Emerging to New Life

photo by KingsbraeGarden


"The butterfly has been out of its cocoon about 10 minutes and is still drying and unfolding its wings."

Is it Spring Yet?

photo by DelosJ

*****

help

help

*****

photo by ecstaticist

Sorry, the Bank is Closed

As I always do on a federal holiday, I go check my mailbox and wonder why there aren't any letters. I nearly always compound that by feeling that it's a great time to go to the bank, and then wonder why the parking lot is empty and the doors are locked. Yes, I've done this an embarrassing number of times.

I figure if you can be amused by your own mistakes you'll never run out of material.

But as I contemplate what's going on in capital markets around the world, which wakes me up at 3am from time to time, I wonder if the Bank Closed sign will be there on some other day, perhaps for real. Sobering times. We do what we can.

Taibbi Does Friedman

crossposted 18 january 2009 firedoglake

Hilarious smackdown of Friedman's new book by Matt Taibbi in the nypress: "How Green Was My Mustache"

Cartoon here.

So, why does it matter whether Friedman makes any sense? Who cares?

Friedman’s language choices over the years have been highly revealing: When a man who thinks you need to break a vase to get the water out of it starts arguing that you need to invade a country in order to change the minds of its people, you might want to start paying attention to how his approach to the vase problem worked out.Thomas Friedman is not a president, a pope, a general on the field of battle or any other kind of man of action. He doesn’t actually do anything apart from talk about shit in a newspaper. So in my mind it’s highly relevant if his manner of speaking is fucked.

Taibbi then eviscerates Friedman's method of social science research consisting of flying around the world and talking about what he sees out of his hotel room window. At the end he explains the real world consequences of printing such foolishness:

California Suspends Payments to Disabled, Tax Refunds Feb 1

crossposted 16 january 2009 firedoglake

Empty refrigerator

Evan Halper of the LA Times has this sobering news:

Reporting from Sacramento -- State Controller John Chiang announced today that his office would suspend tax refunds, welfare checks, student grants and other payments owed to Californians starting Feb. 1, as a result of the state's cash crisis.

Whew - good thing none of those folks were counting on that money. People on welfare have other ways to get by, I'm sure. And students - let them eat Ramen.

Chiang said he had no choice but to stop making some $3.7 billion in payments in the absence of action by the governor and lawmakers to close the state's nearly $42-billion budget deficit. More than half of those payments are tax refunds.

Wonder what happens to all the folks who took out loans based on getting those tax refunds.

The controller said the suspended payments could be rolled into IOUs if California still lacked sufficient cash to pay its bills come March or April.

[snip]

The payments to be frozen include nearly $2 billion in tax refunds; $300 million in cash grants for needy families and the aged, blind and disabled; and $13 million in grants for college students.

Needy families - aged - blind - disabled. Look at what we have become.  For shame.

Bush's Farewell Address

crossposted 15 january 2009 at firedoglake

It is Tuesday yet?

The real speech:

Part One

Part Two

And in case you are really suffering from insomnia, The transcript

We Won. Now What?

crossposted as Pull Up a Chair 24 january 2009 at firedoglake

What a week! Trying to say "President Obama" without stopping in awe right there. He is not the answer to all our problems but isn't it amazing we have gotten this far?

Think about 4, 5, 6 years ago how bleak things were looking for our nation. It's been a long hard slog with little to show for it until recently. Suddenly there is so much potential!

In a way, we have a new problem of choosing among many attractive possibilities. We've gone from a situation where we had to fight for every inch to where we have the high ground at last. What next?

I would love to hear from fellow pups, what are your priorities in the new administration? We've seen some first steps by the new president and his team: no more torture, close Guantanamo, close the CIA prisons, return to diplomacy instead of bullying our way around the world.

What else should we be doing? What are your priorities?

And I would especially invite those who have never commented before, or rarely commented, to chime in here. It's a new day - we need everybody!

So pour yourself another cup of hot cocoa, take as many of those little marshmallows as you want, and pull up a chair....

Too Many Hopes

The period of rising expectations is dangerous, whether for nations or individuals. People who have been waiting for so much for so long see a narrow window into which great hopes and anxiety must flow.

Not everything can be done the first week. I worked for years in demography and international birth control programs, yet I do not savage the new administration for excluding it from the economic bill. There are priorities, and priorities by definition mean that everyone does not get all the goodies they want right away.

I see this same struggle in microcosm in the blogosphere, and quite frankly, here. We are tearing each other apart trying to be first through the door. We have been starving and food is right there...so close. We want so much, right now, and it is tantalizing that much is possible. IF we can manage the process properly.

*****

Obama Inauguration Parade

President Obama and his family are in their American-manufactured limo proceeding slowly along the parade route.

It's a cool license plate: USA1

They're near Fourth Street. If memory serves, this is very close to the federal courthouse where Fitzgerald prosecuted Libby not so long ago.

Cabinet: 7 confirmations from the Senate, not including Clinton.

Stupendous crowds causing delays even for people with tickets. Marcy reported on the crowds this morning and we will have more from Spencer and Gregg.

Somber reporting because of the scare with Senators Kennedy and Byrd being taken away, ill, from the Senate lunch. 

Updates for both Senators affirm they are in better condition than originally feared. 

Parade order in this Elliott diary - much appreciated.

Sample of participants:

* Representatives from the US Army, United States Military Academy & US Army Reserve
* Punahou School JROTC
* Punahou School Marching Band
* Whitney M. Young Magnet High School Navy JROTC
* Isiserettes Drill and Drum Corps
* Jesse White Tumbling Team
* Florida A&M University Marching 100 Band
* Crow Nation of Montana
* Paul Laurence Dunbar Senior High School Marching Band
* Illinois Home State Float
* Brooklyn Music and Arts Program
* Theodore Roosevelt High School Marine Corps JROTC Color Guard and Drill Team
* Colts Drum and Bugle Corps
* Klein Collins High School Air Force JROTC
* Cleveland Firefighters Memorial Pipes and Drums

The schedule is something like an hour late, with participants along the parade route wondering why there is a delay.

Heavy cheers from the crowds as the President's car goes slowly forward.

Very visible and heavy security.

Will be riding until 15th Street, then walking. There is a different level of security check for people who are permitted in that area. Had some experience there.

Obama is getting out of the car by the Navy Memorial. Michelle and Barack walking now - way ahead of schedule - up Pennsylvania Avenue.

Walking by the National Archives. Our beloved Constitution. The Bill of Rights.

Crowds screaming with joy as the Obamas walk by.

Muevete - Let's Move!

New physical fitness project for the DC schools. One of those folks looks mighty familiar.

*****

crossposted at firedoglake 15 january 2009

Mothers' Manifesto

We have — at minimum — two [unrelated] people among our commenters at Firedoglake who were involved in the resolution of the Irish struggles who are engaged with trying to bring the current situation in Gaza to the attention of the world.

After a certain number of decades/centuries of enmity both sides must agree to pull back and say, no more orphans.

No more children with arms and legs blown off.

No more people dying from stupid reasons like lack of medical supplies.

No more bombing hospitals and universities.

No more taking 18 year olds and throwing them into the furnace of war. It is wrong. It is immoral. The mothers of the world will tolerate it no longer.

*****

crossposted at firedoglake oxdown 1 jan 2009