Is America Burning - a Forum To Discuss Issues

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Monday, September 29, 2008

Sarah Palin

What is there left to say about lovely Sarah that hasn't been said already?

She terrifies me? Nope, that's been done.

She doesn't have a clue? That's been done too.

I'm waiting with bated breath for the debate? So are millions of others.

And then, as I was adding "fjb" to our blogroll (under political activists with the correct link), I started catching up with her blog "Not Much But All Mine".

Her post on Sarah brought memories of my high school days well over 50 years ago. I bet the women who read this blog (and maybe even some of the guys) can identify.

COMMENTS:
Blogger fjb said...

Thanks Ann. I had the sinking feeling I was suffering from deja vu when this woman was catapulted onto the international stage.

Monday, September 29, 2008 9:56:00 AM



Nice work, fjb.

Blogger Worried American said...

What I have researched about that woman leaves me ill. To think that IF McCain wins and IF he becomes incapacitated, THAT WOMAN will be president of the most powerful nation in the world -- and with virtually unlimited power, thanks to Bush. Do I think she will abuse that Hitleresque power? You bet your bippy I believe it!!

Thursday, October 02, 2008 4:16:00 AM

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Paul Newman - One of a Kind

I had the biggest crush on Paul Newman. Had? I still do. I've been wanting to write some kind of tribute since I heard of his death. I read most of the eulogies but nothing seemed to fit until I checked my email this morning and found this from The Nation (reprinted in Alternet).

It says less about his movie career (important as that was) and his good looks (oh, those blue eyes and that smile) and more about his humanity.

He will be missed.

From The Nation:


Unrepentant liberal, Newman was dedicated to civil rights, women's rights, gay rights, and was determined to elect opponents of war and militarism.


Actors do not usually turn in performances that gain the notice of presidents.

But when Paul Newman decided to take the role of anti-war activist in the early days of the Vietnam imbroglio, he performed so ably -- as an early and essential campaigner for Eugene McCarthy in 1968 and prominent supporter of George McGovern -- that he ranked high on then-President Richard Nixon's "enemies list."

Newman's name was on the original list of enemies produced by Nixon aide Charles Colson in 1971.

Colson's notes on the memorandum with regard to the actor read: "Paul Newman, California: Radic-lib causes. Heavy McCarthy involvement '68. Used effectively in nationwide T.V. commercials. '72 involvement certain."

The official purpose, according to internal memos that circulated in the Nixon White House prior to the 1972 election was to "screw" liberal politicians, labor leaders, business titans, academics, activists and an actor who might be threats to the president's reelection.

"This memorandum addresses the matter of how we can maximize the fact of our incumbency in dealing with persons known to be active in their opposition to our Administration; stated a bit more bluntly -- how we can use the available federal machinery to screw our political enemies," wrote White House counsel John Dean.

Newman, who died Friday at age 83, survived and thrived.

He won acting's top honors and even became one of the nation's most successful entrepreneurs, marketing his own exceptionally successful "Newman's Own" brand of salad dressings and organic food. ("It's all been a bad joke that just ran out of control," Newman said of the food business, which allowed him donate more generously than just about anyone in Hollywood or on Wall Street to charity.)

Newman remained political -- dedicated to civil rights, women's rights and gay rights, committed to ending the nuclear arms race and determined to elect opponents of war and militarism.

Newman supported, and even wrote for, The Nation.

And he was a steady campaigner for and contributor to progressive causes and candidates -– mostly Democrats but also anti-war Republican Pete McCloskey when he challenged Nixon in the Republican primaries of 1972 and to Green Ralph Nader in 2000. In 2006, the actor helped Connecticut's Ned Lamont mount a successful Democratic primary challenge to U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman. (Newman got so into the Lamont campaign that he even volunteered to do calls for the campaign -- and wrote his own script.)

This year, Newman was a maxed-out contributor to the campaign of Barack Obama for president.

The actor finished his life with more friends and fewer enemies than just about anyone in his chosen profession. And Newman's extensive philanthropy earned him little but praise in his final years.

Yet, Paul Newman was particularly proud to have been an "enemy."

Indeed, he said to the end of his days that the place he held on Nixon's list was "the highest single honor I've ever received."

Digg!

See more stories tagged with: paul newman

John Nichols is The Nation's Washington correspondent.

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COMMENTS:
Blogger Worried American said...

Great post Granny. I always admired Newman for all the usual reasons but also for the fact of his moral code. He was one of the very few Hollywood personalities that had little or no personal scandals such as drunkenness,drug usage, adultery, etc. He and Jimmy Stewart were rare celebrities.

Wednesday, October 01, 2008 6:20:00 PM

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Saturday, September 27, 2008

WTF ?? Screwed Up Spiders

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Who'd a-thunk coffee would screw the little buggers up more than pot? Something to think about.

COMMENTS:
Blogger betmo said...

i'll think on my way to the coffee pot :) gotta have my morning fix.

Saturday, September 27, 2008 7:56:00 AM

Blogger betmo said...

that does explain why my house looks funny though ;)

Saturday, September 27, 2008 7:56:00 AM

Blogger fjb said...

LMAO. Gadfly, you rock!

Completely off topic here, but you should go check out Zina Saunders artwork. Wow.

Saturday, September 27, 2008 11:35:00 AM

Blogger fjb said...

BTW, did you guys ever figure out my URL? If not, here it is Not Much, But All Mine.

Saturday, September 27, 2008 11:38:00 AM

Gadfly: I'm with you, Betmo, about that morning cuppa. Did you know that coffee (caffiene) is listed as a chemical dependency drug ? If that's true, I'm hooked! Re: your house. Hell fire, you oughta see mine! Definitely not a poster child for Good Housekeeping magazine. Clean but a little odd.
FJB: Thanks friend. I'll check out the artist and turn the url on to Worried. She's the art nut and has several blogs on art. Yes, thanks for the url. We have you sorted out now!

Blogger Progressive Traditionalist said...

A-mazed.

Sunday, September 28, 2008 4:12:00 AM

Blogger Worried American said...

Hello, PT!! Good to see you. You have been sorely missed! You are always welcome; do visit us again soon!!

Monday, September 29, 2008 1:48:00 AM

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Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Ain't Coming Back for Awhile

A smart-a$$ emailer wants to know why I won't be back to Houston for a week or two. And he/she makes a smart-a$$ remark regarding my possible delay in returning home. First of all: t'ain't none of yer business. Second, the national mass media reports a dire emergency with all the terrible happenings at the time. Once the death and destruction is past, they move on to more important news for the country - like Palin's qualifications for Veep, like being female. But the horrific news post-Ike is basically ignored nationwide, except locally.

Galveston and the smaller coastal towns are primarily featured. One or two small towns are about obliterated. One has only 6 residents left! But the Big H was hit pretty hard, too. Electricity was off for over 2 million people. Still over half a million without power. Scads of traffic lights down. The streets and freeways a traffic nightmare. I ain't coming back until some of that mess is cleared up. Besides which, I am enjoying present company.

So there, Mr./Mrs. Smart-A$$.

P.S. Another emailer wants to know what "Car 54 Where Are You?" means. You date yourself as a youngster. That was a comedy cop TV show for awhile about a couple of dingbat cops always into some sort of escapade and Dispatch trying to track them down. You probably wasn't even born then or only a toddler.

COMMENTS:
Blogger The Future Was Yesterday said...

"A smart-a$$ emailer wants to know why I won't be back to Houston for a week or two. And he/she makes a smart-a$$ remark regarding my possible delay in returning home."
Weren't me! Weren't me! Mebbe somebody's got the hot's fer ya!

"Another emailer wants to know what "Car 54 Where Are You? means "
Hehe.:) Joe Friday and his loyal sidekick dipshit!:) But did you know they followed PPP (Proper Police Procedure) so well on that show, that many real life police departments used that show as a training guide at the time? Tis true.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008 9:20:00 PM

Blogger fjb said...

LOL! You take care Gadfly, and take all the time you want.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008 10:21:00 PM

Blogger Reverend X said...

Greetings Ladies,
Hope all has been well with you. I got tired of Preaching of Doom and Gloom so I dropped out until the Doom started. But I'm back and with a message of Hope and a positive theme song... lol A Post Apocalyptic

I've missed ya,
-X

Thursday, September 25, 2008 2:56:00 AM

Blogger Gadfly said...

Well, Dan'l, unless you have more than one email, I know you're not the guilty party. Got the hots for me? Don't think so unless it was some sort of jealous snit.

No, I didn't know that about the dingbats in Car 54! Learn something new all the time!

fjb: Your url, puhleeze!! Unless you REALLY are Betmo at betblue!

reverend X. The Old Woman (Worried) will be glad you're back. She has griped about you going offline so long ago. She's more of a lurker than a commenter but I know she checked you out pretty often and really liked your blog.

Welcome Back, Kotter (reverend X)

She'll be back soon.

BTW, Dan'l. Like your avatar. Are you advertising that you're a Big Dog on Blogger? I like it!

Thursday, September 25, 2008 7:47:00 PM

PS: Thanks Granny. I overlooked previous comment. I ain't used to keeping up with comments and publishing them.

y, September 25, 2008 7:47:00 PM

Blogger Granny said...

Gadfly, Fiona is on Facebook now. I have her url but you may have to join to read. I'm not sure.

Thursday, September 25, 2008 10:09:00 PM

Blogger Granny said...

Car 54 was a comedy starring Fred Gwynn back in the 60's. I thought it was hilarious and I'm sure it's still in syndication somewhere.

Thursday, September 25, 2008 10:12:00 PM

Blogger Progressive Traditionalist said...

I'd like to hear an update, if only so I could enjoy the pleasant feeling in my heart of hearts that, perhaps, my ex has been wiped off the face of the map.

True story I told again only yesterday, so I'll tell it again.

Right outside of Clute, there is an experimental site by Antlantic Richfield. Most of it is underground, so you wouldn't notice it so much as you drive by. This is a high-security site where you have to turn in your driver's license at the gate in order to get in.
There was an addition there (probably early 90's) where there was a fellow in a trench. 8" flange pipe, I believe. They were rushing the project. The operator was lowering pipe into the trench, when he hit the joint the fellow was working on. I came off the jack-stands and rolled on him. Killed him.
They shut the site down for three days after that.
I was the next man in the trench after the site was opened back up.
Scared the living daylights out of me.
I swear I felt that man's ghost down in there.
I've never liked working in a trench since.

Sunday, September 28, 2008 4:21:00 AM

Blogger Worried American said...

Good heavens, PT! Thanks be to goodness you weren't killed or seriously injured! What a close call. No wonder you don't like working in trenches any more.

Was that in Clute, Texas? Down the coast a ways from Houston? We lived in Lake Jackson, near Freeport, Tx when husband worked in big petro plant there.

Glad to see you back. You've been missed very much.

Monday, September 29, 2008 1:55:00 AM


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Monday, September 22, 2008

Car 51 (fjb) Where Are You??

Car 54 Where Are You? TV Show




Fiona aka fjb, puhleeze send us your url. Blogger claims they never heard of you and our Blogroll ain't working. NONE of the freaking links work.

All three of us "Golden Girls" - the Old Woman (Worried), Granny and me the Gadfly are Administrators but I ain't touching that Template crap. I go on Worried's site, blogs, and even emails when she's out of pocket but there are some things I do not mess with and won't take care of for her.

So Fiona, where you at? Besides Canada? Plus anybody else that thinks we're ignoring them - send us your url! We still luv ya, we just lost contacts.

COMMENTS:
Blogger betmo said...

http://betblue.blogspot.com/

wouldn't want you ladies to forget me :)

Monday, September 22, 2008 7:15:00 AM

Blogger Gadfly said...

Thank you Betmo! Links are spotty. Some ok on special links; general blogroll rather iffy.Glad to have your correct url.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008 4:31:00 PM


Blogger Granny said...

Okay. Life's Journey corrected to show Betmo. I see where I got confused. You were looking for Fiona and Betmo answered.

I'll see if I can find a good url for Fiona.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008 11:45:00 PM

Blogger fjb said...

See, that's what you get for messing around on Facebook to get away from reality, you miss those important messages.:) Thanks Ann, you knew where to find me.:)

Wednesday, September 24, 2008 10:27:00 PM




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Friday, September 19, 2008

Houston

Some folks have emailed me to ask if I've heard anything from Houston.

No, I haven't except what I see on the news.

If I hear from any of our friends there, I'll let all of you know; meantime, please continue to hold them in your thoughts.

Updated just past midnight:

Look below for Gadfly's post. They're all okay; praise be. Still haven't heard from our friend Marty but perhaps she will surface soon.

Video Preparation Cost - $150,000

Unless you're Sarah McLachlan in a room with a guitar.

My son sent me this link today.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Gadfly Checks In Post-Ike

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

I AM ALIVE AND WELL ON PLANET EARTH> if anybody is interested. I damned sure ain't in Houston! Us oldtimers to the Gulf Coast might ride out a Cat 1 hurricane if we refuge in a solid, well constructed building AND are fairly well inland. We weigh the risks and the positives - how well built the building, how far inland, how much the storm will weaken that distance from the coast,etc. and all things considered, might ride out a Cat 2. But anybody with a grain of sense and one brain cell working will run like a turkey from a Cat 3 or 4. And only a total, stomped idiot will try to ride out ANY hurricane right on the coast!

Like those thousands of idiotic damned fools that stayed on Galveston and other coastal cities during Ike's arrival. Then started squalling for help when the water rose up to their necks. Ass hats! The mayor did right when she warned the citizens that all rescue work would CEASE at 9 P.M. And they were warned that to stay was DEATH!

They chose to stay and are lucky so few actually died. Rescuers risk their own lives to save people who innocently or through foolishness find themselves in peril. But when idiots deliberately CHOOSE to face death, WHY should our heroic, sacrificing rescue people die right along with them? I feel sorry for the idiots and that they suffered such terror but it serves them right. I betcha NEXT time they'll pay attention to the authorities.

Click photo to enlarge.



(The "Before/After" photo above, courtesy USGS in Bolivar Peninsula, TX. Ike took everything from some residents.)

Lesson: DON"T F**K WITH MOTHER NATURE!! SHE'LL KICK YOUR ASS EVERY TIME! She holds the high cards with hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, rogue waves, land slides, etc.. But we have fair warning about hurricanes and can rabbit when one is coming. Get the hell out of Dodge!

This old woman ran and so did old Worried. I managed to get through to her cell phone (Finally - land lines and cell phones were basically down for days - spotty reception and overloads) and she's fine, although still no power nor water etc. where she's holed up. Her son set up a generator and they're ok - lights, TV, fridge, freezer, fans - but no stove or computer, ofcourse. They're cooking on a camp stove. Fairly comfy compared to a lot of people. Minimal wind and water damage to property.

I have a lotta friends in lots of places. Stopped off at one bunch who were hosting other runners and they were having a bash. Stayed awhile then moved on. Some asshat got frisky

and I wasn't but I just left instead of punching him in the snozz. Went a little further north/northwest to refuge with an old friend of mine. Old friends are the best, comfortable as an old pair of house slippers. Oh Yeah!!


Might be back in a week or two.


P.S. Thanks, Granny, for thinking about us.

COMMENTS:
Blogger betmo said...

i am glad that everyone is ok- and alive and well. there's plenty of time to snozz bash when all is said and done :) come back when you can- dan'l could use the lift :)

Friday, September 19, 2008 8:05:00 AM


Blogger fjb said...

Whoo hoo, glad to finally hear from you and know you're okay!

Friday, September 19, 2008 10:08:00 AM


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Monday, September 15, 2008

Politics From An Alaskan's Point of View

First, please keep WA, Gadfly, and Marty (the other Houston friend who sometimes comments here) in your thoughts. Nothing that I read about the devastation in Texas is good.

Second, son Jim seems to be hanging in there in Iraq. Son Tim and his significant other are anxiously awaiting the elections and the defeat of our hate filled Propostion 8.

The great-granddaughters were here for dinner last night. They are all taller than I, even Rebecca.

Now back to what I was talking about in the first place. I received an email this morning from another moveon.org member - oops - got my friends mixed up; this one lives in Canada - directing me to this site

Mudflats is written by a woman from our east coast who settled in Alaska in the early 90's. She writes extensively and eloquently about Alaskan politics. Her focus lately is on Sarah Palin of course.

Turns out there was a huge rally of women against Palin which, she says, was never picked up by the main stream media. I certainly didn't see any coverage on the two cable news channels I watch. One of the progressive radio stations covered it - I'll have to check online because my radio reception here is terrible and the closest stations are 60 miles away in Fresno.

Check her out. Her coverage of the rally may be the only coverage we'll ever see.

Update - 2 hours later.

And then check out the first comment below which contains a link to some wonderful pictures. So does the other link but these are easier to see.

COMMENTS:
Blogger The Future Was Yesterday said...

I saw this, and a vague, quarter page blurb I didn't even consider saving, and that was it.

Monday, September 15, 2008 9:09:00 AM

Blogger Granny said...

Thanks Dan'l. I haven't read KOS in ages. Perhaps I should end the boycott.

Monday, September 15, 2008 12:44:00 PM


Blogger Leanne said...

The cool thing is I did hear one of the organisers of the anti Palin rally interviewed about it on CBC Radio here in Canada today. yay!

Monday, September 15, 2008 9:50:00 PM