Howdy, BT!

Agree with the commenter in the SCOTUS article.
Total straw man argument designed to draw the discussion away from merits.

Two things need to be fixed, BT… Your twittering link takes us to the NYT stress test article and you have two wills: “This will will work:…” ;-)

Rupert should get a lot of revenue charging for Page 6!

I’m not surprised Pence doesn’t believe in evolution or at least can’t admit he doesn’t. Pence and his party hasn’t evolved since 1802, so it’s not surprising they don’t get the premise of evolution at all! It’s foreign to them.

Pretty amazing how Pence didn’t have a sound bite ready for why he didn’t believe in evolution. Had to be an obvious Q for which I would have expected him to have an obvious A. The Rs, apparently, can’t even do talking points anymore. Where’s Karl Rove when they need him?

Turncoat senator Arlen Specter has JFK’s blood dripping all over him. Why is the damning evidence not splattered over the right-wing blogs? Does the right-wing advocate the assassination of US Presidents?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…..re=related

He (Arlen Specter) kept trying to get me (Jean Hill) to change my story, particularly regarding the number of shots. He said I had been told how many shots there were and I figured he was talking about what the Secret Service told me right after the assassination. His inflection and attitude was that I knew what I was supposed to be saying, why wouldn’t I just say it. I asked him, ‘Look, do you want the truth or just what you want me to say?’ He said he wanted the truth, so I said, ‘The truth is that I heard between four and six shots.’

I told him, ‘I’m not going to lie for you.’ So he starts talking off the record. He told me about my life, my family, and even mentioned that my marriage was in trouble. I said, ‘What’s the point of interviewing me if you already know everything about me?’ He got angrier and finally told me, ‘Look, we can even make you look as crazy as Marguerite Oswald [Lee Oswald’s mother] and everybody knows how crazy she is. We could have you put in a mental institution if you don’t cooperate with us.’ I knew he was trying to intimidate me… (as told to researcher Jim Marrs)

Frank Luntz rides in to fill Roves shoes.

So where’s the daily memo with R talking points? The ones I hear from the R callers on WJ sound like they’re left over from the W regime, as do the ones coming out of R leaders’ mouths.

Gah! Not enough coffee.

Murdoch sez:

“The current days of the internet will soon be over.”

Dream on, Murdoch. Does he really think the Fox lovers will pay for that content?

For the troll @7

You’ve got to be the fucking laziest conspiracy troll on the planet. The same copy and paste every day. Get a life.

When I woke up this morning, one of the first visions in my channel surfing was Obama talking about how he would minimize collateral damage. I can’t bear that man. What a jerk. By the latest count, the drone bombs in Pakistan have killed 700 civilians and 14 AQ. But like Albright, I suppose Obama thinks it’s “worth it.”

Dude, you left out the gay cross-dressing Cubans and Nixon.

People that want to teach creationism should be stripped of any authority to make such decisions on education! I think Christopher hitchens says it best, “If they want equal time, they should then start to teach evolution in sunday school!”

Raven alerted me to this via FB.

Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Enrique Valdez Will to be Added to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial

15 years. We can thank Clinton and Bush for this kind of nonsense.

Thanks Raven.

Morning, SD! Did you hear about Lt. Watada…? I left a link at comment #16 downstairs…

Chris Matthews kept asking him if he “believed” in evolution. For people who can’t grasp the issue, the question appears to be whether one has faith in Darwin or the Bible. What needs to be explained repeatedly, is that science is a process of inquiry which, by definition, cannot involve belief. Science teachers who do their job can’t teach an unprovable conclusion, whether it’s intelligent design or chance.

Encouraged by booming online subscription revenues at the Wall Street Journal

Quick WSJ story.

I get the WSJ at work (a necessity — and I fly past the Rove filled Op-Ed pages).

When my latest subscription expired ($99/yr. with online access) I was offered the privilege of continuing for the low, low price of $400/yr.

I suffered without it for oh, about a week, then got another offer in the mail of $99/yr. with online access.

I doubt very seriously people are tripping over themselves to subscribe to the WSJ’s online content.

In fact, I keep getting postcards begging me to activate my online access, which I haven’t done yet.

Rupert’s lying through his rotted teeth.

It didn’t work for the Times, and it won’t work for him.

Heh. Guest on democracynow is talking about drone attacks in Pakistan. Cites same 2% “success” rate as in my 12.

Hot shit!! Thanks. Mornin’, CTut.

Exactly. You would think the right wingers would be talking about stem cells, evolution, and the earth being on 6,000 years old while sitting at the breakfast table each morning. Of course, the republic party has gotten the message that their messages are ridiculous and a good portion of Americans are not buying their crap anymore! If I were Pence and was part of his party, I would think twice too in going on record about my beliefs.

It’s delicious to watch them flail. More schadenfreudefest.

A 2% success rate would get any other weapons system scrapped in a New York heartbeat. McNamara’s M-16 with rusting receivers did better than that.

The DOD and the MIC have Obi by the short hairs. He’s a good spokesman who came in the trojan horse named Change We Can Believe In. That’s not going to well for the people, but they haven’t woken up from the nightmare yet.

The Afghan adventure is pure hooey. They are no threat to the USA except to bleed the treasury.

The USA corps wants to riches over there and the DOD wants the riches over here. That’s the way of war.

Summer is coming and the heat will ratchet up.

Of course, the reason why the drone attacks continue is that no U.S. lives are ever lost. Those little brown people don’t count.

Well, Afghanistan worked out so well for the Brits and the Soviets. But, of course, the U.S. can do it better.

I wouldn’t paint with that broad a brush… Look at SDI or rather Star Wars… How many billions have we sunk into it and how many ‘missiles’(with klaxons mounted on ‘em) have we actually ‘hit’…? Hmmm…? Maybe 3…

I was only referring to systems actually in use. That’s why I used the M-16 example. The Osprey is another. Jury’s still out on that one. Don’t hear much about the Patriot missile any more, either.

That’s another example of a failed military system that keeps going, in part, because it doesn’t result in any loss of U.S. lives. Of course, the bigger reason for stars wars is revenue to the businesses of campaign contributors.

The republicans won’t vote for a ‘bomb thrower’ for the SCOTUS, but were fine with George Bush dropping bombs on brown people, funding it, and then supported his right to order the torture of prisoners.

Oh the American Taliban is so funny!

Going to work now disgusted as usual.

That’s the best news of the day.

I was on the ground floor of the Patriot system, part of the second Patriot Bn to ever form up… I agree tho, other than pissing off the Ruskies by setting up a couple of Patriot Bn.s in Poland, part of the proposed ‘missile defense’ umbrella, recently, not too much…

It not the kill rate it’s Be terrified of us crazy Americans who will do or kill anyone at any time.
That’s the goal and it’s 80/90% effective.
I feel we are a leader in the war of terrors.

You got that right, sister. Don’t you just love to fund the industrial military complex?

Unfortunately, He’s not completely outta the woods yet… The Army still might nail him for ‘Conduct Unbecoming of an Officer’… For his public denouncements of Shrub… 8-(

we are a leader in the war of terrors

Yep. “[A]” leader, right alongside the Israeli govt.

I think the Army is just gonna let Watada slide. They don’t need any more bad pr.

Someone with a better financial background than me (Hi eCAHN!) might want to do a diary on Center for Public Integrity’s report on the Subprime 25:

The Center ran a computer analysis of every high-interest loan reported by the industry to the U.S. government from 2005 through 2007, a period that marks the peak and collapse of the subprime market. From this pool of 7.2 million loans, our investigators identified the top subprime lenders. The “Subprime 25” were responsible for nearly a trillion dollars of subprime lending, or 72 percent of all reported high interest loans.

The “Subprime 25”, which are mostly no longer in business, were largely non-bank retail lenders that needed outside financing to make their subprime loans. So where did that financing come from? The Center’s study found that at least 21 of these Subprime 25 lenders were either owned outright by the biggest banks or former investment houses, or had their subprime lending hugely financed by those banks, either directly or through lines of credit. In other words, the largest American and European banks made the bubble in subprime lending possible by financing it on the front end, so they could reap the huge rewards from securitizing and selling mortgage-backed securities on the back end. The demand was insatiable, and the backing excessive. Between 2000 and 2007, underwriters of subprime mortgage-backed securities — primarily Wall Street and European investment banks — poured $2.1 trillion into the business, according to data from trade publication Inside Mortgage Finance.

/snip/

The truth is these mega-banks invested trillions, made billions, and took risks with their eyes wide open. Now, because they are deemed “too big to fail,” they need trillions in government bailouts and guarantees to solve problems they helped create. But let’s look at it another way: perhaps these mega-banks are simply “too politically connected to fail.” Their unbridled political contributions and massive lobbying created the lack of regulation and oversight that led to this crisis. Where is the accountability — of management and boards, of auditors and regulators — for what has happened? It is time to set aside the myth of the mega-bank as victim.

I finally finished reading The CIA and the Culture of Failure. One thing I had not noted at the time: Henry Hyde, introducing a hearing with Colin Powell in 2004, after it was clear that there were no WMDs, said that was great because it showed that the U.S. would go & trash countries even without proof.

for it is unabmiguous proof that absolutely nothing will deter us, that the entire world arrayed against us cannot stop us. The message to those on the receiving end could not be clearer, and unless they are suicidal they will understand that their options have been radically narrowed.

OBL couldn’t have said it better.

That’s what I’m hoping for… But, ya never know with the Army…! NPR mentioned that he could be generally discharged by Xmas…

CT linked to that earlier. I hadn’t seen it, but noted that at a quick glance, Fannie & Freddie weren’t on the list. Guess they didn’t get the R talking points.

…let’s look at it another way: perhaps these mega-banks are simply “too politically connected to fail.” Their unbridled political contributions and massive lobbying created the lack of regulation and oversight that led to this crisis.

Sums it up to a tee…!

Yeah, they aren’t there, but Cerberus is number 25. They’re so good, they are in both the auto and financial meltdowns. Isn’t Dan Quayle special?

What about Goldman Sachs program to make sure that it controls the U.S. Treasury?

I see it’s a good day to take the recycling, put out the trash and shred rather than comment. Have fun boyz’n grrls. Venting has its benefits, I suppose. Just not in the mood here and now. I’d rather open the door and listen to our friend the Wood Thrush, who arrived safely just this week. He’s welcome company.

Aha! I missed that one. Great catch. Quayle & Snow, two great Amurkins.

Mr. Potatoe Head…? ;-)

p.e.a.c.e. to all.

Namaste, Adie!

19 year old caller on WJ is worried for his generation because of the deficit, but wants the govt to help him get credit because he’s living paycheck to paycheck. I guess inconsistency is not unique to 19 year olds.

Fannie and Freddie bought the sub-prime mortgages but didn’t originate any of the loans.

Got a pair of great blue herons setting up shop in our yards. Beautiful birds, awful vocalizations.

A problem with the methodology of the study? If Fannie & Freddie didn’t buy the subprimes, originators couldn’t have made them, no?

Apparantly, the iPod Touch/iPhone has a WSJ app with all of the online paid content for free.

Lenders, ie, mortgage brokers, made the loans, banks bought them then sold to F&F. My understanding is that’s SOP for F&F.

Sounds like a dog barking, kinda? Are you familiar with Cornell’s book on Bird Songs, where you turn to the page with the bird, it gives you an audio number, and you can play the song.

Thanks. back at ya. have a good day. our woods is fresh and wet from showers, with sun backlighting the droplets on the newly open leaves, and the Wood Thrush and Hooded Warbler singing background chorus.

I understand the frustrations and trash talk pretty well, I think. It’s just not a good day for me to attend an endless communal growl session around here. Positive stuff to do totally wipes out the desire to gripe endlessly at [everything in front of our noses?]

I prefer to pick around for the tolerable nuggets and nurture them. Some of this other stuff may make us feel right fine and spunky in the short run, but I hope “we” don’t become too too smug in our righteousness.

A huge dog with a hairball problem’s more like it. Sounds like a really loud hack.

Never do your bird-watching by looking straight up from below with yer mouth open. Easy lesson to forget, once. But you knew that.

Good day to you Dragon.

Here’s the book.

As long as it works for Ms. Heron, our human performance reviews are superfluous. there’s a lesson in that somewhere.

I’m up top of Mauna Kea looking at a brilliant, almost full moon with about two hours to sunrise, which is always breathtaking, then down the mtn and a couple hours of sleep later I’ll probably be at the beach…! ;-)

Beautiful song. Just listened to it in my book.

I’m waiting for my resident mockingbird to come back. I’ve named him Cookie (my childhood nick name, courtesy of my father). I’ve heard some nearby, but usually one takes up residence in my back yard and serenades me when I eat dinner on my back porch.

Adie
Have a good day recycling and listening to the birdies.
Not a rant day for ya, huh? Every dog has his day, right?

Sounds tough, dude. *g*

Well, it is still mighty brisk up here… Still patches of snow abound…! ;-)

They’re getting pretty comfortable with us humans. Feeding the squirrels the other evening and 1 of them came within 8 feet to check out what I was doing. The cat lady, prolly more properly the critter lady, feeds everything that shows up. We’ve got tigers, possum, egrets, ibises, wood storks and great blue herons. Plus the usual assorted birds. My pair of cardinals is still here. Going on 4 years.

I dare anyone here of heron proportions to fly in, land semi-gracefully in the tree-tops, jam a bunch of assorted sticks together so perfectly that the eggs and babes stay safe through all the spring storms, and then have the energy left to preen his/her plumes and look radiant to us peons gawking from below. Note the cooperation required tw’ the pair. Ain’t evolution wunnerful?!

Cool!!! Enjoy!

Whut? No skunks? gaters? Be careful there, Dragon. ;->

I’m a white guy. Can’t even jump fer cryin’ out loud, much less fly.

Haven’t seen a skunk in ages. Gators are dime a dozen, although not in my neighborhood. No water nearby.

indeed. i think we need the good healthy mix. don’t you? Beats being like the repubbles.

Bubbles, the next GOP candidate for prez.

Oh, hell yes. For every season there is a purpose. A time to build up and a time to tear down.

(((((katymine)))))

….

please excuse the interruption, was just thinking of katymine and wanted to send her some hugs.

gotta go before getting in trubble here. guys are doing a terrific job on our basement this week, but right now it’s a mell of a hess & i’d best be lifting up my end of the action.

have a great day pups! Thanks for all you all do.

curious. does anyone here think that lost-idiot-troll thingie hangin’ around lately would even notice whether anyone fed it or not?! seems like a lost soul on auto-pilot, poor slob.

dealer’s choice.

Off to swim in the great capitalist cesspool.

Be good to yourselves, and all other living things.

Namaste

(((katymine))) thanks for the reminder, selise

It would appear it just carries an ol’ dried turd around and leaves it for a while for folks to look at.

That’s not an interruption at all, Selise.
(((katymine))) is on topic, all the time!
Big hug to Katy, and everyone else who needs one. And, I think we all need them all the time.

I wish I knew who Mike Pence was. I’m still not up on the swine flu thingy. I gather the schools, so-called, have been closed and re-opened, tho. That’s enough to know people are still crazy ape bonkers.

I’m beginning to think there are vast numbers of Americans who think the world is coming to an end every time clouds obscure the sun.

Kind of reminds me of when Cheney drops some line and then refers to it as being real because it was reported on tv. Almost like that. Well, it’s all over the net! Know what I mean?

oh. thot it was a hairball. heh.

mebbe we should warn them not to stand so close to the edge. *g*

Turds and Hairballs? Some people (on the west coast) are trying to eat breakfast. Actually, that’s a good title. For a blog site or a band.

((((((katymine))))))

A whole Lake full of love wishes coming your way from this place.

Rest and heal, hon.

I wish I knew who Mike Pence was.

I wish you could learn about him in the past tense, as you wrote it.

couldn’t make it through the whole YouTube. I did notice that Pence once again demonstrated his fuckwaddiness when asked the evolution question. Tweety asked whether he “believed” in evolution – Pence replied that he “chooses to embrace” the biblical alternative version. Good choice for him politically, given his constituency.

From personal experience, I can tell you that Pence is a world-class douchebag.

“Dream on, Murdoch. Does he really think the Fox lovers will pay for that content?”

I think you overestimate Hannity and O’Reilly viewers. They are not the sharpest knives in drawer.

Howdy stranger! It’s been awhile since I crossed threads with ya…!