Saturday, March 27, 2004
Jon Stewart: Amusing Little Man
Through the power of TIVO I've recently been able to watch the Daily Show on Comedy Central with much more frequency. John Stewart and his writers understand comedy and politics. They rip both parties and if you're into politics and like to laugh, then this is the show for you.
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Through the power of TIVO I've recently been able to watch the Daily Show on Comedy Central with much more frequency. John Stewart and his writers understand comedy and politics. They rip both parties and if you're into politics and like to laugh, then this is the show for you.
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Friday, March 26, 2004
Well, They do make good beer
The violinists for the Beethoven Orchestra are going to court to try and get their wages increased. The reason is that the string players believe they should be paid by the note. Because symphonies, particularly pieces by Ludwig Van, feature much more string involvement than woodwinds the strings feel they should be compensated accordingly. The response from the other members of the German symphony seems to be an apt one, considering the violinists' request: Are you kidding me?
Based on this rationale I have an excellent chance for a raise. I fax many more documents than any of my colleagues. In fact, I've measured it, and I fax 23% more than people at the same level as me. Using the "Violinist Rationale" I should be getting 23% more than my co-workers. Plus an extra 7% for paper cuts.
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The violinists for the Beethoven Orchestra are going to court to try and get their wages increased. The reason is that the string players believe they should be paid by the note. Because symphonies, particularly pieces by Ludwig Van, feature much more string involvement than woodwinds the strings feel they should be compensated accordingly. The response from the other members of the German symphony seems to be an apt one, considering the violinists' request: Are you kidding me?
Based on this rationale I have an excellent chance for a raise. I fax many more documents than any of my colleagues. In fact, I've measured it, and I fax 23% more than people at the same level as me. Using the "Violinist Rationale" I should be getting 23% more than my co-workers. Plus an extra 7% for paper cuts.
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Dear Condi, SEE YA!
If the article in the NY Times today is correct Condi is done at the end of the year.
I wonder if her future employer will permit her to lie as much as she does in her current job?
Thanks to Josh Marshall for pointing this out.
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If the article in the NY Times today is correct Condi is done at the end of the year.
I wonder if her future employer will permit her to lie as much as she does in her current job?
Thanks to Josh Marshall for pointing this out.
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NCAA STUDENT ATHLETES
It's always interesting to look at the graduation rates of NCAA tournament teams this time of year.
The numbers below are % graduation rates for men's basketball student athletes. Data does not include transfers and counts student-athletes who receive a degree within six years of arriving on campus. Here are some of thelowlights highlights, in order from highest to lowest, from teams appearing in the "Sweet 16":
Kansas - 73%
Duke - 67%
Xavier - 67%
Vanderbilt - 62%
Illinois - 46%
Wake Forest - 46%
St. Joseph's - 44%
Syracuse - 40%
Texas - 38%
Georgia Tech - 27%
Connecticut - 27%
These numbers are for all players. There is currently a storm brewing over the release of graduation rates of African-American men's and women's basketball players:
...but now the NCAA has quietly adjusted the graduation rates to satisfy ''a new interpretation'' of federal laws which say that information on any category containing only one or two students ''must be suppressed.'' In basketball, which has far fewer players than football or baseball teams, the new rules amount to liberation from any accountability whatsoever on the part of college athletic departments and their presidents.
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Because of the new rules, 37 of the 65 men's teams in this year's tournament did not publish graduation rates of their African-American players. Sixteen schools published no graduation rates at all.
Nine of the 16 schools that mysteriously had no graduation rate whatsoever just happen to include last year's most hideous offenders, such as:
Alabama (0 percent for black men and 13 percent overall in the 2002 report).
Cincinnati (0 percent for black men, 17 percent overall).
Louisville (0 for black men, 10 percent overall).
Kentucky (13 percent and 33 percent overall).
Southern Illinois (14 percent for black men and 27 percent overall).
Memphis (0 period).
Nevada (0 percent for black men, 20 percent overall).
Virginia Commonwealth (0 period).
Alabama State (0 period).
The ''new rules'' did not stop the schools with good and great graduation rates from publishing them, even when the numbers of players on scholarship are obviously similar to the schools that withheld the information. Kansas, Air Force, Manhattan, Gonzaga, Vanderbilt, Central Florida, Duke, Princeton, Valparaiso, Stanford, Monmouth and Xavier all had African-American player graduation rates of at least 67 percent.
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It's always interesting to look at the graduation rates of NCAA tournament teams this time of year.
The numbers below are % graduation rates for men's basketball student athletes. Data does not include transfers and counts student-athletes who receive a degree within six years of arriving on campus. Here are some of the
Kansas - 73%
Duke - 67%
Xavier - 67%
Vanderbilt - 62%
Illinois - 46%
Wake Forest - 46%
St. Joseph's - 44%
Syracuse - 40%
Texas - 38%
Georgia Tech - 27%
Connecticut - 27%
These numbers are for all players. There is currently a storm brewing over the release of graduation rates of African-American men's and women's basketball players:
...but now the NCAA has quietly adjusted the graduation rates to satisfy ''a new interpretation'' of federal laws which say that information on any category containing only one or two students ''must be suppressed.'' In basketball, which has far fewer players than football or baseball teams, the new rules amount to liberation from any accountability whatsoever on the part of college athletic departments and their presidents.
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Because of the new rules, 37 of the 65 men's teams in this year's tournament did not publish graduation rates of their African-American players. Sixteen schools published no graduation rates at all.
Nine of the 16 schools that mysteriously had no graduation rate whatsoever just happen to include last year's most hideous offenders, such as:
Alabama (0 percent for black men and 13 percent overall in the 2002 report).
Cincinnati (0 percent for black men, 17 percent overall).
Louisville (0 for black men, 10 percent overall).
Kentucky (13 percent and 33 percent overall).
Southern Illinois (14 percent for black men and 27 percent overall).
Memphis (0 period).
Nevada (0 percent for black men, 20 percent overall).
Virginia Commonwealth (0 period).
Alabama State (0 period).
The ''new rules'' did not stop the schools with good and great graduation rates from publishing them, even when the numbers of players on scholarship are obviously similar to the schools that withheld the information. Kansas, Air Force, Manhattan, Gonzaga, Vanderbilt, Central Florida, Duke, Princeton, Valparaiso, Stanford, Monmouth and Xavier all had African-American player graduation rates of at least 67 percent.
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Not Funny
Evidently, families of U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq took exception to our President joking about the missing WMDs. Quotes and a link to the New York Daily News at The Hamster.
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Evidently, families of U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq took exception to our President joking about the missing WMDs. Quotes and a link to the New York Daily News at The Hamster.
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Early Christmas?
U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay is preparing for the possibility of being indicted by a grand jury for using corporate money to influence state house races in 2002. The information and this excerpt come from the Houston Chronicle:
...The meeting at the Omni was part of a regular event DeLay holds every three months for supporters called the "Congressional Quarterly Luncheon." The two people interviewed by the Chronicle spoke on condition of anonymity.
DeLay talked about the grand jury investigation only after being asked about it by one of the 40 to 50 people in attendance, sources told the Chronicle.
DeLay talked briefly about a legal defense and then had an unidentified aide discuss the possible need for raising money for a legal defense fund.
One of those interviewed quoted DeLay as saying, "I fully anticipate being indicted...." Empahsis added.
If indicted DeLay would have to temporarily step down from his House Leadership position, which he discussed on Thursday with other Republican leaders, until all litigation has run it's course.
This one's going to get ugly. Hopefully.
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U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay is preparing for the possibility of being indicted by a grand jury for using corporate money to influence state house races in 2002. The information and this excerpt come from the Houston Chronicle:
...The meeting at the Omni was part of a regular event DeLay holds every three months for supporters called the "Congressional Quarterly Luncheon." The two people interviewed by the Chronicle spoke on condition of anonymity.
DeLay talked about the grand jury investigation only after being asked about it by one of the 40 to 50 people in attendance, sources told the Chronicle.
DeLay talked briefly about a legal defense and then had an unidentified aide discuss the possible need for raising money for a legal defense fund.
One of those interviewed quoted DeLay as saying, "I fully anticipate being indicted...." Empahsis added.
If indicted DeLay would have to temporarily step down from his House Leadership position, which he discussed on Thursday with other Republican leaders, until all litigation has run it's course.
This one's going to get ugly. Hopefully.
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Thursday, March 25, 2004
How many U.S. soldiers have been killed in Iraq?
Keith over at Berry's World has an interesting look at how the media are portraying the number of American soldiers killed in Iraq.
Interesting and mystifying.
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Keith over at Berry's World has an interesting look at how the media are portraying the number of American soldiers killed in Iraq.
Interesting and mystifying.
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Football Back to NYC
In an effort to win the 2012 Olympic summer Games and to bring back the Jets from New Jersey, New York has announced plans to spend $1.2 billion on a new stadium along Manhattan's West Side. At the same presser, Governor Pataki and Mayor Bloomberg indicated that they would look to double the size of the Javits Convention Center as well. But there's always a hitch:
Despite strong support from Bloomberg and Pataki, the plan faces major hurdles including an environmental review, zoning approvals and likely lawsuits by neighborhood activists.
Other strong support will come from Mass Transit and people who own parking garages.
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In an effort to win the 2012 Olympic summer Games and to bring back the Jets from New Jersey, New York has announced plans to spend $1.2 billion on a new stadium along Manhattan's West Side. At the same presser, Governor Pataki and Mayor Bloomberg indicated that they would look to double the size of the Javits Convention Center as well. But there's always a hitch:
Despite strong support from Bloomberg and Pataki, the plan faces major hurdles including an environmental review, zoning approvals and likely lawsuits by neighborhood activists.
Other strong support will come from Mass Transit and people who own parking garages.
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ATTN: Al Franken (more parody)
This Liberal Radio Network Employment Application appears in the 3/29 issue of the New Yorker.
Amusing.
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This Liberal Radio Network Employment Application appears in the 3/29 issue of the New Yorker.
Amusing.
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ANTI - Project for the New American Century
The Project for the New American Empire is a web site parody of the unilateralist, ultra-right think tank PNAC. The 'New Empire' statement of principles is worth a perusal:
...Of course, the United States must be prudent in how it exercises its power. While nuking the blue states is viscerally appealing, spillover radiation would threaten the red states. We must bide our time until a Death Ray is developed that can vaporize our enemies without putting our own lives at risk. At the same time, we cannot simply avoid confronting Islamists, France and liberals altogether; indeed, a good smear campaign or a book burning or even a patsy with a rifle in a book depository are the tools we must use as we march towards a brave new world.
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Our aim is to remind Americans of these lessons and to draw their consequences for today. Here are four consequences:
• We need to kill or enslave everybody who isn’t American (and quite a few who are) if we are to carry out our global responsibilities today and modernize our armed forces for the future;
• We need to strengthen our ties to corporate allies and to challenge unincorporated entities hostile to our interests and values;
• We need to promote the cause of political and economic obedience abroad;
• We need to accept responsibility for America's unique role in having all the best shit.
Column titles include:
The Genitalization of the Western Amoeba
Damn you, San Francisco
More Blood, Less Treasure
The Project for the New American Empire will also be starting a blog in the near future. We'll keep you posted.
Mega-dittoes to Presurfer for pointing this out to us.
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The Project for the New American Empire is a web site parody of the unilateralist, ultra-right think tank PNAC. The 'New Empire' statement of principles is worth a perusal:
...Of course, the United States must be prudent in how it exercises its power. While nuking the blue states is viscerally appealing, spillover radiation would threaten the red states. We must bide our time until a Death Ray is developed that can vaporize our enemies without putting our own lives at risk. At the same time, we cannot simply avoid confronting Islamists, France and liberals altogether; indeed, a good smear campaign or a book burning or even a patsy with a rifle in a book depository are the tools we must use as we march towards a brave new world.
-
Our aim is to remind Americans of these lessons and to draw their consequences for today. Here are four consequences:
• We need to kill or enslave everybody who isn’t American (and quite a few who are) if we are to carry out our global responsibilities today and modernize our armed forces for the future;
• We need to strengthen our ties to corporate allies and to challenge unincorporated entities hostile to our interests and values;
• We need to promote the cause of political and economic obedience abroad;
• We need to accept responsibility for America's unique role in having all the best shit.
Column titles include:
The Genitalization of the Western Amoeba
Damn you, San Francisco
More Blood, Less Treasure
The Project for the New American Empire will also be starting a blog in the near future. We'll keep you posted.
Mega-dittoes to Presurfer for pointing this out to us.
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Bush Exercising Civil Rights Discrimination
The Bush Administration continues to dig itself a deeper and deeper hole:
Despite President Bush's pledge that homosexuals "ought to have the same rights" as all other people, his Administration this week ruled that homosexuals can now be fired from the federal workforce because of their sexual orientation.
There is more information at the Federal Times.
I haven't seen this reported on any major news sites or in the blogosphere. It seems like this decision would be white hot.
Let's spread the word.
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The Bush Administration continues to dig itself a deeper and deeper hole:
Despite President Bush's pledge that homosexuals "ought to have the same rights" as all other people, his Administration this week ruled that homosexuals can now be fired from the federal workforce because of their sexual orientation.
There is more information at the Federal Times.
I haven't seen this reported on any major news sites or in the blogosphere. It seems like this decision would be white hot.
Let's spread the word.
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Wednesday, March 24, 2004
Not Really a Surprise
Zell Miller (D-GA) will formally endorse George W. Bush for President today:
Miller is a conservative Democrat who has broken with his party on a number of key issues, including guns and the war in Iraq. He previously lent his support to Bush and committed to campaigning on his behalf in the upcoming election.
The Webster Dictionary, 10th Edition, has a little more apt description:
turncoat \tern-cot\ n (1557) : one who switches to an opposing side or party; specif: TRAITOR
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Zell Miller (D-GA) will formally endorse George W. Bush for President today:
Miller is a conservative Democrat who has broken with his party on a number of key issues, including guns and the war in Iraq. He previously lent his support to Bush and committed to campaigning on his behalf in the upcoming election.
The Webster Dictionary, 10th Edition, has a little more apt description:
turncoat \tern-cot\ n (1557) : one who switches to an opposing side or party; specif: TRAITOR
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This is Horrifying
Another great website for information on media and coverage of domestic and international events is MediaChannel.org. The proprietor, Danny Schecter, is a world renowned media specialist and publishes a blog daily. He has written the book, Embedded: Weapons of Mass Deception: How the Media Failed to Cover the War in Iraq. Today's blog offering relates a story from veteran journalist John Pilger that makes my stomach turn:
Veteran Journalist John Pilger was in Sydney Australia speaking to an anti-war rally; he was talking about one impact of the US invasion in Iraq about which our media is not. According to his investigation:
"More than 1,000 children are killed or injured in Iraq every month by exploding cluster bombs, left by the Americans and the British. According to the Uranium Medical Research Centre, the main cities of Iraq are poisoned with radiation from uranium-tipped shells and missiles, fired by the Americans and the British.
…Indeed, so contaminated are sections of Baghdad and Basra that coalition troops are not allowed to go anywhere near where their own shells have fallen – streets where children play, oblivious to the danger. In one report, Iraq is described as a `silent Hiroshima.' What this means is that the people of Iraq, and the occupying soldiers, perhaps including Australians, are left to get sick, many of them fatally. Listen to the American soldiers and their families who are now speaking out. Untold thousands of them have gone home sick, or deeply disturbed. Many have committed suicide."
He also has a column today in the Long Island Newsday detailing the rise in political invective from Howard Stern against the Bush Administration after Clear Channel dumped him from their stations.
This is the type of information Mr. Schechter offers everyday. Go take a look.
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Another great website for information on media and coverage of domestic and international events is MediaChannel.org. The proprietor, Danny Schecter, is a world renowned media specialist and publishes a blog daily. He has written the book, Embedded: Weapons of Mass Deception: How the Media Failed to Cover the War in Iraq. Today's blog offering relates a story from veteran journalist John Pilger that makes my stomach turn:
Veteran Journalist John Pilger was in Sydney Australia speaking to an anti-war rally; he was talking about one impact of the US invasion in Iraq about which our media is not. According to his investigation:
"More than 1,000 children are killed or injured in Iraq every month by exploding cluster bombs, left by the Americans and the British. According to the Uranium Medical Research Centre, the main cities of Iraq are poisoned with radiation from uranium-tipped shells and missiles, fired by the Americans and the British.
…Indeed, so contaminated are sections of Baghdad and Basra that coalition troops are not allowed to go anywhere near where their own shells have fallen – streets where children play, oblivious to the danger. In one report, Iraq is described as a `silent Hiroshima.' What this means is that the people of Iraq, and the occupying soldiers, perhaps including Australians, are left to get sick, many of them fatally. Listen to the American soldiers and their families who are now speaking out. Untold thousands of them have gone home sick, or deeply disturbed. Many have committed suicide."
He also has a column today in the Long Island Newsday detailing the rise in political invective from Howard Stern against the Bush Administration after Clear Channel dumped him from their stations.
This is the type of information Mr. Schechter offers everyday. Go take a look.
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Wal-Mart joins online music fray
The retail giant has begun selling music online. The cost per song is $.88 which undercuts Apple's iTunes' individual song price by $.11.
As a music downloader I'm excited by this announcement. Not because of Wal-Mart's low price, I loathe them because of their labor practices. But because of the competition that is being introduced. I bet we'll see $.50 songs before too long. I'll continue to use iTunes for now because I have another 20 free songs through their Pepsi promotion. I'm on an unbelievable streak of free songs under my Pepsi caps. (It helps if you hold the bottle at an angle that you can see if you're a winner.)
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The retail giant has begun selling music online. The cost per song is $.88 which undercuts Apple's iTunes' individual song price by $.11.
As a music downloader I'm excited by this announcement. Not because of Wal-Mart's low price, I loathe them because of their labor practices. But because of the competition that is being introduced. I bet we'll see $.50 songs before too long. I'll continue to use iTunes for now because I have another 20 free songs through their Pepsi promotion. I'm on an unbelievable streak of free songs under my Pepsi caps. (It helps if you hold the bottle at an angle that you can see if you're a winner.)
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Tuesday, March 23, 2004
Your Voice
The MoveOn Voter Fund have just released their first book; MoveOn’s 50 Ways to Love Your Country: How to Find Your Political Voice and Become a Catalyst for Change. Each of these, "50 Ways" were submitted by MoveOn members. It's available on the Internet or at your local bookstore and the $10 price tag will go toward the MoveOn.org grass roots efforts.
What follows is an introduction to one of the sections to the book written by Al Gore. This struck a chord with me because of recent correspondance I've had with Karl whose blog, paradox1x is very cool, especially the photo on his home page of the Philadelphia skyline. Karl shared a story of someone who doesn't appreciate the value of a single vote in the democratic process and how hard it is to make someone see that importance. I think the following Gore excerpt makes a good case for the importance of that vote...
Woody Allen has famously said that 90 percent of success is showing up. That’s true of democracy too. I’d argue that the other 10 is making sure you’re registered beforehand.
It’s easy to be cynical about politics and to believe that one vote barely matters. But consider these facts: John F. Kennedy’s 1960 victory over Richard Nixon—a victory that ultimately led to sweeping changes in civil rights laws, the first great wave of space exploration, and the creation of Medicare—was decided by just 100,000 votes nationwide. In 1994, the year Republicans won both houses of Congress, the redistribution of about 10,000 votes nationally would have kept Congress in Democratic hands. One of my former House colleagues, Connecticut Democrat Sam Gejdenson, won reelection by twenty-one votes that year. (“All you need is one,” he remarked; “the rest are for your ego.”)
The democratic political process isn’t perfect. Winston Churchill once said it’s the worst system for governance “except for every other system that has ever been tried.” Often, you may find no candidate who completely reflects your views. But as voter participation has declined—from nearly two-thirds of eligible voters in 1960 to less than half in many national elections today—strong and decidedly undemocratic forces have stepped in to fill the void.
In a democracy, the future isn’t something that just happens; it’s something we shape for ourselves, together. Special-interest lobbyists get the government they pay for only when we stay home from the polls—only when we abdicate the electoral power that is mightier than any soft-money check, more decisive than any million-dollar ad blitz or corporate misinformation campaign.
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The MoveOn Voter Fund have just released their first book; MoveOn’s 50 Ways to Love Your Country: How to Find Your Political Voice and Become a Catalyst for Change. Each of these, "50 Ways" were submitted by MoveOn members. It's available on the Internet or at your local bookstore and the $10 price tag will go toward the MoveOn.org grass roots efforts.
What follows is an introduction to one of the sections to the book written by Al Gore. This struck a chord with me because of recent correspondance I've had with Karl whose blog, paradox1x is very cool, especially the photo on his home page of the Philadelphia skyline. Karl shared a story of someone who doesn't appreciate the value of a single vote in the democratic process and how hard it is to make someone see that importance. I think the following Gore excerpt makes a good case for the importance of that vote...
Woody Allen has famously said that 90 percent of success is showing up. That’s true of democracy too. I’d argue that the other 10 is making sure you’re registered beforehand.
It’s easy to be cynical about politics and to believe that one vote barely matters. But consider these facts: John F. Kennedy’s 1960 victory over Richard Nixon—a victory that ultimately led to sweeping changes in civil rights laws, the first great wave of space exploration, and the creation of Medicare—was decided by just 100,000 votes nationwide. In 1994, the year Republicans won both houses of Congress, the redistribution of about 10,000 votes nationally would have kept Congress in Democratic hands. One of my former House colleagues, Connecticut Democrat Sam Gejdenson, won reelection by twenty-one votes that year. (“All you need is one,” he remarked; “the rest are for your ego.”)
The democratic political process isn’t perfect. Winston Churchill once said it’s the worst system for governance “except for every other system that has ever been tried.” Often, you may find no candidate who completely reflects your views. But as voter participation has declined—from nearly two-thirds of eligible voters in 1960 to less than half in many national elections today—strong and decidedly undemocratic forces have stepped in to fill the void.
In a democracy, the future isn’t something that just happens; it’s something we shape for ourselves, together. Special-interest lobbyists get the government they pay for only when we stay home from the polls—only when we abdicate the electoral power that is mightier than any soft-money check, more decisive than any million-dollar ad blitz or corporate misinformation campaign.
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Well Said
This was a letter sent into the MSNBC blog, MSNBC - Altercation.:
"Let me get this right...According to the Bush White House: Former White House counterterrorism chief Richard Clarke is wrong, former treasury secretary Paul O'Neill is wrong, former top U.S. weapons inspector David Kay is wrong, Executive Chairman of the UN Monitoring/Verification and Inspection Commission Dr. Hans Blix is wrong, the CIA is wrong, the FBI is wrong, the librul media is wrong, blogville is wrong, protesting a pre-emptive unprovoked war is wrong, hunting bin Laden 24/7 with everything our military forces have is wrong (unless it's an election year), John Kerry is wrong, John McCain was wrong down in S. Carolina, Howard Dean is wrong, Max Cleland is wrong, Valerie Plame is wrong, thinking we should all pay a little more income tax when our country is engaged in a war on terrorism is wrong, a solvent government is wrong, taking as much time as necessary to fairly recount votes in a close election is wrong, and for having relied upon any of the aforementioned individuals for advice relating to their field of expertise - the White House was wrong. "
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This was a letter sent into the MSNBC blog, MSNBC - Altercation.:
"Let me get this right...According to the Bush White House: Former White House counterterrorism chief Richard Clarke is wrong, former treasury secretary Paul O'Neill is wrong, former top U.S. weapons inspector David Kay is wrong, Executive Chairman of the UN Monitoring/Verification and Inspection Commission Dr. Hans Blix is wrong, the CIA is wrong, the FBI is wrong, the librul media is wrong, blogville is wrong, protesting a pre-emptive unprovoked war is wrong, hunting bin Laden 24/7 with everything our military forces have is wrong (unless it's an election year), John Kerry is wrong, John McCain was wrong down in S. Carolina, Howard Dean is wrong, Max Cleland is wrong, Valerie Plame is wrong, thinking we should all pay a little more income tax when our country is engaged in a war on terrorism is wrong, a solvent government is wrong, taking as much time as necessary to fairly recount votes in a close election is wrong, and for having relied upon any of the aforementioned individuals for advice relating to their field of expertise - the White House was wrong. "
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At least they sent him home with full pay
In a bizarre story from BBC NEWS a surgeon in Nottingham was suspended for, "...alleged to have taken an extra helping of soup and croutons and not paid..."
In a statement,the spokesperson for the hospital said, "A consultant was suspended on Wednesday following an alleged incident at the hospital which did not relate to any patient or another member of staff."
At this writing their was no word if the soup was cream based or consomme.
Full marks to zumba at SportsFrog for bringing this to our attention.
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In a bizarre story from BBC NEWS a surgeon in Nottingham was suspended for, "...alleged to have taken an extra helping of soup and croutons and not paid..."
In a statement,the spokesperson for the hospital said, "A consultant was suspended on Wednesday following an alleged incident at the hospital which did not relate to any patient or another member of staff."
At this writing their was no word if the soup was cream based or consomme.
Full marks to zumba at SportsFrog for bringing this to our attention.
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Phillies Broadcasters Tussle
In the upcoming issue of Philadelphia Magazine we'll get to hear about the sordid side of life in the Phillies broadcast booth:
• That only a few months before he died late in the 1997 season, Phillies icon Rich Ashburn had come to believe that Wheeler was trying to undermine him to new club president Dave Montgomery and warned Kalas that Wheeler no longer could be trusted.
• That Wheeler used to field calls on the road from women who were trying to meet Kalas. After the broadcaster confessed his infidelities to his wife in 1998, Eileen Kalas said, "The party was over and Chris didn't like that."
• That broadcaster Scott Graham last year told Wheeler he'd "punch him out" if he didn't stop bad-mouthing Kalas.
The Phillies' game yesterday against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in St. Petersburg was not aired on radio or TV. When reached yesterday, Wheeler and Kalas had no comment.
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In the upcoming issue of Philadelphia Magazine we'll get to hear about the sordid side of life in the Phillies broadcast booth:
• That only a few months before he died late in the 1997 season, Phillies icon Rich Ashburn had come to believe that Wheeler was trying to undermine him to new club president Dave Montgomery and warned Kalas that Wheeler no longer could be trusted.
• That Wheeler used to field calls on the road from women who were trying to meet Kalas. After the broadcaster confessed his infidelities to his wife in 1998, Eileen Kalas said, "The party was over and Chris didn't like that."
• That broadcaster Scott Graham last year told Wheeler he'd "punch him out" if he didn't stop bad-mouthing Kalas.
The Phillies' game yesterday against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in St. Petersburg was not aired on radio or TV. When reached yesterday, Wheeler and Kalas had no comment.
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Monday, March 22, 2004
Now Visual!
Many thanks to BS for pulling a string and getting me upgraded to Blog-Spot PLUS. One of the best parts of the upgrade is this:
This is a wonderful home in northern Maine. You'd be pissed if I told you what the taxes are. Of course you'd need to drive 45 minutes to find a mall. On the other hand, you'd need to only walk 10 minutes for a Spaten Optimator.
I will probably be using pictures sparingly in this forum because I understand it takes longer to load the page. That irks me to no end. If this page is slow to load for you please leave a comment below.
Update: Um, the upgrade allows me to include pictures of wonderful houses in Maine on my blog. It does not allow me to LIVE IN wonderful houses in Maine. That would be a good upgrade though.
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Many thanks to BS for pulling a string and getting me upgraded to Blog-Spot PLUS. One of the best parts of the upgrade is this:
This is a wonderful home in northern Maine. You'd be pissed if I told you what the taxes are. Of course you'd need to drive 45 minutes to find a mall. On the other hand, you'd need to only walk 10 minutes for a Spaten Optimator.
I will probably be using pictures sparingly in this forum because I understand it takes longer to load the page. That irks me to no end. If this page is slow to load for you please leave a comment below.
Update: Um, the upgrade allows me to include pictures of wonderful houses in Maine on my blog. It does not allow me to LIVE IN wonderful houses in Maine. That would be a good upgrade though.
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Walk Tall vs. Road House
I've only seen the promos, but the new Rock movie, Standing Tall, seems like it might have some similarities with the Patrick Swayze classic, Roadhouse. Just an observation.
The Double Deuce
"This place is so bad, they have signs above the urinals that say 'Don't eat the big white mint.'"
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I've only seen the promos, but the new Rock movie, Standing Tall, seems like it might have some similarities with the Patrick Swayze classic, Roadhouse. Just an observation.
The Double Deuce
"This place is so bad, they have signs above the urinals that say 'Don't eat the big white mint.'"
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Ozzy Osbourne named Ambassador for Human Race
He wouldn't be my first choice, but the former Black Sabbath singer has been voted the best person to welcome aliens to earth.
I don't even have a joke for this.
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He wouldn't be my first choice, but the former Black Sabbath singer has been voted the best person to welcome aliens to earth.
I don't even have a joke for this.
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Smoking Gun? Clarke on 60 Minutes UPDATED
The blogosphere is already aflame with analysis, spin and GOP response from Richard Clarke's appearance on 60 Minutes last night. Clarke was the 'Terrorist Czar' under Clinton and Bush(43.) He's been promoting his book, 'Against all Enemies' about the U.S. fight on terror and the Bush Administration's lack of preparation for acts of homeland terrorism, particularly 9/11. This analysis from Axis of Logic gives a good overview of where we stand at this point:
When it entered into office in January 2001, said Clarke, the entire focus of Bush's national security team was on working on old issues, such as Iraq, Star Wars, and "not on new issues, the new threats that developed over the preceding eight years". Clarke told CBS correspondent Leslie Stahl that Bush officials were "tepid" in their response, when, before September 11, he suggested to hold a meeting to discuss threats stemming from al-Qaeda. "Frankly," he added, "I find it outrageous that the president is running for reelection on the grounds that he's done such great things about terrorism. He ignored it. He ignored terrorism for months, when maybe we could have done something to stop 9/11 ..." Clarke observed. However, he added: "There is a lot of blame to go around, and I probably deserve some blame."
Immediately after the September 11 attacks, the focus of Bush's national security team, instead of remaining focused on attacking Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda, quickly turned on Iraq. Starting the first National Security Council (NSC) meeting, top Bush officials wanted to punish Iraq. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was saying, according to Clarke, that the US needed to bomb Iraq. Even when other participants of that meeting kept insisting that the focus should be on al-Qaeda and Afghanistan, Rumsfeld was saying there there were not any good targets in Afghanistan, and that there were many good targets in Iraq. Clarke said at first he that thought Rumsfeld's comment about the lack of good targets in Afghanistan was a joke. The administration wanted to believe, he told "60 Minutes", that there was a connection between September 11 and Iraq.
The most damning part of Clarke's accusation is a reported conversation that he had with the president, in which Bush said: "I want to find out whether Iraq did this." He goes on to clarify that Bush never asked him to make it up; however, he notes: "... the entire conversation left me in absolutely no doubt that George Bush wanted me to come back with a report that said Iraq did this." When Clarke responded that US intelligence had investigated that issue and found no connection, Bush "came back at me and said, 'Iraq, Saddam', find out if there's a connection". Bush's tone, according to Clarke, was "very intimidating".
Emphasis added.
For the people who have followed the story this really isn't surprising. Former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neil made similar charges in his book, 'The Price of Loyalty' and the Administration painted him the same way they're painting Clarke right now.
This has already turned into a he said/she said but if you look back to interviews and statements by The President, Dick Cheney, Colin Powell, Condi Rice and Donald Rumsfeld the Bush Administration has been less than truthful with the American people. If the national press do their job it will only be a matter of time before it catches up with them. But the way things have gone that's a pretty big if.
Update: Many more lies here. The Center for American Progress have done their homework. Bless 'em. Atrios showing the way, thanks.
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The blogosphere is already aflame with analysis, spin and GOP response from Richard Clarke's appearance on 60 Minutes last night. Clarke was the 'Terrorist Czar' under Clinton and Bush(43.) He's been promoting his book, 'Against all Enemies' about the U.S. fight on terror and the Bush Administration's lack of preparation for acts of homeland terrorism, particularly 9/11. This analysis from Axis of Logic gives a good overview of where we stand at this point:
When it entered into office in January 2001, said Clarke, the entire focus of Bush's national security team was on working on old issues, such as Iraq, Star Wars, and "not on new issues, the new threats that developed over the preceding eight years". Clarke told CBS correspondent Leslie Stahl that Bush officials were "tepid" in their response, when, before September 11, he suggested to hold a meeting to discuss threats stemming from al-Qaeda. "Frankly," he added, "I find it outrageous that the president is running for reelection on the grounds that he's done such great things about terrorism. He ignored it. He ignored terrorism for months, when maybe we could have done something to stop 9/11 ..." Clarke observed. However, he added: "There is a lot of blame to go around, and I probably deserve some blame."
Immediately after the September 11 attacks, the focus of Bush's national security team, instead of remaining focused on attacking Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda, quickly turned on Iraq. Starting the first National Security Council (NSC) meeting, top Bush officials wanted to punish Iraq. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was saying, according to Clarke, that the US needed to bomb Iraq. Even when other participants of that meeting kept insisting that the focus should be on al-Qaeda and Afghanistan, Rumsfeld was saying there there were not any good targets in Afghanistan, and that there were many good targets in Iraq. Clarke said at first he that thought Rumsfeld's comment about the lack of good targets in Afghanistan was a joke. The administration wanted to believe, he told "60 Minutes", that there was a connection between September 11 and Iraq.
The most damning part of Clarke's accusation is a reported conversation that he had with the president, in which Bush said: "I want to find out whether Iraq did this." He goes on to clarify that Bush never asked him to make it up; however, he notes: "... the entire conversation left me in absolutely no doubt that George Bush wanted me to come back with a report that said Iraq did this." When Clarke responded that US intelligence had investigated that issue and found no connection, Bush "came back at me and said, 'Iraq, Saddam', find out if there's a connection". Bush's tone, according to Clarke, was "very intimidating".
Emphasis added.
For the people who have followed the story this really isn't surprising. Former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neil made similar charges in his book, 'The Price of Loyalty' and the Administration painted him the same way they're painting Clarke right now.
This has already turned into a he said/she said but if you look back to interviews and statements by The President, Dick Cheney, Colin Powell, Condi Rice and Donald Rumsfeld the Bush Administration has been less than truthful with the American people. If the national press do their job it will only be a matter of time before it catches up with them. But the way things have gone that's a pretty big if.
Update: Many more lies here. The Center for American Progress have done their homework. Bless 'em. Atrios showing the way, thanks.
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Big Surprise
C got up early to do some shopping on Saturday. She came home with a present for me. Needless to say, I'm in trouble.
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C got up early to do some shopping on Saturday. She came home with a present for me. Needless to say, I'm in trouble.
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Sunday, March 21, 2004
An Impressive Display of Weekend Mass Blogging
...well I think so. That was the most I've posted over a two day period in the short history of this experiment. If you're joining us late, be sure to check out the Veteran's Stadium post below and the fine writing talent in the Blog Roll on the left.
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...well I think so. That was the most I've posted over a two day period in the short history of this experiment. If you're joining us late, be sure to check out the Veteran's Stadium post below and the fine writing talent in the Blog Roll on the left.
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My Pools are Drained
Now that Kentucky has joined Stanford for the long trip home, I can officially say that my pool is done.
I'd like to speak to someone who had the Cardinal and the Wildcats out before the Sweet 16.
Comments below...
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Now that Kentucky has joined Stanford for the long trip home, I can officially say that my pool is done.
I'd like to speak to someone who had the Cardinal and the Wildcats out before the Sweet 16.
Comments below...
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Blog Survey
Courtesy of The Presurfer is a link to a blog survey with some interesting findings:
Because of things they have written on their blogs, 36% of respondents have gotten in trouble, 34% know other bloggers who have gotten in trouble with family and friends and 12% of respondents know other bloggers who have gotten in legal or professional problems because of things they wrote on their blogs.
Be sure to take the time to visit the Presurfer. There are enough diversions to wile away at least a week of work, which we all need to do at one point or another. Enjoy!
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Courtesy of The Presurfer is a link to a blog survey with some interesting findings:
Because of things they have written on their blogs, 36% of respondents have gotten in trouble, 34% know other bloggers who have gotten in trouble with family and friends and 12% of respondents know other bloggers who have gotten in legal or professional problems because of things they wrote on their blogs.
Be sure to take the time to visit the Presurfer. There are enough diversions to wile away at least a week of work, which we all need to do at one point or another. Enjoy!
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36 Dead in Iraq and it's only Mar. 21
The month of March has seen 161 woundedas well.
We can't leave now, but how could they not have planned better?
To borrow from a MoveOn ad, soldiers are dying to know.
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The month of March has seen 161 woundedas well.
We can't leave now, but how could they not have planned better?
To borrow from a MoveOn ad, soldiers are dying to know.
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Bush Gear Made in Repressive Country
Thanks to the Daily Kos for pointing us in this direction.
Well, our President's clothes being made in Burma/Myanmar isn't as bad as it coluld be. They could be made in North Korea.
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Thanks to the Daily Kos for pointing us in this direction.
Well, our President's clothes being made in Burma/Myanmar isn't as bad as it coluld be. They could be made in North Korea.
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