Saturday, April 09, 2005
Wal-Mart Truly Does Suck
For those of you who value reproductive freedom and civil rights, you'll want read this posting from MyDD.com. It's enough to curl your hair. Apparently, Wal-Mart allows pharmacists to refuse to dispense birth control pills if they have a personal objection. Read the email exchange between a blogger and Wal-Mart here. Disgusting, truly disgusting.
Friday, April 08, 2005
One Final Pope Funeral Thought...
Although I didn't watch much of the Pope's funeral ceremonies, I did happen to see a list of the dignitaries who attended today's Mass. After seeing representatives from Arab nations sitting nearly side-by-side with Jewish leaders, and Iranian ayattolahs mere feet away from European prime ministers...and even the Chimp sitting next to French President Chirac...I came away thinking why don't they just lock all these leaders in the Sistine Chapel for their own sort of "world peace" conclave - and not let them out till they accomplish something worthwhile? Just a thought...
Avoiding the Teenagers
Talk about Desperate Housewives! This woman will do anything to avoid raisiing her teenage daughters. Here ya go...
Warden's wife, girls reunite
The Associated Press
FORT SUPPLY, Okla. — The prison warden's wife who vanished with a convicted killer a decade ago returned to Oklahoma with her husband and was reunited Thursday with her daughters.
Randy Parker, now warden at the William S. Key Correctional Center at Fort Supply, and his wife, Bobbi Parker, returned home about 1 a.m., Department of Corrections spokesman Jerry Massie said. The Parkers' two daughters, who were 8 and 10 when Bobbi Parker disappeared in 1994, were at the warden's residence, Massie said.
Bobbi Parker disappeared with Randolph Dial from the Oklahoma State Reformatory, where her husband was an assistant warden.
Dial, 60, was arrested Monday in Texas, and authorities found Bobbi Parker, 42, shortly afterward.
Investigators think Dial kept Parker from escaping by threatening her family.
Bobbi Parker and her husband had a joyous reunion, a witness said.
Dial told reporters he abducted Parker at knifepoint in 1994 and brainwashed her into staying with him. He said their relationship was not romantic.
Martha Rash, who with her husband owns a chicken farm where Parker and Dial lived and worked, said Parker had plenty of chances to escape. But she said she thought Dial had convinced Parker that if she ran, he would have used his alleged Mafia ties to have members of her family killed.
An FBI spokesman said there were no plans to charge Parker.
Warden's wife, girls reunite
The Associated Press
FORT SUPPLY, Okla. — The prison warden's wife who vanished with a convicted killer a decade ago returned to Oklahoma with her husband and was reunited Thursday with her daughters.
Randy Parker, now warden at the William S. Key Correctional Center at Fort Supply, and his wife, Bobbi Parker, returned home about 1 a.m., Department of Corrections spokesman Jerry Massie said. The Parkers' two daughters, who were 8 and 10 when Bobbi Parker disappeared in 1994, were at the warden's residence, Massie said.
Bobbi Parker disappeared with Randolph Dial from the Oklahoma State Reformatory, where her husband was an assistant warden.
Dial, 60, was arrested Monday in Texas, and authorities found Bobbi Parker, 42, shortly afterward.
Investigators think Dial kept Parker from escaping by threatening her family.
Bobbi Parker and her husband had a joyous reunion, a witness said.
Dial told reporters he abducted Parker at knifepoint in 1994 and brainwashed her into staying with him. He said their relationship was not romantic.
Martha Rash, who with her husband owns a chicken farm where Parker and Dial lived and worked, said Parker had plenty of chances to escape. But she said she thought Dial had convinced Parker that if she ran, he would have used his alleged Mafia ties to have members of her family killed.
An FBI spokesman said there were no plans to charge Parker.
Travels with Bill
Can't get enough of this kind of article...describing his excellent adventures in Rome, in between Pope-sightings. Bill, come back, we need you!
Pressing the flesh in Rome...
Pressing the flesh in Rome...
An Oedipal Slump?
People are saying Bush is in a slump? Recently, he's had ever-lowering poll numbers, stumbles on Schiavo and Social Security. This article from today's Washington Post is must-reading for Bush bashers...except that it makes me just so damn sad, not even angry. These are the last few paragraphs:
"Real leadership takes courage. The night Bush's father was inaugurated in 1989, he wrote in his diary that he planned to call the Democratic speaker of the House the next day and begin the painful work of cutting the budget deficit. By working responsibly with Congress, the elder Bush helped create the conditions for the economic boom of the 1990s. But he lost the 1992 election. That specter is now gone for the younger Bush; he won the prize that eluded his father. But what does he want to do with it?
I asked one of Bush's political advisers recently why the president hadn't worked more closely with congressional leaders to deal with America's serious financial problems. He answered that this president has no interest in dickering with committee chairmen over the details of legislation. Bush is a man of large ambition who wants big, bold victories -- who wants to hit home runs rather than singles and doubles.
To me that's the heart of Bush's problem. He's swinging for the fences, on everything from Iraq to Social Security. But leadership isn't just about soaring rhetoric; it's about responsible stewardship. And in the end, it's about solving problems. Perhaps that's the real reason the president has lost momentum since that remarkable Inauguration Day speech. The country elected him to be a leader, not a barnstormer."
"Real leadership takes courage. The night Bush's father was inaugurated in 1989, he wrote in his diary that he planned to call the Democratic speaker of the House the next day and begin the painful work of cutting the budget deficit. By working responsibly with Congress, the elder Bush helped create the conditions for the economic boom of the 1990s. But he lost the 1992 election. That specter is now gone for the younger Bush; he won the prize that eluded his father. But what does he want to do with it?
I asked one of Bush's political advisers recently why the president hadn't worked more closely with congressional leaders to deal with America's serious financial problems. He answered that this president has no interest in dickering with committee chairmen over the details of legislation. Bush is a man of large ambition who wants big, bold victories -- who wants to hit home runs rather than singles and doubles.
To me that's the heart of Bush's problem. He's swinging for the fences, on everything from Iraq to Social Security. But leadership isn't just about soaring rhetoric; it's about responsible stewardship. And in the end, it's about solving problems. Perhaps that's the real reason the president has lost momentum since that remarkable Inauguration Day speech. The country elected him to be a leader, not a barnstormer."
Crimes and Misdemeanors?
This story may be a little "inside baseball" as they say, but it's making the rounds of the blogosphere. During the Terri Schiavo firestorm, a memo was circulating noting the potential political advantages to the Republicans for getting involved...legislatively speaking. Because the talking points were not on letterhead or signed (ahem), some Republicans speculated that the memo could have been written by Democrats. In fact, a big deal was made by GOP blogers and the usual suspects, like Fox News, that this was all a trap, and another case of 'liberal media bias' and equating the memo with the Dan Rather problem during the election.
Got that?
Now the other shoe has fallen...a staffer at Republican Florida Senator Mel Martinez's office has been fired. So, has anyone apologized for the mischaracterization? Was Senator Martine more involved than he let on? Read all about it here.
"Martinez said in his statement that he had "conducted a full internal investigation on how this memo came into my possession" and that it was "not a document that would have been approved in this office for circulation under any circumstances."
Remember, Martinez was hand-picked by the White House to run for the Senate. For these people, politics is everything.
Got that?
Now the other shoe has fallen...a staffer at Republican Florida Senator Mel Martinez's office has been fired. So, has anyone apologized for the mischaracterization? Was Senator Martine more involved than he let on? Read all about it here.
"Martinez said in his statement that he had "conducted a full internal investigation on how this memo came into my possession" and that it was "not a document that would have been approved in this office for circulation under any circumstances."
Remember, Martinez was hand-picked by the White House to run for the Senate. For these people, politics is everything.
Wednesday, April 06, 2005
Prize-worthy 'toons
Here's the portfolio of Nick Anderson, the latest Pulitizer Prize-winning political cartoonist. Enjoy!
Give 'em Hell, Helen!
Here's another American treasure: Helen Thomas, who took on Ari Fleischer and lives to tell the tale.
People Tiring of the "Moral" Agenda...
Ya Think?
In USA Today today:
"WASHINGTON -- The controversy over Terri Schiavo has raised concerns among many Americans about the moral agenda of the Republican Party and the political power of conservative Christians, a USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll finds.
In the survey, most Americans disapprove of the efforts by President Bush and Congress to draw federal courts into the dispute over treatment of the brain-damaged Florida woman. She died last week.
Some old stereotypes about the two parties have been reversed:
By 55%-40%, respondents say Republicans, traditionally the party of limited government, are "trying to use the federal government to interfere with the private lives of most Americans" on moral values.
By 53%-40%, they say Democrats, who sharply expanded government since the Depression, aren't trying to interfere on moral issues."
"WASHINGTON -- The controversy over Terri Schiavo has raised concerns among many Americans about the moral agenda of the Republican Party and the political power of conservative Christians, a USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll finds.
In the survey, most Americans disapprove of the efforts by President Bush and Congress to draw federal courts into the dispute over treatment of the brain-damaged Florida woman. She died last week.
Some old stereotypes about the two parties have been reversed:
By 55%-40%, respondents say Republicans, traditionally the party of limited government, are "trying to use the federal government to interfere with the private lives of most Americans" on moral values.
By 53%-40%, they say Democrats, who sharply expanded government since the Depression, aren't trying to interfere on moral issues."
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
One of My Favorite Things...
When I bought a new car last year, it came equipped with satellite radio. At the time, I thought it was an unnecessary luxury that I could certainly do without...but it has grown on me so much that I bought another radio for my husband for Christmas. He's now hooked, too. Apparently, a lot of other people are happy with this new alternative for listening to music and interesting conversation. At this point, I can't imagine going back to 'regular' corporate radio. We've learned a lot about obscure blues players, reminded ourselves what we really like about jazz and bluegrass, and (I) have been able to get to really know the Air America shows. Now I hear Jerry Springer has joined the mix...interesting.
If you're looking for an alternative music source, give it a try.
If you're looking for an alternative music source, give it a try.
Monday, April 04, 2005
Throwing Us Another Curveball
Can you believe this shit? And Clinton got impeached for Sex? Come on.
"An alcoholic cousin of an aide to Ahmed Chalabi has emerged as the key source in the US rationale for going to war in Iraq.
According to a US presidential commission looking into pre-war intelligence failures, the basis for pivotal intelligence on Iraq's alleged biological weapons programmes and fleet of mobile labs was a spy described as 'crazy' by his intelligence handlers and a 'congenital liar' by his friends.
The defector, given the code-name Curveball by the CIA, has emerged as the central figure in the corruption of US intelligence estimates on Iraq. Despite considerable doubts over Curveball's credibility, his claims were included in the administration's case for war without caveat."
"An alcoholic cousin of an aide to Ahmed Chalabi has emerged as the key source in the US rationale for going to war in Iraq.
According to a US presidential commission looking into pre-war intelligence failures, the basis for pivotal intelligence on Iraq's alleged biological weapons programmes and fleet of mobile labs was a spy described as 'crazy' by his intelligence handlers and a 'congenital liar' by his friends.
The defector, given the code-name Curveball by the CIA, has emerged as the central figure in the corruption of US intelligence estimates on Iraq. Despite considerable doubts over Curveball's credibility, his claims were included in the administration's case for war without caveat."
Sunday, April 03, 2005
Bring It On!
Bill Simmons' take on tonight, ending with:
"When it comes right down to it, this blood feud with the Yankees is unlike anything else in professional sports right now. They're the Ali to our Frazier, the Iron Sheik to our Sergeant Slaughter. We need them, they need us. We hate them, they hate us. The rivalry is developing into a self-perpetuating organism – a zero sum game for sports, a de facto Cold War – something that neither team can ever truly win. Both teams jockey for the upper hand all season, the battle resolves itself in October, and then everything starts again in April. That's just the way it is. Until last year, the Yankees always prevailed. Now we have an official rivalry on our hands. Is it better than winning a championship, or pulling off the greatest comeback in sports history? Of course not. But it's still pretty good."
And now, a sports columnist from NY thinks the whiny bunch from the Bronx might not win it all, in spite of the payroll. Read this and enjoy.
Women in Blogging
Recent commentary in the blogosphere has pointed out a supposed imbalance between the number of men vs. women bloggers. Perhaps to counter some of this, the folks at one of the lefty blogs MyDD)yesterday pointed to an interesting site: Blogs by Women. On a whim, since they were accepting listings, I sent a brief email about Left Curve and the nice folks over there added a mention of our little blog. Nice!
If you're looking for some new and wide-ranging topics about, for and by women: check out their directory here. Watch out, I stumbled on some wacky righty's too.
If you're looking for some new and wide-ranging topics about, for and by women: check out their directory here. Watch out, I stumbled on some wacky righty's too.
Friday, April 01, 2005
He's Baaaaaack
Former President Bill Clinton speaks after receiving the 2005 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Award for Humanitarian Contributions for his leadership in fighting HIV/AIDS during the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases' Annual Awards Gala at the Ritz-Carlton in Arlington, Va., on Friday, March 31, 2005. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)
More here, saying the Prez looks betterthan before his surgery. Good news, certainly.
Swept Under the Carpet...?
In the midst of all the recent media madness, and now, the potential death of the Pope, a new report has come out regarding the abysmal intelligence on WMD in Iraq.
From today's Washington Post:
"As former secretary of state Colin L. Powell worked into the night in a New York hotel room, on the eve of his February 2003 presentation to the U.N. Security Council, CIA officers sent urgent e-mails and cables describing grave doubts about a key charge he was going to make.
On the telephone that night, a senior intelligence officer warned then-CIA Director George J. Tenet that he lacked confidence in the principal source of the assertion that Saddam Hussein's scientists were developing deadly agents in mobile laboratories.
Mr. Tenet replied with words to the effect of 'yeah, yeah' and that he was 'exhausted,' " according to testimony quoted yesterday in the report of President Bush's commission on the intelligence failures leading up to his decision to invade Iraq in March 2003.
Tenet told the commission he did not recall that part of the conversation. He relayed no such concerns to Powell, who made the germ-warfare charge a centerpiece of his presentation the next day."
We cannot forget the lies.
From today's Washington Post:
"As former secretary of state Colin L. Powell worked into the night in a New York hotel room, on the eve of his February 2003 presentation to the U.N. Security Council, CIA officers sent urgent e-mails and cables describing grave doubts about a key charge he was going to make.
On the telephone that night, a senior intelligence officer warned then-CIA Director George J. Tenet that he lacked confidence in the principal source of the assertion that Saddam Hussein's scientists were developing deadly agents in mobile laboratories.
Mr. Tenet replied with words to the effect of 'yeah, yeah' and that he was 'exhausted,' " according to testimony quoted yesterday in the report of President Bush's commission on the intelligence failures leading up to his decision to invade Iraq in March 2003.
Tenet told the commission he did not recall that part of the conversation. He relayed no such concerns to Powell, who made the germ-warfare charge a centerpiece of his presentation the next day."
We cannot forget the lies.
Stop the Nuclear Option
John Kerry needs us again...ok, stop laughing. Really, you can sign up to be a supporter of a new ad to be run in USA Today next Tuesday that recommends that the US Senate be allowed to filibuster judicial appointments and prevent radicals from being nominated by the Chimp.
Add your name to the roll, or -- of course -- contribute monetarily if you are so inclined.
Add your name to the roll, or -- of course -- contribute monetarily if you are so inclined.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
