Tuesday Night Music Club

Abby Ahmad Live in NYC "Tri-Me"


I need to step outside. Another day marks another way. Marks a new reason to hide.
It's true when you slip, you slide. On the ground, been pushed down by this primitive pride. [complete lyrics]

Sarah and the Fatwah

Oh shit alert. IBN tells of the fatwah by a Pakistani cleric because of Pakistani President Zadari's, "shameful behavior."

Lost in the Wilderness

When Palin does the crash and burn, someone ought to let her use one of her lifelines; it's the humane thing to do. Another respected journalist jumps off the Scary Talk Express. Culled from TruthDig:

Calling Sarah Palin’s recent interview with CBS anchor Katie Couric “the last straw,” Newsweek editor and columnist Fareed Zakaria tells Wolf Blitzer on Monday’s episode of “The Situation Room” that it’s not a matter of Palin not giving the right answer when faced with a complex question about the economy or foreign policy, “it’s that she clearly does not understand the question.”

The highlight reel begins at 1:54.

Incurious George and His Imperial Presidency

The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia hosted political writer and former Clinton administration senior advisor, Sidney Blumenthal just before the last midterm election. His talk recounts the content of his book, How Bush Rules, and is both prescient and insightful, speaking to the radical departure from constitutional protections and and precedent as exercised by the Bush administration. This 50 minute presentation is extraordinary documentation of the unprecedented attempt of the Bush administration to undermine our democracy and recent-history revisited that should be required listening for any American who cares about our country. Listen. Please. This segment appears about a quarter of the way down the page.

The Maritime of Foreign Policy

What, you say? Exactly. Sarah Palin is asea. SNL and Tina Fey have done it again, this time the Couric interview. Scary. They actually used some of Palin's own dialog.

In the case of Palin's debate performance, a little learning is a dangerous thing as observed and roundly condemned by conservative columnist Kathleen Parker in NRO who called for her to resign from the campaign, ""Palin can save McCain, her party, and the country." Included in Parker's commentary was the statement, "My cringe reflex is exhausted."

Godspeed Mr. Newman

We lost a great one last night. Rest in Peace Paul Newman.

Senator McCain counted his mc-chickens before they mc-hatched. Debate polling results.

A Fighting Chance

60 Minutes did a segment last year, A Fighting Chance, on the field medical hospital at Balad AB, Iraq, its personnel, and the CCATT missions to Landstuhl, Germany. I know some of the people in the segment and as a result of being married to a CCATT doctor for the last several years, I understand the anguish. A fact to keep in mind:

"Many hospitals in the United States treat perhaps three or four trauma patients a month. Balad handles 246 monthly, with 150 evaluated for traumatic brain injuries, from admissions totaling 500."

Please watch it and let yourself feel about the people who show up everyday to save lives and those they care for. These medical personnel make the horror of this misbegotten war/occupation a tiny bit easier to bear because of the care these brave people provide. Watch it here.

Palin Scheduled For Remedial English Course

At least she should be. The GOP is right to hide her. Certainly until she's taught to construct an intelligible sentence. I now see why it took attending five colleges before she could wrangle a degree. Maybe she should have shot one down from a helicopter. Somebody needs to learn that girl.
From her interview with Katie Couric:

COURIC: You've cited Alaska's proximity to Russia as part of your foreign policy experience. What did you mean by that?

PALIN: That Alaska has a very narrow maritime border between a foreign country, Russia, and on our other side, the land-- boundary that we have with-- Canada. It-- it's funny that a comment like that was-- kind of made to-- cari-- I don't know, you know? Reporters--

COURIC: Mock?

PALIN: Yeah, mocked, I guess that's the word, yeah.

COURIC: Explain to me why that enhances your foreign policy credentials.

PALIN: Well, it certainly does because our-- our next door neighbors are foreign countries. They're in the state that I am the executive of. And there in Russia--

COURIC: Have you ever been involved with any negotiations, for example, with the Russians?

PALIN: We have trade missions back and forth. We-- we do-- it's very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia as Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where-- where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border. It is-- from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there. They are right next to-- to our state.

No Barracuda

Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart have said it best, so I'll leave it to their eloquence. Click on image to make bigger.Pop by their place and give 'em a thumbs up.

Slacker Uprising!

I'm certainly not the first or only person posting Michael Moore's latest film released today, Slacker Uprising

Watch it, download it, pass it around, but most of all let it move you to action. Action may be our only hope in the pre-apocolyptic culture of greed, compliments of BushCo. Click here to watch the film. It is definitely time to 'Slacker up'

Kitty Love

Fall in love with Charley

Big News Day in AK! (scroll down fer cryin out loud)

Courtesy of a good friend some photos from the biggest rally in Alaska's history. Also, a note from the organizer herself, who I will keep anonymous

[The] Alaska Women Reject Palin rally was to be held outside on the lawn in front of the Loussac Library in midtown Anchorage. Home made signs were encouraged, and the idea was to make a statement that Sarah Palin does not speak for all Alaska women, or men. I had no idea what to expect.

The rally was organized by a small group of women, talking over coffee. It made me wonder what other things have started with small groups of women talking over coffee. It's probably an impressive list. These women hatched the plan, printed up flyers, posted them around town, and sent notices to local media outlets. One of those media outlets was KBYR radio, home of Eddie Burke, a long-time uber- conserv ative Ancho rage talk show host. Turns out that Eddie Burke not only announced the rally, but called the people who planned to attend the rally "a bunch of socialist baby-killing maggots," and read the home phone numbers of the organizers aloud over the air, urging listeners to call and tell them what they thought. The women, of course, received some nasty, harassing and threatening messages.

I felt a bit apprehensive. I'd been disappointed before by the turnout at other rallies. Basically, in Anchorage, if you can get 25 people to show up at an event, it's a success. So, I thought to myself, if we can actually get 100 people there that aren't sent by Eddie Burke, we'll be doing good. A real statement will have been made. I confess, I still had a mental image of 15 demonstrators surrounded by hundreds of menacing "socialist baby-killing maggot" haters.

It's a good thing I wasn't tailgating when I saw the crowd in front of the library or I would have ended up in somebody's trunk. When I got there, about 20 minutes early, the line of sign wavers stretched the full length of the library grounds, along the edge of the road, 6 or 7 people deep! I could hardly find a place to park. I nabbed one of the last spots in the library lot, and as I got out of the car and started walking, people seemed to join in from every direction, carrying signs.

Never, have I seen anything like it in my 17 and a half years living in Anchorage. The organizers had someone walk the rally with a counter, and they clicked off well over 1400 people (not including the 90 counter-demonstrators). This was the biggest political rally ever, in the history of the state. I was absolutely stunned. The second most amazing thing is how many people honked and gave the thumbs up as they drove by. And even those that didn't honk looked wide-eyed and awe-struck at the huge crowd that was growing by the minute. This just doesn't happen here.

Then, the infamous Eddie Burke showed up. He tried to talk to the media, and was instantly surrounded by a group of 20 people who started shouting O-BA-MA so loud he couldn't be heard. Then passing cars started honking in a rhythmic pattern of 3, like the Obama chant, while the crowd cheered, hooted and waved their signs high.

So, if you've been doing the math Yes. The Alaska Women Reject Palin rally was significantly bigger than Palin's rally that got all the national media coverage! So take heart, sit back, and enjoy the photo gallery. Feel free to spread the pictures around to anyone who needs to know that Sarah Palin most definitely does not speak for all Alaskans. The citizens of Alaska, who know her best, have things to say.

For the rest of the photos, click here. H/T to Hailee for the pics.

Through the Looking Glass

Image courtesy of Sam Marusich
Gleaned from the comments section of The Swamp(with a wee bit of editing by me):

I'm a little confused. Let me see if I have this straight.
If you grow up in Hawaii, raised by your grandparents, you're "exotic, different."
Grow up in Alaska eating mooseburgers, you're the quintessential American story.

If your name is Barack you're a radical, unpatriotic Muslim.
Name your kids Willow , Trig and Track, you're a maverick.

Graduate from Harvard Law School and you are unstable.
Attend 5 different small colleges over 6 years before getting your B.A., you're well grounded.

If you spend 3 years as a brilliant community organizer, become the first black President of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law professor,
spend 8 years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people,become chairman of the State Senate's Health and Human Services committee, spend 4 years in the United States Senate representing a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran's Affairs committees, you don't have any real leadership experience.
If your total resume is: local TV sports girl, 4 years on the city council and 6 years as the mayor of a town of 9,700 people, 20 months as the governor of astate with a total population of 650,000 people, then you're qualified to become the country's second highest ranking executive and next in line behind a man in his eighth decade who's had cancer 3 times.

If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years while raising 2 beautiful daughters, all within Protestant churches, you're not a real Christian.
If you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, and then left your disfigured wife who waited for you and married the heiress the next month, you're a true Christian.

If you teach responsible, age appropriate sex education, including the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the fiber of society.
If, while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, offering no other sex education options in your state's school system, meanwhile your unwed, underage, daughter ends up pregnant, while at the same time you cut off state funds for the support of teenage, unwed mothers, and your oldest son is off to Iraq instead of jail, you're very responsible in promoting "family values".

If your wife is a Harvard graduate lawyer who gave up a position in a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city community,then gave that up to raise a family, your family's values don't represent America 's.
If you're husband is nicknamed "First Dude", with at least one DWI conviction, no college education, didn't register to vote until age 25, and once was a member of a group that advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA, you're leadership is just what we want in the "lower 48."

OK, much clearer now.

We are through the looking glass people. Do something. Vote and encourage others to do so. This is the biggest election of our lifetimes.

Tin Soldiers

A little interruption in what was a perfectly nice day. From VetVoice:

When two deaths in Iraq were announced late Sunday, something didn't sound right. It wasn't combat, there was no mention of a vehicle accident, and with two dead, it clearly wasn't a suicide...

US Soldier in Iraq Kills Superior and Another Soldier

Slacker Nation: Rise Up

Image courtesy of Ryan Cardone
In an email from blogger and reader Simon Owens, is the link he sent me to his article about Robert Greenwald of Brave New Films and the new documentary by Michael Moore, "Slacker Uprising."

Given all the information we have about republican election tampering and their voter caging lists, not to mention push polls and the ridiculous national polls, which exclude many young people, according to those polls, Obama and McCain are in a virtual dead heat.

Common sense will tell you with republican registrations down, and Democrats being registered in record numbers, something stinks. With Bush's popularity is in the sewer, John McCain's lack of popularity within his own party, the McCain and Pallin lies being uncovered and reported by the corporate media, there seems no way possible this race is so close.

An uprising by today's youth vote might be the only thing that puts Obama over the top. With the GOP bag-o-tricks in full force, an overwhelming win may be the only hope we have of getting these criminals out of office. Watch the trailer and email the link to someone. Let's make this thing go viral.

Best Opener.Ever.

If you missed it, the SNL season opener featured Tina Fey as Palin.
The dialog: Brilliant.
Tina's impression: Worth a million bucks.
The message: Priceless
My My favorite line:
Hil: "I don't agree with the Bush Doctrine"
Sarah (shrugging, giggling): "I don't know what that is"

While there are differing definitions for "FLIRGE" according to the Google, the one that made me chuckle is, First Lady Is Really a Guy Underneath

McCain's Health Dilemma

I wish the corporate media would talk about John McCain's health, especially with Barracuda waiting in the wings. I remember a few months back some rumor about McCain abdicating his candidacy as the "October surprise" and Jeb Bush or someone equally as vile steps in as GOP presidential candidate. Robert Greenwald of Brave New Films put together a compelling video about why we need to see John McCain's medical records.

Godspeed to Those in Ike's Path

Just a quick prayer going out to all those in the path of this 600 mile wide hurricane now battering the Gulf Coast. Godspeed and batten down the hatches those who have stayed behind. Best of luck to my friends on Mustang Island, all those at Beulah's, and The Laughing Horse who are getting the storm now. Godspeed and good luck to my PJ and CCATT friends at Lackland AFB and Keesler AFB who are flying rescue missions through the duration of this monster hurricane. Cathy, Sean, Jen, stay safe and save lots of lives. A big shout out the the rescue swimmers and Coasties who are hard at work down at USCG Air Station Corpus Christi.

The Uncounted

News Release from Bethesda Naval Hospital: Post-War Suicides May Exceed Combat Deaths

These deaths are not part of the "official" casualty count, and have not surpassed those of Vietnam veterans, but are near-to-topping the current official combat death toll in Iraq and Afghanistan. Every death connected to the illegal occupation of Iraq and the poorly-directed fight in Afghanistan, is tragic. The Bush administrations 'new math' method of counting which obfuscates the true death and injury toll, is criminal. The American people are far too disconnected from the effects of these conflicts, and the cooked accounting of the true human toll only adds to the lack of attention paid by the 99% of Americans who don't have a dog in this fight.

In all past wars, Americans shared the burdens of war. During the draft, most people had or knew someone serving. During other conflicts, there was rationing, war industry staffed by American women, sacrifices being shared. At the very least, everyone saw the coffins coming home which this administration forbids. BushCo keeps the impact as far away from the public as possible; their idea of support:go shopping.

With the economy being front and center of most American's attention, the chances of this story seeing any light of day or stirring public outcry is negligible.

9/11 Truth

During this terrible anniversary, if you haven't already, please watch "Loose Change." If you don't want to invest 90 minutes, try the 'highlights' in one minute increments called 9/11 Coincidences. Seven years is long enough to believe the 'official story' of the largest loss of life on American soil from a terrorist attack. Find out who the real terrorists are. Don't trust me or the guys that made the film, do your own research. Best case scenario one can come up with is at the very least, our own government was complicit in the attacks of September 11, 2001. See if you don't agree.

So much new information has been dredged up over the last years with professionals researchers, scientists, and a large number of other professionals bringing expertise in many areas. A good place to start is the 9/11 Truth.org. Another source of information is Dr. David R. Griffin's new, updated, edition of his book, The New Pearl Harbor Revisited: 9/11,The Cover-up and the Exposé called by Amazon.com "the definitive work..." Dr. Griffin's books are so titled as they relate to the the statements made in the PNAC documents, "...a catastrophic and catalyzing event like a new Pearl Harbor..." Project for a New American Century, states clearly their intention to create a "global constabulary" with the "New World Order" in mind. PNAC memebers Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Perle, Scooter Libby, John Bolton, all members or advisors to the GWB administration. Any of those names look familiar? Other PNAC links appear on the sidebar.

As science fiction/fantasy/fiction as the 9/11 odyssey sounds, there is a massive body of evidence to support that at the very least, the American people have been lied to. If nothing else, ask yourself any one or a hundred of the thousands of unanswered questions about the events of 9/11. Why did George W. Bush continue to sit in a Florida classroom for 7 minutes after he was informed the second plane had hit? Why wasn't he immediately whisked of by secret service to a safe location when informed the United States was under attack? Why did he recount three months later that he had watched the first plane hit when the only known film did not surface until the following day? Push past the not wanting to know what really happened. The truth shall set us free. It's not unpatriotic to ask questions and expect answers.

More of the Same

Here are the two most recent Obama ads. Nice to see him get in their faces.
No Mavricks

The Same

Compassionate Cat-servative

Lynea Lattanzio runs California's--maybe the country's--largest cage-free, no-kill cat shelter and adoption center. She does it all with the help of a small staff, a large house, helpful volunteers and donations. Take a five minute tour of Lyn's Cat House on the Kings

Choose Bee!

Samantha Bee of The Daily Show rocks! Watch her corner several delegates at the RNC.

Fact-Checking Palin's Fish Story

So much of what Sarah Palin said in her acceptance/ introduction to America speech, was either an outright lie (mostly about Obama) or half-truths filled in with greater lies yet the corporate-owned mainstream media just dictates back to the American people without any fact-checking or challenge.

Media Matters, the watchdogs of the Fourth Estate (no pitbulls with lipstick, mind you), have combed through her spoken text (written by someone else) and tell us what she really said.

1.Media reports Palin's opposition of "bridge to nowhere" but not her previous support for it
2.Palin opposes earmarks, but not her previous requests for them
3.Media promote Palin as "reformer," ignoring state ethics investigation
4.Ignoring numerous ties, media promote idea that Palin "took on" Sen. Stevens when he was her "mentor"
5.Media fail to challenge McCain camp talking point that Palin is "commander in chief' of the Alaska National Guard
6.Media falsely assert Palin supports benefits for same-sex partners of state employees
7.Media ignore McCain's previously stated "threshold" for his VP: "ready to step in on a moment's notice"
8.Media do not challenge McCain camp assertion that liberal blogs dictated timing of Palin pregnancy disclosure

This report merely scratched the surface on the truckload of bullshit the GOP is trying to dump on the American people.

Courtesy of Cujo at Slobber and Spittle, here's a FACT CHECK SARAH PALIN linky.

Oh no he di'int :UPDATE

Oh yes he did. Cracker-ass illiterate, Lynn Westmoreland (GA-R)-- you may remember him from his appearance on The Colbert Report, where he displayed what a dumb-ass hypocrite he is -- called Obama, "Uppity."

Georgia Republican Rep. Lynn Westmoreland used the racially-tinged term "uppity" to describe Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama Thursday.

Westmoreland was discussing vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin's speech with reporters outside the House chamber and was asked to compare her with Michelle Obama.

"Just from what little I’ve seen of her and Mr. Obama, Sen. Obama, they're a member of an elitist-class individual that thinks that they're uppity," Westmoreland said.

Westmoreland so clearly went to the Dubya school of publik speakin'.

Photo: West-
moreland's family were also in attendance at the festivities. Tell me you can't see the resemblance...

Another H/T to WT, The Dependable Renegade

UPDATE: Brian Reynolds, spokesman for rep. Westmoreland, said the congressman stands by what he said. When asked to clarify, Westmoreland said, “Uppity, yeah.”

Call Westmoreland's office 202-225-5901 and let him know how you feel. That is, unless you think that's 'too uppity'.

"Drill, Baby, Drill!"

I'm thinking this may not be the best RNC chant line during the speech of a former 2nd place beauty queen from the hinterland (isn't that a Community Chest card in Monopoly?). I'm just saying. And is it an accident that Sarah Palin was Miss Wasilla 1984? Enquiring Minds want to know...

Does anyone else think she has 'crazy eyes'?


In linky-love redux, I have to include WaterTiger's Best.Contrast.Compare.Ever.

Is it me? Or does Sarah Palin look like Dick Cheney in Drag?

Amy GoodMan Arrested at RNC

Democracy Now! anchor and investigative reporter Amy Goodman and two of her producers were manhandled and then arrested by St. Paul police while trying to cover the convention yesterday. Listen to Amy Goodman tell what happened.

GOP Supports the Troops, Yeah Right

Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO), is another one of the worst representatives in Congress. Vote Vets has a new ad running in Colorado in an effort to defeat her. Take a look.