Dean is first!

Dean is first!

Dean is first!

Wow! I only clicked the mouse once, honest.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Lin...

The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, one of the last major events in the American Civil War, took place on Good Friday, April 14, 1865, when President Abraham Lincoln was shot while attending a performance of Our American Cousin at Ford's Theatre with his wife and two guests. Lincoln died the following day, April 15, 1865, in the home of William Petersen.

Lincoln's assassin, actor and Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth, had also ordered a fellow conspirator, Lewis Powell, to kill William H. Seward (then Secretary of State). Booth hoped to create chaos and overthrow the Federal government by assassinating Lincoln, Seward, and Vice President Andrew Johnson. Although Booth succeeded in killing Lincoln, the larger plot failed. Seward recovered from his wounds and Johnson's would-be assassin, George Atzerodt, left Washington, D.C. upon losing his nerve. ...

...Abraham Lincoln was the first American President to be assassinated. His assassination had a long-lasting impact upon the United States and he was mourned around the country. As a result of his assassination, there were attacks in many cities against those who expressed support for Booth. On the Easter Sunday after Lincoln's death, clergymen around the country praised him (Lincoln) in their sermons. Millions of people came to Lincoln's funeral procession in Washington, D.C. on April 19, 1865, and as his body was transported 1,700 miles (2,700 km) through New York to Springfield, Illinois. His body and funeral train were viewed by millions along the route.

President Lincoln lying in state. City Hall in New York, New York.After Lincoln's death, Ulysses S. Grant called him, "Incontestably the greatest man I ever knew." Southern-born Elizabeth Blair said that, "Those of southern born sympathies know now they have lost a friend willing and more powerful to protect and serve them than they can now ever hope to find again." ...

...Andrew Johnson was sworn in as President following Lincoln's death. Johnson became one of the least popular presidents in American history. He was impeached by the House of Representatives in 1868 but the Senate failed to convict him by one vote. ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_John...

'The elitists are those who ignore the realities of people who are struggling'

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/hqblog

I'm not very good at remembering dates. My hubby is the Historian. He's very good with numbers.

Clinton claims to be in touch with working class voters. How 'bout all those working class people who her campaign has stiffed - from Iowa to Ohio? I think an Obama surrogate needs to bring this issue up STAT.

11.

seashell :-)
Mon, 04/14/08

“Look, I got two daughters — 9 years old and 6 years old,” he said. “I am going to teach them first about values and morals, but if they make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby. I don’t want them punished with an STD at age 16, so it doesn’t make sense to not give them information.”

Obama

Please opine why he would use the word punish…

---------------------

He would use that word because, imo, to bear a child for a girl who is not emotionally ready for that IS a punishment.

link?

It's the word "punishment."  It's a harsh word, too often used and acted upon in this society ... we live in a very punishing society and keeping up the punishment mentality isn't hopeful.

==================

I've got to give this one to seashell, although I'm not sure if Hillary would be wiser on this issue than Obama.

"Pregnancy being treated as a disease" is a legitimate beef [those who are] social conservatives [on the abortion issue] have expressed. 

It  depends on the situation.  Obviously, there is a difference between an unplanned, perhaps "unwanted" pregnancy in a loving relationship, and one that occurs as a result of rape and incest, but it is not one-size-fits-all.

You might want to say [girls are] "punished for dumb sex" (as opposed to "rewarded for smart sex")

But of course, we are brainwashed by the media into believing all sex is always good... but getting STDs and pregnancy is always bad.   Kids should realize you that sex is what causes pregnancy and STDs.

While STDs is always bad, but pregnancy and/or childirth may or may not be depending on the situation.

Although pregnancy is not always bad, it is always a very serious situations that requires attention, and there is always a health risk.

god bless the lurkers one saved me a phone call emailing the need for an alternate from a neighboring county

http://eatapyzch.blogspot.com/

Olmert and the Israeli Right have every reason to be against Carter.  His even-handed approach to the I/P paradox is the only REAL road to peace.  False roads like Oslo, were OK for Israel because there were no real de facto concession or committments.

"Can't we all get along" cliches are nothing more than mindless mantras like "Israel has a right to defend herself"

With the exception of 2006 and the Hamas "defeat" (their mini-Viet Nam) was has always been advantageous to Israel.  Peace means losing something.

Israel is at the crossroads.  They have to have a two-state solution (and deport their Arab citizens) or a South African-style transition to a true Democracy single state of all the people. 

They hate Carter because he reminds them of that horrible choice, neither of which is appealing (the Left Bank is like the Southern States during Jim Crow, with selective laws, selectively enforced laws, and confiscation of indigenous peoples lands ongoing, upon contrived technicalities.)

 But if they don't choose - the violence and the demographics will tear the country apart as time goes by.  This they know, even the right wingers know.

 I grew up in a punishing *you are sinful* church. 

So did I.

That's what needs to be discussed.
When a young lad goes off the good path what do you do?
Kick him further off the path or help him come back?

11:43 pm

Eastern Time
Monday, April 14, 2008

Here's the skinny on Mark Penn. He's still appears to be heavily involved in Clinton's campaign due to monies owed him. Sounds like the campaign is in tough shape financially.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/article...

But I would guess these FEC numbers won't be released until after Pennsylvania.

Clinton's speech at the JJ dinner in Philly -- only five minutes. The audience would shut up.

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/04/14/...

S/b wouldn't as in would not.

I left the Lutheran church at the age of 8.

sunlight, I'm not sure what you mean by "goes off the good path?" 

What is the "good path?" 

I need to talk to phil about saturday.

Only the 3rd district obama people needs to have a caucus. All of a sudden we have 12 new poeple wanting to be at the caucus, for bobby scott and obama. like  it won't happen

help

I will be runnig the caucus.

my post should.

ok,

What is the "good path?" 

Ha, only you would question that!~

But seriosly, a path that is free of addiction is a good path.

dubai............colombia..............china.............and the list will grow longer, i promise.

while most of the msm grooved on the 'bitter' dust-up, the sunday latimes.com ran a story on bill clinton's speech to ALIBABA, the chinese govt -contracted company which monitors the internet to crackdown on tibetan activists.  ALIBABA's predecessor was YAHOO CHINA--you'll recall that yahoo's high muckymucks were called 'moral pygmies' by the late congressman, tom lantos--which outed a chinese dissident.  the former president claimed to have no knowledge of the dissident.  just an inconvenient truth, bill. 

billary requested that his speaking fee be routed to his foundation.

if bill clinton's administration cracked the democrats' backbone, then hillary clinton's administration will bifurcate whatever is left of the party's spine.

***************

we turned in our tax returns today, and there was one striking expense.  our family medical expenses amounted to approx 1/3 of the u.s. median income of ~$45,000.  if we had had no health insurance or if our health insurance had not covered hospital charges for a five-day stay, we would have had to pay $37,000.  a family of median income would have been squeezed or ruined--and might not have had bankruptcy protection.

barack obama definitely knows what's going on.  he gets it!  he--not hillary--voted against the bill lobbied by the credit card companies.  imo, that was 'the line in the sand' which separated progressives from repub-lites.

For example

He forgot to mention incest and rape ("family values").

...or holding men/boys accountable for their behaviors.

Marital rape (as well as aquaintence, DV, & date rape) are rampant.

HIV can kill 'ya--esp. w/married het women, BTW. 

This world hardly needs one more unwanted /unplanned pregnancy.

Esp. from teens and young adults (20 yrs. + wasted; & breeds a lifetime trajectory of poverty).

That's indeed "punishment" for all concerned.

"Faith" means diddly squat in that regard. 

What's wrong is that the insurance companies have the power to determine who gets what if any treatment.

"punishment"

I wonder how effective punishment in behavior control is?

It must work why else is it still being used?

Interesting conversation at work, with a store customer.

I usually don't talk politics with customers but this one started it.

For the record, this was a white female in her 40s. She started by telling me for the first time ever, she just wasn't going to vote.

I said why and she said that even though she was a Republican, she just couldn't stand John McCain, and further, that she just coudn't stand Hillary Clinton either. As for Barack Obama, she was worried he didn't have enough experience.

So we talked about the experience thing and I reminded her JFK didn't have a whole ton of experience either.

I just thought the whole thing was fascinating.

-- volney

when i was issued my updated credit card, there was an ad for credit protector.

"Credit Protector helps to protect this credit card account if your income is interrupted.  Depending on the event, your minimum monthly payments may be deterred or suspended for up to 2 years.

During times of Hospitalization, Disability, Job Loss or Family Leave, pay:

     *No finance charges

     *No fees"

the credit card companies are anticipating a hostile congress.

During times of Hospitalization, Disability, Job Loss or Family Leave, pay:
*No finance charges
*No fees"

Right, where does it tell you what your interest charges are for those tow years?

volney simmons: you met a Republican who is going to stay home on election day? That's great -- it's one more for us. If you meet a Republican who's voting Democratic, that's even better; it's like 2 votes.

The rats are starting to abandon the sinking ship. Soon enough, they'll come streaming out as the Straight Talk Express does a Titanic.

Towing is good. But two is better~

going back to "the good path."

************************* 

A Life Examined

"The unexamined life is not worth living." Socrates said this more than two thousand years ago. Yet how many of us really examine our lives, our beliefs, values and opinions? How many of us question why we believe what we believe from our morals and ethics to our prejudices and biases to our politics and religion? How many of us just parrot our cultural, familial, or generational party line without truly understanding the reasoning behind these ideologies? How many of us go through life like a leaf in the wind just going with the flow without once questioning why or where it is all leading. How many of us except what we hear on TV or read in the newspaper or a magazine or hear on the street or what we have been told all our lives growing up without once examining the reasons arguments and evidence supporting these beliefs? How many of us have convictions that we cannot even logically defend? I have heard many people get flustered and red-faced when asked the reasoning behind truths they hold to be "a priori" or true independent of evidence or critical evaluation. True just because they are true. You often get the: "I don't know why I believe it. I just do!" or the: "Everybody knows that!" reply. Meaning that they haven't thought about whether their beliefs are true or false and don't want to now. They want to believe not think. Racists, bigots, sexists, and homophobics all fit into this mold. They have their beliefs and they don't want to hear any evidence to contradict them. They are willfully ignorant. They want comfort and conformity not truth. As a result, no matter how many experiences they have in their lifetimes, they gain no further wisdom and no greater knowledge. They remain happy fools or as Schopenhauer called them "Happy animals." Except they are only happy so long as they are surrounded by like-minded people who won't challenge their beliefs. So, in order to preserve their happiness they isolate themselves in intellectual ghettos. The greatest tragedy of this mentality is that they will never know who they truly might have been were they not saddled with these dogmas. The philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer said "Man has but two choices, to be a happy animal or a suffering God." I have long accepted that some people do not wish to know truths that might upset their world view and cause them distress. Some people want to remain happy animals. The problem is that these happy animals are often dangerous to the freedom and liberty of others. Let me explain.

http://wordsofwrath.blogspot.com/2005/08/life-examined.html 

clip... "I have tried to figure out how to show restraint and make sure that, during this primary contest, we're not damaging each other so badly that it's hard for us to run in November," Obama said at a luncheon sponsored by the Associated Press, speaking several hours after McCain.

The senator from Illinois also slipped in a dig: "Obviously, it's a little easier for me to say that, since, you know, I lead in delegates and states and popular vote. Senator Clinton may not feel that she can afford to be as constrained."

Obama continued: "I'm sure that Senator Clinton feels like she's doing me a great favor, because she's been deploying most of the arguments that the Republican Party will be using against me in November, and so, it's toughening me up. And I'm getting a run through the paces here."

clip... "Senator Obama could have chosen better words, but it seems to me that he's stating the obvious," Price said. "People are feeling a great deal of economic stress, anxiety, and there is a certain amount of anger out there. . . . I think it's most unfortunate that opponents simply pounce, particularly opponents in his own party."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/14/AR2008041403057.html?nav=rss_email/components

Lest we give too much credence to book knowledge, reasoning, *show me the money* truth and an intellectual approach to truth, there's this:

********************* 

Virtue and reason are in no way contradictory and philosophy is not a mere intellectual speculation, but a way of life. The Delphic oracle described him as "the wisest of men", precisely because he recognised the limitations of human knowledge. His "I only know that I know nothing" is the recognition of those limits. Man is, then, the object of knowledge, and all that contributes to his happiness arises from an inner fullness and not from the enjoyment of external things.

The Socratic questions tear to pieces acquired knowledge and ignorance disguised as erudition, demonstrating that reason and virtue are not two contradictory concepts, since reasoning is indispensable for discovering the Good, the Beautiful and the Just. However, Socrates himself recognised the need for an even deeper and more personal form of knowledge, when he mentioned the inspiration he had from his daemon. This was the archetype of intuitive knowledge, in the Orphic manner of communication with the soul of the world, as moral conscience or inner illumination.

http://www.acropolis.org/philosophes/Philos.aspx?ID=28&lang=eng 

    Monday 14 April 2008

Department of Defense's latest numbers: 31,590 troops wounded on battle field.

    The Department of Defense has released its latest American military casualty numbers for those who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the figures reveal non-fatal casualties that go well beyond the more than 4,000 U.S. troops who have died so far.

    As of April 5, a total of 36,082 members of the U.S. military have been wounded in action and killed in Iraq, since the beginning of the war in March 2003, and in Afghanistan, where the war there began in October 2001. The 36,082 number breaks down to 4,492 deaths and 31,590 wounded. According to the same DoD "casualty" counts, an additional 38,631 U.S. military personnel have also been removed from the battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan for "non-hostile-related medical air transports."

    "That's a tremendous number," said Paul Sullivan, the executive director of the advocate group Veterans for Common Sense, who believes these latest figures paint a more realistic picture of the true cost of the Iraq and Afghan wars. He is concerned troop casualties, including those who have been wounded, killed and medically transported, is now nearing 75,000.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/041408S.shtml 

New Threadini.