Stressed Out!!!

P.S.

The link came from a "Green Site" in case you're concerned about downloading things you don't know what they are.

Here's the original link which includes more games and downloads.

BTW, Everyone...

Today is Oncall's Birthday.

So please leave your birthday wishes to our favorite MD on-call, Oncall!

Happy Birthday, Oncall!

Seven Unaffiliated Jewish U.S. Senators Release Letter Condeming Obama Muslim Smears

The Obama campaign is really doing its damndest to puncture the false Obama-is-a-Muslim smears before they take hold. In the latest move, the Obama camp released an "open letter to the Jewish community" today from seven Jewish U.S. Senators condemning the smear.

The key is that none of the Senators has yet endorsed a candidate in the Presidential race.

"Over the past several weeks, many in the Jewish community have received hateful emails that use falsehood and innuendo about Senator Barack Obama's religion and attack him personally," reads the letter. "Jews, who have historically been the target of such attacks, should be the first to reject these tactics."

The signers are Senators Carl Levin, Barbara Boxer, Ben Cardin, Russ Feingold, Frank Lautenberg, Bernie Sanders, and Ron Wyden. Full letter after the jump.

http://tpmelectioncentral.com/2008/01/seven_unaffiliated_jewish_us_senators_release_letter_condeming_obama_muslim_smears.php

Record Number of Jews in Senate
The 110th U.S. Senate will have a record number of Jews — 13 — with the election of Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) and Bernard Sanders (I-VT), who both served as Representatives in the 109th Congress. All Jewish incumbents running in the 2006 election were elected for another term in the Senate. The 110th House of Representatives will have 30 Jewish representatives, raising the total number of Jews in the 110th Congress to 43. The six Jewish freshmen Congressmen are Reps. Stephen Cohen (D-NH), Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), Paul Hodes (D-NH), Steve Kagen (D-WI), Ronald Klein (D-FL), and John Yarmuth (D-KY).

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/US-Israel/senrec.html

Hi from Portland and the Kennedy School. It was pretty fun because yesterday was the birthday of JRR Tolkien so they showed all three movies in the Trilogy based on the book. There were elves and wizards running all over the place, all sizes.

Our room has chalkboards and it's the "Cherry Tree" room, all hand-painted. I love the "Ruby Ale" which is kind of pink-colored and the "soaking pool" which is salt water and heated and outdoors, in the courtyard of the school. The art on the walls is mostly from old photos from the school, but more magical, and there's alot of wood stuff from Bali, big pieces, so kind of a spooky mix.

We're going to check out some of the neighborhoods and probably head back home. Have a slow connection and weak so not really able to look at videos etc. or see small print in this light, or post things (til this) but Kayakbiker has been keeping up just fine!

Here has has Obama's speech at MLK's old church, with MLK video.
http://silencedmajority.blogs.com/silenced_majority_portal/2008/01/barack-obama-sp.html

I looked at the Republican numbers for Nevada - where Ron Paul took second, almost tied with McCain.

The raw numbers for the Republicans in Nevada were horrible - extremely low:

Romney 21,000 votes

Ron Paul 5,300 + votes

McCain - 5,200 votes

That is awful - 5,300 votes gets you second place??????

BTW: Nevada was a "red state" in 2004, correct?

IMPEACHMENT PETITION UPDATE:

Phone (optional) Zip
209,970

signed up
and counting...

NEW GENERATION OF HOMELESS VETS:

By ERIN McCLAM, AP National Writer 2 hours, 23 minutes ago

LEEDS, Mass. - Peter Mohan traces the path from the Iraqi battlefield to this lifeless conference room, where he sits in a kilt and a Camp Kill Yourself T-shirt and calmly describes how he became a sad cliche: a homeless veteran.

There was a happy homecoming, but then an accident — car crash, broken collarbone. And then a move east, close to his wife's new job but away from his best friends.

And then self-destruction: He would gun his motorcycle to 100 mph and try to stand on the seat. He would wait for his wife to leave in the morning, draw the blinds and open up whatever bottle of booze was closest.

He would pull out his gun, a .45-caliber, semiautomatic pistol. He would lovingly clean it, or just look at it and put it away. Sometimes place it in his mouth.

"I don't know what to do anymore," his wife, Anna, told him one day. "You can't be here anymore."

Peter Mohan never did find a steady job after he left Iraq. He lost his wife — a judge granted their divorce this fall — and he lost his friends and he lost his home, and now he is here, in a shelter.

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to Oncall, Happy Birthday to you.

All the Best Oncall.

2 days after mine, I won't forget that one, or Christys, on election night of a rogue President.

In The Shadow of Bush
The president has left his party in a precarious state. But the GOP candidates running in the wake of his wreckage can learn much from his failures.

By Evan Thomas | NEWSWEEK
Jan 28, 2008 Issue

We are all stars in the movies that play in our minds: not true-life stories, exactly, but life as we imagine it could or should be. Little imperfections are conveniently forgotten or smoothed over, messy relationships downplayed or deep-sixed. The future beckons brightly, even if the past was dark or dreary. This need to believe in an idealized self is especially strong in politicians. They must get up every day and sell a vision—fanciful, perhaps, but inspiring: Morning in America, or a Bridge to the 21st Century, a New Frontier or a New Deal. To fulfill these myths, our leaders must be Born in a Log Cabin, or be the Man From Hope, or Speak Softly But Carry a Big Stick. A certain amount of hooey is tolerated, even required. In real life, Teddy Roosevelt didn't speak softly at all. He more often brayed like a donkey. But he could make people listen out of fear and respect.

The modern Republican Party has indulged in more than a little mythmaking during the past 30 or 40 years. Its greatest hero was a Hollywood actor, Ronald Reagan. Morning in America was a brilliant bit of feel-good theatricality. Still, the GOP's core ideology—lower taxes, stronger defense, conservative social values—was a story that voters could follow. The GOP's long ascendancy in American politics was based on performance, not just showmanship.

President George W. Bush has squandered that trust. His presidency has been, in essence, faith-based—not just faith in God, but faith in Bush. After 9/11, he asked the nation to invest in his narrative of good versus evil. He seemed to be saying, "I'm taking care of this, you have to trust me." Critics and naysayers were scorned as ditherers or cowards. Bush wanted to appear resolute, but at times he just seemed bullheaded and oblivious. As Jacob Weisberg shows in the following excerpts from his new book, "The Bush Tragedy," the president constantly changed his rationale for invading Iraq—indeed his entire foreign policy—as inconvenient facts popped up or the mood moved him. Other crises, like Hurricane Katrina and more recently the sinking economy, seemed to catch him by surprise.

The Democrats have a fundamental advantage in 2008: none of them is George W. Bush. Whether promoting experience or change or populism, none of the Democrats can ever be the heir to the current president's legacy. For the Republicans, the matter is more complicated.

more...
http://www.newsweek.com/id/96527

That is awful - 5,300 votes gets you second place??????

I was thinking the same thing when I saw the numbers.

Sparrow,

Thank for the good wishes. That cartoon "quacked me up". I know.... I know. Sorry, but I couldn't resist.

Today's temperature is 6 degrees with windchill -10, I am sitting by a fire reading and listening to Beethoven piano concertos (Askenazy and the Chicago Symphony). Perfect birthday. We are going out for dinner tonight.

Mark The Date: One Year Left Of Bush

Bush’s last day

Posted January 20th, 2008 at 11:05 am
You may have noticed, on bumpers or t-shirts, the “1.20.09” slogan. It denotes, of course, Inauguration Day for Bush’s successor.
With that, I just thought I’d mention that after seven painful years, the Bush presidency will end exactly one year from today. It’s obviously something to look forward to.
It’s an awkward period in Democratic politics right now — a contentious presidential primary, a frustrated Democratic Congress — but looking at the light at the end of the tunnel, and knowing it’s probably not a train, might serve as a morale booster.

http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/14299.html

Rossi,

Thanks.

Next year will be the best birthday ever. Bush will officially be out of office (if he is not impeached before that). At workI have a countdown timer for that big day , and I look at it every day hoping that time will speed up.

I was trying to find out how far back Ron Paul finished in South Carolina (5th place, I believe but I wanted the percentage) and I came across this analysis of the Republican race:

Nevada and South Carolina Wrap-Up

Well, on the Republican side Mitt Romney won Nevada (uncontested) and John McCain won South Carolina.

The Republican race finally narrows with departure of Duncan Hunter and the probable departure of Fred Thompson after his third place finish in South Carolina.

Now for the rest:

John McCain: He has the momentum going into Florida. Basically, if McCain wins Florida, he’ll win the nomination.

Mitt Romney: Romney’s three golds as he likes to portray them have a bit of tarnish to them. Two of them (Wyoming and Nevada) were uncontested for all intents and purposes. Furthermore, the Wyoming Caucus was dominated by party hacks who are mostly supporting Romney. Plus, Romney was the native son in Michigan. However, his poor showing in South Carolina shows that Romney’s support is very weak in the South. Florida is probably do or die for Romney.

Mike Huckabee: He’s dead but he probably doesn’t realize it.

Rudy Giuliani: He wins Florida, he’s still alive. He loses Florida, he’s dead.

Ron Paul: Despite winning 2nd in Nevada, Ron Paul is still dead.

Now for the Democrats, Nevada was so close that it was probably not important in the long term scheme of things. South Carolina will determine the momentum going into Super Tuesday.

At work I have a countdown timer for that big day , and I look at it every day hoping that time will speed up.

I have a countdown at Rebelle, Oncall but it seems to go so slowly.

Have a wonderful day Mate.

OMG! I forgot Rossis birthday! I am such a pathetic twit!

I am sorry darlin, I love you and Happy Birthday!

And Happy Birthday to you too Oncall! Many many more!

365 DAYS
8 Hrs 22 Min 42.0 Sec

The Official George W. Bush
"Days Left In Office"
Countdown:

365 DAYS
8 Hrs 22 Min 03.9 Sec

The Official George W. Bush
"Days Left In Office"
Countdown:

365 DAYS
8 Hrs 21 Min 13.7 Sec

Man it is to slow

Thanks hun, is Election Night on your birthday again.

Kangee,

(Birthday boys can get away saying that kinda stuff). Happy Birthday to you too.

Thanks Christy. If I have too many more birthdays, things could get ugly.

Nope, election day will be on Nov. 4th of this year.

It don't matter though cause I no longer celebrate my birthday. It ruined me for the rest of my life.

Oncall, getting old beats the alternative.

Here's a hypothetical rearview mirror thought to ponder...

What do you think America (and the world) would look like today, January 19th, 2008, if George W. Bush had LOST the election in 2004?

Welcome to Georgies Preemtive Wars.

Russia: could use nuclear weapons

Chief of Staff: Russia Could Use Nuclear Weapons in Preventive Attacks in Case of Major Threat

STEVE GUTTERMAN
AP News

Jan 19, 2008 11:59 EST

Russia's military chief of staff said Saturday that Moscow could use nuclear weapons in preventive strikes to protect itself and its allies, the latest aggressive remarks from increasingly assertive Russian authorities.

Gen. Yuri Baluyevsky's comment did not mark a policy shift, military analysts said. Amid disputes with the West over security issues, it may have been meant as a warning that Russia is prepared to use its nuclear might.

"We do not intend to attack anyone, but we consider it necessary for all our partners in the world community to clearly understand ... that to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Russia and its allies, military forces will be used, including preventively, including with the use of nuclear weapons," Baluyevsky said at a military conference in a remark broadcast on state-run cable channel Vesti-24.

According to the state-run news agency RIA-Novosti, Baluyevsky added that Russia would use nuclear weapons and carry out preventive strikes only in accordance with Russia's military doctrine.

http://www.rawstory.com/news/mochila/Russia_could_use_nuclear_weapons_01192008.html

Hey Putin...

Yeah, yeah, we all have nukes.

Bite me...biatch.

Sarkozy approval dips below 50%

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyid=2008-01-19T184434Z_01_L19560853_RTRUKOC_0_US-FRANCE-SARKOZY.xml

Overseas Investors Buy Aggressively in U.S.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/20/business/20invest.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

sparrow - re the thread header - I'm sure it's great. My mac doesn't download exe files - well it downloads them - it just doesn't want to read them. Not till I get my new mac later in the year. So, I'll just have to imagine the gadget. The picture I don't have to download. I drag and drop pictures all the time. Takes half a second and it's there. Not sure I want to see those ugly dials - even caricatures - on a regular basis. Great cartoon though. Hopefully the wolf is successful. If not, go line up and get the orphaned Iraqi children to have them all arrested.

OK so woz, make sure you save the link in an email so that you can download it when you get your new mac.

I've always used pc's more than macs, so I am not understanding why so many people love their macs.

Happy birthday, oncall. May there be many more. And here's to a successful 2008! It's extremely tense all this primary positioning and all. I think I'll just have to turn up for the end game.

Enjoy today oncall. And then go on and enjoy the rest of the year.

And happy birthday, rossi. I don't know when it was - apparently it was some time recently. I hope it was a great day for you. And I hope that you and your family and house guests have remained dry where you are. I think my kids are in the middle of flooding right now up at Emerald. Enjoy this year, rossi.

Yeh. Happy Birthday Rossi. I'm sorry I didn't know when it was either or we could have posted a birthday thread for you too.

So now that we all know it's your birthday too, go out and have a b'day celebration 'on us'.

Canada takes US, Israel off torture watch list
Canadian foreign minister says document 'wrongly includes some of our closest allies'

Ynetnews
Canada's foreign ministry, responding to pressure from close allies, said on Saturday it would remove the United States and Israel from a watch list of countries where prisoners risk being tortured. Both nations expressed unhappiness after it emerged that they had been listed in a document that formed part of a training course manual on torture awareness given to Canadian diplomats. Foreign Minister Maxime Bernier said he regretted the embarrassment caused by the public disclosure of the manual, which also classified some US interrogation techniques as torture...

http://www.uruknet.de/?p=m40256&hd=&size=1&l=e

An Open Letter to Bill O'Reilly at VetVoice

(just makes me mad!)

BTW, Oncall, CHristy, and Monkey,

It's freezing here. We have no food in the house but I am not leaving it.

Did I mention that I hate winter?!!!!!

NMP - the Kennedy School sounds like heaps of fun. Who knows - I may go there one day since my sister lives about an hour from Portland. I'd like to take my grandkids there.

Saturday Sparrow 19th 1 day before Oncall, that is why I will always remember his.

Did I mention that I hate winter?!!!!!

==========

I don't we really dont have a winter here in Brissie, I hate the summer, juk it gets sooooo hotttt.

roo - I moved from Hervey Bay Queensland to Tasmania - for the climate!!! In July - mid winter!!! And it's the best move I ever made. We had a hot 2 weeks recently and I was ready to move to Antarctica and live with the penguins.

I will only go to Queensland in July - I'm hoping to get there this July actually, roo. We'll have to meet up. I've got a grandson in Bris and some friends I'll stay with before I travel north to meet my granddaughter Logan, who will be almost 2. Oh yeah - and a sister at Blackbutt on the Dividing Range. Logan's mum I haven't met either so this year will be the year for it now that my health is on track at last.

See you in July or August hopefully.

Did mention it's been winter in the United States since 2000?

Cold Rules

Rossi,

Sorry If I missed you posting "One day before..."

Actually, I'm notoriously bad at remembering b'days. But I got a little reminder this year about Oncalls.

And actually, A happy belated Birthday to V. (A reminder posted elsewhere!)

So here's my birthday wish for Rossi (a day late) and a birthday wish for V a month late. Better late than never, right?

May your late birthday celebrations be better than the one you had on your actual birthday. And hope your on time celebrations were simply marvelous!

Hope having two animations in one post doesn't hurt the eyes too much!

January 20, 2008 3:25 PM
sparrow said:

I've always used pc's more than macs, so I am not understanding why so many people love their macs.

__________________________________________________________________________

Quality. I have used laptop PCs and the keyboards feel as if the keys are going to pop off. My wife has a Dell laptop, but mostly uses her mac. The Dell's construction is clearly inferior as it feels like the pieces don't fit together whenever I open or close it. Leopard (Mac's new operating system) is a very nice operating system as well. Now that Macs have an intel chip, I can switch to a Windows operating system, but only if I have to (and that is pretty rare).

Macs rule.

OC, happy birthday my bruthah!

My husband's laptop doesn't feel cheap, Oncall. Of course if I touch it, you won't see me again...ever!

I'll be the dead throw-rug on the floor. ;0

I've used his older one and I didn't find it too bad. I don't like the keys on any laptop because they are not angled at the position I'm used to feeling.

But in terms of actual desktop pc's...I actually like the pc better than the mac.

Monkey--

I am asking you because you passed me some rad songs before.

Is there a way to link or attach to some music files in my computer?

I tried to send a file via email but the file was too large.

Music files are usually 3-5 meg per song, which is pretty big to attach in email. Best thing to do is send it/them in a zip file.

WinZip is a free compression program you can download and use to "zip" up files if ya need to, and pretty easy to use.

monkey said: Music files are usually 3-5 meg per song, which is pretty big to attach in email. Best thing to do is send it/them in a zip file.

Ha ha ha. No wonder it wouldn't go through! The first file was like 13.3 MG.

I will try to find the winzip to download. Thanks monkey!

Is there a way to post music files on our blog?

Opec rejects US calls for more oil

Opec has dismissed further calls by the US to boost oil output, saying the global market is well supplied.

Abdullah al-Attiyah, the Saudi oil minister, told reporters on the sidelines of a conference in Abu Dhabi, on Sunday: "I don't think there is a need to increase because the market is well supplied."
Sam Bodman, the US energy secretary, on Saturday urged Opec and Saudi Arabia directly to raise supply during a visit to the kingdom, the world's largest oil exporter.

George Bush, the US president, had also asked the group for more oil on a separate visit to Riyadh, the Saudi capital.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/76A4FA73-323B-4C36-A350-3324FC9EA340.htm

Lots o' January Birthdays! Happy Birthday to Oncall and to Rossi, and belated birthday wishes to V.
Hope this birthday is the best one yet!
abq

Happy birthday Oncall and Kanga!

And late one to V.

and abq - so good to see you here!

probably not a way to post music to blog, sparrow, what with music file-sharing laws et al...

I can sing for ya instead.

‘Wreck ’em derby’ in Republican Party?
Analysts see divisions over conservatism — and perhaps help from Clinton

WASHINGTON - The Republican Party clearly has a tougher presidential campaign road than Democrats, a roundtable of analysts on NBC's "Meet the Press" said Sunday.

"I think we've got a wreck ’em derby going on in the Republican Party right now," former NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw said in describing the internal debate over conservative values.

It's "much tougher" for Republicans, echoed Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan, since they are trying to define the "soul" of the party, while Democrats are just trying to decide which contender would win against a Republican.

-snip-

Presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin felt that the "desire to win" could help heal the Republican divisions — especially once Democrats choose a candidate.

Newsweek Editor Jon Meacham took that thought a step further. "The one person who could in fact unite the Republican Party," he said, "is Hillary Clinton."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22755871/

No doubt in my mind.

Oh boy, Monkey. I forgot the music law thing. I'm not use to even having a mp3 player which I only got a few months ago.

Good thing I didn't share the music or post the music then.

Anyways, so we know Oncall is going to be celebrating his b'day with his wife. But if anyone wants to visit in the irc tonight, let's make it at about 8pm EST time. (Which is about 50 minutes from now.)

(I have to go cook dinner.)

Well, well, well...

UK Sunday Times Scoops US Media Again, Confirms FBI Cover-Up of Documents in Sibel Edmonds Nuke Secrets Case

Existence of FBI Case Number, Described in Anonymous Letter Obtained by The BRAD BLOG, Corroborated by Paper

Letter Describes Senior State Dept. Official Marc Grossman as Tipping off Turkish Embassy to Valerie Plame Wilson's 'Brewster Jennings' Counter-Proliferation Operation...

http://www.bradblog.com/?p=5582

They were out to get Valerie Plame BEFORE Amb. Wilson EVER LEFT FOR NIGER.

She was countering IRANIAN proliferation.

WTF IS GOING ON HERE!!????????

What's going on is that treason has happened in our government, in our White House, and our Speaker of the House thinks it would be 'divisive' to impeach the mf.

So, the birthday blog, happy b'day to Oncall & to Rossi!! I knew I was saving that ridiculously expensive bottle of champagne for something...here ya go. Cheers!

And thanks to all for the belated birthday wishes, I was actually underway chasing drug runners on my birthday this year.

I just got back from my first-ever phone banking experience. I was a bit unsure when I got there but it turned out to be tons of fun.

(oh and btw last night I went to my first-ever Mardi Gras ball...that was definitely an experience to remember also!!)

Sounds cool, V. Catching a drug runner. We're ready to make your movie of the week with your story.

Or maybe teh Mardi Gras would be a better movie?

Well, as far as the irc..people in and out.

So if you join...wait until more join too.

Wexler petition continues to progress:

210,492

signed up
and counting...

Today's a work day for me, I'll try to check back later.

In the meantime, there's this very important diary that got overlooked in all the primary stuff.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/1/21/02022/8011/0/440355

Oh happy day!

MLK day. I don't have to work.

YAY!

Which Mardi Gras Ball didja geaux to, V?

Global markets plunge on U.S. recession fears
Doubts grow over the White House's plan to shore up the U.S. economy.

January 21 2008: 9:03 AM EST

LONDON (AP) -- European and Asian stock markets plunged Monday following declines on Wall Street last week amid investor pessimism over the U.S. government's stimulus plan to prevent a recession.

The U.K. benchmark FTSE-100 dropped 3.9 percent to 5,673.1; France's CAC-40 Index plunged 4.5 percent to 4,861.2, while Germany's slumped 5.35 percent to 6,922.7.

In Asia, India's benchmark stock index tumbled 7.4 percent, while Hong Kong's blue-chip Hang Seng index plummeted 5.5 percent to 23,818.86, its biggest percentage drop since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

Investors dumped shares because they were skeptical that an economic stimulus plan President George W. Bush announced Friday would shore up the economy that has been battered by problems in its housing and credit markets. The plan, which requires approval by Congress, calls for about $145 billion worth of tax relief to encourage consumer spending.

"We've taken our lead from the Asian markets who have not been impressed by the U.S. There's debate if there's going to be a recession in the U.S. I don't think there's much chance of that though," said Richard Hunter, an analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown Stockbrokers Ltd. in London.

Concerns about the outlook for the U.S. economy, a major export market for Asian companies, has sent the region's markets sliding in 2008. Just last Wednesday, the Hang Seng index sank 5.4 percent.

"It's another horrible day," said Francis Lun, a general manager at Fulbright Securities in Hong Kong. "Today it's because of disappointment that the U.S. stimulus (package) is too little, too late and investors feel it won't help the economy recover."

more...
http://money.cnn.com/2008/01/21/news/international/world_markets.ap/index.htm?cnn=yes

Hmmm, too little too late... where have we heard that before???

Oh yeah, with EVERY single issue that has faced the Bush administration.

Nice goin', America.

Monkey..

You're getting S.T.R.E.S.S.E.D. again!

Better go grab that link from the header!

QUICK before you explode!

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Email_missing_on_day_White_House_0121.html

New report shows archives gone on several key days in Plame investigation
Among the sixteen days for which email are missing from Vice President Cheney's office is Sept. 30, 2003, the same day the day the Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced they were investigating who outed former CIA officer Valerie Plame Wilson.


That morning, then-White House counsel Alberto Gonzales ordered the president and the vice president's staff to "preserve all materials that might be relevant" to an inchoate Justice Department probe.

WIKIPEDIA ON MARC GROSSMAN AND PLAME:

Grossman played a peripheral role in the Plame Affair.

On 10 June 2003, an analyst at the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR) sent a memo to Ambassador Grossman outlining Ambassador Joseph Wilson's trip to Niger and mentioning that Wilson's wife worked at the CIA. Reportedly, Grossman wanted the memo as background to use at a White House meeting on criticism of President Bush for using the Niger claim in his State of the Union speech.

According to the Washington Post, Grossman has refused to answer questions about the memo. The Post says it is not clear if Grossman actually talked about the memo or mentioned Mrs. Wilson at the meeting.[1]

On 6 July 2003, Richard Armitage asked the head of INR, Carl Ford, to send a copy of the memo to Colin Powell aboard Air Force One.

In Patrick Fitzgerald's indictment of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby on October 28, 2005, Grossman is the Under Secretary of State mentioned as giving information about Plame to Libby.

It has been suggested by Libby's legal defense that Grossman is biased because, according to Theodore Wells, Libby's defense lawyer, Grossman and Wilson went to college and came up through the ranks of the State Department together.[2]

Rep. Rush Holt bill on paper ballots:

January 17, 2008

(Washington, D.C.) – Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) today introduced the Emergency Assistance for Secure Elections Act of 2008, a plan to allow state and local jurisdictions to opt-in to receive reimbursements from the federal government if they convert to a paper ballot voting system, offer emergency paper ballots, and/or conduct audits by hand counts.

“While the House has not acted on our legislation to require paper ballots and audits for all votes in all states in time for 2008, there is still time to take action to protect the accuracy, integrity, and security of the 2008 general elections,” Holt said. “This plan provides an incentive for state or localities that want to do the right thing.”

The bill would authorize $500 million to reimburse paperless jurisdictions that convert to paper-based voting systems in 2008, as well those that don’t fully convert to a paper-based system but provide emergency paper ballots that would be counted as regular ballots in the event of machine failure. The reimbursements would cover the cost of equipment and cost of developing procedures for using a paper-based system, with or without electronic counting.

Additionally, the bill would authorize $100 million for jurisdictions that conduct audits that meet basic minimum requirements, including the use of a random selection, an independent auditor, at least a 3 percent audit sample, and public observation.

Last year, Holt introduced the Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act (H.R. 811), landmark legislation requiring a voter-verified paper ballot for every vote cast and routine random audits. The bill, which was reported out of committee in May and awaits action on the House floor, would require all states to meet federal standards of ballot verifications and audits. Today’s bill would not require a nationwide standard, but rather would provide incentives for states to provide a voter-verified, audited election for the 2008 general election. Twenty states – six complete states and some number of counties in 14 other states – that will be conducting completely unauditable elections in 2008.

“The right to vote is the most fundamental right of our democracy as it is the right through which we secure all others,” Holt said. “Voters should never have to leave their polling places wondering if their legitimate vote will be counted. This bill would give local and state officials the resources to protect citizens’ right to vote. Time is of the essence. I hope for House consideration and passage as soon as possible.”

Playing catch-up here...

Happy belated birthday to ABQ, oncall, V, Rossi, and whoever else I missed.

And Macs rule - I just switched last year myself. Besides, despite all the red Motorola and Samsung parts in your average Mac, it's still "bluer" than anything from Dell. :)

And thanks to lack of crapware, a Mac actually runs Windows better than most PCs. But then, aside from mapping and games (and for me, a CAD program), there are very few reasons to run Windows on a Mac.

BTW: Nevada was a "red state" in 2004, correct?

yes, but barely.

Nevada is purple for all practical purposes. The Mormon red in the suburbs and the rural areas is balanced by the Las Vegas blue - especially the service worker unions of the casino resorts.

In fact, I would consider the Las Vegas Strip to be much bluer than Los Angeles, even.

White supremists are marching on Jena today.

A white supremacist group, the Nationalist Movement, plans to demonstrate there on the holiday commemorating Martin Luther King's birthday to demand the elimination of the holiday and of all civil rights laws. Counter-demonstrations are planned by the New Black Panthers and other civil rights groups.

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Jena_braces_for_white_supremacist_and_0121.html

'Although the Nationalists have promised to leave their guns at home, Jena is still preparing for the the possibility of violence by bringing in extra police and setting up barricades around the courthouse."

I guess I could always move to Florida and pretend it is not happening.

Damn right I'm stressed out, and everyday gets worse.