Mornin’ Christy!

Everyone celebrate the Earth and think about your carbon impact!

Happy Earth Day!

Country singer Sandy Belle wants the troops home now! while the Idiot Wind continues to blow….

Oh!

Happy Earth Day!

Wow, 1st Zed ever.

Anybody have a good idea for how to celebrate Earth Day with my four year old today? Seems important since many of the people on the above shows have been intimately involved with ruining the Earth!

Last week I was fixing her hair for preschool and watching the Abu interrogation and trying to explain to her in 4 year old terms what was going on. Gotta start early, ya know!

Good morning Christy, hope you are having a great day!

Mornin’ all. Joe’s a no-show again and that always portends a good day.

Sunday morning line-up shows, again, corporate media’s remarkable lack of command of the obvious.

I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for Russert to ask Spellings about corruption in NCLB.

On an upbeat note, Friedman actually said something brilliant on WNYC’s Brian Lehrer show last week. It was: “I don’t know much about economics.”

I think Lieberman just called in to CSPAN’s open phones. The person sounded whiney and said something like: “we have achieved astounding successes in iraq, the oil fields have been secured. I support President Bush 100%”

“…I might ask something like “Why is it more important to funnel money to your Republican cronies than to help poor children learn to read?” Because, you know, that says a whole lot of kids get left behind to me.”

This story appeared in this past Friday’s The State (Columbia, SC):

More schools might face state sanctions

30 schools across S.C. must get better to avoid possible takeover

By LISA MICHALS

Thirty more schools could face state takeover in 2008 if they don’t boost student performance, according to the S.C. Department of Education.

And future years could turn up many, many more schools unable to keep pace with achievement goals.

When 16 struggling South Carolina schools recently faced state takeover, many people said the situation served as a “call to action.”

“I’m very worried,” said State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex, who estimated more than 100 schools could eventually require intervention.

Last week, 13 schools — including five in Richland 1 —avoided state sanctions for low student achievement. For three other schools, districts were ordered to replace principals.

(snip)

Good Morning, Firepups!

Haven’t been able to comment much lately. Busy at work, and family stuff. I’ve made a big pot of coffee, and am going out for bagels. Help yourselves.

Work for peace, every day.

Looks like the French presidential campaign is heating up, and voter turnout is way up. Does this sound like anybody we know?

Royal, meanwhile, floated the idea of a presidential bid just 16 months ago and skyrocketed to popularity. Dressed in bright colors and often referring to her four children, she struck a chord with voters tired of politics by paternalistic men from elite schools, and through a months-long “listening campaign” across the country.

Linky

This morning’s papers are a real disappointment for us Gonzoholics.

Has this been forgotten? To me, the AG telling congress that he doesn’t recall 71 times, phrasing every answer with a legal qualifier and challenging Congress to prove that he committed a crime while he’s witholding evidence, adds up to a big story. It’s not a non-event.

OT from Derbyshire thread. These guys are all the same breed. Awhile back I read that a rightwing 60ish, balding, ponytailed dj out of Duluth MN had pics of Paris Hilton on his website. I thought it was a joke but when I looked there it was, a large Paris Hilton photo gallery & also pics of his sports car! Gag.

For folks who have asked, here’s my weekly Gizmo update.

Morning all. Mr. ReddHedd said it was my day to sleep in when he got up with The Peanut at o dark thirty. I took advantage of it and am just now waking up and having a cuppa coffee. How is everyone this morning?

ok, BIG news and then my special prediction

LOOKS like

AL GORE IS GOING TO RUN!!!

now for my prediction;

Clinton I believe has realized obama will beat her unless she runs a dirty campaign which I believe she will not do

therefore, i do believe it will be gore/clinton

not my favorite team but definitely a winning one

gore would be better served with feinstein as his running mate, (yes, feinstein would run) or even waxman but this is going to be big boys and girls

gore is ready for the onslaught, he knows what to do when they attack him, he has the credentials and the experience

I do believe America will finally get the president she elected to the office of president way back in oh naught

man, America MIGHT be making a comeback

now get this;

Gore is the ONLY person that is demonstrating his willingness to actually charge the administration with crimes

I am thinking he might actually jail these two morons if he’s elected

man, my brain is overheating and I’m saying things too optimistic to be true but could you imagine if Gore allowed Cheney and Bush to be tried by an international court?

one that allows the same “aggressive interrogation” that these morons said were perfectly fine?

imagine if Gore allowed some of the crimes these idiots were tried for to be crimes that didn’t exist until they were held for international trial?..you know, the way they said it was OK to suspend habeas corpus?

OH BABY

I am in fantasy land…but this 50 year old boy can sure dream can’t he?

The right wing radio personalities are relentlessly attacking public education in Massachusetts while promoting private education. They attack teachers and the teachers union. They say “teachers” in the same tone as “liberals”. I have actually felt fear when they drum up callers to attack teachers.

I am in fantasy land…but this 50 year old boy can sure dream can’t he?

Does the pixie dust actually look the way Disney portrayed it?

morning all! in MA we have a another beautiful sunny warm (74 predicted high) day… woohoo two in a row… and last week it was snowing.

beautiful! windows are open and i’m listening to the birds chirping.

i love spring.

p.s. - don’t miss pach’s late night post… he’s asking for input wrt to supplemental funding bill for iraq war.

eCAHNomics @ 19

I am in fantasy land…but this 50 year old boy can sure dream can’t he?

Does the pixie dust actually look the way Disney portrayed it?

pixies are not as cute as you’d imagine, and disney has lost it’s luster long before they broadcast their 9/11 work of fiction and made believe it was factual

but my prediction is gore/clinton

Perris@17

My dream ticket is Gore/Dean. After all, Gore endorsed Dean in ‘04.

Subway Serenade @ 22

Perris@17

My dream ticket is Gore/Dean. After all, Gore endorsed Dean in ‘04.

well that’s surely a better ticket then gore/clinton

I think dean knows how to play off of his hooo ya’s and that might play

Subway Serenade @ 22

Perris@17

My dream ticket is Gore/Dean. After all, Gore endorsed Dean in ‘04.

i like dean running the DNC… we need his 50 state strategy to take back our party… at this point, i think he’s the only one who can do it.

how about gore/edwards? maybe edwards could convince gore that he was wrong about nafta?

that said, i don’t think it’s going to happen.

Remember all the nonsense from Rummy, Condi and the rest about
education and women’s rights in Afghanistan?

Well, things aren’t going so well.

Sorry for such a downer on a beautiful Sunday morning.

selise @ 24

how about gore/edwards? maybe edwards could convince gore that he was wrong about nafta?

that said, i don’t think it’s going to happen.

we have an embarrassment of riches don’t we?

gore/obama, gore/edwards, gore/leahy

man we are gonna have some fun this election cycle

we have an embarrassment of riches don’t we?

Second that. But still have work cut out getting Hillary off the top ‘o the ticket.

Last week I happened to catch a short segment of ABC’s show. They were talking about the Duke Lacrosse rape case. George Will opened the discussion thus; “Well, this plays to the liberal media frame.” Incredibly, no one replied “STFU, George, you clapped-out old hack. Why don’t you stick to baseball, which at least you know something about.”

This morning I’m going to do laundry and pay bills, which I find less painfully tedious.

Here we go with the Gore stuff again.

I just don’t get how so many ‘dogs can support one of the founding members of the DLC! Check out this article:

http://www.prospect.org/print/.....uss-r.html

Here’s the money quote:

Freeing Democrats from being, well, Democrats has been the Democratic Leadership Council’s mission since its founding 16 years ago by Al Gore, Chuck Robb, and a handful of other conservative, mostly southern Dems as a rump faction of disaffected elected officials and party activists.

Also, Gore lost 3 debates to the dumbest person on the planet and he chose Lieberman as his running mate. I’m flabbergasted!

I’m not trying to criticize or anything, I honestly don’t get it. And on the other hand many of you voted for Nader, which I don’t get either.

I’m curious, is it the same people who are unrepentant Naderites and now Gore supporters, or are these two largely separate factions of ‘dogs? (More of a sociological question).

Weird.

Good Morning Christy & Firedogs,

sorry, couldn’t resist posting this 60 sec video

now this is a firedog

wha ? you’d rather listen to Friedman and Lanny Davis ?!?!? ;)

Long as my homey is on the ticket, I could support Gore/Edwards. I think Edwards could make an excellent president after 8 years as Veep.

I went to the nursery yesterday to take stock of what was ready for planting. I found this beautiful Magnolia, Jane of all names. It’s compact ( I have very little space to work with her) and had all these buds on it. I planted it, one of the bud bloomed and I was so happy yesterday. This morning I see the plant has been taken down by squirrels. And I have food for them.

No buds are left and the branches are gnawed in half. I’m heartbroken, and I hope this plant survives.

I for one would prefer that Hillary is not at the top of the ticket, but other than that I don’t really give much of a crap. Our worst is infinitely better than their best. We simply have to get our person in there, and resolve not to form the quadrennial circular firing squad.

Perris @ #17,

I don’t mean to bust your bubble (Gore is my preferred candidate, too) but the London Sunday Telegraph isn’t a quality news source. I would treat any of its reporting with a healthy degree of skepticism. It’s on a par with the Mail or the Express. The only British papers I trust are the Independent, the Guardian, and its Sunday edition, the Observer. The rest are Fox Noise in print.

Oh, Millineryman, I’m so sorry. I know how it hurts to have a cherished plant be massacred, whether by squirrels or weather. I hope her roots are strong enough to bounce back for you.

Gore pro & con
I agree with much of what Reisz Fischer sez about Gore, especially the part about losing the election to the worst prez U.S. has ever had. (R dirty tricks are irrelevant; they are to be fought intelligently & vigorously, not to be used as excuses.) There’s something about Gore that just doesn’t play well in the current dirty national political sphere. That’s unlikely to change in 08.

On the plus side for Gore, think he’s changed a lot from the days when he thought Ds should become Rs, unlike certain Clintons who shall remain nameless.

‘morning, all… coffee is ready.

I thought Lee Iacocca was supposed to be on somewhere this morning. Did I imagine that?

from the Department of Tell Me Something I Don’t Know . . .

nice piece from

smirking chimp

contains link to:

make them accountable

General Electric Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Welch later informed associates that Rove told him a Bush administration would initiate comprehensive deregulation of the broadcast industry. Rove guaranteed that deregulation would be implemented in a way that would create phenomenal profits for conglomerates with significant media holdings

Toward that end, Welch said that he would finally deal with a longstanding grievance of his: the ludicrous idea that news organizations should be allowed to operate in conflict with the best interests of the corporations that own them

From the science news front, something we suspected all along but hertofore had no proof of:

Human Brain Has Origin in Lowly Worm

http://www.rawstory.com/showou.....i5EmjMWM0F

Coastie, have an orange cinnamon roll to go with that coffee…I would love to see (in no particular order) Gore/Clark, Gore/Richardson, Gore/Webb, Gore/Edwards, or Gore/Obama. Declare running mates early, then get out and pound these bastards.

eCAHNomics @ 36

Gore pro & con
I agree with much of what Reisz Fischer sez about Gore, especially the part about losing the election to the worst prez U.S. has ever had. (R dirty tricks are irrelevant; they are to be fought intelligently & vigorously, not to be used as excuses.) There’s something about Gore that just doesn’t play well in the current dirty national political sphere. That’s unlikely to change in 08.

On the plus side for Gore, think he’s changed a lot from the days when he thought Ds should become Rs, unlike certain Clintons who shall remain nameless.

agree. while i voted for gore in 2000, it wasn’t with any enthusiam. since 2002 he’s been making a great deal more sense (here’s a list of links to his speeches and interviews).

i’d still like to hear him repudiate his support of nafta and (in effect) music censorship. he was wrong, wrong, wrong about those.

but he was right about the iraq war, he’s right about no torture, right about the limits of presidential power, right about the environment, right about problems in our news media, right about the role of “reality based thinking” in our national discourse….

there is no perfect candidate….

RF @ 29,

I would support a Gore run because of his experiences in the 2000 election. Despite all of his campaign’s f*cking up, BushCo still had to use the court to steal the White House. Now he has had six painful years to reflect on what he did wrong (as has the entire country). He could have slipped into obscurity, or made a career as a token talk-show liberal. Instead he has devoted his energies to raising the profile of climate change, the most important issue facing us today. President Gore, with a substantial majority of the popular vote, (like, an actual mandate, not a t.v.one) could be as transformative with environmental policies as FDR was with the New Deal. With Obama or Edwards as veep, the sky could really be the limit, if they have the balls to tell K Street and the media to f*ck off.

Just my 2 cents worth.

eCAHNomics @ 40

From the science news front, something we suspected all along but hertofore had no proof of:

Human Brain Has Origin in Lowly Worm

http://www.rawstory.com/showou.....i5EmjMWM0F

Richard Scarry for President!

oh, and my school is a Reading First! school (I believe the exclamation point is part of the trademark)

beautiful video.

sad but beautiful.

I notice the jackals. Or hyenas.

I’m sure they can be negotiated with.

Like warmongers with money in their pockets from sweet deals.

OC at 45 — I do not know how you guys deal with all of the idiotic sloganeering restrictions via NCLB. My mom retired at the front end of all of this mess — she taught at a very good elementary school, and it was still a royal pain in the arse for all of the teachers there to switch over to all testing obsession, alla time.

Thanks Marion, this nursery sells strong stock so I think the plant will survive. It’s nature, and I have no control over it. The squirrels were doing what they do. I just feel bad for this plant. I’d move it, but I don’t have space anywhere else.

Gore campaign team assembles in secret

Two members of Mr Gore’s staff from his unsuccessful attempt in 2000 say they have been approached to see if they would be available to work with him again.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/new.....gore22.xml

jayt @ 38

I thought Lee Iacocca was supposed to be on somewhere this morning. Did I imagine that?

He was just on CBS Sunday Morning. Great interview! Says he knew Bush was in over his head the first year of his presidency. (I missed the first few minutes.)

quick reminder before i’m off to church…

don’t miss pach’s late night post… he’s asking for input wrt to supplemental funding bill for iraq war.

Vice-President Gore’s allies believe that Hillary Clinton, 59, the frontrunner, is unable to win the presidency. The most recent poll shows a growing number of voters think negatively of her, in contrast to Mr Gore, who enjoys far greater popularity than when he lost the 2000 presidential race despite polling more votes nationally than the eventual winner, George W Bush.

The second aide approached by Vice-President Gore’s allies said: “There is no love lost between Gore and Hillary. They don’t think she can win and they’re probably right. If Gore runs, he’s got a really good chance of getting the nomination. And he has a good chance of pulling off the election, too.”

Oklahoma kiddo @ 52

Vice-President Gore’s allies believe that Hillary Clinton, 59, the frontrunner, is unable to win the presidency. The most recent poll shows a growing number of voters think negatively of her, in contrast to Mr Gore, who enjoys far greater popularity than when he lost the 2000 presidential race despite polling more votes nationally than the eventual winner, George W Bush.

The second aide approached by Vice-President Gore’s allies said: “There is no love lost between Gore and Hillary. They don’t think she can win and they’re probably right. If Gore runs, he’s got a really good chance of getting the nomination. And he has a good chance of pulling off the election, too.”

I refer you to my previous post #34.

I read that. But I’ll keep the faith here on this glorious Oklahoma Sunday morning. ;0)

If Gore does run, I hope he doesn’t bring back too many folks from his 2000 campaign. Perhaps his time away from the establishment will prove beneficial in assembling a better team.

Millineryman @ 55

If Gore does run, I hope he doesn’t bring back too many folks from his 2000 campaign. Perhaps his time away from the establishment will prove beneficial in assembling a better team.

Yes, Donna. We’re talkin’ ’bout you.

RF@29

Lieberman I’ll give you, but Gore didn’t lose those debates, the MSM just said he did.

Huge difference.

He also won the popular vote nationally and (more importantly) in Florida. This isn’t sour grapes; it’s fact.

The election was stolen in 2000 and 2004.

Robert Parry contributes the following on Truthout’s site:

Gonzales & the “Mayberry Machiavellis”

Consortium News
Friday 20 April 2007

Watching the painfully inept testimony of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales brought to mind the memorable comment in 2002 by ex-White House insider John DiIulio, who described how politics dominated everything in George W. Bush’s government.

“There is no precedent in any modern White House for what is going on in this one: a complete lack of a policy apparatus,” said DiIulio, who had run Bush’s office of faith-based initiatives. “What you’ve got is everything - and I mean everything - being run by the political arm. It’s the reign of the Mayberry Machiavellis.”

The American people are finally waking up to the consequences of what DiIulio observed during his one-year stint on the inside. Everything is about the building and maintenance of power, not via sound policies but through political tactics - ranging from the conduct of the Iraq War to the handling of federal prosecutors.

(snip)

Christy Hardin Smith @ 47

OC at 45 — I do not know how you guys deal with all of the idiotic sloganeering restrictions via NCLB. My mom retired at the front end of all of this mess — she taught at a very good elementary school, and it was still a royal pain in the arse for all of the teachers there to switch over to all testing obsession, alla time.

the program itself is OK… nothing spectacular - but an adequate system… but the burden on the teachers is endless - benchmark tests that must be recorded in the system monthly (with a spanking by the principal if anything slips at all)… any teacher with more than 4 years of experience is seriously hating it. nothing but reading and testing, reading and testing… a little science, a little art, a little music? sadly, no… we try to cram those in around the edges but it is not adequate.

Obama is not Hillary’s biggest fear. Gore is.

And if Gore runs it’ll be a whole ‘nother campaign from 2000.

Gore can beat the Republicans in ‘08.

Oklahoma kiddo @ 60

Obama is not Hillary’s biggest fear. Gore is.

And if Gore runs it’ll be a whole ‘nother campaign from 2000.

Gore can beat the Republicans in ‘08.

Can he beat the SCROTUS?

“I am a War President” syz Junior.
Somthing to be proud of…?
“It’s like being a Syphillis President” said
Kurt Vonegut…

Perfecto….

twolf1 @ 61

Oklahoma kiddo @ 60

Obama is not Hillary’s biggest fear. Gore is.

And if Gore runs it’ll be a whole ‘nother campaign from 2000.

Gore can beat the Republicans in ‘08.

Can he beat the SCROTUS?

Yes. Many lessons were learned by Gore from the 2000 theft.

My third grader has to take the test on a computer. How do you think kids scored who don’t use computers much? And I was shown a sample question, once you choose the multiple choice answer, you have to click a bubble that says yes, that’s the one I want, then click another saying that you want to proceed. The computer adds about another hour to an already long test.

I’ve been watching CBS Sunday Morning today, not MTP which airs at this time. Boy am I glad.

Profile of The Legacy of Rachel Carson…the founding mother of the environmentalist movement. How right she was.

Profile of Lee Iacocca and his new book. The book starts out blasting Bush, goes on to greedy corporate execs…

And then there’s a Ben Stein commentary, taking on the gun culture…there’s no safe place…terror is here…75,000 deaths last year…past time to talk about guns…

Bueller, who’d'a thunk it….

All three are well worth watching, and CBS has ‘em up at the website.

perris @ 17

ok, BIG news and then my special prediction

LOOKS like

AL GORE IS GOING TO RUN!!!

now for my prediction;

Clinton I believe has realized obama will beat her unless she runs a dirty campaign which I believe she will not do

therefore, i do believe it will be gore/clinton

not my favorite team but definitely a winning one

gore would be better served with feinstein as his running mate, (yes, feinstein would run) or even waxman but this is going to be big boys and girls

gore is ready for the onslaught, he knows what to do when they attack him, he has the credentials and the experience

I do believe America will finally get the president she elected to the office of president way back in oh naught

man, America MIGHT be making a comeback

now get this;

Gore is the ONLY person that is demonstrating his willingness to actually charge the administration with crimes

I am thinking he might actually jail these two morons if he’s elected

man, my brain is overheating and I’m saying things too optimistic to be true but could you imagine if Gore allowed Cheney and Bush to be tried by an international court?

one that allows the same “aggressive interrogation” that these morons said were perfectly fine?

imagine if Gore allowed some of the crimes these idiots were tried for to be crimes that didn’t exist until they were held for international trial?..you know, the way they said it was OK to suspend habeas corpus?

OH BABY

I am in fantasy land…but this 50 year old boy can sure dream can’t he?

Think this is more about the possible implosion of Edwards’ campaign, which in my view is the worst thing that could happen to the Democrats at this point in time. Edwards has the capacity to speak directly to people, which he was no doubt born with and honed as a trial attorney. The Rethugs and the media are deathly afraid of that capacity, which Obama shares in some measure, and are doing all they can do tear these two fine men down.

Gore would be a great President, and he’s been seasoned. But he doesn’t have the rhetorical skills that our next leader is going to need to get us through an unbelievably rough patch. I don’t think people on the Left have any idea yet how rough that patch is going to be. It will require the President to speak to the people in the same way FDR did, directly and to the heart.

There is no way the republican cabal and the press are going to allow us to nominate someone with that ability.

Step 1 : Give Monica immunity
Step 2: Subpoena the shit out of those lying
bastards.
Step 3: Follow Vermont and Dennis K and begin
impeacgment.
Step 4: Watch them sweat…

This Letter to the Editor on Gonzo is
wonderful…

The testimony of Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales reflects the character of this administration, particularly its leader: incompetent, deceptive, arrogant, shallow, agenda driven, unable to explain decisions except in self-referential terms instead of rational ones.

Our release date is down to 21 months. Can we make it?

John E. Colbert

cathy @ 64

My third grader has to take the test on a computer. How do you think kids scored who don’t use computers much? And I was shown a sample question, once you choose the multiple choice answer, you have to click a bubble that says yes, that’s the one I want, then click another saying that you want to proceed. The computer adds about another hour to an already long test.

I would protest the using of computers for testing children in the classroom.

Hi Christy and pups!
I’ve been lurking pretty much since the git-go, but always behind - deep in epu or next day territory.

C-SPAN is running the full AGAG hearing this am starting at 10:30, per current schedule and in keeping with B. Lamb’s promise Friday, when he was called on-air re: their showing only the first segment (twice) late Thursday. Lamb said he wasn’t there and didn’t know. I think this will be their first uninterrupted on-air showing of the whole thing. I’m limping along on dial-up, so the tv shows matter.

Last night - late - they again showed the bizarre Rendition Hearing. The hearing itself rendered ME speechless.

I’m usually at the farmers market Sat am and miss pull-up-a-chair, so thought this might be a good time to de-lurk. Tres icky to feel like a voyeur in such a warm, civilized community.

Thanks for all you, Jane and the others who post and comment do. It’s a stunning effort by a group of informed, generous and often crack-up funny real people. Y’all put your time, energy, talents and resources where your mouths are. Bless you, every one… you’re a beacon of hope in worrisome times.
SunnyNobility

SunnyNobility at 69 — Welcome to the delurked version of the Lake. :)

selise @
24

Subway Serenade @ 22

Perris@17

My dream ticket is Gore/Dean. After all, Gore endorsed Dean in ‘04.

i like dean running the DNC… we need his 50 state strategy to take back our party… at this point, i think he’s the only one who can do it.

how about gore/edwards? maybe edwards could convince gore that he was wrong about nafta?

that said, i don’t think it’s going to happen.

I honestly believe Dean could better coordinate the 50 State Strategy (Formerly known as The Vermontster Mash) from the high profile position of #2 on the ticket.

“. . .CNN’s “Late Edition” — Sens. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore.; Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell; New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman; Lanny Davis, former special counsel to President Clinton; David Rivkin, former counsel to President George H.W. Bush.

“Fox News Sunday” — Virginia Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling; Stephen Trachtenberg, George Washington University president; Sens. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., and Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.. . .”

so — if i’ve got this right, there
is no coverage of earth day,
and only the above two “potentials” for
discussion of alberto gonzales’ thursday
lie-ah-palooza, and/or r.n.c. e-mail stone-
walling — is that right?

i think so.

no matter, the washington post did a pretty
good job of bangin’ it home, yesterday. . .

and letterman’s top ten handled the
entire correspondents’ dinner/rich-
little-”let-me-coddle-you“-moment in
fine style, last night. h/t atrios
for the above youtube link. letter-
man is in rare form, after one suffers
through 30 seconds of tony snow. . .

heee heee. . .

so — i guess it’s time to go
ride the bike. . . and, mornin’, all. . .

Regarding Vermont: I wonder if towns in Massachusetts and other states might move forward on calling for impeachment in town meetings. I saw the first town meeting in Vermont on UTube. I wonder if we could move forward on that.

Anyone know how to approach it?

jayt @ 38

I thought Lee Iacocca was supposed to be on somewhere this morning. Did I imagine that?

60 Minutes - tonight. I think that’s what I heard - hope this helps and isn’t answered already by faster hands

not only Nafta.
I’d like to hear Gore say, ‘We were wrong to enforce sanctions on Iraq that killed 350,000 children.’ (source-UNESCO)

Happy Earth Day folks go and celebrate this awe inspiring place that we live. Off to play in the dirt.

Passing on a link to Frank Rich’s column

http://welcome-to-pottersville.....isiac.html

but Gore didn’t lose those debates, the MSM just said he did

Amen !
see my “make them accountable” link
@ 6:39 above :)

sorry — forgot to say, thanks
christy — for the planet earth vid!

e x c e l l e n t!

the series is a staple in our house. . .

– nolo, out

Question: Has everyone who thinks Gore won’t run, but would support this man if Mr. Gore elected to run, contacted him and encouraged the former veep to run?

Great Moments in Oratorical Skill:
‘want to buy some wood?’

If you still think Al Gore is wooden, look back at his “How Dare They” speech. The fire is there, and if, hope against hope, he runs, he will indeed be on fire.

As for education, I was an educator for over 20 years, and this administration’s methods really suck. We don’t need trained workers (read trained monkeys), we need critical thinking educated citizens (who, by the way should be conversant in French, Spanish and German, as well as familiar with the arts and music, and most of all Civics)
OK, I’m done (for now)

Millineryman @
32

I went to the nursery yesterday to take stock of what was ready for planting. I found this beautiful Magnolia, Jane of all names. It’s compact ( I have very little space to work with her) and had all these buds on it. I planted it, one of the bud bloomed and I was so happy yesterday. This morning I see the plant has been taken down by squirrels. And I have food for them.

No buds are left and the branches are gnawed in half. I’m heartbroken, and I hope this plant survives.

I will pray for its survival…..although just reading that you picked “Jane” made my day. It’s a hybrid magnolia that was developed by my father-in-law when he was Asst. Director of the National Arboretum in DC. It’s named for the wife of the then Sec. of Agriculture, Orville Freeman.

Dad developed several small magnolias and named them for his four daughters, his wife and a few other close friends. It was kismet that his only son would marry a “Jane”. Am sure he’s looking down from that great “garden in the sky” hoping its hardiness helps it recover.

Thanks for helping me this Sunday AM remember a warm, wonderful man and his work. :-)

Wanna talk “wood”? Talk Hillary.

cathy @
64

My third grader has to take the test on a computer. How do you think kids scored who don’t use computers much? And I was shown a sample question, once you choose the multiple choice answer, you have to click a bubble that says yes, that’s the one I want, then click another saying that you want to proceed. The computer adds about another hour to an already long test.

I don’t understand the comparison. Are you comparing fill-in-the-bubble paper tests vs. click-the-bubble computerized tests? If so, how can clicking bubbles take an eight-year-old an hour longer than filling them in with a number-two pencil?

Col. Massengill on MTP?

If I was an enlistee under his command, I wouldn’t be able to salute him with a straight face. A true DB in the most literal sense. Sorry if he really is a nice guy.

I go back and forth on Gore. Part of me will never forgive him for elevating Lieberman into the high-profile nuisance he has become, and for running a dreadful campaign against one of the least-qualified major party candidates ever. Bush didn’t win. Gore lost. If Gore had sucked less, Bush would be a former Texas governor and Gonzales would still be f—ing up the Texas legal system.

On the other hand, Gore sort of deserves to be president, and he seems to have grown in convictions and stature. He seems to have had some sort of personal post-polio-FDR kind of transformation.

But my concern is–I’ll grant you he’s grown as a person–but I see no evidence that he has grown as a campaigner. It wasn’t Gore-the-person that sucked last time. It was Gore-the-campaign that sucked. My concern is not with the new, more mature Gore. I like him. My concern is that we’ll get more or less the same shitty campaign. Allay my fears and I’ll support Gore. There once was a Gore that looked around at all the politicians in the land and decided that Lieberman was the bestest running mate of all. Convince me that Gore is gone forever and I’ll support him. but until I’m convinced of that, I’m going to be a little skeptical.

Two people who make lots of speeches I never watch. Those from Hillary and those Georgie. I just can’t take the obviously scripted lines from either.

It wasn’t Gore that picked l l l ieb (can’t say it) it was his handlers. I doubt he would make that mistake again. He will be his own man.

Wigwam @ 84

cathy @
64

My third grader has to take the test on a computer. How do you think kids scored who don’t use computers much? And I was shown a sample question, once you choose the multiple choice answer, you have to click a bubble that says yes, that’s the one I want, then click another saying that you want to proceed. The computer adds about another hour to an already long test.

I don’t understand the comparison. Are you comparing fill-in-the-bubble paper tests vs. click-the-bubble computerized tests? If so, how can clicking bubbles take an eight-year-old an hour longer than filling them in with a number-two pencil?

Because in order to move to the next question, you have to click on the answer, then a bubble appears, slowly, to ask if you really want that answer, you click yes, then slowly, another bubble appears to ask you if you want to move on to the next question. You have to then click on that bubble to answer yes. On the written test, you just color in the dot and move on.

Knut @ 66 says:
“Think this is more about the possible implosion of Edwards’ campaign. . .”

What indication do you have that his campaign will implode?
Kathie

sofistic @ 89

It wasn’t Gore that picked l l l ieb (can’t say it) it was his handlers. I doubt he would make that mistake again. He will be his own man.

Are you sure? Didn’t Gore look at a list of names and say, “yeah, that one. Gimmee some Lieberman”?
Or are you saying Gore had no voice or opinion in who his running-mate was? That would not exactly be a plus, if that were the case.

I absolutely detest Lieberman. And I held my nose (only) on account of Lieberman being on the ticket with Gore, and voted for the former VP. But if Gore runs there will not be a repeat of that fiasco.

Let’s suppose that it is inevitable that a Democrat will be the next president. No matter who it is, we have a field of really great cabinet members no matter which way it goes.

sofistic @ 89

It wasn’t Gore that picked l l l ieb (can’t say it) it was his handlers. I doubt he would make that mistake again. He will be his own man.

Correct. ;0)

Wigwam @ 85

cathy @
64

My third grader has to take the test on a computer. How do you think kids scored who don’t use computers much? And I was shown a sample question, once you choose the multiple choice answer, you have to click a bubble that says yes, that’s the one I want, then click another saying that you want to proceed. The computer adds about another hour to an already long test.

I don’t understand the comparison. Are you comparing fill-in-the-bubble paper tests vs. click-the-bubble computerized tests? If so, how can clicking bubbles take an eight-year-old an hour longer than filling them in with a number-two pencil?

el

imagine a ‘fill in the bubble with #2 pencil multiple choice test’ that requires you to fill in a bubble with a #2 pencil indicating that the first bubble you filled is your actual ‘choice’ and then fill in a bubble with #2 pencil indicating you wish to proceed to the next question after confirming you have made your actual choice.

that’s the impression I get.

It’s good to see all the debate and discussion about Al Gore here, it’s at least as important as the stuff they pretended to discuss in the pumpkin head patch. Lots of good ideas both pro and con.

Basically I feel that Al Gore is an even better candidate than he was the last time he ran and actually won, but never got move into that office. It is also damn near impossible for him to choose a worse VP sidekick than last time, unless of course he convinced Darth Cheney to just stay on by being his running mate.

No dems were dumb enough last year to nominate JoeLie for the senate much less VP. Besides he’ll probably be the top of the ticket for the LyinMan LIEberWuss Party. The symbol for Joe’s private political party, by the way, is half donkey and half elephant - the back half of each.

Oklahoma kiddo @ 93

I absolutely detest Lieberman. And I held my nose (only) on account of Lieberman being on the ticket with Gore, and voted for the former VP. But if Gore runs there will not be a repeat of that fiasco.

People keep saying that, but what evidence do we have that a second Gore campaign would not, in fact, be a fiasco?

And don’t think that Hillary is going to go quietly. The primaries will be more nasty if Gore runs, not less. That said, I think he should run. I’m just saying, it’s not a done deal if he does.

Mutiple choice questions of any kind do not measure an educated person. It is an essay with deep considered thoughts that do.

Ahgoo @ 74

jayt @ 38

I thought Lee Iacocca was supposed to be on somewhere this morning. Did I imagine that?

60 Minutes - tonight. I think that’s what I heard - hope this helps and isn’t answered already by faster hands

ah. thank you.

cathy @ 77

Passing on a link to Frank Rich’s column

http://welcome-to-pottersville.....isiac.html

Thanks for that. Frank Rich is the best columnist writing in the US, imo.

Democratic candidates for president need to listen to themselves, not a battery of advisors. Like at least one Demo candidate I am familiar with.