Open Thread – Surveying the Kingdom
This time of year when it’s light in the morning, I love to take my first sip of coffee looking out the window at the weather and the view, and just enjoying it for a moment before the business of the day begins. I was doing just that the other morning, and suddenly I noticed… I wasn’t alone. Someone was, literally, ahead of me. Brian the moose after apparently dozing on the lawn near one of the last patches of snow, took a few moments upon waking to enjoy the same view and lazily survey his kingdom in the morning light. He stayed there quite contentedly well into my second cup of coffee. We animals are not that different.
OK guys, whole new subject (I think) —
Did anyone listen to Bernanke’s press conference today? First one EVER given by the fed, believe it or not.
Hub and I listened to the whole thing, and we were both pretty impressed. (For a little background, Hub is kinda conservative, and me kinda liberal.)
First thing I noticed was that this guy is a TOTAL LISTENER. Some of these news people could ask 3-part questions and Bernanke would actually ANSWER each and every one, in detail, without missing a beat. He has total recall. What a smart guy.
It wasn’t just that he answered the questions — he didn’t evade them! Unlike many politicians, he answered everything he could, and when he didn’t know the answer, he said so.
The one thing that concerned us was that the media never picked up on one thing Bernanke said — that the debt situation was serious and needed to be dealt with by Congress soon. There were no real follow-up questions to that, and what’s worse, the talking heads on the networks didn’t bring it up later either.
Our economy’s fate has a lot to do with the debt, and Bernanke said it today. I’m surprised no one picked up on it.
Maybe everyone is scared to talk about it ……..
The house opinion is it will go away if we don’t talk about it. Unless of course,a Dem is Potus and then they beat him over the head with debt Dems have no control over.
And the right wing effort to eliminate all women’s rights continues:
“state Rep. John Labruzzo (R-LA) introduced a radical bill to ban any and all abortions — ever. ”
“If passed, the law — enacted to address third-party violence against a pregnant woman — would now target the woman herself and subject her to a felony charge requiring up to 15 years in jail, even if there’s a “grave risk” to the woman’s life.”
Sooo, ladies, if you become pregnant after being raped or have a life-threatening pregnancy, you get to choose between 15 years in prison or possible death. How DOES one choose between two such delightful options?
This wonderboy has also suggested paying poor women $1,000 to undergo sterilization AND offering tax incentives to college educated, higher income women to encourage them to have more children. Because clearly, the problem is that too many of the wrong color women are having babies.
I think he needs to collect his club and return to the dank, dark, fetid cave from whence he came.
http://thinkprogress.org/2011/04/27/labruzzo/
Great article by Sarah Jones about the lack of media scrutiny towards Palin:
http://www.politicususa.com/en/sarah-palin-myths
I’m not sure if this is significant or not,I just can’t help being the way I am. Brian has his back turned to AKM and makes me wonder if She done him wrong? BTW-9 Americans needlessly lost their lives in a far off land we have no business letting our brave men and women die in. More and more Americans pay the ultimate price even though the Potus said he would remove the troops. I fear that we will never bring all the soldiers home. There will be an American prescence in Iraq and Afghanistan potentially forever. The excuse will be,and I quote.”We cannot remove all military personnel from here and here. To do so will result in chaos and violence on a scale greater than if we hadn’t invaded to begin with.”
We’re in a LOT of places that we shouldn’t be at this point in time. England, Germany, Spain, Japan, to name a few easy ones. WWII is long over with, as is the Cold War. I don’t seem able to recall any NATO countries that have bases here in the US. With our Carrier Task Forces, and Amphib capabilites, a quick response is always available… the stationing of permanent troops in Europe as a deterrent should be reexamined… I don’t think the Russioans have toops massed on the borders anymore.. Korea, I can see a need for , and we have several staging bases close enough that are US property to support if things go nuts there. Iraq and Afghanistan WILL close down.. at least combat troops are out of Iraq ( offically anyway!)
and the best thing for the Phillipines was the closing of Subic Bay and Clark…( although I had some GREAT liberty time on Subic ! 🙂 )
Well and truly said,my fellow Pup.
ben, we all promised not to tell about the liberty time on Subic . . .
oooopsss !!!! it was the G&T’s talking !!!! 🙂
AKM you and Brian share an awe inspiring kingdom. so lovely.
Some lovely news to cheer you all up.
“You know, sometimes people hating the president so much that they refuse to even believe he’s even an American can lead to good things. It’s rare but it happens. Take for example the family of Dr. David A. Sinclair who had no idea until a few hours ago that his name was on President Obama’s birth certificate.
Ivalee Sinclair, the doctor’s widow, woke up this morning to discover that her late husband was the one who delivered the future leader of the free world. Talk about a nice surprise. TMZ interviewed her today and it’s clear that this was quite a charming little surprise.”
http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/04/birth-certificate-revelation-widow-discovers-that-her-husband-delivered-president-obama.php?ref=fpi
What a gorgeous view to wake up to AKM. Hope you are feeling a little (preferably a lot) better.
Ken Layne’s rants are always juicy:
http://wonkette.com/444362/donald-trumps-crappy-mens-fashion-line-made-in-china-obviously
“…Donald Trump’s crappy neckties and etc. are all made in Communist China.
Donald Trump is so easily and constantly proven to be an actual bag of bullshit wearing an orange wig, we have a hard time thinking he’s not in on the whole joke.”
Trump/”Bullseye” Palin 2012. Worth laying in a roomful of microwave popcorn and bags of circus peanuts.
At first I was disappointed that the President had gone that final step and produced his ‘long form’ BC. Then I reminded myself (“Self,” I said…) that he’s SO much smarter than I am, has lots of other really smart people around him, and they all know oodles more about politics than I do. In the past, there have been times when I cringed at a decision he’s made but, in time, he’s been proven to be right, over and over again. I’ll just trust that he and his advisors know what they’re doing.
I’ll also continue to feel very bad and embarrassed for my country and for my President that this ever became an issue in the first place. Shame on all the people who questioned his citizenship and insisted he was lying about where he was born, particularly after he produced the first COLB 2+ years ago.
Now, hopefully, those of us who are not insane can all move on to things that really matter.
I’m not thinking that the President has caved by showing his birth certificate, I’m thinking he is telling Donald to sit down and shut up until you figure out how to discuss issues seriously. The President has taken away his number one talking point so what does he come up with next – President Obama’s education. What little else Donald has talked about from high gas prices to the Libian war has fallen on deaf ears. He is part of the rich old man’s club – numerous tax breaks, multible wives and children and failing businesses of which the tax payers helped bail him out 4 times over of what we know. He is the same old tired terrible representative of the republican party that has no substance except to be a carnival barker as was said so nicely by our President. So here is the next headline for the birthers and baggers – President Obama was born in the US and he is still black, well, half black if you want to get technical.
The birthers won’t be happy with the long form. It was never about the long form. I believe it is about the color of Obama’s skin that has these people freaking out. Now that the long form record has been released,birthers can take credit for making the Potus toe the line. The form should never have been released. Rethuglican prez don’t bother to show documents. Raygun and both Bushes literally told their critics to go do the impossible considering the shape of human anatomy. Pres. Obama has tried to befriend rethugs and now has had his arms bitten off at the elbows. Gonna be tough to play golf like that.
Not only that, they can’t figure out why they don’t like him. Is he, urp, Hawaiian? Is he, gulp, African American? Is he, urg, Kenyan? Or perhaps it’s because all of these minorities are supposed to be inferior to them that they can’t take it!
More links…
http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2011/04/the-power-of-trump.html
http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2011/04/dissents-of-the-day-3.html
Lively discussions over at The Dish, as always, on today’s sensational news:
http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2011/04/the-long-form-birth-certificate.html
http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2011/04/why-did-obama-wait-so-long.html
http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2011/04/hey-you-know-thats-a-great-point.html
I have seen the first picture of Julianne Moore portraying QuittyBritches and the resemblance is amazing. Try http://tv.yahoo.com/blog/julianne-moore-as-sarah-palin-first picture. Sorry Brian.I’ll get to you next time.
this link is not working. Go to yahoo tv blog and you can scroll down and find it(I hope)
Talk about a ship of fools! The Republican hopefuls are the most ridiculous lot of losers I’ve ever seen run for high office in this country, with Trump, believing he’s some sort of Napoleon, stands on the bow, hair precariously perched on his head and hand thrust into the breast of his coat and oblivious to the rising water level about his feet.
He just proves you don’t have to be compassionate, helpful, friendly, smart, or even politically savvy to make money.
Console yourself by thinking of the 18 inch mullet that baldy comb-over requires. So-o-o attractive.
I think that thing on his head ia feeding on his brain.
Kinda reminds me of Dark Truder’s talking toupee, Trudy.
(In other words, I’m sick to death “Zula Patrol” on the television. Particularly as it is WAAAYYY too juvenile for the kid who insists on watching it. The child even says it’s “dumb”–why is it on? To torture me?)
I believe it’s actually a Tribble.
Can you imagine what it looks like when he wakes up in the morning?
There is not enough money in his bank account for me to want to face THAT sight every morning! Blecchhhh!
Oh, thanks for THAT visual, leenie! 😎
Sorry ’bout that! Let me send you some virtual brain scrubber! 🙂
Ok, I’ve calmed down now. And here is my take – most Americans don’t buy into the birther nonsense. Most Americans actually want real solutions to the very real problems we face in this country. President Obama has been hounded since 2008 about his citizenship and unless you are an insane birther, most Americans found that hounding to be distasteful I believe.
Enter Trump – Buffoon – and makes the entire birther cause even MORE of a freak show than it already was. Now that the President has released his long-form birth certificate, predictably, World Net Daily and Trump are snarking “Why did it take so long?” and Trump even went so far to take credit for pushing the issue. Good – keep beating that horse, Donald, it makes you look presidential when you latch onto insane issues with your kung-fu grip.
President Obama just succeeded in making Trump look even more ridiculous than ever. Quite the feat. Plus – I’m sure this “victory” will give Trump all that he needs to run for the nomination. Obama vs Trump – there’s a nail biter! HAHAHAHA! WND is also continuing to question the validity of even the long-form birth certificate. Of course.
As much as I wish this didn’t have to happen – I think these people need to be exposed for their thinly veiled racism. And by continuing to make an issue of the President’s citizenship – that is exactly what will happen. Oh yes, let’s not forget our gal Sarah – she’s already on Twitter snarking away. Right on schedule. Maybe the Press will finally stop treating her like a serious candidate and ask her some tough questions too.
You can always depend on fools to make ever bigger fools of themselves.
I agree with you totally. Also, I wonder what Hawaii had to do to allow the long form to be released, since that is not done. Technically, it came from the State of Hawaii, not Obama. They did him a favor.
And for anyone thinking that Obama gave in somehow, he sees the bigger picture, way beyond Trump. He is not afraid to expose himself. He truly is a president for all of us.
Just how far will “the Donald’s” hair take him? Oh a fur piece,I reckon.
Last season Trump’s ridiculous TV show was on the verge of being cancelled. This year, he’s made all kinds of noise–how are his ratings? Does anyone really wonder what Trump’s motives are?
Isn’t there an old song —-“let it all hang out” ?
I think Obama should have sued the bastard and then showed his birth certif. in court. As they say——-show me the money!
I can not believe the indignities this President has had to suffer. Trump and Co are despicable. Not only did he carry on the birther nonsense, now he’s saying Obama got into Harvard because of affirmative action. The racism is barely covered.
Trump is a carnival barker – well put, Mr. President.
As for the press? Buffoons – the lot of them.
I agree wholeheartedly. I have enormous respect for President Obama and I keep thinking how proud I was of our country election night 2008. Well, now I’m ashamed of the blatant racism of the teabaggers and the Republican Party’s leadership which has been using and fomenting this racism since President Obama took office in January 2009. They should be so ashamed of themselves!
Trump has confused Obama with dubya,who got into Yale and Harvard because “Poppy” was an alum. Dubya was given a spot over more qualified humans,that is affirmative action.
So, the Donald is so proud of himself for forcing a non-issue to a head and has the audacity to say the long form needs to be inspected, validated, etc., as if the President would continue a hoax no matter what. Quack, quack, says the Donald.
One thing I have never seen mentioned in the “birther” non-issue is the passport records. Wouldn’t they prove that President Obama’s mother was in Hawaii, or at least not outside the US when Obama was born? How far back do those records go and who can access them? Just wondering, not that any more proof would be enough for those who chose to believe what Carnival Barkers say.
I’ve brought that up, more than once, on some of the Washington Post discussion forums.
To no avail, alas!
Now the birthers will demand the state of Hawaii prove it is actually an American state and not a foreign country as some birthers have claimed.
I’ve submitted that question to factcheck.org, pollitifact, snopes. But as someone has already said, it won’t stop the tinfoil hat brigade.
Let’s just hope the whole non-troversy stops here. As well all know, though, it won’t stop with some.
Brian knows when life is good!
Okay–here’s today’s big news around town. Personally, I would have held off on doing this NEXT year (if I did it at all)!
Posted at 09:16 AM ET, 04/27/2011
White House releases Obama’s ‘long-form’ birth certificate
There’s a BRIEF article and a link to the document (pdf). I doubt it will do anything to sway the tinfoil hat brigade.
http://www.washingtonpost.com
Donald Trump is seven kinds of McA$$hole!!! Announced that he ia very proud of himself that he got the President to release the “long form” of his birth certificate.
Thank you Mr President for saying that we have more important things to do. Now Trump wants his grades? Pshaaw! Let’s see $o’s first!
For what it is worth, I would be very amused to see Trump’s transcripts…AND Quittypants’ too. Very low-brow and mean-spirited of me, I know.
*shuffles feet and looks furtive*
I know the feeling!
It seems that The Donald’s dad may have had a hand in getting him into Wharton with some well placed cash (this is after Trump’s Military school stint–poor troubled lad). As for Palin…if I represented an institution of higher learning I would not want that woman’s name connected with my school.
Well, after Trump hired Palin to investigate the birth certificate, we can be grateful that someone decided to make it go away.
http://www.doonesbury.com/strip/archive/2011/04/20
Anyway, Doonsbury’s Royal Wedding story is much more charming.
So does the TSA check under Trump’s comb-over? For brains maybe?
I just read that the WH has released a longer birth certificate form for the Potus. It won’t shut the birthers up and should never have been released. Why does this guy cave-in to rethuglican and tea-bagger demands? He will never satisfy his enemies and he gives me less and less reasons to vote for him. Being a Democrat is not a good enough reason to vote for a Dem. I want to pull my hair follicles out,but that would hurt.
The bad thing is, now that Trump has challenged him on his academic standing, he’ll have to haul out school records from K-12, plus the college he attended in CA, Columbia and Harvard. Man, I think this is the biggest invasion of privacy I’ve ever seen!
Some stuff really isn’t anyone’s business!
Oh darn, I should have looked before I posted.
But the best part is when Obama called the birthers side show, carnival barkers!!
I love it when my president gets in a zinger.
Yeah, mike, but voting Republican is immoral, and a third-party vote is wasted.
The 2010 election produced a crop of teabagger congressional freshmen and republican governors. This is what happens when democrats stay home.
Other than the top two spots, i voted straight Dem ticket in 2010. I told the whole world I was gonna vote for the top two places people I knew so I wouldn’t have to hold my nose to vote for once. Neither my #1 nephew or barber were elected,but I felt good as a registered Ind. voter.
And, Mike, there is a lot President Obama has done as head of our nation IN SPITE of the Repubs trying to block him every step of the way during these past two years. He has not done everything the way I would have liked it, but the pluses of President outweigh the negatives by a long shot!
He will have my vote come this election.
The last Dem led Congress was the most accomplished since WW2,even with the party of no dragging their heels and screaming no.
That’s dizzy way up hill as Anchorage ‘hoods go. AKM, I’ve noticed how streets have been sweeped in town. The shame of Palin isn’t something Dan Sullivan is going to repeat; it looks like spring cleaning hasn’t been left to lowest bidder.
It’s been a light winter. Nice to see Cook Inlet in the filtered view you enjoy there, way up the hill, south of town.
Good morning, AKM and Brian. What a beautiful view you have! Not the greatest of times around here. Flooding and more rain. Y U C K.
It is bad. We are all tired of the rain. Nine days straight of rain, and no end in sight. Our gardens are buried in knee-high weeds. Can’t even get to them to pull them, because the ground is too soggy. So, I am doing a Scarlet, and thinking about that tomorrow.
I do love looking at your view. How peaceful it must be to start your day looking at that water.
We think Orson the Great Horned Owl is courting. He stops by early in the morning for his chicken liver, then wings off heading East. Probably some hussy he is too embarrassed about to bring home.
Gracious! I did not know about the pneumonia! Crashing nasty stuff. I do hope you are resting and getting better every day. Peace and blessings to you.
You only need like 32 more days of rain to set the record. Constant rain is depressing as heck. So is pneumonia, I used to be the local night-owl expert when I was young and dumb. I’m older now. Orson is an enigma. If he had a life-partner,they would be fledging young ones and hunting day and night. He/she isn’t young of the year,so he/she must have a main squeeze close by. I have an extra geyser-pump and hoses if you need to pump water out of your life. Finally do you or AKM know if mooses like coffee? They can have my share of the stuff.
Lol! That’s funny! I didn’t know owls had hussies. We have been inundated with the same rain coming out of Texas. Does anything good ever come out of there?
Severe storm warnings today. Southern Ohio is already under a tornado warning. It’s my day off and I so needed to get outside before I mildew.
yep, i came out of there.
andi live to tell the story.
According to dubya from Texas,outsourcing American manufacturing jobs was good for our economy. But then so is taxcuts for the rich.
ooohhh. I’ve spent the last two days doing Field tests, and am pleasently sunned up… already got a trucker’s tan ! we’re starting our Summer pattern …sunny days w/ light breezes.. it’s tough , but SOMEBODY has to live here !!! ( ben runs from snow and mud balls flying !!)
Ben Lomond has got to be one of the most beautiful places on earth. Even the banana slugs like it! 🙂
Sweet! Even our Brian needs to take a rest. Hope you’re doing better AKM. Better to get together before Spring hits.
Beautiful. Thank you.