ZED!

ZED

ZEDw

ZED un

ES LOL!

Good evening

retracted ZED Nahant was lurking in the bushes laying in wait

digg IT!

ES is winging it tonight and comes upo with a double vid getting cocky huh?

tiptoe through the ZEDs

Duh Oouh!!

Couldn’t resist doubling the zany vids, bb.

Everything’s on topic on Late Night? Can I say that my optimism since Jan. 20 is a little tarnished – my Valentine’s Day dinner, that was part of an attempt by my ex and me to explore getting back together, has been cancelled. He’s mad at me.
Sigh.
What’s the French phrase? plus ca change, plus la meme chose? Or something like that. French isn’t really one of my languages… *g*

OK – enough self-pity.
I am signed up to visit the office of the devil – Sen. Cornyn – on Monday. Won’t meet with the “great man” himself – just a staffer. But should be interesting, anyway.

dugg and most excellent choices es

I am signed up to visit the office of the devil – Sen. Cornyn – on Monday. Won’t meet with the “great man” himself – just a staffer. But should be interesting, anyway.

Call him “Big John.”
He likes that s***

I think i hit a high note in blogging life today. I mean you hope a day comes along when you can pen a post title like tonight’s. *s*

i’m sorry – and at least you will be in the proper mood to meet with his staffer (just call my pollyanna)

errr me pollyanna

Awwwww. Send him the first youtube. /s

Going to bed….. ES posted an update downstairs…… makes me very happy…
@26

What’s your topic du jour on Monday?

katy – that is forking wonderful! cough the rest of the forkers up!!!

Good news!

Good night katymine.

P.S. Did you hear.. a few folks may be about to take on sheriff Joe?

“I Would Never (Have Sex With You)”… devastaing aren’t they. We just wanted to pray with you. G) It’s our ideology yannow

hi gyze.
anyone out there?
I’m in Denver, had to drive here in blizzard conditions for my mother’s sudden funeral (and subsequent death)
i’ve not been online for daaaze.
and i miss you guys.
hailing…………….
ya there?
s

Somehow I don’t think Mr big hair is gettin’ any these days. /s

oh siri, i’m so sorry for your loss (((siri and family)))

Yep my mailbox was full of emails from all the groups …… YEA Conyers and the DOJ is finally going to investigate Sheriff Joe…… about f’n time…..

So sorry siri… glad you made it in one piece.

(((((siri)))))
be safe

bummer (((tejanarusa)))

So sorry…. {{{{{{{{siri}}}}}}}}}

My take – he will have to resign. Once publicly scorched by the Feds with videotaped Civil Rights violations, game over.

If there is any justice and he still does manage to escape, it will be across *cough* the border.

{{{ katy }}} good news on coughing up one of those little forkers, may the rest soon follow.

{{{ siri & family }}} family losses are always hard.

resigning is so last century…

hey pups, big hugs to all who need one.

i want the forker housed in his own forking tent city while awaiting trial

Hey ask him about his tax returns. He likes that stuff too I heard…

Excellent! Thanks. ; )
(And – sorry sorry for bringing up personal crap – just disregard the 1st paragraph).

Re: Big John – he isn’t going to be there, unfortunately.
I had met him a couple of times, many, many years ago when I was a newbie lawyer here and he was a local district judge. Not that there’s any reason he would remember me.

I think you mean the Canadian border.. don’t expect he would find much happiness down south.

((((siri)))) It’s so hard.. Be good to yourself.

it is late late nite – personal is always welcome

Srsly? Can you do that?
Anyway, you feel better, you’re doing stuff – congratulations! hope it continues.

And, siri – so sorry about your mother. Hard enough when you’re sort of expecting it, to have such a loss without warning – well, I wish you the best in grieving and keeping on.

A hasty retreat would be preferable…

Preferably through June, July, and August.

Yay katy!

Thank you all! Every single soul of y’all.
it’s just good to get online here at the Lake and say “hey” and get a response.
i love you guys. you are my lifeline in normal life.
i’ll be back mid week next week.
it’s amazing, but the whole entire country hasn’t fallen into the void cause I couldn’t keep a constant eye on politics this week.
lol
hugz all.
laterz.
and really!
THANKS FOR THE RESPONSE!

Aww, thanks again. and,
((((((siri)))))

((((((katymine)))))) .

Who knew punctuation marks could be so powerful? I feel much better already.

(((Siri)))
I’m sorry I didn’t see your comment until now.

Mayy the bird of paradise crap in his nose…and may feds make him wear the pink panties…

Speaking of having sex, this could be one of the funniest stories of this next year. The pornstar that might run against Diaper Dave Vitter has asked Larry Flynt to be her campaign manager. I’m thinking he’ll take it and bring his PR talents and experience to the race.

CTBob had a poll up (hey now) showing Stormy already in a close second and ahead (hey now) of the 3rd legit challenger. A little support for her from the blogosphere could really make things things sticky (ok, go ahead (hey now))for DiaperVitter.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…..65161.html

Save aspecimen for the lab…might be revealing.

Her ‘mascots’ will be appropriately attired, I gather.

FDL is open 24/7 if you need any supplemental ((((()))))s.

I recently learned missing a week requires almost another whole week just to catch up!

Love to all Pups,
I have been luckier than many here. But I’ve learned so, SO, much about politics, family, friends and loyalty. Thanks Firedoglake.
Love, Chris

Hey!
Raining cats’n’dogs, about 39 degrees and high winds.
But no snow at these elevations.

Howdy Chris!

What a campaign slogan… I would NEVER (have sex with David Vitter)

does anyone know who the seven dems were who voted against the stimulus?

31 outside and no wind to speak of here

this week i have been seriously annoyed by (among many things) all the hoopla about “octo-mom” sheesh. babies need holding. Lots of holding. How can a single mom with existing toddlers find time/energy/arms to hold EIGHT babies? !!!

At the same time i’ve been seriously annoyed by all the media clucking of tongues about octo-mom while nobody says one word about that brood of cockroaches, the breed-like-vermin Duggars. Which made me remember marymac’s comment regarding the duggar brood mare not having a vagina but a clown car.

which made me remember many hilarious threads, so i burst out laughing when i saw this linkie for Sarah Jessica Parker’s camel-toe boots.

well shit. There’s goes my political career. If I run for anything, my oppo research will be like, “what the hell was he doing there??!?”

On the other hand, it doesn’t seemed to have hurt Diaper Dave though…at least not yet.

Newt! Snow all melted, thank the winds and higher temps. We have a Monday holiday off, and I’m really thinking about stimulating the economy. Heh heh, that means Marshalls…

I am also speechless as to why he remains a viable candidate. Even if she can’t win, I hope she puts a powerful hurt on that schmuck.

(((Siri))) glad your OK and back here. Be well and breathe. Namaste

omg – those are forking ugly with a capitol ug

Shuler was one

here’s the roll call vote.

So sad…
We maligned Chimpy for years for telling us to go shopping, and now the way to actually save the economy from a citizenry standpoint is…
Go shopping.
Irony didn’t die – it was in a porta-potty.

Oh yea! That’s the first ad:

“As a pornstar, I’ve had sex with many men and in many different circumstances. But let me tell you fine upstanding people of Louisiana…I Would Never Have Sex with David Vitter! I mean just look at the dude. He’s gross, and the whole diaper thing, that’s just disgusting, even to me.

David Vitter. Not good enough for a pornstar. Not good enough for Louisiana. Vote Stormy Daniels – Making the “South” Rise Again…and Again…and Again.”

ES – I forgot to mention this is a MoveOn thing – so it’s about appropriations for Green Energy, one of the four top priorities MoveOn members chose last fall.

To an extent, it’s starting w/ a lesser issue (well, for me, it’s fourth on the list of 4, below Recovery, Iraq, and Prosecute/Investigate the Bushies), but somewhat of a practice run for heavier issues later.

ERm, or third might be Health Care. Can;t find my reference at the moment. Bet somebody here knows. *g*

He may sin but he is forgivin’…

or, in the words of Patton quoting his own men. he may be an SOB but he’s their SOB.

I would have checked in a while ago, but Garfunkel & Oates are incredibly refreshing. Kids are so cool.

Thanks for the videos, ES.

I think Octo mom thinks she is the next Angelina Jolie but without the resources…

Oh, that would be sooo popcorn-worthy!

True, that. I always try to shop, just for things made in America, or Europe. It is a hobby in the Edmonson family!

Dugg

Sunny and balmy here in the CA Central Coast…just amazing weather. S
Laying out in the patio sunning reading
ARNOLD EHRET’S
Mucusless-Diet Healing System

The best hot dogs in this town are, believe it or not, at the stand outside Home Depot, about 2 miles away. That is how I will stim tomorrow. And a root beer.

Ding!

Refreshing is the perfect description… they aren’t even signed yet.

We firedogs are on the tip.

My idea of heaven: chili dog.

Take my arm, and we will waddle off to the HD together…

thanks. only two I really recognize are Shuler and Defazio. There’s a couple from conservative regions of CA that voted Yes, suprisingly

something strange just happened when I tried to listen to that Garfunkel and Oates vid. About 30 seconds into the song, my screen went black and then a large red and white rectangle appeared that said “sinc. out of range”…I had to restart my computer to get rid of it.

anybody know what that was about?

Dell PC Windows Vista Internet Explorer.

Oh, there must be a rock song to match this… who can find it first?

No to be trite but …Happy Valentines Day to Planet earth and her inhabitants…

Max Blumenthal’s interview with Stormy Daniels last week.

I was pleasantly surprised to see all my Blue Dogs voted for it as well.

No computer expert, but I know what the problem is. It rhymes with “Mista.”

Your display driver crashed. It is often an application, and they can bail from time to time.
Reboot is the cure.

James Blunt — “Here I Go” maybe?

I looked them up on wikipedia, but they aren’t there yet. Where do they live?

Great post title…)

“Same Mistake”

LA I think… click on their name under the youtube… it’s a link to their myspace page.

Late to the party.
Tejanarusa, hugs to you honey.

Siri, How does one articulate the empathy, my prayers for you and your family.

((((Hugz))))

((((katymine))))
Take care honey.

Today is my Grandmothers 95th birthday and I’ll be damned if I could find an appropriate gift.
Thank goodness for Gift Cards.

Y’all take care of yerselves.

Cheeseburger in Paradise is all I could come up with. Not quite right.

Just imagine if she wins. Picturing her on the Senate floor giving speeches. Why the hell not?!? She probably has good street smarts and understands the world’s dynamics better than most insulated pretty boys. Most sex workers are quite smart. Have to be to survive.

how about this one?

In 1969 i went on the diet and then a grape juice fast and a long hike in Southern Oregon ending in Takilma at a moonlight peyote ceremony where musicians were playing in a big circle…after a week long fast walking up the mountains via a creek bed.
You get a lot of energy when you can fast…tubes get unplugged…toxins flush. better in warm weather. I always give everything away.

What was I thinking…
James Taylor did it up fine.

You must stay long enough to fill us in on the new humble abode sometime.

hippo birdies busted’s granny

Oh, and happy birthday, grandma nuckle…)

I always give everything away.

You can’t take it with you.

Sunday is the big day.
Monday I have off , so I can lay in bed all day.

Nice planning. Will it go in the old/original spot, or did you find a new spot?

thanks, newt. so you think it is safe for me to try replaying that video?

Yeah. Unless your Flash is buggered, should be fine.

My best wishes to the Firedogs who are having personal issues of grieving and health problems.

This place is more than just a Political Watchdog, vent yer frustration and call yer fucking Congressman site.

Although I tend to do those things, I have met some awesome people here.

OK it worked for me that time

My address is going to change by one numeral.

Dell PC Windows Vista Internet Explorer

There’s your problem!

(ok, I have no personal experience w/ Vista, just snarking on Microsoft)

And there would always be a quorum when she was giving a speech.

Not to mention free tech support.

right.

I crashed three times playing the vids tonight. By the way ab activist woman who lost her hubbie on 9/11 was on the plane that crashed yesterday. I hope it was only a coincidence…the odds are not in my favor.

Hey Suzanne you in bed? G

Things kinda went downhill for me. But i think its also the kick in the ass to go back east. Car got taken by the repo man, and there’s no way in hell i’m going ot get almost 2000$ in less than 12 days with a credit history in the toilet like i’ve got. Even family can’t help me now, beyond a few hundred dollars to maybe get myself back east. Dad in the hospital isn’t helping matters, either. They KNEW he was there and din’t bother leaving messages with me at all. I do have voice mail, but they didn’t bother to use it.

With luck i can find another job over there. Preferably a transfer, but i’m not counting my chickens either.

not yet – but headed there soon dood

How could “they” not call kin?

So sorry, alias… things are tough all over… at least in a big city cars are not needed.

(((alias)))

Sucks! (((alias)))

HEAR YE, HEAR YE, James K Galbraith (a real economist) has a diary up at Oxdown. That’s a fine honor, pups. Please go over and make him welcome and don’t forget to DIGG it, (((please)))

Thanks

AND THE KILLIN’GOEZ ON AND ON AND…

Citizen Eureka Springs and the Firepup Freedom Fighters:

Keep the tunes hot and the coffee hotter, we’re takin’ one more shift for the tax collector.

Jest a word from my work site…I work in a medium sized, very progressive hospital that until two weeks ago was one of the top 20 hospitals in the country in patient satisfaction and a bellweather for employee-mgmnt relations. Two weeks ago the management announced the termination of the entire management structure of the medical-surgical staff from the Director of Nursing through the unit managers, a 10% accross the board pay reduction of senior administrators and the firing of 7 middle and upper bussiness management employees. The cost savings is estimated at $750,000 to $1,000,000. Today the surviving management issued a notice that cuts of 20-45% of hours for staff nursing personell would become effective next week.

This hospital just went from the 21st century back to the 19th with the publication of one memo…and we’re in better shape than most hospitals in the metropolitan area.

I have seen the conversion of a lot of life time Republicans to Democrats in the last two weeks…here’e to the next Great Depression, a Republican is gunna be as hard to find around here as a Nazi in Germany after WWII!

KEEP THE FAITH AND PASS THE FUCKIN’ AMMUNITION, THIS THINGS IS GOIN TO THE STREETS BEFORE IT’S ALL OVER!!

I have a kind of dumb newbie question: what is the correct way to add a link to a comment or to an Oxdown post? I tried using the little link icon above the comment box, but it didn’t work. I am link-less, but want to change!

And hi everyone!

judas priest norske- who the hell is gonna take care of the patients?

Wow… How’s your seniority… and will they reduce maximum numbers of patients as well?

Copy the link you want to add

Create a comment you want it embedded into

Highlight the text in your comment that you want the link referred in

Click once on the ‘chain’link’ icon in the bar above your comment

Delete any text already the resulting box and paste in your link

Click “OK”

Preview your comment.

copy the URL up top and then paste it where ya want it to be, like this:
http://oxdown.firedoglake.com/diary/3652

or you can embed the link if you wanna by using the chain looking thingie in the comments box above where ya type.

Oh man.
That is grim. Sorry norske.

Norske, I hate to hear that.

And hello everyone!

this being a mom again is tiring. i’m headed off to bed

g’nite all

Hey Votus… use that box… delete the blue http in it… and paste the entire addy into the same space.

but first you have to highlight the word in your comment text which you want the link to appear.

(((((alias))))
Sorry to hear that it’s all coming down on you at once. Sounds like you would be happier back east. Is that home, and where your dad is in the hospital?

((((Norse))))
Jeez louise! That’s — incredible. Are any of the terminated people being replaced? How do you run a hospital w/o a Dir. of Nursing?
I fear we will be hearing more of this.
My ex’s company announced a week ago 5% pay cuts and no mor
e company contribution to the 401(k). We kinda figure if it wasn’t a German-owned company they’d just have closed the place and laid everyone off.
So sorry, Norske. Are you in the group taking the big hits?

G nite Moma Suz

Thank you–I will give it a try!

Thank you!

you deserve some daughter time (that could be interpreted several ways i guess)
nite suz

I didn’t know to highlight the word–I’ll give it another try. Thanks!

No way…wow. About three years ago the Couty flat shut down our Hospital that served lower income folks. Your’s is private right Nordske? Mighty sorry for all your patients and staff.

((((alias))))

Citizens Eureka Springs and Suzanne:

I got good seniority but it doesn’t mean anythin ‘cuz we aren’t union…the management over the last 15 years has been VERY enlightened as a means to keep the nursing staff from orgamizing and as a way of providing the best working conditionsd and, in my opinion, the best patient care in the entire region. My wife and I have talked about my goin out early (we wanned ta wait 3 more years) ‘cuz I have been here long enough that I’m vested in the old pension plan (annuity) that they froze two years ago, but it won’t be enough to pay for dog food for us and meals for the puppies, if ya catch my drift. (and no, we aren’t gunna make meals outta the dogs, though there are moments…)

But don’t worry about us…we’re in good shape and the house is almost paid for if we hafta go out early!

I jest wonder what’s in store for some a these single mom’s and two-parent working families that are sinkin’ under $250,000+ mortages for property now worth $150,000…

Things are gunna be worse than the early 1930’s because the fascists are institutionalized in the bureaucracies that support life in our country.

My problem is my job is still in the same county–but roughly 18 miles OUTSIDE the city. I’m alright until thursday of next week. I’m looking into the FMLA to get time to drum up a transfer. I think i need to be home for this, and i’ll figure out things later. I expect to lose my job where i am, though. No one lives nearby enough to take me to work which is a given. I could probably do the county bus thing for a week or two(at 14$ one way, it’ll blow through what little i have in a hurry), and then i’m pretty much gone.

Oh the “they’ in question isn’t my kin. I’ve been getting constant updates about dad since he went in a few weeks ago. The ‘they’ for the lack of voice messages was the finance company i had my car through. Wells (Hells)Fargo to be exact. I’ve hated them since i got the car in the first place. I know i got behind, but when no one bothers ot leave me a voice mail message in the last WEEK? When i had TOLD them that dad was hospitalized and i was willing to make payment arrangements. I couldn’t do them ASAP because i get paid biweekly, but that obviously wasn’t enough.

Sorry – that’s miserable.

norske, is it the suits doing this or is this just the inevitable tax cutting Governor Twerp finally filtering down to the health care system?

Ouch Norske!

And thank you, everyone. A year ago i was trying to keep my head above water, now i’m at it again. Which is driving me batty, but i may finally listen to what’s been a big message for some time. ‘Go back home, you’ve nothing here.’ Especially since most of my friends are online, and i can communicate with them no matter what.

I once paid on a car for three and a half years, on time every month and each month 150.00 over the minimum payment… got caught up on an extended business trip… in less than twenty days the repo’d it.

They ended up losing money on the whole deal… No mercy and self defeating much of the time.

thank you for the heads up, acquarius! well worth trotting over and checking out and digging.

alrighty, time for an ol’ farmgrrrlll to head for bed. *waves g’night*

nite ndfg

things seem to be sucking all over

g nite ndfg

Citizen newtonusr:

Basically, our situation is reflective of the whole rotten mess of the fascisfication of our political economy over the last 50 years…this has been in the works since 1946. And Governor Shitforbrains is jest a spear carrier for the same folks that brought our parents and gandparents the last great big one… one thing that some of these young kids who used ta be Republicans until two weeks ago are beginnin’ ta realize is that their whole intellectual rationale for existence has been a lie…I’m tellin’ ya that there is gunna be real bloodshed in this country soon unless Obama gets his eyes open!

Hard times

Yeah. It also doesn’t help that the dealership i got the car from forced the Dec 5th ‘payment due’ date on me along with the financing through Hells Fargo. I haven’t been able to make a payment on time because that always wars with my paycheck for rent. I don’t make enough to pay off both on the same check and have anything left for me to get through until the second paycheck of the month(or the rare 3rd one).

If i can do this right and manage to land a job quickly over there again. I’ll likely be able to file for bankruptcy and start anew after i get through the damned debt counseling they require FIRST. Right now i’m all speculation on options. Without a car i don’t have too many. I don’t want to leave my current store, with all my regulars. But i may have to. I can’t get a vehicle here on my own which makes it all the worse.

Teh dumb part is i know i can budget, i did it for years before i moved out from my parents’ house. I expect a lot of condescension from all the people i need to go through to get back on my feet again. Which always makes my fight/flight reaction kick up, usually in the fight mode. Which leads to verbal swats quite often. Usually not in my favor, either. I’m exhausted because it kicked up when the repo guy took my car and didn’t let me go for a while.

Off to bed. Love to all.
God Bless us every one.

Sunny

You know, that reminds m of a thought I’ve heard through some of this Repub lying about the New Deal lately.

You sometimes hear people say that FDR “saved capitalism” with the New Deal, but the commentators seem to mean that he kept the system from falling apart.

I think what it used to mean, when said by folks who lived through the Great Depression, was that with the New Deal programs FDR kept the legions of increasingly angry, desperate people from becoming (pardon the now-debased expression) Socialist or Communist.
There were plenty of people thinking that might be the way to go, and if things had gone on as they were, a true revolution might well have happened. Soviet Russia hadn’t been discredited yet; many people thought it was successful, and some unemployed Americans actually managed to emigrate there.
The New Deal saved capitalism from a socialist-style uprising. And, perhaps in part, established for the rest of the century that Americans just didn’t go for radical solutions.

`Rent a dent or get a moped?

Repo dudes can be like Barney Fife… love their authority trips.

nite sunny

G nite Sunny

Hell, yes. I’ll spring for the big-ass belts and flashlights and badges. Let them strut around like assholes, but leave our stuff alone.

impossible at the moment. I don’t have enough for a rental for even a little while except maybe a one way Uhaul with help. I’d need 300 in the bank to get a rental car for a single week. Which i don’t have. The logistics really don’t compute. I hate numbers, but i can throw guestimates on what i need with ease, including money spent.

i also don’t doubt that, ES. I get enough of that to begin with because i still resemble someone in my late teens. Even though i’m hitting 32 this year. Totally natural white streak of hair and all, and i still get looked down at.

best wishes for finding a solution, alias

keep on passin’ that ammunition, norske

happy valentine’s day and good nite, all

nite neuro. i’m out too
we will have stories to tell our grandchildren after all. i thought all that was over when my mom and dad told me about the thirties and ww2

nite pups

Need to turn in myself.

Hang in there everyone

good night fabulous firedogs

Irene good night Irene good night
Good night Irene Good night Irene
I’ll see you in my dreams

“Sometimes I get a great notion
to jump in the river and drown

Goodnight Irene Goodnight…”

“…and goodnight Mrs. Kalabash, wherever you are.” (Jimmi Durante)

Good morning, pups. Bob Herbert is off today, and Gail Collins is flying solo. She must think that her column “How to Stock a Cabinet” is a scream. She wonders if since Senator Judd Gregg has dropped his bid to become the secretary of commerce they not try filling the Obama administration’s cabinet via TV game shows. Har, har, har…

Here she is.

The coffee, tea and hot chocolate are ready, and I’ve got waffles with either warm Vermont maple syrup or spiced peach sauce. I had been planning on doing some work in the garden today, but it appears that rain is headed our way. Maybe tomorrow… Have a great day.

Well. Now we know what all those bank presidents wear to Congressional hearings. Appalling headline…

Hey good morning, Marion, and all the doggies this morning. Looks like we’ve got a shot at a little sunshine this morning.

G’mornin’ Marion and Toby.

The sun’s not shining yet in California, but the coffee sure is fine.

FWIW this Dkos Diary by the ever-excellent Devilstower went well with my coffee this morning.

tHE SUN IS NOT SHINNIN’ ANYFUCKIN WHERE …THE LONG NIGHT OF FASCISM IS BLANKETING THE WORLD

Good morning every.

Great timimg, heh?

Given the salaries those smucks have been dragging down, no doubt they spring for the $21,000 custom-made outfits. How many people in this country are currently trying to live for an entire year on that amount or less? :-(

Spam has finally found my aol account. I used to get a half a dozen every two weeks, now up to about 40. Most goes into the spam folder, so not much of a problem. This morning, one related to FL real estate got thru to my regular email. I guess that represents the triumph of hope over reality. Think they ought to send it to W and Rove.

Morning eCAHN – how goes it in the Hudson Valley?

I’m in the city, driving up with my niece in a couple of hours. Looks goegeous in the city, and has been above freezing for the several days I’ve been here so I’m looking forward to a big snow melt up there. You seeing any bare ground in the southern tier?

Oh yes – the rain and big wind on Thurs and Fri put pay to a lot of it – and of course we had last weekend’s warmth. Big news at our house (Chez Siberia) is that there is no long34 2″ of ice on the driveway — bit improvement.

The ability of anyone to produce that headline today simply boggles the mind. It’s one step removed from “What the Well-Dressed Soup Kitchen Diner Will Wear This Season.” I just wonder when folks will get angry enough to take to the streets…

Raining here in So Cal too. It’s wonderful, though, we need it!

Morning, folks.

Yep, the section of my driveway in the back of the house gets very little sun in the winter so stay icy as long as possible. Of course it’s where I go in & out of the house all the time. And if I put salt or ashes on it, they get tracked into the house. So I’m hoping that’s all melted.

Well, I think the Bush/Cheney cabal actually was very clever – they put a “depression of the spirit” into people’s heads in 2000 with the election/court mess…and it just got worse. People got so used to being afraid of their neighbors, holding things in, not talking, etc. etc. that what is happening now seems to many to just be more of the same.

Mornng everyone. I should do my own homework, I know, but does anyone know if it’s true that there is a salary cap provision in the stimulus bill? There’s a diary at DKos saying Dodd inserted one. True?

As an analyst of business cycles I am fascinated by the macabre examples of business who get it precisely wrong. Any time there’s a long lag between when plans are started and the project finishes risks missing the cycle. The negiations took so long in that case, that voila. If I weren’t going upstate this morning, I’d take a stroll thru the dept and chat up the sales clerks just to be mean.

I saw a headline somewhere that there is one. Will look for it.

Here’s the msnbc version, solai:

WASHINGTON – The stimulus package Congress passed last night imposes new limits on executive compensation that could significantly curb multimillion dollar pay packages on Wall Street and goes much further than restrictions proposed by the Obama administration last week.

The bill, which President Obama is expected to sign into law next week, limits bonuses for executives at all financial institutions receiving government funds to no more than a third of their annual compensation. The bonuses must be paid in company stock that can be redeemed only when the government investment has been repaid. With the measure, lawmakers seek to address public outrage over extravagant Wall Street paydays even as taxpayers bail out the industry.

Unlike the rules issued by the White House, the limits in the stimulus bill would apply to top executives and the highest-paid employees at all 359 banks that have already received government aid.

There’s more at the link, including Wall St crying, comparing it to WH version. It seems to be stricter.

Sounds like Chris Dodd’s response to the hearings with the banking guys this week. Nothing says “F-you” like inserting something like that into legislation.

Sebelius for HHS???

TOPEKA | Gov. Kathleen Sebelius caused a stir Friday by canceling a planned meeting with legislative leaders while the Statehouse buzzed about her chances of joining President Barack Obama’s administration.

The meeting was set for 8 a.m. Monday, and legislative leaders confirmed that they were told by e-mail that it had been scuttled. Later, another Monday meeting, set for 1 p.m., appeared on Sebelius’ public schedule.

Applies to the top five executives. Now they’re fighting over sixth place.

Not sure what you mean about Dodd. It seems he put in something that is surmountable, which would make sense, given his campaign contributors:

To offset the new rules, inserted by Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.), compensation boards could just significantly raise the base salary of executives, the critics said.

Where did you see that it applies only to the top 5? In the article I linked, it seems to apply much more broadly, although it doesn’t say for sure.

Yep – they can do that for sure in terms of base salary – but I think Dodd was making his mark in the sand so to speak. I think the whole thing with the bonuses being moved up and people being told NOT to call them bonuses was something that felt sneaky to him..it certainly appeared that way to me. Shoot – bonuses are how Wall Street works. I remember when my sister worked for Huntoon Paige in the 70s – she used to count on getting one at Christmas every year and she was fairly down the food chain.

Thanks, eCAHN. I like the part where they must be paid in stock only. It doesn’t seem like they can get around that, but I’m sure they’ll think of something.

Here’s the WaPo on cutting exec pay.

Unlike the rules issued by the White House, the limits in the stimulus bill would apply to top executives and the highest-paid employees at all 359 banks that have already received government aid.

I thought I saw it at Politico, but now I can’t find it…

Good morning all.

Nothing to add, just delurking to say a Happy Valentines day to all pups.

(and now back to my lurky lair)

WaPo:

The bonus restrictions would apply to a varying number of employees at each firm, depending on how much money the firm has taken in government assistance. At banks receiving less than $25 million, the limits would apply to only the highest-paid employee. For those receiving $25 million to $250 million, the restriction would apply to the five highest-paid employees. The top five executives and ten highest-paid employees would be affected at firms receiving $250 million to $500 million.

Smooches!

I think that might have been the WH version. The final one seems more broadly applied but easier to get around.

Thanks, LooHoo. You are one of the few pups I have actually met. Makes it nice.

I told this story before, so forgive me if you’ve heard it already. My daughter dated a stockbroker for a while. During their fling, he got a $60,000 bonus and immediately went out and bought an expensive car. When my daughter was home and telling us about it, her grandmother was appalled. Gram was convinced he must really be a drug-dealer since no one gets $60,000 bonuses. She couldn’t be convinced otherwise. Her point of view was that she’d never heard of a bonus that is more than most people earn in a year’s time. From that point on, Gram hated that guy and he was referred to as _____the pusher.

But those are only the smallest recipients. Most have received billions, not millions. How do the restrictions apply at those firms? Heh, details in a 1100 page bill. *Throwing whole raft of papers on the floor*

Kinda cool. The French made what we would call civil unions legal ten years ago, but now non-gays are using it as a kind of step toward marriage.

The CEO bonus clause is now the headline on nbcnews.com
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/

Very sweet Valentine Day story.

Niskanen’s (Cato, former GM Chief Econ) is on my TV spewing lies. Thank goodness I have a mute button & am leaving soon.

OK, everyone, grab your coffee cups and drag your chairs upstairs…Christy is here!!!

I, on the other hand, have consigned Sen cornyums monthly letter to the spam file. He has never said anything anyway.How on earth was he able to get reelected, other than the fact that the dem apprently did no campaigning
The best congressperson-whose district I was in-for constituent services, is Congressman Bart Stupek, D, Mi. A Dem in a republician part of the state who has easily beaten every rethug thrown again him.