February 21, 2008 11:00 AM
Mike's Blog Roundup
Discourse.net: Someone - the Secret Service? - ordered that security be dropped at an Obama rally Wednesday....in Dallas. Please stop the flashbacks...
Calculated Risk: Not since the Depression has a larger share of Americans owed more on their homes than they are worth.
National Journal On Air: Howard Dean on John McCain and the Republican "culture of corruption."
Pressing Issues: Even a blind pig can stumble on an acorn...
Consortiumblog: When the terrorists were 'our guys'
Daily Kos: Damn right I'm a Liberal!
My husband told me that one of the cable news channels was talking about newly discovered papers having to do with the JFK assassination yesterday.
Now the Obama security thing...
Hmmmm..... ;)
Reports: An officer escorting Clinton's motorcade in Texas has died after crashing her motorcycle
Get the hell out of Dallas!
Maybe Obama's people should be looking after Clinton's?
A Very Interesting Interview with Gore Vidal about the 2008 Elections
I hope someone behind the curtain isn't planning a Bobbie Kennedy.
Wonderful isn't it how much we can trust Right Wing Government?
"The Secret Service did not return a call from the Star-Telegram seeking comment.
They spoke on condition of anonymity because, they said, the order was made by federal officials who were in charge of security at the event."
Bill O'Reilly Apologizes For Michelle Obama "Lynching" Remark.
Right Bill. Sure you guys apologize.
Uh huh.
Has anyone else been having problems viewing things on C&L or just even viewing the C&L page? I swear this is the buggiest site I've ever had to deal with. I love C&L but it's either been hacked or it seriously needs an architecture change. I've noticed over the last few days that the site crashes Firefox. At least once a month the entire site is unaccessible. And there always seems to be some issue with playing quicktime files from the page. What gives? Is it just bad page design or are these side effects of the increasing popularity of this site?
Never have I seen more vacant houses in my neighborhood and I've lived here a long time. People seem to just be abandoning their over priced homes. Some are for sale. Some are for rent, and some are just empty with no signs or anything. The city has had to contract a lawn company to mow these yards so the weeds and grass don't grow up too much. It's so sad because I'm guessing there is a sad story to go with each house that used to be a home.
sharkcellar @ 8:
Yes the past couple days my Firefox has been freezing and crashing here constantly.
L.A. Confidential @ 10:
I'm using Mozilla and I'm having no problems right now.
L.A. Confidential @ 7:
We all know how a faux un-apology works: "We're sorry you people can't take a joke. Now shut up."
pissed off patricia @ 11:
Same here. I haven't had any recent problems but from time to time the posting system stops working for me.
pissed off patricia @ 9:
A person prone to high blood pressure might also want to skip the Wall Street Journal story about how "Countrywide Treats bankster to Ski-Resort Trip" next week. Try this quote on for size, then:
"The first items on the agenda for guests arriving Monday evening: Cocktails and ski fittings. Next is dinner at the Spago restaurant, whose menu includes Kobe steak with wasabi potato puree for $105. (For the budget-minded, pan-roasted buffalo filet with Kabocha pumpkin flan is $54.) "
MargeAggedon @ 13:
Everything seems fine now. No crashes.
MargeAggedon @ 13:
I'm not having any problems running it with Firefox.
Oh wow, the colors.
Oh no the walls are f**king!
L.A. Confidential @ 14:
That just should be illegal or something. Talk about rubbing salt in the wound.
Yeah, a lot of people bought homes they really couldn't afford. But even before this disaster, banks were always willing to tell you you qualified for mortgage loans that were larger than in reality you could afford. Not to the degree we saw during this recent housing "boom", but still not realistic if you wanted to eat and do the things most people do.
In other news, Obama only 40 thousand donors away from a million now.
L.A. Confidential @ 10:
Same.
pissed off patricia @ 18:
Countrywide went bankrupt because of their worthless sub prime mortgages and had to be bailed out.
I do not like the sound of this whatsoever...perhaps some volunteers should be rallied to to the checking for weapons...?
I thought blind pigs find truffels and blind squirels find accorns. Unless the mixed up combination was intentional...then its pretty funny.
Verdillac @ 22:
Very very strange. No matter how you look at it someone-some people are seriously trying to screw over peoples heads and psyches in this country.
pissed off patricia @ 9:
In the small rural county where I live the Sheriff's Department has run out of gas money.
And the fiscal year runs through June.
pissed off patricia @ 9:
Sorry to say, I think it will get worse before it gets better.
L.A. Confidential @ 24:
And Drudge is now covering it Front Headline. Which even makes me more suspicious.
Even a blind democrat finds a good cadidate...............
Blue Lensman @ 26:
People are just leaving the keys and taking off.
candidate
Bangkok Bob @ 4:
Interesting in the same way that many of the discussions here at C&L are interesting. I differ on one point though: instead of future generations asking, "where were the voices?" they might well ask, "wasn't anybody listening?"
Hookatoe @ 30:
How bout you. Any skeletons in your closet?
L.A. Confidential @ 10:
So has my IE. Numerous times.
L.A. Confidential @ 32:
Don't worry Hook I'll spare you this time.
ConcernedCanuck @ 33:
Actually the whole Internet pipeline-bandwidth seemed to be screwing up the past couple days. I was thinking what the hell is this? I'm paying for this?
Hookatoe @ 23:
Hook your a real Family Values kind of guy eh?
LOL
pissed off patricia @ 9:
Where I live, the past 10 years, practically everybody including first time home owners (I know, I am in the construction industry) have been building new houses rather than purchasing the ones already on the market. The market is saturated. Bubble had to burst sometime, and I believe this is going to be the year. Everybody can't own a brand new home, with thousands sitting empty. I also know from my neighbourhood, a vast majority of these new home owners/builders, do not have the money for them. Never did. Why someone making 10-15 dollars per hour would think they could afford a 300,000 dollar home is beyond me. Guess we could blame banks and the industry, but the blame I think lies squarely on the shoulders of idiots thinking they can afford what they can't.
L.A. Confidential @ 35:
Mine too. Big Brother is prob hacking in to track down the evil criminals.
ConcernedCanuck @ 37:
The bubble sprung a leak well over a year ago and exploded last August.
It's OVER. Finished. Done. History.
Bangkok Bob @ 4:
Great interview. I recommend that everyone watch it. Vidal is one of my heroes too, and speaking of heroes, Vidal's comments on John McCain were hilarious. He is a hero because he was taken prisoner of war, and what did he do WRONG to get taken prisoner?
Turkey army launches land offensive into Iraq
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/news_turkey_iraq_col
By Paul de Bendern
ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish ground troops crossed into northern Iraq in their hunt for Kurdish PKK rebels, the military said on Friday, describing the start of a campaign one report said could last 15 days.
The White House said the United States had been informed in advance of Turkey's offensive and called on Ankara to limit the operation to "precise targeting" of the PKK rebels who have been using northern Iraq as a base to stage attacks in Turkey.
Iraq's government urged Turkey to respect its sovereignty and avoid any military action which would threaten security and stability.
"We do not expect these operations will expand because they are against the Iraqi and Turkish desire to have good relations," spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh told Reuters in Baghdad.
The European Union repeated its call for Turkey, which is seeking EU membership, to avoid "disproportionate" action.
Turkish television said troops, backed by warplanes and Cobra attack helicopters, had moved 25 km (16 miles) inside Iraq.
Turkish TV said 3,000 to 10,000 soldiers had entered Iraq, but several Iraqi officials and a senior military official with U.S.-led coalition forces in Baghdad tried to play down the operation, saying only a few hundred troops were involved.
"The Turkish Armed Forces, which attach great importance to Iraq's territorial integrity and stability, will return home in the shortest time possible after its goals have been achieved," the General Staff said in a statement posted on its Web site.
The General Staff did not specify the size of the operation, but released photographs of armed troops in white fatigues walking through snowy, mountainous Iraqi terrain.
A senior military source in southeast Turkey told Reuters: "Thousands of troops have crossed the border and thousands more are waiting at the border to join them if necessary."
CNN Turk television, citing unnamed security sources, said the operation would last 15 days.
DISAGREEMENT OVER NUMBERS
Ankara blames the PKK for the deaths of nearly 40,000 people since it began an armed struggle for a Kurdish homeland in southeast Turkey in 1984. Washington and the EU, like Turkey, classify the PKK as a terrorist organization.
Turkey appeared to be seeking to deal the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) a crushing blow before weather conditions improve, which would allow rebels to cross back into Turkish territory.
A PKK spokesman said rebels had clashed with the troops.
"There are severe clashes. Two Turkish soldiers have been killed and eight wounded. There are no PKK casualties," Ahmed Danees, head of foreign relations for the PKK, told Reuters by satellite phone from an undisclosed location in northern Iraq.
It was not possible to independently verify his statement.
Iraq's foreign minister played down the operation.
"There has not been any major incursion or land invasion. ... What is going on is around a few hundred Turkish forces have crossed the border looking for the PKK or their bases," Hoshiyar Zebari told Reuters by telephone.
A senior military officer with U.S.-led coalition forces based in Baghdad made a similar estimate of the number of troops involved. "A few hundred, at most," the source said.
Turkish financial markets weakened slightly on news of the operation.
NATO member Turkey says it has the right under international law to hit PKK rebels who shelter in northern Iraq and have mounted attacks inside Turkey that have killed scores of troops. Turkey says some 3,000 PKK rebels are based in Iraq.
"I sincerely believe that this operation will contribute to Iraq's stability and peace in the region," Turkish President Abdullah Gul said in a statement.
The EU and the United States have in the past raised concerns that a major offensive could destabilize the region, though they have not criticized recent small cross-border raids.
"We understand the concerns of Turkey ... but we think this action is not the best response," EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana told a news conference in Slovenia.
The central Baghdad government, which has little sway over mainly Kurdish northern Iraq, has repeatedly called for a diplomatic solution.
"We urged them (Turkey) to work directly also with the Iraqis, including Kurdish government officials, in determining how best to address the threat of the PKK," White House spokesman Scott Stanzel told reporters.
"I understand that Turkish authorities had notified Iraqi authorities simultaneously (about the operation)," he said.
Turkey launched several major land offensives in the 1990s into northern Iraq against the separatist movement.
"Militarily, even 50,000 troops in the 1990s were not able to destroy the PKK, but psychologically this operation could be quite effective. It has taken the PKK by surprise," said Gareth Jenkins, an Istanbul-based expert on Turkish security issues.
(Additional reporting by Michael Holden and Mariam Karouny in Baghdad, Matt Spetalnick in Washington, Gareth Jones and Selcuk Gokoluk in Ankara; Editing by Mary Gabriel)
L.A. Confidential @ 39:
It's a cycle. Been there, done that. I've been in the industry for over 30 years. It always comes in cycles, although this is the worst I've ever seen. Never in my life have I saw so many young people working at McJobs, leaving home for the first time to move into a brand new house. No way they can afford it, and never could.
Can't Sell Your House? Try Swapping
ABC News
Right, hey I'll swap you my $950,000.00 in debt for yours. Deal?
L.A. Confidential @ 43:
Well, to top off that high mortgage payment, most of these young people also have a brand new vehicle or two in their driveways, so that also helps. One of my friend's kids (20) just bought a new truck (40 grand) and was leaving home. Mom and Dad wouldn't let kid move out until it was into a new house. So Mom and Dad have helped create the credit mess. I remember when it was unheard of for anyone under 25 to own a house. Now the more debt the younger, the better. And still people howl for lower interest rates. That won't solve anything. When interest rates were above 20%, people weren't losing their homes like they are now. Why? Because they didn't have a mortgage 3X what they could realistically afford.
ConcernedCanuck @ 42:
I worked in a notary's office while the whole mortgage thing was on the rise. I couldn't believe the people who were getting huge mortgages or second mortgages or refinancing homes just to pay off credit cards. In spite of being made aware of the full terms they would sign without a pause. The words "Balloon payment" didn't even make them blink. They either didn't understand [and wouldn't admit it] or just didn't care.
I would often look at these folks and wonder how they thought they were going to pay off a huge mortgage if they couldn't afford to live as it was?
My brother and his wife live in an ant farm subdivision of hundreds of over priced mcmansions. Over half of the houses are empty. They're starting to have problems with squatters.
I read not long ago that some banks have halted repossessions because the homes are being looted and stripped once they're empty not to mention there is no one to buy the damn things anyway.
It's a complete mess. But you can be sure some billionaire got a bonus.
MargeAggedon @ 45:
Ya, I know of empty subdivisions around here too. Can't ding it through people's heads. Doesn't matter what a bank says, if you make 40,000/yr, you cannot afford a 300,000 mortgage plus credit card debt, plus a brand new car every 2 years. People have brought it on themselves, and now the gov't will have to do something about it.
www.BradBlog.com has a cool story where Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is speaking out about election fraud in an interview on GoLeft.TV.
Video: RFK Jr. Interviews Election Official/Election Integrity Hero Ion Sancho
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=5725
I've been having problems with C&L and freeze ups too. I guess John Amato's appearance on Keith O's show might have garnered us too much attention and the telecom companies are now linked up to us and bogging us down as the "Homeland Security" agents keep an eye on us??? Who knows. This country has seen worse. And these people have the motivations and authority.
Anyone else noticing that the 800lb gorilla in the room during all of the Republican and Democratic debates is the Israeli Palestinian conflict? There have not been any substantive questions asked of the candidates about the strategies they will use when it comes to one of the most critical issues in the middle east. How many times do we need to hear that it is the lopsided policies of the US always tilted towards Israel no matter what they do or how many Un Resolutions they ignore that has persistently inflamed this conflict.
How long will the MSM allow the candidates to ignore this issue. Mearsheimer and Walt who wrote the Israeli Lobby are right...the media is committed to ignoring this issue and the Presidential candidates are happy to go along.
the Israeli Lobby by Mearsheimer and Walt
http://www.lrb.co.uk/v28/n06/mear01_.html
Tim Russert ask this question on Tueday in Cleveland Ohio. Ask Obama and Clinton how they will deal with with conflict any differently than previous Presidents?
You can send in a question to the debate
http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=83279
That killer satellite being shot down:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flj3SvahA3I
Man, I've read about how ashamed Dallas was over JFK's assassination. So really, WTF?
Hillary closes the debate with Edwards talking points. Plagiarism?
When Hillary tried to pound Obama based on "plagiarrism" and Clinton closed "plagiarizing" Edwards words this was including hypocritical
"CLINTON: Well, I think that if your candidacy is going to be about words, then they should be your own words. That’s, I think, a very simple proposition. (APPLAUSE) And, you know, lifting whole passages from someone else’s speeches is not change you can believe in, it’s change you can Xerox. And I just don’t think…
""OBAMA: Come on."
(CROSSTALK)
CLINTON: No, but, you know, but, Barack, it is. Because, you know, if you look — if you look — if you look at the YouTube of these videos, it does raise questions. Now, there is no doubt that you are a passionate, eloquent speaker, and I applaud you for that. But when you look at what we face in this country, we do need to unite the country, but we have to unite it for a purpose around very specific goals.
Hillary closed the debate with Edwards words (he said this many times during his candidacy.
Whatever happens, we’re going to be fine. You know, we have strong support from our families and our friends. I just hope that we’ll be able to say the same thing about the American people, and that’s what this election should be about. (APPLAUSE)
the debate transcript
http://polstate.com/?p=5254
How many times did we hear Edwards say this during his run for President? Many Many times
"But I want to say this to everyone: with Elizabeth, with my family, with my friends, with all of you and all of your support, this son of a millworker's gonna be just fine. Our job now is to make certain that America will be fine."
Edwards closing statements in New Orleans
http://www.johnedwards.com/
VietVet8666 @ 20:
I haven't had any issues while running Firefox, except that I've always had to select "download" to play videos. It won't actually download them, but opens them in another window. I'm running Mac, not PC: I don't know if that makes a difference in this case.
Kathleen @ 49:
Israel is a military outpost of the Anglo-American Empire, always has been, from the moment it was promised (just before World War One).
Expecting a debate on the Anglo-American-Israeli genocide of the Palestinians is kind of like expecting the Candidates to discuss returning stolen land to the Native Americans.
Ain't gonna happen.
MountainMan23 @ 54:
I keep pushing and will continue to do so
Daily Kos- Liberals believe in taking other peoples money and giving it to the poor and un-educated, because there un-educated and poor
Anothe(R) indictment!
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/GOP_Congressman_indicted_for_extortion_mon...
CEOs are poor and uneducated?
chris @ 56:
Try this: Liberals believe in taking other people's money and giving it to the poor and uneducated, because they're uneducated and poor.
Hillary Clinton's new campaign song?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IO5qWlGhfmQ
I think Obama is getting a lot of votes from the anti-Celine Dion crowd.
chris @ 56:
After reading your comments and seeing how poorly you spell, I totally understand your bitterness. You didn't get a piece of that pie, did you, sweetie?
miss_kitty @ 61:
Maybe he's one of W's children left behind.
Dr. Acula @ 62:
georgie appleseed?
I was wrong, turns out blind squirrels find themselves in Huckabee's popcorn popper.
"Discourse.net: Someone - the Secret Service? - ordered that security be dropped at an Obama rally Wednesday….in Dallas. Please stop the flashbacks…"
Did ANYONE watch Keith Olbermann's Countdown last night? He spent 17 minutes on the fearmongering surrounding significant Democrat Events or when events were exposing the republicans incompetence.
This is clearly another Karl Rovian style distraction, taking away from the clear and present impending danger of Obama defeating Clinton in Texas and Ohio.
Obama was never in any real danger, just the MSM bushian spin to distract from reality, when it is CONvenient for them.
Watch it here
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/23284917#23284917
Here's an interesting example of how languages evolve:
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm3689716736/tt0041405
this is long over due but if sharkcellar (comment #8) stops back in, What version of firefox are u using & on what OS? there are known bugs w/the interplay of firefox & some flash plug-ins depending on the build & the source of firefox. i've been dealing w/these issues running Ubuntu for awhile now. C&L has had some tech issues but they seem 2 have cleaned them up some time ago.
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