Ethics

Billmon spent the afternoon demonstrating what has become journalistic ethics, very effectively of course. Read, giggle and become a bit outraged.

Cop out

Time Magazine is going to reveal the name of the source so their reporter won't go to jail.
Either something is a principle or it isn't; obviously protecting sources isn't when push comes to shove for Time/Warner. I guess most folk didn't grow up watching people live their principles. I did, and this annoys the daylights out of me. I could just spit, and I am glad I don't even have a subscription to cancel.

A post

A real post! I know I have been lax, but then there are a hundreds of other blogs to read out there and they have all been saying it very well of late so there really has been no need to add my voice to cacophony of outrage. Yet, today I have something to say. I have waited this week, along with most of the blogosphere, to see if Mr. Chief Justice Rehnquist would announce his retirement; I don't think it is coming. I suspect that the Chief Justice has decided that he can sit through another term, or allow the American Public to participate in the spectacle of a funeral for a sitting Chief Justice. I know that is a bit morbid, so be it. He is an old man, who is I doubt retiring. Why? The reasons are his alone and maybe one day his memoirs will tell us the whys and wherefores. I personally hope to find out that for the Chief Justice and for Ms. Justice O'Connor, as well, that they have chosen not to retire during the Bush years, so far, out of some sense of shame and fear of what that retirement might bring.

I haven't had a great deal to say of late...but go play at MIT!

Sleeping kitten... 

Wimbledon blogging

Tim exits early! Andy Murray, a young Scottsman(kinda sorta an Englishman but not really if you ask the Irish)survives to carry on the hope of an entire country on his shoulders, and if he continues to do well then I would guess the English will claim him whole heartedly. Rafael Nadal was upset as well, sorry folks don't have a clue as to who the number 4 seed is(umm American politics have been a bit of an obsession of late).

In the women's game which is really where the American's have some talent under the age of 35 these days, the Williams sisters continue to win and Maria Sharapova won easily as well. Sharapova is the lastest in lovely eastern european blonds to play tennis, this one living up to the hype. She currently is playing with gold plate on her swoshes, Nike swoshes that is.

Wimbledon blogging

Well today on the grass, Greg Rusedski lost in 4 sets, Lindsey Davenport survived the graveyard of Champions and Roger Federer won his match in a straight set sleeper. A sleeper is about how Wimbledon feels to me so far this year, but then I haven't been able to watch a minute of tennis. It just isn't as exciting reading about these matches as it was to watch them when HBO carried Wimbledon. So I had to pay all year for HBO to watch 2 weeks of tennis. I cancelled HBO when they canned Wimbledon; I also had to tape hours of tennis and then watch it after work. It was worth it, I really do like to watch tennis and to watch it played well on grass is to watch an amazing feat. Tennis has changed a great deal since I first "fell" for the sport discovered I was best suited for watching.

Trials are a trial

I am punny and tired. It is a busy week in the courthouse; crime is not flourishing out West because the criminals are in court ALOT. We have had some real success this week though and for that I am grateful to a jury (yes I remember a few months back hating a jury). I do see the world keeps turning and news keeps happening but for me this week it was trials and tennis. I do so love tennis.

Wimbledon blogging

The Williams sisters won their first round matches, no real surprise there. Andy Roddick waltzed through as well, James Blake (oh but he would play better so I could drool longer)lost in the first round, and Tim Henman barely squeezed through the first round in a 5 set nail bitter.

I still get to root for Tim! Sorry James if you had lasted longer than 4 sets I would have rooted for your sexy American bald head!

Tomorrow remember to wish on a star for Lindsey Davenport and Great Britian's Greg Rusedski. The Aussies have a dog in this hunt too, some cute fellow named Hewitt. He is pretty talented too.

Any questions? Any favorites?

Rules

Liberals as a rule are bad at rules. Admit it we take pride in knowing when to break rules, which rules should be broken and that sometimes rules are bad things. But via OWL and her kitties I found a list of rules that I actually kinda like over at An Angry Old Broad. They could almost be followed. Please note rules are different than laws, because it all depends on the meaning of the word is. ;)

Grandparents

My children have marvelous grandparents. Pasquin and my mother are amazing, wonderful people who have been around the girls since they were born. The H's parents live in Houston and out of state. They too are very nice people. H's dad and step-mom spoil the girls something awful, in part I suspect because they don't get to see them often. They have asked for the girls every summer; this summer I relented and sent the oldest off for a visit, a long visit. I reminded her to behave. I told her they are Republicans. I told her not to talk about politics. I told her to believe nothing they told her about politics. She has been there less than 24 hours. She calls at lunch very excited Granny is taking her to Wal-Mart! Mommy never takes to there, because we are boycotting Wal-Mart. She can't wait to go to Wal-Mart!

*Sigh* I go to Wal-Mart when I have no other choice, like when I am visiting Pasquin and the kids need something. I just don't take them with me.

A quick post before the end of the day

Over at Dohiyi Mir NTodd is talking about why Americans don't go to the movies as we once did. I posted my thoughts as to why I think we don't in the comments: money. This brings me to my post. The other night we watched 30 days on Minimum Wage on the FX network. It is an hour long documentary, made by the film maker who made Supersize Me. He is producing and hosting a weekly series called 30 days. In the first one though he is the guinea pig again, and he lives for 30 days on a minimum wage job along with his girlfriend. If you can find it in a rerun, watch it. See how expensive it is to be poor. Just amazing, and then sit back and if you were ever poor remember it, tell your kids about it. I did, it was pretty powerful for my almost 12 year old who finally "got" poverty for about 30 minutes.

Natural companions. 

Hey Pasquin!

Don't think about full-time retirement just yet young man! No mother isn't trading in her gas guzzler for the deluxe edition, at least that I know of. But it seems you are living well long enough to put in a full 8 hours.

Floor is all your's, you spring chicken you!

Andre say it ain't so!

Agassi pulls out of Wimbledon. Pretty soon I am going to have to find someone young to enjoy watching, the agony. First John leaves me, then Jimmy, then, and I cried about this one, Boris (and don't think I will ever forgive you Pete), and pretty soon Andre too will leave. I will have to start watching Andy or some kid from Australia; there is a talented kid from there these days right?

No wait I can still root for Tim this year, thank goodness he is relatively old, and a Brit too!

My pro-lynching senators!

Last night there was a vote in the senate to condemn the lynching of blacks in the south, yep in 2005. 78 Senators co sponsored the bill along with Senator Mary Landrieu from LA, check the list you won't find Senator Hutchinson or Senator Cornyn as sponsors. What a couple of tools.

Kay Bailey intends to run for Governor, just what Texas needs a pro-lynching Governor. Pay attention democrats.

The obligatory Michael Jackson post

My entire office came to a standstill to watch the verdicts, the hidden TV came out and there we all stood. Playing will the jury or won't the jury? We were all pretty sure the jury wouldn't, except for maybe the misdemeanor alcohol charges. See what an office full of prosecutors, cops and VWCs knows. Tomorrow I will be busy with victim's trying to assure them that not all juries behave the way California juries do. There is something to be said for 3 day trials, where jurors aren't overwhelmed with too many side issues.

The Court

So when will the Court finally just tell Texas to go back to the drawing board? Supremes Overturn Yet another Texas Death Penalty Case.

This time it was because the prosecution stacked the jury with whites, when there was a black defendant. They were able to show evidence that prospective black jurors were questioned more harshly regarding their feelings toward the death penalty, and that the prosecution shuffled the jury pool twice in ordered to get more whites in the prospective pool.

The usual suspects dissented in a 6-3 decision.

Bits of Truth More Questions

Digby asks why we invaded Iraq?

For those of us who feel vindicated by the Downing Street Memo, and there are some of us who do. I remember saying prior to the war there weren't any WMD, and we were being lied to. Stating that we wouldn't find any WMD. Because it just didn't make sense to me that we would find them there; too much evidence pointed to the contrary. So now the question really does become why? We know from Paul O'Neill that the desire to invade Iraq was there from the start of this administration. But why?

Publius has done it again!

Job A must read!

Frank Rich

Why did the press covered Deep Throat the way they did without looking at Watergate? When it turns out most of Americans don't really understand what Watergate was really about. Most Americans believe it really was something... "all politicians do and Nixon just got caught and a 3rd rate burglary" and our press corps left these Americans blissfully in the dark. Why? Read the ever eloquent Rich....

Not without reason. Had the scandal been vividly resuscitated as the long national nightmare it actually was, it would dampen all the Felt fun by casting harsh light on our own present nightmare. "The fundamental right of Americans, through our free press, to penetrate and criticize the workings of our government is under attack as never before" was how the former Nixon speech writer William Safire put it on this page almost nine months ago. The current administration, a second-term imperial presidency that outstrips Nixon's in hubris by the day, leads the attack, trying to intimidate and snuff out any Woodwards or Bernsteins that might challenge it, any media proprietor like Katharine Graham or editor like Ben Bradlee who might support them and any anonymous source like Deep Throat who might enable them to find what Carl Bernstein calls "the best obtainable version of the truth."

Here I am! Take my picture.  

That is one big fish.  

Someone tell me why we don't just quit?

As I posted the other day maybe we get the government we deserve. 51% of us voted for this, our press chooses not to cover the Downing Street Memo honestly, and they give the administration hacks more than adequate time to blow smoke regarding the nature of the memo, without calling them on their blatant and obvious lies. In addition, Tex Sensenbrenner calls a halt to hearings on the Patriot Act and there isn't an uproar, there isn't a peep. If there is a Martin Luther King of this generation he is hiding behind a keyboard blogging, not calling us to our feet. Money is wonderful and giving money to our candidates is great, but look at what is going on in Washington today and what are we doing? We are sitting around in our living rooms, studies, dining rooms and elsewhere blogging our hearts out calling for hearings and investigations into the Downing Street Memo. So they can shut down the hearings and turn off the microphones and the modern media will continue to cover the latest missing person and the latest verdict and ignore the uncomfortable truth of Washington, because Chris Matthews wants Condi Rice on his Hard8all anniversary special. No one cares as long as they continue to get their paychecks and their children are not being drafted. As long as this war is against those who do not look like them and do not worship like them and does not affect their daily lives who gives a fuck if the government lied to get us there? It was for the better good. Until it is not for the better good and that isn't until it directly affects them. As for us? We will continue to speak into our echo chamber until our MLK leaves his keyboard, and we hear his voice, and he or she calls us to leave the comfort of homes to take to our feet. Because in the end do any of you really think that the folk in Washington, who ignored the law give a shit about what we do on our blogs? Do you think the press who ignore the truth will listen to our words? It will take our feet. Otherwise we will continue to get the government we deserve.

In Defense of Daily Kos

So I wandered over to Daily Kos, I admit it I was looking for something to blog about, not much has caught my attention of late. I know the Medical Marijuana case should have had me blogging away, but it didn't surprise me, no not even Mr. Justice Scalia. Anyway over at the Daily Kos it seems there has been a mass defection of the female diarists, because of an ad. The ad is sexist, but isn't anything worse than what you would see for a wet T-Shirt contest. First things first, I am from Texas where we are decades behind the rest of the world when it comes to darlins', sweethearts, and honeys BUT you have to pay the bills, and Kos has to pay the bills. We as liberal democrats claim to support the free-market and free speech this will include offensive speech and offensive sexist ads. If you don't like it, don't click through, and don’t watch the show. Treat it the same way we say conservatives should treat television shows they find offensive. What is supremely foolish is to walk away from a highly effective gathering place where democrats exchanges ideas because your sensibilities are offended. We should be beyond that. I am a woman. I am paid less than men. I am called honey by so many West Texas attorneys I have quit counting. None of that matters, what matters is that I do my job well and effectively serve my victims. What should matter in the blogosphere is that we effectively exchange ideas not get upset over a silly little ad that shows too much T & A, for a show that in the end most likely won't be on the air in 2008.

One happy cat loving 4 year old, yes she is being gentle I promise. 

She can hide behind Cookie 

Presenting Lola...yes she is small enough to fit in my coffee cup. 

Smoking

Oh yes I mentioned Smoking in the post below. I did quit smoking, a few months back but it wasn't because of a medication. It was because of my surgery and the complications that smoking could cause to my recovery. The costs of smoking were to high to pay at that point in my life and at this point I just figure I have managed to quit, so I better not start again. This is what I tell myself everytime I want a ciggerette(about 4 times a day now).

Conflicting loyalties

Okay so how does the daughter of a preacher and an agnostic English professor deal with threat to urinate on the Bible if one does not link to them, by deciding there are some great stories in that Book and they should not suffer irritation or urination.

Lola

Will be moving in tomorrow. She is 5 weeks old and a the rescued daughter of a feral cat. She has been bottle fed, and is now on soft kitten food. She is also litter trained. She is a grey tabby. Em will be so excited. We will post a picture. Pasquin and lil sis no lectures and don't tell Mom. I can't help myself, the zoo needed a feline.

Playing with your brain

A New Hope for Addicts in Newsweek discusses yet another use for the drug more commonly known as Topamax. In this case it is used to help alcoholics quit drinking. Topamax is an anti-seizure medication that has been approved for use in treating headaches as well as seizures. I have taken Topamax since August of last year for daily headaches; it gave me back my quality of life. It is expensive, one month's worth costs more than the rent on my first Apartment; thank goodness for health insurance. It has major side effects, some of which go away and some of which don't. At first I walked into walls, I couldn't think and I felt drugged. Those side effects went away, others have not. I can't spell anymore. I forget words and my grammar has suffered. I have to monitor what other medications I take because of this drug. I can't just go off of Topamax because I could have seizures. I have never in my life had a seizure disorder, but I may have given myself one, for the rest of my life, by taking this medication. In my case it was worth it because my headaches had become debilitating. I would work and go to bed and that was all I was able to manage in a day. I am grateful to have this medicine. But I would not take it to quit smoking, and I smoked while taking it, nor would I take it to quit drinking. Messing with your brain's wiring is a serious matter, my wiring is already off a bit hence the headaches, and others would say my obsession with Politics. I have to wonder about the wisdom taking a medication like Topamax, to cure an addiction, like smoking or alcoholism, which I have my doubts about considering I smoked for 8 months while taking it.

The 10 most harmful books

Human Events asked some esteemed conservatives for the 10 most harmful books of the 19th and 20th Century, I checked out the list. I was a bit sad, I only have 4 of the top ten books and 3 books receiving honorable mention on my bookshelves. I don't think there could be a liberal list because all knowledge is a good thing to have, even if you don't agree with it; it is always wise to know what and how those you don't agree with are thinking.

Light blogging of late

Some of you know my brother in law lives with me, and he has discovered internet poker. It doesn't matter how many times I have told him don't download stuff on the computers from the internets,he doesn't listen. He really thinks he won't hurt anything. Currently, all my computers(3)are infected with popups from hell, because of his poker download, I fear we are going to have to wipe our machines and start from scratch, this is the 2nd time I will have had to do this because of downloads, one was a screensaver. Anyhow, that is the reason for the light blogging of late I am living in the land of popups, log on to the internets and have screen full of popups within 2 minutes; it makes it very difficult to blog.

Jonathan Alter

On If Watergate Happened Now so sad, so biting, so true. I read this and then sat back realized it becomes a question of what do we have to change first and how? Congress or the Press and can Congress change without changing the Press first. A free press is a marvelous and wonderful thing until it isn't about reporting the news, until it is about manipulating the people. For all the moaning and groaning about the liberal media, objectivity is not liberalism, and pronouncement that something like torture is wrong is not liberalism. It is just not what conservatives are comfortable with because it allows individuals the ablitity, nay it requires them to make decisions with just facts, and determine right and wrong one their own or accept a truth we would declare about any other government. Then I went and took a shot of Whiskey and wondered if we just really do get the government we deserve and sat down to await Armageddon.

Pleads guilty?

Okay now we know for certain they both have mental problems, and bad legal advice too. Runaway Bride is certifiable and deserved a better lawyer. I am sorry but there were real jurisdictional issues here. She reported the "kidnapping" in New Mexico, not Georgia and New Mexico decided not to pursue charges. The charges in Georgia had to have been done by the thinnest of jurisdictional threads, and with an aggressive prosecutor at the helm. What a sham.

Watergate

I am a child of Watergate; literally a child. I did not come of age during the Watergate era. I sat at the dinner table as my parents bemoaned the Nixon administration. I was confused by much and understood only two overwhelming and underlying principles. Something very bad, had happened and the President had something to do with it, something monumental because he resigned. I remember not the speech, but Nixon standing by the helicopter about to leave the White House lawn for the last time. I was not more than 5 or 6 years old. See I told you I was a child of Watergate.

Somehow knowing Deep Throat is W. Mark Felt is a let down. I think I would have been let down by anyone though. So much of it was the mystery and knowing we would only know on the death of a patriot. He would have been lauded, possibly by all, as a patriot, as someone who stood up for the office of the President. People have a harder time speaking ill of the dead. Instead now we have to hear Pat Buchannan and G.Gordon, I am a convicted Felon, Liddy besmirch him. I could not bring myself to watch the coverage on any of the channels last night because of men like the above.

What saddens me more is knowing that men like Buchannan and Liddy, some may say even worse, hold the reigns of power, and have committed far more grievous sins than Nixon. Except the sin we are now told is in the cover up not the lie and these men cover up nothing when they lie. They just change the lie and blissfully go along lying. The Emperor has No Clothes and he doesn't give a damn. Who knew Watergate would become a childhood memory of the Good Ole Days in American Governance.