May the circle be unbroken, redux

In re the trial balloon naming Whatsisname to replace Gates as Sec of Defense, this from the 3/29/11 Business Insider:
Officials say Panetta has emerged as the most likely nominee from a field of candidates that has reportedly included Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Michele Flournoy, Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), former Deputy Defense Secretary John Hamre, former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, and former Secretary of State and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell, a sometimes Obama confidante.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/trial-balloon-leon-panetta-to-replace-robert-gates-at-the-pentagon-2011-3#ixzz1J2EIyiDM

Colin Powell? Really? Chuck Hagel? Really?  Whatsisname? Obama’s ability to choose the worst person for the job is truly impressive.

Old soldiers never die but they sure can stink up the room

May the circle be unbroken....

Harry Reid just now on the budget impasse -- "Hope lies eternal."  I believe the expression is “Hope springs eternal.” But in Harry’s case recumbence is a better fit.

Interesting article from Al Jazeera on the  semantic games employed by the last and current administrations in order to justify permanent incarceration

Guantanamo is an evolutionary experiment

US detention centre can remain open as long as the "war on terror" continues, with no end in sight. Lisa Hajjar Last Modified: 29 Mar 2011 13:42

A Word About Digital Subscriptions to The Huffington Post

Here Comes Hillary

• One reason I preferred Obama to HRC was that I thought her somewhat of a warmonger.  Strike the somewhat.  Then he ups and makes her Secretary of State whose main role is to usher us (and our spineless allies) into a military mindset and, eventually, action. Ominous forecasts, UN resolutions, whatever it takes.  DOS pretty much serves as gatekeeper to DOD and the door is always open.  I think at some point – and far too late to save his rep - Colin Powell realized he was being used as a doorman.  Not so HRC who probably enjoys slipping through to schmooze with Gates and his CIA Irregulars.  As to the counter that McCain would probably have bombed Iran by now – wouldn’t that be a nice notch in HRC’s big girl panties? 

bababadalgharaghtakamminarronnkonnbronntonnerronntuonnthunntrovarrhounawnskawntoohoohoordenenthurnuk

Are they planning something?

India’s tiger population on the rise for the first time in years

By Agence France-Presse
Monday, March 28th, 2011 -- 9:31 am

Cobra escapes Bronx Zoo exhibit

Remember when Roe v Wade was settled law and Social Security was the third rail?

Interesting that the CIA Guy imprisoned in Pakistan is finally being referred to as the CIA Guy.  CIA/Xe/Blackwater Guy would be better -- but this is good enough.

Payback's a bitch...

Expert: Japan’s radiation could spread to U.S.

Thanks (again) to Daniel Ellsberg

Daniel Ellsberg: Obama ‘needs to get a grip’

Is this an all day event?

Libya oh Libya -- Capitol Steps (Singers)

Everything Old Is New Again

Department of Shocked! Shocked!

Read This:

Dodd to be chief lobbyist for motion pictures group

Read This:

From my 3/1/2010 Post re: Cenk Uyger on Christopher Dodd

?? Degrees of separation

Look -- I understand Diplomatic Immunity.  I get it.  But this guy Davis, which is not even his real name, an ex-xe-Blackwater mercenary operating under the CIA under cover of diplomatic staff -- that's a few too many degrees removed.

Report: Exodus of US Spies From Pakistan After Davis Arrest
Hundreds of 'Special Americans' Under Scrutiny

When the drums start beating, remember this:

The Huffington Post's Marcus Baram Discusses U.S. Companies With Business Interests In Libya On MSNBC (VIDEO)

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Read More: Bp , Chevron , Conoco , Dick Cheney , Dow Chemical , Exxonmobil , Gaddafi , Halliburton , Libya ,Libya Protests , Marathon Oil , Muammar Gaddafi , National-Foreign-Trade-Council , Northrop Grumman ,Raytheon , U.s.-Libya Business Association , Uslba , Video , Business News

Washington Post Reporter Marcus Baram appeared onMSNBC on Tuesday to discuss U.S. corporations that have had business dealings in Libya. Baram recently reported about this alliance on HuffPost.

During the interview, he explained that "there's numerous instances of them [U.S. companies] lobbying the U.S. government" to protect their business interests in Libya.

Since the unrest in the country began, Baram explained that many of these companies "are concerned that it might not be a friendly environment for them when the new government comes."

WATCH (via MSNBC):

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-tv/marcus-baram-libya-us-companies_b_829498.html

What I saw when I wasn't nodding off...

Reese was very Hollywood High, 1964. I loved it! Scarlett on the other hand looked like she just forgot to have her hair done and got her dress from the free box.

Fried Green al-Qaedas - My New Fav Website

But if you are one of those really nice people, you might not want to go here.

Hello there

Iraqi defector ‘Curveball’ admits to WMD lies that led to war

Who would ever have suspected??

Pepe Escobar talks about The Torture Guy

mohamedahmos Mohamed Ahmos ✔ 

FREEDOM LOADING ███████████████████░ 99% [ Error : Please remove Mubarak and try again ! ] #Jan25 #Egypt#Mubarak #Tahrir

4 Feb 

Top Tweet

If Juan Cole is not in your Good Morning must-read file, he should be...

Mubarak Defies a Humiliated America, Emulating Netanyahu
Posted on 02/03/2011 by Juan
It should be remembered that Egypt’s elite of multi-millionaires has benefited enormously from its set of corrupt bargains with the US and Israel and from the maintenance of a martial law regime that deflects labor demands and pesky human rights critiques. It is no wonder that to defend his billions and those of his cronies, Hosni Mubarak was perfectly willing to order thousands of his security thugs into the Tahrir Square to beat up and expel the demonstrators, leaving 7 dead and over 800 wounded, 200 of them just on Thursday morning.    Continue reading here

Bolton: If Mubarak falls in Egypt, Israel should bomb Iran

This makes sense.  To someone.  I guess.

SNL: Mubarek explains the Egypt crises

http://rightardia.blogspot.com/2011/01/snl-mubarek-explains-egypt-crises.html

Picture relating to nothing inparticular:

Egypt 2011

Why Egypt’s popular rebellion is the greatest historical event in a decade, and how Barack Obama missed the boat. 

Thank you Cricket for posting this link on Facebook.

Dan Quayle Award to....

Joe Biden says Egypt's Mubarak no dictator, he shouldn't step down..

@Anon_VVAnonymous

Everything ██is█████ ████ ████fine ███ █ ████ love. ████ █████ the ███ Egypt ███ ████ government ██ #jan25#Egypt #censorship

26 Jan via web Favorite Retweet Reply

Retweeted by Mtl4u2 and 100+ others

Egypt 2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo5Fn1-2E8o

Egypt 2011

Via Twitter (hashmark  #Jan25)  Some Twitter posts ARE getting through.

#SOTUpreview:ArizherosSCruzIceCreamYAYsit2gtherfrwardspiritjobsCutscutsTunInsp1Amurica.

Kirra, Graham, Maizie & Scarlett

Of cranky old white billionaires...

Olbermann Departs, as Media Consolidate Further

Posted on 01/22/2011  Juan Cole -- Informed Comment

People are blaming the abrupt departure of Keith Olbermann from MSNBC on that company’s merger with Comcast and Olbermann’s loss of the protection and patronage of Jeff Zucker, the former head of NBC programming. MSNBC says that the issue has nothing to do with Comcast.

It seems Olbermann is too extreme for US television. But Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity, now they are mainstream. What universe could that proposition be true in? That of cranky old white billionaires. And television news is owned by them. Not by you.

Read entire post here.

Glenn Greenwald on Joe Lieberman

http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2011/01/21/lieberman/index.html

Dresses badly.  Can't shoot straight. Battery operated.

It took two years to figure this one out?

• • January 11, 2011
   
  • 2:42pm
• Teacher Who Burned Cross into Student’s Arm Fired
• Post by LAURI LEB
• Vernon school board voted last night to fire middle school science teacher John Freshwater, who was accused of preaching creationism in the classroom and of using a Tesla coil to burn a cross into the arm of a student
• .

In which George takes up smoking

We are all very grateful for Casey's Christmas gift to George and last night attacked the inaugural offering with the dedication it deserved.  Smoked pork on sesame buns with bbq sauce.  Sticky heaven.

I'm shocked!

Obama’s leading contender for chief of staff is JPMorgan exec

I'm sure the NYT is looking into this, but meanwhile....

Janet Napolitano's visit to Afghanistan certainly was a surprise -- what the hell is the DHS doing in Afghanistan?  And why is it a player in the hunt for the missing billions?  (As if -- why them, why now -- so what is she really doing there?)  'Tis a puzzlement. This post by digby in Hullabaloo is the only one I've found that addresses this.

The year of Truth, By Gideon Levy

"The truth shouts out: The Israelis don't really want peace, they prefer real estate."


Read the article here http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/the-year-of-truth-1.334416

Stinson Beach Sunset

By Clint Graves via Facebook

Doin' the Fox Trot with Harry & David

It is not true that I never watch local television.  In fact, right now I'm watching "Dancing With the Rogue Valley Stars."  Oh - Hey - who changed the channel?  Must have been the cat.  Too bad -- it was so...so...something.

Sarah Palin: WikiLeaks Supporters Hacked Me

Ms. Palin still has the wannabe blues....

Filched from Balloon Juice

http://www.balloon-juice.com/2010/12/08/the-dream-becomes-a-nightmare-2/

Naomi Wolf's Letter to Interpol

Dear Interpol:

As a longtime feminist activist, I have been overjoyed to discover your new commitment to engaging in global manhunts to arrest and prosecute men who behave like narcissistic jerks to women they are dating.

I see that Julian Assange is accused of having consensual sex with two women, in one case using a condom that broke. I understand, from thealleged victims' complaints to the media, that Assange is also accused of texting and tweeting in the taxi on the way to one of the women's apartments while on a date, and, disgustingly enough, 'reading stories about himself online' in the cab.

Both alleged victims are also upset that he began dating a second woman while still being in a relationship with the first. (Of course, as a feminist, I am also pleased that the alleged victims are using feminist-inspired rhetoric and law to assuage what appears to be personal injured feelings. That's what our brave suffragette foremothers intended!).

Thank you again, Interpol. I know you will now prioritize the global manhunt for 1.3 million guys I have heard similar complaints about personally in the US alone -- there is an entire fraternity at the University of Texas you need to arrest immediately. I also have firsthand information that John Smith in Providence, Rhode Island, went to a stag party -- with strippers! -- that his girlfriend wanted him to skip, and that Mark Levinson in Corvallis, Oregon, did not notice that his girlfriend got a really cute new haircut -- even though it was THREE INCHES SHORTER.

Terrorists. Go get 'em, Interpol!

Yours gratefully,

Naomi Wolf

Don't you love you some big brother?

Totally not my fault I was a slut....

Thrill-Seeking Gene Can Lead to More Sex Partners

Obama: All pulpit, no bully