Craig Crawford's Trail Mix

Do any Republicans get the concept that people's lives are at risk?

They get it. They just don't care. It doesn't fit with their Darwinian view of political necessity.

"Neigh" on the horses' patooties.

Does anyone have a concept that there is another way to advance all and provide quality service without a massive government take over.
Well not the "spend and tax and Spend" congress - it is beyond their limits.

Let the debate and the truth come out.

Mid terms are coming

Hi,

I have this one guy running in Orlando, I forget his name, but he said that " the republican health care plan is don't get sick, but if you do, die quickly." He is sooooo right, although I think he is being polite to the GOP.

Intriguing items on that site you discovered, Jamie.

http://www.obit-mag.com/died-on-the-same-day

These are two that largely escaped notice for reason that may be obvious.

http://www.obit-mag.com/died-on-the-same-day/day/22/month/11

It is sad that the one liners are hitting - .. me168 you are refereeing to Alan , one term , Grayson or Mr Big Divisive.
So instead of narrow minded comments at Republicans - give some factual support to the 2K pages of Taxes and getting ready to freeze the inovations and advances that created the system that all want.
Lets see how the debate goes.
And hey where is our leader - Barack? He is a cautious one.

Look on that site on July 24, and the pink panther and the 8th president died on my birthday

The thrill of victory is greater then doing the right thing... That is why this Congress will be rated the WORST EVER

dire predictions...... humbug......

You are right ping; Obama has his head up his butt.

If this Bill is so good - then how does it get by on a single vote - and big concern from within the Dem party.
WORST CONGRESS EVER - Both Sides...
Number one group now is Independents...

Me and grandpa where talking about Obama, he said he voted for the lesser of two evils, I said there was only one, purple said who, Sarah, she's an evil little which, and McCain has to put the puzzle together on why he lost.

just killing you ain't it Ping? *snicker snicker*

Not killing - just very frustrating when such limited ability and narrow minded individuals are running our government and can have such control.
But in the long run they will understand when the mid terms hit.- this blog is not the main stream and the Congress is so out of touch...

"So instead of narrow minded comments at Republicans"

Sorry Ping...it can't GET narrow enough to fit the GOP.

Ping,

You have to stop that government take over bs. Your side ruined the best county in the whole world..or it might...if the Chinese have anything to say..they are the # 2 right now....we are borrowing way too much money from them.

Obama is just another Politicain that gave into the Ins Corps..I see it as the Good Cop, Bad Cop routine.that they do so well......the big winners.....the ins corps....

I sure hope that you are right...that we get a huge % of people that convert (I hate that word) into Independents......

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/11/the-great-debate-begins.html#comment-271859

"just very frustrating when such limited ability and narrow minded individuals are running our government and can have such control."

Ping,
I just wish you and your fellow Republican's had been frustrated with those narrow minded individuals(Bush/Cheney) when they were in power!! Maybe just maybe we wouldn't be in 2 wars and wouldn't have had the biggest financial meltdown since the depression...How ironic, it takes Dems in power for you to find your outrage?????

After 16 years of government by one liners under reagan and the lower bush, the pong has finally sworn off of them - until the republicans come up with yet another empty zinger, like mission accomplished.

Who the hell is a republican to call ANYONE narrow minded ??? Tell that to racists pigs rush, hunter, tancredo, sexist pigs morris, robertson, and bunning, classist pigs like cornyn, kyl, and sessions.

"You have to stop that government take over bs."

Solar,
Your exactly correct!! I say to Grace all the time, you Republicans keep saying that you don't want a big government take over of healthcare,well then you should be happy ,cause were not getting one!! I then say, i keep hoping for a government take over of healthcare daily...

Tony;

The real people that took over out country...Wall Street., and they are getting ready to do it again...they will bleed the middle class until they have no more blood...both parties let them do it......Giethner is one of them...and where is he now???

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/11/the-great-debate-begins.html#comment-271865

Solar.
I agree..They just keep doing it too,no shame..I also agree both parties are at fault,the Dem's to a lesser degree,but it makes it worse in some ways because the Dems profess to be for the little guy..Giethner,tell me why he has his job with Obama?

wapo's interactive graphic today comparing the house and senate bills is helpful and user friendly. just hope their summaries of what the bills provide are accurate. makes it easier to grapple with the hysterical outraged (hmm, good name for a rock band) among us.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/nation/health/compare-health-plans-2009/?hpid=topnews

so far so good at cern. we're still here. at least i am, where are the rest of you?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8372737.stm

our sunday school lesson for the day:

"Celebrities lead charge against Scientology
Hollywood figures quit 'rip-off' church as Australian prime minister threatens parliamentary inquiry into its activities"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/22/scientology-cruise-haggis-us-australia

Seems like many here are starting to sound like conservatives? What gives...

And again fully agree that the past administration was complacent with fiscal management.
BUT please - Chris Dodds, Barney Frank and many others created the structure that crashed.

well? did we party too much last night after the vote or did the cern thingymebob go bang and i'm floating out here in the twilight zone? ping? patsi? sturge? flatus? sea? all the rest of the beautiful morning gang where are you?

ping! thank you thank you thank you.... civilization still exists.... was having rod serling flashbacks there.

"Seems like many here are starting to sound like conservatives?"

and what sound is that, ping? sheep bleets? chest thumping gorilla bellows?

sound of silence.... with portuguese lyrics yet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VflKiZzb4h4&feature=related

Just fascinating that some Democratic Senators are patting themselves on the back for allowing debate.

Conservative - OK fiscal Conservative - Stop Spending, Tax and Spending...

I look forward to the debate - but again amazing that such a great bill almost did not hit the floor. WOW.

And where is the great leader ?
Unless it gets major changes it is DOA

dire predictions.........humbug.....

Bah humbug... No we will be fine... After the well desreved blood bath in the coming mid terms - plenty of time to correct the horrible elements IF anything gets passed.

Rocks and Coal with no carbon offsets for our Congress this year..

The GOP Congress has indeed become the best Congress money can buy!

Saturday night's Senate Vote Just to have a debate on Healthcare, was a small victory for the "agents of change" (democrats) and reflects very poorly on the state of the Party of No & Fear that they would not even allow a debate on this issue to move forward -- thereby belying the title of being the greatest deliberative body on earth!

It is noteworthy, that the Party of No & Fear, also fought against Social Security Reform and Medicare, and true to form or color, they are fighting against healthcare reform today!

"As money has in the past ministered to personal and family need, so in the future it must minister to group and world need. The time has now come when money must be re-valued and its usefulness channelled into new directions. The voice of the people must prevail, but it must be a people educated in the true values, in the significance of a right culture, and in the need for right human relations. It is therefore essentially a question of right education and correct training in world citizenship – a thing that has not yet been undertaken." [Money, The Medium of Loving Distribution, A Compilation from the books of Alice A Bailey ]

Thank God for the Agents of Change whose intentions are to uplift people and to serve the people...., because in all reality we really do need Change for Science teaches us that to be static and to do nothing, is to die!

Thanks for the Video, revealling!

And while GOP, Blue Dogs and Tea Baggers scream about the cost of having a healthy population, cut education and allow our infrastructure to crumble --we continue to pay off corrupt warlords...both in the Middle East and on Wall Street.

Bacaangel.. They are not fighting against Healthcare Reform - they want it..
This bill is not Reform - it is a new funding and Tax Bill. Real Healthcare Reform will be the advances which go beyond Immagination and deliver real innovation to change the Protocals and real cost positions.
Something that appears beyond this NEW CHANGE Government and certainly this Congress

What is so great about this Bill.

So to all on this blog - For each two comments about the party of No.. Can ya come up with at least ONE good point in this Bill and follow through all the way to the possible consequences? Not much to ask.. One positive for each 2 snipe comments

ok....i'll do my part with one of the snipe comments......gop also fought the civil rights bill......

Republican'ts!

Woo-hoo to the Daddy of Medicare!

yep, I am getting the ouija board out and going to channel Harry T.

Sturg... GOP got the Civil Right passed? It was the Dems that blocked... If I recall - But I am not that old..

So Craig and other historians - and Craig is much older then me... Please advise

The D in Dem stands for Divisive and Distraction as there is so much junk in the trunk in both bills that they attack the opposition as the strategy - as nothing on the floor of Senate or House can stand on its own - so try and make the loyal opposition look uglier to try and pass this stinking bill - lets go double negative.

Or is it that now in Full Power with the votes in congress and White House -( vs just control of Congress for the last almost 4 years) that pent up anger and frustration to use the Power regardless - or it is True -The D party is the power of Spend and Tax and Spend?
Or marketing - Hey we passed Healthcare regardless of how bad it or lack of Real Healthcare reform this Tax bill is
All things cycle - some longer then others - this will be a short cycle.

ping......some republicans, 27 i think, voted for passage......democrats got it passed......and then the democrats who voted "against" all became republicans.....strom thurmond and his ilk.......

pong ping...the dems paid their price just as Lyndon Johnson said they would...southern dems were the "lost boys" for a generation.

I am older than Craig. : )

that's the senate vote.....i'll look up the house vote

pong ping (you really are backwards today)

all of this was "said" about Medicare, too.

for me, finally some attention to Main street health woes.

"BUT please - Chris Dodds, Barney Frank and many others created the structure that crashed."

Ping,

And God created this holy mess. So why not blame it on her?

Gimmee a break, it's been big Pharma and the Insurance industry that have driven this bus with lots of complicity from beholden critters of all ilks.

And, Ping, it was Johnson who did the right thing on civil liberties aided by Americans of all stripes united by goodwill.

geez...pong ping, it is too early on Sunday to get my blood pressure up. : )

Flatus...especially when I am worshiping the female glue that holds this all together. : )

By party

The original House version:[9]

* Democratic Party: 152-96 (61%-39%)
* Republican Party: 138-34 (80%-20%)

Cloture in the Senate:[10]

* Democratic Party: 44-23 (66%-34%)
* Republican Party: 27-6 (82%-18%)

The Senate version:[9]

* Democratic Party: 46-21 (69%-31%)
* Republican Party: 27-6 (82%-18%)

The Senate version, voted on by the House:[9]

* Democratic Party: 153-91 (63%-37%)
* Republican Party: 136-35 (80%-20%)

By party and region

Note: "Southern", as used in this section, refers to members of Congress from the eleven states that made up the Confederate States of America in the American Civil War. "Northern" refers to members from the other 39 states, regardless of the geographic location of those states.

The original House version:

* Southern Democrats: 7-87 (7%-93%)
* Southern Republicans: 0-10 (0%-100%)

* Northern Democrats: 145-9 (94%-6%)
* Northern Republicans: 138-24 (85%-15%)

The Senate version:

* Southern Democrats: 1-20 (5%-95%) (only Senator Ralph Yarborough of Texas voted in favor)
* Southern Republicans: 0-1 (0%-100%) (this was Senator John Tower of Texas)
* Northern Democrats: 45-1 (98%-2%) (only Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia opposed the measure)
* Northern Republicans: 27-5 (84%-16%) (Senators Barry Goldwater of Arizona, Bourke Hickenlooper of Iowa, Edwin L. Mechem of New Mexico, Milward L. Simpson of Wyoming, and Norris H. Cotton of New Hampshire opposed the measure)
***********************************

it is what it am........maybe not as cut and dried as i earlier depicted it, but the telling point would be all the southern democratic politicians who switched to the gop

strom is one interesting character...his daughter will get medicare, too!

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/12/17/60II/main589107.shtml

"For each two comments about the party of No.. Can ya come up with at least ONE good point in this Bill and follow through all the way to the possible consequences?"

ping, is it not a positive that the bill (and the house bill) bans lifetime limits and denials of coverage for pre-existing conditions? those bans and the house bill lifting the federal anti-trust exemption are 2 for sturge's 1 nose thumb at you. nyah, nyah, nyah

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/11/the-great-debate-begins.html#comment-271883

Ping,

Watching you appear to go "wrong, bad, sad, icky, stupid" after the past several decades of destruction by Republicans is just plain offensive. You seem totally disconnected from anything related to reality even in the talking points.

The 2000 pages you keep citing is 500 pages when the standard formatting is turned into normal print. You can at least get off that bullet point can't you?

This Bill is a long way from perfect, but for the "Let Us Once More Scare You" party to even vaguely pretend that they give a flying fig about the American public is ludicrous.

I will grant that Congress has sold out to the Insurance Corporations just to get this started and screwed the general population with big pieces of it, but at least there is a little help in there for some folks and it wil, possibly provide a framework to fix the mess the rapacious corporations have created.

As far as the 1964 civil rights legislation, its passage
was in large part due as the result of the efforts of
Illinois Senator Everett Dirksen, the republican minortiy leader.

A similar effort by any one of the republican minority
today would speak volumes.

Got ten seconds into Meet The Press, saw Lieberman and almost threw up in my mouth. Changed channels immediately. NBC couldn't find another body that wouldn't make their audience sick?

oh, sorry, forgot the possible consequences of the bans on lifetime limits and denials of coverage for pre-existing conditions. more folks get treated and less people die earlier than they should. another possible consequence: greedy fatcat insurance ceos won't make as much money.

it was a joy last night to see Orin Hatch's face on C-span last night. That old sour puss! It happens to a man who loves corporations more than humans.

REPUBLICAN'Ts

or as we like to call them in New Mexico --

REPUBLICANOS! (unable to apply a tilde on the "n")

ok, ping, i came up with 2 positives to sturges 1 negative. ball's in your court.

jamie...joe put the LIE in Lieberman. Another trojan...he needs to declare himself as belonging to the party of NO. Another one who loves corporations more than humans.

Republican't!

Thought for the day :
" Of all the ills that men endure, hope is the only cheap and universal cure. "

Pat,

Dang; I was just going to sing up for my membership; I thought that I finally found the right religion to belong to..the other 99.9% of them are just the same.. from your link....

"A religion to some, a business certainly, and a cult to many, whose innermost cadres wear pseudo naval uniforms, Scientology's religious tenets are a mixture of therapy-style self-improvement steps – at least at first – mixed with a weird space-opera metaphysics, which is revealed only to its highest acolytes. The church has frequently been accused of breaking up families and preying on the vulnerable. The history of Scientology and its critics has been a story played out in the courts in interminable proceedings that supported Cooley's very lucrative career, underwritten by a very lucrative religious practice in which followers pay large sums of money to progress through a series of training courses called "auditing".

jamie, off subject but wondered if you were aware of this research.

"Cat owners may have suspected as much, but it seems our feline friends have found a way to manipulate us humans.
Researchers at the University of Sussex have discovered that cats use a "soliciting purr" to overpower their owners and garner attention and food."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8147566.stm

...too bad the Democrats didn't oppose the offensives in Iraq and Afghanistan like the Republicans oppose health-care reform now.

Prayer Vigil outside Senator Lieberman's home

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/scarce/hundreds-attend-vigil-outside-joe-lieberman?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email

Welmark trial tomorrow

http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/4672040-verdict-tomorrow-which-way-will-it-go-wellmark-of-iowa-7-trial

dark, opposing healthcare reform only gets one called uncaring, greedy and an insurance suck-up while opposing war gets one called unpatriotic traitor.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/11/the-great-debate-begins.html#comment-271908

Patd

I saw that several weeks ago as if I didn't know about it first hand from the furry face nuzzling every morning with the "It's time to feed me" message.

Roll over, groan, alright I'm up I'm up stagger up stairs open can with eyes half closed pour coffee.

Cats may very well be the superior race. They certainly have us well trained.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/11/the-great-debate-begins.html#comment-271888

Ping,
I'm not happy with this bill.I want single payer..You should admit that this bill has a few good things in it.Oh and for you to even hint that the Dems are the party of tax and spend is laughable!! Republican's have no credibility.I wish you would take a look at what all the years of massive Republican tax cuts and out of control spending have done to our country...Democrats balanced budgets and left surpluses under President Clinton and in return we got impeachment,remember....

speaking of the dawg, guess we're in for some moments on ko with this one.

http://rawstory.com/2009/11/clinton-attend-health-clinic-olbermann/

"Anticipation rising for U.S.-N.K. talks"

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEWKHSITE/data/html_dir/2009/11/23/200911230008.asp

our second sunday school lesson for today

"Providence Bishop Thomas J. Tobin has forbidden Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy to receive the Roman Catholic sacrament of Holy Communion...."
http://www.projo.com/news/johnmulligan/KENNEDY_COMMUNION_11-22-09_7PGHOLP_v17.38abb89.html

Katrina Vanden Huevel of The Nation on "Going Rogue" and "Going Rouge"

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/edcut

patd

I saw that. It always amazes me that someone can't see that being "Pro Choice" is not the same as being "Pro Abortion". Considering that John Kennedy had to make it clear that the Pope wouldn't be deciding political policy and was still in the good graces of the church, this seems like a step backward for a calcified, patriarchcal, decrepit organization .

They can hide molesting children but have a fit over allowing a woman of every faith having a conversation with their doctor about the state of their body.

jamie, and how many pro death penalty pols are still in the state of grace?

and don't forget the pols that voted for the wars.... where were the bishops then?

Hi,

Did anybody see the snl Palin 2012. OMG it was sooooooooo funny, me and purple watched it together, it was lol funny

"The shimmering, white glove Michael Jackson wore when he premiered his trademark moonwalk dance in 1983 was auctioned off for $350,000 — plus tax — on Saturday." -AP

If anyone out there wants me to sequin a glove for them, I can do it for about... oh, $50,000 or so (plus cost of glove and sequins). You save $300,000! You can submit your orders here.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/11/the-great-debate-begins.html#comment-271923

Hey, DL, some guy up at Gatlinburg (75 mi. as the crow flies from here) bought MJ's car at that same auction for an undisclosed amount. He has some sort of museum in Gatlinburg and may--eventually--make his investment back off tourist types.

Jamie--got my Take This Tune post up at the Red Mud Inn. Very different take from yours.

PS my debate-vote celebratory cookies turned out midy fine, even if I do say so myself--

See y'all around--

Fair,

I left a comment for you.

Thanks, Jamie.

Now this little tidbit:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091122/ap_on_en_ot/eu_britain_darwin

A rare first edition of Darwin's "On the Origin of Species" found on a bookshelf in an Oxford, UK family's spare bathroom.

MJ's single sequined glove sells for $350K. This book is expected to sell, at auction, for rather less than half that.

Am I just a snob, or is there something wrong with what is regarded as "significant" nowadays?

I think the rich are once again bidding up the price of baubles that signify status rather than investing in the economy as Reagonimics predicted.

The recent auction featuring Warhol paintings went 5 times hiigher than predicted.

Trickle down just don't work.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/11/the-great-debate-begins.html#comment-271926

Fair,

I really try not to be a snob, but it is things such as this that just sort of stick in my craw. It's as if illiteracy and ignorance have taken over and are now seen as some sort of "street wisdom".

Now I know there were probably popular obsessions in past centuries and the only reason those eras seem more civilized is that the good things that survived while the popular crazes went by the wayside. Still they are hard to take while you are living in the middle of the insanity.

I just finished Barbara Kingsolver's latest book, "The Lacuna". WOW! One of the best books I've read this year. Anyone here who is a fan of Diego Rivera and/or Frida Kahlo should consider it a must read.
It's an historical fiction piece starting off in Mexico and ends with the Red Scare that happened in this country during the 40's and early 50's. I highly recommend it.

Hi rebel Renee

One book that I read and liked was go ask alice. it is the story of a 15 year old girl who gets mixed up with drugs (LSD, pot, exc.) it's a very mature book but it tells what happens when teens have drugs

Hi me168...
I read Go Ask Alice many years ago. Good for you for reading good books.
Nothing gives me more pleasure.

I also love sports..... time to watch the Patriots.... Go Pats!

I LOVE BOOKS :)

for every sarah palin there's an equal and opposite levi johnston.........

I do too me and am truly enjoying Craig's Book. I know most of you all read it well before me and you all posted about it previously but I still want to comment on the points that I appreciated.

Chapter 2- You Are Not Above The Law: Read The Constitution
Excellent Chapter- profound, wanted to comment on it immediately upon reading, but life got in the way. Have had 2 glasses of wine and can't find the particular paragraph I wanted to examine. Will do at a more opportune time (before cocktail hour)

Chapter 6: Have Courage Even When It Hurts
page 106-107
"Another type of political courage is remaining loyal to friends, family or colleagues who become unpopular." This is a quality that I admire,although knowing that it can be a bit skewed. I like it when someone remembers who buttered their bread. This was a huge warning flag to me about Obama when he was so harsh with Imus, it just seemed too opportune for him to jump on that bandwagon. In his defense he did stand by the Rev. , yet put down blood relatives in doing so. Goes against the grain for me.

I tuned in to my favorite Sunday program..George S. and there was t Cheney's daughter again...as soon as I saw her..I shut the tv down...that the second time she made me do that ...hope she isn't going to be a regular.... she will tell you that there is a snow blizzard on a sunny day...nothing she say's- will I listen to...

I'm watching 100 Heartbeats. It is the sort of show that makes you want to see the right wing go extinct.

patsi, thought this article would start your day with a laugh or maybe a been there, seen that groan.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/nov/23/men-students-support-groups-universities

is this something like a mcman-sions trend?

"Military commanders are expected to tell the inquiry into the Iraq war, which opens on Tuesday, that the invasion was ill-conceived and that preparations were sabotaged by Tony Blair's government's attempts to mislead the public.
They were so shocked by the lack of preparation for the aftermath of the invasion that they believe members of the British and US governments at the time could be prosecuted for war crimes by breaching the duty outlined in the Geneva convention to safeguard civilians in a conflict, the Guardian has been told."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/nov/22/iraq-invasion-no10-cover-up

"Support for legalizing marijuana grows rapidly around U.S.
Approval for medical use expands alongside criticism of prohibition"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/22/AR2009112201986.html?hpid=topnews

Morning Woo Hoo to patd and tonyb....

good points in your responses yesterday..

thank you, mr. pong. and a good morning to you.
better gird your mental loins today as pogo will soon awaken in his vacation paradise with sufficient time and drink in hand to debate all things contrary.

What is good about the bill? People will not be deined health insurance because of a precconceived illness? That even sounds phony -- preconceived; 2) more people will have an access to affordable healthcare -- do you not think that is a good idea? 3) small business will be able to pool together and they will also have tax breaks to help them afford insurance for their employees. 4) Public Option, which I love and believe will be the real Reform out of this bill (like Social Security & Medicare) which will bring choice and cut of the head of the out of control costs of the healthinsurance giants.

The TX governor's race ads have started and Kay BH looks week. Her ad says she's going to do everything in her power to prevent healthcare reform because it will cost taxpayers money. Of course, some of us hear that as she is going to everything in her power to prevent people from getting health care.

The newest entry into the race: Farouk Shami. (Talk about hope sprining eternal.) His ads actually stared about a year ago...just a businessman taking a stroll through his factory, with Miss Teen USA, talking about how he was bringing jobs to Texas. I thought it was kind of an odd angle to sell his product (flat irons for hair) by noting he was creating jobs in Texas. Now I know why he did it. He was starting his run for office.

http://houston.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2009/11/16/daily34.html

Question ?
Why not inact regulation that creates these elements immediately and not tied to the negative elements and the massive tax structure that is attached - which by the way - all of us in the middle class making less then 250K get ready to pay more

Why not just put a cap on the increase insurance companies can charge per year & tell them they can't deny coverage? Because insurance companies aren't in the health care business. They are in the institutionalized gambling business and the house always wins.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/23/opinion/23krugman.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

"The Phantom Menace"

Good morning all,Ping.

You make some good points too...I'm glad your here!! Its hard to get across,but I agree with you on many things....Weather has been great here in Central Florida,oh ya

Pat,
Thanks for all the good piece's you posted this morning..Off to work soon..

Why is Patrick Kennedy calling out the church after all this time? Maybe it helps with his constituents and he was just holding back a card for the right time. Maybe the right time was the advent of the "stupid" amendment in the house healthcare bill.

Does it hurt other Catholic candidates because now they see what voters, pre-Kennedy presidency, feared? The church will attempt to control the politician by means of spiritual blackmail?

Whatever his motivation, good for him for sticking to beliefs. There is so little of that these days.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/11/the-great-debate-begins.html#comment-271944

Yes Ping why not? I think special interest money is the reason,sad..

blue, am curious about the dallas news media. how do they handle nov 23rd?

Another great debate: marshmallows or no marshmallows on the yams. I like them plain, but I did find carmel/vanilla marshmallows this weekend that might make me change my mind.

rr - Did you notice Arianna Huffington on The Cleveland Show? She's a mamma bear.

re fancified yams, pecans are a delicious substitute for those yucky minimarshmallows.

make that pecans, butter, brown sugar and cinnamon... like streusal.

There is always some coverage, but I think it still may seem extra painful that it happened here. Not exactly a reason you want your city to be known, but something that will always deserve the nation's attention. There was quite a lot of coverage on the 40th anniversary, as I recall.

6:30 am to 8:00 am posts -- why I LOVE this blog! : )

this story gives new meaning to "tie me kangaroo down, mate. tie me kangaroo down"

Rogue kangaroo attacks farmer after trying to drown his dog

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article6927956.ece

song for the day:

tie me kangaroo down, sport

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D-LmRNdQiQ

Patd -- yes -- that article did start the day with a laugh...and this quote REALLY cracked me up: "Detractors allege they are just a front for macho activities and beer-drinking marathons"

Why don't they just go fishing?

DAMN! A kangaroo trying to drown a dog!!!!!! Now that's one pissed off Roo!

patsi, re roo, that's what i call waking up grumpy

dadgum kangaroo song.... gonna play in my head all day now. they don't write songs like they used to

mornin

sunny, breezy, not at work - and logon is automatic. Life is good.

Birthday of Franklin Pierce (1804), 14th U.S. President.

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

Why does every Democratic entitlement program hinge on taxing those who gross $200k+/ year? Do they believe that is a well that will never run dry? It makes for great incentive to stay in a lower tax-bracket.

Case in point:

"Salary and benefits

The annual salary of each senator, as of 2009, is $174,000; the President pro tempore and party leaders receive $193,400."

The Catholic Bishops Theme Song:

We are Assholes, my friends
and we'll be the Assholes til the end
refrain:
We are the Assholes
We are the Assholes
We are the Assholes of the World

I'm in a naughty mood this morning....

For those who may not have read it, this is the blog article I did two years ago regarding the time of the Kennedy assassination

http://jdurward.blogspot.com/2007/11/it-seems-like-yesterday-repost-from.html

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/11/the-great-debate-begins.html#comment-271963

DL

Because instead of returning the tax rate on that level of income back to where it was in the 60s when this country was at its richest and fairest to the whole of society, they are trying to sneak up on it by nickle and diming them to death.

That is stupid but about the only way to sneak it past the "More for Me" crowd. The problem being that if you want to avoid a specific tax you simply don't do what is being taxed. It is a lot harder to avoid a set percentage on everything.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/11/the-great-debate-begins.html#comment-271950

Blue

Yams - No marshmallows. I just get them sweet, drunk and hot: Brown sugar, bourbon, and pepper flakes.

The Nation is holding an auction of several decades of memorabilia. Even if you don't bid, reading about the items is fascinating:

http://www.cmarket.com/auction/AuctionHome.action?vhost=thenation

Son gave me an early present of an IPOD. The darn thing doesn't come with a real "how to" manual. It's a conspiracy to drive me crazy.

Jamie,

When I bought my nano several years ago, I ended up buying a how-to book at the bookstore. You would think there would be online instruction by now. One of the first to-dos is download and install itunes.

They're great once you have all your music library up loaded, synced and portable. Good luck.

Former Vice President Al Gore declares plan to "outcrazy the crazy" on SNL.

http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/al-gore-ill-outcrazy-the-crazy.php?ref=fpb

Thought for the day :
" If you bow at all, bow low. "

1859 Billy the Kid [William H Bonney], criminal

Jamie -

Mac Help Forum - Useful Links

http://www.machelpforum.com/

Jamie -

Join this one :

Apple.com > Support > Discussions

http://discussions.apple.com/index.jspa

Jamie, Actually there are good manuals (2009) at the Apple support site for a Nano and a Classic IPOD

http://support.apple.com/manuals/#ipod

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/11/the-great-debate-begins.html#comment-271970

1. Download iT___s (it's free and works on a PC)
2. It will ask you to search your PC for music files and import them into iT___s (select "OK", obviously)
3. Plug in your N__o via USB, iT___s will automatically detect it and ask to "synch" your player to iT___s (select "OK" once again). That will put your music library on the player.

...all there is to it.

Jamie....
as you well know.... I am a semi-Luddite....
Rick has given me several Ipods and once he showed me how to download music and how to operate it, I thought it was easy.

Lesson: get you son to show you how....

Jamie, You're going to love your ipod. Basically, it's a mini hard drive. Which one is it?

Just learn how to turn it on and off; adjust the volume; play around with the menu; attach it to your computer (with the cable they gave you); then answer the questions it asks you (including how to look for music).

After you do these things, it'll practically run itself. Sit back and enjoy. :)

oh yeah....
on the question of marshmallows or not on yams.... we New Englanders don't traditionally do yams on Thanksgiving.... we are into butternut squash....

A chronology of events helps -

"Their simmering dispute escalated in October when Kennedy criticized Catholic bishops for threatening to oppose an overhaul of the nation's health care system unless lawmakers included tighter restrictions on abortion, which have since been added to the House version of the bill. Tobin said he felt Kennedy made an unprovoked attack on the church and demanded an apology. Since then, their feud has played out in public."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_ri_bishop_kennedy

So, here we go with the question of tax-exempt status for churches, again.

butternut squash....

Now there a vegetable in search of a mission.

uh oh.... are we gonna turn this into a Yankee vs Southern thing.... :0)

butternut squash.... peeled, cubed, boiled, then mashed....
add a little butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a dash of ground ginger....

YUM!

Y'all forgot the infamous green bean casserole--

which, thank goodness, nobody in my family makes--

Posted by: Ping Pong | November 23, 2009 7:16 AM :
"all of us in the middle class making less then 250K get ready to pay more"

the pong makes less than 250k/yr and is a republican. I call that working against self-interest in a big way.

oh yeah.... and just FYI....
I personally LOVE yams.... we call them sweet potatoes up here....
my favorite is to cut them in half, wrap them in aluminum foil and bake along with a roasting chicken.... you mash them with a little butter and salt....

but I love them as french fries.... and in casseroles... with or without marshmallows too.....

Fair.... I will confess that I like green bean casserole.... :0)

Sturg -

Off to the Post Office.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/11/the-great-debate-begins.html#comment-271974

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DIFiHqNkt0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XZyGhg2IpQ

Thanks for all the IPOD replies. I'm starting to figure it out. Other than the aggravation of getting all my CDs loaded in (You would think there would be a faster way to get through a few hundred CDs)

As to what it is: The IPOD Nano with 16 gigs, of which after what seems hours I've barely filled 1.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/11/the-great-debate-begins.html#comment-271988

I would too, Renee, actually--if it weren't for the mushroom soup, which seems pretty tasteless to me. I'm thinking of trying it with either golden mushroom or cream of chicken/cream of celery.

Funny thing. In copying my CDs I have Harry Belafonte at Carnegie Hall. For some reason ITunes register this in the "Latin" genre rather than "folk" ... very odd.

The House added stricter language restricting access to abortion because the Bishops said they couldn't support health care reform otherwise.

Now I am waiting for the strong statement of support from the Bishops....

Still waiting....

Still waiting...

1. Arrest them all for not registering as agents of a foreign power.
2. End the Council of Bishops' tax exempt status.
3. Demand the immediate extradition of Cardinal law(less)

It's too bad that republican politicians can't receive the Nobel Peace Prize by virtue of their blood lust.

Therefore, I propose a prestigious prize that rapeblicans (and fascists of other counties, too) can win.

I suggest that the prize be named after King Croesus, and that it be awarded to the strongman or junta that best exemplifies the military acumen and prowess of the Lydian king.

Further, I nominate as the first recipient the junta of bush, cheney, tenet, and rumsfeld, for their magnificent efforts to evade victory in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Tonight is Sarah Pain night. They also have Mike Huckabee coming to the same bookstore on the same afternoon. Who planned that logistical fiasco?

http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2009/11/more_than_1000_people_gathered.html

I'm trying to figure how I can maneuver away from the inevitable traffic bottleneck on Hwy 280, holding my breath and hoping for the best.

PS: The reader comments are a hoot.

Belafonte, Latin ???

Jamaica was once misruled by Spain, but that ended in the 1600s. The person who pigeonholed Belafonte as Latin must be VERY conservative - musicology's answer to glenbeck.

What votes did the Bishops deliver?

This whole business of transferring the music is giving me a bit of a giggle. There just doesn't seem to be any real rhyme or reason to my musical tastes.

Any collection that has Kiri te Kanawa, Gordon Lightfoot, Meatloaf, and Sinatra is truly weird. :-)

http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/

"Menendez Is Jumping On The Trigger Bandwagon"

"NJ.com caught Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) pushing the trigger:

Speaking inside the Hoboken University Medical Center emergency room, Menendez said today a modified public option could draw support from U.S. Sens. Bill [sic - should be Ben] Nelson (D-Neb.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), who announced their opposition to the elements of the bill over the weekend.

Menendez suggested adding a so-called trigger clause, which would only put the public option into effect if certain conditions are not met in the future. These conditions could include expanded competition in the marketplace or a decrease in insurance premium costs.

“There are other public options possible,” Menendez said. “They have only said they oppose the public option in its current version.”

First of all this is simply not true about Joe Lieberman. He has stated that he will oppose a public option and even opposes the trigger.

The trigger is not a modification of the public option. It is not like a public option. It does not serve the same function as a public option. It is the same as simply having no public option at all."

Jamie,

I have all those you name, except for Meatloaf. But I do have Drive By Truckers!

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/11/the-great-debate-begins.html#comment-272000

I--uh--ahem--prefer "eclectic" myself.

On the other hand, I did get that ad at the top of Fair's page awhile back that declared "your music collection is a mess"--(^_^) (^_~)

some of my favorites on both my Ipods....
Meatloaf's.... I Will Do Anything For Love.... and the B52's Love Shack..

and then there is Bobby Darin's Mack the Knife... and Tony Bennet's I Left My Heart in San Francisco....
yup... I'm eclectic too.....

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/11/the-great-debate-begins.html#comment-272002

CJ

Peter Allen, Burl Ives, Billy Holiday, Randy Newman and Dave Brubeck? Then there is the two foot tower of soundtracks.

The big stacks of performers seem to be B, C D, M, and S. :-)

Yep. Have Darin, Bennet, plus Queen and U2. Not quite sure how they are going to mix with the Sea Shanties. :-)

With all of you "eclectic" folks, no wonder the musical selections on this site are so entertaining.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/11/the-great-debate-begins.html#comment-272000

Jamie, When I did want you're doing one of my first thoughts was the money I wasted on some whimsical music choices several years back when I was running around more with more spare cash.

Now I have a big box of CDs sitting in the corner collecting dust. After online music and mp3 players, I wonder what the next format will be? However I think this it for me.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/11/the-great-debate-begins.html#comment-272007

Not to mention the other big box of cassettes or the several hundred albums in the garage.

Cern's Large Hadron Collider makes first collisions
By Paul Rincon
Science reporter, BBC News

Engineers working on the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) have smashed together proton beams for the very first time.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8375486.stm

while in the midst of posting that, all kinds of lights started flashing and the electricity went off for a few minutes. very spooky this super collider stuff.

Jamie, not Peter Allen, but in addition to the others, Gillian Welsh, Pearl Jam, Akiko Suwanai, Al Cooper, The Balfa Brothers, and Old Crow Medicine Show.

patd,

Probably that black hole they created.

Rez

Have to admit that I've had a few "Why in the world did I buy that on?" moments.

For you folks that have IPODs, I just started listening to some of the playback and I'm getting a lot of static and stuck distortion and skips on some songs.

Should I have Chris take this back or rerecord the bad ones?

Jamie,
I have two ipods, and have had no similar problems. If you can't figure out what is going wrong, by all means bring it back. You've already loaded all you music to your computer, right? Does it play ok on your computer?

CJ

I haven't checked all the things I've loaded in. I'll do that and if that is the source of the problem will fix that end. Otherwise, back it goes.

Josquin Deprez, Bach, Mozart, Hayden, Beethoven, Brahms, Glinka, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Tarika, Winsome Evans, Shefa Gold, Pinchas Pinchik, Oscar Brown Jr., Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck, MJQ, Patsy Cline, Etta James, The Righteous Brothers, The Animals, Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Hoagy Carmichael, The Inkspots, Thelonius Monk, Moussorgsky Rimsky-Korsakov, Prokofiev, Respighi, Gershwin, & Javanese Gong music.

It's a mess, but I like it.

X-R

I wonder if all of our ipods are pretty much interchangeable? There are one or two 'uniques" (Javanese Gong sounds interesting), but between your listings, Jamie's and mine, there is a lot of overlap.

Interesting. Where's Max when we need him?

Orff, Smetana, Cab Calloway, and Andean flutes, Brule, Bennie Goodman, Jimmy Dorsey, Dionne Warwick, Ian and Sylvia, Moody Blues, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Sun Ra, Prudence and Patience, Johnny Ray, The Andrews Sisters, Smokey Robinson, The Coasters, Tina Turner, Roy Orbison, Keith Jarrett.

seems everyone on Capital Hill is ga ga over the upcoming dinner the Obama's are hosting for the President of India. Question: what is the big deal about being invited to the White House for a steak dinner. Isn't that right? Steak Dinner?

Mr. Verisigns,

I am not up to iPod. I'm more of a 78s kinda guy. Not all gong is created equal. Get the stuff that is made in Java. I've got some locally made gong music that I can live without.

I forgot Tom Dayhill, the early Cheiftains, Planxty, Helen Kane, and Bo Diddley.

what is the big deal about being invited to the White House for a steak dinner. Isn't that right? Steak Dinner? HD

I thought Indians didn't eat cow

Katherine C Cracker,

I think you are right. I did miss hear that as a Steak Dinner when it is really a STATE DINNER. my bad, :)

Spokesman: Karzai Could Call ‘Grand Jirga’ with Taliban
Massive Assembly Would Aim for Reconciliation

With his inauguration into his second term in office safely on the books, Afghan President Hamid Karzai appears to be looking forward to tackling his promise of attempting reconciliation with the Taliban, and spokesmen say he is mulling calling a “Loya Jirga.”

The Loya Jirga, or grand assembly, is the largest theoretical tribal meeting Pashtun groups can hold, and the Taliban leadership would be invited to participate in this one.

Though unlikely, this could have enormous potential ramifications, as under the Afghan constitution a Loya Jirga is empowered to amend the constitution as well as make decisions in the national interest, suggesting that the Taliban could come out of such a deal with some formal power-sharing arrangement.

Western officials have long supported Taliban reconciliation, but primarily as a means to strip the less ideologically bound members from the ground in a divide-and-conquer strategy. The Taliban has repeatedly rejected talks with Karzai, insisting that so long as international forces occupy the nation Karzai doesn’t hold any real bargaining power.

Dooty.... ROFL!

I have this big gong wind chime my brother bought me several Xmas' ago....
it's on the front of our shed that contains the canisters of bird food.... every time I have to fill a feeder I chime the gong.... I LOVE it....

XR

I have lots of yours such as Hoagy Ink Spots and Respighi. Does El Condor Pass count toward Andean Flutes?

Dooty, No cow sacred or otherwise. They get veggies from the Michelle's Garden.

Renee, Do the birdies come flocking when you ring?

Reading from the bottom up...looks like comments from the past..not too much politics, and a little bit of fun...about time.!

are there sacred bulls also like the sacred cows? Is the Brahma breed the only scared one? I don't know.

Jamie.... no... but I sometimes do the turkey trot.... ;)

I'd bet hard cold cash that our fearless leader has flown to Orlando....

Dooty

Sacred Bulls are published by the Pope. I don't believe they are eaten. :-)

Sacred Cows http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/holycow/hinduism.html

Sacred Bulls
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03052b.htm

I could eat a nice, thick, juicy State right now. I mean, reeeaallly thick. Texas, the other red meat.

Jamie,

The El Condor Pass I know is Arturo Galvez, the harpist, who has some andean pipe backup. That the guy ? If so, it's weird enough that I'll give it a thumbs up.

I think that Simon and Garfunkle strained through a 3/4 size concert harp sounds somewhat unique.

...shipping off to Valhalla; Happy Holidays!

Papal Bulls are published by the Pope. Sacred bulls are were worshiped in ancient Canaan. Sacred cows are allowed to poop on the carpet and the dining room table in the Hindu the neighborhoods of India and Brixton. In the Moslem neighborhoods sacred cows are barbecued and added to the Jalfrezi and rice.

Hindus barbecue people, but usually wait until they are dead, unles they are Hindu-Right Fundamentalists barbecuing the widow and concubines at an dead guy's funeral. right-wing Fundamentals are pretty similar across religious lines. The old lady always gets burned at the stake house.

Mr. Bloggingham,

Going to Valhalla ?

Does this mean that someone killed you in a fight ?

Does it mean that you are flying via Air Valkyrie ?

Say, "HI !" to Odin for me.

Have fun & don't drink the mead. You never know who was in the cask when they fermented it.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/11/the-great-debate-begins.html#comment-272033

Champ,
Have a safe trip! Happy Holidays to you and yours...

DL,
Have a nice trip

Jamie
I have a Sony walkman but trying to convince mom & dad to get me a 16GB IPOD Nano (Red, of course) For Christmas. PLESE DADDY AND MOMMY!!!!!!
Mom also made baked brie. OMG!!!!!!!! I'm lactose intolerant a very tiny bit, but it was soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo worth it.

A young person who lusts after baked brie? I have trouble getting my grandson to expand beyond chicken fingers ... well he did develop an affection for Calimari even after he found out what it was.

mr gold, mr mudd, townes, and 5 card stud......

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

In the in-box today:

The FunTheory.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lXh2n0aPyw&feature=player_embedded

http://www.placenames.com/us/p1023060/

valhalla, nc

tom sawyer was a pioneer of fun theory......

The Civil Rights legislation which revolutionized America was passed with a center-right GOP and a center-left Democratic Party.

Since then the Republican Party,the party of Lincoln, has become the party of the narrow bigot.

Nixon's Southern Strategy
Reagan's campaign appeal using the coded "States Rights" term
The Bush boys appealing to the new Republican South which had deserted the Democrats just as LBJ predicted they would..

Now we are left with a center-left Democratic Party and a hard right-wing Republican Party.

The giant piano in "Big" always struck me as a great idea for a sidewalk.

http://www.taylormarsh.com/

"Howard Dean: Dems will ‘Rue the Day They Didn’t Go To Budget Reconciliation to Pass This Bill’" Video

me168, I've been wondering where you are. Glad to see you back. I hope you will let me revert to an English teacher for a moment and tell you that, no matter how intelligent you are, if you keep saying things such as "Me and my grandpa went...." and "Me and purple did this and that...." , it will be harder for people to recognize your intelligect. "Me" is an object and shouldn't be a subject, altho it is easy to neglect that rule when you use another subject as well. I know
you wouldn't say, "Me went to the movies."

Sorry to be a pedant, but this is a construction that has
slowly become very common, and it is of the "fingernails on the blackboard" type for me - especially when I heard one of my nieces say it!

I forgot how long it takes for this site to load.
.
A walk down memory lane.

Check out,
"Federal Express
When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight." for unique.

http://www.classictvads.com/travel_1.shtml

tt

Had a busy day. Stinky took me shopping this morning, then this afternoon and evening I was busily pursuing a Rolls-Royce on eBay. Caught the damned thing, too!

So, next week Stinky and I will be flying out to pick that sucker up.

Isn't the president of India a Sikh ? Sikhs eat meat. So do Shaivite Hindus.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/11/the-great-debate-begins.html#comment-272047

Bethy, anyone hanging out around here is not just a pedant, but a pendant as well!

Wonderful car the RR. What year and model ?

Holy cow, XR, you're right about Sikhs!

It's an '84 Silver Spirit, my brother and sister-in-law inspected it this afternoon. They reported that it was absolutely pristine--like new. Here it is:
http://tinyurl.com/ygpj5h9

I had a Jaguar Mk-10 twenty years older than the RR; it was even more elegant than this one as it had the Walnut burl picnic tables in the back, etc.. I had to take it out on the motorway once a week or so and let it loose or it would just sputter. It was very fast. Even at 100-mph it was only running 3,000 RPM.

We took it on the ferry to Germany. Going about 100-mph we'd have BMWs come up beside us, giving us a close inspection, than racing off. It was a very impressive car. Hated leaving it in England.

Flatus, I tend to not correct people's grammar - it is
ridiculously painful for me to do it most of the time, so I pick my spots carefully. The joy I get from it is to catch my family - we can be brutal about it, and with a kid like me168 I feel as if I'm doing him a favor. If he likes schmoozing with older folk, it'll help him shine even more brightly.

I guess I like the pedantry here a lot!

Also, just saw an ad for Fiddler in San Francisco with Harvey Firestein as Tevya. Wouldn't that be something!

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/11/the-great-debate-begins.html#comment-272047

Bethy --

Thanks, Teach! I'm not too old that I didn't enjoy your brush-up lesson meself. I never had an English teacher who wasn't my favorite. I assert Me168 is a good enough student to know his proper writing format, but was using "me and him" as an affectation to accentuate his youth among us elders.

"Woe is I" by Patricia T. O'Connor is one of my favorite "grammar" books.

http://writerseditingworkshop.com/2008/04/review-woe-is-i/