Tear.

You were right. 

yep tears here too.

what might have been. now we have in this country a void. not even someone to prosecute the evil doers. just you and me getting sacked on iraq, taxes, everything.

again.

  A special "Frontline" reveals chipmunk-ery in the Oval Office. The tactic of transforming yourself into a likable chipmunk cartoon proves so successful, that soon media personalities everywhere begin adopting it.

 Download (5344) | Play (5597)   Download (2240) | Play (3569) 

Ahhhh.. a flashback to.... the original 'take back our country' conference. And in my
opinion, the only legitimate one thus far. Thanks DFA!

Iraq -- painting over one's differences ?:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070429/ap_en_ot/iraq_wall_art_5

Iraqi artists look to spruce up Baghdad

By SINAN SALAHEDDIN, Associated Press Writer Sun Apr 29, 5:14 PM ET

BAGHDAD - It was something you don't see everyday on the streets of Baghdad, a man squatting on the sidewalk, earnestly dipping a brush into yellow paint, then sweeping it onto a concrete wall.

But a group of Iraqi artists — Sunnis, Shiites, Kurds and others — have come together to beautify a stretch of the bleak, gray blast barriers on central Baghdad's Saadoun Street erected to protect the area from car bombings and other attacks.

The murals range from the pastoral to the historical — with scenes from the era of the ancient Babylonian King Hammurabi.

"About 80 Iraqi artists from different parts of Iraq and of different religious and ethnic backgrounds decided to participate in this initiative in a bid to bring happiness and joy to the Iraqis who see these walls everywhere and everyday and can't do anything about it," Talib Muhsin said as he painted a 2 1/2-by-10-yard scene of a palm grove with white birds.

...

Residents had mixed reactions.

"We hope that our hearts are beautiful like these paintings on the walls," said Ali Abu Saleh.

But Jabbar Abdul-Rahman Tawfiq, a 33-year-old storeowner, said the splash of color was not going to improve the lives of Iraqis.

"I doubt that anything can beautify our life or alleviate our sufferings anymore as we lost the taste for life," he said. "These paintings will not prevent car bombs, roadside bombs and mortar shells from claiming the lives of innocent people. For me, they are just reminding me of a beautiful and normal life I lived once but can't retrieve it back anymore."

Tear up? Sh!t, I'm down right crying.


Will always be,
Still In Love with Howard Dean!!!

in plain text.

Reed,
here ya' go
Vermont Interview with Senator Mike Gravel, parts 2, 3, 4

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/4/30/...

Haa, I was just going to tell Reed that he could upload his videos to his DFALink group. Noticed that this morning when I went to send a reminder to my group (which still does get delivered to me own in-box because of a problem with earthlink).

Now, lets see if I can cut this.  (miss computer novice that I am)

It didn't work for me Luigi....not in opera 9 any how.

:(

So tired of my limitations. 

pppppplllllllllllttttttttttttthhhhhhhhhh

(and now I just sprayed my screen) 

DFA -- I would not have written my FL person were it not for the diary and link you had up the other day. Only thing is were we a little late. Anyway -- DFA in action:

Mrs. :
Thanks for your e-mail. I was proud to vote in favor of the bill.

Joe Pickens
-----Original Message-----
From: annilow
Sent: Saturday, April 28, 2007 9:55 AM
To: Pickens, Joe
Subject: From 'Write Your Representative' Website

04/28/07 9:54 AM

To the Honorable Joe H. Pickens;

Please support H537 -- the election reform bill.

Thanks,
Ann

Also, just so you know I'm earning my keep, here is one of several letters I've written in the past few days in response to stuff in the news. This one's responding to a column from Geo Will at Newsweek.com about Howard is wrong about restoring the Fairness Doctirne (at least that's what I took from it -- http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3037915/site... )

Here's what I sent:
George Will is WRONG; Howard Dean is RIGHT (as usual)

We need to restore the Fairness Doctrine. All the
hate getting spewed by the likes of Will, Coulter,
Limbaugh, and Faux News in general is what is wrong
with the USA -- the super conservatives get in charge
and don't know what the hell they are doing and in the
last 6 years US of A is going to hell in a handbasket
quickly and the lack of the Fairness Doctrine is why.
By the way are you still rooting for this stupid war,
George?

Sincerely,

An Affirmed Deaniac for Life

Well, it was unrealistic to think it could be done in one or two years. And it certainly couldn't be done with a do-nothing Republican controlled Congress. Deep down, I think we all realized that. So, we hardly noticed when the Queen claimed to have a mandate. We knew better. We knew there was a lot of work to do.
How many decades is it now since Nixon resigned, and the same rats are still with us?

What is it, btw, that make rats so utterly useless, other than that they carry fleas and horrendous disease? What makes them really dangerous is that they are so stupid that they destroy things they can't even eat or digest--like the plastic around electrical wiring. They just gnaw, gnaw, gnaw, making holes in storage facilities so the grain pours out or gets despoiled by rain.
Some people think rats are smart because they can be taught to run through a maze. But how is that different from people who tell the same lies over and over again because that's the script that has got imprinted on their brain?

Maybe you could say that rats are greedy. Instead of taking food from the bird feeder, they have to enlarge the hole to get their fill all at once. I still think they're just dumb because the seed that fall to the ground are either picked up by bigger birds or spoil.

Hey Luigi -- it's good to see ya -- it's nice to be able to link Utube, but us lowly Safari users would be happy if we could post pictures :~) -- not to be too whiney or anything. Welcome back.

does anyone have the video of dean and the "make your own kind of music'  video.

I can't seem to find mine, that will really do it for me.

Here's another letter I wrote to Newsweek:

I was responding to:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18366824/sit...
A Secret Fax—And an Ethics Slip
by —Howard Fineman (who else)

My letter:
..with such a sensationalist headline -- that Obama
made an ethics slip with a secret fax makes it sound
tantamount to the smear the Repuglicans did to Joe
Wilson's wife. For shame for shame, Howard. All the
guy did was send a fax on the wrong machine -- correct
it sure -- big ethics headline -- we know which team
you're on already.

Perhaps instead of new bells and whistles we could fix what we already know stinks/is broken?  Just me.

 As in: why are the names *still* not clickable? Why doesn't firefox's spell check work in RICH TEXT?  Why is there *still* this crappy little column instead of something that's actually *readable*?  Why do you have to do TWO highlight cut and pastes to get both the name AND text of something you want to respond to?

HEY I FOUND IT.........................................

WANNA SING ALONG, COME ONE,

YOU GOTTA MAKE YOUR OWN KIND OF  MUSIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.abarbour.net/video.html

YES THE SAME HOWARD FINEMAN WHO DISSED HOWARD IN NH.

IT TRIED TO PIN HIM DOWN AT A RALLY BUT HE TURNED AND RAN.

THE MSM IS BOUGHT AND PAID FOR. SHMUCKS.

Again, taking the lazy way...

Thomas D. Williams | Pentagon Contractors Owe $7.7 Billion in Unpaid Taxes
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/043007J.shtml
While the US General Accountability Office insists that its investigations clearly show the US government is facing serious long-term funding shortfalls, federal contractors, and doctors and medical suppliers who regularly receive federal Medicare money, owe billions in unpaid taxes."

IMPEACH AND INDICT

Clock Ticking on Republican Support of Iraq Buildup
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/043007K.shtml
Democratic and Republican members of Congress already are focusing on September as their next major decision point on the war. The idea of benchmarks has been gaining support among Republicans who voice increasing frustration over the Iraqi government's failure to complete long-promised political reforms and Bush's lack of success in pushing a political solution."

We could see impeachment and indictment yet, or at the least a repug *chat* with putzfollies.

Maliki's Office Is Seen Behind Purge in Forces
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/043007L.shtml
A department of the Iraqi prime minister's office is playing a leading role in the arrest and removal of senior Iraqi army and national police officers, some of whom had apparently worked too aggressively to combat violent Shi'ite militias, according to US military officials in Baghdad.

Well this should speed up the deadlines . not

A Saudi Prince Tied to Bush Is Sounding Off-Key
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/043007M.shtml
No foreign diplomat has been closer or had more access to President Bush, his family and his administration than Prince Bandar bin Sultan of Saudi Arabia. Since the Iraq war and the attendant plummeting of America's image in the Muslim world, King Abdullah has been striving to set a more independent and less pro-American course, American and Arab officials said. And that has steered America's relationship with its staunchest Arab ally into uncharted waters. Prince Bandar, they say, may no longer be able to serve as an unerring beacon of

I was wondering how long this would take.  Putz can't even keep his friends in crime. Poppa must be pi$$ed.   Remember the ad "Where's the beef?"  This is, "Where's the oil?"

Annilow -

I thought about Shakespeare earlier today when I saw Fineman's piece --

-- "much ado about nothing".

Fineman is just another political pundit.

Good feature. I prefer to remember the Dean speech in front of the California Democratic convention....four years ago. Now known as the I wanna know speech.

Check it out here...it's worth downloading...it will rekindle the spirit!

http://www.archive.org/details/dean-sacramento

And the updated question today is....I want to know why so many Democrats are voting to fund Bush's unilateral surge in Iraq?

people versus political pundits:

http://www.nypost.com/seven/04282007/news/nationalnews/s_c__poll_gives_the_1st_round_to_obama_nationalnews_ian_bishop.htm

S.C. POLL GIVES THE 1ST ROUND TO OBAMA

By IAN BISHOP

April 28, 2007 -- WASHINGTON - South Carolinians gave Barack Obama the nod in the first Democratic presidential debate, but political pros say Hillary Rodham Clinton mopped up the floor with the soaring newcomer.

A SurveyUSA poll taken moments after Thursday's debate at the historically black South Carolina State University determined Obama the clear-cut winner with 31 percent favoring him in the debate. Clinton finished second with 24 percent.

Obama, a first-term senator from Illinois, also cleaned up among independents, who gave him the win in the 90-minute, eight-candidate debate, 39 percent to 13 percent.

Disputing the sentiment of the voting public, political pundits said Clinton won on substance - flashing a superior command of policy issues.

Bob Shrum, a longtime Democratic adviser, declared Clinton the clear winner.

"Clinton was superb," he told MSNBC.

Political pros point to two key Obama flubs: failing to mention Israel as a key U.S. ally, and appearing tepid in explaining how, if he were president, he'd respond to a domestic terror strike - citing emergency response as a top priority.

Clinton pledged to "retaliate" quickly.

...

So the students at the debate and the TV pundits are calling it for Obama and Clinton.

Just goes to show that none of them have a clue what's going on in the world and are poor judges of character.

Run, Gore, Run!

Gore/?

I agree that Edwards will never accept second slot again;  but Obama is drooling at Clinton's heels...IMO 

* rdorgan
Mon, 04/30/07
2:20 pm

Obama rama all the time. Do you ever talk about anything else?????

Clinton pledged to "retaliate" quickly.

Oh, really?  And which hapless country, and wrong country would she bomb?  She's trying very hard to not sound soft on terror.  We need outside of the box thinking instead of war, kill, maim, retaliate, punish, strike, ad infinitum.

Have we always been warmongers?  Looks that way, doesn't it...oh those English expansionist/arrogant/misogynistic  roots....we've come fully circle from one King George to his putz pretender. 

Indy -

Yep, read back in previous threads today and other days (I talk about soccer, Sierra Leone, Iraq, ethanol energy, issues in NE, etc.).

I spend the time to read through all comments in all previous threads when I come online from being away here.

It's time consuming to do so but at least I don't miss anything that has been posted.

Fairness doctrine, hmmhh ...

... is talking about Gore here considered Gorearama ?

If not, then why is the term used here for Obamarama ?

If the consensus here is that I should not post anything about Obama, then your every wish is my command.

I didn't know Tony Snow had liver cancer and is starting chemo.  My heart goes out to him.  

In fact last week I posted about Malaria Awareness Day, two days in a row.

It never got an echo from any one else here.

seashell
Mon, 04/30/07
2:29 pm
______________________________________________________________
The Democrats are desperate to win an election......apart from DK and Gravel, the rest of the lot will play up to the far right and voters in the red states(they know they have the blue states locked up)..........so they will tell that contingent exactly what they want to hear.............

With so many *important* people in gov't getting cancer, maybe these dolts will pass some good health care and research bills.  I firmly believe cancer can be cured YESTERDAY and it's big pharma that's stopping it.

DAMN. I'll be there in 3 weeks, couldn't ya'll WAIT!?!


The Miami-Dade Democratic Party in conjunction w/ DFA is hosting a box lunch with DNC Chairman Howard Dean on Tuesday, May 1st, 2007 at 12:15PM at Parrot Jungle, 1111 Parrot Jungle Trail, Miami (Watson Island), FL 33132.

Cost is only $20 pp to cover cost of the event and lunch. (Parking will be at a reduced rate of $5)

Here is a unique chance to meet our National Chair, to hear to him and give him your thoughts, too!

Click here to purchase tickets (please put "Dean Event" as "employer"): Purchase Tickets

Click here for Google Map to: Parrot Jungle

rdorgan,

You have every right to post what you want. And you do post other things. But the tendency to continually post Obama rama pieces kind of diminishes the impact. Just sayin'.......

32.

seashell

His Colon Cancer re-occurred in his Liver.

Shameless repost...because it IS THAT GOOD.

I prefer to remember the Dean speech in front of the California Democratic convention....four years ago. Now known as the I wanna know speech.

Check it out here...it's worth downloading...it will rekindle the spirit!

http://www.archive.org/details/dean-sacramento

And the updated question today is....I want to know why so many Democrats are voting to fund Bush's unilateral surge in Iraq?

Perhaps instead of new bells and whistles we could fix what we already know stinks/is broken?  Just me.

 As in: why are the names *still* not clickable? Why doesn't firefox's spell check work in RICH TEXT?  Why is there *still* this crappy little column instead of something that's actually *readable*?  Why do you have to do TWO highlight cut and pastes to get both the name AND text of something you want to respond to?

Obama is drooling at Clinton's heels...IMO

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

Obama is ahead of Clinton both in the polls and in fundraising.  ACK.  If this is "the best" the Democratic party can do, look forward to pReznit Giulianni. . . . . 

For your political education and entertainment. watch this! Edwards at the California Dem convention.

Indy -

Well, it cuts both ways, the tendency to continually post Gore rama pieces kind of diminishes the impact. Just sayin'.......

I'm not saying you're doing that but I've seen an number of infrequent commenters who enter this blog and end up leaving.

They seem to get railroaded off if you get my meaning, IMO.

I've been here long enough and maybe too long.

I truly thought that what I felt for Dean when he was running for prez and now do the same for Obama (and Edwards to be truthful) would be the same for others here.

I realize that I've been hitting a bit of a brickwall and that's my fault for not being more sensitive to others here.

Re: 19, and 40. . .  OR FIX THE DAMN SOFTWARE SO YOU DON'T GET DOUBLE POSTS?

BTW, I'm not seeing *anything* in the supposed youtube spaces.  Just blanks.  Not that I could download them anyways.

I'm on firefox.  

This just came in and thought you all would enjoy.

A Glance at Al Gore From a Student's Perspective



April 30, 2007



Al Gore with students from the Global Warming Sophomore Seminar.





Former Vice President Al Gore entered the classroom where we waited to have a question and answer session with him with such ease and so little ceremony that it caught us off guard. When he finally arrived, we were shocked to see him standing in front of us, and we forgot to stand to welcome him like we had planned.



Mr. Gore seemed interested in our questions about greenhouse gas emissions and nuclear power plants and eager answer them, as if he hasn’t been speaking about the same topics all over the world for the past few years.



All in the context of climate change, Mr. Gore drew diagrams of neurotransmitters and computer systems on the whiteboard, quoted a German philosopher, and made references to internal combustion engines, political campaign budgets, the evolution of print media, government propaganda, and the recent Mexican tortilla riots. He implied that climate change is not only an environmental issue, but a political, economic, social, technological, and moral concern of great prevalence.



Mr. Gore acknowledged that demonstrations on college campuses may be an effective way to get attention to the issue of climate change saying that “…students have a superior ability to see through to a conclusion.” He encouraged us to use reason and added “If I was a college student right now I’d be out there organizing.”



-- by Molly Kane '09

 

(repost from previous thread)

12.

Joan* In*Florida -

Actually, I hope that Edwards stays in as long as he can (he's great for what he's talking about -- especially the Two Americas).

I'm hoping that the ticket will be Obama/Edwards.

Yet, any dem combination is just shades of lightness, as compared to the shades of darkness of a repub combination.

For instance, who's doing all the flip-flopping this time around -- Guiliani, McCain and Romney. 

Romney was the governor of MA for one term.  We here we're glad to see his backside when he announced he was not running for gov reelection in 2006.

With so many *important* people in gov't getting cancer, maybe these dolts will pass some good health care and research bills.

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

Not going to happen, seashell: they think they already have the best healthcare in the world.  Part of their mythology.  They've forgotten it's never smart to believe your own propaganda. . . . 

Puddle, I use Opera and the software don't work well with me either.  I can only post and do pictures from websites and some websites don't work in this, either.  I can't type normally because it cuts it off, so I only go in to Bold when I have something like the photo I wanted to share upthread.

rdorgan,

I appreciate your views on all topics. You are a plus for the blog. So keep the discussion flowing! And I'll keep the Edwards camp happy!

But who's going to stick up for poor Hillary? ;-)

* rdorgan
Mon, 04/30/07
2:58 pm

Edwards / Obama in 2008. That would be my dream ticket and it would win in a landslide. Obama  in 2016.

Indy -

She's a big girl, she can take care of herself (plus she has Bill).

Even if H Clinton does get the dem nod, I will campaign and vote for her.

The alternative (the dark side) of another four to eight years of another tax-cutting to the rich, grinding down government and safety nets repub presidential rule, is too disgusting for me to even think about.

Indy -

Time will tell.

They've both spent the least time in the Beltway and that is fine for me.

Gee, should I start posting the Draft Gore efforts, just to be all fair and balance?

Linda*in*SFNM
Mon, 04/30/07
3:11 pm

LOL!! Sure, why not. If Gore enters, all bets are off!! But if he does, he should do it sooner rather than later. Too many people are lining up and I think there would be a huge negative reaction if he comes in last minute.

Reed, just in case you didn't make it over to the Kos diary,
I thought I'd share this comment from a poster, for your enjoyment.

Great interview! (0 / 0)

I learned more about Gravel in this interview than I did during that stupid debate last week. And he comes off very sensible in the interview, unlike the debate (though I loved his debate performance). I'm still not at all convinced about his idea for using a sales tax, but I'm more inclined to do a little research on it myself, now.

Recommended and tipped!

There are things about Edwards I like very much.  Perhaps I could vote for him with a clothspin on my nosey.  But not Clinton or Obama.  And I like Gravel.  I wonder if he'd go as #2?

puddle, I don't think it matters right now that Obama has more support or money.  I truly think the fix is in for Clinton.  If Obama looks like he'll run with it, you can believe she'll destroy him.

Yeah, I forgot the critters have good health insurance.  But if they start suffering and dying in numbers, that attitude of laissez faire might end.  Just a thought.   Or we the people, could exert more pressure cuz we don't have their luxuries.

Gore/Gravel?

Gravel's statement that the sales tax is progressive is just wrong. He is redefining the term progressive tax. Not saying the income tax is all that progressive with all the deductions but a national sales tax is regressive. Reed asked him that question (with savings exempted) and he dodged it.

I am not impressed with Gravel at all.

55.

Indy Steve

Oh yes. Some were even talking about winter or next year. I think he should enter this year, definitely.


No, I don't want to start loading down the blog. The occasional references with the petition some made are fine. Regardless how rdorgan may feel, I think he's dragging in a different situations in to your conversation. I think his attention just gets drawn to when ever there may be something posted about Al Gore, as if now we're not supposed to post something on anyone else, regardless of what they are actually doing, just who he may be wishing for.

It's ok.

Indy, did you see Kucinich's performance on Real Time with Bill Maher that I posted?

It was EXCELLENT.

http://tinyurl.com/3ddabq

Can you imagine how much more advanced we could be, if we didn't have people trying to pull us backwards and not actually invest in discovery and science.

If we had these yahoo's in office all the time, we would have never attempted space. Never created electricity. Found vaccines for Polio, etc.

Doctors study 'scar-free' surgery

PITTSBURGH -- A 4-year-old boy lay on an operating table here a few weeks ago with a tumor that had eaten into his brain and the base of his skull. Standard surgery would involve cutting open his face, leaving an ugly scar and hindering his facial growth as he matured.

But doctors at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center knew a way to avoid those devastating consequences. They removed much of the tumor through the boy's nose.

http://santafenewmexican.com/news/60974....

With so many *important* people in gov't getting cancer, maybe these dolts will pass some good health care and research bills.  I firmly believe cancer can be cured YESTERDAY and it's big pharma that's stopping it.  

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

The best "cure" for cancer is eradication of cancer through regulation of cancer-causing substances - right now these chemicals are ubiquitous in consumer products and the environment.  This is an issue that cuts across ideological lines  for voters.  The Neocon deregulation and China imports have not helped but Democrats have abandoned this area of research and regulation ( testing chemicals for toxicity) in favor of "DA CURE") to kiss up to the multinationals, many of which are great contributors to research for the "DA CURE"

It is like saying "it is OK to live in a fire-trap without smoke alarms, and let kids play with matches.  What we really need is more firefighters and faster fire-engines to put out the fires."

said Ji Denghui, general manager of the Fujian Sanming Dinghui Chemical Company, which sells melamine. “I don’t know if there’s a regulation on it. Probably not. No law or regulation says ‘don’t do it,’ so everyone’s doing it. The laws in China are like that, aren’t they? If there’s no accident, there won’t be any regulation.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/30/business/worldbusiness/30food.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin

Much to do folks. Play well and have a good one.

bbl

I'm holding out for Gore, too. I think our illustrious Senators should stay right where they are and make the Senate WORK.
Gore/Dean '08
Re-Elect Gore!
jane

Drive by -- just in case you didn't already know the sky is falling

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/4/30/...

New Data: Ice-free Arctic earlier than previously predicted (2020?)
by wclathe [Subscribe]

Mon Apr 30, 2007 at 11:45:34 AM PDT


So long polar bears.......

15.

Monica,

Good post, as usual.

~~~~~~~~~

That Dean clip is hard to watch again. I would rather be watching some happier ones. I can't remember the name of the person who put together video after video name began with a T I think), but the one he did was a synopsis of the highlights of Dean's most highly attended rallies -- New York, Seattle, etc. Sure like to see that one again.

(He also did the one for Vermont ads to get voters there to vote for Dean as Vermont's favorite son.)

Sigh!

Gore/Dean 2008 (It isn't impossible)

Annilow, that is horrible.  Terrible.  Not only losing and suffering Polar Bears,

 our life as we know it will be gone 

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Oped_Bushi...

Op-ed: 'Bushified' federal government 'isn't pretty'

From its first days, this White House has outfitted federal departments with political minders, usually installed in management and policy positions that are influential but typically below public radar.


Column to be published here tomorrow:

http://www.journal-news.com/o/content/oh...




This is from RAWSTORY.

AMERICA

WAKE UP!!!!!!!! 

68. Poor ole bear. Sad.

and while we are faced with such serious and challenging problems, we have candidates that are treating this Presidential election like they are being voted on for Prom King.



We have serious issues and they are THINKING ABOUT MAYBE CHANGING SOME LIGHT BULBS WITH HIS TWO DAUGHTERS? EXCUSE ME? THESE ARE YOUR IDEAS TO LEAD OUR COUNTRY?



and now excuse me, so I can go cry and release my anxiety in work out.

55.

If and when Gore decides to run, he will do so when he thinks he is ready.

He doesn't need name recognition of course.

IMHO the debates are degrading to candidates, especially Democrats, so he won't lose any respect or support by passing those up.

If you watched any of the MSNBC debate, notice how the questions to each candidates were preceeded by Williams' taking a Repug shot at them before asking the question. I won't watch any more of them. Gore can miss them all and lose nothing!

The money will be there for him if he announces by early fall. The big donors appear to be holding back their donations. It's the small donors giving right now.

By TY PHILLIPS
tphillips@modbee.com

The murderous rampage that left 33 people dead at Virginia Tech has stirred countless emotions: sadness and anger, fear and hatred, grief and disgust.

When Dr. Ann Blake Tracy heard the details, she felt many of those same emotions. Yet there is one sentiment Tracy does not share with much of the rest of the world: surprise. As terrible as it sounds, after nearly 20 years researching links between violent crime, suicide and antidepressants, Tracy is surprised only that it doesn't happen more often.

Details continue to emerge about the lonely life of killer Seung-Hui Cho, who had a history of mental illness. Among Cho's effects, officials found prescription medications related to the treatment of psychological problems.

Though it's still premature to draw conclusions ....

http://www.modbee.com/local/story/13533556p-14137410c.html

Linda*in*SFNM
Mon, 04/30/07
3:25 pm

I saw it Friday night. Kucinich was good. Had a great sense of humor and got good responses from the audience. Kucinich is just a victim of typecasting. He takes stands on issues and casts votes like on Iraq that should generate a lot of support but he can't even get progressives to back him. I don't think there's anything he can do about it.

It is sad really since he is the ONLY candidate to have actually voted against Iraq when it mattered.

I sent the video Luigi posted of the 'real Dean scream' to politico and newsweek (George Will) and said this is what really happened and Dean was crucified by the press owned by the corporate media.

Joan* In*Florida
Mon, 04/30/07
4:24 pm

Beg to differ. Though he does have name recognition.....this race is locking up very early. In the early states, it seems to me people will be committed by Fall. And the organizers are working like crazy this far in advance. I think Gore has to get in by June or July to make it, without having a huge uphill climb to pull supporters away from the top three.

78.

Steve,

I say August/September, you say June/July. May be compromise and agree on July 30/Aug 1:)

Drugmakers, Doctors Get Cozier

Gifts Continue, Contacts Increase Despite Guidelines

By Christopher Lee
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, April 29, 2007; A03

Despite efforts to curb drug companies' avid courting of doctors, the industry is working harder than ever to influence what medicines they prescribe, sending out sales representatives with greater frequency and plying physicians with gifts, meals and consulting fees, according to several new papers.

One study published in the New England Journal of Medicine last week found that 94 percent of doctors have some type of relationship with the drug industry -- most commonly accepting free food or drug samples, which about 80 percent of physicians did. More than one-third of the 1,662 physicians who responded to a survey conducted from November 2003 to June 2004 reported being reimbursed by the drug industry for costs of going to professional meetings or continuing medical education, and 28 percent said they had been paid for consulting, giving lectures or signing up patients for clinical trials.

Two other papers examined in detail the strategies that pharmaceutical representatives, or "detailers," use and how effective the industry is at influencing doctors.

"We now know that virtually every doctor in the United States has some form of relationship with the pharmaceutical industry," said Eric G. Campbell, lead researcher of ...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/28/AR2007042800896.html?nav=rss_business

60.

Linda,

Dennis looked great on Maher's show. He should show off his terrific smile much more. I was thinking maybe he also had a Botox job. His appearance looked better to me. Great sense of humor too.

He needs to exhibit these great qualities more often, in rallies, etc. Think I'll put a post on his blog if there is a way to do that. Also send a contribution.

Joan* In*Florida
Mon, 04/30/07
4:54 pm

Sure, Joan! If he announced on my Bday on July 29, that would be a GREAT present. Now to communicate that to Gore!! ;-)

78. I disagree. They started this campaigning too early and it gives people time to see what they're made of before the up front loaded election. The elections are still being held when they're being held.

Everyone (pundits ) were saying they started this early for the money, now they have to come out with their policies and it aint goin' so well. That was there choice to hype it up early. July is when campaigns used to start.

No, no. Some may not like with what they will have to deal with before election time comes. But the reality still is, a long time away for voting. Plenty of time for additional candidates.

Remember this time 4 years ago, Gephardt and Lieberman were being pushed as our front candidates getting the money. They were already covering Dean as the angry candidate fighting with Kerry and Lieberman.

I'm compromising to fall entrance.

78. Indy Steve

IS the race is locking up in the early states? do you have numbers to back this up?

so far, nationally, at least, NONE of these candidates have ignited any passion -- certainly compared to the Dean phenom in 2003 the numbers of engaged activists & voters seem miniscule. i think it's hilarious that obama keeps talking about the "movement" his campaign is "creating" -- as if he just has to keep saying it for it to be true.

the fall is plenty soon for Gore to get in. let him have some fun.

book -> worldwide concert -> peace prize -> announce ->

Gore/Dean in 08!

Jean Wyant
Mon, 04/30/07
5:04 pm

There is more enthusiasm this year than there was in 03 at this time. Dean didn't really become a front-runner until after the sleepless summer tour. Obama HAS been drawing huge crowds and had over 100,000 donors in the first quarter. Edwards has committed supporters. Clinton has her mainstream types. Yes, it is MUCH further along than 03. Once someone has donated and/or supported a candidate in the early states, it is pretty hard to switch them.

Not locked up yet by any means, but I think by summer, Gore would be working uphill.

Linda,

Is that your license plate? Priceless......

I was having a good day until I saw the photos of the bears.  I just can't take this..not the animals...let the horrible men kill one another but spare our beloved animals.

Out now!!!

 Putz is backing Wolfie.  Someone PLEASE remove this horror and his henchmen from the WH.

If Wolfie stays, I think that will be a testament to the power of the WH to rule the world. 

85.

Jean Wyant

They're using the NeoCon play book passed on from Bush to Lieberman. Saying it don't make it so, but as documented in Pelosi's movie, they even stated how everything was all STAGED.

How else do you get spending 6.5 MILLION dollars in the FIRST quarter of a campaign in a primary? Outrageous.

___________________________

Indy, yes it is :) thank you.

I'm sorry seashll.


I'm off.

and seashell, sorry, I didn't mean I'm off because I saddened you with the Polar Bear photos.

I am sorry for that, but I'm off to other stuff.


later all

86. Indy Steve

i don't know about that. Dean was drawing huge crowds, had meet-ups everywhere and hundreds of thousands of on-line supporters BEFORE he started moving up in the polls and getting serious media coverage. it was all by word of mouth - i guess because he appealed to so many folks who don't show up in the polls.

i'll never forget that on-line fundraising weekend in June 03, around the time he announced (the day before my birthday!) where boatloads of people were donating and blogging while Howard ate his turkey sandwich! that was 2 months before the sleepless summer tour kick-off.

i think people are just so tired of politicians right now, and aside from Edwards none of this crew seems serious about being a moral, honest human being who really stands for something meaningful, rather than a politician all caught up in playing the angles.

impeachment now.

Gore/Dean in 08!

Why are the CMW talking about Tenet and his allegations when they should be talking about Condi's confession?  It makes Tenet's book moot unless Tenant made the same claim.

Linda in SF, no need to apologize.  I know this is happening and when I see photos, I cry.

89. Linda*in*SFNM

that's one of the things that's so disappointing about obama, not to mention hillary and the others - it's all so scripted to push lefties' buttons, but when you get right down to it, he and they are all DLC a la lieberman. yuck

so the contractors and their corporate employers keep hauling in the dough hand over fist while Iraqi children and other people whose lives don't mean much in the grand scheme of things just keep on dying.

so much sadness.

Jumps on rdorgan for Obamaspam and them spams us with his boy Edwards.

It's like watching a battle between Tweedledee and Tweedledum. 

Individual Americans can't help but feel lost and alienated when our whole country is.

Unfortunately, the repugs in the Senate have the power.  If they don't take that walk to the WH, the way they did with Nixon...who's gonna save us?  How can they care so little for us and for our soldiers and for the innocents we're killing?   They would be reelected if they opposed putz.  Why are they self-destructing?

All lies lead to Ayatolla Cheney.

We have a lot of sickos in this country.  Stats say that one out of four people is mentally ill.  This article would suggest that it's true.  One out of four!

According to my fan mail, it appears Sean Hannity criticized my essay on the Blacksburg massacre picked up by "CounterPunch," and his listeners somehow got my e-mail address. I have long wondered who Hannity's fans are, and at last I had the chance to find out. More than 150 emails arrived, most of which only cursed me or suggested I depart the country, preferably feet first. Others, though, suggested various tortures, including taking me apart with a pliers; and a few took the trouble to prescribe harsher punishments should I cross their path. One of the typical, albeit more profound letters, which I quote in its entirety, came from Ken Land of diceland@verizon.net, who said, "You are a piece of s---."(Note: as a believer in family values, I am not reprinting the s---- -word.)

Here's Ross's article in full that brought out the crazies. 

By SHERWOOD ROSS

At the memorial ceremony for those slain at Virginia Tech, President Bush said today he did not know what the victims had done to deserve their fate. How this nation wept as one when thirty innocent Americans perished and twenty more were wounded! There is almost nothing else on the television news but this tragedy --- not even news from the ongoing slaughter from the war in Iraq.

Here we have the sorry spectacle of the man in the White House who made the war on Iraq, where a disaster comparable to the Virginia Tech massacre occurs four or five times a day every day, leading the nation in prayer! Yet when does this man go on television to ask the American people to pray for the hundreds of thousands of Iraqis who have been murdered in the illegal war he launched? And just as the students and teachers who perished at the hands of a crazed killer on the Virginia Tech campus had done nothing to deserve their fate, neither have the people of Iraq committed any crime to endure the unendurable they are suffering at the hands of a president who professed to be "horrified" at the events on a peaceful campus. If a South Korean student is regarded as a berserk killer for murdering thirty people what is President Bush, whose invasion to control oil-rich Iraq has cost nearly three quarters of a million lives, created four million refugees, and plunged the Middle East into turmoil?

The American people, including the families of the murdered Virginia Tech innocents, have collective blood-guilt on their hands. I have not gone to jail to protest the war machine, so I am no better than they and probably a good deal worse because I have given the issue some thought. How many of those parents in the audience hearing the President's words had elected to Congress men and women who voted for lax laws on gun ownership? How many of those parents in the audience had also voted for legislators who backed the president's illegal invasion of Iraq? Are we, as a nation, too obtuse to grasp the connection between our "gun culture" policy at home and our militarist policy abroad that murders and mutilates human beings at every turn? Practically any one in America can buy a gun, and abroad, any dictator in the world can buy weapons made in America because we just happen to be the world's biggest arms peddler.

What kind of a society has America become? Why do we have two-million men in our prisons? Why, in some cities, is every second or third male either in prison or out on parole? Why is the murder rate soaring in so many cities? Why is there on average more than one killing a day in a city like Philadelphia? Why are our own terrorists murdering 30,000 Americans each year and injuring tens of thousands more with rapid-fire handguns of the sort used on the Virginia Tech campus? Do we realize, speaking of terrorists, that ten times as many Americans are being killed by Americans each year as all our troops in Iraq? Osama bin Laden is everywhere in America. He has a thousand faces. They are the faces of our own dispossessed, our own poverty-stricken, our own unemployed, our own underclass, our own idolized gangsters , our own youth who grew up in front of television sets that ooze violence and blood.

Who is responsible for the killings in Iraq except the same now bereaved parents of the murdered students at Virginia Tech? It's not that some of them voted to elect George Bush. Anyone can be deceived, particularly by a notorious liar. But when the president broke the law and invaded Iraq, violating the UN Charter, how many of them protested? Today they are upset that a young, crazed gunman has ran amok on the campus of a peaceful university, but where were they when President Bush defied the United Nations and ran amok in Iraq? Do they know, as Amnesty International reported on the same day as the Virginia Tech murders, the Middle East "is on the verge of a massive humanitarian crisis" because three-million Iraqis have been "forcibly displaced" by the war the grief-stricken Mr. Bush began? Who do the American people think made this humanitarian crisis in the Middle East if not the American people?

The same parents who weep for their children might consider that they and their neighbors are also spending a half trillion dollars a year so that the Pentagon, just over the horizon from Virginia Tech, can wage a war that is snuffing out the lives of children of other parents just like their own. Thousands of Virginians work for the military-industrial complex. They work for the Pentagon. They work for defense contractors. They work for the Central Intelligence Agency. They are in the business of killing directly or indirectly, yet how many of them are haunted by the consequences of their "jobs" in their dreams at night?

All across America, people who attend church and regard themselves as "good" people, such as the bereaved at Virginia Tech, are working in the plants that make atomic bombs and warplanes and napalm and cluster bombs and are creating new, demonical designs of germ warfare and space-based weapons so vile and horrible they defy description.

If it's true that one out of four is mentally ill, that would account for the people who still back putz.

If mentally ill people shouldn't have guns, should they be allowed to vote?

sea LOL...YEP!

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