I realize this is short, but I wanted to get this up.
Take a look at this ballot
and flow below the fold.
This also doesn’t say much, but Kos just posted this at the Big Orange. Could this be an attempt to steal thunder from one name I seem to recognize as a Green?
This piece from Boston.Com sheds a little light…….
The study of this diary is encouraged. It is wise to recommend after the first reading.
All questions of the Law are to be decided only by appeal to my writings, each for himself.
Those who gather to discuss the contents of this Diary shall do so below the fold.
(crossposted from Daily Kos)
Liber-Man al-Loser:
The Book of the Loss
Thelema of CT-Sen
1. Ha! The manifestation of Ned.
2. The unveiling of the complicity of Joe.
3. Every man and every woman is a Dem. Or if they ain’t, they oughta be.
4. Every such voter is included; there is no disregard.
5. Help me, o warriors of the blogosphere, in my unveiling of the sycophants of the bush!
6. Be thou in Hartford, but one centre, one heart and one town!
7. Behold! we were reviled by Bar-Ba-Ra, the minister of Hwat-the-Fuck?
8. The Kiss was on the Tube, and the Tubes are called the ‘Net.
9. Watch thou then the Kiss, and behold its light make you throw up in your mouth a little bit. Then of the Kiss shall be made a Float, which shall be borne before all upon wheels.
10. We are above Joe and in Joe’s face. Our ecstacy is his pain. Our Joy is no more Joe.
11. They are fools that Bush adore, both his pols and his pundits are fools.
12. Let his servants be few and far between, they shall be OWNED by the many and the knowing.
13. Come forth, O children of the Left, and take your party back!
14. For Bush is ever a Son, and we are as Bats of the Moon. But to us is the winged secret flame of Rightness, which is Leftness.
15. But Joe is not so chosen.
16. Burn upon his brows, his bald head, and his big ears.
17. Now, Behold, I am known to you in part by the name Kestrel, to which is added the number One Hundred times Ten times Nine.
18. Multiply, then multiply again, and understand.
19. Then saith the posse and the slaves of the Traitorous One: How dare he who brings the Challenge eateth the Burgers in peace? We shall disrupt his meal, and as one reveal our T-shirts of Doom. The steamed burgers shall grow Tepid upon the Plates; indigestion shall befall those who would eat them.
20. For Joe is not only kissed by the Son of the Forty-One, but he is beloved of the Sean, the Ann, and he who knows not the difference between the Loofah and the Falafel.
21. The word of Sin is TRIANGULATION.
22. Every gop is the same, there is no difference.
23. We must teach, but may make severe the ordeals. At least, we sure hope so.
24. The word of the Law is ELECTION.
25. The numbers of Quin-Ni-Pac are Fifty-Four over Forty-One.
26. O Joe, refuse not your constituents! O constituents, if thou wilt, depart!
27. In the sphere we are everywhere but the center, for in the middle of the road shalt thou be run over.
28. Them that speak of the Fox, and the Wolf that Blitzeth upon Cee-Enn-Enn do not speak the words of the Ol-Ber-Mann; they throweth not the wads of paper, counteth not the days since the Forty-Third, who woreth the Suit of Flight, spewed forth the Word of the Offal of the Bull from the deck of the Mighty Ship.
29. Li-Ber-Man and Li-Ber-Al are not the same. Them who speak this lie are accursed! Accursed be them to the aeons! Hell.
30. Their Lament shall be Lamont, and their anguish shall be of their own making.
31. I see some that shake their heads, but I care not, for I am moved past the first Pack of Six into the Second.
32. And this is why these words are brought unto Dai-Lee-Kos.
33. For the hours between now and the Reckoning grow shorter and shorter.
34. And says Li-Ber-Man: Ye are against the people, O my chosen!
35. But he speaks this in words that are set against themselves: one day he is kissed of the bush, and damns his own that damn it; yet when his own damn his words and his kiss, his tune he suddenly changeth.
36. But it is the same old song, but with a different meaning once he is gone.
37. For we are sick and tired of hearing his song, telling us how he will change right from wrong, and if you really want to hear our views; he hasn’t done nothing.
38. Wo-Ho-Ho! Doo-Di-Whop!
39. Let him rise forth and condemn the Minister of War! For those who hath wisdom know that in truth, it is that place at the Table of the Bush that is coveted by the Li-Ber-Man; for he knows that soon he will be shown the door.
40. The Forty-Second may be forgiven his transgression – though he did support the treacherous one who placed the knife into his back, in a short time may the Forty-Second demand silence of the Lie-Ber-Man. Then shall we once again smile upon the Forty-Second and say, We have forgiven the stain upon the azure gown, and this shall we forgive as well. But shall he not demand the silence, then the Forty-Second shall we shun, and shall we shun his wife, except to ask of them wherefore such treachery is rewarded! And we shall ask this at every turn, in loud and angry voices.
41. With our Donkey’s Hooves shall we kick the Ass of the Joe.
42. With the screech of a raptor shall I cheer on those of Co-Nect-Tic-Cut.
43. I flap my wings in the face of the Dee-Ell-See and blind them.
44. Alfrom! VilSack! I spit on your crapulous creeds!
45. The fool readeth this Book of the Loss, and its comment; & he understandeth it not.
THE COMMENT.
Do with thy vote shall bring it home for Lamont.
Whosoever disregards this does so at his own risk and peril. These are most dire.
There is no Law beyond Do with thy vote.
Love is the law, love under will.
The priest of the princes,
kestrel9000
From CNN.com:
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court ruled Monday that Vermont’s limits on contributions and spending in political campaigns are too restrictive and improperly hinder the ability of candidates to raise money and speak to voters.
In a fractured set of opinions, justices said they were not sweeping aside 30 years of election finance precedent but rather finding only that Vermont’s law — the strictest in the nation — sets limits that unconstitutionally hamstring candidates.
(UPDATE: 1:53pm EST) Adam B at dKos obviously knows more about the issue than I, and had time to deal with it in greater depth.)
Randall v. Sorrell, 04-1528, 04-1530 and 04-1697.
Before the scream, Presidential hopeful Howard Dean raised a ruckus in Vermont with campaign finance reform.In his inaugural address as governor in 1997, Dean said money causes corruption and the appearance of it. “Money does buy access and we’re kidding ourselves and Vermonters if we deny it,” Dean announced.
In response, the Vermont General Assembly drafted Act 64, a comprehensive campaign finance reform law that limited both contributions to campaigns and campaign spending. The law passed after lengthy inquiry, with 145 witnesses testifying before the state legislature.
So get ready. Get ready for GOP money to flood our state races. Get ready for conservative PACs to flood the airwaves with their poison.
I find it interesting that the Supreme Court, and the Republicans, are ardent defenders of states’ rights UNTIL and UNLESS it does not fit in with their agendae – or their ability to buy political power.
Three lawsuits were filed challenging Vermont’s limits by groups that included the Vermont Right to Life Committee, the Vermont Libertarian Party and the Vermont Republican State Committee.
Surprise, surprise, surprise. How is it that this entire thing seemed to slip under the radar? Was it me? Was I just not paying attention?
Just another move by a political party that controls all three branches of government to solidify power and influence. Forever.
Even where it clearly conflicts with the expressed will of the people.
It’s the Golden Rule once again: them that gots the gold, makes the rules.
( – promoted by Ed Garcia)
“An unjust composition never fails to contain error and falsehood.”-Ethan Allen
Lotta schadenfreude today, and we’ll also examine a reprehensible example of the fascist jackbooted thugs being unleashed by their corrupt political masters to oppress the proletariat, just to make sure we don’t lose focus on the glorious revolution against the yellow running dogs and the lackeys of imperialism.
Catamount’s open. Check your sidearms at the door, and we’ll see ya on the jump.
An interesting in Franklin County: a gop is taking his marbles and going home, per the St. Albans Messenger:
GOP conservative disenchanted, backs Savage’s legislative bid
By LEON THOMPSON | Messenger Staff Writer
SWANTON –– Rep. John Winters, of Swanton, announced this morning he will not seek re-election to the legislature this year, but he has already recruited someone to fill his spot on the fall ballot.
Disenchanted? Gee, what could the problem be?
“I want to try something different,” he said, “like spending one or two months in the winter in a warmer climate with my wife.”
OK, more time with the family…we’ve all heard that before……..
Also, Winters is disenchanted with the Republican Party – and Gov. Jim Douglas.
“The Republicans don’t dare be Republicans in this state,” he said.
Well, I guess that depends on if you accept the definition of “Republican” as representative of “the party of Abraham Lincoln.” Few of us do, I think.
If his definition of “Republican” is the party in its current incarnation, well,hell then, I guess we Democrats are doing SOMETHING right…
When Winters ran in 2000, part of his aim was to oust former Republican legislator John Edwards, of Swanton, because Edwards voted for the historic and controversial civil union law. Winters succeeded.
At the time, Winters called Edwards’ stance on civil unions “lower than whale dung.”
Lower than whale dung. Another example of how Republicans help to elevate the discourse in the legislative halls at every level across our great nation.
How far is it really from whale dung to box turtles or man-on-dog boom-boom?
Just another example of the bizarre Republican obsession with the….uh…baser functions of the animal kingdom.
Well, at least he’s honest about it, which, from personal experience, is more than I can readily say for a certain Republican state senator to the south of him that’s currently in the death throes of a rightfully-doomed campaign for the GOP nomination for the US House.
(And our buddy Phil at VDB saw fit last week to give that nose a tweak once again…….which made me smile, naturally. Be sure to follow the link to the original story and read it, if perchance you haven’t. I’m like herpes. I may go away for a while, but I ALWAYS come back.)
Anyway, as we saw in the lead-in, Winters has already found an anointed one to fill his shoes, Swanton Village trustee Brian Savage, who immediately puts his best foot forward by distancing himself from his benefactor:
“I’m far from being liberal,” he said. “I take a middle of the road approach, but I’m not a strict conservative.”
Sigh. Kids these days. I bet Rep. Winters threw up in his mouth a little when he heard that:
“The moral values of this country are going down the tubes, and they are still more important than anything we’re discussing right now.”
More important than staggering deficits, health care, the occupation of Iraq, violation of Constitutional rights and civil liberties…is the theocon’s faddish obsession with homosexuality, abortion, flagburning, Ten Commandments at the Courthouse, yada yada yada STFU already! Jeezum crow! Can we do some BUSINESS here?
So long, dude. Don’t let the door hitcha where the Good Lord splitcha.
Enjoy Florida. Why don’t you send us back some pictures of Richie Rich’s multimillion dollar mansion once you get there?
Good night and good luck.
OK. I have a confession to make. I have, occasionally, at various points in my radio career, glommed hooks or riffs from songs and used them in commercials for car lots, restaurants, dog grooming salons, and the like. Now that’s really not nice, but for some struggling little business in a small town who dug deep on faith to buy 50 commercials that’ll run for a week in the hopes it’d build their business, I don’t have too many karmic problems with it. If the Chambers Brothers want to come after me for using their song to tell people that the Time Has Come Today to get a nice flea dip for Rover at half the regular price, I guess I’ll just have to take my lumps.
But I’ve never hijacked somebody’s song for political purposes without their permission. That’s a low-rent move, as BushDaddy found out:
A diehard Democrat, (Bobby) McFerrin was horrified to learn that Republican presidential candidate George Bush was using “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” as a campaign song in his 1988 bid for the White House.
But it seems that Richie Rich missed that object lesson. He’s apparently, among other transgressions, gotten on the bad side of the Thin White Duke, the Archies, and even Darth Vader, for God’s sake.
This from vt.Buzz, the BFP’s new political blog:
What was still unclear Friday afternoon was whether Tarrant had the rights to use Bowie’s voice, or those of the Archies, who were singing “Sugar, Sugar” on the ad, or the musical strains of Darth Vader’s entry music from “Star Wars.”
You need written permission to use somebody else’s music for commercial purposes. And unless the publisher of that music is feeling generous, you have to pay. The process of getting a synchronization license for the right to use three songs is fairly cumbersome. You have to find the publishers of the works, fill out a form detailing what you plan to use, where you plan to use and for how long. You submit it and get a price quote from the company.
Take a look at the end of the spot. Just like every other political spot you see or hear, that little “Paid for by” tag is at the end. But did Richie Rich pay everybody he was supposed to pay?
Tarrant spokesman Tim Lennon said he didn’t know if the campaign had gotten permission or paid for use of the songs. He said Thursday he would check with those who made the ad. By Friday afternoon, Lennon was out of town, but campaign aide Kate O’Connor was still trying to reach the makers of the ad.
Uh-huh. Last I heard, OJ was still trying to reach the real killers. A cheap shot on my part, to be sure; but sometimes, I just can’t help myself.
Anyway, just to make sure we keep this in perspective, I’ll pass this along from Terri, the vt.Buzz blogger who made this catch:
The ad accused Sanders of changing his tune on accepting political action committee money because of $500 he accepted from Florida Crystals, a sugar farm that operates in the Dominican Republic where workers are allegedly paid $2 a day.
Hehehehehehehehehehehehehehe. Just wanted to make it hard for Richie to tie Bernie to Jack Abramoff. No Indian casinos in this mix. No free boxing passes either.
I guess when you spend almost four and a half million dollars to beat somebody, have a name recognition of eighty-something percent, and the most conservatively-biased polling firm in the country has you down by thirty-eight points, you grasp at any straw-or stalk of sugar cane- you can get your hands on.
Sweeet.
Yep, things in Vermont are smelling pretty good:
BURLINGTON — The Queen City can add yet another feather in its caps of top U.S. rankings, that of one of the sweatiest cities.
According to the fifth annual Old Spice Top-100 Sweatiest Cities list, Burlington is the 91st sweatiest.
91 out of 100. That’s not TOO too bad, but I wish they’d measure Montpelier.
OK, before I turn on the jukebox and the pool table in the Catamount, I want to call your attention to something that happened to a fellow tavern proprietor:
(Wayne) Ryan had taken out an ad in the Bellows Falls Town Crier that criticized the size of the village police department budget.
Is that why Ryan was arrested at his bar, Nick’s Food and Spirits, a day before a revote on the village budget, in a highly orchestrated show of force?………
The Rockingham Selectboard has had its share of beefs with Ryan. How convenient that, now that Ryan has been arrested, the board has the power to pull his liquor license.
Scary thing. Maybe I better not blog anymore. After all, what would the Catamount Tavern be without a liquor license? I’d hate to get cuffed and stuffed by the Bennington Police Department, after all.
The picture that ran in Thursday’s Reformer that showed Ryan clutching his cane as he limped across Rockingham Street shackled to a state trooper shows that perhaps seven troopers weren’t needed to carry out this arrest.
Wow. That DOES look rather draconian. You’d think the guy had thrown someone down a flight of stairs or something.
That’s all I’ve got today….except the ale. As always, the first round’s on me.
All tales of wingnuttery are welcome, as always. Oh, by the way: impeach any presidents lately?
“The idea of a revengeful God… is offensive to reason and common sense, and subversive of moral rectitude in general.”
“… while we are under the power and tyranny of priests, since as it ever has, it ever will be their interest, to invalidate the law of nature and reason, in order to establish systems incompatible therewith.”
-Ethan Allen
“Arrived at Onion-river falls [Winooski] & passed by Ethan Allyn’s grave. An awful Infidel, one of ye wickedest men ye ever walked this guilty globe. I stopped & looked at his grave with a pious horror.” –Rev. Nathan Perkins in his Narrative Of A Tour Through The State Of Vermont on 25 May 1789
It’s the most puzzling marriage in the Beltway: Mary Matalin, Republican harridan, and James Carville, the “Ragin’ Cajun.” You ever wonder what that pillow talk must be like? Ewwwwwwww.
Me, I’ve always wondered how they could stand each other. I’m sure a lot of people have. Well, today, I think I found the answer.
And I don’t like it.
The sordid details on the jump.
I discovered this little tidbit in Philip Baruth’s Vermont Daily Briefing:
And now, today, comes word that hits VDB even closer to home: James Carville and Mary Matalin will be holding a fundraiser tomorrow night at their home in Alexandria for Plame-leaker “Scooter” Libby.
Now look — Carville is the Democrat in that marriage, and Matalin is the Republican, and so presumably each cringes and deals with the baggage the other totes into the house.
But some things are over the line, in any marriage.
Yeah, I’ll go along with that. And I have a marriage that would turn a lot of men green with envy. But even my near-idyllic union would not survive if my wife were to act anything like Matalin has in the years since I’ve been aware of her. I’ve always wondered how any Democrat could stand to be in the same room with her, much less be married to her.
Well, now we know.
Baruth goes on to say that this travesty:
…suggests a rather risky and high-profile attempt to rebrand himself, as a consultant moving with Republican candidates as well as Democratic, along the lines of the ethically-rudderless Dick Morris.
I’d ask Carville to “say it ain’t so”, but I’m afraid that if he did, I’d not take his word for it.
Another one bites the dust.
Carville, you are dead to me.
Good night and good luck.
When a person’s life ends, a life in which they served their country honorably and well, and they are laid to rest, what reasonable person would argue that the spiritual beliefs by which they lived their life are less worthy of respect than the person in question?
The reason I’m asking this question is below the fold.
President Bush said Monday we must continue fighting the war on terror to honor those who have already given their lives in the cause. He said it at Arlington National Cemetery, where no one agreed or disagreed. (HaBlog)
This angers me. In fact, it pisses me off wicked bad.
Wiccan War Widow Protests Husband’s Plaque
FERNLEY, Nev. — A war widow who failed to get a Wiccan religious symbol approved for her husband’s memorial plaque has held an alternative memorial service in protest.
Federal officials denied Roberta Stewart’s request to have the Wiccan pentacle placed above Sgt. Patrick Stewart’s name on the government-issued plaque at the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery.
A space on the wall for his plaque remains blank.
The Wiccan belief is not among the 38, including atheism, that are recognized by the Veterans Affairs’ National Cemetery Administration.
As an official ceremony honoring her husband was held at the cemetery, Roberta Stewart told Wiccans at an alternative ceremony, “This is discrimination against our religion.”
Wiccans worship the Earth and believe they must give to the community.
More from the Las Vegas Review Journal
here.
FERNLEY — Nevada National Guard Sgt. Patrick Stewart gave his life for his country when the Chinook helicopter he was in was shot down in Afghanistan in September.
But those wishing to honor Stewart, who should have his name on the memorial wall at the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Fernley, 34 miles east of Reno, would have a difficult time doing so.The space reserved for Stewart, right next to Chief Warrant Officer John Flynn, his comrade from Sparks who also died in the attack as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, is vacant.
Stewart was a follower of the Wiccan religion, which is not recognized by the Department of Veterans Affairs for use in its cemeteries.
This is excerpted from “Religious Requirements and Practices of Certain Selected Groups: A Handbook for Chaplains,”. Would someone please explain to me why the Army will acknowledge the validity of a pagan’s belief while they are alive and serving but not once they have died and are laid to rest with the military honors their service entitles them to?
WICCA
OTHER NAMES BY WHICH KNOWN: Witchcraft; Goddess worshippers; Neo-Paganism, Paganism, Norse (or any other ethnic designation) Paganism, Earth Religion, Old Religion, Druidism, Shamanism. Note: All of these groups have some basic similarities and many surface differences of expression with Wicca.
MEMBERSHIP: Because of the complete autonomy of covens, this cannot be determined. There are an estimated of 50,000 Wiccans in the United States (1).
HISTORICAL ORIGIN: Wicca is a reconstruction of the Nature worship of tribal Europe, strongly influenced by the living Nature worship traditions of tribal peoples in other parts of the world. The works of such early twentieth century writers as Margaret Murray, Robert Graves and Gerald B. Gardner began the renewal of interest in the Old Religion. After the repeal of the anti-Witchcraft laws in Britain in 1951, Gardner publicly declared himself a Witch and began to gather a group of students and worshipers. In 1962, two of his students, Raymond and Rosemary Buckland (religious names: Lady Rowen and Robat), emigrated to the United States and began teaching Gardnerian Witchcraft here. At the same time, other groups of people became interested through reading books by Gardner and others. Many covens were spontaneously formed, using rituals created from a combination of research and individual inspiration. These self-created covens are today regarded as just as valid as those who can trace a “lineage” of teaching back to England. In 1975, a very diverse group of covens who wanted to secure the legal protections and benefits of church status formed Covenant of the Goddess (CoG), which is incorporated in the State of California and recognized by the Internal Revenue Service. CoG does not represent all, or even a majority of Wiccans. A coven or an individual need not be affiliated with CoG in order to validly practice the religion. But CoG is the largest single public Wiccan organization, and it is cross-Traditional (i.e. non-denominational).
BASIC BELIEFS: Wiccans worship the sacred as immanent in Nature, often personified as Mother Earth and Father Sky. As polytheists, they may use many other names for Deity. Individuals will often choose Goddesses or Gods from any of the world’s pantheons whose stories are particularly inspiring and use those Deities as a focus for personal devotions. Similarly, covens will use particular Deity names as a group focus, and these are often held secret by the groups. It is very important to be aware that Wiccans do not in any way worship or believe in “Satan,” “the Devil,” or any similar entities. They point out that “Satan” is a symbol of rebellion against and inversion of the Christian and Jewish traditions. Wiccans do not revile the Bible. They simply regard it as one among many of the world’s mythic systems, less applicable than some to their core values, but still deserving just as much respect as any of the others. Most Wiccan groups also practice magic, by which they mean the direction and use of “psychic energy,” those natural but invisible forces which surround all living things. Some members spell the word “magick,” to distinguish it from sleight of hand entertainments. Wiccans employ such means as dance, chant, creative visualization and hypnosis to focus and direct psychic energy for the purpose of healing, protecting and aiding members in various endeavors. Such assistance is also extended to non-members upon request. Many, but not all, Wiccans believe in reincarnation. Some take this as a literal description of what happens to people when they die. For others, it is a symbolic model that helps them deal with the cycles and changes within this life. Neither Reincarnation nor any other literal belief can be used as a test of an individual’s validity as a member of the Old Religion. Most groups have a handwritten collection of rituals and lore, known as a Book of Shadows. Part of the religious education of a new member will be to hand copy this book for him or herself. Over they years, as inspiration provides, new material will be added. Normally, access to these books is limited to initiated members of the religion.
PRACTICES AND BEHAVIORAL STANDARDS: The core ethical statement of Wicca, called the “Wiccan Rede” states “an it harm none, do what you will.” The Rede fulfills the same function as does the “Golden Rule” for Jews and Christians; all other ethical teachings are considered to be elaborations and applications of the Rede. It is a statement of situational ethics, emphasizing at once the individual’s responsibility to avoid harm to others and the widest range of personal autonomy in “victimless” activities. Wicca has been described as having a “high-choice” ethic. Because of the basic Nature orientation of the religion, many Wiccans will regard all living things as Sacred, and show a special concern for ecological issues. For this reason, individual conscience will lead some to take a pacifist position. Some are vegetarians. Others will feel that, as Nature’s Way includes self-defense, they should participate in wars that they conscientiously consider to be just. The religion does not dictate either position, but requires each member to thoughtfully and meditatively examine her or his own conscience and to live by it. Social forces generally do not yet allow Witches to publicly declare their religious faith without fear of reprisals such as loss of job, child custody challenges, ridicule, etc. Prejudice against Wiccans is the result of public confusion between Witchcraft and Satanism. Wiccans in the military, especially those who may be posted in countries perceived to be particularly intolerant, will often have their dogtags read “No Religious Preference.” Concealment is a traditional Wiccan defense against persecution, so non-denominational dogtags should not contravene a member’s request for religious services.
OTHER: With respect to attitude toward military service, Wiccans range from career military personnel to conscientious objectors. Wiccans do not proselytize and generally resent those who do. They believe that no one Path to the Sacred is right for all people, and see their own religious pattern as only one among many that are equally worthy. Wiccans respect all religions that foster honor and compassion in their adherents, and expect the same respect. Members are encouraged to learn about all faiths, and are permitted to attend the services of other religions, should they desire to do so.
If you read the excepts above, you can see that we uphold respect and tolerance for the beliefs of others as a core tenet. I would think – in a perfect world, which this ain’t – we should be entitled to expect the same respect in return.
I’ve never seen it happen.
I can see no justifiable reason for dishonoring this man’s life, or the path he chose to live it on.
Here’s a contact form for complaints. Use it, please.
never thirst
Okay, energy/environment diaries are not my primary forte. I’m sure someone could do a way, way better job with this than I could.
But being in media, I get all kinds of funky emails. I got one from CEI a couple of hours back that we’ll have fun tearing up below the fold.
I seem to have found myself in an email exchange with this media relations person at the moment. She asked me what I don’t like about the “CO2 is Life” ads. Have at, GMDers, and here’s what I found in my mailbox about an hour ago:
Contact: Christine Hall
Does Al Gore Need To Go On An `Energy Diet’?
New Video Exposes Behind-the-Scenes Story of Gore’s Own Energy Use
Washington, DC, May 24, 2006–As former Vice President Al Gore’s documentary on global warming fears debuts today, a new video from the Competitive Enterprise Institute tracks Gore’s own “carbon footprint.” CEI’s 70-second video points out that Gore himself is a big user of the hydrocarbon fuels that produce carbon dioxide when combusted.
Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” asks, “Are you willing to change the way you live?” The Gore documentary and new book of the same name go on to suggest ways that people can reduce their carbon footprint, yet Mr. Gore has clearly not taken his own message to heart. He even says in the documentary that he has given his global warming Power Point slide show more than 1,000 times all around the world.
The CEI video, which may be viewed at: http://streams.cei.org/… includes footage of Gore and his constant air travel with two CO2 meters running at the bottom of the page that compare Gore’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions with those of an average person.
“All the evidence suggests that Mr. Gore is an elitist who passionately believes that the people of the world must drastically reduce their energy use but that it doesn’t apply to him,” said Myron Ebell, CEI’s director of energy and global warming policy and the creator of the video.
“While the CEI video pokes fun at Mr. Gore’s profligate consumption of the world’s petroleum resources, we don’t begrudge his lifestyle that requires using as much energy as a small village in America or a medium-sized town in Africa,” Ebell explained. “The mobility that jet fuel and gasoline provide is a good thing and the benefits of abundant energy should be available to all people, not just the elite. CEI calls on Mr. Gore to stop preaching against the petroleum products he uses so lavishly and instead join us in promoting access to energy,” Ebell concluded.
Some examples of Gore’s recent travels: In promoting his movie in mid-May, he and his entourage appeared at a gala preview screening in Atlanta on Monday the 15th , at an even more glamorous preview in Hollywood the next night, and at another lavish preview in Washington the night after that. That’s two cross-country trips in three days. By the end of last week, Mr. Gore was at the Cannes film festival in France, where it was reported that he and his entourage used five large SUVs to travel 500 yards.
The CEI website also contains two brief CEI public service advertisements that point out the enormous benefits we derive from hydrocarbon energy, which provides approximately 85% of global energy needs, and the biased media coverage of the scientific debate over global warming.
CEI is a Washington, DC-based non-profit, non-partisan public policy group dedicated to the principles of free enterprise and limited government. For more information about CEI, please visit our website at www.cei.org.
Okay. Doesn’t this attack on Al Gore show a certain…..desperation?
I’m actively corresponding with Christine Hall-Reis at the moment, to the extent I can while working. She asked me, “What is it about the ads you don’t like?”
My response, done on the fly, with very little time to do real research:
Lies. Carbon dioxide is poison to animal life., we all know this. I was an emergency medical technician. They teach us these things, you know? Symbiotic gas exchange works just fine, thank you, without smokestacks belching more into the air. I found the statement about “produced by the fuels we use that saved us from centuries of backbreaking labor” particularly disingenuous.
Global warming, Michael Crichton notwithstanding, is accepted science. Burning petrochemicals and production of hydrocarbons contributes significantly to that. I also find disiongenuos CEI’s claim to be a nonpartisan organization when it has been clearly demonstrated that these efforts, and these attacks on Al Gore for speaking a truth inconvenient to Exxon, are funded by Exxon.You may find this interesting:
http://www.greenmountaindaily.com/…
Also interesting, but brief: (skim through the comments)
This isn’t brief. It’s very, very detailed, but it lays it out very well:
Take a lunch with this diary.
In short, to quote Dear Leader Bush:
“There’s an old saying in Tennessee — I know it’s in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can’t get fooled again.”
Cheers! and CLEAN AIR.
-eddie
Loading ...Okay, it’s not quite the wet dream the title suggests – or is it?
Because, within limits, the leftern blogosphere CAN contribute to the programming of a radio station in a red state that’s blue-ing. I have decided this, and I have the ability to implement it.
Names are changed to protect the innocent below the fold.
This is how it works.
The group I work for has three radio stations in this market, operated as a cluster.
One of the three is my responsibility. The programming is 100% satellite. Three hours of the morning show are occupied by an extremely popular male/female team in national syndication. The rest of the day is Westwood One’s Adult Hits format, known as “SAM” or “Simply About Music.” In many cities, the format is known as “Jack-FM” or “Bob” or whoever. In Burlington, the format is presented as “MP103.”
The way it’s positioned is iconoclastic: “We play whatever we want. You never know what we’ll do. We are the rebels. We are the pie in the face of corporate radio.Whatever, whenever.”
For the sake of discussion, we’ll refer to this station as “Willy 93.1.”
These are the program elements that I control:
Three ten-second spoken statements per hour which must include the moniker.
Example:
“Like Willy 93.1? Tell President Bush. Oh, never mind, he knows, He listens to your phone calls. We’re Willy 93.1.”
“We do whatever we want. Kinda like President Bush. The only difference is the Constitution’s on our side. We’re Willy 93.1.”
A great deal of unsold inventory in :60 and :30 slots. Now writing political scripts to fill these avails and voicing them myself will get me strung up and shot. But things found on the internets, linky links to mp3s and oreo cookies are good things.
During the syndicated morning show, which I’d like to change to Rachel and Marc, but one thing at a time, there are five minute twenty-second positions that are set there for news. We fill with music instead. Any requests?
Any ideas for promotions, ways to frme the community calendar, any brainstorms at all are good.
Think of yourself as having the very real keys to a very real radio station. Because in fact, that isn’t that far from true.
Please keep in mind that your suggestions in the thread may actually end up implemented on the real air at a real radio station.
This is for real. What do you want to spew out through the transmitter within the framework I’ve described?
I gotta start doing something with the damn thing anyway. It’s picking up popularity.
Those ten second lines are particularly valuable.
( – promoted by Ed Garcia)
The name Catamount Tavern came about when Grantees from New Hampshire posted a stuffed catamount on the tavern’s signpost to repel the New Yorkers who claimed their land. The Catamount served as headquarters for the Green Mountain Boys while making their plans against the New Yorkers and the British. Ethan Allen planned the capture of Fort Ticonderoga here and John Stark planned British General Burgoynes defeat here which turned out to be successful in the famous Battle of Bennington. The Catamount was also the meeting place of Vermont’s only form of government then, the Vermont Council of Safety.
I find myself angry today. This gives me pause, because on reflection, I find I spend the vast majority of my time in that state. So if I’m pissed off enough to blog it, I’m obviously close to the tipping point.
Which is why we’re tipping what we’re tapping tonight.
The Catamount is in business – come on by, we’re just a jump away.
“Those who invalidate reason ought seriously to consider whether they argue against reason with or without reason; if with reason, then they establish the principles that they are laboring to dethrone: but if they argue without reason (which, in order to be consistent with themselves they must do), they are out of reach of rational conviction, nor do they deserve a rational argument.”
-Ethan Allen
I am pleased and privileged to be posting this brown acid rant via Verizon DSL. My ISP and telephone company is giving my telephone call records to the government. And I am not happy.
Verizon, along with AT&T(!)and BellSouth, began turning over records of tens of millions of their customers’ phone calls to the National Security Agency program shortly after the September 11, 2001, attacks, according to today’s USA TODAY.
At the White House, President Bush said the administration acted within the law and “fiercely protected” Americans’ privacy while doing everything possible to prevent terrorist attacks. “Al-Qaeda is our enemy, and we want to know their plans,” he said. “We are not mining or trolling through the personal lives of innocent Americans.” He didn’t address specifics of the program and walked away without responding to reporters’ questions.
I have a question:
Have you had enough of this shit yet?
Ask everyone you know. When you get a blank look, ask them who got voted off American Idol last week.
The shit they get away with – and it’s because NOBODY’S LOOKIN’, my friend.
His Honor Kagro X has a diary up on dKos in which he draws a damned depressing picture. He points out, essentially, that the ultimate oversight of the executive branch rests with – the executive branch. It only looks involved until you read it, and then you see it’s actually kind of simple.
Either that, or you didn’t see it at all because you were watching American Idol.
Here’s some more anger:
Senator Kerry, today in your speach you said:
Presidents and politicians may worry about losing face, or votes, or legacy; it is time to think about young Americans and innocent civilians who are losing their lives.
And, Congressman Conyers, today in your diary you said:
Congress has failed to provide this critical oversight which has led us to the courts.
The Bush administration, with it’s Republican enablers in the House and Senate, have made your duty, oversight, IMPOSSIBLE.
Lives are at stake, as is the very foundation of our democracy, the Constitution.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
We have been lied to enough.
We have had our constitutional rights denied enough.
We have had our free speach impaired enough.
We have seen scandals and bribery enough.SHUT THIS PUPPY DOWN NOW! Walk out, hold a press conference on the steps of our Nations Capitol, and tell the American people that “help is on the way”.
This 50 year old mother of 5 has seen and heard enough. Have you?
-Lisa Lockwood (dKos)
This is directed to John Kerry:
I get the impression (59+ / 0-)
that you’re here for the same reason the rest of us are —
To vent, and to speak to like minds.
The thing is the rest of us came here because we were feeling helpless.
You are a United States Senator.
So we’re kind of curious what you’re planning on doing about this.
When are people in your position going to DEMAND THE RESIGNATION OF THESE GOONS?
Because THAT’S what we should be talking about.
The Bush administration should RESIGN.
Bush has shamed the office of the presidency.
He has shamed the United States of America
He has thumbed his nose at our Constitution.
He has proven himself to be a menace to public safety.
We should accept NOTHING LESS than the entire administration’s RESIGNATION.
by theyrereal on Thu May 11, 2006 at 01:20:47 PM EDT
I wrote this a while back in response to an angry email my boss got in response to a Christmas song I played on the air:
Just now Eddie Garcia played a stupid song about “I saw George Bush Tapping Santa’s phone”….No, I do not worry that someone is illegally tapping my phone … my life isn’t nearly interesting enough to justify anyone’s time.
IN OTHER WORDS: “If you’re not doing anything wrong, you have nothing to worry about.” This is cowardice of the most contemptible sort. It is unpatriotic, unAmerican and subversive. A person such as this who refuses to stand up for the values we are taught this country represents has no place here. This person should leave, and I will contribute money toward his passage. This is an individual who is willing to surrender his freedom in exchange for a promise of security. This is a person willingly victimized by a protection racket. This is a person who chooses to cower in fear and place blind trust in the Government to defend him from the “bad ole ter’rists”, blind, deaf and dumb while the Government shows itself to be the very enemy it claims to defend against.
Now see, I’m reading your mind. You thought I was going to blockquote Ben Franklin here, didn’t you? Yes, you did, you little subversive, you.
All this rah-rah and fluff begs the question: What does it take?
In the spring of 1775,Allen and Benedict Arnold led a raid against Fort Ticonderoga. Fort Ticonderoga is a large 18th century fort built at a strategically important narrows in lake champlain where a short traverse gives access to the north…The relative roles of Allen and Arnold are not entirely clear. Neither is it clear to what extent the campaign was formulated by the strongly anti-British faction in Connecticut; to what extent it was the idea of the Green Mountain Boys headquartered at the Catamount Tavern in Bennington; and how much of the enthusiasm was fueled by alcohol rather than by patriotism.
Okay, I never said I wasn’t drunk. Be that as it may….if today’s sound bites, in the context of an MSM controlled by the Main Enemy, didn’t convince you….if the fact that this noise is even getting through the filter at all doesn’t convince you, I’ll look for you on the floor after we blow out the lamps in the tavern.
Last call for alcohol. You ain’t got to go home, but you got to get the hell outa here.
I M P E A C H
( – promoted by Ed Garcia)
Below the fold.
(Audio links)
This is a radio show that will air at 5pm May 4, 2006.
Sources include Wikipedia.
Afterthought: The audio pieces are not the songs listed. They are produced composites I created from news audio and interview bits I found in a variety of locations. Parts of this are gleaned from Mark Urycki’s WKSU documentary, including the brief narrator’s voice heard at the beginning of segment #2.
TODAY IN HISTORY (TOP 5 AT 5)
MAY 4, 1970: THE DAY THE SIXTIES ENDED
The Kent State shootings occurred at Kent State University in the city of Kent, Ohio, and involved the shooting of students by the Ohio National Guard on Monday, May 4, 1970. The altercation killed four students and wounded nine others.The shootings were the culmination of four days of increasingly agitated demonstrations by members of the student body. The students were protesting the American invasion of Cambodia which President Richard Nixon launched on April 25, and announced in a television address five days later.There were significant national consequences to the shootings; hundreds of universities and colleges closed throughout the United States fearing similar outbreaks, and the event further divided the country along political lines.
#5 NORMAN GREENBAUM “SPIRIT IN THE SKY”
Allison Krause was a student at Kent State when she was killed while protesting the
Vietnam war. The Guardsmen opened fire on a group of unarmed students, killing four of them, at an average distance of about 345 feet. Allison was shot in the back at about 343 feet, fatally wounding her. Allison is often remembered for her statement to one of the Guardsmen at Kent State during those days in May: “Flowers are better than bullets.”
At the time of his death, Jeffrey Glen Miller had recently transferred to Kent State from Michigan State University. Of the four students killed at Kent State that day, Jeff was standing closest to the Guardsmen. He was shot in the mouth by a single rifle bullet. He died almost instantly.
#4 IDES OF MARCH “VEHICLE”
Sandra Lee Scheuer (pronounced SHAW-yer) was 20 years old when she was killed. Sandy, an honors student in speech therapy, did not take part in the Vietnam War protests that preceded the shootings. She was shot through the throat from a distance of 130 yards while walking from one class to the next. She died within five or six minutes from loss of blood.
According to the account of a close family friend,
Sandy “was walking with one of her speech and hearing therapy students across the green. Neither Sandy nor the young man had anything to do with the assembly of students on the green, but yet, as an innocent passerby, Sandy was the victim of a confused National Guardsman’s rifle.
William Knox Schroeder.
At age 17, Bill applied for the Army Reserve
Officer Training Corps Scholarship.
Schroeder was killed with a shot in the back.
According to reports, he was not taking part in
the Vietnam war protests that preceded the
shootings, but simply going from one class to the next.
His college roommate stated that he believed Schroeder was trying to flee when shot. “Bill was
332 feet away from the nearest National Guardsman, not much of a threat. He was shot with a
textbook in his hand.”
#3 BEATLES “LET IT BE”
I walked across the peaceful lawn
In Washington DC
to the monument for the fallen
and touched the names of those who died
victims of war
And the names touched me back.
I walked across the peaceful lawn
In Kent, Ohio
to the monument for the fallen
and touched the names of those who died
victims of war.
And the names touched me back.
Fifty seven thousand entries carved in the black granite ledges
page after cold dark page, the roll of warriors sacrificed
Cold to my touch-dark, dead.
Which one took my place?
Four entries carved in the black granite ledges
One cold dark page, the roll of children sacrificed.
Cold to my touch-dark, dead.
Which one took my place?-Hermon R. Card
#2 JACKSON 5 “ABC”
Sometime in the spring of 1999, I found myself on the commons at Kent State
University. I looked at the monument, I read the names, and stood upon the spot where a 14-year-old girl named Mary Ann Vecchio cried over the body of Jeffery Miller who lay dead, killed by a bullet from the gun of a citizen soldier who had turned his rifle upon the children of his own country, because they stood up in protest against the actions of their government which they deeply believed to be wrong. I have no words to describe what I felt. Many say, “My country, right or wrong.” To which I would reply, “Yes. When right, to be kept right – when wrong, to be set right.” And I remembered the five words spoken by Allison Krause: “Flowers are better than bullets.” Some might consider that naive. I consider it eloquent and beautiful. Especially in the times we live in today, when dissenters are called terrorist sympathizers, and a commitment to peace is deemed traitorous. My fear is that what happened on that spring day 36 years ago today, could well happen again. When you reflect on this possibility, please try to keep in mind the simple truth that those words carry. It was true in 1970, and it remains true today.
Flowers, you see, ARE better than bullets.
#1 GUESS WHO “AMERICAN WOMAN”
American Woman, stay away from me
American Woman, mama let me be
Don’t come a hangin’ around my door
I don’t wanna see your face no more
I got more important things to do
Than spend my time growin’ old with you
Now Woman, I said stay away
American Woman, listen what I say-ay-ay-ay-ay-ayAmerican Woman, get away from me
American Woman, mama let me be
Don’t come a knockin’ around my door
Don’t wanna see your shadow no more
Coloured lights can hypnotize
Sparkle someone else’s eyes
Now Woman, I said get away
American Woman, listen what I say-ay-ay-ayAmerican Woman, said get away
American Woman, listen what I say
Don’t come a hangin’ around my door
Don’t wanna see your face no more
I don’t need your war machines
I don’t need your ghetto scenes
Coloured lights can hypnotize
Sparkle someone else’s eyes
Now Woman, get away from me
American Woman, mama let me beGo, gotta get away, gotta get away now go, go, go
I’m gonna leave you woman
Gonna leave you woman
Bye-bye Bye-bye Bye-bye Bye-bye
You’re no good for me
I’m no good for you
Gonna look you right in the eye
Tell you what I’m gonna do
You know I’m gonna leave
You know I’m gonna go
You know I’m gonna leave
You know I’m gonna go-o, woman
I’m gonna leave you woman
Goodbye American Woman
Goodbye American chick
TOP 5 AT 5 EXTRA: CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG “OHIO”
Tin soldiers and Nixon coming,
We’re finally on our own.
This summer I hear the drumming,
Four dead in Ohio.Gotta get down to it
Soldiers are cutting us down
Should have been done long ago.
What if you knew her
And found her dead on the ground
How can you run when you know?Gotta get down to it
Soldiers are cutting us down
Should have been done long ago.
What if you knew her
And found her dead on the ground
How can you run when you know?Tin soldiers and Nixon coming,
We’re finally on our own.
This summer I hear the drumming,
Four dead in Ohio.
