Van Halen to tour this sum... just kidding!

Like anyone believed these morons were actually going to manage to hold it together long enough to even rehearse for a tour, much less pull a tour off. Seems the 2007 tour of the original line-up of Van Halen, sans Michael Anthony, isn't going to happen after all.

From The New York Post today:

Broken Reunion

February 27, 2007 -- The fabled Van Halen reunion tour set for this summer has been derailed, thanks to a new set of ego clashes within the always-troubled band. David Lee Roth was to have hit the road with Eddie Van Halen for the first time since 1984, but concert promoter Live Nation has "shut down" the tour, says the L.A. Times. Roth told the paper: "We have fragile politics in Van Halen, please accept that as a partial answer." Roth's publicist told us she couldn't comment.

###

I'm no huge fan of current front man (sort of) David Lee Roth, but I'm sure Eddie Van Halen is probably more to blame here than anyone, considering his history with Roth and the other two lead singers the band has had.

Someone wake me when these dopes starting acting like adults for the first time in their lives, while also realizing that we really aren't going to care forever. Guys, you've been pushing your luck with your loyal fans for years - tune your guitars and sing before we all tune out.

Newsweek Cartoons

I haven't done this in a little while, but Newsweek's political cartoons are so good in this week's issue, I wanted to bring them to you. They made me think, laugh, ponder and become outraged, sometimes more than one at the same time.

In light of all of the negative press that Walter Reed hospital is getting, it's tough to not laugh at the absolute absurdity of the conditions some of our recovering troops are enduring there. If it weren't so outrageous, it would be amusing to watch people in this administration run for cover and play the blame game over this.

This one speaks for itself. I haven't blogged much about the Libby trial, but I will later on tonight. Lots of interesting facts and observations are coming out of this trial.

A classic! Blair's withdraw was a slap in the face to this administration. Two thoughts: 1. Bush and his war architects need a slap in the face to wake them up, and 2. Politically, Blair had no choice.

Ever had a day like...

...this? Today was one of those days for me.

The guy above was wearing his heart on his sleeve, thanks to the worst day of trading on Wall Street since 9.17.01, right after 9-11. Wall Street tanked today following China's massive sell-off the day before.

Anyway, not a good day today. Vandra went to her IRS audit, and let's just say it could have gone better. Of course, it could have gone worse, too; and the IRS official she met with was very nice and kind - two words you don't normally associate with the IRS.

Flat tire today on the way to work. Joy.

Lastly, today was the NHL trading deadline. The white flag has been raised in Edmonton. Ryan Smyth was traded to the New York Islanders for a first round pick this year, two other players with potential, and a bag of pucks. I haven't felt this low about all of my sports teams since the mid-to-late 1990s. It's got to get better. I guess I could always be a Philadelphia sports fan, which by even generous accounts is a sport resembling S&M. Again, it could ALWAYS be worse.

Anyway, on to some individual posts. I wanted to get to writing much earlier tonight, but the front page of Blogger was down, so I had to come in the backdoor by using another link, and it took a work around. Anyway, I'm here, so I'll get to what I can tonight. I have loads to say right now about a laundry list of issues, so my heavy blogging doesn't look to die down anytime soon.

This Modern World - a great one

I couldn't leave for work without sharing this week's This Modern World. This is by far and away my favorite comic strip, and this week's is fantastic. Click directly on the comic for a larger version that's easier to read. Enjoy...

Al's back - Attack! Attack!

Well, that didn't take long. Less than 24 hours after An Inconvenient Truth took home two Oscars, including Best Documentary, the Swiftboating of Gore (Above, with Truth's Director, Davis Guggenheim) has begun, led by GOP shill Matt Drudge.

Now Gore's utility bills are being discussed all over the Internet. I'm not even going to get into specifics, because frankly it's a waste of my time, but at first glance, his energy bills are higher than the national average, and Drudge's Website goes on to list the dollar amounts of his bills. What's lost in the right-wing rhetoric is that Gore also owns a house much larger than the national average. In less than 10 minutes this morning, I read with glee on a few Websites, including the right-wing blog Wizbang, conservatives who are busting Gore's balls for owning a large home (and also John Edwards).

Can you imagine? Conservatives, the party of the rich and shameless, decrying the estates of Gore and Edwards? Both men have earned large sums of money; Gore as a politician and activist, and Edwards first as a trial lawyer. They weren't born with silver spoons in their mouths, like some presidents we know. But, I digress.

Predictably, right-wing hate mongers immediately went on the attack. Cue footage of Sean Insanity, Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh, etc. People, if Ann Coulter said that 9-11 widows are enjoying their husbands' deaths, what do you think she'll say about Al Gore's energy habits?

Some conservatives are blubbering about how environmentally friendly President Bush's Crawford "Ranch" is, and how it gets no press. It doesn't, and that's not fair. But honestly, how can conservatives expect Bush to get good press about what he's done on his ranch, when he's done virtually nothing beneficial for the environment as president? Someone, anyone, tell me five meaningful things he's done to help curb greenhouse gases since taking office. He did do one meaningful thing, right after taking office - he broke a 2000 election campaign promise for mandatory caps on carbon dioxide emissions. Oops. But hey, Mr. President, nice job on making sure your "ranch" is environmentally friendly. Now, how about doing something environmentally friendly for the rest of the country, since you haven't for over six years as president?

These attacks come as no surprise, though. Much of the effort to combat the science and reasoning behind global warming has come from Big Oil, which has billions of dollars at its disposal to distort and deceive. Who among us expected Big Oil and its paid-for politicians (and the pundits who support them) to just go away and give Al his due?

Gore has responded by saying that he purchases carbon offsets to make up the difference for his energy consumption. Call me incredibly presumptuous, but I believe him. Why wouldn't I? If Gore cared that little about the environment, why would he go around the globe trying to combat it? Why not just retire? Or give the occasional speech for a nice speaking fee and continue teaching, thereby leading a low-profile life?

Instead, Gore chooses to lead, to try to make a difference. Yes, he is indeed a horrible man.

Part of his response to right-wing snooping into his utility bills is this:

He buys 100 percent of his electricity from renewal power sources (Tennessee Valley Green Power Switch). What is Green Power Switch? The revolutionary idea is simple - harness the natural power of the wind, the sun, and the earth to create an energy source that's usable in our homes and everyday lives. TVA and local public power companies, working in cooperation with the environmental community, developed Green Power Switch as a way to bring "green" power - electricity generated by renewable resources (for example, solar, wind, & methane gas) - to Valley consumers, where Gore lives.

Seems pretty reasonable to me, but of course, what are the chances that his answer and explanation will mollify conservatives? About as much of a chance as our leaving Iraq anytime soon. Hmm, I can see how that would annoy conservatives. Maybe that's what I'll do from now on - whenever conservatives have a point, I'll just bring up the War in Iraq, then deny that I was making any kind of connection. Kind of like President Bush brings up 9-11 whenever he wants to make a point about anything, including Iraq.

One final thought - people wonder why good candidates never want to run for public office. This would be an example. The politics of personal destruction has so denigrated our political process, it's to the point where you would almost have to be crazy to seek higher office these days. Gore is probably laughing to himself this morning and shaking his head. Could anyone honestly blame him for saying to his wife, Tipper, over scones and fresh crepes (because that's what snobby, polluting liberals eat every morning for breakfast) "You wonder why I don't want to run for president again? This is why."

Pathetic and sad.

I still hope he runs. And if he does, I hope he has a lot more fight in him than he did in 2000. I have no doubt that he would, but all along he's been a long shot to run. This morning, the odds of a Gore candidacy are probably got a little longer.

Well, I spent about twice the amount of time on that as I thought I would. Vandra tells me I spend too much time blogging, and she's absolutely right, but sometimes I can't help myself - I have this incessant need to ridicule right-wing stupidity when I see it.

Bill Clinton is wealthy. So what?

The Washington Post reports today that President Bill Clinton has earned more than $40 million from speaking fees in the six years since he left office, at $150,000 per speech. It's not news that former presidents become fabulously wealthy. What's not well-known, according to Bill Press this morning, at least, is that the $40 million is only from 20 percent of the speeches he made - the other 80 percent of his fees he either did pro bono, or he donated the money to his AIDS Foundation.

Tucker Carlson was upset the other day, saying it doesn't look good for a former president to become so wealthy. I would tend to agree with that, but it's the reality that all former presidents will become wealthy when they leave office. After going through all of the misery it takes to become elected in the first place, I say let them have their money, and that opinion applies to both political parties.

For instance, how wealthy do you think President Bush will become when he leaves office, with all of his corporate donors and friends? Anyone think he won't have tens of millions of dollars at his disposal? Good for him. Let's check back on this in a decade and see how wealthy President Bush is. I can't say I'll have a problem with it, really; former presidents are in demand to give speeches and be heard, and they have a right to earn money, too.

Funny how I didn't hear conservatives whining much when President Ronald Reagan earned $2 million for one speech in Japan after he left office. I also wonder how wealthy President Bush Sr. has become since he left office? The guy isn't hurting, that's for sure. But then again, as a one-term wonder, he might not be as in demand as Reagan was or Clinton is.

The bottom line here is that conservatives are angry that Bill Clinton has continuously beat the odds, and efforts to destroy him. I have a great amount of admiration and respect for Clinton - a whole lot more of both than I do for our current president. At least Clinton admitted his mistakes (albeit late). When is the last time Bush has publicly stated he made a mistake about anything?

People also forget that Clinton was basically bankrupt when he left office, with millions in legal bills that needed to be paid, mostly from right-wing funded witch hunts, which he needed to defend himself against in the courts.

But boy, Paula Jones sure did get a nice nose job from her settlement, didn't she? James Carville said it best about her - she's what you get when you drag a hundred dollar bill through a trailer park.

A big NHL day, but Messier is my highlight

What a difference a year makes. Last year, on the day of the NHL trading deadline, I was excited beyond words, because I just knew my Edmonton Oilers were going to do something. This year, the team is much worse, and it's not at all a foregone conclusion that the Oilers will do anything to make this team better in the short term, and more importantly, to make the playoffs.

Right now, Edmonton has to be as much of a long shot to make the postseason as Al Gore is to enter the presidential race. It's huge letdown for me. I'm hoping against hope that Oiler GM Kevin Lowe does something to shoot this team in the butt, but this team has the look and feel of next year's team.

More importantly today, the Oilers might move #94, Left Winger Ryan Smyth. He's been an Oiler for over a decade, and if they don't get the feeling they can resign him, they will trade him today, since he becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. It will be a sad day indeed if that happens.

Tonight might be one of the few bright spots this season for any long-time Oiler fan. Tonight, the Oilers honor one of the greatest players in NHL history, their former captain, #11, Mark Messier.

Yesterday, it was the City of Edmonton's turn...

Messier, an Edmonton native, had a street named in his honor, Mark Messier Trail. Cool.

Many former Oiler greats are in the city this week to honor Mess, including Paul Coffey (above). I have a special place in my heart for all of those Oilers from the 80s, but for my money, with a tip of the cap to Ray Bourque, Coffey was the best defenseman I've ever seen play the game.

I'll feel the same way tonight, Mess. Watching his #11 being raised to the rafters will be truly emotional for me. I always feel a little bit older seeing these. I don't get moved to tears very often when watching sports - championships (or lost ones) and number retirements are a few of those times. I wept when I watched Wayne Gretzky's last game in 1999. Tonight, I will undoubtedly weep again.

Lots more on the NHL trading deadline and Messier later tonight and tomorrow.

Two funny pictures to lead off the day

Not much time to write this morning - lots to get to other than the blog, but I'll take a few minutes. I love finding weird and funny photos online. Here's two to start out the morning. See if you can think up a caption for each one. Off the top of my head, here's mine...

"I knew that the first female Speaker of the House would bring about changes in the capitol, but these new uniforms for the wait staff in the Congressional Dining Room are ridiculous!"

"This misogynistic pig things his costume is funny. Mammogram, huh? I'd like to give him a prostate check with my 9 iron."

###

Okay, the second one was a reach, but honestly, these were off the top of my head. The second one does crack me up - only at Mardi Gras. I've been to New Orleans twice, pre-Katrina, for Fat Tuesday, and it really does defy description. Crazy times, and just when you think you've seen it all, you haven't, unless you've been to Bourbon St. during Mardi Gras. It really is a sight to behold.

Anyway, a little more info. about both pics:

Top: A model for Jeremy Scott in 2006. Scott is making a comeback to Paris with his autumn-winter collection after deserting the French capital for Los Angeles and New York following his return to his homeland in 2001. (AFP)

Bottom: Betty Heath from Mississauga, Ontario stands next to Clyde Hymel from Laplace, La., on Bourbon Street on Mardi Gras in New Orleans Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2007. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Keith O on CBS Sunday Morning

I loved this informative piece, and unfortunately I didn't get to see it this past Sunday. (Score one for YouTube.) It's a CBS This Morning interview with MSNBC's Keith Olbermann, and it's a great look behind the glasses, bluster and bubbling anger that defines him. KO is now my favorite political figure on TV, edging out Jon Stewart by a nanometer. (But TDS is always essential viewing.)

I'm doing ANYTHING but taking 2008 for granted, but if a Democrat captures the White House, I wonder what will become of people like Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart and Olbermann?

Won't change a thing, claims KO, a self-described baseball nut. "If a Democrat did these things [referring to the Bush Administration], I would be out there just as ferociously," he said.

One thing's for sure - he's not going anywhere, and I couldn't be more delighted; he just signed a four-year contract extension with MSNBC to continue Counting Down for us every evening. Sweet.

Sleep tight, Mr. O'Reilly.

I just liked this one

And frankly, I don't know how these two were any worse than who we have now. No, I take that back, the Clintons, on their worse day, weren't nearly as bad as Bush and Cheney on their best day.

692 days to go...

I'm not a porno dealer. Really.

Evidently, I'm dealing in porno pills and other assorted adult crap. I'm KIDDING. No, I'm NOT.

Yesterday, after I gave up the RJs Journey domain name on Blogger, some enterprising moron put up some sex ads and other assorted offensive material.

I guess those are the perils of the World Wide Web. Funny, but irritating, too.

Anyway, I've flagged the blog and will continue to do so until Blogger takes it down. In the meantime, there's not much else I can do, other than to tell you all to make sure you've changed your bookmark.

In the meantime, please choose a Feed in the upper-right hand corner of the home page, and if you don't see one you like, there are a whole bunch of Feeds to choose from at the bottom of the right column.

If you wish to receive Count Me Blue via e-mail, the only work around I know about right now is to unsubscribe to RJs Journey (especially if you are getting the porn-laced e-mails), then resubscribe to Count Me Blue in the box in the upper-right hand corner of the home page.

As always, please let me know if you are having any more problems with the feed, and I'll do my best to fix them by working with Feedburner.

Thanks for reading~
PECAD

Crazy weather, crazier reporting

Okay, I'm in the mood to laugh after all of the serious stuff I've been posting, so I thought I'd take a quick time out. Since today was yet another crazy weather day in Philadelphia, I thought I'd to some weather-related funny vids.

I remember watching the one above live on the Today show. It's hilarious - a reporter being a total fake and the guys walking right in front. I know the Jersey attitude, and I can guarantee you that was done on purpose. I wish the video rolled longer though, because they went back to her later on in the show for another live shot, and she got frustrated and paddled out into the fast water, and the water swept her away and she went off camera. Bottom line - it just wasn't her day. I don't think the Weather Channel will be calling any time soon.



Check this one out (above). They are nuts in Cleveland! The guy trying to do the interview keeps his composure pretty well, though. Too funny!



Check out the weatherman above who has a meltdown while Katrina is blowing ashore. Maybe that could be a new reality series, in the spirit of the old Crossfire. It could be an anchor and a meteorologist trying to shout over one another to get their lines out.

**Warning: The following two video clips aren't for the kids!



The guy above has got to be unemployed by this outburst. I love how he winds it up, too - a fake smile and his hands in his pockets.



I don't know if the clips above are live or if they are on tape delay, but they are hilarious nonetheless. Watch 'em and watch 'em again.

More PBS Frontline on prewar press

About a week and a half ago, I wrote about a great PBS Frontline piece about prewar intelligence. (Click Here to see my previous thoughts.) It just occurred to me that I never brought you the other two parts, so here they are. This is pretty powerful stuff. I have to confess that I grow tired of people saying that we "shouldn't look back" or that we "shouldn't continue to debate how we got started in the war" or "why we went over there." Ree-diculous.

Anyway, I found this to be very thought provoking and informative, so I wanted to bring you the rest of it. Actually, here's Part I again, and Parts II & III follow...

PART ONE



PART TWO



PART THREE

Debunking Pelosi putdown and smear

Coming at you fast and furious today. Hey, it's not my fault there's a lot to type about. I'll probably go deep into the night, too. I've got a lot on my mind, and this is my outlet.

Anyway, I saw this news tidbit last week, and it really irked me. Seems that Opie Cunningham*, a Republican Congressman from Florida (below left as he is today; below right as Opie on The Andy Griffith Show. He later played Richie on Happy Days), was neck deep in the ridiculous Nancy Pelosi "story" about how she "demanded" a larger plane than her predecessor as Speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert.

The story was revealed by many to be complete b.s., but that didn't stop many Republicans from letting facts get in the way of a good 'ole fashioned smear.

Opie (real name: Adam Putnam), chairman of the House Republican Conference Committee, is one of the guys who ran with, and pushed, the phony Nancy Pelosi plane request story. Last week, as reported on MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann and reported in the Tampa Tribune newspaper, Putnam admitted to the paper that he not only doesn't know if the story is true... he doesn't care.

He reportedly read it in the Washington Times, notorious right-wing rag owned by Rev. Sun Myung Moon, a creepy man who has very strong ties to the Republican Party. (For kicks, do some reading about Moon sometime.)

This is precisely the kind of smears, accusations and reporting you can expect for the next 18 months, people. I had hoped that the Republicans were done with this type of crap, and that their smear games would be over. Fat chance.

Looks like the next generation of Republicans are picking up right where DeLay and Hastert left off: smears, fears, jeers and queers. (Sorry ~ stem cell research, abortion, banning flag burning, and a $600 billion price tag for an immoral war don't rhyme.)

* - I know that Opie's last name was Taylor and Richie's was Cunningham. It's a joke.

Saying so long to a true innovator

Last week, a true pioneer passed away recently, and I wanted to at least acknowledge his passing. Robert Adler, co-inventor of the TV remote and the man responsible for millions and millions of petty fights among spouses and partners, has passed away at the age of 93. Adler, who won an Emmy along with fellow engineer Eugene Polley for the device that made couch potatoes out of many of us, died of heart failure at a Boise, Idaho nursing home.

Rest in peace, Robert, and thanks for a great invention.

AP Photo/Chicago Sun-Times, Al Podgorski, File

Reporter crashes live on TV

Take a look at this - very funny footage of Stephanie Soviar of NBC affiliate WTHR, Indianapolis, having a, ahem, hiccup live on television. Watch and laugh.

Snowjob takes a swipe at Gore

I just caught this one over the wire.

Earlier today in a press briefing White House Press Secretary Tony Snowjob was asked what he thought about Al Gore's documentary film, An Inconvenient Truth, winning an Oscar. Snow blurted out, "I'm happy for him," and jibed, "It's good to have a second career."

Snow was formally a "journalist" for Fox Noise Channel and a radio talk-show host before being named White House press secretary last year.

Okay, so this isn't a big deal or anything, but really? Was that necessary? It's an compliment wrapped in an insult. I've worked for bosses who were masters at that sort of thing.

What an uncouth rube. I hope Gore reads statements like that and seriously considers getting into this race.

Run Al, Run.

Urge him to jump in the race Here.

Wishing Sirius Left would leave

I'm a big fan of Sirius Satellite Radio, ad most of you know by now. But, in one aspect, I wouldn't mind seeing Sirius and XM merge, because the Sirius Talk Left channel on Sirius is pretty much God-awful from top to bottom, with a few exceptions.

At the top of my list of peeves about Sirius Talk Left is Lynn Samuels (below right). She could be the worst radio talk show host I have ever heard. Ever. Samuels and Rush Limbaugh should mate to create the ultimate anti-Christ of radio.

From her voice (a dead on ringer for Linda Richman on Saturday Night Live's Coffee Talk), to her ridiculous opinions, she has no business being on radio, period. To wit, just today alone, she's laughing about a joke that Sarah Silverman made about Anne Frank's genitals; she also is whining and complaining about how several Mexican actors were waving Mexican flags last night at "the AMERICAN Academy Awards!" (emphasis hers) She later goes on to say, "They can take those Mexican flags and stick them up their f------ a----. Sniiiiiffffffffffff! Smell the diversity. This moron calls herself a Democrat?!?

Last week, Samuels said this about men, and she wasn't joking: "There isn't a man alive on Earth who doesn't hate women. Men would have exterminated women a long time ago if they could have gotten away with it - they would have just left a few of us around to make babies." Yea, sure Lynn. My favorite thing about Samuels is how she's always saying on the air, "Nobody likes me. I don't have any friends." I can't possibly imagine why. What a sick, twisted, bitter old maid.

Weekday mornings from 6-9, Bill Press (at left) is on, who's at least listenable. But, at times, I can understand why CNN fired him, too. His reasoning on the issues, whether I agree with them or not, is generally well thought out, but then he'll turn right around and revert to Sean Hannity-like name calling that gets old in about 15 minutes.

The Alex Bennett Show follows Press' show, and it's a close second to Lynn Samuels' blabbering as the most annoying show. Bennett (left) has a cohost, Garrett, argues with Bennett about everything he brings up. Nothing is out of bounds for argument between these two. When I listen to talk radio, I want to be informed, not annoyed. Some good-spirited debate is one thing, but listening to this show is akin to listening to a three-hour battle royal. The commercials during Bennett's show are like islands of reality in a sea of diarrhea.

The Thom Hartmann Show is a good one, but unfortunately, he's mostly on Air America now, and he's only on Sirius from 12-1, right before the Lynn Samuels train wreck. I like him, but I'm never around to listen to his show at noon. And, what's worse, Air America Radio has an exclusive deal with XM. Figures, too - when Air America first launched, it was on both satellite networks, but right before I get Sirius, it goes to XM. Again, that's one good thing I can point to about the proposed Sirius-XM merger - getting Air America.

The Ed Schultz Show is on from 3-6 in the afternoon, and he's my favorite. I flat out love his wit, banter, realism, and properly controlled and articulated anger. I could listen to him for six hours. I do wish he'd get more air time, but 3-6 is good, too, because that's generally when I'm driving home.

The Stephanie Miller Show follows Schultz's. So far, from what little I've heard, she's pretty good - she seems like an Ann Coulter, but more attractive, even tempered and intelligent. Basically, she's everything Coulter is not, and that's about as ringing of an endorsement as I can give.

I guess this ended up going long, but my whole point was to riff on Lynn Samuels. She's God-awful, but there aren't any other liberal channels on Sirius, and when I'm in the mood for politics, I put it on. Sometimes, however, when Samuels sends me over the edge with her absurdities, I switch over to NPR.

Joe Leaverman?

Word around the campfire is that Connecticut Independent Senator Joe Lieberman (Above right, with John McCain), who has pledged to caucus (Congressional speak for "vote with") Democrats, is considering jumping ship and moving over to the Republican party.

Let him.

The last thing this party needs is another Zell Miller, a turncoat piece of garbage if there ever was one.

Yes, if the Democrats let Lieberman go, it will cost them control of the Senate, but in all honesty, I'd much rather see the Dems stick to their principles by not letting Joe dictate to them.

And besides, in another 18 months, we'll have another election, and by then, if the Democrats have done a decent job, the party will have a realistic shot at picking up more seats in the Senate - of the 33 Senate seats up for reelection in 2008, 21 are held by Republicans and 12 by Democrats. (See map above - Dark Blue is Democrats up for a reelection, dark red Republicans, and light red is retiring Republicans. Gray states have no one up for reelection.)

What's more, the Democrats hold such a slim majority right now, they don't have the votes to simply move forward with their agenda anyway. Sure, there would be disadvantages to sharing control with the Republicans if Joe moves to the GOP, which would necessitate the parties share power, but in the end, I don't want to see Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and the Democrats get dictated to by a myopic Democrat who still blindly supports this war.

Let the GOP have a cup o' Joe.

Just dreaming...

Just a cheerful thought for your Monday. Hey, we can all dream, can't we?

Incidentally, and I know I sound like some nitpicking whiner, but I can't stand Bush's wave when he's boarding or disembarking aircraft, or even his dumb thumbs up. I don't know why, I just do. It probably has to do with that smirk that he's forever wearing when he's doing it.

British leaving Iraq, but no worries!

A British convoy in Southern Iraq last week. No truth to the rumor that they are driving straight to the Chunnel, across the English Channel and back to Great Britain.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair is under the gun in his own country, so I certainly understand the absolute necessity for his wanting to bring some British troops home.

What's quite another matter is the spin doctoring that the White House, along with Vice President Dick Cheney, put on the British withdraw.

The White House lamely tried to couch Blair's move in a positive light, saying the British pulling their troops out of the southern Iraqi city of Basra is a sign of "some progress in Basra." The British have been responsible for policing Basra since the the invasion.

Cheney is just flat out bonkers, floating above the rest of us in some alternative reality. From halfway across the globe, Shooter intoned that the British pullback is evidence that there are some areas of Iraq where "things are going pretty well."

If they are going that well, Dick, then why are we sending more troops over there? What's more, the British draw down will certainly put added pressure on already taxed U.S. forces. Blair said that Britain will withdraw around 1,600 troops from Iraq over the "coming months" and aims to cut its 7,100-strong force to below 5,000 by late summer, if local forces can secure the southern part of the country. He also announced that British troops will remain in Iraq until at least 2008 and work to secure the Iran-Iraq border and maintain supply routes to U.S. and coalition troops in central Iraq.

However, take a look at the anti-war protests in London over the weekend...

This protest took place in central London on Saturday, February 24.

Above, another offensive picture from the central London protest, with Old Glory splattered with blood. I don't enjoy these pictures any more than the next American, but it certainly is an indication of how far our fortunes have fallen around the world. Anyone else remember The Star-Spangled Banner being played outside of Buckingham Palace on September 11? I do. If we've lost our closest ally, then the president and his advisors should be taking a close look at our participation in this war. But, Shooter Cheney and Dubya insist on our current course of action, which is to escalate the war by 21,000 more Americans, because, conceivably, we have a chance at "victory."

I didn't think I'd agree with John McCain on just about anything, but I agree with his statement that he made over the weekend about how the War in Iraq "may cost him his career." He made similar statements about Tony Blair. At this point, who can disagree? Only time will tell, but I wouldn't be surprised if both of McCain's remarks turn out to be true.

Another interesting development last week - Finland announced it's bringing all of its troops home, and Lithuania is also considering bring home its remaining troops. That begs the question - who's left? The answer is not many - we now comprise about 94% of the troops in Iraq. That's some coalition, Mr. President.

The only encouraging thing about the British pullout, quite frankly, was Barack Obama's comments, which were steeped in reality.

Obama, speaking at a rally in Austin, Texas, said Tony Blair's decision this week to withdraw 1,600 troops is proof that Iraq's problems can't be solved militarily.

"Now if Tony Blair can understand that, then why can't George Bush and Dick Cheney understand that?" said Obama. "In fact, Dick Cheney said this is all part of the plan (and) it was a good thing that Tony Blair was withdrawing, even as the administration is preparing to put 20,000 more of our young men and women in.

"Now, keep in mind, this is the same guy that said we'd be greeted as liberators, the same guy that said that we're in the last throes. I'm sure he forecast sun today," Obama said to laughter from supporters. "When Dick Cheney says it's a good thing, you know that you've probably got some big problems."

That's a pretty good start to what I hope all of the Democratic candidates continue to do over the next 18 months or so - make Bush, Cheney & company eat their words about the War in Iraq.

You can even go back to Tom DeLay's quotation about the War in Kosovo to get an illustration about our situation in Iraq (bear with me). Here it is, from the New York Times April 29, 1999 edition:

"Was it worth it to stay in Vietnam to save face?" asked Representative Tom DeLay, the House majority whip. Sharply criticizing the NATO bombing campaign, he said: ''What good has been accomplished so far? Absolutely nothing."

Was DeLay talking about Kosovo or Iraq? About Kosovo, he was dead wrong, but if you use this quote about Iraq, it's spot on. And I love his point about Vietnam. We proved nothing by staying there and saving face, just as we aren't now. By the way, you know I'm feeling pretty strongly about this if I'm using a DeLay quotation - a man I despise with every fiber of my being.

Sadly, it seems that our reality-show-based society has a memory span of about two weeks, so it's up to the Democrats to remind all voters of the lies, distortions and rosy predictions that were made (and continue to be made) about this war.

I can't wait for 2008.

Third photo from top from The Huffington Post
All other photos from AP

Live Earth concerts - hopefully Philly?

This one's been on my mind for the past few weeks, but I've had so little time and so much to blog about, and more urgent things came up that I wanted to blog about first.

On February 15, Al Gore (above, center), along with Cameron Diaz (left) and Live 8 Producer Kevin Wall (right), along with Pharrell Williams, Maná, Cameron Diaz, and the MSN Network, announced the creation of Save Our Selves (SOS), a movement designed to raise awareness of the global warming crisis. SOS will reach people all over the planet through through various media, highlighted by a 24-hour concert, Live Earth, on July 7, across all seven continents. The shows will feature more than 100 top musical acts. Live Earth's Website states that the concerts alone will reach an audience of more than 2 billion people between concert goers and broadcasts. 'Way cool.

This event is the best of both worlds for me, combining two of my biggest passions - global warming and summertime concerts.

I'm pretty jacked about the whole thing, but my first thought was "Where is the U.S. show?" Evidently, Gore and Wall will keep us waiting for a bit. So far, SOS has announced the following locations:

Shanghai, China; Sydney, Australia; Johannesburg, South Africa; London, England; Brazil - TBD; Japan - TBD; Antarctica - TBD; and the United States - TBD.

First, how cool is it that the show will be in Antarctica? You go, Gore. But of course, where I really have my eye is the U.S. show. I really, REEEEEALLLLY hope the show comes to Philly. Having a concert of this magnitude in the City of Brotherly Love is not without precedent - Live AID in 1985 (Right, at the demolished JFK Stadium), and most recently Live 8 in 2005 were both held here, to great fanfare and success. Third time's the charm - let's give the organizers lots of shouts to let them know we want the U.S. show here in Philly.

What's more, our local friends are all invited come to our place to see it! For those of you who have been to our condo, you know the great view we have, and we are about a 2-minute walk from the Art Museum. If they elected to have it on Ben Franklin Parkway, like Live 8 (below left), I would be excited beyond words.

Live 8, along with the Dave Matthews Band's 2003 Central Park concert in New York City, will always be the two concerts that I missed. (Okay, and also Woodstock '99, my generation's lame attempt to emulate the original Woodstock concert in 1969.)

Live 8 was a particular disappointment, since we live so close to the Art Museum. We were away to attend my friend Tim's wedding. Of all the weekends he had to pick to get married! Oh well, I can't blame him - he picked the date long before the concert was announced, but still, he owes me one for missing that show.

Anyway, we need to contact the organizers of Live Earth to tell them to bring the U.S. show to Philadelphia. E-mail the organizers here at: info@liveearth.org.

Here is a little more information about the shows...

There will be over 100 acts at all seven concerts, and so far, here are the announced performers (and the Website says that there with many more announced in the near future):

Pharrell
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Foo Fighters
Snoop Dogg
Lenny Kravitz
Bon Jovi
Paolo Nutini
Sheryl Crow
AFI
Melissa Etheridge
John Mayer
Damien Rice
Corinne Bailey Rae
Duran Duran
Snow Patrol
John Legend
Black Eyed Peas
Akon
Enrique Iglesias
Fall Out Boy
Maná
Keane
Kelly Clarkson
Korn
Faith Hill w/ Tim McGraw
Bloc Party

Anyway, let's do all we can to try to bring the Live Earth concert to Philadelphia. Don't forget to drop the organizers a quick line at info@liveearth.org, and let's keep our fingers crossed!

A great Oscar night

The sixth time was the charm for America's greatest director. Marty Scorsese was finally awarded by the Academy tonight with an Oscar. It's about time. It was great to see him bask in the glory, to hollers and shouts from the audience. Once he reached the stage, he was smiling from ear to ear. He only had a moment to soak it all in backstage, though - The Departed won Best Picture moments later.

I haven't seen The Departed yet, but as I watched Scorsese on stage, I kept thinking of Goodfellas, and how he deserved an Oscar for that movie.

It was also wonderful to see Melissa Etheridge win for her song "I Need to Wake Up" from Gore's An Inconvenient Truth. I noticed a few things when Etheridge won. First, she kissed her partner, Tammy Lynn Michaels. Then, when she reached the stage, she referred to Michaels as "her wife." That was a cool moment, and undoubtedly an important one to many gay people. It's a signal that progress is being made, but we've still got a long way to go before gays are treated like any other American in the courts and in society.

Massive fraud in Iraq, & who gets screwed?

That would be the American taxpayer.

Last week, it was reported that there has been massive fraud in Iraq, and billions (yes, BILLIONS) of dollars are missing and can't be traced. Reports vary between $10-$12 billion in unaccounted funds, and that number is certain to climb higher when all of the dispensation of money is examined. But, the billion dollar question is, will this fiasco get investigated at all?

The Democrats had better have game on this one, because this is the chief reason America brought the Democrats back to power - to bring about much needed change and oversight to our government, something we haven't had during the entire Bush Administration.

Billions of dollars wasted - this is what happens when there's no oversight in our government. David M. Walker, the Comptroller General and head of the Government Accountability Office, has publicly said, "There is no accountability" regarding the missing money.

I can't overstate my outrage about these reports. This war is bankrupting my generation, and at least a few generations to follow. And, what's the response from this administration and this government? So far, not much.

Even more stupefying ~ the government reportedly sent entire planes filled with pallets of money to Iraq, and no one knows where the money went. And we're not talking chump change here - we're talking about $12 billion in cash, at least. It's just beyond words.I'd really love to know where all of the people are who typically complain and whine about our sending billions overseas, to countries like Africa, etc? Nowhere to be found is where.

I've got an idea ~ how about an airplane filled with $12 billion in cash land at the airport in New Orleans, and have it distributed to the needy who still have no homes, 1/2 a city and a host of troubles, including levees that still aren't nearly as adequate as they need to be. (With oversight, of course - something foreign to this government, so it seems.) If that happened, there would be a big outcry about "giving money to the poor." Guaranteed.

But, there hasn't been much of an uproar about this issue, and it's inexcusable.

There should be an immediate investigation by Congress, and I urge all of you to write your U.S. House of Representative (Click Here) and your Senators (Click Here) and demand they do something about it. (I've already written my U.S. House Rep. and both of my Senators.)

Here's a brief passage from the New York Times that I found online tonight from its February 7 edition (yea, I'm a little behind on blogging):

A House committee report on Tuesday questioned whether some of the billions of dollars in cash shipped to Iraq after the American invasion -- mostly in huge, shrink-wrapped stacks of $100 bills -- might have ended up with the insurgent groups now battling American troops.

The report was released by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee at a hearing when Democrats sharply questioned the former American civilian administrator in Iraq, L. Paul Bremer III, about lax management of the nearly $12 billion in cash shipped to Iraq between May 2003 and June 2004.

Mr. Bremer defended his performance as head of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, noting that the United States had to bring tons of American dollars into Iraq because the country had no functioning banking system.

''We had to pay Iraqis in cash,'' Mr. Bremer said of the money, most of which came from Iraqi oil sales. ''Delay would have been demoralizing and unfair to millions of Iraqi families.''

Unfair to Iraqi families, eh, Mr. Bremer? How about how unfair it is to American families? Has anyone considered that far out notion? Then again, I should take anything Bremer says with a grain of salt - his mismanagement of Iraq is well documented, and his decisions disastrous. For all we know, Bremer, one of the biggest disgraces in the history of American government, could have a Swiss bank account with a a million or two stashed away. How the hell would anyone know?

Even more damning is that neither our government nor the Iraqi government can answer whether any of the money ended up in the hands of our enemies in Iraq, who are picking off our troops just about every day.

Bremer is just the tip of the iceberg, though. There are many other people who need to be held accountable in this financial fiasco, the depths of which have only begun to be explored. Where is Donald Rumsfeld in all of this? Dick Cheney? Paul Wolfowitz? President Bush?

This is more than politics, folks - it's fraud, grand larceny, and treason. I don't care who is in the White House ~ this criminal behavior needs to be made public, and the guilty people need to be held accountable. I'm not holding my breath, but that's not good enough, either. We cannot afford, literally and figuratively, to let this one pass.

Predictably, some Republicans are just eager to sweep the whole mess under the rug, just like the good 'ole days during the GOP's reign in Congress during the last 12 years. I hope and pray that is not the ultimate outcome of this mess.

More from the Times article:

Republican committee members accused the panel's Democratic leaders of rehashing old allegations against Mr. Bremer and the conduct of American forces in Iraq for political gain.

''Self-righteous finger-wagging will not make Iraq any more secure,'' said Representative Tom Davis of Virginia, the [House Oversight and Government Reform] panel's ranking Republican. He said Mr. Bremer was asked to take charge of a ''country with, basically, no government.''

Really, Tom? There's a difference between political sniping and certain issues that should transcend traditional politics as usual. This is one of those issues. This isn't about political gain for the Democrats, or at least it shouldn't be. An investigation should go after whomever is responsible, be it corporations, politicians, Republicans, Democrats, etc. From no-bid contracts, to cronyism, fraud and downright criminal behavior, this investigation should rip the lid off of all of it. One thing's for sure - an investigation won't happen unless we demand one.

If you can pick one thing that has happened during this administration to write your elected Congressional representatives about, this is it.

So, let's get going.

YES! Gore's film wins, but no announcement

10:48: "Yes!" I shout it out loud and proud - Al Gore's film, An Inconvenient Truth, has won best documentary. Director Davis Guggenheim (above, at mic) invited Al Gore on stage, and he went up. No big announcement, though. As I've written before, I'm still holding out hope. It is relatively early, but if he doesn't get on board soon, he will be much to far behind in raising money, which would damage his candidacy.

Still a sweet night, though. Now, I'm just hoping for Etheridge and Scorsese.

Congratulations, Davis and Al - you've both done a valuable, important public service.

Has Mike Wallace gone soft?

Earlier tonight on 60 Minutes, journalism legend Mike Wallace interviewed Fox Noise Channel's Bill O'Reilly. I was underwhelmed.

I didn't expect a shouting match, but I did expect, and hoped for, tough questions. Not because Mike was interviewing blowhard Bill (okay, maybe a little), but because Wallace, unlike his son, Chris Wallace, who is picture-postcard proof of a hack if there ever was one, has a well-deserved reputation for going after guests and asking tough questions.

Fizzle.

Wallace did take Bill to task for several things, including Bill's pointing at him and guests on his show (wife's advice be damned); pointing out Bill's incorrect assertion on Maria Shriver; and for arguing with guests he doesn't agree with (which seems to be just about everyone).

But, there were some whoppers that Wallace didn't approach. How about a Keith Olbermann question? Bill-O has a notoriously short fuse, and that would have undoubtedly lit it. The Wallace of 20 years ago would have wasted no time going there. But tonight, no mention of Keith.

How about O'Reilly falsely boasting about having won two Peabody Awards when he hosted Inside Edition? (He later cleared it up after Al Franken bitch slapped him by saying, "I misspoke, I called a Polk Award a Peabody Award." The show did win a single Polk Award, but after Billy left. He just utters these lies thinking no one will check on their accuracy.)

And what about a host of other lies, including O'Reilly's repeated assertion that he never tells guests to "shut up." He even repeated this whopper during Wallace's interview, stating that his staff went back and looked up how many times he's said it since being on the air, and they found "six times" when he told guests to shut up. The irony isn't lost on me that Bill lies about his lying.

That's my issue with him more than anything - he lies. Lies, lies, lies. And no one calls him on it. Political differences I can deal with - I listen to Tucker Carlson, Joe Scarborough and even Michael Smerconish from time to time. But, the far right idiotas who just lie, degrade, defame and name call, like Billy, aren't worthy of my time. I laugh with glee at people who equate O'Reilly with Al Franken, and I've heard this from a number of conservatives I know. Really? When's the last time Franken told someone to shut up, or threatened a guest on his show with violence, or was sued for sexual harassment? Just a thought.

Is there anyone who believes O'Reilly anymore? One can hear Billy say "shut up!" six times in a few shows, or in a week at the most. The thing is, there are people who believe whatever he says and take it at face value. Very few people take him to task for his lies and distortions.

Not even Mike Wallace.

I just dug up Billy and Franken fighting at the Book Expo on C-Span. This is how Billy reacts when called on a lie. When he's busted for lying, O'Reilly calls it a vicious attack. Really, it's just someone calling bullshit on his lies.

Anyway, enjoy - this is good stuff.



One final thought - Bill O'Reilly accusing someone, anyone, of being blinded by ideology is the height of idiocy, and hypocrisy.

Vilsack leaves race, surprising no one

So, former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack is out of the race, and it hasn't even started yet. I won't confess to knowing much about him, but that's part of why it's a sad commentary on the state of our political system that we all didn't have a chance to find out more about him.

There's little question that Vilsack bowed out of the race before we even got to learn how to properly announce him name because of money. Unless you have a tremendous money raising machine in place, you're toast before you even get started.

And that's just wrong.

I hope I live to see the day when the wealthiest candidates, or the candidates with the most fundraising prowess, aren't the only people who can mount a viable campaign for the presidency. American can and must be much better than that.

Vilsack's announcement on Friday surprised no one, but again, that's sad - it surprised no one because everyone knew he wasn't going to be able to raise money to be in the race for long.

Photo from AP

Academy Awards have begun

A few quick thoughts on the Academy Awards so far, at 9:15 p.m.

Up until a year or two ago, I wasn't too crazy about Ellen DeGeneres. I don't have any specific reason; her humor just didn't hit my funny bone. But, there's more to Ellen than her humor, and I realize that now. But, she's funny! Ten minutes into the show, she makes a funny joke about Al Gore and his being elected by America, but being at the Academy Awards. I don't really remember the whole joke, but it was funny.

Speaking of Al Gore (Above, with wife Tipper, arriving at the show), I'm really, really pulling for his film, An Inconvenient Truth, to take the two awards its up for tonight. And of course, I'm really hoping for an announcement by Al tonight along the lines of "I'm running for president." That would be great. I realize that it almost certainly won't happen, but it would be awesome, and historic, too.

I'm looking forward to hearing Melissa Etheridge (Above, Right, with partner Tammy Lynn Michaels) perform "I Need to Wake Up" tonight. I hope the theme song for An Inconvenient Truth wins, but either way, it will be cool to see it sung live. I flat out love Etheridge, but even moreso for contributing such a great song to a great movie.

Lastly, I'm reeeeallllly pulling for Martin Scorsese. The greatest living American director is more than overdue to win an Oscar. I hope tonight's the night. And I still haven't seen The Departed, so I need to get my act together.

###

Melissa's performing now - she's awesome. And they are displaying the words from the end of the movie with her performance. 'Way cool!

Okay, Gore was just on stage with Leo DiCaprio, and no announcement, but they did make a joke out of it. I'm not giving up hope on Gore running in '08, though. You can urge him to run by clicking Here.

Back to blogging - more after the show.

Photos from AP