Stuff Caught in the Internet Tubes...

Getting slammed this week at work, plus freelance at night. Since I'm going to pressed for time, here are some quick links of some stuff I've been meaning to write about...

Must-Read Post of the Week: Responding to the hysteria after the London Terror Bust, Kung Fu Monkey absolutely nails it.

Don't Believe the Hype Olbermann lays out the Administration's history of using terror alerts for political purposes.

NASA records 'Survivor' over lunar landing tapes. Well, not really. But they can't seem to find the original recording of the first moon landing, including astronaut Neil Armstrong's famous "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Anybody want to come over and catch a little "Capricorn One"? [h/t Pierce]

Slate: "Tigers Burning Kind of Bright" Feature on my adopted team, the Tigers. Includes the quote of the week: "That's when the team with the majors' best record started falling apart like a Buick built on the first day of deer season."

Slate: What Happened to Lieberman Is Not a Trend Tomasky explains how the Dems are not really purging anybody but Holy Joe.

Safe to Fantasize! MLB's evil, greedy plan to prevent fantasy leagues from using player names and stats strikes out in court.

Mel Gibson, Evil, and Art The best thing I read on l'affaire Crazyheart.

John Mark Karr? Let's see... Lee Harvey Oswald, John Wilkes Booth, John Wayne Gacy, Henry Lee Lucas, Mark David Chapman…Three names slams the door for me. Guilty.

Estate Sale

So who besides Paris Hilton benefits from repealing the Estate Tax anyway?

Spending millions to Save Billions

WASHINGTON, D.C. – [link] The multimillion-dollar lobbying effort to repeal the federal estate tax has been aggressively led by 18 super-wealthy families, according to a report released today (ed: April 25) by Public Citizen and United for a Fair Economy at a press conference in Washington, D.C. The report details for the first time the vast money, influence and deceptive marketing techniques behind the rhetoric in the campaign to repeal the tax.

It reveals how 18 families worth a total of $185.5 billion have financed and coordinated a 10-year effort to repeal the estate tax, a move that would collectively net them a windfall of $71.6 billion.

The report profiles the families and their businesses, which include the families behind Wal-Mart, Gallo wine, Campbell’s soup, and Mars Inc., maker of M&Ms. Collectively, the list includes the first- and third-largest privately held companies in the United States, the richest family in Alabama and the world’s largest retailer.

In a massive public relations campaign, the families have also misled the country by giving the mistaken impression that the estate tax affects most Americans. In particular, they have used small businesses and family farms as poster children for repeal, saying that the estate tax destroys both of these groups. But just more than one-fourth of one percent of all estates will owe any estate taxes in 2006. And the American Farm Bureau, a member of the anti-estate tax coalition, was unable when asked by The New York Times to cite a single example of a family being forced to sell its farm because of estate tax liability.

It's been well-documented in places nobody pays attention to, that the Estate Tax is only for richest of the rich—so who benefits is hardly a surprise—but it is interesting to see the kind of money at stake for the people pushing for this. I'd venture even the Republican politicians voting for this don't qualify, but it sure seems like these donors have a lot riding on it, and that's why the GOP won't shut up about it.

Lionel Hutz for the Defense...

"We're very confident that there was no intent to harm anyone."

That is the preposterous to the point of hysterical position of the attorney for former Ohio State runningback Maurice Clarett at his arraignment. Hmm, let's review why Clarett was standing before a judge in the first place...

First of all, Clarett was already out on bail, facing armed robbery charges.

The other night, Clarett led police on a high-speed chase where they needed to use spike strips to flatten his tires to stop him. He was wearing a bulletproof vest and had four loaded guns and a hatchet in his SUV. He needed to be tasered, and maced in order to be subdued by six cops and was caught within blocks of the home of the key witness set to testify in his robbery trial next week.

I'm sure he was just out for drive...

In the understatement of the year, prosecutors seeking the high bail said, "We feel he's a threat to the community."

Clarett's attorney argued "that amount would likely be too high for Clarett to pay, meaning he would stay in jail for the duration of the robbery trial."

I'd say that's probably a good idea. Not a good year to be an football player in Ohio...

UPDATE: via The Mighty MJD, here is a fascinating column by ESPN's Tom Friend on a phone convesation he had with Clarett hours before his arrest.

Also, unrelated, be sure to read this tremendous essay by MJD on a moral quandry in Little League.

Adios!

Don't let the door hit ya, Joe.

Lieberman Defiant In Defeat
12:25 AM EDT, August 9, 2006
By MARK PAZNIOKAS, The Hartford Courant

With the nation watching, Connecticut Democrats thronged to the polls in unexpectedly high numbers Tuesday to reject Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman and endorse his anti-war challenger, Ned Lamont.

Unofficial results showed Lamont winning 52 percent of the vote, defeating a three-term incumbent who had come to be defined by his defense of the war in Iraq despite an advertising blitz begging voters to judge him on a progressive labor and environmental record.

Lieberman, 64, a vice presidential nominee in 2000 and a presidential hopeful only two years ago, conceded at 11:03 p.m. in a Hartford ballroom packed with national and international press, then defiantly announced he would press on as a petitioning candidate, forcing a three-way race in November.

"As I see it, in this campaign we just finished the first half and the Lamont team is ahead. But in the second half our team, Team Connecticut, is going to surge forward to victory in November," Lieberman said. Then he shouted, "Will you join me?"

NO!

"Team Connecticut?" What the fuck is that, Joe? Was your primary campaign run by Team Nevada? Might as well've been, since State Connecticut just told you to get bent in no uncertain terms.

If Lieberman had graciously agreed to respect the will of Connecticut Democrats, I wouldn't have another harsh thing to say about him, but he's insisting on running as an independant, and for that he deserves a Box O' Scorn to go with this...

What a tool.

He also deserves to lose the support of Bill (and Hil) Clinton, Schumer and everyone else. Kos thinks Harry Reid should yank his Committee chairs. I don't disagree.

The one thing I want to make clear is this: Lieberman deserved this for many reasons, and, for me, it was not all about the Iraq War and Lamont being anti-war. It was about Lieberman's support for Bush on a whole host of issues besides the War—Alito, Social Security, PATRIOT Act and others...

Say hello to the, hopefully, next Senator from the state of my ancestry, Connecticut.

"Hi, Tony, We Need Another Favor…." ->click<-

The Republicans went to their go-to guy on the Supreme Court and were rebuffed...

WASHINGTON - Texas Republicans on Monday abandoned their court fight to replace former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay on the November ballot after being turned back by the Supreme Court. The decision came after Justice Antonin Scalia, earlier in the afternoon, rejected Texas Republicans' request to block an appeals court ruling saying DeLay's name should remain on the ballot.

So, the Republicans are forced to leave the man most synonymous with corruption on the ballot. DeLay should lose, which is great and a pick-up for us and a high-profile loss for them. OR he somehow wins, is later found guilty and has to relinquish his seat again. It's win-win!

Kakistocracy: Plan B Is Central to Plan A

John Cole has a post up at Balloon Juice reiterating his disgust with his former Party's manipulation of science and health for political ends. Cole:

There have been so many other attempts to insert the narrow version of Christianity currently practiced by the current GOP leadership into science and medicine that listing them all is not something I am up to this weekend, but this one is noteworthy:

Plan B decision made before data review by FDA staff
The decision whether the U.S. Food and Drug Administration should approve wider access to a morning-after contraceptive drug was made well before agency scientists finished their final review, two FDA officials said in court documents released on Thursday.

Supporters of over-the-counter sales for Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s Plan B pills have accused top FDA officials of hindering the company’s bid for nonprescription sales for years, to please conservative supporters of President George W. Bush’s administration.

In a sworn statement in June, Dr. John Jenkins, director of the FDA’s Office of New Drugs, said he learned in early 2004 that then-FDA Commissioner Mark McClellan had decided against approval before the staff could complete their analysis.

[...] Dr. Florence Houn said she was also told that in January by Deputy Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock that Plan B needed to be rejected “to appease the administration’s constituents” but that it could be approved later.

[Cole again] ...it is clear now that this is what the administration has done since day one. Replace qualified individuals with appointed ideologues whose primary concern is the advancement of their religious beliefs. I am afraid to think how much damage these lunatics have done, but I am sure we will spend the next few years unscrewing what these lunatics have meddled with.

Welcome to the party, John. Too bad you waitied until 2005 to pull your head out.

Anyway in the comments, one-time spoof GOP4Me gets off a truly inspired rant:

It’s really all about mobilizing the majority of disgruntled Christian voters by providing them with handy scapegoat outlets for their misguided rage. The power thereby obtained is primarily used to advance the interests of the upper echelons of the Republican Party, but occasionally you do have to throw a bone to the fundies. Plan B’s rejection is such a bone.

[...] In the case of the modern Republican Party, you have politicians prostituting themselves out to prudes for their votes, then turning around and using this electoral advantage to line their pockets and those of their corporate boosters. The only people adversely affected are those concerned with a country not run by thieves, and those scapegoated as part of this electoral con game.

[...] You have to appear to be working against Roe v. Wade, even though it’s your number-one mealticket. You have to struggle against Hollywood, even though sex and violence are where the money’s at. You have to fight against some casinos, even if you have to use money from other casinos to help you do it. The ultimate goal isn’t the illegalization of condoms or the stoning of gay people in the street, it’s to continue the con game for as long as possible until people wise up or there’s no more money left to steal.

The balancing act is intricate, and some partisan Democrats would say it’s corrupt, but it’s the only way Bush can stay in power. And we need Bush in power if we want to keep America safe from terrorists. Either you support the incompetent kleptocrats and their allies in the theocracy movement, or you support the terrorists. Which is it gonna be?

True enough. In fact, it couldn't be better illustrated than with this particular case—the Republicans wanted to bounce Plan B so they could throw a bone to the base and "reject the abortion pill" in time for the election, but secretly agreed to approve it later on when no one was looking so Big Pharma could still get their money. When will these dupes voting "R" wake up?

Reason No. 4,356 YouTube Rocks

It starts a litle slow, make sure you stick it out til the 4:00-5:00 minute mark (and don't worry, the resolution is not as bad as the stillshot looks)...

Engrave His MVP Trophy Now.

It hasn't been a bad week for everybody...

Saturday:
David Ortiz went 4-for-5 with his 35th homer and a game-winning single in the bottom of the 11th to give the Red Sox a 7-6 win over the Angels on Saturday. Ortiz's homer started an eighth-inning comeback in which the Sox scored three to tie the game. In the 11th, lefty J.C. Romero was brought in to pitch to Ortiz. Papi went on to hit a little grounder against the shift to score the winning run from second.

Monday:
David Ortiz's second homer of the night was a walkoff three-run blast off Indians closer Fausto Carmona to give the Red Sox a 9-8 win over the Indians on Monday night. ...his eighth career walkoff homer. Three have come this year, and Ortiz has five game-ending hits in all.

Friday:
David Ortiz hit a pair of solo homers against the Devil Rays on Friday, including a solo blast off reliever Seth McClung to put the Red Sox ahead 3-2 in the eighth inning.

Unfortunately I lost the link for this one (and he has since added to these numbers):

David Ortiz has hit 21 home runs in 138 at-bats in Late-Inning Pressure Situations since Aug. 1, 2004. Over that two-year period, no other player has hit more than 13 homers in LIPS. Ryan Howard ranks second with 13; Andruw Jones, Albert Pujols, and Aramis Ramirez share third place with 12.

Um, where's A-Rod?

Papi really does do it every time
Gordon Edes, Boston Globe

According to Sox historian Allan Wood, webmaster of the Joy of Sox, Ortiz has come to the plate 19 times in potential walkoff situations since the end of the 2004 regular season (postseasons included) and reached base 16 times. He is 11-for-14 (.786), with 7 HR and 20 RBI.

In 2005 and 2006, he is 8-for-9, with 5 HR and 15 RBI!

Amazing.

This hit-maker is off the charts
Dan Shaughnessy, Boston Globe

[...] There never has been anything like it in Boston sports. There never has been anyone like David Ortiz in our town. Sure, there were a couple of players with more talent, but no one ever has had a prolonged stretch like this. Not Ted. Not Russ. Not Bobby. Not Larry. Not Tom. They did other things, and won (in some cases) a lot more rings. But no player in Boston sports history has sent home this many people with electrifying moments of greatness.

This simply does not happen in baseball. Ortiz has turned major league baseball into Wiffle ball games you'd play with makeshift rules regarding rooftops, clotheslines, and summer winds. Big Papi is an action superhero come to life. He is a cartoon figure who jumps off the screen and gets it done in real life in real time. He is the mythical Joe Hardy with no apparent time limit on his powers.

The Clown gets a little carried away there. First of all, comparing different sports is foolish. Bill Russell and Larry Bird were able to take over a game and dominate at will. Tom Brady is responsible for everything that happens when he is on the field. Ortiz is dependant on his spot in the order coming up at the right time. Brady, Russell and Bird played in sports where one or two players can dominate a game, and bring home a title. Ortiz is lucky to have four or five chances a night to impact a game. Bird, Russell and Brady also each brought home multiple titles. Get back to me in a few years when Papi has done the same (he will). Also, I should note that it bothers me when a guy like Shaugnessy who has literally made a living evoking "The Curse" and salting wounds, decides to get all giddy like a cheerleader with a crush on the quarterback...

One more, and this one shows Big Papi as the giant among men that he is...


UPDATE: Per Mike's recommendation, here is an excellent Sports Guy column: Larry Legend vs Big Papi

Life Happens

Been a bad week.

Last Friday, my wife and daughter were in a car accident (they're fine, the car is not). Some idiot concentrating on their Blizzard drove straight out of Dairy Queen into them as they drove by.

On Sunday my daughter woke us up with a scary-as-hell seizure that took us to the hospital in an ambulance and two days in the hospital. They don't know what happened, and may never know for sure. They ruled out the accident, which is good and bad. No injury (good). But lots of unknowns and possible epilepsy or other condition (bad).

Back home now, and Ruby is finally back to her delightful self. She's doing great, but we are not out of the woods yet. The neurologist estimates she has a 25-50% chance of a recurrence, and if it happens we have to give her a shot, call 911 and we're back in the hospital.

We've had to cancel our vacation next week because we would be too far from a hospital.

All I can say at this point is thank God we live five minutes from U-M's terrific Mott Children's Hospital. I've spent way too much time there (it's never good to have memorized where the good vending machines at the hospital are), but everyone there has always been great.

Oh, when we got back from the hospital, the fridge had died and we lost all of our food. Fan-fucking-tastic. Just what I wanted to deal with.

If bad stuff happens in threes, I'm considering myself paid up. Does that mean I get a job offer now?

Heckuva Job, Brownie

From the "Credit, where credit is due" department, Michael Brown gets off some good shots in his Playboy interview. The best one...

On his much-mocked prior job with the International Arabian Horse Association: “Dealing with horses’ asses taught me how to deal with the federal government.”

[h/t Tom Tomorrow]

Boy, was I stupid...

Here's what I wrote in March 2005:

[link] ...Everyone is willing to accept the jacked up prices because they think it has something to do with the War in Iraq and that sooner or later it will get back to normal. Guess again. The prices have nothing to do with Iraq, and they are never coming down again. Once this country is conditioned to $2 gas, there is no reason the oil companies are going to bring it back down again. Maybe the $1.90s, just as a dupe, because it'll seem cheap compared to the $2.30 we'll be paying by May.

We're loonnng past that now. This country has now gotten conditioned to $3 a gallon. In fact in my trip back East last week, I twice payed over $3.25. (NY, CT, MA and my native MI being the worst, OH and PA were both still under $3)

When President Bush took office, I think gas was about a buck and a quarter. It has now more than doubled—in fact, I'd be happy to pay double—and in some places I am sure they've tripled that number.

Do you think a White house full of oil thugs and this (below) is mere coincidence?

Exxon Mobil earns $10.4 billion in 2Q
By STEVE QUINN, AP Business Writer 30 minutes ago
DALLAS - Exxon Mobil Corp. said Thursday it earned $10.36 billion in the April-June period, the second largest quarterly profit ever recorded by a publicly traded U.S. company.

The earnings figure was 36 percent above the profit it reported a year ago. High oil prices and the growing global appetite for fuel helped boost the company's revenue by 12 percent to a level just short of a quarterly record. Its shares briefly rose to a new high.

Oh, and what is the quarterly profit record? $10.7 billion. Held by Exxon Mobil from last year's 4th quarter.

While researching the price of gas from years past, I found this gem. Tom Delay moaning about gas prices going (gasp) over a dollar...

"REP. TOM DeLAY, Majority Whip: This administration has done nothing to eliminate the problem. In fact, the Clinton and Gore policies are hurling us all back to the Jimmy Carter days, when this great nation was at the mercy of OPEC and their extortion scheme. "

Those were the days, Tommy. Now we're at the mercy of somebody else's extortion scheme and it makes that look like a damn joke.

The Israel/Lebanon Headache

A couple quick things on the conflict...


Condoleeza Rice's trip to the Middle East—"Mission Accomplished"

Ceasefire delay Israel's green light
...Israeli officials said they regarded the failure of an international conference to reach agreement on a cease-fire plan as clearing the way for further assaults on Hezbollah.

Justice Minister Haim Ramon told Israeli radio, “We received yesterday at the Rome conference permission from the world, to continue this operation, this war, until Hezbollah won’t be located in Lebanon and until it is disarmed.’’

Mr. Ramon also raised the possibility of an expanded air assault, saying “all those now in south Lebanon are terrorists who are related in some way to Hezbollah.’’

Permission from the world? Or do you mean every country in the MidEast and Europe supporting an immediate ceasefire, and the U.S. and Israel working alone to scuttle that?

If it were actually true that there are no innocent people caught in the crossfire in Southern Lebanon (as Israel claims), I'd say, "Fine. Finish this shit once and for all." But the fact that U.N. observers and children continue to be killed belies Israel's claims.

Excellent work, Madame Secretary. Witness the power of this fully armed and operational battle station. You may fire at will, Israel...

--

Estimated death tolls:

Lebanon: At least 423 people have been killed in Lebanon - including 376 civilians reported by the Health Ministry and security officials.

Israel: "The deaths of the soldiers yesterday brought to 51 the number of Israelis killed in the campaign, according to the military." Keep in mind, the 51 Israelis killed includes 33 soldiers, five of whom were killed by friendly fire. It should also be pointed out that many of the soldiers have died in Lebanon.

It was not easy to find a breakdown of the Israeli casualties, and many sources are just lumping everyone together saying things like "the conflict, which has killed over 470 since it started..."

It should be made clear that despite the "hundreds of rockets launched into Israel by Hezbollah," less than 20 Israeli civilans have been killed. Lebanese civilans are being killed at twenty times that rate, by an organized military.

--

The Baseball Crank is unabashedly on Israel's side, but he raises some good points here about the rules of engagement changing...

I also agree with him on much of this. Democrats "boycotting" the Iraqi Prime Minister's speech before Congress for "failing to denounce Hezbollah" was stupid. They should have boycotted it because the speech was likely written by the Bush Administration.

--

John Cole took Kofi Annan to task for claiming Israel deliberately bombed the U.N. outpost, and he unleashed a torrent of contrary comments. Some good stuff in there. It has since devolved into a "Darrel" thread...

10 Worst Americans

Steve Gilliard threw together his list of "Ten Worst Americans" in response to a Rightie list that included Bill Clinton. Here's his list:

1) Benedict Arnold

2) Father Coughlin

3) Jefferson Davis

4) Nathan Bedford Forrest

5) George Wallace

6) Jesse Helms

7) Dick Cheney

8) Richard Nixon

9) Joseph McCarthy

10) DC "Steve" Stephenson

I'll confess I had to look up numbers 2, 4 and 10 on wikipedia. Bad guys to be sure. Coughlin was sort of the original televangelist—except the anti-Semitic supervillian version. Forrest is a Confederate general who started the KKK. And Stephenson was a brutal Klansmen from the 20s. All evil dudes to be sure, but the fact that I'd never heard of them, means I gotta pull 'em from my list.

I'd have to have George W. Bush on my list.

And I'd like to see Lee Harvey Oswald, John Wilkes Booth and James Earl Ray in as a special 3 for the price of 1.

I'll go with Col. John Chivington as number 10. The Calvary commander responsible for the Sand Creek Massacre. I can't say he was the worst particular guy regarding the mistreatment of Native Americans, but he gets to represent 'em on my list.

Narrowly cut? Fred Phelps, Karl Rove, Richard Mellon Scaife, Timothy McViegh.

Baseball Update

From Rotoworld:

Damian Jackson - OF - Nationals
Damian Jackson (esophageal spasms) will be activated from the disabled list prior to Tuesday's game.

Esophageal spasms. Choking?

Jackson's a wuss, A-Rod's been playing with that for years... [/rimshot]

Kakistocracy Update

1. Bush has thusfar been unable to legislatively repeal the Estate Tax, his solution? Kneecap the IRS so they can't collect it.

2. The Bush Justice Department has already made a habit of having political appointees overrule the DOJ civil rights division. Now they are just driving them all out of the Department ahead of time and replacing them with unfit hacks whose only experience is working for such noted civil rights advocates as Trent Lott and Charles Pickering. [link]

[h/t Carpetbagger on both]

Yeah, What Good Would a Cease-Fire Do?

Two brothers from the Shaito family waited Sunday at a hospital in Tyre, Lebanon. Three of their relatives died while fleeing north when their van was struck by an Israeli missile.


Fleeing Family Ends Up in Path of Israeli Missile

SIDIQEEN, Lebanon, July 23 — Muntaha Shaito’s eyes rolled back as the paramedics screamed at her to stay awake and implored her son Ali to keep her engaged, as she teetered near death from shrapnel wounds inflicted by an Israeli rocket.

“Pray to God!,” one paramedic shouted at her as she writhed in Ali’s arms.

“Don’t go to sleep Mama, look at me!,” Ali shouted, tears streaking his bloodied face. “Don’t die, please don’t die!”

It was the scene that members of the extended Shaito family said they had feared most, the real reason they had held out for days in their village of Tireh in southern Lebanon, terrified of the Israeli bombardment, but more terrified of what might happen if they risked leaving. On Sunday they gave up their stand, and all 18 members crammed into the family’s white Mazda minivan. They planned to head north toward the relative safety of Beirut.

[...] An Israeli rocket, which Lebanese officials said was likely fired from a helicopter, slammed into the center of the Shaitos’ van as it sped round a bend a few miles west of their village, and the van crashed into a hillside. Three occupants were killed: an uncle, Mohammad; the grandmother, Nazira; and a Syrian man who had guarded their home. The missile also critically wounded Mrs. Shaito and her sister. Eleven others suffered less severe wounds.

“They said leave, and that’s what we did,” said Musbah Shaito, another uncle, as his niece, Heba, 16, cried hysterically behind him for her dead father, whose head was nearly blown off. This reporter watched as paramedics struggled to remove the dead from the van, but soon gave up, as an Israeli drone hovered overhead.

“This is what we got for listening to them,” Mr. Shaito said, speaking of the Israelis.

The Shaitos came from a farming village about five miles from the Israeli border in a region known for tobacco, citrus and olive crops. They had waved a white flag from the van, signifiying to Israeli aircraft that they were non-threatening, Mr. Shaito told reporters later.

The Israeli military said in a statement that its aircraft operations over southern Lebanon on Sunday had targeted “approximately 20 vehicles” suspected of “serving the terror organization in the launching of missiles at Israel, and were recognized fleeing from or staying at missile-launching areas.” The military did not comment on specific bombings, but cited the area south of Tyre, where the Shaitos were driving, as “an area used continuously by Hezbollah to fire missiles.”

[...] Israeli forces have sought to clear the area of all residents, in what seemed to be an attempt to separate the civilians from Hezbollah fighters hidden in the hills and villages. Just days earlier leaflets dropped by Israeli planes warned residents to leave the area and head north of the Litani River, effectively making the area a free-fire zone.

Bolton, Rice and Bush refuse to push for a cease-fire, claiming they want to reach a solution that will hold. In the meantime they are clearing hurdles to ship Israel more U.S.-made rockets A.S.A.P.

Any wonder why we are despised over there and seen as part of a Zionist hegemony? There'd be something wrong with those two boys in the picture if they didn't spend the rest of their lives hating Israel and the United States.

Blogs

I want to thank Greg at The Talent Show for adding me to his blogroll and calling this site out over at his place. The Talent Show has long been one of my favorite sites. Back in the early days (of blogging) Greg pounded out some of the best church/state stuff I've ever read. His excellent work continues today, and Greg splits his time over at Tom Tomorrow's This Modern World as well.

I should also thank Steve Benen of Carpetbagger Report fame who, acting as co-editor at salon's Daou Report, has twice linked back here and brought some much appreciated traffic.

I want to encourage people to leave comments here (and everywhere they visit) as it is often the only way to know people are actually reading things. Sure there's a counter down there, but I feel like half of those hits are myself. For readers to toss in even the occasional "Damn straight!" is what encourages me to keep going...

While I Was Driving...

I just got back from a three-day trip from Michigan to several job interviews back East. Lots of stuff happening while I was gone, some I was aware of and couldn't wait to get back and blog about, and some stuff I am just finding out this morning. I'm gonna throw a few thoughts down here and expand on some of them later.

1. I drove my mother-in-law's Honda Civic Hybrid. While I probably averaged a slightly disappointing 42 m.p.g., it was fascinating to watch the dashboard readout of the car's mileage, and try to drive accordingly. I know my speed hindered the mileage somewhat (75+ mph most of the time), but I think if every car had a similar "sliding" mpg meter plus the cumulative average fuel economy, people would drive differently and it would save the country gas. I found myself constantly trying to coax better mileage out of the car, and if I didn't have to cover 1,500 miles over 60 hours it would change the way I drive.

If I get a job where I have a car commute of any significance I will seriously consider a hybrid.

2. The interviews. For those of you that care, the interviews went well. I feel pretty good about my chances. We'll see what happens. Three weeks ago I thought I was moving to Birmingham, Alabama and that didn't pan out, so I'm not going to ge over-excited about anything...

3. Israel. I touched on this briefly before I left, and not much has changed about the situation or my opinion. I do find the Administration's position of stalling to allow Israel to get medieval on Lebanon, and their rhetoric to be disturbing. Bolton and other's complete dismissal of any sort of cease-fire as ridiculous strikes me as completely insensitive to the civilians being killed by the hundreds (a very one-sided toll, btw), and serves only to weaken our standing in the Middle East. They have handled this thing terribly. Bush swearing about it is the least of the problems, yet for days, that's all that was discussed.

4. Ned Lamont I stayed with my parents in Connecticut and worked my dad hard on voting for Lamont in the primary. He is skeptical. Partly because he has bought some of the Joementum bullshit, partly because he doesn't want to lose Lieberman's seniority, and as a union guy, my dad has some(legitimate) problems with Lamont's record as a city councilman. He does admit that he is disenchanted with Lieberman, but isn't ready to toss him yet. I wil keep after him...

6. Heard on the radio:

An excruciating story on NPR about U.S. soldiers burned in Iraq, and their attempts to recover. A must-listen. Be warned. I was so incensed after hearing what these guys are suffering, I wanted to turn south and ram my car into the Oval Office.

NY sports fans are the stupidest fans in the world. Five years without lisening to The FAN has caused me to forget this. Actual, serious, questions heard on the radio last night: "What about Andy Pettitte? The Mets could get Pettitte from the Astros without giving up too much, they're four games out in the wild-card and I'm sure they want to get rid of that big contract..." and this one, "Let's say the Mets make it to the World Series, do you think they have a chance to win? I mean, against the White Sox or Red Sox?"

Ugh. On the plus side, The FAN streams online now, and I enjoy me some Mike and the Mad Dog. At least I think I remember it that way. I'll get back to you on that one... [Warning: The WFAN homepage has a picture of Imus.]

Savage Nation [shudder] While trolling the dial in Ohio or Western PA, I listened to about ten minutes of the unhinged rantings of Michael Savage. Sweet Jesus. This guy makes Ann Coulter sound like Ann Landers. Just railing against the "lesbians, homosexuals, and liberals" who are all in league with the "Hezzbolites" in this country a present a clear and present danger to THIS country. His big meme for the night was repeated calls that, "Hatred and anger are the only things that can save this country! And I stand by those words!" It was hard not to picture a burning cross in the studio behind him. Frightening that this maniac has a radio show and an audience.

More to come on Georgie's first veto. Isn't he cute?...

Israel

I don't have time to put together my thoughts on the whole Israel/Hezbollah thing, except to say I think it it will help Joe Lieberman win his primary, and I fear it will ratchet up the fear factor and carry the Republicans again this fall. At least that's what I was thinking in the car today.

Here are some good posts from the other day on the situation over there that match up well with how I feel.
Ezra
Kevin Drum the other day.
Kevin Drum quoth Sebastian Mallaby.

D.O.W.: Specter Escapes Again

I don't know how long Arlen Specter can keep dodging the Dick of the Week bullet. Pretty soon he might run out of things to surrender in the Constitution before he gets his moment in the DOW sun.

How is it that complete and total capitulation and making two branches of government subservient to the Executive can't push ol' Arlen over the top? Because his act is tired. We all saw it coming a mile away. We knew despite all the talk and posturing, he would go behind closed doors and bend over for his Cheney/Bush double-team. Same Constitutional Sellout, Different Day.

It takes something special to nab the Dick of the Week. For this, we head down to Texas to the funeral of one Kenneth Lay. You already know what I think about Mr. Lay, so what could be new this week, when the guy's dead? Read on...

Ken Lay praised and defended by family and friends
Dignitaries are among more than 1,000 attending

In a memorial service that bounced back and forth from loving salute to spirited defense, former Enron Chairman Ken Lay was remembered Wednesday as a kind and generous man who was unfairly characterized after the company's collapse.

Lay, who died at 64 last week of a heart attack in Colorado, was praised for his deep devotion to his family and respect for all people, whether executives or janitorial staff.

"I am glad to have known Ken Lay and glad that he was willing to reach down and touch people like me," said the Rev. William Lawson, pastor emeritus of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church. "Ken was a rich and powerful man, and he could have limited his association to people who were likewise rich and powerful."

Lawson said Lay helped untold numbers of people with college tuition, medical expenses and other needs.

[...] Lawson likened Lay to James Byrd, a black man who was dragged to death in a racially motivated murder near Jasper eight years ago.

"Ken Lay was neither black nor poor, as James Byrd was, but I'm angry because Ken was the victim of a lynching," said Lawson, who predicted that history will vindicate Lay.

His comments, met by hearty applause, referred to Lay's recent federal trial on fraud and conspiracy charges stemming from Enron's unraveling in 2001 and four charges of bank fraud. Lay had planned to appeal his conviction and was awaiting sentencing when he died.

That's right, those comments were met hearty applause from dignitaries including a former President. A fucking corporate swindler and thief who cost his employees their careers and destroyed the life savings of thousands of others is the same as a man dragged from a truck until his head and arm were ripped off—for being a black man.

That comment should have been met with a "hearty" get up and walk the fuck out.

Will there be any outrage from the Right on the comments of this clergyman like there was after the Coretta Scott King funeral? Somehow I doubt it.

In reading about Lay's death last week, I don't recall any pictures like this accompanying the story...



Your Dick of the Week: The Reverend William Lawson

[via The Talent Show]

UPDATE: You can send the Reverend and the Wheeler Baptist Church your thoughts here. And while I was there, I found a picture of the good Reverend. Not what I was expecting. I suppose if a white guy had made those comments, it would have been bigger news. the fact that Lawson is black does nothing to change the outrageousness of the statement for me. As Greg said, "a sickening lack of perspective."

In Defense of Manny

Manny Ramirez is not playing in the All-Star Game tonite. He was the leading vote-getter in the American Leauge. He is taking the opportunity to rest a sore knee. Good for him. Would I like to see Manny drive a couple guys in tonite in an exhibition game? I suppose. Would I rather have Manny healthy and productive for the rest of the season for the Red Sox who are battling two teams for the Division lead in a year where the Wild CArd will probably come from the AL Central for the first time in years? Damn straight.

This is what Tim "Let me insert my rambling opinion here" McCarver had to say over the weekend during the FOX national broadcast (which incidentally did NOT feature the Red Sox):

Tim McCarver said the worst thing about his knee injury was “remembering which leg to limp with.”

In anticipation of the blowhards at FOX (I'm looking right at you, McCarver) inserting some derogatory editorial comments about Manny Ramirez, I give you this excellent column, Manny Ramirez - Reality vs. Perception

My grandfather can't stand him. (And before him, Mo. Gramp's is a little too "old-school" Boston, if you know what I mean.) My dad was ready to ship him in the big A-Rod, Magglio menage a trois trade. Every year the Boston media rides his ass through spring training and pounces on every little thing through the season. As the article points out the same shit coming from Trot Nixon is forgiven because he smashes stuff in the dugout when he forgets how many outs there are. Temper tantrums and faux-intensity gets gushes from the media (ask Paul O'Neill). Easy-going, happy to be playing a game for a living like Manny? Capital offense.

Fuck that. This guy is arguably the best hitter to wear the Red Sox uniform since Ted Williams. It's too bad nobody treats him that way.

Honestly, how do you not love this guy?

NY Times Aiding and Abetting Again

I wonder if the idiots on the right (like this) will only see this story as the New York Times telling Bin Laden that the coast is clear...

C.I.A. Closes Unit Focused on Capture of bin Laden

WASHINGTON, July 3 — The Central Intelligence Agency has closed a unit that for a decade had the mission of hunting Osama bin Laden and his top lieutenants, intelligence officials confirmed Monday.

The unit, known as Alec Station, was disbanded late last year and its analysts reassigned within the C.I.A. Counterterrorist Center, the officials said.

The decision is a milestone for the agency, which formed the unit before Osama bin Laden became a household name and bolstered its ranks after the Sept. 11 attacks, when President Bush pledged to bring Mr. bin Laden to justice "dead or alive."

What other possible reason could the Times have for running that article if not to help our enemies?

Ken Lay: R.I.P. R.I.H.*

*Rot in Hell

Enron founder Kenneth Lay dies at 64
By KRISTEN HAYS, AP Business Writer 13 minutes ago

HOUSTON - Enron Corp. founder Kenneth Lay, who was convicted of helping perpetuate one of the most sprawling business frauds in U.S. history, has died of a heart attack in Colorado. He was 64.

A secretary at his church and another secretary for his lead criminal lawyer, Michael Ramsey, both confirmed the death. Lay, who lived in Houston, frequently vacationed in Colorado.

Lay, who faced life in prison, was scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 23.

Nicknamed "Kenny Boy" by President Bush, Lay led Enron's meteoric rise from a staid natural gas pipeline company formed by a 1985 merger to an energy and trading conglomerate that reached No. 7 on the Fortune 500 in 2000 and claimed $101 billion in annual revenues.

He was convicted May 25 along with former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling of defrauding investors and employees by repeatedly lying about Enron's financial strength in the months before the company plummeted into bankruptcy protection in December 2001. Lay was also convicted in a separate non-jury trial of bank fraud and making false statements to banks, charges related to his personal finances.

Too bad. He deserved to die in prison, not in Aspen.

D.O.W: Brian Kilmeade

[Here's a quick DOW since I was travelling at the end of last week.]

FOX and Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade is making his bid to join the "FOX News All-Stars." This loudmouth, sportscaster-wannabe-pundit was out leading the anti-NY Times charge and suggested that President Bush establish an "Office of Censorship."

Sure, dick, why not? You and all your buddies working in Bush's "Office of Propaganda" are already halfway there in your pursuit of a totally Soviet-style media/government dreamworld.

Oh, and here's a retroactive award for Kilmeade for the last week of February 2003. Once a dick, always a dick...

SIDEBAR: While waiting for the Tigers to come on yesterday, I had to listen to an hour of FOX Sports Radio. No Kilmeade or Chris Myers, but the two substitute jackasses filling in for the holiday definitely got their Office of Propaganda talking points: The "Sports Report" repeatedly hyped the space shuttle launch; gushed about the military and the GWOT; slammed Oliver Stone's "World Trade Center"; and here's the best part—in observance of the 4th they decided to compare U.S. Presidents with famous athletes. First up? Bill Clinton and Shawn Kemp. Because "they both like the ladies." Then they invited listeners to call in with their own suggestions and promptly hung up on the caller that compared Bush to John Rocker.

Happy Fourth!!

[ESPN and FOX have no baseball on today? Sigh...]