The Past Week: November 23-29, Recaps and Random Thoughts (Dogs; Obamabilia and “Mt. Crapmore”; Jobs; Black Politics; CNN Delivers In-Depth Report on Our Best Hope to Save Us from “First Lady Fashion Fumbles”)

~~By InsightAnalytical-GRL

Well, we survived Black Friday and now the full-court press is on for Christmas! For me, this is the time of year when I start avoiding stores and try to ignore all that’s going on.  If the economy depended on me for consumption, it would tank even more…I don’t shop!

Quick update on the stray dog…I think she/he was around a few weeks ago, but after I got my cam set up and experimented with the location of the food/water dishes and saw that everything disappeared except the big cookie treats, it was pretty clear that the birds that were hanging around were the ones eating. So, wherever the little dog is these days, I hope she/he is safe and warm.  I wish I could be sure…On the bright side, the neighbors across the street, whose house is visible on the web cam view, adopted another dog quite by chance. They were visiting some people and the neighbors from across the street was in the process of moving and were desperate because they couldn’t take the dog with them. My neighbor decided to take him home, as a buddy for the white boxe named Sugar they already have. A young dog they had had died a couple of months ago and Sugar was very lonely. The new addition, a huge American bulldog named Big, is as sweet as pie and is friendly toward Slick. Sugar was beginning to warm up a bit since she was so lonely, but wasn’t exactly in love with my little guy.  Big makes sure Sugar stays in line and practically climbs over Sugar to nose Slick!

If you”re lucky, you might see Sugar and Big on the cam greeting Slick as we go out for our “mailbox walk” in the early afternoon…

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Speaking of Christmas, you might want to shop at the site offering fabulous Obama gifts!!! The ad caption for this graphic reads “Capitalism, Democracy, Support Both!! Buy the T-Shirt”!

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H/T to Make Them Accountable for passing along this clip found at Raw Story…Lewis Black on how cheesy the “Obamabilia” sellers are these days:

Lewis Black rant mocks tacky ‘Obamabilia’

“Just think about it,” said comedian Lewis Black in a recent installment; “two months before he even takes office, Barack Obama has already earned a permanent place on ‘Mount Crapmore.'”

SNIP

Said Black: “The election of Barack Obama has once again demonstrated America’s greatest gift: Our capacity to embrace hope and idealism… and then turn it into worthless, disposable crap!”

The one response is right on target:

As is the load the Obama marketing team sold the huddling lemming-like progressives who lapped up the rhetoric like thirsty dogs. It’s worthless crap. Never, ever, underestimate the ability of human beings to repeat the same mistakes countless times.
Audacity of hope, indeed.

Reminds me of the cartoon I posted back on 11/22…a previous r version of “Mt. Crapmore”…

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Monday we awoke to this fabulous WaPo report with a it’s ridiculous headline…’H/T to That’s Me on the Left for the find and snark:

Obama Sets Expansive Goal for Jobs
Plan Aims to Create or Save 2.5 Million Positions by 2011

So, if I’m understanding this correctly, if Obama creates zero jobs by 2011, he has achieved his goal, as he “preserved” the 2.5 million jobs not lost.

Indeed, if he loses 2.5 million jobs, he preserved the additional 2.5 million jobs that would have been lost absent his lightworking economic policies.

Unbelievable.

And the WaPo carries this spin as a headline on page one.

So now, job creation is apparently on an equal footing with “job saving” which means not losing any more…Let’s aim high, folks!

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As the big financial institutions line up for their much-deserved bailout money, how much is really being reported in the mainstream media?  Well, if you want to see where YOUR money is going, check out this great site, Bailout Sleuth.com, which is keeping up with where all the money is going…

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Here’s another site which is very informative.  If you want to keep up with what black Americans are thinking these days, check out Your Black Politics. The site also provides an EXTENSIVE list of many other blogs related to black political news and other subjects of interest.

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From Chicago Correspondent Leslie…finally, an article of substance from CNN!!! Thank God, we will have Michelle Obama’s impeccable taste to look to for inspiration and the chance to “break the mold”!  Are the snide remarks about Clinton and Bush absolutely necessary?? I think not…And why the HELL are we being subjected to this fashion crap, anyway?…”18 million cracks” my ass…(When do we get to hear Sarah Palin trashed again??)

Fashion fumbles by first ladies

NEW YORK (AP) — When Laura Bush and Hillary Clinton arrived at the White House, they brought with them styles that suited their hometowns in Texas and Arkansas, but that wouldn’t have held up in any fashion capital.

Laura Bush’s Sunday-best peacock blue coat didn’t get high ratings in 2001.

Tastemakers have higher hopes for Michelle Obama, who is expected to fill her closet at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue with sophisticated styles that match her modern image but maintain the sensibility inherent to Chicago.The image of Obama walking the inaugural parade route in something like the domed, wide-brimmed hat that has haunted Clinton since 1993 seems unlikely. And she probably won’t show up to the inaugural ball in mother-of-the-bride-style gowns with dyed-to-match pumps like Bush has worn — twice.

Over time, both Clinton and Bush did grow more accustomed to their new surroundings, and their wardrobe reflected that. Learn more about inaugural events and history »

For example, Bush wore a Sunday-best peacock blue coat with sensible shoes to the chilly inaugural ceremony in 2001, but chose a chic winter-white coat ensemble with camel-colored high heels — a top pick of fashion insiders — in 2005.

Clinton also chose a modern, luxe gold lace gown by Oscar de la Renta for her second tour of inaugural balls unlike the fussy purple princess number the first go-around. (Remember the sparkly belt buckle?) Watch how extravagant should Obama’s inauguration ball be? »

Still, Bush and Clinton fit into the expectations of what earlier generations thought a president’s wife should look like. Obama has the opportunity to break the mold.

MORE spew….

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This week in the garden:  I have a huge crop of mustard that I can’t eat fast enough!   The pak choi is beginning to become recognizable at about 3″ tall and the arugula is just about ready for first harvest.  I actually picked a few more small banana peppers from the plants in the pots.  Although we’re having brief spells of freezing temperatures overnight, I still have a few figs that I’m hoping to harvest. I cover the bush with plastic and keep it on during the day.  The tree is a bit off schedule because I transplanted it last fall from a big planter and it’s still getting warmth off the wall it’s next to.  I’m real close to having them ripen, but one really bitterly cold night may spoil them.  Fingers crossed!

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THIS WEEK’S POSTS

We started the live web cam this week! See the tab at the top of the home page!

*By kenosha Marge

**By American Lassie

***Submitted by Grail Guardian

Bill Richardson at Commerce: Scary

*A True Tale: “The Saga of Tom Turkey” by kenosha Marge

**The $700 Billion Bailout Bait and Switch

REMINDER: Free US Now Radio Tonight (11/24)…with Idella Moore, Head of Drive to Ratify the ERA

***CHANGE! …(your expectations)

The Past Week: November 16-22, Recaps & Random Thoughts (Critical Thinking vs. Elation; Pics from “Elation Central”; Drying the Tears of Progressive Groups; Medicare Part D Surprise from the Democrats; Face Reading; Housewives & Ludacris; Stray Dog Update)(UPDATE 1X–Dog)

Bill Richardson at Commerce: Scary

~~By InsightAnalytical-GRL

With the hoopla about Hillary Clinton as the nominee for Secretary of State, the nomination of Bill Richardson at Commerce seems anti-climactic to many.  I decided to check out what the Department of Commerce really encompasses and was in for a real education. The various tentacles that reach out from Commerce are something to behold…and, I think, will provide Richardson with a whole lot of ways to make mischief.

As a New Mexico resident, I have to admit that I can’t stand this duplicitous jerk.  Much of my disgust involves his push for the spaceport project and the way he foisted it off on the public. Tops on my list is the way he barred citizens from attending his sales job at a meeting for parents and kids at a public school.  Police were called to assist in shoving away people from the general pubic who wanted to get in to hear what the deal was (See “Rules” article below.)

Of course, there’s all the water he carried for Obama here in NM after stabbing Hillary Clinton in the back (the “Judas” incident as described by James Carville).  Ultimately, Richardson ticked off a lot of Democratic legislators in Santa Fe with his machinations. [See Let Me Tell You About Bill Richardson and “RICHARDSON’S RULES”… AND Bill Richardson’s Star is Falling with a BIG THUD (Not on VP Shortlist, State Legislators FED UP with Him)].

And then there’s the maneuvering he did on behalf of Harry Teague, newly elected to the House from CD-2. For all the ties between Richardson, Teague, and Republican Steve Pearce, see  “Harry T. and the Chamber of Secrets” co-starring Oil and Republicans–Screenplay by Bill Richardson [Subtitle: The Behind-the-Scenes Adventures of Bill R., Harry Teague and the NM CD-02 Democratic Primary].

And then there’s Richardson’s ties to an “ACORN”-like group (Part II: NM AG, “Gutsy Gary” King, Fighting for Transparency re: Non-Profits Like the League of Young Voters and ACORN).

Now, take a peek the Department of Commerce website.

Look at the list of areas on the left and click through and see what each encompasses. Richardson’s new fiefdom deals with everything from telecommunications to Iraq reconstruction to minority business, industry and security, and economic analysis, just to touch the surface.

Putting Richardson in charge of this department gives him a playground that might not have the high public profile of Clinton at State…but, in my opinion, there’s a heck of a lot of ways that Richardson may prove to be more powerful…and more quietly and under the radar…than Hillary Clinton will be in the long run.

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Here’s one of my pieces on Richardson’s role in the Obama visit here on Memorial Day this past May, which also includes a discussion of a foreign policy faux pas by Richardson. (Search the site for several more part in the series I did on the visit.)

Obama to Visit Site of Bataan Memorial Death March on Memorial Day…To Repair Dumb Comment Damage? (Or…To Straighten Out Foreign Policy Mix-up with Bill Richardson?)

Richardson may not have gotten State, but he’s bounced back just fine by grabbing Commerce.

A True Tale: “The Saga of Tom Turkey” by Kenosha Marge

(Editor’s Note:When this post was first published in November 2008 it became an instant classic…So, we’re making it a new tradition here at IA. Original comments follow:

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All of us here at IA would like to extend to all our visitors our best wishes for a wonderful Thanksgiving Day. We hope any political differences that may be within your families will be put aside to so that everyone can reflect on the good things that life brings our way.

Before Kenosha Marge begins her entertaining true story about a particular turkey that entered her life, I want to offer a little aside about the wild turkeys I saw while living in New Jersey.  Unbelievably, I saw two birds in “full feather” emerge from a small wooded area in back of the office in Hamilton, NJ (suburban Trenton) one day as I was standing at the copy machine, gazing out the window. Needless to say, I was totally shocked, considering that the office was in the middle of a very busy area, not in the “wilds of NJ.”  The two birds were magnificent and gave me the thrill of a lifetime!

So, on to Kenosha Marge’s wonderful story…and best wishes for your Thanksgiving Day from Marge, Grail Guardian, American Lassie, Leslie, and me!  And, we give our thanks to all of you for visiting our site. ~~InsigntAnalytical-GRL)

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The Saga of Tom Turkey (A Bird with Attitude)

~~By Kenosha Marge

Our family has a Thanksgiving story that is trotted out ever year. With a golden brown carcass of a roasted turkey having pride of place on the dinner table we tell the tale of another turkey. We speak of a turkey that never graced anyone’s dinner table.

The story starts innocently enough. The spouse decided one spring that what we needed most in life was to raise our own turkeys. Having learned nothing from the debacle of the raising of our own chickens he insisted that we had no idea of the taste delight of homegrown turkey. He had said the same thing about the chickens but only he and our eldest son and the occasional guest could attest to that fact since the rest of us were unable to eat a chicken we knew.

The $700 Billion Bailout Bait and Switch

~~By American Lassie

In an earlier post, on November 4, 2008 before the Presidential race was called, I expressed a worry about where the $700 billion bail-out money was going. It didn’t seem to be going where we were told it was intended to go.

Now Republican Senator Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma is addressing this in same manner.  On Saturday, November 15, he said we should take back the remaining money given to Henry Paulson in that “blank check.”

First we were told it was to buy mortgage-backed securities.  Then Paulson shifted gears and said it was to use $250 billion to buy stakes in banks.  The “Troubled Asset Relief Program” (TARP) would enable ailing banks to start lending money again and thus boost the economy.

-No homeowner has yet been helped and foreclosures are multiplying.
-Senator Chris Dodd said Paulson’s actions are “beyond belief.”
-Paulson told Charlie Rose  – “The driver is to have healthy banks be well capitalized so they can play for our country right now.”
-Paulson diverted $250 billion to buy stakes in healthy banks to spur lending, but they are not doing this with the money.
-Charles Schumer, Democrat-NY, fears the banks might stuff the money “under the proverbial mattress”.  It appears this is exactly what they are doing.
-Treasury hired the Bank of New York Mellon Corp. as “custodian” of the TARP program.  They also picked Mellon to receive a $3 Billion investment as part of the Capital Infusion Program.

Heads should roll !!!  Greed, corruption, and incompetence – where does it end?
Martha Stewart was imprisoned for lying – but then, she is a woman. Administrators’ neglect brought on this crisis.  It has been coming on for some time.  There were ample warnings (Bush and McCain) but Congress did nothing.  Barney Frank, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, is one of the prime culprits.  When warned about Fannie Mae he said there was no problem there.  At the time his live-in partner, Herb Moss, was an administrator at Fannie Mae.  Conflict of interest?  I’d say so, but to paraphrase Katie Couric, “Who am I to judge anyone?”

Now everybody wants a bail-out.  The auto industry appears to be next on the list and Governor Schwarzenegger of California thinks that his state should be bailed out because California has shown discipline. (This has nothing to do with the fire – this is another matter).  Give me a break – when has California shown any discipline?  And why should that entitle them to bail-out money from us tax payers in the rest of the country?  What’s next?  The health industry, the remaining 49 states?  (Except for Alaska which seems to be doing fine, thanks to a smart governor).  Next we will have government-owned 7-11 stores.

I’m with Jim Inhofe.  Let’s demand our money back. It’s our money and we didn’t agree to this giveaway.  In my opinions, bankers can’t be trusted.  Remember Mr. Potter in “It’s a Wonderful Life”?  Greedy, crooked, conniving piece of scum…

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Check out BailoutSleuth.com to keep up with the bailout developments and who’s getting what…

REMINDER: Free US Now Radio Tonight (11/24)…with Idella Moore, Head of Drive to Ratify the ERA

From the Free US Now site…

Free US Now Radio comes to you two nights a week and we are devoted to democracy, equality and human rights. Please tune in Monday at 8 PM Eastern
when we welcome Idella Moore for the full hour.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/FreeMeNow – Call-in Number: (347) 838-8011

Idella Moore is founder and Executive Officer of a national, single-issue, non-partisan organization whose mission is to finish ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. This amendment would guarantee legal equality to men and women and should it be ratified it would become only the second constitutional guarantee for women. The only other right that women are explicitly guaranteed in the Constitution is the right to vote.

The radio site says 6pm–I guess that’s BettyJean’s time zone, but go with 8 pm ET…That’s when I listened last time!

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For more programming devoted to women’s issues, check out the rest of the schedule here in this previous post (hopefully, these shows are on this week!)

REMINDER: “Ladies’ Night” on the Radio Tonight! MONDAY, 11/10…FULL LINEUP Starts 8 PM ET

I’m not sure if Dr. Lynette Long is on, but the New Agenda’s show with Ophelia should be, according to their site.