Dan rather gives it up...

ABC News: Dan Rather to Leave 'CBS Evening News'

ABC New is saying that Dan Rather, longtime news anchor will be stepping down from "CBS Evening News" in the upcoming spring.

Stay Tuned for more.

I assume that this has something to do with a certain memo that was brought out during the last election... Possibly pressure from the GOP?

Ahhhh the signs of Autumn...

At this time of year I am drawn back to the ancient rhythms of renewal and discard. Yes it's that time again.

I work in retail.

You won't hear from me for a while.

The sales advertising juggernaut must be fed.

I am the keeper. It is my job to feed the beast. I'll hold it down while you kill it.

Please kill the beast.


In the meantime here is a great place to spend some quality time listening to the best (and some of the worst) music the web has to offer. If you won't help me kill the beast the least you could do is to check it out...

Oh Colin we hardly know ye'

Colin Powell is going out of his mind. Either he thinks he will get away with it again, or he is once more being pressured by the Testosterone Admininstarion to get another war going.

In a recent speech Powell outlined"evidence" that Iran is trying to produce a nuclear delivery missile system. That would be all well and good if only it were backed up by any actual evidence. In fact, it is most likely based upon information once again gleaned from an unverified "walk-in" source. All of this smacks a bit like the now infamous speech to the UN security council in 2003 where he also made claims (that were later debunked) based upon unvetted intelligence.

I wonder what could be going on in Washington these days?

As an outgoing member of the administration, it is diffficult to believe that he would just be spouting the party line for old time's sake. But what could be the other motives? He obviously must be gunshy about using single source unvetted intelligence. I would have to think that, at this point, he can't get away with the same trick twice. Is there more going on here? I am going to be watching this closely.

For all of his faults I still have a certain amount of respect for Sec. Powell. He has had his gaffes and has been, at times, a tool of the administration for less than honorable purposes, but I still think that he has been a voice of reason in a madhouse. I still want to believe him. This is making it much more difficult.

The hits keep on coming!

The New York Times -- Washington -- New C.I.A. Chief Tells Workers to Back Administration Policies

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 - Porter J. Goss, the new intelligence chief, has told Central Intelligence Agency employees that their job is to "support the administration and its policies in our work,'' a copy of an internal memorandum shows.

"As agency employees we do not identify with, support or champion opposition to the administration or its policies," Mr. Goss said in the memorandum, which was circulated late on Monday. He said in the document that he was seeking "to clarify beyond doubt the rules of the road."

Who says this wasn't an important election? It is beginning to look like the administration is poised to become the most powerful in histroy. The more I hear in the press in the last two weeks the more I fear that this ruling party and this administration are consolidating power for more ominous purposes than just maintaining their leadership role in national politics.

God! They're at it again!

GOP Lawmakers Alter Intelligence Reform Bill to Cloak Financial Ties

WASHINGTON — Citing national security concerns, some Republican members of Congress are trying to limit the personal financial information that top federal officials must disclose.

Tucked within the House's 497-page version of the "9/11 Recommendations Implementation Act" is a provision to repeal the requirement that senior-level officials report their personal financial assets valued at more than $2.5 million. It also would end the practice of disclosing the dates of stock transactions.

You might want to think about becoming a republican if you are already a criminal. They really look after thier own! I love the bit about "national security concerns." that kills me. Of course it's all about national security. I mean what isn't these days.

This one looks like a give away to Richard Perle. As you may not remember Mr. Perlewas involved in a nasty little conflict of interests scandal with both Global Crossing, and Hollinger International The above link states:

"Because he was receiving millions of dollars in compensation from Hollinger at Black's and Radler's discretion, Perle had a motive to rubber-stamp transactions Black and Radler proposed, and Perle did so, despite his duty to Hollinger's shareholders,"

...

The suit accuses Perle of improperly approving a loan to Black's holding company as well as a reduction in the interest rate on a loan to the holding company. It also accuses him of signing consent forms for transactions through which Black and Radler allegedly enriched themselves.

All of the above is making me think that this supposed morality and values based party is actually more the party of kleptocrats and white collar criminals.

Oh well as long as they're not supporting gay rights anything goes.

Even I didn't think they could sink so low

GOP Pushes Rule Change to Protect DeLay's Post

House Republicans proposed changing their rules last night to allow members indicted by state grand juries to remain in a leadership post, a move that would benefit Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) in case he is charged by a Texas grand jury that has indicted three of his political associates, according to GOP leaders.

The total outrage I feel about this is incredible! Here's the "values and morality" party in all of it's glory! I guess the leadership of DeLay in rigging elections, gerrymandering, deciet, and even outright fraud is more important than doing what's right. God I hate these people!

They are the Slytherin house of the US Government. Anything to win at any cost.

Here's another key 'graph:

House Republicans adopted the indictment rule in 1993, when they were trying to end four decades of Democratic control of the House, in part by highlighting Democrats' ethical lapses. They said at the time that they held themselves to higher standards than prominent Democrats such as then-Ways and Means Chairman Dan Rostenkowski (Ill.), who eventually pleaded guilty to mail fraud and was sentenced to prison.

How two-faced can you get? I mean if it's good for the goose it should be good for the gander right?

My biggest question is why are the Dems not raising all-holy-hell over this? I want to see some serious TV time with red-in-the-face-mad-as-hell deomcrats shouting as loud as they can about this. (Give me a camera and a newscrew and I'll do it myself!)

Come on. This is as blatant as you can get. They are buying the extra 5 republican seats in Texas (That DeLay's Gerrymandering garnered) with a rule to benefit a criminal.

Values and morality indeed...

How to know you are losing a war...

US Marine shoots dead an unarmed wounded Iraqi

This is horrible. I don't have the words. I just don't.

Man! That squid's hign as a kite!

CNN.com - Cocaine haul hidden in giant squid - Nov 16, 2004

Tuesday, November 16, 2004 Posted: 1244 GMT (2044 HKT)

Peruvian police present the cocaine at a press conference.

LIMA, Peru (Reuters) -- Peruvian police say they have seized nearly 1,540 pounds (700 kilograms) of cocaine hidden in frozen giant squid bound for Mexico and the United States.

I can't add anything meaningful to this story except to say "Damn! That's some inginuity!" Good job to the cops who made this bust. Peeeeyew!

Tomato Nation

Freedom of (BLeep)

Go! Just trust me. My wife reads this blog every day. She turned me on to this, and this essay is as good as it gets. Hit the link. I dare you.

The Bush administration.

Yep! That just about sum's it all up!

You gotta be kidding me!

Yahoo! News - CBS Fires Producer Who Broke Into 'CSI'

By DAVID BAUDER, AP Television Writer

NEW YORK - CBS News has fired the producer responsible for breaking into "CSI: NY" last week for a special report on Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat (news - web sites)'s death, a CBS executive said Monday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Never let actual news of the death of a world leader get in the way of your entertainment. If you had any illusions that the news was anything other than a tabloid farce in this country those illusions are now toast.

We wouldn't want to stop watching crap on TV just to be told that some brown guy kicked the bucket now would we? Just a few questions. Aren't the TV airwaves owned by us? We the people? Don't we lend them to broadcasters like CBS to use provided they serve the public good? I guess the public doesn't want to be informed about events that might affect the current international political situation. I mean screw that! Dr. Vegas is on!

CBS. "keeping you mercifly free of the ravages of intelligence."

Who couldn't see this coming?

CNN.com - Colin Powell resigns - Nov 15, 2004

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell has submitted his resignation to President Bush, the White House said on Monday.

Powell is the most prominent of four Cabinet officials whose resignations will be announced Monday, sources told CNN.

The others will be Agriculture Secretary Anne Veneman, Education Secretary Rod Paige and Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham, the sources said.

I am actually very surprised that he lasted this long. The writing has been on the wall for more than two years on this one. After the speech to the UN in the buildup to the war he must have been already packing his bags. It is unfortunate that he didn't have the cojones to get out when it became clear that he was being used as a tool. I would have had much more respect for him.

Actually, truth be told I still have respest for Mr. Powell. He has had to play the straight man to the biggest bunch of clowns on earth and he has done it well. Even placing his office in harms way with the administration when the right thing needed doing. But some of the later toadying and bootlicking sat poorly with me. (As I'm sure it did with him.)

After all of the above being said though, I think we are going to miss him at the helm of the ship of State. He was a calming influence even if he could not fully control the direction of the administration. Anyone more hawkish in that seat could be very bad indeed.

Tomorrow

Who'da thunk it? I have people actually reading this thing... Well, There's no accounting for taste, I guess. I suppose I will just keep posting along with musings form the days news.

So far not much to report. It's the weekend again and the toe is still swollen but only a little bit. News is slow. Slower than you might imagine on the first weekend after the death of Yassir Arafat. (Surely you didn't sleep through THAT) Anyway, I would have thought that the wild speculation machine that our beloved international media has become would be brewing with fanciful tales of doom and destruction of the palestinian state ( or the jewish one for that matter!) but nothing so far has grabbed my attention.

Ah me. I guess I'l just go back to watching The Matrix.


Could be worse.

Today

Did anything happen today? I thought not. Apparently VP Dick "Heart Attack" Cheney is back into (and out of) the hospital. That's not news. That happens with enought frequency that it should not even register in the mind of someone who follows these kinds of things.

Oh yes, and I kicked a wall while walking in my Karate Dojo and now have a swollen toe. This is also something that happens frequently enough that it doesn't raise the alert level.

Oh well. Maybe tomorrow...

Well thank goodness!

Our august education secratery is leaving and all I can say is "Don't let the door hit you on the way out!"

Yep. The man who labeled the National Education Association a "Terrorist organization" and said they used "Obstructionist tactics" to combat the No Child Left Behind act is finally going to be free from the yoke of government. All I have to ask now is "Who are they going to get to fill the post?"

The jury's still out but good bets are him, and him.

Also maybe this guy. He looks a bit like someone else in government doesn't he?

I can't stand this....

Hit the link in the title of this post to go to a story that'll make you mad.

Then call Dr. Mary McIntyre, Medical Director of Alabama Medicaid, and ask her why she wants Lauren Rainey to die.

(334) 353-8473

Testing 123

Just testing the mailposting system. Pay no attention to the man behind
the curtain.

LOL

Home again.

I've been writing a bunch of training material for my job. I'll probably be back to it more tomorrow. I'm home now and not likely to post again until the morning.

See y'all!

Who couldn't see this coming?

Mosul may be the next Fallujah, officials fear
By Seattle Times staff and news services

With war already raging in Fallujah in central Iraq, officials worry that the relatively peaceful north is on the brink of explosion, with fighting already flaring in the city of Mosul.

All of those insurgents that we were expecting to fight in Fallujah have magically vanished. We have been told that the going in Fallujah has been faster than expected with less resistance. Where do you suppose those fighters went?

Hmmmmm...

Follow the link above. It's worth a read.

Just so we're clear... It's a good thing to have? A bad thing?

Bush Wants Line-Item Veto to Be Revived

Wed Nov 10,10:18 AM ET
White House - AP
By JIM ABRAMS, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Six years after the Supreme Court took away the president's ability to veto specific parts of legislation, President Bush (news - web sites) is asking Congress to bring back the line-item veto to let him make precision strikes against projects and tax provisions he doesn't like.

Yeah, I can't figure it out either. I mean wasn't it this same republican majority that was all up in arms about how the line item veto was giving the executive branch too much power? Ohhhh... Right! It was too much power for Clinton.... I forgot.


Stupid me.

Art Site of the Day

Go! Just go. You'll be glad you did. I got this from a friend at my office. One of the coolest things I have seen yet!

Nerdcore part 2

It ooccurs to me that there may have been another progenitor of nerdcore hiphop as it has come to be. Of course I'm talking about MC 900ft Jesus.

MC 900ft Jesus has all of the intrinsic qualities of the nerdcore scene: Intelligent, thought provoking lyrical style, the use of humor to take on some very serious issues, and (no judgement here) He's a white guy! (It appears that most of what is called "nerdcore" these days is performed almost exclusively by white guys. Don't know why but it is. To some degree you can almost call Emenem nerdcore except that he is so mainstream that there would be no way he could be anything but a pop act.

Anyway there are people who are into fitting people into little boxes but I've never seen anyone who put MC 900ft Jesus into the same one as these others. That's all I'm saying.

Take him on you wimpy buggers!

This ought to be fun to watch!

Pity you can't just get the address that it'lll be happening. The fight card would be great to see:

"In this corner one menacingly pissed Kerry Voter! And in this corner, Looking smug and posessed by divine light, a morally bankrupt Bush supporter!"

Fight Club lives!

Giving the rich their due...

Yacht owners enjoying a huge perk -- tax breaks
Law allows wealthy to write off pricey purchases in several ways



By ERIC NALDER
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER

One grateful local yacht owner calls it a federal subsidy: Several tax dodges, ranging from perfectly legal to dubious, are helping wealthy owners keep their big pleasure boats on the water, in Puget Sound and across the country.


Some ultra-rich yacht buyers are expecting to deduct millions from their income tax next year by depreciating their pleasure craft under the provisions of the Bush administration's tax-relief program passed by Congress in 2003. About 500,000 boat owners nationwide can decrease their income-tax bill every year by declaring their vessels a second home. Some others collect healthy deductions from putting their boats into charter arrangements that may skirt the provisions of the tax code. And some corporations take deductions on yachts that seem to stretch the definition of a business resource.

I have no problem with yacht owners (or anyone else really) reducing the taxes that they can pay by any legal means but I just bet that this law doesn't get repealed during the current administration.

Anyone want to bet on it?

Nerdcore Lives!

Ok. So I have recently found out about Nerdcore Hiphop. What is it you ask? Well it all started for me when a friend sent me a CD with a song by MC Hawking. At that website I found a link to MC Frontalot's homepage. It was all history from there. After listening to all of the samples available from Front, I was hooked. A little googling around also located MC Chris, and... Wait for it... the (really I can't even believe this myself) Hobbit rappers Lords of the Rhymes. I never imagined that there was so much geek rap out there.

It takes all of my self control to keep from laughing my ass off through most of these tunes. I encourage you to take a listen if you are the type of dork that I am.

I assume that if you found this site you are.

The Munchkin of Nonsense

The Munchkin of Nonsense is run by my friend Qate. Please check out her stuff.

Thank god for humor!

I love the Fafblog! and so should you. Today Fafnir and Giblets get to teach science the way that the bush administration and the christian coalition want it taught. It certainly is more fun when they do it.

It starts...

Bush looking anew for Alaska oil drilling
By H. JOSEF HEBERT
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

WASHINGTON -- Republican gains in the Senate could give President Bush his best chance yet to achieve his No. 1 energy priority - opening an oil-rich but environmentally sensitive Alaska wildlife refuge to drilling.

If he is successful, it would be a stinging defeat for environmentalists and an energy triumph that eluded Bush his first four years in the White House. A broader agenda that includes reviving nuclear power, preventing blackouts and expanding oil and gas drilling in the Rockies will be more difficult to enact.

Republicans in the House and Senate said this week they plan to push for Alaska refuge drilling legislation early next year, and they predict success, given the 55-44-1 GOP Senate majority in the next Congress. Democrats and some environmental activists say continued protection of the refuge has never been as much in doubt.

"It's probably the best chance we've had," Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Calif., chairman of the House Resources Committee and a vocal drilling advocate, said in an interview.


Man is it just me or have they started early on this one...

More here.

Yeah I know...

As I'm sure you heard, there was a little election this last week. I have had it up to here with all of the left siders lamenting the results and wringing their hands over how we got here. Well, I for one, am not totally surprised but I am getting more and more pissed.

Watching the right get everything they ever wanted is getting to be just too much. I feel the need to be very vocal and to push back even more seriously than I did during the actual election.

How does this sound? We start the 2008 campaign right now! Blogging and contributing to PAC's can become a priority, not to endorse a particular candidate of course, but to illuminate the administrations failures in directing public policy. Many left leaning pundits and blogggers have said that one of the reasons we lost was because we lacked the broadcast infrastructure to effectively get our message out (as FOXNEWS does for the right). I agree. I think though that we can have that power so long as we keep up the fight starting right now.

Begin to make small donations to organizations or groups that will get the message out. Donate to ACT, Media Matters for America, whoever you want. Just keep doing it. We showed this election that we have a powerful voice just by going up against that mighty slime machine in the first place. We can go forward.

Fight! Fight! Fight!


(I now return you to your regularly scheduled blogging)

First!

Just to be very bloggily annoying my first test post will be just this:

I posted first!

T