The Republicans, a crime organization masquerading as a political party, put on their Jack boots yesterday and voted as a block against the Stimulus Bill they were unable to strangle at birth.

Who votes for these morons? Ostensibly, their constituents are the fully employed, fully insured, whose lives would be perfect if not for –gasp—taxes! Unable to recognize the principle of cause and effect, these wingers are opposed to government-funded construction of anything not dedicated to Ronald Reagan and never saw a tax cut they didn’t like -- with the exception of those benefiting – well…no one is using the code phrase “welfare queens driving Cadillacs” but I wouldn’t rule out the possibility.

Personally, I recommend four years of shunning the bastards. But if Obama insists on inviting them for cocktails, making sure Cornyn got the first helping of blowfish testicle hors de oeuvres would be a nice alternative.

Snow in Saudi Arabia. Global Warming? Nuclear Freeze? Next there will be rain on Arrakis.

Department of Frivolous Deflection

from Sunday New York Times Magazine
Interview with Arthur Levitt

Interview by DEBORAH SOLOMON
Published: January 22, 2009

Q: As the former chief of the Securities and Exchange Commission, which is supposed to protect the American people from investment fraud, how do you feel when you look at the current economic landscape and see 401(k)’s going up in smoke?

A: I feel saddened. I feel saddened that so many people have been hurt; that, on reflection, we’ve all acted foolishly. We’ve spent too much money on too many frivolous things.

Yes, it's true -- I have been guilty of frivolous spending. Example: for many years I frittered away large sums on hardback, lavishly illustrated cookbooks, mostly purchased on-line, by big name chefs (Batali, Bittman, Pepin) --knowing full well that most (or equivalent) recipes could be accessed via websites, no charge, no shipping fee. This indulgence was dispensed with several years ago, but I'm still guilty of other frivolities (2 ply bath tissue, fresh mozzarella) and am therefore, I suppose, as guilty as Madoff for the current economic State of the Union.

Certainly I share more responsibility than Mr. Levitt, who points out later in the interview that he "canceled a vacation to the Far East that [he] had planned for the spring" because he didn't "feel right about spending large sums of money in this environment." But in my defense I would like to point out that were I able to make such a sacrifice I would not hesitate a minute.

Taibbi on Friedman

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/19908

My bro's letter to the editor of the Siskiyou Daily News

Jan 21, 2009

Dear Editor:

There you go again. Four more columns of guest opinion for Virgil Morton to chime in his support for John Roberts' guest opinion of 1-9-09 argument that we atheists are an intolerant bunch.

Virgil, by tinkering with the phrase-- "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."--by italicizing the latter part does not negate the opening clause. How much more profound and clear does this need to be? Government grants you freedom of religion and me freedom from religion.

I am somewhat heartened that you are not now condemning all atheists as intolerant but rather saying that some of us are. As you cite no specifics other than they live in Washington State, I must ask. Have they killed anyone? Enslaved millions? Burnt thousands at the stake? Condemned minority groups for their lifestyle?

As I stated in my letter to John Roberts: We don't care what you believe, we just want your religion (whatever it may be) out of our government, public schools, State sponsored events, and off our money. We have a small victory as the new 1$ coins make no mention of any god. Would you be so emboldened if "in Allah we trust" was stamped on them?

In closing, thank you Virgil for tacitly approving my right to my beliefs or non-beliefs. Hey, I'm not intolerant. You do indeed have a constitutional right to your religion. If you feel the need to pray to burning bushes or communicate with ghosts, feel free.

Christopher Garrett

Good On You Sammy!

CSI Stinson Beach reports the busting of the TPer, caught white handed by one Chef Mika. My initial suspect was the notorious Temer Gang. (Auggie gave me a wounded glare when I accused him at the outset of the crime wave; C gave me that look, usually reserved for my wilder conspiracy theories.) So I felt quite vindicated (translate I Told You So) when Sam Temer was finally collared.

Shame

Once again the Bush administration brings shame upon our country with their veto of the U.N. Security Council statement calling for an immediate cease-fire between Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers. A similar resolution was blocked by the U.S. at the beginning of Israeli air attacks in December. President-elect Obama has remained silent, cowering under the “only one President at a time” banner, or, worse, agreeing with the Israeli position of massive retaliation.

Meanwhile Israel continues their litany of “right to self protection,” which it seeks to accomplish by creating Hamas martyrs rather than fostering an environment which would render Hamas unnecessary.

Juan Cole on Good Stuff

From Juan Cole (Informed Comment), my go-to guy on the Middle East when I need context as opposed to just events -- which is always.


Thursday, January 01, 2009

Top Ten Good News Stories in the Muslim World, 2008 (That Nobody Noticed)
We all too often focus only on negative developments, and while it is understandable for people to keep their eyes on impending calamities, obsessing about the bad sometimes causes us to miss good news. We see a lot of that even with regard to the US. For instance, there has been a 23% decline in violent crime over the past twenty years in the US, but people who watch a lot of television (especially, I presume, police procedurals) tell pollsters they think crime has gotten worse. I see significant positive stories in the Muslim world in 2008 that don't get a lot of press in the US, but which will be important for the incoming Obama administration.

For full article:

http://www.juancole.com/2009/01/top-ten-good-news-stories-in-muslim.html

The Stinson Beach Toilet Paper Terrorist has struck again. Previous attacks were confined to cars but this time the target is the Village Green Christmas Tree and Stage. Were previous assaults just warm-ups to the final act of a War on Christmas?

Just an Old Fashioned Girl

If we need a Car Czar for the auto loan, don't we need a Bank Dick for the financial bailout?

OJ, Bush, Cheney -- one down, two to go.

Dirty Dancing

There might be a reason for packing heat in a nightclub, but none immediately comes to mind. If you gotta -- carrying it in your sweatpants doesn't seem to be real smart (and why are you wearing sweatpants to a nightclub?). This guy is lucky he shot himself in the leg; Darwinically speaking the more proximal target would have been appropriate.

Not my cup of chai

Some years ago my mother, who had taken to drinking tea in the afternoon, offered me a cup of chai . I had never heard of chai but I took to drinking it on occasion during the 90’s as espresso shops and carts became prevalent (even in Stinson Beach). The machine-made chai was much better than my mom’s which, as I recall, was a sort of teabag variety. Neither preparation matches the chai described by Eric Margolis in his “War at the Top of the World”:

"Known as chai, this form of tea is unique to the Asian subcontinent. To make it properly, you must take a battered, blackened, greasy aluminum pan; add contaminated water, two or three tablespoons of insect-infested sugar, raw, unpasteurized milk, and black, perfumed tea; then boil it all up into a sweet white drink that will either cure whatever ails travelers to these parts or, more likely, leave you with Q fever, cholera, and assorted parasites. In these parts, tea cannot be refused when offered, which it always is. I discreetly gulped down an antibiotic capsule I had learned to always keep secreted in my pocket for just such social occasions."

Make mine a double

“According to reports, President Bush may be drinking again,” David Letterman said in a late-night monologue. “And I thought, "Well, why not? He's got everybody else drinking.”

Some Questions:

Since over 300 billion dollars has been given to--excuse me, infused into--our banks with the intention of freeing up credit, why don't the banks lend the Top Three the 25 billion they want?

Why is Hilary dithering over the nomination for Secretary of State and when will
Obama cut her off?? If she can't negotiate this, what good is she?

If it walks like a duck and swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, then I call it a duck. Why does this not apply to Joe Lieberman?

Veterans

Washington Post via Daily Kos

• 
  Obama Positions Himself to Quickly Reverse Bush Actions on Environmental, Social Issues
  By Ceci Connolly and R. Jeffrey Smith Washington Post Staff Writers Sunday, November 9, 2008

Transition advisers to President-elect Barack Obama have compiled a list of about 200 Bush administration actions and executive orders that could be swiftly undone to reverse the president on climate change, stem cell research, reproductive rights and other issues, according to congressional Democrats, campaign aides and experts working with the transition team.
A team of four dozen advisers, working for months in virtual solitude, set out to identify regulatory and policy changes Obama could implement soon after his inauguration. The team is now consulting with liberal advocacy groups, Capitol Hill staffers and potential agency chiefs to prioritize those they regard as the most onerous or ideologically offensive, said a top transition official who was not permitted to speak on the record about the inner workings of the transition.

Compare and Contrast:

Chicago 1968
Chicago 2008

Ok -- the '60s were a lot sexier. But now that I'm in my sixties I like last night just fine.

Remember remember the fifth of November

Gunpowder, treason and plot.

I see no reason why gunpowder, treason

Should ever be forgot...