He died at the age of 95. He had suffered from Alzheimer's disease and other ailments in recent years.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Obituaries.
The last obituary of 2007 (Pacific Time) is that of Louis Wolfson, who years ago got into some major legal troubles, but eventually became far better known as the owner and breeder (with his wife Patrice Jacobs Wolfson) of the 1978 Triple Crown winner Affirmed.
He died at the age of 95. He had suffered from Alzheimer's disease and other ailments in recent years.
He died at the age of 95. He had suffered from Alzheimer's disease and other ailments in recent years.
Miscellaneous.
Would-be presidential assassin Sara Jane Moore welcomed the new year by being released from prison.
She is 77 years old.
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She is 77 years old.
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So Why Is It,
despite a rotten president whose policies have been held up to ridicule, and a political party whose basic philosophy has been debunked again and again by history, do the current crop of candidates continue to pursue such a foolhardy course?
Back on the East Coast
it is 2008 already, and I sure as hell am not going to stay up out here until midnight since I have been awake since 3:45 a.m.
Screw that.
In the meantime, here is a slideshow of the new year from around the world.
Screw that.
In the meantime, here is a slideshow of the new year from around the world.
Campaign Notes.
It certainly pissed the media and corporate America no end when despite Elizabeth Edwards' cancer diagnosis, she and John persisted with his presidential campaign.
And with that profound thought I am going to be leaving until this evening at around 8 or so. I am taking the bus all the way back to Reno via Sacramento.
That way I will still have a week to relax before having to return to work next Monday.
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Biden's campaign is screwing up.
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I don't believe the latest Des Moines Register poll, which puts Obama ahead in the Iowa race.
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Huckabee causes an abortion.
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The Clinton campaign boasts it has raised an obscene amount of money for what is sure to be a losing effort.
_____
The only "landslide" involving Obama is the one where he'd lose all fifty states.
The pundits are so obvious in their pushing the Obama nonsense.
_____
And with that profound thought I am going to be leaving until this evening at around 8 or so. I am taking the bus all the way back to Reno via Sacramento.
That way I will still have a week to relax before having to return to work next Monday.
_____
Biden's campaign is screwing up.
_____
I don't believe the latest Des Moines Register poll, which puts Obama ahead in the Iowa race.
_____
Huckabee causes an abortion.
_____
The Clinton campaign boasts it has raised an obscene amount of money for what is sure to be a losing effort.
_____
The only "landslide" involving Obama is the one where he'd lose all fifty states.
The pundits are so obvious in their pushing the Obama nonsense.
_____
Nevada Presidential Caucus.
The Clinton and Obama campaigns were working the state this weekend.
I seriously doubt Edwards' support here is in the single digits.
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I seriously doubt Edwards' support here is in the single digits.
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Sunday, December 30, 2007
Miscellaneous.
The San Francisco Zoo's reputation is down a rathole, and that's not just including the recent tiger attack.
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Here is another list of the year's obituaries.
_____
Indian women are being exploited to help presumably wealthy American couples have kids one way or the other.
_____
What the hell is the rush in pulling the plug on somebody supposedly in a PVS?
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Nonja has died at the age of 55.
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Talk about stupid.
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_____
Here is another list of the year's obituaries.
_____
Indian women are being exploited to help presumably wealthy American couples have kids one way or the other.
_____
What the hell is the rush in pulling the plug on somebody supposedly in a PVS?
_____
Nonja has died at the age of 55.
_____
Talk about stupid.
_____
Campaign Notes.
Since Fred doesn't really give a shit about running for president, it can be safely assumed we shouldn't, either.
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I agree with the mention of a comparison with RFK, having remembered him way back in 1968.
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I agree with the mention of a comparison with RFK, having remembered him way back in 1968.
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Iowa Caucuses.
The polls are all over the place and all should be taken with a grain of salt, given Iowa is a caucus state. This one does show John Edwards starting to pull ahead of his rivals.
And he better win Iowa or we are fucked.
This poll looks good for Edwards.
Edwards did get a newspaper endorsement.
Will Huckabee be able to do it?
And he better win Iowa or we are fucked.
This poll looks good for Edwards.
Edwards did get a newspaper endorsement.
Will Huckabee be able to do it?
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Joe Conason
points out yet another problem with Obama to add on top of numerous other problems which make him completely unelectable.
Just to Note.
They did it, the first undefeated season for a professional football team since the Miami Dolphins way back in 1972-1973.
I have to note what is truly important.
I have to note what is truly important.
I Certainly Agree
with this poster:
Yep, although Edwards' message was much the same as it was four years ago, and it was buried by the corporate media like it is now.
I just hope Democrats don't buy the Clinton/Obama hype being forced down their throats in the hopes the corporate elite and Republicans get the sacrificial lamb they want for the general election.
The third among those who might agree with me on the proper nature of our beloved Democratic Party is John Edwards. It is only recently that he seems to have found his voice on this subject, although his entire professional life as an attorney has been spent as an advocate for the poor, the powerless, and the accused.
But now that he HAS found his voice, and has been repeatedly and specifically harping on the dangers to our domestic society and our international stature that the rise of corporate hegemony represents in America, I believe that John Edwards may be not only the most electable of our current crop of candidates, but might also be the most effective in putting our nation back on the track of social justice, economic equity, and the effective diplomacy that might help restore America's power to accomplish beneficial goals on the world stage.
Furthermore, I believe that John Edwards will, or at least sincerely intends to, take significant steps to improve our rapidly crumbling infrastructure and provide the conditions to achieve a level of prosperity and peace that we've not known yet in this century. I KNOW that he will pursue policies that are beneficial to our environment and that will restore the dignity of our workers, policies that will, among other things make our products more competitive worldwide by removing the onerous burden of providing health care off of the shoulders of our industry and onto our government where it belongs. He will end the 25-year war on unionism that has resulted in the decline of our overall standard of living, and will implement steps to improve our public education.
So, while I want to make it clear that I will support whichever of our candidates receives our nomination, I will be casting my vote in the primary for John Edwards, because not only do I believe that he shares my own views closely, I believe that his presidency would be the best for America, and I believe that John Edwards will, BY FAR, be the easiest of all of our candidates to elect next November in what might be our final chance to rescue our nation from its fall into right-wing despotism and corporate feudalism.
Vote for John Edwards in your primaries, please. He's the guy we need.
Yep, although Edwards' message was much the same as it was four years ago, and it was buried by the corporate media like it is now.
I just hope Democrats don't buy the Clinton/Obama hype being forced down their throats in the hopes the corporate elite and Republicans get the sacrificial lamb they want for the general election.
The New Hampshire Primary.
The Union Leader has a profile of John Edwards up, and there are links to articles about a number of other candidates on the page as well.
No Doubt
a cottage industry will arise as a result of the Bhutto assassination.
The U.S. has its own cottage industry of JFK conspiracy theories; it seems inevitable other assassinations would spawn their own.
The U.S. has its own cottage industry of JFK conspiracy theories; it seems inevitable other assassinations would spawn their own.
I
have been reading Paul Krugman's The Conscience of a Liberal, doing as I always do and skip around. He gives a good chronicle of how it is our economy is doing so shitty, why there is such a gap between the rich and everybody else, and he concludes just as I have said for years and other authors (most notably Barlett and Steele in their books about the disappearing middle class) that it is all by design, the end result of a twisted, immoral ideology by those who want an aristocracy in this country and those who utterly despise people who work for a living.
Buckley, Friedman, Rand, and all their ilk can burn in hell. They were (and in Buckley's case still is) slaves to a goddamned cult totally discredited decades ago.
And now that these selfish bastards in the economic elite are in power, they will fight to the death any effort to reverse course.
Which is why they hate John Edwards and anybody who dares challenge the status quo.
Buckley, Friedman, Rand, and all their ilk can burn in hell. They were (and in Buckley's case still is) slaves to a goddamned cult totally discredited decades ago.
And now that these selfish bastards in the economic elite are in power, they will fight to the death any effort to reverse course.
Which is why they hate John Edwards and anybody who dares challenge the status quo.
More Campaign Notes.
The various candidates are finally giving their final push in Iowa.
It'll be interesting how the media spins everything.
John Edwards plans to burn the candle at both ends in Iowa in a final push and hopes it will pay off.
It'll be interesting how the media spins everything.
John Edwards plans to burn the candle at both ends in Iowa in a final push and hopes it will pay off.
Obituaries.
The NYT Magazine has a list of some people who died this past year worthy of note.
I am sure I left out a few.
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I am sure I left out a few.
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Miscellaneous.
A Wyoming prosecutor questions whether brothel owner/northern Nevada Hells Angels head David Burgess really needs a public defender given the fact he is reportedly worth several million dollars.
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Charges have now been filed in connection with the Carnation slayings. One of the accused is sorry as hell it happened.
More gruesome details are here.
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It was nothing short of chaos at the S.F. Zoo following the tiger mauling.
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Benazir Bhutto's teenage son is about to pick up where his mother left off.
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Charges have now been filed in connection with the Carnation slayings. One of the accused is sorry as hell it happened.
More gruesome details are here.
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It was nothing short of chaos at the S.F. Zoo following the tiger mauling.
_____
Benazir Bhutto's teenage son is about to pick up where his mother left off.
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Campaign Notes.
I say "ouch" to these comments.
Dodd is right, of course.
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Undoubtedly knowing where the biggest threat is coming from, Obama steals some of Edwards' ideas about populism, although in his case it's obviously as fake as he is.
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What the polls don't tell you, Adam, is who is ahead in the second-choice category, and that person is Edwards for the Democrats.
Oh, and even though Chet Culver hasn't "endorsed" anyone, which is always the case with the Iowa caucuses, his wife HAS endorsed John Edwards, which in effect is an endorsement from the governor.
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Call me cynical, but I seriously doubt Bill Clinton is going to sit to perform ceremonial functions if by some miracle his wife gets elected.
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Dodd is right, of course.
_____
Undoubtedly knowing where the biggest threat is coming from, Obama steals some of Edwards' ideas about populism, although in his case it's obviously as fake as he is.
_____
What the polls don't tell you, Adam, is who is ahead in the second-choice category, and that person is Edwards for the Democrats.
Oh, and even though Chet Culver hasn't "endorsed" anyone, which is always the case with the Iowa caucuses, his wife HAS endorsed John Edwards, which in effect is an endorsement from the governor.
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Call me cynical, but I seriously doubt Bill Clinton is going to sit to perform ceremonial functions if by some miracle his wife gets elected.
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Friday, December 28, 2007
When Taking Second Choices
into account, I will be very surprised, hell devastated, if John Edwards doesn't win Iowa.
It's now a three-way tie, according to this poll. Of course, Iowa being a caucus state, it's hard to take opinion polls seriously.
Organization is what counts.
It's now a three-way tie, according to this poll. Of course, Iowa being a caucus state, it's hard to take opinion polls seriously.
Organization is what counts.
Could There Be
a backlash against O & O?
O, I sure hope so. The media, including Winfrey, are obvious in their motives.
And you can find some commentary right on her site.
Yes, it IS in bad taste, but taste ain't the half of it.
O, I sure hope so. The media, including Winfrey, are obvious in their motives.
And you can find some commentary right on her site.
Yes, it IS in bad taste, but taste ain't the half of it.
Nevada Presidential Caucus.
Duncan Hunter is making yet more appearances in northern Nevada.
I won't get a chance to attend those events, however, being up in Oregon instead until Monday.
I won't get a chance to attend those events, however, being up in Oregon instead until Monday.
Miscellaneous.
The family of the victim of the recent tiger attack believes he didn't do anything wrong.
Call me a skeptic that a tiger would just jump a fence and attack.
I can just about bet those idiots were responsible, just as that dumb shit Steve Irwin asked for it when he got fatally stabbed by a stingray.
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Along those lines, a Portland, Oregon, resident remembers a 1970 lion attack:
As bad as that was, the kid was a dumb shit even to tempt fate.
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Tiny Tank helps apprehend a suspect.
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Call me a skeptic that a tiger would just jump a fence and attack.
I can just about bet those idiots were responsible, just as that dumb shit Steve Irwin asked for it when he got fatally stabbed by a stingray.
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Along those lines, a Portland, Oregon, resident remembers a 1970 lion attack:
Ken Bowers learned from television news Wednesday of the Christmas Day tiger mauling at the San Francisco Zoo. Alone in his gray Southeast Portland bungalow, Bowers remembered the words of his friend 37 years ago.
"Help me, Kenny."
Bowers, Roger Adams and Mike Gaskell were partying late that Fourth of July in 1970 when they decided to pay an after-hours visit to what was then the Portland Zoo. Bowers believes that Adams, then 19 and the youngest, wanted to demonstrate his courage when he crawled over the fence and dangled himself into the lions' den.
As bad as that was, the kid was a dumb shit even to tempt fate.
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Tiny Tank helps apprehend a suspect.
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This
reporter/photographer was a witness to the Bhutto assassination.
The WSWS has a commentary on yesterday's tragedy.
So does Robert Parry, at least in part.
The WSWS has a commentary on yesterday's tragedy.
So does Robert Parry, at least in part.
I Am Not
terribly happy John McCain is making a comeback, but I am pleased to know some out there don't discount John Edwards.
Campaign Notes.
Now the media are pushing the Clinton/Obama tie in their efforts to make Democrats become stupid enough as to select a candidate who can't win.
Both sisters of mine have noticed the media's attempt to control the election on the Democratic side, and they are pissed. It's very hard NOT to notice it, granted, but the idea a wife of a former president or a black man with a Muslim-sounding name with little national experience could actually get elected in this country is absurd on its face.
Yet people are falling for this crap.
Meanwhile, despite the likelihood of not winning Iowa, Hillary Clinton is not taking any questions and screwing up her remote chances even more.
Both sisters of mine have noticed the media's attempt to control the election on the Democratic side, and they are pissed. It's very hard NOT to notice it, granted, but the idea a wife of a former president or a black man with a Muslim-sounding name with little national experience could actually get elected in this country is absurd on its face.
Yet people are falling for this crap.
Meanwhile, despite the likelihood of not winning Iowa, Hillary Clinton is not taking any questions and screwing up her remote chances even more.
The Anderson Murder Case
gets more bizarre by the minute. It appears the younger slain couple and their two children were murdered in order to cover up the murder of the parents.
The alleged killers could well get the death penalty if convicted.
The alleged killers could well get the death penalty if convicted.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Miscellaneous.
Despite tons of research and scores of theories, Alzheimer's disease remains a mystery.
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I seldom take Project Censored seriously after they ignored the real story behind the bogus Clinton "scandals" and the theft of the 2000 and 2004 elections, but I'll post the link to their latest top-25 list anyway.
_____
Court documents detail the Carnation, Washington, slayings of the Anderson family.
Poor thing.
The pair have admitted to the murders:
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I seldom take Project Censored seriously after they ignored the real story behind the bogus Clinton "scandals" and the theft of the 2000 and 2004 elections, but I'll post the link to their latest top-25 list anyway.
_____
Court documents detail the Carnation, Washington, slayings of the Anderson family.
Investigators believe Michele Anderson and McEnroe both shot the victims, said one law-enforcement source familiar with the investigation.
The source said there was a dispute within the family over money and that Anderson believed she was mistreated and taken advantage of by family members.
Ben Anderson, the grandson of the two oldest victims, told reporters outside his grandparents' property late Wednesday that money could have been a factor in the deaths.
"She felt she wasn't loved enough and everyone didn't appreciate her and she was pushed out of everyone's life," he said, referring to Michele Anderson.
Poor thing.
The pair have admitted to the murders:
Joseph Thomas McEnroe and Michele Kristen Anderson, who waived their right to appear in court, could be charged as soon as Friday in the deaths of Anderson's family, including a 6-year-old girl and 3-year-old boy.
Court papers say the two have admitted to the killing.
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Toesucker Dick
makes a good point or two or one about Hillary Clinton.
Morris is repeating my talking points about the conflict of interest involved here.
At first, his appearances were novel and politically helpful. But then they came to underscore her weakness. It was as if Dennis Thatcher had stood up for Maggie as she faced down the Argentine junta in the Falklands war. Now, Bill's oversized presence on the national stage raises an even more profound question: Is he using his wife's candidacy to seek a third term in office, prohibited him by the 22nd Amendment?
Increasingly, he seems like former Gov. George Wallace - who put his wife Lurleen into the Alabama State House after he was forced from office by term limits. (Or, in a more recent example, like Argentine President Nestor Kirchner, who stepped aside only to have his wife, Christina Fernandez Kirchner, take power.)
Morris is repeating my talking points about the conflict of interest involved here.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
If Chris Matthews
were any more full of shit, he'd have to have an enema.
Stuff like the bullshit he said about an Obama win in Iowa is the reason I hate Obama's guts and will not vote for him under any circumstances. Obama actually believes the bullshit about him and thus continues on a campaign where he is sure to lose.
Obama doesn't have enough brains to realize that if the media is peddling his candidacy, that means they want him as the Republicans' ringer.
Stuff like the bullshit he said about an Obama win in Iowa is the reason I hate Obama's guts and will not vote for him under any circumstances. Obama actually believes the bullshit about him and thus continues on a campaign where he is sure to lose.
Obama doesn't have enough brains to realize that if the media is peddling his candidacy, that means they want him as the Republicans' ringer.
If You
want to hear Mike Huckabee speak, you will have to pay through the nose for the privilege.
_____
Good thing Dick Cheney wasn't along.
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Good thing Dick Cheney wasn't along.
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Miscellaneous.
I don't think the husband was that smart.
Bad pun, I know.
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This is sad beyond belief.
More here.
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Here is another murder case that will be yakked about to no end.
Of course it would be family-related:
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I started my teaching career there.
The chautauqua program is great. The kids are absolutely hysterical.
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Bad pun, I know.
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This is sad beyond belief.
More here.
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Here is another murder case that will be yakked about to no end.
Of course it would be family-related:
One of two suspects in the slayings of six people near Carnation is the daughter of the oldest victims, police said.
The 29-year-old daughter of victims Judy and Wayne Anderson, who own the property in the 1800 block of 248th Avenue Northeast, has been identified as a suspect on the slayings that occurred on Christmas Eve. The suspect's boyfriend has also been arrested in connection with the slayings, authorities said.
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I started my teaching career there.
The chautauqua program is great. The kids are absolutely hysterical.
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Campaign Notes.
It's time to closely examine Hillary Clinton's years as First Lady and see if those years count as presidential experience.
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I would even call Obama "eloquent." He is heavily scripted, and once he is off the script, he flounders.
Just like our dictator.
_____
I think Edwards has Iowa in the bag. He didn't rely on student "support," which is always iffy.
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I would even call Obama "eloquent." He is heavily scripted, and once he is off the script, he flounders.
Just like our dictator.
_____
I think Edwards has Iowa in the bag. He didn't rely on student "support," which is always iffy.
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Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Obituaries.
Choreographer Michael Kidd, no kidd himself, has died at the age of 92.
No kidding.
_____
Top trainer Dale Baird, 72, was killed in traffic accident Sunday.
He wasn't that well known except in the record books because his business was primarily in training claiming horses.
_____
Jazz piano great Oscar Peterson, 82, has died. He died of kidney failure.
_____
Frank Capra, Jr., 73, the son of Senior, died of prostate cancer. He never wanted to go into his dad's business but ended up doing it anyway.
_____
Laura Huxley, widow of Aldous, died the other day at the age of 96.
She didn't just sit around and become a wife of a famous man; she also was his biographer, a violinist, a filmmaker, and many other things.
_____
No kidding.
_____
Top trainer Dale Baird, 72, was killed in traffic accident Sunday.
He wasn't that well known except in the record books because his business was primarily in training claiming horses.
_____
Jazz piano great Oscar Peterson, 82, has died. He died of kidney failure.
_____
Frank Capra, Jr., 73, the son of Senior, died of prostate cancer. He never wanted to go into his dad's business but ended up doing it anyway.
_____
Laura Huxley, widow of Aldous, died the other day at the age of 96.
She didn't just sit around and become a wife of a famous man; she also was his biographer, a violinist, a filmmaker, and many other things.
_____
Campaign Notes.
Was Hillary Clinton really the one calling the shots during the first Clinton presidency and therefore disqualified from running for another term?
_____
Extreme partisan politics is basically for masochists.
_____
Extreme partisan politics is basically for masochists.
Christmas 2007 in White City, Oregon.
Only six of us rather than the usual 12 to 15 celebrated Christmas at Rick's this year.
Sherry hits Rick with a flyswatter. They made breakfast for us.
Rick and Sherry's dog Shelby.
Here's a picture of my oldest sister Pat.
Rick and Sherry's dog, Sassy.
Most recent years I have made the trip to White City, Oregon, to see the family for Christmas. This year had a smaller turnout than usual because my niece and her husband went to Eugene, while Elven and his family stayed in Salem to spend Christmas with the wife's family.
This is the tree.
Miscellaneous.
The family of Nataline Sarkisyan plans to sue Cigna for not approving her transplant, and the denial helped cause her death.
_____
For light reading I present a list of the fifty most wonderful people of the year.
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For light reading I present a list of the fifty most wonderful people of the year.
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I'll Just Say This:
Several of my relatives won't be at my nephew's house for our annual celebration. Oh, well, they will miss out on a free dinner, courtesy of yours truly.
My niece, by the way, got a brand new car thanks to her husband. He paid cash for it.
I plan to post on and off today.
Monday, December 24, 2007
Campaign Notes.
Can Rudy survive all of the messes he's inflicted upon himself?
Romney is up shit crik in Iowa.
And in New Hampshire, too.
Romney is up shit crik in Iowa.
And in New Hampshire, too.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
And With That
I am dragging my ass out of here to take the long bus trip to Medford, Oregon, for one week.
I want to return to the dogs as soon as possible.
I hope the goddamned bus doesn't break down like it did last time.
I want to return to the dogs as soon as possible.
I hope the goddamned bus doesn't break down like it did last time.
I Was Surfing Around
the internet, and I came across this blog about classic television that I thought I'd link here (I have it linked on the links blog, too).
There are lots of video clips on that site.
There are lots of video clips on that site.
The Right-Wing
Dallas Morning News gives the game away by endorsing Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination.
The Nashua Telegraph plays the same game.
Note the establishment media refuses to back Edwards at all because of his economic populism.
The Nashua Telegraph plays the same game.
Note the establishment media refuses to back Edwards at all because of his economic populism.
Miscellaneous.
J. Edgar Hoover planned on mass jailings of some 12,000 people in 1950, with closeted gays at the top of the list.
I made that last part up.
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In what is good news for multinational corporations, India is having one hell of a time cracking down on child labor.
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I made that last part up.
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In what is good news for multinational corporations, India is having one hell of a time cracking down on child labor.
_____
Campaign Notes.
The Concord Monitor threw its overwhelming support to Mitt Romney:
In other words, Mitt went from being a moderate-to-liberal Republican to a blathering wingnut almost overnight.
If you were building a Republican presidential candidate from a kit, imagine what pieces you might use: an athletic build, ramrod posture, Reaganesque hair, a charismatic speaking style and a crisp dark suit. You'd add a beautiful wife and family, a wildly successful business career and just enough executive government experience. You'd pour in some old GOP bromides - spending cuts and lower taxes - plus some new positions for 2008: anti-immigrant rhetoric and a focus on faith.
Add it all up and you get Mitt Romney, a disquieting figure who sure looks like the next president and most surely must be stopped.
Romney's main business experience is as a management consultant, a field in which smart, fast-moving specialists often advise corporations on how to reinvent themselves. His memoir is called Turnaround - the story of his successful rescue of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City - but the most stunning turnaround he has engineered is his own political career.
In other words, Mitt went from being a moderate-to-liberal Republican to a blathering wingnut almost overnight.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
I Finished Watching
The Broadway Melody, and I decided to take a look at one of the extras, a takeoff on this movie but with an all-dog cast (one of the famous "Dogville" shorts).
Here is a YouTube clip:
Here is a YouTube clip:
With a $10 Gift Certificate
from Borders given to me by a parent I work with at school, I bought my DVD of the 1929 Best Picture Oscar winner, The Broadway Melody. This is one of the films I had on VHS, but I thought I'd go ahead and buy the DVD. It was a pioneering film in the history of Hollywood musicals, while no masterpiece, it remains important.
Anita Page, who co-starred with Bessie Love in this film, is 97 years young. She even has her own official webpage.
Anita Page, who co-starred with Bessie Love in this film, is 97 years young. She even has her own official webpage.
Miscellaneous.
It didn't take long before Tammy Faye Messner's widower found himself another wife.
Apparently this woman was a longtime friend of Tammy Faye's, according to the National Enquirer.
Apparently this woman was a longtime friend of Tammy Faye's, according to the National Enquirer.
I Hate
to tell the reporters at the Times of London, but the picture on the Drudge Report of Hillary Clinton's face is clearly Photoshopped.
I've seen the woman as close up as possible and in very recent weeks, and she looks nowhere near haggard.
From the November town hall in Fernley, Nevada:
And another one, where she is just a few feet away from me:
And here is the bogus picture:
People ought to be ashamed for falling for that crap.
I've seen the woman as close up as possible and in very recent weeks, and she looks nowhere near haggard.
From the November town hall in Fernley, Nevada:
And another one, where she is just a few feet away from me:
And here is the bogus picture:
People ought to be ashamed for falling for that crap.
And
THIS, dear friends and enemies, is why Hillary Clinton will NEVER, EVER be president.
The conflict of interest will sink her.
The conflict of interest will sink her.
Campaign Notes.
John Edwards is royally pissed off at the insurance companies who screw people over on medical care.
You can count on him to fight back against any shit leveled at him.
You can count on him to fight back against any shit leveled at him.
Since
the Rogue Valley's (Oregon) wage base consists mainly of seasonal or real estate or health care jobs, adults, especially those with children, and especially those who don't know English, can't make it.
This is one of the reasons I moved from there nearly 24 years ago:
This is one of the reasons I moved from there nearly 24 years ago:
Up to 85 percent of jobs in the Rogue Valley are not paying a living wage, and for Latino workers, the situation's even worse, according to "The Race for Wages: Living Wage Jobs in the Current Economy."
The report, released this week, highlights the role that race plays in the employment system. Released by Oregon Action, the report is the latest in a series of studies from the Northwest Federation of Community Organizations that studies the job gap.
"There are still levels of discrimination," said Rich Rohde, Rogue Valley organizer for Oregon Action.
A living wage allows families to meet basic needs without public assistance, and provides them some ability to deal with emergencies and plan ahead. It is not a poverty wage.
Friday, December 21, 2007
More Campaign Notes.
Since Hillary Clinton isn't going to win Iowa anyway, her campaign is advising the staff to lower their expectations there.
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This blogger makes a lot of sense analyzing why the likes of Greenspan and Buckley hate John Edwards' guts.
Populism, which Edwards represents, is the enemy of the elite economic class.
_____
_____
This blogger makes a lot of sense analyzing why the likes of Greenspan and Buckley hate John Edwards' guts.
Populism, which Edwards represents, is the enemy of the elite economic class.
_____
I Seriously
doubt Obama is going to get the nomination anyway.
The hype is just a little bit over the top and too obvious.
The hype is just a little bit over the top and too obvious.
Predictably,
USA Today conveniently left John Edwards out of the running in its discussion of electability but instead wasted time on the two least electable candidates running for the Democratic nomination.
Obituaries.
The woman once considered the world's oldest showgirl has died.
Beverly Allen was 90. She worked well into her eighties.
_____
This is bizarre, to say the least, yet apt.
_____
Beverly Allen was 90. She worked well into her eighties.
_____
This is bizarre, to say the least, yet apt.
_____
Campaign Notes.
The NYT finally gets around to profiling Bill Richardson.
Richardson is a longshot, but he is so qualified and so marvelous in person it's sad he hasn't gotten traction.
Richardson is a longshot, but he is so qualified and so marvelous in person it's sad he hasn't gotten traction.
Miscellaneous.
It appears Chicago Public Schools officials have something else in mind other than the "underutilizaton" of various schools for their closure scheme.
_____
L.A. Mayor Antonio V. and his sister are targets of animal rights nutjobs.
_____
_____
L.A. Mayor Antonio V. and his sister are targets of animal rights nutjobs.
_____
Thursday, December 20, 2007
One of the Worst Pieces of Shit
ever made, the 1968 disaster Skidoo, can be found on YouTube in several parts.
I will post the first part, and interested people can go to the link above to watch the rest of this crap.
Unfortunately, it has yet to be released on DVD.
Edit: After watching this thing, I will admit it isn't the worst movie ever made; it's pretty silly, though. It should be on DVD. At least it's watchable, unlike that piece of shit Candy.
I will post the first part, and interested people can go to the link above to watch the rest of this crap.
Unfortunately, it has yet to be released on DVD.
Edit: After watching this thing, I will admit it isn't the worst movie ever made; it's pretty silly, though. It should be on DVD. At least it's watchable, unlike that piece of shit Candy.
I'd Go Further
than Sean Wilentz and say that it's not that the pundry is delusional when it comes to Barack Obama, it is a deliberate manufacturing of a candidate who the Republicans most want to face in November.
The guy is so transparently empty of any substance, not even a great orator or even charismatic, that no other explanation than his being used as a ringer for the Republicans suffices.
The guy is so transparently empty of any substance, not even a great orator or even charismatic, that no other explanation than his being used as a ringer for the Republicans suffices.
The Nation
has a few words about the three Democratic "frontrunners," but I don't see any endorsement yet.
Obituaries.
Television host Jack Linkletter, 70, son of Art, has died of lymphoma.
Art is still around and is in his nineties.
_____
Art is still around and is in his nineties.
_____
Matt Taibbi
is so in love with Obama he doesn't see the utter absurdity of his candidacy; instead, he thinks it's proof there isn't any rigging going on.
Oh, yeah? Why are the media mavens pushing him then, especially given the fact Obama actually stands for nothing?
The answer is obvious.
Oh, yeah? Why are the media mavens pushing him then, especially given the fact Obama actually stands for nothing?
The answer is obvious.
Miscellaneous.
Because 81 is the new 21, it is not at all surprising Queen Elizabeth II today becomes the longest-living monarch in Britain's history.
She's still going strong.
_____
I hope the bastard gets what's coming to him.
_____
She's still going strong.
_____
I hope the bastard gets what's coming to him.
_____
Campaign Notes.
Obama, the unwitting ringer-like candidate for the GOP, not surprisingly would consider putting Republicans in his cabinet.
He claims he's confident of his (nonexistent) chances, but he doesn't want to jinx it.
_____
Rudy is as sick of the campaign as we are.
_____
Once again we are treated to bogus Clinton "scandals" by the media.
_____
Bob Kerrey apologizes to Obama for his right-handed compliment.
_____
It's no surprise there is a gender gap in support for Hillary Clinton.
_____
Did Mike Huckabee actually have gastric bypass surgery, which caused his dramatic weight loss?
_____
Not standing for anything has been B.O.'s M.O. since he was in IL.
_____
So why is Mike Huckabee all the talk now?
At least the media likes him, unlike John Edwards.
_____
He claims he's confident of his (nonexistent) chances, but he doesn't want to jinx it.
_____
Rudy is as sick of the campaign as we are.
_____
Once again we are treated to bogus Clinton "scandals" by the media.
_____
Bob Kerrey apologizes to Obama for his right-handed compliment.
_____
It's no surprise there is a gender gap in support for Hillary Clinton.
_____
Did Mike Huckabee actually have gastric bypass surgery, which caused his dramatic weight loss?
_____
Not standing for anything has been B.O.'s M.O. since he was in IL.
_____
So why is Mike Huckabee all the talk now?
At least the media likes him, unlike John Edwards.
_____
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Obituaries.
Chicago's "Pigeon Man," Joseph Zeman, 77, was struck and killed by a van.
_____
I heard that earlier Perry Kucinich, younger brother of Congressman Dennis Kucinich, was found dead at the age of 52.
No cause of death has been determined.
_____
Campaign Notes.
The media are now working to take Hillary Clinton down in favor of Barack Obama, the one surefire loser in the GE.
Not that Hillary would have a chance, but she certainly would fare better than Barack.
_____
Edwards is going to come fighting down the homestretch in the Iowa Iowa caucuses.
_____
Here is is Wednesday, yet the NYT Magazine already has its Matt Bai article on Hillary Clinton up.
_____
Anybody who thinks they can pick the Republican nominee for president is probably full of shit.
It's impossible at this point.
I will, however, predict Tom Tancredo will not win the nomination.
I am surprised more Republican candidates haven't come to Nevada since they, too, moved up the caucus.
_____
The Edwards surge is, in fact, real.
_____
If I can remember and if the event doesn't take too long, I will attend the appearance by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, who is campaigning on behalf of Hillary Clinton.
_____
After months of the political buzzards circling around his political carcass, is it possible John McCain's campaign is coming back to life?
_____
Not that Hillary would have a chance, but she certainly would fare better than Barack.
_____
Edwards is going to come fighting down the homestretch in the Iowa Iowa caucuses.
_____
Here is is Wednesday, yet the NYT Magazine already has its Matt Bai article on Hillary Clinton up.
_____
Anybody who thinks they can pick the Republican nominee for president is probably full of shit.
It's impossible at this point.
I will, however, predict Tom Tancredo will not win the nomination.
I am surprised more Republican candidates haven't come to Nevada since they, too, moved up the caucus.
_____
The Edwards surge is, in fact, real.
_____
If I can remember and if the event doesn't take too long, I will attend the appearance by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, who is campaigning on behalf of Hillary Clinton.
_____
After months of the political buzzards circling around his political carcass, is it possible John McCain's campaign is coming back to life?
_____
Either
the National Enquirer received too many hits about the Edwards "love child" story, which was worded vaguely enough that it really wasn't what it was promoted as being, or else they heard from some attorneys. The story has been yanked from the site.
In any case, the issue has already gone to press.
Edit: Nope, they moved it to here.
Somebody wants Obama as the nominee. The article reeks of innuendo from an unnamed--aren't they all--"source."
_____
In any case, the issue has already gone to press.
Edit: Nope, they moved it to here.
Somebody wants Obama as the nominee. The article reeks of innuendo from an unnamed--aren't they all--"source."
_____
Miscellaneous.
Hollywood is about to glorify Nevada's legal whorehouses, which shouldn't be glorified at all.
Prostitution isn't a victimless crime but a tragedy.
_____
Genetics isn't everything when it comes to winning racehorses.
_____
Prostitution isn't a victimless crime but a tragedy.
_____
Genetics isn't everything when it comes to winning racehorses.
_____
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
It Figures
somebody connected with the Carlyle Group would buy a copy of the Magna Carta.
If that outfit could, they'd get hold of and shred the Constitution--literally.
If that outfit could, they'd get hold of and shred the Constitution--literally.
Drudge Has
some crap up trying to ruin John Edwards.
I wonder who the hell it is who planted the story.
Gee, I wonder why "they" are trying to take him down now.
This is the same woman who denied the story months ago.
I wonder who the hell it is who planted the story.
Gee, I wonder why "they" are trying to take him down now.
This is the same woman who denied the story months ago.
Campaign Notes.
Conspiracy lovers wonder if something nefarious was afoot when the Des Moines Register endorsed Senator Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination this weekend.
It probably hurt Obama more than it helped Clinton. I seriously doubt it hurt Edwards at all.
_____
Edwards received another important endorsement.
_____
It probably hurt Obama more than it helped Clinton. I seriously doubt it hurt Edwards at all.
_____
Edwards received another important endorsement.
_____
Monday, December 17, 2007
Finally Somebody
on YouTube finally posted the audio of some of Wynonie Harris' greatest songs including my all-time favorite, "Sittin' On It All the Time":
The lyrics can be found here, although there are some errors.
The lyrics can be found here, although there are some errors.
Campaign Notes.
It seems Edwards really packed in the crowd the other night, while the Audacity of Hype came up short.
____
The gold dust twins outline their Nevada strategy.
_____
Somebody likes my "Audacity of Hype" nickname for Obama.
I ought to copyright it.
_____
The fact Edwards is the best bet to beat the Republicans is the reason they and the media are trying to marginalize him.
No surprise there.
_____
____
The gold dust twins outline their Nevada strategy.
_____
Somebody likes my "Audacity of Hype" nickname for Obama.
I ought to copyright it.
_____
The fact Edwards is the best bet to beat the Republicans is the reason they and the media are trying to marginalize him.
No surprise there.
_____
Oh, Please.
Bill Clinton had far, far, far more experience than Obama when he became president. The problem is Obama is so in over his head, it isn't funny, but Fournier and the rest of the media want desperately for this unelectable to get the nomination.
Miscellaneous.
In addition to the worsening housing market, there's crushing student loan debt for graduates.
More Campaign Shit.
Obama is trying to be more than an empty suit with Hallmark card-rhetoric and thus is endangering his appeal.
_____
Hillary Clinton tries the door-to-door approach in New Hampshire.
But if there's trouble afoot for Hillary, her old man is always around to help.
This might be good news for Hillary and bad news for Rudy.
_____
There are many reasons why Edwards is likely to win Iowa.
_____
The homeschool crowd tends to like Mike.
_____
There is yet another Hillary site.
_____
Hillary Clinton tries the door-to-door approach in New Hampshire.
But if there's trouble afoot for Hillary, her old man is always around to help.
This might be good news for Hillary and bad news for Rudy.
_____
There are many reasons why Edwards is likely to win Iowa.
_____
The homeschool crowd tends to like Mike.
_____
There is yet another Hillary site.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Obituaries
Musician and songwriter Dan Fogelberg, 56, died today of cancer. He had suffered from it for several years.
_____
_____
Rumor Has It
Mari Culver, wife of Iowa Governor Chet Culver, will endorse John Edwards tomorrow.
This is good for him.
This is good for him.
How Did
Mike Huckabee come out of nowhere to all of a sudden be the Obama of the Republican Party, and likely to wind up like Obama in the primaries unless Mike winds up as a running mate for the eventual Republican nominee?
Still, though, Republicans aren't exactly enamored with their current candidates.
Still, though, Republicans aren't exactly enamored with their current candidates.
We ALL Know
we have been sold a bill of goods about 401(k)s, that they are better than defined benefit plans, you know, the kind that guarantee a fixed income every month for as long as you live. God, how anybody who is not already rich could throw their money away on these frauds is beyond me.
The WHOLE point of 401(k)s is to SAVE COMPANIES MONEY on pension costs. A traditional pension plan is VERY expensive, something like 6% of operating costs, while these scam accounts--which they aren't even required to contribute--cost around 1%. All the while they have been pilfering and destroying traditional pensions.
And then you have these privatizing bastards wanting to get their filthy hands on Social Security using the exact same lies that they are using for 401(k)s.
Thank God I am now a public employee and will get a decent pension. I did sign up for a 403(b), a counterpart to the 401(k)s, but that's going to be put aside for vacations and stuff.
The WHOLE point of 401(k)s is to SAVE COMPANIES MONEY on pension costs. A traditional pension plan is VERY expensive, something like 6% of operating costs, while these scam accounts--which they aren't even required to contribute--cost around 1%. All the while they have been pilfering and destroying traditional pensions.
And then you have these privatizing bastards wanting to get their filthy hands on Social Security using the exact same lies that they are using for 401(k)s.
Thank God I am now a public employee and will get a decent pension. I did sign up for a 403(b), a counterpart to the 401(k)s, but that's going to be put aside for vacations and stuff.
I Agree
with this poster's assessment of the Democratic race:
Whether Barack Obama is aware of it or not, he's a ringer for the Republicans.
2. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
Republicans up and down the field and in the media attack Hillary Clinton at least once in every sentence they speak or write. It's almost funny to watch them go through semantic contortions to try to obey this "guideline" whatever the topic might be that they are trying to address. A lot of people think that this is because they presume that Hillary will be our nominee and they're just getting their licks in early.
I am no fan of Hillary Clinton, but for the opposite reason that the Republicans try to claim as the justification for their hatred, that she's a "liberal." She may be the LEAST liberal among our candidates. Although I shall certainly support her enthusiastically if she becomes our nominee, I find her to be far too much of a corporate feudalist -- nearly a Republican in that regard. It was her adherence to conservative, corporatist ideals that caused her health plan to fail as she thrashed around to find some way to preserve the insurance industry's cut of the health care money pie, and this cost health care reform its political support. But..
I believe that Republicans are so over-the-top in their bashing of Hillary chiefly because they prefer, GREATLY prefer, to face Barack Obama next November. They know that Hillary has some advantages that will make their row a lot tougher to hoe. But for the purposes of their slander machine, Barack Obama is the proverbial fish in a barrel. His race will ensure that Democrats will win no state between the Potomac and the Mississippi, or Texas either. He will lose us our chances in Ohio, in Indiana, and possibly even in Pennsylvania. His name's Arabic origins will be used to point out the fact that the Democrats are running someone whose heritage lies among the very people who brought down the World Trade Center and who our courageous soldiers are fighting against and dying by the thousands, our brave troops who are the subject of all those ribbons that people stick on their trunklids to mitigate their media-induced guilt for not doing more to "Support the Troops."
I believe, sadly, that there is no possible way that Barack Obama can defeat his Republican opponent next November (and I don't think that the odds are very good for Hillary, either). Obama is the candidate the Republicans would have designed from scratch if they could construct their ideal opponent.
Why oh why can't we nominate someone like Joe Biden? He'd mop the floor with their sorry butts. Sure, he has flaws, but he's REAL smart, REAL feisty and blunt about Republican predations and, except where credit cards are concerned, he's nice and liberal otherwise and has a long history as a real good guy on the right side of very nearly every issue. And in addition, he has the best plan for getting out of Iraq.
Whether Barack Obama is aware of it or not, he's a ringer for the Republicans.
John Nichols
isn't happy with the Des Moines Register's chickenshit endorsement of Hillary Clinton, either.
But we know where the paper's loyalties are. They unintentionally endorsed John Edwards because of his anti-corporate stance.
But we know where the paper's loyalties are. They unintentionally endorsed John Edwards because of his anti-corporate stance.
Why, No Shit,
Newsweek. OF COURSE Edwards will win the rural counties, and he will win Iowa handily as a result.
The media have peddled the Clinton/Obama bullshit long enough.
The media have peddled the Clinton/Obama bullshit long enough.
Miscellaneous.
Representative Mary Bono, widow of Sonny, has remarried. The groom is Representative Connie Mack of Florida, son of the Florida senator of the same name and the great-grandson of the famous baseball manager.
_____
There is a major rezoning proposed by Washoe County School District, and it makes a hell of a lot of sense.
When I was at a middle school last year, the students I had were going to four different high schools after leaving 8th grade. This is awful for friendships.
Kids from an elementary school should not be split off into going to different middle schools, and middle school students should not be split off into going to different high schools.
_____
Lakshmi, the girl born with a parasitic twin, is home from the hospital after marathon surgery to remove the extra arms and legs.
_____
_____
There is a major rezoning proposed by Washoe County School District, and it makes a hell of a lot of sense.
When I was at a middle school last year, the students I had were going to four different high schools after leaving 8th grade. This is awful for friendships.
Kids from an elementary school should not be split off into going to different middle schools, and middle school students should not be split off into going to different high schools.
_____
Lakshmi, the girl born with a parasitic twin, is home from the hospital after marathon surgery to remove the extra arms and legs.
_____
Campaign Notes.
Obama is hoping voters will fall for his all-style-and-no-substance act to the voting booth or caucus.
_____
Although Bill Clinton told the truth about Obama, his supporters and a few in the media who have a vested interest in pushing Hillary on the Democratic ticket are worried the comments will reflect negatively on her instead.
_____
Frank Rich gets into the bullshit promotion of Obama as some kind of JFK.
It's sickening how people who should know better have fallen for that shit. He's totally full of shit about Obama's chances in the GE, which are totally nil.
_____
For a few candidates maybe, it's crunch tie in Iowa.
_____
Although Bill Clinton told the truth about Obama, his supporters and a few in the media who have a vested interest in pushing Hillary on the Democratic ticket are worried the comments will reflect negatively on her instead.
_____
Frank Rich gets into the bullshit promotion of Obama as some kind of JFK.
It's sickening how people who should know better have fallen for that shit. He's totally full of shit about Obama's chances in the GE, which are totally nil.
_____
For a few candidates maybe, it's crunch tie in Iowa.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
More Campaign Notes.
Sweet Jesus, Mike Huckabee continues to make a fool out of himself.
Huckabee sounds too much like a Democrat for Mitt Romney's tastes.
Huckabee sounds too much like a Democrat for Mitt Romney's tastes.
Obituaries.
The one-time bodyguard who was involved in the Nancy Kerrigan attack, Brian Sean Griffin, has died at the age of 40.
_____
Democratic congresswoman Julia Carson, 69, succumbed to cancer.
_____
_____
Democratic congresswoman Julia Carson, 69, succumbed to cancer.
_____
As the World Turns.
You wonder what in the goddamned hell was the matter with Paul McCartney to have made such a goddamned fool out of himself for marrying Heather Mills.
God.
God.
For Those Who Love Conspiracies,
did the Clintons actually buy the Des Moines Register endorsement?
Other campaigns, including Obama's, wined and dined the editors, but the Clintons especially put up the pressure.
I don't think the endorsement will help Hillary much because she's basically given up on Iowa. It might have helped anybody else but not her.
Again there may be "perception" here at work if the Clintons put pressure on the paper.
Despite this little setback, Obama continues to show off his arrogance.
Meanwhile, back in the real world, Elizabeth Edwards reminds Iowans why we should all be scared shitless of the Republican Party.
Especially if they get the candidate they want in either of the two "frontrunners." My spin, of course, not hers.
Other campaigns, including Obama's, wined and dined the editors, but the Clintons especially put up the pressure.
I don't think the endorsement will help Hillary much because she's basically given up on Iowa. It might have helped anybody else but not her.
Again there may be "perception" here at work if the Clintons put pressure on the paper.
Despite this little setback, Obama continues to show off his arrogance.
Meanwhile, back in the real world, Elizabeth Edwards reminds Iowans why we should all be scared shitless of the Republican Party.
Especially if they get the candidate they want in either of the two "frontrunners." My spin, of course, not hers.
Look Here
for the DMN endorsement link.
Drudge will also have it, no doubt.
Wouldn't it be nice if Biden got it? I just love that guy. I hope the paper isn't stupid enough to endorse Obama, but since he is a media creation, the media have to keep pumping him up.
Congratulations, Hillary Clinton!
In a way I am not surprised she got the endorsement. This will help her a bit in the state.
You can tell the paper has a new editorial board from that in 2004. Note why it didn't endorse Edwards:
That tells me all I need to know.
The paper endorsed John McCain for the Republicans. That's two big endorsements for him.
Drudge will also have it, no doubt.
Wouldn't it be nice if Biden got it? I just love that guy. I hope the paper isn't stupid enough to endorse Obama, but since he is a media creation, the media have to keep pumping him up.
Congratulations, Hillary Clinton!
In a way I am not surprised she got the endorsement. This will help her a bit in the state.
You can tell the paper has a new editorial board from that in 2004. Note why it didn't endorse Edwards:
Edwards was our pick for the 2004 nomination. But this is a different race, with different candidates. We too seldom saw the “positive, optimistic” campaign we found appealing in 2004. His harsh anti-corporate rhetoric would make it difficult to work with the business community to forge change.
That tells me all I need to know.
The paper endorsed John McCain for the Republicans. That's two big endorsements for him.
According to the National Enquirer,
Oprah and longtime whatever-he-is Stedman Graham were on the outs, and Barack Obama was partly responsible for the fallout. They went through counseling to work through their problems.
Unfortunately for gossip lovers, the article says nothing about any affair between the two Os, just that they have a deep friendship, and that Graham was jealous of that and Oprah's other male friendships. If she has a crush on Obama, and I think she does, there is no indication they were or are doing the nasty.
Damn.
Unfortunately for gossip lovers, the article says nothing about any affair between the two Os, just that they have a deep friendship, and that Graham was jealous of that and Oprah's other male friendships. If she has a crush on Obama, and I think she does, there is no indication they were or are doing the nasty.
Damn.
The Boston Globe
has endorsed the Republican ringer Obama and John McCain for their respective parties' nominations.
Jesus, the bullshit never stops.
Jesus, the bullshit never stops.
TNR
tries to read the tea leaves again re the DMR endorsement:
Stay tuned.
Update: Okay, maybe a longer shot than I thought. Just got word from a reasonably informed source--someone not in a position to know with certainty, but in a position to know what various Democratic campaign insiders expect--that it's going to be Edwards again. We'll find out Sunday...
Second Update: Another Democratic insider says Obama. This just underscores the futility of trying to "report" this out. I'm sticking with my original Biden pick, long odds notwithstanding.
Third Update: The Times' Jeff Zeleny has a nice piece today about the extraordinary effort expended by the campaigns (especially the Clinton campaign) on courting the Register. The last graf is especially revealing:
The campaigns intend to deploy young aides to the printing presses at the edge of town on Saturday night, looking for an early copy even before the endorsement appears on the paper’s Web site.
Stay tuned.
I Have to Agree
with this assessment of Barack Obama:
I'm not sure, either. Oprah and her ilk put a lot of shit into his head about what a great man he is, that he is the second coming of JFK or of MLK, that his Hallmark card-type rhetoric signals a "transformation" of American politics. It is a truism that if you get told a line of bullshit often enough, pretty soon you believe it. It becomes your reality. But it is still a line of bullshit.
I guess we're all supposed to be horrified this week that Hillary Clinton is acting like a tough political candidate. (If Matthews crosses his legs over his cojones any tighter, he's going to be doing the show as a soprano for the rest of his career.) I have grown a bit tired of the whole Obama-as-the-anti-Hildebeast meme, which the Obama people have determined is the non-Oprah key to his current surge. Indeed, Obama's campaign has begun to make my skin crawl a little bit. The we-are-the-world optimism that not only blinds him to the fundamental corruption of the regime he hopes to replace, but also makes you wonder if he's the guy to come in and throw daylight into all the dark corners of the past seven years. The willingness to employ Republican storylines on Senator Clinton and, far more seriously, on Social Security in an apparent attempt to win the vital Green Room Primary in Washington and to appeal to mythical "moderates" who don't exist and won't vote for him anyway. If we're ever going to get past the depredations of the Bush Administration -- many of which, I guarantee you, are still deeply secret -- it is an insufficient remedy to declare that the "politics of division" are now over and we will now reunite under a banner and move forward together. In the first place, there already is a conservative attack machine in place that will nuke whoever a Democratic president is the moment he or she lifts a hand off the Bible. Moreover, there must be an accounting if the corruption is to be cleansed and the constitutional order restored. There is no way to do this without an angry, bloody, and, yes, political process. The next president's most critical function in the early days is not to make us all feel good about our country again. It is to be the head of an informal national Truth Commission. I'm not sure if Obama even wants this job.
I'm not sure, either. Oprah and her ilk put a lot of shit into his head about what a great man he is, that he is the second coming of JFK or of MLK, that his Hallmark card-type rhetoric signals a "transformation" of American politics. It is a truism that if you get told a line of bullshit often enough, pretty soon you believe it. It becomes your reality. But it is still a line of bullshit.
The Booming Economy Casualty List for 12/7-12/15.
It is no surprise at all the rich are getting much, much richer while everybody else can go hang for all they care.
_____
The dog business is still doing well despite the slumping economy.
_____
_____
The dog business is still doing well despite the slumping economy.
_____
Campaign Notes.
Blame God for Mike Huckabee's rise.
Unfortunately for him, some questions are coming up about his political past.
The media are bound determined to make this election a Rudy-Hillary contest.
_____
Joe Biden gets a good endorsement.
_____
Unfortunately for him, some questions are coming up about his political past.
The media are bound determined to make this election a Rudy-Hillary contest.
_____
Joe Biden gets a good endorsement.
_____
Miscellaneous.
It was good news for Vegas mayor Oscar Goodman.
_____
Duke the pit bull will get to live after all, albeit with restrictions on his "freedom" to go out and attack other dogs.
_____
_____
Duke the pit bull will get to live after all, albeit with restrictions on his "freedom" to go out and attack other dogs.
_____
Bill Clinton
explains why his wife isn't doing well in Iowa.
I think it is because she never seriously contested the state; she feels she is strong enough in other states that Iowa was not a life-or-death thing. She also has to be aware of Edwards' huge strength in that state, thanks to his nearly winning it four years ago.
I think the driver's license gaffe knocked Hillary for a loop. Edwards did a masterful job in pointing out her problems, but he backed off from overkill. He did just enough damage for her "inevitability" candidacy to be put in danger.
Obama has benefited quite a bit, but I think in the end he'll drop out, probably after Super Tuesday.
I think it is because she never seriously contested the state; she feels she is strong enough in other states that Iowa was not a life-or-death thing. She also has to be aware of Edwards' huge strength in that state, thanks to his nearly winning it four years ago.
I think the driver's license gaffe knocked Hillary for a loop. Edwards did a masterful job in pointing out her problems, but he backed off from overkill. He did just enough damage for her "inevitability" candidacy to be put in danger.
Obama has benefited quite a bit, but I think in the end he'll drop out, probably after Super Tuesday.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Rumor Has It
John Edwards will again get the endorsement of the Des Moines Register just as he did in 2004.
The endorsement helped him a lot; he was just a few days short of overtaking John Kerry in the Iowa caucuses.
The endorsement helped him a lot; he was just a few days short of overtaking John Kerry in the Iowa caucuses.
I Just Got Done
watching my new DVD of the so-called worst movie ever made Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966). In truth, it is not the worst movie ever made; I have seen plenty I consider worse. Sure, it is inept and amateurish, but it doesn't compare with The Creeping Terror (1964) or Glen or Glenda (1953) or, for that matter Candy (1968), which is probably the worst movie I have ever seen in my entire life. I have seen a lot of bad movies and have enjoyed many of them, and Manos isn't the worst. It's bad, but it is actually coherent, and I loved the ending, which is a hoot.
If readers don't know the movie, I am not going to give away the plot.
If readers don't know the movie, I am not going to give away the plot.
Obama May Not Be a Boy Scout,
but he sure as hell isn't the second coming of Martin Luther King, Jr. or JFK. He's the most overrated politician of our time and maybe of all time.
Bill Clinton is right about him, by the way.
Bill Clinton is right about him, by the way.
The Late
Bill Hartack may have been a shit on occasion, but he made for great copy:
He was something else. RIP.
At the height of his career, Hartack mesmerized the public with the iconic appeal of a miniature Elvis. His admirers flooded him with fan mail and swooned at his handsome profile. His swank new home in Miami Springs, his air-conditioned Cadillac, his Jaguar, speedboat, and big farm in West Virginia were duly noted. His eating habits, “outlandish combinations of foods (such as) pickles and ice cream, were observed with utter fascination, as were his sleeping patterns, dating behaviors, and hobbies—“waterskiing and a love for music that inspires the carrying of a phonograph and load of records from track to track.”
Hartack’s love-hate relationship with the media was also well-documented. Reporters who were forced to wait abominable amounts of time for an intervew were disillusioned by his tendency toward egotism, but those permitted within his personal circle found him to be fiercely loyal and generous. He was sharp and snappy, sarcastic and scrappy. In spite of this, or perhaps because of it, his every quirk, comment, flare of temper, and burst of emotion was immortalized.
“He does indulge himself in the vilest of black moods, during which he…scowls and glowers at almost everyone, and is generally a trial,” Hirsch acknowledged. “However, when things are going right he is full of natural charm and discusses things intimately and frankly with even casual acquaintances.”
He was something else. RIP.
Miscellaneous.
A man considered a great catch by some gullible women has finally been caught and sentenced to prison.
Don't forget to click on the pictures. They're a hoot, especially the one where he poses with a thoroughbred foal. I had to post it here. Note there is what appears to be a pile of shit in the foreground. Whatever it was, it should have been removed. ( From the Chicago Tribune)
_____
Diana wrote some love letters to Dodi which became public.
Maybe she wasn't trying to make Hasnat Khan jealous after all by running around with Dodi.
_____
Don't forget to click on the pictures. They're a hoot, especially the one where he poses with a thoroughbred foal. I had to post it here. Note there is what appears to be a pile of shit in the foreground. Whatever it was, it should have been removed. ( From the Chicago Tribune)
_____
Diana wrote some love letters to Dodi which became public.
Maybe she wasn't trying to make Hasnat Khan jealous after all by running around with Dodi.
_____
Winger Columnist
Peggy Noonan is all set to write Hillary Clinton's political obituary, which would be a tad premature at this point.
What kills me is how the media and the pundits still insist this is a two-person race of unelectables.
Which is why they are promoting them.
What kills me is how the media and the pundits still insist this is a two-person race of unelectables.
Which is why they are promoting them.
KGO
has kept its mouth shut about the Bernie Ward case.
Of course Ward will never return there regardless of how the case pans out.
Snip:
Of course Ward will never return there regardless of how the case pans out.
Snip:
Ward was home this week, in shock, feeling like he was in "lockdown," he said, and had little support.
During a phone interview on Tuesday, he said he wished he had a chance to give his side of the story on his radio show.
"All I would ask is, 'Why?'"
Campaign Notes.
It's good to know Mike Huckabee is on the take and not above the fray.
_____
Is Hillary Clinton in danger in the first four contests?
Now the media are building up a certified lightweight in Barack Obama, a man who doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell of winning.
Fineman, as usual, is full of shit.
_____
Trippi and Prince talk about the state of the Edwards campaign in Iowa.
_____
_____
Is Hillary Clinton in danger in the first four contests?
Now the media are building up a certified lightweight in Barack Obama, a man who doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell of winning.
Fineman, as usual, is full of shit.
_____
Trippi and Prince talk about the state of the Edwards campaign in Iowa.
_____
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Edwards Realized
in 2003 when to kick it into gear in Iowa.
Another few days and he would have won the state and probably the nomination.
This Edwards campaign clip shows a bit of the Reno event I attended last month:
Another few days and he would have won the state and probably the nomination.
This Edwards campaign clip shows a bit of the Reno event I attended last month:
Keith Olbermann
has this video on his show last night where Barney the White House dog walked out on his owner during shooting the ad for the Park Service.
However, the blooper isn't shown on this clip.
However, the blooper isn't shown on this clip.
Campaign Notes.
Competence is next to godliness or some goddamned thing for the GOP, which is certainly more important than ever after the faith-based presidency of that godawful Bush.
_____
Bill Shaheen of the Clinton campaign got sacked over remarks about Obama's long ago drug use.
_____
Ron Paul made another trip to northern Nevada.
_____
Bill Shaheen of the Clinton campaign got sacked over remarks about Obama's long ago drug use.
_____
Ron Paul made another trip to northern Nevada.
Miscellaneous.
Bianca Jagger gets evicted out of her NYC apartment.
I figured she was 62 years old; however, many sources claim she was born in 1950. I don't think so. I remember when she married Jagger way back in 1971 she was about his age.
_____
Al Sharpton is in deep shit.
_____
So are some baseball players.
_____
I figured she was 62 years old; however, many sources claim she was born in 1950. I don't think so. I remember when she married Jagger way back in 1971 she was about his age.
_____
Al Sharpton is in deep shit.
_____
So are some baseball players.
_____
Hillary IS
the one pushing the "inevitability" refrain:
More is here.
Let's hope she isn't the nominee.
And yet, according to a revealing Times story today by Peter Nicholas with contributions from Dan Morain, the candidate told a private crowd in a closed fundraiser at a Sacramento restaurant the other night it's only a matter of time until she wins the nomination.
The race, she told her audience on an audio recording obtained by The Times, "is all going to be over by Feb. 5." She may be behind now in Iowa or even, even in New Hampshire instead of way ahead...
and ahead in South Carolina, though maybe slipping some after the Oprah onslaught. But Clinton already has her eyes on California. She told the crowd, which reportedly dumped another $300,000 into her coffers, that she was really going to need the state's support after she won the nomination.
"The state is critical," she said, "not only to my victory for the nomination, but for the general election." So she still thinks she's the inevitable victor.
More is here.
Let's hope she isn't the nominee.
The Nevada
SEIU has decided to turn chickenshit and not endorse a candidate.
The culinary union is waiting until John Edwards wins Iowa before it decides to endorse anybody.
The culinary union is waiting until John Edwards wins Iowa before it decides to endorse anybody.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
More Campaign Notes.
I missed the GOP debate today, and apparently I didn't miss much.
_____
Dana Milbank trashes and lies about John Edwards for fun and profit.
_____
Kucinich will not appear in tomorrow's Democratic debate.
_____
_____
Dana Milbank trashes and lies about John Edwards for fun and profit.
_____
Kucinich will not appear in tomorrow's Democratic debate.
_____
Obituaries.
Musician Ike Turner, ex of Tina Turner and an important figure in the history of R&B, has died at the age of 76.
He is said by some rock historians to have recorded the very first rock-n-roll record, "Rocket 88," way back in 1951 in addition to his many accomplishments.
And of course he had a bad reputation, too, for abusing his former wife Tina and for drug abuse. Still he made a comeback a few years ago to critical acclaim.
_____
He is said by some rock historians to have recorded the very first rock-n-roll record, "Rocket 88," way back in 1951 in addition to his many accomplishments.
And of course he had a bad reputation, too, for abusing his former wife Tina and for drug abuse. Still he made a comeback a few years ago to critical acclaim.
_____
Campaign Notes.
Hillary's lead in New Hampshire is now down to a statistical dead heat with the Audacity of Hype.
If I had to choose between the two media frontrunners, I would definitely pick Hillary. I would never consider Obama for anything.
_____
Bill is supposedly unhappy with his wife's slide.
_____
Well, if Hillary Clinton has problems, Obama's are far, far worse.
_____
Huckabee is getting the homeschooler vote.
_____
If I had to choose between the two media frontrunners, I would definitely pick Hillary. I would never consider Obama for anything.
_____
Bill is supposedly unhappy with his wife's slide.
_____
Well, if Hillary Clinton has problems, Obama's are far, far worse.
_____
Huckabee is getting the homeschooler vote.
_____
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Miscellaneous.
A group of old rockers had a much publicized reunion.
I haven't heard them in years; I used to listen to them in their heyday of the late 1960s and early 1970s. I was never much into "hard rock" or "heavy metal" or whatever their music was classified as. Groups like Led Zeppelin or Cream helped me get into the original blues music, and I never looked back. I just forgot about the rock groups.
So anyhow, I decided to order their 1968 debut album, Led Zeppelin, which I haven't heard in almost forty goddamned years. I'll find out if it is at all listenable anymore.
I haven't heard them in years; I used to listen to them in their heyday of the late 1960s and early 1970s. I was never much into "hard rock" or "heavy metal" or whatever their music was classified as. Groups like Led Zeppelin or Cream helped me get into the original blues music, and I never looked back. I just forgot about the rock groups.
So anyhow, I decided to order their 1968 debut album, Led Zeppelin, which I haven't heard in almost forty goddamned years. I'll find out if it is at all listenable anymore.
Campaign Notes.
Mike Huckabee flip-flops on Cuba.
If Dems are dumb enough, as Drudge hints about in his screaming headline today, to believe Huckabee is an "easily kill," they are extremely mistaken. Especially given the fact the media is in the tank for the Republican Party and is pushing two unelectables in hopes the Dems will pick one of them.
_____
As we should know, Edwards polls best against the top four Republicans by besting them all, and he is the only one to do so.
Which is why we keep hearing about Clinton and Obama.
_____
Edwards isn't any run-of-the-mill politician.
It's funny when reporters want to paint him as a longshot in Iowa with four times the field organizers, spending far more time there, and so forth. It's because the media doesn't want him. This despite Edwards trying to get their attention.
_____
Hillary Clinton has problems in Iowa.
_____
If Dems are dumb enough, as Drudge hints about in his screaming headline today, to believe Huckabee is an "easily kill," they are extremely mistaken. Especially given the fact the media is in the tank for the Republican Party and is pushing two unelectables in hopes the Dems will pick one of them.
_____
As we should know, Edwards polls best against the top four Republicans by besting them all, and he is the only one to do so.
Which is why we keep hearing about Clinton and Obama.
_____
Edwards isn't any run-of-the-mill politician.
It's funny when reporters want to paint him as a longshot in Iowa with four times the field organizers, spending far more time there, and so forth. It's because the media doesn't want him. This despite Edwards trying to get their attention.
_____
Hillary Clinton has problems in Iowa.
_____
Today Marks
the third anniversary of the suicide of reporter Gary Webb. Robert Parry has a long piece about him.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Counterpunch
has a rather interesting article about the Bernie Ward case. His is not the first case of its kind, either:
And this:
We will have to see if Ward really is telling the truth he was doing investigative research. The question I have is why he didn't contact authorities BEFORE doing any such online stuff.
Ward’s case is strikingly similar to that of Larry Mathews, a media figure who faced child porn charges in the late 1990s. Mathews was a Washington DC-area radio reporter in his late 50s. He had won press awards and was known for covering social issues, including the problem of internet child porn. When arrested, he said he had acquired illegal material because he was impersonating a pedophile in order to do another story.
The government countered that Mathews had no notes or story assignment from a media outlet. The ACLU, National Public Radio, and other press and First Amendment organizations spoke out for him and filed supporting legal briefs. But an appellate court later ruled that journalists have no right to acquire or distribute child pornography while doing research. Mathews was convicted and served several months in a halfway house.
And this:
However, the statute was cited in August 2006 by the New York Times. Kurt Eichenwald, then a Times reporter, said he accidentally accessed a few illegal images while doing month’s-long reporting on Internet child pornography. In a sidebar to one of Eichenwald’s articles, the Times said that a law – presumably 2252-- excused the reporter’s encounter with the illegal material. But Eichenwald’s published work implied he had accessed far more than two images.
Further, Eichenwald in 2005 obtained and used administrative sign-on privileges to explore a commercial porn website containing images of a 14-year-old boy masturbating. Eichenwald went on to write a major Times story based on reporting he did about this site and the people who ran it.
We will have to see if Ward really is telling the truth he was doing investigative research. The question I have is why he didn't contact authorities BEFORE doing any such online stuff.
Old Barack
got owned here in his feeble attempt to smear Edwards:
Desperate, I say.
But some argue a far more direct link exists between Obama and those plants shutting down. It's not one I agree with -- I think both are silly attempts to link candidates to lost jobs -- but I think the one linking Obama to the Crown family to those lost jobs is slightly less ridiculous.
The Crown family -- Lester, Renee, James, Paula -- have been supporters, fundraisers, and bundlers for Obama.
Desperate, I say.
At Least
somebody acknowledges there are more than two candidates running for the Democratic nomination.
I received a "Christmas card" from the Edwards family. Oh, hell, let me scan it here:
And the inside message, too:
I don't want to jinx it, and of course I could be wrong, but Iowa is a lock for Edwards based on his strength in the rurals and his organization, both of which are key to winning the caucuses.
I received a "Christmas card" from the Edwards family. Oh, hell, let me scan it here:
And the inside message, too:
I don't want to jinx it, and of course I could be wrong, but Iowa is a lock for Edwards based on his strength in the rurals and his organization, both of which are key to winning the caucuses.
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