ES!

I thought it was two tickets to paradise, by Eddie Money!

Hiya!

hiya ES!

Nighty night fellow pups. It will be a long day tomorrow waiting for Hawaii.

That’s what we tell little boy George.

Good evening, Teddy.

I dugg this post, ES

I like boy george’s music. oh wait……

do ya really want to hurt me

Heh, Aloha! I’ll be posting some feedback afterwards!

Buck Fush.

I shall bid a fond adieu! Aloha Oe!!!

g’nite ct

tbsa – sideways, and the horse he rode in on too

One more post before I sleep:

BURLINGTON, Vt. – The founders of Ben & Jerry’s endorsed Barack Obama on Monday, and lent his Vermont campaign two “ObamaMobiles” that will tour the state and give away scoops of “Cherries for Change” ice cream.

Thanks, ES. I have hope too, and sometimes, I need music to remind me. This time next year maybe we’ll all have hope founded in more than desire.

Hillary (who was named after a famous Everest climber, or not) apparently is perturbed that she can’t capture attention with her own words as well as her opponent. She decries his use of two words previously used by Obama’s good friend Deval Patrick “Just Words” without saying “As my friend Deval Patrick would say ‘Just Words’”.

No one else in history has ever EVER used those two words in that precise sequence together, apparently.

And Hillary Clinton always credits her speechwriters for those wicked turns-of-phrase that she comes out with, right?

Oh wait, Hillary doesn’t use speechwriters, does she.

Clinton speechwriter stumps for her in Iowa

I apologize for being a bit obsessive about this, but I think I’ve got a slightly new angle on this FISA stuff, i.e., yet another talking point.

Per DNI Mike McConnell’s remarkable 2/15/08 interview on Morning Edition:

President GEORGE W. BUSH [via recording]: Failure to act would harm our ability to monitor new terrorist activities and could reopen dangerous gaps in our intelligence.

[…]

RENEE MONTAGNE: The Bush administration says that if the Protect America Act – that’s the surveillance act that’s temporary at the moment – if it isn’t made permanent it will tie your hands – intelligence hands – especially when it comes to new threats. But isn’t it true that any surveillance underway – that does not expire even if this law isn’t renewed by tomorrow?

DNI MCCONNELL: Well, Renee, it’s a very complex issue. It’s true that some of the authorities would carry over to the period they were established for one year. That would put us in the August/September timeframe. However, that’s not the real issue.

The issue is liability protection for the private sector. We can’t do this mission without their help. Currently there is no retroactive liability protection for them. They’re being sued for billions of dollars.

So the board fiduciary responsibilities cause them to be less cooperative. So in the current bill – in the current law which is on the books today – there is no protection for them. If it expired, of course, there’s no protection. And even if you extended the current bill, there’s no protection in a retroactive sense.
…
[T]he Senate committee that passed the bill examined in close detail all the activities and concluded there was no violation of law. And, in fact, we need their help for success to protect the country.
…
The point is, if we have the current law – the extended law – we still don’t have liability protection for the carriers.

So what the American people need to appreciate is we are losing capability to protect the country as we debate …

Per Glenn Greenwald, longstanding FISA legislation requires telecommunications companies to comply with LEGITIMATE requests from intelligence officials and immunizes them against any resulting liability. So, if we are indeed “losing protection as we debate,” it is because the President is allowing the telcos to illegally withhold their cooperation. Moreover there is no reason for them to need liability protection, since they already have it for their “no-violation” cooperation.

Barack-y Road?

Third that thought.

Clinton speechwriter might as well be a stump in Iowa

Edited for accuracy..)

I usually call maneuvers such as HC’s latest, grasping for straws.

Suzanne, you got me going now on music. Here is a stunning work sung by Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, by a composer known more for his film scores.:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtooFuA1h58

Isn’t she just gorgeous?

Dispatches from the Front

It’s now the third day of our state of siege, the sword hanging over our heads that was put there by the cavalier caving of the craven cowards in congress. It seemed quiet outside today, too quiet. I couldn’t get through to my bank. The US Mail that is not stayed by rain nor sleet nor hail nor dead of night was unable to break through the blockade that I appear to be subject to. I felt the end was approaching.
And, my worst fear, confirmation came. My buddy keeps a close watch on various subversive websites and he told me how bold they’ve gotten. One site actually spread the word to the fifth columnists and sleeper cells that Tuesday is The Day. The amount of chatter (more than 370 acknowlegements of the go signal) tells me how massive the coming storm will be.

I do aver this, those varlets will gainsay me no vainglory.

I just realized that McCain can put former President George HW Bush in the Veep spot and give the guy another chance at a second term! Then he’d get a chance at actually rating lower than his abysmal son!

As ever, grateful for the dispatch, awaiting further information.
Carry on.

Thanks Starbuck. ES and I handle the Late Late Nite music posts – tonight is his night – i’m just part of the chorus tonight.

She has a lovely and powerful voice

There has been a massive defeat of Musharrafover in Pakistan…although some odd fiddling has happened with the numbers in the last counting period. Seems that the Bush regime bet on the wrong horse in that one, as well.

I know, but I didn’t want to wait!

Carry on!

How is the all-important Red Bull supply holding up?

me i am off to bed. nite peeps.

hows the red bull situation?

Word!

And is the Cheeto supply holding up?

I’ve had to switch to my teenager’s diet pills. She’s promised to start drinking Miller light to compensate.

g’nite mary mcc

Do you think he will step aside?

hasta luego, mary

spew

tomorrow the big nite, strato – hope you have reinforcements and that glass finally arrived

Miller Lite…
Girl’s gotta watch her figure, seeing as how she could be the mother of the next generation.

Wait, aren’t we all supposed to have met our demise by some terrorist no later than tomorrow?

This is Plasma One to Ground Control
…Ground Control to Plasma One take your protien pill and put your helmet on

twould be her solemn duty to the fatherland to maintain herself so that she remains pleasing while fulfilling her pre-ordained destiny to repopulate the earth?

Those do nothing obstructionist Democrat congressmembers are denying George W. Bush his judicial appointees!

Congress do your job and give an up or down vote for Judge Somma.

-G

newtonusr, if you’re still around, you inspired and article. Thanks.

Big news.

Al Jazeera has called Paktika Province for Musharraff!

Paktika goes Red!

-G

Thanks cujo… but it was Señor Moyers and Señora Jacoby who are due.
Nice post!

Congress do your job and give an up or down vote for Judge Somma.

That is truly hilarious…. You can’t make this shit up.

No guarantees, there, I’m afraid. Terrorism is a dish that’s best served cold, or near an important election. Anyway, you can bet they’ll be telling us “I told you so” even if it happens two decades from now.

Who is blue now? I hate to be morbid, but I’ve quite forgotten who else is left to be running.

What a great interview!

If someone is going to hit the nail this squarely, Bill Moyers is probably in the room.

And Jacoby is amazing.

Patlka is in Afghanistan, G.

Moyers is a good interviewer, and he’s not the least reluctant to talk with interesting people most of us haven’t heard of.

Agreed. Was refering to what lil boots said a few days ago about telecom immunity and national security. I definitely worry that “something” will happen to delay or cancel our elections.

Brave new Judge Soma turns out to be a real pain…Huxley does a grave roll

Comment from the daylight Stratocruiser.
I was going to put in a link to some good winger music for countepoint. I found a u-tube of SSgt Barry Sadler’s “Ballad of the Green Beret”
Although the song is maudlin and cliche and was ripped off by John Wayne to make a buck. I couldn’t bring myself to post it. I would never want anyone to think that I did anything even the slightest iota demeaning to our servicemen. Granted it’s late and I’m tired, but I choked up a little thinking about how terribly they suffer for us.
And then I think about how terribly their most noble virtues, love of country and family, desire to set the wrongs of the world to right, pride in belonging, trust and respect within their unit, are manipulated so cynically and their sacrifice valued so little by those who comand them. And I ask God daily to damn these worthless men, who do not themselves believe what they ask others to fight and die for.

But in his mug shot, the judge appears to be wearing blue eye shadow. Way to wreck a really chic look, Robert.

dayam, he was going for the Harriet Meyers look. Musta had a date with boosh.

I was referring to that, also, or at least to the many vague warnings we’ve received that our lives would be imperiled if the government couldn’t steal our credit card info listen in on terrorists.

some songs are sacred because of the story behind the song. there were many sacred songs about vietnam and i wish we had more sacred songs about and for our men and women in iraq. not the fake psuedo patriotic dribble that comes out of booshbots but protest songs that honor our men and women doing their duty in spite of our chickenhawk leaders.

And as for this comment…
I’m glad to get to reread this here and now.
The excuses are getting so thin now, for all this shit…

Honest Abe, in the Lincoln-Douglas debates, decrying an argument by Douglas in support of the Freeport Doctrine:

“…as thin as the homeopathic soup that was made by boiling the shadow of a pigeon that had starved to death.”

I give you ChimpCo.

I am just being a wiseass. It sounded better than Swat Valley.

-G

As for your piece:

“The people who founded this country were educated, despite living in a frontier society. Some, like Jefferson and Franklin, were inventors and scientists as well as politicians. The reason they enshrined freedom of the press as one of the first ones mentioned in the Bill of Rights is that they believed that the only way we could stay free was if we were able to inform ourselves so that we could decide our futures wisely.”

That is a beauty.

This country seems to be full of people who don’t want to read – Christians who won’t read their Bible, and high government officials who won’t read the laws they’re supposed to work within.

She has intellect..her doors of perception unlike Mr. Jones next door, are open hopen he night see as well…fat chance since he/she is watching the shadows of reality in a box…like the prisoners in Plato’s Allegory of the Cave…the jones’s are self imposed prisoners watching the MSM casting images in their living room.

Reading Chapter 8, Assualt on Reason where Gore discusses how the founding fathers percieved what would happen when the power is centralized in one branch…the historical demise of democracy occurs. The last time was Rome when Ceasar crossed that line and for centuies there was no democracy. Oversight is the central element of democracy…without that freedom is silenced. Impeachment is the mandatory tool to intercede Struggle

I keep linking to the best thing Bill Maher ever did (I can’t imagine why)… have Richard Dreyfuss on his show.
The study of the teaching of civics.

Part 1

Part 2

Or Curry Favor Estates.

Jane and Christy should have her on their Book Salon, if they haven’t.

As I get older and understand more about people and the good and bad in them, I have come to think that all virtue and values come down to Truth, Duty and Honor.
Everything else is just a reflection of one of those three things And they are pretty much moral and ethical absolutes, if not in the achievement, then at least in the quest.
if I were a politician, that is what my campaign would be based on and what my speeches would reflect on. I am not holding my breath. But if anyone did ever even refer to that trinity, I would follow him (her) to the gates of Hell.

I don’t know if she has been here to visit – I would be disappointed if she had been, and I missed it – sending email to them now.

Is how I was brought up to live my life, strat. Truth. Duty. Honor. Service to others. I’ve not always been successful in my life path, but it is one that is truth based. Everything has to be based upon the truth.

My father served this country as career Navy. I followed with a more localized form of service within the community. My sister joined the Navy when she turned 18. We were taught that honor can only come after the first two.

thanks newton – wigwam, that is a great suggestion

At least seven days of damp overcast with occassional high winds…be prepared for a power outage Susanne hope the pain lessens for your knee. You and your pal Token stay warm and dry and enjoy the Plasma..sorry just kidding. Get lots of rest and recharge your batterries for the action ahead. Guten Nacht…Bon Soir to all.

BTW, Susan Jacoby was on Ian Masters’s program on KPFK in LA on Sunday.

You’re right, it’s terrific. It’s so rare to hear anyone speak that way no matter what their politics.

I love her exprssions, ennuciation and her humility. Quite a lovely persona.

g’nite – stocked up at the store today in anticipation.

A quick search turns up no book salons with Susan Jacoby. Taylor Marsh mentioned her in an essay she posted here in 2006. Marymccurnin mentioned her book a couple of nights ago. Nothing else.

What’s the deal with FDL sporting ads that spew audio without warning? When did that start happening?

My wife, who usually avoids politics, overheard just a couple minutes and came in from the other room to watch the rest. Amazing!

ok, pups, that is it for me tonight. g’nite all

My father was career Navy, retired as a mustang Commander. My sister retired from the Navy as a commander. I was Air force, did my six and got out as a SSgt. Looking back, I can see that I was raised to be Navy
The similiarity in our outlooks, coincidence? I think not.
G’nite for now.

which ad and on which page is it?

Goodnight, stratocruiser, and bigbrother.

You know, I was fortunate enough to attend the 1st Clinton inaugural. It was a pretty, sunny day; they recorded the highest rider # to date on the Metro. Another time folks were glad to be rid of a Bush. On the streets that morning hope was palpable. Seems like a lifetime ago, but recollections of hopes and celebration past may help us hold on. Early voting starts tomorrow in TX.

my dad probably cooked for your dad. 20 years 6 months as cook first class.

specifically, the Nevada ad. Even when it’s offscreen, if the mouse is in the right place, loud music and talking. Not exactly a welcome thing late at night with the kids asleep in the next room. Bad HTML. Questionable choice on FDL’s part to accept that kind of ad.

And goodnight Suzanne.

Think that’s about it for me as well. I have some thing to do that makes it possible to pay bills.

Yep. Ive seen (heard) that one, too.

nite strat, bigbrother

and nite suz

If you’re using Firefox, the newer versions of the NoScript add-on allow you to block most kinds of multimedia downloads. That might stop those ads.

Hate to mess with an FDL profit center, but those things are obnoxious.

What’s on my mind?

I’m trying to stop the Anchorage Symphony from sliming their legacy by having Exxon applauded for supporting a concert exactly three days and twelve hours before the Supremes hear arguments in the class action lawsuit against Exxon over the Exxon Valdez catastrophe. I’ve written an open letter to their board of directors, and have requested to meet with them Wednesday.

kinda funny to have loud ads late at night on the Late Late Nite FDL page. At least it wasn’t Eddie Money :)

Cujo, I didn’t even want to mention adblocker or other ways of cutting into FDL revenues. Honestly, my first reaction was to think twice about loading FDL. It’s not just late at night, I don’t want that happening at work, either.

scorched, which ad was it on this page?

Excellent.. The symphony needs to support Valdez claimants who should be paid before Exxon gets any play.

Suzanne, it was a Nevada horizontal strip ad below the body copy of the main article. (Verizon’s in that slot on my page at the moment).

ET, what were the results of your boo/moon/etc. poll the other day?

thanks scorched – will follow up on it

still up click on my name and vote in the poll, if you haven’t. it goes through Friday.

thanks Suzanne. Late Late Nite FDL stays on my late night reading list

Castro has resigned.

Wow!
Just in time for bed… Thanks.
nite all

Thanks for the link – left a comment with my two cents on the controversy FWIW. In the happy event you could correct my signature to newspaperbrat if possible. Meanwhile I am preparing an email to alert colleagues here, there and everywhere including arts and culture editors and reporters of this scandalous situation.

You beat me to this one! Just heard it on BBC News World Service….

Castro resigning will change a lot of things, including the Hispanic vote in the US, specifically in Florida, in Miami…

Wow! Huge! Huge!!!

Listen live to the breaking news of Castro resigning on BBC News World Service!

Any indications of who’s replacing him?

I just read that some judge shutdown wikileaks: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7250916.stm

Don’t they realize that it’ll just reappear in a country with freedom of speech?

Not yet…but it’ll be his brother, Raul I bet, who has filled in for him since Fidel Castro’s retreat when he became ill. If you can stream live coverage (link above) from BBC News World Service, please do so. You’ll be one of few Americans (including me *g*) getting the scoop on this one!

It’s on the front page of the NYT :)

Can you stream BBC News World Service Radio here? Some more scoops, like Musharraf losing the elections in Pakistan…shit: Things are popping up all over the place this early morning–3:18 CT…

Holy shit!

Thanks…I’ll go there now…

To breakfast. I’ll be back. Got up 10-15 minutes ago…

From Reuters via NYTimes:

HAVANA (Reuters) – Ailing Cuban leader Fidel Castro said Tuesday that he will not return to lead the country as president or commander-in-chief, retiring as head of state 49 years after he seized power in an armed revolution.

Castro, 81, said in a statement to the country that he would not seek a new presidential term when the National Assembly meets on Feb. 24.

“To my dear compatriots, who gave me the immense honor in recent days of electing me a member of parliament … I communicate to you that I will not aspire to or accept — I repeat not aspire to or accept — the positions of President of Council of State and Commander in Chief,” Castro said in the statement published on the Web site of the Communist Party’s Granma newspaper.

And the news in Pakistan…My my. From the BBC News website.

It is my fervent hope that the Cuban paradise is not destroyed by the dirty fucking high rolling American corporanistas.

Long Live Cuba!

You may be dreaming here. US multinationals have been waiting for this time since Castro took over from Batista in 1959!

History is breaking on all fronts…In-f*cking-credible!!!

Yeah, lots of stuff happening all at once. It’s gonna be a wild spring.