The choice of a skunk for Maya's Halloween costume rocked. Lots of random laughs and universal approval from friends. So the bar has been raised for next year considerably.
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Monday, October 31, 2005
Dubya picks the first name off his new list - Alito
Samuel "Scalito" Alito was dubbed by Dubya the next pick to join the Supremes. He's very conservative ("Scalia lite" according to some), white, Ivy League educated, sorta balding, kinda fleshy, and the only life preserver the Bushies currently have to throw themselves to change the debate. Harry Reid and the Dems are already lining up opposition, which will be a great deal easier with this guy's extensive public record as both a judge (appointed by Bush the Elder in '90) and a U.S. Attorney. Ladies and gentlemen, start your fundraising and hellraising engines.
Sunday, October 30, 2005
Maya sizes up her skunky gear on the Eve of Halloween.
Like a boxer trying on his gloves for the Big Fight, Maya spent part of the afternoon getting into character.
Maya digs the view and the hearty bouncing she gets from our new backpack.
Originally uploaded by emaggie.
NFL fan consumes 18 extra-large Busch Lights, unfortunately not done yet
I'm a lifelong Packers fan. I often feel as though I've seen it all when it comes to the NFL. I've seen my childhood Pack lose horribly for years then drive methodically over years to win the Super Bowl only to descend once again into sub-mediocrity. But today's loss to the Cincy Bungles was unlike any I've ever seen before. A fan ran onto the field with less than 30 seconds to go and the Pack driving for a tying touchdown. That fan stole the ball from Favre's hands. Everyone looked shocked for a few minutes, Favre had two more chances to move from the Bungles' 28-yard-line, and he collapsed as time ranout after a futile playground-quality scramble on weary legs. Favre looked utterly spent from all the manic silliness. He's so completely retiring this year. This kind of season (the Pack are 1-6) would wear out Sisyphus. Whatta drag. He's the most entertainingly frustrating and talented athlete in the NFL. He's the NFL's equivalent of an ass-kicking country singer that believes in gay marriage. Or a hooker with a heart of gold that fights crime on the side. Ya know - durable and versatile. Legendarily so.
Friday, October 28, 2005
Libby gets labeled, update #2
If Patrick Fitzgerald is your prosecutor for ANYTHING, you're screwed. By the book, almost funny, humble and tough as a titanium buttplug. Fitz nailed his press conference like a Mormon cousin. Fitz also left the door open wide enough to keep all the Bushies scared sideways. Libby's belonging are already in Cheney's special dumpster and I bet he's out of his skull on booze and pills, stuck in traffic, cursing the very people around him. Don't expect a Supreme Court pick for a few weeks. Hopefully Sandra Day O'Connor didn't make many vacation plans in the New Year.
Libby gets labeled, update #1
The Smoking Gun already has full digital copies of the Libby indictment. With Fightin' Fitz prepping for his presser, we get to watch things unfold. And The Huffington Post climaxed all over this story, with recharged interest building. What an amazing age we're meandering through - the immediacy of this internet utility is the new normalcy. This is political junkie crack.
Libby gets nabbed, Rove's still being followed
Get yer red hot indictments here! Libby, 5 Counts (obstruction of justice, perjury, sodomy, misogyny, something else really greasy) - lawyer up, buddy. Rove - you're now responsible for an extended investigation, extended costs, extended damage to the Bushies, and extended media interest. Fitzgerald's a great G-man, and totally sharp. Giving everyone a few hours to read it before he holds a presser is a classy start for the public phase. The GOP attack monkeys are going to have trouble going after him further. All they can do now is tangentially point to outsiders that are even harder to defend. Like the owner of the N'Awlins 'Aints who's expressed interest in moving them to Los Angeles (as the League hopes to do). Now THAT's a guy with a truly tough home crowd, Dubya. At least you've still got a flock of sycophants surrounding you in the District. For the time being.
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Thursday, October 27, 2005
2/3rds of the way to the Big One
"Plenty Bright!" Harriet withdraws, citing the contrived importance of protecting Dubya's ability to get good legal advice while in the White House. So she did it for liberty. Freedom. All that jazz. Now the uber-Christian Right gets to feel like they're driving the bus, the Dems get to feel like they're more in agreement with each other even though they're not, and the Bushies get to feel like they covered their butts which they didn't. In the end, this is a one day story, albeit one with a lingering aftertaste. Indictments tomorrow will guarantee that. At least "Cool!" Harriet got a partial makeover from the process.
The White Sox swept past the 'Stros on their way to their first World Series title in 88 years. I tried my best to watch the Series and pay attention to some of the stories from the mix. But it never got me excited this year and I always get excited to some degree about the Series. The White Sox got hot and rolled over their post-season competition. Barbara and George the Elder Bush tried to make like 'Stros fans, even when Babs chose to leave in the 8th inning of a 14 inning Game 3 (which her "team" lost anyways, so she probably felt some relief in that serendipity). Bobby Jenks (the White Sox closer) looks like he's about two pork chops short of joining that classic SNL "Da Bears" skit. Yawn. Good for those Southsiders - reversed yet another curse and in a cornfield in Iowa I'm sure there are tributes being erected. But I'm more excited about next year when the New Brew Crew reverses the fabled Curse of '82 and returns to their rightful glory. That will be the story a whole country can truly gather round and sing its praises.
Maureen Dowd's catty comments about Judy Miller get a bit of play today. Not nearly as much as it sounds like Judy gets from her sources, if you know what I mean. If you haven't been paying attention to the mess surrounding Judy Judy Judy, let me summarize by saying that it appears she's not only been used by the Bushies but that she has some really strangely conflicted allegiances. And the Mighty Mo is working Judy over with her trademark eloquence and snarkiness. Not a pretty sight, except when they offer glamour pics of Dowd.
Maya turns 8-months-old today. 2/3rds of a year. I'm thinking about making her 2/3rds of a cake - maybe leave out the eggs or the flour. But I'm also reminded of the often way-out-of-bounds-but-still-gutsy Bill Maher hitting it right when joking about new parents giving their baby's age in months. "It's not a cheese!" So I'm going to start saying that Maya's 2/3rds of a year old when people ask her age. Seeing people do math in their heads is not a pretty thing. I'll keep you posted on how it goes. Rock on.
The White Sox swept past the 'Stros on their way to their first World Series title in 88 years. I tried my best to watch the Series and pay attention to some of the stories from the mix. But it never got me excited this year and I always get excited to some degree about the Series. The White Sox got hot and rolled over their post-season competition. Barbara and George the Elder Bush tried to make like 'Stros fans, even when Babs chose to leave in the 8th inning of a 14 inning Game 3 (which her "team" lost anyways, so she probably felt some relief in that serendipity). Bobby Jenks (the White Sox closer) looks like he's about two pork chops short of joining that classic SNL "Da Bears" skit. Yawn. Good for those Southsiders - reversed yet another curse and in a cornfield in Iowa I'm sure there are tributes being erected. But I'm more excited about next year when the New Brew Crew reverses the fabled Curse of '82 and returns to their rightful glory. That will be the story a whole country can truly gather round and sing its praises.
Maureen Dowd's catty comments about Judy Miller get a bit of play today. Not nearly as much as it sounds like Judy gets from her sources, if you know what I mean. If you haven't been paying attention to the mess surrounding Judy Judy Judy, let me summarize by saying that it appears she's not only been used by the Bushies but that she has some really strangely conflicted allegiances. And the Mighty Mo is working Judy over with her trademark eloquence and snarkiness. Not a pretty sight, except when they offer glamour pics of Dowd.
Maya turns 8-months-old today. 2/3rds of a year. I'm thinking about making her 2/3rds of a cake - maybe leave out the eggs or the flour. But I'm also reminded of the often way-out-of-bounds-but-still-gutsy Bill Maher hitting it right when joking about new parents giving their baby's age in months. "It's not a cheese!" So I'm going to start saying that Maya's 2/3rds of a year old when people ask her age. Seeing people do math in their heads is not a pretty thing. I'll keep you posted on how it goes. Rock on.
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Happy Hour with Arianna
Dubya went back to the political equivalent of hugging his teddy bear yesterday - attending a Million Dollar black-tie fundraiser for the "Republican Eagles" in Los Angeles. The pool report made it sound like the ultimate roomful of well-heeled people in full scale denial. The standard pablum from Ken Mehlman gave the crowd time to pick through their $15K/plate meals. And then Dubya doing his groan-inducing comic folksiness and fear-the-future shtick. My favorite line was "I didn't come here not to deal with major problems." Because I won't tell you that he's not doing a for shite job of it.
No one wanted the 2000 dead soldiers in Iraq milestone to be passed, even though everyone knew it was coming over the past number of months. The tragic irony is that we saw that stat dominate the headline on the day that the Iraqis announced the final results of their Constitutional referendum. Of the tributes I've seen thus far, the NYTimes had a snippet of tragic info that surprised me yet again. In the past year (or since September, 2004) 994 Americans have died. Do you think anyone will still be supporting this "war" next year at this time if we're closing in on 3000 dead? Seriously - no joke there. Someone ask Dubya that, please.
With everyone that cares about politics waiting with bated breath to see what the Fightin' Fitz presents for indictments, I can say that there's one person out there I'd like to be sharing a bowl of pretzels with - Arianna Huffington. Her blow by blows on this whole cabal have been the most thorough. And by far the most entertaining. I can picture her this week in a swirl of cellphone calls, fawning assistants, lattes, wheat grass, martinis, fabulousness and grandiose pronouncements. She hits the mark maybe 35% of the time, which would make her a damn fine everyday player in Major League Baseball. As a pundit, she's more fun to listen to than rely upon. Much, much more fun. I suggest keeping an eye on "The Huffington Post" when the indictments come in.
Richard Clarke is making the rounds doing press for his first novel ("The Scorpions Gate"). Expect Fox News to introduce a book segment on all their shows, just to slam it. Regardless, the things he's able to offer as a critique of FEMA's handling of Hurricane Katrina make for fascinating listening. My, my he's done well rescuing his career from the ashes of this Administration's impending conflagration. I still say that his memoir "Against All Enemies" was the best potboiler of last year. Clarke said on "Fresh Air" that he has always enjoyed writing fiction because he enjoys reading fiction. Maybe he's a joke as a thriller writer. Still, I'd put his intellect above than all the Bushies that I've seen. So good for him. Smart sumbitch deserves to show off.
Tried to put together a crib for Maya last night that we'd gotten from a colleague of my wife. The parts were all there as far as we could tell, but we still couldn't figure it out. So I tried to Google plans or pics or something to help. As I expected, a few pics appeared because I searched for the exact company (Simmons from Wisconsin, under the "Little Folks" line). But more importantly repeated news of a massive recall of their cribs floated to the top of the Google results. So...we're shopping for a new crib. Apparently this one had a problem of the mattress base dropping to the floor because the supports gave way. So I've learned the lesson of researching the companies more completely. I'll be sure to pass along any that I find somehow lacking. Rock on.
No one wanted the 2000 dead soldiers in Iraq milestone to be passed, even though everyone knew it was coming over the past number of months. The tragic irony is that we saw that stat dominate the headline on the day that the Iraqis announced the final results of their Constitutional referendum. Of the tributes I've seen thus far, the NYTimes had a snippet of tragic info that surprised me yet again. In the past year (or since September, 2004) 994 Americans have died. Do you think anyone will still be supporting this "war" next year at this time if we're closing in on 3000 dead? Seriously - no joke there. Someone ask Dubya that, please.
With everyone that cares about politics waiting with bated breath to see what the Fightin' Fitz presents for indictments, I can say that there's one person out there I'd like to be sharing a bowl of pretzels with - Arianna Huffington. Her blow by blows on this whole cabal have been the most thorough. And by far the most entertaining. I can picture her this week in a swirl of cellphone calls, fawning assistants, lattes, wheat grass, martinis, fabulousness and grandiose pronouncements. She hits the mark maybe 35% of the time, which would make her a damn fine everyday player in Major League Baseball. As a pundit, she's more fun to listen to than rely upon. Much, much more fun. I suggest keeping an eye on "The Huffington Post" when the indictments come in.
Richard Clarke is making the rounds doing press for his first novel ("The Scorpions Gate"). Expect Fox News to introduce a book segment on all their shows, just to slam it. Regardless, the things he's able to offer as a critique of FEMA's handling of Hurricane Katrina make for fascinating listening. My, my he's done well rescuing his career from the ashes of this Administration's impending conflagration. I still say that his memoir "Against All Enemies" was the best potboiler of last year. Clarke said on "Fresh Air" that he has always enjoyed writing fiction because he enjoys reading fiction. Maybe he's a joke as a thriller writer. Still, I'd put his intellect above than all the Bushies that I've seen. So good for him. Smart sumbitch deserves to show off.
Tried to put together a crib for Maya last night that we'd gotten from a colleague of my wife. The parts were all there as far as we could tell, but we still couldn't figure it out. So I tried to Google plans or pics or something to help. As I expected, a few pics appeared because I searched for the exact company (Simmons from Wisconsin, under the "Little Folks" line). But more importantly repeated news of a massive recall of their cribs floated to the top of the Google results. So...we're shopping for a new crib. Apparently this one had a problem of the mattress base dropping to the floor because the supports gave way. So I've learned the lesson of researching the companies more completely. I'll be sure to pass along any that I find somehow lacking. Rock on.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Or maybe "Laverne Loves Shirley"
Look's like the GOP attack monkeys are taking a more vicious approach to "Greatest Lottery Commissioner Ever!" Harriet's nomination. They've launched a website subtly named WithdrawMiers.org and gotten plenty of ink today explicitly saying that "Most Qualified Nominee Ever!" Harriet should be pulled before the hearings. If "Greatest Christian Ever!" Harriet were a TV show, she'd be "Joanie Loves Chachi" - over before it began, yet doomed to infamy for an eternity.
Everyone's replaying the NYTimes scoop from this morning that quotes lawyers in the Rove/Libby investigation saying Libby found out about Valerie Wilson's identity from "Big Time!" Dick Cheney weeks before the publication of the Novak column. Cheney apparently found out from "Medal of Freedom!" George Tenet. Ah, the stew is reducing after a period of simmering. Yummy.
We got a hiking backpack for Maya that I must recommend highly. She loves it, especially when she's goading me to bounce her more. Or at least that's how I interpret what she seems to be saying. If I get arrested for child endangerment, that will be my defense. Anyhoo, it's a Lafuma (big European backpack manufacturer). If you want a way to hike with your <50 pound kid, it's absolutely perfect. Great around the neighborhood, too.
I predict that if the White Sox win this world series, they will be the least appreciated champion since the Twins in '87. When the Twins won again in '91, they were an amazing story. Should've been in '87, as well. But most of America didn't seem to care and the same seems to be true this year. In this case, it's the unfortunate timing of winning the year after the Sawx. In that case, it's, well, Minnesota. Might as well be Moosejaw. Rock on.
Everyone's replaying the NYTimes scoop from this morning that quotes lawyers in the Rove/Libby investigation saying Libby found out about Valerie Wilson's identity from "Big Time!" Dick Cheney weeks before the publication of the Novak column. Cheney apparently found out from "Medal of Freedom!" George Tenet. Ah, the stew is reducing after a period of simmering. Yummy.
We got a hiking backpack for Maya that I must recommend highly. She loves it, especially when she's goading me to bounce her more. Or at least that's how I interpret what she seems to be saying. If I get arrested for child endangerment, that will be my defense. Anyhoo, it's a Lafuma (big European backpack manufacturer). If you want a way to hike with your <50 pound kid, it's absolutely perfect. Great around the neighborhood, too.
I predict that if the White Sox win this world series, they will be the least appreciated champion since the Twins in '87. When the Twins won again in '91, they were an amazing story. Should've been in '87, as well. But most of America didn't seem to care and the same seems to be true this year. In this case, it's the unfortunate timing of winning the year after the Sawx. In that case, it's, well, Minnesota. Might as well be Moosejaw. Rock on.
Monday, October 24, 2005
Next question - How much wood would a woodchuck chuck?
As Maya pines away in Gitmo, I just watched Dubya take some questions from reporters following a Cabinet meeting. The heat's really rising for the Bushies and the confluence of events that they've got to speak to is unbelievable. CNN's going live with a trio of car bombings in Baghdad (video of the explosions included). Wilma's ruining some pretty darn serious beachfront property in Jeb's re-election effort. But when the questions get asked? Rove/Libby and "Plenty Bright!" Harriet. Ouch. Quick - find somebody for O.J. to kill or the Press may actually cover this Administration's messiness for a change. Morning photo ops with a tiny sliver of Press opening typically haven't ever been a time to actually show Dubya in unscripted mode. His responses this morning are typically retarded on language. Yet the way he's so inexpertly sticking his paddle out into the current to redirect and instead sending himself into even greater peril is pretty compelling. Cases in point - when questioned about his characterization of Patrick Fitzgerald as running a "distinguished" investigation while GOP attack monkeys tried to now call the Fightin' Fitz "overzealous" over the weekend, Dubya went back to his standard "I'm not going to comment on the ongoing investigation." All that means for me is that when charges are brought (and THE INVESTIGATION IS OVER), they'll need to comment. That should be fun for Dubya's speechwriters. Other case in point - when the suggestion that those same GOP monkeys playing defense suggested that the Bushies were looking for a way to withdraw "Cool!" Harriet's nomination, Dubya went right for the Executive Privilege argument to withhold White House records from the Judiciary Committee. Unreal. It's as if he knows what the next political disaster is slated to be.
Spent a good portion of yesterday playing NFL fan. A good friend from college who's now an insanely funny 2nd Grade teacher (Vikes fan) came up to watch the Packers get embarrassed. Two of the worst teams in the League playing some of their worst football of the year to date. And then the Vikes' 98-pound weakling of a kicker boots a fiddy-six yarder to win the game. Horrid. Thankfully we had lots of hearty brat stew and all the fixins to distract us from what we were seeing. Maya even managed to take a lengthy nap amidst the festivities. So it was a fine Fall day on this Coast.
Hope your own picks came in like a Senatorr Judd Gregg Powerball this weekend. Rock on.
Spent a good portion of yesterday playing NFL fan. A good friend from college who's now an insanely funny 2nd Grade teacher (Vikes fan) came up to watch the Packers get embarrassed. Two of the worst teams in the League playing some of their worst football of the year to date. And then the Vikes' 98-pound weakling of a kicker boots a fiddy-six yarder to win the game. Horrid. Thankfully we had lots of hearty brat stew and all the fixins to distract us from what we were seeing. Maya even managed to take a lengthy nap amidst the festivities. So it was a fine Fall day on this Coast.
Hope your own picks came in like a Senatorr Judd Gregg Powerball this weekend. Rock on.
Sunday, October 23, 2005
Friday, October 21, 2005
Thursday, October 20, 2005
I'd call it more of a "re-screw-erating"
Outside of the U.S's news media who are so delighted they've got a new hurricane to cover like a hot Mormon daughter, the big story this morning came from an Australian news program. They showed American soldiers burning two Taliban fighters purposely to then use as propaganda against all the other Taliban within earshot. Go to any European or Asian news-site and this beats Rove and Libby's impending prison weddings big time. My bet is that the Pentagon has developed a weather machine to create catastrophic weather whenever they need a cover story here at home. But unfortunately most of the contractors were weaned on missile defense program requirements so we've got a shoddy, unpredictable, wholly dangerous weapon system and Rummy's chosing the target coordinates. Just a theory. But so is evolution and look at the legs that puppy's got.
Last night's most extreme rhetoric abuse belongs to a "Council on Foreign Relations" blimp named Walter Russell Mead. He compared the Iraq fiasco to "having a contractor come in and redecorate your kitchen" in what may be a Top 10 worst analogy in American history, which is saying bunches about where the neocons are reaching these days. Listen for yourself if you've got a stomach able to digest titanium. I cannot begin to fully voice my disappointment with both Zbigniew Brzezinski and Ray Suarez for letting him get away with it on the "Newshour with Jim Lehrer" last night. But the counterpoint missed is not nearly as important as discussing the point made. When was the last time that you chose to have something "redecorated" that led to 2000+ American dead, not to mention 20K or so injuries? Mead may have unintentionally touched upon the arrogance still in play for the neocons. This ain't war in their view. This is a fixer-upper. And we're all footing the bill for years and years to come.
The Astros made it to the Big Show for the first time with their victory over the Cards last night. I'll always root against the Cards after what they did back in '82 to da Brew Crew. But this time, I was honestly hoping the 'Stros (or maybe the As'es) would step through to face the White Sox. This non-traditional October has me very fired up.
Maya's screaming from "Gitmo" and I don't think the Red Cross will take care of this one. Hope your own prison populations are less unruly. Rock on.
Last night's most extreme rhetoric abuse belongs to a "Council on Foreign Relations" blimp named Walter Russell Mead. He compared the Iraq fiasco to "having a contractor come in and redecorate your kitchen" in what may be a Top 10 worst analogy in American history, which is saying bunches about where the neocons are reaching these days. Listen for yourself if you've got a stomach able to digest titanium. I cannot begin to fully voice my disappointment with both Zbigniew Brzezinski and Ray Suarez for letting him get away with it on the "Newshour with Jim Lehrer" last night. But the counterpoint missed is not nearly as important as discussing the point made. When was the last time that you chose to have something "redecorated" that led to 2000+ American dead, not to mention 20K or so injuries? Mead may have unintentionally touched upon the arrogance still in play for the neocons. This ain't war in their view. This is a fixer-upper. And we're all footing the bill for years and years to come.
The Astros made it to the Big Show for the first time with their victory over the Cards last night. I'll always root against the Cards after what they did back in '82 to da Brew Crew. But this time, I was honestly hoping the 'Stros (or maybe the As'es) would step through to face the White Sox. This non-traditional October has me very fired up.
Maya's screaming from "Gitmo" and I don't think the Red Cross will take care of this one. Hope your own prison populations are less unruly. Rock on.
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