fitz

What’s the deal, please? Will someone kindly tell me why the first person to make a comment always has to write “fitz!”
I know who you’re referencing, Patrick Fitzgerald. Question #2 is, So what? I like Fitz, too.
You have to be the first person to comment?
New term: fitztroll

I received this email from NARAL the other day:

“From: “NARAL Pro-Choice America”

To: “Me”

Sent: Wednesday, August 16, 2006 10:00 AM

Subject: The numbers the right wing doesn’t want you to see.

As a NARAL Pro-Choice America supporter, you are getting the inside scoop about how Americans are feeling, talking, and voting about our key issues. Download the full summary here:

http://prochoiceaction.org/ct/u7_j_up18mDN/

Dear (Tyrone),

Over the past few months, I’ve given you theinside scoop on our strategies to put Congress back into pro-choice hands this November.

Today, I’m excited to announce our latest step toward victory.We just completed a national poll of registered likely voters…”

And they included a link to the poll:

“As a NARAL Pro-Choice America supporter, you are one of the first people to see the poll results. You can read the poll release and the complete summary here:

http://prochoiceaction.org/ct/u7_j_up18mDN/”

There was more, but it is not germane to the rest of this post.

I am afraid I responded in a less than gracious manner. NARAL is correct to consider me an ally but I took the opportunity to give them a little heck for endorsing Joe Lieberman even after the primary in which he was defeated by Ned Lamont.

I replied thusly:

“Why the devil isn’t NARAL supporting Ned Lamont in Connecticut? Is NARAL suicidal? Why give the Republicans another Senator?

Eventually I received this from Elizabeth J. Shipp, Political Director of, NARAL Pro-Choice America

“Dear Mr.(Slothrop),

Thank you for contacting us about the Senate race in Connecticut.

As you know, NARAL Pro-Choice America has endorsed Sen. Lieberman in that race. As a nonpartisan organization, we support pro-choice elected officials, regardless of party affiliation. Therefore, our endorsement stands, regardless of Sen. Lieberman’s party registration. We responded similarly when pro-choice Sen. Jim Jeffords left the Republican Party to become an Independent.

We recognize that some of our members are avid party activists as well as pro-choice stalwarts, and understand that not everyone will agree with each of our endorsement decisions. However, we hope you will continue to stand with us. Our only chance of defending a woman’s right to choose is by focusing our energies on our real opponents: George Bush and his anti-choice congressional allies.

Thank you again for getting in touch. Please feel free to do so at any time with additional questions or comments.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth J. Shipp, Political Director, NARAL Pro-Choice America”

I rebutted with the following:

“Our only chance of defending a woman’s right to choose is by focusing our energies on our real opponents: George Bush and his anti-choice congressional allies.”

“Exactly. Lieberman is running with Republican support. He is the de facto Republican in the race. I have no doubt that if he wins he will caucus with the Republicans. He will be and has been one of George W. Bush’s congressional allies. This is Rape Gurney Joe we are talking about. He voted for cloture on the Alito nomination. He has betrayed you on more than one occasion.

You and your organization really need to wake up and smell the coffee.”

To date there has been no further reply.

http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/ban…..ksweek.htm

You wouldn’t believe some of the books on the 100 most challenged books list!!! I know I’ll be carrying a ‘banned’ / ‘challenged’ book that week!!

iowa christine, its true. Some of the most banned books are children’s literature. Ann Frank uses the a** word. Huckleberry Finn, the n* word. But Bridge to Teribithia, and Wrinkle in Time? I think Teribithia is pretty ambiguous and thought-provoking about the life and death stuff. Those are some of my favorites. But its not just your classic wingnuts who want these classics banned/burned/ People don’t want their children exposed to *hot topics*, even if those topics are beautifully handled. Parents need to play their part in figuring out what’s age appropriate, and yet some persist in thinking a library should be like MacDonalds where all books are like BigMacs, interchangeable and “safe” and according with their backgrounds, religious views etc. etc..

Well, if the press would do their jobs, bloggers wouldn’t have to.

And why should they have all the fun?

So the RI senate primary could really be the place where righty blogs declare their independence of the Republican establishment. It could also be the place where they hand a Senate seat to the Democrats. We’ll have to check back on this race often t…

OFG – Turkey is a wonderful yet strange place indeed. I had the good fortune of spending about ten days in Istanbul and around Izmir in 1999. Had a scare on our fourth day in Istanbul, just after lunch in a wonderful little place we walked out and managed to get a couple of blocks away when BOOM! A huge explosion! leveled the sizable building where we just dined. We didn’t turn around nor consider terrorism until a local man suggested it (evidently CNN Int’l thought as much and aired it in a Benet fashion). Turned out it was a faulty propane tank. The Turks deliver propane on what I call ice cream trucks. Everyone runs out of the house and swap rusty tanks as a jingle truck passes through a neighborhood. The same thing happened 30 yards from our house again in the Cyclades a couple of weeks later.
Anyway it was alarming and tragic. Turkey is a wonderful place where tales of it’s mystique fail miserably. An incredibly dark, and suspicious culture, imo. Fortunately I enjoy dark but this was oppressive.
We, US military, have got to get the hell out of there! It’s a ticking time bomb on a short fuse. I could sense it then. In my travels my instinct has been incredibly accurate with admittedly short notice at times. I never felt at ease in public. Way to many eyes on us, especially those whom we couldn’t see ourselves. Though I am glad we went, it’s not for everyone, even in so called peaceful times.

Oilfieldguy @ 109

Well, if the press would do their jobs, bloggers wouldn’t have to.

From your fingertips to $deity’s ears!

From your fingertips to the Great Programmer’s to-do list.