“The Barn Owl” by Kate Breakey, 2005. Usually when you think of owls, you think of their huge eyes, so incredibly round and deep. I thought this captured a very different aspect of such a beautiful creature.
A great weekend, and I hope yours was too. We did a lot of yard work and gardening Saturday and it was very satisfying to see things finally cleaned up from the Spring of Rain. Things are doing okay in the garden, but truthfully, we don’t know what to expect. Most everything survived but it did not grow at all. So the next weeks will tell. The Contrarian planted another couple of rows of corn, and I’m off in a bit to pick up a few more pepper plants and some winter squash hopefully to hedge our bets a bit.
I made an apricot tart that was okay, but not great. The recipe I think could have been better. The custard was boring, needing at least some vanilla to spark it up. The crust and apricots were fine however. Today’s menu is fajitas and I’ve made some fresh salsa this morning. We had waffles and fresh strawberries Saturday. The Contrarian, not surprising doesn’t like strawberries with his homemade waffles (crazy huh) and had corn syrup! But I was finding it all glorious! I seem to be on a fruit kick, and hope that it doesn’t upset my system too much.
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Well, hey, it’s Monday, so let’s start out scaring ourselves to death. We have remarked here lately of growing concern that Bush and those that rule him intend on leaving a legacy of a bombed Iran before he sneaks off into the dark come next January. Fears are growing that the only way to stop the crazed brainless one is to impeach him. Now I have thought such a process simply worthless at this late date, but after this article, well, perhaps it needs rethinking. We cannot ignore what is going on in the tiny but determined mind of one George W. Bush. We do so at our peril.
As we clean up in Iowa after the mother of all floods, many ask, why? Is this normal and something that sooner or later had to happen? It would not seem so to those who faced nearly as bad a situation in 1993 and some again in 1999. So what’s up? Environmentalists say that we should look to climate change as the culprit. And it may be what we can expect in the Midwest from now on. Read Amy Goodman’s story in Alternet.
Bill Moyers Journalhas a most interesting piece on affirmative action. Is there a reason to change the focus? Should it be revisioned as affirmative action for the poor, regardless of race?I don’t know as I’ve seen this idea before. Read a thoughtful and provocative take on an issue that touches us all, as potential recipients or as taxpayers.
One of the reasons that Bushbaby is encouraged in his dreams of blowing the hell out of Iran is people (oh such a slam on people) like John Bolton. You remember him, the wingnut that could not get confirmed by Congress, not that it really mattered since the Prez had other ways of letting him do the job, and paying him even without confirmation. It is this outdated, repudiated, didn’t work before ideas that neo-cons like Bolton cannot let go of, but that Bush keeps eating up. Telling our echo-headed Texan that Arab states would secretly welcome a bombing of Iran, is just plain nonsense. As usual, Blue Girl Red State, pulls no punches and says exactly what she thinks.
Now as i recall, John McCain was for a humane immigration policy. But as I also recall, that was in support of Bush’s plan, and that definitely didn’t go over well with the base, who are rabid in their desire to build fences and send ’em all back no matter what the cost. (Read we have a new racist target)What exactly is McCain up to these days?Well, he had a meeting with Hispanic leaders, and a Hispanic, but conservative went in and actually heard what he said: Seems he is reassuring Hispanics that he is still for a more liberal policy. But unfortunately that is not what he is saying more publicly. John, John, when will you learn that you really can’t have it both ways? Read Ezra Klein’s link to a Jake Tapper story.
A beautiful guest blog at Essential Estrogen, by the Rev. Catherine Quehl-Engel, from Cornell College on workers in flood torn Iowa. The sentiments are sweet and humbling. Read it and think deeply please.
Inside Iraq tells us exactly what some of us have been saying. It’s all about oil you know. It always was. I cannot imagine the frustration and anger and misery of this people. I shake my head in disgust, I feel the moisture of tears and I feel the humiliation of worrying about my sorry garden in the face of the magnitude of hellacious misery these folks go through every day.
This is the kind of thing that must make Johnny McBush simply cry at night. He is losing women faster than a water slops over the leveesdown the old Mississip. And they are vocal and public and major Republican women who are making these statements. There is no question that Obama is getting the women’s vote, and he is getting a whole lot more than just Democratic women. If I Ran the Zoo brings the story to you.
Word is it that Barack Obama is going to vote for the new compromised FISA bill. I’m sickened and so are quite a few others so I am told. Rhetoric doesn’t match action once again. This is change? This is just more of the same crap we’ve grown oh so accustomed to, and I can tell you, I don’t like it! Iowa Independent has the rundown on the state’s congressmen and how they voted. Braley and Loebsack voted against it, while Boswell voted for it. And if you want the real lowdown on the whole sordid affair, don’t miss Glenn Greenwald‘s great article bashing Time’s reporting of the Pelosi “compromise” explanation.
Fareed Zakaria offers his advice to Obama on what to say and do about Iraq at this point. Although he says that the war is fading as an issue in this campaign, it is something that will needs be addressed upon taking office next January. See if you agree with the analysis of Mr. Zakaria.
Of course, Iraqi problems spill over into other countries in the Middle East. One of those is the refugee problem. At last “count” there are some 50,000 Iraqi refugees in Lebanon. This in a country with plenty of its on problems at the moment. Add to that another 400,000 Palestinians and you can see the problem. The Palestinian Pundit reports.
If you would like to take a look at the economy from both a Obama and a McMac prospective, then the Political Animal ( Kevin Drum) has a link to a Fortune Magazine interview of the two, with parallel Q & A’s. I’ve linked you to the full interviews at Fortune.
There is a lot of news lately that evangelicals in America are not so tied to Republicans trousers and skirts any more.They are, in larger and larger numbers up for grabs. And part of this is due to younger evangelicals, who are noticeably more liberal on social issues than their parents. This bodes well for Obama, and not so good for the Macster. This is also supported by the latest Pew findings, more of which will be reported tomorrow here.
OOPS big time. McCainiacs, specifically his VERY OWN CHIEF STRATEGIST, stepped on his tongue twice. First, with all due sincerity, he said that the death of Benazir Bhutto earlier this year, was “helpful” to McShister. Now he says, another attack on American soil would also be helpful. I mean good grief, I believe even a high school freshman might know that this was NOT a politically good thing to say. McCain has a total bunch of idiots running his show, but they say it takes one to know one. Know what I mean? Much thanks from Think Progress for this gem.
Things are looking a bit bleak for Senate Republicans. Seems they are realizing that things are not going to go well for them come November. And that is great news for Democrats certainly. At this point they are hoping to lose only three seats, but a fair analysis suggests that more like 12 are up for serious contention. Oh woe is me! I mean Oh happy is me! HAHA. The Nationreports that this wonderful situation exists from coast to coast, with long-time Republicons now trying to hang on by fingernails in some cases.
The New Republichas a nice piece on the expected efforts of the McShame campaign to turn this election away from issues and toward visceral fears, sorta like Georgie boy did in 2004. The straight talker it seems actually talks with forked tongue. What is worse, this isn’t just about war and security, but it’s more debasing: it’s about deep seeded and best left buried fears of the black man. Read about “McCain’s Low Road to Victory” by Drew Weston. Read this one folks, it is important.
McBush is trying to make a big deal out of the fact the Obama has opted out of public financing. But watchdog groups who positively thought that McMac was their man, have been forced to rethink things. It turns out that many are now claiming that Obama is more likely to pursue effective anti-lobbying laws than their old boy Johnny.Johnny has more lobbyists and now ex-lobbyists in his campaign than any other candidate did. Guiliani was second, but McCain had almost double. The Washington Independent has a nice long article with all the particulars.
Urantian Sojourn has a nice piece by Michael Hart. I sure wish that Michael wouldn’t be so reticent about telling us what he really thinks about things. I mean, he is so shy about calling anyone out no matter how hypocritical they might be. A little backbone Mr. Hart! ROFL. It’s called, “Trippin’ round the Horn of Hypocrisy.” You know you must read it.
You think you got problems? Visit Kiwi at Sea. I don’t know why I include this blog, but it just strikes me that this guys life is so very alien to mine that it was kinda fun seeing the world through his eyes. Parking a multi-cat is hard work, so he says. Life at sea, sounds sort of romantic, but I suspect its just mostly hard work.
And to finish off, Angry African on the Loose seems to think about as highly as I do of the unholy trinity of McBushy, Hannity and O’Reilly. I mean they are famous there in South Africa too, just not in the way they would hope! Too funny stuff. He calls them the axis of drivel. Nice nice.
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“Life is a long lesson in humility.” James M. Berrie
I have come to believe that the whole world is an enigma, a harmless enigma that is made terrible by our own mad attempt to interpret it as though it had an underlying truth.” Umberto Eco
“It is the wretchedness of being rich that you have to live with rich people.” Logan Pearsall Smith
“I find it rather easy to portray a businessman. Being bland, rather cruel and incompetent comes naturally to me.” John Cleese
“He is one of those people who would be enormously improved by death.” Saki
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Winnebago has reported a 73 percent drop in quarterly sales. Despite the downturn, analysts paint some positive news. This decreases the chance relatives will park in front of your house.
“Get Smart” is out in theaters. The evil organization KOAS is largely based on a real world group bent on creating turmoil. FEMA. – Alan Ray, Stockton, Calif.
Chrysler announced it will hybridize its biggest rear wheel-drive sedans, SUVs and pick-up trucks, instead of starting with its smallest cars like other automakers. This is apparently part of Chrysler’s plan to become the first American car company to be outsold by Amish Horse Trailers Inc.
With more than 9 million adults classified as obese or overweight, Australia has passed the U.S. as the fattest nation in the world. Australians are so fat, the city of Perth is now known as Girth.— Paul Seaburn, Spring, Texas
President Bush went to Iowa today. He wanted to show Iowans that disaster is difficult, but it can be overcome. Of course, people in Iowa were a little confused. They weren’t sure which disaster President Bush was talking about, the floods or his presidency. Which one? Jay Leno
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It probably comes as no major surprise that not everybody was convinced yesterday by President Obama’s disclosure of his “long-form” birth certificate.
Existential Ennui 