Why I'm Feeling Almost Sick About Hillary

photo © Marek Novotný for openphoto.net CC:Attribution-ShareAlike

Andrew Sullivan, a confessed conservative who blogs over at The Atlantic, several years ago reversed his previous support for the Iraq War and has become a huge Obama supporter.
He's had an ongoing aversion to all things Clinton and at one time described Hillary as having "cooties." Or maybe he said she gave him the creeps. I can't remember, but I thought he was being extreme and reflecting the misogyny that colors much opinion. And it may be misogyny.
But in this post on Friday, he makes the same case I would make if I had the patience to write it. And he probably does it better than I would.
It's short. And reasoned.
I'm not putting up anything else political this weekend and will go looking for more pooties or something.

Wyoming Caucus Results

Well I knew Obama was favored to take it, but 59% seems way overboard, like he killed her.
Now on to the Mississippi primary on Tuesday, then a nice respite until Pennsylvania and North Carolina in six weeks.
This is the most fascinating and important election of my lifetime and, sadly, I'm turning into a Hillary hater. Good thing I keep to myself, I might get nasty if I ran across a supporter.

High Heels May Be Good For You

Not me, way not me. I haven't worn an elevated heel in so long that I can't remember the last time. I still have that pair of cute little red dancing shoes I bought when I was in my 30s, but never worn. I think it's the last pair I bought. I don't think I have any more left from that previous life of wantonness.
But anyway, an Italian researcher — female — found out that heels can be good for your pelvic pleasure, your postpartum (I am so-o-o postpartum) recovery and all sorts of other things I can't remember because it doesn't apply to me.
But not good if you have knee, ankle or hip issues. Isn't that most of us? Oh, well.

FISA Action Alert

Free FAX From Your Computer Below
Okay, Glenn Greenwald and Firedoglake are saying it's time once again to pressure House leaders to do the right thing, protect the Fourth Amendment and forget about telecom immunity.
There's a piece of draft legislation floating around from the House committee that reportedly does NOT contain immunity for the companies' previous cooperation with the administration's illegal electronic spying.
Trouble is, they may put it back in at some point during negotiations with the Senate or float a separate immunity bill, which no doubt will pass with the help of the so-called Blue Dog Dems.
FAXing is most effective and you can do it for free from your computer. If you use the free service detailed below, they will send you an email that you must use to confirm before the FAX is sent. Be sure to check your junk mail, which is where my first confirmation landed.

FAX Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Speaker Pelosi:
Phone: (202) 225-4965
Fax: 202-225-8259

and Intelligence Committee Chairman Sylvestre Reyes
Rep. Reyes:
Phone: 202-225-4831
Fax: 202-225-2016

Free FAX from you computer at FAX Zero

Dear Speaker Pelosi/Chairman Reyes

Please do all you can to prevent passage of any legislation providing immunity to the telecom companies that cooperated with the Bush administration's illegal spying.
I understand there is draft legislation being prepared and urge you to post it online so the American people may see for themselves what is being proposed.
Millions of us are closely watching the process on this surveillance legislation and receiving daily updates of events as they unfold. We will hold leaders in both parties responsible for any further deterioration of our Constitutional rights.

Yours sincerely,

State Stats of Women in High Office

Prompted by a little flap the Mississippi Obamaites are making over Hillary's dissing of the state for having no history of electing women to federal office or governorships, Markos Moulitsas, the owner/founder of Daily Kos had someone research all the states.
If you're curious, it's here.

By the way, Hillary was in Iowa when she dissed Mississippi. You'll notice that Iowa also has a zero for zero record. Heh.

Women's History Month

Believed to be the earliest picture of Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan.

Strangers With Candy

Okay, Amy Sedaris isn't for everybody. But I say, anybody who puts her slightly used cosmetic and dental products on a table for sale at 25 cents to party guests is my kind of person.
And her brother's name is David. Yeah, that David.

Funnies

Some of you know I am sort of addicted to woot.com (for the writing, not the products, but of course I spend money there.)
Well, one of the writers is doing news, too.

PASADENA, Calif. (AP)—A robotic spacecraft circling Mars has snapped the first image of a series of active avalanches near the planet’s north pole, scientists said Monday.

Previous spacecrafts have only been able to capture images of the more common passive avalanche, or as it is traditionally known, “a pile of rocks”.

Yikes, it's getting late and I have to run over and change the channel, for some reason the Osmonds are on PBS. WTF?

Mac Prank

Norm!

My congressman Norm Dicks was on fire tonight on the Lehrer News Hour over the lost Boeing tanker contract, battling with some "expert" I never heard of.
"The Europeans would never in a million years" do what the U.S. Air Force did, and somehow John McCain is in the mix. I haven't been following this at all but it sure is entertaining, I might stay tuned.
There will be hearings.
(Note: I've met Dicks, shaken his hand, he's a crusher, and used to get a calendar from him every year because of previous contact as a reporter for his hometown newspaper. he's always quotable.)

Clinton: Post-Primary Analysis

from the Washington Post. Money quote:

One of Clinton's favorite books is "Team of Rivals," Doris Kearns Goodwin's account of Abraham Lincoln's Cabinet, and she assembled her own team of advisers knowing their mutual enmity in the belief that good ideas come from vigorous discussion. But while many campaigns are beset by backbiting and power struggles, dozens of interviews indicate that the internal problems endured by the Clinton team have been especially corrosive.

If I find something equally as informative about Obama, I'll post it. In the meantime, John McCain is off to Europe.

Today's Treasure

You can download and listen to some wonderful music here.

On Death

Oh, julimac, did you have to bring that up?
Well, there it is. It sits on your shoulder, reads your thoughts. And ur blogz, heh.
This quote from a Philip Larkin poem today in a highly recommended interview by Harper's blogger and all-round wonderman Scott Horton.

And specious stuff that says no rational being Can fear a thing it cannot feel, not seeing that this is what we fear—no sight, no sound, No touch or taste or smell, nothing to think with, Nothing to love or link with, The anesthetic from which none come round.

The interview is with Susan Sontag's son David Reiff about his mother and his book about her death.

No FISA today

Oh, there's an urgent "call them, write them" post(s) up on Daily Kos all because House Intelligence Committee Chair Sylvestre Reyes said something unclear but if you've ever seen him on C-Span you'd kinda wonder when he's ever said anything clearly.
And Nancy Pelosi said something that made everybody paranoid that she's willing to throw immunity under the bus.
But there's also speculation that the Dems and the R's are just gonna let everything stay the same and not do anything, which is good.
And neither Glenn Greenwald or Firedoglake are writing about it. I'll wait to see what they have to say

Your kids, grandkids

are called Millennials (sp?). This is what they like. 4 1/2 minutes, over a million hits on YouTube.

Oh Just One More

Also from xkcd.

Nuff Said

From this little ditty.

Something New

Want to call your congressman? FAX your senator? Email the guv?
I have added a column on the right slugged Action Resources One-Stop
with the first of a small set of resources for us all. Use it when you need it.

No Politics: Dill Batter Bread

Over at Daily Kos, when they get the occasional so-called troll diary, bad writing, bad reasoning and with some absurd but transparent agenda, the commenters start posting recipes in response.
God knows there's been enough bad reasoning, bad writing, bad punditry and absurdity connected to this campaign for the Democratic nomination that I feel burned out from reading it all.
So I've eased up on posting the past few days. But I'm hungry and I'm going to go the store now to pick up some dill seed, yeast and cheese for this:
(Mmmm)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon instant minced onion
• 2 teaspoons dill seed (NOT dill weed!)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup small curd cottage cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 egg

PREPARATION:

Grease a 1-1/2 or 2 quart casserole with solid shortening and dust with flour; set aside. In a large mixer bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups flour, whole wheat flour, yeast, sugar, onion, dill seed, salt, and pepper and mix to combine.

In a small saucepan, combine milk, ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, and butter until warm, about 120 degrees F. Add to flour mixture along with egg and beat until combined. Beat three minutes at medium speed, then stir in enough remaining flour to make a stiff batter.

Spoon batter into prepared casserole. Cover and let rise until double, about 1 hour. Bake in preheated 375 degrees F oven for 35-40 minutes until deep golden brown. Remove from casserole and let cool on wire rack for 20 minutes, then cut into wedges to serve. Serves 8

Not a Primary Post

Sigh, it's going to go on awhile I guess.
In the meantime, the ACLU wants us all to call our representatives about the FISA bill and here's a link to their site where you just plug in your zip code and they give you the name and phone number.
The current thinking is that the House is splitting the Senate bill, separating out the telecom immunity portion so that those who are against it can be on the record opposing it when they vote.
But there are enough Blue Dog Dems willing to add their votes to the R's that it will pass anyway.
I suppose they could actually do it today with the Bush/McCain lovefest the big news to give cover, but I also read that it can't happen that soon because the rules committee has to weigh in first, arcane procedural stuff.
I'm tired of it, I need a mini piggy to cuddle.

Mini Piggies

They named the smallest Tetley because he's about the size of a teacup.
I want, I want.

FISA Again

Here's another petition you can sign. Because it's clear the House is going to approve the Senate bill to give telecom immunity, why bother at this late date? It only takes a minute so why not add your voice to the growing list of people speaking out, let them hear you.



A bigger step is to call your representative. Here's the number, just ask for the office of your representative. I think there's an 800 number, too, but haven't looked it up.
(202) 224-3121.

FISA Update

Word out there in Blogikistan today is that the House is about to capitulate and approve some form of telecom immunity later this week and then the whole thing lands in court as Sen. Russ Feingold has predicted. What a slog it will be.
Meanwhile, remember the premise behind this assault on the Constitution.