Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Back From Austin - full of beer and smelling like barbque.


After 5 days of Austin's best beer, music and food, we are booked solidy at the club for the next two weeks. But...

A very special find: One of the best biscuits I've ever had. At a wine bar!!! They do light breakfasts, have a natural food market and bakery in the back and an excellent wine selection. We stopped by this place several times. Would have been back once more but they were closed on Mondays, the day we left.



Biscuit sandwich of cheese, egg and bacon. Biscuit was flaky, full of flavor and was just dense enough to hold together as a sandwich.

Located on South Congress, half mile or so past the Ann Richardson bridge (aka Congress St. bridge)

Monday, April 27, 2009

Why are We Paying $50 a Barrel for $20 Barrel Oil??

That's a Question I Have Been Asking Myself For Two Years or More!
About Saudi Arabia
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Spring Has Sprung: Photo To Prove It Here:

Kay enjoys the wisteria while it lasts. Delicate, fragrant but short lived.
Photo taken downtown Sebastopol by my trusty Nikon D70s, set on raw resolution which automatically gives me a jpg work print and fill flash boosted by half a stop. I have not processed the image so the exposure is a little hot.
And Another One!!

Got Flu? Thank Susan Collins!

By: Teddy Partridge Monday April 27, 2009 10:09 am
1
diggs
digg it
Flu And You - Part V - Watch more Videos at Vodpod.

"Does it belong in this bill? Should we have $870 million in this bill? No, we should not." Susan Collins bragged about stripping pandemic flu preparation money from the stimulus bill in February. Doesn't seem so moderate now, does it?

Watch her brag about it right here.

Her website still posts a glowing Wall Street Journal article about her wonderful leadership on the stimulus entitled "GOP Wields More Influence on the Stimulus Bill" [that page as now been scrubbed, but we saved it as a PDF -ed.]

After meeting with Mr. Obama, Sen. Collins expressed concern about a number of spending provisions, including $780 million for pandemic-flu preparedness. "I have no doubt that the president is willing to negotiate in good faith, that he wants to have a bipartisan bill," Sen. Collins said

Hope we sure get more of that wonderful good-faith negotiation with the GOP soon!


Any Doubts That Republicans Are Intrinsically Evil Washed Away

At least the Rep leadership in DC is.
Great article from Susie Madrak in CrooksandLiars today:

As I often tell myself, there is rarely any situation in which the attentions of the Republican party can't make it even worse. Dave Johnson at Seeing the Forest points out one major problem:

We face a potential swine flu pandemic, and we do not have the people in place in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that we need. Why not? The Republicans are blocking confirmation of Obama’s nominee, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.

Why are they blocking this nomination? Because Gov. Sebelius won’t approve Kansas Republican bills to block abortion even if the abortion will save the mother’s life. They say she is “an enemy of the unborn,” because she thinks doctors should be able to save the mother’s life.

So as you worry about this possible flu pandemic, think about why your government is not yet fully up and running to do its part and protect us. As we saw when hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, government-hating Republicans destroyed our ability to respond to emergencies, and instead set up a system where contracts were awarded to cronies who collected the cash but never delivered the services. And now they continue to block our government’s ability to protect us, because they think that a mother’s life is not as important as a fetus.

The Democrats should start a big public relations push to get the Republicans to drop their opposition for the sake of the country.

It might work, but who knows? After all, Republicans always put party above country. Because guess what the Republicans (including "moderate" Susan Collins, helped along by Karl Rove's attacks) stripped out of the stimulus bill? You guessed it: pandemic flu preparedness! (They insisted it had nothing to do with the economy.) From John Nichols in today's The Nation:

When House Appropriations Committee chairman David Obey, the Wisconsin Democrat who has long championed investment in pandemic preparation, included roughly $900 million for that purpose in this year's emergency stimulus bill, he was ridiculed by conservative operatives and congressional Republicans.

Obey and other advocates for the spending argued, correctly, that a pandemic hitting in the midst of an economic downturn could turn a recession into something far worse -- with workers ordered to remain in their homes, workplaces shuttered to avoid the spread of disease, transportation systems grinding to a halt and demand for emergency services and public health interventions skyrocketing. Indeed, they suggested, pandemic preparation was essential to any responsible plan for renewing the U.S. economy.


Sad that in the time of the country's greatest need, the GOP always says "screw america" and puts party ideology first.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Do You Know the Proper Way to Cough in Public?

This post has an informative (and somewhat humorous) video demonstrating the only approved way to cough or sneeze in public these days:

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/4/26/724688/-Swine-Flu-Update:-Public-Health-Emergency-Declared
Roses Are Enjoying Spring Too!

Kay says our roses are more spectacular this year than in recent memory. Here's one sample:



The Tragedy of Alyssa Peterson.



In case you aren't familiar with her story, this post from FDL is very powerful and informative and I recommend a quiet reading of it.

http://firedoglake.com/2009/04/26/torture-and-the-united-states-of-alyssa-peterson/

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Very Different Sort of Website.

Perhaps this site is another reason I'm glad that I have never lost my luggage.
http://www.isthisyourluggage.com/Site/Luggage_home.html

Friday, April 24, 2009

Great News From Camile Cusumano From Argentina

If you click on the image, it will open to a larger, much easier to read mode.
For more info, go to her website: CamilleCusumano.com

Tuesday, April 21, 2009


Bud Break Time In The Vineyards!


Bud break signals the beginning of the 2009 vintage. We won't see the grapes for another 2-3 months but at last the process has begun!

Sunday, April 19, 2009


Mother's Day Family Photo

Had a photo session with Ann Marie Dale, her daughter Alexandria and husband Ryan Polite in Ragle Park yesterday for a traditional Mother's Day present: a current portrait.
I think outdoor portraits are best and the most fun to shoot. And my trademark, as it were, is to use the sun as my backlight.
I used my Nikon D70s, in the raw mode, which also produces a small reference jpg which is what this photo is. Fill flash was with my trusty old Vivatar 285 into a bounce card on a Bogen light stand. Nice thing about the raw format is that in Photoshop CS3 I can totally control the color temp, in this case warming up the photo and reducing highlights as needed.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Very Impressive and Moving Sand Art movie.

Not sure where this came from but it's delightful to watch and there is a link visible in the video. A very talented person did this.
Watch to the end to get the music credits, very nice sax playing.


Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Amazing English Singer!

If you've not yet seen this video (and you will) here's a link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxPZh4AnWyk
Did I Mention That Spring Is Definitely Here in Sebastopol?

Well, here's a picture to prove it. Gravensteins in the making!

What's with these Georgia boys?

From DailyKos website:

Here’s a piece about the son of our local rep, right wing nut Paul Broun

U.S. Rep. Paul Broun’s son was arrested and charged with drug possession early Saturday morning at a party in Athens.

Paul Collins Broun III, 18, of Knob Creek Drive in Oconee County, was at a party at an apartment on West Cloverhurst Street at 2:30 a.m. when Athens-Clarke police responded to a complaint.

Broun smelled of alcohol and marijuana and had a pill bottle in his pocket containing marijuana, according to a police report. Police said they also found a small glass pipe containing ash and bits of marijuana in Broun’s SUV.

Broun is a senior at Athens Academy. His father was elected to Congress in 2007.


Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Conservatives are planning for fun times!

They got all these teabagging parties scheduled, so not only will there be lots of fun activities, I'm sure the video coverage will be priceless.
Not sure what they have planned? Here's a web page that describes their planned activities in detail.... maybe too much detail!

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=teabagging

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

Fun, Music-filled Video.

Thanks to Redvale over at Twitter, I learned about this little film. Watch and enjoy:

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2539741

Saturday, April 04, 2009

Friday, April 03, 2009

Rot In Hell Drudge- Part 1

Proof that right wing fools like him are only in it for the money..

http://wonkette.com/407530/hey-this-is-not-appropriate-matt-drudge
Binghamton NY Tragedy - Take Action

If you are upset, divert your anger to a good cause:

http://www.bradycampaign.org/action/getconnected/
Love Those Those Romantic French!

My fave photo so far from Obama's foreign travels..
Sarkozy's hand on his wife's butt!!









Harman Stabs Fellow Dems in Back!

Rep. Jane Harman [D, CA-36] voted with Repugs to gut the Grayson bill, allowing the Banks which received TARP money, to pay bonuses as they want. Someone should ask how much the banks had to contribute to her campaigns to get her vote.
I trust her actions will be scrutinized during her next election cycle.

For more on the story, Firedoglake has more detail.

Monday, March 30, 2009


Fave Wingnut Photo of the Day

Saw this at Crooks and Liars blog. Made me chuckle... perhaps you will too. We all admire competence, right?

Photo credit:
(TIA ANN CHAPMAN / HARTFORD COURANT

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Frank Partnoy: Derivative Dangers


Listen to him on Fresh Air at the link below as he explains how derivatives work, how they began, why he used to sell them and how now he will have nothing to do with them.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102325715
Star Wars Gadgest Cont'd

Gotta have one of these:



















See them at this site: http://www.firebox.com/product/2158/Star-Wars-Phone-Flashers
Economic Meltdown Had Warning in 1999!

Very interesting story on the FireDogLake blog about Senator Byron Dorgan who called this economic mess, very accurately, almost alarmingly so.

Read and watch the video with Maddow here:

http://christyhardinsmith.firedoglake.com/2009/03/26/kudos-to-sen-byron-dorgan/

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Sex, Spitzer, Derivatives: Using Our Outrage


Fascinating reading. I would like to think that Obama administration members read this and take appropriate action, using the outrage as justification for making politically difficult remedies.



I won't be holding my breath, tho.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
We Star Wars Fans Have New Cause To Celebrate!!

Wow, am I excited! A new Star Wars toy, one that every fan should have... and why has no one thought of it before.
Yes, I'm talking about a Darth Vader Hula Doll for you dashboard. See for yourself:


Follow the link below to find out how this work of art came to be!! And watch the video of Darth doing the hula. The force is strong with him.

http://community.livejournal.com/starwarscrafts/63882.html

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Wine Recommendations!

Since I am fortunate enough to live here in Provence-like Sonoma county, I frequently get requests for wine recommendations. Apparently there is an impression "out there" that I qualify as a wino.
The correct word in enophile, thank you very much.

So, here are three wines that Kay and I drink often, me more than her, each under $10 here in the county (might be higher out of state, if available). We are especially fortunate that we are close to several wineries that periodically have warehouse type sales, open to the local public only. We are drinking a Viansa Barbera that was sold in such a manner just before the holidays. Fab stuff and only $5 a bottle, since it was all overrun and they wanted to dump it, so to speak.
Anyway, here are the three:

Menage a Trois is a blend of Rhone style reds and is available nationally, thanks to it being purchased by a conglomerate from the local Napa owners. I put a detailed shot so you can see how the name is spelled. There is also a white version. Usually around $9.












































Next is a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc that I really enjoy. Very typical of the style, very crisp, minerally with tons of fruit. There is a strong connection between Chilean and CA winemakers.





























This Laurier Cab is a fruit bomb. Blended nicely from several vineyards, I think it's the runoff of a well known Napa winery that chooses to remain anonymous. This is usually priced in the $8 a bottle range, tho I find it on sale for just under $7 here. Cost Plus World Market might have this, Trader Joes does not.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Fun News From Daily Kos.

That wonderful republican side show continues. Sometimes, when on a bad roll, it's best to quit. But nooooo...
Read this story:

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/3/22/711845/-BeavisButt-Head-vs.-The-Volcano

Saturday, March 21, 2009

New Website Recommendation.

Nothing like Alaska politics.

http://www.themudflats.net/

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Flashback: It Was Bush, GOP That Opposed Executive Compensation Caps


Republicans conveniently forget their duplicity and the corporate press never seem to remember it either. Grleat post.
About Mitch McConnell
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Monday, March 16, 2009

Attention Star Wars Fans!!

Found an incredible little Star Wars item on a British web site, link below. Perfect for when you're in a meeting where the phones have to be off but you would like to know when you get a call. Also a good way to let other people know just how "ahead of the curve" you are.


http://www.firebox.com/product/2158/Star-Wars-Phone-Flashers

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Tweeting like Crazy!!

Look for me at http://twitter.com/pinotdrnkr

Sure Signs of Spring!

One, the flowers are erupting into bursts of color, as this daffodil photo demonstrates:








Two, the birthday children get together for the annual food and wine bash, this time Chez Moi and Kay. Judy has the same birthday as me, March 20; Richard's is the 21st and Susan's the 22nd. Photo taken last night (Saturday) in an early gathering this year. A good time was had by all and no one got their clothes dirty!

Photo lineup:
Me, Richard, Susan and Judy.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Meditation Timer CD Still Available!

Yep, Kay still has copies of this one-of-a-kind product for sale, $20 includes postage, for those needing some timed meditation silence. Perfect for Yoga exercise sessions too.
Contact Kay at kbingner@pacbell.net to order.

"Dotcom(e) Again" - A Story in the Works.

I've decided that the world needs to know the reasons why so many internet companies (Twitter, Second Life, 12Seconds.tv, et al) are headquartered in San Francisco and the Bay Area. What is it about this area that germinates so many successful media entities that become part of the national mediascape? Inquiring minds want to know, so I am beginning a series of interviews with CEO's of many of these companies to get their takes on it. Stay tuned!!
And if you know of a dotcom startup that is doing well, pass it along to me so I can include it in my story (whose publisher must remain anonymous at this time).

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

New 12 Second TV post

I just posted a new video, 12 seconds long, at this address:


http://12seconds.tv/channel/Biscuitboy/108734

let me know what you think!!

Monday, March 09, 2009

Watch This Space - New Video Coming!!

Soon as I upload from my Sony Mini-DV tape deck, I have a fun video clip of Tom Smothers demonstrating a yo-yo trick on stage at a Sonoma Valley Wine Auction several years ago. He gave me permission to post it when our paths crossed in Santa Rosa a few weeks ago. I had to do a conversion from DVCAM to mini-dv so that I could use it in my player.
Let me know what you think, once it is up.... probably tonight or tomorrow for sure.

Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Mainstream Media Getting It All Wrong - Again!
Here's a website I monitor a lot to get progressive news coverage. Today's entry that caught my eye:

Memo to the media

Wed Mar 04, 2009 at 09:50:04 AM PST

Dear media,

95 percent of Americans are getting a tax cut with Obama's budget. So framing this as a tax hike makes you look pretty stupid. And dishonest. And wrong. So stop it.

Hugs and kisses,

kos

Friday, February 27, 2009

RIP Delaney Bramlett

I just learned today that Delaney Bramlett passed away in December. Us flower children remember him and Bonnie making great music in the 60's and 70's. "Never Ending Song of Love" was always a favorite of mine. Eric Clapton owes a lot to Delaney, and acknowledged it on many occasions. I have a link to an old video performance featuring George Harrison and Eric Clapton as well as Jim Gordon on sax. Well worth the viewing.
Very sorry to hear about him leaving us. I gotto go dig out some Derek and the Dominos music, since he played on those albums too!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EOxy3TF3OY

Friday, February 20, 2009



Iphone has arrived!

Learning how to answer without hanging up on people and downloading fun apps.. like the spirit level one... which is very useful when setting a tripod up, if it doesn't have a spirit level of its own.






Wanted: Sony DSR-300A Video Camera!

This is what it looks like. I have missed two on eBay now... need it to replace the Sony PD-100A that I used to tape Camille's Tango video. DVCAM format, which is a pro, broadcast quality format, digital and easy to integrate with my Apple Final Cut Pro editing system.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

ATT Now Says iPhone Has Shipped!!

What an amazing turn of events... one day after getting the backordered notice, here comes an email saying that the iPhone has shipped, complete with FedEx tracking number... so now I'm just keeping an eye out for the truck to show up... then the learning curve begins!!

Now, if Apple would only come up with a way to use Skype on the iPhone.

Monday, February 09, 2009

ATT's Service Sucks....

At least the "The AT&T Premier Team" does... now it turns out that the iPhone which they were selling to employees, 3G. 8gb, are now on backorder... despite the fact that the order form said in stock at the time Kay paid for it.
I felt all along that ATT could not keep up with the demand.. these are Factory Refurbished models, which is why they are $50 cheaper than all the other deals. Comes with Apple one year warranty so I have no qualms about buying it. But, they can't meet the damand and of course there are only so many refurbished ones anyway.
So I got all excited for nothing. Who knows how long it will be.

Sunday, February 08, 2009

Sebastopol's Paris Connection- Who Knew?

Picture below is of a major Paris thoroughfare....Sebastopol Blvd. Took this shot back in 05 when Kay and I were in Paris together for the first time. It's near the Pompedieu center (I'll check that spelling and get back to you), not too far from the Louvre.
Consider this your geography lesson for the day.


Bluetooth The New Passenger in Our QX4!

The little gadget over there is a Motorola T305 Bluetooth speakerphone which is making life behind the wheel much easier
these days for Kay as she commutes to Petaluma.
Fits on the visor and linked to her cell phone, she can now make calls to me while on the road without breaking the "no hand held devices" law here in CA. I can attest that it works well; very little background noise and I can hear her very clearly.
Tip: don't buy one at the ATT store, which Kay did, cause they are going for less than $30 on eBay, where I am actively bidding these days for one of my own, to go with my iPhone, if it ever arrives (see below).

Saturday, February 07, 2009


HDMI cont'd.

Remember this photo:
Shows my set up using component video connections from my Dish Receiver to our Panasonic Viera Plasma monitor. Also in the pic is the HDMI cable, the dark on the right, altho I am not using it at the moment. The big difference between the two cables, and one I failed to mention, is that you would use the HDMI to connect if you were using the TV monitor's speakers. HDMI sends uncompreseed video and audio thru the same cable. I don't use it cause I have a separate audio feed going to my AV receiver/amp. The component (RGB) signal is equal in quality to HDMI (or better). However, when I get a blu-ray dvd player I will use the HDMI cable to connect it to the TV.
Twang Ditty is a new favorite band!

Check them out here.

I'll be there this Sunday when they play the Ace in the Hole Pub in Sebastopol.

I may even come back with some video.
Still Waiting for iPhone!

Yes, I bought a 3g 8gb from ATT's employee program but have yet to receive it!! They promised 2-5 days, has now been over 10 days... my friend Thomas Savellit at Focus Audio Visual, has one and has been showing me some of the apps!! The GPS-Google Earth combination works great!
I'll get a pic up of me using it if I ever receive it.

Friday, February 06, 2009

Just in - Video production stills!

Thanks to Richard, who edited the video, I have some video production stills to show...

Used my Sony PD100A DVCAM camera which shoots beautiful images on Mini-DV tapes, also will operate in the 16x9 format, tho we didn't use that in this video. Arri light kit for lights and Camille did the rest.




Camille's Video Now Showing on her Website.

Richard and I finished Camille's video promoting her new book, "Tango: An Argentine Love Story" just before she headed back down to Argentina. You can watch it yourself at CamilleCusumano.com.

And feel free to let us know what you think of it... and if you want a video of your own, let us know. Our new startup, ClickWebSpots.com is here to get you onto all those webvideo sites!!

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Bailed-Out Wells Fargo Plans Vegas Casino Junkets


"Chase recently received $25 billion in federal funding. What effect will that have on the business side and will it change our strategic lending policy?"



Chase is now raising interest rate on its credit cards.... out of the blue, I have a perfect credit history, but now I am expected to pay an additional 7% interest or APR. This after getting all that taxpayer money.

AAA members who have Chase cards (it's the official AAA Visa partner) will suddenly find that the advantage of using your Chase card to save money has disappeared.



Needless to say, I'm doing a balance transfer to my Citi card which so far has remained stable.

Chase apparently thinks we are all sheep.
About Bailout Bandits
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Inauguration in HD Amazing to Watch!











As of Jan 1, we had the new Dish Network Turbo HD upgrade working and have been thrilled watching the Panasonic monitor. And the football playoffs in HD makes the cost worth while, far as I am concerned.
Learned something important that I want to pass along. After going thru the hassle of getting a HDMI cord, on eBay at a good price, I discovered that using the component cables, the red-green-blue connections on the back of most monitors these days, provides a superior pic than using the HDMI, on our system anyway. Clearly a sharper image.
So you might save yourself some money, HDMI cables tend to be more expensive than the component RGB ones.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

TVA Disaster Spreads Far and Wide


I know I sound like a broken record but I have been harping on this for couple weeks now. We are not getting the full story and the people (including my relatives) downstream are going to be affected by this.



MSM would rather cover the Inauguration (truly historic, no argument there) and fluffy stories which are cheaper and require fewer paid reporters.....



Keep this topic on people's radar, please.
About Environment
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Friday, January 09, 2009

Smart Men Have Better Sperm: Study


I am quietly proud.
About Sex
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

SECOND TVA SPILL: Dam Breaks At Alabama Coal Plant

Another TVA near-disaster, and of course we only have their word for what has happened so far. Once again, will the MSM ignore this story as well, even tho it's the second ash release in a month???



Don't hold your breath. I recommend reading some of the comments to this story on HuffPo, especially the one about the guy whose bill went up from $90 to $240 in a month. TVA could not be a more Republican type company and you just know who gets their campaign contributions.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Monday, January 05, 2009

Canoeing Into Tennessee Coal Sludge (Video)


Too bad this story is not getting the exposure it deserves.



I said last week, on the record, that TVA spokespeople were lying about the damage, and as more and more evidence comes out affirming my beliefs, I get angrier at the lazy corporate media in this country.
About Video On HuffPost
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Tennessee Coal Ash Spill Before And After -- And What's Next


As I have mentioned earlier on this blog, TVA's reaction was typical, espcially for a conservative-owned company. Lie as much as possible at first to minimize damage, then change the frame of the story and be the first to denounce any facts from the scientific or environmental communities.

As the damage grows, so do the lies.



Read more here:
About Environment
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Saturday, December 27, 2008

I Love Being the One Who Told You So!!

As I said earlier, much more to this story than what the MSM are covering. This story will get bigger because there are other folks like me, with relatives in the area that are going to be affected, who will not let the PR whores get away with minimizing this tragedy:

From FireDogLake website:

This week TVA deliberately dumped massive amounts of toxic corporate waste matter into a shared public resource: America's broadcast media. Why did the PR flacks who ooze around TVA's headquarters give America such generous piles of steaming corporate lies for Christmas? Aside from the fact that's what PR flacks do for a living, the well-paid professional liars on TVA's payroll had an extra-special motive to stuff our Holiday stockings with deceit: TVA failed to construct dikes that actually worked. TVA's professional liars had a bonus motive, as well: two months after the October 2008 annual inspection showed the dike had a "wet spot" indicating a leak, TVA's crack inspectors hadn't finished their formal inspection report. So last Sunday when the dike at TVA's Kingston Plant leaked for the third time in six years, and TVA's toxic wastes clogged the Emory River on their way to the Tennessee River (the Ohio River's largest tributary), TVA was neck deep in apparent liability. For their emergency response, TVA trundled out the usual PR zombies to clog US media with bald-faced lies. So...what will TVA run out of first: toxic corporate PR, or toxic power plant coal waste?

Without knowing how much PR waste (and how many PR zombies) TVA has stockpiled along with their toxic coal wastes, we may never know the answer. If the size of TVA's two Big Lies this week is any indication, the Carbon Lords from the Volunteer State have amassed vast stockpiles of first class Grade A PR sludge. TVA's first Big Lie? TVA simply lied about the volume of the toxic waste spill. TVA's second Big Lie? TVA lied when they claimed the public waterways contaminated with their toxic waste were "safe". Who knows what their PR zombies are concocting for the next Big Lie. At the rate they are going -- and failing -- I wouldn't be surprise if for Big Lie # 3 they tell us what spilled into the river was actually reindeer muck from Santa's stables.

Also, check out the local news media's coverag:


http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/dec/24/ash-spill-two-prior-breaches-retention-site/

Republican Scum At Work:

RNC candidate Chip Saltsman’s Christmas greeting to committee members includes a music CD with lyrics from a song called “Barack the Magic Negro,” first played on Rush Limbaugh’s popular radio show.

Saltsman, a personal friend of conservative satirist Paul Shanklin, sent a 41-track CD along with a note to national committee members.

“I look forward to working together in the New Year,” Saltsman wrote. “Please enjoy the enclosed CD by my friend Paul Shanklin of the Rush Limbaugh Show.”

The CD, called “We Hate the USA,” lampoons liberals with such songs as “John Edwards’ Poverty Tour,” “Wright place, wrong pastor,” “Love Client #9,” “Ivory and Ebony” and “The Star Spanglish banner.”

Several of the track titles, including “Barack the Magic Negro,” are written in bold font.

The song, which debuted on Limbaugh’s show in late March 2007, latches onto an opinion column in the Los Angeles Times of the same title. That column, penned by cultural critic David Ehrenstein, argued that Obama could serve as a balm to whites who felt guilty about past treatment of African Americans.

Limbaugh first highlighted the column the day it ran, according to a contemporary report by Media Matters, the liberal watchdog agency. Media Matters reported Limbaugh repeated the phrase more than two dozen times the day the column ran.

The following month, Shanklin debuted his version of the song, sung to the tune of “Puff the Magic Dragon” and performed in Shanklin’s impression of Al Sharpton.

“See, real black men, like Snoop Dogg, or me, or Farrakhan, have talked the talk, and walked the walk, not come in late and won,” one verse in the song says.

Saltsman said he meant nothing untoward by forwarding what amounts to a joke more at Ehrenstein’s expense than at Obama’s.

“Paul Shanklin is a long-time friend, and I think that RNC members have the good humor and good sense to recognize that his songs for the Rush Limbaugh show are light-hearted political parodies,” Saltsman said.

Republicans searching for ways to attack Obama have been hesitant to embrace any reference to his race. Limbaugh presciently predicted his allusion to the column nearly two years ago would win attention from left-leaning organizations that would suggest he was using Obama’s race against him.

Friday, December 26, 2008

More On Coal Ash Devastation:

I said yesterday that the TVA spokespeople were in crisis mode, so truth is the first victim.
Today comes more information from the Power Plant people and, guess what, things are worse than they first reported:

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A burst dike at a coal-fired power plant in eastern Tennessee spilled millions more cubic yards of ash than originally estimated, officials said Friday, and residents fear the muck coating their neighborhood is endangering the area's drinking water.

The state, however, said Friday that tests show water entering the local treatment plant is safe.

About 5.4 million cubic yards of coal fly ash, a byproduct of burning coal, broke out of a retention pond at the Kingston Fossil Plant, Tennessee Valley Authority spokesman John Moulton said.

The TVA, which as the nation's largest utility company supplies electricity to 8.8 million people, first estimated that Monday's breach had spilled less than half that amount.

Moulton could not explain the discrepancy but said TVA's first tests showed no threat to the area's drinking water. The spill damaged 12 homes and covered 300 acres with sludge in Harriman, about 35 miles west of Knoxville.

"We are cleaning it up," he said. "That's where our efforts are focused and we are making some headway. Both on land and in the water, we are containing it and skimming it off the water."

Christopher Copeland, a resident whose land is covered in ash and debris, said he is not drinking the local water and is keeping his children inside until he can send them to a relative's house, "because I don't feel comfortable with them around here."

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Whatever Happened to Dan Quayle?

Joined the criminal class:
(From Emptywheel website:)


Optimistic emptywheel:

One of the critical problems in the auto industry is the absence of credit (I've heard folks under 750 can't get a car loan, for example). By making GMAC a bank, you relieve one of the biggest problems in the sickest parts of the auto industry, and thereby stimulate one of the key segments of the economy, and you begin to get to get money the economy moving again.

Pessimistic emptywheel:

Dan Quayle and John Snow have an (increasingly limited) ability to suck at the federal teat to make their private profit.

The small print:

GM must now reduce its stake in the auto lender below 10 percent, from 49 percent. GM has three years to sell the rest of its shares, which in the interim will be placed in a trust that the company does not control. The automaker and GMAC also agreed to unwind a number of exclusive agreements, freeing GMAC to offer financing on equal terms to customers of other car companies.

Cerberus and its chief, Steve Feinberg, must reduce their stake below 15 percent, from 51 percent. The private equity fund plans to distribute its GMAC shares proportionally among its investors.


In case you didn't know, Quayle is part of Cerberus. A Google search will show the extent of his involvement.
Them Republicans, they never give up when corruption is an option.
New Favorite Christmas Song:

Cause I guess you just can't be too stupid.

As sure as Christmas comes once a year, so do the morons claiming that there is a war on Christmas. Led this year by Fox News' Bill O'Reilly and Gretchen Carlson, the true war is between these blowhards and reality. So Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from everyone at GoLeft TV, and we hope you enjoy this special Christmas Media Moron poem.

T’was the night before Christmas,

And shakin in their shoes,

Spewing hatred and lies,

Were the folks at Fox News.

“There’s a war on Christmas!”,

Shouted Bill O’Reilly,

Being the skeptic I am,

I doubted this highly.

They’ll remove all our trees!,

Said the shrill Fox & Friends,

I guess atheists and Christians,

Will never make amends.

Sitting up in his chair,

Looking dazed and confused,

O’Reilly continued,

Our holiday we will lose!

“There’s no war on Christmas!”

I shout at my screen,

This cat named O’Reilly,

Gets marked down as mean.

And Gretchen, though pretty,

She’s still quite insane,

As for Doocy and Kilmeade,

They still need a brain.

You now get the point,

There’s no need to go on,

That’s why all of Fox News,

Is my media moron.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR

From Goleft.Tv

This 2008 year!

Monday, December 22, 2008

Washington Post Regrets Hiring Right Wing Hack

Fun story that clearly shows how the MSM continues to cater to right wingers whenever they are criticized as being "librul."

Long story short: Blogger was hired for WaPo.com who turned out to be a Repub operative and hack who was found to have plagiarized many of his articles. The real story is how dumb can Jim Brady be, for not doing minimal due-diligence on the guy's resumes and a Google search. Newspaper people just don't seem to get the new media paradigm.

Story here:
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/washpostblog/2006/03/ben_domenech_resigns.html
Conservative Thinking At Its Best!

Allowing for the possible oxymoron in the headline, here's an excellent list of conservative brain power at work:

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/12/19/the_top_dozen_insights_of_cons/

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Blatent Lies the Norm on Faux News.

Here's an example of a blatent lie told by gas bag Gingrich on the Right Wing's favorite propaganda channel:

On Hannity & Colmes, Gingrich falsely claimed that Dennis Hastert "did not get a private plane"

Summary: On Hannity & Colmes, Newt Gingrich falsely asserted that following 9-11, Dennis Hastert "did not get a private plane," adding that "[t]here's no reason for anyone but the president and vice president of the United States to have that level of security." In fact, at the time, the House sergeant-at-arms, the Defense Department, and the White House agreed that military planes should be made available to the speaker of the House for national security reasons, and Hastert was the first speaker to use one.


Full story at Media Matters.

"He Was Frightened" -- Details in Rove's IT Guru Connell's Death Emerge


This is very interesting and worth looking into... I mean I enjoy a conspriracy as much as the next guy, and if this were true and led to Rove going to jail, what a New Year's gift!!

Check it out!!
About Karl Rove
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Friday, December 19, 2008

Jennifer Aniston's Awkward "Early Show" Interview


Smith once called Arianna a "social gadfly" during an on-air interview when she was running for CA governor. She shut him down immediately and I use that exchange as an example of ignoring idiots in the MSM in my media training seminars.



Why he is still on the air is a total puzzle to me... a tool of the highest order.



Time to retire, Smith, before senility totally takes its toll.
About Jennifer Aniston
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Thursday, December 18, 2008

More Republican Nonsense!

I keep asking, "why do Repubs hate America so?" and then I run across articles like this one below and the answer seems to be, "because they are incredibly stupid."
See for yourself:

Back when scandals didn't cost trillions or kill people Hotlist

Thu Dec 18, 2008 at 10:30:03 AM PST

Yesterday, BarbinMD noted the GOP's use of the Holder nomination to try and rehash a greatest hits of Clinton Administration-era scandals:

Senate Republicans have requested information about Attorney General nominee Eric Holder’s role in the Elian Gonzalez controversy as part of a broad probe into his tenure with the Clinton administration and potential ties to presidential scandals during that era.

...the move to focus attention on the highly controversial Gonzalez case indicates the confirmation of President-elect Obama’s top law enforcement official will be anything but smooth.

Seeking information about Gonzalez suggests Republicans are seeking issues that will resonate outside the Beltway, unlike the Rich pardon. [...]

In a separate letter to current Attorney General Michael Mukasey, the senators ask for information tying Holder to 17 separate issues including the Rich pardon and the Gonzales case, but also Vice President Al Gore’s 1996 fundraising scandal and Clinton’s history of special prosecutors in the Whitewater and Monica Lewinsky scandals from 1993 to 2001.

What's most interesting to me about this, aside from Senate Democrats giving Republicans all the time in the world to prepare for their smear attack, is the nature of these so-called "scandals":

Let's see. 1) A father was reunited with his son, 2) a rich undeserving guy was pardoned, 3) the vice-president may have raised an illegal $65,000 at a Buddhist Temple, 4) a failed small-time Clinton real estate investment, and 5) Monica!

Quaint, huh? What with two failed wars, a deep recession, the collapse of Wall Street, the collapse of the banks, the collapse of AIG, the SEC's blind eye to Bernard Madoff $50 billion scam, Blackwater, Katrina, and on and on and on.

So after eight years that have cost us trillions, and will cost us trillions more to emerge from this economic armageddon, and eight years that have cost millions more their jobs, and hundreds of thousands their lives in Iraq and elsewhere ... this is how Republicans respond?

Monica! Whitewater! Elian! Rich!

If the worst we get out of the Obama Administration are trite and barely consequential "scandals" like those we "suffered" during the Clinton years, we'll all be able to rest much easier.

Announcing the P.U.-litzer Prizes for 2008


Very enjoyable reading. Keep up the good work! Holding the media accountable is a noble cause these days!
About Fox News
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Favorite Phrase of 2008

This one certainly is garnering the most votes:

"This is the goodbye kiss, you dog!"
Muntazer al-Zaidi. Baghdad, 2008

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Last Ditch Efforts by Bush to Further Screw up the Nation

Watch this video from Brave New Film, it's seasonal:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B4y5sZKdI4
MSM Aiding Bush Propaganda Machine: No Surprises Here.

Interesting little article I found:

The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) has issued a statement strongly criticizing the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) for its continued use of retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey as an on-air military analyst, while failing to disclose McCaffrey's multiple conflicts of interest that were recently detailed in the New York Times. "When the retired general offers his insight on the air for NBC, CNBC and MSNBC, viewers are left with the impression he is an 'objective' observer, a former military man speaking from the depths of his experience," it states. "What the networks have failed to tell viewers is that McCaffrey has a financial interest in the war." According to Andy Schotz, the chairman of SPJ's Ethics Committee, "these networks -- which are owned by General Electric, a leading defense contractor -- are giving the public powerful reasons to be skeptical about their neutrality and credibility. ... These are raging conflicts of interest embedded into reporting on crucial news." Writing for the Columbia Journalism Review, Charles Kaiser asks if there is "any limit to the shamelessness of NBC News," which "has never once disclosed any of McCaffrey's multiple conflicts of interest on the air. ... McCaffrey is the living embodiment of all the worst aspects of entrenched Washington corruption -- a man who shares with scores of other retired officers a huge financial interest in having America conduct its wars for as long as possible."

Nicolas Sarkozy Assassination Attempt: French President Unharmed


Typical American media sensationalism. The original article is British, but carried here with all the added sensationalism that AP and others could muster.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Monday, December 15, 2008


Christmas in San Francisco, A Landmark!

Here's a very familiar sight for San Francisco visitors, so we decided to include it in our holiday travels... before or after hitting Magnolia brewpub, I can't remember. The houses are known as the "Sisters" and are facing Alamo Square.

Took this pic with the Nikon Coolpix 8700 on a tri-pod, with a wide angle to get maximum depth of field and a slow shutterspeed to keep the f-stop small. Also, set the flash to go off, not on automatic.

Why Rove Attacks Eric Holder: To Provide Cover for Bush's Pardons


I find myself wondering again and again how the MSM manages to avoid asking Rove about any of his criminal actions. Refusing to submit to subpeonas is a crime as I understand it. This article by Mr Abrams explains a lot, I think,
About Karl Rove
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Sunday, December 07, 2008

Musical Past Re-enters My Life!!

I spent most of my Jr and Sr high school days at Paris American High School, just outside Paris in a little town called Garches. We were all military kids, surrounded by French culture which made for some interesting times. However, missing was the rock and roll scene taking place back in the States, so some of us got involved in playing music. Early on I remember seeing couple guys playing guitar at an assembly and later at a school dance. Never really learned their names, but it really pushed me to get my own guitar and learn some songs. Ultimately, got good enough to start a band, named the Jazztones for some reason, and we played at the Teen center on Friday and Saturday nights. Also got to play at the the Officer's club in West Berlin once ('nother story).






Well, speed forward until this week. Thanks to another PAHS alum, Joan Imus and her web page for us ex-Pirates (school mascot), I reconnected with one of those early guitar players. Turns out his name is Jerry Corbitt and if that name sounds familiar, it's because he was one of the original "Youngbloods" of "Get Together" and others, fame. He now lives in Texas after leaving Marin county about 8 years ago. He has a new CD out, really good, and it has an updated version of his song "Grizzly Bear" which you might remember as one of the Youngbloods' big hits.
Small world these days, thanks to all these Tubes and Internets.

Check out his music:

http://www.myspace.com/jerrycorbitt

I think I have a photo of him playing at PAHS; I'll look for it and post it. I'm sure he will appreciate folks seeing him in his teenage days! LOL!

Stay tuned


Friday, December 05, 2008


Sight on Cooper Road.

We don't 'low no speedsters on our back road!!