picture source: prairierivers.org
Now President Obama doesn’t care, we all know this. And here’s another crisis, that he doesn’t address appropriately: The Asian Carp Crisis.
“President Obama and the Army Corps of Engineers have failed to fight Asian carp aggressively,” said Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox, a Republican running for governor.
He added: “Asian carp will kill jobs and ruin our way of life.”
WTF? Obama’s fault? Give me a break!
I am fully aware of the havoc a species can cause when introduced into a new habitat. The new species is perfectly able to extinguish or significantly reduce the number of indigenous species. There are many examples, from rabbits in Australia to toads to giant crab in the Baltic Sea. And, as with most devastating incidents affecting nature,the carp invasion has the same source: Man.
This is our open thread feel free to comment!
198 Comments
July 20, 2010 at 3:54 am
The republican solution to everything is to fix the blame not the problem.
July 20, 2010 at 5:13 am
The Republicans always find something to carp about. [rimshot] Thank-you. I’ll be here all week.
July 20, 2010 at 5:27 am
I guess the repubs are expecting Obama to clamp a knife in his teeth Tarzan style and swim after the carp personally killing each and every one of them.
He doesn’t have anything better to do during the day so why not?
Even through the most bizarre equivocative reasoning, how could anyone correlate an invasive species problem to the president?
What Cox is really saying is: “Republicans are carp that will outsource jobs and ruin your way of life. We will deplete the oxygen levels and serve no useful function while we simultaneously destroy our surrounding habitat, displacing more productive species.”
When life hands you carp…
July 20, 2010 at 5:35 am
Asian carp, the REAL illegal immigration problem.
July 20, 2010 at 5:56 am
Carping, American style:
Republican Rule Number One: everything bad or gone wrong anywhere in the country is Obama’s fault.
Republican Rule Number Two: everything bad or gone wrong anywhere in the world is Obama’s fault.
Republican Rule Number Three: everything bad or gone wrong anywhere in the Solar System is Obama’s fault.
Republican Rule Number Four: if it wouldn’t have been for Obama, George Bush’s presidency would have been hugely successful, not the miserable failure it now appears, to the untrained eye, to have been.
Republican Rule Number Five: tax cuts for the rich will solve everything. Vote Republican.
July 20, 2010 at 6:03 am
Five stars to Vinyl’s first statement. Sure, push the blame without solutions, except maybe offering solutions that failed in the past. I just wish Republicans would go the way of the dinosaur.
July 20, 2010 at 6:05 am
frugal… you get 5 stars, too for the Republican rules.
July 20, 2010 at 6:18 am
I need to air some thoughts and The Zoo is about as good place as any to express myself.
Some of you may already know this, back in April, my youngest daughter and her family moved to Washington State because my son-in-law was offered a job at Microsoft. It was a good job offer so he left a good job at IBM to move across the country. This all happened in the beginning of April. Two weeks ago, he got laid off from Microsoft. I told you that so that I can tell you this. In Washington State, if a company provides a severance, then the redundant employee is NOT eligible for unemployment benefits. Microsoft gave my son-in-law 3 days severance pay. This was just enough to screw him out of unemployment benefits and not enough to buy food for the week. I remember in the early ’90′s when Microsoft kept “temporary employees” forever just so they didn’t have to pay benefits. This eventually went to court and now businesses can not hire temporary employees for greater than 18 months (I think that’s the cut off time). Guess Microsoft continues with being “cheap”.
July 20, 2010 at 6:45 am
Look at this piece of poop. If there was a way for me to shoot Hugh Hendry, I would. It’s a joke. Unfortunately, Hugh Hendry isn’t a joke. He is a thief and an “economic royalist”.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/19/hugh-hendry-hedge-fund-ma_n_651783.html
July 20, 2010 at 6:51 am
Cats, sorry to hear about your daughter. As far as I’m concerned Microsoft is just flat out evil. I avoid their software whenever there is a viable alternate. If the software I use in my work would work on another OS, I would have either a Mac or a Linux machine.
It also reminded me of when I was a kid. Whenever my dad took a job elsewhere, he would go ahead and the family would follow in 3-6 months. We hated it as kids but looking back, it made sense.
July 20, 2010 at 6:56 am
Sorry but not surprised to hear that Cats. It is pathetic that the only allegiance corporations have is to their shareholders while they treat their employees as if they are machinery. It is why capitalism is failing.
July 20, 2010 at 7:00 am
At least my daughter and her family has family support. If push came to shove, they can move in with us. We have plenty of space and we get along well.
Hooda – your father had wisdom. I wish I had said something like this to my son-in-law.
July 20, 2010 at 7:00 am
After a serious troll infestation for most of last week, on their evening open threads, Crooks and Liars’ site monitors appear to have beaten back the onslaught, by simply using diligence, determination, and dedication, the three Ds most found missing in the administration of Think Progress.
July 20, 2010 at 7:05 am
Carp were imported to the country in about 1870. Hillary Clinton is involved and the Supreme Court has ruled against closing of the waterways the governor is complaining about. When they built the St. Lawrence Seaway they introduced lamprey eels into Lake Michigan and killed off all the desirable native species. Then because the lake was overrun by alewives they introduced trout and salmon which eat alewives and were immune to lampreys but were not native. Today if another “entrepreneur” wanted to introduce some foreign species to make a but it is the republicans that would complain that the tree huggers didn’t care about business. I could go on all day but this Gov. Cox just makes me sick.
July 20, 2010 at 7:08 am
Either TP is the most incompetent site in the world or they are encouraging the trolls to be there. A conspiracy theorist would think that TP lures progressives in with their topics just so they can disenfranchise them by exposing them to the trolls’ propaganda.
July 20, 2010 at 7:08 am
Mr. Cox should spend less time carping, and more time fishing. That would help.
July 20, 2010 at 7:15 am
Everyone knows the President single-handedly dumped a whole truckload of Asian carp into Michigan waters. Why did the President do such a thing? To keep Mike Cox (giggle) from being governor. Yep.
July 20, 2010 at 7:19 am
Cats, I’m so sorry to hear that. I’ve heard Microsoft is an evil empire, and now I know why. They just play with people’s lives.
July 20, 2010 at 7:33 am
Is there anything that doesn’t scare the crap out of Republicans! Maybe we should send in underwater drones, Navy Seals, set up forward bases before the carp are applying for food stamps.
July 20, 2010 at 7:39 am
Off to work. *grumble*
July 20, 2010 at 8:05 am
The problem is the homo-devil-machine.
http://verydemotivational.com/2010/07/19/demotivational-posters-the-computer/
July 20, 2010 at 8:20 am
July 20, 2010 at 8:21 am
I’ve noticed that there have been several instances of non-lockstep activity coming out of Faux lately and it set me to wondering. We all know Faux is very loud about their claims of rating superiority in the news market. We also know this to be a bit of sleight of hand.
It is becoming more and more obvious they are playing to the 30% or so base that is made up of doublewide WalMart Warriors. Now this crowd is not exactly noted for being big spenders. Hardly a Lexus in the crowd. Add to this they have a show in their prime time lineup that basically has no advertisers.
Ratings may make for great nematode fodder but the real bottom line is the bottom line. Intelligent people may chuckle at tabloid headlines in the checkout line but they seldom buy them. And having so many of their ‘hot news stories’ ending up in the joke bin has got to be hurting what little credibility they may claim.
I’m sure Rupert is capable of playing fast and loose with reporting revenues but what if the ad dollars just aren’t there? How deep are his pockets and how long can he keep it up? I can’t say for certain this is what is happening, it’s more of a strong hunch. But it will be fun to watch.
July 20, 2010 at 8:23 am
Just passed a sign with a crimson mule on it that reads “red ass rhubarb wine” …free tasting today … Hmmnn
July 20, 2010 at 8:28 am
I love Alan Grayson. Thanks Max.
July 20, 2010 at 8:31 am
lass – sounds like a “pit” stop to me.
I know that Bluegrass Breeze would have done a U turn and he would have headed right for the “winery”.
July 20, 2010 at 8:36 am
I know, right? I mean it IS 5:00 somewhere, but my attentional challenges have led onward toward the Cosmos Mystery Area (my curiosity is piqued!)
July 20, 2010 at 8:42 am
Alan Grayson is NOT afraid to tell it like it is. We need more people like him in Congress. Harry Reid could learn a thing or two from Grayson.
July 20, 2010 at 8:42 am
Oh no, Lindsey Lohan is going to jail. /eyeroll
July 20, 2010 at 8:45 am
Doesn’t MSNBC know that the carp are at Lake Michigan’s door?
July 20, 2010 at 8:49 am
Noooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not Lindsey!!!!!!!!!!!
July 20, 2010 at 8:53 am
Imagine if Grayson were the Senate Majority Leader. He’d force them to take to the floor and debate if they want to filibuster.
July 20, 2010 at 8:57 am
And another just in from the Files of Captain Obvious:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-10693001
July 20, 2010 at 9:00 am
Interesting TP tidbit. Looks as though ralph the wonder llama has proven that longredwhatevers (robo) and Martha (Pee5) are one in the same, a ‘pair’ of socks, if you will. Check near the end of the TF comments (@82) and follow Ralph’s links. Worth a huge laugh!
July 20, 2010 at 9:01 am
Hoodathunk,
Beck isn’t really part of the Faux ‘prime time lineup’. He’s on at 5:00pm eastern. He may not pull in any advertising dollars, but his ‘down’ numbers are still close to 2 million a day. His numbers are better in winter when more people are indoors at that early hour. Most of the west coast is still at work when he is on. He is a fairly good lead-in for Bret Baier, who is not much of a personality. The ratings drop about half a million for Shepard Smith, because he occasionally bucks the party line. O’Reilly cracks 3 million nearly every night, with Hannity close to 2.5 million.
Faux isn’t hurting for money or ratings, in my opinion.
MSNBC struggles to get Keith much over a million, and it’s a good night when Rachel gets more than a million. Considering cable viewer access for MSNBC, that’s not all that bad.
CNN is revamping their evening lineup soon, with Eliot Spitzer and Kathleen Parker replacing Campbell Brown, and Piers Morgan? the likely replacement for Larry King, the Undead. Whether this will help CNN’s dismal ratings is hard to predict. As the election approaches, I expect all the ratings to rise somewhat, but ‘share’ is what the insiders want in the ratings.
I wish things were better for MSNBC and worse for Faux, but the numbers are what they are.
July 20, 2010 at 9:11 am
For people here who love to write, check this out:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j93L3sF-VA-F548doKe70er5uD0wD9H0DAU81
http://iwl.me/
It’s a place where you paste in something you’ve written. It does a quick analysis and tells you who you write like. I plugged in five chapters from my book and came up with three Jack Londons and two David Foster Wallaces. Don’t know how it works, but it is interesting.
July 20, 2010 at 9:14 am
I have DISH network and if I want to see MSNBC, I need to pay extra. It’s these added fees that keep people from viewing MSNBC. All the Fox channels are included in the basic charge. That could explain why MSNBC has a smaller viewership. Besides, the dumf**ks that watch Fox have nothing else going in their lives because they are too stupid to be involved in anything of importance.
July 20, 2010 at 9:16 am
TtT – thanks for the link. We could have saved them money and lives if they had listened to us because we knew that the Iraq war was going to increase terror activity.
July 20, 2010 at 9:20 am
Oh come on Terry,
Stirring the bees nest does NOT excite them one bit…
… YES?
July 20, 2010 at 9:24 am
frugalchariot,
What I do not get is why Think Progress tolerates it. It is as if they encourage belligerent behavior.
July 20, 2010 at 9:27 am
Cats I am truly sorry to hear this. When we had to do layoffs, we were required to give the laid-off employee all possible assistance. I think I prefer the German (damn socialist) way. I do hope your son in law finds another job soon. and with a better company,too. I hate Microsoft.
July 20, 2010 at 9:33 am
frugal I’ll see you yours and raise you 2 Stephen Kings, 1 Dan Brown and 2 Chuck Palahnuik. All from chapters in the same book.
What a hoot.
July 20, 2010 at 9:38 am
Mostly David Foster Wallace for me. It’s a fun link.
July 20, 2010 at 9:45 am
frugal, I don’t need to paste anything there, I’m afraid I’ll be refudiated and write like SPalin.
Ok, I try anyway.
July 20, 2010 at 9:49 am
this is just in:
The Senate Judiciary Committee has voted, 13-6, in favor of Elena Kagan’s confirmation to the Supreme Court. The vote on Kagan, President Barack Obama’s solicitor general, was largely along party lines, but Senator Lindsey Graham, (R-S.C.), broke ranks with his GOP colleagues by supporting her. The full Senate is expected to take up Kagan’s nomination in early August.
source: politico
July 20, 2010 at 9:52 am
Why doesn’t the President: call in the Navy Seals; suspend the Jones Act; drop depth charges/ or was that a nuclear bomb, – that would most assuredly solve the carp problem. [I do believe that to be a troll solution, because Obama is the worst president ever - just look at the poll ratings.]/s
July 20, 2010 at 9:55 am
frugal, I write like H.P. Lovecraft!!! ROFLMAO. I am and always was an avid reader of all things horror. It shows? Or is it just that I write about politics mostly. Now I will have to write that book I have drafted ages ago after all.
July 20, 2010 at 10:11 am
I had to try it. My western came up Stephen King. One sword & sorcery fantasy came up HP, the other Ursula K. LeGuin. Another more space opera epic came up with Wallace. Maybe I should change my handle to Legion. Didn’t know I had that many voices and styles in me.
July 20, 2010 at 10:11 am
I won’t submit anything I’ve written — it will come back that I write like Sarah Palin and I’ll have jump off my roof.
July 20, 2010 at 10:15 am
Zooey, I think they only have real authors in the database. Ghostly ones hardly count.
July 20, 2010 at 10:15 am
Zooey, I could do that for you
Honestly, I was relieved they recognized what I write is English (sort of).
July 20, 2010 at 10:19 am
Well, now that was interesting. I put a piece of Sarah’s writing in and she writes just like Dan Brown.
July 20, 2010 at 10:21 am
hooda, that figures. Dan Brown (I read the stories) is writing utter bullshit, entertaining, but bs nonetheless.
July 20, 2010 at 10:22 am
Uh oh. Pee5Martha is brandishing her long red sword at Ralph:
Martha V. says:
82 ralph, want to be on report with the moderators here at TP? Keep it up and I will bring full charges against you. For the record I am NOT longredbillions NOR am I motomark (dr hunt). I AM JUST ONE LONE PATRIOT FIGHTING FOR THEIR COUNTRY
It just keeps getting funnier.
July 20, 2010 at 10:22 am
(the many voices in my head):
Charles Dickens; Stephen King; Charles Dickens; Jack London.
July 20, 2010 at 10:24 am
Ugh, Dan Brown. I wouldn’t want him either.
July 20, 2010 at 10:25 am
frugal what thread? ‘m on the Bachmann..
July 20, 2010 at 10:25 am
Thanks everyone for your kinds wishes. I’m sure something will happen for my son-in-law. When he told me that he had the job offer from Microsoft, I kind of cringed inside. Then he told me that he really wanted to work for Microsoft so I didn’t let my true feelings out. Microsoft… once a crook, always a crook. My father-in-law used to say that most people don’t get rich by being honest. Bill Gates got rich by being dishonest.
July 20, 2010 at 10:27 am
So Martha V is threatening a law suit? I thought teabaggers wanted torte reform.
July 20, 2010 at 10:27 am
Zooey, no worry
July 20, 2010 at 10:30 am
Would someone be kind enough to “cut and paste” my Corn Palace post from yesterday into the link (as I can’t from this gizmotron). The suspense is getting the best of me now ~
July 20, 2010 at 10:31 am
I was worried I’d come out as the guy that wrote GWBush’s autobiography. How is it that a ghost writer can pen someone else’s autobiography, btw, and not get the book laughed off the shelves? Second question: why can’t politicians write (other than Obama)? Is it because they can’t do anything else either?
July 20, 2010 at 10:32 am
Zooey, you can submit several. Never thought my outlook on life was Dickensian – but there it is – twice!
I don’t even read King –
Jack London, one of my favorites -
July 20, 2010 at 10:36 am
Juan used to say my humor was like Harvey Pekar’s, but I doubt my writing would come out like his. I’ll try it when I get home. Maybe submit some erotica.
July 20, 2010 at 10:37 am
I’m guessing the algorithms deal more with things like sentence & paragraph length, use of dialog and word choice than actual content of style.
July 20, 2010 at 10:43 am
lass, this was one of your posts, from yesterday.
The analyzer says you write like Stephen King
July 20, 2010 at 10:43 am
Zooey……erotica.
Hello.
July 20, 2010 at 10:46 am
lass, this says you write like
Edgar Allan Poe
July 20, 2010 at 10:47 am
I just stuck one of my rants into the analyzer and it came back Mark Twain. I’ll quit while I’m ahead.
July 20, 2010 at 10:47 am
I’ve tried several more chapters and Jack London leads David Foster Wallace by a two to one margin. That’s fine with me, always liked Jack London. Have never read anything by Wallace, but I am now tempted.
July 20, 2010 at 10:49 am
Forgive the length, but from TP:
I may be wrong, but aren’t most military Chaplains single men without families of their own? If so, how could we have “descended” from that? And my father was born before WWII, so how could I have “descended” from that? This woman makes no sense.
July 20, 2010 at 10:49 am
Morning!
Cats, I am so sorry to hear about your son-in-law. Microsoft is evil–we’ve always known it, and they prove it with everything they do. It’s amazing how different other tech companies can be. My niece works for Google, and she is treated incredibly well–not just a good salary and benefits, but all kinds of perks as well. I hope your son-in-law can find another position soon. They are fortunate to have family that can help–so many people nowadays are left utterly out in the cold.
That thread with the longred/Martha unmasking is hilarious. Seeing it flounder and flop to try to cover up its idiocy is quite entertaining.
I’d like to try that author widget…most of my stuff is on my home computer, so I’ll have to try it out later.
July 20, 2010 at 10:51 am
Ok, I’m no sur what is making me sob more … The overwhelming scene here at Crazy Horse or the King/Poe comparison. I know … It’s only for entertainmeent purposes, right, ebb?
July 20, 2010 at 10:52 am
I just submitted some of my Zoo writing and got:
James Joyce
Arthur C. Clarke
Dan Brown — FUCK!
July 20, 2010 at 10:53 am
I just tossed in one of my TP rants, came out as Stephen King.
Works for me.
July 20, 2010 at 10:54 am
Zooey, that’s why I stopped after one. I was thoroughly happy with Lovecraft.
July 20, 2010 at 10:56 am
EV, I’ll never learn…
July 20, 2010 at 10:56 am
Wayne, don’t misunderestimate Chaplains. There are friaries in Austria which have Wednesday as father’s day. That’s when the kids don’t have school in the afternoons and come to visit daddy. The church pays alimony for up to three I think.
July 20, 2010 at 11:03 am
I just plugged in the last four chapters at once (200 pages or so) and came out as H.P.Lovecroft.
Hi, EV.
July 20, 2010 at 11:06 am
Chaplains come in all flavors. If their denomination allows marriage, they can be married. I found that out the hard way.
July 20, 2010 at 11:06 am
Hi frugal
I submitted George W. Bush and got Cory Doctorow
July 20, 2010 at 11:08 am
Put the whole thing in there, all 261,000 words. It took awhile, but up popped H.P.Lovecroft. Don’t know what happened to Jack London though, no explanation offered.
Interesting site. If I ever figure out what it all means, I’ll let y’all know!
July 20, 2010 at 11:10 am
OK, I have to be away for a bit. Hubby has trouble with his slipped disc again and I canot hear him moan and complain down here. I need to get the popcorn first though, he’s so good at drama.
July 20, 2010 at 11:27 am
Take care of your good man, EV.
July 20, 2010 at 11:33 am
Something penned twenty-five years ago came back with “I write like Chuck Palahniuk”.
Had to do a quick Google on that- never heard of the guy!
July 20, 2010 at 11:40 am
Cool. I put the first couple of parts of my tribute to Ronnie James Dio into the analyzer and I got:
Ian Fleming.
“No Mr Bond, I expect you to DIE!”
July 20, 2010 at 11:45 am
I suspect though, that Dan Brown comes up for 90% of the samples. Bit like you always get a link to a male enhancement pill when you search ong Google… at least I do anyway.
July 20, 2010 at 11:46 am
From Washington Monthly:
So a woman who learned from her own experience with racism toward that white farmer, but who redeemed herself admirably, is now ruined.
The teabagger/wingnuts cheer…
July 20, 2010 at 11:49 am
Yup, I tried my long impersonation of Galileo Galilei from March 2006 on TP on the ‘I write like’ and sure enough: Dan Brown.
Probably all those religous references….
July 20, 2010 at 11:57 am
Oh god, this is almost addictive. Been plugging in various pieces I have written over the past 35 years. So far I have hit Arthur C. Clarke, Margaret Mitchell, Jack London, Cory Doctorow, Vladimir Nabokov and the one I like the best, William Shakespeare.
Man, I can’t stop laughing.
July 20, 2010 at 12:03 pm
hooda, no Mickey Spillane?!
July 20, 2010 at 12:05 pm
Who the Hell is David Foster Wallace?
July 20, 2010 at 12:07 pm
not a one, ebb. I did get a Raymond Chandler though.
July 20, 2010 at 12:14 pm
July 20, 2010 at 12:15 pm
A decade or two ago, I wrote a book of Poetry titled Emeralds and Ashes. It begins with 14 poems concerning WWII: seven about Europe, seven of the Pacific. That’s followed by a several pager which details the death of God, which is followed by a three act play, written entirely in verse, that brings together four sages plus a Greek Muse. Their task: to recreate god, this time to make it useful.
I plugged in the whole thing (90 pages or so) and came up with:
I write like Kurt Vonnegut!
Far out. Kurt lived through some of the horrors in Europe, as I recall. But still … really?
July 20, 2010 at 12:19 pm
David Foster Wallace
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Foster_Wallace
July 20, 2010 at 12:25 pm
frugal, Kurt Vonnegut – that is high praise for your writing!
—-
hooda – Chandler, yes! Philip Marlowe.
Hammett should have come up there in your writing, somewhere – because I see Sam Spade in some stories! Well, guess Hammer more so…
July 20, 2010 at 12:26 pm
Cool Frugal, I wonder how the analyzer puts my Christmas letter over with Foster Wallace, it was a very uplifting letter…..?
Vonnegut… awesome…
July 20, 2010 at 12:28 pm
Okay, I don’t know about this “I Write Lke” thing. I just plugged in the first “Act” of my poem “The Craving”, which is a poem done in the exact same style as Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven”, and it said I write like Cory Doctorow.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&keywords=Cory+Doctorow&tag=blogjetblog-20&index=books&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325
Who?
July 20, 2010 at 12:28 pm
In case folks haven’t checked TP lately, Spencer’s Mom is back!
July 20, 2010 at 12:30 pm
I then plugged in the introductory paragraph I wrote for “The Craving”, and it said I write like Stephen King.
Sorry, but I don’t think it works right.
July 20, 2010 at 12:31 pm
Spencer’s Mom is back!
Yea!
July 20, 2010 at 12:38 pm
Max-1, you are so hilarious and spot-on.
Some days you seem to out do yourself over on TP!
Max Anax junius 1 (BOYCOTT BP) says:
.
Dear Mr. David C.ck (sp. Koch),
How do you stimulate a Testicle?
Lick it?
Party on!
.
July 20th, 2010 at 3:08 pm
July 20, 2010 at 12:56 pm
2ebbandflow at 12:14 pm
(and anybody else here)
Senate Votes To Extend Unemployment Benefits
Just exactly what did this bill restore?
I’ve exhausted my six months of state benefits, but I haven’t missed a check yet, so whose benefits ran out? They are saying on radio, this doesn’t help the ’99ers. I thought this was for them.
July 20, 2010 at 12:57 pm
Wayne: Sorry, but I don’t think it works right.
I don’t either, but it’s kinda fun to play with.
I would be interesting to know the algorithms, what they’re “scoring” and how. Beyond my ken I’m sure, but that’s ok, so’s most everything else these days.
July 20, 2010 at 1:04 pm
Just up over at C&L:
Beat Boehner Billboards
These are great!
July 20, 2010 at 1:05 pm
House, now I am more confused – (ok, enough with the wisecracks). Will have to re-read.
“The measure would restore jobless checks for 2.5 million people whose benefits started running out seven weeks ago in a stubbornly jobless economic recovery.”
Well, ‘restore’ doesn’t exactly mean extend, does it?
hmm, it must be positive because only Snowe & Collins crossed party lines to vote affirmative -
and
of course Nelson crossed party lines to vote in the negative.
July 20, 2010 at 1:16 pm
House, UI is confusing at best but here’s hoping this measure helps you.
July 20, 2010 at 1:25 pm
I’m feeling all dorkasaurus – can’t view the Boner billboards at any site (C&L or DU)
No billboard picture just:
“Upgrade to Pro today!
Bandwidth Exceeded
potobucket”
Is that me or them?
forewarned: the planets must have rearranged my brain from its functioning mode.
July 20, 2010 at 1:29 pm
ebb, sounds like your browser needs updating. Hopefully you aren’t using IE.
July 20, 2010 at 1:33 pm
Sounds like two teabaggers got screwed by the economic royalists.
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/glenn-beck-fox-hosts-golden-advertiser-goldline-investigation/story?id=11197000
July 20, 2010 at 1:34 pm
I’m on tier 2, right now, which is 20 weeks. The ’99ers’ are tier 5. So after I’ve done 46 weeks, I’ll move to tier 3. Tiers 3 and 4, together, are an additional 52 weeks. But if unemployment drops below 8.5 %, in your state, you don’t get the next tier, I THINK.
Some employers are churning labor, by hiring lower wage employees and dumping higher wage employees, so new people are entering the system and starting on tier one in their states. The percentages aren’t coming down much.
July 20, 2010 at 1:36 pm
At least Goldline isn’t Thom Hartmann’s gold sponsor, his is ITM Trading.
July 20, 2010 at 1:37 pm
Thanks, hooda.
I use Safari and know it needs an upgrade – that won’t happen until the computer gets upgraded and that’s not happening any time too soon!
(the Snow Leopard won’t load unless the computer has intel inside and this ol’ horse doesn’t).
July 20, 2010 at 1:41 pm
Meanwhile 1 mile down below the surface of the Gulf, just like a weakened garden hose, the oil is finding it’s way out. The whole sea bed assembly is looking a bit troubled.
http://www.theoildrum.com/node/6754#more
July 20, 2010 at 1:42 pm
2ebb – download Firefox. Safari has many problems.
July 20, 2010 at 1:46 pm
I agree, ebb. Either Firefox or Chrome. Both are pretty solid.
July 20, 2010 at 1:52 pm
They are having trouble at C&L too, 2ebb, so it isn’t just you.
July 20, 2010 at 2:03 pm
Terry, I’ve just read it over at OT, they still say it is a natural seep. Washington’s blog begs to differ. I’m afraid with the new top kill approach they’re going to blow up the whole caboodle. But what do I know?
July 20, 2010 at 2:05 pm
cats, hooda & house, thanks – appreciate the advice!
July 20, 2010 at 2:08 pm
Ebb, I really like Google Chrome.
July 20, 2010 at 2:17 pm
OK, now I’m a little overwhelmed. I was invited to work on yet another blog (an oilspill thing) and I am going to be redditor of the day on Friday. Starting 11.a.m. Now I have to break the news to my family that I won’t be available for much on Friday and possibly deep into another blogging spree. Though I truly believe I have not the slightest idea what I am supposed to be good for at the oilspill blog. Choices…
July 20, 2010 at 2:25 pm
EV, methinks you sell yourself short. Congratulations, good luck and have fun.
July 20, 2010 at 2:27 pm
EV, you’re acquiring an excellent reputation in the blogosphere!
July 20, 2010 at 2:28 pm
hooda, to be honest I’m scared green. A whole day of chatting with redditors (and a party later to boot) is going to be hard for me. I really have trouble finding words a lot. And you guys are all so very nice, I can’t expect that from everybody..
July 20, 2010 at 2:29 pm
July 20, 2010 at 2:34 pm
EV, if you ever need helping finding words, we’ll try to help you! No one has to know.
July 20, 2010 at 2:37 pm
Awesome, EV!
Ebb, it sounds like the bandwidth of the site hosting the billboard pics was exceeded. That happens a lot when stuff gets posted on a high-traffic site. You’ll either need to check back later or hope someone reposts them elsewhere.
July 20, 2010 at 2:38 pm
Thanks, or I invent some like Shakespeare ya know
July 20, 2010 at 2:38 pm
EV, you can always be the enigmatic type, a person of few but important words. Besides, odds are those redditors are not that much different than us. I’d be surprised if you didn’t wow them.
July 20, 2010 at 2:40 pm
Now you all make me leaky around the eyes.
Ok, I’ll better get some sleep, if I can. Tomorrow is another scorcher and I can’t sleep when it is so hot. I love you all! Good Night!
July 20, 2010 at 2:44 pm
Love you, EV. Sleep sweet.
July 20, 2010 at 3:18 pm
In case 2ebb and anyone else didn’t see the billboards at C&L, all six have a grass green background, with a picture of Boner finishing a golf swing. Here are the captions of all six:
He had his chance and SHANKED IT!
When was the last time you golfed 119 times in one year?
Born
leaderGolferHe’d rather be golfing anyway.
John Boehner opposing accountability for BP? Par For The Course!
Speaker of the House Boehner? A hole in one for Wall Street!
Then each billboard has BEATBOEHNER.COM at the bottom in large letters.
July 20, 2010 at 3:22 pm
EV,
As I understand it, the top or static kill plan is to pour in heavy mud from the ‘plug’ (Actually via a port on the original BOP.)until the bore hole is filled down to the reservoir. They then plan to apply cement until the top of the bore is filled down to the level where the original cap was aimed. Next cement will be applied from one of the relief wells deep under the sea floor to each of the concentric pipes leading to the reservoir.
The only real problem is that the BOP in one of the relief wells may be compromised.
Why does this remind me of “It’s like deja vu all over again”?
July 20, 2010 at 3:30 pm
EV that is wonderful. We’ve always known you are awesome so it’s no surprise others see it too. Hugs!
July 20, 2010 at 4:23 pm
EV and Walt, the seep is not the issue, Oil Drum was tracking an apparent leak developing around the original BOP.
July 20, 2010 at 4:34 pm
Walt, the BOP in the relief well should not be a problem *if* (and with the cameras of the Western World watching them) they keep the relief well filled with the heavy mud. The mud applies enough hydrostatic pressure to keep the oil in (30,000 psi I saw somewhere?). If they can’t keep *2* barriers between the oil and the sea at all tims then they shouldn’t use that well they should go with the other.
Kudos to Salazar for making them drill 2 relief wells.
July 20, 2010 at 4:39 pm
EV, you need some technical support, I am one/two degrees of Kevin Bacon from some of ‘big pockets’ serfs with experience and contacts.
July 20, 2010 at 4:47 pm
For the Teabagging Patriot and Hero of the Always White World in your life:
http://www.takeourjobs.org/
July 20, 2010 at 5:20 pm
¡Huelga! that was the call many decades ago – when workers of the field had no shade; no potable drinking water and no toilet in fields. They were also forced to use the back breaking short handled hoe.
It is a damn shame laws have to be written to keep workers safe – why couldn’t/couldn’t big agra actually think of this on their own – because of the g-word: greed!
Although things have improved for field workers it’s apparently a never ending struggle for safe working conditions.
July 20, 2010 at 5:42 pm
EV, sounds a lot like my work life right now. I am doing so much business that it has really cut into sleeping, which is good and bad of course.
July 20, 2010 at 5:43 pm
July 20, 2010 at 5:44 pm
this is the reason why there needs to be regulation and the backbone to put teeth into those regulations. The right-wing wants us to believe that we can trust big agra and big corporations to do the right thing, either towards us or towards their employees…Yet, history has shown that greed will always trump the safety and well-being of their employees any day of the week…
July 20, 2010 at 5:47 pm
2ebb, thanks for the article! Archaeology is always a great way to inspire students as we are constantly digging up new finds that help change our interpretations of history…Who knows, maybe a student sitting bored in class will discover a new and mysterious civilization…
July 20, 2010 at 5:49 pm
So a black lady working for a black farmer community group helps a white farmer even though she initially thought he was a jerk. And this clearly makes her a racist. And of course, Obama capitulates to more obvious foolishness by the teatards.
July 20, 2010 at 5:50 pm
What, now famous, phrase was utter 41 years ago today?
[hint: many still insist it was 'staged'/'hoax']
July 20, 2010 at 5:50 pm
EV, you need some technical support, I am one/two degrees of Kevin Bacon from some of ‘big pockets’ serfs with experience and contacts.
I used to work in a store, upstate from me in New York, that Kevin Bacon used to shop at. (I never saw him because I worked at night.)
July 20, 2010 at 5:51 pm
What, now famous, phrase was utter 41 years ago today?
I believe it went (something like), “Houston, this is Tranquility Base. The eagle has landed.”
July 20, 2010 at 5:53 pm
What, now famous, phrase was utter 41 years ago today?
Do not worry, I will not cum in your mouth.
July 20, 2010 at 5:53 pm
Unless, of course, you were going for “That’s one small step for (a) man. One giant leap for mankind.”
Armstrong insists he said the “a”, meaning “a man”, but I don’t hear it, and neither did anyone else.
July 20, 2010 at 5:54 pm
glamour,
He said 41 years ago, not 41 seconds ago! Sheesh!
July 20, 2010 at 5:55 pm
I am willing to bet it was said 41 seconds ago and 41 years ago as well.
July 20, 2010 at 5:56 pm
I suppose there is no argument against that.
July 20, 2010 at 5:58 pm
The Eagle has landed.
~and it won’t cum in your mouth. Yeesh…
July 20, 2010 at 6:00 pm
It’s five o’clock somewhere…
July 20, 2010 at 6:03 pm
But I always dug how all the Libertarians I met would tell me how the Moon landings were fake.
July 20, 2010 at 6:08 pm
glamour – great guess.
‘One small step for man. One giant leap for mankind’.
So glamor you did get the ‘mankind’ idea!
July 20, 2010 at 6:10 pm
41-seconds is that due to old age? Seems a little on the ‘slow side’ ;>
July 20, 2010 at 6:15 pm
glamour, I know an otherwise bright woman here in town, and she insists the moon landing was faked because there are no stars in the background, and besides who would volunteer for such a trip?
I just shake my head.
July 20, 2010 at 6:31 pm
But Mythbusters disproved the basis for most of the conspiracy theories.
And Happy Moon Landing Day to all of you.
July 20, 2010 at 6:33 pm
Okay, I’ve redeemed myself from the fucking “I Write Like” Dan Brown bullshit.
I just put in another piece, and got Kurt Vonnegut. Oh yeah…
July 20, 2010 at 6:36 pm
And David Foster Wallace…whoever that is.
July 20, 2010 at 6:37 pm
And JRR Tolkien.
I better stop before I come up with fucking Dan Brown again.
July 20, 2010 at 6:39 pm
I was working in the Aerospace Biology Dept at McDonnell-Douglas in St. Louis 41 years ago today. We had the day off, thanks to J.S.McDonnell, the HMIC. Got to watch it all on TV thanks to him.
I doubt huge corps do that stuff anymore. CEOs today are greed-based automatons; back then they were actually real people.
July 20, 2010 at 6:40 pm
So here’s your challenge Z (and anyone else who did the thing): Taking a piece that got you a Vonnegut and comparing it to a piece that got you a Brown, can you see any difference?
July 20, 2010 at 6:42 pm
Two Utah state workers to lose their jobs over immigrant list.
July 20, 2010 at 6:43 pm
I was going to paste in a couple of paragraphs from something by Michener — Hawaii, maybe. Or The Source. Tales from the South Pacific. I was curious if he’d be more like Cory Doctorow or Stephen King. I decided against it. Too time consuming, plus I knew I’d be disappointed in the answer.
But it was fun while it lasted!
July 20, 2010 at 6:43 pm
zxbe, oh yeah, they are definitely very different pieces, written for very different reasons.
July 20, 2010 at 6:45 pm
Frugal, how long were you with MD?
July 20, 2010 at 6:49 pm
I never got a Brown. I’m proud of that.
July 20, 2010 at 6:53 pm
Pffttt…
July 20, 2010 at 6:54 pm
Z — July 1968 thru January 1970
July 20, 2010 at 6:57 pm
I got mostly Foster, and next-highest for me is Cory Doctorow.
July 20, 2010 at 7:05 pm
My recipe for Mango Rib Sauce got me my Cory Doctorow.
July 20, 2010 at 7:05 pm
Heh, looks like we need to start specifying which “Z” we’re talking to.
July 20, 2010 at 7:08 pm
Two Z’s. Hmm. I must be getting old.
Actually, I AM old.
Shit-damn.
July 20, 2010 at 7:10 pm
I have never heard of Cory Doctorow. Should I feel insulted? What I put it was, in tempo and meter, exactly the same as Poe’s “The Raven.” Clearly it is pre-programmed to come up with only, it appears, about five or six “styles”. I mean, if it can’t recognize Poe as Poe, then how good could it be at analysis? And if it thinks I’m Stephen King, well, that’s just creepy.
July 20, 2010 at 7:11 pm
frugal,
A very wise man we all admire once said, “You’re only as young as the woman you feel.”
July 20, 2010 at 7:13 pm
Indeed. Z is the only real Z, I’m a lower-case z, but that’s hard to see, so zx at a minimum is probably necessary to tell us apart.
July 20, 2010 at 7:13 pm
I’m sure there are other ways to tell you two apart.
July 20, 2010 at 7:14 pm
Wayne, yeah, that’s why I didn’t paste in some James Michener. I suspect he’d come out as one of a small handful even though he was precedent. But not included in the possibilities.
July 20, 2010 at 7:15 pm
Well, this sucks. The Mets-owned channel is having “technical difficulties”, and we’re getting an audio-only broadcast. Radio on TV.
July 20, 2010 at 7:15 pm
England is about out of it in the International Lacrosse Tournament having lost to the US and the US has just taken down Japan. With a few more strokes in the game, the true International Lacrosse Tournament championship could well be staged in the US or Canada. Would not that be justice?
July 20, 2010 at 7:19 pm
Wayne: A very wise man we all admire once said, “You’re only as young as the woman you feel.”
And it was apparently George Burns who first noted that old age reflects the truism that “You can’t shoot pool with a rope.”
I think that’s what’s know as TOO old.
July 20, 2010 at 7:35 pm
Wayne, I am with you … I felt creepy on my King/Poe comparison … I’m curious, were there any women authors in the batch?
July 20, 2010 at 7:42 pm
Alan Grayson on The Ed Show today. I think Grayson should be Obama’s second term VP, so he could run for President in 2016.
July 20, 2010 at 7:49 pm
house,
I like the way you think. Obama/Grayson in 2012. I’d vote for that ticket. But Obama can’t put any gags on Grayson. If he can’t go out there and explain how Republicans are trying to grind the gears of government to a halt, because they don’t believe in using government to better people’s lives, then it won’t be worth it.
July 20, 2010 at 8:00 pm
I’m darned disappointed that Ms. Sherrod was forced to resign before the administration even took time to look at the allegations against her. How hard is it to say “We are investigating this issue and will not tolerate racists.” and then find out the facts of the matter? Heck, GW managed to avoid firing folks for an act of treason, I would have thought Obama’s White House could have hung tough for a day or two before freaking out over the reaction of the loons that listen to right wing media smear campaigns.
July 20, 2010 at 8:09 pm
Wayne,
I would support Biden to stay on except that he’d be too old to run in 2016. He’d be 74 and McCain was too old at 72 in 2008. Hillary would be 69 in 2016. that might not be too old, but it would be close. Grayson would be 58, so his age would be right. I really would like the next president to have been the VP.
July 20, 2010 at 8:14 pm
I just heard on the local news that Republican Governor Christi, New Jersey, is taking over control of Atlantic City. The Republican “big government bailout” will be controlling the casinos, the boardwalk and the beaches. These are all the big money makers for Atlantic City. Once again, Republicans are bailing out the rich.
July 20, 2010 at 8:38 pm
Here’s a story about this Atlantic City takeover.
N.J. Gov. Christie Plans Takeover of Atlantic City Casino District
Doesn’t sound so lucrative, but I ‘bet’ if the taxpayers get to pay for upgrades, similar to what other cities have done for sports teams, it will make certain people money. Smells bad to me.
July 20, 2010 at 9:26 pm
Terry, I missed the point there, again. Rereading it, you’re right.
July 20, 2010 at 10:24 pm
Not sure if anyone has seen this about the “I write like” site, but it’s apparently a front for a publisher…hence the lack of any sense in the results:
http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/012502.html#012502
July 20, 2010 at 11:14 pm
The wingnut who took on the CHP –
July 21, 2010 at 12:14 am
yet, all focus is on Shirley Sherrod and not on the wingnut terrorists-in-waiting out there…
July 21, 2010 at 12:36 am
ebb,
Thanks.
I was getting a bit salacious, NO?
But really, sometimes the locker room (read bathhouse) humor that the G(no)P provide just can not be passed up…
… Like a bare hiney and a wet towel.
.
July 21, 2010 at 12:39 am
Remember…
… Save the wells?
No, not whales, but the 33 exploritory well that Obama is trying to get shut down until they can prove their safety? And all those jobs people were crying about? Well…
Gulf oil disaster could destroy over 100,000 jobs
http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0720/gulf-oil-disaster-destroy-100000-jobs/
“The impact of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill was thrown into sharp relief Tuesday, as US data showed rising unemployment in Louisiana and experts warned the disaster could cost up to 100,000 jobs.
The US Department of Labor said Louisiana — among the US states worst hit by the spill — was one of only five states across the country to see a rise in unemployment last month, with the jobless rate up 0.2 points to seven percent.”
July 21, 2010 at 12:48 am
House,
Regarding the second term VP…
… Excellent idea.