Movement under way in California to ban divorce

This is good. Read More......

Joe and Carlos got to see elephants

My jealously is growing.

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Only .125% of Republicans say Dick Cheney best reflects GOP core values

Via the Plum Line:

Just 1 percent pick George W. Bush as the best reflection of the party’s principles, and only a single person in the poll cites former vice president Richard B. Cheney. About seven in 10 say Bush bears at least “some” of the blame for the party’s problems

First off, I wonder if Bush and Cheney did so poorly because, in a ranking of all GOP officials, Palin outranks them - and if you can only vote for one person, the conservative fringe that now makes up today's GOP would vote for Palin. Secondly, conservatives never trusted Bush in the first place, so now that they make up most of the GOP - moderate Rs walked a long time ago - it's no wonder that they don't give Bush high marks. Still, a good deal of schadenfreude to be gleaned from the poll. Read More......

Slate on "Obama's Brilliant First Year"

I won't weigh in on this one. What do you think? Is the writer correct?

This conventional wisdom about Obama's first year isn't just premature—it's sure to be flipped on its head by the anniversary of his inauguration on Jan. 20. If, as seems increasingly likely, Obama wins passage of a health care reform a bill by that date, he will deliver his first State of the Union address having accomplished more than any other postwar American president at a comparable point in his presidency. This isn't an ideological point or one that depends on agreement with his policies. It's a neutral assessment of his emerging record—how many big, transformational things Obama is likely to have made happen in his first 12 months in office....

Obama has wisely deferred some smaller, politically hazardous battles over issues such as closing Guantanamo, ending "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," and fighting the expansion of Israel's West Bank settlements. Instead, he has saved his fire for his most urgent priorities—preventing a depression, remaking America's global image, and winning universal health insurance. Chow time indeed, if you ask me.

Do you agree? Read More......

H1N1 strikes during the hajj

It's a big enough problem that five people have already died and another seventy three cases documented. Saudi Arabian authorities are dismissing the figures as insignificant though it hardly sounds irrelevant. And as some are suggesting, we may not know the full extent of the problem until visitors return home.

Speaking on the final day of the Islamic pilgrimage, Abdullah al-Rabeeah said authorities recorded 73 cases — including the five deaths — of H1N1, commonly known as swine flu. He said only 10 percent of the some 2.5 million pilgrims were vaccinated against the virus.

"Our safety precautions have secured a very successful and safe hajj for pilgrims from around the world with no infectious disease outbreaks," al-Rabeeah said.

Read More......

Joe and Carlos meet a roaring lion

Joe is still in South Africa, back Wednesday morning. I just saw him online and he sent me the link to this video he posted of their safari. Too freaking cool (and a bit odd, in a way - something about the car near the lion is jarring to me.)



Someone clearly didn't have their coffee. Read More......

Sup Ct upholds Obama's refusal to release torture photos

Doesn't make it right. (NB In April, the White House had no problem with releasing the photos.) Read More......

Secret Service director and State Dinner crashers to testify before Congress

I agree that we have to get to the bottom of this. I'm not entirely sure I want to give these boors any more air time. Perhaps a close door hearing? Read More......

Swiss ban Muslim minarets

Fascinating, and somewhat odd, story.

Swiss voters defied their Government and clerics yesterday and approved a ban on building minarets — reflecting an alarming hostility to a rising Muslim minority.

Fifty-seven per cent of voters in a referendum supported the direct democracy initiative...

I'm not sure I totally get it, but let me pose a few devil's advocate questions:

1. Is it okay for municipalities, in any country, to regulate if and when Islamic centers, or mosques, can play their call to prayer on speakers outside?

2. Is it a valid concern if immigrant groups refuse to assimilate? I remember someone mentioning this to me a while back, and I told them how my grandmother, who had been in the US for, what, sixty years, knew probably 20 words of English. I used to love how we'd visit her home and knock on her door, and she'd answer "who ees?" Yiayia (as we Greeks call our grandmothers) was 100% American, and proud of it. She simply didn't assimilate.

3. But is there a difference between my yiayia and a Muslim fundamentalist? Is there a difference between a Muslim fundamentalist in Europe and a Christian fundamentalist, or Mormon, in America? Don't all three groups sometimes try to impose their minority views on the rest of the population? Read More......

Politico's typical bitchiness undercuts a few valid concerns

Politico has its moments. Ben Smith, one of their bloggers, is an actual journalist. He doesn't write for sensation, or to help one party over there other. He writes his blog to be interesting political news. The rest of Politico, not so much.

That's why a story like today's "7 stories Barack Obama doesn't want told," is so frustrating. There are some important nuggets in the story - at its core, the article is about certain memes about President Obama that are taking hold, and potentially damaging to him and his presidency. Of course, being Politico, even the title of the article reads like it's straight out of Cosmopolitan or the National Enquirer - hinting at sex and scandal and who knows what other sordid secrets. Don't get me wrong, much of the story is crap, precisely because it seems to have been written to titillate, if just politically. But, I would argue that perhaps five of the seven memes (if you ignore Politico's partisan-tainted analysis) are worth paying attention to - not that they're necessarily true, but that the GOP is succeeding in convincing the public that they're true. Here they are:

1. He thinks he’s playing with Monopoly money - YES

He doesn't, but I do think that the Republicans have done a great job of painting Obama, and Democrats generally, as profligate spenders. It's absurd, since starting in the Reagan years, it's been Republicans who have repeatedly broken the bank with their spending. But Democrats did a poor job of raising the deficit as an issue during the GOP administrations, while the Republicans did a pretty amazing job of tagging the Dems in just the past 11 months. The Obama team should have done a much better job defending the stimulus package and the bailouts AFTER they occurred. It's almost as if the legislation passed, or the package was implemented, and the administration washed its hands of it. The administration and the Dems on the Hill should be in constant campaign mode. All promote, always defend, always attack. They're not.

2. Too much Leonard Nimoy - YES

The point being: All brain, not enough heart. I do think the President runs the risk of coming across as too cerebral. That every decision will be analyzed to death. That he never gets angry (like real people do).

3. That’s the Chicago Way - NO

I don't get this one. I've heard the GOP repeatedly push this theme, but being from Chicago, I don't get it. Many of us wish Obama would show a more hard-hitting side. We're not concerned that he's too tough, too nasty, too hard-hitting. Perhaps the attack is taking hold - I don't see it.

4. He’s a pushover - YES

This one is dangerous for Obama. A lot of people, Democrats and Republicans, think that he's a pushover. That he doesn't like - will actively avoid - controversy. That he refuses to spend political capital. That he won't keep a political promise if it might upset the Republicans, or conservative Democrats. Even the president's greatest victories in the past year - the stimulus and it's 40% give-away to tax cuts in order to woo 3 Republican votes, comes to mind - hold a very mixed message of "success" and "psyche!"

5. He sees America as another pleasant country on the U.N. roll call, somewhere between Albania and Zimbabwe - YES AND NO

I don't think there's any basis for this claim, it's absurd. But, it is a key talking point of the far right, always - that world government is going to take over and ruin our American way of life. It's batty, but the conservative wing of the GOP - which is now most of the GOP - believes it. The question is whether it ever matters what the FOX News crowd thinks. They're still a minority of the public, regardless of how angry and nasty they are.

6. President Pelosi - NO

I don't see it, and I don't get it. The notion that Pelosi has somehow taken advantage of Obama and run rough-shod over him. If anything, I think the opposite has happened. And regardless of the truth of the accusation, I'm not convinced it even is an accusation. The GOP has tried to demonize Pelosi, often in a rather sexist manner, but they haven't claimed that she's somehow stolen Obama's manhood. I just don't see it. (Oh, and Politico's claim that the Speaker is as popular as Dick Cheney is crap. She's at 41% approval. Cheney has consistently hung out around 20%.)

7. He’s in love with the man in the mirror - YES

I'm not saying he IS in love with himself, I'm saying that such a perception is out there - that Team Obama thinks they're the smartest folks in the world, so you should go away and let them save the world - and it's dangerous for the President and Democrats in general. Read More......

Wash Post: Palin particularly popular among fans of Limbaugh and Beck

You think? This isn't news. What is interesting, however, is the fact that yet another poll shows that the remaining people left in the GOP are far more conservative than just a few years ago.

Those who identify as Republicans today see themselves as more conservative politically than those who said so during the last years of the presidency of George W. Bush.

This is the challenge for Republicans. How do you deal with the pressure in your own party to veer to the right, when by doing so, you risk alienating the very people who left your party because it veered too far to the right - people you need back in order to win elections? Read More......

How the Public Option would work

From the NYT:

HOW IT WOULD WORK Both bills would create new insurance exchanges, with an array of plans to choose from, for a limited number of Americans — those who lack group coverage and must buy policies directly from insurers and those who work for small employers, about 30 million people within a few years. With millions of potential new clients, all major insurers are expected to participate. And Congress willing, a new public plan would also be available.

The government would run the public plan, but both the Senate and House versions would require it to compete on a “level playing field.” It would have to follow the same rules as the private plans, meet the same benefit standards, maintain the same reserves, and support itself entirely with premium income, with no federal help beyond start-up money that would have to be repaid.

The secretary of health and human services, as the head of the plan, would have to negotiate rates with health care providers just as the private plans do.

As the Times points out, the current bills are no great shake. Yet, a few Democrats still threaten to bring the entire bill down if we don't protect the industry that's lining their, and their wives', pockets. Read More......

Reconciliation as savior for health care reform?

David Waldman over at Daily Kos writes a detailed analysis of the pluses and minuses of using the Budget Reconciliation process to pass health care reform. As David notes, we're still hearing the usual threats from Lieberman et. al. to join the Republicans in filibustering the health care bill if it contains the rather weak public option that we've been left with. It real is time for the President and Harry Reid to tell the hold out to get with the program. If they're willing to screw with Obama's number one policy item, then imagine the damage they're going to cause if we embolden them here and now. Read More......

Monday Morning Open Thread

It's gonna be a bad week for Mike Huckabee. It's also another bad week in gay-land for the Obama administration, after we found out on Friday that the Office of Personnel Management, run by an openly gay man, intervened to stop Blue Cross from extending health benefits to a lesbian. As for me, I'm still in Chicago, getting ready to go power shopping with my sister - a feat not for the feint of heart. And finally, sometime this week, Mr. Sudbay will grace us with his presence, after his two week trek to South Africa. Hopefully, he'll have some stories and photos to share. Read More......

Magnets for fighting cancer?

Not that the Big Pharma industry will like this, but wow. What should also be noted is that despite what the loony right wing says in the US, studies like this are done by global groups. In this case including, France, UK and US. How foolish does someone have to be to think the US stands alone in technological advancements? Just because a loon who has never experienced anything outside of the US says the US is number one in everything, doesn't mean that it's true. Smart people (and stupid people) can be found anywhere. AFP:

Tiny magnetic discs just a millionth of a metre in diameter could be used to used to kill cancer cells, according to a study published on Sunday.

Laboratory tests found the so-called "nanodiscs", around 60 billionths of a metre thick, could be used to disrupt the membranes of cancer cells, causing them to self-destruct.

The discs are made from an iron-nickel alloy, which move when subjected to a magnetic field, damaging the cancer cells, the report published in Nature Materials said.

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EU accused of creating problem for new climate change treaty

There may be a lot of truth to this report, but it's going to be a hard time to find any country - EU or US - that is willing to increase funding for much of anything. The rich countries are the major polluters so yes, they most definitely should be funding the poorer countries. It may not be right but that is simply the state of the global economy for the time being. The Guardian:

The papers, seen by the Guardian, show that the EU has removed lines in the negotiating text of next month's Copenhagen climate change summit which stress the principle that climate change aid comes on top of existing development aid. The EU negotiating team has written: "Cannot accept reference to 'additional to', and 'separate from' ODA [official development assistance] targets."

Aid agencies said Europe threatened to fatally undermine the talks.

"No developing country will sign up to an agreement that could give them no extra money at all. The EU and other rich countries must provide new and additional finance, otherwise there will be no deal at all," said Rob Bailey, Oxfam's senior policy adviser. Developing nations have been unanimous and implacable on the terms of the finance deal.

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Muppets do Bohemian Rhapsody

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Huckabee granted clemency to suspect in quadruple cop killer case in Wash state

This is very bad. Huckabee has a history of clemency gone wrong. Let me remind you of a previous Huckabee clemency we wrote about two years ago:

Huckabee basically helped secure the guy's release because the convict had raped a distant relative of Bill Clinton - and being a distant relative of Bill Clinton, the right-wing attack machine said the woman who was raped wasn't credible (even though the guy was convicted), and they demanded that the rapist be set free because, after all, he only raped a Clinton. Well, it seems that Governor Huckabee agreed. He set the rapist free, and then the guy molested and murdered another woman. But even better? Huckabee now denies that he had anything to do with the release of the rapist/murderer. Funny, then why did Huckabee meet with the parole board on behalf of the rapist/murderer?

More on the cop killer story. It's a nasty story. Read More......

White House crashers want hundreds of thousands for their story

Just me, or does anyone else want to see these people in jail? Then again, if you could jail someone for being tacky, most Palin fans would be locked up. Read More......

Report: Bush let Bin Laden get away in 2001

This is not news. John Kerry repeatedly tried to make this point in 2004, to no effect. You get what you vote for, folks. Read More......

Bhopal 20 years later

It's hard to believe how little was done following this catastrophe. How do people not go to jail? How has there not even been a trial? The Independent:

Those who were mere children when the fumes overcame this city of a million are suffering, too. Painful skin lesions, stomach problems and raw, itchy eyes are common complaints among thousands of families, some of whom moved to Bhopal only in recent years. And the clinic says that Bhopal now has some of India's highest rates of gall bladder and oesophageal cancers, TB, anaemia and thyroid abnormalities. Young girls start menstruating much later than normal and experience painful gynaecological problems, which often lead to hysterectomies at a young age.

These problems, say campaigners such as the Bhopal Medical Appeal (BMA), are linked to the continuing pollution of parts of the local water supply by chemicals such as chloroform and carbon tetrachloride. Families have no choice but to use ground water for washing, cooking and drinking when safe sources run dry, according to new research that will be published by the BMA on Tuesday. The study found higher levels of several carcinogenic chemicals in water sources this year compared with last year – strongly suggesting that future generations will be poisoned unless the area is decontaminated. This flies in the face of recent claims by state and national ministers that the site is clean.

Read More......

Dem enthusiasm lower than Repubs and Indies

Not good news if this keeps up by the time next November rolls around. From Daily Kos' Weekly Tracking Poll:

The poll now includes a rather simple indicator of baseline voter enthusiasm for the year 2010. The question offered to respondents is a simple question about their intentions for 2010:

QUESTION: In the 2010 Congressional elections will you definitely vote, probably vote, not likely vote, or definitely will not vote?

The results were, to put it mildly, shocking:

Voter Intensity: Definitely + Probably Voting/Not Likely + Not Voting

Republican Voters: 81/14
Independent Voters: 65/23
DEMOCRATIC VOTERS: 56/40

Two in five Democratic voters either consider themselves unlikely to vote at this point in time, or have already made the firm decision to remove themselves from the 2010 electorate pool. Indeed, Democrats were three times more likely to say that they will "definitely not vote" in 2010 than are Republicans.

They've certainly squelched my enthusiasm. Read More......

Blair thinks evidence used against him is "distasteful"

Tony Blair is as narcissistic as ever. It always has to be about his personal spin. To speak the truth against this scheming war monger is somehow unfair. It should be interesting to see how this war study commission deals with Blair once he arrives. Will they be gentle and give him a free ride or do they finally smell blood now that he is finished in politics?

Mr Blair's friends claimed last night that he has found some of the evidence given so far "distasteful", and potentially damaging to his reputation. "It is clear that the headlines so far have not been helpful to him," a former minister said. "But more troubling is the sense that some of the people involved are so keen to stick the knife in. It is quite distasteful."

Another Blair ally said the former leader had made clear his concern that "his reputation could be shredded by the Chilcot process". "He is furious that mandarins are seeking revenge and discovering their principles after the event," one friend added.

Sir Christopher Meyer has attracted much criticism from Blairites following a flamboyant appearance during which he claimed Mr Blair's view on "regime change" in Iraq hardened after a private meeting with Mr Bush in 2002. He also compared Mr Blair unflatteringly to Margaret Thatcher. The former diplomat told the inquiry on Thursday: "She would have insisted on a clear, coherent political/diplomatic strategy and I think she would have demanded the greatest clarity about what the heck happened if and when we removed Saddam."

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ABC's THIS WEEK doesn't tell you that Dan Senor is a former Bush official

CORRECTION: It's even worse. The unidentiable journalist was actually Matthew Dowd, top strategist for Bush/Cheney 04 who recently realized he was working for the forces of darkness. So that means 4 ABC had 4 people who were either conservative or leaning conservative, and one liberal.

I'm watching ABC's THIS WEEK with my mom, and the roundtable has Will, Cokie, Krugman, another big journalist (I forget his name), and this guy I don't recognize. The unknown guy is making a lot of weird right-wing partisan comments, and I'm scratching my head trying to figure out who he is. Finally his name pops up on the screen: "Dan Senor, author." Hardly. Dan Senor is a former senior Bush administration official. As the only political hack on the panel, and a former Republican spokesman to boot, Senor should always be identified as such. Not to mention, where is the former Democratic official on the panel?

Right-wing panelists:
Will
Senor

Lean right:
Cokie
Dowd

Left-wing panelists:
Krugman

3 right, 1 left. Welcome to THIS WEEK. Read More......

Canadian comedians zing Palin AGAIN

Dear God, she's stupid. The woman on this video is exactly a Canadian comedienne in her conservative character costume. Shes from a show that ABC says is the Canadian equivalent of Jon Stewart. (You'll recall that the previous time the Canadians pretended they were French President Sarkozy phoning Palin during the campaign.)

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Abe Pollin

The mark of a great writer is someone who can weave a fascinating tale about a subject you hate.

I can't stand sports. And only had vaguely heard of Abe Pollin, though I had no idea who he was. Maureen Dowd eulogizes him today in a beautiful article. It's really worth a read. And it's just one more piece of evidence that, underneath the snark, Dowd is a hell of a writer.

(Since Joe is still in Africa until about mid-week or so, I thought I'd mix it up a bit and skip the Sunday morning open thread....) Read More......

French Thanksgiving

We've done quite a few Thanksgiving meals in Paris though this was the first truly French Thanksgiving. Jo's cousin Isabelle is 100% French though loves American culture and did a semester or two at Cornell when she was in college. Months ago she made sure that we would lock in this date for her dinner and wow, she really did a great job right down to the pumpkin pie. The turkey was perfectly moist (brining, of course!) and everyone well fed. It's never easy preparing big meals in tiny Paris kitchens but Isabelle is such a great cook so she rose to the occasion.

This afternoon we're lined up for our Franco-American Thanksgiving. I'm bringing the port wine/orange cranberry sauce and a new recipe for sweet potatoes.


The stove was gearing up for the meal. Creamed corn with fresh cream, sweat potato puree, cranberry sauce and a tasty mushroom starter. And of course, a starting supply of wine in the background.

More below...


The turkey has arrived! It's not the most typical food that you will find over here so it was quite a show. It was a 7 kilo bird which is enormous for here.


Full of jokes and a taste for theatrics, Cedric was quite good with carving the turkey. It wasn't the typical think slices that we grow up with but instead, nice chunks. I think I'm going to try that next time.


Turkey, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and stuffing. It's all there.


We found a Thanksgiving quiz online and despite the holiday being American, the group performed well. When it came time to do Joelle's favorite "let's go around and tell everyone what they are thankful for," it crashed and burned. A bit too touchy-feely. Read More......

UK extreme right MP to attend Copenhagen climate change talks

Think Inhofe with a bit of Glenn Beck and then make a sharp right turn even if you didn't think it was possible.

In a speech in the parliament last week, Griffin denounced those who warn of the consequences of climate change as "cranks". He said they had reached "an Orwellian consensus" that was "based not on scientific agreement, but on bullying, censorship and fraudulent statistics".

"The anti-western intellectual cranks of the left suffered a collective breakdown when communism collapsed. Climate change is their new theology… But the heretics will have a voice in Copenhagen and the truth will out. Climate change is being used to impose an anti-human utopia as deadly as anything conceived by Stalin or Mao."

Griffin will be one of 15 representatives chosen to speak on behalf of the EU in Copenhagen. The shadow climate change secretary, Greg Clark, condemned the move last night. "It is utterly ridiculous that someone who doesn't even believe in climate change should be seeking to represent Europe in Copenhagen. The BNP does not command the support of the people of Britain, let alone of the rest of Europe," he said.

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The Obama failure: senior citizens increasingly relying on food pantries

Why is this Obama's failure? There's little doubt that the current economic condition is a direct result of the GOP policies that were implemented with the Clinton economic team, including Larry Summers. Obama obviously had nothing to do with that. Where he is responsible though is hiring Summers and that right wing group to steer the economy. Obama has ignored the liberal economists over and over. Instead, he has bought into the Wall Street view of the world. He talks a big story and yes, we hear his outrage. After a while though, shouldn't he step up and quit the talking and do something to stop the feeding frenzy? We can't afford both and there's little to suggest the Wall Street bailout was appreciated or respected.

Is it ethical and morally acceptable to maintain the posh Wall Street lifestyle when we are seeing so many Americans falling so far behind? The moral compass in this White House doesn't look significantly different from the Bush years and that is indeed a serious disappointment. Obama is sadly in as much of a bubble as George W. Bush. The apologists always like to blame Geithner (who deserves blame) for everything but he's not the president, is he? There's still time to get back on track but it's disappearing quickly.

The number of seniors living alone who seek help from food pantries in the U.S. increased 81 percent to 408,000 in 2008, compared to 225,000 in 2006, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Overall, 4.7 million households used American food pantries in 2008, compared to about 3.7 million in 2006.

"Seniors thought they were OK, but they're not OK," said Virginia Skinner, director of Development at The Association of Arizona Food Banks in Phoenix, citing the downturn in the area's housing market.

Catholic Charities USA, which has 170 agencies across the country helping the needy, issued a 2009 third-quarter report that found a 54 percent increase in requests for food and services from seniors nationwide compared to the same period last year.

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Arctic ice conditions much worse than satellite images suggested

Somehow, the anti-science crowd in the US can't recognize that there is a problem. Ignorance is bliss for the teabaggers.

University of Manitoba researcher David Barber said experts around the world believed the ice was recovering because satellite images showed it expanding, but the thick, multiyear frozen sheets have been replaced by thin ice that cannot support the weight of a polar bear.

"Polar bears are being restricted to a small fringe of where this multiyear sea ice is. As we went further and further north, we saw less and less polar bears because this ice wasn't even strong enough for the polar bears to stand on," said Barber, who returned from an expedition to the Beaufort Sea in September.

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Krugman on taxing speculators

He's for it. Geithner is against it. Read More......

Does 'cash for appliances' make sense?

On the heals of the 'cash for clunkers' campaign that boosted car sales, the administration is now looking at a new program to boost the energy efficiency of American households. It's an ugly truth that US households are among the least efficient in the industrialized world. Even using the best numbers, US households use at least twice the amount of energy as their UK counterparts. Part of the reason is that energy costs in the US are dramatically less than other industrialized countries. Part of it also has to do with the manufacturers (such as GE) who have made few technical advancements in decades. US appliances are big and bulky and energy pigs. (And what gives with US washers and dryers that destroy clothes in no time?)

Using the "Betty Crocker" Easy-Bake style ovens and appliances over here can be annoying around this time of the year when they barely can squeeze in 15 pound turkey (and nothing else) but then again, so can writing a check to pay for the energy. On the one hand, it seems ridiculous to positively reward the appliance industry who has been a big part of the problem. It's questionable how many appliances are even made in the US as well. At least with the 'cash for clunkers' program the Japanese cars were often coming from the US factories. On the other hand, if this is what it takes to bring US households into the modern world with energy efficiency, maybe it makes sense.

On the heels of its ballyhooed "Cash for Clunkers" program for cars, the federal government is expected to finalize details in the coming weeks of another tax-supported shopping extravaganza, known as "Cash for Appliances."

Supported by $300 million from the economic stimulus, the program will offer rebates to consumers who buy energy-efficient refrigerators, dishwashers, air conditioners and other appliances to replace their older models.

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Please don't pass health care reform, lest we be healthier and have more

From conservative economist Greg Mankiw:

Put simply, the healthcare reform bill would make the United States more like western Europe. That may mean more security about healthcare, but it also means that future generations of Americans will likely spend more time enjoying leisure.

Yeah, wouldn't want that to happen. Read More......

Blue Cross sends another love letter to its members

From a friend:

The day after Thanksgiving and I get a " Love Letter " in the mail from the crooks at Blue Shield of CaLeeforneah

A notification to announce that as of 1-1-2010 :

" Blue Shield will no longer reinstate policies that are cancelled for nonpayment of premiums. This means that if your premiums are not paid in full and received by the due date, your policy will be cancelled and you will need to re-apply for coverage."

Translation of the attached 4 page updated endorsement language :

* If your check is received just one minute late TOO F'G BAD - YOUR POLICY IS CANCELLED!

* No more Grace period! (currently they allow 2 grace periods for late payments in a 12 month window...)

* If we do reinstate you guess what - it'll be at a far higher rate MOFO, Don't like that, cry me a river BEOTCH!

Yet another f-you to the American body politic. The middle class gets screwed again while our Jimmy Carter in the White House continues his sad, tragic metamorphosis into Bill Clinton Redux.

I pay my invoice within 48 hours of receiving the invoice and I double check 4-6 biz days later to make sure the check was cleared....but I imagine in the almost real world unemployment in CA of close to 20% loads of people are struggling to make the monthly payments this is another outrageous backstabbing.

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Saturday Morning Open Thread

Pet day is over. I'm expecting a slow weekend, news-wise, with everyone still home for the extended holiday. I avoided the stores yesterday - have never been much of a Black Friday kind of guy. My sister and her family usually go to downtown Chicago the day after Christmas and get their sales shopping done then. It's fun, I've gone with them before, we sometimes hit the Lincoln Park Zoo too, which is lit up nicely with Christmas lights (though it's usually FREEZING). Did anyone brave the stores yesterday? How big were the discounts, were people shopping and buying? Read More......

If anyone is looking for some relaxation and simple fun

This might not be for you. I don't know how the heck this guy does it but he's amazing. Crazy, but still pretty impressive. Here's another video of him going down the Grimselpass which is over 7,000 feet. Yikes. I think I'll stick to my walks around town and bike rides along the Marne. Read More......

H1N1 mutations spreading

As many have often suggested, H1N1 by itself is a problem though it is impacting far fewer people than the normal flu. The concern though has always been about the H1N1 mutating and running out of control. With the H1N1 flu mutating, doctors have to be a bit more concerned. Here in Paris, a friend of a friend has been staying at the hospital with their teenager son who had to be hospitalized. What started as the H1N1 flu then became double pneumonia and he has been in intensive care. Even now his state is quite delicate. He is now in quarantine because he has so many abscesses in his lungs and could pick up anything and potentially die. This from an otherwise healthy teenage kid.

The Norwegian report a week ago has since spread including to China and also in France where people have died from the mutation. Read More......

Can you find the one pet?

Reader Jim from Seattle writes: Only one of these is a living, breathing critter – can you find her? Read More......

Carmela vs. my nephew Anthony

My nephew Anthony decided he was going to show me how much my sister's dog, Carmela, does NOT like to have air blown in her face. I'd never seen it before. It was hysterical, and adorable. Fortunately I grabbed it on my iPhone (and was rather surprised at the quality of the video, for a phone). It's only 46 seconds long, and I think will put a smile on your face.

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Driverless cabs coming to the UK

Whether this is the model of the future or not, something like this will definitely be gaining ground in the coming years. The heck with not tipping - that's not a problem - but chances are good that you won't be shafted so badly by taxi drivers in unfamiliar cities.

The Personal Rapid Transitt units called 'pods' will shuttle up to 4 passengers and their bags from specific spots in the airport's business car park to Terminal 5 in a matter of minutes, the British Airport Association said in a press release.

The service is due to be launched in the spring of 2010 and is being touted as a carbon neutral alternative to the taxi rank. The pods run purely on electricity, generate zero local emissions and are typically 70 percent more energy-efficient than traditional airport buses, the BAA said.

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A dog named Boo

Reader Scott writes:

This is our 12 year old Golden Retriever, Malibu - - but we called her Boo.

She came to us when she was 5 and filled our lives with joy.

Sadly, we had to put her down this past Tuesday. She had a very aggressive form of spleen cancer, and it did not seem fair to put her through surgery and chemo.

We'd appreciate it if you could post her photo - - she truly was a GREAT dog and family member.

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Report: Iran confiscated Nobel Peace Prize from activist

It's so wrong in so many ways. CNN:

Iranian authorities confiscated the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize given to human rights activist Shirin Ebadi, Norway said Thursday.

"The medal and the diploma have been removed from Dr. Ebadi's bank box, together with other personal items. Such an act leaves us feeling shock and disbelief," Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store said in a written statement.

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Gary and his pets

Reader Gary writes in about his pet farm:

Bill (on right) and I live in DC and rescued Franny from the DC shelter whenlived on Independence Ave. on the Hillfrom death row at the DC pound:



When we moved to Takoma DC and had a yard, we adopted Schubert (a schnoodle), who just before being put down was fostered by a DC shelter volunteer. Me, Schubert and Bill.



I found this guy when I was up in Pennsylvania when my dad had surgery. When I went back 2 weeks later, he was on sale and I had to have Rocky McDuff so he drove home with me, in a heavy rain storm.



This led us to terrier-mania (which merged with my political mania):
Worrying about the rightwing.

And leaning stongly to the left.



Wilkie was a rescue from a no-kill shelter (Hearts United for Animals) and is a mix of Scottie, Dachshund and who knows what else.



Norma (aka Bit because she was so small) was rescued from bushes along Military Road when Bill was out exercising.

And finally, during cold weather last year, Stray Puss started hanging around under our porch and Bill began feeding her while I built her a shelter (which she used to get on top to sun, but doesn't go in -- so a sheltered window well bed was made for her). She stayed through the summer and is still coming around for the catfood du jour.

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Obama admin reportedly blocks lesbian from getting health benefits after judge ordered it

The Obama administration's Office of Personnel Management, run by an openly gay man, no less, reportedly intervened to stop a lesbian government official from getting health insurance, after a court had already ordered it to happen. Obama's OPM told Blue Cross not to provide benefits to the woman just as it was about to happen.

This is why Joe and I are asking all fair-minded Democrats, straight and gay, to join us in taking a pledge not to donate to the DNC, Organizing for America, or the Obama re-election campaign until President Obama and the Democrats keeps their promises (and stop hurting our community). (More on the pledge here.) Read More......

A criminal conspiracy of pedophilia called "the Catholic Church"

It sickens me that these people have the nerve to tell anyone else how to live their lives, while they're busy raping children and covering it up. Had any other organization done what the Catholic Church has done, in aiding and abetting the systematic rape and abuse of children - for decades - they'd be shut down and thrown in jail. But in the case of the Catholic Church, we're all expected to genuflect - even those of us who aren't Catholic - and enshrine the supposed morality of the pedophile enablers into our laws.

I, for one, am sick and tired of having to listen to the moralizing of child rapists. This latest report is just as sick as all the rest. From the NYT:

The Roman Catholic Church and the police in Ireland systematically colluded in covering up decades of child sex abuse by priests in Dublin, according to a scathing report released Thursday.

The cover-ups spanned the tenures of four Dublin archbishops and continued through to the mid-1990s and beyond, even after the church was beginning to admit to its failings and had professed that it was confronting abuse by its priests.

But rather than helping the victims, the church was concerned only with “the maintenance of secrecy, the avoidance of scandal, the protection of the reputation of the church, and the preservation of its assets,” said the 700-page report, prepared by a group appointed by the Irish government and called the Commission of Investigation Into the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin....

It reserved particular criticism for the police and for four archbishops of Dublin: John Charles McQuaid, who died in 1973; Dermot Ryan, who died in 1984; Kevin McNamara, who died in 1987; and Cardinal Desmond Connell, who retired in 2004. The report said those four knew of the abuse, but did little about it....

The report details examples of priests who were blatant, notorious abusers, but who were allowed to continue without punishment or censure. One priest admitted to abusing more than 100 children. Another said he had abused, on average, a child every two weeks for 25 years.

I can't get married, but this church can systematically enable the rape of children in country after country, decade after decade, and continue to get away with it. Absolutely sickening. The Catholic Church should never, ever be permitted to weigh in on any moral issue ever again. And if they dare, we should all publicly raise the issue of their pedophilia problem, loudly, again and again, until they shut up and go away. Read More......

James writes that Sarah likes to talk on the phone

Reader James writes:

My cat Sarah (attached) actually talking on the phone. I would put the phone to her head and she would speak, I caught her on digital film just this once, though she was on several of my phone messages over the years.

She just did it the first time I offered her the opportunity, and would often say hello to my friends if she were laying near when I was yakking.

She is gone two years now, after having her for 16 years. Best cat-friend ever, along with her daughter Midnight who followed her a year later after 17 years. I miss them so much but know they're causing trouble somewhere else as needed, and I would have a problem caring for them now as I have to travel a lot taking care of my parents. Like two large old cats. traded...

In any case I can't access my full trove of catpictures while traveling, like now, but I will find a good one of Midnight and send as soon as possible. And only one each or you'd get hundreds, trust me.

I really really really enjoy all the pet pictures. Thanks.

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Is it time to abolish the filibuster?

A very well reasoned editorial from the Nation argues that the filibuster should be abolished.

This is not what democracy looks like. When Americans vote, by overwhelming majorities, to place control of the executive and legislative branches in the hands of a party that has promised fundamental change, they are supposed to get that change. They are not supposed to watch as a handful of self-interested and special-interested senators prevent progress by exploiting the arcane rules of the less representative of our two legislative chambers--rules requiring that not a majority but a supermajority be attained in order even to discuss necessary reforms, and that a similar supermajority be in place to thwart a filibuster.

Yet this is where America, a nation often inclined to tell other nations how to practice democracy, finds itself as the debate about healthcare reform reaches its critical stage. We have a president who is prepared to sign legislation to expand access to healthcare while establishing at least some controls against profiteering by insurers. We have a House of Representatives in which a majority has voted for imperfect but real reform. We have a Senate in which a majority is ready to vote for what could be even better reform. Unfortunately, that majority is sidelined as a few wavering senators game the system.

Unless Harry Reid and his colleagues implement majority rule--by abolishing rules that allow two-fifths of the chamber's members (as few as forty-one senators) to prevent passage of that legislation--the character and quality of any "reform" will be dictated by a tiny minority from some of the nation's least populous states.

I wasn't a big fan of the Republican proposal to do away with the filibuster a few years back, and I'm still a bit nervous about this one. Yes, the GOP is thwarting democracy by blocking something the overwhelming majority of the public wants. But the Democrats in Congress, and our president in the White House, are complicit. They refuse to lay down the law with errant Democrats, and they refuse to truly fight back against the Republicans. So while I worry that the filibuster is being abused, I remember what happened the last time someone promised me that one simple change in the Senate would solve all of our problems.

It was the folks who told me that all we needed was 60 votes, then my dreams would come true.

What do you think? Read More......

Friday Morning Open Thread

Happy Birthday to me... you learn by a certain age that if you don't self-promote your own birthday, no one is going to do it for you :-) Otherwise, had a very nice Thanksgiving with the family in Chicago yesterday. We do a pretty traditional American Thanksgiving, nothing Greek about it. Christmas on the other hand, is lamb lamb lamb. Last night, however, was my other Chicago favorite, pizza.



Giordano's stuffed, to be exact. Half sausage (for me and the nephews), half spinach (for sis). It's like eating a half pound wedge of molten cheese. Yu-mmy.

Anyway, yesterday we devoted the day to fun holiday YouTube videos, which we like to do on the holidays, and I'm suspecting today will be a slow day, as holiday hangovers tend to be. So, I'll cover any news that's necessary, otherwise I'll be introducing you to a few more of the readers' pets throughout the day, it being Friday and all. Read More......

Amateur treasure hunter find valued at $5.5 million

Good for him and the land owner too. The museums have to be thrilled as well, not to mention the British people who now have an incredible glimpse into their rich history.

The largest haul of Anglo-Saxon gold ever discovered, unearthed by a metal-detector enthusiast in a farmer's field, has been valued at 3.28 million pounds ($5.5 million) by a committee of experts.

The Staffordshire Hoard, found by Terry Herbert in central England in July, comprises over 1,500 mainly gold and silver items thought to date back to the 7th century.

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UK Iraq war inquiry: Blair decided on war one year before invasion

But remember, Blair was supposed to be the clever guy, educated at Oxford. Do they have pay-cash-will-enter programs like the Ivy League too or is he in fact, just a smart person who is a fool? Either way, it's another reminder as to why he was rejected as the first EU president. It's also even more obvious that Blair was one of the most gutless PMs in British history. Did he really think George Bush was on the right side of history? Really? The Guardian:

Tony Blair's government decided up to a year before the Iraq invasion that it was "a complete waste of time" to resist the US drive to oust Saddam Hussein, opting instead to offer advice on how it should be done, the former British ambassador to Washington said today.

Sir Christopher Meyer, testifying to the Chilcot inquiry into Britain's role in the war, made it clear that once the Bush administration decided to take military action, the Blair government never considered opting out or opposing it.

He said that the timing of the invasion was dictated by the "unforgiving nature" of the military build-up rather than the outcome of diplomacy or UN weapons inspections, which had not been given sufficient time. British officials were left "scrabbling for the smoking gun" – evidence for Iraqi weapons of mass destruction – as preparations continued.

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