Finally got around to moving pictures from my camera to my PC. 
Monday, March 13, 2006
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
TheDenverChannel.com - Local News - Strange-Looking Car Leads To Explosives Charges
TheDenverChannel.com - Local News - Strange-Looking Car Leads To Explosives Charges: "A man from Sheridan is facing explosives charges after he accidentally blew up his own car with a gas-filled balloon he was taking to a Super Bowl party."
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Why?
Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are getting weak?
Why do banks charge a fee on "insufficient funds" when they know there is not enough?
Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?
Why doesn't glue stick to the bottle?
Why do they use sterilized needles for death by lethal injection?
Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?
Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest, but ducks when you throw a revolver at him?
Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?
Whose idea was it to put an "S" in the word "lisp"?
If people evolved from apes, why are there still apes?
Why is it that no matter what color bubble bath you use the bubbles are always white?
Is there ever a day that mattresses are not on sale?
Why do people constantly return to the refrigerator with hopes that something new to eat will have materialized?
Why do people keep running over a string a dozen times with their vacuum cleaner, then reach down, pick it up, examine it, then put it down to give the vacuum one more chance?
Why is it that no plastic bag will open from the end on your first try?
How do those dead bugs get into those enclosed light fixtures?
When we are in the supermarket and someone rams our ankle with a shopping cart then apologizes for doing so, why do we say, "It's all right?" Well, it isn't all right, so why don't we say, "That hurt, you stupid idiot?"
Why is it that whenever you attempt to catch something that's falling off the table you always manage to knock something else over?
In winter why do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when we complained about the heat?
How come you never hear father-in-law jokes?
And my FAVORITE......
The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four persons is suffering from some sort of mental illness. Think of your three best friends -- if they're okay, then it's you.
Why do banks charge a fee on "insufficient funds" when they know there is not enough?
Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?
Why doesn't glue stick to the bottle?
Why do they use sterilized needles for death by lethal injection?
Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?
Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest, but ducks when you throw a revolver at him?
Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?
Whose idea was it to put an "S" in the word "lisp"?
If people evolved from apes, why are there still apes?
Why is it that no matter what color bubble bath you use the bubbles are always white?
Is there ever a day that mattresses are not on sale?
Why do people constantly return to the refrigerator with hopes that something new to eat will have materialized?
Why do people keep running over a string a dozen times with their vacuum cleaner, then reach down, pick it up, examine it, then put it down to give the vacuum one more chance?
Why is it that no plastic bag will open from the end on your first try?
How do those dead bugs get into those enclosed light fixtures?
When we are in the supermarket and someone rams our ankle with a shopping cart then apologizes for doing so, why do we say, "It's all right?" Well, it isn't all right, so why don't we say, "That hurt, you stupid idiot?"
Why is it that whenever you attempt to catch something that's falling off the table you always manage to knock something else over?
In winter why do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when we complained about the heat?
How come you never hear father-in-law jokes?
And my FAVORITE......
The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four persons is suffering from some sort of mental illness. Think of your three best friends -- if they're okay, then it's you.
Doctor: Autistic boy died from drug mixup
Doctor: Autistic boy died from drug mixup: "THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
PITTSBURGH -- A 5-year-old autistic boy died from a drug mixup, not the lead-poisoning treatment that was attempted to ease his disorder, a federal health official who reviewed the boy's autopsy results said.
Instead of a synthetic amino acid that treats lead poisoning, Abubakar Tariq Nadama was given a medication that removes calcium, said Dr. Mary Jean Brown, chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's lead poisoning prevention branch.
'It's a case of look-alike/sound-alike medications,' Brown said Tuesday. The drug 'acted as a claw' that pulled too much calcium from his blood, causing an emergency event.
She said the child was given Disodium EDTA instead of Calcium Disodium EDTA. 'They sound alike. They're clear and colorless and odorless. They were mixed up,' Brown said.
The treatment Abubakar was receiving, called chelation therapy, is FDA-approved for lead poisoning. The therapy has not been proven to help autistic patients, though some parents and doctors advocate it because they believe autism is caused by heavy metals.
Abubakar of Monroeville died Aug. 23 in his doctor's office after his third chelation treatment, the coroner has said. Brown reviewed the autopsy report for the CDC.
Dr. Roy Eugene Kerry, who treated Abubakar, did not immediately return a message left at his office Wednesday morning by The Associated Press.
Butler County Coroner William Young has said he plans to meet soon with District Attorney Randa Clark and the state police to determine if an inquest is warranted. For now, Young is classifying the death as an accident."
PITTSBURGH -- A 5-year-old autistic boy died from a drug mixup, not the lead-poisoning treatment that was attempted to ease his disorder, a federal health official who reviewed the boy's autopsy results said.
Instead of a synthetic amino acid that treats lead poisoning, Abubakar Tariq Nadama was given a medication that removes calcium, said Dr. Mary Jean Brown, chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's lead poisoning prevention branch.
'It's a case of look-alike/sound-alike medications,' Brown said Tuesday. The drug 'acted as a claw' that pulled too much calcium from his blood, causing an emergency event.
She said the child was given Disodium EDTA instead of Calcium Disodium EDTA. 'They sound alike. They're clear and colorless and odorless. They were mixed up,' Brown said.
The treatment Abubakar was receiving, called chelation therapy, is FDA-approved for lead poisoning. The therapy has not been proven to help autistic patients, though some parents and doctors advocate it because they believe autism is caused by heavy metals.
Abubakar of Monroeville died Aug. 23 in his doctor's office after his third chelation treatment, the coroner has said. Brown reviewed the autopsy report for the CDC.
Dr. Roy Eugene Kerry, who treated Abubakar, did not immediately return a message left at his office Wednesday morning by The Associated Press.
Butler County Coroner William Young has said he plans to meet soon with District Attorney Randa Clark and the state police to determine if an inquest is warranted. For now, Young is classifying the death as an accident."
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
The, Um, 'Class' of '06
The, Um, 'Class' of '06: "Dear Miss Manners:
My daughter will graduate in May. I have had discussions with her about the benefits of homeownership and thought it would be great to start a 'my future home' account for her, and have her monetary graduation gifts directed there. She likes that idea.
I spoke with my financial adviser and found that we could very easily set up a trust for that purpose. The problem is getting the word out. I believe that it is perfectly acceptable to include the trust information in the graduation announcement. She thinks it's tacky and in poor taste and believes that I should call everyone and share the information personally.
If you agree with me, please let me know how I can tastefully word the insert; if not, what would you suggest as an alternative?
As an alternative, Miss Manners would suggest teaching your daughter that financial responsibility means paying your own bills, not begging from others, and that common sense says that no one, no matter how fond of your daughter, wants to buy her a house.
It is not only the magnitude of your nerve that makes it rude. Soliciting donations and presents has become so commonplace that people now believe trolling for money and goods is tasteless only when it seems especially greedy. You would get the prize for that, but those who make smaller demands are no less rude. Just less imaginative."
My daughter will graduate in May. I have had discussions with her about the benefits of homeownership and thought it would be great to start a 'my future home' account for her, and have her monetary graduation gifts directed there. She likes that idea.
I spoke with my financial adviser and found that we could very easily set up a trust for that purpose. The problem is getting the word out. I believe that it is perfectly acceptable to include the trust information in the graduation announcement. She thinks it's tacky and in poor taste and believes that I should call everyone and share the information personally.
If you agree with me, please let me know how I can tastefully word the insert; if not, what would you suggest as an alternative?
As an alternative, Miss Manners would suggest teaching your daughter that financial responsibility means paying your own bills, not begging from others, and that common sense says that no one, no matter how fond of your daughter, wants to buy her a house.
It is not only the magnitude of your nerve that makes it rude. Soliciting donations and presents has become so commonplace that people now believe trolling for money and goods is tasteless only when it seems especially greedy. You would get the prize for that, but those who make smaller demands are no less rude. Just less imaginative."
Salon.com | The big lie
I love Garrison Keillor. I wonder who he is talking about?
Salon.com | The big lie: "But who tells the truth to the man who is driving straight into the setting sun and thinks he's heading due east? His wife murmurs that, uh, maybe we should look at a map, and he accuses her of being a defeatist who tries to tear him down any way she can in order to conceal her own lack of ideas. The man is heading the wrong way and speeding and the idiot light is flashing -- low oil pressure -- and the idiot is trying to be manly and authoritative but everyone can see he's faking it, hoping for God to rearrange the landscape for his convenience. Someone ought to speak up, and yet he is fascinating. As the administration is these days, so resonant and believable. The Arctic icecap melts and the Chinese finance our tax cuts and someday we will have spent six years and trillions of dollars to bring democracy to Iraq, whatever that may mean, and the SUV of state turns toward the setting sun, driven by cocker spaniels. And there is so much intensity there, and they are so much in the moment."
Salon.com | The big lie: "But who tells the truth to the man who is driving straight into the setting sun and thinks he's heading due east? His wife murmurs that, uh, maybe we should look at a map, and he accuses her of being a defeatist who tries to tear him down any way she can in order to conceal her own lack of ideas. The man is heading the wrong way and speeding and the idiot light is flashing -- low oil pressure -- and the idiot is trying to be manly and authoritative but everyone can see he's faking it, hoping for God to rearrange the landscape for his convenience. Someone ought to speak up, and yet he is fascinating. As the administration is these days, so resonant and believable. The Arctic icecap melts and the Chinese finance our tax cuts and someday we will have spent six years and trillions of dollars to bring democracy to Iraq, whatever that may mean, and the SUV of state turns toward the setting sun, driven by cocker spaniels. And there is so much intensity there, and they are so much in the moment."
Friday, January 13, 2006
BobGeiger.com: Why Does George W. Bush Hate America?
BobGeiger.com: Why Does George W. Bush Hate America?: " If this were a dictatorship, it would be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator' ~ George W. Bush, December 18, 2000
Here's something that President Bush has been saying a lot this week: '... we should not fear debate. It's one of the great strengths of our democracy that we can discuss our differences openly and honestly -- even in times of war.'
And no matter how many times he or his surrogates mouth the words, they ring just as false as the last.
I'm really beginning to wonder why Bush doesn't just cut to the chase and start rounding up all of us who disagree with the Iraq war -- and his entire method of governing -- and ship us off to some massive forced-labor camp in the middle of the Nevada desert. He can use subtle code phrases all he likes, but the words coming out of this president's mouth might as well have been spoken by any two-bit dictator in the world.
Debate is good – just so you agree with him. And dissent on the Iraq war is fine – just so long as you don't mind aiding and abetting the terrorists. Bush has given two big speeches in the last 48 hours and in both of them he tried very hard to frame the 'debate' in exactly that way, while still coming off as reasonable to his sycophantic audiences."
Here's something that President Bush has been saying a lot this week: '... we should not fear debate. It's one of the great strengths of our democracy that we can discuss our differences openly and honestly -- even in times of war.'
And no matter how many times he or his surrogates mouth the words, they ring just as false as the last.
I'm really beginning to wonder why Bush doesn't just cut to the chase and start rounding up all of us who disagree with the Iraq war -- and his entire method of governing -- and ship us off to some massive forced-labor camp in the middle of the Nevada desert. He can use subtle code phrases all he likes, but the words coming out of this president's mouth might as well have been spoken by any two-bit dictator in the world.
Debate is good – just so you agree with him. And dissent on the Iraq war is fine – just so long as you don't mind aiding and abetting the terrorists. Bush has given two big speeches in the last 48 hours and in both of them he tried very hard to frame the 'debate' in exactly that way, while still coming off as reasonable to his sycophantic audiences."
Thursday, January 05, 2006
AlterNet: Six Degrees of Osama bin Laden
AlterNet: Six Degrees of Osama bin Laden: "Do you remember a parlor game that was popular a few years ago called 'Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon'? The game was to name any actor and then see who could connect him to the actor Kevin Bacon in the least number of moves. For example, Elvis Presley: Presley once appeared in a film with Ed Asner, Ed Asner later appeared in a film with Kevin Bacon, therefore Presley has a Bacon score of two.
How long do you think it would take to connect you to Osama bin Laden?"
How long do you think it would take to connect you to Osama bin Laden?"
Saturday, December 24, 2005
AlterNet: The War on Xma$
AlterNet: The War on Xma$: "Will Durst's 2005 Xma$ Gift Wi$h Li$t
# For former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, who says he's thinking of running for the presidency in 2008: Second thoughts.
# For hotel heiress Paris Hilton: A yearlong sabbatical in Kazakhstan. Actually, that gift is for the rest of us.
# For Bill O'Reilly: A four-day, all-expenses-paid trip to the Folsom Street Fair in San Francisco.
# For Gavin Newsom: A copy of the unrated version of 'Requiem for a Dream,' so he can see what sexist and offensive really looks like.
# For Hillary Clinton: A new best seller entitled 'It Takes an Impeachment.'
# For the Democratic Senate: The gumption to continue the fight for the rights of minorities. Even if the main minority they're fighting for these days is themselves.
# For San Francisco Police Chief Heather Fong: A sense of humor.
# For Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice: One blessedly quiet year in a Donald-Rumsfeld-free zone.
# For the Democratic House of Representatives: A spine.
# For George W. Bush: An approval rating higher than his average test scores in college.
# For televangelist Pat Robertson: A 'Clue Train' Fast Pass so he can ride for free for 30 days.
# For Supreme Court Justice nominee Samuel Alito: A Harriet Miers Swimsuit Calendar.
# For Cindy Sheehan: Whatever it takes to prompt more"
# For former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, who says he's thinking of running for the presidency in 2008: Second thoughts.
# For hotel heiress Paris Hilton: A yearlong sabbatical in Kazakhstan. Actually, that gift is for the rest of us.
# For Bill O'Reilly: A four-day, all-expenses-paid trip to the Folsom Street Fair in San Francisco.
# For Gavin Newsom: A copy of the unrated version of 'Requiem for a Dream,' so he can see what sexist and offensive really looks like.
# For Hillary Clinton: A new best seller entitled 'It Takes an Impeachment.'
# For the Democratic Senate: The gumption to continue the fight for the rights of minorities. Even if the main minority they're fighting for these days is themselves.
# For San Francisco Police Chief Heather Fong: A sense of humor.
# For Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice: One blessedly quiet year in a Donald-Rumsfeld-free zone.
# For the Democratic House of Representatives: A spine.
# For George W. Bush: An approval rating higher than his average test scores in college.
# For televangelist Pat Robertson: A 'Clue Train' Fast Pass so he can ride for free for 30 days.
# For Supreme Court Justice nominee Samuel Alito: A Harriet Miers Swimsuit Calendar.
# For Cindy Sheehan: Whatever it takes to prompt more"
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Letterman is God!
Salon.com Arts & Entertainment | The Fix: "Letterman's mind control: A woman in New Mexico has filed a restraining order against David Letterman, claiming that he's been tormenting her with secret, coded messages through the television. The woman, Colleen Nestler, claims that Letterman communicated to her that he wants to marry her and make her his co-host on 'The Late Show.' The 'mental cruelty' and 'sleep deprivation' that Letterman allegedly inflicted on Nestler apparently came in the form of gestures and eye expressions, songs sung by guest bands on the show, and the letter C on baseball caps. The proposal came in 1993 when Letterman joked on-screen, 'Marry me, Oprah.' Nestler claims that Oprah is one of her code names. In the temporary restraining order, which was granted by Santa Fe District Judge Daniel Sanchez, Nestler stipulates that Letterman stay three yards away from her and that he not 'think of me, and release me from his mental harassment and hammering.' (E! Online)"
COSTELLO CALLS TO BUY A COMPUTER FROM ABBOT
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were alive today, their infamous sketch, "Who's on First?" might have turned out something like this:
COSTELLO CALLS TO BUY A COMPUTER FROM ABBOTT
ABBOTT
Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?
COSTELLO
Thanks. I'm setting up an office in my den and I'm thinking about buying a computer.
ABBOTT
Mac?
COSTELLO
No, the name's Lou.
ABBOTT
Your computer?
COSTELLO
I don't own a computer. I want to buy one.
ABBOTT
Mac?
COSTELLO
I told you, my name's Lou.
ABBOTT
What about Windows?
COSTELLO
Why? Will it get stuffy in here?
ABBOTT
Do you want a computer with Windows?
COSTELLO
I don't know. What will I see when I look at the windows?
ABBOTT
Wallpaper.
COSTELLO
Never mind the windows. I need a computer and software.
ABBOTT
Software for Windows?
COSTELLO
No. On the computer! I need something I can use to write proposals, track expenses and run my business. What do you have?
ABBOTT
Office.
COSTELLO
Yeah, for my office. Can you recommend anything?
ABBOTT
I just did.
COSTELLO
You just did what?
ABBOTT
Recommend something.
COSTELLO
You recommended something?
ABBOTT
Yes.
COSTELLO
For my office?
ABBOTT
Yes.
COSTELLO
OK, what did you recommend for my office?
ABBOTT
Office.
COSTELLO
Yes, for my office!
ABBOTT
I recommend Office with Windows.
COSTELLO
I already have an office with windows! OK, let's just say I'm sitting at my computer and I want to type a proposal. What do I need?
ABBOTT
Word.
COSTELLO
What word?
ABBOTT
Word in Office.
COSTELLO
The only word in office is office.
ABBOTT
The Word in Office for Windows.
COSTELLO
Which word in office for windows?
ABBOTT
The Word you get when you click the blue "W".
COSTELLO
I'm going to click your blue "w" if you don't start with some straight answers. What about financial bookkeeping? You have anything I can track my money with?
ABBOTT
Money.
COSTELLO
That's right. What do you have?
ABBOTT
Money.
COSTELLO
I need money to track my money?
ABBOTT
It comes bundled with your computer.
COSTELLO
What's bundled with my computer?
ABBOTT
Money.
COSTELLO
Money comes with my computer?
ABBOTT
Yes. No extra charge.
COSTELLO
I get a bundle of money with my computer? How much?
ABBOTT
One copy.
COSTELLO
Isn't it illegal to copy money?
ABBOTT
Microsoft gave us a license to copy Money.
COSTELLO
They can give you a license to copy money?
ABBOTT
Why not? THEY OWN IT!
(A few days later)
ABBOTT
Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?
COSTELLO
How do I turn my computer off?
ABBOTT
Click on "START".............
COSTELLO CALLS TO BUY A COMPUTER FROM ABBOTT
ABBOTT
Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?
COSTELLO
Thanks. I'm setting up an office in my den and I'm thinking about buying a computer.
ABBOTT
Mac?
COSTELLO
No, the name's Lou.
ABBOTT
Your computer?
COSTELLO
I don't own a computer. I want to buy one.
ABBOTT
Mac?
COSTELLO
I told you, my name's Lou.
ABBOTT
What about Windows?
COSTELLO
Why? Will it get stuffy in here?
ABBOTT
Do you want a computer with Windows?
COSTELLO
I don't know. What will I see when I look at the windows?
ABBOTT
Wallpaper.
COSTELLO
Never mind the windows. I need a computer and software.
ABBOTT
Software for Windows?
COSTELLO
No. On the computer! I need something I can use to write proposals, track expenses and run my business. What do you have?
ABBOTT
Office.
COSTELLO
Yeah, for my office. Can you recommend anything?
ABBOTT
I just did.
COSTELLO
You just did what?
ABBOTT
Recommend something.
COSTELLO
You recommended something?
ABBOTT
Yes.
COSTELLO
For my office?
ABBOTT
Yes.
COSTELLO
OK, what did you recommend for my office?
ABBOTT
Office.
COSTELLO
Yes, for my office!
ABBOTT
I recommend Office with Windows.
COSTELLO
I already have an office with windows! OK, let's just say I'm sitting at my computer and I want to type a proposal. What do I need?
ABBOTT
Word.
COSTELLO
What word?
ABBOTT
Word in Office.
COSTELLO
The only word in office is office.
ABBOTT
The Word in Office for Windows.
COSTELLO
Which word in office for windows?
ABBOTT
The Word you get when you click the blue "W".
COSTELLO
I'm going to click your blue "w" if you don't start with some straight answers. What about financial bookkeeping? You have anything I can track my money with?
ABBOTT
Money.
COSTELLO
That's right. What do you have?
ABBOTT
Money.
COSTELLO
I need money to track my money?
ABBOTT
It comes bundled with your computer.
COSTELLO
What's bundled with my computer?
ABBOTT
Money.
COSTELLO
Money comes with my computer?
ABBOTT
Yes. No extra charge.
COSTELLO
I get a bundle of money with my computer? How much?
ABBOTT
One copy.
COSTELLO
Isn't it illegal to copy money?
ABBOTT
Microsoft gave us a license to copy Money.
COSTELLO
They can give you a license to copy money?
ABBOTT
Why not? THEY OWN IT!
(A few days later)
ABBOTT
Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?
COSTELLO
How do I turn my computer off?
ABBOTT
Click on "START".............
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
12 Days of Christmas
Christmas legend?
There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled me.
What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?
Today, I found out. From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly.
Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics.
It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church.
Each element in the carol has a code word for a > religious reality, which the children could remember.
The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ. Two turtledoves were the Old and New Testaments Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.
The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit: Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.
The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control. The ten lords a-leaping were the Ten Commandments.
The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in The Apostles' Creed.
So there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting and enlightening and now I know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol...so pass it on if you wish.
Friday, December 09, 2005
Salon.com Arts & Entertainment | The Fix
Salon.com Arts & Entertainment | The Fix: "Money Quotes:
Mike Wallace on what questions he'd ask George W. Bush -- who has declined to be interviewed by Wallace -- if he were given the chance: 'What in the world prepared you to be the commander in chief of the largest superpower in the world? … You apparently were incurious. You didn't want to travel. You knew very little about the military … Do you think that has anything to do with the fact that the country is so [bleeped] up?'"
Mike Wallace on what questions he'd ask George W. Bush -- who has declined to be interviewed by Wallace -- if he were given the chance: 'What in the world prepared you to be the commander in chief of the largest superpower in the world? … You apparently were incurious. You didn't want to travel. You knew very little about the military … Do you think that has anything to do with the fact that the country is so [bleeped] up?'"
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Salon.com Books | "The Truth (With Jokes)"
Al Franken pukes into his wastebasket in Chapter 4 of his new book, then spends Chapter 5 in "Rove-induced septic shock."
Salon.com Books | "The Truth (With Jokes)": "He then analyzes this victory, citing figures from the Economist showing that the percentage of the electorate who voted on the basis of 'moral or ethical issues' was actually lower in 2004 than in the two previous elections. 'Okay? All right? So it wasn't moral values, asshole. (Although coarse language may have played a role.) It was terror. Terror. TERROR!!!' writes Franken. He cites some 'not so widely reported' remarks made by Dick Cheney while campaigning: 'We have very credible evidence that tells us that if [John] Kerry wins, the following states will be hit: Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania ...' This, like many others in the book, is one of those jokes you don't laugh at so much as nod at, thinking, 'Oh man, that's so true.' Indeed, here and elsewhere, Franken's not just being funny. He includes some pretty interesting stuff about a subfield of social psychology called 'terror management theory.' One TMT study showed that -- paraphrasing here, but not making it up -- test subjects, including liberals, were more likely to prefer Bush over Kerry if they'd been prompted first to think about death."
Salon.com Books | "The Truth (With Jokes)": "He then analyzes this victory, citing figures from the Economist showing that the percentage of the electorate who voted on the basis of 'moral or ethical issues' was actually lower in 2004 than in the two previous elections. 'Okay? All right? So it wasn't moral values, asshole. (Although coarse language may have played a role.) It was terror. Terror. TERROR!!!' writes Franken. He cites some 'not so widely reported' remarks made by Dick Cheney while campaigning: 'We have very credible evidence that tells us that if [John] Kerry wins, the following states will be hit: Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania ...' This, like many others in the book, is one of those jokes you don't laugh at so much as nod at, thinking, 'Oh man, that's so true.' Indeed, here and elsewhere, Franken's not just being funny. He includes some pretty interesting stuff about a subfield of social psychology called 'terror management theory.' One TMT study showed that -- paraphrasing here, but not making it up -- test subjects, including liberals, were more likely to prefer Bush over Kerry if they'd been prompted first to think about death."
Friday, October 21, 2005
PERKS OF BEING OVER 50
1. Kidnappers are not very interested in you.
2. In a hostage situation you are likely to be released first.
3. No one expects you to run--anywhere.
4. People call at 9 pm and ask, " Did I wake you?"
5. People no longer view you as a hypochondriac.
6. There is nothing left to learn the hard way.
7. Things you buy now won't wear out.
8. You can eat dinner at 4 pm.
9. You can live without sex but not your glasses.
10. You enjoy hearing about other people's operations.
11. You get into heated arguments about pension plans.
12. You no longer think of speed limits as a challenge.
13. You quit trying to hold your stomach in no matter who walks into the room.
14. You sing along with elevator music.
15. Your eyes won't get much worse.
16. Your investment in health insurance is finally beginning to pay off.
17. Your joints are more accurate meteorologists than the national weather service.
18. Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can't remember them either.
19. Your supply of brain cells is finally down to manageable size.
20. You can't remember who sent you this list. And, you notice these are all in Big Print for your convenience.
2. In a hostage situation you are likely to be released first.
3. No one expects you to run--anywhere.
4. People call at 9 pm and ask, " Did I wake you?"
5. People no longer view you as a hypochondriac.
6. There is nothing left to learn the hard way.
7. Things you buy now won't wear out.
8. You can eat dinner at 4 pm.
9. You can live without sex but not your glasses.
10. You enjoy hearing about other people's operations.
11. You get into heated arguments about pension plans.
12. You no longer think of speed limits as a challenge.
13. You quit trying to hold your stomach in no matter who walks into the room.
14. You sing along with elevator music.
15. Your eyes won't get much worse.
16. Your investment in health insurance is finally beginning to pay off.
17. Your joints are more accurate meteorologists than the national weather service.
18. Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can't remember them either.
19. Your supply of brain cells is finally down to manageable size.
20. You can't remember who sent you this list. And, you notice these are all in Big Print for your convenience.
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Quotes of the Day - The Quotations Page
Quotes of the Day - The Quotations Page: "Crime does not pay ... as well as politics.
- Alfred E. Newman"
- Alfred E. Newman"
Salon.com | The land of Republican perfection
Salon.com | The land of Republican perfection: "At this point in time, I don't see Karl Rove or Tom DeLay writing a good mea culpa, and I doubt that Colin Powell or Donald Rumsfeld will either. And of course presidents never do, and here is one more proof that we are not now nor have we ever been a Christian nation. Confession is at the heart of the faith. (All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.) But under this administration, the faith has been revised, all the stuff about the poor has been tabled and the confession of sin omitted, and prayer is now a promotional device in which you thank God for making you the terrific person you are. In the Christian view of the world, these folks rank lower than outright atheists, which is a terrifying aspect of the faith -- better never to have believed than to use sacred things for your grimy self-aggrandizement -- and which might scare a Republican into writing a decent book. One can hope for this."
Sunday, October 16, 2005
Qoute of the day
Those who agree with us may not be right, but we admire their astuteness.
- Cullen Hightower
- Cullen Hightower
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Chicago Tribune - Obituaries
Now here is a man after my own heart.
Chicago Tribune - Obituaries: "In lieu of flowers, please send acerbic letters to Republicans."
Chicago Tribune - Obituaries: "In lieu of flowers, please send acerbic letters to Republicans."
Sunday, October 02, 2005
Saturday, October 01, 2005
Friday, September 16, 2005
AlterNet: From The Wire
AlterNet: From The Wire: "From the Wire
Provided by HuffingtonPost.com
Electricity Turned On In New Orleans Neighborhood For Bush, Turned Off When He Left...
Posted on September 16, 2005 at 1:22 PM.
I am duty-bound to report the talk of the New Orleans warehouse district last night: there was rejoicing (well, there would have been without the curfew, but the few people I saw on the streets were excited) when the power came back on for blocks on end. Kevin Tibbles was positively jubilant on the live update edition of Nightly News that we fed to the West Coast. The mini-mart, long ago cleaned out by looters, was nonetheless bathed in light, including the empty, roped-off gas pumps. The motorcade route through the district was partially lit no more than 30 minutes before POTUS drove through. And yet last night, no more than an hour after the President departed, the lights went out. The entire area was plunged into total darkness again, to audible groans. It's enough to make some of the folks here who witnessed it... jump to certain conclusions."
Provided by HuffingtonPost.com
Electricity Turned On In New Orleans Neighborhood For Bush, Turned Off When He Left...
Posted on September 16, 2005 at 1:22 PM.
I am duty-bound to report the talk of the New Orleans warehouse district last night: there was rejoicing (well, there would have been without the curfew, but the few people I saw on the streets were excited) when the power came back on for blocks on end. Kevin Tibbles was positively jubilant on the live update edition of Nightly News that we fed to the West Coast. The mini-mart, long ago cleaned out by looters, was nonetheless bathed in light, including the empty, roped-off gas pumps. The motorcade route through the district was partially lit no more than 30 minutes before POTUS drove through. And yet last night, no more than an hour after the President departed, the lights went out. The entire area was plunged into total darkness again, to audible groans. It's enough to make some of the folks here who witnessed it... jump to certain conclusions."
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Thursday, September 08, 2005
God Outdoes Terrorists Yet Again | The Onion - America's Finest News Source
NEW ORLEANS—Throughout the Gulf Coast, Caucasian suburbanites attempting to gather food and drink in the shattered wreckage of shopping districts have reported seeing African?Americans 'looting snacks and beer from damaged businesses.' 'I was in the abandoned Wal-Mart gathering an air mattress so I could float out the potato chips, beef jerky, and Budweiser I'd managed to find,' said white survivor Lars Wrightson, who had carefully selected foodstuffs whose salt and alcohol content provide protection against contamination. 'Then I look up, and I see a whole family of [African-Americans] going straight for the booze. Hell, you could see they had already looted a fortune in diapers.' Radio stations still in operation are advising store owners and white people in the affected areas to locate firearms in sporting-goods stores in order to protect themselves against marauding blacks looting gun shops."
Friday, August 19, 2005
New Scripture -- The 23rd Qualm
3rd QUALM .... Freudian Slipture
Bush is my shepherd; I dwell in want.
He maketh logs to be cut down in national forests.
He leadeth trucks into the still wilderness. He restoreth my fears.
He leadeth me in the paths of international disgrace for his ego's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of pollution and war, I will find no exit, for Bush still art in office.
His tax cuts for the rich and his media control, they discomfort me.
He preparest an agenda of deception in the pretense of true religion.
He anointest my head with blood-won oil. My health insurance runneth out.
Surely megalomania and false patriotism shall follow me all the days of his term,
And my jobless child shall dwell in my basement forever.
Author unknown
Bush is my shepherd; I dwell in want.
He maketh logs to be cut down in national forests.
He leadeth trucks into the still wilderness. He restoreth my fears.
He leadeth me in the paths of international disgrace for his ego's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of pollution and war, I will find no exit, for Bush still art in office.
His tax cuts for the rich and his media control, they discomfort me.
He preparest an agenda of deception in the pretense of true religion.
He anointest my head with blood-won oil. My health insurance runneth out.
Surely megalomania and false patriotism shall follow me all the days of his term,
And my jobless child shall dwell in my basement forever.
Author unknown
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
SF Gate: Multimedia (image)
SF Gate: Multimedia (image): "Two faces to Piraro's art / Revised cartoon deletes reference to same-sex marriage
The two different Bizarro cartoons. Images courtesy of King Features Syndicate "
The two different Bizarro cartoons. Images courtesy of King Features Syndicate "
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
Bush light bulb joke
...How many Bush Administration officials does it take to screw in a
light bulb?
None.
Nothing is wrong with the light bulb; its conditions are
improving every day. Any reports of its lack of incandescence are a
delusional spin from the liberal media. That light bulb has served
honorably, and anything you say undermines the lighting effect.
Why do you hate freedom?
--Annonymous
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Calling in sick
A woman calls her boss one morning and tells him that she is staying home because she is not feeling well.
"What's the matter?" he asks
"I have a case of anal glaucoma," she says in a weak voice.
"What the hell is anal glaucoma?"
"I can't see my ass coming into work today."
"What's the matter?" he asks
"I have a case of anal glaucoma," she says in a weak voice.
"What the hell is anal glaucoma?"
"I can't see my ass coming into work today."
Monday, March 21, 2005
Monday, February 28, 2005
The 23rd Sigh
Bush is my shepherd; I dwell in want.
He maketh logs to be cut down in national forests.
He leadeth trucks into the still wilderness.
He restoreth my fears.
He leadeth me in the paths of international disgrace for his ego's
sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of pollution and war,
I will find no exit, for thou art in office.
Thy tax cuts for the rich and thy media control, they discomfort me.
Thou preparest an agenda of deception, in the presence of thy religion.
Thou anointest my head with foreign oil.
My health insurance runneth out.
Surely megalomania and false patriotism shall follow me all the days of
thy
term.
And my jobless child shall dwell in my basement forever.
He maketh logs to be cut down in national forests.
He leadeth trucks into the still wilderness.
He restoreth my fears.
He leadeth me in the paths of international disgrace for his ego's
sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of pollution and war,
I will find no exit, for thou art in office.
Thy tax cuts for the rich and thy media control, they discomfort me.
Thou preparest an agenda of deception, in the presence of thy religion.
Thou anointest my head with foreign oil.
My health insurance runneth out.
Surely megalomania and false patriotism shall follow me all the days of
thy
term.
And my jobless child shall dwell in my basement forever.
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
Heaven
Something to remember....
I was shocked, confused, bewildered as I entered Heaven's door, Not by the beauty of
it all, by the lights or its decor.
But it was the folks in Heaven who made me sputter and gasp--the thieves, the liars,
the sinners, the alcoholics, the trash.
There stood the kid from seventh grade who swiped my lunch money twice. Next to him
was my old neighbor who never said anything nice.
Herb, who I always thought was rotting away in Hell, was sitting pretty on cloud
nine, looking incredibly well.
I nudged Jesus, "What's the deal? I would love to hear Your take. How'd all these
sinners get up here? God must've made a mistake.
And why's everyone so quiet, so somber? Give me a clue."
"Hush, child," said He. "They're all in shock. No one thought they'd see you."
Judge NOT...
Monday, January 31, 2005
Sunday, January 30, 2005
Russell Murdock - Sports writer
Cougars dominate men's track ::: "By Russell Murdock The Daily Universe"
Saturday, January 29, 2005
Mercora P2P Radio review by PC Magazine
Mercora P2P Radio review by PC Magazine: "Looking for a way to share digital music without risking a lawsuit? Look at Mercora, a new music-sharing service that adheres to the letter of federal law. Billed as 'P2P Radio,' Mercora lets you broadcast your music collection across the Net and listen to broadcasts from thousands of other music lovers. But you needn't worry about broadcasting copyrighted material and running afoul of the major recording labels. Mercora's parent company pays the labels a rights fee for each song the service streams."
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Thursday, January 06, 2005
Can therapy fix my parents?
http://www.salon.com/mwt/col/tenn/2005/01/06/parents_and_therapy/index.html
If, however, you do come to feel that it's your relationship with your parents that is holding you back, then try this: Ask yourself not how you feel about your parents but what you owe your parents. What are your obligations at this point in your life? They have put you through college but now you're on your own: How can you fulfill your obligations?
This is different from asking what your parents want from you. Our parents may want us to fulfill certain unconscious wishes they retain from childhood, from their own relationships with their parents. We cannot help them with that. You can determine, however, what your concrete obligations are. And I think you can probably fulfill many of those obligations.
So what are our obligations to our parents? In general terms, you might come up with a list something like this: To speak with them or visit at least once a month. Not to cause them undue pain. Not to shame them. Not to steal from them. To treat them kindly and with respect. To help them when they become no longer able to take care of themselves. To be a comfort to them when possible.
Beyond fulfilling such obligations as these, we can get into trouble. For not only do you have obligations to your parents, but they have obligations to you. One of their chief obligations is to provide an environment in which you can become who you are. So if you betray yourself, then you betray your parents as well. For instance, suppose you conclude it's your duty to your parents to become a plastic surgeon. If you are not suited to be a plastic surgeon, then in trying to become one you undermine your parents' chief duty to you.
So the best you can do, as an adult, is to fulfill your concrete obligations to your parents. The rest -- the emotional tenor of your relationship, your compatibility, your taste and politics and ideas, their projected wishes for you -- is chancy.
If you can satisfy yourself that you are doing what is right and necessary as a daughter, perhaps it will ease some of the pain that arises when you see your parents. Perhaps it will also allow you to limit your contact with your parents without an undue sense of guilt.
It's hard at 24 to imagine how a lifetime of experience has molded one's parents, and harder still to keep in mind that time will continue to change them, robbing them of both their acuity and their rancor. If you simply go about living, you will find that these things take place, slowly but surely, seemingly without anyone's effort.
If, however, you do come to feel that it's your relationship with your parents that is holding you back, then try this: Ask yourself not how you feel about your parents but what you owe your parents. What are your obligations at this point in your life? They have put you through college but now you're on your own: How can you fulfill your obligations?
This is different from asking what your parents want from you. Our parents may want us to fulfill certain unconscious wishes they retain from childhood, from their own relationships with their parents. We cannot help them with that. You can determine, however, what your concrete obligations are. And I think you can probably fulfill many of those obligations.
So what are our obligations to our parents? In general terms, you might come up with a list something like this: To speak with them or visit at least once a month. Not to cause them undue pain. Not to shame them. Not to steal from them. To treat them kindly and with respect. To help them when they become no longer able to take care of themselves. To be a comfort to them when possible.
Beyond fulfilling such obligations as these, we can get into trouble. For not only do you have obligations to your parents, but they have obligations to you. One of their chief obligations is to provide an environment in which you can become who you are. So if you betray yourself, then you betray your parents as well. For instance, suppose you conclude it's your duty to your parents to become a plastic surgeon. If you are not suited to be a plastic surgeon, then in trying to become one you undermine your parents' chief duty to you.
So the best you can do, as an adult, is to fulfill your concrete obligations to your parents. The rest -- the emotional tenor of your relationship, your compatibility, your taste and politics and ideas, their projected wishes for you -- is chancy.
If you can satisfy yourself that you are doing what is right and necessary as a daughter, perhaps it will ease some of the pain that arises when you see your parents. Perhaps it will also allow you to limit your contact with your parents without an undue sense of guilt.
It's hard at 24 to imagine how a lifetime of experience has molded one's parents, and harder still to keep in mind that time will continue to change them, robbing them of both their acuity and their rancor. If you simply go about living, you will find that these things take place, slowly but surely, seemingly without anyone's effort.
Monday, December 27, 2004
Cary Tennis
Very validating. When I grew up I was made to feel bad for being pissed
when my sister stole from me.
There's no way a family can live together if you can't put your wallet down
on a table and be able to grope around later that night, or in the morning,
and find it, and dig out that receipt for the lamp that you got overcharged
for and say, Aha, see, I told you they overcharged me! I mean, that's the
very definition of shelter. Since the very earliest humanids began living in
social groups for mutual protection, the wallet stuffed with receipts has
been the key totem that delineated the domestic sphere from the wild. Proto-
humanid wallets have been found in the oldest archaeological digs -- some
even with the credit cards still in them! Amazing! But true. Because the
wallet is the central item of domestication. Elephant skin. Buffalo skin.
The wallet and the hearth. That's home and family.
I'm not sure there is a whole lot more to say than this: You cannot live
with people who steal your wallet and scatter your credit cards on the
sidewalk in a bad part of town; when family members do that they forfeit the
privileges of the familial bond -- you know, that gray zone where you
tolerate stuff from family that you wouldn't tolerate from a roommate. Theft
of money puts them on the other side of the fence. You can still talk to
them, and they can still be your family. But you can't live with them.
Wednesday, December 22, 2004
Amazon.com Is For Republicans / Attention, liberal shoppers! Next year, screw those GOP-supportin' companies, and try buying blue
Amazon.com Is For Republicans / Attention, liberal shoppers! Next year, screw those GOP-supportin' companies, and try buying blue: "And the site, called buyblue.org (along with its more detailed but less intuitively named counterpart, choosetheblue.com), spawned a mini movement and the mini movement spawned this very column and now you are right now encouraged to go see for yourself and discover the moderately shocking truths regarding which big shiny companies suck up to the happy sneering homophobic enviro-slappin' warmongering Repubs and which give thousands to the whiny limping kick-us-when-we're-down Demos. "
Friday, December 17, 2004
Here's a few hints to help you watch those pounds this Christmas.
1. Tip: Eat a chocolate bar before each meal - It'll take the edge off your
appetite.
2. If you eat equal amounts of dark and white chocolate, that's a balanced
diet.
3. Chocolate has many preservatives. Preservatives make you look younger.
4. Put 'eat chocolate' at the top of your list of things to do today. That
way at least you'll get one thing right.
5. A nice box of chocolates can provide your total daily intake of calories
in one place. Now isn't that handy?
6. Chocolate covered raisins, cherries, orange slices and strawberries all
count as fruit, so eat as many as you want.
7. Two reasons why chocolate is a vegetable.
(a) Chocolate is derived from beans. Beans = vegetable
( Sugar is derived from either Cane of Beet. Both are plants, which
places them in the vegetable category
8. If not for chocolate, there would be no need for control pantyhose. An
entire garment industry would be devastated.
9. REMEMBER: "Stressed" spelled backwards is "desserts".
1. Tip: Eat a chocolate bar before each meal - It'll take the edge off your
appetite.
2. If you eat equal amounts of dark and white chocolate, that's a balanced
diet.
3. Chocolate has many preservatives. Preservatives make you look younger.
4. Put 'eat chocolate' at the top of your list of things to do today. That
way at least you'll get one thing right.
5. A nice box of chocolates can provide your total daily intake of calories
in one place. Now isn't that handy?
6. Chocolate covered raisins, cherries, orange slices and strawberries all
count as fruit, so eat as many as you want.
7. Two reasons why chocolate is a vegetable.
(a) Chocolate is derived from beans. Beans = vegetable
( Sugar is derived from either Cane of Beet. Both are plants, which
places them in the vegetable category
8. If not for chocolate, there would be no need for control pantyhose. An
entire garment industry would be devastated.
9. REMEMBER: "Stressed" spelled backwards is "desserts".
Monday, December 06, 2004
AlterNet: MediaCulture: Unembedded in Iraq
AlterNet: MediaCulture: Unembedded in Iraq: "The US Corporate media consistently characterizes the Iraqi resistance as 'foreign terrorists and former Ba'athist insurgents'. In your experience, is this an accurate portrayal? If not, why?
This is propaganda of the worst kind. Most Iraqis refer to the Iraqi Resistance as 'patriots.' Which of course most of them are-they are, especially in Fallujah, primarily composed of people who simply are resisting the occupation of their country by a foreign power. They are people who have had family members killed, detained, tortured and humiliated by the illegal occupiers of their shattered country."
This is propaganda of the worst kind. Most Iraqis refer to the Iraqi Resistance as 'patriots.' Which of course most of them are-they are, especially in Fallujah, primarily composed of people who simply are resisting the occupation of their country by a foreign power. They are people who have had family members killed, detained, tortured and humiliated by the illegal occupiers of their shattered country."
Saturday, December 04, 2004
Blonde Joke
Last year I replaced all the windows in my house with those expensive double-pane energy efficient kind. But this week I got a call from the contractor complaining that his work had been completed a whole year ago and I had yet to pay for them.
Boy oh boy, did we go around! Just because I'm blonde doesn't mean that I am automatically stupid.
So, I proceeded to tell him just what his fast talking sales guy had told me last year... that in one year the windows would pay for themselves. There was silence on the other end of the line so I just hung up and I haven't heard back.
Guess I won that stupid argument.
Boy oh boy, did we go around! Just because I'm blonde doesn't mean that I am automatically stupid.
So, I proceeded to tell him just what his fast talking sales guy had told me last year... that in one year the windows would pay for themselves. There was silence on the other end of the line so I just hung up and I haven't heard back.
Guess I won that stupid argument.
Friday, November 12, 2004
NEWS -- march to the right
Molly Ivans
http://www.alternet.org/columnists/story/20413/
Mourning in America
By Molly Ivins, AlterNet
Posted on November 4, 2004, Printed on November 6, 2004
http://www.alternet.org/story/20413/
Do you know how to cure a chicken-killin' dog? Now, you know you
cannot keep a dog that kills chickens, no matter how fine a dog it is
otherwise.
Some people think you cannot break a dog that has got in the habit of
killin' chickens, but my friend John Henry always claimed you could.
He said the way to do it is to take one of the chickens the dog has
killed and wire the thing around the dog's neck, good and strong. And
leave it there until that dead chicken stinks so bad that no other dog
or person will even go near that poor beast. Thing'll smell so bad the
dog won't be able to stand himself. You leave it on there until the
last little bit of flesh rots and falls off, and that dog won't kill
chickens again.
The Bush administration is going to be wired around the neck of the
American people for four more years, long enough for the stench to
sicken everybody. It should cure the country of electing Republicans.
And at least Democrats won't have to clean up after him until it is
real clear to everyone who made the mess.
In some circles, that will be seen as sour grapes. But in Texas, we've
been losing elections to the demagogic triad of God, gays and guns
long enough to be pretty cynical about how it works out. I'm sure
millions of Americans voted for George W. under the honest impression
that he stands for moral values â?? family, patriotism, faith in God.
I'm sure it's the Democrats' fault that such a silly ruse is allowed
to stand. What Bush actually does stand for is nicely summed up by a
rather common news story that got stuck on the business pages lately.
In September, Merck & Co., the huge drug manufacturer, pulled Vioxx
off the market. Vioxx was a popular pain-killing, anti-arthritis drug,
but Merck said it was putting patients' safety first. A new study from
the Federal Drug Administration showed high doses of Vioxx triple the
risk of heart attack and sudden cardiac death.
From there, the story bifurcates â?? it takes two directions. Sen.
Charles Grassley of Iowa revealed that the FDA had tried to silence
the author of the study, Dr. David Graham, associate director of
science in the Office of Drug Safety. Grassley said the FDA first sat
on Graham's study and that then he was "ostracized" and "subjected to
veiled threats and intimidation."
The Wall Street Journal followed the other fork, finding internal
memos from Merck showing that company officials may have been aware of
the dangers of Vioxx as long ago as 1996, including a memo apparently
instructing its sales reps to "dodge" the question when doctors asked
about the cardiac record of Vioxx.
In short, we have a toothless regulatory agency in the pocket of the
industry it is supposed to patrol. We have an administration-wide
contempt for science and plain facts. And the allegation against the
folks at Merck is that they were making such enormous profits on a
drug that killed people that when they knew or suspected it was
killing people, they kept right on selling it. When the information
that Merck had known for a long time about Vioxx and heart attacks
became public, the company's stock fell by 9.6 percent.
That's the system George W. Bush stands for: where a corporation can
knowingly kill people for profit and, when it finally comes out,
everyone knows the penalties will be so light the company doesn't even
lose a tenth of its worth. Hey, just a little bump in the road.
We sure don't want any of that terrible, burdensome government
regulation to control that kind of behavior, do we? We sure don't want
an FDA that listens to its own scientists and acts promptly, do we? We
sure don't want anyone to sue these monster corporations, do we? I bet
if it were possible to compare the odds of an American getting killed
by a negligent regulatory agency and rapacious corporate behavior
versus an American getting killed by a terrorist, it would turn out we
need to be a lot more scared of rank greed and its enablers than we do
of terrorists. And that's not counting what the corps. (pronounced
corpse) steal and mess up.
So, fellow progressives, stop thinking about suicide or moving abroad.
Want to feel better? Eat a sour grape, then do something immediately,
now, today. Figure out what you can do to help rescue the country â??
join something, send a little money to some group, call somewhere and
offer to volunteer, find a politician you like at the local level and
start helping him or her to move up.
Think about how you can lend a hand to the amazing myriad efforts that
will promptly break out to help the country recover from what it has
done to itself. Now is the time. Don't mourn, organize.
© 2004 Independent Media Institute. All rights reserved.
View this story online at: http://www.alternet.org/story/20413/
http://www.alternet.org/columnists/story/20413/
Mourning in America
By Molly Ivins, AlterNet
Posted on November 4, 2004, Printed on November 6, 2004
http://www.alternet.org/story/20413/
Do you know how to cure a chicken-killin' dog? Now, you know you
cannot keep a dog that kills chickens, no matter how fine a dog it is
otherwise.
Some people think you cannot break a dog that has got in the habit of
killin' chickens, but my friend John Henry always claimed you could.
He said the way to do it is to take one of the chickens the dog has
killed and wire the thing around the dog's neck, good and strong. And
leave it there until that dead chicken stinks so bad that no other dog
or person will even go near that poor beast. Thing'll smell so bad the
dog won't be able to stand himself. You leave it on there until the
last little bit of flesh rots and falls off, and that dog won't kill
chickens again.
The Bush administration is going to be wired around the neck of the
American people for four more years, long enough for the stench to
sicken everybody. It should cure the country of electing Republicans.
And at least Democrats won't have to clean up after him until it is
real clear to everyone who made the mess.
In some circles, that will be seen as sour grapes. But in Texas, we've
been losing elections to the demagogic triad of God, gays and guns
long enough to be pretty cynical about how it works out. I'm sure
millions of Americans voted for George W. under the honest impression
that he stands for moral values â?? family, patriotism, faith in God.
I'm sure it's the Democrats' fault that such a silly ruse is allowed
to stand. What Bush actually does stand for is nicely summed up by a
rather common news story that got stuck on the business pages lately.
In September, Merck & Co., the huge drug manufacturer, pulled Vioxx
off the market. Vioxx was a popular pain-killing, anti-arthritis drug,
but Merck said it was putting patients' safety first. A new study from
the Federal Drug Administration showed high doses of Vioxx triple the
risk of heart attack and sudden cardiac death.
From there, the story bifurcates â?? it takes two directions. Sen.
Charles Grassley of Iowa revealed that the FDA had tried to silence
the author of the study, Dr. David Graham, associate director of
science in the Office of Drug Safety. Grassley said the FDA first sat
on Graham's study and that then he was "ostracized" and "subjected to
veiled threats and intimidation."
The Wall Street Journal followed the other fork, finding internal
memos from Merck showing that company officials may have been aware of
the dangers of Vioxx as long ago as 1996, including a memo apparently
instructing its sales reps to "dodge" the question when doctors asked
about the cardiac record of Vioxx.
In short, we have a toothless regulatory agency in the pocket of the
industry it is supposed to patrol. We have an administration-wide
contempt for science and plain facts. And the allegation against the
folks at Merck is that they were making such enormous profits on a
drug that killed people that when they knew or suspected it was
killing people, they kept right on selling it. When the information
that Merck had known for a long time about Vioxx and heart attacks
became public, the company's stock fell by 9.6 percent.
That's the system George W. Bush stands for: where a corporation can
knowingly kill people for profit and, when it finally comes out,
everyone knows the penalties will be so light the company doesn't even
lose a tenth of its worth. Hey, just a little bump in the road.
We sure don't want any of that terrible, burdensome government
regulation to control that kind of behavior, do we? We sure don't want
an FDA that listens to its own scientists and acts promptly, do we? We
sure don't want anyone to sue these monster corporations, do we? I bet
if it were possible to compare the odds of an American getting killed
by a negligent regulatory agency and rapacious corporate behavior
versus an American getting killed by a terrorist, it would turn out we
need to be a lot more scared of rank greed and its enablers than we do
of terrorists. And that's not counting what the corps. (pronounced
corpse) steal and mess up.
So, fellow progressives, stop thinking about suicide or moving abroad.
Want to feel better? Eat a sour grape, then do something immediately,
now, today. Figure out what you can do to help rescue the country â??
join something, send a little money to some group, call somewhere and
offer to volunteer, find a politician you like at the local level and
start helping him or her to move up.
Think about how you can lend a hand to the amazing myriad efforts that
will promptly break out to help the country recover from what it has
done to itself. Now is the time. Don't mourn, organize.
© 2004 Independent Media Institute. All rights reserved.
View this story online at: http://www.alternet.org/story/20413/
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
Interesting maps of the election results
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mejn/election/
This goes a long way toward illustrating how closely the nation split
-- much better than a purely geographic view.
This goes a long way toward illustrating how closely the nation split
-- much better than a purely geographic view.
Thursday, October 28, 2004
Errol Morris: Election '04
Errol Morris: Election '04: "Listen to Real People who voted for George Bush in 2000, but will be voting for Kerry in 2004.
Why so many? Because people say some are better than others. The problem: no one agrees on which ones those are."
Why so many? Because people say some are better than others. The problem: no one agrees on which ones those are."
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
Joke - Shark
Shark!
There is this atheist swimming in the ocean. All of a sudden he sees a shark in the water, so he starts swimming furiously towards his boat.
As he looks back, he sees the shark turn and head towards him. He's scared to death, and as he sees the jaws of the great white beast open, revealing its horrific teeth, the atheist screams, "Oh God! Save me!"
In an instant, time is frozen and a bright light shines down from above. The man is motionless in the water when he hears the voice of God say, "You are an atheist. Why do you call upon me when you do not believe in me?"
Confused, and knowing he can't lie, the man replies, "Well, that's true I don't believe in you, but how about the shark? Can you make the shark believe in you?"
The Lord replies, "As you wish," and the light retracts back into the heavens. The man feels the water move once again.
As the atheist looks back, he can see the jaws of the shark start to close down on him, when all of sudden the shark stops and pulls back.
Shocked, the man watches as the huge beast closes its eyes, bows its head and says, "Thank you Lord for this food which I am about to receive..."
There is this atheist swimming in the ocean. All of a sudden he sees a shark in the water, so he starts swimming furiously towards his boat.
As he looks back, he sees the shark turn and head towards him. He's scared to death, and as he sees the jaws of the great white beast open, revealing its horrific teeth, the atheist screams, "Oh God! Save me!"
In an instant, time is frozen and a bright light shines down from above. The man is motionless in the water when he hears the voice of God say, "You are an atheist. Why do you call upon me when you do not believe in me?"
Confused, and knowing he can't lie, the man replies, "Well, that's true I don't believe in you, but how about the shark? Can you make the shark believe in you?"
The Lord replies, "As you wish," and the light retracts back into the heavens. The man feels the water move once again.
As the atheist looks back, he can see the jaws of the shark start to close down on him, when all of sudden the shark stops and pulls back.
Shocked, the man watches as the huge beast closes its eyes, bows its head and says, "Thank you Lord for this food which I am about to receive..."
Friday, October 22, 2004
Very serious webpage concerning the importance of your vote
http://davechase.net/presidential_horror_show.swf
Not!
Not!
Thursday, October 21, 2004
Fwd: Salon: The blind leading the blind
The blind leading the blind
Even if they don't like to say it out loud, lots of Democrats think
that George Bush's supporters are a horde of ignoramuses. Now comes
evidence that they're right! A remarkable new report titled "The
Separate Realities of Bush and Kerry Supporters" from PIPA, the
Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of
Maryland, suggests that rank and file Republicans are more benighted
than even the most supercilious coastal elitist would imagine.
Analyzing data from a series of nationwide polls, the report finds
that a majority of Bush supporters believe things about the world that
are objectively untrue, while the majority of Kerry supporters dwell
in the reality-based community. For example, Bush backers largely
think that the president and his policies are popular internationally.
Seventy-five percent believe that Iraq was providing "substantial" aid
to al-Qaida, and 63 percent say clear evidence of this has been found.
That, of course, would be news even to Donald Rumsfeld, who earlier
this month told the Council On Foreign Relations, "To my knowledge, I
have not seen any strong, hard evidence that links the two."
Though its language is dispassionate, the report lays responsibility
for this epidemic of ignorance at the White House's door. "So why are
Bush supporters clinging so tightly to these beliefs in the face of
repeated disconfirmations?" it asks. "Apparently one key reason is
that they continue to hear the Bush administration confirming these
beliefs."
Indeed, it says, "an overwhelming 82% [of Bush supporters] perceive
the Bush administration as saying that Iraq had WMD (63%) or a major
WMD program (19%). Only 16% of Bush supporters perceive the
administration as saying that Iraq had some limited activities, but
not an active program (15%) or had nothing (1%). The pattern on al
Qaeda is similar. Seventy-five percent of Bush supporters think the
Bush administration is currently saying Iraq was providing substantial
support to al Qaeda (56%) or even that it was directly involved in
9/11 (19%). Further, 55% of Bush supporters say it is their impression
the Bush administration is currently saying the US has found clear
evidence Saddam Hussein was working closely with al Qaeda (not saying
clear evidence found: 37%)."
These people aren't going to be swayed by the argument that Bush has
alienated American's allies and left the country isolated in the
world, because they don't believe this to be the case. "Despite a
steady flow of official statements, public demonstrations, and public
opinion polls showing that the US war against Iraq is quite unpopular,
only 31% of Bush supporters recognize that the majority of people in
the world oppose the US having gone to war with Iraq," the study says.
Bush supporters also think that world public opinion favors Bush's
reelection. In a poll taken from September 3-7, the study says, "57%
of Bush supporters assumed that the majority of people in the world
would prefer to see Bush reelected, 33% assumed that views are evenly
divided and only 9% assumed that Kerry would be preferred."
In fact, a PIPA study released in early September found that a
majority or plurality of people from 32 countries preferred Kerry to
Bush. PIPA surveyed 34,330 people, ages 15 and above, from regions all
over the world. A Pew poll released this spring similarly found that
"large majorities in every country, except for the U.S., hold an
unfavorable opinion of Bush."
Bush supporters are also mistaken about the president's own positions
(a pattern of misapprehension that an earlier PIPA report also
documented). "Majorities incorrectly assumed that Bush supports
multilateral approaches to various international issues -- the
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (69%), the treaty banning land mines
(72%); 51% incorrectly assumed he favors US participation in the Kyoto
treaty -- the principal international accord on global warming... Only
13% of supporters are aware that he opposes labor and environmental
standards in trade agreements -- 74% incorrectly believe that he
favors including labor and environmental standards in agreements on
trade. In all these cases, there is a recurring theme: majorities of
Bush supporters favor these positions, and they infer that Bush favors
them as well."
According to the report, this reality gap is something new in American
life. "So why do Bush supporters show such a resistance to accepting
dissonant information?" it asks. "While it is normal for people to
show some resistance, the magnitude of the denial goes beyond the
ordinary. Bush supporters have succeeded in suppressing awareness of
the findings of a whole series of high-profile reports about prewar
Iraq that have been blazoned across the headlines of newspapers and
prompted extensive, high-profile and agonizing reflection. The fact
that a large portion of Americans say they are unaware that the
original reasons that the US took military action -- and for which
Americans continue to die on a daily basis -- are not turning out to
be valid, are probably not due to a simple failure to pay attention to
the news."
The analysis says that the roots of this denial could lie in the
trauma of 9/11 and people's desire to hold on to their image of Bush
as a "capable protector." It offers no guidance, though, on how
ordinary Republicans might be coaxed back to reality.
And while "The Separate Realities of Bush and Kerry Supporters" may be
perversely satisfying to Democrats in its confirmation of blue-state
prejudices, it carries a pretty disturbing question for all rational
Americans: How can arguments based on fact prevail in a nation where
so many people know so little?
-- Michelle Goldberg
Even if they don't like to say it out loud, lots of Democrats think
that George Bush's supporters are a horde of ignoramuses. Now comes
evidence that they're right! A remarkable new report titled "The
Separate Realities of Bush and Kerry Supporters" from PIPA, the
Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of
Maryland, suggests that rank and file Republicans are more benighted
than even the most supercilious coastal elitist would imagine.
Analyzing data from a series of nationwide polls, the report finds
that a majority of Bush supporters believe things about the world that
are objectively untrue, while the majority of Kerry supporters dwell
in the reality-based community. For example, Bush backers largely
think that the president and his policies are popular internationally.
Seventy-five percent believe that Iraq was providing "substantial" aid
to al-Qaida, and 63 percent say clear evidence of this has been found.
That, of course, would be news even to Donald Rumsfeld, who earlier
this month told the Council On Foreign Relations, "To my knowledge, I
have not seen any strong, hard evidence that links the two."
Though its language is dispassionate, the report lays responsibility
for this epidemic of ignorance at the White House's door. "So why are
Bush supporters clinging so tightly to these beliefs in the face of
repeated disconfirmations?" it asks. "Apparently one key reason is
that they continue to hear the Bush administration confirming these
beliefs."
Indeed, it says, "an overwhelming 82% [of Bush supporters] perceive
the Bush administration as saying that Iraq had WMD (63%) or a major
WMD program (19%). Only 16% of Bush supporters perceive the
administration as saying that Iraq had some limited activities, but
not an active program (15%) or had nothing (1%). The pattern on al
Qaeda is similar. Seventy-five percent of Bush supporters think the
Bush administration is currently saying Iraq was providing substantial
support to al Qaeda (56%) or even that it was directly involved in
9/11 (19%). Further, 55% of Bush supporters say it is their impression
the Bush administration is currently saying the US has found clear
evidence Saddam Hussein was working closely with al Qaeda (not saying
clear evidence found: 37%)."
These people aren't going to be swayed by the argument that Bush has
alienated American's allies and left the country isolated in the
world, because they don't believe this to be the case. "Despite a
steady flow of official statements, public demonstrations, and public
opinion polls showing that the US war against Iraq is quite unpopular,
only 31% of Bush supporters recognize that the majority of people in
the world oppose the US having gone to war with Iraq," the study says.
Bush supporters also think that world public opinion favors Bush's
reelection. In a poll taken from September 3-7, the study says, "57%
of Bush supporters assumed that the majority of people in the world
would prefer to see Bush reelected, 33% assumed that views are evenly
divided and only 9% assumed that Kerry would be preferred."
In fact, a PIPA study released in early September found that a
majority or plurality of people from 32 countries preferred Kerry to
Bush. PIPA surveyed 34,330 people, ages 15 and above, from regions all
over the world. A Pew poll released this spring similarly found that
"large majorities in every country, except for the U.S., hold an
unfavorable opinion of Bush."
Bush supporters are also mistaken about the president's own positions
(a pattern of misapprehension that an earlier PIPA report also
documented). "Majorities incorrectly assumed that Bush supports
multilateral approaches to various international issues -- the
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (69%), the treaty banning land mines
(72%); 51% incorrectly assumed he favors US participation in the Kyoto
treaty -- the principal international accord on global warming... Only
13% of supporters are aware that he opposes labor and environmental
standards in trade agreements -- 74% incorrectly believe that he
favors including labor and environmental standards in agreements on
trade. In all these cases, there is a recurring theme: majorities of
Bush supporters favor these positions, and they infer that Bush favors
them as well."
According to the report, this reality gap is something new in American
life. "So why do Bush supporters show such a resistance to accepting
dissonant information?" it asks. "While it is normal for people to
show some resistance, the magnitude of the denial goes beyond the
ordinary. Bush supporters have succeeded in suppressing awareness of
the findings of a whole series of high-profile reports about prewar
Iraq that have been blazoned across the headlines of newspapers and
prompted extensive, high-profile and agonizing reflection. The fact
that a large portion of Americans say they are unaware that the
original reasons that the US took military action -- and for which
Americans continue to die on a daily basis -- are not turning out to
be valid, are probably not due to a simple failure to pay attention to
the news."
The analysis says that the roots of this denial could lie in the
trauma of 9/11 and people's desire to hold on to their image of Bush
as a "capable protector." It offers no guidance, though, on how
ordinary Republicans might be coaxed back to reality.
And while "The Separate Realities of Bush and Kerry Supporters" may be
perversely satisfying to Democrats in its confirmation of blue-state
prejudices, it carries a pretty disturbing question for all rational
Americans: How can arguments based on fact prevail in a nation where
so many people know so little?
-- Michelle Goldberg
Saturday, October 16, 2004
Is the President losing it?
Is the President losing it?
First it was presenile dementia. Now, it's a stroke. A rash of armchair-diagnosis speculation about President Bush's health, based on his faltering speech
First it was presenile dementia. Now, it's a stroke. A rash of armchair-diagnosis speculation about President Bush's health, based on his faltering speech
in the first debate to his drooling and drooping Wednesday night, is
flying around the Web. And there's nothing to feed
"is-he-really-fit-to-lead?" grousing among Democratic partisans in the
blogosphere like the fact that President Bush, who was pronounced
healthy at his annual check-up in August 2003, has refused to get his annual physical this year before the 2004 election.
But it was Bush's less-than-lucid performance in the first presidential
debate against Senator John Kerry that sparked the creation of a short video montage
juxtaposing footage from that debate with video from George W. Bush
sparring with then-Texas Governor Ann Richards, ten years ago. (You can
see more footage of the younger Bush's debating prowess here.)
limited," says Robert McInerney, a retired internist in Pittsfield,
Mass. "He's getting as inarticulate as I am, and I'm in my senior
years," adding this caveat: "[But] I think it would be foolish to make
a diagnosis over a one-minute video clip."
wondering, too. "I think he's deteriorated in terms of his problem with
word-finding, repetition of phrases and understanding what other people
are saying," said Dr. Justin Frank, a professor in the Department of
Psychiatry at George Washington University Medical Center, who is the
author of "Bush on the Couch."
But Dr. Frank also stressed: "He would need to be tested to see if he
has dementia. This is all speculation without testing. He could just be
extremely acutely anxious. Anyone can get anxious and sound
disorganized."
Still, Dr. Frank said that during his book tour this summer from L.A.
to Philadelphia, seven or eight different physicians and psychologists
came up to him at readings to discuss their concerns about the
President's mental health: " Four people said they thought he reminded
them of their patients in the early state of Alzheimer's. Several
people wondered if there is a gradual deterioration from chronic substance abuse.
But Bush's improved performance in the latter debates made others doubt
that there's anything organic amiss: "In someone who has got a
developing dementia, they have good days and they have bad days. But it
isn't 90 minutes of bad debate one day, and 90 minutes of good debate
one day. It's much more subtle than that," says Dr. Raymond A. Wertheim
of Bethesda, Md.
After Bush's performance in the third debate, Dr. Frank changed his own
at-arm's-length diagnosis: " I think that the reason he looked demented
in the past debates is that Kerry figured out how to make him anxious.
And when he's anxious he gets disorganized. But Kerry did not make him
anxious this time. So, the issue for him is trying to manage anxiety.
That's his main concern."
Now, that still doesn't explain Wednesday night's spitting.
Is the President losing it?
First it was presenile dementia. Now, it's a stroke.
First it was presenile dementia. Now, it's a stroke.
A rash of armchair-diagnosis speculation about President Bush's health, based on his faltering speech
in the first debate to his drooling and drooping Wednesday night, is
flying around the Web. And there's nothing to feed
"is-he-really-fit-to-lead?" grousing among Democratic partisans in the
blogosphere like the fact that President Bush, who was pronounced
healthy at his annual check-up in August 2003, has refused to get his annual physical this year before the 2004 election.
A letter by one Dr. Joseph Price of Carsonville, Mich., to the Atlantic Monthly in response to James Fallows' July/August cover story on Bush and Kerry's debating styles, first raised the idea that Bush's mental faculties might be in decline.
But it was Bush's less-than-lucid performance in the first presidential
debate against Senator John Kerry that sparked the creation of a short video montage
juxtaposing footage from that debate with video from George W. Bush
sparring with then-Texas Governor Ann Richards, ten years ago. (You can
see more footage of the younger Bush's debating prowess here.)
"In the 1994 video he was going along and having no trouble having a
nice flow of language. But now he's so faulting and labored and
limited," says Robert McInerney, a retired internist in Pittsfield,
Mass. "He's getting as inarticulate as I am, and I'm in my senior
years," adding this caveat: "[But] I think it would be foolish to make
a diagnosis over a one-minute video clip."
Bush's insistence on tightly-controlled appearances has other doctors
wondering, too. "I think he's deteriorated in terms of his problem with
word-finding, repetition of phrases and understanding what other people
are saying," said Dr. Justin Frank, a professor in the Department of
Psychiatry at George Washington University Medical Center, who is the
author of "Bush on the Couch."
But Dr. Frank also stressed: "He would need to be tested to see if he
has dementia. This is all speculation without testing. He could just be
extremely acutely anxious. Anyone can get anxious and sound
disorganized."
Still, Dr. Frank said that during his book tour this summer from L.A.
to Philadelphia, seven or eight different physicians and psychologists
came up to him at readings to discuss their concerns about the
President's mental health: " Four people said they thought he reminded
them of their patients in the early state of Alzheimer's. Several
people wondered if there is a gradual deterioration from chronic substance abuse.
But Bush's improved performance in the latter debates made others doubt
that there's anything organic amiss: "In someone who has got a
developing dementia, they have good days and they have bad days. But it
isn't 90 minutes of bad debate one day, and 90 minutes of good debate
one day. It's much more subtle than that," says Dr. Raymond A. Wertheim
of Bethesda, Md.
After Bush's performance in the third debate, Dr. Frank changed his own
at-arm's-length diagnosis: " I think that the reason he looked demented
in the past debates is that Kerry figured out how to make him anxious.
And when he's anxious he gets disorganized. But Kerry did not make him
anxious this time. So, the issue for him is trying to manage anxiety.
That's his main concern."
Now, that still doesn't explain Wednesday night's spitting.
Thursday, October 14, 2004
Curious George Replaces A Light Bulb
How many members of the Bush Administration are needed to replace a light bulb?
The Answer is TEN:
1. One to deny that a light bulb needs to be changed.
2. One to attack the patriotism of anyone who says the light bulb needs to be changed.
3. One to blame Clinton for burning out the light bulb.
4. One to tell the nations of the world that they are either "For changing the light bulb or for darkness".
5. One to give a billion dollar no-bid contract to Halliburton for the new light bulb.
6. One to arrange a photograph of Bush, dressed as a janitor, standing on a stepladder under the banner:
"Light Bulb Change Accomplished".
7. One administration insider to resign and write a book documenting in detail how Bush was literally "in the dark".
8. One to viciously smear #7.
9. One surrogate to campaign on TV and at rallies on how George Bush has had a strong light bulb changing policy all along.
10. And finally one to confuse Americans about the difference between screwing a light bulb and screwing the country.
How many members of the Bush Administration are needed to replace a light bulb?
The Answer is TEN:
1. One to deny that a light bulb needs to be changed.
2. One to attack the patriotism of anyone who says the light bulb needs to be changed.
3. One to blame Clinton for burning out the light bulb.
4. One to tell the nations of the world that they are either "For changing the light bulb or for darkness".
5. One to give a billion dollar no-bid contract to Halliburton for the new light bulb.
6. One to arrange a photograph of Bush, dressed as a janitor, standing on a stepladder under the banner:
"Light Bulb Change Accomplished".
7. One administration insider to resign and write a book documenting in detail how Bush was literally "in the dark".
8. One to viciously smear #7.
9. One surrogate to campaign on TV and at rallies on how George Bush has had a strong light bulb changing policy all along.
10. And finally one to confuse Americans about the difference between screwing a light bulb and screwing the country.
Thursday, October 07, 2004
Salon.com Politics
Salon.com PoliticsThe GOP ticket's week from hell
Last week’s presidential debate might very well turn out to be the pivotal moment in the 2004 election, with an unfiltered Bush finally revealing his full limitations before 66 million Americans. But it is this week that will go down in history as the point when the wheels began to come off the Bush-Cheney juggernaut. The Republicans' week started on a dismal note with a massive report on page one of the Sunday New York Times that exhaustively detailed how the administration built its case for war on a false claim that aluminum tubes acquired by Iraq were intended for manufacturing a nuclear bomb. It went quickly downhill for the Bush team after that. On Monday Defense Secretary Rumsfeld suddenly veered off-message, telling a Council on Foreign Relations luncheon that he knew of no "strong, hard evidence" proving a connection between Saddam and al-Qaida. The same day, just in time to give John Edwards more ammunition for his face-off with Cheney, former U.S. occupation chief Paul Bremer told an insurance conference in West Virginia that the Bush administration had gone into Iraq with too few troops to secure the peace.
By Tuesday night the Bush campaign was hungry for a one-sided Cheney triumph in the suddenly critical vice-presidential debate. Instead, the stoop-shouldered and weary-looking vice president was forced up a tree by his aggressive opponent, with the gruff old veep growling down at the snapping, young hound below him for over 90 miserable minutes.
It was more political meltdown on Wednesday, with chief U.S. arms inspector Charles Duelfer declaring in his final report to Congress that Saddam had no WMD program after inspectors left Iraq in 1998, once and for all knocking out the key Bush argument for war. Meanwhile there was more carnage on the war front, and the U.S. embassy in Baghdad sent out a sobering e-mail, warning American personnel to steer clear of the Lone Star restaurant and other popular spots in the supposedly top-security Green Zone and to "conduct a thorough search of your vehicle prior to entering it." Oh, and oil prices continued to spike, in part because of the instability of the Iraq supply.
But hey, other than that, as Bush and Cheney keep insisting, things are looking up! Maybe they’re just channeling Richard Farina, the ‘60s folk singer who authored "Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me."
Meanwhile, after promising a major policy speech on Iraq on Wednesday, Bush simply ratcheted up his increasingly shrill rhetoric, calling Kerry "dangerous" on foreign policy and suggesting the Democratic candidate picked his running mate for his hair. Bush’s wild punches are beginning to take on the same whiff of desperation his father gave off during the last stretch of his losing battle with Bill Clinton in 1992, when the elder Bush began bizarrely referring to Al Gore as "ozone man." As the AP reported Wednesday, "Political analysts see alarm bells ringing inside the Bush re-election effort."
As Bush heads for St. Louis and his second debate with Kerry, the table has turned on him. Now he’s the one under pressure to revive his stumbling campaign with a powerful performance. If he fails, his week from hell could become a month from hell.
Last week’s presidential debate might very well turn out to be the pivotal moment in the 2004 election, with an unfiltered Bush finally revealing his full limitations before 66 million Americans. But it is this week that will go down in history as the point when the wheels began to come off the Bush-Cheney juggernaut. The Republicans' week started on a dismal note with a massive report on page one of the Sunday New York Times that exhaustively detailed how the administration built its case for war on a false claim that aluminum tubes acquired by Iraq were intended for manufacturing a nuclear bomb. It went quickly downhill for the Bush team after that. On Monday Defense Secretary Rumsfeld suddenly veered off-message, telling a Council on Foreign Relations luncheon that he knew of no "strong, hard evidence" proving a connection between Saddam and al-Qaida. The same day, just in time to give John Edwards more ammunition for his face-off with Cheney, former U.S. occupation chief Paul Bremer told an insurance conference in West Virginia that the Bush administration had gone into Iraq with too few troops to secure the peace.
By Tuesday night the Bush campaign was hungry for a one-sided Cheney triumph in the suddenly critical vice-presidential debate. Instead, the stoop-shouldered and weary-looking vice president was forced up a tree by his aggressive opponent, with the gruff old veep growling down at the snapping, young hound below him for over 90 miserable minutes.
It was more political meltdown on Wednesday, with chief U.S. arms inspector Charles Duelfer declaring in his final report to Congress that Saddam had no WMD program after inspectors left Iraq in 1998, once and for all knocking out the key Bush argument for war. Meanwhile there was more carnage on the war front, and the U.S. embassy in Baghdad sent out a sobering e-mail, warning American personnel to steer clear of the Lone Star restaurant and other popular spots in the supposedly top-security Green Zone and to "conduct a thorough search of your vehicle prior to entering it." Oh, and oil prices continued to spike, in part because of the instability of the Iraq supply.
But hey, other than that, as Bush and Cheney keep insisting, things are looking up! Maybe they’re just channeling Richard Farina, the ‘60s folk singer who authored "Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me."
Meanwhile, after promising a major policy speech on Iraq on Wednesday, Bush simply ratcheted up his increasingly shrill rhetoric, calling Kerry "dangerous" on foreign policy and suggesting the Democratic candidate picked his running mate for his hair. Bush’s wild punches are beginning to take on the same whiff of desperation his father gave off during the last stretch of his losing battle with Bill Clinton in 1992, when the elder Bush began bizarrely referring to Al Gore as "ozone man." As the AP reported Wednesday, "Political analysts see alarm bells ringing inside the Bush re-election effort."
As Bush heads for St. Louis and his second debate with Kerry, the table has turned on him. Now he’s the one under pressure to revive his stumbling campaign with a powerful performance. If he fails, his week from hell could become a month from hell.
Tuesday, October 05, 2004
Autistic child transcended boundaries
Autistic child transcended boundaries
Teen killed riding bicycle had an extraordinary mind
By Melissa Ludwig
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Tuesday, October 5, 2004
Zev Garfinkle's bar mitzvah was perfect. The 13-year-old read from the Torah with perfect diction, without stammering or slurring. Poised and calm, he behaved like the man he became that day, according to Jewish tradition.
A month later, Zev was hit by a car while riding his bicycle to McNeil High School, where the Deerpark Middle School eighth-grader took advanced math and science classes. Even with a helmet, Zev suffered severe head injuries, and he died Sept. 23, the day after the accident. Department of Public Safety troopers said the driver was not at fault.
In middle school, Zev stuck out like a parrot in the snow. He had a form of autism that garbled his speech and robbed him of social skills. An orthodox Jew, Garfinkle wore a kippah, or skull cap, and tzit tzit, ritual fringes, to school every day. He ate only kosher food his mother packed in a lunch for him.
But Zev's extraordinary brilliance and surprising wisdom touched people, said Sari Garfinkle, Zev's mother.
"He transcended any kind of boundaries," she said. "He could be really infuriating, but at the same time he left a really big mark on anyone who worked with him."
She said teachers, doctors and friends who had known Zev came from all over the state to see him in the hospital before he died. His funeral was jointly officiated by Yosef Levertov, a rabbi who practices the ultra-orthodox Hasidic form of Judaism, and Neil Blumofe, cantor of the town's conservative Jewish congregation, Agudas Achim. Christian pastors also attended.
Sari Garfinkle believes her son's legacy is to show what can happen when children with special needs are given the right tools to succeed.
"I think he opened a lot of people's eyes," said Barbara Murdock, Zev's special education teacher. "They are all amazed at the huge progress that he has made."
From birth, Zev had problems with speech and motor skills, Garfinkle said. At school in Boca Raton, Fla., Zev would throw tantrums that lasted for hours, she said. When the family moved to Austin in 1995, his problems continued. At age 7, a doctor diagnosed him with autism.
"I was thrilled," his mother said. "I am a big believer in meeting problems head-on, and you can't meet them head-on when you can't define them."
Once his parents and teachers began to understand what was going on in Zev's head, his behavior turned around, she said.
To control his environment, Zev clung to routine. He was a devout Jew and prayed three times a day.
Like many autistic children, he was sensitive to smells, sounds and touch.
For a whole year, he wore only red from head to toe, she said. Idiom and the delicate dance of body language and social niceties that most children learn effortlessly were utterly foreign to Zev.
"Do you know what the closest quasar to the earth is?" was Zev's standard opening line in a conversation.
"Small talk was completely lost on him," Garfinkle said. "He used to say that if he could make people into equations, he might be able to understand them."
Zev, who scored off the charts on intelligence tests, loved math and astrophysics.
"He was a pure and logical thinker," said Lori Ollmann, who taught geometry to Zev when he was in the seventh grade. "He had such a beautiful mind."
Zev began blossoming in school, Garfinkle said. Unable to sit in a regular class for more than five minutes in elementary school, Zev was attending a math class at McNeil that lasted an hour and a half -- and making the highest grades in the class.
His parents expected him to go to college -- Zev was set on Princeton -- and his classmates expected him to find a cure for cancer, teachers said.
This is the way his mother will remember him: "He was shining."
Monday, October 04, 2004
AlterNet: Debate This
AlterNet: Debate This: "This column is not about the presidential debate. It's about Other Stuff. Particularly eye-catching are the updates on the price of gasoline, your overtime pay, why the company most likely to hold the mortgage on your house could go broke, why you're getting peanuts from new tax cuts just passed by Congress and how the government is kicking hundreds of thousands of kids off health insurance while promising not to. Cheer all around."
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Thought for the day
LEARN TO PAY ATTENTION!
First-year students at Texas A&M's Vet School were receiving their first anatomy class, with a real dead cow. They all gathered around the surgery table with the body covered with a white sheet. The professor started the class by telling them, "In vet medicine, it is necessary to have two important qualities as a doctor: The first is that you not be disgusted by anything involving the animal body. For an example, the Professor pulled back the sheet, stuck his finger in the butt of the dead cow, withdrew it and stuck his finger in his mouth.
"Go ahead and do the same thing," he told his students. The students freaked out, hesitated for several minutes. But eventually took turns sticking a finger in the anal opening of the dead cow and sucking on it.
When everyone finished, the Professor looked at them and told them, "The second most important quality is observation. I stuck in my middle finger and sucked on my index finger. Now learn to pay attention."