February 12, 2008 archive

Trivia question of the day. (answer below the fold) — Who was the only U.S. President born in Illinois — “the Land of Lincoln”?

Word of the day. (definition below the fold) — Quaff

Quote of the day. — “If you have the opportunity to make things better and do not do this..You are wasting your time on this earth.” Anonymous

Common misconception. — In the Gettysburg Address in 1863 Lincoln originated the phrase “government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth” — A similiar phrase was written by John Wycliffe in 1382 about the Bible. In 1830 Daniel Webster wrote something very similar. Theodore Parder, a Boston minister in 1850 wrote something similar.



Useless information. — If you head directly south from Detroit Michigan the first foreign country you will enter is Canada.

Bad President/Bushisms. — “Too manyy good docs are getting out of the business. Too many OB/GYN’s aren’t able to practice their love with women all across the country.” 09/6/2004  

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There will be no 9:00 a.m. Pony Party today 🙁  

We’ll have to use this decidedly non-pony-party party to satisfy our morning open-thready tendencies.

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This is an Open Thread:

The grabbing hands

Grab all they can

All for themselves

After all

Tuesday’s Headlines: Seeking Unity, Obama Feels Pull of Racial Divide: U.S. Latino Population Projected To Soar: An invitation to the future: The withdrawal of foreign troops would be a disaster for Afghanistan: Russia shuts university that displeased Putin: Kenya talks head to secret site: Hospital boss arrested over al-Qaeda attack by human boobytraps

Is this justice?

US accused of using ‘kangaroo court’ to try men accused of role in September 11 attacks

By Andrew Gumbel

Tuesday, 12 February 2008

The United States military announced yesterday that it was bringing death penalty charges against Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and five other men suspected of orchestrating the September 11 attacks, and intended to try them under the Bush administration’s much-criticised military tribunal system, which is subject only to partial oversight by the civilian appeals system.

The decision to use Mohammed and the others as guinea-pigs in a constitutionally dubious legal proceeding is likely to trigger a firestorm of anti-American sentiment in the Islamic world and spark a fractious domestic debate in an already highly charged presidential election year.

Concerns were raised last night of political interference by the White House in the military’s decision to go to trial in the middle of an election campaign in which the Republican frontrunner, John McCain, has made the fight against al-Qa’ida central to his election bid.

Mama told me when I was young

Come sit beside me, my only son

And listen closely to what I say

And if you do this

It will help you some sunny day

Take your time – don’t live too fast

Troubles will come and they will pass

Go find a woman and you’ll find love

And don’t forget son

There is someone up above

(chorus)

And be a simple kind of man

Be something you love and understand

Be a simple kind of man.

Won’t you do this for me son

If you can?

Forget your lust for the rich mans gold

All that you need is in your soul

And you can do this if you try

All that I want for you my son

Is to be satisfied

(chorus)

Boy, don’t you worry – you’ll find yourself

Follow your heart and nothing else

And you can do this if you try

All I want for you my son

Is to be satisfied

I have been busy for a couple days, my neighbor & I helping a woman who has been abused get out of her house, and counseling her.

I haven’t been online as much as I should.

Then as I came on tonite, my husband got a call, his 89 yr old Mom isn’t answering her phone.  Without going into it, he left to go there; usually annoyed when she pulls this shit, instead, grim faced and quiet; sure this is it.

So I won’t be able to diary-sit as I should.

Some of the discussion in my essay from yesterday caused me to think a little more deeply about why I blog. I must admit that those reasons have changed and developed over time. But I’d like to talk a bit about my thoughts today, knowing they might change later.

Probably like most of us, my reasons for blogging are tied to the way I think and the kind of person I am. One thing that’s been true of me all my life is that I like to dig deep and ask tough questions about the big picture. That’s why Nightprowlkitty has dubbed me “Pandora.” Yeah, I’m always trying to open the box and see what’s inside.

Another way of looking at that is a story I’ve heard so long that I have forgotten its origins. If someone knows, please tell me in the comments. Anyway, the story is about two people who notice there are dead bodies flowing down a river. They furiously work to rescue the bodies until one notices the other is leaving. When asked why, the person responds that they are going upstream to see what’s causing all this. I’ve always been one that wants to head “upstream.” In my professional life, I work to support those who spend their days trying to “rescue the bodies.” But I also spend a fair amount of time trying to understand the root causes. I think both actions are needed. Its just that I’m better suited for the later.