Thoughts | The 4th of July, Iran, Sarah..And Stuff

Hope everyone had a GREAT 4th of July.
..Me?
I'm still living, unlike that Michael guy, so there's that.
Before I look at all the jobs I can't have here's a posting with a few quick thoughts:

Our President on The Fourth of July:

--Impressive...but I SURE wish I had a job...

Hmmm...
Next the Iranian Theocracy will be telling us that Neda commited suicide.


"Religulous":
Watched Bill Mahr's documentary last night on DVD. Bill Mahr and I pretty much agree on religion and Gods in general. More on the subject with some thoughts for that wacky Flintstonescreationist museum in Northern Kentucky(wouldn't they have been happier in Mississippi?):
If we are going to teach “creation science” as an alternative to evolution, then we should also teach the stork theory as an alternative to biological reproduction.
— Judith Hayes

Oh Noo..Sarah's up to somethin'!
Sarah PLEASE don't go! You gave us SO much humour and wackiness(wink, you betcha!).
PLEASE, tell us you're running in '12!!

Universal health Care..
Why a public option is needed.
..and Paul Krugman: Universal health care costs less than Bush tax cuts

Billy Mays annoyed the hell outta me but dang it I kinda liked the guy:


Jon Stewart Tells Mark(I'm a Republican so I'm holier than thou..Oops!) Sanford to please STFU!

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Shut Up, Mark Sanford
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Jason Jones in Iran

Happy Fourth people. Here's Jimi's "Star Spangled Banner"


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This Just In! Rush Limbaugh...

Is still A Big Fat Idiot

-as if U didn't Know-

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"2012" Theatrical Trailer

Love the title hook!
"WE WERE WARNED"


This is the theatrical trailer for the movie 2012. It's about the global cataclysm predicted by ancient Mayans on December 21st, 2012 leaving only a few survivors.



















Kudos to LS..

Maybe they should have had Rush(the band, not the buffoon) revise the title for 2112 and used it in there somewhere.
It would have kicked arse!!

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Tribute | "King Of Pop"

Morbid or honor? You decide.

























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Minnesota Senate Race | Coleman Concedes!

YOWZAH! Congratulations to SENATOR Al Franken AND Franni!

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-BRIAN BAKST Associated Press Writer
Al Franken ascended Tuesday from the ranks of former "Saturday Night Live" comedians to an even more exclusive club, outlasting Republican Norm Coleman in an eight-month recount and courtroom saga to win a seat in the U.S. Senate."
Continue

That sound you hear is heads on FAUX News exploding..
I've been hiding from the other cable "news" to avoid the(so far) 5 day, 24-7, corporate wankathon over "The King of Pop".
What else is going on?

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Ring Of Fire On The Corporate Takeover of America

Who's actually in charge of our government? Corporate boardrooms apparently. You already suspected that didn't you? Air America's "Ring of Fire" is here to help:

"..Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. of Air America's Ring of Fire talks about this shift in power with Rolling Stone political correspondent Matt Taibbi.."

Part 2, and more at C&L..

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Missing Blogger | He Was There Just A Minute Ago

In WoW he's AFK(Away From Keyboard)..


..or gone to bed, 'night travelers..

Oh, and here's father and son. Believe it or not, Peanut(in back) is the father of Little Man Jack(in front)...


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Great Idea Of The Day That's To Smart To Happen | Increase Kentucky's Coal Severance Tax

Increase coal severance tax

"..A non-profit economic development organization, the Berea-based Mountain Association for Community Economic Development, set out to calculate coal's effect on the state budget, using methodology originated almost 30 years ago by the Legislative Research Commission.

Conclusion: Coal is a parasite on the state budget.

In 2006, state government spent $115 more on services and programs for the coal industry and those to whom it provides jobs than it collected in taxes from them.

The authors present detailed explanations for how they reached their conclusions, which you can find at www.maced.org/coal.

There's a lot to think about here, some of which will be subject to hot debate.

One conclusion is inescapable, though: The legislature should raise the coal-severance tax.

Kentucky's coal-severance tax rate, which is lower than West Virginia's, has been unchanged for 30 years. In 2006, the year that was studied, Kentucky collected less in severance taxes from the industry ($224 million) than it cost to repair roads damaged by heavy trucks transporting coal from mines ($239 million).

We suspect that one of the more controversial findings will involve indirect employment by the coal industry. This refers to jobs that wouldn't exist if people directly employed by the industry weren't spending money in other businesses.

The authors estimate the cost of providing services to those indirectly employed by coal exceeds the taxes they pay by $73 million, a reflection of their low wages.."

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On a related note. Mountain top removal is being debated in Congress. Which usually means that in the spirit of compromise with Republicans very little to nothing will be done to stop this abomination against nature.

Congress hears debate over mountain top removal mining

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Friday Video | Lou's "Pale Blue Eyes"

Lou Reed 1998 Live with "Pale Blue Eyes":


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Other Farewells | "Jacko" and Farrah and Hall

While doing my daily web job searches I want to bid fond farewells to Farrah, who(like many guys my age) ruled my youthful fantasies, and The King of Pop(the only K.o.P).
Look to others much more talented than I to do adequate eulogies, here and here to start. But I have to mention both before moving on.
What could be said of Farrah Fawcett, she was never outdone in beauty or grace. And YES I had "the poster" on my wall.
Michael Jackson, in his heyday he was(and will remain) an unsurpassed talent. I'm sure he would be ecstatic at this attention. I think he craved that more than anything. Unfortunately(for him) in this age he had to die to get the praise and adoration he craved.
You do realize of course that suits everywhere will be trampling each other for the movie and book rights for both.
Another great loss, especially to Kentuckians, is James Baker Hall former Poet Laureate of the state.
Farewell...Stars...Farewell talent..You are now with the ages..

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RIP Bill "Skeets" Combs

Aye Lord, "Skeets" is gone.
I'll leave it to others to write up the loss of Ed Mcmahon, they'll do a better job of it anyway.
I wanted to throw this up as a small memorial(in a way) to the memory of my brother in law of(at least) 44 years "Skeets". Skeets passed away last Saturday from what we think so far was a stroke and/or possible heart attack. Stupid thing really, an elder sedentary man out mowing a large yard in ninety degree weather.
We attended his funeral ceremonies Monday. Now, once again, it's just a matter of putting to rest another person who has accompanied me from my childhood to now. We all have to do it, if we live long enough.
All those memories unfolded and brought up. Skeets was the most wonderful person in the world to have around as company. Just the name "Skeets" conjures up over four decades of memories, mental slideshows of great and funny moments. Me running my bicycle into the front of his car when I was 13 and learning to ride, an old apartment they had with a snowy street-facing fire escape in a long ago Cincinnati. Slides of some bad memories also, like with any life. Being a wonderful, gentle person Skeets was sadly cursed with alcoholism. He put my sister through some years of hell in assorted, crazy ways.
You tend to remember the good when someone who's been intertwined in your life so long is gone though. Especially as good a person as Skeets Combs. The good was far greater anyway. His Masons Lodge members did a small service at the funeral. That was an interesting thing in itself. They had a reading of Tennyson's "Crossing the Bar", which I liked, here's a bit of that:

Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea,

But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home.

I've thought to myself dozens of times in the last few days, "Wow, Skeets is gone", over and over. Like with the passing of all my loved ones. My mother and father, my uncles and aunts, all the others, and now Skeets is gone. I told my sister that, while looking at the picture album Saturday night I realized what "the good old days" really were. The good old days are simply, back when everyone you love was still alive.
Farewell Brother. As always words are inadequate to describe. But again the world is lessened..
Aye lord...Skeets is gone.

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Fox News Mis-Labels Another Sleazy Republican

As a Democrat.
The most bizarre political story in months(and that includes REPUBLICAN John Ensign's affair with the married worker). How does Faux News do it's part? By labeling disappearing "Luv" Guv Mark Sanford as a Democrat, instead of correctly as a Republican of course. Faux has a LONG history of this, Foley and Vitter are two examples.


Fox can't help it, any more than holier than thou Republican politicians can help getting caught with their pants down...so to speak..

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Robert Reich | Memo To President Obama

Sounds correct to me.
Robert Reich at Salon has a MUST DO list for President Obama to win universal health care. And yes, there HAS to be a REAL public option for it to actually work:

Six things you must do to save universal healthcare


Oh, and regarding those doomsday cost predictions from the media talking heads here's Reich's words on that:

"..Projecting the future costs of universal healthcare without including the public option is like predicting the number of people who will get sunburns this summer if nobody is allowed to buy sun lotion. Of course the costs of universal healthcare will be huge if you leave out the most important way of controlling them.."

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Videos Out Of Iran

Some of the horrific videos coming out of Iran:

Here from; Iran Election Crisis: 10 Incredible YouTube Videos, is a video of the Iranian government's Basij militia firing into crowds of protesters:

From BoingBoing is this disturbing and graphic video of a young Iranian woman killed by a Basij sniper bullet: Warning, grapic video!


In the video the girl's father who was standing beside her when she was murdered is crying out, in Farsi: "My Neda, don't be afraid, please don't go, please don't go, please stay...!"

'Neda' becomes rallying cry for Iranian protests

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John Hodgman's Nerdilicious Roast of President Barack Obama

I wanted to put this up yesterday but got involved with chores and WoW so here it goes now. Better late than never here's comedian/writer John Hodgman's nerd send up of Obama at the Radio & tv Correspondent's dinner.


Family just called and they're almost home. They probably have a few Father's Day surprises, so I gotta go. Maybe back later today.

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Summer Solstice At Stonehenge

Now those Druids know how to throw a party:














Flicker photo:

Pagans and partiers greet the summer solstice at Stonehenge
STONEHENGE, England – Pagans and partygoers drummed, danced or gyrated in hula hoops to stay awake through the night, as more than 35,000 people greeted the summer Solstice Sunday at the ancient stone circle of Stonehenge.."

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Iran | Split Among Cleric Rulers?

Speaking of Iran(and everyone is). This would explain why they haven't already brutally put down the demonstrators:

Arrests of Rafsanjani kin show Iran clerics split

It's reaching a flashpoint, all we can hope is it's in a good way.

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Sunday Blogging On This And That... Oh, And Baby Raccoons!

Thought I'd log on while waiting for the family to get home from Ohio. Amazing what's going on in Iran. Once again the Internet opens doors for freedom. It's turning ugly there.
Don't have much to say at the moment. Got to play some extra WoW while they were gone(Yay!). I'm going to check the weather radar right now and surf for a bit. Here's a little happy ending story from Yahoo while I'm looking around:

Young Raccoons Saved from Pepsi Machine @ Yahoo! Video

Oh, and from those guys at JibJab, A VERY Happy father's Day:

@ Yahoo! Video

Quick thought of the day before I move on; Will someone ask those Republican(and a few Democratic) politicians that are out there ranting about this HOWWIBLE effort to get decent health care for every citizen that wants it-what kind of health care THEY have, and how good THEIR health care is?

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Republican Hypocrite #4 Zillion | Sen. John Ensign

Well, well it seems yet another Republican hypocrite raises a well coiffed head:

John Ensign: GOP Senator Admits Affair With a married Ex-Campaign Staffer


Let's see, here's a few Ensign comments about President Bill Clinton's short lived tryst with Monica Lewinsky:
"an embarrassing moment for the country."
"I think we have to feel very sad for the American people and Hillary and Chelsea"

A "Weak Tea" Harry Reid spokesman had this to say:
"Sen. Reid's thoughts are with Sen. Ensign and his family at this time."


Oh, and Ensign is one of "The Promise Keepers" a men's Christianic group.

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The Night's Video | Great Northern

The song is "Houses". The band is Great Northern from Los Angelos.


These days I'm reading Odd Hours, along with assorted magazines-Mother Earth News and Kentucky Explorer. Simple pleasures. Nothing really political right now other than the Internet(got to have my Huffington Post, Crooks and Liars, etc.).
When I'm watching talking heads(and a lot of other stuff on tv) I'm often thinking what a sweet job the smuck in camera has.
Have a good night surfers..

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The Milky Way's Center | Astronomy Pic Of The Day

The lights of our neighbors:
NASA:
Infrared cameras from the Spitzer Space Telescope, penetrate much of the dust of the Milky Way's crowded galactic center region. The detailed, false-color image shows older, cool stars in bluish hues. Reddish glowing dust clouds are associated with young, hot stars in stellar nurseries.

-Link to the full image, it's well worth loading.

On a related note, I hope you're associating with "young, hot stars", again and again, harder and harder, every chance you get...WHAPEESH!

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Sad And Bad, News | Misty Chihuahua Has Diabetes

More of that Dean luck.
We found out Wednesday that our little girl chihuahua Misty has diabetes. So she'll have to have two insulin shots a day, morning and evening given by me. We have 4 dogs now. Misty and her son "Little Man Jack" have to take phenobarb twice a day, "Peanut" chihuahua, father of L.M.J. has to take half a heart pill in the mornings. Now Misty has to go on the diabetes meds. Geez....














All that pain for her and what goes with it(cataracts, etc.). All the time and even all that extra expense with me not working.

Just a note in passing and a quick pic.

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Cheney's Memoirs | "They Call Me DICK"

That's my submission. Go vote for the winner:

Vote for the Title of Dick Cheney's Memoirs

Brought to you by the good folks at Buzzflash. Good evening fellow 'Netters, I just dropped in on my way to some news.
Oh, and "Lord of the Lies" is currently winning.

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Words To Say Aloud | "A Different Sound"

A Different Sound

There’s a different sound to the month of June with broader bandwidth silences between motor noises in distant skies, or close at hand on the road, these long, delicious silences perhaps reflecting certain rare moments in adolescence when the rigid, confining, imperious adult world of education, politics, peers & family impinged upon a grand desire for Freedom. Silences of Freedom heard in their broader bandwidths heralding return of subtle, internal revolt against the world’s prescriptions. Yesterday we erected a huge eight-foot-high-cedar-stockade fence against the back edge of the property. Ah, the silence it provides against neighbors who mistreat pets, clamor for more material goods; our yellow roses bow in homage to the silence of Freedom. I told her, too, in low tones during our walk around Back Cove as wind ushered up sunlight off the water, that if good fences make good neighbors, we’ll have great neighbors. June with her broader bandwidth silences between dog moans & children’s cries, between fears & angst of a newer world gone wrong, again, the unmistakable & recognizable silent tone of June I crave & savor.

-Robert Gibbons

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Piechart; What Do You See?

Piechart



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