Iran

McCain and crowd still talk about invading Iran...A friend of mine, who has worked in Iraq for years, just returned. She said that Iraq is crazier and more dangerous than ever before. Contractors no longer have US military protection. Crime has increased, the factions are at each other's throats, and it's nearly impossible to tell who is in charge...Yes, let's invade Iran because we have done such a great job of bringing democracy and stability to Iraq...And, let's not forget how well Afghanistan is turning out.

Blanche Lincoln Doesn't Blink

Lincoln Keeps Pressure on Banks/via Political Wire

"Lincoln wrote a controversial provision in the bill that could force banks to spin off their lucrative derivatives-trading operations. Bankers and many lawmakers assumed the provision would wither once Ms. Lincoln lost her primary -- or even if she won, given the diminished political imperative to look tough on Wall Street. But her victory appeared to have the opposite effect, with Democrats saying her standing is now strengthened, particularly as it appears the populist provision resonated with voters."

Said Lincoln: "We're going to work hard to keep it in."

The Firebagger left wingnuts will get their knickers in a twist over this. They hate Blanche so much, this will be viewed as just another devious plot to destroy progressive morale. How dare she stick to her guns after diabolically defeating lefty icon Bill Halter in Tuesday's democratic primary.

Hot Off the Grassely

Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) has an idea about how to rid the Gulf of Mexico of oil forever, and all we need is a brewery, some yeast, and “those microscopic things.”


More genius politicking from clueless wingnuts. This will not go down easy with the "Bubba" vote in Loosiana. Sacrificing good beer like this will be viewed as added tragedy akin to pouring Holy Water into your radiator.

And BTW Chuck, those "microscopic things" are dead brain cells.

Yipee

I have been asked to contribute to this blog. I consider this an honor. The General always has been a favorite of mine at BJ...With this new blogging pleasure comes the responsibility of finally becoming more tech savy than I am now -- which is less than nothing. In the immediate future, I am going to take pictures of my two darlings -- Smrda and Diesel -- and hopefully post them. I am lucky to have graduate students who work with me, who are quite tech savy and who can guide me through a learning process. They will love the fact that for once, they know more than me...Although in truth, in class, they continually amaze me with their knowledge, skills, and experiences. Most of my graduate students are former Peace Corps volunteers, like me, and it amazes me how we can share experiences across the years that separate us. I was a volunteer in the 1980s in Liberia, while they are all recent returnees.

Anyway, I will end here with a new beginning....

Charlie Heading Out For Afternoon Drive

I/m Baaack!

Was going to wait till the end of the month to end my internet vacation, but my landlord is raising the rent in 3 months, so I need it to look for a new place. Great, and now with a doggy to find something. Unless I can work out a long term lease to keep the same price. The good news is the wife of one of the owners likes me and is working on her hubby to relent. Our friendship is just friends, but it could all backfire anyways. We shall see.

Meantime Charlie is doing just great, though it is hot as hell here now and his thick fur doesn't help and he kind of mopes around till nightime and cooler temps. Politics still sucks and I am in no rush to start writing about it just yet. till later

A little Charlie pick me up. From yesterday our romp around the Historic mining town of Pinus Altos NM, He is pooped and so was I after our walk in 98 degree tems.

Library Blogging cont.....

Happy Memorial Day. Or something. Still enjoying the offline life. Starting my second week internet vacation and have gotten past the early acute withdrawals. Don't miss it much now, though it is a hassle handling my bank account without web access. And a few other business thingys you get used to having at the fingertips.

Seems we killed the sixth number 3 Al Quaeda dude with another drone attack. I don't think it is worth it in light of killing civilians in the process, but nobody asked me. At least the military is questioning itself with a report condemning some drone crews for being trigger happy, in a report.

Big bidness is still killing the gulf of mexico slowly, and Obama is getting the blame. Not his fault but he has done poorly doing the politics with it and will likely get dinged for that. As for the cracker populace crying over it it all, I find it hard to muster much sympathy for them. The good peeps of LA, especially along the coast have been the lead morans with the "Drill Baby Drill" crowd for many decades, even more than Palin and Alaska and even Texas. I feel for the environment and the critters, but not much else.

Started watching BSG again and it is just as good the second time around. Charlie is doing most excellent being a cute doggie and all. I feel no rush to get back online, so don't know when I will hook back up. Hummingbird photo season is about to begin on July 1, so that may prompt me to reconnect for my flickr friends to share our pics, but I could care less about following politics like I was, and especially the dumbass blogs and all the wanking from the right and mostly from the left. I am convinced that poeple who blog are the second dumbest people on the planet, just below the News Media in general. I guess that has included me in the past on left wing blogs, so I hope to not rejoin that crap. Writing here is more like just keeping a diary, and if a few or no folks read it, either way will be just fine. I do miss some people at Balloon Juice, my former haunt, but not the blog as a whole. Till later.