Oh, the burden of believing……. 27 July 2008
Posted by marisacat in Inconvenient Voice of the Voter.trackback
Mr Obama’s campaign aircraft was heavily guarded at Heathrow airport as the presidential candidate prepared to leave the UK. [Getty Images via BBC]
LOL Carry on. They intend to, so we might as well………… He’s off to Ohio and lectures on econ.
Sunday is ‘God’s day’ right? With Obama it probably will be… There was a story around that for that useless endorse in NC (after the vote, hell, who cares?, It showed, tho, that Edwards bought the internal election eve polling that showed Ob down 11 pts, LOL) Edwards secured the promise of a primetime spot in Denver. I sorta doubt it now. The story just does not die. And stank (the stench of it being all too possible) from the get go. The Enquirer says they have photos from the Hilton runaround. I imagine they do. And Wapo says they will wait to see them, but don’t expect much coverage, they say, as Edwards is now a private citizen.
And really, what was ever there? Another vapid DLC senator. So damned little was there it should be, but is not, shocking he got as far as he did… and even had the shrinking balls to think he could be a running mate again.
What about LOSING do the Democrats not get?
I always read Mickey Kaus, reprehensible and cringe worthy as he is, I read him when the Dems are nothing but drool in motion. And ‘Obama as Lincoln’ is slobbers of drool, in motion.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Marisacat 
who the hell shoots at Unitarians?
A long-haired blond male in his forties, according to witnesses. Not known to the congregation, apparently.
Knoxville… I should go see what Instapundit is saying. He is one of the major pushers of open carry, and carry everywhere. Whew.
to be honest, and very unPC, I find myself wondering whether that armed young male speaks Hebrew…not being privy to the entire picture (I guess – thankfully?)…have I spelled privy wrong and will it forever relevate me to the hall of shame among my fellow human beings?
Do I need to make the disclaimer that I likely have semetic blood, who practised Judaism…….(if that in fact is so)……..the devil do get in those details……whomever, whatever – that devil be………………
ah, the magic that is Teh Google:
Mass Shooting at My Unitarian Church in Knoxville Today
From WBIR , a local station (link from a DK diary whose author is a member of the congregation, though he wasn’t there at the time)
The shooting appeared to be random, and occurred while kids were performing music from Annie. No kids were hurt.
Another witness account at WBIR link above sez the suspect was older, maybe in his 60s.
Unitarian Minister Chris Buice: “Pray for us”
I have similar links and quotes as Madman’s in moderation.
Loong fluffy profile of Valerie Jarrett in the ChiTrib. I had not read that she is the one that found the over told story of “Ashley” and the mustard and relish sandwiches. LOL I am hoping Ob makes her Chief of Staff when they ascend in their white robes, flecked with hay from the manger.
The word “Teh”
what is the story behind that…it certainly escaped my grasp…..
it actually became a word that disheartened me, knowing fully well that most of the population is now required to learn a new favorite term in order to be relevant and up to date, even though their financial circumstances don’t allow them any such luxury……….after all, many of them work all day and then some (and certainly don’t have the higher position that allows them to blog while at work), so as not to be whiners (or whingers?) or homeless, and while they may be quite adept at using a computer, they have no desire to further destroy their hands and eyesight…..when they arrive back home after a hellish day…
IB
sorry, got i t out.
And I jsut found one of Madman’s in Spam, from the last thread… will pull it forward…
BTW – According to “Washington Whispers” at US News and World Report, Blackwater did security for Obama in Afghanistan. (Clown hat tip to NeoKong at pff.)
There was another Blackwater news item in AP today: Blackwater mixes business glitz with military grit.
Mind the gaps. . . .
Thanks, Marisa. Think I’ve got one in spam now too . . . relates to Blackwater.
This is Madman’s comment from the last thread (languished in Spam File, Sorry!)
Madman in the Marketplace
poor fucking baby
try working a couple of jobs @ minimum wage, kids at home and no entourage to cater to your every whim, you asshole.
** close of comment **
Ta.
..well shit….I guess it’s all a mystery….I certainly don’t have a clue as to why I’m here…everytime I think I came upon some profound revelation I was bloodied…….. on my own petard…
Therefore….it absolutely stuns me how some can ignore their own self doubt and desire to lead…not only their own block…but nations….galaxies at large.
I thought I was fucked up.
!5
Can you waste some time on explaining what you meant by “Ta” hon?
Oh, “teh” is just a play on how it’s a frequent typo instead of the.
AP article on Knoxville shooting now has this, at the end:
Ta is just (British, I guess) shorthand for “thanks” – MCat got my Blackwater item out of spam.
Thank you Madman and musing (sorry hon, but you’ll always be musing to me ;0), and I’ll never forget that first pic you posted, nutria and all……)
by the by, but, but, but….the prince is backing out of the mercenary biz………clown hat tip to Jeremy Scahill [sic?]……
hmmm, no I didn’t include the golden winky faced image, nor did I insert any html coding in my above post (currently numbered #21), to conjure it up, for those new to the fact that numerous of the posts on marisacat’s blog have been infested with images that weren’t intended, much to marisacat’s bewilderment and likely dismay.
hmmm Chalmers Johnson, via Tom Dispatch… using a book review device to look at privatisation of our Intell services. AND, Tom E links to the two parter interview with Pepe Escobar in the preamble. Surfeit of goodies… 😉
Coordinated double-bombing in Istanbul today, too. 13 dead, dozens wounded, many very badly.
God’s day? Various God Brand (or at least Hell Fire) believers don’t seem to be taking this Sunday off.
welll I write “teh” all the time, as my typing is so screwed up. I only clean up the bigger words… and leave the little ones as a mess.
Tho some how th above typed out correctly, all the way thru.
Who knows.
23
one reason the believers scare me. All believers, all sides.
23
well one can only hope breaking a sacred holiday, said to represent all things good and eternal, is to aid a struggling fellow being from a forlorn abyss, but apparently, the time is not quite ripe yet……….
Okay you Focker Techno Vizards, whomever you may be: currently my response above (currently numbered 27 @ 11:00 PM Brit time) was to comment number 24, at that same time, posted by “Intermittent Bystander – 27 July 2008 “
25
Sorry hon, times have gotten so gruesome, I analyze all, I’m only human and rather teeny in the scheme of things…
political pundits. How could we live without them.
Shields on Inside Washington (with Totenberg, Krauthammer and Colbert King) said that Obama will do one of the following…
Win big
win barely
or
Lose.
ahahahahah. what else is there?
diane
The numbers get out of kilter, as comments pulled from moderation get inserted. Sorry, foible of the filter failures… LOL
sorry, by “who knows” I meant I had no idea how i typed two lines without tons of errors… miracle. or something.
31
I hadn’t concentrated on “who knows” hon, I agree wholeheartedly who the fock knows?
The only thing I really believe in, is the fact that there is mercy, I feel that I know this because in special moments I find myself feeling mercy for folks despite all logic on ‘my side’…against those who seem to be my tormentors and in fact are on this earth.
All I know is that I, by myself, am not near so kind to have conjured up that moment of mercy…
So….from whence did it come?
..lotus flowers ..to all of us ….sweetness…..
sorry:
and in fact are on this earth.
meant to write:
and, in fact, are, on this earth…..
funny, and quite profound, how those little things make all of the difference…..
Knoxville gunman identified now, and being held on $1 million bond.
One of the eyewitnesses in the Knoxville News report above says the shooter (age 58) wore a red white and blue T-shirt and was yelling “hateful things.”
Neighbors: Accused shooter everyone’s friend, hated Christianity
No smiley intended, obviously. Age = 58.
35 – so why not shoot some Baptists? Pentacostals?
I mean, are there any religious people less churchy than Unitarians?
I mean, Unitarians aren’t even Christians.
37 – Yeah, pretty strange, all right.
FYI – The person quoted on his religious views apparently got an earful from him while chatting about her own daughter’s graduation from bible college, so who knows? I noticed that a lot of comments at the main Knoxville News story have been deleted by the paper as offensive, including conjecture about motives. Reckon time will tell.
37, 38
maybe that is why………… UUs really are more like a social justice community.
39
Indeed, ..truth crushed to earth…shall rise….
Martin Luther King
;0)
hmmm KnoxNews says he had issues with Xtianity. hmm sure did, more than mere issues.
OK, so … land of the bible thumpers and he goes for UUs???
42
Many apologies, the verse was initially spoken by William Cullen Bryant, clearly Martin found it most relevant, and repeated it…
;0)
43
I should’ve referred to 41, not 42. Time for me to retire for the night, obviously….
sweet dreams all………..
’58 newport in black and white
Big Maybelle Smith – I Ain’t Mad At You
Anita O’day – Sweet Georgia Brown & Tea For Two
pinch pinch
hmmm Some eye grabbing commentary in a piece in Asia Times on Pakistan, SArabia, Turkey, etc. Eye grabbing and heart stopping.
war forever and ever. amen.
AP report this morning:
LINK to Yahoo news
Well taht makes a lot more sense than thsi endless Christians as Victims, day in and day out. They work to elect born agains to the WH and other elected office and bitch and moan they are victims. SO SICK OF IT.
In an early report it said that the UUs had recently put up a public notice at the church, something to do with gays… and their profile as a social justice community is mroe powerful than using the UUs to represent xtianity.
I need cofee… gah.
CBS version cites anger at gays, as well as this:
LINK to CBS News
Sorry for absence of HTML coding. Dashing these off while at work.
IB
Don’t worry about HTML… the link is more important… thanks for the snips and links.
Both “sides” will be selling them out.
Barry Lynn in the Philadelphia Inq
Too late, I think. The Constitution is a dish rag, somewhere on a campaign bus.
45. Bayprairie. Thanks for the great links. The Anita O’Day 1958 Newport performance is absolutely beautiful; listened to it several times.
Incidentally, there are some classy images on that video, aside from those of Anita O’Day herself. Look at 3:06 into the video. In a way the display of inattention to the music is hard to understand. Yet still there is something about the “insouciance” of that image which does go well with the music.
54
Any sane person could come to the conclusion that “Faith Based” government programs need to be thoroughly dismantled. One might think our dear Senators, who are so close to this stench that was created under Bush would come up with the same conclusion.
Can’t help but wonder how many ‘beneficiaries,’ such as non-violent offenders (and violent offenders, who currently appear to be favored recruitees), of the current program were sent off to Iraq and Afghanistan, and whether or not Blackwater received any funds from the “Compassion Capital Fund” (CCF), since those funds weren’t limited to charitable organizations, and Prince, Colson, et al, are after all, so “religious”….
What a hideous spider web OFBIC (Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, also commonly acronymized as FBIC, CFBCI) is; with an “Office” set up in most, if not all, of the major Executive Offices/Depts., in addition to State branches.
I am laughing pretty hard. Oh of course it is an outlier. Of course. jesus will nto be out sold. Nevah gonna happen.
Well Drudge baby is in Jesus’ pocket. hmmm,
Via Halperin’s The Page, with embedded links at the post
Over and over I hear the flacks for the Dem party hit at McC (a truly horrible man, no question) that this issue or that opinion or stance of his “is not where the American people are at”. Ha! Gonna be a tight race..
Things are going so well. 3 female suicide bombers, scores dead. Lst death toll I heard on the radio was 57.
On and on it goes…………..
Some of the usual “libertarian” crap here (school vouchers, fer example), but some is pretty good.
Radley Balko: A Few Questions for Barack Obama
The Constitution is a dish rag,
More like the crusty sock some teenage boys hide under their mattress.
Speaking of the UU gunman, Crooks & Liars posted some funny/sad/sick comment from Malkin’s blog:
Malkin’s commenter on the TN Church Gunman: He wanted to discredit Conservatives
well, makes perfect sense to me.
HA!
he said what he had to, out here, in support of West Coast libertarianism w/r/t autonomy/euthanasia and drugs… but then scuttled back East and hewed center.
BTW, in November we get to vote on redirecting cops, and other services associated with criminalisation, away from prostitution. What a breakthru!
60
yeah… I should have thought of that. more on the mark… LOL
Video of Cop Assaulting Cyclist at Critical Mass Ride
It’s actually a pretty brutal, unprovoked attack.
Every pundit with a fax machine seems to be headlining Kaine. Well I could see that…. sure why not. Catholic. White Male Southern.
LOL
Pelosi was on the View today (full video), Behar asked her about impreachment:
Lots of lists of them everywhere, if she cared to look.
You have to hand it to him, even though it’s too little too late, but Seabiscuit keeps pushing:
LOL:
PELOSI: We did.
The latest, congress clocks in with 14% approval… and I saw a wag somewehre said,
Is that 14 percent or 14 people?
Ohbama gets a short h’moon. And Pelosi Hoyer et al. get none.
And the wars go on, and widen. More hanging out with Sheik Riishi (Fake Anbar Awakening, as we plan another Fallujah assault) and the Kuwaiti Royal Family. Pooor Obama. such a hard life.
The problem is that CONGRESS committed the crimes as well.
Ain’t never gonna indict their own asses.
NPR threw a bunch of pathetic softballs at Pelosi this morning. Last week they had a clip of Hoyer all-but laughing at the idea that FISA would be a problem for any of them: “Americans don’t care about that” or something along those lines. Mentioned the high price of gas (about which he’ll do nothing).
This country elects what it apparently deserves.
MitM I forgot to thank you for the link in the previous thread to the discussion in Crooked Timber on fiduciary responsibility.
One of the things that amazes me is the extent to which the belief that minimally regulated markets and financial systems are somehow “provably” the best resource allocators is prevalent in the american “intelligentsia”.
As far as I’m concerned, given Milton Friedman (and his cohorts) involvement as economic advisors in the politically repressive Latin AMerican regimes of the 60s, 70s he might as well have applied himself electric shocks to the genitalia of political prisoners instead of farming it out to recruits. He might have done less harm.
I read recently one critique of Naomi Klein’s book which claimed she overstated his involvement with Pinochet’s regime. That is a lot of BS and I’m glad she’s bringing that seemingly forgotten bit of history back into american political discourse (even in the so-called american left).
Though she is Canadian.
Three Black Panther party members finally let out of isolation at Angola prison, Louisiana, where each had been held since the early 70s.
yvw CSTAR. I’m glad people are finally pushing back against that U of Chicago bullshit.
AMNH Releases a Lifetime’s Worth of Photos
70 – I heard some of Pelosi on NPR this am. (Sure glad I missed Hoyer.)
La Nan (just like Harry The Good Fight Reid) took time out from her important poltical career to write, and now plug, a wildy insulting book.
Apparently she’ll be on Jon Stewart in a few minutes, too.
Wildly, I mean!
Dammit. Wildly insulting link at 75 was supposed to be this.
I know it’s too much to hope for, but I hope her challengers put a serious scare into Pelosi this fall.
thanks so much for the link to the Museum of Natural History… I just love that place… tho not been there for some years.
^^^
IB
Think the link to Pelosi book failed. Did you wsant to link to it at Amazon? I could jsut pop it in for you…
^^
La Nan
She is such a classic CATHOLIC of a certain sort. ugh.
76
oo thanks, that link works! Wildly well…………….. 😉
I love that museum. So cool to look at the pics.
I’m a big sucker for Preston and Child’s Pendergast novels, especially the bits that happen in the bowels of the sub-basements of that museum and the NY Public Library.
Congress has been a rubber stamp for so long. But that will change.
Wake us up when that happens, eh, Nan?
Being as culturally deprived as I am, it took me a while to figure out who LaNan was. Since the masculine article in Portuguese is “O”, I guess Onan is Harry?
(Itals in 82 are direct quote from Daily Show blather.)
I guess Onan is Harry?
Just had to bring up that crusty sock again, didn’t ya?
I nominate Onan for Monsanto spokesperson. Same diff?
MiTM – Please establish a pff account called Crusty Sock.
Please!
LOL
tempting as that is, I’m perfectly happy to let someone else use it as a sockpuppet.
From what I’ve seen of PFF I think Crusty Puppet might be a more suitable name.
Crusty Sockpuppet!
I think we need to reboot.
Ha ha ha ha!
The Suicide Solution
HAHAHAHAH
LOVED the reboot comment, that made me laugh….
************
with an estimated 150,000 debt-ridden farmers succumbing to suicide since 1997. With guns in short supply in rural India, the desperate farmers have taken to drinking the pesticides meant for their crops.
I have read so many of these individual stories… all horrific. And then the horror of the family memebers left behind, often women who relied on the farmer.
Eveyrtime I read about the “miracle” that is modern tech India (frm shits like Thomas Friedman all too oten) I think fo the farmers.
Plus Monsanto GM seeds are big in Inda… so I read.
on the subject of crusty socks, I give you words of wisdom from Uncle Andy
Tried to find something cheerful to counteract all the bloody disasters the other day.
Nothing quite worked.
But in the process, I did find this online flash exhibition called
Conducting Mobility, at the greenmuseum.
95 – More eco-tips from the web! Bananas?!
Apologies if this has already been posted:
Let Them Eat Free Markets
****
93
Thanks for that link Madman…
From the comments there:
“Rather than suicide, my plan is to become a successful, upper middle class author from an elite university who writes about the poor in socially-liberal magazines and on progressive web sites. “
Hmmmm I think that market is full…
Looking at some of the other comments indicate why that bitch Jane Harman sponsered HR1955, “Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007,” so our government could economicaly and psychologically crush and abuse the public with impunity then lock folks up as terrorists when they’ve had enough of it…
I’m betting we haven’t been getting near the real picture on just how many suicides are occuring; and certainly we never got the true story that it wasn’t philanthropy we were bringing to other countries such as India. I wonder how many gave up their land to move into cities for jobs at high tech companies and then lost them, and who got that land?
Asian markets are ………………… falling over night…
on and on it goes..
I love this, a bit of insight into the enormous attrition rate of female attorneys:
Breaking: A Dramatic Farewell Email
(And proof of Paul Hastings layoffs.)
”….The circumstances surrounding my departure from Paul Hastings have been deeply disappointing. It is one thing to ignore an email sent as a colleague is waiting to have her uterus scraped after a miscarriage, but it is wholly another level of heartlessness to lay her off six days after that. [Partner X] is the only one who expressed any sympathy after my miscarriage, and I am grateful to him for that.
A business is a business, but it takes very little to convey some level of humanity to carry out even the most difficult business decisions. We are human beings first before we are partners or associates. Had you simply explained that the department is unable to sustain the number of associates in the office, I would have completely understood. Had you explained that the office had been directed to reduce the number of associates and I was chosen because of my high billable rate and low billable hours, I would have appreciated such directness, even though the consequences of blindly raising billable rates to an unsustainable degree is plainly predictable. What I do not understand is the attempt to blame the associate for not bringing in the business that should have been brought in by each of you and to hide your personal failures by attempting to tarnish my excellent performance record and looking to undermine my sense of self esteem…..
snip
I would not have anticipated that a female partner (whom I had looked to as a role model) with children of her own would sit stone faced as I broke into tears just days after my miscarriage. Even a few words of sympathy or concern would have made a world of difference. What kind of people squander human relationships so easily?
If this response seems particularly emotional, perhaps an associate’s emotional vulnerability after a recent miscarriage is a factor you should consider the next time you fire or lay someone off. It shows startlingly poor judgment and management skills — and cowardice — on your parts. If you should ever have the misfortune of suddenly losing something or someone precious to you, I hope you don’t find similar heartlessness as I have….”
My favorite paragraph:
”As for your request for a release, non-disclosure, and non-disparagement agreement in return for three months’ pay, I reject it. Unlike you, I am not just a paid mouthpiece with no independent judgment. I will decide how and to whom to communicate how you have treated me. I find it ironic that you would try to buy the right not to be disparaged after behaving as you have. Your actions speak volumes, and you don’t need much help from me in damaging your reputation.”
Snip
The author of the email, Shinyung Oh, has gone public and given an interview… ”
What a pleasure reading of her letting those assholes have it….first good laugh I’ve had in while….
On the same subject (insight into huge attrition rate of female attorneys), another link, Worst Holiday Office Party Ever: Bingham Associate Given Date Rape Drug?
55 said
i just checked that out 3:06 and agree. and those sunglasses on the face to the right of ms. insouciance are smashing!
ive been running youtube searches using newport as part of the search phrase, guess it shows. i did get distracted a bit when diane mentioned nina simone the other evening. (thanks!). now im off to run more youtube searches on ms simone!
”As for your request for a release, non-disclosure, and non-disparagement agreement in return for three months’ pay, I reject it.
All i can say is, very very very very very low offer.
Long story short, women get hired byt the big firms as, it looks good for gender diversity… the partner track is 8 years (roughly, it can vary) and they wash out for a higher number of reasons than the male smorgasbord. For some, it is just too tough, too mind numbing too bone crushing.. They run to marriage as a refuge (which they wanted anyway, as it is the corporate model and most of these people are well domesticated) and wash out after a couple of years past the wedding. Later, for whatever reason they left, they wash back into to various situations, making use fo the JD. Small firms, part time consulting, non profit… etc.
There is always a useful smattering that [appear to] make it thru for whatever reason. Daughter of an old friend of the Managing Partner. Or the Hillarys … in her position as Wif of the Gov and partner at Rose Law… etc. At my firm a lesbian hung on, they adopted, and demanded many accommodations. I suspect she knew of the brush with a big lawsuit a couple of years before, the Firm had “fired” several associates…. all gay. A big national headhunter suggested they sue as a group. So, the Firm needed her to look good.
I think a lot of people settle for 1 – 2 years salary as settlement, usually.
On and on it goes.
102
You’re welcome bayprairie, I’ve been meaning to catch up on Cstar and your links, but I hate using you tube because I have to rearrange my security settings and then wait forever for the video to buffer.
Don’t know if you like Miles Davis, but this is one of my favorites by him http://www.youtubest.info/watch/C5vhd-9Om44/Miles-Davis–Concierto-De-Aranjuez-Adagio.htm>”Concierto De Aranjuez Adagio,” from Sketches of Spain.
104
There was an article about a year ago, and while not shocked that the female attrition rate was higher than the male rate, the percentage was stunning, I want to say 50% or better If I recollect correctly.
Am I also correct in assuming the male rate his high too? Seems almost every mystery writer was an attorney?
jeez, my last response was to your comment at 103 marisa, not 104.
102
bayprairy I posted a response to your comment that’s floating around for a bit, I think it will be number 104, and the current 104 will be 105.
102
Some personal favorites by Nina Simone, that you might like, although I don’t know that you’ll find them, in no particular order: “Missississippi Goddamn;” “Just Like A Woman” (in my opinion she stole Dylan’s song on that one); “My Baby Just Cares For Me;” “Why The King of Love Is Dead;” “To Be Young Gifted and Black;” “Who Knows where The Time Goes”……..
107
oops, too many s’s, s/be: “Mississippi Goddamn”
i played her records a lot during katrina… any cd with mississippi godam
new thread…
LINK
…………. 8) …………