Sufferin' Succotash

In a comment which has drawn the rightful ire of, well, just about everyone with a central nervous system, Laura Bush said this about Iraq during an interview by reporter Ann Curry on NBC's Today show:

AC: "You know the American people are suffering watching..."

LB: "Oh, I know that very much, and believe me, no one suffers more than their president and I do when we watch this."

Well, we all knew he was suffering, but opinions vary on the cause of his malady.

Answer Me This

I hear all the time that we have to win the war. McCain says if we don't win, Al Qaeda will follow us home. That Bush bastard says our national security depends on winning. So I keep hearing "support the troops," don't "cut-and-run." I keep hearing that people who want the war ended now -- or soon or maybe even ever -- are unpatriotic.

If it's so important to win this war in Iraq, and to prevent that country from falling into chaos, and to prevent the spread of Iranianism, then answer me this:

1. Why aren't there enough troops in Iraq to do the job? Why aren't there a half million, say? Why weren't there more at the beginning when everyone said there weren't enough?

2. Why are we so alone there?

3. Why haven't we raised taxes to pay for it? Why haven't we gone on a war footing?

4. If the cause is very good and proper, why is our country so divided? Why do a majority of people polled want out?


Answer me those questions.

In My Mailbox

1. Our friend Dashman from Flushing sent a quotation from Lee Iococca's book entitled Where Have All the Leaders Gone. At first I suspected that it might be one of those things falsely attributed to someone which was actually put together as an internet propaganda bomb. Snopes, however, says it's legitimate --- and it is fascinating. Read it at Snopes, CLICK HERE

This is an excerpt: "I've had enough. How about you? I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're not outraged. This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have. My friends tell me to calm down. They say, "Lee, you're eighty-two years old. Leave the rage to the young people." I'd love to, as soon as I can pry them away from their iPods for five seconds and get them to pay attention."

2. Gigi writes to inform everyone that Bill Moyers will be back on PBS. She calls him a voice of sanity, and I agree. If you're not in a tavern somewhere, try to watch it. CLICK HERE

3. Sparty refers me to a story in the New York Times about how OSHA under this bumbling administration has failed the people of America. Read it here: CLICK HERE

This is a brief excerpt: "Since George W. Bush became president, OSHA has issued the fewest significant standards in its history, public health experts say. It has imposed only one major safety rule. The only significant health standard it issued was ordered by a federal court."

New Car

Why I Bought A Ford Focus



I've always been a sedan kind of guy. I'm passing into antiquity now, but I can remember driving my Plymouth Fury (1st car) when gasoline was abundant, there was no concern about global warming, and the cost of gas was 30 cents a gallon. I never had expensive sedans, but the 4 door carry your kids and all your junk in the big trunk sort of sedan. When I wasn't driving sedans, it was the family mini van.

But this time, I bought a Ford Focus, a small car. I fit in it, but it's more like a tubesock than a comfy shoe. It's not at all my "style." And, I have to work on developing a greater sense of safety, because frankly, I feel vulnerable in it.

So, why did I do it?
1. A big reason is that I must downsize my life. We all have to make less of an impact on the environment. I have a child who is theocratically "green" and he will nag me. He'll nag anyone. This is good, because it's the kind of nagging the world needs. But now when he nags me, I can say, "but I bought an economy car."
Use less gas! Take up less space! Live more simply! Slow down!

I know that in the totality of things, my impact on the world is slighter than many. Industries, truckers, polluters and high-volume users of resources can all make a greater impact in their conservation efforts than I can with my meager life. But I have a responsiblity as well. We all do.

2. We still have a mini-van. We'll use it for the junk we have to carry and for the open road where it gets reasonably good milage. On our way back from Florida, last time, we averaged 26.2 mpg, and that was, we thought, reasonable.

We use the van for camping. We have a tent which attaches to the back and we sleep in the van, off the ground. It's a good way to go. But it will sit, mostly, while the small car runs the errands.

3. The Focus is 70% US-Canadian. Its engine is made in the US and its final assembly point is Wayne, Michigan. This allows me to practice a level of patriotism.

4. We bought our car in a small town from a long-established family business.

My son the environmentalist will be glad but wonder why I didn't get a foreign car with even better milage. My friends will understand when they have to cramp their legs as they snug into the back seat. But mostly, I'll feel better about myself.

NY City will plant a million new trees

GOOD NEWS

NYC Pledges 1 Million New Trees by 2017

By SARA KUGLER
Associated Press Writer

April 23, 2007, 9:11 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- One million new trees will join the urban landscape of New York City by the year 2017 to reduce air pollution, cool temperatures and help improve the city's long term sustainability, officials said Saturday.

The tree program is one of 127 environmental proposals that Mayor Michael Bloomberg was set to outline Sunday in a speech at the Museum of Natural History, timed with the observance of Earth Day.

His administration has been working for more than a year on the package of ideas, which is also expected to include a controversial plan to charge motorists extra for driving into certain parts of Manhattan, as a way to cut down on traffic congestion and pollution.

CLICK FOR WHOLE STORY

Our Trepid Hero Speaketh

In the wake of the terrible gun accident at Virginia Tech by a perfectly legal handgun owner, it is perhaps time to reflect on the sage words of our fearful and conspitarted leader, Gerald Bush, self-styled "President" of our country:



"For every fatal shooting, there were roughly three non-fatal shootings. And, folks, this is unacceptable in America. It's just unacceptable. And we're going to do something about it."

Woodchip of Wisdom -- about the war

There are two ways to describe the confrontation between Congress and the Bush administration over funding for the Iraq surge. You can pretend that it’s a normal political dispute. Or you can see it for what it really is: a hostage situation, in which a beleaguered President Bush, barricaded in the White House, is threatening dire consequences for innocent bystanders — the troops — if his demands aren’t met.
Paul Krugman, economist and coumnist CLICK

Saturday Smiles #3

Saturday Smiles:

1.Bill O'Reilly, on his television show, reads and comments on a letter supposedly from "Jack Mehofer." That's a chuckle even in the "no-spin zone."

2. Senator Patrick Leahy, about White House official's claim that thousands of lost emails cannot be recovered: "I've got a teenage kid in my neighborhood that can go get 'em for them"



3.

Wacko of the Week 04/21/07

THE VIRGINIA STATE LEGISLATURE
It's a real temptation to just proclaim Cho Seung Hui the week's wackiest human. Too easy!

For wacko of this quintessentially American week, who could be better qualified than, collectively, the duly elected representatives of the fine people of Virginia who made the simple laws by which people can readily arm themselves and kill off the citizens by the dozens.

Lawns and Our Future

This week, the Environmental Protection Agency came forward with a proposal that the emission from lawnmowers be greatly reduced.

This is not a new description of the problem. Mowers all over suburbia, and all over the world for that matter, create tons of pollution.

Here's a quotation:
Walk-behind and riding mowers and other garden equipment account for up to 10 percent of summertime smog-forming emissions from mobile sources in some parts of the country.

The EPA's proposal applies to engines under 25 horsepower, which run nearly all walk-behind and riding lawnmowers as well as small generators and other devices. The rule would cut smog-forming emissions from the engines by 35 percent; the reductions would probably be accomplished by adding catalytic converters that reduce pollution from exhaust.

The rule would take effect in 2011 for riding mowers and 2012 for push mowers and would apply only to new engines.

To accomplish this goal mowers would probably have to be sold with catalytic converters. This would add greatly to the cost. Or, perhaps, under pressure from the circumstances, ingenious people in some manufacturing valhalla, like Detroit, will come up with an even better idea.

Naturally, ARBORETUM is all for finding a solution to this problem and will support the EPA editorially. We cannot help thinking that a new ethic of lawn maintainenance needs to evolve. Maybe the care and feeding of luxurious lawns is a frivolity we ought to abandon.

Now, what are we going to do about those great big trucks?

All Sins Considered in Proper Order

Apologize to Al for something --- Anything!

If you feel a need to apologize for something, here is a real good tongue-in-cheek opportunity.

I understand there is no particular need that you should have offended him specifically, because he demands apologies on behalf of almost anyone. Confession is good for the soul.

Caution: Your apology may not be acceptable. There are no guarantees.

You can apologize to Al Sharpton at this location
APOLOGIZE TO AL HERE .

This picture of Al weas borrowed from Salon.com, CLICK HERE TO JUMP THROUGH THEIR HOOPS

Update on Fast Trains: China

Perhaps it's not really a bullet train --- yet, because it will travel about 150 mph only.
China has begun running a new service of high-speed trains, capable of speeds of over 200 km/h. The first of the 140 trains left Shanghai for nearby Suzhou at 0538 local time (2138 GMT on Tuesday, Jan 17).
Chinese railways are struggling to cope with increasing transport demands and the trains are seen as a way to boost passenger capacity.
Last year China carried some 25% of the world's passengers and freight, on only 6% of its railways, local media say.

2 Foreign Views

FRANCE:
Denis Lacorne est directeur de recherche au CERI (Centre d'études et de recherches nternationales) et responsable du mastère sur les Etats-Unis à Sciences-Po.

[Denis LaCorne is Director of Research at the Center for International Studies and Research where he oversees the United States political science group.]


"La tradition d'accès aux armes est beaucoup plus forte dans le sud des Etats-Unis"
"Le lobby des ventes d'armes détourne le sens de la Constitution"
"Ces événements ne font que renforcer le discours de ce lobby"



[The tradition of gun availability is very much stronger in the southern United States. The gun dealer lobby has hijacked the meaning of the Constitution. These events will only reinforce the chatter from this lobby.]

--Le Monde CLICK
=======================
ENGLAND:

Despite the worst mass shooting in US history, gun control campaigners face formidable and probably insurmountable opposition. The pro-gun lobby has consistently quashed pressure for change following previous massacres.

Pro-gun groups led by the National Rifle Association (NRA) have powerful arguments in their armoury. They draw on, and entrench, the notion of the country's so-called "gun culture", rooted in its frontier and rural history and what is billed as the early settlers' self-defence against Native Americans (though their tactic would often be more accurately described as offence).

They also lean on the Second Amendment, which supports the need for a "well-regulated militia" and protects the "right of the people to keep and bear arms". Advocates of gun control argue that the framers of the amendment had no intention, when they passed it, that it would apply to "every wacko with a beef" as one columnist put it today. But that subtlety has often been lost in the debate, with the NRA continuing to hold the upper hand.

The NRA was founded in 1871 as a body devoted to improving marksmanship. It came to prominence in the 1930s and became increasingly politically active from the 1960s when the first calls for gun control were heard.

Critics maintain that the NRA retains a stranglehold over the debate because it bankrolls politicians, particularly in marginal mid-western seats. It has donated $14m (£7m) in as many years, overwhelmingly to Republican candidates, spending a similar amount in addition on lobbying Congress.

Funny little thing...

Something made me laugh right out loud this morning...

You know those dumb little text ads from Google that seem to show up just about everywhere? Well, I was looking up the lyrics to Ray LaMontagne's excellent anti-war song "How Come?" and noticed one of those little things below it that read as follows:

"I Scorn Porn" shirt
Nothing says, "I Scorn Porn" like a shirt
that says, "I Scorn Porn."
Ads by Google

New chance for media circus

Mass Murderers go on killing spree: 127 slaughtered in Baghdad

Send in Katie Couric ... Send in 100 uplinked media vans.
Someone hand Wolf Blitzer a fistful of papers.
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Conservation victory

The World Wildlife Federation and the Russian government report that the number of Siberian tigers living in the wild has increased to 600, the highest number in a hundred years. By the 1940's, unlimited hunting for tiger pelts had reduced the number to less than 50. SEE STORY

China Cheating on Endangered Trees

China, which in so many ways has been a devil in world trade, is up to new mischief.

BANGKOK, Thailand -- China is deliberately mislabeling a threatened hardwood and using forged trade documents to illegally import it from Southeast Asia to supply its booming furniture industry, an environmental group said Tuesday.

Greenpeace said in a report that Chinese importers were evading an Indonesian ban on the hardwood known as merbau by labeling it as sawn timber. Importers also used forged documents which claimed the logs came from Malaysia, despite the fact that much of the merbau has already been logged out of that country.

China imported thousands of cubic yards of illegal tropical hardwood from Indonesia and Papua New Guinea last year, Greenpeace said.

CLICK FOR STORY

Mobile phones killing the bees?

There's an extremely interesting article out in the UK Independent which reports on evidence that the transmissions from millions of cell phones may be at the root of the collapse of honey bee colonies around the world. Research at Germany's Landau University suggests bees will avoid a hive if cell phones are place nearby. Interesting theory, and I'm sure it will get quite a bit of testing.

If it turns out that our cell phones are destroying honey bees, and thereby imperiling the fruit and berry crops pollinated by these bees, what should be done? Should we choose to unplug until the problems are solved?

Headlines You Will Never See

Rampaging Poisoner Kills 33 on Campus

33 Students Beaten to Death with a Stick

Mass Murders Committed By Outraged Student Knife Owner

Man Pushes Entire Class Down Campus Steps

Crazed Foreign Student Suffocates German Class With Pillow

Bush and Wolf are shocked

Both George Bush and Wolf Blitzer say the nation is shocked.

Actually, guys, there are some of us who aren't even surprised, much less shocked.

As our fearful and trepid leader, himself, has so eloquently explained:
"There's an old saying in Tennessee
—I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee—
that says, fool me once, shame on—shame on you.
Fool me—um -- fool me -- you can't get fooled again."

Fact is, we have seen this before and are no longer fooled. Some of us, at least.

Constitutional Scholar

Exercising his Second Amendment rights to keep and bear arms, a young Virginia gentleman has shot at least 6o people at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, killing more than half of them.

Woodchip of Wisdom

Don't join the book burners. Do not think you are going to conceal thoughts by concealing evidence that they ever existed.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

60 years later, just a brief remembrance of a very long journey.
Jackie 1919 - 1972

Imus enters purgatory

So Don Imus has lost his radio show and will spend a time in media purgatory, where he will take a few long vacations and enjoy some of his millions. Then, certainly, he will return on a different venue, with a new and lucrative contract. And the forgiving captains of capitalism will return to his new show (same as the old show) to a degree commensurate with the public's forgiveness of his sins. This forgiveness will be measured the same way we measure the worth of any media star: Neilsen ratings.

Everybody seemed to spend the last few days weighing in with opinions on what Don Imus said. You must know by now that he called the Rutgers women, who lost the national championship to mighty Tennessee after an improbable run through the women's tournament, a bunch of "nappy-headed hos." He's been pushing boundaries with his insults for years -- it's been the key to his program, in fact -- but usually his targets are the rich and famous. This time he was way out of bounds, not just with his words but with his choice of targets.

Condemning Imus for this is easy, and defending him is hard, so everyone who wants a turn in the pulpit has emerged for their five minutes of sanctimony and outrage. Imus essentailly nominated himself as the pinata, and politicians and pundits declared it Cinco de Mayo. Ole!

In the meantime comes the interesting news that New Jersey governor Jon Corzine underwent major surgery after being seriously injured in a car accident. His injuries included a broken leg and ribs, in addition to losing a lot of blood. The state trooper driving the governor swerved to avoid a reckless driver en route to a meeting between Imus and the Rutgers women's basketball team. The meeting carried on, sans Corzine, for over three hours. Headlines say the team accepted Imus' apology, which means we are all allowed to accept it too.

While Imus will have to pay whatever price the Media Gods demand, I must say I'm not all that impressed by the supposed outrage. Although what Imus said was obviously stupid, I think most of the noise about what he said comes down to this: No politician or pundit wants to be the person who becomes a story by NOT saying that they are outraged. So every politician gets asked if they're outraged, and amazingly, all of them are. It's the only thing they all can agree on. Since nobody actually has to DO anything about it except his advertisers and employers -- nobody's suggesting Imus actually go to prison or hang by his thumbnails -- it's easy to make harrumphing noises.

Ask the same batch of public persons if they're outraged by the conditions in inner-city schools, or the war in Iraq, or the atrocities in Darfur, and you'll hear a lot less unanimity. And unlike vapid words from a professional blowhard like Imus, these are actual tragedies. I don't blame the Rutgers women for being bent out of shape by what Imus said, but in the final analysis I think we all give Imus too much credit if we care too much.

I'm saving my outrage for bigger crimes.

Wacko of the Week 04/14/07

NO! Not him!


I'm quite certain that millions of our readers out there want us to declare Don Imus the Wacko this week. He's a worthy nominee. This would be easy pickin's for us pundits (coff-coff).

Too easy.

Besides, he likes children, and I don't think he's killed anyone.
_____________________

None dare call it "Nepotism"
"Nippletism," maybe.

Here's a likelier candidate. Recognize him? He's one of America's preeminent war planners, Paul Wolfowitz, and I'm sure his schemes have cost lots of lives. (Although he never served in anmy military.) He ran into trouble this week as head of the World Bank (a really plush and comfy job) for doing something really stupid. He corrupted himself and his position for the benefit of his girlfriend.... money, position, promotions, etc.

Here's a quotation: "In a chaotic day of revelations and meetings at a normally staid institution, Mr. Wolfowitz apologized for his role in the raise and transfer of Shaha Ali Riza, his companion, to a few hundred staff members assembled in the bank building atrium, only to be greeted by booing, catcalls and cries for his resignation." CLICK FOR STORY




[We love it, don't we?]


But ARBORETUM has decided that the real Wacko of the Week is this lady:
Shaha Ali Reza

She was his "companion" or his "girlfriend." Creepy, huh?

She was born to a prominent and wealthy Saudi family and married into another fine Turkish family. She was well educated and had a promising career.

Then she ran into Wolfie.

We question her judgment.

DAMN!

Bird Flies Into Engine Of Cheney's Plane
Plane lands safely

Vice President Travels To Chicago To Blast Dems In Congress


(CBS) CHICAGO - A bird appears to have flown into and damaged the engine of Vice President Dick Cheney's plane as it arrived in Chicago Friday morning.

The plane landed safely, and no one was hurt.
-------------
--------
----

Just wondering, how many lives does this cat have? He's had a bunch of heart attacks and survived. His plane had engine trouble between Australia and Afghanistan last month. He landed safely. Someone tried to blow him up in Afghanistan. He was safe. Now this.

Just wondering.
============

Republican Humor (prt. 17)

A group of Democrats was traveling along a rural road. They approached a curve going much too fast. Sadly, they crashed into a deep ditch.

Some hours later, the sheriff came along and saw a farmer working in a field. "Have you seen a bus?" the sheriff asked.

"Why? Someone missing?" asked the farmer?

"A bus filled with Democrats has disappeared between here and Des Moines. If you've seen it, you need to let us know."

"Well," said the farmer, "I reckon it's right over there in that ditch filled with dirt."

"Dirt? Did you cover it up?"

"Seemed like the proper thing to do,"the farmer drawled.

"You mean, they were all dead?"

"Some said they wasn't, but you know how them bastards lie."

GOODBYE KURT VONNEGUT

1922 - 2007

Pax Americana

Wed Apr 11, 2007 6:44AM EDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House wants to appoint a high-profile overseer to manage the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan but has had trouble finding someone to take the job, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday.

At least three retired four-star generals approached by the White House in recent weeks have turned down the position, the report said.

\============\

COMMENT: If he had a horse, as did Caligula, he would declare him Proconsul and shower him with Presidential Metals of Freedom.

How will we ever repair the damage to our country?

This is not Rome. This is not Czarist Russia. This is not even the old British Empire. This is the democratic republic of the United States --- although many of us have stopped acting like it.

Recommended

Rodney Lekanof lives on and blogs from St. George Island off the coast of Alaska. He was born there. His view of the nature and geography, and of the life of the people is wonderful.

Look in on him: OCEANMIST BLOG

God Picks winner of Masters tournament

Johnson [Zach Johnson 2007 Masters Golf Tournament winner], a committed Christian, said:

"It is amazing what God can do. I believe in myself but every now and then you miss a putt and you can get down on yourself but I've had a lot of support."
---
"Being Easter, Jesus was with me every step of the way. I felt Him," Johnson said.

Commentary:This is bad news for gamblers, sports prognosticators, and golfers everywhere. Be careful what you say out there on the course when you miss that easy putt.

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======
===

Tuesday Evening Quiz 04/10/07

This is an ARMPIT survey: (Arboretum Multiphase Personality Inventory Test)

1. You discover that your 13 year old daughter is dating someone. Would you be more alarmed if it was:

a. Don Imus
b. A nappy headed 'ho.'
c. Other

2.You find yourself bobbing in a salty sea, sharks nearby. Would you rather be rescued by:

a. A Greek sailor
b. A British sailor
c. Other

3. You wake and discover you've just been screwed. Would you be more disturbed to find your assailant was:

a. Howard K. Stern
b. Sanjaya
c. Other

4. A guy bursts into your living room swinging a bloody sword. Would you be more frightened if it were:

a. A guy named Muqtada
b. A guy named Dave
c. Other

5. You are sobbing and almost disconsolate. By whom would you least like to be comforted?
a. Pacman Jones
b. Newt Gingrich
c. Other

One More Corrupted Thought from Our Leader

Quoting our Leader
"I'm a strong proponent of the restoration of the wetlands, for a lot of reasons. There's a practical reason, though, when it comes to hurricanes: The stronger the wetlands, the more likely the damage of the hurricane."


—Discussing post-Katrina wetland improvements, New Orleans, March 1, 2007


CLICK

UK captive 'felt like a traitor'

UK captive 'felt like a traitor'
Monday, 9 April 2007,
11:15 GMT 12:15 UK

Faye Turney has reportedly struck a six-figure deal [for her story of captivity].

Leading Seaman Faye Turney has told how she "felt like a traitor" when she was forced to write "confession" letters shown on Iranian television.

The only woman among the 15-strong Royal Navy crew has also defended her decision to sell her story to ITV1's Trevor Macdonald and the Sun newspaper.

Some of the reported six-figure sum for the interview will go to navy families.

Relatives of soldiers killed in Iraq have criticised the decision allowing the crew to sell their stories.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6538075.stm

Wacko of the Week, 04/07/07

The Wacko this week might well be the Shootist, Mr. Cheney, who made a hallucinatory speech this week, explaining the connection between Al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein. He remains one of the few misguided souls who stil believes that propaganda.
======

Xu Mingchao
But, as we approach the coming of the Beijing Olympics, and Americans will be flocking to that booming economic dreamland, it is appropriate to note that the well-oiled Chinese social machine sometimes grinds out a defective part:

SHANGHAI, China -- "A knife-wielding Chinese tour guide injured 20 people in a stabbing-and-slashing spree at a southwestern resort following an argument over kickbacks on souvenir sales, a news report said Tuesday.

"Fifteen tourists at the resort and five local residents were injured after Sunday's attack in Lijiang, a scenic mountain town in Yunnan province, the Shanghai Daily newspaper reported. At least one person remained in critical condition."

CLICK

Green Champs

Congratulations to Michigan State sport fans, and especially to our friend "Sparty" who wears only green clothes and, when scratched, bleeds green: For the victory of the Spartan Hockey Team, the new U.S. collegiate hockey champions. (God knows why they still call that fetid creek on campus, the Red Cedar.)

More on the British sailors

I wake up with a jolt to find that I am in the dubious company of a number of right-wingers concerning the bravery -- or lack thereof -- of the British sailors who unsuccessfully defended their nation's honor.

Furthermore, I am criticized by some of my friends, and even by my son, for my comments. If any of you readers can find someone who's not a right winger on my side, please let me know. I need the fortifications they might yield.

I actually didn't think of this as being a partisan political matter. It seemed to me, on first impression, that warriors off a British war ship on a legal mission in legal waters ought to resist being taken captive by anyone. Just seems to me. And then they shouldn't fall all over themselves to look obliging to their captors.

The ass-covering news conference those gentlemen held didn't seem to add any glory to an already sketchy performance, IYAM.
======

See Marsha comment to our earlier posting: CLICK

See "The Mandarin" who is a blogger I respect though I do not know him: CLICK

Saturday Smiles #2

1. The Onion: BAGHDAD—Many injured U.S. troops are actively lobbying for an additional six months of combat duty in Iraq to avoid returning to the United States to be treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington.
CLICK ONION

2. Spring in America
(picture source unknown)

British Cowards

I believe we Americans should be very happy that we do not have to rely for our defense upon the likes of those British "warriors" we saw on TV this Good Friday.

=========
=====
==

Ford Fatcat

Mulally gets $28 mln amid $12 bln Ford loss
Thu Apr 5, 2007 11:15AM EDT

By Poornima Gupta
Reuters
DETROIT (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co., which posted a loss of $12.7 billion last year, said on Thursday Chief Executive Alan Mulally received $28.18 million compensation in 2006, including an $18.5 million bonus.

Mulally, a former Boeing Co. executive, replaced Ford family scion Bill Ford Jr. as chief executive last September.

Chairman Bill Ford, who was CEO for the first eight months of 2006, did not receive any cash salary, bonus, or stock awards for 2006 as he had made a commitment in 2005 to forgo any new remuneration until the company's auto unit made sustained profits.

-----------

QUESION;

Does anyone besides me think the British behaved like abject cowards during this hostage crisis?

----------

Dr. Z. masters the art of English B.S. (Or, how fatcats talk)

You remember Dr. Z. He made the Chrysler commercials with his thick German accent. He was asked whether Chrsyler would be sold off by Daimler, and he had the perfect meaningless answer:


"It is also true that we need to keep all options open and that I cannot disclose any details," Mr Zetsche said, ahead of DaimlerChrysler's annual shareholder meeting in Berlin.

"We need to have the maximum scope for manoeuvre," he added. "This means, that after reviewing all options, we will finally decide for the option that best meets our criteria."

Hey, Doc, welcome to the wonders of what we English speakers call "Bullshit."

CLICK
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6525019.stm

Recommended Reading

"The Decline of Detroit" from BBC News

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6346299.stm
OR CLICK HERE FOR STORY

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update: Sweet Jesus!

Recently, Scot S W posted an item about the chocolate Jesus which has since become notorious all across the world. Scot made an excellent point or two. To see shame in this artwork may be silly. (See below, or CLICK HERE )


Here are some new developments.
1. Chocolate Jesus is in hiding:

The artist who created this artwork has put his creation in a refrigerated truck, and he isn't saying where. Meanwhile, he looks for a new venue.

STORY CLICK HERE



2. It's definitely not the first chocolate Jesus.

A little research has revealed that edible Messiahs of the chocolate type are not unheard of.
In fact, this is not the first crucified Jesus chocolate art work extant.
See here: CLICK

or, Here: CLICK



or, Here: CLICK

3. Go watch and hear Tom Waits sing his "Chocolate Jesus" song from 2004.
CLICK TOM WAITS

Some of the lyrics are:

"I fall on my knees every sunday
At zerelda lees candy store

Well its got to be a chocolate jesus
Make me feel good inside
Got to be a chocolate jesus
Keep me satisfied"

Read them all here: LYRICS

4. Go here to buy your own chocolate Jesus candies and then you can eat them for Easter. (Get a Virgin Mary, also.) CANDY HERE

or, Here: CANDY
(you can even get Marys or choir boys)


5. Even the Last Supper has been done, and this in two colors of chocolate. That's Jesus in the middle .

===========
========
We conclude that it's not the medium (chocolate) or the message (Christianity) or the milieu (art), that offends several people, it's the penis!

Tuesday Evening Quiz 04/03/07

This is:

a. What you'll be driving after the US invades Iran.

b. What Karl Rove rode in on.

c. The Polish cavalry.

d. None of the above: tell us what you think.

Circuit City screw-update

UPDATE on Circuit City, a place I will not shop.
From Steven Pearlstein, Washington Post,
Quoted without further comment.


But you have to hand it to Circuit City. Without spending a dime for advertising or public relations, it managed to send a powerful message to its major constituencies.

It has made clear to consumers that it doesn't give a fig about service or being a good member of the community.

It has let store employees know they have jobs, not careers, and shouldn't expect much of a raise, no matter how long they stay or how well they perform.

And investors now know that their company is so cavalier about reputational risk that, for $100 million or so in annual cost savings, it is willing to become the symbol of everything that is rotten about American capitalism. So far, Wall Street's reaction has been to discount Circuit City shares by about 5 1/2 percent.

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How to green up your bed

For those of you who have one, here is a modest proposal for improving your love life. It comes from TREEHUGGER, and has the additional advantage of being ecologically friendly.

If you’ve never experience bamboo bed sheets, you’re missing out. Bamboo fabric is silky and slippery (but not so slippery you’ll slide out of bed), wicks moisture, has natural antimicrobial properties, comes from a rapidly renewable resource, and is super sexy.


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CHENEY alert update

Previously, we warned Utah that he was coming. CLICK
You took our warning to heart. (See the story below)
STORY SOURCE,DETAIL

Very wise of you!



BYU Campus Protests Dick Cheney Speech
By DEBBIE HUMMEL
Associated Press Writer

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April 2, 2007, 2:49 PM EDT

PROVO, Utah -- "Some students and faculty on one of the nation's most conservative campuses want Brigham Young University to withdraw an invitation for Vice President Dick Cheney to speak at commencement later this month.

"Critics at the school question whether Cheney sets a good example for graduates, citing his promotion of faulty intelligence before the Iraq war and his role in the CIA leak scandal."

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-cheney-university-protest,0,958396.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines

Bullet Train Update

French Train (TGV) goes 357 mph





STORY

Woodchip of Wisdom

The old man
In the mirror
Startles Me
But the young man
In the photograph
Is stranger
Still.

George Oppen
(1908-1984)

Dongria Kondh tribe Solidarity Day

I am vainglorious enough to proclaim a world-wide "Day of Solidarity" on behalf of India's Dongria Kondh tribe because of this:


LANJIGARH, India (Reuters) - Their thick, ancient forests shelter leopards, elephants and even the odd tiger, their slopes are home to an isolated tribe, but the "curse" of eastern India's Niyamgiri hills lies beneath the soil.

Massive deposits of bauxite have brought Britain's Vedanta Resources to this remote corner of the state of Orissa, where they have already built a $900 million alumina refinery.

Just a stone's throw from its gleaming new facility, a few hundred people gathered in the shade of mango trees in Lanjigarh in mid-March for the latest protest against the company.

Among them, Dickcha Majhi, who walked for five hours from her remote village to the small town, a member of the 8,000-strong Dongria Kondh tribe, who worship an Earth Goddess and revere the hills as their protector Niyam Raja.