March 2, 2008 archive

Weekend News Digest

Weekend News Digest is an Open Thread

From Yahoo News Top Stories

1 Russia’s Medvedev on course for presidency

By Christian Lowe, Reuters

8 minutes ago

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Dmitry Medvedev was elected by a big margin to succeed Vladimir Putin as Russian president, exit polls and early results showed on Sunday, after a vote that will preserve his mentor’s power but which opponents said was unfair.

Medvedev, a 42-year-old who has worked at Putin’s side since the 1990s, will take over the trappings of the presidency from his patron but it was still unclear which of the two men would really be in charge.

Half an hour after polling stations closed, state television broadcast a pop concert in Red Square. It began with a song whose chorus was “Forward, Russia” — Medvedev’s unofficial campaign slogan.

Even the global warming accepters are in denial

This diary was suggested by two recent pieces on abrupt climate change: Joseph Romm’s piece on Salon.com (The cold truth about climate change), and a paper in the journal Risk Analysis which was seized upon by columnist John Tierney in a column for the New York Times: “Global Warming Paradox”?  I discuss these articles in order to suggest that there is a general state of denial as regards the social and economic causes of abrupt climate change, thus to suggest that therein lies the discovery of social and economic solutions.

(crossposted at Big Orange)

Pony Party: Sunday music retrospective

Joanne Shenandoah



Mother Earth Speaks

A Revolution is Coming

This diary carries a message or two but is also a tribute.  It is not hero worship.  I am well aware of JFK’s flaws and weaknesses as a human being – you needn’t remind me.  But John F. Kennedy was also a gifted orator who inspired and uplifted us with the poetry in his soul and the power in his words – and certain of his words resonate now more than ever.

JFK-Poetry_MINE

Banner Contest….Time to Vote!

Thanks to some wonderful, creative Dharmisians, we now have FOUR (technically, 3 1/2)very high quality banners to choose from, with more still in development. With so many great entries, we have decided to have a rotating banner, each with a variation on the elements included in the Mother of All Banners, OPOL’s brilliant original. (which is included in the four, of course!) Each is distinctive and beautiful and makes a powerful statement. Today is your chance to settle the only real question left. Which one to put up first! Your choice today are between these two.

News Corpse’s fine entry:

Photobucket

And our latest entry, from Edger:

Photobucket

Lets See Now, ‘Supporting The Troops’

What do those three words really mean in this ever so Rich, Powerful, and Patriotic Country of Ours, not to mention Supposedly Christian as well?

Is it just the mouthing of?

If a politician, which some call a profession, is it the wearing of a Flag Lapel Pin?

I have one I wear on my Veterans For Peace ballcap Turned Upside Down!!!

Is it little cheap Magnetic Yellow Ribbons that have those words printed on them, and seem to have rapidly disappeared?

We once had a conflict, we have ‘The Wall’ of remembrance of 58,000 lives lost in that conflict.

The one we, as a Nation, stated we should never forget the lessons of, and Quickly Forgot The Lessons Of!

Book Review – Sandrine’s Letter to Tomorrow

I met Dedra Johnson at a book signing just before Christmas.  Earl Higgins, Dedra, and I were signing our books at the Loyola University's bookstore.  I'd been hearing about Sandrine's Letter to Tomorrow from friends, bloggers, and others for a coiuple of months.  It's not the type of novel I usually read, but Dedra's a local author writing about New Orleans, good enough for me.

Sandrine may not be the type of character I usually get into, but I got into the novel nonetheless.  It is a well-written story with lots of local color and a cast of characters who are very easy to love and/or hate, just like family members.

I'm going to offer some more thoughts below the fold.  SPOILER WARNING – don't go there if you haven't read the book.

Reclaiming Awe

One of the many cesspools we’ll have to clean up post-Bushco is our language. There are words I find myself avoiding because they have been so tainted with lies and evil that their original meaning has been mutilated. A project like that doesn’t rate as high on the priority list as things like ending the war in Iraq, stopping the use of torture, addressing climate change, fixing the economy, and joining with the people of the gulf coast to restore their home. But it is something I hope we can do along the way.

For me, a word that is seriously in need of restoration is “awe.” I just hate the fact that every time I hear that word these days, I think of the destruction and death “shock and awe” caused in Iraq. Its such a beautiful word and it was used in the most vile way imaginable. So, my hope is that we will not only end our perpetuation of violence in that country and at least TRY to find a way to make amends for what we have done, but that we will also recognize that our leaders took a concept that should inspire peace and bastardized it as a tool for war.

Kucinich – Forsaking Foreclosures – NY Times

Dennis has an op-ed in the NY Times today!

You Will Vote for Clinton and Like It

Hi, I am Hilary Clinton. You will vote for me and you will like it. Why can’t you people just do what you are told? As if we haven’t gone to enough trouble without you crazy lefties voting for Obama. Get a grip, you wild-eyed suckers. Who do you think is going to be running Congress if, as in your wildest dreams, Obama wins the general? Heh heh heh. I’ll be the Senate Majority Leader, and Rahm Emanuel will be House Majority Leader. We will keep Pantsuit Nancy around for photo-ops, but Rahm and I will be calling the shots. And we’ll make sure none of this lunatic Obama agenda of Change and Hope blather does any damage to what really matters in this great Country:

Me. Bill. Our Legacy. Our storm-tossed Love Story. And a smoothly functioning Empire, secret police, and military-industrial-petroleum complex. After all, they pay my bills, sweethearts. Got to dance to their tune, now don’t we? The problem with Obama is he doesn’t owe anybody anything. And that makes the Powers That Be nervous. They don’t have a handle on the guy. He can do whatever he wants, without paying homage to any special interest.

And we can’t have that.

(Cross-posted at the Orange Vortex of Venomous Diatribe and Scathing Insult)

Pony Party: Sunday music retrospective

R. Carlos Nakai



Amazing Grace

Congressional races round 2: Indiana, Iowa, Kansas

Here’s part seven of the second round of congressional races.  Earlier parts are   here

Indiana has 9 representatives: 5 Democrats and 4 Republicans

Filing deadline was Feb 22, primary is May 6

Iowa has 5 representatives: 3 Democrats and 2 Republicans

Filing deadline is March 14, primary is June 3

Kansas has 4 representatives: 2 Democrats and 2 Republicans

Filing deadline is June 10, primary is August 5

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