Astroworld

For anyone in the southern California area...

http://www.cftnm.ucsb.edu/events/crispenMiller.html

Lecture:
Loser Take All: Election Fraud and the Subversion of Democracy
Tuesday, January 15th
4-6pm McCune Conference Room
UCSB Humanities and Social Sciences Building Room 6020

Nevada SC has just ruled in favor of NBC, Kucinich may not take part in the debate. :-(

Hi PatC! Doesn't that just stink to high heaven!

I'm here. Ready to go!

Without Kucinich there is NO debate, he

has more ideas that all three

together.Department of Peace for example

Another VOC Moon and the Sun inconjuncts Mars (the tightest aspect in the Debate chart) it looks like a tense but polite evening, even a bit boring unless one is attuned to the undercurrents and there are plenty. Like PatC just posted Dennis Kucinich did not get into the debate and NBC won their appeal. Too bad, it is now officially a money/media campaign. I would expect John Edwards is close behind being shoved out of the club the media and corporations have drawn up for us, Hillary and Obama will be our candidates of their choice.

Going into it the 3 are on equal footing.
3 different Repugs have come out first in 3 different primaries.. seems as if we can do that too.

So Brian Williams is bringing up the race mess. These guys are something else.

Hillary's up - We've had our kumbaya moment (my phrase). Blowing sunshine....

I would love to see John Edwards take this one, keep it up in the air.

I had a vry heated discussion with an Obama campaigner, who called me for money. ( Kerry' list!left over from 2004!)
We each taught the other something new!

Good on John Edwards, real life view of segregation.

Mitt Romney is the projected winner of Michigan with John McCain second. Hillary (the only Dem on the ballot) projected to win, but the Delegates will not be seated in the Democratic Party.

With an emphasis on Aquarius in tonights debate puts Obama's Leo and Hillary's Scorpio at a disadvantage with Hillary at the most disadvantage. Edwards has a Jupiter/Mercury opposition tonight, not a great detriment. Obama has a Nodal reversal with the SN on his NN. Edwards will make a good enough showing to stay in the race.

Hillary will attempt to control the conversational flow with the Debate Mercury opposing her Mars and Pluto and Chiron opposing her Pluto, it has the potential of being a help or a hinderance, she does benefit by Uranus being in an exact trine to her Venus, again she could come off cute and coy at sometime this evening. Not in the beginning however.

Good Johnny........"the economy stupid" He's the third underdog!

Edwards not as defensive in the beginning, he didn't need to be because he was not involved in the little race dust up with Hillary and Obama.

Anyone make out what the heckler was saying ?

As a side note, Kucinich was hurt today by the Mercury and Chiron in opposition to his natal Pluto, the same aspect could be a problem for Hillary tonight as well. I don't think he will win the Presidency or even come close to a chance but Kucinich's star is rising.

Edwards absolutely must show how different he is from Obama and Hillary, he has to make his case tonight or make huge strides toward his case.

Man Hillary just can't resist using her stinger.

Ii think the heckler was shouting "Keep race out of this."
( Ill timed)

So far this has been conducted like a tabloid interview. phooey. Tit for tat.

Did you really expect other from GE?
Who excluded Dennis?

And my Farmer friend is going to increase her production of meat, this year because of the cloned animals.

Wish I had sent ina question about cloned meat and Monsanto's program to monopolize seeds. No one has asked where they stand on those very important issues.
We really should focus and lean on those. they are the Dems. corresponding issues to abortion & same sex marriage!

OK I DO like Obama's response on the economy.
Accountability & oversight!!

good on Hillary, tagged Countrywide 110 million parachute.

oh there's the cute coy smile from Hillary and teasing from Edwards good on both of them

That's just what his ( Obama's )intern told me this afternon .
(money source from individuals in corporations)

Can we have them all 3 run the country?

wow, negotiating co sponsoring a bill to hogtie Bush, good on them.

They certainly got John Edwards "economy message" and the message Iowa and NH sent them on the economy, they have all jumped on the bandwagon. Haven't heard anything about the Iraq war, is it over?

Laughter is good. Makes them all very personable, human, like everyman.

I keep catching glimpses of Edwards and he seems the most amused. At least in their zeal to be elected they are shining the spotlight on multinationals

Did you hear about Cate Edwards, and Jill Biden's auto accidents? With in 2 or 3 days of each other..both OK, but both families have lost members to auto accidents, and both are Dems.!

Obama I got control of the Republican controlled congress, slid that one in.

eeoowww Yucca Mtn question!

Yes, when My husband was called up to active duty with the Nat.Guard during the Cuban Missetle crisis, and I went to Army housing in Ft Stewart GA., there was free child care on the base 1963!

Green credentials.... John Edwards anti nuclear power.

Hillary, bang you voted for it, John Edwards best attorney defense, forged docs.

Climate change brought up by Obama, entrepeneur ship for clean technology. Recognizes global warming.

Hillary energy bill tilted to big oil. Gut Cheney's friends pockets.

Edwards had me on "I'm against Nuclear Power." I am against it too and how come we never heard about forged documents concerning nuclear power and Yucca Mountain? I am in my office with the TV in the other room, I can hear but not see them right now and Hillary sounds very angry at this point in the discussion of nuclear energy and the energy policy.

With Mars sitting on Hill's Uranus, I've been expecting some surprises from her.

haha there goes the NRA vote.

Hillary... fear factor.

And surprise she did Morgana, however I wonder if it will last with Mars retrograde and it does go back in a few weeks providing more surprises? But Obama seemed the more thoughtful.

QOP, I was thinking the same thing, would that all three of them ran it.

Had to do some chauffeuring tonight so I had to listen to it on CSpan radio. It was impressive. I'm still a big Edwards fan. To me he is the real deal.

Using the 2:18 am time for Hillary and relocating it to 4 different locations and 5 different events gives direct hits in every case. In addition I have looked at every event using progressed lunar returns (they are more time sensitive than transits) and scored appropriate exact hits every time as well but I shall just refer to the transits to the natal charts here. You'll have to do the charts for yourselves if you want to see the details.

May 31, 1969, Wellesly, MA, Commencement address, transit Jupiter square MC, Jupiter and Uranus straddle the Asc.

Nov 3, 1973, Fayetteville, AR, Learned she had failed the D.C. Bar Exam, Neptune opposite MC.

Oct 11, 1975, Fayetteville, AR, Married, transit Venus square MC.

Feb 27, 1980, Little Rock, AR, Chelsea born, transit Jupiter square MC.

Nov 7, 2000, Chappaqua, NY, Elected to the U.S. Senate, transit Moon conjunct Dsc, transit Venus opposite MC.

One detail: All aspects were less than 2 degrees from being exact.

Because of the following transits to Al Gore's chart I haven't given up hope that Hillary and Obama may divide delegates so evenly that he may be drafted. Jupiter also transits his Dsc for birth place chart on January 20, 2009.

I wonder if transits to his relocated angles for Denver could work for Gore like they seem to have worked for Hillary in her relocated natal for various events. He will have transit Uranus conjunct MC, transit Jupiter conjunct Dsc, with transit Moon conjunct Asc on the second day of the convention.

I caved after my last post at 3:21 AM,
So who won?

Pat, Romney and Clinton.

........

How the Pentagon planted a false story
By Gareth Porter

WASHINGTON - Senior Pentagon officials, evidently reflecting a broader administration policy decision, used an off-the-record Pentagon briefing to turn the January 6 US-Iranian incident in the Strait of Hormuz into a sensational story demonstrating Iran's military aggressiveness, a reconstruction of the events following the incident shows.

***

Then the navy disseminated a short video into which was spliced the audio of a phone call warning that US warships would "explode" in "a few seconds". Although it was ostensibly a navy production, Inter Press Service (IPS) has learned that the ultimate decision on its content was made by top officials of the Defense Department.

***

A separate audio recording of that voice, which came across the VHS channel open to anyone with access to it, was spliced into a video on which the voice apparently could not be heard. That was a political decision, and Lieutenant Colonel Mark Ballesteros of the Pentagon's Public Affairs Office told IPS the decision on what to include in the video was "a collaborative effort of leadership here, the Central Command and navy leadership in the field".

"Leadership here", of course, refers to the secretary of defense and other top policymakers at the department. An official in the US Navy Office of Information in Washington, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the issue, said that decision was made in the office of the secretary of defense.

Read more: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/JA17Ak03.html

Well, folks i missed it. Some emergency nursing with two very sick doggies who got into something nasty. So, i was pretty exhausted, fell into bed early.

It appears, from all i've been reading this morning, that an "edge" has not been established except by the media for exempting and continuing to marginalize Kucinich. But, he's not one to go down without a fight. I did see that Cafferty on CNN asked on his blog if banning Kucinich was right. The answers were --almost to a poster -- a resounding NO! It wasn't right.

PatC, there was a segment on Democracy Now about this supposed iranian threat. That we allow these blatant lies to continue unchecked is just mystifying to me. Just where in the heck is all the money going to come from to support ANOTHER war anyway? I have a great deal of respect for those who refuse to pay taxes to fund war activities. It's like repeating a lie. You become complicit by spreading the lie. Dutifully paying our taxes (which are literally stolen right off the top) make us all complicit in the horror taking place throughout the world. It makes me weep.

Karen, we'll get the money for more wars easily--

(1) just print some more dollars (under BushCo, the Treasury Department has stopped issuing their report showing how much they printed) and

(2) just borrow some more from our good friends in Saudi Arabia, China, etc.

I had some bumper stickers printed up: "GOP Fatcats Get the $$$, Our kids get the debt, Our troops get the shaft."

And the people we bomb get the misery. I'm very worried that the Bush Admn will attack Iran before they leave the White House. And does Rumsfeld still have that office in the Pentagon? These people are harder to get rid of than bedbugs!

Barbara

Bob,
Oh how refreshing Al Gore, wouldn't that just be something if he got in, or was drafted at the Democratic Convention. How sweet would that be.

QOP I think it was a draw, they each had some good moments. As hard as Brian Williams and Tim Russert tried to get them into squabbles and mudslinging.

I watched the debate last night on my computer, and I remain an Obama girl....well at my age Obama mamma is more appropriate. I think where he trumps the other two, is that he has a billiant mind, and he is a true visionary (moon in Gemini, semi-sextile Venus in Cancer, trine Jupiter in Aquarius, sexile Merc. in Leo). These aspects also make him popular with the public and among women.

Barbara, that was funny - harder to get rid of bedbugs - yes they are. They don't disappear, just morph into another role.

Let's see how Congress will vote for bombing Iran (if they are given the chance at all). I tell you, imbecile George sure will be leaving a mess on all levels for the next President to clean up, and yes, it seems as though everyone has ben in a Rip Van Winkle induced sleep for most of King George's rein. With Iran, I don't think it will be an all out war, at least not at first. They will just target the nuclear facilities, but I don't think the Iranians are going to take it lying down, so it could well escalate into something bigger. Of course Israel again is beating the drums, as they did with the war in Iraq.

Crystal, I think China and Russia would be more then perturbed with Georgie if he attacked Iran. However hamstringing the Chinese and Russians energy needs might slow their growth down so Georgie might think that is a good thing...stymie the Chinese and Russians, invade Iran and suck up all that oil. The Chinese, Russian and Iranian governments are just going to toe tap and say 'oh that Georgie, there he goes again'...not. Georgie is going to be the cause of a great deal of American suffering.

Morgana, I agree.

I was just listening to Kucinich on Democracy Now (NPR radio). I wish they had publicized the fact that he was going to be on, because more people might have liked to hear him...well maybe it was a last minute thing, and I was lucky to be in my car listening to the radio. This air time was to make up for him not being included in last night's debate, so Amy Goodman played back some of the Q&A's from the debate, and let Kucinich give his own answers. He said the only candidate who mentioned anything about his exclusion, was Obama. I tuned in about 6 mins.late to last night's debate, so I didn't hear what Obama said. Please fill me in. Anyway, he was giving the reasons why NBC/GE sought to exclude him - mainly their business monopolies(which include promoting nuclear power as a source of energy), producing military weapons for the army (Raytheon, a div. of GE), etc. He is suing, but you know Bush has all his cronies positioned in the courts, so I don't know how much luck he'll have. He criticized the answers of all 3 candidates last night, but Edwards came in for the most criticsm - he voted yes on Yucca, but was against it in last night's debate, and he takes money from NY Hedge Funds (Fortress Hedge Fund in particular where he also is invested).
Kucinich said that these hedge funds are invested in the sub-prime mortgages, and that one of their clients, Humana, is in favor of privatizing Medicare. This is just the jist of what he said, but with the way I hunt and peck on my computer keyboard, it will take me all day to type the rest. Perhaps you may be able to read a transcript of it somewhere.

You know Kucinich says everything I want to hear, and voices the same concerns I want to hear addressed. He is a man who has the interests of the common people at heart, and he knows a lot about what is going on. He was the only one in the Senate who voted against the Iraq war, which I did(if my vote could be counted), and the only one who voted against funding the war, and I did that too - my record is right here in a comment in one of these articles. We really need to find a way to get this man front and center, to be heard, and get elected!!! But it looks like a herculean task. He should be VP at the least. Maybe that flying saucer that appeared in Texas yesterday was showing support for him (hahahaha), but seriously, I hope if Obama becomes president, that he will hire him on as his advisor, because this guy knows his onions. My hope is that he gets so much publicity with this lawsuit against NBC, or the courts who reversed the decision to allow him to debate, that the public rallies for him, then he wins a large sum of money which he uses to finance his campaign, and voila, gets back in the race before it is too late, and wins!!!! I like him much better than Gore, or any of the other candidates. NBC was allowing 4 candidates in the debate last night, of whom Richardson was supposed to be one, but since the latter dropped out, Kucinich decided to take his place, and that is when all the trouble started. NBC/GE is afraid of him.

O/T a bit, but thinking about the GOP candidates--Huckabee has said he wants to revise the US Constituion to make it conform to his idea of the Bible. (Which means that he cannot, truthfully, swear the oath of office of the President of the US to "support and defend the Constitution."

Meanwhile Mitt Romney is running for president, and I hope that The Washington Monthly--that great periodical--will reprint an April 2001 article by Stephanie Mencimer entitled "Theocracy in America: What Gentile life in MormonUtah can teach us about church and state."

Oh, how the mighty have fallen!

http://www.democracynow.org/
Breaking the Sound Barrier: Democracy Now! Re-Hosts NBC Las Vegas Debate to Include Kucinich After NBC Wins Appeal to Exclude Him
transcript of the show!
Additionally it is on Link TV this afternon/evening 3 PM P time 4:PM mountain Time, 5PM central T, 6:PM E time,
I'm wondering if Kucinich endorsed Obama with some sort of promise to hold an office in his addministration, if he wins?

Bob, I haven't given up on a draft Gore convention. I don't see Hillary making it to the nomination but I sure could be wrong. Rachel Maddow said last night: "If you want to vote for the Party, vote for Hillary, if you want to vote for Power vote for Edwards and if you want Personality, vote Obama." A combination of all three would be great.

The reason why everyone feels so powerless during King George's reign, is because we are seeing abuse of presidential powers more than at any other time in American history. Bush has all the bases covered by appointing all his cronies to positions of power where the voices of opposition will be nullified. He rams his nominees through when Congress is in recess, and he doesn't need their approval, e.g. John Bolton's U.N. appointment.

Kucinich won his right to debate in the lower courts, but it was soon turned around by the Nevada Supreme Court when the decision was appealed by NBC attorneys. You don't think it was one of Bush's cronies who handed down this decision?

Ladies and gentlemen, here's the story of how a certain Covert Agency helped create the ruling corporate overclass---very informative, and very much reinforces my opinion of "the company"!!!

story here:
http://www.inteldaily.com/?c=173&a=4872

love y'all!
G

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-7230838,00.html

Bush Exempts Navy From Environmental Law

January 16, 2008

(AP) – President Bush exempted the Navy from an environmental law so it can continue using sonar in its anti-submarine warfare training off the California coast – a practice critics say is harmful to whales and other marine mammals.

The White House announced Wednesday that Bush had signed the exemption Tuesday while traveling in the Middle East.

...

World Bank Pledges to Save Trees – Then Helps Cut Down Amazon Forest

http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/011608EB.shtml

The Environmental News Network reports: “The World Bank has emerged as one of the key backers behind an explosion of cattle ranching in the Amazon, which new research has identified as the greatest threat to the survival of the rainforest.”

Bill Clinton exempted the navy from EPA regulations too.......back in 1994!

The World Bank and the IMF are two of the most corrupt institutions in the world.

http://www.gregpalast.com/george-of-arabia-better-kiss-your-abe-goodbye/

George of Arabia:
Better Kiss Your Abe ‘Goodbye’

Crystal, Kucinich filled in all the 'gaps' left blank in the so-called big three dem debate yesterday.
He objected to the use of youth as in National Service agreed upon by ALL three, Hillary in particular said a signup in the NS would net a 4,000/yr educational scholarship. Which is great when one considers school now costs around 18,000/yr for undergrad studies.
Kuch's complaint is that we are becoming an increasingly militarized society.
Kucinich also noted not a word was mentioned about Blackwater by any of them. Anyone who doesn't see this doesn't recall Hitler's youth and are fooling themselves about the present-day Power Playbook. What a foolhardy dangerous idea in times like this!

(shades of u.s. progressed retrograde mars, ruler of the u.s. 4th house of home, progressed now into the 10th house and the arms of saturn, who as we know is famous for eating his own children).
We're relying on the smarts of Uranus to make this sumbitch urp it back up.

This gov't is too dicey to be entrusted with such a program. We know if the repugs steal back the WH in 2012 they will pervert any NS program against anyone fool enough to participate.

PatC, I wish nature herself would make it impossible to harm one more living creature.
Sonar indeed. Bleed from the ears, anyone?
Clinton with his '94 decision overriding compassionate considerate laws to protect whales and dolphins (to name a few) and bush's expected hatred of everything with a face.
Humanity needs a culling and fast.

Gives "wings" ? "fins" to the whale story I am working on! Messagwe from the Goddess!

Good analysis of the Obama-Reagan matter from digby:
http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2008/01/you-sir-are-no-ronald-reagan-by-digby.html

Disgusting!

Good analysis of the Reid sell-out on telecom immunity :
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/?last_story=/opinion/greenwald/2008/01/17/telecoms/

Also disgusting!

patb, and the bears...

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/01/17/endangered_polar_bears/

No bears for oil

Why hasn't the polar bear been granted federal protection? Maybe because the Bush administration plans a last-minute handout of oil leases on its habitat.

shy, now I can distinguish why I don't like Obama. Thanks for that link.

Increases in costs of various items vs our paychecks.

Yr welcome, PatC. Good stuff out there this moanin'.

Pat C, Obama ushers forth the phrase from memory, "Oiling his way across the floor, oozing charm from every pore".

If it's either of those two, I'm writing in Kucinich for the first time in my 40 years of voting. This idealogy has gone over the edge and this one's done participating in pretending any of it has a place in reality.

Where the HELL is Gore????

January 17, 2008

Leahy for Obama

Two sources familiar with the senior Vermont senator's plans say Patrick Leahy will be endorsing Obama today in an 11:00 a.m. conference call today.

Leahy's spokesman, David Carle, wouldn't confirm the senator's plans, but did suggest a reporter pay attention to the call, which the Obama campaign is touting as a "major endorsement."

If Leahy endorses as expected, it would be the lastest in a string of Senate validations for Obama, and to the extent that endorsements play a role in voters' decisions, Leahy's -- along with those of Senator John Kerry and others -- could counterbalance charges that the Illinois senator lacks readiness or establishment credibility. Like Kerry, he's also a liberal stalwart and a veteran of battles with the Bush Administration.

UPDATE: "We need a president who can reintroduce America to the world – and actually reintroduce America to ourselves," Leahy said in the conference call, saying Obama carried the "hope" to end the war in Iraq and to bring "healthcare for all."

He also compared the decision to support Obama to supporting John F. Kennedy for president.

It's because we haven't had a proper description for what we're seeing in Hillary and Obama:
It's called "Liberal Fascism".
A contradiction in terms, a contradiction in Reality itself. Ensuring the repug fascist agenda will be held in escrow until the next stolen election.
Obama's been "cooperating" across the aisle from the second he gained the senate 4 years ago, licking the same skillet as the repugs.

As my teacher said in one of his poems, "You would be better unmasked".

wv, I love Pat Leahy but his ability to judge character is horrid. Always has been. George Cloony too endorses Obama. He thinks he's the antidote to HIllary. Have they got a shock coming. Unfortunately for us, WE pay the price. They, with their well-padded circumstances will not pay the price exacted on sitting ducks like us. WE get the bill, not them.
Such endorsements should come with a free plane ticket to another country of our choice.

Resurrect Edwards (lesser of evils)who is being drowned in the bathtub as we speak.
While we're at it, draft Gore to run with him.

Gore/Edwards, Edwards/Gore. That's my dream to get the job done.

(I tried posting this several minutes ago, but nothing happened, so am reposting. Hope it's not a dupe.)

Those old DLC guys such as McAwfully and Carville urged their candidates to be "Republican Lite", hoping to get some more votes. (The good Dr. Dean scared them with his demand that Democrats be progressives from the grassroots.) My decoder ring translates DLC as Democratic-Lite Club and, sad to say, it does seem that way.

omgosh, check it out,

Canada put the US and Israel on a Watch list... what a hoot.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3144010

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/01/16/wexler-cheney-impeachment-stronger-than-watergate/

Wexler: Cheney impeachment ‘far stronger than Watergate.’

Last night, Rep. Robert Wexler (D-FL) took to the House floor to urge the House Judiciary Committee to begin impeachment hearings into Vice President Cheney for “high crimes and misdemeanors.” Wexler, who has already acquired nearly 190,000 supporters through his website, explained his next steps:

"Tomorrow, I will deliver these names to my colleagues on the Judiciary Committee with a letter to my friend, Chairman Conyers, calling for hearings. I will ask my colleagues to sign this letter … Continuing every day for months, I will publish in the Congressional Record several thousand names of supporters who signed up.

History demands that we take action, because the case against Vice President Cheney is far stronger than the illegality surrounding Watergate."

There is a video of Wexler's speech...

“In the history of our nation, we have never encountered a moment where the actions of a President or a Vice President have more strongly demanded the use of the power of impeachment,” Wexler said last night.

Robert Wexler is taking our signatures to the House daily.

http://wexlerwantshearings.com/

Crystal re HUMANA, you wrote from the Kucinich interview:
Kucinich said that these hedge funds are invested in the sub-prime mortgages, and that one of their clients, Humana, is in favor of privatizing Medicare.

Just wanted to remind everyone:
Effect Measure: "Frist Family" Values
Humana is not just an HMO. It is a for-profit HMO. For-profit health care, like HCA (Hospital Corporation of America), the Bill Frist family business. ...
effectmeasure.blogspot.com/ 2005/05/frist-family-values.html

Mcinsane will cut CORPORATE TAXES to solve the recession, and give tax credits for development of business!
Big Dog's off the rails??? ( And they said Dean was angry?)
He;s against the Culinary Workers having caucuses, at their workplace SATURDAY HELLO BIG DAY FOR COOKING IN THE CASINOS! ( endorsing Obama)
The teachers union which has NOT endorsed CLinton BUT Might. is objecting, saying it will make it hard for them to sttend!
Do they have Saturday classes in NV?

Conservative Judges to Enron Retirees: Drop Dead

By Robert Borosage

January 16th, 2008

Remember the Enron employees who watched their retirement savings evaporate as the Enron ponzi scheme, chaired by George Bush’s best buddy, “Kenny Boy” Lay, went up in smoke?

The conservative majority on the Supreme Court just told them all: “Drop Dead.” Forced to choose between protecting the rights of the small investors who got defrauded and the companies, banks, accountants and vendors who conspired in creating and profited from the fraud, the Court protected the crooks and skewered the victims.

No surprise. That was the entire point of stacking the court with right-wing, activist judges. Sure the nomination battles over the judges focused on Roe v. Wade and civil rights. But the intent all along was to choose judges who would protect corporate interests and presidential prerogatives. Roe v. Wade is still standing. But consumers, workers, small investors, and the freedoms of Americans are taking it in the ear.

The conservative majority’s decision yesterday held that companies that conspired to help Stoneridge report fraudulent profits could not be held liable to the investors who got fleeced. Unless the co-conspirers communicated with the investors directly, investors could not be said to have been misled by them.

The case was widely seen as a precursor of the decision in the suit by Enron investors against the Wall Street banks –including JP Morgan Chase, Merrill Lynch and Citigroup – that worked with Enron to create fake sales that enabled Enron to report mythic profits and hide significant losses.

So now does fraud becomes a profit center for Wall Street banks? With their catastrophic failures in mortgage lending, they need something. ..... more

http://tinyurl.com/2tbhl3

Pat C, I think my hair is on fire after I read this latest posting, that one and the one about privatizing medicare. I heard on the news the info Morgana posted, and a pundit postulated that other countries might do the same. I agree with Morgana, it's a hoot and sad at the same time. I wonder what people will finally think if all countries identify us as part of the axis of evil, in a very public way. I wonder if Americans will finally see we are the bad guys.

Sally, I hope Al Gore and John Edwards are dealing with flaming hair right now too, and will do what needs to be done together for the greater good.

US corporations, thy real name is RICO, and there is no justice in Justice Department lawyers or Supreme Court justices.

Maybe they were anticipating?
patb checked out this site and alerted us that the info for Mt. St. Helen's was from last year. At this moment, however, there is a new alert. The mountain is rumbling.
http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/index.php?smp=&lang=eng

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/bushbeat/archives/2008/01/numb_and_number_1.php

Numb and Numbers: Bush's Vacation Days equal the Number of E-mails Shredded

Posted by Harkavy at 8:49 AM, January 18, 2008

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Bush isn't checking his e-mails. Or maybe he is.

http://www.smudailycampus.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticlePrinterFriendly&uStory_id=8df6894d-bee9-4891-9065-14dabdbab32c

The "Fantastic Failure Institute" will undermine SMU

Oldest observatory. Amazing. And isn't it reminiscent of ancient structures in Central America?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=228x37527

Awesome map shy.

DENVER — The arrest of a man named Steven Howards in June 2006 after he approached Vice President Dick Cheney at a Colorado ski resort and denounced the war in Iraq might have seemed, at the time, no more than a blip on the vice president’s schedule.

But now the blip has become a blowup, with Secret Service agents — under oath in court depositions — accusing one another of unethical and perhaps even illegal conduct in the handling of Mr. Howards’s arrest and the official accounting of it.

The revelations arise from a lawsuit.....

NYTimes today http://tinyurl.com/2vzepp

shylurker, you were right about Mt. St. Helens, on the day that you saw it erupting on that map. On the news this morning they said there was a small earthquake, and the volcano was spewing steam. Wonder why they took so long to tell us. Probably don't want to alarm anyone.

Well, I hope if Al Gore decides to run, that he exercises better judgement than he did last time in choosing a running mate. I think his choice of Leiberman is what left him in the lurch, and caused the Florida recount debacle.

Actually, the activity recorded has probably been mis-located. It's more than likely centered in a man-sized safe in D.C., thanks to Mr. Howards.

If you'll click on the little icons, Crystal, they'll turn the page for you and you can see more information (including times!--though I don't know if it's time event occurred or was reported). When patb clicked on the MSH's icon the other day, the page turned and the report was dated some time back in 2007 (June or July--don't remember now). We were rather baffled since the main page seems to show "Real Events", but the MSH one was over half a year old.

I heard the news about the Supreme Court judges ruling concerning investors bringing lawsuits against investment banks (PatC's post). I heard it on NBC Nightly news about 2 nights ago. Of course it was a little snippet that went by in a flash. You know why they just brought that ruling. Because the investment banks/brokerages are now in deep doo doo from the sub-prime mortgage debacle, so of course, their first business is to protect them. I was looking for the article to post it after I heard the news, but I couldn't find it.

Morgana, I forgot to compliment you on your blow by blow account of the Las Vegas debate. You really do a bang-up job on those debates. I have a feeling that you must be good at multi-tasking, whereas I have a one track mind! Can't blog and listen at the same time. Guess I could scapegoat my retro. Merc. Haha.

PatC, thanks for the posts. Crystal thank you for saying you enjoyed the live blogging, I wasn't sure if folks liked it or hated it. The tv and pc are in the same room, same cable actually so I can listen and type.

Sally, I'm toying with the idea of writing in Al Gore as a presidential write in candidate in the CA primary. Depends I suppose on how Edwards does. Obama and Hillary aren't impressing me, centrists usually don't, and Lieberman mentoring is a sure prescription for more Republican bad ideas.

You're welcome Morgana. Always.

I was on the road the night of the debate but listened on the radio. Wish I could have taken part here. I sure did appreciate coming home to see all the comments here.

Sunny day now. You can see her smoke.
http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/volcanocams/msh/

Whoa! What a day in Maine:
http://www.katahdincam.com/

You ok, QOP?

Wow, that photo is so Neptunian!

Hope you are well qop.

QOP stay warm!!!

Shy thanks for the Mt. St. Helen's webcam, I've been watching the news since it started rumbling.

Sally provided a link, previous blog, of the Indian astrologer who predicted the mega quakes, it'll be interesting to watch for those alignments.

I have put natal charts and transits equivalent to 11 pm EST election day for winners of 10 of the 14 elections from 1952 through 2004 along with the 2000 transits for Supreme Court's decision favoring Bush here:

http://preview.tinyurl.com/222en8

I used birth places instead of locality charts as I am not sure of locations for any of the winners at the time of the announced winner. I also used 11 pm, EST in all cases (I think most election results were known by then) except 1960 when Nixon did not concede until the afternoon the day after the election and for 2000 when the decision was made by the Supreme Court on December 12. Transits for Nov 3 (the day after the election) 2004 at 2 pm, EST (Kerry's call conceding) could be used for 2004.

I used a rectified time for JFK of 3:18 pm, EST and 8:44 am, CST for Clinton.

The elections not done were for LBJ and Reagan.

Thanks for the concern all.........Here on the coast it got up to 50o and the rain melted away most of the snow. ( I'm 3 hours east of Katahdin!) at sea level ( well 50' above!)

No Peace

By Charley Reese

18/01/08 "ICH" -- -- To understand the failure of the president's trip to the Middle East, which is foreordained and doesn't have to be completed in order to fail, take note of two words that the president will not utter: "occupied territories."

Let's review the situation from the standpoint of international law. The West Bank, Gaza, the Golan Heights, East Jerusalem and a smidgen of Lebanon the Israelis still occupy are officially designated as occupied territories. They were seized in war. Jerusalem is officially an international city, so designated by the United Nations partition resolution that created the state of Israel. The Israelis, of course, long ago declared the resolution null and void.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article19107.htm

If you guys want something to set your hair on fire, listen to this podcast at http://www.mdidea.com/products/herbextract/marigold/data.html#06

which is a program on KPFK Berkeley (Pacifica radio)....the show is called Flash Points, the airtime is 5 pm weekdays. I tried to send it to some people, and the emails all came back, I guess because it is streaming audio. It horrified me...

Thursday, January 17, 2008 Listen D'load Podcast
Today on Flashpoints: Two former high-level CIA analysts speak out against the genocide in Palestine; plus, buying the White House: how campaign contributions undermine free and fair elections; Evelina Molina reports on the continued cleansing at the US-Mexico border; and the Knight Report.

the longest interview segment of the report is on the Israeli genocide (or ethinic cleansing, they used both terms) against the Palestinians in the Gaza which got me. That and the role of Eliot Abrams in 30 years of covered up massacres, and the fact that he is running the state dept, not condi, and a complete examination of the Israeli domination of the government of this country via the Israeli lobby. Not to mention, the bundling of contributions which fuel all the candidates now...also known as the buying of the White House.....Pat C, WV, tried to send it to you....it came back.

2008 Full Moon Names

I just love these things:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20080118/sc_space/fullmoonnamesfor2008

You can also google

Kathleen and Bill Christison, former CIA analysts

and come up with lots of reading material.

On the Israeli/American state of government

http://www.counterpunch.org/christison09062004.html

So I wonder if anyone in their right minds will ask the future leaders of this country about this?

judi, I sent you a test e-mail.

ANd here is another enlightening article!
http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/musthavewar.php
by Michael Rivero

A lot of Americans have been surprised by George Bush and Israel's renewed belligerence towards Iran. After all, for any sane human being, the recently released (in order to prevent the greater embarrassment of a leak) of the National Intelligence Estimate pretty much ended the claim that Iran was some kind of threat to the UNited States. Especially in the wake of the now exposed-to-the-world lies about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, most Americans expected President Bush to take a short pause, at least long enough to ship up an imitation of a sheepish grin and at least the pretense of repentance for having tried the same stupid lie twice in a row. Fool me twice?

But no, Bush has, following his obligatory groveling before the government of Israel, stated flat out that the National Intelligence Estimate does not represent his own 'beliefs' about Iran. In other words, having tried to dump the blame for the lies about Iraq's WMDs on the nation's intelligence agencies, Bush's new position is that he doesn't listen to them anyway; he listens to that little voice inside his head, or in the bottle, whichever comes first.

And Oh my gosh.Calendula grows like a weed in my yard! I didn't know what I had!

I'm confused.........JudiGem your post @ 9:40 gives a link to an article about Calendula & lutin.
The dialogue you posted talks about Pacifica Radio/FLashpoints and genocide in Palestine. Do you have a different link?

I love those beautiful Moon names!

Regarding Bush, there are two truths in this world. The truth we can all see and feel and understand and then there's what Bush 'believes' is the truth. When he's confronted with irrefutable facts, he just dismisses them by saying what he 'believes'. Notice I didn't say what he 'thinks' is the truth. He sure doesn't believe in overusing the shrivelled itty bitty brain he has. Maybe he thinks he'll wear it out. It's all about that faith thing he has. His gut, or in other words, God, makes him feel the real truth.

That's weasily Magical thinking at its Blackest. Lots of People die because he 'believes' something that will never be based on facts.

Lunaoscura, "itty bitty brain" Ha! How true! But you know, I'm not sure Bush believes anything. Remember what Betsy posted here re Bush in Austin. Bush just pretends to believe--he's a totally hollow man.

QOP, I just love calendula which, like a lot of herbs, is much tougher than one would think. Another great easy herb is feverfew. Looks like wild daisies and tea from the leaves/blossoms cures migrane headaches

BTW, while speaking of herbs--everybody watch out for comfrey. NOT, NOT to be taken internally. Damages the liver. (Good topically, though.)

Pat, oh, I am sorry...I was looking up things about lutein, because I needed to know what veggies and fruits were high in lutein.

I copied the wrong url in my tabs

This is Flash Points radio link, look at Thrusday Jan 17 5 pm

http://www.flashpoints.net/

boy, I've had a headache for 5 days now, with this cold I've got. it has at times approached migraine proportions, but is sinus congestion.

And I don't have a yard to pick things out of, either!

JudiGem, have you got a sunny widow or balcony, etc. for later where you can grow herbs? Meantime, for headache, try rubbing an ice cube in the web between your thumb and forefinger. (No kidding.)

Could you do a big pot in a sunny window? My yard isn't of much use at this time of year.but I have
parsley, chives, basil, thyme, stevia, and peppers & tomato plants in the windows! ( Not enough light to produce tomatos but, they will be earlier than garden grown ones in the spring!)

Friday, January 18, 2008

Bill Clinton, Anger and the Eclipse

Our Bill (as I fondly call him) is widely noted for the charm of his Libra ascendant (and an astonishing five planets in Libra!!) and his ability to schmooze with just about anyone. He is also widely known for a bad temper (Mars conjunct Neptune in Libra on the ascendant). In his biography, he wrote of his anger as quoted in the New York Times:
“I was a little disturbed by my anger, the currents of which would prove deeper and stronger in the years ahead,” Mr. Clinton wrote. “Because of the way Daddy behaved when he was angry and drunk, I associated anger with being out of control and I was determined not to lose control. Doing so could unleash the deeper, constant anger I kept locked away because I didn’t know where it came from.”

http://astrodynamics.blogspot.com/

http://blip.tv/file/520347

Get Your Bush Dubloons!

.........

http://phoenixwoman.wordpress.com/2008/01/18/department-of-corporate-socialism/

Department of corporate socialism

From DemocracyNow:

DAVID CAY JOHNSTON: Well, first of all, they [Wal-Mart] say they offer cheaper goods. I don’t accept that that’s necessarily true.

But here’s what happens. … what is tax increment financing? I’ll tell you what it is. You go to the store with your goods, you pay for it at Wal-Mart, and there’s a very good chance that that store has made a deal with the government that the sales taxes you are required to pay, that government requires you to pay, never go to the government. Instead, those sales taxes are kept by Wal-Mart and used to pay the cost of the store. And typically in those deals, the store is tax exempt, just like a church.

Now, there are two ways that it’s important to think about this. One is, that means your kid’s schools, your police department, your library, your parks are not getting that money. And you’ll notice we keep saying we’re starved for money. We’re twice as wealthy as we were in 1980, but we’ve got to close hospitals, and we’ve got to close schools, and we don’t have money for all sorts of things like after-school programs, even though we’re twice as wealthy. The second thing to think about is, imagine that you own Amy Goodman’s or Juan’s department store across the street. You suddenly have to compete with people whom the government is giving a huge leg up on. You think you would go broke after a while? Well, in fact, you will.

(emphasis added)

Why aren’t conservatives screaming about this?

Great Moyers' video on MLK and LBJ:
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/064146.php

It was one tough row to hoe, but hoe we did.

Americans are hopelessly STUPID!