Two chapter titles from our up-coming best-seller "How Come I Ain't Married? Funny You Should Ask. Set Yerse'f Down Fer A Minute Or Two & I'll Tell Ya."
I still secretly eat it when my spouse goes on business trips.
My spouse won’t let it in the house.
These sad titles from two commenters at Sadly, No! Thanks for reminding us why we're single, lonely, & loving it.
Oh, the forbidden "it?" Kraft® Macaroni & Cheese. Yikes. Family food fascism.
Thursday, May 07, 2009
Yesterday's News From This Morning's Fishwrapper
Just hrs. ago, there was joy aplenty in Mudville, home of the Incredible Shrinking Newspaper™:
[T]he Dodgers, [...] went on to claim a 10-3 victory to become the first modern-day team in major league history to win its first 13 home games.
The Detroit Tigers won their first 12 home games, and that was in 1911.
[...]
The Dodgers took their 23rd decision in their last 26 games at Dodger Stadium, dating to Aug. 21, 2008. Starting from the day Manny Ramirez became a Dodger -- Aug. 1, 2008 -- they are 31-7 at home.
With four games remaining in a season-long 11-game homestand, the Dodgers extended their lead in the National League West to 6 1/2 games and their winning streak to seven games. They improved their record to 21-8.
Said record being the best in the majors. Which doesn't mean shit a wk. into May, but was worth the Times' baseball typist whipping out a few hundred words, of which these were most important:
They're laying waste to the National League West, but so were the Arizona Diamondbacks this time last year. They're 13-0 at home, but they're 8-8 on the road. They don't make the schedule and don't need to apologize for it, but they have played the worst team in the NL East, the worst team in the NL Central and the rest of the NL West, and that's it.And this the most important quote:
"You like to see the team get off to a good start," [Dodgers' GM Ned] Colletti said. "We'll have to face adversity."Truer words never said, & probably more adversity much sooner than anticipated for Collettti.
Radical Republicans
An interesting tidbit from TIME® about the Republican April Fools' budget. You may remember; the one w/ the three or four circles & a line joining them? As we know budgets & all iterations of economics are bullshit, we paid little to no attention at the time, & someone else may have revealed all this a mo. ago., but this booster shot of schoolin' won't hurt. Much.
A former talking Republican head (Who came across as a strident jerk on the tube, by the way.) Ed Rogers
It's a radical document, making Bush's tax cuts permanent while adding about $3 trillion in new tax cuts skewed toward the rich. It would replace almost all the stimulus — including tax cuts for workers as well as spending on schools, infrastructure and clean energy — with a capital gains–tax holiday for investors. Oh, and it would shrink the budget by replacing Medicare with vouchers, turning Medicaid into block grants, means-testing Social Security and freezing everything else except defense and veterans' spending for five years, putting programs for food safety, financial regulation, flu vaccines and every other sacred government cow on the potential chopping block.Looking more like the Party of Hoover each day. Which is what the larger TIME® story is about. We haven't read to the counter-point yet, but it's heading in the direction of "Yes, it's over."
recently decided to quit being a talking head: "I had a meeting with myself, and I said, Do we really need more white lobbyists with gray hair on TV?" But it's not clear that more diverse spokesmen or better tweets can woo a new generation to the GOP; support for gay rights is soaring, and polls show that voters prefer Democratic approaches to health care, education and the economy. "The outlook for Republicans is even worse than people think," says Ruy Teixeira, author of The Emerging Democratic Majority. "Their biggest problem is that they really believe what they believe."That can be an insurmountable problem.
Where Are The FCC & The FEC?
Leg-tinglin' Tweety seems to be doing his best to make American (Pennslyvanian, really) voters think Arlen Specter has lost his mental edge. (That would be throughout today's Hardball on MSNBC, if you want a source. Perhaps there will be links here later.)
Call us cynical, but even though Mr. Matthews recently denied interest in a run for the PA Senate slot next yr., the sudden recusal of Tom Ridge from the race & a mis-statement or two from Sen. Specter can only have Chris thinking he might not have to work too hard for it now. That always whets the political animal's appetite.
More story remainders: In a similar vein.
Call us cynical, but even though Mr. Matthews recently denied interest in a run for the PA Senate slot next yr., the sudden recusal of Tom Ridge from the race & a mis-statement or two from Sen. Specter can only have Chris thinking he might not have to work too hard for it now. That always whets the political animal's appetite.
And now, the rest of the story: Like, when was the last time Old Yellow Hair lived in the State of William Penn? How soon would the fucking carpetbagger have to move to PA to be eligible?
The Personal Becomes Political, Or Vice Versa
Right-wing extremist or seriously disturbed stalker? The distinction is blurred. (Possibly because there's little actual difference.)
Sources said that Morgan and Justin-Jinich knew each other from Colorado although they are still trying to determine the depth of the relationship or why Morgan decided to drive across the country to kill her.We'll have to wait until Morgan's reading list is revealed before we can irresponsibly speculate further, as authorities haven't yet provided enough fuel for the fire.
Police said Morgan may be targeting the campus and its Jewish community.
In addition to the threats to Justin-Jinich, Morgan's journal entries made threats against Wesleyan and its Jewish students, officials have said.
Police would not say why they believe Morgan may target the university or Jews.Maybe more later.
We Made Grunting Laugh-Like Noises
The rather vague concept of "secession" appears to be more popular w/ Southern Republicans than other easy demographic divisions, if you can believe that.
A commenter:
A commenter:
I'd be interested in a survey that asked how people felt about other states' leaving the union. I'd be willing to bet that the support for Texan secession, for example, would be pretty high in the Northeast.We'd almost pay to see those results.
Posted by: noncarb on May 6, 2009 at 4:41 PM
Annals Of FatherHomeland Security
Here's something worthy of our attention.
What kind of white supremacist are you, honky?
Ku Klux Klan
Neo-Nazi
Racist skinhead
Aryan prison gang
Christian Identity
Odinism/Wotanism
Six flavors to choose from.
Six flavors to choose from.
Nothing, Y'Hear!! Not A Damn Thing!
Didn't type an original word yesterday, did we? Ha ha ha. You don't care, & neither do we.
7 May: A Very Ironic Date
By The Associated Press Thu May 7, 12:01 am ET
Today is Thursday, May 7, the 127th day of 2009. There are 238 days left in the year.
The AP Also Rises. A/V. UPI Almanac.
Today's Highlight in History:
On May 7, 1915, nearly 1,200 people died when a German torpedo sank the British liner RMS Lusitania off the Irish coast.
On this date:
In 1763, Ottawa Indian chief Pontiac led a major uprising against the British at Detroit. [Now they just closed the automobile company named after the chief. — Ed.]
In 1789, the first inaugural ball was held in New York in honor of President George Washington and his wife, Martha.
In 1833, composer Johannes Brahms was born in Hamburg, Germany.
In 1840, composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky was born in Votkinsk, Russia.
In 1909, Edwin H. Land, inventor of polarizing filters and Polaroid instant photography, was born in Bridgeport, Conn.
In 1939, Germany and Italy announced a military and political alliance known as the Rome-Berlin Axis.
In 1945, Germany signed an unconditional surrender at Allied headquarters in Rheims, France.
In 1954, the 55-day Battle of Dien Bien Phu in Vietnam ended with Vietnamese insurgents overrunning French forces.
In 1960, Leonid Brezhnev replaced Marshal Kliment Voroshilov as president of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet.
In 1975, President Gerald R. Ford formally declared an end to the "Vietnam era." In Ho Chi Minh City — formerly Saigon — the Viet Cong celebrated its takeover.
In 1977, Seattle Slew won the Kentucky Derby, the first of his Triple Crown victories. (On this date in 2002, Seattle Slew died.)
In 1984, a $180 million out-of-court settlement was announced in the Agent Orange class-action suit brought by Vietnam veterans who charged they'd suffered injury from exposure to the defoliant.
In 1992, a 203-year-old proposed constitutional amendment barring Congress from giving itself a midterm pay raise was ratified when Michigan became the 38th state to approve it. [203 yrs.!? — Ed.]
In 1998, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz agreed to buy Chrysler Corp. for more than $37 billion.
Ten years ago: NATO jets struck the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, killing three people and injuring 20; President Bill Clinton called the attack a "tragic mistake." A jury in Pontiac, Mich., ordered "The Jenny Jones Show" to pay $25 million to the family of Scott Amedure, a gay man who was shot to death after revealing a crush on Jonathan Schmitz, a fellow guest on the talk show. (However, the Michigan Court of Appeals later overturned the award, and the Michigan Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal.)
Five years ago: Army Pfc. Lynndie England, shown in photographs smiling and pointing at naked Iraqi prisoners, was charged by the military with assaulting the detainees and conspiring to mistreat them. (England was later convicted of conspiracy, mistreating detainees and committing an indecent act, and sentenced to 36 months; she served half that term.)
Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld offered "my deepest apology" to abused Iraqi prisoners and warned that videos and photos yet to come could further inflame worldwide outrage.
One year ago: President George W. Bush, addressing the Council of Americas, said Cuba's post-Fidel Castro leadership had made only "empty gestures at reform" as he rejected calls for easing of U.S. restrictions on the communist island. Dmitry Medvedev was sworn in as Russia's president.
Today's Birthdays: Former Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., is 77. Singer Jimmy Ruffin is 70. Singer Johnny Maestro is 70. Actress Robin Strasser is 64. Singer-songwriter Bill Danoff is 63. R&B singer Thelma Houston is 63. Rock musician Bill Kreutzmann (The Dead) is 63. Rock musician Prairie Prince is 59. Actor Robert Hegyes is 58. Movie writer-director Amy Heckerling is 55. Actor Michael E. Knight is 50. Rock musician Phil Campbell (Motorhead) is 48. Country musician Rick Schell is 46. Rock singer-musician Chris O'Connor (Primitive Radio Gods) is 44. Actress Traci Lords is 40. Singer Eagle-Eye Cherry is 38. Actor Breckin Meyer is 35.
Today In Entertainment History -- In 1941, Glenn Miller and his Orchestra recorded "Chattanooga Choo Choo" for RCA Victor.
In 1972, the Rolling Stones released the album "Exile on Main Street," featuring the song "Tumbling Dice."
In 1973, George Harrison released "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)."
In 1990, Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys crashed a news conference to announce that he was fit to handle his own affairs. Wilson's cousin Stan Love was going to announce that he wanted to become a legal overseer of Wilson's life and estate.
In 1991, singer Wilson Pickett was arrested in Englewood, New Jersey, after driving over the lawn of Mayor Donald Aronson, who was his neighbor. Pickett was charged with drunk driving and with threatening the mayor.
In 1996, actor Martin Lawrence was hospitalized after he was found screaming in a busy intersection in Los Angeles. His doctor said Lawrence was being treated for exhaustion.
On 1997, Marilyn Manson won his lawsuit against the New Jersey Sports and Exhibition Authority, who tried to prevent him from playing with Ozzfest at Giants Stadium.
In 1998, singer Eddie Rabbitt died of lung cancer in Nashville. He was 56.
Thought for Today: "We all live in suspense, from day to day, from hour to hour; in other words, we are the hero of our own story." — Mary McCarthy, American author (1912-1989).
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reversed. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
Copyright ©2009 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reversed.
Today is Thursday, May 7, the 127th day of 2009. There are 238 days left in the year.
The AP Also Rises. A/V. UPI Almanac.
Today's Highlight in History:
On May 7, 1915, nearly 1,200 people died when a German torpedo sank the British liner RMS Lusitania off the Irish coast.
On this date:In 1763, Ottawa Indian chief Pontiac led a major uprising against the British at Detroit. [Now they just closed the automobile company named after the chief. — Ed.]
In 1789, the first inaugural ball was held in New York in honor of President George Washington and his wife, Martha.
In 1833, composer Johannes Brahms was born in Hamburg, Germany.
In 1840, composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky was born in Votkinsk, Russia.
In 1909, Edwin H. Land, inventor of polarizing filters and Polaroid instant photography, was born in Bridgeport, Conn.
In 1939, Germany and Italy announced a military and political alliance known as the Rome-Berlin Axis.
In 1945, Germany signed an unconditional surrender at Allied headquarters in Rheims, France.
In 1954, the 55-day Battle of Dien Bien Phu in Vietnam ended with Vietnamese insurgents overrunning French forces.In 1960, Leonid Brezhnev replaced Marshal Kliment Voroshilov as president of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet.
In 1975, President Gerald R. Ford formally declared an end to the "Vietnam era." In Ho Chi Minh City — formerly Saigon — the Viet Cong celebrated its takeover.
In 1977, Seattle Slew won the Kentucky Derby, the first of his Triple Crown victories. (On this date in 2002, Seattle Slew died.)
In 1984, a $180 million out-of-court settlement was announced in the Agent Orange class-action suit brought by Vietnam veterans who charged they'd suffered injury from exposure to the defoliant.
In 1992, a 203-year-old proposed constitutional amendment barring Congress from giving itself a midterm pay raise was ratified when Michigan became the 38th state to approve it. [203 yrs.!? — Ed.]
In 1998, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz agreed to buy Chrysler Corp. for more than $37 billion.
Ten years ago: NATO jets struck the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, killing three people and injuring 20; President Bill Clinton called the attack a "tragic mistake." A jury in Pontiac, Mich., ordered "The Jenny Jones Show" to pay $25 million to the family of Scott Amedure, a gay man who was shot to death after revealing a crush on Jonathan Schmitz, a fellow guest on the talk show. (However, the Michigan Court of Appeals later overturned the award, and the Michigan Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal.)
Five years ago: Army Pfc. Lynndie England, shown in photographs smiling and pointing at naked Iraqi prisoners, was charged by the military with assaulting the detainees and conspiring to mistreat them. (England was later convicted of conspiracy, mistreating detainees and committing an indecent act, and sentenced to 36 months; she served half that term.)
Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld offered "my deepest apology" to abused Iraqi prisoners and warned that videos and photos yet to come could further inflame worldwide outrage.One year ago: President George W. Bush, addressing the Council of Americas, said Cuba's post-Fidel Castro leadership had made only "empty gestures at reform" as he rejected calls for easing of U.S. restrictions on the communist island. Dmitry Medvedev was sworn in as Russia's president.
Today's Birthdays: Former Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., is 77. Singer Jimmy Ruffin is 70. Singer Johnny Maestro is 70. Actress Robin Strasser is 64. Singer-songwriter Bill Danoff is 63. R&B singer Thelma Houston is 63. Rock musician Bill Kreutzmann (The Dead) is 63. Rock musician Prairie Prince is 59. Actor Robert Hegyes is 58. Movie writer-director Amy Heckerling is 55. Actor Michael E. Knight is 50. Rock musician Phil Campbell (Motorhead) is 48. Country musician Rick Schell is 46. Rock singer-musician Chris O'Connor (Primitive Radio Gods) is 44. Actress Traci Lords is 40. Singer Eagle-Eye Cherry is 38. Actor Breckin Meyer is 35.
Today In Entertainment History -- In 1941, Glenn Miller and his Orchestra recorded "Chattanooga Choo Choo" for RCA Victor.
In 1972, the Rolling Stones released the album "Exile on Main Street," featuring the song "Tumbling Dice."In 1973, George Harrison released "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)."
In 1990, Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys crashed a news conference to announce that he was fit to handle his own affairs. Wilson's cousin Stan Love was going to announce that he wanted to become a legal overseer of Wilson's life and estate.
In 1991, singer Wilson Pickett was arrested in Englewood, New Jersey, after driving over the lawn of Mayor Donald Aronson, who was his neighbor. Pickett was charged with drunk driving and with threatening the mayor.
In 1996, actor Martin Lawrence was hospitalized after he was found screaming in a busy intersection in Los Angeles. His doctor said Lawrence was being treated for exhaustion.
On 1997, Marilyn Manson won his lawsuit against the New Jersey Sports and Exhibition Authority, who tried to prevent him from playing with Ozzfest at Giants Stadium.
In 1998, singer Eddie Rabbitt died of lung cancer in Nashville. He was 56.
Thought for Today: "We all live in suspense, from day to day, from hour to hour; in other words, we are the hero of our own story." — Mary McCarthy, American author (1912-1989).
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reversed. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
6 May: "Oh, The Humanity"
By The Associated Press 1 hr 27 mins ago
Today is Wednesday, May 6, the 126th day of 2009. There are 239 days left in the year.
And also: AP. A/V. UPI Almanac.
Today's Highlight in History:
On May 6, 1937, the hydrogen-filled German airship Hindenburg burned and crashed in Lakehurst, N.J., killing 35 of the 97 people on board and a Navy crewman on the ground.
Radio reporter Herb Morrison's eyewitness account.
On this date:
In 1840, a tornado that touched down in eastern Louisiana and crossed the Mississippi River into Natchez, Miss., killed 317 people - most of them on boats in the river.
In 1859, Georgia miner John H. Gregory discovered a lode of gold in Colorado.
In 1861, Arkansas seceded from the Union. [Again we must ask: "Who let the Arkansans back in?" — Ed.]
In 1889, the Paris Exposition formally opened, featuring the just-completed Eiffel Tower.
In 1910, Britain's King Edward VII died; he was succeeded by George V.
In 1915, Babe Ruth of the Boston Red Sox hit the first of his 714 major league home runs in a 4-3 loss to the New York Yankees at the Polo Grounds.
In 1942, during World War II some 15,000 Americans and Filipinos on Corregidor surrendered to the Japanese.
In 1954, medical student Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile during a track meet in Oxford, England, in three minutes, 59.4 seconds.
In 1960, Britain's Princess Margaret married Antony Armstrong-Jones, a commoner, at Westminster Abbey. (They divorced in 1978.)
In 1981, Yale architecture student Maya Ying Lin was named winner of a competition to design the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
In 1994, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and French President Francois Mitterrand formally opened the Channel Tunnel between their countries.
In 1996, the body of former CIA director William E. Colby was found washed up on a riverbank in southern Maryland, eight days after he'd disappeared.
In 2002, right-wing Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn was shot and killed in Hilversum, Netherlands. (Volkert van der Graaf was later convicted of killing Fortuyn and was sentenced to 18 years in prison.)
Ten years ago: Russia and the major Western powers set aside their differences over NATO airstrikes and drafted a joint plan to end the Kosovo conflict. President Bill Clinton met with Kosovo refugees in Germany, listening to chilling stories of murder, rape and terror and promising them, "You will go home again in safety and in freedom." Reversing decades of overwhelming loyalty to Britain's governing Labor Party, Scottish and Welsh voters elected strong nationalist oppositions to their first separate assemblies of modern times.
Five years ago: President George W. Bush apologized for the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by American soldiers, calling it "a stain on our country's honor"; he rejected calls for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's resignation. The FBI arrested Oregon lawyer Brandon Mayfield as part of the investigation into the Madrid train bombings; however, the bureau later said Mayfield's arrest had been a mistake, and apologized. An estimated 51.1 million people tuned in for the final first-run episode of "Friends" on NBC.
One year ago: Barack Obama swept to a convincing victory in the North Carolina Democratic primary while Hillary Rodham Clinton eked out a win in Indiana. A Georgia man who'd killed his live-in girlfriend was executed; William Earl Lynd was the first inmate put to death since the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of lethal injections. Kobe Bryant won his first MVP award after leading the Los Angeles Lakers to the best record in the Western Conference.
Today's Birthdays: Baseball Hall-of-Famer Willie Mays is 78.
Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., is 75. Rock singer Bob Seger is 64. Singer Jimmie Dale Gilmore is 64. Gospel singer-comedian Lulu Roman is 63. Actor Alan Dale is 62. Actor Ben Masters is 62. Actor Gregg Henry is 57. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is 56. TV personality Tom Bergeron is 54. Actress Roma Downey is 49. Rock singer John Flansburgh (They Might Be Giants) is 49. Actor George Clooney is 48. Actor Clay O'Brien is 48. Rock singer-musician Tony Scalzo (Fastball) is 45. Actress Leslie Hope is 44. Rock musician Mark Bryan (Hootie and the Blowfish) is 42. Rock musician Chris Shiflett (Foo Fighters) is 38.
Today In Entertainment History -- On May sixth, 1965, guitarist Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones came up with the riff that formed the foundation of the song "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction." He was staying at a motel in Clearwater, Florida, at the time.
In 1971, Ike and Tina Turner received their only gold single, for their version of "Proud Mary."
In 1973, Paul Simon began his first solo tour in Boston, three years after splitting with Art Garfunkel. Recordings from some of the shows were released as the "Live Rhymin"' album.
In 1977, Led Zeppelin broke their own world record for largest audience at a single-act concert when they attracted over 76,000 fans to the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan.
In 1984, Tina Turner's comeback hit, "What's Love Got To Do With It," was released. In 1991, a judge in Macon, Georgia, threw out a lawsuit claiming that Ozzy Osbourne's music drove a 16-year-old boy to suicide. The parents of Michael Waller alleged that their son listened repeatedly to Osbourne's "Suicide Solution," then shot himself.
In 1992, actress Marlene Dietrich died at her home in Paris at age 90. Whitney Houston announced her engagement to Bobby Brown, during her first TV special, "This Is My Life."
In 1994, Pearl Jam filed a complaint with the U. S. Justice Department against Ticketmaster. The band charged that the company had a monopoly on the concert ticket-selling business.
In 1997, Neil Young boycotted his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of Buffalo Springfield. Young objected to rampant commercialism and the $1,200-a-plate dinner. Actor David Duchovny and actress Tea Leoni were married in New York.
In 2004, the last episode of "Friends" aired.
In 2005, Audioslave became the first American rock band to play an outdoor concert in Cuba, with a show in Havana.
Thought for Today: "No man chooses evil because it is evil; he only mistakes it for happiness, the good he seeks." — Mary Wollstonecraft, British writer and philosopher (1759-1797).
Copyright ©2009 The Associated Press. All rights reversed. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
Copyright ©2009 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reversed.
Today is Wednesday, May 6, the 126th day of 2009. There are 239 days left in the year.
And also: AP. A/V. UPI Almanac.
Today's Highlight in History:
On May 6, 1937, the hydrogen-filled German airship Hindenburg burned and crashed in Lakehurst, N.J., killing 35 of the 97 people on board and a Navy crewman on the ground.
Radio reporter Herb Morrison's eyewitness account.On this date:
In 1840, a tornado that touched down in eastern Louisiana and crossed the Mississippi River into Natchez, Miss., killed 317 people - most of them on boats in the river.
In 1859, Georgia miner John H. Gregory discovered a lode of gold in Colorado.
In 1861, Arkansas seceded from the Union. [Again we must ask: "Who let the Arkansans back in?" — Ed.]
In 1889, the Paris Exposition formally opened, featuring the just-completed Eiffel Tower.
In 1910, Britain's King Edward VII died; he was succeeded by George V.
In 1915, Babe Ruth of the Boston Red Sox hit the first of his 714 major league home runs in a 4-3 loss to the New York Yankees at the Polo Grounds.
In 1942, during World War II some 15,000 Americans and Filipinos on Corregidor surrendered to the Japanese.
In 1954, medical student Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile during a track meet in Oxford, England, in three minutes, 59.4 seconds.
In 1960, Britain's Princess Margaret married Antony Armstrong-Jones, a commoner, at Westminster Abbey. (They divorced in 1978.)
In 1981, Yale architecture student Maya Ying Lin was named winner of a competition to design the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
In 1994, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and French President Francois Mitterrand formally opened the Channel Tunnel between their countries.
In 1996, the body of former CIA director William E. Colby was found washed up on a riverbank in southern Maryland, eight days after he'd disappeared.
In 2002, right-wing Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn was shot and killed in Hilversum, Netherlands. (Volkert van der Graaf was later convicted of killing Fortuyn and was sentenced to 18 years in prison.)
Ten years ago: Russia and the major Western powers set aside their differences over NATO airstrikes and drafted a joint plan to end the Kosovo conflict. President Bill Clinton met with Kosovo refugees in Germany, listening to chilling stories of murder, rape and terror and promising them, "You will go home again in safety and in freedom." Reversing decades of overwhelming loyalty to Britain's governing Labor Party, Scottish and Welsh voters elected strong nationalist oppositions to their first separate assemblies of modern times.
Five years ago: President George W. Bush apologized for the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by American soldiers, calling it "a stain on our country's honor"; he rejected calls for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's resignation. The FBI arrested Oregon lawyer Brandon Mayfield as part of the investigation into the Madrid train bombings; however, the bureau later said Mayfield's arrest had been a mistake, and apologized. An estimated 51.1 million people tuned in for the final first-run episode of "Friends" on NBC.
One year ago: Barack Obama swept to a convincing victory in the North Carolina Democratic primary while Hillary Rodham Clinton eked out a win in Indiana. A Georgia man who'd killed his live-in girlfriend was executed; William Earl Lynd was the first inmate put to death since the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of lethal injections. Kobe Bryant won his first MVP award after leading the Los Angeles Lakers to the best record in the Western Conference.
Today's Birthdays: Baseball Hall-of-Famer Willie Mays is 78.
Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., is 75. Rock singer Bob Seger is 64. Singer Jimmie Dale Gilmore is 64. Gospel singer-comedian Lulu Roman is 63. Actor Alan Dale is 62. Actor Ben Masters is 62. Actor Gregg Henry is 57. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is 56. TV personality Tom Bergeron is 54. Actress Roma Downey is 49. Rock singer John Flansburgh (They Might Be Giants) is 49. Actor George Clooney is 48. Actor Clay O'Brien is 48. Rock singer-musician Tony Scalzo (Fastball) is 45. Actress Leslie Hope is 44. Rock musician Mark Bryan (Hootie and the Blowfish) is 42. Rock musician Chris Shiflett (Foo Fighters) is 38.Today In Entertainment History -- On May sixth, 1965, guitarist Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones came up with the riff that formed the foundation of the song "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction." He was staying at a motel in Clearwater, Florida, at the time.
In 1971, Ike and Tina Turner received their only gold single, for their version of "Proud Mary."
In 1973, Paul Simon began his first solo tour in Boston, three years after splitting with Art Garfunkel. Recordings from some of the shows were released as the "Live Rhymin"' album.
In 1977, Led Zeppelin broke their own world record for largest audience at a single-act concert when they attracted over 76,000 fans to the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan.
In 1984, Tina Turner's comeback hit, "What's Love Got To Do With It," was released. In 1991, a judge in Macon, Georgia, threw out a lawsuit claiming that Ozzy Osbourne's music drove a 16-year-old boy to suicide. The parents of Michael Waller alleged that their son listened repeatedly to Osbourne's "Suicide Solution," then shot himself.
In 1992, actress Marlene Dietrich died at her home in Paris at age 90. Whitney Houston announced her engagement to Bobby Brown, during her first TV special, "This Is My Life."
In 1994, Pearl Jam filed a complaint with the U. S. Justice Department against Ticketmaster. The band charged that the company had a monopoly on the concert ticket-selling business.
In 1997, Neil Young boycotted his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of Buffalo Springfield. Young objected to rampant commercialism and the $1,200-a-plate dinner. Actor David Duchovny and actress Tea Leoni were married in New York.
In 2004, the last episode of "Friends" aired.
In 2005, Audioslave became the first American rock band to play an outdoor concert in Cuba, with a show in Havana.Thought for Today: "No man chooses evil because it is evil; he only mistakes it for happiness, the good he seeks." — Mary Wollstonecraft, British writer and philosopher (1759-1797).
Copyright ©2009 The Associated Press. All rights reversed. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Annals Of Self-Polarization
Dig Fox News Anchor Kimberly Guilfoyle, speaking for Constitutional "Intentionalism" (although we doubt she understands the entire talking point someone fed her) while declaring that the President nominating & the Senate approving a SCOTUS candidate is a violation of separation of powers. Honest.
They're so polarized it's as if they've set off on an ice-floe toward one or the other of the poles.
(Tip of the Bouffant chapeau to a "J. A. F. Rusty Shackleford" who brought up the video in a comment at Balloon Juice.)
They're so polarized it's as if they've set off on an ice-floe toward one or the other of the poles.
(Tip of the Bouffant chapeau to a "J. A. F. Rusty Shackleford" who brought up the video in a comment at Balloon Juice.)
Weiner Nation
gets carried away. Enjoy the Brit-bashing. (Who wrote those jokes? Does he have a joke-book?)He brings up the First Amendment in reference to a British "Do Not Enter" list, calls British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith a tinhorn dictator, & so on. (We think that's what he said. Go ahead & listen.) She & Janet Napolitano are doubtless in a feminist conspiracy to destroy their agencies to hurry the Mohammedan conquest.
Actual fun begins (6:45) in, & is over quickly.
Actual fun begins (6:45) in, & is over quickly.
Learn more about today's story by clicking here.
TIME-WARNER CABLE
Well, well. Cable telebision has been installed here in our editorial offices since Saturday afternoon (almost 72 hrs. ago) & we are currently about an hr. into the first of no doubt many "outages," as we're sure they'd euphemize it.
We suppose satellite reception isn't fool-proof either, but it's not as likely to be interfered w/ by a drunk hitting a 'phone pole. As the Road Runner® DSL is still functioning, we'll assume this "outage" is the fault of Time-Warner CABLE,
rather than random accident.
rather than random accident.Hey, look! As we type (1402 PDT) the sound & vision have returned! Bitch & one is rewarded.
See? There's His Picture, Right Next To The Definition Of Cretinous Ignoramus
That guy who used to be a plumber's assistant has the economic situation figured out.
But, you also have to take into consideration that the Democrats say they are for people in poverty. They're not.Then 52% of the American electorate must be poor, we suppose. No wonder the economy sucks. You wouldn't think more than half of the voters in the U. S. were poor, but that's the reality that Joe understands. If only there were some way for people to start businesses & lift themselves up by their bootstraps. Plumbing, maybe. You need water & waste disposal no matter what shape the economy's in.
[...]
People in poverty keep them in power — that's what people have to understand.
Moral Blurriness And Spots
The David Brooks column mentioned below (In our scathing ruination of Crunchy Con Dreher, we modestly mention.) has some obvious points that haven't yet been assimilated by the Republican hive-mind, & brings John Ford into it.
Republicans like the way Westerns seem to celebrate their core themes — freedom, individualism, opportunity and moral clarity.Moral clarity. The ignorance & stupidity behind those two words always slays us. Anyway ...
But the greatest of all Western directors, John Ford, actually used Westerns to tell a different story. Ford’s movies didn’t really celebrate the rugged individual. They celebrated civic order.Alright, Ford was a bit fascistic. Still.
But the Republican Party has mis-learned that history. The party sometimes seems cut off from the concrete relationships of neighborhood life. Republicans are so much the party of individualism and freedom these days that they are no longer the party of community and order. This puts them out of touch with the young, who are exceptionally community-oriented. It gives them nothing to say to the lower middle class, who fear that capitalism has gone haywire. It gives them little to say to the upper middle class, who are interested in the environment and other common concerns.
The Republicans talk more about the market than about society, more about income than quality of life. They celebrate capitalism, which is a means, and are inarticulate about the good life, which is the end. They take things like tax cuts, which are tactics that are good in some circumstances, and elevate them to holy principle, to be pursued in all circumstances.
Why, they do, don't they? Those less charitable might say they were merely greedy jerks, equipped w/ a certain animal cunning but little actual intelligence, & that their string is about to run out.
Brooks does recognize the big problem: Farmers & swineherds versus the producers & doers of urban areas.
David does go on to solve the problem, in his always reasonable way, w/ a knight on a white horse:
Republican House Minority Whip Eric Cantor. House Minority Leader John Boehner. Senator John McCain. Mitt Romney. Haley Barbour. Jeb Bush. Governor Bobby Jindal. Mike Pence. Pete Sessions. Roy Blunt. Senator Mitch McConnell. Senator Jon Kyl. Lamar Alexander. Senator John Cornyn. John Thune.
Also, perhaps, Sarah Palin.
The emphasis on freedom and individual choice may work in the sparsely populated parts of the country. People there naturally want to do whatever they want on their own land. But it doesn’t work in the densely populated parts of the country: the cities and suburbs where Republicans are getting slaughtered. People in these areas understand that their lives are profoundly influenced by other people’s individual choices. People there are used to worrying about the health of the communal order.We thought debt meant nothing. Someone proved that. And the rash intervention. Horrors. [Make a pearl-clutching gesture here.] Wouldn't want to be "rash" just because the financial system & economy are making a nose-dive to the toilet.
In these places, Democrats have been able to establish themselves as the safe and orderly party. President Obama has made responsibility his core theme and has emerged as a calm, reassuring presence (even as he runs up the debt and intervenes rashly in sector after sector).
David does go on to solve the problem, in his always reasonable way, w/ a knight on a white horse:
If the Republicans are going to rebound, they will have to re-establish themselves as the party of civic order. First, they will have to stylistically decontaminate their brand. That means they will have to find a leader who is calm, prudent, reassuring and reasonable.What? No charisma, no Reaganesque inspiration? Let's remind ourselves of the list from our last item yesterday:
Republican House Minority Whip Eric Cantor. House Minority Leader John Boehner. Senator John McCain. Mitt Romney. Haley Barbour. Jeb Bush. Governor Bobby Jindal. Mike Pence. Pete Sessions. Roy Blunt. Senator Mitch McConnell. Senator Jon Kyl. Lamar Alexander. Senator John Cornyn. John Thune.
Also, perhaps, Sarah Palin.
Maybe they should all throw themselves on their swords. This draws itself out to ridiculous length. Die, already.
MYOB, You Religio-Fascist
The Crunchy Con reveals something about himself when blathering about an eminently sensible (if you know what we mean) David Brooks column in which Brooks typed
[Blah blah blah ... Republicans] would ask: What threatens Americans' efforts to build orderly places to raise their kids? The answers would produce an agenda: the disruption caused by a boom and bust economy; the fragility of the American family; the explosion of public and private debt; the wild swings in energy costs; the fraying of the health care system; the segmentation of society and the way the ladders of social mobility seem to be dissolving.Rod, however (Was that name a curse throughout his childhood? Is that, perhaps, why he has sex on the brain?) thinks that it's Demon Sex that's ruining everything.
[Y]ou cannot have community without order, and you cannot have a workable order as long as both economic and sexual decisions are wholly privatized -- that is, as long as they are considered only a matter of consequence between the parties making those decisions. Because in reality, they aren't: the entire community, one way or another, has to bear the burden of those decisions.Whatever happened to keeping sex private & personal? Crunchy refers to himself as a traditionalist. We can remember when tradition was not to stick your nose into other peoples' private lives. If these traditionalist goofballs could stop pretending that sex is an exclusively reproductive activity that must be ruled & regulated by any authority available we'd all be better off. Step one in reducing abortion & unwanted pregnancies is coming to grips w/ the fact that birth control is not even abortion, let alone "murder."
So: David is right in that the Democrats seem to speak more the language of civic order and commitment today. But I don't see either party being willing to connect the dots that Wendell Berry, among others, have connected. You cannot have civic order based on a culture where people feel at liberty to conduct their economic lives entirely as they see fit, nor their sexual lives (particularly if that involves making babies without the means to rear them in an ordered manner).
We do enjoy Mr. D.'s devotion to order, though we wonder if he omits the "law" part of the phrase because Nixon/Agnew pretty much ruined it, or because he's much more interested in order than any legal impediments thereto.
Why Does He Stand There, Then?
We heard it somewhere else as well; it must be a trend.
Stand by for attempts at "moral equivalence" between torture & abortion/birth control.
[Searches merrily.]
Here's one. This may be where it started, though we can't believe that anyone but sophisticated leftists looking for a laugh (or the apolitical who simply enjoy reading the English language as it is twisted into shapes more likely to occur in a universe w/ more than four dimensions than in our own) read this guy, let alone steal any of his ideas.
Stand by for attempts at "moral equivalence" between torture & abortion/birth control.
[Searches merrily.]
Here's one. This may be where it started, though we can't believe that anyone but sophisticated leftists looking for a laugh (or the apolitical who simply enjoy reading the English language as it is twisted into shapes more likely to occur in a universe w/ more than four dimensions than in our own) read this guy, let alone steal any of his ideas.
Moralists use divine revelation set forth in the Scriptures for their ethical profile. True moralists don’t budge. They do not dare for the Scriptures are from the God who stands at the Judgment Seat.Really. Get this, too.
Liberals have no fear whatsoever of God or the Judgment Seat. They never think of either, actually. They have woven their lifestyles so much around their own egos being gods that the Bible’s God does not exist.
Obama abhors waterboarding and anything like unto. However, when it comes to spreading torture via HIV/AIDS, all okay when it’s spread by homosexual license. After all, moral relativism works on situation ethics. If that kind of ethic gropes for sodomy, approved.Is there a medical term for this? Agraphia, or something? Is his speech as bizarre? And why didn't we title this "Groping For Sodomy, Approved?"
Obama is typical political, religious, philosophical, pragmatic liberal to the nth. His followers are legion. That is why our nation is heading for the pits.
His own hunch dictates for whom he will feel sympathy and to whom he X’s out.
5 May: JAPS BOMB OREGON!!!
By The Associated Press 1 hr 18 mins ago
Today is Tuesday, May 5, the 125th day of 2009. There are 240 days left in the year.
Other Sources: AP. A/V from the AP. And, the UPI Almanac.
Today's Highlight in History:
On May 5, 1961, astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr. became America's first space traveler as he made a 15-minute suborbital flight in a capsule launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla.
Shepard reports to Mission Control after the launch.
On this date:
In 1818, political philosopher Karl Marx was born in Prussia.
In 1821, Napoleon Bonaparte, 51, died in exile on the island of St. Helena.
In 1862, Mexican forces loyal to Benito Juarez defeated French troops sent by Napoleon III in the Battle of Puebla.
In 1891, Carnegie Hall (then named "Music Hall") had its official opening night in New York City.
In 1904, Cy Young pitched the American League's first perfect game as the Boston Americans defeated the Philadelphia Athletics 3-0.
In 1925, schoolteacher John T. Scopes was charged in Tennessee with violating a state law that prohibited teaching the theory of evolution. (Scopes was found guilty, but his conviction was later set aside.)
In 1942, during World War II, Japanese forces landed on the Philippine island of Corregidor.
In 1945, in the only fatal attack of its kind during World War II, a Japanese balloon bomb exploded on Gearhart Mountain in Oregon, killing the pregnant wife of a minister and five children.
In 1955, West Germany became a fully sovereign state.
In 1981, Irish Republican Army hunger-striker Bobby Sands died at the Maze Prison in Northern Ireland in his 66th day without food.
In 2000, the tightest alignment in 38 years of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, the sun and the moon — as seen from Earth — took place.
Ten years ago: President Bill Clinton began a morale-boosting trip to Europe that included a visit to Ramstein Air Base in Germany, where he met the three American soldiers just released by Yugoslavia. The first Kosovo refugees brought to the United States, 453 of them, arrived at Fort Dix in New Jersey.
Five years ago: Seeking to calm international outrage, President George W. Bush acknowledged mistakes but stopped short of an apology as he condemned the abuse and deaths of Iraqi prisoners at the hands of U.S. soldiers during appearances on two Arabic-language TV networks. Picasso's 1905 painting "Boy with a Pipe" sold for $104 million at Sotheby's in New York, breaking the record at that time for an auctioned painting.
One year ago: Three men were arrested and beaten by Philadelphia police officers after a vehicle chase in a scene videotaped by a TV news helicopter. (No charges have been filed against the officers; however, the three men have been ordered to stand trial on attempted murder charges for a triple shooting earlier that night.) Irvine Robbins, co-founder of the Baskin-Robbins ice cream chain, died in Rancho Mirage, Calif., at age 90.
Today's Birthdays: Actress Pat Carroll is 82. AFL-CIO president John J. Sweeney is 75. Saxophonist Ace Cannon is 75. Country singer-musician Roni Stoneman is 71. Actor Michael Murphy is 71. Actor Lance Henriksen is 69. Comedian-actor Michael Palin is 66. Actor John Rhys-Davies is 65. Actor Roger Rees is 65. Rock correspondent Kurt Loder is 64. Rock musician Bill Ward is 61. Actor Richard E. Grant is 52. Broadcast journalist John Miller is 51. Rock singer Ian McCulloch (Echo and the Bunnymen) is 50. NBC News anchor Brian Williams is 50. Rock musician Shawn Drover (Megadeth) is 43. TV personality Kyan Douglas is 39. Actress Tina Yothers is 36.
Today In Entertainment History -- In 1955, the baseball musical "Damn Yankees" opened on Broadway.
In 1968, Buffalo Springfield performed its last concert in Long Beach, California. There had been reports of squabbling among the band members.
Twenty-five years ago, in 1984, Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders and Jim Kerr of Simple Minds got married. They have since divorced.
In 1986, Cleveland was named as the future site for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It opened nine years later.
In 1990, "Crocodile Dundee" star Paul Hogan and co-star Linda Kozlowski were married in Sydney, Australia.
In 1996, Def Leppard singer Joe Elliot and his girlfriend were arrested for allegedly beating each other up. That same week, Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen was charged with beating up his wife at the Los Angeles airport.
In 1997, Charlton Heston was elected the vice president of the National Rifle Association.
Thought for Today: "When in doubt, duck." — Malcolm Forbes, American publisher (1919-1990).
Copyright ©2009 The Associated Press. All rights reversed. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
Copyright ©2009 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reversed.
Today is Tuesday, May 5, the 125th day of 2009. There are 240 days left in the year.
Other Sources: AP. A/V from the AP. And, the UPI Almanac.
Today's Highlight in History:
On May 5, 1961, astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr. became America's first space traveler as he made a 15-minute suborbital flight in a capsule launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla.
Shepard reports to Mission Control after the launch.On this date:
In 1818, political philosopher Karl Marx was born in Prussia.
In 1821, Napoleon Bonaparte, 51, died in exile on the island of St. Helena.In 1862, Mexican forces loyal to Benito Juarez defeated French troops sent by Napoleon III in the Battle of Puebla.
In 1891, Carnegie Hall (then named "Music Hall") had its official opening night in New York City.
In 1904, Cy Young pitched the American League's first perfect game as the Boston Americans defeated the Philadelphia Athletics 3-0.
In 1925, schoolteacher John T. Scopes was charged in Tennessee with violating a state law that prohibited teaching the theory of evolution. (Scopes was found guilty, but his conviction was later set aside.)
In 1942, during World War II, Japanese forces landed on the Philippine island of Corregidor.
In 1945, in the only fatal attack of its kind during World War II, a Japanese balloon bomb exploded on Gearhart Mountain in Oregon, killing the pregnant wife of a minister and five children.
In 1955, West Germany became a fully sovereign state.
In 1981, Irish Republican Army hunger-striker Bobby Sands died at the Maze Prison in Northern Ireland in his 66th day without food.
In 2000, the tightest alignment in 38 years of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, the sun and the moon — as seen from Earth — took place.
Ten years ago: President Bill Clinton began a morale-boosting trip to Europe that included a visit to Ramstein Air Base in Germany, where he met the three American soldiers just released by Yugoslavia. The first Kosovo refugees brought to the United States, 453 of them, arrived at Fort Dix in New Jersey.
Five years ago: Seeking to calm international outrage, President George W. Bush acknowledged mistakes but stopped short of an apology as he condemned the abuse and deaths of Iraqi prisoners at the hands of U.S. soldiers during appearances on two Arabic-language TV networks. Picasso's 1905 painting "Boy with a Pipe" sold for $104 million at Sotheby's in New York, breaking the record at that time for an auctioned painting.
One year ago: Three men were arrested and beaten by Philadelphia police officers after a vehicle chase in a scene videotaped by a TV news helicopter. (No charges have been filed against the officers; however, the three men have been ordered to stand trial on attempted murder charges for a triple shooting earlier that night.) Irvine Robbins, co-founder of the Baskin-Robbins ice cream chain, died in Rancho Mirage, Calif., at age 90.
Today's Birthdays: Actress Pat Carroll is 82. AFL-CIO president John J. Sweeney is 75. Saxophonist Ace Cannon is 75. Country singer-musician Roni Stoneman is 71. Actor Michael Murphy is 71. Actor Lance Henriksen is 69. Comedian-actor Michael Palin is 66. Actor John Rhys-Davies is 65. Actor Roger Rees is 65. Rock correspondent Kurt Loder is 64. Rock musician Bill Ward is 61. Actor Richard E. Grant is 52. Broadcast journalist John Miller is 51. Rock singer Ian McCulloch (Echo and the Bunnymen) is 50. NBC News anchor Brian Williams is 50. Rock musician Shawn Drover (Megadeth) is 43. TV personality Kyan Douglas is 39. Actress Tina Yothers is 36.
Today In Entertainment History -- In 1955, the baseball musical "Damn Yankees" opened on Broadway.
In 1968, Buffalo Springfield performed its last concert in Long Beach, California. There had been reports of squabbling among the band members.
Twenty-five years ago, in 1984, Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders and Jim Kerr of Simple Minds got married. They have since divorced.
In 1986, Cleveland was named as the future site for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It opened nine years later.
In 1990, "Crocodile Dundee" star Paul Hogan and co-star Linda Kozlowski were married in Sydney, Australia.
In 1996, Def Leppard singer Joe Elliot and his girlfriend were arrested for allegedly beating each other up. That same week, Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen was charged with beating up his wife at the Los Angeles airport.
In 1997, Charlton Heston was elected the vice president of the National Rifle Association.
Thought for Today: "When in doubt, duck." — Malcolm Forbes, American publisher (1919-1990).
Copyright ©2009 The Associated Press. All rights reversed. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
Monday, May 04, 2009
Pooping On The Grand Old Pizza Party
A sincere & deeply felt "Fuck you, asshole," to perfectly-coiffed ignoramus/jerk-wad Mittens "Mitt" Romney
quoted in Slate as saying:
Actual Point of This Effort: The outfit sponsoring the pizza-fest (Any controversy here? Is N. Virginia pizza different than Southern V. pizza? Or do the nat'l. corporate chains keep it consistently cardboard-y across the Commonwealth?) the just-formed NCNA, is composed of actual Republican office-holders, current & former. Guys whose power, wealth, self-esteem & underlying desire to "show mommy something" all depend on their being in office, or being very close to those who are. Guys whose party has lost the last two elections by serious margins. Not a collection of deranged bloggers & tee vee hosts who are really better served by opposition & contrarianism, but guys who have to win a few elections here & there.
quoted in Slate as saying:"Free pizza for everybody all day!" jokes Mitt Romney [...] Just kidding, Romney says: "This is not a Democrat establishment."From pizza parlor to fudge factory, you can be damn sure that wherever Mitt "Richie" Romney is there's little democracy going on, Democratic Party or democratic. So why doesn't he shut his fucking Jello®-hole w/ the "Democrat" as adjective routine?
Actual Point of This Effort: The outfit sponsoring the pizza-fest (Any controversy here? Is N. Virginia pizza different than Southern V. pizza? Or do the nat'l. corporate chains keep it consistently cardboard-y across the Commonwealth?) the just-formed NCNA, is composed of actual Republican office-holders, current & former. Guys whose power, wealth, self-esteem & underlying desire to "show mommy something" all depend on their being in office, or being very close to those who are. Guys whose party has lost the last two elections by serious margins. Not a collection of deranged bloggers & tee vee hosts who are really better served by opposition & contrarianism, but guys who have to win a few elections here & there.
We might, therefore, want to pay attention to these dudes; they're the ones really losing if the Goofy Old Party succeeds in its present efforts at further self-marginalization. In other words: Desperation time. Any one have any ideas? Anything?
The point, according to one of its founders, is to "take the discussion outside of Washington, to make sure ideas shaping policy here in Washington is coming from outside and from the American people."OK. Whatever. We thought Newt Gingrich was capable of generating enough "ideas" for them, but for some non-"rebranding" project they have to turn to the great un-washed.
[...]
"This is not a quote 'rebranding' effort," said McCain on a conference call Thursday. "It's an effort to include as many Americans as possible from across the ideological spectrum and come up with solutions that help our country and our future."
The NCNA makes its first foray Saturday, when it ventures deep into heartland America: a restaurant in Northern Virginia.And good luck w/ your pizza parties, boys.
Guys, boys, dudes, the reader might ask, what sort of pig are you? Surely there are some good cloth-coat Republican women involved w/ this? Maybe they're making 'phone calls or copies between runs to Starbucks®, but not at the top. (Part of the Party of Lincoln's problem?)
So who's in charge of this nonpartisan organization? Well, Republican House Minority Whip Eric Cantor is heading it up. Then there's House Minority Leader John Boehner, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Haley Barbour, Jeb Bush, Bobby Jindal, Mike Pence, Pete Sessions, Roy Blunt, Mitch McConnell, Jon Kyl, Lamar Alexander, John Cornyn, and John Thune. They've also reached out to Sarah Palin, but no word yet on whether she'll be participating.High-speed connection or not, we aren't looking them all up, but an all-dude, all Xian (doubtless fundievangelical) except Rep. Cantor (who is a fundamentalist Jew, per Wikipedia: Mrs. Cantor's mother, Barbara Fine, lives and manages the cooking and shopping in the Cantor household, which is kosher. [6]) all of them honkies, of course, except Gov. Jindal, & most of them from the former Confederate States.
How did their party ever end up where it — Oh, we meant how did their excursion to the wilds of Northern Virginny go? A clue:
For the kickoff event, a few dozen local Republicans—including names like Grover Norquist—packed into Pie-tanza, a small restaurant in a suburban strip mall, to see Romney, Cantor, and Bush discuss the GOP's future.Oh, this is going to be a long one. (Though maybe we should be keeping our eyes on Jeb Bush.) They're not even starting to stretch yet. And if Grover Norquist is there to check on them every time ...
The conversation steered clear of hot-button issues like gay marriage and immigration, focusing instead on the economy, health care, and education. Questions tended toward the softball. How would Republicans help small businesses? (Lower taxes, free up capital.) How does the Employee Free Choice Act affect business? (It's "the biggest misnomer I've seen," said Cantor.) How do we fight back against the Obama administration's high taxes and overreach? (Educate voters.)
Sunday, May 03, 2009
May 4: Four Dead In Ohio; Look, Jamaica!!
By The Associated Press 1 hr 44 mins ago
Today is Monday, May 4, the 124th day of 2009. There are 241 days left in the year.
Also AP. A/V. UPI Almanac.
Today's Highlight in History:
Fifty years ago, in 1959, the first-ever Grammy Awards ceremony was held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Domenico Modugno won Record of the Year and Song of the Year for "Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare)"; Henry Mancini won Album of the Year for "The Music from Peter Gunn."
On this date:
In 1626, Dutch explorer Peter Minuit landed on present-day Manhattan Island.
In 1886, at Haymarket Square in Chicago, a labor demonstration for an eight-hour work day turned into a deadly riot when a bomb exploded.
In 1904, the United States took over construction of the Panama Canal.
In 1916, responding to a demand from President Woodrow Wilson, Germany agreed to limit its submarine warfare, thereby averting a diplomatic break with Washington. (However, Germany resumed unrestricted submarine warfare the following year.)
In 1932, mobster Al Capone, convicted of income-tax evasion, entered the federal penitentiary in Atlanta. (Capone was later transferred to Alcatraz Island.)
In 1945, during World War II, German forces in the Netherlands, Denmark and northwest Germany agreed to surrender.
In 1946, a two-day riot at Alcatraz prison in San Francisco Bay ended, the violence having claimed five lives.
In 1961, a group of "Freedom Riders" left Washington, D.C., for New Orleans to challenge racial segregation on interstate buses and in bus terminals.
In 1970, Ohio National Guardsmen opened fire on anti-war protesters at Kent State University, killing four students and wounding nine others.
In 2001, Bonny Lee Bakley, wife of actor Robert Blake, was shot to death as she sat in a car in Los Angeles. (Blake, accused of the killing, was acquitted in a criminal trial but was found liable by a civil jury and ordered to pay damages.)
Ten years ago: Work crews struggled to restore electricity across Serbia after NATO strikes on major power grids left Belgrade and other cities in the dark. Five New York City police officers went on trial for the torture of Haitian immigrant Abner Louima. (One officer later pleaded guilty to civil rights violations; a second later pleaded guilty to perjury; the remaining three were acquitted of brutality charges. Two of those three were later convicted of conspiring to obstruct justice; those convictions were overturned.) Tornadoes roared across the Plains for a second straight day.
Five years ago: The Army disclosed that the deaths of 10 prisoners and abuse of 10 more in Iraq and Afghanistan were under criminal investigation, as U.S. commanders in Baghdad announced interrogation changes. The United States walked out of a U.N. meeting to protest its decision minutes later to give Sudan a third term on the Human Rights Commission.
One year ago: President George W. Bush visited Greensburg, Kan., where he hailed the resilience of the town and its tiny high school graduating class, one year after a tornado barreled through with astonishing fury. A river boat sank in a remote Amazon region in northern Brazil, killing at least 48 people. Iraq's first lady, Hiro Ibrahim Ahmed, escaped unharmed from a bomb attack in downtown Baghdad that struck her motorcade.
Today's Birthdays: The president of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak, is 81. Opera singer Roberta Peters is 79. Jazz musician Ron Carter is 72. Rock musician Dick Dale is 72. Singer-songwriter Nick Ashford is 67. Pop singer Peggy Santiglia (The Angels) is 65. Actor Richard Jenkins is 62. Country singer Stella Parton is 60. Actor-turned-clergyman Hilly Hicks is 59. Irish musician Darryl Hunt (The Pogues) is 59. Singer Jackie Jackson (The Jacksons) is 58. R&B singer Oleta Adams is 56. R&B singer Sharon Jones is 53. Country singer Randy Travis is 50. Actress Mary McDonough is 48. Comedian Ana Gasteyer is 42. Actor Will Arnett is 39. Rock musician Mike Dirnt (Green Day) is 37. Contemporary Christian singer Chris Tomlin is 37. TV personality and fashion designer Kimora Lee Simmons is 34. Rock musician Jose Castellanos is 32. Singer Lance Bass ('N Sync) is 30.
Today In Entertainment History May 4
In 1957, the "Alan Freed Show" debuted on ABC. The first guests on his show included the Del-Vikings and Screamin' Jay Hawkins.
In 1959, the first Grammy Awards were given out by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Henry Mancini won album of the year for "The Music from Peter Gunn." The Champs and the Kingston Trio were also winners.
In 1964, the Moody Blues formed in Birmingham, England.
In 1970, Neil Young wrote "Ohio" after four Kent State University students were killed by US National Guardsmen.
In 1990, Madonna kicked off the US leg of her "Blonde Ambition" tour in Houston. Fans eventually got to see what went on behind the scenes in the documentary "Truth or Dare."
In 1995, actor Gary Busey was found unconscious at his home in Malibu, California, apparently from a cocaine overdose.
Today is Monday, May 4, the 124th day of 2009. There are 241 days left in the year.
Also AP. A/V. UPI Almanac.
Today's Highlight in History:
Fifty years ago, in 1959, the first-ever Grammy Awards ceremony was held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Domenico Modugno won Record of the Year and Song of the Year for "Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare)"; Henry Mancini won Album of the Year for "The Music from Peter Gunn."
On this date:
In 1626, Dutch explorer Peter Minuit landed on present-day Manhattan Island.
In 1886, at Haymarket Square in Chicago, a labor demonstration for an eight-hour work day turned into a deadly riot when a bomb exploded.
In 1904, the United States took over construction of the Panama Canal.
In 1916, responding to a demand from President Woodrow Wilson, Germany agreed to limit its submarine warfare, thereby averting a diplomatic break with Washington. (However, Germany resumed unrestricted submarine warfare the following year.)
In 1932, mobster Al Capone, convicted of income-tax evasion, entered the federal penitentiary in Atlanta. (Capone was later transferred to Alcatraz Island.)
In 1945, during World War II, German forces in the Netherlands, Denmark and northwest Germany agreed to surrender.In 1946, a two-day riot at Alcatraz prison in San Francisco Bay ended, the violence having claimed five lives.
In 1961, a group of "Freedom Riders" left Washington, D.C., for New Orleans to challenge racial segregation on interstate buses and in bus terminals.
In 1970, Ohio National Guardsmen opened fire on anti-war protesters at Kent State University, killing four students and wounding nine others.
In 2001, Bonny Lee Bakley, wife of actor Robert Blake, was shot to death as she sat in a car in Los Angeles. (Blake, accused of the killing, was acquitted in a criminal trial but was found liable by a civil jury and ordered to pay damages.)
Ten years ago: Work crews struggled to restore electricity across Serbia after NATO strikes on major power grids left Belgrade and other cities in the dark. Five New York City police officers went on trial for the torture of Haitian immigrant Abner Louima. (One officer later pleaded guilty to civil rights violations; a second later pleaded guilty to perjury; the remaining three were acquitted of brutality charges. Two of those three were later convicted of conspiring to obstruct justice; those convictions were overturned.) Tornadoes roared across the Plains for a second straight day.
Five years ago: The Army disclosed that the deaths of 10 prisoners and abuse of 10 more in Iraq and Afghanistan were under criminal investigation, as U.S. commanders in Baghdad announced interrogation changes. The United States walked out of a U.N. meeting to protest its decision minutes later to give Sudan a third term on the Human Rights Commission.
One year ago: President George W. Bush visited Greensburg, Kan., where he hailed the resilience of the town and its tiny high school graduating class, one year after a tornado barreled through with astonishing fury. A river boat sank in a remote Amazon region in northern Brazil, killing at least 48 people. Iraq's first lady, Hiro Ibrahim Ahmed, escaped unharmed from a bomb attack in downtown Baghdad that struck her motorcade.
Today's Birthdays: The president of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak, is 81. Opera singer Roberta Peters is 79. Jazz musician Ron Carter is 72. Rock musician Dick Dale is 72. Singer-songwriter Nick Ashford is 67. Pop singer Peggy Santiglia (The Angels) is 65. Actor Richard Jenkins is 62. Country singer Stella Parton is 60. Actor-turned-clergyman Hilly Hicks is 59. Irish musician Darryl Hunt (The Pogues) is 59. Singer Jackie Jackson (The Jacksons) is 58. R&B singer Oleta Adams is 56. R&B singer Sharon Jones is 53. Country singer Randy Travis is 50. Actress Mary McDonough is 48. Comedian Ana Gasteyer is 42. Actor Will Arnett is 39. Rock musician Mike Dirnt (Green Day) is 37. Contemporary Christian singer Chris Tomlin is 37. TV personality and fashion designer Kimora Lee Simmons is 34. Rock musician Jose Castellanos is 32. Singer Lance Bass ('N Sync) is 30.
Today In Entertainment History May 4
In 1957, the "Alan Freed Show" debuted on ABC. The first guests on his show included the Del-Vikings and Screamin' Jay Hawkins.
In 1959, the first Grammy Awards were given out by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Henry Mancini won album of the year for "The Music from Peter Gunn." The Champs and the Kingston Trio were also winners.
In 1964, the Moody Blues formed in Birmingham, England.
In 1970, Neil Young wrote "Ohio" after four Kent State University students were killed by US National Guardsmen.
In 1990, Madonna kicked off the US leg of her "Blonde Ambition" tour in Houston. Fans eventually got to see what went on behind the scenes in the documentary "Truth or Dare."
In 1995, actor Gary Busey was found unconscious at his home in Malibu, California, apparently from a cocaine overdose.
Thought for Today: "When your work speaks for itself, don't interrupt." — Henry J. Kaiser, American industrialist (1882-1967).
Copyright ©2009 The Associated Press. All rights reversed. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
Copyright ©2009 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reversed.
Copyright ©2009 The Associated Press. All rights reversed. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
Terrorists Have Won, Already
It is the firm & absolute editorial position of this web log that the singing of the exceptionalist anthem "God Bless America" during the seventh-inning stretch must be stopped. We already have to listen to the hideously melodied American war anthem before the game. Enough is enough.Singing "GBA" in public is not going to make This Great Nation of Ours™ safer from the, you know ...
(Note improved, high-tech around here. A functioning .gif image. Gawd a-mighty, what next?)
HONK HONK, You Moran!!
"Teabagger" in PA or somewhere, before:
Our "friends" at TWC who make this all possible.
And after another semi-literate has had a go at the sign:
Damn right you did! We could scan our copy of the check & run it for you, sucker. Moochers & losers triumph!!
Our "friends" at TWC who make this all possible.
And after another semi-literate has had a go at the sign:
Damn right you did! We could scan our copy of the check & run it for you, sucker. Moochers & losers triumph!!
World Video Up-Date Wrap-Up
Now that we can again watch them, we offer you videos from all over the Associated Press, to wit: Thirty Seconds Over Afghanistan (footage of A-10s on the line & taxiing) & the May Day police violence wrap-up.
Is this what is the fuck-tuck-tucking hell the AP's been on about? We can't even embed their videos (we've been all over their websites looking, believe you us) yet they threaten small-not-even-business people for mentioning them. And linking to their videos. Where people are often forced to look at ads. So we use some of the same words they do. (In the exact order that they typed them.) What of it, really?
James Joseph Brown: "I Love You, I Love America, I Love Everybody, I Feel Good."
3 May: Up The Irish
By The Associated Press 2 hrs 41 mins. ago
Today is Sunday, May 3, the 123rd day of 2009. There are 242 days left in the year.
From the AP, yet not quite the same. Their A/V. And the UPI Almanac.
Today's Highlight in History:
On May 3, 1909, a wireless news dispatch was transmitted from The New York Times to the Chicago Tribune in the first such communication between the two cities.
On this date:
In 1469, political theorist Niccolo Machiavelli was born in Florence, Italy.
In 1802, Washington, D.C., was incorporated as a city.
In 1916, Irish nationalist Padraic Pearse and two others were executed by the British for their roles in the Easter Rising.
In 1933, Nellie T. Ross became the first female director of the U.S. Mint.
In 1944, U.S. wartime rationing of most grades of meats ended.
In 1945, during World War II, Allied forces captured Rangoon, Burma, from the Japanese.
In 1948, the Supreme Court, in Shelley v. Kraemer, ruled that covenants prohibiting the sale of real estate to blacks or members of other racial groups were legally unenforceable. The "CBS Evening News" premiered, with Douglas Edwards as anchor.
In 1978, "Sun Day" fell on a Wednesday as thousands of people extolling the virtues of solar energy held events across the country.
In 1979, Conservative Party leader Margaret Thatcher was chosen to become Britain's first female prime minister as the Tories ousted the incumbent Labor government in parliamentary elections.
In 1986, in NASA's first post-Challenger launch, an unmanned Delta rocket lost power in its main engine shortly after liftoff, forcing safety officers to destroy it by remote control.
In 1988, the White House acknowledged that first lady Nancy Reagan had used astrological advice to help schedule President Ronald Reagan's activities.
In 1989, former national security aide Oliver North was found guilty on three charges but innocent of nine others in the Iran-Contra scandal.
Ten years ago: Some 70 tornadoes roared across Oklahoma and Kansas, killing 46 people and injuring hundreds. The Dow Jones industrial average closed above 11,000, just 24 trading days after passing 10,000. Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi met with President Bill Clinton at the White House during the first official U.S. visit by a Japanese premier in 12 years.
Five years ago: The U.S. military said it had reprimanded seven officers in the abuse of inmates at Baghdad's notorious Abu Ghraib prison, the first known punishments in the case; two of the officers were relieved of their duties. Former postmaster general Marvin Runyon died in Nashville, Tenn., at age 79.
One year ago: Barack Obama defeated Hillary Rodham Clinton by seven votes in the Guam Democratic presidential caucuses, meaning the candidates split the pledged delegate votes. Big Brown won the Kentucky Derby by 4 3/4 lengths. (Filly Eight Belles finished second and then broke both front ankles; she was euthanized on the track.)
Today's Birthdays: Folk singer Pete Seeger is 90. Actress Ann B. Davis is 83. Singer Frankie Valli is 75. Sports announcer Greg Gumbel is 63. Pop singer Mary Hopkin is 59. Singer Christopher Cross is 58. Rock musician David Ball (Soft Cell) is 50.
Today in Entertainment History
In 1937, Margaret Mitchell won a Pulitzer Prize for her novel, "Gone With the Wind."
In 1960, the musical "The Fantasticks" opened off-Broadway, beginning a record run of nearly 42 years and 17,162 performances.
In 1968, The Beach Boys began a US tour that featured the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. For the most part, audiences were turned off by the Maharishi's lectures, so half of the tour dates were canceled.
In 1969, Jimi Hendrix was arrested at Toronto International Airport for possession of narcotics. He was released on $10,000 bail. [And a yr. & a half to live. — Ed.]
In 1971, Grand Funk Railroad agreed to meet with reporters, despite their previously rocky relationship with the press. The band's manager invited 150 reporters, but only six showed up. [Yes, the manager was a real dilrod. We've mercifully forgotten his name. — Ed.]
In 1976, Paul McCartney performed his first US concert in ten years when he opened his "Wings Over America" tour.
In 1978, the movie "FM" premiered in Los Angeles. More people bought the soundtrack than saw the movie.
In 1986, Dolly Parton opened Dollywood Amusement Park near Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
In 1988, Madonna debuted on Broadway in "Speed the Plow." She received mixed reviews.
In 1991, the last episode of "Dallas" aired on CBS.
In 2002, the movie "Spider-Man" opened.
In 2003, "Friends" star Matt LeBlanc married Melissa McKnight in Hawaii after five years of engagement. They split after three years of marriage.
Thought for Today: "God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things which should be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other." — Reinhold Niebuhr, American clergyman and author (1892-1971). [God, eat shit & leave us alone, we're begging you. — Ed.]
Today is Sunday, May 3, the 123rd day of 2009. There are 242 days left in the year.
From the AP, yet not quite the same. Their A/V. And the UPI Almanac.
Today's Highlight in History:
On May 3, 1909, a wireless news dispatch was transmitted from The New York Times to the Chicago Tribune in the first such communication between the two cities.
On this date:
In 1469, political theorist Niccolo Machiavelli was born in Florence, Italy.
In 1802, Washington, D.C., was incorporated as a city.
In 1916, Irish nationalist Padraic Pearse and two others were executed by the British for their roles in the Easter Rising.
In 1933, Nellie T. Ross became the first female director of the U.S. Mint.
In 1944, U.S. wartime rationing of most grades of meats ended.
In 1945, during World War II, Allied forces captured Rangoon, Burma, from the Japanese.
In 1948, the Supreme Court, in Shelley v. Kraemer, ruled that covenants prohibiting the sale of real estate to blacks or members of other racial groups were legally unenforceable. The "CBS Evening News" premiered, with Douglas Edwards as anchor.
In 1978, "Sun Day" fell on a Wednesday as thousands of people extolling the virtues of solar energy held events across the country.
In 1979, Conservative Party leader Margaret Thatcher was chosen to become Britain's first female prime minister as the Tories ousted the incumbent Labor government in parliamentary elections.
In 1986, in NASA's first post-Challenger launch, an unmanned Delta rocket lost power in its main engine shortly after liftoff, forcing safety officers to destroy it by remote control.
In 1988, the White House acknowledged that first lady Nancy Reagan had used astrological advice to help schedule President Ronald Reagan's activities.
In 1989, former national security aide Oliver North was found guilty on three charges but innocent of nine others in the Iran-Contra scandal.
Ten years ago: Some 70 tornadoes roared across Oklahoma and Kansas, killing 46 people and injuring hundreds. The Dow Jones industrial average closed above 11,000, just 24 trading days after passing 10,000. Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi met with President Bill Clinton at the White House during the first official U.S. visit by a Japanese premier in 12 years.
Five years ago: The U.S. military said it had reprimanded seven officers in the abuse of inmates at Baghdad's notorious Abu Ghraib prison, the first known punishments in the case; two of the officers were relieved of their duties. Former postmaster general Marvin Runyon died in Nashville, Tenn., at age 79.
One year ago: Barack Obama defeated Hillary Rodham Clinton by seven votes in the Guam Democratic presidential caucuses, meaning the candidates split the pledged delegate votes. Big Brown won the Kentucky Derby by 4 3/4 lengths. (Filly Eight Belles finished second and then broke both front ankles; she was euthanized on the track.)
Today's Birthdays: Folk singer Pete Seeger is 90. Actress Ann B. Davis is 83. Singer Frankie Valli is 75. Sports announcer Greg Gumbel is 63. Pop singer Mary Hopkin is 59. Singer Christopher Cross is 58. Rock musician David Ball (Soft Cell) is 50.
Today in Entertainment History
In 1937, Margaret Mitchell won a Pulitzer Prize for her novel, "Gone With the Wind."
In 1960, the musical "The Fantasticks" opened off-Broadway, beginning a record run of nearly 42 years and 17,162 performances.
In 1968, The Beach Boys began a US tour that featured the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. For the most part, audiences were turned off by the Maharishi's lectures, so half of the tour dates were canceled.
In 1969, Jimi Hendrix was arrested at Toronto International Airport for possession of narcotics. He was released on $10,000 bail. [And a yr. & a half to live. — Ed.]
In 1971, Grand Funk Railroad agreed to meet with reporters, despite their previously rocky relationship with the press. The band's manager invited 150 reporters, but only six showed up. [Yes, the manager was a real dilrod. We've mercifully forgotten his name. — Ed.]
In 1976, Paul McCartney performed his first US concert in ten years when he opened his "Wings Over America" tour.
In 1978, the movie "FM" premiered in Los Angeles. More people bought the soundtrack than saw the movie.
In 1986, Dolly Parton opened Dollywood Amusement Park near Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
In 1988, Madonna debuted on Broadway in "Speed the Plow." She received mixed reviews.
In 1991, the last episode of "Dallas" aired on CBS.
In 2002, the movie "Spider-Man" opened.
In 2003, "Friends" star Matt LeBlanc married Melissa McKnight in Hawaii after five years of engagement. They split after three years of marriage.
Thought for Today: "God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things which should be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other." — Reinhold Niebuhr, American clergyman and author (1892-1971). [God, eat shit & leave us alone, we're begging you. — Ed.]
[Try the UPI Daily Dose:] A thought for the day: Gore Vidal said, "Apparently, a democracy is a place where numerous elections are held at great cost without issues and with interchangeable candidates."
Copyright ©2009 The Associated Press. All rights reversed. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
Copyright ©2009 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reversed.
Copyright ©2009 The Associated Press. All rights reversed. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
Saturday, May 02, 2009
Back In The Saddle Again
Fully digitized. Now excuse the hell out of us as we compensate for mos. & mos. (not to mention the yrs. of our faded youth when our parental units deprived us of tee vee socialization, American style) of non-telebision. See y'all next mo. or so ...
Today: 2 May
By The Associated Press 1 hr 41 mins ago
Today is Saturday, May 2, the 122nd day of 2009. There are 243 days left in the year.
AP. A/V. UPI Almanac.
Today's Highlight in History:
On May 2, 1945, the Soviet Union announced the fall of Berlin, and the Allies announced the surrender of Nazi troops in Italy and parts of Austria.
On this date:
In 1519, artist Leonardo da Vinci died at Cloux, France, at 67.
In 1670, the Hudson Bay Company was chartered by England's King Charles II.
In 1863, Confederate Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson was accidentally wounded by his own men at Chancellorsville, Va.; he died eight days later.
In 1890, the Oklahoma Territory was organized.
In 1908, the original version of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," with music by Albert Von Tilzer and lyrics by Jack Norworth, was copyrighted by Von Tilzer's York Music Co.
In 1936, "Peter and the Wolf," a symphonic tale for children by Sergei Prokofiev, had its world premiere in Moscow.
Seventy years ago, in 1939, New York Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig's streak of 2,130 consecutive games played came to an end when the ailing slugger removed himself from the lineup.
In 1957, Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy, the controversial Republican from Wisconsin, died at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland.
In 1960, Caryl Chessman, who became a best-selling author while on death row for kidnapping, robbery and sexual offenses, was executed at San Quentin Prison in California.
In 1965, Intelsat 1, also known as the Early Bird satellite, was first used to transmit television pictures across the Atlantic.
In 1972, J. Edgar Hoover died in Washington at age 77 after serving 48 years as head of the FBI.
Ten years ago: Yugoslav authorities handed over to the Rev. Jesse Jackson three American prisoners of war who'd been held for a month. Actor Oliver Reed died in Malta at age 61 while making the movie "Gladiator."
Five years ago: American truck driver Thomas Hamill escaped from his kidnappers in Iraq; that same day, nine U.S. servicemen were killed across the country. Martin Torrijos, the son of a former dictator, won Panama's first presidential vote since the handover of the Panama Canal in December 1999.
One year ago: President George W. Bush sent lawmakers a $70 billion request to fund U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan into the following spring. Al-Jazeera TV cameraman Sami al-Haj was released from U.S. custody in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and returned home to Sudan after six years in prison. Tropical Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar, leading to an eventual official death toll of 84,537, with 53,836 listed as missing. Mildred Loving, a black woman whose challenge to Virginia's ban on interracial marriage led to a landmark Supreme Court ruling striking down such laws across the United States, died in Milford, Va., at age 68.
Today's Birthdays: Actor Theodore ["Rance Muhammitz"] Bikel is 85. Singer Engelbert Humperdinck is 73. Actress and political activist Bianca Jagger is 64. Country singer R.C. Bannon is 64. Singer Lesley Gore is 63. Actor David Suchet is 63. Singer-songwriter Larry Gatlin is 61. Rock singer Lou Gramm (Foreigner) is 59. Actress Christine Baranski is 57. Singer Angela Bofill is 55. Movie director Steven Daldry ("The Reader") is 49. Actress Elizabeth Berridge is 47. Country singer Ty Herndon is 47. Rock musician Todd Sucherman (Styx) is 40. Wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is 37. Soccer star David Beckham is 34. Actress Jenna Von Oy is 32. Actor Gaius Charles ("Friday Night Lights") is 26. Pop singer Lily Allen is 24. Olympic gold medal skater Sarah Hughes is 24.
Today in Entertainment History -- In 1932, Jack Benny's first radio show debuted on the NBC Blue Network.
In 1957, Elvis Presley recorded the song "Jailhouse Rock," the title song to his next movie. In the film, Elvis choreographed the dance sequence that accompanied the song.
In 1960, Ben E. King left The Drifters to go solo.
In 1967, Capitol Records announced that The Beach Boys had abandoned their "Smile" album project.
In 1979, "Quadrophenia," the film based on The Who's album of the same name, opened in London. On the same day, The Who played its first concert with new drummer Kenney Jones, who replaced the late Keith Moon.
In 1980, the South African government banned the Pink Floyd song "Another Brick in the Wall (Part Two)." The song, which includes children chanting the chorus, "We don't need no education," had been adopted as the anthem for black children who boycotted schools because of inferior education standards.
In 1982, Adam and the Ants disbanded after singer Stuart Goddard decided to go solo rather than find replacements for his departed bassist and drummer. Goddard then became known as Adam Ant.
Thought for Today: "Even a liar tells a hundred truths to one lie; he has to, to make the lie good for anything." — Henry Ward Beecher, American clergyman (1813-1887).
Copyright ©2009 The Associated Press. All rights reversed. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
Copyright ©2009 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reversed.
Today is Saturday, May 2, the 122nd day of 2009. There are 243 days left in the year.
AP. A/V. UPI Almanac.
Today's Highlight in History:
On May 2, 1945, the Soviet Union announced the fall of Berlin, and the Allies announced the surrender of Nazi troops in Italy and parts of Austria.
On this date:
In 1519, artist Leonardo da Vinci died at Cloux, France, at 67.
In 1670, the Hudson Bay Company was chartered by England's King Charles II.
In 1863, Confederate Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson was accidentally wounded by his own men at Chancellorsville, Va.; he died eight days later.
In 1890, the Oklahoma Territory was organized.
In 1908, the original version of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," with music by Albert Von Tilzer and lyrics by Jack Norworth, was copyrighted by Von Tilzer's York Music Co.
In 1936, "Peter and the Wolf," a symphonic tale for children by Sergei Prokofiev, had its world premiere in Moscow.
Seventy years ago, in 1939, New York Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig's streak of 2,130 consecutive games played came to an end when the ailing slugger removed himself from the lineup.
In 1957, Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy, the controversial Republican from Wisconsin, died at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland.In 1960, Caryl Chessman, who became a best-selling author while on death row for kidnapping, robbery and sexual offenses, was executed at San Quentin Prison in California.
In 1965, Intelsat 1, also known as the Early Bird satellite, was first used to transmit television pictures across the Atlantic.
In 1972, J. Edgar Hoover died in Washington at age 77 after serving 48 years as head of the FBI.
Ten years ago: Yugoslav authorities handed over to the Rev. Jesse Jackson three American prisoners of war who'd been held for a month. Actor Oliver Reed died in Malta at age 61 while making the movie "Gladiator."
Five years ago: American truck driver Thomas Hamill escaped from his kidnappers in Iraq; that same day, nine U.S. servicemen were killed across the country. Martin Torrijos, the son of a former dictator, won Panama's first presidential vote since the handover of the Panama Canal in December 1999.
One year ago: President George W. Bush sent lawmakers a $70 billion request to fund U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan into the following spring. Al-Jazeera TV cameraman Sami al-Haj was released from U.S. custody in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and returned home to Sudan after six years in prison. Tropical Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar, leading to an eventual official death toll of 84,537, with 53,836 listed as missing. Mildred Loving, a black woman whose challenge to Virginia's ban on interracial marriage led to a landmark Supreme Court ruling striking down such laws across the United States, died in Milford, Va., at age 68.
Today's Birthdays: Actor Theodore ["Rance Muhammitz"] Bikel is 85. Singer Engelbert Humperdinck is 73. Actress and political activist Bianca Jagger is 64. Country singer R.C. Bannon is 64. Singer Lesley Gore is 63. Actor David Suchet is 63. Singer-songwriter Larry Gatlin is 61. Rock singer Lou Gramm (Foreigner) is 59. Actress Christine Baranski is 57. Singer Angela Bofill is 55. Movie director Steven Daldry ("The Reader") is 49. Actress Elizabeth Berridge is 47. Country singer Ty Herndon is 47. Rock musician Todd Sucherman (Styx) is 40. Wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is 37. Soccer star David Beckham is 34. Actress Jenna Von Oy is 32. Actor Gaius Charles ("Friday Night Lights") is 26. Pop singer Lily Allen is 24. Olympic gold medal skater Sarah Hughes is 24.
Today in Entertainment History -- In 1932, Jack Benny's first radio show debuted on the NBC Blue Network.
In 1957, Elvis Presley recorded the song "Jailhouse Rock," the title song to his next movie. In the film, Elvis choreographed the dance sequence that accompanied the song.
In 1960, Ben E. King left The Drifters to go solo.
In 1967, Capitol Records announced that The Beach Boys had abandoned their "Smile" album project.
In 1979, "Quadrophenia," the film based on The Who's album of the same name, opened in London. On the same day, The Who played its first concert with new drummer Kenney Jones, who replaced the late Keith Moon.
In 1980, the South African government banned the Pink Floyd song "Another Brick in the Wall (Part Two)." The song, which includes children chanting the chorus, "We don't need no education," had been adopted as the anthem for black children who boycotted schools because of inferior education standards.
In 1982, Adam and the Ants disbanded after singer Stuart Goddard decided to go solo rather than find replacements for his departed bassist and drummer. Goddard then became known as Adam Ant.
Thought for Today: "Even a liar tells a hundred truths to one lie; he has to, to make the lie good for anything." — Henry Ward Beecher, American clergyman (1813-1887).
Copyright ©2009 The Associated Press. All rights reversed. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
Friday, May 01, 2009
Waiting For TiVo*
Time marches on, & all we do is wait. And wait. Reason to live beyond DSL (item immediately below) was, according to the FedEx tracking site, due by 1630 today. Have already had to change the date for the Time-Warner Cable contractor from today until tomorrow because the fucking set sat in the FedEx "local facility" all yesterday (it wasn't "scheduled for delivery"). Just what was that $79.99 we paid for "three-day shipping" really for? Four-day shipping, it looks like.
So we consulted the FedEx tracking thing, which indicated that the tee vee had been on the truck since 0804 today. When it got close to 1900 & we re-checked, it was revealed that the package was at the local FedEx facility as of 1834.
A 'phone call revealed there'd been "trouble w/ the truck, or driver, or something" & our happiness should be here by 2130. If the fucking thing has been damaged by being bounced around in a truck all day, or if the driver was drunk & ran the truck over a cliff & they show up w/ a less than perfect set, we can guarantee you that earthquakes & race riots will be the least of Southern California's concerns, as the skies will blacken w/ the smoke of FedEx facilities from the desert to the sea, & from S. D. to S.B.
How much emotional damage can we claim from being denied the chance to watch the Dodger game tonight?
*No, we aren't getting TiVo. We can operate DVD & VHS recorders w/o any trouble, unlike most AmeriKKKans. But we thought the play on play-title was worth it.
Television Skies
A representation of the late great Duke (covering milk crates, in classic M. Bouffant style) waits for a telebision set to be delivered & set up atop it.
Inquisitional Evangelical Fundamentalism
CNN makes it easy. We needn't even read the damn thing, as they've selected the hot parts for us:
We don't think that's what the "God of Love" meant by "suffer the little children," but we know so little of King James' English.
- STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- 742 American adults surveyed on use of torture against suspected terrorists
- 54 percent of those who go to services at least weekly say it's often or sometimes OK
- In survey, people unaffiliated with any religious group were least likely to back torture
- President of National Association of Evangelicals yet to comment on survey
We don't think that's what the "God of Love" meant by "suffer the little children," but we know so little of King James' English.
MAY DAY! No Fucking Work For Us!!
Workers of The World, Unite!!!
By The Associated Press Fri May 1, 12:01 am ET
Today is Friday, May 1, the 121st day of 2009. There are 244 days left in the year.
Today is Friday, May 1, the 121st day of 2009. There are 244 days left in the year.
A visual & auditory excursion to the past, May Day or not.
Today's Highlight in History:
One hundred years ago, on May 1, 1909, Walter Reed General Hospital (later a part of Walter Reed Army Medical Center) in Washington, D.C., admitted its first patients.
On this date:
In 1707, the Kingdom of Great Britain was created as a treaty merging England and Scotland took effect.
In 1786, Mozart's opera "The Marriage of Figaro" premiered in Vienna.
In 1884, construction began on the first skyscraper, a 10-story structure in Chicago built by the Home Insurance Co. of New York.
In 1893, the World's Columbian Exposition opened to the public in Chicago.
In 1898, Commodore George Dewey gave the command, "You may fire when you are ready, Gridley," as an American naval force destroyed a Spanish squadron in Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War.
In 1931, New York's 102-story Empire State Building was dedicated.
In 1960, the Soviet Union shot down an American U-2 reconnaissance plane near Sverdlovsk and captured its pilot, Francis Gary Powers.
In 1963, James W. Whittaker became the first American to conquer Mount Everest as he and a Sherpa guide reached the summit.
In 1978, Ernest Morial was inaugurated as the first black mayor of New Orleans.
In 1982, the 1982 World's Fair opened in Knoxville, Tenn.
Ten years ago: Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic agreed to hand over three captured U.S. soldiers to the Rev. Jesse Jackson. Despite protests, the National Rifle Association held its annual meeting in Denver 11 days after the Columbine shootings. The Liberty Bell 7, the Mercury space capsule flown by Gus Grissom, was found in the Atlantic 300 miles southeast of Cape Canaveral, Fla., 38 years after it sank. An amphibious boat (known as a "duck") sank at Hot Springs, Ark., killing 13. Charismatic, a 30-1 shot, charged to victory in the 125th Kentucky Derby.
Five years ago: Attackers stormed the offices of Houston-based ABB Lumps Global Inc. in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, killing six Westerners and a Saudi; all four attackers were killed after an hour-long police chase in which they dragged the body of an American from the bumper of their car. Smarty Jones won the Kentucky Derby, becoming the first unbeaten Derby winner since Seattle Slew in 1977.
One year ago: Three dozen people were killed in a double suicide bombing during a wedding procession in Balad Ruz, Iraq. A military jury at Fort Hood, Texas, acquitted Army Sgt. Leonard Trevino of premeditated murder in the death of an unarmed Iraqi insurgent. A U.S. missile strike in central Somalia killed the reputed leader of al-Qaida in Somalia. President George W. Bush imposed new sanctions against property owned or controlled by the military junta in Myanmar. Deborah Jeane Palfrey, convicted of being the "D.C. Madam," hanged herself in Tarpon Springs, Fla. Philipp Freiherr von Boeselager, believed to be the last surviving member of the inner circle of plotters who attempted to kill Adolf Hitler, died in Altenahr, Germany, at age 90.
Today's Birthdays: Former astronaut Scott Carpenter is 84. Country singer Sonny James is 80. Singer Judy Collins is 70. Actor Stephen Macht is 67. Singer Rita Coolidge is 64. Pop singer Nick Fortuna (The Buckinghams) is 63. Actor-director Douglas Barr is 60. Actor Dann Florek is 58. Singer-songwriter Ray Parker Jr. is 55. Hall of Fame jockey Steve Cauthen is 49. Actress Maia Morgenstern is 47. Country singer Wayne Hancock is 44. Actor Charlie Schlatter is 43. Country singer Tim McGraw is 42. Rock musician Johnny Colt is 41. Rock musician D'Arcy is 41. Movie director Wes Anderson is 40. Washington Redskins long snapper Ethan Albright is 38.
Today in Entertainment History
Associated Press - May 1, 2009 3:13 AM ET
On May first, 1967, Elvis Presley married Priscilla Beaulieu in Las Vegas. She was the daughter of an army officer Elvis had met while in Germany. She had been living at Elvis' mansion in Memphis for several years before they were married.
In 1973, Bachman-Turner Overdrive released its first album.
In 1979, Elton John became the first pop music star to perform in Israel.
In 1988, Billy Joel escaped punishment for defamation charges brought against him by Jack Powers, whom he had called a "creep" during an interview with Playboy. The judge cited the First Amendment and dropped all charges.
In 1989, police in California were called to a jewelry store after employees reported a suspicious person who turned out to be Michael Jackson. He had put on a disguise to go shopping.
In 1991, cable music channels banned the video for the Garth Brooks song "The Thunder Rolls" because it depicted adultery, domestic violence and murder. Brooks refused to alter the video.
In 1994, rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg made his TV debut, playing himself on the sit-com "Martin."
In 1995, director Kevin Reynolds quit his job with the Kevin Costner film "Waterworld."
In 1996, talk show host Kathie Lee Gifford broke into tears on "Live With Regis and Kathie Lee." She was defending herself over accusations that a line of clothing bearing her name used children working in sweatshops.
In 1999, drummer Darrell Sweet of Nazareth died of a heart attack as the band arrived for a show in New Albany, Indiana. He was 51.
In 2003, Metallica filmed the video for "St. Anger" at San Quentin State Prison in California.
Today's Highlight in History:
One hundred years ago, on May 1, 1909, Walter Reed General Hospital (later a part of Walter Reed Army Medical Center) in Washington, D.C., admitted its first patients.
On this date:
In 1707, the Kingdom of Great Britain was created as a treaty merging England and Scotland took effect.
In 1786, Mozart's opera "The Marriage of Figaro" premiered in Vienna.
In 1884, construction began on the first skyscraper, a 10-story structure in Chicago built by the Home Insurance Co. of New York.
In 1893, the World's Columbian Exposition opened to the public in Chicago.
In 1898, Commodore George Dewey gave the command, "You may fire when you are ready, Gridley," as an American naval force destroyed a Spanish squadron in Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War.
In 1931, New York's 102-story Empire State Building was dedicated.
In 1960, the Soviet Union shot down an American U-2 reconnaissance plane near Sverdlovsk and captured its pilot, Francis Gary Powers.
In 1963, James W. Whittaker became the first American to conquer Mount Everest as he and a Sherpa guide reached the summit.
In 1978, Ernest Morial was inaugurated as the first black mayor of New Orleans.
In 1982, the 1982 World's Fair opened in Knoxville, Tenn.
Ten years ago: Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic agreed to hand over three captured U.S. soldiers to the Rev. Jesse Jackson. Despite protests, the National Rifle Association held its annual meeting in Denver 11 days after the Columbine shootings. The Liberty Bell 7, the Mercury space capsule flown by Gus Grissom, was found in the Atlantic 300 miles southeast of Cape Canaveral, Fla., 38 years after it sank. An amphibious boat (known as a "duck") sank at Hot Springs, Ark., killing 13. Charismatic, a 30-1 shot, charged to victory in the 125th Kentucky Derby.
Five years ago: Attackers stormed the offices of Houston-based ABB Lumps Global Inc. in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, killing six Westerners and a Saudi; all four attackers were killed after an hour-long police chase in which they dragged the body of an American from the bumper of their car. Smarty Jones won the Kentucky Derby, becoming the first unbeaten Derby winner since Seattle Slew in 1977.
One year ago: Three dozen people were killed in a double suicide bombing during a wedding procession in Balad Ruz, Iraq. A military jury at Fort Hood, Texas, acquitted Army Sgt. Leonard Trevino of premeditated murder in the death of an unarmed Iraqi insurgent. A U.S. missile strike in central Somalia killed the reputed leader of al-Qaida in Somalia. President George W. Bush imposed new sanctions against property owned or controlled by the military junta in Myanmar. Deborah Jeane Palfrey, convicted of being the "D.C. Madam," hanged herself in Tarpon Springs, Fla. Philipp Freiherr von Boeselager, believed to be the last surviving member of the inner circle of plotters who attempted to kill Adolf Hitler, died in Altenahr, Germany, at age 90.
Today's Birthdays: Former astronaut Scott Carpenter is 84. Country singer Sonny James is 80. Singer Judy Collins is 70. Actor Stephen Macht is 67. Singer Rita Coolidge is 64. Pop singer Nick Fortuna (The Buckinghams) is 63. Actor-director Douglas Barr is 60. Actor Dann Florek is 58. Singer-songwriter Ray Parker Jr. is 55. Hall of Fame jockey Steve Cauthen is 49. Actress Maia Morgenstern is 47. Country singer Wayne Hancock is 44. Actor Charlie Schlatter is 43. Country singer Tim McGraw is 42. Rock musician Johnny Colt is 41. Rock musician D'Arcy is 41. Movie director Wes Anderson is 40. Washington Redskins long snapper Ethan Albright is 38.
Today in Entertainment History
Associated Press - May 1, 2009 3:13 AM ET
On May first, 1967, Elvis Presley married Priscilla Beaulieu in Las Vegas. She was the daughter of an army officer Elvis had met while in Germany. She had been living at Elvis' mansion in Memphis for several years before they were married.
In 1973, Bachman-Turner Overdrive released its first album.
In 1979, Elton John became the first pop music star to perform in Israel.
In 1988, Billy Joel escaped punishment for defamation charges brought against him by Jack Powers, whom he had called a "creep" during an interview with Playboy. The judge cited the First Amendment and dropped all charges.
In 1989, police in California were called to a jewelry store after employees reported a suspicious person who turned out to be Michael Jackson. He had put on a disguise to go shopping.
In 1991, cable music channels banned the video for the Garth Brooks song "The Thunder Rolls" because it depicted adultery, domestic violence and murder. Brooks refused to alter the video.
In 1994, rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg made his TV debut, playing himself on the sit-com "Martin."
In 1995, director Kevin Reynolds quit his job with the Kevin Costner film "Waterworld."
In 1996, talk show host Kathie Lee Gifford broke into tears on "Live With Regis and Kathie Lee." She was defending herself over accusations that a line of clothing bearing her name used children working in sweatshops.
In 1999, drummer Darrell Sweet of Nazareth died of a heart attack as the band arrived for a show in New Albany, Indiana. He was 51.
In 2003, Metallica filmed the video for "St. Anger" at San Quentin State Prison in California.
Thought for Today: "He who is swift to believe is swift to forget." — Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, Polish-born scholar (1907-1972).
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.
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