Just an update on some personal things. Draco is 10 months old and he is starting to walk. He took five steps before he plopped on his butt. He was so excited that he started clapping and giggling and it was impossible not to laugh with him. He is such a doll. Pics will be posted tomorrow.
I fit into my low rise, boot cut skinny jeans, the ones that stopped fitting 6 months before I got pregnant. I weigh 10 lbs less than I did when I got pregnant with Draco.
Yay me!
Tip for women: Low rise jeans are a godsend for gals with small waists and big butts. The waistband hits your hips and everything fits better. Regular jeans just don't fit right when you get them large enough for your rear. I always end up with 3 inches of excess waistband and that makes you look fatter. Seriously.
How many times do you need to be struck in the head by a train to learn that leaning over a track is a bad idea? Let's hope for this dork second time is the charm...
Bush is more important than anything else to you, and it shows. You could have had a chance in '04 if you had realized how to separate the two, and that it's more than saying "I support the troops," it's about your words and deeds and proposals. But why explain? You guys won't listen anyway.
HT: Wince in the comments of "For Mark and My Other Whiny "Bush Lied" Pals".
You may have already seen this but it cracked me up.
With all the sadness and trauma going on in the world at the moment, it is worth
reflecting on the death of a very important person, which almost went unnoticed
last week.
Larry LaPrise, the man who wrote "The Hokey Pokey", died peacefully at age 93.
The most traumatic part for his family was getting him into the coffin. They
put his left leg in.... And then the trouble started.
Your outrage and anger towards President Bush would simply be more palatable and reasonable if you held all those who were wrong, or in your view LIED, culpable. Fact is that you don't, none of you whiny liberals can accept responsibility for your actions and the actions of your two-faced respresentatives. Biggest bunch of crybabies I have ever seen. It's fucking shameful. Fact is that Bush COULD NOT HAVE INVADED ANY COUNTRY WITHOUT CONGRESS GIVING IT'S CONSENT. See Article 1 Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution for a refresher. We are in Iraq because Congress authorized it. Congress authorized it because they had a long held belief that Saddam needed to go. Bush didn't trick anyone, didn't lie to them. These fuckers were talking shit before Bush was in office. Of course, if you blamed them then you'd look the fool as well. Whatever. As far as I can see, your choice is to vote for people that lied to you, are so stupid that they were tricked by intel they were too lazy to read, or Dennis Kucinich. Enjoy the 2006 election and look at the bright side. You still have 2 years to convince yourselves that the Democrats are the innocent victims in this drama. Till then, enjoy these:
"[W]e urge you, after consulting with Congress, and consistent with the U.S. Constitution and laws, to take necessary actions (including, if appropriate, air and missile strikes on suspect Iraqi sites) to respond effectively to the threat posed by Iraq's refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction programs."
-- From a letter signed by Joe Lieberman, Dianne Feinstein, Barbara A. Milulski, Tom Daschle, & John Kerry among others on October 9, 1998
"This December will mark three years since United Nations inspectors last visited Iraq. There is no doubt that since that time, Saddam Hussein has reinvigorated his weapons programs. Reports indicate that biological, chemical and nuclear programs continue apace and may be back to pre-Gulf War status. In addition, Saddam continues to refine delivery systems and is doubtless using the cover of a licit missile program to develop longer- range missiles that will threaten the United States and our allies."
— From a December 6, 2001 letter signed by Bob Graham, Joe Lieberman, Harold Ford, & Tom Lantos among others
"Whereas Iraq has consistently breached its cease-fire agreement between Iraq and the United States, entered into on March 3, 1991, by failing to dismantle its weapons of mass destruction program, and refusing to permit monitoring and verification by United Nations inspections; Whereas Iraq has developed weapons of mass destruction, including chemical and biological capabilities, and has made positive progress toward developing nuclear weapons capabilities"
— From a joint resolution submitted by Tom Harkin and Arlen Specter on July 18, 2002
"Saddam's goal ... is to achieve the lifting of U.N. sanctions while retaining and enhancing Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programs. We cannot, we must not and we will not let him succeed."
— Madeline Albright, 1998
"(Saddam) will rebuild his arsenal of weapons of mass destruction and some day, some way, I am certain he will use that arsenal again, as he has 10 times since 1983"
— National Security Adviser Sandy Berger, Feb 18, 1998
"Iraq made commitments after the Gulf War to completely dismantle all weapons of mass destruction, and unfortunately, Iraq has not lived up to its agreement."
— Barbara Boxer, November 8, 2002
"What is at stake is how to answer the potential threat Iraq represents with the risk of proliferation of WMD. Baghdad's regime did use such weapons in the past. Today, a number of evidences may lead to think that, over the past four years, in the absence of international inspectors, this country has continued armament programs."
— Jacques Chirac, October 16, 2002
"The community of nations may see more and more of the very kind of threat Iraq poses now: a rogue state with weapons of mass destruction, ready to use them or provide them to terrorists. If we fail to respond today, Saddam and all those who would follow in his footsteps will be emboldened tomorrow."
Mary Madigan sketched this really cool picture of me as the Queen of Spades. If I get the Q of Spades card I think I want my actual picture on it but damn this sketch is pretty sweet.
So who is Novak's source—and Woodward's source—and why will his identity take the wind out of the brewing storm? One by one last week, a parade of current and former senior officials, including the CIA's George Tenet and national-security adviser Stephen Hadley, denied being the source. A conspicuous exception was former deputy secretary of State Richard Armitage, whose office would only say, "We're not commenting." He was one of a handful of top officials who had access to the information. He is an old source and friend of Woodward's, and he fits Novak's description of his source as "not a partisan gunslinger." Woodward has indicated that he knows the identity of Novak's source, which further suggests his source and Novak's were one and the same.
If Armitage was the original leaker, that undercuts the argument that outing Plame was a plot by the hard-liners in the veep's office to "out" Plame. Armitage was, if anything, a foe of the neocons who did not want to go to war in Iraq. He had no motive to discredit Wilson.
That'll kill the meme for Wilson and The Left. You remember the meme? Plame was outted to hurt/silence her hubby for lying "speaking out" against Bush and Iraq.
No smear campaign just a snide comment about Wilson's ineptitude and amateurish report from Niger. Eh? What did you expect? His wife got him the job...
Director Peter Jackson is the only filmmaker that could coax me into a theater to see another remake of King Kong. Perhaps, Dean and I will see it for our 10th anniversary since it looks like it's coming out the same weekend.
Check out the trailer and tell me what you think. Did he do it again? Is it another blockbuster?
SGT Walter J. Rausch is currently fighting in Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division. He and his platoon have a message that they want the American public to hear. It is quite different from the message we are getting via the MSM, the anti-war crowd and the Bush-Lied politicians. He asked his mom to help get this message out and his mom wrote Sgt. Hook. I am reprinting the letter here because I think his message does need to get out.
Mom,
Be my voice. I want this message heard. It is mine and my platoon’s to the country. A man I know lost his legs the other night. He is in another company in our batallion. I can no longer be silent after watching the sacrifices made by Iraqis and Americans everyday.Send it to a congressman if you have to. Send it to FOX news if you have to. Let this message be heard please…
My fellow Americans, I have a task for those with the courage and fortitude to take it. I have a message that needs not fall on deaf ears. A vision the blind need to see. I am not a political man nor one with great wisdom. I am just a soldier who finds himself helping rebuild a country that he helped liberate a couple years ago.
I have watched on television how the American public questions why their mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters are fighting and dying in a country 9000 miles away from their own soil. Take the word of a soldier, for that is all I am, that our cause is a noble one. The reason we are here is one worth fighting for. A cause that has been the most costly and sought after cause in our small span of existence on our little planet. Bought in blood and paid for by those brave enough to give the ultimate sacrifice to obtain it. A right that is given to every man, woman, and child I believe by God. I am talking of freedom.
Freedom. One word but yet countless words could never capture it’s true meaning or power. “For those who have fought for it, freedom has a taste the protected will never know.” I read that once and it couldn’t be more true. It’s not the average American’s fault that he or she is “blind and deaf” to the taste of freedom. Most American’s are born into their God given right so it is all they ever know. I was once one of them. I would even dare to say that it isn’t surprising that they take for granted what they have had all their life. My experiences in the military however opened my eyes to the truth.
Ironically you will find the biggest outcries of opposition to our cause from those who have had no military experience and haven’t had to fight for freedom. I challenge all of those who are daring enough to question such a noble cause to come here for just a month and see it first hand. I have a feeling that many voices would be silenced.
I watched Cindy Sheehan sit on the President’s lawn and say that America isn’t worth dying for. Later she corrected herself and said Iraq isn’t worth dying for. She badmouthed all that her son had fought and died for. I bet he is rolling over in his grave.
Ladies and gentleman I ask you this. What if you lived in a country that wasn’t free? What if someone told you when you could have heat, electricity, and water? What if you had no sewage systems so human waste flowed into the streets? What if someone would kill you for bad-mouthing your government? What if you weren’t allowed to watch TV, connect to the internet, or have cell phones unless under extreme censorship? What if you couldn’t put shoes on your child’s feet?
You need not to have a great understanding of the world but rather common sense to realize that it is our duty as HUMAN BEINGS to free the oppressed. If you lived that way would you not want someone to help you????
The Iraqi’s pour into the streets to wave at us and when we liberated the cities during the war they gathered in the thousands to cheer, hug and kiss us. It was what the soldier’s in WW2 experienced, yet no one questioned their cause!! Saddam was no better than Hitler! He tortured and killed thousands of innocent people. We are heroes over here, yet American’s badmouth our President for having us here.
Every police station here has a dozen or more memorials for officers that were murdered trying to ensure that their people live free. These are husbands, fathers, and sons killed every day. What if it were your country? What would your choice be? Everything we fight for is worth the blood that may be shed. The media never reports the true HEROISM I witness everyday in the Iraqi’s. Yes there are bad one’s here, but I assure you they are a minuscule percent. Yet they are a number big enough to cause worry in this country’s future.
I have watched brave souls give their all and lose thier lives and limbs for this cause. I will no longer stand silent and let the “deaf and blind” be the only voice shouting. Stonewall Jackson once said, “All that I have, all that I am is at the service of the country.” For these brave souls who gave the ultimate sacrifice, including your son Cindy Sheehan, I will shout till I can no longer. These men and women are heroes. Their spirit lives on in their military and they will never be forgotten. They did not die in vain but rather for a cause that is larger than all of us.
My fellow countrymen and women, we are not overseas for our country alone but also another. We are here to spread democracy and freedom to those who KNOW the true taste of it because they fight for it everyday. You can see the desire in their eyes and I am honored to fight alongside them as an Infantryman in the 101st Airborne.
Freedom is not free, but yet it is everyone’s right to have. Ironic isn’t it? That is why we are here. Though you will always have the skeptics, I know that most of our military will agree with this message. Please, at the request of this soldier spread this message to all you know. We are in Operation Iraqi Freedom and that is our goal. It is a cause that I and thousands of others stand ready to pay the ultimate sacrifice for because, Cindy Sheehan, freedom is worth dying for, no matter what country it is! And after the world is free only then can we hope to have peace.
SGT Walter J. Rausch and 1st Platoon
101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)
Yet this is also a good time for the country to make some assessments of the 9/11 Commission itself. Recent revelations from the military intelligence operation code-named "Able Danger" have cast light on a missed opportunity that could have potentially prevented 9/11. Specifically, Able Danger concluded in February 2000 that military experts had identified Mohamed Atta by name (and maybe photograph) as an al Qaeda agent operating in the U.S. Subsequently, military officers assigned to Able Danger were prevented from sharing this critical information with FBI agents, even though appointments had been made to do so. Why?
Why indeed? Here's a bit more:
There are other questions that need answers. Was Able Danger intelligence provided to the 9/11 Commission prior to the finalization of its report, and, if so, why was it not explored? In sum, what did the 9/11 commissioners and their staff know about Able Danger and when did they know it?
The Able Danger intelligence, if confirmed, is undoubtedly the most relevant fact of the entire post-9/11 inquiry. Even the most junior investigator would immediately know that the name and photo ID of Atta in 2000 is precisely the kind of tactical intelligence the FBI has many times employed to prevent attacks and arrest terrorists. Yet the 9/11 Commission inexplicably concluded that it "was not historically significant." This astounding conclusion--in combination with the failure to investigate Able Danger and incorporate it into its findings--raises serious challenges to the commission's credibility and, if the facts prove out, might just render the commission historically insignificant itself.
Not historically significant? NOT. HISTORICALLY. SIGNIFICANT?????
Is this a joke? They knew who Atta was in Feb 2000. Knew he was Al Qaeda. Knew he was a terrorist almost 19 months before a plane hit a tower.
Here is more:
The facts relating to Able Danger finally started to be reported in mid-August. U.S. Army Col. Anthony Shaffer, a veteran intelligence officer, publicly revealed that the Able Danger team had identified Atta and three other 9/11 hijackers by mid-2000 but were prevented by military lawyers from giving this information to the FBI. One week later, Navy Capt. Scott J. Phillpott, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate who managed the program for the Pentagon's Special Operations Command, confirmed "Atta was identified by Able Danger by January-February of 2000."
I feel much better about the 9/11 Commissions conclusion of:
NOT. HISTORICALLY. SIGNIFICANT
And more:
On Aug. 18, 2005, the Pentagon initially stated that "a probe" had found nothing to back up Col. Shaffer's claims. Two weeks later, however, Defense Department officials acknowledged that its "inquiry" had found "three more people who recall seeing an intelligence briefing slide that identified the ringleader of the 9/11 attacks a year before the hijackings and terrorist strikes." These same officials also stated that "documents and electronic files created by . . . Able Danger were destroyed under standing orders that limit the military's use of intelligence gathered about people in the United States."
How do you feel about the much touted and smugly self-important members of the 9/11 Commission concluding that Able Danger's information was NOT HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT???????
At least someone cares, and that someone is Arlen Specter.
The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Arlen Specter, has led the way in cleaning up the 9/11 Commission's unfinished business. Amid a very full plate of responsibilities, he conducted a hearing after noting that Col. Shaffer and Capt. Phillpott "appear to have credibility." Himself a former prosecutor, Mr. Specter noted: "If Mr. Atta and other 9/11 terrorists were identified before the attacks, it would be a very serious breach not to have that information passed along . . . we ought to get to the bottom of it."
You bet your ass we should. And I trust nobody more than Arlen Specter of getting it done right. I hope he calls the 9/11 Commission in to testify as witnesses. I'd LOVE to know why Able Danger's information was NOT HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT.
Want an easy way to find the sex offenders in your neighborhood? Check out Family Watchdog and now you can know for certain.
I did it and I don't feel very good. On the plus side, none of the sex offenders near my home are convicted of crimes against children under 13, on the down side a violent convicted rapist only lives 4 houses away. Good thing I have Mr. Mossberg!
It appears that all the nominations for Spades that I received here were either ignored or not good enough. During the initial nominations process, there were no "rules" for a suit other than the milbloggers.
That's fine. New nominations for spades are being taken here:
The theme for Spades will be blogs which “call a spade a spade”, and dig deeply and primarily about a single issue. These are the kind of blogs that the high profile, high visibility and high traffic blogs use when they want EXPERTS on an issue...
All nominations for the Spade suit should list the blog’s name, it’s URL and the blog’s primary focus. I am also going to require that any nominee be a blog which allows comments.
Well, I'm not sure what the problem is, I fit all the critera. Not sure why Wonkette is nominated and she doesn't allow comments as required by the "rules".
Perhaps, I didn't get enough nominations, although, I didn't see a requirement for a specific amount. I appreciate all of your nominations, even though, obviously Aaron thinks you suck as much as I do.
In keeping with the calling a spade a spade theme:
I WAS SNUBBED BY A LINK WHORE!
How fucked is that?
**Update**
Aaron has corrected the oversight and posted my evilhighness as a nominee. Thanks everyone. Aaron is forgiven.
The Republicans are drowning in a mess of their own making. I still believe that Iraq was a right decision and WMDs were never a deal breaker for me. I think a lot of good stuff is happening over there and if the MSM doesn't want to report it, then it is incumbent on the administration to tell us every damn day what is happening over there. Michael Yon can't do it alone. Bush Co. should be out there defending themselves daily. Waiting until your approvals are in the toilet is too late. The American people deserve the whole story, both sides not just the bad. Crying foul at being called a liar looks hollow when it takes you months to do it.
That said, what the hell is wrong with the Democrats? They have been given an opportunity to do something, anything. Offer solutions, policy ideas, anything!!!!
Crikey, this is your chance. Bush looks like a wounded animal and the best you have is to cry about being mislead by a man you claim is a stupid chimp? What exactly is that accomplishing? You are announcing to the country that you were duped by Chimpy McSmirk. How dumb does that make you if you are fooled by someone you claim is only a few IQ points higher than cheese? The main problem for most of you dolts is that you are claiming ignorance rather than admitting that you were wrong too. Stop playing the victim, it makes you look weak. Do you have any idea what your poll numbers would look like if instead of crying like babies, you admitted that you were convinced by the intel but the intel was wrong? That we made a mistake, but here is what we should do to fix the situation? Then provide real ideas, not just the old "bring the troops home" canard. Real workable solutions that won't turn Iraq into a 21st century Khmer Rouge.
Don't any of you idiots watch The West Wing? Lots of great tips and ideas that you can steal from that show. That show provides great examples of what a Democrat should look/sound like.
Don't any of you twits have Bill Clinton's phone number? I'm sure he'd be willing to help you out with a few pointers, Hillary can't do the job all by herself.
If, come the new year, you are still playing the victim card, the midterm elections are gonna drive the final nail in your coffin. If you give us a choice between someone you claim is a warmongering liar and a party of gullible victims, you will lose. Most Americans already believe that politicians are liars, they mind liars a lot less than they mind crybaby weaklings.
(2005-11-11) — Democrats in Congress today rejected President George Bush’s accusation that they’re trying to rewrite history, which shows they supported the Iraq war based on the same intelligence that drove his decision to send in the troops.
“We had no pre-war intelligence,” said Sen. John Kerry, “History will show that none of the leading Democrats had substantial intelligence. Anyone who remembers what we did then knows that the president is making a baseless allegation. I think history will bear out my contention that we Democrats lacked the intelligence to make such an important decision.”
The junior Senator from Massachussetts said he continues “to faithfully support the troops who uselessly die for a lie in Iraq.”
“Our troops deserve to know that their elected leaders who voted to send them to war will remain firm in our conviction that we didn’t know what we were doing at the time,” Sen. Kerry said. “It’s important, on Veteran’s Day, to remember that our Democrat commitment to our military hasn’t changed.”
White House spokesman Scott McClellan repeated his categorical denial that the Bush administration “ever manipulated anyone’s intelligence or ignorance.”
Heh! I hope Swifty McLoser runs again, just so I can see Hillary whoop his ass in the primaries.
The Federal Govt makes about 18.4 cents per gallon. The state and local govts get their sloppy seconds piece too. Depending on where you live that could be a pretty penny going to the real fatcats[government] taking advantage of us poor average folks.
Congress is spending time investigating "Big Oil" for price gouging. Seems to me they are wasting time. We are definitely getting screwed at the pump but it isn't "Big Oil" doing it, it's "Big Government". Nobody screws "the people" better than those fuckers.
Did anyone else see The West Wing Presidential debate between Alan Alda and Jimmy Smits? Russell Roberts saw it and was impressed. We've been watching this show a lot lately and it's good.
Dean says he'd vote for Jimmy Smits because of his stance on health care. Wuss. Alda all the way!
The Queen of All Evil should be eligible in the spades [Queen of Spades]suit poll because I am both evil and a Queen. I'm definitely no "heart", since I'm a hard core liberal bashing Republican. I'm evil, I'm cute and I want that card!
You must vote for me. And if anyone nominates me, I promise not to smite them for at least a week.
I've been doing mommy things today so I'm late to blog. I've been trying to think of really annoying things to post about and I'm just stumped.
Oh, I just thought of one.
Are the Leftists of today a danger to society as a whole or just themselves? I swear if we could give the entire Left an Indian (American) name is would be Runs with Scizzors.
Ara thinks that Rove should be fired because he is under a criminal investigation. Indictment doesn't seem likely but that doesn't matter. The crime is that he was investigated in the first place. Who needs proof of any wrong doing? Not liberals (when it is a Republican administration anyway). Do you remember the highly moral Liberals demanding the mass firings of the Clinton administration for their many crimes of being investigated?
Michelle Malkin's book, Unhinged: Exposing Liberals Gone Wild, is getting a a beautiful array of reviews from Liberals that haven't read her book. Funny reading is to be had by all racist loving Liberals, they are totally proving her case for her.
She should have called it "Morons on Parade". Perhaps she has a sequel coming.
Black Democratic leaders in Maryland say that racially tinged attacks against Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele in his bid for the U.S. Senate are fair because he is a conservative Republican.
Such attacks against the first black man to win a statewide election in Maryland include pelting him with Oreo cookies during a campaign appearance, calling him an "Uncle Tom" and depicting him as a black-faced minstrel on a liberal Web log.
Operatives for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) also obtained a copy of his credit report -- the only Republican candidate so targeted.
But black Democrats say there is nothing wrong with "pointing out the obvious."
Yeah, nothing wrong with pointing out the obvious, I'm sure lots of anti-semites and KKK members feel the same way.
It's disgusting and any of you liberals that defend it are just as bad as the race baiters that do it.
Dean and I decided that this week would be our pledge drive.
We are cutting back on advertising in preparation for Dean's move to Pajamas Media. I'm not moving but I also don't take in that much for advertising either.
We priced the ads at two blogs for one price to help with costs associated for running the blogs. Running busy blogs with lots of content isn't cheap and we are far, far from rich.
A goodly number of you read this blog with ads turned off and/or have been reading for months or years through the RSS feeds ad-free. We don't complain about it much but, you know, if you throw a sawbuck into the jar on the piano bar, it makes it easy to keep doing what we're doing.
If any of you felt like dropping a little something in the tip jar to make up for all the time we put into entertaining, informing, and annoying you here on The Queen of All Evil and/or Dean's World, this wouldn't be a bad time, as things are a little short right now for us and we spend too much time on these blogs as it is:
If you feel like it. If you don't, no big deal, you're still welcome here. We accept applause too. :-)
R.I.P. Steven Malcolm Anderson
Minion
of the Week
