Robert Reich explains why Democrats should not be so gleeful when imagining Newt Gingrich winning the Republican nomination. I agree, a Newtie presidency would be devastating. But I also reserve the right to be gleeful the longer he stays in the race. Besides, if the quotes in Reich's article are any indication there is no way the Republican party will let Newt win the nomination so I'm not too worried about that, but man is he fun.

Is this thing on?

Here's to friends who push you to do things. Gonna start this blogging thing back up.

Who said this:
"I'm not exactly for the use of drugs, don't get me wrong, but I just believe that criminalizing marijuana, criminalizing the possession of a few ounces of pot, that kinda thing it's just, it's costing us a fortune and it's ruining young people. Young people go into prisons, they go in as youths and come out as hardened criminals. That's not a good thing."

- Pat "700 Club" Robertson; two things about this quote blow me away, the first one is obviously that Pat Robertson could come around to being ok with marijuana use. The second is the slightly more subtle admission that our prison system does the opposite of one of its intended goals, rehabilitation.

At the 5:00 minute mark.

To my progressive friends: STFU! No soup for you!
To my Republican friends: What can I give you?

Am I being a little dramatic? Probably, but I'm getting real tired of the "let's work together" shtick. The Republicans have shown that they are not honest partners and that they have no interest in being such. Quit giving them a place at the table when they have consistently proven that their goal is to set the table on fire. Case in point:


The bottom line is that, once again, this is either brilliant Obama-fu or a capitulation to the shrill minority and the moneyed interests. The brilliant Obama-fu would be that now, the public option, as Obama has said he wants it, becomes almost the default policy. The co-op and the trigger now need to prove they are better options.

Still, I feel like progressives get the short stick again. But maybe that's our role in this administration. We are the midfield playmaker. We make the last pass in the face of a brutal tackle. Yeah, we get the cleats to the ankle, which hurts hella lot, but we make the play that results in the winning goal. I still have faith that Obama is giving us a wink as he throws us under the bus and that the wink means it will be worth it and we will get what we want. Ever the optimist.

Update: Here we go. Maxine Waters floats the bubble - anyone got any better ideas than the Public Option? Damn, I'm good. Now there will be discussion of the co-op and trigger options and it's up to us to eviscerate them as the bad ideas they are. Wonder Blogger Powers, activate: form of a reasoned rebuttal!

Game On!

Obama at Cincinnati AFL-CIO Labor Day BBQ, "And I continue to believe that a public option within the basket of insurance choices would help improve quality and bring down costs."
While I'm not as reassured as this, I am much more hopeful than I was a week ago that the Health Insurance Public Option will not be abandoned and that President Obama will fight for it and is actually already pretty confident that it's in the bag, which is especially heartening since it looks like a significant percentage of the public is in favor of it, see here and here.

Of course, what that really means is keep it up, contact your Rep., your Senators and the White House and demand that we get substantial Health Care Reform this year and that it must include a public option. Do it tomorrow, cause this debate is essentially over on Wednesday when Obama gives his Health Care speech.

BTW, full video of the speech can be found here and the Fired Up! story begins around 30:40. I never get tired of hearing it.

Barney Frank!

I would have gone a step further and asked her to actually explain how health care is like Nazis. The hilarity that would ensue.



Longer version, full of Barney Frank awesome.

super kitty!

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Peru pics

Here.

Next trip, Mittens is coming with me

See more funny videos and Cute Animals Videos at Today's Big Thing.

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View 1 from the balcony of hotel. Ocean City, MD.

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Reload

FreshSnaps has been neglected. In 2007 I posted 280 times, in 2008 110 times and so far in 2009 just 38 times which would put me at a grand total of 74 posts. Pathetic. So, what to do? Earlier this year, or maybe it was last year, I was talking with a friend of mine about FreshSnaps and she asked me what this blog was about, what was its focus. I didn't have an answer because, really, I have always seen it mostly as a vehicle for whatever thing/subject caught my fancy or got me riled up or on which I felt I had some insight. All well and good but I feel that I have too many audiences (in my head, realistically, I think my total returning viewership is somewhere around 10). And sometimes I don't post something because I worry it might offend or bore one of my audiences.

My solution? MORE BLOGS!

Shutter Wide Open - All things photography and especially my photos (no posts yet)
The Rising Fifth Estate - Politics, policy and the media (no posts yet)
Del Ray, Virginia - Local stuff (no posts yet)
Bulging Onion Bag - All things soccer, emphasizing DC United (the class of MLS) and USMNT with occasional forays into Caps hockey. (no posts yet)
The Jester's Knives - the "book" I've abandoned, time to revive it.
Flat Black Ops - a tongue in cheek clearinghouse of conspiracy theories. This is a collaboration with my friend Adam which I abandoned. Shame.
Hakuchis! Let's Go - Peru and things mystical/spiritual with an emphasis on the Andean worldview.
I, for one, welcome our robot overlords - Technology, science, science fiction (no posts yet)
Given That Our Blood Is Just Like The Atlantic - Biology, evolution, environmental science (no posts yet)

And finally, FreshSnaps - the emphasis here will change a little bit, this will become a gateway for the other sites, I'll post links to things I have put up on the other blogs. It will also be a place for quick, observational posts and links to other things that don't need much explanation (think I Can Has Cheezburger)

Pretty ambitious, I know, but I think I can make it work, especially if I start soliciting contributions. And, really, there are a bunch of interesting things I've left out: language and literature, music, art, gardening, biking, travel, pop culture. But those will have to wait for now.

Oh, and why this newfound dedication... Mom, of course. We had a little email exchange this morning that got me fired up to get back into this. Maybe tomorrow I'll post that conversation, I think I had some good insights there.

Mittens... not meowing or attacking me.

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Just bizarre...

Ah, Milady Dame Peggington Noonanshire.

You never fail to disappoint. Idiot. Seriously, I can't ever read her column in its entirety. I end up yelling at my computer. Not necessarily because I disagree with her (although I always do) but because she is so undeservedly smug and so completely clueless.

I've been saying this for years.

China's economic juggernaut is built on a house of cards or more specifically a house of dirty carbon emissions. A house that is very soon going to crumble like a, well, like a house of cards. The only thing that is going to save the Chinese economy (and it might just be enough) is calling in all of the American debt they own.

Skillz! Kitty's got 'em.

Suck on that, NYC!!

DC teams went 3-0 against NYC teams.

DC United comes from behind to tie in the last minute and then win in injury time. VAMOS UNITED!

The Caps dominated the Rangers in game 6 of the series to tie it and force a winner take all game 7.

And finally, the lowly, woeful Nats beat the Mets.

Good day for DC teams.

Milady Peggington Noonanshire!

Peggy Noonan - former speechwriter for Ronnie Raygun and G. H. W. "Read my lips" Bush, current columnist for the Wall Street Journal whose entire shtick is breathless wonder of the little people. Her "ouvre" is released on Fridays and as usual Wonkette is there with the scathing, hilarious review.