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Mars
The coffee’s freshly ground, there’s a wide variety of teas and the sticky buns are homemade.
- “Heavy artillery fire has been rocking Homs, as Syrian troops step up an assault on the restive city. A BBC correspondent there describes almost constant blasts, in the fiercest attack in the 11-month uprising. US President Barack Obama said it was important to resolve the conflict without outside military intervention.”
- Real News:” A Short History of Modern Syria. Hamid Dabashi traces the rise of the Assad regime.”
- Robert Fisk. “President Bashar al-Assad is not about to go. Not yet. Not, maybe, for quite a long time. Newspapers in the Middle East are filled with stories about whether or not this is Assad’s “Benghazi moment” – these reports are almost invariably written from Washington or London or Paris – but few in the region understand how we Westerners can get it so wrong. The old saw has to be repeated and repeated: Egypt was not Tunisia; Bahrain was not Egypt; Yemen was not Bahrain; Libya was not Yemen. And Syria is very definitely not Libya.”
- “Mahmud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority (PA), has agreed to lead an interim national consensus government to prepare for upcoming elections, under an agreement signed in the Qatari capital. The ‘Doha Declaration’ was signed in the Gulf state on Monday by Abbas and Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal in the presence of Qatar’s emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. The agreement states that the new Palestinian government will comprise ‘independent technocrats,’ and will also be responsible for overseeing reconstruction efforts in the Gaza Strip.”
- “Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the Palestinian Authority must choose between a treaty with Hamas ‘or peace with Israel’.” Bibi loves him some Manichean world view.
- “Brazil’s government has awarded contracts to privatise operations at three of its most important state-owned airports. They include the country’s largest in Sao Paulo. Private companies paid a total of 24.5bn reais ($14bn; £8.9bn) for the concessions sold at auction.”
- “Police who are on strike in the Brazilian state of Bahia have clashed with soldiers sent to remove them from the state assembly. Troops fired rubber bullets and charged against protesters who are demanding improved pay and conditions.”
- Real News: “US Drone Strikes Destabilize Pakistan. Fred Branfman: US policy should be to help develop Pakistan.”
- “A House GOP memo obtained by Mother Jones argues for a controversial ‘prenatal discrimination bill’ by referring to “black abortions” as distinct from abortions in general and claiming that ‘abortion is the leading cause of death in the black community’.”
- Making Contact: “While overall access to contraception and other reproductive health services have increased over the last 20 years, access for low-income women and women of color has dropped.”
- “The American space agency looks set to pull the plug on its joint missions to Mars with the European Space Agency. Nasa has told Esa it is now highly unlikely it will be able to contribute to the endeavours, which envision an orbiting satellite and a big roving robot being sent to the Red Planet.
The US Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit will announce its ruling on the constitutionality of Prop 8 sometime after 10am PST (1pm EST). (h/t to Teddy, no, not the porcupine).
The truth will set you free but first it will piss you off.
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Mornin’, pups
SD! Pups! g’morning.
Morning.
I read the news today, oh boy!
Peasants Economic View for Today:
“Same as yesterday”
Good morning, pupses, and thank you, SD.
From Making Contact…
was one of the first Swedish folksongs I learned to sing. Never expected to see it at the Diner… :)
1) If Syria is willing to slaughter it’s own people, Assad will remain in charge absent outside military intervention. It appears as though the Russians and Chinese are willing to prevent that. Normal leverage doesn’t apply, the Russians export oil and the Chinese buy mostly from Iran, a Syria supporter.
2) I hope this new government works for Palistine. I know Bibi will do his utmost to prevent it, but if this new government can prevent provoking the IDF there’s a chance it could work. I wouldn’t put it past Bibi to try again to hit Mashaal.
3) I’m sorry about our space program. But uasterity is more important. Perhaps the Koch’s will join the ESA Mars project.
4) I’m really looking forward to the Perop 8 ruling. I think it’ll be a major smackdown for the haters.
Boxturtle (And WTF was wrong with the lake yesterday? I couldn’t post at all!)
I can’t remember what the first folk song was that I learned.
Hmm. It might have been the Yankee Doodle, or This Land is Your Land.
Michael Hayden criticizing O’s use of drones for assassinations, including Alawki by name: democracynow.
Good Morning People
Thanks for the links SD. Structural unemployment persists, except for Joint Special Operations Command.
Not sure if you saw my comment yesterday. I really appreciate your DN previews for us.
@ your item 3: Perhaps as astronauts.
Thanks.
Ha! Wouldn’t that be great if only it wasn’t part of the war machine. I didn’t think military was counted as job numbers. But, heck! Nobody is sure what counts anymore. They may be using China employment numbers for prior US corporations.
Sheesh!
There seemed to be problems off and on over the weekend, mainly folks using IE, I think. Didn’t see a lot of comments about it yesterday. The Diner was very quiet.
Jay‘s been at this since almost the beginning. What he doesn’t say about why people weren’t with him outside MacDill is that it was usually when everybody who had a job was working. He liked to be outside the base when they got off work. Never could convince him that he’d have a bigger turnout just by changing his times.
Nope, no racists here…
Someone on a night thread wanted to know if FDL has any Black bloggers. Tejana dispatched him/her right quick.
I think it helps to clear out your history and cookies. Lots of people have had problems. Either that or, our cloud computing is interfering with the Drone flights. (wink)
Good for him.
Msg for Obama: The president does NOT have the power to murder US citizens without due process. YOU ordered that murder. There is no statute of limitations on murder.
Boxturtle (That said, let’s hear Obama’s opinions on the federal death penalty)
For me it was Tom lehrer singing An Irish Ballad. Sample verse:
Her mother she could never stand
riketty tikketty tin
her mother she could never stand and so a cyanide soup she planned.
Her mother died with the spoon in her hand
And her face in a hideous grin.
Boxturtle (Yes, my early years explain a lot)
Patrick Seale (London) is guest on democracynow re Syria. He’s the author of a book on Asad pere. I’ve read half the book. Syria & Asad have been so star crossed, I couldn’t finish the book.
There’s some hidden agenda there, for sure, but can’t figure it out while listening to dn.
Obama consents to receive unlimited PAC funding. Is there any doubt he really supports the Citizens United decision?
thanks for sharing that with us. I am shocked that other Veterans for Peace were not there with him. This is the first I’ve seen of the man or his cause. Wish he had been covered more and he might have had support.
I’m stuck with IE at the office. :-(
I’d have posted or emailed about it, if only I could.
Hey MODS! It would be nice maybe to have a syslog or such that informs of current problems and reports when fixed.
Boxturtle (And I’m still waiting for my pony)
Have you been reading Glenzilla? Apparently our president thinks he has the power to murder anyone, including witnesses to one of our drone attacks.
I was a teen when I learned this :). It is a love song.
I remember Barbry Allen being sung by my Aunt Vicki when I was very young, and Fox Went Out on a Summer Night, and Greensleeves.
Froggie Went A-Courtin’
Not quite the version I heard as a kid. I don’t think Burl Ives ever played a guitar that well, at least not in the late 40s.
Seale: Attack on Syria must been seen as attack on Iran also. Bring that Shia access down.
Internally in Syria different. Role of Muslim Brotherhood. 30th Ann of Asad pere attack on Hama, insurgents seized Hama, killed regime party (Baath) members, after which Asad attacked. MB aching for revenge.
I would only have been able to answer that question because Pam has her picture over at PHB. Honestly, I don’t know what anyone’s skin color here is, just go by the quality of their posts. Which is as it should be.
Boxturtle (With my personal demographics, you’d wonder why I’m not a republican)
Are you at home this morning (asking because you’re posting)? Brian Sonenstein (brian@firedoglake.com) was looking for trouble reports, including the usual info about OS, browser, exactly what problems and where. If you’re able to, why don’t you send him an email?
Haven’t seen demi either, and apparently she was having mega problems getting connected to FDL.
Axelrod: “The rules are what the rules are.”
Oh, thanks, asshole.
I know one prior commenter who took probs personally. Thought she had been singled out for exclusion and will not be returning.
He was with St Pete for Peace on Sat nights at BayWalk for most of the time we were there. Jay likes to be in charge.
I don’t know the ethnicity of any of the posters or commenters except Pam. I do know we have a variety. I think our commenters skew older, too.
Oh, I know what he thinks he can do. And he controls the DoJ so he can get away with it.
But someday, the DoJ will become interested in justice again. And enforcing equally the laws we have on the books. Obama better hope he’s long gone when that happens.
Boxturtle (alas, the odds would appear to be on Obama’s isde currently)
That’s too bad. I saw someone stalk off in a huff, but I don’t think it was comment problems, it was more “I’m disgusted with FDL because they don’t___” issues.
Be careful, SD, a shocking post could lose members. LOLOL
Oh! I definitely remember Barbry but our version was Ann, not Allen. I also remember Greensleeves.
I was being snarky on “This Land is Your Land”.
I saw one comment from her last evening. Maybe now that she’s not doing the food bank thing she’s sleeping in.
Up the long ladder and down the short rope
To hell with King Billy and God Bless the Pope
If that doesn’t do, we’ll tear ‘em in two
And send ‘em to Hell with their red, white an’ blue!
The Clancy Brothers and my Irish grandma :)
Nope, working. Yesterday afternoon around 2pm EST the problem suddenly went away.
I’ll drop Brian a line, in case he needs more infr for root cause. But it looks like they’ve got it fixed.
Boxturtle (Whatever “it” was)
I like it that I often don’t know the gender, either.
I’m thinking if I was to be banned, it wouldn’t look like the problems yesterday. Some people with thin skins don’t understand computers.
Boxturtle (And in their defense, computers ARE aggravating)
Been a couple of those. If the Lake didn’t cover their pet issue 24/7 they were gone.
Splains it all. You gotta be flexible and work well with others. It’s hard when one kid claims the entire sandbox.
I think you’re right, I’d bet our average age is over 45 for active posters.
Boxturtle (Jane is a comparative youngster!)
*g*. Rats. I was thinking how much I liked your family :)
Still do. They raised a good ‘un.
Many people with thick skins don’t understand computers.
That is hypocritical and plain out sick in so many ways. What exactly are the remedies that this bill proposes?
Why thankee, Om!
My family has themselves a long lineage from Scotland to the Americas. They were some of them thar hard to gitalon Hillbillies in the Apalachias. They been running from them thar revenuers for generations!
No, seriously. I’m very proud of my background.
Hey!
Topic aside:
When are you going to start the walk, or have you already started?
Seale is very good on the complexities within Syria and regionally. On for 2 segments on dn; worth listening to the whole thing.
Got to head out, pupses. Off for an early visit to Fort King George so we can be back for the low tide walk this afternoon. No telling what you can find way out on the sandbars. Lots of starfish, so far.
Safe travels and safe home, pupses!
Don’t track in too much sand…..
Ohmmmmm
The advent of “technocrats” is always a bad sign. All they do is sweep up the detritus of failure when a situation has gotten beyond hope.
The Palistinians have never seemed to get along well among themselves. Going forward maybe it would be better for them to rally around an articulate musician, doctor, artist or some such, whose respected profession might be better understood on the street. A leadership role might be more convincing that way, and a unified psyche would be more likely to evolve.
The technocrats as nominal layers, economists, etc., are mere button pushers who will offer too little leadership talent.
Final segment on dn: 50th ann of U.S. embargo on Cuba. (There’s a success story for ya.) Guests: authors of book on who killed Che.
G’Morning All: Big news…First thing I heard this morning (radio) was complaint from Brady’s model wife….that her husband cannot be the one to have to throw the ball and catch the ball ….guess the Team will love that. Quite good I think….
You may be related to my inlaws, lol!
I’m very proud of them, too.
Have a good one, PP!
Looking forward to watching. I haven’t caught a single mention of the anniversary on the snooze channels.
Yep!
Take Care.
She hasn’t been doing the food bank thing for awhile. Now she’s got her two new residents to keep her busy. And I think her new choir thing was supposed to start last night. I sent her an email, haven’t heard back yet.
That would have to be called the bi-coastal offense.
The walk starts Feb 11. Supposed to get to Chicago May 1.
Grijalva is on Washington Journal talking about the four letter word that is forbotten for the GOP. (J-O-B-S)
There’s no bill yet, but I assume the goal is to gain support for an abortion ban by co-opting the people who see racism everywhere.
Either that, or the idea is to enable the GOP to move more to the left by making abortion seem less bad to that part of their base.
Boxturtle (Or perhaps the goal is to make the “looney left” think you’re dumb as a stump)
Maybe she wants to be a coach…who knows?
Extremely proud of you. Will do my best to update everyone here of your journey.
Missed this, THD. What is it?
He is joining Occupy with their Spring Walkupy project. Like the ones that just walked from Washington to Florida and others.
A bad sign, but not always a bad plan. It means you’re in trouble and nobody can agree on anything.
But the garbage must be collected. The water must flow. The thieves must be arrested. And so on. Garbage is generally apolitical, doesn’t matter if Hamas or Fatah picks it up.
I think they’ll do well to just operate a govnerment, at this stage. Rebuilding a society will have to wait until the sides can agree on what society look like.
Boxturtle (I’d support a government of technocrats here in America over the current clowns)
Impressive.
She’s right. Lot of butter fingered receivers out there. Catch just one of those Should-Have_Beens, and NE wins.
Boxturtle (That said, if a receiver were to call her a b***H, I wouldn’t criticize)
I pick door #3.
Interesting….I’d like to hear what her husband had to say…those are his team mates….
I think he said, you win together and you lose together — or something to that effect.
That BBC piece about ExoMars is a real hoot. So Mars is not a planet, but a bubble which will pop if we don’t get there quickly, ie., before the current crop of ESA scientists age and have to retire from their positions.
BTW there is no financial crisis in Europe (or the US) after all.
Her husband was a gentleman about it. Complemented his receivers, said he worked will with them, and reminded people that he threw a couple questionable passes as well.
Boxturtle (He did not mention the pass that lead to the safety. Sore point, perhaps)
I guess that is where Newt will want to put his colony..getting crowded..
Off to swim in the great capitalist cesspool.
US KIA Afghanistan: 1,892
Afghan, Iraki and Pakistani casualties: estimates vary to ovr 1.5M
US MBS 2012: 4,588 and counting
Vessel
No war but class war
Be good to yourselves, and all other living things
Namaste
Never. Give. Up.
Im so glad y’all had more to add; I had just heard the one comment. Thanks
This geezer has decided to walk with Walkupy May Day from Atlanta to Chicago for G8/NATO. If I make it to the first Occupy location (likely Chattanooga), I’ll likely make it all the way. I encourage folks to check out the Walkupy May Day web page, which will be here when the media team finishes its work. As usual, any support of Walkupy May Day would be appreciated.
It sure seems that colonizing planets seems to be the enthusiasm of the folks that the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy would put on the B spaceship.
*snort*
More Planets on the Front Page please. Also, the Moon has become a campaign issue. The Moon will have it first colony, Newtonia. The ultra leftists will be sent there for Lunation Treatment.
Hope it didn’t ruin your keyboard, SD.
Thanks for your insight, but I disagree. All I can offer in addition would be the example of Vaclav Havel. He was a poet and political figurehead who united the country after Communism fell. Well, of course there were technocrats below picking up the trash, but I’d bet the Czechs could not name any of them nowadays, which is fortunate.
Havel was the most important of the lot by far, and the only one remembered. The Palestinians don’t have a Havel, and I have no doubt the technocrats will untimately fail without that nexus at the top and ultimately in charge.
Here I am. :)
I did, in fact, sleep in a bit today.
Yesterday morning I still could not Get In, but, as BT said, the problem was fixed, for me anyway, in the afternoon. (So, it was not a hang over for me yesterday. Had two beers during the whole 4 hours.)
Choir is tonight, and Oh Boy.
I just read your email, and then was catching up on comments.
Molly, you’re so nice to wonder about me. (And, not a witch at all.)
The technocrats are NEVER remembered. Havel is a great example for what a leader can do, if the people are behind him. And everybody was.
It’s different for Palistine. Arafat could have been the leader. Baghrouti(SP?) could be the leader they’re looking for, except Israel has him locked up.
I’m not sure there are enough talented, apolitical technocrats in Palistine to staff a government. But given that there is no real political leader available, I’m not sure what else they can do.
Boxturtle (And if a real leader appears, he’ll get locked up or die mysteriously)
Good morning to all. More good stuff here at the Diner.
The two authors of the book on the murder of Che are Michael Rattner and Michael Smith of Law and Disorder. Their program, along with Heidi Boghosian, is extremely good. They are all lawyers from the National Lawyers Guild.
Ding. Israel is not going to allow a credible leader to emerge in Palestine.
I sure would like to know what made you post that link.
Two days ago, I started wondering if I should sell a guitar of my grandfather’s. That’s the ONE song I can remember him playing on it.
I know humans are programmed to find patterns, but the coincidence of having you reference THAT song on the one blog site I come to frequently on the very day I’m contemplating making a phone call to sell it, just blows my mind.
Aren’t the mysteries of life grand?
We know who you are and we know what you’re doing.
Boxturtle (Don’t worry about the black helicopters , citizen. They are there for YOUR protection!)
Perplexing, and a little freaky.
I will only make one comment about the missed passes by the Patriots. The receivers will miss passes right in their hands in every game. No qb has ever had 100% completions in the pro ranks; close a couple of times, but those are record setting games.
It is true that Welker was open, but Brady threw the ball behind him. Two of the catches could have been made, but they were not the first passes that were in the hands and dropped. The loss did not come down to one particular play because the game was close and it took the whole team to get to that point.
Both the Giants and the Patriots played well: there were very few penalties, but both sides were a little choked as you can see by the 12 men on defense fouls. The Giants played slightly better and won. They simply out played the Patriots. Gisele was thrown off by jerky fans who had no business giving her a hard time. I’m sure that when she has time to cool off she will regret having responded to people that did not deserve a response.
What was the movie with Jim Cary?
Tell me what color shirt I’m wearing.
No wait a minute. Please don’t.
Thanks for that perspective…I know less than zip about football, but had some interest in this one mainly b/c of the NO/Manning connection. I appreciate your analysis.
bibi is worried that the Palestinians will overcome their differences and present a united front. Attempting to head off this movement by saying that Hamas wants to destroy israel directs attention away from the fact that israel wants to kill or drive out all of the Palestinians from all the land that the likudniks want.
RevBev, I’m glad I could give you a little insight.
On my scale, it was alot…;) Thanks, again.
Talking about songs we heard as kids. The version I remember was longer and, imo, better. Not as popped up. Always remembered it.
The sidebar in the article where bibi speaks says
The “peace talks” are nothing more than misdirection place holders designed to give the likudniks time to further their vicious plans of Palestinian removal. Just like years ago in the US, urban renewal was called Negro removal.
That picture of Mars is incredible. It looks like Mars has a continent similar in size and shape to Asia.
My little one likes to listen to that song in the car. It makes him giggle, which is so cute.
GM, SD, Diner-zens. Blue skies and voter ID bills in Santa Fe today. I have to meet Little Momma for an appt. in SF, so I will head for the battle on the ID bill after we are done at the clinic.
Worked in the garden yesterday. So much to do every day.
(un)Occupy members walked from ABQ to SF for the opening of the legislature last month. So have at it thd! Maybe some of us will join you in Chicago. Walkupy. Love it.
I guess that means you shouldn’t sell your guitar! Maybe you should take lessons instead…
Selling Grandpa’s guitar! Blaspheme!
Brady needs to have a baby or two soon, and he’ll forget all about football and have a better life.
I’ve sold several guitars that I built, but I have never really learned to play them that well. It was akin to a loss of something dear, (not someone dear) but in the hands of a player who could really make it sing, exceeding delight was the feeling, a joy that was exquisitely better and deserving of the fuller potential of the instrument.
If you have not already acted or seen this, hopefully it will help to let you know what your grandpa left you, besides the memories.
Afternoon, pups.
MsMolly – I didn’t think anyone would notice my nasty crack at the bottom of that thread yesterday. I was cranky with feeling sick, and let loose without the regulator on the keyboard. Troll seems to have left, tho’.
Still feel crummy, tho’ the cough’s a little better. Got to go get some more tissue and bread, and I suppose I should make a dr. appt. Keep thinking it’ll be all better the next day..
I’m staying off politics for now, but can’t resist a folk song thread – Froggie Went a-courtin’ is one of the first ones I remember hearing, possibly even that version. There are a lot of versions, some very different, but recognizably variants. Usually fox or frog, as far as I can remember.
Flow Gently Sweet Afton…linked to on the thread about “mary’s” death yesterday, not quite a folk song, but nearly, also early, and my mother had the sheet music for it, so learned to play it with one hand as little kid. That Nickel Creek version was lovely.
Ok, I’ve written a four page letter to my mother, to whom I’ve been promisinng to write for ages (she read better than she hears, and I use a big font), and am getting pooped.
Missing demi, but I figure her family is keepin’ her busy, hopefullly ina good way.
I was so surprised to see the Swedish folksong on one of the links. I think that was what started the music part of the thread that eventually led to SD’s link to your grandfather’s song.
Hmmmm…I’m on vacation. Why am I doing these dishes? Anyway, here is a good mug: Perseverance. The courage to ignore the obvious wisdom of turning back.
And speaking of folk songs, Pete Seeger singing The Fox
nonquixote, sorry I didn’t come back to the thread till now. I’ll probably catch you in another one later. I appreciate your link. I do know what I’ve got (monetarily for sure and existentially, maybe).