That about sums up the performance of the Vikings on Sunday. Also the Fox Sports camera crew and the officiating crew. It seems that the only professionals anywhere near the stadium yesterday were the Carolina Panthers.
To all the people who had been wishing for Brad Johnson. You've got your wish, think Johnson is going to win us more than a couple of games for the rest of the season? Wanna put money on that? The only thing more disturbing yesterday than the Viking's play was the general sense of happiness at the bar when Culpepper went out injured. Are you people nuts?
So, anyone know anything about the 2006 draft class? I'm betting on a top-five pick here so who's good? Bonus points for offensive linemen.
Oh well. At least we're still ahead of the Packers.
Monday, October 31, 2005
Limbaugh meets Church Lady
When you think that KK can't possibly get any worse, get ready, because she hasn't even warmed up yet. Without a doubt Sunday's column was her most execrable pack of lies yet. It seems that every time Michael Moore opens his big fat yap we hear a chorus from the right that liberals need to denounce Moore. Fine. I'll do it as soon as someone on the right has the guts to denounce Kersten. I don't mean, "oh, well, she doesn't speak for me." I want to hear an admission that it is people like her who are responsible for the polarization of politics and for much of the divide in the country today. Because, despite conservative fantasies to the contrary, it isn't just us calling people Nazis.
Much of the Wellstone memorial "outrage" was carefully planned and stage-managed long before the event even happened. But even if you ignore that fact, Kersten's writing is a pathetic coarsening of the dialogue. She must have been cribbing notes from Hugh Hewitt who is the master of this particular type of political assassination. It goes beyond the Rush Limbaugh demonizing of the other side by also including a sense of the absolute righteousness of one's own side. The sense that all the evil and perfidy in the world can be ascribed to liberals and everything that is good and holy is on the side of Republicans. Why bother even listening to the other side in that case? The only result will be contamination, right? As Hugh himself put it recently:
I'm not saying on the whole the Republican party is worse than the Democratic party. Both parties clearly have exemplars of virtue and shady figures in roughly equal proportion. That's what makes this kind of dialogue so pernicious. Not only does it lead to a lack of communication with the other side, but it also creates a fertile breeding ground for corruption in your own because when you are absolutely convinced of the righteousness of your cause, it doesn't make sense to question your leaders.
This is the politics of personality cults, not democracies. Kersten should be ashamed of being such a useful idiot for these hacks, and everyone on the right should be embarrassed that she is associated with them.
ps. "Bowling for Columbine" is one of the worst movies I've ever seen and it so poorly argued its position I actually had less sympathy for the anti-gun movement when it was over.
pps. Spotty does not ignore the fact that the memorial "outrage" was made-up. Definitely worth a read.
Much of the Wellstone memorial "outrage" was carefully planned and stage-managed long before the event even happened. But even if you ignore that fact, Kersten's writing is a pathetic coarsening of the dialogue. She must have been cribbing notes from Hugh Hewitt who is the master of this particular type of political assassination. It goes beyond the Rush Limbaugh demonizing of the other side by also including a sense of the absolute righteousness of one's own side. The sense that all the evil and perfidy in the world can be ascribed to liberals and everything that is good and holy is on the side of Republicans. Why bother even listening to the other side in that case? The only result will be contamination, right? As Hugh himself put it recently:
The right's embrace in the Miers nomination of tactics previously exclusive to the left - exaggeration, invective, anonymous sources, an unbroken stream of new charges, television advertisements paid for by secret sources - will make it immeasurably harder to denounce and deflect such assaults when the Democrats make them the next time around.Uh huh. And if it's not close they can't cheat, right? Because Republicans would never engage in voter fraud. Right, Hugh? The right has never exploited someone's tragedy for political gain, right Katherine?
I'm not saying on the whole the Republican party is worse than the Democratic party. Both parties clearly have exemplars of virtue and shady figures in roughly equal proportion. That's what makes this kind of dialogue so pernicious. Not only does it lead to a lack of communication with the other side, but it also creates a fertile breeding ground for corruption in your own because when you are absolutely convinced of the righteousness of your cause, it doesn't make sense to question your leaders.
This is the politics of personality cults, not democracies. Kersten should be ashamed of being such a useful idiot for these hacks, and everyone on the right should be embarrassed that she is associated with them.
ps. "Bowling for Columbine" is one of the worst movies I've ever seen and it so poorly argued its position I actually had less sympathy for the anti-gun movement when it was over.
pps. Spotty does not ignore the fact that the memorial "outrage" was made-up. Definitely worth a read.
If the Women Ran The World....
Oh, wait, seems like they already do!
And from the Horse's (no offense meant at all, Ladies) mouth:
Thank goodness they're finally appeased.
I'd hat tip, but it'd just make people mad.
One group consulted was the Concerned Women for America, whose decision to oppose Miers last Wednesday became one of the final blows to help kill the nomination. Janet M. LaRue, the group's chief counsel, said it received a call from the White House on Saturday and liked what it heard.
And from the Horse's (no offense meant at all, Ladies) mouth:
Concerned Women for America (CWA) expressed its wholehearted support for President Bush's nomination of Judge Samuel Alito Jr., 55, to the U.S. Supreme Court. Judge Alito is eminently qualified and has a consistent record as a conservative constitutionalist during the past 15 years on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
"Judge Alito has always been one of our top choices for the Supreme Court," said Jan LaRue, CWA's chief counsel. "He has all of the qualifications needed: intellect, knowledge and experience in constitutional law, integrity, competence, humility and judicial temperament."
Thank goodness they're finally appeased.
I'd hat tip, but it'd just make people mad.
Saturday, October 29, 2005
Power House Warming!
Announcing the Power House Warming Party! Next Saturday (November 5th) at the Power House. This is a non-partisan non-political event. All bloggers, non-bloggers, DLers and anyone else who somehow hears about it is invited! Come one, come all. We'll get sober like Teddy Kennedy and discuss the joys of homeownership.
More details to follow. For address, directions and times contact either REW or I through the addresses in our profile.
Hope to see you there, er, here!
More details to follow. For address, directions and times contact either REW or I through the addresses in our profile.
Hope to see you there, er, here!
Friday, October 28, 2005
Statement from Senator Kennedy
I found this on Atrios. I don't normally pull entire posts off of other blogs, but I thought this was worth reposting in its entirety:
Today is an ominous day for the country, signifying a new low since Watergate in terms of openness and honesty in our government. This is far more than an indictment of an individual. In effect it's an indictment of the vicious and devious tactics used by the Administration to justify a war we never should have fought. It's an indictment of the lengths Administration officials were willing to go to cover up their failed intelligence, their distortion on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, and their serious blunders on the war. It is an indictment of their vindictive efforts to discredit anyone who challenge their misrepresentations.With those sobering words in mind you may now return to your happy dance.
The American people know the high cost of this misguided war - 2,000 U.S. soldiers dead, more than 15,000 wounded, hundreds of billions of dollars spent with no end in sight, and a continuing shameful effort by the White House to silence those who try to tell the truth about the war. Dissent is the ultimate form of patriotism, and it's time we return to having an honest discourse in this country about changing direction and paying attention to the needs of the American people.
The President should take this opportunity to do everything he can to heal the country by not interfering with the prosecution of this case or the continuing investigation, and by cleaning house at the White House to immunize the country against any further corruption and dishonesty. As the President promised, anyone still in the White House who had anything to do with this scandalous plot or the cover-up should be dismissed immediately, whether or not they have been indicted. Something has to give - America can't stand three more years of this failed Bush presidency.
//Play Deliverance Music Here//
The Donkey's Brain?
Is Harry Reid the Democrats' answer to Karl Rove?
While listening to NPR yesterday discussing Miers' withdrawal a couple of scattered facts popped up which seemed to point to one conclusion: Harry Reid outmaneuvered the white house. Here's the reasoning, before the nomination Reid told Bush specifically that he wouldn't oppose Miers. In fact, no Democrats really came out strongly one way or another during the entire period. The guy on NPR (David Frum, I believe) said that Miers was supposed to be a "safe" pick, one that wouldn't create an acrimonious confirmation fight between the Republicans and Democrats.
So, here's the scenario: Reid does his homework on Miers and digs up some of the same information that we've received recently (such as the feminist icon lectures and the '93 speech that just came out earlier this week). With that information in hand, and knowing Bush's proclivity to pick people close to him, Reid added Miers' name to the list of candidates he wouldn't oppose and possibly made other mention to the administration that she would be a safe choice. He did this knowing that Miers would be the poisoned pill. Bush would naturally like the idea of picking someone that close to him, and who seemed likely to be confirmed with minimal struggle, but who, unbeknownst to him, would result in a split in the base due to her real or assumed positions on various issues. Then, knowing that if the Democrats got actively involved it would be too easy to start attacking them and blame them for the problems, Reid told the Democrats to back down and let the wound fester in the other side. Then they just waited and watched as events took their predictable course.
Is it fiction? Probably. But it's a nice fiction to think that there is somebody on our side with the ability to strategize like that.
While listening to NPR yesterday discussing Miers' withdrawal a couple of scattered facts popped up which seemed to point to one conclusion: Harry Reid outmaneuvered the white house. Here's the reasoning, before the nomination Reid told Bush specifically that he wouldn't oppose Miers. In fact, no Democrats really came out strongly one way or another during the entire period. The guy on NPR (David Frum, I believe) said that Miers was supposed to be a "safe" pick, one that wouldn't create an acrimonious confirmation fight between the Republicans and Democrats.
So, here's the scenario: Reid does his homework on Miers and digs up some of the same information that we've received recently (such as the feminist icon lectures and the '93 speech that just came out earlier this week). With that information in hand, and knowing Bush's proclivity to pick people close to him, Reid added Miers' name to the list of candidates he wouldn't oppose and possibly made other mention to the administration that she would be a safe choice. He did this knowing that Miers would be the poisoned pill. Bush would naturally like the idea of picking someone that close to him, and who seemed likely to be confirmed with minimal struggle, but who, unbeknownst to him, would result in a split in the base due to her real or assumed positions on various issues. Then, knowing that if the Democrats got actively involved it would be too easy to start attacking them and blame them for the problems, Reid told the Democrats to back down and let the wound fester in the other side. Then they just waited and watched as events took their predictable course.
Is it fiction? Probably. But it's a nice fiction to think that there is somebody on our side with the ability to strategize like that.
Thursday, October 27, 2005
I think I'm going to miss Harriet
At least she got the ladies all worked up...
"Every time she quotes or cites women she admires, they're to the left of Betty Freidan. We desire role models who have a strong record of promoting and advancing constitutional principles. Miss Miers' record, as reflected in her speeches, is of promoting a leftist agenda that relies upon the courts to impose their views," LaRue commented. "We'd prefer to have someone fond of quoting Margaret Thatcher or Antonin Scalia rather than Barbra Streisand and Gloria Steinem. Some of Miss Miers' own comments border on male-bashing."
Let's Do the Time Warp Again
Is it just me, or are Katherine Kersten's op-ed columns starting to resemble nothing more than 2 year old pro-war blog posts? I guess it's a lot easier to produce a column twice a week when you don't have to come up with anything original.
Anyway, I may have missed the first annual City Pages KK Haiku Kontest, but here's one to get myself warmed up for next year:
Katherine Kersten says,
"Support the war!" It's easy,
To cheer from sidelines.
Anyway, I may have missed the first annual City Pages KK Haiku Kontest, but here's one to get myself warmed up for next year:
Katherine Kersten says,
"Support the war!" It's easy,
To cheer from sidelines.
Didn't see that one coming...
Miers Withdraws Supreme Court Nomination
Sorry if this is old news, but I was so busy laughing at that last sentence that it took me a while to post this.
UPDATE: Atrios has more to say on this.
WASHINGTON - Harriet Miers withdrew her nomination to be a Supreme Court justice Thursday in the face of stiff opposition and mounting criticism about her qualifications.
President Bush said he reluctantly accepted her decision to withdraw, after weeks of insisting that he did not want her to step down. He blamed her withdrawal on calls in the Senate for the release of internal White House documents that the administration has insisted were protected by executive privilege.
"It is clear that senators would not be satisfied until they gained access to internal documents concerning advice provided during her tenure at the White House — disclosures that would undermine a president's ability to receive candid counsel," Bush said. "Harriet Miers' decision demonstrates her deep respect for this essential aspect of the constitutional separation of powers — and confirms my deep respect and admiration for her."
Sorry if this is old news, but I was so busy laughing at that last sentence that it took me a while to post this.
UPDATE: Atrios has more to say on this.
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
More Security = Less Privacy?
One night during my freshman year at the Big U my roommate and I were watching Star Trek:TNG(I swear-it was his choice not mine!) I can't remember what the plot of the episode was, but it involved some kind of espionage or mystery on board the Enterprise. As Picard struggled to solve the mystery, my roommate said, "You know, they wouldn't have these problems if they just put cameras in everybody's rooms."
Surprised, I tried to explain why I thought that was a bad idea. Sure, my argument ran, putting up cameras everywhere would reduce crime, but it would be a fundamental violation of many of the rights that democracies hold dear. What would be the point of being "free" if your activities were being recorded and potentially scrutinized for irregularities?
His argument was that, if you weren't doing anything wrong you didn't have anything to worry about. He was very convinced of this position.
I suspect that my ex-roommate would approve of this:
Also, with ID theft an increasing problem, why does the government believe that it would be a good idea to broadcast every bit your personal data into the air where anyone could potentially lay their hands on it, including "fingerprints or iris scans". What the hell? If you lose your credit card you can get a new card. What happens if someone steals your iris scan data?
I found this story on Boing Boing. According to the comment apended to the story there are plans in the works to roll this out to driver's licenses as well. That sounds like a great idea.
Surprised, I tried to explain why I thought that was a bad idea. Sure, my argument ran, putting up cameras everywhere would reduce crime, but it would be a fundamental violation of many of the rights that democracies hold dear. What would be the point of being "free" if your activities were being recorded and potentially scrutinized for irregularities?
His argument was that, if you weren't doing anything wrong you didn't have anything to worry about. He was very convinced of this position.
I suspect that my ex-roommate would approve of this:
Passports to get RFID chip implantsWhat does the administration hope to get out of this? It won't increase passport security. It will only make it easier to track the movements of citizens from place to place. While I'm pretty certain the government has better things to do than follow my movements around the country and the world, but I'm still firmly of the opinion that it's none of their damn business. At the very least we shouldn't be making it easier for them.
All U.S. passports will be implanted with remotely readable computer chips starting in October 2006, the Bush administration has announced.
Sweeping new State Department regulations issued Tuesday say that passports issued after that time will have tiny radio frequency ID (RFID) chips that can transmit personal information including the name, nationality, sex, date of birth, place of birth and digitized photograph of the passport holder. Eventually, the government contemplates adding additional digitized data such as "fingerprints or iris scans."
Over the last year, opposition to the idea of implanting RFID chips in passports has grown amidst worries that identity thieves could snatch personal information out of the air simply by aiming a high-powered antenna at a person or a vehicle carrying a passport. Out of the 2,335 comments on the plan that were received by the State Department this year, 98.5 percent were negative. The objections mostly focused on security and privacy concerns.
Also, with ID theft an increasing problem, why does the government believe that it would be a good idea to broadcast every bit your personal data into the air where anyone could potentially lay their hands on it, including "fingerprints or iris scans". What the hell? If you lose your credit card you can get a new card. What happens if someone steals your iris scan data?
I found this story on Boing Boing. According to the comment apended to the story there are plans in the works to roll this out to driver's licenses as well. That sounds like a great idea.
Norm's House of Chicken & Waffles
The straight-shooting, take-no-prisoners Norm Coleman is at it again. After having nearly a month to research and consider his position regarding the Miers nomination he's taking a stand!
Unfortunately, I have no idea what that position is.
Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., said Tuesday he needed "to get a better feel for her intellectual capacity and judicial philosophy, core competence issues." He added, "I certainly go into this with concerns."Well coming from Norm "I voted against ANWAR before I voted for it...then against it again...and finally for it" Coleman that amounts to a clear-cut position, anyway.
Unfortunately, I have no idea what that position is.
Drinking Liberally
Due to the issues we have been having with the setting, as well as so many people being involved in these final week of campaigning, Drinking Liberally, Minneapolis will not be meeting for the next two Wednesdays.
We will see you back on Wednesday, November 9th at our new bar, the 331 Club, where we will hopefully be celebrating the election of Chris Coleman as mayor of St. Paul.
And speaking of St. Paul, we hope to be able to make an announcement soon about a new edition to the Drinking Liberally Minnesota family...
See you on the 9th!
(and it's not just becaue I'm going to have to work late)
We will see you back on Wednesday, November 9th at our new bar, the 331 Club, where we will hopefully be celebrating the election of Chris Coleman as mayor of St. Paul.
And speaking of St. Paul, we hope to be able to make an announcement soon about a new edition to the Drinking Liberally Minnesota family...
See you on the 9th!
(and it's not just becaue I'm going to have to work late)
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Chutzpah
If recent rumors about the identity of MN Democrats Exposed are correct, then in all likelihood that blog is either an actual violation of campaign finance laws or at the very least the kind of loophole campaign contribution that may result in legislation damaging to free speech online. Paid political hacks making anonymous personal attacks against politicians from the other party are pretty obviously the kind of thing that campaign finance laws are intended to prevent, and we may all soon be suffering for thanks to the likes of MDE and their little power games.
In other words, it seems pretty likely that MDE should be very careful about stones around that massive glass house of his.
So what is his post of the afternoon? Insinuations (with absolutely zero proof) that there may have been illegal campaign contributions made at the Hatch for governor announcement party.
Wow. MDE, you may be ethically challenged, but you've certainly got a lot of nerve.
In other words, it seems pretty likely that MDE should be very careful about stones around that massive glass house of his.
So what is his post of the afternoon? Insinuations (with absolutely zero proof) that there may have been illegal campaign contributions made at the Hatch for governor announcement party.
Wow. MDE, you may be ethically challenged, but you've certainly got a lot of nerve.
There's money in my genes!
This article in National Geographic got me thinking...
Does this mean I could patent my individual DNA sequence, then sue my children for copyright infringement?
(Note to lawyers: Yes, I know there is a difference between patents and copyrights. It just sounds better.)
One-Fifth of Human Genes Have Been Patented, Study Reveals
A new study shows that 20 percent of human genes have been patented in the United States, primarily by private firms and universities.
The study, which is reported this week in the journal Science, is the first time that a detailed map has been created to match patents to specific physical locations on the human genome.
Researchers can patent genes because they are potentially valuable research tools, useful in diagnostic tests or to discover and produce new drugs.
"It might come as a surprise to many people that in the U.S. patent system human DNA is treated like other natural chemical products," said Fiona Murray, a business and science professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, and a co-author of the study.
"An isolated DNA sequence can be patented in the same manner that a new medicine, purified from a plant, could be patented if an inventor identifies a [new] application."
Does this mean I could patent my individual DNA sequence, then sue my children for copyright infringement?
(Note to lawyers: Yes, I know there is a difference between patents and copyrights. It just sounds better.)
With Blog as My Witness
Interesting bit going on over in Pharyngula Land.
So it's probably time for me to give my props out...my inspiration was...
Powerline.
Yup. I used to be a junky. They annoyed me beyond all belief. I had to start a blog just to stop reading them. And DvK. Look at how cute the boys used to be back then....(2nd post from the bottom is my favorite.
Anyway, point being, I really didn't have a good roll model for a Blog Father. But if ever one was to have a Crazy Drunken Blog Uncle, I got the best.
So it's probably time for me to give my props out...my inspiration was...
Powerline.
Yup. I used to be a junky. They annoyed me beyond all belief. I had to start a blog just to stop reading them. And DvK. Look at how cute the boys used to be back then....(2nd post from the bottom is my favorite.
Anyway, point being, I really didn't have a good roll model for a Blog Father. But if ever one was to have a Crazy Drunken Blog Uncle, I got the best.
They spread
Via Gary and the DvK team, hello Students for Kennedy!
I must say, I'm surprised that Students for Kennedy's profile doesn't link to co-founder Luke Hellier's other blog.
Don't they like each other?
I must say, I'm surprised that Students for Kennedy's profile doesn't link to co-founder Luke Hellier's other blog.
Don't they like each other?
A couple of hot morning links.
Jeez, you get busy and can't post and the whole scene goes nuts. First, via MN Publius, via MN GOP Watch, via Lloydletta (whew!) we find out that DFL Blog has exposed the Minnesota Democrat Exposer, or at least one of the contributors to the site.
Then, The All Seeing Eye goes and gets himself kicked off of Americablog for his staunch support of Target. Maybe they thought you were a corporate shill? Anyway, I feel kind of bad for whatever small part I might have played in all of this. For the record, I do not hate Target (even if it is the favorite store of Lileks) and I do not think you should boycott Target. With that said, not filling a legal prescription is a serious matter for which they should not get a free pass because of their other good works. A boycott is a pretty extreme measure, but I think perhaps The Eye gives them a little too much love.
And, finally, Tild would like to remind everyone that it's almost Fitzmas. Have you been exposing CIA agents or have you been nice?
Then, The All Seeing Eye goes and gets himself kicked off of Americablog for his staunch support of Target. Maybe they thought you were a corporate shill? Anyway, I feel kind of bad for whatever small part I might have played in all of this. For the record, I do not hate Target (even if it is the favorite store of Lileks) and I do not think you should boycott Target. With that said, not filling a legal prescription is a serious matter for which they should not get a free pass because of their other good works. A boycott is a pretty extreme measure, but I think perhaps The Eye gives them a little too much love.
And, finally, Tild would like to remind everyone that it's almost Fitzmas. Have you been exposing CIA agents or have you been nice?
Monday, October 24, 2005
This is an ex-parrot
I don't mean to make light of what is probably a very serrious situation...but what are the odds that the first bird-flu case in England would be a dead parrot?
The universe is not, it seems, without a sense of humor.
The Bible as Gothic Novel?
This should send a little shudder up and down the spine of good Christians everywhere:
The Gospel According to Anne
Yes, that's right. Anne Rice has found God. Anyone want to take bets on whether her ridiculously ornate prose mixed with the penny-dreadful superhero sentimentality can suffocate the life out of religion as effectively as she made vampires and witches boring?
Full disclosure: I own several of the Vampire Chronicles books, and the first two in the series aren't bad. However, after forcing myself to finish "Tale of the Body Thief" I swore that I was done with her and all of her poofy gothic affectations. Fie!
The Gospel According to Anne
The queen of the occult has been gone awhile. What's Anne Rice been up to? Getting healthy, finding God—and writing her most daring book yet.
Yes, that's right. Anne Rice has found God. Anyone want to take bets on whether her ridiculously ornate prose mixed with the penny-dreadful superhero sentimentality can suffocate the life out of religion as effectively as she made vampires and witches boring?
Full disclosure: I own several of the Vampire Chronicles books, and the first two in the series aren't bad. However, after forcing myself to finish "Tale of the Body Thief" I swore that I was done with her and all of her poofy gothic affectations. Fie!
Sunday, October 23, 2005
A Rick Blaine Moment
Smartie: But what about the rest of the season?
The Vikings: We'll always have the Packers. We didn't have, we lost to them last season, until they came to the dome. We got it back today.
Yeah!! Go Vikes!
The Vikings: We'll always have the Packers. We didn't have, we lost to them last season, until they came to the dome. We got it back today.
Yeah!! Go Vikes!
Friday, October 21, 2005
Things I never thought I'd see
Headlines that show you the Repulican party really is coming apart....
Grover Norquist Betrays Conservatives, Speaks At Log Cabin Republican Fundraiser
Nope, not the Onion, it's my favorite ladies....
Grover Norquist Betrays Conservatives, Speaks At Log Cabin Republican Fundraiser
Nope, not the Onion, it's my favorite ladies....
It's not "Where is George?" That's for Sure
Scooter has an interesting post up about the Southern Patriot Shop:
Go read. His blog has much better pictures than mine.
Behind the counter, Sutter took all the five-dollar bills out of his cash drawer and methodically stamped over Lincoln's face on each of them with a red Confederate flag.
Go read. His blog has much better pictures than mine.
I hate to be the one to say it...
But somebody has to. Yes, the current administration is one of the most corrupt gangs of thieves to ever inhabit Washington. Yes they have done serious harm to the country by starting needless wars, pissing off the rest of the world, looting the treasury, running up massive debts and generally making U.S. Grant look like an honest man.
With that said, can we please lay off the before-the-fact hagiography of Patrick Fitzgerald? We don't know what kind of indictments are going to be handed down. We don't know who those indictments are going to be against. A little speculation on those counts is one thing, but the heights to which that speculation has climbed and all of the theories thrown out lately have gotten a little absurd. They, in fact, remind me of nothing more than all of the cleverness and chest pounding amongst the warbloggers in the months leading up to Iraq. Anybody remember rope-a-dope? or the democratic domino theory? or any of the hundreds of other patently absurd ideas put out there by people like Steven Den Beste? All those people who were just absolutely convinced that all of the apparent lacunae in the neo-cons' planning was not a sign of incompetence, but instead the hallmarks of genius. Rumsfeld et al were playing such a deep game that we simply couldn't grasp the magnitude of their plots. We were like the blind man with the elephant. How's all that working out for them now? Did any of these grand speculations come to pass? Or, when the curtain finally fell, were these voices of the gods revealed to be ordinary mortals acting in roles far beyond themselves?
I'm not saying Fitzgerald is incompetent. From everything I've seen he's bright and determined and he runs a very tight ship. Which (other than determined) qualities were not found in much abundance amongst the administration. So we have that much reason to hope, anyway. That, plus the fact that much of the administration is obviously guilty. But those two facts alone do not an indictment, much less a conviction, make. With the evidence heavily against them both Nixon and the Iran-Contra conspirators skated. I would love to see justice done in this instance, but I think the Left is setting itself up for a major disappointment if we hang too much of our hopes and our attention on this one proceeding instead of looking ahead to the '06 midterms. Whatever happens with Fitzgerald it shouldn't be an end in itself, and we shouldn't need a federal prosecutor to be our crusading hero. There's nothing wrong with a moment of schadenfreude here, but many it seems are becoming obsessed with this. We need to look ahead. The best way to prevent a grand jury from investigating the looting of the New Orleans reconstruction project in '07 is to make sure that they're given an opportunity to loot it. And that all starts with the midterm elections.
With that said, can we please lay off the before-the-fact hagiography of Patrick Fitzgerald? We don't know what kind of indictments are going to be handed down. We don't know who those indictments are going to be against. A little speculation on those counts is one thing, but the heights to which that speculation has climbed and all of the theories thrown out lately have gotten a little absurd. They, in fact, remind me of nothing more than all of the cleverness and chest pounding amongst the warbloggers in the months leading up to Iraq. Anybody remember rope-a-dope? or the democratic domino theory? or any of the hundreds of other patently absurd ideas put out there by people like Steven Den Beste? All those people who were just absolutely convinced that all of the apparent lacunae in the neo-cons' planning was not a sign of incompetence, but instead the hallmarks of genius. Rumsfeld et al were playing such a deep game that we simply couldn't grasp the magnitude of their plots. We were like the blind man with the elephant. How's all that working out for them now? Did any of these grand speculations come to pass? Or, when the curtain finally fell, were these voices of the gods revealed to be ordinary mortals acting in roles far beyond themselves?
I'm not saying Fitzgerald is incompetent. From everything I've seen he's bright and determined and he runs a very tight ship. Which (other than determined) qualities were not found in much abundance amongst the administration. So we have that much reason to hope, anyway. That, plus the fact that much of the administration is obviously guilty. But those two facts alone do not an indictment, much less a conviction, make. With the evidence heavily against them both Nixon and the Iran-Contra conspirators skated. I would love to see justice done in this instance, but I think the Left is setting itself up for a major disappointment if we hang too much of our hopes and our attention on this one proceeding instead of looking ahead to the '06 midterms. Whatever happens with Fitzgerald it shouldn't be an end in itself, and we shouldn't need a federal prosecutor to be our crusading hero. There's nothing wrong with a moment of schadenfreude here, but many it seems are becoming obsessed with this. We need to look ahead. The best way to prevent a grand jury from investigating the looting of the New Orleans reconstruction project in '07 is to make sure that they're given an opportunity to loot it. And that all starts with the midterm elections.
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Pithy
"...money does not buy happiness."
Thanks, Katie. I never thought of that before.
Have you considered a career change into writing fortune cookies?
I will wait for Spotty to do his regular job on the rest of the piece.
Thanks, Katie. I never thought of that before.
Have you considered a career change into writing fortune cookies?
I will wait for Spotty to do his regular job on the rest of the piece.
A nerdy/booky musical interlude
For anyone at home, or with a pair of headphones handy, here's your chance to check out what appears to be an emerging trend: bands based on books. One might almost say this is a very novel trend. But one shouldn't.
So, first up we have the sounds of "Harry and the Potters". Kind of a Herman's Hermits vibe with a dusting of prog. and an occasional flash of ska punk (check out the chorus of "Stick it to Dolores"). My favorite song (of the ones they have posted) has to be "Save Ginny Weasly".
Second, a much different take on the genre: Lord of the Rhymes. Two hard-edge hobbit OGs bustin' rhymes in between bustin' a cap in some Ringwraiths. I can't believe I just wrote that sentence. Anyway, check out "The Lords of the Rhymes" their first hit single. [Explicit Lyrics]
Does anyone out there know of any others?
So, first up we have the sounds of "Harry and the Potters". Kind of a Herman's Hermits vibe with a dusting of prog. and an occasional flash of ska punk (check out the chorus of "Stick it to Dolores"). My favorite song (of the ones they have posted) has to be "Save Ginny Weasly".
Second, a much different take on the genre: Lord of the Rhymes. Two hard-edge hobbit OGs bustin' rhymes in between bustin' a cap in some Ringwraiths. I can't believe I just wrote that sentence. Anyway, check out "The Lords of the Rhymes" their first hit single. [Explicit Lyrics]
Does anyone out there know of any others?
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Some thoughts on coaches
Mr. Cheer or Die has some thoughts on who will replace Mike Tice as the Vikings' head coach. I found the list interesting (especially since I don't know a lot about college football and even less about its coaches) but I think he leaves out one important aspect. According to this article on NFL.com this could be a record breaking year for coach turnover. The article mentions it could be as many 10-13. I could only come up with 7 likely candidates. It would be interesting to see if anyone else can figure out who the rest of the coaches are with the Sword of Damocles hanging over their heads...and should the Vikes be looking at any of these prospects? Here are the seven that I came up with:
Tice. Obviously.
Brian Billick in Baltimore (say that 3 times fast)
Dom Capers (Texans)
Mike Sherman (Green Bay)
Norv Turner (Oakland)
Chuck Nolan (49ers)
Mike Martz (St. Louis) (Retiring due to health problems-not fired)
Out of that list I would be interested in Billick, and that's pretty much it.
Maybe Sherman. If it would help us beat the Packers it might be worth it.
Another candidate to consider? Bill Callahan, formerly of Oakland and now coaching the Nebraska Cornhuskers. I'm not sure if he'd be a good fit for the Vikes, but I know it would make REW's grandfather very happy if Callahan wasn't in Nebraska anymore, and that has to be worth something.
Tice. Obviously.
Brian Billick in Baltimore (say that 3 times fast)
Dom Capers (Texans)
Mike Sherman (Green Bay)
Norv Turner (Oakland)
Chuck Nolan (49ers)
Mike Martz (St. Louis) (Retiring due to health problems-not fired)
Out of that list I would be interested in Billick, and that's pretty much it.
Maybe Sherman. If it would help us beat the Packers it might be worth it.
Another candidate to consider? Bill Callahan, formerly of Oakland and now coaching the Nebraska Cornhuskers. I'm not sure if he'd be a good fit for the Vikes, but I know it would make REW's grandfather very happy if Callahan wasn't in Nebraska anymore, and that has to be worth something.
Yowling At A Deserted Fencepost
Anyone know what happened to Moses? One day, he's redesigning his site, drinking liberally and sticking it to the man. A few short weeks later and he just up and disappears.
Since facts are hard to come by, let's take our lead from the Bushies and just make stuff up. I'll buy a drink tonight for whoever comes up with the best "What happened to Moses?" story. Is he hiding out with Bin Laden? Is he at the double super secret location of Iraq's WMDs? Or is it something more pedestrian like he was abducted by aliens? Bonus points if Miro somehow ends up as the villain of the piece.
Since facts are hard to come by, let's take our lead from the Bushies and just make stuff up. I'll buy a drink tonight for whoever comes up with the best "What happened to Moses?" story. Is he hiding out with Bin Laden? Is he at the double super secret location of Iraq's WMDs? Or is it something more pedestrian like he was abducted by aliens? Bonus points if Miro somehow ends up as the villain of the piece.
There's trouble a brewin' at the old Target!
Originally found Via Blog of the Moderate Left and since then I've seen it at many other places: it looks like a boycott may be a brewin' against Target for refusing to fill a woman's birth-control prescription.
Boycotting Target? I just know there's a Lileks joke in here somewhere, but I can't quite put my finger on it...
Boycotting Target? I just know there's a Lileks joke in here somewhere, but I can't quite put my finger on it...
Then Again, Maybe She Didn't
Rumors of Miers being Pro-Griswold are apparently greatly exaggerated. Now she's not pro-anything.
She seems to be having a lot of meetings where she doesn't discuss anything. No wonder President Bush adores her.
She seems to be having a lot of meetings where she doesn't discuss anything. No wonder President Bush adores her.
Drinking Liberally
Still at Lyle's tonight. We're going to decide who of us is most qualified to be Supreme Court Justice.
My pick is Bruce, since the court would always have to decide in his favor just to get him to stop arguing.
My pick is Bruce, since the court would always have to decide in his favor just to get him to stop arguing.
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Outed
Tiger Lilly, the youngest of the MAWB Squaders, states:
Why, I believe that was smartie.
Good to know we still have some common ground with the other side of the fence.
Now, if only I could remember who her dad is....I have it narrowed down to three. MOB families are really hard to keep track of.
My dad says somebody described the StarTribune's new look as being like Highlights magazine. That's just wrong. Highlights has never made me feel like I wanted to hit somebody. Do you think Goofus went to work for the newspaper?
Why, I believe that was smartie.
Good to know we still have some common ground with the other side of the fence.
Now, if only I could remember who her dad is....I have it narrowed down to three. MOB families are really hard to keep track of.
Crazy Like a Vox
Smartie passed me this article today from WorldNetDaily columnist Vox Day about the importance of popping out kids as early as possible.
I started thinking a bit. Two decades into your childbearing years can for many women means about 32 years old for most of us. As a woman seeing 30 way sooner than I like to admit, I'm nearly into my "foolish" age. Which is funny to me, as I think I'm currently now at my most stable, but financially and emotionally. But maybe those aren't as high of priorities for starting a family as I thought they were.
Voxxy offers some grand advice for spinsters and potential spinsters to be, such as...
Please, women, be sure to snag your man first. Besides, he kinda likes you better if you don't have too much book learning.
Or this gem...
Had I married my boyfriend of my late teens/early 20's, I probably would have children already. The downside is the fact that most of them would be named after Grateful Dead songs (The first was supposed to be "China Cat Sunflower").
Anyone who reads this blog knows why I laugh at this one.
And some final words of wisdom...
I like to be one of those women who think that it really is possible that you can go to school, meet someone, have a career and raise children. We wrath-filled members of the Sisterhood don't think there's any particular order you have to do it in, only that you get to chose when, where and how decrepitly old you are when you start.
But obviously, no one will be hearing that from us, since we're the "man-haters" you need to shed if you want to catch a good catch, according to Mr. Vox.
And a woman foolish enough to wait more than two decades before attempting to have children has no one to blame but herself.
I started thinking a bit. Two decades into your childbearing years can for many women means about 32 years old for most of us. As a woman seeing 30 way sooner than I like to admit, I'm nearly into my "foolish" age. Which is funny to me, as I think I'm currently now at my most stable, but financially and emotionally. But maybe those aren't as high of priorities for starting a family as I thought they were.
Voxxy offers some grand advice for spinsters and potential spinsters to be, such as...
Make those potential long-term relationships your top priority. If you put college or your job first, there's a reasonable chance that a job is all you'll have at 40...and 60.
Please, women, be sure to snag your man first. Besides, he kinda likes you better if you don't have too much book learning.
Or this gem...
Settle earlier rather than later. I can't tell you how many women I know who blew off good men in their late teens and early 20s who now regret doing so. Those who are not still single at 35 are now married to men generally considered to be of lower quality than the men they spurned before. Remember, your choices narrow as you get older, while men's choices broaden.
Had I married my boyfriend of my late teens/early 20's, I probably would have children already. The downside is the fact that most of them would be named after Grateful Dead songs (The first was supposed to be "China Cat Sunflower").
If he hasn't proposed in 18 months, he has no intention of doing so. Cut your losses.
Anyone who reads this blog knows why I laugh at this one.
And some final words of wisdom...
If you want the odds of easily bearing healthy children to be in your favor, set a goal of marrying by 25. You can always go back to school, you can't go back in time.
I like to be one of those women who think that it really is possible that you can go to school, meet someone, have a career and raise children. We wrath-filled members of the Sisterhood don't think there's any particular order you have to do it in, only that you get to chose when, where and how decrepitly old you are when you start.
But obviously, no one will be hearing that from us, since we're the "man-haters" you need to shed if you want to catch a good catch, according to Mr. Vox.
Monday, October 17, 2005
Apologies all around
Many apologies for the neglect you all have been subjected to. Powerhouse and the critters inside and out have been taking up most of our energy as of late.
Friday was what we thought would be the begining of a lovely weekend. Only two calls for the Pioneer Press on the caller ID box. We got home rather late in the evening, having stopped at a Chris Coleman house party in St. Paul (Dear Mr. Coleman, I know the campaign is almost over, but the amount of time I just had to spend on google searching for your website shocks me. That's poor planning.).
To be honest, I found him a little dull initially. His opening remarks sounded like, well, opening remarks, recited more than excited. But once he answered a few questions I warmed up to him. I would have liked to speak with him a little, but as a Minneapolitan, I felt like the St. Paulites should have the shots.
The next morning we woke up to realize that Nico had fleas crawling on her. June had fleas once a few years ago, and I was not happy about repeating the experience. We have no idea where they came from, and I'm not sure how long the gestation period is, so I don't know if they came from the Great Powerhouse Attic, or somehow one of the hundred people walking through the homestead in the last two weeks brought them in. They are medicated, everything has been washed, and now we will hope for the best.
On top of the fleas, we also had an invasion of Asian Beetles. I felt bad killing them when I thought they were lady bugs. But once you hit 30+ crawling around your door, all on the inside of the house, you can kill anything. Repeatedly. Weather stripping has now been applied, and I think that bugworld is in the past.
Saturday was the day of work, so Sunday is the day for relaxing. Unless you're watching the Vikings. Then it's just yelling a lot. We had people over for what we think will be the last time for a while, since we're starting to suffer from party burnout (But don't tell Flash, since he still thinks we're hosting a blogger bash).
Things are starting to get a pattern, so that's a start. Hopefully we'll get to blogging more regularly once we get anything to be regular. And someday I will find out who delivers pizza to Northeast Minneapolis. This lack of delivery pizza joints thing is driving me nuts.
Friday was what we thought would be the begining of a lovely weekend. Only two calls for the Pioneer Press on the caller ID box. We got home rather late in the evening, having stopped at a Chris Coleman house party in St. Paul (Dear Mr. Coleman, I know the campaign is almost over, but the amount of time I just had to spend on google searching for your website shocks me. That's poor planning.).
To be honest, I found him a little dull initially. His opening remarks sounded like, well, opening remarks, recited more than excited. But once he answered a few questions I warmed up to him. I would have liked to speak with him a little, but as a Minneapolitan, I felt like the St. Paulites should have the shots.
The next morning we woke up to realize that Nico had fleas crawling on her. June had fleas once a few years ago, and I was not happy about repeating the experience. We have no idea where they came from, and I'm not sure how long the gestation period is, so I don't know if they came from the Great Powerhouse Attic, or somehow one of the hundred people walking through the homestead in the last two weeks brought them in. They are medicated, everything has been washed, and now we will hope for the best.
On top of the fleas, we also had an invasion of Asian Beetles. I felt bad killing them when I thought they were lady bugs. But once you hit 30+ crawling around your door, all on the inside of the house, you can kill anything. Repeatedly. Weather stripping has now been applied, and I think that bugworld is in the past.
Saturday was the day of work, so Sunday is the day for relaxing. Unless you're watching the Vikings. Then it's just yelling a lot. We had people over for what we think will be the last time for a while, since we're starting to suffer from party burnout (But don't tell Flash, since he still thinks we're hosting a blogger bash).
Things are starting to get a pattern, so that's a start. Hopefully we'll get to blogging more regularly once we get anything to be regular. And someday I will find out who delivers pizza to Northeast Minneapolis. This lack of delivery pizza joints thing is driving me nuts.
Co-Habitation Kills
I praise my lucky stars that I managed to live through 5 years of it...
They aren't even trying anymore, are they?
Whole screed here.
In 2004 in the state of Texas, a total of 114 women were murdered by intimate partners – more than half by boyfriends. Dr. Crouse pointed out that when marriage’s moral boundaries are not in place, violence against women increases.
They aren't even trying anymore, are they?
Whole screed here.
Vikings
Ugh. What can be said about this bunch? Other than not being able to find the end zone, I thought they actually looked pretty good in the first quarter and much of the second. The defense was actually in position and making stops and the offense was moving the ball down the field. Then Chicago scored and it was like all the air went out of this team. Are they that easy to rattle? Are their hopes so easily dashed? Or do they just not give a sh^t anymore? Whatever the reason, they just folded as soon as that happened and the entire second half was a pain to watch. As REW said towards the end, "I don't mind watching them lose. But I hate watching them not try." Amen to that. Ultimately, that kind of team-wide attitude has to land at the feet of the coaching staff. There doesn't seem to be much that can be done now but fire the coaching staff and start again.
Now the question becomes who will be available at the end of this season. Brian Billick, perhaps? Rumors are they aren't happy with him in Baltimore. I think I could be happy with that.
Now the question becomes who will be available at the end of this season. Brian Billick, perhaps? Rumors are they aren't happy with him in Baltimore. I think I could be happy with that.
Bam-Bam seems like a more appropriate name
With a month and a half still to go in hurricane season, Tropical Storm Wilma became the 21st named storm of the year yesterday. This ties the all-time record set in 1933. And still a month and a half to go. Yikes.
Saturday, October 15, 2005
Friday, October 14, 2005
Thursday, October 13, 2005
How do you spell harassment?
P I P R E S S
We've had the phone running at the Powerhouse for almost two weeks now. In that time, we have had 3 calls from people we know.
We have had 15 calls from the Pioneer Press. Since Monday.
Some of this is assumption. Many of these calls are coming when we are at work. I've taken to answering the phone in the evening now, even when it's obvious on the caller ID that it's a sales call, just to make the phone stop ringing.
It started with The Jones Boys. They called 3 times, and on the 3rd time I answered because, well, honestly, I wanted to know what The Jones Boys were.
I was offered a subscription to the Pioneer Press, to which I told them I wasn't interested. They stopped calling.
After that, we began getting calls from AMR Cable News. On the 3rd call I answered them. They offered me a subscription to the Pioneer Press. I said I already told The Jones Boys I don't want one. They stopped calling as well.
Since then, we've received 3 calls from Americas Readers, 5 calls from Pisa Group, and one solitary call from "Newspaper" with a 651 area code. I answered the Pisa Group when they called this evening, just as I had come through the door.
"Hi! I'm calling from the Pioneer Press..."
"Can I ask you a question?" I interrupted.
"Sure!"
"Why are you calling me when I've already told two other groups this week that I don't want the Pioneer Press?"
He had me read off all of the groups that had called that were listed on my caller ID, and the phone numbers they had called from. "Ma'am, I can promise you that I will take you off the list the Pisa Group has. I can't do anything about the others."
Meaning I have to wait until Americas Readers and "Newspaper" call me sometime when I can actually tell them to stop calling me.
For those who like lists, here is the rundown
The Jones Boys - 702-369-8400 - 3 calls
AMR Cable News - 651-457-4775 - 3 calls
Americas Readers - 770-794-1338 - 3 calls
Pisa Group - 314-962-0448 - 5 calls
Newspaper - 651-203-1060 - one sad little call, but he just started yesterday, so I'm sure he'll catch up soon.
How many of these do I have to put up with before I get to file a restraining order?
Update - 6/15/06
this has always been the thread with the most referers, mostly from people trying to figure out who is calling them. We've just discovered that we were linked by a new site who has pointed out a new form of harassment and, it looks like, identity theft. We hadn't been checking comments on here for a while, but it looks like the company in question is no longer a Pioneer Press phone bank, and is now doing work for some other company who is obviously not on the level.
If you are having issues with calls from this number and are on the Do Not Call List, go here, and the best of luck to you. I hope you get it straightened out. And never give your credit card number to anyone.
Update again-7/26/06-Based on what people in the comments are saying I just want to reinforce this point: DON'T EVER GIVE OUT YOUR CREDIT CARD NUMBER TO SOMEONE WHO CALLS YOU. Even if they know the last four digits. The last four digits are easy to get, they're printed on all of your receipts and often left unencrypted in databases. If you have given out your credit card number or are afraid you're a victim of identity theft go immediately to the Federal Trade Commission's ID Theft website and follow the steps outlined.
We've had the phone running at the Powerhouse for almost two weeks now. In that time, we have had 3 calls from people we know.
We have had 15 calls from the Pioneer Press. Since Monday.
Some of this is assumption. Many of these calls are coming when we are at work. I've taken to answering the phone in the evening now, even when it's obvious on the caller ID that it's a sales call, just to make the phone stop ringing.
It started with The Jones Boys. They called 3 times, and on the 3rd time I answered because, well, honestly, I wanted to know what The Jones Boys were.
I was offered a subscription to the Pioneer Press, to which I told them I wasn't interested. They stopped calling.
After that, we began getting calls from AMR Cable News. On the 3rd call I answered them. They offered me a subscription to the Pioneer Press. I said I already told The Jones Boys I don't want one. They stopped calling as well.
Since then, we've received 3 calls from Americas Readers, 5 calls from Pisa Group, and one solitary call from "Newspaper" with a 651 area code. I answered the Pisa Group when they called this evening, just as I had come through the door.
"Hi! I'm calling from the Pioneer Press..."
"Can I ask you a question?" I interrupted.
"Sure!"
"Why are you calling me when I've already told two other groups this week that I don't want the Pioneer Press?"
He had me read off all of the groups that had called that were listed on my caller ID, and the phone numbers they had called from. "Ma'am, I can promise you that I will take you off the list the Pisa Group has. I can't do anything about the others."
Meaning I have to wait until Americas Readers and "Newspaper" call me sometime when I can actually tell them to stop calling me.
For those who like lists, here is the rundown
The Jones Boys - 702-369-8400 - 3 calls
AMR Cable News - 651-457-4775 - 3 calls
Americas Readers - 770-794-1338 - 3 calls
Pisa Group - 314-962-0448 - 5 calls
Newspaper - 651-203-1060 - one sad little call, but he just started yesterday, so I'm sure he'll catch up soon.
How many of these do I have to put up with before I get to file a restraining order?
Update - 6/15/06
this has always been the thread with the most referers, mostly from people trying to figure out who is calling them. We've just discovered that we were linked by a new site who has pointed out a new form of harassment and, it looks like, identity theft. We hadn't been checking comments on here for a while, but it looks like the company in question is no longer a Pioneer Press phone bank, and is now doing work for some other company who is obviously not on the level.
If you are having issues with calls from this number and are on the Do Not Call List, go here, and the best of luck to you. I hope you get it straightened out. And never give your credit card number to anyone.
Update again-7/26/06-Based on what people in the comments are saying I just want to reinforce this point: DON'T EVER GIVE OUT YOUR CREDIT CARD NUMBER TO SOMEONE WHO CALLS YOU. Even if they know the last four digits. The last four digits are easy to get, they're printed on all of your receipts and often left unencrypted in databases. If you have given out your credit card number or are afraid you're a victim of identity theft go immediately to the Federal Trade Commission's ID Theft website and follow the steps outlined.
The Poor Man Plan
The Poor Manhas a 5-point plan up on what the Democrats should do if they regain power in '06 and '08.
While it's satisfying to read such a list it puts me in mind of a phrase from that noted philosopher James Hetfield, "Do unto others as they have done to you. But what in the hell is this world coming to?"
No, I'm not getting wishy-washy here. I recognize that by rewriting the rules as they went, the wingnuts have had quite a run over he last ten-eleven years. But that's just it. Their grand cultural revolution that was forty, fifty years in the making looks to have flamed out in barely more than ten. What of their cultural goals did they really accomplish? Is this really the model for success that we want to imitate?
Schadenfreude is nice and all, but there has been a lot of damage done to the country during that time that it's going to take a long time to reverse. We need to build a more long term strategy, a strategy that has loftier goals than "Impeachment". The Clinton dog and pony impeachment process was an event which will stain the pages of history books and which should be a lasting embarrassment to anyone involved in it. If there is an actual crime, that's one thing, but do we honestly believe that a politically motivated impeachment will turn out better just because we're behind it?
They might have looted the treasury, but they've managed little in the way of lasting changes and now the indictments are coming. We can do better.
While it's satisfying to read such a list it puts me in mind of a phrase from that noted philosopher James Hetfield, "Do unto others as they have done to you. But what in the hell is this world coming to?"
No, I'm not getting wishy-washy here. I recognize that by rewriting the rules as they went, the wingnuts have had quite a run over he last ten-eleven years. But that's just it. Their grand cultural revolution that was forty, fifty years in the making looks to have flamed out in barely more than ten. What of their cultural goals did they really accomplish? Is this really the model for success that we want to imitate?
Schadenfreude is nice and all, but there has been a lot of damage done to the country during that time that it's going to take a long time to reverse. We need to build a more long term strategy, a strategy that has loftier goals than "Impeachment". The Clinton dog and pony impeachment process was an event which will stain the pages of history books and which should be a lasting embarrassment to anyone involved in it. If there is an actual crime, that's one thing, but do we honestly believe that a politically motivated impeachment will turn out better just because we're behind it?
They might have looted the treasury, but they've managed little in the way of lasting changes and now the indictments are coming. We can do better.
Fiscal Conservatives Strike Again
$11 Million a Day Spent on Hotels for Storm Relief
By ERIC LIPTON
Published: October 13, 2005
WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 - Straining to meet President Bush's mid-October deadline to clear out shelters, the federal government has moved hundreds of thousands of evacuees from Hurricane Katrina into hotel rooms at a cost of about $11 million a night, a strategy local officials and some members of Congress criticize as incoherent and wasteful.
The number of people in hotels has grown by 60 percent in the past two weeks as some shelters closed, reaching nearly 600,000 as of Tuesday. Even so, relief officials say they cannot meet the deadline, as more than 22,000 people were still in shelters in 14 states on Wednesday.
The reliance on hotels has been necessary, housing advocates say, because the Federal Emergency and Management Agency has had problems installing mobile homes and travel trailers for evacuees and has been slow to place victims in apartments that real estate executives say are available throughout the southeast.
Hotel costs are expected to grow to as much as $425 million by Oct. 24, a large expense never anticipated by the FEMA, which is footing the bill. While the agency cannot say how that number will affect overall spending for storm relief, critics point out that hotel rooms, at an average cost of $59 a night, are significantly more expensive than apartments and are not suitable for months-long stays.
I know this question is starting to become a little tired, but...is anybody in this administration competent enough to run a lemonade stand, much less the entire Federal government?
Oops, forgot the link...Here it is
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
MPLS Happy Hour Spawns
MPLSHappyHour.com, a website for all of your local happy hour needs, has just produced a new sister site that will make all you St. Paulites full of glee (and booze).
Welcome to StPaulHappyhour.com!
It's currently a blank slate of bars (I see no Muddy Pig), so send in your early picks and check out the lastest bar review.
And for full disclosure, yep, I drank with the owner of these sites more than once.
Welcome to StPaulHappyhour.com!
It's currently a blank slate of bars (I see no Muddy Pig), so send in your early picks and check out the lastest bar review.
And for full disclosure, yep, I drank with the owner of these sites more than once.
Strib Redux
So, I was a little surprised to wake up this morning and find out that I now have a subscription to Highlights Magazine. Oh wait, no, that's the new Strib. Ugh. It really does look like it was designed for attention deficient children. Plus, Nick Coleman, man, your old picture had a sort of benevolent grandfatherly air about it. Your new picture screams "aging hipster" or maybe, "hey, what do these blue pills do?" Either way, not an improvement. All in all, a little underwhelming considering all the hype about taking the paper into the 21st century.
Speaking of papers, how many front operations does the Pioneer Press have? We haven't had a chance yet to register the Powerhouse's new phone number on the Do Not Call List and over the last couple of days we've been inundated with subscription offers from the PiPress. And almost every one of the calls shows up as a different entity-the Jones Boys, A&R Cable, and a couple of others. What the heck? Is this how the PiPress is increasing their circulation? By just ganging up on people and beating them into submission?
One other quick note, this one to Mr. Gingrich: Newt, my man, I wasn't even the target audience of your little scribblings in the OpEd section today (reprinted from the Balitmore Sun) and I still felt condescended to. I'm about a mile to the left of your intended audience and I was still caught in the blast radius of your smug bomb. Seriously, when liberals act they're smarter than you it's annoying, but, hey, they're liberals what do you expect? When conservatives do it, it's just gruesome and usually comes off as mean spirited and a little deranged.
Anyway, sorry for the chaotic ramblings this morning. No time to edit this, and I'm still trying to get back into form after my bye week. Speaking of bye weeks, Fred Smoot, oy. At least no one coined the phrase Fred Smut yet...
Speaking of papers, how many front operations does the Pioneer Press have? We haven't had a chance yet to register the Powerhouse's new phone number on the Do Not Call List and over the last couple of days we've been inundated with subscription offers from the PiPress. And almost every one of the calls shows up as a different entity-the Jones Boys, A&R Cable, and a couple of others. What the heck? Is this how the PiPress is increasing their circulation? By just ganging up on people and beating them into submission?
One other quick note, this one to Mr. Gingrich: Newt, my man, I wasn't even the target audience of your little scribblings in the OpEd section today (reprinted from the Balitmore Sun) and I still felt condescended to. I'm about a mile to the left of your intended audience and I was still caught in the blast radius of your smug bomb. Seriously, when liberals act they're smarter than you it's annoying, but, hey, they're liberals what do you expect? When conservatives do it, it's just gruesome and usually comes off as mean spirited and a little deranged.
Anyway, sorry for the chaotic ramblings this morning. No time to edit this, and I'm still trying to get back into form after my bye week. Speaking of bye weeks, Fred Smoot, oy. At least no one coined the phrase Fred Smut yet...
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Drinking Liberally October 12th - STILL AT LYLE'S
Delay Twice Indicted
We All Are Delighted
Join us for a toast to the Hammer coming down on the Hammer
Drinking Liberally
Wednesday, October 12, 6-9 pm
Liquor Lyle's 2021 Hennepin Avenue South
Also, be aware that as of Wednesday, NOvember 9th, we will be moving to our new digs at the 331 club (www.331club.com). Join us for our post Mayoral Race party.
http://powerliberal.blogspot.com/2005/10/drinking-liberally-move.html
We All Are Delighted
Join us for a toast to the Hammer coming down on the Hammer
Drinking Liberally
Wednesday, October 12, 6-9 pm
Liquor Lyle's 2021 Hennepin Avenue South
Also, be aware that as of Wednesday, NOvember 9th, we will be moving to our new digs at the 331 club (www.331club.com). Join us for our post Mayoral Race party.
http://powerliberal.blogspot.com/2005/10/drinking-liberally-move.html
Drinking Liberally Move
We have been invited by the owner of the 331 Club to move our digs to their spacious neighborhood bar. If you follow the links, you will find pictures, menus, and a full calendar of music events hosted at night. We will continue to meet from 6-9 pm, and those who like can stay for the live music following.
331 offers the type of highback booths that you know unscrupulous politicians would love to offer clandestine deals in, plus a front area of a line of tables much like the Lyle's space we are in right now, except there's actually room to walk around and talk to someone on the other end of the table without climbing over the backs of booths. I haven't tried any of the food yet, but there is a review here, and a Gin and Phonics atmosphere report here. Beer is good and not too pricey, and there is a rumor that the bar staff may keep a pitcher just for our own personal use, since normally they only sell in pints.
So, rew, you ask, What are we going to do to make this a special switch?
Good question.
It's been a while since we've had a good Drinking Liberally party, and I can think of no better time to start at the new digs than an official "Randy Kelly is De-elected" Party on Wednesday, November 9th, from 6-9 pm. We will be eating tapenade as beaten as Former Mayor Kelly's sad campaign will feel. We will consume sweet potato fries as sweet as Chris Coleman's victory. And we will drink Bell's as Two Hearted as my inability to tell Ryback from McLaughlin.
(appetizers will be purchased by the Power Liberals, but only if Coleman wins, so you St. Paulites better vote.)
331 Club
331 Northeast 13th Avenue
Minneapolis, MN
Wednesdays, 6-9 pm Starting November 9th
331 offers the type of highback booths that you know unscrupulous politicians would love to offer clandestine deals in, plus a front area of a line of tables much like the Lyle's space we are in right now, except there's actually room to walk around and talk to someone on the other end of the table without climbing over the backs of booths. I haven't tried any of the food yet, but there is a review here, and a Gin and Phonics atmosphere report here. Beer is good and not too pricey, and there is a rumor that the bar staff may keep a pitcher just for our own personal use, since normally they only sell in pints.
So, rew, you ask, What are we going to do to make this a special switch?
Good question.
It's been a while since we've had a good Drinking Liberally party, and I can think of no better time to start at the new digs than an official "Randy Kelly is De-elected" Party on Wednesday, November 9th, from 6-9 pm. We will be eating tapenade as beaten as Former Mayor Kelly's sad campaign will feel. We will consume sweet potato fries as sweet as Chris Coleman's victory. And we will drink Bell's as Two Hearted as my inability to tell Ryback from McLaughlin.
(appetizers will be purchased by the Power Liberals, but only if Coleman wins, so you St. Paulites better vote.)
331 Club
331 Northeast 13th Avenue
Minneapolis, MN
Wednesdays, 6-9 pm Starting November 9th
Monday, October 10, 2005
New Digs and the Same Old Tricks
I must have been gone a while, since I just realized MNGOPWatch moved...
But some things never change:
Side bar will be updated right away.
But some things never change:
Minnesota Republican Watch has learned of the recent registration of mikeunhatched.com by the Republican Party of Minnesota. While the domain's whois record shows that the domain was registered anonymously through GoDaddy's Domains By Proxy private registration service, the site's true ownership can be determined by a quick look at the nameservers, which include "rigel.mngop.com" - the Republican Party of Minnesota. Why the Republican Party of Minnesota tried to hide the true ownership of this domain remains a mystery.
Side bar will be updated right away.
Drinking Liberally Runaway Confession
We were at Lyle's last Wednesday, but gave up when it was after 7 and the only one who had shown up was New Pat Mark and his friend, and they really just came to watch the ball game. If any of you showed up after, many apologies.
We ran away for a good reason, though. We thought it would be the perfect time to check out a bar we had heard about and see what their crowd looks like on Wednesdays.
It has good walking around room, and a nice atmosphere. No loud jukebox and is a bit more subdued. And, of course, it has Bells for $4 a pint, so the Wege is willing to consider moving.
No announcement yet, since the owner and I are supposed to talk tonight and hash out a few details. But it's got a good menu, a nice parking lot, is on the bus line but isn't in Uptown, and has chairs with backs, and of the complaints I promised to try and address.
Hopefully, I'll have news tomorrow, including a link.
We ran away for a good reason, though. We thought it would be the perfect time to check out a bar we had heard about and see what their crowd looks like on Wednesdays.
It has good walking around room, and a nice atmosphere. No loud jukebox and is a bit more subdued. And, of course, it has Bells for $4 a pint, so the Wege is willing to consider moving.
No announcement yet, since the owner and I are supposed to talk tonight and hash out a few details. But it's got a good menu, a nice parking lot, is on the bus line but isn't in Uptown, and has chairs with backs, and of the complaints I promised to try and address.
Hopefully, I'll have news tomorrow, including a link.
The air up here
Yes, I too have sited the blimp. It's a lot easier to read when your above the 40th floor downtown.
And it's driving me a little crazy...
And it's driving me a little crazy...
Who ARE You?
Via Tom...
Yes, folks, that was Pat Robertson.
"The elimination of Roe v. Wade won't stop abortion. Abortion is a private decision. But I just think it shouldn't be federalized."
Yes, folks, that was Pat Robertson.
You know you were all waiting for it
The Concerned Women of America can not at this time endorse Harriet Miers as she might possibly be...a radical feminist!
My goodness! My panties are all in a bunch.
Be sure to check out all of the concerns about her views on abortion that they want answered before they will back her, as well.
Not that they want a litmus test or anything, mind you...
It is reported that in the late 1990s when Miss Miers was a member of the advisory board for Southern Methodist University's law school she helped initiate a women's studies lecture series. The lecturers have been women who espouse a radical theory of feminism. Gloria Steinem delivered the series' first lecture in 1998. In the following two years, the speakers were Patricia S. Schroeder, the former Democratic congresswoman widely associated with women's causes, and Susan Faludi, the author of Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women (1991). Ann W. Richards, the Democrat whom George W. Bush unseated as governor of Texas in 1994, delivered the lecture in 2003. (Peter Schmidt, "Supreme Court Nominee Helped Set Up Lecture Series That Brought Leading Feminists to Southern Methodist U.," The Chronicle of Higher Education, 6 October 2005, available at: http://chronicle.com/free/2005/10/2005100602n.htm.)
Has Miss Miers expressed any opinion about the dominance of feminist theory in the studies program? Does Miss Miers share the feminist theory that lecturers have presented? Has she disassociated herself from the lecture series or attempted to bring lecturers to the program that represent a traditionalist perspective on women? Why has she not participated as a lecturer?
My goodness! My panties are all in a bunch.
Be sure to check out all of the concerns about her views on abortion that they want answered before they will back her, as well.
Not that they want a litmus test or anything, mind you...
Citizens League 2005 Annual Meeting
For those of you who went to and enjoyed the Alan Page event, or those of you who would have liked to, or those of you who are just all around interested, tonight is the 2005 Annual Meeting for the Citizen's League. There's a reception and cash bar at 5 pm, meeting at 6 and social hour at 7.
Where: Milwaukee Road Depot (Downtown)
They promise trivia......
Where: Milwaukee Road Depot (Downtown)
They promise trivia......
Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose
Sorry for the long down time. Lots to do, lots to do.
Not too much has changed since I went off-line, I see. Rove is testifying in Plamegate, Bush's poll numbers are in the toilet, Iraq is still going poorly, etc... The only real interesting change is watching the conservatives do the Ted Kennedy shuffle over the Miers nomination. Suddenly, imposing litmus tests and requesting additional documentation of a nominee's opinions and qualifications isn't liberal obstructionism, but simple congressional due diligence embraced by the likes of Sam Brownback.
Consistency, who needs it? Not when there are so many excuses out there to loot the country of every possible penny.
Anyway, that's probably all for today. Hopefully, regular posting will resume by mid-week. In the meantime, thanks for stopping by!
Not too much has changed since I went off-line, I see. Rove is testifying in Plamegate, Bush's poll numbers are in the toilet, Iraq is still going poorly, etc... The only real interesting change is watching the conservatives do the Ted Kennedy shuffle over the Miers nomination. Suddenly, imposing litmus tests and requesting additional documentation of a nominee's opinions and qualifications isn't liberal obstructionism, but simple congressional due diligence embraced by the likes of Sam Brownback.
Consistency, who needs it? Not when there are so many excuses out there to loot the country of every possible penny.
Anyway, that's probably all for today. Hopefully, regular posting will resume by mid-week. In the meantime, thanks for stopping by!
Friday, October 07, 2005
Friday Morning Cat Blogging
"Where the Hell am I?"
Well, we're fairly settled. Nico has stopped running into rooms and howling until we come in and find her, at least, she's not doing it as much as she was the first few days. And they had their first rough housing since we moved in, so I guess they're feeling at home. It might help that although I've done the rest of the house, which is all colors and woodwork, the attic is where all of the apartment furniture ended up, including the computer. In fact, the carpet up here is kind of the same and the walls are white. It's as if we have a whole house, and on top of it is a tiny little mini version of the apartment we just left. Maybe that's why the cats want to spend all of their time up here.
It was kind of pleasant to be unattached for a while and focus on other things. Our only news came from the paper, since we had no tv or computer until yesterday. It was fun to read the paper and think of how certain blogs would be reacting to certain items. Let's just say, we were pretty sure the DvKers were having a field day between Miers and Zogby, and I wasn't disappointed this morning.
I was surprised that MNObserver let that Kersten article go without pointing out the channeling of Schlafly in that "This is all your fault, Betty Friedan!" bit Kersten did so admirably. Maybe MnO was saving that for me.
Speaking of which, a little bit for you all. I'm feeling "racy" today.
Is Our President Learning?
Earlier this week CP ran a few posts about a recent Senate Armed Services Committee hearing involving Generals Myers, Casey and Abizaid. The gist of the story was that the Generals were finally getting around to some of the motives behind Al Qaeda's actions a full 9 years after UBL clearly laid them out for everyone to see. It was quite the performance by our leading men in uniform.
Today, President Bush made yet another of his "major speeches" on Iraq. It's funny, but this speech seemed exactly like the last one. There was a lot of stuff about evil and evil doers, but nothing really new that would justify the qualifier of "major".
After some niceties about attending dignitaries, Mr. Bush cut to the chase. We would like to point out to our readers that this speech eerily mirrored the comments of General Abizaid during last week's hearing. Take a look-see.
Holy crap!! Radical terrorists want a place to operate with impunity? Say it ain't so!! Point 3:
Like General Abizaid, Mr. Bush goes on to say that the terrorists are using higher levels of technology in their attacks. This strikes CP as especially funny. Of course our enemy is getting better at attacking us! This is what happens in war. This may come as a surprise to those who have let all the talk about evil-doers and savages go to their head, but Al Qaeda are people too; some with advanced degrees from major American universities. This is not news and it should not be a surprise.
In a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black, Mr. Bush lets loose with this:
In fact, the most obnoxious part of Mr. Bush's speech was his repeated attempts to recreate the communist specter of the Cold War in the guise of an Islamic terrorist. He hit on this repeatedly:
Perhaps the most frustrating thing of all is that time and time again the President refers to the fact that the terrorists are not "true Musilms" and that they have "hijacked a peaceful religion". One would think that this extra or anti-religiousness would lead us to ask what is it about the world that causes Islamic terrorism to take place. Is it a political goal? Is it blood and treasure? What? The Campaigner in Chief has no answers to these questions. Neither, it appears, do his top generals.
Look, we fully understand that there are folks out there who do not take the threat of Al Qaeda as seriously as it should be taken. We here at CP think that Islamic terrorists are on historic par with the Nazis in terms of their destructive tendencies and overreaching political goals. These are seriously and historically bad people that need to be killed. However, on the other end of this spectrum lies President Bush; complete with a cartoonish view of the enemy that is based on nothing but empty air and grand generalities. The point here is that it doesn't matter if you underestimate the enemy or misunderstand the enemy; both are equally dangerous and they are just different shades of the same color of ineffectiveness.
Of course, none of this matters as Mr. Bush made it very clear that "[t]his is a difficult and long-term project, yet there's no alternative to it."
No. Alternative. The great unsaid thing here is that he was talking about Iraq.
As always, Mr. Bush ends his speech with a "God bless America". We would like to end our post in a similar fashion.
God help America.
Today, President Bush made yet another of his "major speeches" on Iraq. It's funny, but this speech seemed exactly like the last one. There was a lot of stuff about evil and evil doers, but nothing really new that would justify the qualifier of "major".
After some niceties about attending dignitaries, Mr. Bush cut to the chase. We would like to point out to our readers that this speech eerily mirrored the comments of General Abizaid during last week's hearing. Take a look-see.
Abizaid:Like Abizaid, Bush finally gets around to acknowledging what UBL wrote in 1996:
Al Qaida and associated extremists are the main enemy to peace and stability in the region. The enemy that brought us 9/11 continues to represent one of the greatest dangers to this nation.
First, this enemy is driven by a militant ideology that celebrates murder and suicide. In the Taliban's rule in Afghanistan, we saw how this ideology oppressed the masses and covered a nation in darkness: no music, executions in soccer stadiums, women sequestered, works of art destroyed.
Bush:
Some call this evil Islamic radicalism; others, militant Jihadism; still others, Islamo-fascism. Whatever it's called, this ideology is very different from the religion of Islam. This form of radicalism exploits Islam to serve a violent, political vision: the establishment, by terrorism and subversion and insurgency, of a totalitarian empire that denies all political and religious freedom. These extremists distort the idea of jihad into a call for terrorist murder against Christians and Jews and Hindus -- and also against Muslims from other traditions, who they regard as heretics.
Abizaid:
And if you look at the geographic representation of Al Qaida and their associated movements and you see how distributed it is, you get the mistaken belief that it is not a global or borderless organization.
It's not like IBM, a monolith that's centrally led from a central headquarters. It's much more like McDonald's, a franchise that is decentralized and dangerous and linked in many ways that I think the next chart represents in a much better way.
Bush:
Islamic radicalism is more like a loose network with many branches than an army under a single command.
We know the vision of the radicals because they've openly stated it -- in videos, and audiotapes, and letters, and declarations, and websites.What do they want? Like Abizaid, Bush lays it out in a couple of steps:
First, these extremists want to end American and Western influence in the broader Middle EastOf course, Mr. Bush can't place these motives within the context of anything approaching pragmatic geopolitical gains, so he falls back on the old war horse. Why do they want to end our influence? Is it because of our troops in Saudi? Nope, it's...
...because we stand for democracy and peaceFurthering the tautology, Mr. Bush follows this up with...
...and stand in the way of their ambitions.You've got to be pooping us. They want to end our influence in the broader Middle East because we stand for freedom and we stand in the way of them ending our influence in the broader Middle East. As evidence, Mr. Bush gives us this nugget:
Al Qaeda's leader, Osama bin Laden, has called on Muslims to dedicate, quote, their "resources, sons and money to driving the infidels out of their lands."Once again, motives are not addressed or recognized. Ladies and gentlemen, we here at CP don't think that we need to bend our actions in the face of Al Qaeda beefs. However, we do need to know what they are so that we can kill them better. Our president--you know, the one who is supposed to be the grown-up on these matters--still does not grasp this distinction. He continues with point #2:
Second, the militant network wants to use the vacuum created by an American retreat to gain control of a country, a base from which to launch attacks and conduct their war against non-radical Muslim governments.
Holy crap!! Radical terrorists want a place to operate with impunity? Say it ain't so!! Point 3:
Third, the militants believe that controlling one country will rally the Muslim masses, enabling them to overthrow all moderate governments in the region, and establish a radical Islamic empire that spans from Spain to Indonesia. With greater economic and military and political power, the terrorists would be able to advance their stated agenda: to develop weapons of mass destruction, to destroy Israel, to intimidate Europe, to assault the American people, and to blackmail our government into isolation.Is he talking about Iran? What about the Taliban controlled Afghanistan? We digress...
Defeating the militant network is difficult, because it thrives, like a parasite, on the suffering and frustration of others.Yes Mr. Bush, defeating the enemy is tough; especially when they are hell-bent on killing their enemy...which would be us.
Like General Abizaid, Mr. Bush goes on to say that the terrorists are using higher levels of technology in their attacks. This strikes CP as especially funny. Of course our enemy is getting better at attacking us! This is what happens in war. This may come as a surprise to those who have let all the talk about evil-doers and savages go to their head, but Al Qaeda are people too; some with advanced degrees from major American universities. This is not news and it should not be a surprise.
In a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black, Mr. Bush lets loose with this:
Like the ideology of communism, our new enemy teaches that innocent individuals can be sacrificed to serve a political vision.Of course, this isn't news to those who have lost loved ones who were drafted to defend freedom...that is, if you flip it and reverse it. Democracy is a political vision too. I guess this one depends on whose ox is getting gored.
In fact, the most obnoxious part of Mr. Bush's speech was his repeated attempts to recreate the communist specter of the Cold War in the guise of an Islamic terrorist. He hit on this repeatedly:
"Like the ideology of communism, our new enemy teaches that innocent individuals can be sacrificed to serve a political vision."Like the rest of the speech, the communist precursor could be found in the SASC hearing last week:
"Like the ideology of communism, our new enemy pursues totalitarian aims. Its leaders pretend to be an aggrieved party, representing the powerless against imperial enemies."
"Like the ideology of communism, our new enemy is dismissive of free peoples, claiming that men and women who live in liberty are weak and decadent. Zarqawi has said that Americans are, quote, 'the most cowardly of God's creatures.'"
"And Islamic radicalism, like the ideology of communism, contains inherent contradictions that doom it to failure."
ABIZAID: But the grip of this ideology should not be underestimated. Communism and fascism started with relatively few, but deeply committed, adherents. And the hate preached by Al Qaida resonates with some misguided people who believe that Al Qaida represents a true Islamic alternative.Of course, we agree that the threat is equal. What scares us is that upon identifying the equal threat, Mr. Bush seems to believe that the motives and tactics must be the same; they are not. However, our President appears to be a one-trick electoral pony and all of his success is based on running things like a campaign. We do not expect anything more from the man.
Perhaps the most frustrating thing of all is that time and time again the President refers to the fact that the terrorists are not "true Musilms" and that they have "hijacked a peaceful religion". One would think that this extra or anti-religiousness would lead us to ask what is it about the world that causes Islamic terrorism to take place. Is it a political goal? Is it blood and treasure? What? The Campaigner in Chief has no answers to these questions. Neither, it appears, do his top generals.
Look, we fully understand that there are folks out there who do not take the threat of Al Qaeda as seriously as it should be taken. We here at CP think that Islamic terrorists are on historic par with the Nazis in terms of their destructive tendencies and overreaching political goals. These are seriously and historically bad people that need to be killed. However, on the other end of this spectrum lies President Bush; complete with a cartoonish view of the enemy that is based on nothing but empty air and grand generalities. The point here is that it doesn't matter if you underestimate the enemy or misunderstand the enemy; both are equally dangerous and they are just different shades of the same color of ineffectiveness.
Of course, none of this matters as Mr. Bush made it very clear that "[t]his is a difficult and long-term project, yet there's no alternative to it."
No. Alternative. The great unsaid thing here is that he was talking about Iraq.
As always, Mr. Bush ends his speech with a "God bless America". We would like to end our post in a similar fashion.
God help America.
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Welcome Home
I've snuck on for a moment while smartie went out to buy me some wine. He just set up our new wireless system, since I refused to let them drill more holes in my pretty little walls. He's backing up all of our data right now on some new toys he bought and I don't understand. I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to be running anything while he does it...
Thanks to everyone for your patience while we've been out, and a huge thanks to our sitters, especially MNObserver. I'll try to post some more later tonight once everything is fully functional. For now, I'm cooking our first homemade meal in nearly a week...using the bags and bags of produce our inlaws brought us when they helped us move. Soups on...literally.
For now, a small picture of what $250 gets you at the Power Liberal Bed and Breakfast. It comes with a cookie on your pillow, if the cats don't eat it first.
Thanks to everyone for your patience while we've been out, and a huge thanks to our sitters, especially MNObserver. I'll try to post some more later tonight once everything is fully functional. For now, I'm cooking our first homemade meal in nearly a week...using the bags and bags of produce our inlaws brought us when they helped us move. Soups on...literally.
For now, a small picture of what $250 gets you at the Power Liberal Bed and Breakfast. It comes with a cookie on your pillow, if the cats don't eat it first.
HKK, MWW
So a neurotic Katherine Kersten pushes a stroller through the skyway, imagines voices that aren't there, realizes that she's not wearing a power suit and those little silk ties we all wore in the 1980's, and goes off to hide and home-school her kids.
Twenty years later, some schmuck at the Times quotes a single 20 year old at Yale, makes sweeping assumptions about the millions of college women she didn't bother to talk to, and all of a sudden Kersten feels better.
Whatever it takes.
Twenty years later, some schmuck at the Times quotes a single 20 year old at Yale, makes sweeping assumptions about the millions of college women she didn't bother to talk to, and all of a sudden Kersten feels better.
Whatever it takes.
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
Civics lessons
High school students learn about free speech in the state of Wal*Mart
Freedom on the march in Afghanistan:
But not to worry, the press is on it, condemning the move:
Freedom on the march in Afghanistan:
The editor of a women's rights magazine in Afghanistan has been arrested after publishing articles deemed blasphemous.
Charges were filed against Ali Mohaqiq Nasab after a complaint by a religious advisor to President Hamid Karzai.
Mr Nasab's magazine had questioned the harsh punishments for adultery and theft demanded by the most conservative interpretation of Islamic law.
But not to worry, the press is on it, condemning the move:
As for the women? I guess they're on their own.
The US-based Committee to Protect Journalists condemned his arrest, noting "deteriorating" press freedoms.
The Usual Wednesday Reminder
It's Drinking Liberally Night! You know where and you know when. And if you don't, you're just - to paraphrase the Learned Foot - too dumb to be reading this blog. Who can argue with that logic?
I won't be able to make it, but I'm sure the usual suspects will be toasting that second indictment of Tom Delay.
I won't be able to make it, but I'm sure the usual suspects will be toasting that second indictment of Tom Delay.
Winning strategies
Seems to me that when you're in a tough reelection fight and a big part of why you're losing is because voters are unhappy with your "my way or the highway" style, your unwillingness to work with other elected officials, and your all around misuse of power, the last thing you'd propose as a campaign strategy is the introduction of charter amendments that concentrate even more power in your office.
But that's just me.
But that's just me.
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Stuff to Check Out
Everyone should go take a gander at the new and improved Minnesota Republican Watch. It is outstanding. Enjoy.
Endangered
Just when you think that the current clowns in Congress are merely gutting the Endangered Species Act, you dig a little deeper and find that the destruction of the Act is just the subterfuge by which far more sinister plans are carried out. It looks like it's just some developer's dream for the removal of pesky environmental legislation, but it's far far more.
As usual, David Niewert puts it all in perspective in a way that frightens and fascinates.
When the House voted 229-193 to gut the Endangered Species Act this week (as predicted,) it didn't simply represent an anti-environmental movement run amok in the halls of power -- though that visage was plenty visible.
If you scratch very far beneath the surface, you'll also recognize the fine hand of right-wing extremism. Indeed, the House approval for Rep. Richard Pombo's disingenuously titled "Threatened and Endangered Species Recovery Act of 2005" [PDF file] actually represents a major advancement in the extremist Patriot movement's agenda within the mainstream.
As usual, David Niewert puts it all in perspective in a way that frightens and fascinates.
Monday, October 03, 2005
Today's Mailbag
Sometimes the mail here at MNO central contains nuggets of wonder. Case in point, my mailing last week from the Minnesota Women's Consortium. It contained a special brown bag lunch announcement:
I'm certain that the Ladies Against Feminism would have an opinion about a lunch workshop with the Smitten Kitten (link probably NSFW), as would my mother,the Wege, and Betty Bowers no doubt, but I'm wondering how it's going to play in Peoria.
The Minnesota Women's Consortium and the Smitten Kitten present: A brown bag lunch/smart consumer workshop.
Learn more about this unique women-owned, feminist, transgender friendly sex toy store as well as gain more information about how to make healthy decisions when buying sex toys. Food will be provided.
I'm certain that the Ladies Against Feminism would have an opinion about a lunch workshop with the Smitten Kitten (link probably NSFW), as would my mother,the Wege, and Betty Bowers no doubt, but I'm wondering how it's going to play in Peoria.
Saturday, October 01, 2005
Cronyism, part 347
The Wege has some information on the latest unqualified Bush crony to be nominated to head an agency overseeing hundreds of millions of dollars and whose inability to respond to disasters worldwide will result in untold numbers of people dying: Ellen Sauerbrey's nomination to head the State Department's Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration. A former head of Bush's Maryland campaign, her only relevant experience here is a stint as the US ambassador to the UN Commission on the Status of Women, where she's best known for using reproductive freedom (which her ilk see as a code word for abortion) as a subterfuge to undermine women's freedom and health around the world.
In an effort to use any whiff of a right to an abortion as a means to throw off the "Beijing Plus Ten" conference earlier this year, Sauerbrey attempted right from the start to use the divisive issue to undermine declarations supporting even the most fundamental rights of women and girls:
Suaerbrey was pivotal in trying to use the issue of abortion - even when it wasn't on the agenda - to stop the conference from moving forward on any other area of concern to half the world's population - education, health, economic rights. Lord help the refugees of the world, because Ellen Sauerbrey won't.
She's also a darling of Rew's favorites.
In an effort to use any whiff of a right to an abortion as a means to throw off the "Beijing Plus Ten" conference earlier this year, Sauerbrey attempted right from the start to use the divisive issue to undermine declarations supporting even the most fundamental rights of women and girls:
The new atmosphere was evident immediately, when the U.S. delegation interrupted the first order of business with an attempt to change the Beijing platform -- a one-page document -- with an amendment stating that it did not create the "the right to abortion" or "any new human international human rights."
The move threw the gathering into turmoil. The overwhelming majority of government officials in attendance objected, preferring instead the original version that treats abortion as a public health issue. It states that abortion should be safe where legal and that criminal action should not be taken against women who undergo the procedure.
More than 40 federal lawmakers sent a letter asking Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to urge the delegation to support the platform in its original form.
Faced with the widespread opposition (only a few countries, including Eqypt and Qatar, supported the amendment), the head of the U.S. delegation, Ambassador Ellen R. Sauerbrey, agreed to drop the amendment on the grounds that its essence was already included in the original platform.
But the fracas caused many to accuse the Bush administration of using the international women's rights forum to advance their own religious conservative agenda and using the abortion language as a stalling tactic to prevent the conference from moving forward.
Suaerbrey was pivotal in trying to use the issue of abortion - even when it wasn't on the agenda - to stop the conference from moving forward on any other area of concern to half the world's population - education, health, economic rights. Lord help the refugees of the world, because Ellen Sauerbrey won't.
She's also a darling of Rew's favorites.
The Power Stays On.
No way is this place going dark. While Rew and Smartie are on their homebuying break, I'd figure I'd hand all the PowerLiberals an assignment to keep those minds busy.
Via A Nod to Nothing, I came across something that appeared at first to be a parody: the Ladies Against Feminism website. Kind of reminded me of some of those old feminist guerrilla theater things we used to do back in the day, a kind of a Ladies Against Women type of thing. But no, this is real. Scary and fascinating and creepy all at the same time, but real.
What is important for our exercise today is that the The Ladies Against Feminism have been kind enough to include Frequently Asked Questions page on their site so that we can get the answers to such thought provoking questions as "Why men and women are not equal" and "Why we grudgingly think education is not wasted on women."
The site's insistence on the submission of women, modest dress, religious zealotry, and a home-centered universe for women sounded vaguely similar to another site I once visited -- and was similarly creeped out by -- the FAQ from the website of Grand Ayatollah Sistani.
Although Sistani has more graphic questions on the exact nature of permissible sexual practices, the similarities are surprising, and leads me to the Power Liberal homework assignment: After a review of the two sites, craft an essay about whether dogs or women are given more substantive, real-life freedoms in the site host's ideal world, comparing and contrasting the underlying assumptions about social and biological roles in each society.
Via A Nod to Nothing, I came across something that appeared at first to be a parody: the Ladies Against Feminism website. Kind of reminded me of some of those old feminist guerrilla theater things we used to do back in the day, a kind of a Ladies Against Women type of thing. But no, this is real. Scary and fascinating and creepy all at the same time, but real.
What is important for our exercise today is that the The Ladies Against Feminism have been kind enough to include Frequently Asked Questions page on their site so that we can get the answers to such thought provoking questions as "Why men and women are not equal" and "Why we grudgingly think education is not wasted on women."
The site's insistence on the submission of women, modest dress, religious zealotry, and a home-centered universe for women sounded vaguely similar to another site I once visited -- and was similarly creeped out by -- the FAQ from the website of Grand Ayatollah Sistani.
Although Sistani has more graphic questions on the exact nature of permissible sexual practices, the similarities are surprising, and leads me to the Power Liberal homework assignment: After a review of the two sites, craft an essay about whether dogs or women are given more substantive, real-life freedoms in the site host's ideal world, comparing and contrasting the underlying assumptions about social and biological roles in each society.
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