Tu Solo Tu, Ana Gabriel

Ana Gabriel--Tu solo tu


I've got to close the set with a classic mariachi song, Tu Solo Tu, the Mexican torch song.

Malagueña Salerosa

Tequila and lime, anyone? It's that kind of night.

Hollywood On Fire

Huge ass fire today in Hollywood ... not in, at or near Universal City. The fire is buring right behind the Hollywood sign, and the news caption on television says Universal City! Cracks me up. Actually, there's no such "city" as Hollywood, Universal City, or even Van Nuys, for that matter. All are enclaves with unique name identification, but other than West Hollywood, Burbank and Glendale, every other "city" in the greater Los Angeles County area is part of Los Angeles County. The fire started up in the Hollywood Hills, and water from the Hollywood reservoir was utilized to put it out. It wasn't even close to Universal City, and was closer to Burbank for christ's sake. Isn't Hollywood just as recognizable as a name and city, as Universal City?

Stuff like that irks me. Like the Anaheim Angels calling themselves Los Angeles Anaheim.

My office is in Koreatown, and the view from the 13th floor north looking at the hills was awesome. When the fire was in full blown mode, it looked like a nuclear mushroom cloud. I was transfixed and had the tv on at work and was streaming a KTLA live video on the computer. When I saw it starting, I called it at Barham just above the Oakwood Apartments, much to the amazement of my co-workers. I've looked out that window for seven years, and know every inch of those mountains from sight.

UPDATE 8:41 P.M.: These are photos taken out the window of my apartment.

Who's Reading Carrie's Blog?

It's always fun to review the data obtained by Site Meter for the blog. Those that post know that you leave a trail at each site that gives your IP address, the city you are in, the referring link and what the search words were. I am always amazed that I get hits from Asia, of all places, that find me using the search words Warren Wiebe, on whom I did a post.

The ones that really give me the willies, though, are the government IP addresses. Like the one last night from Alexandria, VA, using a pentagon.mil IP address! The search words? Opinion Research Business. You remember them. They are the group that polled and published the report that everything in Iraq is just rosy, that Iraqis prefer the now to the then under Sadaam, etc., which poll I debunked here.

I have had hits from senate.gov, which is still not quite as scary as from pentagon.mil!

UPDATE: Another hit from the same pentagon.mil, with the same search words. That's two days in a row. Should I be nervous?

$3.29 A Gallon, Regular

It was $3.21 on March 20, 2007; went up to $3.25 over the weekend, and now it's at $3.29.

"There is a new congress in town."

Finally, someone on the Hill with the cajones to tell Bush to "calm down." Oh, my bad, no cajones there, just Pelosi and her virtual balls!

Calm down with the threats. There is a new Congress in town. We respect your constitutional role; we want you to respect ours. This war must end. The American people have lost faith in the President’s conduct of the war. Let’s see how we can work together. This war is diminishing the strength of our military,
not honoring our commitment to our veterans, and not holding the Iraqi government accountable.

Yee haw!

Last Call For Alcohol, On The Jukebox, St. Germain

I'm gonna close the bar tonight with some St. Germain. Enjoy.



You'll love this one.



This is one of my favorites... damn, the visuals are way cool!

Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain

Sorry, I just had to post this video. Willie and Shania. I can sleep well tonight.

Shania Twain and Willie Nelson Forever and For Always Live

I am an unabashed fan of Shania. Don't even ask. I shared an elevator with Willie once. His bus was parked out in front of my office building, and he was hurrying up to his accountant's office (laughs). He was no taller than me, damn (I'm 5'6") and I was thinking .. shit, I'm eye to eye with Willie!

Shania Twain - Man! I Feel Like a Woman

Best thing about being a woman, is the perogative to have a little fun.

Amen to that!

48-50-2

I am surprised the Senate was able to pull this off. Kudos.

"After all, you're entitled to do this when you win elections and get to run the Justice Department, right?"

I haven't really posted much on the US Attorney purge, mostly because other sites have been spot on in their coverage. Especially, Josh Marshall, who sums this up, nicely.

It is a rather revealing sign of what some Republicans mean by corruption. Rep. Chris Cannon (R-UT) says that Democrats haven't been able to show that any corruption was involved in the US Attorney Purge. But we know that US Attorney David Iglesias was fired because he wouldn't submit to pressure from Republican activists and members of Congress to issue an election-timed indictment to save New Mexico's Republican Rep. Heather Wilson. That, and in general not pursuing bogus 'election fraud' prosecutions against Democrats, as Republican activists wanted. In the old rule of law days, this would be seen as the definition of corrupt use of the justice system to interfere with the integrity of elections and advance narrowly partisan aims. But to Rep. Cannon (R-UT), that's how things are supposed to work. After all, you're entitled to do this when you win elections and get to run the Justice Department, right? That's the Chris Cannon world.

-- Josh Marshall

UPDATE: This post by Glenn Greenwald also sums up quite succinctly what is really important about unraveling the US Attorney purge.

And the fact that Alberto Gonzales and top DOJ officials simply got caught lying the minute that minimal amounts of oversight were exercised -- the minute that their statements were investigated for accuracy rather than blindly assumed to be true-- demonstrates just how pervasive this corruption and deceit has been at the highest levels of the Bush administration. And this has occurred principally as a result of a Republican-led Congress that did not just fail to investigate, but deliberately sought to help the administration conceal wrongdoing so as to politically prop up and protect the President.

In light of how quickly and powerfully evidence of wrongdoing and deceit is spewing forth with minimal amounts of prodding, it is just inconceivable that our Beltway stars -- including alleged journalists -- would be more worried about the unpleasantness and disruption that comes from uncovering corruption and illegality than they are about the corruption and illegality itself. But that is exactly the message they are conveying.

And none of that should be surprising, even though it is so destructive. After all, our government would not have been able to spend the last six years blocking all forms of accountability and checks if not for the support of our national media. So it should hardly come as a surprise that so many of them do not believe in that which lies at the core of our political system since its founding -- namely, a belief that all political leaders must constantly be subjected to rigorous scurtiny and compelled disclosure of their conduct.

-- Glenn Greenwald

Disco Saturday Night

Disco Saturday Night - YouTube Random Ten

Ain't No Stopping Us Now - McFadden & Whitehead



Everlasting Love - Carl Carlton



I'm Your Boogie Man - KC & The Sunshine Band



Heart Of Glass - Blondie



Got To Be Real - Cheryl Lynn



Mamma Mia - Abba



It's Raining Men - The Weather Girls (MY FAVE!)



I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor



Disco Duck - Rick Dees



Turn The Beat Around - Vicki Sue Robinson

Little Darlin' - The Diamonds

I was hoping to find a video of The Stroll, but, I'll take this one.

Turning Out The Lights On A Traffic Stop

As many of you know, if you have followed some of my local posts, I live across the street from a major gasoline station.

Tonight, I noticed a police car pull up to a pump, and I thought to myself, "hey, cops don't fill up at the regular pumps, so what's up?" Then I noticed they were pulling over another driver, who was by now at the pump in front of them. Between the two, they blocked an entire four pumps. I know the guys working the station were pissed.

An hour later, and three cop cars are now there. I gather they are impounding the car, but if they were arresting the occupants, they would have handcuffed them and placed them in the back of the cruisers by now. I'm not sure why three patrol cars for what appears like a general "your tags have expired" type of tow situation.

Now, it's closing time, and I was wondering what the guys who work there would do. Sure enough, they turned out the lights on the cops! Ha ha ha.

UPDATE: All for naught, it appears. No arrests and no tows. Wonder what the ticket they were writing was for.

All's well that ends well, especially in Los Angeles.

Delta Air Lines CEO Turns Down Compensation Package

Wow. Who would have thought it possible?

Turning his back on a potentially lucrative payday, Delta Air Lines CEO Gerald Grinstein said Monday that he is refusing any stock, stock options or cash when the carrier emerges from bankruptcy.

Grinstein, who has led the USA's No. 3 airline since January 2004, said he wants Delta instead to invest what he would have gotten in post-bankruptcy bonuses, to be used for scholarships and emergency hardship assistance for Delta employees, families and retirees. Under a post-bankruptcy compensation plan unveiled Monday, Grinstein could have been expected to net about $10 million, including such bonuses, over about three years.

The other airline CEO's whose companies are also coming out of bankruptcy, are not likely to follow in the same suit.

By contrast, United Airlines' management wanted 15% of that airline's stock divided among the top 400 executives when it exited bankruptcy last year. When bankruptcy creditors objected, executives ended up with 8%.

Northwest Airlines, which filed for Chapter 11 protection on the same day as Delta, filed its reorganization plan with the court on Feb. 15, leaving out its proposal for executive compensation after bankruptcy. The company has said it will file that at a later date.

Dig Deeper Into The Business Of All The US Attorneys, Not Just The Fired 8

All this time, we were wondering just exactly what Rove was really doing. Now we know. The answers lie in the Justice Department (DOJ). This is where the deepest, darkest secrets regarding manipulation of the American people's representatives, the United States Attorneys, are based.

Ah, I love the smell of subpoenas in the morning.

"... we failed to zealously represent the interests of the American public."

For those of us that thought the administration/government's caving in on the tobacco lawsuit was wierd, this is an illuminating disclosure:

The leader of the Justice Department team that prosecuted a landmark lawsuit against tobacco companies said yesterday that Bush administration political appointees repeatedly ordered her to take steps that weakened the government's racketeering case.

Sharon Y. Eubanks said Bush loyalists in Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales's office began micromanaging the team's strategy in the final weeks of the 2005 trial, to the detriment of the government's claim that the industry had conspired to lie to U.S. smokers.

She said a supervisor demanded that she and her trial team drop recommendations that tobacco executives be removed from their corporate positions as a possible penalty. He and two others instructed her to tell key witnesses to change their testimony. And they ordered Eubanks to read verbatim a closing argument they had rewritten for her, she said.

"The political people were pushing the buttons and ordering us to say what we said," Eubanks said. "And because of that, we failed to zealously represent the interests of the American public."

I always thought this stunk to high heaven, but MSM was silent on it.

H/T to Think Progress.

But, I've Got No Knickers On!

Shirley Bassey - TRY A LITTLE TENDERNES

This is a fun video. I was in a Bassey mood after watching the American Idol singers tonight.

$3.21

Gas prices stayed pat at $3.15 for for a few days, then went to $3.17 over the weekend, and now it's up to $3.21.

Anyone want to place bets for $4.00 by year's end?

It's Looking More And More Like Watergate Unfolding

In my early twenties in the Watergate years, I remember how information kept coming out about the break-in and the ties to the President and the alleged cover-up. Back then, this was just incredulous to me. Mind you, I didn't for a moment put it past the Nixon administration to be guilty of any and all the claims being made, but it was such a far cry from what was the perceived governmental involvement in things nefarious. Of course, the younger generation were opposed to the Viet Nam war, but it really wasn't until later that the facts underlying the United States' presence there were revealed.

So, I was constantly on the edge of my seat as each new revelation came out about the Nixon administration. As I watched it all fall apart (who can forget Martha Mitchell and all her ramblings!) I was amazed at the depth and level of the conspiracy! And, of course, the famous tapes with the missing parts (erased, for sure).

Now, I have a completely different attitude about the Bush administration's lies and deceit, and there is not a single doubt in my mind that this guy is crooked, and his entire administration is crooked, and most Republicans in congress are crooked. I don't sit and watch Bush press conferences in amazement ... I'm shrieking at the top of my lungs at this most extreme lying sack of shit.

It's beginning to look a lot like Watergate.

UPDATE: Speaking of "missing," TPM has this to say.

SHADES OF ROSE Mary Woods? An 18 day gap?

I think a commenter in our document dump research thread may have been the first to notice that the emails released by the Justice Department seem to have a gap between November 15th and December 4th of last year.

They Were Fired, Damnit, They Did Not Resign!

What a petulant piece of shit. Dude, the U.S. Attorneys did not resign! They were fired. The presigod cannot even stop from lying in his press conferences.

FIRED, not resigned.

Opinion Research Business Poll Summary Not Really True Interpretation Of The Data Collected

So, I cruised over to my favorite right wing bullshit blog, Butts4Bush, and the acid kool aid they are tripping on today caught my eye.

First off, the writers of the blog have, to me, gone off the deep edge ever since November 2006, when the most horrible thing that could ever happen ... happened. After that, the state of denial of the blog staff and commentors has become blatantly apparent. Among their memes is the one that things are rosy and functional in Iraq, just not reported by the left leaning liberal press.

Today's lead off post was about a new "survey" that claimed most Iraqis believe they are better off now, love the Americans and don't believe there is a civil war. That stuck out like a sore thumb, or a black eye if you will, because none of those things are documented. In fact, quite the opposite is documented. I also noted that there was no link provided for the "poll" nor a link provided to the poll taker. It took some digging, but I found Opinion Research Business who allegedly conducted the poll.

The back up data and charts do not support the conclusions they came to. For example, the statement that only 27 % believe that there is a civil war in Iraq and 61% think there is not, is skewed. Here is the question and optional responses:

Which of the following comes closest to your own opinion about the state of Iraq at the moment.

Responses:

Iraq is in a state of civil war - 27%
Iraq is close to a state of civil war but not in one yet - 22%
Iraq is still some way from civil war - 18%
I don't think Iraw will ever get as far as civil war - 21%
Don't know/refused - 11%
No answer - 3%

To me, it is clear that a majority of those polled believe Iraq is in a civil war, very slose to one, or still some way. That is 61% of those polled that view the civil war issue as either occurring, iminent or looming, and not the other way around.

Here is the release, as posted on Butts4Bush:

MOST Iraqis believe life is better for them now than it was under Saddam Hussein, according to a British opinion poll published today.

The survey of more than 5,000 Iraqis found the majority optimistic despite their suffering in sectarian violence since the American-led invasion four years ago this week.

One in four Iraqis has had a family member murdered, says the poll by Opinion Research Business. In Baghdad, the capital, one in four has had a relative kidnapped and one in three said members of their family had fled abroad. But when asked whether they preferred life under Saddam, the dictator who was executed last December, or under Nouri al-Maliki, the prime minister, most replied that things were better for them today.

Only 27% think there is a civil war in Iraq, compared with 61% who do not, according to the survey carried out last month.

By a majority of two to one, Iraqis believe military operations now under way will disarm all militias. More than half say security will improve after a withdrawal of multinational forces.

Margaret Beckett, the foreign secretary, said the findings pointed to progress. “There is no widespread violence in the four southern provinces and the fact that the picture is more complex than the stereotype usually portrayed is reflected in today’s poll,” she said.

Here is the link to the actual survey site, and the .pdf charts with the actual questions.

On the positive side, some commentor on the Butts blog found the site as well, and pointed out some of the same stuff I have already opined.

MadTV - iRack

I saw this making the rounds yesterday, but I was busy listening to my Irish and Celtic music that I didn't have time to view it.

Very, very funny skit. Watch it.

HAPPY SAINT PATRICK'S DAY, AND MAY THE LUCK OF THE IRISH BE WITH YOU

The Irish in me comes out once a year on St. Patrick's day. Kelly is the surname of my maternal ancesters, and I remember always having dinner at Kelly's Steak House in the Long Beach area, with my family.

I never got into the "green" beer thing, but I will pinch you if you are not wearing the green! For me, since I got all my tattoos that have green in them, I never have to worry about getting pinched! As for the beer, my Irish roots lends itself more to the stout and darker beers rather than the pale ales that the non-Irish like to put green food coloring in!

I've always been into punk music, and these two bands have been my faves at St. Pat's day: Dropkick Murphys and Floggin Molly. Enjoy!





And, now for something more traditionally Irish.







Have a great day, and if you drink too much, call someone for a ride, please, or walk home! Don't drive.

Helen Thomas Keeps Her Seat

The White House Correspondents' Association has decided to keep Helen Thomas' seat in the first row.

As a board, we decided to move CNN to the first row. This decision was based on CNN's 27 years of covering The White House, as well as the resources it brings to the in-town and travel pool, and its daily presence at the briefings. In addition, the board agreed to honor a previous commitment by our association to maintain Helen Thomas' seat in the first row. As the dean of the White House press corps, Helen is an institution. First with United Press International and now as a White House columnist for Hearst newspapers, Helen has covered every president since John Kennedy.

Kudos all around.

George Burns, Bob Fosse, and Harrison Muller

Totally tripped out finding this video!

As a hoofer, I LOVE Fosse! He's what we all aspired to be like.

A Note To Gonzo

Take a cue ... a little hari kari will do ya.

Ice Ice Baby

Sorry, but I actually liked this song. Loved the sampling. Who knew he didn't have permission for some of the beats, but hey, whatever.

Ice, ice, BABY!

"In Country We Don't Use The F-Word"

I've always liked Hank, Jr., and when Kid came out, I actually liked his stuff. I was looking for "Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound" by the two of them, but this was all that YouTube had.

"We don't say bitch, we say 'yes, ma'am."

If Hillary Is Elected, She Promises To Keep Troops In Iraq Instead Of Bringing Them Home

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton foresees a “remaining military as well as political mission” in Iraq, and says that if elected president, she would keep a reduced military force there to fight Al Qaeda, deter Iranian aggression, protect the Kurds and possibly support the Iraqi military.

Well, I knew I didn't like Hillary and didn't want her to be the nominee, let alone president. This statement just cinches the deal.

No To Hillary.

Brad Delp Death Ruled Suicide

Wow, this is definitely sad:

BOSTON (Reuters) - The recent death of Brad Delp, lead singer of the rock band Boston, has been ruled a suicide, police in New Hampshire said on Wednesday.

Delp, 55, was killed by carbon monoxide piped through a tube from a vehicle's exhaust pipe into a bathroom where he was found dead on March 9, said Lt. William Baldwin of the police in Atkinson, a southern New Hampshire town where Delp lived.

When A Lie Becomes A Felony

Of course, the reason that lying to Congress is a felony is because Congress is composed of the representatives of the American people, and when executive branch officials lie to Congress, they are lying to the country. They subvert the entire constitutional order by preventing the American people from exercising overisight over the executive branch through their representatives in Congress, and it turns the President into an unchecked, unaccountable ruler. That is precisely why lying to Congress is considered to be virtuous and an entitlement by this administration and the movement which spawned it (the truly bizarre demands for Lewis Libby's pardon further reflect not merely an indifference, but this same admiration, for those who lie in pursuit of The Right-Wing Cause).

Another great article by Greenwald.

Lying about having sex with Monica was perjury warranting serious investigation. Lying about partisan motives for firing U.S. attorneys not so warranting?

No Matter What The Circumstances Are

The US Attorneys serve at the pleasure of the President - he can hire and fire them at will, so no such action is a matter of scandal, no matter what the circumstances are.

Some people really do drink the kool aid, no matter what the circumstances are. (emphasis mine)

Courtesy of Butts4Bush, no link provided intentionally.

$3.15

And the price just keeps creeping up, another two cents from March 10.

Gas Price Rising Faster In California

California gasoline prices jumped above $3 a gallon for the first time this year, according to energy statistics released today.

The statewide average price for a gallon of self-serve regular gas hit $3.068, up 17.1 cents from the previous week and more than 53 cents above year-ago levels, according to the Energy Department's weekly gasoline station price survey.

The statewide price is not a record high but is well above normal levels for this time of year. California motorists were pumping some of the nation's most expensive gasoline, with the average pump price averaging $3.058 in Los Angeles and $3.184 in San Francisco.

"As a matter of fact, the real enemy is Al Qaeda, it's Al Qaeda stupid, it's not in Iraq."

"Where the hell were you in the Vietnam War? If you had gone to Vietnam like the rest of us, maybe you would have learned something about war. You can't keep troops on the ground forever. You gotta have a mission. You gotta have a purpose."

You can't keep sending 'em back and back and back with no mission and no purpose. As a matter of fact, the real enemy is Al Qaeda, it's Al Qaeda stupid, it's not in Iraq.

Sounds like a bitch slap to me!

Max Cleland responding to Darth Cheney's speech today.

H/T Crooks and Liars.

Too Bad Rob Can't Spell

I have to admit that despite the fact I rarely watch television oustide of the little kids stuff (I have a four year old grandson living with me), I do watch Survivor and Amazing Race.

I am soooooooooooooooooooooo glad Rob and Amber got eliminated tonight. Karma's a bitch, eh Rob?

The funny part is that what put Rob and Amber at the bottom was Rob's inability to spell for shit. Lesson, peoples... get educated. Being devious can only get you so far. An education, including basic grammar and spelling, puts you over the edge.

Dubai, Meet Halliburton - Halliburton, Meet Dubai

HOUSTON and UAE – Halliburton Company announced today at a regional energy conference in the Kingdom of Bahrain the opening of a corporate headquarters office in the United Arab Emirates. Halliburton Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Dave Lesar will move to Dubai to lead the company's efforts in growing Halliburton's business in the Eastern Hemisphere, an important market for the global oil and gas industry.

Yeah, like no one saw this coming. H/T to Think Progress.

UPDATE:

Is this about tax breaks? Getting beyond the reach of congressional subpoenas? And what about all that sensitive information that Halliburton has had access to? At a minimum, reincorporating in Dubai would mean that Halliburton will be paying less taxes to the U.S. Treasury, even as it collects billions from government contracts.

Village People - Macho Man

This seemed like a better song to close the bar with!

Disco Saturday Night!

Party hardy on the floor! Freestyle! I loved dancing to this song when it was out. Of course, Boogie Fever is probably their better known hit.


If you were ANY fag whore in the 1970's, you know how this song pulled anyone and everyone off the walls and rafters to the dance floor .. poppers and all! This is, of course, the extended version.

I can never listen to this song, and not visualize the bartender at the Odyessy on Santa Monica. No, not in THAT way, he was gay. But, he had this routine when he served drinks whenever this song was played.

Closing out the set with Tavares.

Last call for alcohol ... and don't make me play YMCA!

Another Four Cents Added At The Pump

It was $3.09 on March 8, 2007. It's now $3.13.

Once Again, The White House Shows Its Hubris

Yesterday, the American Federation of Government Employees, the largest federal workers union, blamed pressure on the Army from the White House's Office of Management and Budget for the decision to privatize its civilian workforce.

"Left to its own devices, the Army would likely have suspended this privatization effort," John Gage, president of the organization, said in a statement. "However, the political pressure from OMB left Army officials with no choice but to go forward, even if that resulted in unsatisfactory care to the nation's veterans."

All in all, the thing I like most about all this coming out is that it will more than likely put to rest any talk about "privatizing" social security. Privatization to this administration is pretty much akin to "line up at the trough, little piggies, and feed of the public dole."

Who Knew Biking In Hollywood Actually Meant Riding A Schwinn?

I have no fucking clue what this was about here in Los Angeles, but I'll have to ask my daughter tomorrow, since she already went out to join the "crew." Just now, about 100 or so BICYCLISTS went cycling by, crusing down Sixth Stret (which parallels Wilshire Blvd.). When my daughter said she was going to be biking for a few hours tonight, I seriously thought she meant on a hog or something, even a Yamaha or a Honda. But a Schwinn? That was not what I envisioned. Still ... the sound and the sight of all those bicycles at this hour was so awesome!

It's Been Such A Long Time ... So Long, Brad

Wow. A death in Boston. And I'll be 55 next month.

Boston and Van Halen were my "road trip" music in the 1970's and 1980's.

I last saw Boston in 1988, for my first, and last time, in Irvine. Man, what a dump, but it was the only venue they were playing during that tour that was near Los Angeles. Although the venue sucked, the concert did not.



The hair is what sticks out to me! I know the men were rebelling against the buzz cut in those days, but it trips me out just how out there all the "hair" got.

Smokin' is my fave Boston song, but YouTube is not flush with Boston Vids.

It's been such a long time ...



The video is not the best, but hey, I'm posting all I can tonight. This was actually the song that started most of my road trips!

RIP, Brad.

We Don't Need No Stinking Freedoms!

Mr. Bush played down the protests in interviews ahead of his trip with Latin American news organizations. "I am proud to be going to a part of the world where people can demonstrate, where people can express their minds," he said in an interview with Univision. And he told CNN En Espanol: "The trip is to remind people that we care."

Compare that with this:

A former White House official who ordered three activists expelled from a 2005 Denver public forum with President Bush says it was White House policy to exclude potentially disruptive guests from Bush's appearances nationwide.

Bush speak with forked tongue .. again.

$3.09

Another six cents in two days. Are you mad YET?

Eddie Izzard: Empires

"Hitler never played Risk as a kid."

A Town Called Fucking. No, Seriously!

This is hilarious!

It reminds me of back in the '70s when a friend (it was his idea and he was a renowned photographer) and I would call up international information operators just to chat them up. One night we probably talked to an operator in Rome, Italy, for nearly half an hour! Back then, 411 calls were FREE.

More GSA Stuff

Waxman has discovered that Doan “used a January 2007 teleconference to ask senior GSA officials to help ‘our candidates’ in the next elections through targeted public events, such as the opening of federal facilities around the country.” Doan discussed with GSA officials “how to exclude House Speaker Nancy Pelosi from an upcoming courthouse opening in San Francisco and how to include Republican Senator Mel Martinez.” Doan’s activity is now being investigated as a potential violation of the Hatch Act, which prohibits partisan campaign activities on federal property.

I'm not very happy with how this new Democratic congress is tackling some of the big issues concerning this administration. But, I am glad shit like the above is finally going from the tin foil hat brigade stage to the congressional investigative stage. The one-sided and exclusive use of the governmental apparatus available to congress has irritated me.

H/T to Think Progress.

Rockin' The Blues At Carrie's Bar Tonight

Well, last night, was a rockabilly night, but tonight it's strictly the blues. And there is no better way to start off, than with Howlin Wolf!

Movin' on to John Lee Hooker


To Skip James

Let's shift gears, to Lonnie Mack

And, closing out the set, Smokin' Joe

A good night was had, by all!

Earl Hooker Off the Hook 1969

Now, this is some playing.

And There Are Still Democrats Asking What The Fuss Is About?????

FOX News: We Propagandize, Because We Know Our Viewers Don't Want To Think For Themselves.

Not jumping on the bandwagon, but I am in total agreement that hosting the Democratic presidential debate on FOX is pretty much like putting a gun inside your mouth and pulling the trigger.

I still think that the only Democratic candidate agreeable to this is Hillary, because she's the only one that's actually been in bed with Rupert Murdoch, so to speak.

US Refuses To Sit At UN Human Rights Table

The United States will not seek a seat on the UN Human Rights Council, senior officials said Tuesday, asserting the body had lost its credibility with repeated attacks on Israel and a failure to confront other rights abusers.

Shame on you if this comes as a surprise!

What's A Little Bump At The Pump

Another bump in the price of gas, now up four cents from just two days ago, to $3.03 per gallon for regular.

Art of Noise - Peter Gunn

Just when you think you are out, they pull you back in!

Last Call For Alcohol

Ok, so I was rocking out to some cool sounds tonight, and ended my rockabilly stint with some Duane Eddy.

Then I ran across this cool Tube video of Duane with Art Of Noise.

I just love "Peter Gunn" by everyone that has performed it. That bass line is very distinctive. And the lead that mirrors it .. like lobster melting in my mouth, to use a food metaphor!

This video is so 1980's!

I'm On A Rockabilly Roll Tonight

Rockabilly guy, never gonna change my style.

More jive!

How old are these CATS?

Ah, rockabilly AND go go dancers!

Another Ridiculous Right Wing Explanation For The Walter Reed Fiasco -- It's Socialized Medicine!

The way this is being politicised is nauseating...especially coming from leftwingers who for the past 5 years have shown they don't care at all about the troops.

At any rate, it is a problem, it has been identified and it is being fixed. This, though, is the sort of thing which is going to happen when you have a large, bureaucratic organization...this is socialised medicine. When I was in, I broke my collar bone and had to wait three days or so for a proper brace...they tried; the Docs were good, the corpsmen were good - heck, they even got the chief bo'sun to try and rig up a brace for me using a safety harness...but, somewhere along the line someone neglected to order collar bone braces...no one's fault, just happened.

You lefties just go about your business - I'm not buying these crocadile tears.

Posted by: Mark Noonan at March 6, 2007 12:23 AM

Socialized medicine? The damn Army privatized the services at Army hospitals, for Christ's sake, MARK! There's really nothing more I could add to this ridiculous post at Butts4Bush. Sheesh.

And, The Plot Thickens

WASHINGTON - A high-ranking Justice Department official told one of the U.S. attorneys fired by the Bush administration that if any of them continued to criticize the administration for their ousters, previously undisclosed details about the reasons they were fired might be released, two of the ousted prosecutors told McClatchy Newspapers.

A Marathoner In The Making

These are all videos of my grandson running a few blocks of the Los Angeles Marathon, starting when he was two years old. He's run in the 2005, 2006 and 2007 marathons, and I have the videos up at YouTube. Mind you, he's not getting in the thousands of hits, but the kid does come up on the first page of an L.A. Marathon search, and he's actually been rated once! Not too shabby. I am sensing a great backstory in the working when he actually does run the L.A. Marathon in full, in his teens (grins).



If you want to check out the little guy's blog, slide on over to the sidebar and visit Zaire's Playground.

Don't Look Now, But Isn't That $3.00 A Gallon Again?

Well, I was off a couple of months, but I was still right on the money.

Back in April 2006, the price of regular gasoline here in Los Angeles was $3.35 a gallon. It worked itself down to $2.49 at the time of the election, which is what I am referring to above. But, now it's back up to $2.97 a gallon for regular, having hovered at the $2.49 for longer than I expected it to, and then it started jumping in six to eight cent increments, starting in late January 2007.

Basically, the gas companies lowered their price on the way to the election, but have since raised the prices to almost exactly where they were before the election.

So, tell me exactly, why we are having this increase, if not just to simply make another $40 billion in profits for these guys?

It's All About Privatization With This Administration

It's interesting what you can find using "the Google." When the stories about the conditions at Walter Reed came out, the privatization angle didn't surprise me, other than I didn't recall hearing about it earlier. But let's face it, there's so much news coming out of Washington, things like that have a tendency to fall through the cracks.

However, I did find this press release by Sen. Barbara Mikulski from September of last year that shows that Democrats were concerned about the privitization of Walter Reed and were brushed aside by the DoD and the Army. Remind me again, who is supporting our troops?

In a letter today, Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) joined several of her Senate colleagues, including Paul S. Sarbanes (D-Md.), to urge Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and Ranking Member Robert C. Byrd (D-.V.) to preserve language in the House Defense Appropriations bill that prohibits the U.S. Army from outsourcing 350 federal jobs at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. A similar provision, introduced by Senators Mikulski and Sarbanes, was defeated by a close 50-48 vote, during the bill's consideration in the Senate last week.

"Our federal employees are on the front lines every day, working hard for America. These hardworking men and women deserve to be treated fairly and, at the very least, deserve to have the same rights that contractors do," said Senator Mikulski. "I will keep fighting to fix the competition process that is shamefully slanted in favor of private contractors."

The Walter Reed employees are scheduled to lose their jobs as a result of an outsourcing contract at the Medical Center. The House Defense Appropriations bill includes language that blocks the privatization on the grounds that the bidding process - known as an A-76 privatization review - was unfairly slanted against federal contractors. The contracting out review process not only took more than six years and $7 million to complete, but would cost taxpayers another $5 million to implement. In August, Senator Mikulski organized her colleagues to urge Secretary of the Army Francis J. Harvey to refrain from moving forward with the outsourcing, scheduled for the end of August, until Congress finished its consideration of the DOD spending ill. The Senate effort was successful, and the Secretary has postponed the move until after Congress completes its work. [..]

"I am not opposed to privatization, but if it occurs with federal jobs then it must be legal and fair. If this privatization effort really saved money, I would support it. But because it is so flawed and so unfair, I am duty-bound to oppose it," said Senator Mikulski. "This competition has wasted taxpayer money and is unfair to federal employees. It doesn't do justice to our heroes at Walter Reed."

Initially, federal employees at Walter Reed won the $120 million contract in 2004. However, the Army's privatization process and review were so lengthy in violation of the time allowed by law, and so costly, that the Army itself tried to cancel the privatization effort, but DOD officials refused its request. Earlier this year, over the objections of Walter Reed's Deputy Garrison Commander, the Army reversed its earlier decision for the employees and awarded the work to a contractor.

My emphasis.

That does appear to be the modus operandi of this administration. Their buzzword is privatization. Privatize this, privatize that, etc., etc., etc. And to hell with their detractors. Look what they did to our veterans and Walter Reed Hospital. Can you imagine where we would be if they had gotten their hands on our Social Security?

H/T to Crooks and Liars

Urine Man

Now, there's a moniker I can appreciate!

This Ain't Your Ordinary Repo Man

Hardberger said he does not carry a firearm, though he has hired bodyguards, as he did with the Aztec Express. Stealth and trickery are the preferred methods."

I do not want my face seen," he added.

Such tactics were employed in April 1999, when Hardberger was asked to extract a 280-foot cargo ship that had put in for repairs at Drapetsona, a part of the Greek port of Piraeus. "It's a place," he says, "where ship names are repainted quickly."

The small freighter was Hungarian and, despite the fall of the Soviet Union, was still equipped with a commissar's office. It contained a secret radio room and the complete works of Lenin.

When the repair company charged four times the agreed-upon price to fix a huge dent in the stern, Hardberger said, the owner refused to pay. Port officials then denied the vessel a clearance to leave.

Hardberger and the ship's agent got permission to move the ship to a port anchorage under the ruse that she needed refueling. The new location would make it possible for a crew to reach the vessel by launch.

Then, with everything in place, Hardberger waited for the weekend of Greek Easter, a religious festival marked by rich pageantry and widespread celebration.

To help the coast guard enjoy the event, Hardberger arranged for the ship agent to drop off several cases of ouzo at the station, which overlooked the port.At 2 a.m. on a Sunday, a crew boarded the unattended freighter and sailed it out of the harborunnoticed.

Hardberger, who coordinated the operation from shore, sat in a seaman's bar in Piraeus with friends, including the ship's agent. In the ancient port, they toasted their success with vodka.

Daaaayyyaaaammm! Where's the screenplay? Read the full article. This guy is da bomb!

Photo Op Rebuke

We live in a devastated city and you are a big part of the reason why it sill sits in ruins. Your administration has abandoned our children by savaging their public schools. Your administration has tortured our working class people by refusing to reopen the city’s public housing developments. And your administration is fully complicit in placing our uninsured in harms way by ruthlessly pursuing the privatization of local public healthcare in the aftermath of Katrina. And, finally your administration is guilty of sending our sons and daughters of to war for oil and empire just when we need them most to help us rebuild our community.

Mr. President, we, Katrina Survivors all, do not welcome you to our city, we rebuke you!

Sponsored by Survivors Village, United Front For Affordable Housing.(504)
587-0080.