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(Photo credit to Robin at DharmaBums, who was kind enough to send it along to me. Love it!)
Here's the Sunday Talking Head line-up. There are actually a few interesting possibilities this morning — wow, and there's hot coffee and apple coffee cake at my house. Hmmm…I suppose a girl shouldn't get used to this, now should she? Anyway, here's the line-up:
C-Span's Washington Journal: 7:30am – Chuck Todd, Hotline, Editor in Chief; 8:30am – Phoner From Baghdad: Tom Lasseter, McClatchy Newspapers, Baghdad Correspondent; 9am – Sallai Meridor, Israeli Ambassador to the U.S.; 9:30am – Imad Moustapha, Syrian Ambassador to the U.S
Meet the Press (NBC): Fmr. Sen. John Edwards, candidate for the Democratic nomination for President.
This Week (ABC): Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. and Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb. on Senate opposition to the troop surge. David Brooks, Donna Brazile and George Will join the 'Roundtable.' And the Duchess of York talks about the meaning of motherhood.
Face the Nation (CBS): Roger Goodell, NFL Commissioner ; Dan Marino, CBS Sports Analyst; Phil Simms, CBS Sports Lead Game Analyst; Jim Nantz, CBS Sports Play-by-Play Announcer (Gee, can you tell they'll be talking about the Superbowl?).
Fox News Sunday: Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC).
CNN's Late Edition: Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California: Select Intelligence Committee and Judiciary Committee member; Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Indiana: Foreign Relations Committee member; Rob Portman: White House Budget Director; Tom Vilsack: Democratic presidential candidate and former Iowa governor; Ralph Nader: Former presidential candidate, author: "Seventeen Traditions"; Robert Baer: Intelligence Columnist, TIME.com, former CIA officer; John McLaughlin: CNN National Security Analyst, former Deputy Director of CIA; Amine Gemayel: Former president of Lebanon; Michael Gordon: New York Times chief military correspondent and author, "Cobra II: The Inside Story of the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq”
Today's birding photo is a lovely little bushtit — these are tough to spot with their buff-colored feathers, and this photo is such a great capture of one of these birds, I just had to share it with everyone. It's another chilly morning here, and all the birdies on my feeders are fluffed out trying to stay warm with a little more air under their feathers. I'm just happy to be inside and toasty with a fresh cuppa coffee.
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Good morning Christy!
She’s a cold one at -27. Yesterday was not fun either with the high of -15.
what an appropriate photo for the Sunday morning talking head thread.
There’s nothing like a little bushtit on a Sunday morning.
Good morning Christy! Bundle up and stay warm. -6 here in Johnson County Iowa. I’m going to curl up with chocolate muffins and decaf. (sigh) Pot is going right now. Is there some kind of football game today or something?
Good morning, Christy.
Mornin’ Christy. Got 21 degrees & light snow this morning. Outside on the feeders, Cardinals, Chickadees, Juncos (I think), and I think I saw a Carolina Wren & a Red-Headed House Finch. Got some Woodpeckers in the neighborhood, but haven’t seen any this morning. And have the finch feeder out — saw a Goldfinch the other day, much to my surprise. This is in Tennessee, FYI.
And, oh yeah, Run, Al, Run!
‘Morning, Christy! ‘Morning, FirePups!
Wow, NaNOO, I was feeling sorry for myself here at -2 below, but you’ve put me to shame. I don’t think my car would withstand that temp – wonder if that’s headed this way? Better get out the antifreeze here!
Is looseheadprop around this morning? Need an assist from someone with Lexis-Nexis.
Wow, hope Webb kicks Lindsay’s pansy ass today. Might actually be worth suppressing the gag reflex to tune into Fox.
Anybody else got the feeling that Pumpkinhead’s trying to send a message with John Edwards being the ONLY guest this morning?
Much as I like Edwards, I don’t trust the Pumpkin one damned bit.
Oh, and good morning Christy. The little birdies as just so darn cute when they puff themselves out like that.
By the way, anybody else sick and tired of having Hillary crammed down our throats by the media? Can they let up for one stinkin’ day? Geez.
Watched the scientists on C-Span Friday night. The outlook seems dire indeed.
Chris Rose, writer for the Times Picayune, is King of the Krewe de Vieux parade this year. The parade’s theme is “Habitat for Insanity.”
U.S. website: Mossad killed Iranian nuclear physicist
A senior nuclear physicist involved in Iran’s nuclear program who died under mysterious circumstances two weeks ago was killed by the Mossad, according to a report released in a U.S. website this weekend.
By Yossi Melman, Haaretz Correspondent
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/821634.html
Caller on CSPAN who is reading my mind this morning: Why are we letting the media run our campaigns for us?? Stop trying to shove Hillary & Obama down our throats.
Of course, the question is, how the hell do we stop it? Even the most intelligent of people that I know follow their lead. They are sooo afraid of being out the “mainstream” it makes me ill and I’m ready to give up caring.
[gripe]
Hillary? So early.
Well, since it is Sunday morning.
“She does take seriously the doctrine of original sin.”
Hillary’s Religious Roots
At 13, she met a Methodist minister who became a lifelong friend.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16…../newsweek/
Mornin Pups.
dratty @
3
Tit, bush, it’s all good.
Happy Hyperbole Sunday, everyone!
More bird news. Just had a good sized hawk alight on my deck. Never seen one this close. He looked around for a minute, hopped about (probably wondering where the Chickadees went), then took off. Truly amazing.
Deacon Blues @ 18
cool! close encounters of the avian kind
Critics fret over Hillary Clinton’s high national negative ratings
February 4, 2007
BY ROBERT NOVAK Sun-Times Columnist
While Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s presidential stock is rising among her congressional colleagues in Washington, prominent liberal Democrats in her home base of New York City privately express the opinion that she has unsolved political problems.
These critics note that Clinton’s negative national ratings remain high (around 45 percent). She also generated similarly low ratings for her Senate re-election bid in New York last year, but she won in a landslide against token Republican opposition. Clinton’s performance in Iowa last week received poor reviews from liberals at home, who did not laugh at her little joke aimed at husband Bill Clinton when she was asked about her ability to handle ”evil, bad men.”
The most likely left-of-center alternative to Clinton, in New York as elsewhere, appears to be former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina.
I don’t care what Bob says, or “thinks”. Senator Clinton is being Rahmmed and DLC’d down our throat and up our …
Praise all that is holy for warm coffee this morning. We got another dusting of snow last night and it is freezing here this morning. I have some very frozen looking birdies on the feeders. Brrrr…
Oklahoma kiddo @ 15
Honest to God (no pun intended) – who cares? Even though I’m not a Hill fan, why must her religious beliefs or lack thereof be examined under a microscope? Why has everyone accepted the notion of Bush being a devoutly religious person just because he says so. I look at a person’s actions, not what they say. There is nothing remotely Christian about anything this man has done, nothing.
How difficult is that for the fundies to understand? Oh, that’s right, I forgot, they’re all about talking Jesus, and no action, except for waving their hands in the air, Jonestown-fashion, and lobbying against abortion and gay marriage. Nothing to do with helping their less fortunate fellow man. Can’t get their hands dirty.
Report: Zucker to be new CEO of NBC
Webb on Fox News Sunday now…
Washington Memo
With Rumsfeld Gone, Critics of War Look to Rice
By HELENE COOPER
Published: February 4, 2007
God knows I dislike Rice. But Bush IS the one.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02…..q7GS4QgcRQ
Well, I guess I better head out the door and see how my 4 red hens survived the night. I left the heat lamp on all night, but still I’m sure their water is frozen.
And someone please explain to me how a president with a 30% approval rating can even contemplate posturing for another war, while his first war of choice is an unspeakably miserable failure? Why on God’s earth is anyone listening to this man and talking about him as if he is a rational human being? Where is the outrage?
I question my sanity as everyone around me remains so calm and unruffled while I see my world crumbling around me and wonder how I can stop it. Can I have some of what they are taking, please? Guess that’s why I visit FDL, to be reminded that I am not alone.
twolf1 @ 24
thx twolf – that got by me. Is it over? Did he go up against Graham Cracker?
NaNOO at 26 — Reminds me of helping my great granny with her chickens when I was a kid. :) Haven’t done that sort of thing in years, but that sure does bring back some lovely memories of helping to gather eggs. Thanks.
When one (politicians particularly) professes to be a Christian and yet supports the killing of close to a million civilians in Iraq, and is partly responsible for the deaths of over 3000 American soldiers, then I take her/his religious professions into account.
mandrake @ 28
he’s still on… just him and Wallace
Grannies do Heavy Lifting
by Cindy Sheehan
My “grannies’ in the Granny Peace Brigade get arrested over and over again all over the country trying to enlist in the US military to save your children and the children of Iraq.
http://www.commondreams.org/views07/0203-22.htm
Morning all. I’m envious of everyone snuggling in from the cold winter weather. It’s going to be 81 today, here in Long Beach, CA. On Friday, my next door neighbor cut down the tree in their back yard that used to shade our yard and my library/office. It was a birdie favorite. >:( We’re trying not to be too depressed.
mandrake @ 27, I’m with you. Why the debate, when the situation is so obvious. And, Christy I usually get 3 eggs a day, which is great and they are so good.
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Good Morning Firedogs,
a balmy 31 deg here which is usually enough for me to go all WATB, but after hearing from NanOO, think I’ll just grab another throw and pour another cup
sure hope Hagel and McCain are on together as there is a real possibility Hagel’s yet undeclared candidacy allows him to ‘toy’ with Senator Hairtrigger:)
Repeat of Molly Ivins Book Notes interview on C-Span2 coming up shortly this morning @ 9:30 a.m. ET.
http://www.booktv.org/Booknote…..chedID=474
Here’s hoping that Cheney becomes the second
Veep to resign…
Where’s the outrage?
http://encarta.msn.com/media_4…..signs.html
Jack
Rice? Isn’t she the one who went shoe shopping while American citizens drowned? Imagine if, while the WTC was collapsing, Hillary was shopping for pantsuits?
Rice is finished, isn’t she? The decider is going to have to pick Jeb to fill in for Cheney, IMO.
If only Nader would be asked if he still believes that there’s no difference between Democrats and Republicans. Personally, I think that Nader is owned by the Bush family since they both come from CT.
Christy Hardin Smith @ 29
I bet, Christy, you didn’t vist the chickens in the kind of weather we are having right now in Minnesota. Windchills are from -40 to -60. Chickens are probably frozen to the floor. When we had horses, these were the worst days of the year. Had to hand carry water to them since everything else was frozen up.
Generals Warn Against ‘Disastrous’ Iran Attack
Posted on Feb 4, 2007
Three former high-ranking U.S. generals have called on the Bush administration to pursue diplomacy with Iran, saying “an attack on Iran would have disastrous consequences,” a concern shared by a group of 22 physicists, including 12 Nobel laureates, who’ve asked Congress to restrict the president’s ability to use nuclear weapons against Tehran.
http://www.truthdig.com/eartot…..an_attack/
ccmask @ 38
Rice is the worst Sec’y of State ever, but that’s expected when she serves the worst President ever.
Morning, all y’all. (Southern Minnesota checking in.) You got a major head-start today. It’s mighty cold here in the north country. Wind chill of -30 or so.
Read some comments this morning at a site discussing Al Gore’s upcoming testimony to Congress re global warming et al. Simply amazing to me the level of denial some folks still have about this issue.
I’m pretty weary of force-fed Barackary, too. Al Gore is the conscience of this nation. There is no one of his stature nor level of experience ready to hit the ground running on January 20, 2009.
For months, I have nodded sadly when folks give “reasons” why Gore won’t be our candidate. Through playing that game. He’s the right guy, now. Anyone on board with me??
End of sermon. Stay warm!
omg, the world is so small.
here i thought only i knew about the dharma bums…
yeah, they WAY rock … thanks, christy!
so: here’s a lovely vid for your morning –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPaZCzeV_4c
i know vids are late night stuff, but this is a very morning-sounding thing: frank zappa’s “watermelon in easter hay” … it’s been up on youtubes a couple times, but it gets pulled very quickly … one of the few songs i know of in 5/4 time — simply beautiful….
cheers from yamato, y’all….
Rice is a syncophant serving an idiot. Just needs to be said.
Oklahoma kiddo @ 32
GO GRANNIES!
Bush and Co. are all washed up, and they know it. Why all the spin by the media? Are they seeking “Sympathy for the Devil”?
howdy medaka!
Bay State Librul @ 37
Too mean to resign, too mean to die.
Just sayin’
“GO GRANNIES” Let me agree 100%. And a big hello to GrandmaJo who is lurking — I just know it. We are going to YearlyKos together. O.K. I said that before.
Let us now start a coffee discussion, the merits of this blend or that type etc…
Mornin’ peeps. (Or Pepys, if you prefer.) Cold but sunny in southeast MI.
Edwards is doing a great job today. Glad to see he was on. He’s talking about Iran right now – diplomacy and talks – not sure about what to do if they were to get nukes, hope to use diplomacy to prevent that.
Previously, he said a war with Iran would only strengthen their president instead of destabilize him and bring about a more moderate leader.
hey now, twolf!
hope y’all are well, peaceful and happy!
though that’s getting harder and harder these days for everyone, huh?
i get to leave it all behind for a bit: it’s big hot bath time for me, woo HOO …
Wind chill is -28 right now, only -12 without considering that. I still don’t want to take the dogs outside.
Journal Circle Jerk
Bush’s Wall Street Bull
Pierre Tristam/Candide’s Notebooks, February 2, 2007
http://www.pierretristam.com/Bobst/07/cn020207.htm
Brand new this am from Marcy
The Evolution of a Mea Culpa
by emptywheel
I had never really read much about Chalabi, but Wiki has a bunch, including:
A secret document written in 2002 by the British Overseas and Defence Secretariat reportedly described Chalabi as “a convicted fraudster popular on Capitol Hill”.
He also enjoyed considerable support among politicians and political pundits in the United States, most notably Jim Hoagland of The Washington Post, who held him up as a notable force for democracy in Iraq.
snip
Something of the same unfortunately must be said of Miller and the Times, a newspaper that editorially calls for a standard of accountability in others that it did not meet in this case. Miller’s account of agreeing to misidentify a source, her murky reference to a “security clearance” that she surely should not have had, and her failure to accept supervision from or to share vital information with her editors strike at the system of checks and balances that credible journalism requires. So does her editors’ mystifying willingness to tolerate that behavior. But none of this was a crime.–JIM HOAGLAND
http://www.washingtonpost.com/…..27_pf.html
barbara @ 43
Thirty below?? Holy crap!!
The reason Gore wouldn’t win is b/c the American electorate in general feels threatened by brilliant, articulate people and don’t have sense enough to see how beneficial it would be to have an intelligent human being with real convictions run the country. They want someone who makes them feel secure about their own limited intellectual abilities. (I don’t need to mention names here.)
Why? Two words: corporate media. May it die a horrifying, gruesome, but speedy death, screaming in repentance to the end, and may the careers of all its “journalistic” minions go up in flames reminiscent of a nuclear holocaust and may the progressive blogosphere serve as the missile of righteous destruction. (Well, I can dream, can’t I?)
Harry @ 51
My quest for the perfect bean will never end.
NaNOO @ 47
This is the mystery. I stand agape before the churning media machine still trying to behave as if this man has an ounce of credibility. It is so bad, I think I’m gonna have to get rid of cable. I hate to let KO and CSPAN go, but honestly, I’m starting to feel queasy from the fumes.
mandrake at 60 — I was pretty pleased with some Major Dickenson’s Blend from Peets that I received as a gift this year. Very tasty stuff. But I’m always on the look-out for some yummy coffee. Where we live, I have to special order it if I want freshly roasted anything (living in the hinterlands has its downside, but the perks — like the pair of Carolina wrens feeding each other on my feeder this morning — are awfully nice a well), so if anyone has a coffee suggestion that can be ordered that they’d like to throw out to the group, I’m all ears (and tastebuds).
Did anybody see Faux News last night. They had some kind of crazy thing on conflating 9/11 with IRAN!
Invasion any day folks, unless Conress can figure out how to stop Shrub.
Noonan @ 53
Hope he keeps it up the right kind of talk. Still not ready to get behind anyone (despite the media obsession), but right now, I lean towards Edwards. Still in watch and wait mode, however.
looseheadprop @ 63
So is frikkin’ Glenn Beck – CNN is crap.
Seems like the two parties are on the same page. Just finishing reading “A People’s History of the US” by Howard Zinn. I used to read Stephen King for a good scare. Now I do reality, with Chomsky and Zinn.
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All these politicians who wear religion on their sleeve and support war. Makes me want to consider becoming angry.
Mandrake at 59:
Well, doggone it, the electorate took a chance with Clinton (re intellect et al — make that et Al). Even as I write that, I see the problem. Urgh.
It’s pretty obvious there’s a deep divide between Clintonistas and Goresters. That works in Gore’s favor, I think. The bigger problem is the stench of Lieberman. That cannot be easily explained away.
I want a president (subliminal message: Gore)who can read, think, speak without humiliating himself and the US. Who understands the intricacies of international diplomacy (subliminal message: Gore). Who believes war is never a unilateral, pre-emptive option. Who is guided every step of the way by the Constitution and American law (okay, and the Geneva Conventions). Who tells the truth. Who LISTENS.
Oh, crikey, I said end of sermon in my earlier post. Sorry.
mandrake @ 8
I was thinking the exact same thing. The talking head lineup made me think, “I’ll watch FOX”… then I started shaking all over. It just doesn’t seem right.
Christy Hardin Smith @ 62
Christy, the problem with me is that my tastes change over time. I can never settle on anything. But I do prefer smoother, lighter blends. Not much for the really strong stuff.
Two years in a row, I have had Carolina Wrens nest in my mailbox. Hoping for a repeat this year! It was such a joy, I had to peep in the box every day when mom was out foraging. Of course, I went into full-fledged maternal mode when they popped out for their first flight, hoping I would be there to watch out for any possible dangers.
They are brave little creatures and such fierce, attentive little moms!
I do not want anybody named Bush or Clinton as my next prez.
Bushtits . . .
I find Bushtits are quite analogous to Firedogs – and real world proof of the power of the ‘meek’ through banding together
. . .highly social and organized (flocks of 10 to 40 at a time), they are constantly chattering (checking in) with one another, share communal duties including care of other hatchlings, incredibly flexible in that they will hang upside down by one leg to get at the goods, other, more colorful species will alight in the safety provided by their numbers, flocks are led by either female or male leaders, even provide comfort for one another through group hugs in the cold, oh and did I mention what they can do
to shrubs ?!?!
Chomsky might very well be the smartest individual on Earth. I am in awe.
best coffee in a can: Melita
barbara @ 43
I think most of us are on board with you! Run, Al, run! Please!
Commentary by John Allen Paulos via ABC News:
http://abcnews.go.com/Technolo…..amp;page=1
Who’s Counting: How Iraq Trillion Could Have Been Spent
The Cost of the Iraq War: Can You Say $1,000,000,000,000?
best coffee beans, period: Caribou Coffee. Can be mail ordered.
Hey, Howard Kurtz’s RELIABLE SOURCES covering Traitorgate right now.
Jeralyn Merrit
John Dickerson
Mike Isikoff
Well wadda ya know. I’m in the ‘majority’. First time in a long time.
Gore. A man for our times.
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Sunni Arab Guerrillas Massacre 155 Shiites, Wound 305
Sunni Guerrillas Kill 4 US GIs
A Majority of Americans Wants Troops out within Year
http://www.juancole.com/
Jeralynn on CNN!
barbara @ 68
I personally don’t ever think about Lieberman when I think of Gore. To me, Lieberman really set himself apart just this last year with his pimping of the war. Gore came out strong against the war in 2003 and, to my mind, with the war being such a deciding factor in the last elections, Gore can distance himself from Liberman with ease.
Perhaps I am missing something here, but that’s just my take on it.
I must admit that, in reference to my previous rant, my opinion of the electorate has taken a nose dive since 2000 and was exacerbated by the 2004 election. So I’m speaking from a deeply, profoundly cynical perspective with huge dose of snark thrown in for good measure!
Sermonize away! It is Sunday mornin’ after all! ;)
Dickerson calls Judy “clueless.”
Jeralyn Merritt on CNN right now…
I am watching the video of a 3 hour press conference given by President Putin. He gives intelligent answers, including both upbeat assessments where warranted and doubts about how some things are going. He has quite the command of statistics, and speaks openly of the gap between rich and poor citizens.
I dream that some day our country will have a president that can give intelligent answers to questions.
LandOfTheFree @ 69
I know, my hat’s off to twolf for being brave. [tip o’ hat]
Just watching John McCain on This Week. He sounds like Tinker Bell. “I believe we can succeed. I believe we have a great general there now. I believe…” Long and short John McCain, if you just believe long enough and hard enough, you can make anything you want happen in spite of the odds.
Tinker Bell!
Hey, Oklahoma kiddo, just bought new stamps “Oklahoma”. I’ve seen Chomsky on Democracy Now a few times. He just gives it to you straight, with little physical expression. I react much more emotionally, like we’re Fucked.
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US ex-generals reject Iran attack
Regional instability
The US administration has recently increased the regularity and vehemence of its verbal attacks on Iran, prompting fears that it could be preparing for a military strike against the Islamic state.
Washington has also sent a second aircraft carrier to the Gulf, a move seen as a warning to Iran, which the US accuses of seeking nuclear weapons and fuelling instability in Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East.
It has offered to hold direct talks with Iran but only once Tehran halts its push to produce nuclear fuel through uranium enrichment.
Iran denies the claims and says its nuclear programme is for its own energy use.
On Friday, Robert Gates, the US defence secretary, said Washington was not planning for war with Iran, but Regional instability
The US administration has recently increased the regularity and vehemence of its verbal attacks on Iran, prompting fears that it could be preparing for a military strike against the Islamic state.
Washington has also sent a second aircraft carrier to the Gulf, a move seen as a warning to Iran, which the US accuses of seeking nuclear weapons and fuelling instability in Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East.
It has offered to hold direct talks with Iran but only once Tehran halts its push to produce nuclear fuel through uranium enrichment.
Iran denies the claims and says its nuclear programme is for its own energy use.
On Friday, Robert Gates, the US defence secretary, said Washington was not planning for war with Iran, but again accused Tehran of supplying bombs for attacks on US troops in Iraq.
http://english.aljazeera.net/N…..31DD9C.htm
lina,
yes, yes ! has staved off withdrawl many a time
here’s another when you can’t find the Melita – available in most chain stores
http://www.medagliadoro.com/index2.htm
Duty calls. Chickadees, cardinals, juncos, hairy and downy woodpeckers, finches all desperate for feeder refill. I’m coming, sweeties, I’m coming!!
crap, I’ve been in Texas too long
“withdrawal”
Jeralyn just called Fitzgerald, “Fitz,” and then caught herself.
Isikoff says Russert is batting cleanup for Fitz.
End of Reliable Sources segment on Traitorgate.
egregious @ 84
;0)
Some of the best coffee I have ever had is American-grown. Have had both the Full City and French Roast Kona, and both are superb.
Mountain Valley estate grown Kona coffee
PO Box 154 Honaunau, HI 96726
1-888-345-8451
(808) 328-9703
(don’t forget the time zone difference, (-5) hours from EST)
Mountain Valley as well as other Kona growers at this website.
egregious @ 84
As Colbert says: Putin ‘08!
(Sorry, couldn’t resist)
Yeah, whatever happened to the quaint notion of having a semi-articulate leader with a nominal grasp of the nation’s ills? It’s just so passe these days. War is just so much easier and you can sell lots of car magnets, too! Who’s going to buy a car magnet that says: Universal Health Care for All to slap onto their SUV or dooley-fied mega-truck?
NaNOO @ 87
If only Chomsky looked like George Clooney, people would listen to him.
barbara @ 90
Oh, what a way to start your day!
if this is sunday, this must be meet John MCcain! Go away already, Mcain! Geez, I feel like I’m a POW with this guy’s opinions being dripped, dripped, dripped…….. ENOUGH!! we surrender.
mandrake @ 97, Yep, and if Kucinich looked more like Edwards, perhaps more people would listen to him.
Ann in AZ @ 86
I like this analogy. I think we need to keep it. We can call McCain and Lieberman the Tinkerbell Twosome.
Or would Lieberman be Tinker Bell to McCain’s Peter Pan?
I’d really like to get a hold of whatever those two are taking. Would be nice to visit an alternate universe where everything is lollipops and candy canes for a change.
barbara @ 68
In short, you want a President who can be nominated for an Academy Award and a Nobel Peace Prize in the same year!
wow, breaking news: Brian Williams to interview Timmer post Libby testimony – what about McCain?
NaNOO @ 100
No question, no doubt in my mind. He’d be a contender. Poor Kucinich, good man, not much in the looks department. I was very happy to see he now has a very attractive, intelligent and seemingly adoring wife! When did that happen?
“I’d really like to get a hold of whatever those two are taking. Would be nice to visit an alternate universe where everything is lollipops and candy canes for a change.” – it’s called a lobotomy
Some top-brass US military heads have been talking today, too.
Ann in AZ @ 102
The contrast is just too depressing to even contemplate, considering the possibility of being stuck with this calcified turd of a president for 2 more years. I’ve got things in my litter box with more sentience and self-awareness. Better manners, too.
One of, if not the primary defect, in our legal system, is the disparity between the rich and powerful people, and the defense that they can “buy”, and the poor schmucks who can barely afford the gas to get to the courthouse. Perhaps we need socialized medicine AND socialized legal representation. If Libby was some working poor sort who boosted an auto parts store and got caught, he’d be in jail.
They really need to mix up the lineup and get other guests on. Half of them are always on.
they even have a song . . .
Ann in AZ @ 102
;0)
Gore or Clinton. Who would you choose?
mandrake @104, I don’t know about when Kucinich took a wife, but I agree she is very attractive and plus. I don’t know why looks should make such a difference, perhaps it’s our stupid culture whose values are commercially driven. I voted for Kucinich in the last pres. primary and proud of it.
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When I was in Germany, we stopped at a friend’s moms house and the elderly woman made me my first cup of coffee prepared in a coffee press. I have never looked back. I was hooked.
I purchased a 3 cupper and an 8 cupper for the house and I have one at my office too (because I cannot stand to drink coffee made in a community pot.) I need a clean pot every time and the coffee press works best for me.
I use the 8-cup Chambord model mornings at home and it promises me a fresh brewed flavor every time. It can be found at http://www.bodumusa.com and I think I may have gotten my last one thru Amazon.
I start with two scoops of coffee and add boiling water to the pot. Next, I stir it with a wooden chopstick and let it brew for about 4 minutes. Then, I push down the press to allow the grounds to go to the bottom of the pot. I must have my French Vanilla coffee creamer (liquid) and I use a thick white ceramic “White Castle” coffee cup, ordered from their website. These cups keep the coffee hot for a long time. If I just want a fast cup, I use my Firedoglake coffee cup!
Serious business, my coffee.
Christy Hardin Smith @ 62
Christy – If you really want good, fresh-roasted coffee, there is nothing like roasting it yourself at home. I bought a home roaster about two years ago and have been enjoying great coffee ever since. I just buy the green beans over the internet – they stay fresh for months – and then roast a small batch every couple of days. It’s not that expensive and really not a big hassle. Try it! I can provide details if you’re interested.
re: Lesly Gore sunshine and lollipops – the popular alternative to the Freedom Riders – on the good ship lollipop, unfortunately most of our politicians are still on this bus
The white castle cup is here at the link. A couple of years ago I bought 6 of the expresso sized ones too. Best coffee cup ever.
http://whitecastle.ctprostore……D545C5FCCF
Paul MillR @
103
Gosh, why not Tweety?
Oh man does Lesley Gore bring back the memories. How about “It’s My Party and I’ll Cry If i Want To”.
PaulMillR,
Leslie is definitely off that bus;)
So am I and yes he is.
Hey, no Joe-liebers-men on today?
Is that a first?
No boldface for Edwards?
NaNOO @ 118
How ’bout “It’s Judy’s Turn to Cry”?
Christy Hardin Smith @ 62
Peets is pretty good, but you might consider getting yourself a $70 roaster and roast your own coffee. It’s very inexpensive, easy, fast, and highly addictive.
We get premium (often organic) coffee for around $4-6.50 a pound, then roast every other day. It usually takes 8 minutes to roast enough coffee for two of us to last 2-3 days. I’m not a huge coffee drinker, but the spouse is in grad school… needless to say, his coffee consumption is rather significant.
If you drink coffee that was roasted 4-72 hours earlier, the taste is divine and the acidity is low. We buy a variety of green (i.e. unroasted coffee) beans in bulk over the web, then store them in the cool basement. They stay good for a year. Then, we roast up different kinds based on what mood we’re in. Do I feel like a lighter-bodied coffee or something with more heft today?
One of the coffee suppliers I use catalogs every batch of coffee they have, reporting the characteristics when roasted at different levels (perhaps to a level of detail that can be downright silly). It is helpful that they test each coffee they sell, then list the best roast type for each one. Some beans might only work well when roasted a particular way, others may have a range of roasts that bring out different flavors. It really gives you a lot of power and flexibility with what you put in your cup!
I’m going with a Kenyan coffee today, hoping it’ll warm me up. It’s minus-6 Fahrenheit here, and the high temp here today is predicted to be plus-9. It’s sunny and beautiful (Simon the cat is laying on a chair in the sunshine, right in front of a heating duct). I don’t know if I’ll leave the house today!
The coffee supplier that first got me addicted was Sweet Marias in Oakland, CA. You can read details about every type of coffee they sell.
Another terrific supplier is Seven Bridges Cooperative in Santa Cruz, CA. They specialize in home brewing beer as well as coffee roasting. They don’t have as extensive of a coffee selection as Sweet Maria’s, but they only sell free-trade organic coffee, and they’re very nice people. They often give you a deal on 5lbs. of coffee if you buy a roaster from them.
As far as roasters go, I hear the iRoast is great. It wasn’t available when our last roaster went kaput (I don’t recommend the Zach & Dani’s/Nesco), so we went the cheapo route and got a FreshRoast. We’ve used it for about six months, and it’s terrific.
If you don’t want to home roast, Sweet Marias has a program where they roast very small batches every Monday, then ship them out Tuesday morning to customers. Not a bad deal!
NaNOO @ 87
;0)
cbl @ 110
The McCain Campaign Theme Song!
Oh and Ethel Merman will sing: “Everything’s Comin’ Up Roses In Iraaaaaq!!”
cbl @ 119
Groovy that. chomsky not most notable for intelligence though clearly smart stop chomsky noted for looking at reality stop chomsky pays attention stop chomsky knows history stop chomsky persona non – grata to mainstream press though NYTIMES calls him leading living intellectual stop
Oklahoma kiddo @ 112
THAT is what is called a no-brainer.
mandrake @ 129
Ain’t that the truth!
Oklahoma @ 126, Mod Note; Please be sure to close all open HTML tags. Thanks. Well, I don’t know how to this, and I’m sorry. I’d like to requote like you do in the boxes.
Gang, just a housekeeping note: a couple of you are hitting open HTML tags somehow before you are posting. Our mods have to go back into the individual comments and manually take the tags out. PLEASE preview before you post and/or be certain that you are not randomly adding in HTML tags without closing them. It makes all the following comments italicized or bolded, and it’s a pain for the moderators — who are nice enough to get up on a Sunday morning to help me out while I draft more article goodness for you guys.
Please be careful with this. If you don’t know what you are doing with html, please ask questions — we are happy to try and answer them. But don’t start sticking in random tags without knowing how to close them. Thanks!
Here’s a little front pager, if you please…..a Daily News snipette wrt Rudy “good chance I’ll run” Giuliani:
There’s a real good chance,” said Giuliani, who has stepped up his campaign and fund-raising stops in recent weeks.
Giuliani’s comments were his most succinct to date on his presidential aspirations and came as his new strategy director, Brent Seaborn, sent a letter to potential supporters boasting that the former mayor is “uniquely positioned” to win the Republican nomination for President – while acknowledging that his high poll numbers may not last.
Seaborn never says Giuliani is actually running for President in the e-mail to friends and supporters, nor does he mention Giuliani’s likely Republican rivals.
http://www.nydailynews.com/fro…..6584c.html
Prairie at 122 — Oops — I thought I had them all bolded. Will fix it — thanks!
Ann in AZ @ 130
An inconvenient truth!
Seriously, I have a question…do the pundits get paid for being on these talking head shows, or is it more about ego and visibility?
Can anyone fair-trade coffee that is of the smooth and mild variety?
Twisted Martine: excellent question, my guess is no and that it’s an exposure thing, but I would love for someone who is knowledgeable to answer this.
Sorry Christy, but when I write something I just hit quote and summit comment. Close tags is there, and I’ve never hit it before. What does it mean exactly?
so if I understand the debate it’s who do you prefer: Leslie Gore or George Clinton?
It’s Iran. Stupid members of my party (Dems).
I want to see some serious Clinton butt kicked on the issue of Iraq. The rumor making the rounds is that most Demo contenders are afraid of the Senator.
speaking of good coffee—-
man here, constantine faller, imports ‘triple-seal’(shade grown, etc.) coffee from guatemala, has it roasted in columbus, ohio…and sells it locally…..all of the money goes back into the company and the community through funding other local products-local food sources and sustainability projects….volunteer-run….he is the steward of the company…he is an amazing individual…go to
http://athensown.net/
click on about athens own then dawn chorus coffee
then order coffee to get list, also makes one called turkish which is ground and he mixes cardomom in it………clicks lead to here:
http://www.athensown.biz/product/dawnchorus.shtml
and the coffee really is good. fresh as fresh can be…..orders it as needed……
am getting ready to send some vienna to a friend in texas….last package contained turkish……
d
has anyone ever read the Libby comments over at Tom McGuire’s blog? I mean to tell you, there are wingnuts, and then there are AMAZING wingnuts.
http://justoneminute.typepad.com/
NaNOO at 137 — You shouldn’t be hitting “quote” — just hit submit. Hitting quote opens a tag — that’s why there is a little squiggly line at the bottom of your comment at 137.
Morning everyone! I just finished reading the Sunday papers after getting up super late (ouch). It has been a week-end otherwise of work. It is great to have friends here (even if I am only slipping in and out very quickly).
Wonderful sunshine here today. But I want to shoot the squirrel who just ate a hole through our new trashbin. Alas, it was not the one that had any food in it (only plastic stuff). Must have been a Republican squirrel.
and if you want to inquire in person, about the coffee, you can reach constantine at athen’s own phone-
740-448-2696
tell him dayna sent you.
he will also send variety packs of smaller amounts……is worth looking into.
and christy-
would be willing to mail some for you and/or plamehouse use if someone tells me where to mail it
would be glad to contribute some to all of you. is really good.
email me-
proxima123 at frognet dot net
d
If you don’t mind getting your coffee shipped, Puerto Rico produces a yummy coffee, e.g., Alto Grande:
http://www.gicco.com/altogrande.htm
Thanks Christy, will only hit submit. My computer doesn’t show any squiggly line. Sorry.
Pumpkinhead is having a terrible interview with Edwards… just very flat…
Will sign off now, thanks firepups, it’s been fun and warms the heart.
NaNOO at 149 — No problem. It’s taken me months to figure out HTML — and I really only have a rudimentary understanding of it. I’m just trying to ease up the load where I can for our moderators — who are nice enough to volunteer to help out, so we’re always trying to lighten the load where we can.
Fresh thread, all — more traitorgate goodness from Swopa.
Dan Eggen at the WaPo is looking to the US Attourney purge today (h/t Truthout).
Doing the math: 7 ‘resignations’ in the Christmas purge, 11 other vacancies, that’s 18 appointments w/o congressional approval and for an indefinite term. Ladies and gents, there are only 47 US atty’s — we’re getting up to half of them as good old GOP operatives.
mandrake @ 136
I’m back. The sweeties have been sated, for now. Only a matter of time before the hawk comes by looking for a wee snack. Natural order of things is rugged sometimes.
Caribou Coffee is fair-traded. Excellent product. Runs gamut across light to dark roast.
P.S. I don’t own stock! Կ
GrandmaJ @
50
Go Grannies, go. Hope to see you guys there.
mandrake @ 136
Mandrake – you might consider the Bolivia Ceneproc or either of the Guatamalan coffees avaialble at Seven Bridges. I haven’t tried them, but they sound similar to what you may be looking for.
If you don’t home roast, you could see if they’ll roast it for you.
You can also home-roast in an oven (it works okay) or, better yet, in an air popcorn popper. We used a West Bend Poppery 2 popcorn popper for about 1.5 years when we first started roasting. It’s not as good as a real roaster, but it does a good job.
Alternatively, you could look for some of the great Guatamalan or Ethiopian coffees out there. Those are often lighter in body than many of the Columbian, Brazillian, Kenyan, or Indonesian coffees. Peets might have a good selection.
Twisted Martini asked:
If a pundit is being paid, there usually is a chiron underneath their name that identifies them as a (for example) MSNBC Legal Analyst, Fox News Contributor, NBC Military Analyst. If the guest is just identified by their profession, they probably aren’t being paid.
Money and exposure aren’t the only reasons to go on. Some (although a minority, I’m sure) do it because they true believers … trying to promote a cause or get the public to see things from their vantage point.
mandrake @
28
Sens. Webb and Graham did not debate; they did two separate interviews. I have no problem with what either one said, except for the barb that Graham took at Webb for not learning the lessons of Ronald Reagan. I don’t agree. I think Webb is trying to explain the lessons of Vietnam, which color his thinking. Graham is does not know these lessons because age-wise he missed service in Vietnam by a year.
I think Mr. Webb’s position that we need to use more diplomacy is correct; but I also think that Graham is correct when he says we need to add more troops than even the president wants to add. He has been saying for three years that we need to add a substantial number of troops.
There is no need to call him Graham Cracker. That is not nice.
dmac @142 – thanks for the tip! I’ll check them out.
Question for Mods: – When I quote a comment that contains nested subcomments, I’ll often pull out some of the subcomments that are unnecessary. Every now and then, it looks kinda weird, like comment 107 in this thread:
http://www.firedoglake.com/200…../#comments
(sorry, I haven’t figured out how to link to an actual post in a thread yet. Any help would be appreciated on that!)
The quote is not in a box, and is instead separated by my response by a squiggly line. No italicised text. I’ve noticed it in preview, but didn’t see an open HTML tag. Did I miss one, or did I miss something else that made it look weird?
Just curious – if that type of post is a headache for you, I’ll make sure to review the HTML tags more carefully.
Good morning, all. It’s going to be a busy one for me, I’m afraid. Just stopped in to blog whore. Today I wrote about what I found while looking at my sitemeter, and why I should mention Maria Sharapova more often.
http://cujo359.blogspot.com/20…..otest.html
BTW, love the bird picture, Christy. That little bird looks like I’m going to feel in about five minutes.
Christy Hardin Smith @
62
Christy, it’s easy to roast your own at home. I use a FreshRoast it does a great job. This is a Cdn supplier, but I’m sure you can find a supplier in the US. We roast up 3-4 batches every 3-4 days, takes maybe 10 minutes per. I do it outside (can be kinda smoky) and even in cold weather the beans come up shiny dark. My 99.95 roaster started getting feeble a couple of months ago (after nearly 3 years) so I bought a new insert cup for it. New inserts are aluminum, old style was bakelite on the bottom which cracked, so if you ar buying make sure it has the new-style insert with a metal bottom.
Green beans are easy to come by, cheap (even the fair-trade ones) and in the green state keep about forever. I split a 100-lb bag with two buddies, does me for a year. I figure my *excellent* Seychelles coffee roasted exactly to my taste costs about 65 cents per lb incl amort on the roaster.
No longer a prisoner to the Sunday morning double-talk, I find that I have time to enjoy the newspapers, local and the Times, in a far more relaxed manner.
I have given up MTP, This Week, and that hideous program that Matthews has. I swear that I am calmer and happier for having done so.
I refuse to support any candidate for President in ‘08 who supported and helped Chimmpy get us into the mess we are in the Iraq. That means no money, no help, nada!
I would love to see a Gore/Obama ticket (without Donna Brazille anywhere around the campaign).
Off topic–but I called my Senators on Friday when I saw the proposed Defense Spending for 07-08 and demanded that they vote to cut off the funding–not one more dime on this horrible war. Support the troops and their families–BRING THEM HOME NOW!!!!!
Judy @ 159
Sorry, but he’s my Senator and I was born and raised in a cracker state so I feel it is my prerogative to criticize my own peeps. I make no apology for calling them names, I have been called so many names by Northers just because I’m from SC. I’ve been called a cracker. I think I have a perfect right to call my Senator, who is helping to pimp this war, a cracker if I so choose.
Deacon Blues @
18
We have bunches of ‘em in our area but I’ve never been lucky enough to have that happen. Their effortless flight amazes me. It’s as though they are one with the air currents when wings tilt rather than flap. In contrast to working so hard in overcoming gravity by relentless flapping, the spiraling circles are evidence of complete cooperation.
…keep the cats in.
This morning on CSPAN’s show, Newsmakers, was Mr. LaZear Chairman of the Presidential Council of Economic Advisers who claimed the Global Warming Report was implemented and 90% funded by GW Bush.
Needless to say, the right wingers already are bashing the report and it’s conclusions while rooting for false science and denials will ignore the fact that as LaZear stated this morning, “Mr. Bush has been concerned about global warming for several years” while they frantically attempt to debunk any conclusions in this massive document produced at the Prez’ behest.
The fact that LaZear’s own statement that GW Bush ordained the funding and implemented this worldwide report on Global Warming will only give impetus to the usual drooling jackals on the right, to find fault with the messenger while looking for excuses to ignore the content.
LandOfTheFree @ 160
I’m not sure exactly what is wierd but I’ve noticed that the automatic coding puts in extra spaces for some of the quoted comments, probably for offsetting them and spacing. I usually take the spaces out. Actually, I usually take most of the quote tags out and replace them with text dividers like dashes or lines. The easiest way I found is to leave the first and last tag of the group of nested quotes and delete the rest. If the first quoted comment link is cut from the top and pasted at the top of the last quote – bottom section of all quoted text, the divider lines easily replace the closing quote tag for each nested quoted….that might help, if it makes sense.. :-)
example –
LandOfTheFree @
160
Editing multiple blockquotes, or “zig maintenance” is not easy. The simple answer is that each blockquote must have an opening tag and a closing tag.
Closing tags must always include a backslash…the symbol shared with the question mark on your keyboard.
Also, three nested comments do not seem to be an issue. Four or more can be a problem depending on individual browsers and monitors.
More than five nested comments will likely result in your carefully crafted, and usually humorous, comment never being seen by most of your fellow commenters.
While I’m thinking about it…more than three or four links in a post may result in the moderation filters trapping your comment. When possible, mods will free these comments, but be forewarned that those comments may also never appear. Breaking multiple links into two or more comments is wise use of bandwidth and avoids the moderation filters.
Hope this helps. We haven’t had an html practice thread for awhile. Perhaps it’s time to do one soon.
Oops…forgot a basic answer…to copy a specfic comment, just right click on the comment number, copy link location, and paste it in your new comment.
I do not call names at all. I just think we can criticize are reps without calling names. I manage to not call names. You do not deserve to be called names by anyone either. I criticize anyone for calling names on any blog that I post on because I do not call names of those I disagree with or those from a different region of the country.
You seem to have ignored the original which was not about the name calling, but about the fact that he has appropriately critical of the policy.