• AdLib : Sounds good! Take care!

  • choicelady : Will do – not much to tell about HOPE, but we will catch up. I’m back Monday afternoon and then plan to have down time before we gear up in July for the health care project. I’m needing that rest for sure! Be well!

  • AdLib : Thanks so much, CL. Maybe we can catch up next week? I know HOPE is on hold until August so we can catch up on everything else. Have a great weekend and get some rest!

  • choicelady : Hi- I think you probably need rest. Even a week later, jet lag has its impacts. I hope you can tell more about your wonderful trip – and I sure hope it bore fruit in terms of projects etc. Write when you can? I am here tomorrow and half of Sunday then off to ANOTHER conference on alternative banking complete with too many people from the Divine Left but with some GREAT ones, too. So feel free to shut the bar down, know we had ‘last call’, and we’ll pack it in. Good fun tonight, thank you! Hugs to the X People.

  • AdLib : Well…just you and me CL. Guess it’s about that time to close the Vox bar for the night. Can I get you one for the road?

  • AdLib : CL – Yep, sometimes Stewart misses the mark and those rare times I wish I could call into the show and say, “Nope, Jon’s totally wrong about dissing Obama on that.” But he still has an amazing batting average for taking down the Repubs, corporations, etc.

  • AdLib : Night Funk, enjoy the hike, sounds like a lot of fun!

  • choicelady : funk – oh that IS great news, funk. Do let me know details! Thank you!

  • AdLib : No worries, Murph, first things first, take care of yourself and the homestead! Look forward to hearing back from you once everything else is under control. Take care out there!

  • choicelady : funk – good luck!

  • funksands : Oh hey! Choice, I’ll email you about my son’s school resolution. Ad heard all about it last week, I’ll shoot you an email. It went very well.

  • choicelady : Murph – take care and stay on the healing path. Hope to see you next week, and hope it’s NOT RAINING when we next meet. Good luck with the plantings. I hope some have survived.

  • funksands : Murph, Choice, Ad, have a fabulous weekend. I have my annual Mt. Si hike on Sunday. (delayed due to rain). Wish me luck

  • choicelady : funk – have a lovely weekend. Go make wifey happy – she earns it daily. As do you!

  • AdLib : Wait, let me try that again…Funk – I don’t think there is a good cable news channel right now though I would hope Al Jazeera might evolve into that. Otherwise, I do agree, no one is as insightful and principled as Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. They are brilliant, I marvel at the regularity of such wit and wisdom behind the very funny material they have every day.

  • choicelady : AdLib – even Stewart can fall into the pit of indignation without substance. Colbert? Never.

  • funksands : Well folks, I should toddle off. Wifey makey facey.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Well….one and all….bed calls and the dawn will be upon me soon. Ad Lib, I still owe you a return e-mail- it is in draft form from before my sick days….get back to you soon.

  • choicelady : funk – LOL!!!

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Bourne – good advice. Thanks for the spirited debate AND your own little digs…you are sharp, very sharp.

  • funksands : CL, not for MSNBC. Its worked pretty good for me so far though.

  • choicelady : funk – you mean coasting on not being a douchebag is not a winning strategy?

  • funksands : MSNBC can only live on “Hey, comparatively we’re not total douchebags like everyone else” for so long.

  • choicelady : Bourne – sweet dreams, and have a great weekend! Disagreeing about Kevin and arenas is not important to our friendship!

  • AdLib : Night Bourne, you have a great weekend too!

  • AdLib : Murph, thanks for reminding me. Luke Russert and Chuck Todd, not to mention Andrea Greenspan Mitchell make MSNBC such a hack-filled network. Yes, there are good hosts but so many hacks!

  • funksands : Night Bourne!

  • choicelady : funk – I totally agree about Colbert!

  • BourneID : Kmaay The witching hour is upon me, so I shall wish all of you an excellent weekend. MTS we can talk later and you can cut and paste – you are such a smart aleck. Please stay off roofs, out of low lyig areas, away from drainage ditches and all those other things you tackle single handedly.

  • funksands : Stephen Colbert. I know he’s in character, but if you ever watch this guy, he is so prepared, so sharp, so on task. I know it sounds weird, but I’ve really noticed that about him. If he ever went serious i think he would be formidable

  • AdLib : Night Sabreen! Have a wonderful weekend!

  • choicelady : AdLib – I know. Seeing McClatchy descend into the Dark Side is horrible.

  • choicelady : funk – WHO??????

  • AdLib : CL – Too bad because McClatchy was the only paper trying to expose the lies leading us into the Iraq War and now, they’ve bought in completely to playing the RW game of paranoia and victimhood. A real shame.

  • funksands : You know who may be the best interviewer on cable tv right now? Shrewd, good listener, catches his guests in awkward moments etc etc?…..

  • choicelady : Bye Sabreen!

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Ad Lib…I knew things were going this way when some of the older hands starting to refer to Luke Russert as “the sage of Capitol Hill”- good grief….image how his dad would have taken that.

  • Sabreen60 : Like to read my good-byes. I read that Funk! Bye y’all.

  • choicelady : Murph – Kevin, either way, is not worth much time and energy! You have your hands full with Missouri politics, never mind Sacramento’s!

  • funksands : Pour one for me Sabreen, thanks for hanging out. Tell your hubby to leave more often!

  • choicelady : Sabreen – good to see you here. Come back soon!

  • AdLib : Murph – That’s what really annoys me about MSNBC, they have all these young, attractive ingenues as hosts who don’t know how to have an intelligent discussion, never catch their guests in their dishonest BS, they are simpletons who have never accomplished anything of any substance or have much experience outside of being on tv. Why would I want to watch them.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Bourne and CL…watched your discussion of the mayor….now I am motivated to look for my own info….when two people whose opinion I value so much and whose intelligence I respect so highly are diametrically opposed I know the topic is a tough one. Thanks for being both honest and direct.

  • Sabreen60 : Well folks hubby is home from his party (a co-worker is leaving) so I guess I’ll go give him some attention [smiley] Take care everyone until we meet again.

  • choicelady : funk – yes, he DOES point out his experience in the Senate – and it DOES matter because it gives him gravitas. I suppose it’s done for new viewers or his massive ego, hard to tell which. But it matters.

  • funksands : Okay, so who is the “best” on Cable News right now? Who strikes the right balance?

  • choicelady : AdLib – this morning in the Sac Bee two McClatchy reporters retailed a story by a guy who got audited over his charitable donations and said it was persecution by the IRS for his being conservative. Well – I did,too, for mine. You don’t hear ME whining. That’s their job. But what reporter retails that kind of unfactual “maybe’ story and pretends it’s TRUE? It was just this guy’s speculation – without an ounce of truth or fact or reality. So I wrote the reporters and told them I had ALSO been audited on my charitable contributions and wasn’t whining. I proved the validity of my case – and that was that. Bet they never print that!

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Sabreen…agree.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Ad Lib…Agree. They either find their way back into my good graces or get ignored by the likes of people like me (and you).

  • AdLib : Funk – Yes, I knew that about O’Donnell. He was also a producer and writer on The West Wing and comes off with the showbiz type ego one associates with Hollywood.

  • funksands : Murph, Moaning Joe is unwatchable.

  • Sabreen60 : The think I don’t like about Hayes and Maddow is they often times think they know more than PBO. The don’t have access to intel yet they tell him what to do, when to do it and how to do it. Frankly, I’m tired of progressives telling PBO what to do. If they didn’t trust him they shouldn’t have voted for him. These people never held elected office so why do they think they know everything?

  • funksands : CL, I was being sarcastic. I think O’Donnell may refer to that time in the Senate nearly every show.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : funk…and then we have the old farts hours in the AM with Morning Joe….frankly the who crew has turned me off.

  • choicelady : funk – O’Donnell was Chief of Staff to Sen. Moynihan. He knows his stuff.

  • AdLib : Murph – I think MSNBC has fully earned their trip to the basement this ratings period. Their programming is so manufactured now with only a couple of exceptions and they are hypocrites for getting just as much mileage out of exploitative things like the “scandals” as Fox News does, just by asking, “Is this a problem for the President?” before echoing the latest BS. The BS should be ignored as BS, you report on news, not regurgitate the latest wacko claim by Gohmert or Bachmann!

  • BourneID : CL, you’ve made your point. As I said, I don’t invest too much energy on things I cannot control. You will be more directly affected by the construction than I as you live in midtown.

  • choicelady : AdLib – that’s what I mean about his being personally annoying – but the FACTS he brings to bear make me watch even if it is with clenched teeth. FACTS matter to me – so I will live with his irritating personal quirks.

  • funksands : You tell ’em Murph.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : AND what’s with all of these MSNBC “youngsters” – they prattle and prance and are held up as sources of wisdom….far too unseasoned and full of book learning.

  • funksands : Ad, did you know that O’Donnell used to work in the Senate? Who knew??!!

  • choicelady : Sabreen – sorry, hit the wrong key – so this guy may have morals. Ashcroft was hideous, but Gonzales actually made him look better by comparison. But ONLY by comparison!

  • funksands : Ad, its so true. I used to watch “UP” every Saturday for at least an hour. Great show. I used to watch Maddow 2-3 nights a week. Since his move I don’t watch either of their shows much anymore.

  • choicelady : Sabreen – oh, yes, never will forget Gonzales the worm trying to get Ashcroft to sign. Actually Ashcroft is alive and working as “ethics manager’ for Blackwater, but he was very ill indeed. Gonzales is a worm, but Bush LOVED him and disliked the nominee – so, the

  • Sabreen60 : I don’t like Chris Hayes.

  • AdLib : Funk – I think Hayes is very bright but he and Maddow afe like two very similar flavors of ice cream in the same bowl, similar styles and stories, just too much.

  • funksands : Ad, I’ve never seen anyone actually able to wear ‘smug’ until O’ Donnell.

  • choicelady : funk – Chris has bought into falsehoods. I met him once, he’s a friend of a friend, and I’m just worn out by his hype and lack of substance. Other than THAT…

  • AdLib : CL – O’Donnell is far too egocentric for me to watch comfortably. The way he strokes himself with “I knew it before anyone else!” and poses over-dramaticall y when he talks to guests is just plain annoying to me, even if he does do some good reporting at times.

  • Sabreen60 : CL, Don’t you remember the whole affair with AG Ashcroft on his death bed and Gonzales el al running to his death bed trying to made him sign off some warrantless wirer taping BS.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : I regard the fourth place finish by MSNBC as good news…..I fully expect Al Jazeera to give them a run for their money and for Link to step up its game. MSNBC needs to decide…is it the counter-Fox or not. Either hot or cold…lukewarm and I spit you out.

  • choicelady : Bourne – his ‘charter school’ had MAJOR problems, was a total failure, had funding problems from his mismanagement and possible embezzlement, and he is NOT a good politician but a thug. I’ve dealt with him directly – he’s a lying sack of shit. He is doing NOTHING for this city. Absolutely nothing. He’s a two faced opportunist, and his plans will bring disaster, bankruptcy, and more lost business.

  • funksands : I really like Chris Hayes and Maddow. Having them back to back is tiresome.

  • funksands : Sabreen, that guy is mixed bag. He certainly isn’t the ‘hero’ some make him out to be for “standing up” to Bush. He seems to fit the mold of typical retread.

  • choicelady : Murph – O’Donnell grates as a person, but he often hits the factual nail. THAT is valuable since he was Chief of Staff to Moynihan and knows the way government actually WORKS. His insights matter.

  • BourneID : Hey CL, we beginning to sound like Ted Cruz v the world. All i kow abut Kevin is that he was an NBA star; came home; opened a charter school (some problems with funding) and has exactly what successful POLITICIAN needs. I don’t invest too much energy in people I don’t know. I hope it works for the people who need the job. Sac is the captol of the most important state in the US. We’re ompared to other countries, not other states. Progress changes everything and that’s not always good. Anyway, my dear, I admire the way you defend what you believe in. Don’t see that too often.

  • AdLib : Murph – Yes, the repetition is annoying and not journalism. There aren’t more than four stories in the country or even the the whole planet Earth that matter? Just 4-6 stories about the BS in DC? Really?

  • choicelady : Sabreen, funk – Reactionary is a very useful word indeed!

  • choicelady : Sabreen – the used to be GOP now faux progressives are what the Spanish called The Fifth Column during their Civil War. Traitors to the cause.

  • Sabreen60 : Funk, I like “Reactionaries “. Takes me back to late 60’s early 70’s.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : MSNBC (and Fox) have a formula….endle ss talking heads repeating news items according to a handful of formulas shaped to the hour and the audience. It is very inexpensive and it is poor excuse for real reporting. Even those I have liked in the past, Maddow and O’Donnell are beginning to sound like droning choirs.

  • choicelady : Sabreen – I’ve been hermetically sealed for over three days in a labor conference, so I only know this guy is nominated but very little about him other than the fact Bush overlooked him to appoint Gonzales as AG. That alone warms my heart to him!

  • AdLib : Funk – If you love the sound of nails on a chalkboard and listening to the reasoning of twelve year olds, you’ve got to watch The Cycle.

  • Sabreen60 : So what do you think about the alleged appointment of the new FBI director.

  • funksands : Ad, I’ve never seen “the Cycle” do you think I should watch it?

  • choicelady : AdLib – that’s why now I listen to ONLY O’donnell, and I mourn the capitulation of Rachel. Ugh. NPR is even worse! Double ugh!

  • choicelady : Murph – a friend has billed the faux progressives “The Divine Left”. LOVE that!

  • Sabreen60 : Funk I agree. I think if you go too far left you end up on the right. Besides, some of these so-called progressive pundits are has-been Repubs, whom I don’t trust.

  • AdLib : Murph, so true, look at all the changes MSNBC has made since the election, trying to chase demographics. For example, I thought Now was so lightweight but then came The Cycle which gave a new definition of lightweight and made Now look better in comparison. I mean come on, S.E. Cupp on MSNBC? A knee jerk, nasty RW who just spits out propaganda? That’s quality programming?

  • choicelady : Bourne – I LOVE Fair Oaks. But I’m Midtown, and I do NOT want this to screw up what little is left of downtown.

  • funksands : “Reactionaries ” is my new favorite term by the way. Get used to it. [smiley]

  • choicelady : Bourne – the state will do nothing about traffic. The analyses are all pointing to disaster. Kevin wants us to be a ‘world class city like Phoenix.” PHOENIX???? Is he crazy? He loves Phoenix. Fine. Go live there. They’d never elect a Black man, but hey – go anyway. Please.

  • funksands : Murph, I think a lot of the emo-progs and tea-partiers are two sides of the same coin. Reactionary is born every second in this age of disenfranchiseme nt and access to instantaneous information.

  • choicelady : Sabreen – O’D. was correct. My organization has a c-4, and we were raked over the coals 15 years ago over it. That’s the job of the IRS. We abide by the “exclusively” part = we do NO partisan work at all but do advocacy on NON partisan issues and ballot measures as we are supposed to. Why does the TP think it gets a free ride?

  • AdLib : CL – I didn’t see that but I do appreciate O’Donnell pressed on that. But while he did that, he followed a whole day of MSNBC programming that pumped up the “scandals”, even if they did so by saying, “Is this really a scandal?”

  • MurphTheSurf3 : CL…faux progressive is the proper name…and then we have the ultra lefties who want Obama to be the enlightened philosopher king and rule without the constitution. Bizarre all of them.

  • funksands : CL, what do you mean she’s “yours”? Is she working in CA?

  • BourneID : I don’t live in Sacramento; I’m in Fair Oaks so I know little about city government. Your remarks help me understand how you feel but without actually living in the city I see this as an extraordinary opportunity for the county and the counties surrounding us. We may as well accept that CA is a traffic nightmare – Sac is closing in on the Bay Area – trying to cross the Golden Gate Bridge at moring commute time is mind-numbing. My sister lived in Marin county; her husbands business was in the financial district of SF and it took a bit of time in the mornig but nothing like it does now. I don’t know if the state has plans to change some of the routing around the arena site.

  • choicelady : Sabreen – DC was right to kick the lying bitch OUT. She is despicable. And now she’s ours. Puke.

  • Sabreen60 : CL, Absolutely. O’Donnell was the first I heard to make the distinction between “exclusive” and “primarily” in the tax law re 501c4.

  • choicelady : Murph – I know a lot of faux progressives who gobble up any slur on Obama or phony scandal. It’s back to the “the Black guy is too uppity and doesn’t defer to us by giving us our pony” mentality. Some of them will be at a conference I’m headed to on Sunday. I’m arriving AFTER one of them and leaving BEFORE the rest. I will not waste my time on them.

  • AdLib : Sabreen – Ed Rendell is such a corporate tool, he was leading the pack of corporate Dems to attack Obama during the campaign for “class warfare” and having the gall to “attack” Wall Street and hedge funds.

  • Sabreen60 : AdLib, CL which is why Rhee was kicked out of DC. People wanted to denigrate the folks from DC, but they were right.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : MSNBC is trying to find a post election audience. Its core during the election season was liberal/progress ive but unlike the Fox audience those folks look to multiple info sources and they tire of the same old drumbeat rather quickly. CNN and HLN have turned back to tabloid and human interest beats with some success, Fox continues to feed the right wing piranha. MSNBC continues to try to win those who are too much in the know to accept them at face value.

  • AdLib : Funk – Man, you summed it up so well in those few words! Well done and seconded!

  • choicelady : AdLib – Only O’donnell called the IRS scandal out. He said, and I agree, that the IRS was DOING ITS JOB. When you apply for any kind of non profit status, you are raked over the coals. It’s important since it permits you to get a free ride. You have to PROVE you have a worthy operation. And NONE of the Tea Party applicants were turned down. Where is THAT fact? O’Donnell called it out well.

  • Sabreen60 : AdLib, I think Matthews needs to be on meds. Rev. Al must have to bow to corp masters because he has people like Ed Rendall and that Wash. Post woman who repeats RW talking points.

  • AdLib : CL – Agree with all you said about Kevin and Rhee, she is a total fraud and enemy of real education improvement.

  • funksands : These scandals are trotted out by the media as proof that they are doing their jobs. When in reality it shows the exact opposite.

  • choicelady : funk – tequila actually. It’s the only hard stuff that does not give me a headache.

  • funksands : CL, that would mean you are a vodka drinker. Excellent

  • AdLib : Sabreen – I just don’t like the hysteria, when Matthews blows another gasket or Rev Al is putting on that he’s outraged. I watch much less of MSNBC than I used to…and part of that is in protest of their blowing air into whatever BS balloons the GOP tosses out such as these phony scandals.

  • choicelady : funk – not a problem. I’m wheat intolerant, so please feel free. Wheat free beer is not worth it, so enjoy the good stuff with my blessing.

  • funksands : Sorry CL, I’m already drinking yours

  • choicelady : funk – did you bring beer for everyone? They’ve been begging.

  • choicelady : Bourne – I think I meant free rein. It’s her imperial mindset that made me write “reign”.

  • funksands : Im back

  • BourneID : Ad I don’t call them journalists…fa r from it. There is no substance in their writing, no facts, and no pride in their work.

  • choicelady : Sabreen – I agree about MSNBC. They have gone over to the fact free dark side. O’Donnell is irritating often, but he KNOWS his facts and speaks the truth. I’m never home to see Rev. Al, but what I do see I like.

  • choicelady : Bourne – Kevin is a slimy opportunist with a one note agenda. He has let business after business die while shoveling money we forbade him to spend into this shell game. The arena is a bail out for the rich – and it will kill downtown. It’s removing ALL shopping – we will have to go to the malls – when we were promise a revamped and revitalized space. And don’t even THINK about trying to go home from work on game night – it will be a traffic disaster, a parking disaster, and the studies ALL say that. No city EVER got a benefit from an arena, especially built too close to downtown. Those that are that close kill business and do NOT revitalize it. On off days they are mugger havens. People trying to walk around to the few things left are at high risk. It’s a terrible location, and if Kevin uses tax dollars I personally will sue him. We voted NO and we mean it. His wife, Michelle Rhee, is also one of the most despicable people EVER, and he’s giving her free reign to destroy public education. Does that help?

  • Sabreen60 : AdLib, I’ve pretty much stopped watching MSNBC. Sometimes I’ll turn on O’Donnell or Rev. Al, but that’s it. I get info from blogs and news sites I trust.

  • AdLib : Hey, if the Fox Women Haters Club is upset about women being breadwinners and having power, what does that say about how they feel about their mothers?

  • AdLib : Damn, Murph! Sorry you’re having to deal with this insane weather!

  • Sabreen60 : CL, We can’t get rid of that mother instinct – thank goodness [smiley]

  • AdLib : Sabreen – Tv is described by industry folks as an insatiable animal, it has to be fed constantly. So these 24 hour news channels MUST create something to discuss every day, even when there is nothing to discuss, they have to make up stories and discuss Hillary Clinton’s Presidential election chances when were over 1,000 days away from it…because they need to feed the beast. So even if they have to devour themselves and their own President, they do. That’s just dishonest when it comes to news and common practice when it comes to the tv entertainment mindset.

  • choicelady : Murph – that’s not so bad then.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : CL…70’s

  • choicelady : Murph – sorry. I sound like your MOTHER. Yuck. Didn’t mean to do that! Just concerned!

  • choicelady : Murph – what’s the temp there? don’t take a chill! I saw one report that Omaha, on the cold side of a front, was in the low 60s. Be careful of not taxing your body with chills.

  • BourneID : CL, maybe we should have lunch at my hosel I love the Arena plan and I can just see us sitting in a love eatery shouting at each other. I’m very good at that BTW. I really want to know your objections…And why do you HATE Kevin??????????? ? Oh, meeting you is going to be FUN FUN FUN!!!!! Sure you want to joing us MTS? We will definitely need a referee.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Sab and CL…toweling off now.

  • choicelady : Murph – we have that same problem here. Only – it’s never raining. Sorry you had to go out in that – you soaked?

  • Sabreen60 : Damn Murph.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Just got back…had to go outside….stopp ed up drainage pipe backing water way up…had to clear it.

  • AdLib : Funk – I’ll have a Heineken!

  • AdLib : And the DoJ going after a Fox News “journalist”, that’s about as difficult to complain about as it could be. The Fox “Journalist” was trying to get classified info to use to politically damage Obama, not investigating some critical issue that the people needed to know. So it makes it hard to get outraged. Bush and Cheney sent their government rottweilers and IRS after people in the MSM they saw as enemies but of course, principle for Repubs only applies when Dems are in power.

  • choicelady : funk – come back soon.

  • Sabreen60 : Ah Funk. Just finished a double Patron. It’s Friday and I’m allowed.

  • choicelady : AdLib – during WW II there was an office of censorship on state secrets that blacklined all stories coming out of the front. It was adjudged legal for security issues. I find it kind of hard to get upset about the subpoenaed phone NUMBERS that the AP reporters called – the content of the calls was not obtained. The leak led to potential deaths of people who had gotten inside Al Q’aeda, and this does not seem a breech of the First Amendment. Nothing they wrote or said is challenged – it’s a trace on who leaked it. I’m not upset about it after all the months of due diligence they went to.

  • Sabreen60 : There’s a guy over at TOD and twitter who refers to the media as infotainment. I think that’s pretty much true of what we get on TV. MSNBC ratings are in the toilet – emoprogs and libertarians when it was the Obama coalition that made MSNBC. Now they bash him almost as much as the RWNJS and rarely talk about what the Repubs are not doing.

  • funksands : Beer run. BRB

  • AdLib : Bourne – Had the press been operating in general as independent watchdogs, they would have a lot more sympathy from the public but they have become so lazy and such lapdogs to corporations, those in power (such as the Bushies who had them marching alongside for war with Iraq) and suckers for lies and propaganda because it gets them so much attention. We should be very upset at the government going on fishing expeditions on journalists but journalists have become so disrespected, they don’t have the public on their side as in the past.

  • choicelady : Good night KT!

  • choicelady : Bourne – journalists? I call out “yellow dog writers” just like the days of William Randolph Hearst. Lying is SO MUCH better copy. I am calling it out. I wrote to one columnist and he threatened me for disagreeing with him! Said I could never say what he’d written to me – ever. Well fuck that noise!

  • Sabreen60 : Got up for a moment and didn’t see AB leave….Nite AB! Don’t dream about Marcus [smiley]

  • BourneID : MTS, you can join s – your MAC has a camera, right? Or SKYPE?

  • choicelady : Bourne – I’ve been in San Jose for much of the week and did not see that. Who did they target? Here in Sacramento? Well they ought to come here – my husband and I have fed six people out the front door just while I’ve been ON HERE. People are caring, NOT evil.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Take care KT

  • Sabreen60 : Nite KT.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Bourne- for the press, it’s all about making $$$$$$$$ and you do whatever it takes to get hits, viewers, readers…

  • AdLib : Sounds a bit nerve wracking, Murph! Just hope it doesn’t grow worse!

  • choicelady : Mruph – whew! I do NOT wish you to be fried! Batteries are good!

  • BourneID : CL = let’s try this again. Regarding the scandal busines. Did you see on the news the story of the two investigative reporters who portrayed themselves as homeless people; sat or slept on the prop;erty of one Democrat legislators who is very pro helping people in need. They wanted a negative response from him hoping they could prove he’s a hypocrite. They reported he called the police. there is no such report; these scumbaggers – so called journalists – make me sick. The two HP reporters who wrote about the DOJ subpoena of Rosen’s records used bold red print for everything they wanted to emphasize. Paranoia is rampant in the press. I’m sure I’m 5 conversations behind, but I think is interesting since it happened here.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Cl- the computer is running on batteries so no connection to the electrical grid. Just fine.

  • choicelady : Murph – this weather is getting Biblical. If you have to make choices, I personally would pick an ark.

  • AdLib : AB, get yerself sum sleep, my friend!

  • MurphTheSurf3 : AB thanks….I am inside and unless there is a wall of water heading my way, it is here that I am staying…nothin g I can do outside anyway.

  • AlphaBitch : zzzzzz…..zzzz. ..KT’s music thread….zzzzz

  • choicelady : Murph – are you safe being on the computer now? We’ll miss you but if you have to go, GO!

  • KillgoreTrout : Sweet dreams AB.

  • AdLib : Night KT, looking forward to this weekend’s music thread as always!

  • AlphaBitch : Stay safe and warm, Murph!

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Take care KT

  • choicelady : KT – thank you for your service. For us as much as the nation. Glad you were here – see you soon!

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Lots of thunder and lightning here again…and it is pouring…typica l of conditions that spawn tornadoes….cir cular fronts.

  • AlphaBitch : Night KT. I love what you do….

  • AdLib : As a judge, Gohmert also found a tomato in contempt for insisting on being called “to-mah-to”. He then sunk to a pejorative and called it a “lazy mater”.

  • KillgoreTrout : Well, good planeteers, I’m off to work on this weekend’s music thread. I wish you all well and have a great weekend.

  • AlphaBitch : No CL. Why we are married for so long. He only watches playoffs. No other times. But that’s still too much for me…. I resent the money spent on sports, by sports, for sports.

  • choicelady : AB – well, it IS 10:30 your time. One can appreciate your fatigue!

  • AlphaBitch : Eyes…. getting ….. heavy….

  • choicelady : AB – Is the Blov a major sports nut?

  • AlphaBitch : The Spurs are in the finals. Drat it. Means one tv will have sports on it for weeks. Hate that.

  • AlphaBitch : All money for sports, all the time.

  • AdLib : AB – Or he said “Lettuce adjourn!” and the head of lettuce wouldn’t leave the courtroom.

  • choicelady : AdLib – that’s ’cause the head of lettuce mouthed off to Gohmert…

  • AlphaBitch : Sports is the “H” middle name, CL.

  • choicelady : funk – your arena plan is much stronger for the city than ours. Ours will be a major disaster for traffic, for creating a ‘mugger heaven zone’ when games are off, and we ALREADY VOTED NO TAX PAYER MONEY which is being ignored. We are heading toward being Buffalo, NY. So much for ‘development’.

  • BourneID : CL, re the

  • AlphaBitch : Ad: He said “Lettuce, be lovers” and no one understood. No one.

  • KillgoreTrout : These “scandals,” only inflame those that already hate Obama and liberals. People with an ounce of intelligence know better.

  • AdLib : CL – As a judge, Gohmert found a head of lettuce in contempt of court.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Bourne- sure. I will CUT and PASTE….hah!

  • choicelady : AB – Jerry Brown would be in one of those lines. Just can’t pick which one.

  • AlphaBitch : Also making a tee shirt of it….

  • funksands : CL, we’ll take the Kings off your hands!!!

  • AlphaBitch : Add you own crazy and stupid photos and put one of your car!

  • choicelady : AB – LOVE your bumper sticker. LOVE it.

  • AdLib : Sabreen – Try as the GOP and MSM might to make mountains out of scandal molehills, it ain’t happening. It worked in the past but because it did and we found out later that we were deceived and manipulated, the majority of Americans have wised up and aren’t fooled into thinking that a brief misstatement about Benghazi on a Sunday morning talk show is more important than their home value improving or getting a job.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : THANKS to all for your comments on the “SCANDALS” they reflect my own thinking.

  • Sabreen60 : AB, Paul Ryan was also considered really smart by the Repubs, until PBO and other Dems showed he had no clothes on.

  • BourneID : Murph, Thank you – can you put those directions in an email si U can practice before next Friday?

  • AlphaBitch : Cruz is cah-razy! He’ll get the top post of my new bumper sticker: You can’t negotiate with crazy” and Gohmert gets the “you can’t argue with stupid” bottom half.

  • choicelady : AB – Quinniac is not a good test. Other polls are still strong. Quinniac had Romney winning at various points.

  • AlphaBitch : Quinniac put him at 45% now, Sabreen.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Choice and Bourne….now that’s a lunch I would love to sit in on…both of you are great debaters.

  • choicelady : AB – OMG – Gohmert was a judge? How many people were executed on his watch? Cruz is…there are no words.

  • Sabreen60 : President Obama has an approval rating of 53% and a likability rating in the high 70’s. So these so-called scandals don’t seem to be hurting him personally.

  • choicelady : Bourne – I HATE the arena plan. It’s a disaster. I HATE Kevin. HE is a disaster. So maybe we need to wait on lunch???

  • AlphaBitch : “I’ve got some random thoughts here in my head..”

  • AlphaBitch : CL: Of course I remember Molly! Do you realize Gohmert was a JUDGE here in TX? And Cruz is considered “really smart”?

  • BourneID : Hey CL, I’m still interested in getting together for lunch one of these days. Are you as excited about the Kings as I am – I told a neighbor that Kevin is going to be governor of CA one day. She said, “That’s all we need; another Republican. Not a clue about what how good this is for Sacramento. And, you live in midtown – have you been to the new farmer’s market yet?

  • AdLib : “Crazy, crazy for casting aspersions…on my asparagus….”

  • choicelady : Murph – that’s good advice, and it’s how I do it.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Bourne….don’t need to scroll all the way down the comments. Put your cursor outside the comment thread (click it off to the right) and then scoot to the bottom of the box. Put in your comment. Hit return. Go back outside the box and go right back to the top. Much easier.

  • AlphaBitch : Ad: You are now hooked. admit it. You will be humming that tune tomorrow morning.

  • choicelady : AB – no, moderates have a bright normal 110-120. Gohmert is the 0-60 IQ. Remember Molly Ivins’ quote about such people: If his IQ were any lower we’d have to water him.

  • funksands : Preach it CL!!!!

  • AdLib : Moderates = People who don’t worry about others casting aspersions on their asparagus.

  • funksands : Moderates: Anyone that can breathe through their nose.

  • KillgoreTrout : Bourne, keep the widget on top, and go to the bottom using the downward scroll of the website itself. Much faster.

  • AlphaBitch : Moderates = anyone with an IQ over 10 and under 80?

  • funksands : The GOP is the party of thinking small, scandal, coupon clipping and petty grievance. They’ve squandered any good will they’ll ever have with moderates in this nation.

  • choicelady : Murph – I just wrote to the McClatchy wire service writers who keep screwing up facts about the IRS. There is NO SCANDAL – all the Tea Baggers GOT their 501-c-4 designation. So they wrote about a prolife group seeking a c-3 (donations are tax decuctible) who were told NOT to picket. And the asshat writers said that Planned Parenthood GOT a c-3 – but failed to note they don’t picket anyone. There are RULES, and those RULES were written by the GOP some years ago. And the people whining are wanting privileges the rest of us DO NOT GET. So I’m FURIOUS with the media fail on ALL these stories. Not least – almost NO MSM has reported that the REAL Benghazi scandal is the doctored email – someone altered it and then LIED about Benghazi – and where is THAT story?

  • AlphaBitch : Sabreen, I think the Repubs need to just clean up their own damn mess and quite worrying about ours.

  • AdLib : Murph – No matter how hard the Repubs beat the dead horses they mount (in whatever way they do), most Americans know it’s all political BS and they don’t care. So the “scandals” are meaningless to the people who decide elections but to the Fox News crowd, it’s red meat and they can’t understand why they’re the only ones chomping on it.

  • BourneID : Hey MTS – I know what you meant but I had to scroll all the way to the bottom to tell you that. Now I have to scroll all the way to the top to see catch up with what’s going on. I am not good at this.

  • KillgoreTrout : Murph, I think it’s all GOP bullshit, and will soon be forgotten. There is absolutely 0 grounds for impeachment. What really gets me is that the war criminals Bush and Cheney were completely let off the hook by the same people who are screaming for Obama’s impeachment.

  • funksands : CL, you and AB are making me blush like a schoolgirl….. [smiley]

  • Sabreen60 : Murph, I’ve read several blogs and the opinion of most (the sane ones) is that these are non-scandals. It’s summer and the media and Repubs need something to do.

  • AlphaBitch : Funk…of course you would be. you were likely a curator. Or perhaps a model for “Sundays on the Pot with George”. Classic piece.

  • AlphaBitch : MOBA is the Museum of Bad Art, located in Boston. Check out website and order the book with the yellow border (the first one they published). Funny…….

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Seriously….any one have any thoughts on the “White House embroiled in scandals….impe achment being bandied about…” meme?

  • funksands : Museum of Bad Art? Nope.

  • choicelady : MOBA? Pray what is MOBA, AB?

  • AdLib : I think there is a bunch of self-hatred in Graham and other Repubs in the closet, which makes them so terrible. I wonder if they wish they weren’t gay so they could genuinely hate gays, liberals, minorities, etc.

  • choicelady : AB – didn’t know there was an ampersand in BJ…

  • AlphaBitch : Are you all familiar with MOBA????

  • funksands : CL, tonight, let it be Lowenbrau,…

  • choicelady : funk – you clearly are a man of taste and refinement.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Bourne: checkle? meant chuckle…

  • AlphaBitch : Any screw top wine will work, Funk. Perhaps a lovely B&J?

  • funksands : AB, a fine velvet painting is like a fine glass of ripple.

  • choicelady : AB – OH YES!!! Perfect – a black velvet painting! EXACTLY!

  • BourneID : Night Glenn.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Bourne-+-we gotta fix the cut and paste thing…but you gave me a checkle.

  • choicelady : Bourne – my ex can’t cut and paste either. Maybe I’ll get up a class of dear people who cannot do that.

  • AlphaBitch : The gospel of prosperity = the gospel of crap in my my mind. Like a black velvet painting….

  • AdLib : Night glenn! Sleep well!

  • BourneID : Murph, I know it takes practice, but remember I still don’t know how to cut and paste – rather pathetic…

  • choicelady : glenn – good night! Glad you were here!

  • KillgoreTrout : Sleep well and have a great weekend, glenn.

  • choicelady : KT – the ONLY thing Jesus ever said was that divorce was wrong. He asserted fidelity to the commitments you make, period. He never pointed fingers at anyone for ANYTHING else. Except being rich and stingy. And you see how well they follow THAT.

  • glenn : AB–I always enjoy your wit! Thanks!

  • Sabreen60 : Night Glenn. Take care.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : AB….it is a mystery to me….I do not know if he is active but his entire story says “I am in the closet.”

  • AlphaBitch : Night, glenn! Nice playin’ wit you!

  • funksands : Night Glenn!

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Glenn…hardly got a chance to say hello….but good sleep.

  • choicelady : AB – well, there you go… Lindsay has a ‘fiancee’? Male or female? Same woman?

  • funksands : Coburn is too stupid to be gay. He’s too stupid to be human for that matter.

  • AdLib : Bourne – You have to scroll to the top of the comments and they will then scroll automatically when someone posts a new comment. Smiley faces are created by using colons around things like “lol” (without the quotes) or typing the simple version of smilies (like a semi-colon, dash and open parentheses for a wink like this [smiley] )

  • AlphaBitch : So Murph – how do people justify the hypocrisy of his anti-gay rhetoric and voting record????? I swear, I’d like to tail him (as in detective) and shower his photo on every rag in the U.S.

  • glenn : I think my 12 hours with my granddaughter today is catching up to me. Time for some sleep. Take care, everyone, and have a great weekend! Good night!

  • KillgoreTrout : What gets me about these GOP homophobes who say gay marriage violates the sanctity of marriage, is that so many of them have had a divorce, or two or three and so many of them have extra marital affairs. Well, so much for the sanctity of marriage.

  • funksands : Bourne: Type a “:” then type a “-” then a “)” and you get = [smiley]

  • AlphaBitch : But Coburn is far too vain….oh….wa it!!!

  • MurphTheSurf3 : AB…I live in SC for several years and Lindsay is commonly referred to as “Lady” Lindsay. He trots out his “fiance” in every election season.

  • choicelady : AB – OK. I see your point, though two of my fave gay friends look like the Pillsbury Dough Boy.

  • BourneID : Funk, I love it, but how?

  • AlphaBitch : Covered in chintz, Funk?

  • AlphaBitch : Amen, CL. Amen.

  • funksands : Lindsay also owns four fainting couches. Manly fainting couches.

  • AlphaBitch : CL: because a man who would imitate the Colonel has no regard for his figger.

  • choicelady : All – I think if people just came out of the closet the world would be a much less TENSE place, don’t you?

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Bourne….I have found it jut takes practice here to get the hang of it. BUT I too would vote for having the Message Box at the top…..AD LIB is this possible.

  • AlphaBitch : Although Ms. Lindsey Graham of SOUTH (let’s re-elect Mark Appalachian Trail Sanford) Carolina is a “confirmed bachelor”. Well, surprise, surprise as Gomer would have said…

  • funksands : Bourne: [smiley]

  • choicelady : AB – and looking like Col. Sanders makes you not gay – HOW?

  • Sabreen60 : AB the barbarians need discipline.

  • choicelady : Bourne – I can’t usually do smiley faces either. I was told how, but it did not “take”. You are not alone in scrolling, losing the thread, being IT deficient.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Behind the Candelabra….I turned it on to just catch a glimpse, a few minutes, knowing that I would find it just too juvenile and puerile to tolerate. Well I watched it, and then a second time…..what an amazing effort on Douglas’ part (and Damon, who was playing a nitwit, was pretty good too).

  • AlphaBitch : Coburn can’t be gay. He looked like Col. Sanders.

  • BourneID : Ad, I am always at the wrong end of this thread. Can you move the comments block to the top? I really am smarter than I sound. I spend more time scrolling than writing….And, where are the smiley faces? Why don’t I know anything?

  • choicelady : AB – you’re leaping to a conclusion. You may, possibly, be correct, but that’s just funny!

  • AlphaBitch : Let’s have Marcus Bachmann go discipline that barbarian!

  • AlphaBitch : Inhofe is gay???

  • choicelady : funk – SEE!!!! I KNEW there was a reason OK was getting hammered! It’s the GAYS!!!!

  • AdLib : AB – Yep, saw Candleabra and though Liberace still seemed hard to figure out after the entire film, I would bet the farm on Michael Douglas winning the Emmy for Best Actor in a Feature For TV.

  • AlphaBitch : KT – It was brilliant and worth the wait. Everyone did an amazing job, but Rob Lowe stole the show….

  • MurphTheSurf3 : CL- ok, I accept your insight and analysis.

  • KillgoreTrout : AB, I don’t have cable and will have to wait for Netflix to acquire it.

  • funksands : I sure wish the gays would have some mercy on poor Oklahoma…

  • Sabreen60 : Oh yes AB. Marcus is a running joke. But only because he is such a faker.

  • choicelady : Murph – we had to drag this out of you. We love you and care, but you’re NOT a narcissist. What you have given us over the years is amazing insight into the world you inhabit. It’s never about YOU so much as your experiences all of which enlighten us amazingly. NOW it’s about YOU because we care! Big difference from Bette’s character!

  • AlphaBitch : Alexandra Pelosi needs to grab a camera and get to OK to interview these folks about how they feel NOW.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Bourne- knew you would get it. CL was being very kind.

  • AdLib : CL – I’m afraid that there is no moving the GOP from their occupation in the sewers. They are blindly committed to an agenda that makes less sense every day, even to their supporters but they won’t abandon it because it’s all they have.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Both Coburn and Inhofe have said the the use of federal monies to creative preventative, protective systems is an abuse of FEMA money….what loons.

  • BourneID : Murph! Perfect analogy – I forgot that great line of Bette’s.

  • Sabreen60 : You too, Funk

  • funksands : Choice, summer is coming quickly……

  • KillgoreTrout : CL, the pugs don’t believe in global warming and would naturally disbelieve in it’s effects. I hate to say it, but I think our storms are getting more powerful and more frequent. Sandy covered almost the entire length of the east coast. Massive and so destructive.

  • AlphaBitch : Sabreen, you know of what I speak, dear one.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : CL..thanks.

  • Sabreen60 : AB You need to stop. [smiley]

  • funksands : Hi Sabreen. Great to see you.

  • choicelady : Murph – that is never, ever you. Never.

  • AdLib : Funk – Not at all, as I mentioned in my comment, it is a great overview of SS and Chained CPI, most articles are narrowly focused and only explain the angle they support or oppose, your piece really painted the big picture.

  • AlphaBitch : Did EVERYONE see Behind the Candleabra? OMG – Rob Lowe made me snort Coke (as in cola – calm down!)

  • MurphTheSurf3 : CL…remember Bette Midler in Beaches as a kid….after talking about herself without end she turns to her newly acquired friend and says: “”But enough about me, let’s talk about you. What do you think of me?

  • AlphaBitch : Spoken like a true Bachmann, Funk. Are you sure your name isn’t Marcus? Don’t you love bone pantsuits?

  • choicelady : AdLib – that makes sense, AdLib. Inhofe as ‘head in bottom’ means he’s living down to his namesake.

  • funksands : AB, Ad has no problem huffing paint that I’m aware of…

  • choicelady : Everyone – if it turns out that Moore (SW OKC area) and OKC itself are suddenly ground zero for tornadoes, would it not move the GOP to fund a study about WHY? I am terrified that this area is about to become utterly unlivable. How awful!

  • KillgoreTrout : Ah Ad, the old cranial/rectal inversion!

  • AdLib : KT [smiley]

  • AdLib : CL – Actually the literal translation of Inhofe from German is, “Head in Bottom”.

  • funksands : Thanks Ad. I’ll give that article an 8 on the “eyes-glaze-ove r o’meter”

  • AlphaBitch : Funk, we already covered the twist. Murph was there in the midst of it. Now we are dealing with Ad’s problem huffing paint. Or posts. Or something like that…..

  • Sabreen60 : Hiya Funk!

  • choicelady : funk – I have not seen them yet. Can’t bear it. Have friends near and in Tulsa. They seem to have survived.

  • KillgoreTrout : Ah, thanks CL.

  • funksands : Hello hello. Watching craaazy videos from twister-town. Amazing, scary stuff.

  • choicelady : KT – wicked good pun that!

  • choicelady : Murph – I think we ARE talking about you!

  • KillgoreTrout : Ad, better than Huffing Post!

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Ok…enough about me….what are we talking about.

  • AdLib : Hey Funk! Left you a comment tonight on your brilliant article! Well done!

  • AlphaBitch : Think he’d be pissed if we called his office and asked for Mr. Inhole?

  • choicelady : AdLib – is Inhofe German for someone with agoraphobia? Always stuck in the Inhofe because too afraid to go out?

  • AdLib : Thanks AB and glenn! Huffing paint is an amazing high.

  • AlphaBitch : Ad: Look down. It’s what’s in the hole…Inhole… .

  • AdLib : I always think that the opposite of Inhofe is “outhouse”.

  • choicelady : Murph – that’s something. Months to years. Something. I’m glad of that for you!

  • KillgoreTrout : What’s up funk?

  • MurphTheSurf3 : AB Got it.

  • AlphaBitch : Doodle! (aka Funk)

  • choicelady : FUNK!!! Hello dear friend!

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Choice- Bourne has walked with me in this and the periods of hiatus vary but 3 to 6 months, to a year is pretty common. So, bearable.

  • glenn : Ad–I second CL–you really are on a roll!

  • AlphaBitch : Murph – someone said you went missing. I assumed you were hiding. My bad….(she whispers)

  • funksands : Howdy!

  • AlphaBitch : AD!!! you da man!

  • choicelady : glenn – if he can investigate the Schencks appendages, I’m fine with that. I can attest to having NO personal knowledge of the Schencks anatomy other than their lying tongues.

  • glenn : CL–okay, I’ll stop. But I might send Issa an email so he can have a congressional investigation.

  • choicelady : AdLib – you are ON A ROLL tonight! Well done!

  • AdLib : To the music of “Rock the Boat”: “Say I’d like to know where, you got the Gohmert. Yes, I’d like to know where, you got the Gohmert. Rock the Dope, go knock the dope baby! Rock the dope, go tip the dope over! Rock the dope, go knock the dope baby! Rock the doooope-ohhhhhhh hh…”

  • choicelady : glenn – since I know the Schencks personally, I really do NOT wish to have this conversation!!!! Eeeuuuuwwwww. They’re gross enough without thinking about their private parts.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : AB- me, hiding….what do you mean? Tonight….in our well reinforced basement….whil e sick, in bed when I could and just getting by when I couldn’t.

  • KillgoreTrout : Damn Murph, sorry to hear that. There is little worse than migraines.

  • glenn : CL–but the dangling things are ascending resulting in either the shunk sound or the EEEEEEE sound. We need to get to the bottom of this!

  • AlphaBitch : Ah, Murph. I’m so sorry! Now I see why all caution you to not overdo it. Take good care of yourself. Gosh, I’m as whiny as a person can be if I get even a teensy headache. I’ll keep my voice down…using the inside voice now….

  • choicelady : Murph! Yikes – we didn’t know about the migranes! How AWFUL! I’m so sorry this happens to you. I hope the periods between attacks are LONG and pain free?

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Bourne- yes, my plantings. The gardens are set up to drain well but they can be overwhelmed and the plants are way too young to be hardy. So we will see come the morning….and yes it is going to rain tomorrow too.

  • choicelady : AdLib – will leave kes a love message indeed, thanks!

  • BourneID : Murph, I got the message about the drenching rains. Good Lord, what is going to happen to all your planting? So sorry.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : AB- I have a blood condition which is chronic and results in experiencing a form of anemia which comes pretty close to debilitating me. I also get, as part of this, awful migraines, and the treatment is nearly as bad as the symptoms. So far, no diagnosis points to a long term solution but the treatments work and there has been no worsening. So….

  • AlphaBitch : I’d go full twister on his arse, I’ll tell you. All that would be left would be his ugly red shoes…..

  • choicelady : AB – wouldn’t YOU hate Inhofe?

  • AlphaBitch : Murph – where were you hiding?????

  • AdLib : CL – Kes does read the comments here at The Planet often so leaving a comment for her on Morning Blog for example could be very appreciated.

  • choicelady : glenn – since the Schencks were twin Dominionist ministers born Jewish, this all fits. The image of dangling things though – bad visuals ensue.

  • AlphaBitch : Bourne – I’ve been distracted, but all news on this front is good/great. Waiting for greatest, then I’ll make an announcement. No, it doesn’t mean Gohmert is gone.

  • choicelady : AdLib – well love and prayers (I save them for her) to kes for keeping on keeping on. We miss her, but recovery is all good news!

  • KillgoreTrout : Thanks Ad.

  • glenn : CL–I think “schencks” is the dangling participle for “shunk” in Hebrew, isn’t it?

  • BourneID : Jey AB. not only did you miss that Murph was not well but you also missed that he was missing. We had APB out for him but he showed up eventually. How are you? I haven’t seen you here for awhile but then I’m missing frequently too.

  • AlphaBitch : CL: I wonder why God hates Inhoufe???

  • AdLib : Kalima would have the best info on Kes but the latest I’ve heard is that she’s improving but it’s a long road to get through it all.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Hi- Bourne…my plan to write you a long e mail were blown to smithereens by Mother/Father Nature today.

  • KillgoreTrout : CL, that does make a difference.

  • AlphaBitch : No Murph – what was the medical thingy everyone but me knows about? are you preggers – AGAIN?????

  • choicelady : KT – that’s what a normal man would say. We’re talking GOP wackos. Shunk seems to fit somehow.

  • AdLib : Hey Bourne!

  • MurphTheSurf3 : AB…Hi! Had a night of high winds, massive lightning and walls of rain AND several tornado sightings….som e damage but nothing huge….it seems we were all lucky in the area but it was scary.

  • KillgoreTrout : What’s up Sabreen?

  • AdLib : AB – That’s a much better one!

  • choicelady : Hi Bourne – yes, the OK folks are taking it on the chin. Given their RED propensities, if they abided by their calling, they’d say God was sending THEM a message about their mean spirited take on life. But they will blame someone else.

  • KillgoreTrout : Has anybody heard from kes, lately? I wonder how she’s doing.

  • Sabreen60 : Hi Bourne!

  • glenn : Hey Bourne

  • KillgoreTrout : Hey Bourne, long time no see.

  • AlphaBitch : Wow, miss a few Fridays and miss out on Murphs condition. Glad you are better…….

  • KillgoreTrout : I would think the sound of testes ascending would be an increasing, high pitched EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEE!

  • BourneID : hi all = stopping by for a few; Murph I got the email – glad you weren’t blown into Illinois. Cannot believe those poor folks in OK may have to go through thi again.

  • AdLib : AB and CL – The fires in Santa Clarita are bad but they happen periodically. It is the way nature is in that area, brush builds up over years then eventually there’s a big fire that burns it away. The problem is that developers build homes in areas that are cyclically fire prone.

  • choicelady : AB – Maybe Schenck is the plural of shunk?

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Sab- are the storms worse? I don’t know – not enough experience in the area. Farmers who have lived here a long time say that weather spikes are more frequent – so that covers a very heavy series of rains this spring and the drought that led into it.

  • choicelady : Murph – I second Sabreen.

  • AlphaBitch : Schenck is Hebrew for *shunk*

  • Sabreen60 : Glad you’re feeling better Murph, but take it easy.

  • choicelady : AB – shunk? The leaders of Project Rescue anti-abortion stuff in NY were the Schencks. Think there’s a relationship there?

  • KillgoreTrout : Well Murph, let’s hope it stays that way.

  • glenn : Thanks, CL–I’ll take your word for it on the Bible.

  • choicelady : Murph – that is the BEST NEWS we could have. About YOU I mean. The physical stuff, a pain indeed, but YOU matter. We’re glad to read this!

  • AdLib : Murph – Glad you’re feeling better but don’t wear yourself out fixing all the storm damage. I’d guess your crops have taken it on the chin again.

  • KillgoreTrout : CL, I can’t decide if that’s a good thing or a bad thing!

  • MurphTheSurf3 : KT- yes, we had several sightings but none touched down. Lots of wind, heavy rain, and some property damage but nothing huge. Lucky.

  • AlphaBitch : *Shunk* the sound of testes ascending????

  • choicelady : KT – Viagra for women? Hmmmm.

  • AlphaBitch : CL & Ad: Yikes. I know – watching the burns. That scares me something fierce.

  • choicelady : glenn – my Bible says God told Adam, he did not tell Eve. So Eve was duped, framed, blamed – it’s a guy thing.

  • AdLib : AB – Because as women become more threatening to conservative men, their testosterone runs in a panic for the door?

  • AlphaBitch : Murph – what’d I miss????

  • KillgoreTrout : Speaking of females in heat, I read that scientists are working on a “viagra,” for women.

  • choicelady : AB – will you send us, especially AdLib, some water then? We’re pretty parched. Fires already, and the ‘season’ is not until August. We’re freaking scared.

  • AlphaBitch : How yellow can the Foxbots make their hair???

  • glenn : CL–I agree. Eve was framed. It was the snake who did it!

  • MurphTheSurf3 : All…I continue to be on the mend! Great. Thanks for your concern and good wishes. The damage….it will be a pain but not too great a pain…..I will cope….easier now that I am feeling so much better……

  • choicelady : AdLib – well, when she’s over it…

  • AlphaBitch : CL; yes’m. We are fine and dandy. Few deaths – usually more with floods. And our acquifer is nice and full again.

  • AdLib : CL – Not much a vet can do about a pup in heat, they just have to go through it. She’s mostly over it now.

  • choicelady : glenn – Eve was framed!

  • KillgoreTrout : What’s up Ad?

  • choicelady : AB – oh lordy – i forgot you’re in San Antonio! I saw those flood photos. Are YOU Ok?

  • glenn : Ad–my theory on those foxbots is that they’re still pissed off that Eve “tempted” Adam, so everything is the fault of women!

  • AlphaBitch : Ad – is that why I keep seeing all those pesky commercials for AndroGel and get-her-up pills?????????

  • KillgoreTrout : Murph, are getting tornadoes?

  • Sabreen60 : Hiya KT!

  • AdLib : Hey KT!

  • AdLib : Murph, relieved to hear all is okay with you. This storm look horrible, tornadoes and flooding everywhere!

  • Sabreen60 : Murph, Do you think the storms are getting worst?

  • choicelady : KT – Save for poor Murph who is dealing with reality, the rest of us are manic.

  • KillgoreTrout : Couldn’t be better CL! Glad to hear you are well.

  • choicelady : AdLib – BRAVO! Homerun on Grouchoisms!

  • KillgoreTrout : Yeah, the thread is quite long for how early it is.

  • choicelady : Hi KT! We’re all well, how are you?

  • AdLib : glenn – Actually, I think the increase in women breadwinners has increased the need for Viagra by Fox hosts, their manhood is easily threatened because they have the manhood of a 12 year old boy…and that boy wants it back (a Groucho line for CL!).

  • glenn : KT–doing well. Having a little trouble tonight keeping up with AdLib and AB–they’re on a roll!

  • KillgoreTrout : AB, that’s for sure! How are ya?

  • choicelady : Oh Murph! I’m so sorry! Even if it’s comparatively minor relative to OKC, that’s a lot of work. I would not wish it on you esp. now. Are you feeling better? I am SO sorry this is happening to you and everyone in Tornado Alley!

  • AlphaBitch : Murph – SO glad you are safe. We had huge floods here in San ANtonio, but I’m always, always so grateful for rain. Rained for three days last weekend; I was in bliss. also a new and very sturdy home…

  • KillgoreTrout : Just fine glenn, and you?

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Hey Ad Lib……all is well.

  • AlphaBitch : KT! The boys are back in town..

  • glenn : Evening, KT. How are you?

  • KillgoreTrout : Hi Planeteers! I hope all is well with everyone.

  • choicelady : Ad Lib – may I suggest a trip to the vet, hmmmm?

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Sabreen, AB, Choice…my Hazard Alert Radio got a workout. Conditions were ripe for tornadoes from late afternoon until about 20 minutes ago. The National Weather Service issued three warnings citing sightings of tornadoes. When the front rolled in it was still light enough to see some of the angriest clouds I have ever viewed, and then the winds hit between 60 and 75 mph. Rain, rain, rain, wind, wind, wind. All of my buildings stood, a fence went down, and I think I lost a shed and two outbuilding roofs….we will see how the gardens look at sunrise. Still no one hurt and no major building destruction at my place or in the region.

  • choicelady : glenn – actually that’s been true for years. We already collapsed. No one noticed.

  • choicelady : Sabreen – oh indeed. I so agree!

  • AdLib : CL – Yep and poor pup has been having her first heat, she’s so exhausted.

  • AlphaBitch : Ad: I always said an X chromosome is just a Y Chromosome without the broken off right leg. Est fest!!!!!

  • glenn : So now that 40% of the “X population” are the main or significant breadwinners for their families, anyone care to predict when society as we know it will finally collapse?

  • Sabreen60 : CL, [smiley] My eyes are bleeding.

  • choicelady : AB – doing a wax on Greenwald is too close to diapering Vitter. NOT INTO THAT!

  • choicelady : AdLib – you even have an X dog, right?

  • AdLib : AB – My house is full of X chromosomes, love it!

  • choicelady : AB – NO!

  • AlphaBitch : Oh, CL – wouldn’t you just LOVE to do the wax on him? “Oops”

  • AlphaBitch : Was out – how did Columbia fare? Several loved ones there.

  • choicelady : AdLib – Greenwald lives in RIO????? Now I want to know – does he samba. Does he have a Brazilian wax job? What? What a creep.

  • AdLib : Hey Murph, been following the updates and saw MO was getting knocked around a bit by the storm, St. Louis was on alert.

  • AlphaBitch : Will do. It runs through my brain non stop, along with the new Richard Thompson tune “Good Things Happen to Bad People (But Only for a While)”

  • Sabreen60 : AdLib a lot of was about his history – not so nice.

  • AdLib : AB – Please let me know if Paul Simon has anything to say about the parody, I’d think he’d enjoy it.

  • choicelady : Murph! I saw MO had tornadoes, and I’m horrified they were that near YOU!!! You have been living with way too much excitement lately. Are you and your farm OK?

  • AlphaBitch : Murph! Glad you are OK. AdLib need Chromo Y reinforcements tonight…

  • Sabreen60 : Hey Murph. Glad you’re okay.

  • AdLib : Sabreen – I will definitely check that out, a takedown of Greenwald will make my day! Do most people know that he wails against what Obama is doing to America…while he lives in Rio de Janeiro?

  • glenn : Murph–What a shame! So sorry to hear of your troubles.

  • choicelady : AB – I WOULD feel sorry for Gohmert looking AND sounding like Gomer Pyle, but Gomer had a heart. There’s no such anatomical part in Gohmert.

  • Sabreen60 : If you get a chance, go to Rocky Mountain Mike’s web site and just listen to all his musical jokes.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Hello….guess what I had tonight….Yep-w e had tornadoes blow through. None touched down. But what a storm….massive winds, heavy rain. Too dark to assess damage. This day turned into a royal mess.

  • choicelady : ADLib – by gosh, I think you’re right about that being THE key to Lord of the Rings!!! It’s GOHMERT!!! The weasely, creepy creature.

  • AlphaBitch : I suggest several of you call Mr. Gohmert’s office and ask about his asparagus. Bless his heart, and his pointy little head…

  • AlphaBitch : I have a really good musician friend, who often plays and records with Paul Simon. I sent him the link, and he sent it to Paul. Waiting to hear on THAT one….

  • choicelady : SAbreen – that is hysterical! Look for asparagus… GREAT!

  • Sabreen60 : Not to change the subject, but to change the subject…Did anyone see the take down of Glen Greenwald by Ms. Chips on The Obama Diary. It was a thing of beauty, IMO.

  • AdLib : CL – Isn’t that what Golem from Lord of the Rings says when he chokes up, “Gohmert! Gohmert!”

  • AlphaBitch : There’s another classic Rocky Mountain Mike called “Gohmerttime” – a take off on the Mungo Jerry song “In the Summertime”

  • choicelady : glenn – I think people like Gohmert are NEGATIVE ions in Congress. For every stupid remark, they backslide.

  • AlphaBitch : Listening to asparagus while I type…bliss, pure bliss…

  • AdLib : AB – That is hilarious!!! Folks, you have to click this link to hear this parody about Gohmert’s asparagus! «link»

  • Sabreen60 : Here’s the one for “Michele” «link»

  • choicelady : AB – LOL!!! Only you would call up and ask!!! That’s priceless and we await an answer!!!

  • glenn : Ad–Now I’m really confused. “Aspersions on my asparagus” was Gohmert’s reply to Holder’s statement? Holy cow! No wonder Congress gets nothing done!

  • AlphaBitch : “aspersions on my asparagus”. I asked WTF does that mean??? No answer – they would “get back to me”

  • choicelady : AB and AdLib – that is simply effing amazing. Gohmert – still sounds like a bad digestive noise at a formal dinner – is beyond reclamation.

  • AlphaBitch : I did call Gohmert’s office and ask for a clarification of

  • Sabreen60 : AB, here you go – courtesy of Rocky Mountain Mike. «link»

  • AlphaBitch : Bitchslap to Gohmert. Point Holder.

  • AdLib : glenn, yep, Gohmert really said that in response to this statement by Holder…ERIC HOLDER: “You don’t know what the FBI did. You don’t know what the FBI’s interaction was with the Russians. You don’t know what questions were put to the Russians, whether those questions were responded to. You simply do not know that. And you have characterized the FBI as being not thorough, or taken exception to my characterization of them as being thorough. I know what the FBI did. You cannot know what I know. That is all.”

  • AlphaBitch : Ad – check your mail. The crowd demands the link.

  • AlphaBitch : Glenn, yep. He said it.

  • choicelady : AdLib – I am simply amazed Gohmert knows what asparagus is. Or, then, maybe he doesn’t.

  • AdLib : AB – We can only add a link on Vox but we could add it in this weekend’s music thread.

  • choicelady : ADLib – you’re definitely on a Julius roll tonight! My husband is reading “Hello, I must be going” biography of Groucho, and he laughs every page at how Groucho saw language and meaning. You are his peer, I must say!

  • glenn : Ad–You all are quick-witted tonight! I’m trying to keep up. Gohmert really said that?

  • AdLib : The actual quote: LOUIE GOHMERT: “I cannot have a witness challenge my character! The attorney general will not cast aspersions on my asparagus!”

  • choicelady : AB – of course it’s real. But it’s also a joke. “Jesus H. Christ!” “What’s the H stand for….?” Beautiful, funny, deeply meaningful answer.

  • Sabreen60 : I would love to have been a fly on the wall when Holder met the media folks. I believe AP and ABC refused to meet. I bet he made the rest of them feel like the fools they are.

  • AdLib : Thanks CL! I’ve got a good mind to join a club and beat Gohmert over the head with it.

  • choicelady : AB – was that NOT an awesomely inspired last line?

  • AlphaBitch : Joke??? I thought it was real……

  • choicelady : AB!!!! You’re NOT supposed to give away the joke until everyone has read it!

  • AlphaBitch : Well, Rocky Mountain Mike made a song for Gohmert based on the Simon & Garfunkel song “A Song for Kathy”. Ad, if I send you a link can you insert? Everyone will enjoy.

  • choicelady : ADLib – you just made a Groucho in that lovely passage! He’d have been proud!

  • Sabreen60 : AB [smiley] That was hilarious.

  • choicelady : AB – you and I agree a great deal! And since you live in TX, I pray for you. And I don’t do prayer much…

  • AdLib : “Waiter, I’ll have the aspersions on my asparagus. And where is the men’s room, I have to take a Gohmert.”

  • glenn : Hi AB–I must admit I haven’t been “following” the “scandals.” Can you explain the “aspersions on my asparagus” reference?

  • choicelady : CL – GREAT article, thanks. I don’t read imasmartypants nearly often enough!

  • AlphaBitch : CL: The H stands for “hallowed”.

  • AlphaBitch : Or kissing his sister wife.

  • AdLib : AB – Maybe he was in the middle of brushing his tooth when the FBI showed up?

  • AlphaBitch : Don’t forget – Holder made Gohmert say the words “aspersions on my asparagus” He stays.

  • choicelady : AB – LOL!!! Your sincerity shines, darlin’. Absolutely shines!

  • glenn : CL–You’re correct. Even if he did resign, the r/tp’s would then hold up the nomination of any other attorney general. I stand corrected.

  • Sabreen60 : CL, smartypants.com has a great article on Holder. I thinks its worth a read. «link»

  • AlphaBitch : I agree with you, CL (Shock, huh?) Let them hold their collective breath till they turn purple. God willing, and all that, I mean.

  • AdLib : glenn – I don’t see Holder resigning, it won’t change anything, as you say. No matter who is AG, the Repubs will accuse the DOJ of scandals and call for the resignation of everyone and anyone (including Obama, you heard the impeachment talk even though there was no evidence he had anything to do with any of the “scandals”).

  • choicelady : AB – no, dear, please feel free to keep them. PLEASE!

  • choicelady : glenn – I really don’t care if the scandals go on and on. They won’t do anything else, so let them wax, foment, signify, pout, puff, yell, and basically look stupid. Holder’s resignation would make them look effective. They lie, they have nothing else, so let’s waste their time on trying to ‘get’ him. It’s fine – and the public KNOWS it’s totally phony crap.

  • AlphaBitch : From New Boston, TX to be exact – up in the NE corner near Shreveport, from whence the letters came. And he did NOT shoot people in the face when they came to his door and sussed through his electronic underthings (nod to Sabreen/Stephani e Miller)

  • AlphaBitch : I can loan you some, CL. We overrun with Twits here.

  • AdLib : AB – Yep, I heard that, the crazed gun nut mailer of Ricin is possibly from East Texas…what a surprise.

  • choicelady : AB – you, darlin’, are entitled to use heckofa guy to twit people. I just don’t have such a fertile field of asshats to twit.

  • Sabreen60 : AdLib I sure so hope so. We have got to get the crazies out of Congress.

  • AlphaBitch : AdLib – that’s heavy on the MORON part of the word.

  • choicelady : ADLib – that IS a thought I’d had. Were it not for the humanity, they’d definitely have it coming in those Red states. I am horrified that they demand assistance after denying it to NJ, NY, CT. There is no shame and there should be.

  • AlphaBitch : Sabreen – LOVE Fugelsang Fridays. And Rude Pundit is my newest hero! I love the rudeness.

  • AdLib : glenn – An oxymoron is exactly who the GOP will run in Bachmann’s district.

  • Sabreen60 : AB, I DVR her show everyday. I’ve already watched today’s show. With all the jokes and ditties from folks like Rocky Mountain Mike it was not stop laughing.

  • AdLib : Sabreen – First off, as AB can tell you, TX is a loon machine for Repubs but at the same time, she’s working to help turn TX purple and when that finally happens, goodbye Gohmert and Cruz.

  • choicelady : Sabreen – Marcus will NEVER come out. Money’s riding on his pretense.

  • glenn : CL–guess I was trying to be too succinct. I do have mixed feelings about Holder resigning, because if he does, then all the r/tp’s will go on and on about how he resigned because of the scandals. But, if he doesn’t resign, then the scandals around him will go on and on.

  • choicelady : AB – I don’t get to listen to Stephanie much, and that is something I would LOVE to hear from her! LOL!!!

  • AlphaBitch : Ooohh, CL – I use it now more than ever as an “in your face” reminder to the Texas Twits.

  • AlphaBitch : Wish you were here, Sabreen – I have 3 hours from today DVR’d for the weekend.

  • choicelady : AB – I have purged my vocabulary of ‘heckof a guy” lingo. Just in case…

  • AdLib : glenn – It would be ironic if all the red states full of climate change deniers were the states most hammered by it. Then again, I don’t wish ill to anyone so I’m not rooting for that, just saying, quote ironic…not to mention the anti-FEMA Congresspeople fighting against and for aid at the same time. Some very confused Repubs out there.

  • Sabreen60 : AB, great minds think alike [smiley]

  • AlphaBitch : No kidding, Sabreen. So funny!

  • choicelady : glenn – and I DO blame climate change. Obama? No. The IRS? No. Holder? No. Global warming and polar melt? YES!!!!

  • AlphaBitch : Anyone hear the ricin letters came from East Texas (or what I call “Louisiana”)?

  • Sabreen60 : Hey AB. Stephanie Miller has been giving Marcus the blues…says he’ll come out the closet now.

  • choicelady : glenn – I have NO problem with Holder. It’s the GOP in Congress I abhor. Nature abhors a vacuum, and I’m with them on that. I do NOT have a problem with the subpoena of phone records. It’s a commonplace requirement of the press.

  • AlphaBitch : CL; Stephanie Miller has been doing HILARIOUS Marcus skits all week, in a tribute to the death of comedy from Michelle’s resignation. They use “air quotes” whenever they say “husband”.

  • glenn : Ad–That’s dependent on finding a “sane” republican. Isn’t that an oxymoron nowadays?

  • choicelady : AB – that leaves you a lot of fertile territory to be happy! I’m with you on all points!

  • AdLib : glenn – Yep, with Bachmann out, her Dem opponent doesn’t have a lunatic to run against, a somewhat sane Repub would have a huge advantage in that Repub district.

  • AlphaBitch : No kidding CL. He’s a heck of a guy – better’n Brownie.

  • Sabreen60 : Hey everyone, but AdLib we still have Cruz, Gomhert, Rubio, Lee and the list goes on.

  • glenn : CL–I can’t believe you’re blaming these tornadoes on climate change. You know, the tornadoes are all President Obama’s fault. Or is it the IRS? Or Holder? (Who BTW, should resign, IMO.)

  • AlphaBitch : Any day I’m not Bachmann or married to Marcus is a plus.

  • choicelady : AB – howdy lady. So AdLib is with all of us. He can do it.

  • AdLib : Nice to see you AB! And yes, I am lovin’ it!

  • choicelady : AdLib – glad to hear it! I hope you can share. I’m green with envy!

  • choicelady : Hey Sabreen!

  • AdLib : Hey Sabreen! See, awful never lasts forever.

  • choicelady : glenn – no , no word. We’re not super close friends, but they are allies, and I worry. Back in the 90s Nashville, TN got hit with one downtown – I was there shortly after, and it was shocking what had happened. So – there’s no such things as climate change, hmmmm? Any deniers need to buy homes in OKC and SW suburbs. Money where their big mouths are…

  • AlphaBitch : Well, well. Last week it was all mens on VOX, this week, it’s alls ladies! AdLib must be lovin’ this.

  • glenn : Hi Sabreen! What’s up?

  • AdLib : CL – Hit the ground running but I’m doing fine.

  • glenn : Ad and CL–did you see where Bachmann’s opponent has also said he’s not going to run?

  • Sabreen60 : Hi Folks and Ding, Dong is right!

  • AdLib : CL – Well, just remember you’re definitely not Bachmann, that’s a start.

  • choicelady : AdLib and glenn – how are YOU? AdLib – you back to earth yet?

  • choicelady : glenn and AdLib – I’m well, thank you, and the too brief getaway was GREAT, but I headed right back into work. Was at a conference Wed.-today, and off again to another Sunday-Monday. I’m dizzy trying to remember where I am. Or WHO I am!

  • glenn : CL–Hope your friends in the tornado areas are o.k. Have you heard from them?

  • AdLib : Hey CL, how was your holiday?

  • glenn : Hi ChoiceLady–I’m doing well, how about you?

  • choicelady : AdLib – right there with you. The OK City tornado is making me nauseated. I have friends in that area. But there are many I don’t know, and they matter. This is beyond comprehension.

  • choicelady : Ding, dong the Bachmann’s gone!!! Hi AdLib and glenn!

  • AdLib : Hey glenn, doing well! WOrried about folks in OK and IL though, sounds like pretty awful tornadoes.

  • glenn : Ding Dong, the Bachmann’s gone! Hi Ad, how are you?

  • AdLib : Don’t forget to say, “Hi!” or “Ding, Dong, The Bachmann’s Gone!” when you arrive!

  • AdLib : Vox Populi, our live chat about the week’s events begins tonight at 7 pm PST. Hope to see you then!

  • AdLib : Night!

  • funksands : Night buddy. Take care.

  • AdLib : Good, very glad it worked out and not surprised you had a thoughtful fallback position.

  • funksands : Oh, yes we pretty much got everything we wanted. If they are going to make him go back we had a strategy to get what we wanted. 3 days at his current school, 2 days at the high school with a 1 on 1 aide. Best that could have happened given the circumstances. We were really fortunate. Thanks for asking.

  • AdLib : Okay Funk, get some rest pal! Have a great hike and weekend!

  • funksands : Ad, get better and good luck on Tuesday. I am a pumpkin. Gotta get some shut-eye. Talk to you soon!

  • AdLib : Funk – Oh…so did they make a favorable decision or do you have to wait to hear?

  • AdLib : …turn around, I meant.

  • AdLib : Funk, very cool! Funny how things can turn away that way.

  • funksands : Individualized Education Plan. My oldest son’s school district is demanding he move back into the district. They don’t want to pay for his special school anymore.

  • funksands : We started going once we had kids. We thought it would teach them some lessons. Taught us a lot instead. We go back to see some of the same people. Very moving.

  • AdLib : IEP?

  • AdLib : Wow, that sounds like a great tradition!

  • funksands : We had our final IEP meeting with the district yesterday, so we’re just mentally and emotionally shot.

  • funksands : I hike up Mt. Si every Memorial Day weekend with friends. 4 miles up, 4 miles down. The weather isn’t going to be too hot though, so we may delay. That is not a hike to do in the rain. Bataan death march comes to mind. We usually go every other year to the Military Cemetery south of here. Its a really cathartic experience. My wife and I are exhausted right now though, so we may do nothing.

  • AdLib : What are you and the family up to this weekend, Funk?

  • AdLib : Thanks Funk! Either way, they’ve played great and made it to the Championship game so I’m happy.

  • funksands : That’s really cool. I’ll be sending positive vibes your way on Tuesday.

  • AdLib : 1st base and RC, she bats 5th, power hitter!

  • funksands : What position does your daughter play mostly?

  • AdLib : Funk – Assistant Coach, really cool that they’re peaking now while the top teams are freezing up.

  • funksands : Ad, that’s awesome. Are you coaching?

  • AdLib : Sleep well and feel better Murph!

  • funksands : Murph, have a good sleep my man. Hope you are feeling better.

  • AdLib : They came in 4th during the season, have won 3 straight playoff games and play for the championship on Tuesday so practice all this weekend.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Well gang…..I must stay faithful to my promise to sleep more….on the road to recovery.

  • funksands : Championship? Sweeet! They have a shot?

  • AdLib : Baseball practice for daughter’s championship game.

  • funksands : Anyone here have any Memorial Day plans?

  • funksands : Night AB.

  • AdLib : Bacon shirt? Does that come with a pair of sausage pants?

  • AlphaBitch : OK boys. Next week same time? I have out of town company, but I’ll try to check in sooner. Lubs y’all.

  • funksands : Ad, no kidding.

  • funksands : Ha!

  • AlphaBitch : Here, let me lick that shirt off ya!

  • funksands : Made of bacon? That’s an awesome shirt.

  • AdLib : Funk – Seems to me that only someone mentally ill and a danger to stay in the US would want to return to a war zone!

  • AlphaBitch : Thanks MTS. Say wha, Funk?

  • AlphaBitch : Hey Funk – did you know cafe press has BACON tee shirts???? Saw them today when I was looking at offensive shirts for one of my chirren.

  • funksands : (Murph, she’s right here)

  • MurphTheSurf3 : AB- you are missed

  • funksands : Ad, no kidding. You’d think being excused from a war zone would be an acceptable hall pass to stay longer.

  • AdLib : Yes AB, change things pronto!!! Miss ya!

  • AlphaBitch : Yep. State is real leery about asylum. The kid works as an interpreter, for Cheese sake!

  • AlphaBitch : I’m turning into C’s big pumpkin and need to go to sleep. Just checked in. I love Fridays and VOX; just seldom home anymore. That needs to change pronto..

  • AdLib : AB – That’s ridiculous! Yet Cubans are justified exiles, Afghans aren’t?

  • AlphaBitch : But close…

  • AlphaBitch : Clueless, Funk.

  • funksands : “Classy In Action”?

  • AlphaBitch : Sure. I was an avid reader while working with the kids.

  • funksands : Night KT.

  • AlphaBitch : Night KT. Bed bugs and all that.

  • AdLib : Hey AB! Thanks for the reference material!

  • AlphaBitch : I’m sad. My last Afghan child was denied a visa because he had no “proof” he would return home after school. WEll DUH!

  • KillgoreTrout : Hello/good night AB, passing ships in the night. I’m going to call it quits and start on this weekends music thread.

  • AlphaBitch : Funk – I’m CIA babe.

  • AdLib : Night glenn, have a wonderful holiday weekend!

  • AlphaBitch : MTS: Both are great reads. Wright won the Pulitzer – scary stuff and I actually went to his home and got to see his research.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Funk…I think your reading of the Muslim Left is accurate.

  • funksands : Night Glenn.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : AB thanks for the contribution. I will look into your source suggestions.

  • funksands : AB, stopping in to drop mic on us. LOL. Thank you nice lady.

  • KillgoreTrout : Have a great weekend glenn.

  • AlphaBitch : Funk – glad you are OK bro. Been over that bridge myself when we lived in Skeedaddle.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Goodnight Glenn.

  • AlphaBitch : Hola Ebola! Interesting conversation. I recommend the book “The Looming Tower” by Lawrence Wright to look at the founding of the concept of Wahabism (a crazy dude from Egypt who looked like a toad – named Qutb or something) and the Reza Aslan book “No God but God” to get a great perspective on possible reformation. Now I’m off to sleep.

  • funksands : Murph, until the Muslim Left, (which exists) is given space and time enough to organize, I fear most muslims will continue to prefer and government like Iran. Secular, but with clerics that will step in when things get too liberal-ish.

  • glenn : Alright, my fellow Planeteers. Waaay past my bedtime, so I’m calling it a night. Thanks for all of the informative discussions. I always love coming here. A great Memorial Day to you all–let’s hope peace gets a chance soon in our world.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : OK ALL thanks for your thoughts on my requested topic.

  • KillgoreTrout : Ad took care of it.

  • AdLib : …it’s fantastic.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : KT what video are you trying to point out….can’t you list the url?

  • AdLib : glenn – Yes, it

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Funk…Al-Azhar al-Sharif institute in Cairo is the preeminent voice of Sunni Scholarship and it is silent on the murder of Egyptian Coptic Christians in the name of Allah. I don’t hold out much hope.

  • glenn : Ad–thanks for “rescuing” me again. Did you watch it? It actually made me cry the first time I watched it.

  • AdLib : glenn – Thanks, saw it. Perfect! Here’s the link: «link»

  • AdLib : Funk – Very interesting though I could only imagine how the extremists would fight any change like that with all they had.

  • KillgoreTrout : Murph, youtube videos won’t show up on VOX. I don’t know why.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Ad Lib- think about how Islamic adherents have reacted to the publication of images of the Prophet, references to Allah, critiques of the Koran (or worse acts labeled as sacrilegious in the treatment of the book)….coverag e of “Days of Rage”, mass demonstrations, acts of retribution has often been couched as “not acceptable but we need to understand the genesis of the anger”. I am seeing a change in the coverage (especially in Europe). I watch a panel discussion of BBC1 a couple of days ago and a very moderate group shut down the usual assertion by an Islamic spokesperson that Islam is a religion of peace.

  • glenn : Funk/Ad–I just looked it up. I can’t seem to do links from YouTube (I’m technically semi-illiterate) , but I just got on YouTube and typed in “chasing away WBC with give peace a chance” and I got the video. It was in Santa Monica, CA

  • AdLib : And we will have to accept that loner/outcasts, whether Christian, Muslim, etc. will always be dangers. The Newtown shooter killed many people just as the Boston Marathon bombers did.

  • funksands : There’s a thread of “reformers” that are pushing the idea of a Sunni “Pope” to gather together the threads of the moderates, extremists, and traditionalists. Interesting idea.

  • AdLib : Murph – On the other hand, might it not give American Muslims the leading role in addressing the most destructive aspects of their religion?

  • funksands : Murph, that answers Glenn’s earlier question about what moderate muslims “do”. They move.

  • AdLib : glenn – Haven’t seen that video, will watch it. Peace is actually a pretty good thing.

  • KillgoreTrout : Thanks glenn, I’ll have to check that out.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Ad Lib…I think you are correct about American Muslims. Which puts them into a real tight corner I think.

  • glenn : KT–On YouTube.

  • AdLib : It is a challenge when a religion in the 21st Century has the same kind of prohibition against talking about their religion as those in the distant past. How can you have a modern reformation of Islam with such an explosive tripwire intended to prevent it?

  • KillgoreTrout : glenn, very cool. Where did you see it?

  • glenn : Ad–“All we are saying is give peace a chance”. Loved that video of the high school kids chasing off the Westboro Baptist Church with that song playing in the background. I think the song was only in the video, but it sure was powerful.

  • KillgoreTrout : Ad, I completely forgot about Memorial Day. It sounds like a good theme. I’ll get started on it later tonight.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Funk- I see your point. I would also point to the efforts by the modern Turks (Ataturk being the most important) and the North African socialist movement that Mohammad Mosaddegh represented. Both efforts have been rejected by most Islamic leaders in that part of the world.

  • AdLib : Murph – I would wonder though what percentage of Muslims in America are moderate, wouldn’t that be a majority?

  • funksands : Then Wahhab came on the scene and completely screwed everything up.

  • AdLib : KT – Since it’s Memorial Day Weekend, maybe songs about America, Vets and Peace?

  • KillgoreTrout : The whole idea of a one true god is what causes so much pain and strife in this world. It is antithetical to the concept of spirituality.

  • funksands : Murph, if you think about it, the Islamic reformation has already come and gone with the Ottomans.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Glenn- there are 23 sects in Islam but their differences are largely a matter of rival leadership, geographic orientation, religious expression….no ne that I know of reflect the kind of modernist approach we are discussing. The American Islamic Council has made an effort to consider issues of Islamic life in the American secular society but these do not seem to address the matter at hand.

  • KillgoreTrout : I think interfaith efforts are a really good thing.

  • KillgoreTrout : My comment is for Ad.

  • glenn : Funk/Murph–Didn ‘t see your replies about Hashem Aghajari. It seems that change may be coming to Islam–albeit slowly and with a great deal of resistance. But isn’t that the way change always comes when dealing with religion(s)?

  • KillgoreTrout : Hey, I’m a bit stumped on this weekend’s music thread? Would you like to take the driver’s seat?

  • glenn : Murph–That is the heart of Islam, I know. So, how do fellow Muslims, or even those of who are not Muslims, go about dealing with that? I’m not entirely sure of this but isn’t there only one “sect” of Islam? For example, in the Christian religions, we have Catholics, Lutherans, Baptists, etc. Do some Muslims have to begin the “enlightenment ” of their religion? Is there anyone in the Muslim world capable of that? As I said, I don’t know much about Islam, except the basics of which you speak.

  • AdLib : I’m b-a-a-ack!

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Funk- I do. I became aware of him via my Muslim friends He is the kind of person I am looking for, but he paid a steep price for his work and has now been silenced forever (unless he can get out of Iran)

  • funksands : He gave a major speech in Tehran about the need for an “Islamic Protestantism”. It’s a really really good speech. He was also arrested for it and sentence to death. (commuted to only 5 years in prison).

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Funk- I know several Iranians who share the same experience- not happy with the tyranny under either the Shah or the Ayatollah.

  • funksands : Anyone remember the Iranian author Hashem Aghajari?

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Glenn- you are capturing the essence of the problem in your questions. It hasn’t been widely discussed- walking on eggs for fear of offending but Islam is being put into a corner by its adherents and is being seen as isolated from the common history of religion: development cross time; movements within it that seek new learning and adaption to a changing world; many points of revelation/disce rnment/prophecy. ….Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism all share this but not Islam.

  • funksands : Murph, their family fled when the Shah was deposed. They didn’t have too much use for the regime that followed.

  • KillgoreTrout : Absolutism is rarely a good thing, especially in religion.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Glenn- one of the greatest problems is that at the heart of Islam is a belief that all revelation took place during the life of Muhammad and it is to be found in its entirety in the Quaran. No New Testament, no Reformation, no discernment of meaning beyond the traditional, no body of critical scholarship, and no leadership structure that can address any of this.

  • glenn : Murph–so if the people who speak against Islam are shunned, what do they think is the answer? I’m not trying to be a smartass, but if people of their own faith cannot speak critically, then people of other faiths speaking critically of Islam will not have any effect, either, right?

  • KillgoreTrout : Oh, I hadn’t heard about that until now. How awful.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : KT- the attack, hacking to death, and beheading of the British soldier on the streets of London-it has apparently popped a festering national boil.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Funk- and I suspect those Iranian/Persian friends are very careful about what they say to whom. In much of the Muslim world any critique of Islam is punishable (either formally or informally) and those who did it are shunned.

  • glenn : Murph–I agree. There are way too many in the Muslim community who are “holy warriors for the faith.” But, how do we deal with this? Is there a way for moderate Mulims to get through to their more fundamentalist brethen? I mean, in a way, isn’t that the same problem we have here in the U.S. with our extremists on the right? My idealism leads me to believe that education is the key, but how do we educate people who don’t want to be educated? Or, how do we get them to believe in moderate (or even modern) education when they are promised heaven if they kill infidels? What does your Muslim friend think is the answer?

  • KillgoreTrout : Murder?

  • MurphTheSurf3 : KT- yes. My friend is a doctor, a hematologist and oncologist, and he admits that the model for Muslim faith in much of the world requires a willingness to disdain the world of reason, of science, of earnest dialogue, of critique, of openness to others…..we spoke shortly after the murder and he said that this issue is one which his community is trying to handle without much success.

  • funksands : Murph, we have some Iranian friends that say much the same thing as your friend.

  • KillgoreTrout : Murph, I definitely agress with that. If it wasn’t for the great thinkers and risk takers of the Age of Reason, we’d still be in the Middle Ages…so to speak.Without a reverence for science, any nation will remain behind.

  • glenn : KT–Yup–that’s the one. I forgot the r/tp “re-branding” of that war.

  • KillgoreTrout : You mean that “war of Northern aggression?” ;) Even though it the south that started that war.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Glenn- read my response to Ad Lib and see what you think.

  • glenn : Hell, KT–the idea that the Deep South LOST the Civil War, much less the recent presidential election hasn’t taken hold.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Ad Lib…here is the problem. I spoke with a Muslim friend and he was frank. There are many Muslims worldwide whose Islamic faith is fundamentalist- in fact he said the number of “modern” Muslims is relatively small (he thinks that 25 to 30 percent is realistic). Now of the those who are fundamentalist, how many are “terrorist” oriented- not many, but still when compared with other religious groups, the numbers are significant (holy warriors for the faith). He told me that Islam has not had a reformation, an enlightenment and that this hampers its efforts to deal with the modern world and to to deal with those whose purpose is to bring it down. It was a startling conversation.

  • glenn : Murph–I can understand the reaction of the Brits to this horrific crime. I think, though, that we have to begin reacting to individuals as criminals–not blame their ethnicity. People are still looking for simple solutions to complicated problems–unempl oyment, lack of education, lack of hope, and continued divisiveness among the “haves” and “havenots”. Similar to Ad’s recent article about that.

  • KillgoreTrout : People from northeastern cities and rural areas too, are more accustomed to diversity. Sure, there are exceptions, but I think in the deep south, the idea of diversity being a good thing just won’t, or hasn’t taken hold.

  • AdLib : BRB! Keep the convo going, will return in a couple minutes!

  • AdLib : Murph – We haven’t talked about it yet but yes, I think the combination of the Boston bombings, the London killing and a variety of other arrests of Muslims planning attacks is having a devastating impact on the attitudes towards Muslims. It is of course as unfounded as claiming all white men are child murderers because of Newtown but fear is often followed by hatred. I don’t think it’s fair that the 99% of good folk who are Muslims have to convince the public not to brand them terrorists but they may need to make some effort…prejudi ce is insidious.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Glenn- the experience of “Christian” terrorism, violence, anger is far more muted, and the examples of actual action rare. Europe has experienced a lot of violence related to this.

  • glenn : KT–I guess I’m still a “jersey girl” at heart–even though I haven’t lived in NJ for over 50 years!

  • glenn : Murph–“Moderat e Muslims have to find a way to deal with their extremist cousins effectively or their credibility will be entirely gone.” While I agree with this, why aren’t they calling on “moderate Christians” to do the same? At least in this country. I’m not sure about how much religion is pushing the right in Britain and Europe.

  • KillgoreTrout : Absolutely comparable to what Jackie Robinson went through, only even more, because Obama he the top job in America.

  • KillgoreTrout : glenn, you’re not a willfully ignorant redneck.

  • AdLib : KT – Sad but true for all those who are the first. Obama, like Jackie Robinson has to take insults and indignities and not return them but act as if he’s not bothered by being treated like a lesser person.

  • glenn : KT–I just don’t understand that thing about the white power structure. I’m white, and I truly don’t care what color you are, as long as you have policies and ideas that I can see are good for me, as well as the country. Call me selfish, but I just don’t get that “white power structure” thing–I just want sane people in office–no matter what color, or even political party, they are.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Ad, KT, Funk, Sally, Glenn…have you all talked about the murder in London yet? I have many British connections and what I am hearing is that the attack has lit a fuse. Anger against Islam is at fever pitch even among those whose natural positioning is liberal. The basic point: Moderate Muslims have to find a way to deal with their extremist cousins effectively or their credibility will be entirely gone. There are calls for an international revisionist movement that shapes a modern and moderate Muslim experience. Much of Europe is abuzz abut this and the huge number of murders of coptic christians in Egypt has now been linked to it. Any thoughts.

  • AdLib : glenn – Indeed, the amount of pure hatred and blatant hypocrisy these loons on the far right have displayed has made them toxic in the majority’s eyes. I think it will be a long time until the Repubs have a real shot at winning the Presidency again. Who wants their hateful vision of America as a reality?

  • KillgoreTrout : Very true Ad. That’s why so many gun nuts are fighting so hard to keep their assault weapons and high capacity mags.

  • AdLib : KT – As we’ve called it before, the Cold Civil War has now become front and center, no longer is the white vs. minorities social war in America beneath the surface.

  • KillgoreTrout : Obama has to work twice as hard and be twice as virtuous due to the naysayers and prognosticators who say, see, we told you a black man wasn’t qualified and never will be.Even here in the 21st century, we have far too many people taht see black Americans as inferior to whites.

  • glenn : Ad–not only just Muslims, but Democrats, Latinos, blacks, and anybody else who is “not proud” of our country. I just “love” the way that whenever there is an article about FLOTUS, at least five of the righties bring up her statement about being proud of her country for the first time in her life, but they tear down the country at every opportunity and say how “ashamed” of this country they are, and don’t even recognize President Obama as “their” president! It’s becoming more and more obvious how stupid they are, so I guess we can thank the MSM for that, at least!

  • KillgoreTrout : glenn, their base is made up of people who want to hold on to the white power structure. They gladly believe anything their GOP masters tell, but it supports their prejudice.

  • AdLib : glenn – That’s it, if Repubs attack our government or threaten armed rebellion against it, they’re patriots. If Muslims did it, they’re terrorists.

  • AdLib : glenn – The sad truth is that until 2015, we simply don’t have a House that serves any constructive purpose for America. So we have to really try and take back the house in 2014.

  • glenn : Ad–yup–and drowning the government in the bathtub is the same as “death to America”, but the base is either too stupid or too obstinate (or both) to see it!

  • AdLib : Funk – A D+ in infrastructure? That seems to be on a par with most of the Repubs school grades, they probably see that as improvement.

  • KillgoreTrout : So many Chicken Littles in the GOP and media. The sky is falling, the sky is falling. They admit to wanting the president to fail, and when things don’t get done they say he is incompetent. What slease bags they are.

  • AdLib : Glad to hear you’re feeling better, Murph!

  • funksands : BRB

  • AdLib : KT – Nope, the Repubs are trying to have it every way. Obama is evil for using drones but terrorists should be killed wherever they are. Obama is evil for keeping prisoners in Guantanamo but they should be kept there forever because those Muslims want to kill us. They clearly hate anything Obama says or does but when they say the same thing, it’s fine.

  • glenn : Dems and/or Independents really do need to gain control of the House so we can get things moving again in this country. I hate waiting until 2015, though–why oh why can’t we get moving now? (Another rhetorical question).

  • MurphTheSurf3 : Ad Lib…much better….doctor s, some treatments, extra rest…back on my feet.

  • AdLib : Funk – If that’s not traitorous, I don’t know what is.

  • funksands : Hey Murph.

  • funksands : Here’s our infrastructure report card: «link»

  • AdLib : Hey Murph! Great to see ya! How are you feeling?

  • AdLib : glenn – Yep, that’s the pro-white double standard that Repubs are fighting to retain. They can vow, “Death to America’s Government!” because they’re white, no one else can.

  • MurphTheSurf3 : feeling much better, thank you all very much.

  • glenn : Hey Murph–are you feeling better? Saw you were “out and about” earlier in the week.

  • KillgoreTrout : Murph, how goes it?

  • MurphTheSurf3 : So wassup y’all?

  • KillgoreTrout : What gets me (this week)is the big flap about drones and Americans being targeted overseas. First the GOPers try to paint the president as being “soft on terrorism (because he’s a secret Muslim) now they whining becuse our drones are taking out terrorist. They think traitors still should be proyected by our constitution. They think American terrorist who join al aida still deserve due process of the law. Frickin amazing.

  • funksands : $4.4T in unfilled capacity in the US since the downturn. Due to unemployment and lack of government spending. We could have rebuilt our entire country with free money. And we wasted that once in an lifetime opportunity squandered. They should be in jail

  • glenn : KT–You know, it never ceases to amaze me that those on the right can say things like the radio host who wants to shoot Hillary Clinton in the vagina, and that President Obama should be shot, or the foxso-callednews bimbo who said that people should punch Obama voters in the face. These things are okay, but should one Muslim voice criticism of the United States, then the Muslims are “evil” and must be stopped.

  • AdLib : glenn – What’s the difference between a terrorist blowing up a bridge and a Repub House denying money to prevent a bridge from collapsing? To those driving on the bridge when it collapses and those dealing with the bridge being destroyed, I don’t think there is one. So if a=b and b=c, Repubs are terrorists.

  • KillgoreTrout : glenn, I agree. Actually they ARE terrorists considering the job of a terrorist is to spread fear. Fearmongering is one of the biggest tools in the GOP tool baox.

  • AdLib : KT – The Repubs are such liars. Beginning when he took office in 2009, he did indeed bend over backwards to compromise with Repubs and they made him look like a fol for doing it. Then in 2012, they attacked him for saying mean things about them…and not being bipartisan! Most Americans know what the GOP smells of and it comes from a cow’s backside.

  • funksands : So what now? It seems like Congress is resigned that nothing is going to happen until 2015.

  • glenn : KT–I’ve always said that the r/tp’s were verging on treason. I think they have done more damage to our country than terrorists!

  • KillgoreTrout : Ad, LOL!

  • funksands : Ad, that makes more sense. I hadn’t seen that.

  • KillgoreTrout : Even after Obama has bent over backwards to work WITH the GOPers, they still are determined to see him fail. I think it verges on treason. If the president fails, our country fails too.

  • AdLib : Funk – I read that it had already been damaged by other trucks banging into it before this one.

  • glenn : Funk–I second AdLib–glad you’re okay!

  • AdLib : KT – I thought “bupkis” was Latin for “Nada”!

  • funksands : Seriously. Bridge was built in 1955. A truck hitting that support should NOT have taken it down. That was one of the good bridges too.

  • glenn : KT–I naively thought that when President Obama won re-election, r/tp’s would face reality and start working–just start working. Boy was I wrong. Seems to me it’s gotten worse. I do believe they have lost their minds!

  • KillgoreTrout : I read that a big truck slammed into one of the supports. Luckily, no one was killed.

  • AdLib : Funk – Glad you’re okay! Thank goodness the Repubs cut or blocked money to pay for security at embassies and repairs of our bridges and roads. That means, it’s Obama’s fault.

  • KillgoreTrout : Bupkis? Isn’t that Zionist lingo? ;)

  • funksands : Not bad KT, a little freaked about that bridge, I drove across it on Monday!!

  • AdLib : Hey Funk! I think it’s more of the case of, “That’s all we got on Obama! Bupkis!”

  • KillgoreTrout : Hey funk! How goes it?

  • funksands : Wow! Glenn that sounds really cool. I love all of the color!

  • glenn : Ad–that too–never getting an honest answer!

  • glenn : Funk–good evening. Oh, I did different colors in almost every room. Yellow and red and purple (both light and dark) and a deep pink and a chartreuse (yes chartreuse) and a calming blue in my bedroom, with a lighter blue ceiling. They just make me so happy! I know I sound like an idiot, but it’s such a difference!

  • KillgoreTrout : The GOP is so obvious in their attempts to slur this administraion, namely, Obama and the Fist Lady. The GOPers just can’t handle seeing a black couple in a White House. It makes them crazy, or crazier.

  • funksands : I’m really impressed with the evolution of the GOP House. They used to just investigate blow-jobs, Christmas Cards and bad land deals. These scandals are positively statesmanlike in comparison

  • AdLib : glenn – Maybe it’s because you know you’d never get an honest answer from a Repub?

  • glenn : KT–why is it that when ask questions about the r/tp’s they are rhetorical ones? I asked a couple of those rhetorical questions myself earlier tonight. Maybe that’s what the “R” by their names stands for–rhetorical!

  • KillgoreTrout : Yeah, a new coat of paint can do wonders. I repainted my apartment last year. Made a world of difference.

  • funksands : Glenn, what color?

  • AdLib : glenn – I like the reverse psychology approach. Obama should propose bills to increase carbon pollution, cut SS and Medicare and outlaw Single Payer. The Repubs would pass bills for the opposite then he could just drop the charade and sign them!

  • glenn : KT–I’m just great! I have a bright and happy house, thanks to my new paint! It just makes me so happy!

  • KillgoreTrout : I think there were 54 embassy attacks from 2001-2007. Why weren’t the repubs whining then? Rhetorical question.

  • funksands : Good evening ladies and gents

  • glenn : Ad–I think Dems should campaign for more cuts–that way the r/tp’s would have to come out to oppose them. Then the r/tp’s would be the “spenders.” At least that’s the way it seems to work nowadays–if the Dems are for it–no matter what “it” is, r/tp’s are against it.

  • AdLib : glenn – You’re better informed on the alleged Benghazi “coverup” than most Repubs. There is no scandal, just the deception that there is one. The Repubs are alleging a scandal without having one fact to prove there is one…so they altered WH emails to create one themselves! That was the end of any credibility.

  • KillgoreTrout : Pretty good glen, and you?

  • glenn : Hey KT–how are you?

  • AdLib : Thanks pal, that’s a great suggestion!

  • glenn : Ad–thanks for the link. That just proves my point about the media. Those results should be all over the news. Again, where are the people who are defending those cuts? Or better yet, opposing them? Now, I must admit I haven’t watched much news lately–I got so confused about what the cover-up was with Benghazi. Was it the talking points? Was it because President Obama wasn’t in the situation room immediately? And the IRS “scandal”–esp ecially when I found out Issa had been informed by the IRS all along. I swear, I just can’t keep it straight any more. Even the AP scandal has me confused…was it legal or not?

  • KillgoreTrout : HeyAd. Have a hot Toddy for that cold.

  • AdLib : Hey KT! A good evening to you!

  • AdLib : So, when the Repubs campaign on more cuts in 2014, do they rally their troops or thin them out?

  • KillgoreTrout : What’s up Planet peeps?

  • AdLib : Yep, check out this story: «link» Here’s a quote: “Among that group, self-identified Republicans say they have been most affected. An astounding 46 percent of Republicans have felt the effects of the sequester, compared with just 32 percent of Democrats. Perhaps unsurprisingly, just 39 percent of Republicans support the cuts, compared with 54 percent who oppose them. That’s a significant change from a March WaPo/ABC poll, which found that only 27 percent of Republicans said they had been affected by the cuts. Among Republicans, the number of respondents who “strongly disapprove” of the cuts has climbed 8 percentage points in the past two months.”

  • glenn : Ad–I didn’t know that more r/tp’s are claiming it is hurting them. That’s really good news. I agree, they won’t turn Dem or even Independent, but perhaps they will sit out the elections. That’s a good thing.

  • AdLib : glenn – Couldn’t agree more! Look at how CNN is in a nosedive because they’ve tried to go Full Metal Exploitative. If a media outlet was committed solely to getting the truth out and focusing on what really matters to Americans, they would be incredibly and uniquely successful. The corporate talk shows that now pass for news shows are just plain pathetic.

  • glenn : Ad–I also think the MSM has heard for so long how they are “carrying President Obama’s water” that they think they have to report on these scandals in order to be “fair and balanced.” The media are copying foxso-callednews just to get ratings. That..and the fact that most media outlets are corporate owned. That..and the fact that news is no longer considered “loss leaders”. If it loses money, it can’t be tolerated. IMO, if a media outlet actually tried true journalism, they would gain more readers and/or viewers, and news would no longer be a loss leader.

  • AdLib : glenn – The silver lining to the sequestration pain is that more Repubs claim it is hurting them than Dems. Regular Repub members are recognizing that they are being hammered by the destructive policies of their own party. I don’t expect most of these people to switch to Dem or even oppose the GOP but it could really depress turnout in 2014…especiall y if the pitch is, “Do you want more of what’s happening in DC under Repubs?”

  • AdLib : I do think the public gets what’s going on though, they know they can’t trust much of the MSM considering how many false stories have come out recently and they know the Repubs are blocking everything and just trying to build up one scandal after another. So we have a Tale of Two Realities, the MSM/GOP Bubble and the reality the rest of us live day in and day out.

  • glenn : Ad–I know. Why aren’t we seeing 24/7 reporting of how quickly the deficit is shrinking? Or why aren’t r/tp’s taking credit for reducing the deficit because of sequestration? I wouldn’t believe them, but I bet the base would. They should be shouting from the rooftops how approximately 37% of the U.S. is suffering from sequestration, but bygod, they’ve almost gotten rid of that pesky 47% they always complain about. Only 10% more to go, and we’d have a “perfect union”. Isn’t that what they’ve been telling us for the past five years? Cowards–all of them. If this shit was so good for the country–why aren’t they talking about that? BTW, those are rhetorical questions.

  • AdLib : glenn – Yes, that was really brought to a boil with Cheney leaking the WMD in Iraq BS to the NYT then attributing those lies to the NYT. The MSM now no longer needs to verify any story, if it’s sensational, who cares if it’s true, as long as it brings in more viewers and more ad dollars.

  • AdLib : Meanwhile, our country falls apart, bridges fall and we’re seeing 24/7 “news” about IRS audits that didn’t harm anyone just because it’s a great vehicle to attack Obama? WTF?

  • glenn : Ad–I really am sick of our so-called journalists nowadays. So much of what passes for journalism is reporting on what another network or reporter said or did. It’s not facts–it’s just becoming an endless loop of s/he said/s/he said something else. Drives me crazy!

  • AdLib : glenn – Not a worry at all! I agree with the sentiment!

  • glenn : Ad–WOW–did I get that wrong! Just as bad as the tbaggers in rewriting history. I’ll try to look things up or ask the next time I want to make an historical reference!

  • AdLib : glenn – And what about the MSM playing all of these BS scandals up while the important things are ignored?! The economy is less important than Repubs having a show trial over Benghazi…with doctored emails? Really? The American public ain’t buying it!

  • glenn : Ad–all of those things you listed–the economy, Wall St., deficit, unemployment–ar e exactly the reasons we have scandalgate, IMO. The r/tp’s certainly don’t want to focus on those things because, as one of them said, “we don’t want to make the President look good.”

  • AdLib : glenn – “Never again” is often associated with The Holocaust. As for letting the Repubs win by default again, especially these Baggers, I do think a lesson was well learned in 2010.

  • AdLib : Meanwhile, the economy is improving, the deficit is shrinking, unemployment is going down and Wall Street is going up. That’s what’s going to make the difference and it’s in Obama’s and the Dems’ favor right now (though it could change…but Repubs will likely be blamed more for blocking progress).

  • glenn : Ad–I agree about getting Dems activated and energized. I’m all for adopting the Alama slogan–“never again”. (At least, I think that came from the Alamo. Never again will I sit out a mid-term election–or even a local one, for that matter. That’s the only thing I admire about r/tp’s. They do seem to be organized and activated for the state, local, and midterms.

  • AdLib : glenn – The polls don’t reflect that the public is buying the BS about the “scandals” or tying it to Obama/ And as time goes by, each of the scandals and the alleged connection to Obama fall apart. So no, in the end, I don’t think they’ll have any effect on voters in general.

  • AdLib : The Baggers are still front and center in The House and the GOP, look at the VA races for Gov, Lt. Gov and AG, all RW extremists. Can they win? Even against such a tool as Terry McCauliffe? I don’t think so.

  • glenn : Ad–how do you think “scandalgate” (choose one) will play out in 2014? Will the r/tp’s have a new one by then? Or will America have forgotten by then? Somehow, I think all the so-called scandals will be repeated ad nauseum in r/tp ads.

  • AdLib : glenn – We’re going to have to get Dems energized and activated to throw out the Repubs and I think the Repubs are sure helping on that front. I’d suggest that the DNC run 2014 as a national election, all about pulling away control of the House from the Baggers and getting 2 years of good works done. That’s a powerful message!

  • glenn : Ad–I can only hope you’re correct about r/tp’s losing in 2014. I was worried about the presidential election, but you were correct (I won’t say you were right–too much negativity associated with that word), so I’m “hopping on your bandwagon”. I do know I won’t sit out the 2014 elections, especially not here in GA. Although the Dems don’t seem to have a strong candidate–as usual.

  • AdLib : If control of the House could swing Dem? Wow…

  • AdLib : There does seem to be a cementing of the GOP civil war, get the popcorn, it’s going to get nasty…especial ly if the Repubs lose in 2014 as I think they will.

  • glenn : Okay, Mitch works for me, too.

  • glenn : So…which republican/tpart ier shall we “discuss” tonight? I think Cruz is becoming my new “fave”–with the way he’s ripping into the repubs!

  • AdLib : I plan to blame someone for getting this cold, I’m thinking Mitch McConnell.

  • glenn : Sorry to hear about your cold. Those spring colds are bummers!

  • AdLib : Heh! Boy, a change in paint can make a huge difference!

  • glenn : I’m well,thanks. Got rid of all the “turkeyturdtan ” paint in my house, and it’s now a bright and happy place!

  • AdLib : Doing okay, fending off a head cold.

  • glenn : How are you Ad?

  • AdLib : glenn – So true! How are you this evening?

  • glenn : America’s bridges are falling down. What a shame and a disgrace!

  • AdLib : Don’t forget to say “hi” or “America’s Bridges are Falling Down!” when you arrive!

  • AdLib : Vox Populi, our live chat about the week’s events begins tonight at 7 pm PST. Hope to see you then!!!

 

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