Viva Las Vegas!

My beautiful and thoughtful wife spent a lot of time planning a big surprise trip for my birthday. Sharyn, Hannah, Ryan, and our friends Alex, Natalia and Katherine kept the secret from me for several months. On Friday, we left the house at 5:30 a.m. and by the time we met up with our friends I had figured out that we were on our way to Las Vegas!

We stayed at the Stratosphere, visited several other mega-hotels and casinos, gambled just a little tiny bit (and just broke even), shopped till we dropped, ate a ton, and caught a fantastic show at the Mirage.

You are probably familiar with Cirque du Soleil and they have a new show in Vegas called "Love" that celebrates the musical legacy of The Beatles in spectacular fashion. Go to the site and click on the preview for a look-see.

Anyway, thank you Sharyn, Hannah, Ryan, Alex, Natalia, Katherine, and Matt who watched the pets for us. It was a memorable and special birthday!

I love you, Sharyn.

Yes. He did say it. Repeatedly.

SHORT VERSION -- AD ONLY

LONG VERSION -- CONTEXT AND ANALYSIS THANKS TO TALKINGPOINTSMEMO.COM

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/

I think he makes a good point ...

Listen to Bubba from 2004.

Thank you TalkingPointsMemo.com!

Brawndo's got what plants crave. It's got electrolytes!

A hilarious quote from Tbogg over at Firedoglake.com:

"If the terrorists are smart, they will give up on trying to attack us and just sit back and wait, because eventually our entire country is going to be so stupid that people will start sticking their tongues in wall sockets just to see what electricity tastes like."

And if you haven't seen the "funny-but-sad-'cause-it's-true" movie Idiocracy yet ... rent it this weekend!

ABC debate blows because the moderators suck.

The Democratic debate last night in Pennsylvania was a disaster. Not for the candidates (although both could have done much better), but for ABC and the hosts Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos. There's no other way to describe it ... they are tools.

It looks like George got at least one question from Sean Hannity and Gibson has a pattern of looking foolish on money matters affecting average Americans.

Here's a synopsis of several blogs at Americablog.com:

Wow, major loathing of ABC on the Web tonight ...

• TPM: Looking around other sites, I guess I'm not the only one that thought this debate was unmitigated travesty. Maybe the embargo on debate rebroadcast was a pro-human rights stand.
• From FDL: Well, that was really, really horrible. Charlie Gibson and Mr. Snuffalupagus fed Clinton and Obama nothing but gotcha questions. Torture never came up, China never came up, unchecked executive power never came up, and it was 50+ minutes in before they asked any questions that could be considered remotely substantive or issues-based.
• Atrios: Aside from the lack of policy questions, so far this "debate" has been played entirely on wingnut ground. If BillO and Sean Hannity hosted it the questions would've been the same. In a general election debate it would make sense to get questions from the right like that, but in a democratic primary it's just fucking stupid.
• DKos: The questioning in tonight's debate--—mostly straight out of 1988—was an abomination. Gun control. 60's radicalism. Inflammatory black pastors. Respecting or disrespecting the flag. Taxes. Being out of touch with the military. Affirmative Action. I'll bet if they had more time, ABC anchors Charles Gibson and George Stephanopolus would probably have gotten around to asking Obama and Clinton about Willie Horton and Piss Christ.
• Editor & Publisher: In perhaps the most embarrassing performance by the media in a major presidential debate in years, ABC News hosts Charles Gibson and George Stephanopolous focused mainly on trivial issues as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama faced off in Philadelphia.
• OpenLeft: Halfway through the debate, not a single question on any policy issue had been asked, it was obvious that this debate was prime-time hit job on Obama. The questions so far have been why he doesn't wear a flag pin, whether or not his pastor loves America, why he can't win, and how many people were offended by his bittergate comments. Except for Clinton being asked about why she wasn't trustworthy, and both of them being asked about their vice-presidential choices, that has been the entire debate. As Master Jack said in the comments, nothing on Iraq, nothing on the economy, nothing on health care, nothing on housing, nothing on global warming, nothing on torture. This is nothing but a prime-time hit job on Democrats, although mainly a hit job on Obama.
• Tapped: Seriously "does rev. wright love america as much as you?" Really? REALLY?!!! Also, "what will you do when clips" of Wright "play over an over" on TV? [... A woman asks if Obama "believes in the American flag" because he doesn't wear a flag pin. Charlie Gibson says that questions about the flag are "all over the internet" -- along with Pamela Anderson's sex tape, cats with bad grammar, and Rick Astley. Journalism at it's finest.
• Huff Post: Why in the world George Stephanopoulos felt compelled to ask Barack Obama if Reverend Wright "loved America" after he had already been made to give another recitation of his repudiation of Wright's remarks is a question that simply defies the imagination. What sort of sensible answer can be given to that question? It would require astral projection to properly gauge another man's emotional state. And if you want to ask Hillary Clinton to account for the odd contortions she advanced on the matter of her Bosnia recollections, just sack up and ask. Don't hide behind the additional, pointless cruelty of a random voter's scoldings that Clinton lost their vote. What a wholly superfluous pile on! And the flag lapel pin question came with this admonishment from Charles Gibson: "It
  keeps coming up, again and again." Well, no shit, Charlie! It keeps "coming up, again and again" because the media resolutely refuses to obtain the necessary courage to stop doing so.

Also from Americablog.com:

"Today's front page Washington Post article about the debate last night comprised twenty-five paragraphs. This is the 23rd paragraph:
The debate also touched on Iraq, Iran, the Middle East,
taxes, the economy, guns and affirmative action.
That pretty much sums up the debate. It's almost comical. One line, in the 23rd paragraph of a 25 paragraph article. Granted, because of the performance of Stephanopoulos and Gibson, the Post didn't have much to work with. The political reporters and pundits didn't get what happened last night, but the Post's media critic, Tom Shales did ..."

Finally ... Here is a great video summarizing the descent of George's career.

It the integrity of the movie trailer in danger?

For all movie lovers, this is a hilarious take on the film industry and the age-old question, "What if the movie doesn't live up to the trailer?"


From the Onion.com.

McSame, McBush, McWar, McNasty, McWhatever!

Remember ...
Bush = McCain

McCain = Bush

Silly Time Wasters

I think it was the great Atrios of Philly who coined the blogosphere term "Friedman Unit" for the six month wait-and-see period in Iraq that the wise men (and women) of Washington are always calling for. Six months here, six months there, and so on, and so on ... watch this short vid ...

Thank you, MoveOn.org.

Say a prayer for our own country, which all of us love ...

The History Place is an archive of great speeches and other ... stuff. Take a moment right now to follow this link and read and/or listen to the audio clip it contains. Barack Obama reminds us of the power of words and oratory ... maybe that is not so hard after almost 8 years of GW Bush. But with the 40th anniversary of his death tomorrow, April 4, reflect not only on Martin Luther King, but also on another man who touched greatness, Robert Kennedy.

"Amid the tragedy of the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, April 4, 1968, an extraordinary moment in U.S. political history occurred as Robert F. Kennedy, younger brother of slain President John F. Kennedy, broke the news of King's death to a large gathering of African Americans in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The gathering was actually a planned campaign rally for Robert Kennedy in his bid to get the 1968 Democratic nomination for President. Just after he arrived by plane at Indianapolis, Kennedy was told of King's death. He was advised by police against making the campaign stop which was in a part of the city considered to be a dangerous ghetto. But Kennedy insisted on going.
He arrived to find the people in an upbeat mood, anticipating the excitement of a Kennedy appearance. He climbed onto the platform, and realizing they did not know, broke the news."

Meet John Brown

I mentioned Taylor Marsh in a previous post that came to my attention through Balloon Juice. I was disturbed by many of the nasty, pathetic comments slamming Senator Barack Obama that were left on her site by rabid Sen. Hillary Clinton supporters. I had learned of Marsh through other blogs that regularly referred to her as a progressive talk radio host and blogger. I think she also pops up every now and then on CNN, MSNBC or FOX. But you never really "know" anything about some of the people you "meet" on the Internet.
This is a fascinating piece by Kansas blogger John Brown on the background of the mysterious Taylor Marsh, her experience, and credibility. It is a long post (plus there is a follow up post with more details), but it provides an amazing example of how someone can inject themselves into the public consciousness through self-promotion. Remember, Rush Limbaugh got his start by buying time on stations for his radio show.
The Money Quote:

"The Taylor Marsh story has two parts. First, it cautions us to remember that having a slick blog and a knack for PR doesn't make someone smart, qualified, or credible. Second, it teaches us that anyone can command an audience for his or her opinions. The Taylor Marsh story is about fame for the foolish, attention for the mediocre, and how a kid from Missouri can somehow grow up to be an oft-cited resource among those with an interest in serious matters--even if she might not have any business sharing the stage with serious people."

Another interesting thing about Taylor Marsh's site ... you rarely if ever find negative comments. I think she scrubs her site of any dissent. That makes it one big circle jerk of pro-Clinton supporters.

Cruisin' the Internets

Check out these blog posts:

• Lawyers, Guns & Money looks at revisionist Confederate history. The Money Quote:
  

  "Confederate nostalgia has always included this racial component, and has never been about the "heritage" of the American South."

• Bob Somerby writes The Daily Howler and is the blogging master for documenting some of the worst media atrocities when it comes to trashing Democratic Presidential candidates and spreading myths and lies. The Money Quote:
  

  "Saint McCain is a very good man! The Clintons—and Gore—are really quite vile! Since the summer of 2002, we’ve explicitly asked them to fight these novels. But nothing on earth can make them do it. Simply put, they never will."

• Atrios links to a story about a reporter who ... gasp ... let her 9-year-old son ride the NYC subway alone! The Money Quote:
  

  "... accidents and bad things can always happen and since parents get blamed for them they feel the need to go through elaborate steps to shield children from very low probability events."

Bush fiddles while the Army burns ...

Why won't the media listen to and report on what the Generals are saying? From Crooks and Liars here is Army Vice Chief of Staff General Richard Cody testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee:

Army support systems ... are straining under the accumulation of stress from six years at war. Overall, our readiness is being consumed as fast as we build it.

They are breaking the Army. Remember that.

A billion here, a billion there ...

Over at Americablog InsideOutsider writes:

John McCain will probably brag he does not have a single entry in the "Congressional Pig Book", yet he is willing to spend $12 billion a month in Iraq.

Which is worse?

Total cost of all pork in 2008: $17.2 Billion

Cost of War in Iraq in 2008: $144 Billion

And the $144 Billion won't build anything here at home, which is exactly what most of that pork does.

God-awful!

Great article from the UK by Movie Critic Joe Queenan who tries to pick the worst movies of all time. So many to choose from. But he defines the standards and narrows the list to the movie that destroyed a studio and many Hollywood careers ... Heaven's Gate.

Blood on their hands.

Artist Nico Pitney created a photo mosaic using photos of the soldiers who have died in Iraq.

In remembrance of the 4,000 brave men and women who sacrificed everything for us -- and the two men who would continue this great tragedy, despite the cost to our soldiers, our military, and our nation.

Click on the image to see the larger version.

More Dick-speak

Devilstower over at DailyKos blogs:

Deaths. Injuries. Long tense days never knowing what might happen next. The Iraq Invasion sure is hard... on George W. Bush.

In an exclusive interview with ABC News, Vice President Dick Cheney was asked what effect the grim milestone of at least 4,000 U.S. deaths in the five-year Iraq war might have on the nation. Noting the burden placed on military families, the vice president said the biggest burden is carried by President George W. Bush, who made the decision to commit US troops to war, and reminded the public that U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan volunteered for duty.

If any one sentence could hold all the contempt that the Republicans feel for the military and for military families, this is the one. Who is this war hardest on? Poor ol' George. What about the 4,000+ who have died? Hey, they volunteered.

"The president carries the biggest burden, obviously," Cheney said. "He's
the one who has to make the decision to commit young Americans, but we are fortunate to have a group of men and women, the all-volunteer force, who voluntarily put on the uniform and go in harm's way for the rest of
us."

So?

Dan Froomkin at the Washington Post writes about Vice President Cheney's recent response to a reporter's observation that most Americans oppose the war in Iraq. "So?", was his smug retort.

Former Republican congressman Mickey Edwards writes in a Washington Post op-ed that he's finally had it with Cheney: "Cheney told Raddatz that American war policy should not be affected by the views of the people. But that is precisely whose views should matter: It is the people who should decide whether the nation shall go to war. That is not a radical, or liberal, or unpatriotic idea. It is the very heart of America's constitutional system. . . .

"If Dick Cheney believes, as he obviously does, that the war in Iraq is vital to American interests, it is his job, and that of President Bush, to make the case with
sufficient proof to win the necessary public support.

"That is the difference between a strong president (one who leads) and a strong presidency (one in which ultimate power resides in the hands of a single person). Bush is officially America's 'head of state,' but he is not the head of government; he
is the head of one branch of our government, and it's not the branch that decides on war and peace.

"When the vice president dismisses public opposition to war with a simple 'So?' he violates the single most important element in the American system of government: Here, the people rule."

Playing Catch Up

OMG! Way too busy to blog lately. I empathize with the bloggers who do this professionally and crank out stuff hour after hour, day after day. There is too much to write about now, but here are some interesting links, go check them out!

• "Stuck in the Iraq Loop" A Newsweek article by Fareed Zakaria
  We have achieved some security in Iraq. But we have not built a sustainable security architecture.
• "Bearing Witness: Five Years of the Iraq War" A photo essay by Reuters. Warning: some graphic images.
• "A Responsible Plan to End the War"
• Various reactions to Obama's speech on Tuesday from TPM Cafe.
• From DailyKos, author David Brin (Earth, Startide Rising) pays tribute to his colleague Arthur C. Clarke (2001: A Space Odyssey) who died this week.
• Coming soon! Photos of our incredibly cute new puppy and kitten!!!!

Fear of a black planet ...

Well, the Obama/Clinton campaign is getting uglier by the minute.

The sludge includes the 3 a.m. phone call ad, her hedging when asked if she believed Obama was a Muslim, her praise of McCain and disparaging of Obama, and now ... the O.J. treatment.

Remember the Time magazine cover of O.J. Simpson that made him darker and more sinister looking?

It looks like the Clinton camp has done the same thing to Obama. They took debate footage and altered it to make him look darker, and they stretched the width of the image to make him look ... what ... bigger? heavier? You can make up your own mind.

But what is written here is correct, this was not an accident. This doesn't just happen in production, someone made it happen.

What do you think? Is this fair play?

I have to admit that I'm a fool, because I didn't really think that the Clinton camp would go so deep into the gutter. I should have known that they would do anything to win, even if they lose by winning (how many voters are they turning away from voting?). And if you didn't know already, it is very unlikely that Clinton can overtake Obama in the delegate count, even if she wins every one of the remaining contests. But they play to win. And they don't seem to care about the damage they will do to the Democratic nominee along the way.

God I hate Ralph Nader.

This is so funny.