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Putting out a fire with gasoline.
Author: Raine    Date: 04/16/2009 12:49:47

Yesterday was fascinating and frightening all at once. I will stand by my assertion that people have the right to protest, regardless of political affiliation and I will always support that right. That said, I will not support the right to yell fire in a theatre, and - to a large extent - that was exactly what was happening all over the country.
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96 comments (Latest Comment: 04/17/2009 00:54:02 by livingonli)

Avast Ye, Landlubbers!
Author: BobR    Date: 04/15/2009 12:20:49

It seems that everyone is talking about the successful rescue of ship captain Richard Phillips by the Navy Seals. To be sure, it's a great story. While the world waited and right-wing pundits loudly criticized President Obama for "doing nothing", he was quietly working behind the scenes with the Navy to ensure they had everything they needed to rescue the captain. At the critical moment they acted, and acted perfectly. Besides rescuing the captain, they removed three of the pirates from the living, and snagged one to take back. It's the stuff Hollywood movies are made of (and we can all pretty much guarantee this story will become one).
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90 comments (Latest Comment: 04/16/2009 05:20:09 by livingonli)

Ask a Vet
Author: TriSec    Date: 04/14/2009 10:58:55

Good Morning.

Today is our 2,218th day in Iraq.

We'll start this morning as we always do, with the latest casualty figures from Iraq and Afghanistan, courtesy of Antiwar.com:

American Deaths
Since war began (3/19/03): 4273
Since "Mission Accomplished" (5/1/03): 4134
Since Capture of Saddam (12/13/03): 3812
Since Handover (6/29/04): 3414
Since Obama Inauguration (1/20/09): 45

Other Coalition Troops - Iraq: 318
US Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 677
Other Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 452
Journalists - Iraq: 139
Contractor Deaths - Iraq: 1264

We find this morning's cost of war passing through:

$ 613, 348, 000, 000 .00


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62 comments (Latest Comment: 04/15/2009 03:41:30 by Mondobubba)

Avast, ye scurvy dogs!
Author: TriSec    Date: 04/13/2009 11:12:57

Good Morning. I just remembered that Raine asked me to write this...and I've got to make an airport run in less than an hour. So here goes!

This weekend, most of you probably were keeping up with the dramatic pirate situation off the coast of Somalia. Somehow, New England seemed to be at the center of it, as the captain being held is from Vermont, and he attended the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.

In any case, yesterday afternoon the news broke that he had been rescued!


US navy snipers have shot dead three pirates holding a US captain in a boat off Somalia, in a dramatic rescue authorised by President Barack Obama.

They opened fire from a nearby warship as a pirate pointed a gun at the captive, the navy said.

A fourth pirate, who was on a navy ship at the time, surrendered.

Capt Richard Phillips, hailed as a hero for his actions during the hijacking of his vessel last week, was unharmed and has been resting aboard a US warship.

He has spoken to his wife and family back in the US and is said to be looking forward to celebrating Easter when he gets home.

While defending the rescue operation, a navy spokesman acknowledged that the incident might increase the threat from pirates, whose mounting attacks on shipping have been relatively bloodless to date.

Mr Obama said he was very pleased that Capt Phillips had been rescued and that his courage was a "model for all Americans".

He said he was resolved to deal with the threat of piracy in the region.


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19 comments (Latest Comment: 04/14/2009 07:40:27 by livingonli)

What's on TV?
Author: velveeta jones    Date: 04/12/2009 13:42:09

Happy Easter everyone! As you know, Easter is celebrated on a different Sunday every year in either April or May, depending on where the esteemed ceremonial cockroach, Toby, poops on the mock-up of the new calendar just before they are sent off to the printer. Easter represents the day when Our Lord and Savior and his imaginary large Rabbit, arose from their cave and delivered peeps and Cadbury eggs to all the white children of the world. And, it should be celebrated by going to church, wearing pastel colors and funny hats, being kind to your neighbors and then cooking and eating the legs of little baby sheep with mint jelly.

Perhaps because it’s Easter weekend there is not much going on in the news these past few days. Sure, there is that U.S. captain being held hostage by pirates and we all pray for his safe and speedy return, but Velveeta has no access to this story since the wonderful folks at 4 Freedoms Blog refuse to provide her with a large, well paid staff that could do research on such stories. Then, of course, there is the Lindsay Lohan/Samatha Ronson breakup story, but it’s so over-covered that there really is just nothing much to see here.

And the Republicans are really busy with all their “tea-bagging” activities these days. I could never, NEVER cover this news nor condone such behaviors. What would the children think? I am just shocked. SHOCKED and DISGUSTED at these events, which I hear are being held out of doors for the entire world to witness! Velveeta will have no part in these odious sexual perversions.
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6 comments (Latest Comment: 04/13/2009 04:01:54 by livingonli)

A Service Project...
Author: TriSec    Date: 04/11/2009 11:27:21

Good Morning!

An early Saturday, but no blood donation for me today.

Can I ask the assembled a question?

What do you all know about the Boy Scouts? What do you think the program's goals are?

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6 comments (Latest Comment: 04/12/2009 13:11:44 by m-hadley)

Detours on the Road to Oz
Author: BobR    Date: 04/10/2009 12:24:01

The talking heads are outraged. There is great wailing and gnashing of teeth. The Forever Glum sit hunched over their tepid beer with that look of eternal resignation and remind everyone who cares to listen that "I knew this would happen - it was only a matter of time". These people are all upset about President Obama, and the things they think he's done - and these are the lefties!
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51 comments (Latest Comment: 04/10/2009 19:58:59 by Will in Chicago)

Is it Really Expansion of Power?
Author: Raine    Date: 04/09/2009 12:38:37

Over the weekend, we got wind of a particularly nasty story about the Obama Administration quietly expanding Bush's legal defense of wiretapping program. It was reported at Raw Story among other media outlets. When I first read this, I was disheartened to say the least and outraged over the appearance of unconstitutionality to it. I simply could not wrap my head that this new administration could be so complicit in continuing what was in my mind illegal activity.
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66 comments (Latest Comment: 04/10/2009 12:25:49 by BobR)

The Art of Dissent
Author: BobR    Date: 04/08/2009 12:39:09

With all of the discussion about whether newspapers will survive (or whether they should survive), the discussion often overlooks some of the services that will be lost. Besides the jobs lost at the printers, the jobs of the copy writers, the proof readers and the fact checkers, there is also the job of the political cartoonist. Since the time newspapers began, the political cartoon has been a unique art form, one that is at once disarming and well-armed with barbs. In the hands of an expert, it can distill a political point down to its essence, and present it in a way that gets the point across in seconds without requiring lengthy reading.
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40 comments (Latest Comment: 04/09/2009 02:51:45 by livingonli)

Ask a Vet
Author: TriSec    Date: 04/07/2009 12:06:57

Good Morning.

Today is our 2,211th day in Iraq.

We'll start this morning as we always do, with the latest casualty figures from Iraq and Afghanistan, courtesy of antiwar.com:

American Deaths
Since war began (3/19/03): 4265
Since "Mission Accomplished" (5/1/03): 4126
Since Capture of Saddam (12/13/03): 3803
Since Handover (6/29/04): 3407
Since Obama Inauguration (1/20/09): 37

Other Coalition Troops - Iraq: 318
US Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 673
Other Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 451
Journalists - Iraq: 139
Contractor Deaths - Iraq: 1264

We find this morning's Cost of War passing through:
$ 611, 400, 850, 000 .00


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40 comments (Latest Comment: 04/07/2009 21:30:03 by Mondobubba)

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