Journal Jan 2006

31 Jan 2006

Selected notes from The Al Franken Show and related stories (indicated times are Pacific) (why this is here):

• 0900: Audio of Rush being a (typical) a-hole on the Bob Woodruff story
• 0900: Audio of O'Reilly criticizing a song Al played on his show (that wasn't his song, but was still satire), followed by audio of O'Reilly's novel on tape
• 0930: Rep. John Tierney (D-MI) (NOT the conservative NYT columnist) on the forthcoming SOTU address and public campaign finance, already in place in ME, AZ, and CT, and some form of it in MN
• 0930: After tribes signed with Abramoff, their contributions to Dems dropped 9% and more than doubled to GOP.
• 1000: Dr. Ford Bell, veterinarian, on universal health care (single-payer system) vs. health savings accounts (that don't address the overhead of 28% (only 2-3% for Medicare)); withdrawal from Iraq
• 1030: Dr. Rashi Fein on health savings accounts: growing tax-free doesn't help low-income people that don't pay income tax! The "moral hazard" reasoning is illogical....

Selected notes from The Randi Rhodes Show and related stories (indicated times are Pacific) (why this is here):

• 1200: Audio comedy of pieced-together SOTU speech from 2003
• 1330: Call from John Perkins, author of Confessions of an Economic Hit Man
• 1430: Partial list of the 61 journalists, American and Iraqi, killed in Iraq, with emphasis on journalists who tried to tell the truth, good or bad
• 1430: Audio of Christiane Amanpour on CNN on the lost hope of Iraqis for reconstruction
• Amanpour ON FIRE on Larry King last night!
  http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/1/31/143633/291
• 1430: Dr. Fadil(sp?), cameraman and photojournalist(?) investigating missing money, had his house shot upon and tapes confiscated by US troops suspicious of him
• 1500: WH PR pictures now handed out to be used as news pictures.

Other news and opinion from the day:

• ConsumerReports.org - Organic products 2/06: Organic food, organic produce.
  http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/food/organic-products-206/overview.htm
  Expert consumer advice and recommendations on organic food.
• Cindy Sheehan arrested by Capitol Hill Police!!
  http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/1/31/204831/355

30 Jan 2006

Selected notes from The Al Franken Show and related stories (indicated times are Pacific) (why this is here):

• 0900: (hourly news) ExxonMobil posted record profit (10.1B) last quarter, largest of any publicly traded oil company in history for a single quarter.
• 0900: Al remembers Wendy Wasserstein
• 0930: Al's staff (I think Andy) speculates/jokes that maybe one of the pictures with W and Abramoff features a big, ceremonial check.
• 0930: Pres. Truman, even with a Democratic House and Senate, started a bipartisan commission on contract abuses in WWII, even before it was over.
• 0930: Al's brother's picture of Kerry and his brothers was "photoshopped" to make it look like he was at a rally with Jane Fonda.
• 0930: Christy Harvey: the stench of corruption from the WH is so much that even right-wingers (such as Sen John Thune (R-SD) want the pictures of W with Abramoff to be released; now the GOP want sunshine, transparency, etc. except on global warming (even attacking a NASA scientist); instead of trying to increasing military recruitment to meet the goal, the goal is lowered.
• 1030: Timothy Lynch from the Cato Institute on the WH's lame arguments for wiretapping, etc.

Selected notes from The Randi Rhodes Show and related stories (indicated times are Pacific) (why this is here):

• 1200: Randi's on Larry King Live tonight. (Her appearance gets cancelled later for a discussion of Alito.)
• 1230: Audio of Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI): Alito was constantly in the minority opinion, siding with corporate interests over citizen's rights.
• In Alito, G.O.P. Reaps Harvest Planted in '82
  http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/30/politics/politicsspecial1/30alito.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&pa...
• 1430: Ack!!!! Cloture vote: 72 to end debate on Alito, 25 to keep (filibuster)
• So now what?
  http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/1/30/175352/650
• 1500: The spineless Dems who voted for cloture: Acaca (HI), Baucus (MT), Bingaman (NM), Byrd (WV), Cantwell (WA), Carper (DE), Conrad (ND), Dorgan (ND), Inouye (HI), Johnson (SD), Kohl (WI), Landrieu (LA), Lieberman (CT), Lincoln (AK), Nelson (FL), Nelson (NE), Pryor (AK), Rockefeller (WV), Salazar (CO)

Other news and opinion from the day:

• Health Workers' Choice Debated
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/29/AR2006012900869_pf.html
• Corruption Scandals Cast Shadow on GOP Leadership Race
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/29/AR2006012900779_pf.html
• Study Ties Political Leanings to Hidden Biases
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/29/AR2006012900642_pf.html
• Interior Offered Extensive Katrina Aid
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/29/AR2006012900786_pf.html
• 5 States Consider Bans On Protests at Funerals
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/29/AR2006012900927_pf.html
• Windows / Core Duo fiasco: An industry asleep at the wheel?
  http://www.tgdaily.com/2006/01/29/opinion_core_duo_microsoft_power_drain/

Other news and opinion from the past:

• Post-Katrina Promises Unfulfilled
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/27/AR2006012701818_pf.html
• Kerry Defends Senate Filibuster on Alito as 'a Vote of History'
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/27/AR2006012701405_pf.html
• 2003 Draft Legislation Covered Eavesdropping
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/27/AR2006012701476_pf.html
• Blogs Attack From Left as Democrats Reach for Center
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/27/AR2006012701505_pf.html
• Debate on Climate Shifts to Issue of Irreparable Change
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/28/AR2006012801021_pf.html
• Bush's Midterm Challenge
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/28/AR2006012801086_pf.html
• Controversial Industries Have Backed Boehner
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/28/AR2006012801009_pf.html
• Peace Activists Threatened Anew
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/28/AR2006012800359_pf.html

27 Jan 2006

Selected notes from The Al Franken Show and related stories (indicated times are Pacific) (why this is here):

• 1000: Art Rolnick on early childhood education and its positive effect on the economy and lower crime rate
• 1030: Judd Legum: 75 (76?)% of Americans (including 2/3 of Republicans) believe the WH should disclose its contacts with Abramoff
• 1130: Joe Conason on WH connections to Abramoff; W removes chief prosecutor to Abramoff case and offers a judgeship; Abramoff case in Guam had judge that was fired and demoted after issuing subpoenas for the case
• 1130: WWDLTM with contestant who asked W in KS if he saw Brokeback Mountain

Selected notes from The Randi Rhodes Show and related stories (indicated times are Pacific) (why this is here):

• 1200: Oprah's book club recommendation disappointment (James Frey)
• 1230: Gen. Hayden lied about the Fourth Amendment (that it doesn't say "probable cause"); it takes 2 seconds to debunk that (Keith Olbermann also debunked that on his show).
• 1300: Kerry to lead a filibuster on Alito! Kerry notes a case where Alito felt the family of a teenager, unarmed but shot in the back of the head and killed by a police officer while fleeing snatching a purse, could not sue the police officer.
• 1400: Audio of Kerry asking if this is not the time to act, when is it? What else would we save our gunpowder for if not a nomination like this?
• 1530: A conservative caller who disagrees with Randi on various issues notes that it doesn't matter where you stand on these issues if you don't oppose Alito and put a check on presidential power (where he agrees with Randi).

Other news and opinion from the day:

• Hamas Sweeps Palestinian Elections, Complicating Peace Efforts in Mideast
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/26/AR2006012600372_pf.html
• K Street's New Ways Spawn More Pork
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/26/AR2006012602221_pf.html
• Democrats Split Over Filibuster On Alito
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/26/AR2006012601955_pf.html
• Expose the "Alito 8" Democratic Senators Who Are Blocking a Filibuster
  http://www.democrats.com/alito-8
• An indictment of America
  http://www.iht.com/bin/print_ipub.php?file=/articles/2006/01/27/opinion/edrights.php
  This article is not anti-American; it's against torture in the name of Americans.

26 Jan 2006

Selected notes from The Al Franken Show and related stories (indicated times are Pacific) (why this is here):

• 0900: Audio of W claiming on 20 Apr 2004 that wiretaps require a court order (under his administration), put into context -- a question about roving wiretaps, already used on drug lords.
• 0900: Al describes his mostly nonconfrontational interview with Joe Scarborough yesterday (i.e. nonconfrontational about Al's USO commitment).
• 0930: David Sirota on Arnold vs. nurses in the context of public campaign finance
• 1030: Mark Luther agreeing with Rush claiming glaciers are growing, contrary to global warming (1 glacier did grow, but the others are shrinking)
• Super Duper Show Recap Spectacular, 1/26/06
  http://shows.airamericaradio.com/alfrankenshow/node/4095
• Wait Wait Don't Lie to Me!
  http://shows.airamericaradio.com/alfrankenshow/node/4094
  Now there's a prequalifying questions for prospective contestants on Al's quiz show. In case you haven't heard it, he makes the Peabody joke (referring to O'Reilly's Peabody Award claim) every time he has the weekly (Friday) quiz.

Selected notes from The Randi Rhodes Show and related stories (indicated times are Pacific) (why this is here):

• 1200: O'Reilly makes claims about Al's and Randi's salaries.
• 1200: Randi meets Joan Rivers
• 1230: Audio of Nixon in '77: "When the President does it, that means it is not illegal"
• 1330: Call from Ralph Neas of PFAW on presidential power and the Alito hearings
• 1430: Caller notes that Sen. Byrd's decision to support Alito was based on attack ads by religious groups in WV.
• 1500: Randi checks out the WV attack campaign on Byrd.
• 1530: Randi debunks O'Reilly's attack on AAR (by citing her own numbers, leaving Al to cite his own).

Other news and opinion from the day:

• Apple launches "iTunes U" in the US
  http://www.tgdaily.com/2006/01/26/apple_launches_itunes_u/
  Free hosting for university lectures? Solid.
• Hamas Makes Strong Showing in Vote
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/25/AR2006012500353_pf.html
• Harmful Teflon Chemical To Be Eliminated by 2015
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/25/AR2006012502041_pf.html
• Rift Between Parties Over NSA Wiretapping Grows
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/25/AR2006012500534_pf.html
• Al Gore, Sundance's Leading Man
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/25/AR2006012502230_pf.html
• GOP Freezes Jobs List, a Vestige of the K Street Project
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/25/AR2006012502240_pf.html

25 Jan 2006

Selected notes from The Al Franken Show and related stories (indicated times are Pacific) (why this is here):

• 0900: Al corrects his mistake (that I noticed) yesterday, thinking that the community in the movie Witness were Quakers, but they were really Amish.
• 0930: Christy Harvey: Santorum asks people to put his campaign bumper stickers instead of serving in the military; a new report from the Special Inspector General for Iraq reconstruction (leaked to NYT, then released) says WH actions hobbled Iraq reconstruction, a toxic mix of corruption and incompetence
• 1100: David Brock on the difference between media coverage of the day after the Lewinsky scandal and of the day after the wiretap discovery

Selected notes from The Randi Rhodes Show and related stories (indicated times are Pacific) (why this is here):

• 1200: Congressional trash talk from the GOP (Graham and Cornyn) to Dems on Alito
• 1230: Audio from the McLaughlin Group (Randi's favorite political talk showa because they get the numbers right)
• 1230: Randi suspects that horse trading went on with the Senate GOP to allow Alito in order to get hearings on wiretaps.
• 1230: Kerry brings up study by Yale Law that showed that of over 400 civil liberties cases, Alito doesn't seem to care about discrimination.
• 1300: Audio of an unscripted, polite KSU sophomore asking how cutting 12.7B from education (student loans) (the largest cut in history) is supposed to help our futures, followed by applause and W's incompetence on the issue and then lies about "reforming" it.
• 1300: Audio of Kerry's speech during his "no" vote on Alito
• 1330: Sen. Brownback (R-KS) claimed (lied) on Hardball that "unitary executive" just means that there's only one president at a time. Randi: do you think I'm stupid? Why would you have to defend that?
• 1400: Audio of nonpartisan, Constitutional scholar Jonathan Turley in the basement forum last Friday on W's violation of federal statutes in unwarranted domestic spying
• 1430: Call from Jonathan Turley on the unitary executive theory, the NSA, and the Federalist Society

Other news and opinion from the day:

• Alito Seems Assured of A Seat on High Court
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/24/AR2006012400193_pf.html
  Note the Congressional trash talk from Sen. Grahan.
• Patriot Act Talks Hit Roadblock On Privacy Issue
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/24/AR2006012401415_pf.html
  That's what the debate is all about.
• Disney to Buy Pixar Studios In Its Move to A Digital Era
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/24/AR2006012400141_pf.html
  More detail on the story covered by THG yesterday.
• Internet Coalition Sets Up Anti-'Badware' Site
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/24/AR2006012401621_pf.html
  The more options, the better.
• White House Declines to Provide Storm Papers
  http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/25/politics/25katrina.html?pagewanted=print
  Even Lieberman and moderate Republicans are upset about the WH stonewalling on questions of its failure in the Katrina matter.
• After Subpoenas, Internet Searches Give Some Pause
  http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/25/national/25privacy.html?pagewanted=print
  The slippery slope is exactly the reason we must be 'conservative' about keeping our privacy rights granted to us by the Fourth Amendment.
• Daou's "Triangle"
  http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/1/25/143111/717
  Exactly. The so-called liberal media, whether it is intentional or not, is a tool for the WH.

24 Jan 2006

Selected notes from The Al Franken Show and related stories (indicated times are Pacific) (why this is here):

• 0900: Clinton wanted roving wiretaps of suspected terrorists, but the GOP Congress said no.
• 0900: Audio of W saying he has briefing Congress, so he wasn't doing anything illegal, then laughs nervously.
• 0900: Of course, every American has no issue with spying on Al Qaeda, but we want to do it legally.
• 0900: How do you disprove Karl Rove on trying to say Dems don't care about national security? One word: Katrina. The GOP leadership failed on Katrina while the signs were clear and in advance, much like 9/11.
• 0930: Now the WH is calling domestic spying the "Terrorist Surveillance Program," maybe just to say Dems are against it and have that sound bad.
• 0930: David Sirota: Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) and Rep. David Obey (D-WI) are pushing for public campaign finance (for the House) in their lobbying reform plan. Response to public opposition to public finance: we're currently paying the price of not having public finance in time lost due to fundraising, corruption, etc. We spend $1-2B a year to promote democracy abroad but don't spend any money to do that at home. Oil prices are rising, but the government isn't getting a higher return from the oil companies. Audits and enforcement of royalty laws has decreased under this administration; the government $700M lost in 2005 according to NYT. The 2004 report on outsourcing was required to be released, but the Commerce Dept. actually cited FOIA as the reason for NOT releasing the report!
• 1130: Diane Farsetta of the Center for Media and Democracy on fake news in the form of video news releases that look like real news reports

Selected notes from The Randi Rhodes Show and related stories (indicated times are Pacific) (why this is here):

• 1200: Audio of Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) on how often Alito was out of line or out of the mainstream on the conservative Third Circuit
• The (Moonie) Washington Times mentions impeachment!
• 1300: W flip-flops on needing a court order for wiretaps (Buffalo, NY, 2004) then "we don't need no stinkin' warrant" (now).
• Randi: Alito is not about Roe. They'll never overturn Roe because it's such a great performer for the GOP. ... This is about the "unitary executive."
• 1430: Audio of Sen. Pat Leahy (D-VT) on Alito being part of the plot to erode checks and balances
• 1430: The big media companies: AOL/Time Warner is CNN, Microsoft and GE is NBC, News Corp. is Fox, etc.. So are you wondering why you're not hearing the (real) news (about unitary executive in the Alito hearings)? And why AOL, Yahoo, and MSN gave the search info while Google didn't?
• Caller mentions William Rivers Pitt's latest article, encouraging Dems to take a visible stand during the State of the Union.
• 1500: CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll: 43% job approval for W (how did he come back from the mid-30s?), 61% say in general US on the wrong track, 51% (and growing) say W is wrong on wiretapping, 58% want a special prosecutor to investigate W's wrongdoing.

Other news and opinion from the day:

• White House Got Early Warning on Katrina
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/23/AR2006012301711_pf.html
  WH spokesman Trent Duffy tries to spread the blame among federal, state, and local.
• Photos of Bush With Abramoff Are Withheld
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/23/AR2006012300333_pf.html
  "Abramoff was no stranger to the Bush White House. He had served as one of Bush's top fundraisers and assisted the Interior Department during the president's transition to power in 2000."
• Matthews hearts Michael Moore. Today.
  http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/1/24/103610/925
  A good list of the otherwise intelligent Chris Matthews' pro-W, anti-Dem quotes.
• Osama's talking points
  http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/1/24/105337/675
  He actually sounds more like conservative GOP than Dems. Why? Osama is a fundamentalist.
• Download Eudora Internet Suite
  http://www.eudora.com/products/unsupported/internetsuite/download/
  I have to check this out. Free web browser for the Palm? Solid.
• The PalmOS Open Source Portal
  http://www.palmopensource.com/
  More open source software for the Palm.

Other news and opinion from the past:

• Is The Washington Post Online A Tool Of The Right Wing?
  http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/1/21/6393/16873
  (meaning the editorial board?) Yes. And they're attacking the fact-based Daily Kos.
• WaPo's Howell: Abramoff Is "A Republican Scandal"
  http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/1/21/225637/922
  Howell backpeddles and corrects herself on implying that the Abramoff scandal is bipartisan.
• Bush's PR Blitz Fizzles Under The Facts
  http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/1/23/17115/7374
  It's the WH strategy of renaming things in an Orwellian way to make it sound like they do the opposite.
• I ... Can't ... Take It ... Anymore
  http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/1/23/174943/089
  SusanG dissects W's ironic anti-choice stance.
• General Hayden: Probable Wha...?
  http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/1/23/18342/1340
  And just to be sure this checks out with our fact-based community, I looked at my printout of the actual Amendments from the National Archives (NARA). It's pretty specific. This is privacy protected by the Constitution (via Amendment).
• Anticipa-ay-tion ... It's Making Me Lie
  http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/1/23/21232/2957
  Puts the truth to the lies that "no one anticipated the breach of the levees," "the US did not anticipate the insurgency," and "I don't think anybody could have predicted that these people would take an airplane and slam it into the World Trade Center, take another one and slam it into the Pentagon."

23 Jan 2006

It's been two weeks since I got sick, and I'm still coughing. So is Timmy. But it could be worse. I just need to avoid standing out in the cold, because I really start hacking from that. At least our TiVo works, so I can stay inside and catch up on some shows.

-res

Selected notes from The Al Franken Show and related stories (indicated times are Pacific) (why this is here):

• 1000: Norm Ornstein on the current corrupt Congress and how to reform it (Constitutionally)
• 1030: Nick Lampson, running for Tom DeLay's seat
• 1030: State Rep. Carol Juneau (D-MT), representing Browing
• 1100: State Sen. Mee Moua (D-MN) on Hmong immigration from Laos and experiences growing up
• 1130: Explanation of the 3 off-air minutes from Thursday's show played on Friday (actually a prerecorded joke skit).

Selected notes from The Randi Rhodes Show and related stories (indicated times are Pacific) (why this is here):

• 1200: Jack Abramoff's dad attacks George Clooney for his speech making fun of him because Jack's daughter cried. Randi: maybe she cried because her dad is a convicted felon! George Clooney's dad wrote a reply with a similar response that Abramoff's real problem is his criminal and ethical trouble.
• Dad says Clooney made Abramoff's child cry
  http://msnbc.msn.com/id/10979927/print/1/displaymode/1098/
  Umm...maybe Jack Abramoff's criminal activity made his daughter cry.
• 1230: The new GOP strategy is saying that Dems "make people cry." Randi: I'll apologize for making children of conservatives cry when they apologize to Chelsea Clinton for everything they said about Bill and Hillary. Why are they blaming everyone except the one who broke the law?
• 1230: Replay of audio from Friday's "basement" forum with Rep. John Conyers (D-MI)
• 1330: Audio of W in Kansas cutting off a (probably staged) fawning Iraqi [American?] woman with two family members in the Iraqi Parliament. Randi: W's probably thinking Karl Rove's gone too far.
• 1430: Call from Howard Dean on disappointment over Tim Russert's implication of Dems taking Abramoff money (via associates). Also, the bankruptcy bill was written by credit card companies (or at least their lobbyists), and the Medicare drug benefit bill was written by the pharmaceutical industry (or at least their lobbyists).

Other news and opinion from the day:

• Politics Alleged In Voting Cases
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/22/AR2006012200984_pf.html
  Note that Dems seeks to expand voting rights while the GOP seeks to restrict it.
• Two Lawmakers Criticize Bush on Eavesdropping
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/22/AR2006012200855_pf.html
  No American is opposed to spying on suspected terrorists. But it must be done legally, i.e. with a court order, which by FISA standards is not hard to get.
• Church Ceremony Celebrates Gay Pairs
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/22/AR2006012201026_pf.html
  More power to them. It's not official, but it's symbolic. Marriage is politically an equal rights issue, and restriction of it to anything less than a fair definition of the commitment of two consenting adults is discriminatory. Some straight couples don't realize that preventing equal rights marriage threatens all marriage (but not as much as, say, divorce (something many 'moral values' people do (like Rush and Newt))).
• Workers Allege Halliburton Knew Their Water Was Foul
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/22/AR2006012200853_pf.html
  So Hallibutron's not just feeding crap to the American people; they're feeding it to our troops.

Other news and opinion from the past:

• Rove Offers Republicans A Battle Plan For Elections
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/20/AR2006012001853_pf.html
  As usual, Rove is a divider, not a uniter. Dean does a good rapid response.
• Technology's Seamier Side
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/20/AR2006012001888_pf.html
  As Trekkie Monster in Avenue Q says, "the Internet is for porn." It's possible that porn has also driven recent major technological industries.
• 'Blue' States Tackling Energy On Their Own
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/21/AR2006012101067_pf.html
  I'm surprised the article didn't mention Oregon (probably because it's only the city of Portland), which has implemented the Kyoto Protocol in a way that saves the city money overall, not just the environment.
• Office of Sustainable Development
  http://www.sustainableportland.org/
  Portland, OR's economically beneficial environmental solution.
• The New iMac Dazzles, but Hold That Purchase
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/21/AR2006012100163_pf.html
  The usual advice I would give about early adoption of new technologies. I've learned my lesson already. I saved a lot of money and time by waiting to buy to TiVo and new CPUs or laptops.
• As Elections Near, Officials Challenge Balloting Security
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/21/AR2006012101051_pf.html
  A couple of observations: they didn't mention Bev Harris' organization (Black Box Voting), but they show that Diebold is not serious about securing their machines, especially in the presence of election officials who are not responsible, or worse, partisan (like Katherine Harris or Ken Blackwell).
• When George Met Jack
  http://www.time.com/time/magazine/printout/0,8816,1151784,00.html
  The article describes, but does not show, five photographs showing W with Abramoff. Does it matter whether or not they exist? It's a fact that Abramoff was part of W's transition team for the Interior Dept. Randi Rhodes seemed to indicate that he got Griles and Norton hired, but I haven't seen it in print yet. He was, at least, instrumental in Washington politics and used his position for his own gain.
• The Fast Rise and Steep Fall of Jack Abramoff
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/28/AR2005122801588_pf.html
  More on Jackie.
• Science Friday: Real Climate
  http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/1/20/7194/94155
  A discussion of climate change, free of political spin. Just cold (pun intended), hard facts.
• The Language Of Treason, Part II
  http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/1/20/95722/4607
  The GOP that failed to protect us on 9/11 continues to blame Democrats for their mistakes. We're not the ones in power, a-holes!

19 Jan 2006

I added more pictures to Evelyn's mini-site, which covers up to the beginning of this year. Enjoy!

Also, last night I figured out what was wrong with the Galleon server on my Linux box. There was more than one instance running, so the TiVo had duplicate entries from the old configuration. Now there's one instance, and I still have to fix the init.d file to get more automatic administration of this server.

Anyway, what it all means is that Galleon allows the TiVo to play music and show pictures stored on my server to the TV/stereo. Very convenient.

-res

Selected notes from The Al Franken Show and related stories (indicated times are Pacific) (why this is here):

• 0900: Audio of O'Reilly lying (to a caller that has the facts) about Abramoff giving equally according to the indictment.
• 1000: Mark Ritchie (cut off by technical problems) on family farmers
• 1030: Mark Hosenball of Newsweek on the runup to the Iraq War and working conditions in Saipan.
• 1100: Tom Oliphant on the difference between the Democratic Congress of 1994 and the Republican one now.
• 1130: More Tom Oliphant on the voluminous evidence that "Bush lied."

Selected notes from The Randi Rhodes Show and related stories (indicated times are Pacific) (why this is here):

• 1200: W ignores the current alleged threat from bin Laden/Al Qaeda. What message is the WH sending to "the enemy?" That they don't take credible Al Qaeda's threats seriously.
• CIA believes terror tape voice is bin Laden's
  http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/01/19/binladen.tape/index.html
  "CIA officials believe an audiotaped message threatening the United States is from al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who warns that plans for terror attacks are under way -- and also offers a "long-term truce.""
• 1330: Call from James Bamford on NSA spying, the gory details of how information is actually processed.
• 1400: FBI subpoenas Google searches in the name of protecting children, but the associated law was struck down because of too broad language. Google refused a subpoena last year.
• 1430: Caller tells his story of being on the no-fly list inexplicably: if I'm on a no-fly list, why was I sold a ticket? Randi: the problem is, how do you get yourself off the list? No one knows! Why doesn't anyone try to track back the Al Qaeda tape [instead of wiretapping ordinary Americans]? Audio of McClellan: "I don't have anything for you on that."

Other news and opinion from the day:

• Franken > O'Reilly in NYC
  http://shows.airamericaradio.com/alfrankenshow/node/4069
  Al and Randi beat O'Reilly and Hannity in their markets (males 25-54). No one wants to listen to liberal radio, Bill?
• State of the Nation
  http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/1/19/7481/84775
  Bill reminds progressives not to be afraid of talking about the Bible, especially to show how your faith affects your judgment and how right-wingers are hypocrites when it comes to being 'Christian' (Bill: "grab a mike, grab a Bible, and smite their hypocritical asses").
• Readers Tell Ombudsman To Do Her Job, Washington Post Responds By Shutting Down Blog Comments
  http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/1/19/165443/946
  Howell gets it wrong and still stand by her error that both parties received money (indirectly) from Abramoff. No evidence backs that up.
• Wash. Post ombudsman's new policy: "From now on, I don't reply"
  http://mediamatters.org/items/200601180006
  Sounds like Janet Parshall's plugging her ears "la la la, I can't hear you!"

Other news and opinion from the past:

• Maureen Dowd: United States of Shame
  http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/03/opinion/03dowd.html?ei=5087&en=33ed7a6104e306ce&ex=1152421...
  A look back on the W administration's inaction/incompetence from 9/11 to New Orleans.
• Norm Ornstein and Thomas Mann: If You Give a Congressman a Cookie
  http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/19/opinion/19ornstein.html?pagewanted=print
  "...lobbying reform alone is a temporary solution to corruption. The real solution is for Congress to behave like the deliberative body it is supposed to be."

18 Jan 2006

Busy day for Al and Randi. I finally got caught up with journal entries since getting sick, so they're posted now in the archives.

-res

Selected notes from The Al Franken Show and related stories (indicated times are Pacific) (why this is here):

• 0900: Some of W's lies are apparent ("when we're talking about wiretap, we're talking about getting a court order...nothing has changed"), but some are impossible to know whether W knew he was not telling the truth or not, but he did at least create an atmosphere where he didn't want to get the truth.
• 0930: House GOP were resisting lobbying reform, but now they're for it, but the proposals so far are pretty weak. Al's sweeping solution: public campaign finance (at least for Congress)! In the long run, it saves public money and makes Congressmen more independent of private companies.
• 0930: Al responds to the hate mail: 84 stations is growth compared to 5 at the beginning, and it's only been on for a couple of years. Right-wing talk radio (which were co-synonymous) has been on for two decades, so they already had the infrastructure. Even though there are only 84 stations, the markets they cover involve about 60% of the population (acreage doesn't listen to radio).
• 0930: Christy Harvey: Gonzales smears Gore on Larry King (instead of discussing the merits of his (the White House's) case); also he blames Clinton and lies about that administration doing the same thing. Also if they did do it, it doesn't make it right that the current administration is also doing it. WH is also now trying to distance itself with Jack Abramoff, but he was integral in their campaign and initial days (200 contact in 10 months) in office.
• 1000: Dr. Bob Meaders of Operation Helmet, whose organization provides free helmet upgrades (inserts) to US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
• 1000: Al mentions ThinkProgress' FACT CHECK: Debunking Administration Talking Points on Warrantless Spying
• 1030: Melanie Sloan on real lobbying reform
• 1030: No Dems took money directly from Abramoff; some took money from his clients, but aren't under investigation for doing something illegal [with that money], i.e. changing a vote or legislation, making the money a bribe. But the mainstream media is implying some Dems are involved.
• 1100: David Brock on Rush lying about Alito and Leahy and spying, Scarborough lying about the Post showing both parties were involved, rehash of debunking O'Reilly on Letterman (O'Reilly brings it up again on his show), Glenn Beck (hired by CNN) on his hate of the 9/11 victims' families and New Orleans Katrina victims
• 1130: Kevin Bankston of EFF on NSA wiretapping (current public knowledge of it since it's classified)

Selected notes from The Randi Rhodes Show and related stories (indicated times are Pacific) (why this is here):

• 1200: Googling "liberal plantation" (or "democratic plantation") shows that the plantation talk referred to by Hillary is the word of the GOP (at least neocons). Also it's an oxymoron. Liberals were the ones against owning people (liberals were Dems in the North and GOP in the South). The truth: African Americans tend to stay in the Democratic Party and as liberals because liberals and Dems serve their best interests (anti-poverty, civil rights, etc.). Randi: Dems are racist? Show me the Republican Congressional Black Caucus.
• 1200: Al Sharpton's response to the GOP: this party is the party that didn't want us to have a MLK holiday, and now they're telling us how to celebrate it?
• 1230: Ironically, K Street project leader Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) is supposed to lead the lobbying reform.
• 1300: It was Abramoff who was in charge of hiring Gale Norton (Secy. of the Interior) and Steven Griles ((Former) Deputy Secy. of the Interior) for the administration, both of whom come from coal lobbying. (Randi mentioned that tie from the WH to the coal mine tragedy two weeks ago, but I didn't take note of it until now when she mentioned it again.) Abramoff visited the Crawford ranch, advised the Dept. of the Interior transition, and met with the WH at a staff level on tax issues.
• 1300: Audio of McClellan stonewalling the press corps on Abramoff, of course (and asking them to do his job of finding out when Abramoff was there).
• 1330: Call from Rep. Marty Meehan (D-MA), explaining the K Street Project
• 1400: If our troops wear special, privately-purchased body armor (the same armor the generals wear), they lose their life insurance.
• 1400: Clinton met with Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) to get a list of SCOTUS nominees the GOP would accept, then went through the list with the Dems in the House -- advise and consent in action! Hatch was the one who recommended Ginsburg.
• 1500: Kodak and General Motors liked Hillary's health care plan because it meant they would pay less, but they were pressured by GOP legislators not to go for it or they would lose access.
• 1530: Not one American penny went to Gulf War I. (Japan paid for it.)

Other news and opinion from the day:

• Jobs: Microsoft needs to make its own MP3 players | News.blog | CNET News.com
  http://news.com.com/2061-10805_3-6027620.html
  Jobs gives Microsoft some sound advice to increase competition. Sounds like both a liberal and a businessman.
• AP slaps down administration lies
  http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/1/18/23624/4045
  Proof that Gore was right.
• "K Street"? What's "K street"?
  http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/1/18/115929/322
  K Street Project head Rick Santorum flip-flops on knowledge of the project. Ass. And he's the one that's supposed to head lobbying reform in the GOP?

Other news and opinion from the past:

• AMD Athlon FX-60's Dual-Core Assault | Tom's Hardware
  http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/01/10/amd_athlon_fx_60_dual_core_assault/index.html
  "However, Intel has only had a few days to bask in its glory: AMD's dual-core Athlon 64 FX-60, which is also AMD's last Socket 939 device, bests almost all of Intel's performance superlative claims, according to our benchmarks."

17 Jan 2006

I've been trying to get Galleon working in Linux. It works pretty well in Linux but has some duplicate entries in my setup, and it works fine in Windows. Galleon is a free, open-source program for Linux, UNIX, Windows, and Mac OS X that uses TiVo's Home Media Option (for Series2 DVRs) to deliver music, pictures, etc. to the TV. It also lets recorded programs get transferred to and from a server.

-res

Selected notes from The Al Franken Show and related stories (indicated times are Pacific) (why this is here):

• 0900: Audio of Al Gore on wiretapping
• Gore Says Bush Broke the Law With Spying
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/16/AR2006011600526_pf.html
  "Former vice president Al Gore accused President Bush of breaking the law by authorizing wiretaps on U.S. citizens without court warrants and called on Congress yesterday to reassert its oversight responsibilities on a "shameful exercise of power" by the White House."
• 0900: Skit of anti-Holocaust group as part of Iran's Holocaust debate
• 0930: David Sirota: Zogby poll says 52% (to 43%) of Americans agree that W should be impeached if he wiretapped American citizens without a judge's approval (which he did)
• 1100: Lawrence O'Donnell on good lobbyists (experts on the field) vs bad ones.

Selected notes from The Randi Rhodes Show and related stories (indicated times are Pacific) (why this is here):

• 1200: Randi notes something I noticed yesterday too: during the Golden Globes, George Clooney jokes about thanking Jack Abramoff and about his parents naming him Jack, when his last name ends in "off".
• 1330: Cheney voted against MLK Day and called Nelson Mandela a terrorist
• 1500: Catholicism is the single largest religious affiliation in both the House (128 (72 D, 56 R (Randi said 58, but it doesn't add)) of 435) and Senate (24 (14 D, 10 R) of 100). [According to YourCongress.com, there are 71 D, 49 R Catholics in the House. I'm not sure how updated that is, though.]
• 1500: Gore does a rapid response to the GOP's immature response to Gore

Other news and opinion from the day:

• Pax Americana
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pax_Americana
  This article describes the "unipolar moment" Randi keeps referring to.
• Unitary Executive theory
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unitary_Executive_theory
  This theory basically calls the president a king and disregards the three branches of government as co-equal. Alito appears to support this, but if there were only ONE president that definitely DOESN'T deserve to be king (actually none do), THIS "president" would be it.
• Speaker Largely Silent Amid Scandal
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/16/AR2006011600997_pf.html
  "With his affable demeanor and his open-door policy, House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert remains unchallenged in the most powerful post in Congress, even as a growing corruption scandal roils the Republican leadership and more Congress-watchers say the speaker bears some responsibility for the troubles..."
• Supreme Court Upholds Oregon Assisted-Suicide Law
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/17/AR2006011700435_pf.html
  "The Supreme Court upholds Oregon's one-of-a-kind physician-assisted suicide law, rejecting a Bush administration attempt to punish doctors who help terminally ill patients die."
• Cheers and Jeers: Tuesday
  http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/1/17/84156/2045
  The Bush-Franklin Debate (Ben wins 6-0). One of Franklin's best quotes to rebutt the W administration: "Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both."
• Plantation
  http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/1/17/181357/556
  Like the nuclear option term, the GOP started it, and they should stick to it. Or at least not deny it.

16 Jan 2006

Hearing MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech again (courtesy of Randi Rhodes) brings chills and hope. What brings chills even more is his "Mountaintop" speech were it seemed like he was foreshadowing his death. He was assassinated the next day. How different this country would be were he still alive.

-res

Selected notes from The Al Franken Show and related stories (indicated times are Pacific) (why this is here):

• 0900: Remembrance of MLK
• 0930: Jonathan Alter on MLK and poverty: the answer is low-rise, mixed-income housing
• 0930: Al reads Dennis Miller's nice words to Al in the NY Post (Murdoch's paper)
• 1000: Audio of Rev. Samuel Billy Kyles from last April's show
• 1030: Audio of Benjamin Hooks from last April's show
• 1100: David Cay Johnston on Welfare to Work, championed by Reagan, expanded under Clinton
• 1130: Rep. Artur Davis (D-AL), representing Birmingham (among other cities): conservatism used to mean lifting people up out of poverty.

Selected notes from The Randi Rhodes Show and related stories (indicated times are Pacific) (why this is here):

• 1200: Remembrance of MLK; audio of "Mountaintop" Speech; everyone present at the assassination was pointing toward the shot (but not toward where James Earl Ray was)
• Martin Luther King, Jr.
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King%2C_Jr.
  A little over halfway down the article, in the "Allegations of conspiracy" section: "Moreover, witnesses surrounding King at the moment of his death say the shot came from another location, from behind thick shrubbery near the rooming house, not from the rooming house itself, shrubbery which had been suddenly and inexplicably cut away in the days following the assassination."
• 1300: Audio of L. Paul Bremer spinning and debunking himself (his book) to Tim Russert on Meet the Press
• Transcript for January 15 - Meet the Press, online at MSNBC - MSNBC.com
  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10822231/
  L. Paul Bremer's spin chronicled.
• 1300: McCain was outraged by W's signing statement, but now not.
• 1330: Audio of Rumsfeld claiming they're showing someone stealing the same vase over and over again
• 1530: Full audio of MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech

Other news and opinion from the day:

• Two Speeches, One Dream: A True People's Democracy
  http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/1/16/203424/711
  SusanG's not trying to equate Gore with King, but makes a point about outsiders making a difference.

11 Jan 2006

Happy Birthday to me, in bed. I'm still resting, recovering from illness. I figured out (from web research) a way to bypass the phone line for the TiVo, using a USB ethernet adapter. Maureen went to Circuit City for me to get the Linksys USB100M, and it took less than 10 minutes to do the Guided Setup part that took an hour over the phone. And the 4-8 hour processing part goes on in the background while watching TV from the TiVo. And it actually took about an hour to get the guide info fully processed. We're up and running now! More rest. I didn't even get a chance to listen to Randi today.

-res

Selected notes from The Al Franken Show and related stories (indicated times are Pacific) (why this is here):

• 1000: John Dickerson on lobbying
• 1030: Cass Sunstein on Alito
• 1100: Rick Hertzberg on Abramoff

10 Jan 2006

Well, I'm sick now. And so is Evelyn. We picked her up tonight after dinner with Claire. I got free banana cream pie at Coco's. My favorite.

When I started feeling better, I tried to set up the TiVo at Teresa's parents' (Chris' in-laws') house with their phone line, but after the hour of calling, it said it would need another 4-8 hours for processing. So I unplugged it and took it home, hoping it would pick up where it left off. Nope. Argh. There has to be an easier way.

-res

Selected notes from The Al Franken Show and related stories (indicated times are Pacific) (why this is here):

• 1000: Rev. Welton Gaddy, liberal evangelical host of State of Belief, premiering on Sunday, 15 Jan on AAR (taped on Saturdays)
• 1030: Michael O'Hanlon on Iraq

Selected notes from The Randi Rhodes Show and related stories (indicated times are Pacific) (why this is here):

• 1330: Call from William Rivers Pitt on Abramoff's donations -- NONE to Democrats!
• 1530: Call from Sam Seder of the Majority Report on AAR chimes in on Alito.

09 Jan 2006

On Friday we got to see Maureen's cousin Hazel and her family as they stopped over in LAX on their way back home from the PI to NC. Also, we got the TiVo on Friday so we could have it set up this week in case I'm still going to Orlando for part two of my training class.

We had to bring Evelyn to my in-laws tonight, since her daycare isn't opening will Wednesday. Maureen and I had to tag-team taking care of her today. We'll pick her up tomorrow night and have dinner with Claire in Riverside a day early for my birthday.

-res

Selected notes from The Al Franken Show and related stories (indicated times are Pacific) (why this is here):

• 0900: Skit of Cheney's driver
• 1030: Steve Kelley, candidate for governor of MN
• 1130: Patti Wetterling (the first guest to laugh at Al's "that music can mean only one thing" joke)

Selected notes from The Randi Rhodes Show and related stories (indicated times are Pacific) (why this is here):

• 1200: Cheney's foot problem.
• 1230: W's precedent: signing statements; Alito and the "unitary executive"
• 1330: Call from Judd Legum on Alito and executive power
• 1400: Audio of Sen. Pat Leahy (D-VT); audio of Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA); both agreeing on overreach of the executive branch and pushing questions to Alito
• 1400: Caller notes how gradual the rise of Hitler's power was, and even in a democratic fashion with an electoral strategy, appealing to Protestants, the middle class, and farmers.
• 1430: Call from Ray McGovern on wiretapping without court orders and checks and balances and impeachment in the Constitution
• 1530: Even Ashcroft says no to the NSA spying program!
• 1530: Randi's simple explanation of the Abramoff scandal: [David] Grosh, a lifeguard in Florida, had his address used for Abramoff's front company to bilk two Native American tribes for "protection money" and "access money"
• 1530: Caller recants her survey call from Judicial Network

05 Jan 2006

I finally broke down and ordered a TiVo. Maureen and I have been discussing it, and she's actually been pushing it for a while, partly to make our lives easier by managing TV watching, and partly so she won't be afraid of messing up a taping (which used to happen often). Also, eCost has Humax refurbished boxes for 179.00 eligible for the 150.00 TiVo rebate with service. Oh yeah! I'll give my report on that whole thing soon.

-res

Selected notes from The Al Franken Show and related stories (indicated times are Pacific) (why this is here):

• 0900: Comparison of Clinton's lie (I did not have sexual relations with that woman) with W's (when the government is talking about wiretaps, we're talking about a court order).
• 0900: Al mentions O'Reilly on Letterman and Media Matters' debunking of O'Reilly's claims.
• Media Matters - In Letterman appearance, O'Reilly repeated false claim that school changed "Silent Night" lyrics
  http://mediamatters.org/items/200601040009
  The lyrics were part of a play called "The Little Tree's Christmas Gift," not a concert where the original lyrics were not allowed due to heathen secularists. Also this play has been performed in churches across the country.
• 0930: Mark Luther (Al debunks Rush on front line doctor article, wiretaps by executive order)
• 0930: David Sirota: in 2002, W had a photo op with miners in western PA and had cuts to MSHA; federal warnings of loss of tax-exempt status to a liberal, anti-war church while a pro-Bush church gets rewarded.
• 1000: Martin Kaiser on electronic eavesdropping

Selected notes from The Randi Rhodes Show and related stories (indicated times are Pacific) (why this is here):

• 1200: Randi explains the music played between segments when listening online or calling into the show: I feel like I'm playing Tetris...or SEGA!
• 1200: C-SPAN shows a Steven Griles story (after Randi discusses it on the show!).
• 1430: Audio of McClellan, in response to a question of bin Laden and Al Qaeda: "I'm sorry, who?"

Other news and opinion from the day:

• Loser McCain's Torture Amendment Gutted
  http://www.mydd.com/story/2006/1/3/113821/2529
  Instead of vetoing the bill, W sterilizes it with his signing statement.

04 Jan 2006

Selected notes from The Al Franken Show and related stories (indicated times are Pacific) (why this is here):

• 0930: Christy Harvey: Abramoff had election troubles in junior high (exceeding the budget with a big party) (according to LA Times); W has some ties to Abramoff.
• 1000: Dahlia Lithwick on FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act)
• Uncivil Liberties - Why won't the Bush administration obey the law? By Dahlia Lithwick
  http://www.slate.com/id/2132983/
  "In the days after Sept. 11, everyone agreed that we needed to recalibrate the delicate balance that had been struck between security and civil liberties. It now appears, however, that while the American people thought they were bargaining in good faith wit"
• 1030: Juan Cole on Iraq and Afghanistan
• 1100: Gene Sperling on pro-growth, progressive policies.
• 1130: Mark Wills and Keni Thomas on the USO tour with Al

Selected notes from The Randi Rhodes Show and related stories (indicated times are Pacific) (why this is here):

• 1200: The coal mine in Sago, WV had many safety citations and was a non-union mine. Once again, Randi didn't mention the story until she had solid facts. The mining company knew the truth hours before actually stating the truth (and about 20 minutes after stating that 12 had survived).
• 12 Found Dead in W.Va. Coal Mine
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/04/AR2006010400247_pf.html
  "SAGO, W.Va., Jan. 4 -- Great joy turned to deep sorrow and rage Wednesday morning when mining families here were told inaccurately that 12 of the 13 miners trapped in a coal mine were alive, only to be informed, hours later, that they were dead."
• First Joyful News, Then a Tragedy About Miners
  http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/la-na-miners4jan04,1,3957744.story?ctrack=1&cset=true
  On the second page, the paragraphs referenced by Randi: "The mine's federal health and safety violations had nearly doubled over the last year, rising from 68 citations in 2004 to 181 in 2005. Nearly half of the 2005 totals were deemed "significant and substantial," the government's term for serious mine safety problems. The deficiencies included problems with the firm's ventilation and roof support plans. At least 46 federal violations had been cited since October. And records from the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration indicated that at least a dozen roof collapses occurred in the last six months. In addition, Terry Farley, a West Virginia mine safety official, confirmed that the Sago Mine was also cited by state regulators for 208 violations in 2005, up from 74 the year before."
• 1230: Randi: why was the mine story so big and not even gotten right by the mainstream media? Because of W's NSA spying problem and Abramoff's guilty plea, in order to beat the news cycle.
• 1330: Call from Ellen Smith of Mine Safety and Health News talks about MSHA; with Ellen's help, Randi demonstrates a connection between the mine story and the Abramoff scandal.
• 1400: David Letterman calls out Bill O'Reilly on the war he waged against Christmas!
• Letterman to O'Reilly: "60% of what you say is crap"
  http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/01/04.html#a6571
• 1430: Audio of Letterman vs. O'Reilly

03 Jan 2006

Yesterday's entry was appended to show Randi's short coverage of the mine story (while awaiting more solid facts). I didn't hear that segment before posting the entry.

-res

Selected notes from The Al Franken Show and related stories (indicated times are Pacific) (why this is here):

• 0900: Al's first show from the new studio in Minneapolis!
• 0900: Walter Griffin, WWII vet and Dem
• 0930: more Walter Griffin, on USO and Saddam
• 0930: Audio of W explaining wiretaps currently require a court order (but he hasn't been following that law)
• 0930: David Sirota on wiretaps
• 1000: George Packer on Iraq
• 1030: more George Packer on Iraq
• 1100: Melanie Sloan on Abramoff: he pleaded guilty to all three counts today and plans to plead guilty to all the counts tomorrow!

Selected notes from The Randi Rhodes Show and related stories (indicated times are Pacific) (why this is here):

• 1200: Abramoff plea bargain details: about 37 years of jail time down to 9 1/2 to 11, etc.; if any Dems go down in this along with GOP, buh-bye to them too!
• 1230: Caller makes a good argument for campaign finance reform and suggests a tax deduction for ads instead of just public finance.
• 1330: Randi posits that the domestic spying is what caused Sen. George Voinovich (R-OH) to cry at the Bolton hearings; audio of this speech.
• 1430: Caller mentions public campaign finance bill in CA (bill 583 in state legislature)
• 1530: Randi debunks Drudge et al by putting former Democratic presidents' words on surveillance in their context (reiterating yesterday).
• 1530: Randi reads Nixon's enemies list.

02 Jan 2006

Happy New Year!

My regular journal readers (both of you) may have noticed the lack of entries in the past two months. They're all there now in sort of raw form in the archives for anyone who wants 'em. I started falling behind on WaPo and dKos reading, but I have some personal material and notes from Al and Randi.

Some personal highlights: my modification of the remote terminal program PuTTY, my Florida business trip, and my free Mac Mini experiment (try a free offer and get 10 referrals to do the same; verified as legitimate).

Some new software versions: OpenOffice.org 2.0 and Firefox 1.5.

-res

Selected notes from The Randi Rhodes Show and related stories (indicated times are Pacific) (why this is here):

• 1200: Randi's back! (Thank you for taking time out of "Corporate Logo Bowl.")
• 1200: W's claim of economic gain is based on corporate profit.
• 1200: Randi recommends Al's book, which she read over the break (and so did I, but I'm only halfway finished) and praises Oprah and announces a simple act in her honor.
• 1230: 6,644 people are still missing from New Orleans, mostly children. Randi recommends "Change for Change": everyone saving their loose change for 6 months and joining with her and other listeners to build at least one house for a Katrina victim.
• 1300: Randi debunks right-wing claims of Clinton also allowing spying on US citizens.
• Fact Check: Clinton/Carter Executive Orders Did Not Authorize Warrantless Searches of Americans
  http://thinkprogress.org/2005/12/20/drudge-fact-check/
• 1400: Audio of W slowed down to show voice fluctuations consistent with drunkenness.
• 1430: Randi (to W): if you want to see who's talking to the bin Ladens, talk to to your dad!
• 1430: Audio (from C-SPAN) of Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) (committee chairman) illegally shutting off mics (O'Reilly-style) at a forum held by Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) et al (not a "hearing" because we're the minority party).
• 1500: Mine story eclipses Katrina missing persons

Other news and opinion from the past:

• The Fighting Dem phenomenon spreads
  http://dailykos.com/story/2005/12/28/131019/38
  35 Iraq/Gulf War vets are running as Democrats. Republicans: 1 (plus 1 other military vet). Puts some truth to the myth that the military is Republican.

---

Past Journal Entries: 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001

2006 Journal Entries: Aug Jul Jun May Apr Mar Feb Jan

Common and favorite references and their acronyms:

• Daily Kos (dKos): http://www.dailykos.com/
• New York Times (NYT): http://www.nytimes.com/
• Washington Post (WaPo): http://www.washingtonpost.com/
• Randi Rhodes: http://www.therandirhodesshow.com/
• Media Matters for America (MMFA): http://www.mediamatters.org/
• Center for American Progress (CAP): http://www.americanprogress.org/
• CAP blog (Christy Harvey, Judd Legum): http://www.thinkprogress.org/
• Moby's journal: http://www.moby.com/journal/
• Sojourners: http://www.sojo.net/
• Tom's Hardware Guide (THG): http://www.tomshardware.com/
• Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF): http://www.eff.org/
• SourceForge.net (SF): http://www.sourceforge.net/

• My referral link for a free Mac Mini (legit): http://www.freemacmini.com/?r=160454 (why this is here)