Big Donors backing Dems

Lawyers at Kirkland & Ellis, the law firm that's home to Whitewater prosecutor Kenneth Starr and Bush administration official Jay Lefkowitz, have given more to Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign than to all of the top Republican candidates combined.

Large U.S. firms such as Jones Day and Sidley Austin, which donated more to President George W. Bush in 2000 than to Democratic candidate Al Gore, are giving thousands more to Democratic hopefuls than Republicans. Top Wall Street investment banks and hedge funds are also giving more to Democrats.

Even at Jones Day, the 2,167-lawyer firm that represents the Republican National Committee, attorneys have given 3 1/2 times as much to the three Democratic frontrunners, including $131,333 to Obama. The Cleveland-based firm's lawyers donated more than twice as much to Bush than to Gore in 2000 and slightly more to Bush in 2004.

Overall, lawyers in and out of large firms have given $18.27 million to Democrats Clinton, Obama and John Edwards, compared with $5.75 million to Republicans Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Mitt Romney. Edwards, a former senator from North Carolina and a trial lawyer, leads the pack, backed mainly by attorneys who sue on behalf of shareholders and individuals.

The donations of big firm lawyers mirror those of the largest Wall Street investment bankers who have also backed Democrats this year. Employees at the top 10 Wall Street investment banks gave more than $1.4 million to Democrats and a little more than $900,000 to Republicans, according to Federal Election Commission filings.

"Firms want to be on the good side of who they think is going to be the incumbent, whether or not that person is good for business," said Bruce MacEwen, a nonpartisan New York legal consultant. "The conventional wisdom is that the Democrats are going to win the White House."

Roberts' brain rejects his views

Chief Justice John Roberts suffered a seizure at his summer home in Maine on Monday, causing a fall that resulted in minor scrapes. Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg stated that this was actually his second "episode" and was likely proof of his brain's rejection of conservatism.

He will remain in a hospital in Maine overnight. "It's my position that he's fully recovered, said Christopher Burke, a spokesman for the local Medical Center. "He suffered a similar incident in 1993. We thought he was merely channeling the Lord and speaking in tongues - OUR bad."

Experts have weighed in on this syndrome, CCD (Compassionate Conservative Disorder), calling it a serious threat to the well-being of right-wingers who deny their true feelings of compassion and tolerance.

"These individuals often wind up in the county jail, charged with heinous crimes" stated Professor Ron Joberts of Indiana University. "In other cases, they remain undetected and wind up being appointed to the Supreme Court by dry-drunks who commiserate with them. It's a vicious cycle of co-dependency that MUST be broken"!

65 Percent Of Under-30s Paying Attention To 2008 Election

This can only be considered good news for progressives, considering how right the kids got it in 2004 - From the New York Times:

It’s the middle of summer and months before the first vote is cast, yet polls confirm what the political cognoscenti suspect: most Americans are already tuning into the presidential election.

More than two-thirds of respondents in a New York Times/CBS News poll earlier this month said they were paying at least some attention to the 2008 presidential campaign. That is up substantially from this time four years ago, when 4 in 10 Americans were paying attention.

Attention is higher now than it was in July 2003 among both men and women and across all age groups. As was the case four years ago, older respondents are more likely to be engaged.

Still, attention among younger Americans is up considerably: 36 percent of those under age 30 were paying attention to the election at this point four years ago; 65 percent of them are now.

Attention among Democrats increased more than it did among Republicans (polls have shown that Democrats are much more satisfied with their party’s presidential candidates than Republicans are).

More than 7 in 10 Democrats are now engaged in the campaign, compared with just over 4 in 10 in 2003. That compares with two-thirds of Republicans who are now paying attention, up from about half.

You Tell Me

Welcome to Monday morning!!! (ducking as assorted projectiles are launched at my cranium)

Relax, have another cup 'o joe, and count your blessings. I mean, you COULD be a "crossing guard"who's suffering from inflation and taking it up the. . .But that's just MY take on things - YOU tell ME by captioning this rather odd photo which I found on YouLube, err. .Tube:

Rapture Ready: The Unauthorized Christians United for Israel Tour

From Max Blumenthal:

On July 16, I attended Christians United for Israel's annual Washington-Israel Summit. Founded by San Antonio-based megachurch pastor John Hagee, CUFI has added the grassroots muscle of the Christian right to the already potent Israel lobby. Hagee and his minions have forged close ties with the Bush White House and members of Congress from Sen. Joseph Lieberman to Sen. John McCain. In its call for a unilateral military attack on Iran and the expansion of Israeli territory, CUFI has found unwavering encouragement from traditional pro-Israel groups like AIPAC and elements of the Israeli government.

But CUFI has an ulterior agenda: its support for Israel derives from the belief of Hagee and his flock that Jesus will return to Jerusalem after the battle of Armageddon and cleanse the earth of evil. In the end, all the non-believers - Jews, Muslims, Hindus, mainline Christians, etc. - must convert or suffer the torture of eternal damnation. Over a dozen CUFI members eagerly revealed to me their excitement at the prospect of Armageddon occurring tomorrow. Among the rapture ready was Republican Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. None of this seemed to matter to Lieberman, who delivered a long sermon hailing Hagee as nothing less than a modern-day Moses. Lieberman went on to describe Hagee's flock as "even greater than the multitude Moses commanded."

Throughout CUFI's Israel Summit, videographer Thomas Shomaker and I were hounded by PR agents seeking to prevent us from interviewing attendees about the End Times. The conference, we were told, was about "one message" - evangelical Christians supporting Israel. We were instructed to only interview CUFI leaders capable of sticking to the talking point that their support for Israel has, as Hagee declared, "nothing to do with the End Times." But I was forbidden from asking Hagee about statements he made in his book, "Jerusalem Countdown," that appeared to blame Jews for their own persecution. After doing just that during a press conference, I was removed from the conference by off-duty DC cops summoned by members of Hagee's family.

I have covered the Christian right intensely for over four years. During this time, I attended dozens of Christian right conferences, regularly monitored movement publications and radio shows, and interviewed scores of its key leaders. I have never witnessed any spectacle as politically extreme, outrageous, or bizarre as the one Christians United for Israel produced last week in Washington. See for yourself:



Rapture Ready: The Unauthorized Christians United for Israel Tour from huffpost and Vimeo.

Republican Support Collapses Among Youth

A new Democracy Corps/Greenberg Quinlan Rosner survey finds young people "profoundly alienated from the Republican party and its perceived values."

Key finding: "Young people react with hostility to the Republicans on almost every measure and Republicans and younger voters disagree on almost every major issue of the day."

In the presidential race, "both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama lead Rudy Giuliani, the most acceptable of the Republican offerings among youth, by significant margins. The President’s standing is substantially worse, to the degree that is possible, than we find in the broader electorate. Moreover, the disconnect we see between the Republicans and our nation’s youth runs so deep, that it likely will not only outlive the Bush administration, but potentially haunt the Republicans for many years to come."

Conservatives Refuse To Appear On Fox News To Publicly Defend Gonzales

On Fox News Sunday this morning, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich refused to defend Attorney General Alberto Gonzales against accusations that he may have perjured himself before Congress. “It’s very damaging…we badly need an attorney general who is above any question,” said Gingrich. He continued:

Both the president and country are better served if the attorney general is a figure of competence. Sadly, the current attorney general is not seen as any of those things. I think it’s a liability for the president. More importantly, it’s a liability for the United States of America.

Later in the show, host Chris Wallace revealed that no conservative would willingly defend Gonzales on Fox. “By the way, we invited White House officials and Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee to defend Attorney General Gonzales,” said Wallace. “We had no takers.” Watch it:

I miss YOU. . .

This woman:



has been in Miami:



Since Thursday, and I have been going :



Her



Should return her here in ten hours; the LONGEST ten hours of my life; after the last 72 hours anyway. My heart and soul have been on hiatus since Wednesday evening; and my lifeblood will resume it's voyage through my veins upon her safe return.

I am nothing without you, Jody - I love you whole-heartedly and completely!

"Newhart" - The finale

I consider this one of THE funniest sitcom moments in history! You have to be in on the joke though. . .most of you will likely recall the show "Newhart" from the 1980's, but the younger crowd may not remember Bob Newhart's earlier show from the 1970's.Here's the intro, just to jog your memory:



For the "Newhart" finale, Bob wakes up in bed with his wife from the earlier show on the set of said earlier show and discusses the newer show as "I just had the strangest dream":

How to be the Perfect Girlfriend

Damn. . .they're onto us:




HAT TIP to: John!

To Blog or Not to Blog. . .

A Day at the Children's Zoo

Blog-a-thon 2007!

Please drop by and support Robert Rouse of Left of Centrist who will be live-blogging for 24 hours straight in support of The Alliance For Climate Protection. Click the above graphic to jump over to Left of Centrist!

Friday Nite Retro

Welcome once more to Friday Nite Retro! I'm being lazy tonight, so (shoulda seen this one coming after last week's feature) enjoy Kurt and the boys:

Smells Like Teen Spirit



Come As You Are ("No I don't have a gun" . . .turns out he did)


Lithium


Heart Shaped Box


All Apologies


Dumb

Dem coffers outweighing GOP's

From almost any angle, Republicans are facing a Democratic financial tsunami in 2008. In the first six months of this year, Democratic federal candidates and the party's three national committees raised $381 million compared with the $291 million their counterparts collected. That amounts to a $90 million advantage and means that 57 percent of the total raised by all political candidates and committees has gone to the Democrats:


And that's the good news for Republicans.

When the cash on hand is added up for presidential, House and Senate candidates, as well as the party committees, the picture is even bleaker. Overall, Democrats reported having $314 million in cash compared with the Republicans' $190 million, which means that 62 percent of the political cash is now held in Democratic accounts.

What does that mean at political micro-levels? The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has a 10-1 cash advantage over its Republican adversary, and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has a cash advantage that is three times greater than the National Republican Senatorial Committee's take.

The top two Democratic candidates each have nearly as much money in the bank as the combined savings of the entire 2008 Republican field. The 10 Republicans running for president reported a combined total of $36 million cash on hand - Obama has $35 million and Clinton has $33 million available for the primary race.

"I cannot remember a time when the Democrats have had an advantage in the party committees and at the candidate level at the same time," said Michael J. Malbin, executive director of the nonpartisan Campaign Finance Institute.

Certainly, money alone doesn't win elections. Campaign trails leading to the Oval Office and to the lowly House echo with the tales of well-funded campaigns that met early ends. But money does create options, and at this pace, the Democrats see theirs growing, while the Republicans may well be losing some.

Take a look at the House. In January, newly selected DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen laid out a plan to defend his vulnerable freshmen while simultaneously attacking Republicans who eked through last November. "If we continue the current pace, we will have the resources to fully support that strategy," he said. Meanwhile, Rep. Tom Cole, who heads the National Republican Congressional Committee, started the year with quite a different set of priorities: Pay off the committee's debt and then start tucking money away for the campaign season.

Cole has made good on his promise. The committee has raised $29 million and spent $27 million. Today, it has got $2 million in the bank and $4 million in debts outstanding, according to its reports. Cole seems on track to move the committee's balance from red to black by year's end.

But that's when the hard slog begins, because the Democrats' edge isn't just the byproduct of high energy within their ranks. The long-feared Republican fundraising machine also appears to be in decline. While the Republican National Committee has maintained its dominance over the Democratic National Committee, raising $45 million to the DNC's $27 million, even that edge is on the lower end of historic patterns.

And consider this: When President Bush was running for reelection in 2004, his appearance at the RNC's annual spring gala raised $38.5 million. During last year's congressional campaign season, the presidential gala raised $17 million. This year, it raised $10.5 million.

In addition, the loss of control of Congress has stripped Republicans of one of their most lucrative fundraising assets: committee chairmanships. According to a Center for Inquiry study released last week, corporate donors have made a seismic shift since January toward the new Democratic chairmen. In the first six months of this year, political action committees donated $41 million to Democrats, compared with $24 million for Republicans. During the previous year, Republicans received $32 million in PAC contributions, compared with $22 million for the Democrats, the report concluded.

The presidential campaign season also looms as an obstacle to congressional fundraising. In private conversations, Republican fundraising experts dismiss the yawning gap between their primary field and the Democrats' roster. "When the nominee becomes clear, he will have all the resources he needs," said one longtime Republican operative.

History supports that notion. After scraping through hard times in the 2003 Democratic primary, John Kerry found himself flush with cash, even matching the Bush-Cheney machine, when he swept the Iowa and New Hampshire primaries.

But that gush of money does not automatically extend to the congressional committees. Van Hollen said he spends plenty of time these days warning donors: "Do not take the House for granted. Things can change quickly."

Even if the money rolls in, managing it frugally can be crucial. In the 2006 cycle, the Republican House committee raised more than the Democrats. What both sides said helped tip the scales in many races was that the Democrats outspent the Republicans in the final weeks of that contentious campaign cycle.

How did they manage that? . . .they had more cash in the bank.

Stars on "sex"

I believe that sex is one of the most beautiful, natural, wholesome things that money can buy."
- Tom Clancy

"You know "that look" women get when they want sex? Me neither."
-Steve Martin

"Having sex is like playing bridge. If you don't have a good partner, you'd better have a good hand."
-Woody Allen

"Bisexuality immediately doubles your chances for a date on Saturday night."
- Rodney Dangerfield

"There are a number of mechanical devices which increase sexual arousal, particularly in women. Chief among these is the Mercedes-Benz 380SL."
- Lynn Lavner

"Leaving sex to the feminists is like letting your dog vacation at the taxidermist."
- Matt Barry

"Sex at age 90 is like trying to shoot pool with a rope."
- George Burns

"Sex is one of the nine reasons for reincarnation. The other eight are unimportant."
- George Burns

"Women might be able to fake orgasms. But men can fake whole relationships."
--Sharon Stone

"My girlfriend always laughs during sex ---no matter what she's reading."
- Steve Jobs

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch."
- Jack Nicholson

"Clinton lied. A man might forget where he parks or where he lives, but he never forgets oral sex, no matter how bad it is."
- Barbara Bush

"Ah, yes, divorce, from the Latin word meaning to rip out a man's genitals through his wallet."
- Robin Williams

"Women complain about premenstrual syndrome, but I think of it as the only time of the month that I can be myself."
- Roseanne

"Women need a reason to have sex. Men just need a place."
- Billy Crystal

"According to a new survey, women say they feel more comfortable undressing in front of men than they do undressing in front of other women. They say that women are too judgmental, where, of course, men are just grateful."
- Robert De Niro

"There's a new medical crisis. Doctors are reporting that many men are having allergic reactions to latex condoms. They say they cause severe swelling. So what's the problem?"
- Dustin Hoffman

"There's very little advice in men's magazines, because men think, I know what I'm doing. Just show me somebody naked."
- Jerry Seinfeld

"Instead of getting married again, I'm going to find a woman I don't like and just give her a house."
- Rod Stewart

"See, the problem is that God gives men a brain and a penis, and only enough blood to run one at a time."
- Robin Williams

Show Them to Me!

If you love your country. . .show them to me:



- Rodney Carrington

Contempt of Congress

Contempt of Congress citations against White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and one-time Counsel Harriet Miers were approved by the House Judiciary Committee today, setting up a constitutional confrontation over the firings of federal prosecutors.

The No Justice Department, under advisement from the president, said it would block the citations from prosecution as Bush has declared the information Congress is demanding is protected by executive privilege. Contempt of Congress is a federal misdemeanor punishable by up to a $100,000 fine and a one-year prison sentence. If the citation wins support in the full House, it would be forwarded to the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia - a Bush appointee - and be DOA. Maybe they should just go ahead and use the "inherent contempt" option and avoid outside interference. . .

James Sensenbrenner former GOP chair of the committee, had another suggestion. "Go to court to directly challenge the White House stand instead. The proper thing to do is to determine the executive privilege claim aside from who said what, who refused to submit to what, who didn't show up to subpoena," he said. "The real argument here is not over the audacity of the White House, but over the strength of the legal argument.

Chairman John Conyers will consider that suggestion, but added that the committee could not allow presidential aides to flout Congress' authority."If we countenance a process where our subpoenas can be readily ignored, where a witness under a duly authorized subpoena doesn't even have to bother to show up, where privilege can be asserted on the thinnest basis and in the broadest possible manner, then we have already lost," Conyers, D-Mich., said before the vote. "We won't be able to get anybody in front of this committee or any other."

Speaker Pelosi said the House effort was important regardless of outcome and "is part of a broader effort by House Democrats to restore our nation's fundamental system of checks and balances. I am hopeful that today's vote will help the administration see the light and release the information to which the Judiciary Committee is entitled".

Travel advice

I CANNOT stress enough the importance of understanding local laws and customs when traveling abroad. . .



Consider yourself warned!

New Zogby Poll

Finally, the sheeple are beginning to fully awaken:

In the latest Zogby Poll, 10,000 respondents were asked which political party most Americans believe to be responsible for many of the gravest problems facing the world:

+ War: 62% blamed Republicans vs. 14% Democrats

+ Global Warming: 56% blamed Republicans vs. 10% Democrats

+ Prejudice: 52% blamed Republicans vs. 22% for Democrats

+ Poverty: 49% held Republicans accountable; 29% Democrats

+ Corruption: 47% blamed Republicans vs. 31% Democrats

+ Crime: On this issue, respondents reversed the trend, with 42% blaming Democrats vs. 23% Republicans (This is the one they'll run on in '08)

November is the new September

Bush Sinks to 25% Approval Rating

According to a new American Research Group poll, just 25% of Americans approve of the way President Bush is handling his job as president and 71% disapprove. These are record lows for the survey.



When lobotomy patients were excluded, the numbers changed to 5% and 91% respectively; the other 4% were unable to utter a coherent answer and merely drooled and groaned frequently.

Castleberry recall - update

More on the Castleberry recall:

You tell Me

It's Monday morning, ya bastards, and time to play the blogosphere's favorite game show, "You Tell ME!", where I supply the picture and you supply the witty caption! And away we go. . .

Stick it to 'em!

Practice your knife-throwing skills, while also releasing that pent-up rage against your "favorite" celebs! Click on the picture below to play:

Check your chili sauce - Recall notice!

Four people, including two from here in Indiana, were recently hospitalized due to botulism from consuming tainted chili sauce produced by the Castleberry Food Company of Augusta, Georgia. This is a product that we have used regularly in our home.

The recall is for more than 80 types of canned chili, beef stew, corned beef hash and other meat products. Brands included in the recall are Austex, Best Yet, Big Y, Black Rock, Bloom, Bryan, Bunker Hill, Castleberry's, Cattle Drive, Firefighters, Food Club, Food Lion, Goldstar, Great Value, Kroger, Lowes, Meijer, Morton House, Paramount, Piggly Wiggly, Prudence, Southern Home, Steak N Shake, Thrifty Maid, Triple Bar and Value Time. The recall also includes four varieties of Natural Balance dog food.

The Agriculture Department's Food Safety and Inspection Service said Thursday that an equipment malfunction may have been responsible for the contamination and that the malfunctions at the Augusta processing facility may have existed longer than initially estimated.

Castleberry's senior vice president Steve Mavity said: "We believe we have isolated the issue to a situation of under-processing on one line of our production facility. As an extra precaution to the recall we announced on Wednesday, we have shut down this line altogether and are recalling all products produced on it."

Consumers with questions about the recall may contact Castleberry's at 1-888-203-8446 or visit their recall notice page.

Breaking News

Maybelline Corp reported an 80% drop in earnings per share this moring - In a related story, Tammy Faye Messner has died at 65. . .

George W Bush had five polyps removed from his ass today - In a related story, Paul Ipps and his five brothers signed up for active duty in Iraq today. Sources say that this is as close as W's ass will ever get to Iraq.

This is John Good reporting for Left in Aboite News - If you're just getting these stories here. . .you REALLY need to get out more! ;)

Billionaire sought secret lair for sex and drugs

Flush with wealth from Broadcom Corp.'s 1998 public stock offering, computer chip magnate Henry T. Nicholas III made a few additions to his equestrian estate in Laguna Hills: hidden doors and secret levers, an underground grotto, tunnels and a 2,000-square-foot sports bar he called "Nick's Cafe."

But there was more, according to a claim made in court documents: plans for a "secret and convenient lair" with hidden entries for Nicholas to indulge his "manic obsession with prostitutes" and "addiction to cocaine and Ecstasy."

The construction team hired by Nicholas has accused him of failing to pay millions of dollars for work performed between April 1998 and April 2002. Nicholas was said to have used "manipulation, lies, intimidation and even death threats" to pressure "nearly every contractor and vendor" on the project to perform extra work without pay "at warp speed."

The allegations, denounced as fabrications by Nicholas' lawyer, echoed others in a recently surfaced lawsuit filed late last year by Kenji Kato, a Nicholas assistant from 1999 to 2006. Kato said Nicholas made him oversee supplies of cocaine and other drugs, pay prostitutes from a "petty cash" fund and conceal his boss' illicit activities.

Nicholas took his wife to Hawaii for a week in August 2000 while work on his secret chamber was being completed, the filing claimed. Stacey Nicholas has since filed for divorce, after catching him in the room with a prostitute.

"Plaintiffs were promised payment and/or threatened with financial ruin — whatever it took — if they failed to complete the task within a week," the draft complaint said, and hundreds of workers began toiling 18 hours a day to excavate and pour concrete.

The noise and presence of armed guards hired to block access to community horse trails near the project prompted neighbors to complain to Laguna Hills authorities, who discovered the work was being performed without a permit and shut it down, "although the room ceiling was covered over so it was not observable from above ground," the contractors said.

In a September 2000 Times story about the dispute, Nicholas said the newest underground structure was "a pump house" to handle water runoff from the horse trails. The draft complaint disputed that account and claimed the new construction was tied to the alleged separate underground facility being built by Nicholas.

It said Nicholas, anticipating he would eventually obtain a permit from the city "to complete his lair," implemented a backup plan, arranging "to completely fabricate the interior" of the hideaway at a Laguna Niguel warehouse. That location, referred to as the Pond or the Ponderosa, "was infamous for its excessive extravagance, its sex rooms and its million-dollar sound equipment," the document alleged.

Nicholas had his private jet pick up prostitutes in New Orleans, Chicago, Las Vegas and Los Angeles "and bring them back to the Pond for his rock star friends," the draft complaint said. "He provided his guests with transportation and cocaine, Ecstasy, meth, marijuana, mushrooms, and nitrous oxide " — and even arranged for his private helicopter to land at a nearby hospital helipad, it said.

Kerry speaks out on Clinton smearing

John Kerry has done it. On Olbermann yesterday he said, "it is about time that those promoting this war offered up their own children to fight it, and anyone who themselves are 40 and under in the Congress and the Administration"...

This was in response to the letter Hillary Clinton received from Eric Edelman, former Cheney advisor, now in the Pentagon, and, according to Turkish newspapers, the absolute worst US Ambassador to Turkey in history. Edelman wrote that Clinton's letter asking what plans the Pentagon had for withdrawing US troops was, in effect, helping our enemies.

Democrats typically would slam the Administration for such accusations, thus succumbing to their invitation to join their argument. Indeed, that is what Hillary did in her response.

John Kerry did it better. He shoved it back down their throats so that they would choke on it. He also broke the taboo on calling for those voting and promoting the war volunteering themselves and having their own children go to Iraq:



If he'd shown more of this spine in 2004, we'd be calling him Mr.President right now. . .

He has been here. . .

A great commentary on Bush and Iraq by James Blunt. It's "beautiful" yet horrific at the same time. . .




A big ol' hat tip to Mary for finding this one.

Should Have Never Let You Go - Neil & Dara Sedaka

I'm in the habit of looking for obscure songs that I've enjoyed, and was pleasantly surprised to find this footage. From around 1980, if memory serves:

Friday Nite Retro

Good evening and welcome once again to Friday Nite Retro - the weekly feature where I spin tunes and tales of bands that have come and gone, for better or worse. Tonight I'm only venturing back as far as 1995, and a band that's still together today: The Foo Fighters!

Dave Grohl spent four years as the drummer for Nirvana. Also a decent songwriter, Grohl had gradually written a stockpile of songs that he had largely held back from the band for fear of ruining their chemistry. (Grohl has noted in several interviews that he was well aware of the infamous drummer joke: "Q: What did the drummer say just before he got fired? / A: 'Hey, guys, let's try one of my songs!'") Instead, Grohl occasionally booked studio time to record demos, and even issued a cassette of some of those songs called Pocketwatch under the pseudonym Late! in 1992.

Six months after Kurt Cobain's suicide, in 1994, Grohl recorded a demo album, playing every instrument and singing every vocal on the tracks himself. However, Grohl didn't want the Foo Fighters to be a one-man studio project, so he worked to form a band to support the album. Initially, former bandmate Krist Novoselic was a main candidate for the band, but both became concerned that it might portray Foo Fighters as a reincarnation of Nirvana. Having heard through the grapevine about the disbanding of Seattle-based emocore band Sunny Day Real Estate, Grohl drafted SDRE's bass player, Nate Mendel, and drummer, William Goldsmith. Pat Smear, who was an "unofficial member" of Nirvana after the release of In Utero, was added as a second guitarist, completing the band. Their first single, "This is a Call" was released in June of 1995:

This is a Call


Which was closely followed by the extremely radio-friendly "Big Me":

Big Me


In 1997, The Foos released their first album as a full band, "The Colour and Shape", which spawned the following three hits. It was loosely conceived by Grohl as a concept album which documented the beginning and end of a romantic relationship. Over the course of the making of the album, Grohl's own marriage to photographer Jennifer Youngblood ultimately ended in divorce.

My Hero


Everlong


Walking After You


"There Is Nothing Left to Lose", the band's third album,was released in 1999. Their first release on the BMG label, the album debuted and peaked at #10 both in the US and UK, and broadened their fanbase further with such hits as "Learn to Fly", "Stacked Actors", "Breakout" and "Next Year". Many of the songs strayed from the band's grunge roots and gave it a mildly experimental feel.It was also more radio-friendly, with less abrasive vocals and milder songs than their prior album:

Learn to Fly


"One by One", the band's fourth album, was released in 2002, and won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Album in 2004. The album gave Foos their first UK #1 album and also a #3 in the U.S. However, Grohl has stated that it is his least favorite album: "Four of the songs were good, and the other seven I never played again in my life. We rushed into it, and we rushed out of it."

Times Like These


Described by leader Dave Grohl as the "ultimate" Foo Fighters album, "In Your Honor" was generally met with receptive reviews. It entered the U.S. and UK charts at #2 behind Coldplay's X&Y with the strongest initial sales of their entire career thus far. "In Your Honor" sold 310,500 copies in its first week of release in the U.S. and as of October 2006 stands at 1,261,000 units sold.

Much of the albums theme and content came after Grohl spent time on the campaign trail with John Kerry during the 2004 Presidential Election. "We'd pull in to small towns, and thousands of people would come to be rescued by this man," said Grohl. "It's not a political record, but what I saw inspired me."

Best of You


And a final entry, from "Orange County - The Soundtrack":

The One


Dave and crew will be releasing a new album "Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace" as their sixth album on September 25 of this year.

Generation Chickenhawk

Manhattan blast triggers 9/11 fears

A steam pipe, installed in 1924, was the cause of a large blast in Manhattan yesterday which spewed a column of steam and building materials 80 stories into the air. The catastrophe instantly triggered 9/11 like panic among residents; one woman died from a heart attack from her sheer terror:



The city's Office of Emergency Management said in a statement that long-term health problems from the rupture of the 83-year-old steam pipe and its debris were "unlikely."

Streets were still closed Thursday morning around the crater left by the eruption near Grand Central Terminal, creating near-gridlock during the morning rush. New Yorkers streamed down Park Avenue, some wearing masks to filter the air as they weaved around utility trucks amid the sound of jackhammers. Clumps of office workers, BlackBerries in hand, huddled on corners for word on whether their offices would open.

Not One More Man

A GREAT new original song and video by our comrade against arms, Robert Rouse:

Call Dick Lugar @ 1-202-224-4814 and. . .

. . .let him know that while you were encouraged by his talk of changing the course in Iraq, you are extremely disappointed and outraged that he voted against making that change last night! It's really absurd when you think about it. . .Lugar actually stayed up all night to defend the president's disastrous policy in Iraq. And voted to keep the filibuster going!

All through the night last night, Democratic Senators called for a simple vote to change the course in Iraq. But despite the fact that the vast majority of the American people and a growing majority of Congress are calling for change, the Lugar and his fellow Republicans blocked a vote and gave the president license to continue his disastrous policies.

The Levin-Reed Amendment would have forced the president to start reducing the number of U.S. combat forces in Iraq within 120 days and transition the mission to limited counter terrorism, force protection and training of Iraqi security forces. It calls for a comprehensive diplomatic, political and economic strategy that includes sustained engagement with Iraq's neighbors and the international community so that we can all work together to bring stability to the region.

The situation in Iraq continues to deteriorate. The Iraqi government has not met the benchmarks and the readiness of the Iraqi security forces is well behind expectations. Our military is stretched thin with extended deployments in Iraq, and we are less secure at home and less able to respond to other crises. We are spending over $10 billion a month in Iraq and losing too many family members.

We must change the course in Iraq. We can't give up now. Let Mr.Lugar know that you demand a change in his Iraq stance NOW, not in September! Call him today at 1-202-224-4814!

Ann Coulter - Behind the scene

Countdown: al Qaeda Reality Check

In case you missed it. . .Q.- How do you tell when Bush is lying? A. - His mouth is open.

Lovitz roughs up Dick

I ran across this while researching something else this evening. I'm a big Hartman fan, but I was unaware of these details. From the NY Post:

It was fight night at an L.A. comedy club last week when Jon Lovitz roughed up Andy Dick over the murder of their "Saturday Night Live" colleague, Phil Hartman.

Laugh Factory owner Jamie Masada, who witnessed the assault, said, "Jon picked Andy up by the head and smashed him into the bar four or five times, and blood started pouring out of his nose." Lovitz told Page Six, "All the comedians are glad I did it because this guy is a asshole."

Lovitz and Dick have been at loggerheads since a 1997 Christmas party at Hartman's house, five months before his troubled wife Brynn flipped out, fatally shooting Hartman, then killing herself. "Andy was doing cocaine, and he gave Brynn some after she had been sober for 10 years. Phil was furious about it - and then five months later he's dead," said Lovitz, adding that when he filled in on Hartman's "Newsradio" sitcom, "I told Andy, 'I wouldn't be here now if you hadn't given Brynn that cocaine.' "

Last year, Lovitz related, a drunken Dick strolled up to his table at Ago in West Hollywood, rudely downed his guests' peach liqueur drinks, and "looked at me and said, 'I put the "Phil Hartman hex" on you - you're the next one to die.' I said, 'What did you say?' and he repeated it. I wanted to punch his face in, but I don't hit women."

When the two ran into each other at the Laugh Factory last Wednesday, "I wanted him to say he was sorry for the 'Phil Hartman hex,' " Lovitz told us. "First he says, 'I don't remember saying that.' Then he leans in and says, 'You know why I said it? Because you said I killed Phil Hartman.' Which I never said. Then he asked me to be in his new movie.

"I grabbed him by the shirt and leaned him over and said, 'I don't want to be in your movie! I don't want to be in your life!' I pushed him against the rail. Then I pushed him again really hard. A security guard broke it up. I'm not proud of it . . . but he's a disgusting human being." Dick's rep said he had no comment.

Dick's weirdness has been well documented. Last year, he licked the faces of Farrah Fawcett, Carrie Fisher and Patton Oswalt, then groped and bit the hand of Post reporter Mandy Stadtmiller at a comedy-festival taping.

If 2000 hadn't been stolen. . .

Okay, I'm already a big fan of "The Family Guy", but I just found this hilarious clip over on our joint effort, U-Blog Press. It was posted by a VERY old friend of mine, Dan Klug, and envisions a world where Al Gore assumed his rightful role as president in 2000. Try not to weep at our loss and enjoy the clip:

Iraqis protest attempted PSA rape & pillage maneuver

Back in May, I wrote about Dick Cheney's attempts to force the Iraqi government into Profit Sharing Agreements. This "deal" would effectively rape the nation of it's primary resource, while diverting nearly all of the profits to the foreign oil companies that would run the show.

About 300 oil industry workers gathered in Iraq’s main oil port of Basra on Monday to protest this draft law that they agreed "would allow foreigners to pillage the country’s wealth.”

To compensate for the military and political failure of the US administration in Iraq, this administration is trying to control the country’s wealth,” said the organizers, adding that "if this is endorsed by the parliament it would abolish sovereignty and hand over the wealth of this generation and the generations to come as a gift to the occupier”!

The protesters, employees of the Oil Pipelines Company, wore black surgical masks over their faces and carried banners and black coffins with the word “freedom” written on the sides. The clause in the draft hydrocarbon law allowing for production-sharing agreements with foreign oil companies is rightly seen by many Iraqis see as a throwback to the earlier era of Iraq colonial exploitation.

“This law, in fact destroys the achievements of the Iraqi masses and especially the Law number 80 of 1961 ( part of a bundle of socialist reforms issued by then-Prime Minister Abdul Karim Qassim, which sharply limited foreign involvement in the oil sector) and the nationalization of 1973,” said organizers.

The Bush administration and it's big oil allies, who sought to ram the draft hydrocarbon law through a government they helped set up and assumed that they controlled, can only be surprised by the awareness of the Iraqi people. As Shakes used to say "Don't fuck with me, boys - this aint my first time at the rodeo". The Iraqi people are used to having conquerors on their backs, and equally experienced in throwing them. . .

HELP! Dial 1-202-225-4965 today!

Reid to GOP: "Put up or shut up"!

Forcing his Republican colleagues to put up or shut up on the notion of an up-or-down vote, Senate Majority leader Harry Reid announced today that he will immediately file a cloture motion on the Reed-Levin troop redeployment bill and, if Republicans follow through with a filibuster, will place the Senate in a prolonged all-night session Tuesday to force a true continuation of debate.

"Now, Republicans are using a filibuster to block us from even voting on an amendment that could bring the war to a responsible end," said Reid. "They are protecting the President rather than protecting our troops. They are denying us an up or down – yes or no – vote on the most important issue our country faces."

The Reed-Levin amendment to the Department of Defense (DoD) Authorization Bill requires George W. Bush to "commence the reduction of the number of United States forces in Iraq not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act" and mandates a withdrawal of most combat forces by April 30, 2008. Here is the text of the bill:

SEC. 1535. REDUCTION AND TRANSITION OF UNITED STATES FORCES IN IRAQ.

(a) Deadline for Commencement of Reduction.--The Secretary of Defense shall commence the reduction of the number of United States forces in Iraq not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.

(b) Implementation of Reduction as Part of Comprehensive Strategy.--The reduction of forces required by this section shall be implemented as part of a comprehensive diplomatic, political, and economic strategy that includes sustained engagement with Iraq's neighbors and the international community for the purpose of working collectively to bring stability to Iraq. As part of this effort, the President shall direct the United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations to use the voice, vote, and influence of the United States at the United Nations to seek the appointment of an international mediator in Iraq, under the auspices of the United Nations Security Council, who has the authority of the international community to engage political, religious, ethnic, and tribal leaders in Iraq in an inclusive political process.

(c) Limited Presence After Reduction and Transition.--After the conclusion of the reduction and transition of United States forces to a limited presence as required by this section, the Secretary of Defense may deploy or maintain members of the Armed Forces in Iraq only for the following missions:

(1) Protecting United States and Coalition personnel and infrastructure.

(2) Training, equipping, and providing logistic support to the Iraqi Security Forces.

(3) Engaging in targeted counterterrorism operations against al Qaeda, al Qaeda affiliated groups, and other international terrorist organizations.

(d) Completion of Transition.--The Secretary of Defense shall complete the transition of United States forces to a limited presence and missions as described in subsection (c) by April 30, 2008.

"I would like to inform the Republican leadership and all my colleagues that we have no intention of backing down," said Reid this afternoon. "If Republicans do not allow a vote on Levin/Reed today or tomorrow, we will work straight through the night on Tuesday. The American people deserve an open and honest debate on this war, and they deserve an up or down vote on this amendment to end it."

Reid could hold the Senate in continuous session overnight Tuesday and into midday Wednesday unless Republicans agree to a simple-majority vote on Reed-Levin.

You Tell Me

Time once again for Monday morning caption fun. This may be a picture of PeaceChick Mary and family on vacation, but since I'm not sure. . .YOU tell ME:

Jim Webb vs Lindsey Graham

Lindsey Graham and Jim Webb quarreled Sunday over Bush’s Iraq policy and how much say lawmakers should have in shaping a new strategy.

Webb strongly criticized the war, calling it a “botched occupation” and blamed the Bush administration for failing to propose “the right diplomatic formula.” Graham vehemently disagreed with Webb’s remarks and said “the worst thing we can do as a country is when we’re close to getting it right is to withdraw because of the next election.”



Which one of these guys would YOU trust to have your back? I realize that may be a loaded question when referring to Graham. . .I always seem to hear a closet door slam when his name is mentioned.

Thinking Blogger Award

Okay, Mary Ellen over at the Divine Democrat was gracious enough to award me the prestigious "Thinking Blogger" award. I'm not sure how worthy this humble blogger is of this honor, but I gladly accept and offer my sincere thanks to Mary Ellen for inclusion into such a fine group!

As a recipient of this award, it is now my duty to award five other bloggers who's work gives me pause and makes me think a little bit. There are many such individuals out there who meet this criteria; narrowing it down to just five will not be easy, but here goes:

Lew Scannon - This author of the weblog unbrainwashed, in addition to having a clever pseudonym, always makes me think. He puts alot of passion and energy into his writing, and always has lots of links to back things up.

Jeff Pruitt - While Fort Wayne Left is supposed to be a group effort between Jeff, Robert Rouse, and myself, Jeff has been the driving force behind what it has become over the last few months: A well-thought out progressive blog focused on local issues that has become a local favorite.

Paddy Kraska - Paddy Kraska helps out here in her (snork) spare time. Most of the time, you can find her at Cliff Schecter's place where it seems like she blogs 18 hours per day! Paddy has a nose for right-wing hypocrisy and always finds the great stuff.

John Q Public - JQP sort of defies category, but he always makes me laugh, even when his humor rises above my level. This dude can really write, folks! He's also a strong progressive voice, and a good guy to have a beer with. . .Umm. . .not in a GWB sorta way!

PeaceChick Mary - Mary has alot to write about, and she manages to do so very well in between contributing to several other blogs and visiting all the rest of us! Always a pleasure to read wherever you run into her. . .


Now, here are the rules:

1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think.

2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme.

3. Optional: Proudly display the ‘Thinking Blogger Award’ with a link to the pos
t that you wrote.

A Night with Ann Coulter

TRF Parade Highlights

viral link

Below is a matrix of 120 stars, I have already added a link to my blog onto one of the stars, all you need to do is copy and paste the grid into your blog and add your own link to one of the other spare stars, and tell others to do the same!

Viralink

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When I receive a ping back once you have added the Viralink to your site I will add your link to this grid, and each person who copies the grid from here will also link to your site!

Rules
No Porn Sites
Only 1 link per person (i.e don't hog the viralink!)
Please don't tamper with other peoples url's
Enjoy!