Fold To Combine

Going Home

2007-11-22T08:39:00.000-05:00

Go to Sashaundercover where I am posting. I had this little test here and it isn't working for me. I'm returning to my roots.

I'm really just using this place as a link farm these days. I discovered that have gone back to posting there, even though I'm not so happy with the software. I'll be cleaning it up slowly.

Happy Thanksgiving and thank you for visiting.

(Photo by John Frederick White)

You Knew, Didn't You?

2007-11-18T16:23:00.000-05:00

Sometimes

2007-11-11T18:52:00.000-05:00

you can find me over there.

This Is Not So Reassuring

2007-11-04T23:05:00.000-05:00

42%

This Blog

2007-11-03T08:36:00.000-04:00

is SO not working for me. I believe I'll return to SashaUndercover. But while I'm in limbo, I'm looking for better blog software. Any suggestions? I want more flexibility but I don't want a lot of work.

Not An Endorsement

2007-10-31T06:22:00.000-04:00

Nope, here at Foldto we aren't in the endorsement business, but we do admire some candidates more than others. A post expressing respect for Chris Dodd has been percolating but lo and behold Bob Geiger did it for me yesterday. Please take a few minutes and read what he has to say. Mr. Dodd has my respect and I think should have yours.

Drama Queen

2007-10-23T19:07:00.000-04:00

Honestly, does he never quit?

It's like he's trying to get his Mom's attention and she is busy and sick of his mewling ass and just wants to get her stuff done and he drones on and on about a spider tried to bite him and she tells him to shake it off and then it was a cat that jumped out of a tree and nearly landed on him and she is getting more and more exasperated and then there was a pitt bull that almost bit his ass and she offers to smack his ass if he doesn't knock it off and he goes outside but comes right back in because now there are damn aliens who want to put him on the space ship and put their instruments all over his pee pee and she knows she's going to kill him so she locks herself in the bathroom, takes a swig out of the vodka bottle she keeps in the toilet tank and sits on the edge of the bathtub with her head in her hands.

No Mama, come out Mama! We need a missile shield in Europe. It is urgent to keep Iran from sending their missiles to the United States! Really! Iran is going to start World War III and we really need to stop them!

Chicken Little spoke at the National Defense University today.

"The need for missile defense in Europe is real, and I believe it's urgent," Bush said. "Iran is pursuing the technology that could be used to produce nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles of increasing range that could deliver them."

He said it could all be happening by 2015.

MOMMY!

It's Monday Morning

2007-10-22T05:53:00.000-04:00

I should probably think about changing my summer outfit over there to the right but it is supposed to go up to 80 today. Instead, as I bustle off to work I will let you share my nightmare.

Home Depot Redux

2007-10-01T05:49:00.000-04:00

Yes Buggy, you can find lots of people at My Home Depot. They tell me it has the most sales of any Home Depot east of the Mississippi.

I return, having forgotten something. A little dazed it being my second visit in less than a week. In the plumbing section I approach a gaggle of orange people chatting amongst themselves.

Sasha: May I ask you a stupid question?

Orange Person: Sure you can. I'm married.

Sasha Goes To Home Depot

2007-09-27T16:08:00.000-04:00

Sasha: Where can I find screen, like screen door stuff?
Orange Person: It is down this aisle. What do you want it for? A window or door?
Sasha: Is it aluminum or fiber glass or ... I'll just look down here.
Orange Person: I can help you. Is it outside in the weather?
Sasha: No, I'm not using it in a door or window.
Orange Person, puzzled: What are you using it for?
Sasha, resigned to a forced conversation: Well, if you really want to know I am going to make a wall hanging to hold my earrings. I thought I would put the screen inside a frame and ...
Orange Person, animated and smiling: Are you a hippy?
Sasha, slowly: Well I guess maybe I am.
Orange Person, more animated: Do you make earrings?
Sasha, laughing: As a matter of fact I do sometimes.
Orange Person, gleeful: My mother is a hippy! She was at Woodstock!

Now I'll go and have a nice little lie-down because apparently I am the oldest hippy on the face of the earth and need my rest. Meanwhile watch Ritchie Havens and notice that people used to get together for reasons other than making money or fighting terists.

Good Heavens!

2007-09-16T23:09:00.001-04:00

Her purse clashes!!!

On A Personal Note

2007-09-06T09:42:00.001-04:00

I'd like to take a moment to thank whoever invented the indoor shower. This is an underappreciated element of modern life. Step under a magical shower head and warm water beats on sore muscles, runs over an unclear head, and washes away cares and dirt. It is available at a touch and it comes out of the wall. Amazing.

Today I Went To The Supermarket

2007-09-04T11:06:00.000-04:00

I was helping a very elderly woman who couldn't reach the top shelf of the "clearance products" aisle. (Those of you who know me irl -- I'll wait for your fits of laughter to stop. The others? I'm not exactly the tallest person in the universe so the notion of me helping somebody reach the top shelf presents an amusing picture.)

So we were chatting about the products that were being 'discontinued' since one of them was Jell-o grape flavor. She, out of the blue, became enraged and started on a rant about how it is because of THEM. I was taken aback and stupidly asked who THEY are. And she pointed to a woman with cafe au lait colored skin and shouted "THEM." She narrowed her eyes, stared at me, and said firmly "It is so they can take up space with Goya."

Oh shit. So the grape Jell-o demise is the fault of the illegal immigrants. It isn't because there are fewer little kids or they changed the package or grape tastes terrible. Shit shit shit shit. I hate this divisive stuff soooooo much.

Today I Went To A Public Restroom

2007-09-01T13:24:00.001-04:00

I tapped my foot. Nothing happened. And it was at Home Depot. Does this only work for guys?

An Abomination, Without Words

2007-07-28T10:51:00.000-04:00

Michael Vick

2007-07-21T20:34:00.000-04:00

I have been trying not to soil the board with this but my disgust won't end. It won't even fade. If you don't know what I'm talking about, this will explain. I won't. Robert Byrd, a senator worthy of a great deal of respect, spoke to this on the Senate floor with a great deal of emotion.

Michael Vick, when he is found guilty, should be caged and left in a backyard, dry food and water thrown in at random intervals, for life.

Claudia Alta Taylor Johnson

2007-07-12T11:10:00.000-04:00

who you probably know as Lady Bird, rest in peace. Landru said everything I wanted to say except to thank her for all the flowers. Spring in Washington always reminds me of her, fields of daffodils in the midst of traffic and sprawl. And while I was thinking of that lovely lady and her flowers I was also reminded of this.

Why The Beatles Suck

2007-07-09T22:58:00.000-04:00

My Local Media Market

2007-07-06T18:38:00.001-04:00

We swapped Bill O'Reilly for sports-talk. Good deal for us.

WJFK (106.7 FM) yesterday dropped Bill O'Reilly's nationally syndicated show, "The Radio Factor," and replaced it with a sports-talk program hosted by Jim Rome. O'Reilly, an avowed independent who takes many conservative views, occupied a two-hour afternoon slot on WJFK.

The popular Fox News Channel TV host never attracted much of a radio following in Washington -- in the most recent ratings period, his program had about 1.2 percent of the audience. But then, neither have many other conservatives, whose programs are popular in many cities but barely move the ratings needle in the Washington area, the nation's eighth-largest radio market."

From The Washington Post.

Summer Ennui

2007-07-03T09:33:00.000-04:00

and you want something to pass the time? Try the Stick Figures in Peril group over at Flickr. Here is an example:entitled, obviously enough, "Don't stick your weenie in the drawer."

You can also spend some time trying to decipher the more cryptic ones, like this.

The Bushies at Play

2007-07-02T16:30:00.001-04:00

You can see that daddy Bush hasn't lost all of his ... um ... appeal in spite of his age. No wonder little George is always defensive. Of course he is no match for Mr. Cheney.

The rest of the pictorial tale of the Weekend at Kennebunkport is at Wonkette. Don't miss the part where The President is being chased by a bike.

I'll Have To Try Harder

2007-06-30T22:36:00.000-04:00

Karl Rove, Please accept my apology

2007-06-25T22:09:00.000-04:00

For more than six years I have thought really terrible thoughts about you. I gave you credit for many evil plots, for planting ideas in Our President's erstwhile brain, for persisting in dreams of a glorious takeover of our government.

I was wrong. Yes, I gave you too much credit.

I know you are having trouble dealing with my change of heart so calm yourself down. Gaze upon a happy family in better times. Gaze upon a man with his lovely child on a carousel.
Because now I have to show you what that man has become. I have to implore you to read the extended attention The Washington Post is giving him.

Honestly until today I thought he was an evil motherfucker, a bad bad man who tried to influence Our President, who unduly influenced Mr. Rumsfeld, and who had insane visions of tzardom. Until I read today's installment, the second in a four part series, I had no idea how much he had actually subverted not only any semblance of a democratic process but had just kicked the shit out of everybody who got in his way including The Hallowed Dr. Rice. Seriously you must read this.

Part I: A Different Understanding With The President
Part II: Pushing the Envelope on Presidential Power

There are two more parts to come. This one is totally worth the read.

All photos from Draft Dick Cheney

300 Men Again

2007-06-24T09:12:00.000-04:00

Sorry about that song stuck in your head thing.

Rahm Emmanuel

2007-06-23T20:06:00.001-04:00

Over time I have developed a lot of animosity toward Rep. Emmanuel (D-Ill) largely due to his arrogance, bullying tactics toward members of his own party, and other qualities that I generally associate with stature-challenged men. Today I salute him

As you may recall, there was a great deal of news this week about Herr Cheney's argument that the Office of the Vice President is not part of the executive branch of government. The Raw Story explains thusly:

The Office of Vice President Dick Cheney told an agency within the National Archives that for purposes of securing classified information, the Vice President's office is not an 'entity within the executive branch' according to a letter released Thursday by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

"The Oversight Committee has learned that over the objections of the National Archives, you exempted the Office of the Vice President from the presidential executive order that establishes a uniform, government-wide system for safeguarding classified national security information," Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), the Committee's chairman, wrote in a letter to Cheney. "Your decision to exempt your office from the President's order is problematic because it could place national security secrets at risk. It is also hard to understand given the history of security breaches involving officials in your office."

According to Atrios

Rahm Emanuel issued the following statement regarding his amendment to cut funding for the Office of the Vice President from the bill that funds the
executive branch ... "The Vice President has a choice to make. If he believes his legal case, his office has no business being funded as part of the executive branch. However, if he demands executive branch funding he cannot ignore executive branch rules. At the very least, the Vice President
should be consistent. This amendment will ensure that the Vice President's funding is consistent with his legal arguments. I have worked closely with my colleagues on this amendment and will continue to pursue this measure in the coming days."

Good for him. Actions have consequences. If Mr. Cheney's office isn't part of the executive branch he'll have to find a new funding sourch.

Digby

2007-06-20T21:38:00.000-04:00

who always rocks. I think I'm the only person in the universe who didn't know Digby is female.

I am proud to be a liberal.

Via Sinfonian

Obama's Gonna Win

2007-06-15T13:18:00.000-04:00

I Haven't Been Around

2007-06-11T18:41:00.000-04:00

and now I'm just here to bitch. What Landru said.

And then there is this:
"Meanwhile, "Sopranos" creator David Chase was in France, unreachable to all press, according to an HBO publicist. You might call it a safe house, far away from the giant hit he just ordered on "Sopranos" watchers."

Oh, and the picture? She represents those who escaped the humiliation of the ending.

Why Yes, I am the center of the universe.

2007-05-25T17:58:00.000-04:00

Why do you ask?

I test drove this today. I'm in love. Or lust. Somehow I can't find a way to justify the purchase but I brought a lot of pictures home with me. If I try hard enough I expect I'll fiture out a way to invent some elaborate justification.

It is sooooo much fun.

Time For A Food Post

2007-05-18T08:24:00.000-04:00

as you enter the weekend and probably pig out. Have mercy.

Via Chris Clarke at Amanda's place

Jerry Falwell Is Dead

2007-05-15T22:28:00.000-04:00

and I can't write about it. I can think about how joyous I would be if I believed in reincarnation. But I know I can't start writing. That would produce a screed of at least 20 pages that would make Rude One look like Little Mary Sunshine. So for now I will just give you a quote from a fellow blogger:

If Charon can ferry his bloated carcass across the Styx, I'm sure there'll be a huge party in Hell tonight to welcome one of Satan's most effective servants on earth.

from Down With Tyranny

Happy Mom's Day

2007-05-13T11:02:00.000-04:00

whatever sort of Mom (or Mom?) you may be. This sheepy on the left, a Blue Faced Leicester munching away at the festival is here to remind you that I'm still up to my eyelids in sheep hair and goat hair and silkworm emmissions. Today will be about 70 with clear sunny skies. I'm going to act like a real person and go outside to play. You should too.

Which God or Goddess are you like?

2007-05-07T21:45:00.000-04:00

Which God or Goddess are you like? Your Result: You are your own God or Goddess Sorry to say, i have no answer that fits you. You are your very own person, and you like to do things your own way. You have stumped me this time, but i will soon make a quiz that will have your answer, just you wait...
Satan
Goddess Sekhemet
God Zeus
The Christian God
Goddess Bast
Jesus
Budha
Which God or Goddess are you like?

Sorry My Pretties

2007-05-06T08:39:00.000-04:00

that I have been neglecting you. I got a new job and have been cleaning up the old one, have had an extended birthday celebration, and this is the sacred weekend of the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. I will return arms filled with silks and wools and cashmere. Talk amongst yourselves in the meanwhile.

We Didn't Start The Fire

2007-04-25T20:34:00.000-04:00

What a Relief!

2007-04-25T11:15:00.000-04:00

Tai Shan, also known as Butterstick, is familiar to my long-term readers as that panda that I have been gushing about since it was born. You'll be glad to know that instead of being whisked off to China on his second birthday -- July 9 -- China has agreed to let him stay for an additional two years. Good thing too. There would have been an armed insurrection.

Once We Were Young

2007-04-21T09:46:00.000-04:00

Good News: Women with Guns Edition

2007-04-20T22:58:00.000-04:00

Venus Ramey came from the District of Columbia to become Miss America in 1944. Yesterday at 82 she balanced on her walker as she shot out the tires of an intruder's vehicle with her snub-nosed .38-caliber handgun.

she saw her dog run into a storage building where thieves had previously made off with old farm equipment.

Ramey said the man told her he would leave. "I said, 'Oh, no you won't,' and I shot their tires so they couldn't leave," Ramey said. "I didn't even think twice. I just went and did it," she said. "If they'd even dared come close to me, they'd be 6 feet under by now."

Ramey then flagged down a passing motorist, who called 911.

Maybe it is time to just take the guns away from men.

Associated Press/Washington Post

The Supremes, Continued

2007-04-19T08:50:00.000-04:00

Much as I loathe Slate I must send you there because Dahlia Lithwick in a piece entitled Father Knows Best: Dr. Kennedy's magic prescription for indecisive women has scalpelized the decision. Go, go.

Mr. Bush's Court Chips Away At Roe

2007-04-18T11:34:00.000-04:00

I am quite unhappy to find that the Supreme Court upholds the "partial birth" abortion ban legislation in a 5-4 vote. Mr. Justice Kennedy voted with the majority. The entire decision (PDF) is here. Justice Ginsburg wrote an admirable and well reasoned dissenting opinion that includes the following bits.

the concerns expressed are untethered to any
ground genuinely serving the Government's interest in
preserving life. By allowing such concerns to carry the
day and case, overriding fundamental rights, the Court
dishonors our precedent.

the Court invokes an antiabortion
shibboleth for which it concededly has no reliable
evidence: Women who have abortions come to regret their
choices, and consequently suffer from [s]evere depression
and loss of esteem. Because of women's fragile emotional state and because of the "bond of love the mother has for her child," the Court worries, doctors may
withhold information about the nature of the intact D&E
procedure. The solution the Court approves,
then, is not to require doctors to inform women,
accurately and adequately, of the different procedures and
their attendant risks. (States are free to enact laws to provide a
reasonable framework for a woman to make a decision
that has such profound and lasting meaning.). Instead,
the Court deprives women of the right to make an
autonomous choice, even at the expense of their safety.

This way of thinking reflects ancient notions about
women's place in the family and under the Constitution --
ideas that have long since been discredited.

The Court's hostility to the right Roe and
Casey secured is not concealed. Throughout, the opinion
refers to obstetrician-gynecologists and surgeons who
perform abortions not by the titles of their medical specialties,
but by the pejorative label "abortion doctor."A fetus is described as an "unborn
child," and as a "baby," ... and the reasoned medical judgments of highly
trained doctors are dismissed as "preferences" motivated
by "mere convenience,"

In sum, the notion that the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban
Act furthers any legitimate governmental interest is, quite
simply, irrational. The Court's defense of the statute
provides no saving explanation. In candor, the Act, and
the Court's defense of it, cannot be understood as anything
other than an effort to chip away at a right declared again
and again by this Court and with increasing comprehension
of its centrality to women's lives. When "a statute burdens constitutional
rights and all that can be said on its behalf is that it
is the vehicle that legislators have chosen for expressing
their hostility to those rights, the burden is undue."

The only think I can say is that this might ensure a generation of Democratic presidents.

"Will no one rid me of this turbulent blogger?"

2007-04-17T21:02:00.000-04:00

The self-loathing Phillipina thinks Barak Obama (on the left with his mother) is inarticulate. Here is the audio. Judge for yourself. It seems a lot of folks on the right don't care for large themes and abstraction.

Polls, Polls, Get Yer Fresh Polls Here

2007-04-16T11:12:00.000-04:00

The brand new Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg and L.A. Times Polls

Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling the economy?

Now 1/07 12/06
Approve 38 45 48
Disapprove 57 49 48

Do you think things in this country are generally going in the right direction or are they seriously off on the wrong track?

Right direction 25
Wrong track 66
Don’t know 9

Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling the situation in Iraq? (IF APPROVE OR DISAPPROVE)
Do you (approve/disapprove) strongly or do you (approve/disapprove) somewhat?

Approve (net) 33
Approve strongly 20
Approve somewhat 13
Disapprove (net) 65
Disapprove somewhat
Disapprove strongly 52

Kurt Vonnegut, RIP

2007-04-12T08:26:00.000-04:00

"Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth. It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It's round and wet and crowded. At the outside, babies, you've got about a hundred years here. There's only one rule that I know of, babies — 'God damn it, you've got to be kind.' "

From God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater

Dammit. I hate it when the angels die.

The General

2007-04-11T19:15:00.000-04:00

got a little bit of the bad taste of Imus out of my mouth. Drop by and see each of the lovely young women that the disgusting creeps who will do anything for money tried to soil. This is the perfect post.

And MSNBC has dropped him permanently from the teevee.

Maryland, My Maryland

2007-04-10T20:13:00.003-04:00

I am so proud of my adopted state.

Today our son, Hall of Famer Cal Ripkin Jr.cancelled his scheduled appearance on Don Imus'show today. On the other hand Comic Bill Maher, CBS News political analyst Jeff Greenfield and former Carter administration official Hamilton Jordan all showed up.

In other good news Maryland became the first state in the nation to have a state-wide "living wage" law, or will when the Governor signs it. "The bill, as revised, sets up two pay grades for the workers - at least $11.30 an hour in the Baltimore-Washington corridor and $8.50 an hour in rural areas."

Digby

2007-04-09T21:44:00.000-04:00

Profound as always.

Blog Against Theocracy: The Constitution and Religion

2007-04-08T16:01:00.000-04:00

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."

I wish to blog on this but it is such a big subject, one I have been pondering for some while now, that I don't exactly know how to pare it down. Before thinking about a post I was musing about the nature of religion. In this country, for the most part, we think of religion as a belief system wherein folks pray and look up to some sort of super-hero, regardless of what they name that super-hero.

In some ways our forefathers saw it that way too, although not completely. The Deists, one suspects, were just avoiding being athiests much like agnostics do today. Most of their writings, because that is all we really have to go on after all, is reactive. They came here, for the most part, to escape religious oppression in the old country and so reacted to the way it was in their countries of origin. While they never deny the existence, importance, or truth of religion they deny it authority over civil matters.

Witness the Declaration of Independence which talks of the protection of divine providence, the unalienable rights that the creator endows and even refers to the supreme judge of the world. These are observations, flowery language stating observations about matters that were generally agreed on, but they do not in any way speak to the rights given to that same creator, providence, or judge in matters of the nation.

And that, my friends, is the crux of the issue we face today. We are facing fascists in government who seek to use religion and fear as a basis for imposing their will on others. They've gotten pretty good at it, too. They continue to bicker over settled case law. (I shall not wade through the interpretation of these matters, the court cases, the history of the Constitutional Law. Matthew Krell did a fine job of that over at Street Prophets.) Most important they sneak about in the dark shadows, subverting our democracy because they know perfectly well that the citizenry would not support their actions.

Dahlia Lithwick gives us a perfect example in today's Washington Post with details of Monica Goodling's history before she resigned from the Justice Department.

A 1995 graduate of Messiah College, an evangelical Christian school, and a 1999 graduate of Pat Robertson's Regent University Law School...

Here she is in 1997 fielding calls from reporters to the admissions office of Regent's School of Government. Asked whether non-Christians were admitted, she explained that "we admit all students without discrimination. We are a Christian institution; it is assumed that everyone in the classes are Christians." ...

Goodling is one of 150 graduates of Regent University who have served in this administration, as Regent's Web site proudly proclaims. Pretty impressive for a 29-year-old school...

Under Ashcroft, career lawyers were systematically fired or forced out and replaced by members of conservative or Christian groups or folks with no civil rights experience. In the five years after 2001, the Civil Rights Division brought no voting cases -- and only one employment case -- on behalf of an African American. Instead, the division took up the "civil rights" abuses of reverse discrimination -- claims of voter fraud or discrimination against Christians.

I clearly can't scare you enough here, but if you haven't done so please begin to pay attention to what this administration is really doing, to the many ways in which it is subverting the Constitution in favor of a theocracy. We are becoming Iran and Saudi Arabia. And we are doing it in the same way that Germany did it in the last century. If you think I am being alarmist, read Chris Hedges excellent book "American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America." You will find it cogent and chilling.

And please, pay attention.

Blog Against Theocracy, Part I

2007-04-08T09:42:00.000-04:00

Blue Gal has decreed. And she's right. I'll be back to do it later. But in the meanwhile, what part of NO LAW is hard?

Another Holiday - South Park Spoiler Alert

2007-04-05T22:38:00.000-04:00

I'm still reeling after South Park revealed to me the inside poop on easter and Bill Donahue. I was doing ok until Stan's dad revealed his membership in the Hare Club for Men. Then I finish watching the pseudo-Tivoed episode and, lurking in the background on my very TV was Bill Donahue claiming that the very episode I had just finished -- the episode in which Jesus killed Bill Donahue with an asian throwing star because he claimed to be the Pope -- was anti-Jesus. No, it was anti-Bill Donahue. And very good at it too.

This year's holiday seems to be more off than usual because the next thing I do is trip over this --->

Something about the bunnies I think.

Dick Cheney is Hiding in the Bushes

2007-04-04T09:14:00.000-04:00

Stephen Crowley/The New York Times

What does he know that we don't?

Passover

2007-04-02T18:01:00.000-04:00

Passover starts in a few minutes. The short version -- two minutes -- of the Haggadah is here. It is a story about being strangers in a land and an escape from slavery. You can read a longer version by clicking on the picture.

From the Open Source Haggadah

Even as we remember tonight what it was like when we were slaves in the land of Egypt; even as we think of our Jewish brothers and sisters who are still enslaved in various lands and places, so do we tonight remember people (whether they are Jews or not) who still suffer from slavery, hunger, and/or repression.

Again this year, as during the Exodus, we unite with the oppressed of our time:
* The Palestinian people, whose destiny is so tragically intertwine with our own. And those Israeli people who are striving for peace amidst threats of destruction.
* The black population of South Africa.
* The people of China, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.
* American Indians and indigenous peoples of Central and South America.
* All those who are oppressed because of their gender or sexual preference.
* All refugees.
* All those who are imprisoned for belies or practices which do others no harm.

Ever since we were slaves in Egypt, we have united with all those who strive TO BE, who seek liberation and freedom.

Then the third glass of wine, of course.

The Jewish Fund for Justice gives us this supplement to prompt thought and compassion. Go read it all.

The story of the Jewish people’s transition from protected outsiders to slaves serves as a cautionary tale about the tendency of all societies to oppress gerim—the vulnerable strangers in their midst. On multiple occasions, the Torah explains a humanitarian law by commenting, “for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” Our experience of otherness compels us to create societies that protect newcomers from harm.

...

This spring, Congress will resume discussions about a comprehensive immigration bill. Immigration advocates hope that this legislation will provide for a realistic number of visas for those who wish to enter the United States, allow those here illegally to apply to legalize their status, and speed up the process of receiving visas to reunite with family members already in the United States.

Food Update: Celebrity Cooks I Loathe

2007-03-26T18:24:00.000-04:00

I am terribly sorry but I have been lax not bringing this to you in a timely manner. Mr. Sun gives us a Post I Wish I Had Written entitled The case for offing Rachael Ray described by Mr. Sun as "the hoof-mouthed culinary she-devil from Hades -- the sous-Satan from Hell's Kitchen." Personally I believe he was too kind.

If you read his piece the thing that seems to have driven him over the top is her shilling for Triscuit cracker recipes. Seems as how he was able to put cheese on a cracker without her help. Personally I cut her a little slack because the race for the remote whenever I spot her visage on the TV gives me a little exercise. Beyond that she is a booth babe, plain and simple, and nothing more. Well maybe a little more. She seems to be finding an audience.

Exhausted Friday

2007-03-23T14:09:00.000-04:00

Everything this week knocked me out from work to Elizabeth Edwards. Damn that cancer sucks so bad.

I'm going to kick back for a while. You ponder the question "What would Brian Boitano do?"

Hooters To Open in Tel Aviv, Israel

2007-03-20T16:30:00.000-04:00

saith Frank Ahrens who discovered this addendum to Revelations.

Rev. 23: 1-4

1And from the West came a harlot She-Beast bearing plates of strange food: fried rings of onion and wings of bison.
2And, verily I say unto thee, there also was in that place beer.
3And the She-Beast had the eyes of a great owl that were painted with blue, and flaxen yellow hair that moved not when she did.
4And the men of Judea stood in the shadow of the great She-Beast's bosom and tried to get her number.

I Went To IKEA Today

2007-03-18T16:57:00.000-04:00

and, as always, it was a horrid experience. I go about every two years once I have forgotten how wretched the last trip was. Gee, I got to thinking, IKEA has some of what I need and pretty cheap too. Why don't I just tool over there and ....

Anybody with half a brain would notice the gross of "family parking" places and would guess from the baby carriage graphic on them that "family" does't mean "adult children and their parents." And sure enough the place was packed with urchins, many of whom were wearing Heelys, those trainers with wheels in the heel. Most places in my neighborhood -- pharmacies, grocers, and the like -- have banned the things so my guard was down. Then there were the strollers. Parents with two strollers and a cart are a special kind of unconscious. The man playing with the infant on the big kid bed might have been adorable if the infant wasn't continually baby-barfing on the thing. And there is that general thing that happens nowadays (yeah, my age is showing) where they all think that the fact that they reproduced gives them a special entitlement to treat everybody like shit because their little darling is just the most adorable, special creature in the world.

Why am I going on and on about this you ask? Besides that venting is less likely to land me in prison that some other form of exorcism? Because I want to renew my call for universal birth control. Develop something that is added to all of the water. Has to be colorless and tasteless. Better yet, it would have the side effect of preventing cancer. Then only the nuttiest would complain when they found out.

Then folks need to apply for a license to bear children. To receive a license they would have to demonstrate their ability to train the little darlings and, most important, turn them into socially responsible little beings. I admit that the licenses would probably end up being limited to socially responsible adults, which means that there would be more progressives reproducing, but no so much so that the imbalance would be seriously noticeable.

Fire away. I'm reeling already.

The Administration's Creepiest

2007-03-18T10:23:00.000-04:00

amongst a sea of creepy. Stephen Hadley, National Security Advisor to the President, is one of the few of Bush's Very Special Advisors who doesn't have a purdy mouth. He was bloviating on George Stephanopoulis' show this morning and, as usual, I can't focus on his words. It is too disturbing thinking about what he likes to do under the covers late at night. That innocent boyish face just makes it worse. I'm going to wash out my eyes with bleach now.

My Favorite Sport, Schadenfreude

2007-03-15T19:34:00.000-04:00

Yes, two joyous posts today. No photos this time for which, I'm sure, you'll be grateful. From Shenanigan's Blog on Politico a little local gossip:

today on the Hill, Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Ohio) was seen making a spectacle of herself when the unlucky lawmaker slipped and fell in what we’re told was vomit, in a bathroom in Cannon. (Some nice female dealing with the repercussions of Jason Roe’s going away party by chance?) “She made THE biggest scene in the hallway,” says a staffer who escaped the, um, regurgitation. “It’s literally all down her back.”

Wanker of the, Well Month at Least

2007-03-15T19:23:00.000-04:00

(h/t to Atrios for the title reference)

I'll just quote the piece in The Hill. It's too stupid for words. The photo over there is just to remind you how really really short he is.

Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), the Democratic Caucus chairman, has told new Democratic members of Congress to steer clear of Stephen Colbert, or at least his satirical Comedy Central program, “The Colbert Report.”

“He said don’t do it … it’s a risk and it’s probably safer not to do it,” said Rep. Steve Cohen. But the freshman lawmaker from Tennessee taped a segment that last week was featured in the 32nd installment of the “Better Know a District” series. Colbert asked Cohen whether he was a black woman. He isn’t.

Eyes (but thankfully, not heads) roll in Emanuel’s office when other freshmen stumble, such as the time Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Ky.) got into a debate about the merits of throwing kittens into a wood-chipper, or when Rep. Zack Space (D-Ohio) explained that he is not his predecessor, convicted felon Bob Ney (R).

Part of me wants to blame this idiocy on his DLC inclination, but really it's just because he's a short douchebag with no sense of humor.

A Little Sports Post,

2007-03-13T21:18:00.000-04:00

a little Star Trek. Honoring my geek friends who like sports and the NCAA's beginning this week. And honoring General Pace as well.

(And for my supergeek friends who have no idea, Tim Hardaway the basketball player pictured, made a big deal about his hatred of gay folks.

Know The "Candidates," Part I - Newt

2007-03-12T21:06:00.000-04:00

We all know how important it is to Know The Candidates, so in the interest of my public and the small service I may provide, I'll focus on charactr.

Newt Gingrich, courtesy of Scoobie Davis via Skippy

Here's a summary of Gingrich's family life: 1) Gingrich marries his high school teacher, Jackie, who was seven years his senior; 2) Jackie puts Gingrich through college and she works hard to get him elected to the House in 1978 (Gingrich won partly because his campaign claimed that his Democratic opponent would neglect her family if elected--at that time it was common knowledge that Gingrich was straying); 3) Shortly after being elected, Gingrich separated from his wife--announcing the separation in the hospital room where Jackie was recovering from cancer surgery (the divorce was final in 1981); Jackie Gingrich and her children had to depend on alms from her church because Gingrich didn't pay any child support; 3) Six months after the divorce, Gingrich, then 38, married Marianne Ginther, 30; 4) "In May 1999, however, Gingrich [55] called Marianne [48] at her mother's home. After wishing the 84-year-old matriarch happy birthday, he told Marianne that he wanted a divorce." Happy Fucking Mother's Day. This was eight months after Marianne was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis; 5) In 2000, Gingrich, 57, married ex-congressional aide Callista Bisek, 34, with whom he was having a relationship while married to Marianne.

General Kiley, Toast

2007-03-12T15:17:00.000-04:00

According to Bloomberg

Lieutenant General Kevin Kiley, the U.S. Army's surgeon general, was forced to retire, the third official to lose his job after disclosures last month of substandard care for injured soldiers at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington.

...

Acting Army Secretary Pete Geren asked Kiley to retire yesterday, a senior Defense Department official who asked not to be identified told reporters at the Pentagon. Kiley, 56, submitted his retirement letter that day.

Too bad. He should have been stripped of his rank and retirement and fired outright.

A Little Knitting

2007-03-05T18:29:00.000-05:00

Even though this blog was supposed to combine all of my others, I still haven't managed to add the knitting/spinning/fiber stuff. I know those are specialized interests, but that isn't enough of a reason. I really didn't get it until I saw this. It isn't some trashy craft project from somebody in Dubuque.

It is from Jean-Paul Gautier's Fall-Winter 2007 collection via Style.com. Perhaps it keeps one safer in these dangerous times. Or it represents an effort at fusion fashion, combining a hat from the 1940s with a chador.

For Your Entertainment

2007-03-05T07:33:00.000-05:00

What kind of extremist are you? Your Result: Rational Person You consider these questions obvious straw men, designed to distract people from a meaningful investigation of facts and a serious discussion of relevant political issues. How boring.
Moderate Extremist
Right-Wing Extremist
Left-Wing Extremist
What kind of extremist are you?

Via Avedon Carol

More Wingnuts For Your Entertainment

2007-03-04T22:42:00.000-05:00

I don't think this is becoming the blog of YouTube Wingnuts, but with film this good, how can I resist.

Interviews from CPAC (Conservative Political Action Committee) Max Blumenthal writing at The Nation. I have a particular fondness for watching Ms. Malkin go all apeshit after she realizes that putting out an errata sheet on her book means that she admitted she made mistakes.

It's A Busy Day For Drag

2007-02-26T13:47:00.000-05:00

Yes, what you can see now is the top of The Donald's head. You must click. And be patient.

How The Mighty Have Fallen

2007-02-26T12:05:00.000-05:00

It really is David Hasselhoff.

Thanks to the great Manolo.

I Can't Decide Which Is The Worst

2007-02-26T00:08:00.000-05:00

Faye Dunaway or Celine Dion.

Think, think, think ... nope. It's a tie.

Git Yer Kulchur Right Here

2007-02-25T10:22:00.000-05:00

More Americana. I couldn't let you live in ignorance.

This item is described as

"Melon Scented Underwear Thong, Pink with Yellow Band. Melon scented underwear utilizes a new technology that weaves the same material from a drier sheet into the underwear fabric, creating a powder fresh scent that lasts for up to fifteen washes."

So for you women, and especially you men, who have been secretly longing for a coochie scented of melon, here's your chance. And. They are on sale at drugstore.com

An Educational Post

2007-02-25T08:24:00.000-05:00

Apparently one of my faithful readers, Miss Kimmah, has never seen the aforementioned decorative testicles hanging behind a vehicle. She clearly lives in a better neighborhood than I do. So in the interest of greater clarity, I give you Truck with Testicles.

Just so you know, they come in a smaller size for motorcycle users and in a wide range of colors including chrome, camouflage, "flesh," and black. Here they are in a lovely shade of blue which I suspect is supposed to make a statement, but perhaps I give the users too much credit.

Yes, yes, you're welcome. We try to keep our readers fully informed.

Doh!

2007-02-23T16:30:00.000-05:00

And in more News Of The Obvious we have this lede:

Among Religious Groups, Jewish Americans Most Strongly Oppose War

Thank you Mr. Gallup.

Maryland, My Maryland

2007-02-23T11:22:00.000-05:00

Proposed legislation, taken from a newsletter I get keeping me informed of these vital things.

Bill would ban explicit decorations on vehicles
Regional Digest
Maryland
Baltimore Sun
Feb 23, 2007

Fake bull testicles and other anatomically explicit vehicle decorations would be banned from Maryland roads under a bill pending in the state legislature.

The measure was filed Monday by Del. LeRoy E. Myers Jr., a Washington County Republican who says children shouldn't be exposed to such decorations dangling from pickup truck trailer hitches. The bill also would ban depictions of naked human breasts, buttocks or genitals, with offenses punishable by fines of up to $500.

The American Civil Liberties Union objected to Myers' bill. [Associated Press]

My first reaction was to ridicule such silly legislation. But on reflection I think it might keep a lot of rednecks, Texans, and those with tiny penises out of the state. I think I'll call Delegate Myers and tell he that I support him.

Charles Barkley

2007-02-18T12:50:00.000-05:00

has a few things to say about gays in basketball, sports, and Hardaway.
Charles Barkley is neither an idiot nor an asshole. In fact I've always liked his casual eloquence.

The Rumors Of

2007-02-17T15:04:00.000-05:00

the death of Leni Riefenstahl were greatly exagerated. Apparently she is alive and well and working for John McCain's campaign. Check out the video on the front page. It is astonishing.

I still wonder, given the last election, what made him dive so far to the right. John at AmericaBlog reports that he is missing today's Senate votes because he is giving a lecture on "don't do it until you are married" to some youths. He is either desperately whacky or figures that with enough fear we will all bow toward him, trembling. Or he is betting on another serious attack that will cause us all to lose our brains again.

Hattip to Ezra.

About This Blog and Its Title

2007-02-15T13:25:00.000-05:00

This place just appeared from nowhere. You who visited me at SashaUndercover have been directed here. The same is true of some of my other sites. My knitting and fiber blog, Practice Makes, hasn't been rolled over yet but new content will end up here. So here's a brief explanation. I will keep a link to it on the sidebar.

On March 20, 2003 I began a little blog called Sasha Undercover. Over the past nearly four years (Wow!) it received a moderate amount of traffic and some kind words like these

"a fun and bright poli-read"
Ruminate This

and this

"a damn smart chick who's on the right side
of things"
Have Fun, Go Mad

and most of all this

"HA!!!!! We're all gonna die"
. . . Anonymous

In that time blogtopia (coined by Skippy!)has gone from a neighborhoody place to one populated by multi-owner mega-blogs. I am not inclined toward a mega-blog. And I'm having trouble sticking to the purely political format I tried to maintain on SU.

This, then, is my effort to combine what has become a gaggle of single-purpose blogs. The politics stays. Indeed it is a large chunk of what interests me, so in that sense you could say that I rolled SashaUndercover over into this place. But you will also find recipes, knitting, shout-outs, and other things that interest me. This will be more like my home.

Please pull up a computer screen and stay, regardless of how you got here. You are most welcome.

I Am Spartacus

2007-02-14T19:54:00.000-05:00

Driftglass started the movement. Join us.

Perfect!

2007-02-12T18:52:00.000-05:00

The flat tire from last night has been replaced by a new affordable one. The mail brought three magazines: Interweave Knits bringing the promise of spring, The Nation reminding me that vigilance is the price of liberty, and Poets @ Writers with a lovely picture of Lawrence Ferlinghetti. And not a single bill. The snow is gently falling. Every forecast tells me that tomorrow the sleet will be very dangerous, that the folks responsible for maintaining the roads are begging me to stay home tomorrow.

I think I will.

Jack Bauer and the Aqua Teen Hunger Force

2007-02-09T15:45:00.000-05:00

One of the Problems With Blogs

2007-02-04T21:51:00.000-05:00

is one of their strengths. They pick up links and repeat them across the spectrum of readers. This allows information to be spread near and far, to corners that only have a weekly newspaper that shows the wreck of the week on the front page. Information and even facts are really accessible.

People have come to view blogs as personal publishing devices, the modern-day equivalent of a private printing press. But the ubiquity of the blog denies the power of the printing press to any single blog.

I have a notion that original thought might be published on blogs but that any worthwhile thoughts are likely to be swallowed up in the vast swamp of mediocrity. I don't know a good way through the jungle today, but I hope that most of the vanity blogs go to myspace. It would be wonderful if somebody started a meta-blog linking to actual thoughts, but I am not optimistic.

Cash for Science

2007-02-03T10:42:00.000-05:00

I love everything about this brief story.

Scientists and economists have been offered $10,000 each by a lobby group funded by one of the world's largest oil companies to undermine a major climate change report due to be published today.

Letters sent by the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), an ExxonMobil-funded thinktank with close links to the Bush administration, offered the payments for articles that emphasise the shortcomings of a report from the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Let me be linear for a moment. First they think that scientists' professional reputation and labor is only worth $10,000. Seems a bit low to me but maybe they have graduate students in mind. Of course they wouldn't be the best spokespeople when pitted against the caliber of scientists on the panel, but maybe the sponsors would be happy with anybody they could point to as long as they could put the word "Scientist" after the name.

Let's move on to other joys this story brings me. The American Enterprise Institute (AEI) tries very hard to convince us that they are an independent think tank, a gaggle of thoughtful conservatives providing us with guidance. They tell us

Competition of ideas is fundamental to a free society

The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research is a private, nonpartisan, not-for-profit institution dedicated to research and education on issues of government, politics, economics, and social welfare.

(I'm sure you can find the link for yourselves. I don't need to make it easy on them.)

I suppose they would argue that offering cash for an idea consists of "competition of ideas" but some might disagree. Some -- meaning me -- view this as a spectacular example of monopoly capitalism run amok.

More important, though, is the information that AEI is "an ExxonMobil-funded thinktank." Well if that doesn't just scream nonpartisan, competition of ideas, and the elevation of research.

Microwave Popcorn

2007-02-02T23:55:00.000-05:00

is improved substantially with a dusting of freshly grated parmesan and black pepper.

Changes

2007-02-02T12:18:00.000-05:00

I have added a set of labels to my blogroll. Before those of you who struggle with such details get to wondering about the order of things, it is alphabetical. You see my label "Links" is representative of directory pages. The first letter is uppercase because I wanted it to come first. It didn't work. Posts that represent my internet trolling with commentary are called "linkaaj."

Ok, it's just the way I think. Deal.

Fear the Light Bright?

2007-02-02T00:11:00.000-05:00

Landru has calculated the probability you'll be killed by a light bright.

Bill Moyers Tribute to Molly Ivins

2007-01-31T21:52:00.000-05:00

Here in its entirety.

What a foot-stompin’ reunion there must be at this very moment in that great Purgatory of Journalists in the Sky. I can see them now—Ida Tarbell, Lincoln Steffens, Ray Stannard Baker, Upton Sinclair, Henry Demarest Lloyd, Ida B. Wells, David Graham Phillips, George Seldes, I. F. Stone, Walter Karp, Willie Morris—welcoming our darlin’ to their bosoms. Oh, my, how she comes trailing clouds of truth-telling glory! Look at her—big-hearted as ever, leaning over the balustrade and reaching down to the tormented of Hades, moistening Tom DeLay’s lips, patting down Bob Perry's hair, erasing George W's sandstone scribblings. In the celestial light she glows as irrepressibly and vividly as she did here on Earth, where she made the mighty humble, the wicked ashamed, and the good ol' boys reach for the barrel to hide their forlorn nakedness. And, oh, the stories she must be telling as we speak.

At a PBS meeting a few years ago, she ended her talk with a joke that would have gotten anyone else arrested or excommunicated. But she was carried out on the crowd's shoulders, as right now she is being ushered into the Council of Ink-Stained Immortals, where the only religion is truth. Save some room up there, Molly: You have inspired us earthbound wretches to keep trying to live up to your legacy in the hope of joining you there one day.

Molly Ivins, RIP

2007-01-31T19:43:00.000-05:00

Molly Ivins didn't make it through the third round of breast cancer. I will miss her terribly. We all will.

The Texas Observer has put together a lovely tribute with a photo of Molly as we should all remember her.

Linkaaj

2007-01-29T19:01:00.000-05:00

Where I've been instead of writing something profound for you:

The appropriate response to the death of Barbara at Deadspin. If you are a sportsy type, scroll down for the photoshopped Jackie Kennedy on Air Force One photo.

A newish on-line political magazine, The Politico has job listings and wants you to write editorials.

For my crafty fans, knitted food with instructions including the chicken viking hat in the attached picture.. How brave are you?

It looks like Air America has been yanked kicking and screaming from the brink of death. And that Al Franken will be running from the Senate, if you had any doubt.

If it is a slow time for you, or if your political junkiness exceeds your time management skills, go to Fire Dog Lake where they are doing a terrific job of bringing you All The Libby Trial News All The Time. This is a serious public service for which they deserve support and praise.

Good News About Butterstick

2007-01-27T09:20:00.000-05:00

From this morning's Washington Post:

The National Zoo said yesterday that it is negotiating with China to keep its popular baby panda beyond the expected two years.

The zoo said on its Web site that Tai Shan was supposed to be sent to China sometime after he turns 2.

However, the zoo said, "we expect that the cub will, at a minimum, be here throughout the summer and early fall."

Excellent. That will extend our chance to free the poor thing.

A Confession from The Lazy Cook

2007-01-26T18:34:00.000-05:00

Buy the pork loin, boneless, fatless, well trimmed, when it on sale for $1.99 a pound instead of the usual $5.99 a pound. Buy a couple and freeze them.

I'll let you do whatever you do, set the oven to like 425, cook it until it is 15-20 minutes before done. Then baste it with your favorite glaze. Oh yeah, this is the confession part.

So for your Apricot Herb Glaze you take one container of Gerber apricots with mixed fruit. Dump it into a bowl. No preservatives, no funky stuff, just puree. Add to that freshly ground black pepper to taste, a pinch of salt, and about 1/4 tsp. of McCormick Greek herbs. (Yes, they've mixed it for you. Oregano, rosemary, mint, garlic powder, and who knows what.) Mix.

Smear it on the close-to-done pork. You may use a spoon, spatula or a 1" paint brush from Sears, like I do. Throw the container in the trash so your guests never know. Enjoy!

Blog for Choice Day, 2007

2007-01-22T17:45:00.000-05:00

(I'm having trouble making the link to Bush v. Choice, sponsors of Blog for Choice day, to work. So it is here.)

In case you don't know, I live in the Washington DC metropolitan area. And this day is the "March for Life" day. They are all over, babies bussed in with their nuns from parochial schools. But whatever deity they believe in must have a hell of a sense of humor, causing Roe v. Wade to be decided in January. Today the high was in the 20s with a layer of ice over snow on everything. It does my heart good.

Choice is essential for a lot of reasons that are essayworthy, but the one closest to my heart is that it is my body, my mother's body, my daughter's body. I am old enough to know a time when abortion wasn't legal, when women died with some regularity obtaining what we call back-alley abortions. They are called that because somebody knew somebody who knew somebody who worked in a room in the lousy part of town. A pregnant woman went alone, no support and no help. The fee might have been small but was most likely equivalent to a month's rent, not easy to come up with. Yet women went. Some survived, knowing not to breathe a word to anybody except the next women who whispered "Do you know ..."

To many it seems long ago and far away. To me, it was yesterday.

I've never told anyone this story. Most of you don't know my gender, marital status, or anything much about me. But it is way past time to say what matters. I was one of the lucky ones. I was married with children and terrified of another pregnancy. Three children under five was enough to make any woman terrified of another pregnancy. I was a regular and loyal user of sometimes unreliable birth control.

And I was late. One day, two days. There were no over-the-counter tests. Three days. Four days. At which point I discovered that my decision had already been made, one of those things I didn't know about myself until it was tested. Remember, abortion was illegal unless the life of the mother was in danger. I asked everybody I knew. And I found that if two psychiatrists testified that I would commit suicide if forced to carry a child to term, I could obtain a legal abortion.

Seven days, eight days. Through very good friends and with no disclosure to my then husband I lined up one psychiatrist. And had an appointment with a second. Day 12, my flow began. Maybe it was one of those little miscarriages or just a quirk in my system.

That day in 1973 when Roe v Wade was decided I knew I'd never go through that again. Nor would anyone else. I'd do almost anything to keep it that way.

I Know It's My Own Fault

2007-01-20T17:05:00.000-05:00

I never should have dropped in on the American Idol auditions the other night. Those are minutes of my life that I'll never get back. But worse, this damn song has been rolling around in my head ever since. I hoped listening to the damn thing would help but it hasn't. May be giving it to you will make me lose it.

Don't Fall In Love During the Primary

2007-01-19T20:06:00.000-05:00

That is advice I am struggling to follow. I know that if I fall in love during the primary season I am very likely to have to support someone in the general election that makes me want to hold my nose. And I certainly have done that enough times so that I ought to learn.

That said, my favorite candidate is finally sniffing the air of "exploratory committee" land. In case you are curious

William Blaine Richardson was born in Pasadena, Calif. His father was an international banker from Boston; his mother was Mexican. He spent his early childhood in Mexico City, where his father worked for CitiBank. As a teenager, he attended a tony boarding school in Concord, Mass., where he was pitcher on the baseball team — a sport he follows closely to this day.

After graduating from Tufts University in 1971 with a master's degree in international affairs, Richardson worked first as a congressional aide and then for the State Department. He was a staffer for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when he decided to leave Washington in 1978 to launch a political career.

Richardson settled in New Mexico, partly because of the state's large Hispanic population. In 1980, after only two years in the state, he surprised political experts by coming within 1,000 votes of unseating veteran Republican Rep. Manuel Lujan, who would later serve as Interior Secretary. In 1982, Richardson was elected to the House and then was re-elected seven times.

In 1996, Clinton tapped Richardson to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, where he served until 1998, when he joined the Clinton cabinet as secretary of Energy. He was criticized by Congress during his two years at the helm of the Energy Department for his handling of alleged breaches of nuclear secrets and the botched case against Los Alamos scientist Wen Ho Lee.

He was easily elected governor of New Mexico in 2002 and re-elected in November with 68 percent of the vote. While governor, Richardson has continued to keep a high profile nationally and served as chairman of the Democratic Governors Association as it expanded its ranks with wins across the country.

Yes, I Am The Fashion Police

2007-01-18T23:39:00.000-05:00

Why do you ask?

Which of these things is not like the other?

A thank you to Rue Rude came across Laura Bush, Cherie Blair, Ludmila Putin, the Queen of Sweden, and several other first ladies in Paris for a meeting at the invitation of Bernadette Chirac. How can so many American women, even those with more money than God, manage to look so dowdy and out of place? Ms. Laura is a sterling example. I won't begin to mention her mother-in-law.

Bill Moyers on the Media

2007-01-18T05:50:00.006-05:00

Bill Moyers, the most sensible man I know, spoke last Friday at the opening of the National Conference on Media Reform.

"As ownership gets more and more concentrated, fewer and fewer independent sources of information have survived in the marketplace; and those few significant alternatives that do survive, such as PBS and NPR, are under growing financial and political pressure to reduce critical news content and to shift their focus in a mainstream direction, which means being more attentive to establishment views than to the bleak realities of powerlessness that shape the lives of ordinary people."

Here's the transcript or you can listen to his remarks.

Linkage

2007-01-17T19:27:00.000-05:00

and such in progress. Patience please. I'd be quicker but I tripped over the fact that today is Robert E. Lee's 200th birthday and folks are singing his praises. I'm in a decline and need to rest.

Martin Luther King "Why I Am Opposed to the War in Vietnam"

2007-01-15T19:43:00.001-05:00

Movie Review: Children of Men

2007-01-06T17:52:00.000-05:00

I don't usually review movies because my tastes tend to be a little esoteric and because it's tough to do without plot giveaways. The accompanying shot takes place before the opening credits so you didn't have anything spoiled.

If you've seen the television trailer, and I don't see how you could miss it, you know it is a darkly shot film set in 2027. The main plot theme is that fertility has ended worldwide but a young woman is pregnant and needs to be escorted to a safe place. Clive Owen in another stunning performance is her unwilling escort. In fact the performances are outstanding thoughout, even down to Michael Caine -- never one of my favorites -- who is totally convincing as a ganga-smoking aging hippie.

Alfonso Cuaron, a Mexican director who brough us Y Tu Mama Tambien and Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban, has created a chilling England with too many echoes of the present. Rounded up immigrants stand in open cages on the street while the busses that move them from place to place are labeled "Homeland Security."

Although it doesn't deserve any comparison, I can't help a little Blade Runner comparison with the cinematography. It is dark and pale but, unlike Blade Runner, not the least but slick. You can almost taste the grit and blood and smoke in the air. During battle scenes there is a lot of hand-held camera work that adds to the street level scenes rather than seeming like a badly done film school technique.

This is not a cheerful movie, but while chilling it isn't as depressing at one might think. There are several totally uplifting though brief scenes. But there is no phoney cheer here. Go anyway. It is the best movie I have seen in a very long time. I will see it again.

Mindfulness

2007-01-06T10:49:00.000-05:00

Yeah, new age crap. But it isn't. It's old age crap. And all it really means is paying attention to what you are doing right now instead of focusing on the past or future or something else. I'm working on it.

In that vein, much as I'd love to stay and chat, I may have a line on a new yoga class that is reasonably nearby and works for me logistically. So I'm going to hunt it down. I am told it is taught by an aging hippie. I know this because I asked if it was taught by one of those narcissistic young folk who only do things so you'll tell them how fabulous they are. As you might imagine, I'm not to patient with them.

I'm off to quest now.

A Surprise For Me

2007-01-04T13:52:00.000-05:00

I have a pretty tough shell, but when I watched the first woman, surrounded by her children and grandchildren, holding an infant grandchild, elected to be Speaker of the House, I was incredibly moved. I guess I never thought we'd get here. I'm so glad that we did.

Gerald R. Ford, The Last Chapter

2007-01-02T09:19:00.000-05:00

A friend reminded me that we may, indeed, make fun of the dead even before they are planted. And Attaturk, substituting for Atrios, did it beautifully. He also relates Chris Matthews, henceforth known only as Tweety, as saying on the teevee

"The last time I talked to President Ford he was lying down much like he is now."

I'm just grateful that I'm not fighting the funeral traffic.

A Really Bad Idea

2007-01-01T17:20:00.000-05:00

Say you have three or four bottles of hot sauce laying around. Don't just splash it on the back of your hand and taste. By the third one your mouth is burning and numb at the same time.

Another helpful hint. Ask me how I know.

Is This Thing On?

2006-12-30T12:02:00.000-05:00

I? Have been taught correctly.

Oh, and this isn't about cooking.

Welcome.