
Francis William Edmonds did this piece called “The New Bonnet.” It was completed in 1858 and can be seen at the MMA.
I didn’t buy a bonnet yesterday, but we sure got a lot of stuff done in town. In fact, we left a bit before 9 am and didn’t get home until nearly 4 pm. Of course the rain had resumed long before that, so it was a sloppy unload of groceries and various other sundry items of purchase. We got some more plants, which still remain in the Bronco, and the garden looks rather bad today with standing water at the southwestern section of it. I have grave concerns for our initial corn planting at least, and some of our tomatoes may fail as well.
I hope you all enjoyed the Contrarian’s little story about the boar and the sow yesterday. He’s one funny guy as you can see. A nice relief for me as well, as posting daily in the amounts I do is formidable to say the least.
I made the root beer marble cake that I linked to some time back. So far it looks pretty good, but the proof is the tasting of course. Dinner is basic today, pork chops, potatoes and probably broccoli. I’ve not much ambition in that area today. Tomorrow I think perhaps a stir fry.
It seems to have stopped raining for a bit at least, the dogs are getting restless. Yesterday was a wash for them, having to stay cooped up indoors all day, which is highly unusual for them. Today they are moping and sleeping. I’ll rile them to get out at least for a bit, hoping the rain will stay away now.
Anyway, it’s time to see what’s happening in the news. Oh the freaking Redwings lost in triple overtime. I’m fearing they may lose the whole thing now, that was a heart breaker. I gave up after the end of the second overtime. It was after 11 pm by then. Blech, I’m sure it was my watching that jinxed them! LOL.
And we are changing things up a bit here. This blog is just becoming too time consuming and unwieldy as is. Today we are focusing on politics around the world. Tomorrow we will hit the the food, gardening, etc. History and religion will fit in here and there as there is material to justify. I’m hoping this frees me up a bit, and makes for a more intelligible read for you as well.
~~~&&&~~~&&&~~~
The Bushites, apparently aware that both proposed presidential candidates are intent upon closing downGitmo, are going full bore ahead in trying to get those prosecutions going. Amid all the stories about lack of individual rights, and downright illegalities by prosecutors, Bush seems determined to stuff these prosecutions up our collective behinds before he is ushered out of office. Read more at Alternet.
You may not have heard it here first, but you have heard it here before. Corporate conglomerates are insidious in wrapping their tentacles increasing around and within our political system, and if we don’t do something quickly, they will effectively run the country and the world. This rather pointed and important address was given by Chris Hedges, Pulitzer prize-winning reporter and bureau chief for the NYTimes in the Middle East.
The fall out over Scotty McClellan’s book continues today. Frank Rich of the NYTimes argues that McCain will not be able to keep moving forward as the country seems endlessly interested in learning just how badly our president and his cronies lied to us in the run up to the war. McCain cannot keep claiming that this is old news, and he can’t keep avoiding the book as something he hasn’t had a chance to read. Another great article on the same subject, detailing McShame’s complete and utter agreement with Bush during the run up can be found at History News Network.
Catholic Anarchyreports that several groups have come up with independent estimates of total Iraqi deaths since the inception of our War of Aggression. While Bush and his henchmen continue to downplay these figures for obvious reasons, several independent groups estimate the numbers are nearly a million or more. The so-called Iraqi government doesn’t utter a word in disapproval of the Bushites lower estimates for the same obvious reasons.
History News Network has a long look at McCain and his apparent ineptitude in judging what right wing evangelicals to pick for his camp. So far, he’s gotten it entirely wrong, and has had to dismiss both Hagee and Parsley from his boosters club. This suggests or should suggest that Mr. McSameasBush has almost no clue about religion in general and evangelical religion in particular. This presumably should not be lost on evangelicals themselves. It certainly should prove telling to independents and others who look on.
I seriously wonder at the emotional health of Billy Kristol. He seems intent on professional suicide these days, and it may stem from all the things he’s been so WRONG about for so long. The dude actually is criticizing Obama for his lack of military service. I mean, come on. Kristol did not serve, yet he self proclaims himself as one of the “architects” of the Iraqi war invasion, at least from a political prospective. Did he forget that? If I Ran the Zoo brings us the link to the story, which is actually found at American Blog. If you want to read Billy’s comments in full, then follow this link to his stupid opinion, “What Obama left out.” What Kristol left out was his brain again, and when it dries after the rain, it keeps shrinking. What is the NYTimes thinking?
From Inside Iraq, we learn the continued sad state of affairs when it comes to basic services. The in fighting between various ministers within the government means nothing gets done, and little changes and the people suffer day in and day out without adequate electricity, water and other common amenities. Read what it’s like to live in Baghdad today.
The Iowa Independent reports that issues of social concern to Republicans seems to be waning in the wake of serious economic concerns. This is typical of us all of course. We tend to vote our pocketbook over our morality. The big difference I would suggest is that Democrats seem to understand this intuitively and don’t get caught up in the holier-than-thou attitude of some GOP’ers who like to shower opposition with taunts of Immoral secularism against God’s good plan for the universe. It’s the hypocrisy that chaffs dear Republicans, not the message.
Things are so bad over at National Reviewthat they have sunk to having movie directors give commentary on this political race between Obama and Clinton. Ronald Maxwell gets just about everything in his silly post wrong, from beginning to end, making it quite clear that he should remain in the movie industry if any place at all. I haven’t seen his movie so perhaps he’s just as incompetent there as well. This is one of those funny ones folks. While I agree that many commentators are biased in their reporting, the same is utterly and more true of Republicans than the Dems just for starters. Fox NoNews virtually actively campaigned against McSame for months before reluctantly shrugging and accepting the inevitable. Have fun.
And, not to be outdone, they stoop even lower to enlist David Klinghoffer to comment and beg McCain to come up with something grand to stand for. Klinghoffer is from the Discovery Institute, (I believe they are the group that tries to disguise creationism and push it to schools in the guise of “Intelligent design.”) It’s a too too sad statement of the fact that McCain does stand for nothing but more war and little else. Klinghoffer begs and pleads that the Old Mac find some inner passion to ignite both himself and the GOP before it’s too late.
Maureen Dowd leads the ever growing cadre of pundits who are leaving the sinking ship of Bush. Read her rousing and thoroughly funny rendition of how “trusting your gut Bush style” turns out badly when there is nothing in there but bile. I don’t often agree with Ms. Dowd, but this time I sure do. I have one point of quibbling. Scott’s remarks of “I had allowed myself to be deceived,” smacks not so much of Victorian romance as a smart quip we could faintly hear from our own Scarlett O’Hara, “Oh, Rhett, say it isn’t so!”
From Palestine we get this reaction to the Dunkin Donuts/Rachael Ray debacle: A pox on the house of donuts! Dunkin says it just doing good business by pulling the ad, but those in the Middle East find the pulling quite offensive.
Another thoughtful piece from American Prospect on the issue of Conservativism. What went wrong, and why it remains wrong. Free-market economy is not the solution as the past eight years has shown us. Giving big business free rein to do pretty much as they wish has just let to extreme excess on the part of CEOs and lots of bad decisions leading to lots of bad things happening. We all know what they are of course, from the mortgage disaster to oil prices, to all the horrors of unsafe medicines.
A Beirut Spring tells us a good deal about Iran and it’s influence in the Middle East. Giving us the Five principles of Middle East Hegemony, we learn what they are doing well and what we aren’t doing well.
Sadly, things seem to be going back to square one in the Kremlin. The old politics of repression seem in full force again, and political opposition voices are continually stifled. Putin continues to rule from behind the trousers of his hand picked successor, and this is the man Bushie claimed was a good man, having seen into his soul. Oh please. Read the sad state of affairs in Russia these days at the Huffington Post.
If you look in your marble box and find a few extra, you might want to contact John Hagee. He appears to be losing a few more of his these days. Now he claims the anti-Christ is both gay and part Jewish. Ain’t it so nice to fling bigotry everywhere you go? This would all be about nothing of course except for the fact that McStupid actively courted this fool.
Wow, it seems there are wars in them there blogosphere lands of the very very important, or self-imposed importance as the case may be. Seems that the Daily Kos and MyDD are at war, and boys and girls, it ain’t pretty. It’s actually quite amusing as these giants (in their own minds at least) vie for bragging rights to who is responsible for turning the Dems around. Course, they are sounding surprisingly like, well, other media outlets now aren’t they? Read this yummy story from the New Republic. I personally dumped Daily Kos because I thought they were misogynistic in their coverage of Clinton whom they quite clearly detest. I have little familiarity with MyDD, but will take a closer look.
While Bush and Maliki have worked out the relationship they want for Iraq and the US, it seems not all of the parliament of Iraq is exactly on board. In fact some of them object to US long range plans to inhabit their country. Some of these folks are coming to Washington and are going to testify before Congress on the issue. I wonder why they don’t like our occupation of their country? Read the article at Washington Independent today.
Watch out folks, another doozy on the way. The PR firm that did the Vets Swift Boating ads against John Kerry, have a new cause. Abstinence only is their new theme and they are trying to push this agenda across the country. First, we are told they are using information that is simply not true. If you didn’t know, abstinence only sex education has a lousy track record vis a vis the regular old fashioned kind of sex education. Secondly the people in charge of NAEA are reputedly in the anti-gay camp and have other rather questionably backgrounds. Read more at Think Progress.
Another super post from Urantian Sojourn today. Well actually it was from Saturday, and it’s well worth your perusal. Enjoy What happened: The culturing of Deception, written by Propagandee.
If you have ever wondered what the life of a seaman is, one of those who hires himself around the world, you have only to drop by kiwi-at-seato find out. He relates about his last ship from Glasgow, getting ready to ship out on the Norna. Read of his adventures.
Angry African has an important story to tell, and I hope you will listen. We in the West with all our wealth and power, well, we have a way about us when it comes to “helping” the rest of the world who is not so fortunate. And that way is quite obvious to the recipients of our largesse. He asks some very important questions to all who are givers to those who have not so much. Even on the small scale of just you and your personal efforts to help out, his questions are one’s we need to ponder and ponder deeply.
That’s it for today, a nasty long one again, but I think it will taper off over time. I’m planning on doing politics about 3 times a week, MWF and do the other stuff on TTh. Saturday and Sunday will remain the same. I’ll throw in the humor here and there.
Like this:
Like Loading...