Where are you that there are egrets in the trees? Florida? I have never seen them in trees, only near water.it must have been a fantastic sight.. Remember reading they turn pink from eating something, but have forgotten now what it was..
O, forgot to say. I was very happy to see HRC picking up her senate work. Even after such a hard fought primary the woman eyes no vacation.
Am very glad that she moved on....
Julie - I'm in northern calif, an hour fromSF, in Santa Rosa. We have herons and egrets here, I'm told. On the way to SF there are several patches of wetlands alongside the highway where you can glimpse a lot of waterfowl, and some are the big white birds.
Some are in fields with cattle, and if I understand correctly, these are herons. There are also egrets and the easiest way to tell them apart is the color of their legs - black or yellow. these today were black.
Of course, I could have mis-understood my informant or forgotten, or something else. I've seen nests of great blues (in different places, of course) and the nest I could see today was a lot like that.
No matter what, big white birds are a sight, and on their nests, breath-taking. Apparently, it is an annual event, which I figured must be so. The road is a little cordoned off, but I managed to legally get thru and not cause any fuss. I took some pix and if they turn out ok, I'll try to post them. But I'm glad they feel safe there, and that they are safe there.
The truth . That's what it was. It makes me wonder ...ponder a moment about all the conspiracy theories about Bush "creating" the horrible 9-11 attacks so Rummy and Dick and Tenet and Wolfy could spin their web in Iraq.
I never believed any of that stuff...nor the theory that a US missile and not a passenger airliner crashed into the Pentagon.
However, I have no doubt the repuggs would welcome a terrorist attack if it meant McBush gets the White House, none at all.
They have shown they have no regrets for the Iraq debacle that a huge percentage of United States now realize was a mistake from the start.
Charlie just spoke the truth, is all. "Bring 'em on!!!!!" will be heard next. That worked well for Bush...it got hundreds of US soldiers killed, thousands maimed, and a hundred thousand Iraqis killed or burned or severely injured.
Now about that reward...our pundit is closing in on the prize.
He never should have tipped us off about the fluorescent bulbs being the igniters...because I have 4 of them here to use, and I also have about ten partial gallon cans of old paint in my garage, but I will win the prize because I have a nicely decomposed compost pile which I will use for methane gas which will be used for the new engine.
I think a trip to France to take in the Tour de France , sitting in the Pyrenees on a comfy blanket with baguettes and gouda and smoked fish and lots of Evian and juices , as I watch the cyclists wind through the mountains...yes, that would be a nice break for a 300-times-over millionaire!!
bethyboo - the birds you were talking about this morning are called cattle egrets. They are herons, and are a lot smaller than great Blues - one of which summmered in the pool below a low head dam I pass on the way to work until last year whenit did not return for the summer season - and bigger than little green herons, which are much rarer than the cattle egret.
Florida is lousy with all manner of herons and other long legged wading birds. I always used to joke that the best place to birdwatch in FL was the Homestead dump - the place was practically overrun with just about every imaginable wading bird - egrets, herons, flamingos, you name it. If only the olfactory sense was as pleasant as the visual one there it would be a birdwatcher's paradise.
Dex, have a nice trip. Invite a friend and fellow cyclist wine lover francophile. I could give you a recommendation.
Hey Craig,
If you need any help, I'm available.
But you'll have to split the 300 mil, 50/50.
I'll do the googling, you do the actual work.
Wha..?!
I think it was Renee, the other day, that said that she had heard a talk on the radio about how googling is preventing us from having a deep understanding of subjects. I thought about it afterwards, and it actually made some sense. We're all interested in quick answers. And not always careful about which sources.
Every once in a while I would look down at our swimming pool and their would be a great blue standing on the pool's edge waiting for the catch of the day to swim by. Not terribly bright.
And I've watched them fight for tens of minutes trying to engorge a fish that will never go down in a hundred years.
Florida is absolutely full of all sorts of wonderful birds. But, it's a constant battle keeping their habitat (which includes their food sources) intact.
It was my understanding that the cattle egrets 'blew-in' from Africa to South America and then migrated north from there. When we were in Panama, they were all over feeding on bugs.
I'm off the grid because Vrizon's SEAMLESSness isn't seamless. I'm without DSL now for a few days. ACK.
I'd like to have the telecom CEO's try to set up service like we regular folks do and suffer the unending frustrations of India's Bob and Jane, the Phillipines, or the US folks who don't know anything and screw up what else there is to screw up. Something like when Michael Moore had the CEO of IBM try to format a floppy disk, in the olden days. He couldn't do it.
I was watching House telecom, phone & internet service, hearings on CSPAN while I was on the phone for a frustrating hour that ended with being disconnected while trying to deal with the Verizon thang. Ironic. I was TALKING to the TV. It didn't help.
Catch up with y'all later...probably much later...if Verizon's left to it's own devices.
Pogo -- Those birds are beautiful...and Bethyboo, please do put your pictures online! I'd love tto see them.
Flatus; ROFL at the blue waiting for a fish in the swimming pool. My granddaughter has been fishing with her Gramma Judy, who lives on the lake here, and has a swimming pool overlooking the lake...(I've asked her to adopt me!) Anyway, we got a great photo of Maria practicing fishing in Judy's pool....priceless, and even funnier now that I read your post.
HIGH ISLAND — It's Rear Window for bird watchers.
"Sanctuary...As happy as they are to have the chance to see so many species up close during spring migration, experienced birders know there's a melancholy element to all these visitors. The birds stopping here do it out of need, even desperation, after a grueling flight across the Gulf."
I'm for McCain, but not the GOP
The Republicans go awry — and disgrace ‘conservatism’ — when it comes to Big Oil.
I support John McCain for president. But that doesn't mean I support the Republican Party. Had the GOP nominated anyone else this year, I'd be struggling to rationalize a vote for the Democrats in November. I back McCain because we need integrity, experience and courage in our next president. I view the Democrats' candidate, Barack Obama, as a Ferrari without an engine, wonderfully shiny but with nothing under the hood...The Republicans have abandoned their principles while the Democrats have abandoned their senses. http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2008/06/im-for-mccain-b.html
This is great news environmentally for FL. I wonder whether US Sugar would have done better converting from sugar production to sugarcane ethanol. Just wondering, since everything is ultimately connected to everything else. I hope the deal goes through and the thought does not occur to them if it falls apart.
"And I reminded the President that I am reminded of the great talent of the -- of our Philippine-Americans when I eat dinner at the White House."
-- George W. Bush
Craig, You can use your prize money to buy new eyebrows.
Clearly, MoJo is right; the tech for fuel efficiency already exists. However, wouldn't it be fantastic to have something to make us miraculously self-sufficient?
We have a couple of Great, Blue Herons on the canals where I live. White Egrets, too. Rarely, I will see a Kingfisher.
Someone was saying how carefully Mr Obama was spending his campaign funds. You sure couldn't tell it from the number of glossy, personalized mailings I've received, and continue to receive, after he came into big money. It doesn't make me think better of him.
I contrast that with Mrs Clinton who stopped mailings to me after it became apparent that I was monetarily committed to her candidacy.
I still get lots of mailings from Mr McCain. The only time I sent him money was after the Bushies trashed him at Bob Jones Univ back in 2000. He's wasted a lot of money on me.
I had an associate who was asked to volunteer his fundraising expertise at the Salvation Army. The first thing he did was analyze their mailing list. Turns out it was full of people who had made a single contribution ten and more years ago. In other words, they were wasting dollar after dollar pursuing contributions from people who were most probably never going to give again.
By the way, for anyone in the Nashville area, who has an extra thousand bucks to throw around, you can have lunch at The Palm today with Merle Haggard, Vince Gill and Steve Cropper to discuss global environmental issues. They are all part of the Green Train Foundation.
Not that there's anything wrong with the eybrows you have now Craig. I'm just assuming that they will be involved in some sort of incident during R&D of your battery.
"the birds in FL will have almost 300 square miles more habitat adjacent to the everglades." Pogo
Pogo,
in this particular instance, it seems like Charlie Crist is doing pretty well as the governor of your great state. Or does he really deserve any of the credit?
Maybe our government is moving forward environmentally. At least there's a lot more talk about it now.
I hear ya - I only got a couple of mailings from Clinton, but was on the e-mail list. The difference for Obama is that he has 2 campaign phases - and he has to go back to the well now that the primaries are over. I have faced that serial noncontributing ex donor issue in a couple of fundraising efforts I help with in our area. In one of them in particular my list of contacts routinely has addresses of folks who gave at one time but haven't in years. I don't waste my time calling them - they get the mass mailing, which is almost totally ineffective, and I have suggested they drop everyone who hasn't contributed in 3 or 4 years, instead of the phone call, which I generally do pretty well with.
"they were wasting dollar after dollar pursuing contributions from people who were most probably never going to give again.
Posted by: Flatus | June 25, 2008 7:51 AM
Don't you ever feel that money isn't an issue with Obama, Flatus. He seems to always have more than he can spend.
Craig..... what the hell!...... a broken arm and ankle weren't enough.... now you're trying to blow your head off...... ROFL!
what a nice surprise..... this morning you are all talking about one of my very favorite subjects...... BIRDS.... I LOVE birds!
been feeding them for years...... and seen all kinds of species.....
one of my favorite things to do is to go kayaking on a pond where Goiden Eagles nest..... and Patsi and I love the share stories about our beloved wild turkeys....
This bit of information is ugly, but there's a line that caused me to almost fall on the floor laughing:
"Neo-Nazi, skinhead and segregationist groups have reported gains in numbers of visitors to their Web sites and in membership since the senator from Illinois secured the Democratic nomination June 3. His success has aroused a community of racists, experts said, concerned by the possibility of the country's first black president.
"I haven't seen this much anger in a long, long time," said Billy Roper, a 36-year-old who runs a group called White Revolution in Russellville, Ark. "Nothing has awakened normally complacent white Americans more than the prospect of America having an overtly nonwhite president."
THE LINE: "an overtly nonwhite president."
ROFL! overtly nonwhite.....I can't wait to drop that on my feminist pal who calls me a nappy headed ho..."So, are you 'overtly' or 'covertly' nonwhite?"
Brian what I meant last night when I said Obama coasted at the end I did not mean he did not work hard what I meant was with all the early wins he was able to lose the last few primaries and still come out ahead. What was not good is how bad he lost those primaries. But it appears now that it may not matter, he's doing so well in the polls. It's early but he's off to a good start.
chloe, much as I like the everglades and keys, I'm not in FL - I'm in WV. I give Crist kudos for this, though.
blue, yeah, in the car all afternoon yesterday I listened to a discussion on ethanol on the Ed Schultz show (which I pretty much hate). Eddie's in the tank pretty much for corn ethanol, and the one good point he made was that Brazil has the ability to be self sufficient with cane sugar ethanol because they don't have nearly as many cars to power with it as we do and we don't have all that much arable farmland that can support sugar cane production. I suppose he's right about that, but haven't looked into it. I'm only aware of any significant sugarcane farming in FL & LA. He was also talking about cellulosic ethanol, although I haven't really looked into the respective efficiencies of those types of production.
"and Patsi and I love the share stories about our beloved wild turkeys...."
Renee -- you bettcha. If there is anything niftier than looking out the patio glass doors to find a flock of a hundred or so wild turkeys wandering through the yard, I don't know what it is....that's one thing I miss about the farm. On the other hand, I'd damn near be housebound given the gas prices now.
Ethanol's Sweet Allure
PRADOPOLIS, Brazil — A blizzard of crushed husks stings the eyes. A sickly-sweet smell of fermenting alcohol assaults the nose. It's harvest time, and the busy Sao Martinho sugar mill is grinding out energy independence. http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/16205
Pats, maybe you could suggest to the folks organizing the event that you may consider writing a book or article about celebrities involved in environmental causes and get comped in - might be a good article to research. Just thinkin'.
thanks, chloe, good basic article about ethanol in US & Brazil. Fast Eddie should read it and acknowledge the compounding effect conversion of corn to fuel production has on food prices.
I took a shot at Gordo yesterday and had to run...not fair. My point was that even in your zeal to knock Obama down, quoting Carl Rove as a character witness against him is obviously a flawed strategy. If you pursue the enemy of my enemy is my friend to such extremes you'll always end up with friends who will expose your zeal, if not cut your throat.
I had a chat with Mr Crist about 15-years ago. I thought he was the genuine article.
I contrast my impression of him with another pol who was schmoozing in an effort to gain support for his candidacy. He had this strange looking guy, with total recall, mumbling into his ear the names of people headed in his direction and what their hot button issues were. This was at a _large_ convention with many, many attendees.
He tried to put the lock on me, but I had no interest as he was patently a phony.
My point is, isn't everyone here permitted to post what they want by whomever they want. Why be afraid of differing opinions. And being aware of a source you don't agree with, doesn't make a threatening.
I agree totally, Chloe. Before, Gordo was abstracting large portions of his articles, but when Craig asked him to desist he did. I, for two, don't have any problem with any advocate doing the same.
Oh -- and though Sheila is over on Brian's blog....if someone, dog, maybe? -- is in contact with her, please share the above Bush quote about dining at the White House. I think she will find it as funny as I did.
Oh, sure, anyone can quote any source they want...not my intent to suggest a ban on quoting Carl Rove. Quote him all you like, but in a political context, Rove is not credible and anything he says is by definition intended to produce a certain series of actions with a political goal unassociated with the truth.
"Pats, maybe you could suggest to the folks organizing the event that you may consider writing a book or article about celebrities involved in environmental causes and get comped in - might be a good article to research. Just thinkin'."
Excellent idea Pogo....I must confess that I have been woefully ignorant about using writing credentials to get in places. All the years I worked with Garth Brooks, I never even used my backstage pass once.
yup, everyone is free to cite any source and everyone is free to comment on the same. It's called an open blog for a good reason. Being critical of Rove as a source is certainly not a criticism of Gordo, but of his citation of Rove as a source, and IMHO, that's fair.
Patsi, one of the best concerts I ever saw was using my own credentials as a rep of the university when I worked with U of AL in student personnel services. I volunteered to serve at that concert - it was ZZTop, and I was absolutely blown away by Billy Gibbons.
My apologies for the hasty post yesterday regarding the ‘corporate’ media being paid off. I was of course referring to the industry and not our Craig. As Viv pointed out many journalists are under pressure to cover stories in a certain way or even not to cover them at all. A recent but minor example is this rebuttal by Stanley Bing of a commentary from the week before by Andrew Cohen on Sunday Morning: http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=4200929n&channel=/sections/sunday/videoplayer3445.shtml I would just love to have a boss like this. Now we have a much clearer view of the nature of public relations at CBS News. They have control over these loose cannons who have the gall to use harsh terms like liars. Even more telling was his contrast of journalists who get most of their information from flack catchers (a term popularized by Tom Wolfe) and the misinformation of the blogosphere (a term used by slanted media control freaks).
Thanks to Craig and CQ for a version of the public square that more approximates the public.
"quoting Carl Rove. Quote him all you like, but in a political context, Rove is not credible and anything he says is by definition intended to produce a certain series of actions with a political goal unassociated with the truth. "
It's Karl, by the way. But more importantly, I do believe that with many of Obama's supporters the "cool" factor plays into the worship. AND, Dems dismiss Rove at their peril. He's very smart, and knows the election process inside out. I despise what he's done with that brain, but I don't ever, ever underestimate him.
Nor do I underestimate the concept that McCain is a sacrificial goat...The deep pocket Repub power brokers hoping for a Carter-like presidency followed by a new Reagan revolution and complete corporate dominance. Unless, of course, the corporations have found somebody who'll carry their champagne glasses in Obama. And for me, that jury is out.
The sacrificial McCain
...because of his age, McCain isn't going to be a significant player in the party for much longer. The other guys, Romney, Huckabee, maybe even Rudy, have years to go, and a humiliating defeat for one of them could damage them down the line. .... When it's all over and his campaign goes down in flames, they can say, "Well, we never liked that guy anyway." And should he accidentally pull off a victory--which none of them expect--they're pleasantly surprised, but they know they'll only have to deal with him for a single term. http://jeff_mariotte.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/05/the-sacrificial.html
"My point was that even in your zeal to knock Obama down, quoting Carl Rove as a character witness against him is obviously a flawed strategy."
From my post:
" ... Rove referred to Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, as "coolly arrogant."
"He's the guy at the country club with the beautiful date, holding a martini and a cigarette that stands against the wall and makes snide comments about everyone who passes by."
"I thought maybe your publisher would pick up the tab."
I wish, Chloe! Record labels and book publishers are pretty much the same, like lawyers. Even if it looks like they are picking up the tab, you get billed for it. I still remember years ago, thinking the attorney for my women's magazine was such a nice guy because he kept inviting me to lunch. I mentioned that to our business manager and she almost fell on the floor. Then she showed me his bills. Not only did he charge the magazine for the lunch, but for an hour of his time!
Here's why it's important: Rove is a big gun, but he doesn't fire his own bullets - he gets others to speak the words. Right now the words are such as "snob," "elitist," "arrogant." These are words intended, not to convey the truth, but to create an image which will spread across the political pond like an oil slick - not deep, but all the way across, and effective. He's the master and I would want to wonder why I was on his side, unless I truly wanted to join his war against liberalism.
Well, Chloe...I've often wondered about my years-ago decision to try to make a living as a writer. As anyone in a creative field, or self-employed in general, will tell you, it's a crap shoot!
And maybe this is why I am still outraged at the treatment Bill Clinton got during this campaign: the 90s, with Clinton in the White House, were the best working years I ever had. The record business was up -- due in large part to Garth Brooks -- and the economy hummed along. Once Bush came into power, work seemed to dry up.
TP -- I understand your point about the "talking points"...however, the elitist accusations came directly from Obama's comments at the San Francisco fund raiser. Those were ill-chosen words, and he knew it.
Rove is actually late to that bandwagon.
Personally, I don't give a damn about his "cool factor." What I DO care about is just how deep his ties go into the telecommunications lobby, and a few other special interests. I realize politicians have those ties, and I'm not even across-the-board anti-lobbyist. But Obama savaged Hillary Clinton on being same-old, same-old. And he's looking pretty same-old to me.
"Patsi, and of course, Garth stopped touring just before Dumya took the limo from Dulles to the WH."
yes -- and it affected the country industry to an extent. BUT luckily there were others to carry on: Trisha, Martina, the Chicks (before they were swiftboated), Alan Jackson, et al.
The book I am just finishing is called The Garth Factor: The Career Behind Country's Big Boom. I think the thing that might surprise people is just how some of the executives who profited most by his career tried to sabatoge him.
Talk about good news, I was just browsing over at Pollster and see that the Dem senatorial candidates are well ahed of the repugs in 3 of the 4 open senate seats and the special in MS is deadlocked. Plus Tubes Stevens is facing a serious threat in his race. I like the way this is shaping up.
Fair point Patsi. All good propaganda has a basis in truth. My concern is turning this big ship around and I would have happily voted for Hillary in November on that account, just as I will happily vote for Obama.
Pogo -- or anyone -- are there stats out there that show whether the Dem down ticket candidates are conservative Dems? It seems to me that even with all this MoveOn folderol, the Dems who are winning these seats in red states are conservatives. That's one reason I don't buy into the idea that the country is getting more liberal.
Patsi, a guy I used to work with, who was not a huge country music fan, but was a huge live music fan told me that the Garth Brooks concert he went to in Pittsburgh back in the mid 90s was the best concert he had ever seen. He definitely energized the country music industry, and bled over into the rock crossover crowd at a time when the big venue rock concert industry was on life support. I never went to see him, but I did see Vince Gill, and was blown away by his musicianship and professionalism - considerable since his warm up act - Mary Chapin Carpenter (I took Mrs. P to the concert to see her and had little interest in the concert otherwise) - got sick and he had to do the entire show, which he did for almost 3 hours in two sets. Neither of us were disappointed.
Article done by AP on todays subject. More people trust McCain on Iraq than Obama...
Don't count the republicans out, if Bush would capture Bin Laden, the number game would also be a big plus for republicans. but he hasn't in 8 years, sooo we won't hold our breath..
Patsi, I haven't seen anything about that - but I do know the guy in MS is a conservative in the old Dixiecrat mold - and no liberal could ever get elected there.
NY Times most emailed story today is Health article on Tim Russert's fatal heart attack; on how heart disease can fell even the well-educated with good medical care.
Linked nearby was an interesting article on testing for early ovarian cancer. Please note that, even though insurance will not always pay for these tests, they are relatively inexpensive and can provide peace of mind -- or an early intervention on a sure killer. You do run the risk of false positives, but as ovarian cancer is asymptomatic in its earliest stages, these tests sounded well worth the $$ to me.
Per a North Carolina OB-Gyn practice I called this morning, a transvaginal ultrasound cost $222 and a CA-125 blood test is $80.
But Obama savaged Hillary Clinton on being same-old, same-old. And he's looking pretty same-old to me.
Posted by: Patsi | June 25, 2008 9:56 AM
And something else that bothers me is wondering why the corporations liked him so much more than Clinton. What does he owe them for all they've done for him. It would be nice to know who owns him and what they expect from him if he wins. There's got to be many favors out there to be paid back (to many people).
"Previous posts on this subject have highlighted the absence on Obama’s document of an embossed seal and stamp/signature from the VR office (you can see both on Decosta’s) — both of which are mandatory for ALL certifications leaving that office, they tell me."
"on how heart disease can fell even the well-educated with good medical care."
dog -- My brother-in-law died of one of those sudden, fatal heart attacks. Here's the kicker, and, I believe, a BIG red flag as to a major problem in health care/insurance costs. Even though Ken was dead when the paramedics got there, they kept on and on until they had him on life support. They took him to the hospital where he was hooked up for a week. He never regained consciousness, and the doctors admitted that so much brain damage had occurred by the time they even started, that he'd be basically a vegetable even if he roused somewhat. But they didn't tell my sister that for days -- finally kind of casually dropped the news.
The cost of that week, until my sister finally put her foot down and demanded they take him off the machines, was ENORMOUS. Of course, he had good insurance. So the hospital and doctors billed for thousands, to keep a dead man on a machine. Un-freaking-believable.
June 25, 2008
One name jumps out of the roster for Obama's "Economic Competitiveness Summit" tomorrow in Pittsburgh: General Jim Jones, United States Marine Corps (retired), President and CEO of the Institute for 21st Century Technology, U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Yup, the same Jim Jones who was rumored as an Obama VP candidate a couple weeks ago before showing up at a McCain event last week... http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/
Speaking of who owns what politicians....I promise you that the Republican party has something on John McCain. I worked one big time campaign for a dear friend who was a liberal Republican and a feminist. (Back in the days when those existed....)
They whipped her into line with a list of every man she'd slept with after her divorce. It was unbelievable. But they had private investigators on it, and they had the goods. Some of the men were married.
I knew the day the RNC showed up and met with her behind closed doors, that she'd been whipped. It was just as well she lost, because they owned her.
I say any place the birds are not captive qualifies as "the wild." A dump would be no different than bird feeder, just it's not in your yard.
When we lived in Houston, we used to go birding at Galveston Island State Park. That's where I saw the roseate and many other fantastic shore birds - most for the first time - an exciting event for a "life lister" which I became as a direct result. Hurricane Alicia hit in August 1983 and did terrific damage to the shoreline. We moved back to the northeast after that, so I haven't seen its recovery, but I'd love to take a trip back there for old times sake.
Clinton staff plays ping-pong
When Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton returned to her Senate office on Tuesday for the first time since suspending her presidential campaign, she found her staffers--Ann and Mike-- playing a rowdy game of ping-pong, as 36 other staffers cheered along, as Politico reported today. It was a practical joke--their way of pretending it was all fun and games while Clinton was gone. Clinton was quite a sport about it too, laughing along. The Crypt
Further to Chloe's 10:51 a post; an earlier item by Politico blogger Jonathan Martin:
"As I wrote the other day, retired Marine Gen. James Jones joined McCain today at an energy event in Springfield, Mo.
Jones is a Missouri native, Chevron board member and head of the U.S. Chamber's Institute for 21st Centurty Energy.
So it made sense.
But Jones, who flew in with McCain on the candidate's plane, was also there for another reason: to help kill the buzz that surfaced about his being a veep prospect for Obama."
=======
So who was putting out buzz/trial balloon on Jim Jones VP candidacy?
And how does Jonathan Martin know the dual purpose of Jones' attendance at energy event, if there was a subreason? Was it the McCain team, on whose jet Jones arrived? Not stated.
Jamie has posted something new today to her blog site..... maybe she's taking a break from here..... I wouldn't blame her.....
Patsi..... that is unbelievable..... not to mention that the most money is spent medical wise on a person's last 6 months of life....
I don't mean to suggest that we should deny the elderly medical care.... but to keep people alive with machines and tubes is, IMO, a way of denial.....
people should be allowed to die with dignity and then have their life celebrated.....
No doubt, but a birder's gotta go where a birder's gotta go. I don't think a trip to the Arkansas swamp would be much fun, but I'd go if I knew I'd see the ivory-billed woodpecker. :)
I am very encouraged by the news about hydrogen fuel cell cars When Schwarzengger took office he said one of his goals was to make this technology available. Most people thought it was a dodge to keep from doing other things but although it is still not widely availabl, it is definitely closer.
Although a friend said the other day, he thought the real answer is diesel. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/18/automobiles/18DIESEL.html?_r=1&sq=diesel%20cars&st=nyt&oref=slogin&scp=1&pagewanted=all
My niece and her husband are docs and this is an issue they go on and on about. She is now a hospice doctor and able to explore better ways to die with dignity. He sees the other side since he is an emergency room doc and the pressure is always on to do anything and everything no matter what.
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court ruled, 5 to 4, on Wednesday that sentencing someone to death for raping a child is unconstitutional, assuming that the victim is not killed.
my dad had his final heart attack in the middle of the night at home in his bed. 911 was called and they worked on him thru the trip to the hospital and then in the IC ward. They had to restart his heart several times in the next 12 hours. Mom and I decided, that without any brain activity since the 911 call, to pull the plug. I never saw the final bill but I would bet it was expensive to keep him alive. What we all need is a "Living Will" that outline how we want to be treated when we are in a similar situation. If nothing else, it will make your survivors decisions easier. Some way, some how, we will all leave this earth some day.
KC, fascinating article on diesel - based on the exhaust of the dumptruck I followed up the hill out of Clarksburg, WV yesterday, not all diesel is clean yet. It is an interesting prospect though - whoda thunk diesel could help clean up the auto industry?
Clinton has 26 million she can't use to pay primary debts.. They are trying to work out a trade.
Obama isn't doing Clinton any favors and vice versa.
Posted by: anonymous 2.0 | June 24, 2008 10:46 PM
how will the "trade" mentioned above work? won't she need to get waivers/oks from the original donators? can she use it for vp campaign expenses if on ticket? do MSM know about this and don't want to rock boat? where's jamie when we need her?
Gotta love them German engineers - they've got their heads on right - and they've even learned after all these years how to make functional cup holders.
I used to love Vespas - right up until I got my first real motorcycle, and I haven't looked back.
A riskier route would be to ask her general election donors to redirect — or “redesignate,” in campaign finance parlance — their general election contributions to Obama’s presidential campaign as part of a deal under which the Illinois senator would ask his donors to give to Clinton to help her pay down her debt. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0608/11020.html
When I was in college I wanted a Vespa but my parents thought they were too dangerous.
The other thing I've thought about is an electric golf cart for just tooling around the area.
KC, your parents were right - I'm just too stupid to listen to advice like that from my own mother - and I had a hip resurfacing two years ago as a result. Some folks in my neighborhood use golf carts to get from here to there - but then aside from neighbors' homes and the little country club across the street, there's nowhere within about 3 miles in my neighborhood to go, and no one is crazy enough to take a golf cart out onto Rt. 19.
If you are in any way, shape or form a fan of the Boston Sports Scene, you must check this link out now. It is the closest we will come to personally meeting with the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit...
An electric cart gets me into fabulous downtown Guerneville to shop and dine. I also think we need a cocktail cart (think ice cream truck) that could go around the neighborhood at cocktail time....especially in the summer. The little tinkle of the margarita wagon would be a welcome addition.
LOL - I can just see all the adults running out to stop the margarita cart. You figure it would have Mexican music playing througha loudspeaker to signal its approach?
thanks for the link anonymous. answered some of my questions. but if she successfully transfers 26 million to him, won't BHO owe HRC more than the debt retirement?
BTW, re extraordinary life support attempts, be aware of organ harvesting profiteers...grisly, but true in some cases.
"First-time filmmaker Katrina Browne makes a troubling discovery — her New England ancestors were the largest slave-trading family in U.S. history. She and nine fellow descendants set off to retrace the Triangle Trade: from their old hometown in Rhode Island to slave forts in Ghana to sugar plantation ruins in Cuba."
It's a fascinating look at how her family first discovered their past and how they sought to confront it. I think she made prescient points about reconciliation with the past that would serve not only current race relations but I think gender relations as well.
I also think we need a cocktail cart (think ice cream truck) that could go around the neighborhood at cocktail time....especially in the summer. Katherine Graham Cracker June 25, 2008
Good idea. Now we just have to decide what time cocktail hour starts.
Obama's "Certificate of Birth" needs to checked out. Why all the questions? Because there are reasons to doubt the authenticity of what has been provided.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Was Obama's "Certificate of Birth" manufactured?
"From a detailed analysis of the image and the text, it looks like it was created by a graphics program, and is not a true copy of an original, certified document."
Nick..How do you know I'm not running for President?
I'm qualified..
Natural Born Citizen (citizen from birth..location irrelevant)
Meet age 35 minimum requirement
Have lived in U.S. to meet Constitutional requirement
KGC....
margaritas!....... YES..... and some good old vine zin on those trucks too....
a couple good friends went to Iceland a few years ago..... they LOVED it....
said it was cheap.... the people were super friendly.... and sharing drinks while bathing in the hot springs was priceless.....
and Pogo.... living in a rural area, I would have the same problem with a golf cart.... the only road to take me anywhere would be waaaaay tooo dangerous....
------------------------------------------------------------------
I AM BACK, AND I AM NOT GOING AWAY
What Really Happened At The National Press Club
Posted by Larry Sinclair on Tuesday, June 24, 2008
"Upon my return to Delaware, I appeared before a Superior Court Judge at 2:30 pm at which time I was released on PR bond and released. I will say that the charge is questionable at best and after speaking with my Attorney I will allow him/her decide what can and cannot be posted here."
Is this attorney who wears a kilt because he says his male organ is too big for pants? The one who's under investigation for practicing law with a suspended license? That lawer?
John McCain had a town hall conference call with 4500 randomly selected Democrats and independents in South Florida.
Very creative and pushes the message that Obama is scared to engage in an uncontrolled forum like the town hall format.
Right idea -wrong way to go about it.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate progress toward approving a sweeping housing rescue plan was delayed on Wednesday by the objections of a Republican lawmaker
Comments
Hey, I haven't even seen the video I'm so shocked to be first here! I'll get out of the wat now!
Posted by: bethyboo
| June 25, 2008 12:23 AM
I liked the video, Craig, but...uh...well, you know about day jobs.
Posted by: bethyboo
| June 25, 2008 12:33 AM
Just more fear mongering from the repugs, what else do they have, certainly not a record of accomplishment over the past 7.5 years.
Posted by: BrianInNYC
| June 25, 2008 12:37 AM
Fantastic video craig. Can't we just google everything?
Funny too.
Julie
Posted by: julie young 73 | June 25, 2008 12:51 AM
Sorry - I got out of the way, not wat.
Posted by: bethyboo
| June 25, 2008 12:53 AM
Beth,
Where are you that there are egrets in the trees? Florida? I have never seen them in trees, only near water.it must have been a fantastic sight.. Remember reading they turn pink from eating something, but have forgotten now what it was..
julie
Posted by: julie young 73 | June 25, 2008 1:02 AM
LOL @ Craig......
Morning everyone.....
Posted by: Jason | June 25, 2008 1:36 AM
O, forgot to say. I was very happy to see HRC picking up her senate work. Even after such a hard fought primary the woman eyes no vacation.
Am very glad that she moved on....
Posted by: Jason | June 25, 2008 1:37 AM
Jason she went to the Vineyard for two weeks, geez, she's a human, not a saint.
Posted by: BrianInNYC
| June 25, 2008 2:10 AM
Got this article in my box just now...
I wonder how she will deal with the senators who swiftboated and eluded her during the primaries...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25346626/
Posted by: Jason | June 25, 2008 2:46 AM
Julie - I'm in northern calif, an hour fromSF, in Santa Rosa. We have herons and egrets here, I'm told. On the way to SF there are several patches of wetlands alongside the highway where you can glimpse a lot of waterfowl, and some are the big white birds.
Some are in fields with cattle, and if I understand correctly, these are herons. There are also egrets and the easiest way to tell them apart is the color of their legs - black or yellow. these today were black.
Of course, I could have mis-understood my informant or forgotten, or something else. I've seen nests of great blues (in different places, of course) and the nest I could see today was a lot like that.
No matter what, big white birds are a sight, and on their nests, breath-taking. Apparently, it is an annual event, which I figured must be so. The road is a little cordoned off, but I managed to legally get thru and not cause any fuss. I took some pix and if they turn out ok, I'll try to post them. But I'm glad they feel safe there, and that they are safe there.
Posted by: bethyboo
| June 25, 2008 3:08 AM
The truth . That's what it was. It makes me wonder ...ponder a moment about all the conspiracy theories about Bush "creating" the horrible 9-11 attacks so Rummy and Dick and Tenet and Wolfy could spin their web in Iraq.
I never believed any of that stuff...nor the theory that a US missile and not a passenger airliner crashed into the Pentagon.
However, I have no doubt the repuggs would welcome a terrorist attack if it meant McBush gets the White House, none at all.
They have shown they have no regrets for the Iraq debacle that a huge percentage of United States now realize was a mistake from the start.
Charlie just spoke the truth, is all. "Bring 'em on!!!!!" will be heard next. That worked well for Bush...it got hundreds of US soldiers killed, thousands maimed, and a hundred thousand Iraqis killed or burned or severely injured.
Now about that reward...our pundit is closing in on the prize.
He never should have tipped us off about the fluorescent bulbs being the igniters...because I have 4 of them here to use, and I also have about ten partial gallon cans of old paint in my garage, but I will win the prize because I have a nicely decomposed compost pile which I will use for methane gas which will be used for the new engine.
I think a trip to France to take in the Tour de France , sitting in the Pyrenees on a comfy blanket with baguettes and gouda and smoked fish and lots of Evian and juices , as I watch the cyclists wind through the mountains...yes, that would be a nice break for a 300-times-over millionaire!!
Posted by: Dexter
| June 25, 2008 3:31 AM
"Bring 'em on!!!!!" will be heard next. "
Spot on, Dex. I think BushCo will try to make it appear that they've foiled some dastardly plan.
Posted by: Patsi
| June 25, 2008 6:00 AM
mornin' all.
bethyboo - the birds you were talking about this morning are called cattle egrets. They are herons, and are a lot smaller than great Blues - one of which summmered in the pool below a low head dam I pass on the way to work until last year whenit did not return for the summer season - and bigger than little green herons, which are much rarer than the cattle egret.
http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/cattleegret.htm
Florida is lousy with all manner of herons and other long legged wading birds. I always used to joke that the best place to birdwatch in FL was the Homestead dump - the place was practically overrun with just about every imaginable wading bird - egrets, herons, flamingos, you name it. If only the olfactory sense was as pleasant as the visual one there it would be a birdwatcher's paradise.
Dex, have a nice trip. Invite a friend and fellow cyclist wine lover francophile. I could give you a recommendation.
Posted by: pogo
| June 25, 2008 6:46 AM
Hey Craig,
If you need any help, I'm available.
But you'll have to split the 300 mil, 50/50.
I'll do the googling, you do the actual work.
Wha..?!
I think it was Renee, the other day, that said that she had heard a talk on the radio about how googling is preventing us from having a deep understanding of subjects. I thought about it afterwards, and it actually made some sense. We're all interested in quick answers. And not always careful about which sources.
Posted by: chloe
| June 25, 2008 6:51 AM
"Some are in fields with cattle, and if I understand correctly, these are herons. There are also egrets and the easiest way to tell them apart is the color of their legs - black or yellow. these today were black." Bethyboo
http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/06/sorry-about-charlie.html#comment-106734
Bethyboo, that's where I always see the egrets in our neck of the woods, on pastures with cattle. They're really beautiful birds.
Posted by: chloe
| June 25, 2008 6:54 AM
Every once in a while I would look down at our swimming pool and their would be a great blue standing on the pool's edge waiting for the catch of the day to swim by. Not terribly bright.
And I've watched them fight for tens of minutes trying to engorge a fish that will never go down in a hundred years.
Florida is absolutely full of all sorts of wonderful birds. But, it's a constant battle keeping their habitat (which includes their food sources) intact.
One of my favorites was the little blue heron.
Posted by: Flatus
| June 25, 2008 7:15 AM
Craig, I really hope that the propane tank in the basement was a stage prop, not a a spare, full tank kept there just in case.
Posted by: Flatus
| June 25, 2008 7:16 AM
It was my understanding that the cattle egrets 'blew-in' from Africa to South America and then migrated north from there. When we were in Panama, they were all over feeding on bugs.
Posted by: Flatus
| June 25, 2008 7:18 AM
ROFLMAO @ TM!!!
I'm off the grid because Vrizon's SEAMLESSness isn't seamless. I'm without DSL now for a few days. ACK.
I'd like to have the telecom CEO's try to set up service like we regular folks do and suffer the unending frustrations of India's Bob and Jane, the Phillipines, or the US folks who don't know anything and screw up what else there is to screw up. Something like when Michael Moore had the CEO of IBM try to format a floppy disk, in the olden days. He couldn't do it.
I was watching House telecom, phone & internet service, hearings on CSPAN while I was on the phone for a frustrating hour that ended with being disconnected while trying to deal with the Verizon thang. Ironic. I was TALKING to the TV. It didn't help.
Catch up with y'all later...probably much later...if Verizon's left to it's own devices.
tt
Posted by: tiptoe
| June 25, 2008 7:33 AM
Pogo -- Those birds are beautiful...and Bethyboo, please do put your pictures online! I'd love tto see them.
Flatus; ROFL at the blue waiting for a fish in the swimming pool. My granddaughter has been fishing with her Gramma Judy, who lives on the lake here, and has a swimming pool overlooking the lake...(I've asked her to adopt me!) Anyway, we got a great photo of Maria practicing fishing in Judy's pool....priceless, and even funnier now that I read your post.
Posted by: Patsi
| June 25, 2008 7:35 AM
HIGH ISLAND — It's Rear Window for bird watchers.
"Sanctuary...As happy as they are to have the chance to see so many species up close during spring migration, experienced birders know there's a melancholy element to all these visitors. The birds stopping here do it out of need, even desperation, after a grueling flight across the Gulf."
"On the average day, (experts) think it takes 18 hours...But if the wind's not right, it can take them 24-48 hours to cross. They fly nonstop. It's 600 miles or more..sanctuaries are so crucial.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/features/5712744.html
Posted by: chloe
| June 25, 2008 7:41 AM
I'm for McCain, but not the GOP
The Republicans go awry — and disgrace ‘conservatism’ — when it comes to Big Oil.
I support John McCain for president. But that doesn't mean I support the Republican Party. Had the GOP nominated anyone else this year, I'd be struggling to rationalize a vote for the Democrats in November. I back McCain because we need integrity, experience and courage in our next president. I view the Democrats' candidate, Barack Obama, as a Ferrari without an engine, wonderfully shiny but with nothing under the hood...The Republicans have abandoned their principles while the Democrats have abandoned their senses.
http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2008/06/im-for-mccain-b.html
Posted by: chloe
| June 25, 2008 7:45 AM
Well if all goes well, the birds in FL will have almost 300 square miles more habitat adjacent to the everglades.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/25/us/25everglades.html?pagewanted=1&hp&adxnnlx=1214393786-3ihQMadyxo/6kNQ0FA3e/w
This is great news environmentally for FL. I wonder whether US Sugar would have done better converting from sugar production to sugarcane ethanol. Just wondering, since everything is ultimately connected to everything else. I hope the deal goes through and the thought does not occur to them if it falls apart.
Posted by: pogo
| June 25, 2008 7:47 AM
This quote is SO George Bush:
"And I reminded the President that I am reminded of the great talent of the -- of our Philippine-Americans when I eat dinner at the White House."
-- George W. Bush
Posted by: Patsi
| June 25, 2008 7:49 AM
Craig, You can use your prize money to buy new eyebrows.
Clearly, MoJo is right; the tech for fuel efficiency already exists. However, wouldn't it be fantastic to have something to make us miraculously self-sufficient?
We have a couple of Great, Blue Herons on the canals where I live. White Egrets, too. Rarely, I will see a Kingfisher.
Posted by: blueINdallas | June 25, 2008 7:51 AM
Someone was saying how carefully Mr Obama was spending his campaign funds. You sure couldn't tell it from the number of glossy, personalized mailings I've received, and continue to receive, after he came into big money. It doesn't make me think better of him.
I contrast that with Mrs Clinton who stopped mailings to me after it became apparent that I was monetarily committed to her candidacy.
I still get lots of mailings from Mr McCain. The only time I sent him money was after the Bushies trashed him at Bob Jones Univ back in 2000. He's wasted a lot of money on me.
I had an associate who was asked to volunteer his fundraising expertise at the Salvation Army. The first thing he did was analyze their mailing list. Turns out it was full of people who had made a single contribution ten and more years ago. In other words, they were wasting dollar after dollar pursuing contributions from people who were most probably never going to give again.
Posted by: Flatus
| June 25, 2008 7:51 AM
pogo - Brazil seems to have it down pat. Cramer seems to like it.
Posted by: blueINdallas | June 25, 2008 7:54 AM
By the way, for anyone in the Nashville area, who has an extra thousand bucks to throw around, you can have lunch at The Palm today with Merle Haggard, Vince Gill and Steve Cropper to discuss global environmental issues. They are all part of the Green Train Foundation.
Posted by: Patsi
| June 25, 2008 7:57 AM
Not that there's anything wrong with the eybrows you have now Craig. I'm just assuming that they will be involved in some sort of incident during R&D of your battery.
Posted by: blueINdallas | June 25, 2008 7:59 AM
"the birds in FL will have almost 300 square miles more habitat adjacent to the everglades." Pogo
Pogo,
in this particular instance, it seems like Charlie Crist is doing pretty well as the governor of your great state. Or does he really deserve any of the credit?
Maybe our government is moving forward environmentally. At least there's a lot more talk about it now.
Posted by: chloe
| June 25, 2008 7:59 AM
Flatus,
I hear ya - I only got a couple of mailings from Clinton, but was on the e-mail list. The difference for Obama is that he has 2 campaign phases - and he has to go back to the well now that the primaries are over. I have faced that serial noncontributing ex donor issue in a couple of fundraising efforts I help with in our area. In one of them in particular my list of contacts routinely has addresses of folks who gave at one time but haven't in years. I don't waste my time calling them - they get the mass mailing, which is almost totally ineffective, and I have suggested they drop everyone who hasn't contributed in 3 or 4 years, instead of the phone call, which I generally do pretty well with.
Posted by: pogo
| June 25, 2008 8:00 AM
"they were wasting dollar after dollar pursuing contributions from people who were most probably never going to give again.
Posted by: Flatus | June 25, 2008 7:51 AM
Don't you ever feel that money isn't an issue with Obama, Flatus. He seems to always have more than he can spend.
Posted by: chloe
| June 25, 2008 8:05 AM
Craig..... what the hell!...... a broken arm and ankle weren't enough.... now you're trying to blow your head off...... ROFL!
what a nice surprise..... this morning you are all talking about one of my very favorite subjects...... BIRDS.... I LOVE birds!
been feeding them for years...... and seen all kinds of species.....
one of my favorite things to do is to go kayaking on a pond where Goiden Eagles nest..... and Patsi and I love the share stories about our beloved wild turkeys....
oh yeah.... good morning gang.....
Posted by: RebelliousRenee
| June 25, 2008 8:05 AM
you can have lunch at The Palm today with Merle Haggard,
You going Patsi?
Posted by: chloe
| June 25, 2008 8:06 AM
This bit of information is ugly, but there's a line that caused me to almost fall on the floor laughing:
"Neo-Nazi, skinhead and segregationist groups have reported gains in numbers of visitors to their Web sites and in membership since the senator from Illinois secured the Democratic nomination June 3. His success has aroused a community of racists, experts said, concerned by the possibility of the country's first black president.
"I haven't seen this much anger in a long, long time," said Billy Roper, a 36-year-old who runs a group called White Revolution in Russellville, Ark. "Nothing has awakened normally complacent white Americans more than the prospect of America having an overtly nonwhite president."
THE LINE: "an overtly nonwhite president."
ROFL! overtly nonwhite.....I can't wait to drop that on my feminist pal who calls me a nappy headed ho..."So, are you 'overtly' or 'covertly' nonwhite?"
Posted by: Patsi
| June 25, 2008 8:07 AM
Brian what I meant last night when I said Obama coasted at the end I did not mean he did not work hard what I meant was with all the early wins he was able to lose the last few primaries and still come out ahead. What was not good is how bad he lost those primaries. But it appears now that it may not matter, he's doing so well in the polls. It's early but he's off to a good start.
Posted by: vadaryl
| June 25, 2008 8:08 AM
Chloe -- Ha! Don't I wish I had an extra thousand dollars just waiting to buy a glass of Chardonnay with Merle!
Posted by: Patsi
| June 25, 2008 8:09 AM
chloe, much as I like the everglades and keys, I'm not in FL - I'm in WV. I give Crist kudos for this, though.
blue, yeah, in the car all afternoon yesterday I listened to a discussion on ethanol on the Ed Schultz show (which I pretty much hate). Eddie's in the tank pretty much for corn ethanol, and the one good point he made was that Brazil has the ability to be self sufficient with cane sugar ethanol because they don't have nearly as many cars to power with it as we do and we don't have all that much arable farmland that can support sugar cane production. I suppose he's right about that, but haven't looked into it. I'm only aware of any significant sugarcane farming in FL & LA. He was also talking about cellulosic ethanol, although I haven't really looked into the respective efficiencies of those types of production.
Posted by: pogo
| June 25, 2008 8:10 AM
I'm afraid any extra money I have now is going to Toyota. I seem to have a transmission issue -- first problem I've had with this 2001 Rav4.
Posted by: Patsi
| June 25, 2008 8:10 AM
"and Patsi and I love the share stories about our beloved wild turkeys...."
Renee -- you bettcha. If there is anything niftier than looking out the patio glass doors to find a flock of a hundred or so wild turkeys wandering through the yard, I don't know what it is....that's one thing I miss about the farm. On the other hand, I'd damn near be housebound given the gas prices now.
Posted by: Patsi
| June 25, 2008 8:12 AM
Ethanol's Sweet Allure
PRADOPOLIS, Brazil — A blizzard of crushed husks stings the eyes. A sickly-sweet smell of fermenting alcohol assaults the nose. It's harvest time, and the busy Sao Martinho sugar mill is grinding out energy independence.
http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/16205
Posted by: chloe
| June 25, 2008 8:15 AM
Pats, maybe you could suggest to the folks organizing the event that you may consider writing a book or article about celebrities involved in environmental causes and get comped in - might be a good article to research. Just thinkin'.
Posted by: pogo
| June 25, 2008 8:15 AM
thanks, chloe, good basic article about ethanol in US & Brazil. Fast Eddie should read it and acknowledge the compounding effect conversion of corn to fuel production has on food prices.
Posted by: pogo
| June 25, 2008 8:24 AM
I took a shot at Gordo yesterday and had to run...not fair. My point was that even in your zeal to knock Obama down, quoting Carl Rove as a character witness against him is obviously a flawed strategy. If you pursue the enemy of my enemy is my friend to such extremes you'll always end up with friends who will expose your zeal, if not cut your throat.
Posted by: TP from CT/NC | June 25, 2008 8:25 AM
I had a chat with Mr Crist about 15-years ago. I thought he was the genuine article.
I contrast my impression of him with another pol who was schmoozing in an effort to gain support for his candidacy. He had this strange looking guy, with total recall, mumbling into his ear the names of people headed in his direction and what their hot button issues were. This was at a _large_ convention with many, many attendees.
He tried to put the lock on me, but I had no interest as he was patently a phony.
Posted by: Flatus
| June 25, 2008 8:37 AM
http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/06/sorry-about-charlie.html#comment-106771
TP,
Shouldn't Gordon be able to site any source he wants. We all consider the source quoted when reading posts, and will know whether or not we want to read it.
My point is, isn't everyone here permitted to post what they want by whomever they want. Why be afraid of differing opinions. And being aware of a source you don't agree with, doesn't make a threatening.
Posted by: chloe
| June 25, 2008 8:42 AM
"Why be afraid of differing opinions."
I agree totally, Chloe. Before, Gordo was abstracting large portions of his articles, but when Craig asked him to desist he did. I, for two, don't have any problem with any advocate doing the same.
Posted by: Flatus
| June 25, 2008 8:46 AM
Oh -- and though Sheila is over on Brian's blog....if someone, dog, maybe? -- is in contact with her, please share the above Bush quote about dining at the White House. I think she will find it as funny as I did.
Posted by: Patsi
| June 25, 2008 8:52 AM
Oh, sure, anyone can quote any source they want...not my intent to suggest a ban on quoting Carl Rove. Quote him all you like, but in a political context, Rove is not credible and anything he says is by definition intended to produce a certain series of actions with a political goal unassociated with the truth.
Posted by: TP from CT/NC | June 25, 2008 8:58 AM
"Pats, maybe you could suggest to the folks organizing the event that you may consider writing a book or article about celebrities involved in environmental causes and get comped in - might be a good article to research. Just thinkin'."
Excellent idea Pogo....I must confess that I have been woefully ignorant about using writing credentials to get in places. All the years I worked with Garth Brooks, I never even used my backstage pass once.
Posted by: Patsi
| June 25, 2008 8:58 AM
Toward the conversation on alternatives: google LS9....a very interesting expirimental concept.
Posted by: Patsi
| June 25, 2008 9:00 AM
yup, everyone is free to cite any source and everyone is free to comment on the same. It's called an open blog for a good reason. Being critical of Rove as a source is certainly not a criticism of Gordo, but of his citation of Rove as a source, and IMHO, that's fair.
Posted by: pogo
| June 25, 2008 9:03 AM
Patsi, one of the best concerts I ever saw was using my own credentials as a rep of the university when I worked with U of AL in student personnel services. I volunteered to serve at that concert - it was ZZTop, and I was absolutely blown away by Billy Gibbons.
Well, I need to head off to work - see ya later.
Posted by: pogo
| June 25, 2008 9:06 AM
My apologies for the hasty post yesterday regarding the ‘corporate’ media being paid off. I was of course referring to the industry and not our Craig. As Viv pointed out many journalists are under pressure to cover stories in a certain way or even not to cover them at all. A recent but minor example is this rebuttal by Stanley Bing of a commentary from the week before by Andrew Cohen on Sunday Morning: http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=4200929n&channel=/sections/sunday/videoplayer3445.shtml I would just love to have a boss like this. Now we have a much clearer view of the nature of public relations at CBS News. They have control over these loose cannons who have the gall to use harsh terms like liars. Even more telling was his contrast of journalists who get most of their information from flack catchers (a term popularized by Tom Wolfe) and the misinformation of the blogosphere (a term used by slanted media control freaks).
Thanks to Craig and CQ for a version of the public square that more approximates the public.
Posted by: Brian H
| June 25, 2008 9:07 AM
Patsi,
That's one reason I asked if you were going. I thought maybe your publisher would pick up the tab.
Posted by: chloe
| June 25, 2008 9:08 AM
"quoting Carl Rove. Quote him all you like, but in a political context, Rove is not credible and anything he says is by definition intended to produce a certain series of actions with a political goal unassociated with the truth. "
It's Karl, by the way. But more importantly, I do believe that with many of Obama's supporters the "cool" factor plays into the worship. AND, Dems dismiss Rove at their peril. He's very smart, and knows the election process inside out. I despise what he's done with that brain, but I don't ever, ever underestimate him.
Nor do I underestimate the concept that McCain is a sacrificial goat...The deep pocket Repub power brokers hoping for a Carter-like presidency followed by a new Reagan revolution and complete corporate dominance. Unless, of course, the corporations have found somebody who'll carry their champagne glasses in Obama. And for me, that jury is out.
Posted by: Patsi
| June 25, 2008 9:10 AM
The sacrificial McCain
...because of his age, McCain isn't going to be a significant player in the party for much longer. The other guys, Romney, Huckabee, maybe even Rudy, have years to go, and a humiliating defeat for one of them could damage them down the line. .... When it's all over and his campaign goes down in flames, they can say, "Well, we never liked that guy anyway." And should he accidentally pull off a victory--which none of them expect--they're pleasantly surprised, but they know they'll only have to deal with him for a single term.
http://jeff_mariotte.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/05/the-sacrificial.html
Posted by: chloe
| June 25, 2008 9:29 AM
TP from CT/NC ---------------------
"My point was that even in your zeal to knock Obama down, quoting Carl Rove as a character witness against him is obviously a flawed strategy."
From my post:
" ... Rove referred to Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, as "coolly arrogant."
"He's the guy at the country club with the beautiful date, holding a martini and a cigarette that stands against the wall and makes snide comments about everyone who passes by."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Why is this important? I'm not trying to use Carl Rove as a character witness against Obama.
This shows us one of the ways the Repubs plan to attack Obama. He is an elitist. A snob - SNOBama.
If what I post upsets you, how will you survive the 527s?
Posted by: GORDO | June 25, 2008 9:30 AM
"I thought maybe your publisher would pick up the tab."
I wish, Chloe! Record labels and book publishers are pretty much the same, like lawyers. Even if it looks like they are picking up the tab, you get billed for it. I still remember years ago, thinking the attorney for my women's magazine was such a nice guy because he kept inviting me to lunch. I mentioned that to our business manager and she almost fell on the floor. Then she showed me his bills. Not only did he charge the magazine for the lunch, but for an hour of his time!
Posted by: Patsi
| June 25, 2008 9:34 AM
Patsi, It still looks like you've had a pretty great life. And your writing, even here, is unbelievably good.
Posted by: chloe
| June 25, 2008 9:36 AM
"If what I post upsets you, how will you survive the 527s?"
You go, Gordo!
Posted by: chloe
| June 25, 2008 9:38 AM
Here's why it's important: Rove is a big gun, but he doesn't fire his own bullets - he gets others to speak the words. Right now the words are such as "snob," "elitist," "arrogant." These are words intended, not to convey the truth, but to create an image which will spread across the political pond like an oil slick - not deep, but all the way across, and effective. He's the master and I would want to wonder why I was on his side, unless I truly wanted to join his war against liberalism.
Posted by: TP from CT/NC | June 25, 2008 9:46 AM
Pogo,
Thank goodness the birds are cleaning up that dump. Otherwise, we'd have to do it ourselves.
The roseate spoonbill is a spectacular pink-colored wading bird that was among the first dozen on my "life list." Nabbed it in Galveston in 1981.
Posted by: Ivy Green | June 25, 2008 9:46 AM
Patsi, LOL at your attorney story - I think I used to work for the guy. No, really (just kidding) not really, yes really.
Posted by: pogo
| June 25, 2008 9:48 AM
Well, Chloe...I've often wondered about my years-ago decision to try to make a living as a writer. As anyone in a creative field, or self-employed in general, will tell you, it's a crap shoot!
And maybe this is why I am still outraged at the treatment Bill Clinton got during this campaign: the 90s, with Clinton in the White House, were the best working years I ever had. The record business was up -- due in large part to Garth Brooks -- and the economy hummed along. Once Bush came into power, work seemed to dry up.
Posted by: Patsi
| June 25, 2008 9:49 AM
Ivy, the Homestead dump is the only place I've ever seen a Roseate Spoonbill in the wild (if you can call the Homestead dump "the wild".
Posted by: pogo
| June 25, 2008 9:50 AM
Patsi, and of course, Garth stopped touring just before Dumya took the limo from Dulles to the WH.
Posted by: pogo
| June 25, 2008 9:53 AM
TP -- I understand your point about the "talking points"...however, the elitist accusations came directly from Obama's comments at the San Francisco fund raiser. Those were ill-chosen words, and he knew it.
Rove is actually late to that bandwagon.
Personally, I don't give a damn about his "cool factor." What I DO care about is just how deep his ties go into the telecommunications lobby, and a few other special interests. I realize politicians have those ties, and I'm not even across-the-board anti-lobbyist. But Obama savaged Hillary Clinton on being same-old, same-old. And he's looking pretty same-old to me.
Posted by: Patsi
| June 25, 2008 9:56 AM
http://www.nrel.gov
A good site for the basics on renewable energy.
Browse around the site and become a net expert.;-)
Here is one on batteries for Craig
http://www.nrel.gov/learning/eds_batteries.html
BTW the use of prize money is a fav. of the libertarian/geek crowd.
Jack
Posted by: whskyjack
| June 25, 2008 9:57 AM
jack, thanks for the renewable energy link - I imagine that site will be much more interesting than the deposition.
Posted by: pogo
| June 25, 2008 10:01 AM
"Patsi, and of course, Garth stopped touring just before Dumya took the limo from Dulles to the WH."
yes -- and it affected the country industry to an extent. BUT luckily there were others to carry on: Trisha, Martina, the Chicks (before they were swiftboated), Alan Jackson, et al.
The book I am just finishing is called The Garth Factor: The Career Behind Country's Big Boom. I think the thing that might surprise people is just how some of the executives who profited most by his career tried to sabatoge him.
Posted by: Patsi
| June 25, 2008 10:01 AM
2 more links to round out your education
http://www.doe.gov/energysources/index.htm
http://www.carbohydrateeconomy.org/
Jack
Posted by: whskyjack
| June 25, 2008 10:02 AM
Jack, It's about time! Don't leave.
Posted by: chloe
| June 25, 2008 10:06 AM
Talk about good news, I was just browsing over at Pollster and see that the Dem senatorial candidates are well ahed of the repugs in 3 of the 4 open senate seats and the special in MS is deadlocked. Plus Tubes Stevens is facing a serious threat in his race. I like the way this is shaping up.
Posted by: pogo
| June 25, 2008 10:08 AM
welcome back, jack. i've missed your finely honed truthiness.
patsi: "Nor do I underestimate the concept that McCain is a sacrificial goat"
yep, they've put him on the ice floe and launched it.
Posted by: patd | June 25, 2008 10:09 AM
Fair point Patsi. All good propaganda has a basis in truth. My concern is turning this big ship around and I would have happily voted for Hillary in November on that account, just as I will happily vote for Obama.
Posted by: TP from CT/NC | June 25, 2008 10:13 AM
Pogo -- or anyone -- are there stats out there that show whether the Dem down ticket candidates are conservative Dems? It seems to me that even with all this MoveOn folderol, the Dems who are winning these seats in red states are conservatives. That's one reason I don't buy into the idea that the country is getting more liberal.
Posted by: Patsi
| June 25, 2008 10:13 AM
Patsi, a guy I used to work with, who was not a huge country music fan, but was a huge live music fan told me that the Garth Brooks concert he went to in Pittsburgh back in the mid 90s was the best concert he had ever seen. He definitely energized the country music industry, and bled over into the rock crossover crowd at a time when the big venue rock concert industry was on life support. I never went to see him, but I did see Vince Gill, and was blown away by his musicianship and professionalism - considerable since his warm up act - Mary Chapin Carpenter (I took Mrs. P to the concert to see her and had little interest in the concert otherwise) - got sick and he had to do the entire show, which he did for almost 3 hours in two sets. Neither of us were disappointed.
Posted by: pogo
| June 25, 2008 10:15 AM
Article done by AP on todays subject. More people trust McCain on Iraq than Obama...
Don't count the republicans out, if Bush would capture Bin Laden, the number game would also be a big plus for republicans. but he hasn't in 8 years, sooo we won't hold our breath..
http://news.yahoo.com/page/election-2008-political-pulse-candidates-iraq
Posted by: julie young 73 | June 25, 2008 10:15 AM
Birth Certificate Conundrum for Obama
1. What happened to the original birth certificate that Obama found in the 1970’s?
2. If the original was lost, why did he wait until 2007 to order a replacement?
Or did he? Surely Obama must have needed a birth certificate before now?
http://texasdarlin.wordpress.com/2008/06/25/birth-certificate-conundrum-for-obama/
Posted by: GORDO | June 25, 2008 10:16 AM
Patsi, I haven't seen anything about that - but I do know the guy in MS is a conservative in the old Dixiecrat mold - and no liberal could ever get elected there.
Posted by: pogo
| June 25, 2008 10:17 AM
Let's Play Make-Believe!
http://hillbuzz.blogspot.com/2008/06/lets-play-make-believe_25.html
Posted by: GORDO | June 25, 2008 10:22 AM
It would be really nice if Jamie would come back now. I miss her to. She kept a lot of things together here.
Posted by: chloe
| June 25, 2008 10:22 AM
Gordo, you could do a FOIA request to the INS (INS?) about his passport applications and renewals if you care that much.
Posted by: pogo
| June 25, 2008 10:23 AM
NY Times most emailed story today is Health article on Tim Russert's fatal heart attack; on how heart disease can fell even the well-educated with good medical care.
Linked nearby was an interesting article on testing for early ovarian cancer. Please note that, even though insurance will not always pay for these tests, they are relatively inexpensive and can provide peace of mind -- or an early intervention on a sure killer. You do run the risk of false positives, but as ovarian cancer is asymptomatic in its earliest stages, these tests sounded well worth the $$ to me.
Per a North Carolina OB-Gyn practice I called this morning, a transvaginal ultrasound cost $222 and a CA-125 blood test is $80.
Tara Parker-Pope's "Well" column:
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/24/six-questions-to-find-ovarian-cancer-early/
Posted by: dog's eye view | June 25, 2008 10:25 AM
GORDO: I'm pretty sure his birth certificate was left behind on the mothership.
=====
Is Jamie missing?
Posted by: dog's eye view | June 25, 2008 10:26 AM
Let's Play Make-Believe!
http://hillbuzz.blogspot.com/2008/06/lets-play-make-believe_25.html
Posted by: GORDO | June 25, 2008 10:22 AM
Thanks, good site Gordo.
Posted by: chloe
| June 25, 2008 10:27 AM
TP from NC/CT: wherever you are from, you are a very interesting commenter. Enjoy your posts!
Posted by: dog's eye view | June 25, 2008 10:28 AM
I agree, Chloe! Where is Jamie?
Posted by: Patsi
| June 25, 2008 10:37 AM
But Obama savaged Hillary Clinton on being same-old, same-old. And he's looking pretty same-old to me.
Posted by: Patsi | June 25, 2008 9:56 AM
And something else that bothers me is wondering why the corporations liked him so much more than Clinton. What does he owe them for all they've done for him. It would be nice to know who owns him and what they expect from him if he wins. There's got to be many favors out there to be paid back (to many people).
Posted by: chloe
| June 25, 2008 10:37 AM
Jamie, come home.
Posted by: chloe
| June 25, 2008 10:38 AM
Is the Obama campaign hiding something?
From the last link:
"Previous posts on this subject have highlighted the absence on Obama’s document of an embossed seal and stamp/signature from the VR office (you can see both on Decosta’s) — both of which are mandatory for ALL certifications leaving that office, they tell me."
Posted by: GORDO | June 25, 2008 10:41 AM
"on how heart disease can fell even the well-educated with good medical care."
dog -- My brother-in-law died of one of those sudden, fatal heart attacks. Here's the kicker, and, I believe, a BIG red flag as to a major problem in health care/insurance costs. Even though Ken was dead when the paramedics got there, they kept on and on until they had him on life support. They took him to the hospital where he was hooked up for a week. He never regained consciousness, and the doctors admitted that so much brain damage had occurred by the time they even started, that he'd be basically a vegetable even if he roused somewhat. But they didn't tell my sister that for days -- finally kind of casually dropped the news.
The cost of that week, until my sister finally put her foot down and demanded they take him off the machines, was ENORMOUS. Of course, he had good insurance. So the hospital and doctors billed for thousands, to keep a dead man on a machine. Un-freaking-believable.
Posted by: Patsi
| June 25, 2008 10:46 AM
Hi Jack - good to see you.....
Funny video Craig.
all I can say is : Republicans are scary!
peace~
Posted by: unlikely_burrito
| June 25, 2008 10:49 AM
June 25, 2008
One name jumps out of the roster for Obama's "Economic Competitiveness Summit" tomorrow in Pittsburgh: General Jim Jones, United States Marine Corps (retired), President and CEO of the Institute for 21st Century Technology, U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Yup, the same Jim Jones who was rumored as an Obama VP candidate a couple weeks ago before showing up at a McCain event last week...
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/
Posted by: chloe
| June 25, 2008 10:51 AM
Speaking of who owns what politicians....I promise you that the Republican party has something on John McCain. I worked one big time campaign for a dear friend who was a liberal Republican and a feminist. (Back in the days when those existed....)
They whipped her into line with a list of every man she'd slept with after her divorce. It was unbelievable. But they had private investigators on it, and they had the goods. Some of the men were married.
I knew the day the RNC showed up and met with her behind closed doors, that she'd been whipped. It was just as well she lost, because they owned her.
Posted by: Patsi
| June 25, 2008 10:51 AM
Fun video, Craig.
Posted by: Politics of Utopia
| June 25, 2008 10:53 AM
" Jim Jones"
ROFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Patsi
| June 25, 2008 10:58 AM
Pogo,
I say any place the birds are not captive qualifies as "the wild." A dump would be no different than bird feeder, just it's not in your yard.
When we lived in Houston, we used to go birding at Galveston Island State Park. That's where I saw the roseate and many other fantastic shore birds - most for the first time - an exciting event for a "life lister" which I became as a direct result. Hurricane Alicia hit in August 1983 and did terrific damage to the shoreline. We moved back to the northeast after that, so I haven't seen its recovery, but I'd love to take a trip back there for old times sake.
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/galveston/
Posted by: Ivy Green | June 25, 2008 11:04 AM
Clinton staff plays ping-pong
When Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton returned to her Senate office on Tuesday for the first time since suspending her presidential campaign, she found her staffers--Ann and Mike-- playing a rowdy game of ping-pong, as 36 other staffers cheered along, as Politico reported today. It was a practical joke--their way of pretending it was all fun and games while Clinton was gone. Clinton was quite a sport about it too, laughing along. The Crypt
Posted by: chloe
| June 25, 2008 11:07 AM
Ivy, I'd have to say that Galveston Island would be amore pleasant birding venue than the Homestead dump. :-)
Posted by: pogo
| June 25, 2008 11:10 AM
good morning peeps
Posted by: BrianInNYC
| June 25, 2008 11:10 AM
NREL's Prius Hits 100 Miles per Gallon
http://www.nrel.gov/features/0608_prius.html
Posted by: whskyjack
| June 25, 2008 11:16 AM
Further to Chloe's 10:51 a post; an earlier item by Politico blogger Jonathan Martin:
"As I wrote the other day, retired Marine Gen. James Jones joined McCain today at an energy event in Springfield, Mo.
Jones is a Missouri native, Chevron board member and head of the U.S. Chamber's Institute for 21st Centurty Energy.
So it made sense.
But Jones, who flew in with McCain on the candidate's plane, was also there for another reason: to help kill the buzz that surfaced about his being a veep prospect for Obama."
=======
So who was putting out buzz/trial balloon on Jim Jones VP candidacy?
And how does Jonathan Martin know the dual purpose of Jones' attendance at energy event, if there was a subreason? Was it the McCain team, on whose jet Jones arrived? Not stated.
Posted by: dog's eye view | June 25, 2008 11:21 AM
Jack....
it great to see you back here!....
Jamie has posted something new today to her blog site..... maybe she's taking a break from here..... I wouldn't blame her.....
Patsi..... that is unbelievable..... not to mention that the most money is spent medical wise on a person's last 6 months of life....
I don't mean to suggest that we should deny the elderly medical care.... but to keep people alive with machines and tubes is, IMO, a way of denial.....
people should be allowed to die with dignity and then have their life celebrated.....
Posted by: RebelliousRenee
| June 25, 2008 11:28 AM
Pogo,
No doubt, but a birder's gotta go where a birder's gotta go. I don't think a trip to the Arkansas swamp would be much fun, but I'd go if I knew I'd see the ivory-billed woodpecker. :)
Posted by: Ivy Green | June 25, 2008 11:29 AM
Today's thread on the backchannel blog is by Chef Sheila
"Dobson’s Real Argument With Obama"
http://clistersbackchannel.wordpress.com/june-25-2008/
Posted by: BrianInNYC
| June 25, 2008 11:35 AM
Ivy, good point - and there are plenty of things to recommend staying away from the Arkansas swamps.
Posted by: pogo
| June 25, 2008 11:36 AM
Does anyone know the the address to Jamie's site or have the link. I didn't save it.
Posted by: chloe
| June 25, 2008 11:44 AM
http://jdurward.blogspot.com/
Jamie's site.
I am very encouraged by the news about hydrogen fuel cell cars When Schwarzengger took office he said one of his goals was to make this technology available. Most people thought it was a dodge to keep from doing other things but although it is still not widely availabl, it is definitely closer.
Although a friend said the other day, he thought the real answer is diesel.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/18/automobiles/18DIESEL.html?_r=1&sq=diesel%20cars&st=nyt&oref=slogin&scp=1&pagewanted=all
Posted by: Katherine Graham Cracker
| June 25, 2008 11:50 AM
Thanks Katherine
Posted by: chloe
| June 25, 2008 11:51 AM
Isn't Jamie's blog address in Craig's blogroll?
Posted by: BrianInNYC
| June 25, 2008 11:53 AM
On end of life issues, this might be of interest.
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20080609/LIFESTYLE/256498520/1309/Slow_medicine_comes_of_age
My niece and her husband are docs and this is an issue they go on and on about. She is now a hospice doctor and able to explore better ways to die with dignity. He sees the other side since he is an emergency room doc and the pressure is always on to do anything and everything no matter what.
Posted by: Katherine Graham Cracker
| June 25, 2008 11:55 AM
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court ruled, 5 to 4, on Wednesday that sentencing someone to death for raping a child is unconstitutional, assuming that the victim is not killed.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/26/washington/26scotuscnd.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Posted by: BrianInNYC
| June 25, 2008 11:59 AM
my dad had his final heart attack in the middle of the night at home in his bed. 911 was called and they worked on him thru the trip to the hospital and then in the IC ward. They had to restart his heart several times in the next 12 hours. Mom and I decided, that without any brain activity since the 911 call, to pull the plug. I never saw the final bill but I would bet it was expensive to keep him alive. What we all need is a "Living Will" that outline how we want to be treated when we are in a similar situation. If nothing else, it will make your survivors decisions easier. Some way, some how, we will all leave this earth some day.
¡yo soy Horsedooty!
Posted by: yo soy Horsedooty!
| June 25, 2008 12:06 PM
KC, fascinating article on diesel - based on the exhaust of the dumptruck I followed up the hill out of Clarksburg, WV yesterday, not all diesel is clean yet. It is an interesting prospect though - whoda thunk diesel could help clean up the auto industry?
Posted by: pogo
| June 25, 2008 12:12 PM
dooty, great advice - and they are easy to find online. Money aside, the anguish living wills and other advance directives can avoid is inestimable.
Posted by: pogo
| June 25, 2008 12:16 PM
Pogo
When the issue of diesel came up the other day pretty much everyone went ugh. My friend sent me the article with the title...your next car.
I was hoping my next car would be this:
http://www.bmwusa.com/Standard/Content/Uniquely/FutureTechnologies/Hydrogen.aspx?enc=t0eBkkksaeOlO9zOt8gzADZCvgwlYpsTNlAXDAkk1+s=
although the reality is my next car will probably be a vespa
Posted by: Katherine Graham Cracker
| June 25, 2008 12:16 PM
Clinton has 26 million she can't use to pay primary debts.. They are trying to work out a trade.
Obama isn't doing Clinton any favors and vice versa.
Posted by: anonymous 2.0 | June 24, 2008 10:46 PM
how will the "trade" mentioned above work? won't she need to get waivers/oks from the original donators? can she use it for vp campaign expenses if on ticket? do MSM know about this and don't want to rock boat? where's jamie when we need her?
Posted by: patd | June 25, 2008 12:19 PM
Gotta love them German engineers - they've got their heads on right - and they've even learned after all these years how to make functional cup holders.
I used to love Vespas - right up until I got my first real motorcycle, and I haven't looked back.
Posted by: pogo
| June 25, 2008 12:23 PM
There are lots of reasons to criticize the annointed one, but the birth certificate issue is not one of them.
I don't have a copy of my birth certificate..I did years ago, but don't know what happened to it. No one in the family has the original.
I guess I'll request one online from the county of my birth..
Posted by: Oregon Democrat | June 25, 2008 12:26 PM
A riskier route would be to ask her general election donors to redirect — or “redesignate,” in campaign finance parlance — their general election contributions to Obama’s presidential campaign as part of a deal under which the Illinois senator would ask his donors to give to Clinton to help her pay down her debt.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0608/11020.html
Posted by: anonymous | June 25, 2008 12:26 PM
When I was in college I wanted a Vespa but my parents thought they were too dangerous.
The other thing I've thought about is an electric golf cart for just tooling around the area.
Posted by: Katherine Graham Cracker
| June 25, 2008 12:28 PM
KC, your parents were right - I'm just too stupid to listen to advice like that from my own mother - and I had a hip resurfacing two years ago as a result. Some folks in my neighborhood use golf carts to get from here to there - but then aside from neighbors' homes and the little country club across the street, there's nowhere within about 3 miles in my neighborhood to go, and no one is crazy enough to take a golf cart out onto Rt. 19.
Posted by: pogo
| June 25, 2008 12:38 PM
Well I see Ralph Nader is up to his old tricks, guess he’s not getting enough attention, and is now accusing Obama of playing on “white guilt”
Posted by: BrianInNYC
| June 25, 2008 12:41 PM
Hello everyone...
If you are in any way, shape or form a fan of the Boston Sports Scene, you must check this link out now. It is the closest we will come to personally meeting with the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit...
http://wbztv.com/video/?id=63756@wbz.dayport.com
Posted by: Bear
| June 25, 2008 12:42 PM
An electric cart gets me into fabulous downtown Guerneville to shop and dine. I also think we need a cocktail cart (think ice cream truck) that could go around the neighborhood at cocktail time....especially in the summer. The little tinkle of the margarita wagon would be a welcome addition.
Posted by: Katherine Graham Cracker
| June 25, 2008 12:42 PM
LOL - I can just see all the adults running out to stop the margarita cart. You figure it would have Mexican music playing througha loudspeaker to signal its approach?
Posted by: pogo
| June 25, 2008 12:46 PM
thanks for the link anonymous. answered some of my questions. but if she successfully transfers 26 million to him, won't BHO owe HRC more than the debt retirement?
BTW, re extraordinary life support attempts, be aware of organ harvesting profiteers...grisly, but true in some cases.
Posted by: patd | June 25, 2008 12:51 PM
On a different note,
I don't know if any of you caught P.O.V. on PBS last night but it was a fascinating program called "Traces of the Trade"
http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2008/tracesofthetrade/?campaign=pbshomefeatures_4_povbrtracesofthetrade_2008-06-25
This is a brief description of the program
"First-time filmmaker Katrina Browne makes a troubling discovery — her New England ancestors were the largest slave-trading family in U.S. history. She and nine fellow descendants set off to retrace the Triangle Trade: from their old hometown in Rhode Island to slave forts in Ghana to sugar plantation ruins in Cuba."
It's a fascinating look at how her family first discovered their past and how they sought to confront it. I think she made prescient points about reconciliation with the past that would serve not only current race relations but I think gender relations as well.
I highly recommend viewing this program.
Posted by: Bear
| June 25, 2008 12:51 PM
I also think we need a cocktail cart (think ice cream truck) that could go around the neighborhood at cocktail time....especially in the summer. Katherine Graham Cracker June 25, 2008
Good idea. Now we just have to decide what time cocktail hour starts.
Posted by: Marie | June 25, 2008 12:52 PM
Marie, that is well accepted as 5:00. And in the immortal words of Jimmy Buffett, "It's Five O'clock Somewhere."
Posted by: pogo
| June 25, 2008 12:54 PM
Posted by: Marie | June 25, 2008 12:52 PM
It's always 5pm someplace but my neighbor permanently solved this problem
sh has a moveable yard arm
Posted by: Katherine Graham Cracker
| June 25, 2008 12:54 PM
I don't know whether Margaritaville ever marked a clock and a sundial with nothing but 5s on it, but they should. I'd buy one.
Posted by: pogo
| June 25, 2008 12:58 PM
"sh has a moveable yard arm"
We'll just call it 'Happy Hour'.
Posted by: Marie | June 25, 2008 12:59 PM
"we need a cocktail cart (think ice cream truck) that could go around the neighborhood at cocktail time...."
KGC
good timing now, probably are a lot of out of work airline stewards, stewardae and drink carts out there looking for jobs.
Posted by: patd | June 25, 2008 1:03 PM
"It is 5 0'clock some where"
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/city.html?n=211
Posted by: whskyjack
| June 25, 2008 1:05 PM
proper Icelandic drink
http://www.nordicstore.net/icelandic_alcohol_1160_ctg.htm
Posted by: whskyjack
| June 25, 2008 1:08 PM
Obama's third time on the cover of Rollingstone:
A Conversation With Barack Obama
The Candidate Talks About The Youth Vote, What's On His iPod and His Top Three Priorities As President
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/21472234
Posted by: BrianInNYC
| June 25, 2008 1:12 PM
Obama's "Certificate of Birth" needs to checked out. Why all the questions? Because there are reasons to doubt the authenticity of what has been provided.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Was Obama's "Certificate of Birth" manufactured?
"From a detailed analysis of the image and the text, it looks like it was created by a graphics program, and is not a true copy of an original, certified document."
http://polarik.blogtownhall.com/2008/06/20/was_obamas_certificate_of_birth_manufactured.thtml
(This site has large images, the best I've seen.)
Posted by: GORDO | June 25, 2008 1:14 PM
Hi Jack
You garden site is great. Iceland has become quite a vacation destination..I always wondered why I think you have explained it.
Posted by: Katherine Graham Cracker
| June 25, 2008 1:17 PM
I guess now that Larry Sinclair is behind bars Gordo and company need another canard to distract us from their racism and hate.
Posted by: BrianInNYC
| June 25, 2008 1:19 PM
Nick..How do you know I'm not running for President?
I'm qualified..
Natural Born Citizen (citizen from birth..location irrelevant)
Meet age 35 minimum requirement
Have lived in U.S. to meet Constitutional requirement
Posted by: Oregon Democrat | June 25, 2008 1:21 PM
The more Obama gets attacked from the right (Rove) and from the left (Nader) the higher Obama's number will go.
Posted by: BrianInNYC
| June 25, 2008 1:28 PM
Pogo,
Does your motorcycle have a cup holder?
My Daughter and I are taking Basic Rider classes (motorcycle safty and driving lessons provided by the state at a nominal cost) in August.....
Posted by: unlikely_burrito
| June 25, 2008 1:29 PM
KGC....
margaritas!....... YES..... and some good old vine zin on those trucks too....
a couple good friends went to Iceland a few years ago..... they LOVED it....
said it was cheap.... the people were super friendly.... and sharing drinks while bathing in the hot springs was priceless.....
and Pogo.... living in a rural area, I would have the same problem with a golf cart.... the only road to take me anywhere would be waaaaay tooo dangerous....
Posted by: RebelliousRenee
| June 25, 2008 1:32 PM
Brian ---------------------
You mentioned Larry Sinclair.
" ...now that Larry Sinclair is behind bars ..."
------------------------------------------------------------------
I AM BACK, AND I AM NOT GOING AWAY
What Really Happened At The National Press Club
Posted by Larry Sinclair on Tuesday, June 24, 2008
"Upon my return to Delaware, I appeared before a Superior Court Judge at 2:30 pm at which time I was released on PR bond and released. I will say that the charge is questionable at best and after speaking with my Attorney I will allow him/her decide what can and cannot be posted here."
http://larrysinclair0926.wordpress.com/2008/06/24/what-really-happened-at-the-national-press-club/
Posted by: GORDO | June 25, 2008 1:45 PM
Is this attorney who wears a kilt because he says his male organ is too big for pants? The one who's under investigation for practicing law with a suspended license? That lawer?
The Colorful Case of A Well-Named Lawyer
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/03/AR2007050302233.html
Posted by: BrianInNYC
| June 25, 2008 1:52 PM
UB, nope, no cup holder on the m/c. Hell, I have enough trouble driving it without taking a hand off to handle a drink.
And Renee, I certainly know of what you speak.
Posted by: pogo
| June 25, 2008 1:56 PM
"Imagine this: After a long day at work, you're stirring a pot of spaghetti when the phone rings. It's John McCain."
http://www.miamiherald.com/campaign08/story/581976.html
John McCain had a town hall conference call with 4500 randomly selected Democrats and independents in South Florida.
Very creative and pushes the message that Obama is scared to engage in an uncontrolled forum like the town hall format.
Jack
Posted by: whskyjack
| June 25, 2008 2:01 PM
Right idea -wrong way to go about it.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate progress toward approving a sweeping housing rescue plan was delayed on Wednesday by the objections of a Republican lawmaker