Sanksrit Grammarian and Italian Sandwich

Blog moved.

2006-01-27T22:11:00.000-06:00

Comment with your info, if you really want to know where it's moved to.

Repeat.

2006-01-23T16:08:00.000-06:00

From Hotline's Last Call (subscription only):

SHOT. . .

"The president does not have a personal relationship with Mr. Abramoff" -- Dan Bartlett (1/23/06).

. . . CHASER

"I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky" -- Bill Clinton (1/26/98).

Swift Boat Revenge?

2006-01-20T16:53:00.000-06:00

Ex-Secretary of Navy in the Reagan Administration, James Webb wrote an op-ed in the NY Times, saying:

The political tactic of playing up the soldiers on the battlefield while tearing down the reputations of veterans who oppose them could eventually cost the Republicans dearly. It may be one reason that a preponderance of the Iraq war veterans who thus far have decided to run for office are doing so as Democrats.

Priorities.

2006-01-20T08:02:00.000-06:00

From the Institute of Southern Studies:

Number of tax cuts passed in 2001 that go into effect this year: 2

Percent of the benefits of these cuts that will go to people making over $200,000 a year: 97

Amount those individuals will gain from the cuts over the next five years: $27 billion

Cost of Katrina relief package signed by President Bush in December: $29 billion

Amount of that total that was a re-allocation of money already appropriated: $17.5 billion

Total cost of the Iraq war, according to a recent academic study: up to $2 trillion

Dadgum Spellcheck.

2006-01-18T11:33:00.000-06:00

From Andy Borowitz' blog on MSNBC.com:

"Elsewhere, President George W. Bush said that he meant to invade Iran all along, blaming the error on SpellCheck."

Purpose of our government.

2006-01-17T15:19:00.000-06:00

Is "to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity."

From the Preamble to the United States Constitution.

Be stupid and swindle.

2006-01-17T12:02:00.000-06:00

"Tricks and treachery are the practice of fools, that don't have brains enough to be honest."
- Ben Franklin

Yeah...

2006-01-16T15:10:00.001-06:00

Go Broncos!

You feel it?

2006-01-16T15:10:00.000-06:00

Five weeks 'til pitchers and catchers report to training camp...

Reality Bites.

2006-01-09T11:21:00.000-06:00

Morton Kondracke on RollCall.com (subscription only):

"...reality: There are 11 million illegal immigrants in the U.S., and it would be far more efficient to concentrate law enforcement resources on finding and expelling criminals among them than trying to corral them all."

Hitler references are okay now.

2006-01-03T18:20:00.000-06:00

From DailyKos:

"Bush aggressively mimics Hitler's claim that defense of the realm entitles him to ignore the rule of law.

Would it be okay if Hillary or Bill Clinton were the ones authorizing spying on its own citizens? I think not.

Stats.

2005-12-26T11:05:00.000-06:00

From Peter King at SI.com:

The salaries of the top six hitters in the 2006 New York Yankees batting order: 1. Johnny Damon CF $13 million 2. Derek Jeter SS $19 million 3. Alex Rodriguez 3B $21 million 4. Gary Sheffield RF $13 million 5. Hideki Matsui LF $13 million 6. Jason Giambi 1B $17 million
The 24-man roster of the 2005 World Champion Chicago White Sox, plus the manager, coaching staff and general manager, did not earn as much as the $96 million these six players will make this year.

Goes to prove, it's not all a numbers game.

Made right.

2005-12-22T19:06:00.000-06:00

"Christmas transcends the culture wars in which we are now engaged. For Christmas is God's statement to all of humanity--Democrats, Republican, Christians, Muslims, Jews, blacks, whites--that God is for the world, for all of us, each and every one, and that although we have made a mess of things, God has not given up hope in our ultimate redemption and reconciliation. Despite all of our shortcomings and all our attempts to destroy God's image in our neighbor, Christmas is the reminder that God still is hopeful for us and our futures, and that we have not been abandoned, but that God will be with us until all that is wrong with the world will be made right."
- Rev. Tim Simpson

How ya likin' that spying?

2005-12-19T19:53:00.000-06:00

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
- Benjamin Franklin

Merry Christmas...er, Happy Holidays.

2005-12-19T18:31:00.000-06:00

Congressman John D. Dingell (MI-15) recited the following poem on the floor of the US House of Representatives concerning House Resolution 579, which expressed the sense of the House of Representatives that the symbols and traditions of Christmas should be protected.
"Preserving Christmas" has been a frequent topic for conservative talk show hosts, including Fox News's Bill O'Reilly:

'Twas the week before Christmas and all through the House

No bills were passed 'bout which Fox News could grouse;

Tax cuts for the wealthy were passed with great cheer,

So vacations in St. Barts soon would be near;

Katrina kids were nestled all snug in motel beds,

While visions of school and home danced in their heads;

In Iraq our soldiers needed supplies and a plan,

Plus nuclear weapons were being built in Iran;

Gas prices shot up, consumer confidence fell;

Americans feared we were on a fast track to...well...

Wait--- we need a distraction--- something divisive and wily;

A fabrication straight from the mouth of O'Reilly

We can pretend that Christmas is under attack

Hold a vote to save it--- then pat ourselves on the back;

Silent Night, First Noel, Away in the Manger

Wake up Congress, they're in no danger!

This time of year we see Christmas every where we go,

From churches, to homes, to schools, and yes...even Costco;

What we have is an attempt to divide and destroy,

When this is the season to unite us with joy

At Christmas time we're taught to unite,

We don't need a made-up reason to fight

So on O'Reilly, on Hannity, on Coulter, and those right wing blogs; You should just sit back, relax...have a few egg nogs!

'Tis the holiday season: enjoy it a pinch

With all our real problems, do we honestly need another Grinch?

So to my friends and my colleagues I say with delight,

A merry Christmas to all,

and to Bill O'Reilly...Happy Holidays.

What's it gonna be?

2005-12-19T17:30:00.000-06:00

From National Journal's Hotline:

"To say 'unchecked power' is to ascribe dictatorial position to the president, to which I object"
- George W. Bush (WhiteHouse.gov, 12/19/05).

Amen.

"If this were a dictatorship, it'd be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator"
-- George W. Bush (CNN.com, 12/18/00)

Que?

Liberal is Not a Dirty Word

2005-12-16T12:16:00.000-06:00

From the Grindstaff Chronicles:

So, What's So Wrong About The Label: Liberal?

Well, if it means that you accept the fact that God loves everybody, nothing. If liberal means accepting all your neighbors, friends and relatives just as they are, well that sounds like a pretty good thing to be. And why, pray tell, are Democrats so afraid of being called liberals? They shouldn't be, since all the word means is that they believe in being charitable, noble, all-inclusive, accepting, loving, and willing to take care of the less fortunate.

Being liberal means giving human beings the right to make decisions concerning their own bodies. Being liberal means recognizing that good people can be different and still be deserving of everything good a human is recognized as needing in order to be able to live in comfort, dignity, good health and in proper shelter. Being liberal means recognizing that the über-rich are not the only people deserving of the government's concern and largesse. Gosh darn, sounds up here like being liberal just means being a good human being, as opposed to being a snotty, selfish, paranoid fanatic of the military-industrial complex, frightened by and uncaring of, the "masses."

"Schism."

2005-12-14T13:24:00.000-06:00

From National Journal's (subscription-only) Hotline:

The House GOP leadership and the nation's business lobbies, usually close allies, are "battling each other" over immigration. In a "rare schism," employer groups led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are "pressing to kill a" GOP-backed measure that would "require businesses to verify that all of their workers are in the US legally" and would "increase penalties for hiring illegal employees." These businesss lobby groups are "so vehement in their opposition" that they will consider lawmakers' votes on the bill as a "measure of whether they will support them in the future."

So to all the Republican voters who believe that Mexicans are stealing American jobs: Your employer doesn't want to be hindered from hiring the undocumented. How ya like them apples?

We as a people don't want foreigners (read: Mexicans) to break the law and enter our country illegally, because they will take our jobs.

However, our employers don't want to be stopped from hiring them, because, hey, they're cheaper and can probably do our jobs better since they want it more.

In the end immigrants should be commended for their "work ethic, optimism, entrepreneurial spirit and countless contributions to American society."

Evangelicals, take heed.

2005-12-07T06:52:00.001-06:00

"The average man, who does not know what to do with his life, wants another one which will last forever."
- Anatole France

Funny AND true.

2005-12-05T12:22:00.000-06:00

Howard Dean on Bush's plan to target illegal immigrants for his proposed guest-worker program:

"Here's a guy who can't find a 6'4" Saudi wandering around the desert. And now he's gonna find 11 million immigrants?"

Revealing.

2005-12-01T12:47:00.000-06:00

"When a stupid man is doing something he is ashamed of, he always declares that it is his duty."
- George Bernard Shaw

Horse's mouth or horse's ass?

2005-12-01T10:12:00.000-06:00

Supposedly setting a deadline for getting out of Iraq would be "discouraging" to our troops because they would be getting the message that we were quitting. I wonder what the troops would really think about getting away from a place where they risk being bombed or shot at for a chance to come home to friends and family?

Discouraged? They'd probably take the next plane out if they could.

No one wants to be at war. I don't think troops in Iraq want to be there. I think they had a choice in the matter, they'd rather be in Afghanistan looking for bin Ladin. Remember him? Al-Qaeda? Terrorists? 9/11? Twin Towers? Ringing any bells?

They joined up and looked forward to kicking his ass.

Not poor, defenseless Iraqis.

Department of Peace

2005-11-30T14:50:00.000-06:00

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) and Sen. Mark Dayton (D-MN) introduced legislation (awhile back) to create a Cabinet-level department of the federal government, dubbed the Department of Peace. I don't know the viability of the idea, but the proposed responsibilities of the department would include:

Monitoring of all domestic arms production, including non-military arms, conventional military arms, and of weapons of mass destruction,
Making regular recommendations to the US President for various arms reductions strategies,
Assumption of a more pro-active level of involvement in the establishment of international dialogues for international conflict resolution (as a cabinet level department),
Establishment of a US Peace Academy, which amongst other things would train international peace-keepers,
Development of an educational media program to promote non-violence in the domestic media,
Monitoring of Human Rights, both domestically and abroad,
Making regular recommendations to the President for the maintenance and improvement of these Human Rights,
Receiving a timely mandatory advance consultation from the Secretaries of State, and of Defense, prior to any engagement of US troops in any armed conflict with any other nation,
Establishment of a national Peace Day,
Participation by the Secretary of Peace as a member of the National Security Council,
Expansion of the national Sister City program,
Significant expansion of current Institute of Peace program involvement in educational affairs, in areas such as:

Drug rehabilitation,
Policy reviews concerning crime prevention, punishment and rehabilitation,
Implementation of violence prevention counseling programs and peer mediation programs in schools,

Also Making recommendations regarding:

Battered women's rights,
Animal rights,

Various other peace related areas of responsibility.

Nefarious is a five-dollar word.

2005-11-29T11:04:00.000-06:00

From MSNBC.com:

Ex-Powell aide rips Bush on Iraq, detainees

WASHINGTON - A top aide to former Secretary of State Colin Powell said Monday that wrongheaded ideas for the handling of foreign detainees arose from White House and Pentagon officials who argued that “the president of the United States is all-powerful” and the Geneva Conventions irrelevant.
In an Associated Press interview, former Powell chief of staff Lawrence Wilkerson also said President Bush was “too aloof, too distant from the details” of postwar planning. Underlings exploited Bush’s detachment and made poor decisions, Wilkerson said.

Wilkerson blamed Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and like-minded aides. He said Cheney must have sincerely believed that Iraq could be a spawning ground for new terror assaults, because “otherwise I have to declare him a moron, an idiot or a nefarious bastard.”

Why should you obey the law?

2005-11-28T16:17:00.000-06:00

Justice Louis Brandeis said:

"In a government of laws, existence of the government will be imperiled if it fails to observe the laws scrupulously. Our government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or for ill, it teaches the whole people by its example. Crime is contagious. If the government becomes a lawbreaker; it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy."

Powerful words.

Free-marketeers.

2005-11-23T15:53:00.000-06:00

From Mark Shield's column on CNN.com:

The editor of The Wall Street Journal editorial page and the host of the Tomlinson-backed PBS show was Paul Gigot, a respected journalist and agreeable colleague with whom I had sparred weekly for eight years on "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer." These Journal panelists are all in near total agreement that tax cuts and unfettered free enterprise are good, while government regulation (with the possible exception of federally mandated de-icing of airline wings in sub-zero weather) and most Democrats aren't.

I'm all for the mandate, too.

The Wall Street Journal editors program was not a brand new TV show. It had appeared, until it was cancelled in January 2003, on the cable business channel CNBC, which Dow Jones, the publisher of the Journal, owns jointly with NBC.

So the show got canceled on the "free-market" and then got pushed by a Republican to get back on the air funded by federal tax dollars. Shields makes a good point.

American.

2005-11-23T14:03:00.000-06:00

"America represents something universal in the human spirit. I received a letter not long ago from a man who said, 'You can go to Japan to live, but you cannot become Japanese. You can go to France to live and not become a Frenchman. You can go to live in Germany or Turkey, and you won't become a German or a Turk.' But then he added, 'Anybody from any corner of the world can come to America to live and become an American."
- Ronald Reagan (at campaign rally for Vice President Bush, San Diego, November 7, 1988)

Kerry Wins!..as jury foreman.

2005-11-23T10:12:00.000-06:00

From CNN.com:

Incidentally, the case was a lawsuit brought by two men "suing the city for injuries suffered in a 2000 car accident involving a school principal." The jury rejected the claim.

"I just found him to be a knowledgeable, normal person," said Cynthia Lovell, a nurse and registered Republican who says she now regrets voting for President Bush in last year's election. "He kept us focused. He wanted us all to have our own say."

Context.

2005-11-21T16:03:00.000-06:00

From a survey of Latinos in the South, commissioned by Center for Research on Women in Memphis, the Highlander Research and Education Center, and the Southern Regional Council:

East Tennessee, a predominantly rural, white working class Appalachian context.

Appropriate.

My alcohol-tinged message to the Music Row Democrats.

2005-11-19T00:51:00.000-06:00

"The Democratic Party needs a spine. We need to clearly state our beliefs, unabashedly and unapologetically.

We must state the value system that we believe in unequivocally.

We must show that "liberal" is not a dirty word. Extreme conservatism is just as bad as extreme liberalism. Compromise for the greater good is the future of our country and our society.

We must be able to develop answers to right-wing neo-conservatives, defend our patriotism and simultaneously point out flaws in the Republican talking points without sounding like "hippies", "bleeding heart liberals", or "pinko commies," even if some in our Big Tent happen to fall into those categories.

We must state that we believe in our Constitution and Bill of Rights and love our country enough to die for it."

This is in quotes. Even though I'm the one saying it.

God Bless America.

More Disapprove than Approve in East Tennessee

2005-11-16T17:12:00.000-06:00

(click image for larger view)

If Jesus debated Kerry and Bush.

2005-11-16T11:39:00.000-06:00

From an October 31, 2004 sermon, posted here.

Evidence.

2005-11-16T10:10:00.000-06:00

This page has some really great quotes. My favorite:

"If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?"
- David Otis Fuller

Another:

"My great concern is not whether God is on our side, my great concern is to be on God's side."
- Abraham Lincoln

2012

2005-11-15T14:59:00.000-06:00

The Washingtonian, a publication in Washington, D.C. polls Congressional staffers and aides regarding members of Congress. Their results from the 2004 poll are funny and interesting.

From the House and Senate sides, respectively:

MEMBER I’D LIKE TO SEE AS PRESIDENT IN 2012
1. Harold Ford Jr. (D-TN)
2. David Dreier (R-CA)

SENATOR I’D LIKE TO SEE AS PRESIDENT IN 2012
1. Hillary Clinton (D-NY)
2. Bill Frist (R-TN)
3. John Edwards (D-NC)

Good ol' Rocky Top!

2005-11-10T16:29:00.000-06:00

On Saturday, I will be at:

University of Memphis vs. University of Tennessee
Neyland Stadium - Knoxville, TN
2:00pm

Wish that I was on ol' Rocky Top Down in the Tennessee hills
Aint' no smoggy smoke on Rocky Top, ain't no telephone bills
Once I had a girl on Rocky Top, half bear, other half cat
Wild as a mink, but sweet as soda pop I still dream about that !

Rocky Top you'll always be Home sweet home to me
Good ol' Rocky Top
Rocky Top Tennessee, Rocky Top Tennessee!

Once two strangers climbed ol' Rocky Top Lookin' for a moonshine still
Strangers ain't come down from Rocky Top, reckon they never will
Corn won't grow at all on Rocky Top, dirt's too rocky by far
That's why all the folks on Rocky Top, get their corn from a jar!

Rocky Top you'll always be Home sweet home to me
Good ol' Rocky Top
Rocky Top Tennessee, Rocky Top Tennessee!

I've had years of cramped-up city life Trapped like a duck in a pen!
All I know is it's a pity life, can't be simple again

I would vote for John McCain.

2005-11-10T16:02:00.000-06:00

States' rights used to be a euphemism for racism, referring to a states' right to allow slavery to be legal. This phrase of conservatism is now being borrowed by liberals to stand up for oppression, fascism, and the "neo-cons" that have taken over the Republican party. Stephen Crockett writes on OpEdNews.com:

Fiscal conservatism has become a very important element in Democratic election successes. Restricting the invasions of privacy and erosions of freedoms guaranteed in the Bill of Rights is another element of the appeal of many Democratic candidates to traditional conservative voters.
It is clear that traditional conservative need to start ignoring the Democratic or Republican labels when voting. Issues matter. Policy positions and actions matter more than empty words. Traditional conservatives should be looking at the actions and beliefs of the Bush Republicans, “neo-cons”, so-called Christian Rightists and greedy Corporatists and deciding if these are the kind of people that should be using the “conservative” label!

Don't make girls cry.

2005-11-10T13:48:00.000-06:00

I personally can't stand when girls cry, not because it annoys me, but because it makes me feel helpless. Rabbi Marc Gellman writes in an unrelated article on MSNBC.com, quoting the Talmud:

“Be very careful if you make a woman cry, because God counts her tears.

Which is it?

2005-11-10T10:18:00.000-06:00

Donna Brazile writes for (subscription only) RollCall.com:

"...the cost of running for public office, largely driven by the expense of the broadcast ads that are the bread and butter of modern campaigns, is so high that fundraising for the next race must begin virtually the day after they win the last one."

So are we elected people to office to represent us or are are we electing professional, taxpayer-funded, professional fundraisers?

These same elected officials who avoid good or worthy legislation like the plague because a particular industry will withhold their contributions. How is that a democracy? Politicians aren't representing the people, they're representing whoever gives them the most money.

Gotta be kidding me.

2005-11-09T14:55:00.000-06:00

It takes 12 DAYS to impose a curfew. And then, miraculously, the rioting in Paris France's suburbs "decreased sharply."
Duh.

Crazy statistics.

2005-11-09T13:05:00.000-06:00

From Zimmerman's column on CNNSI.com:

Green Bay Packers (1-7)
Despite this record, they still can put forth the amazing statistic of having scored more points than they have given up, 168-159. In the advanced mathematics department at MIT they call this the Statistical Variable Syndrome for Reversible Numericals.

That's just crazy. How do lose when you score more points than are scored on you?

Truth.

2005-11-09T12:02:00.000-06:00

"When people think, Democrats win."
- Bill Clinton

Guns don't kill people, bullets do.

2005-11-08T17:52:00.000-06:00

From CNN.com in Jacksboro, TN, population 2,000, 35 miles northwest of Knoxville:

One dead in Tennessee school shooting
Sheriff: Student suspected in shooting of three administrators
JACKSBORO, Tennessee (CNN) -- A student opened fire Tuesday afternoon on a principal and two assistant principals at a high school in Jacksboro, Tennessee, killing one of them, the sheriff said.

The suspect was taken into custody, authorities said.

No students were injured, and Campbell County Comprehensive High School was locked down immediately after the shootings, said Judy Blevens, director of Campbell County schools. About 1,400 students are enrolled in the school.

Campbell County Sheriff Ron McClellan identified the slain assistant principal as Ken Bruce, 48.

McClellan, who was at Bruce's side when he died, said it's not clear how many times the assistant principal was shot. McClellan said he saw only one entrance wound.

Two other victims -- Principal Gary Seale and Assistant Principal Jim Pierce, who also is a track coach -- were airlifted to the University of Tennessee Medical Center. Pierce was in critical condition and Seale was in serious condition, hospital spokeswoman Lisa McNeal said Tuesday afternoon.

The 15-year-old student allegedly slipped a gun under a napkin and fired at administrators in a common area, CNN affiliate WATE reported.

Bruce was taken to St. Mary's Medical Center in LaFollette. The suspect also was taken there for treatment of a minor injury.

Police already have taken statements from the suspect, McClellan said, and once he's given medical clearance authorities plan to move him to a secure facility.

"I have no information firsthand of what type of motive or what would cause this individual to do this," McClellan told WATE, adding that the student's father had arrived at St. Mary's with a lawyer.

CNN affiliate WBIR interviewed a longtime friend of one of the administrators who said "everybody's very sad" and "in disbelief" after the attack.

As word of the shooting spread, a throng of concerned parents gathered outside the school. Authorities tried to assure them the students were OK and that dozens of police and deputies had secured the scene.

Buses and vehicles eventually were allowed onto campus to pick up students.

Eerily prescient questions.

2005-11-08T15:15:00.000-06:00

This was written by James Fallows in the Atlantic Monthly. The piece was written in November 2002, four months before the invasion of Iraq.

"Going to war with Iraq would mean shouldering all the responsibilities of an occupying power the moment victory was achieved. These would include running the economy, keeping domestic peace, and protecting Iraq's borders—and doing it all for years, or perhaps decades.
Are we ready for this long-term relationship?"

We fight them over there, so we don't have to fight them here. Sounds good. I'd be for that, too. If it wasn't for the fact that every Iraqi that gets killed for walking down the street gets blamed on the invasion, and in turn the American people. Which includes me, as it were. The hatred and resentment of the Iraqis creates more terrorists. It's a vicious cycle.

I don't want U.S. soldiers dying to create an Islamic state of terrorists. Is that so bad?

"Fire the bus driver."

2005-11-08T13:10:00.000-06:00

View Barack Obama's (and others) interview on The Daily Show.

Sam Donaldson on George W. Bush

2005-11-08T10:05:00.000-06:00

"It's a personal character thing.

It's not, `This policy doesn't work' or `Gosh, we're going to have high heating oil bills; that's terrible, I don't like that.'

It's, `I don't trust you.'

You can't repair that by getting rid of X, Y or Z."

Life in the "Google Economy"

2005-11-07T10:24:00.000-06:00

From the NYTimes.com:

"Cellphone makers, for example, are looking at the concept of a "shopping phone" with a camera that can read product bar codes. The phone could connect to databases and search services and, aided by satellite technology, reveal that the flat-screen TV model in front of you is $200 cheaper at a store five miles away."

That would be helpful.

...wave of the Future:

A professor atHarvard Business School said that Google is "the realization of verything that we thought the Internet was going to be about but really wasn't."

"Chicago"

2005-11-05T11:48:00.000-06:00

by Carl Sandburg:

Hog Butcher for the World,
Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat,
Player with Railroads and the Nation's Freight Handler;
Stormy, husky, brawling,
City of the Big Shoulders:

They tell me you are wicked and I believe them, for I have seen your painted women under the gas lamps luring the farm boys.
And they tell me you are crooked and I answer: Yes, it is true I have seen the gunman kill and go free to kill again.
And they tell me you are brutal and my reply is: On the faces of women and children I have seen the marks of wanton hunger.
And having answered so I turn once more to those who sneer at this my city, and I give them back the sneer and say to them:
Come and show me another city with lifted head singing so proud to be alive and coarse and strong and cunning.
Flinging magnetic curses amid the toil of piling job on job, here is a tall bold slugger set vivid against the little soft cities;
Fierce as a dog with tongue lapping for action, cunning as a savage pitted against the wilderness,

Bareheaded,
Shoveling,
Wrecking,
Planning,
Building, breaking, rebuilding,

Under the smoke, dust all over his mouth, laughing with white teeth,
Under the terrible burden of destiny laughing as a young man laughs,
Laughing even as an ignorant fighter laughs who has never lost a battle,
Bragging and laughing that under his wrist is the pulse, and under his ribs the heart of the people, Laughing!

Laughing the stormy, husky, brawling laughter of Youth, half-naked, sweating, proud to be Hog Butcher, Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat, Player with Railroads and Freight Handler to the Nation.

Definitions, please?

2005-11-03T16:59:00.000-06:00

What do these phrases mean, exactly?

"ownership society"

"personal accounts"

"tax relief"

"school choice"

"color-blindness"

"opportunity zones"

"devolution"

"streamlining government bureaucracy"

Getting evicted.

2005-11-03T16:55:00.000-06:00

From MotherJones.com:

"Renters still in shelters or temporary homes across the country will never see the court notice taped to the door of their home. Because they will not show up for the eviction hearing that they do not know about, their possessions will be tossed out in the street.

In the street their possessions will sit alongside an estimated 3 million truck loads of downed trees, piles of mud, fiberglass insulation, crushed sheetrock, abandoned cars, spoiled mattresses, wet rugs, and horrifyingly smelly refrigerators full of food from August."

Embarassing.

2005-11-03T12:20:00.000-06:00

From Yahoo! Sports:

Tennessee averages 16 points per game, ranking 108th out of 119 Division I-A schools.

Oy.

Get what you deserve.

2005-11-03T11:52:00.000-06:00

Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve.
- George Bernard Shaw

Horse's mouth.

2005-11-03T10:51:00.000-06:00

William F. Buckley, prominent (almost legendary) founder of the National Review in 1955 (and fifty years ago a CIA operative in Mexico City) wrote:

"...the sacredness of the law against betraying a clandestine soldier of the republic cannot be slighted."

Boston Legal

2005-11-01T22:02:00.000-06:00

AWESOME show!

Are you in the 7 percent?

2005-10-31T10:33:00.000-06:00

From the (subscription only) Roll Call:

"there is no evidence that a new partisan realignment is under way, and partly because districts are so gerrymandered that only 30 [. . .] out of 435 [Congressional districts] are competitive."

This is just sad. That is about 7 percent. Seven percent of the people in the United States have a real chance of electing the person that represents them the best, Republican or Democrat. The way it's set up, it's all along the two-party lines. This is sad for both Democrats and Republicans. Make all the districts 50/50 and whoever appeals to more people, wins, whether they have an (R) or a (D) after their name. It's not like Republicans are the only ones that do this. Cook County is gerrymandered in the same way to benefit Democrats.

Um...

2005-10-28T17:52:00.000-05:00

This could be not good. From the Chattanoogan:

Zogby Poll: Kurita Outperforms Ford Against Hilleary, Corker
posted October 28, 2005

According to the most recent Zogby Interactive Poll on the Tennessee U.S. Senate race, state Sen. Rosalind Kurita is the strongest Democratic candidate for the general election, the Kurita campaign said.

“This poll proves what we’ve known all along,” Kurita said. “I’m the Democrat with the best chance of winning the general election. We have been running an aggressive grass roots campaign all over the state and our message is resonating. My profile and our campaign’s message will resonate with Tennessee voters.”

The Zogby Poll matched up both Democrats (Kurita and U.S. Rep. Harold Ford, Jr.) against three possible Republican nominees. Against both Van Hilleary and Bob Corker, Kurita performed better than Ford. In fact, against Corker – the candidate who has raised the most money to date – Kurita is in a statistical dead heat, the poll said.

The poll showed Ford doing better against Republican Ed Bryant.

It has Kurita down 2 percent to Corker and Ford down 5 percent.

Kurita is down 8 percent to Hilleary and Ford is down 9 percent.

Bryant is 17 percent ahead of Kurita and 11 percent up on Ford.

Can't get around it.

2005-10-28T11:23:00.000-05:00

"You're a Republican until it happens to you."

It's all relative...in WV (just kidding)

2005-10-28T10:44:00.000-05:00

So according to ESPN.com:

Despite rating so low in comparison to other World Series, the four games of this series were each the highest rated prime-time network programs on their respective nights.

So, in comparison to all other World Series, it wasn't so hot. But each of the four nights people were watching it more than the other stuff on TV. That's what the advertisers care about.

Chicago White Sox, 2005 World Series Champions!

2005-10-27T13:13:00.000-05:00

Blue beats Red.

I don't live on the South Side, but I did attend more Sox games (four) than Cubs games (one), and one of the games was Sox vs. Cubs at Wrigley. This was awesome.

The only ironic part was Fox cutting to Jimbo's on the "Southside"... where the only patrons were crazed, cheering, white people. As a friend commented, he could walk for hours on the South Side and not find a white person. Heck, I take the train into town through the West Side and a white person hardly ever gets on. Fox managed to find the white people on the South Side last night...and they were all at Jimbo's.

I agree with a Republican.

2005-10-25T16:46:00.000-05:00

Republican pollster Frank Luntz comments in the Christian Science Monitor:

On House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi:

"This is the most negative, angry, bitter political leader I have seen in years. Truth is, if they had Rahm Emanuel [of Illinois] or Harold Ford [of Tennessee], they would be heading towards, in the direction of, a majority because the two of them understand that you have to stand for something - [that] you cannot win just by being negative."

First off, Emanuel is the Democrats' version of Tom DeLay. Pelosi can't say anything that doesn't sound like whining. I'm going with HFJ.

Tennessee-Illinois Presidential Approval-Disapprove Ratings

2005-10-25T14:15:00.000-05:00

For a red state with five Democratic congressmen out of nine (a majority), you would think we would have wisened up sooner. The red is DISAPPROVE, and the blue is APPROVE of the job that President Bush is doing.

(click graphic to view larger)

Ha!

2005-10-25T10:45:00.000-05:00

From Al Franken's new book, The Truth (with Jokes):

Moral values: From what I understand, if you cut out all the passages in the Bible where Jesus talks about the poor, about helping out the least among us, you'd have the perfect container to smuggle Rush Limbaugh's drugs in.

Where did you say you wanted this fence?

2005-10-20T13:16:00.000-05:00

From FactCheck.org:

According to the 9/11 Commission, none of the 9/11 hijackers entered the United States by crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, and all of them had visas. The first hijacker flew in through LAX on 1/25/00. All others entered through 8 airports on the East Coast.

By virtue of having a visa, it means you are legal, not illegal. Our government gave them a visa. Airports, not the Mexican border, was where they came from. And legally, to boot. There are seven Muslim countries: Afghanistan, Indonesia, Iran, Lebanon, Pakistan, Sudan and Syria, that are listed as being countries of "special interest." Lots individuals from these seven countries were caught coming across the Mexican border, including other Muslim countries. A very small portion of non-Mexicans caught crossing the border were from these seven nations, the other non-Mexicans were from other Central American countries (i.e. Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras).

The Border Patrol reported capturing a total of 946 persons from the seven nations attempting to enter illegally. However, only 320 of those were caught at the Mexican border. Nearly twice as many were caught coming in from Canada and other points.

If the purpose is to stop Muslim terrorists from entering the United states, says FactCheck, there is:

a better case for building a fence at the Canadian border than . . . at the Mexican border.

Never.

2005-10-20T10:22:00.000-05:00

From a DailyKos diary:

When a mother receives the news that her son or daughter has been killed for lies she never thinks "Oh no, how could this have happened? I am a Democrat (Republican)!"

We should let people like this run the country, why?

2005-10-19T18:18:00.000-05:00

From MSNBC.com:

Man tries to convert lions to Jesus, gets bitten

TAIPEI, Taiwan - A man leaped into a lion’s den at the Taipei Zoo on Wednesday to try to convert the king of beasts to Christianity, but was bitten in the leg for his efforts.

“Jesus will save you!” shouted the 46-year-old man at two African lions lounging under a tree a few meters away.

“Come bite me!” he said with both hands raised, television footage showed.

One of the lions, a large male with a shaggy mane, bit the man in his right leg before zoo workers drove it off with water hoses and tranquilizer guns.

Newspapers said that the lions had been fed earlier in the day, otherwise the man might have been more seriously hurt ... or worse.
Copyright 2005 Reuters Limited.

Some truth?

2005-10-18T16:39:00.000-05:00

"Organized religion is a sham and a crutch for weak-minded people who need strength in numbers. It tells people to go out and stick their noses in other people's business."
- Jesse Venture

C'mon...

2005-10-16T16:42:00.000-05:00

From CNN.com:

In the standard method of harvesting stem cells, researchers wait five days or so after fertilization until the embryo has become a ball of up to 150 cells. They obtain stem cells from the interior of the ball, which destroys the embryo.

I don't know if I would consider 150 cells a baby. That's compared to the total number of cells in the human body [which] is estimated to be between 75 and 100 trillion .

From a higher power...

2005-10-14T13:15:00.000-05:00

2005-10-12T13:02:00.000-05:00

I am a
Social Liberal
(68% permissive)

and an...
Economic Liberal
(23% permissive)

I am best described as a:

Democrat

Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid
Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

You Might Be a Republican...

2005-10-12T10:26:00.000-05:00

From Political Friendster:

"You think "proletariat" is a type of cheese.

You've named your kids "Deduction one" and "Deduction two"

You've tried to argue that poverty could be abolished if people were just allowed to keep more of their minimum wage.

You've ever referred to someone as "my (insert racial or ethnic minority here) friend"

You've ever tried to prove Jesus was a capitalist and opposed to welfare.

You're a pro-lifer, but support the death penalty.

You think Huey Newton is a cookie.

The only union you support is the Baseball Players, because heck, they're richer than you.

You think you might remember laughing once as a kid.

You once broke loose at a party and removed your neck tie.

You call mall rent-a-cops "jack-booted thugs."

You've ever referred to the moral fiber of something.

You've ever uttered the phrase, "Why don't we just bomb the sons of bitches."

You've ever said, "I can't wait to get into business school."

You've ever called a secretary or waitress "Tootsie."

You answer to "The Man."

You don't think "The Simpsons" is all that funny, but you watch it because that Flanders fellow makes a lot of sense.

You fax the FBI a list of "Commies in my Neighborhood."

You don't let your kids watch Sesame Street because you accuse Bert and Ernie of "sexual deviance."

You scream "Dit-dit-ditto" while making love.

You've argued that art has a "moral foundation set in Western values."

When people say "Marx," you think "Groucho."

You've ever yelled, "Hey hippie, get a haircut."

You think Birkenstock was that radical rock concert in 1969.

You argue that you need 300 handguns, in case a bear ever attacks your home.

Vietnam made a lot of sense to you.

You point to Hootie and the Blowfish as evidence of the end of racism in America.

You've ever said civil liberties, schmivil schmiberties.

You've ever said "Clean air? Looks clean to me."

You've ever called education a luxury.

You look down through a glass ceiling and chuckle.

You wonder if donations to the Pentagon are tax-deductable.

You came of age in the '60s and don't remember Bob Dylan.

You own a vehicle with an "Ollie North: American Hero" sticker.

You're afraid of the liberal media."

You ever based an argument on the phrase, "Well, tradition dictates...."

You ever told a child that Oscar the Grouch "lives in a trash can because he is lazy and doesn't want to contribute to society."

You've ever urged someone to pull themselves up by their bootstraps, when they don't even have shoes.

You confuse Lenin with Lennon."

Which works?

2005-10-11T10:16:00.000-05:00

From the New York Times:

"In 1993, President Bill Clinton raised taxes on upper-income families, the economy boomed and poverty fell for the next seven years.

In 2001, President Bush cut taxes deeply, but even with economic growth, the poverty rate has risen every year since."

That darn two percent.

2005-10-10T09:24:00.000-05:00

"Ninety-eight percent of the adults in this country are decent, hard-working, honest Americans. It's the other lousy two percent that get all the publicity. But then . . . we elected them."
- Lily Tomlin

SO messed up.

2005-10-03T14:03:00.000-05:00

From the National Journal:

Abramoff used ATR as a conduit in 1999 and 2000, for example, to send some $1.15 million from the Mississippi Choctaws to the Alabama Christian Coalition and to an allied anti-gambling group in the state. The funds were for a campaign spearheaded by Ralph Reed, the former Christian Coalition leader-turned-business-consultant, that helped to defeat a proposed gambling venture in Alabama that posed a financial threat to the Mississippi Choctaws' casino enterprises.

So he takes the tribes' cash. Then gives it to the Christian Coalition to defeat the tribes. So f****d up.

Just wait.

2005-10-02T22:11:00.000-05:00

You're a Republican until it happens to you.

Ouch.

2005-10-02T04:44:00.000-05:00

"Being called partisan and vindictive by Tom DeLay is like being called ugly by a frog."
- Ronnie Earl, Travis County Texas District Attorney

Don't agree with any of this? Why aren't you there?

2005-10-01T19:53:00.000-05:00

Sea of red, or not?

2005-09-30T17:00:00.000-05:00

This is an image of "red" and "blue" states as of the 2004 election. Seems like a sea of red. It's the most dominant, as if the blue has been marginalized or retreating.

This is the same image based on population. More people live in blue states than in red ones. Rhode Island, with a population of 1.1 million is roughly twice the size of Wyoming, which has 500,000.

Comp Sci Dept at University of Michigan

How's this sound?

2005-09-30T16:59:00.000-05:00

I pledge Allegiance, to the flag, of the United States of America. And to the Republic, for which it stands, one nation, with liberty and justice for all.

When...

2005-09-30T16:02:00.000-05:00

"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag carrying the Cross."
- Sinclair Lewis

The trick.

2005-09-29T13:36:00.000-05:00

"Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence."
- Robert Frost

Tom DeLay Indicted, Frist Investigated.

2005-09-28T12:35:00.000-05:00

"If you needed any more evidence that this country desperately needs new leadership in Congress, this provides it. They have the wrong priorities, as evidenced by the choices they've made on the economy, health care, education, and the role of government in saving in protecting its citizens in times of crisis.

And now it's clear that they've completely lost their way when it comes to issues of ethics and integrity. The House Majority Leader's been indicted, and the Senate Majority Leader is under investigation."

Always.

2005-09-28T11:22:00.000-05:00

"The truth is always a compound of two half- truths, and you never reach it, because there is always something more to say."
- Tom Stoppard

Then...

2005-09-27T15:38:00.000-05:00

At today's congressional hearing into FEMA's bungling of the Katrina aftermath, ex-FEMA director Michael Brown said:

"FEMA doesn't evacuate communities. FEMA does not do law enforcement. FEMA does not do communications."

Then what exactly does it do?

Your tax dolllars at waste?

2005-09-23T23:19:00.000-05:00

From DailyKos:

"Democrats are now the party of fiscal sanity and responsibility."

Less than half

2005-09-23T12:26:00.000-05:00

Only four out of the nine Congressional districts of the state of Tennessee have Republican representatives in Congress. Less than 50 percent. If you are from the state of Tennessee there is a better than 50 percent chance you have a Democratic representative. This means that people in these districts vote Democratic.

So how is it considered a "red state"? The eastern part of the state was dominantly Republican during the Civil War, as it still is. However, Republican then meant you supported Abraham Lincoln. Sixteenth President of the United States? Remember him? Emancipation Proclamation? Gettysburg Address? Ringing any bells? Lincoln is still hailed as the greatest Republican (like, ever). But people who identify themselves now as Republican and proudly Confederate, vote against what their party stood for. This is ignorance and hypocrisy. More of the former.

Philosophy of Life.

2005-09-23T10:21:00.000-05:00

Do good. Be nice. Have fun.

Did you know...?

2005-09-22T17:30:00.000-05:00

It takes just one quart of oil to contaminate two million gallons of fresh water.

Go.

2005-09-21T17:55:00.000-05:00

"I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me."
- Noel Coward

Test: Are you American?

2005-09-21T16:03:00.000-05:00

From DailyKos:

1. You decide that the relationship with your partner is over. How do you break the news you are leaving?
a) Leave a tearful note on the table and slip quietly away
b) Calmly discuss the reasons with your partner for your decision
c) Attack them with a chair in front of a rabble of cheering pumped-up inbreds on national television.

2. You and your mates decide to have a game of football in the park. What do you need to take?
a) A ball
b) A ball and 2 coats
c) A ball 50 crash helmets, 4 tons of body armour, 20 cheerleaders, a marching sousaphone band with a grand piano on a trolley, and a team of orthopaedic surgeons specialising in spinal injuries.

3. You are driving along a country road when you accidentally run over a rabbit. What do you do?
a) Stop and see how badly injured it is, taking it to a vet if it is still alive
b) Carry on driving, but hope it is still alive, or if not, that it died quickly
c) Strap it across the bonnet of your car and drive home hollering, whooping and throwing empty Budweiser cans out of the window.

4. You wake up in the morning with a stiff neck after sleeping in an awkward position. What do you do?
a) Ignore it. It will probably loosen up as the day progresses
b) Take a couple of aspirins and get on with things.
c) Take yourself to a prostitute-addicted TV evangelist faith healer in an ill-fitting wig, who will lay his hands on you head, whilst screaming about the devil in front of an audience of gibbering inbreds.

5. What do you have for breakfast?
a) A bowl of Cornflakes, slice of toast and a mug of tea
b) Glass of orange juice, croissant and a cup of coffee
c) A bag of donuts with ice cream, a 32 ounce steak with six eggs sunny side-up, fifteen pancakes with maple syrup, a ten waffles, five corn dogs and a diet root beer.

6. You and your partner decide to take the plunge and get married. What sort of ceremony do you have?
a) A quiet party with a few friends in a registry office
b) A church service followed by a traditional reception at a hotel
c) A minute long mockery at a 24 hour drive-through chapel in Las Vegas, presided over by a transvestite vicar dressed as Elvis.

7. Your 14-year-old son is going through a difficult phase, becoming disruptive at school and reclusive at home. What do you do?
a) Don't worry. Its just a phase and will pass.
b) Encourage him to get out more, get involved in team sports or join a youth club.
c) Take him to an armoury and buy him an arsenal of semi-automatic weapons and enough ammunition to slaughter a small town.

8. You fancy a night in watching something funny on TV. What kind of comedy do you choose?
a) A sitcom like Fawlty Towers or Father Ted
b) A sketch show like the Two Ronnies or the Fast show
c) A thinly disguised morality play set in a massive lounge where the audience whoop for ten minutes every time an overpaid actor with a superglued grin on his face makes an entrance to deliver a lightweight wisecrack.

9. Whilst getting ready for bed, you stub your toe on your wife's dressing table. What do you do?
a) Shout and swear a bit, after all, it did hurt
b) Make a mental note to move the table so it doesn't happen again
c) Immediately call a hotshot lawyer with an uptown reputation, and sue your wife's ass.

10. There are peace talks in another part of the world. What do you do?
a) Let them get on with it but offer your advice if needed
b) Let them get on with it and offer help to both sides
c) Ignore all parties wishes and protests and take over the talks.

11. There are global concerns about the emissions from cars, do you:
a) Introduce incentives to switch to cleaner cars
b) Invent a new cleaner fuel
c) Continue to use and invent dirtier cars, ignoring the global concerns about the emissions.

12. There is a war in another part of the world, do you:
a) Monitor to see if Human rights are being infringed and step in when necessary
b) Monitor to see if Human rights are being infringed and bring the culprits to justice
c) Invade the country flattening all buildings, fire at all allied and enemy airplanes killing people no matter which side they're on. After all, a kill is a kill.

13. Your city has been the victim of a terrorist attack you should:
a) Treat victims, clean up and find those responsible
b) Treat victims, clean up and find those responsible and bring them to justice
c) Treat victims, clean up and find those responsible, but continue to support and fund terrorist activities abroad.

14. You're on holiday abroad, do you:
a) Enjoy the local culture and food
b) Enjoy the local culture and food but look forward to getting home
c) Complain and whinge that the country that you are visiting is nothing like home.

15. You are fat and unhealthy, do you:
a) Diet and exercise
b) Do nothing
c) Eat even more and try to be the fattest person of all time.
==============================================

Answers:
If you answered mostly (a)'s & (b)'s then you are a normal well balanced individual.

If you answered mostly (c)'s you are a complete American.

GOP in TENN?

2005-09-20T16:59:00.000-05:00

SurveyUSA recently released poll of gubernatorial approval ratings:

Governor Phil Bredesen (D-TN) has a higher approval rating among Republicans (53%) than Democrats (47%).

People with a college and post-graduate degrees approved him 57% and 54%, respectively. Half of those without college degrees disapproved of him.

I'm sure you know what this means, right?

Oh, good, cuz I don't.

That's it...?

2005-09-20T15:53:00.000-05:00

From MSNBC.com:

"The Democratic Party’s most powerful constituencies — gays, feminists, African-Americans, environmentalists — would be chagrined to see Democratic senators join the Republican majority to give Bush a landmark victory by confirming Roberts."

This almost seems like commentary disguised as a journalistic piece. I vote Democratic, but I'm obviously not in any of these categories. Why can't just regular-every-day-Joes be considered "powerful constituencies"? Everyone has to be pigeonholed into a specific category. A lot of people vote Republican who aren't right-wing nutjobs (as I like to call them). They're just for small government and less taxes. That the current actions of Republicans don't fit that description is irrelevant. From this article, Democrats are the equivalent of the Green Party. Inconsequential. Rather hard to justify when you are in 40-45% of elected government in the nation.

Maybe they'll quit stereotyping Dems, when we stop calling them "nut jobs." Just maybe.

For real.

2005-09-16T18:17:00.000-05:00

There are probably some Iraqis wondering what they have to do to get a Gulf Opportunity Zone.

Scoop

2005-09-15T16:28:00.000-05:00

The reason I read blogs is find the "unofficial" version to everything. Double-super-secret deep background, as they say.

Find your own "real" news at http://blogsearch.google.com/

"Take a hint..."

2005-09-14T10:49:00.000-05:00

Bill Maher:

"On your watch, we've lost almost all of our allies, the surplus, four airliners, two trade centers, a piece of the Pentagon and the City of New Orleans. Maybe you're just not lucky. I'm not saying you don't love this country. I'm just wondering how much worse it could be if you were on the other side."

Barack Obama (D-IL)

2005-09-14T10:48:00.000-05:00

Quoted from MSNBC.com:

"I hope we realize that the people of New Orleans weren't just abandoned during the hurricane. They were abandoned long ago—to murder and mayhem in the streets, to substandard schools, to dilapidated housing, to inadequate health care, to a pervasive sense of hopelessness."

Word. For. Word.

2005-09-12T19:42:00.000-05:00

"Extending the war into Iraq would have incurred incalculable human and political costs. We would have been forced to occupy Baghdad and, in effect, rule Iraq. The coalition would instantly have collapsed, the Arabs deserting in anger and other allies pulling out as well. Exceeding the U.N.'s mandate would have destroyed the precedent of international response to aggression we hoped to establish. Had we gone the invasion route, the U.S. could still be an occupying power in a bitterly hostile land."

from Why We Didn't Remove Saddam
- by George H.W. Bush

"You're trying to do what?"

2005-09-09T20:02:00.000-05:00

From Eleanor Clift:

"...if somebody had tried to withdraw a feeding tube from a brain-damaged woman at the Superdome, Bush would have sent in the Marines..."

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?

2005-09-08T20:05:00.000-05:00

Oh, yeah. It's on like Donkey Kong!

October 2004

2005-09-07T13:41:00.000-05:00

National Geographic article regarding Louisiana Wetlands, from the Fall of 2004.

FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency)...or not

2005-09-05T22:14:00.000-05:00

From DailyKos:

FEMA won't accept Amtrak's help in evacuations
FEMA turns away experienced firefighters
FEMA turns back Wal-Mart supply trucks
FEMA prevents Coast Guard from delivering diesel fuel
FEMA won't let Red Cross deliver food
FEMA bars morticians from entering New Orleans

FEMA blocks 500-boat citizen flotilla from delivering aid

FEMA fails to utilize Navy ship with 600-bed hospital on board

FEMA to Chicago: Send just one truck

FEMA turns away generators (See entry from 3:32 P.M. by Ben Morris, Slidell mayor)

FEMA: "First Responders Urged Not To Respond"

Read carefully

2005-09-05T21:59:00.000-05:00

Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff said it all, starting his news briefing Saturday afternoon: "Louisiana is a city that is largely underwater..."

God bless 'em, at least they try.