LOL! You had me with the headline, JA.

TGIF to all. I'm still waiting for Joe Walsh to throw his hat into the ring.

So happy to see Mudge to be 1st!

You remember jw, Mudge. Young guy, in the Coast Guard. In law school. We haven't heard from him for a while.

jw, you out there? Check in!

Oooooo! Illustrations!
So is its Huckabee, Huckabeed and Huckabunk ?

It is breathtaking the way the field has winnowed down. It seems just yesterday that we were all figuring out the repercussion of a President Giuliani. (Remember, that fellow with the Italian name who used to have that dreadful combover?)

Campaigns really really are all about timing aren't they? They ebb and flow like the tides. Remember Al Gore in 2000? As I recall Joel made the astute comment that Gore's problem was that his candidacy never really caught fire until late November.

That jw was in the Weingarten chat? Now I gotta go back and look.

Hey, jw. Still Shepardizing sea anchors, I hope.

$35k is a lot of coin to spend just so you can make a point.

Mudge, he's in the intro. sent GW the link to the stupidest dog.

From the Weingarten chat:

Next, thanks to my old friend Jeremy Weiss, we have irrefutable evidence of the world's stupidest dog. This is a pants-wetter (Lizzie, protect your upholstery.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVmN4GL4o5M

SCC: I meant 35M.

To recapture a thread from the last boodle. This left handed thing really has me worried. There is something, well, sinister about it all.

My father, father-in-law, and brother are all lefties. Here at work you can't but swing a cat and hit a lefty. Something about the brain chemistry just gives them a little something extra when it comes to analytical thinking.

And left handed women? Having dated two left handed women (of which only one was actually a redhead, I hasten to add) I can attest that there are advantages. For example, when attending the cinema you can both eat from the same bag of popcorn without stretching.

Testing Wurdy Dirt Filter that eats my Sinfest posts, :-(

http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=2689

I think I need to bring this to the Boodle's attention. It is from CNN Money/Fortune Magazine:

"February 8 2008: 9:18 AM EST
"Unusual perks: Goldman Sachs covers sex changes

The investment bank, No. 9 on the Best Companies to Work For list, added the benefit last year as part of a push to recruit and retain a more diverse workforce.
By Althea Chang

NEW YORK (Fortune) -- Wall Street is typically considered a pretty
conservative place to work. But the classic white-shoe investment bank is loosening things up by adding health benefits that cover sex-change operations.
Not only is Goldman Sachs ranked No. 9 on Fortune's list of 100 Best Companies to Work For, it also appears on what could be a list of transgendered job-seekers' ideal employers as well.

Goldman added health-insurance coverage of sex reassignment surgery as part of a push last year to attract top talent and recruit and retain a more diverse workforce, the company said.

The surgeryalone could cost an individual anywhere from $5,000 to $150,000 if they paid out of pocket, depending on their particular situation, said Pauline Park, chair of the New York Association for Gender Rights Advocacy, a group that campaigns for transgender rights.

That figure doesn't include hormone and other drug treatments.

----------

Now, I have a number of questions about this story, but I think at the top of my list has to be this one: what kind of a chintzy, half-a$$ed sex change operation can you get for a lousy 5 thousand bucks?

The mind boggles. And the world just gets stranger and stranger.

I'm not even sure my health plan covers sickness or death, never mind the fun stuff. Sheesh.

Ron Paul is still hanging tough. Unless he quit and nobody bothered to report it.

Here's a follow up to Scotty's post the other day about electronic searches at the border. Shaking my head.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23037049/

Pop Socket,
See DNA Girl post 10.32 am

Mudge, "gender reassignment" is also covered by the health plan of the Canadian Forces. (the "Armed" bit in the middle was dropped circa 1969).
http://www.pfc.org.uk/node/928

You mean you are no longer armed? How you gonna invade us? Gee...

$5,000 would cover a boob job.

My guess is they plan to invade with doilies. hehe

Boot to the head.- The Frantics

Wow! $5000 for a boob job. Do they give a discount for the second one like tires?
When they do a boob job do they put'er up on the rack?

Here's an interesting commentary on Obama's appeal to western voters:

http://egan.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/06/obama-the-shock-of-the-red/?em&ex=1202619600&en=e12aeef31b4fdd46&ei=5087%0A

Please, Joel already mentioned Mr. Fantastic. We don't need to bring the invisible woman (Jessica Alba) into this.

Very interesting post kbertocci. I guess I am still a little confused by the lack of Latino support for Obama. There are the usual unsavory theories, but I wonder if it is simply that Hillary Clinton has made more of an effort?

kber, interesting. I wonder if that's a reflection of Dems in red states being more purist liberals and therefore rejecting Clinton.

Likewise, one of our papers up here had a map of who won what state so far. To me, McCain looked heavy on states that the Dems won in 2004 esp CA, IL and NY. How many 2004 red states has he actually won so far?

By the way, I thought of a new tagline for the A-Blog

Achenblog: Finally a home for Centrist Wingnuts.

(One of) JFK's love child may be living in Vancouver.
"a tall man in his late 40s named Jack who bears a striking resemblance to JFK - and lives in Vancouver"
1/5. Makes me a poor candidate

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080208.wkennedy08/BNStory/National/home?cid=al_gam_mostview

sonofcarl, i love it.

Me, too, SofC.

The average total cost ranges from $4,000 to $10,000. The average cost for the implants is $1,000 to $1,300; the anesthesia fee is typically $600 to $800; the facility fee typically ranges from $800 to $1,200. The remaining cost is the surgeon's fee.

Congested, just now finishing my first cup of coffee waves!

In military news- the top doc, Gen. Eric Schoomaker, says the army is looking into a cluster of soldier deaths similar to the Heath Ledger fatal overdose. Detecting the increase in prescription med involved deaths seems to be an outgrowth of assigning convalescing soldiers to units designed to keep track of them and their medical issues. You can read the brief AP report here:
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/02/ap_armyoverdoses_080207/

Seems to me that Schoomaker has made some pretty effective organizational changes.

Front page alert. Please report to battle stations.

Front page alert. Mind your p's and q's, wingnuts.

If this is going to be another one of those T&A days at the boodle then I'm going elsewhere.

rainforest, Happy New Year!

I loved that stupid dog video. I read GW's chat at work so I wasn't able to open it, so thanks for posting it, TBG.

Obama's coming to our area...not sure where yet, but I'm going to be out of town, dagnabit. I would like to hear him speak.

As far as JA wondering if Democratic strategists should go after Romney's comments about all us terrorist lovin' Democrats or just ignore it, I would say that both HRC and Obama should go after his comments with guns blazing. Criminy, that just frosts my butt when I hear that cr@p.

SoC - I love that tagline.

Having been trending Obamaward for some time, I have recently received information from a number of sources which has convinced me to support him unconditionally. The word is out. Obama supporters are members of the "liberal elite." For me, being a member of any elite at all would be a first, and at my age I just can't pass up an opportunity like this. Go, Barack, go! McCainiacs, smell my effete!

Hey, why does the noble wingnut get so insulted, so disrespected, so discombobulated?

Wingnuts of the world, unite!

(Proud to be a wingnut, YMMV.)

For the prosecutorial type, a good line of questioning by the Queen's Counsel.
Note that both the QC and the accused are named Wright. It got me confused at first, but then I am in a permanent state of confusion.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article3336079.ece

Also, there are a couple of stinging opinion pieces, mostly by women columnist, about the dear Archbishop's suggestion of adopting part of the Sharya in the UK.

I second Kim on the "guns blazing" response.

I always thought kidney theives were an uban legend. Wrong again.
http://www.thestar.com/News/article/299973

I agree somewhat Kim. They should respond quickly and deftly, and then move on. It would seem to me that the last thing a candidate wants is for the opponent -- let alone a former opponent -- to dictate the talking points.

I will give that to the righ wingnuts; they have no class.
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/08/anti-obama-film-on-the-way/

SCC Right. I have no dexterity.

I asked the question last night, but did not get a response. I would really love to hear your thoughts.

Considering we may have some serious surprises after this administration leaves office in any form, what do you feel the candidates should do, and do you think the next President should do anything at all? Even to revealing what those surprises might be? Or just move on to the future, and not even make the country aware of any of this stuff? Your thoughts, please?

Someone once said of George Romney, "Deep down, he's shallow." The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

SD, there was never any question of that. I hope the SCOTUS tells them to fess up and go stuff themselves.

Hax is starting a discussion (blog) too. She's looking for possible names.

Yoki! Please get your clever mind over there and help her before she decides something she'll regret!

Is Bush's endorsement of McCain his kiss of death?

I also wonder if Bush will start taking pot shots at the dems? or does his advisors have him tied up in the oval office with duct tape over his mouth threatening to bolo punch him if he even thinks about opening his mouth.

Cassandra, yet another great question from you. I for one am on record for wanting blood and heads to roll, so yes, in the next administration I want TONS of Congressional investigations and exposes. I think I also once suggested that Patrick Fitzgerald be named permanent special prosecutor to just go after Cheney, Rove, Gonzalez, and anything else he can find.

One thing that worries me about Obama is that with his "let's-all-get-along" Kumbiyah stance he may be loath to do that. But hyes, as a matter of policy, I think we need to dig up all the stuff that happened and bring it to daylight, not cover it up with silence and try to paper it over with faked "bipartisanship."

Now, what I am less sure about is whether a Dem candidate -- Hillary or Obama -- ought to make a big deal about this during the campaigning, or whether it wouldn't be better to stay mum on it. I can argue it either way.

I have a hunch that during the last week--if not the very last day--in office, Bush is going to sign a vast string of pardons to every Tom, Dick and Harry in his administration, designed to protect them from exactly the kind of bloodletting I'm proposing.

Joel says "even if I offered, as a bonus, a new toaster" I don't know Joel, I might take that profile - he still does have the voice - and you have no idea how bad my toaster is.

Sliding back under wads of paperwork. People expect me to finish it all BEFORE I leave. Filed too. Has no one heard of garbage?

Hm, Mudge, if Bush does that, he will destroy the Republican Party for a generation. Not that I would object to that, but.

sd,
And the Right Wing War Machine opens one lazy eye and grinds into motion. Buckle up, boys, it's going to be a bumpy campaign.

I, for one, find the blanket "centrist wingnut" label insulting.

I am a far-left-of-left moon bat, dammit -- and proud of it, too.

Martooni, Shiloh nice to see you.

Moonbats and wing nuts living in harmony...

It must be the meds, yello. ;-)

Kim, LiT, I saw Romney's comments - in fact, Jon Stewart made a lot of them in the Daily Show last night (you can catch it again tonight on Comendy Central at 8 PM, IIRC) - and laughed at the angry paranoia of them (and chalked it up to Romney's anger at being defeated), but then it occurred to me that some of the far-right Republican base probably *does* feel that way.

And I think it's probably a good idea for the Dems to point out how patently ridiculous those comments are and then move on their own agenda, as LiT points out. The best defense here is a good offense, but on their own terms. IMO the GOP has to play defense in this election and it's best for the Dems to keep them there, and have McCain defend the Bush Administration and the GOP in general.

As a friend of mine pointed out to me, McCain has a bit of a temper and could have a Very Adverse Public Reaction at some point. A case of the VAPRs, you might say.

Following that line of thinking: Here's something that JA's Kit sparked in me - who are the super heroes/comic book characters that the remaining Candidates make you think of?

Personally, I'm trying to decide if McCain is the Hulk or the Thing. What sounds better coming out of McCain's mouth - "McCain SMASH," or "It's clobberin' time!"? Oh, wait - maybe Wolverine?

HRC as Catwoman [with Bill as the Dark Knight]? Obama as Daredevil, Captain America (sorry, Colbert), or maybe the Silver Surfer? Edwards as the Human Torch or the Flash? Huckabee as -- Green Lantern?

Ron Paul as Aquaman?

Thompson as Iron Man?

bc

Slyness, I'd argue that Bush (and Rove) have *already* ruined the GOP for a generation. It's only in the last few months that the clock has started.

Meanwhile, in other sad news, it appears we now have our first female school-related psycho-murderer:

Feb 8, 12:31 PM EST
Woman kills 2, herself at La. college
By DOUG SIMPSON
Associated Press Writer
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- A young woman killed two female students in a college classroom at a vocational college Friday, then killed herself,
police said.
The students apparently were shot in their seats in the second-floor
classroom at Louisiana Technical College, Sgt. Don Kelly said.
Officers ran into the building within four minutes of the first 911
call, which came at 8:36 a.m., he said.
"There was mass pandemonium, people running," Kelly said. "One officer
- the first into the classroom - told me he could still smell
gunpowder."
The students' names and ages were not immediately released, and it was
not clear whether the shooter also was a student.
The school offers classes in a dozen subjects including early childhood
education, practical nursing, drafting and welding.
Students had to stay in their classrooms for about two hours before
being released for the day, said Louis Davis. He said he was taking a
test for an automobile technology class when a teacher "said to stay in
the classroom because there's been an incident." Davis said
He said they were allowed to leave after a police officer asked them
brief questions.

Oh, wait - maybe Rudy is Aquaman...

bc

The problem, outside of inciting a vicious cycle of repercussions, is that nearly all the stuff that so enrages the left about Bush was not against the law. Horribly stupid and ill-advised, but not illegal.

Why do you think the Democrats in Congress haven't started this process already? Because they understand that being criminally stupid isn't really criminal. Especially when those involved were the same ones who were making the law. The dirty truth is that the people to be blamed for Bush and Company are the people who elected them. Twice.

Besides, to get back to Cassandra's question, just what sort of "surprises" does anyone think will be discovered? Secret memos left in the bottom of filing cabinets? Any secrets Bush has will leave with Bush.

I'm as frustrated as anyone with the way the last eight years have gone. And I despise Kumbaya. But I also realize that the notoriously short attention span of America is also one of its strengths. It prevents us from becoming entangled in the vicious cycles of recrimination that torment so much of the planet. How else can a nation of such diversity hope to function?

I honestly think it is time to move beyond talk of bloodletting and vengeance.

Curmudgeon refresh my memory. I know the Bush crew is full of Dicks, but who are Tom and Harry?

It's not superheroes, but I'm going to post this Star Wars Guide to the Candidates again...

http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/sfo/526482501.html

Is this one of your sources, Kurasowaguy? (at 12:22)

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/08/opinion/08brooks.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

I don't know, RD... I think for starters, deleting emails was illegal.

Hey.. good to see you Shiloh! Been a long time.

Point taken, Mudge. It's a real shame, too.

Hey Martooni, hope you're feeling well.

Hi Shiloh, good to hear from you.

thanks, mudge, for answering my question.

martooni and shiloh, good to hear from you.

waiting to get the goods on the book fair.

perhaps it is just my overactive imagination, but I just keep thinking, there is a not so good surprise waiting to be found out. it doesn't have to be that, and I'm hoping against hope it's just me. just got a bad feeling.

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isn't torture against the law?

and what about lying? doesn't that fall somewhere under criminal? weren't we the ones that aimed to impeach a President for lying?

well, maybe not.

Every President issues many, many pardons over their last days in office, IIRC.

And to RD's point, I think they serve a purpose in making the transition between Administrations smoother, forcing the incoming Administration to focus on looking ahead at fixing problems and to make progress on the planks of their election platform rather than considering that platform's use as a public gallows to Reward Those to Whom We Can Assign Blame.

bc

Just when I think things in Virginia are looking up, I see that the Virginia Speaker of the House (William J. Howell from Stafford) has endorsed Mike Huckabee...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/elections/2008/endorsements/index.html

Gag me, please.

I agree with TBG about the e-mail thing being illegal. I think the wiretapping/NSA stuff is/was illegal, at least during some of the interim periods until they started fooling with FISA. There's not a doubt in my mind all the torture was illegal (Bush says it wasn't, but that's not a legal opinion rendered by a court with jurisdiction; it was the opinion of the chief defendant, like asking Manson if he thinks he's guilty). I think there has been a good deal of plain out-and-out graft by contractors such as Halliburton and Blackwater. I'd like to know about Cheney's meeting with the oil company execs they've been shielding from virtually the beginning; I'm sure there's "smoke" there, if not fire (proving it is another matter, of course).

I believe most -- if not all -- the signing statements have been illegal, not criminally, but in civil law.

I believe there is/was and will be massive document-shredding and evidence-destroying. Not a flicker of a doubt in my mind about that.

I know we talked about the blood/vengence thing once before, Padouk, and I said then I wanted blood and vengence -- even though I recognize it may not be the best thing for the country, and that I would therefore probably have to forego it. I haven't said we *should* hang anybody -- only that I wanted to. (Alas, I want things I know I shouldn't all the time.)

Hey, I'm with martooni about that "centrist wingnut" label being an insult.

Umbrage alert: "I'm a centrist dingbat!" DANGIT!!!

Alright children pay attention. There's a gunman in the school shooting students so we're going to sit here quietly and see if he gets as far as us. As the soon as the bad man runs out of bullets or kills himself the police hiding behind their cars will come in and rescue you.

omni and martooni, relax. We centrist wingnuts are a very open-minded, inclusive bunch; we believe in the "big tent of wingnuts" approach. Dingbats and moonbats are also welcome here under the Big Tent.

Besides, we have repciprocal visiting priveleges with your "home" dingbat and moonbat institutions, kind of like yacht clubs and golf courses. So make yourselves right at home. (FYI, the greens fee is still $150 for visitors as well as resident members. Dingbats can use the club dinghy [dingboat] all they want; moonbats need to be accompanied by certified dinghymasters until their prowess has been determined. The moonbat moonbeam & moonlight dinner cruise leaves the dock at 7 p.m., returns at 11 p.m., buffet, beer and wine on board; sorry, no BYO)

bc - believe me, there are people who buy into what Romney said about terrorist-lovin', enablin' Democrats and there are a boatload of them down here in Tidewater. I agree with you and LiT that a response should be forthcoming in no uncertain terms but that the candidates shouldn't dwell on it. I just don't think they should let the rightwing nuts get away with that kind of hogwash. It perpetuates a stereotype of tree-hugging, wimpy Democrats and we should fight that. I'd like to sic K-guy on 'em. He's made me laugh out loud twice today. I'm sure he could make fun of them and make the point in a very pithy way.

I sometimes wonder if living down here with, believe me, a bunch of Hillary haters skews my perspective. I just don't think she's electable. I understand what Ivansmom was saying re: vote for her and then she'll be electable, but I don't think people like me will make the difference. It is the independents who will close the deal in this election and I don't believe they will go to Hillary. I hope I'm wrong.

Thank you dmd, TBG, slyness, Cassandra, et.al. for your warm greetings. I am occassionally granted outpatient status from the centrist wingnuthouse and can stop by to say things I hope will not have me recommitted.

What about the lugnuts, Mudge? Where do they fit in?

Are radical moderates allowed in the tent?

Lugnuts need not apply. We *do* have standards.

Funny you should say that, dmd. I've considered myself a radical moderate for years, as well as pragmo-gressive-centrist.

Boko,so tragic.

Big sigh.

Sorry. That was me at 2:50. As if you didn't know.

Are we talking bats again?

Didn't mean to imply that there wasn't possible criminal acts or that there shouldn't be investigations, but that with Pres pardons issued and the threat of prosecution removed, there's not a lot of motiviation for pursuit or cooperation.

bc

Kim-I listened to Congressman Bobby Scott on WAMU this morning talking about his support of Obama. I think he's reading the electorate in your area just as you are, and he should know a thing or two about a dem being electable there.

Here's a little silliness for the boodle to take into the weekend:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alD_tukE77Q

pragmo-gressive-centrist, LOVE IT!!

Yes boko, that story is just awful.

Internet connectivity problems for 25.5 hours. Time Warner service call this morning and a long (pleasant and productive call) with a young Indian service rep in a Bangalore call center. I'm bbbaaaaaacckkkkk!

And I'm catching up, just on this Kit. I did check in at the NYT first, and found David Brooks intriguing today. Essentially he analyzes those who comprise the Democratic party by income and outlook on life (demographics and psychographics), and quite humorously at times, too. Two grafs about Obama's appeal below, but he also gives equal grafs to Hillary:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/08/opinion/08brooks.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin

Barack Obama is an experience provider. He attracts the educated consumer. In the last Pew Research national survey, he led among people with college degrees by 22 points. Educated people get all emotional when they shop and vote. They want an uplifting experience so they can persuade themselves that they're not engaging in a grubby self-interested transaction. They fall for all that zero-carbon footprint, locally grown, community-enhancing Third Place hype. They want cultural signifiers that enrich their lives with meaning.

Obama offers to defeat cynicism with hope. Apparently he's going to turn politics into a form of sharing. Have you noticed that he's actually carried into his rallies by a flock of cherubs while the heavens open up with the Hallelujah Chorus? I wonder how he does that.

Joel writes:
Or do the Democratic candidates, and perhaps the Democrats as a party, immediately counter-attack? Iraq has been a strangely muted issue in the last couple of months as violence there has decreased and the economy here has soured, but with McCain as the GOP nominee the war will be front and center again.

Fuggedaboutit, Iraq and Iran, says Fareed Zakaria. Both were guests on a one-hour Anderson Cooper/CNN 360 program that aired here last night. Unfortunately, I caught only the last half hour of the show titled: Extreme Challenges: The Next Four Years." This folowing comment more than caught my attention, and the transcipt or show is worthy of more consideration than just Fareed's comments about Iraq. The trio discussed the plan to build a large number of coal-fired power plants in China and India and the environmental impact.:

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0802/07/acd.02.html

ZAKARIA: I think that the system in Washington pulls you towards the urgent. What you need is a leader who understands what's important and that the two are different. We need to get out of the eighth century in Baghdad, adjudicating claims between Shias and Sunnis and move to the 21st century, to China, to India, to Brazil, to where the future is being made and to figure out what are the challenges for America to prosper and thrive in the future.

We can't keep getting dragged back into every small crisis in hell hole because a bomb goes off somewhere. We've got to look ahead and ask how do we shape this world and how do we help Americans thrive and succeed in it.

Hey Kim I understand completely. Despite the fact that she "carried" OK, I'm in hate-Hillary land too. My point, which was kind of silly, was that nobody will be electable if people don't vote for them because they might not be electable. However, there's a lot of Hillary haters who make that a very valid concern.

Dingbat, moonbat, wingnut - how about pointyheads (in the affectionate, not pejorative, sense of the word)?

I'm off to pick up entirely too many teenagers for my car - plus the Boy.

Home page made me think for a minute that I was reading The Onion: Al-Quaeda Seeks Softer Approach.

And then there is always Fruitbat in a Dinner Jacket.

http://dowdreport.blogspot.com/2007/09/fruitbat-in-dinner-jacket.html

My guess is that he wouldn't be welcome.

That dog video was hilarious. I realize this topic has been covered, but I just got here.

Just as the winding down of the Bush countdown clock gives much joy, this counter of the cost of the war is exceedingly depressing
http://www.nationalpriorities.org/costofwar_home

(found via the web site of Congressman Jim Oberstar, dem MN)

Actually Maggie, I found the Brooks WSJ piece a real downer. It was all about Safeway vs Whole Foods and I'm a Trader Joe's kind of guy. "Hey look, there's some more of that $4 Barolo that did such a great job stripping the paint off the front hall radiator. Let's buy a case." And just when I thought I had found an elite of my very own, too.

The Brooks column is a long form version of the conventional wisdom that Obama is the chardonnay and brie candidate and Hillary is the beer and pretzels choice.

Hmm, Brooks was in NYT rather than WSJ. My bad. No wonder the usual WSJ snottiness seemed muted.

Backboodling.

I look forward to a rousing Obama rally if one ever comes to Alamo City. I bought Obama's autobiography last week (juicy discount coupon), and would like to see him and Michelle in the flesh, rather than just in debates, news clips or ads on CNN. Ditto for a rally for McCain and Clinton--to listen, observe; I'd go.

I see that I shall have to tackle George Whitefield here at the Boodle. *Especially if an Obama rally rolls through town.*

Meanwhile, David Broks at the NYT today directs his readers here:

Then did you see the Hopemeister's speech? His schtick makes sense if you've got a basic level of security in your life, if you're looking up, not down. Meanwhile, Obama's people are so taken with their messiah that soon they'll be selling flowers at airports and arranging mass weddings. There's a "Yes We Can" video floating around YouTube in which a bunch of celebrities like Scarlett Johansson and the guy from the Black Eyed Peas are singing the words to an Obama speech in escalating states of righteousness and ecstasy. If that video doesn't creep out normal working-class voters, then nothing will.

Hey, I just watched the video..well, most of it...and guess what, not one issue was mentioned by Obama or his bevy of lip synchers. But it was pure entertainment!

I'm looking for a moderately priced Cab-Shiraz blend to go with bruschetta smeared with gorgonzola and a drizzle of honey. Who's that?

Rather than "beer and pretzels" I would characterize Hillary as a Pouilly Fuisse' - dry, medium bodied, pale and refreshing, but concur with pretzels - brittle and salty.

"Yes we can video"

http://youtube.com/watch?v=BHEO_fG3mm4

I admire Fareed Zakaria. He makes it seem the West Wing needs a Big Picture specialist. Or maybe some kind of Big Picture Kitchen Cabinet to warn the President about getting caught up in the urgent but lower-priority Little Picture stuff. Maybe a role for Big Al?

Thinking of the non-urgent, some southern states once lagged in terms of tornado warnings and response. As terrible as this week's outbreak was, it would likely have been far more deadly a decade or so ago.

Hey there Sara.

How go the classes. oops, oh wait. um, never mind.

But the 'Hey there' stands.

I'm off to the video store, then liquor store, cause it's movie night at the omniapt.

Have a great weekend everybody, and stay dry

You're darn right it's tragic 'Mudge. A friend and I were watching the coverage of the Colombine murders and were disgusted to see groups of heavily armed police cowering outside while kids were being shot inside. I've see this repeated several times including an incident at the Ottawa bus depot when it took the cops 4 hours to move in after the shooting had stoppped. If the job's too dangerous for them maybe they should go into another line of work.
This incident has reminded me that I should tell my neice and nephew to ingnore anyone who tells them that they can't leave because they're locked down, to keep their heads, and eyes open, and get the he!! out of there. Stat.
It's much harder to hit a running target.
Let the looney shoot the sheep.

Because " Provide universal health care" and "Expand stem cell research" makes for such jazzy jingle lyrics.

Hillary was using Celine Dion tunes for a while. I'm not sure if I plugged it a few days ago, but I came up with the songs that the candidates should really be using.

http://livebythefoma.blogspot.com/2008/02/campaign-songs.html

I don't get the Hillary and the common person analogy. Pouilly Fuisse sounds right for her,(also my favorite wine), and heck Shilohs description is not far off describing me either. :-)

>"I see that I shall have to tackle George Whitefield here at the Boodle."

Please, don't go to any trouble on our account, LL.

k-guy,
John Kerry isn't running this time around.

Frosti, thanks for that link. I nearly fell out of my chair.

I assert that what incites wrath is not the legality of his actions but the morality of his actions. It is legal for a President to advocate a war. That's part of his, or her, job description. It is even legal for a President to withhold information if an assessment is made that it is in the national interest to do so. It is even legal for a President to install an Attorney General who's convoluted interpretation of the law supports questionable policies. None of these are illegal. What they are, at least to the left, is morally reprehensible.

It is this notion of moral indignation that gets the bloodlust flowing.

Loomis... I'm still having trouble figuring out which are your words and which are from the articles you're quoting. Can you add a space, or use some sort of //notation// or something?

For example, the "Hey, I just watched the video.." Is that you talking or Brooks?

I know I struggle with this myself. I often delete entire posts because I can't figure out the best way to make it readable (I know.. really? Me? You're not reading everything I write? Can you believe it?)

Too bad we don't have *italics* or something.

omni,

Hey there back! And I actually went to classes today. Miracles do happen.

Frosti... you've sent Mr. G off on a Steve Martin YouTube tangent. Thanks!

Obama brings to mind Freixenet's Cordon Negro: sparkling, crisp, clean, well-balanced, soft and smooth. It's food affinity is anything that beer tastes good with. And it costs less than Pouilly Fuisse'.

I'll have to admit, the Clinton ads are just chock full of substantive issue oriented informative good stuff compared to that feel good fluff from the other elite, I mean, the Obama camp. Why, just check these out-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d57jvrQDvSQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lB-Xqi_dcDY

I dunno, Padouk; while you may be technically correct about some of your 3:33, I think you're dodging some aspects of it. Yes, a president can "advocate" for a war...but it's *not* within his purview to start one; that right is specifically reserved to Congress, not the president. He can "advocate" all he wants. Waging one is different.

Yes, it is legal to withhold if the purposes are ":national security" -- but one must basically trust the guy in the first place. "Shielding one's administration" and covering up stuff are *not* specifically "in the national interest -- though of course it's easy to see how Arbusto et al. might think so.

"What they are, at least to the left, is morally reprehensible." Yes indeed. Why aren't they morally reprehensible to the center and right?

K-guy, at least your Trader Joe's can sell wine. In this county, it's verboten to see wine, beer, etc. in supermarkets.

Crossing the Potomac and seeing Two Buck Chuck in TJ's is the only time I ever wish I lived on that side of the river.

Kim, I grew up in Norfolk and will be very interested in the Democratic primary results in the Tidewater/Hampton Roads region. I know the mindset you are speaking of. If a candidate is perceived to be a "liberal", it's all over for her/him down there. It is the mantra of Tidewater to hate Hilary because she is a liberal.

McCain, on the other hand, because he is a war hero, will do very well. There is a large retired military population who will vote for him. Even tho he is not really a conservative, it's still a conservative/liberal thing in my home region.

I truly doubt many will vote for Obama. I hope I am wrong.

I like what Froomkin said today about Bush's endorsement of McCain...

"But it's a sound bite more likely to show up in a Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton commercial than a McCain one."

Mudge - my point is that a *legal* recourse is not necessarily the correct one. The correct recourse is to keep people with such views out of office until the end of time.

And you know as well as I do why some don't find these things as reprehensible. The argument goes that to do so would "let the terrorists win."

One of the meta-ironies here is that McCain spent a lot of time kissing up to, I mean supporting, Dubya in the 2004 race to make sure he was seen as the heir apparent. Now that he is the presumptive nominee, I can't see him touching Bush with a ten foot pole.

This obsession with issues and experience with regards to Obama misses the point.

The half-life of a position paper is pretty short, and the world changes so quickly that experience is equally ephemeral. The future is a voyage into uncharted waters. We are all making it up as we go along.

What matters most is intellectual flexibility, strong logical skills and a lack or personal hubris. It is the lack of these things that have cursed the Bush Administration.

Oh come on yello. John Kerry may be many things, but "moderately priced" ain't one of 'em.

Steve Martin from the current Smithsonian magazine:
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/funny-martin-200802.html#

Boko, on the other thread, there must be something in the air today. This incident is just a few miles from my office - fortunately no one hurt.

http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/301809

Have a good weekend folks!

I've been hearing about Two-Buck Chuck for a few years now, but haven't tasted it. Is it as good as the urban legend says it is? Is it dry?

Correction: not so much is it dry, but is it aged (like, for 20 minutes) in oak?

It's almost like the question to a Jeopardy answer:

The endorsement less welcome by a candidate than Barry's endorsement of Obama.

What is "Bush Rallies Republican Base Around McCain?"

"Crossing the Potomac and seeing Two Buck Chuck in TJ's is the only time I ever wish I lived on that side of the river."

Spoken like a man with no college age children.

Mudge quotes: "What they are, at least to the left, is morally reprehensible." Yes indeed. Why aren't they morally reprehensible to the center and right?

The center tries not to pay much attention to stuff that in their view doesn't directly affect them. The right has no moral uncertainty about their ends justifying all sorts of means. "They" aren't like us, so therefore we don't have to treat them like we would those who are "like us."

'Mudge, some of the Chucks are better than others, but all are OK for the price. You won't mistake them for a fine (choose your favorite) wine, but neither will you feel you opened paint thinner by mistake. The Chardonnay has a bit of a sweet edge to it, but that's OK by me. As for aging, I believe that is done on your car seat on the way home from TJs.

So no oakey taste? (I'm reminded of the scene in Mr. Roberts where Doc "ages" a faux bottle of scotch with coal tar-based hair tonic--and looks at his watch for 10 seconds before pronouncing, "There! That'll age the he11 out of it!")

Hey Raysmom, help me out with the funny CP reference on the last kit/boodle string.

Horrid cold here in the house or mild flu....PLEASE SEND HOME REMEDIES FOR SANDPAPER THROAT! Sipping Jamesons non stop could cause problems as I am also pulling nurse duty.

k-guy,

My son turned up his nose at VT last summer because there weren't any decent bookstores within walking distance of the campus, so the in-state tuition point is moot.

He and mrs. jkt are up at Ursinus today doing some due diligence to see if the archetypal Small Liberal Arts College is anything he would have an interest in.

I looked into relocating to Atlanta a few years ago, but the salary hit my wife would take as a public school teacher negated any savings the Hope Scholarship would confer.

It may have a passing acquaintance with oak, but it doesn't taste oaky to me.

CP, it was a headline about CP being on Next Runway Model. CP being Clinton Portis.

I recall hauling a couple of big bottles of cheap TJ's maple syrup from Oregon to Florida in my checked baggage. At the time, brownish, full-flavored syup was labelled "grade B" in the US, while the more pale, less-tasty variety was "A".

TJ's seemed adept at exploiting opportunities like that.

Frankly, I can't see "our" CP being a running back for the Redskins. For one thing, huddles usually don't last long enough to do any serious knitting, and anyway, it's cumbersome busting through the line and picking up a hard six yards all the while trailing a skene of yarn. And she'd be penalized 15 yards for dropping a stitch.

No offense-- but keep your day job, CP. Anyway, you'd hate working for Dan Snyder. Everybody else does.

Oh RM, fun to know. But, truth be told, a couple of costumey people on campus are trading notes on the Project Runway Show:

seamSTRESSes
PINheads
Stitch Biichery

These are some of our fun words lately. I still winch at frosty Prussian Heidi's curt dismissal, softened with Kuss Kuss Eurostyle.

Exhaustion alert!!!!

I have been on the phone for most of the day. No lunch, one pit stop between phone calls -- and ............... finally!!!! I am mostly functional (i.e., my 'puter is, and I'm trying valiantly to catch up).

Turns out that what was interfering with my internet connex was (*drum roll*) Microsoft Firewall. Oh, yeah, I'm really surprised. So we disabled that and I installed ZoneAlarm (which I've been using anyway forever and am very pleased with).

Then I talked with my domain hosting entity and, instead of simply forwarding to Comcast (as had been the case), I signed up for an actual mailbox. The price per year is laughable and it'll be all set by this time tomorrow, so I'll be able to *send* emails for a change. We did the same thing for the domain I have with the firm I'm Of Counsel to (it's been an alias), and that'll be good to go.

I'm exhausted -- and, so, here I go . .. .

Mudge, I would NEVER run with needles. But I have knitted while walking.

I was not under the impression that Va Tech was the only college option available in Virginia. Perhaps I am misinformed.

Ursinus College-

Setting
Suburban 168-acre campus with easy access to Philadelphia

Degrees Offered
Bachelor's

Comprehensive Cost
$43,160 includes full-time tuition ($35,000), mandatory fees ($160), and room and board ($8000). Full-time tuition and fees vary according to course load. Part-time tuition: $1094 per credit hour. Part-time tuition and fees vary according to course load
(Cost includes full-time tuition plus additional fees such as room and board and mandatory fees)

Entrance Difficulty
Very difficult , 47% of applicants were admitted

University of Virginia, Charlottesville
Setting
Suburban 1160-acre campus with easy access to Richmond

Degrees Offered
Bachelor's, Master's, Doctoral, First Professional, and Post-Master's Certificates

Cost
Tuition state resident $6628 full-time; nonresident $25,878 full-time. Part-time tuition and fees vary according to course load
Required fees $1872 full-time
Room and board $7435; room only: $4015. Room and board charges vary according to board plan and housing facility

Entrance Difficulty
Very difficult , 37% of applicants were admitted

We still have a tall, two year old grade B Trader Jo's maple syrup bottle half full. It ages well!

Two buck chuck is now four or five bucks per bottle. Love TJ's, I feel very smug when I use my TJ's reuseable red grocery bags, even in Whole Foods. WF & TJs are relatively small and friendly compared to most of the super duper markets.

I am so ashamed. I am laughing so hard, and can't seem to stop. It really isn't the thing to do, but I cannot help myself.

And on that note I'm going to say good night, sweet dreams. Have a wonderful weekend.

Spoken like a man who, when informed there is a armed crazyperson in the building, leaves the building. Sorry if it screws up the attendance taking but I'd rather have me and mine alive.

The decisions that go into a kid picking colleges are random and capricious. And usually wholly unrelated to his parent's financial situation. For example, the other day he announced that Harvard was his third choice. I'm sure the trustees of that brand would be shocked that anyone wouldn't consider them first.

After a family trip to OK State (don't ask) why) most rural schools were off the table. Ursinus waived all application fees and earlier this week we got a three page letter from the school addressed direct to the parents extolling its reputation. They are definitely giving the hard sell. More so than even the omnipresent Washington University in St. Louis. There's a school with a marketing department working overtime.

yellojkt,
I think I bought a couple of non-text books as an undergrad. Maybe something by René Dubos. But I don't recall any bookstores in the State College, Pa. of 1970.

I had cluelessly applied to a couple of "selective" Liberal Arts colleges. Later on, I was startled at how easy it was to find a grad school. And maybe even odder, my grad-school roommate is now the Provost at such a college.

Also, tuition rates are the equivalent of sticker prices at a car dealer and the state schools are the Saturn dealers.

Yeah, TBG, *italics*. How long have we wished for the capability?

RD is out of here, and given the lapse of time since Mudge's multi-graf post the other day which included a graf about Hillary not apologizing for her war vote (and now, 36 or so hours later, I still have these thoughts swirling in my head)...

I agree, that in *one speech,* Obama was against the war. But given that speech, what would his policy(ies) toward Iraq have been otherwise? Would he have embraced or discarded any of the previous Clinton policies? By that, I mean, would he have kept economic sanctions in place? Would he have enforced the northern and southern no-fly zones established under Clinton, despite complaints at the time that these daily aerial ops were rather expensive, but by no means anywhere near as ruinous, dollarwise, as the current seemingly endless war there? Would he have let U.N. weapons inspectors complete their jobs? Would he have brought the case against Saddam to the U.N. Security Council, as Bush did? Better yet and going back to the time shortly after 9/11, how long would he have waged the war in Afghanistan? Is Obama, assuminging that he was elected, now ready to go with significant force into either or both Afghanistan and Pakistan to hunt down Osama bin Laden, especially since al Qaeda is no longer centralized, like it once was?

What was the kind of intelligence that U.S. senators had when they made their vote authorizing force against Saddam? For the October (year? 2002?) date I need to open the Bernstein Clinton biography, which is downstairs. How many senators voted against that resolution authorizing Bush to start something against Iraq--really curious about this one? Of all the senators, who voted for the resolution, is John Edwards the only one to have publicly apologized for his vote--or are they others besides Edwards?

Speaking of apology or lack thereof, I remember Howie Kurtz writing a long piece, with free access to individuals within the Washington Post, explaining how the Washington Post goofed in its coverage in the run-up to war. But not one word of apology. The Washington Post was guilty of much, but apparently not sorry.

I was fairly vagrant about college choice myself. Irecall being put off by the University of Pennsylvania because the housing situation didn't seem very good.

Also, with my dad as an alum, I reasoned that if I were admitted based on alum kid preference, it would be unfair and I'd be attending a university that didn't pick the best available applicants. Not to mention that getting rejected would be more embarrasing than a rejection from someplace else. Beside, if universities were generically not such good places for undergraduates, why not go to a relatively cheap one?

I don't recall getting any marketing mailings from PSU, or anyone else. It's a different world today.

When our daughter was a HS junior, we had the college talk around the kitchen table. We all sat down and I told her she could go anywhere she was accepted, but this amount was the most we could afford to pay. If she wanted to go somewhere more costly she would have to get loans and pay them herself. If, OTOH, she chose to go to UVA, we would pay everything and maybe, if things went well, swing some study abroad. Things did go well, well enough to send her to Copenhagen for 6 months in her last year of architecture school. She graduated debt free and we still have only one mortgage. I think sometimes parents are reluctant to discuss the family finances in detail with their emerging adults and that's a mistake. I think it's also perfectly OK to put limits on the amount of financial help you give and make that clear to your kid.

Any small college will waive the application fee if you visit them. And many will waive it if you just talk to them or write for more information.

The one thing we learned from our still-laughed-about visit to High Point University (whose motto seems to be "Where nothing's too good for my baby") and our half-hour sit down with their slick car salesman-like president, was that every college wants to admit only first-choicers. If Harvard is your son's third choice, make sure they don't know that.

Another thing we learned from our college visits... make sure his Facebook page doesn't include anything he wouldn't want an admissions officer to know. Or potential employer. My niece is on Facebook and all the other such sites because she's in charge of hiring for her company.

I am seldom truly gone.

The answer to all your rhetorical questions regarding Obama is my rhetorical assumption that he would have reacted the correct way. Obama was right and Clinton was wrong. But Clinton was in good company.

And nobody should ever need to apologize for being wrong. There is no shame in error. There is just shame in refusing to learn from error.

Still here, tho' packing up.

LL, I don't think it was Kurtz's place to do any apologizing; he doesn't speak for the company.

Everybody have a good weekend. Like about half of you, I'm still battling my cold.

And now I really am going to be gone cause I am running so late, but one more important insight.

And one not based on my questionable intellect.

If you are looking for a bargain robust red check out the Italian Bastardo at Trader Joes. Best deal in the place.

Kurosawachick had friends at High Point. The motto is "what's the point, let's get high."

Something's wrong with my proofreading today. Yuk.

Happy weekend, everyone. Please eat or drink some grapefruits.

CP as the Next Top Model, yeah, I can see it. I'm picturing her walking, not running, down the runway, knitting needles in hand, trailing her yarn. Wearing the latest knits, of course.

We've made it clear to our son that no college choice can be made until all financial aid offers are in. My guess is that all the schools he's looking at (2 out-of-state-schools and 3 private) are going to price out the same.

My wife and I both have regrets about colleges our parents steered us away from.

kguy... you should see HIgh Point today. This new president came in and raised $100 million in one year to completely rebuild the campus. Single dorm rooms, free Starbucks, valet parking. All this was shown off in a tour of the tiny campus via golf cart. No mention of the academics.

And when my son said to the school's president, "I hope you raised $200 million to pay your faculty," the guy laughed and said, "Shhhh.. don't let them hear you say that!"

I was so pleased when Son of G turned to me after the tour and whispered, "Let's get out of here. This place gives me the creeps."

When my late father-in-law insisted that his grandson attend one of his alma maters (Caltech and Stanford) I said "fine, if you pay the cost differential between one of those schools and a state school." His college costs in the 1930s were very different from those in the 1980s and the "sticker shock" was the end of that conversation.

Seems like the guy in MO who killed 5 city officials-cops got the NRA's motto backward. It's not using the second amendment to protect the first but the oher way around. His brother:
""My brother went to war tonight with the government," Gerald Thornton said in an interview with a local television station after the incident. "He decided that he could no longer verbally work it out.""
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/08/us/08cnd-missouri.html?hp

Yello--Re your McCain song, I think an adaption of this would work:

http://www.thebeloved.com/lyrics.php?dep=lyrics&songid=18

I see a few lines that could be tweaked to be relevant.

The conversation I had with my children was that they could go anywhere they wanted, as long as they could pay or get scholarships. If they wanted their father and me to pay, any of the 16 campuses of the University of North Carolina were fine (except East Carolina, I didn't want to drive that far). When a seventh grader, older dottir told me she wanted to go to Appalachian State; when she was accepted (the day after Thanksgiving) that was the end of that. Younger dottir applied to NC State and Carolina, and chose the latter. She didn't get the letter till the end of March, but then she didn't apply till the last minute anyway. Worked out well, in both cases.

Anybody who cares about what the candidates actually stand for on a specific issue can go to

wilbrodthegnome.blogspot.com

I analyzed Hillary, Barack, and John's record on disability rights in office AND their platforms. Two have personal connections to the issues, one doesn't.

If anybody finds additional sources that may clarify further, please send them to me.
Stereotyping people or candidates, trolling, comparing people to objects can go to delete button.

And now for something completely different.

SCC: that's the last time I ask Wilbrodog to type for me. He never uses grammar check, damnit!

By the way, he has some hollywood headshots up at
http://wilbrodog.blogspot.com/

Hey I think SciTim made it up the mountain today!

ftp://ftp.ifa.hawaii.edu/INCOMING/ispy2.jpg

Geez. Once again, an afternoon of fine, stimulating commentary on many interesting issues, and I take an embarrassingly trivial thought from it. Yesterday it was Sea Monkeys (oh no, I didn't forget). Today? I bemoan the lack of Trader Joe's. We really enjoyed shopping there when we lived in California.

On the other hand, this afternoon I went to our local Mediterranean deli (called, practically enough, the Mediterranean Deli) and purchased many tasty staples like yogurt, lebni, hummus, feta cheese, olives, sour cherry preserves and dolma, to go with my bottle of Greek wine. Life is good.

Ivansmom... Can I come over?

C'mon, TBG! There's also cheeseburgers for the timid of food heart (translated as: more for us!).

What, no pastrami? What kinda goyishe deli is that?

Finished the half hour of network nightly news, so flipped on Hardball. The blonde guy had two strategist types on, Republicans, who were laying out a game plan for McCain to go after Obama first--and soon--since Obama is the lesser known of the two Democratic contenders among the public and even though the Democratic contest is far from over.

One thing is certain, the next president will come from the senatorial ranks--hasn't happened, in the last 100 years or so, since Harding and JFK.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/wh29.html

Thus a group of Senators, taking control of the 1920 Republican Convention when the principal candidates deadlocked, turned to Harding.
***

I'm pretty excited, after stumbling on a press release that says our local Trinity University is creating a new lecture series after a local newspaperman and scion of a prominent Texas family, who passed not too long ago--Maury Maverick. The first guest in this new series--Sy Hersh, to speak on April 3. I'll put this date on the calendar in supersized letters. Still kicking myself over missing Abizaid's talk.

Hey Mudge. For what it's worth, my wife tells me she favors following the next inauguration with a nice public flogging.

She scares me sometimes.

Those redheads, Padouk--ya gotta love 'em.

Mudge. Shhh! My wife is a brunette. So ixnay on the edheadray talk...

Ooops! Sorry. It's just that with your fondness for...I just assumed...um...

Mum's the word.

My wife and son got back from the college visit, but mu wife had to take care of a scholastic crisis (a paper she though she had more time on was due). Which left me to debrief the kid. I asked about the campus and the majors and other stuff. Right at the end of dinner he said, "Oh, yeah. They accepted me. The letter would have gone out in the mail on Tuesday, but since they knew I was coming, they gave it to me in person."

As part of the take-back literature they had this article by Jay Mathews from 2005:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/05/AR2005090501119.html

But then Mathews wrote a column this week in praise of senioritis, so I don't know how much credence to give him.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/03/AR2008020302355.html

It exposes the "better keep your grades up or your college will rescind their acceptance" myth. It's good to have a few bogeymen to scare kids with.

Found this on another site:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/04/technology/04link.html?_r=1&em&ex=1202274000&en=dfad4f3ac1f773cf&ei=5087%0A&oref=slogin

It seems that Clinton is a PC and Obama is a Mac. It comes to this conclusion by comparing the two candidates websites. Since this predates Brooks's grocery store analogy, is it possible he was "inspired" by it?

(deep breath) - - - the last acorn to fall from the tree is the printer issue. After getting adapter cables which wouldn't fit, somehow the light bulb came on as I was doing the dishes and I called HP. Turns out (wait for it) I have to buy a new printer. Hemorrhaging money has never been of interest to me, but dontcha know, that's what I'm doing. The good news is that the printer I ordered (laser) is on sale (good price), shipping is free AND they'll take my old printer and gimme some money for it. Good deal all around, actually. Problem is, though, I won't get it until maybe Tuesday or Wednesday next week. What the "H". At this point, I'm too tired to even care about it.

*sigh* [off to bed]

an obama supporter i know made the pc-mac analogy to me last week. i think it may have been out there in the blogosphere. or maybe it's just intuitive.

personally, i'm bi-platformal.

Hey. The next President will have to be a Senator? Youse guys ain't givin Governor Huckable or whats-it Gravel or Nutcase No-Last-Name Paul any respect here. He'll getcha come inauguration day.

RD, it depends on who is being flogged.

Hmmm. Clinton is a PC and Obama is a Mac. So Obama has less toxic problems, works better and is easier to understand, but Clinton is the worldwide standard and gets the job done, though with random and unexplained outages at inopportune moments. Sounds like regular political analysis to me.

a person i know who is mormon expressed relief that romney was out of the race. she also mentioned that mormons are totally pissed off right now at huckabee, so if huckabee ends up on the ticket, that would seriously take away mormon votes from the republicans. and dobson endorsed huckabee today. go conservatives. knock yourselves out.

ivansmom, i liked your political analysis.

Just who does your wife want flogged, RD?

ftb - G'night. I hope you have sweet dreams that do not include any computers.

Very interesting piece on senioritis, yj. Now, can someone tell me that junioritis is ok? My son has always been a good student, not a rocket scientist, but a good, self-directed, organized hard worker and has done well. This year he seems to be floundering. His grades aren't bad, but he has been inconsistent and his desire to do well fluctuates to put it politely. He is taking a brutal load this year (his choice) so I feel for him, but we don't see him consistently working as hard as could (and I don't mean that he should be killing himself...just perhaps dial back on ESPN and guitar hero). Sigh. We're just trying to stay positive and balance our expectations that he work up to his potential with the knowledge that we can't do it for him and he has to want it himself. He's a great kid and I know it will all work out, but parenting teenagers is really not a walk in the park...

My wife would like to see George Bush flogged. She doesn't suffer fools gladly. Which makes me wonder why she married me.

Of course, she is not partisan. She also despises Bill Clinton for that whole Lewinsky business. And she is not too fond of Hillary for not leaving the man. Perhaps with part of his anatomy as a souvenir.

That in two decades I have never once fooled around on this woman is not entirely due to my virtuous nature.

College Parkian, you spoke of reducing access to abortion. I have mixed feelings about that; the reason being that people confront the abortion choice for a reason, and they need counselling on the subject.

If they are denied that option, they may seek other, more drastic choices. A woman once confided in me that she had been raped twice before she was age 20 and got pregnant each time. The first rape occured when she was with a friend in a mall, her friend didn't, she did.

She was an adopted child, with an abusive mother and was already drinking in secret to try and deal with her pain while being "the good girl." To make it worse, she had once been told way before that, "you get pregnant, you're out of here!"

She got an abortion. And another one. She never told her parents about it, and for good reason. She was telling me this because over 10 years later, she had been infertile in her marriage and she asked me if the abortions she had could have caused scarring. I told her regretfully it was very possible.

She loved kids, and I think if she had been told that an abortion could have caused a risk of being infertile later, that would have weighed her decision. In fact, a high school classmate once told a girl he knew who was using abortion as birth control very bluntly that if she got too many abortions she might never be able to have kids again. "She decided to keep the child," he said.

What I am thinking is, what would have happened back then? She finally told her mother long after and the mother said that they wouldn't have thrown her out and would have tried to help her. That could be true-- or false.

You see, her mother's physical abuse also caused her to have grand mal epilepsy with first seizure starting around, I think, age 20, and if she DID get pregnant, she would have to go off medication and risk serious seizures as a result.

It is possible that if she had not gotten the abortions, the physiological demands of pregnancy would have accelerated her first seizures in a situation that would have killed her.

I happened to save another abused friend's life by being present when she had her first grand mal seizure, and I can say she would have died if she had been alone, she wasn't breathing for over 10 minutes.

I have come to the conclusion that you just can't judge that a mother's life is NOT at risk because they don't have any apparent physical reasons not to bear a child, just environmental reasons.

I've known too many people who had suicide attempts during their late teens to think that a desperate young woman who is denied any help or support won't choose suicide instead.

If you want to prevent abortions, you must be ready to give support to young women sitting in a clinic, too afraid to think about what to do. So, you must INCREASE access to abortion and counsellors.

You may disagree with my reasoning, College Parkian, but I sincerely think that the seamless garment philosophy should include the idea of putting priority on taking care of the life that is here and in front of you today, not tomorrow.

This is why I say that we are not ready for the consequences of limiting or ending access to abortion. I hope the situation is better now than it was years ago.

It was previously clear to me that your wife has good judgment, RD, based on her choice of husbands. This information shows she is also a clear and steady thinker. My already boundless admiration for her has only increased.

Before marrying my husband, I told him I would never leave him. I did, however, reserve the right to kill him. It hasn't been necessary.

Alrighty then, I will second the motion that GWB be flogged and agree that RD's wife sounds like she knows a good thing when she sees him.

The hubby and I went to see U2 3D tonight at an IMAX theater. I'm exhausted. I feel like I attended the concert. There were actually a couple of times that I had to stop myself from clapping in the theater. It really was a great show. If you're a U2 fan at all, I recommend it heartily.

I hope everyone who feels under the weather can get some good rest this weekend.
Good night all!

Kim... my sister told me tonight that she wants to see that U2 movie at the IMAX.

That's the second time I've seen the Great Flydini, and the first time I remember realizing his left arm was a complete dummy arm. It's very well done, only 1-2 times you might see the hand moving under the pants... which kind of adds to the funny-yuck factor anyway.

I'm going to go see U2-3D next weekend, I think. Not clap? Are you kidding - I'm hoping everyone is up and singing along like at the real thing! Talk about a revival - it's like going to church.

Do you get to keep the glasses?

Wilbrod - The story of your friend is terribly painful, but seems only tangentially related to the issue of access to abortion. It IS pretty relevant to greater access & acceptance of counseling services.

OK, let me get this straight: Mormons are ticked at evangelicals and won't vote for Huckleberry. Evangelicals don't like Mormons and wouldn't vote for Romney.

Jeez, some of you "Christians." Doncha just love religion? This is the first time in decades I've taken any comfort from it. Kinda makes me wanna run out and burn a witch at the stake. Man, ye reap what ye sow. Maybe if we work hard enough, we can get Lutherans to hate Methodists, and vice versa.

FYI, the PC-Mac thing has been out there in the ethernet/blogosphere (re HC and Obama) for at least a week or more.

I have a question I'm hoping my Canadian friends can answer...

We're watching How It's Made, which apparently is a Canadian show. They are showing how snack cakes are made and are making a chocolate-covered snack cake called Jos. Louis. I only know this because they showed the box while demonstrating how the packaging occurs. They are only mentioned as generic "snack cakes."

I've never seen or heard of these; they seem to be a Canadian delicacy. I found the company's website and even read the Wikipedia page. Here's my question...

Is it pronounced "Joseph Louis" or "Joss Louis"?

'Mudge - Ooohh, a Tom Lehrer moment!

'National Brotherhood Week'

"Oh, the white folks hate the black folks,
And the black folks hate the white folks.
To hate all but the right folks
Is an old established rule....

Oh, the Protestants hate the Catholics,
And the Catholics hate the Protestants,
And the Hindus hate the Moslems,
And everybody hates the Jews...."

oops - a link to the lyrics:

http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/National-Brotherhood-Week-lyrics-Tom-Lehrer/625DBDA1F04F231148256A7D0025A2FC

Since I've either bored or offended everyone away for the moment, I'll submit that this is a better link to the Lehrer lyrics, because it also includes his spoken introduction to the song:

http://www.stlyrics.com/songs/t/tomlehrer3903/nationalbrotherhoodweek185493.html

I'm still here with ya, Bob.

The ghastly 'Jo Louee' is the Quebecois 'Twinky'. Although they have a self-life measured in centuries, uneaten portions must be treated as toxic waste.
They taste like a cream filled salt lick.

I didn't encounter them until I moved to Ottawa (across the river from Quebec) from Toronto where they were, and still are I hope, unknown.
One bite was enough for me. Yech!
SD may have a different perspective, for sure, for sure, eh.

...and after backskimming, I am too. Trying to keep up with all of the primary stuff is exhausting. Now that the dust has settled a bit, I am preoccupied with trying to figure out if the democratic candidate will have a chance in the fall against Sen. McCain. It occurred to me that the turnout during the primary season, to date, has been heavy on the Democratic side. This links to a set of stats, including total turn out as of 5 Feb: approx. 14M (D) to approx. 8M (R).

http://www.time-blog.com/swampland/2008/02/super_tuesday_the_most_interes.html

An underlying buzz around here is that if Sen. Obama doesn't get the nomination, that a lot of voters will stay home on election day. Thus, I believe that despite the nice talk that the selection of the Democratic candidate isn't about race or gender it's really all about race and gender. My wife is fond of saying that there are some beliefs and behaviours that individuals have that just don't change. Things are going to be mighty interesting for the duration of the primary season and the subsequent Presidential campaign. If, however, the Democratic candidate plays it right, we may yet see a Democrat in the White House that also has a stronger majority in the House and Senate. I'm with you, 'Mudge, that there should be a special prosecutor appointed to hold people like Addington, Yoo, Rove, Cheney and countless others accountable for breaking the law.

SD? Did you enjoy the 'ockey last night?
Don't press my nerve.

Boko: I read your post regarding armed assaults in the schools and other public places. They could be used as a rationale for enacting stricter gun control measures, but thanks to some powerful lobbying groups on this side of the border, that isn't likely to happen. My room is adjacent to two access points, neither of which are locked. I lock my door with specific directions to my charges that only I will answer to any knocking. I have a fire escape window (shade always drawn) and access to some woods about 150 m from the window and have told my kids how to shield themselves to make it look like the room is empty, and that when it is safe to do so, that we'll RLH for the woods. I hope that I'll never have to put those directions into practice. I also hope that I never have to be called into duty to find a bomb, as I have the privilege of being on the team of folks in our building that look for those kinds of things as the need arises.

Bill Maher points out on tonight's new show where Barack Obama's campaign slogan, Yes We Can," originated:

http://www.amazon.com/Sammy-Autobiography-Davis-Jr/dp/0374293554

When Davis published his first memoir, "Yes, I Can", in 1965, it was a critical and popular success--acclaimed for a candor and thoughtfulness rare in celebrity autobiographies and for its painful evocation of life as a black peformer in segregated America. Davis's 1980 memoir, "Why Me?", laid bare Davis's troubled relationship to the Kennedys, his ambivalence toward the Black Pride movement, the end of his marriage to Britt (and his complex open marriage with Altovise Davis), and his flamboyant, self-loathing misbehavior, from ruinous extravagance to flirtations with Satanism.

Woo hoo, WA state on the front page:
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/02/08/campaigning_in_washington_stat.html?hpid=topnews
I was surprised that Gregoire endorsed Obama.

Bill Maher pointed out on his new show tonight where Barack Obama's campaign slogan, "Yes We Can," originated:

From amazon.com's review of Sammy's second book:

When Davis published his first memoir, Yes, I Can, in 1965, it was a critical and popular success--acclaimed for a candor and thoughtfulness rare in celebrity autobiographies and for its painful evocation of life as a black peformer in segregated America. Davis's 1980 memoir, Why Me?, laid bare Davis's troubled relationship to the Kennedys, his ambivalence toward the Black Pride movement, the end of his marriage to Britt (and his complex open marriage with Altovise Davis), and his flamboyant, self-loathing misbehavior, from ruinous extravagance to flirtations with Satanism.

SCC: Sorry for double post, but it's taking forever out here in flyover land for a post to display.

Wow! That's an awful lot of baggage for such a short, fairly banal-sounding phrase!

mostly: you (and anyone else who is so inclined) would get a kick out of this clip from the GD Europe tour in '72: bozos and bolos during a rendition of Big Railroad Blues. Check it out in the absence of the kids, as the beginning is somewhat suggestive, and funny in an adult sort of way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oOItcEsq-E

I don't know why restricting the access to firearms seems onerous to some people. I had to prove I can operate a car safely before I could drive a car and I didn't mind having to take a firearms safety course and go through a criminal record check in order to possess guns.

Your perspective on lockdowns is probably different than mine as you are responsible for 30 lives while I only have to look out for my mangy hide.

Boko, I don't know either. Part of it comes from being ensconced in our Constitution - the Second (!), not the Ninth, or Seventeenth Amendment. It's like the Ten Commandments or something. It's an American right to own a gun, even if it makes no sense in this day and age, when we'd need fighter planes to really stand up against the evil gummint. I'd like to melt 'em all down.

Do you really think, Loomis, that Obama dredged up a 43 year old book title to twist the wording a bit (replacing I with We) just so the slogan would resonate with other