Howard is first.

9:08 AM EST

Hillary versus Howard:

http://www.woi-tv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7876980

Clinton to joust with DNC to seat Michigan and Florida delegates

Associated Press - February 15, 2008 6:53 AM ET

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Clinton campaign is desperately trying to get delegates from Florida and Michigan added to its tally. But the Democratic National Committee is standing by sanctions imposed because the two states cut in line with their primaries.

...

9:09 AM EST

Two songs to get you through the day:

1) for those traveling (like rae hart and others) to the next battleground states:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30kXXTdmGCo

2) for those still celebrating Valentine's Day (everyday):

http://video.yahoo.com/watch/19116

Phil - I believe you are correct about the diaries. They automatically are promoted and prolly w/ only one recommend. What bothers me most about them is generally I've never heard of the posters. If they are 'us' like, eg, Annilow or imn2paine, I wish they would use their blognames instead of their real names. Truth is unless I know the person I rarely actually read them - just the most perfunctory skim.

I'm glad Seashell surfaced - my faves are the cockatiel (cockatoo?) and the tango dancer(s). They are very beautiful.

Now where's JudyforDean.

What's irritating me this morning is the Fed, the CIA, and something else - maybe it'll come to me lol. The Fed is just a bunch of bankers deciding our monetary fate. They are the ones that untied money to gold. Anyone know what became of the gold in Ft. Knox? I hope we go back to a gold based money system - prolly never. I wish Obama would win and with a stroke of an executive order do away with the Fed.

The CIA -- diary on KOS this morning saying judge in CA ruled if it's done in secret the CIA agent can't be prosecuted. http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/2...
so I suggest we do away with the CIA - they caused the crack epidemic in the inner cities selling crack to finance ops in S America (google Dark Alliance for evidence), they had a G Bush in charge, they torture people -- they are just like the SS or the E German STASI -- I hope Obama gets in and that w/ one executive order disbands the CIA.

Well - Keith called Bush a fascist and a liar and he's not in jail yet. Think they figure no one watches MSNBC anyway?

Can't think of the other thing - time for Friday follies (chores) anyway. ttfn

9:35 AM EST

I versus We:

'I Am Superwoman":  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cySK6q2P_Nw

"Yes We Can": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voIcPRTLxrg

Oh! Big irritant! Not a 'recession' but inflation! Anyone else been to a grocery lately? A box of instant oatmeal is headed for $4. A coffee cake (admittedly a very good one) is headed for $5. Meat is getting expensive - the 'greenwise' 'natural' stuff is prohibitively expensive. And last night I went to Wendy's for a senior small chocolate frosty which has been 96 cents for ages -- last night it was 1.25. A 25% markup on chocolate frosties! And why even talk about gas, which is why groceries are getting so high.

I like Daniel's posts -- some I scroll -- but a lot I like.

9:37 AM EST

(kudos to Monica and Susan for pointing out these youtube videos earlier on this blog)

I versus We:

'I Am Superwoman":  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cySK6q2P_Nw

"Yes We Can": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voIcPRTLxrg

Atheist sees the "big bang" in a piece of toast. Hordes flock to the scene.

Start the day smiling....DU

Seashell good luck to you with your tango contest.

I also looked at your website and your paintings are superb. Just lovely.

Good idear about the shoes, too. I bet that helps alot.

A funny valentine day event...
We went into downtown Grand Rapids for a really nice Italian dinner at one of our favorite restaurants: Bistro Bella Vista. It is 50 feet from the entrance of VanAndel Area. Last night, the local minor-league hockey team was playing and a player from the Detroit Red Wings was rehabilitating an injury there. The place was sold out. No parking was available to I dropped my wife at the restaurant entrance and I went searching for a space. I found one over a half mile away in the Grand Rapids Ballet parking lot. I started walking back and my way was blocked by a large snow bank. I climbed to the top and promptly took a header into the snow below. It was like superman leaping off a building. A packed city buss was driving by and 60 people had a visual treat. I was full of snow including my glasses, inside my pants and shirt and shoes. During dinner, the sidewalk was reasonably cleaned so the walk back was uneventful. The outline of my body in the snow will be preserved until spring.
The name of the property I did my tumble was the Anxiety Research Council. The name fits.

Prayers to the students at Northern Illinois University, DeKalb and the surrounding community. Another tragedy by a troubled soul with a gun.

dog soldier.....oh my if you're laughing, I'm laughing. What a story!

See you should have gone for pizza :)

I bet the food was fabulous.

I had dinner last night, too. Chicken enchiladas with mole. No snow on the side.

listener's grandniece -- good vibes and a vigil candle your way.

dog soldier -- Denise's is right -- you shoulda had pizza.

bbl

Another union for Obama?

Members of the service employees’ board were casting votes by e-mail and fax on Thursday night, and two top S.E.I.U. leaders said an Obama endorsement was likely.

 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/15/us/politics/15obama.html?ref=politics

From the front blog:

Click here to see how the Mike Huckabee campaign reveals the Republican strategy of making the rich, richer by making the poor, poorer while attempting to make it look like the will of God:

This is exactly what the religious fundamentalists have been using to brainwash their unsuspecting victims -- er - believers.

It's more of the "every man for themselves" and "individual responsibility" large bovine residue these people have been handing out for several years.

I like Huckabee in the race nipping at McCain, even better would be him on the ticket, so wavering moderate independents would all waver Obama's way. Huckabee defines the modern Republican coalition and the more that sees the light of day the better. McCain/Huckabee is the pure Republican BS; the only problem? they might beat Clinton 

Is bloggy still burying posts?

10:34 am

BFA still sucks!

10:35 AM

dog soldier

too bad no one was taping because that sounds like a money tape on America's Funniest Videos

glad you're OK

we got another half foot yesterday to add to the record total and they were forecating 2-3 inches

I'm ready for a warm-up too; minus 15 doing chores this morning

the last winter this bad around here was '78-'79 and I made a "snow mountain" in the yard big enough for the kids to go sledding on with my front assist loader

sounds like the one you went over

I think the Obamanables have succeeded in chasing away many of the original posters from here......

naw Mike the blog software makes it nearly impossible

An article on how in 1994 HillaryCare failed and how to get universal health care now.

Note, A Hillary-like top-down approach still fails.

http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?arti...

The picture shows an American soldier in a bunker in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley during fierce fighting with the Taleban.

An exhausted American soldier in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley
Enlarge Image

We were based in Korengal Valley in Afghanistan's Kunar province, towards the border with Pakistan.

The area is considered to be the epicentre of the US forces fighting in Afghanistan and one of the most deadly. A place where the combat is often at close quarters.

Seashell....

Your pictures are wonderful !!!
I would vote for sweeney any day. He takes his lofty position very seriously. Is the dog a Shiba Enu? He's adorable. Good luck.

Reich on the road to universal coverage.

The candidates should stop the fight on mandates. They are the least important parts of the process.

http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?arti...

The candidates should stop the fight on mandates

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I agree. Obama's first real mistake was that attack ad on Hillary over mandates. Gave her a chance to highlight her plan and bring healthcare back to the center of the debate right while Edwards 10%-15% were up for grabs.

February 15, 2008 - Texas Primary Preferences

Hillary Clinton leads Barack Obama among self-described Democrats 47% to 42%. Obama leads Clinton among self-described independents and Republicans 24% to 71%. Obama leads among men 55% to 29% (47% of likely Democratic primary voters) and Clinton leads among women 54% to 42%. Clinton leads Obama among white voters 51% to 40% (53% of likely Democratic primary voters), Obama leads Clinton among African American voters 76% to 17% (22% of likely Democratic primary voters), and Clinton leads Obama among Latino voters 44% to 42%.

22% of likely Democratic primary voters say they would never vote for Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary and 20% of likely Democratic primary voters say they would never vote for Barack Obama in the primary. 30% of men say they would never vote for Clinton in the primary.

For details, click on the R or D for each state in the column on the left under 2008 Presidential Polls.

I think Clinton picked up an un-necessarilly large portion of Edwards backers in California and would have not won that state without that swing. and think where the race would be right now if Obama had won California

Phil,
We won't match Iowa in snow depth or cold, but this year, we will top the record 105 inches of snowfall this winter. We have passed over 90 inches and two big storms are coming fast. The average snowfall is in the high 70’s inches.
We will drop down to 0 with -20 degree chill factor this weekend. It will be in the top 5 for the coldest winters in history.
Therefore, this will be one of the coldest and wettest winters in history. Global warming foes are having a field day here. Too bad they don't understand the wetness and the extremes are issues exacerbated by global warming. The good think about the cold weather is the ice wine supply should be great.

11:29 AM EST

the Badger state:

http://www.biztimes.com/blogs/milwaukee-biz-blog/2008/2/15/wisconsin-primary-primer

Wisconsin primary primer

By Chris Lato 

Posted on February 15, 2008 8:39 AM

...

The Wisconsin primary and the 2008 campaign will turn on making connections - positioning and messages matter. Simplistically speaking: Do we want hope? White House experience? A "maverick?"

With that in mind, some predictions about Wisconsin's Feb. 19 primary election.

Sen. Barack Obama wins Wisconsin. So does Sen. John McCain (I know, shocker!). It's looking likelier by the day that we'll be choosing from those two candidates again come November.

...

What are the candidates' weak spots? 
Obama is untested. Strong on 'hope' but light on experience. The press is lying in wait to start picking him apart once the honeymoon is over. But this year, those may be positives. Maybe America really wants a breath of fresh air after 20 years of Bushes and Clintons in the White House. Obama is optimistic, charismatic, personable, soothing. His public appearances and rallies are stunning displays, with huge and enthusiastic crowds.

As for Sen. Clinton, the 'machine' is in place, but the vein of anti-Clinton passion runs awfully deep in some circles. The GOP really wants Hillary Clinton as the Democratic nominee, because Barack Obama is a force in ways that Hillary Clinton is not.

Still reeling from 2006, big chunks of the GOP are feeling great unease with the prospect of conservative whipping-boy McCain as the party standard-bearer. Recently, his campaign-finance reform partner, Sen. Russ Feingold, had very warm things to say about McCain. That had to cause heart palpitations on both sides of the aisle – but does acknowledge McCain's independent streak, which will strongly appeal to a lot of folks in Wisconsin.

So, if there is one takeaway here, it is this: Wisconsin is, as always, stubbornly independent and closely divided.

Watch the messages. And watch how people respond. Those differentiations will be key to victory.

If Obama wins Texas and Ohio,.  PA isn't going to matter as much, but if not will be huge, so organizing to task volunteers in PA has to proceed right alongside Ohio

Minnesota, Illinois, and Iowa are all sending volunteers into Wisconsin this weekend, and just think what rae is doing

Hi Folks,

Sinshine back today.  

Donna Brazille made the remark several days ago that if the superdelegates chose the candidates, she would leave the party.  That's a strong statement from someone I've perceived as a party hack, probably unfairly, but I don't much care for the DLC mentality.

Congratualtions, Seashell, on your art.  You are an extraordinary artist.  Godd wishes for your success.

Sinshine??? I wonder what Freudian finger slip that was! Sunshine. 

dog soldier

the last glaciation that turned Iowa into flat farm land may have been caused by lake effect snow from an open Artic Ocean that trapped enough snow in canada to make the glaciers advance into Illinois

I'll start to worry that we have real global warming if the snow pack doesn't melt next summer

a rapid melt of the Iceland glaciers that turns the northward flow from the Gulf Stream into a shortcircuited fresh water de-escalator would be another sign of real global warming if they don't get a harvest in Europe because of a mid-summer freeze

enjoying the sun here too today Pat and it does seem a little sinful

why did hillary still have her name on the ballot in  michigan and florida when no other dem did??

Grin.

Seashell, I'm sure God wishes for your success, and so do I.

Don't know what it is about typing, spelling, thinking.  Godd should be good.  

The next technology has got to help us out with finger brain coordination. 

There is a new thread about Houston.