A very Blessed Hoiday Season to you & yours, Christy, and to all the FirePups!

ooo linkalicious goodness with which to stuff stockings.

Mele Kalikimaka, Christy, Mr. Reddhedd, Peanut and all the Pups…!

I guess I’m first…and I imagine that this item will get a lot of attention. Bush just rescinded his pardon of Robert Toussie, the guy who perjured himself to HUD investigators. Seems that this wasn’t even a normal pardon…within the standard time-frame. It was rushed up. But what really compelled this was the discovery that Toussie’s father, also named Robert Toussie had donated some $25,000 in contributions to a variety of Republican candidates and the RNC just before the pardon request was submitted.

Hmmm! Suspicious…would you say???? Turns out that McCain got some, but a considerable donation went to Sen. Norm Coleman. I wonder f those contributions played any part in the request being fast-tracked? Bush states it was all “just a mistake” and states they’ve been suddenly made aware of additional crimes (wait, was’t this supposed to be part of the process)? And wouldn’t it be pretty easy to see if a Robert Toussie had made any contributions that might be raised as an issue. Heck, this is easy! There are several sites that do this for you, and the criminal and the father even had the same name!

drip, drip, drip, on Carl Rove

Merry Christmas, Christy.

Is Santa Claus all prepared at your house? Is the peanut in bed, or all wound up?

I’m loading audio books on my ipod in preparation for traveling to relatives tomorrow.

Mele Kalikimaka CT

Aargh, ‘Triage’… Wtf?

The FBI has engaged in “triage,” taking agents off terror and other crimes to respond to a cascade of financial frauds such as the alleged Bernard Madoff Ponzi scheme, the head of the bureau’s New York criminal division said.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation was forced to reallocate its manpower in New York to deal with recent frauds involving subprime mortgages, auction-rate securities and Madoff, who prosecutors said confessed this month to bilking investors out of $50 billion, FBI official David Cardona said in an interview.

Where were they prior… Where was the SEC…? Oops, nevermind…

Who could have expected it?

Hey, C’ape! You never miss a beat, eh? I was shocked when I saw on CNN earlier that Shrub was having ’second thoughts’ on Toussie’s pardon…!

Hugs & Kisses from our house to yours, Christy!

Can you (anyone) name one thing that W didn’t f-up in his entire 8 years?

Doling out the public treasury to all his Buds…? *g*

I saw a stranger yestere’en;
I put food in the eating place,
drink in the drinking place,
music in the listening place;
and in the sacred names of the Triune God
he blessed me and my house,
my cattle and my dear ones,
and the lark said in her song:
Often, Often, Often,
goes the Christ in a stranger’s guise.
– The Rune of Hospitality

Wait a minute. That will unravel over the next few years. Some will get away with it, but several will go to jail.

As some wag pointed out, W even screwed his base: the haves and the have mores.

They’re more like the Haves and the Have-not-quite-so-much-anymores

Can I get back to you on that?

I almost inserted that caveat…! But, Obama’s not showing any inclination to pursue a ‘partisan witch hunt’… The latest nuanced ‘let bygones be bygones’ rhetoric for no criminal charges being leveled against any of ‘em…! 8-(

Started reading Krugman’s book on Conscience of a Liberal today, and he puts into historic context the way that those who held govt in contemt got to be in charge of govt.

Heres some more on Robert Toussie…not sure if this is the father or son.

David S. Cordish was one of Abramoff’s cronies. Baltimore-based financial advisor and developer. With Manhattan-based Richard Fields, David Cordish owned Power Plant Entertainment. Robert Toussie, who provided almost $3 million to Richard Fields to invest in Power Plant Entertainment, was indicted in federal court in Central Islip on four counts of tax evasion in June 2004 and struck a deal with the IRS. (Source = Statement from United South and Eastern Tribes, Inc. — USET) Cordish advised the Seminole Tribe of Florida with 2 casino complexes. The Seminoles severed ties with Cordish after the IRS came after them for using tax-exempt bonds for refinancing.

Then there’s the fact that the Republican-contributing father, Robert I. Toussie is pretty famous as a draft-dodger. He failed to register for the draft in 1959 when he was 18…and despite repeated efforts to get him to register in that period was finally prosecuted. The case eventually reached the Supreme Court in 1969, which found that the Statute of Limitations had expired prior to the initial charge. Not too many guys eligible for the draft in the 1960’s would have had the wherewithal to afford the lawyers to take this to the Supreme Court.

Once again, it shows that Republicans get special treatment. No draft, tax evasion, and pardons.

I thought of that, but (1) I think that applies only to R pols, and (2) some of what was done is sooo criminal and the voters are sooo pissed off, I think that it won’t be able to be ignored.

Caveat: W donors are now Obama donors, esp concentrated in finance industry.

W has been praised for battling AIDS in Africa. The effort might be overstated but if it has done any good at all it stands in stark contrast to all his other accomplishments.

On a lighter note. Happy holidays to all.

Jack’s house is hysterical…thanks for the link. Wherever Siri is…I was so pleased to have a note back re. the IRC from last night.

Sleep in heavenly peace, folks. So glad we’ve had this time together. Have a very merry Christmas, holiday, what ever you celebrate, even if that is a good rest. My best. Good night.

Likewise, Rev! Mele Kalikimaka!

– and lovely thoughts to the net world family from Nance:

http://journals.democraticunde…..Greggs/473

Had expected to be dining solo tomorrow ’til another solo seemed to be in need of an invite making a five pound turkey breast and a little dressing cooked in the crock pot sound like a good idea. From there, two friends from away came down to use their rental property for the week. So there’ll be four at table tomorrow and the bird became a 13 pounder complete with all the usual dish dishes.

Life’s what happens when yer making other plans. LOL

All my friends at the Lake will here in spirit; a merry holiday to each of you and much love and best wishes for a better year ahead.

Thanks, RevBev. Same to you.

I usually sleep well. When I wake up I know the best part of my day is over.

I think we’re still in the propoganda stage on that.

(1) There’s the requirement about abstinence instruction, which promotes AIDS. Some one will quantify that over the next few years.
(2) I picked up something somewhere that some of the money had already been allocated before W announced.
(3) I have yet to see an accounting on how much was actually dispersed.

Thanks to you and CT….for you, that means you better spend alot of time that way, huh? ;) Night folks.

Is it time to open the gifts, yet?((mild pout))

Good night, and have a wonderful Christmas.

You too, Waccamaw.

I’ve also got my crock pot ready for tomorrow. Just Bob and me for dinner, though and he eats like a bird.

Heh. Sounds great. Enjoy mightily.

I should knuckle under and read his book.

Bob asked me to give everyone this message.

It promises to be good. My whole hypothesis on the recovery of the U.S. economy is that it depends on labor doing well. The thrust of the book is that labor never does well without govt help (New Deal). And he gives the pre-WWII context, which I don’t know that well, and also fleshes out some of my observations on the economics in post-WWII with political trends.

My favorite quote from your linky:

Doug Berman, a law professor at Ohio State University and a close follower of presidential clemency decisions, said the White House decision strikes him as unprecedented, but he said it’s not inconceivable that it had happened in the past.

“It’s, at best, embarrassing. At worst, it’s an extraordinary example of this White House’s ability to bollox up one bit of presidential authority that he clearly has,” Berman said.

Merry Christmas!

Nice. Thanks.

Homeless families and non families facing dire straits. Plenty more with roofs over their heads looking for food. Food banks nationally can’t keep up with demand. The biggest growth numbers are poverty which is not reported. Homeless children have it tough too. We need adequate shelter for these folks they are not cattle. We need farms to produce food for them. We need kitchens to cook that food.
Why should anyone sleep in heavenly fooking peace when the world is topsy turvy and growing worse. Obama has proven to be politically expedient. He plans to escalate Afghanistan.
Denial is not a river in Egypt it is ignoring our reposibility to our own.

This will be Bob’s first Christmas with me. I adopted him from an avian rescue last March. He was 3 years old when his previous owner abandoned him. Spent 3 years at the rescue waiting for me to come along.

WPA-esque, I’m thinkin’

Can still see the benefits of that around here now.
ex’s grandfather supported family building stone walls on Mount Penn.

Signing off for the evening……

Holiday thoughts to each of you:

“I am your friend,
and my love for you goes deep.
There is nothing I can give you
which you have not got;
But there is much, very much,
that, while I cannot give it,
You can take…….

Life is so generous a giver, but we,
Judging its gifts by their covering,
Cast them away as ugly,
or heavy, or hard.
Remove the covering
and you will find beneath it
A living splendor,
woven of love, by wisdom, with power…….

And so, at this time I greet you.
Not quite as the world sends greetings,
But with profound esteem
and with the prayer
That for you now and forever,
The day breaks,
and the shadows flee away.”

– Fra Giovanni, 1513 A.D.

Aloha, Waccamaw and a Joyeux Noel!

It looks like Santa’s sleigh just emptied itself in my living room. We are going to have one happy Peanut in the morning. Hope everyone else is having as much fun as we are at the moment…

Thanks, have a splendid holiday, Waccamaw.

Merry Christmas, Christy. Hope Santa didn’t leave too many gifts for the Peanut with some assembly required. Having bicycle parts left over can be stressful at 3 a.m..

Already assembled the one needing it last week. We barely survived the “Year of the Kitchen Set.” Wasn’t making that mistake this year with the dollhouse. Nosiree.

All we had to do was carry things in and arrange by the tree and…voila! Spiked eggnog, anyone?

I take it you have everything assembled with batteries inserted too…! ;-)

Fortunately, mine are in that ‘tweener stage, Santa has been exposed and no Grandkids on the horizon, yet…! *g*

Merry Christmas, WCM

My mom always said parenting was on-the-job training. I always replied that my three older siblings were obviously practice kids.

good evening and Happy Christmas eve……. Hope every one has a warm and happy Christmas…… now going for a glass of eggnog…..

Merriest of Christmases to you and yours…and a very gentle, loving hug for you from me. Hope you have a wonderful day tomorrow. Will be thinking about you…

Happy Christmas to you, katymine. I think the Obamas had the right idea. I wouldn’t object to a little tropical weather at this point.

I do, as a matter of fact. Most of it, anyway. I just couldn’t face tackling the crazy rubber bands and wires from hell on the one Barbie toy, so it will have to wait until morning. (There’s a reason I’m hitting the spiked eggnog, ya know…)

But everything else is pretty much ready. Her Santa list was lots of science and building toys for the most part this year, with the exception of really, really wanting a dollhouse. Should be a fun morning tomorrow.

Hope everyone has a good one!

Great when they’re widdle.
Hoping the Smiths have a ball!

my father always said you kids deserve to have kids with a big “/s”

And the same to you and your whole family……

Same to you. Tell the Grinch and Max that I said, “Hi.”

here’s a cinnamon stick for you…

They are predicting a high of 69 on Friday and Saturday…… that is pretty tropical….

That is an amazing accomplishment, M’dear! Science and building toys versus the bane of our youth today, video games…! Much kudos…! *g*

Sounds good. High 40s Friday and 50s Saturday here in central Illinois. Better than the 7 above predicted tonight.

Tropical? You want tropical…? *g*

Sure, it’ll help with the 2″ of ice covering my entire driveway.

One year my daughter wanted a doll house but not one of those “baby” ones….. went to a craft store and bought a wooden one that I spent months putting together. I put the ironing board in my bedroom and assembled, painted, glued the parts together. I asked my co-workers for pieces of their wallpaper and carpet samples.

It was months of work with furniture and even a Christmas tree and Rudolph on the roof….. she loved it, treated it like gold and today it is up on the “plant” shelf between the breakfast room and kitchen…….

I did that for my nieces, oh the time I spent picking out the wallpaper!

I had a ton of doll house furniture I’d let them play with, and one day my meanie ginger cat went in the room the girls were playing in, and he leaped down into the morass of stuff and picked out the teeny little infant baby doll and made off with it, like a Mountain Lion. It still cracks me up thinking about it.

Remember I’m the person who knows what 118 degrees feels like……

Religious holidays aside, christmas for the faithful has been widely misinterpreted. It has become commercialized by trading bright shining packages that indicate the wealth of the giver from jewelry to new cars which are an expression of love for the recipients not their savior.
The hypocricy of religion has no bounds and sends a mixed message.
The “Good Samaritan” is a concept of bortherly/sisterly love and kindness to one another ( whether a member of the flock or not) lost in a competitive society in “keeping up with the Jones”.
Professor Krugman has put it on the line recently…the culture of deception to achieve economic dominance has corrupted the society. Further I say the trade off of lost ethical and moral values has created a dog eat dog society…much to our loss and discomfort.
I think of Kurt Vonnegut preached a gospel of kindness. In religion god gets the love and an eternity of worship while humans violate everything on the planet.
If we are to be controlled by an authoritarian philosophy it should be taking care of the planet and all the creature. Christmas perpetuates the desolation and destruction. Every year I have heard the same platitudes instead of the beatitudes, soon forgotten after the lights are turned off and the New Year festivities begin.
We should be building fuctional institutions, sustainable economies and reasonable lifestyle expectations. Those that insist on the high life need to be taxed to bear the burden of their folly. The corporations and the rich can pick up the tab for the disenfranchised.
Christmas is another holiday. As jesus said “Give up your riches and follow me.” The rich man replied he could not. And so we by comparison to the other 5.5 billion people on the planet are the rich people. Buckmister Fuller said there is enough for all and Caregivers of the Planet
Bees have a short life span and their work is not completed in their life cycle. Once out of the hive after several weeks of working there they face the same onfriendly environment that our homeless population faces. They suffer much. What is wrong with this picture?

ellie is a few flights up

A catholic family that I know has a tradition for christmas..they do not give each other presents instead they donate to charities what they would have given. The satisfaction they get from helping others is the gift that gives always. Naturally all religious person disaprove of my independence from some imagined higher authority in the great somewhere.

Is he pining? *G*

Nah, he’s shredding paper right now. His third favorite thing to do. First is eating, second is playing tricks on me.

thanks, christy! that’s the best xmas present ever!