Sunday Reads: Happy Veteran’s Day
Posted: November 11, 2012 Filed under: 2012 elections, abortion rights, academia, Discrimination against women, History, Mitt Romney, morning reads, Politics as Usual, racism, Senate, U.S. Politics, War on Women, Women's Healthcare, Women's Rights | Tags: #StarWarsFiscalCliff, Ashley Judd, Happy Birthday Denny!, Kentucky, Mitch McConnell, Ohio House Bill 125, Panama Canal 60 Comments »
Good Morning and Happy Veteran’s Day…
It is that time of year again, when we find members of VA groups selling little red poppies, for remembrance, in front of our Walmarts and grocery stores.
Veterans Day 2012 Commemorations Under Way Across The U.S.
Saturday marked the first of what will be three days of Veterans Day commemorations across the United States.
The holiday falls on a Sunday, and the federal observance is on Monday. It’s the first such day honoring the men and women who served in uniform since the last U.S. troops left Iraq in December 2011.
It’s also a chance to thank those who stormed the beaches during World War II – a population that is rapidly shrinking with most of those former troops now in their 80s and 90s.
Here is Sting’s tribute to WWI, and the Children’s Crusade:
Young men, soldiers, nineteen fourteen
Marching through countries they’d never seen
Virgins with rifles, a game of charades
All for a children’s crusadePawns in the game are not victims of chance
Strewn on the fields of Belgium and France
Poppies for young men, death’s bitter trade
All of these young lives betrayedThe children of England would never be slaves
They’re trapped on the wire and dying in waves
The flower of England face down in the mud
And stained in the blood of a whole generationCorpulent generals safe behind lines
History’s lessons drowned in red wine
Poppies for young men, death’s bitter trade
All of those young lives betrayed
All for a children’s crusadeThe children of England would never be slaves
They’re trapped on the wire and dying in waves
The flower of England face down in the mud
And stained in the blood of a whole generationMidnight in Soho nineteen eighty four
Fixing in doorways, opium slaves
Poppies for young men, such bitter trade
All of those young lives betrayed
All for a children’s crusade
I’ve got some updates for you this morning, you may remember this woman and her racist rave on Facebook, she made some statements referring to n-word Obama…and assassination. Well, Denise Helms, California Woman, Fired After Calling Obama N-Word, Hoping He’s Assassinated (VIDEO)
…Denise Helms, the 22-year-old California woman whose racist, threatening Facebook status about President Barack Obama went viral this week. Helms has since been fired from her job at a Turlock, Calif., Cold Stone Creamery, and the Secret Service is now looking into her comments.
“Another 4 years of this (N-word),” Helms wrote on her Facebook Tuesday night. “Maybe he will get assassinated this term.”
Sacramento’s Fox 40 news crew caught up with an unapologetic Helms on Wednesday.
“I didn’t think it would be that big of a deal,” she said. “The assassination part is kind of harsh. I’m not saying like I would go do that or anything like that, by any means, but if it was to happen, I don’t think I’d care one bit.”She then took to Facebook to defend herself, according to The Modesto Bee.
So apparently my post last night about Obama got onto Twitter and Fox 40 came and interviewed me cause apparently a lot of people in Sacramento think I’m crazy and racist. WOW is all I got to say!! I’m not racist and I’m not crazy. just simply stating my opinion.!!!”
Her Facebook account has since been deactivated.
Cold Stone Creamery did the right thing, in my opinion. She is still under investigation by the Secret Service and she could be charged with a felony.
Down in the Sunshine State, Rep. Allen West finally loses reelection, refuses to concede. No surprise here, according to the article, Democrat Patrick Murphy won by more than enough votes…and the results did not warrant an automatic recount.
The story about Romney’s staff finding their campaign credit cards canceled the night of the election is strange in another way: Romney Cuts Off the Hired Help | Occupy America
Forbes‘ Helaine Olen notes:
In case you are wondering, this did not have to happen. The Mitt Romney for President entity does not end with Romney’s Tuesday night loss. There are papers to be filed with various federal commissions and bills to be paid ….
The Mitt Romney for President financial entity survives for as long as two more years as these tasks are completed.
The staff would also still have to face the bitter billionaire donors.
On Wednesday, Romney had a post-defeat breakfast with some of his wealthiest and most loyal donors. At the private gathering, the donors allegedly unloaded on Romney staff for its failed “junior varsity operation.”
And then, a little Karma perhaps?
Via:
At some point, early Wednesday morning, when Gov. Mitt Romney and family were tucked into bed, a quiet call went out on the radio channel used by his Secret Service agents: “Javelin, Jockey details, all posts, discontinue.”
Of all the indignities involved in losing a presidential race, none is more stark than the sudden emptiness of your entourage. The Secret Service detail guarding Governor Romney since Feb 1. stood down quickly. He had ridden in a 15-car motorcade to the Intercontinental Hotel in Boston for his concession speech. He rode in a single-car motorcade back across the Charles River to Belmont. His son, Tagg, did the driving.
Too bad he didn’t get that ride back home on the roof.
Over in Kentucky, things are shaking up…and it is not just the earthquake I’m talking about. Tennessee Guerilla Women: Ashley Judd Doesn’t Rule Out Run for U.S. Senate
Democrats for charismatic political activist Ashley Judd to please run for the U.S. Senate against Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, Harvard graduate Ashley Judd issues a non-denial:
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Actress Ashley Judd isn’t ruling out a run for U.S. Senate in Kentucky.
The former Kentuckian is an active supporter of Tennessee Democrats. She said in a statement Friday that she’s honored to be mentioned as a potential candidate, but she sidestepped the question of whether she would get into the race.
“I cherish Kentucky, heart and soul, and while I’m very honored by the consideration, we have just finished an election, so let’s focus on coming together to keep moving America’s families, and especially our kids, forward,” she said. Judd lives in Tennessee and would have to re-establish a residence in Kentucky before she could challenge Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell in his 2014 re-election bid.
She would be brilliant! Oh, if only she would run…We need a strong voice for women in Congress, because even though there is some relief with an Obama win…the war on women is still ongoing.
State Legislators Double Down on Most Restrictive Abortion Law in Nation
Yesterday, retiring Ohio GOP Congressman Steve LaTourette made national headlines while discussing the recent presidential election. He said:
My wife’s a Democrat, and she was so close to voting for Mitt Romney. But then, you know, Mourdock and Akin opened their mouth, and we sent [voters] running back to the Democratic Party, because they think we’re nutty […] We have to get out of people’s lives, get out of people’s bedrooms, and we have to be a national party…or else we’re going to lose.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like Rep. LaTourette’s message reached his colleagues in the Ohio General Assembly, as news broke yesterday that legislators may have reached a compromise on Ohio House Bill 125 which would ban essentially all abortions in the state. Ohio’s “lame duck” legislative session starts next week, and legislators indicate they may pass HB 125 before the end of the year.
It seems some state legislators learned nothing from the recent 2012 elections. Issues like cuts to funding for Planned Parenthood and access to contraception became major campaign points. Several federal candidates were embroiled in controversy after they expressed support for bans on abortion even in the case of rape or incest. And what was the result? Women in swing states—like Ohio—became increasingly concerned about their ability to make healthcare decisions. The gender gap between pro-choice and anti-choice candidates widened, and many candidates who took extreme positions on access to reproductive healthcare were defeated. Voters who care about women’s health care made it clear that there are political costs to politicians’ attempts to interfere.
All of which begs the question, why are Ohio politicians now doubling down on the most radical abortion restrictions in the nation? Did they not see the election results or do they just not care about what women have to say?
I guess not, but who really cares what women think…I mean, we are all evil witches anyway. Top 10 Notorious Witches – Top 10 Lists | Listverse
The witch hunting craze that swept through northern Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries was the result of a mixture of genuine superstition and religious fervor combined with political motivations and paranoia. Peasants and nobles alike looked to supernatural causes for storms and diseases, but they also saw the trials as ways to gain office or wealth by eliminating their rivals. The condemned witches and sorcerers were accused of horrifying crimes like intercourse with the devil and killing infants. During the trials their confessions were often extracted by violent means. The neurotic atmosphere of Europe throughout this time period led to more executions than acquittals.
Go to the link to see the list…
I guess we all can’t have a daddy like this little girl…Dad Recodes a Zelda Game To Make FemLink a Female Role-Model
Parents will do anything for their children. Case in point: When father/gamer Mike Hoye plays The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker with his daughter, he reads her the story. When he does, he changes all the pronouns so that Link is actually a little girl, and Zelda is her little brother. Why does he do it? In a world where most of gaming classic heroes are men trying to a damsel in distress, Mr. Hoye wants his daughter to grow up thinking that girls can be just as heroic as boys. After doing this for some time, Hoye got fed up with having to do all the work in his head, so he took the time to reprogram the game with his own gender-swapped version of the script.
Since the Hoye family was already playing an emulated version of the game on their PC, it wasn’t incredibly difficult for Mike to get access to the game’s code so he could work his magic. Still, it takes a lot of time, patience, and programming know-how to do change every reference to Link and Zelda’s gender. From a writer’s perspective, for instance, it’s not as easy as just flipping all the pronouns. Writing on blog, Hoye conceded that he had to get a bit creative with changing words like like “swordsman” and “milady.”
I love it! Hoye has made his code available for download at his blog…for other parents to be able to change up the hero to a shero. I think it is fabulous.
With all the election news this week, the story that seems to be creating a buzz outside of the MSM has been the sale of Star Wars to Disney. Stars Wars Going Over the Fiscal Cliff?
A long time ago in a new cycle far, far away Disney CEO Bob Iger warned about the dangers of going over the fiscal cliff.
That sparked a Twitter meme: #StarWarsFiscalCliff.Now, The Street is out with a list of the top 15 Star Wars-themed fiscal cliff tweets.
Here is the link to The Street blog post. 15 Best Star Wars’ Fiscal Cliff Tweets – TheStreet
A couple I thought were great:
That’s no moon. It’s a fiscal cliff. #StarWarsFiscalCliff— Matt O’Brien (@ObsoleteDogma) November 9, 2012
I felt a great disturbance in the budget, as if billions of dollars suddenly cried out in terror and disappeared #StarWarsFiscalCliff— Matt O’Brien (@ObsoleteDogma) November 9, 2012
There is even videos out there by real movie directors…like Wes Anderson, who gave us The Royal Tannenbaums. Via Conan… Wes Anderson’s Star Wars Episode VII is Cool, Makes No Sense
If the Star Wars stuff doesn’t float your Landspeeder, then perhaps one of these subjects will. 25 College Classes Based on TV Shows
No, it isn’t a joke!
Yesterday, The O.C. creator Josh Schwartz tweeted a photo of the syllabus for California Here We Come: The O.C. and the Self-Aware Culture of 21st Century America. It’s being offered at Duke this semester. We touched on the topic of TV-inspired courses in a sidebar in our last issue, The 25 Most Powerful TV Shows of the Past 25 Years. Here are some non-O.C. classes that have been offered.
1. Oberlin Experimental College: Through the Darkness of Future-Past: An Exploration of David Lynch’s Twin Peaks
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2. University of Minnesota: Television Studies: Six Feet Under
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3. Indiana State University: Philosophy in the Twilight Zone
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4. Brooklyn College: South Park and Political Correctness
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5. Georgetown University: Philosophy and Star Trek
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6. SUNY Oswego: Sociology of Seinfeld
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7. University of Kansas: Beyond the Brady Bunch: Supporting Blended Families
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8. University of Washington in Seattle: Management Lessons from The Apprentice
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9. University of California, Berkeley: Arguing with Judge Judy: Popular ‘Logic’ on TV Judge Shows
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10. Vassar College: Because Dave Chappelle Said So
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11. University of Wisconsin: Daytime Serials: Family and Social Roles
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12. Montclair State University: How to Watch Television
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13. Oberlin Experimental College: The Office : Awesome, Awkward, & Addicting
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14. Tufts University: The Future is Lost : TV Series as Cultural Phenomenon
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15. MIT: American Soap Operas
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16. Boston University: The Colbert Report : American Satire
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17. University of California, Berkeley: The Simpsons and Philosophy
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18. University of Calgary: The Sopranos on the Couch: Analyzing Television’s Greatest Series
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19. University of Illinois: Urban Desires: Sex & the City in Caribbean Cultures
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20. Northwestern University: Consumerism and Social Change in Mad Men America, 1960-1963
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21. Thiel College: Monty Python & Western Humanities
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22. Portland State University: Exploring Buffy the Vampire Slayer
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23. Indiana University: The (Sur)Real World of Reality TV
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24. Middlebury College: Watching The Wire: Urban America in Serial Television
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25. Northwestern University: The Tribe Has Spoken: Surviving TV’s New Reality
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Well, if it were me…I’d have to go with the Monty Python one….or the one on Sociology of Seinfeld. What about you?
Let’s end with an interesting series of photographs of The Panama Canal: The World’s Greatest Engineering Project [Slide Show]: Scientific American
Image: Scientific American, November 9, 1912Look at a map of the world. Where North America and South America connect there is only a narrow strip of land between the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. That skinny piece of land is called the Isthmus of Panama. For the past 400 years people have wanted to dig a canal through it. If ships sailing between East and West could go through a canal right there, they would not have to go all the way around the end of South America. The trip could be shorter by thousands of miles.
It took over 30 years and cost a lot of money to dig a 50-mile canal through the swamps, jungles and hills of Panama. Even worse, many of the people working on the canal died from sicknesses. But by August 1914 the Panama Canal was ready to let steamships through. Some people called the canal the “World’s Greatest Engineering Work.”
Here is a selection of images on the machines and men involved in building the canal, from the archives of Scientific American from 1881 to 1920, with modern captions.
Have a wonderful Sunday, and let me give a shout out to my brother Denny, who turns 41 today.
Happy Birthday Denny
aka Wong Foo aka Uncle Gordy aka G-Man!
Sima
dakinikat
ecocatwoman
fiscalliberal
grayslady
mablue2
NW Luna
peggysue22
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Mona (aka Wonk the Vote)
Personally, I can’t get enough Sopranos. There is enough meat there to justify a course.
Also, love it that Monclair State College is now a university, and has a course on “How to watch television”.
And Ashley Judd would get my vote anytime.
Love the post jj. You always have a diverse & interesting mix of topics.
Starting with college classes on TV shows, I must give a shout out to probably one of the first of this genre to “go to college” & one of the most widespread – BTVS, otherwise known as Buffy, The Vampire Slayer. Here’s the Wikipedia entry listing just how widespread these classes are: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffy_studies
I’m not surprised about Ohio continuing down the anti-woman road. All one has to do is listen to how differently each party has interpreted the election. Per the Rs – nothing has changed as far as which party controls which branch of gov’t. The D’s point out that both the House & Senate picked up seats & the majority of Americans agree with Obama’s policies. Thanks to the gerrymandering of districts in R controlled states, Repugs continue to get elected. From what I’ve read, many candidates in both Federal & state elections ran unopposed.
I loved the story about the father who reprogrammed the Zelda game for his daughter. The world needs more dads like that.
May all the veterans get the respect they deserve, along with the jobs & health care for those that need them. And a very happy birthday to your brother Denny.
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
Fabulous post, JJ! I love the story about the father reprogramming the game for his daughter, and of course I never tire of mittenfreude. On the college classes, I think Seinfeld could be used to study everyday psychopaths. Thanks for another great roundup.
Happy Birthday, Denny!
Great round up, mink! Looks like you were real busy while I slept.
If memory serves, Ashley Judd is highly educated for an actress. Can’t remember where I read that before but she does hold a higher degree in something and has been a political activist in the past. Very smart.
Ironic that Denise Helms does not see herself as a racist even though she sends racists comments into the universe. Moron.
Now that this hateful campaign is over it will be interesting to see the “tidbits” emerge from the behind the scenes. Mittens Secret Service detail apparently couldn’t get out of there fast enough. Hmmm, I wonder why?
Yes, thanks Pat. I forgot to say Happy Birthday to Denny!!
It’s amazing to me that people like Denise Helms cannot see that they are racists. I saw her on TV and simply could not believe that a person could publicly reveal themselves like that and not feel deeply ashamed. It’s unbelievable.
Happy Birthday Denny!
Ashley Judd would me a wonderful candidate. I’ve seen her speak and she does so with passion and knowledge. More or less the anti-McConnell.
As for those state legislators in Ohio, let’s hope they are kicked out of office next time around for being criminally stupid.
Judd got her masters from Harvard: Ashley Judd – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ever see “Ruby in Paradise”? That’s a good movie and her performance is wonderful!
Loved her in Where the Heart Is with Natalie Portman & Stockard Channing. Plus Ashley is an advocate for ending mountaintop coal mining.
JJ what a long goody list of links! Here is Mo Do link and she does a good job this morning. When she is good it’s fun to read her.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/11/opinion/sunday/dowd-romney-is-president.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0
That was good.
That was a Dowd classic. Some great lines!
Yeah, that was good.
Premium……….she crunched it.
Happy Birthday to your brother, JJ!
Great post, so many interesting links. I guess I didn’t realize that Chris Christie was miffed at Romney over the Veep selection process. It makes more sense to me that Christie’s fawning over Obama’s performance was more to stick it up Romney’s butt. It just so happened that in exacting his revenge, he helped Obama and his own image immensely.
Chris Christie is and always has been all about Chris Christie. Loud, belligerent, dismissive, and disrespectful, this is the schtick he employs to get him the attention he thrives on.
It was only a few weeks before the storm that Chris Christie was out there campaigning for Romney and declaring that Obama was “unfit” to lead. Fast forward to a disastrous storm that left parts of his state crippled and Chris seized the opportuntity to put himself front and center on the road to 2016. He needed the aid from DC and his “praise” for Obama was a rung up in that direction.
Believe me, when the time comes to announce for 2016 Chris will be using those videos to prove what a “bipartisan” guy he can be. The rank and file will be overwhelmed at his “toughness” as much as they fell for the 9/11 referrals by Guiliani.
Not a bad ploy but let’s not mistake Chris’s praise for Obama had a lot more going for it than just “common ground” in face of the disaster.
It will be the same old self indulgent Chris Christie, barking at anyone who challenges him.
I hope I didn’t convey that I thought Christie was thinking about anyone but himself. I assumed that was his motivation all along. I just didn’t realize that he had the added incentive to exact revenge on Romney and didn’t hesitate to seize the opportunity to kick Romney when he was down. Sorry if my comment seemed ambiguous.
Your comment was clear to me. His revenge may be “sweet” concerning Romney.
I just never embraced this “love” for Chris Christie as a “stand up guy”. He irks me and always has.
He may have “poked” Romney to some extent but his motives are clearly all directed toward himself.
Oh, I’ve never thought of him as anything other than a bully. His unabashed swipe back at Romney is simply more evidence.
Have we actually seen the last of Alan West?
Just a reminder that this was the same guy Quiterella proposed as a possible running mate for Romney.
Just saying.
West seems like a bad case of herpes. I imagine he’ll show up on Fox with the other diseases.
It’s 1:00 pm, has he conceded yet?
I don’t think it matters since the state of Florida has officially certified Patrick Murphy as the winner. Other than make noise, he can’t do much since a court wouldn’t hear his challenge. Maybe he could find another court?
The “hysteria” coming from the Right over Petraeus and his resignation is hilarious. You have to give them credit for “creative thinking” when they can fix the blame on Obama no matter how far fetched.
One to the latest theories is this: A plot to discredit Hillary Clinton by disallowing Petreaus to testify (as if a subpoena itself could be overruled) then pressing her to stand before the committee (made up of a majority of Repubs) where the entire “blame” can be fitted around her neck thus blocking any chance of her run for the WH in 2016.
So the logic is that Obama – working in cahoots with Petreaus who eagerly hung his own family out to dry in the process – is all about stifling Hillary Clinton’s road to the WH while protecting his butt about Benghazi decisions because he was too busy attending fund raisers to care.
If that one doesn’t grab your attention then try this one on for size: Petreaus is an “honorable man” (forget the serial cheating that may have been the essence of this investigation to begin with) and would “never lie” so his resignation is a signal to the Obama Administration that he would not – owing to his solid patriotism – “lie” in his testimony on Thursday but would rather resign on his own which will free him to tell the truth.
Few have mentioned the possible seriousness of this breach of security where the girlfriends of this man may have had access to the secrets of this agency, or that his wife of 37 years may feel a sense of betrayal, just “follow the dots” that behind this great man’s downfall is the hand of Barack Obama.
Black helicopters anyone?
They are still officially batshit insane.
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/plugged-in/2012/11/09/reality-laughs-again-at-north-carolina/
JJ, in the Panama Canal link, I found this link, the guy calls North Carolina kuckleheads.
Happy Veterans Day…………..sunny skies here in Idaho. Happy Birthday to Brother Denny………..
You should know that Turlock, California has the biggest slaughter houses in California, and it smells like PIG.
Good Veteran’s Day post JJ. Thank you
I might have missed someone linking to this article about Hillary but it’s good.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/11/opinion/sunday/collins-hillarys-next-move.html?pagewanted=all
I saw that late last night/early this morning…some good quotes in there.
That was really good. Thanks.
Great story, thx pd.
Good thing this problem got exposed.
This is unbelievable, especially in light of the computer age. I’ve always been amazed when I watch those genealogy shows when military records from the Civil War are found, even census records of pre- & post-Civil War. I hope the missing records will be recovered.
I can pull up some DOD medical records on our servicemen and women at the VA. The ability is there.
Believe me, I’ve done more than 50 civil war veterans death and burials.
And they were both in the South and North…… It is done everyday. It seems like some records for more recent veterans get lost in St. Louis.
BB, we are always on the same wave length…now I am getting a cold. Only this time it is a sore throat. Yuk!
I’ve been coughing up my lungs since Thursday night. I hope whatever you have doesn’t progress into whatever it is that I have. I’m thoroughly miserable. Of course, some might say that is my natural state. Feel better.
Are colds communicable via the intertubz? I seem to be doing the same thing.
Computer cooties?
It’s the season. 1 out of every 10 people in the late fall-winter season has an upper respiratory virus. Hope you feel better soon!
Did anyone else watch the president’s address in Arlington this morning? I couldn’t help thinking how horrible it would be to see Romney making this address next year. I felt an almost overwhelming feeling of relief & gratitude that Romney has gone home, hopefully for good.
Happy Birthday Wong Foo aka Denny.
Terrific post JJ. I listened to the ceremoniesin Ottawa for our Remembrance Day and as usual ended up in tears. So many memories of heartbreaks. Too sad, but very important to pay tribute.
Per that facebook idiot, anyone posting something like that in a public forum needs an intervention, or a committal.
Finally listening to this week’s Wait, Wait (love this show). PJ O’Rourke is one of the panelists. He said Mittens lost because he put Seamus on top of his car. Americans love dogs & had he put one of his sons up there, no one would have cared. I rarely agree with O’Rourke, but he has a point. He also said Romney was a lousy candidate. Amazing, a candid Republican.
PJ O’Rourke is one of the worst kinds of Republicans, namely the kind that used to be a lefty democrat, and uses his native wit and intelligence to cajole the populace into thinking people with his political views couldn’t be all that bad.
He is bad. He makes the Seamus joke on NPR, but I bet the rest of the time he’s one of the people who say, yah but, Obama EATS dogs.
Yah, he’s smart and funny and charming after a fashion, but hypocrites like him bug me. Similar to Dennis Miller, and my ex-friend Bill McInturff. All ex lefties who decided going right would prove to be a more lucrative gig. No respect at all.
Every Democrat should send this same message. Go for it.
The Hill: Sen. Murray: Dems would let Bush-era rates expire before taking ‘unfair deal’
I already wrote my Senator, Sherrod Brown against any “Grand Bargain” or recommendations from the “Catfood Commission” . I also added that if he had any pull, please make sure that Elizabeth Warren gets on the Senate Banking Committee. So please include a word for Elizabeth Warren when you write your Senators. Tammy Baldwin also needs to be on the Senate Budget Committee. I am sure she can handle the “facts” as her Republican counterpart from WI wants to go over with her to make sure she understands.
Well this is proof of life in Georgia! We all remember the antler speech from Rep Paul Broun(R) check this out.
http://onlineathens.com/election/2012-11-08/charles-darwin-gets-nearly-4000-write-votes-athens-against-rep-broun
Rachel Maddow covered that last week. I LOVED it!
I thought this was fascinating about The Old Man of the Lake, in Crater Lake. This tree stump has been floating upright in Crater Lake for at least 116 years! The photo from 1938 is amazing.
http://www.treehugger.com/natural-sciences/nature-blows-my-mind-oregons-old-man-lake.html
Just heard this story on Wait, Wait about a baby hedgehog trapped in a potato chip bag: http://blogs.discovery.com/daily_treat/2012/11/6-heroes-free-baby-hedgehog-from-bag-of-chips.html It took 3 1/2 hours????? Isn’t the hedgehog adorable?
That’s a real cutie!
Very cute. The Brits are very keen on hedgehogs.
That is so cute…thanks for the link.
Happy Birthday Denny!!! Great post JJ – tons of linky goodness. This has been a terrific week of news – America does have a pulse.
This editorial clutches pearls about the fiscal “cliff,” but says some good things about our state’s top-two primary system. The top two vote-getters in any primary advance to the general election, regardless of party. So you could have two Dems, or maybe a Dem and a Green go on to the the general election. It usually drops out the wackos, because the candidates must appeal to the majority of voters, not to just their base. Voters don’t register by party here either.
Alternet has a transcript of Amy Goodman’s (Democracy Now!) interview with Dr. Cornel West & Tavis Smiley. I didn’t know that WBEZ cancelled Smiley & West 6 weeks before the election. I swear the new guy in charge at NPR is really excising anything that isn’t smack dab in the middle of the road. It’s a great interview, IMHO. I’m a fan of both Dr. West & Tavis Smiley: http://www.alternet.org/economy/if-we-call-obama-progressive-are-we-ignoring-his-record?page=0%2C0
Wonderful Veterans Day story
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/11/11/veterans-lost-symphony-sees-the-stage-after-nearly-70-years/