Opening Day 2007

THE YANKEES WIN!

It was a great game. I didn't really get very much sleep last night thinking about it. It looked like rain but only stayed cloudy and cool. I was surprised at the easy walk to the stadium - I had forgotten just how quick of a trip it is. The Yankees had another Opening Day comeback and Alex Rodriquez hit a monster home run. It was a great day. I may post a pic or 2 later. Sleep now.

One Party Rule (aka fascism) goal of GOP

Here is an editorial explaining something that I have been warning people about for many years. Perhaps the highly educated writers in the New York Times do a better job of explaining it than I have been able to. Basically, it shows how the modern Republican party differentiates itself from other parties in American history. Rather than be a source of ideas and proposals - the GOP of the past 25 years is in fact a "movement" designed to take over ALL power in this country and keep it indefinitely. George W. Bush and Karl Rove are the best at it but they were not the first and won't be the last. It is not democratic, it is not people powered and it is not American in any way. It is just the most recent version of fascism and it's right here in the USA.

Turn over a scandal in Washington these days and the chances are you’ll find Karl Rove. His tracks are everywhere: whether it’s helping to purge United States attorneys, coaching bureaucrats on how to spend taxpayers’ money to promote Republican candidates, hijacking the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives for partisan politics, or helping to organize a hit on the character of one of the first people to publicly reveal the twisting of intelligence reports on Iraq. Whatever the immediate objective, Mr. Rove seems focused on one overarching goal: creating a permanent Republican majority, even if that means politicizing every aspect of the White House and subverting the governmental functions of the executive branch.

After his re-election in 2004, President Bush formally put Mr. Rove in charge of all domestic policy. Mr. Rove’s efforts to maintain one-party rule go deep into the government. Last week, we learned about a meeting set up by Mr. Rove’s staff with officials of the General Services Administration that was wildly inappropriate and perhaps illegal. The aim, as outlined by Mr. Rove’s deputy, Scott Jennings, seems to have been to take advantage of the billions of dollars in contracts put out by the agency every year to return Republicans to the majority in Congress in 2008.

Key Bush aid say now says he was "In Denial"

This is a fascinating story of Matthew Dowd, a key Bush and Rove aid who lead the attacks against John Kerry in 2004. You should check it out. In this interview he explains that he was fooled into supporting George W. Bush and went along with things he should have known were wrong in what he now admits was a tragic mistake. This interview in not just about Iraq. It is about the entire Bush administration and the right wing machine that develops a false narrative just to fool the public and keep power. We need more former Bush supporters to step up and admit they were mistaken. Only they really have the power to help other Red Americans see the light. Here are some selected quotes from the article and here is another analysis that goes even deeper into the way the Republican party has been taken over by folks with no need for the truth. Great Sunday reading.

Mr. Dowd, a crucial part of a team that cast Senator John Kerry as a flip-flopper who could not be trusted with national security during wartime, said he had even written but never submitted an op-ed article titled “Kerry Was Right,” arguing that Mr. Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat and 2004 presidential candidate, was correct in calling last year for a withdrawal from Iraq. “I’m a big believer that in part what we’re called to do — to me, by God; other people call it karma — is to restore balance when things didn’t turn out the way they should have,” Mr. Dowd said. “Just being quiet is not an option when I was so publicly advocating an election.”

Mr. Dowd said, in retrospect, he was in denial.“When you fall in love like that,” he said, “and then you notice some things that don’t exactly go the way you thought, what do you do? Like in a relationship, you say ‘No no, no, it’ll be different.’ ”
He said he clung to the hope that Mr. Bush would get back to his Texas style of governing if he won. But he saw no change after the 2004 victory. He describes as further cause for doubt two events in the summer of 2005: the administration’s handling of Hurricane Katrina and the president’s refusal, around the same time that he was entertaining the bicyclist Lance Armstrong at his Crawford ranch, to meet with the war protester Cindy Sheehan, whose son died in Iraq. “I had finally come to the conclusion that maybe all these things along do add up,” he said. “That it’s not the same, it’s not the person I thought.”

Priceless Picture

FEEL FREE TO SUGGEST A CAPTION

The Greatest Political Web Videos of All Time

Clips of the best political videos ever. Enjoy!

Yes. It's quite a strain.

I was thinking of keeping my winter beard even though the weather is turning warmer. But it would be nice to really do something cool with it. These are the best beards from the 2007 International German Beard Championships in the southern German village of Schoemberg .

You Are There!

This is an amazing (and GRAPHIC) video from Iraq. It was only recently posted on YouTube. I have not seen it anywhere else. The user, who only has this single post, describes it as a "very very disturbing video, Innocent people being gunned down in their own homeland by Americans". I'm not that sure about that - but it does really bring you to the front lines in Iraq. I'm not sure how long before YouTube (or someone else) pulls this video so check it out.

This is kind of creepy

OK. So right wingers want to ban gay marriage. Personally, I think a ban on Conservatives marrying would probably do more good for the country - but who am I to prevent others from doing what they want. So I do not call for a ban on this latest craze in Red America - vows between fathers and daughters - but I will say that I find it a little creepy.

But there is no groom and the girl in the long gown is no bride. She's daddy's little girl, there to take a vow of chastity. The highlight is when the fathers and daughters exchange vows, with dad signing a covenant to protect his daughter's chastity by living an enblemished life and the daughter promising not to have sex until marriage. Many fathers at the ceremonies also slip "purity rings" around the finger of their misty-eyed daughters or offer them "chastity bracelets" and other jewelry that the girls can entrust to their husbands on their wedding night. more

Cartoon Commentary

Bush Official Convicted of Lying to Congress

Of course the "Justice" Department recommended a very light sentence.

More Caveman

A couple weeks ago I told you about the Geico Cavemen possibly getting a regular TV show. I found this write up today which talks more about it and has even more video of their hilarious ads.

They Report. You get stupid.

A study by a University of Maryland center concluded, “Those who receive most of their news from Fox News are more likely than average to have misperceptions” about Iraq. For example, in 2003, 67 percent of those who relied primarily on Fox wrongly believed the U.S. “found clear evidence in Iraq that Saddam Hussein was working closely with the al Qaeda terrorist organization.” Only 40 percent of those who relied on print media harbored this illusion, debunked thoroughly by the 9/11 Commission. In 2004 polling with Media Vote, using Nielsen diaries, we found that Fox News viewers supported George Bush over John Kerry by 88 percent to 7 percent. No demographic segment, other than Republicans, was as united in supporting Bush. Conservatives, white evangelical Christians, gun owners, and supporters of the Iraq war all gave Bush fewer votes than did regular Fox News viewers. story

Larry "Bud" Melman Dies

Sad to hear that "Bud" Melman, one of the original sidekicks to David Letterman, has died. His deadpan delivery and very un-telegenic appearance made for some awkward and funny TV. These days having unprofessional (or those pretending to be) people on television is commonplace, with reality television and "low key" personalities populating the TV screen. But "Bud" was the original. From the mandatory "quotes" around his name, to his thick glasses and halted speech, Melman was an unlikely trendsetter. Here is a clip I found for the very first late night show for David Letterman. In it "Bud" introduces the soon to be famous host in an Alfred Hitchcock kind of theme.

Regrets? He has a few.

This Iraqi man, shown using a sledgehammer to bring down the Saddam statue in Baghdad, now regrets his decision to do so. It is a fine mess indeed when the poor abused Iraqi people now wish Saddam was still in power! more

“I really regret bringing down the statue,” Kadhim al-Jubouri said on British television this week. “The Americans are worse than the dictatorship. Every day is worse than the previous day.” That’s the judgment of a man who spent nine years in Hussein’s jails, and, unfortunately, it is one shared by a majority of his countrymen, according to an authoritative poll sponsored jointly by ABC, BBC and USA Today: Only 38 percent of Iraqis believe that the country is better off today than under Hussein, while nearly four out of five oppose the presence of coalition forces in Iraq.

Bush To Block Investigations

President Bush won't dare let his people testify under oath. Instead, Democrats investigating the politically motivated firings of US Attorneys are told by Bush to "put politics aside" and take the unsworn word of Karl Rove on his deep involvement in this fiasco. Yeah, right. So instead of coming clean - we have Bush's familiar refrain of "don't force me to be as asshole .... do things my way or risk a confrontation" That attitude has worked so well for the past 6 years hasn't it. I presume that is is only response to ANY difficult situation: Claim to be wanting to cooperate but then go to battle if things don't go exactly the way he outlines. Play by his rules or face the consequences. Isn't that attitude precisely how we got into Iraq? The Republican don't want to cooperate with this or any investigations into their shady behavior. That want to make a small effort to appear to cooperate to give their flock something to parrot, and then continue on doing whatever the hell they want. As Americans, we are subject to any number of domestic spying opportunities. We are told that not to worry unless "we have something to hide". Of course if you are a well placed member of the Republican Party the rules do not apply. Never have. Never will.

Here are some questions that I feel need to be answered under oath:
Why were the original stories about the Attorney firings false? We were first told that it was because of job performance. Once there was even the simplest investigation we found out that was a lie. Gonzales admitted it within a couple days. Also a lie was that Harriet Miers came up with the plan. Now, they say it wasn't only her. Why the initial set of lies? They must have been trying to hide something.
Why was the new power to allow the Attorney General to appoint the Attorneys without Congressional oversight slipped into the Patriot Act? No one seemed to know it was there. For what purpose was it put in? There is already evidence that it was done purposefully for the reasons we see now. To replace non partisan judges with right wing sympathisers. If they used the tragedy of 9-11 to slip this into law then it really shows their unAmerican intentions.
Why were so many of the Attorneys fired working on criminal cases against Republicans? If the firings were done to punish and intimidate then there are some serious issues. Refusing to allow this to be answered under oath would seem to illustrate the Administrations fear that release of these set of fact would show the deep corruption of the White House and the Republican party as a whole.
Why was Karl Rove so deeply involved in the firings and hirings? Does this guy run the country? Sure looks that way to me. Rove seems to have handled this issue without Gonzales' knowledge and even placed a crony of his into one of theses important positions. The Republicans live by a spoils system. Loyalty leads to rewards. Did a dirty trickster get paid off with a high profile position in order to beef up his resume for future advancement in the Red machine. Youbetcha!
What about the Attorneys that remain? My God, if Republicans were fired just because they weren't Red enough - who did they leave on?!? Must be some real Republicans operatives out there attacking enemies and rewarding friends. Congress should launch into an investigation of the remaining attorneys to learn what damage this Red spoils system has done to our system of justice.

Meanwhile our idiot in chief says:

"It's not too late for Democrats to drop the partisanship and work together. Democrats now have to choose whether they will waste time and provoke an unnecessary confrontation, or whether they will join us in working to do the people's business." speech

Guest Blogger: beachmom

I don't like to repeat myself and even though this is yet ANOTHER post about the FOX News bias - is is in fact new. A new low, that is.

OK, here's the scoop: John Kerry was on FOX News Sunday this weekend and caught host Chris Wallace in a lie. Kerry called him out on the spot and Wallace confidently denied it - even though everyone watching saw and heard him. "Check the transcripts" urged Senator Kerry.

Well, blogger beachmom did just that and found that the transcripts showed that Wallace did NOT lie. Hmm. She knew what she saw. She knew what she heard. So she checked the video. Not only did Chris Wallace say the lie in question - but the transcribers for the FOX News website scrubbed any reference to it. Yup, they simply removed their hosts' lie from the official transcript of the show! Read her report and please understand that this genuine enemy of America will do anything to maintain their stranglehold on the United States.

The Red Legacy that will keep on giving (aid and comfort to our enemies)

During the years of Republican domination we heard constantly about how much they loved our country support our troops. What sweet talk. Unfortunately, the real Republican legacy on the military is misuse, overuse and the failure to grow the military despite our increasingly dangerous post 9-11 world. This will have serious long term repercussions which puts America and Americans at serious risk for the rest of our natural lives. Nice job Reds!

Four years after the invasion of Iraq, the high and
growing demand for U.S. troops there and in Afghanistan has left ground forces in the United States short of the training, personnel and equipment that would be vital to fight a major ground conflict elsewhere, senior U.S. military and government officials acknowledge. More troubling, the officials say, is that it will take years for the Army and Marine Corps to recover from what some officials privately have called a "death spiral," in which the ever more rapid pace of war-zone rotations has consumed 40 percent of their total gear, wearied troops and left no time to train to fight anything other than the insurgencies now at hand.

Cartoon Commentary

Happy St. Patricks Day!

Nothing says St. Patrick's Day like a pint of Guinness. These days there are cans with "widgets" inside which can give you a pretty good pint of the dark brew. But to really taste Guinness the way it was meant to be enjoyed then it has to come from a draught and has to be poured in a certain way. It takes a couple minutes, but when drawn correctly - nothing can compare to the creamy goodness of a Guinness Stout draught beer. Yum!

Guinness Brewmaster Fergal Murray explains the process of

pouring the perfect pint.

Happy Friday Mom!

Here's a song that will have you singing from the table tops! Enjoy.

REVIEW: Fab Faux plays "Last" Beatle album NYC 3.13.07

As you all know I was very excited to see the Beatle cover band the Fab Faux perform on Tuesday night. Overall it was a good show, but I have to tell you it was a little bit of a disappointment. Not terrible or not even bad - just not great. I expected great.

Door time was scheduled at 8:00pm and I arrived at the venue about 8:10. I was a bit late and unsurprisingly the line was so long it stretched all the way around the block. I got in the back of the line and noticed two things. One, the line wasn't moving. Two, the line was right next to an Irish pub. Well, you can guess what followed. I went into the pub to have a couple pints of Harp while keeping an eye on the ever lengthening line. I may be the last one in, I thought, but at least I will have a beer or two in me. Finally the line moved and I got into the place just before 9. The venue, Webster Hall, is absolutely beautiful. There are numerous bars in the five story establishment and while the line seemed infinite, once I got inside there was loads of room to watch the show. The only down side was that the place smelled. It didn't stink of trash or sewage or anything but it had that too familiar New York City scent of undiluted Pine Sol. Let me tell you, they don't use Pine Sol here as an additive to water when they mop.They don't mop the way I was taught: First with soapy water, then a clean mop and finally with another clean mop again. Nope. They use it straight up here to saturate floors in a single coat. When I walked in my eyes were delighted by the amazing club (absolutely beautiful) but the overpowering chemical smell went straight to my (soon to be throbbing) head.

The music sounded fantastic, but the band really seemed somewhat unprepared for the opening night show. Keep in mind, this was the first time they had played this particular show in public. While these musicians are among the most talented in the world, the band as a whole lacked organization and gave the impression of being unrehearsed. (Somewhat understandable since they only get together for these special shows - but I expected more professionalism from the front men). On at least 3 occasions they stopped playing a song after misfiring at the beginning. The musicians - including the singers - almost never let their eyes stray from the sheet music in front of them. And while they are not a "wigs and noses" band it would have been nice if they had coordinated their attire or at least worn something that didn't look like they had just rolled out of bed. Only Erin Hill, who played multiple instruments and sang back up, seem to be feeling the music and provided the only visually appealing sight on stage. Also worth noting was the excellent drumming and (John) vocals by Rich Pagano. The horns section and the back up players also did exceedingly well. Sadly, the main band members looked as if they were goofing around in their garage. I expected a serious tribute performed by serious musicians. After all, they were paying respects to the best band in history (IMO). The Fab Faux has a great concept and a plethora of talent but on this night they did not put it all together in a cohesive way. An edited album of the night's music would make for entertaining listening. But to see the sometimes amateurish mishandling of the set was a surprise to me. I have seen hundreds of concerts but this was my first in New York City. I was surprised at the lack of organization and stage presence.

So if the sound was great and the show was so-so is it possible to determine how that "next" Beatle album would have turned out? I think so. From the opening song "Photograph" by Ringo to the various solo releases by the other members, the 2 hour show recreated and improved all those familiar tracks released in the immediate aftermath of the Beatles' break up. Well, while I enjoyed hearing every song I am surprised to find myself thinking - for the very first time in my life - that the Beatles may have spilt up at the right time. The music was good, but compared to Rubber Soul or Sgt Pepper's or even Let it Be, this "next" album fell far short of that standard. So I will say this only once in my life - Thank you Yoko Ono.

Yuk that didn't feel very good at all.

Chiquita has agreed to a $25 million fine after it paid a Colombian terrorist group

The story is somewhat interesting but this commerial is a classic.

Beating a dying Fox

I want to direct you to this website which has an impressive collection of screen grabs from FOXNews. Here are just two examples showing why real Americans are so concerned about the success this propaganda source has had in disguising itself as a legitimate news channel.

It's worth a try

After all this time, the Defense Department is getting desperate to find Osama bin Laden. While so many of our troops are tied up in Iraq this new approach sounds pretty good to me. Let's hope it works and that any capture of bin Laden, even after he has now had 5 years to set up future attacks against us, will somehow make us safer. I'm not sure any of that will actually happen, but it is worth a try.

An elite group of Native American trackers is joining the hunt for terrorists crossing Afghanistan's borders. The unit, the Shadow Wolves, was recruited from several tribes, including the Navajo, Sioux, Lakota and Apache. It is being sent to Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to pass on ancestral sign-reading skills to local border units. The Pentagon has been alarmed at the ease with which Taliban and al-Qa'ida fighters have been slipping in and out of Afghanistan. Defence officials are convinced their movements can be curtailed by the Shadow Wolves. Harold Thompson, a Navajo Indian, and Gary Ortega, from the Tohono reservation, are experts at "cutting sign", the traditional Indian method of finding and following minute clues from a barren landscape. They can detect twigs snapped by passing humans or hair snagged on a branch and tell how long a sliver of food may have lain in the dirt.

I'm going! Yeah, yeah, yeah.

The Beatle cover band The Fab Faux is performing a show this week here in New York. As soon as I heard I snatched up tickets to go see it. I featured them here, after I saw them for the first time on David Lettermen. As a massive Beatle fan I was blown away. I have seen many Beatle cover bands before and I almost hate to compare the Fab Faux with the others. If you saw the video I posted - you would have to agree with band member Jimmy Vivino when he claims:

"We're not a wigs and noses Beatles band. The band's obsession with detail sets them apart from mere pretenders. We look at it totally, totally from the music side, the way a chamber orchestra does Mozart or Beethoven."

Interestingly the band will not be playing Beatle songs in this show, Instead they will be doing something quite intriguing and imaginative.

[They will] do what the Beatles never did -- perform the songs the Fab Four might have recorded as their final album had they stayed together just a little longer. [They] will perform the songs they think would have been on that album ... The performance at New York's Webster Hall consists of material from the original Fab Four's early solo careers.

I can't wait!

Cover blown, FOX News loses Democratic Debate

I have been following this story with some interest and delight. This could really be the beginning of the end of the right wing propaganda machine. For too long they have been granted legitimacy. No more. Believe me, they will fight to the bloody end to maintain their echo chamber. This will get ugly - and that will be a good thing for America.

Here's the story. The Nevada Democratic party asked FOX News to host a Presidential forum. Their long time bias, leadership by Republican operative and recent treatment of Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and other non conservatives had activists calling for Democratic candidates to withdraw. One by one they did until they were none. Frankly, am pleasantly surprised at how it turned out. After the pressure from the grassroots, growing encouragement from Democratic candidates, and then an outlandish comment just the other day by Roger Ailes, the Nevada Democratic party finally dropped FOX from their plans. Hurray! Roger Ailes immediately launched into an attack on Democrats and told them not to abandon his Propaganda network - or do so at their own peril. ...Bullshit! Or as John Edwards put it more articulately:

Fox News has already proven they have no intention of providing "fair and balanced" coverage of any Democrat in this election. In recent weeks they have run blatant lies about Senator Obama's background. And Fox was only too happy to give Ann Coulter a platform to spew more hate a few days after her bigoted attack on Senator Edwards and the gay community.Now it's time for Democrats to stand together and send a clear message to Roger Ailes, Fox News and all the rest of them: bias isn't balance, but turning tables is fair.

You all know how I have been railing against FOX news for years for their obvious tilt and propagandist techniques. They are not presenting another side of the truth - they are creating a false reality - one that proves right wingers always right and non conservatives, always wrong. I'm thrilled at the outcome. I say isolate FOX so that they can focus on being GOP TV and have none of the false legitimacy they now claim as an actual news organization.

This is a nice little video compilation that helps illustrate the way FOX News operates and why I think it was a great move for Democrats to separate themselves from this Faux News Network. Enjoy!

Report Says FBI Violated Patriot Act

DEVELOPING! The FBI repeatedly failed to follow the strict guidelines of the Patriot Act when its agents took advantage of a new provision allowing the FBI to obtain phone and financial records without a court order.
ABCNews exclusive

But, Don't Call him a hypocrite

In fact, Newt thinks it was kind of noble of him to pursue the Clinton Impeachement while he simultaneously engaged in an extra marital affair himself:

"I drew a line in my mind that said, 'Even though I run the risk of being deeply embarrassed, and even though at a purely personal level I am not rendering judgment on another human being, as a leader of the government trying to uphold the rule of law, I have no choice except to move forward and say that you cannot accept ... perjury in your highest officials."

Most pundits are saying this kills any chances Gingrich had at the Presidency in 2008. I don't buy it. Those who like Gingrich, despite his already well known life of immorality, clearly have no concept of hypocrisy.

Soldier Under Fire For Controversial Decal

Sgt. Matthew Gonzalez said the message is in no way meant to dishonor the military or other soldiers. He says it's simply a message he came up with to show his beliefs about what he did in Iraq. story

"Are You Being Served" actor dies

Actor John Inman' name best known for his role as camp shop assistant Mr Humphries in the long-running BBC comedy "Are You Being Served?" died aged 71 on Thursday.

Scooter Libby Found Guilty of 4 out of 5 Charges (UPDATED)

Fortunately, my fears were not realized. Scooter Libby was found guilty of all but one of the charges against him. Add this to all the other shenanigans we are finally learning about and the corruption of the Bush Administration should be plain to see to even the most partisan Republican.
Count 1 (Obstruction): GUILTY Count 2 (Perjury): GUILTY Count 3 (False Statement): NOT GUILTY Count 4 (Perjury): GUILTY Count 5 (Perjury): GUILTY
UPDATE: I stand corrected about the obviousness of it all. The fair and balanced FOX News Network decided to present "the other side" of the story to their flock. God help us. They still have the largest ratings on Cable News. It's shrinking, but still the biggest. With all due respect - Fox News viewers are (expletive deleted). And after all this time I can only assume that they like it.

UPDATE II: The National Review is one of the longest running and most influential mouthpieces for the conservative movement. Of course, during the Clinton years, they called for his head (?) for lying about his indiscretion. So, what's their response to the Libby Verdict? HINT: It's easy to guess.

UPDATE III: I found the final paragraph of the National Review editorial especially interesting. It's the mandatory mantra that the "world is biased against conservatives" but the sentence that I bolded seems to be a complaint that the Bush team failed to make sure everyone got their story straight. Theses young repubs in the wing aren't just Bushies. They're also Nixonians! Nah, I'm just reading too much into it. Right?

There should have been no referral, no special counsel, no indictments, and no trial. The “CIA-leak case” has been a travesty. A good man has paid a very heavy price for the Left’s fevers, the media’s scandal-mongering, and President Bush’s failure to unify his own administration. Justice demands that Bush issue a pardon and lower the curtain on an embarrassing drama that shouldn't have lasted beyond its opening act.

UPDATE IV: OK, this is the last one. I just couldn't resist this report on Tuesdays Rush Limbaugh show. He started off, before the decision, booming with confidence about the outcome. "advisorjim" chronicles Rush's three hour gyrations explaining away the verdict and gives a helpful guide on what to expect from the dittoheads in your life tomorrow.

This is the logical diving board Rush jumped off of during the show today. It sort of sounded like a last cry of the truly desperate. Point 1 – This was a witch hunt. Point 2 – It wasn’t even a crime. Point 3 – And even if he did it, so what? Rush’s final point was to say that, even if Libby was guilty (and it seems that the last remaining shadow of doubt was removed at around 12:03 p.m. EST) what’s wrong with defending the administration from a bunch of liars.

Democratic Congress & Fed Up Voters Made the Difference at Walter Reed

The daily whine from the mainstream media is that Democrats are not doing anything since they took power. Of course, they are just parroting the right wing - in the media's never ending attempt to appease those who accuse them of liberalism. But the recent story about the Water Reed Army Medical Center by the Washington Post and the sudden interest by the White House and Defence Department is due to the fact that Democrats control Congress.

If they had not won, Don Rumsfeld would probably be still Defense Secretary and the Republican Congress would surely be letting the Bush Administration run free. Rumsfeld knew of the problem there because of a Salon.com report saying so 2 years ago! Back then, the Bush administration claimed it just was liberal lies. Now, however, they leap into action (after first falsely claiming ignorance of the problems - we can get them to act now but it is probably too much to ask that they be honest with the American people).

Thank God the Democrats are providing some oversight of the Bush administration. Thanks to the great reporting at the Washington Post too. They are often smeared as a leftie paper but where was the right wing Moonie paper the Washington Times? They could have investigated. Instead they just continued to do whatever they could to perpetuate the myths that hold together this so-called "Conservative" movement.

Let us hope that our country can still be salvaged after this dark period of lies, neglect and incompetence of Red Americans. The Democrats have not changed everything that is wrong with the United States in the past three months, but I feel that the Walter Reed revelations are an important and illustrative first step foreword.

Geico cavemen may get own TV series

ABC said Friday it had ordered a pilot for a comedy, tentatively titled “Cavemen,” that features the characters used in a series of ads by the insurance company. In the ads, cavemen appear insulted by a Geico pitchman’s claim that the company’s Web site is so easy to use that “even a caveman can do it.”

The potential series features the cavemen as they “struggle with prejudice on a daily basis as they strive to live the lives of normal thirty-somethings in 2007 Atlanta.”
more on possible series
video of caveman commercials

Rainy Day - Whatever day it is

The wall calendar says Friday. My work calendar says Monday. Whatever it is - it's miserable outside today in New York City.
UPDATE 10:45 AM: What a mess. I walked to the train station - getting completly soaked. When I arrived there were about 1,000 people waiting on the platform, in the station and on the staircases going into the station. I pushed myself over to the platform and waited. And waited. Finally after about an hour there was an announcement that a train would be there in 10 minutes and everyone should get on it because they didn't know if and when the next train would be. When the train arrived, it was already packed to the max!! Of the thousand people at my station maybe 1/3 could squeeze on. Maybe. I thought about shoving myself ahead of the pack - I am surprisingly good at that - but didn't for a number of reasons. 1) It would not make me a popular guy with those who arrived before me 2) I imagine most of the people there at my Harlem station had jobs where they would be fired or docked pay for being late. I saw real panic in people's eyes as they waited on the train. I'm sure most of them need every single dollar they earn. If I shoved my way ahead - I could be taking the space of someone who's very livelihood depends on making it to their job, and 3) I am so very lucky that I can work from home under special circumstances. I have all my work on my laptop so it is easy to be so generous to my fellow travelers when I have the option of going home, getting out of my wet clothes and working out of my apartment. I feel bad for the 2/3 of the folks who didn't get on that train and I hope they eventually get to where they need to be. As for me, I'm sipping tea, trying to dry off and warm up (this New York rain really chills you to the bone!) and getting a lot done in my quiet and dry apartment.

Top Underground Transit Systems of the World

#8 Montreal, Canada I ride the New York City subway every day so it was interesting to see this comparisons of the worlds best subway systems. There are some incredible photos and cool videos of subways from around the world. (BTW, according to the list, the NYC subway ranks # 7. )

#6 Seoul, Korea

Heeeeeeey Chief! (Happy Friday)

I am going to give occasional shout outs to my regular readers. I'll start off with this classic video for my ole buddy Vito! Happy Friday Chief!

UPDATE: I posted this on Thursday. I tell you - I have been working crazy hours and really late shifts. Wednesday was MY Friday and Friday will be MY Monday. I posted this after work on Wednesday. So it really kind of makes sense if you (don't) think (too much) about it.

News Roundup

I will be away from the computer all day so here is a round up of some news stories I found interesting this morning.

First of all, you can keep up with the jittery stock market here.

I watched the ABC news special last night with Bob Woodward. It was one of the most touching, sad and informative pieces of journalism I have ever seen. Woodward was badly injured in Iraq by an Improvised Explosive Devise and had half his head blown off. His injury is common among returning veterans and the news special showed his recovery process and, more importantly, that of other soldiers and Marines. My thought while watching it was that President Bush (or any "surge" supporter) should be tied to a chair for an hour and forced to watch the results of their actions. Fortunately, you don't have to be forced. You can voluntarily watch it for free here. Bring some kleenex.

The Washington Post's recent story on the deplorable conditions returning veterans are forced to endure at some parts of the Walter Reed hospital has netted results. Namely, the Bush administration has ordered a daily early morning inspection and now forbidden any injured military personnel there from talking to the media. Think I'm exaggerating? Check it out for yourself here and here.

When the stock market was crashing yesterday everyone knew it stemmed from a change in China's capitalist policies as well as the recession warning by former Fed Chief Alan Greenspan. Everyone, that is, except FOX News who tried to sell it as a reaction to the "assassination attempt" on Dick Cheney. Well, today, they seem to realize that wasn't the best spin to put on it afterall. If it was an assassination attempt - how did they know Cheney was there? It was a secret trip. Is security that bad? If the secret visit was leaked to the Taliban then security in Afghanistan is in grave trouble. Maybe that's why they are now backing off that version of the story. However, if it was not an assassination attempt, as they are now trying to say, but rather just a coincidence, then what's with the lame attempt to turn deep seated economic concerns into an opportunity to create symapthy for Dick Cheney? They'll distort if you oblige.

I read this article in the New York Times yesterday and it really got me thinking. It is about Stewart Brand, one of the originators of the environmentalist movement. He has been on the forefront of many ideas over the past 40 years, that progressives hold dear. Well, he has some interesting things to say that will probably make the hard core liberals a bit uneasy. But to me, it opened my mind a bit. You should read the article to get the full flavor but he is basically saying that even liberals can get stuck in their ways of thinking at their own peril. He is actually advocating (and predicting that liberals will come to agree with him) genetically altered food and nuclear power! He argues that in an ideal world these things would not be welcome. Too dangerous and uncertain. But he now thinks that looking at the world as it is, we have to embrace these technologies in order for the human race to thrive and survive. I won't say he persuaded me overnight to agree with him, but my mind is now open to these ideas where they once were closed. One of my main problems with the right wing is that they seem to completely ignore the truth. I do not want to fall into that trap myself.

Al Gore is now getting hit by Red smears. A 27 year old from AEI (you know them) fed a story to the right wing media critical of the Gore's energy usage. Of course it spread like wildfire through the media and of course it was short on the facts. I know that talking about this story, even to debunk it, falls into the right wings hand. They know it will be debunked but they are also counting on many people not hearing about the falsehoods and only catching the original press release. If you want to find out the truth (and learn once again how the Right spreads their lies) you can see it all here.

I'm guessing that at this juncture, Anna Nicole's funeral will be a closed casket affair. She is still not buried! Come to think of it, either is James Brown.

I hope you get the chance to check out at least some of those stories. But when you are done, get up and go for a walk. I wouldn't want to be responsible for this happening to you.

Did CBS offer a TV job to the "Cryin' Judge"?

According to this, yes.

What do you want now?

I have heard requests from a few readers who wanted me to include links to their favorite newspaper or other website. I have happily done so. It seems some folks start web surfin' here and then use my 'Recommended' list (in the column on the left) to click over to other sites. That's great! So if there is a website that you would like me to include in my list on this page please let me know. You can e mail me at MQA@MQAblog.com or just leave a comment below. I want this site to be a useful tool for you, as well as providing entertaining and informative news and commentary. If there is something which I can include that you will find useful please let me know.

Lanslide, Sinkhole, Bombing and Crash (oh my!)

It's one of those crazy days today. San Francisco is having a big landslide, consuming buildings but fortunately not any loss of life. There is a gigantic sinkhole forming in Guatemala that has geologists around the world in awe. The security situation in Afghanistan seems more than a little suspect as Dick Cheney's "secret" trip there was interrupted by an assassination attempt. And the stock market is spiraling down at this hour because of troubling financial news out of China. Just another day in paradise.

SNL Parody: Anna Nicole Judge

I promised that if I found some video of Judge Larry Seidlin I would post it. Well, since that trial and his behavior received widespread coverage, why bother. You can see him acting like a fool anywhere. But here is something you probably did not see. The Saturday Night Live parody of the "Cryin' Judge" from last weekend. Enjoy.

Watch out for Gingrich

I sense a real buzz in Republican circles for Newt '08. On talk radio, C SPAN call-ins and random conversations many, many Republicans really feel Gingrich is the only "real" Republican out there and the only one who can win the Presidency. Unfortunatly, I don't think this is manufactured - it seems sincere.
Knowing the Gingrich ego, I have little doubt that it would take a minimal amount of prodding to get him in the race. Based on what I have seen and heard lately, he could bring out the base (that stayed home in '06?) and very well win the nomination. That puts him only 1 step (or Democratic misstep) away from the White House.
I followed politics very closley in the 1980's and 90's. Let me tell you, the deep division and partisanship we have now is due in no small part to the Gingrich stategy. Unlike Bush, he doesn't even pretend to be a uniter.
A Gingrich Presidency would surely risk launching us into a bloody civil war. Newt would probably love that. Remember he calls Democrats "enemies" and supported the armed militia movement of the 1990's.
Politics these days is frightening enough, the thought of a Gingrich presidency brings a new leval of fear into the heart of this political observer.

Scooter Verdict Soon

I have been far too busy lately for my own liking so haven't been able to pontificate on all the news that I may want to. One story I have not really talked about is the Scooter Libby trial. As I get ready for a long night at work, I realize that the verdict could come down today.

Anyone who has been following the case would have to admit that the man is guilty. He leaked the name, he lied about doing so and his story about forgetting about it is quite unbelievable. There is just an overwhelming amount of evidence showing that he had a well thought out strategy, at the direction of the VP, to smear Joe Wilson and his wife. Any fair look at the facts demonstrate that there is no way he could have suddenly forgotten all about it when questioned by the FBI and the Grand Jury. Scooter Libby committed a felony and perjured himself.

I worry though that he will not be found guilty. Why? The jury selection process. While lawyers always try to choose sympathetic jurors, the Libby team insisted that those who sat on the jury had to trust the White House and could in no way think that Cheney, Bush or the Administration was dishonest in any way. What a small group of Americans that would be! Not only small, but think about who is left that trusts this White House. Only right wing partisans of the most extreme. That's why I worry that at least one of the people of the jury will put political party over justice. I fear a hung jury or even a not guilty or minimal verdict of guilt dispite the damning evidence. As you all know too well, I feel many followers of the GOP do so with total disregard for facts or reality. All they need is one of these folks on the jury to set Scooter free.

I hope I am wrong.

SUPPORTING OUR TROOPS? Bush to Send Civilian Soldiers Back Into Iraq, Shortening Break Between Deployments

The Pentagon is planning to send more than 14,000 National Guard troops back to Iraq next year, shortening their time between deployments to meet the demands of President Bush’s buildup, Defense Department officials said Wednesday.

National Guard officials told state commanders in Arkansas, Indiana, Oklahoma and Ohio last month that while a final decision had not been made, units from their states that had done previous tours in Iraq and Afghanistan could be designated to return to Iraq next year between January and June, the officials said.

The accelerated timetable illustrates the cascading effect that the White House plan to increase the number of troops in Iraq by more than 21,000 is putting on the entire Army and in particular on Reserve forces, which officers predicted would face severe challenges in recruiting, training and equipping their forces. NYTimes

Prince Harry

You have probably already heard that Prince Harry is getting sent to Iraq. I'm not necessarily all that interested in the story but I couldn't pass up an opportunity to post these 2 photos of him. Then and now.

Friends List for Presidential Candidates

For those obsessed with MySpace, nothing says "I'm Popular" like a large "Friends List". Personally, I have about 15, which is pretty small, but then again I have a presence there only out of necessity. I found this interesting article which explores the size of the Friends Lists for top Presidential contenders. The winner had 44, 445. Who do you think it is?

No Hugging Please, We're British

A woman claims she contracted terminal lung cancer from hugging her dockworker father is suing the British Ministry of Defence for £75,000. said: "I could never have imagined that playing with my father could kill me. "Dad was a very loving man and I behaved like any normal child would.
"Working at the yard was tough and he loved to come home to his family. "We would always have a little hug and I'd sit on his knee. I never thought that those precious moments would come to this. "This is the only explanation behind my condition because it is an asbestos-related lung cancer and it is the only exposure I have ever had."

Anna Nicole Smith Judge Quite A Show

I have never seen a court proceeding conducted like this. Judge Larry Seidlin seems to be enjoying his 15 minutes of fame. He's a former Brooklyn cabbie but I don't know how he got to the bench in Florida. He's a cross between Larry King and Ozzy Osborne. What a mess. Even if you are ignoring the whole Anna Nicole thing, be sure to catch the highlights of the Judge on the TV news if you can. If I find a video of him later I will post it. Somehow I think we'll see an appeal.

The (Amsterdam) Kids Are Allright

The chart above (click to make larger) and the story attached provide a great illustration of the price we are paying for the misplaced priorities our nation has embraced. A global study has found that nations such as Holland and Belgium do much better than we do in caring for our children. In fact, almost every country does as the US ranks at or near the very bottom! I think that this is a quiet goal of Red Americans - to starve government support for kids and to keep the population ignorant. Widespread ignorance, afterall, has lead to our current 'situation' and our Red friends would just love to be able to continue to pull the wool over the eyes of another generation.

Have an Ice Valentines Day

I took this photo a minute ago from my window. Something is falling from the sky, but it's not snow. It's tiny little ice balls (The weather people call it "Freezing Fog").

You have undoubtedly heard about the heavy snow New York has had. Well, that's upstate. Here in the city we have had hardly any. Last night it snowed for a while before this stuff began coming down.

The "Fab Faux" on Letterman

This was on Friday nights Late Show with David Letterman. I am a huge Beatle fan and like just about any cover of a Beatles song. However, this has to be one of the best musical performances I have ever seen! This band is absolutely amazing and if you like the Beatles then you MUST watch this performance of "I am the Walrus".

Aussie Red's Un-Invited Opinion

So Australian PM John Howard, a hard core right winger and one of only a handful of "friends" George W. Bush has on the world stage, has taken the unusual step of giving his public opinion on American domestic politics. Perhaps fearing a global collapse of the right wing movement, Howard has stated :

"If I were running al Qaeda in Iraq, I would put a circle around March 2008 and be praying as many times as possible for a victory, not only for Obama but also for the Democrats."

Sounds like the nonsense spewed by Dick Cheney or Anne Coulter doesn't it? Who the Hell asked him anyway? I guess it just goes to prove that ignorance knows no borders and the practice of smearing good people and distorting the truth is a trait all Reds share, no matter their nationality.

A spokeman for Barack Obama offered this reply:

"If Prime Minister Howard truly believes what he says, perhaps his country should find its way to contribute more than just 1,400 troops so some American troops can come home," he said. "It's easy to talk tough when it's not your country or your troops making the sacrifices."

Am I the only guy who didn't sleep with Anna Nicole?

Geeze!

Condi Rice Raps

Bush pre-War Intelligence Failure was no accident

In this fiasco called Iraq, the strongest defense the Right had been able to muster was that they were "mistaken" because of faulty pre-war intelligence. It's a believable scenario. After all, previous Presidents made the claim that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. None of them believed the danger was enough to go to war however, but they did believe it. The Bush administration sold that argument ferociously but knew that would have to do more to gain public support for starting a war in the middle east. Thus was born the Saddam/al Qaeda connection. The Bush administration loudly and repeatedly tied Iraq to 9-11 (after the war was underway they quietly admitted it was untrue). Some doubted it from the start (Barack Obama for one) but as we frequently heard from the Right at the time, only the President has ALL the information. So the majority of the American people and Congress gave him the benefit of the doubt and supported the Iraq invasion.

Well, the public now has more information and it turns out that the "bad intelligence" defense no longer can be offered. A report from the Defense Department's Inspector General himself (!)says that the Pentagon manipulated Iraq intelligence to create al Qaeda link.

Let's read that bolded sentence again. The Pentagon manipulated Iraq intelligence to create an al Qaeda link. This war, which has killed thousands of Americans, wounded tens of thousands more, killed tens of thousands of innocent Iraqis and destroyed the reputation of our once great nation - was unleashed by people who intentionally manipulated information to gain public support.

If anyone can think of a more serious Abuse of Power - please let me know. Finally, who can still doubt that a political movement that would purposefully mislead the public to go to war would also blatantly lie about other things in order to force their agenda?

I get no joy in talking about this all the time. In fact, it's depressing. But there is a line of thinking that says that when you are going through a difficult time, instead of complaining you should seek out what you are meant to learn from it. Well, it is surely difficult to realize that there are some* people among us who are willing to sacrifice the certain death of Americans and other innocents in order to do what they want. The lesson to learn, I think, is that these people, unless stopped, will continue to ignore facts and mislead the public in order to promote their narrow political agenda. So, I guess I rail on this point so much because I think that once folks realize this sad truth about some of our fellow Americans, we can finally unite to reject these ideologues and try to get this nation back on it's feet.

*I think that those actively promoting this agenda and consciously manipulating facts number only in the hundreds. However, there are millions who have bought into it. These are two different groups of people (perhaps unwittingly) working toward the same goal.

Red Docs Put Politics Over Patients

Although I am not as articulate as I would like to be sometimes, I hope that I have conveyed the message that I believe the "Conservative" movement is a) Not conservative b) Not aligned with the principles of the United States, and most importantly c) stealthily permeating every aspect of our society - forcing their narrow world view on an unsuspecting public. To put it still another way: These people are not conservative, not American, act with the mentality of a cult and desire control over the freedom of Americans just like an authoritarian government.

This story proves it once again. A recent survey shows that some doctors - no doubt considering themselves "Conservatives" - knowingly withhold information from patients that they find PERSONALLY undesirable. These people are putting their own beliefs ahead of the well being of their patients by purposefully misleading them about their treatment options.

Folks, it is hard not to sound crazy saying this but I will risk it. The USA is infested with people who want to mold the nation into a fundamentalist authoritarian state. While this type of attitude is somewhat easy to see in politicians - there are also places where this is well hidden from public view - like in your doctors office. I consider this threat to be as dangerous as the Taliban wackos who also "hate us for our freedoms". It is harder to believe and, in a way, much sadder to realize. But it is true and should be addressed by all concerned people.

CLARIFICATION: THIS IS A VERY COMPLEX SITUATION WORTHY OF A BOOK AND HARD TO ADEQUATELY EXPLAIN IN A FEW BLOG POSTS. BUT TO FURTHER CLARIFY - WHILE NOT ALL REPUBLICAN VOTERS (OR THOSE WHO CALL THEMSELVES 'CONSERVATIVES') BELIEVE THIS WAY, THE MAJORITY OF INFLUENTIAL REPUBLICAN POLITICIANS ARE AND THEY HAVE BEEN CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS WHICH ENCOURAGES AND EMPOWERS THE PEOPLE I DESCRIBE ABOVE. DEMOCRATS LIKE ME CAN POINT THIS OUT UNTIL WE ARE BLUE IN THE FACE, BUT REAL REPUBLICANS AND REAL CONSERVATIVES NEED TO TAKE THE LEAD BY PURGING THESE PEOPLE AND IDEAS FROM THEIR PARTY. ONLY WHEN THEY ARE MAGINALIZED FROM THE US MAINSTREAM CAN WE MANAGE AN ESCAPE FROM THEIR DANGEROUS INFLUENCE.

Super Complainers

You know some people just love to bitch and moan. If things happen that they don't totally agree with, they cry foul and express outrage at some perceived slight they feel they have suffered. As far as Super Bowl controversies goes nothing tops the Janet Jackson episode. Thousands of people expressed outraged (even though they had to re-watch the clip in slow motion to see anything) and the Bush administration levied huge fines on CBS. This year, we have two controversies. One, by the same Puritans who seem to want to live in a world with the moral standards of the Taliban, claim that the imagery in the Prince concert was too sexual. [story][video] Oh Brother! They really have some deep issues they need to deal with. Perhaps a trip to Ted Haggard's counselors can cure them of their uncontrolled desire to see everything as sexual in nature and therefore offensive.

The second controversy is equally as idiotic. Apparently some gay groups are angry at the snickers "kiss" commercial. Gimme a break. [ story] [video] It's comedy people - not an insult. If two straight guys accidentally kissed believe me they would want to do more than just rip their hair out. Just because some group decides they are offended should not have meant that the ad campaign should be pulled. Get a grip - you are as bad as the right wing nut jobs. If you want others to accept your alternative lifestyle - show some tolerance of your own for corny silly (and NOT mean spirited) jokes!

Finally, I am bewildered that most people who have talked about this take an inconsistent position. Those who criticized Prince or Jackson, ridicule the gay groups. Those opposed to the Snicker ad attack the right wingers. Hey guys - you are one in the same on this. Both wrong.

I find so many commercials offensive but have not been moved to complain to the FFC. People on the far Right and the far Left need to understand that this is a free country and therefore people different than you will do thing you wouldn't do. Don't complain - just move on.

Rally Cry! "Let's get rid of the Mexicans!"

So who is using this the rallying cry to attract supporters? Right Wing Radio talk show hosts? Fox News? The Republican National Committee? No, but close.

He's Cured!

One of four ministers who oversaw three weeks of intensive counseling for the Rev. Ted Haggard said the disgraced minister emerged convinced that he is cured of his homosexuality. "He is completely heterosexual," Rev. Tim Ralph of Larkspur told The Denver Post. "That is something he discovered. It was the acting-out situations where things took place. It wasn't a constant thing."

United States of Florida

Growing up in Florida I certainly noticed the large number of "snow birds" who had relocated there from cold weather climates. In fact, my parents, us kids in tow, moved from snowy Connecticut to balmy South Florida in the late 1960's. There was an interesting article the other day in the New York Times that described how specific groups tended to end up together after they moved to Florida. This population distribution is illustrated in the map above and in this article.

Red Man of Courage

This 51 second clip shows Republican Senator Chuck Hagel smack Dick Cheney down after learning of the Vice Presidents comments about Iraq. Cheney claims that those against the escalation plan simply "don't have the stomach" to do what it takes to win. Hagel, a Vietnam veteran, cuts to the chase and lets interviewer Gwen Ifill know what he thinks about Cheneys musings.

Losers shirts make winning donations

You know how just moments after the Super Bowl ends the winning team already has their "Championship" shirts and caps ready to go. Well, as you probably figured, they do make apparel for both teams ... just in case. So where do the losing teams gear go? Here.

My "Super" Prediction

Chicago Bears 27 Indianapolis Colts 23
anyone else care to venture a guess?

AEI tries to bribe scientists on Global Warming

The Republican party is really a conglomerate of the most selfish. They have the wealthy (the richest people in human history) who are willing to put the nation through any hardship to assure their politicians continue to give them tax breaks and other financial rewards. Right wing Christians (living in the most religiously tolerant nation in history) have used the GOP to portray themselves as victims of religious persecution (ha!) and to promote a fundamentalist agenda. The American Enterprise Institute (AEI) has been leading the foreign policy of the GOP and George W. Bush, most notably by arguing for the Iraq invasion and now for the escalation. Well it seems that this group, already responsible for our tragic foreign policy meltdown, has also been trying to manipulate scientific evidence for their own economic interests (imagine that!). Seems that they tried to buy off scientists in order to prevent the truth about Global Warming from reaching the public. You see, this information would hurt the big oil companies and other multi national corporations they serve. It would also go against the stated positions of Republican leaders. Science be damned. They want their facts to reach the public debate! (They'll distort and the mainstream media will oblige).

Yes, the modern Republican party is now widely seen as removed from reality and unconcerned with the future of our country or our countrymen. But we should never forget that this is no accident - it is a well planned, well financed strategy to empower the powerful, reward the selfish and mislead the rest of us.

(Just in case you think this is an isolated case of coordinated deception here's another example from the news today)

The building & setting up the "fake bombs" in Boston

story
Boston officials really overreacted on this one. First of all the signs had been up for weeks. Secondly, it is of a fairly well known cartoon character. To close down virtually the whole city was ridiculous.