Impeachment Talk at Georgetown Salon

my biggest concern with the Plasma TVs is where did they get the plasma? Is that why they won't let anyone see those prisoners? is it some sort of secret blood drive?

Back when e-mail sniffers were the paranoid fear of the day (Now they are merely assumed), The cyber privacy nuts picked a day where everybody would e-mail suspicious sounding e-mails about NSA, bombs, etc. in hopes of completely overwhelming the sniffer infrastructure. Maybe we should just routinely slip the words "jihad" "C4" "embassy" into as many phone conversations as casually as possible. And when people start disappearing we will know what they are listening for.

The TV WILL be watching you once the transition to digital is completed, of course. Why else would a fiscally conservative Congress devote billions to giving people "free" set-top converters?

Hmmm...it's only a matter of time before Hi Def telescreens are installed in every home, broadcasting Big Brother 24/7.

Color me burnt umber, but all this impeachment talk just sounds like petty revenge. The Roverites have been dishing it to liberals, now we get to dish it back, etc, etc. It got old quickly when the Republicans did it, it's old already coming from Democrats/Greens/Aluminum Foil Hat Wearers.

There's a very good chance that the NEXT president will govern from the center. Will any of us be able to tell the difference?

Let me add something pertinent here:

I can't believe that UTEP didn't go for it on 4th and goal with 3 minutes or so left in the first half, down 21-10. They were being outplayed, and lucky to be even that close. If Price had challenged his players to get the touchdown and make the score 21-17 or even 21-18 with a 2 point conversion, then he's sending a message to his guys that they're there to fight for the win, not to lay down and collect BCS Bowl Bucks for UTEP.

Sheesh!

Impeachment - the sugarplum dreams of the Democrats this holiday season. Given the composition of the House and Senate these days, impeachment proceedings are highly unlikely, IMO. Last time we had impeachment proceedings, we had a Democratic president and Republican-majority legislatures.

Of course the government is recording everything: the more you know, the more you can control. Remember this?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/18/AR2005101801663.html

I won't call it the tip of the iceberg, but if you think ANYTHING you do on your computer or on the Internet is private or hidden from the government, you've got another think coming.

Remember that the Internet is a development of DARPAnet. Yes, that DARPA. And the government controls the standards that hardware and software companies have to meet in order to be sold in the US. Do you think part of those FCC, NIST, etc. standards might include some things that they'd rather the general public didn't know about?

bc

Joel, your salon talk that might lure impressionable high school kids isolated in the red suburbs to apply to Georgetown U. in hopes that they might actually encounter some of those exotic Democrats. Or maybe even the next Bill Clinton.

Oh, let's face it. There is no way to stop this abuse of power as long as the Republicans control everything in our Government. WHO can investigate them but their own??? They even control the Supreme Court! If you want to change and start investigations, just watch what happens if the Democrats get back in control! I think more gets accomplished in Washington if the President and Congress are of oppossing parties. Then, compromise is the only way of getting things done.

anyway..Merry CHRISTmas everyone!

@((:o>>QO=;

The Internet protocol standards are all published and freely available here: http://www.ietf.org/rfc.html

As indicated by the story you link to, it's the implementation in any particular box that could be twisted to do "secret" work for the gov.

The joke is they're probably outsourcing half of the analysis to Pakistan where their intel agents can routinely thumb through the results.

And yes, if they can impeach a Democrat for lying under oath about a consensual affair, they should be able to impeach a Republican for violating civil rights, torture laws, and going to war on false pretenses.

But then that would open politicans to be impeached for lying to the public... what a trend that would start.

Um, I hate to break this to you, but plasma TVs are made from your own plasma. Agents sneak into your houses when you aren't there, extract DNA from your computer keyboard, take the DNA to NIH where they construct a complete profile of you and then use that to manufacture plasma for your TV. That makes it to inform and control you in the future. You will be as one with your TV and will believe anything your government tells you.

Not that I'm paranoid or anything. (And I welcome anyone who actually knows anything about DNA to improve this fantasy.)

Since the internet was at it's inception a method of communicating between government agencies, colleges, military, and what not it has been monitored. In the olde days you could only be on the DARPANET, then they switched it being the DODNET or ARPANET. Before about '95 noone was on the internet but colleges, military, government agencies or companies that worked for government agencies. As a matter of course they monitor for references to certain words, like NSA, SECRET SERVICE, FBI, or whatever is the word of choice......... It's really pretty simple, the hubs, the routers are usually in known locations, there are some that are commercial....AOL was the company that broke the barriers allowing the public on the internet....and where are they in Reston, VA...just a hop skip and a jump from Langley....not to infer anything. But the origins of the internet have to do with maintaining communication even if a nuclear strike were to occur, that and monitoring black operations at universities under the guise of research grants.....bwahhh haaaa haaaaaaa.

So yes, everything that is on the internet is being watched by the government, which hacks me off....I mean they should have rescued that Nigerean that I gave my ABA numbers to, and I haven't heard anything.

Hey, I emailed Al Jazeera a "Season's Greetings", so if I disap.......ack!

I think anyone that undertands body language, knows that Kerry basically gave the election to Bush purposely. That a deal was cut, I think that the people in power maintain that power. Anyone that lives in Washington knows that deals are cut as to who will vote for what so that maintain a voting record that appears to reflect the party ideology. Anyone watching the voting records sees certain people voting for Democratic or Republican things and they play the role most of the time....I guess it's even reflected in some of the movies and television shows now, but not actually what it is trading votes and maintaining appearances.

The first time I used a modem connection, I must have been eight or nine. It was definitly in the eighties, on out TI-80. My older brother connected to his best friend's house down the street through DOS operator chit-chat. I still remember how amazed I was about the whole thing, on our monochromatic moniter. And that I could here them giggling over the modem.

And that was just a random tangent. And that should have been "our TI-80" that belongs in a museum somewhere now....

carry on.

I almost hate to bring this up (really really really), but in the last two or three days Bush has gotten some repeated b**tchslapping--and ALL from Conservs. First, that judge in Pa. reads the riot act over Ignorant Design to the old Dover School Board. Then--of all people--Michael Luttig, one of the Conserv's super-dreamboat Supreme Court wannabes, whips the administration about the head and shoulders over the Padilla case. (Read the text of his decision, Jeez.) Then a couple of GOP senators help knock down the Patriot Act deal. (I know...that one ain't over 'til it's over, but still...) The 9/11 Commission has a press conference denouncing the administration?

I mean, what's going on here? Is the earth off its axes? (ScienceTim, you there?) A sign of the Apocalypse? Is the GOP doing a Rip Van Winkle and started to wake up after its 20-year infatuation with these people?

Re: impeachment. No, it's just too close to fantasy, like inheriting a giant chocolate factory--it sounds good, but you know in your heart it really isn't going to be good for you. Assuming success, it would only put Darth Chaney in the chair. Then he'd have to go, 'cause he's even more culpable than Bush. So then we'd have Hastert. Bleech.

No, much better to re-take the House in '06, and just investigate the hell out of 'em 'til '08. Leaving Bush in the White House to be a punching bag and object of derision and ridicule for three more years isn't very palatable, but it's the lesser evil.

Anyone remember the cartoon:

"Human plasma. Dog plasma. Human plasma. Dog plasma."

And then, of course, they get mixed up, and hilarity ensues!

Cowtown,

No, it would not just be payback to impeach a president for actual abuse of powers and breaking the law. Unlike what was foisted upon us and the federal budget in the 1990s.

Hmmmm. OK, if the government is screening everything, can we summon the NSA gods? Osama bin Laden, al qaeda, Terry Reed, c4, missle launcher, blasting caps, cell phone trigger, 9-11, 9/11, Allahu Akbar!, Taliban, jihad, pickled eggs, Preemptive neutralization, Jean Charles de Menezes, the Siege of Alcazar, CALEA, pen registers, Operation Bojinka, Jessica Simpson.

There. Now see what happens. Ommmmmmmm.

Jessica Simpson...hahaha

Mudge writes:
"Is the GOP doing a Rip Van Winkle and started to wake up after its 20-year infatuation with these people?"

Mudge,
Clever use of working Washington Irving into this! (I'm spraying cookie crumbs along with my coffee on my computer screen this morning.)

for me its CowTown's humor causing me to spray diet coke and fingernails (I know, nasty habit)

I just got back from the funeral of an old co-worker and friend at Arlington National Cemetary. Say what you will about the DOD, they give good send-off. Dignity, simplicity, respect. There were four services scheduled at the same time this morning. I think they are too busy. SYOR

I've been a pall-bearer in one. It's a little strange to be tearing up over some guy you never met, but there ya go. If they haven't pushed you over the edge before then, taps will always get you.

LP;

Check this out... My dad worked at Bell Labs, and even before the TI-80 he'd bring home his "laptop," basically a remote terminal with keyboard, thermal printer with acoustic modem cups on the back. It was SUCH a challenge to properly time stuffing the handset into the modem in time for the connection to be made. Fun! We'd play "Star Trek" after he'd done his work.

How would we choose what to impeach him for? The possibilities are endless...

As a veteran myself, I even find it difficult to keep a dry eye through the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns.

Cow Town - those were some nice, juicy tries at summoning the NSA gods, but you left out the sure-fire...FROOMKIN!

I think impeachment is probably a non-starter, but I do think there are some obvious grounds for Senate hearings and perhaps, an official censure of the President depending on what is discovered.

I anticipate that the hearings would have to be closed to the public because of the discussion of intelligence matters, which would be too bad.

Using the acronym NSA in a newsfeed will do that. It's probably safer right now than any time. Watch this:

The reason for the current war against terrorism:

Creating the illusion of terrorists so that certain actions can be taken, under war powers acts....you of course need a war. SCREAMING THAT THERE IS A WAR ON ALL OF THE TIME, MAKES PEOPLE BELIVE THAT ONE IS ACTUALLY TAKING PLACE. A WAR IMPLIES THAT WE ARE BEING ATTACKED. THE ONLY PEOPLE ATTACKING US WORK FOR US. YOUR GOVERNMENT BELONGS TO YOU, NOT TO THE F....... PRESIDENT. MAYBE IF YOU GET THAT SO WILL HE....THERE IS NO WAR. IT IS A METHOD OF ASSEMBLING THE NECESSARY BACKING TO USE MILITARY FORCE TO CONTROL AN ECONOMICALLY AND GEOGRAPHICALLY IMPORTANT REGION.

THE 9/11 COMMISSION SAID THAT VIRTUALLY NO ACTIONS HAD BEEN TAKEN TO PRESERVE THE SAFTEY OF THE UNITED STATES SINCE THE 9/11 EVENT.....WHICH WOULD MEAN THAT THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION ISN'T AFRAID OF THE TERRORIST BECAUSE THERE AIN'T NONE....CHILL DUDES..

WHAT A BUNCH OF CLUELESS MORONS....YOU OWN THE GOVERNMENT ACT LIKE IT....

scottynuke.....ha! And to think of that was state-of-the-art at that time, it makes me wonder how obsolete our current technology will look twenty years from now....

SCC
there's an extraneous "of" in there...

"the goal is to listen in on a vast array of communications in the hopes of finding something that sounds suspicious..."

Listen in? You actually believed that Joel? In this day and age of the Google model? No what actually happens is that all your emails between you and your mistress across town (a man in your position must have a mistress yes Joel?) are now routed thru the server in India (so your employer, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc. can save a little money). And that makes them international electronic traffic subject to monitoring by the govt, and I don't say which govt that is or are. But since they don't have the time to 'listen in', what happens is they store all your emails for the past four years and many more years to come in their gadzillion databases ala Google. And when they need some dirt on you they will use that nifty Google Desktop Search to ferret out what they need. And voila if you were foolish enough to promise your Georgetown mistress a mink coat for Christmas using the dough you got from Abramoff, you are toast, they've got you by the balls so to speak! The evidence they got on you is legally gathered and fully admissible in court.

Paranoid you say? But I haven't told you what the govts (note the plural, the server is in contested Kashmir) on the other end are doing with all those emails they've got from all the nice Americans in Washington DC, living the hitech life. Be careful Joel, be very careful!

Does that mean no mink coat for me?

Joel you're a riot - and yes I do have an acquaintance who types: "I'm in favor of the violent overthrow of the US government via nuclear means" into every email just so the NSA will have to read his missives to his wife about how the diaper changing proceedure for their toddler is rather messy...

but can we seriously discuss the terrible fact that crimes against the state are becoming "ho-hum" to the MSM... you guys are supposed to report on events of great impact - not avoid them because of the great impact!

Can I have a mistress across town? I've always heard about them, but somehow just never got around to it.

(Although frankly, most of what I've heard has turned out badly for one party or the other. So mybe it's not such a good idea after all.)

I notice the Post and the other lib newspapers have failed to note that the Clinton and Carter administrations both upheld secret domestic wiretapping without warrants. But, then again, anything Bush does must be Montgomery Burns evil, so obviously I'm wasting my typing here.

THE WHOLE F...... BORDER INTO THE UNITED STATES IS CRAWLING WITH BEANERS AND YOU THINK THAT A TERRORIST COULDN'T GET IN IF THEY WANTED TOO?

DID YOU NOT HEAR THE 9/11 COMMISSION SAY THAT THEY LACK OF EFFORT BY THIS ADMINISTRATION TO MAKE ADEQUATE CHANGES TO PROVIDE FOR OUR PROTECTION IN THE EVENT OF TERRORIST ATTACK WAS LUDICROUS AND BORDERED ON THE CRIMINAL.

THE ADMINISTRATION IS NOT WORRIED ABOUT TERRORIST ATTACKS BECAUSE THEY ARE THE TERRORISTS.....

NOT TO SAY THAT SINCE WE'VE BEEN SCREAMING TO THE WORLD THAT TOWELHEADS ARE PART AND PARCEL OF THE "EVIL EMPIRE" WHICH INCLUDES KOREA THAT THEY MIGHT HARBOR SOME FEELINGS AGAINST US AND OH YEAH, WE'VE KILLED A COUPLE OF THEM, AND OH YEAH WE'VE SUPPORTED ISRAEL NO MATTER WHAT THEY DO TO OTHER PEOPLE....CAUSE WE NEED _THEM_ TO HAVE NUCLEAR CAPABILITY....NO OTHER CRAZED MEGLOMANIACS NEED THAT CAPABILITY IN THAT REGION THOUGH.

Pleasant kissing of the muse speckled the egg of her puissance....melting all resistance to the understanding of the naked absence of malice.

LindaLoo posted her pacnake recipe in the Mo's AchenFaq boodle. gracias mucho

SCC:pacnake=>pancake

His pendant lip carressed the barroom floor asking forgiveness that was not forthcoming....

Pressing his forehead against the crowd of doubt he pressed the sincerity button and pewted out a new patriotism disguised as sincere sheepishness...hoping the sheep were buying....

Shades of emotional effusism ala cunning-HAM

oh how could that have slipped past your lady fingers.

Dear 12:27:25 Jihad Person:

We generally don't mind a little judicious all-caps for emphasis now and then, but we tend to frown on ALL CAPS ALL THE TIME, so it would be appreciate if you disabled your caps lock key.

Thank you, and have a happy jihad.

PERHAPS....when you grow up you're still living in a paper doll world....

Well, I can see this Boodle swirling into the Screaming and Ranting Vortex. Might be a good time for lunch. Please turn out the lights if you're the last to leave.

see yah, have a nice latte.

For those of you just joining us, we don't actually allow Caps Lock here. It's considered an offense even graver than using vulgarity, inciting riots, engaging in blasphemy or (same thing I guess) taunting the blogger.

In serious business, JW and kurosawaguy both mentioned funerals at Arlington and I just hope everyone pauses over the next few days to think of all the men and women who are overseas and in harm's way. As I posted this silly kit this morning, it did not escape my notice that a lot of us are pretty fat and happy and talking about the war in the abstract, an option not available to a couple of hundred thousand Americans.

But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?

It is the 'lopers and their 5-trillion-candlepower searchlights.

Amazing how some people can't grasp simple comedic concepts such as "sarcasm" and "whimsy." *SIGH*

I absolutely agree, Fearless Leader. Having been in the first Gulf War (arriving in theater on Xmas Eve, no less), I always take time on holidays to remember those who "celebrate" wearing their Kevlars and body armor.

Oh my gawd, nuclear farthings.

bc, I translate your comment re: the Great Darkness, "Fiat caligo," as "let it be dizzy." Is that what you had intended?

BTW, I think it may be about time for bcfauxlettres to produce a George Bush letter to St. Nick.

Indeed, Caps Lock is discouraged here. Herblock, "The Rape of the Lock," the Loch Ness Monster, and the Achenclock are all acceptable, but not Caps Lock.

[Ugh. Somebody stop me. Come back from lunch soon, CowTown!]

To Dems Crack Me Up -
Big difference is that Clinton and Carter both made their findings public and subject to the FISA act....big difference from our Fearless leader who does it in secrecy and end runs the FISA court (who is none to happy about his blatant disregard for the rule of law...)

[Begin Segment]

James Brown: "Hello, and welcome to NFL on Fox. I'm your host James Brown. And, as always, with me are Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, and Jimmy Johnson." [Brown turns to the panel] "Before we get started, guys, let's talk a little about the Colts coming to the AFC Playoffs."

Terry Bradshaw: "Well, it's great to have home-field advantage, but.." [Looks directly at Viewer] "Uh, Dave. Are you smoking in the house?"

Viewer: "Huh? Wha-!"

Bradshaw: "Dude, your wife just had the drapes cleaned."

Viewer: "That's none of your @#$@ business! And, and, how can you see me?"

[Bradshaw and Long look at each other. Long throws back his head and laughs]

Bradshaw: "Hate to break it to you, Buddy, but we've watched you watching us ever since you got that plasma T.V. of yours."

Long: "Yeah, even in your underwear. Dude, put some MAN clothes on!" [All men in the panel laugh.]

Viewer: "Hey, that's enough. I didn't ask you to watch me! This is outrageous!"

Bradshaw: "Who has to ask? You get the set, we get to watch. That simple."

Johnson [Peering into foreground near Viewer]: "Is that a water ring on the coffee table? Dude, you ever hear of a coaster?"

Long [laughing]: "Dave, you are toast."

Viewer: "I'm turning off the set."

Brown: "Fine. But, you should open a window."

[End Segment]

We now return you to your regularly scheduled Boodle.

And to second Joel, it's not too late to send cookies, or some books, or whatever you want. Won't get there by the 25th, but by the time a care package makes its way through the FPO or APO, it'll be March, and the cookies will be all smashed up, but no one else will be sending things in March, so it'll be a big surprise! Kind of like when you find one more present hidden behind the tree...3 months later.

Probably the easiest thing to do is send the USO $25, and they'll send a care package to someone for you, guaranteed to be filled with things that won't melt in the desert or get smashed in shipment. Here's the link if anyone's feeling generous: http://www.usocares.org/src/uso_donate.htm

Just click on "make an online donation" and you can sponsor a care package.

Cow Channel:

The real James Brown would have said "indeed" at least twice during that segment.

'mudge:

I think my second entry, Fiat Nox, was closer than Caligo. And it goes with Fiat Lux nicely, don't you think?

I'd been pondering some bcfauxlettres (TM) ideas, that was one on the table. Allow me some time to ponder it...

bc

jw, that's great.
I'm goin' there right now.

Thanks.

bc

jw: Thanks for the link. That's an excellent idea.

The I-word! I knew it!

But let's think about this...does anyone really want Cheney running things? Now that was a stupid thing to say!

No prob! And just in case someone out there's trying to bump themselves into a lower tax-bracket by 31 Dec, all donations to the USO are 100% tax deductible.

HAH! i absolutely heart you cowtown!

and doncha just love the terms beener and towelhead! makes you really respect that persons opinion when they throw out words like that!

Furthermore, we also allow the Washington Caps, Sno-caps®, ballcaps, skycaps, and ASCAPs, but not ALL CAPS.

And especially tinfoil caps.

Cheney IS running things...the President simply says and does what he is told to do. Man, this is the best job Poppy ever arranged for him! But not as much fun as it used to be before the house of cards started to tumble. He has broken so many laws, they may have to hold several impeachment hearings to fit all the charges in. Still...Bush may well be gone by June, and Cheney will be gone before that. Hello, President Hastert.

If I remember correctly, Tom fan, it's a tilfoil hat for you, yes?

The persistence of the intelligence was visible as only a single point of light pointing inward....

Mossy surfaces slipped underneath her coat and applied the moist tendrils of doubt to her yuppie fabrique...

Contritley exuberant he slipped in a fast agnotiscism and scutter ed off to abulate fashionably.....freeing up his scupper for some evening 'nog.

Fall guy, waiting to be called on. He can't be held responsible, but he can be held accountable.....as the puppetmasters give you another "something" to blame for what they did through him.

i believe i may have broken the all caps rule with my announcement of the aquisition of Tai Shan tickets - but that was extremely warranted! one must always announce the aquisition of Tai Shan tickets in all caps!

mo:
It's OK to have select segments of all caps within a post, as long as the entire post isn't all caps. As you say, sometimes all caps are warranted, e.g., in THE Tom, or THE Achenbro. Also, you have some extra cap credits, because you don't tend to use a lot of caps -- you're a lowercase kinda 'boodler. When you use all caps, we know that what you're saying is *really* important.

jw,
Again, thanks for the link. I am making a donation as well. But I don't really know what to say in the message. Any ideas?

The all caps were hard to handle when I read "A Prayer for Owen Meany". At first, every time Owen spoke, I thought he was supposed to be shouting. Then I realized that they were just meant to show respect for Owen.

You'll always have a pass on the caps, mo.

BTW, I've been using the capitalization convention of whatever is used by the boodle handle--it's mo, not Mo, scottynuke, not Scottynuke, bc, not BC, etc., even at the start of a sentence. Would that be correct? Or are you Mo at the start of a sentence, but mo in the middle of one?

Anal retentive compulsives want to know. Make that "need to know."

I cannot believe you all running to send the poor troops crap for Xmas. WE ARE THE OCCUPIERS. How about sending the poor, innocent iraqis some xmas tidings. After all between a crazed armed american soldier and an innocent Iraqi who has never ever even dreamed of harming America who needs our SYMPATHY - you all make me sick - including Achenbach. SCREW donating crap to the troops - if you really care the get out on the streets and do whatever you can to bring them home because we all know there are not doing a single thing over there to keep anybody safe except killing Iraqis in their own damn country!!.

I love mushroom caps stuffed with shrimp. I remember Greenie Stickum Caps. I'll drink some wines with screw caps. I remember Cap Weinberg.

Carry on.

I hate to violate the SCC policy, mudge, but shouldn't anal-retentive be hypenated? I'm anal-retentive that way.

Uh, Curmudgeon...

As Willy Wonka (the Gene Wilder version, of course) might say,

"Strike that, reverse it."

I do initial cap mah handle. :-)

The peasants, why worry about the peasants....

the Palace at Versailles

pardon moi monsuier but we have pheasants to glass....not zee time to be thanking of otters....we are zee riche und powerfull uzzess...

teehee - "lower case kinda 'boodler" - yeah, i dunno why but i like the lower case thingy - i'm also an exclamation point boodler... oh, and a periods of ellipses boodler... i'm just lazy... (i'm sure all editors out there are dying to correct my boodles but as frankie says "i gotta be me!")
and 'mudge - i think of people's handles in terms of caps as well - i think i'm mo not Mo or MO (sorry joel, but it was a little weird see Mo). that being said, i also lower case achenfan... but TA is always TA... and it's Tai Shan not tai shan... Tom Fan, what say ye?

Stars 'n Crescent moons wafted across the foyer...Important towelheads meeting with St. George....what did you need us to do to make you feel safe?

mo, I say you have an Achenunique style. Don't go changin' to try to please me; I love ya just the way you are.

The problem with impeaching Bush, as has been noted, is that we then get Cheney, who also would have to be immediately impeached. Hastert would be next in line, but he is not really presidential material. Not tall and slim enough.

Luff bald loons. Oh my congress, slip it to me.....let me feel thy slithey toves.

Mellid frigby slept in her muzzled toves....shreep eeeeeeee fredges of control lofted towards the county....Dulles cries for freedom and has none....what hagby cloves never felt the tufts of freedom...

When contemplating a course of action, Intelligence professionals apply two standards. The first is the letter of the law. The second is a more amorphous standard often known as the "Washington Post Test." That the President has authorized several activities that violate the latter test, if not the former, is worrisome to many.

Situation fantastikal....expressions of sensorial phrasings moved towards understanding the maze of stupidity encapsulating their vapid expressions...

old parfume lifted to nostrils poised to know in advance the scent of trouble...discovery, their plot was unravled....

Harry and Sally in a cafe, illuminate me...fake you say?

mo, do we have a definition for serious, non-joking umbrage? Because that is they way I feel about Bob's post. It was incredibly rude and presumptuous, and I don't have the stomach for it today, so I will make my exit.

Leaving town tomorrow for a long vacation, so Happy Holidays to all of you and yours!

SCC: rather than definition, I meant Achenterm.

TA:
Have a great vacation!
[And don't worry about "Bob"'s post -- it was probably just the 'loper. Waste no umbrage on it.]

As for an Achenterm for actual umbrage, I'd say we don't need one, because non-joking umbrage is forbidden except on one day of the year -- National Umbrage Day.

TA;
I agree. Have a great vacation and Happy Holidays to you as well.

mo, non-joking umbrage? I think most of it is non-joking. Your input?

Yeah, throw the blighters out!

Yeah, throw the blighters out!

Tom fan,

We still have the 'loper? I thought that was long gone. But then again, I've been away for a bit...

Oh yes, RA, we still have the 'loper. Probably always will have -- he shows no sign of getting bored; in fact, I think he's become Achenaddicted. Poor 'loper.

I killed the 'boodle. Sorry. Please continue. BTW, anyone hiring in the D.C. area? :)

I nominate mo as exempt from the All Caps Prohibition because she uses them judiciously and only for the forces of good, not evil.

The Random Word Generator guest we have among us today is increasing my sense of swirling into the Boodle Vortex. It's making me dizzy.

And Bob, please calm down.

Dreamer;
If you're out there, (as well as the rest of the porching hour group)... How does a porching hour during the Cherry blossom festival sound? I'm looking to get away, or a job come spring...

TA, just a simple "stay safe and come home soon" is good, and I think pretty tactfully fits into everyone's politics.

Cow Town,
You must join us, so plan ahead...

Joel, this one's going in my quote collection:

"One government official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the administration complained bitterly that the FISA process demanded too much: to name a target and give a reason to spy on it.
"Yeah, that's due process totally out of control."

Really, that Bill of Rights really slows up the works, doesn't it!

RA, if you're going to be in town during Cherry Blossom time, then we'll take that as an excuse to hold a Porching Hour (not that we ever really need an excuse). We love to see new Porchers at the BPH.

jw,
Perfect.

LEO,

My feeling is, this is a good place for the snipers to get it off their collective chests--it's only words, and you know what they say, sticks and stones and so on.

There's no such thing as a real threat or "fighting words" here in cyberspace since nobody knows who anyone else is. (With a few exceptions, wink, wink, nudge, nudge.)

3:23:35 PM, that was I. Darn it, that was going to be a good post, too, but it needed to be signed to be cute. SCC, bigtime.

Reader,
OMG!! Thanks for that! We wouldn't want the Constitution to get in the way of how the administration works, would we?!? (pardon the spelling all) Joel, we need spell check. :)

I *knew* that was you, Reader!

[Cue Twilight Zone music]

Come with me now... to a land far away...
You will not know... but we'll help you through... the.... Twilight Zone...

There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man.
It is a dimension as vast as space and timeless as infinity.
It is the middle ground between light and shadow,
between science and superstition,
and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge.
This is the dimension of imagination.
It is an area which we call . . . the Twilight Zone.

-- Theme from Season 1, "The Twilight Zone"

OK..OK... I'll do it! I'll pay what ever it takes to who ever can make it happen.....Just tell me how much to stop the BLOG from reoccuring!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm going to go take a mean WaPo!!!!!!!

Cow Town,
Could you make Cherry Blossom?
It'd be fun to have a BPH with all of us from around the country, and out of the country. Might be fun

TA - i think non-joking umbrage would be termed "pissed-off". nothing complicated with that... i figured, ya know, maybe bob is not an american. or unamerican. you don't have to support the war, but i sure do hope we as HUMANS, american or otherwise, support our brothers and sisters over there risking their LIVES (hello!!!!) for us. ok, maybe it's naive, but they didn't set the policy, they didn't declare war on another country, they didn't lie about it's reasons and they didn't piss off half the world and the U.N. and go in anyway for an oedipal agenda (whoever said that yesterday, i agree). they are our military. they do what they are told to do by the potus. do not blame them! applaud them for their brave sacrifices!

*stepping off the soapbox* i wasn't gonna take the bait but darn it! he ran TA off! and THAT pisses me off! (caps warranted - oh, wait, i'm exempt! YEAH ME!)

The Lonemule,
$100,000.00 and it would take 2X that to keep it from re-occuring. Just let us know where you're sending the payment.

P.S. What do you want to stop re-occuring?

mo;
You are so exempt...

RA: I'm assuming the Cherry Blossum Festival is in the Spring (I'm Brilliant!). You're asking a lot of me to plan that far in advance, but I'll work on it. When is it, April or May?

MO?, Didn't want to kill the 'boodle, but I think you're correct. Want to comment?

*confuzzled* comment on what??

cherry blossom festival is march 25-april 9... they bloom very early and are nearly gone by mid april depending on how hard the winter is...

http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/cms/index.php?id=390

CowTown,
It's April'ish. I'll try to post it in the 'boodle. The festival is usueally in April. (SP)

Actually, it was tarribly unpatriotic to be so well smug....

We know that snuff comes from india and it is still distilled from the hides of dead indians but just because we're brits does that make us re'sponsbil...'course not. Those little brown fellers likes us anyways, so what if we are a bit imperialist....we are british eh phat pfish.....

or in other words et tude bruttes.........pack it in and back off...

Ther you go mo,
You're not confuzzeled, you're right on target.
Thanks for the input.
R
And the link...

I am glad TA run off now you mo can run off too. Yes Americans are HUMANS but SO ARE IRAQIS so why is there no sympathy for them.

Furthermore in the law (yes I am an American and Lawyer to boot who lived in DC also thus now all about Cherry Blossoms) - as I was saying in the law there is such a thing as one being more innocent than the other. Between the poor Iraqis whose country we destroyed and the Bush's lowly paid contract killers aka US troops the Iraqis are the innocent ones!! I have no sympathy for a killer - they are not BRAVE fighting lightly armed untrained populace that we bombed for 12 years.

Then you wonder why the Repugs with Bush will rule without fear 'cos the Spineless stupid AIPAC controlled Dems will forever be suck ups!!. I say Bush should spy on because we are a spineless bunch anyway.

There is a reason George Washington did not believe in a standing army and said the US should not go abroad in search of monsters to slay lest ye become one. Oh well too LATE!!.

RA, I hereby charge you with Boodling Out of Order. Boddle to the Moddle! (omnigoof, that was your expression, correct?)

[Kidding, of course. No umbrage.]

And I hereby charge *myself* with BOOO.
Boo hoo.

[I think I'm channeling omnigoof. Pass the blorph . . .]

[Everybody, just ignore that 'loper behind the curtain. Avert your eyes. Use the scroll button.]

We smoke the disturbance of you stupidity in order to remove the turgidity of your non-compliance with beauty....

release the hand brakes of your moral outrage and step down out of your carriages on the backs of your servants who are lucky to receive your second hand clothes as gifts......

assholes peering at me with wrinkled I's and you feerus?

ha ha ha.....look out the world is about to kiss you good bye stupidity........

oh me oh me

One of my friends in Afghanistan is complaining about the level of thugs that they're letting into the Marines, saying that he doesn't feel safe with his own troops....not a lot of the erudite applying tah tah....holy holidays.....

Ah, Bob, Bob, Bob. What are we going to do with you? Maybe it's an age thing, so maybe you have an excuse. See, it's like this. Once upon a time, there was a nasty war in a place called Vietnam. Over time, more and more people came to object to it. Lots of our troops got killed (as did theirs)--and pointlessly, in many people's opinions, but let's hold that aside for the moment.

When our troops came home, many, many people (myself included, I am now ashamed to admit), treated them like crap. Even worse, the very government that sent them there treated them even worse than did the Peace Movement people. And whether they were right or wrong to be there, and no matter what they did over there (and the vast majority were support people, not combatants), we should have taken much better care of them when they got home. And we didn't.

So, Bob, some of us have learned a very hard lesson, and it is this: no matter how much we oppose this (or any) war, or revile this particular bonehead in the oval office and all his policies and all his bonehead retinue, and though we may revile and even put in jail people like the Abu Ghraib thugs, and though we may regard Cheney, Rummy and Wolfie and some of them as the Devil's Spawn (as I, for one, do), by and large we give the troops themselves a pass. Many are support people, many don't want to be there. Many believe in their hearts they are doing the right thing. Many are in fact doing good work (whether they'll succeed isn't at issue, nor are the reasons they were sent there). Exactly how many troops believe this or that about their mission is also irrelevant; they all get a pass.

And so Bob, even if the administration has not learned one *&^%#@*% blessed thing from Vietnam, others of us have. (How could many of them have learned? Many of them never went: Cheney, Rove, Bush, Rummy, et al.)It ain't the troops' fault, and so we don't punish the innocent. And that is why it's a mitzvah to send "crap" to the troops, Bob.

[Sorry, Tom fan, I must]

Bob;

Brilliant display of logic. Stunning use of rhetoric. A true testament to your J.D.

And by the way, you really should know better than to treat lack of knowledge as a fact. No one among the regular Boodlers has ever stated they lack sympathy for Iraqi citizens. I've been there, I've seen the conditions, and yes, the ordinary citizens of Iraq have my sympathy. None of that prevents me from fervently hoping the U.S. troops have no need to use their weapons on these holidays or any future days.

The soldiers are fighting the "war" so that the economies of the countries that are affected oil money coming into the hands of people that don't love Europe or the United States don't act against us.....

The could just reel in Israel and actually make things livable for all of the people over there and most of the middle eastern hatred would die down.

There is also the fact that they are building a pipeline across afghanistan, to pipe oil from Russia down to the seacoast...need secure land to do that.

There's more going on than meets the eye. But there is no war, and civilian lives are being interrupted rather rudely....

But hey we loved the Kurds after Deserting Storm, so why should we worry aobut little brown babies now?

Beatific tidings of caruthering.........

Ask and ye shall receive.

http://www.10thcircle.com/10/?cat=4

bc

Bob,
It's interesting that you say you're a lawyer. I'd never take umbrage with one that I thought was more degreed than myself. However, I disagree. There is no such thing as being more innocent than the other. You're thinking backward if you think so. Christians and Muslims have been fighting for nearly 2007 years. We need to come to an understanding, and it has much less to do with Bush or the middle east as it does with winning hearts and minds of people in general.

P.S. Bob, Proof read. Please. And please spell things out. FYI

Achenfan, I posted boddle on the moddle, but for the life of me I can't figure out what it was supposed to mean (I blame the blorph, it was 7:57 PM on a Friday after all).

'mudge! ah, 'mudge! very well put and exactly what i meant to say in my hot-headed moment! (see, my uncle was killed over there fighting feverently for what he believed in so i took non-joking umbrage at bob) and bob, i ain't goin no wheres! can't run me off...
and it's not that i have no sympathy for brown babes! i take particular umbrage with poppy bush cuz he invaded panama for some god-unknown reason!

Thanks, omni. As with widdershins, it doesn't really matter what it means -- it just sounds good.

Do you believe in the toothfairy too?

Powers have been fighting whilst standing behind holy banners that say they're gawd is right....

The official sanctioned church of christianity existed as an extension of Roman Rule...don't you wonder why there are only Roman Catholic Saints? IF it ain't happening in their church it aint real.....they own gawd. Believe it or not all CHRISTIAN churches descended from RCC....it is the officially sanctioned original church....

the romans saw the newage christians saying gawd was within, not fearing roman occupation or torture and so like MICROSOFT, they bought christianity and made it theirs.....and anyone that wanted to interpret it differently was tortured, excommuicated, crucified publically by the media....and so forth

protestants are protesting against

seperation of church and state occured because of the evils of aligning church and state that had occured since it's inception, since it was used as a tool to justify roman rule, which is why any occupied country had it's relgion replaced by Rome's which clearly stated that gawd was on their side and so the native beliefs should be put aside.....and torturing needed to occur if there wasn't compliance.....ask the Brits, Welsh and Scotch bout Roman rule...

As for Muslims, probably most round eyes don't know that Mohamet was a general....whatever dream he had would have been interpreted from a military perspective.....it was only a dream but in the old days dreams were considered prophetic and a good way to get backing if you were going to kick some ass....

If only Wovoka could had the backing that Ahmed had....and allusion to the Ghost Dance Religion if anyone has read this far....you white breds....

The new testament was written 150 years after the Historical Jesus of Nazareth

MO
You're Forgiven!
Bush is a bit of an idiot. (Remember I'm Republican.) And, Omnigoof, blorpf is not an excuse...
And MO, my sympathies for your uncle. Realy.

TA,

Have a safe and good trip and enjoy the holidays.

The same to all boodlers who are boogieing here or elsewhere.

Ya know, I'm finding this whole 'loper issue kinda sad. I think I need an Achenvacation. It's just as well The Great Darkness is about to descend upon us. Achenfortuitous. Achenserendipitous.

eep! now i'm MO?
hey, i did not say bush is an idiot... (you trying to get my clearance taken away?) i have absolutely nothing to say about bush... wouldn't do any good anyway...
war is stupid... war fought over religion is even more stupid (killing in the name of god?) 'nuff said!
and thanks for the sympathies!

wait - the toothfairy ain't real??

Anyone who spies on the Quakers, has got to be paranoid to the point of pointless purposefulness and should be pointedly walked out on the plank.

REally, spying on fucking Quakers? They's do better with the Scientologists, who ARE batts, kooks, etc.

At the risk of incurring the wrath of you-know-who, have a happy holiday and/or Christmas, TA

Don't you think the dictionary of A blog terms in the earlier "kit" is a bit of outrageous self gratification, dare I say onanism of a blogging sort.

Posters may tend to be legends in their own minds, but the relishing this intense looking inward is one reason that M. JA should indeed be ruminating about the longevity of his blog.

Not to "bah humbug" it too much, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a great New Year.

Sorry for my for any typos 'cos i do not have time to proofread everything.

Arguments stated above have been noted yet none have answered my question. Based on the reasoning above i.e. what we learned from Vietnam then we should not blame the German soldiers or the German people ever again. You cannot absolve US soldiers as being blameless. Lots of them actually enjoying killing and join the army for a chance to do so legally. I do not care if Mother Theresa suits up - SHE IS A KILLER. I have no sympathy for them because even the most deluded soldier knows that they are not there defending the US!!. One could make a plausible albeit stupid argument that they were afraid of WMDs but now that the truth has been out for almost 3 years and all we are doing there is killing thousands of them (by Chimpy's count 30K) killed by our KILLERS - I have no sympathy at all. If Soldiers refused to fight - the truly brave ones have desserted or walked out - (I defend those for FREE). That is BRAVERY not listening to illegal orders to kill women and children in Fallujah with Whiskey Pete!!!.

I always blame it on the blorph.

And if I don't make it back here before the new year, or I you don't, here's wishing you happy holidays.

(That you refers to all of you here)

Wilting smorgasbords of chic nastivity scences...

Have a good one, it's not about guilt it's about actually living in the world around you rather than participating as a parisite hoping that they don't notice you and ship your job to india while you're working enough for three people but thank full that you have a job smeel on ........

Christians and Muslims?
BPH, look out,

First of all it's God with a capitial. PJ, Achenfan, Omnigoof, TJ and bc are going to have to back me up on this, but really!

Bob,

Is it true that you are/were an employee of Jack Abramoff's lobbying company?

Seriously, didn't we get together at the T-vestite soiree in P'town over the Labor Day weekend?

I never forget line of BS, such as the one you have. Love ya.

* sigh *

Disputin computin Iamagin whateverur4 while the world suffers...

takeaside

takastance

how'sbout not....hows bout actually getting things to workou t

sheepish cows moving towards the gates to be fed by the machines....noises soft ooofting of pellets....keys turning....

well... okkkkk then.....
i'm going outta town tomorrow am as well - i'm gonna stick around here for a little bit longer today, but wanted to wish everyone HAPPY HOLIDAYS before bob runs everyone away... (but not me so nanny nanny boo boo)

We're not afraid of the Bob.

He can't handle the truth.

And the Truth shall set you free [you jerk, Bob]

hey now - play nice! no name calling! bob is allowed to believe what he wants...

I stand corrected, Mrs. Mo. I will obey the laws of this here Blogge.

But d'ya think that maybe Bob has had his phone and email tapped because of his ulta extremely modulated antiwar views?

He is just the sort they are looking for.

On the other hand, he could be a phigment of
someone's imagination. He may be renting a room that was a former meth lab.

on a lighter note - did you know there's such a thing as a South African Jackass Penguin? i thought this story was fake at first...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/22/AR2005122201004.html

I have always wondered thus. How can one institute democracy by using the most undemocratic, fascist, totalitarian, sexist and evil institution ('cos they actually teach you to kill on order and not blink) ever devised by man (which is what any army is).

We here in the US have been soo deluded worse than the Busheviks that somehow our military is more like God's angels. Just lovely bright eyed and bushy-tailed boys and girls more like the Boys Scouts - full of honor God and country - a bunch of Bull crap that anyone who thinks for themselves would never accept.

So please what is the truth. As Harold Pinter more eloquently said - all Bush has to say the American People or our Brave men and women in service to our country and we swoon. Somehow our racist superiority complex comes shining through.

We claim at times Iraqis are evil, yet we are saving them, we are bringing democracy - such a patently false claim that it begs one whether most people have drunk the Kool Aid.

When you have a cold eyed realist like Cheney and Rove and yet you believe their bleating of Democracy and freedom from Bush then we truly deserve this regime. So please tell me the truth that will set me free.

MS. mo - don't marry me off yet!
me thinks YOU are a figment of my imagination fachena...

Bobby,

Take a double Beefeaters, mix in two crushed quaaludes, and call me in the morning.

I think you need to sleep it off or take cold shower perhaps. Ya know, I think I remember you from P'town, too. A dress I will never forget.

Don't go looking for freedom and democracy here. Your soul can be tapped without a warrant.

To quote Oppenheimer quoting the Bible, Mr. Bush might say: "I am death"--and we will stay in Iraq til the mission is over, and not one day longer, or, at least 120 days before the election, whichever comes first.

Hey melvina, good to see you. Of course its outrageous self gratification. This offsets the self castigation found here the rest of the time. Its all about balance with an occasional side trip into sheer lunacy.

I have trouble with these concepts, dr, as I was raised in the big house of the Pope. Thanx.

mo,

I'm not a figment. I am your brother. Remember me?

I was raised in the house of the Pope too, which is how I know about side trips to lunacy!

I would just like to know one thing: If the President has the legal authority to direct intercepts on his own determination to protect us then why is there a need for the Patriot Act? The Administration has stated that they already have the legal authority to do as they see fit to protect us. So why the fight over a piece of legislation that they do not need?

hah! side trips? i reside full time in lunacy! which would be why i came up with the achenfaq... completely and totally outrageous self gratification! but come on melvin/a - you didn't chuckle even a little?

fachena - unless my mother lied to me, or had a kid she didn't know about, i'm an only child... oh! are you talking about my comment about "american brothers and sisters"? then yes, you are my brother...

Bob, most people join the military for reasons other than the desire to kill people. In fact, the idea of doing so probably never enters 98% of their heads. There are many reasons to enlist: Lack of prospects for employment or college, a true desire to serve one's country (for good, not evil!) and, in my case, a wish to attend the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA and to escape my little town life.

Furthermore, the invasion of Iraq was idiotic, but it wasn't anyone in the infantry's idea. I'm pissed off about this war and I'm pissed off about the domestic spying revelation. And about a whole boatload of other transgressions made by this administration, which are too numerous to name here.

But I am not pissed off at the men and women on the ground living in hell over there. I've spoken to enough of them to know that no one is having fun killing Iraqis, or having any sort of fun at all. It is hell. Not only is it hell, it's hell without alcoholic reprieve. The poor dudes can't even have a beer to wash the sand out of their parched throats.

But feel free to say all you want about the a-holes that sent them there.

And finally, Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, and a Fabulous Festivus to all of you, my imaginary friends. Be safe, don't fight with your Republican family members, and don't drink and drive.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a Good Night.

As someone from overseas, it's amazing to watch the antics of the American Left, including the media, as it tries to impeach President Bush or, at least, circumscribe his activities to the point where he becomes relatively powerless.

We already have this model in Europe and the UN where Socialism of one sort or another reigns, the people having few rights as Americans know them, even that of self-protection. Britain and Australia (to a somewhat lesser extent), your great allies in the War on Terror, are in this camp.

I suppose the President would have been better served had he reaffirmed and/or restored Americans'liberties after 9-11 rather than resorting to what the critics currently call police-state tactics.

To take one example, Bill O'Reilly (whom we get in Europe, too) has been crying for troops (the overcommitted National Guard) on the border. Not only has the Administration done nothing, it seems unaware of the Executive's power to convoke the Militia. Mr. O'Reilly himself doesn't appear acquainted with this presidential power; because he's not talking about it, perhaps the Bush team is unaware.

This doesn't speak well of the White House's knowledge of the Constitution, the document it's supposed to "preserve and protect." As for the Left, it seems to want to have the ACLU bring a case before the Supreme Court with the object of declaring the Constitution unconstitutional.

America, the shining beacon of liberty, democracy and individual initiative and responsibility, had better start doing a lot better so that others won't tire of taking it seriously.

Just a few random thoughts.

Although Joel kindly tolerates RANTING, it isn't what attracts me to this blog so I hope it doesn't become common.

I remember when somebody who said Merry Christmas was just being nice, and wasn't trying to pick a fight or make a point.

All organizations have a fractal nature to them, including the military, the government, and the various agencies within. Generalization is a kissing cousin to bigotry.

I have it on good authority that this blog is being monitored closely by secretive members of the US Government. Although not so much on Wednesdays, cause that's when the new Onion comes out.

You're all way off on the plasma TV thing. Plasma TVs are fueled by the by-product of Dick Cheney's Plasmatronic Cardiac Emulation Device that functions as his heart these days. While perfectly good plasma is procured for the device by Halliburton (they won a no bid contract for it), the Plasmatronic Cardiac Emulation Device quickly uses up healthy plasma and leaves behind a plasma by-product that is unfit for human use. Hence, the plasma by-product is used by Halliburton to power plasma TVs (which they also won via no bid contract).
Hope that clarifies things.

I never doubted for a minute that the Bush regime spies on anyone they want to, American citizen or not. The disrespect and contempt they have for our U. S. Constitution is transparent each time they try to give some cockamamie story on why they think it's so important. "We're at war" Bush exclaims. "Therefore, in order to protect our country, I have to limit your freedoms and if necessary take them away completely." You see, there's this mind set that Bush has that simply says to Americans, "When it comes to granting freedoms and individual rights, I get to make the call, not you." He's simply making good on the dictatorial statements which he made on his first day in office.

This Bush mob has fine-tuned the art of spying and lying to the point that they can get away with anything. They make no pretense that they believe they are above the law.

It began long ago, around the time Bush rejected the Kyoto Treaty. From then on his corrupt corporate contributors wasted no time at all in ripping off tens of billions of money from electricity ratepayers through the Enron swindle, money that will never be recovered. They proceeded to trash just about every EPA regulation and appointed cronies to head the agencies and sabotage the American people by gutting the laws that were in place to curb pollution and toxic waste in the atmosphere and trash laws that protect the health and safety of our citizens.

From there it's been all downhill for democracy as Bush seeks even greater powers contained in the renewed version of the USA Patriot Act. And what is the gutless, Republican-controlled U.S. Congress doing about it? That's easy, they are doing what they do best: adding hundreds of "earmarks" aka pork, raiding the U. S. Treasury in their insatiable thirst for money and power (think Tom DeLay and Randy "Duke" Cunningham), doing all this while pretending they are cutting spending by reducing funding for health care, student loans, food stamps for the abject poor and launching one of the biggest giveaways and gift to the pharmaceutical industry with their $750 billion Medicare bill which they passed earlier this year.

And when you question them on the size of these giveaways and the tax cuts for the wealthiest 1% of the population (which Bush wants to make permanent) they snarl back at you with, "Don't bother me. I'm gorging here!"

The fat cats get fatter but in the meantime working people are once again taking it in the shorts.

Ishkibibble, that was Oppenheimer quting the Bhagavad-Gita, not the Bible; the full quote was, "I am become death, the destroyer of worlds." What is truly frightening is that if you Google it you get lots of quotation sites attributing it to Oppenheimer, but never realizing or mentioning he was only quoting something else.

OK, that's enough. For all you departing the achenblog, have a nice Christmas. Got 2/3 of a day tomorrow and then an "early out." Loomis, I'm giving that pancake recipe a grueling field test Sunday morning to three (grown) children, two grandchildren, one son-in-law, and one spouse. Thanks for posting it. Have a merry.

Oh, one final thing: Go, Redskins.

along with the Duke of Dick. Never, not even the infamous tricky Dick Nixon has an administration abused there positions of power under a cloak of national interests or war on terrorism. You dont throw out everything in your refrigerator because the hamburger goes bad, and you dont ignore all the laws of the land because you think you are above them. Impeach the whole dang bunch and put Rove in prison as well

Days late, very off-current-topic but:

I'd be fascinated to know what the poster who submitted the following was trying to convey:

----- Quote follows -------
sociopath (so´sê-e-pàth´, -shê-) noun
One who is affected with a personality disorder marked by aggressive, antisocial behavior.

psychopath (sì´ke-pàth´) noun
A person with an antisocial personality disorder, especially one manifested in aggressive, perverted, criminal, or amoral behavior.

Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition © 1996 by Houghton Mifflin Company.

And Mao, hmmm, not sure.

Posted by: | Dec 22, 2005 9:50:30 AM
----- thus endeth the quote --------

Hmmm... It was intended to mean, "They're similar and both unpleasant!", right? Except there was more, right? I'm the one being rude & silly by questioning this, right?

Good morning CurMUDGEon,

You have to wonder if the person getting the credit didn't hear the statement or quote from someone else...

Happy Holidays everyone. I will be lurking a bit, but nose has been placed to grind stone.

As I hear Joe E. Brown said:

(Here's to you Joel!!! Mr. Deadline)

I see the handwriting on the ceiling!

*hic*

Bob that was me, in a very Boodle out of order thing. Early in the day there was a comment on wether freeing France was a specific goal in WW2 rather than France just being a path to get to the Germans. I attempted to adress this because freeing France was certainly a goal. Any disscussions on what led to VE day and the path taken to get there, must include the enormous sacrifices of the Russian people, disregarding Stalin, who I noted as a psychopath. Another poster asked wether he was more of a sociopath, and so me being me, looked the difference up, but I could not answer the question of Mao. I'd still vote for Stalin being a psychopath. So yes in a way that was what I was trying to say, but also answering for myself.

Obviously I left out my handle, for which I heartily SCC.

What I did not mean to do was to add either of those words to any commentary on current government in your fair nation. There is much to like about Mr. Bush from an international persepctive, and much to dislike, but I think the same could be said about any leader, and perhaps any person anywhere.

Your asking was certainly not rude, and had it been silly, would be entirely appropriate! This is the boodle after all, and it is extremely early on a Friday. Silly is very good at this time of day.

Truth be told, (listening bushies? ), this whole nsa electronic spying thing is being run by the administration under the direction of alien forces bent on conquest of the earth. Their agent-in-charge is obvious...dick (has there ever been a more appropriate name) cheney.

dr:
I was fortunate enough to attend a lecture about psychopaths several months ago. According to the lecturer (a psychiatrist), one difference between a sociopath and a psychopath is that the psychopath has certain emotional deficits that the sociopath does not have, such as lack of ability to empathize and lack of capacity to feel remorse. A sociopath may feel guilt, but a psychopath does not. Apparently these individuals are "all id," i.e., they have no superego.

I find the concept of psychopaths fascinating -- and frightening too, of course. This particular lecturer mentioned that although sociopaths and psychopaths wreak havoc in their relationships with other people, it is counterproductive to isolate them, because they thrive on being around others; they "need someone to be better than" (that was my favorite quote from the lecture).

Fantastic; absolutely fantastic.

Tom fan, how do we deal with psychopaths and sociopaths, then? Is there any hope for the people they screw over and up?

'Morning, Dolphin Michael.

Yeah, I'm here at the grindstone, too, though it is turning verrrrrry slowly. D.C. Is practically a ghost town even at this hour, and by 4 p.m. there will be tumbleweeds blowing down Independence Avenue.

pancake recipe, where?

[Looks like someone's woken up from his nap.]

newkidonthe blog, check the last boodle, near the bottom. It sounds like it will be divine...

Let's hear it for Permalinks:

http://blogs.washingtonpost.com/achenblog/2005/12/mos_achenfaq.html#c12281761

Thanks, Reader. Wow. Hal is GOOD.

newkid, Linda posted it at 11:42 a.m. Dec. 22 on the Mo's Achenfaq kit.

By the way, Joel just posted a new kit about 10 minutes ago.

Hubby has slept in very late this morning and has now awakened, so this will be brief.

Tumbleweeds in D.C.? Could have fooled me, Mudge. I remember the days at South Lake Tahoe, when it used to be said that after Labor Day, a person could shoot a cannon down Highway 50 along the lakeshore and not hit anyone. I fear those days are long gone. But in fall, when the kids returned to school, and the aspens on the highest summits in a valley south of the Lake erupted in their colorful brilliance...well (maybe it was mo's mention of the cherry blossom festival in D.C.).

Yesterday was that kind of day here--74 degrees and a clear sky of the most unflawed, brilliant turquoise. We are in the tail end of our fall here. This year, autumn leaves have been their most showy in a decade or more. How could I have stayed with the Boodle yesterday when the day called for me to be outside, when the peak of pleasure was having the sun's warmth penetrate my neck, shoulders and back? (No, I wasn't sunbathing, but raking leaves.)

Since the pancake recipe resides in my head, after having made it for years, I triple-and quadruple checked the recipe I gave you all yesterday on the mo Achenfaq Kit (this guidepost is for newkidontheblog).

This morning, after I rose, I double-checked my two or three most favorite recipe books as well as my dusty, ancient recipe file to see if I could find a card for my pancake recipe and I can't--and my tattoo with the ingredients listed has now faded from my forearm. So I no longer remember how I came by the recipe for the pancakes that make men groan with pleasure.

However, there will be no moans or groans of taste-bud delight if the pancakes in any way, shape or form taste like peanuts, or peanut butter, or peanutty. I double-checked the oil in my refrig this morning to see that it is Hain oil, not Hain's (as I mentioned yesterday). I think I arose in sheer terror this morning thinking that Boodlers would be trying it out on family over the holidays--inlaws, outlaws, those above the law--without experimenting with the recipe a little themselves first.

The recipe as I gave it to you feeds two with a good stack of cakes, or possibly three in a more moderate portion-size breakfast. Other than the final warning about using Hain oil and the fact that the recipe should produce light, fluffy, mouth-watering cakes (with zero peanut aftertaste), that's it from me. Enjoy! Bon appetite!

Curmudgeon,

I thought tumbleweeds blew across the road.

Ah the effluvium of those trying to rectify their earlier attempts at wakeful reproachfulness....coloring inside the lines of their perceived noingness....he he heeeeeeeeeee....ha ha

ps. takes one to know one....who who...ho

fear the bob for he shall freee you

right left howabout direct perception of shallowness

Regarding impeachment on these grounds the increasingly senile Krauthammer sez: "And only the most brazen and reckless partisan could pretend it is anything approaching a high crime and misdemeanor."

Lying to Congress about a blow job is a high crime? The next time CK talks about "brazen and reckless partisans" someone needs to give him a mirror.

Hot Me, you are absolutely correct. Krauthammer never misses a beat in his zeal to give Bush & company a free pass on everything from the disastrous Iraq War to the revelation that spying on ordinary Americans is routinely carried out in the name of national security.

No question about it, Krauthammer is a clever rhetorician and a defender of all things Republican. He rationalized Bush's torture of enemy combatants recently claiming that "in both the situation of imminent danger ("ticking bomb scenario"), and in the case of a high-level terrorist deeply involved in the planning of future attacks, the moral calculus not only allows, but mandates the use of torture, if it is believed that torture can procure life saving information."

Of course, that "belief" could be flawed and result in the torture or death of innocents, but to Krauthammer, that's the price he's all too willing to pay.

According to his biography Krauthammer is a paraplegic, yet because Bush opposes stem cell research (except for the existing lines he described several years ago which since then were found to be contaminated) Krauthammer opposes it too.

When faced with the choice of saving and curing literally millions of people with disabilities and life-threatening diseases it seems that the Republican "moral values" hews more to the Religious Right's dogma than it does for the promise of improvement and cures for society's afflicted.

Surely, some could legitimately ask, when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, cleansed lepers, cast out devils or restored sight to a blind man could he have practiced some sort of gene-altering technique unbeknownst to others? Maybe it just took another 2,000 years to rediscover this healing power.

Most assuredly, what does he think a war is? Why, in this case a free pass to use exective orders to get private agendas accomplished....cronyism at it's best...not to impugn Hume.

Hey, if you can't use your stature as president to swing some deals....ala Cunningham, Delay, Cheyney....what the heck good is being president? That Georgie he's doin a heckuva job!!! He's leading a magic life, he can't fail even when he does.....we and George Sr. won't let him....and after all he's ours.

Using patriotism as the majick key, I'm the "War President," it's like saying, "Mom needs it," who's going to argue...even if unlike Ike he's never actually done combat time. Heck that would sink anyone elst, he's teflon. Just appeal to emotion, sort of like "gay-marriage" only the reverse if you're a cracker or threatened sexually...but if you squint you can see it.

The amerikan public need to take a couple of gingko's and try to look at things, well rationally....Know it's lot to ask but hey, try this one....cause and effect, history, footprints, news from other countries, former joint chiefs of staff exposes....and so on.

Who cares? Anyone who wants to own the rights....try your favorite Antichist-ian power over church leader...._______________fillinthe blank. As long as there are no druidic, native american, or balinese figures related to it.

Yes, the whole thing is disturbing. Even more than the "policy" may be the results. Few seem to know or recall that when he was Defense Secretary, Mr. Cheney cut the budget thereby nixing funds for adding experienced linguists at the NSA. Who's listening in now, Brownie and Kerik? One suggestion would be put in charge Pres. Bush's top troubleshooter, Karen Hughes.

Those denigrating Mr. Krauthammer should be advised he may come after you.

I concur with Mr. Kennedy. One shouldn't put Mr. Krauthammer into a "No more Mr. Nice Guy" position.

I wrote to monsuier crautn'hammer kid, und said: why worry with impeachment, have bushwa/him arrested for fraud and save us all sum money.........he's not a politician he's a business man cutting deals for his friends......hey need a swamp moved? Hey need some timberland declared open for cutting.....want to own some BLM estate to the sum of 60,000 acres at cost?

What every monster hates is having the lights turned on....I suggest you do that....impugne his "honor" wist der H'onest-tea....help to heal his tortured contenance.....set free the butterflies of his holinest......bite him.

the Rothchilldes and Ken'nedy clan....bu cha maka guuud pint.

A laugh a minute! Enjoyed every minute of it.Very Interesting!!! Keep it coming til the end.TS

A laugh a minute! Enjoyed every minute of it.Very Interesting!!! Keep it coming til the end.TS

Truth is hard when you have to work through massive projection that is occuring with the disinformation engine churning out illusions.

They actually exist as a "framing" quality.

Indeed, I've been warning for the past several years that this White House administration has been following a plan called Project for the New American Century, (http://www.newamericancentury.org/).

This Master Plan of PNAC has been a road map for the White House yet most Americans are little informed of it.

Now, finally, with all the mounting evidence it is much easier to see the grand purpose to which the White House has been sweeping into action--they're right and everyone else who's not a member, is the enemy.

As Adam Curtis points out in his BBC documentary, "The Power of Nightmares: The Rise of the Politics of Fear", these neo-cons, and others too, have been using fear to push forward their dream to control the world through the ideology of this New American Century manifesto to take over the world.

This is not the 21st Century I imagined we would have. I thought we would be a part of the world, not above it.

It's time to clean House! Impeachment is long overdue.

Go to the website of Congressman John Conyers, Jr., (http://www.house.gov/conyers/)

Finally, this is not about them. It's about us and future generations. Yes?

Here again are the links:

http://www.newamericancentury.org/

http://www.house.gov/conyers/index.htm

that the masters always care about us....they'll think of us in retirement....yessah mastah....thinkee kindly....

crabs in a bucket:

a hawaiian friend once told the tale of crabs in a bucket. she said that you could put crabs ina bucket and even though they were very near the top, they couldn't get out because everytime one got up to the edge another one would pull him down and stand on top of him/her.

we as americans need to lose the us vs them strategy....

move from debate to dialogue and kick some "I don't care about you, because you're not of my class ass." affluent, redneck, minority, NA, mafia

I don't care, but if I ask you for the truth....hey I want it.