Because of Howard Dean ... Hunterdon DFA exists, and has become a permanent progressive community where one is least expected, in a crimson-red corner of cobalt-blue New Jersey.

Because of Howard Dean .... Democracy for America still stands as a unifying, skills-building, idea-generating city of lively minds, connected with common purpose.

Because of Howard Dean .... paradigms have shifted in the ways Democratic Party money is spent, and who is encouraged to take power. What that means here, is that Hunterdon County benefits from 50-State Strategy, because we won't concede any votes here, even though we're outnumbered. And the state party backs that purpose with DNC-trained & -paid strategists who have powered our runs, because they're here on the ground with us right now.

Linda calls it right: Thank you, Howard Dean.

Howard Dean is always first!

we won't concede any votes here, even though we're outnumbered

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I award HOWARDLYS to efforts like that.

yeeeeeeeaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!

One great thing about the pulse poll is that some new people seem to be chiming in on the blog. Nice first, Rosi.

Thanks, Sitka.

By the way, did you know that I have a quote from you in my DFA-Link profile? 

But it seems I spelled your name wrong ... 

Phil Specht
Wed, 11/07/07
11:20 pm

I award HOWARDLYS to efforts like that.

yeeeeeeeaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!

NICE! I'm incredibly honored, Phil. Thanks.  

http://www.blogforamerica.com/view/22868...

last thread shortcut

And not just Rosi, but other new people are posting and deserving of a big welcome.

former, it's always risky to post anything about AIPAC or its supporters here.  I will continue to do so, with the qualifier that AIPAC represents a tiny faction of Jewish people, not all Jews.  Well, maybe not so tiny, but certainly it has a lot of clout in Congress and slowly that fact is being brought forward to the public, uncomfortable as that may be.

AIPAC and Olmert are not good for Israel or the U.S. or the citizens of either country.  IMO Look where we're headed....nuke showdown, endless wars, decimated populations, more hatred toward Israel and the U.S....and all citizens by extension.

It's a foreign policy disaster, which AIPAC, Liebermann and the rest who think like them propagate.  Palestine is in severe crisis and who really gives a damn?  Certainly not Israel or the U.S gov'ts.

8.

FRED from OR
Wed, 11/07/07
11:54 pm

Lots of reading material. Have fun!


How should progressives talk about health care security in America? http://www.blogforamerica.com/view/22858...

Rockridge Institute's latest publications http://www.blogforamerica.com/view/22884...

Which country described below is the United States and which is Pakistan?

Mystery Country 1

Wexler Will Urge House Judiciary Committee to 'Schedule Impeachment Hearings Immediately' "The American people are served well with a legitimate and thorough impeachment inquiry. I will urge the Judiciary Committee to schedule impeachment hearings immediately and not let this issue languish as it has over the last six months. Only through hearings can we bring begin to correct the abuses of Dick Cheney and the Bush Administration; and, if it is determined in these hearings that Vice President Cheney has..."

• The Constitution was suspended and martial law is in effect
• Re-election of the president was only questionably legal
• Is considered to have become a police state
• Extremists are making increasingly more powerful attacks

Mystery Country 2

• 2400 protesters imprisoned in 2004 in one protest alone, manhandled, pepper-sprayed, and shot with rubber bullets
• The president assumed power in a much-disputed election, fraught with hanging chads, supporters storming the election returns recount, Supreme Court intervention, and admitted e-voting fraud, under-counted ballots, and other voting fraud
• Has been chipping away at the “it’s just another G*^ D$%&# piece of paper” Constitution with the Patriot Act, the destruction of Habeas Corpus (illegal detentions without charges or hope of trial and torture—Guantanamo is but one example), illegal wiretapping of private citizens, imprisonment of anyone deemed an “enemy combatant,” —can you think of more?
• Re-election of the president was only questionably legal
• Creeping toward a police state, via control of the media, federally-sponsored propaganda campaigns, violent silencing and/or detention of protestors
• Extremists are making more powerful inroads
  
  

As Mystery Country 1, Musharraf has little incentive to re-institute Pakistan's Constitution, nor to hold elections that might potentially oust him because he is reassured the U.S. will NOT stop its flow of aid ($493 million over next three years) to Pakistan because his country is needed to "fight Al-Qaeda and its militants." Condoleeza Rice was instructed to call up Musharraf and give him a tiny little swat on the back of hand, “Now, now, Pervez, m’dear, you simply must behave.”

Meanwhile, at Mystery Country 2, there are still months to go before the illegal administration is removed from power, pending the sudden growth of spine on the part of Congress to oppose the “Lil’ Dictator.”

"This is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never -- in nothing, great or small, large or petty -- never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy."

-- Sir Winston Churchill, October 29, 1944

"The basic difference between an ordinary man and a warrior is that a warrior takes everything as a challenge, while an ordinary man takes everything as a blessing or a curse."

-- Carlos Castaneda

Dr. Dean has inspired progressives to give the Democratic Party a spine transplant.

By the way, did you know that I have a quote from you in my DFA-Link profile?

I can't view it since I don't have DFA link yet. But let me guess.....

"Lips that have kissed Bush's ass will never kiss mine." 

??? 

Story about Republican Mailer regarding Electoral College Dirty Tricks presently happening in California.

---

Get a Laugh Out of This Mailer I Got From Republicans Seeking Signatures for Their Electoral College Dirty Tricks!

By Dante Atkins
Nom de Net "hekebolos"

I opened my mailbox this afternoon to find something truly amazing--and something I just knew couldn't have been for a Democratic activist like myself: an envelope from California Counts, the organization funded by Darrell Issa to resurrect the Dirty Tricks Initiative from the dead. It turns out that, yes, the envelope was in fact directed to whatever Republican apparently dared to inhabit my apartment before my girlfriend and I arrived to dispel the traces of the dark side that must have apparently been lingering there. ...full post and photo of mailer here: http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/...

By the way, did you know that I have a quote from you in my DFA-Link profile?

Turns out I am signed up, but forgot all about it. I guess I AM a DFA "member."

But you and Linda and thousands of others are the ones making the quote come true.

For some reason countdown was the only news show I know that revealed the Bush Regime is already gathering our emails, phone calls, and blog entries in their central record bank set up by AT&T and the rest.

So for whichever low level hired goon is reading this, I just want to tell you that you and those you shred the Constitution for will be spat upon by future Americans when what you are doing comes fully to light -- which it will.

This one's for you now.....

Good morning, everybody

Looks like the people of Flemington have picked a winner. Congratulations to Linda, another beautiful lady.

That's not a pretty picture, Sitka--little Dutch boys should be plugging the dike, not giving us the finger.

I think the point of making reference to Howard Dean as first is to express a sense of humility. Of course, allegiance to God or Allah is supposed to do that, as well, but there's always the temptation to associate oneself with the claim that God is great--i.e. "and so am I." Howard Dean, on the other hand, is good and humble and honest and a loser.

Which leads me to think that there's such a huge irony in having him defined by that scream. Because, in fact, it was really out of character for Dean to be a rowdy. Even when Howard Dean is forceful, he's got dignity.

BTW, the Howardly is still on display at http://hannah.smith-family.com

Chris Dodd's got dignity.

Tomorrow morning the Senate Judiciary Committee will begin marking up FISA reform legislation. What we don't yet know is what changes they will make to the bill passed out of the Senate Intelligence Committee. That's why we have to keep calling and make sure all of the Judiciary Committee members know that retroactive immunity needs to be stripped from the bill.

So far, four senators have said they will oppose retroactive immunity. We need six more to ensure that we'll win this fight. Coincidentally, there are still six Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee that have not said how they will vote on retroactive immunity.

The good news is that we've just launched a new function in the Citizen Generated Whip Count that makes calling the Senate much, much easier for you.

We've built a direct calling feature on our Whip Count tool that connects users to Senate offices over the internet. It allows you to enter your phone number in our widget, we then call you while simultaneously connecting you to the Senate office you're trying to reach. Your phone will ring, the Senate office phone will ring, then you ask them to oppose retroactive immunity. Nice and easy.

Oh, and the Dodd campaign is footing the bill for your calls if you're calling from a land line.

To start calling, visit http://chrisdodd.com/immunity.

an important fight and a courageous stand by Dodd, I'll be calling

Democrats were in the room when Bush unveiled his assault on the Constitution and are complicit through their silence. members of the club, so things might get a little strained in the closed door portions when the real details are revealed

if transcripts of intercepts that bolster the Administrations case see the light of day we know we have a total breakdown of our Justice system

I have no doubt that at least one smoking gun exists of a call from an alQueda operative to a sleeper cell, allowable to intercept under old rules, and no excuse for undermining our liberty

Senators swear to defend the Constituion. Time to live the oath.

thanks again Chris Dodd

do you have a link to his speech in Iowa City Monica?

http://chrisdodd.com/blog/ia/we-defend-c...


http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/11/8/...

I do hope people notice that footing the bill for phone calls is not entirely altruistic. It's a clever way to get phone numbers of people who share a concern and like to use the telephone in the old-fashioned way.
I use the phone in the old-fashioned way--sparingly. LOL

BTW, have you noticed that local groups' blogs have been re-activated? Emails to the group are included and invite comment. Perhaps this will work to get more people to feel comfortable commenting. It works great on the MAC. I'll have to see if other OS does as well.

I found it when I went to "adjust" the spouse's account. He's hosting a Sicko party but didn't have his address in his account. My bad, no doubt. So, I fixed it.

The movie is really popular. Nine of the ten who attended last night's DFA meeting want to come see it, some for the third time.

BTW, the letter-writing to DFA members in other states also went well. We got eleven of the 20 written on the spot. Others took their's home to use their computers.

Bob in NJ..........heres a better Churchill quote.................

Lady Astor: "If I were married to you, I'd put poison in your coffee."

 Churchill: "If I were married to you, I'd drink it."

Verified Voting Foundation Newsletter, November 2007
November 7th, 2007

In this issue: https://www.verifiedvotingfoundation.org...

1. Audits, Audits, Audits...

Audit Summit brings election officials, statisticians, lawmakers and advocates together

States working on post-election audit provisions

2. Federal Notes - 2007 VVSG up for comments; New election bill introduced

EAC: The Election Assistance Commission has now posted the 2007 Voluntary Voting System Guidelines

Senate: Senators Nelson (FL) and Whitehouse (RI) have introduced a voter-verified paper ballot bill: S 2295

3. State Notes - Maryland's voting system improvements in danger; New York and Department of Justice; more...

A positive trend

California: Secretary of State Debra Bowen releases detailed post-election manual tally requirements.

Florida: Sarasota Alliance for Fair Elections (SAFE) reports that the Appeals Court ruled against the Sarasota County Charter Amendment

Maryland: Maryland's proposed switch to paper optical scan balloting systems appears to be in jeopardy

New York: The Department of Justice says "no more levers by 2008."

4. Special Announcement

Verified Voting Foundation
Will your vote count in the next election?

VoteTrustUSA
California: San Francisco City Attorney Charges ES&S With Breach Of Contract

C-Span shows its Republican colors--again

Tuesday, November 6, 2007, while the House of Representatives was voting on the resolution put forward by Rep. Kucinich and twenty-one other members to impeach the Vice President of the United States, C-SPAN had its viewing audience lectured by one Mr. Epstein emphasizing how ridiculous the proposed bill was.

C-SPAN is supposed to be a public service broadcaster.

Is there any public citizen protection from the continuous promotion of war seen and heard on all the commercially leased airwaves and as the above cited on public service channels and stations. Please advise as to any further action that would be possible for those of us suffering the constant unethical and surely illegal pro-war propaganda and intentional deceptive highlighting and repeating false fears while blacking out historical context of the selections of news presented.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/genera_jay_jans_071107_during_vote_on_kucin.htm

DINOs

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_ed_marti_071107_mukasey_is_bush_s_st.htm

Schumer and Feinstein defected from the Democrats and voted with Bush and his Republicans.  Feinstein said that Mukasey is going to be a very different attorney general.

Feinstein is ignoring the obvious fact that Mukasey is identical to Gonzales in all respects that matter.

Just like Gonzales,

1. He was nominated by George Bush.

2. He is willing to approve of George Bush authority to torture.

3. Most damning off all, he is a Republican.

Schumer and Feinstein have an opportunity to tell Bush what Bush told Congress:  Send us a nominee we can approve of, or we'll veto them until you do.

But, nah, they're not going to do that, they're going to go on, backing Bush and his Republicans, which is what Republicans do.  They have become Republicans.

WILL CONYERS CONTINUE TO DEFER TO PELOUSY?

http://www.opednews.com/maxwrite/linkframe.php?linkid=45206

The following is from a letter sent to constituents today by Rep. Robert Wexler (D-FL), a member of the House Judiciary Committee, where the matter has been sent again.:

my last 3 posts were shoehorned in  in front of Susans which had already been posted. I sent the last one at 8:51, and it was time-stamped 8:34 by bloggie.

Fix the clock guys, it ain't rocket science!

www.FairElectionReform.com

Awareness Ad for California voters

Anybody else worried about ou $$? A guy called CSPAN this morning and said he'd bought silver with his whole savings. There was an article yesterday about how China was considering putting some of the TRILLION of our $ into 'the more stable Euro or Canadian dollar. ' Take away my civil liberties if you must, but damn, leave my $ alone.

From Forbes:

The Chinese central bank's recent comments that it will reduce its holdings of US Treasurys in its foreign exchange reserves in favor of the euro and other currencies also continued to pressure the dollar.

http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx/...

====

btw - I wonder if Google is in league w/ the Busheviks -- I had to do a SEARCH to find that article -- it certainly wasn't in their 'headlines.

30.

Annilow
Thu, 11/08/07
8:57 am


Buy silver and gold.

Pay cash for land and make sure is has a water source that is free.

p.s. Learn to grow your own food.

To all my fellow veterans on this board....a reminder that Veterans' Day is this Sunday, and in addition to the usual ceremonies, there is a free dinner available at McCormick and Schmicks, and on Monday, free dinner at Golden Corral.  Best I can tell, just bring proof of service.

Dick Cheney won't be able to take advantage of this. 

http://www.blogforamerica.com/view/22888...

Congratulations, Linda! Having attended DFA Academy in Tampa this summer, I know how elated you are. I fully expect that DFA will play a major role in my victory next well, too.

Big News: Rep. Wexler's letter to his constituents stating he will urge hearings on Imeachment...on DU. I believe Wexler is a member of the Judiciary Comm. Below are the Dem. members of the Subcommittee. Keith Ellison has already co-signed Kucinich's Hres333.
judiciary.house.gov

Jerrold Nadler, Chr.
Artur Davis
Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Keith Ellison
John Conyers
Robert C. Scott
Melvin L. Watt
Steve Cohen

I believe the subcommittee refers to the Judiciary.

Let's get on them. When the iron is hot...iron. (feminine version)

sell at the top don't buy  (gold)

no one has acted yet to stop the slide of the dollar but when they do it will be an abrupt jerk

don't worry about China they are just getting payback for their currency manipulation and that is mostly what this is about

  Our DFA group was the only game in town if you wanted to actually DO something

~~~~~~~~~~~~

my favorite line from the main post

attribute victories by a couple of new Iowa Congressmen to the same spirit

next visit to our fair county is Michelle Obama, I'll report

there is solid support for the Dow at 12-4 to 12-5 and companies that represent physical assets and sell exports are buys not something to trade for gold, because gold doesn't produce anything

farmland is plenty high thanks to the ethanol boom

I might adjust a stock portfolio to an inflationary outlook because that is the effect of worthless currency

the fun part (for a hedge fund manager to whom it is a game) of the tension between stocks and bonds is the possibility that the economy will really tank, but either way living off the equity in your home is a bad idea (roof over your head)

most people live and work with those fears anyway no matter the Dow, thanks to vulture capitalism robbing pensions and health care

if you are worried about food, buy milk futures, lol,the distant contracts are at a discount

however the Presidential race turns out Chris Dodd will be a bit of a hero for standing up, Monica, even if it is his job description to defend the Constitution

bbl

Big News: Rep. Wexler's letter to his constituents stating he will urge hearings on Imeachment.

See my post (26) for a passage from that letter.

 If Conyers gives in to pelousy on this one, he'll bloww a lot of the goodwill and respect he's earned from the Democratic base.

John wrote "If Conyers gives in to pelousy on this one, he'll bloww a lot of the goodwill and respect he's earned from the Democratic base."

He's taking a huge risk.  Once a political figure is exposed as fallible, he or she becomes persona non grata around here.

STIGLITZ ON BUSH'S ECONOMIC LEGACY

http://www.opednews.com/maxwrite/linkframe.php?linkid=45221

Up to now, the conventional wisdom has been that Herbert Hoover, whose policies aggravated the Great Depression, is the odds-on claimant for the mantle “worst president” when it comes to stewardship of the American economy. Once Franklin Roosevelt assumed office and reversed Hoover’s policies, the country began to recover. The economic effects of Bush’s presidency are more insidious than those of Hoover, harder to reverse, and likely to be longer-lasting. There is no threat of America’s being displaced from its position as the world’s richest economy. But our grandchildren will still be living with, and struggling with, the economic consequences of Mr. Bush.

42. It's more than a question of fallibility Tom, as you well know. If Conyers gives in to the coward-in-charge, he'll be complicit in not bringing the arch-criminal to justice.

Rank-and -file Democrats overwhelmingly want to have Cheney impeached. If Conyers joins Pelosi in defying their wishes, it will reflect negatively on his record.

John wrote "If Conyers gives in to the coward-in-charge, he'll be complicit in not bringing the arch-criminal to justice."

We'd better break the news to Phil that Dodd is no saint. 

There were Democrats in the room. silent. let the truth come out for the primary fights

but Top Secrets remain that which is why Cheney has been so careful in his classification activity

It will take a team with the highest clearance to do the investigation. George Mitchell comes to mind as who I would hire for the House committee work (watch how quickly Bush vetoes that appropriation)

NOTE TO AL GORE:

AMERICANS WANT OUT--NOW!

Huron John....

Wexler's complete letter is shown at DU.

If impeachment gets enough response, we may have a go. Conyers needs a little tipping. He's worried about a little pink slip in his pay envelope from Pelosi, so to speak.

47.I didn't know Dodd was in the house

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cenk-uygur/we-dont-want-more-libera_b_71380.html

The list of Democratic cave-ins is so long that it's painful to think about. You could open up a buckle store with all these Democratic buckles.

Just this week, they caved in on Mukasey and Iraq funding. How many times are we going to hear these annoying bloviators talk about how terrible the war is going and then quietly fund the debacle anyway? They must think we're stupid.

A Washington Post-ABC News poll confirms that a majority of the country is dissatisfied with the Democratic Congress not because they won't compromise with Bush, but because they will.

A majority of independents say that Democrats aren't fighting Bush enough (53% of independents say this, which closely matches 55% of all Americans who agree). Yet, our press tells us that we need Democrats who compromise more. God, do they have any idea how ridiculous that sounds?

The press is obsessed with being centrists. I actually think this is a generally positive urge normally. But it needs to be combined with good judgment. You need to consider the circumstances on a case by case basis to see where the centrist position is. The mid-point between Democrats and Republicans is not always the center of the country.

The mid-point between this Congress and President Bush is way, way, way to the right of the mid-point between 1990 Democratic Congress and George H.W. Bush. So, let me ask these wise centrists of the press - which is the real center of the country?

The press and the politicians are still reacting as if we're in 2003 and Bush still has any sway on national security matters. The guy is at 24%. He doesn't have any sway over anything.

Even more importantly, the press is assuming the center of the country is between these Democrats and these Republicans when that isn't anywhere near true. These Republicans are grossly unpopular and these Democrats couldn't stand up to them if you put a wall behind them.

We're all so tired of the buckles. What we're even more tired of is the press telling us that we just want the Democrats to be more liberal because we are left-wing extremists. We're standing right in the middle of the country politically. The difference between us and the Democratic politicians isn't that they are standing to the right of us; it's that they aren't standing at all.

49. Yes, thank you John, and Al Gore was the first to say DON'T GO and continuously asks " I do think our Primay goal should be to get our troops home as quickly as possible".

Linda wrote "Yes, thank you John, and Al Gore was the first to say DON'T GO and continuously asks 'I do think our Primay goal should be to get our troops home as quickly as possible'."

Yes, thank you Linda.  What else did he say?

Congratulations, Linda! NJ is lucky to have you and Rosi.

53. Ummm, I know, I know....watch it for yourself?

"Get the Troops Home"
http://current.com/items/84986481_get_th...

Thank you Senators Biden and Kennedy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/21198.html

YES! Thank you for running...and CONGRATULATINS FOR WINNING, Linda!



All Have a Great Day!

37.

Phil Specht
Thu, 11/08/07
9:25 am


If the market fails and a person presently has a lot of debt, and if they have purchased gold &/or silver. They can pay off their debt to be more sovereign.

People can't eat paper promissory notes [green backs] or stock options [numbers on a spread sheet] anymore than can eat an ounce of gold or silver.

Maybe buy some diamonds too. Diamonds are always a girl's best friend.

Buy land that has a free drinkable water source and learn to grow food.

37.

Phil Specht
Thu, 11/08/07
9:25 am

p.s. If you have a pantry fill it up with food and seeds to grow your own.

Listening to C-SPAN for a while this morning, I was privileged to hear our Senator, Gregg, inveigh against Schumer and refer to pay-go as a fraud, even as he complained that it wasn't being followed.

What a total lack of dignity!

Gregg was followed by Thune waxing enthusiastic about the increased revenues flowing into the Treasury from taxes. There's no awareness that the dollars flowing in are only worth half of what they were a short time ago.

I will have to write up something for our local media. What an embarassment Gregg is to New Hampshire! New Hampshire people are not being represented well.

56.

rae hart
Thu, 11/08/07
10:51 am


...The measures would repudiate the Bush administration’s policy on torture....


It's amazing that they feel the need to write another law for something that their own common sense should have told them was wrong to begin with. Bush will just veto it, IF it passes, After a very long debate.

They're stonewalling us [the American people] on the "definitions of torture" issue as far as I'm concern. This bill has more to do with Bush's "War on Terror" than anything that I have ever seen them produce.

They need to get rid of Bush and Cheney.

58

Gosh, no. Don't buy any diamonds, they have no resale whatsoever unless they're gigantic and flawless. I'm a jewelry professional.

Buy gold if you can. It's going to go up another $200 an ounce at a minimum.

-- volney

60

Sadly, Schumer's just as much of an embarrassment to New York. And they wonder why people have quit voting.

Where are the torches and pitchforks? Let's go!

-- volney

Two Democrats move to outlaw waterboarding

It's already illegal, both here and internationally. Next they'll be introducing a bill to re-invent the wheel -- which Bush will also veto. 

They should learn a new way to dance too.

---

Georgia Plans Service to Pray for Rain
Governor of Parched Georgia, Hoping for Rain, Turns to the Heavens and Invites Others

What to do when the rain won't come? If you're Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue, you pray.

The governor will host a prayer service next week to ask for relief from the drought gripping the Southeast .... http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=38...

Breaking through the glass ceiling.

---

Female Corporate Directors Out-Earn Men
Women on Boards Typically Earn $120,000 Compared to $104,375 for Males

NEW YORK (Reuters) - They may be a small minority in corporate boardrooms, but women directors typically earn more than men, a new U.S. study has found.

Female directors in corporate America earned median compensation of $120,000, based on the most recently available pay data, compared with $104,375 for male board members, research group The Corporate Library said in its annual director pay report on Wednesday.
At the same time, the study said, women in corporate boardrooms are outnumbered eight to one.

"This makes being a director one of the few jobs in the U.S. economy where the pay differential is reversed," between men and women, the study found.

The study found that overall, median total compensation for individual U.S. board members was just over $100,000, based on companies' annual proxies filed through last month. The median increase in total disclosed compensation was about 12 percent compared with the year-earlier period, the study said... http://abcnews.go.com/Business/PersonalF...

What to do when the rain won't come? If you're Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue, you pray.

Falling to the knees and begging for help always works better than actually doing something to solve the problem. Right? 

Phil Specht
Thu, 11/08/07
9:25 am

p.s. If you have a pantry fill it up with food and seeds to grow your own.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I wouldn't discourage a sensible mutliple day supply of basics for getting through an emergency.

Most people just need to make a list and skip a couple of grocery shopping trips, and the savings in gas can be put into a beautiful bouquet of fresh flowers while you buy fresh and buy local at your farmer's market.

and your homegrown fresh herbs and salad ingredients you grew yourself sure

but enjoy a gallon of milk and a pint of ice cream on me because it will never pay you to get a cow and I still accept blips from your credit card becoming blips through my bank account direct deposit milk check, no gold necessary

we are all in deep doo doo when gold is used for payment

Howard Dean

will be a guest on the Ed Schultz show tomorrow. The gays, and guns of '08 will be 'the border" says Ed.

Every week there's a new Dem to capitulate to mr. 20%. Fear drives them. Kucinich stands up to King Cheney (Bush is just the jester) and he gets SLAPPED down by his own people.

Conyers should begin impeachment proceedings. We need to send him the "people's permission".

Sitka, run down to 5th ave Gifts in Old Scottsdale and buy a bunch of Rain Sticks ship them over.

I would never let anyone play with my Rain Stick, becuase I sware, it would AL WAYS rain. :)

audrey.nc
Thu, 11/08/07
12:03 pm

And watch some Dems (maybe most) fall over themselves to bash immigrants, legal and illegal. This is an issue that was manufactured by the right. Unfortunately, the Dems have failed to define the principled stand. Secure the borders!

Why are some Dems kow-towing to bigots and fears of foreigners?

Why are some Dems kow-towing to bigots and fears of foreigners?

They hope Lou Dobbs will say something nice about them. 

HOUSE AND SENATE OVERRIDE BUSH'S VETO ON WATER PROJECTS

A short while ago the Senate voted to override a Bush veto. Thanks to the incredible energy and enthusiasm of Barbara Boxer, chair of the Environmental and Public Projects committee, who worked long and hard for this day.

There have been only 109 presidential vetoes ever! We can only hope the Republicans in Congress will continue to back away from Bush's determination for this Congress to get nothing at all done. He has given so many invalid excuses such as the one for this veto that the $23 billion was too costly.

No problem to ask for $200 billion more though to poor down the black hole of Iraq.

Kudos to Barbara Boxer and the Republicans who finally have shown a little backbone of their own.

Why are some Dems kow-towing to bigots and fears of foreigners?

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Because they are the same masters of the Republicans as well........in this scenario, Nader was right, there is NO differance between that segment of them...........

the Republicans who finally have shown a little backbone of their own.

The only backbone they've shown is fear of losing office.

69.

audrey wrote: The gays, and guns of '08 will be 'the border" says Ed.

Yup! That could be seen at least a year ago. He has used CNN's airwaves to beat more war drums against the illegal "aliens."

Dobbs has long pretended to be "for the middle class" except that he is a fraud. He claims to be an Independent. Buy into that one and he will know he has you hooked. See him for what he is and tune him out. Watch BBC News or Forensic Files instead.

68.

Phil Specht
Thu, 11/08/07
12:03 pm

It's better to be safe than sorry. There is nothing wrong with knowing what is needed for ones basic survival. Most folks in society today live below the survival level. That is why they can be so easily manipulated by fear. They don't even know how to milk a cow or bake a loaf of bread. They have to pay somebody to do it for them. I think it is as important to pay as much of attention to the amount of food that you have in your pantry as you do to the amount of money you have in your bank account.

Nancy Nord Must Step Down

The CPSC is supposed to protect American consumers. If Nancy Nord won't do that, it's time for a change.

Nord doesn't even agree with the most obvious provision of the legislation -- a long overdue ban on lead in children's toys. Lead, most commonly found in bright-colored paints, has been shown to cause developmental delays, impaired hearing and kidney damage, particularly in children.

Tell Your Senators and Representative To Protect Children From Toxic Toys: http://www.peopleoverprofits.org/c.ntJWJ...

64. Exactly, Sitka. waterboarding is ALREADY illegal - the law isn't being enforced by the Bush cabal and congress is complicit.

Do you ever notice it's all the chickenhawks FOR torture? No skin in the game so to speak.

77.

Sitka,

Though I would otherwise agree with you, on this vote there were many Repugs who are not running for re-election in 2008.

The one idiot vote I saw was the senate minority leader, McConnell (R) Kentucky. Kentucky and its neighbor states have severe water shortage but he thinks it more important to stand up for Bush.

McConnell IS running in 2008 who could very well be defeated just as the Kentucky governor was a few days ago.

Keep up the vigilance Sitka!

bbl

The thing about the "illegals" is that in order to sort them out, all the "legals" need to be identified, finger-printed, and asked to show their papers. The focus on so-called illegals is a back door way to institute a national identification system.

Nancy Nord Must Step Down

I signed the letter, but see no reason to believe a replacement will be any better. There is an endless supply of knaves willing to sell their souls to the god of corporate profit.

66. and 80.


That is the problem in corporate America there are just not enough folks in boardrooms who have changed baby's diaper more than once.

Do you ever notice it's all the chickenhawks FOR torture?

Don't forget the 20 Senate Dems expected to confirm Waterboy Mukasey.

http://www.blogforamerica.com/view/22858...

Susan

Food is an item susceptible to high energy cost inflation, and a reserve has to be held somewhere, but the global food budget already depends on the southern hemisphere for half the year. If a situation develops that you are OK because of a full pantry and hungry people are roaming the street it isn't the food that will pull you through it is a sense of community to share it because there aren't enough locks on the average house.

good luck keeping that cow in your backyard from becoming someone elses BBQ

turning the earth with it's fresh aroma digging potatoes has it's own reward but don't think it is a good economic decision

it can be an enjoyable hobby and part of the pyschological reward is that sense of security, plus good exercise to garden so go for it

skip the two hours a day taking care of a cow unless you really are into high value compost ingredients

but then what are Republicans for?

speaking of which now that harvest is done I have a place to use the Republican talking point machine

off to work, hi ho

I never imagined that we'd be sitting here four years after Howard Dean, having won back the Senate and the House, and be dealing with a Congress that is about to:

1)  approve the nomination of someone who won't condemn torture as AG (again!),

2) fund an ESCALATION of the IRAQ war a second time and

3) approved a resolution against Iran that potentially can be used as a justification for attack.

I mean, think about how far we've come!

The sky is falling:


Bernanke says US economy likely to slow
By MARTIN CRUTSINGER, AP Economics Writer 10 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Thursday that a host of economic problems, including the severe housing slump, will cause business growth to slow noticeably in coming months.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071108/ap_o...

Tell me again why (aside from the abortion issue) I don't want to vote for Ron Paul?

Why don't we start the mantra about Vote No Incumbent?

Al Gore was the first to say DON'T GO and continuously asks " I do think our Primay goal should be to get our troops home as quickly as possible".

As quickly as possible is NOW.

I haven't heard him advocate that. 

Dennis will bring 'em home ASAP, starting inauguration day , with no residual troops to look after "American Interests"

Just talked with Thankful. She's on her way out of Chicago, and heading towards Massachusetts. Traveling mercies, please.

http://www.hsmfgco.com/spreadermain.cfm

Republican talking point machine.

Tell me again why (aside from the abortion issue) I don't want to vote for Ron Paul?

He wants to do away with all government programs.  Think 18th century America and that's where Paul wants to take us. His proposals to bring home all US troops from overseas can be had in Kucinich, who also wants take the US into the 21st century (or at least the 20th).

Dennis will bring 'em home ASAP, starting inauguration day

~~~~~~~~~

which isn't now either

The Mormons are supposed to keep ‘a year’s worth of food’ in their pantries.  Smart!  I’ve been a semi-survivalist for years and have recently restocked the essentials.  You never know – with 21 million pounds and then a million pounds of hamburger with E.coli (someone tell me how that can happen from so many states and different slaughter houses. ?)  And spinach and pizza and soup and.. (toy beads).  The easiest thing for ‘terrorists’ to do is taint our food supplies. And then there are always the natural disasters..  There’s a lot of security in even a few weeks worth of non-perishable food. Don't forget the chocolate bars.(and the Immodium) : )

UP Your Veto George

ONE VETO down – many more to come. Way to go Democrats! Lead by example and give the frightened Republicans COURAGE.

The House voted 361-54 Tuesday to override the veto, well above the two-thirds majority neededhttp://online.wsj.com/article/SB119453168774786518.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Why don't we start the mantra about Vote No Incumbent?

I'd rather use a scalpel than a meat clever to get rotten Dems out of office. It'll take longer, but the end result should be better. 

87.

Phil Specht
Thu, 11/08/07
1:07 pm

You're funny.

I'm not going to buy a cow. But I do know a lot of folks who own them. This farm bill we're discussing here has a lot to do with what I am saying about each and every American's sovereignty. Most folks aren't even aware that congress does this sort of stuff. Why is that? But they such can tell you about Brittney Spears' latest hair do or love affair and what is on sale at the local shopping mall.

The DFA vote is getting attention...google it and you'll see hundreds of articles. Here's one from The Nation.

Now that Dennis Kucinich has finished first in a major survey of Democratic activists, perhaps Democratic party bosses and their media acolytes will have to back off their efforts to marginalize him.

No, Kucinich's top-place finish in the Democracy for America online survey that attracted serious attention from major campaigns and drew more than 150,000 voters does not mean the anti-war congressman from Ohio is on a fast track to the nomination. But it does mean that Kucinich is displayed an ability to attract meaningful support from the party's activist base and that his "Democratic-wing-of-the-Democratic-Party" message has appeal.

Kucinich did not secure the 66-percent of the vote required to gain an official endorsement from DFA, the group founded by supporters of former Vermont Governor Howard Dean's 2004 presidential bid and their allies on the party's left flank. But he easily bested the other candidates and the unannounced "contender" who led in the early voting, former Vice President Al Gore.

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/campaignmatters?bid=45&pid=249126

97.

Sam Ross
Thu, 11/08/07
1:16 pm


I grew up in the country. Lots of members in our family were farmers. My father was a union man. So was just about everybody's Dad were I grew up. I was raised a Mid-Western Union Democratic Christian household.

were s/b where

raised a s/b raised in a

100.

Indy Steve
Thu, 11/08/07
1:25 pm

cool!

But he easily bested the other candidates and the unannounced "contender" who led in the early voting, former Vice President Al Gore.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I wouldn't say *easily* ~~ one was a write in, and has no organization 'puffing' him. On that basis, as the best he could do: dismal failure, lol!

I wouldn't say *easily* ~~ one was a write in, and has no organization 'puffing' him.

Draftgore.com pushed Gore. I saw it as a positive. Those who saw fit to ask their supporters to vote in DFA's poll are preferable to those who obviously didn't bother to. 

And in retaliation - George and Dick have sent out the following Holiday Message.

FBI Warns of Al Quaeda Attacks on Shopping Malls During the Holidays!   CNN.com

(small print: - this is 'raw data' - uncollaborted - in other words - somebody probably found it written on a wall in San Franciso)

ONE MORE!   Bomb Threat on Plane - Landed at La Guardia!  DE PlANE!  De-Plane!

We're burning up the lines to Conyers office.

I hear he's taking a pulse poll: Are you for impeaching Cheney, yes or no.

debbie Wasserman Schultz will be on the Schultz show soon. I think she'll get an earful. she said impeachment would take 14 months. Thats a new one.

100.

puddle
Thu, 11/08/07
1:23 pm

Yes, indeedy.

I think it's amazing we came in 2nd with no candidate and as a write in draft effort. We've got a machine and somebody finely noticed. I sure hope Vice President Gore read this poll.

Run, Al, Run!

105.

audrey.nc


YES

Annilow
Thu, 11/08/07
1:09 pm
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Good question about Ron Paul.....I favour his foreign policy mantra, but domestically he really scares me.......sitka and huron are right about him.......if you like Paul, perhaps a safer bet would be kucinich.......

LOL, I've been dealing with a three year old. He's really keen on giving orders; not at all keen on doing what he's told. Makes one think that we have sent a bunch of three year olds to Washington. Need to send some adults.

There's been some suggestion that Congress is like middle school. Looks more like nursery school to me and the nannies are not well trained.

3858

Madera teen held in threat
Student, 16, suspended; rifles seized at his house.
By Charles McCarthy and Anne Dudley Ellis / The Fresno Bee

MADERA -- Police said Wednesday that a 16-year-old sophomore known to some as "Virginia Tech 2" faces charges of threatening to shoot students at Madera High School's north campus.

The boy was arrested Tuesday after police searched his Madera home and seized 15 high-powered rifles -- including some with scopes -- along with hundreds of rounds of ammunition.

The news came the same day that an 18-year-old student killed eight people at his high school in Finland before fatally shooting himself, and Los Angeles police responded to a shooting at Venice High School. No one was hurt at Venice High, and no suspects have been apprehended...photos and full article: http://www.fresnobee.com/263/story/18608...

SoCal fires burn Valley food banks
Those who feed the Valley's hungry brace for shortage due to SoCal fires.
By Farin Montañez / The Fresno Bee

Every fall, local food banks struggle to meet the needs of low-income families -- but this holiday season will be harder than most, officials say.

The reason: Contributions have been diverted to Southern California fire victims.

Donations to the Madera County Food Bank, for example, are down by two-thirds, said Executive Director Dennis Darnell. The bank normally gives out 2.2 million pounds of food a year, helping nearly 500 families a week.

"A lot of people have sent a lot of stuff to [the fire victims] -- and, don't get me wrong, they need it -- but it has left the local people like us running around to find stuff to fulfill our own need," he said. ...photo and fill article: http://www.fresnobee.com/263/story/18606...

Fresno Bee - Quarter of homeless are veterans, study says

Study: 1 out of 4 homeless are veterans
By KIMBERLY HEFLING

WASHINGTON -(AP)Veterans make up one in four homeless people in the United States, though they are only 11 percent of the general adult population, according to a report to be released Thursday.

And homelessness is not just a problem among middle-age and elderly veterans. Younger veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan are trickling into shelters and soup kitchens seeking services, treatment or help with finding a job.

The Veterans Affairs Department has identified 1,500 homeless veterans from the current wars and says 400 of them have participated in its programs specifically targeting homelessness.

The National Alliance to End Homelessness, a public education nonprofit, based the findings of its report on numbers from Veterans Affairs and the Census Bureau. 2005 data estimated that 194,254 homeless people out of 744,313 on any given night were veterans.

In comparison, the VA says that 20 years ago, the estimated number of veterans who were homeless on any given night was 250,000.

Some advocates say the early presence of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan at shelters does not bode well for the future. It took roughly a decade for the lives of Vietnam veterans to unravel to the point that they started showing up among the homeless. Advocates worry that intense and repeated deployments leave newer veterans particularly vulnerable.

"We're going to be having a tsunami of them eventually because the mental health toll from this war is enormous," said Daniel Tooth, director of veterans affairs for Lancaster County, Pa.

While services to homeless veterans have improved in the past 20 years, advocates say more financial resources still are needed. With the spotlight on the plight of Iraq veterans, they hope more will be done to prevent homelessness and provide affordable housing to the younger veterans while there's a window of opportunity....more photos and full article HERE: http://www.fresnobee.com/605/story/18572...

If Gore announces in the next few days, we may not know about it right away. It's all OJ on the cM.

Councilwoman (and now BFA blogger) Linda Mastellone - I like the sound of that!

Way to go Hunterdon DFA!

FBI Warns of Al Quaeda Attacks on Shopping Malls During the Holidays!   CNN.com

But...but...Bush told me to go shopping!

Shiny NEW THREAD now available.

To Rosi, Bob, Jeff and all the others who posted, thank you for your good wishes.

And, thanks, Jim--your help was invaluable!!!