Hey they caught the creepy poligamist morman David Koresh dude in Vegas I heard. Creepy guy, with a creepy compound. Hes nuts but not as nuts as the nutbags following this criminal. When you're a 45 year old mom and pop giving your 10 and 12 year old daughter to this dude to flock.... kickin all the male kids out of town, and generally turning the towns people into seditionist. What a basterd. And...apparently a CNN anchor left her mic on when she went to the bathroom?I need to hear that clip, wow that sounds bad, not because of the bathroom, I heard she was talking shit during the president speaking?.

literary error in madgardener history.

Disaster capitalism: how to make money out of misery

The privatisation of aid after Katrina offers a glimpse of a terrifying future in which only the wealthy are saved

Naomi Klein
Wednesday August 30, 2006
The Guardian

The Red Cross has just announced a new disaster-response partnership with Wal-Mart. When the next hurricane hits, it will be a co-production of Big Aid and Big Box. This, apparently, is the lesson learned from the US government's calamitous response to Hurricane Katrina: businesses do disaster better.

"It's all going to be private enterprise before it's over," Billy Wagner, emergency management chief for the Florida Keys, currently under hurricane watch for tropical storm Ernesto, said in April. "They've got the expertise. They've got the resources." But before this new consensus goes any further, perhaps it's time to take a look at where the privatisation of disaster began, and where it will inevitably lead.

The first step was the government's abdication of its core responsibility to protect the population from disasters. Under the Bush administration, whole sectors of the government, most notably the Department of Homeland Security, have been turned into glorified temp agencies, with essential functions contracted out to private companies. The theory is that entrepreneurs, driven by the profit motive, are always more efficient (please suspend hysterical laughter).

We saw the results in New Orleans one year ago: Washington was frighteningly weak and inept, in part because its emergency management experts had fled to the private sector and its technology and infrastructure had become positively retro. At least by comparison, the private sector looked modern and competent.

But the honeymoon doesn't last long. "Where has all the money gone?" ask desperate people from Baghdad to New Orleans, from Kabul to tsunami-struck Sri Lanka. One place a great deal of it has gone is into major capital expenditure for these private contractors. Largely under the public radar, billions of taxpayer dollars have been spent on the construction of a privatised disaster-response infrastructure: the Shaw Group's new state-of-the-art Baton Rouge headquarters, Bechtel's battalions of earthmoving equipment, Blackwater USA's 6,000-acre campus in North Carolina (complete with paramilitary training camp and 6,000-foot runway).

I call it the Disaster Capitalism Complex. Whatever you might need in a serious crunch, these contractors can provide it: generators, watertanks, cots, port-a-potties, mobile homes, communications systems, helicopters, medicine, men with guns.

This state-within-a-state has been built almost exclusively with money from public contracts, including the training of its staff (overwhelmingly former civil servants, politicians and soldiers). Yet it is all privately owned; taxpayers have absolutely no control over it or claim to it. So far, that reality hasn't sunk in because while these companies are getting their bills paid by government contracts, the Disaster Capitalism Complex provides its services to the public free of charge.

But here's the catch: the US government is going broke, in no small part thanks to this kind of loony spending. The national debt is $8 trillion; the federal budget deficit is at least $260bn. That means that sooner rather than later the contracts are going to dry up. Insiders call it the "homeland security bubble".

When it bursts, firms such as Bechtel, Fluor and Blackwater will lose their primary revenue stream. They will still have all their hi-tech gear giving them the ability to respond to disasters, while the government will have let that precious skill wither away - but now they will rent back the tax-funded infrastructure at whatever price they choose.

Here's a snapshot of what could be in store in the not-too-distant future: helicopter rides off rooftops in flooded cities at $5,000 a pop ($7,000 for families, pets included), bottled water and "meals ready to eat" at $50 a head (steep, but that's supply and demand), and a cot in a shelter with a portable shower (show us your biometric ID, developed on a lucrative homeland security contract, and we'll track you down later with the bill).

The model, of course, is the US healthcare system, in which the wealthy can access best-in-class treatment in spa-like environments while 46 million Americans lack health insurance. As emergency-response, the model is already at work in the global Aids pandemic: private-sector prowess helped produce life-saving drugs (with heavy public subsidies), then set prices so high that the vast majority of the world's infected cannot afford treatment.

If that is the corporate world's track record on slow-motion disasters, why should we expect different values to govern fast-moving disasters such as hurricanes or even terrorist attacks? It's worth remembering that as Israeli bombs pummelled Lebanon not so long ago, the US government initially tried to charge its citizens for the cost of their own evacuations. And, of course, anyone without a western passport in Lebanon had no hope of rescue.

One year ago, New Orleans's working-class and poor citizens were stranded on their rooftops waiting for help that never came, while those who could pay their way escaped to safety. The country's political leaders claim it was all some terrible mistake, a breakdown in communication that is being fixed. Their solution is to go even further down the catastrophic road of "private-sector solutions."

Unless a radical change of course is demanded, New Orleans will prove to be a glimpse of a dystopian future, a future of disaster apartheid in which the wealthy are saved and everyone else is left behind.

· Naomi Klein's book on disaster capitalism will be published in spring 2007.

http://www.nologo.org

Deputy Prime Minister of UK: "Bush is crap...Bush is just a cowboy with his Stetson on."
2006: Incumbents should be filling their trousers with butt biscuits!

. Heres one, you hear Carl Rove lost 20 pounds? Yeah apparently hes denied doing anything wrong leaking Valery Plames names so much,it lightened the load.

Fox News' Ratings Take a Nosedive

Posted Tuesday August 29, 2006 at 05:12 PM

Somewhere, Keith Olbermann is sticking pins in a Bill O'Reilly voodoo doll: Fox News' ratings, TVNewser reports, are down since August of last year. Like, way down. Like down 28 percent in primetime among all viewers, down 20 percent in primetime in the "money demo" (viewers aged 25-54) and down 7 percent in daytime viewership overall. In fact, the only place Fox is up is during the day, when they managed a ratings increase of just 2 percent, and even then only in the money demo.

And lest you think this is an industry-wide trend, consider this: over the same time period, CNN and MSNBC are up. CNN's up 35 percent during the day -- 46 percent in the money demo -- and up 21 percent in primetime overall, 25 percent in the money demo. MSNBC's ratings increases aren't quite as impressive -- up 6 percent in primetime overall, 8 percent in the money demo, and up 36 percent in the money demo during the day, 26 percent overall.

We, of course, are Fair and Balanced here, so there won't be any celebrating later tonight. Certainly we will not be opening any champagne. That would be wrong.

- Alex Koppelman

Deputy Prime Minister of UK: "Bush is crap...Bush is just a cowboy with his Stetson on."
2006: Incumbents should be filling their trousers with butt biscuits!

about 20 pounds of bullshit just sloshin around over and over again..... Turdblossom....its like now the country understands the nickname, but be it too late?

WHEN he knew that Armitage was a primary leaker and why he waited to say it until he was selling a book? And does he think his own delay protected Armitage, Rove and the Republicans?

WHY he couldn't wait for a book to trash Clinton but waited God knows how long to set up a book deal with this Plame information?

Rove lost 20? I lost 14 so far this year! who new we'd have one thing in common. NOt that there's anything wrong with losing weight. I think, though, in Karl's case his weight loss is compensentation for the growing weight of the guilt in his heart. (At least I hope so.)

Great to see you!

Deputy Prime Minister of UK: "Bush is crap...Bush is just a cowboy with his Stetson on."
2006: Incumbents should be filling their trousers with butt biscuits!

Deputy Prime Minister of UK: "Bush is crap...Bush is just a cowboy with his Stetson on."
2006: Incumbents should be filling their trousers with butt biscuits!

Bush comparing all Americans to the enemy like Hitler saying the Pols drank blood.   For info on this type of behavior, and to get a glims into what Rumsfeld is trying to do look up Crystal Night at sites like

www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/kristallnacht.html

www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/GERcrystal.htm

August 30, 1800 - Gabriel Prosser leads a slave rebellion in Richmond, Virginia

August 30, 1850 - Honolulu, Hawaii, becomes a city

August 30, 1862 - American Civil War: Union forces are defeated in Second Battle of Bull Run

August 30, 1909 - Burgess Shale fossils discovered by Charles Doolittle Walcott

August 30, 1945 - Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, General Douglas MacArthur lands at Atsugi Air Force Base.

August 30, 1963 - Hotline between U.S. and Soviet leaders goes into operation.

August 30, 1965 - Rock musician Bob Dylan releases his influential album Highway 61 Revisited featuring the song "Like a Rolling Stone."

August 30, 1967 - Thurgood Marshall is confirmed as the first African American Justice of the United States Supreme Court.

August 30, 1984 - STS-41-D: The Space Shuttle Discovery takes off on its maiden voyage.

August 30, 1993 - The first episode of the Late Show with David Letterman airs on CBS, following Letterman's move from NBC.

August 30, 2005 - The 17th Street Canal in New Orleans is breached during Hurricane Katrina, leading to massive flooding and destruction.

Bomar

Guess it's off limits to ask the press (Isikoff) about its own agenda, especially if he's a regular show guest.

Rachel, you sounded like you were congratulating him for dismantling the Wilsons' case against their attackers.

who boils people?

Isikoff is a big as flirty gossip himself. What's worse is his amusement at the treachery and it's possibly confusing the civil trial arguments. He just lost credibility in my world.

Deputy Prime Minister of UK: "Bush is crap...Bush is just a cowboy with his Stetson on."
2006: Incumbents should be filling their trousers with butt biscuits!

Her agenda sounds more and more like it's driven by the reichwing. Her focus is apparently on titilation, not substance. Too bad. She also is using the same gimmicks Marc Maron used, but they were obviously 'wrong' when Marc employed them.

Deputy Prime Minister of UK: "Bush is crap...Bush is just a cowboy with his Stetson on."
2006: Incumbents should be filling their trousers with butt biscuits!

August 30, 1797 - Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, English writer (d. 1851)

August 30, 1871 - Ernest Rutherford, New Zealand physicist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry (d. 1937)

August 30, 1884 - Theodor Svedberg, Swedish chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1971)

August 30, 1893 - Huey Long, American politician (d. 1935)

August 30, 1896 - Raymond Massey, Canadian actor (d. 1983)

August 30, 1898 - Shirley Booth, American actress (d. 1992)

August 30, 1901 - Roy Wilkins, American civil rights leader (1981)

August 30, 1906 - Joan Blondell, American actress (d. 1979)

August 30, 1908 - Fred MacMurray, American actor (d. 1991)

August 30, 1912 - Edward Mills Purcell, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1997)

August 30, 1918 - Ted Williams, baseball player (d. 2002)

August 30, 1919 - Kitty Wells, American singer

August 30, 1930 - Warren Buffett, American entrepreneur

August 30, 1935 - John Phillips, American singer (The Mamas and the Papas) (d. 2001)

August 30, 1947 - Peggy Lipton, American actress

August 30, 1948 - Lewis Black, American comedian

August 30, 1951 - Timothy Bottoms, American actor

August 30, 1972 - Cameron Diaz, American actress

Bomar

but your average sank because of your flawless flossing.

And thanks for your efforts to let the AAR lineup shakeup cat out of the bag. How late can one wait before telling your listeners know about what is clearly going to be a major schedule  redo. Thousands and thousands of people are like, how the hell am I going to have to  reschedule my day? Inquiring ears want to know.

Oh, and if any AAR exec-types (you do have them, right?) are reading this, I would advise you to come up with a station mascot (ala Boudreaux) or something similarly endearingly marketable. Your corporate identity needs some serious rethinking. I'm thinking an animal with GI-NORMOUS freaking ears.

And please change the off-air music at least once a year.

I'm just saying. 

Thanks for listening back. 

This Movie or Documentary, "When the Levee Broke", which aired on HBO yesterday was fantastic. 

It was the best four hours I ever spent with HBO.

If you have not seen the Documentary, you need to watch it.

I recorded it for all I know to be able to watch.

The Documentary will be repeating again this evening on HBO2.

Bomar

Here's the whole text. All true though.
-----------------
Cue Imperial Death March!
Impeach Bush!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060829/ap_on_el_se/frist_medical_license

Frist is retiring from the Senate at the end of the year to consider a presidential run. As a senator, Frist doesn't maintain a medical practice but routinely emphasizes his experience as a doctor.

Frist recently took blood-pressure tests on Iowans during a visit to the state that holds the first presidential caucuses. He also keeps the letters "MD" next to his name on his Senate office door and has been known to keep a doctor's bag and lab coat on hand on the campaign trail or in his Capitol Hill office.
[...]

Tennessee law states that doctors who fail to do their continuing medical education "will be subject to disciplinary action."

Dan Warlick, a Nashville lawyer who represents doctors in trouble with the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners, said a case such as Frist's would likely be taken seriously.

"They have been routinely revoking licenses for physicians who have misrepresented to the board what they have done," Warlick said.

"Medicine changes," Warlick added. "If you're telling them you're keeping up, and you're not, that would be a very significant problem for the board to have to deal with."

Lehigh said in a statement that Frist independently keeps abreast of medical developments.

"Dr. Frist regularly speaks with physicians on the cutting edge of medical research, reads numerous medical journal articles and attends medical meetings," Lehigh said.

Separated at Birth?

I am sorry Rachel, but if we cannot have competent, caring officials in positions of power, and there is no possible hope of electing competent caring people into positions of power (I live in ohio), maybe we need competent caring people to PRETEND to be in positions of power, to show people what the correct solutions ARE!

I am struck by the irony of Rummy comparing Bush critics to Nazi appeasers. Didn't George's grandpa do a little more than appease the Nazi's? Like do business with them all through the war? Until the congress had to tell him to stop?

...when you go off in groups to "that room".

The mystery is gone...

The first thing Great Britain did after appeasing Hitler was to rearm itself. In the waning years of WW2 Hitler thought Chamberlain had pulled the wool over his eyes, buying time for GB to prepare for war and regretting he hadn't initiated the Battle of Britain earlier.

on a pirate ship. Eh, Capn?

Oh a sailor goes to many lands

and travels where he pleases

But he always remembers to wash his hands

So's he don't gets no diseases.

-Capn Carl (from PeeWee's Playhouse)

...Popeye, ye Sailor man.

Check out this piece in an Indian paper about Brownie coming clean and confessing he was asked to lie.  Then ask yourself: on the 1-year anniversary of the flooding of New Orleans, why did the US mainstream press not pick this up???

http://www.dailyindia.com/show/55052.php/Brown-says-White-House-wanted-him-to-lie

There was a pirate ship and Cap'n Crusty was in charge.

One day while at sea, his 2nd in charge came over to him and said, "Captain Captain, there is another pirate ship out there what do you want us to do?"

Cap'n Crusty replies. "Jimbo, get me my red shirt" so Jimbo fetches his red shirt and Cap'n Crusty puts it on and they fight with the other ship for hours and win a fantastic arduous battle.

Exahusted they all sit down and enjoy a wonderful meal together celebrating their victory.

One of the men says how wonderful it was they won but wanted to know why Cap'n Crusty wore the red shirt.

Cap'n Crusty replies, "well if I had of kept my old shirt on and was stabbed or shot the blood would of shown up and you would of been affraid and start to panic and loose the battle, but because it was red you continued to fight." "ahhh Yes very good, they reply".

A few weeks later they are at sea again, and Jimbo approaches Cap'n Crusty.  "Sir, there are 10 pirate ships gathering towards us, what shall we do"

Cap'n Crusty replies, "Jimbo, get me my brown pants."!!!!

Bomar

What could Air America do to Rachel's show that would be better than it is now?  I'm afraid of what they might announce, but I guess, if it were my choice, and it HAD to be changed, then I'd dump Jerry Springer and give Rachel his time spot.  And I'm move Mark Riley into Rachel's time spot.

Maybe Kathryn Lanpher could have a show?  I miss her with Al.

nmhank

Clown acrobat crushed to death in Ireland circus accident
August 29, 2006 6:10 AM The Associated Press

DUBLIN, Ireland A clown acrobat performing in Ireland has been crushed to death by a cage he was hanging from. This, after a balloon that was helping hold it up caught fire.

Police say dozens of children were in the audience at the time, and some people thought the falling cage was part of the act.

The accident happened last night as the Royal Russian Circus was performing in a village in western Ireland. Police say the clown was a 26-year-old man from Belarus, but didn't release his name.

The man's wife, who was also part of the act, suffered a broken arm.

About a half-dozen circuses, employing mostly Eastern European performers, tour Ireland each summer.

...doesn't all this secrecy sound like the Bush Administration?  For once, couldn't the board engage in something a little more like the transparency we'd all like in our government?

Just asking. 

... for when we attack Frisco.

Cap'n Crusty walked into a bar and the bartender said,
"Hey, I haven’t seen you in a while. What happened, you look terrible!"

"What do you mean? I’m fine," replied Cap'n Crusty.

"What about that wooden leg? You didn’t have that before", said the bartender.

"Well," replied Cap'n Crusty, "We were in a battle at sea and a cannon ball hit my leg but the Doc fixed me up, and I’m fine, really."

"Oh yeah? Well what about that hook? The last time I saw you, you had both hands", said the bartender. 

"We were in another battle and we boarded the enemy ship, replied Cap'n Crusty.  I was in a sword fight and my hand was cut off but the Doc fixed me up with the hook, and I feel great, really."

"Oh," said the bartender,"What about that eye patch? The last time you were in here you had both eyes."

"One day when we were at sea some birds were flying over the ship. I looked up and one of them crapped in my eye, replied Cap'n Crusty."

"You’re kidding," said the bartender, you couldn’t have lost an eye just from some bird crap!"

"Well, responded Cap'n Crusty, I really wasn’t used to the hook yet."

Bomar

This Union is really pissed at Bush Buddy and his Administration.

Bomar

...today.

A big-city republican't lawyer was representing the railroad in a lawsuit filed by a farmer named Bomar.  Bomar's prize bull, "Bomber", was missing from the section through which the railroad passed. Bomar only wanted to be paid the fair value of the bull.

The case was scheduled to be tried before the justice of the peace in the back room of the general store.

The attorney for the railroad immediately cornered Bomar and tried to get him to settle out of court. The lawyer did his best selling job, and finally Bomar agreed to take half of what he was asking.

After Bomar had signed the release and took the check, the young republican't lawyer couldn't resist gloating a little over his success, telling Bomar, "You know, I hate to tell you this, old man, but I put one over on you in there. I couldn't have won the case. The engineer was asleep and the fireman was in the caboose when the train went through your ranch that morning. I didn't have one witness to put on the stand. I bluffed you!"

Bomar replied, "Well, I'll tell you, young feller, I was a little worried about winning that case myself, because that durned bull came home this morning."

Bomar

I'm with skiddlybop (never thought I'd say that). I see no reason to kiss up to Isikoff (except that you have to be nice to people to get them on your show). Newsweek was a big media cheerleader of the Iraq war. In gathering news, Isikoff does sometimes report facts (and facts have a notorious liberal bias). But I'm not sure that makes him a friend of progressive causes. Just not a total chump of a reporter.

RM is often too nice to people that she has on. She was way too nice to Kerry about “i don't want to look backward” to the criminal conduct in Ohio. [critical ramble deleted] I'm not suggesting she open up a can of Amy Goodman on everybody – eg. Dean can't get sympathetic treatment from the media anywhere, so an interview with him should just give him a chance to talk. I guess it goes on a case-by-case basis, but Newsweek is, who? Time-Warner? Or is it GE-Time-Warner-Bechtel-Ratheon-Halliburton now? You might want to fumigate the fellow before you let him in the studio.

A man is driving down a country road, when he spots, Bomar the farmer, standing in the middle of a huge field of grass.

He pulls the car over to the side of the road and notices that Bomar is just standing there in the field, doing nothing, looking at nothing.

The man gets out of the car, walks all the way out to Bomar and asks him, "Ah excuse me mister, but what are you doing?"

Bomar replies, "I'm trying to win a Nobel Prize."

"How?" asks the man, puzzled.

"Well, Bomar said, I heard they give the Nobel Prize . . . to people who are out standing in their field."

Bomar

As a woman I have done every diet one can think of. So I know Rove's weight loss will rebound and he will be bigger than before. Sinsce he lost it throught "clean livin' ". Will he have gained it back by dirty livin'?

First... who boils people?  The Uzbeks, and maybe others... also they do it in the name of the Bush Admin.  (They didn't ok that crap with me so it's not in our/my name)

Armitiage, is that really news?  Didn't we know that?  But really I am sick of people saying, oh I'm sure he didn't mean it.  This guy didn't tell investigators did he?  So he leaked this info allows it to smear people and launch investigations but also still has a security clearance.

Last, not knowing as much as the Yes Men and others invovled but this sounds like, total fraud commited by those in power.  Basically they wanted to kick out the poor people and they are getting away with it, if they are in fact not damaged as they claim then there is no right to do that at least without compensation under imminent domain.  But since they probabaly don't own the property and it is public low income property then it is basically just screw the poor what are they gonna do about it?  How is it NOT that, how is that NOT cruel? 

Word.

MIKE MALLOY FIRED BY AIR AMERICA RADIO

There will be no Mike Malloy program today Wednesday - or any day - on Air America Radio as we have been terminated. We are told its a financial decision.

We are as shocked as you are, especially since as recently as last Tuesday we were told we had the go-ahead to announce our return to NY airwaves and that our contract was "on the way."

We are told its a financial decision.

From Mike's Web Page, Link:

http://www.mikemalloy.com

Is this a reason why Rachel has not repeated her announcement from August 18th? 

Or is this a reason why Rachel has not been her critical self when interviewing and critiquing guests / reports these past few days?

Bomar

If not for Rachel's show I would cancel all AAR programs this second.. DAMN YOU !!!! what the FUCK are you idiots THINKING???

MIKE KEEPS ME SANE!!!

Here is a link if you want to sign the petition:

http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?Malloy&1

Bomar

Seems to me, secrecy is the #2 thing AAR management has in common with the Bush Administration.   #1 is incompetent leadership.  What a bunch of morons.  I wonder if they even know what the new lineup will be...

more, MJSharon.  Mike Malloy is perfect for late night liberal radio and I am hoping that another XM station will snap him up. 

One can accept unpopular business decisions but the fashion with which this was done can't be good for anyone, not the listeners, not the on-air personalities, and not AAR.  I am very disappointed and have to wonder about the wisdom of my own personel investment in AAR.

-

So long as Rachel, Randi, Al, and Sam are still on, I don't need to question my investment in Air America.  Because of AA, Rachel and Randi are heard around the country and can be seen on television.    

I feel very badly for Mike Malloy and his listeners, but where are all the liberals out there?  They're listening to right-wing talk radio.  They despise right-wingers, but know all the names of its radio personalties and can regurgitate what stupid things Limbaugh, Hannity, Boortz talked about.  Some excuse about "knowing thy enemy." 

How can you blame Air America?  It needs money to operate.  It needs advertisers and sponsors.  Before they can get that, they need high ratings (i.e., loyal listeners).  It's strength in numbers.

As Rachel reports, it's even hard to get Democratic representatives on AA.  If we should be angry at anyone, let's be angry at ourselves.

...is similar to that of the mainstream media, when they excuse their uncritical regurgitation of the lies of the Bush Administration and the Pentagon under the guise of "If we attack them too severely, then we'll lose access".  Or apologists whom for warmonger Democrats, "because if we don't vote for them, then we have no voice".

There comes a point when one has to chose principle over pragmatism.  It is the failure to do so that I believe has led the Democratic party to ruin, and is fast reducing AAR to little more than an outlet for tepid, doctrinaire pseudo-liberalism.