Thanks for the roundup, Elliott, sorry to miss Rachel up against the awful Scar, tho. I’m just checking in from Marianna, FL, where the economy is really dead. There are empty billboards everywhere, see-through motels a couple of places. Nice to have the laptop along, anyway. Now time to get ready to get back off, bound for Canaveral sometime this afternoon. Have a good day, especially you folks with all that snow.

Good morning, pups. Nicholas Kristof is off today, so we have Dowd, Friedman and Rich. Nicholas Kristof is off today. Lt. Col. MoDo, that well-known military strategist, has been in Afghanistan. In “Blunder on the Mountain” she offers this stunning insight: It’s impossible not to think of Osama bin Laden’s escaping from Tora Bora as one of the greatest bungled opportunities in history. No fucking shit, MoDo… Some of us have known that for, oh, about 8 years. The Moustache of Wisdom, in “Off to the Races,” says a competitive Earth Race led by America can be a more self-sustaining way to reduce carbon emissions than a festival of nonbinding commitments at a U.N. conference. In “Tiger Woods, Person of the Year” Mr. Rich says Tiger Woods, whose sham beatific image was questioned by no one until it collapsed, exemplifies the decade of Enron, in which most of us have been so easily bamboozled.

Here they are.

The coffee, tea and hot chocolate are ready and I’ve got warm gingerbread with either whipped cream or homemade applesauce. As pretty as it is I’m just as glad that the last time we got measurable snowfall here was over Christmas in 1989. Stay warm and cozy, snowed-upon pups, and have a great day.

Wait, I’m confused. The Meet the Press page has Scarborough, Moulitsas, Gillepsie and Smiley for the round table.

Not that there’s anything wrong with Kos, I just hope it’s Rachel. Because she beats sliced bread by a mile.

Good morning. Only a dusting in the mid-Hudson. Think the storm stayed closer to the coast.

My excuse for avoiding the talking heads is cookie baking. Two kinds of shortbread on the docket for today.

I better stay away from tomorrow night’s movie salon. I attended Friday services in the mosque at 96th & Third in Manhattan, and definitely felt like a second class citizen, confined to the women’s balconey, in which you couldn’t even see downstairs unless you stood.

Good morning from snowland.

Mr. Rich says Tiger Woods, whose sham beatific image was questioned by no one until it collapsed,

Let us not forget that it was the media that created the image. Tiger Woods is well known for saying little outside of golf and for keeping his private life off the tabloid press. I, for one, have not been bamboozled by Woods. He is still a damn good golfer and frankly I give not a pidoodee about his private life, nor anyone’s private life save my own.

Los of paw shaking here when the kitties found that 3 inches of snow and high winds meant an unpleasant trip out to pee.

Are we still “debating” the Insurance Protection Bill today in the Senate?

Morning. Thanks, Elliot. MTP’s not looking too bad.

Lots of paw shaking here when the kitties found that 3 inches of snow and high winds meant an unpleasant trip out to pee.

We get the reproachful looks when it’s raining — “How could you let this happen? I’m going to get WET!”

For people to ignore the pollution of the Earth is to do so at their own peril! You cannot continue to pollute something — your body, the Earth — and expect it to stay healthy and whole!

Pres. Obama on Copenhagan Accord:

“I don’t know how you have an international agreement where you don’t share information and ensure we are meeting our commitments. That doesn’t make sense. That would be a hollow victory.” President Barack Obama also stated: “For the first time in history,” Mr. Obama said, “all major economies have come together to accept their responsibility to take action to confront the threat of climate change.”’
_____________________

The accord provides a system for monitoring and reporting progress toward those national pollution-reduction goals, a compromise on an issue over which China bargained hard. It calls for hundreds of billions of dollars to flow from wealthy nations to those countries most vulnerable to a changing climate. And it sets a goal of limiting the global temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels by 2050, implying deep cuts in climate-altering emissions over the next four decades.

Some environmental groups gave a cautious nod of approval to the agreement as a good start.”

‘“The world’s nations have come together and concluded a historic — if incomplete — agreement to begin tackling global warming,” said Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club. “Tonight’s announcement is but a first step and much work remains to be done in the days and months ahead in order to seal a final international climate deal that is fair, binding and ambitious. It is imperative that negotiations resume as soon as possible.”

Senator John Kerry, Democrat of Massachusetts, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee and lead author of the Senate’s climate change bill, said the accord would drive the Congress to pass climate change legislation early next year.

“This can be a catalyzing moment,” he said. “President Obama’s hands-on engagement broke through the bickering and sets the stage for a final deal and for Senate passage this spring of major legislation at home.”‘

Some fail to Recognize or even take hope in this small beginning — even a tree starts as a seed! After all President Bush did nothing on climate change for 8 years. At least a beginning has been made and step-by-step, we Will move forward! For that is always how real change has been made, step by step, progressive inch by inch. Sometimes even in the dark, we move forward. Till once again we see the light at the end of the tunnel.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/19/science/earth/19climate.html?_r=1

Mornin’, Elliott, pups

No snow in the Sunshine State but it’s cold.

Some things to listen to/watch instead of the bubbleheads:

Mumia Abu Jamal

Wealth Care

Just War? or Just War

Tariq Ali

Obama, Pakistan and the US Empire

Sorry, Marion, errant click. Haven’t finished protein drink yet. Brain’s a little slow.

Los of paw shaking here when the kitties found that 3 inches of snow and high winds meant an unpleasant trip out to pee.

You let your cats out? Cool! Many years ago in college we had cats and we had a cat door. The downside was the cats had to defend the household from invading neighborhood cats, but they held their own.

Yeah, I love the way cats express their disgust by shaking their paws. It isn’t just when there’s bad weather– the do that when they’re offered something to eat that doesn’t meet their fancy. And when my cat Ned was mad at me he would face away from me and pretend to kick kitty litter at me.

AHh *Stretch*yawn* Good Morning! Sure is pretty outside and warm in.

Gloomy report from Florida, Ruth.

Thank you, there was a schedule change – noted above now. Glad to see him at a “roundtable”

1 pm

Yeah, Kos is pretty good, but I’d rather see Rachel. She’s brilliant.

When will it be 2 progressives at the same table? Two strong debaters to counteract the 16(or so) corporate shills.

Sigh, my cats go outside and to my dismay, last night I discovered I didn’t have as much kitty litter on hand as I thought.

As for cat doors, I ran into a problem with wilder-than-neighborhood-cats animals coming inside – like a possum. uh-OH!

When will it be 2 progressives at the same table? Two strong debaters to counteract the 16(or so) corporate shills.

Amen. the baby steps are too slo.

and Riesz, Rachel is brilliant and an excellent debater. I think Kos will hold his own, as Jane always does when she’s debating on teeVee, would love to see her on the Sunday shows as well. The more the merrier.

Now for some of Marion’s gingerbread, with a few of eCAHN’s cookies, and it’s out to clean the walk for me.

I ran into a problem with wilder-than-neighborhood-cats-animals coming inside – like a possum. uh-OH!

Have you tried posting a “No Possums!” sign on the outside of the door?

Or maybe possums can’t read – just put up a picture of a possum, with one of those circles with the diagonal line through it….

mornin’ all.

Nice linkies. Call me whatever, I like Mumia’s commentaries. WPFW in DC plays em.

I’d call you smart. WMNF carries them on Critical Times every Sunday morning. The host of CT, Mabili Ogun, always plays some interesting clips, none of which would make it on corporate media.

My DC daughter sent me a photo of her little pug running around in the snow. He’s mister berserkouwitz anyway, but I think the freezing ground amped it up.

My problem with cat doors was the resident kittehs’ love of bringing “gifts” — chipmunk or mice heads were a favorite — and I was afraid they’d bring their gifts inside and deposit them somewhere for my pleasure. It was bad enough finding them on the porch by the front door.

Cynicism aside, what do you think the final bill will look like? Anyone optimistic?

I had a possum stuck in my attic. Stupid me, I’d gotten some nails and boards which ended up keeping him in rather than out. Ended up trapping the poor thing with help from animal control. A scared-to-death, spitting possum is a frightful thing. Anyway, they released him somewhere, so happy ending.

I might need a little help at the Seminal.

Jeebus, Mary and Josephus on a sinking raft you make me laugh.

Good morning all. Thanks for the post Elliott.

Don’t you have a plane to catch?

We had a cat door until my loverly spouse sat down in the bathroom only to see the worlds largest raccoon looking at her from under a cabinet. Of course there was the time that there was a skunk under the couch…….. and the snake in my shoes…….

Must say, the knife in the back of women has soured me irreparably on the whole goddamn thing. Let alone the sheer untrammelled corporate evil.

Effluence.

Yikes! Looks like a lot of firepups live pretty close to nature. When I was in grad school we rented a house in a suburban area of Boulder, CO. The only wild animals around were deer and mountain lions, and they couldn’t fit through the cat door.

Fareed Zakaria – GPS: “A conversation with an extraordinary man about an important topic: the former scientific brain of Microsoft, Nathan Myhrvold, offers a new approach to solving global warming.”

I guess Zakaria doesn’t read the dirty f*cking blogs, or even The New Yorker,
because if he did he wouldn’t be pimping for geo-engineering.

I agree. OTOH, this may unleash a fury unlike anything since Roe vs Wade was made law.
Are you old enough to remember pre-Roe days?

I’ve always had to deal with all the little creatures (skunks, possum etc) but new to my world are coyotes and foxes. I don’t know what imbalance brought them to my neighborhood but they’re scaring the hell out of me. Not to mention that a fox attacked my shitzu (who had a stroke 2 weeks later). We blame that attack.

I’m so sorry about your shitzu. Did he or she recover from the stroke?

Some time ago we had a discussion about coyotes here at the lake and more than one person said they weren’t dangerous to people. Then a few weeks later I read on HuffPo that some coyotes attacked and killed a Canadian folksinger. So I still think coyotes are dangerous.

Yeah I do, but it leaves at 4:21 p.m. from Indianapolis and it’s only 9:45 a.m. I plan to leave around 11 (it’s about 3 hours to Indy), grab lunch on the way, and have plenty of time to get to the airport. And it looks like the DC airports are open again.

Glad about the airport. I just know you are going to have so much fun. I can’t wait to hear all about it.

Whew!!! For awhile there, I thought maybe irrevelant McGramps would miss a Sunday show. Good thing HOAX news came through.
Just so folks wont think I’m baselessly picking on a relic, I’m the same age as what’s his name again? Even I know when it’s time to go home.
There”s no fool like an old fool.

Oh, I will post something when I get back, although maybe not right away. I return on Monday night and leave again Weds. morning to spend the holiday with my kids & grandkids in Indy (my car goes there almost on autopilot). So Tuesday will probably be a blur.

there’s cold — and then there’s COLD

LOLOL!

Good morning jayt

I had a cat that stocked up on live mice for the winter — nothing like having to set mousetraps near the cat food bag.

Morning all.
Toasty warmth to all east coasters.
Glad those airports are open. My brother is coming out of Baltimore early in the week.

I’m not, but Jon Walker has some suggestions on how to get a better bill

oops. They nasty.

Good morning to you.

while I would be a bit unhappy with the snake in the shoe, it’s the skunk under the couch that would cause the most distress.

knife in the back, to be sure. And what female Senators are rushing to stem the bleeding?

No, she didn’t recover.

we’re clever but not that clever.

aww, so sad. sorry solai

So excited for you!!
Fly safely and sing heartily. :)

Take pictures and post a diary when you get back, too, please.

a veritable Battle Axe lolol

MIL had skunks and possum come up for food on her patio for a long time. Once she heard a racket in the gargage, went out to find a skunk trapped behind the water heater by a standing board that it had dislodged. Alveda decided she was gonna get sprayed anyway so just moved the board. Little critter just looked up at her and waddled away.

Thank you, you know whatfore thou speaks.

Howard Dean’s on softening his stance. He wouldn’t vote for this Senate bill IF it were the final bill. But, he said, let it go to conference and see if it can be improved.

Around here we get raccoons coming for the cat food. They sure are sassy critters.

Lucky her, years back, the ex and I came home to find a skunk up at the door, as he sauntered past us, he gave a little squirt – just for so.
STINKY.

Oh and nothing like having to give a kitteh a bath in tomato sauce.

Do you think he’s reacting to all the critcism he’s gotten this week? Or is he just being reasonable?

I think he’s being reasonable….but who knows? He reiterated that as a bill, it stinks. He’s just saying that maybe it can be improved.

He’s also saying it got better this last week but has a way to go.

Would tomato sauce remove the stench of Lieberman? G’morning. Late to the schmooze.

When I was a kid giving the dawg a tomato juice bath was a common occurance. Got sprayed meself once. Stumbled upon the little devil in the woods. Stepmother was not pleased.

Also said the Netherlands do it w/o a public option but our bill falls short of what the Netherlands has.

The best thing he said was that waiting till 2014 will hurt dems. But if we end up with the medicare buy-in which could go into effect within a few months that would be a huge boost to the country and huge for the dems.

Now, Joe Scar and Kos.

Is there written stuff/link on latest Dean (Howard)?

Now, that’s funny.

Oh? Like you meant to do that. One of those, huh?

Scar talked about the 52yr high for insurance stock

No one likes this bill.

Gregory showed at least some balls pressing Axelrod’s lie “the president supported the public option”. Gregory: “but to this day. He did not FIGHT for it!”

And Axelrod answers all questions with “but look at how great this bill is”

Obama broke his promises: BLHGTBI
The left has valid points to be outraged: BLHGTBI
No medicare extension: BLHGTBI
No public option: BLHGTBI
Private mandate: BLHGTBI
The people now hate it: BLHGTBI

Axelrod sure is getting around and about

Morning barbara, the answer to that question is NO!

I can imagine!

It’s amazing that a very very very teeny tiny amount smells good.

Pop Sci Aug ’95, p25:

Paul Krebaum, chemist, formula for skunk & other odors

qt 3% hydrogen peroxide
1/4 cup baking soda
teaspoon liquid soap

bathe and tapwater rinse

CAN’T BE STORED – must be fresh

says it neutralizes “thiols ” that give stench

bookmarked!

thanks

BLHGTBI isn’t good enough!

What I liked best about the MTP panel was that Markos is being given the respect he deserves. He’s being regarded as a credible voice. That, along with all the air time Jane’s been given lately is a very nice thing to see.

I always heard using vagisil works (which is kind of insulting to we ladies).

I’m done…not going to watch ABC. See all later.

He also used the “perfect be the enemy of the good” swindle. It’s clear the playbook is being followed to perfection. It actually makes it easier to recognize all the spineless Dinos easier as they all stick to the same rehearsed hollow talking points.

Howard Dean is now explaining how signing up for 30 more years of private insurance will cost the Dems at 2010 and 2012, and I think he’s right.

I feel more emberrassed for Democrats and our insane corporate (feudal?) Illusion of democracy than anything else. And that I actually suppported Obama. As the saying goes, I’ll only get fooled once, no more!

Agreed Jane and Kos have been strong voices in shakingup the ‘public/media’ debate! Flipping channels and its all about the talking head personalities and their egos– who knows more about ‘real Senate politics’- Sam Donaldson, Cokie Roberts etc…. Good to hear Tavis Smiley as well rounding out the discussion about promises vs ‘incrementalism’. Dean was a bit subdued, trying to change the progressive meme to “Pass the House Bill” instead of ‘kill the ( Senate ) bill”.

Everyone is worried about the Democratic base and should be— Rove always took care of his 5% base of wingnuts…. the White House needs to recognize the outrage and power of the D-BASE.