The Flatland Almanack

Pictures from the Earth: Nova Scotia by Judy Malley (photo-essay)

Have you been to Nova Scotia?  I haven't either.  But after looking at these photographs by Judy Malley, I'm definitely going to go there someday. 

Buck Naked Politics News Round Up: Mar.21-28

Mar. 21
Even before Iraq exploded out of control (again), Bush was saying that Iran is 'a nuclear threat.'  This is, of course, considered false by everyone in a position to know more than Bush.  Are you scared yet?  Of what Bush might still do, I mean.  Because:  did you know he is still president, and therefore Commander-in-Chief until January 2009?  Tragically, it is true.  You know, I'm sorry for all the Bush supporters who have lived to see the error of their ways---Andrew Sullivan, for instance.  But that doesn't mean I'm prepared to forget.  Thank you all very much.  And when I say "thank" I am thinking of a quite different word.

Speaking of Iraq,  Jon Stewart did a truly exemplary comedic riff commemorating the anniversary of the Iraq War, to which we now seem irrevocably married.  See the video here.

Paul Krugman provided some historical perspective on our current economic woes.  Those who forget the lessons of history, etc.

Mar. 22
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi met with the Dalai Lama to talk about Tibet.  Yes, China still gets away with murder.  Could it be because we owe them a lot of money?  Hmmmm. 

Mar. 23
Newly released government research revealed that America's underprivileged have much lower life expectancies than the privileged and over-privileged.  Is that news unsettling, or does it fit under the category of  "bleeding obvious"?  Somehow this goes on being okay with the same people whose main concern after Katrina was Trent Lott's house.  "Let them eat crack," was ever their motto.

Mar. 24
D Cupples reported on the escalating post-Surge violence in Iraq.  SPOILER:  It got worse.

Oh, those missing White House emails?  Still missing.

Mar. 25
D Cupples wondered if maybe the Surge isn't working anymore.

Want to know about the state of your stake in the Social Security fund?  There's a new report just out.

Mar. 26
Senators Baucus (Democrat) and Grassley (Republican) had some questions about the Bear Stearns bail-out.  It sounds like an idea for a joke.   "Two Senators, a Democrat and a Republican, and a bear are all together in a leaking canoe.  The bear says to the Democrat...."  Right, I'll work on it.

Mar. 27
When is a  Surge a Success?  According to the Pentagon, when it Stops Working!

Mar. 28
Gov. Siegelman, the recipient of some Bush Administration-style 'justice,'  is released from jail.  His attorney calls it a "big win in a very long war."

Soundtracks of My Life: Les Contes d'Hoffman (Offenbach) & Melanie

I admit that they don't exactly go together.   But I performed Hoffman (just in the chorus, of course), including "Helas! Mon coeur s'agare encore"  when I was in my teens; and Melanie was one of my favorite singers (and later, my favorite singer).  So there is a connection, at least as regards the Flatland Chronicles. 

City Lights: Orlando, Miami, and Jax

After dipping into Florida's small towns, time for some city lights and some architectural grandeur!

Buck Naked Politics Political Round-Up: Mar.21-28

Mar. 21
The Flag Officers who endorsed Hillary explained why she would make a better commander-in-chief.   Media coverage?  Little to none.

Bill Richardson decided that all the help he received from Bill Clinton in getting his own political career in motion didn't obligate him to support Hillary.  He endorsed Obama.

Hillary's, Obama's, and McCain's passport files were breached, putting a stop to the speculation that Hillary was behind it all that immediately followed the initial story (that Obama's files were breached).

Mar.22
James Carville compared Bill Richardson to Judas.  He has since completely failed to apologize.  D Cupples enjoyed pointing at Bill Richardson's blatantly staged endorsement speech.

Meanwhile, one of Obama's campaign co-chairs compared Bill Richardson to Sen. Joe McCarthy.

Much as I don't care for Obama's tactics or wish to reward them, this illustrative video should serve as a warning to Americans:  lighten up, or it will be raining McCain (please see the illustrative video).

Mar.23
Andrew Sullivan thinks it's terribly insulting to Obama that Hillary would presume to propose that he be Vice President. Who does she think she is? he snips.  The answer being:  Hillary Clinton.  Who on earth do you think you are?

Are Obama's advisers less progressive than advertised?  So it seems.  (Thanks to No Quarter for reprinting the story!)

D Cupples would like for you to know that just because we don't care for your candidate doesn't mean we don't like you or your mama.

Mar.24
No Quarter's Larry Johnson rebuked Obama for the McCarthy slur. 

Paul Krugman on why the financial crisis isn't at the center of the debates.  He had some depressing answers.

D Cupples would like to explain some facts about the electoral college to Obama's supporters---and you too.

Mar.25
The media were too excited by the news that Hillary's little anecdote about running through sniper fire in Bosnia was, um, embellished to care about Obama's habit of taking credit for legislation on which other senators had done all the work.  He was busy campaigning, you see.

Hillary upset Obama's campaign by actually discussing the mortgage crisis (take that, Paul Krugman!)

Mar.26
D Cupples had a word or two to say about the audacity of hypocrisy.  But that doesn't mean we think you should vote for McCain.  That's just crazy talk. McCain is Bush version 2.0.

Mar.27
John Murtha said nice things about Hillary's problem-solving skills.   

Those who don't believe in the anti-Obama backlash really need to read this.  But both Hillary and Obama want to remind you:  DEMS SHOULDN'T VOTE FOR MCCAIN.

Mar.28
Big Clinton campaign donors would have Nancy Pelosi and interested others to know:  they want the primaries to continue.

D Cupples has some news about current polls for those chomping at the bit to write Hillary off.

HELLO?  Hillary's health care plan really IS better.

A Floridiana Gloriana Nature Walk

Three beautifully detailed and expressive photographs showing how nature manifests itself here in Florida:  a blue heron, a gorgeously striated yellow and black caterpillar, and one doughty sunflower battling the breeze.  All here.

Small Town Life in Central Florida

Winter Haven, Lakeland, and Lake Wales....places that few tourists ever see but which have their own beauties (the Bok Tower Sanctuary, to name just one).  See them here.

The Gulf Coast, Sunset Over the Keys, and Photos from Florida's Psychic Community, Cassadaga

Sunset over the Florida keys----plus:

-a nautical scene from Fort Myers (very colorful)
-photos from Cassadaga, Florida's spiritualist camp
-a baby scrub jay photographed in Tampa  (compelling evidence that birds really ARE the descendants of dinosaurs....

all right here.

Long Overdue Updates: Buck Naked Politics News Round-Up (Mar.13-20)

Mar. 13
More on overbroad data mining by the FBI.  (Why don't Republicans mind?)

There was some dithering---subsequently resolved---about whether the Pentagon would release that Iraq report about which we'd all heard such intriguing things. 

Mar. 14
At the request of Republicans, the House held a secret meeting to debate FISA.  What were they debating?  It was a big old SECRET, but whatever it was,  it was supposed to convince Dems to grant telecom amnesty. 

While the Pentagon didn't distribute its report to all and sundry, journalists could request it, and ABC News promptly did.  The report revealed the shocking news that Saddam was not linked to al Qaeda.  While most of us were saying, "Duh!", a few Bush administration apologists were deconstructing the report to find some kind of link.  Given the whole thing about every two individuals being separated by a maximum of six others, they were naturally able to find some straws---probably in their hair----out of which to manufacture their bricks.

Petraeus wasn't satisfied with the progress toward political reconciliation in Iraq.  And that was before things got really bad.

Mar. 15
The FISA bill passed without telecom immunity, though with some aspects that definitely worry D Cupples.

Mar. 16
Let us consider our Bushed economy.

Mar. 17
Bear Stearns is gonna get by with a little help from its friends.

Mar. 18
For example, the government---i.e., the taxpayers, meaning you and me----is going to lend J.P. Morgan a huge chunk of cash to buy Bear Stearns.  I'm so glad that even with our tanking economy, we can afford to provide welfare for Wall Streeters.  It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  In other news, the Fed cut interest rates.

The Bush Administration was subjected to a little pressure by a pesky federal magistrate over those missing emails.

Mar. 19
As I was saying, the Fed cut interest rates.  And stock prices surged (if you'll pardon the expression).

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court was poised to strike down the District Columbia's handgun ban.

Mar. 20
And George W. Bush was still president---a president whose ratings continue to hit new lows.   On a possibly related note, 71% of Americans polled thought the Iraq War was hurting the economy.  .

House GOP members didn't want people who'd had bad experiences with credit card companies to testify about their nasty experiences.  So the Republicans used a particularly unpleasant ploy to prevent this from happening.

Long Overdue Updates: Buck Naked Politics Political Round-Up (Mar.13-20)

As the Iraq War spirals ever more out of control, the war between Democrats gets ever nastier.  Sigh.  Kids:  Whatever you do, don't vote for McCain!

Mar. 13
Though all the nonsense about the Rev. Wright eclipsed it, McCain's most recent pastor (he's been through a number of conversions en route to becoming the candidate for the Right) has argued in his published works that Islam should be destroyed.  Does McCain ascribe to these sentiments or is he merely a big old hypocrite? I asked.  And that was before the agitation over Rev. Wright.   

Keith Olbermann's---Hillary supporters have renamed him Obaman--- Very Special Bashing of Hillary:  the day on which we all gave up watching MSNBC for good.  D Cupples covered it. 

Mar. 14
Hillary Clinton's campaign strategist had the bad judgment to make a statement that could be construed as having racial overtones, causing a ruckus.  D Cupples suggested that he take a time-out from talking to the media for six weeks or so. Sheesh.Meanwhile, the first shock waves from the publication of some of Jeremiah Wright's rantings was brought to the public's attention by ABC News.  My mother, a/k/a "The Southern Lady" said she got "physically sick to her stomach" when he sang his Very Special Version of "God Bless America." 

In a speech that the media TOTALLY IGNORED, Hillary pledged to work to unify the party behind Obama if he won the nomination.  Nothing she does that doesn't fit the 'reality show villainess' story line the media have assigned to her ever gets the slightest bit of attention from the press.

Mar. 15
D Cupples reported on the substantial backlash against Obama by Hillary's supporters----an unfortunate side effect of having our candidate, and those Democrats who support her, treated with relentless disdain by other Democrats.  It's pretty clear to most of us that Obama doesn't really care about our votes. 

Mar. 16
And speaking of backlash, former Kos blogger Alegre led a walk-out or boycott by pro-Hillary Kos bloggers, sick to death of being disrespected by their fellow Kossacks.  I never looked at Kos anyway, but I've enjoyed Alegre's posts at her new home, No Quarter.  Huzzah for the brave boycotters of Kos!

In a speech that the media barely mentioned, Hillary spoke on her plan to end the Iraq War responsibly.  It was an excellent speech.

Mar. 18-19
Obama made his big CYA speech on race, heralded by his besotted span as the greatest speech since the Gettysburg address.  It was a pretty good speech, actually---but, as D Cupples pointed out, it was not without inconsistencies.

McCain proved that he doesn't really have a clue what's going on in Iraq

John Murtha endorsed Hillary Clinton.  27 Flag Rank Officers and the Get Out of Iraq Caucus did as well.   The punditocracy were too busy raving about/dissecting  Obama's speech to pay any attention.

Mar. 20
Two polls showed Hillary gaining on Obama.  It was nice while it lasted.

Hillary released records of her schedule as First Lady---many thousands of pages.  ABC News couldn't wait to tell us that she was present at the White House on the day of the fatal stained-dress tryst.

As fast as Obama's people combed through Hillary's records to 'prove' it didn't show she had the claimed foreign policy experience, the Irish Prime Minister told Obama that she played a significant role in the Irish peace process.  Discussion among the punditocracy?   Little to none. 

The Director of the NY Civil Rights Coalition---an African-America---was unimpressed with Obama's speech.