And thank God someone is praying for Alan Colmes too.
Republicans are going to spontaneously combust one day soon: well said by Rachel Maddow and John Stewart.
I have never been a fan of Tom Friedman and I find the vehicle chosen for this column kind of childish. Obama doesn’t need any help writing speeches, Tom.
And a good gift that keeps on giving. Another walk off by the Yankees, this time in the 11th. Mark Teixiera does the honors but not before A-Rod ties it up in the bottom of the 9th to take it into extra innings.
I think today the line has been crossed. This isn’t about crazy ignorant people making a bunch of noise about something they don’t understand. Today a journalist/analyst/douche (granted for a piece of shit media outlet) made the argument that a military coup would alleviate the “Obama” problem. You can read it here. This is a screen grab someone captured before NewsMax realized it had a firestorm on its hands and took it off its site. Its bad enough that someone would think it, bad enough someone would write it and even more unbelievable that a pseudo legit news organization would think they could publish it without most thinking people feeling extremely uncomfortable with it. I understand these thoughts and ideas are all protected by our freedom of speech (not God given you idiots, the Constitution, Duh) but when someone publishes the idea of undoing our democratic election in the name of democracy..I get concerned and wish for the good old days of the stoopids….
I am not going to write much about this because it makes my head hurt thinking about what a royal waste of time it is even trying to engage these people in meaningful conversation. My new strategy is to ignore them completely and maybe they will go away. Or at the very least, have a good laugh at their expense. These photos are from yesterday’s big 9/12 Rally in Washington DC. By any account this was a more significant turnout than the April 15 Tea Bagging Rallies, however there were considerably less than the 1.5 million some organizers were claiming. When the DC Police released their estimates of the crowd at 50-60,ooo, the right claimed suppression of the real numbers by Obama. God, I am so tired of the hysterics. But again, let us find the irony and humor in their ignorance and stupidity.
This guy needs a refresher in basic math principles, dont believe "&" is a mathematical operation.
I would love for her to explain this one to me
I googled Obama/Small Pox/Vaccination, I got nothing, What does this guy know? Nice printing though.
And my personal favorite:
WTF is this suppose to mean? Babies dont give a shit about fiscal policy. Believe me I know, I had four of them, and none of them cared at all!
There is no other way to put it. The crazy train is packed with loons from the right. They hate this president as much as my son hates taking a bath. But instead of going somewhere and hiding to avoid contact with water, they are they squeakiest of the squeaky wheels.
I think we have come to a new low point in the “Obama is evil” dialogue. I know its hard to imagine given the Marxist, Fascist, Socialist, pull anything out of my ass even if I don’t know what it means character assassination of Obama. But in the last few day there is a growing movement by the right to organize a boycott of a speech by Obama that would be broadcast to kids in school. The topic? The very controversial topic of the importance of staying in school. Once again disregarding facts and the historical context, (Reagan, Bush I and Bush II all gave student addresses) the right is pushing the story that this is yet another instance of Obama trying to brainwash our children with his radical plot to turn the United States of America into a Orwellian nightmare. So there are people out their threatening to keep their kids out of school, and there are school districts supporting this. All in the name of protecting them from having to hear things like: Stay in school, study hard, take some personal responsibility, evolve with technology and other horrible ideas. Here is a good piece by Michelle Cottle at TNR that sums it all up.
I believe there are real, substantive issues for all of us to challenge Obama on, but these guys are not motivated by anything substantive, they hate Obama, probably because he is black. It doesn’t really matter why they hate him because whatever it is its all about fear, not his policies. Its a maturity issue and we are dealing with children. They are whiny kids that need to grow up and get over the disappointment that the world has moved on without them.
Well Sarah and Michelle are working overtime this vacation. Tag teaming Obama on the “Death Panel”. Funny cant seem to find anything about the “Death Panel” in reputable sources dealing with the Health Care legislation and proposals that are be discussed right now. I guess if you are good at putting on makeup you are good at telling a “story”. After setting up the FEMA concentration camps, Obama will be busy with Orwellian death panels who will decide who lives and who dies, who mates with who and how much soma you get to have….
As much as I hate and cringe at all the crazy talk and behavior by Obama haters, I think (hope) that we have reached that point we did during the general election where even doubters or people that have legitimate concerns about Obama’s policies are and stepping back and disassociating themselves from the fray hoping for cooler heads to prevail and another opportunity to have a grown up discussion. Its like watching a spectator sport. Lets hope for a quick decision.
Almost as loco as the euthanasia of Trig Palin by Obama is the talk of a Palin/Bachmann 2012 ticket. Its kind of humorous to imagine, especially the debates..hahahahahaha But then again it would be a sad day in America if these women where in serious contention for the executive branch.
These guys really are a endless well of hilarity. Got to love em. I am streaming the hearings. There is nothing to in BA since everyone is staying at home except for important stuff like shopping for food and apparently for me, getting your hair colored.
I find the hearings fascinating. The rules of order make it seem almost campy plus there is so much bullshit and double talk it is really great theater. I am sick I know but I must admit when I was 11 years old, I watched the Watergate Hearings on TV. It was the Spring/Summer 1973 and we had just moved from San Francisco to suburban Cleveland (it wasn’t that bad, really). I spent quite a few days during the summer of 1973 watching some of the 319 hours of television that made up those hearings. I remember that the three main networks (NBC, ABC and CBS) took turns broadcasting the hearings every three days. That way they didn’t interrupt the soap opera schedule too much. If you missed it during the day you could watch it on PBS at night which I did sometimes with my mom and dad. (Loser)
What I didn’t remember, until I read this, was that exactly a year passed between the time those hearings ended in August 1973 and when Nixon resigned in August 1974, just as the Senate was set to impeach him. I don’t remember many details. I was aware that John Mitchell, the Attorney General, had a nutty wife. Nixon’s secretary had some technical issues with tape recordings. There was a articulate and passionate priest/congressman that my dad really liked. Senator Sam Ervin had a great voice. And when John Dean testified everyone watched. I probably saw that twice.
There are news cycles when stories just telescope on each other and things get weirder and wilder. The last few weeks have been like that, so action packed with political revolutions, coups, a slew of celebrity deaths including one super icon and another, regular icon, and then for dessert you get an extremely large serving of inept republicans bordering on bizarro world. Its enough to make your head spin and while exciting, as a voracious news consumer, its exhausting, and I am watching/listening to a Yankees baseball game almost everyday too! Not to mention, as well, several meals a day for the childrens.
So I was looking forward to the weekend when not only is there generally less content but its the weekend for God’s sake and a long weekend in the States. Since I am living in Argentina, and the one Fourth of July celebration that was happening in BA was canceled because of the swine flu (another post), I don’t have picnic and parades to keeping me off the internets… Sarah Palin resigned!
What is it about Sarah Palin people see her as a viable political leader? I just don’t get it. When she opens her mouth its beauty pageant Q&A..no substance AT ALL…. I see her personal story compelling and soap opera like at times so I get the media’s interest in her, but how does that translate to a politician with policy credentials. I think our society is getting dangerously close to equating a telephotogenic person with a buzz, as a leader. OK, sounds a bit like Obama. But please, he has cred, street and policy. He did not need to be jacked up by some Eliza Doolittle operation to make him substantial. I think that’s what we are looking at here. I think Bill Kristol needed a job and now he has one as Henry Higgins. This would all be so delicious if it wasn’t so frickin scary.
Paul Begala, me hearts him, wrote a piece that nails it. I love reading him because he witty without being satire. This is a solid opinion editorial that understands the historical and political context of what he writes. Excellent and Funny.
Here is a thoughtful and measured piece by a student on the ground in Tehran, while clearly depressed about the lull in participation by the masses, clearly this isnt over.
Bob Herbert wrote this interesting op-ed about how Michael Jackson’s weird reality is analogous to our culture’s inability deal with society’s real problems head on.
And finally, the Yankee’s play of the week, chosen, by Owen, the O’Connell Family’s MLB expert and archivist of all obscure baseball stats.
I don’t know why this story cracks me up so much. I am sure it is not so funny to his wife and four beautiful boys. I am not feeling so bad for Governor Mark Sanford though. What a monster of a hypocrite he has turned out to be. He was a vocal part of the lynch mob that was demanding Clinton to resign during the Lewinsky blow job. He is also part of the political party that for the last 30 years has been trying to impose their “family values” on me and my friends. The GOP demise is a gift that keeps on giving. I am just waiting for Rove to get his.
These personal emails between him and his “exotic” Argentine honey, that are making the rounds, were even too much for me to read. Its a little too voyeuristic and Reality TV Show for me.
I don’t use Twitter, I barely use my Facebook, and I just don’t have enough time to add another thing in my life taking up space and making me feel guilty due to neglect. Plus I don’t have a fancy PDA, Blackberry or IPhone..while they do exist in Argentina, I certainly don’t need one here where there isn’t any urgency for anything.
But I do see the value in Twitter on a more global nature. As it has been reported, Twitter has been instrumental in organizing the protests in Iran as well as being the source of what little information and news that is able to leave Iran. Yeah for technology helping the march to global democracy.
The other thing that Twitter acheived is accelerating the demise of the Republican Party. Who thought it was a good idea for a bunch of middle aged white men to spout off text messages whining about the President’s work ethic for the whole world to see? It makes me believe that they didn’t even understand what it was they were dealing with. The best though was GOP legislators making the analogy between the plight of the Iranian Protests and the GOP Minority. This is hysterical. It did take long for someone to take this infinite well of hilarity and dedicate a blog to it here.
It really is all about being a really shitty loser. These guys just cant believe it. It happens. God knows it has happen to me enough in my life time. I lived through Nixon, Reagan, (who at the time seemed reactionary, now seems almost moderate) Poppy Bush (who at least wasn’t an idealogue) and then W and you can read lots here how I felt about HIM. But in all my discouragement and disappointment I never thought about overthrowing the democratically elected government. (although a debatable fact in the last two presidential elections) I never called Bush a Nazi or a plant for radical Islam. I never bought into all the various conspiracy theories that abounded during W’s presidency. I just kept informed, put the pressure on my legislators and supported the candidates that would bring us back from the brink. I won. You lost. You have a choice. You can make the best of the situation that is not going to change until 2010. Or continue to say really stupid things about democrats being monarchists or fascists. Actually, why don’t you spend the next few years brushing up on world history and and use a dictionary for the words you don’t understand.
Sorry for being so condescending, but what else am I suppose to think when hear drivel like this:
I always go first to Frank Rich, this week is no exception. Which came first torture or the Iraqi War?
In case you havent heard, Wednesday is the 100th day of Obama’s administration. There are lots of articles about what he has done and hasnt done.The Nation has a series of articles. Its obviously complicated, they like him and they dont…their editor has her say.
Ann Nixon Cooper, daughter of a slave, a hot 106 years old!
I think I am also tired. With opposing day light savings now, New York is 3 hours earlier. I was up with my 12 year old and husband until 4:00 this morning watching the returns. I had a 6:45 am wake up to get the politically un-insane (too young) to school. I have tried to go back to sleep but I cant, I just might be too excited, but in a zombie sleep-deprived way.
There is so much to say, about how the night unfolded, the stupid news coverage (we hooked up our sling box), Obama’s acceptance speech, and the crowds all over the country, erupting when he won. It was reminiscent of a Argentine national team win here! But its all been said.
I cant stop thinking about older African Americans, who remember a time when they might not have been able to vote, they lived segregated lives and had to endure a racist government….it must just be overwhelming.
I was so focused on getting Bush out, and someone else in that would undo this mess. I don’t think I ever saw Obama’s skin color, or how we as a nation, voting for him, wanting him to be our President, would forever change our culture. My 12 year old, even now doesn’t experience race the way I did/do. He just doesn’t see the limitations or feel fear about other people’s race. But imagine the babies born tomorrow…. The world has changed.
Its actually been a bit more that a year since I started writing this blog in earnest, and its an effort that leaves something to be desired. I guess I am a bit disappointed that I haven’t written more consistently and more creatively. There were times were I really enjoyed the writing, and was happy about what I wrote. I guess inspired would be the word. But more often, it was part of an exercise of writing everyday in order to flex my writing muscles. But I guess those muscles don’t come naturally to me nor am I motivated to build them. That’s disappointing, to me personally, because that was what this was all about. I am doing this for me.
Living here in Argentina, I spend a fair amount of my free time on the Internet. I am addicted to certain mega blogs that are political. I stream a lot of radio (Stephanie Miller and the Young Turks) and get all my news from reading the NYT, WaPo and LAtimes online. I also read a half a dozen personal blogs. Several are friends and it is a way to stay in touch with the daily lives of friends that live far away. But there are two that I came across on the Global Dashboard at WordPress that I have been reading for the last several months. They are both written by women, both well written, and both express ideas and values so diametrically opposed to me and interestingly enough, each other.
One is written by a women who was a passionate Hillary supporter and is among the minority that came out of the primaries a vehement Obama HATER. While, I would argue with her reasoning and the”facts” she provides to validate her perspective, she does present her opinions effectively. I have made comments contrary to what she has to say and the response is pretty ugly. Let just say she is very passionate about hating Obama and she is a bit of a mama bear about anyone who disagrees. She is entitled. Its her blog.
The other blog is written by a young mom who is writing from Texas where I gather her husband is a farmer. She is a committed Catholic who is focused on the pro-life issue of abortion. I tried to engage her a conversation opening the dialog to the other pro-life issues like poverty, war and the death-penalty. She was having none of it. Each time we conversed, she presented me with more and more obscure theological arguments for why abortion was the biggest evil. She has subsequently moved on to the “socialist” tact, which I find extremely naive and not worthy commenting on. I wonder if her husband receives farm subsidies?
The point of all this, is that these women are committed to their blogs. They write daily, if not more, and are consistent in their voice. They know what they want their blog to be and are doing it. And while I couldn’t disagree with them more, I respect them and if I was honest, am a bit envious of their successful blogs. Something to aspire to I guess, or not.
I am very fortunate that my life is full of happy (if not demanding) children, a spouse who has provided us with this amazing and exciting life through travel and adventure ( and who I do love so much) and friends near and far that make me feel whole. So why am I feeling sorry for myself? Because its a luxury I can afford, but I need to get over myself. OK. Done.
Well granted, he didnt say anything positive about Obama, but God bless him. It makes you realize how effective Bill can be and this is the most powerful argument against casting a McCain/Palin vote.
I really need a break from the world and all the bad news. It would also help if this election was over and won already. I am feeling confident that it will be won by Obama and the progressives. If only we could fast forward to November 5th and this never-ending electoral process would be over (the Founding Fathers werent perfect) and maybe there would be some clarity in the financial situation. Here is some suggested reading that really hasnt helped my state of mind. Maybe it will help you.
He might be little but Robert Reich gets the big picture
It takes a lot to offend me. I worked on a trading desk full of misogynistic males for nearly a decade. And as charming as they could be, they could be pigs. But now I am really pissed off.
Did you really think that you could pull me into your cynical, mean world by running with a woman? You thought that the fact she had XX chromosomes would be enough for me to throw away all my hopes for my country and family so a/any woman could be in the executive branch of the federal government. Did you think that’s why so many women where so committed to Hillary Clinton, just because she is a women? Your are an idiot. I am not going to vote for a women who is a creationist, anti-choice and was a mayor of a 6,000 person town 18 months ago. Say so long to you one semi-legitimate argument against a Obama presidency, experience .
In reality, I was not your pander target, but I get what you were up to. What were you thinking? I guess you weren’t. You were just really desperate. Hell, if you want to pander to me, don’t insult my intelligence, appeal to my sense of manly beauty. How about George Clooney, Johnny Depp or Paul Newman of 40 years ago….
Could anyone fuck up global political stability more than the Cheney administration? Actually, with help from a McCain campaign/wanabee administration it seems to be possible. I am not the paranoid cynical type that would jump to the conclusion that this little military incursion in the Caucasus region was something that a desperate political party thought up. However, there are cooler and more informed heads that are indicating this is exactly what happen. How can anyone vote for this guy?
It’s so great being the most popular kid in the class. Everyone loves America. We know how to treat our friends and piss off our enemies. I don’t think our reputation could be much worse. Maybe, soon they will have less reason to hate us, not that we are proactively doing anything about it.
Our ally in Iraq, Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, has publicly rejected The U.S.’s proposed terms of our continued occupation of Iraq once the UN mandate expires in December. The initial terms were aggressive allowing the American troops to establish 50 permanent bases, soldiers and private contractors to serve with immunity, the US to operate militarily at will, and to use the airspace as if it was our own. Apparently, the State Department was led/led us to believe that Maliki would advocate this U.S. security pact and convince the current Iraqi government, made up of chaotic factions, to sign off on it. So either he was blowing smoke or he was naive enough to think that he would be able sell this bill of goods to all the different volatile pieces that make up Iraq today. Not surprisingly, he got a lot of flack from his own government, and Moktadar al-Sadr this past week took large, mostly peaceful crowds to the streets in protest. So under what appears to be a lot of political pressure, today the Prime Minister said in no uncertain terms:
The Iraqi demands are unacceptable to the Americans, and the American demands are unacceptable to the Iraqis, and the result is that we have reached an impasse…..The Iraqis will not consent to an agreement that infringes their sovereignty.
Iraq resists Washington’s demand to have a free hand in undertaking military operations without cooperation with the Iraqi government…We can not give permission to the American forces’ independent right to arrest Iraqis or execute operations against terrorism. We can not allow them to use the Iraqi skies and waters at all times.
So how is this apparent impasse, good news for us as a nation? Well, it could mean two things. It could be the beginning of a negotiation that will result in a security pact that Obama will inherit and our own Congress didn’t have a voice in. I think that could be problematic, OR it could be the beginning of the end. What if these splinter groups that are fighting against each other, become united in their desire to get the U.S. occupying forces out. What if they KICK US OUT?!?! They ask us to leave…Maybe this wouldn’t be such a bad thing. We leave and we stop both the literal and figurative bleeding. This allows us to get back to the business of stabilizing Afghanistan and fighting the good fight. Will we leave if asked?? That is a whole other post, but in the meantime a girl can dream cant she???
Iraqi government statistics state that there are 5 million orphan Iraqi children (35% of all children).
Since Tuesday, I have been reading a lot of post game analysis of the primaries, the speeches from Tuesday and the aftermath. There is a lot of speculation on the battle ahead against McCain, the VP selection and how do we get Hillary’s most rabid supporters to support Obama. But I will let the better writers and experts tell you. Here is the best of the best giving you a look at whats happened and what is ahead.
Frank Rich this Sunday says it better than anyone could.
Andrew Sullivan, who was never a fan of Hillary, has a few kind words and some hard truths.
I am feeling a lot less in exile these days. But my blog is still a mess of political and personal thoughts along with experiences of living in Argentina. While I can't promise, I will try to balance talk about my kids with something more universally relevant. And sorry if salty talk is offensive but I was a derivatives trader in another life and it cant be helped.
I am not going to write much about this because it makes my head hurt thinking about what a royal waste of time it is even trying to engage these people in meaningful conversation. My new strategy is to ignore them completely and maybe they will go away. Or at the very least, have a good laugh at their expense. These photos are from yesterday’s big 9/12 Rally in Washington DC. By any account this was a more significant turnout than the April 15 Tea Bagging Rallies, however there were considerably less than the 1.5 million some organizers were claiming. When the DC Police released their estimates of the crowd at 50-60,ooo, the right claimed suppression of the real numbers by Obama. God, I am so tired of the hysterics. But again, let us find the irony and humor in their ignorance and stupidity.
I don’t use Twitter, I barely use my Facebook, and I just don’t have enough time to add another thing in my life taking up space and making me feel guilty due to neglect. Plus I don’t have a fancy PDA, Blackberry or IPhone..while they do exist in Argentina, I certainly don’t need one here where there isn’t any urgency for anything.
