Silence & False Compassion

The above is from Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts on Aug. 28th. So today Bully Boy meets with some veterans of other wars and gives a rah-rah speech. That's the fire he's putting out today. One day he spends a few minutes acting like he cares about the victims of one of the hurricanes, then he spends time acting like he's concerned about the war, then he spends time . . . Lots and lots of acting.

Reality is that about half the people on my grandfather's street have left. They got tired of waiting for the electricity to come back. It started getting too cold at night.

Bully Boy will have something to say on that if and only if the press starts following this.

I'm not expecting much from either.

Chalabi clowns, Bully Boy clowns, the New York Times clowns . . .

Think of Chalabi as a chef. He cooked and fed Judy Miller most of her "reporting" and he cooked and fed the administration most of their "facts." Over 2,000 Americans are dead and some of that can be traced to Chalabi's "cooking."

If that happened at McDonalds, they'd fire his ass. But even though the administration shares with McDonalds a love for clowns, it doesn't share the basic accountability. So it's no surprise that Chalabi's being brought back in "from the cold." (For more on this, read "Other Items" and "NYT has to promote the AP today because NYT has little news.")

But it is disgusting. And it's one more sign of how there is no accountability in the Bully Boy administration.

Equally amazing is the New York Times which wants to do a mea culpa for their lousy reporting (a lot of it by Judy Miller) and wants to push the administration's "we were all wrong" party line but at the same time wants to promote Chalabi without acknowledging their own relationship with him which included hiring his niece.

Isaiah called it right regarding the state of the world today when he named his comic strip The World Today Just Nuts.

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Jot and think, one year ago . . .

Thing above is Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts from June 24th (and I used Rebecca's "isaiah resource" to track that down).

This morning, another neighbor was pulling out due to the lack of electricty so we were helping him tie down stuff to his car because he was going to stay with his son and not real sure when he'd be back.

Then we went and watched the thing we heard about last night at The Common Ills:

Brenda e-mails to note "Falluja....again and again" (Baghdad Dweller):
A new documentary released by Italian TV station "RAI" shows evidence that the US used chemical and Napalm weapons in Fallujha.Bodies burned without any traces of fire on the clothes and trust me there are many dead babies.
The documentary called "La strage nascosta" or "The hidden massacre" in English.You can watch the documentary in Arabic, English and Italian.

Use that link to watch. It'll blow your mind.

Then go read "Reading Press Releases Live From The Green Zone."

It was around this time last year that the slaughter in Fallujah started. Think about it and ask yourself what we're doing. Go read Mike from yesterday too. And don't expect to ever read any reality from Dexter Filkins.

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Bully Boy ethics "Ha-ha"

Let's all do our best Nelson "Ha-ha" as we think of Bully Boy ordering his staff into ethic's training. Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts on this made me laugh but I had another thought:
What if they really paid attention in "ethics" training?

Would it lead to a mass exodus from the administration?

Focus on that cheery thought for the day.

Also check out the Gareth Porter article that C.I.'s been noting, "Witnesses Describe Ballot Fraud in Nineveh:"

Both U.S. military informants and testimony gathered by civil society leaders in Nineveh reported that the Kurds had spread the rumour in Nineveh province that voters who did not vote "yes" would lose their food ration cards. Many farmers and their families were said by the independent informant to have voted "yes" on the understanding that would ensure the renewal of their ration cards.
The picture of voting irregularities and fear in Nineveh sketched out in these reports from non-Sunni sources collected by the U.S. military and civil society groups support the complaints about electoral fraud by Sunni political figures. And they belie the official portrayal of the referendum as a step toward political legitimacy and democratic development.



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Victim of romance

Not in a jotty mood. But C.I. made me laugh with "Other Items" this morning:

There's a "White House Memo" that Carl e-mails about. He wonders whether it will get the sort of ridicule that it deserves and that a "White House Letter" by Elisabeth Bumiller would? Good question.
It's entitled "Press Secretary on Trial in the Briefing Room" and attempts to provide you with the crashing waves that have threatened the love tunnel that exists between the press and Scott McClellan. Stretch praises him. Elite Fluff Patrol squad member Richard W. Stevenson blows air kisses. See, Scotty said Karl Rove and Scooter Libby weren't involved in the outing of Valerie Plame and now that the "public record" demonstrates that this false, poor Scotty and poor press just aren't sure, as Dionne Warwick once sang, what to do with themselves.
It's a tough time for both sides. All those expectations. All those laughs. Could it all be coming to end? He fed them, they stroked him. It was a mutal love affair born of self-interests on both sides. So Stevenson uses terms like "unwilling or unable" (is he charting on patients?) to attempt to explain the bind Scotty finds himself in (although it applies equally as well to what passes for the press). If Scotty comes out and speaks the truth (highly unlikely considering the administration he serves in), Karl Rove might go ballistic on him.What's Scotty to do?Stevenson frets and worries.It's all so very "Victim of Romance:"

Homeroom studyhall
I knew that I was gonna fall
Late at night I weep
Mumble in my sleep
Yeah knock on wood
Say I never felt so good
Heaven above
It must be love
Victim
Victim
I'm a victim of romance

Sing it, Stevenson, sing it!
("Victim of Romance" is written by John Martin. I'll plug Michelle Phillips' version which is available on the album of the same name and which Hip-O Select released this year on CD.)
"A member of a prominent Texas political family, he was viewed by many reporters when he took the job as genial and straightforward but difficult to knock off the White House's talking points," Stevenson all but sobs into pillow.
Stevenson reassures us that, in all the madness, Scotty's high roaded it and "has instead appealed to the better instincts of his journalistic inquisitors." Yes, he can't stop singing "Victim of Romance:"

Cold blooded felony
Murder in the first degree
It's a crime
What he's done to my spine

It certainly is. It certainly is a crime what Scotty's done to Richie's spine. A victim . . . a victim. . . Stevenson's just a victim of romance.Hopefully, it will all be worked out in time for home coming. I'd hate to think Richie might miss getting pinned by Scotty.


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World Can't Wait (but national media can on Bully Boy and Florida and probably everything else)

Just got off the phone with C.I. and hope everyone who can will participate in the World Can't Wait events. It's important to be counted if you're able to.

The photo above is a peace sign from the cover of The Cowboy Junkies' Early 21st Century Blues CD. That's a really good CD, so check it out. The first thing I ever did with The Third Estate Sunday Review was help with their review of that and Dolly Parton's Those Were The Days. Mike had called me earlier that Saturday saying, "You got to get The Cowboy Junkies!" over and over, so I did. Good CD. It'll soothe you. Unless, like me, you're in Florida wondering where the hell the national media is?

While we were on the phone, I got C.I. to read the New York Times' coverage of Florida from today and yesterday.

Today:

Florida: Fishing ban is overturned
A two-month ban on recreational grouper fishing in the Gulf of Mexico was overturned Monday, a day before it was scheduled to go into effect. Judge John E. Steele of Federal District Court ruled that federal officials went too far when they outlawed all grouper fishing to protect one species, red grouper. The restrictions were to have established a closed season for grouper in November and December in federal waters and reduced the daily bag limit of the fish to one from two. The decision means that many species of grouper can be caught in federal waters, beyond nine miles offshore in the Gulf. Red grouper remains off limits in those waters through December.

That's an Associated Press thing (in full) from "National Briefing."

Yesterday?

Florida: Trick-or-Treaters told to proceed with caution
Government officials in South Florida urged parents not to let their children go trick-or-treating after dark because of power failures and fallen power lines affecting much of the area a week after Hurricane Wilma. "If your kids don't need to go door to door trick-or-treating this year, they probably shouldn't," Lt. Bill Schwartz of the Miami police said. "If you can find an alternative like a mall, we highly recommend it." Public schools in Boward Country were closed through at least tomorrow and in Miami-Dade through today. Florida Power and Light said it had restored power to about 25 percent of the 3.3 million people who lost power after the hurricane. But it said some areas might not get power back until Nov. 22.

Also Associated Press also "National Briefing."

It sure is nice to be a "briefing." I asked C.I., when NYC had their day of blackout, how did that play in the paper of record? Front paged. No surprise there.

On the trick-or-treating, it was also because of "debris" from the hurricane and it was much stronger here than the Associated Press paragraph lets on. Then we're reading that 25% of the people who lost power have had it restored. But in some radio reports they say 77%. I don't think anyone's gotten an honest accounting and I don't think they'll get one because the national press isn't interested in this story.

Let me tell you what else you're not being told by the national paper of record. Jeb Bush called off city elections that were to have taken place yesterday in Miami-Dade (including the election of Miami's mayor). Students are missing classes because of the damage done by the hurricane and the lack of a quick response. Jeb's offering waivers because the school's won't meet the compliance demands. Depeche Mode has cancelled their concert, the one that was to kick start their tour, scheduled in Fort Lauderdale. You hearing much about the way it's effecting migrant farm workers?

Maybe if we talk about the effect it's had on college football, some might pay attention?

Did you hear about Tuesday's rainfall? In Broward, you had an apartment complex's roof cave in due to the damage from the hurricane combined with yesterday's rain. They're saying 500 people are now homeless. This story didn't end when the hurricane swept through Florida but the national media acts like it has. You've got complexes and condos that are unsafe and people wondering where they're supposed to go.

And guess what one answer was in Miami? You could stay overnight at a motel. The motel didn't have electricity, but you could stay there. And this "solution" came from the city government.

Where's the national media?

Tomorrow I'll try to be my usual smart ass self. This isn't supposed to be The Daily Florida. But one day without power in NYC is a massive, national news story. What happens in Florida isn't apparently cause for concern. But when a fishing ban is overturned, count on the New York Times to give you that news.

If I was on campus and classes were going on (some campuses are suffering from power shortages as well), I'd walk out at noon to honor World Can't Wait. If you're able to, I hope you will. Peace.

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Press cozy with power - always

I think about Isaiah's latest The World Today Just Nuts as I wonder where the national media is on what's going on in Florida? They're cozying up to the power. There's Judy Miller and Matthew Cooper making nice with Karl Rove and Scooter Libby, laughing and grinning, as they scoot on down the road. Is it any wonder that they have no interest in any story that actually effects the people? Or as the mainstream press might call us, "the little people."

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Bully Boy Comes To Town

Bully Boy comes to town . . .

Couple days after the Hurricane hit. Lot like 9/11, lot like Hurricane Katrina, lot like everything else he does. Not the brightest even in his own family. He's the kind of guy who's always handing out belated birthday cards.

Power? We've got the generator. That means standing in the gas lines.

But he was all over the radio yesterday telling us how good we got it.

We got it so good that over 1/2 of us without power when the hurricane hit still don't have power.

We got it so good that "good news" is P&L thinks everyone will have electricity by . . . Thanksgiving.

Bully Boy said something like "Soon more and more houmes will have power. Their life will get back to normal."

But he doesn't seem overly concerned. Hear he got some nice photo ops out of it.

Meanwhile, people stand in line for ice and water.

Guess he has other things on his mind with the whole Harriet thing blowing up in his face and rumors that Patrick Fitzgerald will indict someone today?

He came. He spun. He left.

I think the third thing's the only thing to cheer about.

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Quick jot

Right now we have power for a few hours thanks to the generator.

Do I sound like Riverbend?

Well say a prayer for Florida, while the rest of the nation lives under only one Bush, we live under two and you can really tell that with the incompetence displayed at every level in the wake of Hurricane Wilma.

Will we get any news today in Plamegate? Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts contains the news I'm hoping for.

Not much of a Jot, I know but we're on the generator and I don't want to use too much electricity. C.I.'s told me on the phone that everyone's been thinking of my family and me. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. We're fine, just without electricty most days.


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A Bug's Lie

With Wilma headed here, my mind's elsewhere this morning so I'll just post Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts. (Thanks to C.I. for explaining how this weekend.)

tom delay

Libby, Rove and Somerby

Libby and Rove may have conspired together! Shocking. No doubt ego maniac Rove's grumbling about who gets top billed.

Some people are waiting to see what Patrick Fitzgerald will do. Some are attacking Joe Wilson.
Attack the victim?

The site that's not my site's namesake launched yet another attack on Joe Wilson yesterday and wants us all to think it's about "the truth."

Bob Somerby's been absent for the lead up to the invasion and he's been absent for the occupation. He can scold and attack but the truth is he sleeps on the job like an "old geezer" (using one of his words). Is he too shame faced to own up to it?

Laugh as Bob turns himself into a pretzel to continuously scold that "This is not a story!" Chuckle as he plays fast and loose with the facts to attack Joe Wilson. Mourn the death of once great voice.

Question to ponder for the weekend: Why do some people trash their own work and legacy?

Harriet gest a do over

Harriet Miers gets a do over. She didn't make a goal but instead of benching her, the Senate's going to give her a do over. If she's confirmed, will the Court implement a do over policy when she still can't get her act together?

Will majority opinions begin with, "Barring any do overs, the Court finds . . ."

Will good come from this? Will they drop the misguided "three strikes and you're out" policy due to a defense attorney arguing to the Court that his or her client wants "one of those Harriet Miers do overs?"

Harriet Miers ... possibly qualified for the Court ... if she can have a do over.

Now for a self-plug. Mike has an interview with a smart, funny, guy ... me! For the hour, Mike, for the hour!

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Harriet Miers: Woman of Mystery

Yesterday began with news of Harriet Miers' challenge: "No one knows how I'd vote on abortion." As though the country had found the dead body in the library, with a candle stick holder but not sure which character had done the deed. By mid-day even the worst Clue player could tell you about the 1989 survey she answered giving her pledge to pursue the anti-choice agenda.

The mystery of Miers remains a mystery only to those as bright as a post hole digger. But she wants you to keep playing. Which may explain her own intellectual capabilities.

Musing on Dexter Filkins

Dexter Filkins goes all spaz and spaztic while reporting on the rumors of ballot stuffing in Iraq. Maybe he feared that a look into ballot stuffing might prompt one into crotch stuffing as well? Never did understand that. If you're looking to get with someone, really get with someone, how do you explain when the pitching mound is suddenly an ant hill?

Maybe Dexter Filkins can explain that in his next op-ed "live from the Green Zone!"?

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What did her parents tell her?

We get told, growing up, work hard, apply yourself, and maybe someday you'll make something of yourself, even maybe become president.

Or most of us. Did Harriet Miers' parents tell her, "Harriet, you kiss enough butt, don't do anything spectacular or special, just kiss that butt, and some day you could be a judge on the Supreme Court!"

Where's the damn Daily Jot?

I'm trying to see if I have this figured out. C.I. just returned my message and before the week started I wanted to figure out how to do posts by e-mail. When we were setting it up last night, we set it up for that.

Already have Beth busting my chops with "Where's your Sunday post?" :)

What happened there was I ended up early this morning and i.m.ed Mike who said, "Get your butt over to The Third Estate Sunday Review!" So I ended up helping out with their CD thing. And then just talking and shooting the breeze.

C.I. and Ava were trying to get their TV review completed but they were up against a clock because C.I. had signed up for volunteer work this weekend. So the point came where the review wasn't completed. Jim said don't worry, we'd all work on the editorial this evening and people could consider it two editions instead of one with the 2nd one having the editorial and the review.

The whole evening/night/morning was a train wreck for the guys because in the middle of the news review, Jim checks the e-mails and finds an article Martha's e-mailed by the guy she hates. (Community members know who I am talking about.) He's ripped off C.I. no credit, no nothing.

C.I. is able to handle that. I'd be screaming my head off, breaking something and wanting to go punch the guy out. And that was everyone's reaction pretty much so the whole edition got derailed.

Jess told me C.I.'s the one who put it back together and he feels real bad about that because there it was C.I. being ripped off and C.I.'s stuck with making everyone else feel it's okay. So Jess feels bad about that.

When finally the review started back up, it was late and the rip off was something that people just kept going back to. Jess said C.I. didn't and kept saying, "We need to focus on what's in front of us." Jess blames himself because he fed into the rage and he doubts that was helpful to C.I.

So that's what was going on there. After C.I. had to bail and get ready to start volunteering, we probably all stayed on the phone for about two or three hours just shooting the sh-t. (I'll try to keep this site clean because I know a lot of members use work computers. I've got a filthy mouth though so I may slip. Remind me if I go into the gutter.)

I'll start The Daily Jot stuff proper tomorrow. Now I'm going to see if this will send and if it does, I'll add links. I should have used my yahoo account and I could have put links in. Next time I'll remember that.


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Thank you mucho to C.I. of The Common Ills. Mucho grande.

I'm Common Ills community member Wally and I toss out things every now and then to that site. This is just a brief background or bio.

I think my older cousin Will turned me on to The Common Ills. A lot of people were talking about it but Will's the one I listen to. There was a thing on a story in The New York Times about Florida and football and that's how Will got me to check it out. I discovered the other community sites and I have to do a shout out to Rebecca of Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude. I've got C.I. on the phone so I'm trying not to do too many links. C.I.'s talking me through the mechanics but I have to give a shout out to Rebecca. We'd read her and C.I. for class my last year in high school. And I have to do a shout out to my buddy Mike because if he hadn't stayed on my case, this site wouldn't be starting. Mike blogs at Mikey Likes It!

Everyone's great but I'll sit on my lazy butt and not try to hunt down links since C.I.'s kind enough to "hold the phone" while I figure out what to say. Elaine, Cedric, Betty, Dona, Jim, Ava, Jess, Ty, Kat and Seth are all people who do great work worth reading.

Guess what? You ain't gonna find nothing like that here!

I'm a college student and I'm hyper busy. What I'm hoping for is to do a "daily jot" at least five times a week. C.I.'s helped me create or whatever the option where you can e-mail a post to your site and, cross those fingers, that will help me always be able to blog.

My daily jot is going to be a thought or two. I'm not doing a run down of everything.

It'll be like a thought for the day. Nothing spiritual or deep, more of a smart ass kind of thing coz that's the kind of man I am!

This may be the longest post you see here.

But Mike's talked about the need for members of the community to toss stuff out there and so this is my way of doing that.

Again, big thanks, mucho mucho, to C.I. for being on the phone with me. I'm about to learn how to post these damn things. At some point, probably on winter break, I'll add more to my blog roll but I wanted the community sites up there, Democracy Now! and Pop Politics because Christine's someone that really spoke to the community at Ms. Musing and let me talk a second there.

Christine did Ms. Musing over at Ms. I don't know how long. I know that after I found The Common Ills, I'd go check the links. Lot of good stuff up there but Christine really made me think about stuff. I bet she didn't expect for some high school jock (male) to find her writing to speak to him but they did. I don't know why Ms. Musing stopped and nobody asked my opinion on it, but if they had, I would've told them big mistake. There were times when I disagreed and times when I agreed and always I went back to read more. I'm trying to remember to check Pop Politics but it's still new to me and I'm a creature of habit like anybody else. But she's doing her work at Pop Politics with a lot of other interesting people and it's on my blog roll so try to check it out.

I don't think a community member could start a site without noting Democracy Now! because it's so important to the community. I think Pop Politics is pretty important too and I hope me putting it up there makes you want to give it a look.

In fact, this'll kind of be like a real short version of what Christine does. She does these wonderfully written things and don't expect that. And she's on top of pretty much everything and don't expect that! LOL. But I'll just toss out an opinion or two here and maybe you'll agree or disagree but maybe it'll make you think.

I need to get this up before The Third Estate Sunday Review starts publishing because that way they can add me to their links. I hemmed and hawwed forever and 20 days. But I said I would start something and this is it. Hope you find something here but no promises.

Now C.I.'s going to talk me through tags quickly because Rebecca will never speak to me if I don't learn tags. For community memer Shirley I'll put in the e-mail address "for this site" which is thedailyjot@yahoo.com. Name's Wally and I probably should have started with that.
Kat always says, "It is what it is."

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