Saturday, March 20, 2004
Veteran's Stadium Memories
It's implosion time. Though I don't think I'll get up and watch at 6:30am tomorrow morning. I guess I shouldn't be surprised about all of the media coverage. It's just another event in the city's history. But, after watching misty-eyed men being interviewed about the Vet and all of their memories I started thinking about the relationship that stadium and I share...
I think I went to the Vet for the first time when I was 9 years old. These six years have really flow- OK...OK... It's been about 27 years since that first trip to the "cookie cutter."
It's amazing how times change. All of those stadiums (Veteran's, Riverfront, Three Rivers & Busch) were built in the late 60s/early 70s and seemed like a great idea at the time. I can hear the planners & engineers now, "Multi-purpose, multi-function stadiums are the wave of the future." They were, for a while. The Vet would have been best served to switch to grass in the early 80s, it would have prolonged careers. (I can remember Scott Rolen having to take days off during his third year because of the way that turf treated his back. You could ask Michael Irvin about it too, but not the fans. That's a post for another time.) Busch, in St. Louis switched to grass and the other two ballparks are gone. they've been replaced by the "re-generated" ball park. Old park feel, with new park convenience. And in the case of Baltimore(Old - Memorial Stadium) & Pittsburgh they got TWO new stadiums each for their outdoor teams. And now Philly is coming onto the scene, in typical Philly style, late.
I've probably been to 200 or 300 events at the Vet in my life (probably more, my stubs are in storage, so i'm going from memory here.) Some winning, lots of losing. But the best thing about the stadium was the people. Not just the employees (who were helpful, if you needed a tourniquet) but the amazing cross-section of people who attended the games, concerts and tractor pulls. Suburban families, urban dwellers, Goretti girls, O'Hara boys, college kids and the people who enjoyed the beer garden ($8.50 for a Guinness?) The crowds at a Phillies game on a warm Summer night were a wonderful snapshot of the city of Philadelphia. Diverse, vocal, opinionated (we're sorry Von Hayes!) and most of all interesting.
A couple of events stand out for me. I was there the day they retired Mike Schmidt's number, I think they lost that day to the Braves, but I do remember during the pre-game ceremony Schmidtty presented Harry Kalas with a LeRoy Neiman painting of himself mid-swing. He gave it as a thank you for all of his home run calls (all 548.) Harry got all choked up. After that moment I had a new found respect for Schmidt.
The second event was a Pink Floyd concert. It was the Division Bell tour ('93 or '94 I think.) It was a beautiful night and they played two sets. The entire first set was stuff from the new album. So, at intermission, their was a real buzz in the crowd because we knew that the second part of the show would be old favorites. We were right. The music was amazing but I vividly remember something else. Behind the sound board (about where the 50 yard line would be) in the center of the stadium was a disco ball that was raised from a big box. From where I was seated I didn't see it come out, but all of a sudden, the lights went completely dark. Simultaneously, two spotlights were trained on the spinning ball from either side of the stadium providing an unforgettable accompaniment to the music. The inside of the Vet turned into a dance hall with 60,000 people on their feet screaming. An unbelievable show.
I think the Vet will always be remembered, and not just in Philadelphia. But the new stadiums will always share something with the Vet. The people.
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It's implosion time. Though I don't think I'll get up and watch at 6:30am tomorrow morning. I guess I shouldn't be surprised about all of the media coverage. It's just another event in the city's history. But, after watching misty-eyed men being interviewed about the Vet and all of their memories I started thinking about the relationship that stadium and I share...
I think I went to the Vet for the first time when I was 9 years old. These six years have really flow- OK...OK... It's been about 27 years since that first trip to the "cookie cutter."
It's amazing how times change. All of those stadiums (Veteran's, Riverfront, Three Rivers & Busch) were built in the late 60s/early 70s and seemed like a great idea at the time. I can hear the planners & engineers now, "Multi-purpose, multi-function stadiums are the wave of the future." They were, for a while. The Vet would have been best served to switch to grass in the early 80s, it would have prolonged careers. (I can remember Scott Rolen having to take days off during his third year because of the way that turf treated his back. You could ask Michael Irvin about it too, but not the fans. That's a post for another time.) Busch, in St. Louis switched to grass and the other two ballparks are gone. they've been replaced by the "re-generated" ball park. Old park feel, with new park convenience. And in the case of Baltimore(Old - Memorial Stadium) & Pittsburgh they got TWO new stadiums each for their outdoor teams. And now Philly is coming onto the scene, in typical Philly style, late.
I've probably been to 200 or 300 events at the Vet in my life (probably more, my stubs are in storage, so i'm going from memory here.) Some winning, lots of losing. But the best thing about the stadium was the people. Not just the employees (who were helpful, if you needed a tourniquet) but the amazing cross-section of people who attended the games, concerts and tractor pulls. Suburban families, urban dwellers, Goretti girls, O'Hara boys, college kids and the people who enjoyed the beer garden ($8.50 for a Guinness?) The crowds at a Phillies game on a warm Summer night were a wonderful snapshot of the city of Philadelphia. Diverse, vocal, opinionated (we're sorry Von Hayes!) and most of all interesting.
A couple of events stand out for me. I was there the day they retired Mike Schmidt's number, I think they lost that day to the Braves, but I do remember during the pre-game ceremony Schmidtty presented Harry Kalas with a LeRoy Neiman painting of himself mid-swing. He gave it as a thank you for all of his home run calls (all 548.) Harry got all choked up. After that moment I had a new found respect for Schmidt.
The second event was a Pink Floyd concert. It was the Division Bell tour ('93 or '94 I think.) It was a beautiful night and they played two sets. The entire first set was stuff from the new album. So, at intermission, their was a real buzz in the crowd because we knew that the second part of the show would be old favorites. We were right. The music was amazing but I vividly remember something else. Behind the sound board (about where the 50 yard line would be) in the center of the stadium was a disco ball that was raised from a big box. From where I was seated I didn't see it come out, but all of a sudden, the lights went completely dark. Simultaneously, two spotlights were trained on the spinning ball from either side of the stadium providing an unforgettable accompaniment to the music. The inside of the Vet turned into a dance hall with 60,000 people on their feet screaming. An unbelievable show.
I think the Vet will always be remembered, and not just in Philadelphia. But the new stadiums will always share something with the Vet. The people.
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Bush Lies: DOCUMENTED
Rep. Henry Waxman has put together a formal record of all the statements the Bush Administration made about the Iraq war. The background:
On March 19, 2003, U.S. forces began military operations in Iraq. Addressing the nation about the purpose of the war on the day the bombing began, President Bush stated: “The people of the United States and our friends and allies will not live at the mercy of an outlaw regime that threatens the peace with weapons of mass murder.”
One year later, many doubts have been raised regarding the Administration’s assertions about the threat posed by Iraq. Prior to the war in Iraq, the President and his advisors repeatedly claimed that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction that jeopardized the security of the United States. The failure to discover these weapons after the war has led to questions about whether the President and his advisors were candid in describing Iraq’s threat.
I may be the final person in the liberal blogosphere to link to this. Enjoy, I'm sure there will be plenty more in the near future.
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Rep. Henry Waxman has put together a formal record of all the statements the Bush Administration made about the Iraq war. The background:
On March 19, 2003, U.S. forces began military operations in Iraq. Addressing the nation about the purpose of the war on the day the bombing began, President Bush stated: “The people of the United States and our friends and allies will not live at the mercy of an outlaw regime that threatens the peace with weapons of mass murder.”
One year later, many doubts have been raised regarding the Administration’s assertions about the threat posed by Iraq. Prior to the war in Iraq, the President and his advisors repeatedly claimed that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction that jeopardized the security of the United States. The failure to discover these weapons after the war has led to questions about whether the President and his advisors were candid in describing Iraq’s threat.
I may be the final person in the liberal blogosphere to link to this. Enjoy, I'm sure there will be plenty more in the near future.
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Continuing the Theme...
This is a story of Nelda Moore, who has an interesting story to tell:
A DoD whistleblower details an attempt by a covert US team to plant weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The team was later killed by friendly fire due to CIA incompetence. In a world exclusive, Al Martin Raw.com [http://www.almartinraw.com/] has published a news story about a Department of Defense whistleblower who has revealed that a US covert-operations team had planted "Weapons of Mass Destruction" (WMDs) in Iraq, then "lost" them when the team was killed by so-called "friendly fire."
The Pentagon whistleblower, Nelda Rogers, is a 28-year veteran debriefer for the Defense Department. She has become so concerned for her safety that she decided to tell the story about this latest CIA-military fiasco in Iraq. According to Al Martin Raw.com, "Ms. Rogers is number two in the chain of command within this DoD special intelligence office. This is a ten-person debriefing unit within the central debriefing office for the Department of Defense."
The information that is being leaked out is information "obtained while she was in Germany heading up the debriefing of returning service personnel, involved in intelligence work in Iraq for the Department of Defense and/or the Central Intelligence Agency. "According to Ms. Rogers, there was a covert military operation that took place both preceding and during the hostilities in Iraq," reports Al Martin Raw.com, an online subscriber-based news/analysis service which provides "Political, Economic and Financial Intelligence."
I was a bit leery of this information and was not going to bother with this post, but then I Googled Nelda Rogers. You can also call her, "Pentagon Whistleblower."
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This is a story of Nelda Moore, who has an interesting story to tell:
A DoD whistleblower details an attempt by a covert US team to plant weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The team was later killed by friendly fire due to CIA incompetence. In a world exclusive, Al Martin Raw.com [http://www.almartinraw.com/] has published a news story about a Department of Defense whistleblower who has revealed that a US covert-operations team had planted "Weapons of Mass Destruction" (WMDs) in Iraq, then "lost" them when the team was killed by so-called "friendly fire."
The Pentagon whistleblower, Nelda Rogers, is a 28-year veteran debriefer for the Defense Department. She has become so concerned for her safety that she decided to tell the story about this latest CIA-military fiasco in Iraq. According to Al Martin Raw.com, "Ms. Rogers is number two in the chain of command within this DoD special intelligence office. This is a ten-person debriefing unit within the central debriefing office for the Department of Defense."
The information that is being leaked out is information "obtained while she was in Germany heading up the debriefing of returning service personnel, involved in intelligence work in Iraq for the Department of Defense and/or the Central Intelligence Agency. "According to Ms. Rogers, there was a covert military operation that took place both preceding and during the hostilities in Iraq," reports Al Martin Raw.com, an online subscriber-based news/analysis service which provides "Political, Economic and Financial Intelligence."
I was a bit leery of this information and was not going to bother with this post, but then I Googled Nelda Rogers. You can also call her, "Pentagon Whistleblower."
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This may be nothing, but...
We should definitely take this with a grain of salt but the Mehr News Agency is reporting the following:
(emphasis added)
TEHRAN (Mehr News Agency) – Over the past few days, in the wake of the bombings in Karbala and the ideological disputes that delayed the signing of Iraq’s interim constitution, there have been reports that U.S. forces have unloaded a large cargo of parts for constructing long-range missiles and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in the southern ports of Iraq.
A reliable source from the Iraqi Governing Council, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Mehr News Agency that U.S. forces, with the help of British forces stationed in southern Iraq, had made extensive efforts to conceal their actions.
He added that the cargo was unloaded during the night as attention was still focused on the aftermath of the deadly bombings in Karbala and the signing of Iraq’s interim constitution.
The source said that in order to avoid suspicion, ordinary cargo ships were used to download the cargo, which consisted of weapons produced in the 1980s and 1990s.
He mentioned the fact that the United States had facilitated Iraq’s WMD program during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq and said that some of the weapons being downloaded are similar to those weapons, although international inspectors had announced Saddam Hussein’s Baath regime had destroyed all its WMD.
The source went on to say that the rest of the weapons were probably transferred in vans to an unknown location somewhere in the vicinity of Basra overnight.
“Most of these weapons are of Eastern European origin and some parts are from the former Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc. The U.S. obtained them through confiscations during sales of banned arms over the past two decades,” he said.
This action comes as certain U.S. and Western officials have been pointing out the fact that no weapons of mass destruction have been discovered in Iraq and the issue of Saddam’s trial begins to take center stage.
Even if there isn't any truth to this, I give them major credit for the propaganda efforts.
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We should definitely take this with a grain of salt but the Mehr News Agency is reporting the following:
(emphasis added)
TEHRAN (Mehr News Agency) – Over the past few days, in the wake of the bombings in Karbala and the ideological disputes that delayed the signing of Iraq’s interim constitution, there have been reports that U.S. forces have unloaded a large cargo of parts for constructing long-range missiles and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in the southern ports of Iraq.
A reliable source from the Iraqi Governing Council, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Mehr News Agency that U.S. forces, with the help of British forces stationed in southern Iraq, had made extensive efforts to conceal their actions.
He added that the cargo was unloaded during the night as attention was still focused on the aftermath of the deadly bombings in Karbala and the signing of Iraq’s interim constitution.
The source said that in order to avoid suspicion, ordinary cargo ships were used to download the cargo, which consisted of weapons produced in the 1980s and 1990s.
He mentioned the fact that the United States had facilitated Iraq’s WMD program during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq and said that some of the weapons being downloaded are similar to those weapons, although international inspectors had announced Saddam Hussein’s Baath regime had destroyed all its WMD.
The source went on to say that the rest of the weapons were probably transferred in vans to an unknown location somewhere in the vicinity of Basra overnight.
“Most of these weapons are of Eastern European origin and some parts are from the former Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc. The U.S. obtained them through confiscations during sales of banned arms over the past two decades,” he said.
This action comes as certain U.S. and Western officials have been pointing out the fact that no weapons of mass destruction have been discovered in Iraq and the issue of Saddam’s trial begins to take center stage.
Even if there isn't any truth to this, I give them major credit for the propaganda efforts.
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Do you want to check that?
I'm not sure that TSA(Transportation Security Administration) trainees are briefed to look for this type of thing when checking bags. But I can't help but wonder what it would look like in the x-ray machine.
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I'm not sure that TSA(Transportation Security Administration) trainees are briefed to look for this type of thing when checking bags. But I can't help but wonder what it would look like in the x-ray machine.
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Perfect together
Keyshawn Johnson is now a Dallas Cowboy. Keyshawn will be reunited with Bill Parcells who he played for with two seasons on the New York Jets. The Cowboys acquired Johnson in a trade with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for Joey Galloway.
Another glorious* chapter in the career of Keyshawn Johnson comes to an end.
*Not really glorious. Johnson was a club house disruption that Buc head coach Jon Gruden is happy to be rid of. Remember the name of Keyshawn's book: Just Gimme the Damn Ball. Enough said.
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Keyshawn Johnson is now a Dallas Cowboy. Keyshawn will be reunited with Bill Parcells who he played for with two seasons on the New York Jets. The Cowboys acquired Johnson in a trade with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for Joey Galloway.
Another glorious* chapter in the career of Keyshawn Johnson comes to an end.
*Not really glorious. Johnson was a club house disruption that Buc head coach Jon Gruden is happy to be rid of. Remember the name of Keyshawn's book: Just Gimme the Damn Ball. Enough said.
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Our bad!
I've never been in the military, but from people I've spoken to this type of thing isn't very unusual.
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I've never been in the military, but from people I've spoken to this type of thing isn't very unusual.
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Friday, March 19, 2004
Eddie Polec, Charles McCoy Jr. & 911 dispatchers
This post over at Cosmic Iguana details the citizen in Las Vegas who was trying to alert authorities about the presence of suspected Columbus, Ohio highway sniper Charles McCoy Jr.. Apparently, "it took a dozen calls over a ten hour period, to get some action."
This reminded me of a situation that happened here in Philadelphia 10 years ago. This link will give details about the murder of 16-year old Eddie Polec and the related 911 dispatcher problems:
In the aftermath of the Polec murder, tapes of calls to Philadelphia 911 revealed that a series of callers had been warning authorities about a gang of baseball bat-wielding kids for nearly 45 minutes before Polec was attacked. Some of the 911 operators weren't familiar enough with suburban Philadelphia to recognize where the trouble was, and others simply hung up on the callers who were trying to convey the urgency of the situation. "Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute," shouted one operator to a caller who was checking to make sure he'd been heard correctly. "I have the information. You can hang up now," cutting the conversation, and Eddie Polec's chances of survival, dead.
Apparently, this kind of thing happens often. Problems arise from crank calls, switching technology to make it easier to dial 911 from a cell phone and poorly chosen, underpaid dispatchers. Problems of this nature have been documented nationally and at the state level.
How many more tragedies or near tragedies have to happen before this becomes a federal issue?
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This post over at Cosmic Iguana details the citizen in Las Vegas who was trying to alert authorities about the presence of suspected Columbus, Ohio highway sniper Charles McCoy Jr.. Apparently, "it took a dozen calls over a ten hour period, to get some action."
This reminded me of a situation that happened here in Philadelphia 10 years ago. This link will give details about the murder of 16-year old Eddie Polec and the related 911 dispatcher problems:
In the aftermath of the Polec murder, tapes of calls to Philadelphia 911 revealed that a series of callers had been warning authorities about a gang of baseball bat-wielding kids for nearly 45 minutes before Polec was attacked. Some of the 911 operators weren't familiar enough with suburban Philadelphia to recognize where the trouble was, and others simply hung up on the callers who were trying to convey the urgency of the situation. "Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute," shouted one operator to a caller who was checking to make sure he'd been heard correctly. "I have the information. You can hang up now," cutting the conversation, and Eddie Polec's chances of survival, dead.
Apparently, this kind of thing happens often. Problems arise from crank calls, switching technology to make it easier to dial 911 from a cell phone and poorly chosen, underpaid dispatchers. Problems of this nature have been documented nationally and at the state level.
How many more tragedies or near tragedies have to happen before this becomes a federal issue?
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Bush's Week
Everywhere you turn, newspapers, pundits and political commentators are saying this past week was a fantastic week for the Campaign of President Bush. One thing they leave out is a lot of it was due to a couple of Kerry stumbles and that his upturn was strictly on his domestic agenda (e.g. making points with voters.) Of course, as Kevin Drum points out, we are still in a bit of trouble overseas.
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Everywhere you turn, newspapers, pundits and political commentators are saying this past week was a fantastic week for the Campaign of President Bush. One thing they leave out is a lot of it was due to a couple of Kerry stumbles and that his upturn was strictly on his domestic agenda (e.g. making points with voters.) Of course, as Kevin Drum points out, we are still in a bit of trouble overseas.
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Webster Definition
NCAA Tournament Pool-(n) a.Your donation to the person in the office, who hasn't seen a basketball game since Magic beat Larry in '79, and still picks three out of the final four
b. An opportunity to join Martha at the club.
At least this is how I feel after day one and, happily, I didn't pick the Spiders.
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NCAA Tournament Pool-(n) a.Your donation to the person in the office, who hasn't seen a basketball game since Magic beat Larry in '79, and still picks three out of the final four
b. An opportunity to join Martha at the club.
At least this is how I feel after day one and, happily, I didn't pick the Spiders.
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ASTEROID! ANN COULTER CRUSHED!
A, relatively, near miss around 5pm yesterday as a 100-foot-diameter rock passed within 26,500 miles of the Earth.
The cursing you may have heard was Ann Coulter wondering aloud when one of these things is going to hit the New York Times Building.
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A, relatively, near miss around 5pm yesterday as a 100-foot-diameter rock passed within 26,500 miles of the Earth.
The cursing you may have heard was Ann Coulter wondering aloud when one of these things is going to hit the New York Times Building.
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Thursday, March 18, 2004
Bin Laden cornered?
How politically inconvenient for the Bush Administration. It would be of more use if they have a six-month standoff so he's caught during the Republican Convention.
UPDATE: It looks like it's Bin Laden's deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, that's cornered. Details here.
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How politically inconvenient for the Bush Administration. It would be of more use if they have a six-month standoff so he's caught during the Republican Convention.
UPDATE: It looks like it's Bin Laden's deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, that's cornered. Details here.
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Scalia Recusal
I wrote a couple of weeks ago about the possibility of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia recusing himself from the case he is scheduled to hear on whether Cheney must release his Energy Task Force records.
The verdict is in: What conflict of interest?
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I wrote a couple of weeks ago about the possibility of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia recusing himself from the case he is scheduled to hear on whether Cheney must release his Energy Task Force records.
The verdict is in: What conflict of interest?
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The Campaign Trail and Revisiting $87 billion
Yesterday John Kerry continued to question the support the Bush Administration is giving our soldiers in the Middle East and our reasons for going to war. Vice President Dick Cheney fired back a few hours later. Cheney called into question Kerry voting against the $87 billion dollar 'Iraqi Supplemental Bill' forHalliburton Iraqi reconstruction and support of our troops. Wesley Clark joined the fray as well, calling Cheney's remarks, "unwarranted & unjustified."
Since we are going to hear plenty about the $87 Billion dollars in the coming months let's review again what it was actually intended to do and what Ted Kennedy (one of only 12 Senators to vote against the bill) had to say about it in October 2003:
All the administration's rationalizations as we prepared to go to war now stand revealed as "double talk." The American people were told Saddam Hussein was building nuclear weapons. He was not. We were told he had stockpiles of other weapons of mass destruction. He did not. We were told he was involved in 9/11. He was not. We were told Iraq was attracting terrorists from al Qaeda. It was not. We were told our soldiers would be viewed as liberators. They are not. We were told Iraq could pay for its own reconstruction. It cannot. We were told the war would make America safer. It has not. . . .
So when the roll is called on this $87 billion legislation, which provides no effective conditions for genuine international participation and a clear change in policy in Iraq, I intend to vote no. A no vote is not a vote against supporting our troops. It is a vote to send the administration back to the drawing board. It is a vote for a new policy -- [a] policy worthy of the sacrifice our soldiers are making, a policy that restores America as a respected member of the family of nations, a policy that will make it easier, not far more difficult, to win the war against terrorism.
The amount of money is huge. It is 87 times what the federal government spends annually on after-school programs. It is seven times what President Bush proposed to spend on education for low-income schools in 2004. It is nine times what the federal government spends on special education each year. It is eight times what the government spends to help middle- and low-income students go to college. It is 15 times what the government spends on cancer research. It is 27 times what the government spends on substance abuse and mental health treatment. . . .
Here at home, all Americans are being asked to bear the burden, too -- and they deserve more than a phony summons to support our troops by pursuing policies that will only condemn them to greater and greater danger. Yes, we must stay the course -- but not the wrong course.
I look forward to the day when our nominee will debate with the President about the direction our country is going and the President's policies on pre-emptive war, unilateralism and out-sourcing. If any lessons were learned, the outcome could very well be different.
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Yesterday John Kerry continued to question the support the Bush Administration is giving our soldiers in the Middle East and our reasons for going to war. Vice President Dick Cheney fired back a few hours later. Cheney called into question Kerry voting against the $87 billion dollar 'Iraqi Supplemental Bill' for
Since we are going to hear plenty about the $87 Billion dollars in the coming months let's review again what it was actually intended to do and what Ted Kennedy (one of only 12 Senators to vote against the bill) had to say about it in October 2003:
All the administration's rationalizations as we prepared to go to war now stand revealed as "double talk." The American people were told Saddam Hussein was building nuclear weapons. He was not. We were told he had stockpiles of other weapons of mass destruction. He did not. We were told he was involved in 9/11. He was not. We were told Iraq was attracting terrorists from al Qaeda. It was not. We were told our soldiers would be viewed as liberators. They are not. We were told Iraq could pay for its own reconstruction. It cannot. We were told the war would make America safer. It has not. . . .
So when the roll is called on this $87 billion legislation, which provides no effective conditions for genuine international participation and a clear change in policy in Iraq, I intend to vote no. A no vote is not a vote against supporting our troops. It is a vote to send the administration back to the drawing board. It is a vote for a new policy -- [a] policy worthy of the sacrifice our soldiers are making, a policy that restores America as a respected member of the family of nations, a policy that will make it easier, not far more difficult, to win the war against terrorism.
The amount of money is huge. It is 87 times what the federal government spends annually on after-school programs. It is seven times what President Bush proposed to spend on education for low-income schools in 2004. It is nine times what the federal government spends on special education each year. It is eight times what the government spends to help middle- and low-income students go to college. It is 15 times what the government spends on cancer research. It is 27 times what the government spends on substance abuse and mental health treatment. . . .
Here at home, all Americans are being asked to bear the burden, too -- and they deserve more than a phony summons to support our troops by pursuing policies that will only condemn them to greater and greater danger. Yes, we must stay the course -- but not the wrong course.
I look forward to the day when our nominee will debate with the President about the direction our country is going and the President's policies on pre-emptive war, unilateralism and out-sourcing. If any lessons were learned, the outcome could very well be different.
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Wednesday, March 17, 2004
Real World Axes Philly
Just three weeks before taping was to begin on the 15th season of the MTV show Real World the producers have abruptly pulled out.
The Philadelphia Inquirer has the details.
After squabbling with local unions, the producers of the MTV series yesterday gave up on Philadelphia as the site of its 15th season. Taping was to begin in three weeks.
"After considerable evaluation, we are disappointed to announce that Bunim/Murray Productions has decided not to shoot The Real World in Philadelphia," a spokeswoman for the company said yesterday afternoon. She declined to elaborate.
MTV's selection of Philadelphia was accompanied by unbridled civic rejoicing when it was announced Feb. 26. City leaders believed that The Real World, with its huge audience of 12-to-34-year-olds, would boost the city's cool factor and help it retain recent college graduates.
But within four days, Bunim/Murray had incurred the wrath of the unions by hiring a nonunion company to renovate the former Seamen's Church Institute in Old City, where the cast was to live.
The series had sidestepped organized labor in 13 previous cities, including union strongholds New York City, Chicago and Boston, without incident.
"Every other production company comes in, sits down and bargains," said Tony Frasco, vice president of Teamsters Local 107, whose members drive and unload vehicles. "The unions are not out to gouge anybody, but this is a union town."
It's a matter of "preserving the way of life in Philadelphia," said Pat Gillespie, business manager of the Philadelphia Building Trades Council.
Sharon Pinkenson, head of the Greater Philadelphia Film Office, worked years to bring The Real World to town. She said she had been aware that Bunim/Murray wanted to go nonunion.
"I recommended that they speak with other producers of nonunion reality television" who had worked here, Pinkenson said. She said work rules in reality TV tend to be looser.
Pinkenson said she did not know if Bunim/Murray sought the advice of those producers.
The MTV series' high profile may have heightened the unions' interest. When it came time to set up the building, next to the Betsy Ross House at Third and Arch Streets, Bunim/Murray hired a construction company that had been picketed by the carpenters at other job sites. That set off fireworks.
They never learn. Trying to bypass Philadelphia unions is not a smart idea. I think back to the uproar during the NFL strike in the 80s when union members stood outside Veteran's Stadium(RIP this Sunday) and called the players, "scabs" and the fans who entered the Vet to watch them play, "scab lovers." The "scab" moniker is the Fleur-de-Lis in this city. Once you claim that title, you can never shake it.
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Just three weeks before taping was to begin on the 15th season of the MTV show Real World the producers have abruptly pulled out.
The Philadelphia Inquirer has the details.
After squabbling with local unions, the producers of the MTV series yesterday gave up on Philadelphia as the site of its 15th season. Taping was to begin in three weeks.
"After considerable evaluation, we are disappointed to announce that Bunim/Murray Productions has decided not to shoot The Real World in Philadelphia," a spokeswoman for the company said yesterday afternoon. She declined to elaborate.
MTV's selection of Philadelphia was accompanied by unbridled civic rejoicing when it was announced Feb. 26. City leaders believed that The Real World, with its huge audience of 12-to-34-year-olds, would boost the city's cool factor and help it retain recent college graduates.
But within four days, Bunim/Murray had incurred the wrath of the unions by hiring a nonunion company to renovate the former Seamen's Church Institute in Old City, where the cast was to live.
The series had sidestepped organized labor in 13 previous cities, including union strongholds New York City, Chicago and Boston, without incident.
"Every other production company comes in, sits down and bargains," said Tony Frasco, vice president of Teamsters Local 107, whose members drive and unload vehicles. "The unions are not out to gouge anybody, but this is a union town."
It's a matter of "preserving the way of life in Philadelphia," said Pat Gillespie, business manager of the Philadelphia Building Trades Council.
Sharon Pinkenson, head of the Greater Philadelphia Film Office, worked years to bring The Real World to town. She said she had been aware that Bunim/Murray wanted to go nonunion.
"I recommended that they speak with other producers of nonunion reality television" who had worked here, Pinkenson said. She said work rules in reality TV tend to be looser.
Pinkenson said she did not know if Bunim/Murray sought the advice of those producers.
The MTV series' high profile may have heightened the unions' interest. When it came time to set up the building, next to the Betsy Ross House at Third and Arch Streets, Bunim/Murray hired a construction company that had been picketed by the carpenters at other job sites. That set off fireworks.
They never learn. Trying to bypass Philadelphia unions is not a smart idea. I think back to the uproar during the NFL strike in the 80s when union members stood outside Veteran's Stadium(RIP this Sunday) and called the players, "scabs" and the fans who entered the Vet to watch them play, "scab lovers." The "scab" moniker is the Fleur-de-Lis in this city. Once you claim that title, you can never shake it.
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Tuesday, March 16, 2004
GITMO Trouble Brewing
Remember the four British citizens that were held at Guantanamo Bay for two years as enemy combatants? They were recently released into British custody and were then set free with no charges being filed.
I can't be the only one wondering why, if these Brits were so dangerous, there wasn't even a trial in London. The only reason I can think of is thatthe Bush Administration will imprison anyone, anywhere at any time for any reason these men are innocent. Regardless, I sense continued frosty relations within the Coalition of the Willing.
Full marks to Atrios for bringing this story to our attention.
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Remember the four British citizens that were held at Guantanamo Bay for two years as enemy combatants? They were recently released into British custody and were then set free with no charges being filed.
I can't be the only one wondering why, if these Brits were so dangerous, there wasn't even a trial in London. The only reason I can think of is that
Full marks to Atrios for bringing this story to our attention.
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REGISTER!
A low voter turnout is an indication of fewer people going to the polls. -Dan Quayle
I've added a link on my blogroll to register.
Please take the time to make sure your voice is heard.
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A low voter turnout is an indication of fewer people going to the polls. -Dan Quayle
I've added a link on my blogroll to register.
Please take the time to make sure your voice is heard.
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Anything Else
If you're curious to know why I'm constantly bashing the Bush Administration, take a look at Molly Ivins' latest column and you'll start to get an idea.
It would be funny if it wasn't so damn scary.
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If you're curious to know why I'm constantly bashing the Bush Administration, take a look at Molly Ivins' latest column and you'll start to get an idea.
It would be funny if it wasn't so damn scary.
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Monday, March 15, 2004
Slipped a Mickey
It seems as though our friend Keith Berry, of Berry's World fame, was a little under the weather recently. He talks abot a tuna sandwich or a fellow California blogger doing some un-Hippocratic voodoo. Personally, I think it's something much more sinister.
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It seems as though our friend Keith Berry, of Berry's World fame, was a little under the weather recently. He talks abot a tuna sandwich or a fellow California blogger doing some un-Hippocratic voodoo. Personally, I think it's something much more sinister.
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Up North
I just had a wonderful weekend in Dover-Foxcroft, Maine visiting my friends Don, Alex and their kids. I flew in early Friday and came back late Sunday. Trip highlights/observations:
-I have been to Maine several times, but every time I come I forget how wide open and unpopulated the state really is. Flying into Bangor (bolded on any atlas) there was nothing but uninhabited forest all around the "city." I figure if we went down our remains would be discovered sometime around 2008.
-On Saturday we got up e-a-r-l-y and went to the YMCA State Swimming Finals, where my friends' kids were competing. Everyone did great and will collect trophies. It was standing room only with family and friends screaming support for their kids. It wouldn't have been so bad if I wasn't hung over.
-Throughout our travels I met lots of people and am amazed at how quickly how Don & Al have immersed themselves in the community. Alex volunteers as a swim coach and does swimming of her own (more on this in a sec) and Don invites neighbors over to hang out (READ: drink beer.) They're amazing people and I'm so happy they've carved out such a great niche for themselves in Maine.
-After a great dinner on Saturday at Abel Blood's with Mr. Spaten we woke on Sunday and went with Alex to another swim meet where she competed in the Maine masters division. She did well but I was amazed at the age of some of the competitors. I watched an 87 year old man race. He was amazing. It makes me want to get into shape and start swimming. Inspirational.
-After my good-byes I went to the airport where there were hundreds of soldiers who were shipping out to Iraq. I spoke to a commander for a little while and he wasn't concentrating on the negatives, only doing his job and getting his kids home safe. But looking at them, wow, they couldn't have been more than 18 or 19. Puts things into perspective.
I have much more to share and will do so soon. A day off today and I have lots to do, including working on the blandness of this forum.
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I just had a wonderful weekend in Dover-Foxcroft, Maine visiting my friends Don, Alex and their kids. I flew in early Friday and came back late Sunday. Trip highlights/observations:
-I have been to Maine several times, but every time I come I forget how wide open and unpopulated the state really is. Flying into Bangor (bolded on any atlas) there was nothing but uninhabited forest all around the "city." I figure if we went down our remains would be discovered sometime around 2008.
-On Saturday we got up e-a-r-l-y and went to the YMCA State Swimming Finals, where my friends' kids were competing. Everyone did great and will collect trophies. It was standing room only with family and friends screaming support for their kids. It wouldn't have been so bad if I wasn't hung over.
-Throughout our travels I met lots of people and am amazed at how quickly how Don & Al have immersed themselves in the community. Alex volunteers as a swim coach and does swimming of her own (more on this in a sec) and Don invites neighbors over to hang out (READ: drink beer.) They're amazing people and I'm so happy they've carved out such a great niche for themselves in Maine.
-After a great dinner on Saturday at Abel Blood's with Mr. Spaten we woke on Sunday and went with Alex to another swim meet where she competed in the Maine masters division. She did well but I was amazed at the age of some of the competitors. I watched an 87 year old man race. He was amazing. It makes me want to get into shape and start swimming. Inspirational.
-After my good-byes I went to the airport where there were hundreds of soldiers who were shipping out to Iraq. I spoke to a commander for a little while and he wasn't concentrating on the negatives, only doing his job and getting his kids home safe. But looking at them, wow, they couldn't have been more than 18 or 19. Puts things into perspective.
I have much more to share and will do so soon. A day off today and I have lots to do, including working on the blandness of this forum.
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