Ken Lewis Ousted

I've been rather silent about the bank bailouts, having already expressed my opinion that the American taxpayers should not have been forced by the government to pay for their foolishness. It pissed me off when the banks refused to tell congress how they spent the money they got, and it ticks me off that there's been no oversight.

Finally, though, the shareholders (as in taxpayers) had enough.

Mr. Lewis, who helped build Bank of America into the nation’s largest bank, was stripped of his chairman’s title — a stinging blow that leaves his stewardship and legacy in doubt. At a contentious annual general meeting, angry investors held him accountable for what they view as a series of missteps that forced the once-mighty bank to accept not one but two government bailouts.

H/T to AMERICAblog that pointed out over 90,000 taxpayer proxy cards were delivered to the shareholders' meeting yesterday.

Map Of Swine Flu Cases

I haven't really been following this very closely, but I am surprised to see that there have been 14 cases diagnosed in California so far. The map is a useful tool provided by the Boston Globe.

Eric Staal Wins It For The Canes, Who Take Round One From The Devils

Round Two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs starts. Last night's game between the Devils and Canes was a great seventh game nail biter, with the Canes pulling it out by scoring twice within 48 seconds, and score the series winning goal with only about 30 seconds left in the game.

I used to be a Devils fan (1) because Corey Millen was traded there, and (2) that's where I met my infamous Republican ex-best friend. In fact, it's the only team and arena that I have ever seen the Stanley Cup and the banner raised. But I came to dread the "clutch and grab" type of game they employed, and which changed the nature of the sport over the years, from the free-flying days of Gretzky (when the NHL had to institute a "two line pass" rule which, thankfully, was removed a few years ago) to today's sort of some clutch and grab but at least a faster paced game, especially since they changed back to the old off-sides rule.

Second round match ups: Vancouver/Chicago; Anaheim/Detroit; Carolina/Boston and Pittsburgh/Washington. I take Vancouver over Chicago, have to take Detroit over Anaheim, although I will pull out both my Wings and Duck jerseys and rest them on opposite chairs (laughing), obviously I'm picking Carolina over Boston, and I will go out on a limb and take Washington over Pittsburgh.

Yeah, that's the ticket!

60 In The Senate Just Got One Person Closer

The blogs are all a twitter (lol) about Specter switching parties. The lefties are sure he's a Lieberman "democrat," and I concur. But hey, once Franken gets seated, the Dems do technically have the 60 votes that have come to define the Senate voting process.

Politics makes such strange bedfellows!

Puerto Rican Night - Hector Lave With Willie Colon

I am in a Puerto Rican mood tonight ...



Ok, I admit it, a Willie Colon moment as well, damn it!

Four Years, And Still Blogging!

Four years ago today, I wrote my first post and became a blogger. When I started, there were a handful of big blogs, like AMERICAblog, MyDD and Daily Kos, but the rest were just small Joes putting their points of view across, scouring the news, and trying to break stories. Then Ariana Huffington hit a home run with the Huffington Post, and a host of smaller blogs got bigger, like FireDogLake, The Carpetbagger (who thanks to Steve, featured my blog on Salon a few years back), Talking Points Memo, etc.

I think it was last year that Huffington Post received a $25 million dollar grant.

I have a full time job, and was not able to join the many that went into full-time blogging. I love to read the bigger blogs, and when I have something to say, politically, I'll say it.

Obama being elected was a high point in my life, politically, although I am less than pleased with the totality of his first 100 days. We are not out of the woods by a long shot, but at least things "feel" better than when the Bush Administration was at the helm.

I want to take this opportunity to thank my regular readers, and mention how proud I am to be a blogger, and part of the blogosphere and blogtopia! (yes, skippy coined that phrase!).

Dick Cheney: "A Trash Talking Coward From The Sideline"

Some powerful stuff being said. Finally.




"This guy is nothing but a trash talking coward from the sideline."

The Fearful John Shimkus

According to The Wonk Room:

According to a new analysis by the Union of Concerned Scientists UCS), Americans can “significantly reduce carbon emissions and lower energy bills” by implementing green economy legislation. In a two-year study, UCS analyzed the economic, emissions, and energy effects of their recommendations for clean energy, clean vehicles, and global warming standards. The UCS approach of comprehensive energy, transportation, and cap policies is similar to that in the American Clean Energy Security Act, released in draft form earlier this month by Reps. Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Edward Markey (D-MA). The analysis finds that by 2030, net household savings will reach $900 a year, while oil use drops 6 million barrels a day and global warming pollution is cut in half.

(see graphic here).

However, one of our illustrious congresscritters has a problem with this, and said this about cap-and-trade programs to limit carbon emissions:

I think this is the largest assault on democracy and freedom in this country that I've ever experienced. I've lived through some tough times in Congress -- impeachment, two wars, terrorist attacks. I fear this more than all of the above activities that have happened.

So Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL) fears a greener planet more than 9/11, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the impeachment of Bill Clinton? Well, I did need a good laugh this morning, and now I got one.

Honoring No. 42 Today

April 15 -- tax day for most. But, in this baseball house, it's the date that Jackie Robinson debuted in the major league as a Brooklyn Dodger.

It was cool that today, every player wore the number 42.

From coast to coast, from early till late Wednesday and across the backs of every single player, coach and manager on a Major League field, this day was all about Jackie Robinson.

Shame on you for thinking it was in honor of Clinton, the No. 42 prez!

More CSI Hits!

Well, the CSI episode about the Moulin Rouge, but called the Chateau Rouge, must have played in Holland, because I got 15 hits today, from The Netherlands search engines, looking for "Chateau Rouge."

Civil Liberties? Not In Obama's Terrorist World

The world is reeling, tumbling, impacting even my own real space. I've not been able to really comment, mostly just overwhelmed by what other bloggers have already said -- so why repeat myself.

But Obama's alliance with the Bush position on the detainee situation just makes my blood boil. As usual, Glenn Greenwald puts forth a better written argument than I could, so I suggest a proper read.

So that Barack Obama -- the one trying to convince Democrats to make him their nominee and then their President -- said that abducting people and imprisoning them without charges was (a) un-American; (b) tyrannical; (c) unnecessary to fight Terrorism; (d) a potent means for stoking anti-Americanism and fueling Terrorism; (e) a means of endangering captured American troops, Americans traveling abroad and Americans generally; and (f) a violent betrayal of core, centuries-old Western principles of justice. But today's Barack Obama, safely ensconced in the White House, fights tooth and nail to preserve his power to do exactly that.

[snip]

... If there was any unanimous progressive consensus over the last eight years, it was that the President does not have the power to kidnap people, ship them far away, and then imprison them indefinitely in a cage without due process. Has that progressive consensus changed as of January 20, 2009? I think we're going to find out.

[snip]

To recap: Obama files a brief saying he agrees in full with the Bush/Cheney position. He's arguing that the President has the power to abduct, transport and imprison people in Bagram indefinitely with no charges of any kind. He's telling courts that they have no authority to "second-guess" his decisions when it comes to war powers. But this is all totally different than what Bush did, and anyone who says otherwise is a reckless, ill-motivated hysteric who just wants to sell books and get on TV.

Obama's stance on the state secrets defense in the telecom fiasco, and his stance on terrorist abductions and rendering them to Bagram instead of Gitmo, is pro Bush, no ifs, ands or buts about it. This is a complete contradiction of the rhetoric he spewed when trying to get America to vote for him, an America that overwhelmingly does not approve of torture, nor of rendition.

Happy Teabagging!

There has been so much press over the rightwing nutjobs over their upcoming tea bagging party. I thought this video was funny. Click on the link, if you think he's not kidding!