What’s on your mind tonight?

Protest!

Yo
zed!

Yo no.

3 cheers for Neurophius!

Not tonite! Evening, ES!

Woo Hoo, Dylan had my vote!

“Hat tip neurophius for being the first to submit Blowing In The Wind into the mix.”

Thank you.

I also want to thank the Academy, Bob Dylan, and the people who nominated versions by other artists of this song that Dylan wrote.

How many times?

Hey ES, tis a great night for some bob. Glad to see this one made the cut.

neuro, this appears to be your nite – ya got the winner in the solo category, the #2 overall winner AND the zed. Quick – buy a lotto ticket.

wtg neuro!

G’night all, got to get some sleep.

g’nite LL

Taking neuro to Vegas!

Well, Akaka voted Yea, but, Inouye voted Nay… Aarrgh…

Ha! This post reminded to check up on last night’s and lo and behold…there’s my glorious name lighting up the pixels. And dad always said I wouldn’t amount to anything.

Glad to help!

I hope Edwards wins, but I’m still disappointed that Feingold didn’t run. I could’ve got behind Russ without qualification or equivocation. Ah well…

Nite LL,
Yay Neuro!
Hi Suz, ES, everyone.

Bad Bill Now, Bad Bill Later
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12…..9wed4.html

(After burying the report of Dodd’s efforts on page A29 yesterday)

LOL – had that same prediction made about me too

Feingold would be a terrific President and is a superlative Senator and he gets slimed by the MSM for much the same superficial and stupid reasons that Dodd’s opposition to the FISA monstrosities did.

I agree with Edwards, but, I’m more disappointed that Gore didn’t run…

How do you see Iowa playing out on the Democratic and Republican sides?

from the NYTimes editorial:

While trying to do the wrong thing — shove a bad bill on electronic spying through the Senate — Majority Leader Harry Reid ended up doing the country a favor. He put off the vote until January. It was the right move, but senators who care about national security and the Constitution will have to be careful not to be stampeded into supporting what will still be a bad bill next year.

The issue before the Senate is fairly simple. Last summer, President Bush asked Congress to close a gap in the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act created by advancements in technology. He waited until the eve of a recess, and then, as is his habit, falsely presented it as a matter of life and death. Having spooked Democrats on terrorism yet again, Mr. Bush larded the bill with dangerous expansions of his power to spy on Americans.

That law expires in February, which means Congress has to pass new legislation giving the intelligence agencies a little more leeway in the wireless Internet age. But once again, the White House, aided by some misguided Democrats, is trying to give the president powers he should not have: the ability to spy on Americans without a warrant and eviscerate the authority of the court that oversees electronic espionage. The bad bill Mr. Reid has now delayed would also give amnesty to telecommunications companies which, for five years, provided Americans’ private data to the government without a warrant.

The White House says it wants to protect patriotic executives. It really wants to make sure Americans never find out how much illegal spying their president ordered up after 9/11.

my bold

hey margot

I hope Edwards wins, but I’m still disappointed that Feingold didn’t run. I could’ve got behind Russ without qualification or equivocation. Ah well…

Agreed. He’d be great at it. Qualified as hell.

Does this mean Phil Ochs didn’t win?
*g*

The White House says it wants to protect patriotic executives. It really wants to make sure Americans never find out how much illegal spying their president ordered up after 9/11.

… OR BEFORE.

feingold for VP?

Teddy, phil got the protest the protest song contest write in sunday nite.

crap. Suz. I’m not unaware, but scared.

btw anybody who hasn’t visited the treehouse in the past 1/2 hour might want to stop by and hear a dinosaur sing a beautiful song.

teddy, baby steps. MSM is finally figuring out the AFTER part – the BEFORE will be figured out any day now (fingers and toes crossed)

and see pix of him skating

link?

treehouse

http://www.iamtrex.com/?p=97#comment-4400

I think it’ll be Edwards and Obama, in a close one-two(with either as one)and Hill in third… On the Repug side, Huckster probably one and god only knows for the rest…

Earlier today, I wrote about Sen. Tom Coburn’s request he made today to convene a select commitee in congress to investigate Rep. Don Young.

feingold for VP?

I’d rather him right where he is… *g*

oh please oh please oh please can they indict sen tubes please with whipped cream and a cherry on top

Suzanne–

During those Tuesday strategy luncheons that Cheney and Ed Gillespie (who took Rove’s place and perhaps right now has more direct power than Rove ever had) attend along with a number of Senators I guarantee the mantra is that Immunity must be preserved at all costs.

I suspect that while it is not overtly said “we have criminal bodies to bury here” it is intimated that a tremendous amount is at stake for BushCo and why you will see all the Republicans frothing at the mouth to get Immunity into the endzone. They don’t want discovery forced on the Telcos and the Administration.

And it’s not as MadDog presciently pointed out on another EW thread below just the Telephone companies. Comcast and every ISP big and small are doing several things secretly to turn your info over to the gov.

http://emptywheel.firedoglake……ment-39132

MadDog December 18th, 2007 at 11:48 am 144
In response to Richmond @ 140
…the ability through the telcoms to shut down political opposition by making their sites off limits (as happened to some sites aleady for state employees, or in some contexts such as airports). It could, like the no-fly list, shut down certain bloggers!

Combine the Telcos with the MSM and you’d have a potent brew. The MSM hate the blogosphere and would do anything to cut off its oxygen.

And of importance to all, we should probably stop referring to “Telcos” ‘caue it ain’t really an accurate description.

The real appellation ought to be “Commcos”.

This is because the real universe of folks who are at risk due to warrantless eavesdropping are Communications Companies and not just Telephone Companies.
Commcos like Comcast, Time/Warner, Microsoft, Yahoo! and every Mom and Pop ISP in Goatbutt USA. They’ve all been givin’ it up for Uncle Sam.

Just because their names haven’t surfaced in 4th Amendment violation lawsuits, does not mean they are not complicit.

Too many see just the “tree” (AT&T and its Baby Bell offspring) and miss the “forest”. Those criminal critters hidden in the forest have been getting a free pass.

About time we made some noise about ‘em. Are you “listening” Comcast?

Immunity, c’est tout.

Earlier today, I wrote about Sen. Tom Coburn’s request he made today to convene a select commitee in congress to investigate Rep. Don Young.

Nice piece, ET!
Coburn is a loon to be sure, but he is out on a limb here.

Yes, definitely before. It has always been about consolidating evesdropping power that would have blown J. Edgar Hoover’s mind.

Dem wins Republican state House district
from Texas Politics by chron.com, MySA.com
The special election fight to replace retiring state Rep. Anna Mowrey, R-Fort Worth, became a referendum on House Speaker Tom Craddick as far as the Democrats were concerned. So when Democratic candidate Dan Barrett won an upset victory in the…

Maybe, but any bad press thrown Young’s way is good news to me.

Good evening ladies and gents. Sorry I am late. My Wed. Nite PJ’s were in the dryer.

Did anyone like the Russ/Dylan youtube?

es, love the russ/dylan utube. just missing the pumps don’t work cause the boosh stole the handles.

I had left this version of “Blowin in the Wind” on voting night, but looks like someone else had voted for the original Dylan. Since it’s Late, Late, I’ll put it here again since it’s so interesting. Ta ta…

http://youtube.com/watch?v=0oSQn20V0m0

ES, we’re informal. We don’t care which night’s jammies you wear to the party.

Yeah, I liked it a lot.

bonkers, that is a great version. i liked it and the peter paul & mary cut too. there were so many videos (over 160 submitted) and they were all good.

I seriously hope some experienced clever folks will work on letters to the editor that could be adapted for personal use BEFORE Christmas. It would help our cause immeasurably if it was a topic of conversation during the holidays.

Also, if anyone knows of a comprehensive article/timeline on this that exists, I would really appreciate a link. Most of what I have has been accumulated in bits and pieces and I’d benefit immeasurably from a summary
overview source.

When this arises again, the spin will be highly refined. Our advantage is that nobody likes or much trusts the telcos, etc.

just missing the pumps don’t work cause the boosh stole the handles.

I guess the good senator felt compelled to omit that gem..)

Good evening ladies and gents. My Wed. Nite PJ’s were in the dryer.

They look anything like this?

Did anyone like the Russ/Dylan youtube?

Yes! A young man. Some life.

There’s a nice version of License to Kill done by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers on the “Dylan 30th Anniversary Concert” album.

The world’s most comfortable bed is ready for me.

Night all.

Yikes. 160 vids? Y’all did an amazing job getting through all!

So MR. Teller, when will you grace us with your music on youtube?

Nite TB.

pain free sleep wishes tex

Bonkers, that’s Stevie and Glenn.

Oh shoot, night Tex, i just saw your greeting as you’re saying goodnight.

margot it’s 1 AM. and i did water aerobics today. gotta get some sleep. let’s visit tomorrow.

I love water aerobics.. I used to pick up dates in SF that way.

Blushing…..

Most of my stuff is concert hall-type performances. Very sub pop to watch people sitting in chairs playing music. But you can hear and/or download several hours of my stuff for free at my garage band site.

OK!

Catching up on news from the news box ..This sounds huge!

Bush Lawyers Discussed Fate of C.I.A.Tapes
By MARK MAZZETTI and SCOTT SHANE

WASHINGTON — At least four top White House lawyers took part in discussions with the Central Intelligence Agency between 2003 and 2005 about whether to destroy videotapes showing the secret interrogations of two operatives from Al Qaeda, according to current and former administration and intelligence officials.

The accounts indicate that the involvement of White House officials in the discussions before the destruction of the tapes in November 2005 was more extensive than Bush administration officials have acknowledged.

Those who took part, the officials said, included Alberto R. Gonzales, who served as White House counsel until early 2005; David S. Addington, who was the counsel to Vice President Dick Cheney and is now his chief of staff; John B. Bellinger III, who until January 2005 was the senior lawyer at the National Security Council; and Harriet E. Miers, who succeeded Mr. Gonzales as White House counsel.

Impeach.

Indict.

I want a special prosecutor.

I want David Addington frog-marched out of the Vice President’s office.

And no lilly-pads in his cell.

It does sound huge.
A lot of things that have happened in the last 7 years have sounded really important, and have been, I think. I’m just on outrage overload.
I think my sensors are burned out; I can’t tell when a story has legs anymore. You know what I mean?

One former senior intelligence official with direct knowledge of the matter said there had been “vigorous sentiment” among some top White House officials to destroy the tapes. The former official did not specify which White House officials took this position, but he said that some believed in 2005 that any disclosure of the tapes could have been particularly damaging after revelations a year earlier of abuses at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

Some other officials assert that no one at the White House advocated destroying the tapes. Those officials acknowledged, however, that no White House lawyer gave a direct order to preserve the tapes or advised that destroying them would be illegal.

What kind of vigorous sentiment?

WH lawyer, Addington and Gonzo?

Yes Margot, I felt robbed of my ability to feel victorious with Dodd yesterday. A great victory it was, but, it’s so far from ending.

…or is this another situation in which Reid and Pelosi won’t do anything, because they knew about it all along?

Chris Dodd for Majority Leader (if he doesn’t become President)

wow

hello all,

i’ve been kept busy by work for several weeks so i’ve come around exactly once this month. this is a driveby so i won’t be around but a couple of minutes tonight. i miss you guys. maybe this weekend i’ll get to hang out.

Bentley,

it sounds like we were twins separated at birth, being for Edwards and holding Feingold in highest esteem. add Dodd inthere somewhere and i know we must be genetically paired. keep the faith ……

More great news:

Dems and rest of Senate cave into Bush on Iraq funding (20 Dems including Carl Levin and Jim Webb)

http://hill6.thehill.com/leadi…..12-18.html

The Senate on Tuesday night handed President Bush a critical victory in the Iraq debate, approving billions of dollars for war operations and backing down from a months-long threat of withholding funding until the White House commits to a drawdown of troops.

After falling short on two attempts to force a change in war tactics, 20 Democrats joined one independent and a united Republican caucus to approve $70 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, which will be packaged with a sprawling $516 billion omnibus spending bill that would fund most federal agencies.

Interestingly, both Carl Levin and Jim Webb voted to approve.

Dems Who Gave It Up for Bushy and More Dover Coffins:

Akaka (D-HI)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Carper (D-DE)
Casey (D-PA)
Conrad (D-ND)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Inouye (D-HI)
Johnson (D-SD)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Levin (D-MI)
Lincoln (D-AR)
McCaskill (D-MO)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
Pryor (D-AR)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Salazar (D-CO)
Tester (D-MT)
Webb (D-VA)

and

US Still Unprepared for Disaster

http://www.reuters.com/article…..19?sp=true

but only if Cheney is connected to the same manacles . . . . . . .

696 Billion last week and 70 billion this week.. $3/4 trillion plus per year on killing and MIC.

I am sickened.

…what could ever have possesed bubba to talk like he did about Hillary and king george’s daddy?

696 Billion last week and 70 billion this week.. $3/4 trillion plus per year on killing and MIC.

Well, at least we get cheap gas out of it…
oh, wait!

Ned Lamont ripping into Joe Lieberman for his support of McCain. Ah, what could have been :-(

http://nedlamont.com/news/2255…..-of-mccain

WOW Stevie turnin’ on Glenn to some beautiful 88’s under the outeageously awesome voice. This is great great great, Listen to the pian. melody over the bass in the start just incredible Thank bonkers.

Wherever 0* Capricorn falls in your charts is the sweet and lucky spot at this very moment.

hey spidey

why the wow, Teddy?

The 70-25 vote caps a year of unsuccessful Democratic attempts to sufficiently chip away at solid GOP support for the war. Ultimately, Democratic leaders declined to levy pressure on their caucus to block the latest round of unfettered Iraq money.

John McCain was the only Senator-presidential candidate who voted in the affair; he voted to approve.

I’ll say it does.

hey suzi…cold over your way? hard bright stars here and rully rully cold

ooooops

…what could ever have possesed bubba to talk like he did about Hillary and king george’s daddy?

He probably gets ready to climb the wall with impatience at her campaign strategists and I’m sure he isn’t about to be reigned in by them or take orders from them.

spidey, lottsa foggy clouds and 43 down here, not as cold since more rain coming tomorrow

rully cold here too, spiderpaws – plus 5F, and supposed to go down to minus 6F overnight. No wind, though, and the stars are HUGE.

Where re U?

i’m usually wearing 3 sets of clothes (layered), cap and gloves when we get down to 29 (and that’s the inside clothes – more layers when token walking).

i would look like the pillsbury dough boy if i got down below zero

Thanks to everyone who voted for Bob’s Blowing in the Wind.

Thanks to bonkers @ 48 for the great Stevie and Glenn version.

And thanks to Suzanne and Eureka Springs for holding the contest.

Good nite, all.

eCahn, I’m in Boulder Creek, sitting at 627′ elevation and 13 miles inland from Santa Cruz, Ca. The northern tip of Monterey Bay.

32 here, so no fire tonight. 60 tomorrow and our second snow due this weekend. The moon just went down and now the sky reminds me of New Mexico.

G’ nite neurophius.

Sounds like a great place to be, Night for me.

g’nite neuro and eCAHN

ES, why no fire when its 32?

Was so nice and warm today.. the house hasn’t cooled down much this evening.

…5* below at my sisters farm in western Mass this morning…she has a remote that turns her car on from inside the house… she leaves the heater in the full blast position and steps into a toasty suburu at 5 AM for her trip to the bakery to keep everyone in crumpets

bigbrother;
Thank you Mr/Mrs Dodd for raising a wonderful child. Also like to thank some other moms n dads on the filibuster team in the senate. MSM and all such almost had me convinced our voices could not be heard amongst the din of the spin. Turns out Jane Hamsher got something going with the fire pups so, I’d like to take the time to thank her as well. This is really somethin special. I know they are watching maybe a little indirect discoure would educate and they would have some drop outs like the love ins did in the 60’s. Here’s to Odetta, all the war protester, the teenagers that came to the Haight to go back home and teach peace and all the mucisians like the Dead.s Jerry Garcia blowin your mind, The holding Company, Jeff Beck, Janis, Jimmy (oh yeah Star spangled left handed banner), Quicksilver, MJQ, the Panthers,the all nighter in TJ, BB and ALbert at the Carousel, The Filmore West presenting show by Phil Graham, Joni Mitchell Suzanne takes you down to the river and she feeds you tea and oranges that come all the way from china and just when you tell her you have no love to give her she touches your perfect body with her mind with her angel voice, awesome Joan Biaz, eecummings, ferlighetti and the 50′ beat poets that paved the way can go on an on an on…

…dont forget ralph nader, bigbrother

Odetta was here in ES in October for our 60th Folk Festival..

bigbrother, it sounds like our paths have crossed several times before..)

spidey, PBS had a great show on Nader tonight.. might still be on in your zone.

I am off to the land of quilts

g’ nite you fabulous firedogs.

spidey, that has to be the best invention evah. i hate getting into an ice cold car and driving with gloves on, praying the heater kicks in soon.

some new riders of the purple sage

nite eureka

g’nite eureka, sleep well

her husband is a suburu mechanic…he installed it for her as a surprise…she used to run out and turn on the car then run back into the house because it was like the walk in freezer at the bakery…heh

Mr, Spidepaw you are so pro..profound Can’t forget Ralph he was/is truly a fiend of the planet and all the critters I remember he was out their when it was not happening. Hows about Green Peace, Jaque Cousteau to name a few more of our very excellent friends. Where would Al Gore be without them. It takes a village to get it right. One mind at a time we’ll get her. Off the pigs! Love it or leave it.

present pigs excluded (retired pig here) bigbrother?

…did you mean fiend or friend? and it’s mizzzzzzzzzzz spiderpaws to you

…off to bathtubland…oink oink suzi

oink oink spidey

U-2

thanks, bigbrother :)

Busted army

1,700 DAYZ AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND..

Firepup Freedom Fighters:

Anyone else out there sense a change in the wind…maybe in addition to “Blowin’ in the Wind” we can hear “The Times They are a Changin’”. I think the new year is gunna see some significant changesw in the structure of politics beginnin’ with the nominating campaigns and the leadership in the Senate if not also in the House of Representatives.

A federal District judge is bringin’ some heat on the telecoms, so if we ken slow the new legislation down we may have a judgement in the court that makes the question of telecom immunity mute and politically as well as legally impossible. That’s why One Hung Harry Reid has been tryin ta throw the fascists’ water on this legislation…’cuz the federal courts are about ta make felons outta the whiole bunch a krypto-Nazis.

It seems to me that after yesterday, ol’ One Hung is a lame duck. In addition, John Edwards is gunna blow Clinton and O’Lieberman outta the water on January3. What a happy New Year, huh?

KEEP THE FAITH AND DON’T LET THE BASTARDS UP!!

OOpS friend of course my humble apology Ms. Thanks for the upgrade. My diet is better than my keyboard I was a dancer not a musician but always worshipped the ground upon which the trood.
Organic juices from my Champion.. does organic celery, tomato, chard, wheat grass,carrot, cayenne, balsamic vinegar sound good? Never to old to learn I am open to suggestions.

hey norske

thanks margot – added it to the ticker

time for me to head off to bed. have to be well rested for tomorrow night’s winner (who got the most votes overall in addition to category)

g’nite all

Thgamk You for the big big really big day you contributed to the cause of freedom and the whining about the site you are one of the heroes… would you believe your getting close to John Lennon, Sweet Dreams to one and all.

late entry for the protest tunes.

IMAGINE ALL THE PEOPLE…

howdy. anyone still up?

coffeeeeeeeeee’d up! :)

morn’n

yup been following your dialogues with interest

tw3k – wow. too early for coffee for me, i’m still hoping to get back to sleep for a bit.

bigbrother – howdy! don’t know if we’ve met before… my apologies if i’ve forgotten.

oh dear.

Tea english breakfast and homemade organic v-8 with cayenne. I am prepared to say that the guy that went to west point after his father then dropped out after 5 years to become a corporate lawyer is a very slow learner. He has not figured out that the corporations are the problem not the military. He needs to study Darth and he may gain some understanding. He wanted to make a difference? Would mescalin help open the doors of perceptio. Tim Leary or Albert could help him if he read “Here and Now” the karmic circle. Who knows where the path of enlightenment will take this person. Killing people. by use of force… there is nothing in his story dor me.

excellent – attaturk’s got a post up. see you upstairs.

The clarity and insight with which you Looseheadprop, Suzanne, Egrigious, Jane, Marcy and the rest of the pups propound the issues raised is so on target and unique. To have a place where inteligent well meaning discourse is found is a great pleasure. If I can help advance the cuase of freedomn and justice that I will consider a worth while endeavor. Let me know. I am disabled (head born wired wrong)so money I can’t offer. I can smile and dial e-mail and lots of other stuff. Maybe promote your network.