Craig Crawford's Trail Mix

Am I just imagining things or does Nanci Pelosi's face look like it is as immobile as Joan Rivers?

And why has Howard Dean gone missing?

Biden said the repug idea of a tax cut to 15 % (from 25%)for poorer working folks may be feasible...that was reported on the NBC Nightly News...I can't get over the fact it's a repug idea....

hey dex.......great liberace piece.......i saw him sometime between 73-75.......one of the best shows ever.......leon, on the other hand must have no sense of humor......lol

I could use a little stimulus. I haven't given myself a raise in 14 years. On the happy side, I'm a good boss to work for. I could go for a headline like,

CONGRESS PLANS $8 BILLION FOR ART APPRAISALS.

Xrep,

Why should the gov't give you a stimilus, if you didn't do it for yourself for 14 years?

Jamie --when you are up and around -- here's more on the mother of eight....why would doctors give fertility treatments to a woman with SIX children!!!???

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-octuplets30-2009jan30,0,5460225.story

Sorry I was off line yesterday PM, and late this morning,,, I was working on a self stimulus plan !

Who is Howard Dean? that name does scream a bell.

The Stimulus - Or those parts of this Spending Bill that are not Pork - Rewards POOR Fiscal Management!!

Darwin Economics must apply - People must pay a consequence and those that are cutting already should not be penalized.

How has this irresponsible process of the Dem Congress resulted in a lack luster bill?

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-flstimulus3009jan30,0,2991968.story

If you are already working to stay in your budget - and acted responsibly as a State - then you might not be in as big a fiscal problem. So your on the ground need is as great as anywhere but the math says no.

This is the Problem when Process and Vetting does not take place. And many Congressmen - that did find the toilet - could not get off the bandwagon and say NO hold on a minute….. Lets talk a little more about this bill.

Reward Poor Performance and lack of Responsibility.
Is that the Dem way?

Do not trust People to make it happen - Hey You are successfull..... Let me take it away

No Ping...

That's the Repug way. Ask your hero Bush who gave his buddies TARP money that they spent 18 Billion on bonus's for themselves out of it.

AP - Actual we are in agreement. The Bush Admin and the lack luster Congress allowed this to happen.

But my point is still valid the we are rewarding the wrong behavior - Corp, State and Individual.

I agree with Pres Obama- what some of the US companies are doing that received Stimulus or $$ is SHAMEFULL - bar the HR legal situation - which may require by law some of the bonus to be paid ....

If you or your Company takes Stimulus Federal - Our, my money - Then you must comply with a very conservative corp. fiscal policy.
No First Class flights –
No fluff spending

But if you do not take the Federal Stimulus dollars – Then do what you want !

Good morning all
Here's some more from Joan Walsh
"Battling Dick Armey"
http://www.salon.com/opinion/walsh/politics/2009/01/29/dick_armey/
"Two things to make you smile today"
http://www.salon.com/opinion/walsh/politics/2009/01/29/armey_ledbetter/

You know….
I miss the days of great reporting and responsible representation. The days of Crawford on the DC beat and Lou Frey in the House.

What we have today is so very dangerous!
Thank God that Ameica is so much more .....

yep....only in america can a woman give birth to an octopus.........whatta country.............

Woohoo! Obama's first "furrin" trip is to Canada, Feb. 17. Only problem is, it'll just make every Canadian voter cry cos our PM is such a dweeb.

Off to work to starve off and be ahead of the competition.

So I take it with the few to no response that all agree with my earlier posts.

Now what to do?

Best to all.....

Yes, Ping. You've converted us. We agree with everything you say! :)

Mornin' - from a very slightly snowy WV (but enough to close the schools yet again - as if the students of WV didn't have enough educational challenges otherwise).

Yes, LP will spend the day watching TV, trying to learn to play guitar like Paul Gilbert and making sure that he's downloaded all the music he really wants on it to his I-Pod. What a life.

Went back and looked at the discussion from last night - sorry XR, but if paying taxes in multiple jurisdictions is so elementary, how did Franken's accountant screw that up? Fact is, most folks don't have a clue, which is why they have accountants do it, and they couldn't check their returns and catch an error if their lives depended on it. And I'm betting that if there was a question about it that was discussed between Franken and the accountant, the accountant explained why he filed the way he did. Yes, Franke is responsible, but his accountant was negligent. And KC, I'm guessing the accountant's E&O carrier paid the penalties and interest, subject to the accountant's deductible.

One of the best general comments I've run across on the "stimulus " bill

"It was not the passage of a stimulus package. History does not support the idea that the $275 billion in tax cuts in the package will actually produce substantial increases in consumer or business spending. Much of the funding for states in the bill meets shortfalls but will not increase economic activity. About a third of the spending in the bill will not be spent in the near-term. Much of what is in the bill is good, necessary even. But it is for the most part an emergency spending and tax cut package, not a stimulus"

Read the whole thing here
http://rothkopf.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/01/29/the_un_stimulus

Compelling question of the day: Is there anyone more insipid than Mika?

Does she gush about everything like Diane Sawyer?

Jack

LOL at cello scrotum and guitarist's nipple. Sturg, know anyone who plays a guitar slung high enough to chafe their nipples? Maybe someone seated playing a big ol' dreadnaught? OWW.

ty, no.

Wasn't there a movie called "Stimulus and Remus"? I think it was about two orphans raised in the wild by House Democrats.

LL, yep, there was - based loosely on the wildly popular animated series Stimulus and Butthead.

"Compelling question of the day: Is there anyone more insipid than Mika?"

In a word, NO.
In two words, Gawd NO.

First order of business.

Reduce the "Stimulus" bill by 250 billion dollars.

Eliminate the tax cut provisions.

They were only there to bring Republicans on board.
No Republicans are on board so there is no need for them.

To get the one Republican vote needed, to avoid a filibuster. Give a special tax credit for living in Maine on January 1st. 2009. That is way cheaper than trying to bribe the whole Republican party.

Further reduce the package. No spending on packages in a Red state or Republican district.
After all the Republicans tell us it is not going to work and it is immoral.
It is up to us to protect them and save their souls. Would you give a man going to AA meetings a drink?

More thoughts on how to reduce the size of the stimulus package later.

Jack

Well, it seems that little note isn't the only thing Dumya left for Obama.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/31/business/economy/31econ.html?_r=1&hp

I have 4 words for you - failed republican economic policy. And if you're inclined, add this 5th word - miserably.

Jack, how about this - for one year eliminate income and payroll taxes on everyone making, say $50,000 or less - they aren't able to save anything anyway, and almost every tax dollar not tendered to the government will go directly back into the economy.

Pogo

With our former president you can just create a templet for anything they did.

Miserably failed Republican ____fill in the blank_____.

Jack

Jack, of course that is true. Krugman has his idea about one crying need for action by the government - and one that was part of the campaign.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/30/opinion/30krugman.html

Of course I do wonder why Paul thinks that a problem as thorny and politically charged as universal healthcare could be tackled, solved and announced within the first 10 days of the administration.

Pogo

As Tax policy it has some good points. Most other taxes out there disproportionatly affect that group. They basically carry education in this state with the property tax and sales tax.

As a stimulus plan it wuold do great for my Walmart stock(It has been down a bit lately and could use the help.) But for the general economy? I think the facts are against it at this point.

Jack

Pogo,

What really grates is the realization that virtually all of the increased consumer spending generated by tax cuts will be headed off-shore. Except for the walmarts of the world, how does that help our economy or the people it must support?

It merely gives our citizens 15-minutes of feel good--nothing more. It certainly isn't stimulation.

IMO, we must devise a way of keeping the money within our economy and have it continuing to circulate and grow within that economy. That will result in true stimulation.

Local infrastructure projects using domestic materials is an excellent, easy to accomplish good thing to do. Likewise, development of greening technology is good, but with a longer economic payback.

In every case, there should be serious disincentives should blessed projects not be fundamentally American in substance and character.

Pogo

I think Krugman is just pushing a bit. And it may be need as it doesn't look like healthcare reform is even on the horizon.

Jack

Something cool, The wife was just assigned a pursuit for High speed rail. The contracts aren't in the works yet but they believe that they will be in the next year and a half . So they are out there shaking the bushes to see what is happening and to make sure their name is being thrown around.

Jack

I've got work to do.

Later

Jack

One other thing

FLATUS FOR CONGRESS

Jack

Bethy and Coreen were talking about the nighttime sky last night. Here is a location where you can select the point on earth that you want and then select the objects in the sky above that point that you want to display

http://www.fourmilab.ch/yoursky/cities.html

Glen Beck discussed the economy and the so called stimuls package this morning on Imus in the Morning.

http://youhavetobethistalltogoonthisride.blogspot.com/2009/01/glen-beck-confides-to-imus-i-cant-ever.html

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/01/obamas-frankenstimulus.html#comment-194876

KGC

And those darn things hurt when infected.

Where are the reasonable goopers --where is Christy Todd Whitman and her pals.

flatus, I am a huge proponent of the portions of the stimulus plan that go to state and local infrastructure construction and repair projects. But I don't buy that saw about the money going offshore if it's money that is in the hands of the lower 50-80% of the economic ladder. If the marginal tax rates for those folks are in the 15% range (add 5% for employment tax) that effectively increases their buying power by that much, and I'm of the school that believes that buying stuff is what drives our economy. The 15 minute feel good - read consumer confidence here - is another thing that drives consumer behavior - which is now in the doldrums. OK, some of the profit may go offshore, but the initial dollar is spent here. If you're arguing that direct stimulus to consumers should wait until the economy realigns to encompass a retail segment selling goods primarily from a manufacturing base that is primarily American (like back in the 50s, for instance) it will never happen. And while consumers might purchase products that were manufactured offshore, which is pretty hard not to do, they purchase the stuff in stores down the street, who in turn hire and pay them. Now if you want to talk about tax cuts as the repugs have contorted them, I agree with you fully. Now, all that said, the post mortem on the Reagan tax cuts is that the government spending - finanaced by deficits, was what drove the recovery in the mid to late 80s. Perhaps we should go to school on that history.

"where is Christy Todd Whitman and her pals. "

I think the Repubs told her that it wasn't her party after all... :)

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/01/obamas-frankenstimulus.html#comment-194869

Flatus the Protectionist?

Not sure the deepth - but do you reward and protect an American Company that has failed - And have penalty to the Global Company that has created American Jobs and has better product?

GM vs Toyota
Chrysler vs Honda
Not to count BMW, Audi....

Pogo,

Help me out with the math. The consumer pays $100 for offshore good X. The cost of the product, f.o.b St. Louis is $50 so that leaves $50 to circulate around our economy. Or, in other words, there's ultimately only $50 left to buy the next batch of offshore goods which will cost $25 f.o.b. St, Louis, etc., etc..

The only winners in that scenario are the offshore interests because, in the long-run, the American consumer will be as destitute as they now are because they will have pissed away every penny of the 'stimulus'.

This lousy situation can be mitigated if we manage to export as least as much (in domestic content or added value terms) as we import. That's why everything we do now must be done with a major goal being the achievement of export/import parity.

Reagan's spending blitz was done before the major expansion in consumer credit card debt. And, it was done, to a large part, through spending on domestically produced arms, and it was done before China became an export force, and it was done when tariffs lessened the impact of concessionary pricing by offshore interests.

I'm no fan of Reagan's economic policies. But, that's a separate issue.

Happy Birthday FDR

The Global Economy is here.... Barack the global leader?

Fact is we have much more and better products because of the Global Competitive situation..

To make a choice simply because we want to buy American regarless of the reason - is a step backwards in many ways

Texas As Told By Jeff Foxworthy

"Here is what Jeff Foxworthy has to say about folks from Texas ...

If someone in a Lowe's store offers you assistance and they don't work there, you may live in Texas ;

If you've worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you may live in Texas ;

If you've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number, you may live in Texas ;

If 'Vacation' means going anywhere south of Dallas for the weekend, you may live in Texas ;

If you measure distance in hours, you may live in Texas ;

If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once, you may live in Texas ;

If you install security lights on your house and garage, but leave both unlocked, you may live in Texas ;

If you carry jumper cables in your car and your wife knows how to use them, you may live in Texas ;

If the speed limit on the highway is 55 mph -- you're going 80 and everybody's passing you, you may live in Texas ;

If you find 60 degrees 'a little chilly,' you may live in Texas ;

If you actually understand these jokes, and share them with all your Texas friends, you definitely live in Texas or at one time or another lived in Texas or have or hadTexas friends.

Need to be cheered up?

Happy, Texas 79042
Pep , Texas 79353
Smiley , Texas 78159
Paradise , Texas 76073
Rainbow , Texas 76077
Sweet Home , Texas 77987
Comfort , Texas 78013
Friendship, Texas 76530

Love the Sun?

Sun City , Texas 78628
Sunrise , Texas 76661
Sunset, Texas 76270
Sundown, Tex as 79372
Sunray , Texas 79086
Sunny Side , Texas 77423

Want something to eat?

Bacon , Texas 76301
Noodle , Texas 79536
Oatmeal , Texas 78605
Turkey , Texas 79261
Trout , Texas 75789
Sugar Land , Texas 77479
Salty, Texas 76567
Rice , Texas 75155
And top it off with:
Sweetwater , Texas 79556

Why travel to other cities? Texas has them all!

Detroit , Texas 75436
Colorado City , Texas 79512
Denver City , Texas 79323
Klondike , Texas 75448
Nevada , Texas 75173
Memphis , Texas 79245
Miami , Texas 79059
Boston , Texas 75570
Santa Fe , Texas 77517
Tennessee Colony , Texas 75861
Reno , Texas 75462

Feel like traveling outside the country? Don't bother buying a plane ticket!

Athens , Texas 75751
Canadian, Texas 79014
China , Texas 77613
Egypt , Texas 77436
Ireland , Texas 76538
Turkey , Texas 79261
London , Texas 76854
New London , Texas 75682
Paris , Texas 75460

No need to travel to Washington D.C.

Whitehouse , Texas 75791

We even have a city named after our planet!

Earth , Texas 79031

And a city named after our State!

Texas City , Texas 77590

Exhausted?

Energy , Texas 76452

Cold?

Blanket , Texas 76432
Winters, Texas

Like to read about History?

Santa Anna , Texas
Goliad , Texas
Alamo , Texas
Gun Barrel City , Texas
Robert Lee, Texas

Need Office Supplies?

Staples, Texas 78670

Men are from Mars, women are from Venus , Texas 76084

You guessed it .. it's on the state line..

Texline , Texas 79087

For the kids...

Kermit , Texas 79745
Elmo , Texas 75118
Nemo , Texas 76070
Tarzan , Texas 79783
Winnie , Texas 77665
Sylvester , Texas 79560

Other city names in Texas , to make you smile.....

Frognot , Texas 75424
Bigfoot , Texas 78005
Hogeye , Texas 75423
Cactus , Texas 79013
Notrees , Texas 79759
Best, Texas 76932
Veribest , Texas 76886
Kickapoo , Texas 75763
Dime Box , Texas 77853
Old Dime Box , Texas 77853
Telephone , Texas 75488
Telegraph , Texas 76883
Whiteface , Texas 79379
Twitty, Texas 79079

And last but not least, the Anti-Al Gore City

Kilgore , Texas 75662

And our favorites...

Cut n Shoot, Texas
Gun Barrell City , Texas
Hoop And Holler, Texas
Ding Dong, Texas and, of course,
Muleshoe , Texas

Israel-Hating Samantha Power Named Key Obama Adviser

"Here's a note to the 78% of American Jews that voted for Barack Obama. The "Other Shoe" has been thrown at Israel. The President is naming Samantha Power to a senior foreign policy/national security position ...
Friends of Israel may remember Power for a different reason. She is a strong believer in the anti-Semitic notion that Jews Control foreign policy. She has also said that she would recommend that the US SHOULD SEND IN TROOPS TO IMPOSE A SOLUTION ON ISRAEL."

"She quotes the subject of her book -- really a hagiography -- calling the Israelis "bastards".

And now she is a senior foreign policy adviser to Presidential candidate Barack Obama, as well as occupying the Anna Lindh Professorship of Practice of Global Leadership and Public Policy How appropriate: Anna Lindh, the late Swedish Foreign Minister, was a dedicated opponent of Israel."

http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2009/01/israel-invading-advocate-named-chief-obama-adviser.html

That whole Samantha Power event was blown completely out of proportion and resulted over a misunderstanding of the word "monster" ... In Britain, it is used to indicate something large, formidable, powerful etc. It might not have been a compliment, but it definitely was as an acknowledgement of respect.

The dictionary of British Slang is called "The Monster Dictionary" because it contains every slang word in use and gets added to constantly as the language changes.

Please, Ping, do the math. Tell me how long it takes to go broke buying 'superior' foreign goods. Nowhere did I say it's more important buying a Ford than a Peugeot. What I did say is that we, as a nation, must achieve balance of payments parity or we're screwed.

Solar -
RE;
Our conversation about conservation 2 days ago ;

Low–cost LEDs May Slash Household Electric Bills Within Five Years

ScienceDaily (Jan. 30, 2009) — A new way of making LEDs could see household lighting bills reduced by up to 75% within five years. Gallium Nitride (GaN), a man-made semiconductor used to make LEDs (light emitting diodes), emits brilliant light but uses very little electricity. Until now high production costs have made GaN lighting too expensive for wide spread use in homes and offices.

However the Cambridge University based Centre for Gallium Nitride has developed a new way of making GaN which could produce LEDs for a tenth of current prices.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090129090218.htm

Cbob

Back when in 2000 I replaced 3 florescent bulbs with compact fluorescents. They were lights that stayed on over 12 hours a day. as I remember they cost me 11 bucks a piece at the time. I saw a $10 a month saving.

right now I don't think we have an incandescent bulb in the house.

I do in the shop where it is cold. Compact fluorescent bulb give low light when they are cold.

Jack

Yo Rosie, tighten-up your chin strap ;

Alaskans brace for Redoubt Volcano eruption

By DAN JOLING – 7 hours ago

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Hardware stores and auto parts shops scored a post-holiday run of business this week as Anchorage-area residents stocked up on protective eyewear and masks ahead of a possible eruption of Mount Redoubt.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hcWJaxwgurm_TV9AVcObQBWbS25QD961D1MO0
--------------------------------------------

5 bucks sez this thing pops off as Palin is walking into the Alfalfa Dinner.

that should read

" replaced 3 incandescent bulbs"

good afternoon gang....

Craig..... LOVE the video!

CBob.... most of those jokes can apply to people here in NH too.... we are extremely friendly..... have lots of deer.... measure our distances in minutes and hours.... mostly keep our doors unlocked..... and the women here must be as handy as any man....

oh.... and we have only new fangled light bulbs in our house too....

as for what will or won't work on the stimulus plan..... I'm not an economist.... and I don't want to play one on a blog either.... I'll wait to see what shakes out....

Rosie.... I'll be thinking of ya when that volcano blows....

flatus - here's the math - no matter where the goods come from, if you don't spend the $100 on the Chinese widgets Joe's Dry Goods carries because that's the only place he gets them from, Joe's doesn't have revenue and closes. He declares Chapter 7, stiffs his suppliers, his six employees draw unemployment and his storefront joins Circuit City, B-Moss, Coach House and shitloads of others for sale or rent in the collapsing commercial real estate market. Your macro theory is a good model to explain growing trade deficits, but if it's applied as the overarching principle for individual consumption, it drives the economy into a deflationary spiral since we don't have domestic alternatives for many of the goods we purchase and our exports lag about 20% or some odd percent behind our imports. Eventually we may see a domestic manufacturing revival and achieve a rough trade balance, although I'm more inclined to believe that a broader more global macroeconomic model will emerge in the not too distant future that won't make a trade deficit seem like such an eventual death sentence.

But now, lunch.

Melbourne, Australia's second-largest city recorded its third consecutive day of temperatures above 43 degrees Celsius (109 F) for the first time since 1855, when record-keeping began, the Bureau of Meteorology said.

The temperature in Melbourne topped 45.1 C (113 F) on Friday ahead of a cooler change that might even bring some thunder showers, the bureau said.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1106ap_as_australia_heat_wave.html

Best headline today -

Man accused of drunken horse riding in snowstorm

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1120ap_odd_drunken_riding.html?source=mypi

I want to move to Hoot & Holler, Texas.

The guy who wrote is a conservative....but I can't help but believe he's got some good points about the Blago impeachment. The whole thing seems sketchy to me...

http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000003021235

Samantha Power looks exactly like my ex-wife.

If you think that you're seeing a lot of whiny Republicans on cable news, it's not just in your head.

GOP Lawmakers Outnumber Democratic Lawmakers 2 To 1 In Stimulus Debate On Cable News»
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/01/28/cable-news-stimulus/

Jamie -- according to HuffPo, the woman who had those octuplets recently declared bankruptcy. This story just gets crazier. She's got to me emotionally unstable. And who the hell did that implant???

Moreover, because of her bankruptcy, the care given the eight babies will assuredly be Medicaid -- and I know a few folks with young children who don't make enough money for insurance, but make too much for Medicaid. Unbelievably irresponsible.

The world's marine ecosystems risk being severely damaged by ocean acidification unless there are dramatic cuts in CO2 emissions, warn scientists.

More than 150 top marine researchers have voiced their concerns through the "Monaco Declaration", which warns that changes in acidity are accelerating.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7860350.stm

Argentine farmers face ruin as drought kills cattle, crops

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/01/29/argentina.drought/

A cool animated grphic charting Walmart's growth in the US

http://projects.flowingdata.com/walmart/

It is amazing , like the blob that ate the world.

I'm certain the Borg spread much the same way.

Resistance is futile, resistance is futile

Jack

Reward Poor Performance and lack of Responsibility.
Is that the Dem way?

Do not trust People to make it happen - Hey You are successfull..... Let me take it away

Posted by: Ping Pong | January 30, 2009 6:57 AM

Ping, were you indoctrinated into this ideology by your parents or is it something you picked up yourself? I never understood why you and Craig like each other so much since you are pretty much on differing sides of the spectrum, but the little league connection and life-long friendship made that clear. I think that's cool. I know you're a decent guy but politically I think you're orbiting uranus...

Posted by: EuroTom Author Profile Page | January 30, 2009 1:42 PM

I'll be laughing all day

Hope you saw divalicious post about burning sage in your new home...and hope you have great happiness there.

Here's the website that updates REdoubt information and links to the webcam

http://www.avo.alaska.edu/webcam/webcam.php?cam=Redoubt%20-%20CI

Patsi,

It may be just a rumor, but I also heard that she is trying to get on one of those reality shows where some "deserving" hard up family gets a free home.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/01/obamas-frankenstimulus.html#comment-194888

Turkey, Texas is the home of Bob Wills of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys.

jamie -

Their servers are crashing from the traffic .

Ping, if so,they learned it from Bushco, - who in my opinion perfected the art.

Craig, just watched the video. I am on the side of massive public spending ... a renewal of a NEW NEW deal, and nationalization of all banks, financial institutions and utilities... I realize i am in the minority, but that's how I feel.

CBob

It's spotty. I just got on about five minutes ago. I'm sure their traffic is through the roof.

Katherine, hi ! Yes I did see Divialicious comment and was planning to write her on Facebook... it's a great idea. I sort of want to get the spirit of suicide out of the apartment, since the previous owner jumped from the balcony, (which is on the 16th floor)...

ETom....
Diva gave you a good suggestion.... it's called smudging....
here's a website to explain it's origins and what it does....

http://www.asunam.com/smudge_ceremony.html

and good luck with it and your new property.....

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/01/obamas-frankenstimulus.html#comment-194898

Pogo,

While you were doing something meaningless like eating lunch, I was taking a nap. I'm right, you're wrong. :)

That said, I spoke of goals--not of shutting down Joe's store and putting his extended family, as well as the families of his suppliers. whether they be in Peoria or Peking out of work and home.

But there are some decisions that we can make as individuals that can lower the imbalance. California bib lettuce instead of imported Belgian endive (sorry ET, couldn't resist) or Florida tangerines instead of Moroccan Clementines.

Why the agricultural examples? Because it we have one absolutely wonderful God blessed and provided capability in our country, it is to grow and export absolutely superior ag products. Then, explain to me how we became net importers of food stuffs if not through learned disdain of what has satisfied us for almost four hundred years.

Face, it, we're being conquered by the Arugulites and it's our own damned fault. I suppose we can redefine what's important economically and socially. After all, politicians and social engineers have been doing that for eons.

Flatus

Here in Washington they import fruit from South America. I guess that is more exotic that fruit from California.

I with you on that Flatus, if we expect Us citizens to have fulfilling jobs that can actually support a family, work has to be done here, products made here and there has to be fair trade between the US and other nations. The government spending beyond it's means can be OK in extreme times but it cannot be sustained forever. Government must live within its means just like my family must.

Remember services provided by the government are not free. They are paid for by taxes, somebody always pays.

Eat the Stimulus

Think Locally, Act Infrastructurally

As the food industry consolidated over the past half century -- aided by the federal government through generous subsidies to commodity farmers and lax antitrust enforcement -- local and regional-scale slaughterhouses, canneries, and dairy-processing plants were the economic victims. Reviving that infrastructure would significantly lower costs for the sort of pasture-based, sustainable meat farmers who are now badly undercut on price by large-scale, environmentally ruinous producers. The legendary Virginia farmer Joel Salatin of Polyface Farm reckons that having to haul his cows to a distant slaughterhouse adds a dollar a pound to the price of his grass-fed beef. Why not make federal grants to rebuild the missing facilities that sustainable-minded farmers need to thrive?

Here's another idea: reinvest in school-cafeteria kitchens. Starting in the Reagan era, the federal government stopped funding school kitchen equipment. From that time on, cafeterias had to finance themselves through sales of food. As a result, schools began to turn kitchens into reheating centers for stuff like pre-fab chicken nuggets. Once staffed by trained cooks, cafeterias became the domain of button-pushing clerks. A generation of school children was thus exposed to flavorless, nutritionally empty food.

Let's use the stimulus package as the occasion for a new, major investment in school kitchens. And to help staff the newly outfitted kitchens and teach the clerks to cook, the government should launch a Teach for America-style program to lure in newly minted cooking school graduates. (After all, new chefs may have trouble finding work at fancy restaurants over the next few years.)

These are just a few ideas for how the stimulus could be used to bolster local and regional food networks. The truth is that any effective effort to do this will vary widely by region and be accompanied by serious on-the-ground consultation with alternative food-system actors across the country.

Obama has so far shown little appetite for taking on the vested interests that control our food, as evidenced by his choice of a corn-belt politician with agribusiness ties to be the next USDA chief. But maybe he needn't confront those forces directly. As the design innovator Buckminster Fuller wrote, "You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete."

The stimulus gives the new president and Congress the opportunity to give a decisive boost to ongoing efforts to create a new food system. I hope they take it while it's hot.

Meanwhile, I'd like to hear Grist readers' ideas for how the stimulus spending can be used to improve the local food system. Together, maybe we can come up with ideas so good that Washington can't ignore them. The comments section below awaits your thoughts.
http://www.grist.org/comments/food/2009/01/09/?source=most_popular

Dr. Dooty -
Monday night at the Surf Ballroom :
CONCERT: 50 Winters Later Commemorative Concert
Artists Scheduled to Appear:
Tommy Allsup
Big Bopper JR
The Crickets
Pat DiNizio of the Smithereens
Joe Ely
Wanda Jackson
Los Lobos
Los Lonely Boys
Delbert McClinton
Chris Montez
Cousin Brucie Morrow
Graham Nash
Peter & Gordon
Sir Tim Rice
Bobby Vee
and special guests TBA
House Band:
Kenny Aronoff
Chuck Leavell
Bobby Keys
Hutch Hutchinson
Doors Open: 6:00pm
Concert: 7:00pm
Location: Surf Ballroom
Tickets: SOLD OUT

http://www.50winterslater.com/events.html

True grit in that Grist.

The Surf Ballroom -

http://www.surfballroom.com/

Buddy Holly's glasses as done by Steve Teeters -

http://asp.usatoday.com/_common/_scripts/big_picture.aspx?width=490&height=326&storyURL=/travel/destinations/2009-01-29-day-the-music-died-anniversary_N.htm&imageURL=http://i.usatoday.net/travel/_photos/2009/01/30/buddy-hollyx-large.jpg

John Hiatt - Since His Penis Came Between Us

From a Singer/Songwriter showcase tour in 1989 with John Prine, Joe Ely and Guy Clark. Great lyrics - "Is it bigger than a breadbox..."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58hHVlZCfvM

"Riding With the King" John Hiatt & Sonny Landreth

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

Free Standard Tax Filing

https://www.taxactonline.com/s_online_tax2008/

C-Bob,,,Thanks ---I have been following that info,,,glad to see it in print,,,I have taped it from the science channel ,,,trouble is that I have so much stuff tivoed (recorded) and not have had the time to watch it all,,,,planning to this weekend as I will be left alone,,,,Don't know what to do,,,,go see some friends and have cpl---or be responsible and stay home like a good little contractor,,,,Hmmmm? but I will return the favor when I see that program on the wind turbine that I told you about,,,and give you the programs name,,,U will love it.

Being and Independent I will also wait and see,,,Pres Obama is saying all the right things ---but what Im seeing in this stimulus package is not what I expected,,,,,we needed a lot more $ for infrastructure,,and we need it yesterday,,hope that none of it gets lost ,,like the 9 bill over at Iraq,,,that one still blows my mind and aggravates the hell out of me--just saying?

Rosie---All the best ,,,,keep a good balance, and duck,,from the three F's-----Frozen,,Flying..Fish...they can hurt it hit by them,,,,

ET

Im w ith you all the way,,,,now is not the time for small thinking---the R's did not,,,Haliburton,,,Iraq etc etc,,,,SPEND BIG!!!!

"Meanwhile, I'd like to hear Grist readers' ideas for how the stimulus spending can be used to improve the local food system"

KGC

For the most part it can't.

Our food supply chain is dominated by vertically integrated companies that control the food from the seed in the ground/pig in the furrowing house to the shelf height and access in the supermarket.

Independents can only work around the edges of that behemoth no matter how much money they have access to. Creating more small growers just drives down the profit for the small producer. The big guys have their profits locked in.

What is needed is a little trust busting in rural America.

Jack

Zombie alert -- one more reason to like Texas:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,484326,00.html

Flatus, between the two of us we were doing what I hope to be able to do - eat and rest - to the exclusion of most other more "productive" activities. (BTW, the Enchiladas Verdes were w onderful.

I certainly agree that if we have a choice, buying domestic is much better for our economy than buying foreign and I encourage that - but given the choice between buying foreign here and not buying . . . buy foreign. And I really do prefer a Texas red grapefruit to some of the white ones I've seen from Chile . I do my part - I've switched from Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot to California Pinot Noir. Now when the Beaujolais Nouveau hits in November, I'll be buying French if it's any good.

CB, I saw Hiatt perform that a few years ago just after Clapton & BB did their version. He told a great story about songwriting - apparently he wrote it about 15 years before and didn't really think much about it until the royalty check arrived. He told the would be songwriters to write 'em, copyright 'em then send 'em out to the folks who can get 'em heard - then forget 'em and hope someone hears 'em, likes 'em and records 'em. He's playing an acoustic bill with Lyle Lovett up the road a few miles that I'm considring going up to see in a couple of weeks.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/01/obamas-frankenstimulus.html#comment-194926

In a way I am glad it is sold out. Now I won't fret about not being able to attend due to the distance involved.

I am sure it will be a hot time in the old town that night.

jack

"for the most part it can't."

poppy cock
There are plenty of things going on that demonstrate that it can

Exxon Mobil sets record with $45.2 billion profit
news-general-20090130-Earns.Exxon.Mobil

HOUSTON — Exxon Mobil Corp. on Friday reported a profit of $45.2 billion for 2008, breaking its own record for a U.S. company, even as its fourth-quarter earnings fell 33 percent from a year ago.

The previous record for annual profit was $40.6 billion, which the world's largest publicly traded oil company set in 2007.

The extraordinary full-year profit wasn't a surprise given crude's triple-digit price for much of 2008, peaking near an unheard of $150 a barrel in July. Since then, however, prices have fallen roughly 70 percent amid a deepening global economic crisis.

In the fourth quarter alone crude tumbled 60 percent, prompting spending and job cuts in an industry that was reporting robust, often record, profits as recently as last summer.

http://www.comcast.net/

" Exxon Mobil Corp. on Friday reported a profit of $45.2 billion for 2008,"

I wonder how many truckers, salesmen and women, commuters of any sort, went down the drain so Exxon could make those profits.

Glen Beck discussed the economy and the so called stimuls package this morning on Imus in the Morning.

http://youhavetobethistalltogoonthisride.blogspot.com/2009/01/glen-beck-confides-to-imus-i-cant-ever.html

Posted by: Ree | January 30, 2009 10:04 AM

Thanks for the warning. That shithead Beck shouldn't even be on CNN much less on Imus' morning program.

ET,

the aforementioned shithead is now on Fox and not CNN.

Imus has had a rebirth in Republicanism since putting his large cowboy boot in his mouth and getting fired from MSNBC. Any pretense of liberalism has been replaced with his brand of right wing radio. Not at all surprised to hear that the aforementioned shithead Beck is now a guest. Birds of a feather and all that.

KGC
It is about access to markets, American agriculture is increasingly vertically intigrated. They control the markets. Everything else is playing around the edges.
I see it in the local organic stores. The stuff all looks like it is hippie grown but it you look close it is the same large corporate structure and has become vertically integrated too.

The local Farmers market is mostly made up of part timers who come and go.

Jack

KGC

Back in 2000 I took the summer off and I helped a cousin with a meat business. Pasture raised, antibiotic free pork.
At the time he was a feed salesman and a number of his Amish customers were hurting from low hog prices. Because of the vertical integration of the Industry this low price on meat wasn't being passed on to the customers.
He had a supply of hogs , there are several small processing plants that are federally inspected so there was no product labeling problem and we could legally ship anywhere. But the problem was we couldn't develop a market. The best we ever did was make it a good part time job for Doug He kept at it for a couple more years and when a real job came along closed it up. We just worked around the edges. Farmers markets where we developed a mailing list and local organic type stores that were looking for local produce.
And a small butchershop.

But as I said never more part time work.

Jack

Profit trumps preservation for Boy Scout councils nationwide
They logged, sold thousands of acres of prime lands

By LEWIS KAMB
SEATTLE P-I INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER

For nearly a century, the Boy Scouts have worn a self-adorned badge as campsite conservationists and good stewards of the land.

"The Boy Scouts were green before it was cool to be green," said the organization's national spokesman, Deron Smith.

But for decades, local Boy Scouts of America administrations across the country have clearcut or otherwise conducted high-impact logging on tens of thousands of acres of forestland, often for the love of a different kind of green: cash.

A Hearst Newspapers investigation has found dozens of cases over the past 20 years of local Boy Scout councils logging or selling prime woodlands to big timber interests, developers or others, turning quick money and often doing so instead of seeking ways to preserve such lands.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/specials/scoutslogging/397864_loggingmain29.html?source=mypi

Cassini Captures Changes In Titan's Lakes

ScienceDaily (Jan. 30, 2009) — Recent images of Titan from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft affirm the presence of lakes of liquid hydrocarbons by capturing changes in the lakes brought on by rainfall.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090129182514.htm

--------------------
Methane rain on the moon of Saturn. The mind reels.

Sorry it didn't work out for your cousin
There are plenty of examples where it does it work

In Sonoma County and other places the ag extension services have set up "meat clubs" that work as CSA's do for produce farmers. You have to think outside the existing structures as well as working to change the infra structure that works against small producers.

There is recognition of the problems (lack of local slaughter houses etc) and people are beginning to work on solutions.

Successful examples include the heritage turkeys, the original Neiman ranch products and the new Neiman program and the kurabuta hog in Iowa. There plenty of regional producers that are successful and the markets ar growing larger everyday.

I cited a few example but there are lots of meat producers that are making money and use humane and healthy practices

err Bill Niman
and maybe your cousin should have raised goats

Since American politics is about asking really stupid questions.
I've got 2 really stupid questions -

# 1 - Is Michael Steele too black to be RNC chairman ?

# 2 - Is Michael Steele black enough to be RNC chairman ?

#3- Is Michael Steele Republican enought to be RNC chairman?

(During his failed senate campaign he tried to pass himself off as a Democrat>)

CNN Gives Michael Steele His Wannabe Wish

November 2nd, 2006 | 10:19 pm | 2006 Election, Ben Cardin, Conservatives, Maryland, Michael Steele, Republicans

I can’t completely blame the techs at CNN for their gaffe. Michael Steele has signs up declaring him to be a Democrat, tries to pretend he’s never been a Bush supporter, while wearing a jumpsuit that apparently had him from head to toe in Democratic blue.

Of course they’re going to think he’s a Democrat.
http://www.oliverwillis.com/category/michael-steele/

Oliver Willis also answers CBob's questions

#4 - Is Michael Steele crooked enough to be RNC chairman ?

#5 - What kind of scam is the GOP trying to pull?

#-6- What kind of scam is Steele pulling on the GOP?

Gays made the Boys Scouts do illegal logging!
by homogenius [Subscribe]
Fri Jan 30, 2009 at 02:18:43 PM PST

Yes, those poor defenseless Boy Scouts--the evil gays and athieists forced them to illegally clear-cut timber from many of their properties around the country, impact endangered species, and generally harm the environment.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/1/30/13375/7125/606/690972

KGC

That is all just playing around the edges.

Until we do a little trust busting that is all it will be.

Jack

Jack
Whatever. I guess you think no one should do anything until everything is perfect. Changes in the food system is one area that can come from the ground up.

Safeway mocked organic foods until their customers demanded it. Consumer education and customers asking where their food comes from and how it is produced will make the changes and naysayers will be left in the dust where they belong.

I loved reading this because of all the Irish buddies I have.

http://nylatinojournal.com/home/

The most recent farm bill contained a number of measures that eased the way for small regional producers.

http://www.ncrlc.com/FarmBillCampaign.html

Components of the Farm Bill that assist regional food producers

goes with the link above

Why Spanish Harlem Celebrates St. Patrick's Day

ImageHow did St. Patrick cross the border into Latin American hearts? The story begins in the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) but branches off into many interesting historical exchanges between Latinos and the Irish community.

ps Jack
the 2008 Farm addresses The Livestock title also directs USDA to define "undue pricing preference" to protect small and independent livestock producers from unjustified pricing practices that favor large producers.

There has to be something missing from the story about the woman who had IVF and had 8 babies. If the info coming out is correct, how could she have afforded IVF? It cost around $15,000. I also don't think any fertility clinic would implant 8 embryos. Maybe she got some fertility drugs online?

However this story turns out it does seem to go along with our current philosophy in this country which is ....anything that is worth doing is worth overdoing.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090130/ap_on_re_us/octuplets
according to this article implanted embryos

and she did file for bankruptcy but the case was dismissed according to "friends" she has enough money for all her kids and is an "awesome" mom....the article also discusses the ethical issues and quotes Arthur Caplan as saying it's a nightmare.

To have enough money for all those kids, she must have won the lottery. Just the hospital bill had to be overwhelming.

I guess since the taxpayors have invested in everything else what is 8 more kids?

She delivered at Kaiser so she must be a member
according to her friend she is not on welfare

Forty-Eight Lawsuits Challenging Obama’s Eligibility -- Organizing Efforts to Protect the Constitution

"I saw in Justia 48 legal actions in Federal courts alone. In state courts there are probably many more cases, since people are more at ease filing in their local state circuit courts pro se.

Currently there are efforts just getting underway to form a broad umbrella group made up the many websites that are dedicated to protecting the Constitution."

http://zachjonesishome.wordpress.com/2009/01/30/forty-eight-lawsuits-challenging-obamas-eligibility-dr-orly-organizing-efforts-to-protect-the-constitution-lets-dont-forget-free-speech-larry-sinclair/

Super Bowl ads:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/big-fat-story/2009-01-30/the-best-super-bowl-ads/#

Great political cartoon...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14851926/displaymode/1107/s/2/framenumber/5/

Patsi---loved your Superbowl link---saw a coupon for peanut butter and thought of you,,,,,better go on line a get all the coupons that you can :-)

A bum asks a man for $2. The man asked, "Will you buy booze?" The bum said, "No." The man asked, "Will you gamble it away?" The bum said, "No." Then the man asked, "Will you come home with me so my wife can see what happens to a man who doesn't drink or gamble?"

I was watching BBC News this evening. Has anyone heard any of our News folks mention a group called the Arbakai?

http://statefailure.blogspot.com/2007/12/arbakai.html

Take the time to read the above link and then watch or read the BBC report.

Woodward mentioned the other day that another member of Obama's team would have tax issues. Breaking news, it was Daschle.

Tax problems and another waiver for a lobbyist (although Daschle doesn't even have the honesty to call himself a lobbyist)

looks like a lobbyist to me

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/30/daschle-nomination-snagged-by-back-tax-problem/?hp

the person who gave Daschle his free car and driver
Leo Hindery cable guy

eo Hindery, Jr. is an American businessman, author, political activist and philanthropist.

Hindery is Managing Partner of InterMedia Partners, a New York-based media industry private equity fund. Until 2004, he was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The YES Network, the nation’s largest regional sports network which he founded in 2001 as the television home of the New York Yankees.

He headed Tele-Communications, Inc. (TCI) before it was merged into AT&T in 1999, when he became CEO of AT&T Broadband. Later, he was briefly interim CEO of Global Crossing, a company that underwent bankruptcy recovery due to corporate abuse, although this took place after Hindery left.

.

OSH---What do you think??

Five tips for a woman

1. It is important that a man helps you around the house and has a job.

2.It is important that a man makes you laugh.

3. It is important to find a man you can count on and doesn't lie to you.

4. It is important that a man loves you and spoils you.

5. It is important that these four men don't know each other.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/01/obamas-frankenstimulus.html#comment-194971

KGC,

And I notice that there is no mention of "Mr. Octuplet". Were these her embryos? Fertilized by whom? She lives with her parents? Are the other six children there as well?

The more you know, the crazier this loon gets.

Jamie, that article cited by KGC said she held a psychiatric technician's license from 1997-2002. That doesn't sound like a high paying job. She also had almost a million in liabilities, which included 2 houses. wonder how long before we get the...rest of the story.

Yes -- the rest of this octuplet story is going to be interesting. There is something very bizarre about the whole thing.

Police are arresting more and more suspects wearing Obama t-shirts

http://www.therightperspective.org/?p=1303

Solar

I would settle for just number 4.

I have never liked or trusted Tom Daschle. However, I don't quite understand why the car and driver he used was taxed. When I worked for Capitol Records and went out of town on business, especially in NYC or LA, the label supplied a car and driver. I never got a tax bill for it.

She also had almost a million in liabilities, which included 2 houses. wonder how long before we get the...rest of the story.

the bankruptcy was filed by her mother.

Posted by: Patsi Author Profile Page | January 30, 2009 8:22 PM

full time car and driver - not pick you up at the airport car and driver. It's taxable benefit

This could get interesting. Judge orders names of Prop 8 supporters must be revealed according to law despite harrassment argument

http://www.sacbee.com/capitolandcalifornia/story/1584889.html

Mr. Daschle reported that he had received large amounts of income from InterMedia, including more than $2 million for consulting and $182,520 in the form of “company-provided transportation.”

Jamie
The dad(s) of all the children is not mentioned or present and the embryos were implanted so she could be a bulk buyer of sperm.

Another Governor Brown for California?

http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/capitolalertlatest/019118.html

Ah -- well, usually in NY, the car and driver stuck around for the whole week or whatever -- but I take your point.

Patsi,

Don't you get to deduct business expenses for travel when out of town for business if you use your own car? If it were supplied then you wouldn't get that deduction. Maybe his car and driver was full time and a bonus of the job which would be considered part of his income. Just guessing. I am not that knowledgable.

Posted by: Jamie Author Profile Page | January 30, 2009 8:34 PM

Terrible mayor but he was a good governor however he should give his sister a shot

KGC

There has been talk of DiFi interest as well, but they are very close (she performed his marriage in 2005) and they are of similar age so it does seem time to let some of the newer blood move up the ladder.

Feinstein tops the polls and she still hasn't ruled a out a run. The other dems in it so far are Garamendi a perennial, Newsom a lightweight who will finish last if he stays in and Villariagosa who will probably end up with the nod.
Jerry Brown is hardly new blood - while he had done a good job as ag I'm sure opponents will hang the dismal job he did as mayor of Oakland around his neck.

She has performed a number of marriages ---she likes doing it. I don't think they are particularly close.

poll number from november
http://johnnycalifornia.com/?p=1592

likely gooper is former ebay ceo Meg Whitman
who come across as a lox in her public apperances

I Love Rachel. That woman has a great sense of humor. If you missed her in her pink chiffon Kentucky Derby Hat, look for it.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/01/obamas-frankenstimulus.html#comment-194998

I thought they had been in the past. It made me wonder if Brown wasn't acting as a stalking horse for her. He has a lot of money raised that could flow her way if he decides to back off and she decides to make the run.

I'm with you in thinking that Kathleen would be a good idea.

Feinstein really really wanted to be governor and hasn't totally put the idea to rest. Gray Davis painted her as Leona Helmsley and she never got over that, If she wants to get in she doesn't need Jr Brown or his money. But in the end I think she will decide being the chair of a prestigious senate committee and not having to deal in a statewide campaign is a better deal. Plus having to answer questions about her huband's issues probably isn't very appealing either.

Apparently Kathleen who ran in 1991 is no longer interested in elective office. Too bad I thought she had great potential.

But I think you put your finger on a real problem Feinstein would be 72 and Jr Brown close to that.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/01/obamas-frankenstimulus.html#comment-195000

Her Derby and her Preakness metaphors were a little mixed up, but that's okay...she was cute.

Speaking of such racing things, Nicanor (Barbaro's Baby Brother) is making his first run at Gulfstream tomorrow.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5iXj_xk40vPhbcn6uhPk64DLwquyw

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/01/obamas-frankenstimulus.html#comment-195005

Thanks, Jamie. Nicanor - a name to remember. I hung onto that link with pictures you posted last year...what a beauty!

http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/nicanor/archive/2008/04/13/long-awaited-pictures.aspx

(fingers-crossed the link still works)

i hope this doesn't ruin his chances...
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/31/us/politics/31daschle.html?_r=1&hp

Ping - I liked your 7:48 post re requirements for corps if they want the money.

" However this story turns out it does seem to go along with our current philosophy in this country which is ....anything that is worth doing is worth overdoing. "

Note to the reader :

This is the kind of writing that made this site . This is why I came.
If you can't write this, I'll beat you with a sock of internet dimes.

--------------------
Dear Ms. Cracker
I have gifts for you, keep-up your good works. ( Food writing)
It's working on me.

It's snowing on raton.........

emmy doing townes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAZfrg78Fpk

come morning I'll be thru them hills and gone........

uno mas por favor......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDh-V6pk2C4&feature=related

Showers maybe next thursday and friday. We gotta get this lop-sided weather evened out - horror in Kentucky this winter and horror in California next summer!

Had an interesting conversation with an "adopted"niece
from Oregon (originally from Ukraine) who now lives in Portland. She and her husband are slightly involved in the political scene there. She talked re the anxiety before all the votes were in for Merkle. This was her first big election as a citizen here - she had voted at the Ukrainian embassy in their big presidential election, and now this. Not bad, huh?

Sturg -
Amature Hour on Raton Pass ?

Been there done that.

Hint :
Take a big Pontiac with you.

Sturg _

I saw this today , and you were the only one I knew would get it. so I'm double posting it again, if you're still up and bushy tailed :

"Riding With the King" John Hiatt & Sonny Landreth

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

This could be the best clip on the Tube. Watch Sonny's hands. I saw Sonny in Estes Park in 75', playin' with The Jackie Spencer Group. I was liquored-up , and full of artificial energy ........ But I never burnt that brain cell that recorded that night.

pony-acks is ok, but hard to beat a '70 olds 98.......

Tell me about wood stoves buddy .

50 years ago today Bob Dylan was making his way from Hibbing, over the
National Guard Amory in Duluth to see the " Winter Dance Party ".

We'll let the world decide that one amigo.

yep......hiatt's playing my guitar, but cept when mine was about 30 years old I took it apart and put a belt sander to the smoke-yellowed what used to be white finish and now it has no laquer.....just bare wood....was going to re-spray it but then got another gig and had to put it back together............
never could hack a strat or play with thumb picks like sonny......but that's some fine stuff over there with them two.....

some times those special brain cells just kind of hang in there when you most need 'em.....

still up, but the tail is far from bushy........but yep.....now and again you get to ride with the king......

Thanks Sturg -

We was all up with the ghost tonight. Lot's of big medicine here. The air is pregnant with it.

one grande sized atta boy for the ghost, for Cbob, and for his solid gold keyboard........

stunk up this place for years.......lolol

Joe Ely ~ Well All Right

Joe Ely and band performing Buddy Holly's "Well All Right" on the steps of the Texas State Capitol as a featured presentation of the Texas Book Festival.

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

cant hold a candle to he whose laughs last.........

and now:
sleep which knits the ravelled sleeve of care........

Note to the reader :
Enough of this unpleasantness , back to the task at hand -

List of Elected Officials Attending President Obama's Super Bowl Party

The following is a list of elected officials who will be guests at the President's Super Bowl party.

Senator Bob Casey (D-PA)

Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL)

Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)

Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA)

Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-MD)

Congressman Artur Davis (D-AL)

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)

Congressman Charlie Dent (R-PA)

Congressman Mike Doyle (D-PA)

Congressman Trent Franks (R-AZ)

Congressman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ)

Congressman Paul Hodes (D-NH)

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes-Norton (D-DC)

Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-PA)

Congressman Fred Upton (R-MI)

Obama is playing Star Trek chess, and Rush is playing checkers.

Oh I forgot why I came on tonight , via Paul Simon on the NewsHour tonight :

There are 170 acres of Toyotas sitting in Long Beach tonight. Fresh off the boat. That's next to the Mercedes lot, Paul didn't give a number for them.
By volume , waste paper was our #1 export out of the same port. Now they aren't loading any . Go see his report on PBS, watch the people in Long Beach relate about the cliff they drove off of. Watch the fabric importer talk about the thousands of factories closing in China, via the web.
Get your mind around that if can, because I sure can't.

Thank God McCain and Palin aren't trying to solve this problem, that's the only comfort I can find.

C-Bob, *L* @ your posts tonight.

Craig, your video is just what I needed, a good laugh. It's so true about both sides. Love the screams. *L*

Dex, yep it's hard to believe that the Repubs came up with the tax cut to 15% idea. They're usually not that humane.

The left should STFU.

Obama's been in office, oh 11 DAYS!!! Only. Give the man some time.

He's done more to help this country in those 11 days than anyone did in the past 8 years.

Equal pay for women

Pro labor

Task Force on the Middle Class

tt

http://www.whitehouse.gov/strongmiddleclass/

It's interactive, sort of

tt

The fires have started in Australia, and the old people have begun to die -

Australian Heat Wave Claims Lives Amid Bushfires, Blackouts

Jan. 31 (Bloomberg) -- A record heat wave may have claimed at least 22 lives in South Australia as neighboring Victoria battles bushfires and power outages that have shut businesses and led to public transport chaos in both the states.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aSZhMl.BVT1k&refer=home

Just watched the video again.

So glad the repubs are out.

I'm so tired of stimulating myself.

tt

Hell has finally frozen over.

There's a newly appointed/elected African American RNC Chair, Michael Steele.

And he's from the dastardly LIBERAL state, Maryland.

tt

There's 4 Billion dollars of crop loss in Argentina, due to drought.

And in South Africa :

In Witbank, the highest daily rainfall for the country was recorded on Thursday, with 86.5mm of rain having fallen in the area since Wednesday morning.

Last week on Thursday, a 48-year-old daily rainfall record was broken in Cape Agulhas when 173.4mm of rain fell, compared to on January 18 in 1962 when a 117.5mm rainfall measurement was recorded.

173 mm = 6.88 inches

Farmers across South Africa experienced exceptional summer rainfall as decades-old daily rainfall records were broken this week.

http://www.thetimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=928339

South Africa Mon Aug 13, 2007 -

A statement from KZN's provincial government said thousands of pigs, sheep, cows
and goats were either burnt alive or had to be put down.

( These fires burnt 1,032 sq. miles. )

"These are the worst fires in the history of our country," the statement said.

http://coloradobob1.newsvine.com/_news/2007/08/13/893254-these-are-the-worst-fires-in-the-history-of-our-country-the-statement-said

------------------
The #1 prediction of climate change is more extreme weather events.
When a country goes from the worst fires in their history to record setting rain events in 17 months, that's what's been predicted for over 25 years.

Craig' Franken Stimulus appears to be on track…as a title... I gotta go back and give him another high grade as like a fine wine - it opened up many thoughts!

The white wash cover up of the Dem House action is falling apart. We are seeing the Monster! And as the President belittled the acts of Executive Bonus as Shameless – he went to far as we are discovering which Barack is showing up.

To make the “no time for Profit’s” statement was not only validation of his naïve Neophyte status – and clearly very weak in understanding what make America Tick - It was also a Shameless damaging statement – this cold and chilling statement joined with the continued news has driven some industrial stocks to their lowest point.

We need the President Barack to show up that is positive and forward leading – and one that will deliver a Surgically Clean Business Stimulus – Not this Shameless Socialistic Mess that is falsely labeled.

Destroy the current Freak’n bill called a Stimulus…as it is an Obamanation

"Shameless Socialistic Mess"

ROFL, Pings just want to have fun.

Carol and KGC -- You are right. I was using the car and driver for business (on the label's behalf) whereas Daschle was using the Caddy & driver for personal use 80 percent of the time. (Looking back on it, I'll bet that a Town Car and driver for around seven full days in NYC cost the label more than I made in a month. If anybody had explained it to me, I'd have taken the subway and pocketed the money.)

"There's a newly appointed/elected African American RNC Chair, Michael Steele."

Posted by: tiptoe Author Profile Page | January 31, 2009 5:47 AM

-Black is the new black.

Where are we getting all of this money for all of these 'stimulation' packages? Because if the U.S. had all of the money we have been giving away the last year to 'stimulate' the economy..............why are we so in debt?

Solar- LOL, my sentiments exactly!

Patsi,

If you pocketed the money, you may have had to pay taxes on it unless you proved it covered your costs for transportation on your business trip. Or unless you were a politician and just overlooked that income. then it is OK as long as you say I am sorry when you got caught. Then again you may not get caught unless you are selected for a Secretary position.

Karen, this stimulus package is just a big delusion of grandeur. Somebody needs some antipsychotic medications and fast. With all the big Pharm money supporting our government officials, they should be able to get them either cheap or free.

"Harassment forces Afghan girls out of school"

KABUL, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Every day, as they walked to school, Maryam Mansoor and her sister ran a gauntlet of intimidation and harassment by youths armed with knives.

'A lot of my classmates and other female students don't come to school anymore because they fear the boys' harassment and kidnappings,' said Maryam, 18, who finally quit school at her worried father's behest."

http://www.arabtimesonline.com/kuwaitnews/pagesdetails.asp?nid=27933&ccid=18

"you may have had to pay taxes on it unless you proved it covered your costs for transportation on your business trip"

They gettcha either way....

"I sign this for my daughters, Barack Obama says of first bill"

BARACK Obama signed his first piece of legislation before a cheering crowd of women union workers in the White House yesterday: a law giving women the right to equal pay when they do the same job as men.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24985613-5013948,00.html

Patsi
I also keep reading about the abuses of woman and how things are so much worse for them since are invasions,sad I had hoped America could at least make some difference and maybe at least we would have done some good for all the lost lives and billions of dollars....

Hey Tom
If your around or when you are CONGRATS on your new place! Don't get yourself to overwhelmed with all that needs to be done.I've been through it many times. Try and just take a room at a time and always know what you want to accomplish with your space...I have sometimes had to set in an empty room and mentally envision what I what from the space and go from there,it saves many mistakes....People laugh at me sometimes but it works...

Odds, ends, and office decor at Foggy Bottom on a Friday
Fri, 01/30/2009 - 6:10pm
Here's a dose of odds-and-ends Hillary news to get you through the weekend.

http://hillary.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/01/30/odds_ends_and_office_decor_at_foggy_bottom_on_a_friday

"...I have sometimes had to set in an empty room and mentally envision what I what from the space and go from there,it saves many mistakes....People laugh at me sometimes but it works..."

It sure does. And I agree -- take the process as it comes, don't push it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUaSO9WDcng&feature=rec-HM-r2

bertrand russel on exact thinking

Hey Solar
Well I'm off to workout,well that is after my Saturday housework.I haven't exercised in 4 days due to this cold I have.Much better now so its back to the stepper and Nautilus machines.I hope you get that elliptical trainer you wont be sorry and neither will your heart! Oh and you can eat more!! That did it for me,HA HA.....

The stimulus package is a patchwork of gifts to liberals and conservatives and will please neither. More important, it's not likely to work. I think Paul Krugman has it right. Tax cuts don't give enough bang for the buck. This package should do what it claims to do - stimulate the economy and grow jobs, jobs, jobs. The package isn't big enough and too much of it (even most of it?) isn't a stimulus at all. There are needs for aid to health care, education and the environment, but they are separate issues. If the republicans won't go along with a package more slanted toward spending, so be it. The important thing is to fix the problem.

bob dylan and then john hiatt doing a hiatt song......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lm2zJJJ9wpU&feature=PlayList&p=3D02157CC1A1B423&playnext=1&index=31

I am so pissed at Google -- all of a sudden, no matter what I "google" everything comes up with a warning from "Malware" or something...and then makes it hard to go to the site. WTF?

Peggy Noonan usually makes me clench my teeth. But I have to give her this one. She pretty much nails the stimulus package. (link to full article after excerpt)

"But do you know anyone, Democrat or Republican, dancing in the street over this? You don't. Because most everyone knows it isn't a good bill, and knows that its failure to receive a single Republican vote, not one, suggests the old battle lines are hardening. Back to the Crips versus the Bloods. Not very inspiring.

The president will enjoy short-term gain. In the great circle of power, to win you have to look like a winner, and to look like a winner you have to win. He did and does. But for the long term, the president made a mistake by not forcing the creation of a bill Republicans could or should have supported."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123326587231330357.html

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/01/obamas-frankenstimulus.html#comment-195071

Patsi,

happened to me also. but in the second paragraph it tells you you can continue on to whatever site you have googled. Just highlite and copy and then paste that link in the address line and hit enter and you will continue on to the site of your desire.

Sturge...great clip with Hiatt-Dylan.

one other thing is you can "bookmark" Trailmix and then you by-pass google all together. just find Trailmix in the bookmark list and click on it.

LL,

I read this stimulus bill is detailed in 800 pages. Much can get lost to the public and the government with that much information. Only a few things are trickling out to us.

Why can't this bill be divided into 8 bills of 100 pages each. Prioritize the needs. That would allow all of us to understand what is in each plan and whether it is worth spending our tax dollars on it. We were promised tranparency and that isn't possible with such a "monster".

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/01/obamas-frankenstimulus.html#comment-195072
Lard
Agreed, usually I find Noonan hard to read and even harder to listen too.Interesting piece by her though,maybe there's hope in the Senate?I'm still searching for my own opinion on this package and I really don't know what should be included in this package other than spending that's been proven in the past to create jobs.

If Obama was smart he would tell everyone that he will veto this POS and have the House start over.

You know "page by page, line by line – eliminating those programs we don’t need, and insisting that those we do operate in a sensible cost-effective way."

a neutron walks into a bar......says "how much for a beer and a shot?" bartender says, "for you....no charge....."

an accordian player and a trombone player get a new years eve gig and really go over big......the club owner says, "You guys were great.....we want you back next year....." The bone man says, "Hey, that's great......can we leave our equiptment?"

I just can't believe the gall of those bitching at Wallstreet for giving themselves bonuses when it was those who are bitching that made it possible by giving all our money away to them with no strings attached. Look in the mirror people.

What do you expect when you reward the greedy?

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/01/obamas-frankenstimulus.html#comment-195078

Bow
Maybe your right! I don't waste money and I really want that from government too...Silly maybe but something to strive for....

$650 million for TV converter boxes

CT---Bomanc

I agree 100% with you,,,line by line revision of the bill,,,,,Ct...it's just the Dems turn to use our $ as they see fit,,,,,remember Obama owes a lot of favors,,,,wish that he could wait until his second term in office to pay them back,,,,Daschel is one of the pay backs,,,,can't stand him anymore,,,,,Push for a flat tax and a flat income tax,,,,solves a lot of this pork spending,,,,more transparency ??

Patsi

Hope U are fine?,,,watching CNN and the ice that you got over there,,,,doesen't look good for some

"last laugh"

Won't be Bry Bry, He has no sense of humor.

Solar,

It does seem like it is always the losing party that makes the most sense and wants to be the most responsible. I have been a member of the losing party for so long that I though my party was the one with all the right ideas. Maybe I was wrong.

What I like about the concept of PUMA has nothing to do with Hillary. We should not just sit back and support what our political parties want when it is wrong. We should want what is right because it is right no matter which party suggests it.

Carol,,,,lets see what he does with this,,,,,it all should go for this promise,,,,if it does not ,( or the better part of it),,,he will be a much better pres,,,to have in the White House,,,but still another politician, IMO ?

Obama promises lower mortgage costs, new loans
news-general-20090131-Obama.Economy

President Barack Obama speaks prior to signing an executive order dealing wi...
Seconds ago

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama on Saturday promised to lower mortgage costs, offer job-creating loans for small businesses, get credit flowing and rein in free-spending executives as he readies a new road map for spending billions from the second installment of the financial rescue plan.

From Comcast.net news

Solar
Hey your good! What I like about the elliptical is the fact its gentle on the extremities.I have a friend Debbie who is 46 and a runner,now she alternately uses the elliptical and runs and she says its really helped keep her in the running game.I pretty much eat what I want also but I make a lot of healthy choices.The main thing I do is try and eat something mostly protein based every three hours.When's are friend Chloe coming back?I know she is busy with little Emma but I miss her....

Dooty -- I wonder what made google get uppity all of a sudden....

Oh Carol

I am comfortable in the middle (Independent ) since my first vote,against Reagan,,there doesn't seem to be too many good to very good presidents from Carter to the present,,,,( yes Clinton ),,,,welcome to the Indies....

What I like about the flat tax is that ---the billionare that buys a luxury yacht will be taxed at say 20% and no hiding from paying it,,,and the poor will be taxed at lets say 20% with credits monthly or with and I D that allows them to only pay the % of today's taxes,,,they do pay a lot of taxes already,,don't they,,,and give them more insentive to work,,,by raising the min wage to 10-12 $ per hours

It is time for a new way of thinking-----Im tired of getting screwed by both parties,,,,,,,,,less taxes,,,,,more taxes,,,,and all the confusion that lets them get away with murder,,,tweak it so the poor doesn't pay anything ---I don't care,,,but get that Enron to pay it;s share no??

Patsi, didn't google have a recent lay off? Maybe someone that was is pissed.

Solar -- we are actually having a great day in TN today -- supposed to get to the 50s -- sun is out!

Ha -- Carol, you may be right. Because I started doing my searching at Yahoo when Google started this BS.

The criticism isn't that the stuff in the bill is all necessarily "wasteful." Lots of it is perfectly defensible in terms of spending federal money, and it has been on Democratic priority lists for years.

The problem comes because only a fraction of it is real "stimulus," which is the word being used to sell it with such an sense of urgency. And it's the word that Obama has staked political capital on.

At the very least it would be more truth in advertising if they called it a "stimulus and relief" bill. Then that would ecompass stuff like the Pell Grants, unemployment and food stamps, etc. And folks still might buy into it with a sense of urgency demanded by the current crisis.

But it's the "wish-list" kind of stuff that can't really be described as either stimulus or relief that hurts the Democrats' credibility. It's like their house has burned down, they've cashed a big insurance check, and instead of rebuilding the house or even buying groceries, they're using it to go out and buy a big flashy car and a bunch of expensive jewelry that they couldn't have afforded otherwise.

We are in for a real hot day tomorrow---going to be 36,,,,going to BB in the Garage for Super Bowl ,,,,,,,with a net those pinto beans are hard to catch when they pop HA,,,,,Tony don't you dare say anything about your 80 degree weather,,,

Lardo

Thank you,,,thats what I said. :)

Amen, Lard

So.....what did I miss? Anyway, I'm finally back online. My old computer went haywire after I moved it to where I'm living now. I bought a new computer earlier this week. I finally got internet today. I've got lots of work to do with getting things back to how I had them before on my old computer.

I was wondering where you'd disappeared to Corey. Glad you're back up and running.

"Dooty -- I wonder what made google get uppity all of a sudden...."

I don't have a clue why Google started acting that way. As far as I can see, it ain't doing it any more.

Tony

Get a book on juicing,,and try that ---Yes I miss Chloe also!!,,,,she is just helping out ,,until her daughter gets better,,,,some take longer than others,,,,she might be lurking with the little time that she has,,and not posting cos she still keeps up with her work,,,I think?

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/01/obamas-frankenstimulus.html#comment-195117

Corey
Glad your back! Boy have I ever been there,just got my new computer a month ago and still trying to get it all together...

Does anybody know? I want to get conformation before I get pissed over nothing :0)

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/01/obamas-frankenstimulus.html#comment-195121

Solar-Thanks,I will look into the juicing.Off to the Nautilus...........

Oh Solar
No 80's here its currently 57 and sunny,Super bowl Sunday is supposed to be near 70 feel better..HA HA

It's 19 here Solar-so don't worry, be happy!

A new Billy Carter???

Obama brother arrested over cannabis possession

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ibcq5kDQCoqMI7q8vjcF63x8wiiw

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/01/obamas-frankenstimulus.html#comment-195113

Lard
Brilliant comment.This is why I'm here. You bring so much smart info to us and the way you bring it forward just hits home and I get it...

Tony, Solar, ct...thanks for the props, but my post was basically just a reiteration in my own words of what lots of folks are saying about this package. I have yet to hear any respected voices on the liberal side (ie., Mark Shields) getting really, really excited about it in a way that is contagious. The best you seem to be able to get is a lukewarm defense or even-handed justification of it. But it's a far cry from excitement.

I think most people are just scared right now -- and not interested in partisan gamesmanship. Hopefully Obama will use the Senate side of the process to really put his stamp on this.

Rosie ---the cat on the hot tin roof----Im fine,,,,waiting to get back to work,,,I know that you have a Super Bowl experience waiting for you tomorrow so have a good time,,,,,stary cool,,,you not the weather :-))

I was unemployed there for about a week. I got laid off (I'm a caregiver with a non-profit company, and they've been having to cut back). The family that I work with threw a big stink and got me back (it's good to be needed and wanted). I'm hoping to go to my favorite sports bar and throw down tomorrow, but I woke up with a fever and a rumbley tummy. I'm gonna be PISSED if I get sick. Do you know anything about the AIG thing?

Rosie

Been looking for you on Friday evenings ,,,,where u been?,,have a new bo...that takes up all of your time and won't let you talk to us,,,give me his # I wil splain to him how things work around here ok.

You'll just never know when I'm lurking, so you'd best be watching yourself with the other ladies, or I'll have to do some 'splaining to YOU!

I have to drag myself out to do some stuff, be back later. Peace!

Rosie

I remember talking to some friends about AIG ( R's) and that is one of the things that they were embarrassed about...yes Congress Republican,,,or Democrats are in bed with special interest,,,lobbyist and and anything that you can think of,,,welcome to the Independents :-)

Rosie, though anything is possible, it doesn't really sound very plausible. Why would an entity of the federal government, especially one as high in the pecking order as Congress, insure with a private insurer?

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/01/obamas-frankenstimulus.html#comment-195105

Patsi, I just get this "could not find it message". If I reload, up it pops. I don't know what they are doing, but they better cut it out.

The Repugs are most upset about those typically "liberal" items such as Arts. They forget that the WPA paid actors, photographers, artists ... all the items that one make people feel good, two encourage education, and three leave behind lasting works of importance.

A library that I went to as a child had a beautiful mural reflecting the history of California and all the many cultures of the state ... paid for in the 1930s by FDR's "Stimulus" package and still beautiful over 70 years later.

hey all, i just learned to twitter. any twitterers here? If so, let's be followers -- my page is at http://twitter.com/craig_crawford

What is twitter and how is it different from a blog?

i have no idea, ct. just now learning

do you have to use a cellphone, or can it be done from a computer?

Twitter is a social networking and micro-blogging service that allows its users to send and read other users' updates (otherwise known as tweets), which are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length.

Updates are displayed on the user's profile page and delivered to other users who have signed up to receive them. Senders can restrict delivery to those in their circle of friends (delivery to everyone being the default). Users can receive updates via the Twitter website, SMS, RSS, or through applications such as TwitterMobile, Tweetie, Twinkle, Twitterrific, Feedalizr, Facebook, and Twidget, a widget application. Four gateway numbers are currently available for SMS: short codes for the United States, Canada, and India, and a United Kingdom-based number for international use. Several third parties offer posting and receiving updates via email. Twitter had by one measure over 3 million accounts[1] and, by another, well over 5 million visitors in September 2008, a fivefold increase in a month.[2] from wikipedia

sign up here
http://twitter.com/

One more way of getting blog posts

CT, Craig...a twitter is basically just a commitment by the twitterer to provide a steady stream of real-time updates to the subscribing twittees about what he our she is doing at a given moment.

My gut feeling, Craig, is that you might not be cut out to be a Twitterer, at least based on your Facebook page. If you're a very passive Facebooker who never posts personal status updates there (other than to alert us of when you post a new blog item), then you probably won't make a very good Twitterer. Because Twitter is like Facebook on amphetamines.

From Msnbc News updated 48 minutes ago :

NEW YORK - Most Republican governors have broken with their GOP colleagues in Congress and are pushing for passage of President Barack Obama's economic aid plan that would send billions to states for education, public works and health care.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

These are the REAL PUMAs

Sock...you said it so much more precisely than me. I just didn't see your note before I posted mine.

You can receive the messages on your phone or on your website. People just constantly tell other people what they are doing now.

It's fun to watch some of the twitter messages, but I barely answer regular phone calls without having messages pop in every few seconds. :-)

Lardass Liberal

"Facebook on amphetamines." Mine, a text book explantion, yours perfect.

This site explains why it is useful for some folks.
http://tweeternet.com/

Sock...

Craig's Facebook page is all about promoting this blog and passively flaunting his huge, snowballing collection of friends. I don't ever think I've seen him throw a bone out there like "Craig is reading the paper and scratching his ass right now" or "Craig is about to pour himself a nice tall glass of whiskey."

Unless he's prepared to open up a little more and let people in, I think he'll be a Twitter train wreck.

Interesting. I went to Obana's site taxcutfacts.org during the campaign and put in my data and they said I got a $1000 tax cut. I did the same today and it said $0. Typical.

Hey Craig -- Congrats on Twittering -- another step in the social networking revolution. It can be done from computer or phone. Just go to twitter and follow the directions.

Tweet! Tweet!

~Alicia

Lard

LOL

Purple

Thanks for the info,,,,and after thinking about it ,,,,what Flatus said,,,made sense

Heads up Lubbock folks and other interested parties:

The second post on my blog is called "Time Machine" and a gentleman just left a very long comment by Johnny Hughes about Elvis and Buddy Holly and Joe Ely. Absolutely fascinating reading.

Rosie,

Was this what you were asking about?

AIG insures cars, homes, skyscrapers, factories, families, other insurers. Its guarantees sit behind mutual funds and money funds, pension funds owned by government workers, 401 (k) holdings, and annuities.

http://emac.blogs.foxbusiness.com/2008/09/17/what-the-feds-rescue-of-aig-really-means/

"A library that I went to as a child had a beautiful mural reflecting the history of California and all the many cultures of the state ... paid for in the 1930s by FDR's "Stimulus" package and still beautiful over 70 years later.

Very cool, Jamie.

Government Twitter directory:
http://newthinking.bearingpoint.com/2008/11/20/govtwit-directory/

Sign up and tweet your Congressperson

"If you're on Twitter, I strongly recommend you find a right-wing mouth-breather Congressman to follow on the site and read them carefully. You'll get the talking points hours or even days before they show up on the teevee. For example, my favorite right-wing Twitterbug, Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI), has offered his sage thoughts on this Tom Daschle tax story.

Daescle(sp?)/Geitner/Rangel all avoided/cheated on taxes!Daescle latest!They don't mind raising taxes because they don't pay them.

He got two of the three names wrong, including Daschle, who was Senate Majority Leader when Hoekstra chaired the Intelligence Committee (!) and therefore was in all the Gang of Eight meetings with him.

But let's get off spelling for a second. The soundbite is that Democrats don't mind raising taxes because they don't pay them. Har giggle snort glorf!! So let's pre-but this statement in case it's used by George Will or David Brooks tomorrow morning."

Well there sure are some high profile democrats in position of power and/or influence that have major issues with their taxes. They should get the EXACT same treatment a regular citizen gets when they cheat on their taxes.

This new administrations was going to set a new "gold" standard for ethics, if this is pass of fail, there are several F's.

Can't promise that I will ever say anything interesting but my twitter address is

http://twitter.com/jessied44

I'm following Craig as well as a British blogger I like Claire Pitt that CBob knows as well.

Patsi...someone may have already posted this, but it explains your googly-wooglies from earlier today:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/01/technology/internet/01google.html?hp

Join Twitter and solve the Google mystery

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/01/technology/internet/01google.html?_r=1&partner=rss

It got sick. All better now.

Looks like old-school Lardass edged out Twitter Girl Jamie by THAT much on that Google update.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/01/obamas-frankenstimulus.html#comment-195113

LL - You are very good with words !!

The need is to separate and not confuse issues. The Senate should kill the bill and craft a strictly Business / Economic plan.

Why are the Dems and Pres. Barack hiding these items?

The Senate votes will mirror the House vote in that the votes against will include both Dems and Reps., and it will be Partisan Dems that vote for the bill. Lead by the out of date group of Harry, Chris, Barney.... They will throw anger bombs when they lose - but it is their own actions that again create the problems.

Health care groups paid Daschle $220K
By: Kenneth P. Vogel
January 30, 2009 09:05 PM EST

Tom Daschle, tapped to be President Obama's health czar, was paid more than $200,000 by the health-care industry in the past two years, according to documents obtained by Politico.

The former Senate majority leader, who gave speeches to firms and groups with a vested-interest in the administration's upcoming health reform, collected the checks as part of a $5 million windfall after he lost reelection to his South Dakota seat.

This weekend, Daschle's nomination to be secretary of Health and Human Services became embroiled in controversy over the last-minute revelation that he had only recently paid long-overdue taxes.

Daschle made nearly $5.3 million in the last two years, records released Friday show, including $220,000 he received for giving speeches, many of them to outfits that stand to gain or lose millions of dollars from the work he would do once confirmed as secretary of Health and Human Services........

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0109/18237.html

Mr. Pong,

Maybe you and john Boehner should work to get all these pro-stimulus republican governors out of office.

Pro-stimulus PUMAs are making it difficult to take pro-Depression republicans seriously.

Went and talked to the bank this morning about refinancing of house loan.
Highly recomend ,if you have good credit , that you check out the deals out there. We are getting a 4,5% mortgage. Because we paid points the APR is really 5.25%. Our old mortgage was an ARM it had dropped to 5% But I told the wife we needed to lock in a low rate now. When things recover there is going to be so much money in the system that a seventies inflation is not out of the question.

While we were out, we also stopped by a Ford dealer to see what we could get.
It was strange.
The wife currently has a Focus 5 door. We were for something similar.
We ask the salesman if they still made a Focus 5 door
"Nope"
"Well, do you have anything that would work"

Nope, nothing, maybe toyota"

lol
Strange, I've never had a car salesman work that hard to send me to the competition.
Funny thing, it is beautiful afternoon great day for car shopping but we were the only ones looking that I saw
and he blew us off.

Guess they are making too much money.

Jack

GORDO,

ROFLUITIWD.

Thanks. I'm sure glad I didn't have a mouth full of coffee.

GORDO...

Since there is no legal mechanism for suing the U.S. Congress, I don't suppose that one will get very far.

I am way too shy to twitter...............most days I am just glad to type....:-)

A couple of weeks ago, I pulled into a Hyundai dealership driveway in Milledgeville, GA to turn around, and a guy came trotting across the lot hollering, "May I help you, sir ? "

Jack,

A realtor friend sends me an email with houses I might like. I'm not buying, he just knows I like looking. The number of "bank owned" properties being sold "as is" is enormous in the Sacramento area ... beautiful homes previously in the half million class now going for under $400,000.

Anyone with money, would be crazy not to be negotiating like mad, rehabbing as necessary and hanging on. It's times like this you wish you had remembered to have rich parents.

Milledgeville, Ga......home of Uncle Remus and B'rer Rabbit?

Good....looks like Google fixed the fiasco....

Mr. Liberal,

It'll go from the filing office counter directly into the recycling bin in one smooth move.

Suing Congress ! Good Lord, that is funny. And, how on earth do Pelosi and cheney get into the act ? Why not add the Maytag repair man and Hirohito ?

oops.....more like Eatonton, Ga.....

you know...........Eatonton.........between Sparta and Athens................

I may have missed the case where GORDO's buddies sued Howard Dean and the DNC, but that would seem to be the logical group to go after if they thought they had a plausible suit.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/01/obamas-frankenstimulus.html#comment-195178

Jamie...hold out for a better deal. A far better deal.

The big vulture funds aren't even going to be looking at anything they can't pick up for less than 40 cents on the dollar...meaning they'll assume a delinquent $300,000 mortgage from a bank for $120,000 or less. And the banks will be more than happy to be shed of it for that discount -- since they've got to get the non-performing crap off their books sometime this quarter or be out of compliance with FDIC rules.

A house up the street from me, on a lakefront, easily would have gone for $500,000 at the height of the boom. It was recently sold at auction for $90,000.

That kind of deflation is what's going to keep the housing market down for quite sometime to come.

xrep...LOL. I guess these lawsuits are a necessary diversion from the quest for the "whitey tape". How's it going with that one GORDO?

Jamie

California realestate was crazy.
I remember several years ago on "Flip this house"

They had a house exactly like the house I was rehabbing. Only mine was a new strip to the studs rehab with a better interior, but exact same floor plan and sq ft.

I bought mine for 15000 and was going to put it on the market for 80,000.

They were selling theirs for 1/2 a million.

Jack

Sturgeone,

Milledgeville, the Georgia Capital 1806 - 1869, was the home of the late great Flannery O'connor.

Uncle Remus, all the B'rers, and Alice Walker are from Eatonton, about 20 miles north on GA 441.

Georgia is rich in literary figures, including Erskine Caldwell, and that memorable lyricist, Beauregard Hound.

Dump Daschle - Howard Dean for Health and Human Services
Saturday January 31, 2009
Categories: Purple Politics
Tom Daschle, President Obama's pick to run the sprawling Department of Health and Human Services, also has some tax issues:

"The argument for Howard Dean as Secretary of Health and Human Services is quite straightforward. He's a medical doctor, and has more executive experience than anyone else in Congress or the White House. In his six terms as Governor of Vermont he paid off the state's public debt, expanded health insurance for children, lowered taxes, signed civil unions into law, and delivered a balanced budget every year. And of course as Chairman of the DNC he implemented the 50-state strategy that gave Obama the foundation for victory.

The only reason Dean wasn't tapped for HHS outright? Rahm Emmanuel, who bitterly opposed the 50-state strategy that brought his new boss to victory. As I mentioned earlier, Dean's name was excluded from consideration quite early on, citing Dean's "partisan background" and lack of congressional experience. That argument is total nonsense - and applies far more to Daschle than it does to Dean anyway"
http://blog.beliefnet.com/cityofbrass/2009/01/dump-daschle---howard-dean-for.html

Dean is no longer Chairman of the Democratic Party and is available to serve.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/01/obamas-frankenstimulus.html#comment-195153

ha, Lard, so i am heating up leftover bean soup while watching Disaster Movie right now. is that the sort of compelling info i should be posting on faceb and twitter?

XRep: I came across this great Flannery O'Connor quote the other day on Faulkner's wiki page:

"The presence alone of Faulkner in our midst makes a great difference in what the writer can and cannot permit himself to do. Nobody wants his mule and wagon stalled on the same track the Dixie Limited is roaring down."

Craig...EXACTLY! That's TOTALLY twitter fodder. You'll get there, man. Just keep plugging away!

Yes, I think I remember Eatonton from Thucydides Peloponnesian War.

I can't believe they'd let Faulkner drive the Dixie Limited, the way he boozed.

ok, Lard, you are now my twitter muse, my Obi-Wan Kenobi of social networking. here ya go, master:

http://twitter.com/craig_crawford

KGC,

I second your motion.

None of you seem to understand the purpose of these lawsuits.

I would be shocked if any got past the "gatekeeper" judges so that SoetorObama's Constitutional eligibility for POTUS could be fully tested.
===================
"I saw in Justia 48 legal actions in Federal courts alone. In state courts there are probably many more cases, since people are more at ease filing in their local state circuit courts pro se.

Currently there are efforts just getting underway to form a broad umbrella group made up the many websites that are dedicated to protecting the Constitution."

http://zachjonesishome.wordpress.com/2009/01/30/forty-eight-lawsuits-challenging-obamas-eligibility-dr-orly-organizing-efforts-to-protect-the-constitution-lets-dont-forget-free-speech-larry-sinclair/

Lardo

Our plan on the vacant house next door is to start around 1/3 of the amount owed against it.. Don't want to go much lower as it could be picked up by a slum lord type. We might run it up to half. That gets it out of the junk hunters territory and into someone buying it to live in.
I looked at several local repo'ed properties on the Countrywide site. It looks like they are asking less than 1/2 what the properties sold for, This is the ones bought in the last 4 years, as the Jackson county web site only has information back to 2004.

Jack

and for those who want to add your comments on HuffPo, here's my latest there:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/craig-crawford/economic-stimulus-or-horr_b_162802.html

Craig,

I saw that CQ was for sale. Does that change anything?

Lardo

Do you use "lardass" on twitter?

Craig? If you are heating up left-over bean soup from Inauguration Day........you will be the star of the your own disaster movie........Don't do it.

ok, Lard of the Rings, does this work for a revealing Facebook status update?

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1307727477

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/01/obamas-frankenstimulus.html#comment-195201

not a thing, CT, poor st. pete times is desperate for immediate cash and had to sell its most profitable asset. we'll be better off with an owner that has deeper pockets. all is well.

I had asked earlier if you were going to go for an ownership position.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/01/obamas-frankenstimulus.html#comment-195203

oh, but it is incredibly tasty, karen -- and no peanut butter -- quite safe

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/01/obamas-frankenstimulus.html#comment-195199

Jack...good for you. The key to value is not what it last sold for, or what it's supposedly "valued" at now (whatever that means). It's the current outstanding debt on the mortgage. That's all that matters, and that's what needs to be the baseline for bargain hunters. If an individual (as opposed to a big fund bidding on large distressed-mortgage pools) can pick something up for less than 50 percent of the par value of the mortgage, good for you. If you can get it down to 30 percent, you're a God.

and besides, i froze it on inauguration day, just thawed it today

now that's what i call a DO-OVER

Jamie...I'm not on Twitter. I have a hard enough time coming up with creative and interesting status lines once a day on Facebook.
I think Craig is off to a rockin' start on Twitter though. So I might have to reheat my earlier words and stir them into a batch of bean soup before I eat them.

going back to my flick -- Disaster Movie is hysterical -- and the soup is deeeeelicious. later, all

Just checked. There is a Lardass on Twitter ... You may have competition.

Who are you on Facebook?

God love those Iranians and their production values.

Was just watching CBS Evening News and they had a report on the celebrations going on in Teheran today to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Ayatollah Khomeini's return from exile in France. The main event was a large rally, the centerpiece of which was a full-scale plastic replica of an Air France (I think) jetliner with a life-sized, black-and-white cardboard cutout of the Ayatollah plastered across the hatch as if ready to emerge from the plane and descend the stairs. Surrounding the fake airplane was a full, Mormon-Tabernacle-worthy choir serenading his glory.

Absolutely hilarious. Even putting aside the weirdness of the whole thing. I mean...okay, I can see that it might have been tough to get your hands on a REAL Air France jetliner. But couldn't you have at least sprung for a wax figure of the Ayatollah? Or at least a COLOR cardboard cutout?

We need to remember this for the Watergate Plus 40 ceremony. I'm all about a black and white Nixon cutout doing the Double V sign from the steps of Marine One.

"Good....looks like Google fixed the fiasco..."

Patsi,

its been fixed since about 10:30 central time.

History buff:

Priest uncovers beginning of "Final Solution" in Russia

http://www.sacbee.com/836/story/1588836.html

Jamie...I'm only Lardass here. All others on any other site are imposters. But maybe I should branch out.

I went back to work during the time I was away from here. They are laying more people off. 37, to be exact. We have a big tour coming up soon. VW is gonna tour our plant. If this happens to go well, we may be getting business from them. Fingers crossed on that.

"its been fixed since about 10:30 central time"

Doots -- that's what I get for going out for Mexican food at lunch...everything changes while I'm out of pocket!

Two interesting blurbs in this newsletter about the windfarm that will be powering Glasgow Scotland and the wave power for the Lewis Islands

http://www.rampantscotland.com/letter.htm

Goddamn Germans. They never could keep their dirty hands off Holland.
(Inside joke for Corey)

"Doots -- that's what I get for going out for Mexican food at lunch...everything changes while I'm out of pocket!"

Happens to me every time. :)

Jamie - That's an amazing link to the priest looking into the Final Solution in the old soviet union. It was hard to read, but the story needs to get out. I wonder if the pope will ex-communicate the priest - he' brought Lefebvre back into the flock.

CBon - I am also very glad McCain and Palin have nothing to do with trying to fix the economy. Boy, you don't want to imagine too much of what they'd do, do you? It could give you nightmares.

Also, CBob, thanks for the weather news. The heat and the droughts are monsters we are almost incapable of fighting. I really mean it when I say we need to use the oceans for greening us up. I think the more deserts there are, the less evaporation from the land, and that can't be good either.

I just can't express how much I dread and fear the heat.

I'm gonna go with Obama on the stimulus package for now. Maybe he will need to veto a bad one - I think he has the courage to do it.

Factory farm organic milk

If you've bought organic milk from safeway, wild oats, or Costco
Then you've bought milk from these guys.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_6912.cfm

It is time to do a little trust busting

Jack

good luck Corey, and glad to hear you had some work!

Corey, my fingers are crossed for ya, too. They're started RIFing where I work, also. Good luck!

Craig, I can't. I just can't Twitter, too.

We already YouTube, Huff, Blog and Face.

We spend lots of time together, already.

tt

LL - D. Howard laughs at empty guns....

Slam dunk superman !!!

Boone Braves

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/01/obamas-frankenstimulus.html#comment-195215

oh my, does this mean Lard is a plagiarist??? and after i fell on my sword the other day for swiping his intellectual property

I made a few jokes after hearing VW was gonna tour our plant. I told one of my friends, "If the people from VW ask you a question don't say, "Sorry, I don't speak German." Another joke was to tell people not to ask them why the Germans like David Hasselhoff so much. LOL! BTW, I kept my old computer monitor when I bought my new computer. I thought I would save myself some money. However, my old monitor died today! So I had to buy a new monitor tonight. I now have CQ in widescreen LCD format. Ooh!!!

Ding-- The sound of Southwest and that of Ping Pong connecting the dots.....

Also the feeling of chat with your own self

No on Lard – well? .....

There is no original idea...... Take them shamelessly..... Shakespeare – it is all just the same 7 or 9 stories told over and over…… just a few changes here and there

Craigster – when you coming home

The only Lard that's a plagiarist is the Twitter Lard.

The Trailmix Lard is the real deal. Always and forever.

I'll stake my Christopher Marlowe merit badge on that one, Pingy Dingy.

So Lard do you read the local Paper? Did you know that Craig has a history with such paper and a local channel.
I just posted a comment - #90 regarding all of the civic projects -- Interesting.... stuff by a very talented... well sometime writer...

i'm down with that. our Lard is the ONLY LARD!

ping, looking to get down there next month

Corey, Next step is two monitors - Windows will support it ........ Really cool

Craig, Did you just praise the Lard?

Craig...
All right as such that I have been exposed with a Dixie Baseball O-town History.... and you bought last time.

I hereby proclaim - that if in Mr Crawfords Schedule - It is my Convservative, middle of the right leaning pleasure to buy for any and all regular Crawfordslisters beverage of choice....

And yes even Lard's

Praise the Lard, and Pass The Ammunition.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/01/obamas-frankenstimulus.html#comment-195235

Not only read it, I used to run it. At least the local news side. Still read it though.

Lard... I will be the middle aged guy on the bicycle...... sometimes with a camera.......

And I had a by line in the Sentinel in the Mid 70's - one from reporting from Stetson... Ralph Dunagin days...

Uh-oh...I think Craig may just have unwittingly raised the curtain on some more of the endless drama loop. I'll catch it all in the morning. See you all later.

Ping, I'm sure we'll run into each other sometime...

yeah well what I wrote before was more eloquent but I guess everyone gets the points ... xoxoxoxoxo

yep, Lard, at the risk of re-booting the drama, i couldn't let such offensive language pass without comment, and just now came across it (bad host!). let's just pretend it never happened and hope it doesn't happen again.

oops, Craig I see you already addressed the discussion(s) that I addressed...

Here are a couple of good songs to keep everyone cheery:

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

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

ET..... How are you and you are up late or very early...

How is the Euro World....

Got any spare Stimulus

thanks, EuroTom

I wasn't involved, nor do I condone such behavior.

Excellent choice of tunes there EuroTom. You gave me a great smile on that one. And I always cheer for Alexander Hamilton in the duel.........

lol
champ, kiss kiss

understood, champ. i don't run this shop for people to say such things to each other. there are plenty of other venues for that.

Ping, I am full of stimulus, though I doubt you would find THAT very interesting! :-) It is around 4:30 am ... I was at a birthday party. started reading before going to bed and you know how that can distract from other important activities, including sleep.

BTW champ

Have you burnt down the shop yet ?

Jack

well, I am off to la la land...
Long day - More on that later...

God bless all

I'm not sure what Hank would have thought but different version of Jambalaya.

K PAZ DE LA SIERRA -JAMBALAYA - EN VIVO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNuxjF5dwjM

Jack

Alacranes Musical - Por Tu Amor

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htUbW0UqwOo

Hank wouldnt mind.....I'm sure he boosted it from the cajuns........

Grupo Montez de Durango - Adios Mi Amante

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73Fu3zvoyFA

Craig --I will give it a try, thanks,,

Solar grab the wife and get out on the dance floor

Montez De Durango - Que Vuelva

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRiDz-7UpBo

Jack

as long as it's not personal

Sturg

I was listening to "American Roots" today They played a bunch of cajun music
They did a cajun version of Jambalya in french then followed with Hank sr. Both were good but Hank put more blues in his.

Jack

thanks for trying, solar. i know it won't be easy. nite all.

Jack

She is playing all of her 45's and singing out loud to them,,,she is an Elvis freak,,,,,you sure have a lot of energy tonight,,,some fast tex mex ,,,,but good ones ,,,thanks

whskyjack,

Great tunes also. Now I wish I would have taken Spanish in high school. Being the dork I am, I took Latin.

Solar, I didn't witness anything of that as I was away for a bit of chat unwinding. I agree with you that the comments are inappropriate. You have reason to be pissed off at him. I hope that he would apologise. But I can't tell him or you what to do. I hope some day these sorts of attacks will end.

Time to sleep... I am exhausted

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/01/obamas-frankenstimulus.html#comment-195240

Wouldn't that be praise the Lard and pass the Amaretto

Jack

You ever go to Mexican bars,,I never did until a few years ago,,,when my workers took me there for my B day,,,,with live bands,,,and that kind of music,,,,man a body could lose ten pounds in one night on the dance floor,,,,,lucky me that they had some cold buds to help me keep my weight up. Had one worker that after he had 2-3 beers he would fall in lone and ask me to call a priest so he could get married right then and there,,,,me being captain of the ship married them (cigar bands) and we all had a fine reception...

Jack----

After all of that---have to slow it down a little,,,,,PADT,,you will like this,,,,me on my hoss Cheyenne

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UL71sfg9tJ4#

Karen

The only Spanish I know is from the construction site. So I know many ways to start a fight but no way to talk my way out of one.
But I enjoy the music. Solar can correct me but I believe that the ompa type music is basically on the same themes as country music.

You know, Getting drunk, good women, bad women, women that mess with your mind, I'm a long way from home stuck in this cold heartless city,
Oh and don't forget Mama, pickup trucks, prison and trains.

The perfect country song by Steve Goodman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5Vkyxixo4Y

I think I like this one better than David Allen Coes version

Jack

Goodman,,,,has a good time with that one,,,,,Jack yes they are country hillbilly songs,,,in spanish,,,,but H D would know a whole lot more about both than I ever will,,,,,same for Polkas,,,Sturg said that you can never be mad listening to a Polka ( a palooka yes ) and he is right as far as Im concerned,,,,

Solar

The house I lived in 8 years ago befor the wife and I got togather was three doors down from a mexican bar.
When I first moved there it was owned by an old Italian man, he sold it to a Cambodian couple who turned it into a chinese restuarant/bar. Cheap food, cold beer is a natural draw immigrant workers. Soon the place was full of Mexicans and the jukebox was full of mexican music. That juke box had an interesting range of music. from the greatful dead and Stevie Ray Vaughn to the Mexican music , to some music from cambodia and Thialand . And some nights it would all be played.

Jack

Jack

Now that's what I call assimilating,,sound like I would have liked it in my day

And some nights The jukebox would also start a fight.
As some one would get drunk and yell out, "who play that #%&*&^ music"
Nobody ever said that diversity is always peaceful.

Jack

Night all

Jack

Well she is finished with all the 45's and is playing Lover Boy by Peaches and Herb,,,on for the second time now------what the hell does ---she thinks Im easy?,,,Im staying here with you guy's,,,,,,what am i carzy,,,,later...:-)))

We had 3 people in my department. As of next week, we will only have 2. Me and a guy named Jack. Jack came to work sick last week and now I am sick. I missed out on all the big news here without having a computer for awhile. You know, Caroline Kennedy etc...I was without internet for 10 days. I got so desperate that I watched a few minutes of Chris Matthews one night to see what was going on in politics. LOL! I probably would have gone crazy if it wasn't for going back to work and watching the Australian Open on tv as well.

Sheer brilliance!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0Nv-9FpB4s

NEW THREAD