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Open thread
- By Phillip Brownlee
- Posted Nov. 16, 2006 at 1:05 a.m.
- Filed under Open thread
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55 Comments
Hola Coconuts, Started a new blog http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=123344840 Check it out
Viva La Raza Blanco
Poor Ian, down to trolling for blind teenyboppers on MySpace!
I wonder: Capn America thought it was someone trolling Ian, but I’m not so sure. The positively effeminate, cutesy design would suggest it, anyway.
And the picture, of course, comes courtesy of the Onion.
I have a funny feeling our legs have been pulled for quite a while. . .for what purpose, though, I’m not sure.
Of course, this is just idle speculation. What the hell.
Good morning: Near the end of yesterday’s “Open Thread,” dated November 15, several of us WE Bloggers, KsFarmGrrl (a resident of far west Kansas and intepred observor of the declining Kansas water situation), Rage, JR, Will and I discussed Kansas “water problems.” I hope those who are interested in this subject will add your comments there.
I agree, we do need a special thread devoted to this subject — WE editors?
AMERICA HELD HOSTAGE:
DAY 2126
Presidency held hostage:796 Days left.
Congress held hostage:51 Days left.
“Poor Ian, down to trolling for blind teenyboppers on MySpace!”
Well, luckely he doesn’t have any friends, yet. Maybe if he put it up in braile.
Did anyone see the White House asked a judge to throw out the Plame Civil suit, claiming Administration leaders can’t be held civily liable for performance of their duties? Since when has it become part of the job description to be a traitor?
Interesting comments by Congressman Murtha during the FBI Sting Operation ABSCAM.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ogmu4AbBExA&mode=related&search=Wikipedia ABSCAM ARTICLE EXCERPT: November 1980, the Justice Department announced that Murtha would not face prosecution for his part in the scandal. In July 1981, the House ethics committee also chose not to file charges against Congressman Murtha, following a mostly party line vote, after which Republican E. Barrett Prettyman, Jr., the panel’s special counsel, abruptly resigned in protest. House ethics rules require members to immediately report any bribe offers to the FBI.”
Almost funny ocmment how Murtha called the new Ethic rules ‘crap’ but said he would support Nancy (Pelosi) on the issue.
JM, once again you stoop to “swiftboating” or LYING to try and make a point.http://www.crooksandliars.com/posts/2006/06/29/the-swiftboating-of-murtha/
Olberman: The attempt to Swift-Boat Pennsylvania Congressman and honored Vietnam Vet Jack Murtha has not only failed… but the boat was swamped and the malefactors washed overboard.Our third story on the Countdown: A Florida newspaper admits it misquoted Murtha’s comments, which had allegedy included “his” belief that the U-S was the greatest threat to international peace.The newspaper has now admitted its reporter — or somebody — screwed up and screwed up badly. Murtha was merely quoting an international poll that said many people in many other countries felt that way.
The paper has corrected its Killian Memos-level mistake…
The Conservative propagandists who then slammed Murtha, like Bill O’Reilly?
Don’t hold your breath.
Murtha spoke Saturday in the Miami area…
And the next day’s editions of the South Florida Sun Sentinel continued an article with this eye-popping sentence.”American presence in Iraq is more dangerous to world peace than nuclear threats from North Korea or Iran, U.S. Representative John Murtha said to a crowd of more than 200 in North Miami Saturday afternoon.”
Conservative web spinner Matt Drudge put a link to the paper on his website and presto – cue a flurry of right-wing outrage.Fox News chimed in — with Billo using it as an example of why –quote– “Murtha has lost all perspective.”
And he’s an expert on that.
The Wall Street Journal opined on it.
Former Speaker Newt Gingrich even said he hoped congress would censure the congressman for his comments.
Only problem?
Murtha never said that.
Did you get this far, JM?
MURTHA NEVER SAID THAT!
Please turn off the fox propaganda channel and get some professional help.
Dave S
Please view the video and make your own opinions. I supplied the source as a focus for discussion. If you think the video is rigged, then that’s your right.
I did not get this idea from Fox News, I got it from MSNBC, which I usually watch along with CNN.
The object of the post is how much Congressman Murtha appears to dislike ethics legislation. The legislation currently states that Congressman must report all bribe attempts to the FBI.
It is not a ‘maybe’ it is a ‘must’ report. Did Congressman Murtha do anything illegal? Probably not, but he needs to get on the ethics bandwagon and play in tune.
We expect nothing less of our Congressional representatives.
Well said dave s.
Hey JM?Pathetic.PREDICTABLE.
Ya gotta go back to a half baked story from 26 years ago.
Go ON bring up Ted Kennedy next.
Republicans…..the party of “but but! look back in time!”
J R,
The ABSCAM article was presented in the current news and is applicable to current events on the new Ethics Legislation that the Democrats want passed when they assume power in January.
Here’s what MSNBC wrote on it. CNN even has the video and an article on the subject.http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15026624/So, if you wish to blame someone, blame them. I did not start the story.
When I got to work last night there were two people setting in the back hallway in front to the restrooms.They were waiting for the release of the new PS 3, that is not released till 12:01 the 18th. They were soon joined by a third person and sat there all night with plans to wait for the release. The store only has three and a rain check for eight more when we get them.
Now these systems are priced at six hundred dollars new, every time I walked by I thought to myself how crazy it is that these people would be willing to pay that much and wait that long in the back hallway of a Wal-Mart? That was until one of them showed me on their portable laptop that the highest bid on E-Bay was setting at three thousand dollars! I do not bring home six hundred dollars in a week, nor do I bring home twenty four hundred a month for working forty hours a week. Suddenly the answer to the question of who is crazy became me. Twenty four hours+600 hundred in cost = 2400 in profit!
JM, it would take a conservative to see something wrong with a politician refusing to take a bribe. It’s no surprise you can’t find something to attack a Democrat with so you simply make crap up.
It’s like you work for Fox News or something. Evidence has come out that it isn’t actually a news source but simply propaganda where they want to create the news, whether it’s real or not.
http://www.newshounds.us/2006/11/14/fox_news_memo_look_for_insurgents_thrilled_at_dem_victory.php
Posted by: Doug | November 16, 2006 at 10:05 AM “It’s no surprise you can’t find something to attack a Democrat with so you simply make crap up.”
The dialog I posted is found on Wikiepedia. The Video on the ABSCAm is on Youtube.com. Chris Matthews did an interview with Congressman Murtha where they talk about the ‘ethics’ issue. All of this and more was reported on CNN and MSNBC, which I frequent.
So, which part did I make up?
It’s more about Hoyer’s opposition against Murtha getting the Majority seat than a so-called conspiracy.
Perhaps you need to pay closer attention instead of jumping to conclusions and making false statements yourself.
When in doubt, just spit.
Evidently some French researchers have found some sort of powerful narcotic in human saliva. Interesting I thought.
http://www.livescience.com/healthday/536031.html
And, a bit more science: deliberate use of atmospheric pollutants (components of smog, e.g.) to combat global warming?
http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/science/11/16/smog.warming.ap/index.html
Actually, from reading the above, there is some sense to the idea.
JM…
No wonder French Kissing is so popular… LOL!!
Well now, Pelosi may be suicidal but not all of the House Democrats are. Murtha loses bid for majority leader. What a disappointment.
Hoyer wins 149 to 86Anti-war kook’s heads explode.See NY Times page 29XMSM scratching collective heads, mumbling something about “We got it wrong, again?”
Hoyer it is. He’s a Democrat, and he has my backing.
Next!
What? Multi-millionaire Nancy Pelosi employs non-union cheap illegal immigrants (undocumented workers..LOL) for her winery? The NEW culture of corruption. Surprised? You shouldn’t be. I’m also not surprised that the MSM pukes refuse to objectively publish information that help the electorate make informed decisions.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2006/11/13/EDGSJMADUC1.DTL
http://www.examiner.com/a-397459~Board_of_Education_may_end_high_school_JROTC_program.html
Anybody else see this about the Sna Francisco Board of eduaction dropping JROTC even though the parents, kids and Adminstrators wanted to keep it. To bad a great program like this is dropped for political correctness. I just hope that Nancy Pelosi doesn’t eschew these ideas
Sigh….
Haven’t seen ID in awhile. Good to know we have him to post lies from Roger Hitchcock sitting in for head liar Rush Limbaugh.
JROTC?
Well if things are in San Francisco as they are here? I little blame them for doing away with JROTC.
Last year they PUT my kid in JROTC WITHOUT EVEN SENDING NOTICE HOME! Seems a provision in “No child left behind” allows them to do that.
THIS year they tried to lie and enroll my kid in “leadership”.
Sounds good huh? Thing is? “leadership” is the new name for JROTC! As it is an elective, I let my kid decide.
He declined to enroll in “leadership”.
JR,”Last year they PUT my kid in JROTC WITHOUT EVEN SENDING NOTICE HOME! Seems a provision in “No child left behind” allows them to do that.”I guess desperate times call for desperate measures, eh?
Hey, JR! I love to counter your emotions with facts, but I have a full time non-union job that requires me to do actual work and travel without having to rely on union stewards to CMA.Glad you are getting some truth-telling in your life by listening to Neil, Rush, Sean, Bill and the other realists that the liberals can only eliminate with yet-to-be enacted censor laws, because the so-called truth-telling in Air America couldn’t stand on its own, even with $oros money. LOL.
Yes, I did hear the Pelosi news on the radio, and Pelosi’s gaf is documented in a new book. So if found to be false, I will give you the honor of dis’n me, otherwise I’ll expect the same in return, my friend.
JR, good for you to allow your student to make up his own mind. Sounds like he’s in middle school.
I have mixed feelings on JROTC. I am well aware of some good things that have happened in the local comprehensive high schools by implementing the JROTC program, involvement, a decline in disciplinary problems among those participating, etc. However, the BOE and Superintendent determined that JROTC was needed at Northeast Magnet High School, even though from my involvement there the problems it was “curing” didn’t seem to exist there. As luck would have it, NEMHS was awarded a Marine Corps JROTC detachment. I am not clear on how successful it currently is; but in its early years, it was not a favorite of the student body.
(The following comment is based upon something that occurred in an early year.) I happened upon some classroom material from JROTC while in the building for a meeting. In reviewing it, I became quickly convinced that there was an attempt to teach Government (or U.S. History or Civics, pick your favorite) from a Marine Corps perspective. Most of what I read was, impolitely stated, crap; almost propoganda. What incurred most of my ire was a multiple page collection of (poorly written) poetry and “essays” concerning flag burning; these were presented as factual reasons for doubting the patriotism or right to citizenship of anyone participating in such action. What was not stated, by commission, was that such action, no matter how offensive one finds it, is protected speech under the Constitution, the same Constitution a service member takes an oath to uphold and defend.
There were other actions over the years resulting from the actions of the instructors which, charitably, could be described as “not helpful” (as former SecDef Rumsfeld might say), which created a wedge between “cadets” and the remaining student body members, in a school where the culture had been, and is today for the most part, one of being a “family”.
Long winded way of saying that if the school wants JROTC and finds it helpful, then the program should be allowed to exist; if a school doesn’t want it, it should not be imposed upon the school, and my reasons for so thinking.
ID,
How MANY “non-union” (not “undocumented”) employees are needed to operate Pelosi’s small, 9 acre vineyard?
ID
You’re just irked ’cause I busted you again. I do it for your OWN good you know. You have an opinion and brain of your own I assume? I HOPE? Think your own thoughts man, and share them here. The guys you mention make plenty of money and they are not paying you to be their myna bird!
Vaughn,
Well, I colored my kids view of JROTC a bit last year. I was understandably ticked that they enrolled him.
(Gonna share something I never have before. If it gets used against me, it says more about the user then about me or my kid. My son is special-ed. He isn’t disabled or mentally retarded, or a behavior case. He is just slow.)
Anyway, they sold my kid on a program of camping trips and exercise! I explained to him about the uniforms and marching in line and rigid thinking. He on his own asked to leave the program.
Now THIS year….
My son’s middle school is a LOT more rigid than my junior high was. I got some hint Vaughn of what you are talking about. When my son started there, an administrator who used a lot of “amens” told me. “Well we would really like to see your son in JROTC. We would really like to have all the boys in it.” He was NOT pleased when we brought my son in and he flatly refused to join “leadership”!
“My son is special-ed. He isn’t disabled or mentally retarded, or a behavior case. He is just slow.”
I am sorry to hear this.
JR
How are things here that are so bad that a program that teaches discipline responsibility, and teamwork should be cancelled?
What about JROTC makes it a candidate for a note home. Is it any different than any other elective.
I’m glad you gave your son the choice and good for him if it didn’t interest him, but why kill it for other kids it does interest.
My feeling on all electives; if a class is an “elective”, then enrollment therein should be at the choice of the student (and joined in by his parents, if the student is not in high school). Should the student be enrolled in an “elective” not of the choosing of the student/parent, there should be a note home about it, and the reasons for it no matter what it is.
Sam,”No wonder French Kissing is so popular… LOL!!”Shhhh…… someone in the DEA is sure to hear about it!
Todd don’t be sorry.
Hey I coulda put my son on meds for ADD like they have wanted me to do since he was 3. I figure to err on the side of NOT turning him into a test ground for pharmaceuticals! He’ll do fine….in his time!
hawkeye.
I’d have had no problem with no notification. If my kid was 18.
My son was 10 when he was convinced to join JROTC! I forgot, that was 2 years ago. It didn’t come up last year.
Now I didn’t even know they HAD JROTC for middle schoolers until 2 years ago. Again, I’d have no problem with no notification EXCEPT for the fact that another provision of “NCLB” allows military recruiters to talk to kids without parental consent!At 10- 18 a kid should not be making unsupervised decisions about joining the military. Especially in these times.
Vaughn,
That is basically how electives work. I would wonder if parents really need to be notified if the student still has the opportunity to decline the next elective given to them if their other choices aren’t available. Usually acouple of choice are provided
JR
Why do you believe that JROTC has rigid thinking? I don’t think the military has shown taht historically?
hawkeye
I cite Vaughns post of his experience with JROTC.
JR
Congrats for not putting your kid on meds. Too often they push the ADD drugs just to make THEIR job easier.
Not saying there aren’t kids who have a legitimate need.
JR
Kids can’t officially join until they are 18 so what does it hurt if a recruiter talks to them. Do you realy believe recruiters are trying to indoctrinate kids toward a military lifestyle and that most kids don’t talk to their parents about those decisions.
What wrong with these times? Is it bad to be in the military? I guess I don’t understand that
Finally, I work with many spec ed kids and such and most are great kids with an issue that needs to be worked on whatever that is. It would be absolutely wrong for anyone to throw that in your face or his
Thanks Heckler
I am sure meds help some kids. I am also sure they are WAY over used. Actually, my son WAS on Adderal for the worst 3 weeks of our lives. All he did was cry and stare at the ceiling. I didn’t consider that an improvement.
sigh….hawkeye
Well “these times” would refer to the rather poor use of our military lately. My view anyway. I owe my son my judgement, no?
Do recruiters try to get around parents to get a military commitment from young people? Hell yes they do. I bet someone will post a link. If not I’ll share my own story later. Don’t wanna monopolize the thread.
Hawk, my military experience would say that rigid thinking is a hallmark of the military, at least in peace time, when mine occurred. I understand the need to have discipline, teamwork, and the other things which are a part of the military, because the battlefield isn’t a place for a democracy, and the ballon could go up any time.
JR, perhaps I didn’t fully understand; I thought your son was placed in the JROTC elective without his having any say (or your having any say); if this is incorrect, sorry for my error. That said, if he chose to enroll without your being able to review the selection, and his choice was based upon less than full disclosure of the totality of the class, then the school was wrong.
That should have been “balloon”; need a proofreader.
It was I that was unclear.
They talked my son into joining JROTC at the age of 10. They DID NOT inform me. They told him it would be camping trips and fun. They did NOT tell him he would wear a uniform or drill. 10 is a little young to talk a kid into anything without asking the folks.
A similar incident concerning JrROTC happened to my daughter many years ago (she’s 38 now.)
What evidently happened is she had filled out some sort of sheet indicating what courses should would like to accomplish in her high school years. On the sheet were the primaries and electives. Evidently she checked JrROTC as one of the possible electives.
In her Junior year, when she didn’t complete that current enrollment form completely to include electives, the JrROTC floated to the top and was automatically placed in her junior year’s enrollment.
I ask her why she didn’t choose an elective and she said “I thought they would let me out earlier in the day if I didn’t choose. one.”
Heh, kids…gotta love ‘em.
JR
I agree 10 is a little young. I’m thinking more along HS lines anyway. i guess I seperate use of the military and being in the military. I have total respect for what they do for me. And yes you do owe him your wisdom
Vaughn
I believe it is those ideals of disicpline and responsibility that create an atmosphere where fluid thinking can be used and developed. just my opinion
Good discussion guys thanks
“Again, I’d have no problem with no notification EXCEPT for the fact that another provision of “NCLB” allows military recruiters to talk to kids without parental consent!”
This, unfortunately, is the case.
Oh, well, some relevant comic relief:http://www.alternet.org/blogs/video/44292/
bin Laden and Al Zawahiri are falling in the ranking of most influencial Islamic extremists. This article suggests some ways to improve their campaign to retake the top spot.
http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2006/11/no-one-puts-bin-laden-in-the-corner.php
Instead of putting kids on drugs, they should make them run around the school building a couple of times. If kids played and ran around outside more and watched less TV and played fewer video games, there wouldn’t be so much ADHD. It’s ridiculous that we put kids on narcotics and then tell them not to use drugs. Talk about setting them up for addiction.
As for the NCLB and military recruiters, there is an “opt out” form now that parents can sign to keep the recruiters from bugging their kids.
True Mary. But you have to ASK for the form. It is not sent home either.
The rest of what you post is true too. And NOW they wanna do away with recess!?
Sighhhh. Don’t worry any of you too much about MY Nathan. He’s just an energetic kid. That USED to be valued. Now it just gets in the way of the standardized tests of NCLB. That’s how my kid got pigeon holed as “special ed”. He was dragging down their test scores.
Often, the energetic kids are the ones who think beyond the textbook.
BTW: This is fairly irrelevant and pointless, but I just realized that yesterday marked 1 year of my rantings in this forum. Whew!
http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110009246
Class StruggleAmerican workers have a chance to be heard.
BY JIM WEBBWednesday, November 15, 2006 12:01 a.m. EST
The most important–and unfortunately the least debated–issue in politics today is our society’s steady drift toward a class-based system, the likes of which we have not seen since the 19th century. America’s top tier has grown infinitely richer and more removed over the past 25 years. It is not unfair to say that they are literally living in a different country. Few among them send their children to public schools; fewer still send their loved ones to fight our wars. They own most of our stocks, making the stock market an unreliable indicator of the economic health of working people. The top 1% now takes in an astounding 16% of national income, up from 8% in 1980. The tax codes protect them, just as they protect corporate America, through a vast system of loopholes.
Incestuous corporate boards regularly approve compensation packages for chief executives and others that are out of logic’s range. As this newspaper has reported, the average CEO of a sizeable corporation makes more than $10 million a year, while the minimum wage for workers amounts to about $10,000 a year, and has not been raised in nearly a decade. When I graduated from college in the 1960s, the average CEO made 20 times what the average worker made. Today, that CEO makes 400 times as much.
Happy Anniversary Rage…
And many more.
I love your posts!
JR, you have pointed out one of the fallacies of the NCLB system; the ability of the schools to exempt the scores of Special Ed students from the AYP computation. Originally, NCLB was written so as to not allow this; an exception was carved by Regulation in the last year or two.
Kinda like a story I was told by an experienced school administrator about the sudden increase in applications for Special Ed classification for high school senior athletes; seems that if the right paperwork is in place when the student is taking the ACT or SAT to determine their eligibility as a college freshman under what was originally called Prop 48, the student is allowed to take the test on an untimed basis. I guess the coaches feel that if the students have more time, they will do better; but my observation on many of these kids is that they could be given a month to take the tests, and they wouldn’t score any better.
“Happy Anniversary Rage…
And many more.
I love your posts!”
Thanks, KFG! I’ll have to do sumthin’ special when January rolls around!
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2008 year! New Video Portal!
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