Pretty soon the papers will begin posting their Sunday morning scoops. What will the big stories be tomorrow? What will the talking heads be spouting off about on the morning talk shows? Can the Eagles beat the Redskins now that they’ve suspended Terrell Owens for ‘conduct detrimental to the team? Can we suspend Bush for ‘conduct detrimental to the country’?
About The Author
BooMan
Martin Longman a contributing editor at the Washington Monthly. He is also the founder of Booman Tribune and Progress Pond. He has a degree in philosophy from Western Michigan University.
The next big thing: Ethanol
Ford to Subsidize Ethanol Pumps in Midwest
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/04/business/04fuel.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1131167573-1AjJ8YMcd0Kx6
+lUZyZqQA
Hay, it’s the best I could do on short notice. But, mark my word, ethanol is coming, big time. You saw it here first. Well, second, if you count the NYT story.
Hey, I’m ready for ethanol!
Saturday night scoop… I just got bit by my cat. Bad. She is old, 16+ years, and has started having spasms. I reached out to comfort her and she latched on hard around the base of my pinky. Three deep puncture wounds. Indoor cat but I guess I probably ought to call my doctor tomorrow and see if he thinks I’ll need to take antibiotics or something. That was not fun.
If I start writing vampire diaries or werekittie diaries soon you’ll know why.
Ouch!!! Better watch out for cat scratch fever because the manufacturer is holding back on shipments. Stockpiling doncha know.
Umm, silly me, the joke was supposed to be the manufacturer of the vaccine. š
Yeah… she locked on and didn’t let go until the convulsion was done. I couldn’t shake her loose. Cleaned it up and have antibitoic ointment on it but….
My poor cat is the last of a family of three. Wonderful and loving cats. The brother (Mo) died a few years ago when my wife was back home caring for her father in his last days. The mother (Meip) died last year shortly after my wife got out of the hospital herself and now Sweetness (or Walter as I occasionally call her) is clearly in her last days. Jane and I were just discussing at what point we take her to the vet. I don’t think she is there yet but I don’t think it is long either.
You need to emphasize that this cat has likely bitten you before (playfully), and that you haven’t gotten infected, etc.
I got bitten by a young (ok, half-feral) cat, and ended up in a hospital room, facing 2 weeks of intravenous high-strength antibiotics – and I never ran a fever, never showed any signs of infection, etc. It was a way over the top reaction, it seemed. But they were worried, and curious to watch (it was a bit medical center at my university, and they were SO disappointed that I did not get sick.) I was quite rebellious as a patient and they finally let me leave with massive horse-tablet pills after 6 days!
Given that she is your long-time cat, certainly not rabid, and that you are likely immune to most of her germs, I hope you don’t get the same kind of treatment! You might ask you vet for advice before you call your physician.
My elderly cat Ralph went into decline at 15, and my vet was baffled as to what to do – we avoided x-rays and expensive tests as we knew we couldn’t afford the treatment for whatever they managed to find. So after much hard thought on it, I decided to let him be in peace. We made him a nice bed on a tabletop where we could sit with him, and put him in the litter box occassionally. He was carried into our bed at night, we did our best to make him as happy as we could. When he stopped eating (his hobby), I knew the time had come, and said goodbye before I went to bed.
Sure, we could have bundled him into a carrier and ridden in the car to a strange place where they would do unpleasant things to him. I decided to give him just what I would want for myself – to die in peace at my home. It’s a hard thing to do – I’ve lost some pets in harder ways, and kept one way longer than I should have, trying to avoid everything. We just cannot know what is right in the matter of dying.
I’m sorry to intrude on your privacy here, I’ll be thinking of you all and wishing you the best.
Thank you, not private at all obviously as I’m posting about it on-line. Sweetness is still mobile but stays stationary most of the time these days. She still eats and drinks and such. She has lost a lot of weight though and the convulsions, while brief, appear to happening regularly now. If she were a younger cat I would take her to get checked out by the vet but at her age I’d rather not put her through that. If it becomes clear that she is suffering more than living then we’ll take that last trip to the vets otherwise we’ll let her live and die in peace here at home.
Our cat will sometimes lash out with an unexpected scratch or bite when she’s on edge. Just pour a little peroxide on the wound, and you should be fine.
Ok… to answer the questions…
Tomorrow’s big story: George Bush takes ethics course and learns for first time in his life that it is not ok to lie. Wonders why Mommy never told him that.
Spouting heads talk about b.s.
Eagles in better shape now then ever before with Owens gone. George Teague voted one of the most righteous players ever.
Before suspending Bush for ‘conduct detrimental to the country’ we have to suspend his mommy and daddy for ‘conduct detrimental to the country.’
In evening reality show: Entire bush klan voted off the island of america.
Here are a couple from the Guadian, quite a story the first one:
Gen. Janice Karpinski on Tavis Smiley just stated that the cause of torture and Abu Ghraib is laid right inside the oval office in a discussion between Bush, Gonzales, and others when they made the departure from the Geneva Convention and said torture was ok.
Janis not Janice.
I haven’t followed what she has said before so I don’t know if this is a scoop or not but there it is on national television right in the middle of discussions about Cheney being responsible for torture. This is not a happy woman. She just called the leadership of the Pentagon cowards.
Riverbend has a new post up. Movies and dreams . . . Excerpt:
thanks Janet.
Here is a good look at the Congressional polls from the Washington Post.
Well, I guess it’s sort-of-good news that Americans are getting increasingly disgusted with all things Republican. But then there’s this:
First of all, the is the Spineless Weasel Brigade of the Democratic Party, which the public has no use for. But the real problem is the media. They consistently give the air time to Spineless Weasels, so that is what people see as “the Democratic Party.” Any Democrat who tries to not-weasel (i.e. tell the truth, fight for ordinary folks) is ignored or ridiculed. I think there is a good crop of Dem candidates percolating up this time, but will they get anywhere? E.g. see Pennachio. I’m hoping for that 1974 tide change, and on my good days I smell it in the air, but other days . . . .
There was also another paragraph in that article that gave the un-Kossackian advice that we should strive to differentiate ourselves, not cloud the diferences, which leads people not to see a clear alternative.
Tuesdays elections will tell us a lot. If Kaine wins in Virginia it will be Bush’s fault.
And if the voting machines work, we should club the GOP next year.
Well, one reason I hang out here, rather than there, is that I find the Kossackian strategy a loser at the polls. And that being especially true under the current circumstances.
When times are good and people are just going about their business fairly peacefully, they may vote for soothing, please don’t offend me pols. But when it looks like the country is going to hell in a handbasket, and they personally worried about their kid being shipped off to a totally FUBAR war, and losing their job, and their pension being stolen – then they want someone to stand up and say WTF???
In 1988, after eight years of Reagan and the economy headed south, my very middle-class, mostly white, neighborhood went for Jesse Jackson. I was stunned. You may say, well, that’s Austin. But my neighborhood is not that liberal Austin most people think of. It’s just . . . ordinary, middle class, tract housing type – you know, cops and teachers and people that work at Motorola (er, Freescale, now).
I ended up as a Jackson delegate to our county convention, which I thought was kinda cool just because it was so weird. And my brother in law was in the Secret Service at the time and was assigned to Jackson, which was also cool. (BTW, I like his son a lot better. Better politics, plus he’s really hot in a white T-shirt. See what one friend called my “mash note” diary.)
I think I’ll pass on Riverbend’s latest post to my Congressional delegation, as they’re still yapping the DLC line… so far. Then I should go find whatever is the latest from Dahr Jamail.
I’m a little rocked tonight. Went to see the movie “North Woods.” I’d love to hear from anyone else who has seen it.
Its the true story of some women in Minnesota who went to work in the taconnite mines in the 1980’s. They experienced really serious sexual harassment and brought a class action suit (the first ever sexual harassment law suit in the country).
I knew it would be serious – but it hit something core in me. I don’t want to be overly dramatic, but I think it tapped into that place in me that holds all the pain of women’s oppression in this culture.
I’d definitely recommend the movie to all – but be prepared. Its tough and very real!
Correction on the above comment: the first ever CLASS ACTION sexual harassment law suit in the country.
Good morning NL – and thanks for the comments. I’ve been meaning to ask if anyone has seen North Country yet. I grew up on the Mesabi Iron Range and know some of the people depicted in the movie. (But I won’t be seeing it till it hits cable)
The gender environment on the Iron Range in the 1970s would make for a very interesting study on its own – with or without the class action. Several of my friends worked at the mines, because that was the primary source of employment “up north”. A female friend developed such large muscles in her upper arms (from pounding railroad spikes), that she couldn’t fit into women’s shirts. I remember her being quite proud of the way she handled the daily harassment from her male counterparts – laughing at/with the men who harassed her. (On the other hand, she thrived on the attention, and sought much of it – so it wouldn’t surprise me if her behavior increased the problems of other women)
Was there any specific portion of the movie – or any specific issue – that had an especially big impact on you?
Thanks and Good Day!
Good Morning to you too Anomalous.
Your first-hand experience with the content of the movie would probably be grounding. I’m sure the folks who made the movie crafted it for the highest dramatization. Not sure how much it actually tracks what really happened.
But the focus is on one woman who could be a symbol for the oppression of women in this culture. Its the way they captured her life that got to me – beyond just what happened in the mine. From high school, this young woman faces one thing after another that beats her down and takes her power away. From being raped by a high school teacher and labeled a “slut” for the subsequent pregnancy, to the domestic violence in her marriage that led her to need to work to support her family. Then she finally gets a job where she works her tail off, is finally able to provide financially for herself and her kids, but has to face that kind of harassment and intimidation daily. There are certainly many women who have lived that life. And the movie caputred the pain of all that so well.
It was truly a difficult movie to watch – but I think it goes a long way to informing us about the lives of many women in our various communities.
Oh, and one happy note. At the end of the movie they scroll information on the screen about the fact that these women won their law suit and the theater, which was full of male/female young/old, broke out in spontaneous applause.
Thanks for taking the time to provide the summary, NL – I appreciate your insights and your personal reaction.
I especially enjoyed your comment about the applause. I’ve never been in a theater when an audience has reacted like that. Considering the story line, coupled with my personal experiences up north, I likely would’ve cried.
All my best. . .
Unsubstantiated rumor that Bush has left the Summit of the Americas, in Argentina. Apparently headed for Brazil and then Panama for a little R&R…yeah, right.
The Nation reports that Venezuela has refused to agree to a note, inserted by US representives, mentioning “the 96 million people who live in extreme poverty,” in Latin America and the Caribbean unless there was also mention of the “37 million poor” living in the US.
Classic Bushit, run away and hide…the man’s a menace.
Peace
Aaron Brown has been fired from CNN and Anderson Cooper + Wolf “AIPAC SPY” Blitzer will take over Brown’s spot and it will be expanded to 2 hours.
Given that it is still unknown whether Cooper is gay or not it could make for some interesting positions in the situation room… (lol jk)
This IS interesting, because CNN’s been shuffling and dodging for what seems like a long time to find a line up that works. I can’t for the life of me figure out what they’re trying to accomplish because the Kool Aid Krowd’s going to stay with Fox. Are they having ratings problems vis a vis MSNBC?
The Koll-Aide-Kids will stick to Fox ’til their dying days (it seems? lol) so CNN, MSNBC, and others (even the NY Times) are left with a progressive crowd that is turning them off and turning to alternative news sources.
With real news sources, sans the propaganda, like The NewStandard, Democracy Now!, Air America (OK, so they do spread DEM propaganda, Mike Malloy excepted… lol But it is definately less slanted and more real), Link, and various other sources popping up all over the place on the net we no longer have to worry about it IF we support these news sources.
Interesting article in the Washington Post about Tom DeLay’s tactics to raise money for his defense fund and fight the charges against him in Texas.
From the WaPo:
The FBI’s Secret Scrutiny – perhaps explains your SSSS on the boarding pass
DeLay Uses Campaign Tacts to Fight Charges – Someone needs to exterminate that crook
Deep Background, Deep Controversy – discusses anonymous sources, PlameGate, and their policies
From LA Times:
Rove’s Security Clearance – yet another hit piece on Rovitt, bwahahaha
Prop 75 news – regarding Union Dues and how the Dems and Repubs are dooking it out
From the NY Times:
Chalabi in Iran to meet with President – why am I not surprised?
WH Tries to Keep Distance from Leak Case – regarding PlameGate, there’s some good stuff in there
The Message Mongers Rule Us, but Time Rules Them – regarding spin and propaganda
That’s just a sampling š
Good morning!
If anyone is interested, C-SPAN 2 just started replaying “Iraq Confidential” – with Scott Ritter and Sy Hersh. (Started at 6:15 CST)
Good day!
The Korean-Herald is reporting an 8 year old boy:
9 months? The slackard.
Usually children exhibiting phenomenal intellectual skills are not allowed to grow social and cultural skills. Nor are they allowed to ‘Just Be a Kid.’ It looks like his parents are aware of this: