Feb 21 2009
1st actor: “Do you know what I think this is?”Carl: “A bottle cap?”
1st actor: “It’s an arrow head, Carl. This is probably an ancient Indian relic. Right here, right here in the greens and grains.”
Carl: “We’re in the handicap zone.”
1st actor: “…I bet we can make some money off this; I’m not kidding you.”
Especially in light of “The ‘redface’ era returns(ing),” this is a poignant slap in the face.
Feb 21 2009
Homemade Pizza – it’s what’s for dinner!
Inspired by Edwardo’s, my favorite Chi-town pizza.
Stuffed Spinach and Sausage PizzaDough-
4 t. sugar
3 pkg rapid rise yeast
2 c. warm water
5 c. all-purpose flour
4 t. salt
6 T. butter, melted6 oz. bag fresh baby spinach, washed and spun dry
1 lb. part skim mozzarella
8 oz. monterey jack
1-1/2 c. pizza sauce
1 c. diced tomatoes
2/3 lb. sweet italian sausage, browned and drained
1/2 c. parmesano reggianoPreheat oven to 475F. Lightly oil 14-inch deep dish pizza pan.
Combine yeast & sugar in warm water. Let sit for 5 minutes. It should foam up. Combine flour and salt. Add the butter, then add the yeast mixture. Combine and knead on floured surface until dough is soft and smooth. Let rise 1 hour.
Shred cheese. Put spinach in food processor to chop fine (or use frozen chopped spinach – defrosted and well drained). Mix mozzarella and jack cheese with the spinach. (You can use any cheeses you want – I added a little asiago because I had it in my fridge). Reserve parmesano for topping. Mix pizza sauce with tomatoes (canned or fresh). Cook sausage.
Assembly instructions below…
Recipe based on Stuffed Pizza with Spinach in The Chicago-Style Pizza Cookbook (Pasquale Bruno, 1983).
Feb 21 2009
From Yin &Yang and the I-Ching written by Kelly L. Ross, Ph.D.:
Yin originally meant “shady, secret, dark, mysterious, cold.” It thus could mean the shaded, north side of a mountain or the shaded, south bank of a river.
Yang in turn meant “clear, bright, the sun, heat,” the opposite of yin and so the lit, south side of a mountain or the lit, north bank of a river.
From these basic opposites, a complete system of opposites was elaborated.
Yin represents everything about the world that is dark, hidden, passive, receptive, yielding, cool, soft, and feminine.
Yang represents everything about the world that is illuminated, evident, active, aggressive, controlling, hot, hard, and masculine.
Everything in the world can be identified with either yin or yang. Earth is the ultimate yin object. Heaven is the ultimate yang object. Of the two basic Chinese “Ways,” Confucianism is identified with the yang aspect, Taoism with the yin aspect
Yin should not be confused with gender, by the way.
Although it is correct to see yin as feminine and yang as masculine, everything in the world is really a mixture of the two, which means that female beings may actually be mostly yang and male beings may actually be mostly yin. Because of that, things that we might expect to be female or male because they clearly represent yin or yang, may turn out to be the opposite instead.
Feb 21 2009
Original article, by Ulrich Rippert subheaded German union seeks to divide European and North American GM workers, via World Socialist Web Site:
On Tuesday, General Motors announced plans to cut its workforce world-wide by 47,000, with 26,000 jobs to be slashed in Europe alone. The main German engineering union, IG Metall, and its shop stewards organized in works councils at GM’s German subsidiary Opel, reacted to the announcement by rejecting any joint struggle by GM workers in Europe and North America.
Feb 21 2009
I’ve made no secret lately that I was going to appear in Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues, as Woman #1 (Calpernia Addams) in the…well it is not exactly a monologue, but rather a chorus…They Beat the Girl Out of My Boy…Or So They Tried.
The two-night run at Bloomfield College’s Van Fossan Theater is now over and I am exhausted and have a splitting headache from interacting with the stage lights. I’m tired and I’m cranky.
Word on the street was that the event was not to be missed. But then again, each night only had about 120-140 in the audience.
Part of the proceeds went to help combat the systematic maltreatment of women (and men) in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the quest for blood coltan, in what has become known as The Playstation War. The remainder went to the The Safe House Shelter for battered women, which is affiliated with Clara Maass Hospital.
Affiliated with our production was a teach-in on the DRC and a Clotheline Project in March.
And one more presentation, which is the main purpose of this essay, against the backdrop of these other educational efforts.
Feb 20 2009
For all the money small donors brought to the presidential campaign of Barack Obama, I doubt a small donor’s name will ever be floated for an ambassadorship. Small money donors are not rewarded with access or ambassadorships.
The Washington Post is reporting Louis Susman, a “mega-fundraiser” for Obama, may get “primo” ambassador job. Susman, “who gave and bundled some major bucks” for Obama’s campaign is likely to be nominated as the next U.S Ambassador to the United Kingdom, pending the outcome of “negotiations”.
What makes Susman qualified to represent our nation to one of America’s closest allies? First, he raises gobs of money for Democratic candidates! Last year alone, he contributed $118,187 to 36 different candidates or political action committees.
In 2004, Susman helped raise $247 million for John Kerry. “Susman was an early backer of Obama’s — getting on board even before Obama declared his candidacy in early 2007 — and was one of the campaign’s biggest bundlers.”
Feb 20 2009
The LA Times reports President Barack Obama, with stimulus underway, warns mayors about waste. Obama told U.S. mayors that he will use the “full power” of the White House to expose fraud or misuse of economic stimuls money.
“If a federal agency proposes a project that will waste that money, I will not hesitate to call them out on it and put a stop to it,” Obama told the mayors, who were gathered in the White House. “And I want everybody here to be on notice … if a local government does the same. I will call them out on it and use the full power of my office and our administration to stop it.”
Meanwhile the NY Times reports Obama bans budget gimmicks Bush used. “For his first annual budget next week, President Obama has banned four accounting gimmicks that President George W. Bush used to make deficit projections look smaller. The price of more honest bookkeeping: A budget that is $2.7 trillion deeper in the red over the next decade than it would otherwise appear, according to administration officials.”
Obama will budget for the occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan, Medicare reimbursements, and natural disaster response. Peter Orszag, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, said the Obama Obama administration will put the country on “a sustainable fiscal course” by the end of 2012.
Four at Four continues with the SEC may look at corporate boards, China on a natural resource buying spree, and trouble in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Feb 20 2009
And states it well.
So what is to be done about the abuses of the Bush years? Some say do nothing, and a few Senators even tried to make Attorney General Eric Holder promise in his confirmation hearings to launch no prosecutions for Bush-era lawbreaking. At the opposite end of the spectrum, others say that even if it takes many years and divides the country and distracts from the urgent priority of fixing the economy, we must prosecute Bush Administration officials to lay down a marker. The courts are already considering congressional subpoenas that were issued earlier as well as claims of privilege and legal immunities. Those cases will stretch out for some time, as would prosecutions–taking even a decade or longer. Moreover, it is easier for prosecutors to net those far down the ladder than those at the top, who set the tone and the policies.
There is another option, a middle ground whose overarching goal is to find the truth: we need to get to the bottom of what happened–and why–to make sure it never happens again.
I would love to ask Leahy were he pulled the “taking even a decade or longer” idea out of, though. I find that a little …ahem…prejudicial…in arguing his case.
Another slight problem…
One path to that goal is to appoint a truth-finding panel. We could develop and authorize a person or group of people universally recognized as fair-minded and without an ax to grind.
Senator, who in the world would the current batch of bi-partisan (hahahahahahaha) Republicans recognize as being fair-minded and without an axe to grind? My guess, Jesus, Santa Claus or Reagan’s zombie corpse. Let me use my crystal ball as to who the Repubs would suggest for the panel. Newt Gingrich, Tom DeLay and the RNC employee who just got off scott free for conspiracy ratfucking of the Rhode Island Senate race.
He also asks and answers his own question…
Most of all, we need to see whether the American people are ready to take this path.In the meantime, Congress will work with the Obama Administration to fix those parts of our government that went off course. But to repair the damage of the past eight years and restore America’s reputation and standing in the world, we should not simply turn the page without being able first to read it. A recent USA Today/Gallup poll showed that more than 60% of Americans agree that investigating the failed national-security policies of the past eight years should be considered.
I hope he is listening to himself!
There is also a really really good article in the Washington Independent that lays out both sides well, I have bookmarked it for future reference when talking to folks who may not be up to speed on the complex ins and outs. It seems to be pretty balanced, here is part of the section rebutting the idea of a TC.
Truth Commission Talk Sparks Conflict
But that “middle ground,” as he called it, may be problematic. Many legal experts believe that eschewing prosecution is not an option: criminal prosecution is required under international law.“The only reason to have a commission of this kind is to avoid doing what we’re obligated to do under a treaty,” George Washington University Law Professor Jonathan Turley told Keith Olbermann on MSNBC last week. “It is shameful that we would be calling for this type of commission,” he added. “We’re obligated to investigate. It’s not up to President Obama. It’s not up to Sen. Leahy.”
Margaret Satterthwaite, director of the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice at NYU School of Law, agrees. “Under the [international] torture convention we are obligated to investigate and then prosecute where there’s evidence of torture,” she said.
Other articles of note…
The doings in the UK:
Feb 20 2009
Tonight, for your listening pleasure, we will be hosting WWL without pants!
The guys sure look silly in skirts, though.
Seriously, we will air at 6 PM Eastern Time on Blog Talk Radio.
Ed Encho, Gottlieb and I will be covering various current events; then spending some enjoyable scathing commentary on the Douchebag Mouth-breathers of the Neo Con Bobbing Head Nation.
Is Rove getting a “pass”?
How did Afghanistan get to be Obama’s war anyway, speaking of which, he gets his one month review.
The Poison if Bipartisan-sinking-ship.
World response to the American drain-al flush of their economies, as well as our simpering response to our economic hell at home.
Late breaking news included as needed….
Followed by a rousing disembowelment of Rush, O’Reilly, Hannity, Coulter, Malkin, Beck and Michael Savage. What could be more enjoyable than THAT????
The call in number is 646-929-1264
The live chat link will be active after 5:30.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/h…
“See” you there!!!!
Feb 20 2009
Two articles from Raw Story today paint the picture. A picture of justice not determined by facts, but by political orientation, class, and influence.
Let us compare and contrast.
Criminalizing dissent? RNC protesters face felony terrorism charges is a short blurb mainly pointing to an interview between Amy Goodman and ….
Luce Guillen-Givins who is one of the first people ever to be charged under the 2002 Minnesota version of the federal PATRIOT Act. Guillen-Givins and 7 other members of the group RNC Welcoming Committee – also known as the “RNC 8” – were formally charged with conspiracy to riot in furtherance of terrorism.However, criminal complaints filed reportedly do not allege that members of the RNC 8 personally engaged in any act of violence or damage to property.
From the interview…
AMY GOODMAN: And what are you exactly charged with?
LUCE GUILLEN-GIVINS: I have four felony counts that I’m facing: conspiracy to commit a riot in furtherance of terrorism, conspiracy to commit riot, conspiracy to commit criminal damage to property in furtherance of terrorism, and conspiracy to commit criminal damage to property.
AMY GOODMAN: Luce, what were you doing at the Republican convention?
LUCE GUILLEN-GIVINS: Well, at the convention, I was in jail. I had been in jail since the Saturday before.
Just to state it plainly, he is facing charges of being a terrorist….for a political protest, in the United States of America. I think it is safe to say that Luce Guillen-Givins is not a Republican.
But from the IOKIYAR side of the two tiered justice system….
Former RNC director convicted in phone jamming case gets off without penalty
The Republican National Committee employee convicted of a plot to jam the phone banks of Democratic get-out-the-vote efforts in New Hampshire in 2002 has escaped penalty in his case, after a federal judge ruled that new charges against him could not be brought.The latest charges against James Tobin, whose at least $722,000 dollars in legal fees were paid for by the Republican National Committee, were nixed by a federal judge on Thursday.
Tobin was convicted in December 2005 by a New Hampshire jury of being part of a conspiracy to jam Democratic phone banks led by Democrats and a nonpartisan firefighters union on Election Day 2002.
A paid political operative of the Republican National Committee, whose dirty tricks (ratfucking to use Segretti’s term) almost undoubtedly affected the Senatorial election in which John Sununu narrowly defeated Democratic Gov. Jeann Sheehean.
Terrorism charges for organizing a political protest.
No legal penalty for being convicted of rigging an Senatorial election. And the Republican National Committee even paid this ratfuckers legal fees. Paid to defend a person who was part of a conspiracy to fix elections in their favor.
We don’t have a justice system, we have a patronage and persecution system.
And just for good measure, the terrorism charges are the result of an FBI mole….and perhaps agent provocateur…who is facing his own criminal charges!
AMY GOODMAN: And, Jordan Kushner, the latest information about an FBI informant within the RNC Welcoming Committee that has just come out?
JORDAN KUSHNER: That’s right. He was an FBI informant and actually was an FBI informant in that Molotov cocktail case, too, although he wasn’t called because of the criminal charges of his own that he’s facing. He was arrested for some violent burglary charges in January, where he broke into someone’s house, assaulted two people. And so, he’s facing felony charges right now in Hennepin County over that. He was the most-he’s the principal informant in the RNC 8 case, the main person they’re relying on to accuse them of planning the destruction of property.
Feb 20 2009
Those nice folks there in Texas need help, America! And I don’t mean from that awful “porkulus” bill that Mr. Socialism thinks will start stimulatin’ our economy. Texas has a different pork problem, in that a plague of wild hogs are roamin’ over the land, tearin’ up the crops there and just makin’ a general nuisance of themselves. Help IS on the way though, because I’m hearin’ that Texas may allow hog-huntin’ from helicopters! Ooooohhhhh . . . I just felt a tingle go up my leg . . .
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Naturally the liberals are already whinin’ about it, like somebody just told ’em they have to go to church or something. There is NOTHING to worry about, because the bill’s Republican sponsor, Sid Miller, assures us that:
“You’re not going to have some bubba up there going, ‘Pass me a beer and ammo’ and hunting some hogs,” the legislator said. “We certainly want to do it right.”