Thursday, January 31, 2008

Obama's opening statement tonight

here's Barack Obama's opening statement at tonight's debate, for those who missed it.

the Real John McCain

(via Brave New Films)

oh, man... winter.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

the Road picture

it's only fitting that the first item I read after a 7hr. road trip is about the film adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's amazing novel the Road. io9 has the details on the kid who's been cast to play the kid to Viggo Mortensen's father.
filming starts next month in Pittsburgh (yay!). sounds like they are going to be staying fairly true to the novel, which is a relief.
the rest of the cast so far sounds amazing, too.

rotten tomatoes
has some more details.

hump day interlude

the Concretes - Seems Fine

(maybe it's all the time spent in Minnesota this week, maybe it's the nordic blood in my veins, all I know is I luvs me some wacky Scandinavian music...w/lottsa cats)

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

feeling gravitys pull, pt. 2

more of Dr. Brian Cox explaining gravity to monkeys.

Al Franken for Senate

I'm up in Minneapolis tonight, where it's -8 (-33 windchill !?!...brrrr),
when I was reminded, by this ad, of Al Franken's run for the Senate.
Go Al GO!

www.alfranken.com

SOTU response from Sen. Durbin

Sen. Dick Durbin (IL) is great & this is more proof of that.
He speaks openly & honestly here, especially about Bush's dishonest mentioning of earmarks.
He touches on the FISA battle, too. well worth watching.

Democratic Response to SOTU

here's KS Gov Kathleen Sebelius' response to the State of the Union address.
if you haven't seen it already, take a look, it's great. we need more Dems like her.
I know I wish our Governor here in Illinois was more like Gov. Sebelius.

Monday, January 28, 2008

SOTU point by point

thinkprogress has a point by point analysis of the State of the Union address.
The fallacies & out right lies that came flowing from Dubya's mouth are staggering.
It's really quite a remarkable thing to behold.

go take a look.

Obama & Clinton to vote against cloture

good news, both Obama & Hillary are headed back to Washinton to vote no on cloture in the ongoing FISA battle.

(more at TPM)

the real SOTU

here's a quick review from last year's string of broken promises.
(see if you can keep up)


(h/t crooksandliars)

Sunday, January 27, 2008

a Thank You to Senator Dodd

(via firedoglake)
this is a great video response to the whole FISA debate.
contrary to what folks in Washington may think, we are paying attention.


(original video is here)

rethinking meat


there's a truly amazing article in the NYT today laying out the correlation between meat consumption & global climate change, as well as the many human health concerns involved. After reading it I think those of us who have not already sworn off meat (I've eaten nothing off the hoof in 17 years) will hopefully think twice about our meat consumption & the toll the meat industry is taking on the world.

here are a few choice snippets:

"These assembly-line meat factories consume enormous amounts of energy, pollute water supplies, generate significant greenhouse gases and require ever-increasing amounts of corn, soy and other grains, a dependency that has led to the destruction of vast swaths of the world’s tropical rain forests."

"Americans eat about the same amount of meat as we have for some time, about eight ounces a day, roughly twice the global average. At about 5 percent of the world’s population, we “process” (that is, grow and kill) nearly 10 billion animals a year, more than 15 percent of the world’s total.

Growing meat (it’s hard to use the word “raising” when applied to animals in factory farms) uses so many resources that it’s a challenge to enumerate them all. But consider: an estimated 30 percent of the earth’s ice-free land is directly or indirectly involved in livestock production, according to the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization, which also estimates that livestock production generates nearly a fifth of the world’s greenhouse gases — more than transportation."

"To put the energy-using demand of meat production into easy-to-understand terms, Gidon Eshel, a geophysicist at the Bard Center, and Pamela A. Martin, an assistant professor of geophysics at the University of Chicago, calculated that if Americans were to reduce meat consumption by just 20 percent it would be as if we all switched from a standard sedan — a Camry, say — to the ultra-efficient Prius."

& it goes on like this for some length, but you get the idea. Mark Bittman does a great job of explaining how the ill effects of our meat consumption can be reversed. the entire article is well worth the time.

another Kennedy endorsement

another big endorsement is coming Obama's way, this time from Ted Kennedy.
via the Boston Globe:

"Senator Edward M. Kennedy will endorse Barack Obama for president tomorrow, breaking his year-long neutrality to send a powerful signal of where the legendary Massachusetts Democrat sees the party going -- and who he thinks is best to lead it."

Caroline Kennedy endorses Obama

Caroline Kennedy has a great op-ed in todays New York Times. She crystalizes perfectly
what Obama supporters are feeling & why they support him so passionately.

here are a few exerpts:

"Sometimes it takes a while to recognize that someone has a special ability to get us to believe in ourselves, to tie that belief to our highest ideals and imagine that together we can do great things. In those rare moments, when such a person comes along, we need to put aside our plans and reach for what we know is possible.

We have that kind of opportunity with Senator Obama. It isn’t that the other candidates are not experienced or knowledgeable. But this year, that may not be enough. We need a change in the leadership of this country — just as we did in 1960."


"I want a president who understands that his responsibility is to articulate a vision and encourage others to achieve it; who holds himself, and those around him, to the highest ethical standards; who appeals to the hopes of those who still believe in the American Dream, and those around the world who still believe in the American ideal; and who can lift our spirits, and make us believe again that our country needs every one of us to get involved."

"I have never had a president who inspired me the way people tell me that my father inspired them. But for the first time, I believe I have found the man who could be that president — not just for me, but for a new generation of Americans."

After 7+ years in the darkness, I think alot of people are feeling this way.

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Obama's victory speech in SC

full of truths & inspiration. this is what a President sounds like.

SC Update

with 99% in:

Obama - 55%
Clinton- 27%
Edwards- 18%

Obama wins big in SC

Obama is projected winner in South Carolina primary
(only 3% in at this time)

Obama - 53%
Clinton- 32%
Edwards- 16%

Saturday Night Special(s)

the Specials - Ghost Town

Friday, January 25, 2008

Preznit Goober is priceless


Bush mistakenly compares himself to a horse thief.

via thinkprogress.

'The artist, W.H.D. Koerner, executed it to illustrate a Western short story entitled “The Slipper Tongue,” published in The Saturday Evening Post in 1916. The story is about a smooth-talking horse thief who is caught, and then escapes a lynch mob in the Sand Hills of Nebraska. The illustration depicts the thief fleeing his captors.'

um... actually, that sounds about right.

more at Harper's.

A Celebration of Karl Pohrt



Karl is a legend in the bookselling business & Shaman Drum is, simply put, one of the BEST bookstores in the country, if not the world. the University of Michigan will host a Celebration of Karl Pohrt in March.

from the press release:

“For 27 years, Karl Pohrt has provided an unparalleled center for literary and community life in Ann Arbor,” said co-organizer Professor Linda Gregerson.

Karl Pohrt, founder and owner of Shaman Drum Bookshop, has offered the book-loving citizens of southeast Michigan a vital center for conversation and contemplation. He has celebrated the publication of books by current and former members of the University of Michigan; has hosted hundreds of readings and book signings, all of them free to the public; has offered hospitality and visibility to hundreds of visiting authors, editors, and illustrators; and has nourished a vital ongoing exchange between students, faculty, and readers of all kinds. With passion and unfailing generosity, and quite without official obligation or support, he has provided the circumstances in which the University of Michigan can make good on its promise as a public institution. It is time, and more than time, for an expression of our gratitude. The organizers honor Karl Pohrt, a steadfast friend to all we hope to stand for.

anyone in the area on those dates should attend & share the love.

FISA bill update

Christy over at firedoglake has a great analysis of what the Republicans hope to accomplish with the FISA debate. the situation is far bigger than just a fight in the senate. it leads right into the upcoming presidential race this fall.

here's Sen. Russ Feingold yesterday:

'The conduct of Senate Republicans yesterday was shameless. After weeks of insisting that it is absolutely critical to finish the FISA legislation by February 1...they obstructed all efforts to actually work on the bill. Now they want to simply ram the deeply flawed Intelligence Committee bill through the Senate. They refused to allow amendments to be offered or voted on....

...Monday's cloture vote will be a test of whether the majority is willing to stand up to the administration and stand up for our rights.'

failure is never an impediment

never let a little thing like complete & utter failure stand in your way.
the NYT reports today that Paul Wolfowitz has been hired as an
advisor to the State Department. this is the epitome of 'failing upwards', yet typical in BushCo.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Senate kills anti-immunity bill

via TPM:

'The Senate just voted to kill (table) the Senate Judiciary Committee's surveillance bill, which did not contain retroactive immunity for the telecoms. The vote was 60-36 to table...'

more here.

lots of coverage over the day at firedoglake.
& dailykos, of course.

Dodd will filibuster FISA

here's Chris Dodd's statement, via Open Left:

"Few things are more detrimental to this country than the erosion of and attack on the civil liberties we enjoy. This isn't a Democratic issue or a Republican issue; this is an American issue. If after debate, the Senate appears ready to pass legislation granting telecom providers retroactive immunity I will use any and all legislative tools at my disposal, including a filibuster, to prevent this deeply flawed bill from becoming law. More and more, Americans are rejecting the false choice that has come to define this administration: security or liberty, but never, ever both. For all those who have stood with me throughout this fight, I pledge, once more, to stand up for you."

& lots of info (including senators phone #s) at dailykos.

GOPer in Dem clothing

another great one from Glenn. Senator Jay Rockefeller is working awfully hard for BushCo. on telecomm immunity in FISA. it's kind of long, but well worth it.

feeling gravitys pull

the BBC science & nature program Horizon has a new episode wherein our favorite young
physicist Dr. Brian Cox takes a road trip across the American southwest in search of the mysteries behind gravity. there are a number of very funny 'behind the scenes' clips at the BBC website. here's a few to wet your appetite.



Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Harry Reid has to GO!

Glenn Greenwald has a great post today recounting Harry Reid's latest enabling
of BushCo. on the whole telecom immunity fiasco. I am so tired of this so called 'Democratic Leader'. The Dems need to oust him & put a real leader in his place.

here's a snippet of Glenn's post:

"If and when telecom immunity is passed (thereby forever extinguishing any hope of investigating and obtaining accountability for the President's illegal spying programs), and the Bush administration (and subsequent presidents) are vested permanently with vast new warrantless eavesdropping powers to spy on Americans, it will be because Harry Reid and the Democratic leadership conspired to ensure that it happened. They aren't just standing by meekly, failing to oppose it. They are actively enabling it with as aggressive a posture as the Republicans could possibly have employed had they still been in control of the Congress."

Help over the Hump

Damon Albarn & Ray Davies - Waterloo Sunset

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

935 false statements

you don't say. who woulda thunk it.

it will be interesting to see what action, if any is taken now.

these folks
have an idea where to start.

read this instead...




you know what, disregard that last post. don't even read it. I'm thoroughly disgusted by the entire political process atm. there are far better ways to spend your time...like reading Roddy Doyle's new book the Deportees. I've been a big fan of his since way back when Paddy Clarke came out ('92 - '93-ish). I'll admit that I lost track, if not interest, around the time of A Star Called Henry, but this collection finds him back in top form. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

Don Hillary

I was really sick of these debates long ago. I'm really, really sick of them now.
They exist just to fill time on cable news shows & supply those shows with gotcha moments & slug fests, & fodder for the pundits to gnash & gnaw over.

The Clintons (& it really is Bill & Hillary running) are acting more like Corleones
these days, kneecapping Obama at every turn. They've resorted to using plays right out of the 'vast right wing conspiracy' play book.

And what's with milk toast Wolfie as moderator? what a fiasco. anyway, here's video if you can stomach it:

Monday, January 21, 2008

MLK, pt. 2

MLK day



great post worth reading over at firedoglake.
& of course at daily kos.

Charlie says...



via Publishers Weekly:

Marysue Rucci preempted world rights to a memoir by 30-year-old photographer Shreve Stockton titled The Daily Coyote: A Year with Charlie, derived from her popular blog of the same name; Stacey Glick at Dystel & Goderich made the sale. The book will chronicle Stockton's first year raising an orphaned coyote cub as a beloved household pet (and brother to tomcat Eli) in her one-room cabin in rural Wyoming; Rucci describes it as “Operating Instructions meets Marley & Me.” The book will also include many of Stockton's photographs, and pub date is scheduled for fall 2008.

the Daily Coyote really is a wonderful blog & the story of Charlie & Shreve (& Eli, too) is an amazing one. The combination of the writing & Shreve's amazing photography in telling their continuing story is something that should not be missed. Many of the regulars to the blog (myself included) have been hoping that a book deal was in the works. I'm so happy to see that it has come through.

Sunday, January 20, 2008

1 year from today

mark your calendars... exactly 1 year from today, 1/20/09 will be
Dubyas last day as president. Oh happy day!

countdown w/your friends here.

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Saturday Night Special

Editors - Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors

Clinton wins Nevada

Hillary has won Nevada w/51%,
Obama got 45% & Edwards 4% (gulp)

all the details here.

on the Republican side, Romney wins w/52%.
Ron Paul & McCain tie for 2nd w/13%

Blair Witch + Godzilla = yaaaawn


Cloverfield synopses: (spoiler alert)

really big monster crashes hipster loft party, chaos & mayhem ensue, beautiful
people run, scream & get killed, while never putting down the digital video camera.

but hey, don't just take my word for it...

MANOHLA DARGIS in the NYT

Michael Phillips / Chicago Tribune

verdict: save that dough for the impending doom in the looming recession. you'll be glad you did.

Friday, January 18, 2008

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Tweety eats crow...

well sort of...kind of...eventually...I think?

more Gomerisms

keep diggin', Huck....keep diggin'.

sheesh, what is it with these nutters & their inability to differentiate
between species? oh, right.... SCIENCE....

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

more from Gomer...

there is no way that this guy can be in serious contention.
the American people are not this stupid. even Republicans
can't be this stupid....can they...?

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Katy bar the door!


I may be late to the party on this one, but Cormac McCarthy's best novel is coming to the big screen. this has been rumored for some time, but with the success of the Coen's No Country for Old Men, as well as the Road coming down the pike, it looks like the Blood Meridian film is a go. with Ridley Scott at the helm, no less! Blood Meridian is truly a literary masterpiece, but has long been considered unfilmable. mainly due to it's relentlessly bleak tone & torrents of bloody violence.
(hey, the west wasn't won with a hearty 'howdy do' & a handshake)
this film will hinge on who Ridley Scott casts as the Judge, truly the most
sinister, evil character ever imagined. I've got my fingers crossed, but am sure that Scott is up to the task.

really...Huckleberry...really!?

this has to be read/watched/heard to be believed.

this part of the video commentary is the best:

Geist further noted of Huckabee that if "someone without his charm," said that, "he'd be dismissed as a crackpot, but he's Mike Huckabee and he's bascially the front-runner."

his 'charm'!?! what charm? this guy IS a crackpot, FULL STOP. this Huckabee myth that is being concocted before our eyes by the GOP/media is astounding. nothing scares me more than the idea of a Preznit Gomer. wasn't 8 years of Goober enough??

thus spoke Jobs





it's paper thin for gawds sake!
full coverage over at engadget.

hold the tongue

here's Martha Raddatz account of what was going on yesterday while Bush was giving the Saudis a big wet one.

the train wreck that keeps on giving

Bill Krystol has only written two pieces for the New York Times as their newest columnist, yet each one is more fantastical than the next. He actually had the nerve write this in yesterday's piece:

"...Obama’s view of the current situation in Iraq is out of touch with reality. In this, however, Obama is at one with Hillary Clinton and the entire leadership of the Democratic Party."

& he wrote it without the slightest hint of irony or self awareness. This coming from a guy who has been wrong on every political front for the past 7 years (at least). This from the guy who is part of the same neocon cabal that believes whole heartedly in the BushCo. brand of reality.

The NYT Public Editor has gone on record saying that hiring Krystol was "a mistake". Today, the editorial board rebukes his column. So, why was this hack hired in the first place? That's the question that everyone seems to be asking, with no good answer coming any time soon.

Monday, January 14, 2008

love in the afternoon

even if the writer's strike were to end today, you couldn't script a more touching love story than this.

of course this is no new fling. their love has been raging for years, even decades.
( it all may have started w/Papa, or was it Grandpapa )

OJ287 is da' bomb

okay, please refrain from all britney/paris/lindsay jokes whilst reading this.
I mean it.....this is serious! you in the back...stop that snickering right now!

Sunday, January 13, 2008

c'est la LOL

in the interest of equal time

here's Barack Obama's push back.

tsk, tsk Timmeh

Tim Russert is the king of the pundit hacks, to be sure.
his blatant attempts at 'gotcha' moments over real journalism are his stock in trade.
today's show was no different.
it's important to remember his behavior going back to the 2000 elections.
I'm not a big Hillary Clinton fan, but she does a good job of pushing back here, a tactic that
all Democrats should adopt when appearing on these shows in the future.

Science Debate 2008

science is one subject that seems to be absent from any of the presidential debates so far &
there is significant evidence that this will continue to be the case. Go to Sciencedebate 2008 & sign the petition to get science into the presidential debate.

back away very slowly...

beware knife wielding creationists of 'good character'.

Saturday, January 12, 2008

where is my mind?

it's always been my contention, 1st formulated during my misspent youth (way back in the dark ages ...err.... I mean the '80s), that the caliber of a band is directly proportionate to the caliber of the songs that they choose to cover. this is a premise that I find to be true to this day. that being said, here's a great band (the Frames) covering a GREAT song, & doing a superb job of it.

candidates & evolution

the carpetbagger has an interesting post today about the presidential candidates & where they stand in regards to evolutionary biology.

golly, mr. science...

Friday, January 11, 2008

Thursday, January 10, 2008

jaizus, mary & joseph...

these guys never give up. just when you thought it was safe to get back in the pool they slither out from under their rock. oh that's right, they don't believe in that sort of thing.

big brother will not be pleased

this is rich.

mornin' sunshine

last night I finally watched Sunshine. Twice! first the film, then the commentary w/Dr. Brian Cox. I had missed it when it was released in the theaters & was waiting anxiously for the dvd to arrive.
the movie is visually stunning & very provocative in it's approach to the subject matter. the actors all do fine jobs in their roles, especially Cillian Murphy. even Chris Evans, who I absolutely hate, was quite good.
Brian Cox did a great job in his commentary of explaining all the things that might have gone over viewers heads. lord knows he did a great job filling in all the holes in my science knowledge, as well as bringing incredible insight into his role as science adviser on the film. I've been a big fan of his for some time, so it was a real treat to hear him talk at length here.
next up is the commentary from director Danny Boyle. time constraints prevent me from that atm. perhaps sometime this weekend.

first things first