tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59897012011-04-21T13:31:50.092-07:00The Chestnut Tree Cafe"And only yesterday, he reflected, it had been announced that the ration was to be reduced to twenty grams a week. Was it possible that they could swallow that, after only twenty-four hours? Yes, they swallowed it..... Was he, then, alone in the possession of a memory?"- 1984
"The 'Mission Accomplished' sign, of course, was put up by the members of the USS Abraham Lincoln, saying that their mission was accomplished." -G.W.Bush, 10.28.03
Vellonoreply@blogger.comBlogger17031100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1142487360970696842006-03-15T20:20:00.000-08:002006-03-15T21:36:01.076-08:00She said yesI asked Bonnie to marry me and... well, if you read the title to this post, you know what her response was.FAQ's-- or more precisely, answers to FAQ's:Date? Not yet. Sooner rather than later...but probably a year from now.Place? Most likely the Monterey/Salinas/Big Sur/Santa Cruz area. That's where her family is.Size? Small wedding most likely outside. She's Catholic...and I was more Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1136964304800497302006-01-10T23:23:00.000-08:002006-01-10T23:25:04.816-08:00For the love of God!Take action! Tell your Senators that Alito isn't your choice for the Supreme Court.Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1136359939717492452006-01-03T23:29:00.000-08:002006-01-10T23:26:25.956-08:00I'll beMiracles do happen: congrats to the survivors, their families and loved ones.Now. How about legislating more power to regulatory organizations so we don't have to count on acts of God to keep people safe at work? You know, so God can do more important things.Update: Unfortunately, miracles don't happen after all. Damn.Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1136359764269982612006-01-03T23:25:00.000-08:002006-01-03T23:29:24.286-08:00Fcuk BushBush: I'll torture 'em if I wanna.So Much for the President's Assent to the McCain Amendment Marty Lederman ...Most importantly, as to the McCain Amendment... the President wrote: The executive branch shall construe Title X in Division A of the Act, relating to detainees, in a manner consistent with the constitutional authority of the President to supervise the unitary executive branch Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1136307459372827432006-01-03T08:52:00.000-08:002006-01-03T09:00:27.370-08:00Science! (the dismal variety)Bad news for GOPpers: tax cuts don't pay for themselves.This will not please the tax cut fanatics and proponents of the Laffer curve... [a] report from the CBO discussed in this Economic View by Daniel Altman from the New York Times:editEven in his most generous scenario, only 28 percent of lost tax revenue is recouped over a 10-year period. The United States, it Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1136305835773455362006-01-03T08:26:00.000-08:002006-01-03T08:30:35.776-08:00Science!So much for the "But SUV's are safer!" argument. Children are no safer riding in sport utility vehicles than in passenger cars, largely because the doubled risk of rollovers in SUVs cancels out the safety advantages of their greater size and weight, according to a study. Researchers said the findings dispel the bigger-equals-safer myth that has helped fuel the growing popularity of SUVs Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1136305496313395672006-01-03T08:18:00.000-08:002006-01-03T08:26:13.253-08:00Not surprisingSupport for the Commander and Chief's failed policies eroding in the military.Support for President George W. Bush's Iraq policy has fallen among the US armed forces to just 54 percent from 63 percent a year ago, according to a poll by the magazine group Military Times. In its annual survey of the views of military personnel, the group reported on its website that support for Bush'sVellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1136187947061306032006-01-01T23:29:00.000-08:002006-01-01T23:45:47.096-08:00The Amazing FlutieFirst time in the NFL since '41. One for the record books.Flutie took his position for a regular shotgun snap, then retreated to the 12 yard-line to await the ball; he caught the ball, dropped it to the grass and kicked it off the short hop straight through the uprights. After getting a hug on the field by his teammates, Flutie ran off to embrace Belichick. edit"I was kind of Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1135889386574761562005-12-29T12:23:00.000-08:002005-12-29T12:49:50.430-08:00Feingold '08Reasons to leave Hillary in NY:Hillary Clinton: Defender of Family Values.Hillary is spinning herself silly to broaden her base in preparation for her 2008 presidential run. Most irritating is her campaign against the "silent epidemic" of media sex and violence. The "epidemic" isn't really silent, of course; it's blasting out of every radio speaker and cineplex. It's the politicians Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1135886483639087112005-12-29T11:56:00.000-08:002005-12-29T12:03:19.400-08:00Not above the law(click on image to expand)Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1135619646322918872005-12-26T09:44:00.000-08:002005-12-26T09:54:06.326-08:00WindbagEven out of the administration, Powell is doing his best to blow for Bush.Former secretary of state Colin Powell has defended the US administration arguing there was "nothing wrong" with President George W. Bush's not seeking warrants before engaging in domestic spying. Nothing wrong with it except that the Constitution prohibits such things. And the issue, Colon, is that Bush didn't seek Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1135618754622715982005-12-26T09:32:00.000-08:002005-12-26T09:39:14.626-08:00America hatersWhy do they want the terrorists to win?The top US military commander admitted that Iraqis wanted US and other foreign troops to leave the country "as soon as possible," and said US troop levels in Iraq were now being re-assessed on a monthly basis. Bush has said repeatedly that we won't leave til the job is done and those that want our troops out of Iraq want the terrorists to win- Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1135618284763753612005-12-26T09:28:00.000-08:002005-12-26T09:31:24.766-08:00Surprise surprise surpriseBush tried to deceive us about the amount of domestic spying?The volume of information gathered from telephone and Internet communications by the National Security Agency without court-approved warrants was much larger than the White House has acknowledged, The New York Times reported on Saturday. Gee. What a surprise. Not.Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1135477300807068282005-12-24T18:18:00.000-08:002005-12-24T18:21:40.860-08:00Feingold '08As much as I like Bill (which is tepid at best), Hillary is going to have to settle for VP- if anything- after this exchange;Sen. John Cornyn: "None of your civil liberties matter much after you're dead." Sen. Russ Feingold's retort: "Give me liberty or give me death."In case you can't tell, Cornyn is one of those poopy-headed liberty haters that make up so much of the GOP these days.Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1135472319932561082005-12-24T16:53:00.000-08:002005-12-24T16:58:39.956-08:00The coming warAlready coalition building.During his recent visit to Ankara, CIA Director Porter Goss reportedly brought three dossiers on Iran to Ankara. Goss is said to have asked for Turkey’s support for Washington’s policy against Iran’s nuclear activities, charging that Tehran had supported terrorism and taken part in activities against Turkey. Goss also asked Ankara to be ready for a Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1135319633574013712005-12-22T21:37:00.000-08:002005-12-26T09:24:00.630-08:00What if?What would happen if- and here I'm just speaking hypothetically- a bunch of bloggers and interested parties using email coordiated an event which (for the purpose of discussion here only) were say called the "blue flu"- as in blue states- dems- hence blue flu (and a catchy reference to striking police officers that couldn't actually strike).What if this sick day were combined with a Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1135314454293925272005-12-22T21:01:00.000-08:002005-12-22T21:07:34.313-08:00The State of the UnionJust the facts.Profits are up, but the wages and the incomes of average Americans are down.1)Inflation-adjusted hourly and weekly wages are still below where they were at the start of the recovery in November 2001. Yet, productivity--the growth of the economic pie--is up by 13.5%. Wage growth has been shortchanged because 35% of the growth of total income in the corporate Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1135313320518546282005-12-22T20:45:00.000-08:002005-12-22T20:48:40.520-08:00Got your good news and bad newsAll in one headline:Congress on Thursday approved a one-month extension of the Patriot Act and sent it to President Bush in a pre-Christmas scramble to prevent many of its anti-terrorism provisions from expiring Dec. 31. Attention members of Congress: when a president bent on doing whatever he wants no matter what you say sez that something- say the USA PATRIOT Act-Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1135312783182037742005-12-22T20:35:00.000-08:002005-12-22T20:39:43.196-08:00The evolving debateIdeas get a rigorous "survival of the fittest" test too. Some just end up being designed more intelligently than others.Wide-ranging research published this year, including a study that showed a mere 4 percent difference between human and chimpanzee DNA, built on Charles Darwin's landmark 1859 work "The Origin of Species" and the idea of natural selection, the journal's editorsVellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1135238191976939322005-12-21T23:55:00.000-08:002005-12-21T23:56:31.990-08:00A (right wing) Christmas StoryIt ain't pretty...but its pretty funny.Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1135237289798328832005-12-21T22:42:00.000-08:002005-12-22T00:14:48.523-08:00"First they came..."When I was in college, I took several classes that seemed important to me at the time- to try and understand the century and the conflicts I had been born into. I studied a poli sci class on totalitarian governments, where we studied what I'll call the "big three": Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, and Communist China. We also examined other governments that approached Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1135233613026652792005-12-21T22:37:00.000-08:002005-12-21T22:40:13.030-08:00These days...you win sometimes.......and you lose some times.Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1135233445343337262005-12-21T22:32:00.000-08:002005-12-21T22:37:25.366-08:00Worker's paradiseNot.Employees may get away from work around the holidays, but many aren't leaving work behind. Demanding schedules and the ease of technology mean more are doing work even when on the road or celebrating with family.Almost half of the workers surveyed - 49% - plan to work during their days off this holiday season, according to Raindance Communications, a provider of multimedia Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1135153884677824252005-12-21T00:27:00.000-08:002005-12-21T00:31:24.680-08:00Character, honesty, and integrityQualities Bush has a hard time recognizing, let alone emulating. Atrios points us toward someone with all three attributes.A federal judge has resigned from the court that oversees government surveillance in intelligence cases in protest of President Bush's secret authorization of a domestic spying program, according to two sources.U.S. District Judge James Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1135153624189363162005-12-21T00:07:00.000-08:002005-12-21T00:27:04.206-08:00Your Republican Government at work...if you can call it thatBecause, you know, the Republicans (snicker) are so much better than anyone (guffaw) at issues of national defense (titter).One F.B.I. document indicates that agents in Indianapolis planned to conduct surveillance as part of a "Vegan Community Project." Another document talks of the Catholic Workers group's "semi-communistic ideology." AVellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1135150889761481642005-12-20T23:26:00.000-08:002005-12-20T23:41:29.776-08:00Sometimes the good guys win after allReason, logic and America - we all win!In one of the biggest courtroom clashes between faith and evolution since the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial, a federal judge barred a Pennsylvania public school district Tuesday from teaching "intelligent design" in biology class, saying the concept is creationism in disguise. Kudos to the judge for being a man of uncommon Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1135148806525007672005-12-20T22:58:00.000-08:002005-12-20T23:06:46.540-08:00Defend your rightsTake action. If you won't, why not live in a dictatorship?Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1135065943335496482005-12-20T00:03:00.000-08:002005-12-20T00:05:43.336-08:00More funniesTolesOliphantVellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1135065336995218582005-12-19T19:42:00.000-08:002005-12-19T23:55:37.133-08:00Presidential addressMST3K style! [Try to imagine three heads at the bottom right of the screen-- which you also have to imagine, along with the...oh, just read it already!]Good evening. Three days ago, in large numbers, Iraqis went to the polls to choose their own leaders – a landmark day in the history of liberty. [except that according to American law, an occupied country cannot have elections Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1135050049156372952005-12-19T19:40:00.000-08:002005-12-19T19:40:49.156-08:00Funnies...that aren't. Ted Rall- nails it from the archives.Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1135049229314650152005-12-19T19:18:00.000-08:002005-12-19T19:27:09.320-08:00I think it- he says itI had much this same thought the other day (well, I thought of checking to see the list of greivences in the DofI). Tbogg did more than think about it.King George the Lesser Meet the new boss:•He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.•He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1135048608422604332005-12-19T17:57:00.000-08:002005-12-19T19:16:48.573-08:00Another Republican victoryThey win again, while America loses. Thanks Republican sex-ed.More American women are having babies they didn't want, a survey indicates, but federal researchers say they don't know if that means attitudes about abortion are changing. Attitudes changing? Or is it just a lot harder for a woman to actually find a doctor that will perform an abortion when right-wing Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1135043817929843462005-12-19T17:20:00.000-08:002005-12-19T17:56:58.056-08:00PissedNo. F*ing pissed.See, it turns out that not only do I know what I was doing on May 11, 2005---- but that the Pentagon does too. (scroll a bit- you'll find the SD protest listed)Now- I'm not ashamed about my actions. On the contrary: I'm proud of the fact that I'm standing up to a bastard of a president, his corrupt group of Congressmembers, his illegitamate little war in Iraq, his Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1134579192257780052005-12-14T08:46:00.000-08:002005-12-14T08:53:12.283-08:00ReasonI just want everyone here to know why I won't vote for Mrs. Clinton if she wins the nomination in 2008-- even if it means four more years of Republican quasi-totalitarian shit.Because she is, frankly, just as bad as they are.We need to pick a better candidate in 2008- someone like this American hero.**of course, if he backs this thing, I'm going to have to turn on him tooVia Cursor.Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1133634248716783092005-12-03T10:19:00.000-08:002005-12-03T10:24:08.733-08:00TroubleThings like this could not only move Iraq closer to civil war, but could bring about a war that spreads throught the entire region.The Kurdistan Democratic Party, which controls a portion of the semiautonomous Kurdish enclave in northern Iraq, last year quietly signed a deal with Norway's DNO to drill for oil near the border city of Zakho. Iraqi and company officials describe the agreementVellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1133127242133042422005-11-27T13:27:00.000-08:002005-11-27T13:34:02.136-08:00HellYou couldn't pay me to live there (famous last words, I guess).A pack of six dogs mauled a 76-year-old woman to death as she worked in her yard, authorities said. editThe sheriff's department will send the findings of its investigation to the Milam County District Attorney's Office, which will decide if any criminal charges will be filed against Hernandez.Well, I suppose if you can get away Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1133126451659134402005-11-27T13:16:00.000-08:002005-11-27T13:20:51.776-08:00What he saysDigby at Hullabaloo isn't a fan of the "black Friday" "news coverage" either.Can we please put a merciful end to he "black friday" kabuki, in which retailers put out rediculous promotions to entice customers to stand in line for hours to "buy" things at below profit so they can report that sales are very brisk this year (only to find out that sales and profits were flat or down some Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1133125102231780742005-11-27T12:56:00.000-08:002005-11-27T12:58:22.233-08:00Uh ohJust go and read. Be concerned, very concerned.Via Atrios.Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1133124676725415462005-11-27T12:44:00.000-08:002005-11-27T12:51:16.726-08:00Of for cryin' out loud The press just loves Bush to the point of ridiculousness. This is so obviously bullshit.White House lays foundation for US troop withdrawal WASHINGTON (AFP) - The White House for the first time has claimed possession of an Iraq withdrawal plan, arguing that a troop pullout blueprint unveiled this past week by a Democratic senator was "remarkably similar" to its own. PleaseVellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1133123774766618462005-11-27T12:29:00.000-08:002005-11-27T12:36:14.766-08:00The price of warSad.Via Atrios, a portrait of a man that chose death before dishonor.Understand please, that my problem isn't that he killed himself. I actually respect his courage to choose his principles over life itself: a very difficult choice which most, I think, would not or could not make (myself included, unfortunately). What I find sad is not specifically his choice to end his life. WhatVellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1133121091898993742005-11-27T11:36:00.000-08:002005-11-27T12:25:07.866-08:00Not necessarilyRead the news about holiday shopping and one gets the sense that its great news:Credit-card company Visa said Saturday that total spending on its branded credit cards on the important Friday after Thanksgiving grew about 14% from last year to more than $3.9 billion, an indication holiday retail sales could be strong.Or how about this less veiled cherriness:Here's a sign that the Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1133119783705042292005-11-27T11:24:00.000-08:002005-11-27T11:35:27.076-08:00Spirit of XmasYeah, I'm sure this is what Jesus had in mind when he was dying on that cross 2000 years ago.Some early birds were not early enough, and some violence was reported at some stores. Eugene Armstrong, who arrived at a Wal-Mart in Union City, Georgia, around 6:20 a.m. to find its supply of $399 laptops already gone, said he left in disgust after two customers started fighting in the Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1133119431537114142005-11-27T11:18:00.000-08:002005-11-27T11:23:51.540-08:00GoodI think this is a win almost any way you slice it: either Clinton sticks to her guns and loses or Clinton changes her stance and wins (ok, yeah, maybe she sticks to her guns and wins- that's bad but lets not dwell on that). But with her current position- a position that I think can be summed up as "opportunistic"- she's not really all that great a potential candidate in 2008 for the Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1133119025934790302005-11-27T10:57:00.000-08:002005-11-27T11:17:08.893-08:00Not getting itThis guy seems to think that if Bush just explains the war in Iraq to the American people, we will just all go "oh, I get it" and throw our support behind Bush. Yeah, that'll happen.Bush has tried- repeatedly- to explain what we're doing in Iraq. And every time he's tried, he's ended up looking stupider: his rationalization for attacking Iraq has spun the compass- first because of Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1131783004873164972005-11-12T00:09:00.000-08:002005-11-12T00:10:04.886-08:00SorryFor everyone coming here looking for a post- I've been way busy. Hope to get new content here sometime- but you might have to read someone else's blog for a while.Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1130868254283210072005-11-01T10:00:00.000-08:002005-11-01T10:04:14.283-08:00Hell weekAs good as last week was ('bye, Libby), this week is awful...and not because of the nomination of Alito to the SCOTUS. New shift at work- working 9 straight days- trying to learn the ins and outs of some very buggy equipment- and off schedulue from the SO in my life..... blogging will be slim to none for the rest of the week.But there's lots of blogging goodness to the right on this siteVellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1130868047807392332005-11-01T09:57:00.000-08:002005-11-01T10:00:47.826-08:00Expert adviceAmerica losing the war on terror?Despite an early victory over the Taliban and al Qaeda in Afghanistan, the two former Clinton administration officials say President George W. Bush's policies have created a new haven for terrorism in Iraq that escalates the potential for Islamic violence against Europe and the United States.America's badly damaged image in the Muslim world could takeVellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1130528255150610392005-10-28T12:14:00.000-07:002005-10-28T12:37:35.223-07:00Press release set on stunI should have know; he was a helmsman in the Fleet, if you know what I mean and I know you do. George Takei, who as helmsman Sulu steered the Starship Enterprise through three television seasons and six movies, has come out as a homosexual in the current issue of Frontiers, a biweekly Los Angeles magazine covering the gay and lesbian community. Good for Mr Takei! While heVellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1130526864056081132005-10-28T12:04:00.000-07:002005-10-28T12:14:24.153-07:00The name on the line is Libby Libby LibbyIndicted. Resigns. Faces up to 30 years if convicted. Sweet.Link? C'mon.Happy birthday to me.Don't worry about Libby-- Bush'll pardon him.Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1130444863843090562005-10-27T13:16:00.000-07:002005-10-27T13:37:47.710-07:00Finland, Finland, FinlandMy ethnic brothers and sisters, doing a great job.Today, this small Nordic nation boasts a thriving hi-tech economy ranked the most competitive in the world, the best educated citizenry of all the industrialized countries, and a welfare state that has created one of the globe's most egalitarian societies.Envious policymakers from far and wide are beating a path to Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1130444172261926002005-10-27T13:10:00.000-07:002005-10-27T13:16:12.263-07:00The other warThis is democracy?As final tallies are being certified, the picture emerging of Afghanistan's first ever fully elected parliament is one dominated by regional strongmen and their allies - men who have ruled this country by gun, rather than the laws they are now charged with crafting. editBut the largest bloc of new parliamentarians, accounting for more than 60 percent, according to Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1130443787714378672005-10-27T13:01:00.000-07:002005-10-27T13:09:47.716-07:00MoronsWhy they get tossed on "axis of evil" lists.In a speech Wednesday, Ahmadinejad denounced Israel and said a new wave of Palestinian attacks "will wipe this stigma from the face of the Islamic world." Citing the words of the founder of Iran's Islamic revolution, the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Ahmadinejad said: "Israel must be wiped off the map."Advocating the genocide of an entire Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1130443071092407352005-10-27T12:47:00.000-07:002005-10-27T12:57:51.110-07:00Stand aloneThis is not the kind of thing America wants to lead on.Human Rights Watch said that under President George W. Bush, the United States has become "the only government in the world to claim a legal justification for mistreating prisoners during interrogation." "The administration is setting a dangerous example for the world when it claims that spy agencies are above the law," said Tom Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1130442440965341152005-10-27T12:26:00.000-07:002005-10-27T12:47:21.100-07:00ShakyThe economic news today is not good.Wall Street got sobering news from the Commerce Department, which said orders to U.S. factories for big-ticket durable goods fell 2.1 percent in September. Economists had been expecting a 1.5 percent drop in orders for durable goods, which are items expected to last at least three years. Transportation orders were hurt by the Boeing strike, since settled, Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1130441202878989452005-10-27T12:21:00.000-07:002005-10-27T12:26:42.880-07:00CAll to actionKeep the pressure on for a million solar homes in CA.Where CA leads, others will follow.Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1130440885926541822005-10-27T11:53:00.000-07:002005-10-27T12:21:26.066-07:00It all falls apartThe truth comes out, but slowly-- too late for over two thousand American service men and women and tens of thousands of Iraqis.A secret draft CIA report raises new questions about a principal argument used by the Bush administration to justify the war in Iraq: the claim that Saddam Hussein was "harboring" notorious terror leader Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi prior to the American Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1130438728407110512005-10-27T11:33:00.000-07:002005-10-27T11:45:28.570-07:00He with earsListen to what this man says!Former Sen. John Danforth said Wednesday that the political influence of evangelical Christians is hurting the Republican Party and dividing the country.I've said much the same, but you won't listen to me, so listen to this former GOP Senator and Episcopal priest. Alignment with the Christian fundementalists in this country has caused the GOP to line up onVellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1130437812008000562005-10-27T11:19:00.000-07:002005-10-27T11:30:12.036-07:00Full reversePolls that show your approval rating below 40% matter. Polls that show that a majority of Americans feel the country is moving in the wrong direction matter. In the past weeks we've seen Bush drop plans to ruin Social Security. Today?He's dropping Meirs nomination for the Supreme Court. OK: this will probably mean Gonzales will get the nod, which is bad, but sometimes you have to takeVellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1130361937097697442005-10-26T14:23:00.000-07:002005-10-26T14:25:37.100-07:00Cost of warCasualties.At the Army's flagship medical facility, where thousands of wounded soldiers pass through, there is no political spin, no media filter, no presidential lies, and no patriotism without cost as there is in America. There are only the wounded and mangled from Iraq. There is the ground zero for ugly war reality. For these men and women there was no safe "Champagne Unit," no Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1130361810942569372005-10-26T14:19:00.000-07:002005-10-26T14:23:30.943-07:00Why?Stupid or evil or both?U.S. Ambassador John Bolton blocked a U.N. envoy on Monday from briefing the Security Council on grave human rights violations in Sudan's Darfur region, saying the council had to act against atrocities and not just talk about them.Bolton, joined by China, Algeria and Russia, prevented Juan Mendez, Secretary-General Kofi Annan's special adviser for the prevention of Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1130361574695086232005-10-26T14:16:00.000-07:002005-10-26T14:19:34.696-07:00InsecurityWar in Iraq contributing to global insecurity says yet another credible source.The head of Canada's spy agency strongly suggested Thursday the US-led war in Iraq is making the world a less secure place. "Diplomacy is not my field, security and intelligence is," CSIS director Jim Judd said at a conference on intelligence studies. "And I think from a security and intelligence perspective,Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1130361341170162532005-10-26T14:10:00.000-07:002005-10-26T14:15:41.173-07:00Growth curveThe only thing that appears to be "improving" in Iraq is the insurgency's ability to strike. Not a positive development.A year and a half ago, at the first anniversary of the U.S. occupation of Iraq, the death rate for American troops accelerated. Since then, none of the political milestones or military strategies proclaimed by U.S. officials have succeeded in slowing the toll. This Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1130360996319815762005-10-26T14:00:00.000-07:002005-10-26T14:09:56.320-07:00In the interest of public educationNot all science groups are actually science groups.When American corporations come up against inconvenient science, say, a study showing that mercury in fish can damage a developing fetus, or that a blockbuster drug has nasty side effects, they call in the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH). Industry-funded ACSH is the most aggressive debunker of Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1130360411506543312005-10-26T13:56:00.000-07:002005-10-26T14:00:11.506-07:00SuccessNothing succeeds like success. Unless you're the Christian Coalition evidently.The Christian Coalition, the onetime powerhouse of the religious right founded by Pat Robertson, is struggling to stay afloat.The group's annual revenue has shrunk to one- twentieth of what it was a decade ago - from a peak of $26 million in 1996 to $1.3 million in 2004 - and it has left a trail of unpaid bills Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1130360161506823372005-10-26T13:47:00.000-07:002005-10-26T13:56:01.506-07:00MeaninglessThe Matrix: Neo goes to jump from one sky scraper to another- he doesn't make it. What does it mean? Nothing- nobody makes the jump the first time.Flash to today, real life: no indictments yet, and the grand jury meets and adjourns, no news to speak of.It doesn't mean anything. There may or may not be indictments, but not coming out today doesn't mean a thing.I'm still hoping he waits Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1130359553239185082005-10-26T13:20:00.000-07:002005-10-26T13:45:53.343-07:00EscalationSides are forming up over Syria. Bush threatening on the one side-International pressure on Syria mounted Tuesday as the United States, France and Britain introduced a Security Council resolution threatening to consider sanctions if the country does not cooperate with a probe into the assassination of former Lebanese Premier Rafik Hariri. President Bush said he had not ruled out Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1130280340491422142005-10-25T15:44:00.000-07:002005-10-25T15:48:08.783-07:00FinallyThis is what responsible Republicans look like.While this is what irresponsible Republicans look like- among many other examples.Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1130280115018205682005-10-25T15:34:00.000-07:002005-10-25T15:41:55.143-07:00The cost of war2,000 dead. Unfortunately, more will follow.But the dead are not the only people to consider today and every day of this pointless war.More than 15,220 also have been wounded in combat, including more than 7,100 injured too badly to return to duty, the Pentagon said. Thousands more have been hurt in incidents unrelated to combat.I know: the service men and women who volunteered forVellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1130275811527288532005-10-25T14:29:00.000-07:002005-10-25T14:30:11.540-07:00Excusing tortureIs there any other way to read this?The Bush administration has proposed exempting employees of the Central Intelligence Agency from a legislative measure endorsed earlier this month by 90 members of the Senate that would bar cruel and degrading treatment of any prisoners in U.S. custody.The proposal, which two sources said Vice President Cheney handed last Thursday to Sen. John Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1130268385844119132005-10-25T12:24:00.000-07:002005-10-25T12:26:25.853-07:00HmmmmmmNot so surprising when you think about it.The outlook for the holiday shopping season darkened Tuesday as the latest consumer confidence reading showed Americans even more pessimistic about the economy during October. Hurricanes, surging gasoline prices and worries about the job market took a further toll on consumer psyches. A separate report on home sales during September also pointed toVellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1130212009258294742005-10-24T20:40:00.000-07:002005-10-24T20:46:49.260-07:00Worse than DavisFor the Governator, truly a golden state.To pay for a coming trade mission to China, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's political allies are raising tens of thousands of dollars from businesses whose names are largely being concealed.editSchwarzenegger and his supporters want donations to two tax-exempt groups that have championed his interests, and to a government fund meant to boost Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1130211360865215582005-10-24T20:33:00.000-07:002005-10-24T20:36:00.866-07:00Credit where credit is dueI'm often highly critical of Bush, his selections, etc. So when he does something right, I feel I ought to say so.Selecting Bernake to replace Greenspan was- I think more or less- a pretty good choice. He could have done much worse.That makes roughly two basically good decisions in over 5 years.Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1130211186490188592005-10-24T20:29:00.000-07:002005-10-24T20:33:06.540-07:00RIPRosa Parks, 92, American hero.Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1130184254919130832005-10-24T12:52:00.000-07:002005-10-24T13:04:18.210-07:00E filesI get eletters.Setting the Bar HigherOctober 22, 2005By Tom FairlieThere’s a storm on the horizon of our school districts, and its name isn’t Katrina or Rita, but Intelligent Design ("ID" for short). As you read this, the ID tempest is raging across ill-informed parts of the country, taking in misguided school boards and spitting out undereducated youngsters. I doubt duct tape will stop Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1130182291489947932005-10-24T12:30:00.000-07:002005-10-24T12:31:31.490-07:00News flashThought provoking piece you need to see.Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1130046254330036832005-10-22T22:44:00.000-07:002005-10-24T12:22:38.200-07:00Money makes the world go aroundAnd this is how it trickles down from those huge tax breaks.Think a luxuriously appointed private Gulfstream or Lear jet is the ultimate way to fly? Not any more. Increasingly, the world's superrich are buying big, big planes -- the same kind of widebody Boeing and Airbus jets the airlines use on long-haul flights -- and outfitting them with everything from Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1130013277231736602005-10-22T13:25:00.000-07:002005-10-22T14:52:54.486-07:00We've always been at peace with EastasiaOur new allies, the axis of evil.Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday that the Bush administration was considering opening direct contact with Iran as part of an effort to gain greater cooperation from neighboring countries in quelling Iraq's insurgency."We're considering whether that might be useful," Rice said in testimony before the Senate Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1130012663491025062005-10-22T13:12:00.000-07:002005-10-22T13:24:23.500-07:00End of DaysNone of my business really, but if they want to take the path to extinction, it's fine by me.While acknowledging the acute shortage of priests in the Roman Catholic Church, bishops from around the world reaffirmed the church's stance on celibacy for priests Saturday in a set of 50 recommendations they agreed to submit to Pope Benedict XVI. editDebate about the priest shortage dominatedVellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1130011904032739502005-10-22T13:04:00.000-07:002005-10-22T13:11:44.033-07:00Cleanup after KatrinaNot in NOLA, in Washington.The Bush administration's Hurricane Katrina preparations "were all wrong," the White House's top homeland security official said on Friday.edit"It turns out we were all wrong, we had not adequately anticipated," said Ms Townsend, in language that echoed the conclusions of the David Kay's post-war investigation into Iraq's missing weapons of mass Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1130011303847641832005-10-22T12:56:00.000-07:002005-10-22T13:01:43.850-07:00Technology!Science's not quite as glamorous sister, making life a little brighter.An accidental discovery announced this week has taken LED lighting to a new level, suggesting it could soon offer a cheaper, longer-lasting alternative to the traditional light bulb. The miniature breakthrough adds to a growing trend that is likely to eventually make Thomas Edison's bright invention Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1130010529025344712005-10-22T12:44:00.000-07:002005-10-22T12:48:49.033-07:00Pravda on the HudsonA fine point made by Professor DeLong:Daniel Gross finds yet more Dingbat Kabuki Daniel Gross: October 16, 2005 - October 22, 2005 Archives : BABBLING BROOKS: Erstwhile smart social critic turned apparatchik David Brooks is excited at doings in Washington. On page A27 of today's New York Times, he writes:"On the G.O.P. side, this is a moment of Republican glasnost. After yearsVellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1129928757389856352005-10-21T13:37:00.000-07:002005-10-21T14:27:01.970-07:00The media is your enemyYesterday I noted that the AP seems to leave the "(R)" for "Republican" in stories where the news isn't sufficiently good or the quote is negative. Today, Atrios points out that the AP is perfectly willing to report lies as truth.First the truth:Mattzie told ThinkProgress this morning that MoveOn has “never sold any t-shirts with Tom DeLay’s mug shot” on their website or Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1129842480567753932005-10-20T14:04:00.000-07:002005-10-20T14:08:00.566-07:00Envy of the worldThe economic engine that can- hits another quarter of greater than 9% growth.The sustained growth means expectations of a slowdown in the Chinese economy are evaporating, with Thursday's third-quarter gross domestic product figure matching recent independent assessments of strengthening domestic demand, the prime driver of growth in recent years.Wow.Darn Commie's and their Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1129841865578704832005-10-20T13:52:00.000-07:002005-10-20T13:57:45.580-07:00Civil warMore of this please.The movie-star governor, a moderate liberal in Bush's conservative party, late Wednesday expressed irritation that the president and his staff apparently ignored his plea to delay the fundraising trip and said he would not take the time to meet Bush.The clash brings to the surface long-standing tensions between the two men and comes as Schwarzenegger moves to raise Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1129841524049039892005-10-20T13:45:00.000-07:002005-10-20T13:52:04.050-07:00Self inflictedShooting ourselves in the foot in the one place we're having some success.The United States expressed concern about film of US soldiers burning the bodies of two suspected Taliban militants which comes as a new blow to the image of the US military. Burning the bodies is offensive to Muslims- according to the article.Afghan Defence Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak was "deeply shocked" andVellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1129840811686619942005-10-20T13:27:00.000-07:002005-10-20T13:40:11.696-07:00ErosionRemember how some people said that Katrina relief efforts run by the National Guard were less robust than we might have liked due to their committment in Iraq? Remember how the administration told us that was poppycock?Once again, it appears they were lying.U.S. National Guard units are under-equipped and increasingly unready to help in domestic disaster relief because essential gear is Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1129840015871040572005-10-20T13:26:00.000-07:002005-10-20T13:26:55.873-07:00California call to actionUrge our state government to get toxic toys off the market.Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1129839834882324802005-10-20T12:57:00.000-07:002005-10-20T13:23:59.190-07:00EscalationThis song and dance at the UN looks vaguely familiar.The Sunday Telegraph warned last weekend that the UN had a last chance to avert war with Iran and, at a meeting in London last week, the US ambassador to the UN, John Bolton, expressed his regret that any failure by the UN security council to deal with Iran would damage the security council's relevance, implying that the US would Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1129838225918059242005-10-20T12:52:00.000-07:002005-10-20T12:57:05.920-07:00Happy birthday to meOk, it isn't my birthday yet. Still....Rep. Tom DeLay (R) turned himself Thursday in at the Harris County sheriff's office, where he was photographed, fingerprinted and released on bond on state conspiracy and money laundering charges. And he may very well be innocent of these charges. I wish him a speedy and fair trial. And should he be convicted, I hope they slap him with Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1129837946342284622005-10-20T12:31:00.000-07:002005-10-20T12:52:26.463-07:00Local newsThe mayoral election is heating up here in SD- a special election to replace Dick Murphy who resigned this past summer. All I can say is: in a city of a couple million people, these are the best two people for the job? Man, we are in trouble.My support for the lefty, Councilwoman Donna Frye took a big hit yesterday as her campaign went negative in a big way. In her defense, it could be Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1129836649042997672005-10-20T12:22:00.000-07:002005-10-20T12:30:49.043-07:00Going negativeSomeone- an intelligent and well informed person- with darker views than my own.Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1129835705367860052005-10-20T12:05:00.000-07:002005-10-20T12:15:05.370-07:00Science!That anti-bacterial soap? Evidently not a good buy.Antibacterial soaps and body washes in the household aren't any more effective in reducing illness than regular soap, and could potentially contribute to bacterial resistance to antibiotics, experts told a government advisory panel Thursday. editLevy said overuse of antibiotics is the main cause of bacteria developing resistance to them. Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1129835058831619752005-10-20T11:55:00.000-07:002005-10-20T12:04:18.833-07:00EscalationRiceLawmakers also pressed Rice on strategy for dealing with Iran and Syria. U.S. officials have accused Syria of allowing foreign fighters to flow across its borders into Iraq and Iran of supporting the insurgency. Rice said the United States was using diplomatic means to urge a change in the behavior of both countries - but she stopped short of ruling out military force. "I'm not Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1129834308660799222005-10-20T11:31:00.000-07:002005-10-20T11:51:48.763-07:00Mike "heckuva job" BrownieHis crack response to Katrina recorded.Federal Emergency Management Agency officials did not respond to repeated warnings about deteriorating conditions in New Orleans and the dire need for help as Hurricane Katrina struck, the first FEMA official to arrive conceded Thursday. Marty Bahamonde, a FEMA regional director, told a Senate panel investigating the government's Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1129741101701140232005-10-19T09:56:00.000-07:002005-10-19T09:58:21.703-07:00Not Good25%More than one in four U.S. troops have come home from the Iraq war with health problems that require medical or mental health treatment, according to the Pentagon's first detailed screening of servicemembers leaving a war zone.Almost 1,700 servicemembers returning from the war this year said they harbored thoughts of hurting themselves or that they would be better off dead. More than Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1129740936248099792005-10-19T09:32:00.000-07:002005-10-19T09:55:36.346-07:00Squeezing the middleSomebody has to pay for the tax breaks to America's richest people. The Republicans have decided that someone is you.The chairmen of President Bush's special tax-advisory panel outlined a controversial plan Tuesday to overhaul the nation's tax code by cutting popular tax breaks. The committee would reduce mortgage-interest deductions, treat some health-care benefits as taxableVellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1129739543279403212005-10-19T09:21:00.000-07:002005-10-19T09:32:23.316-07:00Promises, promisesBush falls short on promises to Iraq.The Bush administration cannot fulfill all its grand promises to rebuild Iraq because soaring security costs, mismanagement and poor planning have cost billons of dollars, federal auditors said Tuesday. eitIn one case, security costs for a U.S. Agency for International Development program on economic reform increased from $894,000 to $37 Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1129738472730348022005-10-19T09:13:00.000-07:002005-10-19T09:14:32.736-07:00Defend the ConstitutionAnd stand up for basic human rights. If you won't, who will?Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1129698088670966872005-10-18T19:17:00.000-07:002005-10-18T22:01:28.796-07:00Supporting the troopsCrooks and liars.The Pentagon has reneged on its offer to pay a $15,000 bonus to members of the National Guard and Army Reserve who agree to extend their enlistments by six years, according to Sen. Patty Murray (D-Seattle).Isn't that special? The military keeps supporting the party that kicks them in the teeth. The bonuses were offered in January to Active Guard and Reserve Vellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5989701.post-1129688124386210922005-10-18T19:08:00.000-07:002005-10-18T19:15:24.386-07:00Not goodArticle says British troops in Iraq are having some big problems.Army sources are warning that the mood among soldiers of all ranks is at its gloomiest since the invasion in March 2003. The outlook has become darker as the war proves increasingly intractable and much more dangerous than troops had expected. A string of incidents in the past week has contributed to the sense of crisis: * Vellonoreply@blogger.com