Friday Morning Open Thread

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Blog Related
Posted on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 07:53:36 AM EST
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Over due blogging assignments - (1) post about preemption (over due by one year.) Status - Request for one month extension (promise to extend discussion into federalism and impact of health care reform. (2) Post on Afghanistan (0ver due one week.) - Status - draft is written but being improved. Request for one week extension (promise to include discussion of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's trip to Pakistan and Afghanistan.) (3) post about call with Senator Arlen Specter (over due by one day.) Status - Request for one day extension (post will discuss Supreme Court, antitrust law, Commerce Clause, and SCOTUS' deference to Congressional findings.)

This is an Open Thread.

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Friday Morning Open Thread | 114 comments (114 topical)

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all requests granted (5.00 / 1) (#2)
by kmblue on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 08:03:17 AM EST

I want to know
if I should despair
over health care
my guess
is yes

: Double Hmmm... (5.00 / 1) (#8)
by kdog on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 08:56:44 AM EST

Nothing to know or see
the rules of some games
never change
If you're a broke d*ck
ya arse can't afford to get sick

Parent

Well, we will have to dock your pay accordingly (5.00 / 2) (#7)
by ruffian on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 08:51:09 AM EST

Oh wait.....

Heard a bit about SOS Clinton (5.00 / 1) (#9)
by Fabian on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 08:58:00 AM EST

calling out Pakistan for not doing enough this morning. Apparently the Obama administration has been doing this in private all along.

Good for them! Pakistan has been sticking their hand out for "aid" every time we pressure them, and I'm effing tired of that. What did it get us? What did it get Pakistan?

Fergit "Show us the money!". Show us results!

Hillary (5.00 / 1) (#11)
by robrecht on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 09:01:25 AM EST

talks tough to Pakistan. Obama honors the dead soldier returning from Afghanistan. It's time to define our goals very specificaly and leave if they cannot be met in 6-18 months. Counting the poorly trained Afghani troops we already outnumber the Taliban fighters 300k to 25k. Increasing American troop strength by 20-40k just gets us more involved in a undefined fight that cannot be won if the Afghani and Pakistani people are not truly engaged.

Nothing can be met in 6-18 mos (5.00 / 1) (#23)
by Militarytracy on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 09:45:29 AM EST

Not possible

Parent

Exactly (5.00 / 1) (#31)
by ruffian on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 10:23:08 AM EST

I want to hear a realistic longterm plan with attainable goals before I decide if I think it is worth the cost.

On my work trip I am working with a Navy Lt. aircrew member who had done tours in Iraq and Bagram. Talking to people like her (and you MT) brings the cost of these wars a lot clearer.

Parent

: There are rumors out there too now today (5.00 / 1) (#36)
by Militarytracy on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 10:32:04 AM EST

That DOD is talking about a new stop loss because the fatalities in Afghanistan are going to get nuts, and people are going to start abandoning ship again. I don't think the military has another stop loss in it! Where's the learning curve here Obama? WAR isn't going to change just because you are the President. He can't do this Afghanistan thing. The worst thing they could have done was this mini surge that has already begun, the brush fire is already starting but there is are no resources to manage this with. This is going to super suck like no other before.

Parent

Don't you mean (5.00 / 2) (#39)
by sj on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 10:37:00 AM EST

1 to 3 Friedman Units?

Parent

Is there a Friedman unit for a specific (5.00 / 1) (#43)
by Militarytracy on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 10:53:48 AM EST

number of troops? I want to have working equations :)

Parent

Nah (none / 0) (#67)
by sj on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 11:58:05 AM EST

Just units of time = 6 months. As in 3 years of saying "the next 6 months are critical/will tell the story/etc."

Parent

: Don't forget (5.00 / 2) (#72)
by eric on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 12:48:14 PM EST

the abbreviation for a Friedman Unit is "FU". Atrios coined the phrase.
LINK

Parent

Exactly the Opposite (none / 0) (#113)
by robrecht on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 06:30:21 PM EST

No, because I'm not asking for yet another 6 months to evaluate progress, etc, in a never ending series of delay of necessary decision making. I'm saying evaluate and state your objectives now for what you think we can accomplish in this limited time frame and plan on leaving at the end of that time frame. Period. I'm probably wrong, but that's my position until Obama or Friedman or someone else succeeds in pulling the wool over my eyes.

Parent

But we've already been there 8 years! (none / 0) (#78)
by robrecht on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 01:16:35 PM EST

Parent

To be realistic and honest (none / 0) (#87)
by Militarytracy on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 01:40:03 PM EST

We have barely been present for the past eight years, and almost no place outside of Bagram and easy to hold positions.

Parent

: May be too late IMHO (5.00 / 1) (#112)
by robrecht on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 06:25:55 PM EST

But I don't think we have the right and patience to star over again IMHO. The difficulty of establishing and supporting objectives at this point in Afghanistan, especially given the larger difficulties in Pakistan, just may be insurmountable at this point. IMHO. I'd love to be proven wrong, however.

Parent

Yes. (none / 0) (#13)
by Fabian on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 09:08:26 AM EST

We can't possibly win if Pakistan doesn't engage, so I'm inclined to tell Pakistan that we most certainly will pull out of Afghanistan sooner rather than later if they don't do more.

Unfortunately, this can lead to Pakistan telling us what we want to hear and still, infuriatingly, failing to back up the talk with action.

Afghanistan is different in that we do have forces there, but again, it's the government that will make or break the mission.

Parent

Excellent news... (5.00 / 3) (#20)
by kdog on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 09:42:49 AM EST

Remember the thoroughly corrupt Judge Ciavarella in PA? All the convictions of the juveniles who had the misfortune of appearing before this sob have been officially vacated....and retrials barred in most cases.

Uber-kudos to the Juvenile Law Center.

In my morning studies I discover (5.00 / 1) (#21)
by Militarytracy on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 09:44:16 AM EST

that once upon a time Benazir Bhutto proudly called herself the Mother of the Taliban. And then it became politically advantageous to denounce the Taliban, so she did. Then her child killed her.

Sounds like a Greek tragedy. (5.00 / 1) (#25)
by desertswine on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 09:49:13 AM EST

Parent

Her child? (none / 0) (#37)
by sj on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 10:32:07 AM EST

Really? A [very quick] search didn't turn that up. Do you have a cite?

I've never known what to think about Benazir Bhutto. Such a complex woman. And absolutely brilliant to have risen so high in that culture.

Parent

Figurative... (5.00 / 1) (#41)
by MileHi Hawkeye on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 10:41:03 AM EST

...not literal. "Mother" of the Taliban killed by the Taliban. Hence, mother kiiled by child.

Parent

: duh (none / 0) (#65)
by sj on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 11:54:59 AM EST

Clearly I should have had coffee before reading that. But even so, last I heard al-Qaeda had claimed responsibility, while "some" thought their claim of responsibility was opportunistic and not true.
Hadn't heard that Taliban was one the many suspects.

Parent

I read Afghan and Pakistan blogs (5.00 / 1) (#42)
by Militarytracy on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 10:51:05 AM EST

and many bloggers recall that she called herself that on certain occassions. Here is a cite from an American Prospect article about her.

Though she looked like a walking holy card, Bhutto was hardly a saint. Said to have presided over something of a kleptocracy during her two terms as prime minister, Bhutto also, for all her railing against the mullahs, cut her deals with the religious parties and supported the Taliban's rise to power in neighboring Afghanistan. Later, once she was out of office, she condemned the role of Pakistan's intelligence services in the spread of Islamist terrorism and sentiment. But during her tenure, she embraced the Taliban as the best hope of stabilizing Afghanistan and ending the Afghan civil war.

Parent

: Wow. (none / 0) (#53)
by Fabian on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 11:23:21 AM EST

I thought the USofA was bad about backing tyrants, dictators and despots when it suited them. But the Taliban? As for "stabilizing Afghanistan" - that's certainly putting lipstick on the pig!

Parent

Here's another (5.00 / 1) (#45)
by Militarytracy on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 11:03:41 AM EST

cite

When I have to resort to reading Afghan and Pakistan blogs to understand things too, and then find out that the whole of America knows practically nothing about the facts of AfPak life...well, what are we doing? Does anyone in charge know? Do they even care?

Parent

Any particular blogs on AfPak (none / 0) (#47)
by caseyOR on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 11:14:17 AM EST

you would recommend to a simple US citizen trying to figure WTF is really happening?

Parent

I go through (none / 0) (#50)
by Militarytracy on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 11:20:08 AM EST

this place when I have time. I like Afghanistanvotes.com too.

Parent

Thanks. n/t (none / 0) (#52)
by caseyOR on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 11:22:19 AM EST

Parent

And none of us heard about this (none / 0) (#54)
by Militarytracy on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 11:24:19 AM EST

protest. When you read these bloggers though and realize the Taliban would shut them down in a heartbeat, it gets hard trying to figure out wtf anyone should do.

Parent

I wonder where the Afghan police (none / 0) (#55)
by Militarytracy on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 11:26:56 AM EST

get those zip tie handcuffs from? That's just friggin bizarre to see.....a mud wall, people wearing only functional homemade handmade clothing, the new state of the art handcuff.

Parent

You think those are hard (5.00 / 1) (#64)
by Fabian on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 11:51:18 AM EST

to come by?

Just got back from reading a board discussion about which plastic cuffs work best. My first hit was a website that sells them. I figured I could find a BDSM supply website with a few minutes more work.

It truly is a global economy...

Parent

: And tyranny gadgets... (none / 0) (#98)
by kdog on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 02:41:15 PM EST

are one of the few growth sectors.

Parent

Reminds me of the photo I took (none / 0) (#109)
by oldpro on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 05:15:23 PM EST

in Peru in 1988 of a farmer, plowing his field with an ancient wooden plow hooked up to a farm animal while the farmer was inexplicably sporting a bright red construction-style hardhat!

Disorienting.

Like turning on my TV and seeing some starving kid in the third world wearing a hand-me-down T-shirt with USA! printed on the front.

Gads.

Parent

Looking at wikipedia (none / 0) (#105)
by Fabian on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 03:18:54 PM EST

which I realize is not 100% accurate, but...

It says, in reference to the Taliban, that Pakistan was instrumental in supporting the Taliban in Afghanistan for years. So, if Pakistan was a source of support for the Taliban during Afghanistan's civil war, then why should we trust Pakistan to actually do any heavy lifting against the Taliban within their own country? It doesn't make sense to me. I'd love to see a scenario where Pakistan wins a decisive offensive against their domestic Taliban and we do the same in Afghanistan - but where's the evidence that this is likely?

Parent

: That has been the problem that we have (none / 0) (#116)
by Militarytracy on Sat Oct 31, 2009 at 12:30:53 PM EST

come up against. Pakistan is helping us fight now, squeezing them in between the two forces....but can that fight ever be a wholehearted fight? The "Taliban" is part of who Pakistan is and in the past were given the mission to stablize Afghanistan. Do we really believe that members of the Pak Army aren't befriended to Taliban elements?

Parent

could someone tell me why (5.00 / 3) (#29)
by Capt Howdy on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 10:03:19 AM EST

this guy is still allowed in the room with democrats.

Lieberman Marching Further Right in 2010

"I probably will support some Republican candidates for Congress or Senate in the election in 2010. I'm going to call them as I see them," Lieberman said in an ABC News "Subway Series" interview

Why did they literally get on their hands (none / 0) (#33)
by Militarytracy on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 10:24:48 AM EST

and knees and beg Matthew Hoh to stay?

Hoh's letter caused a stir in the Obama administration, and he was hastened to meetings with senior U.S. officials in Kabul and Washington. They praised his record of service and begged him to stay, offering him new positions in both locations. Hoh initially accepted the Washington job, but changed his mind a week later.

Did they even read the letter? I don't know how he could have been any plainer explaining to them that he thinks ya'll are nuts :)

Parent

: Well...not nuts. Just blind. n/t (none / 0) (#110)
by oldpro on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 05:16:56 PM EST

Parent

What are these extensions of which you speak? (5.00 / 1) (#51)
by Maryb2004 on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 11:20:52 AM EST

Must be a litigation thing. :)

G. Greenwald vs D. Brooks (5.00 / 1) (#59)
by Fabian on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 11:42:22 AM EST

And the unnamed sources, and Afghanistan.

A good read. Although I miss the days when the conservative and right wing pundits were more than happy to tell us how righteous and worthy and easy the Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were. When they began to oh-so-carefully walk back their boasts, Greenwald was there to document it.

And how does having to resort to paying (5.00 / 1) (#68)
by Militarytracy on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 12:21:34 PM EST

the corrupt in Afghanistan for security because we don't have enough forces deployed there to protect ourselves help anything at all?

Khan gets US$340,000 per month - nearly $4.1 million annually - for getting two convoys from Kandahar to Tarin Kowt safely each month. Khan, now police chief in Uruzgan province, evidently got his private army from his uncle, Jan Mohammad Khan, a commander who helped defeat the Taliban in Kandahar in 2001 and was then rewarded by President Karzai by being named governor of Uruzgan in 2002.

This whole country is broke and unemployed but we are paying some warlord who is part of the current Afghanistan corruption 4 million dollars a year? Who thinks this is prudent or principled?

Promises, promises.... (5.00 / 3) (#111)
by oldpro on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 05:39:43 PM EST

At least you didn't give us "the dog ate my homework" crapola.

I expect our patience will be rewarded with a straightforward, though nuanced, thought-piece on AfPak. Not an easy task, what with the politics ready to outweigh reality.

FWIW...I can't do another Vietnam. But maybe the kids can...remembering that they ended up fragging their officers, refusing orders, sick of heart and mind and unable to return to civilian life without major support -- which mostly didn't exist.

Gotta google Wes to get his current thinking. Heard Zbig on C-SPAN today, speechifying and warning and trying to have it both ways...sigh...

Me too, oldpro (5.00 / 2) (#114)
by caseyOR on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 06:33:21 PM EST

Another Vietnam and another Democratic president destroyed by the inability to say "No" to the military and the warmongers. I don't think i have it in me.

And I fear we are not much better prepared to help the current batch of wounded veterans,( and they are all wounded in some way), than we were with Vietnam.

I know we are now all about looking to the future and not the past. Does that have to mean that we pretend the past never happened? Why is learning from our mistakes thought to be unamerican?

Parent

: Why? "Learning from our mistakes (5.00 / 2) (#115)
by oldpro on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 07:43:20 PM EST

is thought to be unamerican" because we do not all agree on what is/was a mistake and what isn't/wasn't.
ie. Vietnam. I know that you know that we didn't all learn the same lessons from that experience, so how could we apply 'lessons learned' to the present and the future?
Our current situation is the perfect example of values and beliefs having to come to terms with political reality, both here and abroad. Really, really tough...the toughest test there is for a president or a general or a politition of any stripe.

Parent

I look forward to reading them all (none / 0) (#1)
by andgarden on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 07:56:13 AM EST

Campaign news: Geoff Garin is claiming that Bill Thompson is creeping up on Bloomberg in NYC. If Thompson can make this a single digit race at the end of the day, he will have done a pretty good job IMO.

Aha! (none / 0) (#19)
by Steve M on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 09:33:12 AM EST

The dreaded internal poll. Sounds highly reliable.

Parent

heh, well (none / 0) (#22)
by andgarden on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 09:44:58 AM EST

When your internal poll doesn't even show you ahead. . .

Parent

Now on heavy rotation (5.00 / 1) (#30)
by Steve M on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 10:14:26 AM EST

Bloomberg's closing ad, featuring words of praise from Al Gore and Colin Powell, among others. It sure doesn't hurt to have Al Gore endorse you on the environment.

Parent

Unless you're trying to win... (5.00 / 2) (#32)
by kdog on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 10:24:17 AM EST

PPJ's vote:)

Parent

: Ha! (5.00 / 1) (#38)
by ruffian on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 10:33:34 AM EST

Yes, this morning I was reminded of my conserva-frends back home that can't discuss the weather without making an Al Gore joke. It used to be the very definition of a safe innocuous conversation!

Parent

Well, Colin Powell will probably help, too (none / 0) (#34)
by KeysDan on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 10:29:05 AM EST

But, why?

Parent

Basic rule of delayed products... (none / 0) (#5)
by Addison on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 08:39:23 AM EST

(1) post about preemption (over due by one year.) Status - Request for one month extension (promise to extend discussion into federalism and impact of health care reform). (2) Post on Afghanistan (0ver due one week.) - Status - draft is written but being improved. Request for one week extension (promise to include discussion of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's trip to Pakistan and Afghanistan.)

"Vaporware" doesn't increase its prospects for release by increasing its scope and ambition.

I was facilitating a "team game" with a group the other day. They set their goal at 6 (don't worry about what, irrelevant). When told that they would only have ONE more attempt before they had to quit they upped their goal to 8. They got, naturally, 6.

Time limits and deadlines often make people shoot the moon instead of get things done. Strange but true.

Sounds like basketball. (none / 0) (#48)
by oculus on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 11:14:35 AM EST

Parent

Status please... (5.00 / 2) (#49)
by MileHi Hawkeye on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 11:16:38 AM EST

...of your wayward brother and his adventure on the Plains.

Parent

Don't know. When he reached his first night (5.00 / 1) (#56)
by oculus on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 11:30:49 AM EST

stopping place east of Denver he told us he had checked his cell phone coverage and there wouldn't be any for a couple of days. He didn't respond to my e mail last night. I'm sure he has his wireless laptop at the ready.

Parent

: Well... (5.00 / 1) (#70)
by MileHi Hawkeye on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 12:25:02 PM EST

...here's hoping he found somewhere warm and dry to ride the storm out!

Parent

Snow anyone? (none / 0) (#6)
by Militarytracy on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 08:46:41 AM EST

I see that Colorado is really getting walloped. I sort of wish I was with you guys playing urban survival, but then again nah. I'm fine with postings being behind schedule. Until this baby goes home, hopefully tonight, my time is not my own.....only my early mornings.

I looked to see (5.00 / 1) (#10)
by Fabian on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 09:00:16 AM EST

if it was coming our way, but doesn't look it. Guess I gotta rake those leaves after all!

Parent

Raking leaves.... (5.00 / 2) (#12)
by kdog on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 09:04:46 AM EST

ugh...I'm gonna wait for more of 'em to fall, if I do it now by next week it'll look like I didn't do nuthin'.

And with any luck it'll snow before I get to it, allowing for further procrastination:)

Parent

I blow my leaves (none / 0) (#15)
by Militarytracy on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 09:24:04 AM EST

There are too many here to rake but I blow them into the island in the front yard and they act as mulch around the azalea bushes....but then it rains and blowing is no good.

Parent

I making big piles for the kids to run through (5.00 / 3) (#16)
by DFLer on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 09:30:18 AM EST

on Halloween. After that, I'll try to clean up.

Parent

Those piles (none / 0) (#26)
by eric on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 09:51:37 AM EST

will probably be pretty soggy.

Parent

and they already are. (5.00 / 1) (#57)
by DFLer on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 11:33:05 AM EST

I confess that my secret halloween desire has always been to make two big leafpiles on each side of the sidewalk to the front door, hide a plastic skeleton or some such goblin underneath hooked up to some fishing line, routed to a pull inside the house, and then jerk it up when the trick or treaters descend....never did, as I was worried about scaring both kids and parents too much...but it works well in my mind!

Parent

: It's Halloween... (5.00 / 1) (#58)
by kdog on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 11:39:40 AM EST

scare the sh*t out of 'em! You'd be the hit of the neighborhood!
Better yet...adorn your best zombie attire, bury yourself in the leaves, and pop out as the trick-or-treaters arrive...that'll really spook the little buggers:)

Parent

Never a fan of the blower... (none / 0) (#17)
by kdog on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 09:32:01 AM EST

maybe I don't have the right technique because it seems to take me so long to get 'em in one spot to bag 'em, I find it faster, if more labor intensive, to just rake 'em.

Parent

I don't like... (none / 0) (#24)
by desertswine on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 09:46:30 AM EST

those blowers because of the noise they make.

Parent

I raked a snake once here (none / 0) (#27)
by Militarytracy on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 09:52:01 AM EST

I rake no more in Alabama :)

Parent

: Why does this strike me as funny? (5.00 / 2) (#106)
by oculus on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 04:01:19 PM EST

Parent
: Don't blame ya... (none / 0) (#28)
by kdog on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 09:59:36 AM EST

the worst thing I come across is dog sh&t.

Parent

How does this happen? (none / 0) (#14)
by kdog on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 09:15:58 AM EST

How does a kid sit in a cage for 4 months over an armed robbery that occured while the kid was in a cage?

Whether corruption or incompetence or both, this aggression cannot stand.

Same way a girl gets tried for a murder that (5.00 / 2) (#35)
by ruffian on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 10:31:01 AM EST

occurred when she was in police custody. Anyone that doesn't think it could happen to them is kidding themselves. I am the straightest arrow on the planet and I think it could happen to me.

Parent

Semi-rhetorical question:).... (none / 0) (#40)
by kdog on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 10:38:43 AM EST

you're absolutely right, it could happen to any non-aristocrat, anywhere anytime anyplace.

Parent

: I know - just struck me as similar (none / 0) (#108)
by ruffian on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 04:57:39 PM EST

You are the last one I can think of that really needed an answer to that question!

Parent

Any NY'ers... (none / 0) (#18)
by kdog on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 09:33:08 AM EST

who are fans of early 90's rap and a contact high, Cypress Hill at the Nokia Theater tonight.

Just watch for them Pigs.

Leave the Roan alone... (none / 0) (#44)
by MileHi Hawkeye on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 11:02:23 AM EST

Ken Salazar!

Standing in a canyon in hilly terrain, Ken Neubecker cast his fly into a cold stream. Minutes later he had a bite. Thrashing at the end of his line was a speckled green fish, a scarce Colorado cutthroat trout.
Mr. Neubecker was fishing on the Roan Plateau, a high stretch of terrain beloved by hunters, anglers and hikers for its clear streams, herds of deer and elk, and rugged beauty.
"There just aren't many places like this in the West," Mr. Neubecker said. "It's a real gem."

This gem is also the foundation of the regions economy. Don't let it be trashed by outside interests with no concern for its long term viability.

: Water is one thing in Colorado (5.00 / 1) (#46)
by Militarytracy on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 11:06:47 AM EST

but I'm thinking that Salazar is going to be shocked by the spanking he thinks he can dodge here. Imagine being more fearful of Utah than Colorado about abusing its natural resources. Wake up Ken. On second thought don't, I want to watch this.

Parent

Re overdue blogging assignments: (4) (none / 0) (#60)
by oculus on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 11:44:06 AM EST

supplement to skimpy coverage of Bill Clinton's mtg. with certain bloggers.

Wasn't that... (5.00 / 2) (#62)
by MileHi Hawkeye on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 11:47:36 AM EST

...from last semester? Somebody should probably get an incomplete on that assignment...

Parent

: Just me griping. No adverse impact (none / 0) (#63)
by oculus on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 11:51:15 AM EST

foreseeable.

Parent

Polanski: recent offer of higher bail (none / 0) (#61)
by oculus on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 11:45:03 AM EST

security rejected: AP

Has he put up his children (none / 0) (#66)
by Fabian on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 11:56:58 AM EST

as bail yet?

It's illegal of course. I just wanted to know how serious he is. If he offers either his wife, his children or his current unfinished project, then I'll know he's truly serious. Otherwise, I tend to think he's just trying to get safely back to France.

Parent

Hijack (none / 0) (#95)
by me only on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 02:23:11 PM EST

In regards to yesterday open thread, Lemarcus Davidson got sentenced to death by lethal injection this afternoon.

Parent

: My karmic sentence (none / 0) (#103)
by Fabian on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 03:04:31 PM EST

would be to take the lot of them, stick them in one spacious cell and let them spend the rest of their lives together like a Big Happy Family. Some people just deserve each other.

Parent

Thanks, (none / 0) (#99)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 02:49:35 PM EST

you're so good at providing updates!

Parent

And how does having to resort to paying (none / 0) (#69)
by Militarytracy on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 12:22:55 PM EST

the corrupt in Afghanistan for security because we don't have enough forces deployed there to protect ourselves help anything at all?

Khan gets US$340,000 per month - nearly $4.1 million annually - for getting two convoys from Kandahar to Tarin Kowt safely each month. Khan, now police chief in Uruzgan province, evidently got his private army from his uncle, Jan Mohammad Khan, a commander who helped defeat the Taliban in Kandahar in 2001 and was then rewarded by President Karzai by being named governor of Uruzgan in 2002.

This whole country is broke and unemployed but we are paying some warlord who is part of the current Afghanistan corruption 4 million dollars a year? Who thinks this is prudent or principled?

Why do I feel like the facts of this story (5.00 / 1) (#71)
by Militarytracy on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 12:27:55 PM EST

with an October 31st date has something to do with a certain ex Marine state department employee's resignation?

Parent

Why do I keep thinking about (5.00 / 1) (#73)
by oculus on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 01:01:06 PM EST

jeffinalabama's decision and wanting to say, don't do it!

Parent

I don't know that Jeff will be on the roads (none / 0) (#75)
by Militarytracy on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 01:13:44 PM EST

That's the most dangerous place right now. This payoff is for the exact locations that Hoh was working. Then when he quits because this whole thing is becoming completely unprincipled and as an exsoldier he knows it.....and they try to bribe him with a better job in the State Department? Things smell disgusting corrupt even in the United States, it stanks fiercely!

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How does one be in Afghanistan and (none / 0) (#77)
by oculus on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 01:15:34 PM EST

not "on the roads"?

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: I'm not supposed to talk about it :) (none / 0) (#81)
by Militarytracy on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 01:25:52 PM EST

there's lots and lots and lots of buildings at Bagram and other locations though that you only fly into and out of. If you go look on Sat images, it's pretty mind blowing. If he is going as a sociologist I don't know that they will have him on the roads that much.......and then again I could be very wrong about that.

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Yeah... (none / 0) (#76)
by kdog on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 01:13:49 PM EST

thats been heavy on my mind all morning too...like casey, Tracy and now Jeff are my only connections to this occupation...the whole thing just sucks.

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It's all being done very very improperly (none / 0) (#82)
by Militarytracy on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 01:26:55 PM EST

and poorly my opinion, and I think the lid is about to blow on this in that respect.

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Thought this may be of interest MT (5.00 / 1) (#93)
by NJDem on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 02:18:56 PM EST

link

And a belated but hearty congrats on the newest member of your family! :)

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: Thank you (none / 0) (#101)
by Militarytracy on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 02:54:41 PM EST

I'm going to send my spouse this link too. He always makes fun of The First Earth Battalion but says that eventually someone will try it again, says that I remind him of that sort of thing.

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Halloween (none / 0) (#74)
by CST on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 01:11:47 PM EST

at work today.

While I did not win the costume contest for my "fool" look, my team did win the "top chef candy challenge" where we had to build something cool out of candy.

We want details... (none / 0) (#79)
by kdog on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 01:21:52 PM EST

whats the fool look? Did you dress up as a voter?

I'll be foregoing my old lazy stand-by James Dean costume this year (only leather jacket and white t-shirt req.) for an orange jumpsuit, costumed as one of the nations unjustly incarcerated.

Whats everybody else gonna be this year?

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A dedicated... (none / 0) (#80)
by MileHi Hawkeye on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 01:24:46 PM EST

...Iowa Hawkeye fan, of course. The perfect costume for a big football Saturday/All Hollows Eve!

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You're that every Fall Saturday... (none / 0) (#83)
by kdog on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 01:29:30 PM EST

thats lamer than my James Dean bro:)

At least whip out the eye black and go as a Iowa Hawkeye!

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: Ssssh... (none / 0) (#84)
by MileHi Hawkeye on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 01:34:42 PM EST

...my neighbors don't know that!

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haha nope (none / 0) (#85)
by CST on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 01:35:08 PM EST

I wasn't gonna dress up at all, not really that into Halloween, but I'm kinda the new guy at work so I wanted to be a good sport. I figured if I was gonna go for it, I might as well go all out. My original plan was "green man" but those suits are expensive. So last night I was digging through my old dress up box at my parents house, and found a clown costume that had belonged to my sister when she was about 10. It was made of this rainbow and checkered cloth that I think were curtains at one point. It didn't really fit, but I made it work with some clothes underneath. Add one of those hats with bells on the end and voila - fool. It was pretty ubsurd.

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: Ahhh.. (none / 0) (#88)
by kdog on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 01:51:41 PM EST

almost like a court jester...cool, absurd homemade costumes beat store bought anyday:)

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Couple Costume: Ballroom Hillary and Dancin' DeLay (none / 0) (#94)
by Ellie on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 02:21:20 PM EST

Tom DeLay's retina-detaching outfit is cheap in more ways than the obvious:

Materials: White Shirt from Husb's bottomless stash; Thick-Edged Red Sharpie ($1.00); RIT dye Scarlet (2 bux); White Chinos from Husb's bottomless stash.

I already have my dress: it's the one I'm planning to wear to dance on D!ck Cheney's grave, except I'll be leaving the t!t fringe off ironically. (I'm just cobbling old dance gear together.)

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Here's a better view of the dress of the century (none / 0) (#96)
by Ellie on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 02:26:47 PM EST

Mind you, only the late great Cyd Charisse could really work that rag.

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Some dress... (none / 0) (#97)
by kdog on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 02:36:11 PM EST

Tom Delay is a lucky man...Ballroom Hillary is gonna break some hearts on Halloween!

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All flattery welcome, but I'm not in Cyd's league (5.00 / 1) (#100)
by Ellie on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 02:49:37 PM EST

... as a dancer or diva/goddess. (She truly was one in a million.)

As for breaking stuff, part of our "routine" is that I'll be hammering the The Hammer at every opportunity. The only challenge will be trying not to get too deep into character. :-D

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: On second thought... (5.00 / 2) (#102)
by kdog on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 02:56:35 PM EST

maybe your Tom for a day ain't so lucky...sounds painful:)

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This is scary.... (none / 0) (#86)
by kdog on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 01:37:10 PM EST

NYC schools have the whole free vaccination thing going, with parental consent of course. Here is a mother who did not consent, and sure enough the school sticks her daughter anyway, and the poor girl had to be rushed to the hospital after having a reaction.

And the real kicker, the school tries to get the mom to sign a consent form after the fact. Unbelievable.

And this mother isn't some anti-vaccine knucklehead like me, she was waiting on advice from her daughter's doctor before deciding on the vaccine.

What a difference... (none / 0) (#89)
by MileHi Hawkeye on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 01:57:37 PM EST

...a day makes. Sunny (haven't seen that in 3 days!) and at least 25 degrees warmer here today. Balmy! The great melt-off has begun.

And the forecast calls for more of the same at least through next weekend--and more importantly my birthday.

Hope ya got yer waders (none / 0) (#90)
by Militarytracy on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 02:02:39 PM EST

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Not quite... (none / 0) (#91)
by MileHi Hawkeye on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 02:06:27 PM EST

...just my LLBean boots. Remembered to pack my sunglasses this morning--a smart move considering how bright the sun is reflecting off all the whiteness.

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: Wandering bro left Topeka, excected (5.00 / 3) (#107)
by oculus on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 04:08:03 PM EST

in St. Louis this evening. Whew.

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Pew survey... (none / 0) (#92)
by MileHi Hawkeye on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 02:11:28 PM EST

finds that 14% of those surveyed think FauxNews is "mostly liberal".

The remaining core of the GOP, no doubt.

Bernie Kerik... (none / 0) (#104)
by desertswine on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 03:17:31 PM EST

is displaying "risky behavior."

Friday Morning Open Thread | 114 comments (114 topical)

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