

To learn why the sexes have different finger sensitivity, the authors first measured index fingertip size in 100 university students. Each student’s tactile acuity was then tested by pressing progressively narrower parallel grooves against a stationary fingertip — the tactile equivalent of the optometrist’s eye chart. The authors found that people with smaller fingers could discern tighter grooves.

(continues)

Top House Liberal Suggests He Could Accept Deal On Senate Bill

In a sign that House liberals may be bracing to swallow much of the Senate bill with minimal changes, a key House progressive suggested in an interview with me that he might be able to support a bill without a public component, if the coverage in the bill were to kick in earlier than it currently does in the Senate proposal.

Rep Raul Grijalva, who as co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus is well respected by liberals, acknowledged the potential for supporting the bill under these conditions, making public what House aides have only said privately until now.

Grijalva cautioned, however, that House liberals would continue fighting for some kind of public component and would have trouble supporting the bill unless they were handed some kind of victory.

In the inteview, Grijalva confirmed that House Dems were beginning to discuss the idea of revising the Senate bill in conference to move up the implementation date for insurance coverage and make it more in line with the earlier date in the House bill.

I asked Grijalva if he could support the bill if such a change were made, even if it lacked a public option or other similar concessions sought by liberals.

“It would sweeten it somewhat,” Grijalva said, “if they speed up the coverage mechanism.”

He added: “That would be something I’d have to look at very closely.”

Asked if he was suggesting that he’s open to supporting such an outcome, Grijalva answered in the affirmative, but insisted that he would have to evaluate the changes in conference before making any decision. He said House liberals would continue to push for a public component and a repeal of the anti-trust exemption for insurance companies. And he demanded that conference negotiations not merely “rubber stamp” the Senate bill.

“We need a win on our side of the aisle,” Grijalva said. “That’s very important politically.”

But he seemed to hint that many liberals were bracing to accept something much more in line with the Senate bill than they would have hoped: “It’s gonna be a tough swallow.”

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/health-care/top-house-liberal-suggests...

toniD's Ya Think?

toni - I think it was a mouse...

gloryoski - did not check the mouse out
as far as gender (it was kinda scared)

my flannel is sooooooo warm -

Harkin: I Assumed--Wrongly--The White House Pushed Strongly For Public Option
Brian Beutler | December 22, 2009, 9:05AM

Yesterday, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) articulated surprise and disappointment that the White House had not done more to push Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) to support a public option. Moments before a vote this morning, I asked him to elaborate.

"All I'll say, I was surprised to hear this because I had assumed all along that the White House was pushing strongly for the public option," Harkin said. "I just assumed that."

"Regardless of that, I mean it was clear that in the end that we did not have the votes for it," Harkin added. "This bill is too important in its entirety to let it sink on that issue."

"As I said yesterday, the issue of a public option will be revisited," the chairman of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee insisted. "I guarantee it."

(On this question, one of the Democratic party's leading public option skeptics, Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) said, "That could happen, [but] there'd have to be 60 votes."

I asked Harkin if the outcome might have been different if the White House had ratcheted up the pressure on hold out senators.

"I don't know. It's hard to say. What ifs? If? I don't play that game, what if," Harkin demurred. "But all I know is where we are now and I see how we have to move ahead. We have to get this bill passed, and then we'll come back and revisit the public option at some point...next year, the year after."

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/12/harkin-i-assumed--wrongly--th...

toniD's Ya Think?

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5BL2PU20091222

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Israel will find itself diplomatically sidelined and militarily muzzled as the United States pursues a nuclear deal with Iran next ear, according to a closed-door wargame at Israel's top strategic think-tank.
(snip)

The simulation saw brief brinkmanship after the imagined Israeli sabotage at Arak. "Khamenei" responded by dispatching a Revolutionary Guards commander to Syria and Venezuela, flaunting Iranian influence near the Israeli and U.S. orbits.
(continues)

Conservative Backlash Against Griffith Party Switch Begins
Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 22, 2009, 12:18PM

If Rep. Parker Griffith (soon-to-be R-AL) thought the Republican base would welcome him with open arms, he may be getting a wake up call as news of his party switch spreads across the internet.

Two prominent names in the conservative movement -- Erick Erickson at RedState and The Club For Growth -- have promised Griffith will have a tough time convincing Republicans to vote for him, despite the fact that he's now one of their own. Griffith, a self-professed Blue Dog Democrat, has been far to the right of House Democrats this year, even promising to vote against another term as Speaker for Nancy Pelosi.

But those stances aren't enough for Erickson and the Club, both of which say the GOP primary will be a tough one for the Democrat-turned-Republican.

From Erickson's post:

Being a Republican should be about more than just the letter next to a person's name. We can improve that seat.

Here are Griffith's earmark requests. He voted for Pelosi for Speaker. He's actually been more regularly with Pelosi than Jim Marshall (D-GA). We can pick this guy off and get a real Republican in that seat.

Again, changing the letter next to your name does not magically make you one of us.

At the Club For Growth's website, Andrew Roth breaks down the conservative group's take on the Griffith switch. Though, like Erickson, the conservative group sees the switch as bad news for President Obama, the Club says Griffith doesn't make the conservative grade:

Alabama is a run-off state, so Griffith will have to go head-to-head against a seasoned Republican if he wants to stay in office (assuming he doesn't get 50% of the vote right off the bat).

Griffith's voting record is far from conservative, too. Granted, he voted against the Big 4 - Obama's first budget, the Stimulus, Cap and Trade, and ObamaCare. However, his vote on the budget is slightly deceptive since he originally voted for 9 of the 12 spending bills that make up the budget. And he voted against all the Stimulus amendments that would reduce its size.

But just a quick perusal of 2009 shows that he voted YES on the 2009 pork-filled Omnibus; YES on Cash for Clunkers, NO on waiving the harmful Davis-Bacon provision, and had a pathetic 0% score on the 2009 RePORK Card.

This party switch signals Griffith's nervousness, but it doesn't signal that his incumbency is safe.

As the club points out, Griffith already faces a two-man field on the Republican side of the race. But, Griffith is far ahead of them in the money race. But as has been seen in the Florida Senate race, support from groups like the Club and people like Erickson can mean a large cash advantage (like the one Gov. Charlie Crist still has over Marco Rubio in Florida) don't translate into a quiet primary.

The Club's report on the current finances of Griffith's GOP opponents:

Republican candidate Mo Brooks has $113,000 cash on hand and Les Phillip has $31,000. Griffith is sitting on $618,000.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/12/conservative-backlash-against...

toniD's Ya Think?

"Do we need to bring Bush/Cheney back to get the fire here again?

Where's that fire and drive that used to be here? Too much in-fighting and not enough solutions talked about.

We know the problems, so.....what are we going to do about it?

Okay, I'll give you the Holidays off, but I want some good ideas in the New Year!!"

If anyone thought Obama was progressive, they didn't follow the campaign that closly. He has soaring but vague rhetoric that many people read into what they wanted to hear. the main reason I was for Hillary over O was I thought she knew that the Repugs would never work with Dems in this time and wouldn't have wasted so much time trying.

I have been trying to remind people to keep some perspective.
Our other choice would be senile Grampy McCain. And as someone from AZ, I can imagine how bad that would be. Ralph Nader was a brilliant tort attorny but he would never have gotten a seat at the table. If you want to change things at the top, you must start with campaign finance reform. For me, I think you should focus small. Help elect a progressive congress critter in you district. Writes letters to the editor to get out correct info (not Fox talking points ) to people in your community who don't know as much as you do.

I could go on but my son wants his computer back.

Sen. Burris Blasts GOP In His Own Christmas Rhyme On Senate Floor
Christina Bellantoni | December 22, 2009, 12:04PM

Looks like Sen. Kit Bond isn't the only United States senator who likes to riff on "Twas the night before Christmas."

Sen. Roland Burris (D-IL) had a bit of fun on the Senate floor today with his own version of the holiday rhyme, taking aim at Republicans and saying that a "good bill" would emerge from the health care debate.

We clipped the moment. Watch:

toniD's Ya Think?

This blog is pooping out lately!!
new
Submitted by toniD on Tue, 12/22/2009 - 9:22am.

*******

Yes,Ma'am ! :)

But,does that mean I Can't bitch about what's better

Analog or Digital Music,for about a week ? Dang ! ;-)

**

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

MMRules

I love this Christmas Album (i'm kinda dating myself I guess)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8412962.stm
----------

An attempt to punish "aggravated homosexuality" in Uganda with the death penalty has caused outrage across the world - and revealed a huge divide in Ugandan society.
"Even my friends who are not gay are now scared because they think if this bill is passed, they'll be targeted," says Julian Pepe, an openly gay Ugandan who campaigns for homosexual rights.
"I feel scared. I feel I am in danger. I've tried to put a few security measures in place and I am constantly watching over my shoulder."
(continues)

http://hypem.com/#/track/987712/Sarah+McLachlan++Song+for+a+Winter+s+Nig...

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

MMRules

best of both worlds. I just went into wnyc am (NPR) in NYC studios. They are so proud of the analog board and old tube mikes they use for the live broadcasts.

-----------
I collect vinyl mostly Jazz and R&B ,Also Varese, and Slominsky,schoenberg
and classical Indian. I would really be happy if the return to vinyl continues
========

But,does that mean I Can't bitch about what's better

Analog or Digital Music,for a week ? Dang ! ;-)
MMRules =====
Why not ? all politics all the time will get ya sick!

the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act?
acronym
PPACA = pipi and caca

White Footed Mouse

Deer Mouse

sorry bout that..

The democrats hardly mention this in regards to an inferior health care reform. That's why I think the Democratic party has poor management to say the least. The Prez could get his base back and his believability factor would improve if he brought this up every day or two. THIS IS THE CHANGE HE FORGETS ABOUT. I also blame the people who stay loyal to the old broken system.

Maybe the democratic leaders are just in it for the money too? If the people sent a strong message to the leaders of the Dems that "your all out next year" they might try a little harder.

------

I still follow Bernie Sander's leadership and he is the only guy I trust right now. As Bernie goes so do I

I am encouraged that we are taking out Medicare D in this bill. That shows when something is a really stupid idea, we can change it in few years. Of course, if progressives stay home in 2010, Repubs will win and nothing will happen for decades.

I'm also encouraged by Bernie Sander's Public Health Centers. We don't need to just change insurance, we need to change our medical model. Wouldn't alot of people welcome low-cost community centers that provide primary care, even with more physician's assistants? And if we don't have enough doctors, how about more medical schools? Stop the AMA from restricting the # of docs who graduate. I once saw a Frontline about why so many of our interns in city hospitals are from India & China; it's because of the restricted # of medical schools.
And why don't we bring up this idea in discussions about tort reform? In Canada people don't feel the need to sue as much for bad medical outcomes because THEY KNOW ALL OF THEIR FUTURE MEDICAL COSTS WILL BE COVERED The other part of the problem that is never discussed is how much the stock market effects our insurance coverage. I complained to my primary MD about the hugh increase in my premiums when I moved into a pool of state retirees (I'm thankful I qualify for a pool), and she reminded me that insurance stocks had tanked too last year. Of course, they won't take those losses out of their profits. And as Dr Dean said on TV Sunday,"We are taking the difficult path of changing regulations, but it can be done"

NPR audio on this. I'l have to go & find it.
It's very interesting & disturbing.

I just don't get the whole thinking on this issue
"Live & Let Live"
or "Mind your own fucking business"

Uganda fear over gay death penalty plans
Submitted by taozen on Tue, 12/22/2009 - 1:04pm.

god it would be so great to have my whole
family & all of u bloggers who r my friends,
to be all together for Chirstmas.
just a thought..... :)

Maybe everybody else already knew this. Now I do too. (Or do I?)

Fwiw: Grroosss. Isn't actually a made-up word. It's just tween dialect. Or maybe tween Tony the Tiger when he's fed up dialect.

-----

Misheard lyric

A common mondegreen in the song is the perception that, following the title line, Jeff Lynne shouts "Bruce!" However, according to liner notes, he is actually saying a made-up word "Grroosss". This is similar to a German word for "greeting", Gruß, possibly referring to the Austrian and Bavarian greeting Grüß Gott that the group would have heard while recording the album in Munich. However, after the song's release, so many people had misinterpreted the word as Bruce that Jeff Lynne actually began to sing the word as Bruce for fun at live shows.[1]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don't_Bring_Me_Down

----
"According to liner notes?" Well youdda thought somebody coulda answered me on this before now. Sheesh.

http://www.tnr.com/article/keys-the-kingdom

One grave away from Chopin and not far from Balzac and Jim Morrison in Pere-Lachaise, the Parisian cemetery and tourist hotspot, lies the French-Italian pianist Michel Petrucciani. He died ten years ago this January in New York, the city where he had made his reputation as a jazz tyro, and when his body was returned to France for his burial, thousands of mourners filled the streets of the 20th arrondissement. One of the French radio channels played no music but his for twenty-four hours. Chirac praised Petrucciani for his "passion, courage, and musical genius" and called him "an example for everyone."

Of what, exactly, was Petrucciani an example? Chirac was no doubt referring to what he described, in proto-Oprahish terms, as Petrucciani's "courage"--the tenacity and the inclination to defiance which seemed, in Petrucciani, triumphs of the mind and the heart over the body. Petrucciani, a musician of rare power and expressive confidence, suffered--truly suffered, in lifelong pain--from osteogenesis imperfecta, the "glass bones" disease. For most of his thirty-six years, Petrucciani could not bear the weight of his own body without leg braces or crutches. He never grew past the height of three feet, and he typically weighed about fifty pounds. He was as fragile as his art was robust, his life as tenuous as his music is durable.

Your thought sounds great, but I wish you all could enjoy my S AZ style of a cold Dec day. It's cloudy, windy and about 60 here right now. Cold enough for me.

Are you still getting dizzy? Have you run out of sick days?
I know this is not much comfort, but I wrote last Spring about how the school district I worked for were firing most of their custodians and contracting. Most of the fired workers were expected/invited to work for the contracter to do the same job for less pay and no benefits. So, I hope/pray you will resolve your medical mysteries (w/good results) and continue to have access to health insurance benefits.

I think this is a Muslim thing. Sharia bull dung. But of course We have Christian Homophobia and Jewish Homophobia right here in the U.S.
=====
I blame the insurance companies for continuing the anti gay marriage BS in the States right now.

I was very pleased to see in mexico City (a catholic country n'est pas?) that GAY marriage and rights to adopt are finaly becoming law. The mexican's are more progressive in many ways. They decriminalized small amounts of drug possession recently.
======
Mexico allows accupuncture at the same time as dental surgery to help with the pain. I wonder what else Mexico does well?

i am sure we will all be there close in spirit at least

Heroine
Anita O'Day

http://www.tnr.com/article/heroine-0

michel petrucciani was a regular at the Village Vaguard the most famous of Jazz Club's in NYC. The Best jazz muscians really dug his amazing energy. Petrucciani was a major inspiration to a community that often suffered from self indulgence and complaining about the hard Jazz life. Those complainers were silent when he came to town.

michel petrucciani
new
Submitted by mire on Tue, 12/22/2009 - 1:51pm.

hope we can talk ourselves out of the holiday healthcare depression that can get ya if your not careful. . Norman Goldman/Bid Ed's buddy has been making some good sense today. Reconciliation is that a Christian concept or am I as confused as ever?
-------
Reconciliation means settlement, resolution, compromise, reunion, bringing together.

Or as Jesus might say in the vernacular of these times "cut everyone some slack"

TIME magazine just named Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke its "Person of the Year." The magazine says its choice is a recognition of the person who "most influenced the news during the past year -- for good or for ill." Based on that criterion, TIME should, without a doubt, have picked Washington lobbyists -- because no person or group was more influential in 2009.

After an inspiring presidential campaign that promised to take on the special interests, the lobbyists flexed their muscles (and their wallets) and showed who really runs the show in Washington, D.C. -- making it clear that big money campaign contributions play a definitive role in stalling or killing long overdue reforms. Exerting their pull over politicians who respond to the highest bidder, corporate special interests carried the day on health insurance reform, financial reform, “cramdown” foreclosure laws, and credit card interest rates. And every time they won, the American people lost.

This is why it is absolutely critical that we seize this moment to reform our political system before it is too late.

Please consider making a secure, tax-deductible contribution to Public Campaign so we can help Congress focus on the issues at hand. Do it before December 31st and your gift will be DOUBLED!

An anonymous donor has agreed to match the next $10,000 in gifts made to Public Campaign by December 31st dollar for dollar, so giving today means you'll be doubling your impact.

With your donation, we can continue to educate lawmakers and the public about the Fair Elections Now Act (H.R. 1826, S. 752), a fair-minded, common sense solution to the influence and power of wealthy campaign contributors.

Please join me in supporting Public Campaign and take a moment to make a secure, tax-deductible gift to help advance their efforts to pass the Fair Elections Now Act. Donate today to double your gift!

Make no mistake about it -- we are in an uphill battle. But it's time to put voters ahead of big money donors and bring the focus back to the important issues facing Congress. As a longtime advocate of Public Campaign's efforts, I know how important their work is in helping us to achieve this goal.

With best wishes,

Arianna Huffington

https://secure3.convio.net/change/site/Donation2?idb=0&df_id=2160&2160.d...

Hello to u - I have run out of days - but I'm
borrowing @ this point -
yes I am getting dizzy still. I have other things
that r going on as well.
That is so weird that u mentioned the"school district I worked for were firing most of their custodians and contracting. Most of the fired workers were expected/invited to work for the contracter to do the same job for less pay and no benefits." That is exactly my fucking fear. I know
it's goin gto happen - it's just a matter of when.

Thanks for the good thoughts Sandy - oh my mom flew out '
today to California to see my brother - then she goes onto
AZ.

Yes....very cool LOOKING....

However it was like watching the entire History of the behavior U.S govt and military ....heart-wrenching, putrid, and very very sad to watch. I yelled out "YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE" at one point...

I don't think it's an accident that there are so many "alien" movies out now...And yes, I do imagine that it is WE who are the alien creatures in the universe...

is talking some good shit.
He is kicking ass. Go Jack

http://www.c-span.org/Watch/C-SPAN2.aspx

Just from the trailers I've seen
I thought the same thing. It does
look sad.
Hope u r well

his "take the A train' is incredible!

what an amazing man. and his sidemen ain't no slouches either.

first time i ever heard him, so thanks.

thank gawd for recorded music.

"the man i love" is an amazing cut.

first time i've ever heard her as well.

lovely post equinox tunes mire. thanks again )

i am starting to think what we should do in the next election cycles is to concentrate on electing progressive democrats in congress and to primary obama out with a more progressive democratic president

in other words let's concentrate our rage for the loss of the public option on president obama and the gang of 5 filthy blue dogs.

like sam seder used to say long time ago, no, obama is not all that progressive but is the best we can do right now, right now "we gotta stop the bleeding" but our work is not finished - we gotta continue fighting for more progressives in power in all branches of government

Nation's Largest Nurses Organization: Health Care Bill Cedes Too Much To Insurance Industry

National Nurses United, the nation's largest registered nurses union and professional organization, declared on Tuesday that the Senate health care bill gives away too much to insurance companies and "fails to meet the test of true health care reform."

"It is tragic to see the promise from Washington this year for genuine, comprehensive reform ground down to a seriously flawed bill that could actually exacerbate the health care crisis and financial insecurity for American families, and that cedes far too much additional power to the tyranny of a callous insurance industry," said co-president Karen Higgins in a statement.

"Sadly, we have ended up with legislation that fails to meet the test of true health care reform, guaranteeing high quality, cost effective care for all Americans, and instead are further locking into place a system that entrenches the chokehold of the profit-making insurance giants on our health. If this bill passes, the industry will become more powerful and could be beyond the reach of reform for generations," she added.

The group argued that the bill does not do enough to control prices considering it would force all Americans to buy insurance. They say many of the same flaws are in the House bill, and they don't expect the legislation to be improved in conference committee.

Here's the full statement:

The 150,000 member National Nurses United, the nation's largest union and professional organization of registered nurses in the U.S., today criticized the healthcare bill now advancing in the U.S. Senate saying it is deeply flawed and grants too much power to the giant insurers.

"It is tragic to see the promise from Washington this year for genuine, comprehensive reform ground down to a seriously flawed bill that could actually exacerbate the healthcare crisis and financial insecurity for American families, and that cedes far too much additional power to the tyranny of a callous insurance industry," said NNU co-president Karen Higgins, RN.

NNU Co-president Deborah Burger, RN challenged arguments of legislation proponents that the bill should still be passed because of expanded coverage, new regulations on insurers, and the hope that it will be improved in the House-Senate conference committee or future years.

"Those wishful statements ignore the reality that much of the expanded coverage is based on forced purchase of private insurance without effective controls on industry pricing practices or real competition and gaping loopholes in the insurance reforms," said Burger.
Story continues below

Further, said NNU Co-president Jean Ross, RN, "the bill seems more likely to be eroded, not improved, in future years due to the unchecked influence of the healthcare industry lobbyists and the lessons of this year in which all the compromises have been made to the right."

"Sadly, we have ended up with legislation that fails to meet the test of true healthcare reform, guaranteeing high quality, cost effective care for all Americans, and instead are further locking into place a system that entrenches the chokehold of the profit-making insurance giants on our health. If this bill passes, the industry will become more powerful and could be beyond the reach of reform for generations," Higgins said.

NNU cited ten significant problems in the legislation, noting many of the same flaws also exist in the House version and are likely to remain in the bill that emerges from the House-Senate reconciliation process:

1. The individual mandate forcing all those without coverage to buy private insurance, with insufficient cost controls on skyrocketing premiums and other insurance costs.

2. No challenge to insurance company monopolies, especially in the top 94 metropolitan areas where one or two companies dominate, severely limiting choice and competition.

3. An affordability mirage. Congressional Budget Office estimates say a family of four with a household income of $54,000 would be expected to pay 17 percent of their income, $9,000, on healthcare exposing too many families to grave financial risk. more...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/22/nations-largest-nurses-or_n_400...

toniD's Ya Think?

smcgee43 on Tue, 12/22/2009 - 12:03pm.

People usually get plague from being bitten by a rodent flea that is carrying the plague bacterium or by handling an infected animal. Millions of people in Europe died from plague in the Middle Ages, when human homes and places of work were inhabited by flea-infested rats. Today, modern antibiotics are effective against plague, but if an infected person is not treated promptly, the disease is likely to cause illness or death.

~`ordinary's just not good enough today - olp`~
Jamesbenet

Microsoft Banned From Selling Word Starting January 2010

SEATTLE — A federal appeals court ordered Microsoft Corp. to stop selling its Word program in January and pay a Canadian software company $290 million for violating a patent, upholding the judgment of a lower court.

But people looking to buy Word or Microsoft's Office package in the U.S. won't have to go without the software. Microsoft said Tuesday it expects that new versions of the product, with the computer code in question removed, will be ready for sale when the injunction begins on Jan. 11.

Toronto-based i4i Inc. sued Microsoft in 2007, saying it owned the technology behind a tool in the popular word processing program. The technology in question gives Word users an improved way to edit XML, or code that tells the program how to interpret and display a document's contents.

A Texas jury found that Microsoft Word willfully infringed on the patent. Microsoft appealed that decision, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on Tuesday upheld the lower court's damage award and the injunction against future sales of infringing copies of Word.

Michel Vulpe, founder and co-inventor of i4i, said in a statement that the company is pleased with the decision, calling it "an important step in protecting the property rights of small inventors."

Microsoft said it has been preparing for such a judgment since August. Copies of Word and Office sold before Jan. 11 aren't affected by the court's decision. And Microsoft said it has "put the wheels in motion to remove this little-used feature" from versions of Word 2007 and Office 2007 that would be sold after that date.

"Beta" or test versions of Word 2010 and Office 2010, expected to be finalized next year, do not contain the offending code, the software maker said.

Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft said it may appeal further, asking for either a rehearing in front of the appeals court's full panel of judges or in front of the U.S. Supreme Court.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/22/microsoft-word-patent-app_n_400...

toniD's Ya Think?

Radio talk show host Bill Press has become an intern for U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-V.T.), the liberal commentator told the Huffington Post on Tuesday.

The move is not some impulsive late-career change on Press's part. Rather, it is an effort to make it easier for him to report from Capitol Hill.

On December 8, Press was denied a request for media credentials from the Congressional Radio-Television Galleries, effectively limiting the type of on-the-ground journalism he was hoping to do on the Hill. Soon thereafter, the radio host petitioned Sanders for an internship with his staff in hopes of circumventing the red tape.

"I am officially a Senate intern of Bernie Sanders'," Press told HuffPost. "I am his in-house Senate reporter. Basically, I'm reporting on news from Capitol Hill."

Press, who moved to Washington D.C. in 1996 to take over the liberal post of the now-defunct CNN program "Crossfire," says that he will cover news conferences and hearings for Sanders staff. Naturally, the material will also be used for his morning radio program. "There is more than one way to skin a cat," said Press.

Conventional efforts to gain access to the Hill on Press's part were rejected after the seven-member executive committee of the Congressional Radio-Television Galleries determined that his program was too aligned with political advocacy. Specifically, the committee pointed to language on the radio host's website urging viewers to call Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) and convince the lawmaker to support health care reform.

In an interview with Politico, Press pointed out that several members who denied him entry work for notably political outlets, including Salem Radio Network -- an organization that hosts such conservative talkers as Hugh Hewitt, Bill Bennett and Michael Medved.

Press is still looking to get credentialed, which is likely when a new board is instituted. Until then, he is assuming the role that is traditionally filled by wide-eyed college students. Only, he will share his experience with a massive radio audience and not merely his immediate family.

"Given my record [with the board] I was quite nervous I would be rejected [by Sanders]," Press jokingly said. "Now I'm proud to be the newest member of Bernie's staff."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/22/bill-press-becomes-intern_n_400...

toniD's Ya Think?

...the truth about what actually happened is in danger of being lost amid the spin and inevitable mutual recriminations. The truth is this: China wrecked the talks, intentionally humiliated Barack Obama, and insisted on an awful "deal" so western leaders would walk away carrying the blame. How do I know this? Because I was in the room and saw it happen. - GuardianUK

I have been wanting to share my thoughts with ya all
on a film I saw.

JM Cousteau: Killer Whales
The world of orcas, or killer whales, is explored.

If u haven't seen this - u need to.

just go here > http://www.wttw.com/main.taf?p=2,2

there r some good shows on tonight :)

salmon of the Pacific Norhtwest.

The Future of U.S. Fish Farming: Solid National Vision or Unsafe Piecemeal Approach?

Fish farming is one of the fastest-growing responses to our declining wild fish supply and now accounts for more than 40 percent of the world's seafood consumption. Without thoughtful planning and regulation, fish farming can severely harm ocean ecosystems. Unfortunately, in the US this industry is expanding offshore for the first time without any national standards in place.

In January 2009, fishery managers in the Gulf of Mexico approved the first-ever plan for commercialsize fish farms in US federal waters, the area between three and 200 miles from shore. US fish farming— sometimes called "aquaculture"—is expected to grow five-fold by 2025, but it carries with it considerable environmental and economic risks.

The Gulf plan claimed to draw its authority from the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the nation's primary fisheries law. But there’s one catch: Congress has not explicitly authorized any federal agency—not the Gulf Council, not the National Marine Fisheries Service, not anyone— to manage the farming of fish in federal waters. It is an unregulated industry and there is no clear mandate for who should manage it.

The fact is that fish farming is not fishing, and therefore the nation's fishing laws—primarily the Magnuson-Stevens Act—are inappropriate, ineffective, and inadequate for managing this growing industry.

To ensure a safe and sustainable industry, and to protect our vast and valuable ocean, the federal government must establish strong standards for aquaculture.

http://www.oceanconservancy.org/site/PageServer?pagename=issues_aquacult...

Has the number of progressive-enough voters in the D party grown so much that we will be any better able to primary Obama than we, in effect, were last time? Was he the first choice of anybody here?

Are we thinking the number of now-progressive-enough voters is roughly equivalent to the 40 per cent of self-identified Ds who said here http://rawstory.com/2009/11/forty-percent-dems-probably-vote-year-poll/ they probably wouldn't vote in the midterms? It may not be the same number, because not voting again for a (maybe) blue-dog incumbent does not necessarily take the same degree of anger (or progressiveness) as not voting again for Obama. Does it?

And, also, as far as primarying, what about stealth Republicans and their interference?

Also, if many D's follow through on anger and threats and change their registration to Independent or something else, how will that effect progressive leverage in primaries in 2012, as some of those primaries (not the ones referred to in the last paragraph, natch) are only open to Ds?

These are a bunch of possibly stupid questions I am throwing out there because, if not stupid, I would think they would be worth asking.

The bias behind them is for election reform and ONE STRONG progressive, non-corporatist third party candidate by 2012 at the latest. United front. No bs. No picking the flyshit out of the pepper. Both the reform work and the candidate-selection process should start now--at least informally, in terms of the latter.

Watch your back. (I don't think he has to worry about his front, in this case.)

China wrecked the talks

Submitted by smcgee43 on Tue, 12/22/2009 - 1:03pm.
...(i'm kinda dating myself I guess)
--------
Hold out for dinner and a movie.

maybe sam seder should become an intern for al franken, d'ya think? sam is extremely astute politically, it's a shame to have all his talent in that area go to waste

but no, probably al franken not best fit for him - i'd rather see him go back to law school and go into politics

what channel would that be? (Joy Behar)

HLN: HeadLine News which is CNN's second station. You have to look it up, locally, for the channel.

toniD's Ya Think?

From somebody..anybody. :)

Thou SHALT shoplift: Priest tells congregation it's better than robbery or prostitutionBy Chris Brooke
Last updated at 9:44 AM on 22nd December 2009

Poor people who are desperate for cash have been advised to go forth and shoplift from major stores - by an Anglican priest.

The Rev Tim Jones said in his Sunday sermon that stealing from successful shops was preferable to burglary, robbery or prostitution.

He told parishioners it would not break the eighth commandment 'thou shalt not steal' because it 'is permissible for those who are in desperate situations to take food that they might not starve'.

But his advice was roundly condemned by police and the local Tory MP. Father Jones, 42, was discussing Mary and the birth of Jesus when he went on to the subject of how poor and vulnerable people cope in the run-up to Christmas.

'My advice, as a Christian priest, is to shoplift,' he told his stunned congregation at St Lawrence and St Hilda in York.

'I do not offer such advice because I think that stealing is a good thing, or because I think it is harmless, for it is neither.

'I would ask that they do not steal from small family businesses, but from large national businesses, knowing that the costs are ultimately passed on to the rest of us in the form of higher prices.

'I would ask them not to take any more than they need. I offer the advice with a heavy heart. Let my words not be misrepresented as a simplistic call for people to shoplift.

'The observation that shoplifting is the best option that some people are left with is a grim indictment of who we are.

'Rather, this is a call for our society no longer to treat its most vulnerable people with indifference and contempt.

'When people are released from prison, or find themselves suddenly without work or family support, then to leave them for weeks with inadequate or clumsy social support is monumental, catastrophic folly.

'We create a situation which leaves some people little option but crime.'

The father of two, whose parish has a wide mix of social conditions, said his advice to people in dire circumstances is that 'they should not hurt anybody and cope as best they can'.

He added: 'The strong temptation is to burgle or rob people - family, friends, neighbours, strangers.

'Others are tempted towards prostitution, a nightmare world of degradation and abuse for all concerned. Others are tempted towards suicide. Instead, I would rather that they shoplift.

'The life of the poor in modern Britain is a constant struggle, a minefield of competing opportunities, competing responsibilities, obligations and requirements, a constant effort to achieve the impossible.

'For many at the bottom of our social ladder, lawful, honest life can sometimes seem to be an apparent impossibility.'

Anne McIntosh, the Tory MP for Vale of York, has campaigned in Parliament for stronger sentences for shoplifters.

She said: 'I cannot condone inciting anyone to commit a criminal offence.

'Shoplifting is a crime against the whole local community and society.'

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said: 'First and foremost, shoplifting is a criminal offence and to justify this course of action under any circumstances is highly irresponsible.

'Turning or returning to crime will only make matters worse, that is a guarantee.'

The Archdeacon of York, the Venerable Richard Seed, said: 'The Church of England does not advise anyone to shoplift, or break the law in any way.

'Father Tim Jones is raising important issues about the difficulties people face when benefits are not forthcoming, but shoplifting is not the way to overcome these difficulties.

'There are many organisations and charities working with people in need, and the Citizens' Advice Bureau is a good first place to call.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1237470/Priest-advises-congregat...

...about the trickle down effect--the rich do it for sport, the poor do it for survival. We're not in a good place.

not mine, i was for john edwards and still don't know whether that would have turned out better in the long run, even excluding the extramarital affair, on the policy attitudes alone; he may have been a corporatist in sheep clothing as much as obama

answers to your questions, i have no answers, i was just throwing that thought out there because i am really pissed off at obama but not giving up on the democratic party in toto, there are still some very good guys in the party, but they've been left to twist in the wind by the president

i'll look for it

I heard Randi Rhodes say, when she was on the show, that Joy Behar's show is taped and she was back in WDC to watch herself at 9:00pm with Howard, of course.

...can't wait to hear from Sam. You GO GUY!

The church of "Saint" Emma. ;)

"Ask for work. If they do not give you work, ask for bread. If they do not give you work or bread, take bread."

--Emma Goldman

Read more: http://www.gaia.com/quotes/Emma_Goldman?
page=1#ixzz0aSQFjlJW
____
See CeeCee. I disagree. We've been that no-good-very-bad place for a while, just sliding deeper into it. The fact that a fairly mainstream cleric is acknowledging the necessity in some cases, that might mean things are on their way to getting better...Maybe...
---
Of course using the Victor Hugo dating method, getting is a way relative term.

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

MMRules

Dear Friends,

Wall Street is celebrating "Health Care Reform." According to an industry insider report yesterday by MarketWatch (Gibson and Britt) health care stocks rallied as the bill moved through the Senate, particularly since there is no public option in the bill to compete or compare with insurance company rate-making.

"Health care investors find themselves having confronted their greatest fear, and, while there will be legislation, it will be significantly watered down ..." said Mike O'Rourke, chief market strategist at BTIG LLC. As a result, shares of Aetna gained 4.7%, while Cigna rose 3.9%. United Health and Wellpoint "rallied to 52-week highs."

Once the bill becomes law, insurance companies will gain at least 26 million new customers and as much as $50 billion in new annual revenue from private-pay and from government subsidies as people will be required by law to purchase private insurance. While certain expenses are capped in the bill, it appears that premium costs are not.

The Senate's move prompted Gregory Nersessian of Credit Suisse to raise his price targets [predicting greater strength of stock performance] on seven insurers: Aetna, Cigna, Amerigroup Corp., Humana Inc., Molina Healthcare Inc., UnitedHealth Group Inc. and Wellcare Health Plans Inc.

" ... the [bill] is a positive first step" Nersessian said in a note to clients. "The heavy lifting will come when Congress is forced to slow the rate of medical cost growth through more aggressive payment restrictions and utilization controls down the road," he said - meaning that this particular industry insider is predicting limitations on benefits.

Marketwatch also wrote that none of the new standards on how much the industry must spend on medical expenses will "impose great hardship on any insurers."

Tomorrow: My analysis of the health care legislation as it currently stands.

Sincerely.
Dennis

Joy Bahar - I hope that I can see it on
U-Tube

Go Sammy - We LOVE ya...

Long night tonight but I don't go back til Saturday.

Have a great evening.

Have to clean off my car.

Later

toniD's Ya Think?

As the first journalists to enter Kabul in 1981 for CBS News following the expulsion of the Western media the previous year, we continue to be amazed at how the American disinformation campaign between Hollywood, Washington and Wall Street built around the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan lives on. We’ve seen this pattern from the media again and again. It was particularly disturbing to read Ken Herman’s December 18 interview, Charlie Wilson pessimistic about future of Afghanistan, in the AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN filled with CIA disinformation. The secret campaign was activated before the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan to sell the American people on financing the coming Muslim holy war against the Soviet Union
Let’s separate the child-like fantasy that has been resurrected over and over again from the true nature of Charlie Wilson and his war effort. From the interview:

http://www.boilingfrogspost.com/

Inasuch as one does not preclude the other.

woman.

But in this picture she just remind me of Nell.

How wrong is that (chick-a-pea)?

(From "Nation's Largest Nurses" story.)

Despite his being extremely white (chalky even) and having a head significantly smaller than his body. (Or is that just the suit?) He's still got a lil' somethin' happening.

NOW YOU (you know who you are) say that you are a MONKEY!! ;)
(Cuz it's next time Natalie...ready or not!!!)

Property is theft. "Laws" in a capitalist system are the engine of institutionalized exploitation. It always has been "illegal" for indigenous people to fight capitalist privateers. Once it was "illegal" for slaves to impoverish sugar barons by running away. An now, of course, it will be "illegal," for our working poor to refuse to make the insurance masters richer.

Those gifts are reserved for people who live within borders that contain items that are useful to the united states.

We had gone on from "right" to "cute." Try to keep up.

I feel sorry for the Senator. Although it's possible the Senator has joined the forces of darkness, and hiring Bill is his way of saying he also now loves Big Brother DLC.

*vomit*

The revised and expanded version of my book *PRONOIA IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA* is available at Amazon: http://bit.ly/Pronoia

Here's an excerpt:

RE-DREAMING CHRIST

Some Christians might be shocked to learn that Jesus Christ is one of the Main High Magicians in the Beauty and Truth Lab's pantheon of deities and avatars.

They may believe that people like us -- Goddess-worshiping tantric Sufi Qabalist pagans who hang around with Zen trickster witches and espouse a socialist libertarian political philosophy -- couldn't possibly have an intimate and vivid relationship with the cosmic hero they claim to own.
They act as if they have commandeered the trademark of one of the smartest wild men in history.

But many of us do have an intimate and vivid relationship with Jesus Christ. How could we not? He was a champion of women's rights, an antidote to the established and corrupt political order, and a radical spiritual activist who worked outside religious institutions.

The dude owned nothing and was a passionate advocate for the poor and underprivileged. He was uncompromisingly opposed to violence and war.
Besides that, he was a master of love and he devoted his life to serving the Divine Intelligence. He even went so far as to say, "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you, and give away all your possessions."

I want to be like Jesus Christ when I grow up!

(But it's quite OK with us if you don't want to be like him. The good thing about adoring Christ's pronoiac glory but not being a Christian is that we don't have any investment in wanting you to do as we do. We want you to do as you do!)

Is there any hijacked hero you'd like to liberate?_Any spoiled treasure you hope to redeem? Any detoured savior you want to get back on track?

Rob Brezsny's book.

Lithuania hosted secret CIA jails

The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) ran at least two secret detention facilties in the Baltic nation of Lithuania, a parliamentary inquiry has found.

The sites were set up by Lithuanian intelligence services for the CIA, according to the report published on Tuesday.

But the head of the inquiry said he was not able to confirm whether al-Qaeda suspects had ever been interrogated at either location.

"The sites existed ... and planes landed," Arvydas Anusauskas, the head of parliament's national security and defence committee, told reporters........
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2009/12/20091222203247626204.ht...

Me n my chocolate ration?

This. I watched the original movie the other day....I didn't realize Richard Burton was in that movie, that version.

Israel admits to organ thefts

Israel has admitted that it harvested organs from the dead bodies of Palestinians and Israelis in the 1990s, without permission from their families.

The admission follows the release of an interview with Jehuda Hiss, the former head of Israel's forensic institute, in which he said that workers at the institute had harvested skin, corneas, heart valves and bones from Israelis, Palestinians and foreign workers...

Nancy Scheper-Hughes, who conducted the interview, told Al Jazeera on Monday that Hiss had said the "body parts were used by hospitals for transplant purposes - cornea transplants. They were sent to public hospitals [for use on citizens].

Guidelines 'not clear'

"And the skin went to a special skin bank, founded by the military, for their uses", such as for burns victims.

The practice is said to have ended in 2000.....

...Scheper-Hughes said that some of the dead Palestinians from whom organs were harvested were killed during military raids.

"Some of the bodies were definitely Palestinians who were killed in conflicts," she told Al Jazeera.

"Their organs were taken without consent of families and were used to serve the needs of the country in terms of hospitals as well as the army's needs."

'Technically illegal'

She said that Hiss told her "that the people who did the harvesting were sent by the military. They were often medical students".

"He did it informally and without permission, and it was technically illegal," she said.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/12/2009122161551898444...

If I had caught on to the theme by the trailer I probably wouldn't have gone. But I never go to the movies and P really wanted to so I'm glad I went....Also, if I had known it was nearly three hours there is no way in heck I would have gone...You can't recoup time like that after a bad movie....but it made P happy so that it all worked out...

Do you get any time off of work now?

Submitted by ghettodefender on Tue, 12/22/2009 - 6:50pm

I saw it yesterday and it is very bad pr for Israel to say the least. It is so revealing and painful to read. It shows that there is so much that God's chosen people have to learn. If the practice ended in 2000 why are we getting the news now? I hope the reconciliation word translates well in netanyahoo speak.
Illegal is always technically illegal. (a little bit pregnant) is always pregnant.

Caracas, 20 December – Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez revealed today on his Sunday television and radio program, Aló Presidente, that unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), also known as drones, have illegally entered Venezuela’s airspace during the past several days. “A few days ago, one of these military planes penetrated Venezuela as far as Fort Mara,” a Venezuelan military fort in the State of Zulia, bordering Colombia. The drone was seen by several Venezuelan soldiers who immediately reported the aerial violation to their superiors. President Chávez gave the order today to shoot down any drones detected in Venezuelan territory. Chávez also directly implicated Washington in this latest threat against regional stability by confirming that the drones were of US origen........

.......ashington still views Venezuela as a major threat to US interests in the region. The US is particularly concerned about Latin American nations engaging in commercial relations with countries such as China, Russia and Iran, perceived as economic threats to US control and domination in the region. Last week, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued a warning to countries in Latin America that have recently forged relations with Iran, such as Bolivia, Brazil, Nicaragua and Venezuela. “…I think that if people want to flirt with Iran, they should take a look at what the consequences might well be for them, and we hope that they will think twice…”, Clinton stated during remarks made regarding the State Department’s Latin American policy.....
http://www.chavezcode.com/2009/12/us-military-aggression-against.html

http://www.samsedershow.com/comment/reply/5560

new thread

~`ordinary's just not good enough today - olp`~
Jamesbenet

This story is all over.

http://news.google.com/news/story?pz=1&cf=all&ned=us&hl=en&ncl=dyp7JRIwF...

However, look at the correction The Guardian did. Today? Yesterday?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2009/dec/22/corrections-clarificat...

I'm putting that out there without comment either way, until I look at the story very carefully. And the other versions. And their dates.

Of course that it could even happen at all under those circumstances is unspeakably horrible.

sure it did.
Shocking to read about the descendants of the Holocaust to be using the skin of victims of aggression without permission.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/12/21/israel.organs/
snip
Jerusalem (CNN) -- Israel harvested organs from bodies in the 1990s without permission of family members, the former head of a state-run forensic laboratory said in a newly released interview.
Government officials acknowledge that the practice happened, but emphasize that it ended years ago.
In an interview in 2000, which was released to an Israeli TV channel and broadcast over the weekend, Dr. Yehuda Hiss -- who was once head of the Abu Kabir forensic institute -- discussed the practice.
(continues)

Submitted by Alice on Tue, 12/22/2009 - 6:36pm

Rob Brezsny (a.k.a. Ray Foreplay, a.k.a. Pope Artaud) is an American astrologer, writer, poet, and musician. His weekly horoscope column Free Will Astrology ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Brezsny

He was in the Village Voice for a long time and pretty good as a humorous astrologer with a big llibido. I think he is a cancer(moonchild) but I don't see his birthday published.

I think the CO2 hype is nothing but a scam (who knows how to prove HOW they are changing weather patterns and heating the polar ice caps and glaciers?) to put public money into nuclear power, the only ready technology that they say creates no CO2 whatsoever....

So seeing Helen Caldicott come out and take a stand against Nuclear Madness was most refreshing--

http://www.truthout.org/1222096

[excerpt]

Share26 Helen Caldicott Slams Environmental Groups on Climate Bill, Nuclear Concessions
Tuesday 22 December 2009

by: Art Levine, t r u t h o u t | Report

(Photo: Whiskeygonebad)
Dr. Helen Caldicott, the pioneering Australian antinuclear activist and pediatrician who spearheaded the global nuclear freeze movement of the 1980s and co-founded Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR), has joined with left-leaning environmental groups here in an uphill fight to halt nuclear power as a "solution" to the global warming crisis. "Global warming is the greatest gift the nuclear industry has ever received," Dr. Caldicott told Truthout.
The growing rush to nuclear power was only enhanced, experts say, by the weak climate deal at the Copenhagen 15 climate conference. The prospects for passage of a climate bill in Congress - virtually all versions are pro-nuclear - were enhanced, most analysts say, because it offered the promise that China might voluntarily agree to verify its carbon reductions and it could reassure senators worried about American manufacturers being undermined by polluters overseas. But at the two-week international confab that didn't produce any binding agreements to do anything, Caldicott and environmental activist groups were marginalized or, in the case of the delegates from Friends of the Earth, evicted from the main hall. The upshot of the latest trends boosting nuclear power - although no nuclear reactor has been built in America since the 1970s - are indeed grim, she said. "Nothing's going to work to stop them but a meltdown," she said, fearing the prospects of such a calamity. "I don't know how else the world is going to wake up." Her fears may sound apocalyptic, but as Truthout will explore in more depth in part II of this article, the dangers of a meltdown, terrorist attack and radiation damage are far greater than commonly known. That's because of what federal and Congressional investigators, advocacy groups and medical researchers say is a culture of sloppy security, health and safety oversight by a cozily pro-industry Nuclear Regulatory Commission. (An NRC spokesman denied those allegations in a written statement to Truthout.) The quasi-independent agency is funded primarily by fees from nuclear power plants. On top of all that, the Obama administration is planning to offer about $20 billion in loan guarantees to fund two new uncertified and risky reactors designs that have faced safety and cost overrun problems overseas. Despite nuclear energy's apparent dangers, Dr. Caldicott was a Cassandra crying out at the Copenhagen conference with little or no attention from the major government and media players there. Caldicott, who was featured on major American TV news shows and magazines during the 80s, who met one on one with President Reagan and addressed about a million people opposing nuclear weapons in New York City in June, 1982, found herself speaking to groups as small as 50 people in Copenhagen. Although still an active lecturer, author and radio broadcaster, she was essentially ignored by the media, even with the six minutes or so she was given to speak to an outdoor rally of 100,000 protesting the global leaders' inaction inside the main hall. "It was a shemozzle," she said of her time in Copenhagen. In her brief speech outdoors in bitterly cold weather, you can see her speaking more slowly than in her usual lecture, so that not one word or grisly fact is missed by her international audience. But you can almost sense her frustration at boiling down into just over six minutes all that she knows about the dangers of atomic weapons and nuclear plants. While inside the Bella Center, no official who really counted was bothering listening to her - or the protesters:

[see video at truthout link]

[end excerpt]

Fish Farming - I had no idea it's not good for the "real"
Submitted by smcgee43 on Tue, 12/22/2009 - 3:59pm.
salmon of the Pacific Norhtwest.

The Future of U.S. Fish Farming: Solid National Vision or Unsafe Piecemeal Approach?

Fish farming is one of the fastest-growing responses to our declining wild fish supply and now accounts for more than 40 percent of the world's seafood consumption. Without thoughtful planning and regulation, fish farming can severely harm ocean ecosystems. Unfortunately, in the US this industry is expanding offshore for the first time without any national standards in place.

In January 2009, fishery managers in the Gulf of Mexico approved the first-ever plan for commercialsize fish farms in US federal waters, the area between three and 200 miles from shore. US fish farming— sometimes called "aquaculture"—is expected to grow five-fold by 2025, but it carries with it considerable environmental and economic risks.

...

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

EMPTY CAGES!

Holy Five-Finger Discount! I'd go to that guy's church!
Submitted by gloryoski on Tue, 12/22/2009 - 5:33pm.
The church of "Saint" Emma. ;)
See CeeCee. I disagree. We've been that no-good-very-bad place for a while, just sliding deeper into it. The fact that a fairly mainstream cleric is acknowledging the necessity in some cases, that might mean things are on their way to getting better...Maybe...

...for the most part. What we do know--those who are doing it for sport with minor or no consequences, as it stands now, don't have a problem with it.

So it comes down to how and when we will rectify the situation that makes those of US resort to stealing for survival which to be sure law enforcement will impose harsh consequences. That's my indicator as to whether or not things are on their way to getting better.

I appreciate the link. Thanks.

--“…I think that if people want to flirt with Iran, they should take a look at what the consequences might well be for them, and we hope that they will think twice…”, Clinton stated during remarks made regarding the State Department’s Latin American policy..--