The Vermont Legislature Formally Supports our National Nurse!

Over the last few years I have been mentioning the National Nurse legislation making its way through Congress to my Representatives. Bernie Sanders was a co-sponsor of the original legislation, H.R. 4903, when he was in the House. VT Rep. Peter Welch's health aide assures me that he is willing to pick up that role when the bill is reintroduced in its new form, which incorporates ideas offered by various nursing groups around the country. Bernie Sanders, now a Vermont Senator, would likely sign on as a co-sponsor in the Senate as well.

Last fall, I asked my town representatives to introduce a Resolution in the Vermont House in support of the National Nurse legislation in Congress. One of my Reps is also the House Speaker, so was unable to be the initiating sponsor. She nonetheless signed on as a co-sponsor. My other town Rep said he would introduce the Resolution, but thought it would be stronger if introduced by a nurse. So he inspired a fellow Representative who is also a nurse to be the introducing sponsor. He also signed on. In fact, in all, 26 House members signed on as co-sponsors of J.R.H. (Joint Resolution of the House) 52. It was called a "joint" Resolution so it would not need to be started separately in the Vermont Senate.

To my surprise, the Resolution was sent to the House Health Care Committee. Most resolutions are generally passed as a courtesy. So now testimony was in order, and four of us were willing. The day the Committee scheduled it was a Tuesday, when I had to work, but two of the four were able to attend and did a great job. We other two sent a written testimony. I also wrote a letter of thanks to all 26 co-sponsors and sent them each an "I support the National Nurse" button, designed by our own ♥jc♥. Wonderfully, of the 11 Committee members, 8 of them had already signed on as co-sponsors. The Resolution passed out of Committee with a positive vote and passed on voice vote on the House floor.

Then it went over to the Senate side for a vote. I sent a letter of testimony to the Chair of the Senate Health & Welfare Committee. The Resolution was not sent to Committee in the Senate, but simply passed easily on voice vote. A Resolution is not signed by the Governor, by custom, Though I did hear that the Governor was not opposed.

The Vermont legislative session ended on Saturday, May 3rd. On Sunday, May 4th, my town Rep., Bill Frank, came by with two official copies of J.R.H. 52, one for me and one for Teri Mills, our beloved founder of the legislation! Hurrah! (Statehouse to door delivery!)

Hubby snapped this photo:




Haloscan comment thread

Sunday Open Thread

Some of these gave me a chuckle.




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Kitten Thread

Donno about you, but I need a dose of kittenness!



Visit The Daily Kitten for more.

Comment thread

Open Thread

see more cute dogs and puppies

Haloscan comment thread

News Roundup

Longshore Union Strikes Against War
By Peter Cole
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Tuesday 29 April 2008
On Thursday, May Day, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union will declare an eight-hour strike to protest the war in Iraq. Since the ILWU controls every port along the U.S. Pacific Coast, including Seattle and Tacoma, this strike demonstrates the collective power of workers willing to use it.

The ILWU is demanding "an immediate end to the war and occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan and the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the Middle East." Although the majority of Americans repeatedly have expressed their desire to end the war, President Bush has not obliged us, so it drags on. Because our leaders refuse to listen, ILWU members are taking the next logical step for workers: Strike.

Burma: US Oil Major Complicit in Abuses - Rights Lobby
By Marwaan Macan-Markar
Inter Press Service News
Wednesday 30 April 2008
Bangkok - An environmental group is warning U.S. energy giant Chevron to clean up its act in Burma or face legal proceedings where the multinational's links to gross human rights violations in the military-ruled country could be exposed.

There has been little relief for villagers living in the Yadana pipeline region in southern Burma since the Chevron Corporation became a partner to this natural gas venture in 2005, states the Washington D.C.-based EarthRights International (EI) in a report released here Tuesday.

"Chevron and its consortium partners continue to rely on the Burmese army for pipeline security and those forces continue to conscript thousands of villagers for forced labour, and to commit torture, rape, murder and other serious abuses in the course of their operations," revealed the 76-page report, 'The Human Cost of Energy'.

Chevron should act on "its moral and legal obligations to human rights rather than profit from human rights abuses," the report added of this project that earned the Burma's junta about 1.1 billion US dollars in 2006, over half of its total earnings from the sale of gas to neighbouring Thailand, which was 2.16 billion dollars that year.

White House Admits Fault on "Mission Accomplished" Banner
By Terence Hunt
The Associated Press
Thursday 01 May 2008
The White House said Wednesday that President Bush has paid a price for the "Mission Accomplished" banner that was flown in triumph five years ago but later became a symbol of U.S. misjudgments and mistakes in the long and costly war in Iraq.

Thursday is the fifth anniversary of Bush's dramatic landing in a Navy jet on an aircraft carrier homebound from the war. The USS Abraham Lincoln had launched thousands of airstrikes on Iraq.

"Major combat operations in Iraq have ended," Bush said at the time. "The battle of Iraq is one victory in a war on terror that began on Sept. 11, 2001, and still goes on." The "Mission Accomplished" banner was prominently displayed above him - a move the White House came to regret as the display was mocked and became a source of controversy.

ACLU: Pentagon Documents Highlight Interrogation Methods
By Adam Goldman
The Associated Press
Wednesday 30 April 2008
New York - The military continued to use abusive interrogation methods on detainees after a 2003 directive meant to end such practices, the American Civil Liberties Union said Wednesday after reviewing newly released documents.

The Department of Defense documents shed light on the use of psychologists in military interrogations and the failure of medical workers to report abuse of detainees, the ACLU said.

Former Guantanamo Prosecutor Says Trials Tainted
Reuters
Monday 28 April 2008
Guantanamo Bay US Naval Base - The former chief prosecutor for the Guantanamo war crimes tribunals testified on Monday that the tribunals were tainted by political influence and evidence obtained through prisoner abuse.

Air Force Col. Moe Davis, who quit the war court last year, said political appointees and higher-ranking officers pushed prosecutors to file charges before trial rules were even written.

Iran Complains to UN About Clinton Comment
By Claudia Parsons
Reuters
Wednesday 30 April 2008
United Nations - Iran complained to the United Nations on Wednesday about US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's comment the United States could "totally obliterate" Iran in retaliation for a nuclear strike against Israel.

Iran's deputy ambassador to the United Nations sent a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the president of the Security Council expressing Iran's condemnation of "such a provocative, unwarranted and irresponsible statement."

Four Michigan Dems Propose Compromise on Seating Delegation
By Marie Horrigan
Congressional Quarterly
Tuesday 29 April 2008
A negotiating team of top Michigan Democrats has come forward with a compromise plan to seat the state's delegation to the national convention that would give New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton a slight advantage in the delegate count over Illinois Sen. Barack Obama.

The proposal comes about four months after the Democratic National Committee stripped Michigan of all its delegates because the state party advanced the date of its primary in violation of Democratic National Committee rules.

The authors of the plan, sent to Michigan Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer on Tuesday, said it essentially "splits the difference between the 73/55 position of the Clinton campaign and the 64/64 position of the Obama campaign."

Cheney Lawyer Claims Congress Has No Authority Over Vice President
By Elana Schor
The Guardian UK
Tuesday 29 April 2008
The lawyer for US vice-president Dick Cheney claimed today that the Congress lacks any authority to examine his behaviour on the job.

The exception claimed by Cheney's counsel came in response to requests from congressional Democrats that David Addington, the vice-president's chief of staff, testify about his involvement in the approval of interrogation tactics used at Guantanamo Bay.

Ruling out voluntary cooperation by Addington, Cheney lawyer Kathryn Wheelbarger said Cheney's conduct is "not within the [congressional] committee's power of inquiry".

Comment thread

Grammar, anyone?

While looking for something else I came across the below, which I have no recollection whatsoever of writing. Since we need a new thread, I hope you will all humor me and bear with my kvetching.

In recent years, I have noticed an increasing tendency among people of all ages, geographical regions, and socio-economic levels to speak (and write) ungrammatically. Moreover, when I have ventured to make this observation and to address some of the more common errors, I have been call judgmental and an elitist,, and asked with hostility who I thought I was, and where I got off dictating how other people should speak and write.

And this, on a listserv for writers!

It is therefore with some trepidation that I broach the subject of grammar. However, grammar is the life's blood of communication. Whether writing to our Congresscritter or to the media, phone banking, canvassing, or engaging friends, family and coworkers, good grammar and diction (word choice) are essential for effective communication.

One particularly widespread error affects me like the proverbial fingernails on a blackboard. This error substitutes the Conditional for the subjunctive, to whit:

I wish he would have run.
If she would have come…

The correct formulation is:

I wish he had run.
If she had come…

It is not necessary to understand the arcana of verb mood to use it correctly. Just remember that hypothetical statements and statements of wish or desire, such as those using "if" and "I wish," use the subjunctive. Except for the verb "to be," the forms of the past and present subjunctive are indistinguishable from those of the past and present Indicative. So, in most situations, if you simply use the past or present form, you'll have it.

The verb "can" is a bit tricky. It's simple past tense, "could," looks identical to the form used in many conditional constructions. But, don't be fooled or confused.

I wish you could come.

Is equivalent to

I wish you were able to come.

And is thus subjunctive.

As activists, we are communicators. To communicate effectively, to exploit the versatility and flexibility of the English language, we must understand and follow its rules.

Comment thread

Cocktails with a Liberal Congresswoman (and Introducing a Democratic Leader)

First of all I must confess. I am a political junkie. While others trail movie stars, I track down good liberal politicians. It all started when I attend a rally for Howard Dean 5 years ago. When he stood in front of a 20x40 foot American flag and stated he was going to take our country back—I became hooked. While some watch American idol, I watch congress debate bills about healthcare on c-span. If I could have a wish, it would be to tap the minds of respected liberal politicians.

Last Friday my wish was granted following an IL Dem. Women’s Convention. I was able to spend time gleaning the mind of liberal Congresswoman, Jan Schakowsky http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Schakowsky. Relaxing in a lounge chair, she comfortably talked with fellow democratic novices for over 2 hours.

The first comment was about the expensive $7.50 drink. I bet she knows the price of gas Pres. Bush. An insider perspective was what I was after. After talking about her bumpy private plane ride down she told about her constant traveling between DC and Chicago. I asked about whether Rahm Emmanuel would come out in support of Hillary or Obama (he won't because he is friends to both). She talked about the reunion of her 2 puppies after they were separated from birth to how people are surprised to see her when grocery shopping.

She discussed the down and dirty about being interviewed on Sunday morning talk shows. She said elected females rarely get on these shows because they feel they need to understand every aspect of the topic of the day and men just jump right in. Being an Obama supporter, she frequently has been across the table from Carville, her favorite to debate. “He hates debating women, it must be all those years living with Mary Matalin”.

What I appreciated the most about the interaction was
her genuineness in wanting to share with us newbies to politics. She truly wants to see more empowered women in office. In dark times like this, People like Rep. Schakowsky restore my faith in politics.

The following day my personal highlight was getting to introduce my favorite Senator-- Sen. Durbin. He made an unscheduled speech at the event so I was recruited at the last minute. My friend in attendance told me that he smiled broadly during the entire time I was speaking. That alone was a supreme compliment.

5 years ago I could never have imagined having an experience like this.--that is the power of Howard Dean’s inspiration.

Comment thread

Open Thread

Via GraphJam: Pop Culture for People in Cubicles


see more song memes

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Barack Obama on "talking tough"

Worth a watch...



"One of the things I learned in the schoolyard was, the folks who are talking tough all the time, they're not always that tough."

Read more here.

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Watch/Read Rev. Wright on PBS

Video here, transcript here.

Haloscan comment thread

Hillary and Barbie

I hate when this happens. I manage to write a long-ish comment (to this post at Plunderbund, which was referencing the image I posted last night), only to have the comment eaten by internet gremlins. Good thing I saved it to clipboard. Anyway, the following is in response to this discussion.

Haven't looked at the TNR thing close up, so can't really comment on it. Work has been mentally exhausting enough lately that I rarely feel like writing much at the end of the day. Occasionally there is some little nugget that will come together almost without effort--usually a response to something I've read. And sometimes what occurs to me will be an image.

I was thinking yesterday about how much I don't identify with Hillary or consider her to be a good role model or someone worthy of my "gender loyalty". Or whatever it's called. Anyway, it occurred to me that I wanted to Photoshop that image. Partly, I guess, because I never liked Barbie as a "role model", and the "Teen Talk" version that briefly uttered the words "math is hard" was kind of the epitome of that.

I thought I was going to write something about that, but by the time I got home, I realized that just wasn't going to happen.

Maybe I'll think of more to write about this later. But now, since I'm wiped out but need to go in to work tomorrow, I'm going to call it a night.

Update: Apparently the phrase was "math class is hard".

Haloscan comment thread

Happy Birthday, Jessica!

Hope it's a good one!

Haloscan comment thread

The Daily Show takes on Hillary's "I'm winning" spin

The Daily Show did a segment on The Long, Flat, Seemingly Endless Bataan Death March To The White House last night. In addition to mocking the corporate media's penchant for overly dramatic life-and-death analogies, Jon Stewart took on the absurd metrics put forth by Hillary and her supporters. Culminating in:

So what it comes down to is that you would win the nomination if Democrats were Republicans? That sounds like one tremendous "if you" to the process.

The Colbert Report also had some fun with this subject.

Haloscan comment thread

Open Thread

I know some people consider the pun to be the lowest form of humor, but this one cracks me up.



see more crazy cat pics

BTW, here's the link to the Pennsylvania Department of State's unofficial returns page.

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Hillary fails to capture much needed high-margin victory in PA

With 22% of the vote counted, Clinton only leads Obama 53 to 47%, falling far short of the decisive win her campaign desperately needed. Results here.


Updated at 10 p.m. Eastern Time, with 47% of the vote in, the margin is now Clinton 54% to Obama 46%. Still nothing like the 20 point margin she enjoyed in Pennsylvania just a few weeks ago.

Haloscan comment thread

You say it's your Earth Day...

It's my Earth Day too, yeah!

No Planet B
by

myleftwing

Haloscan comment thread

Bitter much?

Sorry to continue the front page griping about Clinton, but, dang, she's getting on my nerves....

After stressing the financial burdens Americans are suffering, problems with education, and more, Clinton stressed the critical decision these voters have to make. She jabbed her opponent, Sen. Barack Obama, who Saturday held his largest rally ever miles from the site where Clinton spoke.

“I don’t want to show up and give one of these whoop-de-do speeches and, you know, and just kind of get everybody whipped up," she said, "and those [of you who are for me] feel great and, you know, try to convince some of you to be for me.”

Clinton again made her argument that the White House is not a place for wimps, saying, “When you get into the general election and when you get into the White House, the stresses and pressures of the general election and the job are overwhelming. And we know we have to have a president ready on day one to take charge.”

Clinton refrained from criticizing the Republican frontrunner John McCain, and instead shared a story about their accommodations when they traveled oversees together.

Presumably, if Hillary Clinton received a visit from the Delegate Fairy, and somehow ended up securing the nomination, she would actually shift gears and turn her attacks on John McCain. At this point that's kind of hard to imagine, since the Clinton snark and condescension has thus far been reserved for Barack Obama and grassroots activists. And friends who end up endorsing Obama rather than Clinton.

Pennsylvania Democrats, please end thing for us.

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Open Thread

Just watched some of a video called An Engineer's Guide to Cats. Kinda long, but I laughed out loud a couple times around the 3 minute mark when they were talking about "cat hobbies".



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Edwards and Obama on The Colbert Report

Here are the videos, for anyone who missed seeing John Edwards and Barack Obama on The Colbert Report last night...

Update: Apparently the Edwards video was pulled from YouTube. I've removed both videos from this post so that people won't be clicking them in vain--I imagine the Obama one won't stay up for long. Here's a link to the Colbert Report web site, where you can watch segments from last night's program.

There was another candidate on last night's show, I seem to recall.

Oh yeah, this one:
Secretly recorded tape reveals Hillary blasting MoveOn & Democratic activists

Nice one, Hill. Do we need to remind people why MoveOn was founded in the first place?

And click here for audio of both MoveOn Hatin' Hillary and MoveOn Lovin' Hillary.

Haloscan comment thread

Hillary seeking the "Colbert bump"

She's scheduled to appear on The Colbert Report tonight.

It's been taped already, as reported here.

“Are you telling me there is no one in this theater who can fix the mess we’re in?” Mr. Colbert said.

Enter Mrs. Clinton, who strode out on stage, smiling.

“I can,” she said. “I can, Stephen!”

After pausing for applause, Mrs. Clinton said, “Let me handle this,” and squinted up into some imaginary rafters to talk a technician through the problem.

Then she moved onto the issue of Mr. Colbert’s appearance.

“You know what, Stephen?” she said. “Your forehead is a little shiny. Makeup! Makeup! Can we get some translucent powder, please?”

Mr. Colbert said in mock amazement, “Wow, Senator Clinton! You’re so prepared for any situation!”

Mrs. Clinton replied, “That’s O.K., Stephen. I just love solving problems.”

I just threw up a little bit in my mouth.

John Edwards will also be making an appearance on stage, and Barack Obama will be on via satellite.

(I still think a "Colbert bump" sounds like what you get when you're expecting a little Colbert.)

Haloscan comment thread

To What End?

Ten million people watched this debate. Somewhat of an indication that they're interested in the outcome. They were NOT assisted in that aim. . . .

. . . many of the millions who did watch, didn't like what they saw. Including TV critic Tom Shales of the Washington Post and Will Bunch of the Philadelphia Daily News. First Shales:

"It was another step downward for network news — usually dependable anchors, Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos, turned in shoddy, despicable performances.

The fact is, cable networks CNN and MSNBC both did better jobs with earlier candidate debates. Cable news is indeed taking over from network news, and merely by being competent."

And from Bunch, an open letter to Gibson and Stephanopoulos calling their performance "a televised train wreck that my friend and colleague Greg Mitchell has already called, quite accurately, 'a shameful night for the U.S. media.'"

Alessandra Stanley of the NYTimes focused on "the veiled ties and tensions between news media stars and political figures" which "sometimes make voters bitter, leading them to cling to political satire by the likes of Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert as a way to explain their frustration."

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/politics/abc_debate_reviews_shoddy_televised_train_wreck_excellent_82656.asp

HaloScan comment thread

ICE OUT! (Shout it all together!)

Mid-April snow squalls left fresh snow on Mount Mansfield.



It won't last long.
For on Monday in Vermont the ice in Mallett's Bay
{ where listener and family sail }
broke up and was pushed by the wind to one side!



Now if that would just happen in the political campaign, eh?


This is a Speak Freely Thread. Let the winds of Change blow free!

Haloscan comment thread

People who should know better

Hat tip to Jed Report for reminding us of Hillary's "tea and cookies" remark.

"Those of us who have tried to have a career, tried to have an independent life, certainly somebody like myself...you know, I suppose I could have stayed home and baked cookies and had teas but what I decided to do was fulfill my profession which I entered before my husband was in public life."

I remember when she said that. I sympathized. I was in grad school, and had no plans (at that time) to do the "stay at home" thing. And I hadn't yet developed a real respect for how challenging and rewarding such a choice could be.

But I liked her back then. I recognized that she was treated unfairly. She's the one who talked about a "vast right wing conspiracy", remember? Knowing from personal experience what it's like to be hammered with your own ill-chosen words, she should be the first person to denounce such attacks on her fellow Democrats. Instead, she seeks to profit from them. That's just sad...and wrong.

Haloscan comment thread

Bitter Voters for Obama

New web site just went up...Bitter Voters for Obama.

Haloscan comment thread

"Look how American I am!", continued

Hillary Clinton: "Who do Americans want to have a beer with? Look--I've got photographic evidence right here!"



"What's that? Do shots with you?"

I can totally imagine her TerminatorVision activating at this point, rapidly displaying the probabilities of various outcomes depending on whether she says yes or no. After all of her efforts to convince the regular folks that Barack Obama is the one who is elitist while she "gets" small-town America (having been raised on "pinochle and the American dream"), can she afford to say no?

"Well...(shrug). Down the hatch!"

From ABC's Political Radar:

Clinton stood by the bar and took a shot of Crown Royal whiskey. She took one sip of the shot, then another small sip, then a few seconds later threw her head back and finished off the whole thing.

(Pictures via Huffington Post)

When I saw these pictures of Hillary Clinton last night, my first response was to be disgusted at the pandering. But then I was intrigued. Maybe this situation offers us some lemons with which we can make lemonade.

Fact: Hillary is determined to stay in this thing.
Fact: We can't get her to stop doing John McCain's work for him

Those are some rather disheartening facts. But we should at least be able to get some entertainment out of this. There could be any number of, shall we say, "less than dignified" things Hillary could be persuaded to do on camera to bolster her "real American" cred.

Developing...

Haloscan comment thread

Hillary Clinton, just reeking "small town America"

Hillary Clinton joining the presumptive Republican nominee in an opportunistic tag teaming of Obama was to be expected. But I'm a little disappointed in myself that I didn't see this coming

“You know, my dad took me out behind the cottage that my grandfather built on a little lake called Lake Winola outside of Scranton and taught be how to shoot when I was a little girl,” she said.

“You know, some people now continue to teach their children and their grandchildren. It’s part of culture. It’s part of a way of life. People enjoy hunting and shooting because it’s an important part of who they are. Not because they are bitter.”

The article notes that Hillary and her daddy hunted ducks.


Why yes, I did post this story just to have an excuse to use that picture. Some days, that's just the kind of gal I am. ;)

Haloscan comment thread

Saturday Open Thread

Son in Ohio just pointed out this YouTube video about Pirates and Emperors. (In the tradition of Schoolhouse Rock.)



Update
This is worth a read: Pushing Clinton: CNN's Push Poll on Obama's Remarks

Haloscan comment thread

Seeing the Clintons in a new light. Growing up politically, so to speak.

If you have been following the saga of that very clever blogger from Kansas calling himself John Brown and going after Taylor Marsh....then you will enjoy his post about Bill Clinton. I have found his blog to be humorous and insightful in many areas.

It describes just about I feel as I keep seeing new facets of the former first family emerging. There is something rather sad and wistful about what we are witnessing. There is no joy in it. Just a kind of numbness and fatigue.

I liked Bill Clinton. Then I grew up.

Once upon a time, I thought highly of Bill Clinton. Sure, I had a few reservations about him. Overall, though, I liked the guy. Then I grew up.

It was easy to look past Bill's more highly-publicized shortcomings. He screwed around. He lied about it. I never felt his carnal urges had much of a bearing on his ability to lead the country. I could put myself in his shoes and imagine myself fibbing under oath and parsing definitions of "sexual relations" to stay out of bigger trouble. The guy bullshitted everyone about Monica and is other assignations but, even as a non-cheater, I could let it slide.

I even developed a kind of respect for Bill Clinton. I was impressed with the way he could weather controversy. I was astonished by his ability to charm his way out of situations that would doom most politicians. I think I also liked Bill because the people who were "out to get him" were usually people with whom I disagreed on issues. I, like others, sort of rallied behind Clinton because I despised his foes. Those asshats were more evil and conniving than Bill, but they weren't as good at the game. And, in my estimation, they were on the wrong side.

I liked Bill Clinton. Then I grew up.

Somewhere along the line, I realized that the means were just as important--if not more important--than the ends. I lost my appetite for the fruits of the diseased tree. Winning is important, but the way one wins is just as significant.

The blogger ends with this paragraph which in a way describes the battles our party is fighting right now.

They say that idealism is just for kids. I don't think so. I think it's valuable. I also believe, that in the long run, it's the only thing that makes sense.

There was a statement made by his wife who is running for president now. It was her statement about giving Iraqis the gift of freedom

"And I believe that at the same time that we have to make clear to the Iraqis that they have been given the greatest gift that a human being can give another human being – the gift of freedom. And it is up to them to decide how they will use that precious gift that has been paid for with the blood and sacrifice and treasure of the United States of America."

That statement defined her candidacy for me. It's hard seeing people in new ways, and there is no pleasure in it at all.

Haloscan comment thread

Moar new thread

The "moar" is lolcat-speak, for anyone unfamiliar. I'm tired and feeling a little silly. But thought I'd share this rather well done "Elton John sings for Hillary" parody first. Just discovered it in this thread at Booman.



Haloscan comment thread

Open Thread

Talk amongst yourselves...

Haloscan comment thread

If wishes were ponies...

Also posted at Booman

Via Oliver Willis, I found this post on Salon.com. I recommend going to Oliver's site for the commentary, but you don't want to miss the title of the pro-Hillary piece in Salon. It's classic Hillary-think:

Why Hillary Clinton should be winning

You see, while Hillary is not actually winning, she really should be. But reality is well-known for having a pro-Obama bias.

And the subhead reads: Under a winner-take-all primary system, Hillary Clinton would have a wide lead over Barack Obama -- and enough delegates to clinch the nomination by June.

As Oliver points out, "If Senator Clinton wished to run for the nomination of a party with a winner-take-all nomination process, she would be well within her legal rights to do so - she simply needed to have changed her party affiliation to Republican."

Well, yeah. And actually, Demetrius told me a while back that he saw Paul Begala on some cable news show saying the Democrats should have a winner-take-all system like the Republicans, because it has "built-in momentum" or some such.

Wouldn't that be rather, well, "undemocratic"? Especially coming from someone associated with Hillary, who is currently presenting herself as would-be champion of the downtodden, disenfranchised voters in Florida and Michigan.

I also saw this earlier today, via Pho's Akron Pages. Part of the plea Hillary is currently sending out to her mailing list

With 14 days to go until the people of Pennsylvania vote, the Obama campaign has decided to go all-out. They're trying to end the race for the White House with an unyielding media blitz. Right now, we're being outspent 4-1 on Pennsylvania television.

So now, here's what we have to ask ourselves: Have we come this far in our history-making contest for the Democratic nomination only to see the race decided not by the quality of our ideas but by the size of our opponent's media budget?

Maybe I'm misremembering this, but isn't that how Hillary was planning to win the nomination? By crushing any and all challengers under the weight of her mighty campaign war chest?

But, I do understand. What it comes down to is that Hillary Clinton really really wants to be president. She wants it so much that she seems unable to even consider the possibility that it won't happen.

I am reminded of a moms' group I attended when Son and Daughter in Ohio were much younger. One of the other mothers was asking how to respond to her little one's meltdown over being denied something s/he desperately wanted. Like maybe the child wanted a pony, but couldn't have one. The group leader suggested saying something like, "You wish you could have a pony." When I first heard that suggestion, I couldn't help laughing, because it sounded like sarcasm to me. "You wish!" But I learned to say it in a way that didn't feel that way to me. "You really wish you could have..." It was kind of Rogerian, actually. A way of acknowledging kids' feelings and making sure they know they've been heard...even if the answer is still "no".

I'm glad I had some good role models to teach me the importance of showing empathy toward toddlers and preschoolers. The "you can't always get what you want" lesson is a tough one for little kids, and they deserve our compassion as they are learning it.

But when we're talking about 60 year old senators, my patience and compassion wear a bit thin...

Here's your pony, Hillary.

Now get out of the damn race!

Haloscan comment thread

Help Howard

HaloScan thread

Open Thread

I is too tired to blog. But here is an open thread.

see more crazy cat pics

Haloscan comment thread

McCain Girls: not a parody. Apparently.

When I saw the "It's raining McCain" video, I initially thought it was a joke. So, it seems, did a lot of other people in the blogoverse. Lead McCain Girl was not amused, and issued a curt, profanity laced 30 second statement to that effect on YouTube. In it, she promised to be back with more McCainy goodness set to music.

And she was true to her word, because here they are again.



I'm beginning to think maybe I judged "Hillary for you and me" too harshly.

Haloscan comment thread

Clinton donors push. Howard pushes back

This primary season certainly puts Howard Dean in a tough spot.

Clinton Donors Press Dean at Fifth Avenue Bundler Summit
More on Clinton Donors Versus Dean

From the second link:

Dean then responded, heatedly, that in his experience, those who sought the intervention of party leadership were motivated by their own particular agendas. And that was not the sort of leadership he intended to provide.

You tell 'em, Howard!

I recall during the 2004 primaries, Terry McAuliffe was not exactly an unbiased arbiter. Working, as Howard Dean has in his tenure as DNC chair, to make sure everyone is treated fairly, is certainly a thankless job. But, as Hillary Clinton's campaign chair, McAuliffe should consider himself damn lucky that the current DNC chair is making a genuine effort to remain neutral.

Haloscan comment thread

When animals *don't* attack

As the article says, of course this scene could have gone horribly wrong, but happily it didn't. And I just couldn't pass up sharing this picture and story. Especially after reading about Glenn Beck's anti-polar bear rant.

Wildlife photographer Norbert Rosing was taking pictures of a team of huskies in Canada's frozen north when a polar bear gatecrashed the party.

Along with dog handler Brian Ladoon, Mr Rosing watched helplessly as the bear and one of the dogs approached each other.

They growled and bared their teeth. But then, instead of fighting, the enemies became firm friends.

First the bear gently nuzzled the husky's neck. The dog responded by rising on its hind legs to lick the bear's face.

The bear then rolled on its back to play as the husky looked on, somewhat bemused.

More here.

Haloscan comment thread

Open Thread

see more crazy cat pics

BTW, I've got a diary at Booman: Hillary: Pledged delegates are "misnomer"

Hillary, for her part, was on Leno last night, joking about sniper fire. This must be part of a "humor offensive" (she writes, fully appreciating the potential double-meaning of the phrase.) How very "Bush pretending to look for WMD" of her.

Haloscan comment thread

Jimmy Carter drops a hint

Via ThisDay Online

Carter, who is a Super Delegate from Georgia State, gave this hint at a media interaction after the Carter Center Awards for Guinea Worm Eradication in Abuja yesterday.

Carter, who was accompanied by his wife Rosalynn, did not profess a direct support for Obama but rather choose to make a veiled statement.
“We are very interested in the primaries. Don’t forget that Obama won in my state of Georgia. My town which is home to 625 people is for Obama, my children and their spouses are pro- Obama.

My grandchildren are also pro- Obama. As a Super Delegate, I would not disclose who I am rooting for but I leave you to make that guess," he said.

Cool.

By the way, I've also added some articles to my Google shared items.

Haloscan comment thread

Wednesday thread

New thread, since it's not April Fool's Day any more and the site banner is back to normal.

A few links before I leave for work

Lifted--great animated short by Pixar

Flying Penguin Footage via the BBC (Okay, that one was left over from April Fool's)

And on a more serious note, check out Booman's post Learning about Trinity.

Laters.

Haloscan comment thread

April 1 Open Thread

Click here for the Top 100 April Fool's Hoaxes of All Time and here for the Wikipedia page.


Haloscan comment thread

Gore launches the "We" campaign

Via Progress Ohio

The We campaign is a nationwide effort to engage and mobilize the American people to come together and call for solutions to climate change.

The campaign is an unprecedented commercial‐scale, mainstream mobilization effort designed to bring public opinion past the tipping point and convince elected leaders to take bold action.

This three‐year effort will combine the best practices of successful commercial marketing and issueadvocacy efforts.

It supplements and supports the ongoing work of other organizations but is unique in its scale and breadth.

Oh, and Joseph at Plunderbund reminds us that today is Al Gore's 60th birthday.

Haloscan comment thread

Open Thread

see more loldogs are funny dog pictures!

Bear with me peeps. Here's the deal...I really wanted to put up the Fun With Captions post, but I also knew that there would be people who didn't want to look at The Decider's mug every time they loaded the page. So I decided to put up a new post right away. But I also anticipated people being confused about which thread people would be posting in, so I decided to make one comment thread to be shared by both the Open Thread and the Fun With Captions post. I'm sure I'm still managing to confuse someone, but this is the solution I've decided on.

Also, FYI, I start teaching again tomorrow, right after work, so I won't be available for any blog tinkering until well into the evening.

Haloscan comment thread

Fun with captions

Okay, so I'm bored.

And I've been thinking that there must be some great captions for this picture, but I don't seem to be coming up with any myself

So here's what I *did* do--I made two versions, adding the talk and thought balloons.

Can you think of some good captions for either of these?

Haloscan comment thread

George Bush is no Gene Kelly

I think I had seen reference to the letter Patricia Ward Kelly, widow of Gene Kelly, sent to the New York Times, but hadn't gotten around to finding the letter and reading it once I got home from work. Thankfully, I was just reminded by this post at Crooks and Liars. Ms. Kelly's letter was prompted by this Maureen Dowd column, in which the columnist stated:

The dollar’s crumpling, the recession’s thundering, the Dow’s bungee-jumping and the world’s disapproving, yet George Bush has turned into Gene Kelly, tap dancing and singing in a one-man review called “The Most Happy Fella.”

Anyway, as Nicole Belle remarked at Crooks and Liars, there "are some smackdowns that are just better than others."

When Gene was compared to the grace and agility of Jack Dempsey, Wayne Gretzky and Willie Mays, he was delighted. But to be linked with a clunker -- particularly one he would consider inept and demoralizing -- would have sent him reeling.

Graduated with a degree in economics from Pitt, Gene was not only a gifted dancer, director and choreographer, he was also a most civilized man. He spoke multiple languages; wrote poetry; studied history; understood the projections of Adam Smith and John Maynard Keynes. He did the Sunday Times crossword in ink. Exceedingly articulate, Gene often conveyed more through movement than others manage with words.

Sadly, President Bush fails to communicate meaningfully with either. For George Bush to become Gene Kelly would require impossible leaps in creativity, erudition and humility.

Patricia Ward Kelly
Los Angeles, March 16, 2008

Oh, snap.

Haloscan comment thread

Black church and community

When I wrote Here is the church earlier this week, one thing that didn't even occur to me is the historical significance of the church in the African American community. So I am grateful to Booman for doing a front page post this morning addressing this issue. His post featured an excerpt from rikyrah, of Jack and Jill Politics. I include that same excerpt here, as it addresses this issue much more effectively than I ever could.

Black people do not change churches like they do purses. I am in my 30's, and outside of school, I've had exactly 2 church homes in my life. It took nearly 2 years to find the second one, but I found it. Commitment to a church isn't something that's done fly-by-night. It's not some fleeting commitment. It is a given that you will find something that you don't like about any church you attend; which is why it is the general COMMUNITY that will ultimately make that decision.

The Black Church is the ONLY institution, in the history of The United States of America, which, from its conception,

Validated, Supported, Incubated, and Treasured.

BLACK HUMANITY.

Period.

Don't think I'm correct, then name me another institution which has done so.

The attack on Trinity is seen as an attack on the Black Church, and thus, by extension, an attack on the Black Community as a whole.

During times of slavery and Jim Crow, the Black Church was what reinforced Community.

Post Civil Rights and Integration, the Black Church is now what brings Community together, considering that the Black Community, like the rest of America, is becoming more stratified along the lines of class. The Black Church is really the only place in Black America where you will consistently find the doctor and welfare mother in the same building, with the same purpose. It's the place to break down those walls of class that are building up.

To disown Wright and Trinity would be to disown the Black Community itself, which is why Obama said in his speech he couldn't. He understood that fundamentally about the Black Community, and he understood that political expediency would mean the doubting of the existence of his soul by the Black community. Obama would never be trusted again by Black folk if he had disowned Wright & Trinity. Even Black folk that don't go to church understand that you don't mess with the Black Church - it's just not done.

Update: I think that showing the people of Trinity some love is a good idear. If you agree, please pass it on.

Haloscan comment thread

NATIONAL NURSE RESOLUTION PASSES VERMONT HOUSE!

wOOt!  wOOt!  wOOt! wOOt!  wOOt!  wOOt! wOOt!  wOOt!  wOOt! wOOt!  wOOt!  wOOt!

A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF
AN OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL NURSE
PASSED THE VT HOUSE TODAY!


THIS JUST IN FROM MY REP. BILL FRANK! ~

Yea!!! The resolution was just presented on the floor by Rep. Patty
O'Donnell and passed on a voice vote. Later today the House Journal
will be posted on the Leg web site, where this will show up.


http://www.cafepress.com/nationalnurse.28937656 

wOOt!  wOOt!  wOOt! wOOt!  wOOt!  wOOt! wOOt!  wOOt!  wOOt! wOOt!  wOOt!  wOOt!

COMMENTS

It's Kitten Time!

It's always Kitten Time at The Daily Kitten. Scroll down to read the very interesting entry for March 24.

Haloscan Comment Link

Here is the church...

The latest from Hillary Clinton...

"You don't choose your family, but you choose what church you want to attend."

*Shakes head*

Oh, Hillary, what are we going to do with you? You have been saying for months that you're "ready on day one". But, you remember that saying about how "everything I needed to know, I learned in kindergarten"? I think maybe you were absent for an important lesson.

Here's the church, and here's the steeple
Open the door and see all the people.

All the people, Hillary. Not just the pastor. Setting aside for a moment the concepts of forgiveness and redemption, and, oh, I don't know, choosing to stay with someone who's made a mistake of some sort, disagreeing with one's pastor is not necessarily reason enough to leave one's church home.

As Deborah Brown said at Street Prophets this afternoon

To me, all these folks who yell sanctimoniously about Obama NOT leaving the church when he heard something he didn't like are only showing their true colors as people who have never been meaningfully involved in a church family.

Your church is, or should be, so much more than a single pastor-- it's the people, philosophies, works and programs that make up a combined spiritual home and physical place to be the hands and feet of God.

More here.

Just an aside, by the way. People are free think whatever they want about the value or harm of organized religion. But I believe we owe it to ourselves and each other to try to understand the relationships and contexts of people's lives through their eyes, and not just through the lens of our own biases.

Haloscan comment thread

CBS video contradict's Hillary's Bosnia tale

Actual mainstream media coverage

CBS News Video from Hillary Clinton's 1996 visit to Bosnia as first lady contradicts a more dramatic description the Democratic presidential candidate gave in a recent campaign speech.

More media coverage here.

Also, in Metanarratives and Hillary's Honesty Gap, Greg Saunders points out how easily Hillary's "misstatements" could become this year's "invented the internet".

Haloscan comment thread

This and that

I posted the following over the weekend at My Left Wing...

Since Hillary Clinton has been pushing the idea that she has "crossed the commander-in-chief threshold", I think it's reasonable that we should examine the evidence to see if it supports that assertion. Actually, I believe that the 24-hour news channels should be examining that evidence. But hopefully they'll catch up to speed on that after they squeeze the last few drops of sensationalism out of Rev. Jeremiah Wright's sermons. In the meantime, bloggers are doing what they can to get this story the attention it deserves...

"I remember landing under sniper fire. There was supposed to be some kind of a greeting ceremony at the airport, but instead we just ran with our heads down to get into the vehicles to get to our base." --Hillary Clinton, speech at George Washington University, March 17, 2008.

Let's take a peek at this harrowing experience Hillary bravely endured, with the sniper fire and what have you.

Wait a second...that doesn't look nearly as life-threatening as what Hillary described! It's almost like she was exaggerating, or something.

For more, see Hillary in Tuzla: The Tale of Bosnian Sniper Fire (TRAILER) at The Jed Report.
.....
Since the time I posted that diary, the Clinton campaign has apparently said that they may have "misspoke". Carville, tool that he is, has stood by his "Judas" remark. Making Hillary, who, exactly? Sadly, a supporter of Obama brought up "the blue dress", making it even harder to keep any kind of spotlight on offenses committed by the Clinton campaign.

Dammit! Have I mentioned how freaking sick I am of all of this? I want to walls to start oozing stuff that tells Hillary to GET OUT. Wherever she goes.

Bottom line, though, I've had a long day, and need to stay away from the political stuff. So I'm going to post some links about Peeps, and then try to find my happy place, and hang out there for a while.

It's a new movement: Peep art
Columbus Dispatch "Pimp My Peep" contest
Washington Post Peeps Show
Chicago Tribune Peeps Dioramas
Peep Research

Haloscan comment thread

END OF EASTER DAY ~ HERE'S TO SPRING!

Haloscan Comment Thread

Open Thread

Needed a break from the political stuff, so I checked out some Discovery News stories. One in particular, an article entitled Squirrels Network Like Facebook Friends, caught my attention.

And the picture accompanying the article was just crying out for the lolcat treatment....

Haloscan comment thread

Carville's reaction to the Richardson endorsement

Gollum speaks (via an article in the New York Times)

The reaction of some of Mr. Clinton’s allies suggests that might have been a wise decision. “An act of betrayal,” said James Carville, an adviser to Mrs. Clinton and a friend of Mr. Clinton.

“Mr. Richardson’s endorsement came right around the anniversary of the day when Judas sold out for 30 pieces of silver, so I think the timing is appropriate, if ironic,” Mr. Carville said, referring to Holy Week.

Stunningly offensive remarks in so many ways.

Haloscan comment thread

Casey Knowles' new ad for Obama

Haloscan comment thread

~ ♡ ~ I T ' S ♡ S P R I N G ! ! ! ~ ♡ ~

Note from Renee: I happen to be home sick today, so I had time to add the Haloscan link, which I otherwise would hot have been able to add until this evening. So a quick reminder that I don't always have time to keep up with the blog, but I make a point of "growing" Haloscan links here. Those of you who know how this works, please help out those who don't.


(Detail of a wax design created by listener on a huge Paschal Candle for a church in Vermont.)

Let's hear it for new beginnings!

Well, this is as close as I can get to posting a picture of Spring flowers.
We are expecting 6" (or more) of snow!

For some reason I cannot fathom, that fact doesn't bother me at all.

So, HAPPY SPRING to all, whatever your circumstances!!
XOXOXXX

Haloscan comment thread

Open Thread

see more crazy cat pics


Haloscan comment thread

Trinity UCC's Palm Sunday message

Would be nice if the media did a better job of dealing with "nuance". But, since they don't, I think it's important to hear what the current pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ, Rev. Otis Moss III, has to say in support of his church.

Nearly three weeks before the 40th commemorative anniversary of the murder of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Reverend Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr.’s character is being assassinated in the public sphere because he has preached a social gospel on behalf of oppressed women, children and men in America and around the globe.

Dr. Wright has preached 207,792 minutes on Sunday for the past 36 years at Trinity United Church of Christ. This does not include weekday worship services, revivals and preaching engagements across America and around the globe, to ecumenical and interfaith communities. It is an indictment on Dr. Wright’s ministerial legacy to present his global ministry within a 15- or 30-second sound bite,” said the Reverend Otis Moss III, pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ.

During the 36-year pastorate of Dr. Wright, Trinity United Church of Christ has grown from 87 to 8,000 members. It is the largest congregation in the United Church of Christ denomination.

“It saddens me to see news stories reporting such a caricature of a congregation that has been such a blessing to the UCC’s Wider Church mission,” said the Rev. John H. Thomas, UCC general minister and president, in a released statement. “ … It’s time for us to say ‘No’ to these attacks and declare that we will not allow anyone to undermine or destroy the ministries of any of our congregations in order to serve their own narrow political or ideological ends.”

Trinity United Church of Christ’s ministry is inclusive and global. The following ministries have been developed under Dr. Wright’s ministerial tutelage for social justice: assisted living facilities for senior citizens, day care for children, pastoral care and counseling, health care, ministries for persons living with HIV/AIDS, hospice training, prison ministry, scholarships for thousands of students to attend historically black colleges, youth ministries, tutorial and computer programs, a church library, domestic violence programs and scholarships and fellowships for women and men attending seminary.

Moss added, “The African American Church was born out of the crucible of slavery and the legacy of prophetic African American preachers since slavery has been and continues to heal broken marginalized victims of social and economic injustices. This is an attack on the legacy of the African American Church which led and continues to lead the fight for human rights in America and around the world.”

On a related note, I highly recommend Booman's post about Rev. Wright, Barack Obama, and race in America.

Also, Barack Obama is set to give a major address on race and politics tomorrow in Philadelphia.

Additional links:
Cincinnati NAACP responds to attacks on the African-American Church!

Remarks by Pastor Dan (a United Church of Christ minister) of Street Prophets

Let me tell you something about preaching by Pastor Dan

Can I get an amen?

UPDATE: As I was commenting elsewhere a couple days ago, there are people out there (often Hillary supporters) who seem to think this is a good time to pop some popcorn, sit back, and get their schadenfreude on. Hoping that this will be what takes Obama down, and rationalizing that it's for the best, because Wright's statements will only come back in the form of 527 ads in the fall. To me, that seems to be a very short-sighted "the ends justify the means way of looking at the situation.

And I can't help but be reminded of the whole "Dean scream" thing, and indeed the whole caricatured portrayal of the good doctor/governor from Vermont--which for some people, was all they ever saw of him. Some fellow Democrats who supported another candidate happily adopted a "blame the victim" approach, saying that Howard should have known this was how hardball politics was played, and should have been more careful not to provide the media soundbites that could be used against him.

Why are we not all working harder to hold the media more accountable? And to make sure the rest of the story is told, and the context is provided, so that people know the whole story.

As much as I would have liked to see an Al Gore candidacy, I completely understood why he wouldn't want to subject himself to another political campaign, given the treatment he received from the media last time around. Sadly, things haven't gotten better since then.

One thing that saddens me is the stunning lack of curiosity that so many people have displayed with regard to Rev. Wright and his church of 8000 members. In the Palm Sunday sermon at my church, my priest quoted something that Wright had said when he spoke to the Ohio Ministries Convocation earlier this year. I couldn't scrawl fast enough to write down what he said, but thought I might be able to find that speech on line somewhere. So far, no luck. Will have to keep looking.

Right now, though, I need to get to work. For those who have YouTube viewing capabilities, I recommend watching these videos which were made by ministers at Trinity UCC.

Haloscan comment thread

♣ HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY! ♣

{listener's Granddaughter*in*NC at the St. Paddy's Day parade.}

Open Thread for all Leprechauns
and all others who need some good ol' Irish luck. ♣

Haloscan comment thread

What really deserves to be "renounced"?

I've already expressed my frustration with the "renouncing game" that the media likes to play, and some activists seem to support--if they think it might benefit their candidate. One of the main problems, in my mind, is the false equivalency. This business of "Has Obama done enough to distance himself..." seems like a hoop that people demand the candidate jump through. Because, well, they can, and that's how the game is played.

But some supporter statements are more relevant than others. There's a difference between "guilt by association", and people in key positions who make statements that give us a clue about how you will govern. I'm thinking of some of the more egregious remarks made by Carville, Begala, et. al.

If anyone has some of those at your fingertips, could you link them here? I'd like to start collecting those for a future post.

Haloscan comment thread

TIBET IN PERIL

In advance of the Olympic Games in China, many in Tibet have begun
active protests calling for freedom for Tibet, hoping the world will help.
Violence has broken out, and has begun to spread to provinces outside Lhasa.
The non-violence movement itself is in peril. Please hold Tibet in the Light.

The Bush Administration has basically painted the United States into a corner, as regards China, because we now owe so much money to China at a time when we have depleted our military and our domestic resources and have outsourced many jobs.

Now Tibet is in peril and the United States is too impotent to truly help. With the Olympics taking place soon in China, it would have been good for the United States to be able to take a stand. Instead there is only weak rhetoric:

International criticism of the crackdown in Tibet so far has been mild, with no threats of an Olympic boycott or other sanctions. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called Sunday on China "to exercise restraint in dealing with the protests."

Rice said she was "concerned by reports of a sharply increased police and military presence in and around Lhasa." Her statement urged China to release those jailed for protesting.

The government will construe according to its wit. I, for one, plan to boycott the Olympic Games as well as all Chinese goods.

Hubby and I watched the movie 10 Questions for the Dalai Lama this week.
We highly recommend it!

(BTW, Cafe Press has many Free Tibet designs...such as the flag and the Dalai Lama photo featured here.
If you know of more, please post the links in this thread.)





Haloscan comment thread