Ambinder dissects the parts of the report on the Bush spying program that has been recently declassified.

http://politics.theatlantic.com/2009/07/nsa_surveillance_program_report.php

I know he's just pandering to the venue, but when Obama makes statements like "wealthy countries have a moral obligation to fight poverty and hunger around the world," I just roll my eyes and point to Michigan. Fix the parts of your country that are already descending to poverty.

Suburbs of Flint, MI are being bulldozed because they are ghost towns full of empty houses.

I don't like the thought of people starving anywhere, but lets get our own house in order before we look elsewhere, neh?

Silly President.

Glenn Greenwald, once more.

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/07/09/guantanamo/index.html

An afghan ally and fighter against the Taliban and AQ was held without trial or appeal for six years, and then listed as one of those who'd returned to the fight against America.

It just isn't so, like so many.

And Obama wants to make it worse... holding people after found innocent, indefinitely.

Opposition to Obama, listen up. Start changing your tune on indefinite detention on no charges, or don't be surprised when they drag you away for "Unamerican Activities". Continue to enable Executive branch witch hunts at your peril.

"Johnson actually said that even for those detainees to whom the Obama administration deigns to give a real trial in a real court, the President has the power to continue to imprison them indefinitely even if they are acquitted at their trial."

Full, disgusting, article:

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/07/08/obama/index.html

"It is a paradox of the modern Republican Party: If they hate government so much, why don't they leave it to those who can use it as a tool for national renewal? Republicans say government would screw up a one-car parade, and then when they get into government, they set about proving their theory right (e.g., Katrina, Iraq, the economy, etc.)."

"Gov. Sarah Palin, three days after abruptly announcing she would resign as governor, said Monday that she did it because ethics complaints and politically ambitious state legislators would have been paralyzing."

Full article:

http://www.adn.com/palin/story/855907.html

Of course, the old adage "Don't do the crime if you can't do the time" and "You can fool some of the people some of the time, etc" immediately spring to mind.

But begging the question of questionable activity - she's constantly raising comparisons about people who leave office for other offices, and why their decisions were OK, but her decision to leave office for .... well, nothing... is criticized.

Maybe because she cut and run like a coward, unwilling to face her accusers? I mean, I hate to compare her to Bill Clinton, whose last two years were paralyzed by constant investigations (which ultimately did not convict him - so, guilty or not, he had his exoneration in court). He didn't quit.

Quit quit quit. Run away, not run toward.

I can't see how she'd survive any kind of national primary after this - unless the Culture Warriors of the Reich are that stupid... oh wait. They are.

I have a strange subconscious... here is a retelling of the strange dream I had last night:

( Strangeness - You've been warned! )

And then I woke up, jotted down some notes, so that I could remember it and share.

*snickers*

Andrew Sullivan's Analysis of Sarah Palin's resignation.

"There are three explanations for the latest circus act: either Sarah Palin is so crazy she actually believes that what she just did is good for her political career; she has decided that her future is as a celeb-reality star and she's pursuing the lucrative Coulter-style, long legs and fascist farrago strategy; or, a scandal of monumental proportions is about to hit."

Small wonder it pissed off the GOP. Probably doesn't do much for them now, either.

Cool, Cool, Conservative Men

Dickinson:
Oh say do you see what I see?
Congress sitting here in sweet serenity
I could cheer; the reason's clear
For the first time in a year Adams isn't here
And look, the sun is in the sky
A breeze is blowing by, and there's not a single fly

I sing hosanna, hosanna
Hosanna, hosanna
And it's cool

Come ye cool cool conservative men
The likes of which may never be seen again
We have land, cash in hand
Self-command, future planned
Fortune flies, society survives
In neatly ordered lives with well-endowered wives

We sing hosanna, hosanna
To our breeding and our banner
We are cool

Come ye cool cool considerate set
We'll dance together to the same minuet
To the right, ever to the right
Never to the left, forever to the right
May our creed be never to exceed
Regulated speed, no matter what the need

We sing hosanna, hosanna
Enblazoned on our banner
Is keep cool

What we do we do rationally
We never ever go off half-cocked, not we
Why begin till we know that we can win
And if we cannot win why bother to begin?

Rutledge:
We say this game's not of our choosing
Why should we risk losing?

All:
We are cool

To the right, ever to the right
Never to the left, forever to the right
We have gold, a market that will hold
Tradition that is old, a reluctance to be bold.

Dickinson:
I sing hosanna, hosanna
In a sane and lucid manner
We are cool

All:
Come ye cool cool considerate men
The likes of which may never be seen again
With our land, cash in hand
Self-command, future planned
And we'll hold to our gold
Tradition that is old, reluctant to be bold.
We say this game's not of our choosing
Why should we risk losing?

We cool, cool, cool
Cool, cool, cool
Cool cool men.

So... she's released two strange things post-resignation announcement.

First... her lawyer released a statement yesterday threatening media outlets with lawsuits if they reported allegations that she's quitting because of a criminal investigation into the Wasilla Sports Complex. Um... last I knew, there wasn't one - of course, because the media is clueless, look for endless news reports on it, now that she's barked off her mouth via a mouthpiece.

Second... she posted a long ramble slamming the press about their reactions to her announcement. Now, it would be a pretty safe bet, but mostly they've been quoting other GOP who are confused, mystified, and with the sole exception of Bill Kristol, seem to think she shot herself in the foot.

Her party says that, not the press - the press just asked them for their opinions.

Still, the most mystifying part:

"How sad that Washington and the media will never understand; it’s about country. And though it's honorable for countless others to leave their positions for a higher calling and without finishing a term, of course we know by now, for some reason a different standard applies for the decisions I make."

WTF? What higher calling? Did someone appoint her Ambassador to Russia and not tell anyone? Did she announce her ascension to Saint? Did she announce that she's starting her 2012 campaign really, really, early? What 'higher calling' is she expecting to mitigate the fact that she's quitting her job as governor, turning her back on the people who voted for her in good faith. I mean, seriously... wtf?

If she runs for President in 2012, rest assured that Romney's first talking point in the primaries will be something akin to "And if you win the Presidency, how long will you be staying, or will you bail on that, too?".

Its like she speaks in pronouns, without any antecedents.

Trivia from IMDB:

* The 176 minute extended version is available on the laserdisc and DVD. It contains 35 minutes cut from the original videotape release, including the song Cool, Considerate Men.

* Gwyneth Paltrow, the real life daughter of Blythe Danner (Martha Jefferson) played Patsy Jefferson in the movie: Jefferson in Paris (1995).

* William Daniels, who plays John Adams, also played John Quincy Adams (John & Abigail Adams' son) in the mini series "The Adams Chronicles" (1976), Samuel Adams (John Adams' cousin) in the TV movie The Bastard (1978) (TV) and John Adams again in the TV movie The Rebels (1979) (TV),

* Many of the actors were also in the Broadway production.

* The Broadway musical was conceived by a history teacher.

* President Richard Nixon was given a private screening of the movie before its release by his friend, producer Jack L. Warner. The song Cool, Considerate Men offended Nixon, so Warner removed it at Nixon's request. The song was restored on the deluxe wide screen presentation laserdisc and later was included on the restored director's cut DVD.

* The final shot required the camera to pull back to show the entire Congressional chamber. However, there was not enough room on the set for the camera truck to pull back far enough. Since the sound stages being used were slated to be demolished after production ended, and this was the final shot being done, a large hole was made in the wall - with the camera truck protruding outdoors after pulling all the way back. As it turned out, the sound stages were never demolished and the wall was rebuilt.

* During the filming of Piddle, Twiddle, and Resolve, William Daniels sucked on ice cubes so as not to give away the fact that the night was freezing cold, rather than a humid summer evening in Philadelphia.

* Many of the characters' lines were actual quotes by these historic men, including Hancock's justification of his own signature and Franklin's: "Those who would forfeit liberty to obtain a little temporary safety..." as well as his saying, "We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately."

* Ron Holgate did all of his own riding - except for the trick mount at the end - in The Lees of Old Virginia, despite his never having been on a horse before.

* The song The Egg was written very late into the writing process for the Broadway show. So late, in fact, that promotional material had already been printed and it was upon seeing a poster depicting an eaglet coming out of a British eggshell and holding an American flag that Sherman Edwards came up with the song.

* In the song Is Anybody There, sung by John Adams, the lyric "Yet, through all the gloom, I see the rays of ravishing light and glory" were from a letter by the real-life Adams to wife Abigail the day after the Declaration was adopted.

* All of the exchanges between John and Abigail Adams are based on the real letters they wrote to each other while John was away. He called her his "dearest friend" and their letters ended with "Til then".

* Many of the outdoor shots were filmed at what is now the Warner Ranch just north of the main studio. The water fountain seen during the number with Franklin, Adams, and Lee is probably best known to television viewers as the fountain seen at the beginning of the TV show "Friends" (1994). The fountain still exists directly across the street from the house facades used in "Bewitched" (1964), and "I Dream of Jeannie" (1965). Most of the other colonial sets were destroyed by a devastating fire in the mid-70s.

* During filming, Blythe Danner (Martha Jefferson) was 5 months pregnant with Gwyneth Paltrow.

* John Adams was played by actor William Daniels, who later starred in the television show "St. Elsewhere" (1982) in which he played Dr. Mark Craig, a descendant of John Adams. The series was filled with references to 1776 and quotes from the movie. During one show filmed in Philadelphia, Dr. Craig declares that "it's hot as hell in Phialdelphia" and that he is "obnoxious and disliked", quoting his character from this movie..

* Although the Cool, Cool Considerate Men number was cut from the original film release as a favor to Richard Nixon by Jack L. Warner, the cut footage was not destroyed like Warner had done before in similar past circumstances since he was no longer a studio head. For that reason only, the excised segment was found and could be restored to the laserdisc and DVD. Nixon asked the writer Sherman Edwards to cut it out after seeing the play at the White House, but the author steadfastly refused.

* On the laserdisc commentary, director Peter H. Hunt says that originally he had not planned to cast Howard Da Silva as Benjamin Franklin in the film version, because of how difficult the actor had been during the Broadway run of the musical. However, he relented and let Da Silva reprise his stage role in the film when the actor promised to cooperate and begged to play Ben Franklin in the movie as a legacy to his grandchildren.

* The original Broadway production of the musical "1776" opened at the 46th Street Theater on March 16, 1969 and ran for 1217 performances. William Daniels, Howard Da Silva, Ken Howard, Roy Poole, Virginia Vestoff, David Ford, Ron Holgate, William Duell, Ralston Hill, Jonathan Moore and Charles Rule all recreated their roles in the movie.

* The final feature film of David Ford, Donald Madden and Ray Middleton.

* The only filmed credit for Ralston Hill and Charles Rule.

* The movie debut of Emory Bass, Patrick Hines, Jonathan Moore and Stephen Nathan.

* The final scene shows the members of Congress being called individually to come forward in order to sign the Declaration of Independence while the camera trucks back, or zooms out. The characters' final positions are an approximation of John Trumbull's famous painting, The Declaration of Independence. The actual painting shows the congressional chamber from the front behind Hancock's desk while the scene in the movie is from the rear of the chamber, and therefore the characters appear reversed with the five members of Congress who were assigned to the committee to write the Declaration on the right of the desk as opposed to the left. Far fewer of the actual number of delegates, who were in Congress, are represented in the movie, but the resemblance to the painting is unmistakable including the delegate sitting with one leg crossed over another.

* The Rev. John Witherspoon, delegate from New Jersey, is an ancestor of actress Reese Witherspoon.

My part of an IM conversation on the 4th:

"You know, this is the perfect time to murder someone. So much simulated gunfire, shots wouldn't be noticed."

I was called morbid and creepy (but with affection).

I continued:

"Yes, my mind works like that - I was trained as houibyong.. the professional bodyguard. To be effective, one must know the amsalja as well - the assassin. Houibyongs are the other side of the coin; you must know their habits and tactics to prevent their success in their chosen trade.

Every good cop is a crook, and every good protector a killer."

Sounds like a good PI Detective introduction, neh?

I mean, its heavily slanted, but what the hell, it's still well-done.

And the Sarah Palin saga takes a turn for the strange:



According to Think Progress, Palin supporter Bill Kristol phoned into Fox News to say: “If I had to guess, we just saw the opening statement of the 2012 campaign.”

In contrast, Andrea Mitchell says she's hearing from GOP sources that Palin is out of politics "for good."

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Osama bin Laden Needs to Attack America
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Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Jason Jones in Iran

Amazing. He can advocate Obama bombing us so that he can have an event to justify torture. Santa's Evil Twin channels Dick Cheney...

This is funny: to all those who continually warn of the dangers of video games for today's youth, turns out SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN sternly issued the same warnings 150 years ago!

“A pernicious excitement to learn and play chess has spread all over the country, and numerous clubs for practicing this game have been formed in cities and villages. Why should we regret this? It may be asked. We answer, chess is a mere amusement of a very inferior character, which robs the mind of valuable time that might be devoted to nobler acquirements, while it affords no benefit whatever to the body. Chess has acquired a high reputation as being a means to discipline the mind, but persons engaged in sedentary occupations should never practice this cheerless game; they require out-door exercises—not this sort of mental gladiatorship.”

All TRUE conservatives kiss his anal...err...papal ring!

Apparently, now Obama is responsible for the death of Michael Jackson...

"Michael Jackson's biggest successes, and as it turns out his final successes, real successes took place in the eighties. That was Billie Jean, Thriller and all this. I mean he was as weird as he could be but he was profoundly, because of his weirdness, an individual. He wasn't a group member. He reached a level of success that may never be equaled. He flourished under Reagan; he languished under Clinton-Bush; and died under Obama. Let's hope the parallel does not continue."

You know, he's a better parody of idiot knee-jerk conservatives who blame everything on "Barry" - you know, "B. Hussein Obama". The people who will twist anything to make it ALL OBAMA'S FAULT, just like Faux News.

Utterly dismissable.

Because we all need a break from stress sometimes: