Date

This just in

barbara — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 11:21:44 -0500

by barbara

George Bush had his annual physical this morning at the National Naval Medical Center in Washington. There is absolutely no truth to the rumor that he went there expecting to have an American flag tattooed on his belly button.

The team of physicians performing the exam reported that Bushs smirk and wink are in exceptional condition, having been exercised extensively in the year since his last exam. His spleen is well-vented. His massaging fingers are in peak condition. His potty mouth is somewhat enlarged. But fortunately, there are no traces of shame or remorse. His heart shows signs of atrophy. His righteous indignation level exceeds that of Joe Liebermans. His vision is fuzzy and his hearing is limited.

Clothes Line in-depth issue analysis

barbara — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 21:24:49 -0500

There are naysayers among us who poo-pooh the notion of climate change. There will soon come a day when this topic gets serious scrutiny in this space. Meanwhile, click on this picture someone sent us for a larger view of diminishing under-garmentry over the years.

Rush to judgment

barbara — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 10:52:00 -0500

by barbara

Rush Limbaugh wins, hands down. He is the most pathetic excuse for a human being on planet earth.

On Monday, the Bloviation Laureate made this crass, bin Laden-like observation about civilian deaths in Qana, Lebanon:

"Until civilians -- frankly, I'm not sure how many of them are actually just innocent little civilians running around versus active Hezbo types, particularly the men -- but until those civilians start paying a price for propping up these kinds of regimes, it's not going to end, folks. What do you mean, civilians start paying a price? I just ask you to consult history for the answer to that."

Got that travel bug

linda — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 17:46:37 -0500

Im having a hard time sitting still these days. Im restless. As a veteran photojournalist working in and out of conflict zones around the world for the last five years, sitting still and watching whats happening in Lebanon, Israel, Iraq, my beloved Afghanistan, and Darfur (does anyone remember theres a genocide going on?) is too hard.

My travel bag sits packed on the floor of my bedroom at the ready. I see it out of the corner of my eye when I wake up in the morning. But these days Im more likely to pack my kayak gear and tent for a weekend of serenity exploring a river. Im in recharge mode. I came home for some peace.

"Bush Grants Self Permission to Grant More Power to Self"

barbara — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 08:10:17 -0500

Truth is fiction, fiction is truth. Kinda hard to tell the difference sometimes.

Ran across this piece in The Onion. Seemed like a perfect thing to hang on the Clothes Line for you. So we did.

WASHINGTON, DC"In a decisive 1"0 decision Monday, President Bush voted to grant the president the constitutional power to grant himself additional powers.

Men at Work

susan — Sun, 06 Aug 2006 20:19:30 -0500

My husband thinks that liberals of my stripe dont "get" business, so before he gets his knickers in a knot, let me say that I may not get some of their operating principles, but I do understand that without business we dont have jobs and without jobs we have no economy and the trickle down of all that gets us to a living standard somewhere below Haitis. But hey, no jobs, no immigration problem. Just kidding. Thats for another time.

She's baaaack!

barbara — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 11:59:52 -0500

by barbara

Didja miss me? I snuck out of town for a few days. Past the extravagantly cliffed-and-bouldered north shore of Lake Superior. To Grand Marais, the picturesque little harbor town that charms the Birkenstocks and Keds off its horde of summer visitors. From there, true north (or so I have come to believe), up the Gunflint Trail. The road has been resurfaced and some of the more life-challenging curves reconfigured. But all along the way, it meanders through thick forest land, headed ultimately to waters shared with Canada.

Lamont and Lieberman, of course

barbara — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 17:06:56 -0500

If youre not blogging today about Ned Lamonts stunning victory over Joe Lieberman, you are so yesterday. I was getting ready to write when I came across the following post on firedoglake.com"home of Jane Hamsher, Christy Hardin Smith and a hardy crew of nimble-fingered, savvy-brained bloggers. Why would I try to top that, says I to myself. Self says, "Wise woman." If youve already read this, ummmmm, read it again!

Post-primary penultimate punditry

barbara — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 21:29:19 -0500

by barbara

So. Its been a full day since Ned Lamont defeated Joe Lieberman in the Connecticut primary. The pundits are on overdrive, interpreting, analyzing, speculating, prognosticating and pontificating about the significance of the races outcome.

Heres a summary:

- It was a referendum on the war.
- It wasn't a referendum on the war.
- It was a key victory for Democrats.
- It was a mandate for Republicans.

It's probably true

barbara — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 09:03:11 -0500

by barbara

Its probably true, the bomb plot that was uncovered in Britain this morning. Terrorists were planning to bring down multiple commercial airplanes that would result in a tremendous loss of life. It reeks of al Qaeda and their wicked colleagues. Even now, we are told, there is not absolute certainty that all tentacles of this latest monster plot have been accounted for. U.S. security level has risen to red"the highest alert level, while Britains comparable "critical level" is in effect. Yes, its probably true.

Stay the course, of course

barbara — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 09:55:05 -0500

by barbara

A friend of mine read yesterdays post and said, "So, like, are you saying that the Bush administration is behind the bombing plot exposed in Britain?" What a crazy question, thought I. Then I re-read my deathless prose. Oh. My. Gosh.

All right. Heres the message I meant to convey.

For months (years?), pundits and punditas have predicted that there would be a Really Big Security Scare sometime close to the 2006 mid-term election. Real or manufactured. Bound to happen. And when it did, the Rove machine would kick into high gear. Red alert. Sky is falling. Bush rising up before us, reminding us that we are in immense danger, BUT that we are safer than ever before, and that we must continue to wage war on terrorism aggressively. And sure as evolution generated little green apples, thats what happened yesterday.

Zero ambiguity dept.

barbara — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 11:25:01 -0500

Seems the farther people get from Washington D.C., the greater their grasp of basic truths and the ability to articulate that succinctly. Today's finest example:

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson's Statement on the Connecticut US Senate Race:

"Joe Lieberman is a good friend of mine, a true public servant who has served his constituents and the Democratic Party well. { more . . . }

Is it the rabbit hole or is it Oz?

barbara — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 10:48:13 -0500

by barbara

Remember that "probably" thing I wrote about a few days ago? I was lamenting that my inner cynic was going bonkers, wondering whether there were Bushmarks on the timing of revelations about the Britain terrorist plot. Surely this administration is not so crass and soulless that they would stoop to manipulating world events to suit their political purposes. (You know whats coming, dont you?)

Let the cease-fire begin!

barbara — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 09:55:46 -0500

by barbara

Oh, frabjous day! The sun is back after yesterdays cleansing and cooling rains. Both temperature and humidity have plummeted. It is possible to step outside without staggering in oppressive heat. The songbirds are everywhere this morning. Chickadees, sparrows, goldfinches, cardinals in four-part harmony, more or less, with hummingbirds chirping the descant. Late summer blossoms are bobbing in the breeze"a profusion of multi-colored zinnias, plum-colored asters, showy red-orange Mexican sunflowers. Who needs a cease-fire?

"How I spent my summer vacation"

barbara — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 08:01:16 -0500

Some days (and today is one of them), there is just too much to say. While we get our snarky mouths adjusted to the task, we present the accompanying photo for your consideration. You can see why its a perfect fit for the Clothes Line. It'sTony Blair on vacation. And see what hes doing?

The UKs Daily Mail took aim at Blair yesterday for lolling on his yacht while the common folks suffered the delays and inconveniences wrought by the terror plot bust.

The Bridge: NIMBY

susan — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 08:12:59 -0500

by susan
Truth in blogging forces me to divulge that Im still pottering about on Mackinac Island, as the dough-bellied Tony Blair might say. (Remember when Tony was Bills best friend, and had some debonair zip to him? Alas.)

But being on Mackinac does put me a skipping stone toss away from the latest alleged terrorist target, the Mackinac Bridge. From the road in front of our house I can see its graceful arc glistening in the sunset, or lit like a necklace of stars in the night. On Labor Day we join the throngs of mostly Michiganders who run or walk across the two closed lanes of the bridge from St. Ignace in the Upper Peninsula to Mackinaw City in the lower. I love this bridge. Its my bridge, in my own back yard.

From across the pond

barbara — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 09:20:38 -0500

by barbara

This just in via the Huffington Post: Britains deputy prime minister, John Prescott, reportedly labeled the Bush administration "crap" and said that Bush is "just a cowboy with a Stetson on."

Prescott made the alleged comments in private to a group of Labour MPs (Members of Parliament) who had requested an audience to criticize British foreign policy on the heels of the Lebanon invasion by Israel. According to the UKs Independent newspaper*, they would be immensely happy to see Blair break ranks with Bush.

Once upon a time . . .

barbara — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 09:18:48 -0500

by barbara

A friend of mine was traveling with her granddaughter last weekend when the bomb plot was busted in Britain.

As a way to pass time while they waited at the airport, my friend decided to share an old, favorite story with her grand.

And so she began:

Once upon a time, in a far-away place, a young shepherd was tending his flock of sheep, over the hilltops, away from the village.

Thinly veiled threats

barbara — Sat, 19 Aug 2006 12:09:35 -0500

by barbara

Heres a chilling bit of news thats getting a few inches of press around the globe. According to their state-run television, Iran launched a series of large-scale military maneuvers today. Iran's President Ahmadinejad had indicated that this coming Tuesday is when Iran would
respond to UN demands for accountability about its nuclear plans. He was quite clear that the response might not be diplomatic. Never let it be said he didnt give advance warning, thinly veiled or otherwise. But he did jump the gun.

And raising her brows in amazement . . .

barbara — Sun, 20 Aug 2006 13:07:34 -0500

by barbara

All right. Listen up. Im taking a break today from the things that make us go ballistic. So, no brilliant analyses of Bush, Rove, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Coulter, Lieberman, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Iceland, Mel Gibson, FOX News, JonBenet Ramsey, the NSA, IRA, CIA, EIEIO, bin Laden or Paris Hilton.

No, today were going to take a look at eyebrows. Yes, I am absolutely serious.

I ran across a stunning piece in the New York Times this week. Hairy eyebrows are in, while plucked parentheses are so yesterday. Thus saith Pat McGrath, who is a makeup artist for Max Factor and Cover Girl, and also creative director for Procter & Gambles beauty division. Turns out my personal beauty division is my nose, which separates my thin, smooth, pale brows that hover over my nondescript eyes.

Red alert for Minnesota

barbara — Mon, 21 Aug 2006 10:30:39 -0500

by barbara

Weve got trouble right here in river cities, with a capital T and that rhymes with B and that stands for Bush and Bachmann. George is coming to Minnesota tomorrow, ostensibly to talk about his health care plan for the peasants. But the real deal is a fundraiser for Michele Bachmann (pictured), the wild thing running for U.S. Congress in Minnesotas Sixth District. Think Katherine Harris lite. Smarter, meaner, eyebrows pretty much a draw.

Up, up and away

barbara — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 10:03:48 -0500

by barbara

Okay, listen up, please and thank you. My name is Barbara and Im a Bush-basher. I have lots of company and our numbers are increasing daily. And it has just occurred to me that that could be a problem. I wish I could say it is about taking the moral high ground. Actually, it's a practical matter.

The chair of the Minnesota GOP is a singularly snarly man named Ron Carey. A yip-yap guy. Kind of like a Chihuahua on steroids. A pesky ankle-biter. Okay. Enough metaphors.

This just in

barbara — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 10:15:33 -0500

Thinking womanBanner headline
John Mark Karr inhaled.
Also exhaled.
Today.

Banner headline
Paris Hilton rendered speechless;

"These are not joyous times."

susan — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 11:43:21 -0500

by susan

Thus saith the great responder.

You have to wonder what, exactly, brought President Bush to this realization. After all, has he acknowledged any mistakes or failures in his disastrous policies? From New Orleans to Iraq, the first frat boy and his handlers have tried to conflate the issues and obscure the realities. Even if you wind the clock back to 9/11 and leave out all the blundering stick-in-your-eye foreign policy since then - if indeed anything so badly conceived and carried out could be called a policy -- this gravitas-free president's response was to reduce patriotism to shopping and loopy magnetic bumper stickers while cheerfully predicting that the end is in sight. Of course with this messianic president, we never know which end that might be.

Curious George

barbara — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 09:20:02 -0500

by barbara

Juan Cole makes a pretty good case for a First Decider in the grip of a narcissistic personality disorder. Satirical with serious overtones, Coles post is a good read. And it raises yet again the specter of a president whose addictive behavior is putting this country and the world in peril. Every time I let myself think about this, theres a real possibility of projectile separation from my breakfast. Its that bad.

Friday laundry: Mixed load

barbara — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 09:08:00 -0500

Jazzed on coffee. Pacing. Not yet ranting, but working up to it.

Its been raining for a couple of days. Ill have to hang up clothes inside. Bummer. Feel my pain.

Okay. Lots of good stuff floating around in the blogosphere this week. "Good" being a relative term. I guess it depends how we feel about our formerly-respected country being at literal and metaphorical war with the rest of the world and with itself. Also at war with science, with the environment, with education and literacy, with Americas most vulnerable citizens (a cakewalk, since they cant fight back), and with New Orleans. But I digress.

Saturday laundry: Heavy load

barbara — Sat, 26 Aug 2006 12:58:14 -0500

Here's something for George W. Bush to add to his reading list this summer. A friend reminded me about this earlier today. Worth a read, and suitable for hanging. The excerpt, I mean.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

read more

Ashes, ashes, we all fall down

susan — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 12:22:18 -0500

by susan

Have we run out of laundry? Nope, just too much to hang on the line and so little time.

But today's entry in Garrison Keillor's Writer's Almanac has some interesting historical reminders, and neatly juxtaposes the decline and fall of modern and ancient empires.

The first bit on the Dems is depressing -- especially for all of us who got clean for Gene and thought we were forging a brighter future. And the second bit puts it all in perspective.

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A treat to beat your feet in the Mississippi mud

barbara — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 04:43:30 -0500

by barbara

Crikey! Another sloppy wash day yesterday, weatherwise. Housebound, I meandered into reminiscing mode, remembering summers way back when. When I hung out all the clothes to dry, all the time. Not just the sheets and the "drip dry" stuff. Even the towels, that resembled fuzzy boards once they were dry.

Often as not, I'd spend my evenings puttering around in the rose garden, watching my kids enjoy the last days before school started, grilling and schmoozing with neighbors. A few houses ago, my next door neighbors were a couple named Jean and Ira. Jean and I are still friends. Its been many years since Ira died. Such a nice man. He used to say he was going to run for president and his slogan would be, "I need a job."

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Wednesday laundry: Light load

barbara — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 09:55:01 -0500

by barbara

My friend Louise stopped on her way home from work yesterday for a cup of java at a local coffee shop. Sat down at one of the small tables to sip some brew and reflect about the trials of her day.

At a nearby table was " well, lets just call him Dude. Dude had his cell phone plopped on his table. As I understand the story, there was a plug-in device that led from the phone to his headset. And he was having a very animated conversation with someone. Loud and colorful. Letting fly the fenheimer and its cousins with a Very Big Voice. Probably qualified for frequent flyer miles.

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Extra! Extra! Read all about, like, whatever

barbara — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 09:50:05 -0500

by barbara

Im tired of watching my weight. Actually, watching it rise, pound by pound, in this season of abundant fresh fruits and veggies and cool mornings that invite brisk walks in the hood.

Im tired of watching my weight. So I think Im going to engage the CBS airbrush artist. The one who took 20 pounds off Katie Couric by . . . ummm . . . adjusting her photo. Voila! The weight thing is under control.

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Faced with dismal November prospects . . .

barbara — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 12:30:19 -0500

by barbara

I vowed I would never get so obsessed with this blogging thing that I would ever post oftener than once a week. Okay, maybe a couple times a week. Fine, then. One per day, max. Where will it all end?

Sometimes things are just too timely to postpone. (Thanks, Jeff.) For example, in todays Washington Post, we read the following (emphasis mine):

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